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This was it, I knew exactly why everything had to be so slow with Nion. Merely a half hour had passed since I heard him subconsciously utter the four words that confirmed my answers. That explains why he was cautious around me, that explains why he never struck me back after I had on the first day, that explains why he always tried to agree with me no matter what was happening. He was trying to be nice to me, which I always knew, but he did it in hopes that I would come to...

That got me thinking even further. Everything had been so simple... Why hadn't I figured this out sooner? I berated myself for being so oblivious to it. It was the only answer that tied up all of my questions, it was the only reason that managed to explain his actions, his emotions... His dreams... But why would he make up the story with Draye searching for one of my kind? Maybe that part was true, I could only guess. But by the random luck that he managed to find me, wait, it wasn't luck... During the short time when Draye watched the thin black box on the wall, called a 'television' by Nion, there was something on Houndours being used as 'sniffer dogs', using their heightened sense of smell to find things. In comparison, Nion wasn't much different from them and neither was I, but it was something I never thought about.

But what was behind the door? I stood up and walked into the junction of rooms, sitting on the edge of the carpet staring at the plain cream coloured door. I wanted to know what was on the other side, I was going to find out tomorrow, no question about that, but, I wanted to know now. Why would they spend so much time in there? I knew that Draye took the painting from that room, but that was all. Nion avoided any talk on it whenever I had asked about it, another question that remained unanswered... But not for long.

I had seen Draye open the door many times, and I didn't think it would be so hard. I stood up on my hind legs propping myself up against the frame, reaching up for the handle. It was harder than I thought. I could never get a grip on the handle with my paw, and after several minutes of frustration, I tried a different approach. The reason it wouldn't open was because I couldn't get a grip around the handle, so, I tried my jaw instead. The metal attachment tasted bland and horrible, but I ignored my initial thought of letting go and waiting. I wanted to know now. I clenched my teeth around the handle and turned my head forward, doing nothing but making a horrible screech as my teeth grinded across the metal, immediately awakening Nion from his sleep.

I quickly stepped down and turned to face the Luxray, he was going to tell me everything, now.

"What are you doing? Do you have any idea about what Draye will do to you if you wake him up?" Nion kept his voice to nothing but a loud whisper, it was hard to pick up as it was very breathy, but, I managed.

"Tell me what's on the other side, now." I, however, spoke at a normal level.

"What? Other side of what?"

"The door, I know you spend hours with Draye in there every night, and I want to know what has been going on inside there..." I paused for a moment to let the words sink in, giving Nion a chance to wake up too. "You said something when you were asleep Nion. Is it true?"

"Is what true? What did I say?"

"Tell me what's on the other side, and I will answer your question." I wasn't going to give in, I knew what was going on, and for once, he was the oblivious one.

"I said I would tell you tomorrow, can't you wait until then?"

"No." I answered simply, hearing a slight rustle coming from behind me.

"Then I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow Luyo." Nion turned around and lay back down on his bed, turning his back on me.

"Is that really something you want to do to the one you 'love'?" I said mockingly, immediately getting his response.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, and I heard what you said when you were asleep." I paused again to see if he would crack and tell me what was on the other side.

"That's a lie and you know it!"

"Who are you trying to convince Nion? I know it, you know it, so you had better just get the next bit over with." I was getting frustrated by his usual stubbornness. "What is behind the door?"

"I said I would tell you tomorrow, no sooner."

"Tell me now!" I lashed out at him, I had finally reached breaking point. I reached out with my claws slashing him across the face receiving a yelp from him, and a rustle from the other room. "Don't push me Nion! What is on the other side?" I stood over the Luxray with a shortness of breath. I was sure he couldn't believe that I struck him, again. But I was in no mood for negotiating, I wanted the answers to what I asked, and this time, I wasn't going to wait. He didn't respond, no word was uttered, and no movement made, it was only when I heard Draye from behind me when I took my focus from Nion.

Draye stood still for a moment, but when he noticed the red liquid pouring off Nion's once bright yellow cushion the trainer acted. No word was uttered from anyone, I stood over Nion, who was breathing quickly and staring at Draye, who quickly disappeared into his room for some reason. I turned my attention back to Nion who looked back at me. "If you waited, I would've told you everything." Nion spoke quickly.

"I said tell me-" My words were cut short as a strange energy enveloped me, immediately transporting me into blackness. That was all I felt, darkness.

I peered out the small circular hole that was right before my eyes, watching as the floor moved closer and closer to me. I was falling? No, I couldn't be... Where am I? I pushed my paws against the small hole to try and cushion my landing, but to no avail. I hit the ground, bounced back, hit the ceiling, and collapsed on the ground. The hole was once more right before my eyes, only this time I was staring at Draye sitting before Nion with one of those spray bottles, which immediately cleared up the cut I gave him, but Nion fought against him the whole time.

Once Draye released Nion he bounded over to me, and lay down before the small circle that I could do nothing but stare through. I could do nothing but stare into his eyes. His beautiful bright blue eyes... I noticed Draye saying something to Nion, but I couldn't hear anything. I guess sound wasn't something that could penetrate a ball, or at least that's where I thought I was. Either way, I was picked up, and carried into Draye's room. I watched as Nion followed me until the door was closed, but even then, I figured that he would be sitting against the door. But either way, I was thrown into a bag, shocked slightly on impact, but otherwise, everything was black. I was trapped, again.

* * *

Time had stopped. I didn't know how long I had been asleep, there was no light to tell me what stage of the morning it was. I didn't even know if it was morning. The black of my surroundings holding no indication as to what had happened or how long I had been inside the ball. All I knew was that my mind was a mess.

It seemed that while I was inside the ball I didn't feel hungry as I normally did in the mornings, I was sure it was morning, there was no other way to tell unless Draye either let me out, or turned on some sort of light, but until that time, I thought I might as well put the time to use. There were some questions, I, had to answer myself. And I knew they weren't going to be easy.

Despite the fact that I knew what I wanted to say, didn't make my mind any easier to make up. Or did I actually know what to say? Maybe I only thought that I knew what I wanted to say only to tell myself that I really wanted what the other option was. Was there a third option? No, there wasn't. It was a yes or no question. He said that he loved me, but was it my mind that thought the same way? Or my conscience? I had to think over everything he had said, everything he had told me, every moment we had been together, every action I had given towards him, every question I gave, and every question he returned. Something else hit me then. That was why he never answered my questions as to how he found me. If he had have told me then, I would've caught on sooner, and dismissed his thoughts immediately, he had to annoy me, to draw me closer. Push me away, to make me want more. I applauded his intellect for such actions, but I still wasn't anywhere near an answer. I needed to know if I did love him like I heard him saying he did to me. Or was it just a dream? Was it just something that happened during the night that set him to say that? That would explain his immediate denial of it anyway. No, I was sure about it. These things aren't just said, or that was what my conscience was telling me.

I tried to turn around. No use. I tried to shift my legs into a more comfortable position. Not happening. I could only stare straight forward. To what I only assumed was the hole I looked out of last night. Or what felt like last night.

There was a slight shimmer outside my vision, but quickly dismissed it as anything. Everything was black, there was no question about that. But when it happened again, everything came clear.

I looked intently out the hole to see light reflecting off a black surface, only for the black to move out of the way revealing the apartment's ceiling to me.

"Nion?" I said quietly, knowing that no sound could penetrate my capsule it was pointless, but I couldn't help reaction.

After a few moments of staring at the roof, my capsule was picked up and moved into Draye's room, I knew this because the way I was held I was looking in the direction of travel. I assumed that Nion had picked the ball up in his mouth and carried it, but that didn't matter. As Nion leapt up onto Draye's bed, I was put down slowly as so the ball wasn't jolted around at all, me included. I was staring out the window until Nion appeared before me, looking like a completely different Luxray. Everything still looked the same, but he had changed. He was visibly saddened by something, but I couldn't tell, I mean, it was my fault this had happened after all. It looked like he had been thinking a lot too. Although I expected that he woke up the moment Draye did to pick me up, and the only reason I could think of was because of what he said last night. That only strengthened my belief that his denial was just a show. Although why someone would deny saying something like that was beyond me, it broke down all basic thought and threw doubt on if it were actually true. But was it going to change my mind? I wasn't sure. I hadn't come up with an answer yet.

Nion just lay there, staring at me the whole morning. Occasionally he would take a heavy breath and sigh, but otherwise, no movement was made. Even blinking was kept to a minimum. And all I could do was stare at him, which made my mind work slower than normal, being distracted by the saddened face of the friend I had lived with for just under a week. The friend I had to share a house with and continually interact with, just because nothing else was around. My... Only friend... Ever.

If I was to live here for the rest of my life, which I knew was a very likely option, would I want to spend it with Nion alone? For the week I had known him for, it was, a difficult concept to grasp, I didn't know if Draye would decide to catch another pokémon, or if he ever was going to release me. But, as much as I hated to say it, this felt like home. I didn't have any other place to go, but I was sure that if I did go back to my cave overlooking Route 211, my life would never be the same alone. I would become bored within hours, I had become dependant on having someone to talk to, I was actually dependant on something else for entertainment. I couldn't just simply watch the sun pass and think about what would happen next, I would yearn to have a conversation, even if it was to be with something as dumb as the Geodude that often scaled the cliff faces. I was a social creature. And it took less than a week for Nion to change me.

Nion.

His name came up again, but this time it came in a different light. It wasn't the Luxray that took me from my home, that I had defeated in combat, that I despised for those exact reasons. But, instead, it was the pokémon that, after a moment of realising I was in his home, was willing to forgive me for actions I hadn't done, for things I didn't have a chance to say, for reasons that I hadn't argued over. Even before I considered actually living in Nion and Draye's family, he was trying to befriend me for the reason I had only just uncovered. He wanted us to me mates. He wanted to live with me for the rest of his life. Me... He chose me. And I didn't even want to live here.

Nion.

His eyes were unavoidable, no matter how hard I tried to look away, I couldn't. It was like he had my head in a vice grip and wasn't letting go. I didn't know if I felt sorry for him, or if it was something I had never considered entering my mind. Maybe I was too quick to judge when I was first dragged into this family. Maybe I did press him for answers too quickly as it was all I was accustomed to. Maybe I did feel for him, no, I couldn't. I vowed to myself to stay as I am, to live the rest of my life as I had started it. Simple, and alone. But, I didn't want that anymore. I actually wanted something else in my life, it had just taken one year, one fight, one pokémon and one week to make me realise that there was more to life than just questions and answers. There were whole aspects of it that I had missed completely. Love, family, life. I didn't want to say it, but I was wrong. I had pushed too far and got everything I deserved. I should've followed Nion's word and waited until today for him to tell me, then I could've spent this time, now, last night. But I wouldn't have his eyes staring at me. But I didn't know if they were helping me think, or making me feel worse for striking him. That would explain why he looks so sad.

I hadn't considered what my actions may've done to him. I always expected Nion to be fine and carry on with his usual life, but something told me that this was too far. The moment after I told him that he said that he loved me, I struck him. I wasn't sure if he knew what I was going on about, or if it was just my impatience that was driving my actions. Either way, I had no idea on how he felt. I hadn't had the opportunity, but I thought again, neither had he. You are the only pokémon I have talked to outside an arena... His words echoed through my mind again. You and I are exactly the same, I've just lived with a trainer. He was right. I hadn't spoken to anything other than to get them out of my cave or away from my food. He hadn't spoken to anyone unless Draye had told him to attack. We were both battle driven loners with nothing but ourselves as companions. We are the same.

* * *

The more I thought, the worse I became. Nion had moved me away from Draye's room and placed my ball on the centre of my cushion. I wanted to talk to him, but no matter how loud I yelled, or how hard I pushed, I was given no reaction from Nion. He had spoken several times, in hopes of getting an answer from me, but I couldn't read his lips. I knew it was pointless, and despite the fact that I figured he already knew that I couldn't hear him, he still said some words, the only word I did manage to pick up on was my name, but that wasn't helpful in any way.

I had no idea on what time it was as the ball was placed facing Nion's bed, him laying on it, occasionally picking at the significantly smaller pile of food before him. I only assumed that Draye knew I wasn't going to eat for a while. I don't know how long I was going to be stuck in here, but, I knew that I wanted nothing but to escape, something that I knew wasn't going to be possible for a while.

I watched Nion for at least another hour, watching as he just lay still, staring straight at me once more. I wanted to talk to him, I needed to talk to him. But my question to myself was exactly the same the moment I heard him last night. Did I love him?

It was a question that I never thought I would ever have to strain my mind on. It was a subject that I had managed to avoid my entire life. A strand of information that I had kept to instinct only on the facts that I had never seen the same pokémon for more than ten minutes at the same distance I had been with Nion. Watching them from afar was always the same, but when you got to know one of them, one that spoke to you in the morning, one that tried to tell you everything at every moment, one that kept you safe from yourself without me even realising it.

Nion.

I couldn't bring myself to make an answer. I didn't know what would happen if I said either answer. If I said yes, would I have to live the lie I created just because I didn't know? Or if I said no, would Nion ever forgive me for it? I know that if I asked myself this four days ago, I wouldn't have given it a second thought and continued to defy orders and cause destruction, but now it was different. Now I gotten used to his company. Now I wanted to be able to live like nothing had happened before in my life. Like I was happy to accept that I was never going to live alone again. Like my life had meant nothing up until this moment. Like this was my future.

To better your future you would need to learn from the mistakes of your past. All that my past has held was solitude, and so that was my problem. The way the world had shown itself to me was how I had never thought about it. I had lived alone, been taken by force, and now grown to love where I lived. It was a different life to that of what I knew, but it was a better future. I was sure of it. If everything was going to go how I planned it, I wasn't going to have a problem.

Nion's ears pricked up as I looked over to him once more. He lifted his head and immediately climbed to his feet, picking up my ball, immediately placing me on the ground at Draye's feet. I felt myself being lifted up into the air, but I didn't know if I wanted to come out of the ball. As uncomfortable as it was, I didn't wat to have to face Nion, not yet. I wasn't sure. I didn't know. I had to stall his words if I was to make a choice. I didn't know if I loved him yet.

One of Draye's fingers covered my viewing hole, and I was released out into the main room, the strange energy surrounding me as I stood several metres away from both Nion and Draye. Freedom... Horrible, horrible freedom.