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Chapter 10: Rivalry!

It was a cold, cloudless night full from a silver river of stars that dared to compete with the moon. Luna found that she couldn't sleep and it wasn't just because of the pain in her chest or the fact that she had to adjust her bandages constantly - they felt tight. Her eyes strayed to the window where the moon was just able to gaze into her room. Moonlight sent fourth ribbons that rested on the linoleum floor beside her. All through the night the hospital was rested, but she was restless, waiting and watching the sky roll by. There were few clouds - or maybe steam - flowing by and get caught in the nights wind before Luna finally got out of bed and jumped onto the mantle. Lights filled not only the sky but the ground as well. Gold, blue, green at times; like flowers in full bloom they spanned as far as she could see and when her eyes touched the horizon it was the sky and the stars again. Luna found it nothing short but beautiful. It only took her a moment to realize, being in front of hundreds of thousands of lights, that she was feeling lonely. She took a gentle sigh and looked back into the darkness of the room. Nobody was out there except for the occasional doctor that passed by from time to time but never decided to look at her, hardly decided to stare into the room. Luna took her eyes back to the window, under the press of stars a flash came in the sky. A plane flew high above the city in gentle arcs of blinking lights. Luna watched as the plane went further and further until it disappeared into the dark "Can't sleep?" It was Bandit who scared Luna half to death before she found a smile that awkwardly came in return "No, I'm not tired." Casually she replied and ignored the pain that came from her injury when she spoke. Bandit put her paws onto the mantle and brought her head to the window "It's quite a view from up here." She began the conversation calmly "...So... you haven't really chosen yet." "Chosen? Chosen what?" Luna was watching Bandit now, their eyes met under the dark light "Are you going to stay with us or go?" Her tone suddenly changed, it was dead serious as her smile faded "Oh." Luna didn't have a thought about it, she hardly gave herself the chance after the days she had. It was a simple solid answer. "Yes." Bandit chuckled and showed her teeth gleam from the light of the moon, like steel razors "For a moment all of us thought you'd leave." Bandit pulled something from behind her. On the floor shone a red metal hood, Luna's reflection held perfect inside it. It shone gallantly in the night as the Pokéball rested in front of Luna and, even though she hesitated to get near it, her nose pressed on the front. In the next moment she was inside and considered herself one of Griffin's.

-

Thief found himself on the balcony again, he was there for most of the night and watched - the hospital was in clear view of the hotel like all it took was a straight run and he'd be back there. He didn't break his gaze from it and sat, waiting. After hours, it seemed, something came beside him. It was Moonlight. He didn't say a single word and sat down beside him; Thief listened to the sounds of the city, cars he could hear in the distance and sirens that roared before getting further and further away. The occasional *Bsszzt* of a neon sign or laughter that came from down the street. The night was loud and restless, and Thief couldn't figure out how Brad and Griffin could fall asleep to it. Moonlight took a moment to yawn and his eyes were riddled with sleep "If you're tired..." Thief began as Moonlight replied with a smile. He didn't say a word and looked back out to the stars, and sky, and the hospital that stood tall before them. A stirring came into the darkness; Shadow was awake as well watching under the fading moonlight that stopped near his bed. He was caught in both Thief and Moonlight's eye as he walked towards them and sat between the two of them, and watched the night as well. "I guess we're all awake." Thief's voice was hardly a whisper but it was enough to stir their attention "I don't know about Absol, Pikachu, and Marill." Shadow replied in the same tone but hardly looked as he sighed and watched the road, which was illuminated by a dim street-lamp. The road here was empty. Thief, Shadow, and Moonlight all watched the night together in silence and waited for the morning to arrive. Three hours passed. A clock in the room signaled every single one that arrived in a tender, loud, chime. Another noise came into the night, a yawn. Griffin was awake - something must've woken him up as he sat on the bed in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. He looked to the balcony, the door was open; it was the cold that woke him. He stood and stretched and yawned loudly "Thief? Moonlight?" He walked up to all of them. "Shadow... what are you all doing awake?" They all responded in silence before watching the night again. Griffin walked up to the balcony door and looked out the window for just a little while he too watched in silence. Stirs touched Griffin's ear, the night was loud and restless even though the sky was calm in return. He missed the sounds and sights of the city no matter how beautiful the forests and trails were. No matter the adventure he knew that a part of him would be somewhere back home. It was the first time it struck him really, standing beside the glass door with his Pokémon next to him. He could hardly see them as his own; they were all different people in his mind with their own personalities, faces, and names. To him they were like a family. So Griffin questioned why he felt homesick when he had a family with him. There was a mixture of worry and happiness that filled him, it only took him a while to figure out why they were standing, watching. He knew that they were waiting for the sun to rise again because by then they all would be going back to find the rest of _their_family.

Morning hit under a glade of warm sunshine that brought color, and life, to Griffin's hotel room. He noticed that he was the only one awake. His eyes caught attention to the balcony, the sun was full, yet there was a gentle morning-fog across the city. His eyes glanced to the clock where he noticed that Moonlight and Shadow were inside, nearby his bed. The time stared back to him *8: 49* another quick glance outside and he noticed that, unlike Moonlight or Shadow, Thief was sleeping outside. Griffin jumped up and opened the balcony door, his hand reached down on Thief as if trying to check if he was cold. The very thought ran through his mind 'He's going to be freezing, what the hell was he thinking sleeping outside!?' His hand landed softly on his fur and... his pelt was scorching hot. A sudden flash of pain shot in Griffins and immediately he went to run his now burned hand under cold water. A noise rose from behind him, a small gentle groan that changed to a much different sound "Really Griffin!? It's like nine in the morning!" Brad got up too, almost everyone was awake by now "I didn't mean to wake you Brad." Nervously Griffin chuckled and tried to reason cautiously - he still remembered clearly what happened in Pewter "What are you talking about!? Your Pokémon should be at the Pokémon Center by now!" Brad was up and getting dressed. Griffin was lost in his mind, a little confused and at a loss of words. "Well come on! We can't keep them waiting!" Griffin nodded and got dressed himself 'Since when was HE a MORNING person?' The words yelled in the dark abyss of confusion. Thief yawned and stirred awake, Griffin noticed the Growlithe nudge his way past the balcony door. A question suddenly popped into Griffins mind "Hey Brad." "What?" He was getting his bag set up for the day, Aura was standing behind him passing things he constantly would forget "How much did this room cost anyways?" It wasn't a large room... but... two beds, bathroom with a shower, TV, Balcony. It seemed like a normal hotel room but they were in the city and Griffin knew that cities can cost a bit "Oh a few..." "How much is a few?" "Well it kind of was the closest to the hospital AND they don't like Pokémon actually inside..." "..." "Only a few dollars" He was the nervous one now "..." "Alright, alright, it was only about two-hundred a night... or two." "I guess you're covering the tab?" Brad began to chuckle again "Uh I thought we were travel buddies... you know fifty-fifty" 'So he pulls the companion card...'_Griffin sighed and looked in his wallet; no cash left meant he'd have to cover it with his credit card and that almost always ended with an annoying phone-call from a certain **_someone."Well whatever, we are going to be staying in Saffron for at least a while right?" "Well yeah but if we stay for a few days... that is at least six-hundred dollars or more" Brad and Griffin almost stood in a stare-down before Thief interrupted it by scratching at the hotel door because it was morning and that meant they could get Luna back **today.

-

In all reality Luna never actually had been IN a Pokéball before. A new experience unfolded before her eyes, but it was dark and that terrified her. Her Pokéball, the one Bandit gave her, was one Griffin kept specifically for Luna - If she ever decided to finally use it. On the top was a symbol of fire, maybe to make her more comfortable but she never really liked fire either. Softly closing her eyes, a gentle spark of light appeared in front of her and before long it felt as if she was outside. Except there was no wind or even the sound of wind; a stream was nearby her at the base of a mountain which stood high into the sky were she saw nothing but a few clouds. No Pidgey or Spearow, or any other Pokémon for that matter. She was alone in an artificial world without food or water. A sun was high above her and the light seemed real, it was warm and this made her happier. At least something felt real but Luna knew right off the bat that it was a fake too. Fear grabbed hold of her because she really didn't want to be there for long. Luna could count the hours while she was waiting in silence. That was something that was real to her too; the silence that should've been filled with a gentle whining wind or a tender stream roaring past in a soft spray of water. Water that would have come from the top of the mountain - or at least near the top of the mountain - and feed off into a lake or basin further away from her. A narrow space was what she had to sit in, to sit and wait for a trainer to let her out and with that in her mind she suddenly felt sick. Luna could've been left to rot in there. She wanted out immediately because it felt too long for her. She had to find a way out of it. A sudden idea came to mind; heat. She decided to pop the lid open by pressuring it through heat. A single breath in and before she could even send out a current of fire, she was sitting on a linoleum floor with a familiar glass door ahead of her. She was inside a Pokémon Center. Baffled, her flames ceased before they could even be let out. A sigh of relief overtook her but she wanted answers 'They moved the Pokéball? When!? How!?' Her eyes scanned the room, a tall nurse with light-red hair looked down to Luna and then behind her. The doors slid open in a tender chime, like a bell in a shop. Luna turned to see Griffin standing next to Brad, his hands dug into his pockets before her eyes took a moment to look at Thief. His young face lit up with a smile, a small one. It wasn't too noticeable; it even looked a little nervous too. Luna took a moment to study it before a shadow bumped into her "Well, welcome to the team. Luna" Bandit began before sitting down next to Shadow. She could hardly pull out the words but they were around 'Are you okay?' or maybe 'I was worried...' Luna couldn't choose between the two "Here are their Pokéballs." Nurse Joy handed the two over to Griffin; he was taken a little by surprise "Their?" His eyes took notice to the embed Pokéball; he didn't even know that he lost it. A sly look came into the light and Bandit gave a smile to Luna "Come on we aren't going to wait all day." A few words bounced by her ears as she walked out "Make sure your Vulpix has plenty of rest and nutrients on your travels!" She waved bye to Griffin but not before giving him a surprisingly dark glare. The shock ran through Griffin before he smiled and walked (if not ran) away. He kept a pace before he was out of sight of the Center before pulling out a Pokéball. Luna felt her legs go numb it was hers "I never used this one... I just don't get it." "Well think about it." Brad started "If you didn't have her registered to that Pokéball you may have lost her..." "I... guess that's true." "Maybe she used it when you weren't noticing? I mean Aura did that to me" He took a daring glare to her; she stood like a luminous shadow over him. A nervous chuckle got caught in his throat "But that's something we aren't going to bring up... Ever" Griffin felt his hand brush against the back of his head and, to Luna's relief, he returned the Pokéball. They all took a bit of a walk through the city almost everyone stared at them as they walked by "Shouldn't they put their Pokémon away?" A voice came from the crowd "Showing them off like that is never a good idea..." "Team Rocket will probably steal them if they leave them out like that." "Shush you idiot! Don't say things like that." Griffin bit his tongue and turned to the group passing by them "Do you know where the cities park is?" He asked politely and dropped his hands into his pockets. In truth he hated the idea of a Pokéball, it didn't seem right to him "Oh well just keep going down this road, and it is kind of in the middle of the city, near the Gym." Two little words passed through Griffin's thoughts

'Very descriptive...' He thanked them and kept on the route he was going. Keeping a look back from time to time before picking up the pace "Is something wrong Griffin?" "Put your Pokémon away..." Luna almost froze in place; she didn't want to go back so soon "What? Why?" "Someone is following us." A black cap caught Griffin's eye, it was only obvious as an orange suit in the middle of a forest. He took a moment to remember the two at Cerulean and by instinct he formed a fist. Gently a whisper came under his breath "If it's those two again I'll kick both their asses myself." "Did you say something?" Brad asked in a tone hardly louder than a whisper "No." He returned his Pokémon one by one yet to Luna it felt like a long 'process of elimination.' First Bandit, then Shadow, then Marill and Pikachu but something felt wrong to her, a sudden last second thought became a question 'I thought a Pokémon Trainer could only have six Pokémon, not seven.' Absol walked right up against Griffin, Moonlight was to his opposite side. They didn't talk much at all in fact they seemed a little distant from one another. She counted them in her mind again before her eyes caught onto something new Brad had two Pokéballs strapped to his belt. Luna immediately knew that Griffin must have lent it to Brad last minute 'He is a weird trainer. I bet he couldn't choose which one to send away.' Luna kept up the pace; she was falling behind them. Soon somebody cut her off. She lost sight of Griffin and Brad "Thief!" she barked out into the crowd but there was no reply. Slowly stopping and looking around Luna was unaware of the shadow that suddenly grabbed her. Like nails on a chalkboard she let out a screech of pain, their hands were tight around her ribs. The pain charged through her entire chest and set it to flames, immediately she bit down on their hand and shredded out. She tore away nothing but fabric. Whoever it was dropped Luna to the ground, she almost withered in pain on the cement, the pain causing her to yelp more. It was like she was dropped into a pool of scalding water. Soon after the pain began to fade, she started to cough. Droplets of blood came from her mouth - luckily it was only because she bit down on her tongue during her yelp. Towering over Luna was a face of a young girl who blocked out the sun. She was almost going to say something before Griffin seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"What are doing with my Vulpix?" She flinched to the harsh voice, before quickly putting her hands on her hips. She wore a black beret that flowed down to a knee-length dress that was black with a lining of white; she looked like a character out of a tv show "How am I so sure it's yours?" She almost barked back at him "I simply saw the poor thing lost in the crowd." "She was right beside me." Griffin recoiled "So she was right by you?" The mysterious girl gave a look "For all I know you probably stole her. You're simply getting mad because you're trying to steal her and I caught you in the act!" Brad was leaning against a building; he didn't want to get involved with this "She's my Vulpix! You're the one trying to steal her you thief!" Griffin spoke a little too loud and some people started to gather "You're calling me a thief!? You're the one who just happened to appear from the crowd and just say she's yours!" Luna took a quick glance to her left; a security guard was standing against a wall watching them and talked incoherently into his hand-radio. Griffin argued with the girl for another five minutes before a ring of sirens came from the crowd. Officer Jenny got off of her bike and came up to Griffin and the girl "Alright break it up!" She came through in a loud commanding voice "What is going on around here?" They both paused for a minute as they just realized that they were yelling at each other "Well, she went ahead and tried to -" "Don't you pin this on me you liar!" "Liar!? I have her Pokéball right here! How am I lying!?" Griffin asked with a quiet, but sharp, tone "I said enough!" Officer Jenny boomed again and both of them snapped to her attention "Anymore of this and I'm bringing you both down to the station!" They both cringed to the sound of her loud voice. "If you're both going to fight like this at least take it away from the public! In fact... I have a good idea for you two trainers." "An idea?" Both of them asked in question but jumped out of their skin from the look in her eyes "It sounds like there is an obvious misunderstanding... so you both are going to the park nearby and are going to have a Pokémon battle. That way you can prove to each other whose Vulpix that really is." The officer put her hands on her hips "I can't do that." Griffin stated quickly - the words slipped from his mouth without any thought "Because you sto-" The girl started to say "Nowhere close" He kept a serious and calm tone "I just got her back from the emergency room in the Pokémon Center, I won't let her battle with her injuries." Griffin preached to them both before glaring to the girl in the beret "In fact, that's the reason why she yelped when you grabbed her, you did nothing but hurt her more." She shut up, a little bit stunned "Alright you said that you have a Pokéball for her right?" "Right here Officer." Griffin held it out for her to see "But my Vulpix hate's being inside them, I tend to keep her out of it. Anyways, Nurse Joy told me that it would be better for her stay outside of the Pokéball as part of her healing process 'Nurse Joy never said that' Luna took to Griffin with stars in her eyes, she was relieved even though the pain the purred in her chest said no. Thief suddenly beamed out of his Pokéball, walked up to Luna and sat beside her without a single word, soon after Moonlight did the same and Officer Jenny started to chuckle. "Why are you laughing?" The girl finally spoke up and almost glared at Jenny "The only time I've ever seen a Growlithe do something like that was when it's defending another Growlithe. I see it all the time at the station... Well kid you got me convinced, but I still need to see your licences." Griffin and the girl handed over their Pokedex's, he took immediate note of hers. It was a light green color that had a bracelet strap and a small Eevee Keychain strapped to the corner of the Pokedex. He only noticed them on those online shopping sites, like those for Anime shows and Japanese networking. Even though it was all so common in Kanto and even back home in. *Riiiiiiiing* His Pokenav went off and caused Griffin to jump. He answered the phone "Hello?" Griffin sighed, half-expecting it to be Logan "Hey Griffster!" The voice was too familiar for him not to know it "Wait? Trevor? What are you doing calling me like this?" Griff smiled and took his Pokedex back from Jenny "Just wanted to check out how my little cuz was doing! I mean you never call at all. Logan gave me the number so I called right away." "You sure it wasn't Bandit you wanted to chat to?" Other than Logan (Who does nothing but train Bandit and Shadow, that always made Griffin upset) Trevor was the 'Real' big brother in his life, even though they were cousins and all; it was the only person he could really connect with. "Oh! That's right, you have Shadow and Bandit there, I completely forgot!" "Right Trev." Griffin chuckled and put his hand on the back of his head. Jenny gave him a small glare. "I'll call you back." He hung up the phone and fixed his eyes to her "Next time you two start this I'll just have to consider it as disturbing the peace. You both interrupted the entire flow of this street, now I don't want to need to have this chat twice. Understand?" "Yes Officer" Both of them said at the same time and in the same tone. Officer Jenny left shortly after that leaving them both to stare at each other before scoffing "I can't believe I had to go through all of that because of you." Griffin said and watched as Luna, Thief and Moonlight walked back up to him. "Well I'M SORRY! You ARE in the middle of Saffron City. This place is crawling with all kinds of the wrong people." Griffin sighed and put his hand to the back of his head "Whatever, I need to get going." Thief, Luna, and Moonlight followed behind him, she followed him for a moment too "Tch, Well you're not going anywhere just yet. I'm challenging you to a Pokémon match!" Griffin sighed "Unless you're a bit of a coward." He waited a minute and then chuckled "Fine, since we're so close to the park and all. Choose whichever amount of Pokémon you want, I'm out of your league girl." "Why don't we make this game a little... interesting. See I come from the northern region of Kanto so I have some badges there." She flashed her badges; they were all snug in a cute Eevee decal case. 4 in total shone in the sunlight as Griffin scratched his head "So you're wagering your badges are you?" He smiled, a little dark too "Fine I'll accept your challenge." "G - Griffin! You can't be serious!" Griffin smiled again "I'm not backing down to a girl, Brad." He laughed "Anyways I'll be a step closer, once I win her badges of course." Brad nodded his head left and right "You're a lunatic..."

The park was a bit of a crowded place with a lane that was about the size of two roads spanned side to side in a circular fashion. Of course it cut further into the middle and there was a large fountain that allowed for some trainers to let their water-types swim in. The Gym was in Griffin's eyesight from here but it wasn't the time to think about it. Eyes fixed on Griffin and the mysterious girl for a moment; they both exchanged dark glares. "You better not back down" "Not on your best day." Griffin recoiled and pulled out his first Pokéball. Luna sat on the sideline along with Brad, Aura, and Absol. Even she had a bad feeling about this. "Let's go Moonlight!" His first choice, in his lineup was Marill, Pikachu (Or Scarf, his new "name" was becoming common) Shadow, and Thief. Bandit was nearby the fountain - she was still injured and Griffin refused to use her. The mysterious girl had only four Pokéballs attached to the black leather ring of her belt "OH MY GOD!" She squealed in sudden delight and that left everyone chocked. "Your Espeon is so Kawaiiii" The girl was ecstatic for a moment before pulling out her Pokéball "Let's show him how girls fight! Go Tsurara!" It was the first time Griffin ever saw one up close. It's ears tilted in such a way that it captivated him, he was a little stunned by the way it batted its silvery-blue eyes to Moonlight but he didn't even care to notice. The Glaceon went up to her trainer first, she whispered something that Luna couldn't catch onto - she could hardly see her lips either. That's when something hit her she could hear them both, all of them in fact. It made her feel happy, the next second the trainer broke the pep-talk and Tsurara happily strutted to Moonlight "Hi." She spoke happily and in a tone that reminded Luna of the warm sun. Moonlight, on the other paw, kept his stance solid as if waiting. It suddenly charged through Luna's mind 'She's using Attract to get the upper hand... dirty trick' Luna kept it in her mind, it was never a bad idea to use it but shortly after that she was deterred. Moonlight wasn't affected at all, and Tsurara pulled out all of the tricks she could think of. From nuzzling to small talk nothing worked on him "You know there's a little trick when it comes to that move Attract." Tsurara stopped dead and looked a little confused as Moonlight stretched his pelt out and casually pushed her aside. Luna found it hard to hear but she swore it went something like this before Moonlight used his tails to disorientate her. That Attract only works on those actually interested in the opposite gender Shortly after Tsuara was thrown in dis-array Moonlight circled over, using Agility and Double-Team to through her into even more confusion. "H - Hey!" She made a cry out before suddenly getting struck, first from the side, then the front, then the back, and then the front suddenly. It happened so fast that Luna thought he was attacking from all angles. There was a painful yelp as Moonlight made a quick jump over her, his paws specifically landed on the back of her head as he jumped off and sent her to the floor. "If you pull cards like that you won't get far." Suddenly a shadow darted out from behind him and suddenly he was engulfed in what looked to be shards of glass. Tsuara used Ice Shard. As for Moonlight he wasn't even scathed even though he was swallowed by a sudden river of sharp ice. Moonlight used Barrier in response but what confused Luna the most was the sudden charge of Ice shards that went back Tsuara's way. Moonlight also used Mirror Guard to recoil the attack and quickly the tables were turned. Luna thought back to the train and the entire fight - it was fractional but this was the first time she really saw him fight in a proper battle. He didn't even look tired, Tsuara, on the other paw, was panting heavily and she was already injured from the sudden counterattack "Finally, a real fight. Most males fall for the Attract trick, it gets so boring. You are a little different." "I already told you that I'm not interested." "I really did think you were joking at first... Shame too." The entire park suddenly got cold, really cold. Luna watched as clouds quickly formed around the Glaceon and its fur suddenly froze over leaving sharp quills in its place. This Glaceon was getting serious now, the whole fight was - enough that most of the trainers in the park stopped to watch the fight. A sudden smoke-screen of snow covered all around Moonlight and he was engulfed in a white sea of snow. The move Blizzard, but at this severity? Luna felt her eyes grow wide in wonder 'I guess it's no different than my Fire-spin' She watched as the snow was suddenly taken away, her pelt spiked as she only saw for a single-split second that Tsuara was making a full tackle at Moonlight. He was launched back, but it didn't make any sense to her - it even felt like he took the hit purposely. She screamed to herself 'Why wouldn't he move!?' Why was she so worried? It didn't make sense. Moonlight crumpled, still as a corpse sprawled on the cement "HA! I guess that showed you!" She chuckled and strutted over to him, playing out her little victory "There's hardly any female Glaceon's out there so I'm a little special, I got a few tricks hiding in my pelt." "Funny you say that." Moonlight spoke and his un-harmed and strong voice made her flinch. "I got a pawful of them too." In that second Luna caught movement - it looked like Moonlights shadow but it was only there for a fraction of a second before Tsuara was knocked off of her feet. Griffin, Brad, and Luna were lost. Bandit on the other-hand scoffed "Why are you spending your time toying with her? Just end the fight Moonlight, I'm getting bored here." He used something the Pokémon League liked to call 'Future Sight.' It was a common trick for most Physic types but it usually hit hard; very hard. The mysterious girl returned Tsuara who was trying to fight to stand but couldn't muster the strength to. "Fine, you got her..." She pulled out another Pokéball. "Go Akamaru!" Griffin seemed to sigh "Oh! I get it, you're one of those crazy anime fans... it took me a minute with the name Tsuara." He stared down at the Flareon obviously any fan would take the name for it. "How unoriginal really." "Baka." She whispered to herself "Just for that I'll have to take out that Espeon of yours!" "Try it you... What do they even call you people again?" Griffin stuck his thumb under his chin - like he was thinking in depth about it "A Weeaboo... You baka!" The girl was getting angry "Alright you crazy Otaku person." She almost growled and it made Luna go a little wide-eyed "Kick this guy's ass Akamaru!" Griffin snorted and laughed a bit "Really the name is kind of dumb." The Flareon snarled that time and took a charge to Moonlight. He responded with a defensive stance 'I get it, Griffin is enraging the trainer and that's making the Pokémon upset' Luna yawned before she unexpectedly cringed from the pain in her chest that erupted when she breathed in quickly. The Flareon took a straight charge to Moonlight - he simply evaded the attack and got behind the Flareon, a few decent feet back, before unleashing a Psybeam that engulfed him whole. There was talk around the crowd, some people clapped and one or two actually cheered Griffin on. Suddenly an explosion of fire struck Moonlights way, it was hot - even for Luna and she was used to the temperature. It scathed Moonlight and left a terrible burn on his side "Moonlight, come!" Griffin was holding a burn remedy but Moonlight disregarded at the sight of the spray. He didn't need it. Suddenly a circular arc strung itself outwards of the smoke - Moonlight took a wild jump left and Luna watched as the Flareon landed, hardly a few inches from her. It gave her a look - and even a small smile before charging into a Flare-Blitz. It was a ruthless move (Luna knew it firsthand.) Moonlight narrowly missed it, getting a scald across his hip from the Flareons fur "Flareon, a flame pokemon and an evolved form of Eevee. It stores air within an internal flame sac which heats its body to a temperature over three thousand degrees." Griffins Pokedex rang through the battle as he put it away and pulled out Espeon's Pokéball. He bit his lip and pulled out another Pokéball "What? Won't let your Pokémon fight anymore?" "No, with one that hot I'll need to cool it down." He let Marill out and bit down on his lip again He hardly ever used Marill but called out to him "You got this Marill! Try your best out there!" Marill nodded and turned, looking straight into the daring - sharp eyes of the Flareon "Now I didn't think a baby Pokémon wou-" His voice was gurgled out; Marill used Hydro-pump and it was enough to send Akamaru back a few feet; it hit him clean in the mouth with freezing cold water "You little!" He sharply inhaled and Griffin watched as steam rose out of its mouth. He pulled out his Pokedex again as it kept chiming "Would you like to hear your brother's notes?" Griffin sighed and said "sure" "There's more to Flareon than the Pokedex states" It was in the Pokedex's robotic voice; it must've been programmed into the system rather than recorded. "First, when a Flareon inhales the breath can reach up to a temperature of three-thousand degrees but not the body, in fact it ruffles its fur collar to cool down as its body can only reach a temperature of about one thousand, six hundred and fifty degrees. If it doesn't or can't release the temperature accordingly the Pokémon overheats and faints. It's easier to heat up a Flareon than it is to beat it by cooling it down. Keep that in mind." The recording stopped and Griffin smiled before hearing a little frantic cry. Marill was practically running circles as the Flareon was torching the ground behind it. He returned Marill. "Fine, if it likes the heat so much. Thief! Go! Use Flame-Thrower and Heat-wave." "What are you playing at?" The girl looked in confusion. "Show him whose Flame-Thrower is better Akamaru!" The Flareon barked in reply and growled at Thief. Luna sat and shifted uncomfortably. Griffin looked a little puzzled himself. "Thief! Agility and Double Team go!" 'He must've realized that he couldn't just beat her Flareon with heat alone... Thief can't take that much heat - he's a lot like me that way.' Realization struck Luna quickly as the battle suddenly picked up again.

Whatever Griffin was doing, it was worth it. The sun was in a full shine that day and the temperature on the concrete was steadily increasing. Currents of flame were tossed in all directions as Thief crossed around in a full circle before crossing back around - this battle was one of endurance not strength. He was pressing forward and then pressing back and his illusions from double-team were doing much the same. Akamaru was getting dizzy - enough that he faltered and Thief placed a full Flame-Wheel on him. There was a yelp from both of them "That Pokémon is scorching hot..." Thief winced and stared at his opponent whom was lying on the ground - completely confused and defeated. The girl returned her Flareon "I really didn't think I'd get to this point... Go! Sephiran!" From the charge of the beam to the cement ground (Which was still hot) something... different came from her Pokéball. Suddenly the crowd was in an uproar "Is that really!?" "Wow! A trainer all the way from Kalos?" "There isn't any way that -" "Look at that!" There was a flash from a camera "I never thought I'd see one, ever!" Griffin looked at his pokedex, it didn't have any data but the moment he scanned it, his Pokenav went off the charts. He answered it on speaker "Hello?" He spoke real quickly "Griffin, its Logan, where the hell are you?" "In Saffron, I'm in the middle of the match - why did you call me?" "... I have your Pokedex data sent to my PC, it's a wireless feed that's between me and that Ayumu fellow now." "Really!?" It wasn't the time to get mad, Griffin had a trainer to beat "Call me ba-" "That Pokémon is called Sylveon, they've only been reported in the Kalos region. You'll have a tough time taking it out without a Poison, Steel or Fire type at least." "HEY! You can't just give him information like that!" Logan sighed; the entire crowd was quiet enough that his voice came across. Some people talked about how familiar he sounded "I'm the guy running his Pokedex. That information would have been the same on it regardless." "Who is that anyways? You can't just interrupt a Pokémon match! I hope you know that!" Griffin groaned, barely getting the chance to put his Pokenav away "My brother, it's unimportant." Griffin recoiled quickly. "No... His name is Logan; your name is Griffin... That reminds me of that Championship News Article a few months back..." She smiled - it was a sly smile. "You're Griffin Fletching aren't you? And if that's your brother, than that means he's the Hoenn Champion Logan Fletching!" Griffin went expressionless, the crowd took interest too. This was something he was trying to avoid from the start - his identity. Luna watched Griffin squirm needlessly before clenching his fist "Thanks Logan." He hung up the phone - not knowing who he should be pissed off at. This would cause nothing but unwanted publicity, something he wanted to get away from when he left Hoenn. With his fist clenched he opened his mouth. "Thief, I want you to burn that Sylveon out. Do whatever it takes." He nodded and took a stance, The Sylveon simply walked up to him - calmly _'That Sylveon is male, given the name Sephiran. He couldn't really be trying to use Attract or Charm would he?'_The thought made Luna stick out her tongue - as if a bad taste suddenly got to her. She didn't mind Moonlight, but the 'Sephiran' character was a complete stranger. The ribbons on him suddenly reached out to Thief, they pressed against his fur as the Sylveon gave him a look - and a smile "I don't want to fight." Whatever it was Thief stopped his stance; there was something odd about the air - an aura that rippled through like a small pebble bouncing across the surface of a pond. It was calming and Luna immediately figured it out "It's a trick Thief! Use amber!" She barked and that snapped him out of it, he darted from the reach of the ribbons and torched the Pokémon in front of him. "... Or Flamethrower, whichever you prefer." A beam came from Griffins side - it was Moonlight, he seemed frantic. Suddenly Thief noticed that the concrete disappeared and in place there was nothing but mist - his flamethrower missed entirely. A red blinking caught Luna's gaze for a moment - a camera was recording the battle. There was a sound, it sounded like singing - but it was a chilling cry that made Thief suddenly cringe. A round white light touched the sky - it reminded Luna of the moon. Moonblast, that was the move Sylveon used but it was directed to the sky - temporarily drowning the suns light with the calming moon and then a tender wind brushed Thief's fur. Before Thief could even realize what was going on - he was feeling drowsy. The Sylveon was setting the stage to set him asleep. Thief yawned and at that point there was nothing he really could do but curl up and slip into unconsciousness "That makes two for her and three for him!" A person said from the crowd as Griffin picked Thief up and rested him on the sidelines. Luna simply bet that he believed that Thief would wake up again. He then applied a remedy to Moonlight for his burns and a quick potion "Can you handle this Moonlight?" Moonlight was already walking into the mists; matching himself a few steps away from the Sylveon. Luna went over to Thief (Who was still asleep) and sat next to him, watching the battle from Griffins point of view. Soon she realized something - they were both being exceptionally sportsman-like. The girl considered her Glaceon and Flareon defeated - even though they could go back into battle until they feinted or were badly injured and that's the same thing to say about Marill and Thief. Luna watched, almost exhilarated as Moonlight and the Sylveon both sat down in front of one another.

Saffron City's gym was a Psychic gym, so seeing a battle of the minds wasn't uncommon. The crowd waited in silent cheer as Griffin felt the tension build. Luna could feel the air - and the aura change again and again like two raging streams that suddenly collide into one another. "I never got this part of a Psychic battle..." "You idiot hush, this is where both of the Pokémon are using Calm Mind. They're both in a trance that's letting them exchange feelings and virtually invade one another's mind. The Pokémon that breaks loses." Griffin swallowed hard, he'd never heard of a situation like this before but surely enough he noticed the aura build between them both. A light pale pink overtop his Espeon, and a dark purple overtop the Sylveon. It was a Psychic duel, suddenly; ever so suddenly the Sylveon collapsed. Moonlight wavered for a moment before standing to his paws and slipping over to him. He put a paw overtop of the Sylveon - a symbol of dominance and then left back to Griffin. He tumbled and waved more before collapsing right at his feet. Suddenly the noise picked up and the crowd burst into sudden chatter "She has one and he has two! This is a wicked close battle!" "Still they don't have what it takes to beat the gym leader!" Griffin churned a bit from that. He pulled out his Pikachu, the girl pulled out her last Pokéball "Go! Yuny!" The Pokéballs beam faded and the two went head to head in immediate battle. The mist from Sylveon still lingered and Griffin could hardly see the Pokémon that darted from one cloud of mist to the next. All Griffin knew was that Pikachu was in trouble from the start "Pikachu! Thunder Wave!" Sparks lit up sections of the mist with a single small shadow charging through and around - as if it were dodging everything. Suddenly there was a pained cry and Pikachu landed out of the mist, covered in injuries and crumpled at Griffins feet. Finally the mist dissipated and nothing but a small silver-white Eevee stared curiously back at him "I haven't seen that fur color before..." Griffin looked at the Eevee half-believing that it caused all that damage "That's my Yuny! Anyways electricity doesn't affect her much. In fact I have a big feeling that she'll evolve into a Jolteon!" The stranger was oddly cheerful - she seemed to be having fun. One last Pokéball, Griffin couldn't believe that she brought him all the way down to this point AND she had one less than he did to start. He closed his eyes and let the beam fly; Shadow stretched and stared at the Eevee... "Shadow! Agility!" The girl gave Yuny the same order. Luna watched and her jaw practically dropped as the trainer did. She could hardly see them fight. Eventually they ended up in the middle of the arena that the crowd practically created. They were all courteous enough to give plenty of space but by now there had to be at least thirty or more trainers watching - Griffin guessed that people didn't have battles to this extent in the cities often. "You're fast" Shadow complimented the Eevee, he was hardly tired but the Eevee was getting the run of her life "T - Thanks." She panted out and bolted around Shadow again, switching from one side to the next to throw him off. For a moment Luna lost track of the Eevee and right when she least expected it a clump of Silver-white fur landed practically on top of them. Shadow dodged the wild fling and Yuny landed way out of the ring; right at Luna's feet. Luna figured that the last thing Shadow wanted to do WAS fight such a young Pokémon. He strolled up behind the Eevee and picked her up from the scruff. Yuny went wild, demanding to be dropped (Or so Luna believed, she didn't get what Watashi-O-Hanasa meant) Yuny kicked up her feet and paws around yelling and screaming again and again before giving up. Shadow gave a smile and walked over to the mysterious girl before dropping Yuny by her feet and walked back to Griffin "Dark... types don't usually do that." Somebody in the crowd said, there were pockets of confused chatter "I was half expecting it to bite down on the poor things head..." "Whoa! That's terrible! Why would you even say that!?" "Well it's a dark type after-all I mean they usually are bad Pokémon." Griffin felt his blood boil, Shadow was one of the nicest Pokémon he'd ever had met. Yet he also knew of nine other Pokémon that were just as kind and he knew them all off by heart. The girl sighed and almost had tears stuck in her eyes "I can't believe I actually lost..." She practically crumpled to her knees. "I've never lost before." Griffin put his hands on the back of his head, enjoying his victory before a fist punted it "What the hell was that!" Brad shushed him "You can't honestly take away her gym badges." "Who says I can't? I won anyways!" "You're not that bad of a person, are you?" Brad's arms were crossed now, Griffin swallowed hard "Well she probably would've taken mine..." That called for a second punt "Be a man not a boy you idiot..." Brad started. Griffin sighed and put a hand on his face "... Fine, I won't. It's not because I like her or something though! So don't you get that idea in your head Brad?" "Fine, fine. No need to be so defensive about it." "About what!?" "Your choices obviously, now got tell her that you won't take them away." Brad uncrossed his arms and Griffin sighed in reply before making his way across the battle-zone "That was one close battle; you've got some really powerful Pokémon." He held his hand out, being nice and all when she swatted it away from him.

"So you won... Take the stupid badges." She stood up and Yuny sat next to her "I'm not going to take your gym badges away." Griffin spoke with a little irritation in his throat. He was wondering if that was the right thing to do. Not on the good or bad scale but the 'Benefiting Me' scale. "Anyways, that would inhibit my Pokémon and my travels. I'm bringing them around Kanto; I'm training them and I'm... Enjoying every second I have with them. Skipping out on a Gym is no less than skipping out on a day I get to spend with them all." She gave Griffin a look and snorted before laughing really loudly "That is so corny!" She was holding her side and Griffin felt the blood rush to his face "It's true you..." He sighed again; it wasn't worth getting upset about it "Look, I'm a great Eevee trainer; as you can see. I know all about loving Pokémon and taking care of them. Anyways." She flashed her badges case again - this time Griffin had a good look at how thick it really was. She pulled back a Velcro lining and showed off her real badges. "Those other ones are fakes. I've already been down to Pewter and Cerulean City. The only problem is that I skipped this gym; I wanted to see more of Kanto first so I came back to Saffron after." "Why are you telling me this?" "I'm going to travel with you baka! You're the first trainer to ever beat my team, there's no way I'd let a rival just slip away from me." "..." Griffin swallowed and smiled sheepishly "We kind of have a full gro- ACK!" Brad took Griffin into a headlock "We'd be happy to have another teammate!" Luna found herself snickering from the back; the two of them really were a couple of idiots. Something stirred from under her "Awe... Those two are so cute!" It was a girl's voice from somewhere in the crowd. Luna was resting her head on Thief, right over top of his shoulders and nearby his neck. She didn't even know that she lied down in the first place. Thief was warm and his breathing was peaceful. Happiness swelled in her and burned in her chest - this time there was no pain just a tender and warm feeling. "Wow! I don't see many Vulpix and Growlithe relationships" It looked like a Pokémon Breeder they all usually wore similar clothes. He pulled out a pen and a notepad, and immediately Luna had the feeling that it wasn't the place for... whatever she was doing. Brad, Griffin, and the mysterious girl hardly noticed them at all and the moment Luna arched her head up - she noticed Bandit and Shadow together by the fountain. "Even the dark types are together! This whole team..." Another voice came from the crowd and Luna couldn't stop herself from blushing. The breeder's attention was diverted away to the other two for the time being. Griffin finally came back - more accurately, Brad dragged him back. "You're Pokémon are very healthy, not to mention they have a lot of unique interactions together." "Sorry?" "Like your two Mightyena's, they have a very healthy relationship - I wouldn't be surprised if they had pups someday!" The breeder scratched the back of his head. "Your Vulpix and Growlithe match up very well too." "My... Vulpix and Growlithe." Griffin looked at Luna; she was busy looking at the trees more than she was Thief by then. It suddenly ran through her head - fear. Would she get in trouble for the way she acted? It was all so confusing. She wasn't consciously aware of it most of the time - or so that's what she told herself. "I can tell that they are rather shy between one another but it seems as if they've been friends for a very long time - I've been breeding Pokémon since I've become a trainer." The young man smiled "You have two pairs of love-birds in your team. You're a very lucky trainer." "I... never even knew. How can you tell?" "A bit of intuition and experience really..." His phone rang and he answered it before waving goodbye and Griffin did too. The man seemed like he was in a hurry. "Hey baka! All this fighting has probably made all of our Pokémon hungry. Let's make a trip to the Pokémon Center and grab lunch." The girl started to say "I never really did catch your name, you know?" "Oh, my name is Natasha." She smiled and stretched "And yours?" She held out her hand, as if to shake his "... Griffin." He shook her hand - playing along "Pleased to meet you. Now... Can we all get to the Center?" They all nodded and left the park, the crowd slowly disappearing behind them.

Rows of people waited at the crosswalk, Brad, Griffin, and Natasha all waited in the crowd as well. The Pokémon Center was back nearby the hospital - the same route that Brad and Griffin took that morning. Griffin's Pokenav showed him the time in a brisk tender-blue light *2:12 PM* He could hardly read the screen from the sunlight. Natasha walked through the crowd, Brad and Griffin lagged behind and noticed how people were staring at her "It's probably the outfit." Brad snickered to himself; it was definitely... different "Do you think she's really from Kalos?" Griffin said to Brad "Well given the outfit... I wouldn't be surprised." Suddenly Natasha was beside them "I'm not from Kalos." She started "Oh... How did you get your Sylveon then?" Griffin recalled back to the phone-call "Through a trade of course." "..." The word 'Trade' made him sick to his stomach. Who could even think to trade their Pokémon away for another? Another few turns and a familiar building came into their view with a large red-neon sign that said 'Pokémon Center' "After this I know just the place where we all can get lunch - the Pokémon too." Griffin was already creating a cold, eerie wind that Natasha just didn't seem to notice. Brad hardly paid attention to it either but Aura certainly caught onto it and hurried alongside Brad to get further away from Griffin. Quickly he bit down on his tongue and kept quiet - surely there must've been a reason why she did. At least Griffin hoped so or this new team member would take a lot to get used to. Luna squirmed in Griffins grasp, for whatever reason he'd been carrying her since he left the park 'Does he really think that I'll get lost again?' It was the only justification for it so Luna sighed and endured the treatment - she was feeling tired anyways. Two glass-sliding doors stared back at her as Griffin was hesitant for a moment and his face read 'I can't believe I'm back here so soon'. Luna felt him swallow because her neck was pressed against his, she was resting her chin on his shoulder and watching the world behind him - she had been doing so since they left the park. Thief, Moonlight, Shadow, Bandit, Marill and Pikachu were all waiting comfortably in their Pokeballs. But wait. Something was wrong. Luna counted the numbers in her head again - he already had a full team, plus one if she included herself "Hi, welcome to the Pokémon Center. How can I help you?" Nurse Joy kept a happy face but Griffin could feel the sheer horrifying thing that her eyes screamed at him. He swallowed again and walked in a little after Natasha and Brad did "Hi we'd like to rest our Pokémon." "Of course, I'll be sure to get them treatment right away." Nurse Joy was on the move with a Chancy bringing a tray up from behind her. "Please place your Pokéballs accordingly." They all did and were told to wait for a while - Luna was carefully carried to the back room where everyone's Pokéballs were kept. The room was dark and uneasily quiet. The only light that came to her was from the hallway nearby and the recovery beds that some Pokémon rested on. She noticed a Growlithe in the far corner, the top of their head was bandaged and their paw was casted. Luna swallowed and looked down to Thief's Pokéball 'Physic attacks aren't... physical are they?' She was starting to feel a little uneasy sitting alone in the dim lights. Her eyes caught onto movement - a Pidgeotto was resting too, covered in scratches and mild burns. Luna's mind went to some of the trainer's sitting in the waiting room and suddenly she wanted to know what they were feeling. Especially when seeing all of this was making her think back to a time where she believed that no human was just, or right, or loving. Love. Why did the word feel so suddenly empowering to her? Love... It raced through her mind once more. Family... and Home Two more words touched her mind; did she really, truly, know the definition? Luna asked the question once more "Please." A voice came from the hallway and gave her pelt a jolt. "Can I see her now? I... Can't take all this waiting, I never could." "Taking on the Saffron Gym like that was reckless. I want you to understand that." Nurse Joy's familiar voice touched Luna's ear. "I... know. I've been pushing all of my Pokémon a lot. I can't just wait..." There was a tender cooing sound; the Pidgeotto woke up. "This whole thing was my fault... I never should've pushed them so hard." "Training your Pokémon is a great thing but you have to learn how to balance it." Nurse Joy started again "You keep wondering why they're either tired or upset most of the time. It's just as much your responsibility as it is theirs. Your Pidgeotto is going to be fine but she's simply exhausted, don't push her so hard. Now follow me, she should be ready..." Footsteps were coming from down the hall and Luna froze solid as she realized that the Pidgeotto was staring right at her. Luna looked to the doorway when the light flowed into the dim room, a trainer stood at the edge of the wall - an Umbreon sat next to her, waiting anxiously. In that moment Luna felt infatuated. The way he looked; the worry in his eyes and the sudden happiness that lit up his face to the point that it started to bloom a blush... It made Luna think of Thief and suddenly the world seemed so small to her. She wasn't the only one who was falling - or had already fallen - for someone whom was ultimately different from her. In shape, in body, and in species; they were both entirely different and the Umbreon still looked at Pidgeotto with stars in his eyes. As if he'd found the northern star for the first time in his life. Forcing herself to stop staring Luna quickly diverted her attention to Thief's Pokéball. She sat; staring at the reflection that shimmered in the dim light like hot oil. From the reflection in the Pokéball she could see the Umbreon and the Pidgeotto walk out side-by-side, chatting, smiling, and she knew that they were both in love with one another. They were truthful and honest, but Luna was lovesick and lost 'Why did I share that berry in the first place... Why did I kiss him? Why... did I want to?' Crumpling down to the linoleum floor (Luna watched her chest from resting on it) her eyes kept on her reflection in the hood of the Pokéball. 'Why do I remember all these things now?' The questions pelted her again and again 'Why... did I choose to forget?'

-

"Now remember to apply this potion and antidote daily." Nurse Joy was just finishing with another trainer. They waved goodbye and even gave Griffin a smile on the way out. He didn't get it at all "It's been a while since I've seen a trainer with a Pidgeotto." Griffin brought up. "I don't know why but I hardly ever run into trainers with bird-types. "You're kidding right? If your go anywhere between Cerulean and Pewter, or even Saffron, Lavender and Vermillion there's tons of bird trainers." Natasha rebuttled "In fact, I should've caught a Pikachu when I was back near Viridian." "You didn't see one there?" "Oh I did, but like I said before - I'm an Eevee trainer. I don't usually train other Pokémon but Eevee's." Griffin took a quick look at his PokeNav for the time *3:03 PM* "Our Pokémon have been in for a while..." Griffin said - more to himself than anyone else "One of the biggest reasons why I came back to Saffron" Natasha was already busy talking to Brad "I really wanted to go to Maidens Peak." "Maidens Peak?" Griffin cut in "Yeah, they have a festival at the end of the summer right?" "Sure they have a festival and all but I really wanted to go see the statue. Anyways the summers already finished so I doubt there would be a festival." Natasha replied looking out the window towards the early sunset. "The seasons are already starting to change and all." "Oh, you said you are an Eevee trainer?" Brad asked "No I train Diglets" Natasha replied bluntly and sarcastically "Haha. No I wanted to bring up a rumor I heard. A place called 'Leaf Forest' helps grass-types evolve apparently. I guess it would help an Eevee evolve into a Leafeon." "Oh... that's really good information." Natasha chuckled "Oh my god" Griffin stood up from the chair "I forgot to call Trevor back." He pulled out his PokeNav and stepped outside for some air. Once he was free Griffin sighed and dialed a number he knew off by hear "Hey Griff! I was wondering when you'd call back..." Trevor chuckled on the other line; the sounds of a Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were somewhere further off "Yeah, sorry about that I got in a bit of a... argument and it turned into a huge Pokémon Battle. It sounds like you're at the gym." "Yep, I wanted to get some exercise in and my Pokémon wanted some to." There was a residual chime of 'SandSlash' in the background too. Sandshrew or Spirit (As Trevor called him) was his first Pokémon; he was at least more than ten years now. After Trevor tried to compete in the Pokémon League he opened up a gym for humans and Pokémon in Hoenn. Griffin would spend most of his days there instead of watching his brother run his Pokémon dry - Trevor was balanced when it came to training; some days on, some days off. When it came to Logan it was more some weeks on - maybe a month, and a day or two off - depending on injuries. That was what pissed Griffin off the most. "So Spirit and I were just checking a few laps and Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are sparring with each other. Besides that, I wanted to see how you've been doing! All of us have been dying to hear from you." Griffin felt a smile coming on "Oh I've been great! I've already got two badges and I'm waiting in Saffron now, I'll be taking on the Psychic gym next." "Well you have Shadow and Bandit with you, so a Psychic gym won't stand a chance!" "Actually... I've been trying not to use them." Griffin felt his smile fade. "I've been running into a mixture of problems along the way." "You wanna chat about it?" Griffin went quiet "... Sure, just don't tell Logan please. He already called me once today." "I won't tell him." And with that Griffin explained everything, from meeting Brad towards the fire in Cerulean and losing Moonlight, Thief, and his Vulpix - all the way to tracking them at the Magnet Train station where his Vulpix got terribly injured and Bandit too. Griffin explained all he could about the Gym Battles, and the complications with him and the police recently - and the signing with a professor: Ayumu Akiyama. He then went on about the Absol that was stolen that he took in - he still hadn't found any information on her. Griffin then got onto the topic of Shadow and Bandit "Jeaz, you've had one hell of a trip so far." Trevor said - he had Griffin on his Bluetooth the entire time the talked so he was interrupted from Trevor's workout routine. "I think so - I feel like this is part of some Hollywood blockbuster." "Sounds like it. Just remember to take days off here and there. Your Pokémon will be grateful for them." "I'll be sure to, but I have to go check in on them. Bye I'll call you again I promise." "Anytime Griffin, bye." He hung up his Pokenav, it was three forty-seven in the afternoon now and Griffin believe that he had never talked so much in his life before. Back in the center Nurse Joy got their attention the moment Griffin walked back in "Your Pokémon are ready." She smiled and they all took them back. Luna trotted out alongside with Thief - she decided to wake him up afterall. "Thank you!" They all said and waved goodbye. "Now for dinner!" Natasha brought up - everyone remembered that they were starving by that point "Good call!" Brad smiled and put his hands in his jeans. Aura kept pace beside him, watching the crowd flow bye. They walked on for the afternoon talking about their plans for the gym and considering that they may just go to Maidens Peak. In the end it was Natasha who won that argument

End of Chapter 10