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Chapter 11: Raging Rivers

Nearby a coffee shop on main street people crossed by through the city - it was just as busy in the afternoon as it was in the morning. Luna sighed and stretched - they were all sitting at an outside table enjoying the PokeFood that was bought for them. Griffin felt uneasy about the idea; he was tempted to pull out his portable camp grill from his hiking bag. While yawning softly she noticed that Thief was staring at her "So as I was saying about" Tsuara was talking about one of many of Natasha's stories - she was a little determined on bothering Moonlight. Moonlight didn't take much interest and spent his time talking to Sephiran and Akamaru "Like we said, our names come from what Natasha likes..." Moonlight looked over to Natasha for a moment, she suddenly glanced back and he felt his pelt reach a new high "She's... staring at me." Luna hardly heard Moonlight act nervous before - she could pick up the distress in his tone easily. Sephiran and Akamaru laughed a little, Luna figured that they were close friends "She did the same thing to the Umbreon at the Pokémon Center that I noticed from the medical room. The only two Eeveelutions she could never get are an Espeon and an Umbreon." Sephiran explained and smiled, noticing that Luna was staring at him. "You all have never seen a Sylveon before? Not even a picture?" He turned back to Moonlight "I have... but I doubt anybody else has." Moonlight replied - Luna was captivated by the sight of Sephiran. Being able to see him close up was definitely different than seeing him across a battle zone. His ribbons danced softly in the wind but she noticed that he could actually move them. Luna thought that they were ribbons that Natasha had put on him, but that was hardly the case. They were a part of Sephiran. "You have quite the talent in Psychic combat - I must say. I've been training for years on end and no-one has ever taken me that close before." "Close?" Luna was hardly in control of her voice, something about it sounded familiar... "With Psychic and dark types there is a plain, a world that rests at their soul. The closer one is to another soul from invading this plain the more in control that Pokémon would be. I wouldn't have expected that a Fairy type would be able to do the same thing..." Sephiran smirked "Well I'm full of surprises." "I don't doubt that." Moonlight replied. Luna took a bite of her kibble and stared at Thief who was sitting at the far end of the table - showing off his teeth in a loud yawn. It made her smile; he looked cute when he did. Something bumped into her - Scarf was chewing down on his food beside Luna "Sorry..." He swallowed before he spoke "... I don't know much about you or Marill." Luna inquired "There isn't much to know about me. I lived in Viridian forest for my whole life and eventually I wanted to see the world. After that Griffin took me in - I ended up by the ocean and he found me there." "The ocean?" Luna felt the words escape her lips "It felt... right to go there. I really don't remember much about my time before Viridian - the other Pikachu's said they found me unconscious in the heart of the forest. For all I know I probably got separated from my old trainer. If I had one of course." Luna kept it in the back of her mind and went back to eating "I was caught by Griffin." Marill started "He caught me a long time ago - before we found Moonlight and Scarf actually." Luna looked at Marill, Scarf said "Hey!" from hearing his 'Name' "You know... I don't see you battle often." "..." She wondered if she hit a nerve. "Oh well ever since Thief and Moonlight showed up... and I nearly forgot about Bandit - Bandit has been with him before Thief came along." Luna swallowed nervously - her throat felt dry, she assumed it because of the food. "I mean Bandit is really powerful so if she wants to she can take out people's teams entirely so I never really get the chance to get out there. And then there's Moonlight, he's really strong and smart too..." Marill looked at his plate - he seemed full. "I... never really battle at all. I mean did you see me in the park? I was terrible." Suddenly the entire table seemed quiet (With the exception of Griffin, Natasha, and Brad who obviously didn't understand Pokéspeak) "I thought you were great..." The words slipped out of her mouth. "I mean did you even see what you did to Aka over there." "Akamaru..." He replied - a little upset at the name 'Aka' (It sounded like 'Baka' to him) Luna stuck her tongue out at him as a joke and he glared bitterly in response "You knocked him right off his feet! That was really cool!" Thief also said, looking up with his captivating smile - or at least for Luna it was. "That was one of the harder Hydro-pumps I've been hit with." Tsuara giggled from Akamaru's comment- she almost seemed left out "R - really?" Marill almost smiled, it made Luna feel happier too "Yeah, I mean I almost landed on Natasha's feet" Akamaru smiled too. Luna felt something touch the air, the energy felt all too haunting for her. Moonlight snapped up to noticing a figure walking towards them.

Griffin stood up breathless "What the hell?" Natasha was the next one to stand before running over to the shadow that suddenly crumpled onto the cement before them. It was a Leafeon. "Is it okay?" Griffin went over to the Pokémon too. There was no physical damage "It looks like he's passed out from exhaustion and lack of water." Natasha picked up the Leafeon; it looked perfectly normal "Do you feel that Moonlight?" A luminous aura was emitting from it - even the air around it felt poisoned. "Yes, their energy has been disturbed... but this." "Like from the train right?" Luna could sense it too "... Exactly that." Bandit stood behind them both, as if imitating the size of a mountain. "... let's go kill this thing." Her voice left a frigid chill in the air "After-all it tried to kill you Luna and now it's attacking wild Pokémon? That'll make massive territorial disputes between them. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out really - they'd start wars against other territories in order to keep their own stable... How powerful is it Moonlight?" He swallowed and looked back at her with sharp eyes "It's my problem, nobody else's." "Don't feed me a line of shit." Luna flinched at the growling in Bandit's voice but what was more terrifying was the look in her eyes "If I see that thing again - I won't fail to kill it, understand me Moonlight?" Moonlight nodded, entirely unfazed. "Shouldn't we bring this Leafeon to the center?" Brad asked and looked around at the eyes that were narrowing on them "No, it looks wild - we should bring him back to the forest. If we bring him to the Center they would keep him until a trainer takes him away" "But what if he IS sick?" Griffin emphasised every word "It would be better to bring him be back home than leave him at the Pokémon Center. They belong out there. Anyways I've been training Eevee's for a long time; I know them better than anyone. Hand me some water and I'll be able to treat him." Griffin nodded and pulled out a water-bottle from his rucksack. Natasha started her way away from the Café "So much for dinner." Thief muttered and followed Luna who began following everyone else in turn. "I guess so..." Natasha was chatting above all of them and cradled the Leafeon in her arms. "It's always important to make sure that wild Pokémon are returned without having too much Human contact, so we will bring him into the forest nearby and leave water and food." "And you're completely sure that we won't need to bring him to a center?" Griffin asked again - he really didn't want to go back so soon but if it was for a sick Pokémon; he'd be more than glad to. "I'm sure, like I said if he has too much contact with the Human world it could be trouble." Griffin couldn't see any instance to doubt her; he nodded and followed her, whom softly carried the unconscious Leafeon away. Luna saw Griffin eyes for a moment, he met with hers and all they told her was 'I'll trust her for now.' Luna figured that those words were going through Griffins mind - his eyes certainly told her that they were. "Are you feeling okay? Luna?" Thief's voice touched her ear - why he was standing so close to her she hardly knew. "I'm feeling fine, just a little worried that's all." She was speaking the truth, there was something off about that Leafeon and it wasn't just the chance that he showed up the way he did. Words suddenly raced through her head 'You haven't learned anything have you?'_They came back from the first time she heard that voice and she took a moment to pause. Ever since the train incident... she... Luna **_heard** Griffin, Natasha, and Brad talk. But why could she? It was so meaningful for her to notice but she hardly paid any attention to it. Even so nothing really did change but it left her with even more questions - she felt like she would topple over from them. She wouldn't lose hope though - she knew she never would. As long as her memories kept running back to her as long as he kept running back to her... Luna stole a glance of Thief - his tender eyes watched the world looking consciously like crystals. They were beautiful... "Luna?" His voice broke her sudden trance and she looked away in complete silence, her face burning from embarrassment. Quickly she sped up her pace, her throat feeling oddly dry all over again. This time she knew it was for an entirely different reason. His eyes came to mind, tender brown with the slightest hue of... Orange? Maybe? They really only stood out in just the right light and angle and immediately she knew for a fact that she'd seen them before. At least she thought she had. Luna wasn't imagining things regardless of how much she doubted her newfound memories. They chased from all ends of her mind. A field they both used to play in (She was always faster than him - so Luna always loved "Tag".) Another memory played as she delved into her own little world remembering as much as she could. Trees darted by her, it was an open plain of tall grass reeds that bended right after she passed them. Luna loved to run. She looked behind her - right behind her. For once he was keeping up. One look back was all it really took - well, that and the fact that her leg twisted. In the next second she saw the ground and something bumped into her. It was him obviously and she watched the world spin in circles before she stopped, looking up at his face that just blocked the view of a maple tree. The sun lit up each and every single leaf - it sent pockets of shadows that covered all over his face and pelt. Suddenly it was the tree that entered her mind that tree, resting right at the edge of the forest. It was as if the tree was tossed away - left alone from all of the pines and the other Maple trees that swallowed the ring-like opening around them. That was her favourite tree. And that was his favourite spot to be. He'd go there every single day all because Luna would, at times she remembered being in that tree - watching Caterpies crawl around and nibble at the leaves that sat high above the ground. She promised one day that she would go to the top of that tree. Something unexpectedly touched her nose, a spark? No. It felt hot. Luna snapped to reality, watching everyone walk through the concrete maze of the city. She couldn't that the Leafeon walked through the city - he was still unconscious when she took a good long look at him. 'Why... do I feel like... I've seen him?' Her thoughts faded as quickly as they came, there was no way she had ever seen him before. This was the first time she had ever even seen a Leafeon before! The group marched along - or at the very least that's what it felt like to Luna. They all kept pace and slithered through the busy bustle of Saffron - even as the sunset was just fading against the sky. The forest loomed in front of them. The large skyscrapers of trees competed with the city as if a perfect dividing line was slowly engulfing them all. Even Moonlight took it into consideration - he knew that the constant expansion of civilization would stress the Pokémon out but it wasn't the time to speculate. "Alright, we'll bring him inside and make sure he's safe from the elements and keep water and food with him. I keep plenty of Oran berries with me for these emergencies." "If it was such an emergency we should have brought him to the center..." Griffin muttered - Luna was probably the only person who heard him. All of them stepped into the forest - it was eerie and quiet. Luna suddenly had a horrible feeling about all of it. But why was it only her? Not even Moonlight was phased - his calm light-purple eyes scanned the forest collectively. His breathing was composed even though Luna felt her heart pick up. Was she really scared of the dark? She'd been living in the forest - well surviving in the forest for months; barely. If she never found Thief she wouldn't even know where she would be by now. Shadows played tricks with her eyes. It looked like a Zubat swung by but there was nothing. Or maybe eyes watched her from the corner of the shrubs but again, there was nothing. Finally Natasha stopped and rested the Leafeon down.

Who would've guessed that it decided to wake up at that exact moment? Suddenly a blur shot out of Natasha's grasp, everyone was taken by surprise but no-one was as stunned as Luna. The Leafeon pinned her to the forest floor. Her paws swung up reflexively, resting on her chest as a sign of sudden submission - she hardly knew what to do at that moment. In the next moment a familiar patch of fur covered her peripheral - Thief was the first to tackle the Leafeon; striking the side of its chest - it should have been perfect. Thief stumbled left and right as the Leafeon was entirely unfazed in response. "Finally found you Vulpix." Luna's eyes went wide; the Leafeon stepped off of her - taking in his surroundings. "Now, tell me everything you know." "Excuse me." The Leafeon met with Moonlights gaze. If there was ever such thing as an awkward blood-lust, this would be it. They both exchanged daring glares - half reading each other's eyes. Luna wondered if a fight would break out when suddenly her mind went to Thief. 'This Leafeon is entirely exhausted but Thief hardly put a scratch on him.' Her mind was lost to wonder - he was about Moonlights age. No, a few years younger when she looked closer at him. A large broad chest gracefully presented his shoulders and legs. She was taken by his sharp light-brown eyes that resembled rich soil and the sudden brimming life of his ears and tail - they were wilting before but now they were full of color. "Yes... you. I was told about you too." A toneless voice terrified Luna, but he seemed to smile to her when his eyes hooked onto hers. "I want to know what has been happening towards these forests... so far I've been searching for you for weeks now." His smile became a little sly "It was pretty hard following her, all things considered - you were my biggest concern Espeon." "What do you really need to know?" "The forest has been interrupted constantly - the largest issue was in Cerulean." Luna swallowed - she remembered hearing pockets of conversation on the streets of Saffron. Something about a fire - a large one; not to mention all of the smoke she remembered looking back too. "I had to spend a few days helping wild Pokémon find their families, I regrettably couldn't stay long enough to help rebuild their homes though..." There was a hint of darkness hidden somewhere in his eyes - grief too. Luna couldn't read him well. "I figured if I confronted her she could tell me what that Pokémon is. I noticed you all at the edge of the forest when you attacked it by the ocean-cliff; when you were in Cerulean. So, as somebody who protects other Pokémon I am asking you to tell me everything you know." His voice was still toneless - cold even. If talking wouldn't work Luna had a feeling he'd resort straight to violence "I am the only one who can explain all of this, but here is not the place or time." The Leafeon cut him off - everyone watched, wondering if they should intervene, Bandit emitted an aura - she was just waiting for a fight. "If you are then I will do anything to know." The stranger took long strides forward, meeting hardly a few inches away from Moonlight. "I need that information - after that thing got near me..." Slowly his teeth were showing as if he was scolding a young Eevee. His eyes glazed to his paws and his muzzle dropped to his chest. "I hardly had the power to stop it." Moonlight seemed to growl, that same aura from before touched Luna. It was tainted - poisonous even "Your leaves looked wilted a while ago." "A miasma engulfed me before I made it to Saffron - I hardly made it out alive." Again he seemed to scold himself. "The air here is helping me feel... healed. I had to travel for a long time to find you." He was staring at Luna "..." Griffin, Natasha, and Brad all finished recovering from the sudden daze, Luna finally looked back - the Leafeon had kicked up a ton of dust and soil to blind them. There was coughing until finally Griffin looked ahead at the Leafeon. It stared back at him calmly "Why does the air around him feel so light?" Leafeon asked Moonlight quickly and quietly "It's his Aura too, the way his energy branches out... it's a different feeling." Moonlight sat down and Leafeon sat around, staring at everyone who was watching him. "Half of these Pokémon hardly know what we're talking about." 'What is that Leafeon implying?' "I don't need help." Moonlight's voice was suddenly rough. "I don't care. That thing has destroyed homes, ruined fresh water and interrupted territories all around Kanto" "... You seem rather well versed in human words... you know cities and provinces correct?"

"I can name them all off if I really wanted to, like I've said - I've spent long enough tracking this thing myself." Moonlight smiled "I get it; you're devoted towards protecting the forest and its inhabitants. You care about nothing else." "..." The Leafeon watched the Espeon with sharp eyes. "I care... and that's all you really need to know. I'm coming with all of you." Everyone looked shocked 'Just like that? And what does he really mean by finding me?' Luna was about to ask more questions before the Leafeon shot a bit of dust upwards. Nobody caught sight of him - spare maybe Moonlight and Luna. Through her watery eyes and violent coughing she watched a red beam spark in the blinding cloud. Once it faded a Pokéball was resting on the forest floor. Natasha was the first one to pick it up - it was from her belt. The initials N.A were on the top of the hood "What just happened?" Brad started up, watching Aura give a shrug stating 'I don't know' "I..." Griffin looked around "Did that Leafeon just... capture itself?" "I guess it was just my wonderful charm and beauty." Natasha smiled and picked up the Pokéball, Griffin was in the back making a gagging- like motion. Brad gave him a punch to the arm. "I'll just have to nickname this one too" Her eyes suddenly sparked with something devious. "What another anime character?" Her face went red "S - Shut up!" She barked back - Griffin figured that it was exactly what she was thinking about. Brad put his hand on his face "Well I could always nick-name it!" He chuckled but it faded away when Griffin gave him a dark glare "You wanted to name my Vulpix Firefox! What would you name a Leafeon really?" "... Leafy?" Griffin hit the floor "That's not even a name!" It was his turn to start barking, Natasha was giggling in the background "It sounds kind of cute" She shrugged "I may just have to use it" Griffin felt his hand hit his head "You're going to kill all of your Pokémon by embarrassing them to death..." "Like your nicknames are better Griffin! Like how about Bandit? Or Thief!" Brad loved watching Griffin squirm to that. Griffin felt the blood rush to his face "Well I... I named Bandit years ago..." "Not much of an excuse for your Growlithe though..."Brad pointed out "S - shut up! If I could talk with my Pokémon I'd let them have their own names; believe me!" They both went silent for a while before laughing a little too loudly; Griffin felt the heat rise to his face again. "Do you really believe that Pokémon have their own names?" Natasha giggled "That's so childish! I mean how could a Pokémon have a name? It's a Pokémon!" She put her hands on her hips "Pokémon are similar to humans in every way." She started laughing again - Brad stepped out of the conversation. He didn't even decide to back him up! "Except they're Pokémon." Griffin crossed his arms "Whatever..." He replied casually and walked out of the forest "It's getting dark, come on!" He started returning his Pokémon. One, two, three, four, five... six, Luna was terrified after the first time and she responded by looking at him with big eyes - she really didn't want to go back there. Instead he picked her up cautiously and carried her, luckily for Luna her feet were getting tired from all of the walking and it was getting late anyways. Hardly a few seconds of walking later - Luna felt a familiar feeling She was being returned to her Pokéball. But by who? How? Griffin was carrying her and wouldn't do it! Would he? Hardly a second later she was thrown back into her artificial cage - waiting.

-

Griffin dove for his Pokéball but it disappeared into a sudden burst of light - it was entirely gone. "What the hell just happened!?" He looked all over the road right at the edge of the town where people were staring as they walked by. "Where did it go?" He checked his belt again - unsure of what happened when suddenly a rhythm of vibrations hit his hip. His Pokenav was ringing. Griffin answered it immediately just barely recognizing the number in time It was Ayumu. "Hello Griffin?" "Ayumu, why are you calling?" He tried to swallow down his confused and panicked tone but it didn't work very well. "Oh I just got your PC Box up and running - I'm certain you just had a Pokéball transported?" "Transported?" Griffin exhaled - almost painfully "Of course, regulations state you're only allowed six - the transport system activates at major data-hotspots. It's an excellent tool really." "... I hate it." Griffin was being honest. "Oh? Yes you don't know anything about it. Well right now your..." The phone was put down with a *clack*a high-pitched zooming sound touched Griffin's ears "..." His voice went silent for a number of endless seconds "Yes? What?" "Your Vulpix has arrived safe and sound; I'm just at my lab right now." He yawned, away from the phone's mike. "It's rather late..." "Can... can I get her back?" Griffin chuckled nervously - what was he going to do? "Well of course, you can access your PC storage at any Pokémon Center - surely you've seen the computers in there." Griffin went quiet. In all honesty he thought that they were video phones... "Of course I have, I just never knew what they were for that's all." Griffin explained quickly, Ayumu started to chuckle on the other line "Well barring from that, I was wondering about whom you'd like to have taking care of your Pokémon here. I'm a rather old and busy fellow" "... What... are my choices?" "Well there is your brot-" "I'll cut you off there. My brother is not going to touch any of my Pokémon." Griffin replied creating a sudden cold wind that struck everyone. Akiyama went quiet "Alright than" he chuckled - he was so painfully casual about the situation! "I'll send her to your Cousin for now, after Trevor called you, he called Logan, and then Logan patched him through to me. Anyways that large training center will be great for your Pokémon in storage." "Well just be careful with her please! She's been injured, remember? And needs plenty of rest." "..." Silence. "Akiyama?" "I see; I'll be sure to tell Trevor that." "Thank you so much." "Oh, there is one thing I would like to ask of you." "Yes?" "... I've been designing a new kind of Pokéball; I'd like your entire team to be the first to try it." "Oh... well alright I guess." He pronounced the word 'I've' a little too much for Griffin - he remembered that Logan had spent so much of his time talking about Pokéball theory and how to improve them for Pokémon. Immediately he knew it was connected but it was too late now. "Excellent! I've been testing the software myself and it's been great. Go to the Pokémon Center as soon as you can and I'll send you... eight of them, sound good?" "Sure." Griffin said, he may have made the wrong choice. "Alright bye, and remember Pokémon Center right away." "Yes, bye." He hung up the phone; sighed and made a long walk to the Pokémon center. Natasha and Brad were entirely confused and followed him. He could already tell that it was going to be a long, long night.

-

By the time the Pokéball finally released her, Luna was caught in the eyes of a peculiar looking Sandslash. She took a wild defensive jump back and targeted the Pokémon face on "Where am I?" Her teeth were exposed and she felt the fire beginning to build in her chest. Being able to tell from the lighting - she was inside a home. It was a quaint small house that made her think of a cottage - that was hardly the case. She looked out a window while keeping the mysterious Sandslash a few feet away from her. She had never seen this city before - a huge apartment-like building was nestled by a mountain. It was a rural-urban environment but most importantly she was inside a beach-house. She could see the ocean from here and practically feel the ocean air. "Spirit! Dinner!" Spirit (Or so Luna figured that was the Sandslash's name) made a motion that told her to follow. Scents touched her nose - they were extravagant yet familiar. It smelled like Griffin's cooking but the man that walked out from behind a shoji - it wasn't him. He was wearing an apron, his silver-blond hair tied in a high pony-tail and a toothpick rested in his mouth. It made Luna think about one of those characters on TV, the ones that would smoke and say some witty line when helping out the main character - whether it was comedic or not. Luna hardly ever had seen a TV before - and when she tried to remember why she was thinking of a character like that her mind was led to a dark and clouded place. Here the tall man - at least six feet tall, maybe more; gave a bright smile and said "Well our guest is here! Let's properly introduce her to Minamo City!" Spirit gave him a glare, one that made him playfully scratch the back of his head "Lilycove City than." He brought in two plates first when Suddenly Luna yelped - two large Pokémon came from a back room, staring in surprise from her sudden display. It was a Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee. They were all quiet as they sat down on the Tatami flooring cross legged. Luna sat down herself - it would take her a while to get used to the bamboo feel. She bit her lip, what was she doing!? She could have been kidnapped! The scents filled her nose once more - they were relaxing and calming. She looked at the man one more time - he held the resemblance of Griffin - eyes, face, even his wild hair (Even though his was much straighter and cleaner) of course this man was large - very large. His arms were defined along with his body - it was stocky but he was slim too. A boxer's build maybe? That was what the man reminded Luna of the most A professional boxer. A small plate rested in front of her. She examined the contents. Fried salmon rested on top of a row of fried noodles - it wasn't too much food but she was gracious for it and it smelled heavenly. "It's only a quick Kaisendon." It was the first words the Sandslash had said and as if to support him the Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee both nodded as they drank down hot tea. "We weren't expecting any extra visitors but it looks like you're going to be staying for just a little while." Luna took a few bites of the food that was place in front of her - it was so neatly presented that she didn't really want to ruin it. "I guess I know where Griffin gets his habits from..." The food was beyond her imagination - it was simply full of flavor. "But I don't quite get something... your Trainer is Nihonjin correct?" "Yes, his parents came from the western world - that's where his name 'Trevor' comes from. He's like anybody else outside of his home but inside." Spirit looked all around the home - it was full of life and culture "He takes much pride in his family heritage." She just had her answer - she was wondering where Griffin's Japanese influence came from. His cooking was one of the biggest hints; he'd always make dishes that would be common around here, but the western world has had so much influence and that changed his menu from time to time. She pictured Saffron and then she pictured the home here - it was one big jump. Before she ate anymore her eyes studied the Sandlash once more. The name 'Trevor' she heard it only once - back in Pewter. Bandit had said it.

"How did I get here?" Spirit stopped and clicked his claws together. "You were transported - I remember Trevor's conversation with Griffin's new professor. He just got Griffin's PC storage set up and since he's only allowed six Pokémon... I guess you were the last one he caught." The Pokéball from when she was in the hospital! That's why she was 'transported' here. Luna didn't quite get it but an explanation was one none-the-less. They finished dinner, after that everyone stood and brought their plates past the Shoji but since Luna has four legs... she really couldn't carry anything. It was embarrassing; she wasn't able to help at all. After dinner Trevor knelt down; he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt - she didn't get the chance to see before because of his apron. "Griffin told me to make sure that you get plenty of rest because of your injuries. The suns going down so I'll let you out in the backyard for an hour or two - after-all the view is wonderful." He smiled and Luna nodded completely lost. Why would a human talk so openly to a Pokémon? Trevor was just as weird as Griffin was. In the closed-distance a phone rang - Trevor had the phone on a counter in his 'living' room - it didn't have a TV or even a couch. There was a fireplace though and suddenly Luna wanted to rest by it. "Griffin" Luna bolted up, squinting to the pain in her chest - it was a bad move. But Trevor did say that Griffin was on the line. "I guess you're calling to see if your Vulpix made it safely." There was an indistinct - yet familiar voice on the other end; Luna couldn't hear what he said. "Of course, I just finished making dinner - Akiyama told me all about her injuries but you already did that a few hours ago remember? There was a silence on the line then a few words - Luna figured he said something along the lines of 'I forgot...' Trevor was laughing about it so that only helped prove Luna's case. "You really forgot already? Jeaz what am I going to do with you..." Watching Trevor smile made her remember about Griffin, and reminding her about Griffin made her think about Thief - it was a painful cycle really. She had to run it through her head one more time 'I don't know him... maybe I DID a long, long time ago but I don't know him now. I can't just...' Her thoughts cut off and she swallowed rather roughly. Trevor's voice cut off her words once more "You have only eight Pokémon? So you may be sending another? Who will it be?" Griffin's voice said the name of a Pokémon, but Luna still couldn't hear it from where she was standing. "Alright, I'll get to the Pokémon Center right away to pick her up." The word 'Her' broke Luna's sudden-found hope. She shook her head left and right. 'I can't just love him... can I?'

-

"I hate this idea" Griffin said for probably the twentieth time. He voted on leaving his Absol with Trevor for a while - she was still injured from her time back in Cerulean. "Just send her already - you've said that again and again, you're getting kind of annoying." Natasha muttered back and Griffin passed her a mean look but let it slide - it wasn't worth fighting at the Pokémon Center. It wouldn't benefit anyone. He gave the Pokéball to Nurse Joy. "You're sure she'll be safe?" "Of course" Nurse Joy spoke in her calm, soft voice; but that was her 'Everyday' voice and that didn't make him feel any more relaxed. "I also got a call from your professor so I'll be transferring her to her new Pokéball too, here are the other six - I've already sent one to your caretaker." Griffin took the other six Pokéballs, they weren't the standard color. They were stripped vertically red and black - a bit flashy if Griffin thought himself. His mind darted back suddenly towards the two he met back in Cerulean - the two that were forcing Absol to fight. One of them had Pokeballs hooked to their belt - Solid red on the bottom and black on the top. 'These really can't be related... could they?' The similarities were clearly evident but even still Griffin accepted them and said "Thank you." "You're welcome and have a good day." Once he got out of the center he pressed the button on the front, suddenly something tapped his shoulder. "I completely forgot!" It was nurse Joy "Here you go, I was told that you should put that chip into your Pokénav, it's some kind of software for the Pokéball." Griffin accepted the small SD-like chip. "Thanks again." Nurse Joy smiled back at him and went into the Pokémon Center. Griffin put the chip into his Pokénav - the software on it was being installed and it changed the entire interface of the Pokénav.

"Why do you have a Pokedex and a Pokenav anyways?" Natasha started to say - the software was just starting its install - it seemed like a lot of data. "My Pokedex is custom made - it doesn't have phone or GPS capabilities. So I have a Pokénav too." Natasha gave him a look "Your Pokedex looks just like any standard one." "It's been formatted to run like an international Pokedex - it was something my brother made." The software finished and his Pokénav rebooted. The moment it turned back on everything was different - the layout reminded him of a smart-phone. It wasn't the basic layout. There was an extra setting - Pokémon - it looked like an application to monitor them better. Griffin began the transfer and his phone chimed for each and every single one. He swallowed, unsure of what to do. Six chimes touched the air when suddenly another one did, and then one more. He looked at the application 8 Pokémon were there in total, with the terms: Deposit, Transfer, Withdraw, and Organize. In short it looked just like the settings on the PC box but there were two more surprises. He could see the Pokémon inside their Pokéballs for one, and they were all connected on one large artificial plain. Even his Vulpix and his Absol were there. Suddenly the phone rang - he almost dropped it. "Hey Griffin, the software is running perfectly." It was Logan, and Griffin was at a mixture of confusion - surprise and a few other emotions. "You're running the software?" "Well I designed it originally and Akiyama helped me properly code and run it. The Pokéballs you have now... think of it like a big room with doors. The old Pokéballs didn't have doors but these new ones do - they can allow your Pokémon to physically be in contact with each other in one large artificial world. This world also has a mixture of separate Biomes that connect within one another - there can be seasons, warm and cold weather - wind; rain. It's something I've focused on for years but because I'm stuck in Hoenn; constantly being challenged by new trainers - I can't test any of my newly made equipment and software myself." "That's why you went through the trouble of getting me to use it... but running into Akiyama was just chance?" "Yes it was only by chance. He is one of my supporters - in fact a rather important one. So I guess luck came my way. But for now I'll run you through the basics of your new Pokéworld software" "Pokéworld?" "The name is still in beta, believe me..." Natasha and Brad were chuckling in the back "I guess we now know where his bad nickname choices come from!" Griffin glared at them "... What do I need to know Logan?"

-

Luna was definitely inside a Pokéball but this one was... different. She could get used to this. Finally there was the sound of water somewhere in the background and she could recognize most of the sounds of the forest - although it was a little eerie there was no Pokémon to see. "Luna!" 'What was that? That voice?' She turned because she recognized it. It was Thief but both of them were in the same Pokéball? How? At first she figured it was an illusion but that was false after she put a paw onto his forehead. Thief freaked out about it, completely unsure about what was happening. Luna took her paw away "S - Sorry... I thought you were fake for a moment." "F - Fake? No, I mean I've already seen Shadow, Bandit, Marill, and Scarf." "HEY!" It was the Pikachu who poked his head out of a nearby Oran bush "My name isn't Scarf..."Everyone kept calling him that and he was starting to believe it himself. "Sorry Pikachu" Thief snickered and Scarf gave him a mean look. Other than the fact that there was no other Pokémon - everything about the place felt real. There was wind - it was warm and cool, like the beginning of a spring afternoon. When Luna found a stream - the light from the sun reflected in the water and she saw her wavy self; caught in the passing water. Her paws pressed against it - it was water! Real water. "This place is kind of... weird." "It's not weird at all Thief" Luna exhaled - feeling relieved and at home. "It feels real." "That's just the thing... the Pokeballs are supposed to be fake." Luna brought her muzzle to the water intent on testing something. "You're not going to just drink that are you?" She lapped at the water - it tasted real, she swallowed it down and she knew, definitely that it was water. "It's real water." "This is bad... if we go to a colder place this whole Pokéball could freeze over..." Thief and Luna flinched at the idea. Scarf looked to them with daring eyes. "I've heard stories from other Pokémon talking about the faults of the Pokéball, if they are broken and get too hot or too cold..." "But there's a safety mechanism - it pops open." Thief corrected him "And if the safety is faulty too? What then?" That quieted Thief. Luna stepped up "Then you bust out of it like any other Pokémon would!" A sound caught her attention - Moonlight. "Oh!" He started up. "You really should check out the lake biome, it's quite the place. I also saw Shadow and Bandit going to the mountain biome, we should check that out..." "Not you too!" Thief and Scarf both whined about it, Luna and Moonlight sighed and smiled to one another. "I don't know about you but I like this change." Luna looked at him - he was wearing his harness! She wondered where it disappeared to after the train scuffle. She looked at it with wide eyes - he wasn't wearing it when they dropped off the Leafeon either. "Where?" "Oh the harness? It's designed for travel in Pokéballs - I can just leave it there and put it on when I need it." Moonlight yawned, it was getting late. "Oh... and watch what you do here - these biomes are monitored." Moonlight spoke so casually that Luna could only reply with "What?" "Yes Griffin can monitor us, I remember the highlights of the system when my owner was talking to Logan before." "You've met Logan?" Luna felt her eyes go wide - she didn't even know what he looked like. "Yes." Moonlight replied "He's quite the trainer, a bit of a slave-driver at times but he has a good head on his shoulders. Not to mention he's a genius when it comes to Pokémon software." Luna nodded, half-understanding Moonlight. She was curious about him, hearing the name Logan again and again - it made her want to at least know who he was. Moonlight took a moment to stretch, he was obviously tired - everyone was. Luna decided that she wanted to learn a little more about her new Pokéball. Her travels took her to the lake - Moonlight was right; it was quite the place to be. There was a build-up of sediment and rock below her feet, like a picture of a place in a postcard - the sun shimmered over the huge body of water. Luna took a long good look at the horizon. There were clouds, and those clouds painted there shadow across the plain of water that was nestled in a cradle of trees that swayed in the wind. Luna took a moment to think for herself - mainly reminding her that it was all fake; even though it was hard to believe that. Splashes touched her ears and suddenly something jumped above the water - breaching the surface. Luna jumped so high - her pelt nearly stood in a solid spike of fluff. Marill scared her to death. He snickered and dove back under the water before Luna could curse out at him - her words bouncing around 'You little sh-' before his large splashing drenched her in lake-water. Maybe the Pokéball was a little too real... Luna shook herself dry - he was long gone and she sighed, entirely irritated. Her mind went back to Moonlight suddenly - he was wet too and she wondered if Marill played the same trick on him. It made her giggle, a sound touched her ears and she jumped back. "You're not getting me again!" Marill surfaced and jumped high above the water - it was the highest jump Luna ever saw. She stopped surprised but snapped out of it right when Marill hit the water. He made a splash that practically covered her... "Everyone says that but I always get them" His smile left Luna into a pout - she was soaked to the bone now; her hair straightened out from the water. She had just spent her time cleaning it back at Trevor's place too... now she considered it official - Luna was never going to have her hair bun up again. Marill looked like he'd seen a ghost "S - sorry... I ruined your hair." He was snorting and Luna held back her head and laughed with him "It's alright!" She was laughing through tears "I never liked the way my hair sat anyways." Even her tail looked wild and un-kept now. She shook herself off one last time - letting her tail poof out a bit and her hair flicker down. Luna loved having straight hair... it only got in her way from time to time. Her six tails looked a little wild - she really didn't mind. And her hair straightened out ultimately from before, it curled only slightly. Her hair was always against her from the start! It would take her hours to curl it up only to have it straighten out at the end of the day. Marill climbed out of the water - she was about as high as he was. No. Just a little smaller. The comparison made her feel miniscule compared to everyone else - Scarf's ears hung above her hair, and Thief?

He was about twice her size. Luna couldn't feel bothered by it though, she was older than him (Both literally and mentally). 'He acts like some pup for his age... its adorable...' The thought of him suddenly ran through her head and she looked off to the trees - mainly to insure that Marill didn't notice her blushing. She didn't want to give Marill the wrong idea. It faded quickly and Luna shook herself off again - water sprayed everywhere. "I guess you've been here all this time?" He nodded in reply and dove back under the water. Luna figured it would be a good idea to leave before she got soaked again. After a while she noticed a sudden, gradual change - it made Luna think of a circle; Plains in the middle and the Biomes around it. She noticed a large cavern to her left, the shadows reached for her paws but stopped at the fading sunlight. She passed by and the sun faded entirely from the artificial world. That's when she figured it out - the weather and the time may have been based on the outside world - the real one. Of course there were some differences. A light sparked somewhere in the dark... Luna watched as small lights sprung from the grass - they reminded her of fireflies or stars just floating in the air. They sparkled and twinkled and shone with a pale white glow, leaving enough light that she could see. Luna walked on through the dark - illuminated by the mysterious lights until she came to the base of a rock; it was a small mountain in front of her. It spiraled up to the top where she could hear something from the bottom where she stood. There was a fight going on so Luna charged to the top in curiosity where a silhouette flung almost over her head and landed at the far end of the cliff - overlooking the world below. Luna was panting by then, looking at the two dark forms resting at opposite ends of the top. Shadow and Bandit were fighting. Luna went to intervene; they couldn't have been fighting without a reason! She took one step forward and suddenly something was in front of her - two strong arms leading off towards a pair of snowy-white paws. It was Absol - she was spectating the match. "Why... We have to stop them." "It's just a sparring match - they aren't aiming to hurt one another. They're training." "T - That's not training!" Why did she have to be the child in that situation? Shadow chuckled and walked away from the edge of the cliff where he was thrown to. "She's right; Bandit wouldn't hurt me... much..."Bandit smiled in return, it was sly - even a little dark. "Well he's right about that" She stated openly, obviously peeved that the match was thrown into disarray. "We belong to a champion of the Pokémon League - we have to be in the best condition or we lose the battle." Bandit took her stance again and Shadow replied with a similar form. He darted off - Luna only saw him start his run before she couldn't keep her eyes on him. He was fast - really fast. Faster than Bandit but in the downfall Bandit was ultimately stronger. Suddenly Bandit struck forward and Shadow jumped high - his paws rearing for her chin. Unexpected to Luna, Bandit jumped back and landed a foot away. She blinked her eyes - even rubbed them. Bandit performed a backflip to get away from the line of fire - no momentum but just the power from her rear legs. Shadow smiled and darted back - avoiding her advance but that was pushing him to the edge of the mountainside. "Wait, what if he falls!?" Absol hushed her quickly - Bandit and Shadow hardly lost their focus. "The Pokéball is designed to prevent physical harm to come towards the Pokémon inside it; Bandit was crazy enough to test it by walking on the lava pit... She told us it was scorching hot obviously but immediately after it turned warm. I think it's some form of a safety measure. This applies with heights as well - or it should anyways." Quickly Luna came to realize that Absol's explanation didn't help her feel calm at all. In fact she was worrying even more now. Bandit wouldn't be afraid to test the 'Safety' . Suddenly her world went dark; the last thing she saw was Shadow slipping at the corner. Luna shut her eyes. She kept them shut for what felt to her like endless seconds. Prying them open, one by one, she noticed that Shadow was on the other side of Bandit, whatever he did it turned the tables around. "Interesting... I'll keep that in mind." "It's a little trick I picked up." Shadow chuckled and took a playful stance; Bandit was facing the cliff - looking out on the horizon. The sun was practically gone - leaving an arch of golden-orange rings that feebly competed with the growing night sky. "We should get some rest; we'll continue sparring when we can." Bandit didn't take her eyes off of the horizon and suddenly Absol pushed Luna to go. Absol's looked flushed through, her face was kept although; hiding it nearly perfectly from Luna's gaze. 'I'm confused...' She didn't stress long about it and picked up her pace. Absol wasn't going to let Luna go back and ask questions. Although Luna spent most of her time walking around each Biome, it hardly took them twenty minutes to find the center plain. Luna watched soft plumes of smoke nestle into the night sky; she nearly forgot that she was inside a Pokéball again. There was a fire that Thief made inside a circle of rocks; it made it more realistic than ever before. Luna lied down and went to shut her eyes when something uplifting took hold of her. She knew the feeling off by heart now.

She was being sent out of her Pokéball. Luna hardly had the chance to say goodbye to anybody when she suddenly found herself in Trevor's living room once again. This time she had a friend - Absol was standing beside her. The real world was a shock. There wasn't a single difference - except for the fact she was in a house. A voice touched her ears "Yeah, uh huh. Nope they came out fine." Trevor sighed and looked at his watch, outside Luna could see the lights of the city as if they were stars knitted in the night sky. "Yep everything's fine on my end." Griffin must've been on the other side - Luna could recognize his chatter. "Nope I didn't know about this part of it, apparently Logan wants me to try the software too now. I'm looking at it myself and it is pretty cool tech." He was examining one of the Pokeballs. "I mean the ball itself is intense, have you seen the moisture collector? It looks like a collection of needle thin holes on the under-side. Jeaz Logan out-did himself with this thing. It must cost a fortune!" Griffin was talking some more on the line "Well I don't like the idea of using Pokéballs myself but looking at this... at least the Pokémon would be comfortable when you had to use them." More chatter on the other end - Luna was getting tired of listening went to a different room. The same room that Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan both appeared from. It was an empty space with a huge shoji at her left side - overlooking Trevor's back-yard and the ocean. Ahead of her was a smaller shoji so Luna figured it may have been a closet. The doors were open, as if somebody had left them open so the room was dropping drastically in temperature. "It's a small home..." Absol took to her speculation. "This has to be one of the biggest rooms in the house and without a second floor I can imagine it may get crammed with another few Pokémon staying here." Luna shivered - it was getting cold and she was still a little soaked. "I wonder what this room is for anyways..." "Well it looks like the home is a Sukiya style but with many modern touches. I'd say this room is the Washitsu of the house." "Sorry?" "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just the traditional room; some places have more than one at times." Luna looked at her with sudden questions "How do you know all of this?" "I used to live on Guran Island. I guess it is better known and Cinnabar Island now." Luna stopped her thoughts and remembered some of the random conversations Griffin had with Brad before "Wait... we can bring you home than, I mean we just need to tell Griffin that." "..." 'Why is she so quiet? I don't get it?' Luna wouldn't draw her eyes away, not now. "You... hardly talk at all, it makes me worry about you." Absol smiled softly and nodded "I don't have a home to go back to."

-

Griffin finally hung up his phone. They were at the apartment by now - all of them walked in right when the night sprung to life in Saffron. First thing the needed to organize was the sleeping arrangements; two beds and three people meant one person was on the floor. Or they had to pay another hundred or more for a different room. Griffin, Brad, and (reluctantly) Natasha all agreed on staying in the one room and by the end of it Griffin ended up on the floor... "Alright..." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, Brad was also in the room with him. Natasha was in the shower; the sound of the water seemed to consume the silence in the room. "Tomorrow I'm challenging that Psychic gym." "Not before me!" Brad spoke up and rested his arms under his head - facing the ceiling with a sudden new-found motivation. Aura was sitting with her paws in her lap at the edge of his bed. "So how's that Pokéball thing going for you? You were on the phone for like an hour or two." "God, don't get me started..." Griffin sighed and held one of the Pokéballs in his hand "This thing is apparently great for transporting Pokémon but you can't capture wild Pokémon with it - that parts still unstable apparently. So one would have to capture a wild Pokémon with a normal Pokéball and transfer it to this one." Brad sighed "Sounds complex enough." "Apparently it's like a cloud system too; I can just switch Pokémon into my team when I want to. My PC box is operated by my Pokenav. Comes down to that whole 'Data Hot-spot' idea." "Well maybe one day your brother can get that thing licensed or patented or whatever." "Apparently he's on contract... He's practically a Pokémon Professor." "... He's a League Campion and an inventor or a Professor?" Brad chuckled to himself "Your parents must have some high expectations for you." "..." Griffin laid back onto his sleeping bag - he was by the patio doors (He liked the cold anyways) "They really don't, I mean most of their focus is on my brother so I guess you could imagine why I left Hoenn. Hearing his name plastered everywhere drives me nuts." The water shut off in the bathroom "Why is Natasha taking so long anyways?" Brad checked his watch "It's been like an hour..." He whispered to himself - there went his hot shower. "I saw her bring her Glaceon in; I bet she's spending her time grooming her too." Brad put his hand on his forehead. "Great... So, barring from that, and talking about girls" Griffin sighed, he knew where this conversation was headed "You have anyone you're dating?" "No, I'm not much into dating. Anyways most of the girls I run into are always asking about my brother or my cousin." "Trevor right?" Brad said the name, half-wondering if he got it right. "Yeah, that's my cousin." Griffin replied and looked out the window. It was pitch black but the sky lit up from the sights of the city lights in the distance. "Have you ever dated a girl? I mean honestly, not some elementary crush or something cheesy like that." "No." Griffin kicked back his head and rested it on the pillow. "Why are you asking me this anyways?" "Just making conversation, it's not like I'm getting a shower anytime soon" "Oh so I was the second choice? The backup for your plans?" Brad started to laugh "Not what I meant." Griffin was chuckling a little too when finally Natasha walked out in a night-gown that went down to her ankles. "Shower is yours Brad" Natasha walked by and Glaceon walked out from behind her. Brad gave a look, it made Griffin think of the words 'there better not be hair in there...'_and in return he started to laugh to himself. He pulled out a Pokéball and let his Growlithe out. Thief stretched and looked around the room, a scent touched Griffins nose _'He smells like a campfire...' He whipped out his Pokenav and looked onto the monitor. Sure enough it was as crazy as he thought it would be. For each Biome there was a camera - it overlooked the entire area. In the center there was a small fire that was surrounded by a circle of rocks - everyone was there except for Luna, Thief, and Absol of course. Griffin sighed - for a moment he thought the whole thing was on fire. 'This thing can't be real... I must be dreaming.' It raced through his head but regardless of how many times he said it, he ultimately knew he was awake. He pulled out another Pokéball, Moonlight sprung out and shortly after a beam came from a random direction. Griffin was stunned, watching Natasha's newly 'Captured' Leafeon sit at the edge of her bed. He was watching Moonlight but what it was for Griffin would never know.

End of Chapter 11