"Your brothers?"

Jaune was starting to believe he really was dreaming. This whole scenario – finding a monster in the woods, helping it out, and it asking for his help – sounded like it was the plot to a movie. The beast looked at him intently, assuming it was an easy query to answer.

"Do you not have a response?" the chimaera asked, a hint of impatience in its telepathy.

"It's not every day I'm put in a situation like this!" Jaune replied, "Heck, this is probably the first time I have been… If I was to say yes, where are your 'brothers' at?"

"I do not remember."

"Oh, well that's helpful."

"My sense of direction is askew from all of my travelling. These woods are seemingly endless. Everything is quite blurry, actually… I only remember that they need my help."

Jaune sighed. Did he pity the beast? Of course, but there wasn't much he could do to help it if it couldn't tell him anything. He couldn't take it back to Beacon either: not only would he be breaking to one Pokemon per trainer rule, but showing up with an unknown Pokemon as visually threatening as this guy would put him in some legal troubles he really didn't want to deal with. The best thing he could do was find it some shelter; maybe there was a cave near the rocky outcrops he passed by earlier?

"Can you walk?"

The beast raised itself off the ground, putting light pressure on its sensitive paw. It staggered briefly, but kept its balance. Jaune pulled out his scroll, using it as a flashlight to illuminate a path through the woods. The moon had disappeared completely behind dark clouds, and the pitter-patter of rain could be heard on the leaves of the canopy above. Jaune retraced his steps the best he could, avoiding climbing up steep surfaces so the Pokemon wouldn't put more strain on its leg. Eventually, he found a rocky outcrop jutting out from a hill. It was big enough for at least three people and the beast to fit inside.

"Stay here for a while," Jaune gestured to the cave, "At least until you can walk perfectly again. I'm pretty sure there's lots of people looking for you, so just lay low."

"I am to lie on the ground forever?"

"It's a saying. It means to stay hidden."

"Then why not just tell me to hide?"

"…Don't worry about it. I'll come back tomorrow, okay? What do you eat?"

The beast stared at him, tapping its helmet on the rocky wall.

"Oh, yeah. Guess you can't really put things in your mouth."

"I remember I was given nutrition through injection. The needles hurt."

Well, that was unnecessarily dark. Jaune put his hand on the beast's side, giving it an uneasy smile. "I'll bring you… something then. Just stay here." He was about to leave, when he realized he hadn't asked it probably the most important question. "I don't even know if you have one, or if you can remember it, but… What's your name?"

The beast looked at the ground, digging its front claws into it. It hated answering this question. Father always asked him it.

"My name is nothing… My name is Null."

By the time Jaune made his way back to Beacon, he was drenched in rainwater and shivering. Stepping into the main lobby of his residence hall, he saw Cardin snoring away on one of the couches. The jerk was probably waiting up for him and dozed off; Jaune figured avoiding him would be the best thing to do since he returned empty handed. The temptation to draw a certain body part on his ugly sleeping mug was tempting, however. If only he had a permanent marker…

That wasn't even close to his biggest problem right now. Should he tell someone about that creature Null? What about Ren? Qrow? Headmaster Ozpin?

No, he probably shouldn't. Not yet. Jaune may have helped Null out and gained its trust, but it could be violent towards strangers. It was still (technically) a wild Pokemon, after all. He'd have to think about it tomorrow, when he wasn't soaked and exhausted. Heading to the bathroom to sit under a hand dryer, Jaune spotted the handiwork of Cardin's goons: a chair, lodged under the handle to Pyrrha's room. There was no way he was going to walk past and leave it that way.

"Jeesh…!" Jaune grunted, trying to pull the chair out of place. Cardin's buddies really had it lodged in there! He put one foot on it, trying to get some leverage. "Alright. One… big… pull!"

Apparently Jaune wasn't aware of his own strength, as he sent himself falling backwards after yanking the furniture out of place. The back of the chair hit him in the face as it fell with him; just a sign that Cardin got the last laugh on him once more. Sitting up, he gripped his bruised face as the door to the room opened. A tired Pyrrha poked her head out, her undone red hair flowing over her shoulders.

"Who's there…?" she yawned, rubbing the sand from her eyes. When she could see clearly, she gasped at the hurt, soaked noodle before her. "Jaune? Are you okay?!"

"I wish," Jaune looked at the blood on his hand. Apparently that chair had hit his nose harder than he had thought "Aw, crap… And here I was, thinking I couldn't look any worse."

"Oh, dear!" Pyrrha rushed back into her room, returning with a T shirt in hand, "Here, use this to clean yourself up!"

"But this is your shirt-

"Oh, don't worry about that. I would rather you be well than worry about a dirty garment."

Jaune pinched his nose with the shirt as Pyrrha stepped outside to join him, closing the door behind her. He could hear her roommate Nora snoring loudly from inside. "She can sleep through anything, can't she?"

"It seems so," Pyrrha smiled, putting her hand on Arc's shoulder, "Now, tell me why you look like you just went swimming in a mud puddle in your pajamas."

"Blame Cardin for that," Jaune groaned, jerking his thumb at the chair, "And that too. Jerk sent me on a midnight run to the market. And I…" He paused, thinking of an excuse. He trusted Pyrrha with his life, but it wasn't time to tell her about Null. "I got a bit sidetracked."

"I can see that," Pyrrha pulled a twig from his hair, brushing it back into place with her fingers. She continued to groom him, licking her thumb and wiping a smudge of dirt off his forehead. Jaune laughed as he moved her hand away.

"That's enough, mom."

"Oh, hush. With how filthy you are, I should give you a bath right now." She suddenly blushed at the implication of that, and stumbled back over her words. "I-I'm sorry! That wasn't appropriate!"

"Heh. Nah, it's cool," Jaune assured her, standing up and holding his hand out to Pyrrha, "I think a shower would be a good idea right now. I can give you the shirt back tomorrow after I wash it."

"Oh no, you can keep it," Nikos took his arm as he pulled her up, "Just think of it as a souvenir, I suppose!"

This girl was too good to him. Jaune owed her so much for all the times she had saved his butt, and he couldn't think of any way to show how much he appreciated her company…

Well, there was one thing he could think of, but he didn't have the courage to ask her. No. No way. Best to leave things between them the same for now.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," he smiled, giving her a little smile before walking off for a shower. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course, Jaune," Pyrrha said, clasping her hands behind her back. She bit her tongue from the tingling sensation she felt from saying his name, staring at him while he left. "I'll be waiting."