A Gardevoir and Her Trainer

OK, people, here's chapter 12! I do have something which I believe you should all know, first. I'm sure some of you have felt the same, but there are some things which, in the Pokémon anime, should result in severe bodily injury. This FanFiction was always supposed to harness these real repercussions, and examples have been given; Jason's leg injury when he was younger, and Daniel's injuries when he entered the Pokémon Centre.

If you prefer a FanFiction which does not incorporate these elements into the story, then I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have been unable to successfully create a build-up to this within the story, and it has become too steep an incline in recent chapters. Thereafter, from this update, the story will follow the rating of 'T', potentially becoming an 'M' later on. However, I hope that you will give this chapter a decent try, and perhaps continue to read it. If not, then I repeat that I am sorry to disappoint you.

This author's note is now far too long, so please, here's the chapter! R&R..!

Angela/Gardevoir-Lv.30-Confusion, Growl, Teleport, Psychic

Caesar/Butterfree-Lv.19-Gust, Poison Powder, Confusion, Stun Spore

Abby/Magikarp-Lv.17-Splash, Tackle

Eevee/Eevee-Lv.10-Tackle, Sand Attack

"Speech"=talking

*Speech*=thought

-Speech-=telepathy

Speech=translated Poke-speech

(Speech)=my thoughts

(Jason's POV)

I woke up with a yawn, stretching my arms and legs. Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking the sleep from them. I looked to my left, seeing that Angela was still fast asleep in her own sleeping bag, arms wrapped around her pillow. I smiled slightly, before unzipping my sleeping bag and crawling out and through the tent entrance. Once outside, I stood up, stretching again and looking around the camp site.

There was a fire burning atop the boulder in the middle of the clearing a pot supported above it, and Daniel was standing beside it, cooking breakfast. He was already dressed, and his team was busy with various actions as they shook the sleep from their bodies. I walked over to him, noting that Aqua was slumped at his feet, snoring lightly.

"Morning, Daniel. What time is it..?" Daniel glanced at me, before replying. As he spoke, he continued to cook upon the flames, their reflection glimmering against his sunglasses.

"It's gone seven a.m. Jason. You and Angela should have woken up an hour ago. As it is, we should've been walking a half hour ago. Wake her up, and I'll finish here." I nodded slightly, backing towards the tent again. Crawling in, I gently shook Angela's shoulder. She moaned, before opening her eyes.

-Jason..? What… Time is it..?- I glanced behind me at Daniel, who was gently nudging Aqua awake with a toe. She rolled over, wrapping around his ankle, but otherwise remained asleep.

"It's about seven in the morning. I figured that as breakfast is almost ready, you should wake up…" Angela sighed, before sitting up. Her sleeping bag slumped from her shoulders, as she stretched and yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she reached up to her head, only to suddenly freeze.

"Angela? Is something up?" Before I even got a reply from her, she was frantically finger-combing her hair back into its regular place.

-I look such a mess like this..! My hair's all over the place..! Damnit, these stupid bags build a static charge!- I shrugged, running a hand through my own hair. It didn't feel any different.

"I've never noticed before that problem." Angela scowled at me, as she licked the palm of her hand and began to smooth her hair back down.

-That's because you, Jason, don't deal with your hair in the first place. It's gonna take me at least ten minutes to get this flat…- I sighed, glancing at my sleeping bag as it lay beside Angela. It was probably still warm, and cosy… And that soft-looking pillow…

"Angela, can you do that whilst outside the tent..? You know, so we can eat..?" Angela sighed, lowering her arms. Her hair was mostly smooth again, but for one clump on the right side of her head that stuck up at a right-angle to the rest of her hair.

-Fine… Let's get this over with, OK? I wanna get my hair sorted out as fast as possible.- I backed out of the tent, nodding, as Angela crawled after me and stood up. She placed a hand over her mouth as she yawned, before leaning back and stretching. She quickly passed a right-angle, stopping just a shade beyond it. I blinked, noting that her legs weren't bent at the knees, either.

"How the hell do you do that..?" Angela giggled, smiling at me as she straightened and glided over towards Daniel. He was filling bowls with the contents of the pot, and lifting slices of toast from a flat stone suspended over the flames beside the pot.

-That's a ~secret, Jason. Now let's eat.- I walked over and stood beside her, as Daniel finished filling the bowls. Almost immediately his entire team gathered around him, each taking a bowl and settling down a short distance apart. Daniel lifted his own bowl, before Angela tapped him on the shoulder.

-Excuse me, Daniel..? I thought you said there was breakfast…- Daniel nodded, before gesturing to the pot and stone.

"Help yourself. But I don't carry spares for bowls, so it's up to you how you eat it." He walked over and sat with his team, whilst me and Angela looked in the pot. It was about a third full, with a grey, congealing… Stuff.

"Angela, is it solid or liquid..?" She frowned, levitating a large blob of the stuff. It hung there, slowly dripping in large blots which sat on top of the main mass, before slowly sinking in.

-I think it's both… What IS this..?- Heinz glanced up at us, before grinning and tilting his bowl up, and then using his toast slice to mop it out.

-You two really haven't travelled that much. This is porridge; it's what you should get used to. It's not that bad, but when it cools, it's tougher to eat than glue…- I glanced at Angela, who grimaced as she turned to a large-ish tree branch overhanging us. Her eyes glowed, and two semi-spheres detached from the bottom of the branch. I winced as I caught it, the sap immediately adhering to my hands.

-OK, we have bowls. Now how do we clean them?- I shrugged, looking into the apparently hollow semi-sphere. A bowl. Oh joy. I glanced at the porridge, before sighing. It was already solidifying.

"We should hurry up, Angela… Just get rid of the sap…" Angela nodded, and her eyes flashed blue as all the sap remaining spontaneously disappeared. Instantly, my hands detached from the bowl, which was now dry. Angela levitated two bowlfuls of porridge up, into the bowls. We grabbed a slice of toast, and cautiously sat next to Daniel's group.

"Hey, Dan..? How do we eat this stuff..?" He sighed, turning to look at me. From the creasing of his forehead, I guessed he was angry.

"I am called Daniel, not Dan… And you eat it with a spoon. If you don't have one, use whatever you can that isn't messy." He turned his back to us, before resuming eating. Me and Angela glanced at each other, before watching Daniel.

He hooked the forefinger and middle finger together, crooking them, before quickly scooping some of the porridge up into his mouth. Angela stuck her tongue out, before levitating a small amount of the porridge. I shrugged, quickly imitating Daniel, shivering at the feeling of cold porridge.

-On three?- I nodded, before beginning to count.

"One… Two… Three... Go." I scooped the gunk into my mouth, whilst Angela sat there and did nothing. I glared at her, before gagging at the slimy feel of the gloop I'd just eaten. I swallowed, only to feel it stick on the way down.

"Angela… Choking… HELP…" Angela sighed as I clawed at my throat, before leaning over and smacking her hand into my back. I coughed several times, groaning.

"OK, that stuff's lethal…" I set the bowl on the floor, and reached out for my toast, trying to pick it up-and then have it pulled back. I looked down, frowning, only to see Aqua chewing her way through it. I picked it up, lifting her off of the floor. Aqua hung from her teeth, growling at me.

"Let it go. I'm hungry, I almost choked, and this is what's left for me. Let go before I shave you in your sleep…" Aqua whimpered as I glared at her, before letting go and dropping to the floor. Her tail and ears drooping, she walked away and nuzzled Kilo. I froze, halfway through ripping away the chewed-on part of toast as he slowly looked up.

"Oh, crap… Not this early…" Angela shrugged, as she finished her toast and brushed crumbs from her mouth and hand.

-It's your fault for threatening the sister of the screwball Jolteon…- I winced, as I heard Kilo growl at me from behind. I hadn't even seen him move. From the corner of my eye, I could see Aqua sitting there and giving me a smug grin.

"Jolt. Jolt, olt teon." Angela rolled her eyes, before looking at Aqua.

-He made his usual threat, then said to give Aqua the food.- I scowled, turning round so I was facing Kilo. He glared back at me, before I shook my head.

"No. This is mine. It is all I have to eat. She get the piece she chewed, the rest is mine. Understand, Kilo?" I threw the piece that I'd torn off over to Aqua, who immediately set about gnawing on it. Kilo growled, sparking slightly, before walking away and lying down in his spot again. Aqua snuggled up beside him, still chewing away at the toast.

"What's his problem? I was gonna eat this, there wasn't any need to freak out about it like that…" Angela shrugged, standing and lifting her bowl.

-He's just protective of her. I'm gonna go wash this out, and sort out my hair. Maybe I'll bathe in the river… Or just my hair, and then dress…- I sighed as Angela drifted towards the tent, now mumbling under her breath rather than telepathing me. I looked at Daniel, before frowning as I realised something.

"Hey… Daniel..? How did you know what to get Angela for last night?" Daniel looked at me, before gesturing towards Angela as he spoke.

"Gardevoir are very similar in build and height. Pokémon Centres supply spare dresses in case one is damaged somehow, and also fresh clothes. You're both new to this, so I deemed it wise to obtain some alternate clothing for her. You'll thank me when she's not complaining about her lack of clothing choice." I blinked, glancing towards the tent; it was zipped up and I could just make out movement inside it.

"So… She can change clothes..?" Daniel sighed, before nodding.

"Yes, it's not fixed. Even as a Kirlia, she could remove her clothing. She just never did it near you, as she's female. But Gardevoir don't have 'fixed' clothing, like a Jynx does for example. They can remove, exchange, and even dye the clothing. But many don't and prefer simply what they had on evolution, and something to wear at night." Daniel sweatdropped, as I raised my next question to him.

"What's a Jynx? Where can you get them?" Daniel sighed, before pointing at my tent.

"Look it up on your Pokedex when you get a chance. They live in the Seafoam Islands, east of Cinnabar Island. They're very rare to find though." I nodded slightly, glancing towards my tent again as I heard the zip undo. As I turned towards it, I saw Angela step out in her dress again, struggling to flatten her hair down again.

"Angela, don't worry. It isn't that important, we'll be travelling for another day at least…" Angela scowled, as she shot me a poisonous look.

-I don't care about that! It needs to look the same, not like I was dragged backwards through a hedge!- I blinked in surprise at the shout, while Angela stormed off towards the trees with a canteen of water in her hand. A sigh of despair drew my attention once more back to Daniel, who had gathered the bowls and was washing out the large pot near a tree.

"Jason… You really are clueless with females, aren't you..? To them, looks and appearance are highly important. That's why I wake my team up so early… While me and the guys are able to get everything ready, the females can spend their needed time grooming…" I glanced towards Angela once more, before looking at Amy who was carefully licking her paw, then smoothing out her mane. Aqua was half-asleep, but somehow she was still making sure that she was cleaning her fur as well.

"Seriously? It matters that much to them..? But what's the point when they might be battling, or travelling for days on the road? They'll just get dusty, or covered in dirt by the time night comes…" Daniel nodded, tipping some water into the pot. He ripped up a handful of grass and began to scrub the pot with it.

"That's true. It takes time, but you learn the patience. Besides, it helps if you have the right equipment on you…" He turned to look at Amy, before gently throwing his bag to her.

"Amy, you know what to get out. Help Aqua out if she needs it." Amy nodded, pawing the bag open and pushing her head in. She quickly pulled out an incredibly fine-toothed comb, as Aqua walked over to her. She sat down and nuzzled Amy, who took the comb in her mouth. She leant down over Aqua, before beginning to gently draw it through Aqua's fur.

"So you're saying, if I get something like that for Angela, she won't be so pushy and angry in the morning..?" Daniel nodded, finally tipping the pot and draining the water out near the tree. He stood up, emptying the rest of the water from his canteen onto the stone and extinguishing the flames as a pillar of smoke billowed upwards.

"Correct. Also, it can apply to most Pokémon. However, females of species that are largely water-borne, for example Tentacool or Goldeen, are not so bothered by appearance as they can clean their selves very easily. Rather, they have a preference not for obsessive cleaning, but how noticeable they are. That's why females of those species tend to be very attention seeking."

"But Abby's shy. She's not like that at all… What do you say to that?" Daniel shrugged, placing the bowls in the pot and walking over to his bag, carefully fitting it inside.

"She's a Magikarp, right? Magikarp don't often act like that till they evolve… Besides, the shy ones are often noticed for other reasons. Most times they're seen as being 'less pushy' than other females." I nodded slightly, before resting my elbow on my knee and my head on my palm. I stared at my hand, examining the bandages for several minutes, before finally speaking.

"Daniel… What do you know about Psychics..?" By now, most of his stuff was packed away and he was collapsing his tent and rolling it up. The carry-case was nearby, as well as the straps that held it onto his backpack. He glanced at me, then my hand, before looking at Heinz.

"It depends. Psychic Pokémon, I know about… Psychic humans, well… I'm not that knowledgeable. I have a sister who's interested in ESP humans, and other stuff like that, but she's at home. I can't talk to her right now. Why do you ask?" I slowly turned my hand over, tracing a rough line over where I caught the Sandslash's claw.

"Something happened yesterday… I'm worried. You… You had been attacked, right? You ran into the Centre, with a leaf in your leg…" Daniel nodded, slowly setting his tent on the floor. He walked over, squatting in front of me and looking at my hand.

"Yes… Pokémon rarely do, but they can attack humans… The Victreebel was ordered to by a Rocket, and it used Razor Leaf… Why do you ask?" I sighed, before gently lifting my head and grasping my bandage.

"Show me your wound… I'll show you mine." Daniel remained there, silent. After several seconds, he sighed, before gesturing to his leg.

"It's in my thigh. I'm not dropping my jeans to show you it. But Heinz can show you it from memory." I nodded, as Heinz drifted over. He nodded at me, before resting his spoon on my forehead. His eyes glowed blue, and I suddenly saw flashes of a fight; gusts of wind, streams of fire, gales of leaves. Patches cut through it, and suddenly I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my thigh. I looked down, and saw half a crescent-shaped leaf projecting from my muscle, blood oozing around it and down.

My jeans peeled back around it, and the leaf disappeared, revealing a three-inch long, half-inch wide gash; it looked like someone had cut a smile into the meat of my thigh. There was a flash, and suddenly Heinz was removing his spoon from my head.

-Be careful, Jason… Don't try and pull when I'm transferring memories, it might backlash.- I frowned, as Daniel rubbed his temples with his fingertips.

"Pull..? What do you mean..?" Heinz shrugged, before tapping his head with a finger.

-I was feeding a memory to you, and you… seized it. You wanted to see it, so you started to pull it into your head. If you do that too hard, it could backlash, and pull your memories into Daniel.- I nodded slightly, as Daniel sighed and looked at me.

"There. That was the moment I got hit, and after it was removed. I have a bandage and a pad of gauze beneath my jeans, keeping it covered till it heals. I needed stitches, too." I nodded, before sighing.

"Thanks, Daniel…" I grasped my bandage, and began to gently unwind it. I continued, slowly working down the layers. As I neared my skin, the bandage turned from cream-white on the palm to dark pink, finally revealing a dark red, almost black, pad of gauze. Daniel grimaced as he saw the blisters over my hand, a thin clear liquid oozing from them, before I slowly peeled back the gauze.

It revealed the same gash as before; deep, stained black with clotted blood, patches of red-pink muscle showing where clots had pulled out on the gauze. As I gently flexed my fingers, a slow trickle of blood appeared as he scabs cracked.

"That's what you wanted to show me..? What happened to cause that..?" Daniel gestured to my hand as he spoke; and Heinz' eyes glowed once more. Immediately, the gauze pressed against my palm, and the bandage began to re-wrap itself.

"I was walking towards Cerulean after some training, when I got jumped by two Rocket goons. They had a Growlithe and a Sandslash. The Growlithe hit me with a Flamethrower, while the Sandslash used… Well, Slash… on me. I blocked the attacks with this hand." Daniel nodded, glancing past me. I turned around to see Angela walking over, her hair glistening slightly with residual water.

"Hey, Angela. Sit down, OK..? I was talking to Daniel, and… I think you'd like to hear this." She frowned slightly, but complied with what I asked her to do. I turned back to Daniel, then looked at my hand. By now it looked as if I hadn't touched it.

"Thanks, Heinz… Daniel… I tried to block the Flamethrower attack. I… I used my powers… I caught the flames with my bare hand, but I couldn't feel the heat. And… I grabbed the Slash with my hand. I pointed at the Sandslash, and… And I used Flamethrower… But I got this damage from it…" Daniel and Angela stared at me, while Heinz looked at Angela.

"Ka dab, abraka, Kadabra." Angela's eyes widened slightly, before she waved her hands in front of herself, almost like she was trying to get rid of something.

"Garde..! Gar, gar devoir… degar, garvoir…" I looked at Daniel, who just nodded towards me.

"Heinz wants to know it he and Angela can work together, take your memory, and project it for us. Basically, that means that they gather some water in the air, and alter it so it causes light refraction, giving colours. They then generate the memory, as they see it." I blinked several times, glancing towards the two Psychic-Types.

"They can do that..? I thought projecting memories just meant they literally make it appear in mid-air…" Daniel shook his head, before taking a canteen that Heinz levitated over to him. He opened it, and Heinz levitated out roughly half the water, which spread out into a rough sphere in mid-air.

His eyes glowed, and suddenly the water shifted, and a slightly blurry version of me unwrapping my hand appeared. It blurred fully, and suddenly it was the same scene-but from Heinz' point of view. The images cleared, as he looked at me.

"Wow… Well, er… Sure. Go ahead… How far before will you do it, or..?" Angela cut me off, telepathing me as she spoke to Heinz.

-Start from just before I passed out while Jason was running. I want to see what happened.- Heinz nodded, as his and Angela's eyes glowed. I felt them gently poking through my head, and pulling a memory like a thread from a string ball. The water blurred, as both Angela and Heinz altered it, before an image resolved. It was my point of view, and I was running.

We saw a crack appear as I glanced to the side, before the Sandslash appeared in a spray of earth. There was a blur as I dived to the side, a glimpse of it charging me with a claw attack; then a large blur, and a couple dozen yards distance between me and the Sandslash.

"There's the movement, so Angela should pass out pretty soon… I set you and my Pokeballs on the floor just afterwards…" As we watched I winced as I recalled the Growlithe's attempt to bite me, and then the part where I was cornered… I set everyone on the floor… And the Growlithe attacked with Flamethrower.

I saw my hand enter my view, and the flames… Gather towards my palm, wrapping around my hand and settling there. We watched, as the rest of the scene unfolded, including me using that same Flamethrower on the Sandslash. Just after the Grunts ran off, the water faded and slowly funnelled back into the canteen, as Heinz and Angela left my mind.

"Well, Daniel… That's why I asked… And that's how I got this…" I gestured towards my hand, whilst Angela stared at me. Heinz was looking at me as well, but he was also looking towards the rest of Daniel's team, who had seen the whole thing as well.

-Jason… You did that to protect us all..?- I nodded, smiling at Angela. She leant over, gently hugging me, as I rested my good arm across her shoulders.

"Of course. I'd do anything for you guys, and girls. You're my team, and that means that you're family…" Angela sniffed slightly, before letting me go and nodding slightly.

-Right… Thank you… But if we're leaving soon, I'll sort out the tent; you can't do it with your injured hand…- I nodded, turning back to Daniel. Almost immediately, though, Sifer shot down and landed besides us.

"Pidgeo, pidg pidg otto!" Daniel nodded, immediately turning to his team and began to shout out commands.

"Kilo! Amy! Scout out into the trees, stay within ten metres! Heinz, mental scan and check! Sifer, get in the air and keep watch on everyone! Izzy, get ready for general counter, but stay close to Aqua and protect her!" Immediately, Daniel's team scattered as they set about doing as instructed.

Kilo and Amy sped off towards the trees, sticking together. Sifer shot straight up in the air, before climbing and slowly beginning to circle the clearing. Heinz levitated, drifting to the centre of the clearing. His spoon levitated between his parted hands, before it and his eyes began to glow blue. Izzy, meanwhile, stood beside him, tense and ready to run if anyone needed help. Behind her sat Aqua, curled up slightly as she whimpered.

I looked at Daniel, before grabbing my Pokeballs and throwing them in the air.

"Battle time, guys! Let's go-ACK!" I smacked into the floor as Abby 'accidentally' beat me around the face with her tail as she dropped past me. Caesar immediately turned to Izzy, and the two of them spoke to each other briefly, before Caesar flapped up to Sifer, and began to circle with him.

Angela picked up Abby, gently cradling her as Eevee walked over to Aqua. He gently nuzzled her before sitting beside her and puffing out his chest. Aqua relaxed slightly, before playfully poking Eevee. He lost his balance, quickly wobbling and falling onto his side.

"Eevee, Aqua! Now's not the time to be playing around!" Both of them immediately stopped as Daniel snapped at them, although Eevee still sat beside Aqua, gently nudging her shoulder. I walked over to them, crouching and gently petting Eevee.

"Eevee, listen to me. Keep Aqua safe, OK? You're gonna take care of her, and you're gonna show her brother that you can be trusted. OK?" Eevee nodded excitedly, before leaning up and licking my nose. I smiled at him, before petting both Eevee and Aqua.

I stood and walked back over to Angela, gently taking Abby into my arms. Daniel slowly moved around so that his back was to mine, and nothing was gonna creep up on us.

"Get ready, Jason… Sifer was scouting around us, and he saw a Team Rocket squad moving about. He was spotted before he got away, and they've gotten his scent with Growlithes." I shuddered slightly, glancing towards the trees.

"Great… Are you sure that Kilo and Amy will be OK..?" Daniel nodded, tapping one of the Pokeballs at his waist.

"Sure they will. Amy has the ability Flash Fire, so any Fire-Type moves are instantly absorbed into her, and she gets powered up by it. And as for Kilo, well if there's a battle then it's hard to keep him down." I nodded slightly, sighing in annoyance.

"Man, these guys don't know when to quit, do they..? What's their problem..?" Daniel shrugged, glancing around the trees as he tried to spot movement. He settled into a slight crouch, before twisting his hands. His fingers folded into a loose fist, and he kinked his elbows and wrists so that his arms jutted out to the side. Finally, he twisted his leg so that it was slightly extended to his right, pushing into the floor.

"What's up with the pose, Dan..? I think I saw it in a karate movie…" Daniel sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"It's something similar. It's made from several forms of martial arts that have been combined together. It took me years to learn it, and I'm decades from being a master. But it's unique, as it allows for a fast, fluid method that uses blocks and diversions to open up for hits and strikes…" I blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"Impressive… Where'd you learn it?" Daniel simply glanced towards me, then forwards again.

"I learnt it… from an old, old friend of my parents. You're too impatient, too hasty, to even begin… Angela might be able to study it, but not you." I sighed, shrugging, before looking at Angela.

"Well? Wanna learn how to kick butt with your hands?" Angela shook her head, gently tapping her forehead with a finger.

-No thanks. I've got all I need up here… And probably a lot I don't know yet, and some small amount in my arms and legs already…- Before I could reply, everyone looked up as Sifer let out a cry. He had stopped circling, and was hovering over a single spot, facing outwards. Caesar was in front of him, visible clouds of Powders raining down from him.

"He's seen them. But if it's Growlithes again, we'd better be careful. They're pack animals, and aren't above splitting up to gain an advantage over an enemy…" I nodded, watching the trees that were in sight. Nothing seemed to be moving, and Sifer and Caesar were strafing the forest with attacks.

"Angela… Get ready, OK..?" She nodded to me, while Eevee stood up-and shocked us all be extending claws and arching his back, fur standing on end. Aqua grinned, before standing. She did the same, but was far more impressive. Her claws had small notches and scratches where she'd fought with them, and as she arched her back and raised her fur, she seemed to double in size.

"Wow… That's just the coolest thing I've ever seen before…" Suddenly, Heinz grabbed his spoon and, opening his eyes, jabbed it straight to his right-the direction that Daniel was facing. We both spun to face that way, and after a few seconds, three Growlithe dashed out of the woods.

The one in the lead lunged towards Daniel, who stood there without moving from his pose. Suddenly, he pushed from the floor and darted to the left, leaning back as the Growlithe shot past him. He spun round, driving his right fist into its ribcage, and launched it into a second Growlithe, knocking them both to the floor.

He turned to the third one, and slashed his left arm through the air, knocking its muzzle aside. At the same time, his other arm shot downwards, and slammed into a paw, blocking the claws from hitting him. Finally, he turned with the Growlithes movement, and swept his left knee up and into its stomach. He grabbed its scruff, and swung it around and into the floor, then facing me as he stopped.

"That, Jason, is what my martial arts consists of… Blocking attacks, and using it against the attacker. With those few blows, I defeated some weak opponents. If they were stronger, then I wouldn't have won, or at least not without taking hits back. I am me. They are you. When you reach me, then you will be ready to learn…" I stood there, dumb-founded, as Daniel spoke to me, standing in the middle of three fainted Growlithes.

"Er… Erm… S-Sure… So, I'm a… A puppy..? Too young..? And what was that Zen stuff at the end anyway..?" Daniel shook his head, looking at me.

"As I said before… Too hasty, impatient… And yes, good point. Too young. I am no master, but even I can tell that… As for the 'Zen', as you call it, that's not Zen. That's the truth, as a metaphor for our skill and knowledge." Angela giggled slightly, causing me to turn to look at her.

-Wow. Intellectual beat-down, huh, Jason..? I don't think that you should take him on at any point before, say… Your eight badge?- I scowled, before shaking my head.

"It's not as hard as it seems, though, right? People who use martial arts develop patterns… It makes them predictable..!" Daniel turned to face me, before spreading his arms.

"Predictable? I dodge left, and so my opponent expects me to go right. I go left again, however. He did not expect a repeat. Now, this time I go right. He did expect a repeat. By using predictability and patterns, I can make it easier to avoid blows. Patterns can be complex and difficult, not just simple and easy." I sighed, before shaking my head.

"You're giving me a headache… Seriously, you sound so Zen when you're saying these things… Where did you learn them..?" Daniel simply shook his head, before looking at Angela.

"I'm sure that Angela understands me. It's not taught to you, it's learnt. You don't find a teacher, or a master. Instead you learn it through life; actions, repercussions, friendships and rivalries… It all adds up, Jason…" Angela nodded, before pointing to Eevee and Aqua.

-He's right, Jason. Look at them; no one taught them how to interact with others, they learnt it. Eevee learnt to interact, with his mother, Bill, and us. Kilo let him learn that not everyone is easy to approach. Aqua allowed him to learn that it's sometimes worth the risk, to make a great friend.- I nodded back at her, trying to get the whole learning without being taught thing. It seemed over-complicated and fussy…

"Jason, we should discuss this at a later time. I admit, you need learn this and get smarter, but what we've side-tracked onto should be enough for now… We should be careful, especially if these three Growlithes were expected to return at some point." Daniel gestured to the three Growlithes, which were apparently playing at being unconscious; I could see that they were watching us from beneath nearly closed eyelids, and their ears were twitching.

"We know that you're awake. Get up. Heinz, if you could come over here?" The three Growlithe stiffened slightly, before standing up warily. Heinz drifted over to them, before smiling. His eyes glowed slightly, and he spoke to the Growlithe.

You are going to tell me everything. I won't hurt you if you do… I give my word. I started as I understood Heinz's speech, glancing at Angela, who was looking at me quizzically. Daniel shot me a slight glare, before one of the Growlithes replied.

We won't tell you anything..! We're loyal to our master..! Heinz simply smiled even more, pointing to the Growlithe.

I'm so glad you said that… His eyes blazed a brighter, harsher blue, and the Growlithe shuddered. Its eyes rolled back into its head, as it collapsed, before the other two whimpered and crouched down, covering their eyes with their paws.

Go, and take him with you. He isn't harmed, just unconscious. The two Growlithes grabbed the third one in their mouths, taking a leg each, and began to drag him away and to safety. I turned to Daniel, waving an arm frantically towards Heinz, who was frowning slightly, eyes no longer glowing.

"What was that all about..!? I could understand him..!" Daniel simply turned to Heinz, watching him as he did whatever he was doing-absolutely nothing, it seemed like…

"Heinz used his Psychic abilities to translate what was being said as we were hearing it. Think of it as being a Psychic Babel fish, and you'll get it." I nodded in understanding, before looking at Heinz.

"And what did Heinz do to that Growlithe anyway..?" Daniel glanced at Heinz, before replying to me.

"He scanned the Growlithes brain and copied his most recent memories. He's working through them, so he can find out where they came from and who gave the order to attack. But it's odd. They've gotten here, and Sifer and Caesar have spotted others, but Amy and Kilo haven't encountered any problems yet… It doesn't sit right with me…"

A sharp crack drew our attention towards the treeline where a Growlithe stood, stock-still, one paw in the middle of a large fallen tree branch snapped in two. Its ears pressed flat against its head, before it slowly walked forwards, edging away from Angela, Izzy and the two Eevee's. It kept its head down low, before finally stopping in front of Daniel. It dropped a rolled up piece of paper on the floor, before slowly backing up. After a few seconds, it spun around and bolted for the trees, as Daniel opened up the paper.

As I watched, a frown spread across his face, and he clenched his fist, crushing the paper. When he spoke, I could hear the barely controlled anger in his tone as he dropped the paper.

"Sifer, Heinz, Aqua, Izzy..! Return..!" Four beams of red light shot out, engulfing and drawing his Pokémon into their balls again. He turned to look at me, before then staring into the trees as a Growlithe appeared at the base of a tree.

"Stay here, defend yourself as needed." He started to walk towards the Growlithe, which turned and started to walk into the trees as Daniel followed. I glanced at Angela, before shifting Abby so I was holding her with one arm and then stooping and picking up the paper. Angela walked over as I unfurled it, glancing at what was written in a rough scrawl.

"Return your Pokémon and follow the Growlithe. Do anything to resist and say goodbye to your Pokémon. You have ten minutes." A sudden well of unease and fear, as sharp as a knife, lanced between my ribs and into my heart as I saw what was below the writing. There were two pieces of sticky tape, and beneath each piece was a large clump of fur-one yellow and white, one red and orange. Beneath each piece of fur there was a single word, in the same messy scrawl.

"Jolteon… Flareon… They've got Kilo and Amy, Angela…" She nodded, reaching down to my belt as she leant closer. She pushed against it, and a spear of red light shot out, recalling Abby. A second press repeated it with Caesar, and Angela looked down at Eevee.

"Garde, ardevoir…" I couldn't understand her, but I could tell she was apologising to Eevee. A third press, and she recalled Eevee to his ball. She looked around, and her eyes glowed. Every item within the camping area levitated, gathering together on top of the rock in the middle. She looked at me, as her eyes stopped glowing, and smiled slightly.

-I'm in the mood for an adventure, Jason… Let's go see what Daniel's up to, K?- I nodded, grinning at her, before the two of us began to run after Daniel. Angela lead the way, levitating as she carefully worked out a path for us to follow.

After about five minutes, I asked her how she know where she was going. She stopped, gesturing towards a chest-level branch on a tree. A leaf had been twisted off and folded, the stem pointing right.

-This is a simple key for leaving signals. The leaf shows it's a code; leafs are used in wooded areas. The fold shows that it's not there naturally, and the stem shows the direction he went. We turn right and keep going.- I nodded, keeping an eye out for more of the leaves. After a few, I started to pick it up-until they disappeared. Angela stopped, frowning slightly.

"What is it..?" She turned to look at me, pointing out a leaf. It was folded, but on the floor. It looked crushed, and the stem wasn't folded through the leaf. Angela placed a finger over her lips, then pointed towards a bush at knee-height. There were a few flecks of deep red on them, which I recognised as blood. A slight frown creased my forehead as I tried out telepathy again.

-Angela… What does this mean..?- Angela sighed, before shaking her head sadly.

-It means, the Growlithe saw what he was doing, and stopped him.- As Angela looked, she suddenly leaned closer to a patch of moss. She gently brushed a finger over it, and it came away with a pink, watery mark on it.

-He's using his wound and a finger to paint out arrows…- Angela pressed her palm to the moss, then looked at it, to see an arrow pointing towards the right.

-He's on our left. And we're probably closer by now… And Jason, he's on our left because when I turn my hand to look at the arrow, it flips it. So left becomes right, right becomes left.- I nodded, as Angela grimaced before wiping her hand on the ground. She levitated again, and we followed the mossy arrows for about three more minutes. At the last one, there was no arrow. Instead, Angela saw a mis-formed two, a reverse 'tf', and a circle with a cross drawn over it. (See footnote for better description.)

"What does it mean, Angela?" I whispered; I'd long ago admitted she was better than me at this stuff, signals codes and secrecy.

-…We flip it, so… That's not a two, it's a five… Five ft..? Five ft, crossed circle… Jason, is this familiar?- I looked at the circle and cross, shrugging, when suddenly I noticed something.

"…I know that… It's like a crosshair. You know, on a weapon? That means something like… Target..?" Angela nodded slightly, as she looked at the print again.

-Five ft target... Hmm… Ah! 'ft' is short for feet, so… Five feet to target… That means we're almost there, Jason..!- I grinned at Angela, as she wiped her palm on the floor.

-I know I need to do it to help him, but that's the grossest method I've seen for secret codes… Well, there is the invisible ink made from pee, but I don't want to talk about that.- We slowly moved forwards, Angela levitating us over the more wild sections of plant life. Soon, we reached the edge of the clearing and stood with our backs to a large tree. We crouched there, before Angela sighed.

-They'll see us. My skin's too pale for wooded areas, and your skin isn't, well… green or brown enough to be either bark or leaves… Wait, look at this…- Angela leant close to the floor and I leant down as well, to see what it was. A second later, I felt Angela's hand on my head, and I was forced face first into a puddle of thick mud. I glared at Angela, as she pulled me back up.

-Now, hold still Jason…- She grabbed a fallen branch and, pulling leaves and twigs off, stuck them to the mud on my face.

-There! Crawl closer, that should stop your face standing out. I'll look through your eyes and tell you about what there is.- I gave Angela a death glare, before laying down and slowly crawling so that I was beside the tree. I looked out into the clearing, as I felt Angela set up a Psychic link with me. I glanced around the clearing, whilst Angela relayed me information.

-That green tent is probably where the Rocket sleeps… I can see cooking equipment as well outside. Oh, there's Kilo and Amy..! I think they're out cold… Those cages are too small for them, they can't even stretch their legs… And there's Daniel..!- I winced, as I saw him standing there.

His wrists were tied behind his back with thick rope, and a chain attached to it was connected to a sturdy metal peg in the floor. His right arm was blood-stained, and the sleeve torn up where he'd been bitten. In front of him the Rocket stood, with three Growlithes beside him, as he opened up a Pokeball.

Aqua blinked as the red light faded away, looking around. She froze as she saw the Rocket and his Pokémon, before slowly backing away. One of the Growlithes barked, and Aqua spat at it, slashing her claws through the air. The Growlithe barked again, before lunging at her. Aqua ducked and darted around it, slashing at it. The Growlithe yelped as she scored three parallel lines down its rear leg, but it quickly spun and lunged again. This time Aqua was too slow, and it used Bite. Aqua cried out as the Growlithe shook her around, before throwing her to the Rocket and walking over to him.

He stopped and looked over as Daniel suddenly began to struggle violently, throwing the chain back and forth and kicking at the peg.

"Aqua..! Aqua, no..! What did you do that for, she's just a pup..!" The Rocket looked at Daniel, before approaching the Growlithe and looking down as the Growlithe panted happily, ears cocked and bright-eyed.

The Growlithe let out a pitiful yelp as the Rocket, instead of congratulating it for a win, kicked it in the ribs whilst shouting about not damaging Pokémon they would sell. One of the Growlithes suddenly looked at me, snarling as it sank into a crouch. The Rocket looked up from where he'd now lifted Aqua by the scruff, unconscious and badly hurt, when he stared right at me.

"You three, get after that! Bring it back to me!" I threw myself back down towards Angela, who was already standing. We immediately started running through the trees, glancing back at the Growlithe as they slowly caught up to us. Angela, propelling herself with levitation, drifted over to me.

-What gave you away..?!- I scowled at her, before gesturing around us at the trees.

"Where in the woods do you ever see something the same blue as eyes glowing from Psychic influence..!? You knew all of that about signs, and camouflage and stuff, but you forget that you using Psychic powers to see through my eyes makes then glow..!?" Angela threw her arms up in the air as she quickly moved out of the way of a tree.

-Oh, and you didn't point it out to me before you went out there..!? That's REAL smart, Jason..!- I scowled at her, before pointing ahead.

"Tree!" Angela looked ahead, to see a large tree, about waist-height, had fallen down. It was covered in moss and vines, and we didn't have time to go around it. Two things happened as we reached the tree, one of which causing the Growlithes to slow down.

First, I ran ahead and placed my hand upon the top of the tree. Pushing down and jumping, I vaulted over the tree and stumbled a little before continuing ahead of the Growlithe.

Angela levitated over it and turned around, pointing at the tree. As the Growlithe neared it, she gestured-and the tree exploded beneath the jumping Growlithe. Before she could see what had happened, she quickly drew level with me again.

"Angela, how'd you do that..?" She shrugged, smiling slightly before wincing.

-Remember how food blows up if it's in the microwave too long..? Same theory. Turn the water into steam, and enough pressure causes it to go boom. I agitated the water particles to a gaseous state whilst containing the pressure, then simply released it beneath the Growlithe.- I looked at Angela with concern, noting she was clutching her upper arm with her left hand.

"Angela… You OK..?" She nodded, as we came to a slow walking pace. We couldn't hear the Growlithe anymore, and I was getting out of breathe.

-Just fine. Relax, Jaso-OW!- She cried out, as I took her left hand and gently pulled it down. Immediately, the first thing that caught my eye was the large splinter in her arm. There was about an inch sticking out, and it was as thick around as my thumb. The edges were jagged, but blunt. I gently took hold of it and tugged.

Immediately, Angela got me to let go by not slapping my hand… She decked me with a left hook. There was a cry of pain from her, then a blur of motion, followed by a starburst of pain on my right cheek, before I was knocked over and fell to the floor, groaning.

-Jason..! Are you OK..?! I'm sorry about that..!- I sat up, wincing slightly and rubbing my already swelling face.

"I… I think I'm OK… Geez, wasn't that an over-reaction..?" Angela shook her head, looking at her arm. There was now a slowly growing circle of purple, where her blood was gently soaking into her dress' blue sleeve.

"Oh, Angela… I'm sorry… I was just trying to help…" Angela nodded, smiling slightly as she helped me to my feet, before embracing me.

-I know, Jason… It's just really painful. When you pull on it, I mean. Come on, the Growlithe could smell the blood and track us…- I nodded, the two of us slowly moving around. We made sure that we kept going at a diagonal, working around to the other side of the Rocket's clearing. After several minutes, we found the edge and looked through to see that we were near the cages.

At what was now the far end of the clearing, Daniel was still slumped. Angela glanced at me, before looking towards Daniel. Her eyes glowed, and slowly the chain pinning him down shifted. The slight movement reached the peg, and it pulled the entire length out of the ground, before pushing in again. The chain tugged slightly, showing that the peg was now loose in the ground.

Daniel, who had followed the chain and peg's movements with a slight turn of his head, looked up and towards us. He nodded slightly, before slumping again. Angela's eyes flashed blue once more, and suddenly there was a link from a chain in her hand.

-This link was holding him. By removing this single link, I broke the chain holding onto the rope restricting his hands. We'll have to be careful now, though.- I nodded, looking around the camp again, unable to see any movement.

"Angela, how many Growlithe can you sense in the camp? And where's the Rocket?" Angela's eyes stayed illuminated for a few seconds longer, then returned to their usual colouration as she looked at me.

-Seven Growlithes and the Rocket's in the tent. I think he's talking to someone on a phone; something about the withdrawal of a Grass-Type Pokémon back to their headquarters…- I nodded, grinning at Angela and slowly stepped out into the clearing. I crept forwards, Angela staying close to me, before reaching the cages. I carefully crouched, level with Amy, and grasped her muzzle, which poking through the bars. She jolted awake, trying to struggle but unable to fully move; a cry of shock easily muffled by my hand, preventing the Rocket hearing her. After a second she saw it was me, and relaxed. She glanced around, as I slowly released her muzzle, before looking at Angela and speaking with a hushed voice.

"Flare… Flare, areo eon..?" Angela crouched as well, gently stroking Amy's muzzle with a finger. I looked down at Kilo, swallowing nervously, before gently holding his muzzle closed. His eyes snapped open, and he looked at me with a glare of hatred. He blinked, before his glare mellowed into simple dislike. A second later, a burst of electricity shot through my arm. I winced, before Angela pushed a thick, short branch in front of me. I bit down on it, grinding it with my teeth before Kilo finally stopped and I slumped to the floor.

"Garde... Garde, de voir dar…" Kilo rolled his eyes, before staring at me with shock. I shook my head, blinking, before looking down at my arm. There were several patches of skin that were reddened and itchy, and my hand had a few small patches of electrical burns. But what stood out was the loops of yellow electricity, which arced between the burnt patches of my hand and arm with a faint buzz.

"Cool… Angela, can we get these two out of here?" She nodded, placing a hand on each Pokémon's muzzle. Her eyes flashed blue, and the two of them teleported. I stood, rubbing my head with a groan. Angela placed a hand on my shoulder, a concerned look in her eyes holding an unasked question.

"I… I'm fine Angela. Just a… Just a headache from the shock." I mumbled, shaking my head again. Angela nodded slowly, before looking past the cages. Daniel had rocked onto his back, and arched his legs as he straightened his arms. He quickly slipped his legs between his arms, and when he sat up again, his arms were in front of him. He stroked Amy and Kilo quickly, who nuzzled him back eagerly, before he reached down to his belt. He recalled them both, before uprooting the chain and peg and crouching. He looped the chain loosely around his torso; over his left shoulder and around the right hip.

As he ran over to us, he lifted his hands to his mouth and began to bite the rope. Angela waved him over, and he nodded, before pulling his head back. A length of rope followed, and he quickly unravelled the rest, freeing his wrists. He sank down into a crouch as well, glancing around the camp.

"You came back, huh? I didn't expect that. If you were sensible, you would've gone to get Officer Jenny. But by then, the Rocket would have left with my Pokémon, so it's good that you aren't sensible. What's with your arm?" I shrugged, looking around, before glancing to my hand. There was still an aura of spitting electricity around it.

"Kilo shocked me, and this happened. Who does the Rocket have?" Daniel glowered slightly, before replying. There was a layer of anger to his voice I didn't expect to hear from someone who obviously travelled a lot.

"Kilo and Amy were caged; they were going to be passed to the Rocket's boss as a tithe. The others were to be sold on, but they're still in their Pokeballs, in the tent. Aqua's in there as well, the Rocket took her from the floor. I think he was taking care of her, if only so she isn't 'reduced pricing' in the next city…" Daniel turned his head, looking at Angela.

"If you get the chance… Crush him; mentally or physically. He leaves in one of two states, Angela; a drooling, witless madman, or in a body bag." I placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, pulling him to look at me.

"Daniel, you are not a Rocket. Don't say stuff like that, you're only as bad as they are… And don't tell my team what to do… We're going to get Aqua back, I promise you, but we will do it as human beings, not like a Rocket, and not like a Pokémon. Understood?" Daniel stayed there, silent, before looking at me.

"I have given up hope for much of the human race, Jason. I trust in Pokémon these days. I have told you, I do anything for my team, and I will do whatever it takes. I care more for them than I do for my parents, and my life. They've done more for me than anyone else… Almost anyone else." He turned away, roughly shrugging my hand away from his shoulder. He reached down, a hand brushing the back of his thigh.

"This Rocket hurt my friends, and then he hurt me. I will take that sort of thing for any of them, Jason. Let's go. I don't want to think what he's going to do if he gets away." He strode towards the tent, leaving me and Angela behind, staring in shock.

"Angela… Did you know he was so… Odd..?" Angela shook her head, before following him, dragging me by an ear.

-No, but then everyone is different. If he spent a year or longer with just his Pokémon, then who can say what changes it had on him, or what his feelings are for them in kind?- I winced, grasping her wrist to relieve some of the weight from my head as Daniel stopped in front of the tent. As Angela stopped, pulling me between her and Daniel, I heard a low growl from within the tent, and then movement.

"Rocket! Get out here, so I can show you what happens when you mess with my team!" He shouted, wrapping the end of the chain around his lower arm, leaving enough hanging so that the end pooled slightly on the floor. There was a slight scuffle, before a Growlithe burst from the tent's entrance, teeth bared.

Daniel punched it in the face, knocking it away with a crack. He grasped the chain around his arm and pulled, tossing something to the floor. I glanced down, wincing as I saw a tooth, broken and streaked with blood.

"Get out here! Send all the Pokémon you want; I'll get to you eventually!" Daniel grasped the tent flap with his unchained hand, ripping it away and exposing the interior. He froze as me and Angela looked past him as well, into the tent.

The Rocket was standing in the tent, with most of the Growlithes in front of him. Two were at the back of the tent, however; one was pinning Aqua down, and the second was crouched over her, teeth bared. Aqua was curled up, tail covering her face and shaking in fear. Daniel's eye began to tick slightly, his arms shaking as well, causing the chain to rattle gently.

"Well, boy, this is bad for you. Surrender, and give me your Pokémon that were outside, then let the chain go. Resist, and I'll take them anyway; but sadly, your Eevee won't make it out of the fight. So, what will you choose..? Your Eevee's life spared, or her life exchanged for your freedom?" Daniel stared at the Rocket, before turning to me and nodding slightly.

"Do it. I can't get there fast enough, no matter what…" He turned towards the Rocket, who had started to shout a command, when he dashed forwards, trailing the chain behind him. As a Growlithe lunged for him, he dealt it an uppercut with his chained arm, before whipping the chain around and lashing a Growlithe to the floor with the impact. Then he was in the middle of the pack, kicking, punching and chaining them away.

Angela teleported across the tent, blasting the two Growlithe away from Aqua with a gesture. She scooped the pup into her arms, and teleported again, disappearing from the tent as Aqua hugged her, beginning to cry.

I ran towards the Rocket, who was distracted by Daniel, and tackled him to the floor. He landed with a grunt, before grasping my arm and leg; with a quick throw, he flipped me over his head to the floor, smacking my head on the floor. I blinked, woozy after the impact, when suddenly the Rocket was straddling my chest. I blinked again, looking up at him and catching a glimpse of a fist, before the world dissolved into a blur of multi-coloured blobs and pain.

"You brat! What are you doing, resisting us?!" I blinked away the colours, only to feel my head catapult into the floor again as he punched me a second time. He struck me a third time without pause, and pain flared over my face as something cracked. I felt hot liquid gush over my lips, and realised he'd broken my nose. I blinked as my vision cleared, seeing the Rocket with a raised fist. Suddenly, a flash of metal shot past his arm and wrapped around his neck, pulling him back with a strangled, choking noise.

"Jason! Hit him, now!" The chain slipped away, but not before I managed to shake my head and clear some of the fuzziness from it. I saw the Grunt aiming another punch for me, and jabbed with my right arm. There was a loud, low buzzing, and a blast of yellow light; and then the Rocket was launched across the distance of the tent, spasming as his body was surrounded by electrical waves. He hit the floor, twitching, before slumping unconscious.

"Ohh… My head…" I looked up as I heard a yelp, followed by a crunch, to see Daniel crouched over a Growlithe, his chain-wrapped fist pressing into its back. He looked up to see me, and stood before walking over. He pulled a small pocket knife from his sleeve, and flicked the blade out. He slashed at my arm twice, and cut loose a length of cloth. He rolled it up slightly, before cutting another strip free, using it to form a loop. He slipped it over my head at an angle, so it held the rolled up lump of cloth to my nose.

"This will hurt, don't scream." He grasped my nose, hooking his fingers around it, and gave a sharp pull. I cried out in pain, feeling the bone grating against itself as he straightened it out. He cut two more, smaller lengths of cloth and rolled them into cylinders, before slipping them into my nostrils.

"That will help your nose keep its shape. Don't poke it unless you want a nose that angles to the side, or one that's deformed." He took my hand, hauling me to my feet, as I stumbled along. Exiting the tent, I spat to the side to clear my mouth of blood, while Daniel let the chain slip from his arm. Abruptly, Aqua barrelled into his chest, where Daniel caught her. Hugging her, he smiled to himself whilst Aqua pressed herself against him, tears still running down her cheeks.

"It's OK, Aqua, I'm here… I'm here… I won't let anything happen to you ever again, OK..? I promise…" Aqua sniffed, rubbing her eyes, before licking Daniel's cheek. He smiled, gently kissing her on the forehead as he hugged her again. Aqua curled up, pressing into him more, soon falling asleep in his arms, as Daniel approached me.

"If you are going to assist me, then do not try to fight. You clearly have no training whatsoever. In fact, if you had not been helped by me, no doubt you'd have either been beaten unconscious, or thrown to the Growlithes for use as a chew-toy. Perhaps, later I can train you, but it will take time. It will also cost you." I stared at him, as with a sudden blue flash Angela appeared next to me. He stared, before grabbing my shoulders and turning me to face her, pressing a hand to my cheek.

-Jason..! What on earth happened..? How did you break your nose..?!- I winced, feeling the forming bruises around my face swelling already, pressed on by Angela. I grasped her wrist, pulling her hand away gently, before slowly rubbing my face.

"I took on the Rocket, and it didn't go well… He got me to the floor and used my face as a punch bag…" Angela blinked, before her face took on a murderous look. I grabbed her shoulder as she started to levitate towards the tent, turning her to face me.

"Angela, what are you going to do?" She pointed to my nose, then the tent; she used forceful jabs, as if there was a blade instead of a finger on her hand and she was slashing and stabbing through the air to reach a target.

-You are my Trainer. I will make sure that you are never hurt, and if I fail that, then I destroy what hurt you so that you are protected from it ever again. And from the way he treated his Pokémon and Daniel's, he deserves what I plan to do. Don't look Jason, it won't be nice.- I tightened my grip on her as she started to move to the tent again, as Daniel looked around at us curiously.

"Angela. Do not hurt him. I know that you want to keep me safe; I understand that. But whatever you plan to do, it isn't worth it and it never will be, OK? So, instead of doing something like ripping his spine out, or crushing his mind, just… Let the cops deal with him, OK?" Angela stared at me, before nodding and descending to the floor.

-Very well. He should be grateful that you're kind Jason. If only… But I will protect you, although… I shall not attack him if that is what my Master wills-… If that is what you want me to not do, Jason.- My grip slackened slightly and Angela pulled away gently, lifting her head and looking around the clearing. She sighed, brushing a strand on errant hair back behind her ear as she started to walk around behind the tent. As she left, she telepathed me a quick message.

-I'm going to look around the camp… See what I can find.- I nodded at her, before turning to face Daniel. He was standing there with a curious look on his face, arms still folded around Aqua and supporting her.

"What did she say? You looked pretty shocked during your conversation there." I sighed, running a hand through my hair and grasping a handful, pulling on it slightly, focussing on the pain to clear my mind.

"She said that she was going to deal with a threat to me, by attacking the Rocket before I stopped her. Then she went all creepy and stuff, saying about how I'm kind to spare him… Then she said about not attacking 'if my master wills it…' only to change to 'if that's what you don't want me to do'." Daniel nodded, petting Aqua gently, before he turned and glanced at where Angela had gone to look around.

"Gardevoir, as a species, are very devoted to their Trainer's well-being. Naturally, something which caused you to be hurt will incense her wrath. And I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'Hell have no Fury like a woman scorned' before. Well, compared to a Gardevoir defending their Trainer… Let's say you might as well be playing video games with unlimited time, junk food and fizzy drinks with said scorned woman in the most relaxing place possible.

As for calling you master, well… She's recently evolved, but it will be happening. Gardevoir form a very strong Psychic bond with their Trainer, which allows them to mentally monitor their health and such qualities. No doubt when her protective side manifested she referred to you as master in order to show that she obeys your commands." I nodded slightly, before glancing at a now sleeping Aqua, a slight smile tugging at my face.

" So, Dan… How did Amy and Kilo get caught, anyway? I thought you said that they were tough enough to survive…" Daniel nodded, before shifting Aqua to one arm and recalling her. He walked back to the tent, lifting the chain and stepping inside as I followed him. He began to collect the Growlithe, gathering them next to the Grunt.

"It appears that the Grunt was with them. He ran behind Amy and Kilo, and some Growlithe with him separated them both and pulled them to the floor, where they were overpowered and tied up." Daniel placed the peg on the floor, and took the end of the chain. He wrapped it around the Growlithe's neck, forming a collar for it, and began to work his way through them all.

"Right… Daniel, I know you told me about why Angela reacted how she did, but… I don't understand why that happened. Why are Gardevoir so protective?" Daniel shrugged, glancing up at me before resuming the collaring of Growlithes.

"No-one really knows why. It's known it happens, but not the cause. Some people believe that the Gardevoir's psychic bond with its Trainer causes the Pokémon to become deferential to the Trainer while retaining free will and thought so that they don't overwhelm the Trainer's mind. Others think that because the Gardevoir evolution chain always has a heavy feature on the emotions of the Trainer, then a Gardevoir will develop a feeling of being a guardian for that Trainer. I remember reading something a few years ago where a Trainer was saved by his Gardevoir, and she sacrificed herself. His first words upon waking up in the hospital was 'I saw a guardian angel…' when asked about it." I nodded slightly, feeling uncomfortable with this new knowledge. Gardevoir gave their self in place of their Trainer… It was new to me.

"So… So, Angela might… take any damage that I would have gotten, to keep me safe? I don't get it, I'm not that important…" Daniel shook his head as he finished with the Growlithes, and began to hog-tie the Grunt.

"Wrong. Yes, you are not important, but to Angela you are her world. It's the same with all Gardevoir. The longer they're with their Trainer, the more devoted they become. They never become controlling, or make the choices for their Trainer, but they do become more likely to intervene with a threat for their Trainer. I assume you don't know what the Gardevoir's ultimate ability is?" I shook my head, as Daniel took the end of the chain and placed the peg at the other end over the link, and began to push it into the floor.

"A Gardevoir can use this ability only once. It will destroy the user completely; mind, body and soul. The Gardevoir pours every single bit of its Psychic energy into a single molecule, and instead of exploding the Gardevoir causes a collapse." I blinked, staring at Daniel as he stood and stamped on the peg, working it even deeper into the floor.

"So what happens then?" Daniel stopped, looking at the peg, then turning to face me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, sighing, before looking at me.

"I am not normally caring, but I cannot tell you this coldly. Jason… The Gardevoir creates a localised black hole, a singularity event. Anything within the range the Gardevoir chose is sucked into the singularity, and ripped to shreds on a molecular level. Not even dust is left. The event ends when the Gardevoir itself becomes something the black hole devours; the destruction of the power source stops the singularity, and it ends. That is why it's a one-time power." I stared at Daniel in horror, stepping backwards. I shook my head angrily, gesturing towards the outside of the tent.

"Angela is out there. You expect me to believe that she would do that..? She would… She wouldn't… I know it..!" Daniel sighed again, stepping towards me. He looked at me, then the flaps of the tent, before walking outside and pausing.

"You can choose not to believe… But look it up. It will be there, somewhere." He continued walking, leaving me alone with the Grunt and the Growlithes. I leaned against the fabric of the tent, slowly sliding down so that I was sitting on the floor and resting my face in my hands.

"She wouldn't… I know she wouldn't… It's impossible…" I spoke out loud, trying to stay away from the truth. Daniel hadn't lied before, and he wasn't malicious. He wouldn't tell me something to make me feel like this, just for spite, even if he didn't like me. I know it.

-Jason..? Are you OK..?- I started slightly, looking up at Angela. She was stood over me, a look of deep concern on her face before she reached out, resting a hand on my cheek. I blinked, before pulling away, seeing Angela's face turn from concern to hurt from the corner of my eye.

"…Angela… Would… If it ever came to it… What would you do to keep me safe..?" She stared at me, before sighing. She crouched, sitting next to me and resting a hand on my arm. I looked at it, then her, seeing in her eyes that she was unsure of what to say.

-Jason… I could hear what you and Daniel were talking about in here. You're asking about… A Gardevoir's ultimate ability, that one-time power, aren't you?- I nodded, slightly shocked to see that it was Angela who had begun to tear up, not me.

-I've done some research. I looked it up when I was a Kirlia after seeing something about it in a book I read. Daniel was pretty much right about it; the power used, how it's done, the results… It's true. A Gardevoir has that ability.- I sat there, before turning to face Angela fully. She looked at me, before I pulled her close and wrapped my arms around her. Angela's hands shot to my shoulders, pushing against me.

-J-Jason… My spike…- I shook my head, shifting so that it passed between my arm and chest. Angela relaxed slightly, before embracing me back. I stayed there for a few seconds, before speaking to her again.

"Angela… I don't care what happens. Never, ever… Use that power. I don't want you to… to…" My voice cracked slightly and Angela gently stroked the back of my head, finishing my sentence in a calm voice.

-To die? Jason… I can't make that promise to you. I'm sorry, but I can't. What I can do, though, is this-I promise to never use that ability, unless either you, or me, are going to die even if I don't use it. Is that OK..?- I was silent for several seconds, before I finally nodded, rubbing my eyes with a hand.

"OK… Thank you Angela…" Angela let go and leaned backwards, looking at me, before asking me a question.

-Why don't you want me to ever use it, Jason? No Gardevoir ever uses it lightly, and many never use it at all.- I shrugged, laughing slightly as I thought of an answer.

"You'll probably laugh at this, but… It's because I love you. I mean, think about it; I might have raised you, but you're a Pokémon and you age faster right? You're roughly the same age as me, I think… You're like a sister Angela. I love you as a sister, and… I don't want to lose you." Angela's eyes had lit up when I began, but as I finished they dulled slightly, a thin film of tears making them shine.

-I… I see. I didn't realise you felt that way, Jason… Thank you for sharing that. As for my age… Pokémon mature very fast, and age fast, but once mature it slows down. So, yes. I'm roughly your age, maybe a little younger, but now I'm mature-bodily, not evolutionary-I'll age slower. It's how it works with Pokémon; something with being able to live longer. Young Pokémon who are curious get into trouble faster.- I nodded, smiling slightly at Angela as she stood and brushed her dress off. She turned towards the flaps, looking away from me.

-I'm… Going to find Daniel. He can help me get this splinter out of my arm.- She stepped forwards, leaving the tent. I sat there, staring after her in confusion. She seemed… different. As if something had changed with her recently. I sighed, before standing and slowly leaving the tent as well. Thanks to Daniel and Angela, I had a lot to think about…

(Angela's POV, just after leaving the tent)

I stormed forwards, quickly teleporting away. I appeared in the forest, a few metres away from the edge of the trees. I sat down, and finally let the tears that had built up free. I sniffled, burying my face in my hands and closing my eyes. It didn't stop the flow of tears.

Why… Why as a sister..? I… I don't know how I feel, Jason… And you've made things so much more complicated now… Stupid, stupid feelings. I shouldn't even be considering this, let alone arguing about it… I looked up, wiping my eyes again, seeing Daniel walking towards me. I froze, before grabbing the splinter in my arm and tugging sharply. A dozen knives of pain instantly shot through my arm and I twitched, releasing the splinter. A fresh wave of tears, brought on by pain this time, ran down my face, and as I watched the blotch of blood on my sleeve enlarged.

"Angela? What are you doing?" I looked up at Daniel, sniffing slightly. He looked… concerned, odd for him when it involved Jason or his team. Normally Daniel would affect indifference, or a lack of care beyond basic needs.

-Hey, Daniel. I'm just trying to get this splinter out…- He looked at my arm, frowning as he saw it. He sat beside me, leaving a reasonable space, before gesturing towards the splinter.

"May I look?" I nodded, wiping my eyes as he gently placed a hand on my arm. His other hand took hold of the splinter and he gently pulled it. Not a yank, like what Jason did, and not a tug like me, but a gentle, careful pull that I barely felt.

"It's rooted deep… This might take a while. I have a medical kit, can you get it for me? Teleport my bag over, please." I nodded, teleporting his bag to him. He opened it and removed the medical kit, balancing it on his knee and opening it up. He removed a pair of tweezers, and a small bottle of clear liquid.

-What's that, Daniel..?- He glanced at the bottle as he pulled a pair of latex gloves on, then opened it up.

"It's just water, Angela. Purified. Nothing to worry about." I nodded, as he tipped some onto my arm, and-

OH ARCEUS! That burns! Ahh! Daniel sighed as he tipped some onto his gloves, rubbing it into the latex and lifting the tweezers, washing them with the liquid as well.

"OK, that's the alcohol wash done-" I grabbed his shoulder with my hand, pulling him closer and staring into the sunglasses he always wore.

-If you ever lie to me like that again, I will fuse your sunglasses with your skull Daniel. Understood?- He nodded, gently pushing me back and holding my arm, pinching the splinter with the tweezers.

"Understood. Don't lie to the potentially homicidal Psychic." He began to gently work the tweezers back and forth, pulling the splinter at the same time. I winced as it pulled, but I could feel it loosening.

-So, why did you come after me? Something you wanted to ask?- He nodded, reaching into the medical case and pulling out a pad of gauze with his spare hand as he dug the tweezers further down the splinter.

"Yes, actually. I was speaking to Jason earlier, and-" I cut him off by Psychically slapping his cheek, rocking his head to the side and causing a red mark to appear on his face. He straightened up, wincing slightly, before flexing his jaw with a slight crack.

-I remember now. You told him about a Gardevoir's protectiveness of a Trainer, and their ability to sacrifice their self and summon a black hole. Why did you tell him that? He made me promise to never use it, and he got all paranoid that I'd do something stupid and sacrifice myself..!- Daniel tugged the splinter, and as I winced at the pain it slid loose. He pulled it clear, tipping some more alcohol into the wound and as I screamed bloody murder at him he placed the gauze over it.

"I did not think it would affect him as much as it did. I thought he would have known, considering that you would always become a Gardevoir eventually. But think; you would sacrifice yourself, given the right circumstances, correct?" I scowled, forming a reply in my mind, before stopping and thinking about what he said.

*He's right… I would be willing to do anything for Jason's safety, be it a splinter like this, or the sacrifice of my life… I would be willing to pay that for his safety, no matter what I told Jason myself.* Daniel smiled at my silence, before nodding to himself.

"As I thought, you cannot deny what you are, can you? You want to say that you wouldn't because he asked you not to, but you are compelled to by your nature. You would give your life in a heartbeat, if it would save Jason. You suffer the gifted curse of Gardevoir now, Angela. Cursed to do whatever keeps your Trainer safe, and gifted with a bond deeper than anything available to another Psychic-type because of it. Did you feel odd, about ten minutes ago?" I nodded slightly, aware that Daniel was leading up to something, but unable to affect it now.

-Yes… I was carrying Aqua and I was moving back towards the Rocket's camp, when a sudden pain hit me. It wasn't much, but it was a shock at the time. Then there was another, and another. It stopped, and after waiting a few seconds I carried on moving. Are you suggesting that I felt some of Jason's pain myself?- Daniel nodded, before pointing towards the tent's rough direction through the trees.

"Exactly. As you're recently evolved, it won't be much, but be careful. Over time as your bond grows in strength, you'll feel more acutely the effects. So rather than a weak pain, you would have felt as if you had been physically hit, even if it was only a Psychic bond. Time and experience allows Gardevoir to develop control over the ability, but you will need to be careful, as you're bonded with such an accident-prone person." I nodded slightly with a sigh, before the two of us stood.

-I need to go see Jason. I left in a huff, and I'm not sure if I upset him or not as a result…- Daniel nodded as we began to walk back towards the clearing, before pointing to my bandaged arm.

"The next Pokémon Centre we visit should have the necessary items for you to either repair or replace your damaged clothes. The best thing is, replacements are free of charge. New items you need to pay for, however, but most times they're worth it. Spend enough time travelling and you start to rely on Centres for a lot of stuff; rest, healing, food, clothes, clean beds..." Daniel sighed, shaking his head slightly, before looking at me again.

"Let's get moving. I don't wanna spend more time here than necessary." I nodded, looking about only to spot Jason standing beside the cages that previously had Kilo and Amy in them. His hands were buried in his pockets, and he was radiating an aura of depression. Daniel dropped back, and I slowly approached him, standing at his side with my arms wrapped around my body.

"Hey, Angela. I was just thinking… Why do people do things like this? It doesn't make any sense. To steal Pokémon, sell and buy them like they aren't living creatures… I don't get it." I glanced at him, sighing and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Jason looked up the short difference between us, and stepped into my arms. I blinked in surprise as he gently hugged me, before I returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry about earlier, in the tent… It's just I had no idea that Gardevoir could do that… It scared me, and… I reacted wrong to it." I sighed, before resting my forehead against Jason's and gently nuzzling him.

-Jason, I understand… I don't mind how you reacted. But… Please. If you ever need to talk about something, just get me, OK? I'll help however I can. But this isn't the time to be upset. We've won, albeit with a minor injury, and we should move on to get healing done. OK?- I lifted my head from Jason's, gently wiping a thumb over his cheeks to clear the mix of dirt, dust and nosebleed there, before smiling at him.

Jason smiled slightly, before nodding. He pulled me closer, squeezing me in his arms, before releasing me and stepping back. His smile broadened as he nodded at me and we approached Daniel, who was waiting for us by the edge of the clearing.

"Well? Are you two done? We should leave very soon. I don't want to stay around here any longer than necessary, and if we're lucky we'll reach Vermillion by sundown. Perhaps even see the port live up to the City's namesake there." Daniel began to walk through the woods, me and Jason following him through the undergrowth. After about twenty minutes, we found the clearing with the rock in the middle.

"Perfect, our stuff is still here. Let's get it, and move on from here. Angela, thank you for piling it there." As Daniel and Jason approached the rock, collecting their backpacks and items from it, I looked around us at the clearing. I could see traces of us all over, in different ways of nature retaining tracks.

There were two barkless patches on a branch, where me and Jason got our bowls in the morning. There was a tree with a blackened base, where Kilo shocked Jason. Several patches of grass were flattened, where everyone had rested to eat in the morning, and two rectangles of crushed grass showed the locations of the tents from the night.

I looked over, as Daniel and Jason slung their backpacks, approaching them easily. I winced slightly as I saw Jason's nose, already swelling up. But he was taking it well, and acted as if it wasn't broken at all. I smiled slightly at that, seeing that he was back to his usual accident-prone, boundlessly optimistic about bodily damage self again.

"Angela, can you keep alert for any trouble that might creep up on us whilst we're moving? I don't want to get into a battle or a fight without at least some prior warning about it." I nodded at Daniel, before turning to Jason. He grinned at me, before turning and stepping onto the path as we began to walk towards Vermillion City.

As we progressed down the pathway, Daniel slowly began to lighten up. In his own way. He stopped glowering at everything, and instead looked at it with his usual gaze of casual dismissive examination. The look that made you feel as if he didn't care about WHO you were, but WHAT you were. By the time we did reach Vermillion City, Jason's nose was badly swelled, Daniel was smiling slightly at the sight of it, and I was staring at the port.

Wow… It really does live up to its name… I breathed, before Daniel and Jason saw it as well. The port was, towards the city, a deep crystal blue with lines of white as the waves beached. Further out, it turned into a brilliant vermillion-streaked orange, before fading into a deep red-streaked purple along the horizon. There was a reflection of the sunset, from the deep orange sphere at the horizon to the red and dark pink tinted clouds drifting through the air overhead, which rippled gently in the surf.

"This is Vermillion City. Famous for its Gym and the annual cruise ship that comes through here, but also for those in the know, there is the sunset view of the ocean and port. The colours change as the sun sets, and it's said that any Staryu or Starmie that witness the entire sunset will develop a gemstone brighter and more lustrous than before. Complete rubbish, believed by simple people-" Jason looked at Daniel, his eyes widening slightly as he cut him off mid-sentence.

"They get brighter gems? That's awesome..! How do you know it?" Daniel stared at Jason, before sighing and shrugging his backpack to a more comfortable position. He turned to me, before pointing at Jason.

"Angela, please. Do me a favour. Telepath him what I just said, so that he knows the truth and stops being such a gullible fool-" Daniel came to a sudden stop when I glared at him, my eyes glowing slightly.

-Don't call him a fool..! He's my master, and he is righ-… I… I mean… Don't call him a fool, Daniel. He spent his time instead of reading books learning from his father. What he knows is basic; but he saved you, so you have no right to call him a fool. He's gullible, yeah, but not a fool. Just… Over-eager.- Daniel raised an eyebrow at me.

"'Master'? You should be careful Angela. Going too far with this can be bad for your health, and Jason's. As for being right… I've seen Aqua sleep through less lessons than I can guess he has done so." I shrugged, looking at Jason to avoid Daniel's gaze. He was staring at the ocean, completely unaware of our conversation until I tapped his shoulder.

-Jason? Are you ready to go now?- He nodded, grinning at me, before running down the hill. I lurched forwards with a cry, but missed grabbing his shoulder. I sped after him, levitating over the floor as I chased him.

-Jason! You'll trip and hurt yourself!- He laughed, looking at me and turning so he was running backwards and grinned.

"Relax! It's a smooth hill, so nothing to trip over, right?" I shook my head, reaching out and just managing to hook my hand onto the backpack's shoulder strap.

-Wrong! There's you-!- Before I could finish, Jason accidentally kicked his own heel and flew backwards-pulling me on top of him. He flipped over, and was pinning me down, before the backpack rolled and we began to tumble down the road. Jason was whooping with laughter, whilst I screamed and tightened my grip on him.

-Grab something! Stop us from rolling, before I'm sick!- Jason paused, his laughter dying out. His head smacked off the road with a dull thwack, before he groaned and replied to me.

"Smooth road. Nothing to trip over… Nothing to stop us." I blinked, and after a few seconds screamed again when I glimpsed something through the tangle of limbs around us. We hit the road one last time, tearing through some tall grass.

*Great, that's my dress ruined-I can never get out the grass stains…* I bitterly thought, before the next sight shunted everything else to one side when I saw that we had bounced again and were currently over one of the large ponds outside the City.

Oh, CRAP- Before I finished, me and Jason hit the water and sank beneath it like a Rock-Type Pokémon. For several seconds, we were face to face and staring, before I realised my dress was billowing out in the water. I pushed away from Jason, surfacing with a gasp as water cascaded over my body. I pushed my sodden hair out of my face, glaring at Jason as he sat up next to me; I was kneeling on the bottom of the pond, and felt like submerging Jason again.

"That was kind fun, Angela. Wanna go again?" I stared at him, blinking, before grabbing his shoulders and shaking him rapidly. Water sprayed off of his body, and I growled angrily at him.

-Why the hell did you just go careering backwards down a hill at running speed?! I thought you were smarter than that Jason..!- I stopped shaking him when he grabbed my arms; not tight so it hurt, but firm enough to stop me.

"I didn't expect to trip. It was just a fun idea, Angela… I didn't mean to make you freak out, or anything. And I sure didn't mean for you to come with me. Sorry…" I sighed, sitting back as my anger evaporated almost instantly. I looked up the hill to see Daniel still at the top, watching us. He cupped his hands around his mouth, calling down to us.

"If you two are done mucking about in the pond, then can you get out so we can get into Vermillion? It would be very appreciable, so I can sleep in a bed away from you both." He began to descend the hill, and by the time he reached the bottom me and Jason were out of the pond, stray strands of pond-weed removed from hair, clothing and body, and I'd dried our clothes Psychically and begun to work on the backpack and contents.

"You can leave it Angela. The Centre should be able to supply you with the required means to dry the items in the bag, provided they aren't dripping water. Now please, let's hurry. The Centre isn't far from the entrance." I sighed, as Jason grinned and nodded at Daniel, before pulling a length of pond-weed from his hair.

"OK! Let's go then!" We followed Daniel into the City, where he led us to the Centre within ten minutes. We walked through the doors, to see Nurse Joy speaking to a Chansey. The Pokémon had a metal tray in its hands, and there were several medical tools and a few bottles placed on it. In addition, there was also a syringe half-hidden behind a bottle still in the plastic wrapper.

Nurse Joy was wearing a slightly different uniform; instead of the skirt that accompanies the dress, she was wearing some sort of military outfit. Black boots with heavily polished toecaps had trousers tucked into them-coloured with randomised splotches of black, beige, brown and green. A dark green belt and clip-buckle held them up, and a shirt of the same pattern was worn unzipped and untucked, revealing a brown undershirt that was tucked in.

There was a badge on her upper right arm consisting of a staff with a single snake wrapped around it, the head pointing to the right of the badge. Her head was bare, but a green felt beret was visible on the desk behind her, and a hip-bag was emblazoned with a white circle and red cross symbol that was slightly deformed due to being placed over three of the five side-pockets on the hip-bag.

"OK, Chansey, remember; my cousin is coming and he's accident-prone. Also, afraid of needles and sharp medical implements. If he appears injured, lost likely case, distract him so that I can jab a sedative into him and do whatever needs to be done so that he'll not get worse. In the meantime, I have to get to the Gym. The Leader there is starting training in half an hour. I'll be back later." The Chansey nodded, turning to the doors leading into the Centre and stopping dead before turning around. It reached out, tugging on Nurse Joy's arm, then pointing towards us.

"What is it Chansey-… Oh…" Nurse Joy's sentence drew to a stop as she too turned and saw us standing there. After a few seconds she sighed, before walking up to Jason, Chansey in tow. She grabbed his chin in one hand, tilting his head and studying his face. Me and Daniel stepped backwards, giving her some room as she ignored Jason's muffled complaints.

"Broken nose… Pseudo-bandage is effective, as are the small rolls for retaining nose shape. I'll see if I can find a record, so that it can be re-shaped better. In the meantime, Jason. Introduce me to your companions." Jason worked his jaw when it was released, wincing slightly before looking behind himself at us.

"That's Daniel. He's travelling with me for a while. After some trouble on the road to here before, we teamed up to get through. This is Angela. She's a Gardevoir, and recently evolved from my Kirlia; she prefers to stay outside her Pokeball." Nurse Joy nodded at us when we were introduced; Daniel nodded to her, whilst I stepped closer to Jason, looking around the Pokémon Centre. It was empty of everyone but me, Jason, Daniel and Nurse Joy. The Chansey had left during Nurse Joy's examination of Jason.

"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you all. I'll get a room arranged for you, and I'll tend to Angela's arm. If that bandage covers a recent wound, then I know the perfect thing for it." She approached me, gently holding her hands out before placing them on my arm and unwrapping the bandage from Daniel. She smoothly peeled the gauze away, before letting out a low whistle.

"Wow… What caused this?" As she asked the question, she reached down and opened a pocket on the bag, pulling out what I recognised as some sort of a Potion. It was a larger bottle, though, and orange and grey instead of purple and grey. She aimed it at my arm, flicking a small switch and looking at me.

"This might hurt a little bit." She depressed the trigger and immediately the bottle sprayed a fine mist over my arm. I winced, before watching as the splinter wound began to slowly heal up. After several seconds, there was nothing to suggest I was injured but for the damage and staining of the sleeve around it.

-Thank you, Nurse Joy… Erm… What's with the uniform you're wearing? And what sort of Potion is that?- Nurse Joy blinked, before looking down and grinning in an abashed way, slipping the Potion back into the hip-bag.

"Well… The Gym here is run by a Second Lieutenant. During the summer, she runs a six-week camp for kids to get them out and about. During that period, three times a week I go out there to do medical checks and tests. That's why I wear this outfit. As for the Potion, it's actually a Super Potion. It's more concentrated, so it heals bigger wounds or smaller ones in larger quantity." I nodded, before Jason walked over and spoke to Nurse Joy.

"A Second Lieutenant? I thought that there wasn't a military force in Kanto anymore?" Nurse Joy nodded, before tapping the medic band on her arm with a grin.

"Sure; most of what's left such as weapons, armour, armouries, aircraft and naval vessels are unneeded now days. Got any idea why?" Jason shrugged, before Daniel interjected an answer for him.

"About ninety years ago-during the time of many current Trainer's grandparents time as a teenager-there was a large war between two sides. Kanto and Johto allied against Hoenn and Sinnoh due to political paranoia. As a result many things happened; most of the information is available within Museums around the regions, or heard from some people."

Nurse Joy nodded, before glancing at her wrist as she pulled up her sleeve, revealing a matt-black watch with grey numerals and hands on it. She gasped, before grabbing her beret from the counter and, jamming it onto her head and somehow tucking all of her hair beneath it, ran from the Centre calling over her shoulder to Jason before the doors closed.

"Gotta run! Grab any room that's free and mark it down! See ya later cousin!" Daniel sighed, before re-adjusting his sunglasses and stepping behind the counter. He pulled down a key card and, looking in a small book on the counter, picked up a pen and jotted something in it, before approaching the stairs and glancing back at us.

"You two should get a room, and place your bag next to the radiator. With luck it will all be fully dry. Angela, if you want a fresh dress, then look in the stock room tomorrow. A Chansey can show you the way. For now, however, good night." I looked at Jason, before shrugging and moving behind the desk and looking at the booklet.

Daniel Grey, Room 24. Huh. Wonder if he has a relative called Dorian… I turned to the keys, quickly taking the one marked 'Room 26' from its peg. I picked up the pen, writing Jason's name next to the appropriate room, and turned to him with a grin.

-Jason! We have out room! Shall we go; I'm exhausted and could do with a long sleep.- Jason nodded at me, grinning, before grabbing the key and running up the stairs. I sighed, levitating after him, keeping an eye on him in case he tripped. One uneventful staircase later, and we were on the correct floor outside our room.

Jason slotted the key card, running it through the lock with a grin. It beeped, and he pushed it open as he unslung his backpack. We stepped into the room, looking around. The bed was a double, with a thick duvet and soft-looking pillows. A large fish-tank ran the length of one wall, and in a corner there was also a coat rack with a long arm that doubled as a perch for avians.

"Wow. This is pretty cool!" Jason opened the backpack, throwing several damp clothing items onto a chair that was sure to have fabric stains now, before removing two sets of pyjamas. He dropped mine onto the bed, turning and entering the on-suite bathroom.

"I'll get changed in here, OK Angela? I'll be a few minutes!" I sighed, shedding my dress with a sigh of relief. Draping it over the coat rack I lifted my pyjamas Psychically, wringing them out over the tank until they were dry, then pressing them against the radiator to make them warm and fluffy. I sighed happily as I slipped into them, then turned to face my dress.

There was a hole in one arm, the blue around it stained purple with blood, and grass-stains streaked down one entire side of the bell bottom of the dress. I sighed again, noticing that the material was also dripping water onto the floor; nothing to be done for now. I turned to the bed, pulling back a corner so that I could slide in easily, when Jason exited the bathroom.

He was wearing his pyjamas, but they were damp and clung to him. He shivered slightly, before I sighed and gestured at him. He froze as his pyjamas pulled tight, wringing around his body as I Psychically directed the strands of water produced to the tank, then grinned at him.

-I'd warm them up for you, but then I'd be pressing you against the radiator…- Jason laughed slightly, before dumping his clothes at the base of the coat rack. Pulling his belt free, he opened up the Pokeballs there and grinned at everyone before placing Abby in the tank. Eevee yipped excitedly, pressing his nose to the floor and wandering about snuffling, every now and again sneezing slightly. Caesar fluttered up onto the coat rack's perch, gazing at Jason.

"OK, guys, we're in Vermillion now. Nurse Joy isn't here, so tomorrow I promise; first thing first, getting you all seen to. But for now, let's eat OK? I managed to grab a couple of things, so we can share these. And, then we can sleep. OK?" Jason reached into his backpack again, pulling out a tightly wrapped, sodden plastic bag. Opening it, he quickly removed several containers of food; I grinned, quickly recognising that they were all our favourite foods. Well, not that we could make a good decision, but we did all choose them when we ate with Jason's father…

"OK, so… Bacon for Eevee, potato salad for Abby, beetroot for Caesar… And, for me and Angela, varied cold meat sandwiches. What everyone at the picnic favoured. Let's eat, guys!" Jason quickly opened up the small plastic containers, placing the bacon in front of Eevee. Caesar fluttered down when Jason opened up his food, and he stood up to tip Abby's into the tank.

I had already opened the sandwiches and was eating one when Jason sat down again, grinning at me across the plastic sandwich box. He removed one and bit into it, sighing with happiness.

"Oh man, food that tastes like food..! Not that crud we had this morning…" I grinned at Jason, nodding in agreement, before returning my attention to the food before me. After several minutes everyone had finished, and Jason picked up the plastic boxes before putting them in a corner. Abby was asleep in her tank, and Jason placed Caesar on the perch as I lifted a dozing Eevee. He leaned up, licking my cheek as I laid on the bed, pulling the duvet over me and setting Eevee in between me and Jason.

Night Angela. Night Jason… I gently stroked Eevee's back, as Jason laid down in the bed and clicked off the light, plunging the room into darkness.

Night Eevee. Jason shuffled in the bed, pulling the duvet, before I heard him speak to me.

"Night Angela. See you tomorrow." I smiled slightly, rubbing my head against the pillow to get comfy, before replying.

-Night, Jason. Sleep well.- I closed my eyes, before the soothing nothingness of sleep overtook me; so deep that any dreams I had were forgotten as soon as it happened.

(FOOT NOTE-During the time when Angela and Jason are following the signs left by Daniel, I realised that I might need to clarify the final one. With the way that Daniel wrote out the shorthand message, it was mirrored when Angela read it. In other words, write it out correctly on a steamed-up piece of glass. Go to the other side, and that is the flipped direction that they were left.)