The open fields became hillside, stretching out their well-defined undulations before the travelling figures as they continued northward. Their eyes were fixed on the small but distinguishable pinnacle of Alia Summit in the distance; the object of their motivation. As usual Caley had taken the lead, but once again his face was displaying the telltale signs of the strain he felt within. Denise wandered a few paces behind him with Adam’s softly grumbling countenance by her side - the angst on her face conveying all too well the worries in her mind over the trainer’s dire condition. Rose was positioned in her habitual location of mediator between the former portion of the group and the familiar trio who were accustomed to keeping to the rear. Being used to hearing the air filled with their cheerful quips and humorous banter meant she had adequate cause for concern when the woman could only hear two of the three members reacting as such.

As James and Errol immersed themselves in eccentric conversation, Jessie shuffled in tandem, her shoulders hunched forward as her guilt-ridden eyes stared down at the feet of those travelling in front of her. Cory had fallen into a similar state of culpability - the worrisome task of admitting the secrets of his subconscious was still playing in the back of his mind, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to tell anyone. Such a notion would break their trust in him for sure. After a few moments Jessie took a deep breath as she prepared to address one of her closest friends in a manner she was barely used to.

“Errol?”

“What’s up?” the man inquired, the warmth on his face indicating his pleasure at being consulted in such a manner.

“I…I’m sorry for how I reacted earlier,” Jessie murmured, with noticeable difficulty. “I guess I was still feeling bad about my stubbornness to stay in Team Rocket and what you and James said...I took it the wrong way.”

“It’s okay, Jess,” Errol smiled, as James looked on with admiration at his partner’s humility. “I never expected youse to settle into mattas right away - dat would have been inconsiderate of me. You’ve been through a lot… we all have. But I knows you’re tryin’ ya best, and dat’s what counts.”

“There’s a lot of times I couldn’t account for my own actions, much less someone else’s,” James chuckled sheepishly, causing Jessie to smirk to herself. “But a lot’s changed for us since then, and so far I’d say it’s all been good!”

“Exac’ly!” Errol agreed with gusto. “No longa takin’ orders from a heartless villain, no more endin’ up on receivin’ end of blast-offs, not havin’ to wear dose silly uniforms…”

“No more disguises involving skirts…” James relayed, causing Rose to giggle and sweatdrop at the same time.

“An’ remember dat feelin’ we got every time we helped out da good side?” Errol persisted with a grin. “We got dat now… poimenantly!”

“Yeah!” James nodded furiously. At last Jessie’s partially bemused countenance began to lighten as she thought these renewed circumstances over.

“This is starting to sound pretty good…” she remarked.

“You bet!” Errol agreed. “So what if we’re exiles on da run? It may not be an easy climb but hey… when has it eva been? At least now we’re wadin’ through difficulties for a cause dat counts.”

“Thanks, guys,” Jessie said with deepest gratitude. “Thanks for believing in me, even when I was so lost back there.”

“Friends don’t give up on those they truly care about,” James told her.

“Gotta take da bad wit’ da good,” Errol agreed. The men both uttered yelps of surprise as Jessie moved behind them and threw her arms about their shoulders in an enthusiastic embrace. After the temporary alarm wore off, the two figures promptly returned the affection with equal vigour.

“I missed you guys so much!” Jessie sobbed, tears of joy streaming down her face. It seemed the realisation at finally being reunited with (and best of all, accepted by) her two closest companions had finally sunk in. At last the situation felt absolute between the trio once again.

Adam cast a glance over his shoulder and groaned loudly at the blatant public display of affection happening behind him, before a painful thud from ahead caused him to swing round. Denise uttered a panicked cry as her eyes caught sight of Caley’s limp body slumped across the grass.

“He’s out cold,” Rose affirmed, after quickly checking the trainer’s pulse. “Poor little guy…he’s just not used to all the stresses we were taught to deal with as Rockets.”

“On top of that…” Cory spoke up. “His…abilities have come into play a lot recently. That can hardly be helping his stamina.”

“Da least we can do for da kid is let him rest,” Errol instructed.

“I’d certainly agree with that,” said a voice. The group looked up; their faces dictating their fear and indignation upon being eavesdropped, and took in the countenance of a woman adorned in a long purple robe that stood before them. She appeared to be in her mid sixties, bearing a shock of blue-grey hair and balancing a basket of plants and grasses in the crook of her arm.

“What is your problem?” Jessie snapped. “Haven’t you ever heard of private conversation?”

“I assumed private conversations were held a lot more quietly,” the woman chuckled in response, while the others passed awkward looks amongst themselves (and a few angry ones in the direction of a certain redhead female). “Besides, your friend looks like he could use some help.”

“We’re perfectly capable of getting Caley to a doctor, thanks” Jessie replied dismissively, motioning to James to pick the trainer up.

“Oh there aren’t any human doctors for miles around, I’m afraid” came the solemn reply.

 

“I’m the closest thing you’ll find to a practitioner of healing medicines for people here.”

 

An uncertain silence descended. Naturally the travellers were wary over unknown people, and without Caley’s psychic reassurance to at least give them an idea of the personas of these strangers they would need to rely on their own intuition. There wasn’t much of a choice in this case; if what the woman had stated was true, then they would have to take a chance and rely on her words or risk Caley becoming seriously ill.

“The name’s Raisa Cromwell,” the woman spoke up, breaking into the group’s thought process. “I’ve been using natural plant and grass Pokémon extracts to cure all manner of ailments for almost forty years now. There’s a good chance I’ll have something to get young Caley out of the slump he’s in.”

“Yeah right,” Adam muttered, receiving a swift kick in the shin for his trouble.

“It would be most appreciated if you could,” Denise smiled gently, ignoring the scuffle that had broken out between Adam and James in the background. “We’d be happy to pay you whatever was needed”

“Oh that will not be necessary” Raisa shook her head. “I shall be receiving more than my fair share of payment… from seeing your friend back into good health.

 

Please… follow me.”

 

Cory watched the others as they swiftly pursued Raisa away from the scene. Something about the unusual pause in the woman’s sentence had caused a wave of suspicion to pass through his mind. Putting it down to the notion that his instincts were working overtime, he composed himself and took off after his retreating companions.

Very soon the group arrived at a sturdy wooden fence which separated the limitless countryside from a quaint-looking village that lay before them. Even before setting foot within the village boundaries the travellers could clearly see just how full of life the place was. The houses themselves brimmed with personality; each one bore its own defining marks like proud officers displaying their war medals. From the circular windows of one accommodation to the wooden walls of the next, no abode looked identical. James peered at the sign that was nailed to the fence nearest the entrance.

“Kuwayii” he read. “That’s an interesting name, where’d it come from?”

“It’s of Hoennian origin,” Raisa explained, passing through the entrance and walking between the first row of houses. “A representation of the traditions held by this village.”

“What kind of traditions?” Denise inquired. Raisa waved a hand toward a nearby building, the front garden of which happened to be teeming with Sentret. A happy young woman was perched amongst the group, chuckling as the Pokémon bounded around her and attempted to use her as a climbing frame.

“Kuwayii happens to be the birthplace of Pokémon Breeding” she said. “For centuries the people here have prided themselves with their skills at helping bring strong and healthy baby Pokémon into the world. But they have never sought to keep such techniques to themselves, happy to share with aspiring breeders from all regions.”

“I wonder if Brock ever paid a visit here,” Jessie pondered, while Rose stared a little wistfully out at the mountainside beyond the village.

 

“If he did, he prob’ly scared da lady breeders so bad dat dey were too distoibed ta share any info wit’ him,” Errol chuckled.

 

After a few minutes of walking through Kuwayii, the travellers came upon an ornate wooden bungalow. Colourful vines weaved their way up its walls and across the canopy which kept the front porch free from any blistering sunlight. Rose studied the Pokémon designs which were delicately carved into the supports while James gazed with warm but saddened eyes at the Chimecho swaying gently in the wind from its position in the eves. Raisa leant forward to casually lift up one of the nearby plant pots, retrieving a key from the empty space underneath.

“I’m not meaning to be rude or anything,” Denise murmured. “But don’t you think that’s a little unsafe? I mean, surely anyone could get a hold of that key and enter your house.”

“The locals here would never think of doing such a thing to little ol’ me,” Raisa shook her head as she slipped the key into its allocated lock. “And for anyone else who gets ideas into their heads, I have set aside precautionary measures.”

As she said this the woman pulled the door open to reveal an Ariados dangling from a nearby beam. The bug Pokemon looked up, and upon seeing the familiar face of its owner it clambered up its thread and retreated into the darkness of the roof.

“Ari there makes sure anyone who does attempt to intrude is thoroughly taken care of,” Raisa chuckled, seeing the expressions on the faces of those standing behind her.

“Fair enough” Denise remarked somewhat nervously, while James shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his human cargo.

“Uh…where should I put Caley?” he inquired. “My shoulder doesn’t really make a good examining table.”

“Ah yes!” Raisa responded, her eyes lighting up with an unusual excitement. She promptly motioned toward a small bed over the other side of the room and James was more than happy to oblige, carefully placing the trainer upon the padded platform with his head resting on a soft cushion. Rose took to examining a tapestry pinned across the upper wall with some interest.

“So tell me…” the elderly woman began. “What has been ailing your young friend here?”

“Too much exertion and not enough sleep, I’d say,” Errol replied, deliberately avoiding the part about the overuse of psychic abilities. Raisa scratched her chin thoughtfully.

“Sleep deprivation, hm? I do believe I have just the thing for that. But it’s going to take me a couple of hours to prepare; in the meantime I’d appreciate being given space to work.”

“Say no more,” Jessie waved her hand, all too happy to leave the place.

 

“We’re as good as gone”

 

“I sure hope she’s got a better bedside manner than that kooky Doctor Proctor,” James remarked worriedly, as the remnants of the group stood around outside the cottage. Adam snorted and shouldered Caley’s backpack which he had wisely retrieved to prevent Raisa unwittingly setting any potentially dangerous Pokémon loose from the D-Balls within.

“Well, there’s no reason for us not to enjoy ourselves for the time being,” Denise smiled.

“Let’s explore!” Errol cried with the enthusiasm of someone almost twenty five years his junior. Adam gave him an uncertain glance while Cory chuckled uninhibitedly.

“Sounds fun!” James grinned with equal exuberance. “What do you say, Jess? How’s about we take a look around, see what this place has to offer?”

“Can’t think of anything better to do,” Jessie shrugged, while Rose glanced somewhat sadly at the grass below her boots.

“You guys go ahead and do that. I…need some time alone to think,” she spoke up quietly. With that decision five of the remaining seven travellers left to pursue their temporary motives in Kuwayii. Denise then turned her attentions to Adam, whose face had suddenly become awash with anticipation.

“So…wanna go for milkshake?” she inquired brightly.

“Sure!” Adam piped up, falling into silence and blushing at his unexpected excitement. Denise giggled at this, before turning and walking away from Raisa’s cottage.

“Didn’t realise you were that thirsty. Let’s go then.”

Adam breathed a deep sigh of relief that Denise hadn’t picked up on the real reason for his exuberance. For a moment he stood alone and watched as Denise’s cheerfully humming countenance drew away, then another sigh escaped his lips. This one was somewhat more dispirited than the last, signalling a desire to utter something that another part of him was just too scared to say. Yet again Adam tried to repress the feeling and simply be happy that he was alone in Denise’s company for once. With that achieved to an extent, he hurriedly pursued his female companion out of sight.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            “Oh Sapphire…”

 

            As Rose stood by the fence on the northernmost part of the village staring out at the scenery beyond, her eyes grew watery as she felt herself taken back to that very day on the Kantoan mountainside seventeen years ago. There, a young girl wandered amongst a blizzard with her arms clasped protectively around a blue oval object that was almost as big as she was. It was a Pokémon egg that she had discovered abandoned upon the snowy ground while out hiking with her mother, and in her anxiousness to bring some warmth to the seemingly lifeless outer shell Rose had concealed it carefully under her thick sweater.

            She wasn’t sure just how long she kept it there. Rose began to smile slightly as she recalled the heated arguments with Desiree over leaving the egg to take a bath once they had returned home. How determined she had been to keep it safe; almost as if she had known what rarity lay inside.

            “It’s cracking, it’s cracking!” Rose had cried excitedly one night, pulling on her mother’s arm to bring her sleepily into the bedroom. Upon the quilt cover, the egg twitched and wobbled as the peak of its shell shifted under the force of the insistent creature within. Then suddenly a dark grey beak broke free of its hardened confinement. Desiree’s mouth dropped open like a trapdoor as her eyes took in this tiny miracle in progress. The tiny feathered head of the cerulean blue bird Pokémon was visible now, peering up at Rose as she smiled joyfully back at it with almost motherly tenderness.

            “Isn’t it cute?” Rose giggled, breaking away the remaining part of the shell. As if in response the Pokémon uttered a melodic cry and stretched out its wings, causing a curious white aura to fill the room.

            “Surely this cannot be happening…” Desiree murmured, rubbing at her eyes.

 

            “This has to be a dream. It has to be!”

 

            For what graced the woman’s eyes was none other than a newly hatched Articuno chick. Rose was well aware of the Pokémon's legendary status, having seen pictures of adult Articuno in her story books, but in her youth she was far too occupied with the creature’s beauty to realise its worth as one of the rarest species on the planet. Desiree on the other hand, was already planning ahead.

            A week into the young Articuno’s life, the executive took Rose and her charge to the Team Rocket laboratory in Kanto’s headquarters. Rose was very careful not to let the Pokémon (now fondly named Sapphire) out of her sight, and took great interest in watching the scientists at work as they examined the bird and administered medicines. As long as Rose was visible, Sapphire would not flinch or cry out in fear. It seemed from the moment the Articuno had set eyes on the girl, a special bond had already started to form between them. This bond grew ever stronger with the movement of time, despite the risks of the creature’s rarity attracting unwanted attention. Rose felt so blessed to have gained such a friend as Sapphire and it had seemed that nothing on earth was ever going to tear them apart.

            But as winter crept across Kanto, Rose noticed an air of wistfulness over Sapphire while he sat on his usual spot overlooking Viridian City through her bedroom window. She knew he wanted to leave and it she found herself embittered over the Pokémon possibly thinking of abandoning her after all that she had done to raise it. Sitting upon the end of her bed, Rose felt the tears running down her face as she softly asked the air why her best friend wanted to depart. And her answer was given, in the form of a mysterious cloaked figure that appeared in her room the very same night.

            Despite the suddenness of the appearance and the fact she had no idea whom this figure was - Rose did not feel at all afraid. Neither did Sapphire retaliate - instead he stared down at the hooded countenance as it carefully crossed the floor and sat beside the young girl on the bed. With one swift movement a hand was raised and the hood fell about the figure’s shoulders to reveal a shock of dark brown hair with a pair of warm eyes to match.

            “Who are you?” Rose asked bluntly, a curious look upon her face.

“My name is Silver, and I heard your plea,” the woman smiled, adjusting her glasses. “You want to know why Articuno wishes to leave here.”

            Rose nodded slowly, rubbing at her face.

            “What did I do to cause Sapphire to stop liking me?” she sobbed.

            “Nothing at all,” came the calm reply. “If Sapphire had not liked you he would have left without hesitation. But look - see how your companion has stayed by your side regardless of his longing.”

            “I… don’t understand,” Rose sniffed, looking up at Silver. She nodded with a faint smile.

            “Your parents have jobs, don’t they?”

            “Yes, they do,” the girl responded meekly.

            “Well now that Sapphire is old enough, he also has a job to do. A very important job. His kind is responsible for making clouds. Why do you think there are so few Articuno in our world? They were granted a special purpose and designed to fulfil it - its something they simply cannot overlook.”

            A lengthy silence ensued. Silver gazed over at Rose as she lay miserably on the bed. She knew what had to be done, but it didn’t make doing it any easier. Bravely, the girl resigned herself to acceptance.

            “Listen,” Silver explained, leaning down a little so her eyes were level with Rose’s own. “There’s no reason why this means you and Sapphire have to stop being friends. Distance changes nothing. True friendships withstand any hardship. No matter where either of you go or what trials you have to face, you’ll always have each other in your hearts.”

            “I know…” Rose murmured sadly, darting across the room before throwing her arms around the Articuno’s neck one last time and causing it to trill pleasurably.

 

            “But I shall still miss him so much.”   

 

            She couldn’t comprehend it at the time, but as the years passed things finally began to make sense. Everyone had to grow up sometime…everyone had to take up their duties, and Sapphire was doing just that. Even so, Rose would never view baby Pokémon in quite the same way again. Sapphire’s memory still lingered in her mind, as fresh as if the creature had taken flight only yesterday.

 The woman flinched slightly as her ears picked up a curious scratching noise nearby. Swinging round, Rose narrowed her eyes and glowered rather accusingly in the direction of the long brown-haired young man who was sitting on a rock not too far away with a pad of paper in one hand.

“What’s the big idea?” she exclaimed. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you about privacy?”

“Sure they did,” the figure replied smoothly, raising his pencil and adding a few more marks to the paper. “They also taught me to make the most of the best moments. I'm sorry if I was being intrusive, but that pose… that distant expression…I just had to capture it.”

Rose raised her eyebrows, interest piqued. Something about the man appeared to be strangely recognizable - from the soft tones of his voice to his casual attire and the olive green band worn round his forehead to prevent hair from slipping across his dark eyes. Noting that he had a grasp of Rose’s attention, the figure leapt swiftly to his feet and approached with a welcoming smile.

“The name’s Macon Skechitt” he began. “I'm a long-standing member of the Johto Pokémon Watcher’s Guild.”

“Skechitt?” Rose reiterated. “That’s it! I knew you sounded familiar.”

“Really?” the pride in Macon’s tone was distinctly audible at this point.

“Yes,” Rose nodded, loosening up a little. “You’re a relative of Tracey Skechitt, am I right?”

The optimistic expression had vanished from the man’s face in an instant. He slumped back against the fence, looking quite disgruntled.

“Of course,” he muttered. “He’s the famous one. But that’s mostly down to being laboratory assistant to the world’s most popular Pokémon Professor. The rest of that success was my doing. I made him the Pokémon Watcher he is today! But do my efforts get any recognition? Not one bit.”

Rose pulled a face as she took a sideward glance at Macon’s open sketchpad. She wouldn’t have considered Tracey to be famous at all - the only reason she knew of the guy was down to Jessie and James having encountered him as he travelled the Orange Archipelago with their prime target Ash and his close companion Misty. Nevertheless, she could see why Macon’s artwork hadn’t received any recognition. His pencilled interpretation of her wasn’t the most accurate she had ever seen. And that was just putting it politely; it looked more like a malformed Sudowoodo wearing roller-skates.

“I’m kinda worried about him, though,” Macon sighed, looking anxiously back at Rose after a few minutes silence had passed. “We’d been travelling Tatto together, taking in the sights and documenting the native species here. It was kind of a respite vacation, really - Tracey hasn't quite been himself as of late." He lowered his voice at this point. "S'been someone else I know, but that's neither here nor there."

“What do you mean, ‘someone else’?” Rose asked, puzzled. Macon uttered a nervous cough.

“It’s a long story,” he murmured, closing his sketchpad. “But either way, it had been nice to be able to share some brother time for once, instead of Tracey's usual field trips with Professor Oak where I had no reason to be included. And everything had been going fairly well up until the moment we entered Kuwayii. Tracey went all weird and distant on me, told me to stay here in the village while he took care of some important business, and then vanished. I didn’t even get a chance to ask him where he was going…

So in effect, I’m kinda bound to this place until Tracey returns. I wouldn’t have minded so much if I was able to contact him, but his PokéGear became inaccessible not long after his disappearance.”

Rose watched Macon struggling with his uneasiness and a sympathetic expression descended upon her face. She knew how much of a long shot it would be to locate the wannabe artist’s brother but nevertheless it certainly couldn’t hurt to try - at least to put another being’s mind at rest.

“Did he happen to head north?” she inquired. Macon looked up, surprised.

“I believe so,” he said. “Why? Are you going that way too?”

The woman nodded, smiling warmly.

“If I happen to come across Tracey, I’ll make sure to remind him that his brother is waiting and wants to hear from him.”

“Thanks!” Macon exclaimed. “I really appreciate that. Tell you something else I’d appreciate…” He held out the sketchpad, once again opened at the page he had previously been working on and causing Rose to look most uncomfortable in the process.

“Tell me what you think of your portrait.”

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            Adam quietly sipped on his vanilla milkshake and gazed down at the brightly coloured tablecloth with an emotionless expression. Even surrounded by such beautiful weather and finally having been granted Denise’s company to himself, the prospect of his first friend’s health still played heavily on the youth’s mind. Denise looked to be deeply absorbed in the exact same thoughts.

            “I don’t see how some plant drink is going to suddenly cure Caley,” Adam muttered.

            “It certainly won’t set everything to rights,” Denise agreed knowledgably. “But I’m sure it’ll help a great deal toward regaining his stamina. That’s definitely something he’ll need as we progress onward.”

            “So what do you think happened?” Adam inquired.

            “Well machines can overheat when they are worked too hard,” Denise remarked. “Likewise, the human brain is capable of overheating when pushed past its limits. I figure Caley’s been involved in far more psychically-influenced occurrences than he is currently able to handle.”

            The girl pondered over this theory for a moment, her eyes flickering back and forth across the edge of the satchel beside Adam’s chair as she did so.

            “Speaking of machines…” she began. “I wonder how much time we have left before Team Rocket manages to bring those genetic reconstruction devices of theirs back up to speed again.”

            “Not enough to be hanging around here, that’s for sure,” Adam grunted, stirring the contents of his glass with a straw. “But it’s not like we had much of a choice; Cal’ needed treatment that we couldn’t give him.”

            Both figures flinched as ringing began to emanate from Caley’s backpack. Unzipping the side compartment Adam fished out the trainer’s PokéGear and cast a glance at the screen to see who was calling. Denise gave a tiny utterance of surprise as the device was suddenly placed in her hands.

            “You answer it,” came the barely audible request. Denise cast a puzzled glance back at Adam’s shaking form, but her confusion was soon dispelled as her eyes returned to the singular word upon the PokéGear’s caller display.

 

      Mum.

           

Shaking her head sadly, Denise reached out for the ‘call answer’ button and held the device to her head. Immediately the somewhat hesitant tones of Pat Wilson were heard from the PokéGear’s earpiece.

“Caley dear?”

“I’m afraid not,” the girl murmured. “This is one of his friends, Denise speaking. We’ve been looking after his things while he receives some medical treatment.”

“Medical treatment?” Pat’s voice was now deeply tinged with worry. “Whatever happened?”

“He’d been pushing himself too hard recently,” Denise told her. “It’s just a case of severe exhaustion which an herbalist called Raisa Cromwell was kind enough to offer treatment for.”

“So you’re in Kuwayii?” Pat inquired, sounding a little more relaxed. “Caley is certainly in good hands then - Raisa is well established in the field of natural treatments.”

“Do you know her?” Denise questioned.

“Not personally,” came the cheerful reply. “But I ordered sleep remedies for Caley’s dad from her in the past, and they were most effective. How has your journey been with Caley? He’s behaved himself, I hope.”

Denise resisted the urge to chuckle at this. Despite his naivety and strong intentions to help others which often got him into scrapes, Caley was the least likely candidate to cause trouble.

“He’s been very considerate, Mrs. Wilson,” she said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” came the response. Denise leant upon her arm for a moment as an uncomfortable silence ensued from the other end of the phone. The awkward tone had returned to Pat’s voice again.

“There doesn’t happen to be something bothering you besides Caley’s current state of health, does there?”

“As a matter of fact” the woman began. “There is. I’ve been noticing things have been getting rougher in Tatto as of late. News reports have shown security alerts in several locations across the country. Now I’m sure that Caley has caught Pokémon of his own since leaving but as a precaution, I want one of mine to accompany him as well. When Raisa has finished treating him could you please tell him to make a visit to Kuwayii’s Pokémon Center? I’ll transfer Nijiro to him then”

“I’ll make sure he gets the message” the girl nodded.

“Thank you so much, Denise” Pat murmured.

 

“And please…keep a close watch on Caley for me.”  

 

With that the connection ceased. Denise leant forward to put the PokéGear back in its rightful spot inside his satchel before returning her attentions to the adolescent boy across the table. Adam had fallen into a thoroughly miserable state - his head now slumped upon his arms while his shoulders rose and fell with the occasional heavy sigh.

“Does the memory of her death still feel that fresh on your mind, Ad’?”

“Yeah…” the figure mumbled, his voice wobbling slightly. “Even after 9 years. I know it sounds dumb but back there, when I looked at that screen and saw who was calling, I thought for a split second it was my mum and I-

HEY! How’d you know she was dead?”

Denise sat bolt upright, eyes wide. Adam’s sudden exclamation along with his sharply raised head and accusing glare had caused her to realise exactly what she had said. Naturally the boy would have become suspicious since he had never spoken to anyone concerning the whereabouts of his mother. Information such as this would have had to have come from another source. It looked like Denise was going to have to confess the origins of her knowledge.

“It wasn’t deliberate,” she began softly. “But back in Coalef you were having nightmares, and Caley saw them too.”

Adam’s darkened expression slowly eased back into the saddened one he had been wearing previously.

“I guess it was bound to happen sometime,” he remarked, before making a hurried addition. “No one else but you and Cal’ know though, right?”

Denise nodded.

“And no one else shall know unless you want them to.”

A tiny smile made its way onto Adam’s face at this point. He pushed his empty glass aside and gazed warmly back at Denise. She returned the expression with a similar one of her own.

“Your mom sounded like a really dedicated and admirable person."

Adam’s head lowered as he closed his eyes, his smile fading. He couldn’t recall anything specific about Janice - all he knew was that the memories he did have of her that weren’t related to her death were all linked to positive emotions. Without further thought Denise left her seat, bringing her arms forward to enclose her friend in a gentle embrace. Adam stood surprisingly still, not attempting to resist or push his companion away.

“I may not ever be able to replace what she meant to you, but I’ll do the best I can to fill that empty space she left behind,” she told him softly. After a few minutes silence the boy slowly lifted his head, the tearstains across his cheeks portraying a stark reminder of the fragile spirit that lay beneath such a hardened exterior.

 “Thank you, Neesee,” he whispered.

 

“Thank you…”

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

“Hm, now eating out doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Jessie contemplated as she and her two male companions took a leisurely stroll toward the western side of Kuwayii. Here the clusters of houses grew more sparse and were replaced with wider areas of grassland and the occasional trees and bushes. Small children could be seen clustering around the latter, enthusiastically plucking off the berries to feed their Pokémon. “What without cap-head twerps in the vicinity to give us a bath in our own beverages.”

“And no water to wash away the wasabi,” James agreed with a smirk. Errol gave them both a somewhat tired glance.

“Hate ta break it to youse two, but we’re not exactly rollin’ in dough here,” he remarked. “Rose an’ Neesee were da ones in control o’ da money and we fergot ta ask dem for some before we split up.”

The trio deteriorated into a communal groan at this point.

“Without knowing where either of them are we’re as good as penniless,” James sighed

“I don’t see why we can’t be entitled to our own personal income!” Jessie grumbled

“Well sure,” Errol shrugged. “But I don’t know of any part time jobs dat don’t last more dan a couple hours. We’d need to aim for somet’ing like paid errands ta get any success.”

“And where would we possibly find anything like that around this place?” Jessie snapped, before rapidly falling silent as she noticed Cory staring at a signpost nearby. Without further comment she drew up beside the young man before peering over his shoulder.

“Apparently, right here,” James concluded, having shuffled after her. Errol popped up behind his companions and began to read the contents of the sign.

“’Temporary Pokémon Babysitters wanted immediately’.”

“Are you interested?” grinned a bandanna-clad male figure from behind the fence, causing the group to jump in alarm. Errol cast a wary look in James’ direction.

“Someone sure is enthusiastic.”

“The name’s Payton, and I really need help,” the man insisted. “The Ursaring who is usually in charge of Pokémon supervision has been struck down with a nasty virus and I got to take her to the Pokémon Center. But with all our charges we can’t leave until we have someone who can keep an eye on them while I’m gone.”

Almost on cue there was a culmination of shuffling and a host of tiny faces peered out from between the slats in the fence. James felt his heart melt upon sight of the young Pokémon, some barely higher than their keeper’s ankles. There were tiny Squirtle, Zigzagoon, Bellsprout and Hoothoot, Koffing and Ekans, even a miniature Likitung took to wrapping its tongue around a nearby clover to see if it had any delectable flavour. Payton took note of the softening expressions upon two of the three faces in front of him and resumed his plea.

“It would only be for an hour” he persisted. “Just long enough so I may take Ursa and have her illness attended to - that’s all I ask.”

“We’d be happy to assist,” Cory smiled.

“No problem at all,” Errol agreed, while James nodded heartily.

“Babysitting?” Jessie spat the word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Not a chance. The last time I tried any job with the word ‘baby’ in it my hair was used as a swing, my body as a climbing frame and I got covered in teeth marks. That was with human kids - think of how bad it would be with those!”

She pointed down at the collection of figures clustered around the bandanna-clad figure. The Squirtle proceeded to sprinkle some water onto Jessie’s foot, causing the woman to step back in temporary alarm while the rest of the Pokémon chuckled amongst themselves.

“Dere are worse jobs I can t’ink of, Jess” Errol said, recalling the time he ended up cleaning a chimney with his own body. Payton looked extremely downcast at Jessie’s refusal.

“That’s a pity,” he sighed. “With no one to care for these youngsters I shall have to stay here, and I do not know how long Ursa will be able to battle that virus within her.”

“I’m sorry,” Jessie sniffed, folding her arms. “No pay, no gain. How else is a woman meant to feed herself?”

“We have a fully stocked kitchen indoors,” Payton said. Immediately the woman sprang into life, leaping over the fence and missing Payton and his Pokemon companions by inches.

“Well what are you waiting for, man? Get that poor sick Ursaring to the Pokemon Center immediately!”

“Yes ma’am!” Payton cried, almost standing to attention. “Follow me, then. I’ll need to show you the locations of the First Aid kit and feeding essentials.”

“Oooo! Feeding essentials..” James grinned, as Payton disappeared around the back. Jessie cheerfully waved in the direction of her companions.

“Come on, you two. I’m not going to do this job on my own.”

“Right away, Jess!” the lavender-haired member of the pair exclaimed, making his way over the fence. Cory and Errol exchanged expressions of amused disbelief at how quickly Jessie had changed her mind before following their friends into the garden. As soon as they had done so the men found themselves surrounded by several young Pokemon.

<These ones doesn’t smell very human> the Zigzagoon remarked bluntly, looking up at Errol and Cory with a somewhat puzzled expression while Jessie and James slipped out of sight, triumphant grins upon their faces.

<Too right> the Squirtle remarked, aiming a cheeky smirk in the Koffing’s direction.

 

<They smell more like Hampton on one of his better days>

 

Hampton frowned, inflating his spherical purple body with noticeable upset, but his expression soon switched to one of surprise as Cory stood there bemusedly with folded arms while Errol proceeded to sniff under his, just to make sure. Last thing he wanted was to end up wearing Eau de Twerp. The baby Pokemon exchanged somewhat worried looks amongst themselves.

<Either that’s a freaky coincidence…> the Hoothoot remarked. <Or those guys just understood what you said!>

<Now you’ve done it, Tad,> the Ekans murmured in shaky tones.

<Buh-but that’s not fair!> the Squirtle complained. <Humans aren’t meant to understand us!>

“In most cases dat is true,” Errol smirked, sitting down amongst the group. “But we ain’t like everyone else.”

<Coooooool…> the Likitung gawped. <What’re your names?>

“Da name’s Errol and this is Cory,” came the cheerful reply.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Cory bowed slightly in polite response.

<I’m Cyd,> the Likitung announced proudly, as the Ekans peered out cautiously from behind its rotund pink form and the Zigzagoon took to rolling upside down like he had an itch on his back he just couldn’t reach. <The furry guy is Jaser, Abby is behind me, and that’s Tad over there, but you’ve already met him>

The Squirtle laughed nervously at this while Hampton threw him a cold look.

<Sorry about what I said earlier, I was just joking>

<You wouldn’t know a joke if it sat on your tail and yodelled> the Hoothoot rolled its eyes. <I’m Ebony, by the way>

<I’m Idra,> the Bellsprout cut in as she wound her skinny body between the others to the front of the group. <And I want to play Vaulting>

“What’s dat?” Errol inquired, somewhat nervously. From experience it was natural for him to expect the worst of any given situation.

<It’s a game we play where everyone leaps over certain chosen obstacles> Idra explained. The man loosened his stance a little upon hearing this.

“Sure, dat sounds fun,” he smiled.

“What’s da chosen obstacles?”

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

 

“I haven’t seen you guys around before,” Payton smiled as he entered the house. “You new to Kuwayii?”

“We’re just passing through,” Jessie replied lightly, while James looked around with a hopeful glint in his eye.

“With excellent timing, I must say!” Payton exclaimed, stopping outside one of the doors. “Now where did I put my storeroom keys…”

The pair of Ex-Rocket members handed each other expressions of disbelief while the figure in front of them continued to rummage in one of the pockets in his apron. They could have sworn this happened to be the most absent-minded town they had ever visited. With all these misplaced and easily accessible keys it was surprising the people of Kuwayii hadn’t been robbed out of house and home by now.

Payton’s eyes widened slightly as he stopped rummaging, before leaning forward and slowly bringing out a sleeping female Nidoran from his apron.

“Oh my,” he chuckled. “They get everywhere, don’t they? Ah! Here we go.”

With a click Payton flipped the appropriate key inside the lock and the storeroom door swung open, leaving Jessie and James to gawp unashamedly at the shelves upon shelves of supplies within.

“Here’s where all the necessary items are kept,” Payton explained, walking into the area. “You got your dried pulses, rice, tinned foods, and preserves on this side. On the opposite side we have specialty foods for young Pokémon, each in their own carefully labelled containers. And on the far wall there’s the First Aid-

 

…what the?”

 

Apparently the First Aid Kit was not in the place Payton was currently pointing toward. In fact, the container had been roughly dragged from its spot upon the wall and now lay open upon the floor below, contents strewn across the tiles. Jessie groaned slightly at this unexplained mess while James pondered over the cartons of dried soup on the shelf nearest him. Payton, on the other hand, seemed to know perfectly well whom the cause of such chaos happened to be.

“Shaaaaaaay!”

“Wha?” James spluttered, yanking back his hand from the carton he had been reaching out for like it was a bad act.

“Who’s Shay?” Jessie inquired, as Payton leant down and hurriedly gathered the remaining items back into the First Aid Kit before shutting the case and hanging it back on the wall.

“One of my more…boisterous charges,” the man muttered, swiftly ushering the pair from the storeroom. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to leave you to find him. Time is seriously running short for Ursa - I must get her to the Pokémon Centre.”

James whined at the fact he happened to be leaving without any of the food items he had seen previously, but his expression soon altered as the storeroom keys were firmly placed into his hands. Then, with a hasty wave of his hand Payton scurried down the path and through the gate, making sure to shut it behind him.

“What are youse two doin?” Errol called from the garden in slightly irritable tones. “Ya meant ta be helpin’ take care o dese kids.”

Jessie started to snicker as James snorted and chuckled to himself at the sight that lay before them. Their companions were currently crouched upon the grass looking somewhat regretful as the young Pokémon jumped energetically over them.

“Oh, but you two seem to be doing it perfectly fine without us,” Jessie smirked, folding her arms.

“Yeah, why should we get in your way?” James added with a grin as he put his hand back on the front doorknob.

“Exactly,” Jessie chipped in. “Besides, we’ve got a straggler to find.”

“Sure ya have,” Errol muttered. “Jus’ youse two wait until I get outta dis; you’re gonna regret leaving me ta all da woik while ya stuff ya faces.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll save you a bite to eat,” the woman told him, before disappearing inside. But the sounds of mischievous laughter were all too apparent to someone with such sensitive hearing.

“This is the best idea I’ve had in a long time,” Jessie smiled to herself, taking the keys from James and unlocking the storeroom door yet again. “All the food we can eat and not a penny to pay”

“But Jessie…” James spoke up, looking somewhat awkward. “What about that Pokemon we’re meant to be looking for?”

“Priorities, James,” the figure sighed, as if her partner had asked a particularly stupid question. “Sustenance first, then seeking.”

“Fair enough,” James chirped, the brightness swiftly returning to his face. He reached out for the soup cartons once again only to be stalled as a packet of uncooked pasta dropped upon his head from above. Frowning and grumbling to himself about badly stacked foodstuffs, James leant down to gather the packet from the floor before looking up at the higher shelves to see what caused it to topple. Jessie twitched as she felt two hands grasp her tightly by the shoulders.

“What‘s the matter now?” she asked heavily. James whimpered, pointing his hand toward the ceiling. There, on the topmost shelf was perched a small figure wrapped tightly in white strips of fabric and waving its stubby arms around.

“Luh-look… up there…

…a muh-mummy!”

“Don’t be such a dimwit, James,” Jessie glowered, putting down the box she had been examining. “That’s just a Pokemon wrapped in bandages; most likely the one Payton wanted us to find.”

“What luck!” James cried, releasing Jessie’s shoulders and moving forward. “Now how do we get the little guy down here?”

“Simple,” Jessie smiled craftily, leaning back and gathering a handful of dried Pokémon food from the bag behind her.

“All he needs is a bit of persuasion”

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

Errol sighed as he felt the thud of Cyd’s podgy hands make contact with his back for the seventeenth time and thought miserably of his circumstances. In the most ironic sense, some things really hadn’t changed. Jessie and James were still prone to take advantage. Here he was playing gymnastics equipment while they were no doubt happily helping themselves to whatever tasty substances they could find. Still, he told himself, there was bound to be the odd wrinkle to smooth out of the group’s relationship here and there.

The man suddenly leaped up with a yell as he felt a sharp pair of teeth clamp onto his backside, throwing Tad (who had been making a jump over him at the time) into the air in the process. Grabbing the offending creature by the scruff of its neck Errol managed to detach it from the seat of his trousers and set it heavily upon the ground before rubbing tentatively at the injured area.

“Okay, dat’s enough o dat game,” he snapped, causing the rest of the group to scowl in Jaser’s direction as the Zigzagoon just gazed into space dopily. “Yeesh, I thought dat kinda occurrence woulda stopped happening once I lost my tail…”

<Huh?> Abby blinked in surprise. <You had a t->

 

“AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

 

The horrendous screech was enough to send Tad into his shell out of fear while the other young Pokémon dashed for the nearby foliage. Errol looked toward the house anxiously, wondering whether to leave his charges and see if Jessie and James needed help, or to simply let his companions fend for themselves. But the decision was soon made for him as the front door swung open, sending a tall female figure dashing into the garden waving her arms around like a distressed Fearow. Upon her head there was perched a small yellow Pokémon with long, slender pointed black-tipped ears and angular tail; the very sight of which managed to turn Errol’s face extremely pale indeed.

“Getitoffmeee!” Jessie wailed as she ran around in a similar motion to that of a person with their hair on fire. The Pikachu simply chuckled and held on tighter, thinking it all just a game.

<Wheeeeeeeeee!>

Backing away from the distressed woman, Errol found himself at James’ side as the man cowered in a petrified fashion behind a nearby tree and was able to regain a little of his nerve.

“I see someone gots demselves a rat hat,” he remarked dryly. James whimpered and nodded in return, still none the braver for his distance.

“Somebody help me!” Jessie yelled in desperation as she drew within assisting range.

“No can do,” Errol stated, glancing at his nails.

“I try not to handle hazardous substances nowadays if I can possibly avoid it, “James agreed as he flattened himself closer to the tree trunk. He soon found himself flat out on the grass clutching at his forehead as Jessie brought a comedically-sized rubber mallet out from her phasepack and walloped both men in quick succession.

“You selfish Grumpigs!” she exclaimed, suddenly forgetting there happened to be a Pikachu nestled amongst her hair. “How dare you leave a lady in distress!”

“Youse ain’t no lady,” Errol winced, rubbing at the sore spot on his face where the mallet had made contact. Eventually Cory managed to detach the yellow rodent from Jessie’s head, pulling her hairband off in the process.

<That was fun!> Shay cried with delight, as Jessie sat down upon the grass and wearily placed her head in her hands with a sigh. She couldn’t understand why Pokemon were so attracted to her hair, besides it being delightfully shiny and soft to the touch, of course. The Pikachu’s exclamations were met with a chorus of groans from the nearby foliage.

<Oh. It’s you> Tad muttered bemusedly as he emerged from his shell.

<And I thought we were under attack with all the screaming that lady was doing> Cyd shook, shuffling out from one of the bushes.

<Nawww> Shay grinned, scampering over. <I was just playing with my new friends!>

<You’re dumber than I thought> Idra remarked heartlessly, causing the joyful expression upon Shay’s face to vanish in an instant.

 

<They’re not your friends at all! Can’t you see how scared they are of you?>

 

The Bellsprout waved a leafy appendage in Jessie, James and Errol’s direction. Indeed, all three figures seemed incredibly tense - huddled together at a distance with pale faces and wide-eyed expressions aimed directly at Shay. Puzzled, he took a step toward them, but this only caused the trio to shuffle back several paces with a culmination of yelps while Cory watched them sadly.

<Can’t blame them for being afraid, though> Tad smirked, putting his stubby arms upon his hips. <What with you being a Freakachu, and all>

<I am not!> Shay retorted, his voice wobbling slightly. The Squirtle’s nasty smile became wider as he set up a chant.

<Freakachu! Freakachu! Freakachu!>

Idra lent her own voice to th