We camp out in the middle of the forest, close to the shrine but not directly under it. My Pokemon snuggle in, although a few of them seem terribly uncomfortable.
"Are you sure we have to sleep out here?" Reginae asks, pressing far too close against my side. I derive a comfort from knowing that for once he's being terribly affectionate. It's getting sort of uncomfortable, though... he's far too big to cuddle with anymore, ever since he evolved.

"Yes." I say from inside my sleeping bag, which muffles my voice somewhat.

"What if an Ursaring attacks?"

"Ursaring isn't even native about this area."

"What if it's a trainer's?"

"D'spinas will kill it."

D'spinas revs up her drills, threatening to impale anything and everything that might go bump in the night. None of us seem terribly keen to contradict her, and so we sit asleep and listen to the distant hum of bug-types, wondering if we're ever going to go to sleep.
***
I wake up in the morning terribly unrefreshed. I stagger over to the lake to find that my eyes are either really baggy or the image on the lake is blurry. Unimpressed, I get out my Pokegear and take a picture of myself. Ten's eyes bore into me in the background, which makes me chuckle a bit, and I see more clearly that I'm definitely not getting the rest I need.

"Alright. Everyone up!"

"Food," moans Reginae.

"Bored," Ten adds.

"Fox." D'spinas practically hisses the words through her mandibles.

"First of all, Reginae, you're a grass type and should be able to synthesize. Second, it's not my duty to entertain you. Third, what?"

D'spinas shrugs. "Thought I saw one."
"What type of fox? Eevee? Vulpix?"

"No idea." she admits.

I pucker my lips a bit, going over the possibilities, but nothing I can think of is all that satisfying of a conclusion. "You know what?" I reach into my bag and break out some Pokemon trail mix, full to the brim with berries and saccharine covered oats. "We should probably eat before we get on the road. Who wants trail mix?"

The entire team shuffles over. I get out Clay, who doesn't speak at all, but I still see him sneaking a few berries and eating them alone. D'spinas is staring over at him, curious, and I catch his name out of Sunny's mouth as she talks to Rose. The tiny Togepi nods, then picks up a dried berry and begins chewing happily.

I feel a sense of pride just staring at them. This is my team. I raised this. I also share in the spoils, taking an entire packet and pouring it into my mouth.

"Ashley... Er, you are aware that's for Pokemon, right?" Ten takes a large Oran berry in his mouth and swallows it whole.

"Yes," I say, "As a Goldeneye, I get to eat whatever I want."
"Your body is still human."

"This trail mix is also still delicious."

That ends that fight.

We're almost done eating when Rose begins crying. Sunny tries to comfort her, but her wailing is even louder and it's beginning to get irritating. I rush over and sit down by the Togepi, but Rose pushes me away with what must be some primitive psychic powers.

"Isn't new life something to behold?" teases a voice from around a tree.

Rose, surprisingly enough, stops crying. Her eyes grow wide as she stares into the face of an enormous beast, affixed with an enormous grin and terrifying jaws. It's mauve fur rustles in the breeze.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Just a friend, Celebi." She looks up into my eyes. The voice is distinctively feminine.

"Who are you?" I repeat.

"I can tell you everything," she grins, "but you'll have to catch me first."

The team doesn't wait for her to run. Psychic power flares up from Rose, surprisingly powerful for the small Togepi, and trips her by the foot.

Reginae swings a barrage of leaves, all of them razor sharp, and the Espeon swerves just to find a wall of them burying themselves around her paws. She's completely fenced in- a masterful job by Reginae. While she's distracted, D'spinas takes a flying leap and pins her down, her enormous drills inches away from the beast's throat.

"I surrender. Can I get up now?" she whines.

D'spinas buzzes and flies herself out of the circle. The Pokemon's eyes glow a blinding blue and all the leaves soar upwards before slamming down into each other in a neat pile.

The creature sitting before us, calmly licking its paw is clearly and Espeon, although she's almost four feet tall, far larger than any Espeon I've ever fought before. Her eyes are closed but cheerful nonetheless and her tail flicks as her lavender fur takes in the sunlight. She purrs gleefully, a ringing sound that vibrates through my mind. Is she using telepathy?

Reginae moves back, leaf brandished, but the Espeon doesn't seem to mind how hostile he's become. Her eyes shoot open. "Looks like you caught me, Celebi." She laughs again, an almost human laugh from her canine mouth. The entire effect is disorienting, which she seems to know and capitalize on. "Well, well. What do you want from me?"

"That depends. What do you want from me?" I reply.

"You? Celebi, I, loyal servant that I am, only wish to be of service. It's odd, though..." she moves closer, taking a deep sniff, "you smell different than they said you would. Older. More dangerous. Did you awaken early?"

"Yes," I decide to lie. "I know my strength must be odd for someone so young, but-"

She begins rolling on the ground, laughing like crazy. I grit my teeth, aggravated by the insult. I know for a fact I don't sound that stupid just because I'm younger.

"I can't believe you're thirteen!" she cries.

Fifteen, fifteen, fifteen-

"Or... maybe not thirteen." she flashes me a teasing smile. "Sounds like someone isn't telling me something."

Now I see why Reginae hates Psychic types. A thousand thoughts fly through my mind but I know I'm only giving things away. I'm like a Goldeen in a net- writhing won't get me free, it will only entangle me further. I take a deep breath and calm my mind.

As if she heard my remark (which I'm sure she did), the Espeon continues, "I'll take it as a compliment. It's just so funny- after all, I was told I was to be a babysitter. I would be docile, quiet, and lead a troubled girl only a few steps closer to her destiny, play the 'mysterious other' role, and report back to Ecruteak with any information I managed to get out of you. When I actually saw you, I knew that wouldn't be the case. I have no reason to be quiet when your spirit is even louder than mine. There's nothing I could give away."

That explains how quiet she was last time. This must be the same Kimono girl.

"But there's plenty that you can. In fact, you already have." she returns to her human form, pressing a single finger against her head. "So, Celebi... why did time reset, exactly?"
You don't know what I'm capable of. I wouldn't ask questions that you can't comprehend the answers to.

Her eyes narrow a bit. Though she's not an Espeon, there are still doglike signs of fear all over her body. Her teeth grit and I can feel her shrink back a bit. Being a Legendary does have its perks. "Alright. I won't pry anymore." She shrugs. "Now, since I have what I want, are you sure you don't want anything from me? Nothing at all?"

"Three things."
"Of course."

"First, your name."

"Naoko." she replies with a short bow. The gesture is terribly sarcastic.

"Second. If you're a psychic type, how good are your visions of the future?"

"No better than yours, probably far worse. I can see a scope of possibility, but my predictions are about as accurate as the horoscope." She grins. "Not that I don't appreciate the horoscope. Are you a Scorpio? You seem like a Scorpio. You a fan of Drapion?"

"I'm a Leo." I correct, "Any advice?"

"Watch Reginae." Her luminous eyes stare at him like a hawk watching prey and Reginae shrinks away immediately, trying to hide behind my back despite being nearly as tall as me. "Anything else?"

"Yes. Are you in league with Morty?"

She nods. This is my chance.

"Tell Morty I- that I-" my voice chokes. This Morty has no idea who I am. We've been through nothing together. He never told me about his final battle, never introduced me to a world I never knew existed, and this Morty didn't kiss me at the end of the world and hold my hand as our universe was ripped to shreds. A bitter hollowness forms in my soul as I realize that that Morty, unlike my team, is firmly and entirely dead. "Never mind."

A thousand things race behind Naoko's eyes. I get the feeling that she knows too much, but she just flashes me half a smile. It's terribly forced. "Whatever you say. I'm afraid I also have a request of you, Ashley."

"Knock yourself out." Please.

She frowns at my comment, her eyes dull and entirely unimpressed. "Don't tell my sisters how much of a fuss I made. Kimono girls are supposed to be quiet and ladylike. It's a fitting life for a human, perhaps, but us animals aren't bound by tradition, especially Eevees and their evolutions. We grow, we change, and we evolve. We survive. Then again, you'd know all about survival, wouldn't you, Celebi?" With that and a single grin, she turns back into an Espeon and races back into the forest.

"She was lying, right?" asks Reginae, his gaze desperate. "She had to be lying."

"Should've said you were a Scorpio. Maybe we would have gotten a better reading." Ten adds.

Sunny tugs my leg and asks, "Who's Morty?"

(Haha and  there's even more. Just a reminder to my readers- PLEASE DON'T BE A SILENT READER. IF you read and enjoy ANY of my books, please try to comment or at least vote on them. It spreads them around the webs, but it's also just polite and is immensely motivating to the author. It only takes a few seconds of  your time, but this takes hours of mine. 

Thank you. 

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