There I laid on the edge of the staircase that lead up towards the fourth floor. The Gym Leaders paced around the room spraying a green can of Repel along the third floor as I contemplated on events.

The Channeler was raising her staff toward the walls, using it to ward off any threat that came our way. Cleansing the room to ensure that the spiritual barrier and hopefully the Repels would be a stop gap to any wild Ghost Pokémon that I was sensitive too.

Yet here I sat, contemplating back on a time where I experienced Ho-Oh's outstanding power when me and Silver encountered it after our escape.

I felt at that time that I had been threatened with my life when Ensign utilized its power to intimidate us kids. I thought Silver and I were going to die that night.

Then when I was saved by my dad unbeknownst to me, I met Blue. His charismatic and sometimes haughty demeanor was a fun change of pace and honestly reminded me of Silver in similar ways. Though their differences were apparent, their prideful nature of wanting to be strong never wavered.

He was five at the time, he brought over his Pokémon to show to me. The Rattata was the smallest of his kind. He was only a tiny baby. But his squeaks were the cutest when the little rat would come racing up the room. He would squeak to try and get my attention for snacks.

I fed him a special treat that was packed with vitamins and helped with his digestive system since he had a tiny tummy. I've had an interest like Professor Oak in wanting to learn all the intricacies of Pokémon and how they functioned in their environment. But he was a common visitor.

Blue loved him more than any other Pokémon owned by the Oak family. In fact, he would be the only one that would follow him to his room to sleep with him. He never, ever wanted to stay outside the room if Blue wasn't around. The rat was loyal, kind and even followed Blue to Viridian City whenever his grandfather asked him to make trips to the Pokémon Mart for supplies.

One day, I recalled a time that I went with him. We had a Pokémon to go through Route One and it was his Rattata so, at least we had a Pokémon that we could rely on just in case wild Pokémon were to attack.

A Spearow flew towards the Rat with a swift Tackle. Hoping to land a hit and eat him as bait. Blue was genuinely terrified, the Bird had landed two successful hits and nearly knocked the rat on his back. Me being genuinely nervous of birds, I felt powerless and stood back. I was scared then, I was still scared now. But Blue, he took action.

He ran towards the Spearow and bravely shooed the bird away to try and rescue him. I knew at that moment, Blue was strong and resilient. He cared about others and jumped right into the action. He showed compassion, whereas I was more or less a coward and felt at risk from the Spearow.

When I look back on that moment I wished that I hadn't stayed back. I wish that I wasn't scared and joined in with Blue to make sure he was rescued. But then, something amazing had occurred.

The Pokémon's speed was incredible, he reacted at a moments notice and jumped into battle. Swiftly launching his hind legs toward the Spearow with laser precision. Blue observed that if Rattata didn't react to protect him, he'd be bird food as well and bit down upon Spearow's neck, causing damage.

The Spearow had quickly retreated and after we had been cleared. Blue asked me this question.

"Are you alright?"

And I didn't know what to say at that moment.
I was guilty, ashamed, I hid back from that question because I was a former Apostle and I had distanced myself, because in the past. I had mistreated other people's Pokémon.

But it didn't matter, the boy ran up to me anyways and gave me a hug. He said to me.

"I'm glad you're alright."

To him, it didn't matter that I was scared. Like him wanting to make sure Rattata was alright. He put forth the effort of making sure that I was feeling better.

Sure it was a small isolated event to some but it mattered because, it showed who Blue truly was deep down. He didn't like to show that weakness to others so he'd keep it hidden by displaying his strength with his Pokémon. If there were two people who shared the same traits. It was him and his Raticate.

Once Misty had finished her can, she came and sat right next to me. We didn't say anything for a while and of course, I didn't want to talk about what happened.

She decided to break the ice with me a little before we started our journey up.

"Was Blue always this stubborn?" She inquired.

What a silly question. Of course he was. I giggled.

That fact about him never changed. So I nodded. I was at least grateful that Misty was able to lighten the mood after recent events. She's always been cheerful during all of this and with a steadfast, adventurous attitude through all of my existential's and her sense of humor was welcoming.

"Blue is a good person. I've always admired him and Red. They both have dreams and they all want to see it through to the end. But Blue was usually the rebellious one in our group."

"Sounds like he's my kinda guy." Smiled Misty

"Always looking for trouble in my family. My sisters were always the good shepherds. I was the black sheep."

Nodding in agreement with her, I'd say we definitely relate on that end. But Blue wouldn't go looking for trouble. While Red kept to himself, Blue did the same but he followed his grandfather to the letter. In a rather disciplinary manner, he would obey his family, but I can tell it was eating at him.

"He'd never want to get into trouble, at least to not to be reprimanded by the family."

"Well, it explains why he's been reckless." She explained.

"While I was the youngest of my sisters. I was the tomboy, I didn't want to get involved with all the princess and girly stuff my sisters did and it gave me a lot of looks from both my Dad and my Mother. They tried to write it off as just a phase, but as I got older, I never grew out of it."

"Did they ever tell you that you needed to be different or that you needed to change?" I asked with softness. Still trying to dry my face from the emotional state I was in.

Misty nodded her head from that question.

"My Dad was fine with it. I have a brother so I'd usually dress up like him and would usually play with all the toys he would play. But, my Mother did not approve and would constantly get in my space and ask me if I could go out with the girls more and dress up like them and I constantly told her no. No I don't want to do anything they would do. To me it was boring." She continued.

"Though my brother would constantly go swimming in the pool and he wanted to be on the swim team with his Dewgong and other water Pokémon that he owned. I looked up to his spirit and his uncanny and adventurous attitude. He drove me toward my interest and pursuit of becoming a water specialist." She smiled while cresting her hands together in deep thought.

"Your Pokémon are cute by the way, I've never got to tell you that." I smiled back at her with a compliment.

"Awww thank you, your Clefairy is cute too!" She beamed.

"So you do have a feminine side, despite the tomboyish look."

"Exactly, that I don't think will go away. Rebels will be rebels." She exclaimed while standing up and stretching her limbs as if getting ready for a swim.

"One things for certain that I've learned throughout my life..."

"What's that?" I asked softly.

"That it's okay to be different, not everyone will see eye to eye on things. So you just got to let them be themselves. Maybe Blue made a mistake, but that doesn't change who he is deep down." She said while holding her callous hand from over my shoulder after constant use of the Repel.

I couldn't help but agree with her.

We've been through so much, Red especially. But when I think back on all the times we have been friends. Despite Blue's missteps. We've been friends forever and none of that has ever changed.

"Thank you, for helping me cope with what I'm going through Misty. I genuinely worry about my friends and their Pokémon so I just want them to be safe."

"You have a good heart Leaf, I'm sure your feelings towards them mean everything. Don't let this get you down. You have courage more than you think, it's just going to take time to harness it." She assured with a cute wink and a smile.

I was so appreciative of that gesture that I couldn't help but return that favor back to her. However, there was something that caught the corner of my eye. A floating body with hands that looked like the ghost that had previously possessed me were different this time. The jinn-tail was narrow and the lines were angular enough to distinguish him from the ghost that I saw.

My heart pounded within my chest, pumping so swiftly that it felt like it was ready to burst out. Sweat had fallen around my pale skin and it seemed that I was about to white out from fright.

Misty had prepared herself to fight whatever was resting on the top of floor four.

"Damnit! Sorry Leaf, looks like we didn't spray the entrance toward the top." Apologized Misty as she readied her Pokémon to battle.

"It's okay, I've got to face my fears." I assured to her as I clasped hold of my capsule to the best of my ability.

"It's the only way I'll be able to harness my courage."