"So should we go challenge the gym?" I ask, looking around. The first thing I see is the clothing store. Second, a nice hotel that seems to have some rustic charm to it. I memorize it's location. Third, thankfully, there's a Pokemon Center. I sigh with relief, guiding my team in that direction.

Nurse Joy for the most part just does the standard routine, but she does take some time to bandage Kimiko's arm.

"What happened to him? He's obviously been in some bad fights. You're not overworking him, are you?"

I shake my head, and preferring not to talk about what happened to him and his family, move the conversation along. "I haven't been. He was hurt when I got him. He's brave and is fighting through the pain better than I ever could have."

Kimiko half blushes at this, saying as sweetly as possible, "You really think so?"

His mock humility is quite funny.

"I know so." I say, trying not to hurt him as I pat his unhurt shoulder. He flexes his muscles, to which I roll my eyes.

We head out, and not feeling very motivated, I decide suddenly that we are going to spend the rest of the day marathoning TV. While we watch another repeat of "My Little Ponyta", I call up Shika and Ferro, who tell me they'll be over to Cyllage City within a week.

I sigh with relief, knowing there's other comfort for me in the world besides endless reruns of My Little Ponyta.

"Please, please say it'll be over soon..." Rune says, spinning his wand around.

Pich nudges him with her wing. "Oh come on, what could be better than My Little Ponyta and bad home cooked dinners?"

"Death." Rune buries his head into his fluffy fur.

Pich pecks him. "You know better than that. No joking."

Rune groans in exasperation.

The next day, we mix it up and get cereal instead of pancakes. It's just not the same. I swirl around the foggy milk with my spoon, enjoying my now all too familiar human hands. At first they were scary. Then they were exciting. Now, they're really just boring.

"I'm bored." I say.

"Don't be. Today is grinding day!" Chrona says with far too much enthusiasm.

"Chrona, where is everyone else?" I ask, dropping my spoon in the milk.

Chrona, licking the milk off her face, says with glee at my terror, "They already left. You have to train with me today. Got that?"

I sigh, and walk her outdoors, her necklace clinging against her chest with an oddly metal sound.

We walk to the next route, and there's the whole team, except for Chrona at my side, smiling up at me smugly, and Dusty, who runs up to me and says, "I found a recruit. Can I go home now?"

I pat his head, rubbing his back as he makes the clicking noises. I hold up his Pokeball, and he jumps in, engulfed in bright red light.

I see the 'recruit' a little ways off, staring intently at me. It's an Eevee, big brown eyes and a huge smile.

I walk up to him, and he bites my hand. "Rrrr!" He's pretending to be fierce now, which is only effective enough to make my eyes water a bit, like I'm chopping onions.

I'm thinking about just letting him go, but Crypt waddles over to me, brushing aside another Pokemon he was just fighting. "Can we keep it?"

He gives me big dinosaur eyes and threateningly large teeth. I oblige and press the Pokeball to the tiny Eevee's face, and it goes in. I look down at the Pokeball and whisper "Gaile" as the button turns a bright red, signalling it's inactivity for the time being.

Crypt opens his mouth in a dinosaur smile to match the cute eyes, and I hug him, forgetting the dinosaur teeth that nibble at my hair in a more dangerous than cute way. I put him down on the ground.

Pich comes soaring past me and right at a tree, but I catch her, her lightweight body not too painful as it flies full force at my arms.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Just... A Sawk." She sighs, puffing air in and out with her beak stretched out, making rasping noises that can't mean anything good.

Worried, I smooth her feathers down, withdrawing her into her Pokeball.

I come just in time to see Rune, a huge slash across his chest, strike down the Sawk with a Confusion attack. Chrona is on her side, panting. Crypt yelps and tries to run for cover. I withdraw both of them, now down to Kimiko and Rune. This is not good, I think, but there's no real escape now. I've just got to run to the Pokemon Center as fast as physically possible.

A Sigilyph rises from behind a huge rock, and I hear it's metallic voice drone, "YOU HAVE MESSED WITH OUR PLACE OF ANCESTRY! PREPARE TO DIE, MORTAL SCUM!"

I take this as a cue to run faster, but Rune, seeing it gain, turns around and spins his wand in a circle which launches fireballs every which way.

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!" It continues, flying forwards and choking Rune in a death hold. It's cut off suddenly when Kimiko slaps it's face. It turns to Kimiko. "YOU."

I stop. "KIMIKO, GET BACK!"

He dodges the light. "I'm... I'm gonna see my family again. Don't worry about me. BRING IT ON, ONE-EYE!"

The Sigilyph glares, and flies forward, just for Kimiko to slice it. "RUN, LILLY! RUN ALREADY!"

I take the cue and go, Rune growling as I try to get away. More Sigilyph come, and I know there's no chance we can fight them all now...

I watch in terror, but can barely look back for seconds as I bound down the road to the Pokemon Center.