"So you're a Floette, Shauna?" I ask as we continue through the forest. While most of our Pokemon form a shield around us, training, I notice Thistle the Chestnaught sticks unusually close to Shauna. He keeps a hand over her shoulder and occasionally both, looking around nervously as if there's something out to get both of them. I decide not to inquire about it.

Shauna nods after the long silence that has grown between us. Bronze isn't paying any attention, and we're both so numb from everything that's happened that all anyone wants to do is fight or walk. We've already said as much as we have to say, at least for the time being.

It's sad, as I really would like to talk to Shauna like friends, even though Pokemon Trainers rarely form close bonds outside of their Pokemon. If I can't be there for her as a girlfriend, I at least want to be something for her.

She looks around and then says finally, "It's odd, really."
"What?"
"I remember... a Floette with a black and red flower. No flower like that exists in Kalos, at least not anymore."
Pich swoops in from above, flustering Thistle and making me flinch as she buffets my head with her massive wings. "Did you say black and red flower? You wouldn't mean la Fleur de la Mort, would you?"
"What's that?" I ask.

"It's the Flower of Death." Pich says. "It's a flower that sprung up after the war in Kalos mythology. They bloomed for one year and were never seen again. It also happens to be a symbol of the one whose name is spoken amongst the Pokemon. The one destined to save the region."

Shauna blushes furiously. Thistle tightens his grip on her shoulders, leering at all of us.

"This means... the Chosen One all this time might actually be Shauna." Pich continues.
"This again." Rune says, walking over to us. "Oh yeah, by the way- we can see the end of the forest. Team consensus is that we knock the gym out tomorrow. We've already done all of the grinding we need and Nina will slaughter the fairy types." He mutters, "Seriously though, you guys can't be bringing up that prophecy junk again."
"Don't mock me!" Pich says indignantly, "I'll have you remember that this 'chosen one' stuff was why I originally joined this team."

Rune engages in a staring match with Pich, walking backwards with his eyes on her as we continue forwards.
Bronze looks over at us. "Sorry, I was just supervising the training more personally-" his eyes glow gold, "Wait, what is Rune doing?"

"He thinks he can stare me down and that will make him right, being the grumpy little Fennekin he is." Pich tells Bronze, not taking her eyes off him

"Excuse you, birdbrain!" Rune loses his focus and trips on a rock, falling backwards onto the swampy earth.

Pich makes an odd cooing noise that sounds like it's stuck in her throat and falls backwards next to him.
I stop to pick them both up. "Both of you are being ridiculous." I say. "Now come on, we've got to stop messing around. We don't want to be stuck in here once the sun goes down, there's all sorts of nasty Pokemon as last night evidenced."
"There's always time for messing around." Nina yells from atop Crypt. She slides down his tail and pulls up besides us, smirking in a maternal and fierce way only a Nidoqueen can. "We've got two hours before the sun sets and only a few more yards to walk."
"My feet still hurt. You'd think going on a journey would make you tougher but nooo, wimpy noodle feet all around." Bronze says. "Humans are ridiculously inefficient."
Shauna looks a bit disturbed. "I still can't believe you two weren't born human."
"Well, neither were you." Ochre points out, bright rusty brown fur covered in mud. Pacifica walks by his side, and Shruikan is a ways off with the two other members of Shauna's team. Chrona is nowhere in sight, although I have no doubt she can handle herself, and Nephthys is a ways off, trudging along alone.

Even with the nagging reminder that she killed a member of my team, seeing her miserable like this makes it ridiculously hard to hate her. Then again, I've never been one for grudges either, so it was pretty hard to hate her to begin with.

Shauna is still in shocked silence from Ochre's comment. Despite the closeness of this morning, we all act like we've been together so long that we don't need words yet we clearly do need to say something and my heart aches to fill the gap with playful banter.

We approach the edge of the woods and I hear Chrona, "What took all of you so long? I would've gotten us into the hotel by now but what do you know, they need you to sign in. Oh yeah. They have a really nice spa here. Just thought I'd point that out."
She pokes me with a vine. On the end is my wallet. "You know, this thing is getting veeeery heavy."
"I'll send some to the other members of Ashley's team. Just a little gift from us." I say.

"Funny," Shruikan says, "Bronze's wallet has been pretty heavy as well. After a donation, I'm sure we'd have enough to possibly, I dunno, treat ourselves a bit?"

Bronze and I look at each other. Our quiet Pokemon have suddenly become very vocal.

"That was great. How did you do that?" asks Ochre. "I mean, no one saw you leave."
"Magic." Chrona said. "I specialize in appearing out of nowhere with Lilly's wallet."

"Man, this better be as good as the spa we went to on vacation." Rune yawns, stretching.

"You guys take vacations?" Shruikan asks. "We never take vacations. Lucky."
Rune smirks, clearly failing to mention it was a grand total of one vacation.

Thistle taps me on the shoulder. "Are we really going to go to a spa?"

"Alright." I say. "I suppose a little wallet lightening couldn't hurt."