"Anyways, I'm going to head out to get ready for you-know-what. I'll see you there, right?" Bronze says.

"Yeah. Just stopping for a little bit. See you then." I give him a thumbs-up, heading the other way.

I notice suddenly that Pich is no longer sitting on my fedora. Instead, she's sitting on Rune's head between his ears, like she was earlier. She's cooing softly. Geyser is looking up, his tail flicking, with Juliet and Shin singing. I think she's teaching him some song I don't know- "When you're RIFE with devastation- You need to emphasize that part. Now try again."

"When you're riiipe-" his voice is shaking- it's really unsteady.

"It's not ripe." Juliet says indignantly.

"Well, what does rife mean? Why do I care?" Shin retorts.

"Uhh... Can i sing?" Stella asks, her little wings buzzing as she flies up and down besides the team.

"Sure, I'll give you lessons." Juliet says, repeating the first phrase of the song soon afterwards. I drown out their conversation as I head to the Pokemon center.

"Can you do a speed heal? I have somewhere I need to be." I tell her.

She looks like she's about to decline, but I nudge a small sum of money towards her and she smiles and says, "Of course. Wait right here." I withdraw the team into their Pokeballs, and then hand them to her. She goes into the back, I hear a loud humming and the lights flicker. She comes back out, smiling and sweating, and says, "We hope you come back soon! Don't tell anyone or I swear I will have PETA on you within five minutes."

I smile back and then let my team out. Rune is staggering like he's drunk, Pich has a strange red mark on her head, Stella is hiding in her shell, and Shin's little hot tuft is now on fire. Juliet and Geyser look fine, however.

"Woah! What's with that?"

"What the hell... you crazy... freaking..." Rune staggers and embers burst from his ears.

"I didn't think it was dangerous. I just found it on the internet."

Juliet sighs. "You do know that if it's not on Tumblr, it's not reliable, right?"

I look back at her. "Uhhh... I'm really sorry. Are you guys okay? I wanted to go somewhere... really quick."

"Where exactly is that?" Rune mutters.

"I have a date with Bronze at five and it's already four forty-five." I say self-conciously.

"We should've gotten a map, 'mon." Geyser says irritably. "Maps are cool."

"There were MAPS?" I ask, now frustrated with myself. "Come on, I didn't even know! Why didn't you pick one up?"

Geyser shrugs, and I facepalm. "Anyways, does anyone know where the Lysandre Cafe is?"

Everyone looks at me, obviously as clueless as I am. "You know what? Fine."

We leave, and I take the lead in searching the city. I meet one Skiddo, a Furfrou, and many other stray Pokemon and random civilians. "You can't go this way, it's blocked." A safety worker tells me when I reach one part of the city. Someone else walks right past, and when I attempt to point to her he slaps my hand down. "NO." I turn around in frustration, subconsciously hoping my bag will smack him in the face.

Finally, at 4:59, I run into the cafe, huffing and puffing like a wild Tauros. Bronze is sitting down, like me, he looks frustrated and tired.

"I'm really sorry." I say, sitting down next to him and letting our Pokemon socialize. Shruikan is disdainfully looking at all of them, complaining loudly.

"Shush. Shruikan, if you can't get along, you know I'm going to have to put you back in the Pokeball."

"Okay, weasel boy." Shruikan says, retreating to a corner of the cafe.

"Arceus, why did you give me that starter, out of all the starters in the world?" Bronze sighs, looking beseechingly up at the heavens.

"So, Bronze, how's... life as a human? I guess..."

"I miss being a Pokemon. I miss being Ashley's Pokemon. Then again, that's why we're going home soon, right?"

"Yeah." I say, optimistically, and then I hear the tinkle of bells. They're familiar somehow, but I can't place why.

A young woman runs past me, one in a flowing pink dress. She has spiky brown hair and she looks panicked. "Bronze, you feeling that?"

"Pokemon intuition." He says. "That woman. She's in trouble."

"Should we?"

The server comes over to us, and I say without thinking- "Nine lattes and a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. I'll be right back."

He looks confused, but then I get out of my seat and throw the door open. Bronze runs after me, and the two of us head into the street. A car passes through, but just one- there aren't very many in Kalos (thank goodness). I spot the woman stopping at an alleyway, and then she sits up against the wall, panting.

"I know you're there." she says suddenly.

Panting hard, I press Bronze and I against the wall, thinking she's seen us, but as I watch from the corner of my eye, a red-haired man comes out.

"As you know, there's been a ridiculously high spike in the PGA- Pokehuman Goldeye Activity, as you call it... It's time. The ancient stories were right."

"You know I don't believe in fairy tales anymore, Lysandre."

"And I know you do, my crystal princess. You can't stop believing in what you know you truly are."

"You'll be stopped."

"I know."

"Your perfect world is a lie. You're crazy."

"I know they're out there! Do you KNOW HOW MANY WE FOUND?"

"Let me guess. A small army."

"Nice guess, and yes, that seems right. Fourteen."

"Listen, I don't want any part of this."

"Yes, you do. I know you do, Diantha... or should I say, Diancie?"

"Get away!" From her hands, I see crystals erupt, her hand now bearing a crystal sword just an inch away from Lysandre's throat.

"You're not the only legendary out there... Celebi has awoken. You do know who's next?"

"I know better than you do. Yveltal will appear, and then Rayquaza. Happy now?"

"Extremely." He walks back into the shadows, disappearing out of sight.

She walks around the corner, and as Bronze and I appear to be casually talking about nothing in particular, she glares at us, giving us a quick headshake.

"Well, we should get our Pokemon, and then get out of here. I'm pretty sure Sycamore is expecting us soon, isn't he?" Bronze says, shaken. I decide not to tell him that tommorow isn't really soon.

"Bronze, you know what that means." I say, shuddering with fear and excitement.

"What?"

"He mentioned Celebi. Ashley's still alive. She's out there!" I say, giving him a hug.

"I- listen, I want it more than you. But we're going to have to make it to champion, alright? When we do, I'm pretty sure they'll let us fly to Johto. We'll gather everyone up. You think you can do that?"

I nod.

He holds my hand, and we walk the rest of the way in silence. Our Pokemon are waiting outside the cafe. Rune and Shruikan look beat up, and the other members of our assembled party are just sitting there, similarly scratched up, and they're all somewhere between laughing and looking terribly guilty.

"What happened?" I demand.

"I came out here to have a good time and honestly I'm feeling so attacked right now." Juliet says.

"Rune got in a fistfight with Shruikan, 'mon. No unattended Pokemon for that reason." Geyser shrugs.

"He started it." Rune protests.

"Yes he diiiid!" Pich yells, flapping her wings, "He was the one who threw the first punch."

"Rune was the one who told him to get out of the corner and have a drink." Pyro tweets unhappily.

"You know what? I don't care. We've got to go find a hotel room. Heck, we can share with Bronze if need be. We have a lot to talk about, and on top of that, Sycamore wants us tomorrow." I say.

The silent agreement is overwhelming.