Chapter 32

"Archy, wait for me!" Amos heard Liliana whine as she bounded after the Arcanine.

Archy stopped and waited for the Growlite to catch up.

"They're so cute!" Mira sighed next to him as she walked after the two pokemon.

"Yeah, but how do we get out of this forest?" he demanded, slightly annoyed.

They had been in Driftveil City for three days, but all they did was go on Route 6. Amos, Mira, Hugh, and Leia spent most of their time training on the route. Unfortunately, the four of them got lost very easily these days.

They rarely saw Sky Blue anymore. He disappeared for long periods of time. This was strange, since Mira had no idea where he went either.

"Oh, we can worry about that later!" She giggled a head of him.

"But what about Leia and Hugh?"

"We'll find them! The route isn't very long!"

Frustrated by Mira's lack of helpfulness, Amos walked next to her, trying to keep his Growlite and Archy in sight.

He had never met a more annoying person. He didn't know how White could stand Sky Blue and Mira. They three of them had only one thing in common, and that was that they suffered from similar events.

"Oh, look! It's one of those Hidden Grottos!" Mira suddenly squeaked and pointed at a small gap in the trees. Amos yelped and leapt backwards.

"I'm not going in there!" he hissed instantly.

Mira smirked. "Is it because of Sky Blue?" she asked shrewdly. Amos hated to admit it, but nodded.

She giggled. "Don't worry. Sky Blue did the same to me. He told me to go in first and I was attacked by a Clefairy. You should have seen him after White found out. Sky said she knocked one of his teeth out."

"How do you know the grotto is empty?" he asked.

Mira smiled and said, "I don't know if it's empty. But they are empty most of the time. Sky Blue lures kids to the Grottos when he's absolutely sure a pokemon is in it. That's why he doesn't do it that much. But I'm sure this one is empty."

Half heartedly, Amos followed Mira into the gap in the trees. It was exactly like the grotto Sky had took them to. A long passageway led to a small clearing. Mira was right. There was no pokemon inside.

"Sky said you can find stuff in these." said Amos as Mira bent over a pile of leaves.

"He's right. You find items more than pokemon actually. Like this!" and she pulled a stone from the pile of leaves.

It looked like the stone Sky Blue had dug up on Route 5. Except that this one was orange and yellow, and looked like it had fire inside it. The edges were rough, but the surface looked smooth.

"What is that?" Amos asked her.

"A Fire Stone. These can evolve certain pokemon, but this will evolve your Growlite." She explained, handing it to him. "I don't need it. I have no pokemon that need to evolve with that."

Before he could stop himself, Amos then asked, "Mira, are there more like these? I mean, is there other stones that evolve other types of pokemon?" He was thinking about the stone that Sky had. The Dawn Stone Sky had dug up.

"There are six," she started, "The Fire Stone, the Water Stone, the Leaf Stone, the Moon Stone, the Dusk Stone, the Dawn Stone, and the Shiny Stone."

"What pokemon can evolve from the Dawn Stone?"

"Well, there are only two that I know that can evolve from that certain stone. A female Snorunt can evolve into Froslass, and a male Kirlia can evolve into Gallade. Why?" she added curiously.

Amos didn't answer right away. He was wondering which pokemon Sky had that would evolve from that stone. Sky never said he had a Kirlia or a Snorunt.

"Well, I saw Sky Blue dig up this stone when we were coming back from that grotto. It looked like a normal stone until he rubbed the dirt off. I saw that it was a Dawn Stone, and I didn't know which pokemon he had that could use that." he explained.

Mira blinked and stared at him for a minute. Then she smiled and said brightly, "That must be for Shane."

"Who?"

"Sky Blue has a Kirlia named Shane. You see, White and Sky have more than six pokemon traveling with them, and the law says you can only have up to six pokemon traveling with you. Shane is the seventh pokemon on his team, so Sky never says he has the Kirlia. Neither of them exactly have a clean record, so they pretend to only have six pokemon. Sky must have the Dawn Stone to evolve his Kirlia."

Amos looked at her. "What do you mean by 'Neither of them having a clean record'?" he asked.

Mira blushed and started to walk out of the grotto. She didn't seem to want to answer him.

Archy and Liliana were waiting outside the grotto as the two of them came out.

"Were you gossiping about Miss White and Mister Sky?" Liliana asked, her eyes widening.

"How rude!" barked Archy, sounding amused.

"I wasn't- I just- he just-" Mira spluttered, her face turning bright red.

"I know, I know, we were just kidding." the Arcanine growled, turning to Amos. "I guess you should know that both White and Sky Blue have criminal records."

Liliana yelped and leapt back, and Mira's face burned. Archy ignored them, and watched Amos.

"But, what did Sky do? I know what White did, but she never said-"

"Why would they?" Archy interrupted Amos. "It's done. What he did is done."

"But what did he do?" Liliana demanded in a terrified voice.

"Sky Blue broke into the Sinnoh labs, and he stole a pokedex and one of the Sinnoh starter pokemon. The pokemon was Pip." Mira said shyly. "He was also suspected of being part of Team Galactic, the evil organization of Sinnoh."

"Why did he steal it?" Amos asked.

Arcanine stood up and started walking into the woods again. Liliana leapt after him and the two trainers followed.

"The same reason White stole Seth." Mira finally said. "Professor Rowan refused to give him a starter pokemon unless he had a guardian's permission. Sky tried everything, but then it just came down to stealing it. He was later arrested at Mount Coronet when he ran after Team Galactic. They soon found out why he did it, and Professor Rowan let him keep Pip and the pokedex."

They didn't talk for a few minutes. Amos was thinking about what it would be like to be forced to steal because of being turned down. Sky Blue and White didn't have parents or a guardian, so they didn't have a chance of getting a pokedex or pokemon.

"What about you?" he finally asked. "Did you do the same?"

Mira smiled and shook her head. "I did steal things from department stores when I was young, but I didn't still stuff that valuable. I received a Totodile from a boy in Johto, and Professor Elm gave me a pokedex later."

Amos watched a small Deerling bolt deeper into the forest on his left. He wanted to ask her something else, but he was afraid it was too personal.

"Mira," he started, hesitantly, "What are White and Sky Blue to you?"

Mira stopped in her tracks. She didn't look at Amos, but stared ahead of her. She didn't answer for a minute.

"They are like an older brother and sister." Mira finally answered. "They watch over me and try to keep me safe. But sometimes they can be too overprotective. Sky and White try and protect me, but I want them to understand that I'm getting older. Everyone has to start somewhere."

Amos watched her and said, "They don't want you to suffer like they did. Sky lost everyone in his family, and White was abandoned by her mother, father, and brother. They're trying to give you the love that they never received."

"I know," Mira growled, and she started walking again. "But they treat me as if I'm five. I'm not little! I'm a teenager now! They can't always keep me away from the fights and problems. Love isn't always safe, and I know White knows this. Love can't protect her from sand and dust. Love can't protect Sky from being hunted down. Love can't protect us from everything. Love isn't always safe."

He didn't bother arguing with her. Amos knew she was wrong, but didn't want to see her yelling at him. This was a confusing topic to discuss, so he didn't know where he stood.

A sudden yowl burst from ahead of them, and he heard Liliana's high pitched whimpers.

"Liliana!" he yelled and ran to where Archy and Liliana were. Mira squealed and ran after him.

Archy was growling and snarling at a tall, green and white pokemon that looked almost like a human female.

It was a Gardevoir.

The Gardevoir trembled and tried to push the Arcanine away. Amos noticed a blue envelope in its hands.

"Archy, stop!" Mira shouted at the Arcanine as Amos ran over to the Gardevoir. Her eyes widened and she held out the envelope. He took it and looked at the front.

"It's for Sky Blue." Amos said, and looked at the sender's address. But there was no name or address.

He looked at Mira, but she was staring at the Gardevoir. "You're... you're Concordia's Gardevoir, aren't you?" she stammered.

The Gardevoir said nothing. Her eyes were on Archy and Liliana, who were barking and whining loudly.

"You mean," Amos started, watching the Gardevoir. "That this is the pokemon who took out Sky's eye?"

Gardevoir seemed to have come back to her senses, because she whispered frantically, "I didn't mean to! I never meant it to happen!"

"I know you didn't mean too." said Mira soothingly as she stepped forward. "Sky Blue knows too, but White won't listen. It's not your fault."

"Who is this from?" Amos asked.

"Rood." the Gardevoir said simply.

"Who's-"

"He is one of the former Seven Sages from Team Plasma, and he lives in a building with other former members. I think he's one of the reasons why White refused to come. Rood has got to have some questions he wants to ask her. I don't think White nor N have told him anything, to tell you the truth." Archy added.

"Rood wants to see Sky Blue about something." the Gardevoir said. "He didn't tell me what, though. He just told me to give this to him."

"Do you know where Sky is?" asked Liliana politely. Gardevoir shook her head and turned away from them.

"I must go. I have to go back to the city." She murmured as she teleported away.

"Strange pokemon." Amos said when Gardevoir was gone. "I can't see her taking out anyone's eye."

"She didn't mean to." Mira replied, still watching the spot where Gardevoir had been. "A Gardevoir protects its trainer from anything. They are willing to sacrifice themselves for their friends. I think she thought her trainer was in danger, so she lost control."

They both jumped as a voice spoke from behind them. "I know that, thanks, Mira. I'm not stupid, I read my pokedex."

Sky Blue was standing a few feet behind them with a large, dark green and white pokemon. Sky's lip was bleeding, and his pokemon was scratched and bruised.

"What in the name of Arceus did you do to yourself? Jump off a cliff?" Archy sneered with a smirk.

The pokemon glared at him and growled "Not even close."

Liliana giggled as the two pokemon glared at each other.

"What happened?" Mira squeaked as she saw his bleeding lip.

"I ran into N. Actually, he found me." Sky muttered and rubbed his mouth.

"He punched you?" asked Amos in horror.

Sky laughed and shook his head. "This is from his Hydreigon. It cut my lip with one of its attacks. It was an accident. Well, I think it was." he added.

"Why was he looking for you?" Mira demanded.

Sky shrugged. "He asked if I was dating White. Apparently White didn't give a strait answer and said a few things that made him suspicious of me. I fought him and ran away."

"What did you say?" asked Liliana curiously.

"Nothing," Sky replied. "I made a joke out of it and he didn't seem to take it the right way. That guy doesn't have a sense of humor. Must be a family trait. White doesn't have a sense of humor either."

"Yes," Archy sighed, "I think she ditched her sense of humor when she was six."

Mira giggled, but Amos was watching the pokemon Sky had with him. "Who's this?" he asked, gesturing to the pokemon.

"Oh, this is Shane, my Gallade." Sky Blue told him, "He just evolved today."

"Amos was curious about Shane. He saw you dig up that Dawn Stone." Mira piped up. Sky smirked and turned to Amos.

"I thought you and Hugh thought it was a regular rock." he said as he wiped the blood from his lip.

"Hugh thought it was a rock. He thinks you're crazy." Amos said with a smile.

Sky Blue smirked again and Shane chuckled. "Yes, everyone seems to have that impression. It isn't easy being insane, trust me."

"By the way, you got a letter from that old guy in the Plasma building in Driftveil. Came by Gardevoir delivery." Archy told Sky, smiling slyly.

"The Gardevoir said it was from Rood." said Mira. Amos held out the envelope and Sky took it. He tore it open and read the letter.

When he was done reading, Sky snorted and tossed it away. "I'm not going."

"To where?" Liliana asked.

"That sage person wants to see me, but I'm not going."

"I think you have to." said Amos. "Says who?" Sky snapped.

Mira giggled, and Shane said in a serious voice, "I think you should, or he'll send some pokemon to cut off your head. But he'll send some little twelve year old with a Jigglypuff to do the job. Leia would do perfectly, but she doesn't have a Jigglypuff to use. She could use a Slurpuff though. It could lick or kiss you to death, now that's the more modern way to go."

"Well, that's not THAT bad." Sky said as everyone laughed, "My life's ambition is to be murdered by a twelve year old."

"Your life's ambition is to be murdered by a twelve year old?" Mira giggled.

"Yep, and my mother should be proud too. No one in the family has ever murdered a kid."

"No sensible person would have let themselves get killed that way, dumb head." Archy growled, smiling slightly.

"But when were you ever sensible?" Amos said, grinning at the older trainer.

Sky smiled and said hurriedly, "We should find those other two, it's getting late."

Shane, Liliana, and Archy started talking it each other as Mira continued the conversation about Sky's 'life ambition' with Sky Blue. Amos smiled and followed a little bit behind them.

He didn't really see what was wrong with Sky Blue or Mira anymore. They both seemed normal and fun, despite their past. Amos now realized why White preferred the Mira and Sky Blue instead of other people.

They brought her joy and happiness.

~~~

HI.

I lied :P I had some time to work on the next chapter. I did half of it late last night, and some this morning. I was even able to make my younger brother's b-day present (Man, this guy changes his Minecraft skin too much -3- )

Ok, so I started thinking about what Mira said about love. And yes, I find it a VERY complicated question- Can love protect you from everything?

I have looked in my bible app, and I couldn't find anything on that subject.

So here is my theroy: Human love, like love that your parents give you, can't protect you from everything. But the love God gives you can. If you put your faith and life in him, he will protect you and love you.

ENOUGH WITH THAT. I have cookies, so let me just throw them in the air *Throws cookies* Yeah, I have to many cookies -_- Have some for no good reason.

Last thing: Chapter 29 and Chapter 30 have videos on them. Chapter 29 has a music video of a song called "Wanted" by Dara MacLean. Chapter 30 has a audio for a song called "Something in Your Eyes" by Shonlock. Both are AWESOME Christian songs. I highly recommend them.

OK, GOOD BYE. HAVE A COOKIE OR SOMETHING. Please vote and comment :D Makes me happy! Bye bye!