Rosa's Pov

The grand city of Castelia was so much larger than I last saw it. For a certain amount of time, my mom and I had lived in this city for only a few months before we left to another city. It's been years since then, and I don't remember it being this big!

"The city really had a change over the years" I said, following Alder while still on Stoutland. He laughed at what I said. He does that a lot...

"When was the last time since you were here?" I thought about it.

"It was the first city I moved to when I left Aspertia City" I admit "I was pretty young too" There wasn't enough time to just look at the amazing sight of the city. We headed straight for the Straightarrow bridge that lead us towards Necrene city. There was a large forest we had to pass first.

"It's so dark here..." I said, looking at the tall trees blocking the sunlight.

"It took us awhile to get here. We probably should had just looked at the rest of the city before leaving and get us some rooms for the night" I hummed, looking around.

"We only have today and two more days to get this done. Who knows how long it'll take for me to finish" I looked up ahead at something strange.

"I think we should really get you a Pokémon, though" Alder handed me a Pokéball "But I don't know how long it'll take for us to leave this forest"

"Is it that big?" I got Stoutland to walk up ahead, looking at the ball in my hands "I don't remember much of this place when I was living in Nuvema town, but then again, I didn't get out much"

"When did you live in Nuvema Town?"

"Before, three years ago, when the events with team Plasma began" Stoutland and I walked further ahead into the forest, scanning the area for something weird "This place is weird..."

"Why is that?" He looked around, following me with Stoutland. I continued walking forward before mysteriously ending up back in front of Straightarrow bridge, facing us away from the forest "Whoa..." Alder looked around quickly "Stay here, Rosa. I'll go investigate" I nodded and watched him walking back into the darkness of the forest. Not that soon after, he came back walking back to me with a surprise look on his face.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I was just walking forward and arrived back here!" So what happened really did happen. Something is keeping us from going forward.

"It must be an illusion or something..." I told myself while he wasn't listening. I took his arm "Let's keep trying. Whatever is causing this can't last forever. I don't have time to be back tracked"

"Pinwheel forest had been rumored to be haunted at night" he said, walking with me "It's been that way for awhile. It wasn't always like this"

"It can only be a Pokémon" I do a lot of studying on a lot of different kinds of Pokémon, especially the rare kind. If I put two and two together, it could only mean... "Do you think it can be a-" my hold on Alder's arm and Stoutland disappeared, making me fall in the ground hard.

"Ow..." I rubbed my leg and looked around and saw that he disappeared "huh? Alder? Stoutland?" I was deeper in the forest then we were before. I gasped and ran back as fast as I could to where I came from, seeing if I could find my way back to the entrance, but I was just brought back to the path I was originally was walking to.

"This is ridiculous!" I groaned and looked around "This has to be an illusion! There's no other way around it!" But why is Alder or Stoutland not with me? "Alder!?" There was growling sounds behind me. I slowly turned around and saw a bunch of eyes in the darkness staring at me with hunger.

I screamed on the top of my lungs and ran away from them "Rosa!!" Alder shouted from a distance. I couldn't run that fast due to my ankle. I accidentally tripped and held onto it in pain.

"Alder!" I cried out, looking at all the strange dark creatures around me "What is this? Another illusion?" As soon as I said that, their bodies suddenly vibrated. I know this isn't my head messing with me. Alder was a witness. If this is just a illusion and nothing else, I can only think of one thing that's causing this.

I shakily stood up and held my stance "I'm not afraid to get hurt, so whatever you're trying to do, it won't work" the creatures screeched and flew at me. I closed my eyes and felt nothing happen.

"Huh?" I opened my eyes to see nothing around me. All of a sudden, the floor started cracking. I jumped away and ended up sitting on a large cracked cement tile while surrounded by lava "You've got to be..." I looked around, not even feeling the heat coming from it. As I thought, another illusion.

"I'm not going to be fooled again" I huffed and got off the tile, stepping into the lava. It disappeared soon after and brought me into a fancy looking building with shiny floors and walls "Oh?" I looked around and walked forward, hearing my footsteps echo in the hallways "Where am I?"

"Do you think this will be able to save him?" A woman's voice spoke in the distance. I walked over to an open door and peaked inside, seeing two beautiful girls in white standing over a small bed surrounded by toys and everything childlike.

"There's nothing that can be more effective" one of the girls with the pink hair said "modern remedies aren't strong enough. We have no other option. This is the only thing we can do to save our king!" I walked over and looked down at a green haired child heavily breathing in his sheets, red as a berry and wheezing so hard that he squeaked.

"King?" I asked out loud, knowing they won't answer to me. King... Can it be?

"If it's the only thing we can do, we have to do it" the blonde girl nodded "Where did you find such medicine?" The pink haired girl picked up a book, which caught my interest.

"It's a book of old fashion remedies. They don't use these anymore due to being too powerful and bitter. Modern science had replaced the need to make these potions, but I've had this for a long time. I just never told you"

"In that case, I'll help you in any way possible" they looked at the boy.

"The spice is used to heal status conditions, nothing like how they make their potions today. Let's work quickly" the illusion disappeared before I got the chance to look through the book. I was back in Pinwheel Forest.

"Rosa!" I saw Alder and Stoutland running towards me "Are you alright?! You screamed!"

"Yeah..." I faced him "Alder?"

"Yeah?" I don't know if I should ask him about what I saw. I'll just keep it a secret for now.

"Nevermind" he sighed and helped me get on Stoutland.

"Come on. It's already getting late. Don't want to be here for too long or else that weird show might come back" I nodded and let Stoutland take the lead while I looked back and spotted something black hiding by a tree log, watching me with piercing blue eyes...

"Rosa?" Alder looked at me. I looked back at him "Did something happen when I wasn't around?" I smiled.

"Nope! I just tripped!" I lied "Come on, I'm looking forward to see this library soon"

"It's already dark. Gets get you a room"

"I don't have money on me" it would had been smart to get some... but I already paid for Victini's bill. Something made Stoutland jump a little. I pet it's head to make sure it was okay "What's the matter?" It tried looking behind me, but just sighed and brushed it off. I looked back, confused at what just happened.

"Cheren gave me money before, so it's not a big deal" Alder said. Cheren gave him money? "We're almost there. Sit tight and we'll be at the city of art soon"

"When I was little, I came to the city to see the museum. It was so cool! It has a unique cityscape that's popular for artist. Especially since it looked the same 100 years ago, from what I heard" I giggled.

We soon arrived at the beautiful city with shining lights in every corner with people throwing their talents around and even selling a bunch of hand made accessories in small tents.

"How cool!" I gasped "It's late, but it's so bright! It's much more lively than Castelia!"

"Well yeah. Castelia is filled with business people more than anything. I say that this is a really pretty town" Alder smirked "Since you have Stoutland with you, why don't you look around the plaza while I find us a place to stay?" I waved at him.

"You got it!" He waved back and walked away. I hopped off Stoutland and hugged it's head "We can't buy anything because I don't have money, but I can't wait to see what this place has to offer" I chuckled "Maybe one day I can travel around Unova with my Pokémon, just like my sister!"

"Stout!" Stoutland smiled. Right as I turned around, Stoutland bumped my back.

"What is it?" It started sniffing my bag. I was about to check what was inside before two fried balls on a stick was shown to me "Oh!"

"Free samples for the young lady and her Pokémon?" I gasped excitedly.

"Sure! Thanks!" I gave one to Stoutland "Here you go buddy!" Stoutland happily took it and enjoyed the pastry. I was about to eat mine before seeing that it disappeared from my stick "huh?" I sweat dropped "Where it go?" I looked around for it "How many things are going to be stolen from me?" I sighed "Oh well" I pet Stoutland's head "No time to waste. Let's go off and hope the library is open" I got on the Pokémon and rode around the city, enjoying the scenery, but was most focused on the crazy things that happened today. And it all started with Nate. 

I don't know what made him so upset with me all of a sudden. He was defending Hugh, and I don't blame him for it. It really does seem like Hugh really doesn't hate me, because he wouldn't have hit Ethan if he did, right?

My emotional roller coaster kept me from thinking straight, like it always does. Instead of really looking at the beautiful city around me, I had my mind on other things. Aside from Nate, there was Ethan, leaving school early, and Pinwheel Forest... I can't get my head around one thing, so I started getting a headache.

"I have one thing I really have to worry about right now" I told myself "Can't get side tracked! I have to look for this remedy Kris told me about" she had said that back in her home region, they practice a lot of traditional medicine and all seem to work better than modern medicine. It wasn't until now that I realize that those girls I saw in that illusion must've used something like that, but I can't tell for sure until I get my answers.

"Why did I even see that? Whatever made the illusion couldn't have known what I wanted. There must be something else" I had asked a few people for directions to the library, and they all pointed me towards the museum for some reason.

"My guess is any. Let's go to this museum" my phone rang before I had the chance to go forward. It was Alder, wanting me to meet him somewhere to let me know where we're staying for the night "Well, it's gotta wait till tomorrow" Stoutland sniffed my bag again "I'll ask for some treats later for you, buddy" I pet it's head and headed back to wherever the hotel was, thinking about that book that could be in that library.

"Will that library look just like that place that looked like a castle? How will I tell for sure if it's actually there?" I groaned "Man, what did I put myself into?" No! I have to do this! It's not for my sake, it's for my Pokémon and Kris's sake!

"I can only remember one item she told me to use in the potion" I held my chin "Was it... Old Gateau?"

"Rosa!" I looked over at Alder waving by a tent with someone selling all kinds of spices. Stoutland jogged over for me. I had jumped off when we arrived and stared at it all "The hotel is already paid for. You should get some sleep for whatever you're planning tomorrow" Alder said.

"Right" I looked at as much of the display spices as possible "Many of these are good for Pokémon's status conditions! Wow! There's so many! In all hope, one of these can probably help!" The sells man laughed.

"I have it all, young lady. Anything you ask, I shall provide!" I smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind! I have to do some research before I come to a conclusion"

"What are you planning on doing, Rosa?" Alder asked.

"I have a Pokémon and an aquantance that I'm trying to help, but in order to do that, I have to find some answers on how to wake them"

"Wake them?" The sales man presented a bag of cherri berries to me.

"This may help!" I shook my head and looked around.

"They've been asleep for years already. A mere berry won't do me any good" I huffed "I'll have to defeat science and search for an old remedy. Know about those?" The man thought for a moment.

"I am a simple old man. I only know of the knowledge of the things I have in my shop. I'm no doctor, but I'm guessing you're not either. Tell you what. If you can succeed in finding the recipe for this miracle you've came up with, I'll be happy to ablide and even let you use my mixing bowl!" He pointed at his stone spicer. I bowed to him.

"Thank you so much! It's highly appreciated!" I smiled and looked at Alder "I think I can rest easy for the night, knowing there may be a small chance I can help the others" he followed me into the hotel.

"I see, so is what you're doing some kind of goal for what you want to be after you graduate?" I looked back at him and smiled.

"No, it's not. I don't know what I truly want to do, but perhaps I'll do what my big sister did before" we entered the elevators of the hotel "I just like helping people and drive to help others become successful. I'll stick up to anyone or anything that will keep me away from doing so. I'm not scared" I closed my eyes "I'll let a boulder knock me down before I let anyone else will" Alder chuckled and pet my head.

"You're a lot like Hilda, kid" I smiled big "Who knows. You may be able to take care of Team Plasma just like she did" I chuckled.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with doing that. I can't really consider myself a strong trainer since I haven't been with my Pokémon in a long time. But I can tell you for sure, once I get her back, I'll catch a lot more Pokémon for my team and we'll be the best we'll ever be!" I looked up in determination "I'll help people from all around the region!"

"You'll get a lot of friends that way"

"I wouldn't go that far. I don't need friends"

"Hilda was with her friends when she traveled the region" Alder kneeled down to reach my height a little "Friends will make things much more fun and even motivate you to become better. You encourage them, and they encourage you. Somewhere out there, there's someone lonely enough to want a friend. They want a friend to talk to and take advice from"

"I can't really tell you how unnecessary it is to become friends. Isn't being nice to people enough?"

"People come and go, and they forget, but when you value someone, they stay in your heart forever. Whether it's been good or bad, it makes you who you are" I looked down, thinking of everyone back home. I frowned when thinking about Nate...

Nate... I had moved away and came back. I would had thought we, to each other, were someone that comes and goes, but I never forgotten how much you meant to me. You stayed in my heart all the time... long after I left home. Even if I became an emotional wreck because of you, I will always value what we had... If there was a chance, I'd love to talk to you again and just smile without feeling like I'm bothering you.

That's a impossible wish. Still... I'll always admire your offering smile and generosity to others. You are a light, so don't let me be your shadow and cause you harm. But the way you looked at me in the library... You didn't look like you hated me. You looked... scared.