"Tell me, you didn't get to grow up the way you wanted. Tell me about that..." the butler I never met before asked me. He was easy to talk to, so it wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"Well, there's not much to say. I don't have a memory of my childhood after my mother disowned my sister" I told him the story of my mother's punishment and cruel personality "I've grown out of being her doll, but I'm still sensitive when it comes to judgment. Not from everyone, but someone not like my mom" I shrugged "My vision starts to black out a bit, like I'm reversing back to how my mother trained me. She's the reason for everything. I honestly don't know how to fix it"

"It is not you that's the problem" the butler said "Though it is good to talk to someone about your troubles, your body holds a curse and blessing at the same time" he poured the Gateau mix into a pan to put the fridge "Your mother made a deal with the devil so she could control you as she pleased" my heart dropped "on top of this curse, you were blessed by those who were watching the curse being placed on you. Your emotions, Knowledge, and willpower exploded from your doll-like state and freed you from slavery. Have you noticed that things around you are a bit strange? Like the mysterious shards and that wish talisman, for example?" He smiled at me "You are looked after because of this curse. Until you find a way to remove it, you will continue to live with good and bad luck"

"W-What are you saying?" I held my chest, feeling my heart racing "How do you know all this? How do you know about the talisman and shards? I never told you about them!" He nodded.

"Your blessings have given you the ability to befriend any Pokémon who will do everything in their power to help you. Ghost Pokémon are able to connect to the souls of humans, after all" he offered his hand. I automatically picked up my bad hand and stared at it, widening my eyes at the scars that weren't there "Milady..." I looked back at the butler "You'll be just fine" he disappeared. I looked around for him, seeing the kitchen and even dining room look a mess, like it did the entire house.

"W-What did I just see..?" I used the wall for support, feeling like throwing up "You saw that... didn't you?" I asked Banette. She just frowned and looked over at Les entering the dining room "Les!"

"This place is a mess" he commented before seeing my state of mind "Why are you pale?" He touched my forehead "You look like you seen a ghost"

"I think I'm going to pee myself" I ended up saying. He looked over at the kitchen to see the soup I made on the stove and a running refrigerator.

"How is there gas or electricity in a place like this?" He opened the lit up fridge and looked at me confused "how did you make old Gateau?"

"S-Sorry..?" He took out the dessert to show me. How is that possible..? "What's Old Gateau?"

"It's an old recipe that is used to heal sick people and Pokémon, but the recipe was long forgotten" he looked up at a old book on the counter "Looks like the old owners of this place forgotten something really valuable. Lucky us, I guess" I held my upset stomach. Luck... Curse... I don't know what to believe.

"Gyahahha!" I screamed in fright at something laughing at us. Two Pokémon escaped the fridge and stove to faced us. Banette took out my Pokédex to identify them since I was too shaken up to move away from the wall.

"Rotom, eh?" Les said, staring at them "Did you help Via make this?" The Rotom smiled happily, giggling.

"What the fuck you call me?!" I shouted at Les, not expecting the nickname that made my face overheat "And you! Who gave you permission to look into my soul!?" I pointed at the Rotom, who just laughed at me and flew around me. I got dizzy fast and fell into Les's arms.

"Easy there" he helped me up. I looked at my bad hand, seeing the scars back on them. What I saw was an illusion, but these Pokémon were here to help me cook and speak to my soul.

"Your blessings have given you the ability to befriend any Pokémon who will do everything in their power to help you" I remember the illusion butler say. Since Pokémon easily get attracted to me, does that mean I really have a curse and a blessing..?

"Les..." I pouted my lips, trying not to cry, but failed "WHY AM I LIKE THIS?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, scaring the Rotom away from me and hide behind Les staring at me "Am I really cursed..? Who gave me these blessings..? I'm so confused! My head hurts more now!"

"What are you talking about?" Les looked over at the food that was made "Looks like the both of us aren't feeling good. Let's go back upstairs" The Rotoms circled around us while levitating some plates Banette took out "Right. Let's go" Les nodded at the Rotom and carried me up the stairs while I sobbed on his shoulder "You're such a cry baby"

"Shut up!" I sniffled "And what was up with that nickname..?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" I pouted and let him carry me back to the room. He placed me on the bed he usually uses while mine was right across from us "You doing alright?" He asked me. I sighed and rubbed my face.

"I think I'm going crazy" I told him everything that happened to me downstairs.

"You didn't question the differences between the dining room and the rest of the house?" He snorted.

"I don't know! Okay! He was just really nice..." I ate a piece of the old Gateau "this is really good..." The Rotoms who helped make this smiled at me "Do you think what was said was true about me..?"

"It's hard to say. Ghost Pokémon are tricksters. They like scaring people and pulling pranks" the Rotoms laughed "but I believe they're able to read the souls of others. If something blessed you, it may have been the reason why you snapped out the spell in the first place"

"What's watching over me? And why? Why did they take so long to help me? I suffered for so long..." I laid on his bed "Who even has the answer?"

"Why don't we go to a church?" I sat up to question him "The church is said to know about the holy things and devil stuff. I'm not much of a believer of a god, but if there's anything out there that can create an answer, it's worth a try"

"Sure... I think I saw one at Hearthome city. That's going to take us forever to head to by foot"

"We'll just have to focus on our search for now. That can wait" I nodded and looked at his wrapped hand picking up a old Gateau to eat "For Pokémon, they sure know how to make dessert" The Rotom giggled, being kind enough to let me keep the cookbook earlier.

"So what happened with your hand?"

"Got into a fight" Les said, putting the plates away in a plastic bag to wash later "It's still raining outside. Hopefully it stops by morning"

"Don't change the subject! Why did you get into a fist fight when you had Pokémon?"

"My Pokémon won't avenge what that son of a bitch said" He tightened his fists.

"What he say?" He leaned close to my face.

"It's not something for the ears of a princess" I felt shy all of a sudden "He said some inappropriate things about you, so I shut him up"

"O-Oh... Okay" I don't think I want to know when he's so close to me "Les..?" He softly held my cheek, staying close to me "Have I been annoying throughout this journey?"

"As annoying as you find me" I groaned at his jokes "I don't mind" he pushed me down his bed and climbed on top of me. I stared up at him gazing his serious eyes down at me. My heart was racing out of control. I was afraid he may be able to hear it "After all" he leaned close to my face. I shut my eyes, not knowing what was going to happen "You're mine to keep" he laid beside me at the same time I snapped my eyes open. W-What did he say..?

"Les..?" I sat up a bit to see him passed out asleep "He fell asleep..." I turned to my side to watch him slowly breathing "I don't know what that was about..." I blushed hard "He's so weird..." I closed my eyes, feeling myself drift to sleep with him "But it feels comfortable... I need to... go to... my bed" I passed out and woke the next morning flying out the bed in realization.

Les just got finished putting on a new shirt before looking at me pointing at him "Y-You! You! You!"

"Yes?"

"You pervert! What did you do to me last night?!"

"What do you mean?" He smirked, making my face quickly heat up "We slept on the same bed, it seems" he chuckled "you slept so peaceful you started drooling" I cupped my mouth, feeling crust by the corner of my lip, making him laugh again.

"Shut up! I was tired!"

"Your bed is right here" I looked down, not knowing how to respond to that. I don't even know why I didn't move! It just felt so... relaxing. I often tell myself I sleep so good when he's in the same room, but I never thought I'd drool so much!

"Shut up!" I threw his pillow at him, which he caught effortlessly. I got annoyed and left the room to see if the rain stopped from
the window "It's nice and shining out. That's good" I sighed and looked back at the mansion behind me "Rotoms? Are you there?" They didn't come "I wonder if they'll see us out. I didn't get the chance to ask them about the talisman and the shards" I pulled myself together and waited for Les to leave the room after Banette gathered everything.

"Let's go" he said. I nodded and held his elbow while looking back at the abandoned mansion, seeing the old butler and a little girl waving at me from the exit. I guess they thought it was best to say goodbye like this. They weren't so bad...

"I'm glad we didn't get too sick yesterday" I said "That Old gateau was effective. I'm going to make some the next time we get sick. It might end up happening, so it's best to be prepared" I chuckled.

We traveled the forest while camping out at night under the stars and moon and trained long and hard just in case we run into another situation with Team Galactic.

"It feels like we've been going in circles" I sighed, leaning on a tree for a break "We've been relying on berries for days already! I'm so hungry..."

"This is normal. We should be getting somewhere soon" Les leaned on the tree with me. We embraced the silence together before I suddenly remembered what he did back in that mansion. I blushed and looked away "What is it?" Before I could answer, I saw something moving at a distance. I moved away from the tree to see what it was. It looked like a person!

"Les! Look!" I pointed "They can probably help us get out of here" I tiredly went over to what looked like a girl observing them leafs around her "Excuse me?" I said after getting close enough. As soon as she turned to me, I stopped and cupped my mouth "Oh my goodness! Is that you, Cheryl?"

"Octavia?" She gasped and hurried to hug me "Oh Arceus! I can't believe my eyes! It's really you!" She laughed "You disappeared so suddenly before all of us graduated! Where have you been?" I chuckled and held her hands.

Cheryl was a close friend of mine that helped me get around when I first came to the resort and through out my time there. She, like most of my friends, was a college student and graduated before I was forced to go back home without getting the chance to say goodbye to anyone.

"Forgive me. I had to return home" I said "I'm on a journey with a friend. He's helping me look for my sister" she hugged my head in awe "C-Cheryl..."

"I missed you so much! You have no idea how worried I was! It's like a mother losing her child!" In a way, she was like a mother to me "You're on a journey, eh?" She looked at Les coming over to us "With a boy? Didn't Bebe tell you to not get a boyfriend until she approved?"

"H-Hey!" I gasped "He's not my boyfriend! I said he's my friend!" She looked at Les standing there before looking back at me.

"I don't know, Octavia. He's cute and all, but seems a bit too serious. He looks like he use to be in a gang" I sweatdropped. He did admit to me that he was part of a shady group doing who knows what, but since he's talented in hacking, I'm sure it probably stealing money. That's the only explanation on why he has more money than he knows what to do with.

"It's not like that" I moved away from Cheryl "Listen. We've been in this forest forever already. Do you know where the exit is?"

"Oh! Of course! I come here often to do research on the forest. I can help lead the way"

"Why are you researching a forest?" She looked around.

"All living things have a purpose. Every ounce of their DNA is traced to one another. When you look into their DNA, you find similarities to other species"

"Did you graduate with honors in biology, like expected?" I smiled at her nodding "I'm so glad! I don't expect anything less. Forgive me for never making it for all of you. I hope you're not upset" she took my hands.

"We were more worried about you then anything else. We all wanted to party together, but you weren't around"

"I hope I didn't spoil the fun" I frowned.

"No. We just thought you had to go do something somewhere, so the party wasn't spoiled. It was just missing you" she hugged me "I'm glad you're safe" I smiled and hugged her back "hm? You're hugging me back? That's new" I blushed and moved away "Let me introduce myself to your friend" She turned to Les "My name is Cheryl. I am a biologist for the Eterna City plant sanctuary. I'm a friend of Octavia"

"She was the friend who first helped me out when I was lost when my parents first sent me to the resort. I didn't know a thing about working or anything. If it wasn't for her, I'd be in the streets"

"I wouldn't say that" Cheryl giggled "but you were a great worker and everyone could count on you to help them. Everyone simply adored you" I looked away, embarrassed.

"I'm happy to know that Via got herself some good friends" Les said. There goes that nickname again "Are you the one that showed her her sense of style?" I felt offended by his eyes staring at my clothes.

"Oh no, that would be our other friend who was with me when we first found Octavia" Cheryl giggled "Let's get you both out this forest and to the city. I'm sure you're exhausted from your trip. If you like, you can stay over at my place when you're done for the day. There's lots to do in the city"

"Thank you so much!" She smiled at me and guided us to the exit of the forest, which wasn't too far from where we were. I sighed at the glorious sun shining on us while we walked towards the city.

"The sun feels nice!" I whined "Sadly I'll need to get out of it soon" Cheryl giggled.

"You were always a bit sensitive when it came to the sun. Luckily it's still winter, so the sun isn't as strong. You left your umbrella back at the apartment. I actually have it at my place! I have to head back to work, but feel free to use the public bathhouse and let's meet somewhere"

"Sure! What's the best place to meet you?"

"How about in front of the Eterna Gym?" A-Another gym..? "Something the matter?"

"Oh! No, I'm just fine!" We entered the city and admired the style and vines on every building "Wow... this place looks-" I froze and looked around in a hurry.

"What's the matter?" Les asked me.

"She's here..." I felt her aura in this city "She's here in the city! I have to look for her!" I dashed off without explaining what was going on. She's here... I know she is! I recognize her aura anywhere!

As I was running, I turned the corner and accidentally ran into a woman with black clothing and very long blonde hair "I-I'm sorry!" I panicked and made sure she was okay. She stared at me and suddenly grabbed my shoulders, making me stop to look at her eye that wasn't covered by her hair.