I climbed back onto my shiny Altaria's back, waiting for the others to do the same. It didn't take long for the three of us to be in the sky again, flying swiftly to Blackthorn City. Red and Silver on their own flying type Pokémon, Red's Charizard seemed to be enjoying himself while Silver's Honchkrow was completely silent the entire time.

Red flew Charizard closer to me so I could hear him. "So we going to your place?"

I nodded. "Let's hope that Clair's not to mad about me disappearing for over a year." I chuckled nervously.

~I wouldn't count on it.~ Hope snorted.

"Do you want me to push you off?"

~No thanks.~

"Then shut the hell up." I glared.

I looked down and figured out we were flying near the cabin I keep my Pokemon in.

"Windy, land at the lodge. I want to see everyone first."

My Altaria nodded and dipped towards a gap in the trees as I signalled everyone to follow.

Windy landed in the centre of the clearing. Well if you could call it that. Only a small gap in the trees slowed flying Pokemon in and out as the think canopy let in only rays of bright sunlight, but it wasn't dark. The area was about the size of your average school oval plus a bit. There was a lake if fresh water in one corner and a large cabin next to it. Inside the cabin was a PC I used to transfer my Pokemon.

All my Pokemon were doing their own thing. Mostly just lazing about but all looked up when they saw me.

~Mama!~ Petunia, Dreamer and Trixie squealed running over to me. ~We be good girls!~ They said jumping around in circles around me.

"Good." I nodded, smiling at their childish behaviour.

Blade watched from his spot leaning against a tree. ~Looks like someone has their hands full.~

"Hardy ha ha." I said sarcastically.

~You sure you have no idea how to mother three children? You seem to be doing an amazing job to me.~ Blade said semi-sarcastically.

"How can I?" I rolled my eyes turning to my three young ones. "Alright you three, go play." I shooed them off before turning back to Blade, digging through my bag for the arm band I'd gotten him. I found it and pulled it out. "I got you a gift." I said clipping it around his arm.

"Is it my birthday already?" Blade asked, inspecting the Mega Stone with interest.

Aura walked up to us and noticed Blade's new item. ~Maybe now you won't loose to me every time we battle.~ She smirked.

~Hey I go easy on you.~

~Sure sure.~

I rolled my eyes and looked around for any of my other Pokemon I had gifts for.

I noticed Liberty was just flying around the clearing with Sky Skimmer until Windy joined in, the three dragon types now engaged in a friendly conversation. I called Liberty down, waving to her at the same time.

~Yes Emma?~ Liberty said curiously, her wings twitching in curiosity as she snuggled against me.

I told them. "I have a gift for you." I smiled, pulling out the necklace charm and Mega Stone for my psychic type legendary. I looped Liberty's necklace around her neck. My Pokémon marvelled over her new item before thanking me and flying back up to their game and to show off her new Mega Stone.

Leaving everyone else to look around, I went into my cabin. It didn't really have much in it. A few cupboards storing spare supplies in case I decided to stay here over night which I did from time to time and also stored Pokémon food inside, a PC, some Pokémon beds and a regular bed. Plus a shelf that had all my Pokéballs, the owner of the ball written neatly on a label underneath.

Pom pom was inside talking with my Dragonite, Sky Skimmer. She looked up and smiled when I came in. ~Emma, how are you? I haven't seen you in for ages.~ She smiled giving me a hug.

"Defiantly been better." I replied and hugged her back. "Sorry I had to leave you so long."

~Its alright.~ She smiled. ~Everyone already explained.~

"I have to go again but if Clair doesn't ground me until I'm thirty I'll be back tonight. Oh and I have something for you." I pulled out the bracelet I got her. "I don't know if you'll use it since you don't battle but I thought you might like it." I said clipping it over her wrist.

~It's beautiful. But you didn't have to, I don't battle so its kinda pointless for me to have.~ She blushed.

"It's fine. It's the thought that counts right?"

Pom pom smiled and nodded. ~Right.~

I gave her a pat on the head and a wave to Anastasia before turning and leaving. I called Silver and Red over from whatever they were doing and said. "We're walking from here."

"Really?" Silver didn't sound to keen on walking.

"Oh it's only fine minutes and I could walk it backwards with my eyes closed and both hands tied behind my back." I rolled my eyes.

I turned around and went to leave. "And don't lag. The wild Pokemon aren't exactly friendly to strangers." I walked off leaving it up to the others to follow.

~*🌸*~

Blackthorn hadn't changed a bit since I was last here and I still knew the entire town like the back if my hand. I wanted to stop by my place first, Clair should be at the gym this time of day.

I walked up the path to my house casually.

"Are you sure we're aloud to just walk in?" Silver frowned from behind me.

"Of course Snowflake, I live here remember?" I smirked, with a roll of my eyes.

"I know..."

I rolled my eyes again and pulled my silver house key from my pocket, unlocking the door. "Clair should still be at the gym right now." I told them.

"So this is your house?" Red awed, looking around the neat double story house I shared with Clair.

"I think I just said I live here so yeah."

~Dummy.~ Trust rolled her eyes, even though Red wouldn't understand.

I smiled and traced my eyes over the familiar details of my place. I dumped my bag on the bottom step of the stairs and made a note to pick it up later.

"Okay I need to see Clair and I'd prefer to do it alone so do you guys want to book in the Pokemon centre." I turned to the others.

They nodded and we all left together. I locked the door behind me and showed them the way to the Pokémon centre. "Catch you guys later?"

Silver nodded. "Of course."

I waved to them while making my way to the gym.

I pushed the door open, rather than going through the gym and having to solve whatever puzzle Clair had set up, I went to the side door that only very few people can use aka the gym leaders adoptive daughter aka me.

"Hey you can't do that!" One of the refs called, a nooby by the looks of it.

"Watch me." I glared pulling out my card that proved who I was.

I swiped it over the lock panel, the door let out a beep and a click as the door opened. I turned and stuck my tongue out at the referee. 

Yes I still do that and no I don't give a damn.

I pushed the door opened and peered in cautiously. Clair sat at the back of the room drinking coffee from a mug with her badges logo on it.

I cleared my throat to announce my presence. Clair looked up at me, she didn't seem angry or upset. She simply raised an eyebrow and spoke. "I was wondering when you'd get back. Care to explain?" She asked as simply as if I'd come late to dinner.

"Well, it's kinda a long story..." I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

"Good thing I arranged to get off work early."

"How did you...?"

Clair clicked the remote next to her and the tv lit up showing images of Red and I battling in Goldenrod earlier the writing underneath read 'the champion returns'. "Its been going on for the past hour. I guess that you'd head here. Now tell me what happened in Unova, including Pinwheel."

"How...?"

"Emma you don't exactly go places without being notices these days. It's been all over the news for the past few months." Clair sighed with a light smirk.

"I guess I do have a lot to explain don't I?" I sighed sitting across from Clair, awkwardly playing with my Key Stone.

"I see you've made friends." Clair nodded at the screen showing me with Silver and Red talking a before flying off.

"Yeah... for once." I shrugged.

"Well let's start at the beginning shale we?"

"I guess so..."

~*🌸*~

"After I defeated Alder the police finally got it all sorted for me to be allowed the region." I finished up. "And I left straight after that with everyone but we took a longer cruise because a couple of my friends wanted to go back to their home regions." I sighed.

Of course I'd left out small details like what happened between N and I, that is something I'd like to forget if at all possible. But I did end up explaining that I did actually die because I didn't see anyway around that and I didn't know how much she already knew.

Clair had remained quiet the whole time waiting patiently for me to finish.

I sat in my chair silently staring at my hands waiting for Clair to say something. Somehow the silence was more daunting then being grounded or yelled at or anything like that but I guess it's cause I'm used to be yelled at, not by Clair but I am used to it.

I heard the chair scrape against the floor but I still didn't look up. Clair walked around to my side of the and knelt down to my level.

"I'm not mad Emma, I knew for you to not have shown up or called you'd have a good reason." Clair said quietly. "You've been through a lot and I know that you feel safe here so for you to have stayed away so long I knew something was wrong but whenever I tried I could never find exactly where you were other than somewhere in Unova."

I looked up at Clair for a moment then down at my hands. I didn't expect this, sure me and Clair didn't have an exact mother daughter relationship but I did get in trouble at times. Damn it, give me Cyrus over this any day. At least I can bash him and call him an asshole.

Clair pulled me gently out of my seat. "Come on. We'll get some lunch, I'd like to meet this boyfriend of yours."

I blushed slightly but nodded, following  Clair from the gym. The same referee who tried to stop me was standing there. "Leader Clair she just walked past me and didn't stop..." He went to explain like he'd done something wrong.

"No its alright, Philip this is my adopted daughter Emma. Emma this is the new ref." Clair introduced.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I don't like him. He's fired." I said simply before walking out.

Silver was waiting outside with his arms crossed leading on the wall. He looked up when I walked out. "So?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Not grounded... So far."

"You wouldn't listen even if I did ground you." Clair said walking out with the new guy, Phillip, behind her.

"Probably not." I shrugged as she locked the door.

Clair nodded a greeting to Silver, I forgot those two have met when Silver would of challenged Clair, before we headed back to our house. "You can invite your friends over for dinner, I still want to meet this boyfriend you mentioned."

I sighed and pinched the top of my nose. "Something tells me I'm going to regret this."

~You're so over dramatic.~ Hope rolled her eyes jumping in my shoulder.

"Didn't I leave you behind?"

~Yup.~

"So what are you doing here?"

~Sight seeing.~ Hope said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "Nah, you've only lived here your entire life. What are you really doing here?"

Hope shrugged. ~You're my trainer, I'm your Pokemon. You're my friend, I'm yours.~

That was cute.

"I don't remember asking you."

That's cause you didn't.

"Then go away."

Okay, but when you get here whatever Arceus says I did, I didn't do it.

"Something tells me you're in trouble again."

.... No....

"Why do I not believe you?"

Hey I am totally innocent.

"Night, this is me you're talking to."

Good point... Crap Arceus is coming! Hide me!

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. What am I ever gonna do with her?

"Silver, would you mind getting Red? I've got stuff to do." I asked my older brother.

Silver nodded, saying quick goodbyes before heading to the Pokemon centre while Clair and I walked home in silence.

"So I'm not grounded right?" I asked.

"Emma, you won't stay inside for longer than five minutes and last time I grounded you, you broke half the furniture in the house. Grounding you would be punishing me. But I would like you to stay around for a bit."

"After Unova, I don't see a problem with that." I nodded as we reached our house.

Clair opened the door and we went in. Clair noticed my bag on the step. "I see you've been home already."

I shrugged. "Yeah, and?"

Clair rolled her eyes before heading to the kitchen.

I shook my head before heading up to my room, grabbing my bag on the way up. My house was two stories, with mine, Clair's and a spare bedroom being upstairs as well as the main bathroom and the kitchen, dining and sitting room were downstairs. I entered my room and collapsed onto my bed taking in the familiar sights and smells of the room.

My room hasn't changed much since I arrived here. The wall were still painted with pale pinks, purples and blues swirling across the white walls. The wooden floor was mostly covered by a matching rug that was as fluffy a the day I chose it out. My bed was against the wall, right under a window with my bedside table next to it. My crystal lamp always sat on the table and I had a torch under my pillow just in case. I had a bookshelf that filled the opposite wall that was full of CDs and an expensive radio. It had the trophies from each league I won across the top and at this point there was only one space left. Not for long hopefully. A large wardrobe and desk were the only other pieces of furniture in the room. My room had stayed the same since I got here and had always been somewhere I felt safe. I closed my eyes and sighed.

I was finally safe back home.

~*~*~*~*~🌸~*~*~*~*~
Word count: 2548

Another chapter. \(^_^)/ I'm on a role. I'd like to ask everyone to comment a lot. I love reading comments and when people don't comment it makes me feel like I haven't done good enough especially on the bits I thought were funny or cute ect. So please comment ;-;