Nifa stared up at the sky, laying on his back in the middle of a clearing. He could hear Celebi's breathing next to him, probably in the same position as him, back on the ground, eyes staring skyward. "Nifa?" Celebi asked. "What's up, Bi?" "How are we gonna get into the temple without getting you caught?" She asked. Nifa smiled. "We don't. We'll stride through town, and when people see the legend Celebi, they'll assume i'm someone else. After all, what would a legend be doing with a lowlife like me?" "Falling in love?" Celebi whispered to herself, not loud enough for Nifa to make out, reigniting her blush. "Having fun?" Celebi said. "Doesn't matter." Nifa said. "Even if someone does recognize me somehow-" "There's only one grovyle with a spiral branded over thier right eye." Celebi interjected. "Somehow," Nifa continued, unperturbed. "I'll just vanish." Celebi was quiet for a moment, and then said. "Nifa, why do you stay with me?" "You should never ask those kinds of questions of people. You might get a responce you don't like." Nifa said. "But in this case, i will answer you. I swore to protect you. And that oath has turned a little bit more personal than it was when i swore it to you." Celebi thought on this, before bouncing up, and landing on Nifa's chest, managing the same eagle spread pose as him, so they looked like a part of a poorly constructed pyramid. "Thank you Nifa." Celebi said. "It was, has been, and will be my pleasure." Nifa said. "And thank you, for putting up with me." Celebi laughed at that. "Putting up with you? Thank you for putting up with me." She said. "I know i am way more annoying than i like to think." Nifa chuckled. "And i know i am more irritable than i would like to think." He said. "So we both put up with each other." "Nifa?" Celebi said a few moments later. "Mm?" Nifa responded, already falling asleep. "Don't go anywhere, alright?" "Mmm hmm." Nifa managed to say, before fully falling asleep. Celebi sighed, but was lulled to sleep by Nifa's steady breathing.

Nifa crested yet another ridge, with Celebi flying behind him, zipping around to look at everything from trees to holes in the ground. Nifa sighed, stopping to catch his breath. Celebi, in her excitement, had forgoten the fact that he, unlike her, could not fly, and the grueling pace they had started at had talen its toll on Nifa. It didn't help that it was freezing, of course. Nifa closed his eyes, breathing heavily, and started off again. "Nifa!" Someone called. "What, Bi?" Nifa said, expecting it to be her. "Nifa, nice to see another being out here." Said someone entirely different. Nifa turned to see a combusken, slightly taller than he. An old friend, an old flame, pardon the pun. Celebi zoomed down to examine the new pokemon, asking. "Who are you?" Flicker said. "Flicker, at your service." She bowed. "An old friend of Nifa." Celebi paused for a moment, glancing between the two of them. "Oh, okay." She said. Nifa closed his eyes, aware of how painfully awkward the next few moments, hours, days would be, dictated by how long it took for him to get rid of Flicker. When he was younger, he had liked her, but now, after growing up in the world, he was pretty sure they would never work out, unless she had changed dramatically. "You headed to Snowpoint?" Flicker asked. "The lake first, but after that, yes, the city. I'm taking her to the temple." Nifa said. Flicker narrowed her eyes at him. "But your branded." She said, causing him, instinctively, to turn the side of his head that was marked by a spiraling burn. "And?" Nifa asked. "And you'll get yourself caught. You used to tell me to never do anything stupidly risky, and this seems to qualify." Celebi pipped up. "I can protect him if he gets recognized." Flicker gave her a scornful look. "I don't think he needs you to help him." She said, and in a lower, but not low enough for Nifa to miss it, added. "Not that it would be much help." Nifa ground his teeth, fuming silently. Celebi fumed a little less silently.

"Really, he doesn't need the help of a legend?" Celebi nearly growled, which was as close as she had ever come to growling. She made herself glow enough to be, she hoped, impresive. "He's gotten by fine with just me." Flicker said. Nifa shook his head, sighing. He really didn't want this. "Yeah, well, haven't seen you with him for the past four years." Celebi said. "Or seen you hiding him from the plethora of bounty hunters and rangers that come after him." Flicker did growl. "He doesn't need anyone to hide him. He survived without you before, and will again." She snapped. "Again? What, don't want to hear him chose me over you, so your making the choice for him?" Celebi asked, voice laced with venom. And that's when they both turned to Nifa. "Oh, come on." Nifa lamented. "I don't want to deal with this." He sighed. "Flicker, you can come with us as far as Snowpoint, then we split, then everyones happy." Flicker shook her head. "I want to pull of a hiest later this spring. I want you in on it, but i want you in on it now." She said. "Take this little runt to the lake and then we can leave." "Thank you." Nifa said. "For making this choice easier." He reached out to Celebi, who put her comparatively tiny hand in his, smiling, and yes, blushing. "Screw off, Flicker." Flicker shot daggers at him, growling out. "You had best think carefully on this. I will not take you in when you come crawling back to me." Nifa glared back at her, with Celebi now sitting on his shoulder. "There's a reason i chose Delphi over you." He said, smiling at her nomentart shock and anger as he threw an old bit of the past at her. "And its the same reason i would chose Celebi here over both of you. She is an optimistic, sweet legend. And the pair of you are self serving idiots who can't see beyond their own noses." Nifa turned from her, striding up the nearest hill, and down the other side so that the group of them didn't have to camp together. "Thank you." Celebi said quietly. "That must have been hard." "On the contrary, it was easy." Nora said.

Nifa grit his teeth, trying to power through a winter storm, with Celebi close behind. "We need to find shelter!" Nifa shouted, trying to be heard over the wind. Celebi nodded, and then pointed over his shoulder, eyes wide and fearful. Nifa turned, but never saw what hit him. He was out before he hit the ground. Celebi shrieked, blasting the Abomasnow with power, nearly blasting it to the next mountain. She landed next to .Nifa, cursing him, before levitating him behind her, and floating her way through the storm. She eventually found what she was looking for. Snowpoint City, with a pair of blizzard beackons, shining brightly, cutting through the storm. It was a risk. The database at the center would certainly recognize Nifa, but, if the blow had hit something vital, he would need attention as soon as was possible. Celebi shook her head, hardening her resolve, and trying to remember the lessons Mew had given her when the pair of them were visiting humans and they wanted to talk to them. The pokecenters doors slid open, and a very surprised nurse Joy looked out, paling when she saw a legendary and an unconscious grovyle flying into the building. "Help him." Celebi said, in human, which nearly toppled the bestnurse. The nurse nodded, and her helper, a Chancey, put Nifa's body on a stretcher, carting him to one of the dozen or so rooms in the center. Celebi followed, entering a room with one empty bed, and another bed, this one occupied by a Vulpix whose leg was swathed in bandages, and a eevee who was curled up next to her. Celebi disregarder them, looking back too Nifa. "You are quite lucky. Another day and Gavelia would be gone." The nurse said, walking out of the room. "Who are you?" Someone asked from the other side of the room. Celebi turned to see the eevee standing, glancing from her to Nifa and back again. "Celebi." Celebi said. The eevee's eyes widened. "Oh, the legendary. Sorry to for not being very presentable." The eevee gave his mane a few self conscious lickes, his fur matted, bloodstained and torn.

"We had to run from a Tyranitar." The eevee said. "Names Fanta, and my friend here is Charcoal." "This is Nifa." Celebi said. The eevee's eyes widened. "Wait, the-" He was cut off by a elegant, and sever looking Gardevoir entering the room, followed by the nurse. "A fractured spine." The gardevoir said. "Nothing i can't handle." She place one of her barrow hands near where Nifa had been het, and closed her eyes. Her hand started to glow, power pulsing out from it and into Nifa. A few moments later, the Gardevoir pulled back, letting out a shaky breath. She turned to Celebi, saying. "Tell this one that i have tended his woulds before, and my home is still open if he still fights for our cause." She swept out of the room, saying no more. The nurse backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. The eevee glanced at the door again, and asked. "Any idea what that meant?" celebi shook her head, glancing around the room. It was a simple thing, bare walls, medical equipment her and there, the beds which were just metal frames with padding. "Well, she locked us in again, so there's no getting out." Fanta said. "And, since i was interupted last time, is that the Nifa?" Celebi nodded. "Oh my." Fanta said. "Its abeen a while since i saw him last." "You know eachother?" celebi asked. "No." Fanta said. "My old trainer tried bounty hunting. Nifa whiped half our team, evaded the other two, and left me alone." Fanta grinned. "Its a fond memory." Celebi nodded, floating down onto Nifa's bed. "I guess this is when i shut up and sleep eh?" Fanta said, turning back to Charcoal. "See you tomorrow, i hope." He said, and Celebi realized he was talking to the vulpix, and not her. Fanta was soon asleep next to the vulpix, but Celebi lay awake, head resting on the curve of Nifa's neck. "Well, goodnight." She said, and slowly drifted off.

Fanta woke as he had the night before, curled in front of Charcoal. "Goodmorning." He said to her. He stood, turning to the other side of the room, and remembered who it was that occupied that bed. Celebi had fallen asleep on the Grovyle, Nifa, and still was asleep. Fanta turned back to Charcoal, glancing at her leg. He had feared infection, and justly so, but she had another pair of injuries. Something had jarred her head, a rock sent flying by the Tyranitar most likely, and she had what the humans called a concussion, plus a broken leg that she had walked for miles on. The gardevoir had said she'd wake up in two days, and this day marked that two day deadline. "Come on, Coal, give me something." Fanta said. "How about burnt fur?" Charcoal asked, opening one of her brown eyes. "Coal!" Fanta shouted, giving what passed for a hug to her. "You're awake!" Coal grimaced, attempting to stand and saying. "Yes, i am, and with a massive headache so if you could cut down on all the shouting, that'd be great." "Sorry, sorry." Fanta said, cudling up to her as she settled for just an upright laying position. "Fanta?" Charcoal said. "Yeah?" Fanta asked, learning his head on her shoulder. "You know i hate it when pokemon touch me right?" Fanta scooted away from her a goodlittle bit. "Yeah." He said again. "And i would almost hate the fact that i want to make an exception for you if you were not the pokemon you were." Fanta grinned, cuddling with her again. Charcoal sighed, learning on the eevee. "Fanta." Charcoal said. "Where do you think we should go next?" Charcoal asked. Fanta considered that. "Somewhere tropical." He said, smiling. "Hoenn, maybe." Charcoal grinned. "I think we can work with that." She said. "Awww!" Celebi said, waking up and seeing them. "You two are so cute together." Fant and Charcoal glanced at each other before inconspicuously sliding apart. Celebi pouted,but remembered who she was using as a pillow, and turned to Nifa. "You lot are too loud for your own good." The grovyle said, not bothering to move.

Fanta woke as he had the night before, curled in front of Charcoal. "Goodmorning." He said to her. He stood, turning to the other side of the room, and remembered who it was that occupied that bed. Celebi had fallen asleep on the Grovyle, Nifa, and still was asleep. Fanta turned back to Charcoal, glancing at her leg. He had feared infection, and justly so, but she had another pair of injuries. Something had jarred her head, a rock sent flying by the Tyranitar most likely, and she had what the humans called a concussion, plus a broken leg that she had walked for miles on. The gardevoir had said she'd wake up in two days, and this day marked that two day deadline. "Come on, Coal, give me something." Fanta said. "How about burnt fur?" Charcoal asked, opening one of her brown eyes. "Coal!" Fanta shouted, giving what passed for a hug to her. "You're awake!" Coal grimaced, attempting to stand and saying. "Yes, i am, and with a massive headache so if you could cut down on all the shouting, that'd be great." "Sorry, sorry." Fanta said, cudling up to her as she settled for just an upright laying position. "Fanta?" Charcoal said. "Yeah?" Fanta asked, learning his head on her shoulder. "You know i hate it when pokemon touch me right?" Fanta scooted away from her a goodlittle bit. "Yeah." He said again. "And i would almost hate the fact that i want to make an exception for you if you were not the pokemon you were." Fanta grinned, cuddling with her again. Charcoal sighed, learning on the eevee. "Fanta." Charcoal said. "Where do you think we should go next?" Charcoal asked. Fanta considered that. "Somewhere tropical." He said, smiling. "Hoenn, maybe." Charcoal grinned. "I think we can work with that." She said. "Awww!" Celebi said, waking up and seeing them. "You two are so cute together." Fant and Charcoal glanced at each other before inconspicuously sliding apart. Celebi pouted,but remembered who she was using as a pillow, and turned to Nifa. "You lot are too loud for your own good." The grovyle said, not bothering to move.

"Nifa!" Celebi yelled, pouncing on him. "Oof." Nifa grunted, but patted Celebi's head. Their reunion was cut short by the nurse entering, followed by one of the few pokemon rangers this far north. The four pokemon were on their feet in an instant, albiet painfully for one. The ranger release a pair of her pokemon, a growthe and a golduck, glaring down Nifa. "Grovyle, by order of the pokemon league in three regions, you are under arrest." Nifa rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and the leaf blades that were on them, preparing to fight. But they didn't have to do anything. The pair of pokemon, the ranger, and the nurse all colapsed, And from behind them came Gavelia. "Gav." Nifa said, nodding to her. "Quickly." Was all the Gardevoir said, seeming to float out of the pokecenter, followed by the other four. "With me." She said, leading them out of the city, and down a steep, wooded ravine, until they reached a glade, where a pair of pokemon sat. On was grinning, flipping a stick into the air, and the other was glaring, slowly shredding a tree with her razor sharp claws. The lucario an zoroak stood as Gavelia entered the glade. Nifa groaned, recognizing the pair of them. "Rush, Vis, why are we here?" He asked. The lucario, Rush, answered first. "Because we can be." He said. The zoroak glared at him, before saying. "The balance of power has been disrupted once more. We are needed to restore one of the pillars." Nifa cursed again. "Welcome to the world of legends and war and all the studf we could really do without." He said.