"Although you may disagree with me, Chancey and I will do the examination. These symptoms are ones that I have never witnessed before, and I am unsure as to whether or not they are contagious to other Pokémon or humans. I would hate for anyone else to fall sick. The rest of you continue your daily tasks and duties as if it were a normal day. I'll inform you of anything that I may find. Please be patient until I receive the results."

Unlike the cheerful or calm tone that normally laced Nurse Joy's voice, these words were coated with uncertainty and dismay. The pink-haired woman's expression was solemn as she spoke to all the nurses who worked in the Pokémon Center. Chancey was nowhere to be seen, but Cielle could assume that the Pokémon was attending to the Swoobat in an examination room.

Although Cielle didn't try to refute anything Nurse Joy stated, it didn't mean that the order didn't leave a bitter taste in her mouth. She wanted to know what was happening and what was ravaging through that Pokémon's body. What caused those strange spider web designs and etched them so deeply into its skin that it appeared nauseating to glance at? It made Cielle's stomach twist with uncertainty yet intrigue.

At one point during her break, she found four other nurses huddled together. They were tossing out different ideas as to what the disease was. Pokérus was a fan favorite. However, it was instantly shut down because the symptoms didn't match. Other suggestions were said, some being Cielle's, but like the rest, were cast aside. She wasn't offended that her ideas were rejected because she just rambled off names that could work.

Their brainstorming session was cut short because the current charge nurse yelled at them to return to their jobs. Cielle and the other nurses quickly scurried off in fear of being written up from gossiping like high schoolers.

So that brought Cielle to her current predicament.

Walking languidly down one of the many hallways in the Pokémon Center, Cielle skimmed through the various papers on her clipboard. Most of her patients had been Pokémon defeated at Burgh's hands, which was annoying. Did that man not have anything else to do but pummel Trainers in battle? Doesn't he have an art gallery to attend or something?

Cielle's somewhat glad she never bothered to challenge the Castelia City Gym. The embarrassment of defeat was something she'd rather not experience. She didn't think Aquamarine would be up for a fight anyway, now that she thought about it.

Has she ever even been in a battle with Aquamarine? Her eyebrows furrowed. She reflected on her memories of the last nine years. Her lips curled into an 'O' as a single picture sketched itself into her mind.

"So, what starter are you choosing, Ellie?"

The sound of her nickname caused ten-year-old Cielle to glance up from her book. She tilted her head, eyes narrowing in slight confusion as she stared at the boy sitting cross-legged on the other bed in the room.

Their shared bedroom contained a limited amount of space. It was only big enough to house two twin beds and two small dressers with lamps. There wasn't much room to walk around, and there wasn't a bathroom either—a beige box with bland decor. Usually, boys and girls weren't roomed together, but the Headmaster had no choice. Far too many children were left behind as the disaster caused by Team Plasma ripped away their parents. Very few people wanted to adopt the kids who were scarred and deal with their complicated emotions.

Even fewer wanted the ever-pessimistic Cielle and the uncaring Lavender. Every parent either of them met was instantly turned off by their lack of excitement to see them. Well, sorry, they were too busy grieving the deaths of their parents to play pretend and happy family.

"Whichever one is left, Lav."

At this, Lavender groaned and fell backward onto the mattress. He sprawled out his limbs, silvery white hair splaying around his head like a halo. "How can you just not care who you get? What if Professor Juniper doesn't have enough Pokémon, and you don't get one?"

"Then I don't get a Pokémon and wait until she has more," Cielle explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Getting a Pokémon wasn't the greatest thing in the world anyway. It was more like giving a hefty responsibility to a kid and saying, 'This is yours. Take good care of it and make sure it doesn't die.'

Cielle wouldn't mind a Pokémon. She's confident she has enough common sense to care for one, but she doesn't want to journey with it. Lavender, on the other hand, was practically buzzing with excitement about getting his hands on a starter, which was somewhat strange since the boy was pretty apathetic about everything. The girl had to poke and prod at the boy's face to wake him up for breakfast, for Arceus's sake. Lavender's excuse was that getting up early was far too much work.

How on earth would this boy care for a Pokémon at this rate? Then again, Lavender was absolutely enamored with Pokémon, so maybe he would be good with one.

"You're a weirdo, Ellie." Soft purple eyes connected with dim cerulean briefly. Lavender broke eye contact, and his lips twisted into a pout. "Don't you want to get out of here?"

"Not really." The girl tucked a green bookmark between the pages of her book before shutting it. "I'm fine here. And I'm not weird."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes, you are Ellie!"

"W-well, if I'm weird–" Cielle stuttered as she jabbed an accusing finger at Lavender. She quickly searched for the right words to spat. "-you're an idiot, Lav!"

Nice insult, you idiot, the little voice in her head laughed, and Cielle's cheeks instantly flushed red in embarrassment.

The rude comment she stated was entirely ignored as the white-haired boy instantly sat up. "Come on, let's go on a journey throughout Unova together! I'm tired of all the children here!"

"No! I'm fine here. I-I don't wanna!" Her grip on the book's cover grew tight. She frowned. "What if the Legendaries decide to go crazy again?"

"Champion Hilda and Rosa dealt with it, didn't they? We'll be fine, Ellie! Didn't you hear the rumors of the Swords of Justice appearing in different cities?" Lavender's attempt at swaying Cielle was pitiful as his tone lost its bite.

"The what?" The annoyance was stripped from Cielle's expression and replaced with wonder. She's never heard of whatever Lavender just said. Then again, Lavender was the one who eavesdropped on people's conversations, unlike her. It wasn't that he was doing it on purpose but that people thought he was asleep.

"The Swords of Justice. I heard some grownups talking about how they've seen four Pokémon appearing on the outskirts of cities before disappearing. I asked Nurse Joy before we went to class last week, and she said that they're a Legendary quartet." Lifting his hand, Lavender raised four fingers. His eyes brightened, and he smiled.

"Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo are their names."

"If they represent 'justice,' where were they when Zekrom or Reshiram lost control or Kyurem appeared? Isn't justice supposed to be fighting for what's right?" Cielle countered. Her fingers drummed against the book cover to ease the tangled anxiety twisting her stomach.

"Nurse Joy said they protect Pokémon, not humans."

"Then how was that supposed to make me feel better? What if the Swords of Justice don't like people?"

"Maybe if you have a Pokémon and get in trouble, they'll protect you because you have a Pokémon."

"That makes no sense!" Cielle swallowed the saliva building up in her mouth. "Enough about Legendaries! I'm tired of them! What starter are you getting, Lav?"

"Okay, I'll drop it... on one condition." A teasing smile could be seen, and Cielle momentarily thought of chucking her book at him.

The chestnut-haired girl glared at her best friend. "No."

"Battle me when we get our starters, and I'll never talk about Legendaries again." Lavender raised his hand and extended his pinky. "Just one battle."

Cielle pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew that Lavender realized he shouldn't push her any farther. Her dislike of Legendaries didn't go unnoticed, but he still tried to show her that some weren't all destructive. Xerneas and Ho-Oh were two that he eagerly showed her, and she couldn't argue with him. It's too bad they didn't live in Johto. They didn't have any impending disasters.

Sure, Kalos was rumored to be beautiful, but they had Yveltal. Cielle was not taking her chances. At least Ho-Oh and Lugia seemed somewhat peaceful. Still, it wasn't enough to shake her fear and hatred of Legendaries. She had a strong preference for Mythical Pokémon instead. Victini and Meloetta were a hundred times better as they didn't murder her parents.

She sighed reluctantly. "Just one?"

"Just one." He firmly shook his head and wiggled his pinky. "Promise."

Cielle slipped off her bed and linked her pinky with Lavender's. "You better keep that promise."

And with that promise in mind, the day they received their Pokémon finally arrived on a windy autumn day.

The children in the orphanage, the ones that were ten at least, were huddled in the middle of the lobby. Cielle scoured the area. Paintings of different cities and Pokémon native to Unova hung on the baby blue walls. Mahogany tables were pushed against the walls and had vases filled with flowers. Behind her was a grand staircase that led to the second and third floors. She pressed the edge of her black shoe into the dark red carpet.

Cielle, Lavender, and the other children were ushered into a line by the Headmaster, who took leave soon after.

Cielle's gloved hand tightly gripped Lavender's, who did the same. While the purple-eyed boy rocked on his heels in excitement, she felt her knees go weak as the line in front of them grew shorter. Maybe she could run away and wait until next year to get a Pokémon. She doesn't need a starter that badly.

Finally, after whatever seemed like ages (it was a couple of minutes), the pair stood in front of a woman who wore a light green hat that was probably twice the size of her head. She appeared to be in her thirties, but it was only a guess, and Cielle didn't want to offend by asking. Her lips were curved into a grin, and happiness swirled in her emerald irises. Strands of blonde hair fell in front of her glasses, but she quickly brushed them away. In her hands was a cylindrical case with a lock.

"Hello, you two! It's nice to meet you. What are your names so I can write them down?" The woman chirped with glee. Eagerness was written across her expression, and Cielle could feel her anxiety loosening its grip. It felt as if the woman's happiness was contagious, trying to unweave the strings knotted around her body.

"Lavender Cain." The white-haired boy muttered with a hint of excitement laced in the words. His hand squeezed Cielle's in reassurance.

Drawing a deep breath, Cielle glanced up. Her voice broke, and her ears instantly turned scarlet."C-Cielle Quinn."

"Alright, Lavender, Cielle, my name is Bianca! I'm Professor Juniper's assistant. And in this case, it is the Pokémon you will choose! Exciting, isn't it? All of them were born and raised in the Professor's lab. Unfortunately, she couldn't leave her hectic schedule to give them to you personally. But that's why I'm here!" It seemed like Bianca dismissed Cielle's nervousness as she spoke because she sent the girl a bright smile.

Pressing the button on the case, the cylinder popped open with a click. Three red-and-white Pokéballs laid in foam cushioning inside. They shined with anticipation, waiting for the two of them to choose. Bianca leaned forward to present them with their future gifts.

"From left to right, I have Tepig, Snivy, and Oshawott! Of course, if either of you want the same starter, I have more, so don't think you're limited to the ones here. The last thing I want is for you not to have your first choice! I never found it right that you had to choose between three, and if you weren't first pick, you were left with only two to choose from." Bianca gestured to the case with one hand before tilting it toward them. "Take your time! This Pokémon will be your forever partner and friend after all!"

"You go first," Cielle blurted without a second thought. "Lavender should go first."

She who was indecisive shouldn't go first. She was fine with seconds and thirds, and it wasn't right, but she didn't care. The one who wanted a Pokémon was much more worthy than her. Cielle hadn't even given it a thought.

"I–" Soft purple eyes landed on Cielle's form. A hint of worry could be seen. "Are you sure? She said she has more starters."

"Choose, Lav. You can go first."

Lavender pursed his lips, words dancing at the tip of his tongue. His eyes reflected hesitation as if he would argue with her decision. Finally, the waves of emotions flittering through his irises settled, and he nodded. His agreement was done reluctantly, however. He wanted to retort, but Cielle's smile soothed him. She slipped her hand out of his grasp and motioned for him to step forward.

He sent her one last glance, giving her the chance to say something, but was met with silence. "Tepig, Snivy, and Oshawatt, right?"

"Yes, those are the three I have here. There's no need to rush if you need time to think." The woman adjusted the glasses on her face. "Cielle, you're allowed to give it some thought, too! You may have volunteered for Lavender to go first, but that doesn't mean you can't also ponder it! Tepig was my choice."

I don't even know who I want, Cielle thought solemnly. Maybe she didn't deserve a Pokémon, considering how apathetic she was.

"I want this one." Lavender clearly didn't need the time to think about it as he plucked the Pokéball in the middle. He cradled the sphere in his hands with care, almost as if the slightest movement would cause it to break. With a light touch, he tapped the center, and the Pokéball expanded before the lid popped open.

White light spilled over the edges of the opened capsule and fell to the ground like a waterfall. The light smashed together, melding into the shape of a small Pokémon. Sparkles exploded and rained down on the trio. Standing in front of Lavender was a green Pokémon with a leaf-shaped tail. The boy smiled at Snivy, who glanced up at him in curiosity.

Two thin vines slipped from the yellow leaves that curved around Snivy's shoulders like a collar. With one, Snivy waved and patted the back of the boy's hand. The Pokémon was greeting her Trainer, which was what Cielle thought was happening.

"Hey, Snivy. I'm Lavender, your Trainer and friend. It's nice to meet you." Kneeling on his toes, Lavender tried to get as close to Snivy's level as possible. With a big grin, he extended his hand toward Snivy.

Large crimson eyes gazed at the hand, and Snivy shook her head. It was almost as if she was chastising him for doing something stupid. Lavender's expression fell into confusion. Opening his mouth to speak, he was instantly cut off by the sight of Snivy's vines racing toward him. The long vines curled around the white-haired boy's body before pulling him forward. He stumbled, falling on his knees from the force. Small leafy arms attempted to wrap around his torso but failed. Snivy burrowed her face into his sweater and released a jubilant noise.

Lavender's eyes widened in surprise as his brain struggled to comprehend what had happened. Once he realized what occurred, he laughed softly. He softly rubbed the top of Snivy's head and looked at the Grass-Type with such adoration that Cielle couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. She was the only one on the receiving end of that look. Well, not anymore, from the looks of it.

However, the longer she stared at the pair, the less that ugly feeling curled in her stomach. Swallowing the saliva pooling in her mouth, she discarded those envy-filled thoughts, and another feeling arose. Deep in her chest, a hollow void twisted and gnawed at her heart. As if the warmth she felt from Lavender's hand had been replaced with a chilling blizzard that scrapped and hacked at her skin until she was numb.

Why was Cielle feeling this way? She hated it. This was supposed to be a joyful experience, yet her negativity was the thing that decided to latch their agonizing claws in her torso.

"Cielle," the girl's head snapped toward the direction of her name being called. Face blank before morphing into one of worry. Was everything showing on her face? Reassurance was what Bianca greeted her with. "Do you still need time to think about it?"

Tapping the tips of her fingers together, Cielle reluctantly stepped toward the woman. "I-I... How'd you choose? Tepig, I mean."

"How did I decide I wanted Tepig as my partner?" The blonde questioned.

Cielle nodded before lowering her head. She suddenly found the wooden panels they stood upon far more interesting than the remaining Pokéballs. Small scratches and grooves littered the floorboards. Evidently, people and children walked, ran, and tussled a lot to make those small indents. The urge to count them suddenly appeared.

Bianca humming in thought was what brought Cielle back to reality. "I didn't have a preference, you know. I was just so excited to get a Pokémon that I didn't care who I got as long as they became my very best friend. People come and go in our lives all the time, but Pokémon? They're always with us during our happiest and saddest moments. People love and cherish them just as much as they do us. My two best friends already knew who they wanted, so I decided to go with the one they didn't like.

"I wanted a friend that would be with me all the time. Sure, I could always call my childhood friends and recount all the adventures me and Tepig went on, but a story is nothing compared to the real thing. Just as they lay their stories in full about their journeys and experiences around Unova, I can only imagine what they did and vice versa. But my memories of my Pokémon are with me forever, and no amount of storytelling could live up to that."

It was a thoughtful and in-depth explanation that bore the woman's heart toward the young girl. If anything, Cielle could feel, see, and hear the love and wistfulness spilling from Bianca's words and figure. Pure and refreshing, and it made Cielle want to wither away from sight.

Was something wrong with Cielle? Was she some sort of abnormality that couldn't comprehend why Pokémon were so important? Did she ever understand it? Was she excited and carefree before the Unova dragons tore her life away with fierce flames and crackling thunder? She didn't remember. Did she ever like Pokémon, or did her indifference stem from her trauma?

"O-Oshawott," she sputtered before her mind could even register what she was saying. Her self-deprecating thoughts ground to a halt. What did she say?

"The Water-Pokémon? Is he the one you want?" Bianca pointed to the Pokéball on the far right. The edges of her eyebrows twitched like she was trying to figure out what expression to display. She settled for a calm one. "Oshawott?"

Again, before Cielle could understand what she was doing, she nodded fearfully. "Yes..."

A faint sparkle of unease could be seen in Bianca's green irises but was quickly masked by a tender one. It was as if the woman understood everything and nothing and decided no further questioning was needed. She raised her arms, bringing the cylindrical case closer to the child. "Then go ahead and grab him. Your forever partner."

Bringing her hand up, Cielle swiped the Pokéball from the case as if she were scared it would disappear. Screwing her eyes shut, she pursed her lips together. The sphere in her hands was warm. The plastic coating was sleek and smooth, like the marbles she and Lavender played with. The ball twitched softly, signaling that there was indeed a lifeform inside.

Her eyes creaked open, slowly revealing a curious cerulean. A quick tap on the center caused the Pokéball to snap open and spill a stream of light. Like Snivy, the light morphed into the right shape before revealing a small white and blue otter whose mouth was wide open in a yawn. Bringing a stubby white nub up, he rubbed the edge of his eye to wake himself up. It didn't work as much as he thought it would because he yawned again.

"Aww," Bianca cooed. She patted his head, ruffling the tuft of white fur sticking up on the top of his head. "Looks like someone hasn't woken up yet!"

Oshawott blinked wearily before grumbling. He pulled away from Bianca's grasp and lazily swiped at her hand. He took a step toward Cielle and then another and another until he bumped his head against her shin. Once he felt the rough fabric of her pants, he leaned into her leg and shut his eyes. No more than a couple of seconds had passed before he started snoring softly.

"Maybe he stayed up too late in anticipation?" The woman murmured in bewilderment. "There's too many Oshawotts in the lab for me to keep track of how they're doing. This little one looks like he hasn't had enough sleep. Well, the good thing is that he recognizes you as his Trainer!"

With that exclamation, Bianca spread her arms to show her enthusiasm and almost dropped the cylinder case with the remaining Pokémon. "Oh wait, no! Ah, gotcha! Don't want to break this! Professor Juniper wouldn't be happy."

Cielle watched Snivy approach Oshawott's sleeping form from the corner of her eye. She tilted her head and softly tapped Oshawott's arm with the tip of her vine. The otter gave no reaction. Snivy released a noise of confusion. She continued to tap him, and the Oshawott continued to ignore her. That or he was too far into dreamland.

"I think your Pokémon isn't going to wake up for a while." Lavender nudged Cielle's shoulder with his own. It was done with enough force to break her out of her stupor.

"I guess so." She murmured. Her gaze never strayed away from the otter. Maybe this was a dream because she wasn't so sure that the warm figure clinging to her leg was real. "I don't think you're getting that battle anytime soon."

Her friend shrugged. A sly grin slipped onto his lips. "I can't force it. But we will battle one of these days."

"Great! I'm sure it'll be exciting!" Bianca placed the case on the ground next to her feet. "Any ideas for nicknames? People always say that giving your Pokémon a name makes bonding easier!"

As if on cue, both ten-year-olds blurted out names.

"I'm naming Snivy Basil."

"Aquamarine. That's his name."

"Interesting names! A herb and a gemstone! Ah, but make sure these are the nicknames you want to give your Pokémon. If you want to change them later on, you'll have to go find the name rater." Bianca explained while tapping a finger to her chin. She gave them a sheepish smile. "Although Ivy and Oshie would sound cute to me, I'm not their Trainers."

Bending down to pick up Aquamarine's sleeping form, Cielle awkwardly tucked him into her arms. He nuzzled his head into her chest. Her face relaxed at the gesture before she turned her attention to Bianca. "Why do I need permission to rename my Pokémon from another person? Isn't he mine?"

At this, the blonde woman pressed her lips into a firm line. Her brows knitted in thought before she sighed heavily. "As much as it doesn't make sense, those are the rules. Rules from who? I'm not entirely sure."

The sound of Cielle's laughter slipping past her lips was why she was brought back to reality. Reminiscence was written across her face as she sighed contently. "I was so worried and indifferent to everything at that age. But I was a kid who didn't know what they were feeling. Besides, getting Aqua was the best thing that happened to me."

She lifted the clipboard in her hand and skimmed the first page. She had already read through all the pages but had to bring herself back to reality rather than go through old memories. Plus, there was also that dilemma going on.

"I swear if I get off lunch and my next patient is another Trainer who lost to Burgh..." her voice trailed off, although it was evident that she was irritated. "Well, I can't really do anything, can I? I still have to treat them regardless. But is it too much to ask not to have another defeated gym challenger?"

Whatever is going on with that Swoobat would be much more interesting than dealing with Trainers. But it's better to assume nothing is wrong than something is wrong. Cielle brushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear. Should I get Aqua? He's probably asleep, but he's only eaten a small bowl of diced berries in the morning. I guess I should–

Cielle's thoughts came to an abrupt stop as she heard the sound of frantic footsteps banging on the corridor floor. It didn't take long for someone to call out her name with an airy tone.

"Cici! Cielle! Ms. Quinn! Walk slower!" A feminine voice yelled.

At the sound of her surname being called, the teenager let out a soft groan. Now, don't get the wrong idea. Cielle wasn't upset to see the other woman, but she was tired of human interaction, and all she wanted was to head to the cafeteria. She plastered a pathetic smile and swirled on her heels just in time to see one of the other nurses and her friend jogging up to her. "Guess I don't need to go pick up Aqua from the daycare."

Cielle was about as good at making friends as Aqua was at battling. So nonexistent. Lavender was the only friend who kept in contact with her despite traveling to various regions over the years. But when she received a job at the Pokémon Center a year ago, one nurse decided she would become friends with her no matter what.

Coming to a stop before Cielle, Winona grinned as she presented Aqua to her. Her dark brown eyes sparkled with joy, whereas Cielle's mirrored pure exhaustion. "Ms. Quinn, there is no need to rush."

"I don't want to be pulled into another examination room, Winnie. I'm tired of reviving Burgh's challengers because under-leveled Trainers think they can win." Cielle plucked a sleeping Oshawott out of Lydia's hands. "I don't think I've treated this many defeats in a while."

"Oh, come on, It can't be that bad." Winona raised a hand and patted the Dreepy nestled in her afro. The Dragon/Ghost-Type playfully tugged at the woman's tight ringlets and chirped.

"Not that bad? I'd prefer anything other than scra– I take that back. I'd rather Pokémon not be so sick or injured."

"Wouldn't that be nice? A world where Pokémon can fight and play without worrying about large wounds or nasty diseases? But then we'd be out of a job."

Gesturing for the older woman to follow, Cielle shook her head. "I'm pretty sure we'd just be human nurses, not Pokémon nurses. Now, enough about this. I want to grab something to eat and not think about injured Pokémon."

"Agreed. Now," Winona smiled, slyly narrowing her dark eyes. "Here I was, panicking and wondering where you were. Then I learned that poor little Aqua was snoozing away in the pond without his owner. Naturally, I had to bring him to his irresponsible Cici."

"I can't believe the daycare lady let you check him out. Isn't that a breach of trust or something? What if someone waltzed out of here with my only Pokémon? Then I'd be all alone..." Despite Cielle lacing her words with sarcasm, she felt a twinge of fear bubble within her chest. She originally meant it as a joke, but the sudden thought of Oshawott disappearing made her hands sweat.

Her hands tightened their grasp around her Pokémon. Cielle didn't know what she would do if Aqua were taken from her. Aqua was the only constant in her life, making her feel grounded in this horrible city. Sure, she had Lavender and Winona, but they weren't always there.

Lavender was off-scouring the Unova region with a clear goal in mind. Cielle was lucky if she managed to wrangle a simple video call from the Xtransceiver from him. Sure, they both had cell phones–not Rotom phones because they were expensive–but they didn't get service everywhere. On the other hand, Winona had a younger brother to care for and wasn't always available to talk. Aqua was always there to hear Cielle ramble, even if he was asleep seventy-five percent of the time.

But Cielle? She was a mess who didn't have a set goal after getting a college degree. She didn't do much in her free time after all.

Cielle shifted Aquamarine around, cradling him like a snoring baby. With her free hand, she lightly flicked his cheek before snorting. There was no reaction as she expected, but that settled her thumping heart. "He wasn't going to miss me anyway. But thanks for bringing him. I was going to go back to him when I heard you call my name."

"No problomo, Cici! Now that I've given you your beloved Pokémon let's eat. I heard from Jones that they're serving Pecha berry pastry puffs." Grabbing onto Cielle's wrist, Winona tugged the nineteen-year-old down the corridor with little effort. A yelp escaped Cielle as she didn't expect the sudden action.

"Who's the one rushing now?" The chocolate-haired girl quickly regained a steady pace. She playfully glared at the other woman.

"Oh, shush you." Winona rolled her eyes. "You know how hard it is to get pastry puffs since we nurses have to share the cafeteria with everyone that enters this place."

"I prefer Razz berry desserts. Pecha berries are overrated."

"You've got no taste. Jet here loves Pecha berries." On top of Winona's head, Dreepy furiously shook his head. "See? Look how happy he is at the mention of them."

Cielle could only scoff. Her gaze dropped down to the Pokémon in her arms. "Lucky you. I'm pretty sure Aqua will just eat whatever I give him."

"That's only because Aqua wants to sleep all day and doesn't care for much of anything. A dozen alarms could ring, and he wouldn't move a muscle."

"You're not wrong."

⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅

Like any other day, the cafeteria was packed with various Trainers, Pokémon, and whoever else decided to come to the Pokémon Center. Chatter could be heard with different topics fluttering around the large room. Few people were standing in line, ordering whatever was on the menu, while many were sitting and eating their meals.

Large televisions were scattered across the room, displaying the latest news or hottest deals at Pokémarts. Sometimes, the name of a Gym Leader or Elite Four would pop up, but everything was drowned out by people talking.

Seated in the corner of the cafeteria were Cielle and Winona, who decided they didn't want to be in the center of all that noise. A couple of nosy Trainers tried to approach them by asking about the current state of their Pokémon, but both were quick to shut them down. Who wants to answer questions they didn't have the answer to on their lunch?

Twirling a fork between her fingers, Cielle watched how the light falling from the ceiling gave the implanted strawberry a soft glow. She shoved it in her mouth. "Any news from Nurse Joy yet?"

"Not a single peep from her. Who knows what's going on in that examination room? I'm just as curious as you are, Cici, but all we can do is wait. Frustrating, ain't it?" Winona tapped her fingers against the table's surface while the other was propped and used as a resting place for her cheek. Her food was long forgotten while Jet was shoving an entire Pecha berry in his mouth.

"Here's to hoping that we get a message soon." Placing her fork down, Cielle picked up a spoon and scooped up a bit of Oran berry yogurt. She hovered the spoon next to Aquamarine's mouth so he could take a bite.

"Soooo," Winona drawled as a mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes. Cielle could feel her stomach drop. "Any word from Lavender, or has he gone dead silent for a few more weeks?"

"Lavender? The last I spoke to him was about two weeks ago? Something like that. He mentioned he was going to run his team ragged since he's facing Champion Eden. He beat the Elite Four again, so he's going after her title. Again."

"You think he's going to win this time?" The older nurse watched as Dreepy's cheeks puffed up with the amount of food in his mouth. She was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing at the sight.

"Who knows? Maybe the tenth battle will be the winner."

"You don't sound so convinced."

"I can't even be called a full-fledged Trainer. What do I know about power scaling and training? My opinion is irrelevant."

"Sure, sure, Cici. You've got one more week in Castelia before you spread your wings and leave this pla–" Winona's words were suddenly cut off by a chime from her phone. She raised a brow. "Who's texting me?"

Cielle shrugged while scooping more yogurt for Aqua. "Don't ask me."

"You're not helping." Winona laughed softly. She quickly entered the password to her phone before opening the message. Her cheerful expression collapsed and reformed into a stunned one. She quickly shoved the screen into Cielle's face. "It's Nurse Joy. She's asking for all of us to meet in the back."

"Anything else?" Cielle squinted from the harsh light coming from the phone.

The woman across from her didn't meet Cielle's gaze. "No, which is the worrying part. Nurse Joy always gives us some sort of heads up."

Cielle felt her throat clamp up. What exactly was going on?

⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for updating this book months later. My life got hectic, and I wasn't in the mindset to write, plan or do anything. However, I wanted to do one more update before the New Year, so here we are! Hopefully, I will update again soon as I want to write more.

In the next chapter, we learn what exactly is going on with that Swoobat!

Character Spotlight:

Name: Lavender Cain

Pokémon: Snivy (Basil)

Likes: Training Pokémon