It was raining again. Seriously, why was there so much rain this summer? The only good thing this time was it had actually been super sunny and warm out all day, but now it was night and it had started raining. Everyone was supposed to be asleep, but this was a restless night. Everyone in Cabin Primarina had become good friends and we didn't really want to leave. Sure, maybe we'd run into each other again, but how likely was it actually?

"Hey, anybody else awake?" Gaia whispered. A bright light turned on, making me squint as I peeked over the edge of my bed and below me. She was checking her phone. "It's like... One AM."

"I'm up." I whispered back. Then, everyone else started talking.

Pearl mumbled something about it being too late for this and Aubrey and Eve whispered loudly that they were both awake. Lilac groaned quietly, but now she was sitting up too, along with the rest of us. The rest of them, actually. I stayed lying down until someone gently poked my shoulder. Then I sat up.

"Hey, get your pokemon partners up. I'm bored, and I have an idea, but we need our ninja to make it work." Gaia ordered. We kept our voices low to avoid waking our counselors.

"I am a ninja." I insisted, but I shook Greninja awake anyways. "He taught me everything he knew as he evolved, and I taught him everything I knew."

'Hey, get up.'

'Hm? What's going on?'

Even through telepathy he was mumbling and he sounded unfocused. I could tell he was tired and still half asleep, but his eyes were starting to open and he had never been the type of person to need a proper sleep schedule to function. I'd learned that through many years of trying to figure out if sleep deprivation was even a thing for this guy.

'Gaia has an idea or something. Nobody else can sleep. Come on.'

'Yeah yeah... Gimme a minute...'

"He needs a minute." I whispered to everyone. Eve held a groggy Eevee in her arms, Jade was already perched on Pearl's shoulder, and Misdreavus was flying around the room aimlessly. Deerling and Lilac already seemed wide awake and were sneaking down the ladder. Flabebe hid under the covers at first, but Aubrey, Eve, and Eevee coaxed her out by the time Greninja sat up, now mostly awake.

'What's going on?' He asked me. 'Why's everyone up so late... early? What time is it?'

'One AM Bud. Gaia got bored. She said she has an idea.'

'Yeah, you already said that.' He looked around before speaking out loud again, in a whisper like the rest of us. "Hello everyone."

"Hey Ninja Froggo. We need both our ninjas here." Gaia grinned. "Teach us how to expertly sneak out of here?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Let's all go outside and have some battles! Quietly and carefully of course. Ninja style."

"This is a terrible idea and someone will get caught." Greninja groaned. "You know what? I don't have the mental energy to debate this right now. Screw it. Let's go."

"Really?" Eve squeaked. "You're serious?"

"Yeah. Hurry up before I change my mind and go back to 'this is a terrible idea'."

I hopped out of bed and Greninja followed. We took turns changing in the washroom on our side of the room and the bottom bunks (Gaia and Aubrey used blankets to turn their beds into tents to change in). Two people used the washroom at a time this time, since one person could just hop in the shower and close the curtains. While Eve, Aubrey, Gaia, and Lilac were changing I was stuck in the room only able to see Pearl, Jade, and Greninja. Pearl and I came to the agreement that we would turn our backs and get changed quickly. Jade was a girl, so Pearl didn't mind if she stayed on her shoulder, but Greninja went out into the hallways to give us some privacy. I only changed into jogging pants, then I just pulled a hoodie over my pajama shirt, put on my socks and sneakers, and went to join my pokemon. By this time everyone else was ready too.

"Careful with that door Lilac." I whispered as she was the last one out. "Don't let it make any noise."

"So, what now?" Gaia asked.

"Depends on where you want to go." Greninja whispered back. "We should take the fastest way out."

"Right. Well, let's go to the yard at the bottom of the hill. That way we're far away, but not near the forest, but we can use the forest to hide if we need to, and nobody can really see us from the windows."

"Reasonable. Then we want to take the main doors. Let's go."

We walked to the main door silently, with Greninja and I in the lead and Lilac and Deerling bringing up the rear. We didn't have much light. Actually, the only light that was on, although obvious, was too tiny to light anyone's way if it was that dark out. It was a tiny little red light on Greninja's wristband, showing that its alarm for his medication was off so it wouldn't buzz and wake him while he was asleep. Nobody dared to speak, but we didn't stop either. Until we saw someone just outside the door with their backs turned to us. It was Professor Loon and L.G, and they were talking about something. Both seemed really frustrated and were yelling at each other, but none of us could quite make out what they were saying. Greninja reacted quickly and ushered everyone around the corner and into a side hall leading to another door outside. As the doors opened, we could all hear a bit more clearly.

"Where are you going?" Loon called.

"I left something downstairs." L.G. said back, speaking much quieter than Loon had although his tone was just as harsh. "Hang on a minute."

"Alright. I'm going for a walk. It'll only take until you get back upstairs."

"Fine."

Greninja listened to L.G. walk over to the door leading to the stairs, but he didn't dare peek around the corner. We all held our breaths, but L.G. stopped. There was absolute silence for a few moments, and everything was still. Finally, L.G. sighed and spoke.

"Cover the light on that wrist band. I thought I taught you better than that. Don't cause any trouble and go back to your cabin when you're done."

Then he opened the door to the stairwell and went downstairs. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody breathed until Eve suddenly remembered she needed air and gasped for breath quietly.

"What the heck?" Gaia whispered.

We all collectively took a deep breath and slowly crept away from our hiding place. We went outside, wary of the fact that Loon was still out there, and went down the hill to the field at the bottom of it.

"So, he was clearly addressing you." Aubrey pointed out when we were outside. "I didn't know he was your teacher at one point."

"When I was a froakie, after becoming Alyssa's partner I was never left alone with him. When I evolved into a frogadier he started giving me tips to improve my skills in battle. When I became a greninja he started battling me whenever I came to the lab to see what I had learned, and he made notes on all of my mistakes to show me how to fix them." Greninja explained. "I always tried to listen, and I always did my best learning what he taught me. Even when I got it all right it never seemed to be enough. He's very hard to impress."

"Really? So you could've gotten everything perfect and it still wouldn't have been enough for him?" Gaia asking, sounding doubtful.

"Yeah. He's very hard on me. And that doesn't help our arguments." Greninja sighed. "He always expects more than I think I can give. Anyways, let's just do what we came here to do and go, like he said."

"I want to fight Alyssa and Greninja." Gaia grinned.

"Aw man! Fine, me and Deerling and Aubrey and Flabebe!" Lilac said.

"I guess that leaves you and me Pearl!" Eve said happily. "Our eevees can battle!"

Gaia and I found a spot cleared away from the others closer to the volleyball court and the path to the road and began our battle. As we fought we talked between giving silent instruction to our pokemon.

"So, you can communicate with your partner telepathically?" I asked when I realized Gaia wasn't giving Misdreavus any commands.

"Yep! You too?" She asked.

"Yes! Greninja has the battle bond ability. We've never been able to activate it fully, which is odd because we're often in sync without even trying." I said excitedly. "We feel each other's pain and share perspectives when we 'trade' eye colours."

"So when his right eye turns brown and yours turns red."

"Yep!"

"I think the battle bond ability is really interesting." Gaia smiled. "It is among the most unique abilities out there."

"Yeah! It's not that uncommon though I guess. Anybody can buy an Ash-Greninja card online."

"Yes, but remember it is rare to find a regular greninja card with battle bond hidden on it!" Gaia pointed out. "Most of the greninjas from those cards have protean or torrent."

"Yeah, but the regular cards with battle bond on them are supposed to be from factory defects or something." I replied. "Remember? Only the Ash-Greninja cards are actually supposed to have the ability."

Gaia shrugged. "Maybe your Greninja's battle bond isn't what you think it is."

"Maybe. So, your family, what pokemon do they have?" I searched for another conversation topic.

"Well, my mom has a primarina and my dad has a decidueye." Gaia said. "So their starters. I have three younger siblings, my little sister chose a popplio like my mom did when she was young, one of my little brothers chose a litten and my other brother isn't old enough to become a trainer yet."

"I had pokemon before I was old enough. Got my partner when I was five."

"I know, I got Misdreavus around the same age."

"Anyone else in your family that you didn't mention?"

"My grandfather has a granbull and my grandmother has a xerneas."

"Oh, I love Xerneas! It's one of my favourite legendary Pokemon!"

"I always preferred Yveltal myself." Gaia grinned. "So, how about your family?"

"My younger brother is coming to camp next week." I answered. "He has a cinderace for his partner. He's trained it so well ever since it was a scorbunny and worked so hard with it that it's already at max level. He's not supposed to be old enough to be a trainer yet, but I think Professor Trillium pulled some strings to get him his license early."

"She does tend to do that if she thinks a young trainer is responsible and gifted enough." Gaia said. "I can't wait to meet your brother! What's his name?"

"Jacob."

"Does he have any ghost types?"

"Probably. He has an entire binder full of pokemon cards. He has a spiritomb I think."

"Awesome! So, who else in your family?" Gaia guided us back onto the topic.

"My mom's partner is a braixen. Braixen hasn't evolved yet, mostly because she doesn't like to battle often so she has a hard time leveling up. My dad doesn't really have an official partner, just a bunch of fighting types. My grandfather has an alakazam and a servine and my grandmother has a slurpuff." I explained.

"So, what led you to wanting a froakie as your partner when you were little?" Gaia asked. "You never got enough time to explain earlier."

"Many reasons. I've always really love the water starters. By region, the only two water starters that aren't in first place for me are totodile and sobble. Sobble is my least favourite Galarian starter and totodile is my second favourite Jhoto starter." I explained. "And when I was a kid a went through a phase where I really wanted to be a ninja when I grew up. Looking back on it, I guess I was accidentally continuing a family tradition too."

"What tradition?" Gaia asked. "Do people in your family always choose froakie as their starter?"

"Well, my grandpa had a greninja as his partner, and all of the fathers before him." I said. "My grandpa and his greninja are both dead now though. Oh, and I think my mom may have gotten a Braixen partially because her mother had one."

"Ah, I see." Gaia nodded. "Sorry about your grandpa."

"It's fine."

Gaia and I continued our battle for a few more minutes before finishing and going to watch Eve and Pearl battle. Aubrey and Lilac seemed to be wrapping things up too.

"This is kind of nice actually. I never knew battles could get so quiet." Gaia sighed.

"That's what happens when you have two ninjas leading you!" Greninja smiled.

"Thanks for helping Jade learn baby-doll eyes earlier!" Pearl called to Eve.

"No problem!" Eve called back.

"Jade learned baby-doll eyes?" Lilac asked excitedly. She and Aubrey came and sat next to me and Gaia on the hillside. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah, good job guys!" I called to Jade and Pearl. They smiled at me, then refocused on the battle.

"Eevee, use swift!" Eve ordered. The attack hit.

"Jade, get back up and use quick attack!" Pearl said. Jade tried, but Eevee managed to dodge.

"Quick attack then take down!" Eve commanded. Eve's eevee had obviously been training for battle a lot more than Pearl's because her quick attack was faster than Jade's. Although neither eevees were notable in a fight and probably wouldn't stand a chance against Gaia and I, they were a good match for each other. And neither one was terrible.

"Jade dodge it!" Pearl yelled a little too late. Both attacks hit.

"Now, before they can counter, use last resort!" Eve told Eevee. So that's why they were using a new move every time. They have last resort in their move set. It deals a lot of damage but fails if you don't use every other move in your set before it.

"Jade quick, get up!"

Last resort hit. Jade was still awake, but seemed to be having a difficult time getting up.

"Are you okay Jade?" Pearl gasped. Jade looked back at her and nodded. I looked at them both carefully. They shared the same look in their eyes right now. There were a few moments of tense silence to see what would happen before something strange happened. Jade stood up and started glowing.

'Hey, is she-'

'I think so!'

The light blinded us all for a moment, and I covered my eyes. When we looked back up, there were no longer two eevees before us, but an eevee and a sylveon!

"Jade, you evolved! Congratulations!" Pearl squealed. Jade smiled back and wrapped one of her ribbons around Pearl's hand.

"You guys still up to finish this battle?" Eve asked.

"Definitely! Jade, use disarming voice!"

Disarming voice was a move learnt by sylveon upon evolution.

Disarming voice worked and Eevee took some damage. She countered with swift and Jade used quick attack, mostly to dodge. Swift didn't hit, but quick attack did. Before Eevee had a chance to get up again Jade used tackle. We could barely see it through the smoke still around us from swift. When it cleared, Jade was still standing and Eevee had fainted.

"Yes! You did it Jade!" Pearl hugged her pokemon happily and Jade hugged back using her ribbon feelers.

"That was awesome you guys! But can we hold off the celebration, we have to go inside and how will we explain this when our counselors wake up and see that Pearl has a sylveon tomorrow?" Greninja snapped a bit. The longer we'd been out here the more on edge and impatient he'd gotten.

"Shoot, that's right." Gaia frowned. "We'll go inside and figure it out, it's too risky to stay out here!"

"It'll be easier to sneak a smaller group back inside." Eve said. "Just in case we have to rush into a hiding spot again. So all pokemon back in their cards!"

"I didn't bring Greninja's card." I stated. "It's ripped past the halfway point."

"You're kidding!" Eve gasped. "How?"

"Max. I can tell later, but we should really go now."

"Well, it's not like the ninja pokemon won't be able to handle himself on a stealth mission." Gaia shrugged. "No big deal. Everyone else, back in your cards!"

After that we made our way back to the main doors and crept inside. Greninja took control of the water that had soaked us all and used it to form a water shuriken to throw into some bushes outside, so we would be dry. Following Greninja's lead we successfully made it to our cabin doors. We opened them as we heard another door open and somebody start walking down the side hall we'd hid from L.G. in earlier. From there we released our pokemon again and went inside. We closed the door behind us but didn't even make it to our beds before something moved.

"Girls?"

Sylveon stood in front of us. Maggie's, not Pearl's. It cocked its head to one side curiously and stared at us in the dark, completely still.

"Oh boy..." Aubrey groaned. Greninja threw up his hands and let them fall to his sides with an 'I knew it' look on his face. He looked like he was nearly ready to walk out the door again.

"This was a terrible idea." He repeated himself.

Sylveon wasn't interested in why we had been out though. She looked at Jade for a few moments, observing her carefully. Suddenly she smiled and shook her head gently at us, eyes closed, like she wasn't shocked or mad at all. She let us all get changed, then using her ribbons she guided us to our beds and tucked everyone back in. She went and checked that all of the doors and windows were locked before curling up beside her trainer to go to sleep herself. We didn't even need to explain.

'Think she'll tell?'

'I don't know...'

- The next morning -

Our counselors came around to our beds and shook us awake one by one the next morning as they did every day. Usually when they did they looked a bit tired, but today they were beaming.

"Hey Pearl and Jade! Congratulations on the evolution last night!"

"Hm? Oh, thanks!" Pearl grinned and Jade squealed a 'thank you' happily.

"Sylveon told us she needed your help with something outside the cabin and you guys got into a fight with a wild dragon type. Are any of you hurt?" Andrea asked all of us.

"We're all fine!" I smiled. I gave Sylveon a thankful look and she winked back at me.

"Hey, I just realized that's one step closer to a complete collection of eeveelutions for our talent show performance!" Eve yelled happily.

"We'd better get to practicing then! Come on, let's get dressed, I'm starving." I replied.

"Oh, you know how we had that short meeting just to meet the kids with the other three eeveelutions earlier this week, just before Alyssa and Phoebe left for their battle?" Gaia asked. "I saw one of them again the other day. He was asking if we could meet tomorrow and go over our rehearsal plans again today."

"Yes! We should do that, we barely have any time left!"

Now that a sylveon has been added to our collection of eeveelutions, all we really need is a glaceon!