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    You know that feeling when you pop into existence while dreaming? The last moment I remember is Cord smashing an orb, making me black out. But I wasn't outside, looking at the skyline. I was inside, seeing a straw roof barely keeping it together. So where am I now?

    "Lucas wake up!"

    My head turned to see a young Eevee open a door in the corner to what seemed like a living room. I couldn't open my mouth to ask who the Eevee was, because I already knew her name.

"Hi Abby," I said waving my paw while still laying down... This confused me; how do I know who she is? I've only seen Cord and the Bisharp that almost attacked us just a few minutes ago. Not her. Once again, my mouth opened while not thinking straight. "So what's up? Pretty sure I can see breakfast when I can."

As my head peeked around to see a Sylveon and Jolteon cooking some berries, the Eevee closed the door shut. "Manny, I need you to remind me of something. During that month you were away to the Golden Coast, did you meet something close to an exploration team?" To my nod, she asked, "Can you tell me about it?"

My memories could be seen pouring in about a month's worth of being a Pokémon. Battling, socializing with other Pokémon, and the explorations teams she was talking about. Despite all the knowledge, I still didn't know what she called the Golden Coast. I looked down for a few seconds to realize a blue scarf was under me, and it was supposed to be for Abby here.

"Exploration teams..." My head turned back to the Eevee before smiling at her. "Well, there was one group that caught my attention... It was called Team Crusade, which had two Riolu, one male and one female, a Grovyle, and I think a Celebi was a part of the team." The Eevee's eyes suddenly sparkled with the mention of the Mythical Pokemon. "Yeah, I'm surprised how they even got her." I pulled the blue scarf out of my bottom before placing in on my lap.

The Eevee gulped silently before moving her body to face me. "So Lucas... Can we create an exploration team?" I had no control over my body, so I literally was placed in the back seat while my body blinked a few times surprised. "I know that you just came back from the Golden Coast, but I really want to explore the world. This continent at least. And honestly I don't think I can do it without you."

"I don't even know who you are!" is what I felt like saying...

My mouth kept shut as I wrapped the Eevee's cream fluff with the blue scarf. "Wha-What is this?" She said shocked from the object I revealed to her.

"Consider it my partner's gift, Abby. I'll make a team with you."

Her eyes brightened once again before pouncing on me, giving a hug softer than with any other creature in my world. A smile formed in my face before a white flash blinded me.

***

12/28/19

5:00 pm

Plains

"Ugh..." A groan came out of me. I was now paying the toll of the practice fights with Cord. On one hand, I got pretty good experience—with me also learning that weird move that I used on Cord twice. On the other, I became exhausted and badly bruised, and my adrenaline now completely gone... Which begs the question: How am I thinking right now?

"Hey there." I felt a nudge coming from my shoulder. "You awake, Lucas?"

Huh? That didn't sound like Cord. And it wasn't that same voice from the waterfall—even though it sounded female. So who could it be...? I guess there's only one way to find out.

My body slowly was becoming awake as I sat up in the rough grass. I was somehow facing a brown, fox-like creature that had its back turned. "Um." I tilted my head confused. "Hi?" The creature's ears quickly twitched before turning around.

I suddenly realized it was a female Eevee wearing a blue scarf, and she was looking right at me smiling. "Hi Lucas!" she said with her eyes somehow gleaming.

Please don't scream. Please don't scream. Please don't scream...

I screamed.

Now that I think about it, the scream wasn't actually a "real" scream, because it would have woken up Cord. But it still was loud enough for the Eevee to jump back. "Ahh!" Her brown paws covered the enlarged ears she had. "Lucas, I told you before. My ears can't take your yelling!"

"Sorry! Sorry. I-I just got startled." My body started taking in a couple of deep breaths. It's just another Pokémon. It's just another Pokémon... "How do you know my name?" I asked the Eevee.

"What are you talking about?" She responded while tilting her head. "It's me, Abby!" I could see her tail wagging as she gave a soft smile.

"Right...," I responded slowly while rubbing the back of my head. "And who exactly are you?"

Abby's mouth let out a sigh as she shook her head. "I swear I'm gonna kill him," she mumbled out loud. "Lucas, I'm your partner!" I blinked a few times before the statement sunk in...

Partner? Like a relation—wait, no, not like that. The other definition of partner.

"...I still don't know who you are, actually." I admitted with a grin while placing a paw on my back.

A large groan came from the Eevee as she dropped her head. "You don't remember how we met?" She asked me, quite confused. "I found you laying on a beach, with all your memories gone. My parents and I decided to let you stay with us, and we became best friends."

...H-How did I know that? I can literally pull out from my mind the scared Eevee shaking from my constant shouting. "Oh..." I looked down before realizing Cord's bag was slightly open. "Did you use his bag?"

The Eevee nodded. "Yup! I had to use one of your friend's Oran Berries to wake you up. But I guess it's okay since there are multiple more berries in the bag." The Eevee looked at Cord. "Speaking of your friend, I think it's time to wake him up."

Abby grabbed another Oran Berry from Cord's bag and gave it to him. Cord bit into the Oran Berry, and soon he opened his eyes.

"You okay?" I asked Cord.

Cord placed his paw on his head, indicating he was having a headache. "D-Did we get out of there on time?" Cord sat up and looked at me weirdly as I nodded.

"Uhh, Lucas? That scratch on you says otherwise."

I looked down at my stomach, and as Cord stated there was a scratch across my entire belly. It wasn't a deep cut, so no bleeding occurred, thank God. But it's still painful to just look at it.

"How? I was behind you when you used... An Escape Orb?" Huh, guess the item Cord used just came out of me.

"Um, are you going to..." The lone female said understandably confused.

Cord looked at the Eevee and stared at her. "Who is she?" asked Cord while he stood up on his floating tail.

"My name's Abby. And you are..."

Cord was about to respond, but I stupidly decided to bump him away from me and Abby to answer. "The Raichu's Cord. Now as for an explanation... Who's hungry?"

My best friend punched me in the face soon after.

***

12/28/19

5:40 pm

Plains

"So, let me get this straight," Abby said, eating her spicy Tamato Berry , "You two were doing some training in a dungeon, when a weird looking Bisharp attacked the two of you. And you got out of there in time, even though Lucas got a scratch across his belly... Are you sure it wasn't an alternate colored Bisharp?"

Cord shook his head before gulping down some of his food. "I highly doubt that since the eyes flaring aren't in any Bisharp... And we're not crazy."

He could see me facepalm and tried his best to ignore. 'What a way to put it, Cord.'

"Anything else?" Abby said to both of us before turning to me. I somehow was being put on the spotlight now...

'Should I...'

No, Manny, Cord said telepathically. Right now, it's a very bad time to tell her about that.

Right. "Nope, that's all." I said before looking back at Cord for a second.

'Can I at least tell her about you being hu—.'

No!

Fine... I looked down at my paws and noticed a couple of sparks in both hands. Guess it was time to ask. "Now since that's covered, what the heck was that move back there?" Abby looked at me confused. "Okay, before that weird Bisharp appeared, I was able to form a yellow electric ball on my... paws twice. And I used one of them to hit Cord."

"That was a fluke, Manny." 

Well, you don't have to be a sore loser about it.

"Well... Judging from the description you just gave me now; it sounds like you did Electro Ball."

Electro Ball? "That doesn't make any sense," I commented, "All Pikachu use Electro Ball by using its tail, not by using its paw."

"That's the only explanation I can offer." Abby said shrugging after. "So I suggest you take it."

Cord groaned before deadpanning his next sentence, "At this rate, I'll never get back to the Golden Coast..."

I gave the Raichu a look. "The Golden Coast? What's that?"

"Have you been living under a rock, Manny? You went there once!" Abby started laughing. "The Golden Coast is the most famous area in the entire continent! It's where the majority of all Pokémon go to find job opportunities, housing, and more!"

Cord started digging from his bag to pull out a map.

"Manny, the reason why we both went into Charred Chambers was to get an item that was only exclusive to there. That was why I got the Reviver Orb." Cord pointed to an empty piece of grass in the northwest part of the map. "I believe this is where we are currently. Our plan was to get back to Misty Mountain, get a few resources from there, and start heading toward the Golden Coast."

"Did you just say Misty Mountain? That's where I'm heading!"

Both me and Cord turned our attention to Abby. "Really? How come?"

"Well... I don't know if you heard me yelling nearby before you two woke up, but I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

"I'm looking for an Eevee named Chris because... He's my big brother."

I looked at Cord and Cord looked back. 'She's not lying, right?'

No, she is not.

Both of us took a deep sigh and turned back to Abby. "You want to come with us, Abby?" Cord said to her. "Let's be honest, Misty Mountain is a hard dungeon to get through by yourself. And it's the least we could do for you reviving both of us."

With that, we decided to start heading over toward Misty Mountain after finishing dinner. It got me thinking: Why did Cord mention "us" instead of his plan since I arrived two days ago?

The answer for that didn't come to me until we were nearby Misty Mountain.

For the first time in three years, Cord covered my back.

*Game File Saved*