Pokemon Loud Version - Kanto Ch. 32 - Interlude I

-Vermilion Harbor (2:00 PM)-

As the sun shone brightly over Vermilion Harbor, a green-haired woman clad in a school uniform was sitting at a small booth next to a sign that had the words 'FREE PASSES FOR THE ST. ANNE HERE - GET YOURS TODAY!' boldly painted on it.

And by the look of irritation on her face, she didn't look like she was happy to be there.

"I hate this...I hate this so much..." grumbled the woman to herself before glaring down at the uniform she was wearing, unintentionally causing some of the buttons on her blouse to strain. "Why the hell do I have to wear something as degrading as this? I used to be a squad leader, for Arceus' sake!"

After the failure to complete the recon mission at Cerulean Cape and the demotion from squad leader that followed, she had been delegated to assisting Proton with the St. Anne operation. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem as it would allow her to play a role in bringing a major scheme of Team Rocket's into fruition, but her enthusiasm quickly died upon learning that her superior wanted her to distribute free passes for the St. Anne to anyone she met - a job that had the other grunts cracking jokes and laughing at her expense.

If she had known what she was going to get herself into, she would've just asked for more recon duty. At least it wouldn't be as degrading as this.

To add further insult to injury, she was also expected to wear this blasted outfit while distributing the passes. The grunt who had given it to her claimed it would 'give her a friendlier, more approachable appearance' to make it easier to complete her task, but she was certain that he just wanted her to wear it because the clothes were tight enough to show off her figure.

After dealing with numerous catcalls from fellow grunts and passerbys alike, she swore to herself that she would burn the outfit to ashes after she was done wearing it.

Once she had taken a few minutes to calm herself down, the green-haired woman muttered "...Okay Midori, you can do this. You just need to hold out long enough to get rid of the passes you have left, then you can head back to the warehouse, get out of this stupid outfit and convince the boss to put you back on recon duty so you won't have to do something like this again. And hey, there's no sign of that white-haired pain-in-the-ass anywhere, so...", only to stop speaking upon seeing Misty dragging Lincoln and Brock behind her as she stomped into the harbor. "...Aw crap. I just had to go and tempt fate, didn't I?"

"C'mon, you two! If we end up missing out on getting our hands on some of those passes, I'm going to make sure that you end up regretting it!"

Trying (and failing) to pull himself free from the redhead's grip, Lincoln asked "Did you really need to drag us all the way here just for a couple of passes, Misty? Can't you just watch it pull into the harbor and be happy with that?"

Giving the white-haired Loud a glare, Misty retorts "No, that's not satisfactory enough! I want to get the best possible look at the St. Anne and boarding it will give me the chance to do it. Besides, do you know how much it costs to afford a ticket for the St. Anne? Do you?"

Shrugging, Lincoln replied "Not really."

"They're 250,000 Pokedollars per ticket. I should know - I looked it up while we were staying at the Viridian City Pokemon Center." answered Misty, arms crossed. "And I know for certain that we don't have enough money to obtain a ticket through the usual means. This could be the only chance I'll get to board the St. Anne and I cannot...no, will not turn something like that down."

Instead of looking astonished at the absurdly high price, Lincoln asked "...Why are tickets for a cruise liner cheaper than a bicycle?"

"That's not important right now, Lincoln! We need to get our hands on those passes, pronto!" exclaimed Misty before looking around the docks. "The girl who's giving them out has got to be around here somewhere. Keep an eye out for her, you two."

"Well, maybe if a certain someone would be willing to let the two of us go, we'd be able to do that." replied Brock sarcastically before pointing at his ear, which was still firmly grasped in her hand.

Realizing that she hadn't released her grip on of her companions, the redhead blushes in embarrassment before letting them both go, muttering "Oh...right. Sorry."

"It's alright." replied Lincoln as he readjusted the sleeve that Misty was clutching earlier. "Just don't do it again, please."

"No promises. Now then, that girl's gotta be around here somewhere..."

"Try looking beside the giant sign that says 'FREE PASSES FOR THE ST. ANNE HERE - GET YOURS TODAY!' on it. It's right behind you." replied Brock waspishly as he rubbed his still-sore ear, causing the Water-Type specialist to quickly turn around.

Upon seeing the sign that Brock was referring to, Misty lets out a delighted squeal before rushing over, leaving the two males and Pikachu behind.

"Well, someone's excited." remarked Lincoln with a chuckle, watching as Misty ran off.

"This could be her only chance to board one of the most luxurious cruise liners in the world. Can you really blame her?" answered Pikachu from his spot on Lincoln's shoulder.

"When you put it that way, I suppose not. I just wished that she hadn't dragged us all the way here from the Vermilion City gym."

Still rubbing his ear, Brock commented "You got off lucky, Lincoln - at least she didn't drag you by your ear. Seriously, I was starting to worry that she would end up tearing it off."

As Lincoln prepared to give the Rock-Type trainer a reply, Misty barked out "What are you two doing? Get your butts over here!", causing the two males to look at each other for a brief moment before shrugging and walking over to speak to the woman as well.

Watching as Lincoln and Brock started heading towards the booth, Midori thought '...Great. Of all the people to run into in a place like this, it just has to be that white-haired brat. Just wonderful.'

Coming to a stop in front of the booth, Lincoln asked "Excuse me, miss...we heard that you were giving away free passes for the St. Anne. Do you happen to have any left over?"

"P-passes for the St. Anne?" replied Midori in a wavering voice, causing the white-haired boy to nod. "I...uh, I can check. Can you gimme a minute or two?"

Nodding, Lincoln answers "Sure. Take your time." before turning away so he could talk to Misty and Brock.

As the three Trainers (and Pikachu) spoke to each other, Midori thought '...Okay, you can do this...just give the brat his passes and he'll go away. That's all you have to do.' before reaching a trembling hand towards the bag that was sitting on the booth.

Upon seeing exactly three passes inside, the green-haired grunt stared at them for a moment before a wry grin formed on her face.

'...Never thought that the very bane of my existence would end up doing me a favor. I just need to give these to him and I can go.'

With that in mind, she taps Lincoln's shoulder to get his attention. Trying her hardest to keep a friendly look on her face as the white-haired Loud turned to face her, Midori holds out the passes and says "Here you are - three passes for the St. Anne. You three should consider yourselves lucky - those three were the last ones I had left."

"Thank you." answered Brock before noticing that there was something...familiar about the green-haired woman. "...Say, haven't we met before? There's something very familiar about you, but I can't exactly put my finger on it."

"Uh...nope. Never seen you three before in my life." replied Midori hastily, hoping to Arceus that they didn't catch on to her identity.

"She's probably some poor girl you've tried your luck with in the past, Brock. Leave her be." said Misty dismissively before giving Midori a smile. "Thanks for the passes."

"You're welcome. Now then, I...uh, have to go. See ya!" replied Midori quickly before sprinting off, leaving the three bewildered Trainers behind.

As he watched her disappear into a warehouse at the end of the harbor, Brock mutters "Seriously, I'm pretty sure that I've seen that woman before from...", only to be cut off as Misty once again grabbed his ear and started to drag him off. "Why do you always keep dragging me by my ear, damn it!? I didn't even do anything to warrant it this time!"

"Because you don't know when to quit when it comes to pretty girls! Now c'mon - we agreed to check out Vermilion City together and I don't want you wasting our time on a girl you've only met once!"

Shaking his head as the redhead led the Rock-Type gym leader away, Lincoln says "Poor guy's gonna end up losing that ear someday if Misty keeps yanking on it like that."

"He wasn't wrong, though. I'm pretty sure that we've met that woman before." remarked Pikachu, causing Lincoln to give him a questioning look.

"How can you tell?"

"Her scent. I can't remember exactly where I smelled it, but it is familiar to me."

"Well, there's no point in worrying about it now, buddy - she's gone and we've got our passes." said Lincoln with a shrug before pointing at the entrance to the harbor. "C'mon, we better get going before Misty decides to get on our case for lingering behind."

(AN: Decided to give our favorite misfortune-struck green-haired Rocket grunt a name. By the way, 'Midori' is Japanese for 'green'.)

-=O=-

-Vermilion City - Inside The Rocket Warehouse (2:25 PM)-

Once she was inside of the warehouse, Midori leans against a nearby wall and starts gasping, trying to catch her breath after her sudden sprint away from Lincoln and his companions.

"Of all the people I had to run into today...it had to be that brat. That kid's jinxing me, I just know it..." muttered the green-haired grunt in-between breaths. "Well, at least I managed to hand out the rest of the passes, so I can..."

Turning her attention towards her clothes, she saw that two of the buttons had popped off of her shirt. If she had to take a guess, they probably came off while she ran to the warehouse.

"Oh, are you fucking...it's official - that kid's definitely jinxing me! Damn it!" snarled Midori, scowling. After taking a moment or two to calm down, she adds "I need to get out of this thing before something else ends up popping off. Where's the changing room in this place...?"

As she started to walk away to find the aforementioned room, Midori suddenly bumps into someone else in the warehouse, causing her to fall onto her hands and knees. Turning to glare at the one responsible, she snaps "Watch where you're going, you shithe...", only to immediately clam up upon seeing the familiar form of Proton glaring at her. "...Uh-oh."

"'Uh-oh' is right, you bumbling idiot. Care to finish that remark?" asked Proton, causing the woman to quickly lower her head.

"...No, sir."

"Good. Now then, what the hell are you doing here? You should be out there, handing out the passes for the St. Anne! You know that you're already on thin ice with the boss because of your previous failures, yes?"

"I...I know, sir." stammered the green-haired grunt before quickly picking the bag she had dropped during the collision and opening it, showing him that it had been completely emptied. "As for the passes...I've given them all away, sir. Every last one."

"I see. Well, good work..."

"Midori, sir."

"I do not recall asking for your name, grunt. If I want it, I'll ask for it." stated Proton, causing the green-haired woman to wince. "Still, at least you managed to complete this assignment instead of bungling it like you did your previous ones. Perhaps there's still hope for you after all."

"Er...thank you, sir. By the way, there's something I thought you should know..."

"Out with it."

"Well...do you recall the white-haired brat I told you about the other day? The one who screwed over my earlier assignments?" asked Midori, causing Proton to mull over her words for a moment before nodding his head.

"Ah yes, the boy who's currently piquing the interest of the boss. What about him?"

"...Piquing the interest of the boss?"

"Yes. From what I understand, the boss is interested in the boy's skills as a Pokemon Trainer and feels he could be a useful asset for our organization." answered Proton, hands behind his back. "And whatever the boss wants, the boss gets."

"Great...the boss wants to recruit the kid who's been making things difficult for me. Just wonderful..."

"It's not your place or mine to question him or his decision, grunt. We do what the boss tells us to do, regardless of whether we like the orders he gives us. Now about what you were saying earlier...?"

Taking that as her cue to continue with what she was going to say earlier, Midori replies "I gave the boy and his friends passes for the St. Anne, sir. All three will be there to board the ship when it arrives."

Looking pleased, Proton nods and says "Excellent work. The boss will be pleased with this news."

"Pleased, sir?"

"The boss has another squad of grunts observing the boy. By having him on the ship, it'll make their jobs easier, therefore making things easier for Team Rocket."

Nodding in understanding, Midori answers "I see. Thank you, sir.", only to notice that Proton was looking at her with a hint of disapproval on his face. "...Sir? Is something wrong?"

"Why is your shirt unbuttoned, grunt?"

"Oh, this? A couple of my..."

"I don't care what your excuse is." snapped Proton, cutting Midori off. "We may be criminals, but even we have standards when it comes to proper dress code."

Gobsmacked, the green-haired grunt exclaimed "But sir, my buttons popped off on their own! The shirt I was given was too..."

"I said I don't care. Go change. Now." interrupted Proton again before pointing at several dividers that were positioned in the corner of the warehouse.

"But sir..."

"Go. Now. And you can expect a write-up for such a blatant violation of our organization's dress code."

After sputtering nonsensically for several seconds, Midori lets out a groan of frustration before leaving to change back into her usual uniform.

Watching as she left, Proton mutters "Who does she think she is, flaunting herself like some kind of cheap Neon City whore? I'll see to it that she's put on recon duty for the next..." before getting cut off by the sound of his phone going off. Taking it out of his pocket and answering the call, he asks "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Is that any way to speak to your superior, Proton?" asked a male voice in a cold tone, causing Proton to pale considerably.

"O-oh...uh, hello, sir. What can I do for you this afternoon?"

"Enough of the pleasantries, Proton. I'm here to talk business, not for you to act like a suck-up." replied the voice in return, causing Proton to wince at the blunt answer. "I want an update on your current progress with the St. Anne operation. How are things coming along?"

"We're almost ready with preparations, sir. Everything should be all set by the time the St. Anne arrives." answered Proton, taking a glance at his subordinates as they worked.

Sounding satisfied with the answer, the voice replied "Excellent. At least I can count on you to do your job correctly, unlike certain members of our organization."

"Thank you, sir. Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?"

"There is, as a matter of fact. I have a special job for you that I want you to handle as soon as you get everyone on board the St. Anne."

"Whatever it is, I'll see to it that it's done, sir." said Proton, waiting for his superior's command.

"Good to know." answered the voice before it suddenly took on a malevolent tone. "There are three members of our organization that have proven themselves to be...less than adequate at their jobs and I want them dealt with. Use whatever means you deem necessary."

"You want them dead, sir?"

"Dead, missing, told that they're fired and can't come back anymore...I don't care how you do it."

"Understood, sir. Names?"

"Jessie Musashi, James Kojiro and that worthless Meowth who hangs around with them." answered the man icily.

Eyebrows raised, Proton asked "Those three, sir? I thought you had them working on the assignment regarding that white-haired American."

"I did. However, their lack of progress as of late has convinced me that those three aren't worth keeping around, mission or not." answered the voice firmly. "I'm already making plans to give the assignment to someone who will actually get the job done after the St. Anne operation. I just need to find a pair of grunts more competent than those three idiots."

"Well, if that's what you want, then I'll see to it that it's done, sir. You won't have to worry about dealing with those three ever again after I'm done with them."

"That's what I want to hear, Proton. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you after the St. Anne operation is completed. Goodbye." said the voice before ending the call.

After taking a moment or two to go over the order he was just given, Proton mutters "Kinda counterproductive to get rid of a pair of grunts like that, but whatever the boss wants, he gets." before shrugging and putting away his phone.

After all, it wasn't his place to question his boss' orders, but to see that they were carried out.

-=O=-

-Team Rocket HQ - Office (2:30 PM)-

After finishing up his call with Proton, the man mutters "By Arceus, that man is one of the biggest suck-ups I've ever met. At least Petrel doesn't put extra effort into trying to kiss my ass." before moving to hang up the receiver, only to stop halfway. "...Hmm...since I've already checked on the St. Anne operation, perhaps I should check in on the 'special project' I've commissioned. It's been a week since I've checked on the progress of that, anyway."

As he prepared to dial in a number on his phone, the man heard the sound of knocking coming from his door. Addressing the grunt who was standing guard outside of his office, he asks "Who is it?"

"There's a pair of grunts from the Celadon Game Corner here to see you, sir. They have a report for you about the operation Mr. Petrel is running over there." answered another male voice from behind the door, causing the man to nod in response.

"Send them in."

As if accepting the order, the door opens and two black-clad Rocket grunts step into the room - a blonde woman with her hair tied back into two long ponytails and a man with dark sea-green hair.

"Good afternoon, sir." greeted the woman with a nod as she and her partner approached the desk.

Smiling, the man adds "How are you today, sir?"

"Enough of the pleasantries, you two. Get to the point on why you're here." said the man bluntly, causing her and her partner to nod quickly before placing several papers on his desk.

"Mr. Petrel sent us to turn these reports over to you regarding the Celadon City Game Corner, sir." replied the man, gesturing towards the papers. "He also wanted me to tell you that aside from a few people complaining about their losses at the machines, everything is going exactly as you specified."

Looking slightly pleased with the reply, the man nods and says "I see. Well, let him know I said to keep up the good work." before giving the two grunts a peculiar glance. "By the way...who are you two?"

"Us, sir?" asked the man, pointing at himself and his partner.

"No, the invisible people standing behind you." replied the man sarcastically before a look of fury appeared on his face. "Of course I mean you two, you idiot!"

Deciding to get a brief introduction out of the way to appease her boss, the woman replied "The name's Cassidy, sir. And this is my partner...Biff, I think?"

"I've told you this a thousand times, Cassidy - it's 'Butch'. How would you like it if I kept mispronouncing your name, huh?" replied the male grunt, now known as Butch, with a sneer.

"It's not my fault your name's forgettable."

"Forgettable!? Who the hell do you think you are, you bit..."

"That's enough, you two. I won't tolerate you acting like children in my office." snarled the man as he banged a fist on his desk, causing the two Rockets to stop arguing before snapping back to attention to wait for his next order. "Much better. Now then, you two...there's going to be a slight change of plans. You're not going to be returning back to Celadon City. In fact, I have a different assignment in mind for you."

"A new assignment, sir?" asked Butch, wondering what his superior had in mind.

"Yes. You two will be keeping an eye..." started the man before pressing a button, causing Lincoln and Pikachu to appear on the large television in the room. "...on this child and reporting anything you can find out about him back to me. I originally had those dolts Jessie and James handling this, but the results have been...less than satisfactory, to say the least."

"So you want us to do the job they couldn't, huh? I always knew that those three didn't have what it took to be members of our organization." replied Cassidy with a smirk. "So when do we start our new assignment?"

"You'll start on it after the St. Anne operation. The time frame between it and your mission should give you time to do some research on your mark." answered the man before leaning forward. "And I'll be expecting results. Those fools have disappointed me enough already and I don't need you two doing the same thing."

"Of course, sir. We'll get right to it as soon as possible." said Butch before letting out a chuckle. "Boy, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they find out we're taking over their mission. Should be a riot, eh Cassidy?"

"Oh, definitely. The look on Jessie's face...I'll be looking forward to seeing it." asked Cassidy, giving her cohort a cruel smile. "Speaking of which, have you decided how you're going to break the news to them about the change, sir? I can imagine that they won't be happy about you deciding to replace them with us."

"I honestly don't care whether they'll be pleased or not that you'll be taking over their assignment. They can have all the time they want to complain about it while looking for new employment." answered the man before darkly adding '...If they survive after the St. Anne operation, that is.' in his mind.

"You're firing them, sir? Not that I'm protesting or anything, but why?"

"Incompetence, Cassidy. At this point, they're nothing more than dead weight that's doing more harm to Team Rocket than good. And when you have dead weight holding you back, you don't keep it around. You get rid of it." said the man, steepling his fingers. "I've already ordered a complete wipe of any data that has to do with their employment. By the time the St. Anne operation is over, those three will no longer be employed by our organization."

"Good call, sir." said Butch, nodding his head. "We won't let you down like they did."

"That claim better hold true, Bert. Now then, you're dismissed."

"Of course, sir. But...my name isn't Bert. It's But..."

"Don't correct me, Bert. I said 'dismissed' - that means get the hell out of my office before I lose my patience with you. Now." said the man pointedly as he gestured towards the door leading out of his office while Persian stood up, waiting for his master's order to deal with the two grunts in front of him.

"But I..." stammered Butch before Cassidy grabbed his arm and started to lead him out of the office.

"Let's go before you end up making the boss mad, Biff."

"It's Butch, damn it! Butch!"

While Cassidy dragged her partner out of the room, the man simply shakes his head before picking up his phone and dialing in a number.

After a few seconds, a man's voice asked "Hello? Who is this?"

"Your benefactor. I'm calling about your progress on the 'project' I hired you and your associates to work on."

"Oh, it's you, sir!" replied the other voice hastily. "We're making headway towards the project, sir. We're still fine-tuning things to fit the specifications you requested, but it should be done in a couple of years."

Slamming his fist on his desk, the man asked "A couple of years!? You can't have it finished any sooner than that!?"

"I'm afraid not, sir - haste leads to errors and errors often lead to the project failing. We want to make sure that we do things correctly, not quickly."

"...What will it take to cut down the time to within the year?"

"Well...more funding and staff, for starters..." said the voice carefully, causing the man to nod.

"Done. I'll have Dr. Namba and some of the other scientists under our employ assist you with the project."

"And the funding, sir?"

"You'll have it. Just make sure to have the project finished before the year ends."

"We'll try, sir - just do remember to keep in mind what I said about haste. Goodbye."

After hanging up, the man puts his phone away before leaning back into his chair and petting the Persian at his side, muttering "My secret project...with your power under my control, no one will be able to stand in the way of Team Rocket and my goal for regional domination - not the Elite Four, not the champion..." before turning to face the television, which still had Lincoln on it. "...And certainly not you, Mr. Loud. For your sake, I hope you're willing to join the right side when the time comes for us to make our move."

-=O=-

-Mulberry City Pokemon Center - Lobby (2:30 PM)-

-=O=-

-Cerulean City Gym - Battle Area (2:45 PM)-

Inside of the main battling room of the Cerulean City gym, two Trainers were facing off against each other - Samurai, who had issued a challenge for his Cascade Badge, and Violet Waterflower, who was the one to answer it.

"Fury Cutter, Parasect!"

"Into the water, Seel! He can't hit you from there!"

With a grin on his face as Violet's Pokemon - a white seal-like Pokemon with black eyes and a short stubby horn on its head - dove into the water, Samurai shouts "Predictable! Your Seel is exactly where I want it to be!" before pointing at the surface of the water. "Use Spore on the water, Parasect! Flush that Seel out!"

In response, Samurai's Pokemon - an orange-colored crab-like Pokemon with milky-white eyes and a large red-colored mushroom with yellow spots on its back - lets out a hollow rattle-like cry before releasing a large quantity of white-colored spores into the water, causing it to take on a murky, milk-like color.

Startled by the unorthodox tactic, Violet screams "Get out of there, Seel!", hoping that the Grass-Type attack wouldn't effect the Sea Lion Pokemon.

Grimacing, Lily comments "Ugh...we're going to, like, have to clean that out of the pool later. What a pain."

"At least it's not as bad as the Sludge attack that got into the water yesterday." remarked Daisy before letting out a shudder. "That was totally disgusting."

"Like, totally. We should probably make a new rule that bans doing something like this, though."

"Agreed."

A few moments later, Seel pops out of the murky water before landing on one of the platforms floating in the pool, looking relatively unaffected by the Spore-filled water.

"Alright, way to go, Seel! Now let's use..." started Violet, only to stop speaking as her Seel suddenly lets out a yawn before curling up and falling asleep."C'mon, this isn't the time to take a nap, Seel! Wake up!"

When it didn't answer her, she mutters "Ugh...of all the times for you to choose to fall asleep, it had to be now? Why?"

"Now's our chance, Parasect! Finish it off with Slash!" ordered Samurai, causing the mushroom-like Pokemon to let out a screech before rushing towards Seel and slashing at it with one of its claws, sending it splashing into the water once more.

Seconds later, the Water-Type's body floats up to the surface of the water, unmoving. Based on the swirls in its eyes, it didn't look like it would be able to continue the fight.

Letting out a sigh as she recalled the unconscious Pokemon, Violet mutters "...You did your best, Seel. Take a rest." Turning to face Samurai as he did the same with his Parasect, she adds "Well, you managed to win. Congratulations. Kinda wish you could've done it without contaminating our pool, though."

"My apologies, miss. I saw a rival of mine using a similar tactic with his Pikachu and thought it would work just as well with my Parasect. I didn't expect the spores to spread throughout the entire pool." replied Samurai, giving the blue-haired woman a small, apologetic bow. "If you like, I can assist you with clearing this mess away."

"Nah, we'll handle it later. You go ahead and enjoy your victory." said Violet before snapping her fingers. "And speaking of victory...Lily?"

"Already on it, sis." answered the pink-haired woman before opening up a blue-colored box to show off the Cascade Badge and the accompanying TM inside of it. "Here you go, sword boy - your Cascade Badge and a TM for Water Pulse. Enjoy."

"I will treasure them both. Thank you." answered Samurai respectfully as he took both items, then turned to Daisy and gave her a small bow. "And thank you for gracing me with a chance to challenge for the Cascade Badge. You were a worthy opponent."

Letting out a giggle at the remark, Violet replied "Aw c'mon...you're, like, totally making me blush here."

"So, like, where are you heading next?" asked Daisy, causing Samurai to scratch his chin for a moment before answering her.

"Celadon City will probably be my next stop. If I recall correctly, there's supposed to be a Grass-Type gym there."

"And Grass-Types would be weak against the bugs that you used against Daisy today. Good call."

Nodding, the armor-clad boy answered "That's the idea, miss." before giving the three sisters a bow. "Again, I must thank you for giving me the chance to compete for a Cascade Badge. I wish you the best of luck with any and all future challengers you may face."

"Like, thanks. Good luck to you, too." replied Lily as she, Violet and Daisy gave him a smile and waved him off, causing him to return the gesture before starting to make his way back to the lobby of the gym. "What a nice, well-mannered little boy."

Nodding, Violet remarks "Cute one, too. Not as cute as that boy Misty's hanging out with, but he comes pretty close."

"Cute, Violet?" asked Daisy with a smirk, causing the blue-haired woman to give her an annoyed look.

"Shut up, Daisy."

Before Samurai starts to reach for the door leading back to the lobby, it suddenly opens up, allowing the familiar form of A.J. to step into the room. After the two rivals stare at each other for a moment, the green-haired teen asks "...You again, sword boy? What're you doin' here?"

Showing off his newly won badge, Samurai answered "I came here to challenge the gym leader here for a Cascade Badge. I presume you're here to do the same thing?"

"Yep. Figured that this gym would be as good a place as any to start collectin' badges."

"I see. Well, best of luck with your challenge."

"Thanks, but I don't need luck to win." answered A.J. before turning his attention to the three Waterflower sisters, who were eyeing him carefully. "Alright, which one of you three is the gym leader? I'm here for my Cascade Badge."

Stepping forward, Lily says "All three of us are certified gym leaders, so you get to pick which one of us you want to challenge." while her sisters nodded in agreement. "So, like, which one do you want to face?"

"I get to pick, huh? Fine by me." replied A.J. before holding up three fingers, causing the sisters' eyebrows to raise at the sudden gesture. "I'll take on all three of ya at the same time."

"Like, are you sure?" asked Violet, unable to believe what she had just heard. "You're challenging all three of us to a battle at the same time. Do you, like, have any idea on what you're getting yourself into?"

"I know what I'm doin', missy. And yes, I'm sure about taking the three of you on - my Pokemon could use a bit of light exercise before we start crackin' down on the tougher badges and you three will fit the bill just fine."

"Light exercise!? You think that we're just going to be 'light exercise' to you!?" exclaimed Daisy, slightly offended at the remark. Upon seeing the green-haired teen smirk before giving her a nod, she snarled "Okay, that's it. Violet? Lily?"

Looking just as miffed as their older sister, both women replied "What?"

"This brat wants us to face him three-on-one, so let's give him what he wants. You two up for it?" asked Daisy as she took a Pokeball off of her belt, causing Lily and Violet to look at each other before nodding and doing the same.

"Like, sure. I'm up for teaching this punk a lesson."

"Same here. Let's do it."

Turning to face A.J., Daisy says "Alright then, you wanted to face all three of us at the same time, so when you end up losing, you'll only have yourself to blame.", only to remember what had happened during her earlier battle with Samurai. "...Aw crap, I forgot about the pool. You're going to have to wait until we get it cleaned out first before we kick your butt."

Arms crossed, A.J asked "You got another room we can use? I'm not a waitin' kind of guy."

"That eager to get your butt handed to you, huh?" answered Violet before tapping her chin, as if thinking about how to address A.J.'s request. "...Well, we could try using the pool meant for our swimming shows."

Nodding at the suggestion, Daisy remarks "Hmm...it's not as big as our main battling pool, but it should do." before giving her soon-to-be challenger a glance. "Are you fine with using a regular pool for our battle?"

"Fine by me. Show me where it is."

"You sure? There isn't going to be any safe spots for non-Water-Types to use for our battle with that pool, y'know." said Violet while Lily nodded her head.

"And we'll, like, have an advantage by using Water-Type Pokemon against you. You sure you want to go up against us?"

"I'm up for it." answered A.J. before giving the three sisters a smirk as he took his whip off of his belt. "'Sides, you girls are gonna need every advantage you can get if you wanna even come close to beatin' me."

"Tough talk, brat. We'll see if you'll be able to back it up." answered Daisy with a smirk before motioning for him to follow her.

As Daisy and A.J. left the room, Violet turned to Samurai and asked "So...are you, like, going to stick around and watch us kick his butt?"

"As much as I would like to see you and your sisters in battle, I must be going."

"You sure? It probably won't take us long to mop the floor with him."

"I'm certain. Best of luck with your match against A.J., you two." answered the armor-clad boy, giving the two sisters a small bow before leaving the room.

"Well...guess we better go catch up with Daisy. We've got an uppity punk to beat." remarked Violet once Samurai was gone.

"Yeah. Let's go teach him a lesson." said Lily before she and Violet headed off to find their older sister. Along the way to the main pool of the gym, she smirked and asked "Really wanted sword boy to stick around, didn't you Violet? Maybe Misty's not the only one with a thing for younger guys." in a teasing voice.

"Like, shut up."

"There's nothing wrong with it, you know. I would've totally stolen that white-haired cutie away from Misty if I had the chance."

"I said shut up!"

-=O=-

-Route 24 - Melanie's Cabin (3:15 PM)-

"And there we go. All done." said Melanie as she finished her check-up on what appeared to be a short, purple-colored Pokemon with small rafflesia-like pedals on its head and what appeared to be clear drool-like nectar oozing from its mouth. After giving it a gentle smile, she adds "You've made remarkable progress in your recovery ever since you evolved a few days ago. It shouldn't be too much longer until you're fit enough to leave this place, Gloom."

Much to her surprise however, the Weed Pokemon quickly shook its head.

"...You don't want to leave? Why?"

"Because I don't want to end up with another Trainer who'll end up being just as bad as my old one." answered the Grass-Type before pointing at an old picture of Melanie and Bulbasaur before answering "That and I...I want to take over Bulbasaur's old role as guardian of this place. You've done so much for me during my stay here and I want to return the favor by looking after all of you."

Having an idea on what the Grass-Type was trying to say, Melanie says "Ah, that explains it...you want to stay around to help me since Bulbasaur's not around anymore.", receiving a nod from the Gloom in response. "What about Misty, though? Don't you want to meet her again?"

"Misty's a good friend, but she wasn't the person who helped me get back into peak condition for three straight years. I don't want to leave you alone."

"So you're insistent on staying here with me, huh? What to do..." muttered Melanie before an idea popped into her mind. "Gloom...would you like to be my Pokemon?"

"Your Pokemon?" asked the Grass-Type, interested.

"That's right. By catching you, you'll be able to stay here with me. Would you like that?"

Nodding with a big smile on her face, Gloom answers "If it means I'll be around to keep you and the Pokemon here safe, I'm up for it."

Smiling as well, Melanie replies "Splendid! It'll be nice to have someone else helping out around here since Bulbasaur's not around anymore. Now I just need to find a Pokeball to use...I think I have a couple lying around in the cabin somewhe..."

Before she could finish speaking, a mass of Pokeballs of varying types suddenly spilled on the ground in front of the blue-haired woman, surprising both her and Gloom.

"What the...where did all these Pokeballs come from?" muttered Melanie before she noticed the large gathering of Pokemon standing nearby. "Oh my...did you gather these for me?"

In response, the mass of Pokemon nodded their heads.

"...Thank you. I'll make sure to treasure them." said Melanie with a smile before fishing through the pile for a Pokeball to use. "Let's see...which one should I use..."

Pointing at a pink-colored Pokeball, Gloom remarked "I like the look of that one. What is it?"

Noticing what the Grass-Type was pointing at, Melanie says "That's a Heal Ball, Gloom. Do you want me to use that one?"

"If you wouldn't mind." answered the Weed Pokemon with a nod.

"Alright then, let me just..." started Melanie before the group of Pokemon started clamoring about something, causing her to stop to look at them. "...Is something wrong?"

"We want in on this, too! We don't want to leave you behind!" answered a Mankey as it stepped forward.

Doing the same, a Bellsprout added "Same here! I don't wanna leave this place!"

"You're the only human that actually cared about us!"

"This place is paradise! I don't want to go!"

After watching the group express their desires to stay with her for a few more minutes, Melanie asks "...All of you want to stay here with me? That's why you brought these Pokeballs here - so I could catch you?", causing the numerous Pokemon to give her a nod. Eyes watering, she whispers "...I...I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"So does that mean we can stay?" asked the Mankey hopefully.

Having an idea on what the Pig Monkey Pokemon was asking, Melanie smiles and says "Yes. If you'll have me, I'll be your new Trainer.", causing the group to let out a cheer before glomping her at the same time, sending themselves and their new Trainer crashing into the ground.

Watching on as the numerous Pokemon embraced the cheerfully-laughing woman, Gloom thought '...Well, at least we won't have to worry about saying goodbye to anyone."

-=O=-

-Route 25 Pokemon Center - Damian's Room (3:20 PM)-

"Thatta boy, Charmander! Show tha' Magnemite who's boss!" cheered Damian from his wheelchair as he watched what appeared to be Lincoln's first battle with Lt. Surge on the television in his room.

As he continued to cheer for his former Pokemon, Nurse Joy stood at the doorway, watching on with a smile on her face.

'He seems so different from the mopey young man that was bedridden here a week ago...' thought the pink-haired woman before taking notice of the Charmander on the TV as it successfully knocked out Surge's Magnemite with Dragon Rage, causing Damian to let out a whoop of joy. Deciding to try speaking to him, she asks "Enjoying yourself, Damian?"

Turning his head to face her, Damian blushes slightly and says "Ah...sorry 'bout all the racket. Jus' got a li'l 'cited over watchin' Charmander on th' tube."

"It's alright. So how are you feeling today?"

"Pretty good, actually. I was feelin' like crap this mornin', but seein' my old buddy kick tha' Magnemite's ass made me feel as righ' as rain." answered Damian with a smile. "Knew I made th' right choice in lettin' Lincoln take care o' 'im. Wish I coulda been 'ere fer 'is firs' gym battle, but jus' seein' it's good 'nough fer me."

"Well, that's good." replied Joy with a nod. "And as for that second part, you might be able to catch one of his battles in the future if you're lucky."

At this, the smile on the blue-haired man's face faded as he looks down at himself and says "Not like this, I'm not. Can' exactly go out 'n 'bout inna wheelchair."

"Hey, it could happen. You never know." replied Joy knowingly, causing Damian to look at her suspiciously.

"...There's somethin' yer not tellin' me, isn't there?"

"Well, I can't promise any immediate results and it only has a 35% chance of actually working, but..."

Feeling hope starting to rise within for the first time that week, Damian asked "But? But what!? Don' leave me hangin' here!"

"Just don't get your hopes too high about this, Damian." said Joy before sitting down on the bed. "I was looking through some of my old magazines and found an article about one of my cousins in the Unova region - from what I read about her, she developed something called 'Heal Pulse Therapy', which is a treatment method that can help Pokemon that are too far gone injury-wise and help them get back into fighting shape. Now, I don't know if it'll work on human bodies, but I figured that if it can work on Pokemon, we can see if it'll work for you."

"Ya really thin' it'll work?" asked Damian hopefully, causing the pink-haired nurse to shrug.

"Like I said before, I'm not sure. For all we know, it may not even work with human beings. And even if it did have any effect, the process only has a 35% chance of actually working."

"Tha's a 35% chance I'm willin' t' take, Nurse Joy. When can we give it a go?"

"I'll have to borrow a few Chanseys from my sisters, but we should be able to get started on it in a few weeks. I'm going to warn you right now, Damian - this procedure won't be a fast one. It could take months, if not years, for you to be able to walk out of here on your own again, much less stand out of your wheelchair."

"I can wait 'owever long it takes ta get out of thi' room an' on th' road again." answered Damian before giving Joy an apologetic smile. "No offense ta ya or anythin' - yer wonderful comp'ny t' have 'round, but it gets pretty borin' jus' sittin' 'round all day, wonderin' if I'll ever get t' git back t' doin' what I love most."

"Good to know. I'll let you know if I hear anything from my sisters." said Joy as she gave Damian a small nod before leaving the room.

As soon as the pink-haired nurse had left, Damian went back to watching the rest of Lincoln's battle, his spirits raised as his dream of getting to travel again had changed from an impossibility to potentially becoming a reality.

-=O=-

-Professor Tree's House - Living Room (3:30 PM)-

While Damian continued to watch Lincoln's battle in his room, Professor Tree was sitting on his couch in his currently smoke-filled living room with what appeared to be several Pidgey perching on the backrest. Sitting in front of him on a small coffee table was a bowl of chips and a bong that looked like it had been recently used.

Letting out a relaxed sigh along with a small puff of smoke, Tree remarks "Bit of a quiet afternoon, huh guys?", causing a few of the Pidgey to look at him before responding with several light chirps. "Yeah, I know that there's nothing wrong with a bit of peace and quiet. It's just too quiet for my liking - almost makes me wish that Joe and the others were here, honestly."

One of the Pidgey, slightly miffed by the comment, gave him a small glare while chirping something angrily in response.

"Hey, I never said that you guys weren't great company to have around. I'm just saying that it'd be nice to have other humans around to talk to. I can't speak Pidgey, y'know."

Another set of chirps, though they sounded a little less angry.

"I know, I'm workin' on it. It's not easy tryin' to learn to speak your language."

More chirps.

"Yeah, I know you guys wouldn't mind helpin' me with that, but I wanna try learnin' how to do it on my own. Wouldn't be much of a Pokemon Professor if I relied on someone else to do everything for me." replied Tree before noticing that several of the Pidgey were looking at something else. Turning to face what they were staring at, he saw Joe, Rusty and Giselle standing there with bewildered looks on their faces. "Oh, hey guys. How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to wonder why you'd want to speak Pidgey." answered Joe, shaking his head slightly. Upon seeing the little avians giving him a look, he quickly adds "No offense.", causing them to let out mollified-sounding chirps before going back to what they were doing.

Eyeing the Bird Pokemon curiously, Giselle asked "What's with all the Pidgey, Professor? Are they yours?"

Shaking his head, Tree replied "Nah, they're not mine. They're just come by and hang around every once in a while." as one of the small Flying-Types flew down to start snacking away at the chips in the bowl. Giving it a look, he adds "Hey, leave some for me. You're not the only one with the munchies, buddy."

Turning his attention back to the three ex-students, he picks up the bong and offers it, saying "You guys want a hit?"

Wrinkling her nose, Giselle replied "Er...no thanks, Professor. I'll pass." while Joe and Rusty nodded in agreement, causing the sunglasses-wearing man to shrug.

"Suit yourself. So where were you three? I've been waiting all afternoon for the chance to speak to you."

"Rusty and I went off to catch a few Pokemon on Route 22. We met up with Giselle on the way back." answered Joe before a sour look appeared on his face. "We also had the 'pleasure' of running into Leanne and Cardin on the way here, too."

"They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

"Aside from a few insults and attempts at provocation, no. We got off relatively unscathed." replied Giselle, shaking her head before a malevolent smile formed on her face. "I can't say the same for them however."

Interested, Tree asked "That right? Well, before we get to why I wanted to speak to you three, do you mind filling me in on what happened?"

"Would you mind opening a window first? This smoke is...well, it's rather distracting."

"It'll ruin the hotbox I've got goin' on in here, but sure." said Tree before cracking open a window and letting the smoke escape. Once the room had been cleared out, he turns back to the trio and says "Better?"

"Much. Thank you." answered Giselle before taking a seat on the couch across from him. After Joe and Rusty did the same, the three started to go over what had happened earlier that morning...

-Flashback-

-Somewhere On Route 22 (11:30 AM)-

"Today's been one heck of a morning so far, eh Joe?" remarked Rusty as he and Joe stepped through the westernmost entrance to Viridian City, intent on heading back to Professor Tree's house after a long morning of catching Pokemon on Route 22. "Kinda sucks that you didn't find anything you wanted to catch, though."

"I know, but it can't be helped - when you don't find something interesting to catch in one place, you move on to another and try your luck there." replied Joe with a shrug. "At least you managed to catch something. It really would've sucked if both of us went back to Professor Tree's place empty-handed."

"Yeah, I'm glad that I managed to catch something too - Ralph's a great Pokemon to have around, but I'm going to need more if I'm going to become a Pokemon Master."

"Why do you still call her that? You do know that Ralph's female, right?" asked Joe, eyebrow raised.

Blushing in embarrassment, Rusty answered "I didn't know much about gender differences when I first received her, so I went with Ralph. I'll probably end up changing it eventually...how does 'Ralphina' sound to you?"

"Sounds like you need to come up with a better name." replied the other boy, causing Rusty to let out a groan. "I suggest waiting until she evolves before you give her a new name. When that happens, you'll probably end up coming up with something that'll fit her perfectly."

"Maybe you're right. Until then, I'll just stick with Ralph."

"Probably for the best. So what'd you catch, anyway?"

"You remember those Mankey that we met a few years ago? The ones who wanted us to play with them?" asked Rusty, causing Joe to give him a nod in response. "Well, one of them wanted to come with me after I told 'em what you and I were planning."

Frowning, he adds "Couldn't find the other one, though - probably got captured by someone else, if I had to take a guess."

Nodding, Joe replied "Yeah, it probably did. So do you have a name for yours yet?"

"Yep. Joe Lewis."

"Joe Lewis? After the American boxer?"

"Mm-hmm. And I'm gonna make sure my new buddy becomes just as much of a champion as he was." replied Rusty before giving Joe a smile. "Thanks for lending me some of your spare Pokeballs, by the way. I forgot to pick some up on the way here."

"No problem." said Joe before glancing at one of the Pokeballs on Rusty's belt. "I'm guessing you used one for Ralph?"

"Nope. Believe it or not, I've had Ralph's Pokeball in my possession since Professor Tree gave her to me."

"So why'd you carry around in your arms instead of keeping her in it?"

Shrugging, Rusty answered "She likes it when I carry her around. I actually had to try and talk her into letting me recall her back into her Pokeball." before holding up both of his hands. "While I didn't mind having to carry her around before, even I have to admit that it's hard to get things done when my hands are full."

"Ah...that explains it, then." said Joe with a nod before slipping his hands into his pockets as he and Rusty continued on their way to Professor Tree's house. "So...you ready for tomorrow? There's no going back once we leave this place for good."

"You bet I am, Joe. I can't wait to get out of this dump of a town." answered Rusty with a grin. "It's gonna be great - all three of us travelling together and seeing what the rest of Kanto has to offer us."

Eyebrow raised, Joe asked "All three of us?"

Nodding, Rusty replied "Yeah. You, me and Giselle. We're not going to leave her alone, are we?"

"I dunno. When we talked about this idea of leaving, I figured it'd just be you and me hitting the road. Do we really need to bring Giselle along?"

"I'm not exactly keen on the idea of leaving her alone, Joe. She may have been rotten to us in the past, but she's trying to make things right with us."

"Considering that I'm more responsible than the two of you combined and someone needs to be around to keep you out of trouble, I would think that bringing me would be a wise decision." remarked Giselle's voice from nearby as the brunette herself ran up to the pair with several shopping bags dangling on her arms. "So yes, it's going to be all three of us going together, Rogers."

"What're you doing here, Giselle?" asked Joe, eyebrow raised. "And what's with the bags?"

"These? It's everything we're going to need for our departure tomorrow - Potions, status healers, spare Pokeballs, a tent for us to sleep in should we have to resort to camping and other necessities." answered Giselle as she hefted up the bags. "I also made sure to buy us some new clothes as well. You two may be comfortable with wearing rags like those, but I'd prefer for all three of us to be wearing something decent. I think you'll like what I picked out for you."

"You didn't have to do this for us, Giselle. We could've found a way to pay for some of that stuff on our own."

"It's no worry at all. Money isn't an issue to me." replied the brunette airily before her expression softened. "Besides, I felt like I still owed you two for all the trouble I caused you during our time in Pokemon Tech."

"Yeah, but spending this much on us? That's a bit too much, don't you think?" answered Rusty, eyeing the bags.

"Seriously, it's no trouble. But if you two really feel like you need to pay me back for this, then start putting more effort into your battling from now on. You two don't have to worry about the upper-rankers of Pokemon Tech trying to keep you down anymore." answered Giselle before giving the two boys a serious look. "Both of you showed what you were capable of during your battle against Lincoln and Misty the other day. I want to see those two confident Trainers again, not the lazy slackers I used to know back in school."

"...Alright, we'll try to work harder from now on." said Joe before giving Giselle a stern look of his own. "However, we'll be expecting you not to act like the pretentious asshole we both knew in Pokemon Tech. Like you said earlier - there aren't any upper or lower-rankers here anymore. As far as I'm concerned, we're all on equal grounds with each other."

"Fair enough." replied Giselle with a shrug before taking notice of the additional Pokeballs on Rusty's belt, she asks "Decided to capture a few Pokemon to increase your ranks, I take it?"

Nodding, Rusty replied "Yeah. I caught a Mankey. Joe didn't catch anything, though."

Shrugging, Joe answered "I didn't see anything here that interested me. Besides, you've already got a Mankey and I don't want to seem like I'm copying you."

"You know I wouldn't have minded, Joe." replied Rusty, giving his friend a glance.

"I know, but..." started the other boy, only to stop upon seeing something on the main road that caused his eyebrows to raise. "...What the heck is that thing?"

"What? What do you see?" asked Giselle as she looked to see what Joe was staring at, only to spot what appeared to be a small, round, brown-colored owl-like Pokemon with stubby wings, two red eyes with black rings that had clock hand-like protrusions encircling them, a small pink beak and a pair of short stubby feet with five small talons on each foot.

And based on the battered state of its body and the weak, tired-sounding hoots it was letting out, it seemed to be injured.

"...That's a Hoothoot. Aren't those supposed to be native to the Johto region?"

"I think so. What's it doing here in Kanto?" pondered Joe, arms crossed. "And how'd it end up getting banged up like that?"

As if to answer his question, a loud chorus of angry-sounding cries suddenly come from the nearby forest, causing the little owl-like Pokemon to start panicking before trying to pull itself back to its feet so it could get away.

"What in the world was that?" asked Rusty, trying to find any sign of whatever had scared it so much.

"I don't know, but I think we're about to find out..." muttered Giselle before a small flock of Spearow came out of the trees and made a beeline for the injured Hoothoot with ill intentions in mind. "Spearow! They're trying to attack that poor Hoothoot!"

"Not on my watch, they're not." snarled Joe before sending out Edgar. Pointing at the flock of Flying-Types, he snaps "Stun Spore, Edgar! Stop 'em in their tracks!"

Sending out her Graveler, Giselle adds "I'll help out as well, Joe! Rock Throw, Graveler!"

Accepting their Trainers' commands, the two Pokemon launch their respective attacks at the flock of Spearow, paralyzing them with a burst of pollen while bombarding them with a storm of fist-sized stones that sent them all crashing into the ground, unconscious.

In a nearby tree, another Spearow watched on, grumbling "Great...more humans to ruin our fun. First that white-haired brat and now these three - why can't people just let us do what we please around here?"

"Hey, there's another one! Think we should get it, too?" pointed out Rusty as he gestured towards the lone Flying-Type in the tree, causing it to quickly fly off, not wanting to take its chances with the three Trainers that took down the others.

"Leave it, Rusty. We've got other things to worry about." answered Joe before kneeling down next to the injured Hoothoot to check on it. "...You think it's going to be okay?"

"I don't know. We'll have to see." said Giselle before doing the same to get a closer look at the damages it had taken. "...Well, nothing seems to be broken. There's a few gashes here and there, but it's nothing a trip to the Pokemon Center can't fix."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry and get this little guy patched up!"

"Alright. Joe, you're the one who noticed it in the first place, so it'll be you who'll catch it."

"Why me? I mean, I don't mind or anything, but why?"

"Like I said, you saw it first." replied Giselle before carefully picking up the little owl and placing it into his arms. "Besides, you said that there wasn't anything here that interested you, right? Well, maybe a Pokemon from a foreign region will."

"And you don't want it...why?"

"While I would like to have this little one for myself, you did see it first, so it's yours. Now hurry up - the longer we linger here, the more time we'll give the Spearow who flew off to gather reinforcement."

"Alright, fair enough." replied Joe before looking down at the little Flying-Type in his arms. "Hey, can you understand me?"

After a second or two of staring at Joe, the Owl Pokemon weakly gave him a nod-like gesture.

"Alright, that's good. Now listen...I'm going to try and help you, okay?" said Joe calmly before carefully taking a Potion out of his bag. Holding it up, he asks "Do you know what this is?"

Another weak nod.

"Good. It won't patch up everything, but it should be enough for me to catch you safely so we can get you to a Pokemon Center. Is that okay with you?"

After eyeing the light brown-haired boy for any signs of trickery or deception, the Hoothoot nods, causing Joe to give him one of his own before spraying the contents of the bottle on it.

Once the bottle had been completely emptied, he smiles and says "There, that should hold you over for now. Let's get you to the Pokemon Center and get you fixed up." before taking a Pokeball out of his bag and gently tapping it on the Hoothoot's beak, causing the red and white-colored orb to pull it inside.

Due to the already weakened state of the Owl Pokemon, it didn't take long for the Pokeball to successfully capture it.

"There. Now let's get going before that Spearow decides to come back with some more of its friends."

-Flashback-

"A Hoothoot, huh? Never thought one would be found in the Kanto region." mused Tree, scratching his chin. "And you say you found it on Route 22?"

"Yeah. Any idea on what it's doing here instead in being in Johto?" asked Joe, causing the sunglasses-wearing man to think the question over for a moment before giving him an answer.

"Well, there's a few possibilities I can come up with. One of them is that it may have decided to emigrate here from Johto in hopes of finding a new home here in Kanto." said Tree before a grave expression formed on his face. "Another is...well, before I say anything, I wanna see this Hoothoot of yours, Joe. I need to check something."

"Why? Is it something I need to be worried about?"

"Not for you, but it might explain why a Hoothoot would be here in Kanto." answered Tree, causing Joe to immediately hand over the Flying-Type's Pokeball.

After sending out the little Owl Pokemon and looking it over, he grimly nods and says "...Knew it. This little guy was just hatched out a day or two ago." before giving Joe and Rusty a nod. "It's a good thing you managed to save it from those Spearow, you two - it probably wouldn't have survived the attack if you hadn't."

"Aw man...if we had been only a few minutes later..." muttered Rusty, clearly shaken by Tree's words. "So how did a recently-hatched Hoothoot end up here in Kanto? Shouldn't it be with its parents?"

"That's why I was wanting to take a look at it, Rusty - I believe this particular one was abandoned by the breeder who hatched it from its egg."

At this, the three Trainers stared at Professor Tree with looks of absolute horror.

"T-there are breeders who would actually do something like that!?" asked Giselle, shaken by Tree's answer.

"Yeah, there are. You guys know about breeders and how they work to ensure that any offspring their Pokemon have ideal traits, right?" asked Tree, causing the three to give him a nod. "Well, there's several out there who take that to a whole new, insanely immoral level."

Taking off his sunglasses, he says "These guys...they're so obsessed with the idea of 'perfected' Pokemon that they're willing to breed the offspring of their Pokemon - even going so far as to breed siblings with each other - to get them. And the ones that don't fit their idea of perfect...they're cast aside into the wild and completely forgotten about. Things had actually gotten so out of hand about this kinda stuff that the League's even got a restriction in place, barring everyone but those approved by the League itself from breeding Pokemon."

"...It doesn't stop those foul people from doing it, does it?" questioned Giselle, causing Tree to shake his head sadly.

"No...no, it doesn't. They don't care about how many laws they break or who gets hurt by their efforts. The only thing people like that will ever care about is having 'perfect' Pokemon."

"Oh man...I can't believe that someone would be willing to ditch a newly hatched Pokemon. That's just...wrong."

Getting to her feet, Giselle snarls "It's more than just wrong - it's completely immoral! Who do these people think they are, abandoning infant Pokemon like an unwanted piece of refuse!?"

"More importantly, who's the one that abandoned this Hoothoot?" asked Joe as he carefully picked up the Owl Pokemon and placed it in his lap. "Considering that it was ditched close to Viridian City, it has to be someone in town, right?"

"Probably, but I don't know who it could be." answered Tree, shrugging. "I'll try to keep an eye out for any sign of their identity."

"And when you do find out who they are, I'll be expecting you to turn them in. Scum like that deserves to rot behind bars." snarled Giselle, causing the drug-addled Professor to nod.

"I'll do what I can, Giselle. So...you were saying that you three ran into Cardin and Leanne earlier?"

"Yeah, we did." answered Rusty before a grin formed on his face. "Oh man, if you could've seen what happened to them before we came back here..."

"Tell me about it, then. We could use a change of mood after that unpleasant talk we just had."

-Flashback-

-Viridian City - Streets (2:00 PM)-

After making a quick stop to the local Pokemon Center, the Pokemon Tech trio started on their way back to Professor Tree's house - from what they knew, the sunglasses-wearing man had wanted to see them about something, but they didn't know what it was.

"I said it before and I'll say it again - today's been one heck of a day so far." remarked Rusty before giving Joe a glance. "So how's the Hoothoot doing? What did Nurse Joy have to say about it?"

"She said that it'll need a bit of rest, but it should be in fairly good condition by this evening." answered Joe before taking the Flying-Type's Pokeball off of his belt. "Still...it's strange. Why would a Hoothoot be here in Kanto?"

"Who knows? Perhaps it decided to emigrate here from Johto?" suggested Giselle with a shrug. "In any case, that brings us to...six Pokemon between all three of us, I believe."

Ticking off each Pokemon with his fingers as he counted them down, Rusty mutters "Let's see...Edgar, Joe's new Hoothoot, Ralph, Joe Lewis..."

"...Joe Lewis?"

"His new Mankey."

"Ah."

"...and the Cubone and Graveler that Giselle owns. Yep, that's six Pokemon, alright." finished Rusty, holding up six fingers. "You think we should see about catching a few more before we leave tomorrow?"

"Nah, I think we're good - we've got enough for the moment." answered Joe before slipping his hands into his pockets. "'Sides, I don't wanna stay around this town any more than necessary. The sooner we leave, the better."

"Agreed. And the sooner we leave, the sooner I can find Lincoln and challenge him again. I want my rematch!"

"We'll run into him one of these days, Giselle. So what's going to be our first destination?"

"Pewter City. We'll need to go through the Viridian Forest, but aside from the gym here in town, the one in Pewter is the closest one available to us." remarked Giselle before giving Rusty a nod of slight approval. "You made a wise choice in catching a Mankey, by the way - the gym in Pewter specializes in Rock-Types, so you'll have a type advantage there."

'Rock-Types, huh? Guess I'll have Edgar handle that one.' thought Joe, hands still in his pockets.

"Anyway, since we've gotten that out of the way, I want to talk to you two about something."

"And that is?"

Hands on her hips, Giselle replied "Your goals. What do you two plan to do with your career as Pokemon Trainers?"

"Well...I wanna be a Pokemon Master." answered Rusty as he adjusted his cap. "Always wanted to be one ever since I saw my first Pokemon Battle when I was a kid. Mom and dad, on the other hand, wanted me to work at the family deli instead of chasing my dream."

"Your parents sound like a couple of assholes. So what happened after that?"

"I didn't want to live my life working behind a counter, so I left."

"You're a runaway?" inquired Giselle, eyebrow raised.

"Not exactly. Mom and Dad know that I'm gone, but they're expecting me to come crawling back to them, admitting that I was wrong for wasting time on a 'foolish dream'. Well they can forget it - I'm not going back until I'm a Pokemon Master."

"Well, as long as you put enough effort into it, I'm certain you'll reach that goal." remarked Giselle with a nod before turning to face Joe. "And what about you, Rogers? What do you want to do?"

"Be the champion, obviously. Maybe even see if I can find my parents so I can give them a piece of my mind for ditching me here in this shithole of a town."

"That would explain why you refused to answer when someone asked you about them." mused Giselle thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Now let's change the subject before my mood ends up getting ruined - just thinking about those two is starting to piss me off." said Joe icily, causing the other two to nod in response. "So what about you, Giselle? What do you want to do?"

"Same as you, minus the second part - I want to become the new Kanto champion. But that's not the only goal I have in mind."

"What's the other one?"

"Beating Lincoln in a battle, of course. I meant it when I said I wasn't going to let my defeat go unavenged." answered Giselle with a smile.

"Same here - I want another crack at him, too." chimed in Rusty, eyes gleaming behind his glasses. "I had a lot of fun battling against him and Misty that day."

Nodding in agreement, Joe adds "Me too. Unlike our doubles battle with Cardin and Leanne, I actually enjoyed facing off against those two and would be more than willing to battle them again if they wanted a rematch."

"A rematch we'll make sure to win, Joe. That's a promise." said Rusty with a nod of his own. After a moment, he turned to Giselle and asked "...Can I ask you something, Giselle?"

"Depends on what it is?"

"You never really told us about yourself - the real you. The only Giselle Seiyo we really got the chance to know was the one who made our school lives miserable with the other upper-rankers."

"You want to know about me?" asked Giselle, surprised at the question the cap-wearing boy had asked.

"You might as well go ahead and tell us." said Joe, shrugging. "It might help familiarize us with the actual Giselle Seiyo instead of the snob we were acquainted with in the past."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you a little bit about myself." started Giselle before she started thinking over how to answer Rusty's question. "Let's see...where to begin..."

"How about you start with your parents? What are they like?" suggested Rusty helpfully.

"If you're referring to my biological parents, then I regret to inform you that both are deceased. My mother was the first to pass away, then my father joined her a few years later." answered the brunette wistfully as memories of her parents filled her mind. "The only family I have left, if you can call her that, is my stepmother, who married my father not too long after my mother died."

Wincing slightly, Rusty said "Oh. Er...sorry about bringing them up, Giselle. I didn't know."

"It's alright. I've come to terms with losing them a long time ago."

"So do you have any other family besides this stepmother of yours?"

"Unfortunately not. The Seiyo family may be a prestigious one, but it's a family that's slowly dying out. Aside from my stepmother, I'm the last one left." answered Giselle before a grimace formed on her face. "And I can hardly stand the woman. Always going on about her reputation as the head of the Seiyo family and how she expects nothing but absolute perfection from me in everything I do. Apparently, the Seiyo name is meant to be synonymous with 'perfection'."

"Sounds like it must suck having to live with someone like her." remarked Joe, causing the brunette to nod.

"You have no idea. My mother and father...both were loving people and would've accepted me regardless of whether I succeeded or not."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing that they're dead, Seiyo. Then again, I'm sure that they would've killed themselves anyway from the shame of having a daughter like you in their family." remarked a familiar-sounding female voice from nearby, causing the three former students' eyes to narrow.

Upon seeing Leanne and Cardin standing nearby with school bags draped over their shoulders and cruel smirks on their faces, Giselle growled "...Yamato." in a frosty tone, causing the other girl to smirk as she stepped forward.

"Well, well...look at what we have here, Cardin - the three biggest losers in Viridian City."

"Says the two who got their asses handed to them by Leaf and Lincoln a few days ago." retorted Joe, glaring at the two Pokemon Tech students. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, really - we just happened to be passing by, saw you three chatting with each other and thought that we'd...pay you a visit." replied Leanne airily before giving Giselle a smirk. "Enjoying the company of those losers, Seiyo?"

Eyes narrowed, Giselle said "They're better company than you are, Yamato. At least they won't stab me in the back like you did."

"Better company or not, they're still losers. And you're just as big of a loser as them, if not more." remarked Cardin, smirking. "After all, you were Pokemon Tech's top student and you lost to a gaijin. He even had a type disadvantage against you and you still lost!"

"She put up a better fight against him than you did!" countered Rusty, causing Cardin to give him a nasty glare in return.

Leanne, on the other hand, simply shrugged and replied "So what? She was the top student of Pokemon Tech. She shouldn't have lost against some gaijin." before giving Giselle a cruel, mocking smile. "Thankfully, Pokemon Tech doesn't have to worry about a failure like her staining the school's reputation anymore."

Eyebrow raised, Giselle asked "And I'm presuming that you're going to be the one to take on my former title?"

"Of course. With you out of the way, the path is paved for me to be the top student of Pokemon Tech. And unlike you, I have no intentions of disgracing our school." answered Leanne with a smirk. "But I believe I've wasted enough time talking about the future and what it's certain to hold for me. Cardin?"

"Yeah?"

"Let us go. I don't want us to catch the stink of failure."

As the two Pokemon Tech students started to leave, Rusty mutters "Jerks. I wish we could teach 'em a lesson for going out of their way to badmouth us."

"Agreed. I'd like nothing more than to get a bit of payback on that backstabbing rat for getting me expelled." added Giselle with a nod as she glared at Leanne's back. "Top student...bah. That wretched little bint could never hope to hold a title like that."

"Maybe we can. Nobody else seems to be around, so we should be able to pull this off." answered Joe as he took Edgar's Pokeball off of his belt, causing a look of confusion to appear on Giselle's face.

"Pull what off?"

"This." replied Joe before tossing Edgar's Pokeball, sending the Flycatcher Pokemon out. Pointing at the unaware Leanne and Cardin, he orders "Sleep Powder, Edgar. Knock 'em out."

After giving his Trainer a nod, Edgar discharges a thick burst of green-colored pollen from his mouth at the surprised pair, engulfing them.

"Joe, what are you doing!?" asked Giselle, scandalized. "You can't just put those two to sleep like that!"

"Well, considering that both of 'em are out like a light, I think I just did." replied Joe before giving Edgar a nod. "Find somewhere to hide them, Edgar. Make sure you leave their bags where they are."

As Edgar started to drag the still-sleeping Leanne and Cardin off towards a nearby alleyway, Giselle asked "Joe...what are you going to do to them? Please tell me that whatever it is, it's not..."

"Giselle, relax. We're not going to harm them." assured Joe, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder. Pointing at the bags left behind, he adds "If you really must know, we're going to...confiscate some of their gear for us to use tomorrow. The stuff you picked up for us will help out a lot, but you can never be too well-prepared, right?"

"And by confiscating, you mean stealing everything of value you can find, yes?" inquired Giselle before plastering a look of disappointment on her face. "Never thought you'd resort to theft, Rogers."

"Call it what you will. I'm just making sure we'll have an easier time of it when we set out tomorrow. Besides, you know as well as I do that if anyone deserves to get their stuff pinched, it's those two." answered Joe before kneeling down and picking up both bags. After bringing them over to a secluded spot nearby, he opens up Leanne's bag and starts to rummage through it's contents, muttering "Alright Yamato, let's see what you've got..."

"I'll take this one, Joe." said Rusty before doing the same with Cardin's bag. "Let's see here...ooh, a Hyper Potion! Dibs!"

"You too, Beige?" questioned Giselle, though the look of disappointment was now replaced with one of amusement.

"What? Joe's right - we'll need every bit of help we can get. Besides, who would you rather have this stuff - us or those jerks?"

"...Fair enough."

Turning his attention away from Leanne's bag to face Giselle, Joe asked "By the way, you...uh, aren't going to say anything about this to the police, are you? I don't need to get busted by Officer Jenny for stealing again."

"Again?"

"It's a long story. Can I ask you to keep quiet about this?"

After a moment, Giselle smiled and replied "About what?" in a cheeky tone before leaning against a nearby wall. Seeing this, Joe returns the smile with one of his own before going back to looting everything of value Leanne had on her.

Five minutes later, both boys were finished with plundering everything from the two bags, leaving everything else they didn't want scattered about on the ground.

"And that's that. Along with the stuff Giselle bought for us, I think we'll be more than prepared for our departure tomorrow." remarked Joe as he draped the bag he had 'commandeered' from Leanne over his shoulder. "We'll split this between the three of us once we get back to Professor Tree's house. Now let's get outta here while we still can."

"Not yet, Joe. There's still one more thing we need to do before we go." stated Rusty as he started fishing through the bag he 'confiscated' from Cardin.

"And what's that, Rusty?"

"Markers!" replied the cap-wearing boy cheerfully as he removed a pack of black dry-erase markers from Cardin's bag.

"Markers? And what, pray tell, do you plan to do with...oh." started Giselle, only to stop upon seeing both Joe and Rusty give each other a grin before kneeling down next to Cardin's body. After spending a few seconds watching the pair doodle what appeared to be vulgar messages and crude-looking drawings on the sleeping boy's face, a smirk forms on the brunette's face as she asks "...Would you mind handing me one of those markers, please?"

In response, Rusty grins and holds out another marker, causing her to smile before removing its cap.

"Lovely. I'd like to have Leanne to myself, if you don't mind."

-Flashback End-

"Oh, that's just evil - you knock 'em out, steal their shit and even doodle on 'em before you leave. I'd love to see the looks on their faces when they wake up." cackled Professor Tree as the three ex-students finished their recollection of what happened. "Thanks for the laugh, you three. I really needed it after what happened this morning while you two were gone."

"Something happened?" inquired Joe, causing the sunglasses-wearing man to nod.

"Yep. As of today, I'm no longer employed with Pokemon Tech."

"Verdant fired you? Why?"

"She didn't fire me. I quit." answered Tree, scowling. "Got into a spat with her earlier this morning about what happened to you three. She didn't seem to regret what she did to you guys, so I decided right then and there that I didn't want to work for that bitch anymore."

Wincing, Rusty says "Aw man, that sucks. Sorry to hear about that, Professor."

"It's alright. I always hated working for that bitch, anyway. She kept confiscating my weed." replied Tree with a shrug before a smile appeared on his face. "'Sides, now that I don't have to worry about her breathin' down my neck, I can do everything in my power to help you guys out."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" asked Giselle curiously, wondering what Tree had in mind.

"By sponsoring you three. In case you've forgotten, I'm a Pokemon Professor, so I can do that for you guys." answered Tree simply. "Sure, I don't have as much clout as Sammy or one of the other regional professors, but I'm certified enough to officially provide sponsorship for you three."

"You'd really do that for us, Professor?" asked Joe, touched by the older male's reply.

"Sure, why not? Unlike the rest of those snobs in Pokemon Tech, I actually like you and Rusty. Both of you have the potential to be great Trainers and I want to help you with that." said Tree with a nod before turning to face Giselle. "And even though Giselle used to be one of those snobs, I hafta admit that she's starting to grow on me."

"Likewise, Professor. I didn't think much of you at first, but I no longer feel that way now." answered Giselle with a smile. "So do we need to complete the official Trainer's exam for you to sponsor us?"

"I hope not. The entry exam to get into Pokemon Tech was bad enough." muttered Rusty under his breath while Joe nodded in agreement.

"Well, you three managed to pass Pokemon Tech's entry exam and that's just as good as passing a Trainer's exam, so I'm pretty sure that we don't need to worry about that. All you need to do is accept my offer of sponsorship and we're golden."

"In that case, you can count me in, Professor. I accept your offer." said Joe with a grin.

Nodding, Rusty adds "Same here, Professor. There's no way I'm going to turn something like this down."

"Well, if you're offering..." started Giselle before giving Tree a nod as well. "I accept your offer, Professor."

"Alright, consider yourselves officially sponsored by me." replied Tree with a grin before offering a handshake to the three newly-sponsored Trainers. After shaking hands with all three, he adds "And now with that out of the way, we can get down to our next bit of business - your starters."

"Starters?" parroted Rusty, eyes widening in surprise. "You're setting us up with starters?"

"Yep. They may not be the traditional starters that other Professors offer, but I think they'll good enough to serve as substitutes." answered Tree before taking three Pokeballs out of his pocket and placing them on the table. "There you go."

Eyeing the three red and white-colored orbs curiously, Joe asked "What's in them?"

"All three contain an Eevee - they just hatched a few days ago and they're ready for a Trainer to look after 'em." remarked Tree as Joe, Rusty and Giselle eyed the Pokeballs curiously before picking them up.

"Where in the world did you manage to get three newly-hatched Eevees?" asked Giselle as she looked over the Pokeball she was holding. "Aren't they supposed to be rare?"

"I ran into one of those 'perfection-crazy' breeders the other day and got 'em from him."

Grimacing, Giselle asked "Please don't tell me that you made a deal with one of those horrid people to acquire these for us, Professor..."

"Not at all. The three that I'm giving you are 'rejected' ones - I managed to convince the guy who wanted to ditch them into giving them to me in exchange for an ounce of weed." answered Tree, causing the three to let out sighs of relief.

"Professor...the person who gave you the three Eevees...did you at least make sure turn him in to the police afterwards?"

Nodding with a smirk on his face, Tree answers "Yep. The guy's gonna be spendin' the next twenty years behind bars while his Pokemon will end up goin' to new owners that'll raise 'em right."

"Thank Arceus for that." said Giselle, satisfied with the answer before giving the Pokeball she was holding a loving, almost maternal-looking glance. "We'll make sure to treat these little ones with the love and respect they deserve, Professor. We promise."

"Yeah, you can count on us to look after these three for you, Professor. We won't let you down." added Joe while Rusty nodded in agreement, causing a smile to form on Tree's face. Giving the Hoothoot in his lap a glance, he says "And I'll be sure to look after this one, too.", causing the little Owl Pokemon to let out a delighted-sounding hoot in response.

"Glad to hear it, you three. Now then, there's one more thing we need to go over regarding your sponsorship..."

"And that is...?" inquired Giselle, wondering what else the gray-haired man wanted to talk about.

Taking three familiar-looking, red-colored devices out of his pocket and placing them on the table, Tree answers "Your Pokedexes.", causing the three to stare at them in complete shock.

"Pokedexes!? You giving us Pokedexes!?" exclaimed Rusty, eyes widened. Upon seeing Tree nodding in response, he lets out a whoop before reaching for one, only to stop halfway. "...Professor?"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you get these?"

"Got 'em from Sammy a few days ago after speakin' to him about what happened to you three. They're already set up and ready to go, so you don't have to worry about prepping them for use."

"You spoke to Professor Oak about us?" asked Joe, causing Tree to give him a nod before going over what had happened on the night he had called Professor Oak...

-Flashback-

As Lincoln, Misty and Brock raced towards the Pokemon Center, Joe comments "There goes some of the strangest Trainers we've ever met, Rusty."

"Definitely some of the coolest, though. It's too bad we can't go along with 'em." replied Rusty, nodding his head.

"They've got they're own way of doing things and we're going to have ours." said Joe, arms crossed. "But I think we'll run into them again someday."

Turning to face Professor Tree, he asks "D'ya still have those spare rooms available? Since we don't have a dorm room to stay in anymore, we'll need a place for the night."

"Yeah, I do - they might smell a bit like Pidgey with a hint of weed thrown in, but they're perfectly usable. You guys know where my place is, right?" replied Tree, causing the two boys to nod. "Then you guys can go on ahead and wait for me there if you want. I've got a call to make."

"We'll go there after we finish watching Leaf and Giselle's battle with each other. Thanks, Professor."

After giving the two boys a nod, Tree walks off while taking what appeared to be an advanced-looking cell phone from his pocket. Once he was certain that he was alone, he dialed in a number and waited for the other end to pick up.

A few seconds later, the sound of Professor Oak's voice came from the phone, asking "Hello? Who is this?"

"Sammy, it's Lemuel. We need to talk..."

"About what? Did something happen to Lincoln and his friends during their visit?"

"Nah, they're just fine. The little snowball even managed to beat Miss Seiyo in a battle - something I didn't think was possible until today." answered Tree before letting out a sigh. "But that's not why I'm calling. There's somethin' else we need to discuss."

"Somehow I've got the feeling that I'm not going to like what I'm going to hear..."

"You won't. I certainly didn't." answered Tree before going over what had happened during Lincoln's visit to Pokemon Tech.

When Tree had finished a few minutes later, Oak replied "That's...how could that woman justify doing something like that just because of a single loss?"

"Miss Seiyo was the top student before her expulsion, Sammy. When Lincoln managed to beat her in a battle, Verdant felt that the loss would be a blemish on the school's reputation, so she had the poor girl kicked out." answered Tree, absently clenching his fist. "Rusty and Joe...I think she wanted them gone for the longest time and decided to use their poor grades as justification to boot them out, too. They wouldn't be doing so poorly if it wasn't for those 'elite' students of hers pickin' on them."

"That's terrible." replied Oak, clearly unhappy with what he was hearing.

"It is, but I'm gonna do everything I can to help those three out. I'm even planning on asking them if they want me to be their sponsor." said Tree before taking a moment to prepare himself for what he wanted to say next. "Which brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"And that is?"

"...If those three accept my offer of sponsorship, I want to see about issuing a Pokedex to them. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course you'll have my blessings on the matter. Anything to stick it to that horrid woman." answered Oak, causing a smile to form on Tree's face in response. "If you're willing to give me a couple of days, I can have three of them prepared for you."

"That'd be appreciated, Sammy. I'm sure they'll love having 'Dexes of their own." answered Tree before letting out a chuck. "Man, I can't wait until Allison finds out that the three students she expelled end up becoming Pokedex Holders. She's going to flip."

"I bet she will. So is that everything you wanted to talk to me about?"

"There's one more thing I need you to do for me, Sammy. Can you get into contact with the Pokemon League committee for me?"

"About what, if I may ask?" inquired Oak, causing a hard look to form on Tree's face.

"Everything that's been going on with Pokemon Tech - the upper-class students picking on the lower-rankers and getting away with it, the rampant corruption goin' on with the Headmistress...there's a lot of dirty business goin' down and I think the higher-ups will need to know about what's been happening over there." answered Tree with a frown. "You've got more clout with them than I do, so I'm certain that they'll be willing to hear you out if you mention it to them."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do what I can, Lemuel."

"That'll have to do for now, Sammy. Lemme know if you hear anything." answered Tree with a nod. "Talk to you later."

"Likewise. Goodbye, Lemuel."

After hanging up the phone and placing it back into his pocket, Tree takes a joint out of his pocket and lights it up. As he exhaled a puff of smoke from his mouth, he thought 'The same kids you ended up expelling are going to become Pokedex Holders - something that none of your precious 'elite students' will never get the chance to become. Mark my words, Allison - you're gonna end up regretting making the decision to kick those three out. That's a promise.'

-Flashback End-

"So these particular Pokedexes were created by Professor Oak specifically for us..." mused Giselle as she looked over the red-colored device in her hand. "Are you sure about giving these to us, though?"

Nodding, Tree answered "I'm more than sure. Go ahead and keep 'em - they're yours.", causing the three to look at each other before giving him a nod in return.

"Well...if you insist, I suppose we shouldn't turn something like this down. Thank you, Professor."

"You're welcome, guys. Here's hopin' they help you out with your journey tomorrow."

"I don't believe it...we're officially Pokedex Holders now, Joe." muttered Rusty as he picked up one of the other two Pokedexes and looked it over. "This is like a dream come true."

Picking up the remaining one, Joe replies "I'm wondering if I actually am dreaming. I never thought I'd get a chance to own one of these."

Giving the two boys a smirk, Giselle remarks "Well now, since you two are officially recognized as Pokedex Holders now, you'll be expected to live up to the title. And you know what that means, don't you?"

After taking a moment or two to think about what the brunette was implying, Joe pales before muttering "...Aw crap."

"That's right - you two will be expected to have the skills of a Pokedex Holder to back up your title." said Giselle with a smile on her face. "So you better believe that I'm going to do everything in my power to whip you two into shape and make sure that you don't revert back to the slackers you were before."

While Rusty shuddered in dread at the lectures and lessons that were sure to come his way in the future, Joe asked "...Is it too late to give this back, Professor?" as he held out the Pokedex with a pleading look on his face.

"Yep. It's already been registered to you, so it's yours now, Joe." replied Tree with a smile. "'Sides, she's right - now that you three are Pokedex Holders, things are gonna be much tougher on ya from now on. You and Rusty are gonna need all the trainin' you can get to stay afloat."

"...Well, shit."

(AN: The part that mentions the ban on breeding is a reference of sorts to players of the Pokemon games who continually breed Pokemon in hopes of acquiring ones with perfect IVs (Individual Values) while releasing ones that don't have the traits they're looking for - something that would be harmless in a video game, but could cause overpopulation problems or end up endangering the newly hatched Pokemon in reality. I should also mention that Hoothoot can be found on Route 22 in HeartGold/SoulSilver.)

-=O=-

-Pokemon League HQ - Meeting Room (4:00 PM)-

Inside of a large meeting room within the Pokemon League Headquarters, four people were sitting at a large, circular table - a muscular man clad in nothing but a pair of pants and a belt, an old woman with a stern expression on her face, an aloof-looking, glasses-wearing woman with red hair and a man with short dark reddish-purple hair who wore a cape behind his outfit.

They were the Elite Four, the strongest Trainers in the entire Kanto region.

After clearing his throat, the cape-wearing man says "Welcome, fellow members of the Elite Four. Before we begin, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to attend this..."

"Get to the point on why you called us here, Lance." stated the old woman in a blunt tone, causing the man, now known as Lance, to roll his eyes before nodding.

"Very well. I'm calling for this meeting today to address an issue that has been a concern of mine as of late - the criminal organization known as Team Rocket."

"What about them?" asked the glasses-wearing woman in a dismissive manner. "They're nothing more than a bunch of petty thieves and crooks - let the police sort them out."

"Do not dismiss our enemies so easily, Lorelei." stated the other man in the room, shaking his head.

"Bruno's right, Lorelei - they're a much larger threat than you may think they are." answered Lance before snapping his fingers, causing two suit-clad Trainers to start passing out several papers to the other three members of the Elite Four. "I received several documents from one of my spies within the organization a few days ago - they go over every single operation that the higher-ups have planned for the Kanto region."

Leaning forward in interest, Lorelei asked "And who is this spy, if I may ask?"

"I cannot disclose that information. For the sake of their safety, the secret identity of my spy must remain just that - a secret." replied Lance, causing the glasses-wearing woman to roll her eyes before giving him a nod. "Anyway, as I was saying before, the documents go over the numerous operations that Team Rocket has planned for Kanto. While some of them are of minor concern, there are a few among them that worry me."

"And those are?" asked Bruno, eyebrow raised.

"The operation planned for the Silph Company in Saffron City, for one." answered Lance, looking over his copy of the papers. "Alongside the plan they have for the St. Anne, which is supposed to be docking into Vermilion Harbor in a few days."

"The St. Anne? What in Arceus' name would Team Rocket want with a luxury cruise liner?"

"According to another document I received from my insider, they're planning to use free passes to get numerous Trainers on-board the ship. Most likely a set-up for an ambush."

"Free passes for the St. Anne...who would be stupid enough to fall for something like that?" groused Agatha in disapproval.

"Most would be jump at the chance for something like that, Agatha." answered Lorelei before tapping her chin thoughtfully. "This ambush...considering where it's being held, it will probably take place once the ship's out at sea."

"They're planning to attack in a place where the authorities normally wouldn't be able to interfere. Clever." remarked Bruno, nodding his head.

"It would be, if it wasn't for the fact that not only do we know exactly what they're planning..." started Lance before a grin formed on his face. "...but we also have the means to turn their trap back on them."

"You're planning a sting operation." surmised Agatha, causing the Kanto Champion to nod.

Nodding, Lance replies "Precisely. As we speak, several of the G-men are doing everything they can to acquire some of the free passes that were handed out. By the time the St. Anne arrives at Vermilion Harbor, we should have enough to set up a trap of our own." before reaching into his pocket, taking out what appeared to be one of the aforementioned passes. "As you can see, I've already managed to acquire one."

"Bit of a problem with that, Lance - you're too well known. As soon as they see you on the ship, they'll know you're planning to bust them." pointed out Lorelei, causing a smirk to form on Lance's face.

"That's why we'll have someone else take control of the operation. And I know just the person for the job."

With that said, he slides the pass over to Lorelei, causing her eyebrows to raise in response.

"Me? You want me to lead this operation of yours?"

"Yes. Do you think you can handle it?"

Looking over the pass with mock interest, the glasses-wearing woman mused "Hmm...a chance to board the most luxurious cruise liner in Kanto in order to bust one of Team Rocket's ambush operations." before giving Lance a smirk. "You really know how to treat a lady, Lance. I'll take the job."

"You may want to use that alias of yours, Lorelei. Your real name, much like Lance's, is too well known." suggested Bruno, causing Lorelei to give him a nod.

"I intend to, but thank you for your suggestion nonetheless."

Turning to face Agatha, Lance says "As for you, I'd like for you to look into what's going on at Saffron City. You know about the lockdown, yes?"

"I do. What of it?"

"I believe that the operation Team Rocket is planning to unleash onto the Silph Company may be the cause of it."

"Hmph. At least you're giving me something to do instead of just sitting around here all day." muttered the old woman before giving Lance a curt nod. "I'll do what I can."

"Excellent." replied Lance before turning to face the last member of the Elite Four. "Bruno, you'll be attending the P-1 Grand Prix. I need you to watch out for potential allies that could be of use to us. The G-men are reliable assets, but we'll need all the help we can get if we want to remove Team Rocket from the Kanto region."

"I was planning to attend, anyway. As last year's champion, I'm practically obligated to make an appearance." said Bruno, shrugging. "So what about yourself, Lance?"

"There's been reports of Team Rocket activity in the Sevii Islands area. The Pokemon League committee have asked me to look into them to see if they're true or not."

"I hope they haven't done anything to disturb the people living on Four Island..." muttered Lorelei, arms crossed.

"I'll be sure to keep an eye out for trouble while I'm over there, Lorelei. If I see anything amiss, I'll do what I can to stop it."

"Thank you, Lance. So is that everything you wanted to discuss with us?"

"I believe that's everything, yes. Meeting adjourned." answered Lance, causing the other three members of the Elite Four to nod before filing out of the meeting room. Turning to face the two Trainers still in the room, he adds "As for you two..."

"Yes, sir?" chimed the pair in unison as they stepped forward before giving him a salute.

"Meet me in my office in one hour- I have an assignment for both of you."

-=O=-

-Vermilion City Pokemon Center - Dining Area (4:00 PM)-

As she, Brock, Lincoln and the Pokemon with them enjoyed their lunch, Misty remarked "Man, what a day so far - not only did Lincoln manage to win his Thunder Badge, but we got to check out Vermilion City together and we scored those passes for the St. Anne." before taking a big bite out of the sandwich she was holding. After swallowing, she adds "We really lucked out on that last one."

"Yeah, we did." answered Lincoln with a grin of his own. "I can't wait to see what kind of stuff we get to see tomorrow. I might see about checking out that Pokemon Fan Club."

"Well before you start thinking about tomorrow, don't forget that you promised to call your family sometime today, Lincoln." reminded Pikachu, causing the white-haired boy to nod.

"I know, buddy. I intend on calling them later on tonight." answered Lincoln before patting the pocket that currently held his Pokedex. "I can't wait to show 'em the pictures of Vermilion City that I took today."

"They'll love 'em, Lincoln. I'm certain they will." said Misty before a thoughtful look appeared on her face. "...Y'know, I think I'll see about calling my sisters, too. Gotta make sure the gym's still in one piece with those three running it."

Nodding as he took a bite from his sandwich, Brock remarks "I might do the same with my own family as well. It's been a while since I checked in on them, anyway."

Letting out a chuckle, Lincoln says "Looks like we've all got some catching up to do with our folks back home, huh?"

"Looks like it." answered Misty with a chuckle of her own. "So what are you going to talk to your family about, Lincoln? Our travels and what we've seen so far? The Pokemon we've captured?"

"A little bit of both with some questions of my own to ask them." said Lincoln, shrugging before taking a bite from his meal. "I never got the chance to ask them how things are going with them, so when I call them later, I'll hopefully get some answers."

Inwardly, he added 'And maybe...just maybe, I might be able to get an explanation on the strange aura that came out of Luna's body and what it actually is.' as the memory of that mysterious incident ran through his mind.

"Well, here's hoping this call goes smoother than the one in Cerulean City did, Lincoln." remarked Brock, causing the white-haired boy to nod.

"Yeah, I'm hoping that things go smoothly, too. I really don't want to fall behind my rivals again."

"You won't. We'll make sure of it." replied Misty before polishing off her sandwich. After taking a brief glance at the clock displayed above the front counter, she adds "Well, might as well go ahead and get my call out of the way - the sooner I do, the better." before getting up and heading over to the Center's VideoPhone booths.

Once he had finished his own sandwich, Brock says "Same here. We'll be back in a few, Lincoln." before starting on his way over there as well, leaving Lincoln and Pikachu alone with the other Pokemon at the table.

"You guys take your time. There's no need to hurry." remarked Lincoln before returning his attention back to his lunch.

"It's so nice to see that Friends Misty and Brock are willing to keep in contact with their families." remarked Astro with a smile on his face. "Almost makes me wish I had a way of contacting my friends and family back home on Mt. Moon."

"Bah. I don't need any family to watch out for me." grumbled Raph, chomping on an apple.

"What are you saying, Friend Raph? We're your family, aren't we?"

"Fuck no. There's no way in Hell I'll ever see any of you as..." started the Water-Type before Azami suddenly lashed a Vine Whip attack across his tail, causing him to let out a pained yelp. Turning to glare at the Seed Pokemon, he snaps "What the hell was that for!?"

"Your language."

"Bull-fucking-shit! You just wanted an excuse to lash me, you son-of-a..." growled Raph, only to catch another Vine Whip across his tail. "Ow!"

"Aw, c'mon Boss - lighten up. These guys aren't really that bad once you really get to know 'em. Give 'em enough time and they'll be as close to you as the old Squirtle Squad was." remarked Misty's Squirtle as he munched on his own apple, only to stop upon seeing the other Water-Type glaring at him.

"As if I'd accept anything a traitor like you has to say. You sold us out."

"Officer Jenny was going to bust us eventually, Boss. It was just a matter of time."

Pointing at the other Squirtle, Raph snarled "You're full of it! We gave that idiot the run-around so many times that I've literally lost count of the number of times we managed to get away from her!"

"And yet she's got three of the boys doing community service." countered Misty's Squirtle, pointing at him. "You should consider yourself lucky that Lincoln caught you when he did, otherwise you'd be doing the same thing."

"Lucky? Hah!" retorted Raph before giving Lincoln a hate-filled glare. "Getting caught by that white-haired pain-in-the-ass was the worst thing to ever happen to me! You have any idea on what this is going to do to my rep as leader of the Squi..."

"The Squirtle Squad's done, Boss! It's finished! Kaput! When will you realize that?"

"The Squirtle Squad's over when I say it's over, not you!" barked Raph before glaring at Lincoln again. "And you...I don't know when, where or how it'll happen, but you better believe that I'm gonna find a way to break away from you. And when I do, I'm findin' my boys and we're gonna make you pay."

Taking the remark as a threat, the rest of Lincoln's Pokemon start to get to their feet, only for the white-haired boy himself to hold up a hand, stopping them.

"So...you really want to go free again, do you? Is that what you want?"

Pointing at Lincoln, Raph snarled "You're damn right it is!"

Eyebrow raised, Lincoln asked "Are you willing to fight for it?", causing a suspicious look to form on the Tiny Turtle Pokemon's face.

"...What are you getting at?"

"I'm willing to give you a chance - one chance - to earn your freedom." answered Lincoln, holding up the Water-Type's Pokeball. "All you need to do is beat one of my Pokemon in a battle and you're free to go. No objections, no catches - you win, you're free."

"Lincoln, think about what you're doing here...do you really want to risk this?" asked Fearow, only to receive a nod in response. "If he ends up winning, he'll be free to go back to causing trouble again."

"Well, I don't see a problem with this arrangement." remarked Skyera, ruffling her feathers. "He wins and we don't have to deal with his shit anymore. And if he loses, he gets a beating that'll hopefully get him to stop whining like a little bitch. It's a win-win, if you ask me."

"You're not alone on that one, sister." muttered Pikachu under his breath.

Ignoring the two Pokemons' comments about him, Raph asks "So...let me see if I've got this right - I win and I'm free to go?"

"Yep. I'll even let you do the honors of smashing your Pokeball yourself."

"And if I end up losing, which we both know won't happen?"

At this, a smirk forms on Lincoln's face as he replies "Then not only will you be stuck with me for good, but you'll have to start cooperating with me and the rest of your teammates from now on. No arguing, no disobeying orders - when I give you a command, you follow it to the letter."

"So I have to listen to you if I lose, huh?" mused Raph thoughtfully - while the offer was a very tempting one, he didn't like the idea of having to obey Lincoln's orders if he ended up losing. "...I'll accept that condition if I can make one of my own for our match."

"And that is...?"

"I get to pick my opponent. I don't want you tryin' to rig the match in your favor by picking that Pikachu of yours to fight me."

Shrugging, Lincoln answers "Fair enough. So who do you want to fight?"

As if to answer the white-haired boy's question, Raph turns to Azami and says "You. I'm going to fight you."

Sighing, the Grass-Type asked "...You really want to do this again, after what happened last time?"

"Normally, I'd pick the Charmander to ensure an easy victory for me, but since I still owe you an ass-beating after what happened during our last fight...yeah, I want to fight you again."

"...Suit yourself. Just don't go crying after I win and you end up stuck with us for good."

"Like that'll happen." scoffed Raph before turning back to face Lincoln. "Well, there you have it, snowball - I've picked my opponent. So when are we going to have the fight?"

Arms crossed, Lincoln answers "As soon as you promise not to break your word on our agreement. I don't want you trying to welch out of this if you end up losing."

"You seriously doubt the integrity of the leader of the Squirtle Squad?" asked Raph, slightly offended.

"Honestly? Yes." replied Lincoln as everyone else clamored in agreement.

"Even I have to agree that you probably wouldn't keep your word if you lost, Boss."

Glaring at his former friend, Raph snarls "I didn't ask for your input, you rotten bastard! And don't call me 'Boss'!" before giving Lincoln a glance. "...You really don't trust me to keep my word?"

"Not a bit."

After glaring at the white-haired Trainer, Raph lets out an annoyed groan before saying "...Fine. On my honor as leader of the Squirtle Squad, I promise not to break the agreement between us. Satisfied now?"

"I'd go for it now if I were you, snowball." suggested Misty's Squirtle in a low whisper. "When the boss makes a promise on somethin' like that, he usually ends up keepin' it."

"You're not just saying this because he's your former friend, are you?" asked Misty's Starmie, causing the Water-Type to shake his head.

"I know the boss almost as well as he does - he takes his role as leader of the Squirtle Squad seriously. There's no way he's gonna back out after makin' a promise like that."

"...Alright, I'll take your word for it." replied Lincoln before giving Raph a nod. "You'll be facing off against Azami at the Vermilion City docks tomorrow at noon. Is that fine with you?"

"That's fine. Now do me a favor and recall me back, would ya? I don't want to see your ugly face any more than I need to." said Raph, causing Lincoln to roll his eyes before recalling him back into his Pokeball.

"Man, what a dick. Almost makes me wish he had picked me to be his opponent - I would've made turtle soup out of him." grumbled Skyera as she glared at Raph's Pokeball.

Giving the white-haired boy an expectant look, Andrea asked "Alright, what's the deal? There's no way you'd offer something like that to your Squirtle unless there was a reason for it."

"I do have a reason for it, believe it or not. A few days ago, I talked to Professor Oak about my concerns regarding Raph's disobedience and..."

-Flashback-

"Just two more questions before you hang up, Professor - is my Squirtle giving you any trouble and is there a gym in Viridian City? Because if there is, I might pay that place a visit while I'm there."

"Yeah, there's a gym in Viridian, but it's not open to any challenging Trainers right now." replied Tree, crossing his arms. "Don't know why, but the place has been inactive for about three months now."

Grinning, he adds "Gotta say I didn't expect ya to have all three Kanto starters, though. Nice going."

"Dang it. So much for that idea." grumbled Lincoln with a look of disappointment on his face, unhappy that his hopes of winning two badges in the same day had been dashed.

Seeing this, Oak suggests "If you like, I can keep tabs on the place for you and let you know when they're taking challengers again. Red, Gary and Leaf have already asked me to do the same for them when they inquired about the gym a few weeks ago."

"That'd be greatly appreciated, Professor. Thanks."

"Not a problem, my boy. As for your Squirtle, he's been well-behaved so far, but he doesn't like socializing with the other Pokemon here. Why are you asking about him?"

"He's...er, kinda disobedient, Professor. Has a bit of a bad temper, too." said Lincoln, scratching the back of his head. "Is there any advice you can give me to help out with something like that?"

"The only thing I can suggest is to keep working with him and you'll eventually earn his trust. Some Pokemon require a bit of effort to get them to cooperate." suggested Oak as he crossed his arms. "Having your Pokemon battle against him again might help as well - there are a few Pokemon that respect strength above all else and your Squirtle may be one of them."

"Thanks for the suggestions, Professor. I'll be sure to keep them in mind."

-Flashback End-

"So you think that's the case? You think that he's one of those Pokemon that acknowledges strength?" questioned Misty's Krabby, interested.

Shrugging, Lincoln answers "He could be. And if he's not, then hopefully he'll start to grow more used to being around us after we spend some time working together with each other."

"I think you should just go ahead and give him the boot - if we need a Water-Type on our side, we've got your Poliwhirl. We don't need that asshole." remarked Skyera before pecking away at her food.

"I want to give him the chance to try and work with us first, Skyera. If it doesn't work out, I'll see about letting him go." said Lincoln before looking down at the Tiny Turtle Pokemon's ball. "And as I hate to say it about the guy, that might end up be one less problem I have to worry about if I end up cutting him loose. His disobedience has been one of my concerns for a while now and releasing him might end up being the right decision to make in the long run."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" asked Misty's Squirtle, concerned. "That's my buddy you're referring to."

"Please try to at least get him to cooperate, Friend Lincoln. Friend Raph may be acting difficult, but that doesn't mean he isn't deserving of a chance to try and make things work with us."

"I'll try, but even my patience has it's limits, Astro. If he can't bring himself to work with the rest of us, he's gone."

As the other Pokemon chattered with each other about Lincoln's decision, Raph was inside of his Pokeball, deep in thought about the arrangement he had just made with Lincoln, as well as the comments that the white-haired boy had made after recalling him.

'...Who does that punk think he is, questioning MY integrity like that?' thought the Water-Type to himself. 'And calling me a problem that he won't have to worry about if he lets me go? He's the problem around here, not me!'

He honestly didn't know why, but that comment in particular actually bothered him.

After shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Raph mutters 'Aw...forget it. I gotta get my mind focused on my fight tomorrow - after I'm done kicking that overgrown weed's ass, I'll be heading back to bust the rest of the boys from Officer Buzzkill's clutches so we can get back to troublemaking again..' before starting to daydream about all of the mischief he would end up causing with his friends after earning his freedom. '...Speaking of which, I wonder how they're doing right now...'

-=O=-

-Town Near Route 25 - Streets (4:15 PM)-

"Keep it going, boys. You three still have four more hours to go before you're done for the day." remarked Officer Jenny as she and her Growlithe watched on while the three remaining members of the former Squirtle Squad scrubbed away at some graffiti on a nearby wall.

As he passed by the area, one of the town's denizens noticed the three Water-Types, causing a smirk to form on his face as he asked "Got those little bastards working hard, huh Officer?"

"Yep. They were more than willing to make the messes, so they're going to be the ones to clean 'em up." replied Jenny with a nod before giving the three Water-Types a grin. "Isn't that right, you three?"

In response, one of the Water-Types flipped her off before returning back to his work, causing the teal-haired woman to laugh in response before returning the gesture.

"Yeah, fuck you too, asshole."

As he started scrubbing at the wall, one of the Squirtles muttered "This sucks...why'd we have to be the ones stuck with the copper while the boss and his right-hand get to go free? This is bullshit!"

Sticking his sponge into the bucket of water beside him, one of the other two replied "I bet they cut a deal and sold the three of us out in exchange for freedom. That's the only possibility I can come up with."

"Surely they wouldn't do something like that, would they?" asked the third, giving the other two a glance. "All five of us were tight with each other..."

"If that's the case, then where are they? If they were truly loyal to the rest of us, they'd be right here, helping us clean up this shit." replied the first Squirtle, his temper rising at the thought of his now-former friends. "But instead, they're off doing whatever instead of being here with us. Face it - those two little backstabbers sold us out."

"So what're we going to do now? We can't do anything about those traitors while Officer Buzzkill and her mutt are watching us."

"We'll bide our time until we find an opportunity to make a run for it. Once we've done that, we'll go find our so-called boss and make him, along with that other traitor, pay for leaving us three high and dry."

"That's a good plan." replied the third Squirtle, nodding.

"Of course it is. I thought of it." answered the first Squirtle before pointing at himself. "By the way, I'm officially calling dibs on replacing our old boss as the new leader of the Squirtle Squad. You two got that?"

"Hey, wait a minute! Why do you get to be the boss? My level's much higher than yours, so I should be the leader!" protested the second Squirtle angrily.

Pointing at himself, the third claimed "Well, I'm older than you two, so I'm the leader!"

"Yeah, but only by a few minutes! If we put a moron like you in charge, you'd have us busted again in a matter of days!"

"Fuck you, cocksucker!"

"Enough, you two!" snapped the first Squirtle, causing the other two to stop arguing. "First of all, I called dibs, so you two are just outta luck. Secondly, why the hell are we fighting with each other when we should be directing our anger at those two traitorous pieces of shit?"

After a moment or two, the second Squirtle nods and says "...He's right. We need to worry about paying those two back first, then we can get back to bitching about who'll be the leader."

"Fine by me." answered the third Squirtle before noticing that Jenny's Growlithe was eyeing them suspiciously. "We better keep it down - I think that mutt's tryin' to listen in on us."

"We'll talk more about this later when we're alone. We better get back to work before Officer Buzzkill decides to drop more work on us."

"Just one more thing - are we gonna get some payback on her and that mutt, too?"

As his eyes gleamed maliciously behind his sunglasses, the first Squirtle answered "Oh yeah. Definitely."

-=O=-

-Brock's House - Living Room (4:20 PM)-

"How in Arceus' name did Brock manage to keep the kids in check for so long? This is madness!" moaned Flint as he collapsed onto his couch, a look of sheer exhaustion on his face.

Plopping down right beside him, his wife Lola muttered "I don't know, but he must've had the patience of a Medicham to be able to deal with everyone at once..."

After Brock had left with Misty and Lincoln, both parents had taken on the role of watching over their children, intent on making up for the time they had been away from them.

Sure, it was true that they had been travelling Trainers longer than they have been parents to their kids, but they felt that looking after them wouldn't be too difficult - after all, if Brock could keep an eye on all of them easily, then they could too, right?

They had no idea on how wrong they would be. It seemed like there was a fight breaking out between the children almost every day.

Upon hearing the sound of what seemed to be children arguing with each other in a nearby room, Lola mutters "Looks like they're at it again...are you ready to go break up another fight, honey?"

"No. Are you?"

"Nope. But we're supposed to be the parents here - it's our job to handle stuff like this. Let's..."

Before the brunette could finish, the sound of the nearby VideoPhone ringing caught her attention, causing her and her husband to let out relieved sighs.

"Oh, thank Arceus..." muttered Flint before walking over and picking up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hi, Dad." replied the other person on the line, causing both Lola and Flint's eyes to widen in surprise.

"...Brock? Is that you?"

"Mm-hmm. Thought I'd call and see if everything was alright." answered Brock before noticing the pair's haggard appearances. "...What in Arceus' name happened to you? You look like you two were put through the wringer twice over."

"Your siblings happened." answered Flint, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How in the world were you able to keep them in line? We're practically struggling with it."

"They've been fighting with each other ever since you left us." added Lola, doing the same.

"Time and patience, you two. Time and patience." replied Brock before a hard look formed on his face. "That and someone had to be the responsible one in the family while you two went gallivanting off to Arceus-knows-where."

"We get it, Brock. We screwed up when it came to you and your siblings. You don't have to keep reminding us." groaned Lola, face resting in her hands. "Can you at least give us some advice? Something that'll make things a little easier on us?"

"I dunno...I had to learn how to handle the kids on my own without your help. Why should I help you?"

"Because we're your parents?"

Trying to fight the urge to smirk at the response, Brock answers "Nice try. But seriously, why?"

"...Look, we know that we screwed up. But we're trying to do what we can to make up for our long absences, including trying to bond with the kids." said Flint while Lola wearily nodded in agreement. "The only problem is that aside from the fact they keep arguing with each other, we don't know they like. No preferences or anything."

"And they refuse to tell us what their preferences are or what we can do to work with them, which makes things that much harder on us." added his wife before giving her oldest son a pleading look. "So please...can you give us a few tips to make things easier?"

After eyeing the two for what seemed like minutes, Brock sighs and mutters "...I hope you two have something to write this down, because I'm not going to go over this a second time."

Quickly taking up notepads and pencils, the two parents nod, giving him the cue to start.

"Alright, here goes...Susie always rips her dresses, so you two better learn how to sew. Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast while Tommy likes corn flakes for dinner..." started the fifteen year-old in a rapid-fire manner, causing the two parents to start scrambling to write down what he was saying.

"Hey, slow down! We can't write that fast!" protested Flint, only to go ignored as Brock continued to go over his siblings' numerous quirks.

"And Forrest isn't able to sleep unless he trains his Pokemon in the gym for at least three hours a day." finished Brock before giving his parents expectant looks. "So did you manage to get all of that?"

"No!"

"You didn't? What a shame." replied Brock before shrugging. "Oh well, I'm sure that you'll figure it out after a while. I know I eventually did."

As Flint blanched at the response Lola asked "Please Brock, can you go over what you said one more time?", hoping that he would comply.

"Certainly." said Brock before a trollish grin formed on his face. "I'm sure you'll figure it out after a while. I know I eventually did."

"That's not what we meant!" exclaimed his mother, frustrated. "Can you go over you said earlier what to do with the others, please?"

"Hmm...I dunno. I would, but it's getting late and there's still so much I want to do in Vermilion City before the St. Anne arrives..."

"C'mon Brock, please?" begged Flint pleadingly. "We're at wit's end here!"

"Which is exactly how I felt when I had to take care of my siblings, along with the house and the gym for five years, with nothing but my gym leader's salary to keep things afloat." answered Brock, his expression becoming hardened once more.

As she and Flint tried not to wince, Lola answers "We know. And we know that you have every right to be upset, but please...we really need your help. Can you go over what you said one more time? For us?"

After a moment, Brock replies "I could do it. I should do it." before shaking his head. "But I'm not going to."

"Why not!?"

"You two need to re-learn what it takes to be parents again, which also includes having to face the hardships of being a parent. This is something you're going to have to do on your own." answered Brock simply before looking around the living room. "Now then, where are the others? I'm pretty sure that they'd like to talk to me, too."

As if to answer his question, a chorus of children shouting "BROCK!" could be heard, followed by the sight of every single one of his siblings running towards the VideoPhone.

While the numerous children started to chatter excitedly with their older brother, Flint and Lola watched on, a mixed feeling of joy and sadness with a bit of envy mixed in.

"Look at that, Lola...the reaction we got from the kids was nowhere near as positive as that."

"I know, honey. It would seem that they see Brock as a more fitting parental figure than us."

"Alright, settle down. It's good to see all of you too." said Brock, causing the kids to calm down. Turning to face Forrest, he asks "Forrest, can we talk for a bit? It's about the...uh, fights you guys have been getting into lately."

Nodding, Forrest answers "Sure thing, Brock." before giving his other siblings a nod, causing them to turn around to face their parents. Before either one could act, the numerous children rush towards Flint and dogpile on him, sending him crashing to the floor.

"...Why did you have them do that?" asked Brock, eyebrows raised at the sudden action by his siblings.

"To keep Mom and Dad busy." answered Forrest before giving his parents an aside glance to make sure they weren't listening in. Once he was certain that he would go unheard by them, he added "We're not really fighting with each other, Brock. It's just an act to mess with Mom and Dad."

Eyebrow quirked, Brock asked "Mess with them, huh? Why?"

"Hey, you're not the only one they left behind, Brock. We deserve the right to get a little payback on 'em, too." said Forrest, pointing a thumb at Lola while she tried to convince her children to get off of their father. "Don't worry, though - we'll start taking it easier on them once we feel they've been punished enough. Or when they start showing that they can act like parents again."

"Any idea on when that'll be?"

"Oh, I dunno...five or so years should do it, I think. After all, that's how long they kept us waiting for them."

"Forrest, come on now..." said Brock in a chiding tone, causing the younger male to sigh.

"Alright, fine. We can see about taking it easy on them a little bit." answered Forrest before giving his older brother a hard look. "You're not going to change my mind or any of the others' about teaching those two a lesson for leaving us behind, though. Not happening."

"I wasn't going to. Just try to take it easy on them every now and then - it's kinda hard for someone to learn a lesson when they're about to drop from exhaustion."

"We'll try, Brock. So when are you going to come back home? We miss you."

"I don't know, to be honest. I'm actually having a lot of fun travelling with Lincoln and Misty."

"Right. Him." grumbled Forrest bitterly, recalling the day that the white-haired Loud had defeated his brother in battle.

As if sensing his brother's dislike, Brock answers "Lincoln's a really nice guy once you get to know him, Forrest. You may not know this, but he comes from a big family, too."

"How big are we talking here?" asked the younger boy, slightly curious.

"Ten sisters and two parents with him not only being the only son in the family, but the middle child, too." answered Brock before crossing his arms as a frown forms on his face. "And while I don't want to go into any details about it, the issues that are going on with his family make the ones going on with ours look tame in comparison."

Eyebrows raised, Forrest asked "Things are that bad with his family?"

"'Bad' is too tame of a word to describe it." said Brock before deciding to change the subject. "Enough about that, though. Aside from driving Mom and Dad nuts, how are things back home in Pewter City?"

"Pretty good. Do you remember that shifty shop owner who sold you that bogus map?"

"Yeah. What about him?"

"The guy got arrested a few days ago for trying to hawk off fake evolution stones." answered Forrest, shrugging. "Dad bought the empty building and turned it into a legitimate souvenir shop. Believe it or not, it's actually doing fairly well."

"Well, that's good." replied Brock, trying his hardest not to crack up upon remembering that Misty had been conned into buying a fake Water Stone by that particular salesman. "And it's about time someone dealt with that con artist. I never really got over getting ripped off when I was a kid."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him now." answered Forrest with a grin. "So what have you been up to lately?"

In response, Brock gives him a grin of his own before starting to go over what kind of experiences he had encountered during his travels. Upon hearing their brother speaking to Forrest about the stuff he's done, the other children stop dogpiling their father and head over to the VideoPhone, taking their seats directly in front of it.

"Are you okay, honey?" asked Lola in concern.

An incomprehensible mumble coming from the floor was her response.

-=O=-

-Cerulean City Gym - Lounge (4:20 PM)-

"I can't believe this...how could we have lost so easily?" muttered Violet as she, Lily and Daisy sulked over their most recent defeat. "We, like, had a three-to-one advantage...so why did we lose?"

To say that A.J. had defeated the three sisters would be an understatement - everything they could throw at the green-haired teen and his Sandshrew had completely annihilated within a matter of mere minutes, giving him the victory and the Cascade Badge to go along with it.

"I know, right?" muttered Daisy, her head placed into her hands. "I thought we had him beat because we were teaming together..."

Nodding, Lily answered "Like, me too. We totally should've been able to beat him." before letting out a sigh. "We, like, really need to step up our training from now on. I may prefer swimming over battling, but I like being a loser even less."

"Training!? But that'll mean less time for us to practice for our shows!" protested Violet, unhappy with the suggestion.

"I know you're not crazy about the idea, but Lily's right - out of all of us, Misty's the only capable battler we have in our family and she's not around to deal with challengers." answered Daisy, patting her blue-haired sister's shoulder "And we can't have people thinking our gym is full of nothing but losers. We'd never hear the end of it from the other gym leaders if that happens."

"Then why can't she be here to run things so we can focus on our shows?"

"Because she's got her own life to live and we can't just go and take that from her, Violet." answered Lily before a smirk formed on her face. "That and if she had to choose between running the gym by herself or sticking with that cute Lincoln boy, she'd pick the second one every time."

"I know." sighed Violet, slumping in her seat. "So I'm guessing we're going to have to cancel our shows for the time being?"

"It's for the best, Violet." said Daisy, nodding her head before a smile formed on her face. "Besides, our training might end up leading to us coming up with some new routines to try later on down the road. Our old ones were getting kinda boring."

"I guess so..." muttered the blue-haired woman with a sigh. "Looks like the The Sensational Cerulean City Synchronized Swimming Sisters' are going to be out of action for a while, huh?"

"Like I said, it's for the..." started Daisy, only to be cut off as the sound of the lounge's VideoPhone going off caught her and her sisters' attention. "Looks like we've got a call. Mind answering it, Lily?"

Nodding, Lily replied "Like, sure." before heading over and picking up the receiver, causing the youngest of the Cerulean sisters to appear on the screen. "...Misty? Is that you?"

Upon hearing Lily mutter Misty's name, the other two sisters perk up before running over to speak to the redhead.

"In the flesh, Lily. Thought I'd call in and see how you three are doing." answered Misty with a nod before looking around the room. Afterwards, a wry, almost teasing grin forms on her face as she adds "...Well, how about that? The gym's still in one piece. I'm surprised."

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny." remarked Daisy with a roll of her eyes. "Still, it's good to see you again, Misty. How are things with you so far?"

"Pretty good, actually. I'm in Vermilion City with Lincoln and Brock right now."

"Vermilion, huh? Nice." said Lily, nodding in approval. "You check out some of those totally awesome beaches there?"

"Not yet, but it's on the list of things to do before the St. Anne arrives." replied Misty before her eyes lit up in realization. "And speaking of which, check this out."

After reaching into her pocket, the redhead takes out her pass and holds it up to the screen, causing the three sisters to lean in to get a better look at it.

"...A free pass to ride the St. Anne?" murmured Violet before giving the screen a disbelieving look. "You managed to score a free pass for the St. Anne!?"

"And not just me, but Lincoln and Brock did, too." replied Misty smugly, placing the pass back into her bag.

"Aw...that's so not fair..." grumbled Lily, crossing her arms. "Can you see about getting a few for us? We could use a vacation."

"Sorry to have to tell you this, but there aren't any more left. We got the last three."

Hearing this, the three sisters let out a groan in unison.

"Of all the rotten luck...first we lose a three-on-one battle against that A.J. kid and now this..." muttered Daisy, causing Misty's eyebrows to quirk slightly.

"A.J.? You three faced off against A.J?"

"You know him?"

Nodding, Misty answers "Lincoln and I ran into him on the way to Vermilion City. So...you three got stomped flat by him, huh?"

"Yeah. We couldn't even knock out that Sandshrew of his." answered Lily with a sigh. "And believe me, we totally tried. We, like, threw everything we could at it - Water-Type moves, trying to trap him between our Pokemon...nothing worked. He was right - we were just a warm-up for him."

"Geez...he must've really put you three through the wringer if you're this bummed about losing."

"You have no idea." groaned Violet as the memory of her earlier battle with A.J. ran through her mind. "Misty...can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Do you...think that we suck as Pokemon Trainers? You can be honest with us here."

Upon seeing Lily and Daisy nod in agreement with the question, Misty sat there for a moment, trying to come up with a good enough answer to use that wouldn't upset her sisters too badly in the process.

After a moment or two, she says "I'm not going to sugarcoat things with you three - yes, you suck as Trainers. You girls used to be good at it until you started putting all of your focus onto those water shows of yours, which caused your battling skills to go unused and eventually get rusty."

"I knew it." muttered Daisy, shaking her head.

"However, that doesn't mean you can't shake that rust off and become the Trainers you three used to be. All you need to do is take some time to get some training in and you three will be able to hold your own against anyone else who decides to challenge the gym."

"Yeah, we were, like, talking about that before you called. Can you give us a few pointers?" asked Lily, causing the redhead to smirk.

"Asking your little sister for help, huh? Never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up, Misty. You won't be laughing when you come back and we're able to hold the gym down without needing you to do it for us." snarked Violet, though the tone she used didn't match the look of annoyance she was wearing. "Seriously though, can you help us come up with a plan on how to do this?"

"Hmm...well, I guess it couldn't hurt to give you guys a few tips to get you started." answered Misty, giving the three sisters a nod. "With any luck, you three will stop acting like primadonnas and go back to being the older sisters I used to look up to when I was a kid."

"...You used to look up to us when you were younger?" asked Daisy, surprised.

Arms crossed, Misty said "Before you three became what you are now, yeah."

"We, like, didn't change that much, did we?" questioned Lily, causing her younger sister to sigh.

"Believe me, you three are definitely different from the older sisters I used to know."

"Well, you're not the same Misty we know." said Violet, hands on her hips. "You've changed ever since you met Lincoln."

Eyes narrowed, Misty answers "I hope for your sake that you're not implying that's a bad thing."

"Never said it was. I'm just saying that being around him totally changed you." replied the blue-haired woman calmly before a smile appeared on her face. "You seem happier. More relaxed and easy-going."

Upon seeing the redhead raising an eyebrow, she adds "You would've gotten on our cases for losing again and then started gloating after we asked you to help us out."

After thinking it over, Misty nods and says "Huh...I guess being around him did change me a little bit."

"And I'm glad he did. I like this Misty a lot better than the angry one we used to poke fun at." remarked Daisy, smiling. "And speaking of your little boyfriend...you tell him how you feel, yet?"

"No, not yet. I was going to during our time at Cerulean Cape, but Brock had to go and ruin it." muttered Misty, crossing her arms with a huff. "But I'm going to try again when we get on the St. Anne. Hopefully, he'll feel the same way afterwards."

"I hope he does, too. I'd like to become an aunt someday." said Daisy in a teasing voice, causing a blush to form on Misty's face.

"Like, same here." added Violet, grinning widely. "How many kids do you think those two will have, Lily?"

"Hopefully enough for all three of us to shower with plenty of love and affection, sis. Ten or so should do it."

"Knock it off! I may like the guy, but I don't plan on being a parent anytime soon!" snapped Misty, face still reddened in embarrassment.

Finally deciding to bring the joking at their sister's expense to an end, Daisy says "Geez...calm down, Misty. We were just joshing you."

"Yeah. It was, like, just a bit of fun." added Lily while Violet nodded in agreement.

"Well, you three tend to take it a bit far once you get started. You have any idea on how annoying that is?"

"Enough to get you to snap out at us like that, apparently. We'll try to keep the joking to a minimum next time."

"See that you do." said Misty, feeling herself calming down. "Now then, what was it you wanted again?"

"Some tips to help us out with becoming better Trainers, remember?" answered Daisy, causing the redhead to nod.

"Right. You three might want to get something to write this stuff down on - I really don't want to have to repeat myself."

After taking a moment or two to locate some pens and notebooks, the three returned back to the VideoPhone and gave their younger sister a nod.

Taking that as her sign to begin, Misty says "Alright, since you three seem to be ready, we'll start with..."

-=O=-

-Celadon City Pokemon Center - Lobby (4:30 PM)-

While Misty and Brock were finishing up their calls, Red was sitting in the lobby of the Celadon City Pokemon Center, reading a magazine on Pokemon Contests while patiently waiting for his Pokemon to finish healing.

"Huh...never thought that Contests had so much in common with Pokemon Battles. I always thought it was just dressing up your Pokemon and launching pretty-looking attacks." mused the cap-wearing boy in interest as he continued to read one of the magazine's articles.

"And I never thought you'd be the kind of person to show interest in Pokemon Contests, Red. Think you might end up giving it a try?" asked a familiar-sounding voice from nearby, causing Red to lower the magazine.

Upon seeing the smirking face of Gary Oak looking at him, Red shakes his head and answers "Probably not. Just wanted to see what the big deal was about."

"You probably should. Might end up being the only thing you'll be able to win since I'm practically guaranteed to bring home the Kanto championship."

"Don't count your Torchics before they hatch, Gary. Someone else could end up winning the title instead." stated Red before noticing that the group of girls that usually followed his brown-haired rival was nowhere to be found. "Where are those cheerleaders of yours? They finally get tired of your ego and decide to leave?"

"Of course not. They're at the Celadon Mall, handling some last-minute shopping before we set out for Fuchsia City." replied Gary, shrugging. "But enough about them, though - how far are you along, Red?"

"Twenty-two Pokemon with three badges to my name. I'll be challenging for the Rainbow Badge sometime tomorrow morning."

"Twenty-two and three, huh? I'm already at fifty Pokemon with four badges." said Gary before giving the cap-wearing boy a smug smirk. "Looks like I'm winning so far. Then again, I've always been the better one between the two of us, so that really shouldn't be a surprise."

Shrugging, Red said "Quality over quantity, Gary. More doesn't always mean better."

"Quantity's got a quality of it's own, Red." countered Gary in response. "Still, if you're going to be challenging the Celadon gym, you might want to watch out for the gym trainers there - they're not too keen on the idea of males hanging around the place. Had to stomp at least four of 'em in a battle before the gym leader got them to back off."

"I'll keep that in mind. So aside from boasting about your captures and badges, what else have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing much - spending time with my girls, catching Pokemon to fill out the Pokedex Grandpa gave me, stomping losers into the dirt...basically the kind of stuff that a success like me would be doing."

Rolling his eyes, Red stated "I said aside from boasting about yourself, Gary. Have you challenged anyone interesting over the past day or so?"

"Aside from that white-haired American and the Celadon City gym leader, no."

"Right...you mentioned that you faced off against Lincoln when we spoke last time, though you refused to tell me who won."

Upon seeing the brunette huff in annoyance before turning away, Red blinked owlishly at him for a moment before a smirk formed on his face.

"...He managed to beat you, didn't he?"

Sighing, Gary answers "As much as I hate to admit it, I lost against him.", causing a smirk to form on the black-haired boy's face. Noticing this, he quickly adds "It's only because his Clefable got lucky with Metronome. If it wasn't for that, I would've beaten him and he would've paid for the damages his Pidgeotto did to my car."

"So that's where all those scratches and dents came from..." mused Red, clearly amused with his rival's misfortune. "You didn't get those fixed?"

"Can't afford it right now. Most of my money's getting guzzled up on paying for other stuff - stuff for the girls, gas, food...there's too many expenses for me to worry about to even concern myself with fixing the damages to my car."

"Bet you're regretting bringing that eyesore with you now, huh?"

"Hey, if I'm going to be travelling through Kanto, I'm going to be doing it with style." replied Gary pointedly. "...That and I'm not going to force the girls to follow me throughout the region on foot. I'm not that cruel."

"You didn't have to bring them with you."

"And deprive them of the chance to witness my greatness in person? I think not."

"Just can't go without feeding your ego, huh? Well, if you want to make things harder for yourself, be my guest. I'll just stick with travelling on foot on my own like everyone else." said Red with a shrug. "So...is he any good?"

Eyebrow raised, Gary asked "Who? The American?", causing the other boy to give him a nod. "He's mediocre at best, even for a two-badge Trainer. It's probably only because of luck that he managed to make it that far."

Unconvinced, Red replied "Uh-huh. Now try again without letting your ego speak for you."

"I honestly think that's the case, Red - he's got luck working out for him, but aside from that, he's nothing more than your usual run-of-the-mill Trainer."

"You said the same thing about me and Leaf when you first met us back in Trainer's School and look where that ended up." countered Red, arms crossed. "Who knows? Maybe history will end up repeating itself and he'll be on par with all three of us."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. The kid, two badges aside, is a complete and total noob."

"A noob who still managed to beat you."

Scowling, Gary retorts "He won't be so lucky next time. When we face off again, I'm gonna crush him into the dirt."

"If you say so." replied red dismissively before his eyes caught onto a large group of teenage girls that was standing nearby with shopping bags on their arms. "Looks like your fan club's here, Gary."

Taking notice of the group of girls as well, Gary asks "There you are, ladies. Are all of you finished?"

"Yeah. We're totally ready to go whenever you are, Gary." said the leader of the group as her friends nodded in agreement.

"Glad to hear it." replied Gary before giving Red a mock salute. "Well, guess I better get going - there's still plenty for me and the girls to do in Kanto and I want to make sure I maintain the lead I've got over the rest of you losers. Smell ya later, Red."

"See ya." answered Red dismissively, prompting Gary and his cheerleaders to take their leave. Once they were out of sight, he took his Pokedex out of his pocket and asked "Dabir?"

'Yes? Do you need something?' replied what sounded like a monotone-sounding male voice coming from the Pokedex's speaker.

"Activate phone mode. There's someone I want to talk to."

'Of course. One moment.'

After a few seconds, the Pokedex lets out a single 'beep', followed Dabir's voice stating 'Phone mode activated. Please state the name of the person you wish to call.'

"Leaf Rose." answered Red before raising one of his eyebrows. "By the way, you do know that you don't have to act like that, right? We both know that you're a sentient AI that can converse freely with me, so there's no need for you to act like some kind of soulless machine."

Giving the red-colored device an irritated look, he adds "Besides, it's annoying hearing you sound like that."

'I would, but then again, I must admit that your annoyance amuses me greatly.' replied - simply in a much more livelier tone, causing Red to glare down at the red-colored device. 'Hey, stop glaring - it could be worse. I could've chosen to go with 'Valley Girl' instead of using 'Robotic'.'

Eyebrows furrowing, Red grumbles "...You wouldn't dare."

'Like, would I?' replied a peppy-sounding female voice in return, eliciting another glare from the cap-wearing boy in return.

"Just put Leaf on the line before I decide to pocket you and use the VideoPhones here instead."

'As you wish. Have fun speaking to your girlfriend.'

"Smartass piece of junk. Almost makes me wish he hadn't gotten a personality..." grumbled Red under his breath before pressing a button on the Pokedex, causing Leaf's visage to appear on it's screen. "Hey, Leaf."

"Hiya, Red!" answered Leaf's voice cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Alright, all things considering. You?"

"Pretty good. So what's up?"

"Nothing much - just thought I'd catch up with you." answered Red with a shrug. "I spoke to Gary earlier and figured that while I was at it, I'd take the time to talk to you as well. Where are you now?"

"Vermilion City." replied Leaf, still smiling. "I'm here with Lincoln and his friends right now - we're staying in town until the St. Anne arrives."

"So you've met Lincoln too, huh..." muttered the black-haired boy, causing a questioning look to form on Leaf's face.

"Yeah, I have. Is there a problem?"

"No, but there is something I want to ask you about him."

Nodding, Leaf replies "I'll answer what I can. What's on your mind?"

"I just wanna know if he's any good or not." stated Red, causing Leaf's eyes to light up slightly in intrigue. "I tried asking Gary the same question, but...well, let's just say that after his response, I thought I'd ask someone with a less...opinionated view on him."

"Well, you came to the right person, Red. I don't know what in the world you were thinking when you decided to ask Gary about Lincoln. We both know the guy's full of himself."

"That he is. Now then, my question?"

"Right. When it comes to Lincoln, he's...well-rounded, to put it politely. No major strengths, but no weaknesses either, save for inexperience. And we both know that can be remedied with enough time and effort."

Nodding in understanding, Red answered "I see. So he's average at best, then?"

"For now, but with enough effort and training, he'll probably be on par with us by the time the Indigo Conference rolls around." said Leaf, a thoughtful look on her face. "He's definitely got potential, though. He managed to beat Giselle Seiyo in an exhibition match just a few days ago."

"He managed to beat Giselle? As in 'the undefeated top student of Pokemon Tech' Giselle?" asked Red, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yep. Put up a really good fight against her, too." replied Leaf, nodding. "Speaking of Lincoln, have you battled against him yet?"

"Not yet, but I want to. From what I've seen of his battles on TV, he seems like he'd be a fun opponent to face."

"Same here - I teamed up with him against a couple of snobs from Pokemon Tech, but I haven't had the chance to battle him yet. I'd like to, though - anyone who can knock Giselle Seiyo off her high horse is someone I want to fight."

"Well, maybe we'll get our chance to take a crack at him someday. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Here's hoping we do." answered Leaf before scratching the back of her head with a sheepish smile on her face. "So...uh, you up to talking a bit longer, Red? Y'know...just to catch up a bit more?"

Looking just as flummoxed, Red says "Sure, I've...er, got time to kill if you do."

"Great!" chimed the brunette excitedly, only to flush slightly upon seeing the smile forming on the black-haired boy's face. "Er...I mean...that's great to hear. I've got a lot to go over and I'm sure that you do, too."

Scratching the back of her head again, she adds "Um...do you wanna go first?"

Shaking his head, Red answered "You go ahead, Leaf. I can wait until you're done.", causing a smile to form on Leaf's face.

"Thanks, Red."

"Anytime, Leaf."

(AN: Dabir - Arabic for 'tutor')

-=O=-

-Vermilion City Pokemon Center - Lobby (9:00 PM)-

"Gotta wait a little bit longer, Lincoln. Don't call them yet." muttered Lincoln to himself as he sat on one of the lobby's couches, keeping his eyes locked on the clock above the front counter while Pikachu slept contently beside him. "Just a little bit longer..."

Cracking open one of his eyes, the Mouse Pokemon tiredly asked "...What're you mumbling about?"

"I'm waiting for a good time to call my family." answered the white-haired Loud, turning his attention away from the clock to look at the Electric-Type. "I don't want to call them too early and end up waking them from their sleep."

"Well, you just woke me from mine with your muttering."

"Sorry about that, pal. I'll try to lower the volume a bit so you can sleep."

Yawning, Pikachu replied "It's alright. So...waiting for the right time to call your folks, huh?"

"Pretty much, yeah." said Lincoln, nodding. "I made a promise and I intend on keeping it, even if I have to stay up late to do it."

"Good to know you're willing to keep your promises, Lincoln. That's an admirable trait for a Trainer to have." remarked Leaf's voice from nearby, catching the pair's attention.

Noticing the hat-wearing girl standing nearby, Lincoln asked "...Leaf? What are you doing here?"

Shrugging as she took a seat on the couch in front of Lincoln, Leaf answered "Thought I'd take the time to talk to you before I headed off to bed for the night. It's been a long, but enjoyable day for me."

"Spent that time on checking out Vermilion City and what it has to offer, I take it?"

"Yep. And speaking of which, how are you and your friends liking Vermilion City so far? Are you guys having fun here, too?"

"Definitely a lot more exciting than my old hometown. There's just so much to see and do here." answered Lincoln with a smile on his face. "And we'll probably end up checking out what else it has to offer tomorrow."

"I know what you mean. Pallet Town's nice, but there's nothing like the feeling of immersing yourself in a big city like this one." replied Leaf before deciding to change the subject. "Hey, I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but there's this girl at the docks and..."

"You're talking about the one giving away the St. Anne passes. right?" asked Lincoln, causing the hat-wearing girl to nod. "Yeah, we met her. And yes, we managed to score some passes. The last three, as a matter of fact."

"Lucky you. And hey, that just means we can check out the St. Anne together when it docks." said Leaf with a smile. "So have you challenged Lt. Surge for your Thunder Badge yet? Gotta make sure that you're keeping up with the rest of us, y'know."

Giving her a nod, Lincoln replies "Yeah, I managed to beat him to get one, but..."

"But...?"

"A part of me feels like I didn't earn my win against Lt. Surge. We lost the first match against him and had to resort to using stalling tactics during the second. It just...doesn't feel right having to win my badge like that, y'know?"'

"...Why would you be bothered by something like that? There's nothing wrong with using your head to win a battle."

"I know, but compared to the battles I won against Misty and Brock to earn the Boulder and Cascade Badges, my battle with Surge just...well, it didn't stack up well against them." replied Lincoln before taking his badge case out of his bag and opening it to look at his recently won prize. "Even though I managed to beat him, I still feel like a two-badge Trainer who had to resort to trickery instead of actual effort to win. It wasn't a decisive victory."

Eyebrow raised, Leaf asked "Trickery?"

Pointing at the Electric-Type sitting beside him, Lincoln answered "I had my Pikachu use Double Team to stall out Surge's Raichu, then had him take it down after it had worn itself out."

"A smart strategy, considering the fact I was facing off against an evolved Pokemon." remarked Pikachu, nodding.

"I still don't see what's the problem." said Leaf, shaking her head. "After all, you didn't seem to have any issues with using 'trickery' to defeat Giselle a few days ago. What makes this one instance against Lt. Surge any different?"

"She didn't make fun of my Pikachu like he and his Raichu did, calling him weak just because he was un-evolved. I just...wanted to prove them wrong about him - to show them that just because he was still a Pikachu, it didn't mean he was a weakling." replied Lincoln, eyes glancing at his Thunder Badge. "Look, I know I should be proud that I managed to win this, but..."

"But nothing. From what I'm hearing, you managed to earn that win and your Thunder Badge fair and square."

"But I..."

"Did Surge raise any protests about how you won? Did the referee get on your case for stalling Raichu out?" asked Leaf, causing Lincoln to shake his head.

"No. They actually commended me for using my brain in order to win my rematch with the Lieutenant."

"Do Misty and Brock disapprove of how you won?"

Shaking his head again, Lincoln answered "No. They pretty much did the same thing."

"Then there you go - this isn't something you should be bothered about." said Leaf, nodding in satisfaction at Lincoln's answer. "You and your Pikachu earned your win fair and square and don't let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise. A battle isn't just about strong moves or overwhelming your opponent - sometimes you need to use your noggin, too."

After taking a moment to mull over the girl's words, Lincoln sighs and says "Yeah, I guess so."

Noticing that his mood hadn't perked up, Leaf asked "Still bothered by it, huh?", causing the white-haired Loud to nod. "Well, if this is really bothering you that badly, I think I might know of a way to help you convince yourself that you rightfully earned that badge."

"Really? And what's that?"

"A battle on the St. Anne - you against me. We're both three-badge Trainers, so that means we should be on the same level with each other, right?"

After giving her a hesitant nod, Lincoln says "Uh...yeah, I guess so. But how is this going to convince me that I earned my badge?"

In response, Leaf takes her badge case out of her bag and opens it up, revealing three gleaming badges within it.

"As I said before, we're both three-badge Trainers, so if you can beat me or at least manage to hold your own during our match, then that should be proof enough for you that you're worthy of holding that Thunder Badge of yours." replied the hat-wearing girl with a grin before giving Lincoln a playful tap on the nose with her finger. "After all, if I can beat Surge in a straight-up battle and you can keep up with me, then that should cast aside any doubts you're having, right?"

"I think you should go for it, Lincoln. This might be what you need to prove to yourself that you rightfully earned your status as a three-badge Trainer." suggested Pikachu, nodding. "Not to mention this'll give you the chance to face off against one of your rivals and see what she's really capable of."

"You really think so, huh?" asked Lincoln, causing the Electric-Type to nod. Turning to face Leaf, he says "Alright, if you really think this will help me out, then I'm up for it. Besides, Pikachu said that it'll give me the chance to see how skilled you really are, which is something I'm not about to pass up."

Grinning, Leaf replied "That's the spirit. So...you guys got any plans set aside from checking out Vermilion City and seeing the St. Anne?"

"Other than taking some time to call my family in a few moments, no. We're just sticking around long enough to check out the St. Anne, then we're moving on to..." started Lincoln before he realized that he hadn't taken the time to consider where he wanted to go next. "...Er...you wouldn't happen to know a good place to go for my next badge, would you?"

"Well, you've got two options: the gym north of Lavender Town and the gym in Celadon City." answered Leaf, holding up two fingers. "You'll find the former in the Maiden's Peak area - it's an abandoned manor that serves as the Kanto region's official Ghost-Type gym."

"Maiden's Peak?" asked Lincoln, eyebrow raised.

"One of the more notable landmarks in the Kanto region. I'm not completely sure, but I think that there's supposed to be some kind of festival held there later this month."

'Note to self - look into Maiden's Peak and this festival.' thought Lincoln to himself before asking "And what about the other one in Celadon City?"

"The one in Celadon's a little further off, but it's in what can be considered the biggest city in the entire Kanto region. If I'm remembering correctly, the gym leader there specializes in Grass-Type Pokemon."

"So I've got two choices to pick from...which one's the closest?"

"The one near Maiden's Peak, though you'll have to leave the main route to reach it." answered Leaf as she took a map out of her bag and pointed at a spot above Lavender Town's location. "Shouldn't be too long of a detour, I think."

"That'll probably be our next stop, then." said Lincoln before taking out his own map and marking the spot on it. "So are you going to try your luck at winning the badge there?"

"Nah, I think I'll go straight to Celadon. There's supposed to be a mall in town that sells things that you can't find in regular PokeMarts." replied Leaf, shrugging. "I know for certain that I'll end up skipping the Flying-Type gym, too."

"Any particular reason for that one?"

"I'm...er, not too fond of Flying-Types. Let's just leave it at that."

Deciding not to press the matter any further, Lincoln takes a look at the clock above the front counter and says "...Almost 9:15. Guess now's as good as time as any, huh buddy?"

"You got something you need to do at this hour, Lincoln?" asked Leaf curiously.

"I promised that I'd call my family after I won my Thunder Badge." answered the white-haired Loud, pointing at the VideoPhone booths in the distance.

Nodding in understanding, Lean answers "Ah...I gotcha. Had to wait until your folks back in the States woke up before you could call 'em, right?"

"Yep. And now would be a good time to do it before Pikachu and I get some sleep."

"Let's just hope that they don't keep us on the line too long. I'm beat." remarked the Mouse Pokemon tiredly.

Giving the yellow-colored mouse a glance, Lincoln says "You don't have to stay up with me, Pikachu. If you wanna head off to bed, you know where our room is."

Shaking his head, Pikachu answers "Nah, it's alright - I can keep awake a little while longer." before giving the VideoPhones a glance. "So are we going to do this or what? The sooner we do, the sooner we can get some shuteye. We've got another day of exploring Vermilion ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yeah, let's go ahead and do that." replied Lincoln with a nod. "We'll have to talk again later, Leaf. We've got a call to make before we head off to sleep for the night."

"Alright then." said Leaf before letting out a yawn. "...Speaking of sleep, I guess I better be heading off to bed myself. There's still so much here in Vermilion I want to see before the St. Anne arrives and I want to be up early to get a head start on that tomorrow. Good night, Lincoln."

"Good night, Leaf." replied Lincoln before giving Pikachu a knowing look. "Well, looks like it's just us, buddy. You ready?"

"Whenever you are." answered the Electric-Type in turn. "I just hope that this call doesn't end like the one in Cerulean City did."

"Same here, pal. Same here." said Lincoln before he started on his way towards the VideoPhone booths.

As he prepared to dial in the number to his sister's phone, Misty's voice asked "Hey Lincoln, what's up?", causing the white-haired boy to let out a startled cry before falling out of his seat.

Upon seeing the redhead herself standing nearby with a look of amusement on her face, he snaps "Don't do that! It's bad enough with Lucy scaring the daylights out of me like that, but I don't need you doing it too!"

"Sorry about that. Lemme help you up - it's the least I can do for spooking you like that." answered Misty before taking his hand and helping him to his feet. Taking notice of the receiver still clutched in his hand, she asked "...About to call your folks, huh?"

Nodding, Lincoln says "Yeah." before scratching the back of his head. "Er...since you're here, you...uh, wanna take the time to say 'hi' to them?"

"Might as well. I can't get back to sleep." answered Misty, shrugging. "Brock's a great friend, but he can put a Snorlax to shame with his snoring."

"Great. Lemme just dial in Lisa's number and we'll be good to go."

(AN: Leaf's uneasiness towards Flying-Types is a reference to something in the Pokemon Adventures manga...care to take a guess on what it is? Also, beyond this point, the story - with the exception of two segments - will be focused on events taking place in Royal Woods.)

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Dining Room (8:20 AM)-

While Lincoln was preparing to dial in the number to his sister's VideoPhone, the rest of his family were in their dining room, eating breakfast...or were trying to, considering that the smell of rotten eggs was still emanating from Lynn Sr.'s body, filling the room with the smell.

'Great...we can't even enjoy breakfast without Stinkcoln's bad luck ruining it for us somehow.' thought Lynn as she watched her siblings try to eat their food while attempting to ignore the odor coming from their father. 'I've got to do something about this - if I don't, then things are just going to get worse. We need to have that room sealed back off.'

Turning to face her mother, she asked "Mom? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Junior?" asked Rita, trying to ignore the stench in the room as she ate.

"I know you're not happy about the idea, but...can we seal Lincoln's room off, please? His...'that' is starting to effect the rest of us. I'm even willing to bet that it's also behind Dad's horrible smell."

"Hey, I don't smell that bad..." grumbled Lynn Sr. before taking a small whiff of himself...and then hurrying over to the garbage can to retch into it a few seconds later.

Without even turning her attention away from her breakfast, Rita answered "You already know what my answer's going to be, Junior. Stop asking."

"But Mom, we need to seal that room off! Haven't you seen what's been happening to us lately?"

"I said no. That room's staying unsealed - end of discussion."

Standing up in her chair, Lola exclaims "This isn't right! You're willing to let this stuff happen to us just because you're trying to get back on Lincoln's good side!"

As the other sisters, save for Luna, Lisa, Lily and Lucy, start raising agreements, their mother slams a fist down on the dining room table, causing them to immediately go quiet.

"I'm doing it because I made a promise to unseal that room to your brother before he left and I intend to keep it, young lady. Now sit down." answered Rita in an icy voice, causing Lola to let out a 'eep' before sitting back down. "As for the rest of you, I have to ask - what makes you so certain that it's his room that's causing whatever's happening to you?"

"Because it is!" blurted Lynn, slapping a hand on the table. "It's infested with Stinkcoln's..."

"Junior, what did I tell you about using that name?" snapped her father as he started to come back to the table, cutting her off.

"...Not to do it?" replied the younger of the two Lynn, startled by her father's sudden change of mood.

"And you go and do it anyway, despite what I told you. Well, no longer - if I hear you use it one more time...just one more time...I'm going to start punishing you alongside your mother. Your brother may be bad luck, but this behavior is completely out of line."

"W-what!?"

"You heard me. Now then, no more using this 'Stinkcoln' crack - is that understood?"

"B-but..." stammered Lynn, only for her father to narrow his eyes in response.

"Is. That. Understood?"

"...Yes, Dad."

Satisfied with the answer, Lynn Sr. nods and says "Good. Lincoln may be bad luck, but he doesn't deserve to be called something like that." before sitting back down, unaware of the gobsmacked looks on his daughters' faces and the slight look of approval on Rita's.

'At least he's on his way to acting like a proper father again. Now if he could just do something about that foolish belief in bad luck...' mused the blonde thoughtfully before turning to face the sisters that were agreeing with Lola earlier. "I never received an answer to my question, girls - are you certain that Lincoln's room is causing whatever is happening to you?"

As she and her siblings squirmed uncomfortably in their seats, Luan answered "Well...we aren't exactly sure if it's the cause or not, but..."

"But...?"

"Well, we had a sister meeting a few nights ago on how to deal with Lincoln's room and...well, we eventually came up with an idea on how to try to convince you to let us go through with it."

"Oh, this should be good..." remarked Lisa, rolling her eyes.

"I doubt that you'll change my mind on the matter, but go ahead and share this idea of yours." said Rita, arms crossed.

"A trial run." answered Lori, causing her mother's eyebrows to raise questioningly. "You give us the chance to seal it off for a set amount of time. If things get better, then we know that Lincoln's room is responsible for what's happening to us."

"Which it is." remarked Lynn under her breath, only to clam up upon seeing the glare that Rita was sending her way.

Even though she was aware of the true cause behind her family's misfortune, Lisa asked "And if it's not?"

"Then we'll unseal the room again and the matter will be closed for good. Simple as that."

"And why should I agree to something like this, Lori?" asked Rita, arms crossed.

"You want us to stop going on about sealing it off, right?" replied Lori, causing her mother to nod in response. "Then give us the chance to see if it'll work or not. Just one chance - that's all we ask."

"...Before I decide whether to let this happen or not, I have to know - what are you going to do if...no, when this doesn't work?"

"Pardon?"

"What are you going to do when this idea of yours doesn't work?" repeated Rita, raising an eyebrow. "You won't be able to blame this on your brother if sealing off his room doesn't help out with...whatever's going on with you girls. So tell me, what are you going to do then?"

Shrugging, Lynn replies "Why does it matter? We already know that his room's the cause, so all we need to do is seal it off and bam - we can say goodbye to our ba...misfortune."

"You didn't answer my question, Lynn. What's going to happen if this doesn't work?"

As the others turned to look at her, the red-clad teen sat there in silence, wondering how she was going to answer her mother's question - if it turned out that Lincoln's room wasn't the cause of her family's misfortune...then what was causing it?

And furthermore...what if it turned out that she had been wrong about her brother all along?

'...What am I thinking? Of course he's the cause of what's going on.' thought the thirteen year-old to herself, shaking her earlier thoughts from her mind. 'Everything's going to go back to normal once we get that room sealed off. I know it will.'

Turning to face Rita, she answers "Again, why should it matter when we all know his room's the cause of what's going on? Things didn't start getting bad until after you guys unsealed it."

"Actually, your misfortune started striking you sometime after Lincoln's call from Cerulean City. And we all know what happened then, yes?" stated Lisa as she adjusted her glasses, causing the others to start thinking over what had happened that day.

"Wasn't that when Lynn said all of that really mean stuff to Lincoln and made him run off?" asked Leni, causing the four year-old to nod.

"That's correct. It's rather interesting when you think about it - your luck started to go sour AFTER Lynn decided that upsetting our brother would be a good idea." said Lisa before giving the teen in question a predatory smile. "Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that it's possible that Lynn's the one who brought misfortune onto our family."

As the other sisters gave Lynn subtle glances, the girl in question snarled "Are you calling me a jinx, you little snot!?"

"I'm not calling you anything. After all, it's just a possibility." answered Lisa curtly before adjusting her glasses. "Even though I am a woman of science and would normally dismiss something like this, I believe that it may be karma at work, coming back to haunt us for what we've done to Lincoln."

Scoffing, Lynn replied "That's a load of bull. We didn't do anything to him to warrant this."

"Oh sure, let's just forget the fact that not only did we boot him out of the house over something as stupid as bad luck, but you started this whole luck mess in the first place because you couldn't stand the idea of losing." said Luna, rolling her eyes. "Not to mention that you tried to tee off on Linc's head after losing to the Lions. He wasn't even there that day and you still blamed your loss on him."

"And how would you know, huh? He could've been there and you just didn't see him." countered Lynn, pointing at her older sister. When Luna didn't give her a reply, she smirks before saying "You see? It's..."

"Impossible for him to have been there that day." interrupted Lisa, cutting the thirteen year-old off.

"What!? What the heck do you mean 'impossible'!?"

"Simple. If he was there to ruin your game, he would have to run all the way to the softball park, remain out of sight for every single inning that was played and then manage to make it back home before we did. And we all know that he's not a very fast runner - that marathon he tried to win a few months ago is proof of that."

"He could've hitched a ride." argued Lynn, not wanting to lose the argument.

"Again, that would be impossible. We left him outside for three straight days without allowing him to shower or change his clothes. There would be too many questions asked about how he looked if he had hitched a ride with someone else." stated Lisa before a hard look formed on her face. "And if he decided to come clean about what happened to him, 'trouble' would be too light of a term to describe what would happen to our family afterwards."

"Then how did I lose? There was no way that the Lions should've been able to beat me!"

As the others sat at the table, trying to come up with a way to answer Lynn's question, Leni raised her hand and said "Um...I, like, don't know if this means anything, but I kinda noticed something about the way you play."

Eyebrow raised, Lola asked "And what's that, Leni? If this is about how tacky the Squirrels' outfits are..."

Shaking her head, Leni replied "While I agree that those outfits are totes tacky, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm not sure if I'm right about this or not, but I think that Lynn plays the same way during every game."

"She does? Really?" questioned Lana, bewildered.

"Yeah. She, like, never seems to change anything about how she plays. It's always the same thing, every time."

Shrugging dismissively, Lynn answered "Of course I play the same way - if it's not broke, don't fix it. But what does this have to do with my loss?"

"Everything." replied Luan, causing Lynn to whip her head around to face her. "If the Lions caught on to the fact that you play the same way during every game, then they could've trained themselves to counter whatever you could throw at them. And if Leni of all people managed to notice that you never change anything up, then it's incredibly likely that they did, too."

"Precisely. A refusal to change and adapt leads to stagnation, which is never a good thing." said Lisa, nodding her head. "Face it, Lynn - luck had nothing to do with your loss that..."

Before she could finish, the four year-old suddenly felt her wristwatch vibrating on her arm, cutting her off.

Turning to face her purple-clad sister, she asks "...Luna?"

"On it." answered Luna before taking a brief glance at her own wristwatch. Upon seeing 'Vermilion City' on the watch's face, a grin forms on her face as she nods and says "It's him, Lise."

"Excellent. I was expecting him to call us sometime later, but now's just as good of a time as any." replied Lisa before jumping out of her chair and heading out of the dining room. "I'll go ahead and get everything set up."

"I'll come with you." said Lucy, doing the same.

Leaving her chair as well, Luna adds "Same here. I don't wanna miss a single minute of this."

"Where are you three going?" asked Lana, watching on in confusion as the three sisters left the room "And who's this 'him'?"

"Probably that Professor Oak guy again." assumed Luan with a shrug. "I'll see about setting my laptop up for us to..."

"To do what, Luan?" inquired Rita, causing the other Louds to cry out in surprise, having forgotten that she was still in the room. "Never mind that. I need to talk to the rest of you before I join Lisa and the others upstairs."

Wondering what her mother wanted with her, Lola asked "About what?"

"Since I don't want to hold the others up, I'll just get straight to the point - all of you, save for Lily and the ones upstairs, are going to be barred from the house until this call is over. And yes, that includes you too, honey."

At this, the rest of the Loud family that were still at the table stared at her in complete shock and disbelief...before assaulting her ears with a cacophony of protests.

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (8:35 AM)-

"Oh man...I can't wait to talk to Lincoln again. I bet he's got all sorts of stories to tell us." said Luna excitedly as she, Lucy and Lisa entered the latter's bedroom.

Smiling, Lucy answered "I know what you mean, Luna. I'm eager to hear about what he's been up to as well." before noticing that Lisa was heading over to her desk instead of answering the still-beeping VideoPhone. "...Lisa? Aren't you going to answer that?"

"I believe I can trust of you two to ahead and answer it for me. I'll be over here, looking for the materials I need to take notes on Lincoln's journey." answered the four year-old before opening up one of her desk's drawers and looking through it. "...I know I have an unused notepad in here somewhere..."

Eyebrow raised, Luna asked "Why do you need to take notes, Lise?"

"To gather information based on our brother's experiences and therefore be able to assist him should he require my guidance." answered Lisa, still rummaging through her desk. "...That and they will help me with my own research on Pokemon. The notes I've already made so far have assisted me greatly with that particular goal, but there's nothing wrong with wanting more information to work with."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense. So...I just pick up the receiver and he'll show up on the screen?"

"Not quite. You have to press the green button on the keyboard, too. You'll know which one I'm talking about when you see it."

"Green button...got it." muttered Luna before sitting down in front of the VideoPhone and picking up the receiver. Once she had it in hand, she looks down at the VideoPhone's keyboard and adds "...Green button...green...ah, there it is." before pressing a green button with a small image of a receiver on it.

Almost immediately, the visage of Lincoln, Misty and Pikachu suddenly popped onto the screen, startling the fifteen year-old and causing her, as well as the chair, to fall backwards onto the floor.

Wincing upon recalling her first ever VideoPhone call with Professor Oak and how the same had happened to her, Lisa thought 'Well, at least I'm not the only one that's happened to anymore...' before going back to searching for her notepad.

While Lucy helped her older sister back onto her feet, Lincoln asked "You...he he...alright, Luna?" while trying his hardest not to crack up at what had happened to his older sister.

By the looks on Misty and Pikachu's faces, they were trying to do the same thing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little spooked at how sudden you popped onto the screen, that's all." answered Luna, dusting herself off before giving her brother a warm smile. "It's good to see you again, little bro."

Returning the smile, Lincoln answered "It's good to see you too, Luna." before turning to face the black-haired girl standing beside her. "Same goes for you and Lisa as well, Lucy."

"Likewise. It's only been a day, but I've been looking forward to talking to you again."

"All three of us have been waiting for the chance t' do that, Luce." replied Luna, grinning. As Lincoln turned to speak to Lucy about something, she turns to Misty and asks "So...Misty, was it? I never really got the chance to introduce myself to you before."

"Likewise. Then again, considering what happened yesterday between you and Lincoln, it's probably for the best that we saved the introductions for later." answered the redhead with a shrug. "Speaking of which, the name's Misty Waterflower. Nice to meet you."

"Luna Loud. Same here."

"Hey, aren't you forgetting someone?" squeaked Pikachu indignantly as he pointed at himself, causing Luna to blink in confusion for a moment before Misty decided to translate for her.

"He's annoyed that you didn't bother to greet him as well."

"Oh...sorry 'bout that, little guy. It's nice to meet you too."

"Likewise." said the Electric-Type, giving the purple-clad teen a lazy wave.

After returning the gesture to the Mouse Pokemon, Luna turned back to Misty and asked "So...you and my brother...are you...you know, together?" with a knowing smile, causing the redhead to blush brightly in response before rapidly shaking her head.

"But you want to, yeah?"

In response, the redhead's blush deepens in color before she nodded her head and answered "Aside from being a Water-Type Pokemon Master, more than anything."

"Then you better get crackin' on it as soon as possible." replied Luna, nodding while crossing her arms. "Lincoln's a great guy, so if you're not quick enough, some other girl will end up snatching him from right under your nose. You gotta make a move while you still can, y'know?"

"I know. I've tried to tell him how I felt before, but a certain someone had to ruin it by showing up at the wrong time." grumbled Misty before crossing her arms with a huff. "I'm still annoyed with Brock about that, by the way."

"Another chance will come up, dudette. When it does, reach out and take it - you may not get another one after that."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Lincoln, causing Misty to let out a startled 'eep' while Luna simply chuckled before waving the question off.

"Nothin', bro. Just a bit of girl talk with Misty here, that's all."

"Well...alright, if you say so. In any case, now that we're all caught up with each other, let's get down to the main reason I'm calling..." started Lincoln, only to notice that his mother wasn't in the room. "...Where's Mom?"

"Downstairs with the others, if I had to take a guess. She'll be up here momentarily." answered Lisa, walking over with a notepad and pen in hand. After taking Luna's place in front of the VideoPhone, she adds "Before we begin with your recollection of your recent experiences however, I have to ask - did you manage to win the Thunder Badge?"

Taking out his badge case and showing off the gleaming yellow and orange-colored badge inside, Lincoln says "Yep. Check it out."

Letting out a whistle of appreciation, Luna answered "Nice. Only five more to go before you can challenge for the championship, right?"

"Yep. And I'm going straight for the top."

"Go big or go home, huh? That's the spirit."

"You're already at three badges and it hasn't even been a month..." murmured Lisa before giving her brother a wide smile. "To think you've made so much progress in such a short time...I must admit that I'm impressed, Lincoln. Well done."

Nodding in agreement, Lucy says "Same here, Lincoln. You've come a long way from the boy who convinced his older sister to take his place on his pee-wee football team while he read comic books."

At the questioning glance he received from Misty and Pikachu, Lincoln said "I'll tell you later." before giving his younger sister a smile. "Thanks, Lucy. It means a lot hearing that coming from you. Same goes for you two as well."

"You are welcome, Lincoln." answered Lisa before an eager grin formed on her face. "Now then, let's get started on your recollection, shall we?"

"Let's wait until Mom gets here first. I don't want to have to go over everything twice." said Lincoln, causing the three sisters to sigh before nodding their heads.

"Very well, if we must." replied Lisa answered Lisa before noticing that the third member of Lincoln's group wasn't on the screen. "By the way, where is your other companion, Lincoln? I noticed that he's not present at the moment."

"He's out like a light in our room, short stuff." replied Misty, pointing at a nearby door. "I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but while it's morning over there in the States, it's nighttime over here in Kanto."

"Wow...talk about a time difference." said Luna before her eyes widened in realization upon recalling what else the redhead had said. "...Wait, you three share a room with each other?"

"Whenever we stay at a Pokemon Center, yes." answered Lincoln, nodding. "Doesn't cost us a dime, either - the rooms are completely free."

"Killer. So...you guys get your own beds t' sleep in?" asked the purple-clad teen before a salacious grin appeared on her face. "...Or d'ya have to share one?"

While Misty and Lucy blushed at the implications, Lisa glares at her older sister before snapping "Luna, that kind of question is highly inappropriate! You shouldn't be asking something like..."

"It's alright, Lisa. I don't mind." answered Lincoln, cutting the four year-old off. Turning to face Luna, he adds "To answer your question, sometimes we do. Misty and I have to share one when there isn't another one available. It's...surprisingly comfortable and easy to sleep with her around, believe it or not."

While Misty's blush deepened in color at the remark, Luna, Lucy and Lisa simply stare at their brother for a moment before simultaneous grins formed on their faces.

Immediately seeing the grins as a sign that the three girls were about to start squealing, Lincoln points at them and says "Don't. Start. Squealing. Just don't. Or I'll hang up right now."

Paling at the thought of her brother deciding to hang up because she and her sisters couldn't keep themselves under control, Lisa quickly replied "That won't be necessary, Lincoln. We'll keep ourselves in check, won't we?"

"Yeah, we will. Just please don't hang up on us, bro...we really want to talk to you." added Luna with a nod, looking just as pale.

"Then keep the squealing under control. You have no idea on how much that hurts my ears." answered Lincoln before deciding to change the subject. "Enough about that, though - while we wait for Mom to arrive, how about you three fill me in about what's been going on at home? I didn't get the chance to ask about it last time."

As she and Lucy shared a subtle, knowing smirk with each other, Lisa replied "The recent events that have taken place in our household have been...interesting, to say the least. Our family - that is, everyone aside from myself, Lucy, Lily and our mother - had recently come across a streak of misfortune."

After he and Pikachu blinked owlishly at the response, Lincoln asked "So...they're suffering from bad luck? Actual bad luck?"

"Yeah, and it's rocking us like a hurricane in the worst possible way, bro." added Luna, nodding her head. "Leni and I got stung by a swarm of wasps, Lola's dress got peed on by Charles so she had to wear some of Lana's clothes, Lana fell down the stairs and broke her wrist, Lynn suffered a couple of concussions and seems to think that your room's the cause of what's going on, Luan's buck teeth got chipped when the attic stairs hit her in the face, Dad can't get the smell of rotten eggs off of him for some reason and Lori had to get her head shaved after an incident involving an unflushed toilet."

"Karma's finally kickin' you guys in the butt, huh? About time." remarked Misty with a smirk, only for it to fade upon seeing Lincoln shaking his head. "...Right, sorry. I'll behave."

"Thank you."

Lightly tugging on his Trainer's hair, Pikachu asked "Er...which one was Lori again, Lincoln? It's hard to keep track of those sisters of yours."

"Blonde hair, teal tanktop, got on my case about hanging out with Misty...ring any bells?"

"Right...her. I don't like her. I like the red one even less."

"I'm with you on that one, pal." remarked Misty, arms crossed.

"Lori's really not that bad when you really get to know her, you two." said Lincoln chidingly before turning to face his family again. "Still...things must be pretty rough for you guys right now, huh?"

"You have no idea, bro." answered Luna before a peculiar look appeared on her face as she crossed her arms. "Oddly enough, after you and I cleared the air with each other, things have been getting better for me. I don't know why things are still going sour for the others, but things have pretty much went back to normal for me, save for the fact that you're not here with us."

Turning to face her black-clad sister, she asked "Any idea on why that might be, Luce? You seem to know a lot 'bout this kinda mumbo-jumbo."

"Well, Lisa mentioned earlier that this run of bad luck may be because of bad karma brought on by what we've done to our brother. Perhaps you managed to cleanse some of it away when you decided to make amends with him."

"Huh...then that means if Dad and the others did the same, things would clear up for them too, right?" asked Luna, causing the two younger Loud sister to give each other a subtle, yet knowing grin.

"It's possible. Maybe you should try suggesting that to them instead of allowing them to continue their foolishness regarding our brother's room."

"Which is still unsealed, by the way." stated Lucy, catching Lincoln's attention. "Dad and the others tried to seal it off a few nights ago, but...well, it didn't work out for them."

"Well, that's good." replied Lincoln, nodding. "I bet they're still insisting on it though, right?"

With a nod of her own, Luna answered "Like you wouldn't believe, bro. They actually suggested an idea to Mom about sealing it off earlier this morning. Something about a 'trial run', I think?"

"You weren't at the meeting in question?" asked Lisa, eyebrows raised.

"I was too bummed out about how I did my little bro wrong to attend any meetings Lori called." said Luna before giving her brother a smile. "I've been feeling a lot better now, thanks to you."

At the raised eyebrow her brother gave her, the purple-clad teen added "You eased my concerns about us holding you back, Linc. That's what I'm talking about."

"Ah...that. Well, you're welcome, Luna. I was happy to help." replied Lincoln before an inquisitive look formed on his face. "Now then, tell me about this 'trial run' idea..."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Dining Room (8:35 AM)-

While Luna, Lisa and Lucy were catching up with their brother, the rest of the Loud family were still expressing their dismay at Rita's sudden decision to temporarily evict them from the house.

Lynn, on the other hand, asked "Does that go for me, too?" in a hopeful tone - if she was also sent out of the house as well, she would not only be able to catch up with her friends, but there was also a chance that she could get to play sports again.

Shaking her head, Rita answered "Absolutely not. In case you've forgotten, you're still grounded, young lady. You'll be staying in your room until the call's over." before pointing in the direction of Lynn's room. "Speaking of which, get going. Now."

"But I..."

"Now. Before I decide to add another week to your punishment."

Realizing that she wasn't going to change her mother's mind, Lynn groans before getting out of her chair and leaving.

"Honey, don't you think that you're being unreasonable? Kicking Lincoln out of the house is one thing, but doing the same to us, too?" asked Lynn Sr., hoping that he would be able to reason with his wife.

Unfortunately for him, the matriarch of the Loud family wasn't going to have it.

"No, I don't think so, Lynn. Tell me something - you remember what happened during the last time Lincoln called us, yes? About how things were going swimmingly until all of you decided to make an appearance?"

"Hey, to be fair, Ronnie Anne was about to..." started Luan before her eyes widened in realization as a single conclusion came to mind. "...It's Lincoln, isn't it? He's the one who's calling."

"He is. And I'm not about to have all of you making another surprise appearance and ruining another call for him. Not again."

"You can't be serious! I can't go out without my hair!" protested Lori, clutching at her bald head. "What if my friends see me like this!?"

"Neither can I! That horrid smell's gotten worse!" added Lynn Sr., pointing at himself while trying not to retch at the stench coming from his body.

As the other Loud started raising protests of their own, Rita cuts them off with a raised hand, then says "You six didn't seem to have any problems with doing the same thing to Lincoln, nor did you care about people seeing him wearing nothing but his jammies for three days straight."

"So did you, Mom. Don't forget that you had a part in this, too." said Lola with a frown.

"I know, but at least I'm trying to make things right with him. You six, on the other hand, seem more concerned about yourselves and this foolish idea that his room is the cause of your current misfortune."

"Like, speaking of that...can we seal it back off? Please?" asked Leni, causing the others to groan while palming their faces. "What?"

Eyes narrowing, Rita points at the direction of the front door before snarling "...Get going. Now. All of you."

"...Can I at least get my purse first?"

"OUT!"

"Rita, please. This is..." started Lynn Sr., only for his wife to shake her head before once again pointing at the front door's location.

"Now. And don't come back until I say otherwise."

As she and the others started to file out of the room, Lori mutters "Way to go, Leni. You just had to bring up sealing his room off, didn't you?, causing the ditzy blonde to whimper slightly in response.

"Yeah, way to go. Idiot." grumbled Lola with a sneer on her face before walking away.

Noticing that her husband was still in the dining room, Rita asks "Didn't you hear what I said earlier, Lynn? You're going out, too."

With a pleading look on his face, Lynn Sr. says "Rita, please...you don't need to do this."

"Unfortunately for you, I do. And it's not just because I'm concerned about you and the girls barging in during Lincoln's call." answered Rita before her nose wrinkled in disgust at the stench coming from her husband's body. "Your...aroma is starting to spread throughout the house and I need some time to air it out. I didn't want to say anything, but your smell had put me off of my breakfast this morning."

"Alright, fine. I can understand that." admitted Lynn Sr., nodding his head. "But do you have to kick the girls out, too?"

"I do. I know you don't want to admit it, but our daughters can be...what's the word..."

"Reactive? Temperamental?"

"Those will do." answered Rita, nodding. "I don't want them trying to take out their frustrations about their recent run of bad luck on their brother. It was bad enough when Junior decided to antagonize him - the last thing Lincoln needs is for the others to do the same thing."

Sighing, Lynn Sr. says "...I suppose that's understandable. I just hope that you don't plan to do this for every single call he makes."

"I'll try not to. I just don't want this one to end like the one from Cerulean City did."

"Alright. So...since I'm going to be going out, do you need me to pick up anything?"

"Some air freshener would be nice. It'll help with the smell that's been spreading around the house." answered Rita, causing her husband to sigh before nodding his head. "And while you're out, I need you to deliver some documents to Lincoln's school. Lisa told me that they're important."

Eyebrows raised, Lynn Sr. asked "How important are we talking here?"

"Important enough to ensure we won't have any problems if anyone there starts asking questions about where he is." replied Rita before handing over two envelopes - one had an emblem with a Pokeball printed on it while the other was plain, but had an official look to it. "These came in the mail a few days ago. The envelope with the emblem on it contains a letter of introduction from Professor Oak, along with several of Lincoln's records."

"And the second envelope?" asked Lynn Sr., eyeing the emblem-less envelope.

"Official papers from the U.S. government, which can confirm the validity of said records. I'm pretty sure that they'll cover the fact he's considered an emancipated minor in Kanto, too."

"The government knows about those Pokemon things?"

Shrugging, Rita answered "Apparently. In any case, both of these are incredibly important and need to be delivered to Lincoln's school as soon as possible - preferably before the upcoming school term starts."

"So why do I have to bring these to Lincoln's school? Couldn't you have just mailed them off?"

"I was planning to, but since you're going to be out today, I might as well have you bring those to the school instead." answered Rita before making a shooing gesture with her hands while Lily, still in her high chair, mimicked the gesture. "Now then, off you go - I'm sure the girls are wondering what's holding you up."

Sighing, the father of the Loud family nods before starting to make his way towards the front door.

As he was about to leave the room completely, Rita suddenly said "Lynn...wait.", causing him to come to a stop.

"What is it?" asked Lynn Sr., inwardly wondering if his wife had changed her mind.

"...Make sure to pick up the lavender-scented spray, would you?"

After letting out a groan of disappointment, her husband nods before leaving the room.

Once he was out of sight, Rita turned to her youngest daughter with a smile on her face, asking "Well Lily, are you ready to go talk to your big brother?"

"'Inkin?" replied Lily, causing the older blonde's smile to widen as she nodded her head.

"That's right, Lily. We're going to be talking to Lincoln today."

Looking pleased with this, the infant starts laughing while clapping her hands together.

"Well, looks like someone approves." commented Rita with a smile before taking Lily out of her high chair. "C'mon sweetie, let's go see your big brother."

"'Inkin!"

-=O=-

-The Santiago Residence - Ronnie's Room (8:50 AM)-

While Rita and Lily made their way to Lisa's room, Ronnie was sitting alone in her room with her laptop, looking for any information on the internet regarding the woman who would potentially be sponsoring her journey through the Kanto region.

"Let's see here...official Pokemon Professor of the Sevii Islands...works on her research with her three assistants at her lab on Five Island...discovered regional variants of Pokemon that reside in the Orange Archipelago...blah, blah, blah..." muttered the Hispanic girl before letting out an annoyed sigh. "Geez...there's not much to go by when it comes to this Ivy lady. I managed to find plenty of stuff about Professor Oak and the Sevii Islands, but there's hardly anything worthwhile about her."

As she prepared to start looking for information about Professor Ivy again, the sound of someone knocking at her door had caught her attention, putting her search on hold for the moment.

Seconds later, Maria's voice could be heard from behind the door, saying "Ronalda, we need to talk. Can I come in?"

"Sure thing. The door's open." answered Ronnie, prompting her mother to enter the room. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want to speak to you about the trip you mentioned a few days ago...the one to...Kanta, I think?"

"Kanto." corrected Ronnie, eyebrow raised.

"Right. That." said Maria before giving her daughter a firm look. "Ronalda...I'm not sure about the idea of letting you go off on your own like this, especially to a place that's so far away from home. What if something happens to you?"

"I'll be fine, Mom. I'll have Clyde watching my back."

"And if he's not allowed to go either? Who's going to watch your back then?"

"I...I don't know. I was kinda banking on Clyde to be there." replied Ronnie, scratching the back of her head.

Eyebrow raised, Maria asked "Well, do you have a backup plan in case he's not?"

"Well...no, not really. I would bring Bobby with me, but I'm pretty sure he'll decline since he'll probably want to stay as close as possible to that girlfriend of his." said Ronnie, shaking her head. "So no, I don't have a backup plan. If Clyde isn't able to go, my plans are pretty much boned."

"Then in that case, I'm sorry. Unless you can find a way to guarantee that you won't be going alone, I'm afraid that..."

"Hold the phone, Mom. Before you start making hasty decisions about Nie Nie's trip, I think I should have a say in the matter first."

Recognizing the voice as her brother's, Ronnie turned to the doorway to see Bobby leaning against it, arms crossed with a smile on his face.

"...Bobby? How long have you..."

"The entire time, sis. And if you need a chaperone for your trip to Kanto, then I'm the man for the job."

While Ronnie stared at her brother with slightly watering eyes, Maria asked "Are you sure about this, Roberto? What about your girlfriend? Your jobs?"

"I was just fired from my most recent one a few days ago. And as for Lori, I'm sure she'll understand if I explain that I want to spend some quality time with my little sister." answered Bobby with a shrug. "I may love my girlfriend, but if I had to choose between her and my Nie Nie, I'd pick the second option every time."

"...Bobby...you'd be willing to do this for me?"

"You bet I will. And you don't need to worry about Clydesdale, little sis - his folks asked me to do the same thing for him a few days ago. Both of you are good to go."

As a smile as bright as the sun itself started to form on her face, Ronnie turns to Maria and says "Well, Bobby's on board as my chaperone, Mom. Can I go now?"

"...I'll allow it on one condition."

"Anything. What is it? Extra chores before I go? Promising to make up all of the schoolwork I'll miss when I get back?"

Chuckling at her daughter's eagerness, Maria shakes her head and says "Nothing like that, Ronalda. I just want to speak to this Professor Oak person first so I'll know exactly what you two will be getting into." answered Maria, causing her children to give her odd looks. "What? You honestly don't expect me to just say 'yes' without knowing what you're going to be doing over there first, do you?"

"That's fair enough, I guess." replied Ronnie before giving Maria a nod. "I'll have to talk to Lincoln's dorky little sister about arranging something, but I'll try to have something set up today or tomorrow."

"That'll work for me." answered Maria, nodding in satisfaction before starting towards the door. As she prepared to leave the room, she turned to Ronnie and added "And yes, since you've already mentioned it, I will be expecting you to make up for the schoolwork you're going to be missing, too."

Groaning, Ronnie mutters "I knew I should've kept my mouth shut on that...", causing her brother and mother to chuckle in response before leaving the room. Once she was alone, she mutters "Well...at least Clyde and I have a guaranteed way to go to Kanto now. That's one less worry on my mind." before opening up a new tab on her browser, intent on continuing her search for information about Professor Ivy.

(AN: There are two specific reasons why I suddenly decided to have Bobby go to Kanto with Ronnie Anne and Clyde. The first is, of course, the fact that no sane parent would send their child out of the country without someone older to watch over them. Secondly, think about this for a moment - out of all the ways that Lori's bad luck could screw with her, what would be the worst possible way to do it?)

-=O=-

-The McBride Residence - Clyde's Room (8:55 AM)-

"A chaperone? You hired someone to chaperone us?" asked Clyde, a look of slight disbelief on his face. "Ronnie and I can handle ourselves, Dad. If Lincoln can do well on his own out there, then so can we."

Patting his son's shoulder, Harold answered "I know, but it still doesn't change the fact that your father and I are concerned about you two being out there by yourselves. While we're certain that you'll do great as a Pokermon Tamer..."

"Pokemon Trainer."

"...Pokemon Trainer, we're worried that something like this may be too dangerous to handle without someone older to look after you. What if one of you two get hurt and are unable to get medical attention in time? Or what if you end up getting lost and unable to find your way back to civilization?"

"Now that you mention it, it would be pretty bad if those things happened to us..." mused Clyde, trying not to shudder at the horrid possibilities that formed in his mind. "...Alright, since you put it that way, I guess having a chaperone around to keep an eye on things wouldn't be too bad. So who did you hire?"

"Ronnie's brother. He's the only one who offered to take on the job." answered Howard, causing his son's smile to immediately falter.

"...Please tell me you're joking."

"He was the first one to accept the offer when we brought it up, son. We couldn't say no to that."

Trying to keep himself composed, Clyde asked "Couldn't you have gotten someone like Carol Pingrey? Or one of Lincoln's older sisters?"

"We never got the chance to ask them, son." said Howard, shrugging. "Besides, why are you complaining? We weren't about to let you go without a chaperone, but now that you have one, you're cleared to go to this Kanto place."

"I know, but he's...he's dating Lori. That's still something that's going to bother me, even if he's the reason I'm allowed to go." muttered Clyde, causing both of his parents to look at each other for a brief moment before nodding.

After taking a moment or two to muster the nerve to say what he needed to say, Howard says "Son, I'm going to be frank with you and please...don't get upset with me about this, but..."

"But...?"

"...I doubt that Lori will ever see you as anything more than Lincoln's best friend." finished Harold, causing his son's eyes to widen in disbelief at what he was hearing. "Don't get us wrong here - we're not trying to discourage you or anything. It's just that we think that you shouldn't waste your time on chasing an unreachable goal."

"But I love her, Dad! I'm sure that if she sees that, she'd be willing to give me a..."

After cutting Clyde off with a raised hand, Howard asked "Do you love her, son? Or do you just love the idea of her? Think carefully before you give us an answer."

At this, any protests that Clyde had building in his throat went silent as he thought about the question he was just asked - did he actually love Lori? Or was he in love with the idea of her?

"I...I don't know. I feel like something's there, but..."

"...You don't know if that's love or something else." finished Howard, causing Clyde to give him a nod. "Well, before you come to a decision on whether you want to continue chasing Lori or not, you should take the time to know other girls..."

"Or boys. We don't judge." interjected Harold, causing his husband to roll his eyes good-naturedly before continuing.

"...or boys and see how things work out for you then. Who knows, you might end up finding that certain someone who'll make you feel whole. I know I certainly felt that way when I met your father."

Letting out a sigh, Clyde answers "...Okay, I'll try, Dad. I still think that Lori's the one for me, but I'll see if there's someone out there who's just as good, if not better, than her."

"That's the spirit, son." said Harold with a smile. "Now then, there is one more condition we have before you can go."

"And that is?"

"A meeting with Professor Oak. We'd like to speak with him about what you and Ronnie will be doing in Kanto." answered Howard, causing his son to nod in acceptance.

"That sounds fair enough. I'll call Lisa later on today and see if she can arrange something for us. With any luck, you'll get to meet him either today or sometime tomorrow."

"We'll be looking forward to it, son. Now c'mon, our breakfast is getting cold."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (9:05 AM)-

After Lucy, Luna and Lisa finished with telling her and Lincoln about the suggestion that Lori had brought up that morning, Misty asked "...So let me get this straight...they believe that Lincoln's room is bad luck now?", causing the three sisters to nod in response. "How stupid do you have to be to believe in nonsense like that?"

While Lucy and Luna blushed lightly in embarrassment as the memory of the first time the family had sealed off the room ran through their minds, Lisa answered "It's nonsense that everyone, save for us and our mother, seems to be buying. They're desperate enough to try anything, no matter how stupid it may be, to bring an end to whatever is causing their misfortunes."

Inwardly, she added 'It's a shame that this idea of theirs wouldn't work, even if Mother allowed it to happen. Lucy's curse will make sure of that.'

After taking a moment or two to digest what he had just heard, Lincoln says "So...they really think that sealing my room back off will get rid of their bad luck, huh?"

"Yeah. They've been buggin' Dad about it for days now, trying to get him to talk Mom in letting them go through with it."

"Which isn't going to happen. We've sealed that room off one too many times for my liking and I won't allow it to happen again." said Rita as she entered the room with Lily in her arms. Giving her son a smile, she adds "Hello, son. It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too, Mom." answered Lincoln before giving his youngest sister a grin. "And it's good to see you as well, Lily. Did you miss me?"

A happy giggle came from the little Loud in response as she reached out for her brother, causing him to let out a chuckle.

"Looks like it."

"Aw...she's adorable..." cooed Misty as she gazed at the infant in Rita's arms. "Is that another sister of yours, Lincoln?"

"Yep. That's Lily - she's the youngest one in the family." answered Lincoln with a nod. "So...is everyone all here? Are we expecting anyone else?"

"No, not that I'm aware of." answered Rita, shaking her head. "By the way, did I miss anything?"

"Nah, you're good. Linc decided to wait until everyone was here before he got started."

"Thank goodness for that - I don't want to miss a single moment. So what were you talking about before I arrived?"

"We were discussing Lori's suggestion from this morning - the one involving sealing our brother's room off for a set period of time." answered Lisa simply.

Hearing this, Rita's smile quickly turns to a frown as she says "Right...that." before turning to face her son. "Lincoln, you have my assurance that I won't allow the others to..."

"Go ahead and let them have their 'trial run', Mom. I don't mind." said Lincoln, cutting her off and causing the other Louds, as well as Misty, to stare at him in bewilderment.

After staring at her son for a moment or two, Rita finally managed to bring herself to ask "...What?"

"I said that you should let them try this idea of theirs." said Lincoln, arms crossed. "Only for a month, though. No longer than that."

"Why would you..." started Rita before turning to face her daughters with a glare. "Did you girls put him up to this?"

"No way. We just told 'im about what the others proposed this mornin', Mom. Nothing more than that." replied Luna, hands raised defensively. "Whatever's makin' Linc decide to let the others go through with this is his own doing."

Nodding, Lisa added "Agreed. Even I didn't expect him to make such an unusual request."

"They're right, Mom. This is all me." said Lincoln, causing his mother's glare to soften before she gave him a glance.

"...Why would you agree to something like this, Lincoln? Why?"

"That's what I wanna know." commented Misty, giving the eleven year-old a raised eyebrow. "You're doing this for a reason, aren't you? There's no way you'd just decide to allow something like this otherwise."

"There's two reasons, actually." answered Lincoln, holding up two fingers. "First of all, it'll get the others off Mom's back about sealing my room off. I can imagine that being asked about that constantly would get on her nerves."

"You have no idea..." muttered Rita, shaking her head. "And what's the second?"

"To start putting any ideas about me being bad luck to rest once and for all. I don't know who or what's causing the others to be struck with misfortune, but I'm hoping that having this idea of theirs blow up in their face will get them to start backing away from the idea that I'm the one causing it."

While the others started to nod in understanding, Lisa asked "While I do believe that those are fairly reasonable answers for why you would allow this to happen, I have to know - what if they start trying to place the blame on someone else, causing this bad luck nonsense to start all over again?"

"If something like that does end up happening, I'll do what I can to help you guys resolve it." answered Lincoln with a frown. "I don't want anyone - even Lynn, despite being a jerk - to go through what I did. Once was bad enough."

After a moment or two, Rita nods and says "...Alright, I'll let them know that you're going to allow this, if only for a month." before deciding to change the subject. "Now then, enough about this talk about bad luck and your room. Let's get to the real reason you're calling us."

"Right...I promised to tell you guys about what I've been up to lately." replied Lincoln with a nod. "So...where would be a good place to get started?"

"Let's start from what happened after your call from Cerulean City and go from there." suggested Lisa, causing her brother to nod again in response.

"That'll do. Let's see..." answered her brother before trying to find the best way to start off. Once he had something in mind, he said "After that particular disaster of a call, Misty suggested the idea of heading to the Cerulean Cape north of town to take some time to unwind."

Turning to Misty, he adds "Gotta thank you again for that, by the way. After what happened that day, I really needed it."

"Anytime, Lincoln." replied the redhead with a smile while Luna mouthed something to her while flashing a double thumbs-up.

"So you decided to take Misty's recommendation to go to Cerulean Cape...what happened next?"

"When morning came, we set out for the Nugget Bridge, which was north of Cerulean City." said Lincoln, recalling that particular morning. "We had to go across it to reach Route 24, which was on the way to Cerulean Cape."

"Nugget Bridge?" parroted Lucy, eyebrows raised behind her dark bangs. "Why do they call it that?"

"There used to be a challenge there long ago where Trainers would go through a gauntlet of other Trainers. If they won, they earned a gold nugget as their prize." answered Misty, causing the others to nod in understanding.

"Interesting. I'm presuming that's not the case now?"

"Yeah. Apparently, things haven't been that way for a while." replied Lincoln with a shrug."Anyway, along the way to Route 24, we ran into another Trainer going by the name of Gary Oak, who had arranged a match between the two of us at Nugget Bridge after I had won my Cascade Badge."

"Figured that since it was on the way to the Cape, you'd take care of that before movin' on, eh bro?"

"Yep. Just because I was in a funk over Lynn's words didn't mean I was going to deny him a match."

Recognizing the name of Lincoln's opponent right away, Lisa asked "Gary Oak? You wouldn't be referring to Professor Oak's grandson, would you?"

"Yep, that's him. He's one of my rivals and possibly one of the biggest jerks I've ever met in Kanto so far." answered Lincoln, nodding. "Guy really thinks he's hot stuff just because he's Professor Oak's grandson."

"Surely he can't be that bad? He is Professor Oak's grandson, after all..." started Lisa, only for Misty to shake her head.

"The guy drove around in a convertible full of girls who're acting as his personal cheerleaders. If that's not being full of himself, then I don't know what is."

"...A convertible full of girls?" asked Rita, bewildered. "How old is this Gary?"

"Probably the same age as me, Mom. And yeah, it looked just as ridiculous as you would imagine it to be - those girls had to be in their early-to-late teens and they were practically drooling over the guy." said Lincoln, chuckling while shaking his head in amusement. "And that car had to be worth a pretty penny...well, before our battle happened, anyway."

After letting out a few chuckles of her own, Luna remarks "An eleven year-old driving a convertible...I bet Lori would be flipping out if she were here with us right now.", causing the others to let out laughs of their own.

Once the laughter had settled down, Lisa asked "So this battle of yours...did you manage to beat him? Considering that your opponent was Professor Oak's grandson, I'm assuming he wasn't an easy opponent to face off against?"

"You'd be right about that, Lisa - the guy may be full of himself, but he knows what he's doing. Even I'll admit that much."

"Do you mind starting from the beginning? I'd like to get every detail down about your confrontation with him, please." asked Lisa, causing Lincoln to give her a nod before starting on his recollection of his battle with Gary.

-=O=-

-Elsewhere In Royal Woods (9:15 AM)-

"I can't believe that Mom actually kicked us out of the house! What the heck was she thinking!?" groused Lola as she, Luan, Lana, Leni and Lori sat in Vanzilla while her father continued to drive the ancient van down the road. "We wouldn't have messed with Lincoln's stupid call!"

"Yeah, but she probably doesn't think that's the case, Lola. They didn't expect us to make an appearance during the last time he called, but look what happened there." remarked Luan before giving Lori an annoyed look. "You just had to bust into Lisa's room that day, didn't you?"

"Ronnie Anne was going to talk about what we did to Lincoln! I don't know about you, but I want to make sure that info doesn't get out!" snapped Lori, glaring back at her younger sister. "Do you have any idea on what would happen if she spilled the beans to my Bobby Boo-Boo Bear about that? He'd drop me in a heartbeat!"

"Like, yeah. That would be bad. The only thing that would be totes worse than that would be if she had already told him." commented Leni, causing her bald sister to pale in response.

"...Omigosh, you're literally right. Dad?"

"What is it, Lori?" asked her father, eyes locked onto the road.

"I need you to drop me off at Bobby's house. Like, right now."

"Alright, I'll drop you off on the way to Lincoln's school. Do any of you need me to drop you off someplace else, too?"

Raising her hand, Leni asked "Can you, like, take me to the mall? I totes need to do some heavy duty shopping to help take my mind off this terrible week we've been having."

"Do you even have any money to pay for something like that, Leni?" asked Lori, causing the other blonde to blink owlishly for a moment before sulking. "I take it that's a 'no'."

Upon seeing Leni nodding her head, the bald blonde sighs before taking a few bills out of her pocket and handing them over.

"Here. You can pay me back once we return home."

Letting out a delighted squeal, Leni snatches the money and says "Thanks, Lori! I'll pay you back, I promise!"

"You better. I was saving that money for my next date with Bobby, but I think I need to worry about doing damage control on what Ronnie possibly could've told him instead." replied Lori before giving her ditzy sister a stern look. "One more thing, Leni - whatever you do, do NOT blab to anyone about what's going on with our family or this bad luck situation, understand? It's bad enough that Ronnie and that nerd Clyde know about what's going on, but we do not need anyone else getting involved in our family business. Is that clear?"

"Like, okay!"

"We should probably find a way to explain our current appearances, too. People are going to ask questions if they see us like this." commented Lynn Sr., causing Lola to smirk as she snapped her fingers.

"One word, Daddy - Luan."

"What!? Why are you going to blame me!?" protested the comedian, glaring at her younger sister.

"Because nobody will ask questions if we tell them that you're behind how we look." stated Lana, nodding her head. "Almost everyone in town knows what kind of prankster you are, Luan. The kinda stuff that happened to us would be stuff that you would do."

"...Alright, fair enough." said Luan, nodding.

"Good call, Lola." complimented Lori with an approving nod.

"I aim to please."

"Okay, so with that settled...let's see...Bobby's house for Lori and the mall for Leni." commented Lynn Sr., causing his two oldest daughters to nod. "Luan, you need me to drop you off somewhere?"

"I need you to drop me off at Fanny's Prank Emporium. The lady running the shop keeps track of my birthday gigs for me and I want to see if there's any for me to handle before the school year starts." said Luan in response to her father's question. "Not only that, but my upcoming routine's going to be a prop-based one and I'd like to see if there's anything on sale that I'll end up using."

Rolling her eyes, Lola snarked "I almost feel sorry for the poor audience you're going to end up torturing with those jokes of yours. They must be either stupid or masochistic to enjoy your idea of humor."

"Up yours, you little pink goblin."

"Girls, don't start. It's bad enough that we're on poor terms with your mother, but we don't need you tearing each other apart, too." warned Lynn Sr., glaring at them via the rear view mirror. "...Now then...Bobby's house for Lori, the mall for Leni and the Prank Emporium for Luan. Do I have that right?"

The three girls in question nodded their heads in response.

"Alrighty then." replied the large-nosed man with a nod of his own. "Lana, Lola...you two will be coming with me to Lincoln's school."

"Why do I have to come with you to school? I want to go to the mall too!" protested Lola, only for her father to shake his head in response.

"Sorry, but I can't allow that, Princess. With how distracted Leni gets while she's shopping, there's no way she'd be able to keep an eye on you." replied her father before giving her a reassuring look through the rear-view mirror. "We'll see about taking another trip there this weekend, alright?"

"...Fine." grumbled Lola, accepting the decision for now.

"Alright then, that should be everyone, save for the ones who are still at home."

Taking on a curious look, Luan remarks "...You know, that's still something I don't understand - why did Mom allow Luna to stay home while we got booted out?"

"Like, yeah. Wasn't she on her bad side, too?" added Leni, wondering why Luna was allowed to stay home.

"Maybe that's no longer the case." answered Lori, shrugging. "I did notice that Luna went upstairs with Lucy and Lisa to go answer that call. Maybe she talked them into letting her stick around to speak to Lincoln?"

"Why her, though? We deserved to stay at home, too!" protested Lana in a whiny tone.

While the others tried to figure out why Luna was allowed to stay home, Luan thought about it for a moment before her eyes lit up in realization, recalling something that had happened not too long ago...

-Flashback-

"Luna...where are you going? It's past five in the morning..." mumbled Luan as she rubbed her eyes sleepily, having been woken up by her sister's sudden leap out of her bed.

"Can't talk right now, Luan! I gotta hurry before he decides to hang up!" blurted Luna in response before quickly opening the bedroom door and rushing out of the room, much to her sister's confusion.

After blinking tiredly for a moment or two, Luan mutters "...'Before he decides to hang up'...?"

-Flashback End-

"...Luna rushed out of our room early one morning, claiming that she needed to go before 'he' decided to hang up. What if she had spoken to Lincoln before this call happened?"

"That would explain why she was allowed to stay while we got the boot." mused her father thoughtfully. "Still, there's nothing we can do about our situation now, save for waiting for your mother to let us know it's alright to come back. So...let's just consider this a free day, shall we?"

After a small cacophony of mumbled words came from his daughters in response, their father nods before turning his attention back to the road.

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (9:25 AM)-

While Lola, Leni, Lori and their father were heading towards their respective destinations, laughter filled the air inside of Lisa's room as Lincoln finished going over his recollection of his battle against Gary.

In between fits of chuckles, Luna comments "Oh man, I almost feel bad for that Gary kid now. It's gotta suck having your ride wrecked like that."

"Almost, Luna?" asked Lucy, eyebrows raised behind her dark bangs.

"Almost. After what I've heard about the kid, I can't say that he didn't have it coming." answered the purple-clad teen before giving her brother a grin. "I bet it felt good putting someone like him in his place, huh?"

"Considering that he actually reminded me of Lynn during our battle, it did. Almost felt like I had defeated her in a battle." replied Lincoln, nodding.

"So what happened after you won?" asked Lisa, leaning forward in interest.

"After I won, Gary pretty much called my win a lucky fluke before handing over the prize he promised for our battle - a Nugget."

"A nugget?" parroted Lucy in a questioning voice before recalling what Misty had said earlier. "...Wait, was that nugget made of...?"

"Mm-hmm. It was made of solid gold." answered Misty, nodding. "Kinda fitting, really - a gold nugget being a prize at a place where they used to be given away as prizes."

"History has an interesting way of repeating itself." remarked Lisa with a nod of her own. "I presume you still have that particular nugget with you?"

"Unfortunately not. Had to sell it after a Squirtle stole my Trainer's Card." answered Lincoln before opening his bag and taking out two golden baseball-sized orbs from it. "However, I did manage to find a couple more while on the way to Vermilion City, along with a bunch of other stuff."

"...Where in the world did you get those?" asked Misty, eyeing the Nuggets.

"I found 'em while searching through my Meowth's junk pile in the Underground Path. You remember that, don't you?"

Nodding, Misty replied "Ah...that explains it." before letting out a sigh. "Damn it...now I wish that I had stuck around to search through that pile, too. There's no telling what I could've found hidden in it."

"I do have a few duplicate TMs and some spare Pokeballs that I probably won't use. If you want, you're more than welcome to take a look at those later and see if you want them or not."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Lincoln."

"Anytime. Anyway, as I was saying before, I..." replied the white-haired boy before he turned back to face his family, only to stop upon seeing Luna, Lisa and Lucy staring at the two Nuggets he was holding, eyes gleaming greedily. "...Girls?"

"They're freakin' baseball-sized..."

"Solid gold..."

"I bet they're worth a small fortune..."

Trying her hardest not to laugh at the looks on the three girls' faces, Misty jokes "Uh-oh. I think you broke 'em, Lincoln."

-=O=-

"Lincoln, please put those away so we can continue. While I do find it a bit funny to see your sisters acting like this, I'd like to get back to why you're calling us." said Rita, causing her son to nod before placing the Nuggets back into his bag, causing all three sisters to suddenly snap out of their gold-stricken trance.

"Oh man...what happened?" mumbled Luna, holding her head.

"You three lost yourselves for a bit. Sorry about that, by the way - I didn't expect you three to react like that."

"It's alright. Just don't do it again." answered Lisa with a curt nod. "So what happened after you obtained the Nugget from Gary?"

"Well, after he gave it to me, he said 'I could use what money I got from it to buy some actual talent', but I think he was just being a baby because he lost." replied Lincoln with a shrug. "After that, he drove off."

"Hmph...that Gary guy sounds like a real sore loser." grumbled Luna, arms crossed. "Almost reminds me of someone else in this house..."

"Luna, don't start." warned her mother, causing the rocker to grimace before nodding her head. Turning to face her son, she adds "I hope you didn't let that awful boy's words get to you, Lincoln."

"Nah, I wasn't bothered by what he said." replied Lincoln, shaking his head. "His words were relatively tame compared to what Lynn had said to me about my stuff being sold off."

"Good to know." said Rita, nodding in satisfaction at her son's answer. "So what happened after that?"

Answering the four year-old's question, Lincoln replied "Once Gary was gone, we started on our way to Route 24. During our time there, we encountered a wild Bulbasaur who was acting as the guardian for a small village that served as a resting spot for injured Pokemon, along with the person who was running things there - a kind woman by the name of Melanie."

Eyes lighting up in interest, Lisa asked "I see...I presume this is the same Bulbasaur you managed to capture?"

"Yep. Caught him after we dealt with Team Rocket, who were planning to attack the place." answered Lincoln with a nod before a strange look appeared on his face. "It's odd, though - everywhere we go, we always seem to end up running into members of Team Rocket."

"I've noticed that, too." commented Misty, nodding. "We can't go anywhere without running into them somehow."

"Maybe they're followin' you, bro. You and your friends did manage to thwart several of their plans before, so maybe they want to take you out of the picture before you ruin somethin' else for 'em."

Shrugging, Lincoln answered "Maybe, though I honestly think that it's something else about me that they're after." before deciding to change the subject. "But anyway, after we got rid of Team Rocket, I got the chance to challenge Azami..."

"Azami?"

"That's what I named my Bulbasaur. I decided on that particular name based on how prickly he was with us when we first met him."

"Yeah, he was kind of a prick back then..." remarked Pikachu, recalling his first meeting with the Seed Pokemon.

"And you chose the Japanese word for 'thistle' for him. Fitting." answered Lisa with a nod as well. "So I take it you named all of your Pokemon?"

"Not all of them. I still haven't come up with names for some of my other Pokemon, but I'll think of some good ones to use."

Smiling as an idea came to mind, Lisa replied "Perhaps I can help you with one of them, brother of mine. Tell me - does your Poliwhirl have a name, by any chance?"

"Nope. Haven't thought of one yet."

"I see. Well, does he happen to know Hypnosis, by any chance?"

Nodding, Lincoln answers "Yeah, he knows it. I guess your suggestion has to do with that?"

"It does. What do you think of the name 'Mesmer'?"

"Mesmer...isn't that the last name of a famous hypnotist?" asked Rita, recognizing the name.

"Indeed. Since Lincoln's Poliwhirl knows Hypnosis, I believe it would be a fitting name for him to have." said Lisa, nodding her head. "What do you think?"

"I'll talk to him about it later and see if he likes it. Thanks for the suggestion, Lisa."

"Anytime. So then...what other names do you have for your Pokemon?"

Ticking off each one with his fingers, Lincoln replied "Let's see...there's Skyera, Astro, Bruce, Firestorm, Raph, Azami, Andrea..."

"I recall you mentioning that name yesterday. That's your Sandshrew, right?" asked Lucy, causing her brother to nod.

"Yep." answered the white-haired Loud before holding up four of his fingers. "The only ones who don't have names are my Meowth, my Beedrill, my Fearow and Pikachu."

"Not much for nicknames, really. Just my species' name is enough for me." remarked the Electric-Type, arms crossed.

"So why do you name them, Lincoln? I don't have any issues with you doin' it or anything, but why?" asked Luna, wondering why her brother would come up with names for his Pokemon.

"Well, during my time in Kanto so far, one of the most interesting things I've learned about Pokemon is how they're all different personality-wise. Each one I've met and captured had a distinct personality to them that was unique to them." answered Lincoln, smiling. "That's why I decided to nickname my Pokemon, Luna - to differentiate them from their species as a whole because that's what they are: different, yet unique individuals in their own right."

"That and Skyera got things started because she wanted you to give her a name, causing the others to start clamoring for names, too." remarked Pikachu with a smirk.

"That, too."

Awestruck at her brother's answer, Lucy replied "Wow...that was surprisingly deep, Lincoln."

"You can say that again. I never imagined you would come up with an answer like that." said Lisa before holding up her notepad and pen. "Lincoln, do you mind listing your Pokemon and their corresponding nicknames? It'll help us keep better track of who's who when you discuss your travels in the future."

"Sure thing, Lisa. Here goes." replied Lincoln before complying with his sister's request.

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lynn & Lucy's Room (9:40 AM)-

"Bored, bored, bored..." muttered Lynn as she was lying on her bed, absently tossing what appeared to be a balled-up sock against a nearby wall with a dull, bored-looking expression on her face. "This is all Stinkcoln's fault...if he hadn't acted like a big baby over learning about his stuff being sold off, I wouldn't be locked up in here, having to wait for Lisa's stupid call to end before I can leave again. This is just another thing his stupid bad luck is ruining for me."

"Well, maybe if you had actually acted like a decent human being instead of an asshole that day, you wouldn't be in here, now would you?" replied a voice that sounded exactly like Lynn's own, causing the girl herself to let out a startled yelp before falling out of her bed and onto the floor.

As she slowly managed to pull herself back onto her feet, Lynn asked "Who said that? Where are you?" while looking around the room, trying to find whoever had spoken to her.

"Where am I? Well, try looking behind you." said the voice again, causing Lynn to quickly turn around, only to see what appeared to be a perfect duplicate of herself sitting on the bed, arms crossed with a smirk on her face. "Well now, I finally get the chance to talk to you face-to-face, Lynn Loud. It's about time. We have a lot to discuss with each other."

After staring at the doppelganger for a few seconds, Lynn rubs her eyes and says "I need to start getting more sleep...I could've sworn that..."

"You're seeing a double of yourself and it was talking to you?" finished the other Lynn, causing the brunette's eyes to widen in shock. "Make no mistake, Lynn - I'm no hallucination brought on by a lack of sleep. I'm as real as you are."

"Who...no, WHAT are you and why are you here? You look just like me..."

"Who I am isn't important." replied the other Lynn, pointing at herself. "As for why I'm here...well, let's just say that I have one job in particular that I need to do."

"And what's that?" asked Lynn, wondering what that particular job was.

"To get you to start using a little something we call 'common sense' so you can start doing what you need to do to get rid of your bad luck. Yours, in particular, has been neglected for some time now."

"What are you talking about? I use plenty of common sense!"

"Sure you do. After all, anyone who considers her brother to be bad luck because of a single game - one that you forced him to go to, I might add - is someone who clearly uses common sense." replied the other Lynn sarcastically.

Quickly coming to a conclusion on why her doppelganger was here, Lynn glares at her and says "Oh, I get it. You're here to try and get me to make up with Stinkcoln, aren't you? Well, forget it - that jinx has caused too much trouble for me and my family to even consider the idea of making amends with him again!"

"Ah yes...your recent run of bad luck. If you want my opinion, I honestly think that your sister was right about what she said to you earlier - things only started getting bad AFTER you thought that gloating to him about his stuff being sold off would be a good idea." answered the other Lynn, arms crossed. "That was low of you to do that, by the way - you deserved the bloody nose that Ronnie Anne gave you."

Giving her counterpart a glare, she adds "I only wish she could've gotten a few more licks in on you. Maybe she would've been able to knock some sense into that rapidly decaying lump of meat you call your brain."

"I did not!"

"And while I'm on the subject of that day, what the hell made you think it was okay to act like a total cunt towards Lincoln? Do you really hate him that much?"

"No, I don't hate him! I just..." started Lynn, trying to find the right words to say. "I was still angry about losing to the Beavers. I didn't mean to...wait, why should I care about whether that little loser gets upset or not? His..."

"Something something 'bad luck'." replied the other Lynn in a mocking tone, cutting her off. "You've ran that mouth of yours so many times about 'bad luck' that I already know when you're going to spout off about it. Margo was right when she said you were predictable."

"I am NOT predictable!"

"Says the girl who plays the same goddamn way for every single game while thinking she's the best thing since sliced bread." snapped the other Lynn before pointing at her counterpart. "Well, here's a news flash - you're not as good as you think you are. You've got promise, I'll admit that much, but that's about it. You're not the unbeatable superstar you imagine yourself to be."

"Shut it! Do you know who I am!? Do you!?" snarled Lynn before pointing at herself. "I'm Lynn 'Number One' Loud! I'm the best player on my teams, if not the best in Royal Woods altogether! Who the hell do you think you are to badmouth me like that?"

"Someone who sees you for what you truly are - an insecure little girl who's afraid of the idea of losing, even though it's nothing to be ashamed of." answered the other Lynn sternly. "Everyone loses sometimes, Lynn. It's just a fact of life you're going to have to learn to face."

"Shut it! I was unbeatable before Lincoln jinxed my game against the Tigers!"

"And who was it that made him go to that game, Lynn? Who was it that threatened him with a bat that day?"

At this, Lynn grimaces and mutters "...I wasn't really going to hit him with it. I just wanted him to come watch me play.", recalling the events that happened prior to that particular game. "What's wrong with wanting him to come and support me and my team? He can read those stupid comics of his at another time - our family supports each other, no matter what."

"Except Lincoln of course, because you, your parents and your sisters have been ever so supportive of him. Hypocrite." remarked the other Lynn sarcastically, shaking her head. "Still, that wasn't the first time you lost a game, Lynn."

"Bullshit! I hadn't lost a game before that happ..."

"Fifth grade soccer game against the Hawks. You lost against them 6-14." stated the other Lynn, causing the original to stop speaking to stare at her in disbelief. "If I recall correctly, you didn't run your mouth about bad luck then, so why are you spouting off about it now?"

"...Just who exactly are you? You know who I am, what I've done...you even know about the only other game I lost before Stinkcoln started messing things up. Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"As I said before, I'm here to prevent you from doing something you're going to regret later. You need to start working on making things right with your brother before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" asked Lynn, causing her counterpart to open her mouth to speak. "Actually, you know what? I don't care. Nothing you can say will ever get me to change my mind about Stinkcoln and his bad luck. He ruined my game against the Tigers, I know that he cost me the championship against the Lions somehow and the bad luck infesting his room made me lose against the Beavers. And once we have his room sealed off for good, everything should go back to normal."

"And what if they don't, Lynn? Are you going to try laying the blame on someone else, hmm?"

"Of course not! I won't need to blame anyone else because I know that Stinkcoln's room is the cause of my family's misfortune!"

"Are you sure about that? Really sure?" asked the other Lynn simply, arms crossed. "Maybe your sister is right and this run of bad luck is karma finally coming back to kick you and your family in the ass for all the trouble you caused your brother in the past, including this 'bad luck' nonsense."

"We did nothing of the sort! He's the troublemaker, not us!"

"Lynn, I can think of several instances on where you and your family made things difficult for him, but I'm not going to go over them all because we'll be here all day if I do. Right now, you need to think about what I told you before - you need to try and make things right with Lincoln before it's too late. You may not know it, but you're on a very strict time limit here."

When the original Lynn didn't give her a reply, the doppelganger asked "No angry comeback, Lynn? No snappy remark to try to convince me that I'm wrong?"

No response, save for a heated glare from the other brunette.

"You still don't want to admit that you're in the wrong about this. Typical." stated the other Lynn, shaking her head. "So much for being the proud, confident older sister who promised to look after her little brother and keep him safe from those who wanted to harm him. You couldn't even protect him from yourself."

The brunette didn't know why, but those particular words seemed to make the flames of anger that had been stoking within her earlier burn even brighter.

"Who the hell do you think you are!? I'm still that person, regardless of what you may think!"

"Well, that's not who I'm seeing right now." answered her counterpart before an icy look formed on her face. "So tell me, Lynn - where did she go? Did your arrogance and pigheadedness kill her off so a sore loser like you could take her place?"

Instead of giving her an answer, Lynn bellows angrily before rushing towards her counterpart and throwing a punch at her, causing it to give her a dark smile before turning into what appeared to be a black-colored miasma.

Smirking in satisfaction at the eerie aura, Lynn mutters "That'll teach ya to call me a sore loser. Nobody calls..." only for it to suddenly force itself into her mouth, causing her to let out pained choking sounds. However, as soon as the choking fit had started, it had come to an end, leaving Lynn on her hands and knees, gasping heavily. "W-what the...what just happened!? What was that stuff?"

As she tried to figure out what had just happened to her, a familiar voice sounded in her mind, causing her eyes to widen in both disbelief and horror.

"Wow, I don't know if it's just me, but I think your punches have gotten weaker. I didn't feel a thing."

"You!? W-what are you doing in my head!? Get out!"

In response, the voice simply laughed before saying "You really thought it'd be that easy to get rid of me, Lynn? I don't think so. You can throw as many punches you want, but you're stuck with me until I decide that I'm finished with you."

"I'll just block you out and you'll go away eventually."

"You poor, naive fool..." laughed the other Lynn's voice within her mind. "I'm like the sun, Lynn - you can shut me out as much as you want, but I'm not going away. One way or another, I'm going to get through to you."

"Like hell you are!" snarled Lynn before rushing over to a nearby window and sticking her head out of it. After bracing herself for what she was about to do, she shoves a pair of fingers down her throat, causing herself to retch.

"...What the hell are you doing?" asked the other Lynn disbelievingly.

"Get...*hurk*...out!" gurgled the brunette furiously before repeating her actions, causing her to retch once again. "I'm...*urp*...going to...get you out...no matter...*ulp*...how many times...I have to...do this!"

"You're more than welcome to try, Lynn. But I think you're just going to end up getting rid of your breakfast instead of me."

"Fuck you! I'll get you out, one way or another!"

-=O=-

-The Roberts Residence - Living Room (9:55 AM)-

While Lynn was doing everything she could to expel the black haze that was in her body, Margo was sitting in her family's living room, shoveling away food into hers while flipping through the channels on her television.

"Crap. News. Garbage. Don't care." muttered the long-nosed girl in-between munches as she skimmed through the channels with a bored look on her face. "Man, I almost wish Lynn hadn't gotten in trouble with her folks. At least goin' on a early morning run with her would be more entertaining than trying to find something worth watching here."

As she prepared to shovel another forkful of food into her mouth, Margo heard the sound of someone ringing her doorbell, causing her to place her plate down on the coffee table in front of her while muttering to herself about people interrupting her breakfast.

Upon making her way over to the door and opening it, she grumbled "Yeah, whaddya...", only to stop upon seeing Polly standing there with a grin on her face while Haiku, Tabby and a brown-haired girl that was dressed like a clown stood beside her.

Patting her friend/teammate on the shoulder, Polly asked "Well, good morning to you too, Mar. How are ya?"

Instead of answering, Margo simply blinks owlishly at the sizable group before pointing asking "...Polly? Who the heck is that?"

"You've forgotten us already?" asked Tabby, annoyed. "We met up at Flip's, remember?"

"I remember who you and your spooky-lookin' friend are. I was talkin' about her." answered Margo, pointing at the fourth girl in the group.

"Meet Giggles. She's here to help us out with digging up dirt on Lincoln's whereabouts." replied Polly, gesturing towards the clown-like girl beside her. "Like the rest of us, she was one of the girls that Lincoln had to take to the Sadie Hawkins dance."

"Hi there." remarked Giggles with a wave.

"I seem to remember Lynn going on about that once or twice." mused Margo, nodding her head. "Still, did you have to bring everyone else here to my house? Couldn't we have just met at Flip's again like last time?"

"Your place was closer." replied Polly with a shrug. "Besides, we couldn't meet up there anyway - the police are still rooting through the place for whatever nastiness that old goat left behind."

"Fair enough. So lemme guess - you're here about that thing we talked about, right?" asked Margo, causing Polly to grin before nodding her head. "...Alright, so let me see if I've got this right...we're going to Clyde's house for this, yeah?

"Yep. If anyone will have any idea on where Lincoln is, it'll be him."

"Alright then, just let me finish my breakfast first and then we'll go."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (9:30 AM)-

"...And done. That should help us keep track of who's who from now on." remarked Lisa as she finished writing down the numerous names Lincoln had given her. "Thank you, Lincoln."

"Anytime, Lisa. I'll make sure to keep you updated if anything else about that comes up." answered Lincoln with a smile. "Now then, let's move on to the next part..."

Snapping her fingers in realization, Luna remarks "Right, I remember this one - that's where you found that Damian guy in the mountains, right?", causing the smile on her brother's face to falter. "...Bro? You okay?"

"I'm alright. It's just that...it's hard to talk about what happened that day." said Lincoln before letting out a sigh. "I...I learned about how dangerous the life of a Trainer truly was...about how your career can come to an end in an instant if you're not careful."

"...You're still bothered about what happened to Damian, aren't you?" asked Misty softly, causing the white-haired boy to nod.

"It's hard not to be, considering what happened to him. That's something you don't forget easily."

"Was it really that bad?" questioned Lucy, causing a grave look to appear on Lincoln's face.

Shuddering, Lincoln answered "...I honestly thought he was already gone by the time I found him. When I saw his body lying there, I just..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, bro. If it's that uncomfortable of a subject, we'll skip it and move on." said Luna before scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout bringing it up, by the way. I should've been more careful with my words."

"No, it's...it's okay. We can keep going." answered Lincoln, shaking his head.

Deciding that it would be best to change the subject, Rita asked "So this Damian person...what was he like? Was he nice?"

At this, the gloomy expression on Lincoln's face lightened a bit as he answered "The guy's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Sure, he's kinda hard to understand at times considering his accent, but he's a good person. I think you four would like him."

"Well, perhaps our paths will cross each other someday." said Lisa, nodding. "Now then, about the Charmander you acquired from him..."

"What about him?"

"I understand that Damian gave him to you since he was rendered unable to care for it himself. Is that true?"

"Yeah. He entrusted Firestorm to me on the night before we left for Route 25." answered Lincoln with a nod. "And he's been a faithful friend of mine since then, even to the point of helping me win a battle against one of my rivals."

"Nice. So aside from what happened to Damian and taking on his Charmander, did anything else happen?" asked Luna, causing the white-haired boy to tap his chin thoughtfully.

"Well...I did manage to acquire another Mega Stone while helping Damian off the mountain - a clear one with flecks of blue and white in it."

"Another Mega Stone? When did you find the first one?" asked Misty, surprised.

Giving her a look, Lincoln answered "Do you remember the stone I got from the leader of the Viridian Forest Beedrill swarm?", causing the redhead to nod. "That was a Mega Stone, too."

"Another one? Professor Oak didn't mention that in his report..." questioned Lisa, eyebrows raised slightly. "I'm presuming that's why Damian was there?"

Nodding, Lincoln answered "Yeah. He said something about a stone that could power up a Charizard and thought one would be there, but I didn't get all the details from him. He didn't seem happy about the stone he found, so I asked him if I could have it."

"Do you still have this stone with you now?"

"Not at the moment, no. From what Professor Oak told me during our last conversation with each other, it's currently with Professor Sycamore." said Lincoln, causing a perplexed look to form on the four year-old's face. Noticing this, he adds "He's an associate of Professor Oak's who studies Mega Evolution."

"I seem to recall Professor Oak mentioning something about that during his last report." commented Lucy with a nod. "Did you manage to find out anything about the other Mega Stone you acquired in the Viridian Forest?"

"I did. It's a Beedrillite - a Mega Stone that allows the Beedrill species to Mega Evolve." answered Lincoln, nodding his head. "Unfortunately, I haven't gotten the chance to try it out yet. From what Professor Oak told me, I need two things to make it work properly - a strong bond with my Beedrill and something called a Keystone. He doesn't want me trying to Mega Evolve Beedrill until I've managed to acquire both."

"Probably for the best - if Professor Oak is restricting access to your Beedrillite until then, it's probably for a good reason." commented Lisa before taking up her notepad again. "In any case, let's move on to the next part of your recollection, shall we? Tell us about your Squirtle and how you captured him."

"Of course."

-=O=

-The Santiago Residence - Bobby's Room (10:05 AM)-

"Let's see...I'll need to pack some of these...and some of this...maybe this too..." muttered Bobby to himself as he started packing some of his belongings into a travelling bag set on his bed. "Oh, and I'll definitely need this as well..."

"Packing your stuff already, Bobby?" asked Ronnie, eyebrow raised as she stood at the doorway. "We're probably not going to be leaving anytime today, you know."

"Yeah, but it saves me the trouble of having to do it later. Better to handle it now and get it out of the way."

"Fair enough. By the way, you...uh, do know that we're not going to be back in Royal Woods for a while, right? This is probably going to end up being a long-term trip."

"Nothing's too long-term when it comes to you, Nie Nie. It doesn't matter how long it takes for you and Clyde to finish up in Kanto - I'll still be there to keep you guys out of trouble." replied Bobby with a smile, causing Ronnie to beam at the comment. "So while we're on the subject of asking questions, I've got one of my own - what's going on with Lincoln and his family? You seem to know a lot about what's happening with them."

"...How did you know about that?" asked Ronnie before quickly covering her mouth.

"Because you just told me." answered Bobby as the cheerful look on his face quickly changed to something sterner-looking. "Not only that, but I overheard some of the stuff you were saying about them while I was passing by your room. Is there something going on that I need to know about?"

"...Before I tell you, I want you to promise me that you're not going to go public with what you hear. I may not like Lincoln's family right now, but I don't want their lives to be ruined because of this. He'll never forgive me if something happened to them."

Eyebrows raised at the odd request, Bobby replied "I take it that whatever it is you're about to say is pretty bad?"

"Bad's too light of a term to describe it. You might end up burning whatever bridges you have with Lori after this." answered Ronnie, head still lowered. "And I know how much she means to you, Roberto. You may not want to hear what I have to say."

"I'm sure that whatever it is, I can handle it. Now then...please, tell me what's going on."

And so Ronnie told him everything she knew about what happened to Lincoln - the softball game that led to the belief that he was bad luck, Lincoln's foolish decision to play along in order to get some time to himself, his own family boarding up his room, kicking him out and selling off his belongings, his failed attempt to come clean with the truth, the decision to send him to Kanto after Lynn had lost another game...everything.

Once she was finished, Bobby asked "...And you're sure that this is the truth, Nie Nie? This isn't some attempt at you trying to get me to break up with Lori, is it?"

"I've got proof to back it up. Wait here."

After leaving the room to go collect her laptop and the USB stick that Lisa had given her, Ronnie comes back and holds the stick up to her bewildered brother's face, adding "This has all the proof I'll need to show that I'm telling the truth." before plugging it into her laptop and loading some of the videos on it for him to watch.

Eyes widening as he bore witness to everything Ronnie had claimed earlier, Bobby muttered "Th-this is..."

"Yeah, I know. It's hard to watch, isn't it?"

"This isn't right! How could they do something like that to him!? I know for certain that I would never do this to you!"

As if to add further fuel to the fire of anger burning within her brother, Ronnie answered "And that's not all they've done to him - take a look at these..." before opening up a few more videos for him to watch.

"...Who's the sick freak who thought that recording this stuff would be a good idea?" asked Bobby, feeling disgust running through his body as he watched on.

"Luan. Apparently she gets a kick out of watching bad stuff happen to her own brother. I'm not surprised, honestly - have you seen the stuff she pulls on April Fools Day?"

"That's why I don't come around the house on that day, Nie Nie. I learned my lesson the first time."

Giving her brother a glance, Ronnie asked "Really? What'd she do to you?"

"Tripwire that caused me to land in a kiddie pool full of live crabs. They...uh, pinched 'certain' places." replied Bobby, causing her sister to wince. "After that, I promised myself never to stop by the Loud house on that day."

"After that, I don't blame you." said Ronnie before a question popped into her mind. "So what are you going to do about Lori, now that you know she played a willing part in doing this stuff to Lam...er, Lincoln?"

"I don't know. I still love her, but..." started Bobby, only for the doorbell to ring, followed by his mother's voice calling out for him.

"Roberto, your girlfriend's here!"

Standing up, Bobby sighs and says "...Well, I guess I'm about to find out the answer to your question, Nie Nie. We'll talk more about this later, okay?" before walking out of the room, leaving his sister behind.

-=O=-

-The Santiago Residence - Front Door (10:10 AM)-

"C'mon...c'mon, hurry up..." muttered Lori as she looked around anxiously for any sign of anyone she knew from school. "C'mon Bobby, hurry up and answer the door...I don't want anyone to see me like this..."

After what felt like minutes, the door finally opened, revealing the familiar form of her boyfriend standing there.

"Bobby Boo-Boo Bear! It's sooo good to see you again! I was going to call you a few days ago, but my phone..." chirped Lori happily before moving to give him a kiss, only for the Hispanic teen to calmly hold up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. "...Bobby?"

"Lori, we need to talk." answered Bobby before taking notice of the lack of hair on Lori's head. "...What on Earth happened to your head?"

Not wanting him to know the real reason behind her missing hair, Lori quickly replied "Luan happened - she decided to shave my hair off as a prank." before giving Bobby a curious, yet worried look. "So what do we need to talk about?"

"I'll tell you once we're inside. Follow me." said Bobby before heading towards the living room. Wondering what it was that he wanted to talk to her about, Lori followed after him.

After she and her boyfriend take a seat on the couch, Lori says "So what's on your mind?", causing Bobby to open his mouth to speak. "Actually, uh...can it wait? I...kinda came here to talk to you about something, too."

"Let me guess...you're here to talk about what happened to Lincoln after your family decided to kick him out of the house because of 'bad luck'." said Bobby, causing a look of horror to appear on Lori's face.

"Wh-what!?"

"You heard me. And believe it or not, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

As she sat there, sweating nervously, Lori quickly came to a conclusion on why her boyfriend would want to talk to her about this particular subject - one that caused her blood to start boiling.

'...Ronnie. That little weasel must've talked about what she heard during Lincoln's call last week.' thought the former blonde before quickly recomposing herself. "Bobby, whatever Ronnie said about my family is a load of..."

"Are you calling my sister a liar!?"

Startled by the outburst, Lori timidly replied "No, but...even you have to admit that whatever she told you must've sounded..."

"Admittedly, yes. I had a hard time accepting what she told me at first." confessed Bobby, nodding. "However...that changed once she provided proof - actual video evidence - that her claims were valid."

Horrified, Lori screeched "WHAT!?"

"I never thought you and your family would sink low enough to do that to your own blood." stated Bobby, shaking his head in disappointment. "And as much as I hate to say it, I'm especially disappointed in you, Lori. What the hell were you thinking, doing that to your own brother!? Do you really care that little about him!?"

"N-no, that's not the case at all! It...it was just..." stammered Lori, clearly unnerved by Bobby's sudden change of mood. "...It was Lynn's fault! She put everyone else up to kicking him out of the house and selling his stuff!"

"And you did nothing to stop her!?"

"W-well...no. Things did take an upturn for us after we booted him out, so..."

"So you just kept going along with this, thinking that everything was fine and dandy as long as Lincoln wasn't around." assumed Bobby, causing the bald blonde to wince before nodding her head shamefully. "...You disgust me. I never would've done something like that to my little sister."

"D-disgust!? I...I disgust you?" whimpered Lori, unable to believe what she was hearing. "And how did Ronnie get proof of what happened?"

"I don't know and at this point, I don't care. This isn't about her." said Bobby before giving Lori a hard look. "This is about you and your abysmal treatment of your little bro."

"Abysmal!? How dare you!" replied Lori, breaking out of her shocked state. "I've been a great older sister to him!"

"Really now? Then explain the Sister Fight Protocol and how you and your sisters practically drove him to the point where he actually tried to get you and Leni to make up so things would get back to normal. Or the numerous times you threatened to turn him into a 'human pretzel'. That's not cool, Lori. Not cool at all."

"I...I just say that stuff, Bobby. I'd never really do something like that to him." said Lori, scratching the back of her bald head. "And the protocol was a sister thing that he should've kept out of. We would've settled down and things would've went back to normal eventually..."

"But did it warrant barring off parts of the house and not allowing him to eat or use the bathroom? Did it warrant kicking him out of his own room or taking his things to use as you please?" questioned Bobby, causing an uncomfortable look to form on Lori's face in response. "And why didn't you tell him about it beforehand? Why was it fine to tell me about the protocol, but when it comes to your little brother, you just left him in the dark? What kind of older sister are you!?"

"I...it was a sister thing and he didn't..."

"That's not good enough, Lori. I know for certain that I'm not your sister and you still told me about it."

"I didn't want you to end up getting caught up in one of our fights if we ever had to use it! That's why I told you!" exclaimed Lori, only for her boyfriend to shake his head in response.

"And you couldn't be bothered to do the same for Lincoln. You do realize that if he had known about it beforehand, he probably would've gone to Clyde's house or something like that instead of trying to help you and Leni get along again and making things worse, right?" asked Bobby, causing Lori's eyes to widen upon realizing that he raised a good point - if Lincoln had known about the Protocol beforehand, there was a strong chance that he never would've gotten himself involved and the situation would've resolved itself sooner.

"I...I didn't think about that..."

"Well, you should've before you and the others started laying the law down on him. I love you, but even I have to admit that you girls can be pretty harsh with him at times."

Giving Ronnie an aside glance upon seeing her peering at him from the top of the stairs, Bobby adds "And let's not get started on you trying to control his love life..."

Knowing where this was going, Lori quickly said "I was just trying to make sure that you didn't leave me because Lincoln didn't want to date your sister!"

Bewildered, Bobby asked "You actually think I would dump you because of that?"

"You did after Lincoln made Ronnie Anne cry that one time!" countered Lori, causing the other teen to sigh.

"Lori, that was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I was just upset because he made Ronnie cry that day." said Bobby before shaking his head. "Though I don't exactly blame him for getting on her case after what she admitted to me a few days ago. Seriously, who shoves sloppy joes down someone's pants or puts garbage in their locker?"

"That's just her way of showing him that she like him, Bobby. If a girl picks on a boy, it means she likes him."

"It's bullying, plain and simple. While I don't like having to say this about her, if Ronnie wanted to show Lincoln that she liked him, that wasn't the way to do it."

At the top of the stairs, Ronnie's cheeks flushed as she lowered her head, shamed by her brother's words.

"But she still likes him, though. She practically admitted it in front of that Misty slag when Lincoln called a week ago! They're meant for each other!"

"Does Lincoln feel that way, though?" asked Bobby, causing a scowl to form on Lori's face.

"He better if he knows what's good for him..."

"And that's what Ronnie was talking about - you seem insistent on pushing him and Ronnie together that you don't care about what he wants to do with his life."

"Oh great...she went and talked about that to you too, didn't she?" asked Lori, not bothering to hide her displeasure that Ronnie had once again meddled in her affairs.

"She did. Even asked me if I was trying to do the same thing with her, as a matter of fact." answered Bobby simply.

"And you said yes, right?" questioned Lori, assuming that he would agree with her. "Of course you did. We..."

Giving the girl sitting across from him a hard look, Bobby replied "No, I didn't. I told her that I had no intentions of trying to force her to date Lincoln just to keep our relationship intact.", causing her to gape at him in shock.

"Y-You're not?"

"Of course not. I may like the idea of those two together, but I'm not going to force them to be with each other." said Bobby, shaking his head. "If my sister wants to see another boy instead of him, that's her choice and I intend to respect it. Why can't you do the same with your brother?"

"Because he's supposed to be with Ronnie Anne, not that...that...redheaded slag!"

"Is that right? Well, let me say this - no matter who Lincoln ends up with, he's going to have my approval on the matter. If he wants to date Misty, that's fine. Nie Nie? That's fine, too. A woman who's twice his age? A little weird, but I'll accept it." said Bobby before giving his girlfriend a glare. "This is his choice to make, Lori. Not yours."

"But...but..."

"And while I'm at it, what gives you the right to make decisions for him like that? Shouldn't he be able to make his own choices in life?"

"I'm his older sister! I know what's best for him!" exclaimed Lori, pointing at herself.

"As much as it pains me to say it, you don't. From what I'm seeing, it seems like what you want him to do what's best for you, not him." said Bobby, shaking his head. "Lori, I hope to God that you don't hold this against me later, but I need to say this - you're not the same girl I happily called my girlfriend. You're not the cool older sister that your little brother looked up to. No...what you are..."

Suddenly, a fiery look forms in his eyes, causing Lori to flinch away from him.

"...Is an inconsiderate, selfish brat who only cares about what makes her happy. That's the Lori you are right now. That's not the Lori I want to associate with."

"Bobby...please..."

After taking a moment to brace himself to say what he was about to say, Bobby sighs before stating "I hate having to say this, but...until you go back to being the Lori that I fell in love with, I think it's best if we distance ourselves from each other for a while."

Feeling her eyes watering, Lori whimpers "Bobby...please don't do this...whatever it is we need to work out, we can..."

"It's not about us, Lori. It's about you and this idea that I'm more important than your own family." answered Bobby, shaking his head. "I'm not. And the same goes for me, too - if I had to pick between you and my sister, I'd choose the latter every time. And you should do the same with your brother."

"W-why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's the truth. We can always start seeing other people if things ever stop working out between us. Our siblings are irreplaceable." said Bobby, giving his younger sister an aside glance. "Your family - Lincoln included - should be more valuable to you than an on-again-off-again relationship that's only lasted a few months at most, Lori. Once you finally realize that, then we can start talking about working things out between us. But until then...we're through."

No words came from Lori's mouth in response, save for a few muffled sobs.

"Now then, please...just go. Don't make this more difficult than this has to be." said Bobby, eyes watering slightly as he pointed at the front door, causing the bald teen to start bawling before rushing out of the house. "...Well, that was more difficult than I thought it would be. I just hope this doesn't come back to bite me later..."

Coming down from the stairs, Ronnie asked "...Are you alright?", causing her older brother to sigh.

"I'll be fine. I just...need a little time to get over the fact I just broke off my relationship with the girl I've been dating for about three months."

"Did you really need to break it off with her, though? Sure, she's a controlling jerk, but..."

"I'm sure, Nie Nie. It hurt having to do it, but I think that doing this was for the best." answered Bobby, wiping a tear from his eye. "I hope you didn't take what I said about you too badly, by the way. I didn't like having to say that kinda stuff about you, but it had to be done."

"I'm not mad, Roberto. As painful as it was for me to hear, it needed to be said."

"...Are you still interested in him?"

"Always will be, but if he ends up choosing Misty over me, I'm not going to hold it against him." replied Ronnie, nodding. "Like you said earlier - it's his choice on who he wants to be with."

Giving her brother a glance, she asks "...Do you still love Lori, even after what she's done?"

"I always will, sis." answered Bobby with a sad smile. "But she needs to see that while I'm an important part of her life, her own family should just as important, if not more. Once she does that, then we'll see about mending things between us."

"Once we get back from Kanto, that is."

"True. I just hope she's willing to continue where we left off when I get back."

-=O=-

-The McBride Residence - Living Room (10:25 AM)-

While Ronnie and Bobby were talking to each other about the latter's decision to break off his relationship with his now ex-girlfriend, Clyde was sitting in his family's living room, deep in thought about what his parents had said to him earlier that morning.

-Flashback-

"But I love her, Dad! I'm sure that if she sees that, she'd be willing to give me a..."

After cutting Clyde off with a raised hand, Howard asked "Do you love her, son? Or do you just love the idea of her? Think carefully before you give us an answer."

At this, any protests that Clyde had building in his throat went silent as he thought about the question he was just asked - did he actually love Lori? Or was he in love with the idea of her?

"I...I don't know. I feel like something's there, but..."

"...You don't know if that's love or something else." finished Howard, causing Clyde to give him a nod. "Well, before you come to a decision on whether you want to continue chasing Lori or not, you should take the time to know other girls..."

"Or boys. We don't judge." interjected Harold, causing his husband to roll his eyes good-naturedly before continuing.

"...or boys and see how things work out for you then. Who knows, you might end up finding that certain someone who'll make you feel whole. I know I certainly felt that way when I met your father."

-Flashback End-

'Do I really love Lori? Or do I just love the idea of her?' mused the nerdy boy thoughtfully as his parents' words continued to ring through his mind. '...Was I wasting time on trying to woo her when I could've had something special going with someone else?'

At this, the image of two girls appeared within his mind - a pale-skinned girl with long black hair that covered one of her eyes and a frizzy-haired redheaded girl who wore a pair of glasses and a pink sweater with an alien's head on it.

Recognizing the two girls right away, Clyde thought 'Haiku and Penelope...those two were willing to give me the time of day while Lori wouldn't bother to even sneeze in my direction. Maybe I should see about taking the time to get to know them a little better after I come back from Kanto. I owe them that much at least.'

Suddenly, the doorbell started to ring, breaking him from his thoughts. After hurrying over to open it, Clyde's eyebrows quirked in confusion upon seeing several people at his doorstep.

He immediately recognized Haiku, but the other four...he barely knew them at all. He was sure that he had met them before, but their names were drawing a complete blank.

After eyeing the five girls for a few more seconds, he finally asked "Um...can I help you?", causing the leader of the group, a lanky girl wearing a helmet, to grin before draping an arm over his shoulder.

"As a matter of fact, you can. Do you mind if we talk to you about something for a bit?"

"And that would be...?" asked Clyde carefully, wondering what this girl wanted with him. "Better yet, who the heck are you? I remember seeing you at the Sadie Hawkins dance, but I never got your name."

"Right. Gotta introduce myself first." answered the leader before taking one of Clyde's hands and giving it a firm shaking. "Name's Polly Pain. Nice to meetcha."

"An' I'm Tabby. Pleased as punch ta meetcha." added another girl with a toothy smile and a thumbs-up. Pointing at a girl dressed as a clown, she adds "The funny-lookin' one over there is Giggles. And I'm sure you already know who Haiku is."

"Hello again, Clyde." said Haiku airily, causing the boy to give her a small wave in return.

"Name's Margo. We don't know each other personally, but we met while you and Lincoln were doing intern work at Flip's." said Margo, causing Clyde to snap his fingers in realization.

"Right...you were the one who messed up the..."

"Don't!" exclaimed the long-nosed girl, face turning crimson from embarrassment. "Just...don't bring that up, please. I don't want to think about that."

Wincing, Clyde replied "Right...sorry." in an apologetic tone. "So...uh, why are you girls here?"

"We wanted to talk to you about Lincoln." answered Haiku, stepping forward. "There hasn't been any sign of him over the past couple of weeks."

"And since we know that you an' him are pretty tight with each other, we...kinda assumed that you had an idea on where he went." added Tabby, shrugging. "D'ya know anything?"

"Anything you can tell us would help out a lot - anything at all." said Giggles, nodding as well.

At this, Clyde took on a thoughtful expression as he mentally started to go over whether he should tell the five girls about what he knew about Lincoln's whereabouts. One one hand, it would put their concerns at ease if he told them, but there was a chance that they would pester him about asking Professor Oak to help them become Pokemon Trainers as well, which was something he didn't want to do.

The man's hands were already full enough with keeping tabs on Lincoln while helping him and Ronnie out with Professor Ivy.

Not only that, but he was certain that the girls would start asking questions about why Lincoln was sent there in the first place, which would end up causing nothing but trouble in the long run for Lincoln's family.

On the other hand, keeping quiet about what was going on with Lincoln would keep Lincoln's family out of trouble about the whole 'bad luck' mess, but it meant keeping the five in the dark about Lincoln and what he was doing, which would not only worry them, but cause them to start digging deeper for info on Lincoln's disappearance, which would still end up bringing trouble onto the Loud family, as well as on himself for lying to them, if they ever discovered the truth.

'Talk about being in a tough spot...I tell them and it's going to lead to trouble. I don't and it's still going to end up leading to trouble...' thought Clyde as he tried to figure out what to do.

"...Clyde, you alright?"

"Oh...uh, yeah. I'm fine. I was just...thinking about Lincoln, too." answered Clyde hastily. "...To answer your question about where he is right now...I honestly don't know."

Technically, it was the truth since he actually didn't know exactly where his white-haired friend currently was.

"So you don't know anything, huh? Damn." muttered Margo, clearly unhappy with what she had heard. "Well, this was a waste of our time..."

"Now hold on a tick there, Margo." said Polly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Turning to face Clyde, she asks "You really don't know anything? Truly?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help to you guys. If there's anything else I can do for you..." started Clyde, only for his father's voice to suddenly come booming from within the house.

"Clyde, have you talked to that younger sister of Lincoln's about arranging a meeting with Professor Oak yet?"

Trying not to show any signs of nervousness as the others eyed him oddly, Clyde answered "Uh...not yet, Dad. I'll be getting to that later on this afternoon."

"Just make sure you get it done by today. The sooner we meet the Professor, the sooner you and Ronnie Anne can go to Kanto and catch up with Lincoln." replied the voice, causing his son to let out a groan while the five girls now eyed him with suspicion.

"...Dang it, Dad...you couldn't have picked a worse time to bring up something like that..."

"So you do know where he is!" barked Tabby, pointing at Clyde accusingly. "Why'd you lie t' us, mate?"

"Who's this Professor Oak guy and what does he want with Lincoln?" asked Margo, stepping forward.

Arms crossed, Polly asked "Where's this Kanto place and why is Lincoln there?"

"And why are you and Ronnie Anne planning to go there, too?" questioned Giggles, eyeing the nerdy boy suspiciously.

"I...uh..." stammered Clyde as he tried to find a way out of this mess, only to end up causing the five girls to start questioning him more. After what felt like minutes of nothing but a non-stop barrage of questions, he finally snaps and says "Alright! I'll talk already! Just stop!"

"That's what we want to hear, McBride." said Polly, smiling. "Now start talking."

And so Clyde did...to an extent. He wasn't going to start revealing everything about what was going on, after all.

Once he was finished, Haiku mused "So...Lincoln's out of the country, helping this professor with his research. And you and Ronnie are going there as well?"

"Yeah. We want to lend a hand with whatever he's doing, too." answered Clyde, nodding his head.

"But what is he researching? That's what I want to know." muttered Margo before giving the nerdy boy a suspicious look. "...Come to think of it, you never really specified that. You're not leaving anything out, are you?"

"Uh...no, never! I wouldn't..."

"Cut the kid a break, Mar. We got something out of him and that's what matters." cut in Polly, patting her friend's shoulder. "We'll just see about asking Ronnie what she knows later - maybe she'll fill in the rest of the blanks for us."

After a moment or two, Margo nods and says "...Alright, it's your call, Polly. Are we done here?"

"Yeah, we're done. Let's go."

As the other girls started to leave the property, Haiku walked over to Clyde, who had his face in his hands.

"Ronnie's gonna kill me when she finds out I blabbed about this..."

"...Are you alright, Clyde?"

Looking up to see Haiku eyeing him with concern, Clyde mutters "No, I'm not okay. I just got badgered by you and your friends into talking about something I was trying to keep secret."

"If it's any consolation, I'm not happy that we had to resort to something like that." answered the dark-haired girl softly. "We just wanted answers on where Lincoln had disappeared to."

Sighing, Clyde says "Well, now you know. And I was trying to keep that a secret, too..."

"Why, though? Is there something about this that you're not telling me?"

"I can't tell you. It's not my place to say."

After eyeing Clyde for a moment, Haiku nods and says "...Alright, I won't pressure you into answering me. You've been through enough already."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." answered the nerdy boy with a smile before recalling his earlier words to himself. "...Haiku?"

"Yes?"

"Do you...do you wanna hang out? Just the two of us?"

Clearly surprised by this, the young goth asked "...You want to hang out...with me?"

"If you want to, sure." replied Clyde, still smiling. "I'd like to get to know you a little better. Is that alright with you?"

After staring at him for what seemed like several minutes, Haiku smiles in return before saying "...I'd love to."

-=O=-

-Royal Woods Mall - Food Court (10:35 AM)-

While Clyde and Haiku were spending time with each other, Leni was at the local mall's food court, slurping away at a mango-strawberry smoothie.

"Ahh...this is great. No bad luck, no mean bees...just me, the new clothes I bought and this delicious smoothie. I'm glad I decided to come here." remarked the blonde happily before taking another sip from her beverage. "...It's kinda lonely being here by myself, though. I wish I had someone here to go shopping with me."

"Then I guess it's a good thing we just happened to pass by, huh Len?" asked a familiar voice from nearby, catching the blonde's attention and causing her to turn to see who had spoken to her.

Upon seeing Becky and Dana - two of her closest friends at school - standing nearby, a bright smile forms on her face as Leni said "Hey girls, you dropped by just in time! Good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Leni." replied Dana, grinning. "So...decided to try doing some shopping on your own instead of coming here with your siblings, huh?"

"Uh-huh." answered Leni, nodding. "It's a good thing you two showed up - I was actually starting to get lonely just sitting here by myself."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that now since we're here." said Becky with a smile. "So...where's the rest of your family?"

"Lori's at Bobby's house, Luan went to go see her crush, Lynn's been grounded and Daddy's taking the twins to Lincoln's school." replied Leni, holding up three fingers. "The others are at home, talking to Lincoln on Lisa's Videothingy."

"Videothingy...?" questioned Dana, eyebrow raised.

"It's like, this really big computer thingy that's a phone and a computer mixed together. My sister Lisa made it." said Leni before she let out a sigh. "Part of me kinda wishes that Mom allowed me to stay home, too. I wanted to see if Linky was okay."

"I'm sure that wherever he is, he's doing fine, Len." said Becky before an eager look appeared on her face. "Speaking of which, where exactly is he, anyway? I haven't seen him since that killer party Lori threw a few months ago."

"Ease up there, Beck. The kid's not even in his teen's yet." joked Dana, giving the redhead a grin. "Wait 'till he's a little older before you start trying to shack yourself up with him."

"I just think that he's a cool kid, that's all! I know that he's too young for someone like me!" replied her now-blushing friend, causing the other two girls to start laughing in response.

"Calm down, I was just messing with you." assured Dana before giving Leni a glance. "But since we're on the subject of your family, Leni...how have things been going for yours lately?"

Remembering her sister's warning not to bring up what was going on with the family, Leni replies "Um...I'm not allowed to say. Lori told me it was supposed to be a secret.", causing the other two teens to eye her in confusion.

"A...secret?" asked Becky, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Lori told me it was totes important that I keep our family's business a secret. She didn't want anyone else to know about what was going on." answered Leni, not realizing what she was saying at the moment.

"Well, what kind of secret is it? You know we won't tell anyone." questioned Dana, only for the blonde to quickly shake her head in response.

"...I...I can't say. Lori will get mad at me if I do."

"C'mon Len, it's us. We won't let her know that you told us."

"I can't! I don't want my family to get in trouble!" blurted Leni before quickly covering her mouth. "...Oopsie..."

"So that's why you didn't want to say anything...is whatever secret you're keeping really that bad?" asked Dana, causing Leni to dart her eyes around the food court for a moment before nervously nodding her head. "...Well, alright. If it's that bad and you don't wanna say anything, we'll drop it for now."

"Dana, c'mon! What if this is something impor..." protested Becky, only for the brunette to give her a look that said 'not now', causing the redhead to look at her for a moment before nodding her head. "...Yeah, Dana's right. Let's just push this outta our minds for now and go shop for more stuff, alright?"

"Okay!" chimed Leni happily before getting up to leave, making sure to take her smoothie with her. "So where to first?"

"How about that new clothes shop that just opened up a few days ago? I hear they've got some good stuff on sale." suggested Dana, causing the blonde to squeal in delight before running towards a nearby escalator. "Leni, wait! The shop's on this floor!"

"Doesn't look like she heard you, Dana." remarked Becky, watching as Leni ran off. Once she was certain that the blonde was out of earshot, she asked "...Are we really going to just dismiss this thing that's going on with her family? What if something's wrong?"

"I know, but we shouldn't try to push her into answering us. That's not what friends do, Beck." replied the brunette, giving her friend a glance. "I'm just as concerned about this as you are, but badgering Leni for answers isn't going to provide them to us."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Just ignore the problem and hope it'll go away?"

"Not at all. Let's try to ease her into talking about it to us instead of trying to get answers from the get-go. She'll probably be more receptive if we do that."

"...Alright, that's fair enough, I suppose." muttered Becky before getting to her feet. "C'mon, we better go catch up with Leni and tell her that the store you mentioned was on this floor."

Nodding as she did the same, Dana replied "We might as well. She's probably wondering what's keeping us, too." before making her way out of the food court with the redhead, only to stop upon hearing Leni's voice letting out a pained squeal nearby. "...Leni?"

"Sounds like she's hurt. We better go see if she's alright." said Becky before running towards the source of the noise, intent on seeing if her friend was okay. After taking a moment or two to reach where they had heard Leni's voice, the two saw the blonde in question laying face-first on the escalator, groaning.

Taking notice of the sandals that were left behind on the floor, Dana remarks "...Looks like she tripped and planted her face on the stairs." before calling out to her prone friend. "...You okay, Len?"

"...I'm okay, but that hurt..." mumbled the blonde painfully in response as the escalator moved her body up to the next floor, unaware that part of her dress had snagged on the moving stairs and wasn't letting go.

After a incredibly brief struggle between Leni's dress and the escalator, the former finally gave in and tore completely away from Leni's body, undressing her.

To make the situation even more...complicated, the blonde had forgotten to put on something underneath her dress, which meant she was reduced to wearing nothing but her birthday suit.

Seeing this, both Becky and Dana, along with several nearby shoppers, could only stare at their friend, eyes widened in shock. A few shoppers, however, started snapping pictures of the sight with their smartphones with grins on their faces.

After coming to a stop at the top of the escalator, Leni lets out another groan before pulling herself back to her feet, unaware of the fact she was no longer wearing any clothing.

She was, however, aware of the fact that her nose was now bleeding profusely.

"Aww...first the bees and now this..." groused the ditzy teen unhappily while Dana and Becky rushed up to meet her.

Trying to ignore her friend's nakedness, Becky asked "You alright, Len?", causing the blonde to give her a unhappy nod.

"Yeah, but my nose totes hurts now..."

"I think you've got a bigger problem to worry about than your nose, Len. Don't you think it's a little...uh, drafty right now?"

"...No, not really. It's actually pretty comfortable right now, honestly." replied Leni in return, causing Becky to palm her face in response.

"...Dana, you want to take this one?"

"I got it, Beck." said the brunette before pointing at Leni's body. "Take a look at your body, Leni. I think you're missing something."

"Missing...something?" parroted the ditzy blonde in confusion before doing as her friend asked. Upon seeing that she was completely naked, Leni stares at herself in bewilderment for a moment or two before letting out a loud ear-piercing scream and running away...only to end up blindly heading towards the same escalator as before.

With a cry, Leni falls and starts tumbling down the escalator's stairs, eventually coming to a stop as her face smacks into the floor with a sickening thud, rendering her unconscious.

As everyone else nearby starts taking pictures of the naked blonde with their phones, Dana winces and says "...That one looked like it hurt, too." before giving Becky a glance. "I'll go see if she's okay. Can you dial up her dad and ask him to come pick her up, please?"

"Already on it."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (10:45 AM)-

Meanwhile, Lincoln was going over his encounter with Raph and the Squirtle Squad.

"So...trouble-making Squirtles, huh?" asked Luna with a slight look of amusement on her face. "Must've been real hell-raisers if that poor officer was trying that hard to bust 'em."

"Yeah, they were. Vandalism, theft, harassing folks...I think she even mentioned jaywalking and littering, too. Those five were causing a lot of problems for that place." answered Lincoln before giving Misty a glance. "...Y'know, we never did get the name of that town."

"We'll see about looking it up tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." said Lincoln before turning back to his family. "Anyway, after the leader of the Squirtles - who at the time was Raph - stole my Trainer Card, we met up with Officer Jenny at the local Pokemon Center. After telling her about what happened, she asked us to help her out with busting the Squirtle Squad..."

"Squirtle Squad? They seriously called themselves that?" asked Lucy, fighting back a chuckle.

"I thought the same thing when I finally caught up with Raph later that day, to be honest." replied Lincoln, shrugging. "In any case, we decided to split up into two groups - Misty, Pikachu and I formed one while Brock and Officer Jenny formed the other."

"Part of me still thinks that one of us should've gone with her instead, considering how Brock acts around pretty girls." commented Misty, arms crossed. "Still, if we had, we would've missed out on catching the two strongest Squirtles of the group."

"That's right...Professor Oak mentioned that you had captured a Squirtle, too." mused Rita, causing the redhead to nod.

"Yep. The second-strongest, as a matter of fact." replied Misty proudly before draping an arm on Lincoln's shoulders. "And Lincoln here caught the leader of the group."

"Impressive. Professor Oak never mentioned that you had caught the strongest of the group, Lincoln." commented Lisa, nodding in approval. "So what happened to the other three?"

"They're with Officer Jenny. From what I remember, she said something about community service for all three of them."

"Considering what you said about 'em, I can't say that they didn't have it coming." answered Luna with a shrug. "So what happened next?"

"We finally managed to arrive at Cerulean Cape." answered Lincoln, smiling. "Once we got there, we spent some time having fun on the beach and catching up on our training. When the sun started to set, we made our way towards the lighthouse on the overlook, which belonged to Bill, a good friend of ours."

"Before we went there, I tried to...y'know, tell 'you-know-who' about 'you-know-what'." added Misty before crossing her arms with a huff. "...At least, that was before Brock decided to be an idiot and ruin the moment."

"Don't worry - I'm sure that you'll get another shot at 'im, Misty." said Luna, causing the other Louds, save for Lincoln, to give her an odd look.

"Another shot at what?"

"Nothin' you need to be worrying about, Luce." replied Luna evasively before giving her brother a grin. "So...sun and fun at the beach, followed by catchin' up with another friend of yours, huh?"

"Pretty much. But our time at Cerulean Cape didn't end there." answered Lincoln before taking out his Pokedex and opening it up. After finding the entry he was looking for, he holds the red-colored device up to the screen, which had an image of a Dragonite on it's much smaller screen.

Upon seeing the Dragon-Type on the screen, Lily chirped "Blarney!" in delight.

"Yeah, I've got to go with Lily on this one, Lincoln. That looks like something you'd see on Blarney the Dinosaur." remarked Lucy, nodding. "What is that thing?"

"...Dragonite." muttered Lisa in awe, catching the attention of everyone else. "...You met a Dragonite at Cerulean Cape?"

"Yep. And it wasn't just any Dragonite - this one was HUGE." replied Lincoln, spreading his arms out wide to emphasize how large the Dragon Pokemon was. "We're talking kaiju levels of big here. It was taller than the lighthouse itself."

"He was one heck of a singer, too. He even had you two dancing to his tune." commented Pikachu, causing Misty and Lincoln to blush slightly as they recalled their dance with each other.

"A giant Dragonite?" asked Lisa in disbelief.

Nodding, Misty answered "Mm-hmm. Bill mentioned that it was part of an ancient sub-species of Dragonite that lived a long time ago. The one we met at Cerulean Cape was apparently the last one of its kind. This particular Dragonite was one that Bill had wanted to meet for a long time, even going so far as to create an artificial greeting in the species' language to try and draw it to the lighthouse."

"Considering how friendly it was when we finally met it up close, I'd say that it worked." said Lincoln with a smile. "...Watching it coming through the fog towards the lighthouse...simply awe-inspiring."

Imagining the scene in her head, Lucy comments "Wow...that must've been something to see."

"Indeed. It would be quite the sight to see...if it were true." remarked Lisa, causing the others to look at her. "Lincoln, while I'm willing to believe that you and your companions had managed to encounter a Dragonite that evening, there's no way it could've been as large as you had claimed. If I recall correctly, the species rarely surpasses nine feet when it comes to height."

"It's true, Lisa. All of us saw it that night."

"So you say. Well, unless you can provide proof that this 'giant' Dragonite exists, I shall continue to express doubt about your claim."

'Then I suppose it's a good thing that I happen to have the proof you require, isn't it?' stated Dexter's voice, causing Lisa's eyes to widen in surprise.

"...Lincoln? Who was that?"

Snapping his fingers, Lincoln says "Right...forgot to bring this up." before holding up his Pokedex to the screen again. "Sometime after I had captured Azami, I found out that my Pokedex has a sentient A.I. inside of it. Dexter, go ahead and say hello to my folks, will ya?"

'Hello there. It's a pleasure to meet all five of you.' answered Dexter, causing the other Louds to stare on with looks of bewilderment on their faces.

"...Your Pokedex has a sentient A.I. within it. An A.I. that can think and speak for itself." mumbled Lisa, eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yep." replied Lincoln simply with a smile on his face.

After staring at the red-colored device for a few more seconds, Luna commented "...So Lincoln's got a chatty A.I. living in his Pokedex thingy now. That's something." before a grin formed on her face. "Gotta say that's pretty cool, Linc. I'm pretty sure that even Lori's phone doesn't have one of those."

"I'm actually glad that it doesn't." remarked Lucy before cracking a smile. "She'd never put it down if it had a feature like that on it."

'Hey, I'll have you know that I'm much more than some 'feature', young lady. Your brother actually considers me to be a friend of his.' stated Dexter indignantly.

"You're friends with your Pokedex? That's kinda weird." commented Luna, stifling a chuckle.

"Well, I think it's good that Lincoln has such a knowledgeable friend to turn to when he needs advice on what to do." said Rita, causing one of the lights on the Pokedex to turn a rosy red color.

'Thank you for your kind words, madam. I do my best to assist Lincoln with anything he requires of me.'

After managing to recompose herself, Lisa asks "S-so you...you actually do have proof of this giant Dragonite's existence?" in a shaky voice, causing the red-colored device to beep in response before its screen starts playing a small video of the massive Dragon-Type as it started to approach the lighthouse before coming to a stop directly in front of it.

Eyeing the Pokedex carefully as it continued to play the video, Lincoln asked "Dexter, exactly when did you manage to record a video of our encounter with Dragonite?"

'I recorded footage of it while you were scanning it for it's Pokedex entry. You're not upset, are you?'

"Not at all. I just wanted to know."

'Glad to hear it.' answered Dexter before ending the recording. Addressing Lisa, he adds 'Is that proof enough for you, miss?'

"Th-that'll do..." mumbled Lisa weakly. "To think that both of you had actually encountered a primordial Dragonite...astounding. Simply astounding. And the fact that your Pokedex is sentient..."

'I have a name, you know...' said Dexter, sounding mildly irritated. 'If you're going to refer to me, at least have the courtesy to use my name.'

"Oh...of course. My apologies, Dexter."

'Thank you.'

"So what happened after you met the giant Dragonite?" asked Lucy, eager to hear what had happened next.

At this, Lincoln's mood sours as he answers "Team Rocket happened, Lucy. They started trying to attack Dragonite while we were talking to him. Because of them, it had almost left the Cape for good."

"That's horrible." muttered Lucy, her expression matching her brother's. "Let me guess - you and your friends managed to ward Team Rocket off, but the Dragonite, feeling betrayed, never came back. Am I correct?"

"Actually, no. I don't know what Bill said to him, but the big guy, along with Bill himself, decided to help us out when the Rockets started to outnumber us. After that, he stuck around to talk with Bill some more before leaving the following morning." replied Lincoln before a thoughtful look appeared on his face. "Come to think of it, I wonder if those two managed to meet up with each other again after we left..."

"It's likely. If the Dragonite recognized Bill as a friend of his, I'm certain that he would eventually come back to visit the Cape someday." said Lucy, shrugging. "For all we know, he could be visiting him as we speak."

-=O=-

-Cerulean Cape - Overlook (12:00 AM)-

As he and Bill sat together on the overlook near the lighthouse, Seymour asked "So this giant Dragonite you mentioned...do you really think it'll come here?"

Nodding, Bill answered "Considering that he considers me a friend, I would think so. It's up to him on when he wants to visit my lighthouse, though - for all we know, he could choose to visit here tonight, tomorrow night or even sometime next year. It's up to him." before taking his remote out of his pocket and pressing a button on it, causing the familiar sound of the Dragonite's recording to sound through the air. "There. Now we just wait and see if he shows up."

"Well, here's hoping it's tonight." said Seymour before giving the lighthouse a curious glance. "May I ask on what's the deal with the recording, by the way?"

"I developed it after hearing the Dragonitus giganticus for the first time. It's meant to tell him 'Let's be friends. I want to meet you, too.', though I think I'll probably need to create a new one - one that says 'Hello again, friend. It's good to see you again.'"

"If you like, I can help you out with that."

"That would be appreciated. We can get started on it sometime tomorrow." answered Bill with a nod. Upon noticing the familiar silhouette of the giant Dragonite moving through the ocean towards the overlook, he grins and says "He's coming our way, old friend. I hope you're ready to meet him." before pressing another button on the remote, causing the lighthouse's beacon to start flashing multiple colors while the recording of Dragonite's singing grew louder.

After a few minutes of wading through the ocean, the massive Dragon-Type came to a stop in front of the overlook, causing Bill to smile widely while Seymour stared at the enormous beast in awe.

"Goodness...it's as big as you claimed it would be." mumbled the glasses-wearing man, awestruck.

"And just as magnificent. It's even better seeing him the second time." replied Bill before giving the gigantic Dragon Pokemon a smile. "It's good to see you again, my friend. It's only been a few days since you've last visited Cerulean Cape, but to me it felt like months, if not longer. I'm happy to see that you came back to visit me."

"Likewise, my friend. It's good to see you as well." answered the Dragonite before looking around for any sign of Lincoln and his companions. "...Where are the others?"

Having an idea on what the Dragon-Type was asking, Bill answered "Lincoln and his friends had left a few days ago. However, I do have another friend I think you would like to meet." before giving Seymour, who was still staring at the massive Pokemon, a glance. "Mind introducing yourself, Seymour?"

Quickly snapping out of his stunned state, Seymour nods before stepping forward and saying "Er...hello there. It's very nice to meet you. I hope we can become friends with each other."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." answered the massive Dragon Pokemon before giving Seymour a gentle smile. "And I'd be happy to consider you a friend - after all, any friend of Bill's is a friend of mine."

"I think he approves of you, Seymour." commented Bill with a smile of his own, causing the glasses-wearing man to beam happily.

"Splendid! Wonderful! To think I would be considered a friend to such a magnificent creature...words cannot describe the joy I'm feeling right now!"

Watching on with amusement as Seymour continued to chatter away, the giant Dragonite asked "Your friend...he's rather wordy, isn't he?"

Even though he didn't know what the massive Pokemon had said, Bill chuckles and answers "Yes, he is rather talkative when he gets going." before walking over and tapping on the scientist's shoulder. "Seymour, as much as I hate having to interrupt you, we mustn't keep our visitor waiting - he came here to visit us and I for one would love to be able to talk to him again."

Taking an earpiece out of his pocket, he adds "Especially now that I've got this. Granted, it's still a work in progress, but if this works, it'll make for an excellent breakthrough in my studies on Pokemon behavior."

As Bill handed over the earpiece to him, Seymour asked "What on Earth is this, Bill? It looks like the earpiece that Lincoln usually wears."

"That's what it's modeled after - after Lincoln and his friends came to visit me here at my lighthouse, I took an interest in the earpiece after he used it to understand what the Dragonitus giganticus was saying."

"That earpiece of his allows him to understand Pokemon speech?"

"Indeed it does, my friend. He used it to speak to the Dragonitus giganticus and had allowed me to borrow it so I could do the same."

"I see. And I presume that this particular earpiece is meant to do the same thing?"

"That would be correct. I didn't have much time to study his earpiece to see how it actually worked, but I'm certain that with enough time and effort, I'll get this one to function in the same way."

After placing the small device into his ear and pressing a button on it, he adds "And with the Dragonitus giganticus here, now's as good of a time as any to try it out and see if it works." before turning to face the massive Dragon-Type. "Do you mind helping me with testing the earpiece I'm wearing? It's meant to work like the one Lincoln used when he spoke to you."

Nodding, the giant Dragonite replies "Of course. Testing...one, two, three...did I do that right?", only to notice the perturbed look on the green-haired man's face as he started fiddling with the earpiece, trying to get it to work properly. "...Something wrong?"

"It's not working. Why isn't it working?" muttered Bill before taking the earpiece off and looking at it. "Perhaps I needed more time to analyze Lincoln's earpiece to get a better grasp on how it actually worked. There's got to be something I'm missing here..."

"Maybe you can see if he'll let you borrow it from him when he decides to come and visit you again." said Seymour before taking the earpiece and looking it over. "It's a shame though - I was really hoping it would end up working."

"Same here, old friend. I suppose I can see about..." started Bill, only for his eyes to widen in horror as the earpiece in Seymour's hand suddenly started to glow brightly. "...Seymour?"

"Yes, Bill?"

"I think you need to throw that earpiece as far away as possible. Now."

Upon seeing the glowing device in his hands, the glasses-wearing man lets out an shriek of terror before tossing it towards the sea, causing it to land in the water with a splash.

Seconds later, a large explosion bursts out of the ocean, sending gallons of seawater flying through the air before splashing all over the Cape. Much to the amusement of the giant Dragonite, Bill and Seymour were also hit by the blast of water, drenching them both completely.

"Oh dear..."

As Seymour started wringing out his lab coat, Bill sigh and says "Well...looks like it's back to the drawing board for me..." in disappointment before looking down at his drenched clothes. "...After a quick trip to the laundry room to put these in the dryer, that is."

-=O=-

-Mt. Moon - Ceremonial Grounds (12:10 AM)-

While Bill and Seymour were dealing with their now-drenched clothes, a shiny Clefable sat on a mid-sized rock next to the Moon Stone, staring wistfully at the full moon shining in the night sky while thoughts of the one who had left his colony went through his mind.

Since the departure of that particular Clefable, he had come to this spot every night to stare at the moon while thinking deeply about how the wayward Fairy-Type was doing.

'It's only been a few weeks and I already miss that boy. I hope he's doing okay.' thought the shiny-colored Clefable as he continued to gaze at the softly glowing moon above him. 'I know I can trust Friend Lincoln and his companions to look after him, but I can't help but worry about how he's doing out there, so far away from the mountains...'

Suddenly, the sound of something rustling in the grass nearby caught his attention, prompting him to jump to his feet to deal with whoever had decided to intrude on the colony's sacred grounds.

Charging up a ball of pink-colored energy between his paws, he snaps "Who are you? Show yourself!", causing whatever was hiding in the bushes to let out a startled squeak before revealing itself.

Upon seeing that the intruder was one of the Clefairy from his colony, the Clefable cancels the attack and says "Oh...my apologies, child. I didn't mean to scare you." in an apologetic tone, causing the smaller Pokemon to relax slightly.

"It's okay, Leader. I should've told you that I was here." replied the Clefairy before noticing the solemn expression on the other Pokemon's face. "...Is everything alright, Leader?"

"I'm fine, child. Just...thinking about the one who decided to leave us, that's all."

Taking a seat on the rock beside his leader, the Clefairy replied "I'm sure he's doing alright out there, Leader. After all, he's got Friend Lincoln looking after him, doesn't he?"

Nodding, the shiny Clefable sagely answered "True, but that still doesn't change the fact that I'm worried about him. The world outside of our home can be a dangerous place, especially for our kind." before looking up at the full moon above him. "After all, that particular Clefable is more than just a member of our colony. He's...very special to me."

"Special, Leader?"

"Yes. Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

"Of course, Leader. I'm good at keeping secrets." replied the Clefairy proudly.

"Good to know." replied the leader before taking a breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. "As I said before, that particular Clefable is more than just a member of my colony. He's practically the only family I have left after my mate passed away years ago."

"But I thought you said that the entire colony was your family, Leader?"

"While it's true that I will always consider you and everyone else in the colony to be family to me, the Clefable I'm referring to is much closer than that. He's my son." said the leader, causing the Clefairy sitting next to stare at him in surprise. "But that's not all, child - I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but we Clefable mate for life."

"...Which means that your son is the only child you're ever going to have in your lifetime, right?" asked the Clefairy, causing the larger Fairy-Type to nod solemnly. "I never knew that he was that close to you, Leader. But if he was that important to you, why did you let him leave?"

"Because it's something that he wanted to do, child." answered the shiny Clefable before a wistful smile appeared on his face. "And like any good father, I chose to support him and the decision he made, even if part of me didn't want to see him go."

Giving the leader a glance, the Clefairy asked "But you still miss him, right?"

"More than anything, child. I hope he comes by to visit us someday - I'd like to hear about all the things he's seen outside of our home."

"Same here, Leader. Same here."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (11:15 AM)-

"So what happened after you left the Cape, bro?" asked Luna, wondering where her brother's story was going to go next.

"After we left Cerulean Cape, we started on our way back to Cerulean City." answered Lincoln, receiving confused looks from his family in response.

"Why'd you go back, Linc? I thought you had already gotten the badge there."

"We had to travel through Route 5, which was south of Cerulean City, to head towards our next destination - Vermilion City."

"Which is where you are now." said Lisa, finally managing to regain control of herself. "However, I'm presuming that you didn't head directly there from Cerulean City, correct?"

"You'd be right on that one, Lisa. Along the way through Route 5, we saw a sign for an unofficial Pokemon Gym - one that was owned by a Trainer with 98 straight wins to his name. We also met Samurai - another one of my rivals - there as well, leading to a rematch between the two of us."

"One that you won, I presume?" asked Lisa, causing her brother to nod.

"Yep. He still put up a good fight, though. The guy had definitely improved from our last encounter with each other."

"Samurai...are you talking about that kid that dresses like he's in the Feudal Era or somethin'?" asked Luna, causing her brother to nod while a suspicious look formed on Rita's face.

"...And how exactly did you find out what this boy looked like, hmm?"

"Uh...well...the rest of us...may have been watchin' your calls through the cameras Luan's got set up in here." admitted Luna, scratching the back of her head. "You're not mad about that, are you Lise?"

"Considering that I'm well aware of their presence and haven't done anything to remove them, no. As long as they keep their distance away from this room, the others are free to observe us as much as they like."

"Are you sure about this, Lisa?" asked her mother, only for the four year-old to nod in response.

"I'm certain. Now then, let's get back to the subject at hand, shall we?"

"I'm with you on that, Lisa." answered Lincoln before giving Luna a glance. "To answer your earlier question, Luna - yeah, that's him. He prefers to use Bug-Type Pokemon, including ones like Pinsir and Butterfree."

"Which is something I'll never understand. Who would want to use icky, disgusting...bugs!?" commented Misty, shuddering.

"Apparently, this Samurai guy does." answered Lucy, shrugging. "So what happened after that?"

"After that, we found out a bit more about the Trainer who owned the unofficial gym from Samurai, who then offered to lead us to the gym in question." answered Lincoln, recalling that day. "Upon reaching the gym, we met the owner - a teenager going by the name of A.J."

As his smile faltered a bit, he adds "I...as much as I hate to say it, he absolutely schooled me and my Pokemon. He was completely out of our league."

"So that's who you were referring to when you mentioned your first loss the other day..." mused Rita thoughtfully.

Wincing slightly, Luna says "Aw man...that's gotta suck, bro. I can't imagine how it felt to lose a battle like that..."

"It wasn't that bad, really." replied Lincoln, shrugging. "Sure, it kinda hurt having every single one of my Pokemon getting knocked out by just his Sandshrew, but I'm not going to hold a grudge or anything against him. He won the match fair and square."

"Well, it's good to know that you decided to be a good sport about your loss, Lincoln." said Lisa, nodding in approval. "So tell me more about this A.J. character. What kind of methods did he use in battle?"

"I don't know all the details about how he did it, but he used a whip to give his Sandshrew orders." answered Lincoln, causing the other Louds to start opening their mouths to protest. "Hold on a moment, guys - he didn't use it to strike Sandshrew or anything. Rather, he cracked it on the ground to give commands during my battle with him."

"He gave it orders by cracking a whip on the ground? That's kinda weird." said Luna, eyebrow raised.

"Well, it must've worked for him if he was able to go undefeated for 99 straight battles." replied Lincoln before miming the action of cracking a whip. "But yeah, he never used any verbal commands to his Sandshrew, just cracking the whip on the ground was enough to order it to attack."

"That Sandshrew must be remarkably well-trained if it can register a Trainer's commands in such an unorthodox manner." mused Lisa thoughtfully. "So what happened after your battle?"

"After our battle, A.J. took us on a tour of his gym. Through it, we saw what kind of training he puts his Pokemon through. All I can say is this - he pushes them hard. Really hard."

"Geez...first this whip thing and now this..that A.J. guy must be a real slave driver if he's treating his Pokemon like this..."

"Yeah, he pushes them to their limits, but he's not abusive towards them. He does it to help them grow stronger and reach their full potential as battlers." said Lincoln, shaking his head. "And believe it or not, his Pokemon seem to like the hard training he puts them through. They even spend their free time on the weekends on training themselves."

"They willingly spend their free time on training? I guess I can't knock it if they like it that much..."

"I think you should start training all of us just as hard, Lincoln. We're going to end up facing powerful Pokemon throughout our journey together and we'll need to be able to hold our own against them." commented Pikachu, causing Lincoln to give him an odd look.

"...Are you sure about this, Pikachu? Absolutely sure?"

"Absolutely. We want to help you win the Kanto championship - all of...well, most of us do, anyway. And we can't do that if we're not at the top of our game."

"He's right, Lincoln. Things are just going to become harder from now on." commented Misty, nodding. "If you want to overcome whatever challenges you'll end up facing in the future, you're going to have to pick up the pace on training your Pokemon."

"Well...when you put it that way, I guess I can see about coming up with ways to increase the difficulty of our training sessions..." mused Lincoln before deciding to dismiss the thought for now in order to continue telling his family about his time at A.J.'s gym.

-=O=-

-Royal Woods Elementary School - Principal Huggins' Office (11:30 AM)-

"Ahh...in just a few more days, this place will be packed full of kids, eager and ready for a brand new year of learning." remarked Wilbur Huggins - the principal of Royal Woods Elementary School - as he sat at his desk with a smile on his face. "I may enjoy the break from school that summer brings every year, but the start of a new school year is something I enjoy even more."

Suddenly, the intercom on his desk lets out a hiss before emitting the sound of his secretary's voice from it's speaker.

"Principal Huggins, sir? You have a visitor who's asking to see you."

Wondering who would be visiting him, Huggins asked "Who is it, Cheryl? Is it anyone I know?"

"I believe so, sir. Do you remember when Luan Loud decided to prank the school on April Fools Day and you asked me to call in one of her parents so you could address them about what happened?" asked Cheryl, causing the mustached man to shudder.

"Yes, I remember. I'm presuming that they're here to talk to me?"

"Her father is, sir. Shall I send him in?"

"Yes, please do." replied Huggins, nodding.

"Of course, sir." answered Cheryl before cutting off the intercom.

Seconds later, the door to his office opens up, allowing both Lynn Sr. and his twin daughters to enter the room.

Upon seeing Lynn Sr. and his cap-wearing daughter, Huggins smiles and says "Ah, Mr. Loud...I was honestly not expecting you to come and visit me here in my office. Normally, I would be calling you here to address your children's behavior in school, but I..."

Almost immediately, his smile fell as the foul aroma coming from the patriarch of the Loud family hit his nose.

"...Dear lord, what in blazes is that smell!?"

"It's the...uh, end result of a prank Luan set up inside of the family van, Principal. It went off after I parked in the school's parking lot." answered the large-nosed man while Lola nodded in agreement.

"I see. Well, your daughter's pranks do tend to be a problem at times here at school, especially on April Fools Day. This year, she filled every school in town with..." mused Huggins before noticing the cast on Lana's arm. "...What on earth happened to your arm, young lady?"

"Luan happened. She set up a prank that caused me to go down the stairs the hard way." replied Lana, rubbing the cast gingerly. "It still hurts, but not as bad as it did when I woke up after it happened."

"I see...well, I hope you recover quickly, Miss Loud."

"Thanks, Principal Huggins."

"You're welcome." answered the old principal before giving Lynn Sr. an expectant look. "Now then, I believe you wanted to speak to me about something?"

"It's about my son." replied Lynn Sr. with a nod, causing Huggins to look at him curiously in response. "Girls, can you wait outside of the office, please? The Principal and I need to have a grown-up chat with each other."

"...Do we really have to?" groused Lana, pouting slightly.

"Unfortunately, you do. We're going to be talking about something very important."

"But I..."

Before the cap-wearing girl could finish, Lola grabbed her arm and started to lead her out of the office.

"Let's go, Lana. The sooner Daddy can get this done, the sooner we can go back home."

Once the twins were out of the office, their father turns his attention back to Huggins and adds "Now then, about my son..."

"Ah yes...Lincoln Loud. One of the few well-behaved members of your family, I'll admit. I rarely ever see any trouble coming from that boy." commented the mustached man before an odd look appeared on his face. "It's odd, really...there hasn't been any sign of him at all over the last couple of weeks. I can't help but be concerned about him."

"That's why I came here to see you today, Principal Huggins. I have something that may help ease whatever concerns you may have."

"Is that so? Well, what is it?" asked Huggins, causing the other man to step forward before handing him the envelopes Rita had given him earlier. After opening one of them and reading the contents inside, he raised an eyebrow before asking "...Mr. Loud?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm not sure if it's old age starting to affect my eyesight or not, but I'm certain this letter is saying that your son is currently on an island located near Japan. Is this true?"

"It is, sir." answered Lynn Sr. nodding his head. "He's assisting a professor who lives there with his research."

Nodding, Huggins replied "Hmm...that does explain the letter of introduction from this Professor Oak character...but what in the world is a Pokemon Trainer? I've never heard of such a thing."

"It's a career associated with Professor Oak's line of work, sir." said Lynn Sr., deciding that a honest answer would be best in a situation like this. "Lincoln's working as one, working to help the Professor with his studies on the Pokemon species."

"I see. Well, if he's helping...wait, what's a Pokemon?"

"I think the other envelope will have the answers you seek, Principal. My wife informed me that it was from the U.S. government."

"The government?" parroted Huggins in a confused tone before opening the aforementioned envelope and reading the contents. As he read through the letter and the papers that came a long with it, his eyebrows rose higher and higher in both surprise and clear confusion. "...Goodness."

"I know how you feel, sir. I felt the same way when I found out about this, too."

"Well...this is certainly interesting...I'm definitely surprised at the fact you allowed your son to become an emancipated minor in this Kanto place..."

"We honestly didn't know about that until Professor Oak told us." answered Lynn Sr., scratching the back of his head. "We were definitely surprised when he told us about that."

"I'd be surprised as well if I were in your position, Mr. Loud." said Huggins, nodding. "Now then...I just have a question to ask you - why would you allow your son to leave the country, especially at a time like this? You do realize that school will be starting again soon, correct?"

Not wanting to tell the older man the real reason behind Lincoln's departure, the father of the Loud family quickly replied "To be honest, that particular fact slipped our mind when we made the decision to let him go. As for why he went, well...my daughter Lisa wanted him to assist with Professor Oak's research. She's an associate of his and..."

"I think I know where this is going, Mr. Loud - Lincoln accepted the request and was sent on his way, correct?"

"Yeah...that sounds fairly accurate."

After eyeing the other man carefully for a brief moment, Huggins nods before saying "Well...let's just hope that your son will be willing to make up for all the schoolwork he's going to be missing due to this little trip of his, Mr. Loud. His work with this Professor Oak gentleman may be important, but so is his education."

"We'll get him started on that when he comes back home, Principal Huggins. I'm not keen on the idea of my son missing out on his education, either." replied Lynn Sr. with a nod before a peculiar look formed on his face. "You know, I'm honestly surprised that you're just going along with this."

"In all my years of overseeing this school as its principal, I've grown accustomed to unusual situations regarding my students, Mr. Loud. It comes with the job." answered Huggins nonchalantly. "I'd actually consider the circumstances regarding Lincoln to be moderately normal compared to the shenanigans that some of your other children get themselves into on a weekly basis."

Offering a handshake to the man standing in front of him, he adds "In any case, I'd like to thank you for easing my concerns about your son. I was honestly starting to worry about him."

"You're welcome, sir." replied Lynn Sr. with a smile as he accepted the gesture. "Do I need to fill out anything regarding Lincoln's absence or..."

"I'll have my secretary hand the appropriate forms to you on your way out. Make sure to have them back here before the school term starts." answered Huggins before wrinkling his nose at the odor coming from the other man's body. "...By the way, do you need to use one of our showers to wash up? I can imagine that your wife wouldn't be pleased about you coming home, smelling like you do now."

"I'll manage until I get home, Principal. Thanks for the offer, nonetheless."

Nodding, Huggins says "Very well. Now then, is that everything you wanted to discuss with me?"

"Yes, sir. I'll see myself out." replied Lynn Sr. before starting to make his way out of the room.

"Of course. Feel free to stop by anytime, Mr. Loud - my office is always open to you."

-=O=-

-Fanny's Prank Emporium (11:50 AM)-

"Ah...Fanny's - the real Fort Knox of comedy in this town. The pranking armory that provides my tools of the trade." remarked Luan as she stood in front of a colorful-looking shop with a smile on her face. "I bet the ol' gal's got a bunch of great gags in stock for me to use for my upcoming show. She's probably got a lot of requests for parties for me to work, too."

As she passed through the front door, she remained unaware of a small sign displayed nearby that had an image of her head with a 'no' symbol marked over it.

"Afternoon, Fanny." greeted Luan as she stepped into the shop with a smile on her face. "How're you doing today? You got any new gigs for me? Or any gags, for that matter?"

Upon hearing her voice, the person standing at the front counter - a lanky-looking middle-aged woman wearing what appeared to be a colorful-looking outfit and clown makeup on her face - simply stared at her for a moment before pointing at the door.

"Just turn around and walk away, Luan - you're not allowed to shop here anymore. Didn't you see the sign?"

After staring flabbergasted at the colorful woman for a moment or two, Luan exclaimed "What do you mean I'm not allowed here anymore!? I'm one of your biggest customers, Fanny! I'm one of the main reasons your shop's still kicking!"

"You're also one of the main reasons I'm being threatened with a shutdown." replied Fanny before handing over several papers that appeared to be related to the matter. "Take a look at this."

After taking a moment or two to skim through the papers, Luan's eyebrows raised as she asked "...They're threatening to shut you down because of one little prank I played on April Fools?

"One little prank, she says..." muttered Fanny before giving the braces-wearing teen a hard glare. "You almost killed someone using products bought from my shop, you dingbat! My livelihood is in jeopardy because of you!"

"Killed someone?" asked Luan, confused. "I've never tried to kill anyone with my pranks, ma'am. Sure, I go a little overboard on April 1st, but..."

"But nothing, Luan. Do you remember when you bought all those stink bombs from me in bulk, saying that you were planning to use them for one of your big April Fools pranks?"

Smiling, Luan replied "Oh yeah, that was a good one. They had to end school early because of the smell that gem of a prank left behind."

"They didn't end school early because of the smell, Luan. The stink bombs I sold you contain a chemical in them that's harmless in small, single doses, but can be lethal in larger ones." answered Fanny stonily. "You practically filled every school in town with that chemical by stuffing every locker, closet and cabinet you could find with those bombs, Luan. If it wasn't for the fact those kids were allowed to leave early, you potentially could've been responsible for the death of hundreds, if not thousands of people and I would've ended up in the clink because I sold those stink bombs to you."

"I...I thought they were evacuating because of the stink..." whimpered Luan, now realizing why she was in so much trouble with her benefactor.

"Well, now you know that's not the case." said Fanny before crossing her arms. "And now you know why you can't come around here anymore. I'm already in enough hot water as it is with town council and I don't need you making things worse."

Pointing at the door, she adds "So get out and don't come back. I don't want to lose my business because of you."

"What about my gigs, Fanny? Who's going to take them if I'm not allowed to come by anymore?"

"There aren't any, Luan. Hardly anyone wants to hire the girl who almost killed their kids and called it a 'prank'." growled Fanny, jabbing a finger at her. "Hell, I've hardly had any customers over the past week or so because everyone knows that you shop for your pranking supplies here. If things don't change soon, I'm going to have to close the place down."

"I...I..." stammered Luan, finding herself at a complete loss of words.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Luan - leave now. Otherwise, I'm going to call the authorities and have them escort you off the premises."

Not wanting to bring even more trouble upon herself, Luan quickly complies and runs out of the shop, eyes welling up with tears.

-=O=-

-The Santiago Residence - Ronnie's Room (12:00 PM)-

"You did what!?" barked Ronnie as she spoke to Clyde on the phone. "How could you go and blab about our plans like that!?"

After her brother had left the house to help take his mind off of breaking up with Lori, Ronnie had received a call from Clyde, who wanted to speak with her about his earlier encounter with Polly and her group. Upon hearing that he had ended up talking about their plans for Kanto...the conversation took on a less-than-pleasant turn.

"I was under pressure, okay? They just kept barraging me with questions and wouldn't stop until I talked!" replied Clyde defensively. "Besides, that never would've happened if Dad hadn't asked me about it while they were still around!"

"Just when I thought things couldn't get more complicated, this happens..." muttered Ronnie under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. "...Alright, we can salvage this. How much did you tell them?"

"Just enough to get them off my back. I told them that he was out of the country, helping out a professor with his research and we were planning on going over to help him, but that's it." answered Clyde, causing Ronnie's annoyed look to slowly fade away.

"And that's all you told them? You didn't spill anything about what Professor Ivy's going to be doing for us or what Lincoln's actually doing in Kanto?"

"Of course not! I don't want to place an even bigger burden on Professor Ivy - the two of us are going to be more than enough for her to handle already!"

After a moment, Ronnie answered "...Alright, that's not too bad. Just try not to crack like that again and everything should be alright." before giving an aside glance to Bobby, who was still sulking on the couch over his recent break-up. "Got a question for you - do you have any problems with my brother chaperoning us?"

"I did at first, but I'm willing to tolerate him being around if it means we get to go to Kanto." replied Clyde's voice. "Part of me does wish that my parents had picked someone else, though. It's going to be awkward travelling alongside the guy who's dating the girl of my dreams."

"Yeah...about that..." started Ronnie, scratching the back of her head. "Bobby...kinda broke it off with her earlier today."

"Lori's single? Really?" asked the nerdy boy eagerly. "Then I better find her right away and..."

"Seriously, Clyde? You're trying to make a move on her after my brother had just broken up with her?" questioned Ronnie in disapproval. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"But this could be my chance to..."

"Do what? Make yourself look like a desperate creep who won't take 'no' for an answer?" asked Ronnie, causing nothing but awkward, ashamed silence to come from the receiver. "Look Clyde, I'm going to be blunt with you here - you don't stand a chance of winning Lori over. You never did."

"...You too, huh?" asked Clyde, upset. "First my parents and now you...nobody seems to think I have a chance with her."

"Well, you don't." stated Ronnie firmly. "Besides, why the hell would you want to date her anyway? The girl's definitely one of those high-maintenance types - you'd be putting more into the relationship than she would. My brother practically puts himself through the wringer, trying to keep her happy."

"I know that I can win her over with enough time put into it."

"The girl's almost seven years older than you and is practically obsessed with my brother, Clyde. It's never going to happen." replied Ronnie in a blunt tone. "I know it's hard for you to hear this, but you'd be better off trying your luck with someone who'll return your feelings, not dismiss them as annoyances like Lori would. Why not stick with someone who would actually be a likely match for you, like that weird goth girl you were with at the Sadie Hawkins dance? Or that girl you partnered up with when we did that egg parenting thing? Those two seemed to like you."

At this, Clyde remained silent - while he did want to refute Ronnie's words, he also remembered the time he had spent earlier with Haiku and how much he had enjoyed her company.

"...Clyde? You there?"

"Oh...yeah, I'm still here. Just...thinking about what you just said just a moment ago."

"You're thinking about giving one of those two a try?"

"I...I don't know. Part of me would like to, but another part doesn't want to give up on Lori just yet..."

"Well, you're probably end up having to give up on her when my brother eventually ends up getting married to her in the future. He was talking about getting an engagement ring for her after both of them finished up with college." said Ronnie, causing an uncomfortable whine to come from the receiver. "Look, think of it this way - by getting over her now, you'll save yourself from the heartbreak that'll end up coming later."

Giving the receiver a hard look, she adds "Besides, do you really want to spend your life obsessing over one girl? Are you still going to be creeping on her thirty years from now?"

"No, but..." started Clyde's voice before letting out a sigh. "...I know that getting over her would end up being better for me in the long run. But I've spent so long trying to do this that it just...feels like a waste to just dismiss it."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call your efforts a complete waste." replied Ronnie with a smirk. "You learned that everything you did to try and woo Lori didn't work, so you'll know not to try that stuff when you try your luck with other girls."

"I...guess you've got a point there. Still, it's going to be hard for me to just...let her go."

"As long as you can keep your obsession with her in check, I think you'll be able to pull it off, McBride."

"Thanks, Ronnie."

"Anytime." answered the Hispanic girl with smile. "So now that we've got that out of the way, is there anything else you need to talk to me about?"

"Nothing like that, but I should warn you that since that the girls who questioned me know that you're also involved with this, they'll probably come over and try to grill you for info, too. Just thought I'd give you a heads-up."

"You should've told me that earlier. My place isn't that far from yours." said Ronnie, clearly annoyed at just now hearing this.

"Slipped my mind. Sorry." replied Clyde's voice, causing her to let out a sigh. "So have you thought about what you're going to do?"

"No, not yet. I'll..." started Ronnie, only to stop speaking upon hearing the doorbell ringing. "Dang it...I'll call you back later, McBride. I think they're here."

"Be careful. They'll probably try to do the same thing to you that they did to me." said Clyde, causing her to nod before hanging up.

-=O=-

-The Santiago Residence - Front Door (12:10 PM)-

"Just gotta wait until someone answers the door, then we can start questioning Ronnie on what she knows about what Lincoln's doing in that Kanto place. Hopefully, we'll get some answers from her that'll fill in the blanks that Clyde left behind." said Polly as she, Tabby, Giggles and Margo waited at the Santiago home's doorstep. Upon noticing that the fifth member of the group wasn't present, she asked "...Where's Haiku? I thought she was supposed to be with us."

"Probably decided to stay behind with Clyde. You know how she is when it comes to him." replied Tabby, shrugging. "We'll catch up with her later and fill her in on what we get from Ronnie Anne."

"Sounds good to me." answered the helmet-clad girl before noticing that the front door of the Santiago house was starting to open, revealing a clearly annoyed-looking Ronnie Anne behind it.

"What do you want?" asked the Hispanic girl, eyeing the four girls carefully.

"We just wanted to talk to you about somethin', that's all. You have a minute or two?" asked Tabby, stepping forward.

"Well, that depends on what you want to talk about. If it's not important, then you might as well go ahead and scram - I'm not in the mood for idle chit-chat." replied Ronnie in turn, causing the four girls to look at each other for a moment before nodding in unison.

"...Lincoln. We're here to talk to you about Lincoln." stated Giggles, prompting a raised eyebrow from Ronnie in response.

"Lame-O? Why would you want to talk to me about him?" questioned Ronnie, arms crossed. "Better yet, why would you four care about him? In case you've forgotten, three of you almost ended having your time at the Sadie Hawkins dance ruined because he couldn't just admit to his sisters that he didn't want to go in the first place."

"While it's true that things didn't go well with Lincoln during the Sadie Hawkins dance, it doesn't mean that we aren't worried about him.." said Giggles, looking nowhere as cheerful as her colorful appearance. "We may not be willing to give him another try as a romantic interest, but it's never too late for us to try to be friends with him."

Nodding, Polly commented "Yeah, what she said. The little goofball may not have been a stellar date, but he seems like someone I'd like to have as a buddy." before her grin returned. "Besides, if it wasn't for him, I never would've gone to the Sadie Hawkins dance in the first place, which meant that I never would've gotten the chance to meet Rusty."

"Same with me and Liam. I'm not much for dances myself."

"And me with Zach." added Giggles before living up to her name with a few...well, giggles. "As for Haiku...I think that she and Clyde are just friends, unfortunately. He seems to have his heart set on pursuing someone else."

"That'd be my big brother's ex-girlfriend he's after." stated Ronnie, causing an odd expression to form on the four girls' faces in response.

"...Oh. Well, it's no wonder she didn't stand much of a chance on winning him. He's into older women."

"Yeah, he's weird like that." said Ronnie with a shrug before turning to Margo. "And what about you, Pinocchio? What's your angle in this?"

"I'm honestly just along for the ride, though that Lincoln kid seems like someone who'd be alright to hang with." answered the long-nosed girl before crossing her arms. "Enough about me, though - let's talk about you and this trip of yours you're taking with Clyde. He told us about that before we came here."

"Yeah, that's right! He told us that you're going to where Lincoln's at right now!" chimed in Tabby, pointing at Ronnie accusingly. "There's no point in tryin' to say that nothing's going on, because we already got the dirt on that from Clyde!"

"Then if you know, why are you here?" asked Ronnie, eyebrow raised. "There's no point in questioning me when you already have what you need from that dork."

"Because we're certain that he didn't tell us everything he knew about what's going on." answered Margo before giving Ronnie a narrow-eyed glance. "That's why we're here - to see if you can fill in the blanks he left behind."

"So let's hear it, Santiago. Start talking." added Polly, giving the Hispanic girl an expectant look.

"Again, about what? What makes you think I'd know more about what's going on than Lame-O's closest friend?" replied Ronnie, eyebrow raised.

Eyebrows raised, Giggles asked "What do you mean by that? Are you saying that you didn't know anything about this before Clyde did?"

At this, Ronnie's eyes glinted as an idea to get the four girls off her back popped into her mind.

"...Yeah, that's right. I didn't know about what was going on until Clyde himself told me." said the hoodie-wearing girl with a nod. "Couple of days ago, I was in your position - wondering where in the world Lame-O had disappeared to. I started looking around for answers on the matter, eventually questioning Clyde about what he knew about Lincoln's disappearance. Like yourselves, I figured that since Clyde was his best buddy, he'd know where he was."

"And you got your answers from him." surmised Tabby, causing Ronnie to nod.

"Yep. Little nerd knew about where he was and was planning to go out to join him over there, but wouldn't tell me a thing until I muscled the answers outta him." lied Ronnie smoothly, cracking her knuckles. "After he told me about what was going on, I decided that I wanted in on what he was planning to do."

"Because you like Lincoln, right?" asked Polly with a teasing grin, causing a small blush to form on Ronnie's face. "I thought so. So...you really don't know anything else, huh?"

"Nope. Now then, are you done?"

Even though a part of her felt that the other girl was still hiding something, Polly nods and says "Yeah, we're done. See ya later, Santiago.", causing Ronnie to nod in return before closing the door. Once she was certain that the Hispanic girl was out of earshot, she adds "...She wasn't being completely straight with us."

"How could you tell? Muscling answers out of Clyde would be something she would do, admittedly." replied Giggles, confused.

"Which is exactly what she wants us to think." said Margo, nodding. "Pretty clever, really - she gives us an answer that would fit in line with what we would expect of her, then sends us on our way."

"And I'm pretty sure that Clyde wasn't being completely honest with us, either." added Tabby, scratching her chin. "I doubt we're gonna get any more answers from him or Ronnie other than what we've already got."

"Right...some place called Kanto and a guy by the name of Professor Oak." commented Giggles, arms crossed. "Can't say that I've heard of the former before."

"I guess it's a good thing that I took the time to look it up at the library before coming here, then." stated a familiar, airy-sounding voice from behind them, causing the four girls to let out frightened yelps.

Turning to see Haiku, who had a slight look of amusement on her face along with several printed pages in her hands, Polly snaps "I told you not to do that, H! You have any idea on how much that spooks the daylights outta me!?" before recalling what she had said earlier. "...And whaddya mean you took the time to look up something at the library?"

"I wanted to take the time to look into what Clyde told us just in case Ronnie wasn't forthcoming with any new information." replied the dark-haired goth before passing over the pages to Tabby, who started to look them over. "Here's what I managed to get."

"Alright then, let's see...Kanto's located on a large island near Japan, just west of the Johto region..." muttered Tabby under her breath as she skimmed over the papers, only to raise an eyebrow upon seeing a word that was unfamiliar to her. "...Pokemon? The heck is that?"

"I don't know, but I believe this explains what Lincoln's doing in Kanto - whatever those Pokemon things are, Professor Oak is apparently researching them and Lincoln's helping him out somehow. The same will probably apply to Ronnie and Clyde as well once they decide to leave for Kanto."

"That just raises even more questions, if you ask me." remarked Margo, shaking her head. "If Lincoln was sent to help this Professor Oak guy with his research, why would his sisters act so secretive about it? Something like this doesn't warrant dodging whatever questions we have about the guy."

"That's something I was thinking about, too." answered Polly, nodding. "I don't think we're going to get any answers from Ronnie or Clyde about that, though."

"Probably not. So...what now? Are we done here?"

"Yeah, we're done. Let's go back to your house and go over these papers Haiku got for us."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lisa & Lily's Room (12:10 PM)-

While Polly and her friends were heading back to Margo's house, Lincoln was finishing up with going over the tour A.J. had given him, Misty and Brock of his gym.

"So what happened after the tour? Considering that you haven't moved on to the next part of your tale, I'm pretty sure your time with A.J. and his Pokemon didn't end there." asked Lucy, wondering if something else had happened at the gym.

"You'd be right about that, Lucy. Once A.J. was done with showing us around, a wild Meowth showed up, stole several of his TMs and ran off with them."

"TMs?" asked Rita curiously.

"Technical Machines, or TMs for short, are devices that contain data on how to use a particular move." answered Misty before taking one out of Lincoln's bag, much to his annoyance. "For example, this one contains data for the move Frustration. If Lincoln uses this on one of his Pokemon, they'll be able to use Frustration during a battle."

Giving Lincoln a look, she adds "I'm not sure on why you would want to teach that particular move to one of your Pokemon, though. You do know that it becomes stronger the more your Pokemon dislikes you, right?"

Instead of answering her, a thoughtful look formed on the white-haired boy's face as he mused 'A move that grows stronger when the Pokemon dislikes its Trainer...that might prove useful if I can get Raph to cooperate with me...' to himself.

"Interesting. I'll have to see about acquiring some for myself someday." commented Lisa, inwardly planning to ask Professor Oak about TMs at a later time. "So why did that Meowth run off with A.J.'s property?"

"She's fond of shiny things. And since the TMs had a shiny look to them..." started Lincoln, causing the others to nod, as if knowing where he was going with his statement. "In any case, she ran off into the woods, causing A.J.'s Pokemon and the four of us to start chasing after it. Of course, this turned out to be a diversion meant to lead us away from her real hiding spot - the Underground Path."

"Clever trick." commented Lucy, nodding. "So what happened after you found her?"

"Once we found her hiding spot, the Beedrill who led A.J.'s Pokemon challenged her to a fight for the TMs." said Lincoln, recalling that day. "He ended up getting knocked out pretty quickly, which led to Pikachu facing off against her next."

Remembering that day as well, Pikachu grumbled "I'm still annoyed with her about that 'Pichu' crack she made, by the way."

Leaning forward in interest, Lisa asked "I'm assuming that you managed to defeat and capture this Meowth?"

"Yep. She's at the lab right now." answered Lincoln with a nod.

Wanting more details about the Scratch Cat Pokemon, Luna asked "So how good was she? Did your Pikachu have any difficulty against her?"

"Let's just say that she fights really dirty, Luna - Snatch, Thief, Foul Play, Swagger, Taunt, Fake Out, that variant of Fling I mentioned earlier...she's got all sorts of nasty little tricks in her arsenal. And I've got the feeling that she's still got more that she hasn't shown off yet." replied Lincoln, ticking off each move with a finger. "She's also kinda greedy and won't battle unless I give her money or something shiny as payment first."

"Greedy and likes shiny things, huh? You plannin' on naming that Meowth after a certain pink-wearing sister of ours, bro?" joked Luna, causing her sisters to snicker at the jab in response.

Chuckling, Lincoln shakes his head and says "Nah, I've already got a name set aside that I want to use. Thanks for the laugh, though."

"Anytime. So is there anything else you wanna tell us about your time on Route 5 before we move on?"

"There is one more thing I forgot to mention - someone did manage to break A.J.'s undefeated streak." said Lincoln, causing the three sisters and Rita to give him a questioning look.

"Someone managed to beat A.J.? Who was it?" asked Luna, wanting to know who had defeated the previously unbeaten Trainer.

"A Trainer by the name of Red. I've only met him just once, but considering the fact he managed to beat the guy who beat me, I think it's safe to say that he's one Trainer I'm going to be keeping an eye on." answered Lincoln, thinking back on the day he met the cap-wearing Trainer. "Then again, I'll want to keep an eye out for any of my rivals. After all, they're going to end up being my competition for the League championship."

"Speaking of which, how many rivals do you have?" asked Lucy, eyebrows raised behind her dark bangs.

Ticking off each name with his fingers, Lincoln replied "Let's see...there's Gary, Leaf, Red, Samurai, A.J., Joe, Rusty and Giselle. That's eight so far."

"Who are those last three, Lincoln? You've never brought them up before." asked Rita, pointing at the VideoPhone screen.

"I'll get to them in a moment, Mom." answered Lincoln before continuing his recollection. "After we left A.J.'s gym the following morning, it only took us a couple of hours to finally reach Vermilion City. Beautiful town, by the way - remind me to show you the pictures I've taken of the place later."

"We will. So what happened after you arrived?"

"We...uh, kinda got into a debate over what to do next. I wanted to go to the gym while Misty, Brock and Pikachu wanted to check out the town."

Understanding where Lincoln was saying, Luna replies "Outvoted, huh? That's a bummer. So what happened after that?"

"After it was decided that we'd check out the town first before heading to the gym, we decided to make a quick stop at the local Pokemon Center." said Lincoln before tapping the receiver he was holding. "While Misty and Brock were picking up supplies at the nearby PokeMart, I called Professor Oak, intending on switching out a few of my Pokemon with some of the ones at his lab, only to end up contacting him while he was talking with a friend of his by the name of Professor Tree."

"Professor Tree? He wasn't named Elm or Birch or anything like that? Just...Tree?" asked Rita, eyebrows raised.

"Pretty much. In any case, I spoke to both of them for a moment before learning that they had a problem regarding the package Lisa had sent over - instead of arriving at Professor Oak's lab, Professor Tree had received it by mistake." answered Lincoln before tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Then again, I can understand why someone would mix those two up - they could easily pass themselves off as twin brothers or something."

"So what does this Professor Tree study? I know that Professor Oak is interested in the numerous species of Pokemon that live on Earth, but what about Professor Tree? What does he study?" asked Lisa, interested.

"Not sure, but I do know that he works as a teacher for the Pokemon Technical Institute in Viridian City, which is where the package ended up. And since Professor Oak had mentioned that he was too busy to go and pick it up himself..."

"...He asked you to collect it for him, didn't he?" asked Lucy, causing Lincoln to nod. "Having to backtrack all the way back to the first city you visited...that must've been soul-crushing."

"Not really. Leaf - who's another rival of mine - showed us where to find the Diglett Tunnel on Route 11, which connects directly to Route 2, which is just north of Viridian. With it, we could go from Vermilion to Viridian and back again within a day."

"She also decided to tag along with us, having nothing else to do while waiting for the St. Anne to arrive." added Misty, causing Lisa's eyes to widen slightly.

"The St. Anne? You're talking about the world-famous cruise liner, right?"

"The very same. And we got free passes to go on-board - check it out." said Lincoln as he and Misty took their passes out of their bags to show them off.

After she, her mother and her sisters stared at the passes for a moment in disbelief, Lisa mutters "...First those gold nuggets, then the giant Dragonite and now this. How in Tesla's name can you be this lucky? There's no way anyone could be this fortunate."

"I don't know, but I'm not going to question it if things are working out this well for me." answered Lincoln, shrugging. "Anyway, after we managed to make it through the Diglett Tunnel and passed through the northern entrance to Viridian City, we ended up running into several upper-ranking Pokemon Tech students who were picking on Joe and Rusty, who were ranked much lower than them."

"Joe and Rusty...I believe you mentioned that they were rivals of yours as well, yes?" asked Lisa, causing her brother to nod. "What about that last one...Giselle, was it?"

"I'll get to that in a bit, Lisa. Be patient." said Lincoln before deciding to continue. "Anyway, as I was saying before, a bunch of upper-ranked students were picking on Joe and Rusty while people watched on, doing nothing to stop it. I honestly felt bad for those two for being humiliated like that in public."

"Was it really that bad?" asked Lucy, causing a scowl to form on Misty's face.

"They had the two running on treadmills while forcing them to answer questions. If they got them wrong, the leader of the students sped up the treadmills, making it harder for those two to keep on their feet. When Joe finally managed to get a question right, those jerks decided to 'reward' him and Rusty by speeding the treadmills up anyway. If it wasn't for Lincoln ordering his Pikachu to zap the remote the leader was holding, those pricks would've humiliated those two further."

"I think I also ended up zapping that bitch, too. As far as I'm concerned, that's a bonus."

"That was a good thing you did, Lincoln. Lower ranked or not, those two didn't deserve to be treated like that." said Rita, nodding. "That's just another thing for me to be proud of you about, alongside saving Damian's life and helping Officer Jenny out with those Squirtle things."

"Thanks, Mom." answered Lincoln before deciding to continue with his story. "After the treadmills shut down and Misty and Brock got Joe and Rusty out of there, Leaf and I decided to confront the ones who were picking on them, which led to a double battle between us, the leader of the group and one of her classmates."

"Did you win?" asked Luna, causing a vindictive smile to form on her brother's face.

"We did more than just win - Leaf's Nidorina and my Poliwag completely demolished the Pokemon they sent out against us. And they called themselves 'elites' of Pokemon Tech...bah. I'm willing to bet that they bought their way into the school's upper ranks."

"They probably did. That school is meant for the rich, snobby kids who don't want to travel or put any effort into earning their way into the Pokemon League." remarked Misty, shrugging. "After what we saw that day, I honestly don't blame Leaf for abandoning it in favor of the regular Trainer's School."

"So what happened after you schooled those chumps, bro?"

"After that, we went to check on Joe and Rusty, only to end up running into Professor Tree once we found them. We took the time to introduce ourselves for a bit before Rusty decided to ask me to face him and Joe in a double battle. Before I could get the chance to accept or decline however, Giselle decided to make an appearance, wishing to challenge me as well."

"Giselle...that's another rival of yours, right?" asked Lucy, causing Lincoln to nod.

"Yeah. At the time, she was the top student of Pokemon Tech and the de-facto leader of the upperclassmen." replied the white-haired boy before a serious look formed on his face. "Unlike the two chumps that Leaf and I defeated however, she's the real deal."

"At the time...?" asked Lisa carefully, noting that particular part of Lincoln's statement.

"I'll get to that later, Lisa."

"So why did she want to battle you, Linc?" questioned Luna curiously.

"She apparently wanted to fight me because I was a Pokedex Holder, even though she refused a challenge from Leaf, who had one as well." answered Lincoln, holding up his Pokedex. "In any case, I decided to accept both challenges after talking to Joe, Rusty and Giselle - Misty and I would face Joe and Rusty in a double battle, then after I collected Professor Oak's package, I would face Giselle before leaving for Vermilion City again."

Smiling, he adds "The match against Joe and Rusty was by far one of the best ones I've had during my time here in Kanto. Both fought us using unique and unconventional means that definitely caught us off-guard - coating a Magical Leaf attack with Stun Spore, trapping Krabby's pincers with String Shot, their Fastball Special combo..."

"Fastball Special?" parroted Rita, confused.

"Essentially, Rusty would order Ralph - the name of his Kakuna - to use Iron Defense first to not only bolster her defenses, but make her body almost as hard as steel itself. After that, Edgar - the name of Joe's Weepinbell - would use Vine Whip to hurl her at our Pokemon, turning her into a living projectile. If it wasn't for the fact Misty slowed Ralph down with Krabby's Bubblebeam attack, we would've felt the full force of that combo." answered Lincoln before his smile widened slightly. "After we stopped Ralph's momentum, I had my Meowth use a combination of Swagger and Foul Play to turn their combo back on them. With Misty having her Krabby use Bubblebeam to give the attack extra momentum, Ralph ended up slamming into Edgar hard enough to knock both of them out."

"Fascinating. To think that a couple of lower-ranked students could battle like that..."

"That's what Giselle thought after the match too, even asking them why they held themselves back in class." said Lincoln, his smile turning back into a frown. "They told her it was because if they started showing signs of improvement, it would just make the upper-rankers pick on them more. Apparently, they don't like the idea of anyone they consider beneath them trying to improve themselves."

Disgusted, Rita asked "That's just...how can that school allow behavior like that!?"

"Through lots of money, probably. A lot of it probably goes around to keep jerks like them out of trouble." answered Misty, shaking her head. "It's possible that their parents are 'contributors' to the school's funding, too."

Deciding to change the subject, Luna asked "What about your battle with Giselle? How'd that go for you?"

"Fairly well, despite how much of a fight she put up during it. My Poliwag had even managed to evolve after defeating her Graveler. Pikachu managed to defeat her Cubone, putting an end to her undefeated streak..." said Lincoln before a dark look formed on his face. "...as well as her status as the top student of Pokemon Tech, which is still something I feel guilty over, even to this day."

Deciding to take over, Misty says "The headmistress of the school - who was a complete jerk, by the way - called Giselle a failure for losing to an 'outsider' and promptly kicked her, alongside Rusty and Joe, out of Pokemon Tech. The bit..." before stopping herself, remember that there were children present. "...She's completely obsessed with not only the school's reputation, but her own as it's headmistress. She considered Giselle's loss to be a blemish on the school and cast her out because of it.""

Turning to face Lincoln, she adds "And as for you, while it's unfortunate that your victory led to that happening to her, you shouldn't be ashamed of the fact you managed to win. You may not like the consequences of your victory, but you can't deny the fact that you earned your win, fair and square. Besides, being expelled and blacklisted from entering that cancerous place ever again might end up being a blessing in disguise for those three."

"I hope so." answered Lincoln with a sigh. "In any case, let's move on before I start dwelling on that again, shall we?"

"Of course." said Lisa, nodding her head. "Now then, I'm presuming that you challenged Lt. Surge for the first time after you returned back to Vermilion City?"

"That's right. And you four already know how that turned out." replied the white-haired Loud, nodding. "We did take your advice to heart about using Pikachu's speed and size to our advantage against Raichu, which did end up leading to us winning our rematch against Surge. However..."

"However...?"

"I know this is going to sound kinda stupid, but...part of me didn't like the idea of winning my Thunder Badge like that."

"That does sound kinda stupid, bro. Why would you be upset about using Lisa's suggestion to win against that Surge guy?" remarked Luna, confused.

"I don't know...maybe it's because I had won in such an indecisive way instead of earning my badge in a straight-up fight." answered Lincoln, sighing. "Sure, Lt. Surge himself and even the referee said that the tactics I used were completely legal, but..."

"...Part of you thinks that your Pikachu could've beaten Surge's Raichu without needing to rely on tactics like that." surmised Lisa thoughtfully, causing her brother to nod.

"Exactly. After spending so much time making fun of Pikachu and then curbstomping him in a battle afterwards, I just...wanted to prove those two wrong. I wanted to show them that just because he wasn't fully evolved, it didn't mean that he was weak."

"So that's why you were bothered about that..." mused Misty thoughtfully. "Lincoln, a battle isn't just about overpowering your opponent with sheer force. Sometimes, you have to use your brain to find a way to win instead of just charging into a fight and hoping for the best. A mindset like that isn't befitting of someone who wants to become a Champion."

"Exactly." agreed Lisa, nodding her head. "While having a team of strong Pokemon capable of felling any foe is important to becoming the champion, it's also vital to know how to use their strengths and weaknesses to your advantage, which may include having to use some of the very tactics you utilized to win your Thunder Badge."

After the other Louds start clamoring in agreement with the four year-old's words, Lincoln sat there in silence for a moment before answering "...Before I called you guys, I spoke to Leaf about this and she said the same thing to me that you guys are saying now - that I should be proud of how I won my match against Surge."

"You should be. It's not every day that you manage to outwit a Gym Leader." commented Misty with a smile. "Besides, you managed to pull off what you aimed to do during that match - you proved that Pikachu could beat Raichu in a battle."

"She's right, you know. You wanted to prove that I could beat his fat ass and you managed to pull it off. As far as I'm concerned, that's a win to be proud of." added Pikachu, tugging lightly on Lincoln's cheek. "I still want you to step up our training, though. We probably won't be as lucky with our next opponent."

"I intend to, buddy. Don't worry." answered Lincoln with a nod. "And now that I think about it...all of you are right. Decisive or not, I still beat Surge fair and square while proving that Pikachu could beat his Raichu in a battle. Thank you."

"You're welcome, son." answered Rita, smiling. "So...is that everything you wanted to go over?"

"Aside from the pictures I promised, yeah. I've caught all four of you up with what I've been up to after we left Cerulean City. So...any questions before I start showing you what I've got?"

"Just one, bro - when are you gonna call us again?"

"Probably sometime after I win my next badges, so...probably in a week or so, depending on how long it takes us to get there."

"A bit long for my liking, but it'll be worth the wait." commented Luna, nodding. "Maybe we'll have someone else with us when you do call us again, Linc."

"I honestly hope that you do. It'll be nice to be able to clear the air with one of the other girls." answered Lincoln before looking over his Pokedex. "Now then...how do I place pictures on the VideoPhone? I'm starting to get sleepy and I really don't want to have to keep pressing my Pokedex against the screen to give you guys a good look at the the photos I've taken."

'Simple. Just insert me into the machine on your right and I'll handle the rest.' answered Dexter, causing the white-haired boy to nod before following through with his request. 'Accessing files. One moment please...'

After a moment or two, he adds '...And done. Copies of the photographs have been sent to your VideoPhone, Miss Loud. You're free to examine them at your leisure.'

"Thank you, Dexter. I'll make sure to take a good look at them." replied Lisa with a smile. "So is that everything, Lincoln?"

"That's it. Misty and I are done here, so it's off to bed for us. Goodbye and good night."

"Same to you, Lincoln. Pleasant dreams." said Lucy as she and the rest of her family waved goodbye. After he, Misty and Pikachu returned the gesture, Lincoln hangs up the receiver, ending the call.

-=O=-

After hanging up her own receiver, Lisa comments "Well, that went smoothly. No sudden interruptions, no intrusions...just us spending some much-needed time with Lincoln. Perfect." before a curious look appeared on her face. "It's strange though...I half-expected the others to make an appearance."

"I had them sent out of the house before coming up here." answered Rita as she placed Lily, who had fallen asleep halfway through the call, in her crib. "I didn't want to risk the chance of them coming in here and getting on Lincoln's case because of their so-called 'bad luck'."

"All of them? Even Dad?" asked Luna, causing her mother to nod. "I bet they flipped out on you about that when you dropped that on 'em, huh Mom?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. But I put my foot down and told them to leave and not come back until the call was over." said Rita before taking a phone out of her pocket. "Speaking of which, I'll need to call your father to let him know that it's okay to come back now."

"And Lynn? Did you send her out, too?"

"No. She was confined to her room until the call ended. But since you brought it up...Lucy?"

As if knowing what the blonde was going to ask, Lucy nods and says "I'm on it." before heading out of the room.

"I guess I better get goin', too." said Luna, starting towards the door as well. "Been workin' on a writing a new tune lately and I wanna have it done before Linc gets back."

"A song for our brother?" asked Lisa, eyebrow raised.

"Yep. Figured that since I'm gonna be supporting him and his dream of bein' champion, I might as well do it in the best way I know how - through rock and roll." answered Luna with a grin. "I don't have a name for it yet, but the song's gonna be a real hit with him when it's finished. I just know it."

"We'll all be looking forward to it, Luna." said Rita, smiling. "Best of luck with writing your song. I'm sure he'll love it."

"Thanks, Mom." replied the purple-clad teen with a smile of her own before heading out of the room, leaving Rita, Lisa and Lily alone.

"Well, I suppose better be on my way as well. Someone's got to let your father know that it's okay for him and the others to come back, right?" said the blonde with a smile, only for it to fade slightly upon hearing the sound of a phone ringing downstairs. "...Or maybe he'll just call me instead."

"That just saves you the trouble of having to do it yourself." commented Lisa, eyes locked onto the notepad she had used during Lincoln's call.

"I suppose it does. Goodbye, Lisa." replied Rita before heading out of the room as well...only to return a few minutes later. "Lisa?"

"Yes, mother?"

"It's Ronnie Anne. She's asking for you - said that she needed to talk to you about something important."

Hearing this, Lisa sighs before placing down the notepad and heading out of the room, intent on answering the Hispanic girl's call.

"I guess going over the notes I've taken will have to wait until later..."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Lynn & Lucy's Room (12:30 PM)-

While Lisa left her room to go answer Ronnie's call, Lucy entered her own, only to find Lynn at the nearby window, apparently trying to force herself to throw up.

"Get out of...my...*hurk*...body, you stupid...*urp*...faker!" mumbled the brunette in-between retches before trying to stick one of her fingers down her throat. "You're...not going to beat me..."

Clearly weirded out by what she was seeing, Lucy asked "What the heck are you doing?"

Hearing her sister's voice, Lynn ran over and said "Thank the softball gods you got here, Lucy. I think some of Lincoln's bad luck is inside of me." before clutching desperately onto Lucy's shoulders.

"...What?"

"I think some of Lincoln's bad luck is infesting my body. I saw this look-alike of me while I was waiting for you guys to finish that call, who tried to tell me to make up with him before it was too late for me or something like that." said Lynn, grimacing. "I ended up punching her, only for her to turn into this weird black haze and go into my mouth. She's in my head and she's not leaving, Lucy."

Clearly confused, Lucy thought '...A look-alike who could turn into black haze and attempted to convince Lynn to make up with Lincoln before it was too late...did the Karmic Misfortune curse attempt to contact her?'

"You gotta help me, Lucy. If you know of any way - any way at all - to get rid of that faker, let me know."

Instead of giving her an answer, Lucy stood there, still deep in thought.

"Looks like she's not going to help you out of this one, Lynn. You're still stuck with me." laughed the other Lynn's voice within the brunette's mind, causing her to snarl.

"You shut up! I'll find a way to get rid of you! You'll see!" barked Lynn before grabbing Lucy's shoulder and shaking it. "Lucy? You there?"

Snapping out of her thoughtful state, Lucy replied "Huh? Oh...sorry about that. Just had something on my mind, that's all. Now what did you want again?"

"Can you help me get rid of the bad luck infesting my body? I think it's the cause of that fake Lynn showing up."

"And why should I help you, especially after you and the others started giving me grief about me coming clean about my Princess Pony comics?" answered Lucy, arms crossed. "I haven't forgotten or forgiven you about that, you know."

Scratching the back of her head, Lynn says "Aw c'mon, I was just pissed off about Lincoln's bad luck ruinin' my game against the Beavers. If it wasn't for that, I never would've done that to you."

"Somehow I doubt that..." grumbled the black-haired girl under her breath. "In any case, Mom says it's alright for you to come out now. The call's over."

"Thank god for that." muttered her older sister, letting out a sigh of relief. "So how'd Stinkcoln bore you four this time?"

"For your information, it wasn't boring at all. He's seen and been through a lot ever since he last called us." replied Lucy with a frown. "...You know, I'm honestly surprised that you didn't try to sneak out of here."

"And get caught by Mom, who'd end up punishing me more? Please. I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I'm not stupid." scoffed Lynn, rolling her eyes. "Now about helping me out...hey, where are you going?"

"I did what I came here to do. Whatever's happening to you is YOUR problem to deal with, not mine."

"Lucy, c'mon! You gotta help me!"

After shaking her head, Lucy leaves the room and her sister behind, who groaned upon hearing her counterpart's mocking laughter ringing through her mind.

"Great...first I get infected with Stinkcoln's bad luck and now the one person who could possibly help me with getting rid of it refuses to do so. How can things get any worse?"

"Wow...way to tempt fate there, Lynn. You're just asking for your misfortune to strike you again, aren't you?" replied the other Lynn's voice in a jovial tone, causing the brunette to let out another groan in response.

-=O=-

-Elsewhere In Royal Woods (12:55 PM)-

'Just a little longer until we get back home...once we're there, we can put this horrible day behind us.' thought Lynn Sr. as he continued to drive himself and his daughters back to the Loud House, taking occasional glances at the rear-view mirror and wincing at what he was seeing.

In the seat behind him, Luan sat silently in her seat, still shaken over what Fanny had told her earlier.

Beside her, Leni sat in her seat with a bloodied nose and what appeared to be a blanket wrapped around her body, whimpering as she pulled it closer to keep herself covered up.

And in the backseat of the ancient van, Lori was still weeping away about Bobby breaking up with her, occasionally calling out for him to take her back.

The only ones who didn't seem to be upset were Lola and Lana, who just eyed their three older sisters with mixed looks of confusion and concern. Their misfortune had decided not to mess with them today, though he wasn't sure on how long it would take before that changed.

"Man...this streak of bad luck must've really hit all three of you hard today, huh?" asked Lana, causing two of the three teens to look at her in response.

"That's an understatement if there ever was one..." muttered Luan, wincing as her hand throbbed painfully again. "I'd rather get scratched up by cats or have mud splattered on me over this."

"I'd rather deal with those mean bees over what happened to me. At least they wouldn't tear my clothes off or break my nose..." murmured Leni, shuddering.

No response came from Lori, save for more frantic sobbing.

'This run of bad luck is just causing more and more trouble for us by the minute. I don't know how much longer we can keep dealing with this...' thought their father worriedly as he tried to keep focused on driving Vanzilla back to the Loud house.

As he came to a stop upon seeing a red light, the brown-haired man heard his cellphone ring, causing him to take it out of his pocket.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's me, Lynn." replied his wife's voice from the phone's speaker. "I just wanted to tell you that the call's over, so you and the girls can come back home now."

"We can? Really?" asked Lynn Sr. hopefully.

"Yes. The call's over, so you can come back whenever." replied his wife, causing a relieved smile to form on his face. "One more thing, Lynn - you remember that 'trial run' that Lori brought up earlier this morning?"

"I do. What of it?"

"I'm allowing all of you one month to see if this works or not."

"...You're letting us seal off the room? Really?" asked Lynn Sr., catching the attention of his daughters immediately.

"Yes, but let me make one thing perfectly clear - this is a one-time thing only. Once the month-long deadline is over, that's it." said Rita's voice firmly. "Is that understood?"

"A month is plenty of time, honey. Thank you." replied her husband, nodding.

"Don't thank me, thank your son. He's the one who's allowing it to happen."

"...Lincoln's the one who convinced you to let this go through? Why?"

"He apparently thinks that maybe everyone will finally drop this foolish idea of his room being bad luck when the deadline ends and nothing changes." answered Rita's voice simply. "That and he's doing it so you and the girls will finally quit asking me about allowing you to seal it off."

"Well...I guess we'll get started on that when we come back, then." replied Lynn Sr., inwardly hoping that barring the room off would end up removing the misfortune plaguing his family. "So...how did the call go?"

"Great, especially since there wasn't anyone around to barge in uninvited. Our son's been through quite a lot over the past week or so." said Rita before her voice took on a proud tone. "He won his third badge earlier today, as a matter of fact."

"Well, that's good. When you speak to him again, let him know that I'm proud of him, would you?"

"Why can't you tell him yourself, Lynn? You're his father."

"Yeah, but he's probably still mad about what happened to his furniture, especially if that Misty girl had told him that Junior and I were responsible for selling it off." replied Lynn Sr. with a sigh. "I'd like to give him some time to before I try to reconcile with him."

After a moment of silence, Rita says "...Fair enough. I'll be sure to let him know you said that." before deciding to change the subject. "So how was your day? Did you manage to get the air freshener I wanted?"

Hearing this, the large-nosed man facepalmed before muttering "...I knew I was forgetting something."

"Don't worry about it - I'll pick some up later. Now about my other question?"

"Right...well, aside from myself, Lola and Lana, everyone else had a fairly rough time of it today." replied Lynn Sr., giving the three teenagers a concerned look through his rear-view mirror. "Bobby ended up breaking up with Lori over something, Leni ended up getting her dress snagged and torn off by an escalator at the mall and Luan ended up getting banned from her favorite joke shop. Turns out the 'Pranksgiving' joke she pulled on her school this year was more harmful than she thought it would be."

"I told you we should've addressed this problem years ago, Lynn."

"I know, but pranking and jokes are what our daughter lives for, Rita. I don't want to take that away from her."

"I'm not saying we need to. A few small practical jokes here and there is fine." replied his wife before taking on a flat tone. "Siccing raccoons on our son and dumping a load of clothes on our infant daughter is not."

"...Fair enough. We'll see about talking with her once we get home."

"Sounds good to me, Lynn. I'll see you at home, alright?"

"Alright. Love you, honey."

"Love you, too."

After ending the call and placing the phone back into his pocket, Lynn Sr. glances at his daughters through the rear-view mirror before asking "You girls heard that, right? We're allowed to seal Lincoln's room off again."

"Great. Maybe we can keep it sealed for good this time." remarked Lola, happy with the news.

"I'm afraid not, Princess. Your mother's giving us one month to prove that Lincoln's room is the cause of our bad luck." replied her father, shaking his head. "If we can't do that, then the matter's considered closed for good and the room gets unsealed again."

"But what if it takes more than a month for things to clear up!?" asked Lana worriedly.

"We only get one month to prove the validity of our claim - no more, no less." answered Lynn Sr. before plastering a reassuring smile on his face. "Don't worry, though - I'm sure that a month will be more than enough time for the bad luck in Lincoln's room to stop effecting us."

Giving his comedy-loving daughter a look, he adds "Your mother and I also going to be talking with you about this pranking problem of yours, young lady. There's a fine line between funny and dangerous and you clearly crossed it with that stink bomb prank you played."

At this, Luan wordlessly nodded in response, knowing she was going be in for a long, unpleasant conversation later.

"So what are we going to do if sealing Lincoln's room off doesn't fix things, Dad?" asked Lana, causing a look of unease to form on not only her father's face, but on the faces of everyone else as well.

"I...I honestly don't know. If it turns out that Lincoln's room isn't the cause of our bad luck..."

"...Then the blame lies on someone else. And I think I've got a hunch on who it might be." finished Lola, eyes narrowing as she clenched her tiny fists.

"Really? Who's that? asked Leni, wondering who the younger blonde was referring to.

"A certain someone back home who thought it'd be a good idea to upset Lincoln over his stuff being sold off."

At this, everyone turned to face the six year-old with looks of bewilderment on their faces. Even Lori and Luan had stopped moping long enough to stare at her.

"...You think Junior's behind our recent run of bad luck, Lola?"

"Don't you remember what Lisa said this morning, Daddy? All of this started AFTER Lynn decided to try upsetting Lincoln about his stuff." replied Lola pointedly, causing the other Louds to think back on what the second-youngest member of the family had said earlier. "So if sealing off Lincoln's room doesn't work in getting rid of our bad luck, then it's gotta be her who's causing it!"

"That's a pretty heavy claim to make, Lola." said Lori before tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But it's one that makes sense, when I really think about it. Lynn did seem pretty defensive this morning when Lisa insinuated that she was the cause of our misfortune."

Clenching her fists in anger, she snarls "If it turns out that her stupidity is the cause of our bad luck...what I'm going to do to her will make her wish I had turned her into a human pretzel."

"Get in line, buster. If anyone's going to get the first crack at that moron, it's going to be me!" snapped Lola, glaring at the braces-wearing teen. "Because of her, I have to wear Lana's filthy clothes! Do you know how degrading this is!?"

"Now hold on, girls. Let's not make assumptions just yet..." said their father, attempting to dissolve the conversation, only to go unheard as the five sisters started shooting ideas and arguments at each other regarding their red-clad sibling.

Realizing that his words had went unheard by the five girls, Lynn Sr. mutters "...Well, here we go again..." under his breath before returning his attention back to the road.

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Living Room (1:10 PM)-

While the rest of her family were making their way back home, Lisa was heading down to the living room, muttering about inconsiderate people interrupting her research. After managing to reach the phone, she takes the receiver and asks "What do you want? I'm in the middle of very important business and you are diverting me from it!" in an impatient tone.

"Well hello to you too, nerdlet." replied Ronnie's voice from the receiver. "I just thought I'd let you know that my mom agreed to let me go to Kanto."

Feeling her annoyance subsiding slightly, Lisa answered "Well, that's good. How did you manage to pull it off?"

"They agreed to let me go if Clyde and I managed to get a chaperone to come with us."

"And I presume that considering you're allowed to go, you managed to find one?"

"More like he volunteered, actually. Bobby's the one who'll be coming along with the two of us." answered Ronnie, causing Lisa to look at the receiver for a moment before a wry smile formed on her face.

"...Well now, I believe Lori isn't going to be happy about that when she finds out."

"Knowing her, probably not. But that's beside the point - I managed to get my mom's permission to go to Kanto and I'm pretty sure that Clyde's all good to go with his folks, too. However, there is something else I need you to do for me."

Eyebrow raised, Lisa asked "And that would be? You already have what you need to go, yes?"

"Yeah, but...I kinda need you to arrange a meeting with Professor Oak. My mom wants to meet him before I go." answered Ronnie, causing Lisa to think over the request for a moment before nodding.

"That's an acceptable enough request, I suppose. I can have it arranged for you later on this afternoon, if you like."

"That'll work for me. I'll be sure to let Clyde know about this, too." said Ronnie before her tone took on a more annoyed sound to it. "Speaking of Clyde, he ended up blabbing to a bunch of other kids about our trip to Kanto. Four of 'em are the girls that Lame-O had to bring to the Sadie Hawkins dance while the last one's a friend of Lynn's."

Letting out a groan, Lisa mutters something unprintable under her breath before asking "...Will I need to try and arrange something for them, too?"

"No, but I'd keep an eye out for snoopers lurking around your house from now on. Something tells me that Helmet Girl and her buddies aren't done with looking into his disappearance."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now then, do you need anything else?"

"Aside from that meeting, no. Speaking of which, when do you think you'll have it set up?"

"Stop by later on this afternoon. I'll have something set up for you then." answered Lisa before pointing at the receiver. "And make sure to bring that USB stick I gave you. I want it back."

After taking a moment to think about it, Ronnie answers "That'll do. And yeah, I'll bring it - after everything you've done to help us out with this, you deserve to have it returned to you."

"Excellent. Be here at...let's say three PM."

"Will do. See you then, half-pint."

"See you then." replied Lisa before ending the call and hanging up the receiver. "Well, that's done. Now to..."

Before she could finish, the sound of the doorbell ringing could be heard, causing the four year-old to mutter "Another interruption...I'm never going to get the chance to go over my notes, am I?" before heading towards the door.

Upon opening the door, Lisa opened her mouth to berate whoever had the nerve to delay her from her notes, only to suddenly snap her mouth shut upon seeing what appeared to be a Dragonite with a postman's cap standing there, holding a large cardboard box.

It wasn't as large as the one Lincoln had met at Cerulean Cape, but she wasn't going to raise any complaints about seeing the regular-sized variant in person at her doorstep.

"Uh...excuse me...is this, by any chance, the Loud residence?"

(AN: I'll be saving the upcoming conversation between the McBrides, the Santiagos and Professor Oak for a flashback segment in the next chapter.)

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence - Attic (1:05 PM)-

Inside of the family attic, Lucy was flipping through her great-grandmother's tome, muttering "A second Lynn that turned into black haze...I'm pretty sure that I didn't read anything about that in Great-Grandma Harriet's book...did I miss something?"

After spending a few more seconds trying to find the information she was looking for, the young goth noticed that there were a few pages stuck together behind the page that covered how to perform the ritual for the Karmic Misfortune curse.

"Stuck pages...how did I miss something like this?" mused Lucy before carefully parting the pages from each other, revealing what appeared to be several excerpts written on them that seemed to be associated with the Karmic Misfortune curse - ones that were completely unfamiliar to her. "Let's see here..."

'The Karmic Misfortune curse is an effective motivator to convince any who afflicts it to make amends with who they have wronged, though sometimes a little motivation is needed to pave the way towards reconciliation. This sometimes comes in the form of a phantasm - one that most believe to be a manifestation of the person's inner guilt over what they have done - that takes on the appearance of the afflicted, who will attempt to subtly push them towards making amends with the one they had wronged. Once their task is completed, their presence disappears completely.'

"That would explain the 'other Lynn' that Lynn spoke about earlier..." mused Lucy before flipping to the next page, only to pale upon reading what was inscribed on it.

'It takes patience to forgive someone, especially if the one who should be asking for it refuses to acknowledge that what they've done is wrong. However, even patience has it's limits - if the afflicted refuse to face their misdeeds and make no attempt to reconcile with those they have wrong, the Karmic Misfortune curse's effects gradually worsen over time up to a period of a full year, where it becomes the Curse of the Mule, a stronger variant of the Karmic Misfortune curse that cannot be removed.'

After reading the small, yet ominous excerpt, Lucy stares at it for a moment in horror before muttering "Aw, dang it..."