Brock was the first one to walk up to me when the Rockets left.

Bruno's Pokemon apprehended Aestus, dragging the shell-shocked Rocket away with him as he called in the Ace Trainers and the police. Within minutes, dozens of emergency workers and law officers had entered the building, searching for wounded or leftover Rockets. Cleaning crews streamed in behind them, clearing away rumble for the other workers to be able to move safely and efficiently through the building.

It was Brock, the Gym Leader of the Pewter City Gym, who first came to check on me, the guy who was still kneeling in the rubble trying to catch his breath. He walked to me, placing his hand on my shoulder and saying something to me.

I vaguely shook my head, staring past him into the mid-distance.

I couldn't hear him. The world was muffled, distant. Other than the high pitch whine in the background, that was constant.

I knew my hearing was blown out, taken by the explosive move that Toxtricity had let off.

I just couldn't find it in myself to care.

I was so tired. I wanted to curl up into the rubble, climb under a rock, and fall asleep. I couldn't feel the panic or the anxiety that should be there.

I just felt numb.

Brock gently grabbed my forearm, waving down a medical worker. They took me from him, leading me past the broken foyer and back into the buildings. The emergency workers had already taken over conference rooms and empty spaces, transforming them into emergency medical rooms and holding areas. I was ushered into one such room, sat in an uncomfortable chair, and poked and prodded by the medical worker's tools.

When I didn't respond to their questions, the worker pulled out the Pokegear and typed down their questions for me. I nodded at every one of them.

You want to take my blood pressure? Sure. You want to examine my ears? Go ahead. You want to stick a ten-centimeter metal tube into my ear canal? Why not-

My eyes shot open, the cold sensation of metal on the sensitive skin of my inner ear bringing me back to attention. I wanted to turn, to panic, but instead I tensed myself, anticipating the rest of the procedure.

The tube released a cold liquid, something antiseptic because it burned. It splashed along my inner ear, and I could feel tiny bubbles forming on my skin.

And then something magical happened.

I could hear.

It was only in the one ear, but the sounds of the world returned. I could hear the squeaking of the chair under me, the breathing of the nurse doing the procedure, and the sound of footsteps walking past our room. It was all loud, maybe even too loud.

I winced as something heavy was sat down near our room, creating a harsh echo on the linoleum floor.

The nurse gave me a patient look. "You could hear that?" Their voice was soft and reassuring.

"Yeah, and it was loud," I complained. "What the heck is that stuff?"

"Hyper potion," the nurse held up the small pink bottle so that I could see it. "It's good that you can hear again. The solution does wonders at fixing up cuts and breakages, but it won't restore anything that's not already there. Your eardrums must have just been ruptured, leaving most of the membrane together."

I gawked at the tiny bottle in their hands. For trainers, just one of those little vials was worth over a thousand pokedollars. As they started pouring a second one into their applicator tube, I couldn't help but feel just a bit of jealousy at the amount of money being so casually used.

"May you please turn your head? I can do your other ear now."

I did so, and one unpleasant procedure later, hearing had returned in both of my ears.

The nurse ran me through the guidelines for my newly healed ears as they applied more potion to my split lip, bandaging my more minor scrapes rather than wasting money on them.

"Your ears will be extremely sensitive for at least a few days while they're healing," they said. "No wearing headphones or listening to loud music. Honestly, you should probably avoid everything over eighty decibels for the next week or so. That means anything louder than a washing machine or a hair dryer."

I nodded. "Thanks, doc. Did you need anything else from me?"

They shook their head. "You should get another check-up done at the end of the week, but you seem to be in better health now. If you have no more pain or nausea, I'll need you to sit in the hall. The Ace Trainers should be calling in witnesses to get their statements."

I left their office, passing by a researcher as they were herded in after me. Along the opposite side of the hallway, someone had carried a bench in from outside. It had probably been the heavy slam that I'd heard. It was empty.

I sat down alone, tucking my knees close to me whenever a firefighter or policeman walked by. Eventually, a few other researchers and museum employees joined me on the bench. I saw no sign of Daisy, or Dr. Spinel, or any of the hostages we'd hopefully saved.

After waiting on that bench for what might've been a few minutes or over an hour, the door to the conference room across the hall opened.

A femme person with long silver hair and a red Ace Trainer uniform led a stranger from the room, giving them instructions on how to leave the building. After a moment, they turned to me and gestured me into the room.

Inside, the conference table had been dressed up with a small camcorder and a pile of papers, as well as a table on the interviewer's side of the camera. I sat down in the chair facing the camcorder, and the Ace Trainer sat across from me.

Now that I was focusing on them more, I could see that they were in their mid-twenties, with tan skin and an athlete's physique. They frowned as they adjusted their pile of papers, muttering under their breath. They were frustrated about something.

Their eyes flicked up to mine, and I averted my gaze. They were intense.

"So," their words were sharp and quick. "Before we get started, I should let you know that my name is Ace Trainer Karen, and I'll be conducting your statement collection and testimony. You should be aware that you are not currently under suspicion of any crime by the League, and are entitled to any rights granted to you by the League. If you wish to end your testimony, you may do so at any time."

Karen sighed. "Basically, I'm the lady in charge. You can tell me as much or as little as you want. As long as it's all true, you can go as soon as you want."

I nodded. "Sounds good to me," I gave her a tired smile. "Honestly, I can't wait to sleep after this. Beating up Rockets sure takes it out of you."

She raised an eyebrow. "I definitely want to hear about that while the camera is rolling. You look like a trainer, any chance you have your trainer card on you?"

I nodded, sliding the piece of plastic out of my pocket and across the table to her.

Karen snatched it up, scanning it with her tablet. "Thank the legends. This is going to save me so much time on the paperwork."

After writing a few things down, she leaned over and clicked the 'record' button on the camcorder.

"Please state your name for the record, and then go ahead and start by letting us know why you were at the museum today," she said.

I cleared my throat, deciding to look at Karen rather than the camcorder. "My name is Derek Tracy, and I actually came here today on a date..."

----------------------------------------

I spent the next hour telling Karen about everything that had happened today. I left nothing out that I could remember. I even admitted to allowing a wild ghost type to follow me around; something that Karen shot me a curious look for.

After I finished my story, I sat back in my chair, winded.

Talking for that long was hard.

Karen reach behind her and grabbed a disposable water, passing it to me. I greedily drank the entire thing in one go.

She looked down at her notes and let out a low whistle.

"That's a hell of a day," she said. "Rescued six hostages, took out two Rocket grunts, and helped capture an Officer? If all of this checks out, the League's gonna owe you a hefty chunk of change."

I absentmindedly nodded, eyes unfocused. I hadn't thought about it before she'd said it, but a lot of what I'd done today would fall under the League's rules for crime prevention and bounties. It was basically just a way for the League to pay back trainers who did acts of service for the region.

It didn't make me feel better. As I'd been telling my story, I'd realized all the things I'd done wrong, the places where I could have done better. I'd almost gotten myself killed multiple times today, let alone Daisy or the other hostages.

Karen bringing up Aestus didn't help either. Proton only got away because I hadn't communicated properly. Of course Misdreavus was going to go after Aestus. She'd been around when he'd taken control early on, and obviously hadn't picked up the context of Proton being higher ranked from the security booth that I had.

If I had just described who I wanted her to hit, there would be a much scarier person in custody.

I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

"Is there anything else you needed?" I asked Karen.

"Just some follow-up questions, and then you should be free to go."

"Alright, shoot."

"Earlier, you said that after you set off the silent alarm in the security booth, you were supposed to meet up with Daisy Oak at the fossil lab. Instead, you decided to stay watching the monitors. Why was that?"

I suddenly stood up from my chair, startling Karen and slamming my knees into the wooden conference table.

"Shit!" I cursed from both the pain and the realization that I'd forgotten something so big. I rubbed my knee, then planted both hands on the table and looked Karne in the eyes. "Proton stole something! I'd forgotten because Bruno and Brock showed up right after, but he took something that he said was important."

Karen frowned at me, furiously starting to write things down. "And you said you didn't see what he stole?"

I shook my head. "No, the display was angled away from the camera. It was in the... ...ah, shit. I don't remember the name of the exhibit. The one that had a bunch of miscellaneous artifacts in it. If you check the security feed, you should see at least where it was."

Karen nodded, taking down all the details I could offer her. She asked a few more follow-up questions but didn't have too many more places where she wanted me to elaborate.

After she finished, Karen reached over and clicked off the camcorder. I laid my head on the table in exhaustion.

I stiffened as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

Karen was standing over me, doing her best to give me a reassuring look. With her icy demeanor, it came out more as a grimace.

"Look," she said. "Today sounds like it was long as hell. Do yourself a favor and find somewhere to bed down for the night. You got any friends in town?"

I sighed, dropping my head back to the table. "Yeah, and they're probably worried out of their minds. I lost my Pokenav+ though, so I can't even tell them I'm okay."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "I, uh, actually think I can help with that one."

She grabbed her tablet, flipping through a series of files. Eventually, she turned it back to me.

"This it?" She said.

On her screen was a photo of my orange Pokenav+ sitting on a desk, probably in the fossil lab if the still-air box next to it was any indication.

I smiled softly. "Yeah, that one's mine."

"I figured. You don't see a lot of those here. It was logged in evidence, but since you're claiming it I can check it out. Give me a minute."

Karen walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with my Pokenav+ in a clear plastic bag. As she walked up, she stopped before she handed it to me.

"There's a lot of messages on this thing," she said. "I know today's been a lot, but you might want to tell your folks and your friends that you're okay."

At my grimace, she frowned. "Tell ya what, I didn't see anybody else who needed to get their statement taken outside. Since somebody else probably already got to them, I'll let you have the conference room. Take your time before you head out. That sound fair to you?"

I nodded gratefully. "Thanks, a lot," I said. "I think a little time alone would go a long way."

Karen nodded, grabbing up her papers, tablet, and camcorder. As she started to leave, she turned back to me

"Hey, kid," she said to get my attention. "You did a lot of good today. Don't let everything else get you down."

"Yeah, you're probably right," I sighed, not believing my own words but grateful for the vote of confidence.

She frowned, recognizing that I didn't believe her, but she shrugged. "Stick around town for a few days, in case I need to check up on anything in your testimony," Karen pondered for a moment before continuing. "And catch that ghost. She obviously wants to be your Pokemon."

I smiled. Misdreavus was probably in my shadow right now anyway.

"Will do," I said.

Karen nodded once more and headed through the door.

I collapsed backward into my chair.

I groaned, desperately wanting to sleep.

Instead, I pulled my Pokenav+ from the evidence bag and got to work.

Karen had been right, I had dozens of messages from the last few hours. They mostly came from my parents and my friends, but I raised an eyebrow as I saw a number I didn't recognize.

Before I opened it, I sent Mom and Dad a group text that said I was safe, and that I would call them tomorrow when I was rested up. They deserved to hear the whole story, even if it was exhausting to tell.

Next on the list was Daisy. She'd texted me over an hour ago, and again maybe fifteen minutes ago. The first was letting me know that she was safe, and that she was having her testimony taken in a room by the docks. The second message said that she'd finished up and that if I'd gotten her message, she'd be waiting for me by the front of the museum.

I smiled, now knowing she was safe. I had assumed she'd be fine, but seeing the text made me relax with relief. I texted her back that I'd be finished up soon, and that I'd meet her at the front.

Hana, Yuji, and Amy had all sent a myriad of messages, both in our group text and individually. Scrolling through them, I found that they had posted up outside of the museum after they heard the news, and would be sitting there until they heard from me.

That one actually made my eyes water. My friends had come as soon as they'd known I was in trouble and were refusing to leave without me. I texted them that I'd be outside within the hour and that I was safe.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

My Pokenav+ immediately began to explode with responses, but I decided to silence them for now and instead look at the message from thr unknown number.

My eyes widened as I read it.

[[16:52, 8820-12-345]] Hello, Derek. This is Professor Oak. I received this number after I spoke with my granddaughter a short while ago, and I was hoping to arrange a call with you so that I may express my gratitude. You have done myself and my family a great service. Please, when you are rested and available, I would appreciate if you could reach me at this number. I am available all days of the week during normal business hours.

Truly, thank you,

Samuel Oak.

Professor of Pokemon.

I stared at the message.

Holy shit.

In my brain, I knew that Daisy was Oak's granddaughter, but really it didn't come up a lot when I thought about her. She was her own person, so I didn't think about her in that context. Daisy's relation to him had literally no bearing on my opinions of her. And in all honesty, she probably would've been fine without me. She was the one with the plan, the one who knew the layout, and the one who defeated the most Rockets.

But she was Professor Oak's granddaughter. And even if I had a tiny part in it, he thought she was safer now because of me.

There was a nagging voice at the back of my head.

You didn't earn that. At most, you asked a Pokemon to cut some plastic ties and scare some people.

I frowned, biting my lip as the doubt spoke up, but it couldn't change what I was looking at.

One of the most respected men in the world was grateful to me, an absolute nobody of a zero-badge trainer.

That almost made today worth it.

----------------------------------------

Daisy pulled me into a hug before I even saw her.

She walked out from a small alcove near the front of the building, mostly out of the way of the emergency workers, and tossed her arms around me.

I squeezed her back without even thinking about it.

We stayed there for a while. It was comfortable and we were finally safe. Honestly, it didn't even have anything to do with whatever this relationship was.

We just needed comfort. We'd both been through something terrifying and hadn't even had the opportunity to decompress afterward. Instead, We'd been shunted into rooms and immediately asked to relive all the crap we'd just seen.

We didn't end our embrace until an emergency worker cleared their throat, needing to get by. We let go of each other and pulled off into the main entrance haul where workers were still clearing away rubble.

I looked Daisy over, inspecting her for injuries as we started to leave the museum.

Daisy was in a better spot than me, both physically and emotionally. In fact, besides the bruise on her cheek from the grunt's gun, she was fine. Obviously exhausted and shaken, but she didn't have the same gloom about her that I knew I was exuding.

She leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm glad we made it out safely," she said softly.

"It's all I could ask for," I agreed. "I really thought things would get way worse after we split up."

"It did, a bit," Daisy admitted, looking up at me. "I made it to the trucks and stopped one of them, but one did get away."

"Yeah, and I let an Executive get away, so let's call it even."

Daisy stopped, looking at me with worry. It was already night outside, and her eyes glimmered in the spotlights that the workers had put up.

"There was an Executive here? At the museum?" She narrowed her eyes with frustration. "And you didn't run away? Derek, they're dangerous. I-"

When she saw my grimace, she interrupted herself. Daisy bowed her head in shame.

"You don't want to hear this, you obviously know that," she apologized. "I just didn't realize how much more dangerous your day was than mine. That's terrifying."

I nodded. "It's been a really long day," my voice was scratchy with exhaustion. "It's okay to be upset."

Daisy shook her head. "No, that one's on me. We can obviously wait to swap stories. I'll have the time for it at the very least."

I raised an eyebrow, and she continued. "Between the Ace Trainers asking me to stay in town for a few days, and Grandpa ordering me to rest, I'm going to be staying in Pewter for the next week or two."

I smiled, happy at the good news even if it came from the worst possible circumstance.

"Ya know, he texted me?" I said.

"Yeah, I figured that he would. I let it slip that I was with you when I called him earlier and he wanted to check in on you himself."

"And did you tell him about...?" I gestured between the two of us. "Whatever this is?"

Daisy smiled softly and pink dusted her cheeks.

"I mean, I didn't say anything, but I'm sure he assumed a fair amount. I didn't really want to tell him until, well, I guess until I knew what this was?"

I nodded, feeling my own cheeks heat up. I'd been through so much today, and I was ready to collapse at any second, but the idea being suggested still put a spring in my step.

"Uh-I, uh," I stuttered. "I hoped I did okay enough before everything went down to warrant a second date?"

Daisy interlocked our fingers. "More than enough," she agreed. "Though, you're picking the location for the next one. I, obviously, can't be trusted."

"The museum was great, but I agree that I want to do the next one without nearly dying."

We kept walking down the long path of stairs from the museum to the street, enjoying the silence and the comfort of each other's company.

It was a nice moment, a happy moment.

And the sight of the dozens of reporters outside the police barricades made that moment slightly more sour.

I groaned. "I just want to go to sleep!" I whined.

Daisy's eyes hardened with determination. "Follow my lead," she said.

I nodded, letting her guide me by the arm.

As we approached the police barricade, camera flashes began to pop off and already the reporters started to yell questions toward us. They were obviously desperate for a story.

"You there, is it true that this attack was perpetrated by Team Rocket?"

"Did you see the rumored rare Pokemon that the Rocket Executive used to fight against the Elite Four's Bruno?"

"Just how many fossils did Team Rocket get away with?"

"Do you think this attack is a symbol of our larger regional protection being flawed?"

I shrunk as we got closer and closer. The reporters were almost feral, and more and more questions just kept coming. I honestly couldn't keep track of them all and they blended into a dull roar.

A policeman ran up to us, opening a metal gate in the barricade to let us leave. I gave them a grateful smile and they nodded back.

Before we stepped through, Daisy loudly cleared her throat.

All the questions stopped. Every camera turned to her.

"You all want to know our perspectives on the day's events," she started, voice calm, collected, and clear. "And unfortunately, you will have to wait for the League's official statement. Due to the nature of the ongoing investigation, we will not be answering your questions."

Several reporters groaned, complaining about the cold and their lack of details.

One particularly pushy reporter raised their hand. "Lisa Lapelle, Celadon Daily," they announced. Their voice was high and commanding. "You can't share details of the day, but could you at least tell us your opinions, Ms. Oak?"

There was a low murmur among the rest of the reporters as they realized who they were talking to. I was reminded for the umpteenth time that day how famous Daisy and her family were.

Daisy's lower jaw twitched slightly as she kept herself from clenching it. I could see it from next to her, but apparently, the reporter could see it too.

Lisa's face split into a triumphant grin, and they brushed their shoulder-length purple hair behind their ear, getting ready to write down whatever Daisy responded with.

"Ms. Lapelle, was it?" Daisy asked. "I am not at liberty to share my own personal experiences of the day, but I can assure you that the League has taken care of the situation with efficiency, grace, and humility."

The reporter's face fell at the neutral answer. She opened her mouth to ask a follow-up, but Daisy interrupted her.

"Those are all the questions we'll be answering today," Daisy declared. "Thank you for giving us the grace to rest from the day's events."

After a statement like that, not even Lisa Lapelle could argue with Daisy. The reporters didn't want to become the bad guys by harassing Daisy Oak after she lived through a terrorist attack. As we were walking through the crowd, though, I saw Lisa giving me a sharp look. I gulped and looked away.

We walked until we were out of earshot, and I turned to Daisy. "That was great!" I said. "When did the League tell you that we couldn't talk about the day, though? 'Cause I definitely missed that."

"Did I say that?" Daisy feigned innocence. "I think you'll recall that I said we wouldn't be answering questions, not that we couldn't."

"You're amazing," I said in awe.

Daisy tapped her nose, smiling. "Being who I am has its perks. Becoming a Grand Festival champion gave me plenty of practice talking to nosey reporters."

"Derek!" A familiar voice called in the distance.

I turned, recognizing the voice, breaking into a wide grin. Not even the weight of today could make me any less excited to see Yuji, Hana, and Amy sprinting down the street to meet me.

Amy was the one in the lead. They were surprisingly quick when they wanted to be, and they slammed into me. Their shoulder dug into my ribs as they started squeezing me in a tight hug.

Instead of hugging them back, I opened my arms, letting Hana and Yuji join in as they reached me and the four of us held a group hug.

Tears formed in my eyes and I got the closest to really crying that I'd been all day. I'd seen them just this morning, but it felt like a lifetime had passed since I'd been around my friends.

The comfortable hug ended, though, when Amy released their arms and started hitting me.

"Stop! Almost! Dying!" They yelled, punctuating each word with a punch.

"Ow ow ow!" I couldn't help but chuckling even if I was in pain. "I'm already bruised as it is!"

Yuji put his hand on my shoulder, making sure I was

looking him in the eye. "Are you alright, my friend?"

I nodded and shook my head at the same time. "Nothing's broken that won't heal."

He smiled, gripping my shoulder tightly before releasing it.

It was Hana's turn to worry as she pushed to the front and started picking at my clothes. "Oh, Derek," she teared up. "You look awful!"

"Guys, I swear, I'm fine!" I held up my arms to show them that, but hid my wince when my shoulders twinged.

Maybe the explosion was a touch too far, I thought, rubbing my shoulder.

Hana didn't seem satisfied. "But you are okay? And Artis, is he okay?"

I nodded. "He's safe, and he actually learned a new move. Maybe he just needed some danger to get his training going."

I cracked a grin, but no one laughed at my joke.

I sighed. "Guys, I promise, we're okay. We got out of there with just a couple of scratches. And I'd really like to knock out before I tell the story again."

Hana hesitantly nodded and Amy stopped punching me. Yuji was the only one to embrace my words.

"If Derek says that he is fine, he has earned our trust enough to believe him," he said resolutely.

He stepped forward, patting me on the back. I glanced at him, knowing that he was hiding his own fear. I'd never gotten this much physical contact from him.

"Before we leave though, guys," I said. "I actually was wanting to introduce you to someone."

All three of my friends turned to Daisy, eyes widening as though they had just realized she existed.

"Hello," she waved. "I'm Daisy."

My friends waved back, and as one, they pulled me into a huddle.

"Derek!" Hana angrily whispered. "Why didn't you tell us she was here!"

"You were a bit distracted by his wounds," Yuji said regretfully.

"Nah, loverboy's embarrassed of us," Amy cackled, giving me a mischievous look.

The other two turned to me and I felt blood rush to my face.

"Well, I wasn't until you pulled this!" I gestured to the huddle.

They went silent and began to introspect. Yuji nodded. "He does raise a valid point," he agreed. "I don't believe that this complies with social conventions."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you're no fun. If we wanted, we could milk this for at least another five minutes."

I panicked. "Guys, I love you all dearly, but can we please do this another night?"

Amy abashedly nodded, looking a little embarrassed and put out as she remember just what I'd been through today.

The other two agreed and we broke the huddle. Daisy was standing there patiently, both pretending that she hadn't heard anything and making it very clear that she had heard everything.

"Anyway," I said, my voice higher than normal. "Daisy, this is Yuji, Hana, and Amy."

I gestured to each of my friends as I introduced them, and they each waved and nodded as their names were called.

Daisy smiled. "Actually, I'm familiar with all of you, at least by name. When Derek let me know about your plan in Viridian, I watched each of your matches against Giovanni."

My friends all showed varying levels of embarrassment, but Hana stiffened when Daisy turned to her in particular.

"Hana Kaneal, right?" Daisy said. "Derek has told me a lot about your analytical approach to battle preparation, and I'd love to hear more about it."

Hana stuttered a response, both a little star-struck and embarrassed at having her spreadsheets praised. I didn't catch what she said, though, because I caught Amy giving Daisy an odd look.

I furrowed my eyebrows, but I didn't have time to ask about it.

"Derek?" Daisy called me back to the conversation. "Could I talk to you for a moment before I head out?"

"Uh, yeah!" I turned to the others. "Catch up with you guys in a second?"

Amy wiggled their eyebrows at me, but other than that my friends were respectful and gave their goodbyes to Daisy.

"It's been nice to meet you," Daisy said to them.

We stepped a few meters away, just out of earshot.

"I know they're a lot," I started. "But really, they're good people-"

"They're lovely," Daisy interrupted me with a smile. "They seem like a great match for you."

I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "Oh, thank the legends. I really thought they were going to do something to embarrass me."

"Oh, no," she chuckled. "They did, but I found it very endearing."

My cheeks went red.

"And that's actually what I wanted to talk about," Daisy said softly. She wiped something off of the bandage on my lip. "I know that you're going to be very busy this week, but I'd like to see you again?"

"I'd like that too," I said. My voice was shaky and rambling. "Do you want to join us, maybe tomorrow? We're probably not going to be doing anything date worthy, but that I could tell you what happened when I tell them, so I then I could tell all of you at once-"

Daisy giggled, grasping my hand. "That sounds wonderful. Text me when you want me to join you?"

I squeezed her hand, grateful for the interruption. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Good," she nodded. "It's getting late, and you and I desperately need sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Derek."

Daisy leaned forward, pressing her lips to my cheek.

She was so soft, and the moment ended far too quickly.

"Goodnight, Daisy," I stuttered out.

She smiled, turned, and walked off into the streets of Pewter.

I stood there for a long while.

My heart soared.

Sleep? Who needs sleep? I thought. I could fight Proton and Aestus right now, two v one!

I punched the air, stopping just short of cheering out loud.

I only stopped when I heard snickering behind me. Amy had come back to check on me, leaving the other two waiting farther up the road.

"You saw nothing," I threatened, my face going bright red.

"Sure, sure," they laughed. "You keep telling yourself that."

We started walking toward the others, but I slowed my pace when I thought about what I'd seen just a few minutes before.

"Hey, Ames?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"What was that look you were giving Daisy earlier? Anything I should be worried about?"

Amy stopped walking, looking up at me with an eyebrow raised. "You don't see it?" They asked.

I frowned in confusion. "See what?"

Amy genuinely thought about it for almost a minute. "Nope," they finally said, shaking their head. "I'm not jumping into that Diglett hole. If you don't see it, then you shouldn't worry about it."

"You sure?"

Amy tucked their hands into the pockets of their sweater. "Yup. Just focus on the happy thing you got going. You both seem like you really like each other."

Amy, of all people, saying that gave me a real sense of comfort.

"Thanks, Ames."

"No problem."

We joined the others and walked back to the Pokemon Center in comfort.

----------------------------------------

I was so excited to sleep, the Pokemon Center was right there, but I knew there was something I had to do first.

"Hold up, guys," I said to the others.

They stopped and looked to me. "What's wrong, Derek?" Hana gave me a worried look. She hadn't stopped analyzing me or my injuries the whole walk home.

"Nothing's wrong," I reassured her. "I just need to talk to someone before we go to bed. If you want you can come with me, but it'll be quick."

They all exchanged looks, but it was Yuji who summed it up for me.

"My friend," he said. "After a day like today, there is very little chance that we would leave you unattended at night."

I shrugged. "Fair enough."

I stepped toward the alley that I'd been using for the last few nights. My friends followed me, confused but not questioning.

I whispered out to the shadows. "It's okay, you can come out now."

The familiar, and now comforting, sound of a little girl giggling echoed through the alley. My friends all stiffened, but I held up a hand to try and calm them.

Misdreavus didn't take advantage of the atmosphere and try any pranks, instead simply drifting out of my shadow.

"Dreavus!" She chirped, giving me a happy smile.

I smiled. It felt like so long ago that this Pokemon had tried to kill me, even if it was only a little over a week ago. Now, she had saved me more times than I could count.

I gently laid my hand on her head and she pushed up into it, rubbing her ghostly head against my fingers. She started purring.

"You did a lot of great work today," I said, praising her. "And I can't thank you enough for it."

Misdreavus opened her red and yellow eyes, meeting my gaze with a smile. She was very cute.

"And I know that I already promised you a whole cake. I will deliver on that," I said quickly as her eyes looked a little distrustful. She relaxed. "But I also wanted to offer for you to come permanently become a member of my team. You would live with us, get stronger with us, eat with us, and play with us. Does that sound good to you?"

Misdreavus didn't miss a beat before she started nodding, making it obvious that this what she had wanted the entire time.

"Drea, drea, drea!" Misdreavus chirped in excitement. She did a small loop in the air.

I smiled, pulling a Pokeball of my belt. "Good. If you're serious, you just have to get into this-"

"Misdreavus!" The ghost flew into the Pokeball before I could finish my sentence, forcing it open with a flash of red light.

It rumbled twice, clicking on the third beat.

A successful catch.

I grinned at the Pokeball. I'd caught my first ever Pokemon.

I released her from her ball, and Misdreavus reappeared in front of me.

She looked around, a little confused to be still in the alley, but happily floated about.

"Calm down," I chuckled. "There's no need to rush this. I just wanted to know if you wanted a name before we all went to sleep?"

Misdreavus' eyes went wide as saucers. She couldn't make it more clear that she desperately wanted a nickname.

I nodded at her, glad. I'd already picked her name hours ago, before I'd even decided that I was going to catch her.

It had been in the fight with the Arbok and Raticate, watching her appear and disappear in a wisp of black vapor.

"Is it okay if I call you Wisp?"

"Dreavus!" She furiously nodded, taking to her name immediately.

Wisp floated into the sky, doing a victory lap of the alley. She cheered the whole time, and honestly, I started looking around to make sure other people wouldn't come to inspect the alley.

I turned to see all three of my friend's slackjawed faces.

After a moment, Yuji broke the silence.

"So, Derek," he said slowly. "I assume you've solved your haunting problem?"

I laughed at all of them. I didn't often get to see them all shocked, and it was a good feeling that ended my bad day on a good note.

That night, I slept with Artis and Wisp both cuddled into my bed.

My two Pokemon kept any lurking nightmares away.