Connie wasn't at school the next day, but she didn't let that stop her from talking Hayley's ear off.

Bzzt! "this minun just nuzzled my leg! aaaaaaaaaa!"

Bzzt! "have you ever seen a spoink up close they are SO SO bouncy"

Bzzt! "VULPIX BABIES!!!!!!!!"

Bzzt! "omg hayley this budew I can't even"

Hayley's phone buzzed all through rehearsal like an angry Beedrill, threatening to vibrate right out of her pocket. Normally she would have worried about a teacher seeing and confiscating her phone, but all the adults had their hands full trying to keep the chaos of excited students from boiling over into a small riot, so she and her phone flew under the radar. Finally, around noon, the barrage of messages stopped, with Connie sending her one last text:

"I got it! show you tonight!"

Until then, Hayley would just have to sit and wonder what Pokémon was amazing enough to make Connie finally make up her mind.

During a break in rehearsal, Hayley took the opportunity to tentatively approach Miriam. Maybe she was overblowing this whole partner thing, she thought; she wouldn't be so bad once she talked to her. But as soon as Hayley got near her, Miriam looked up from her Gameboy, swiveled around and fixed her with a glare so withering that all of Hayley's conversation starters flew right out of her head. She stammered as Miriam's scowl deepened. "Um, uh…" Say something! Anything! "I… I like your shirt?"

Miriam dropped her stare to glance down at her shirt, an oversized black tee that had a picture of a Politoed with a sword and pointed cap squaring off against an Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. She folded her arms across her chest, blocking the image from sight. "It's from The Legend of Zygarde: Lugia's Revelation," she said, squinting through her glasses.

"Oh… What's that?"

"A video game, duh. It's popular in Kanto, but I wouldn't expect someone like you to know about it."

"What—what's that supposed to mean?" Hayley demanded, bristling a bit.

"Quit acting like you're interested and just leave me alone, okay?" With that, she re-immersed herself in her neon green Gameboy, letting her hair fall forward again to block her face from view. Hayley fumbled fruitlessly for more words, but finally admitted defeat and walked away. What had even just happened?

She tried to shove it to the corner of her mind with all the other things she tried not to think about, like why her new Magby didn't like her and where baby Grimer came from. But all that not thinking left her mind pretty empty, and the forbidden thoughts kept leaking through. The day dragged on for what felt like forever, and she practically bounded out of her seat when the last bell rang, eager to go home and prepare for her sleepover with Connie.

Her mother was still adamant that she wasn't allowed to release Barrett indoors, so Hayley had had to improvise, setting up her tent and sleeping bag in their spacious backyard. She was hoping against hope to avoid a repeat of what had happened the other night; if Barrett set the backyard on fire, Hayley would probably be grounded for life. Maybe things would be easier with Connie and her new Pokémon around—they could give him something to stare at that wasn't her. And Connie had a way with Pokémon; she might be able to get him to relax.

She hoped it would go well. She needed it to go well. She'd hadn't let Barrett out of his Pokéball since their fateful meeting—she'd meant to, but she kept chickening out. She knew she had to get past it, though. What kind of trainer would she be if she let herself be intimidated by her own Pokémon?

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

In the few hours before Connie got back from the breeder's, Hayley paced back and forth, worrying about everything. She tried to keep busy—she unpacked, checked, and re-packed her camping backpack for the sixth time that week, making sure it had everything she might possibly need, from a canteen to swimwear to eco-friendly soap. She ate up an hour kicking her soccer ball against a tree, hitting it harder and harder until it eventually bounced back at an odd angle and struck her in the nose. She looked up Petalburg Woods on the net and stared at the map until she saw a negative of the image against her eyelids every time she blinked. She was about to start running laps around the block just for something to do when finally she heard the front door swing open.

"I got my Pokémon!" Connie shouted from the entryway. Hayley ran to meet her. Her friend was beaming and holding a red and white Pokéball in the air.

"What kind is it?" Hayley asked, glad for the distraction.

"The best kind! Want to see?"

"Yeah!—Um, wait," Hayley continued as Connie reached for the release button, images of the ruined living room coming back to mind. "Let's go outside first."

Outside, the sun was hanging lower in the sky, and the grass was crisscrossed with shadows from houses, fences, and tall oak trees. Connie threw her Pokéball onto the soft grass, and it burst open with a flash of light. When it faded, Hayley saw a tiny green and white Pokémon standing there. Its thin, twig-like body was no longer than her forearm, and it was cloaked in a sheer gossamer dress. Its head was proportionally huge and bulbous, looking like it should be far too large for its spindly neck to support, and it was enclosed in a green, helmet-like dome with a curved red horn sticking out of it. It tilted its head from side to side, observing its surroundings with its limited field of vision, and then shrank into itself and began trembling, raising its tiny hands to its mouth in a surprisingly human-like gesture.

"This is Marcella! Or, Marcie for short." Connie flung herself forward and scooped the Pokémon up into a hug—gently, of course, because it looked like she could crush its body between two of her fingers. "Isn't she adorable?"

"Wow," was all Hayley could say. Ralts were incredibly rare—they were picky about which humans they'd even show themselves to, let alone which they'd accept as trainers. Connie had never mentioned wanting a psychic Pokémon, but as Hayley looked them over, the pairing made sense. The Ralts, so terrified a moment ago, seemed to relax in Connie's arms, its tremors easing as it buried its face into her chest like a shy toddler.

"She's a little scared of everything right now, but the guy at the ranch said I could help her work through it. She's just a baby, so she's still learning to use her psychic powers, but she can do some pretty neat things already. You don't see the Ralts family in contests too often, but they can do some great stuff if you train them right. I'm thinking of teaching her this cool trick I saw with screens—once she's a little older, of course…"

As Connie gushed, Hayley took a few steps toward them. The Ralts seemed to sense her coming and flinched, clinging tighter to Connie's shirt. Connie stopped talking and gave the Pokémon a reassuring smile, running two fingers along her horn. "It's okay, Marcie, she's a friend! Say hello!"

Marcie lifted her head slightly, tilting back to reveal two eyes hidden under the green dome. Hayley felt an odd, barely perceptible pressure at the base of her skull. She'd never had a psychic Pokémon try to read her mind before—was that what this was? It was unsettling, sort of fuzzy and electric, like static from an old television set rubbing against her brain. It lasted for only a moment before it vanished, and then the Ralts straightened up a bit, still clutching onto Connie's shirt but nearly managing to make eye contact with Hayley. "See? She'll warm up to you," Connie said. "It just might take a while. Come on, I want to see your Pokémon too!"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Hayley rubbed her arm. She'd been waiting for this, but now that it was time… "I don't know. He's a little… You think he might scare Marcie?"

"They'll have to meet eventually. Come on, I'm sure he's not that bad."

"…Okay. One sec." Hayley darted off towards the pond and came back with Foley the Wooper waddling along behind her. At least if things went south this time, she'd be prepared. She drew the Pokéball from her pocket and inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the feeling of her stomach tying itself in knots. "Barrett! Go!"

The ball burst open when she threw it, materializing the Magby onto the grass. He wore the same irked expression as before; his arms were crossed, and the edges of his mouth around his snout curled down in distaste the moment he saw Hayley.

"Um, hi… Barrett." She'd hoped he would respond more positively to the name his old trainer had given him, but he only narrowed his eyes and huffed, a few small embers springing from his mouth and dying in the air. Hayley tensed, but kept going. "This is Connie, and Marcie…" By her leg, Foley let out a warble. "Oh, and Foley. They're our friends. I wanted you to meet them."

Barrett's slitted eyes glanced from her, to Foley, to Connie and Marcie, and then finally back to Foley. Target set, he trudged forward until he was face-to-face with the gormless Wooper. Foley was older and more experienced than Barrett, but Barrett had a few inches on him in height, and he seemed to tower over the Wooper as he leaned into his face and glowered.

"Barrett, be nice," Hayley pleaded, but the Magby ignored her, turning his head to the side and spitting a small jet of flames. They weren't big enough to set anything on fire, but they sent a message—he was challenging Foley. Hayley turned the Pokéball over in his hands as she wondered whether she should call him back right then. He couldn't hurt a water-type Pokémon that badly, right…?

"He's so cute!" Connie's voice cut through the tension in the air. Barrett broke his gaze and turned towards Connie, head cocked. "Oh, he's got a beak just like a little Ducklett! Adorable!" Connie dropped to her knees, placed Marcie on the ground, and leaned in closer to the Magby, ignoring Hayley's frantic gestures to stay away. Barrett eyed her suspiciously as she raised one hand and moved it towards him, but he made no move to either attack or move away. Slowly, Connie brought her hand to rest on top of his lumpy head. Barrett puffed a thin stream of smoke and tilted slightly away, eyes unmistakably rolling, but he tolerated her touch, waiting until she pulled her hand away again to grunt and shuffle a few steps back. "Aw, Hayley, I don't know what you were worried about," Connie said to a slack-jawed Hayley. "He's a sweetheart."

Hayley tried unsuccessfully to wipe the dumb look from her face, her mind reeling. Okay, so maybe he had just been nervous when she let him out for the first time. She'd be nervous too, if she woke up in a place she didn't recognize with a stranger looming over her. Slowly, Hayley crouched down again, reaching out an unsteady hand towards the Magby like Connie had done. "Hey, uh, Barrett? I guess we maybe got off on the wrong foot. And I wanted to—" He didn't let her finish. As soon as she got within range, Barrett snapped to attention and whirled around, swiping at her fingers with his clawed hand. Hayley fell back onto the grass and pointed an accusing finger. "Ah! See, he did it again!"

"Oh, that's not nice. Hayley's your trainer; you should be nicer to her." But there was no bite in Connie's voice, only cloying sweetness. Barrett grunted again and rolled his shoulders, grudgingly letting Connie pat him on the head once more before shuffling off to explore the backyard. Hayley watched him go, rubbing her hand.

"That's not fair," she couldn't stop herself from saying. "Why does he like you? I'm his trainer."

Connie shrugged. "Maybe it's because you're nervous around him. You can't look nervous around Pokémon, you know. They pick up on it." Easy for her to say. Pokémon gravitated to Connie as naturally as people did; she'd been befriending stray Poochyena and Zigzagoon since she was three years old. Hayley wasn't quite so lucky. "It's probably fine. Once you two are used to each other, I'm sure you'll get along. If he really wanted to hurt you, he'd have done it already."

She had a point, ugly as it was. Barrett may have spat a few embers at her, but it had left her more startled than anything. If he'd wanted, he probably could have lit her on fire instead of the curtains. Maybe Connie was right; maybe things really would get better between them, if they just spend enough time together.

"So, hey, I want Marcie to get some practice in before we head to Verdanturf on Thursday," Connie said, interrupting her thoughts. "Want to help out?"

From there, the day became a blur. The sun sank on the horizon, turning afternoon to night as the two of them chatted and doted on Marcella. They laid out a small course for her consisting of twigs, stones, and plastic cups, cheering on the shy Ralts as she lifted and stacked the items with small grunts of concentration. She was shaky at first, barely able to hold a pebble off the ground, but Connie's encouragement and infectious optimism seemed to strengthen her, and by the time the sun had disappeared, she was moving the objects almost effortlessly. Barrett watched them from a distance, sulking near a tree and lighting fallen leaves on fire. Hayley had to check over every few seconds to make sure he wasn't going to burn down the backyard. She approached him a few times and invited him to join in their training, but he just grunted and glared at her until she went away. Well, at least he wasn't attacking her. Foley seemed more than happy to get in on the action, though, shooting down rows of cups with his water gun and warbling in self-satisfaction.

After dark, they lit lanterns and talked about their upcoming travel plans. Hayley was planning to head straight through Petalburg Woods and try for Roxanne's gym badge, the traditional first milestone for new trainers. Connie, cradling the exhausted Marcella in her arms like a doll and occasionally pausing to coo at her, said that Clarissa's parents were driving her and Clarissa to Verdanturf so they could sign up for the beginners' contests that were held there. Hayley said that she figured the difference in destinations was the reason they paired coordinators and trainers separately, but Connie insisted she wouldn't have minded taking a detour to Rustboro, especially if it meant she didn't have to travel with "that prissy little brat, Clarissa." It transitioned into a discussion of what sorts of teams they wanted. Connie had laid out her perfect lineup to Hayley dozens of times already, and each time it was different. Today, aside from her Ralts, she wanted Roserade, Glaceon, Rapidash, Starmie, and Cinccino—Hayley knew better than to tell her that most of those Pokémon couldn't be found in Hoenn at all. Hayley wasn't sure what her own lineup would be, aside from eventually wanting to get her hands on a Blaziken; she just knew she wanted a strong, well-balanced team to take on the League. She'd figure it out as she went along.

Midnight came and went with the two of them debating battle and contest strategies, poring over the latest gossip from the competitive training scene, and laying out their grand plans for their own futures. Finally, when they were all talked out, they lay in silence on a blanket spread across the grass, staring up at the twinkling stars.

"I can't believe we're not going to see each other for three whole months," Connie said, her voice losing some of the lilt it had had all night. Hayley's heart twisted.

"I could go with you to Verdanturf…"

"No, you've got your own team to think about. I don't think Barrett would be happy sitting around and watching contests for weeks." The Magby had long since dozed off, and Hayley had recalled him to keep his embers from starting a fire while they slept. She'd have to figure out a way to deal with that while they were traveling; she didn't want to be one of those trainers who kept their Pokémon in a ball all the time.

Suddenly, Connie sat up. "Oh! I almost forgot." She dug around in her bag for a moment and emerged holding a small jewelry case. When she flipped it open, Hayley saw two bracelets that were joined together at a slightly misshapen Pokéball-shaped charm. "I made this in art class. It's a friendship bracelet." Connie lifted one of the chains out of the box, and frowned when the charm dragged the other one with it. "Ugh, the paint must have stuck. Hang on…" She put her thumb and forefinger on each side of the charm and twisted, and after a moment, the red and white sides separated with a tiny pop. Connie handed the bracelet with the red half to Hayley with a triumphant grin. Hayley lifted it up to look at it. On the red surface, tiny gold letters printed out the word "Best."

"I know you don't really wear jewelry," Connie continued, "but I thought this way—"

"No, I like it. It's pretty." Hayley the chain around her wrist. It fit her perfectly. Maybe she was just tired, but seeing the chain and lettering glimmer in the moonlight brought her a strange sense of peace. "Three months," she repeated. "And then we can travel together."

"Barrett should be used to you by then, too," Connie suggested.

"And I'll probably have a few other Pokémon."

"I'll be competing in Super Contests."

"And I'll have some badges."

Connie grinned. "I told you I'm going to get you into contests someday. We can even do a tag contest together."

"Only if you tag battle with me at a gym."

"Obviously. Tate and Liza've got nothing on us. Just you wait."

They drifted into silence once again, and soon, Hayley heard Connie's dainty snores coming from beside her. It was late; she knew she should get to bed too, but something inside was keeping her awake. Connie was so sure that they'd join up together again, put their old plans into action like nothing had ever happened. Hayley wanted to believe it, too, so badly that it hurt. But… Three months.

A lot could happen in three months.