Ralts considered herself a simple Pokémon, not too complicated.

She loved her trainer, learning new stuff. She enjoyed listening to the radio and traveling with her trainer. She loved the taste of the potato chips, she loved the look in the eyes of her opponent when she did something unexpected and she really loved being praised by her trainer.

There were, of course, things she didn't like; losing, Team Galactic, rain and she really disliked Paul.

Today another thing was added to the list of things she didn't like.

The blue Pokémon, her supposedly new team member, was definitely on the dislike list.

Her trainer stared at Riolu who kept glaring back.

On the outside, everything seemed normal, besides Riolu being very unkind. But she could sense the emotions they felt.

Her trainer was shaken, shocked and she felt an underlying emotion that was a mix of disappointment and confusion.

The emotions of the Riolu were very one dimensional in that sense, just a combination of distrust, fear, and confusion.

She silently kept watching as her trainer continued talking as if nothing had happened.

"So, I hope we can become friends," her trainer smiled.

The emotions he felt, however, told her something different; he himself was scared. No, scared was not the right word.

Strained. Yet he kept smiling.

She knew that her trainer did that a lot, forcing himself to smile. He thought she didn't notice and in the beginning, she didn't but the more time she spent with him the more she began to recognize the fake feelings he tried to create.

His emotions were like an entire milkshake, first you had the flavors on the surface. Then you had the second level of emotions that sometimes conflicted and finally you had the emotions that reflected onto the layers above it.

She didn't mention it though, she just smiled back like she always did.

"I doubt I can be friends with someone like you," The Riolu said coldly. "But it's not like there's anywhere else I can go."

Dust kept smiling, though the feeling of disappointment rose.

Ralts had the urge to kick Riolu, yet she resisted it.

She was aware of the fact that she would have future team members and she was okay with it...to some extent.

But she really doubted that the Riolu would be a useful addition.

Ralts watched with patience as more words were exchanged between the new Pokémon and her trainer, it was almost as if…

No, that was so unfair.

For some reason, her trainer understood Riolu!

This was blasphemy!

To anyone watching the scene in front of her would seem just like a person guessing what the Pokémon meant based on facial expressions and body language but the way her trainer responded was just too fluid, just too on point.

That would explain the surprised emotion!

It seemed that Riolu was not even aware that her trainer could understand her Pokéspeak...THIS WAS UNFAIR!

Ralts had tried to achieve telepathy for years, maybe even millennia and this random Pokémon they just managed to do it without any effort.

Ralts silently cursed this 'Fate' person her trainer always kept talking about.

"It seems like I have no other place to go," Riolu muttered, disappointed, she got up from her pillow. Her trainer received a red and white Pokéball, just like hers, from the professor.

"So do you prefer to stay inside your Pokéball or outside?" the blue haired boy asked.

The Riolu shrugged with a lack of interest.

"Well, outside it is," Dust said as he pocketed the Pokéball. "I prefer it to keep my Pokémon close and free."

Riolu didn't answer.

"Well, this is Ralts," Her trainer pointed at her.

Ralts gave Riolu a cold stare.

Riolu shrugged and folded her paws in front of her, clearly not impressed. What Riolu didn’t know was that she could pierce through her cold demeanor without any effort, inside the Riolu didn't feel nearly as confident as she wanted everyone to believe she was.

Her trainer raised an eyebrow at Ralts and a wave of guilt crushed over her. She had promised to give the second Pokémon a chance after all.

Of course, that was before she knew the second Pokémon would be like this.

"Anyway, we're gonna crash at a Pokémon Center for the night. You're coming?" Her trainer asked.

Riolu nodded. "Not like I have a choice, again."

"Well Professor," Dust turned to the old man, "Thanks for the opportunity and I'll try everything I can to make this work."

To her surprise, he was genuine this time.

Professor Rowan nodded and gave Riolu one last piece of advice. "Be sure to keep close to Dust, okay? Although he may not look like it, he is actually a good trainer."

Her trainer rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

Again, Riolu didn't answer.

They left the laboratory, Ralts made sure to claim a spot on her trainer's shoulders before they left.

Riolu trailed behind them, keeping a good distance away from them.

She kept her head down as she walked.

Her trainer noticed it and stopped to turn around.

"You want me to carry you?" He offered. "The Pokémon Center is nearby but I don't really mind carrying you."

"Of course not," she replied with a sneer, "I can walk for myself."

"Sure…"

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Her trainer glanced around to see if anyone was watching them. Nobody was, the streets were mostly empty besides a couple that sat near a fountain.

"You are aware that I can understand you right?" Dust said, sounding more serious.

"So?" Riolu replied, "Is that supposed to make me feel happy?"

Dust shrugged, "Dunno, I am just curious if this is your doing? Rowan didn't understand you."

Riolu shot a glare at him, "You think I would do something like that?"

"Well, weird shit," Her trainer muttered. "Though that mystery can be solved tomorrow."

Ralts agreed, the sun was dipping underneath the horizon and that meant it was bedtime. Unless it was catching bad guys time, that always has priority.

"Right now I think we should give you two something to eat and get someplace to sleep, don't you agree?"

Ralts tried to tell her trainer 'yes' but her telepathy converted it to {satisfaction}

Though not optimal, it did pass the message through.

"What do you think?" Dust asked the new Pokémon.

Riolu shrugged. "I don't care, just do something already."

"Okay, then onwards we go!"

Dust turned around and began to walk towards the Pokémon Center and Riolu followed but she made sure that she kept a meter distance between them.

A wave of curiosity came from behind them and Ralts turned her head to see what it was about.

Riolu was watching her trainer with an intense gaze, suddenly her eyes flashed blue and an almost smoke-like effect surrounded her eyes, but it was really faint and almost unnoticeable to anyone that wasn't paying attention.

Riolu's eyes turned normal again and her mouth dropped.

Ralts cocked her head and studied the new wave of emotions that came from the blue Pokémon.

There was confusion and shock, followed by disgust, concern, and horror and again that was followed up by pity and distrust.

It was such an odd mixed bag of emotions that Ralts wondered what Riolu had seen with her special power.

The emotions of the Riolu slowly turned back to normal as she trailed behind the two, leaving their trainer unaware of what had just transpired.

Ralts decided that she had to ask Riolu what she had seen, though later when their trainer would be sleeping.

They reached the Pokémon Center without any conversation, everyone was apparently stuck in their own thoughts.

Ralts kept a careful eye on both her companions, there wasn't much going on with Riolu, she just felt sad and angry with a mix of curiosity thrown in from time to time.

Her trainer though… he was worrying right now, thinking about the problems the new Pokémon brought, beyond that layer he was thinking about other things, stressing and contemplating.

It concerned Ralts that the new Pokémon brought more trouble than she had expected.

She did realize that adjusting would take some time but this was a whole new level of hostility.

It was bothersome, yet her trainer insisted on keeping Riolu. Why couldn't it be a Pokémon without any problems?

Once they arrived at the Pokémon Center her trainer claimed a nice room for the night.

It was a small room with a big bed in the middle. There was an open window that overlooked the town and allowed fresh air to breeze through.

Ralts immediately jumped towards the bed and claimed her own spot, eagerly waiting for the meal her trainer would make.

"I'm gonna make something to eat, you want to watch some TV while you wait?" Dust kindly asked Riolu.

"No," her cold reply came.

"Want to play a game?"

"No."

Her trainer sighed, "Anything else you want to do?"

"I'll just sit here." Riolu grabbed one of the two white pillows and put it down in the corner.

She sat down and began...meditating?

Well, that would be her loss.

She gestured to her trainer for the Pokédex and her trainer absentmindedly gave it.

She opened it and navigated towards the radio. A random station was chosen and she began to listen.

Meanwhile, Dust began to make salad, nothing really fancy but when she was handed a bowl she eagerly took it.

Of course, she picked out the tomatoes first so she could eat them last.

Her trainer knelt down in front of Riolu with a bowl, "You like salad?"

"Do I have a choice?" She opened one eye.

He shrugged, "I can order some pizza if you want, or anything else really."

Despite her previous complaints, Riolu accepted the bowl and wordlessly began to eat.

Dust gave Riolu a contemplating look before eating himself. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes, though he wasn't sleeping. His emotions revealed that he was thinking.

"Hey Riolu," Dust asked suddenly.

He got up and moved towards the edge of the bed closest to Riolu.

"What?" Riolu asked, opening both her eyes.

"What do you think about a name?" Dust smiled gently.

"A name?" Riolu asked perplexedly.

"Well, something personal, a name that is yours." Dust mused, "Would you like one?"

Ralts stared aghast at the scene unfolding in front of her.

"You have something you want to be called?"

Ralts tried to figure out what he was thinking but his emotions didn't give a clue, only that he felt confident but that wasn't really indicating anything.

The feeling most likely indicated he was planning something but what?

"I guess that sounds nice," Riolu said hesitantly.

"Awesome," Dust nodded, "You got a name in mind?"

Ralts would be interested in the shift from distrust to confusion and curiosity that was surfacing in his mindscape, but she had her own emotions she had to deal with.

Riolu shook her head, "No, I don't really have an idea for my name."

"How about...Fay?" Dust offered, "What do you think of it?"

The black-blue Pokémon considered the idea for a few seconds and after a rather painful silence, she gave a curt nod.

"I could work with that," she said carefully, "Fay, doesn't sound too bad."

Ralts couldn't take it any longer.

She tapped her trainer on the back.

He turned around and Ralts sent a glare at him.

"How could you!" She tried to say but the language barrier caused only more confusion on Dust's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stupefied.

Ralts closed her eyes and tried to send the message telepathically."

{Jealousy}

Was she jealous?

Of course not!

Still, how could her trainer betray her like that?

"You want a name too?" He finally asked, slowly as if thinking it through before saying it.

{YES!} Ralts tried to send her bursting thoughts through, of course, she wants a special, hers only, given by him, unique and awesome name.

Why wouldn't she?

It was a heresy that Riolu got a name first.

"Huh," Dust said dryly, "Honestly I always thought that Gardevoir sounds pretty cool but if you insist."

Ralts eagerly nodded.

"Okay, then, I'll give you one," Dust said and Ralts released a sigh of relief.

With big eyes she faced her trainer, waiting for her own special name.

Her trainer avoided looking at her, instead, his eyes flew through the room, almost as if he was looking for something

(Dust)

Fuck FUCK FUCK FUCK.

What to name her?

Why does it feel like I'm dealing with a timebomb?

My eyes shot through the room, scraping it for the barest scraps of inspiration.

I only thought it was a good idea to give Riolu a name to distance her current self from the past self and to start a new future, all that shiz.

Honestly, I had no idea what to name Ralts.

I looked out of the window, having found no inspiration inside the room.

A full moon shone in the night sky, breaking through the dark clouds like a beacon from heaven.

"Luna!" I said.

(Ralts)

Ralts gasped.

A name!

"You like it?" Dust asked cautiously.

Instead of nodding she chose the easier route and lunged forward to give her trainer a big hug.

She loved the name Dust had given her.

And it was such a wise one too, she was sure it had a lot of meaning and he picked the name himself.

Ralts...no from now on it would be Luna.

Luna loved the name.

And Luna loved her trainer, more than anything in the world.

She remembered that fateful day she met him and how he rescued her from that hellhole. The despair she felt, the hopelessness.

That was the same day she promised herself that she would stay by his side and always be there for him.

She owed it to him. As she hugged her trainer she shot a look at the Riolu who was now apparently named Fay.

Now she only had to find a way to get rid of her.