Is There A Medic In The House?! (Catherine) [F]

[Morrigan]

Grinning as Joe began to stuff his mouth full of the chocolate she had handed to him, the young blonde was also doing the same. Munching loudly on the treats, she handed one or two to Atlas occasionally, even offering one to Voltek if he chose to accept it. Laughing at his words suddenly, she took a moment to swallow before replying. "Yeah! I always carry snacks around, you never know when the munchies are going to hit you." Despite wanting to be a nurse, Catherine didn't really follow a healthy diet. Whilst she was given meals when staying in a Pokemon Centre, anything other than that was quick packet snacks what required no actual thought process. In fact, Catherine was probably one of the last people you would want to invite into a kitchen. Munching a little more, she nodded a head to Joe at his next question, quickly handing the packet to Atlas before rummaging around in her small pouch like bag which sat on her belt. Pulling out a familiar gadget from earlier in the Rocket crisis, she gave Joe a simple explanation. "Nope, nope. I use this here! It's called a C-Gear, I was given it before I left Unova!" Standing next to his side, she leaned so that he could see better, whilst touching at the screen to show him many colourful screens. "See, with this I can call home!" Touching the side of the watch like item, a second screen popped out, "And, like, you can see eachother's faces! It's really really useful and it means that I dont miss home too much!" With how important this item was, she was quick to put it away again and sit back down, "I reaaally gotta be careful, if I break it then Mama might be a liiiiiiiiiittle bit angry with me!"

Now feeling content after that short interception of nibbles, she brushed her hands together wearily, a little upset that Joe was truly sticking to his guns when it came to Team Rocket. The way he grouped them all together as vile upon even accepting the large red R in the first place made her start thinking too. Scratching her cheek gently, she scrunched her mouth from side to side. "But... What if there are Rockets who like Pokemon and treat them nicely? Or maybe Rockets who chose that way because they felt lost and confused and the group tricked them into joining and now they can't get out?" Realising she had a list of very specific and random cases of why people would join Team Rocket, she shook her head. "Maybe they are just after easy money or strong Pokemon but don't really want to hurt people." Shaking her head, she knew that was atleast somewhat wrong. If Team Rocket were as infamous as Joe was picturing them to be, then anyone who willingly signed up knew they would be hurting either a person or a Pokemon somewhere down the line. Sighing heavily as if she had agreed with him, she looked to Joe and held up her index finger, as if indicating one. "On my journey, I wanna try and save atleast one person from Team Rocket. I'm sure that there are people who just need a guiding hand." Suddenly giggling, she playfully punched the air in front of her, "Unless you take down the core bad guys first, heehee!"

Imagining to herself that a Rocket would be calmly walking around, nice enough to talk to her and then easily persuaded enough to leave the group, her simple mind believed it to be possible. With the remembrance of 'Chuck' followed by the bemused look of Joe, Catherine decided to indulge him with information about her other friend. "Chuck is also from Unova, he even came from my hometown!... I don't remember seeing him there though." Trailing off, she decided not to think about it too deeply, "We came on the boat together. Well. Not together but I met him there! Heehee, my Pokemon tore his trouser leg and he got so angry, his face was so funny!" Taking a moment to laugh, she became excited as she remembered even more, "And then, we left Newbark Town and battled this Poochyena! I told him to capture it too!" Rubbing her nose as she looked all smug, she listed the final thing, "And we met at the Unova Festival too! It was when he told me that he was from Lacunosa, it was like we had a lot in common!" From this information, it was likely that Chuck was perhaps a boy around her age and gathering from her vague memories that they could've been considered friends. But as she stood up to explain his appearance, it might've come as a shock to Joey. "He is really tall but maybe a bit smaller than you? With short brown hair!" The first part sounding relatively normal, it was the next key features which really stood Chuck out from the rest, "He is older than both of us too, I think. He looks really grumpy and smokes aswell... Ooh, he also wears a reaaally smart white suit and super duper shiny shoes! Ooh oh and he carries this snazzy briefcase around, really business like!" Trying to do an impression of the man walking, she finally shot off the two final hints, "He also has an eyepatch and carries Prometheus around!" Suddenly slapping her forehead, she had completely forgotten something so vital. "Duh! Prometheus is Atlas' brother, a Pansear! I gave him to Chuck though because the two seemed to get along." If Joe had his thinking cap on, the man she just explained would sound mighty similar to one he had thrashed back in an Unova festival. "I wonder if they are both doing well." She pondered out loud.

Listening as Joe confirmed that he would not be making amends with his father and even further to imply that he would kill him, she felt so deflated. "I suppose you can't force someone to change their feelings." She mumbled sadly before forcing a smile upon looking at Joe, "I'm sorry Joey. And I'm sorry to your Mama. It's not fair for me to say things when I don't know what he has done, it's just... It would be so nice if you could make up without any fighting." Puffing out her cheeks suddenly, she pointed a finger to Joe, "But if he knows you are in Johto and wont face you himself, then that is mean of Papa! What if you actually wanted to fix things but he is just being a stubborn ol' meanie!" Nudging her hand playfully into his, she tilted her head, "You should deal with it in whatever way feels right. But don't get hurt and... Make sure that, if there is anything you want to say to him, to just say it. I wish I could've told my Papa I loved him loads! Mama and sis too, of course!"

Although Joe had tried to cheer her up with the idea of becoming a champion, it wasn't until he wrapped an arm around her that the girl perked up a little. As Atlas moved to one side to allow Joe to pat her head comfortingly, she merely nodded gently into his shoulder, sniffling ever so slightly as he moved away to look at her once more. Feeling a lot better after a hug, it had been a while since she had human interaction. Most of the time she would hug her mother countless times during the day but this was the first in what seemed like months. "I know they are. Heehee, it's why I wanna help others so much! I know they would be mad if I just sat around getting upset... Thanks Joey!" Rubbing her arm gently across her face to wane away any further emotions, she looked up upon hearing Voltek mumble. Standing in her line of sight was a curvaceous biker chick with striking face paint and impressive hair. "Wow... Beautiful..." Unfortunately, Calistra's words to Catherine were not so kind but she wasn't completely stupid. Staring right back into the eyes of Calistra, she certainly helped the young nurse cool down in temperature, her intimidating glare sending shivers right down her spine and causing her face to turn from her flushed red to incredibly pale. Putting two and two together in the form of Calistra's wild colours and striking glare, Catherine smiled warmly, "You almost had me fooled there. Wow... A real Zoroark." Doing something what none of them would expect, even Atlas was forced to jump off her shoulder and onto the side of Joe's bed, turning worriedly at the sudden movements of his trainer.

Bowing in her chair, she hung her head apologetically. "On behalf of Unova, I deeply apologise for what humans have done to your species." Although her words were basic and knowledge of poaching scarce, she really did mean it from the heart. "People have taken your powers for granted. They have gotten greedy and in return, you have all suffered for it. Having to use illusions to avoid danger when really, you should be able to move about freely. In peace." Finally sitting back up, it appeared that Catherine knew exactly what turn this conversation was taking, now that Calistra had made herself known. Even this happy-go-lucky girl could be serious in desperate times... Or maybe she was just secretly terrified of the aura oozing from the Zoroark. Regardless, she shot Calistra a look of pure determination, "But there are humans out there who want to help you, too. We aren't all evil and heartless. I will protect Pokemon and one day, Zorua will be able to walk around freely without fear. I really, really do promise that." Pausing as the dark beauty began to speak of the tale, Catherine soon realised that maybe Calistra had appeared due to her tale and not the fact that she was just a vile Unovan.

Nodding slowly to her words, Catherine turned her attention to Joe, who most likely was utterly confused by all of this. "Then, let me start from the beginning, from what I heard growing up." Thinking back to how the stories were told, she began, "There is a legend in Lacunosa, one saying that a giant meteorite fell from the sky containing a monster. Hmm... I suppose it would be similar to how Clefairy are rumoured to have arrived in Kanto from space, too." Nodding her head as she mused he might atleast know that, she continued, "Anyway, this... Icy monster was said to visit the town in the dead of night, bringing chilling winds as it stole away both people and Pokemon. To eat them! So the people worked together to build a wall around the town and also set up a rule which forbid anyone to leave their homes after a certain hour... Hah... I really wished we had listened to our parent's warning." Looking down sadly momentarily, she turned back to Joe as she finished off the tale. "Behind Lacunosa is an area called the Giant Chasm, the wall was built to keep them both separated. Through time, it has been known as a place which brings disaster, so naturally, the wall around the town has always been kept up. It is there that this meteorite was supposed to land. Apparently it is a massive crater surrounded by a labyrinth of trees. Many trainers struggle to travel through it during the day so there aren't many reports or information about the area." Looking back to Calistra, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, "But if what you say is true then... The creature really exists." Slumping slightly, the mere memory of the creature's cry caused Catherine to grapple onto her forehead, trying to hide her sudden grimace, "I can still hear that horrid scream from that night. No matter how hard I try, I can never match recordings of Pokemon cries to the noise I heard. It's as if it doesn't exist in any records. There are too many orphaned children AND Pokemon because of this beast." Relinquishing her grasp from her head, she slid back in her chair solemnly, it was clear she had researched deeply into this legend. "Kyurem."

[The REAL Joey]

Visibly fretting at the sudden inclusion of Calistra, he knew this had the potential to take a turn for the worse. Catherine was childlike in her actions and also hailed from Unova. A fatal mix considering that Calistra despised humans from the region. Hoping that the two would pass like ships in the night, he sat forward, ready to jump between them in case things kicked off. Surprisingly, Catherine made a very sincere apology. Still on tenterhooks, Joey watched at Calistra's reaction. Taken off guard regardless by seeing through her illusion, the kitsune like Pokemon stood back up and glared down at her from the corner of her eyes. Listening to her words, the Zoroark eventually turned on her heel and looked in the opposite direction with her back facing the group. Folding her arms and digging her claw like nails into her arm, she looked fleetingly over the top of her shoulder. "Hmph. Part of me wants to claw your eyes out for mocking me with your apology and yet..." Trailing off she shook her head. She was distrusting of all humans, wishing even to the point that a horrible fate would befall them all but even she could sense the radiant sincerity that the girl shone with.

Deciding to leave behind what she had bought up, Calistra turned around again and instead pursued with the tale of Kyurem. From her perspective, the empty void was just as bad as the humans of Unova. Fully understanding what had happened to Catherine's family, Calistra bit her tongue to stop herself from revealing the gruesome fate that befell them. Instead she picked up on something that appeared to be a gap in her story. "Your human version of the tale is not completely right. The frostwyrm is a result of the great dragon dividing. On one hand, it became a beacon of truth, the other, ideals. Leaving behind the zombie like husk that fell from the stars." Although she didn't show the slightest hint of nostalgia, the very mention of locales and legends from Unova had made her somewhat homesick. "The forest within the great chasm was where a great number of our tribe scouts were lost. Attempting to venture to find a sanctuary in order to get away from the humans. It was futile. We took our chances with the humans instead." Keeping her piercing glare, she concluded the fate of those who dared to explore. "Those scouts... All lost to the boundless void." Finally coming to his senses, Joey shook his head and cut in abruptly. "Woah woah woah... Back up a few yards. You're saying there's some dragon zombie that fell outta space and was left to snack... Umm... Terrorise the region?!"

Having coming from Kanto, a place where legends were exactly that, it was a revelation that surprised Joey to the core. "Nobody tried beating that monster?! It doesn't sound real." Shooting her eyes at Joey, Calistra cut him off curtly. "Please. Many tried. It came to the point where it was best left alone. As the pup said, the Lacunosians built a great wall and instructed strict laws on when to retire. We of the wild were no match for a beast of that magnitude." Pulling a face, Joey didn't like the sound of how defeated it had left people. "Heh, maybe that's because when you lot tried facing it you didn't have a mean son of a gun like me. Why I feel darn tempted to drop what i'm doin' here and set sail to slay the dragon." Strolling forward, Calistra gave him a fierce slap as if to make him regain his senses. "Idiot. You'd only get yourself killed. This monster is not some gaggle of human tripe, it is best left to wander and kept at distance." Rubbing his cheek from where he had been slapped, Joey looked to Catherine and sighed. "Don't worry. Maybe one day we'll get revenge on whatever caused so much pain for you."

Taking a seat in another spare seat in the room, Calistra folded a leg over the other and laid the palms of her hands on the arm rests of her chair. Seemingly watching over how Joey and Catherine interacted, it appeared as if she was taking a back seat to observe. Remembering what she had mentioned about a certain individual, Joey pulled a contemplative face. "Didn't you say you had bumped into someone else from this err... Lacunosa place?" He queried. Before he could ask anything more about the male, Joey had a sudden look of unwelcome realisation crop over his expression. From everything she had described, that was in no way a mistake. That very same description matched with the scumbag he had bumped into in the Unova festival. Pansear and all! "Errr say... This Chuck guy. You notice anythin' suspicious about him? Kinda get the feelin' I met him is all..." Hoping not to alarm her, he was pretty sure the guy was in with the wrong crowd. The exact wrong crowd Joey had been warning Catherine all about. From the whimsical way she spoke about him, it was clear that he had left an impression on the young girl. Knowing if he pushed to hard to make her leave him well enough alone, the plan might backfire.

Leaning back into his bed, Joey let out a huge puff of a sigh and yawned. "Y'know, it's been an exhausting day. Gettin' the tar kicked outta ya is one thing but hearing about zombie monsters falling from the sky is another." Feeling himself doze off a little, it wasn't long before he fell asleep again. "That is perhaps the first time I have seen Joey fall asleep so easily." Noticed Voltek as he settled into his chair comfortably, looking somewhat tired himself. With silence falling over the room, the ticking sound of the clock became apparent. The time had certainly drawn on late. It would have been tempting to fall asleep too had it not been for the watchful gaze of the figure sitting in the chair staring intently at Catherine. Shattering the silence, Calistra spoke out bluntly. "Leave."

[Morrigan]

With Catherine having lifted her head, large emerald green eyes staring directly at Calistra, she was eagerly awaiting the Pokemon's response. By no means was Calistra the only one to be poached, there were likely hundreds to thousands of Pokemon suffering the same fate on a daily basis. But maybe due to living in an area where they were known to habitat, that Catherine was overly apologetic to this species in particular. Watching as the humanoid Calistra turned away and shot her a glare, Catherine took in her words, face slightly flinching as it wasn't the answer she particularly wanted. Obviously this Zoroark had been through much worse than this naive nurse had anticipated that or she was just stubborn and locked into the mind set of hating people forever. Turning her gaze back to Joe, she noticed that he was on edge. Smiling softly and shaking her head, she seemed to get the picture and decided it was safer to not press ahead any further.

Instead, she gripped a layer of her dress and lent forward as Calistra began to fill in on any gaps in her story. If there was one thing Catherine took seriously, it was information, particularly on this legend. Amazed she was able to hear the perspective of the legend from a Pokemon's point of view, she suddenly turned her head with a frown, "Truth and... Ideals?" The two words rang alarm bells as she shifted through her head trying to remember but before she could round up her thoughts, Calistra delved into her past somewhat. Eyes widening in horror of hearing the disaster that fell upon her tribe, Catherine sighed heavily. It just wasn't fair, how could there be such a vile creature loose in the world? Remaining quiet as Joey finally decided to chip in, she exchanged glances between the pair as they bantered, even grimacing painfully as Calistra strolled forward to give him a firm slap. Shaking her head, she tried to affirm Joey that it was safer to stay away, "No. Miss Zoroark is right. It is better to stay away than try to fight it! There have been so little who have survived an encounter with it that it is practically nonexistent. Only a few Unovan's still believe it is real. Others block it out and would rather just forget... These days, it really is just an old legend, even though there are always cases of missing people and Pokemon... Sometimes, fear just takes over." She then pointed a finger to Calistra whilst looking to Joe, "And you heard what she said. Multiple Zorua were lost to this creature. There is no doubt that you have seen her powers by now so just imagine that but multiplied more and more. It is not possible to even imagine how powerful a tribe of illusionists could be. But... It took them all out. And even other Pokemon too! Some have to live in the forest because there is no where else for them to go! I can only imagine each and every minute being terrifying for them." Easing into a smile, she shook her head, "It's nice that you would want to help us. Though this is something that both the people and Pokemon of Unova need to solve. Together."

Trailing off, she felt relieved to get so much off of her chest. So much so that the reminder of Chuck brought a big smile to her face. "Chuck is a really swell guy!" She grinned, amazingly not reading the reports that clearly stated he had been in numerous crimes back in Unova. Her thirst for knowledge hadn't really gone past that of Pokemon just yet. Noting that Joe was being a bit cautious with his words, she figured that he must have a reason for sounding so suspecting. Crossing her arms and swaying from left to right as if deep in thought, she ended with a smile, "Nope! He can be a bit grumpy but he looks after Pro, so I don't mind too much. Ooh, I guess he likes black coffee too. Bleuargh!" Being one to like the sweeter treats in life, the idea of tasting something so bitter made her face cringe.

Not even noticing the time, at this rate it must've already been quite late. Catherine had originally left the Pokemon Centre in the late even for some snacks and by now it was well into the night. Almost in time with his own, Catherine covered her mouth with a hand, yawning just as loudly, if not more so than Joe. She may have been a trainer but it wasn't often that this young girl stayed up so late. "Of course! Sorry for keeping you awake, Joey!" Her apology fell on deaf ears as the biker instantly fell asleep, leaving the girl in the care of both Voltek and Calistra. Dropping her head sleepily, Calistra gave her a bit of a startle as she bluntly called out, "R-RIGHT MA'AM!" She cried, jumping to her feet. Calming down, she rubbed her eyes tiredly and leaned forward to pick up her things, nudging Atlas who had long since slumped on the side of Joey's bed, stealing some of his warmth, "It's time to go, Atlas." She whispered softly, the grass ape nodding as he droop into her spare arm.

Taking a step forward, she smiled warmly at Joe before approaching the door and then turning back to his two Pokemon. "Goodnight Mr Electivire, you too Miss Zoroark!" Gripping onto the handle, she paused momentarily. There was still something she wanted to say and she didn't know if she would be welcomed back in the morning. Still holding onto the door, she turned to Calistra. "I can't even start to imagine what sort of things you went through and I know that it is hard to learn to trust again. But, please realise that not all humans are the same. Joey is a little silly and fights a lot but he really is kind deep down, I can just tell. Look after him, okay?" Finishing with a warming grin, the door clicked open and with it, Catherine stepped outside, closing it swiftly behind her. As she soon on the other side, she sighed before walking off into a different section of the Pokemon Centre. Relocating to a room she was staying in, the girl wasted no time in throwing her equipment to one side and jumping into the warmth of her own bed. Placing Atlas carefully down on the side of her pillow, she rubbed her face as she settled down. It had been a long night, a roller coaster of emotions and letting a lot of things slip that even a chatterbox like her would usually keep under locks. Joey was strange, that was for sure, even though she had just met him, she felt as if it were safe to talk about anything with him. Sniffling a little to herself, she buried her head under the pillow, disturbing the tired Atlas who could sense her sorrow and clung onto her tightly. Quickly falling asleep despite her heart ache, it was best for her to just rest.

--

As the rest of the night rolled through, it wasn't until midday the next morning that Catherine finally stirred again. "My, my head hurts." She grumbled tiredly, shielding her eyes from the radiant sun which shone through the window and hit her face mercilessly. Atlas also grunted as he emerged from the other end of the sheets, staggering up to Catherine's end before slumping forward in defeat. Laying in the same spot, she recalled the previous day's events, making her abruptly sit up in bed, "JOEY! WHAT TIME IS IT?!" Throwing her covers off, the girl began to rush around hurriedly. She wasn't sure if Joe's was able to get discharged today but if he was, he'd probably be long gone by now. Hopping awkwardly around the room as she tried to put her stockings on whilst brushing her hair, she eventually made herself look somewhat presentable before dashing out of her room with Atlas in tow. Making it to the outside of the same emergency room, Catherine puffed her cheeks as the window on the door was covered up, meaning she couldn't look inside. "Ooh no, ooh no, what if he has gone?!" She stammered, gripping to the sides of her head, "I like, didn't say goodbye or sorry or anything! Why am I a doofus?!" Yet she still could've knocked, something was stopping her, a mixture of nerves and fear. "What if he doesn't remember me and I'm just like, some fleeting dream? A-Ah, I'm scared Atlas!" Hovering outside his door, she was certainly making a racket by speaking out loud and hopping about.

[The REAL Joey]

Not meeting eyes with her Calistra's head turned slightly as she looked in the vague direction of where Catherine stood, taking in her woods with a strong impression of disinterest. Saying nothing as Catherine spoke, by the time the girl had finished Calistra looked dead on ahead and said nothing. Just before the door clicked open, she spoke out abruptly. "Wait." She bluntly stated. Making sure Catherine was going nowhere, she continued on at her own leisurely place. "The dimwit male and I have an understanding of one another. I dislike him as I do all humans. I find your kind to be very poison to the existence of nature. You rape, pillage and destroy everything you touch. And yet you seem to think you're faultless." Her eyes adjusting to focus on the slumbering Joey, she continued. "Whilst he may be of your despicable kin, he has proven himself time and time again. Not only to me but to his comrades and other humans and Pokemon alike. Putting himself in harm's way to do what is right." Finally looking up to Catherine, she gave her another intense death stare. "You have yet to prove any such feats to me." Watching her off as the young Catherine vacated the room and closed the door behind her, the aloof Calistra let out a rare sign of emotion as she sighed to herself.

Having pretend to be asleep, Voltek opened one eye and spoke out to Calistra, despite knowing she would more than likely lash out at him. "You know full well she is cut from the same cloth as our Joe. A girl such as she, she's pure. There is no evil intention behind her. I dislike humans too. But not all of them. A majority are nothing but power hungry buffoons but there are those who would fight for our combined futures." Glaringly exasperatedly, Calistra replied coldly. "If I weren't so keen on you, I would have slashed you a thousand fold over. Hmph. What you say is your opinion. You're entitled to it." Leaning back in her chair and pulling her legs up to hug them, she spoke out to Voltek. "...It was nice to hear of Unova itself. I'm a little homesick..." Voltek nodded knowingly. He too had been snatched away whilst in his youth. "Not a day goes by where I don't recall the fun I used to have in that wonderful power plant. All the cables I could feast on energy to my heart's content... Still long for the day we'll wind up there." As if nursing the fond memories in his mind, Voltek finally drifted off as he sprawled outwards, slipping off the chair slightly. Letting out a cheerful chuckle, Calistra nestled her chin at the tip of her knees. "I'm being weak... I'm even thinking of that little runt... Oh Tenebrae..." Her eyes closing aflutter, she soon drifted off with the rest of the group.

As the next day rolled on forwards, the member's of Joey's group that had slept outside of their Pokeballs, were still sound asleep despite how late it was getting into the day. The bright light peeping through the blinds did little to stir them. It was only when the hapless musings of Catherine outside did begin to sound that a member of the group woke up with a groan, stretching out contently before getting to their feet. Hiding behind the door, they whisked it open as Catherine spoke her fears. Standing before them, or rather towering above them, was Voltek. Looking down at them, his pleasant smiling beamed at them. "Catherine and Atlas. Good of you to have stayed around. Maybe you will have better luck at waking up those sleepyheads." Moving aside, he gave them enough space to come in. To anyone entering the room, they would have been greeted with an interesting sight. Calistra had become so deeply relaxed in her sleep that she had regained her true form and was sprawled comfortably over the rests of the chair, sleeping peacefully. Joe on the other hand looked as if he was practising all the special training his mentor had instructed to him in years gone past in one single act of movement. Laying in what looked like an uncomfortable mess, it was at least reassuring his injuries were not so severe that he could sleep like an absolute maniac.

"Perhaps give them a nudge." Mused Voltek. His impressive forearms gesturing at Joey.

[Morrigan]

Acting all skittish on the other side of the door, Catherine turned her back just as Voltek grasped the door handle. Lifting Atlas into the air above her, she shook him around as her hands gripped around his frail body, "Atlas, what are we gonna do?! We're never gonna see Joey again! HE IS GONE FOREVER!" Making noises as his body was shook too and fro, in his blurred vision he noticed something big a yellow standing right behind Catherine. Trying to find the words to speak, she suddenly pulled the Pansage in closer, clutching onto him for dear life, "I suppose... It is time to move on!" She spoke out theatrically. Taking a step forward, she flung an arm out in front of her, raising her voice in an excessively dramatic way and drawing the attention of other people in the Pokemon Centre, "I may have lost a friend but I shall never stop adventuring!" Sighing with pure embarrassment, Atlas tapped her shoulder, "No Atlas! I must temporarily mourn!" Fake sobbing into her hand, she finally turned to where her partner was pointing, her complete visage changing as her eyes met with Voltek. Straightening out her back and eyes gleaming, she grinned, "Ooh! Hello Mr. Electivire!"

Seemingly forgetting everything she had just done, the girl skipped forward cheerfully, raising a hand and rubbing his fluffy fur in a comforting manner. "I thought you might've been gone by now! Is Joey okay?" Without realising it, the fluffiness of Voltek's fur had her move in closer, giving him a hug. "Ahh! This must be heaven feels like!" She said in a dream like state, her body not moving an inch. Merely second later, a huge snore escaped her lips. She had managed to fall straight to sleep, whilst standing, just by coming in contact with the warmth of Voltek. Hiding his face in his hands, Atlas clambered to the top of Catherine's head, raising his hand to try and get the attention of Voltek's face, "G-Good morning to you, too! S-Sorry about this. She, she was s-so worried that y-you guys had left, s-she just charged out the room!" Rubbing his head, Atlas made a nervous, wiggly smile, "S-She must be so r-relieved that you are s-still here. O-One moment." Wearily looking away, Atlas clambered back down onto her shoulder, giving the blonde a firm nudge in the face. With a couple stern taps, her eyes bolted open along with her mouth. "Can I come get my refunding and my changey?!" She blurted out at the speed of light, who even knew what she was dreaming about. Yawning tiredly, she pushed herself up from what she thought was her pillow, until she remembered that she was standing and what was her pillow was actually Voltek.

"WO-WOAH! Sorry about that, chum!" Now looking at the Electivire dead in the eyes, on closer inspection they seemed a bit bloodshot as if she had trouble settling the night before. Blinking once or twice, she let out another yawn and rubbed her eyes before stepping into the room alongside Voltek. But as she removed her hands, the sight caused her to jump back into a strange, surprised position. Sprawled over in the strangest position she had ever seen, the girl tilted her head to one side, a look of full blown confusion plastered across her face, "Can humans even make that shape?" she questioned in a blunt, monotone. She also picked up on the presence of Calistra, which immediately made her cover her mouth with both of her hands. The Zoroark was angry enough last night and she certainly didn't want to wake her up only to actually have her eyes gorged out this time. Tip toeing quickly to the other side of the bed where Joe was sleeping, she looked up to see Voltek opening his arms as if gesturing to wake him up. Looking cautiously over to Calistra again, she had to be subtle about this.

To begin with, she merely looked over Joe, appearance wise he looked a lot better than he did yesterday, he wasn't as red and bruised atleast. Still, she had to be careful not to hurt him or brush past a sore spot. Pushing a finger into his cheek, she paused for a response, only to do it again when he didn't budge at all. Poking him multiple times, she looked past the stubbly feel and blinked, "His face is so elasticy and bouncy." Taking a mental note, she moved onto his shoulder and gave that a firm poke, only to jump back some, "And he has loads of muscle too!" Going back to his shoulder and gave him a slightly stronger nudge, "Joey! Joey!" She spoke out in a harsh whisper close to his ear. Folding her arms and wearing a pout, she shot a knowing look to Atlas which caused her to grin wildly, "Tickle!" As if by reflex of hearing a command, Atlas jumped off of her shoulder and landed beside Joe's head, tickle at his nose whilst Catherine's nimble fingers went for his waist. For someone who was actually nervous of waking Calistra, this could end horribly if Joe turned out to be ticklish.

[The REAL Joey]

Standing there as he received a warm, affectionate cuddle, Voltek froze inwards as he wasn't too sure how to process his reaction. As great a trainer as Joey was, there was no level of affection as this level. It wasn't a bad feeling. He was just unaware of how to respond. Raising a hand, he patted her gently on the back before responding to Atlas. "It's fine. A lot was said last night. A bond has definitely been made, comrade." As Atlas eventually distracted Catherine long enough, Voltek moved to the side as she went off to explore where Joey was slumbering. "You have great ability to make a strong willed girl such as her follow your bidding." Noted Voltek as he saw her stride off. Moving back over to his seat, the sasquatch like beast relaxed himself as he watched Catherine's plan to try and get Joey to wake up. "Good luck. None of us have ever been able to wake him up. We just leave him to it. Which..." Looking up to the clock, the Electivire gestured to a late time of afternoon. "Is very late into the day."

Grunting and snoring as Catherine made some futile attempts at trying to stir the almost comatose biker, he wriggled around into even more of an awkward position to try and shrug off her probing. It was only when Catherine's Atlas leapt into action with his tickle attack did Joey begin to stir. Proving to be an expert in the art of tickling, the monkey had to wait barely any time at all before the biker began to react. Letting out an arduous moan, he then started laughing erratically as he came to his senses. By the time the laughter had set in, he almost sprung up in the air and landed down with his rear on the bed, sitting upright. "I'M UP SENSEI! GETTTT OFFFFFFF!" Blinking wildly, he realised that the weird wake up call was not his old master but merely Catherine and her Pansage. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh." He blurted out in realisation. "Now if that ain't the weirdest wake up call I ever had. Heh. Y'alright?" Stretching out his arms as he yawned. "Pheweeee... What a night. I feel loads better. Hell, i'm starving never mind broken ribs!!" His stomach letting out a roar which would have put a Snorlax to shame, he stood up without any sign of pain.

Stepping to the door, he realised he was only wearing his jeans. Topless from having had his clothes removed, it was only when some of the bandages loosened slightly that he realised how he had been parading around. "Oh! Hm. Dammit. Never can find my top in the morning..." Joey muttered as he began looking around. On the off chance Calistra was sleeping on top of it, he gave her a firm nudge to which the illusion fox let out a vicious hiss as she woke up with a start. "Don't EVER wake me up in such a manner you uncouth plebeian!" Hopping forward with a swirl of the world around her, she transformed from her true form into that of her human one again. Her expression materialising, it was evident she was less than pleased with the rude awakening. She was steaming. Brushing aside her annoyance, Joey laughed triumphantly. "Aha! Gotcha. Guess they just threw this on the side without thinkin'." Pulling over his top onto him, he smiled as he looked down at the Iron Aggron print on the front. "Their best album, without a doubt." Turning around he headed for the door and it became clear how much of a tramp he was. Unwashed, holey and in a sorry state, it was obvious he lived rough from route to route.

"I'm thinkin' next stop breakfast." Shuffling out, he didn't even wait for a response. Shouting out back down the hallway Joey had a thought cross over his mind in the night past. Catherine was definitely aiming to make a storm in the medical profession and he couldn't help but remember fruity little Yumina who was back at his warehouse. Although the link between nursing and healing with nurses and the Chansey line wasn't the real parallel he had drawn. It was more down to Catherine and Yumina both being absolutely downright CRAZY. Thinking the Pokemon would enjoy her company, he felt as if a gift was in order. "I also might happen t'have somethin' you'll enjoy. C'mon!" With the canteen being not far off, he sped away to get a selection of food to devour. Walking past out to the corridor, Voltek shook his head. "Might want to make a break for it, if Joey gets first dibs on everything there'll be nothing left." He mused bluntly. Leaving Calistra alone with Catherine and Atlas, she turned her head without saying a word and followed after silently.

[Morrigan]

Keeping their tickling assault up as Joe tried to shrug it off at first, they both bolted back in unison as the biker let out a series of laughter before bolting up right. As he shouted out loud, Catherine was caught off guard at first, blinking her large eyes slowly at him. Clambering right up her trainer, Atlas hid slightly behind Catherine's head, sighing nervously, "M-Maybe that was unfair, C-Catherine." Shaking her head to try and wave away any uncertainty from her monkey, the girl held up her hand, "Woah! We've been promoted to sensei! SOCIAL LINK RANK UP!" High fiving her Pansage playfully, who in turn look at his hand confused, she finally turned back to Joe who had regain his senses and was a bit more aware of his surroundings. "Morning Joey! How do you feel today? Ready to grab the Tauros by the horns?!" Noting the sound of his stomach, a hand naturally went to her own and whilst it didn't make any sounds, she could tell that it was empty and yearning for food.

"My gut tells me... I am hungry too!" Wiggling around on the spot excitedly at the idea of what yummy treats could be in store for her, she smiled blankly as Joe stood up from the bed, only to have her vision promptly covered by Atlas. Giving Joe a look as if to say spare her innocent eyes, Catherine couldn't really help look as she was temporarily blinded. Listening to him rummage around, she pointed her finger into the air and made an obscene, dopey grin, "Yeah, find your clothes big bro! You might-- PEC someone's eyes out! Get it?! PEC? PECS?! Hah. hah. HAH." Laughing robotically at her own joke and through the venomous hiss that the now awoken Calistra made to Joey, Catherine's vision was once again returned as Atlas noted it was now safe for her youthful eyes to see. "Morning Miss Zoroark!" She called out cheerfully despite seeing she was visibly fuming. Not thinking about it too much, Catherine had noticed one their first meeting that Joey was particularly scruffy and without his jacket, the rips in his shirt were more noticeable. Guessing that he just REALLY liked this shirt, she was hardly going to go about questioning people's fashion when she herself hardly wore the norm.

Having spent too long contemplating fashion, she noticed that Joe was no longer in the room. Looking around from left to right, she heard his voice calling out from the corridor and then further, Voltek and Calistra leaving after him. Jogging on the spot, she could hardly be left behind. Making a dash out of the room, the young nurse charged past both of his Pokemon, running in order to catch up with Joe, "RUN. TO. THE CAN-TEEEEEEEEN! RUN. FOR. YOUR. LIIIiiiIIIIFFFEEE!" Singing a possible familiar song at the top of her voice, with a bit of a Catherine flare, it would make no sense for such a girl to know of the band he wore on his shirt, right? Running against the Pokemon Centre floor with her arms stretched out like that of an airplane, it didn't take long for her to catch up to Joe. "VROOOOOOM!" Zooming around the back of him, she span slightly before taking over and pushing the cafeteria door open with both of her hands.

Going on ahead, she pranced over to the counter where a buffet of food was available for the taking. It was amazing that there was so much on offer considering the time of the day but it was most likely constantly stocked up. Licking her lips, she ignored what was before her and instead skipped over to a counter on the side, waving to a lone Chansey with a hat on who in return, waved back. It was clear from their friendliness that Catherine had been in Violet for a while. "I want some pancakes and waffles please, Miss Chansey!" Chirping knowingly back, the large pink Pokemon turned back and called out in her own Chansey cry, a rather comical sight of multiple Chansey working in the kitchens calling back, one of them beginning to mix up some pancake mixture. Hopping up and down in excitement, she turned to see Joey and the others had also entered, "Joey! Joey! There is so much food! Don't eat it all okay, save me loads too, I can eat more than you I betcha!" Considering her manic behaviour, it wasn't unusual that her stomach could be a bottomless pit and having an eating contest with her being a bad idea. All this energy of hers had to be coming from somewhere.

[The REAL Joey]

Dawning upon Joey that Catherine had just about as much appetite as he, the rebellious biker eyed over at the Chansey who was whipping up a storm as she bought together ingredients and neared completion with the pancakes. Sitting down at a table, Joey casually leaned across it without so much a care for the space of others. "I can't make any promises there. Any time I get my ass handed to me I need some comfort eatin' hahahaha!" Grinning happily, his mood was mirrored by the radiant shine of light outside. It hadn't been picturesque last night but today was completely different. "Breakie is the most important meal of the day, y'know? That's why I eat stacks of food." As Voltek and Calistra sat in the adjacent seats, the scene was filling up. "Can't wait for a stack o' pancakes... Flooded with Combee honey!" His mouth salivating, the biker spaced out slightly. It was only with a sudden jolt did he re-emerge from his daydream as a sudden clang of plates onto the table bought about a mountainous supply of waffles and pancakes. Rubbing his hands together greedily, he sized up the bounties before him. "IT'S FEASTIN' TIME!!"

Grabbing at the jug on one of the trays, Joey poured over the thick, syrupy honey goodness that treacled over the food in enticing motion. As it dripped further over the load of food in front of him in slow motion, the presentation was interrupted as Joey picked up the cutlery and launched full force into chomping down on the food. Cutting a huge stack of pancakes with a deft slice of his knife, fork keeping them orderly and in check, it wasn't long before they ended up in his gob. Chewing furiously, his mouth felt as if it was becoming stuck together as the honey acted like adhesive. "Mmmmf... Mmmfff...CHOMP... MMMMMF!" He struggled to speak through his filled up mouth. Gently munching at some Pokefood, Voltek delicately picked up a handful before commentating on Joey's ever recurring behaviour. "I believe he's trying to say this tastes pretty damn fine." Filling his mouth up, Voltek munched away as his eyes wandered over to the jug of honey. Curious over the substance, he decided to pick it up and examine. His big red eyes taking in the sight, he did what was only natural and decided to take a sip. Lifting it up to his mouth, the Pokemon let the honey slip back from the depths of the jug to his mouth. What should have only been a gentle savouring turned into a devouring gulp as he emptied one of the honey jugs. "THIS FLAVOUR!" Standing up, his muscles bulging as he posed heroically, it appeared the Electivire had come across the wonders of honey.

Rolling her eyes, Calistra tapped the tips of her red nails along the surface of her tail as she tried to keep herself from lashing out at the juvenile antics of her team mates. Sighing, it appeared she wasn't even bothered by the sight of food. Pushing a plate that had been placed near her away, she eyed Joey in an annoyed manner. Thankfully, his jammed jaw overcame the ordeal. With a herculean swallow, he let out a gasp of relief. "Ahhhhh... Best pancakes this side o' Johto." Patting his belly, he began tucking into some more of the breakfast servings, although, with a little bit more restraint this time. Picking up on how Catherine seemed to have such a warm liking of the Chansey that was serving behind the counter. "Say, i've only really seen Atlas with ya. I'm guessing you have more than just him, right? You got anything from the Happiny line?" Hoping to test the waters, casually dropping the line in conversation would help ascertain whether or not Catherine would like to take on Yumina. "I came across one in my travels." Taking another bite of some of the waffles, he wrestled with it between his mouth and fork before swallowing. Glaring a little, the name of Happiny being bought up made Calistra a little uneasy. "Not... Oh no..." She mumbled woefully.

[Morrigan]

Looking over to Joe as he joined her at the table, the young girl couldn't quite hold in her excitement as she began bouncing up and down in her seat. Atlas had long since jumped onto the table's surface beside her, yawning tiredly and resting the side of his head on his hand, momentarily dozing off whilst breakfast was being prepared. "I love Chansey Pancakes! They are extra sweet! It must be their special healing eggs, yummity YUM!" As everyone was now seated at the table, Catherine flung her arms into the air victoriously as the same Chansey began bringing over trays of food. Nudging Atlas ever so gently, the Pansage wearily opened his eyes, accepting the small bowl of food she offered him and began nibbling away. As everyone else began to tuck in, Catherine merely sat there with an extra large grin, it turned out hers wasn't quite ready yet, "Yeah! Breakfast is important! So let's eat lots and lots!"

Watching the biker beginning to eat, the way he was preparing his pancakes had her licking her lips aswell. Piled high and drizzled in delicious honey, her stomach grumbled angrily as if demanding her own food too. With Joe chomping happily through his own pancakes, Catherine's gaze moved over to Voltek as he lifted up the jug of honey curiously. "Ah! That's honey, Mr. Electivire! It's really delicious!" Eyes widening as he chugged the honey back as though it was water, she cheered as he suddenly stood up, clearly pleased with what he had tasted, "Yeah! That's the stuff, right?!" Suddenly standing to her feet herself, she looked past the others at the table to see a Chansey slowly approaching the group. What could only be described as a behemoth of a tower being carried over, the pink Pokemon placed a humongous stack of pancakes and waffles in front of Catherine. "Thank you Chansey! I love your cooking!" Chirping happily up to the girl as she lent forward to hold the Chansey's arms, Catherine looked the Pokemon in the eye. "Today, I am gonna be moving onto Azalea. I'll miss you loads but I'll be back to visit, I promise!" Surprisingly, the Chansey gave a sad look to Catherine, the pair embracing each other in a warm hug before deciding it was best to return to her post at the counter.

Finally taking a seat, it was a bit harder to see Catherine, as an obscene amount of pancakes were now towering in front of her. A little different to Joe's, the way they were placed on the plate was almost as if they were trying to mimic a shape, "Heehe, I love Chansey's special pancake castle!" Layered with a mixture of honey, chocolate spread, whipped cream and strawberries, it was easily enough sugar to last someone a lift time and that didn't include the second plate, "And Princess Waffles!" If you didn't like sweet things, it looked like a pure nightmare. Stabbing a fork into a waffle shaped into a triangle, as if trying to be a dress, she took a massive chomp and seemingly melted, "So delicious!" Quickly becoming quiet as she began to devour the mountain of food before her, she took note of Joe's words and nodded with a gulp, licking off a bit of cream in the corner of her mouth. "I have loads of Pokemon! You wanna see?!... I just keep Atlas out with me because he is always so shy, I'm trying to break him outta his shell! He think his brother is better than him but it's not true, you are just as amazing, Atlas!" Not even hiding this fact and just sharing it with the world, Atlas staggered back in surprise. Blushing deeply at how embarrassed he now felt, he turned his back to the group and drooped his ears, eating sadly. "B-But, I do w-want to be strong... I-I'm just s-scared--" His words only being barely audible, it became quickly apparently he had deep confidence issues.

Catherine's ears soon perking up at the mention of a Happiny, she suddenly squealed "HAPPINY!" at the top of her voice. Laughing, she rearranged herself on the chair so she could see Joe a little better. "Nope! I have an Audino but I wanna get a Blissey one day. It's my goal to get one!" Looking up to the ceiling with an air of ambition about her, she took a few more bits of her monstrous tower of food, coughing somewhat as Joe revealed to have one. "W-WOAH! REALLY?! YOU HAVE ONE?" Leaning over the table towards him to show her amazement, she soon backed down, "It sounds like you have aaaall the Pokemon in the world!" Sitting back down, she began to sway her legs under the table, "I'd be so happy with a Happiny! Or Chansey! Or even Blissey!" Swaying off into a dream like state, her cheeks blushed slightly at the thought of herself, a Blissey and Simisage travelling together, "We could travel and help other people and Pokemon and she can cook Pancake Castles!" Laughing it off, she brushed the air, "I wish I could find one! Heehee, maybe one day, huh?!" Blinking at Joe, she tucked back into her food, a bit more slowly now that the idea of owning a Happiny was looming over her, "Yeah. One day."

[The REAL Joey]

Dusting off the last side of the pancakes he had ordered for himself, Joey had a large grin on his face. Hearing how Catherine really longed for a Happiny of her own, he was sure that he had found the right place for her. Maybe then Harley too could get a break from babysitting the little terror. Raising a finger to gesture he wanted to pause here a moment, Joey stood up, wiping his mouth clean with the side of his hand. "Wait here ONE second. I got somethin' I want you to have." Dashing off, he went off into a corner of the room. Logging in to the network with his account details, it wasn't long before he seemed to be contacting someone. A slender brunette figure appearing on the screen, it appeared he was talking with someone. Their conversation was hushed so nothing could be really overheard. It wasn't long before the device next to the computer lit up. A Pokeball had materialised in the tray. Waving goodbye to the figure on the screen, Joey scooped it up and ran back over to the table. Sitting opposite Catherine he dunked the Pokeball on the table and grinned wildly. "Here! Y'know, it's not often I bump into people like you. Literally in this case. I know we gotta go our separate ways eventually. Hell, you bringin' up with the Chansey over there that you gotta split ways to Azalea hit it home. But maybe this will be a little token to remember me by. I want you have the Pokemon that's inside here."

Leaning back into his seat, Joey smiled cheerfully. This was completely juxtaposed by Calistra who eyed the ball apprehensively. In a rare instance of actually asking someone a request, she looked over to Catherine. "Whatever you do... I beg you not unleash what is inside there." Gritting her teeth, Joey laughed heartily and slapped the side of his leg. "Hahahahaha! Chill Calistra. You act as if what's inside is going to bring about the end of the world. She's not that bad! Just a lil'... Hyperactive." Shaking off Calistra's reservations, Joey pressed on to another line of conversation. "So you said you had loads of Pokemon, huh? Maybe I would like to see 'em. It's one thing to get to know a person but it's somethin' else entirely to see what kinda Pokemon they accompany themselves with. I'd get some of my Pokemon out but ehh... We'd get a little pressed for space. You've met Volt and Cali at the very least. Maybe i'll surprise ya outta nowhere and show off a load more Pokemon when we meet up again." Grabbing a cup of coffee that had been laid on the table, he took a swig before talking about her next stop. "I've been through Azalea quite a few times now. I got all the way up to Ecruteak before decidin' I needed to tread some familiar ground and wound up back here." Looking back down at the Pokeball, he laughed and decided to get her to check her gift. "Go on, check and see what's inside!"

[Morrigan]

Continuing her assault on the food before her, Catherine was in her element as the food tickled her sweet taste buds. Not realising that Joe was implying giving the Happiny to Catherine, she was about to receive a gift of a life time. Chomping away blissfully unaware, she raised her hand as the biker stood to his feet. "-OUGH-KAY! TOIKE CAURE!" Wishing him well and waving him off, she called back to him with her mouth still full of food. Leaving her alone with a silently moody Calistra, honey loving Electivire and droopy Pansage, it gave her more than enough time to finish devouring her own breakfast. Little by little, the tower began to diminish, every slice of pancake to flick of cream being swallowed by the girl until it had gone completely. Placing her knife and fork down carefully, she sat back in her chair, face beaming in content, "Aaahh! Perfect start to the day!" Rearranging herself in the seat, Catherine began to hum slightly as she stacked the used plates back onto the tray neatly, to be taken away and cleaned later. She would've took it back to the counter herself but the reappearance of Joe made her forget this line of thought.

Glancing down to the Pokeball he had placed triumphantly on the table, she cocked her head from left to right, showing great intrigue as he spoke. "For me?" She questioned rather sweetly, acting innocently. Quickly turning, her eyes lingered over the Chansey she had said goodbye to, noticing she was once again cooking like a pure maniac in the kitchen, "Right. I figured I can't stay here for any longer. After facing Falkner, I wasn't really sure if facing Gym Leaders were for me, so I was lingering around a little bit." Blushing somewhat, she abruptly looked away to hide a sudden bout of shyness. She was in fact quite taken with the local Gym Leader, despite most trainers not really paying him attention but she continued to try and shake it off due to never having such feelings before. Secretly, she had hoped to see Falkner before leaving off again but his duty meant she never caught another glimpse of him since. "B-But I think, yeah, I'm gonna carry on with it! It's the best way to teach me how to battle properly and learn more about strength's and weaknesses! Mhmm!" Clenching her delicate hands into fists, she looked pumped and ready to go, "So I am gonna trek through that mountain and make it to Azalea today! I'm sure of it!"

Still a little bewildered that he was offering her a Pokemon, Catherine's wasn't too sure how to react. It was usually her giving Pokemon to her closest friends left, right and centre but it wasn't often she was gifted something herself. Shaking off her uncertainty, she finally accepted Joe's kindness, "Okay!" As her fingers grasped the Pokeball, the blonde brought it closer and was about to release whatever was inside when the words of Calistra made her grind to a halt. "Huh?! Is it scary?!" Waving her arms around in an overly animated manner, she soon calmed down as Joey shrugged off his Pokemon's worries. It was only when the biker beckoned her once again to check what was inside that she jumped to her senses. "YES SIR!" With a simple toss forward, the Pokeball clipped the table surface, a flash of red light morphing into a shape of a small pink Pokemon.

Opening her tiny eyes, the Happiny looked from left to right and before she could even cause any chaos, Catherine had intervened. Eyes wide and mouth open, either hand clung to the side of her cheerful cheeks, which were now starting to hurt a little due to all of this smiling. "HAPPINY!" Catherine squealed at the top of her lungs, Yumina bouncing on the spot cheerfully and then calling immediately back. With a sudden pounce, the small Happiny lunged into Catherine's chest, causing her to fall backward and land on the floor with a mighty crash. Immediately jumping to his feet, Atlas rushed to the edge of the table to make sure that his trainer was okay, flinching back at what he saw. Catherine was sprawled inelegantly across the floor but with impressively good reflexes, she had grabbed the Happiny in her hands, holding her upwards to ensure the little critter didn't get hurt. Getting back up to her feet in the strangest way possible, Catherine did a backward roll, linking it in effortlessly with standing back to her feet. Although her hair was a bit of a mess now, the girl looked okay, just a bit startled.

Placing Yumina down on a different table surface, Catherine began brushing down her hair, "You got some spunk there, little one!" she noted cheerfully, the small Happiny bouncing around all over the place. Taking a moment to kneel down, it was odd that Catherine was being so calm in this situation. Examining the Pokemon with her eyes at different angles, it was almost as if she was trying to determine that this Pokemon was infact a Happiny and not a Ditto in disguise or something, it was just too good to be true! Settling down some, a giant grin spread across Catherine's face which also echoed onto Yumina's, "A REAL HAPPINY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Suddenly bursting into a fit of joy, Catherine began to shower Yumina with all means of attention. Picking her up, she span around a few paces, laughing together as they went. Although Yumina might've been a handful for most, it was clear that Catherine would be able to manage her being so energetic herself. Wriggling herself out of Catherine's grasp, however, Yumina had a challenge of her own in order to see if Catherine was worth her companionship. Steadying herself on the table, the Happiny struck a pose, to which Catherine naturally copied. All of a sudden, they were both having a pose off, until they were matching each other's very movements as if they shared the same mind.

Suddenly, Catherine stood back as the pair held their arms out toward each other. Parting her lips, a concentrating "Fuuu--" leaked out, Yumina doing the same with her own voice. In unison, they stepped forward, suddenly arching their bodies and swinging their arms over their head mirroring each other, Catherine's index fingers touching Yumina's own little hands, "--ssion!" With a manic pounce, Yumina jumped upon Catherine's head, whilst she grabbed the nearest chair and turned it towards Joe and the others. Lifting her foot a stomping down with a mighty thrust, she flung her hand in his direction, "DO NOT BE SCARED, PEASANT! FOR WE HAVE MERGED!" The pair now flexing their arms, Catherine continued, "OUR SEPARATE STRENGTH, INTELLIGENCE AND SPEED HAVE NOW BECOME ONE! SUPER SAIYAAAN! ACTIVAAAAAAATE!" With a look of concentration, Yumina began to punched rapidly at the air, all the while Catherine shouting, "HAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" It wasn't long until Catherine couldn't take much more, the pair snorting and bursting out into a fit of tears and laughter. As strange as the scene was, there was no denying that for a moment, they were in perfect sync.

Wiping the hefty tears what had since swelled up in her eyes, she was atleast greeted with the sight of Joey still being around, "J-J-JO-AAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAH-EY! HAHAHAHAHA!" Gripping a hand onto her stomach, at the very least, this alone was enough to make her forget all about the previous discussion of losing family. "Ooh! OOH! HAHAHA!" Finally calming down, she staggered into a seat, the hyperactive Happiny now clinging onto Atlas and pinching some of his Poke food. Barely making out Joey's outline from her watery eyes, she chuckled once more before speaking, "I love her! Is she really for me?!" Super excited about such a sweet little thing joining her party, she grabbed hold of the other Pokeballs that were in her possession whilst Atlas struggled to gently wrestle Yumina from his breakfast, "I'll introduce you to everyone else too!" Deciding to take it slowly, she placed the balls on the table and released the Pokemon one by one.

The first one to make her appearance was actually a Pokemon who looked a little bit similar to Chansey. Having a bit more of a humanoid form, the pink and cream creature looked around before approaching the sitting Catherine and patting at her knees sweetly. "This is Clara, the Audino I mentioned! In Unova, Audino are our Chansey but Clara packs a mean punch rather than a healing hand, OOYAH!" Punching a fist forward as is mimicking her Audino, the motherly Pokemon smiled warmly up to Joe and his team with a wave, the cheeky Yumina soon catching her attention. Having a motherly nature, she couldn't help but step forward to take a better look at the new addition. "Next up!" A second light flashed, revealing a grey, fluffy creature who was quick to pounce onto Catherine's shoulders and nudge around her chin affectionately. "Heehee! This is Piccolo, a Minccino!" As he made himself comfortable, the Mincinno looked up to Joey, his once cheerful grin dissolving at the sight of another male. He already had enough competition in the form of Atlas for Catherine's attention, he just hopped that this guy wasn't going to be sticking around. "Piccolo is so sweet and cute and fluffy! He really likes shiny things, so make sure he doesn't pinch anything!" Whilst she had her attention diverted elsewhere, the Minccino stuck his tongue out rudely to Joe, flashing his tail about in the air.

With three Pokeballs, left, Catherine strangely prepared a left over pancake before releasing the next one, making sure it was utterly drenched in honey. Once she was ready, she breathed in heavily, tossing the ball and then immediately grabbing the plate with the pancake, "ACT FAST COBALT!" Throwing it as strong as a pitcher would a baseball, the light morphed into a shaped of something Joe would be more familiar with; a Croconaw. Immediately jumping up, his intense jaws clamped down on the sweet treat, his hands moving up to his mouth as he struggled to chew through it quickly, "Phew... And this is Cobalt. He er, kinda likes to bite! So watch your legs, okay?!" Hoping he would take her warning seriously, Cobalt didn't seem nearly as bad as she made him out to be, as he plodded forward to get a loving pat on the head. With only two Pokeballs left, Catherine went to grab one but then flinched, "On second thought... THIS one is too big! He is QUADRUPLE the size of Mr Electivire!... I'll introduce ya outside, before we leave!" Pocketing that one for the time being, she sent the final ball forward to reveal a lone Bulbasaur. He appeared to be the odd one out and maybe perhaps normal as he merely looked around, "And finally, Clive! The Bulbasaur!" With almost all of her team now out and about, Catherine tilted her head and smiled, "I need to think of how to repay you for HAPPINY!"

[The REAL Joey]

Despite having brushed aside any reservations, Joey braced himself out of force of habit. He had hatched the little Happiny when it had been given to him all that time ago and he had made sure she had a good uprising. But the little devil was naturally crazy. If anything, Catherine may very well have met her match. What came next was something that none of them could have expected. In short. It was full on terror. Watching as Catherine and Yumina scuffled around with one another, Joey blinked his eye through the cracks in his fingers. At this point, he wanted to make sure his face was protected safely by his hands. Calistra had stood up and pressed her back against the wall. A look of disgusted horror was present. "Yumina was bad enough... And now you've combined these two together?! Are you mad Joe?!" Protested Calistra. Voltek on the other hand was completely subdued by the jugs of honey dotted about the table. Given how distraught everyone was, minus a honey addicted Electivire, it perhaps came as surprise when the trainer and Pokemon suddenly paused looking at one another.

The sudden burst of movements which flourished into a series of poses once more put them back on tenterhooks. The culmination of these poses then resulted in the sudden elongating of a word. Looking confusedly, Joe was ready to pounce away at a moment's notice as he tensed his muscles. When the two jammed together and appeared to be finishing the word of fusion, Joey let out a panicked yelp as he leapt backwards up against the wall Calistra was up against. Raised both their hands in fear, the two let out a terrified scream as Yumina and Catherine appeared to be one. "OH NO!" Letting out a small sigh and relenting from their despair, it was only when Catherine let out a large yell that the scares carried on. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!" Roared Joey as Catherine blurted out in a dramatic, over the top voice. With the two subsiding, Joey wilted back to his chair with a heavy sigh. "At least they get on..." Mumbled Joe to Calistra who merely shook her head curtly in dismissal.

Seeing how pleased Catherine was at least a sign Joey had done the right thing. Nobody in his gang nor any of his Pokemon comrades could quell Yumina but with Catherine, it appeared as if she had unlocked the secret to reigning her in. She was in good hands. "Awwww don't be silly. Of course she's yours! You got a lot of work in becoming the best damn medic this region's seen so i'm glad I could help you a long a little. Having a Happiny means you're on the way to becoming like the Nurse Joys of the region. Won't be long before you could open yer own Pokemon Centre, hahahaha." Despite his best intentions, he somehow doubted Yumina would be good at making pancakes any time soon, the little terror. Grinning at Catherine as she decided to show off the rest of her gang, he watched keenly at all the different critters she had amassed. With some real surprises. Waving at Clara, Joey had come across some Audino before but none as tough as what Clara seemed. "Howdy little lady." Joey smiled. Noticing she had taken an interest in Yumina, he darted his eyes off to the next introduced member. Hopefully he wouldn't have to pay witness to any chaotic first impressions between the two healer Pokemon.

Noticing a cheeky streak to the next one, Joey raised an eyebrow. This was certainly another Pokemon that seemed familiar. "Huh. I swear I saw some of these at the Unova festival. Pretty sure some of my mates got one of these." Watching as the Minccino's expression soured as he peered at Joey, the biker was quick to react in the form of a silly face and a raspberry whilst Catherine dealt with introducing the others. "Cheeky scamp." He noted. Suddenly taken distracted by the launching of a treat, Joey watched as a familiar species took a bite out of the flying object. "Haha oh wow! You got a Croconaw. You're pretty lucky. They're rare 'round these parts. I trained one of them myself so don't worry, I know to keep parts I value out of harm's way." Laughing heartily, he recalled his own Lockjaw. "Although, mine was pretty docile. In fact, he still is despite having evolved into a Feraligatr. Just don't show up in Rocket attire. He hates them more than I do after they camped out in Azalea's Slowpoke well and started up a butcher shop. Poor old Lockjaw." As Joe listened to Catherine's words about having a massive Pokemon, Joe noticed the last arrival in the form of a Bulbasaur. "Well whaddya know. A Bulbasaur. He looks like a little rascal." Of course, Joey had reason to have said this.

The Pokemon had been sitting there for a while now and it appeared the Pokemon had stealthily let loose one of its prehensile vines. Having picked up on its sneaky appendage, Joey lifted up his hand out of his own pocket whilst grabbing onto the tip of the Pokemon's vine. "I see he's got a natural talent for pilferin'." Laughed Joey as he looked at the Pokemon. "You know, it's rare you find a Pokemon with a kleptomaniac instinct like that. But when you do, are they bold little buggers." Letting go of Clive's vine, Joey laughed. "Take's a thief to know one." He winked as he took a fondness to the Grass type Pokemon. "You certainly have an impressive team! No wonder Falkner was down and out. You really oughta try facing some of these other gyms. I reckon you'll go far." As the matter of repayment was bought up, Joey brushed it off with a dismissal of his hands. "Nah, nah. You don't have to do anythin'. Consider this a repayment of all the plasters you bandaged me up with. 'Sides, you at least got somethin' to remember me by, eh?"

[Morrigan]

Pulling Yumina away from Atlas' food, the grass monkey grabbed at the remaining Poke treats and shoved them into his mouth protectively, nodding with gratitude towards Clara, who had taken it upon herself to calm the Happiny down. Reeling back in surprise at just how energetic this baby was, her hands were going to be full for quite some time. Piccolo had since slinked off of Catherine's shoulder, giving Joe another case of evil glares before also sniffing around for a bite to eat. Cobalt, on the other hand, still had his mouth full of goopey honey. Beginning to look puzzled as to why he couldn't chomp through it, Catherine leaned forward to give him a few more loving pats. "Cobalt is really friendly, too! He just likes to say hello by.. biting!" Laughing it off, she stuck out her tongue to Joe and pointed to his knees, "It's just, Cobalt was the one who bit Chuck's trousers and yours are holey enough as it is!" Upon the mentioning of his next words, Catherine turned her head and squinted to Joe. "But...cher?" Not aware of the Slowpoke tail cutting rumours or that her own Totodile may very well have come from Slowpoke Well himself, it was probably best that way for now, since they had just eaten breakfast.

During this talk, the cheeky Bulbasaur known as Clive had taken this opportunity upon himself to sneak a look at Joey's belongings. Most of the time, he managed to steal things right under Catherine's nose without her even knowing, even Piccolo was guilty of doing this. But as something gripped the very tip of his vine before he could actually grasp anything, he looked completely shocked to see Joey had stopped him in his tracks. Blinking up in awe at the purple bandanna clad male, Catherine chirped in, not quite realising that he was trying to steal. "Clive was my starter for this region! I thought his leaves might have healing proprieties, like Atlas'" Retracting his vine back at the loosening of Joey's grasp, Clive stared at his own vine, surprised at the very first time of being caught in the act. "Huh? Whussat about being a thief?" Catherine suddenly questioned with a smile, not yet knowing the truth about Joey completely. Shrugging it off, she was sent deep in thought about a way of repayment.

Rubbing a hand across her chin as she pondered, she didn't realise that Yumina had wriggled free from Clara's grasp and in return, the pair were dashing around the cafeteria, knocking over chairs and rattling tables as Clara attempted to regain hold on her once more. Despite all this noise, it wasn't until a firm tap on her foot that Catherine peered past Cobalt to see Clive gazing up at her. "You okay down there, Clive? Wanna have a pancake?" Shaking his head from side to side, he nodded towards Yumina and then towards Joey. "Huh?! You wanna play a game?! Alright! Go for it!" Leaning her elbows onto her knees, she moved forward, the Bulbasaur rolling his eyes. Taking out his vines, he took his own Pokeball from Catherine's belongings and placed it in front of Joey before calling out in his own cry. Hoping it would be a bit more of a challenge, Catherine laughed once. She had been through this before with Prometheus. Rubbing her head, she waved a hand to Bulbasaur to calm him down from his crying out, "I get it!" Picking up Clive with a heave and resting him on her lap, she turned to Joe, "Would you like to take Clive?!" She questioned energetically, "Well, I think it's more like he has chosen you!" Laughing himself, Clive was atleast pleased she knew what he was trying to say. "How about it? I bet you could make him super strong!"

[The REAL Joey]

His eyes falling down to his trousers, Joey laughed off her comment. "Haha, don't worry. If any more holes do appear i'll just pass it off as Kanto street style fashion. I got the wild look goin' on anyways." Thinking to himself quickly, Joey couldn't help but smirk a little at the idea of Cobalt laying waste into that guy's trousers. He was a special type of criminal so seeing something as embarrassing as that bring him down a notch or two, he'd have to rub it in a little if they ever crossed swords again. Might even draw a reaction or two from the ice king. Snapping out of his machinations, Joey picked up on Catherine repeating what he had said. "You're headin' Azalea next right? When you come hiking through that mountain, you'll see this little well off to the size of Azalea itself. If yer goin' that way I guess I best warn ya in case those gutless cowards thought it'd be an idea to set up shop again." Leaning forward and clasping his fingers together, he recalled Team Rocket's operation at the well. "Slowpoke tails are kinda a delicacy this side o' the world. They fetch top Pokedollar. Of course, given international laws over abuse and cruelty to Pokemon, it's a shady practice. Team Rocket being the low level scum they are decided they'd make a quick buck off the Slowpoke living at the well. I went full on guns blazing and put a disruption to it but I can't help but wonder if they'll do it again." Leaning back into his seat as he eased off, he decided to caution the girl. "Just be careful if you do go exploring in Azalea."

With Joey relinquishing his grip on Clive's vine, Joey piqued interest at the concept of Atlas' providing help with Catherine's medicine. "Huh. So you're saying your Atlas can heal things? That must be handy." Flicking a cheeky grin at Clive, he concluded from what Catherine had said that he wasn't much help in that department. "I'm guessin' he doesn't quite share the same gift as Atlas, eh? Heh. His potential lies elsewhere." As she commented on the word thief, Joey sat up straight with a small startle. He had somewhat let slip his perchance at the ability. "Huh? What? Thief? Errr... Might need yer ears checked, ha ha. Dunno what you're talking about." Trying to jump topic onto something else, he failed miserably as he picked up on her choosing Clive as her starter. "Starter huh? Cool! I must admit, I had a different starter... I... Acquired when I got off the ship here. A fiery little Charmander. Good ol' Salazar's a real hothead." Wincing a little, he thankfully avoided the subject of just how he obtained the starter. It wasn't through the traditional way of being given it, that was for sure. Hoping to have left the subject of outlaw behaviours behind him, Joey had another palpitation as the sound of sirens in the streets outside made him flick up his jacket collar and hunch forward to be as inconspicuous as possible. Even his two Pokemon followed suit. In truth, they made a rather speedy escape when the police turned up at the scene last night.

Hoping that Catherine would hopefully be naive enough not to piece together the facts, he moved swiftly on. She was a pure hearted girl and he was sure she would scold him for doing something as grey as that. Even if he did try and limit what he borrowed from others. Getting lost in his train of thought, Joey was interrupted as he sat up from his hunch as Clive made bit of a racket. It was only when he saw the Pokeball in front of him and Catherine put forward the proposition that the penny dropped for Joe. "Huh, whuzzat? You wanna give me Clive?!" Letting out a sincere chuckle, he looked at Catherine and Clive before responding. "Y'know, I won't deny I have need of a Pokemon with budding talents such as Clive. He'd definitely be of use to me." With the ability to extend his vines and pilfer from afar, it meant it opened up the ball game for his thieving abilities. In fact, nothing would be secure from Joey at this point. "And if you feel bad about gettin' a Pokemon, it'd certainly be a worthwhile trade." Grinning wildly, he laughed heartily. "Hahahahaha! I like it. I think i'll take you up on ya offer." Beaming proudly, Joey pulled a thumbs up and looked to Clive. "Looks like it's you and me. We're partners! I'll show ya the ropes lil' guy and then some!" Bobbing up and down happily, it was clear the Pokemon was smart enough to know what wave length Joe was on.

Still beaming cheerfully, Joey looked to Catherine with utmost gratitude. "Y'know, it may haven't have been the best night out. Getting jumped, crap kicked out of me and then spending the night in A&E but i'm glad we met. In this world, we need allies to stand tall with." Tilting his head to the side, he spoke earnestly in his beliefs. "If we don't stand together as friends, punks like Team Rocket get the chance to instil fear and evil over us. United we're unbreakable." Clenching his fist passionately, Joey knew he had come across someone he could count on. "You know it. If ya ever in a pinch, you can rely on me. And likewise. if I ever need a helping hand, I got you to fall back on." Picking up on what they had discussed last night, he wanted to ensure he would do Catherine proud. "I know i'm just some street punk with lofty goals of tryin' to get the title of champ but when I become worthy of it all, i'm gonna head to Unova and avenge your family. I'll even have our lil' guy bust a vine whip across that icy lizard's face." He may have been simple in his outlook and not the brightest but if a guy like Joey pledged to something, he'd see through with it. "Maybe i'll even invite you to my gang's hideout." Smiling, he decided to give her a head's up. "Watch yer step if you come across any empty warehouses."

[Morrigan]

On the mention of fashion, Catherine's eyes lit up excitedly. Being from Unova which advertised fashion much more than in Johto and knowing of the supermodel Elesa, she took Joe's words a bit too seriously. "Then, would you say you are really fashionable in Kanto?! Could you like, be a secret model or something? You are really tall!" Being flung into a ridiculous daydream of Joey being a Kanto model, she jumped to her feet and leaned towards him adoringly, "Are you actually super famous and you are just hiding it from me?! Can I have an autograph?!" Looking him dead in the eye, she raised a hand to her chin as if examining him a bit more, which was easier since he was on her level now that he was seated. "Mmhmm, I got it! You are obviously the face of Kanto Bikers Monthly... Or something!" Tapping a fist gently against her head whilst sticking out her tongue, she sat back down, "Joey is a Biker, Model, Super Hero, Champion! It all makes sense!" Grinning off into her own little world where she began to fantasise about a Joe that completely wasn't him in the slightest, it all came crashing down as he began to warn her about Azalea and the horrors that lurked there. Her once open grin slowly diminishing at his words, it seemed like there was a chance that the girl would actually come face to face with a Rocket sooner than she thought. Summarising his words blankly, she blinked, "They... Sell Slowpoke Tails?" Her bottom lip wriggling erratically, she began to fling her arms and legs around as if having a temper tantrum, "Why?! Why would they be so mean?! Poor Slowpoke, it probably takes days before it even realises it is in pain!" Suddenly sporting a childish frown, she clenched her delicate hands into fists and pounded them against her knees, "Then, when I am in Azalea, I'm gonna save the Slowpoke too! No Team Rocket is gonna scare me!" Despite Joe's warning, it appeared that she was now even more riled up and ready to go. A bit like Joe, she was the type to just rush straight in if it involved injured Pokemon. She would think about herself lastly, if at all.

It was almost as if puffs of angry air were radiating from her head and she sat there with a heavy frown and puffed up cheeks, still angry at how horrid this Team Rocket were. But the mention of Atlas meant that she was able to brag about him a little more and that alone raised her spirits back up. "Yup! Atlas is a necessity to me!" Turning to see him, the monkey was still struggling with all the Poke treats he had stuffed in his mouth. Holding onto his massive cheeks, he continued to chomp away, looking to Joe as Catherine explained his use. "The little leaves on his head are really good for medicine! If you have one when you are really tired, they energise you back up again!" Then, she turned back to Clive and gave a loving pat on his head, "But Bulbasaur uses it's bulb to store energy rather than share it. Ooh! But it can learn different powder attacks, like Poison Powder and Sleep Powder. Heehee, not very useful for medicine but totally useful if you need to stall an enemy!" Taking in the fact that Joe started with a Charmander, she grinned with glee, not picking up on Joe's hints of actually being a thief at all. "Ooh! A Charmander! Red hot and ready!" Doing a few pretend roars, she once again didn't pick up on his sudden actions as the police drove by. Instead, it made her ponder something else. "I wonder if we're gonna get questioned by the police about what happened yesterday... Ooh well! I can just say a Electivire Man saved me, YAY!" Clapping her hands, there was no doubt that it would truthfully be Catherine's answer if she were to be collared before leaving at all. Atleast her childish personality would cover Joe up, even if it was unintentional.

Seeing as the offer of Clive brought Joe back to his senses, Catherine nodded her head multiple times. She enjoyed the company of Pokemon but she could feel when certain ones would belong better in the arms of a different trainer. In her case, Prometheus was better suited for Tobias and Clive now for Joe. That and she couldn't simply expect a Happiny for free, she loved gifts but that was a life long goal simply ticked before her eyes. "Yeah! I can tell Clive likes ya!" Laughing alongside Joe as he agreed, she lifted the Bulbasaur off her lap and placed him down by Joe's feet. Still leaning forward, she smiled warmly at her Bulbasaur, "Make sure you behave and listen to Joey, okay? Get out there and see the world!" Giving Clive one last pat, she sat upright, "Make sure he gets lots of sunlight okay?! I know you'll take great care of him!" With their trade complete and accepted by either side, Catherine wore a smile which rivalled that of Joey's own. She was usually happy but this was the first time in a while that her cheeks had begun to physically hurt with all that she was doing. Listening to his speech, it only fuelled Catherine with even more energy, "I'm glad I was able to meet you, Joey! We gotta stay in contact, okay?!" Suddenly shuffling about, she proceeded to forcing her contact information onto him before continuing. "Thanks to you, I know a lot about Team Rocket now! I'll keep my eyes open and let you know if anything is happening, okay? I promise I wont get in trouble but I might beat em all up before you can!" Grinning childishly, she jokingly punched at the air. "I might be young and small but I'll help you out whenever you need it! Count on me anytime, you're my big bro now and you cant escape!" Sticking up her thumb, it was his next few words that really sat with her. Her mouth parting ever so slightly, she smiled sweetly at the sincerity of his words about revenge. Stepping to her feet and moving next to him, she leaned forward and with a wrap around his shoulders, embraced him ever so gently with his wounds in mind. Considering she was now close to his ear, she lowered her toned, "Joey, you are one of the kindest, funniest people I have ever met. The world needs more people like you." Losing her smile, her gripped tightened possessively, "But... Don't go to Kyurem. There are people and Pokemon who love you. Please, don't take your life for granted." Leaning her head against his momentarily, for forced a smile before straightening herself up, relinquishing her grip and giving him a loving pat on the head, "People like you need to protect weaker ones. Don't let silly things like revenge cloud your head when you could be using your strength better elsewhere." Suddenly realising she might've contradicted herself, she tried to laugh it off, "Team Rocket dont count, you can do what you want to some of them!... But Kyurem, we can build shelter and offer homes to wild Pokemon. People should learn to stay away."

Looking toward the floor with a vacant, false smile, she suddenly tripped forward as Yumina began charging around her feet, swiftly followed by Clara, "WO-WOOOOOAAAHHH!" Steadying herself, the nurse breathed a sigh of relief, she had completely forgotten that her Pokemon were causing madness behind her. Turning her back to Joe, she figured it would be best to sort it out before Nurse Joy would collar her. "Piccolo, go use Double Team to round Yumina off!" Speaking with a surprisingly authoritative tone considering it was Catherine, a number of Pokemon reacted knowingly. Jumping off the table surface, the Minccino sprang into action, creating doubles of himself as he sprang underneath the tables to create a type of barrier. Finding it all incredibly fun, Yumina began to charge about even more chaotically than before, trying to catch Piccolo and his doubles. Chuckling enticingly, he lured the Happiny right into the corner, were a rather flustered Audino lifted her successfully up into the air, "AHA! GOTCHA!" Catherine grinned as the trio made their way back to her side. Accepting the handful into her own arms, Catherine began to recall her group. "That was a handful and a half! Say bye to big bro Joe, okay?!" Cobalt was just about finished chomping through the sticky honey, so with a bright red flash, Catherine returned him to his Pokeball first. Clara smiled up to Joe without the slightest doubt of him being a bad person, waving gently as she too was then returned. Piccolo made some sort of snide expression, sticking out his tongue one final time in hopes that it would keep Joe away for good before disappearing himself. This left Yumina, who Catherine now had a tight grip on and Atlas, who had wearily finished swallowing his food and was now back on top of Catherine's shoulder.

The way she remained standing was suggestion enough that she was more than ready to leave. With the passion added back into her badge collecting and the idea of innocent Slowpokes being hurt, she wanted to make a move. Finally turning back to him, she grinned, "I think I'm gonna start heading out to Azalea now, Joey! Otherwise, I'll just stay here and talk to you AAAAAAAALL the time and neither of us will get anywhere!" Swaying on the spot, she took a few steps backward, "I wanna talk to you more but I dont wanna travel in the dark." Suddenly holding up her hand, she stopped him from offering any assistance, "And dont worry! I can absolutely get there by myself!" Now stepping forward, she urged him to follow her outside, "Ooh! But you still have one of my friends to meet, come on! Come on! I'll show you!" Giving Joe's gloved hand a tug, she grinned and began to spring ahead, towards the exit of the Pokemon Centre. As she reached the open air and the warmth of the sun touched her skin, she knew it was going to be a great day, especially with Yumina now in her possession! Turning to see if Joe had followed her outside, the last Pokeball of her team was clenched in her hand. "Okay, okay! I met Sadaharu when I was training one day! Are you ready? Are you ready for this?!" Sticking out her tongue, she let the suspense hang for a little more before turning to find a decent space to fit her Pokemon.

With a toss of her hand, the ball burst open and with it, the red beam of light lit up the entire area, forming into a humongous shape. Standing before them on all fours was an incredibly overgrown Snubbull! He towered above height in regards to Joe and there was no way it could've fit inside the Pokemon Centre. Standing in front of him, the Snubbull's heavy breathing hit her back, causing her dress and hair to flutter manically, "This is Sadaharu! Isn't he a cutie?!" His eyes giving the look of pure disinterest, he grunted, the sound vibrating through their very beings. Still, he knelt down as if knowing she wanted to climb upon his back. Before doing so, however, she skipped up to Joe, turning her head backward in order to look at him. She was so small and dinky in comparison to his height but she wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "I hope you get better soon... I'll miss you a lot, big bro!" Saying her goodbyes to Calistra, Voltek and Clive, she clambered her way on top of the giant Snubbull. With a cheerful grin, she began to wave her arm frantically, Sadaharu taking this as his cue to lift himself up and turn, beginning to prance down the street. "BYYEEEEE BYEEEEE! MISS YA ALLREEAADDDYY--"