Leaf

  —

  "Hey mom… just leave me. Let… me… die…" Erin's voice was scratchy and weak as she steadfastly refused to come out of the pile of blankets the next morning. The gargantuan head did not 'just leave her.' The Tyrantrum pushed her around like a rolled up rug.

  "Just… if you could, please turn the sun off…?"

  She was not having a good time, and I saw a flash of pained purple eyes before she began to spin, cocooning herself further.

  Raihan looked down at her with pity in his eyes. There was also plenty of worry, anger, and disappointment in those bright teal orbs, but it was mostly pity. He met the Tyrantrum's eyes and after a moment she slowly opened her mouth, undulated her tongue, closed her gargantuan maw, then looked towards her hungover daughter with a piercing stare.

  That wasn't too unusual though. It was her default look, as I had finally figured out.

  She still looked very unhappy.

  Raihan grinned at her before snagging a water bottle. Through some forced maneuvers that involved a Deino counter weight and a Tyrunt jaw to pull a clump of blankets away, he managed to get Erin to drink the entire thing over the course of a few minutes. She still refused to come out, though, and with a sigh Raihan gave the Tyrantrum a nod.

  The wide smile on her giant face made me smile in spite of my recent memories, and it grew to encompass my entire face as she rudely began to toss Erin around, freeing her from her pile. She wore only a thin shirt and sleeping shorts, and her eyes were blazing purple as she glared at the scaled arms and massive face forcing her to shed her cocoon.

  Her glare was murderous, but it was also full of fearful anticipation, eyes wide.

  "You have fun last night, Erin?" Raihan was smiling as he spoke, tone sweet, and she paled, her jaw slowly dropping in an expression of absolute horror, eyes dimming.

  "I already talked to you last night, don't worry. Me and you, we have an understanding, we're fine, girl. Forget about it. Your mom, however, hasn't had the chance to have her talk with you yet. She is very disappointed in you, Erin. You should feel bad, disappointing such a caring mother."

  Eyes wide with terror, Erin began to whine, a high-pitched sound that started softly but grew.

  "Have fun trying to break the sound barrier, Erin! It's a good thing you bought her Protect! You have my sympathies for many things, but actions have consequences." His smile was wide and vindictive as she wiggled in the large arms that she had swore the Tyrantrum would never carry her with.

  Although, that was not carrying.

  That was restraining.

  "Bye, now! Have fun, girl!"

  He waved at her as the arms tossed her upwards. Erin barely had a second to continue her loud, high-pitched whine before the jaws snatched her out of the air, and after a couple moments turning Erin around inside her mouth, the Tyrantrum slowly walked to the edge of the clearing, mouth barely hanging open like she was panting.

  Then the Tyrant Queen began to laugh, a series of full-body laughs that whistled out of her open jaws as her tail fought to stabilize her shaking bulk. She cackled as she began to hop on her feet in anticipation, head thrown back in glee.

  I could hear Erin's piercing, terrified, pleading screams even as I heard the Protection fizzle into existence in the jaws. The Tyrantrum leaned forward, still chuckling, braced, and then she disappeared.

  She wasn't a blur, I could clearly see the gigantic predator running away from us, but I very quickly realized that I truly had gotten the 'Leaf Special'.

  Because the 'Erin Special' was about ten times worse, it looked like. I realized that she had been loping with me, just some casual speed from the Tyrant Queen to punish her overly prideful pack member, not something she was unused to, considering she was a dragon Queen. She had been kind to me, despite the horrific ride she had subjected me to.

  With Erin? With her 'fourteen' year old daughter who had gotten that messed up on alcohol and made a fool of herself?

  I swear the Tyrant Queen was using Rock Polish! She kept going faster and faster, and even as she got smaller in the distance she seemed to shine. She was soon out of sight, and while I didn't hear a sonic boom, I think she was coming close as she ran full-speed.

  Her full speed.

  As I finally stopped laughing long enough to turn around I found the entire clearing now glaring at me. My baby needed no encouragement, of course, but it was extra spicy today.

  Even the cute little Hatenna was glaring at me with an adorable pout. I looked over to try and meet Raihan's eyes, but he was already fussing with the packs, pulling refrigerated Storage Balls out. He wasn't looking at me.

  Neither of them had looked at me.

  The only one in the camp who was happy to see me was my new fairy, and her face fell when our eyes met last night. She could tell just by the look in my eyes. I had shaken my head at her.

  There was no way I was saying anything about last night without a verbal agreement from Erin that I wouldn't die.

  Until after I got advice from her about my deal with the tiny horror.

  Until I got help.

  Not that I knew what any of that stuff meant, and they hadn't even yelled! They didn't scream at me, berate me, congratulate me on my audacity, nothing! They just sent me back and…

  Ignored me.

  They hadn't said a word to me, and it was starting to scare me.

  "S-So, uh, Raihan, can we-"

  He turned around slowly, and I wish there had been a snarl on his face. I wished he had twisted around and glared at me. A frown. An angry glower, an enraged scream. Hate dancing in his eyes, like I had grown so used to from my baby. A blank look of dismissal, hard as that would have been.

  Anything but the disappointment that overwhelmed his eyes as he looked at me.

  "Leaf, I'm sorry, but you need to be quiet until Erin is back. If I were you, I would think very hard about what you're going to say. Nobody here is perfectly blameless in the absolute dumpster fire that was last night, including me, but your actions have consequences, too." He took a deep, slow breath.

  "You knew what you were doing when you listened to a private conversation, and we are rightfully furious with you for that."

  "You knew less about what you were doing when you unleashed a dangerous fairy that compelled the entire camp last night, but I don't think anyone here will forget about that any time soon, so we're not going to lecture you for that one. We won't need to."

  They were all glaring at me. Still. They hadn't stopped, actually…

  "No matter what happens, Erin's going to travel with you if you want her to, Leaf, and I will train you to the best of my abilities the rest of the time I'm here. We won't abandon you because of what you did, and I won't be punishing you. The Tyrant Queen won't be punishing you for deceiving her with a fairy power that demanded her attention."

  "We understand why you did it, Leaf, we forgive you, and we're deferring to Erin for your punishment. You're technically her responsibility right now, and she will punish you in our place."

  Shit.

  Erin was about to decide how to punish me, even though she was a kid, too? And for her mother and her totally-not-boyfriend? I hoped that I would never see them again, but I saw her eyes last night. The way her eyes had just looked through me-

  Oh Arceus, hear my prayer. She won't maim me, she won't hurt me, but please let my mind survive whatever torments she unleashes upon me. I beseech you in my hour of greatest need, our Creator above.

  "Erin couldn't decide after we sent you back last night, so maybe you'll get lucky. None of us hate you, Leaf, really. We still like you and want to help you. We're done talking until the air is cleared, though. She shouldn't take long."

  He turned back to the packs immediately, studiously ignoring my existence as he pulled out ingredients and began to cook a late breakfast for us.

  He was so blunt, but he was right. I was lucky they were kind and had already forgiven me, delayed punishments aside.

  Especially the Tyrant Queen! I hadn't even thought about that! Holy fuck! Arceus above!

  Well, maybe He had answered a prayer of mine, if I was still breathing…

  I had tricked and infuriated the entire camp full of Pokemon with Clefairies fae stunt last night, and I had known this would be the reaction. I had known they wouldn't be happy if they found me listening to their private conversation.

  I just… thought it might be worth it.

  I still hadn't figured out if it had been.

  I had no reason to leave the camp in the first place, so it was reasonable of them to assume that, had I not explicitly snuck out after them, I would have never been in a situation to hear them. They had no reason to think that I could or would, and thanks to that I had heard them talk.

  Heard them talk about impossible things.

  Ash Ketchum was Arceus' Chosen Hero?! Excuse me?! The thought seemed like such a joke, like saying you could stand barefoot on the sun, or go to another world! They had been so serious, though, and in private! Or what should have been private. One was a Gym Leader, not some random trainer like Erin!

  Not to throw shade, but while she had some PokeNet fame, she had no accomplishments. Not that I would ever say that to her. I knew this was her first Circuit, too.

  Right? She certainly had knowledge…

  Red was a video game protagonist?

  What the everloving fuck? How would that even work? His life was a video game? You fought Team Rocket in the video game that Red apparently comes from, what? Red never fought Team Rocket! He would have told me if he did something like that! We had been best friends!

  Right?

  That one was almost harder to wrap my head around than Chosen Hero Ash Ketchum!

  A videogame character of all things!? Really!? That sounded horrible for Red! I would be worried if my name was Bluewood or something, but I had only heard Pokemon Red and Blue, and I had never heard of someone named Blue.

  Erin wanted to go on a one-girl crusade to destroy Team Rocket? That had never been managed before, the organization was too dispersed, too disconnected. Nobody had ever figured out who the Leader of Team Rocket was, so they always came back, like a cancer.

  Erin knew, however. Erin knew, and she wanted to provoke the man. She wanted to use her own apparently 'worthless life' as bait, to provoke a response that would be designed in part to kill her, involving this Looker person's agents swooping in to be the hammer to her anvil!

  After deceiving me and sneaking off!

  Even if she had changed her mind!

  Let's not forget that Gym Leader Giovanni was apparently the fucking leader of Team Rocket, and he had cheerfully ruled from a city so close to my hometown that I would bike there for groceries sometimes! Only the expensive, select stuff for my mom, and not often, but still!

  He was right there!

  She wasn't going to do that, however. She wasn't going to do anything about the nightmare she described in such horrific detail, and it was eating at her. It was eating her alive, and it was my fault. Because she met me.

  My fault.

  She was so torn up about it that apparently an Alakazam, who would know exactly what was going through her mind, decided she deserved to get drunk, before that Looker guy decided to give her too much as a punishment. She had been almost okay when the flight back had begun, but by the time we got there she was bad.

  It had torn her up so much that she had fought with what looked like her best friend, who was so disappointed in her, before she seemed to just give up!

  She wouldn't do anything about the horrors she knew were happening, and she hated it.

  She refused to abandon me to my fate of being devoured by my best friend, and she refused to let me stumble into a bad deal with an absolutely adorable little monstrosity I kept in an Ultra Ball. She refused to turn a blind eye to the pity case in front of her, and she refused to let me die.

  She came from some place, and Erin had played the games.

  The ones they talked about like they were real, and had meaning somehow. The ones where 'turns' and 'whiting out' existed, and that had 'limits in battle', whatever that meant.

  They said Pokemon Red and Blue, like it was the title.

  Like my best friend, Red.

  Erin had been older. Like, older than Riahan, and he was twenty one! That was the feeling I got, anyways, but now she was fourteen! She could have been legally eighteen, however, except that agent guy had altered her legal age to keep an eye on her longer. The agent who sounded a lot like her highly reluctant legal guardian.

  They both looked at me the same way, and I couldn't stop the implications of my theory running through my mind the entire time I waited there for Erin, hunched on the futon, avoiding the glares of the entire menagerie of Pokemon.

  Eventually Erin returned, looking mostly clean but soaking wet as she hung from her mothers front teeth, having snagged a ride from her gigantic parent.

  She stomped over to Torkoal, and after what looked like a brief bartering session, stepped back. A howling vortex of flame surrounded her and my heart skipped a beat, but a minute later a very dry, unburnt Erin stood there calmly. She scowled and began to stomp over to her pack, probably for a brush.

  Her hair looked like she had been struck by lightning.

  As she stomped her way over her eyes saw me, I knew that for a fact. They just… slid right off of me. She began rummaging through her pack, right there, and I couldn't help myself.

  "Hey… Erin…" She paused, sighed, and then looked up at me. Her eyes were clear, but they were firm when she spoke.

  "Hey, Leaf. Let me say something. I forgive you." I breathed easier for a moment, but she continued.

  "I forgive you, but I don't want to talk to you for a while, and it's not your punishment, nor me being angry with you, it's a bit of a coincidence. I just don't want to get bogged down and distracted again, again, again."

  "I will support you, I will help you with your team, and I will always keep you safe while we journey. I would love to be your friend, and this hasn't changed that. I would love nothing more than to travel with you during our Circuit, and I promise you that is a true fact." She sighed.

  "Something was bound to slip, eventually. I need a specialized Protect or some sound-proofing move or something instead of just walking to the river, and now I won't make that mistake again. So it worked out, because I trust you, and you were always going to find out. I just hadn't convinced myself, yet "

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "I've hidden things from you, that's true. I'll have to accept my punishment for my deception as well when the time comes, but you know you shouldn't have done what you did."

  "So Leaf, for now, don't ask me anything and I'll tell you soon. I'm not making you wait as a punishment, I've just let this slide for far too long." She looked at me, and she smiled.

  It was not a happy smile.

  "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to think up good questions! Three punishments is a lot of free time for your mind. If you're not screaming in terror, at least."

  Oh Arceus, no!

  "T-That's not fair! I thought it would just be one big punishment!"

  I should not have said that.

  "Are you sure about that, Leaf? The punishment will be over very fast, but it won't be fun."

  The way her grin continued to grow as she spoke was disturbing, but I really didn't want three punishments! I almost slapped myself in the with my hair as I frantically shook my head.

  "No! No, one punishment sounds good!" She reached her hand out and I shook it before I had a moment to think about what I was doing.

  Then I had that moment I needed, a moment too late.

  Oh no!

  Erin was a dragon, as she so eloquently put it last night as she was dragged away by the face, but she acted like a damn fairy, too.

  I had just made a deal with Erin, and the gigantic smile on her face made mine drain of blood. She just kept smiling at me for a moment, shifting to look at me from all sides as she hummed.

  "Don't worry Leaf, I'll think of something better than another Leaf Special. Try not to spam the same Moves, you know?"

  She giggled before walking away towards the middle of our little clearing. She whistled with just her mouth, and the entire gathering of Pokemon went silent as they stared at her. Raihin's dragons looked at her warily, probably not liking her when she looked that happy.

  That was dangerous.

  "Okay gang, gather round! I've been meaning to do this for days and I keep getting distracted!"

  Her Pokemon formed a neat line in front of her, except for the Deino. He came in last and barreled into the Tyrunt blindly, leading to them standing there in an awkward looking pile as Hatenna hopped onto Tyrunt and Salandit stood on Deino's head, looking up at Erin.

  "I've been doing a lot of thinking since I arrived here. I've met my new family, and I care about you all so much. So, I really can't let this state of affairs continue!"

  She looked serious, hands on her hips as she looked at them. Her eyes were loving but serious as she glowered, and her Pokemon seemed to grow worried for a moment.

  All except for the Hatenna, who began giggling well before Erin smiled wide, tossing her hands back as she beamed.

  "I've called my family by their species name in my head for the last time! Time to get some names, if you want them!"

  Their reply was loud, a chorus of roars, hisses, and adorable giggling as her Pokemon reacted with fervor. Her giant mom was standing there, too, watching with an expectant look on her face.

  Erin turned to my fairy and practically snarled at her.

  "You may watch, but you will stay out of my rituals, fae, or you will be their dinner. I swear it." My pink horror gulped and nodded rapidly. Erin glared at her for a moment longer.

  "You may watch, fae, and that is all. Try to feel the feelings. It will serve you well in the future, should you make the correct choices." Clefairy nodded up at the fierce Dragon Tamer, smile uncertain and unsteady, now.

  Erin swept her eyes over her Pokemon slowly as she spoke.

  "None of my names hold the deepest of meanings. Some hold none. None, for the moment. I believe that the act of accepting a name gives it meaning, not the word itself."

  Erin turned to her new mom and smiled wide as she spoke, her eyes bright.

  "So, I've scrapped it, but I was thinking about Sue. She was the first and I think the largest of the inspirations for your species found, but it's just not you. Sue is a nice name, but not the name of the Tyrant Queen."

  The fuck inspired a Tyrantrum? They're an ancient species from millions of years ago, right? Wouldn't that mean the whole-

  No… Nope. Nuh uh.

  I am not equipped to deal with this.

  The huge Tyrantrum nodded eagerly, a smile on her face.

  "Where I'm from, there are many religions. In one old one, there was a Goddess that gave birth to two Titans." The Tyrantrums eyes grew extra sharp at that and she leaned in.

  "Her characteristics don't quite fit you entirely, but when she had two small children she ran from the father God to keep them safe. However, that aside, her parents were also Titans, so the symmetry seemed to line up a bit, I guess… Well, not really, but…"

  She was blushing now, seemingly embarrassed as the Tyrantrum cocked her head, giving Erin an insistent look. She looked up at her new mother hopefully.

  "How does Leto sound? I worry it's not feminine enough, bu-"

  She was cut off as the Tyrantrum tossed herself backwards, out of the camp's confines. She practically sneezed as she practically threw her upper body forward and rapidly exhaled, causing a spray of dirt to fly out, before her giant chest began to suck up air like a giant vacuum.

  Oh shit!

  The bellowing, piercing, violently unending Roar felt like it would send me flying, and she was twenty feet away and facing the other way! She obliterated a tree! In a giant fucking explosion of wood pulp! I saw bird Pokemon rising in the distance, and I really hoped that Erin had been right when she said we were too far from anyone to be heard.

  …

  Oh my Arceus, she just wont stop!

  Erin's smile was small and warm as she calmly watched the unending Roar, her recently-brushed hair billowing in the soundwaves, and I got the feeling she was very relieved.

  Eventually even Tyrants run out of air, and she slammed into Erin's stomach the moment she did, staring at her with those huge eyes as she lifted her up, and I swear she purred.

  "Glad you like it, mom."

  Leto let her slide off, and she turned towards the baby Tyrunt, who was watching her with huge anticipation in her eyes. She was doing a little tippy tap with her feet, as was the Deino, but it was the baby dinosaur that Erin knelt in front of first.

  "Leto had two children, you vicious little princess. One was the Goddess of many things, and I mean a lot of things, but she was most well known, to me at the very least, for one aspect." She paused and the little Tyrunt's eyes grew wide in anticipation.

  "She was known for hunting." There was a growl of approval from Leto as the Tyrunt snarled happily up at Erin, her jaws snapping inches from Erin's face as she smiled calmly, happily.

  She looked so happy as she spoke.

  "How does Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt sound to you, my little titan?" The vigorous nodding of her head was answer enough, but Artemis began to run around camp, excitedly trying to fire off little Rock Blasts and Roars. Raihan's dragons had to help catch her, in fact.

  The rest of the camp was watching the proceedings in fascination, and I could see Raihans team giving him glances. My new fairy 'friend' was watching Erin with unblinking eyes. She didn't seem happy, though. She seemed like she had failed, somehow.

  Like she missed an opportunity for something.

  I really had to get with Erin and write up a contract to get her under some form of control. After… After they finally talked to me.

  After my punishment.

  "I didn't start with a last name, this time around, let alone a first name. I chose."

  What was that supposed to mean?

  Erin looked up at her mother, eyes shining, voice slightly thick as she spoke.

  "Leto had another child, Apollo. He was also the God of a vast number of things, including hunting, but he also had many names." She looked at the Tyrunt, at Artemis, then stared at her giant, scaly mother.

  "One of them is Phoebus, and I chose that for my last name. I am forever Erin Phoebus, in this life."

  Leto let out another Roar, but a much smaller, controlled one this time, to my gratitude.

  Erin bent down to her Skrelp, who had reluctantly parted from her arm for this little naming ritual of hers.

  "You, my little kelp buddy, have saved my life before. You've always got my back. You bled for me not minutes after meeting me for the first time, and I can never thank you enough for that. That Scratch probably would have torn my throat out."

  She was so casual as she said it, the kelp dragon just nodding along!

  "You love to hang out, literally, and you like to go with the flow. You're the most easy-going Pokemon I've met so far, other than your little pranks." He gurgled out a laugh as he stared up at her.

  "You're not a Dragon in typing yet, but you are a proud dragon. My little armband, my little speedster. Your species may not be the fastest, but you go with the flow, and we will turn that into your greatest asset. Nobody will be able to pin down my devious, determined little kelp buddy, for he will always adapt and ride the flow of combat." His eyes were wide as he stared up at her in undisguised awe.

  "My little protector, you shall be named Kallen. A strong name with no specific meaning, but nothing has to have meaning. If it matters, it matters, and that's you my little buddy. You matter."

  A spinning, backflipping spray of water irritated the rest of his team, but they looked happy for him even as they shoved him away.

  Erin turned to her Deino, who was wiggling as his tail wagged so hard, feet tapping so fast it looked like he was trying to launch himself. She bent and met his face, smiling at the terrifying jaws that snapped right next to her face, not even blinking.

  I trusted him at this point, too, but that was something different. I knew he wouldn't bite me.

  She knew he wouldn't.

  "My happy little guy, my big puppy. My Deino. You love to love, and it is the thing I treasure about you the most, and I'm going to hold onto it as long as I can. You guard me without command, and your honestly strange control over your urges to bite couldn't make me happier, because I get to have you in my family."

  He chomped his jaws in her face a few times in amusement, tail wagging the entire time. Her smile was vicious now.

  "You are my guard dog, and I will unleash the fury of hell on those whose poor choices lead them to become my enemy in this life. In an old religion where I come from, the Gates of Hell, of the Underworld itself, realm of the dead and damned, were guarded by a three-headed beast." That wasn't disturbing at all, Erin…

  "You may not truly embody your name for a while, my little guy, but you will. Your name is a promise. You will guard me like the great three-headed beast who stands guard at the entrance to Hell itself. Your name will be Cerberus, and you will always be the best boy." Her smile lost its hungry edge, turning purely warm again. It had been a warm and hungry smile, it had honestly been weird…

  Cerberus began to howl, and charged out of camp to begin his own display of fireworks, Dragon Breath's spraying everywhere as he wildly shook his head.

  His tongue was out the entire time.

  He came running back just as Erin turned to Salandit, crouching down to meet the small Pokemon on a stump.

  "My poor little poison gecko. You think something is wrong with you, that it is wrong to be so different." The little gecko's eyes were wet as she stared up at her trainer.

  "You think that the opinions of others matter. I cannot change your coloration, nor would I. You are beautiful just the way you are, and neither me, my mother, or the rest of the family will ever think less of you because of it. We don't care if it draws trouble to us, either. Look at us, my sweet little gecko. We are the trouble." The little Pokemon laughed once, a short, weak thing as her tears began to flow.

  "You don't have to be afraid, or feel bad for who you are, my little ember, she who melts everything that stands against her with poison and flame. My angel of inferno's. My Seraphina."

  The little gecko nodded once before wiping her eyes, then she scurried off. She looked overwhelmed, the poor little thing.

  Erin knelt and sat to let her last Pokemon slowly, gently hop her way to her. All eyes were on her, and I watched my Clefairy stare as the tiny Pokemon looked up at Erin from her lap. Erin looked so sad, and so comforting.

  "My adorable little miracle. You were there for one of the worst moments of my entire existence, and you were the only thing good from that night. I will not call you a gift, nor thank your mother." Her voice was like a winter's night in the mountains, so bitterly cold.

  Hatenna's mother?

  "I will not bind myself to her. I will never thank her for anything. I will destroy her myself if I have to, when I'm strong enough. That may be a long time, but it will happen. She is a monster, and she will die." She was certain as she spoke. The little pink Pokemon just nodded along.

  What the fuck couldnt Erin's entire team not kill right now? That her mom couldn't kill?

  "However, I would not trade you for having never encountered her. Nobody would." There was a chorus from the other Pokemon, and Seraphina came darting back from the woods to join in.

  "Nobody blames you for your origins. Nobody deserves those origins, my little nightcap. We all love you, and you will always have a home with us, even if it's a very loud home." The tiny pink Pokemon was crying in Erin's lap now, but she was smiling gently.

  "You hate yourself for what you will turn into, and I am here to tell you not to." Her other Pokemon cheered, but quietly, hesitantly this time.

  "You are scared, and I won't force you. We can get, I don't know, a titanium harness for an Everstone or five, okay? I know you'd prefer to be a Hattrem at least, though. Arms would be nice, wouldn't they?" The little Pokemon giggled as she looked down.

  "You, my sweet little future wood witch, will be named for the Goddess of magic-" Her Pokemon froze in her lap.

  "-of spells-" Another large flinch.

  "and of crossroads. My little witch, Hecate." The pink Pokemon did not like what Erin was saying.

  The adorable, sad Pokemon was shaking her head desperately, before Erin brought her up to her forehead, eyes closed. After a long minute the little Pokemon calmed down, and Erin spoke into her head, gently.

  "You are not a monster. You will not be a monster when you become a fairy, you will become a fairy. You choose what to do with your spells. With your fae magic. We trust you, my little witch. We love you, too, and will always protect you. If you don't like the name, I'll think of another one, but you are at a crossroads of sorts, as well. You can fear yourself, or you can embrace yourself. Trust me when I say it is much nicer to do the second. It is still your choice, however, and you can change your mind later if you want."

  The little Pokemon was silent for a long time before she looked up to Erin, shivering. She nodded.

  "You'll use the name?" Another nod.

  "Then I have an order for you, my sweet, adorable future fairy, Hecate. Never think that we hate you. If you make someone mad, that is one thing. I am infuriated with my mother right now, for instance." Leto snorted at her.

  "That is one thing, but we will never turn from you, no matter if you wear an Everstone or not. We care for you. You are loved, and I need you to promise me you'll remember that."

  The little Pokemon nodded a few times before beginning to sob, and Erin picked her up before walking back to the blanket pile, gently laying down as the rest of her newly named team surrounded her, trying to encourage the tiny Pokemon.

  What had happened to that tiny little thing?

  Raihan's eyes were wet as he watched, and he turned towards me, lightly whispering.

  "She's wanted to do that for a long time, but she kept wanting to wait for the right moment. Erin doesn't get right moments, though."

  It certainly seemed like that to me, too.

  —

  "You know this is cruel, right?" I quaked. I had never used that term before, but it was far too accurate!

  "Leaf, a punishment is a punishment. You wanted to combine three punishments into one. Raihan's was doing his dishes for the time he was here." I froze up as she said that. I had passed up on such an easy punishment?! The ribs didn't even have dishes!

  "My mother was hellishly mad, but she is a mother. She's seen more than a few children reach beyond their means. From what I gathered, she was going to have you slice and toss her cuts of meat when she wanted the rest of our time here, like the Queen she is." I began to whine as she continued. That one would have been no big deal!

  "My punishment? Leaf, I didn't have one. I was, and technically still am, deceiving you. It would have been hypocritical of me to get mad for a young girl being curious, especially after I probably wasn't as smooth as I thought." That was an understatement, Erin! Also, you're a young girl, too!

  If that was the case, then why was this happening to me?

  Why was there a snarl of ropes on the Tyrantrums snout, through her mouth? There were also some straps! Lots of them, actually!

  Why was I strapped head-first to the top of the Tyrant Queen's snout?! Why, for the love of Arceus, was I about to experience the true horror of too much speed FACE FIRST? Why was the entire camp looking on in satisfaction?

  I mean, other than the fact I had pissed them all off?

  Most curiously, why was there a second pair of long straps!?

  Erin, the Savage Trainer, finished her inspection of the ropes binding me to her mothers snout. She gave me a warm smile, face directly in front of me. Her eyes glowed, then her pupils contracted.

  Her smile grew so, so wide.

  "We're going to have fun, Leaf! Cheer up! This is going to be the best roller coaster I've ever been on in my entire existence, don't ruin this for me!" Her voice dropped to hardly a whisper for her next words. I could barely hear her, and I could almost feel her words being spoken.

  "She won't let me 'ride' her, but this isn't 'riding', right? This is surfing! She liked the idea of Dune, so be cool!" What was a Dune!? Her glare was getting less scary to me over time, but that didn't mean it was't still terrifying sometimes. Like now.

  Right now.

  I frantically nodded and she stepped back with a wide, happy smile.

  She then hopped up behind me, standing on her mom's snout.

  Then she strapped herself to her moms head with two long straps around her waist that she gripped in pure, giddy joy! She was almost hopping in anticipation!

  What?! Erin!? What!? Just… WHAT!?

  Noooooo!

  Oh Arceus above, I remember how natural she looked when we came here in that damn Ride Basket. She was serious!

  "This is going to be so much fun, Leaf, you really just don't know. I can't do snarky Flygons who break the sound barrier just to fuck with me. I can't do speed in a mouth. I can't do the world's fastest airplane, pulled by two absolutely adorable, gigantic Alpha Dragonites I would have loved to talk to."

  Excuse me, what?!

  Go back, please?

  Nobody ever does, though…

  "I can't do a lot of things. This, though?" Her smile probably matched the one I happily got to feel spread under my hands.

  "I get the feeling this is going to feel natural."

  —

  I was ecstatic to finally meet the ground again, and not at speed. I had been in exactly no danger, and I knew that. The Protect was insanely strong, and she had proven it. Multiple times!

  Erin found out that she loved to smash through trees with her face, laughing madly the entire time as she balanced on her mother's snout, long straps around her wrists as she cackled in mad glee. The Protect was always there, adding a slight discoloration to the world, but Erin would gleefully (have I mentioned glee? She had a lot of it!) watch a tree branch, or a whole tree slam into her at high speeds and laugh as the Protection flared into an almost orange light!

  As Erin finally released me from my torture device I fell to the thankfully-close ground, stunned. Just… stunned. I had no energy for anything as our Pokemon began to surround us in the dust cloud we had brought in.

  Erin, of course, was ecstatic as she regaled her Pokemon and Raihan with her review of the experience.

  "Guys, guys, guys, guys! Guys! That was so awesome holy shit! That was the coolest, most awesome thing I have ever done! EVER! EVER! I broke a TREE with my FACE!" She was jubilant, jumping up and down in the air as she found it physically hard to remain still with her sheer exuberance.

  Me?

  I laid there on the ground where I landed, and I hadn't moved a muscle. I didn't move a muscle until Kallen came along with a low powered Water Gun that entered my ear, but I moved then. He darted away with another blast of water and I turned to Erin.

  Her smile was far too kind for what had just happened to me.

  "Leaf, I'm so sorry I just did that to you. Truly I am, on my life. That was too far too much for what you did. Your punishment was deferred to this, however." She was serious as she stared at me, and I believed this insane, savage trainer when she said that.

  Then she smiled at me.

  "That was your lesson, Leaf, in making bad deals in the heat of the moment!" Her face was smiling, but her eyes were so serious as she stared at me with those spooky eyes of hers.

  "You have a fae, Leaf! Do that with her in the heat of the moment and you will regret it, I swear to you! That may change as we introduce contracts, and you develop an actual relationship with her, but for now, that would have probably killed you… Well, maimed you, maybe?" Her eyes were ablaze even as she said the last part, and I looked to Raihan and he nodded at me, just one serious nod.

  Holy shit, really?

  Just from something like that?

  Just that?

  Me?!

  "That right there is your reminder, every single time you talk to a fae, I want you to remember to watch your words, and keep calm as much as possible. Or really, any power that you encounter. Your reminder, Leaf, that helps you not die." She looked me directly in my eyes, and there was no mirth in her eyes as she spoke.

  "Your reminder, Leaf, that true words have power." She turned away from me, and I knew she had been deadly serious when she said that. She had practically screamed it, in fact. 'True' words, like the fae.

  When Erin said something she meant it.

  What did that mean with last night's revelations?

  I stared at her and her look grew complicated.

  "You might want to take a seat, Leaf. It's time to have that talk you wanted. That we would have had eventually, anyways. Once I had finished being a coward."

  She almost whispered the end, face ducked in shame, but she also meant that.

  I knew I would need that seat just by the look on her face.

  Hers and Raihan's.