as I slept, images of my past started flashing through my mind, all of the promises I had made, all of the people and pokemon I had met, Uxie, Gigas, then...my Parents... I had tried my best to keep them out of my thoughts since I could remember, but, ever since Uxie showed me them, I couldn't stop thinking about them,
I never even knew them, but now, I missed them... I couldn't understand why, I didn't even NEED them, I never did... but, I still wanted to MEET them, to KNOW them and to LOVE them as my parents, and KNOW why they had to leave me behind...
I could still see it vividly in my mind, being given to the village elder as an infant and just watching them walk away... another flash in my head, and in my mind, I was reliving my life when I was seven, I had taken to living in that empty house, the only other thing my parents had left me, apart from my name... I felt empty without someone else there, I didn't care who at this point, I just needed a friend... then, one day in town, I met...it...
A Teddiursa, it had just wandered into town... when I met it, I felt some small connection, almost a kinship with this little bear, the town elder organized a search around the town, trying to find any signs of parents to the bear, while the search happened, I stayed with the bear, keeping it company, after a while had passed, the teddiursa hadn't left of it's own accord and the townspeople hadn't found any signs of a family, the elder saw me sitting with the teddiursa and asked "maybe, YOU should look after the bear?"
"what? but, I'm a kid too..." I responded, pouting slightly
"but, you seem to be able to look after yourself, besides, your house could use another occupant..."
another flash, and a year had passed, I had been living with the teddiursa since we met, three weeks after I had met it, through observation, I had discovered it was female, after I knew this, I decided I would name her, asking her about it, looking for responses, I decided on the name Terese, she seemed to like the name, as she responded by hugging me, I was glad because that's all I cared about at the moment, I liked having her around, truly, I knew we were friends...
another flash, and I was now eleven, I had lived with Terese for four years now, but one day I noticed, she was acting strangely, I was unsure why, but, she became more vigorous when she hugged me that day, she started caressing me through her embrace, when I asked the elder about this later that day, she just gave me a blank expression and said "I think your friend is ready to leave..."
"What!? but why!?" I shouted in protest, starting to frown
"she doesn't need to be here anymore, she's become independant, like you..." the elder responded
"ohh...but, what about ME?" I asked
"there are other pokemon out there, they can be your friends..." she said, giving me a stern look
"I don't want Terese to leave..." I said
"but, if you make her stay, you'll just be hurting her..." the elder said, starting to frown
"oh." I said, before continuing "I guess I understand..."
another flash of images, and it's a week later, and Terese is leaving the town, she said something to me as she hugged me one last time before she left the village... I really wished I could understand her, the elder turned to me and said
"it's for the best, child, don't worry, she'll be fine without you..."
"but, will I be fine without her?" I asked, getting a strange reaction from the elder
"look, there are areas outside of town where several pokemon gather, I'll help you find a friend to take Terese's place..."
over the next 3 years, I had attempted to live with other pokemon, whenever a new face took the place of an old one, I noticed, the pokemon were never there very long...over time though...I eventually forgot about Terese...
on my fourteenth birthday, I was asked if I would like a pokemon as a gift...in this memory, the person asking me was obscured, I couldn't identify them...
"what? why would I want to OWN a pokemon?" I said, through a frown
"I just thought that maybe you'd consider becoming a trainer?" this statement confused me
"a trainer!?" I asked angrily
"they're people who catch and raise pokemon to fight for them, they usually take the lea-"
"I know what a trainer is!" I started, cutting off the other person "...why can't I just fight for myself?" I asked, sadly, I didn't want to make anyone else fight for me...
"because, we can't, pokemon are just stronger than us..." the other person said, being met with my response
"...maybe we're just weak..."
"No! that's not true..." the other person said, but, I had seen the truth, on the TV, I saw it, trainer's using pokemon as tools... this idea disgusted me, I had lived with pokemon for seven years now, and I saw Pokemon as my equals, I saw them...as my family, not as things...or tools for me to use...
"it IS true" I protested "trainers have been treating pokemon as tools, I can't be a part of that..."
"tools!?" the other person started "only a small percentage of trainers would call pokemon their tools..."
"yeah, but a larger percent still use them as such..." I said, in response
"...why are you acting like this?" the other person asked
"because..." I started, angrily "I'm happy just living alongside pokemon, I don't need to be a trainer..."
"but, what if someone tries to harm you? what if you needed to fight?"
"...then I will fight for myself..." I said, clenching my fists
"but, you said it yourself, we're weak..."
"maybe I did, but that doesn't mean we can't change..." I said, turning my attention to the mysterious figure's face
"but, you could be killed!" the other person protested
"if that happens, it happens, I don't want to make someone fight for me..." I said, looking back at my house, thinking of the others currently taking residence in there...
"you're crazy, Lucas, come on! I need the elder to talk some sense into you!" the other person said, suddenly graabing my hand, dragging me to the elder's hut.
when we arrived though, the response we got was not what we were expecting
"that's fine, but, you'll have to become stong, stronger than your opponents, if you wish to survive on your own..." as the elder said this... my vision started fading...
another flash of images, and it's three weeks later, and I have started training myself with the pokemon outside the town, Luckily, when I asked them to stop, they did, but, at times, the training would leave scars on my body, I didn't mind, to me, they were signs of my conviction, during my first year of training, I decided, I would travel Sinnoh, without using pokemon... maybe I could show people that THEY could fight for themselves too...
each day, I would have to go to the pokemon centre, sometimes I needed medical attention, sometimes, it was the pokemon I was training with, it was strange, but, I felt I was already above average in terms of fighting ability. "maybe it's a family thing..." I thought to myself, as I continued my training
more images, and now I'm seventeen, Matt had been living with me for a year now, we both had scars to show from our training, while our training happened, I would occasionally stare at mount Coronet, wondering what it looked like inside, secretly, I already felt I was strong enough to leave, but I made a promise to Matt, and I was a man of my word...

another flash of images, this time, showing different times during my life, they seemed disjointed and erratic, my focus was shifting through these memories, drifting to the right, or left, to reveal...an Infernape...watching me from afar...
more images flashed through my head, this time, these images replayed the events with Terese through my head, but, this time, I knew what she was saying, I had no Idea if these were true memories or fiction, but, I saw Terese saying that she loved me, and my younger self had no Idea what she was saying, then, an image of her, watching me while I slept, silently weeping...

"T..Terese...!" I said as I woke up, I was disoriented, what did these images mean? Looking down, I saw Seena was still asleep
"oh...jus...just a dream..." I thought to myself, wiping sweat from my brow, sliding our from under Seena, I sat on the floor, looking at the time, it was 4:52 A.M.
"Terese..." I said to myself, softly "I can't believe I let myself forget you..."
I took a piece of paper and wrote out a note for Seena
"I'm outside, looking around Snowpoint, I just need some time to think..."
upon finishing this note, I placed it on the foot of the bed, as I put my pants on and left the room
as I left the room, I was greeted by Beatrice.
"good morning Lucas" she said, turning to face me, I felt so distracted by the last image in my mind "did she really feel that way?" I thought to myself while walking to the front door, then, I snapped back to reality, realizing Beatrice was speaking to me when she asked
"is...something wrong?"
"no...maybe...I don't know..." I said, getting a response of
"...is it Seena?" Beatrice asked, concerned
"no! no..." I responded "it's something from my past, a friend I had forgotten, I saw her in my mind while I was sleeping"
"do...do you need to see this friend?"
"I...guess so, I think we both need closure" I said, slowly nodding
"what happened?" Beatrice asked me
"well" I started... over the next fifteen minutes I explained my history with Terese, at the end, I said
"looking back, the village elder was trying to stop her from acting on her urges with me...but, I was so young, I didn't understand..." as I said this, I could feel tears forming in my eyes, "and now, I haven't seen her for seven years..."
"...I'm sorry to hear this, it sounds like she really cared about you though..." Beatrice said, looking down
"yeah..." I started "I think...I need to find her" I said
"I believe this may be the best course of action, but, you should let Seena know, she may take this the wrong way otherwise..."
"I will...in time" I said, before continuing "but I don't even know where she is now..."
"she's most likely still around Celestic town..."
"you think so?" I asked, my mood suddenly changing
"I'm sure of it..." Beatrice responded, smiling
"thanks Beatrice" I started "you're a good friend..." as I said this, I turned around and continued "if Seena comes out and asks where I am, just tell her I'll be near or inside the temple..." before saying "I'll see you later, and thanks again..." after I finished saying this, I started out the door, being greeted by the darkness of the early morning, I sighed lightly and shivered at the cool morning air, looking down, I noticed, I wasn't wearing my shoes... "eh...I guess it doesn't matter..." I decided I would head over to the temple, hopefully, the pokemon inside should remember me...
when I reached the temple, I was greeted by some golbats "oh! it's you again, you're...not here to fight...are you?"
"no, no...I just need a place to think" I said, putting them at ease "besides" I continued "I've already met Gigas..." as I said this, I sat down against the wall
"very well, we'll just leave you be..." the golbats said, I started to wonder why every pokemon in the temple knew I could understand them "I guess Gigas told them" I thought to myself, as I started to try and remember more details about Terese, I was concentrating so hard, I didn't notice the large rock snake making it's way towards me, when I looked back up, it was right in front of me
"woah!" I shouted, getting a reponse of a small
"shut up..." from some of the golbats hanging from the roof.
The onix turned to me and said "you're back, I'm happy to see you again..." before saying "come on, if you need something, it would be best to do it on the lower floor, these golbats are trying to sleep..." I got up as the onix said this, it then led me to the stairs heading down.
when we arrived on the lower floor, the Onix turned to me and said "I believe you said, you would tell me how you fought before?" as the onix said this, it coiled itself into a pile in front of me, I sat down in front of it, leaning against a wall, and started
"well, it all began when..."
I spent the next half-hour explaining the history of the primal spark, and my abilities, to the onix...
afterwards, the onix just said "wow...so, other people are being affected by you as well?"
"yes" I responded, the images of Terese still hung on my mind, as I continued "pretty soon, others will, at least KNOW what you're saying, but I think my fighting prowess came from my prior training though..." as I said this, my mind drifted back to the day I awoke these powers, replaying the events in my head, and, Seena telling me the way she felt, then, it played them again, but in Seena's place...Terese...
"why is this happening?" I thought to myself, trying to change the subject, I asked "what about you?"
"what about me?" the onix asked
"do you have a story?" I asked, cocking my head slightly
"oh...if YOU want to hear it, I'll tell you" the onix responded, smiling slightly
"this Onix is acting...strangely nice to me, moreso than the other's I had fought previously..." I thought to myself
"to start, I've been here my whole life, I was born here, into Gigas's service..."
"do you like it here?" I asked
"why do you ask?" the onix responded
"I ask because, I'm going to be travelling soon, I wouldn't ask you to leave against your will, but I want you to consider it..."
"are you asking me to...travel with you?..." the onix asked, blushing, I was so distrscted though, I wasn't even looking at the Onix
"yeah..." I said, scratching my head, before continuing "I'm sure you're aware that I fight for myself, I won't ask you to fight for me..." I continued, smiling to myself, I wasn't going to just forget MY dream at least...
"I would be your...companion?..." as the Onix asked this, it started blushing even heavier... but I still kept my head hung low, distracted by a rush of guilt...
"well, at loss for a better term...yes"
after I said this, I saw more images in my mind, this time, replaying my first time with Seena, with Terese in her place, I couldn't stand this anymore...
"what's wrong with my head!?" I shouted, getting a small shock out of the Onix
"what is it?" the Onix asked, sounding concerned
"I'm seeing things that didn't happen, I...think I'm becoming obsessed..."
"oh..." the onix said, still blushing "is there something I can do to help?"
this confused me "what do you mean?" I asked, turning to face the Onix, suddenly becoming worried from what I was seeing...
"well...I LIKE you..." the Onix said, blushing heavier
"but...we barely even know each other..." I said, nervously, was this really happening?
"you're unlike anyone else I've met... you've been so kind to me, a complete stranger, and even after I attacked you, you didn't even think about taking me away from here, you only cared about my health... I want to repay you somehow, and I want this too..." the onix was blushing harder as it said this, it slowly spun around, and revealed itself to me "this can't be happening..." I thought to myself, then, I noticed a swollen pink opening on the onix's hind end, there was no doubt about it, the onix was a female, not only that, she appeared to be in heat...
"you can't be serious!" I blurted out, it was strange, even though it was now apparent that the onix was female, I couldn't tell from it's voice alone... I shook my head as I continued "no, no, not like this..." I shuddered lightly as the onix slowly spun back around to face me, looking upset
"oh...I thought...perhaps, you would be more open minded about this..." she said, looking down
"no, it's not like that" I started, blushing heavily from her display..."I'm flattered, truly, but I'm already in a relationship..."
the onix became very shocked at this new information, suddenly trying to cover herself "oh my god! I'm so sorry! I had no idea..."
"this is all I need..." I thought to myself, while placing one of my hands on my forehead, "look" I started, turning to face the onix "I didn't treat you any differently to any other pokemon I have encountered, I didn't see anything in you, I'm not saying I wouldn't consider it, it's just... I mean, I've already got a 'mate'..." this term made me uneasy, it felt strange just saying it...
"oh... does that mean, you would've done it if?..." the onix asked, giving me a strange look
"no, I don't want to get into hypotheticals about this" I said, before asking "...do you remember the Weavile that told the other pokemon that I knew what I was doing?"
"yes..." the onix responded, starting to slump into a pile on the floor
"we've been together for months now, and I could never betray her trust..." I said, rubbing my head, before continuing "you don't want to do this...it's just your body trying to control your actions through physical urges..." I said, suddenly asking "why couldn't I detect your heat before?"
"it's my natural scent...it's similar enough to this place that it goes unnoticed...it's a blessing...and a curse to me"
"look, I could help you find a mate if you wish..." I said, getting a mixed reaction
"but you're, ...okay..." she said, looking down
"...what made you think I would in the first place?" I asked
"it's YOUR scent, it smells like a Human, mixed with that of a pokemon, it tells me that you had previously mated with a pokemon..."
"well...it's true, Seena and I have gone that far..." I said, before asking "wait...why did you think I wouldn't be with said pokemon at the time?"
"I've encountered people like this before, they never carry out relationships with pokemon, they may help their pokemon in their times of need, and sometimes, they may have multiple partners..." as the Onix sad this, she blushed heavily
"dammit! she won't stop thinking about it..." I thought to myself, as the Onix continued
"but it doesn't go beyond that..." before turning to look me in the eyes and say "but, I know about you now, and I feel that you are different, you treat pokemon better than I have seen of anyone else..."
"...I consider them my equals, and my family..." I said, turning back to the Onix before continuing
"I'm not going to mate with you...but that doesn't mean I can't help you find someone..." as I said this, I got a hopeful exprssion from the Onix, her head still hung low
"very well, but please, you must keep away from me for a while, I need these urges to subside..."
"I understand..." I said, before asking "...do you have a name?" this made the Onix look up at me and say
"yes...but you may find it strange..."
"why's that?" I asked
"in my species, males are named after types of rocks while females are named after gemstones..." she replied,
I then asked "alright...so what's YOUR name?"
"...Lapis..."
"I'm Lucas, Lucas West..." I responded
"thank you..." Lapis said, before continuing "if you want to stay here, I'll do my best to fight my urges...I truly am sorry..."
"I understand..." I started "I won't tell Seena about this, but, now that you know...please don't ask this of me again..." I said, looking down, then thinking to myself "maybe one of the others at the pokemon centre?"
"look, Lapis" I started "I'm...gonna go..." as I said this, I thought about how awkward this situation was...
"I understand Lucas..." Lapis said, with a sad look on her face
"I'm sorry if I got your hopes up..." I said, before continuing "...and if I hurt you..."
"you don't need to apologize Lucas..." Lapis said, giving me a small smile "after everything you've done...the good FAR outweighs the bad" Lapis continued, while blushing slightly
"...thanks for saying that, Lapis" I said, turning around and continuing "I PROMISE I will find you someone..." this was more a promise to myself than to her...
I then left, heading up the stairs and walking across the hallway, out the door, I then sat down in the snow, and continued my thoughts
"Terese, I WILL find you... and when I do... I'll find out if your feelings were true or not..." then, it popped into my head, it must have been Uxie who triggered my thoughts, she must have reawakened my memories of Terese...
I continued sitting in the snow, I don't know how long I stayed there... but I watched the sunrise alone in silence...

"Seena..." I said out loud, staring off into the distance...Chapter End Notes:alright, I'm wondering if anyone started to become worried that I hadn't updated as fast as I usually did, truth be told, I was having difficulty wording this chapter properly, a writer's block, if you will...

anyway... this chapter, along with the first and second, are ones I'm considering rewriting..