A lecture and arriving in Fuchsia

Vali looked out at the ocean view with a small smile on her face as she relaxed against guard rails set up on the minor cliff. It would only take another hour or two of traveling to reach Fuchsia City where the only poison-type gym in Kanto resided alongside the Safari-zone. With any hope, she'll have tons of fantastic pictures to send home to Pallet and maybe a new member of her family. While the latter wasn't up high on her list, she looked forward to see just who or what ended up joining her.

A soft bark sounded from her side as the Smaug and Celina flew overhead. The Charizard had finally managed to get the hang of flying though he still wasn't very good. Small trips that ended with a bit of stumbling on the ground were all he could do at the moment, Vali was just happy that he'd stopped crashing. She looked to her left side and found Balto sitting there. Bending down, she scratched between his ears, "I'm just thinking about Fuchsia. We're going to be doing a lot there especially since I'm betting Professor Oak wants us to take a good look at the Safari zone," Balto's head tilted when she sighed, "The Safari-zone has so many diffrent pokemon there and despite it not being very high on the list of things I want to do, I hope that we might find a new member of our family. It's an odd feeling, ya know," She ran a hand through her hair, "Being in the middle of wanting a new member of the family and not really wanting another one. At the beginning of my journey, I hoped to find maybe a full team of six pokemon that I could count on, but I've found more than that," She smiled a bit weakly, "I've always wanted a big family that could take care of me while I do the same. A family filled with the love I'd been forbidden from having. Now that we're in this world and I'm on this journey, I'm getting that family, but...is it right for me to want more?" Balto looked at her in confusion, "I want to keep adding to our family, but I don't want to do it too quickly. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings if I find another new member of the family. I don't..." Balto nuzzled her likely sensing the distress she was feeling, "I don't want to be resented by anyone."

Balto let out a furious growl and glared at her as he began to bark. Vali didn't need anyone to translate what he was saying since it was pretty clear he was berating her. He gestured to her pokemon who were beginning to look over alongside Steven and his own pokemon. Eventually, he ended his tirade with a firm bark and a determined look in his eyes. Smiling as she dropped to her knees, she hugged him, "I didn't understand all of that, but I'm guessing that you're calling me a dumb for thinking any of you would resent me, right?" Balto nodded and nudged her cheek with his nose, "Alright. If we find another family member, I won't hesitate to offer them a chance to join us."

Balto licked her cheek and she laughed while pulling away from him. Wiping away the spit, she said, "Yeah, yeah, you're happy that I'm not being a dumb human anymore. Let's go reassure everyone that we aren't fighting okay?"

Steven was still chuckling as they resumed their journey towards Fuchsia city, "I can't believe Balto actually lectured you."

"I can. He's done it before when I got particularly depressed a few times back in Pallet," Vali said earning a surprised look, "Getting dragged to a new world especially one so diffrent from my old one isn't exactly an easy thing to get used to even when people are trying to help. During the first year, I struggled with being depressed over the possibility of never seeing my old friends again. Balto really bit into me the times when I decided not to get out of bed again," Vali reached up to rub the permanent indents on her right ear that couldn't be seen by anyone unless they were really looking for it, "I mean really bit into me. I have the scar from those times when he bit me too hard,"

Steven gave Balto a surprised look, "I didn't think he'd ever done something like that before."

"If he hadn't done it to me, I wouldn't have thought he'd do something like that with how he acts," Vali smiled down at Balto as she had Arwen slow to a walk, "He's a wise little guy," Balto barked at her and by the look in his eyes, she knew he was saying 'Yeah, I'm a wise guy, Vali, and don't forget it', "No one really knew it was happening until Balto bit me a bit too hard a few times and caused me to bleed. They were pissed off especially Sirius, but Alakazam ensured that they knew why he was doing it. They weren't too happy about it, but they couldn't really berate him seeing as he was trying to help me. It took months for Sirius to forgive Balto,"

"I'm surprised Sirius forgave him," Steven commented as they reached a section of the Cycling Road which contained heavy purple tiles that marked the 55 odd miles left until they reached Fuchsia, "All things considered,"

Vali nodded in understanding, "Everyone was a bit surprised at the time until they realized why he'd forgiven Balto. Sirius could see that Balto was actually helping me and slowly getting me to act my physical age. With Balto's help, I began to act like a child rather than the mini-adult, Sirius' term for how I acted, that I had been forced to become. I was happier and it was all thanks to a ballsy Growlithe that took offense to my depression," She paused as a thought came to her and grinned a bit, "I think that's around the time everyone realized that Balto was meant to be my pokemon. Looking back onto our time together, I can see that we've always shared a bond from the first moment our eyes met. Not a familiar bond like what I had with Hedwig, I don't think it would be possible to have one with a pokemon, but it's a bond all the same if perhaps stronger somehow."

"It sounds like the bond I share with my original Metagross," Steven smiled as she looked at him, "Back when I first met them as a Beldum, I felt a connection to them that I could never possibly explain. All I knew was that they were meant to be my first, my partner that would be beside me no matter what. It's always hardest to send them away from me,"

A bond that would last even beyond death. The thought made Vali jolt a bit as it rang through her entire being. Where had that thought come from? She wondered over it as the thought settled deeply into her mind. Fingers slowly reached up to press against Fawkes' feather, it felt right despite being a bit morbid. She had noticed while meditating that she'd had some form of connection to Balto along with each of her pokemon though not as strong as with him. She had subconsciously dismissed at the time as something that was there, but didn't require any acknowledgement. Did it mean that she'd eventually bond with her each member of her pokemon family to that degree as well? Did it mean that should she die, their life would be forfeit? Somehow, she knew her answers lay either with 'The Lord of Flames' or the mysterious 'She' that Ninetales had spoken of.

Vali shook it from her mind as she mused, "I wonder if that's what happens with every trainer that ends up becoming high level trainers."

"Probably," Steven glanced at her, "Are you alright? You're holding onto Fawkes' feather with a pretty tight grip,"

Vali looked down at her slightly white knuckled grip on Fawkes' feather and let go, "I'm fine. Just an odd thought, it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Steven eyed her in concern.

"I'm sure. Just a thought about something involving my visions," Vali rubbed Arwen's side feeling the heat eased the ache that had developed in her hand due to how hard she was gripping the feather.

Steven's concern didn't abate, "Anything you can talk about?"

Vali shook her head as she felt the beginnings of an intense headache, "No. Let's just say I'm going to have a lot of questions for whoever it is that sent me those visions and refuses to let me talk about it."

Steven grimaced at her words, "I have a few questions for them as well."

Fuchsia city was one of the more traditional looking cities in Kanto. It still had its share of sky scrapers, but they were all designed to look like a beautiful mesh of tradition mixed with modern. The city was smaller than Vermilion despite being a port, but it was mostly due to its closeness to the Safari Zone which was a few miles north of the city. The non-traditional buildings of Fuchsia city were the buildings were the pokemon center, the human hospital, and the clinic that made all the antidotes for the Kanto region.

Vali grinned as she noticed the booths that were being set up, "It looks like we're just in time for the Lantern festival."

"Lanterns Festival?" Steven looked at her as they traveled to the pokemon center.

Vali nodded as she gestured to one of the many tables where people worked to create lanterns, "It's one of the more traditional festival usually held near the beginning of November. It isn't as wildly celebrated as Christmas or Halloween anymore; however, you can usually find it being celebrated in Lavender Town and Fuchsia," She smiled lightly, "People create paper lanterns and at midnight, they send them floating alongside the waters current. It is believe that the lanterns will float past the barrier between this world and the next. People usually write on little papers or on the inside of the lantern with the hope that those they've lost will find the lantern and know that they're missed."

"You've done it before," Steven asked earning a nod.

"After coming to this world and learning about it, Sirius and I participated," Vali watched as some young children rushed towards their parents and felt the familiar pang in her chest, "I don't know if it really works, but..."

"It still feels nice to do something like that," Steven guessed with an unreadable look in his eyes, "We'll I'm glad we managed to make it in time. We should go get rooms at the pokemon center and find out when it starts,"

Vali nodded as they continued to walk, "Yeah."

They reached the pokemon center with some struggle since the streets were rather crowded with people trying to get things done in time for the festival. The Nurse Joy running the counter smiled them, "Welcome to the Fuchsia city pokemon center, how may I help you?"

"Can we get two rooms and have our pokemon looked over?" Steven asked earning a nod as they both pulled out their pokedexs.

"I also have an egg that I'd like to have looked over just to check on it," Vali added as she handed over her pokedex, "My Charizard evolved while we were in Celadon and has been getting used to flying. I've provided as much care as I could, but it would best if a professional checked him over just take make sure he's okay,"

"Of course," Nurse Joy pulled out two trays and took their pokedexs before moving away from the counter.

They put their pokeballs onto the trays and Vali took the egg out of her bag. She set it carefully onto the counter. Nurse Joy returned with both their pokedexes and a pair of keys. She handed them over as Steven asked, "Nurse Joy, is the festival of Lanterns occurring tonight?"

"No, it will start tomorrow around 2 in the afternoon. I assume you two are interested in participating?" Nurse Joy asked earning nods, "The pokemon center has yukata for rental during festivals like this,"

"We'll keep it in mind," Steven replied and they headed off to their rooms, "Do you usually wear one for this?"

Vali shook her head, "Not really, we don't really do much outside of the whole lantern making, lighting them, and sending them off via the ocean. The only time I've ever worn them was during the New Years festival when we would go to Cameron Palace to pay our respects to Mew," Vali thought about the yukata that Delia had made her, "Delia made me one for last year, but I don't think I'll fit into it."

"Delia can make clothes?" Steven asked earning a nod, "I didn't know that,"

"She only really makes clothes for special occasions," Vali wondered if Delia would make her another one before dismissing it.

Vali didn't really need a yukata especially when she was likely to grow out of it during her next growth spurt. Perhaps once she was older and had more storage space, she would see if Delia would make one for her.