"Well, I’ve never met anyone outside my town before," she kept her guard up, she didn’t see any league badge on him or any other symbol, therefore he could be an agent in incognito. He had dark brown hair going mostly over to the right with it going over his ears and stopping between his shoulder blades.

He wore a red knit sweater with a Russell Bomber black jacket, a pair of Moto-X Jeans with a set of three-prong belts. He showed no poke’balls, so he might not have been a trainer, but then again, any trainer not in league with Team Rocket wasn’t too eager showing them off in public.

"So I hardly no anyone anywhere!" Ivory exclaimed.

"Shh! They’re may be more still around, c’mon…follow me," the boy said, motioning for her to follow him along the line of bushes behind them.

"Oh, so I can trust you!" Ivory said quietly as she obeyed.

"You don’t even know where we’re going," the boy growled.

"Cerulean right?"

"Ugh…"

"By the way, I’m Ivory Koguu." She said, Panther at her side and Kameko following closely behind.

"Ryuu," he replied, Ivory stopped. He sounded quite gruff there, she looked at Kameko, both shrugged and she continued following him. "You might want to return that squirtle of yours, she sounds tired." Ivory was taken back once again, he was telling her what to do! He was probably only sixteen or so, she scowled. She did what he said anyway, the less pokemon out the less of their chance to be caught right? She scooped up Panther and placed him in the crook of her right arm. She followed wobbly this time, as she was only using one arm.

"You’re lucky you made it through Mt. Moon, it just so happens that the Earth Organization just then decided to attack that base," Ryuu said as he stopped and looked through some bushes. His eyes scanning for something it seemed.

"Who are they?" Ivory asked, Ryuu continued crawling.

"Did you ever hear about Team Magma and Aqua?" Ryuu asked.

"Yeah, a while ago." Ivory answered.

"Well, you know that Team Magma tried to expand the land and Aqua wanted to expand the sea right? Well, not long before Team Rocket was crushed again by the pokemon champion – Ash Ketchum, he and a few of his friends were able to convince both sides that the earth was made the way it was and did not need expansion of either element. Therefore (after a long wait and battle after battle) they finally came to their senses and broke apart. Then when Ash vanished, they quickly joined together as one, creating another order, the Earth Organization. Therefore, if there were problems they could resolve it while the champion was gone." Ryuu explained as he once again checked through another bush.

"So what happened when Team Rocket took over? Did they not try to stop them?" Ivory asked.

"Yes, plenty of times. Some how Team Rocket seemed to have just gotten up and became the number one threat on this planet. Their pokemon are all fully evolved, stronger than any of their own kind." Ryuu answered.

"They're studying them, experimenting on the pokemon…that’s how they did it I bet." Ivory remembered the deceased pokemon still connected to the machinery inside, Panther being the lone survivor.

"Yeah, we know." Ryuu replied as he once again checked through a bush. "We can walk now,"

"What were you looking for?" Ivory asked as they stood, noticing he was a good foot taller than she was at full height.

"That," he pointed at a house not far from where they stood behind the foliage. On the second floor was a bright, flickering light in small specks. When Ivory narrowed her eyes, she found it to an extremely tall person behind those curtains with the small specks of light.

"Are they holding candles or something?" Ivory asked, Ryuu shook his head.

"No, it’s my buddy." Ryuu replied, Ivory looked up at the person again, the curtains were closed. They made their way towards the house, passing a sign along the way however, Ivory found herself in Cerulean City.

"Misty?" Ryuu shouted out as he closed the door behind them, Ivory looked around the inside of the home. It was as plain as Richard’s house, hardly any valuables were set out for show, no pokemon or pokemon merchandise. It was only then did Ivory remember that the whole region was effected by Team Rocket. She wondered how many this city lost to the raids…

A pounding down the stairs brought her back to earth with a young woman about seventeen with blazing orange hair cut to her shoulders with aquatic orbs and pale skin. Her frame (she looked somewhat sickly) attired a blue robe and tied sash.

"You’re Ivory Koguu aren’t you?" the young woman asked, Ivory sweat-dropped. Didn’t Brock say he called other gym leaders from time to time? This wouldn’t look pretty if she was as temperamental as Brock claimed.

"Um…yes, why?" Ivory replied, the woman named Misty’s eyes narrowed.

"Brock called last night that you would stay for an extra few weeks for special training? Why and how did you get here?" Misty asked, her hands on her hips. Ivory blinked, yep, quite the fireball Brock said she was.

"It’s a long story…" Then she noticed Misty’s eyes train on something else, Ivory followed her gaze. Panther…

"How cute, it’s a baby eevee. Where’d you find him?" Misty asked, Ryuu sighed.

"I better get breakfast started." Ryuu growled as he walked away, Ivory watched him leave.

"Can I hold him?" Misty asked, she noticed Ivory looking somewhere else. "It’s almost morning Ivory, and since we’re awake, why not?"

"Sure…" She handed Panther to Misty, who instantly started to cuddle with him.

"You’re a gym leader right?" Ivory asked, Misty blinked.

"Sure am, let me guess? You want to have a battle?" Misty asked.

"Yes," Ivory replied.

"All right, but let’s plan that sometime later. First, I think Ryuu and I both want to hear what happened ‘kay?" Misty stated.

"All right,"

By the time breakfast started up (in the middle of the night it seemed) Ryuu and Misty both forced Ivory to talk and explain what happened back on Mt. Moon. By the time she finished, both looked grim.

"So they saw you? That’s not good, especially with pokemon…" Misty said quietly as she fed Panther.

"Dead or not it’s most likely that you’ll be on their wanted list," Ryuu growled, very bitter since she mentioned the experimenting on the dead pokemon in there.

"So what am I suppose to do?" Ivory asked.

"You can always get a new look," Misty suggested, "my sisters love dressing up kids."

"I’m not a kid! And what’s wrong with my look?"

"You’re going to have to avoid Team Rocket as much as possible now, and walking around in a state that they’ll recognize you in isn’t wise. Maybe cutting your hair will be a good idea." Misty thought aloud. "My sisters have been 'ones of beauty' for as long as I can remember." She didn’t sound too happy saying this though.

"And a whole new wardrobe!"

"Make-up maybe!"

"Of course a new hair style!"

She didn’t know what hit her till three older women than Misty spun her chair around to face them, both grinning eagerly.

"Those are my sisters," Misty muttered.

"Daisy," the woman with brighter orange hair than misty that went down to her waist with a flower behind her right ear, her eyes were a darker shade of aqua with a beauty mark underneath her right eye.

"Violet," the woman with dark azure hair with bouncy curls to her elbows, a pair of red pearls made up a hair pin along the back of her head and bright crimson eyes gazed down at Ivory.

"And Lily," the girl with pink hair that became a slim strands of curls from her shoulders down, bright colorful eyes equal to her sisters. All three looked down at Ivory, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"Leave it to us!" they cried.

Only seconds later did Ivory find herself being dragged upstairs, she wondered over and over again, how she got into this mess. Nothing added up or made sense however…

"So you’re the girl Brock talked about, oh dear look at that your poke’balls? Here, Lily be a dear and restore these two please? And take a look at that eevee, I don’t think Misty checked him over yet," Daisy ordered as she plucked the two poke’balls from Ivory’s belt and placed them in Lily’s hand.

With a nod the pink-haired water flower hurried away, Daisy and Violet brought Ivory into a room and placed her on a chair.

"I’ll do your hair, Violet why don’t you pick out some new clothes? We’ll make the ones she’s wearing now second choice!" Daisy said, looking at her blue-haired sister.

When Violet left, Daisy went for the shampoos, conditioners and scissors.

"I really don’t think this-"

"Don’t be silly! I know exactly what I’m doing!" Daisy claimed, Ivory sweat-dropped.

Snip! Snip! Ivory kept her eyes closed, afraid up seeing her beloved hair drop to the floor. Compared from her thinking and Daisy’s, this was for the best.

"You know, I never expected your younger sister to look so pale," Shoot! Did I say that out loud! Ivory gulped, she heard Daisy sigh.

"Yeah…she hadn’t been so well for the past two years, after meeting Brock you should know that they were the best of friends way back then. It turns out – or so I think – that Misty had a crush on Ash for a long time before he battled against the Elite Four. When he finally gained the title Pokemon Champion, she thought she lost everything that he and she made during the several years of traveling together." Daisy explained.

"How do you know?"

"We may not get along on a daily basis, but we all are sisters. We share secrets like average girls – even if she is a tomboy – and to Misty and the rest of us, that was the biggest and darkest one she could ever give. We never told it to anyone, only Brock seemed to have understood without an explanation. Until you though…" Daisy measured another strand with the comb between her lips.

"Then, when he vanished. I suppose she gave up, I think…I think she blames herself for his disappearance." Daisy said, Ivory blinked. Why would she blame herself? Being the Water trainer Brock said he knew her to be went this far as to get into such a condition?

"She never told us why though, there are hundreds of possible theories to what happened after he won…" Daisy stated, then she beamed. "But then again, that was a while ago, done!"

She turned the chair around to face the mirror, Ivory gasped. Daisy laughed as she found the girl’s jaw drop.

Her gray hair was no longer ‘long’. But now it was cut and layered down to her shoulders, she didn’t recognize herself anymore…next to that, her bangs were slid to one side. It was very awkward…

"Done! You’re pokemon are happy and healthy!" Lily cried coming into the room, Aldara and Kameko’s poke’balls in her hands. Soon Violet too came back inside with new attire in her arms, they both beamed at Daisy’s work.

"Hurry and put these on, they’ll look nice on you!" Violet exclaimed pulling Ivory away with her, both Daisy and Lily then releasing Kameko and Aldara, both playing with them.

"Here we go, if only you were older I could dress you up a lot better, but being twelve…" Violet mumbled as she laid out the clothes, Ivory stared at her.

"How did you know I was twelve?" she didn’t recall telling anyone her age, Violet winked at her.

"Women intuition," Violet replied, "now get dressed, I’ll wait outside. Oh, and if you ever start outgrowing any of your clothes, come back for some more we have plenty of lovely and still in fine shape handy-downs – Misty refuses to take anymore nowadays." With that, the blue-haired waterflower left. Ivory growled, trying on new clothes…always been a time of dread.

Quickly sliding her hands and arms through the Hooch Ruchie Sleeve Sweat and zipping it up then slipping her black Jean shorts on she stepped out of the room, Violet squealed excitedly, exclaiming she was adorable, especially with the new haircut.

Putting on some socks (her feet were amazingly cold) she followed Violet back to Lily and Daisy. The two had the same reaction and all three were eager to show her off to Misty and Ryuu.

A fact that made the time seem so much more dreadful…

"Misty! We’re done!" Lily cried as she bounded down the stairs, followed by Violet. Misty was drinking out of a blue mug when her sisters came down; Ryuu slouched on the sofa in the other room watching something on the news.

"Really? Where is she?" Misty asked, trying to look over her sisters, only to see Daisy further away near the stairs.

"She’s being difficult." Violet stated.

"She shouldn’t be so shy, she’s so adorable she could brag about it!" Lily claimed.

"Yeah, maybe it’ll wear off as she ages…"

"We can only hope so…"

Misty sighed as she took another sip of her drink, sisters…

"Don’t make me drag you! It’ll be a shame to put all the hard work to ruins!" Daisy shouted out to the being-difficult Ivory.

"Fine, I’m coming…just stop whining!" Ivory replied. Misty nearly dropped her mug when Ivory slowly walked down the stairs; it was hard to believe that was the girl that came in with Ryuu not too long ago.

But then again her sisters had a knack of ‘transforming’ human beings like evolving pokemon.

"You’re so cute Ivory," Misty agreed with her sisters, Ivory’s eyes twitched as she approached the redhead.

"Hey Ryuu come in here and see Ivory!" Lily shouted, Ivory suddenly felt somewhat hot. She tried to air out her shirt as Ryuu grumbled.

"Fine, I’m coming." Ryuu responded.

"Man, he sounds just like you." Daisy stated, looking up in thought.

"Could they be long-lost siblings?" Violet asked, Misty sweat-dropped.

"Uh…no, he wouldn’t be." Misty growled, "They look hardly alike, besides, Ryuu-" Misty went suddenly quiet, the room suddenly grew grim, adding more discomfort to Ivory as Ryuu opened the door.

"Whoa! Did I walk in the wrong room because surely I must have been directed to the Muk Room!" Ryuu shouted, grinning and nearly at the point of laughing on the floor. The four waterflowers sent Ryuu a glare; Daisy went as far as throwing the closest thing (an oven mit) at Ryuu’s face. Dodging it he began to laugh.

Why this made Ivory turned red baffled her, did he seriously think she didn’t look good or was he just teasing her? Shaking her head, she smirked.

"Actually this is the Beautifly room, the Muk room is two hallways down and three doors left." Ivory corrected mockingly, Ryuu snapped out of his rolling laughter and snorted.

"Nah, that would be Blaziken’s room." Ryuu replied.

"No, the Muk room."

"Blaziken’s room,"

"Muk room!"

"Blaziken’s room!"

"Muk room!"

"Blaziken’s room!"

"Blaziken’s room,"

"Muk room – eh!" Ryuu’s eyes widened as he figured out he was just tricked, the waterflowers gave each a weird look.

"Um, Ivory-chan. He meant that literally." Lily said.

"Huh?"

"There really is a blaziken room here. You see, Ryuu has a blazekin. Upstairs," Violet explained, Ivory’s mind backtracked. Was that light in the upstairs window Blazekin’s doing? In that case, Ryuu was a pokemon trainer!

"You mean it wasn’t taken away when pokemon trainers were searched and raided?" Ivory asked, eyeing Ryuu. The waterflowers expressions darkened.

"No way, I’m one of the strongest trainers that were around at the time, I even knew Ash Ketchum too." Ryuu said before leaving the room, Ivory felt there was something really wrong.

"Did I say something I shouldn’t have said?" Ivory asked, turning around and facing the four sisters.

"Actually, Ryuu has only three pokemon. He once had four, but that one was…captured by Team Rocket during the raids." Daisy said softly, Ivory’s eyes widened. Panther poked his head out of around a doorframe; Ivory spotted the eevee pup and broke the silence.

"Hey boy!" Ivory cried, bending down and reaching out for him.

"Eevee!" Panther cried as he launched into her open arms.

"Are you feeling better?" Ivory asked as she stood up, Panther snuggling into her chest.

"Eevee…"

"He’s just tired and cute." Misty said.

"Squirtle!"

"Spearow!" Kameko and Aldara came in; Aldara perched onto Ivory’s shoulder and Kameko at her feet.

"I’m amazed they’re already so attached to you Ivory-chan, where were you from again?" Daisy asked.

"I never said, from Pallet Town." Ivory answered.

"Really? You know who Deelia Ketchum is? Is she doing all right?" Misty asked, Ivory nodded to both questions.

"That’s good…"

"So squirtle was your starting pokemon ne? They’re strong starters, at least until you come in terms with Surge down in Vermilion. Are you heading that way after Cerulean?" Violet asked.

"Yep,"

"Then take our advice, Lt. Surge is a very powerful leader, he was even once a Team Rocket executive." Ivory looked at her in horror, she remembered the executive back at Mt. Moon, would Lt. Surge be like him?

"But he’s really just a big flirt," Misty said, recalling aloud her first meeting with the guy traveling with Ash. "Mistook ME as the challenger…please! My pokemon would have been fried on the spot!" Ivory smiled.

"Are there any other leaders that were or are in Team Rockets league?" Ivory asked, the four sisters looked up in thought.

"Be careful around Koga, he’s the Fuchsia City’s leader. Also his daughter, Janine. Not sure about her though…pretty nice as far as I know. Then there was also Blaine but you can trust him without worrying, Sabrina’s all happy now so no need to be concerned…anymore?" Misty asked.

"There was Giovanni, but we all know what happened to him." Violet stated, they all nodded. Ivory’s expression darkened what a waste of space is what she thought of such ‘scum’.

The conversation carried on despite the growing fatigue and fact that it was still pretty early in the morning. Calling it a ‘night’ the sisters wandered up to bed, Misty gave one more glimpse towards Ivory who sat in a kitchen chair still.

"Are you not coming up to bed?" Misty asked, Ivory cast her a glance.

"I don’t have anywhere to sleep," Ivory replied with a tired grin.

"Oh! I’m so sorry! We placed your stuff on the third floor next to Blaziken’s, that’s where I’m sure you’ll be safest if any trouble emerges." Misty answered, "Your pokemons’ poke’balls are up there too."

"All right, thanks a lot."

"Don’t mention it, ‘night." The redhead waterflower said as she yawned and walked up the stairs. With a sigh Ivory looked down. Kameko had placed herself within her shell and faint snoring could be heard echoing off the walls of the shell and out of it. Aldara slouched on her shoulder and Panther rested in her hands.

"C’mon guys, bed’s upstairs." Ivory said, standing up, lazily Kameko poked her head out. With another sigh Ivory bent down slowly and picked up the turtle and began up the stairs herself.

By the time Ivory got herself up to the third floor she was exhausted. Looking down the dark hall she dragged her feet to a door that was partially open. No light was emitting from it as she would have suspected if it were Ryuu’s blaziken.

Cautiously, she pushed the door open wider and switched on the light. Yep, made for a human. A twin-sized bed sat in the far-left corn covered in warm blue sheets and comforter. The wallpaper was adorned with droplet-wallpaper and the carpet itself was soft and azure.

And as Misty said, her emo bag and poke’balls lay harmlessly on the bed.

If they had the energy, the pokemon would have cried for joy at the sight of the bed. But since they hardly had any left, they only jumped from Ivory’s grasp and hurried to the mattress. Picking up the items and setting them against the wall, Ivory put herself in bed, hardly caring what she was wearing.

"Squirr…" She felt Kameko, Aldara and Panther lean against her, curling up and falling into slumber despite the light still in the room.

With a mental snarl, she disgusted the idea of getting up when she and her pokemon were already so comfortable…

A small footstep stopped in front of the door, Ivory watched as a strange-looking hand reached in and flicked the lights off, the hand vanished, the door shutting. Somehow feeling safe, Ivory herself joined her friends in dreamland…