WELL. Hello everyone. I know it's only been, oh, TWO YEARS or so, but here is the next installment of Pokebleach. Sorry about the giant gap in updates, but I completely lost interest in Bleach after the Hueco Mundo arc ended. I'm not really sure why I suddenly became interested in Ulquihime again (it was seriously out of the blue), but I figured I should finish writing this chapter that's been in limbo for a year and half while my muses were still kicking.

Oh, and FF . Net was being an asshole and deleting all of my page breaks, so I went back and added them in again. I hope it makes the previous chapters easier to read.

For the record, Ichi's evolution is Ichi - Ichinii -Ichigo because I HAVE NO IMAGINATION.

Reviewer Answers (hopefully you're all still here):

WindMirrorAutumn – Technically I should be calling them "Bleachballs," but I figured I might as well keep as close to the original idea as possible. My ideas for this story are based on art and other fanfics over at the Capslock Ulori community on LJ. Another user was the one who started the Pokebleach idea, so I stuck close to their concept art and stories.

Dark-heika - Grimmkit will eventually evolve, and it was decided early on that his evolved forms will match his forms in the anime/manga. So his evolution will be Grimmkit - Grimmjow - Panthera. Ulquiorra will follow the same path, so it's Ulqui -Ulquiorra - Murcielago.

I haven't decided on what other Bleachmon Rukia will gain throughout the story. I think Renji would make a fun addition to her Bleachmon collection, since he'd want to one-up her Ichigo all the time. As for Byakuya, I think he'd do best as a Bleachmon trainer himself (or possibly a gym leader).

As for Rengiku showing up in the story, I have no idea. Gin was already mentioned, and I decided to make him a Bleachmon species known as Ginichi. C;

Now then, on to the chapter!

=0=

Orihime held back her giggles as she sipped her soda. It was so nice to take time away from Bleachmon training to spend a few hours with her friend, Rukia. She'd happened to run into the other trainer while wandering through the countryside, and they'd both agreed to share a pleasant lunch together.

After stumbling their way through heavy underbrush during the early morning hours, the twigs and leaves sticking to their jeans and baggy t-shirts, the young women had reached a small town outside of Cerulean City. Taking a moment to heal their Bleachmon at the local Poke Center, they spoke to the nurse on duty and asked for directions to the nearest café.

Now, as Orihime sat across from her friend in one of the café's booths, she munched on her sandwich and regaled her tale of the first several weeks of her training. Rukia listened intently as Orihime described the battle that took place in the Pewter City Gym, and appeared appropriately surprised when the other woman told her about gaining the gym leader's battle-hardened Grimmkit.

"Wow," Rukia exclaimed, picking at her salad with a fork. "It seems like you've been through quite a bit already. My Ichi and I have fought a lot of battles on our way here – including some trainer battles. Like your Ulqui, Ichi was able to evolve, too."

"Really?" Orihime asked, smiling brightly. "That's great! Can you show him to me when we're done eating? I'll let you see Ulquiorra and Grimmkit, too!"

"That sounds wonderful!" Rukia agreed, a tiny grin reaching her own lips. "How is your Grimmkit, by the way? I bet he's an amazing fighter, since he used to belong to a gym leader."

Orihime blanched. "Um…err…well…" She stammered, feeling a blush color her cheeks at Rukia's look of confusion. "It's a bit complicated."

"Oh?" Her friend asked, tilting her head. "Why? Is something wrong with him?"

"Oh no, no!" Orihime replied quickly, gesturing animatedly. "It's nothing like that! He's a very strong fighter, but we haven't gotten the chance to bond yet. When I try to use him in a battle, he doesn't listen to a word I say. He'll win in a fight, but he does it his own way."

"Hm, I can see how that would be a problem." Rukia murmured, putting her hand to her chin in thought. "Have you tried interacting with him outside of battle? Maybe he just needs to spend more time with you on a day-to-day basis?"

"Maybe..." Orihime said, her voice unsure. "The problem is that every time I bring him out of his Poke Ball, Ulquiorra will eventually come out, too."

Rukia chuckled knowingly. "I take it they don't get along very well."

Groaning, Orihime dropped her head to the table. "You can say that again." She sighed. "Ulquiorra is usually very calm, but when he's around Grimmkit, he seems to intentionally make him angry. I can't even feed them at the same time, because one will try to steal the other's food, and then a huge fight will break out."

"Sounds like you have a challenge on your hands." Rukia said, offering her friend an apologetic smile. "The only suggestion I can give you is to keep trying to bond – not just with Grimmkit, but Ulquiorra, too. Maybe the reason he's constantly coming out of his Poke Ball is because he's jealous. Or he just doesn't like your Grimmkit - I can't really say for sure."

Lifting her head, Orihime glanced at the other trainer and mulled over her words. "You may be right." She mused, shooting her bag a curious look. "Okay!" she said, turning back to her companion and clapping her hands together firmly, "I'll do my best!"

=0=

Outside of the café, Orihime watched eagerly as Rukia released her Ichinii from his Poke Ball. When the orange-haired Bleachmon came into view, Orihime couldn't help but gasp. When she'd first seen Rukia's Ichi, he was only around knee-high and had a human-like face. Now, he easily reached her waist and was wearing half of a very ornate mask. His eyes were also different, with his sclera having become black and his pupils, which had been brown in his Ichi form, were now a bright shade of yellow.

It was quite a difference from his original form.

"This is Ichinii." Rukia said, gesturing to her Bleachmon. Ichinii looked from his trainer to Orihime, shifting awkwardly.

"He looks very strong." Orihime replied, bending so she was face-to-face with the shorter Bleachmon. "Hello!" she said cheerfully, waving at him. Ichinii blinked at her. "My name is Orihime." She said, smiling. "We've met before, but we didn't have time to talk. It's nice to meet you properly, Ichinii."

The Bleachmon remained silent for a moment, then gave a polite sounding, "Ichi-Ich" before wandering over to his owner's side.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, Rukia grinned down at him. Looking back to Orihime, she asked, "Can I see your Ulquiorra and Grimmkit?"

"Huh? Oh!" Orihime cried, jumping to her feet. Reaching toward her knapsack she had settled on the ground nearby, she made a quick decision as to which of her Bleachmon would be the safer choice. Snatching Ulquiorra's Poke Ball first, Orihime stepped away from Rukia and her Ichinii and released her somber Bleachmon.

Ulquiorra appeared a few feet away from his trainer, his eyes locked on Rukia and her Ichinii. He didn't seem threatened by - let alone interested in - the other Bleachmon, instead choosing to put on an air of superiority in the face of a potential challenger.

"So that's an Ulquiorra, eh?" Rukia asked, catching the attention of the newly released Bleachmon. "He does look very different from his old form, just as you said." Rukia studied her friend's Ulquiorra, pausing for a moment when she met his eyes. When the Bleachmon neither flinched nor looked away, she hummed thoughtfully before moving on to the pair of impressive wings tucked behind his back. "Can he fly with those wings?" She asked, intrigued.

"Mm-hmm!" Orihime answered, stepping up so she was side by side with Ulquiorra. Gripping one of the horns on his mask fondly, she smiled down at him. "Ulquiorra is very helpful when I get lost in the woods or can't find a specific road. He's also warned me in the past if something dangerous was coming our way, so we had time to go around it." She said, proudly.

"That does sound incredibly useful." Rukia agreed, putting a hand to her cheek in thought. Eyes widening, the shorter trainer gave a start. "I just thought of something!" She said, looking from Orihime's face to the Ulquiorra standing at her side. "I heard of a special item called an HM that you can get near Celadon City. It allows you to teach your Bleachmon a move called 'Fly,' which enables them to carry you over long distances."

"Really?!" Orihime cried, pumping her fist into the air. "That's wonderful! That would cut down so much of my travel time!" Lost in her imagination and giddy laughter, it took the young Bleachmon trainer a couple moments to realize that her Ulquiorra was staring at her blankly. Stopping in mid celebration, Orihime stared right back, confused.

With an unenthused huff, Ulquiorra offered a rather perturbed sounding, "Ulquiorra-Ulqui," before flapping his wings once for effect. Glancing at his owner meaningfully, he attempted to make his point.

Another second or so of thought and Orihime's face flushed brightly. "Oh, I see." She answered, embarrassed. "I guess even if I taught you the 'Fly' move, you'd have a hard time carrying me around right now."

It was true. Although Orihime kept up her cardio and was in wonderful shape, she simply weighed far too much for her poor Ulquiorra to carry over long distances. Disheartened, her shoulders slumped and she sighed dramatically. "Well, there goes that idea."

Smiling sympathetically, Rukia attempted to steer the conversation toward something more positive.

"How about showing me your Grimmkit, now?" She asked, intrigued when her friend's Ulquiorra tensed noticeably and turned a heated glare toward the other Poke Ball in his trainer's knapsack.

"Alright…" Orihime agreed hesitantly. To be completely honest, she wasn't sure how her Grimmkit would react to the situation. He could either act sullen and put-upon, or he could go feral and attack either Ulquiorra or Rukia's Ichinii. Neither circumstance was favorable. "I don't know what he'll do when he comes out, so I'm going to put a little distance between us, okay?" She asked, appearing both apologetic and a tad nervous.

"That's fine." Rukia agreed, motioning for her Ichinii to ready himself just in case.

Nodding, Orihime grabbed the other Poke Ball from her bag and walked several paces away from her friend. Calling Ulquiorra to her, she watched as he silently obliged, his soft steps bringing him to her side. "You ready?" She asked him, her nerves calmed by his unconcerned demeanor.

When her Bleachmon flexed his wings in a sign of readiness, Orihime threw the Poke Ball to the ground between her and Rukia. A blinding flash of light erupted from the ball, and when it faded, Grimmkit appeared – poised and ready to battle.

"Grimmkit!" Orihime called to him, trying to get his attention before he did anything too drastic. When she saw one of his ears swivel back toward her, she knew he was listening. "Grimmkit, I want you to meet my friend, Rukia, and her Ichinii."

"Hello." Rukia waved politely, a bit taken aback by the irritated expression on the Grimmkit's face. The feline glared at her, sniffing haughtily.

"Grimmkit," Orihime said, trying and failing to get him to look at her, "Come stand by me, okay?" When the Bleachmon made no move to obey her, Orihime tried again. "Grimmkit, come over here." Still, there was no movement from her newest Bleachmon.

Saddened when her Grimmkit continued to pointedly ignore her, the orange-haired trainer drooped noticeably. Would he ever follow her directions?

Rukia was about to give her friend some encouragement when she was interrupted by her Ichinii stepping forward to meet Grimmkit. Surprised, she watched her own Bleachmon stride confidently over to the cerulean-furred feline, unimpressed by its bravado.

Grimmkit growled low in his throat, gaze never leaving the approaching Bleachmon. In a split second, he had crouched low, muscles tensing in preparation for a fight. His trainer barely had time to shout before he had sprung from his position in an attempt to land a rough tackle. His paws were mere feet from the enemy when a black and white blur appeared out of the corner of his eye. Before he could even turn his head, Ulquiorra landed a harsh kick to Grimmkit's side, sending the feline skidding into the dirt.

Amidst the cloud of dust surrounding her Grimmkit, Orihime could see him climbing to his feet. Acting quickly, she called him back to his Poke Ball before he could regain his bearings. When the light of the Poke Ball dissipated, Orihime took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. She saw Ulquiorra land with a soft patter nearby, and immediately felt a huge wave of gratitude crash over her.

When the situation had calmed and Grimmkit was safely tucked away in her bag, the young trainer let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, Ulquiorra." She said, walking over to her Bleachmon and bending to give him a quick hug. "You're such a good Bleachmon."

Ulquiorra didn't respond, but also didn't try to escape his trainer's embrace, either. His eyes followed her as she stood straight once more.

"You weren't kidding when you said your Grimmkit had an attitude." Rukia stated as she joined her friend, Orihime noticing that Ichinii was nowhere to be found. 'Rukia must have called him back into his Poke Ball when the situation escalated.' She thought, embarrassed. "It's nice to see that your Ulquiorra is well trained, though." The dark haired trainer continued, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder in a gesture of support. "Don't worry, Orihime. You'll gain your Grimmkit's trust soon enough."

Rukia tossed her Ichinii's Poke Ball into the air before catching it expertly. "Well, it's been fun, Orihime, but Ichinii and I should probably get going." Stashing the Poke Ball in her pants pocket, Rukia turned and began making her way down the dirt road toward Pewter. "Thanks for showing your Bleachmon to me!" She called over her shoulder, waving as she walked.

"No problem!" Orihime replied, waving back energetically. "Be careful!" She added, grinning when Rukia gave her a thumbs-up.

As her friend disappeared into the underbrush, Orihime turned to Ulquiorra. "Thanks again for your help with Grimmkit." She said. "It's a relief to know that you can handle him if he starts getting out of hand."

"Ulqu." Ulquiorra answered, wings fluttering behind him.

"Okay then," his trainer said, her voice regaining some of its usual cheerfulness. "Let's get going!"

Gathering her supplies quickly, Orihime placed her bag on her shoulder and walked up to her silent Bleachmon. She reached down to grab his hand, smiling wide when he didn't protest. Squeezing the tiny hand in hers, Orihime began walking down the dirt road toward Cerulean City, Ulquiorra at her side.

=0=

The forests outside of Cerulean City were filled with Bleachmon. Large to small, lethal to downright pathetic, the Bleachmon kept coming in droves. With her supplies dwindling and her own Bleachmon reaching the point of exhaustion, Orihime herself was close to a critical overload. What was causing this sudden influx of Bleachmon activity? Was it the weather? A severe lack of Bleachmon trainers in the area? Aliens?

If Orihime had to take a guess, she'd go with the latter.

"What is going on here?" Orihime panted, sitting heavily on a rock in the middle of a clearing. "I didn't think it was possible for so many different Bleachmon to be living in one place. I even saw both a Shinjosen and a Hiyamon in the exact same flower patch, but if I were to tell anyone they'd say I was nuts!" She cried, gesturing angrily.

Dropping her chin into her hands, the young trainer took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Thinking back to her tromp through the flower field earlier, Orihime couldn't help but feel disappointed that she'd been unable to catch either Bleachmon. Not that she hadn't tried – she'd sent Ulquiorra after the Shinjosen and had called upon her Grimmkit to hunt down the enraged Hiyamon, but neither chase had been successful. Ulquiorra had lost his prey to a well timed Flash attack, and Grimmkit only managed to earn himself a nasty slash across the face for his efforts. The angry feline had then decided to take out his frustrations on Ulquiorra, which allowed the Hiyamon to escape during the not-so-friendly scuffle.

When it was all said and done, Orihime was down two potions and still had nothing to show for it. Figuring the best course of action was to make it to civilization before anything disastrous occurred, she hopped to her feet and prepared to move on. Taking a moment to stretch her arms above her head, the young Bleachmon trainer took several deep breaths to relieve her stress.

'I never realized how badly Bleachmon training could affect my health. If I'm not careful, I'll stress myself right into old age!' Putting her arms down, Orihime frowned and began stepping lightly through the trees.

She had only taken a few steps before a soft crunching noise reached her ears. Coming to an abrupt halt, Orihime cocked her head to the side and listened closely. The noises seemed to be coming from several large bushes to her left, and if she looked carefully, the young woman could see movement between the leaves.

Gulping quietly, Orihime dropped low and silently crawled her way closer to the bush. The sounds of crunching continued, and the trainer could only hope that whatever it was didn't notice her before she could get a good look at it. Her knees protested as she made her way over the uneven ground, but she kept silent and watchful.

When she reached the bushes, Orihime slowly reached forward and parted the leaves to take a peek at the Bleachmon sitting on the opposite side of the brush. To her surprise and delight, a mop of orange hair appeared beyond the deep green of the vegetation. A warm feeling began building inside her chest, a mixture of excitement and happiness she hadn't felt since she'd received Grimmkit in Pewter City.

Orihime had found a wild Ichi.

The tiny Bleachmon was sitting among the fallen leaves and grass, chewing idly on a tree nut. Its dark clothing rustled gently as it moved, its legs sliding thoughtlessly among the grass and disturbing the leaves around it. The Ichi didn't appear to be paying much attention to its surroundings, instead focusing on finding more nuts in the fallen leaves beneath it.

Heart thumping madly in her chest, Orihime gingerly maneuvered her bag onto the ground beside her. Grimacing whenever her movements caused any amount of noise, the young trainer slowly opened her bag and reached in to grab an empty Poke Ball. Grasping open air for a moment, her fingers finally wrapped around her target. Smiling nervously, she removed the Poke Ball and pushed her bag away to give herself room.

With Poke Ball in hand, Orihime took a second to breathe deeply and calm her nerves. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, she watched the Ichi paw at the ground and search beneath the leaves for food. When the small creature finished his current snack and reached both hands beneath him for another, Orihime acted quickly. With a mighty heave, she threw the Poke Ball at the Ichi, desperately hoping that she could bypass a fight entirely and make this a simple catch.

Everything happened within a matter of seconds. The Poke Ball flew through the brush and popped out the other side, heading straight for the Ichi. With an audible clunk, the Poke Ball bounced off the side of the Ichi's temple and fell to the ground. The tiny Bleachmon had enough time to jerk his head dazedly toward the red and white sphere before it opened and drew him inside.

Jumping up and over the bushes before her, Orihime snatched up the Poke Ball and held it tightly. She could feel the Poke Ball move as the Bleachmon inside struggled for freedom. Fingers squeezing the ball tightly, she waited with baited breath. Several seconds passed before, to her disappointment, the Poke Ball opened once again to deposit the now irritated Ichi back among the grass and leaves.

"Oh no!" Orihime groaned. Afraid that her chance of catching her own Ichi was going to pass, she was now desperate to keep the little Bleachmon in his current location. Turning to her bag, Orihime snatched it from the ground and reached into the side pocket to grab hold of Ulquiorra's Poke Ball.

She had to juggle her belongings a bit, but she managed to free her somber Bleachmon's Poke Ball from her bag without dropping the empty Poke Ball meant for the Ichi. "Ulquiorra, quick!" Orihime cried, throwing the Poke Ball to release the winged Bleachmon. When he materialized before her, she pointed toward the fiery-haired Bleachmon struggling to get to his feet among the fallen leaves. "Knock out that Ichi so I can catch him!"

As the light from the Poke Ball vanished, Ulquiorra stood silently among the forest underbrush. His bright green eyes were locked on the Ichi before him, watching as the smaller Bleachmon rubbed the growing lump on its head and growled menacingly from his position a few feet away. Neither made a move toward the other, and they appeared to be staring each other down while trying to decide their next move.

Orihime adjusted her grip on her bag and swallowed thickly, her throat suddenly dry. Why wasn't her Ulquiorra landing any blows? Was he sizing up his opponent before moving in for the attack? She knew from previous battles that he preferred to study his opponents before making any hasty moves. If there was one thing her Ulquiorra wasn't, it was brash. He knew his limits and the extent of his own abilities, which was one of the main reasons she trusted him so implicitly during battles.

However, she wasn't sure what to make of his current behavior.

Was he…hesitating?

After several tense seconds of silence, Ulquiorra turned his head and gave his owner a soft glare through hooded eyes. With his arms firmly at his sides, the child-sized Bleachmon folded his wings against his back and kicked lightly at a stick that was protruding from the ground near his feet. With a look of absolute boredom on his face, Ulquiorra did something that Orihime had never seen before – something she had never expected from her precious and, dare she think it, obedient companion.

Ulquiorra ignored her order.

Slack-jawed, Orihime felt herself gape like a dying fish. This…this was completely absurd. Her Ulquiorra, the little Bleachmon that had followed her orders to the best of his abilities and fought so viciously for her in the past, had flat out refused to help her.

While she tried to wrap her mind around the situation, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head quickly and cried out in dismay as she saw the little Ichi had made a break for the trees. The wild Bleachmon ran toward a patch of thick bushes, probably in an attempt to escape his would-be captor and her grumpy-faced companion.

Without thinking, Orihime threw the straps of her bag over her shoulders and gave chase, her feet pounding the earth in her frantic rush to not lose sight of her quarry. Her hair was wild and breaths erratic as she chased after the tiny figure, her hand clenched tightly around the empty Poke Ball in her grasp. She saw the Ichi glance back at her, its brown eyes wide as it caught site of the determined look on her face.

The thunder of their footsteps quickly receded into the gloom of the woods, the sound muffled by the heavy foliage. Ulquiorra watched as the two disappeared into the forest, a flurry of leaves left in their wake. The pale Bleachmon sniffed haughtily before he flapped his wings and followed, his eyes trained on his owner from above the treetops.

The two blotches of bright orange were easy to track among the relative darkness of the forest. Before long, Ulquiorra watched as the young woman and her swift prey emerged from the thick trees and came to a lush clearing that hugged the edge of a large river. The Ichi stopped abruptly near the churning water's edge and spun to face its pursuer, arms raised at his sides and his breath heavy with exhaustion. It glared at Orihime with narrowed eyes, hands closed into tight fists.

It looked like he had readied himself to fight for his freedom.

Ulquiorra flapped his wings and hovered silently above the scene, eyes intent upon the two figures half-hidden among the tall grass.

Orihime skidded to a halt a short distance away. Her heart hammered in her chest and her own breaths puffed in heavy gusts before her. Her legs felt like jelly and her head swam from the rush of the chase, but she refused to release her grip on the Poke Ball she had reserved for the Ichi in front of her. She didn't know why she wanted an Ichi so badly, but she was determined to win one, with or without Ulquiorra's help.

With her long awaited prize before her, Orihime took her bag from her shoulder and grasped her last resort with her free hand.

Her wrist flicked and the remaining Poke Ball flew to land in front of the Ichi. In a blinding flash of light, her Grimmkit emerged in all of his ruffled glory, his eyes narrowing when they fell upon his new opponent. "Grimmkit!" Orihime panted, still out of breath, "Knock out that Ichi so I can catch him!"

She saw his ears flicker quickly in her direction before they turned back to the orange-haired Bleachmon in front of him. Grimmkit's lip curled as he bared his fangs and growled low in his throat. With what his owner could only describe as a predatory smirk, the feline roared and launched himself toward the Ichi, his claws outstretched and ready for battle.

Well. At least she could count on her Grimmkit to fight without much provocation.

Grimmkit's enthusiastic bites and swipes were met with equally fierce kicks, parries, and punches. The Ichi's speed was admirable, especially considering the bump on his head and his previous run. He still appeared to have energy to spare, but Orihime was confident in Grimmkit's skill.

The young woman dropped herself to one knee and placed her bag on the ground. She needed to be able to get to her dwindling supply of potions and other medicine quickly without having to drop the Poke Ball she still gripped tightly in her hand.

A fierce growl caught her attention and drew her eyes to her Grimmkit's back, his fur spiked with sweat and anger. When the wild Ichi jabbed a balled fist at the feline's face, Grimmkit dodged quickly to the side and went in for a quick swipe. His claws dragged through the material of the Ichi's kimono, taking some flesh along with it. The Ichi cried out in pain and anger as it attempted to return the attack with one of its own. As the fight continued, the ferocity behind each Bleachmon's actions left Orihime with the impression that the battle had now become personal.

When Grimmkit delivered a devastating head butt to the Ichi's chest and sent him sprawling through the tall grass, the young trainer felt the tides turning. She was confident in Grimmkit's victory, and smiled accordingly. It looked like she would get her Ichi, after all.

Her smile faded a bit, though, as she thought of Ulquiorra and his disobedience. She'd have a talk with her little Bleachmon about his stubbornness after her new Ichi was safe in his Poke Ball.

The two Bleachmon continued to battle until finally, with one final tackle, Grimmkit drove the wild Ichi into the ground near the edge of the river. The cerulean-colored feline jumped back, his eyes locked on his opponent to see what his next move would be. The Ichi struggled to his feet, but it was obvious that he wouldn't be conscious for long.

Stomach doing flip-flops in her excitement, Orihime prepared the empty Poke Ball and called out to Grimmkit. "Good job, Grimmkit!" She shouted, her arm ready to swing the ball toward her target. "Now, move aside, I'm going to catch him!"

Grimmkit's fur bristled and he turned his head to glare at his owner, but before either of them could make another move, a black and white blur appeared between Grimmkit and the weakened Ichi. Feeling a breeze against his fur, the feline Bleachmon whipped his head around to see who or what was interfering with his battle. A low snarl escaped his throat when he saw Ulquiorra's wings in front of him.

"Grimm-Gri!" He barked, ready to finally settle the score between himself and the irritating thorn in his side. Ulquiorra turned back to him, his eyes focusing first on Grimmkit, then on his owner who was standing dumbly several feet away, a look of utter shock on her face.

Without another word, Ulquiorra faced the Ichi once more. The orange-haired Bleachmon glared at him, its eyes narrowing. "I-Ichi-" It began, taking a step toward Ulquiorra in what was meant to be a threatening gesture.

The somber Bleachmon was unimpressed and, quite unexpectedly, he planted his foot in the center of the Ichi's chest and sent it flying with a well-placed kick.

Orihime and Grimmkit could only watch, eyes wide, as the Ichi sailed through the air and landed with a loud splash in the river. It only had time to flail and bring its head above the surface before the water's flow carried the struggling Bleachmon down river and out of sight.

There was silence except for the crash of the river against the edge of its banks. Orihime could do nothing but stare at where the Ichi had been mere moments ago, her arm still hanging in the air. She barely noticed when Grimmkit launched himself at Ulquiorra, furious that his prey had been lost. It took a moment or two for the sounds of their struggle to reach her ears, but when it did, Orihime was brought back to the present with a snap.

She rose slowly to her feet, her arms limp at her sides. She dropped the Poke Ball she'd been clutching, the imprints it had left in her palms beginning to itch. Slowly, she made her way toward the bickering pair, her steps gaining strength as she came closer.

"Hey." She murmured, her eyes fixed on the two Bleachmon who hadn't yet noticed her approach. "Hey." She repeated, getting closer with each passing moment. When she was within a few feet of the tussling pair, she finally lost her temper. Her hands shot out, and both Bleachmon startled as they felt her grasp upon them.

Grimmkit was taken by the scruff of his neck, and Ulquiorra felt his owner's slender fingers grip his upper arm solidly. Their fight forgotten at the sudden interruption, the Bleachmon turned wide eyes toward Orihime, whose cheeks were a flaming red.

"Hey!" Orihime cried, her frustration and exhaustion catching up with her. Cerulean City had turned out to be a total bust, and she was at her physical, mental, and emotional limits. She had done nothing but battle for the entire day, and she just didn't have the patience to put up with Ulquiorra and Grimmkit's bickering anymore. Not to mention that the first wild Ichi she'd seen had been lost due to one creature's disobedience and the other's bravado.

Orihime's grip on Grimmkit's scruff tightened and she dragged him toward her, the feline appearing absolutely dumbfounded as he was brought face to face with his owner. Ulquiorra, too, was pulled closer to the young woman, though he had a look of resigned acceptance on his face. He was pretty sure he knew what was coming.

When she was sure she had their attention, Orihime released an angry breath from her nose and finally allowed herself to express her utter frustration with the events of the past few weeks.

"What am I going to do with you two?" She cried, her voice stern. "Both of you have done nothing but bicker and fight with one another since Pewter City and I'm sick of it! I don't care what it takes, but so help me, you two are going to cooperate!" She looked at each of them in turn, her glare met with indifference from one and irritation by the other.

Deciding that she should change her strategy from an all-out attack to a more focused one, her gaze landed on Ulquiorra. "Ulquiorra," she started, feeling the arm in her grasp tense slightly, "Why did you ignore me?" She watched his face pointedly, waiting for some sort of subtle shift in his expression. Within their short time together, she'd become a master at deducing his moods based on his body language. She'd had to – Ulquiorra had to be the least talkative Bleachmon she'd ever encountered.

It took a moment, but when he shifted, she caught it. His eyes dropped to stare at her knees, then quickly lifted to glance at the forest behind her before returning to her face. When those bright green irises met hers, Orihime saw it.

Guilt.

Sighing, she felt herself deflate as some of her anger dissipated. It was hard to stay mad at Ulquiorra, especially after all they had been through together. She still wasn't sure why he had such a problem with the wild Ichi they'd encountered. Maybe she should ask the Poke Center staff if Ulquiorras and Ichis tended to be at odds with one another?

Whatever the case, she released her grip on the somber Bleachmon's arm and instead wrapped it around his shoulders and back. With a soft smile, Orihime brought Ulquiorra against her chest and rested her cheek against his helmet.

"Well," she breathed, finally calming down, "I guess you had your reasons."

Ulquiorra didn't say anything, but also didn't try to escape her grasp. The young trainer took that as his own way of apologizing.

Her attention was stolen when she felt the body in her other hand shift violently. Grimmkit struggled to release himself from Orihime's grasp, his ears flattened against his head and his lip lifted to show his teeth. The orange-haired woman noticed his resistance, and a small frown returned to her face. "Now listen," she said, turning her head to face him, "if this keeps up, I'll have to do something drastic."

Grimmkit huffed loudly, obviously unimpressed. Orihime didn't back down. "I mean it," she continued, bringing the over-sized excuse for a house cat closer. "If you can't get along with Ulquiorra, I won't buy you any more pokesnacks."

Grimmkit blanched, his ears shooting up. He looked at her, both shocked and confused. Orihime pressed her nose against his snout, their eyes level. "Ever." She emphasized seriously.

Grimmkit glared at her, before he dropped his gaze to the ground and turned his head away sharply. "…Kit." He grumbled, ears flattening once more. It was obvious that he was trying to act blasé about the whole thing, but Orihime could tell that her threat had been heard and acknowledged.

He'd never admit it, but her Grimmkit had grown to love the treats his owner would shower him with when she was feeling particularly generous.

Happy with her minor victory, Orihime released Grimmkit's scruff and removed her arm from around Ulquiorra. She climbed to her feet and dusted the dirt and grime from her jeans, noticing that her previously white sneakers were now completely caked with dirt and grass. Sighing, she figured it was high time to take a break in town. Maybe she could do some shopping after stopping by the Poke Center.

Orihime returned Grimmkit and Ulquiorra to their Poke Balls, neither putting up a fight. They'd had a hard day, too, she supposed. She didn't complain - she was glad for the easy acceptance.

Her mood soured a bit when she retrieved the empty Poke Ball from where she'd dropped it and placed it back in her bag. 'All well.' She thought, situating her bag on her back and giving a timid smile. 'There's always next time.'

=0=

Note:

This chapter is much longer than the others because I not only wanted to throw in some Rukia and Ichinii for you all, but I also wanted to give Orihime a reason to want an Ichi of her own. After seeing Rukia's Ichinii, you know she'd have to be a little jealous.

Please keep in mind that I'm probably going to pull some Pokemon geography out of my butt during this story. If I mention "a town" or "a city" or something else generic, just assume it doesn't actually exist in the Pokemon universe and is simply for story-building purposes. (In other words, if I don't want Orihime to be facing an important gym-battle, but I want her in a town, I'll make one up.)

I have another chapter in mind for this story, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. I'll try to write it before my Ulquihime muse dies a quiet death once more, but I can't make any guarantees.