A/N Hey guys. Sorry it's been a while since the last upload. On top of my work, youtube, and housework, I've had some writers block lately, so I haven't had much time to come up with the rest of the story. But anyway, before I ramble any longer here's the next chapter.

Chapter 14

The next morning, Spectra woke up to an interesting smell coming from downstairs. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Spectra decided to investigate. Once he got downstairs, he saw Alexa and Lina standing in the kitchen.

"Hey, Spectra, perfect timing! It's almost ready," Alexa said.

"It?", Spectra asked nervously. "Why does that make me feel like they're making a Beedrill?"

"Breakfast," Alexa explained. "You do eat breakfast, don't you?"

"Well, he does eat berries at least," Lina answered for Spectra.

Alexa let out a laugh. "That's good to know. Anyways, go ahead and sit down Spectra," she said, pointing towards the living room.

Spectra went to the couch and sat down. He watched as Lina and Alexa finished up the cooking. "How did they get so close so fast? They've only just met, and now it's like those two have been together their whole lives," Spectra wondered. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Alexa and how she got along with so many people.

"So where's your mom, Alexa?", Spectra asked, trying to distract himself from his emotions.

"Usually when mom goes to work, she has to leave really early, so I don't often see her in the mornings," Alexa replied.

"And she just leaves you alone? That seems somewhat...irresponsible, don't you think?", Spectra commented.

Alexa froze as she turned off the stove. "I guess it can seem like that in a way. I do miss her in the mornings, but being on my own has taught me how to take care of myself. So I guess it's kind of responsible, too," she replied. Spectra could tell that this wasn't something Alexa liked to talk about.

"Are you alright?", Lina asked, placing a hand on Alexa's shoulder.

Alexa shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine," Alexa replied. "Anyways, let's eat. Lina, wanna give me a hand with the plates?" Lina nodded and took Spectra's food to him.

"Amazing! She's so positive. Even if she does get sad, she manages to shake it away so easily," Spectra thought. As Lina set his plate down, he pulled her close and whispered, "Do you think we should ask her? About her father."

"No. I can't tell for sure, but I don't even think Alexa remembers her father, so it's probably best to not bring it up. Just in case," Lina answered.

Spectra knew she was right. Lina was better at dealing with these kinds of emotions than him.

"What are you guys talking about?", Alexa asked curiously, causing both pokemon to jump. The two hadn't even noticed Alexa had walked over with the other two plates.

"Oh, uh, nothing? So, what are these?", Spectra asked, quickly trying to distract Alexa.

Alexa eyed Spectra suspiciously for a moment, seeming to look straight into Spectra's soul. He thought he would break if she stared for much longer. However, Alexa simply shrugged it away and answered his question. "Bleu berry pancakes. Lina said you liked Bleu berries, so I thought it'd be a nice welcome breakfast. Lina, yours have Persim berries."

"Yes, I do like them. Thanks," Spectra said, giving Lina a look before he began to devour the golden discs.

"Thanks. By the way Alexa, I have a question. Are you a pokemon trainer?", Lina asked. "I mean, you seem old enough to be a trainer, but it seems that there hasn't been a pokemon here for ages."

Alexa froze again. She lowered her hand and looked down. The girl had known that sooner or later, Lina or Spectra would ask her about that, but she still hoped that they wouldn't.

"No," Alexa said sullenly. "Actually, I haven't even gotten my first pokemon yet."

"But what about those poke balls in your bag? And those repels you had? If you aren't a trainer, why did you have them?", Lina asked.

"Well, mom got me those poke balls as a birthday present on the day I found you guys, and the repels were given to me by a friend. He said that I'd want them if I was going to go on a journey," Alexa explained.

As Alexa explained, Spectra could tell that the girl was holding something back. "Don't do it. Please don't do it," Spectra thought, trying to warn Lina, but it didn't work.

"So why haven't you gotten a pokemon yet?", Lina asked. From the look on Alexa's face, Spectra could tell that that was what she was trying to hide.

"Well, actually it's not that simple. You see, no pokemon I've chosen has wanted to be my partner. I don't understand why, but every pokemon I've tried to have as a partner has rejected me," Alexa explained, tears building in her eyes.

Spectra stopped eating, now curious as well about the topic. Alexa seemed like the kind of person anyone would want to be around, smart, kind, honest, caring. If anything, Spectra would have thought that Alexa would be the one rejecting the pokemon, not the other way around.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it," Spectra said. "Those pokemon missed out on the best trainer they could've had. Besides, for the time being, you have us."

"Yes, we'll always be here for you Alexa," Lina chimed in.

Alexa looked up and smiled. "Thanks guys. It means a lot that you'd feel that way," she replied, knowing that the two pokemon meant every word of what they had said.

Eventually, Alexa had to go to school. "Now remember, if mom and I aren't home, don't let anybody in," she warned.

"Right!", Lina and Spectra replied.

Once again, the two pokemon had nothing to do, so Lina decided to clean up. As she swept, Spectra followed her around the house like a little Ducklett, using what Lina called a "dirt catcher" to get rid of what she swept up.

As the two swept, Spectra's mind seemed to be a thousand miles away. Finally, Lina couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, are you ok?", she asked.

"Huh," Spectra said, startled. "Oh, yeah. Just thinking is all."

"Wanna talk about it?", Lina offered.

"No, I'm fine. Let's finish cleaning, alright?", he asked.

"Ok," Lina said, still wondering if Spectra was really alright.

Later that day, Alexa came home looking very excited.

"Welcome back Alexa," Lina called from her spot on the couch. Spectra was still silent. "What could he be thinking about for so long?" Lina wondered.

"Hey guys! I'm gonna go out for a bit. I'll be back later!", Alexa exclaimed as she hurriedly threw her school bag by the door.

"Wait!", Lina said, catching Alexa before she ran back out the door. "Where are you going?", Lina asked.

"Well, the professor said he got a new pokemon today, so I'm going to try and choose it as my partner," Alexa replied.

"If it's alright, I would like to come with you," Spectra said.

"Really? What is he up to?", Lina wondered. "Me too!", she said quickly.

"Oh," Alexa said, her energy slightly dropping. "I mean, I don't know. It might not be safe," she replied.

"But we want to!", the two pokemon whined together.

"I thought i told you to stop doing that," Lina said annoyed.

"You're the one with psychic powers and mind reading that keeps repeating me!", Spectra barked back.

"Alright! If I say you two can come, will you stop fighting?", Alexa asked. The two pokemon looked at her and nodded.

"Why do I feel like that was part of their plan?", Alexa wondered. "Fine, just don't get lost, and try not to scare anybody or fight them!", she scolded.

Lina and Spectra happily walked out the door, and Alexa sighed. "When will they learn?", she wondered as she followed them.

When the three got to the professor's house, Alexa stopped Lina and Spectra before they went in. "Just a heads up, Lillie is scared of pokemon, so I'd avoid getting too close if i were you," she warned.

"Got it," the two pokemon chimed.

Alexa knocked on the door. A few moments later, a man appeared wearing a white lab coat and black shorts, as well as a green cap and visor. "Alola Alexa. Glad you made it here alright," the man said.

"Alola Professor. It's good to see you too," Alexa replied. Lina cleared her throat to remind Alexa that she and Spectra were still there. "Oh, right. Professor, this is Lina and Spectra. Lina and Spectra, this is Professor Kukui."

"Nice to meet you! So, you're a Mimikyu, huh?", Kukui asked Spectra.

"This man seems...energetic," Spectra thought. "Yes. Nice to meet you, too," Spectra said as he shook Kukui's hand.

"And you're a Kirlia, aren't you?", Kukui said, now focused on Lina.

"Yes, I am," Lina said, blushing from the attention.

"Amazing! I've only seen pictures of Kirlia, and now the real deal is right in front of me, and shiny from the looks of it," Kukui commented.

"It?", Lina mimicked harshly.

"They've been living with me since yesterday. I saved them from some mean pokemon in Ten Carat Hill. They wanted to come with me to...", Alexa explained, then stopped. She realized that Lina and Spectra never did say why they wanted to come with her.

"To meet you and Lillie. Alexa's told us a lot about you," Lina quickly said.

"Well, I'm flattered. Come on in," Kukui said invitingly.

Lina and Spectra were amazed. From outside, the house didn't look like much more than a small shack, but on the inside, the house felt massive. Lina decided to sit on the couch with Spectra.

"Go ahead and make yourselves at home," Professor Kukui said.

"So, is Lillie here?", Alexa asked looking around.

"Yes, we were wanting to meet her as well. Right Spectra?", Lina said. Spectra nodded and went back to being silent, making Lina even more worried. She wanted him to be able to talk to her, but it seemed like Spectra was trying to distance himself.

"Hey, are you sure you're alright?", Lina asked. "You know you can always tell me if something's wrong, and I know something's wrong. So come on, talk to me."

Spectra turned to look at Lina. "I know. It's just...", he replied, now turning his attention to Alexa. "She doesn't deserve to be rejected by anyone, let alone by pokemon. At the very least, I wanted to be here for her this time, so she wouldn't have to deal with it alone."

"You're a real softie, you know that? But you're right," Lina agreed.

"Hey, are you two talking about me again?!", Alexa pouted, confusing Kukui.

"Talking about you? How can they be talking about you if we can't hear them?", Kukui asked.

"It's my ability, telepathy. It allows me to read the minds of people and pokemon, as well as communicate through thought," Lina explained.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. You are a psychic type pokemon, after all," Professor Kukui said. "Anyway, Lillie isn't here, sorry. She had to go on a grocery run."

"Oh, shame. From what Alexa told us, she sounds like a nice person," Lina said.

"I'll be sure to let her know that you said that. So, Alexa, ready to try and get your first pokemon?", Kukui asked.

"You bet!", Alexa exclaimed. The professor pulled a poke ball out of his pocket and opened. A red light shot out of the sphere, then a blue pokemon appeared on the table in front of Alexa.

"A Popplio," Spectra commented. The Popplio heard Spectra and began to growl at the Mimikyu. "I...think I'll go stand over there," Spectra stated before walking to the fish tank.

"Ok, go for it Alexa," Kukui encouraged.

"Right!", Alexa said with confidence. She sat down so that she was at eye level with the Popplio. "Hi, I'm Alexa. If you want, I'd like for you and I to be partners. What do you say?"

With how nice Alexa was being, Lina didn't see any way that the Popplio could resist joining her. However, the small seal reared back and shot a water gun straight into Alexa's face, soaking the poor girl. Lina couldn't believe what she just saw. "Why you little sand eating nuisance!", she yelled.

"Are you alright, Alexa?", Spectra asked. He handed her a blanket and Alexa dried herself off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," Alexa said, pulling Spectra into a hug.

"Sorry kiddo," Professor Kukui said comfortingly.

Lina was still focused on the Popplio. "Why would I be her partner," the Popplio thought snidely.

"Well, for starters, she was nice to you and actually wanted to be friends with you! Honestly, you messed up! You'll never find a trainer who will care about you as much as Alexa would've!", Lina scolded before joining Alexa.

"Well, we should head home," Alexa said.

"See you tomorrow, Alexa. Spectra, Lina, it was nice to meet you," Kukui said.

"Likewise," Lina and Spectra commented. As they walked home with Alexa, Lina and Spectra couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.

Later that night, Alexa, Lina, and Spectra were sitting in Alexa's room. Alexa and Lina were reading a book about regional variants, and Spectra was watching the moon, which seemed to be his favorite pastime. Even Spectra didn't quite understand why, but whenever the opportunity presented itself, he would look up and stare at the moon.

"That overgrown fish!", Spectra thought angrily. "How could he have been so rude! The gall! And if that's not the first time that that's happened, I can't imagine how Alexa feels whenever she leaves that shack. If she could just find herself a partner, she could finally be happy and go on her journey. But she needs a pokemon for that, and no starter will even give her a chance."

Spectra sat silently and thought of ways to help Alexa start her journey, but none of his ideas would work without a pokemon. Then, Spectra had an idea. "Alexa?", he asked.

"Yeah, what's up?", Alexa questioned.

"Maybe he finally got bored of the moon," Lina joked.

"I was wondering," Spectra continued, "if the pokemon you start your journey with has to be one of those starters."

"What is he doing?", Lina wondered nervously.

"I guess not. I've seen a lot of trainers without Popplio, Litten, or Rowlet. Why do you ask?", Alexa asked.

"Well, I was thinking-", Spectra started to say.

"Spectra, can we talk in private for a moment? Now!", Lina demanded.

Spectra agreed and followed Lina into the hall, closing the door behind him. As soon as he turned around, Lina slapped Spectra in the face. "Are you insane!", Lina scolded.

"You read my mind, didn't you?", Spectra asked disappointedly.

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did! Do you have any idea what will happen if you ask Alexa that!?", Lina said. He knew it was mostly just concern, but Spectra couldn't help but hear the anger in her voice.

"Yes," Spectra replied, "and I don't care. I don't care about the consequences or the responsibility. I can't stand what happened earlier, and I won't let it happen again. Spectra's anger and sadness started to filter into his voice. "Those pitiful starters treat Alexa the same way I've been treated my whole life. I know I can't change the past, but at least I can prevent Alexa from feeling the way I've always felt."

Lina could tell Spectra was dead serious. He was willing to sacrifice his freedom to help this girl, and although she knew she shouldn't, Lina felt a little jealous of Alexa. "You sure about this?", she asked.

"Definitely," Spectra answered.

Lina sighed. "You know, there is such a thing a being too much of a softie! And don't think I'm not coming too!", she demanded.

"You know, you could pretend to be nice every once in a while," Spectra commented. He reopened the door to Alexa's room and the two pokemon climbed on Alexa's bed.

"Sooo?", Alexa asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Right, as I was saying, if what pokemon your partner is doesn't matter, I would be more than willing to fulfill the role," Spectra said.

"Me too!", Lina interjected.

Alexa could feel her heart pounding like a drum. "You - you're serious? You guys wanna be my partners?"

"Yes," the two pokemon replied.

"Alexa, I saw how those starter pokemon treated you, and it's exactly like how I've been treated my whole life. Being rejected over and over, not given a chance at friendship. It tears you apart, and I don't want that to happen to you," Spectra explained.

"Same here," Lina chimed in.

"Lina...Spectra," Alexa whispered to herself. Her heart was racing like a Rhyhorn now. She had waited so long for a pokemon she could call her partner, and now two were standing right in front of her offering to be her partners.

"But should I say yes?", Alexa wondered. After what had happened in Ten Carat Hill, Alexa was certain that Lina and Spectra would never want to go anywhere near a battle, much less be in one. "You're absolutely sure? I mean, I'm not saying no, but...," Alexa asked.

"I know that it will involve battling, but it isn't like the kind of battling back in Ten Carat Hill," Spectra commented, knowing what Alexa was worried about. "Before, every battle was a matter of life and death for me. But when trainers and pokemon battle, the consequences aren't as...severe. I'm not saying there won't be pain, but as long as no one dies, I'm fine with battling."

Alexa nodded and looked at Lina. "Battle or no battle, I'll be your partner. I'll always be there for you," Lina said. "You too Spectra."

Overwhelmed, Alexa started to sob with joy. "Thanks you guys so much. Of course, I'd want you to be my partners." The girl leaned over and hugged the two pokemon.

"Your welcome," Lina said.

"Um, not to ruin the moment, but I can't breath," Spectra choked. Alexa released him and he began to cough, gasping for air.

"Sorry Spectra," Alexa said, giggling. "So, wait, if you guys are gonna be my partners, you'll need poke balls so other trainers can't catch you," she said.

"Wait, what!?", Spectra growled.

"Well, unless a pokemon has a poke ball, they can be captured by anybody. You wouldn't have to be inside the poke balls all the time. They'd just be like, protecting you from other trainers," Alexa calmly explained.

"I get it," Spectra replied.

"Hang on. Wait right there," Alexa told Lina and Spectra. She then walked to where she'd set down her bag, pulled out a cylindrical box, and walked back over. She pulled the lid and pulled two cherish balls out of the box. "These are cherish balls. They're supposed to be used on a special occasion, or as a symbol of your love for the pokemon inside. I can't think of a better poke ball for you guys."

"Aw, we love you too, Alexa," Lina stated. The two pokemon took the spheres and gently tapped the buttons. Red light shot out of the spheres and surrounded Lina and Spectra, and the two pokemon disappeared inside the cherish balls. The cherish balls shook three times and gave off a thud.

Smiling, Alexa picked up the poke balls and let Spectra and Lina out. "Well, that was...an experience," Lina stated.

"I'm just surprised that your hat stayed on," Spectra commented.

"Well, at least now you won't get kidnapped," Alexa said. She winced, realizing it was probably too early to throw around words like kidnapped.

"No, no, it's alright," Lina assured her.

"I thought we agreed, no more Alexa mind reading!", Alexa said pouting. She knew Lina couldn't always help it, but she still didn't care for the idea of someone being in her head.

Spectra chuckled. "And what do you find so funny, Moon boy?", Alexa snarled.

"Nothing," Spectra assured her. "But please don't use that as a weapon."

"Fine. Well, we should probably get some sleep," Alexa said, causing Spectra to yawn.

"PLEASE!", Lina groaned.