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Chapter Text

It was a normal morning for Kira. Well, as normal as a morning when you're friends with a hyperactive teen named Barry. A few minutes ago, she was waking up from her very much well-deserved sleep. The both of them has just finished their school year, and 2 days ago, winter break has started. A full month of doing anything that they want. And that's where Barry had the stupid idea of starting their Pokémon journey together.

Barry has been wanting to go on a Pokémon journey ever since he was 10, but due to his mom and Kira's persuasion, he's forced to postpone it until they were at least 15 years old. This year, they're both 15, so naturally Barry has been pestering Kira about going on a Pokémon journey. Since the both of them are still in high school, Kira reasoned that they'll do it on either winter or summer break.

She's currently watching TV, something about Professor Rowan, the leading researcher of Pokémon in Sinnoh. Though, she's focusing on combing her silver hair, not really paying attention to the TV. But she caught bits and pieces, like how Professor Rowan just returned from Kanto. Finally finished, she turned off the TV, and puts on her glasses.

Now, finished with changing her clothes, she now wears a white shirt, shorts, and her black round glasses. As she turns off the TV, the door to her room bursts open, and in came her best friend, Barry. He's wearing a jacket with orange and white stripes, with gray pants, a long green scarf, and he also wears an orange Pokétch on his left arm. "There you are! Hey, Kira! Did you just see the TV?" Barry asked, energetically.

Kira loved Barry as her friend, but oh God, is he too hyperactive for his own good. With a sigh, Kira answered. "Hello, Barry. Yeah, I just saw the TV. And no good morning?"

Barry immediately realized his mistake, and composed himself. "Oh sorry! I was just so excited to see you and tell you! But, yeah, good morning, Kira!"

Kira smiles, and Barry gets closer to her, sitting down next to her. Kira turned to him, and asked. "So, what brings you so early this morning?"

Barry gave a big stupid grin. "Well, since you already watched the show, there's no need to tell you much! Professor Rowan's that really important guy who studies Pokémon right? That means he must have lots and lots of Pokémon. So, if we ask him, I bet he'd give us some Pokémon! Then, we can start our journey for real!" Barry excitedly tells his idea. "Besides, this is the perfect opportunity! We're on winter break, no school to stop us, and we can go on a journey!"

Kira thought for a moment, and she nods. "You know what, yeah. For once, I agree with you." She then looked to Barry, who has already walked to her new PC.

"Oh, hey! Is this a new PC?!" Barry excitedly fiddled with it, before Kira stepped in and stopped him before he could turn it on.

"Barry, focus! But, to answer your question, yeah, my mom just bought it a few days ago." Kira sighed, and smiled at him.

"Oh right! Sorry, Kira. You know how I am, hehe…" Barry nervously scratched the back of his head. "Uh… Where was I? Oh, right, right! We're going to go see Professor Rowan and get some Pokémon. I'll be waiting outside. Okay, Kira? If you're late, I'm fining you $10 million!" He immediately runs out of her room, heading downstairs.

Kira sighed, and mused to herself. "Honestly… I don't know how I'm friends with him… Well, someone has to keep him in check." She stands up from the floor, and goes to her wardrobe, changing her clothes.

A few minutes later, and she's done. She now wears a blue overcoat, which she only closed the bottom part, revealing her white shirt. She also wears long black pants. She picks up her light blue scarf, and puts on her white socks. She packs up her bag, which she usually uses to travel.

Taking one final look at her room to make sure nothing is left behind, she goes downstairs, meeting her mom, Johanna. She's currently watching TV, something about Pokémon contests. "Hi Mom." Kira greets her mom. She sometimes wonders if she inherits more from her dad, because she looks nothing like her mom. Kira's mom has dark blue hair that is styled in a bob, with her eyes being the same color, while Kira's hair is silver, and her eyes are a deep blue.

Her mom immediately looked to Kira, and speaks. "Kira! Barry already left. I don't know what it was about, but he sure was in a hurry! You know how impatient Barry is."

"Yeah, Mom, I know." She lightly chuckles.

"He took off before I could even ask what it was about." Her mom silently laughed, before asking Kira. "Oh, where are you going, sweetie?"

Kira sighed, and her mom quickly knows it has something to do with Barry. "Well, I'm going outside to meet up with Barry. Don't worry, mom, I'll be fine."

Kira's mom smiles, and adds something more. "Oh, yes! Kira! Don't go into the tall grass. Wild Pokémon might attack you. It would be ok if you have your own Pokémon, but you don't. So, be careful!"

"Okay, mom! I'll make sure we do that." Kira then puts on her shoes. "I'll see you later!"

"Take care, sweetie!" That was her mom's final words before she exits her house.

Twinleaf Town. A small town, with a small population. But this is the town Kira proudly calls her hometown. It doesn't have much, just a few stores that sells general goods, a small elementary school where she and Barry used to go. Heck, that's where she first met him.

As she walks to his house, a man calls her out. "Hiya, Kira. Barry was looking for you. I think he's home now. Why don't you go check it out?"

She smiles, and nods. "Thanks for the info, Sean! I know, I'm heading there!" She then continues her walk.

She eventually arrives at his house. Just as she was about to open his front door, his door opened, and out came Barry, crashing head first into her. "OW!" They both yelped in pain, and Kira stepped back. "What was that about?! Oh, hey, Kira! Hey! I'm going to see Prof. Rowan! You should come, too! And quickly! Oh, jeez! Forgot something!" He bolts back into his house, leaving Kira standing outside, rubbing her face.

'Oh the things I do to keep calm…' Kira sighed, and stepped into Barry's house.

Barry's mom immediately looked her way, and she smiles. "Oh, hi, Kira. Did you come calling on Barry? He was gone for a second, but them he came running right back home. He just can't sit still, that boy. I wonder who he takes after?"

"Yeah, I wonder who?" She jokingly said. Even Barry's mom chuckled a little. "Anyways, excuse me, ma'am." She went upstairs, heading to Barry's room.

Knocking and opening his door, Kira can see Barry putting some things in his bag, as he talked to himself. "…I'd better take my bag and journal, too…" Barry then hears the door opening, and looked to Kira. "Oh, hey, Kira! I'll be waiting on the road! It's a $10 million fine if you're late!"

Kira nods, and Barry rushes off, heading outside. She sighed, and walked back downstairs. She saw Barry's mom sighing as well as Barry closed the door, and looks to Kira. "That kid rocketed off again like usual. I'd guess he would be out on Route 201 by now. Go and catch up with him, Kira. Make sure my boy is safe, would you?"

"Of course! I'll be heading off now, ma'am." She smiled and waved, heading to Route 201.

Exiting Twinleaf Town, and entering Route 201, Kira can see Barry standing in front of the tall grass, muttering to himself. He then notices Kira, and turned to her. "Too slow! All right! Let's get moving to Prof. Rowan's lab." He excitedly said.

"Barry, do you honestly think? This isn't a good idea, you know." Kira said, both worried about her and Barry's safety.

Barry waved his hand, and looked to the tall grass again. "What? Don't go into the grass, right? No worries! No problem! It doesn't matter that we don't have any Pokémon. Trust me on this one."

Kira sighed. "Okay, what's your idea? I want to hear it before we do it."

Barry grinned, and begins to explain. "Okay, now listen. You know how wild Pokémon jump out when you go into tall grass? So, what you do is, you scoot over to the next patch of grass before any wild Pokémon can appear! If we just keep dashing, we can get to Sandgem Town without running into wild Pokémon!"

Kira face palmed. "Barry… that's one of the stupidest idea I've ever heard! You don't just do that! It'll attract wild Pokémon all the same!"

But Barry didn't seem to listen to her, already preparing to run. "OK, stick with me! OK, here goes! On your marks…"

"Barry, please… Don't!" Kira pleaded, but Barry has already made his mind. But before he can step any further, a voice yelled to him.

"HOLD IT!" A deep and mature voice, probably coming from a middle aged man, yelled to Barry. They both turned around and saw what looks to be a middle aged man with fair skin, blue eyes, white hair, and white mustache, wearing a white and blue shirt. He slowly walks towards them with a stern and serious look on his face. "You two don't seem to have any Pokémon between you? Then, what is the meaning of going into the tall grass?!"

"Hey, Kira. This old guy… It's Professor Rowan, isn't it? What's he doing here..?" Barry whispered to her. Kira is still looking cautiously at the man, Professor Rowan, keeping quiet and not responding to Barry.

The professor started muttering something to himself, probably thinking about something. Kira can make out a few words, but it's not enough to piece together what he's thinking. He then turned to the both of them, and said. "You two. You truly love Pokémon, do you?"

Kira was the first to speak up, as she nods and says. "Yes, we do."

Barry immediately replied with her. "Me, too! I love Pokémon, too!"

The professor thinks again, and repeated the same question. "I will ask you both once again. You two. You truly love Pokémon, do you?"

Barry, with his impatient-ness, quickly answered. "What?! You can ask a hundred times! The answer will never change! We'll both answer a hundred times, we love Pokémon! Right, Kira?" Barry turned to her, and grinned.

Kira just smiled and chuckled back, as she answers. "Of course!"

Professor Rowan sighed, and looked to Barry. "…a pair of reckless kids who foolishly try to enter the tall grass without Pokémon of their own…? It worries me what people like that would do with Pokémon."

For the few times she's friends with Barry, he is currently speechless. "…Uh… Well, I, uh…" Barry was silent for a moment, before he gave the professor a determined look. "Well, then forget about me, but give a Pokémon to my friend here! She's not the one who tried to go through the tall grass, heck, she warned me about it! She's more deserving of it!"

Kira was surprised to hear that. "Barry... You really shouldn't say that. We're starting our journey together, right?"

Barry is still determined. "No, Kira. You were right in that we shouldn't enter the grass. So as I've said, she's the one who's more deserving of a Pokémon!"

Even Professor Rowan seemed shocked. "How big of you, young man…" He paused for a moment, then clapped his hands together, which caused both Barry and Kira to jump in surprise. "Very well, then! I will entrust you two with Pokémon! I apologize for putting you through that exercise, but I had to ensure that you both have a good heart. However! You must promise me that you will never recklessly endanger yourselves again."

The both of them nod their heads, and Professor Rowan seemed pleased. Well, as pleased as he can be. "Now then… Hm? Now, where is that young man…?"

Right on cue, a boy, who appeared around the same age as Kira and Barry, jogged right behind Professor Rowan. He has dark blue eyes and black hair, wearing a dark red beret with a Pokéballs logo on the side of it, and a blue Pokétch on his left arm. He wears dark red shirt with a dark blue jacket over it, a white scarf, black pants, and black running shoes. Stopping behind him and panting, the boy sighs. "Hah… hah… Professor Rowan! You left your briefcase at the lake!" The boy then puts down the briefcase on the ground, and bends down to his knee. As he sees Professor Rowan with Kira and Barry, he immediately stood up straight and asks. "Oh? Is something wrong here?" He asked, looking at the two young teen.

"Ah! There it is! Lucas, nice work." The professor exclaimed, looking at the still panting Lucas. "Are you alright, Lucas?"

"Oh, I'm fine Professor, don't worry! So… what's the deal with them both?" He asked the professor.

"Oh, what I was about to do was to entrust these two with their own Pokémon." The professor said bluntly.

Lucas looked shocked, and confused, and that shows in his words. "Pardon me?! Those Pokémon are hard to replace. Are you sure about giving them away, Professor?" Lucas said.

The professor glanced at Lucas, as he began to speak. "Hm! We exist side by side with Pokémon, Lucas. There comes a time when people should meet Pokémon. There is a world that should be explored together. For these two, today is that time. The place, right here." Professor Rowan then turned back to Barry and Kira. "Go on! Open the briefcase and choose a Pokémon!"

Barry instantly perked up, as he speaks. "Really?! Professor Rowan! I can't believe it! I'm so happy now that I can't keep a straight face!" Barry turned to Kira, and excitedly speaks. "Hey Kira, you can choose first!"

"You sure about that, Barry?" Kira jokingly said, as Barry then grinned at her.

"Of course! I'm practically a grown-up. I have to show some class here." Barry then made a mocking pose of elegance. Technically, Barry is older than her by a few months.

Kira rolled her eyes, as she sighed. "Barry, we're literally the same age. But since you insisted." Kira stepped close to the briefcase. She opened it and inside were three Pokéballs. Lucas grabbed two of the Pokéballs, and sets the Pokémon out, with Kira grabbing the remaining Pokéballs and gently pressed it.

The one on the left is a small green turtle, with a leaf on its head. The one in the middle is a small orange monkey with a fire tail. And the one on the right is a small blue penguin.

Professor Rowan began to explain the three Pokémon. "Now this one," He pointed to the green turtle, "is called Turtwig. He's docile, and very affectionate to people he cares about. This one," He pointed to the orange monkey, "is called Chimchar. He's very energetic and highly mischievous. And finally," He pointed to the blue penguin, "is called Piplup. He's a bit stubborn and very prideful, but once you gain his respect, he'll be friendly. So… who will you pick?" The professor turned to look at Kira, as she thought about her decision.

She gets closer to the Pokémon, and they each reacted in their own way. Turtwig nuzzled her leg, which makes Kira pats his head. Chimchar ran around in circles, trying to impress Kira. Piplup warily walked to her, and puffed up his chest when he's close to her, which caused him to fall backwards. Kira immediately grabs him before he can fell, and smiled to him. "Are you okay, Piplup?" Piplup quickly chimed in with a 'Pip', before Kira lets him go.

"Have you made your decision?" Professor Rowan asked, curious at Kira's decision.

Kira nods, and speaks. "Yeah. I pick Piplup as my starter!" As she said that, Piplup gets closer to her, and she knelt down, giving him a headpat. At first, Piplup seemed reluctant, but eventually accepts the pat. "Your turn, Barry." She chuckles, and steps out of the way.

Barry grinned, and looked at the remaining two. After a while of deciding, he kneels down near Turtwig, and picks him up. "Then, I choose you! I'm picking Turtwig!" Turtwig happily smiles, and nuzzles against Barry. "H-hey, stop it, that tickles!" Barry laughs.

"Oh wow. Barry, did you let me choose first so that you can pick the one that has a type advantage?" Kira jokingly said, as she slowly picks up Piplup, who has already accepted Kira.

"Nope! Definitely not! I always wanted a Turtwig!" Barry smiles.

"Uh-huh, sure." Kira sarcastically said, which made Barry laugh.

Professor Rowan then speaks, gaining the attention of the two 15 year olds. "Very well! Both of you have chosen a good Pokémon, it seems. Now listen well! Both Piplup and Turtwig are unfamiliar with the world. In that regard, they're much like the both of you. As fellow newcomers to the world, I hope you'll do well together. Now, we will both be heading back to my lab in Sandgem Town. I'd appreciate it if the two of you would pay me a visit tomorrow." The professor then turned to Lucas, who has been standing there, watching the whole thing silently while smiling. "Now come along, Lucas."

Professor Rowan began to walk away, heading to Sandgem Town. Lucas immediately packed up the briefcase, with the help of Barry and Kira, and heads off to Professor Rowan. "Well, it's nice to meet the two of you. I hope we'll meet again. Now…" Lucas glanced at Professor Rowan, who's already way up ahead. "Professor! Wait for me, please!" Lucas quickly bolted away, leaving Kira and Barry standing at the edge of the tall grass.

Barry, still watching at Lucas running, speaks. "How do you like that? Professor Rowan's really nice…"

Kira replied, chuckling to herself. "Yeah, on TV, he seems so stern…" She trailed off, seeing the look on Barry's face. "What?" She asked, knowing where this leads to.

Barry turned to her, and began to chuckle. "Heheh, Kira! We've both got Pokémon now. And you know what that means? Let's have a battle!" Barry excitedly gripped her arms.

"Barry! We literally just got them!" Kira said, a look of exasperation on her face.

"Hey, all the more reasons to get familiar with our partners! Now come on, or I'm fining you!" Barry then gets to a reasonable distance for battle, then lets Turtwig off to the ground.

"Ugh, fine, fine." It seemed Piplup shared the same feeling as Kira, but he still gets into battle position.

"Alright Kira! I've always wanted to say this!" Barry excitedly begins. "The time has finally come! Kira! I challenge you to a battle!"

"Oh, it's on!" Kira replied.

Since Piplup is faster, Kira quickly commands him. "Piplup, use pound!" Piplup pounds Turtwig, but Turtwig is still standing.

"Hah! You can't defeat me that easy Kira! Turtwig, use Withdraw!" Turtwig withdrew into his shell, which made him harder to knock down.

"Don't worry Piplup! Just keep using Pound!" Piplup nods, and keeps attacking Turtwig.

After a few more hits, Turtwig seemed to get tired, but not enough to faint. "What in the…?! That one hurt, you know! Turtwig, keep Withdraw-ing. Don't let Piplup knock you!" Turtwig is still inside his shell.

This continues on for a while, until Turtwig seemed to get tired. Barry looked concerned, but he still kept a smile. "No way! We can keep going! This is where we hit our stride! Right, Turtwig?" Barry looks at him, hoping he's okay. Turtwig is still in his shell, while Piplup still Pound-ing on Turtwig. "Are you really going to keep Pound-ing, Kira?"

"Mhm." She hummed. "You holding up okay, right Piplup?" Piplup replied with a 'Piplup!', and Kira smiles. "We can still keep this up!"

"Come on Turtwig, we'll finish with our trump card! Use Tackle!" Turtwig tackled into Piplup, catching him by surprise. "Woohoo! Turtwig, keep using Tackle!" Turtwig kept trying to attack.

"Piplup, keep using Pound and try to dodge!" Piplup did just that, but he didn't manage to dodge any of the Tackles. Finally, the two Pokémon were at a stand still. If they get another hit, one of them will faint.

"Piplup, this is the final one! Use Pound!" Piplup, with all his strength, managed to Pound Turtwig, leaving him fainted. Kira sighed, and Piplup limped to her, obviously tired.

"What are you saying?! We ended up losing?!" Barry said in frustration, but quickly went to Turtwig's side. "Oh Turtwig… I'm sorry…" Turtwig just nuzzles himself to Barry's arm, as Barry recalls him back to his Pokéball.

Kira walked up to Barry, already recalling Piplup back to his Pokéball. "Good battle, Barry. Not bad for our first battle." She smiles, and held out her hand. Barry takes it, standing up with her help.

"Yeah, it's a good battle, Kira. Whew! Let's go home. I'm beat after that battle." He quickly lightens the mood, as he puts his arm around her shoulder. "Now let's go! We still need to go to Sandgem Town tomorrow."

Kira nods, as they both walked back to Twinleaf Town. They parted ways, each heading to their homes. Kira knocked on her front door, and as she opens, her mom is standing there to greet her. "Good afternoon, dear." She said, but she then saw the state Kira is in. Sweating and looking as if she had just ran a lot. "Oh my, what's the matter, dear?"

"Hi mom… Yeah, so let me explain." Her mom heads to the kitchen, and began to cook dinner. Kira sat down on the stool, facing her mom. "So… Barry thought that meeting Professor Rowan is a good idea."

Her mom hummed, as she continues. "But isn't Professor Rowan's lab on Sandgem Town? …Kira, don't tell me you two were in the tall grass."

Already prepared for the earful she expected, Kira begins to explain. "No, mom! We didn't get to step foot into the tall grass. At first, Barry wanted to dash through the Route to reach Sandgem Town, but Professor Rowan stopped him before he can do that. The professor then gave us both an earful, and eventually gives us Pokémon!"

"…Wow. That's what happened to you? You and Barry are lucky to have met Prof. Rowan. Imagine if you didn't… I wouldn't like to think what the wild Pokémon might have done to you two." Her mom shook her head, as she sighed. "Kira, you should thank the Professor tomorrow, okay?"

"That's what I was planning to do, Mom. He invited the both of us to his lab in Sandgem to see him tomorrow." Kira explained, while also grabbing her Pokéball.

"That's good, then. Now let's have dinner, okay? And bring your Pokémon out, too! I want to see which one you got." Kira lets out Piplup, which looked around confusedly. Seeing Kira, he perked up, but seeing her mom, he warily gets closer to Kira.

"Piplup!" Piplup cried in alarm. Kira then reassured Piplup by giving him another headpat.

"Piplup, meet my mom. Don't worry, okay?" Kira softly said with a smile. "Now we're going to have dinner."

"Aww, look at them! Such a cutie." Her mom complimented Piplup, and he perked up, puffing up his chest and falling backwards.

Kira sighed, and catched him. "Piplup, you have to be more careful, bud." She then sets Piplup on the table, as Kira and her mom began to plate dinner. A simple rice with some fish-based Pokémon. Piplup happily eats it all. Kira notes that Piplup will eat anything, and isn't really picky. 'This'll be easy for when we have to camp out…' She mused in her mind.

After dinner finished, Kira and Piplup heads up to her room. Piplup awed at her room, and he dropped to her bed. Kira chuckles, and began to change into her pajamas. As she prepares to go to sleep, Piplup curled up to her, and quickly fell asleep. "Hehe, goodnight Piplup… I can't wait for the start of our journey tomorrow." She softly whispered, as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

It was a normal day for them. Well, as normal as it is when you're Giratina, the deity of antimatter and Lord of the Distortion World. They couldn't even call it a day, since time doesn't flow here. They're doing their usual rounds of maintaining the Distortion World, making sure that everything runs smoothly here.

It has been a while of them staying in the Distortion World willingly. 200 years, to be exact. It is a little ironic, considering before that moment 200 years ago, before they have been humbled by the battle with Arceus' chosen, they would have done anything so that they can escape from this place and exacting revenge for banishing them here. Even if it means teaming up with that man. Giratina began to recount the moments…

After the whole fiasco, Arceus had come down and talked to them and their siblings. A very long talk, one which includes some violence, but was ended on a peaceful note. At first, they tried to attack Arceus, seeing this opportunity for revenge, but Arceus didn't want to fight them, stating that they had forgiven Giratina a long time ago. They were immediately stunned in silence, Dialga and Palkia also shocked.

Arceus begins to explain, that when Giratina was banished, Arceus had never wanted that to happen. But Giratina attacked Dialga and Palkia, injuring them badly, and Arceus had to step in. They knew that Giratina is still bitter about that event, but Arceus would be thrilled if Giratina would ever forgive them.

At first, Giratina lashed out, stating that they never cared about them. How they only cared for perfection. As their emotions spilled out, Giratina started to cry, stating that they felt they were a disgrace. Arceus then approached Giratina, and started to comfort them, with words and an embrace. They never saw any of their creations as useless. Giratina had a role to fulfill, just like Dialga and Palkia.

And so that moment was an emotional breakdown for Giratina, the second one in their entire existence. Anger was replaced with guilt for their creator and siblings, as they apologized. Dialga and Palkia, still wary, approached Giratina, and Palkia was the first to join the embrace, Dialga following moments later.

After the family reunion, they both went back to their respective duties, with Giratina going back to the Distortion World. Arceus has stated that Giratina is free to leave and enter the Distortion World at will, and Giratina was grateful at the news.

Giratina recalled the events with a sort of smile on their mask, as they roamed the Distortion World, flying around. They felt a bit lonely, but they're not too keen on going to the real world. It's… confusing to them. Especially humans. They trusted Volo, and look where it's gotten them. And so they stay here, content with maintaining the balance of the world. As antimatter is the opposite of matter.

Giratina then felt a presence entering the Distortion World. Arceus. They prepared themselves, as a portal appeared, and out came their creator. Sometimes Arceus visits, to check on them, and talk. About anything and everything. It helps with the boredom and loneliness.

"Hello Giratina, how art thou holding up?" Arceus says, gentle and soft at Giratina. Giratina can only sigh, and nods their head.

"The same as usual, father." Giratina said with a sigh at the end. "Let us cut straight to the point. Why are you here?"

"Oh, can I not check on mine own son now?" Arceus chuckled, and they motioned for Giratina to come closer. Giratina did as they said. Arceus floated down to a floating landmass, and touched down, a field of grass growing around them. "But thee're not wrong. I do have something to talk to thee about, son. Come, sit hither." Arceus motions for Giratina to sit next to them on the field of grass.

Giratina touched down on the grass field, and coiled their serpent-like body on the ground. "So father… What is it that you wanted to talk about? Is it something important?"

Arceus then begins. "It is very important, Giratina. It concerns the matter o' the world. Thee see… another human is trying to create a new world." Arceus waits for Giratina's reaction, and they delivered.

Giratina sighed exasperatedly. They're already foolish enough to help Volo in his endeavors, so another human that has a similar goal? They can't deal with this right now… "You are serious, right father?"

Arceus nods their head. "I am not jesting this time, son. I would'st ne'er jest about something so serious."

Giratina looked to Arceus. "So what? Do you expect me to stop their plans? I am tired of dealing with people like… him." They said. Giratina doesn't like Volo. Every time they think about him, they just remembered betrayal, and they shuddered every time.

Arceus softly pats Giratina with their hooves, trying to calm them down. "I do not ask thee to deal with them. I am only relaying news to you. It is thy choice if you want to interfere or not, Giratina. I am not forcing you."

Giratina relaxed. But it still intrigues them, why Arceus is saying this to them if they didn't expect them to interfere. "Father, why are you telling me this if you did not expect me to stop them?"

Arceus lets out a chuckle, still patting Giratina. "I just think thee deserves to see the world, Giratina. I can feel loneliness and boredom in thy heart. Thee cannot be alone forever. Thy interactions with me and thy siblings are not enough. This is just an advice, son."

Giratina nods, understanding where their creator is coming from. "I will… think about it, Father. Thank you for visiting me today."

Arceus seems to smile, somewhat like a proud father at Giratina. "It is never trouble to visit thee. I wish you luck." Arceus then added something before they left. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find a companion?" They then disappears into a portal, probably to the Hall of Origin, leaving Giratina alone.

Giratina thinks for a moment. On one hand, they do not want to deal with the offending human… but on the other, their creator was right. They felt bored and lonely, that much is true. They have always been curious about humans, how different they were from Pokémon. It's hard to understand them, and they have bitter memories about humans… But Arceus' chosen treats them well, never holding a grudge towards them.

Giratina sighed, as they made up their mind. They will go to the real world, spend time there, check out the human Arceus told them, and slip back to the Distortion World if the threat is not severe enough.

Giratina began to focus, as a portal began to form. Giratina didn't know where it will lead, since it's been a while, and they don't know if things have changed at Turnback Cave. Their body slowly turns into an inky black shadow, and it flew through the portal.

As dawn began to settle over the calm lake, the surrounding landscape started to be lightened up by the sun starting to go up. The tall grass sways gently to the wind, and wild Pokémon, both in the forest, lake, and the sky, seems to start their activity. Lake Verity seemed calm and tranquil in the morning.

Suddenly, the water on the edge of the lake started to form a small whirlpool, and out came shadows, which settles on the lakeside. It vaguely forms into Giratina's Altered Forme, the form they take whenever they appeared in the real world. They hoped Mesprit won't bother them, as they wanted to enjoy this morning.

It felt… good to be back. They're still getting used to time and space here, but they're adapting well enough. Giratina thought more about their course of action here, maybe they should change their form to something more inconspicuous. Either a Pokémon or a human, the latter being something that they had never tried to change into. It'll be interesting, now that they thought about it. And it'll be easier to mingle with humans.

The shadows began to form into something human-like, before they dissipate completely. Giratina looked down on their now human hands, and began to walk towards the lake, wobbling as they walked, as Giratina adjusted to walking on two legs.

Looking at their reflection in the water, Giratina is startled. A human man, probably in his early 20s, stared back at them. They now have dark brown hair, almost bordering on black, which is messy and a bit long, almost reaching their shoulders. Their messy bangs covered their right eye, leaving a singular crimson eye visible, and a single golden streak is visible. Their skin is fair, and they're moderately tall. If Giratina had to guess, probably as tall as… Volo. Clothes also began to form from the shadows, but since they were severely outdated on humans, the clothes they wore is a black kimono, which fades into crimson at the end, and black kimono trousers. A pendant hangs around their neck, which, upon closer inspection, is actually the Griseous Orb.

"Oh my…" Giratina starts to speak, and immediately regrets it. Their voice sounded a whole lot like him. They could live with it, though.

They… No. He? Is this right? The concept of gender has always been confusing and amusing to him. He always prefers to speak in a masculine voice to Volo, so maybe he is male. He knows Arceus likes to present as male, same with Dialga and Azelf, while Palkia seemed to lean towards female, just like Mesprit and Uxie.

Either way, Giratina seemed content with this form. He can still control his shadows, and he can still feel power in him.

"This will be interesting…" Giratina smiles, as he sat down on the bed of grass, enjoying the morning breeze.

Chapter Text

Sunlight began to peek through the curtains of Kira's room, as her alarm clock rang. All night, she and Piplup has been cuddling together, and it seems he enjoys it a lot. For a prideful Pokémon, he seems to really like hugs. She slowly opens her eyes, hearing her alarm going off, as she leaned to her bedside table and turns it off. Seems Piplup is still fast asleep. She chuckles, and pats him. "Wakey, wakey, Piplup. Come on, our journey's starting today."

Piplup opened his eyes, chirping up. "Pip, Piplup!" He seems to be saying good morning.

"Good morning to you too, bud. C'mon, let's get ready." She sat up and stretches her body, as Piplup dropped down to the floor, clearly excited. She heads to the bathroom, cleaning both herself and Piplup. Finishing up with a change of clothes, she went downstairs to see her mom making breakfast.

"Good morning, dear! Breakfast?" She offers, to which Piplup perks up, and climbed the counter to Kira's mom. "Ah, Piplup! Seems like you're hungry."

Kira smiles, and gets close to her mom. "Morning Mom! I'm a bit hungry…"

Her mom smiles, and begins to plate breakfast for the three of them, three portions of stacked pancakes. "Here, give this to Piplup."

"Got it!" Kira puts the plate next to him, as Piplup eyed the pancakes hungrily. "You gotta wait, Piplup. Wait till me and my mom gets our share."

Piplup huffed, but nods He sat in front of his plate, as Kira gets her portion, and sat at the stool. Her mom joined soon after, and the three of them starts eating. The mood is great, everyone is happy.

Finishing her breakfast, Kira heads upstairs once more, changing into clothes for the winter, which is honestly just yesterday's clothes. She packs some essential items, like her phone, a journal, and some spare clothes. She's confident she won't be camping outside, since she'll be staying in Pokémon Centers. Worse case scenario, she'll have to sleep under a tree or something.

Putting her sling bag on, she puts Piplup inside of his Pokéball, and heads downstairs. Her mom is already waiting downstairs, wanting to say goodbye. "Kira, dear… Today is a very big step in your life." She couldn't look prouder.

Kira smiled, and nervously chuckled. "Aw, mom, you're making me nervous now…"

"Nonsense now, young lady. My little girl is starting her journey now… Your dad would be proud." Her mom said with fondness in her tone. "And, don't you worry about me, okay? I'll be all right by myself, so you go and enjoy your journey. Don't forget, always come home whenever you're in the area, okay?"

Kira nods her head. "Alrighty Mom. I'll see you later!" She smiles, and her mom hugged her. They both hugged for a while, until someone knocked on the door.

The door quickly opened, and in came Barry's mom. "Excuse me. Is my little Barry here?" She worriedly asked, as both Kira and her Mom looked confused.

"Oh? No, he's not. I'm sorry, Dana, but even Kira hasn't exited the house…" Her mom replies, while Kira stands there.

Barry's mom then sighed, and speaks. "Oh… Then, he must have left already… What to do…" She looks concerned and worried. "That boy shouted about going on an adventure, then bolted. He's so headstrong and reckless… I at least wanted him to take this..."

Kira then speaks up, looking at Barry's mom. "Oh, what is it, ma'am? Maybe I can bring it to Barry? Since we'll probably meet soon." She said reassuringly.

Barry's mom looked relieved, and she turns to Kira. "Oh, really? You'd do that for me? Thank you! So please, take this to Barry for me." She gives Kira a small box.

Kira then stuffed it in her bag. "Don't worry ma'am, I'll bring it to him. Now, I should be going, it's already 9 AM!" She said.

Both of the moms waved at her, and Kira's mom speaks. "Bye-bye, Kira! Enjoy your adventure, and stay safe!"

Kira nods, and heads out of the house, knowing that Barry is probably waiting for her outside on Route 201. And she's right. There he is, tapping his foot while looking at the clock. "Too slow! Kira, I'm sick of waiting for ya!" He complained.

Kira sighed, and rummaged through her bag. "Oh, I'm sorry. So sorry, Barry. But you really gotta wait sometimes. Your mom was literally wanting to give you this!" She pulls out the box out of her bag, and offered it to Barry.

Barry, realizing his mistake, nervously rubbed his head. "Ehehe… sorry…" He said, and quickly takes the package out of Kira's hands.

Kira sighed, as she looked to Barry. "Seriously, Barry. Be patient. Why are you even out quickly?" She inquired, looking at him accusingly.

Barry begins to explain his reasoning. "Okay, so I had this great idea. Listen up, okay? So… You know that lake where we always play at?"

She nods. "Mhm. Lake Verity, right?"

"Right! So, you know how they say a legendary Pokémon lives there?" Barry leaves the question hanging, expecting a response.

"Yeah, yeah, I know about the myth. What, you want us to catch it?" She said, already knowing his line of thinking.

Barry grinned. "You know it! Let's catch the Pokémon, and bring it to Professor Rowan! That'll make him happy. So come on, let's go!" Barry then went behind Kira. "You lead the way. Me and you together, with Turtwig and Piplup, we've got nothing to fear!"

They began to make their way to Lake Verity. It took about an hour, but wild Pokémon don't usually get in the path, since there's barely any tall grass.

Once they arrived at the Verity Lakefront, Barry quickly spoke. "Alright, here we are! Get ready, because we're capturing that legendary Pokémon!"

She looked at him, not believing they'll succeed. "You sure Barry? They're called legendary for a reason, you know?"

"Oh come on, Kira! Trust me on this one. It's here. It even says so on the sign!" Barry pointed at the sign, like he's showing something important.

"Fine… let's go." They entered the forest, heading to Lake Verity, as Barry practically beamed at her.

Both of them can see the outline of the lakeside, as the trees began to clear. There it is. Lake Verity. All seems normal, until Barry spoke up. "Um… what's going on over there?" Kira tilted her head at Barry, and he pointed to the thing he's confused about.

On the lakeside, close to the water, a man with spiky light blue hair is seen gazing to the island in the middle of the lake. He seems very serious, and both of the young teens can hear him talking. "…The flowing time… The expanding space… I will make it all mine one day… Cyrus is my name. Remember it…"

Barry was about to comment about the guy, Cyrus, until Kira puts her index finger in front of her face, motioning for him to be quiet. He nods, and they continue listening. "Until then, sleep while you can, legendary Pokémon of the lake bed…"

He seems to finish his monologue, as he prepares to turn around, heading to the path back to town. He walks, and since Kira and Barry is blocking the road, he coldly asked them to step away. As he walked, Barry commented. "What a weird guy… what's his deal? Time and space and whatnot…"

Kira sighs, as Barry begins to smile again. "Okay, okay! Let's catch that legendary, Kira!" After he said that, as if on cue, a Pokémon's cry could be heard. Barry immediately rushed closer to the lake, Kira still standing. As he looked around, he excitedly said. "Did you hear that, Kira?!"

Kira nods her head. "Of course, what do you think it could be?"

Barry excitedly babbled on. "It's the legendary Pokémon! I'm sure about it! Okay, this is our chance! Let's catch it!"

As Barry rummaged through his bag and Kira silently keeping watch, a man approached near them. He clears his throat, and they both looked up at him. "Ahem. Did I hear you both looking to catch the legendary Pokémon?" As Kira looked at the man eye to eye, she could swear there's a hint of recognition in his eyes, even though she never met him before.

Giratina has been enjoying the calm morning he's in right now. The sun shining down on his face, the morning breeze slightly making him shiver, and the sound of the water of the lake moving fills him with peace he could never have in the Distortion World.

But of course, something has to ruin his good mood. A playful and child-like female voice echoed through, as a pink floating Pokémon appeared next to Giratina. "Oh lookie here! It is Giratina! I thought you would not ever leave the Distortion World!"

He sighed deeply, and turned to the offending being. Mesprit, the Being of Emotion and the Lake Guardian of Lake Verity. He should've expected them to come sooner or later. "Hello, Mesprit." He calmly said, as Mesprit floated closer to him.

"Hi Giratina! What, you think I would not recognize you because you are in a different form? Please, your aura is sooo recognizable!" They giggled, as they smiled brightly. "Why are you even taking the form of a human? And oh! Why are you out of the Distortion World? Did Father 'drag you out of the room' as the humans say?"

Giratina's neutral expression changed, as his mouth slightly upturned in a smirk. "You could say that, Mesprit. As for me looking like this… Then I have to tell you why I am even here."

"Ooh a story! Tell it Giratina!" Mesprit excitedly speaks, as they floated down to sit on Giratina's lap. Although at first surprised, Giratina relaxed and lets them.

"So, let us begin. Approximately yesterday, and forgive me if I am wrong since time does not exactly run in the Distortion World, our shared creator visited me. As per usual, I just expected them to share their stories. But as it turns out, Father gave me news. Bad news."

As Giratina shares his story to the Lake Guardian, they nodded their small head, and looked to him. "Bad news? That must have meant something important if even Father stepped down to the Distortion World!"

Giratina nods his head. "Exactly, Mesprit. Because you see, Father told me that… another human is trying to destroy the world." He sighs, and looks down at the pink Guardian.

Mesprit puts a hand on their mouth, as they silently gasped. "Again? Seriously, what is it with humans and trying to shape the world to their will? It hasn't even been an eon!" They closed their eyes, and starts to think. "Hmmm… So are you here to stop that human, Giratina?"

Giratina thought for a moment, as he hummed in thought. "Well, not exactly. I am here only to see if the threat is severe enough that I must intervene."

The Being of Emotion looks up at Giratina with a pout, clearly unsatisfied. "Oh, so you still expect me and the other Guardians to pick up the slack, huh? You are such a meanie!" Mesprit, clearly annoyed, floats up and stares at Giratina, annoyed yellow eyes meeting amused crimson eyes.

"Come on, Mesprit. I will help if things get messy, as the same with my siblings. Do not worry." Giratina smiled, trying out his new human face. He likes how he can express emotions much more expressively as a human. It's hard to smile in his true form.

"Fine, fine…" Mesprit's mood returned back to normal, and they continue speaking. "You still have not answered my question of why you are a human! I mean, if you just wanted to intervene, you can just appear and be done with it!"

"I am trying to get to that point, Mesprit." Giratina continues his story. "Father did not tell me about who the human is. They told me that I should come to reality sometimes, and they flat out admitted that this is a good reason."

Mesprit stifled a laugh, as they speak. "I am right! Father did drag you out!"

Giratina softly slaps Mesprit on their head. "Father did not drag me out, Being of Emotion. I simply came here on my own accord. Father is just telling me about my objective. Besides… It is nice to come out once in a while."

The Being of Emotion smiles at Giratina. "Ohhh so that is why you are out! And oh! Let me guess! You are also taking a human form to help you blend in, right?"

Giratina amusedly nods his head. "Precisely. Humans are more likely to trust other humans, so this will make it easier to travel and find the human. It is acceptable, yes?"

Mesprit nods. "It is, but there is one tiny detail, Giratina! Your aura. Most humans will not feel it, but other Pokémon will. So tone it down! You do not want to scare and unnerve the Pokémon, your guise will be blown!" They said, as they floated close to his face. "And your bangs!"

Giratina tilted his head. "What about my bangs?" He softly inquired, as he reached out and touched his hair. A very dark brown, almost reaching his shoulders.

"Eh, nothing is wrong with it. More like the style. Are you really going to go out with bangs covering half of your face?" Mesprit asks, as they begin to mess with his hair. Giratina swiftly turned away, much to the surprise of the small deity.

"I can manage my hair myself, Mesprit. Just tell me what is wrong, and I shall swiftly change it. You know I am not familiar with human appearances." Giratina confessed.

"Okay, so with the bangs, you just remind me a lot of the human you used to work with," Giratina slightly tensed, and Mesprit continues, "Mhm, I know you have history with the guy, and it is not very pleasant. Your bangs mirrored his own, with yours covering your right eye, while his covered his left eye. I am just saying that, maybe you can make it a bit different? Keep the bangs, yeah, but also differentiate it a bit." Mesprit gives their opinion, as Giratina hummed in thought.

"That is not a bad idea, Mesprit… Very well, let me try to change it." Giratina closed his eyes, as he can feel his appearance changing slightly. He can feel the wind softly caressing his more exposed face, as he opened his eyes. "Done."

Mesprit looks amazed, and led Giratina to the lakeside to check his appearance. As Giratina looked to the water, Mesprit commented. "Much better! You look… what would humans call it, um… Handsome! Yeah!" They said excitedly.

Giratina looked at his reflection in the water with a neutral but slightly nervous face. The left side of his face is mostly the same, but the right side is a little different. Instead of the perfectly combed style he donned earlier, it's messier now. His hair color is still the same, with the blonde streaks on his bangs. Giratina tries out a few facial expressions, like smiling and pouting. Giratina turns to Mesprit, who floats next to him, looking at the lake. "Thank you, Mesprit." His voice had a tinge of gratitude in it. He already adjusted his aura, so that most Pokémon will not be suspicious. Still, if they're very sensitive, they can probably sense that he's not who he appears to be.

Mesprit grins, and they happily speaks. "Oh, it is no problem! I am always happy to help, especially since you are older." Mesprit then ruffles his hair, to which Giratina slightly swatted them away. Mesprit just giggled. She then continues. "Now that that is settled… What are your plans, Giratina?"

Giratina hummed in thought, and he speaks. "Well, to find that human Arceus warned me about, of course. After that, well… I do not know, Mesprit."

Mesprit groaned and sighed. "Oh Arceus… Giratina, this is the chance for you to see the world! Just like what Father said! Come on…" Mesprit looked at the Deity of Antimatter. "Do you even have a human name?"

"…I did not think about that, no…" Giratina silently confessed, and Mesprit sighed once more.

"Wow, you really do not plan, huh? Look, tell you what, I am going to help!" Mesprit annoyedly said, as they began to think. "Hmmm… Maybe something Hi-"

Giratina cuts Mesprit off with a silent sign of keeping quiet. "Shhh… I sense someone coming. Someone with not so good intentions towards you."

Mesprit looked surprised, and quickly said. "Then what are we waiting for? Hide!" Mesprit quickly turned invisible, and Giratina turned into shadows, melting into the shadows of the trees.

A man with spiky blue hair walked to the lakeside, gazing towards the lake. He was quiet for a long time, probably half an hour. Giratina kept a close eye on the man, as was the same with Mesprit, who, despite being invisible, chose to stay close to Giratina.

The man begins to speak, cold and unfeeling. Mesprit sensed anger and crazed determination, even though the man tried to hide it with a neutral tone. "…The flowing time… The expanding space… I will make it all mine one day… Cyrus is my name. Remember it…"

As Mesprit was speaking telepathically all the time, they spoke to Giratina. "There is the human. Or at least I think he is. Wow, that is easy." Mesprit admitted.

Even Giratina is surprised. He was expecting to search the person for much, much longer and with more effort, but here he was, staring as the human speaks to himself. "Until then, sleep while you can, legendary Pokémon of the lake bed…" The man said, directing his words to Mesprit, not knowing they can hear him.

Mesprit felt disturbed. "Arceus… this person is crazy. I mean, not as crazy as the human you partnered with, but still…" Giratina nods his head, as he watched the man walking away from the lake. He could hear the man saying for someone to step away, and he looked at the offender. Two teens, probably 15 year olds, was giving way to the man. Giratina immediately widened his eyes as he stared at the two young humans. He could care less about the boy, but the girl… There's no mistaking it.

"Mesprit… that girl… do you think it is her?" Giratina spoke telepathically to Mesprit, still hiding as a shadow.

Mesprit, who is still invisible, also gasped. "Oh Arceus… It is her…" They both watched in shock at the girl, who is casually talking at the boy. "Father is really toying with you, Giratina." They said, as they softly chuckled.

Giratina glared at Mesprit. "For all I know, this might be one of Father's many cryptic plans. Fate indeed…"

Giratina recognized the girl as Arceus' chosen. The same person that fought him and Volo at the top of Mount Coronet. But it seems she's younger. He can't help but wonder if her fate will be the same as the girl that Giratina knew for a short while. But for all the time she spent with him, she always treated him with care, even though he did try to hurt her.

Mesprit smiled cheekily at Giratina, as she teased. "Ooh, all the more reason for you to see the world! Maybe you can join her!" They liked the idea, as they pushed the idea to Giratina. "Besides, this girl is not the same one that you knew! Maybe it would change things up! Come on… I know what you are thinking Giratina~" They playfully said.

He can't deny Mesprit. They're right. He's curious as to how she's here, and meeting her as a human…

As Giratina hummed in thought, Mesprit giggled. "Well, I am going now! Good luck, Giratina!"

"Wait, Mesprit!" But before he can say anything, Mesprit disappeared, heading home to Verity Caves. But before that, they let out a cry that attracted the two teens. He grumbled, as he materialized from the shadows. "Seriously… they said they insist on helping me, and now they are leaving me alone. That cheeky…" Giratina sighed, and tried to calm his mind.

He approached the young humans, as he cleared his throat. Alright, it's now or never. "Ahem. Did I hear you both looking to catch the legendary Pokémon?" He inquired, sounding neutral. He locked eyes with the girl, and that ultramarine blue eyes… It very much is her. He had to make a good first impression.

As she locked eyes with the young man, she couldn't help but feel something. She couldn't quite grasp what it is, but the closest thing she can describe is… déjà vu. Barry eyed the man with curiosity and caution, and in classic Barry fashion, bolted to him. "Okay, who are you? How did you know about us looking for the legendary Pokemon?" Barry then gasped. "Have you been spying on us?!"

The man sighed, and puts up a hand to tell Barry to shut up. Kira chuckled at the sight, as the man begins to speak. "I assure you, that I have not spied on you, young man. I was just visiting the lake, when I heard your voice, talking about catching the legendary."

Kira inspected the man further, trying to determine what this man wanted from them both. He was dressed in an old-fashioned way, like what you would see in Johto. A black kimono, which fades to crimson at the end. No patterns, just plain kimono. He doesn't seem to have anything on him, no bag, no Pokeballs. He's quite unprepared, and he doesn't seem worried about it. There's also a pendant hanging on his neck, which seems a bit weird…

Barry looked at the man warily, as he asked. "Do you know that guy from before? You know, the one with spiky blue hair? Areyouworkingtogether?" Barry quickly asked.

"You talk too fast, hu- I mean, young man. I do not know who that person even is." He said calmly.

Barry prepares to speak again, but Kira, knowing that he'll probably overwhelm the man, puts a hand in front of him. She speaks. "I'm sorry for my friend's impulsiveness. He's just wary, we both are." She sighed, and continues. "My name's Kira, and my friend here, his name is Barry. Nice to meet you." She gave a small smile, and softly said, not wanting for things to get hostile."

The man nods his head, and he seems to think for a moment, before speaking. "…Hikage. That is my name." He quietly said, still staring at the both of them.

"That's a pretty nice name! It sounds old, but I guess it fits your whole vibe." Barry turned to Kira, and gave her a grin. "And here I thought your name is old. I guess you both match!" Barry said as he turns back to Hikage, to which Hikage just smiled at his words. "So uh… why exactly are you dressed like that?"

"Barry, don't be so rude!" Kira quietly said to him, looking annoyed at his bluntness.

Barry just responded with a, "What, I'm just pointing out the facts!", as Kira sighed.

Hikage looked amused at their banter, and so just chuckled. "Well, I will answer your question. You see, I am… somewhat of an expert in mythology and some facets of history. It always fascinates me." He then glanced at the lake and the island in the middle, a small smile on his face. "Take this lake, for example. Lake Verity is home to the Legendary Pokemon Mesprit, the Being of Emotion. Legends say that they sleep deep in the lakebed. I advise you not to catch them, since it seems you both are inexperienced, and," He looked back at them both. "Do you even have Pokeballs?"

Kira looked to Barry, who was the one most excited to catch the legendary. He rummaged through his bag again, as he gasped. "W-wait, what?! I don't have any Pokeballs!" He looked to Kira again. "Kira, please tell me you have one!"

Kira shook her head, as she just smiled. "Nah, I don't have any on me. As I've said, this is a stupid idea, Barry."

Barry looked defeated, as his posture deflated and he looked down to the ground. Hikage, meanwhile, is curious. "May I ask, why are you both looking to catch the legendary?"

Kira, still holding her friend with one hand on his shoulder, said to Hikage. "Well, Barry here wanted to impress Professor Rowan and show our gratitude for giving us our first Pokemon. We planned on going to his lab in Sandgem Town today, and then Barry dragged me here." She looked back at Barry. "Hey, don't worry Barry, I think Professor Rowan will be happy with us just visiting, okay?"

Barry looked up at Kira and Hikage, and he brightened up. "You're right… the Professor won't mind… Heck, he'd probably gave us some Pokeballs too if we ask nicely!"

"Your friend really perked up quickly." Hikage commented, his crimson eyes soft.

"Eh, that's Barry. Impulsive, overexcited, but a good friend." Kira chuckled, to which Barry just sheepishly smiled at the comment.

"So, I take it you are both heading to Sandgem Town, now?" He asked them both.

Barry quickly replied, smiling. "Of course! Hey Kira!" He turned to her. "Let's have a race! Whoever gets to Sandgem first rules! And don't be so slow, or I'm fining you 10 million!" He immediately zips off, happily jogging.

Hikage seemed to be at a loss of words, as he turned to Kira for explanations. "It's just him, don't worry. And about that fine, eh, he never really took it seriously." She smiled.

"Kira, I have a request of sorts." Hikage begins, his voice steady. "I would like to accompany you to your next destination. Is that acceptable?" He asked her, looking deep into her eyes for confirmation.

Kira somehow felt like she should accept this request, like it would be a good experience for them both. So she nods, and smiles at Hikage. "Of course. I'd like that, actually. It won't be so lonely, haha." She laughs softly.

"Great. Well then, ready to go?" Hikage took a step forward, as he turned to look at her.

"Yeah, let's go!" She smiles, and walks next to him, matching his pace.