James watches Faris cry by herself in a spot under a tree just behind a moonbeam. He feels guilty about being so cold to Jessie, but… He needed to get away from her anyway. She’s NEVER acted like that before, and true to what he’d said before, he’d been terribly frightened by it—more so than when she’s on a rampage. He especially didn’t like the feeling that had stirred within himself when she’d kissed him so passionately… he didn’t want to feel like that, not towards Jessie, of all people…
    He shakes his head, clearing his mind of those thoughts. ‘Faris is the important one here right now,’ he reminds himself. ‘Now, just walk up to her and talk to her…it’s not that hard…’
    He almost takes a step forward when Faris speaks. “I’m so stupid,” she sobs. This startles James into keeping still. “I’ve ruined everything now. Starr hates me, Jessie hates me, Batts cut off the mental link…is this my punishment for being cruel to James? Of course it is, what goes around comes around,” she bitterly recites to herself. Faris doesn’t seem to be aware of James’ presence; she surely wouldn’t be talking like this if she were. “Everybody’s turning away from me…I guess it’s what I deserve. A heartless bitch like me doesn’t deserve to be loved, especially since I’m incapable of love. James is so stupid for falling in love with me; he’d be so much better off with Starr. At least Starr would treat him right…” She lapses into her crying fit again. “I’m so stupid… I’m so weak…!” Her voice dies on ‘weak’.
    ‘Faris…’ James thinks to himself, a sad look on his face. ‘Is this how you really act when you’re alone? You must feel so lonely, crying by yourself where no one can hear you…’
    He steps out into the moonlight. “Faris…”
    Her head jerks up in an unnaturally swift motion. She stares at him for a couple of seconds, then curls up into a ball, shoulders shaking.
    James approaches her slowly, taking step after step until he’s by her side on the other side of the light. He kneels down next to her and touches her shoulder lightly.
    “How much did you hear?”
    The question startles James, especially since it’s muffled by tears and clothing. “What… do you mean?” he asks gently.
    She looks up at him, a tired expression on her face. She gulps a couple of times, then says in a slightly shaky voice, “I meant what I said. How much did you hear?”
    James gives her a sad look. “You aren’t stupid,” he says softly. “And Starr doesn’t hate you… And nobody’s turning away from you; you’re turning away from them. We all love you—you’re just afraid of being loved.”
    Faris trembles as a cool breeze flows through the night air. “You’re a liar…”
    “I’m not lying,” he replies firmly. “I love you too much to lie to you.”
    A shuddery sob emanates from Faris. “I feel so cold…”
    James immediately pulls her to him in a loving hug. “I won’t let you be cold,” he whispers in her ear. “If you ever need a hug, or want someone to share your feelings with, you can always come to me. That’s the kind of love I want us to share.” With this, he gently kisses her tears off her cheeks.
    Faris sighs and leans against him. James gently hugs her and rocks her back and forth until she stops crying. Though she still trembles in his arms, it’s no longer because she feels cold. Soon, the two are fast asleep in each other’s arms under the cool moonlight.

Naive dreamer with an open heart
Takes another chance despite
The shattering sadness of the past
Hoping that the world will overlook her lateness to the game
And brush away the long-remembered tears
Her fear to live so far unrealized
She takes a step
And holds her ground
They may like her
But the ones around her recede.
But she is just another hopeful
And though beautiful inside
She may push another longer-holding friendship away
Hopeful child’s heart
Inside a one destined to forever be an outsider
Looking in and wishing
Someday she might be part of the love in the world she sees
Through the window shines its unreachable amber love
Shining faintly over her, but embracing those within
Who have known this world longer than she.
Though soothing, it speaks faintly
That she outside has little right
To feel the love within
And possibly disturb the harmony inside.
She would never want to be a destroyer
Would rather end everything and vanish
Than hurt what others have worked so hard for
Though special, she is nothing special
Her parting may leave wounds on the hearts of her friends, though,
So she stays, not quite within or without
Balancing on the borderline of love and emptiness
Trying to keep the still-delicate heart within her body
From shattering again.
She wonders if she ever found all the pieces
After the impact of losses before.
If any small, careless mistake might destroy the rose glass again.
She tries to let them see what is inside her
That she might fully belong
But knows within herself she may be striving for a hopeless dream.
But she is a dreamer.
Despite the sadness, she will carry on and stay.
Even if her dream is never meant to be.

    “Starr? Whatcha writing?’ Misty asks, leaning over Starr’s shoulder.
    “Just another of my inane poems,” Starr says. “Inspired by the current state of things.”
    “Can I read it?” Misty inquires tentatively, after a pause. “I know some people don’t like their stuff read...”
    Starr smiles at the orange-haired girl from Cerulean. “No, go ahead. I trust you. You saw me crying all over the place and you didn’t think I was psycho when I gave you a hug. You’re like a little sister to me. I know you’d never laugh at me.” Starr hands Misty the small black notebook. “My writing is terrible. If you can’t read it, feel free to toss my book at my head.”
    “Your writing’s fine,” Misty snorts. “Now ASH’S writing is another story. It looks like…it looks like Pidgeotto walked in a mud puddle, then danced across his page!”
    Starr laughs as Misty reads over the page.
    Misty blinks, then puts to book down and seriously faces Starr.
    “You know that’s not right,” Misty says quietly. “It’s been a hard day, and it’s late so everyone’s sad, but you don’t have to run away. We like you. There’s always room for another person.”
    “I know…but sometimes that’s how I feel.” Starr shrugs and sighs. “Now whenever I’m around Faris or James, I feel like a third wheel. I worry that Faris will think I’m flirting with James if we’re together, and I worry that James will think Faris and I make fun of him when we’re together—because we used to, but that’s before either of us got to know him.”
    “When you find out the truth, everything shifts around,” Misty agrees. “I used to think everyone from Team Rocket was mean and didn’t know a thing about Pokémon until I met you and you gave Pikachu back. I really thought that was amazing! You could have lost your job for doing that, but you put Pikachu’s happiness over your own. You could have had a promotion and everything! Jessie and James have been going after Pikachu forever! If you took her, you would have been famous!”
    “But she wouldn’t be happy, which would make me unhappy.” Starr pets Raichu, who’s currently snoring away at the foot of the bed.
    Misty nods. “See? You’re a caring person, and now that I know, I can see. Nothing’s what it seems it is when you first look at it. You have to get below the surface to really know. On the surface, you think you’re getting in the way, but deep down, Faris and James both need you. You’re their friend! Probably you’re one of the nicest friends they have! I know you’re one of the nicest people I know.”
    Starr turns pink. “Stop flattering me or I’ll throw Raichu at you.”
    Misty makes a face. “I’ll send Starmie after you, then.”
    “Raichu will fry him!”
    “Not if Starmie gets Raichu first!”
    “HAH! You’re BOTH crazy!” someone proclaims triumphantly from the door. Both Misty and Starr whip around to see an evilly grinning Jessie.
    “PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!” she yells. “Arbok will smash both of you!”
    Seconds later a pillow whacks Jessie in the head.
    “HEY! WHO THREW THAT?!”
    “BE QUIET!!!!!!” Ash yells from across the hall.
    There’s a barely audible snicker from the direction of Faris’ room and a stifled insane laugh from James.
    Harmony is slowly returning even if no one’s ready to admit it.
    Jessie is still hyper. “TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM DEVASTATION!” she yells louder.
    James lets out his psycho laugh and intones, “To unite—”
    THWAP.
    “OW!”
    “Go to SLEEP, James!!!!!” Ash hollers.
    “WHOEVER THREW THAT POKéBALL AT ME IS IN FOR IT!!!” James roars.
    “EVERYONE SHUT UP!” Faris calls above the chaos. “We’re heading to the Summer’s Festival tomorrow! You don’t want to be tired for it. Go to sleep or I’ll send a Gyarados after ALL of you.”
    “We’ll be good!” Jessie and James say hastily.
    Starr and Misty don’t, though. They keep snickering until midnight, when they both fall asleep, completely worn out.

    When Faris awakens, it’s six in the morning, so she goes back to sleep.
    When she awakens again, it’s not to the noise of birds singing, but to the sound of someone stifling a giggle.
    She tentatively opens her eyes…
    And sees Starr staring into her face and grinning wildly.
    “Can you shee the beasht?” she inquires.
    In the background, Misty loses it, laughing uncontrollably. Togepi also laughs, although it doesn’t really get the humor.
    “What time is it?” Faris asks, sitting up. Starr moves so Faris’ head doesn’t hit her in the nose.
    “It would be approximately eleven. Brock kept breakfast warm for you,” Starr replies.
    “Hmm, I slept in longer than I intended to.”
    “Don’t feel bad. Jessie’s still snoring.” Misty giggles.
    Faris nods. “I figured as much. Oh well, the festival lasts two weeks, and this is only the daytime. If you think Cinnabar is lively now, it really comes alive in the night.”
    “More parties then there are now? I don’t believe it!” Misty says skeptically, opening the window to let the warm breeze in. Carried on the light wind is the smell of the sea, the trees, and the faint sound of many people having a good time. “If you really squint at Cinnabar, you can see all the colorful flags and lights…”
    “And tourists,” Faris adds dryly. “That’s why I usually don’t go. I’m something of a celebrity to them. Them, and annoying trainers. Not to mention that thing that’s my mother.”
    “Look on the bright side, at least Martina isn’t Jenova,” Starr smirks. “Sorry. Blatant silly FF7 joke.”
    “Sometimes I think Martina is worse,” is Faris’s serious reply, though there’s the ghost of a smile playing around the corner of her lips.
    “You’re right; at least Jenova wasn’t an exhibitionist,” Starr agrees. “Let’s go have breakfast—or lunch—or whatever so we can get to the festival. We might see Kenji-tachi there, too. Kenji’s mom is a musician and sometimes she plays there with the orchestra.”
    Faris gets out of bed and heads for the shower. Starr and Misty head back to the kitchen to report that Faris is awake.
    Once there, they find James staring quizzically at something outside the window.
    “What’s up?” Starr inquires, tapping him on the shoulder.
    “It’s this Vulpix,” James replies, looking even more confused. “It keeps following me around. I took Weezing and Arbok outside to give them some exercise this morning, and this Vulpix has been following me ever since!” He scratches his head.
    “It probably likes you,” Starr says.
    “Why would it like me?”
    “Why wouldn’t it?” Starr smiles. “You should go outside and play with him some more. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Vulpix?” Starr smiles at the fire fox Pokémon.
    “Vulpix!” it says happily, wagging all six fluffy tails and looking expectantly at James.
    James smiles back and heads outside.
    Starr watches and smiles. He seems much better. ‘He and Faris probably smoothed things over. I hope she told him she loves him…those two deserve each other.’
    There’s a loud yawn from behind Starr then. She turns to see a very sleepy-looking Jessie, red hair in a state of total chaos, make-up free.
    “I know I’m scary.” Jessie makes a face. “Don’t laugh. I’ll be fine once I take a shower, have breakfast, and put on my make-up.”
    “You look fine without it, you know,” Starr informs her.
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jessie grins as though she doesn’t believe it, makes a beeline for the cupboard, and pours herself a bowl of Frosted Flakes.
    Soon, Faris is out of the shower and dressed, Jessie is in the shower (and singing very loudly and tunelessly), and James is sitting on the grass laughing as Vulpix licks his face.
    Faris watches this in amusement. “That Vulpix has always been really friendly.”
    Starr giggles as James falls flat on his butt. “So cute.”
    Soon, the running water stops.
    Faris blinks. “How odd. I assumed Jessie would be in there until the hot water ran out.”
    As if on cue, Jessie calls, “The hot water ran out!”
    Starr and Faris exchange a weird look, then shake their heads.
    Jessie comes down the stairs and finds Starr and Faris looking as though they’ve seen a UFO.
    “What?”
    “Never mind. Just another occurrence of utterly random weirdness,” Starr finally replies. “Now, who’s up for getting our collective butts in gear and getting to that festival before it’s dark?”
    Ash pokes his head into the kitchen, Pikachu sitting on his head, then walks in. “Are we finally going?” he queries. “I was getting bored of watching TV with Brock and Pikachu.”
    Brock follows Ash in. “If you want, Faris, I can fix lunch for everyone before we go.”
    She spares him a glance before looking back over at James and smiling. “Sure, it’ll save me some money for when we get to Cinnabar and everyone’s starving from the trip. Besides, I’m still hungry. Thanks.”
    Brock finds himself blushing and stammering you’re-welcome as he heads to the counter.
    Faris smirks and moves to the dining room so she won’t end up making him slice off his hand.
    In the dining room, she finds a very troubled-looking Meowth. “What’s up, Meowth?”
    He jumps a little, then stares over at her. She notices there’s a photo frame in his paws. “Say, Faris, can I ask you something?” he queries.
    She tilts her head slightly, frowning. “What?”
    Meowth stares back at the frame. “Your aunt Lenna, did she have dark blue hair tied back in a braid and a pink dress?”
    Her eyes narrow. “Yeah. Why?”
    He stands. “Faris, you and I need to talk.” He hops off the chair he’d been sitting on and heads over to the porch. Faris silently follows.
    Once they’re in the porch and the doors have been shut, Meowth shows Faris his picture. “When I was still the Boss’ favorite, I’d sometimes look through his room. Once, I found this same picture. When I asked him who the goil in the photo with him was, he told me I didn’t have to know. I insisted—he finally told me, she was ‘someone important’, and that I should leave it at that.”
    Faris glowers at the photo. Smiling up at her is Lenna and a shadow-free Giovanni, standing together hand-in-hand in front of the Viridian City Gym. “Hm.”
    Meowth nods. “I know what you’re thinking,” he says, arms crossed. “I’ve heard all about Lenna, and I’m just as curious as you on why she’d be that cozy with the Boss. I’d never think she’d be that friendly with him! I mean, he’s the leader of freakin’ TEAM ROCKET! I can’t picture Lenna havin’ anything to do wit’ us Rockets…”
    “Neither can I,” Faris says dryly as she undoes the back of the frame, releasing the photo. “But I’m not too surprised. Professor Oak already told me they were lovers before she died… I used up all my surprise then.”
    “It just doesn’t make sense,” Meowth grumbles. “If they were so close, why’s he never told me anything about her?”
    “You’re not his favorite anymore, Meowth,” Faris reminds him, mild as ever.
    Meowth piku’s. “…”
    Faris stands. “Exactly. We all have secrets we’d rather die than confess. I guess if they really were a couple, talking about Lenna is just to painful for Giovanni to do unprovoked.” She slips the photo into her shirt pocket. “I’m going to keep this around. Until then… let’s see if lunch is ready. We shouldn’t go to Cinnabar on an empty stomach.”
    Meowth nods slowly, then follows the lavender-haired Rocket back into the dining room.