Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a warm day when, by accident or perhaps by fate, I found him.

Hawlucha, a Pokémon who was just passing by with his trainer and the rest of their Pokémon friends, was taking a break from their exhausting journey to challenge Gyms and collect the eight badges his trainer needed.

Hawlucha decided that wasting time resting wouldn't lead to any victory, so he thought it best to move away from his friends for a while to train on his own.

Breaking tree branches along his path, as a way of showing his strength.

At one point, Hawlucha found a large tree with branches of various sizes.

Confidently, he went to break one of them and succeeded.

The branch fell with a dull thud, landing right where one of the tree's roots was visible.

The fighting Pokémon wasn’t going to pay it much attention—until he noticed a strange glow.

Hawlucha was quite surprised and, not knowing where the glow was coming from, cautiously approached.

He found a purple-colored egg that looked like it was about to hatch. Hawlucha was surprised to see there were no nests or signs of any parents nearby.

The only thing he knew for sure was that if he left the little one alone, it wouldn’t survive for long. So, he carefully picked it up, bringing it close to his feathers to keep it warm, and headed back to his trainer.

And the rest is history.

A week had already passed since Noibat hatched from the abandoned egg Hawlucha had found.

And during all that time, he had been the main one taking care of it, being called by his fellow Pokémon and trainer the caretaker—or more accurately, the father—of Noibat.

He couldn’t deny that the baby had clung to him as if he were his father. Hawlucha didn’t mind, but he did find it quite curious.

Noibat was a rather peculiar Pokémon, as he didn’t seem to have good flying abilities, even though flying Pokémon are usually born with the skill already developed.

Hawlucha didn’t remember ever having to learn how to glide, and when he asked Fletchinder, he said he was born knowing how to fly.

That’s why it was such a surprise to see the little one fall when he tried to fly for the first time.

Hawlucha wondered if it was because he had been abandoned even before he was born.

They were still working on improving Noibat’s flying skills.

All Hawlucha could do was watch the young bat try to fly, only to stay in the air for a very short moment before crashing to the ground with a dull thud.

When Noibat decided he’d had enough humiliation for one day, he ran over to him, hugging him tightly while sobbing.

Hawlucha knew what that meant. Maybe Noibat still only communicated with cries that weren’t even coherent babbles yet.

But he could understand that Noibat was ready to give up, to resign himself to being the only Noibat who couldn’t soar through the skies.

Hawlucha stepped back, kneeling to his level.

“Are you really going to give up?” Hawlucha asked, for a moment remembering his first battle against Goomy. The little slug had seemed ready to quit too. Noibat didn’t answer, he just kept sobbing. “If you give up, you’ll never fly. And you’ll never prove the ones who doubt you wrong.”

Noibat looked at him, eyes still full of tears, his body trembling from the sobs.

“Do you think I won my first battle right away?” Noibat didn’t answer, just stared silently. After all, it’s not like he could talk. So Hawlucha answered his own question. “Of course not, I lost. But I didn’t give up. Day after day, I kept training and practicing until I became the champion of the forest I come from.”

He said with pride. Noibat looked at him now with eyes full of admiration for what his father figure had accomplished.

“And then Ash found me, and I decided to go with him to grow stronger and stronger.” He gently stroked Noibat’s head, careful not to hurt his ears. “Remember this: you only fail when you stop trying.”

Noibat had stopped crying and hugging him. Now he looked up with a more confident expression.

“So, are you going to give up?”

Noibat shook his head and took to the air again.

“That’s what I like to see,” Hawlucha said, watching his protégé with pride.

Watching as he fell again and again, but kept trying—refusing to give up so easily.

Chapter Text

Sincerely.

Fletchinder honestly had no idea what she was doing with her life at that moment.

When Ash chose her to come with him back when she was still a Fletchling, she thought she’d work hard to become stronger, winning battle after battle until she helped her trainer win the Kalos League.

Not acting as a mentor to a week-and-a-half-old Noibat.

Especially since Pokémon that are supposed to be able to fly usually know how to do so the moment they're born.

And yet, there he was: the little bat trying to fly through the sky—or at least trying to lift off the ground even just a little.

Fletchinder was not prepared to take care of babies. The last one she’d taken care of was Goodra when he was still a Goomy, and the last thing she knew about him was that he was in a big hurry to return to his homeland. Even then, Goomy wasn’t that small—he could already speak and practically take care of himself, unlike Noibat, who was basically a newborn.

Fletchinder snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Noibat’s annoying cries.

The little bat still hadn’t said a single word, expressing everything he felt through either excessively loud wails or little babbles she had long since stopped trying to understand.

Don’t judge her—she was more than willing to help him and teach him. Despite how little time he had been in her life, she had already grown very fond of him. She had been with the kid since the moment he was born.

It’s just that... she had never had to teach a Pokémon how to fly before.

“What’s wrong, NoiNoi?” Fletchinder came closer to where Noibat was, trying to resist the urge to rip her ears off from how loud the little one was crying.

As soon as Noibat saw the flying-type Pokémon in front of him, he clung to her tightly, trying to communicate in his own way.

Fletchinder wasn’t very good at mimicking, so no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand what Noibat was trying to say.

She cursed herself internally for not paying more attention and considered herself lucky they were in a secluded place—she didn’t want to deal with Hawlucha or Frogadier scolding her.

She wrapped Noibat in her wing, gently rubbing his back with her warm feathers.

“Shhh,” she tried to calm him, “it’s okay, Noibat, it’s okay now.”

Noibat slowly began to calm down. Sometimes, Fletchinder wondered how he could even hear anything while crying that loudly. (She had to remind herself it wasn’t Noibat’s fault; it was simply his nature, something he couldn’t control.)

“Feeling better now?” As usual, Noibat didn’t respond, but the absence of wails and the fact that his tears had subsided into watery eyes suggested he was, in fact, better.

Fletchinder made a mental note to talk to Hawlucha about starting to teach Noibat how to speak, because if things kept going this way, she swore she would lose her mind.

Noibat rubbed his head against Fletchinder’s feathers, and she simply held him tighter with one wing while using the other to wipe away his tears.

“Why don’t you try again?” She looked at him encouragingly as she stood up and stepped back. “This time, I’ll support you all the way.”

Noibat also stood up as Fletchinder stretched her wings, preparing to fly.

"Remember, keep your wings straight. If you bend them, you won’t be able to stay in the air properly." Fletchinder took off to show him how it was done. “See?”

Noibat looked at the bird in awe—she flew with such steadiness it made him stare in wonder.

He nodded and decided to take off as well.

Unlike the Fire-type, Noibat flew clumsily, flapping his wings in a rushed and uneven manner, bending them without realizing, which caused him to lose balance.

“No,” Fletchinder shook her head and flew closer in case she needed to catch him. “Noibat, if you flap like that, you’re just going to crash back into the ground again.”

When she spoke, Noibat stopped flying; his wings just gave out. Fletchinder quickly swooped down to catch him on her back and prevent him from crashing into the ground.

“Look, you have to keep your wings straight and firm. You can’t flap like a maniac—that’ll just make you lose balance. Before trying to fly, you need to focus on staying stable in the air,” she explained, glancing at Noibat out of the corner of her eye to make sure he was listening.

She sighed deeply and slightly closed her eyes, maintaining perfect balance in the air. She didn’t like sounding so strict or harsh. Wasn’t that Frogadier’s job?

“Noibat, if you panic every time you try to fly, you’ll probably fail,” she repeated, snapping out of her thoughts. “What you need to do is take a deep breath, relax, and then jump—spread your wings, close your eyes, and blend with the wind.”

Noibat looked uncertain. He glanced down; he wasn’t very high, so if he fell, he wouldn’t get hurt much—maybe just a few scratches that would heal soon enough.

Without thinking about it further, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes just as Fletchinder had instructed, spread his wings as far as he could, and jumped into the air, letting the wind carry him.

There wasn’t much wind, but there was a slight breeze that helped keep him stable.

When he felt safe enough, he opened his eyes—only to realize he was doing it.

He was finally flying.

“Very good, NoiNou,” said Fletchinder, watching him with pride as she continued flying beside him for a while."You're doing great, I'm so proud of you."

Noibat was so excited to be flying that he flew away from Fletchinder, bursting with energy.

Fletchinder was distracted, thinking about what else she could teach him. He already knew how to stay in the air and fly longer without getting tired. What was next?

Maybe teaching him how to glide or do some tricks? Yeah, she wanted to see the look on Hawlucha and Chespin’s faces after they said she wasn’t a good flight teacher.

...Wait a second...

"NOIBAT?!" Fletchinder shouted in panic until she saw him up ahead, flying cheerfully. "NOIBAT, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Fletchinder flew as fast as she could toward the little bat when she saw he was starting to tire out.

"NOIBAT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO FLY OFF?!" Fletchinder screamed in panic as she saw him stop flapping and begin to fall. “Damn it! Hawlucha is going to roast me alive...” she muttered under her breath.

Fletchinder quickly dove and found Noibat on the ground, covered in dirt but otherwise fine.

"NOIBAT, DAMN IT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU SCARED ME?!" She landed in front of him.

Noibat sat on the ground and looked at her, but this time he didn’t cry or scream. His face only showed a deep pride for having managed to fly.

“You’re lucky I can’t stay mad at you,” she shook her head, then carefully lifted Noibat onto her back with her beak and took off again. “Now let’s get you cleaned up, and then we can show Hawlucha and Chespin what a great teacher I can be.”

As Fletchinder flew through the sky, she couldn’t help but feel a peculiar warmth inside.

A mix of pride and familiarity after seeing Noibat fly.

Now she understood human parents when they saw their children take their first steps.

Chapter Text

Pikachu — Who didn’t know him?

He was that famous Pokémon, the one who had faced legendary Pokémon, the one so peculiarly powerful that a trio of petty thieves tried day and night to catch him to join their wicked organization.

That Pikachu who refused to evolve like the others.

That Pikachu who no one could stand up to.

That Pikachu who was considered the oldest and strongest of his group.

“Come on, open your mouth,” the peculiar Pikachu said, bringing a Pokémon food croquette to Noibat’s mouth, who turned his head away, refusing to open it.

That Pikachu who was now stuck feeding a baby who refused to eat anything that wasn’t berries.

At what point had he gone from being that Pokémon respected by all to the one who had to take care of a baby?

Right now, they were in a beautiful meadow with a dense, dark forest in the background.

Noibat had been with them for two weeks, and his trainer Ash (whom Pikachu used to consider his best friend but was now on his enemies list) had decided that Noibat was old enough to stop eating berries and start eating regular Pokémon food like the others.

Spoiler: it didn’t go well.

Noibat not only refused to eat what he was given, but at any moment when Pikachu got distracted, the little Pokémon would take the chance to fly off.

He still got tired quickly and couldn’t stay in the air for long, so he never got too far.

But far enough to drive Pikachu up the wall.

At this point, Pikachu was silently cursing everyone—his trainer for saying he should be the one to help Noibat eat, and his teammates, who had vanished as soon as Ash brought up the topic.

Why wasn’t Ash the one feeding Noibat?

Oh right, Ash was busy flirting with Serena. Damn it.

“Come on, Noibat, you have to eat,” he said again, bringing the croquette to his mouth, but as expected, Noibat turned his head in the opposite direction from the food he was supposed to digest.

Pikachu sighed in exhaustion. He’d already spent over half an hour trying to get Noibat to eat even a bite. Apparently, Noibat wasn’t thrilled about the idea of giving up his berries.

In fact, for a moment Pikachu was about to eat the food himself and go get Noibat some nice berries. He would have done it—if it weren’t for Chespin and Pancham watching him from a distance.

And those two wouldn’t hesitate to rat him out.

“Noibat, for Arceus’ sake, is it that hard to eat something? I promise it’s not bad, in fact it’s delicious,” Pikachu insisted, dropping the croquette into the bowl that was supposedly Noibat’s.

Noibat shook his head.

Even though he didn’t talk yet, over the days he had learned to be clearer with his gestures—but his silence was starting to get on Pikachu’s nerves.

“No?” Pikachu looked at him, confused. “No what?”

Noibat pointed to the food bowl with one of his wings, then shook his head again.

“You mean the food is bad?” He saw Noibat nod. “Why do you think that? You’ve never even tried it.”

Then he saw Noibat’s wing point at Pancham and Chespin, who seemed to be having a great time about something—so much so they didn’t notice Pikachu glaring at them.

*“Those idiots. No wonder they’re watching us so closely,”*Pikachu thought to himself. But when he looked back at Noibat—

He was gone.

“NOIBAT!” he shouted angrily, spotting the Pokémon fluttering near Luxray and Bunnelby. He let out a frustrated sigh.

Pikachu had no choice but to go over to where the three were.

“Noibat, get back here!” he yelled before leaping at him, taking advantage of the fact that he was on the ground. “You’re coming with me.”

Bunnelby and Luxray glanced at each other. They weren’t sure whether to say something to Pikachu—even just a greeting. They had never seen him this angry.

“Um, Pikachu, are you okay?” Bunnelby asked, approaching him cautiously, trying to calm him down.

“I’d be better if I didn’t have to feed a stubborn little escape artist,” he growled, grabbing one of Noibat’s wings with his paws.

Noibat didn’t do anything, just laughed quietly for having achieved his goal of annoying his elder.

“Take it easy, Pikachu. If there’s one thing I know about kids, it’s that they need a lot of patience,” Luxray spoke up this time.

Pikachu already knew about patience. The thing was—Pikachu didn’t *have* any patience. And if he ever did, Noibat had used it all up a while ago.

“Then you feed him. I’m fresh out,” Pikachu muttered grumpily.

“No thanks, he’s your problem,” Luxray replied with a smirk.

**“I figured as much,”** Pikachu thought as he grabbed Noibat and dragged him back toward his food.

He sat Noibat down on the grass while Pikachu sat in front of him, once again picking up the food that Noibat was supposed to eat.

And he reminded himself once again that Noibat was just a kid who needed patience.

And that if he should strangle someone, it would be Pancham and Chespin for messing with Noibat about the food.

“Alright Noibat, the sooner you eat, the sooner we can leave, okay?” Noibat looked at him, then turned his head away again. Pikachu sighed deeply. He had tried almost everything to feed him, but nothing seemed to work.

*He’s just a kid, he’s just a kid,* Pikachu repeated to himself.

“Listen, Noibat, don’t listen to Chespin and Pancham. They just like to mess around, alright?” Noibat looked at him again, and as usual, didn’t respond (if Frogadier hadn’t checked him already, Pikachu would’ve thought he didn’t have a tongue). He tilted his head and looked at him curiously.

Pikachu paused to reflect for a moment.

“Noibat, sometimes there are things we may or may not like, but they’re important to keep us healthy,” Pikachu said more calmly, gently patting Noibat on the head. “Like this food—you don’t know if it tastes good or not, but it’s important for you to eat it.”

Noibat looked at him. He stopped avoiding the food and let out a small babble to try to communicate with the electric Pokémon.

But as usual, Pikachu couldn’t understand what he was trying to say.

“Uhhh… okay?” Pikachu looked away, pretending he understood—even though it was a lie. “Here.”

He offered the food again, surprised when this time Noibat didn’t turn away. He stared at it and, after a moment of hesitation, ended up eating it.

And judging by his smile and expression, Pikachu could tell he liked it—which made him very happy

Now surely Noibat wouldn’t be so annoying at mealtimes.

(*No, that didn’t happen. He kept being annoying, but the Pikachu from back then didn’t know that yet.*)

“Very good, Noibat,” he said, petting his head as the little bat Pokémon ate. “Now wait for me here a moment, okay? I’ll be right back.”

He hummed to himself as he walked over to where Chespin and Pancham were—looking nothing like he was about to greet them warmly.

Chapter Text

Frogadier had decided that after Noibat turned three weeks old, it was the ideal time to start training with him.

He had been patiently waiting to finally begin, though he would have liked to start training with him the moment he hatched.

But apparently, everyone thought that was a bad idea.

But that didn’t matter—today was the day.

They were resting in a small forest, each one caught up in their own thing, including their trainers.

Most of the Pokémon (with a few exceptions like Braixen, Dedenne, Pikachu, and Luxray) were slightly off to the side in what seemed to be a discreet training field.

Frogadier was finishing up breaking large rocks to make the area more comfortable and agile for battling.

Or rather, to prevent Noibat from crashing into any of them. Frogadier wanted to train him, not kill him—because even though it was hard for him to admit, he cared a lot about the baby bat. That’s why he wanted to train him: so he could grow stronger and no longer depend on anyone else to defend himself.

Once he finished his task, he headed toward Hawlucha, who had a restless Noibat in his arms.

"Alright, Noibat, it's time to show everyone just how capable you are in battle," he said to the bat, who only laughed in response. Frogadier now doubted whether Noibat even knew what he was supposed to do.

"Hey, is it too late to say you should reconsider this?" Hawlucha said, hesitating to hand the baby over to the frog.

"Come on, Hawlucha, don’t doubt me. I’m a great trainer," he said proudly, winking teasingly as he stroked Noibat under the neck, causing the bat to purr happily.

"Yeah, sure, tell that to Goodra," Chespin mocked in his irritating voice, making Pancham laugh, Hawlucha hesitate even more, and Frogadier clench his free hand into a fist and glare at him—which Chespin noticed. "What? I’m not lying—Goodra got so fed up he returned to his homeland without a second thought."

"You shut it, pipsqueak. You don’t know anything," Frogadier snapped before holding Noibat in his arms.

"Please, Frogadier, forgive him," Bunnelby sighed tiredly, stepping between the Water- and Grass-types. "Chespin can be a bit... loud?"

Frogadier stared at him silently.

Bunnelby elbowed Chespin. "Come on, apologize."

"Fine, I’m sorry," Chespin muttered reluctantly, while Pancham laughed even harder behind him.

"It’s okay, Chespin, I’ll let it slide," Frogadier said calmly. "...This time."

And just like that, he headed toward the center of the battlefield, leaving Chespin pale and Pancham trying to shake it off with a few playful shoves.

Frogadier walked to one edge of the field, crouched down, and set Noibat on the ground, staying at his level.

"Alright, listen up, Noibat. Before we battle, we need to warm up. Do you know why?" Frogadier kept a calm and relaxed tone, but firm enough to ensure Noibat was paying attention.

Noibat didn’t answer. Frogadier had to reconsider—maybe someone had cut the kid’s tongue and that’s why he couldn’t speak?

Though most likely, it was just that no one had bothered to teach him.

Still, Noibat tilted his head in curiosity, which Frogadier took as a no.

"Alright," he sighed. Apparently, this would take longer than he had planned. "A warm-up is done to avoid injury during exercise or any task you want to do. It prepares both your body and your mind."

He tried to explain as best he could. Noibat listened attentively.

"Okay," he said, standing up. "Since it’s your first time, for now, you’ll just run around the field—or in your case, I guess fly. After that, we’ll train with a battle."

Frogadier turned to look at Fletchinder.

"Because that’s definitely the best way to train—not with dumb training exercises that don’t work at all," he said louder this time, clearly on purpose so the Fire-type bird would hear him.

"You think he’s talking about me?" Fletchinder whispered to Hawlucha.

"It’s a possibility," he shrugged.

Back to Frogadier and Noibat—

Noibat had started flying as fast as he could, followed by Frogadier, who only needed to walk to keep pace with him.

"Alright, Noibat, keep it up—we’ve got five more laps to go around the field."

The Dragon-type Pokémon started flying more slowly, quickly tiring out. When he heard he had more laps to go, he could only sigh in exhaustion.

"Remember that one of the pillars of battle is endurance. How do you expect to withstand hits in battle if you can’t even complete a lap around a field?" Now Noibat started to understand why others said Frogadier was a strict and firm teacher. "And we’re not leaving here until you do it."

Hearing that, Noibat felt his wings ache just thinking about it.

And so they continued with the laps—it took Noibat about half an hour to complete five.

There was a very good reason for how long it took.

Every time he stopped, unable to bear the pain in his wings from flying so long, Frogadier made him start from zero.

No matter how close he was to completing the five laps.

And after all that, he was only allowed to rest for five minutes—two of which were spent drinking water, and the rest curled up against Hawlucha while he talked with Frogadier and Fletchinder.

Although Noibat still didn’t quite understand what Fletchinder meant when she said she was “I was interrupting his flirting"

But that was beside the point.

Now Noibat found himself having to battle Frogadier.

They stood on opposite sides of the field, which, from what little Noibat had seen, seemed to be the usual setup.

"HEY, FROGADIER!" Fletchinder shouted teasingly. "Don’t get too excited over the poor kid! Remember, he’s not as strong or big as we are."

"Yeah, yeah," Frogadier rolled his eyes as he took a battle stance. "I know. That’s why I’ll fight you afterward."

Noibat could clearly hear Hawlucha whisper to Fletchinder, "That’s what you get for talking and not knowing when to shut up."

Noibat was nervous. He knew how strong Frogadier was, while he only knew Supersonic and Tackle—he had never used the latter, and Supersonic only happened involuntarily whenever he cried.

He swore he heard Pancham and Chespin betting on how long it would take for Frogadier to knock him out, only to be scolded afterward by Bunnelby.

"Alright, Noibat, since it’s your first battle, I’ll let you make the first move," Frogadier said, still holding his combat stance.

Noibat took to the air, wondering what he could do.

Maybe he could start with Tackle? He’d never tried it before, but he knew it. Though if he used Supersonic, he might confuse him...

Before he could finish thinking, Frogadier had quickly gotten close and hit him with "Cut", knocking him to the ground.

Noibat gasped lightly in pain, then pushed off the ground with his wings to get airborne again.

When he raised his head, Frogadier was right in front of him, shaking his head.

"You have to think faster. If you take too long to decide how to attack, your opponent can take advantage and strike first." Frogadier’s gaze was stern. "Now get up. The battle’s not over."

Determined, Noibat got up again.

He could hear his teammates’ whispers perfectly—the mocking ones from Pancham and Chespin, and the concerned ones from Bunnelby, Fletchinder, and Hawlucha.

He flew back into the air, and he could swear he saw Frogadier smile for a second.

The frog Pokémon lunged at him again with Cut. This time, Noibat dodged by flying higher—though he didn’t expect another sudden attack that hit him again and sent him crashing back to the ground.

Even though he knew Frogadier wasn’t even using half his strength, the impact still hurt.

But Noibat wasn’t going to give up. If Hawlucha and Fletchinder had taught him anything, it was to keep his composure and never surrender.

Noibat stood up again, and Frogadier nodded as he got ready to use Cut once more.

This time, Noibat didn’t stay still. He backed up slightly, then rushed forward toward the Water-type.

Frogadier merely sidestepped him and hit him in the back with Cut, sending him crashing again.

This time, Noibat didn’t get up—or even move—worrying Frogadier. Had he hit him too hard?

"Noibat, are you okay?" he asked, stepping closer, only to be surprised when Noibat used Tackle on him, making Frogadier gasp a bit in surprise.

Of course, Noibat didn’t hurt him—the little bat didn’t hit hard—but it seemed just landing a hit was enough to make him happy.

So happy, in fact, that he forgot about all the injuries on his body. Frogadier sighed deeply and thought maybe it was best to end the battle for now.

"Alright, Noibat, you did well. But I think it’s best we stop here. We don’t want you getting more hurt." Noibat nodded and flew off with Hawlucha.

Frogadier followed.

"Ha, I won the bet," Pancham gloated. "Now you have to give me the dessert Serena gave you."

"Ugh!" the Grass-type grumbled, crossing his arms and stomping the ground. "That’s not fair!"

"It is," Pancham said smugly, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "You said Frogadier would knock him out. I said he’d stop the fight. Our frog’s getting soft since Noibat showed up."

Frogadier, having heard them, crossed his arms.

"Want to battle and see who’s gone soft?" he said, sounding intimidating, but without actual anger—just amusement atching them tense up.

"No sir..." murmured the panda quietly.

Chapter Text

Everyone was fed up

I’m fed up with Noibat never saying anything.

When Frogadier and Noibat were training and Noibat got hurt, every time Frogadier asked if he was okay, Noibat would just whimper softly.

When Noibat had a bad dream or a nightmare and Hawlucha or Bunnelby tried to comfort him, Noibat would only babble incoherently.

When Luxray and Braixen decided they wanted to play with him, Noibat would just giggle senselessly.

When the newly evolved Talonflame flew with him to teach and train him further, Noibat would just stare blankly without saying a word.

At first it was funny, but after a while the fact that Noibat couldn’t communicate with anyone started to get annoying.

Of course, everyone knew that technically, it was their fault. None of the Pokémon had agreed to teach him how to speak properly, and it was really hard for him to learn on his own.

Especially for someone like Noibat. It wasn’t meant as an insult or to offend him, but most thought something was wrong with him: it wasn’t normal for him to struggle so much to learn, not even basic things like flying or fighting. Sure, everyone trained, but they instinctively already knew how — unlike Noibat.

When a Pokémon is born, during its first two years its parents teach it the basics: how to speak and survive in the wild. Sometimes they also teach it how to fight.

Now Noibat was a month old, and even though it didn’t show much, you could tell he’d grown a bit compared to when he was born. But it had also been a month in which everyone had to deal with Noibat’s lack of speech or communication.

No one thought he was ready to try teaching him how to talk.

So the ones who volunteered for the mission of teaching him were Chespin and Pancham.

At first, the others weren’t too sure about letting them take care of Noibat, but since no one else volunteered, that part of Noibat’s education fell into the dangerous and irresponsible hands of Pancham and Chespin.

That’s why, that day, the chaotic duo sat next to Noibat while the others played and had fun. It was up to them to decide how to teach him.

“All right, Noibat,” said Pancham, adjusting his glasses. “Say: Pancham. Pan-Cham.”

Noibat looked at him, tilting his head.

“Wait a sec, second-rate bear,” snapped Chespin with a frown. “Why does he have to say your name first?”

Pancham laughed smugly, putting his hands on his hips.

“Because I’m the best of the two,” he bragged, thumping his chest proudly.

“Liar,” said Chespin, pouting. “I’m the best, so Noibat should say my name first.”

“No, me.”

"Liar! ME!"

“No, me.”

They both started shoving each other, arguing back and forth while Noibat watched with innocent amusement, giggling softly.

Both turned to look at Noibat. Pancham pushed Chespin to the ground, then grabbed Noibat in his arms and ran off.

Chespin realized and quickly got up to chase him.

“¡HEY, YOU, GET BACK HERE!” shouted the Grass-type as he ran after the Fighting-type.

The chase went on for quite a while. Pancham held Noibat carefully so he wouldn’t fall. The little bat saw the whole thing as a fun game and couldn’t help but laugh.

It went on until Pancham tripped over a rock in his path, falling to the ground with Noibat in tow with a soft thud.

“Oh for…” Chespin immediately stopped and ran over to Pancham. “Are you okay?”

Pancham panted a bit as he sat up straighter.

“Yeah… I think so,” he muttered, adjusting his glasses. “Wait, where’s Noibat?”

Chespin and Pancham looked around for Noibat, only to see the little bat sitting up painfully on the ground.

His head and ears drooped, and though it wasn’t obvious, his lower lip trembled slightly.

“Well, at least he’s fine,” Chespin muttered.

“Snff…” Noibat whimpered for a second before bursting into a loud wail that made them cover their ears.

“Sure, I’m sure he’s fine,” Pancham said sarcastically, still covering his ears.

Chespin didn’t even get the chance to reply before suddenly Hawlucha, Bunnelby, and Braixen were there.

Hawlucha, worried, hurried to pick up Noibat. As soon as the little one felt his father’s (aka Hawlucha’s) arms, he snuggled into his feathers and stopped crying, burying himself in the older Pokémon’s white plumage for comfort and warmth.

“You two are in serious trouble,” Bunnelby and Braixen told them. Hawlucha glared at them from a distance while rocking Noibat gently to fully calm him down.

“What were you thinking?!” Braixen growled before smacking them both on the back of the head. “You need to be more damn careful!”

“Yeah guys, we trusted you to take care of Noibat and teach him to talk,” Bunnelby added.

“YEAH! NOT TO MESS AROUND!” Braixen snapped. “What if Noibat got hurt, huh?!”

“Calm down,” murmured Bunnelby.

“We’re sorry,” Chespin and Pancham mumbled at the same time, staring at the ground in shame.

“You’d better be, because next time, you’re dead,” Hawlucha threatened, still cradling Noibat.

“Now calm down, you,” Bunnelby said. “I’m sure these two will teach Noibat to speak now — no more nonsense.”

“Are we really going to let them keep looking after Noibat?” Braixen asked, squinting.

“Yes, unless you want to teach him yourself,” Bunnelby shot back, turning away from the troublesome duo.

“Fine, but next time…” Braixen sighed, pointing at Chespin and Pancham, who exchanged nervous glances. “You two will be in big trouble.”

Moments later, Hawlucha left Noibat with them again — but not without a very clear threat.

Chespin and Pancham sat with Noibat again, deciding that fighting over whose name he’d say first was a terrible idea, so they’d teach him another word instead.

“Maybe the name of a berry?” Pancham rubbed his chin.

“I think we should teach him phrases. What good is it if he knows random words if he can’t string them together later?” Chespin said proudly, as if he’d just said the most logical thing ever.

“Oh, of course, because it’s not like the kid doesn’t even say a single word yet.” Pancham rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I love you,” he muttered under his breath, but Chespin heard him and his cheeks flushed. “How do you expect him to say a whole phrase if he can’t even say one word?”

“We’ll teach him.” Chespin stood up. “Besides, I finally got you to admit how much you love me.”

“Ugh, shut up, you’re making me regret being here.” He looked away with a slight blush, then knelt down to Noibat’s level. “Anyway, before he says a phrase, he needs to learn a word.”

“Meh, fine.” Pancham knelt next to him. “Alright Noibat—”

Chespin froze again.

“Hey, once I heard Serena telling Bonnie that babies usually learn by listening,” Pancham reflected. “Maybe we could teach him to say his own name first? It’s what he hears the most.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you could have good ideas.” Chespin teased, earning an elbow to the side from Pancham. “OW, OKAY, okay, we’ll teach him to say his name first.”

“Yeah, but you need to be patient.” He saw Chespin pout, about to complain, so Pancham cut him off. “I know you, and from what the others say, Noibat takes longer to learn than a normal Pokémon. They don’t know why, but it’s true.”

“Fine, fine, but shut up, you’re starting to sound like Bunnelby or worse, like Braixen.”

“Ugh.” Pancham shivered at the thought. “Better stop talking, I don’t want to end up like those two boring ones.”

They both nodded and turned to Noibat.

“Alright Noibat, you have a lovely name, so you’re going to learn to say it,” Pancham began.

“Yes, you have to repeat everything we say, okay?” Chespin continued.

Noibat giggled. Chespin and Pancham looked at each other.

“Is that a yes?” Chespin asked.

“I guess so.” Pancham shrugged. “Now I see why everyone’s so desperate for him to learn to speak.”

“Hey, why do you think it took so long for them to start teaching him?” Chespin wondered out loud.

“I don’t know.” Pancham shrugged again, then they turned to Noibat. “Okay, can you say Noibat?”

The little bat looked at them but instead of answering, he just giggled.

“Does he think this is a game?” Chespin whispered in Pancham’s ear.

“Probably, but remember what we talked about — deep breath and be patient.” Pancham patted his shoulder.

“I know, I know. Okay Noibat—” He focused on the Pokémon. “I know that to Ash and the other trainers you sound adorable, but you really can’t talk yet. I’m sorry to tell you this, but by Pokémon language standards, you don’t know how to speak, so try to say ‘Noibat.’”

Noibat opened his mouth but instead of a word, just babbled.

“I’m starting to think this kid’s mute,” Chespin grumbled, only to get smacked on the back of the head by Pancham. “HEY!”

“Are you dumb? If he were mute, he wouldn’t babble either.” Pancham shook his head.

“Maybe I’m dumb, but I’m your dumb one,” he giggled, leaning closer to Pancham.

“If you don’t back off, I’m gonna hit you.”

“You’re boring.” Chespin rolled his eyes, pretending to be offended. “Did you hear that, Noibat? Pancham’s a boring idiot who doesn’t appreciate me.”

“I’m not dumb, you are.” Pancham growled.

“Of course not, you are.” They both stood up and started shoving each other.

“You’re the dumb one,” Pancham growled again.

“Obviously not, dumb—” Chespin slapped his face.

“Don’t do that, idiot!” Pancham shoved him harder this time.

“I’m not dumb!” Chespin yelled, tackling him to the ground as they started wrestling.

“Get off me, idiot!” Pancham growled louder, trying to shove him off.

“Not until you admit you’re the dumb one!”

“NEVER, the dumb one here is you—”

“Dumb!”

Thet both froze for a second and turned to look at Noibat. By Arceus, they’d forgotten he was even there.

Noibat spoke for the first time with a proud, innocent voice. His pronunciation was terrible and left a lot to be desired, but it was better than his usual babbles.

“Did you hear what I heard?” Pancham spoke slowly, his voice robotic.

“Dumb!” Noibat repeated, still not saying it right but singing it cheerfully.

“I’m pretty sure I did,” Chespin replied the same way. “Oh Arceus, we’re dead.”

“Yeah, it was nice knowing you.” Pancham got up from the ground, watching Noibat hop around happily for having managed to say a word, completely unaware of its meaning.

“CHESPIN, PANCHAM, NOIBAT—” Clemont’s voice boomed like a death sentence for them. “COME EAT.”

Chespin and Pancham swallowed hard, tense and nervous, while Noibat flew above their heads. For the little one, it was just another innocent gesture, but for the older two it was a mocking reminder of what they’d done.

“Hey Noibat, that word you learned… don’t say it, okay?” Pancham said nervously, and Chespin nodded.

“Yeah! That word’s very bad, it’s not worthy of someone like you.”

Noibat giggled, completely detached from Chespin and Pancham’s worry.

---

“Here.” Ash handed Noibat his plate of food.

The little bat squeaked happily, making the typical Pokémon noises humans can’t understand.

“Man, sometimes I wish I knew what Pokémon say — they must have amazing stories,” energetic Bonnie said, glancing at the other Pokémon sitting in a circle, each eating their own meal.

“Well, with Noibat you wouldn’t get much,” Talonflame chuckled under his breath, making Chespin and Pancham smile nervously.

Which Bunnelby, who knew everyone like the back of his paw, immediately noticed.

“And what’s up with you two?” Bunnelby asked, making them flinch even more.

“Us?” they said in unison. “Nothing, nothing—”

“Yeah, right. I hope you didn’t just do something stupid,” Braixen warned.

While everyone seemed to be interrogating Chespin and Pancham, Noibat waddled over to Hawlucha with his plate, sitting beside him as usual. Before eating, he curled up against him, seeking attention and cuddles.

Hawlucha put his food aside and gently petted his small head.

“Tell me, Noibat, what did you learn with Chespin and Pancham?” He scratched his neck, making the little one purr softly.

Hearing that, Chespin and Pancham looked at each other, silently praying for Noibat to stay silent.

“Dumb!” Noibat squealed happily. A tense silence fell; everyone turned to Chespin and Pancham, who looked even more nervous and tense.

“Well, looking at the bright side… at least we know Noibat’s not mute?” Chespin tried to salvage it, but only sounded more doubtful. He looked at Pancham for help, only to see him facepalm.

“You’re a genius,” Pancham said sarcastically, watching Braixen and Hawlucha approaching them dangerously.

“Noibat, sweetheart, we’re so proud to finally hear your sweet and wonderful voice,” Talonflame said, pulling Noibat into his feathers for warmth. “But that kind of word isn’t allowed; we don’t insult each other — we just hit each other and that’s it.”

Noibat, a bit sad and not understanding why Hawlucha and Braixen were chasing Pancham and Chespin, just snuggled closer to Talonflame and settled down.

Chapter Text

Luxray knew that children were restless, so he wasn’t surprised to see Noibat running, jumping, and flying all over the place.

Children are pure energy and can’t stay still for long.

But that also meant they got tired pretty quickly, and Noibat was no exception.

Noibat would run off without looking back, and his companions couldn’t take their eyes off him, because if they did, the little rascal wouldn’t hesitate to escape.

Like any little child, Noibat got tired quite quickly.

When that happened, Noibat would walk slowly and lazily over to Hawlucha (not even bothering to fly) so he could pick him up in his arms. There, Noibat would snuggle under the feathers of his father figure, lowering his ears to cover his tiny head.

Then he would fall asleep in his arms. Hawlucha, believing he was really asleep, would gently lay him down against a tree so he’d be in the shade, since he couldn’t spend the whole day with Noibat sleeping on top of him.

But the little one, feeling that he was no longer in his parents’ arms, couldn’t help but cry, and even though he calmed down afterward, he simply couldn’t fall back asleep.

So they had to put up with a sleepy and dangerously sentimental Noibat, who would burst into tears over the smallest thing (and everyone already knew that his cries were pretty annoying and loud).

And that only happened when Noibat agreed to take a nap, because most of the time, Noibat refused to sleep.

According to him, “I’m already an adult Pokémon, and adult Pokémon don’t take nads.(Naps)”

The first time Luxray heard that, he laughed to himself. “Adult Pokémon can also pronounce words properly,” he thought, because although Noibat could already say more words, he still didn’t speak well and his pronunciation was terrible.

But well, he couldn’t deny that, for once, Chespin and Pancham were doing a good job.

One day, Luxray was stretching and was about to get ready to sleep a bit—a little nap before lunch.

In the distance, he saw his friends, each one playing and doing something different. Among them, he could see Ash’s Pokémon (except for Noibat, who had stayed behind with them) along with their trainer. Ash and his four partners were walking away from the group, probably to train.

“ASH! Ash, honey, come back before lunch!”

“Of course, Serena! We won’t be late!”

It was a subtle interaction with a lot of romantic undertones between the two trainers, right before Ash and his companions walked away.

Noibat stayed behind with them, because although Ash trained Noibat too, he didn’t do it as much as with his other Pokémon.

Luxray liked to think it was because Noibat was only a month-old baby.

But he couldn’t really confirm anything.

Luxray was also very observant, so he noticed how tired Noibat looked.

The Electric-type Pokémon slowly approached him, noticing how Noibat kept staring in the direction Ash had gone. Luxray quickly guessed that he missed Hawlucha.

“Hey, Noibat.” Luxray sat down beside him and gently tapped Noibat’s head with one of his front paws.

“Hey Lusray.” Noibat greeted him too, although unlike Luxray, he mispronounced the word, his voice soft and lazy.

They both fell silent until Noibat yawned—another sign that he was exhausted.

“Looks like you’re sleepy,” Luxray said, getting up. “So am I. I was just about to take a nap. You should come too.”

Noibat looked at him.

“No sleedy. No sleedy,” (sleepy) the little bat shook his head. Luxray could only smile at how the child spoke.

“Oh no? Then why do you look like you’re about to faint?” Luxray teased him, smiling when he saw that Noibat didn’t know how to reply. “I thought so.”

And before there could be another complaint, Luxray picked Noibat up by the scruff of his neck, just like a mother cat with her kittens.

He carried them both to a big tree that provided plenty of shade, gently set Noibat down on the ground, and lay down against the tree himself.

Noibat looked at him warily, which made Luxray laugh.

“Come on.” With one of his front paws, he tapped a spot next to him for Noibat to lie down. “Sleeping will do you good.”

“No, no sleedy. (sleepy)” Noibat shook his head, pouting slightly. “Strong Pokémons no sleed (sleep). They train all day.

Luxray laughed.

“Noibat, strong Pokémon can take naps too,” Luxray chuckled. “For example, Clemont is the Gym Leader of Lumiose City, and I’m his Pokémon—that makes me strong, doesn’t it?”

The little bat frowned slightly, lowered his head, and seemed to think about it for a moment.

“Besides, I even fought Ash,” Luxray said, trying to cheer Noibat up quickly, watching him with curiosity. “I would have won if it weren’t for Goodra, but I did beat Pikachu and Hawlucha.”

Noibat looked at him, amazed. To him, Pikachu and Hawlucha (though he didn’t know who Goodra was—who could that be?) were the strongest Pokémon he knew, so hearing that Luxray had defeated them was something he couldn’t help but admire.

Noibat slowly approached him, lying down next to him. Luxray’s fur was soft, silky, and comfortable to sleep on.

Noibat was sleepy, but even exhausted, he still had a lot of energy, which Luxray noticed quickly (especially because Noibat wouldn’t stop moving and stretching his wings) and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“You should sleep. What if your friends want to play with you when they get back? You won’t be able to if you’re too tired,” Luxray spoke gently, carefully stroking Noibat’s head in a tender, comforting way.

Noibat pouted slightly at the thought, so this time he actually tried to fall asleep.

And it worked.

When Luxray got up after being called for lunch, Noibat was already full of energy again, flitting around playing with Dedenne and Braixen.

When Noibat saw he was awake, he flew over and perched on his head.

"Thank you, Lusray,” Noibat said, hugging Luxray’s head from above. The older Pokémon laughed at how he had pronounced his name. "Can I take another nad (nap) with you someday?”

Luxray was quite moved by those words.

“Of course, little one.”

“Oh! Daddy’s back!” Noibat said, smiling when he saw Hawlucha returning with the others, running straight toward him to tackle him with a big hug.

Luxray watched him with a subtle smile, getting up to go eat his meal.

Chapter Text

“Hey Bunnelby.” Hawlucha’s cheerful voice caught the rabbit’s attention, and when he turned around, he saw Hawlucha standing there with Noibat in his arms. “Would you mind staying with Noibat for a while? Ash wants us to train for a bit, and this little guy has been sneaking away a lot lately.”

Hawlucha had come to ask him to look after his little protégé. Anyone who didn’t know him would think he was an irresponsible Pokémon just trying to get rid of the kid quickly, but in reality, Hawlucha spent all day with Noibat — sometimes even he needed a break.

“Of course, Hawlucha,”Bunnelby replied, smiling slightly.

And Bunnelby didn’t mind staying with Noibat.

“Thanks, Bunnelby. I owe you one.” Hawlucha set Noibat down on the ground. “This little guy just woke up from his nap with Luxray, so I don’t trust leaving him alone.” He patted Noibat’s head.

“Don’t worry.” Bunnelby hugged Noibat with one arm. “I promise I’ll keep an eye on him."

“Alright.” Hawlucha laughed before crouching down to Noibat’s level. “Behave for Bunnelby, okay?”

Noibat leaned forward, frowning slightly.

Hawlucha patted his head one last time before running off — the others were waiting for him.

“Well then, Noibat, how are you feeling?” the rabbit asked, looking at him. Noibat looked grumpy, and Bunnelby could swear he only got like this when he was extremely tired, but according to Hawlucha, he had just woken up from his nap.

“Why do they never take me with them?” Noibat wondered aloud, looking like he was about to cry again. “I always ask them, but they never answer me.”

Bunnelby hummed and guided Noibat to a shady tree, sitting down and gesturing for him to sit too. Noibat reluctantly obeyed.

“Noibat, they don’t leave you behind because they don’t want you — it’s because they can’t,” Bunnelby said, with his usual calm tone. Noibat instantly felt more relaxed next to him, which made Bunnelby finally understand why Eevee liked him so much. “Ash is the one who decides the training, not them. But Ash—”

Bunnelby couldn’t finish because Noibat interrupted him.

"¿Why? I train every day with Frogadier! Does Ash think it’s a waste of time to train with me?” He pouted.

“It’s not that. Ash runs group training sessions. They’re all strong, so they train together. Frogadier focuses on your personal training, step by step. That doesn’t make you weak — you’ll be as strong as them one day. But for now, you have to be okay with Frogadier training you,”Bunnelby explained as simply as he could. “I’m sure Ash is already thinking of ways to train with you once you grow a bit more.”

“Hmm, do you think I’ll really be as strong as them?” Noibat asked, staring up at him with those big, adorable yellow eyes.

“Of course you will.” Bunnelby hugged him by the shoulder, pulling him closer. “And when you are, you and I will have a battle.”

Noibat looked excited at the idea.

“I have to admit, you’ve gotten much better at talking. Pancham and Chespin can finally be proud for once in their lives,* Bunnelby praised. Noibat purred sweetly.

“Bunnelby, why did you answer my question?” Bunnelby looked confused for a moment before he remembered Noibat saying no one ever answered him when he asked about not being allowed to go.

“Um, because it’s the right thing to do? I just thought you deserved to know the truth,” he said honestly, hugging Noibat a bit tighter. “I like helping others and answering their questions.”

“So can I ask you anything?” Noibat smiled faintly. Bunnelby sighed — he was about to have a curious kid on his hands. But honestly, that was better than having a restless kid, so he didn’t complain.

“Sure, why not?” he said, smiling as he let go of him.

“Where do you come from?” Well, Bunnelby thought, that first question was harmless.

“Well, before I was with Clemont, I used to live underground in Lumiose City,” he answered.

“Did you have friends?” Noibat tilted his head, and Bunnelby’s ears drooped for a moment.

“Um, yeah…” Bunnelby looked away, a bit uncomfortable. Talking about his old friends wasn’t bad, but he did miss them. “Why don’t you ask me something else? Something not about my past or my old Friend”

“Chespin always annoys Pancham a lot, but when he sees him talking to another Pokémon outside our group, he gets mad at him and then they argue. Why?” Both of them looked over to where Chespin and Pancham were playing together.

“Uh…” Bunnelby went silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain the weird relationship between those two to a kid as small as Noibat. To be honest, sometimes even he didn’t understand it very well. “They’re very close friends. Chespin gets upset when Pancham talks to others because he’s afraid Pancham will stop spending time with him.”

That explanation seemed simple enough. It was definitely better than saying, “Well, they’re this weird couple that denies their feelings. Sometimes they’re friends, sometimes lovers, and sometimes mortal enemies who secretly kiss when no one’s looking. They can go days without speaking or cling to each other like an old married couple.”

Yeah, his version was definitely better.

“Makes sense,”Noibat said. “I also feel bad when dad spends too much time with someone else.”

Bunnelby couldn’t help but smile. He’d heard that some kids got jealous when others got close to their parents, but he’d never confirmed it until now.

“I don’t get it. Why does Frogadier want to steal my dad?” Noibat looked upset, but he was so adorable that Bunnelby couldn’t take him seriously.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think Frogadier wants to steal Hawlucha from you,” Bunnelby said calmly.

“Then why do they spend so much time together?”Noibat frowned again.

“Because they’re close, and because Hawlucha has the right to talk to other Pokémon who aren’t you,” Bunnelby explained again. He was actually starting to enjoy talking with Noibat. How could this little kid listen better than Pancham and Chespin?*

“Hmm, I guess so.” Noibat’s expression softened.

“Exactly, little one. Let Hawlucha talk to whoever he wants.”

“Why do Braixen and Talonflame spend so much time together?”Noibat asked innocently, but it left Bunnelby unsure how to answer.

“They’re really good friends,” he assured him.

“Do good friends kiss?” Noibat looked at him, puzzled.

“Umm, that’s to… strengthen their friendship?” Bunnelby replied, though it sounded more like a question than an answer.

“Can I do that too?” Noibat asked again.

“HA, don’t even think about it.” Bunnelby gave him a mildly intimidating look for the first time ever. Noibat quickly nodded and decided to change the subject.

“So why do Ash and Serena spend so much time alone together?” Noibat asked. The little bat Pokémon had a habit of following his trainer, and it wasn’t the first time he’d seen Ash holding Serena’s hand or sharing a picnic with her.

“Because that’s what people in love do — they spend time alone together, do nice things for each other, understand each other, and trust one another,” Bunnelby laughed. “It’s what happens when you feel a special connection with someone, something beyond simple friendship. When you can’t stop thinking about them and want to spend all your time with them.”

“Why do you know so much about that?” Noibat asked, which made Bunnelby blush deeply. “Is it true you like Eevee?”

“E-eh…” The words got stuck in Bunnelby’s throat. His heart pounded and his face turned completely red. “…Maybe?” he stammered. “NEXT QUESTION.”

Noibat giggled.

Until he suddenly remembered something that made him go quiet.

And his smile disappeared completely.

“Who’s Goomy?”

“Huh?” That question surprised Bunnelby. He thought Noibat would have known by now.

“Who’s Goomy? Chespin once told me I reminded him of Goomy.” Noibat looked down.

“Oh…” Bunnelby paused for a moment. “He’s one of Ash’s Pokémon. He’s not here anymore because he stayed in his homeland. We all loved him a lot. He’s a Goodra now. When we found him, he was a small, timid, weak Goomy, but we all helped and looked after him. Now he lives back home, after we helped protect it.”

“Oh…”** Noibat’s eyes shone with admiration. “I’d like to meet him. He sounds amazing.”

Noibat went quiet, thinking of more questions he could ask.

“Where do the stars go during the day?”

“They don’t go anywhere. The sun’s light just hides them so you can’t see them, but they’re still there,” Bunnelby answered, relieved by the normal question.

“Is it normal for me to take longer to learn than the others?”

Bunnelby froze.

“Why do you say that?”He quickly hugged him. Noibat looked sad.

“I heard Pancham and Chespin talking about it once, and the bad guys chasing Pikachu called me useless for not knowing how to fly…” Noibat lowered his head.

“Don’t be sad. Everyone learns at a different pace. Maybe it takes you a little longer, but that doesn’t make you worse. It actually makes you more hardworking because you keep trying and never give up,” he said, hugging him tightly and gently stroking his wings.

Noibat perked up, feeling a bit more motivated now.

“Alright, any other questions?” Bunnelby pulled back once he felt Noibat was better.

“Where do Pokémon come from?” he asked innocently.

“From eggs,” Bunnelby answered.

“And how are those eggs made?” Noibat asked again, curious.

“Um, well…” He fell silent, not knowing how to answer that. Suddenly, he heard Ash and the others returning. **“Oh, look! Your dad’s back. Ask him instead.”**

“Okay!” Noibat smiled and ran off to hug Hawlucha.

Chapter Text

Braixen hummed a soft tune while helping her Trainer, Serena, serve some Poké Puffs to their teammates.

She had just handed a plate to Chespin and Pancham, only to frown as she watched the two start fighting—until she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, cutie."Braixen turned around, only to see Talonflame along with Noibat.

"Oh, hi Talonflame." She crouched down to their level, nearly having a heart attack at what she saw.

"NOIBAT, why are you all covered in dirt and leaves?! It’s snack time!"

Braixen stood back up and gave Talonflame a piercing glare.

"I was playing aerial tag with Aunt Talonflame," Noibat started explaining as he tried to shake off some of the dry dirt stuck in the fur around his neck—with little success.

"But I fell!" he added with a little pout. "I fell into a lake, but Aunt Talonflame said it’d be a good idea to learn how to fly even when soaking wet!"

"Oh, really?" Braixen’s gaze hardened as it bore into Talonflame.

"Yeah, but then I crashed into a tree and fell to the ground, and that’s how I got all dirty with leaves, dirt, and mud," Noibat finished explaining, unaware of how intensely Braixen was staring at her friend.

"Haha, how great," Braixen muttered, clenching her fist in a clear threat. Talonflame took the hint and decided to leave.

"Well, do you hear that? I think Pikachu just called me!" the bird said nervously, pointing toward her electric buddy.

"I didn’t hear anything," Noibat murmured, twitching his ears—he could usually hear everything, so it felt odd not to.

"Yeah, well, I better go. BYE!" Talonflame bolted as fast as she’d arrived.

"GET BACK HERE, COWARD!" Braixen yelled, but the other was already long gone.

Braixen growled in frustration and turned to Noibat, who—as previously stated—was completely covered in dirt and leaves, even with a twig tangled in the black fur around his neck and legs.

Braixen hated how that looked.

"Ugh, Noibat, have you ever heard of taking a daily shower?" Braixen grimaced at the mess.

Noibat shook his head.

Braixen went silent for a moment, a little shocked and frozen.

"You’re telling me that in the month and a half you’ve been alive, not *one* of those four idiots thought to bathe you or at least teach you how?" Braixen muttered to herself. Oh, by Arceus—she was going to have a very long talk with Talonflame, Greninja, Hawlucha, and Pikachu about the importance of teaching kids basic hygiene.

"Um, I don’t think so. Talonflame hates water, Pikachu’s too small, Dad doesn’t know much about it, and Greninja’s the only one I think who could really try…" Noibat trailed off.

"What about him?"

"He’s always busy. He tried once but always says, ‘If you’re not dirty, why waste time with water when you could be training?’" Noibat answered, mimicking Greninja’s voice amusingly.

Braixen looked at him, not even surprised anymore.

"Why do they always leave kids in the care of that quartet of irresponsibles?" she thought. "Alright, Noibat, don’t listen to them. It’s very important to maintain basic hygiene," Braixen said firmly.

She studied Noibat for a moment. Yes, just looking at him so dirty made her sick.

"Let’s give you a little bath, okay?" Noibat looked doubtful but didn’t say anything and moved closer."Wait here."

Braixen walked over to her Trainer. Serena was talking with Ash, and by the time Braixen explained the situation, Serena was also glaring at Ash.

Braixen laughed at the nonsense the Trainer said. She grabbed a small wooden box from Serena’s backpack—she knew that’s where Serena kept everything she might need—and returned to Noibat.

After some hesitation (since she didn’t want to get dirty at first), she decided to pick Noibat up in one arm, holding the box in the other.

"Noibat, rule number one: if you’re dirty, you can’t eat or touch food," Braixen warned, sighing when she saw the confused look on his face.

"Can you imagine eating food covered in mud?"

Noibat made a face at the thought.

"Exactly—eating with dirty hands is basically the same," Braixen explained.

She continued walking until they reached a clear river spot. The water was calm, and there was no one (no Trainers or Pokémon) around to bother them.

Satisfied, she set Noibat on the ground, knelt by the river, and placed the box on her lap, beginning to open it.

Noibat grew curious and came over to look. He didn’t know what he was seeing, but judging by Braixen’s expression, she did.

So he just wandered off to count rocks to avoid getting bored.

"Alright," Braixen announced loudly enough for Noibat to hear. She had taken out everything she thought she’d need for his bath: several shampoo bottles (which all looked the same to Noibat) and a brush for grooming. "Okay, Noibat, come here." She patted her lap, inviting him to sit.

She had placed everything she needed beside her—close enough to reach easily.

Noibat chirped happily as he sat in Braixen’s lap.

He had always loved feeling close to others.

The Fire-type grabbed the brush and subtly dipped it in water.

"Alright, Noibat, I’m going to try brushing you a bit first, okay? It'll make washing you easier afterward." She moved the brush toward the fur on his neck and nape. "You’ve got some knots, so let me know if it hurts."

"Greninja taught me not to feel pain or be weak!" Noibat said proudly, making Braixen giggle.

Then he squeaked softly as the brush tugged at his fur.

"Did I hurt you?" Braixen asked, pausing.

"No!" Noibat quickly replied—though they both knew he was lying. "...Well, maybe a little."

"Alright," Braixen replied gently, brushing him more delicately this time.

She was only brushing the surface to remove the bigger bits of dirt, mud, and branches—the rest could be washed off easily with water and shampoo.

"Remind me—how did you get so dirty again?" Braixen murmured, just making conversation so he wouldn’t get bored (Pikachu had told her how chaotic feeding him could get).

"I was playing with Aunt Talonflame," Noibat giggled, amused that Braixen had forgotten.

"Oh right. Remind me to have a word with her later," Braixen muttered as she grabbed a twig tangled in Noibat’s fur.

"Anyway, what’ve you been up to lately?"

"Oh! Ash says I’ll be able to train with him and the others soon! Greninja and Dad have been helping me train!" Noibat answered happily.

Braixen took advantage of the distraction to tug out the twig. Noibat didn’t squeal as much this time.

"Sounds... interesting, I guess." Braixen shrugged while continuing to brush him. Just a couple more twigs left. "But don’t you and your friends do anything besides train?"

"Well, Greninja doesn’t. He’s boring and never wants to play with me! But I usually play with Dedenne. Dad always tells me to be careful with him," Noibat complained as Braixen pulled another twig out. Just one left now.

"Well, you are bigger than him," she explained calmly.

"How about your flight and communication classes?"

Noibat’s eyes lit up.

"AMAZING! Talonflame says she’ll teach me new air tricks soon... wait—ugh, I forgot what it was she wanted to teach me!"

"Don’t worry. When the time comes, you’ll remember," Braixen said as she firmly gripped the final twig."And how about Chespin and Pancham? Are those two treating you well?"

"Oh, they’re great! They even teach me words I’m not supposed to say in front of Dad or the others!" he laughed gleefully. Braixen tensed at that and yanked the twig too hard.

"OW!"

"Sorry!" she apologized, stroking his ears."But don’t listen to those two—they talk nonsense."

With the branches and most of the mud gone, it was finally time for the real bath.

"Alright Noibat, into the water," Braixen said, gently pushing the little bat, who hesitated suspiciously.

"I dunno, Talonflame says water is horrible..." Noibat murmured.

"Talonflame knows nothing—I do," Braixen crouched and nudged him again."Just try not to drown or die."

Noibat reluctantly stepped into the water. Floating was hard—his wings weren’t made for it, and he began to sink a bit.

"Stop being so dramatic, Noibat." Braixen narrowed her eyes as if someone had just told her a bad joke."The water isn’t deep—just stand up and stop being silly."

Noibat looked at her—yeah, she was right. When he stood up, he realized the water barely reached his shoulders.

"Oh," he hummed softly as Braixen approached with shampoo in hand.

Braixen felt amused—she couldn’t be mad at

him. She never really understood why everyone was so charmed by the kid. She liked him, sure, but didn’t see the need to be around him all the time.

But now she was starting to get it.

"Alright, Noibat," Braixen smiled warmly as she knelt by the water."Hey, are your ears sensitive to water?"

She didn’t want to soak them too much in case they hurt—last thing she wanted was an angry Hawlucha after her.

"Um..." he paused, flapping his wings in the water"Not that I know of."

"Okay then," Braixen smiled. She cupped her paws underwater, letting some water gather before pouring it over his head. She frowned slightly.

This was going to take longer than she thought.

And finally—Noibat got bored.

Very bored.

He turned to look at Braixen, who was deeply focused. Noibat glanced around, wondering what to do—until he spotted tiny clumps of mud in Braixen’s fur.

He blinked innocently. Braixen was helping him—why shouldn’t he help her?

Noibat flapped his wings gently (by Arceus, that felt weird underwater), then splashed her without hesitation.

Braixen jolted upright, shaking off the water. Then she stood tall and glared furiously at Noibat.

He felt confused. He had *tried* to help—so why was she so upset?

"NOIBAT! What are you doing?! Can’t you see I’m trying to wash you?" she scolded angrily.

Noibat looked both curious and amused. Pancham and Chespin had taught him that bothering others could be fun.

He had never really seen it that way—but if they said so, it must mean something… right?

Noibat giggled and splashed her again, this time on purpose. Braixen stepped back, clearly annoyed.

"Noibat!" she growled, marching toward him and lifting him out of the water carefully, making sure not to hurt his wings."Enough!"

Noibat laughed.

"Oh, Arceus—you spend way too much time with Pancham and Chespin." She rolled her eyes before facing him.

"Okay, let’s make a deal: you behave and stop splashing me, and I’ll give you an extra Poké Puff. Deal?"

Noibat tilted his head, reconsidering. The idea of an extra dessert made his stomach growl—but on the other hand, it would get boring without causing trouble…

But then he looked at Braixen. Messing with someone trying to help him… was kind of cruel. That was wrong. His dad—Hawlucha—didn’t raise him to be ungrateful.

"Alright!" Noibat purred, causing Braixen to let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Excellent." She gently placed him back in the water.

Braixen continued bathing him gently. Noibat, true to his word, stayed still. Every now and then, he splashed her playfully—but not to annoy her. Braixen understood and splashed him back.

When she finished cleaning and brushing him, she left him under the sun to dry while she packed everything up.

Braixen had to admit—he looked pretty cute with wet, brushed fur.

Setting aside the chaos, she had really enjoyed spending time with him. Now she understood why everyone liked being with him—and why no one trusted leaving him alone. He was an escape artist.

He was truly adorable. Though now that she was done, she had to take him back to return him to Hawlucha—and fulfill her end of the deal with that extra dessert.

"Braixen..." Noibat tugged her arm gently. She looked at him."Thank you!"

Braixen couldn’t help but smile. Noibat was looking at her with those big, adorable yellow eyes that sparkled and made her want to hug him and never let go.

...

Screw it. Braixen picked Noibat up and hugged him tightly.

Why give him back? Those four already had Goodra to raise—and didn’t even do a good job of it!

---

"BRAIXEN, GIVE ME BACK NOIBAT!"Hawlucha shouted after her, as the Fire-type Pokémon refused to return his adopted son.

"NEVER!" Braixen shouted back, running at full speed with Noibat in her arms.

From afar, Talonflame and Greninja watched the scene unfold with mild interest.

"Should we stop them?" the bird asked her companion, who shrugged.

"Meh, let them run a bit more. If they don’t stop, you can interfere."

"WHY JUST ME?!"

"This is technically your fault."

"..."

Chapter Text

Sylveon was humming a song softly under the beautiful moonlight. Moments as peaceful as this reminded her of the times when she was just a lonely and timid Eevee.

Everyone was sleeping soundly; their trainers had chosen to sleep beneath the stars alongside their Pokémon, and as the Bond Pokémon, Sylveon couldn’t feel more satisfaction or admiration for that.

She remained awake while the others rested. She had a good justification—well, at least that’s what she believed.

Sometimes she simply couldn’t sleep until she was sure everyone was all right—or at least she could be certain she wasn’t truly alone again. Every so often, she had a dreadful dream in which everything she had experienced with Serena had been nothing but a cruel illusion—and that she was still an Eevee.

That phase had passed some time ago, but the habit had embedded itself in her like a terrible routine.

She began her rounds. The trainers were sleeping peacefully: Bonnie with Dedenne, Clemont apparently dozed off with his glasses on—and Sylveon didn’t hesitate to gently take them off and set them aside. Ash too slept with his Pokémon—Pikachu—and her trainer Serena was also sleeping soundly. Sylveon brushed one of her ribbons across Serena’s cheek, caressing it gently.

Then she went to check on her friends.

Chespin and Pancham were dozing curled up together, leaning against Luxray.

In fact, Bunnelby was there too. As she had done with her trainer, Sylveon gently brushed one of her ribbons across his cheek.

A little farther away were Braixen and Talonflame—not as close together as Pancham and Chespin—Talonflame perched on a tree branch, and Braixen leaning against the trunk of the same tree—but the affection between them was clear.

Greninja was sleeping in the nearby river. The water was calm, but Sylveon couldn’t fully understand it.

And finally, somewhat closer, was Hawlucha. He and Noibat usually slept together, and Sylveon thought that Noibat must truly cherish Hawlucha and love snuggling in his feathers.

Sylveon had to admit that when she first met that duo, she couldn’t believe they were actually father and son. After all, they weren’t from the same species—and Sylveon, having grown up in a forest, had never seen anything quite like it.

But that no longer mattered. Sylveon had completed her count, so she headed back to where her trainer lay, planning to sleep for a little while.

Well, Bonnie’s other Pokémon was still unaccounted for—but Sylveon didn’t bother searching for it. It was likely hiding in a tree or something, and honestly she didn’t trust it much.

So, still sleepy, she walked toward Serena, mentally listing her friends:

* Pikachu

* Pancham

* Chespin

* Luxray

* Bunnelby

* Dedenne

* Greninja

* Braixen

* Talonflame 

* Hawlucha

Sylveon lay down near her trainer, closed her eyes, and yawned slowly.

…

WAIT—WHERE’S NOIBAT?!

Sylveon sprang up from her resting place and ran back to where Hawlucha was, just to make sure.

Noibat wasn’t there.

Sylveon forced herself to calm down. She couldn’t wake everyone—it might just be a particularly convenient coincidence.

Noibat was a bat—nocturnal by nature—and Sylveon had encountered him at odd hours of the night taking short flights. No, she swore she had helped him follow their schedule—or did she? On the nights she’d seen him awake late, he’d always been with Hawlucha.

Maybe he slipped away again. Noibat sometimes snuck off at night when everyone else slept to work on his flight training, wanting to make his friends proud. Sylveon had watched over him during those times—silent, vigilant—and she’d done so since she was an Eevee.

Sylveon thought Noibat might be pushing himself too hard.

She began searching frantically—and found him perched on a distant rock, sitting with his head and ears drooped.

Sylveon wasn’t one to scold; she considered herself the bat’s affectionate aunt. Still, Noibat had frightened her badly, and she felt these nocturnal disappearances needed to stop.

She paused when she heard his soft sobs—so quietly suppressed—and the trembling tension in his body.

Sylveon’s heart broke at the sight.

—“Noibat, dear?”—she murmured softly as she approached, sitting beside the rock.

Noibat didn’t respond.

—“Are you alright?”—Sylveon gently lifted one of her front paws, and Noibat seized the opportunity—throwing himself at her in a hug, pressing his head against her chest.

The fairy-type Pokémon said nothing—she just sighed, then with the paw she had offered, delicately stroked his back.

—“So… what happened to you?”—Sylveon cooed lovingly, gently rubbing his back in a comforting rhythm.

Noibat clung to her, then pulled back slightly to meet her gaze.

Sylveon looked at him with tenderness—her blue eyes shining with affection.

Noibat stared down before letting out another weak sob.

—“I had a nightmare,”—he whispered, embarrassed, head down.

Sylveon’s expression softened and she continued rubbing his back.

Something didn’t make sense to her.

Usually, when Noibat had nightmares, it was Bunnelby or Hawlucha (and sometimes even Talonflame or Greninja) who stayed by his side to comfort him.

Yet this time, Noibat had wandered off with no apparent reason—and seemed ashamed.

Before Sylveon could ask, he spoke again:

—“Strong Pokémon aren’t supposed to be afraid… or cry!”—he said, then curled back up against Sylveon, sobbing softly so as not to attract attention—“And I’m not weak,”—he whimpered.

Sylveon paused, eyes wide with surprise, and stopped stroking his back.

—“What do you mean, darling?”—she whispered.

He didn’t move.

—“Ash always told me strong Pokémon don’t cry… and today I defeated Bunnelby in battle,”—he sobbed—“and I don’t want to disappoint Dad…”

Sylveon sighed. Of course—that’s what Braixen and Pancham had overheard Ash say to Noibat to curb his crying.

No one had truly blamed him—Noibat’s cries had once been… very loud indeed.

—“Noibat, being scared… or crying… is perfectly normal,”—Sylveon stroked his head—“It doesn’t make you weak—and you could never deceive Hawlucha. He loves you, and there’s nothing you could do that would disappoint him.”

The bat looked up at her again—eyes still misty.

—“Promise?”—he asked innocently, golden eyes still glistening as Sylveon wiped away his tears with her ribbons.

—“I promise,”—she assured him.

Sylveon cooed in comfort and used her ribbon to gently dry his tear-filled eyes.

—“Alright… now that that’s cleared up—want to talk about that bad dream?”

Noibat looked at her, then lowered his head contemplatively.

—“You’re sure crying doesn’t make me weak?”—he asked. Sylveon nodded gently—“Okay…”

—“Good,”—Sylveon looked at him warmly, then lay down, and Noibat nestled close against her.

Still wrapped in her ribbons, she held him.

—“Now… tell me, what’s bothering you, sweetheart?”—she asked softly again—“What was that dream?”

Noibat lay against her side, gazing up at the stars.

—“Um… well, it was like any other day… I guess…”—he shrugged. “Everything was fine until I…”—he paused—“I couldn’t find anyone,”—he murmured.

Sylveon watched with concern, humming softly to show she was listening.

—“No matter how much I looked… there was nobody…”—He stretched out his wings toward the sky, then let them fall at his sides—“You weren’t there, Luxray wasn’t, Talonflame, Ash, Dad… nobody,”—he lowered his head.

Sylveon hugged him tighter with her ribbons.

—“I… I—” his voice cracked, a soft sob building in his throat—“I was alone.” He hugged himself.

Sylveon pulled him even closer—but before she could speak again—

—“And… I don’t want to be alone,”—he sobbed once more. Sylveon wiped his tears again—“One time I overheard Dad talking to Greninja… about how I was found when I was still an egg… and maybe my real parents abandoned me… Would you all abandon me too?”

—“No, of course not, Noibat,”—Sylveon hugged him tightly, pressing her head against his and cuddling him—“No one would do that. You’re important to all of us. Hawlucha loves you more than anyone… it’s clear Greninja adores you! You even got Braixen to want to play with you!”—she held him closer, nuzzling him—“We all love you. We could never leave you…”

Noibat remained silent.

—“Want to know a secret?”—Sylveon whispered, smiling. “You’re one of my favorites too. And I mean it.” She hugged him again.

Noibat hugged her back this time.

—“You know, when I was an Eevee, I was a bit like you,”—she purred softly, caressing his head with her ribbons—“I used to be scared of everything… but my biggest fear was being completely alone. I was shy, and being alone became my comfort zone.”

Noibat listened intently, still cuddled against her.

It was easy to imagine—because he knew. Sylveon had been that shy Eevee, and he had chased her away many times… which hurt, because he didn’t understand why she didn’t want to be with him.

—“But then I met Serena,”—Sylveon smiled softly at the memory—“and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Even though I was afraid at first, I fell in love with being with all of you—and I still do. But…”

She was quiet for a moment, then smiled again, full of warmth.

—“If we ever have to be alone… why not better to be alone together?”—she gently rubbed her head against Noibat’s, delighted—and he let out a little chuckle. “Don’t you think that’s a good idea?”

Noibat softly nodded, hugging her tightly again.

—“Absolutely!”—he said sweetly.

Sylveon returned the smile, then looked up at the sky—something Noibat noticed and did too.

—“It’s a wonderful night, isn’t it?”—Sylveon said, gazing at the stars.

—“Yes! Once Greninja told me that stars are honorable and kind Pokémon who are no longer with us,”—Noibat replied—“According to Bunnelby, stars remain even if you can’t see them.”

Sylveon giggled sweetly.

—“He’s absolutely right,”—she smiled, cheeks slightly flushed—“He’s simply… wonderful.”

—“It is  !”—Noibat called out.

—“It’s pretty late, starlight, don’t you think?”—Sylveon looked at him.—You should go to sleep now.—

—“Um… I guess..”—Noibat sat down in the grass—“Though… I can’t sleep…”

—“Alright, alright,”—Sylveon laughed—“Here’s a deal—I’ll tell you a story, and you go to sleep…”

—“Only if you promise to stay with me!”

—“Deal.”

They smiled at each other, and Sylveon spent the night telling Noibat stories under the moonlight, with only the stars watching over them.

.

.

.

When Hawlucha woke up and noticed Noibat wasn’t with him, he felt a small panic—since the little bat usually woke up much later than he did.

He got up, but just as he was about to begin searching, he noticed the others gathered around something.

He didn’t hesitate and went over—only to find Sylveon and Noibat sleeping together, snuggled up side by side.

—“Looks like a certain pair stayed up pretty late,”—Talonflame laughed.

—“They look exhausted,”—Bunnelby murmured with concern.

—“We’d best let them sleep,”—Luxray spoke this time—“We can ask Sylveon what happened when they wake up.”

Together with Pancham—who was bored without Chespin at his side—they left.

—“Yeah,”—Greninja agreed—“Come on, Hawlucha, Talonflame, let’s go wake up Pikachu—it’s time to train before Ash wakes up.”

—“Ugh, it’s so early,”—Talonflame whined—but trotted off lazily anyway—

“Don’t worry about Noibat, Hawlucha,”—Braixen called—“They’re keeping watch; they look wiped.”

—“Thanks, Braixen,”—Hawlucha said—then set off with his teammates.

Although Hawlucha certainly didn't know if it was a good idea to let Braixen keep an eye on Noibat, especially when he tried to kidnap her a week ago. 

Chapter Text

"Don't worry, I assure you I'll watch over him," Dedenne said as he gently tapped his chest with his paw.

Certainly, no one wanted to leave Dedenne in charge of taking care of Noibat. He didn’t mind at all and understood perfectly why, but still, he was the only one available to keep an eye on him since everyone else seemed to be busy today.

Luxray and Bunnelby were helping Clemont perfect his latest invention. Chespin wasn’t really doing anything, but they’d rather leave Noibat alone than with him.

Pancham, Braixen, and Sylveon were practicing a dance routine with Serena.

And Noibat’s teammates were training with Ash for his next gym badge.

Normally, Noibat would be with them watching, but the last time (and certainly the first) he was allowed to train with them, he ended up badly injuring his wing due to a hit from one of his friends.

It wasn't as bad as they all thought. He just couldn’t fly properly for two days (something he was already used to), and of course, it still hurt a little and gave a strange sensation every time he flew for too long—but it wasn’t that serious.

But apparently, that was enough for Ash to say he still wasn’t old enough to train with them.

Since then, Noibat had been very disappointed. He wanted to prove them wrong—that he wasn’t small (which was a lie, but he didn’t want to accept it) or weak.

No matter how much he tried to convince Hawlucha or Greninja to let him train with them again, neither of them gave in. Pikachu didn’t comment beyond saying that once he grew a little more, he’d help him train personally, and Talonflame just comforted him with a back rub, whispering in his ear not to pay them too much attention.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like being with Dedenne—on the contrary, he loved playing with him—but he had waited so long for that moment, and now he felt disappointed.

“Noibat!” Dedenne’s voice called his attention. He turned to look at him after saying goodbye to Hawlucha.
“Wanna play something?”

Noibat stood in front of him, dragging his wings on the ground, looking utterly unmotivated. He shook his head.

“Oh...” Dedenne looked at him with slight pity, biting the inside of his cheek. Even though Noibat had been with them for two and a half months already, this was the first time he had to watch him alone. Usually, Braixen or Bunnelby would be with them.

The last Pokémon he had to care for or protect was… Goodra, back when he was still a Goomy or even a Sliggoo.

He sighed and shook his head.

He wished he could be with Bonnie right now, but the human girl was lately very busy with her new friend, Squishy.

He wished he could just get away from there for a while. He looked at Noibat again. Now that he thought about it, Noibat had wings. They could go flying and come back later.

He knew they weren’t supposed to, but no one had to find out.

"Does your wing still hurt?" the Electric-type asked as he came out of his thoughts, inspecting the wing that had previously been injured.

"Oh, no, no," he shook his head as he moved his wing away, trying to hide that it still hurt. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, why?”

Dedenne smiled as he stepped closer to him.

"This place is too boring, don’t you think? Everyone’s busy with something except us," he shrugged, his gaze drifting toward Squishy, who was getting all of Bonnie's attention. His smile faltered slightly. “If we went for a little walk, no one would have to know, right? And after all, what’s the worst that could happen?”

"Uhm, I don’t know..." Noibat rubbed his tiny hands nervously. “Dad usually tells me not to go far off alone without telling anyone. The last time I did, I got into a fight with that Breloom and ended up poisoned.”

"Come on, you’re not alone, you’ll be with me," he assured him with a confident smile. “And you also made friends with that Floette there, didn’t you?”

“Oh, I guess so,” Noibat nodded, turning to look at his teammates. They were focused on training with Ash and wouldn’t notice he was gone if they left for just a little while "Uhm, yeah, I guess if it’s just for a bit..."

“Exactly! We’ll be back before anyone notices,” Dedenne encouraged him, hopping onto Noibat’s back.

Noibat looked toward his friends one more time, sighed, and took flight “If you say so…”

Both of them soared through the skies, heading in the opposite direction from the others.

After flying for a while, Noibat began to feel a faint throbbing in his wing from the pain.

His dad had told him not to push it too much so it wouldn’t get injured again.

“Uhm… What were we doing exactly?” Noibat mumbled.

“We’re looking for somewhere fun, or just to fly around. Now I understand why you like flying so much—it’s amazing,” he replied cheerfully before frowning "«Or somewhere that stupid Squishy isn’t hogging all the attention…»”

Noibat glanced sideways, noticing Dedenne’s annoyed expression.

“I… Are you okay, Dedenne?” he asked, genuinely concerned, ignoring the pain in his wing.

“Huh!?” Dedenne jumped at the question. He analyzed it for a moment, then calmed down as he understood.“Ah, yeah, of course.”He reassured him.

Noibat didn’t say anything, but Dedenne could feel that the little bat didn’t believe him at all.

“Well… I…”He curled up in Noibat’s black fur, unsure of what to say “I just didn’t want to keep seeing how much time Bonnie spends with Squishy now.”

“Is that why you insisted so much on leaving?” he asked.

Dedenne stayed silent.

“Yes, that’s why…” he sighed sadly, curling up more against Noibatb“Ever since he arrived, she only talks about how amazing he is.”

Noibat nodded, not really sure what to say.

“It used to be just her and me, but now it’s always him, him, and only him…” the Electric-type muttered angrily.

Noibat thought about it. It reminded him of how much his trainer favored Greninja and Pikachu over the others. Hawlucha and Talonflame let it slide, but he didn’t understand it.

“Kind of like how my trainer is with Greninja and Pikachu?” he asked, trying to relate with something he understood.

“Yeah, something like that. Only, it’s easier to give attention to two Pokémon than six,” he shrugged, still thinking.

“Six? But there are only five of us,” he questioned, while the pain in his wing grew stronger with every flap, until something clicked “OHH, you mean Goodra, right?”

That cheered Dedenne up.

“Yes!” he smiled even more “He used to belong to Ash too. Well, technically he still does—Ash kept his Pokéball—but now he lives in a swamp or a spring.”

“I knew it! Dad, Pikachu, Bunnelby, Talonflame, and Greninja told me about him,” he smiled too “Although Talonflame doesn’t always want to talk about him.”

“Well, they were close,” he patted his head. “But as I was saying, Bonnie doesn’t care about me anymore. It seems like the only thing she cares about is Squishy. And sure, there are lunatics after him, but does she have to always be with him? Or maybe she just doesn’t love me anymore…”

“Well, I think she’s just worried about him,” Noibat began flying lower from the pain “They’ve been together a long time—definitely longer than I’ve been alive—I don’t think it’s that she doesn’t love you."

Dedenne listened closely.

“I suppose so,” he sighed before smiling at him.“I think we should head back now.”

“Alright.” Noibat turned around to fly back, but his wing couldn’t take it anymore and gave out.

They both screamed as they fell, crashing through some leaves that, luckily, cushioned the fall.

Dedenne rubbed his head, trying to ease the pain when he stabilized himself.

He quickly panicked.

“NOIBAT?!”he shouted, looking around. He found him among another pile of leaves, rubbing his head too, with small tears forming in his eyes. Dedenne ran over to him.

“Noibat, are you okay?”

He shook his head, unable to speak.

“I’m so sorry, Noibat…” Dedenne rubbed his head “I shouldn’t have convinced you to come. Now we’re both lost…”

Noibat curled up against him.

“No, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have lied and said my wing didn’t hurt when it still did…” the bat sighed.

Dedenne pulled away and looked around.

“We need to find a way back,” he said, biting the inside of his right cheek.

Noibat nodded and stood up.

“Couldn’t you try contacting Pikachu?” he asked.

“And let them find out we left?” he shook his head. He looked past a couple of trees and started walking “Come on, let’s go that way.”

“What if we get even more lost?”Noibat asked again.

“Oh… I hadn’t thought of that…” he lowered his gaze “I guess we’ll just stay here until someone finds us… though I doubt it.”

That completely caught Noibat’s attention.

“Why do you say that?” he asked, following him and trying to keep up.

“Because your trainer is too focused on his league and his gym badge to notice you’re gone. And anyway, he already let Goodra go—what’s one more?” he answered without thinking, too upset.
He didn’t hate Squishy—he hated that since Squishy arrived, no one seemed to even notice him “And my trainer isn’t even my trainer, and she’s still busy with Squishy.”

Noibat followed him, head down.

“And our friends? They’d look for us, right?”

“Maybe… Or maybe they’d just ignore it and move on,” he kept walking.
“You never know.”

Noibat stayed quiet, too deep in thought, and bumped into Dedenne, who had apparently stopped.

He rubbed his head, looked ahead, and saw an Inkay and a Gourgeist—ones they knew all too well.

Dedenne stood in front of him in an attempt to shield him, his expression slightly tense.

“Ohh, what are two little Pokémon like you doing here?” Gourgeist's malicious voice echoed as she approached them.

“Are you lost?” her partner laughed.

“That’s none of your business”Dedenne growled, his cheeks sparking with electricity.

“We just want to help. We’d feel so bad leaving you here,” Gourgeist smiled falsely, trying to sound believable.

Noibat peeked from behind, not fully understanding what was going on.

“Would you help us get back home?" Noibat asked, tilting his head. Dedenne glanced at him, not fully trusting them.

“Of course, kid,” Inkay approached and touched Noibat’s head with one of his white ribbons.

Dedenne and Noibat looked at each other. They didn’t trust them—they’d tried to capture them and their friends too many times—but they didn’t have any better options. They were lost in a place they didn’t recognize.

They looked back at them as Gourgeist extended one of her hair-like hands for them to grab.

Dedenne sighed and was about to accept when a lightning bolt struck between him and Gourgeist.

Both turned their heads in shock, only to see Pikachu jumping in front of them with Hawlucha and Bunnelby right behind him.

“Looks like you two are in serious trouble,” Hawlucha said, while Bunnelby just shook his head, a bit disappointed.

---

Braixen had just finished treating Noibat’s wing while Hawlucha scolded both him and Dedenne.

“What part of ‘don’t leave without telling anyone’ do neither of you understand?” Hawlucha’s voice was stern and firm, but also a little disappointed “And let’s not even talk about how you almost left with Inkay and Gourgeist knowing they never have good intentions. What would’ve happened if we hadn’t noticed you were gone?”

Noibat was about to speak, but Dedenne stepped in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Hawlucha. It was my fault. I was the one who told Noibat we should go, and I was the one who almost trusted those two,” the Electric-type said, bowing his head in guilt.

Hawlucha’s expression softened a bit.

“I appreciate you owning up to your part in this, but Noibat also knows he shouldn’t leave without telling anyone—especially if his wing was still hurt,” he crossed his arms before walking over to the little bat.
“And you—until you prove that you don’t need someone watching over you, someone will be. And for now, you’re not going to train with us. Understood?”

“Yes, Dad…” Noibat lowered his head sadly.

Hawlucha took a deep breath before walking away.

“Hey, I’m really sorry,” Dedenne said as he walked up to him, placing his tiny paw on Noibat’s shoulder.

“No, it’s okay…” Noibat sighed, wiping away his tears with his good wing.
“We did something wrong… and I guess now we have to face the consequences of our actions.”

“Yeah, you’re right…” Dedenne sighed again. “Face the consequences of our actions…”he murmured before turning to look at Bonnie and Squishy, the human girl apparently looking around quite worriedly.

“I think you should, too,” Noibat tilted his head and gave him a gentle push with his good wing.

“Yeah, alright.”Dedenne turned and gave him a small hug “Thanks.” Then he ran straight toward Bonnie and Squishy.