For the Love of Arceus!

[Zorayda]

When they got to the apartment, Zorayda waited for the other two to get in before closing the door and locking it tight, the errant pidgey's shrieking still audible behind it.

"Well... home sweet home I guess," she said sheepishly, waving her hand around the slightly cluttered and very poor-looking furnishing of the apartment. Zorayda lived off of battle money mostly, and seeing as people stayed in because of Shroud Pokemon... battles were hard to come by. Zora's gaze settled briefly on Eeve's empty Poke ball, and she clutched the silk scarf she was holding more tightly.

"Where do I begin...?" She mused, taking a seat on her little wooden chair and gesturing to the old, worn sofa for the two trainers to take a seat. "You're welcome to let your Pokemon out," she said, remembering that the trainers still had them in their Poke balls. Zorayda picked up her own two Poke balls and let Shasta and Argren out. The small ponyta shook her fiery mane before settling down and tucking her forelegs in, while the pidgey flew up and landed on Zorayda's shoulder, cooing softly.

"Shroud Pokemon... I don't exactly know how they came about, but I do know that their hearts are closed off to humans. They are possessed by some evil aura or another and they attack everything... viciously. Only trainers entrusted with a special glove and Poke ball can even attempt to capture them and open their hearts..." she explained wearily. "I don't know why my eevee left, but... she could be seriously hurt by these rogue Pokemon."

Looking up at the two of them, she suddenly jumped up, making Argren squawk indignantly in surprise.

"Where are my manners? Would you like something to drink?" she asked, hedging towards the kitchen. She also needed to get dressed and wash her face... but that could wait a few moments.

[Deleted]

"I like it here," Rowen stated. "It's...cozy," she gave Zorayda a smile and Stephen nodded in agreement with his sister's words.
He and Rowen let out Totodile and Cyndaquil which, both curled up in their respective trainers laps.

"Aura? So that's what gave me a headache...I'm sensitive to it," Rowen added.
"Why would pokemon close there hearts off? I mean...sure some pokemon, like people, are antisocial, but still. That's just sad," Stephen stated and Rowen nodded.
"Yeah, where can you get one of the special gloves or whatever it was you mentioned? I bet Professor Oak would know..." Rowen mused.
"Professor Elm might know too...maybe we should ask him next time we see him?" Stephen added to his sisters thoughts.
"Yeah! Besides, Professor Elm DID say he wanted to see how Gold was doing," Rowen finished her brothers sentence and the siblings grinned at each other.
"Zorayda, would you like to come along with us? Maybe the Professor might know something that could've happened to your eevee?" Rowen offered, her headache going away slowly.

[Zorayda]

"I like it here," Rowen stated. "It's...cozy," she gave Zorayda a smile and Stephen nodded in agreement with his sister's words.

Zorayda blushed a little and waved off their compliments.

"Aw, pish. It's just a little place to call home," she said dismissively, smiling. Her smile turned soft at the sight of the totodile and cyndaquil relaxing comfortably with their trainers. It was always nice to see Pokemon and their humans getting along so well...

"Aura? So that's what gave me a headache...I'm sensitive to it," Rowen added.

"Wow, you can sense it? That's a rare gift," Zorayda commented, surprised. "You could probably tell when they get close, then... that might come in handy."

"Why would pokemon close there hearts off? I mean...sure some pokemon, like people, are antisocial, but still. That's just sad," Stephen stated and Rowen nodded.

"Yeah, where can you get one of the special gloves or whatever it was you mentioned? I bet Professor Oak would know..." Rowen mused.

"The Pokemon Professors know all about how to do it and they give gloves out to those they deem worthy enough," Zorayda explained, remembering when a trainer had gotten one. "We could ask... it would help me find my Eeve..." her tone became sad again, the loss of her eevee still sharp in her heart.

"Yeah! Besides, Professor Elm DID say he wanted to see how Gold was doing," Rowen finished her brothers sentence and the siblings grinned at each other.

"Zorayda, would you like to come along with us? Maybe the Professor might know something that could've happened to your eevee?" Rowen offered.

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Zorayda gushed, relieved. "I would really appreciate the help.... I need to get dressed really fast," she added, rushing into her room. She picked out her outfit quickly--a short skirt with leggings, a pair of low-cut Keds, a tank top, and her Poke belt. She put Eeve's silk scarf on, not caring how silly it looked, and quickly ran a brush through her hair, brushed her teeth, and washed her face.

"Okay! Let's get going!" She said eagerly, done after only ten minutes.

[Deleted]

Rowen rolled her eyes when Zorayda called her ability a 'gift.'
"Nah, it's more of a pain. All it does is give me headaches,"
"And make her even more bad tempered than normal." Stephen inserted with a grin, getting a whack from his younger sister.

Once Zorayda left the room, Stephen turned to his sister. "Think we might be able to get those special gloves?" He trailed off and his sister shrugged. "Not sure...hopefully."
Stephen frowned at his younger sister. She seemed off...
"What's wrong?"
"I miss Josh," she explained and Stephen scowled.
"Why? He dumped you, remember? He's a jerk..."
Rowen laughed at her older brothers attitude. He sounded just like Chase.

After Zorayda finished getting ready, and asked if they were ready to go Rowen nodded. "Gold, return," she said, recalling the small pokemon while Stephen did the same for his water type.
"Oh, and it's no problem. We don't mind helping," Stephen gave Zorayda a grin and his sister groaned.
"You don't mind flirting. I'm the one who doesn't mind helping," she muttered under her breathe and Stephen gave her a sharp glare.
"Oh, shut up, Rowen."

[Zorayda]

Despite her worry over Eeve, Zorayda couldn't help but giggle a little at the pair's antics. They seemed very close for siblings, something one didn't see very often anymore. It made Zorayda think of her little sister, Rey... she found her thoughts wandering to how the younger girl must be doing with her Pokemon, a charmander.

"Thank you again for doing this," Zorayda said again, giving Stephen a deep nod. She saw him through a curtain of her violet hair and found herself scrutinizing him... he really was rather handsome. Perhaps something more than friendship could take place during their adventures... she smirked to herself and turned away. Zorayda was always eager for a chance to flirt with a willing young male.

[Deleted]

Stephen flashed Zorayda a grin. "No problem."
Rowen groaned. She knew where this was headed...Stephen would start flirting and she would wanna puke. She gave her brother a bitter look.
Didn't he know better? Rowen had grown up watching Chase and Stephen falling for different girls each time and time and time again her brothers' hearts would get broken.
Wasn't it easier just not to fall in love?
Then she fell for Josh...Josh! Her childhood best friend. Just look how well that ended out.
The trio soon arrived at the pokemon lab and Rowen released Gold. "Hey, girl. We're here," she said as she knocked on the door.

[Zorayda]

Zorayda smiled back at Stephen in an automatic gesture of friendliness, but her heart wasn't completely in it. Normally, she'd be all over the handsome trainer, but right now... Eeve was at the top of her list in her brain. As they walked in companionable silence, she couldn't help herself from imagining her little gray eevee hurt and bleeding, or scared and lost, or harassed by other trainers eager to have the atypically colored fennec... Tears threatened to fall from her crystalline eyes, but she held them back enough until they got to the Pokemon Lab.

As Rowen knocked on the door, Zorayda's heart suddenly clenched. What if the professor didn't let them have the tools to fight off the Shroud Pokemon? What if she wouldn't be able to save her Eeve after all? Panic began to rise in her, shrinking her pupils and making her breathe faster.

'Oh please, please let him give it to us...' she thought desperately, her hand automatically brushing the Poke balls containing her two other Pokemon protectively.

[Deleted]

The door opened and Professor Elm smiled at Rowen. "Well, hello Rowen. How's Cyndaquill doing?"
Rowen grinned. "Gold's doing good, Sir,"
"Don't I get a hello?" Stephen joked and the Professor laughed.
"Hello to you Stephen. You remind me of your dad when he was your age,"
Stephen smiled slightly. "Chase and I get that a lot,"
"Professor, we were hoping you could help us. See our friends Zorayda's eevee went missing...we were hoping you could give up one of those purification gloves or whatever we need to fight those annoying shroud pokemon. Gold couldn't even fight a pidgey that had been infected. Plus, they give me headaches." Rowen frowned and the Professor nodded, smiling.
"Yes, I imagine they would, Rowen. Hmm...you do have a very good point. You and Stephen are capable trainers and-" he was cut off by something making a racket and a purple colored something flew right past him.

"Oh no! That Misdreavus was just restored to normal. I was hoping to get a trainer for it..."
"Rowen will catch it," Stephen offered. "She needs a ghost type,"
Rowen nodded. "Yeah, I do. What do you think?"
The professor nodded. "Just be careful...it doesn't like people very much..."
Rowen grinned, running off after the ghost type. This would be fun.