~ Wait, You're What?! One Predicament to Another~

"I'll show you! Just Check it! See how strong I am with my spells?!" Grim yelled as he released fire everywhere around him.

Lia observed the whole situation as chaos ran through the mirror chamber. Madame Eva is doing her best to tame the flames Grim caused; Crowley tries to help his wife, a boy is running around in a panic with his backside on fire, and two of the students, Azul and Riddle, are bickering with each other while trying to detain Grim.

Realizing the problem would not get solved at the given rate, Lia decided to take matters into her own hands. She reached into her bag and pulled out one of her Pokéballs.

"Squirtle! I need you!" she called. She tossed the ball into the air, and a light blue turtle-liketurtle-like creature emerged.

"Squirtle, Squirtle!"

"Squirtle, I need you to help that boy over there. Then help those two put out the fire." Lia pointed to the frantic boy and the couple. Seeing the situation as clear as day, Squirtle nodded and did what he was told.

"Alright then, Persian, Pikachu. Let's go stop that hairball."

"Right."

"Pika!"

The three ran off to deal with the main problem. Meanwhile, the boy tried to put out the flames on his rear. But he was only making it a bit worse. Suddenly, a gush of streaming cold water was blasted right at him. Although soaked, he sighed in relief when the fire on him was finally extinguished.

"Pah! Whew, thanks, uh?" when the boy turned to thank his savior, he first saw nothing.

"Squirtle!" (No problem!)

He looked down and gasped, "Oh my gosh, you're the cutest thing I've ever seen!" The boy gushed as he ran up and tackled Squirtle into a big hug.

"Squirtle! Squirt, Squirtle!" (Let me go! I still have a job to do!)

Squirtle struggled in the boy's arms until he finally got free. Before the boy could get a hold of him again, Squirtle had already run off to Crowley and his wife to help. Lia and the others had already made their way to the other side of the room to join Azul and Riddle.

"Exactly how long did you two plan on bickering like that!?" Lia retorted as soon as she and her companions were there.

"Excuse me?" The two turned to her.

"You guys are prolonging the situation rather than solving it. If you two can't work this out together, I'll do it myself!"

Riddle looked at Lia in bewilderment. Is someone who can't use magic going to handle this mess? He can't even count the many things that can go wrong.

"Without magic, how exactly do you plan to resolve this situation?" Azul questioned her.

"I may not be able to use magic, but I can—Look out!" She pushed the two boys away when a fireball raged right at them without a second thought. Lia pulled out three sticks and connected them, making a long metal bow staff. With one swing, she batted it away from them.

"Pikachu! Go and use Tackle on Grim!"

"Pika!" (Right on it!)

Pikachu charged at Grim with astonishing speed and tackled him to the ground. As the two wrestled for a minute or two, Grim managed to push Pikachu off with a harsh shove.

"Get off you pipsqueak!"

"Pika, Pikachu!" (Look who's talking!)

"Pikachu! Get down!" Lia called out.

Manipulating her aura, Lia poured some of it into her bow staff. And with one strong swing, Lia lashed off a haze of energy at Grim. Grim's breath was knocked out as if he ran into a stone wall.

The whole audience of boys was left frozen in amazement.

Lia continued her commands, "Persian! Use your speed and circle around Grim to confuse him!"

"Done and Done!" Persian replied and took off.

As Grim got back to his feet, he wobbled a bit but stood his ground when he saw Persian running around him at great speed. He tried to attack him with his fire, but the classy cat Pokémon was too fast for him.

"Squirtle! I need you!" Lia called out the said Pokémon. Who doused the last of the flames in the room, turned, and ran over to his trainer. Crowley and his wife stood there watching the little creature who helped them run off to the girl.

"They listen to her without hesitation or question," Crowley observed.

"Because they see her as a true leader. Despite all that's happened, she even stood her ground in the face of doubt." Eva added to her husband's astonishment.

Once Squirtle was next to Lia, she pointed at Grim. "Squirtle! Use the Water Gun to cool him off. Then, Pikachu, use Electro Web to immobilize him!"

"Squirtle!" (You got it!)

"Pikachu!" (With Pleasure!)

"Good, Persian! Get out of there now!" Lia yelled out.

Seeing her plan, Persian ran to her side as Squirtle jumped in and attacked Grim with his 'Water Gun move.

"Pah! Wha?! Hey! Watch it!" Grim scolded the turtle, but Squirtle smirked as he stepped aside when Pikachu barreled toward Grim.

"Pika! Pika, Pika, Pika, Pika, Pika-chu!" Pikachu jumped and started to form a ball of electricity from his tail, then tossed it at Grim, making an actual web of electricity.

"What the heck is thaaaaaaaaa!" Grim got caught and trapped in the web, getting electrocuted in the process.

"Pika, Pikachu!" (Not so tough now, are ya!)

"Great job, Pikachu!" Lia beamed as all her friends approached her to get her love.

A mixture of envy and bafflement brewed inside Riddle as he looked in Lia's direction. How incredible it was for her familiars to follow her orders without questions. Although Azul was just as shocked as Riddle was, he was more curious about Lia's methods.

"You guys did great!" All of her Pokémon couldn't help but cuddle to her affection.

"Squirtle, thanks for your help with the fire."

"Squirtle!" (Sure thing!) he beamed, giving Lia a 'peace sign.

Feeling something behind her, Lia turned to find Azul approaching her and her Pokémon with a cheeky smile. "That was an interesting performance you and your creatures displayed, Miss Lianara."

Lia flinched at the mention of her full name, "Just 'Lia, please. Also, I'm sorry for shouting at the two of you before."

"We appreciate your apology. However, you can't simply dive headfirst into a situation, especially when some of us are trying to fix it." Riddle replied begrudgingly while looking at Azul.

During their conversation, the 'Electro Web that trapped Grim soon vanished—giving the little devil cat the chance to escape. However, his luck soon ran out when Riddle saw him sneaking away from the corner of his eye.

Without a moment of hesitation, he pulled out his crystal pen. Riddle shouted, "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!"

In a flash, a strange heart-shaped collar appeared around Grim's neck.

"Myah! What the-what're you doing?!" Grim uttered as if he was being choked.

"The Queen of Heart's law, rule number 23: "One must never bring a cat to a formal affair. Your very presence is a direct violation of the order. You will now vacate the premises immediately without further delay." Riddle decreed.

"But I'm not a cat!! Don't go collaring me for that! I'll burn it off!" Grim tries to use his magic to get rid of the collar, but nothing happens. He continues to struggle, but there is still no effect.

Riddle huffed with a smug grin. "Until I decide to remove that collar from you, you will not be able to use any form of magic whatsoever."

'That's coming off rather harsh,' Lia thought. "Miss Lia!" Turning around, Lia found Crowley marching up to her with an angered expression. "Was I unclear when I told you to take responsibility for your familiar!? Now discipline your-"

"Oh, for the love of - HE ISN'T MINE!!!" Lia snapped, her voice echoing,

"H-he isn't?"

"Yes! I have been trying to tell you that back at the library! But you kept interrupting me and assuming he was! I have never seen him before! When he forced open the 'gate I was in, that was the first time I met him. And just to set the record straight, my companions are way more behaved and better trained than that! Heck, they even fix the mess Grim made!"

Madame Eva approached her husband and whispered, "Now, how will you handle this, dear?"

Crowley cleared his throat nervously and turned to Lia. "Um, right then. I apologize for the inconvenience. Furthermore, I shall have it expelled from the campus immediately. I might even spare it from being served as tonight's dinner." He amusingly said that last part.

That made Squirtle hide behind Lia's legs, and Persian almost growled at him. On the other hand, Lia looked horrified at the thought of making a creature like Grim into a meal.

"Dire." Eva glared at him.

"But! I am too gracious for that. That said, someone! Please take this creature away." Crowley asked. Soon, a random student grabbed Grim by the collar and took him away.

"No! Stoooooop! Let me gooooo! Gah! You guys are going to regret this! I'll make sure you remember my name! Cause I will go down in the manuals of magic history! Count on it!" Grim declared loudly until he was out the door.

Lia couldn't help but feel slightly bad for Grim, "I wonder why he wants to be in this school so desperately."

"Well, after that stunt he just pulled, there's no way he will now," Persian pointed out.

"Pika, pi." (He had it coming.)

However, it was no longer the time to worry about the beast. Lia noticed that now, everyone's attention was on her. They stared at her from head to toe, gazes holding different emotions. Some stared at her with honest surprise, but others watched her with eyes full of misplaced interest and evil intents.

The only ones who succeeded in easing Lia's mind were her companions and Madam Eva, who seemed to be the only one in the room who was genuinely worried about her well-being. Finally, Crowley decided to break the unbearable silence with a sigh.

"... We had a bit of trouble, but let's bring the entrance ceremony to an end. We shall deal with other matters in due time. Dorm Heads, please show your new residents the way back to their dormitories..." While saying this, Crowley seemingly remembered something important, looking around as if searching for something, or rather someone who should've been there: "By the way, I do not see the leader of Diasomnia, Mr. Draconia at all."

The mention of this name caused the same commotion as when Lia's full name was revealed. But this time, she noticed the voices filled with dread and fear. It was as if the mere mention of the name 'Draconia' was terrifying enough to make anyone. Was he such a terrible person?

"How exactly is that surprising to you? The guy is a total recluse."

"Mr. Kingscholar, be respectful." Madame Eva scorned.

"Hang on, was he not invited to this?" The boy whom Squirtle helped questioned.

"If you were concerned about him missing out, then maybe you should have told him yourself," the handsome man retorted.

"True, but to be honest. . . I really don't know him that much either, so." The boy replied.

As the dorm leaders spoke to each other, Lia heard some students mention the name 'Draconia.'

"Draconia...? Like Malleus Draconia? The Malleus Draconia?!"

"So, it is true then, he does go to this school here?"

"That's nerve-wracking."

"Hey, isn't it bad that she's here now? Isn't he and Master Magus sworn rivals?"

That caught Lia's attention, 'Rivals?'

Her thoughts soon zapped back to reality when she heard someone else begin to speak. To her complete shock, it was a boy who looked no older than her, with a pale complexion, pink highlights in his raven hair, and red eyes. "Ah, I thought as much. I figured I'd come down to see for myself if Malleus had made an appearance. But it would seem that once again, he was not notified that his participation was needed at official ceremonies."

"Please accept my humblest apologies. I assure you, this oversight was not, in any way, intended." Azul apologized. But Lia can plainly see that this circumstance was intended.

"To be quite honest, he's not the easiest person to converse with. You must admit that much." Riddle inclined.

"Either way, it matters not now. All those who have been assigned to the house of Diasomnia, please follow me." Said the strange young man. As he and the other students were about to leave, Lia heard him mutter, "I just hope he doesn't sulk about this one. . . ."

'This Malleus must be so misunderstood that he must have been left out on a lot of things.'

Unbeknownst to Lia, as she returned Squirtle to his ball, the man leading Diasomnia gazed at her momentarily and smiled as he walked out. 'As intriguing as Brandell. Malleus will be thrilled that the child of his dear friend has come.'

Soon, everyone was gone; only Lia and her Pokémon were left with Mr. Crowley and Madame Eva.

"Well now, Miss Lia. I am very sorry for the unfortunate turn of events that has happened. And I'm afraid that you cannot attend Night Raven College. Though you have great magic, with it being sealed, you might as well be magicless. And I cannot admit you to the academy with that as the case. It'll be too risky for you," Crowley explained.

Lia nodded in understanding, "It's alright, sir; honestly, as interesting as this place is, we just want to go home. That is . . . if we can."

"It's alright, sweetie," Madame Eva reassured. And don't worry—the Dark Mirror will send you back home safe and sound. Just step in front of the dark mirror and visualize the place where you came from."

It sounded almost too easy. Regardless, Lia did as she was instructed.

Crowley chanted, "O Dark Mirror! Please send this soul back to its rightful place!"

The face in the mirror said and did nothing; Lia began to feel anxious as she turned to Crowley. He cleared his throat and tried again.

" *Ahem* Excuse me, L- let's try this again, shall we? O Dark Mirror! Return this soul-"

"I cannot," The Mirror suddenly said.

"What!?" shocked everyone.

"There is no place in this world where this soul belongs. The power that allowed her here vanished once she came through. Therefore, there is no way back for this soul to return—none," the Mirror informed.

This made Lia stagger back in shock and fear. Luckily, Madame Eva caught her by the shoulders to support her.

"How can this be? Today was to be but a veritable cavalcade of impossible phenomena!" Crowley exclaimed, bewildered.

Madame Eva gave him a look and motioned him at Lia to see the look of fright and uneasiness on her face. This snapped him out of his concerns, and he turned to her.

"This has never happened before in all my time working here. I must be sincere; I am at something of a loss here. Miss Lia, please tell me from what land you come from?" he asked.

"I don't think telling you where I'm from will help this case either, sir," Lia said shakingly.

Eva asked in concern, "What do you mean, dear?"

"Ma'am, remember when you asked me what my friends were?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with-"

"Because where I'm from, their kind is indigenous in every corner of the world. From high mountain peaks to grassy planes, from vast oceans to boiling volcanoes."

"That makes no sense at all. I've traveled to various places and never encountered anything like them before in my life!" Crowley exclaimed, then looked over to his wife, who had been quiet about this for some time. She made a face as if she were placing a complicated puzzle together and solving it.

"Hold on a moment...Lia, are you saying that you and your companions are...?"

"Yes, we're from a completely different world that doesn't have magic but creatures that you see right now, called Pokémon."

This shocked both Crowley and Eva greatly. Not only had they seen creatures with miraculous abilities, but the girl in front of them was from another world where the said creatures were widespread.

"Another world?! B-but that's impossible! The dark mirror may be miraculous in teleporting and transferring people to various places other than the school. Still, it's not remotely close to being strong enough to do all that to another world entirely!" Crowley exclaimed, astounded by all this.

"Well, it managed to do it with us. In our world, we found a mirror in her father's study. And it's the reason why we're here." Persian spoke up.

As the Head Mage and his wife looked at one another, the puzzle pieces began falling into place.

Eva theorized that Lia's father must have been a powerful mage to make traveling to another world possible. This could also explain what the mirror meant by saying, 'The power that allowed her here vanished. ' The mirror she took to travel only had enough magic to send her to Twisted Wonderland. With the transfer complete, its power source had to be depleted.

Crowley could do nothing else except agree to the possibility.

"So, I'm stuck here? But I have to get back! There were some kids I was supposed to watch over for a friend! And I run a shelter there for Pokémon! I can't leave them unsupervised!" Lia panicked.

'Does this mean my dad's been from another world this whole time?! And not even that, he's some magic user?!'

"Pika pi!" (Calm down, Lia!) Pikachu said to his frantic trainer.

"Sweetie, sweetie, breathe. Neither of us said we weren't going to help you. We're just saying this is getting a bit more complicated for us to figure out. But I'm sure we'll find something in our library. After all, we have knowledge and history of all sorts of magic that can give us something to help." Madame Eva quickly assured her.

The three of them went to the library searching for answers for Lia and her companions. When they arrived, neither one wasted a minute hitting the books. Lia told the two teachers everything about her home and Pokémon, from the different types and origins of Pokémon to her home's various regions and cultures. Needless to say, the couple was quite impressed and fascinated with the girl's ho to the world. It sounded just as miraculous as theirs but with more possibilities. They went through all the recommended books that could give them some clue, but sadly, they all came up empty-handed. Not even the books from the restricted section had anything.

"Just as I feared, nothing. And you, my dear?" Crowley asked his wife. However, she turned to him with a frown and shook her head. 'No.

"Nothing on our end either," Lia mentioned, placing another book to the side with a frown of her own.

"Pika, Pi." (Same) Pikachu shook his head. He and Persian shared a book but had no luck either.

"Hmmm, not only is your home world not mentioned, but I could not find anything on your creatures as well," Crowley stated. Then he turned to Lia, "Miss Lia, I do not mean to doubt you. But are you certain that you and your familiars are from another world?" he questioned.

"I promise you, sir, I'm telling you the truth. But if you need further proof," Lia stood up from her chair and pulled out a couple of things from her bag. "This is called a Pokéball; it's a device that has the ability to catch and house Pokémon. I can't exactly tell you how that works cause I've never seen how they're made, but from what I've been told, it's quite spacious and homey to them. Well, most of them," she turned to Pikachu and Persian, who either scratched the back of their head nervously or looked away from her.

"Catches and houses, you say?" Crowley asks, looking even more curious.

"Yep, here I'll show you. Lucario! Come on out!" Lia tosses her Pokéball into the air, and it pops open. To Crowley's and Miss Eva's shock, a stream of energy comes out, and a bipedal dog-like creature appears before them.

"This is Lucario, one of the best Pokémon I have on my team." Then Lia brings up a tablet-like device and holds it up. "Rotom, if you please." suddenly, the tablet turns on to show a face, and limbs pop out from it!

*Yes Miss Lia! How can I help you?*

"Oh, my," Eva began to say.

"This is Rotom Dex, well, to be more specific. He's also a Pokémon but possesses the device you see right now." Lia explains.

"And that device is?" Madam Eva questioned.

*The device I currently possess is called a Pokédex. An electric catalog/encyclopedia that can tell you everything you need to know about Pokémon! For instance, * Rotom hovered over Locario.

* 'Ding!' Lucario. The Aura Pokémon is a Fighting and Steel type. Lucario controls life energy waves known as auras, which are powerful enough to pulverize huge rocks. It uses these waves to take down its prey. This Pokémon can also tell what people think by using its aura to read theirs. Only Trainers with a strong sense of justice can earn this Pokémon's trust and loyalty. *

"Fascinating, and what do you mean by 'Types?" Crowley asks.

"'Types are specific and special attributes that help determine the strengths and weaknesses of different Pokémon species. In my world, there are currently eighteen different Pokémon types. And at most, a Pokémon will have one or two 'Types like Lucario and Rotom, for example."

"What are the 'Types Rotom have?" Madame Eva asked.

"Rotom is an Electric and Ghost type."

"That explains how he can possess your device, correct?" Crowley guessed.

"Actually, he can possess any electrical device if he wants to. And I don't just have him; I have one on my phone and watch. See," Lia shows them her watch and phone; sure enough, they have Rotom's face on them.

"I see; then I take it from your bag. Do you have your identification on you? To further prove your existence and some?" Crowley asks.

"I have my home region ID, driver's license, herbalist certification, passport, and trainer's ID, but I doubt they'll help me with this situation."

*And what situation is that, Miss Lia? Also, who are these people?*

"I'll explain later,"

"Not to mention, whatever money you have on you won't work here." Madame Eva pointed out.

"This is quite the predicament we have on our hands. I cannot simply allow you to run freely in my academy, and even if you do have magic, you cannot stay for various reasons. There's also the matter that I can't just ignore the fact of a penniless youth with no guardian kicked out to the streets. Hmmm, my graciousness truly knows no bounds." Crowley whispered that last part to himself, though everyone did hear him.

'And I thought Chairman Rose had an ego,' Lia deadpanned.

Even Madame Eva didn't look pleased, "Dire,"

"Ah! Y-yes, well, Let me s-see. Hmmm, Ah! I just remembered that we do have a vacant building on campus! It used to be a dorm for a different house. But with some proper cleaning and some love, I'm certain it'll be habitable enough. So, out of the kindness and graciousness of my heart, you, Miss Lia, shall live there till the matter of sending you back home is settled." Crowley smiled.

"Thank you very much, sir, and I'll find a way to pay you back." Lia bowed to him and Madame Eva.

"That won't be necessary, sweetie. It's the least we can do after putting you through all this." Madame Eva assured.

"Oh, that's right. Miss Lia, didn't you say you have a phone on you?" Crowley asked

"Ah! That's right! Maybe I can call my brother to help figure this out back home!" As Lia turned her back on the couple to use her phone, she didn't notice the two scooting away and talking amongst themselves.

"Dire, why didn't you mention the Grand Archives? It would undoubtedly have all the answers and solutions to help her back home,"

"You think I didn't want to, my love? Even if she were his daughter, I would've taken her there to settle this case. But you and I both know that the Archives are heavily hidden. Only those of the Magus family bloodline can find and use it. Not to mention, whatever or whoever caused Brandel's disappearance six years ago is possibly still out there. And if we risk trying to find the Archives with the child,"

"We'll risk putting her in danger as well." Eva finished what her husband was saying.

"Exactly. I'm not doing this for the sake of my position but for the sake of that girl's and everyone else's safety."

Eva sighed, then nodded to him. "Alright, but if things go south, we're taking that risk to find the archives."

"Fair enough." He replied.

"Nothing," the two looked over to Lia. "All I'm getting is static, and I can't message either 'cause I don't have a signal whatsoever," Lia exclaimed, getting more disappointed over her predicament.

"Let's just get you settled, and we'll try to figure this out later. You and your friends must be exhausted over today's events." Madame Eva suggested.

"I'll say/Pikachu." Lia's Pokémon agreed.

"Perfect! Eva, my dear, you should escort our guest to the dorm. While I'll go and have a word with someone who can take care of some necessities for her." Crowley then turns to Lia, "The dorm is a slightly older building, but one might say it has plenty of. . . character." he smiled.

Lia couldn't help but feel anxious. 'Why do I feel that there's something off about this dorm?'

Later, Madame Eva took Lia and her Pokémon to the dorm. And let's say, after all the fancy spots they've seen from the school so far, they were a bit disappointed in what they saw now.

"Here we are, the Ramshackle dorm." Madame Eva presented.

The whole place looked like it was on its last stand. The windows were boarded up, the roof looked like it had holes in it, the lawn was practically dirt, and even the iron gate looked like it was about to fall off its hinges.

"Has a bit of character, huh? I say a bit too much character." Persian huffed.

"Yeah, the dorm hasn't been used for so long that we pretty much forgot about it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Madame Eva apologized.

"I-it's alright. I've stayed at rather interesting places in the past. This is nothing." Lia assured her.

"Pika, Pikachu." (Speak for yourself.) Pikachu groaned, earning him a slight jab to the side.

Approaching the dorm, Lia and the others couldn't help but flinch at the loud creaking it made. As they went inside, it was a mess—as if someone had a fight and the interior took the hits. The floorboards were old and worn, the wallpaper was peeling off, there were cobwebs everywhere, and the furniture was all cluttered. Yeah, to say it was a mess is an understatement.

"I know it looks bad, but it should be enough to keep you safe and out of the elements. A friend of mine and I will try to pitch in to fix it up. But for now, this should do. I'm returning to my husband to see if he won't get too carried away with his generosity. In the meantime, try to make do with what's here. and don't go wandering off on the campus; we still have restrictions and curfew." That said, she left Lia and her Pokémon in the rundown dorm.

"Pi, Pika, Pi." (I like her)

"Me too; she has the 'motherly feeling, you know?"

"As much as I'm glad that we have someone we can turn to in this world of magic madness. We should get started on fixing and cleaning most of this place up before we can even think of sleeping for the night." Persian stated.

"You're right," Lia said, also putting Pikachu down and her bag. She pulled out some Pokéballs and tossed them. "Okay, guys, come on out!"

And one by one, she had a fine group of Pokémon out to help her. First was Lucario; next to him was a bipedal wild cat-like creature that was all yellow and black with some light blue markings on its body.

The other was a red and black foxlike creature with its wild red fur in a ponytail. Next was a humanoid creature that looked like it was wearing a flowing white dress. Then, a bipedal rabbit creature with red, white, and orange coloring appeared with a bright smile on its face. And several others, too.

"Alright, Lucario, Zeraora, Zoroark, Gardevoir, Cinderace, Gengar, Indeedee, and Magerna. Long story short, we're all in a different world." Lia started to inform her Pokémon, making all of them jump in shock. "I know it's a lot to take in right now, but at the moment, I need your help to clean this place up so we can manage to live here until we get back home."

Her Pokémon looked hesitant for a moment until Lucario stepped forward and addressed Lia, "We will do our best and support you all the way through."

Everyone else nodded to his proclamation, making Lia smile. "Thanks, guys. Now, let's get cleaning."

For at least an hour or two, the whole group managed to dust everything and straighten up the furniture. Cinderace started a fire in the lounge to warm up the place. Gardevoir and Gengar were trying to fix the roof so it wouldn't leak, and the reason for that is that Lucario told Lia that he sensed that it was going to rain outside. And sure enough, it did.

It was practically raining cats and dogs out there. Lia was grateful that most of the roof was done, but she still had to use some cups and pots to deal with the leaks. Zeraora and Pikachu were downstairs generating the power box so that the place would have light. Persian, Indeedee, and Magerna were in the main bedroom, which had at least a bed.

Lia sat in the lounge, having a warm cup of hot chocolate to warm herself up. Then she heard the familiar sound of little feet running up to her.

"Pika!" (Lia!)

"Hey buddy, you and Zeraora did a good job getting the power on." Lia smiled as she petted the mouse Pokémon on his head.

"Chaaaa!~" he cried out happily.

"Whew, managed to get most of the bedroom fixed up." They heard Persian come into the room.

"Thanks, Persian." Lia smiled at the Classy Pokémon as he jumped onto the couch next to her, letting her scratch between his ears.

"At least we don't have to camp out in that storm. We have enough problems on our list, thank you,"

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice that caused dread to bubble up inside. "GAH! Man, it's pouring out there!"

Turning from the couch, they saw Grim walking through the hall from the front door.

Persian groaned. "Just had to open my mouth."