Deep talks

"I don't know what to do," Vali told Delia after explaining to the woman what Steven had told her the night before, "Steven wants me to come with him to Hoenn, but what if Blaine agrees to have me become his Apprentice? what am I going to do?"

"Oh Vali," Delia sighed deeply as she handed Vali a glass of water and took a seat beside the girl at the table, "This is definitely a tough decision, what do you want to do?"

Vali groaned softly, "That's the problem, Delia, I want both. I want to travel with Steven once again, but I also want to become Blaine's apprentice," She looked at the women feeling a well of stress and pain filling her heart, "I loved traveling with Steven so much, Delia. It was so much fun and I'd love to explore Hoenn with him. But Blaine's apprenticeship offer, it won't always be around..."

Delia frowned softly, "Vali, what does your heart say?"

"It wants me to travel with Steven, but..." Vali hesitated for a moment as she swallowed heavily, "Delia, Blaine's offer won't always be around. I don't think he'd give me another chance even if I impressed him," She looked at the glass of water in her hands, "I...If he offers me the apprenticeship, I...think I'm going to accept it and say no to Steven. I don't know though," She looked up at Delia feeling tears well up, "Why did he have to ask me now, Delia?"

"Because he wanted to give you time to make a decision with a clear head that wasn't rushed," Delia reached out and squeezed Vali's hands, "You'll make the correct decision even if it doesn't seem like it at first, Vali," The brown haired woman stood up, "Why don't you talk with your pokemon about it?"

Vali decided to take Delia's advice and took her pokemon to one of the Indigo Plateau's many secluded gardens. After releasing them, she had them settle around her and leaned back against Balto, "Guys, I need your help. I don't need to make a decision right away especially since part of this deals with me becoming Blaine's apprentice and that requires him actually offering that," She saw their confusion and took a deep breath, "Last night, Steven told me he was going back to Hoenn after the Conference was over though didn't specify an exact date meaning it could be a couple weeks afterwards," Everyone began letting out cries of protest and she clapped her hands over her ears until Balto let out a howl to silence them, "Thank you, Balto," He huffed lightly and licked her hand, "Anyway, He gave me an offer to come with him. Gave us an offer to come with him."

Elrond spoke from his place on her lap, "To stay with him. He doesn't want to part from you."

"I don't want to be so far away from him either," Vali told them, "But I don't want to give up Blaine's apprenticeship if he offers it," She looked at each of them, "We'll be able to get stronger with Blaine's help. We'll be able to reach new heights, find new techniques, and so much more if we stay in Kanto to learn under him," She closed her eyes feeling tears well up as pain formed in her heart, "But it means not being able to see Steven for so long unless its on the phone and with his penchant for caves, we'd probably only be in contact sometimes. Being able to talk with him and spend time together these past few days have been great, I miss traveling with him. I want to see Hoenn too and Steven would be an awesome guide," She felt a tear run down her cheek earning soft whines from Aragorn and Houndour, "Please guys, help me make a decision. I need you more than ever,"

Elrond's tail touched the skin of her arm more firmly. Fire that almost longed to twin with her own only it carried howled songs of loyalty and pack, Balto's deep baritone mental voice was comforting, "Steven is pack, but even pack must seperate for short periods of time, Vali-Sister. We must stay close to Kanto. The Lord of Flames will call at any time and we must stay close until then."

"Alpha is right," Smaug huffed in agreement, "Separation will do us some good. We will only get stronger if we're surrounded by the same strong opponents," She opened her eyes and found Smaug looking at her, "We want to become strong enough to protect those we care for. Our pack, our family, our clan, our friends? It will only be done if we find new opponents and get better training,"

Strong winds and the bright summer sun beating down on a feather back, Celina's mezzo-soprano voice trilled out, "I'd prefer it if we stayed together. You're heartache is too strong for the parting to be easy and you'll regret it if we let you say no. Another opportunity will come, Vali-sister. Alpha and Smaug might be right, but your heart is important too."

Soft earthy rumbles and cool dark tunnels, Idril's light alto murmured, "I want to stay together," Idril touched her hand lightly with a gentle claw, "Journey together again, Vali-Sister. We separated once before and if this would mean staying together for longer, I'd prefer it."

Fire that danced with an energy all its own that sang about running free without restraints and traveling across grassy plains, Arwen's contralto voice sounded, "We are herd-pack. To be together once more, I would prefer it to travel alongside them, but to be offered the chance at more strength before we're called upon is not an offer to be passed up on" Arwen stamped her hoof and gave Vali a look, "But is it necessary to think of such things when the offer isn't made? It's better to enjoy the day and what time we've got left before our future battles come! Leave the future for tomorrow!"

Deep earthen tunnels and cool gritty sand, Terra's soft alto called out, "I want to explore that new Region and be with our friends."

A storm right before it actually lets loose and forest in the middle of autumn. Pippin's mental voice sounded like a teenagers and kept cracking up though it was deepening a bit each time Elrond initiated the connection, "While traveling with everyone once again would be nice, it would be best to stay in Kanto. The Lord of Flames could call at any time just like Alpha said."

Fire that sang of rumbling earth and the feral fury of the flame, Pele's contralto sounded next, "To stay with our friends would be nice, I wouldn't mind seeing my homeland again even if I cannot remember it well from before I was sent to that place we met in," She let out a soft huff and slowly shifted to rest more comfortably on the ground, "But that would be waiting for us regardless won't it, right? Steven won't mind if we say no because in the end we'll always be friends."

Roaring dragons that refused to bow and steel scales that refused to break, Empress' mental voice was a mix between a light alto and mezzo-soprano, "Go or stay, we cannot linger too long. We will gain no strength and given what is coming our way, we cannot risk such a thing."

Fire that still had much to learn yet spoke of ages long past, Aragorn's soft boyish voice came from her right side, "It might be best to stay in Kanto. While we might miss Steven and the others, Alpha is right as is Smaug. The Lord of Flames will be calling upon us at some point," Aragorn twitched his right tail, "But Celina is right, your heart is important too. I don't want that to happen," His right tail twitched again, "Terra has a good point. It would allow us to explore a new region. I would actually have a chance to battle more," His right tail twitched again, "Empress is right too, we cannot linger too long."

Fire coated with darkness, Houndour's soft mental voice still carried some toddlerish tones, "Dour like Stevie and others. They nice and like play. Dour wanna keep them."

Fire intertwined with the spirits of the dead, Litwick's whispery mental voice called out, "They're nice enough and I like the idea of Hoenn. I also like the idea of this apprenticeship. I don't really mind what we end up doing, but we'd probably be better off staying close to Kanto where the Lord of Flame may easily call us to him."

Elrond spoke up last out of her pokemon, "Everyone has brought up good points, but nothing will be clear to us until after Blaine offers you an Apprenticeship. Even then, you will need to make the decision."

Vali nodded her head lightly and closed her eyes once more as Elrond removed his tail making sure no one would overwhelm her mind especially with the work she'd done with Sabrina yesterday. She spoke softly, "Thank you everyone, you've given me a lot to think about especially since this journey isn't just about me. It's about all of us."

Balto nuzzled into Vali from behind as Aragorn and Houndour did the same from beside her. She hugged Elrond tighter and he murmured softly through their connection, "Whatever you decide, Vali, we're with you just as you've been with us. We're pack."