She watched them walk past the orphanage with an expressionless face.

A Chespin. A girl of my own age. And an older boy. They must be on a journey. Wonder what it feels like. Mom had said that it would be very exciting.

She could have done that too. Been a normal girl with a normal life. She could have set out for her own journey with a pokemon by her side. She could have gone on a journey and seen the whole of Kalos. Maybe the world, too.

But she couldn't. Because of stupid Team Flare and stupid Kalos Crisis and stupid -

No. Don't think about him. He doesn't deserve it.

"Verity?"

Verity turned to see the manager of the orphanage. She stood up. "Good morning, Mr Ross."

"Good morning to you too, Verity," the man replied. Mr Ross was a young man in his late twenties, with dark blue hair and amber eyes that sparkled in the sunlight from the window.

"I take it that Finnley and Clara were adopted, then?" Verity asked, and Mr Ross gave an affirmative nod. "Good for them," she said monotonously.

Mr Ross frowned. "Verity, you-"

"No, Mr Ross. I think we both know that I will never be adopted," Verity interrupted him quietly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Verity was the oldest orphan, having been brought to the orphanage a month before she turned ten - the age at which, normally, she would have gone on her own journey. Before the Kalos Crisis changed everything, that is.

"Not now," Mr Ross said, but Verity wondered why his eyes were sparkling brightly. "I just wanted to ask something. Would you like to go to Professor Sycamore's lab?"

.....

Professor Augustine Sycamore looked at his visitors from the Lumiose Orphanage. He had shaken hands with their manager, Mr Jeffery Ross. However, he hadn't expected the man to have a teenage assistant.
Sophie took the orphans to see the lab pokemon. The girl - she must be about Mairin's age - quietly went with them, her sea green eyes sad but curious. Professor Sycamore turned to Mr Ross.

"Your assistant is rather young." he remarked .

Ross frowned. "What assistant?"

"The auburn-haired girl-?"
"Verity? She's not my assistant. She's an orphan as well."
"But isn't she a bit too old to be an orphan? I didn't see anyone else above the age of six."

Ross smiled rather sadly. "Verity was one of the children orphaned during the Kalos Crisis. She was just short of ten when she was brought in, and the oldest orphan. Since most parents do not adopt older children, she's stayed here."

Professor Sycamore hoped that his face didn't show his shock. He had known that some lives had been lost in the Kalos Crisis (though he hadn't mentioned that to Alain. The boy had enough self-blame to deal with) but he hadn't realised that children had been orphaned, their futures taken away from them.

Especially at Verity's age, when she had been just a month away from being a trainer. At an age when, no doubt, her greatest dream had been wrenched out of reach. The Crisis hadn't just taken away her parents - it had robbed her of her life.

No wonder her eyes were so sad.

.....

"What pokemon is that, Miss Sophie?" Verity asked.
Professor Sycamore's assistant looked at the bush she was pointing at and gave a rather sad smile.
"That's Eevee," she said. "But she won't come to you. She doesn't trust anyone who doesn't live in the lab."

Verity frowned, carefully prying an over-enthusiastic Linoone away from her shoulder. She had attracted quite a crowd of pokemon, but now she fixed her attention on the Eevee.
"Why doesn't she trust others?" she asked.

"Eevee! Come out," Sophie called.

Hesitantly, the little pokemon poked her head out, and Verity got the shock of her life. She'd never seen an Eevee pike this before. Unlike the caramel-brown coat of other Eevee, this one had a silvery-white pelt, and her eyes were the pinkish-brown colour of copper.

Eevee must have seen the surprise on Verity's face, for she immediately ducked under the bush again.

Verity looked at Sophie for explanation.

"Eevee is a shiny pokemon," Sophie explained. "You saw her coat. Her previous trainer, Kyle, didn't want her at all because of her colour. After Eevee lost a battle, he abandoned her."

"That's... harsh," Verity said. Way too harsh. Just because Eevee looked different and had lost a battle, Kyle had abandoned her?

Now that she had gotten over her surprise, she realised that Eevee didn't look bad at all. She wouldn't call her beautiful, exactly, but she looked unique, in a striking way.

"Eevee!" Verity called, but there was no response.

The Linoone reluctantly jumped off her shoulder as she inched forward. Verity sat down on her knees in front of the bush.

"Eevee, I want you to know that I don't judge you because of your looks. You're unique the way you are, and that's good."

No response. Verity hoped Eevee was listening. She leaned forward, out of Sophie's earshot.

"I was abandoned, too, just like you."

She sensed Eevee pricking up her ears.

"My father left us. Mom died, and he didn't care, and then he died too. I'm all alone mow, just like you. We're in the same boat. But it doesn't have to be this way. Can't we be friends, Eevee?"

Slowly, warily, Eevee crept out of the bush and walked towards Verity. Then she stopped, and hesitated.

Verity didn't give the little pokemon a chance to bolt. She scooped Eevee into her arms, earning a startled yelp from her. Then she felt Eevee relax.

Verity hugged her, breathing in the grassy smell of her warm fur, and Eevee didn't try to run. On the contrary, Verity felt something soft, warm and extremely wet on her neck.

"EEVEE!" she squealed. "That tickles!"

Verity saw the mischievous glint in Eevee's eyes as she licked her, and both of them burst out laughing.

"How did you do that, Verity?" a surprised voice asked. Verity turned to see Professor Sycamore standing behind her. She had been too busy with Eevee to notice when Sophie had gone to fetch the professor, but now ahe saw the blue-haired assistant looking at Eevee on her lap in blank shock.

Verity stood up, letting Eevee go. "Professor Sycamore!"

"How did you get Eevee to trust you, Verity?" Professor Sycamore asked her again. "After Kyle abandoned her, she hasn't trusted anyone who doesn't live in the lab."

"Sometimes," Verity said softly, half to herself, "you just need to know that there's someone out there who's going through the same thing as you are, and you know that you're not alone, and someone understands."

Professor Sycamore stared at her thoughtfully. "Do you like the lab, Verity?"

Verity blinked, caught a little off guard by the question. "Yes, of course I do. There are so many pokemon I've never seen before, and they're all so cheerful and happy... yes, they make us orphans forget our loneliness."

Professor Sycamore nodded and walked away, still looking lost in his own thoughts.

.....

Time had flown. The visit was at an end.

"Vee! Ee-vee!"

Verity tried not to cry as she gently fended a clingy Eevee off her leg. She didn't want to leave her new friend so soon either, but what choice did she have?

"Wait, Verity," Mr Ross said. "Professor Sycamore wants to speak to you. Go and meet him."

The other orphans stared on with mild curiosity as Verity nervously walked into the room Mr Ross had indicated.

"Verity," Professor Sycamore greeted her. His assistants, Sophie and Cosette stood behind him to one side. His right-hand side was empty.

"Having conferred with my assistants - even those who are currently not here - as well as your manager, Jeffery Ross, I have made this decision, Verity Roberts," Professor Sycamore declared solemnly. "But of course, the answer is up to you. Would you like to work as an assistant in the lab?"

Verity stared.

"I saw how you interacted with Eevee and the other pokemon. Jeffery also told me about how you love reading," Professor Sycamore continued. "You clearly understand pokemon, and they understand you too. I know you will be a valuable colleague to all of us. So, will you do it? Will you stay with us?"

Verity felt a balloon swelling in her chest, growing larger, carrying it away with her. Her eyes were blurred with tears, but the tears were of disbelieving joy. She opened her mouth to speak.

"I will, Professor."

She would work as an assistant in Professor Sycamore's lab. She would have a partner pokemon of her own. She would fulfill her dream. She would not let any more people or pokemon suffer from anything like the Crisis ever again. She would not fail him.

She would do her very best, at least.

Professor Sycamore smiled. " Marvellous! And there's one more thing..."

He held out a shining pokeball.

"Vee! Ee-vee-vee!" Eevee squealed.

Verity grinned - her first proper grin in three years. She tapped Eevee with the pokeball, watching her get sucked inside it. The pokeball moved once... twice... and then was still.

Success. Her pokemon partner was now officially hers.

....

Mr Ross had waved goodbye, and set off in the orphanage bus with the rest of the orphans. Verity smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder and plaiting it into an auburn pigtail.

"Verity," Professor Sycamore said, as a slow, expectant grin spread over his face. "Jeffery told me about your dream. Do you want to go on a journey?"