"Very true," Margaret conceded. "I usually try to match types, when I can. At least just so I'm not at a disadvantage."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. But even if you don't have the type that works best against the other pokemon, at least you have other options that aren't necessarily weak against the other pokemon."

Margaret nodded and then yawned.

"It's getting late," she said. "First train usually arrives in Saffron early, so it leaves Goldenrod even earlier than that, so we're going to want to get up early."

Aleron nodded. "Okay. I'm going to go find a cot for the night, and I'll come wake you in the morning."

"Alright," Margaret replied. "Sleep well." Once Aleron left the room, Margaret settled in next to her own pokemon.

Aleron woke her up early the next morning, looking far too awake for that hour of the day. "Come on, Margaret, we need to get going." She looked at Natu. "You wake her up while I go find coffee, okay?"

Natu chirped happily and hopped over to start chattering in Margaret's ear. Margaret groaned and tried to wave the little Natu away.

"Really, I'm getting up," she mumbled.

Aleron snickered and went to go find coffee for the two of them, leaving Vulpix and Jolteon there to make sure Margaret got up. She returned a few minutes later with two to-go cups of coffee.

"I bring offerings of coffee if you get up."

Margaret was still trying to get Natu to stop talking in her ear.

"You're evil," she grumbled at Aleron. "You set my Natu off, and she won't shut up."

Aleron chuckled. "You wouldn't get up on your own. I needed help without disturbing the rest of the hospital." She patted Metagross. "Now come on, get your coffee so we can get going."

Margaret rolled her eyes but got up and took the coffee. The Natu chirped at her once more time, and she blinked and looked at her.

"Say that again?" she said. Natu chirped at her again, apparently repeating herself. Margaret looked at Aleron. "Did you understand that?"

"She chirped," Aleron said with a shrug. "That's all I got out of it." She sat down with her coffee, and Vulpix immediately hopped into her lap.

"She threatened me with Uproar," Margaret replied. "You didn't hear it?"

"All I heard was "chirp chirp"," Aleron said, raising her eyebrows. "You know that's not normal, right?"

Margaret was silent for a moment, and then she glanced at Metagross.

"Did you understand her?" she asked him. Metagross rumbled back, and Margaret blinked. "This just isn't right..."

"Yeah, no." Aleron frowned. "I don't know what's going on, but it's not normal, Margaret. How long have you been able to understand her for?"

"I don't know," Margaret replied. "Since now? Maybe since yesterday? I have no idea, I only just noticed." She glanced back at Metagross, and then at Aleron. "And it's not just her."

"Somehow I didn't think so." Aleron looked at her with a little frown. "That is intriguing and just a little bit scary. Can you understand either of mine, or just yours?"

"I... don't know," Margaret replied. "I haven't noticed... I mean, Natu is talkative, she always has to make noise. But I haven't noticed anything from your two."

Aleron nodded. "Maybe it's just yours, then," she said. "Which still doesn't explain how you're doing it."

"I have no idea how I'm doing it," Margaret replied. She sighed. "I really don't. It just... happened."

"I believe you," Aleron said. "But it is a little confusing. Maybe when we get back to Saffron you can ask your parents if they've heard about anything like this. I mean, they work at SilphCo, maybe there have been other cases like you?"

Margaret nodded.

"They might know something," she agreed. She packed up her things, and recalled all of her pokemon. "Come on. I want to get back home and see what they say."

Aleron nodded her agreement and recalled her pokemon as well. "We'll have to hurry a bit to get over there in time. We took longer than I anticipated." She picked up her coffee again and headed out of the pokemon center.

Once they got outside, Margaret checked her map.

"Actually... It's not too far to Goldenrod, in a straight line," she said. "I try not to do this too often, because Espeon doesn't like it much, but she knows Teleport."