BUZZZZZZZ!

  Jo heard the furious sound of the Beedrill swarm passing above their heads.

  It was loud, probably made by dozens of Beedrill flying at the same time.

  The sound of their wings beating blended together until it became one single, powerful, heavy noise that pressed her against the ground.

  She was lying on her belly with her face turned forward, so she could see the procession of Beedrill through the gaps in the bush where she was hidden.

  They were furiously following Sammy and Rick down the road.

  She saw Rick dropping his backpack and starting to run. So quick he was that he even outpaced Sammy in a few seconds.

  He said something to Sammy while passing him and turned to one direction, soon being followed by Sammy and the Beedrill.

  They’re going to the lake. A smile formed on her lips after seeing where they were heading.

  He remembers my story.

  When she transferred to the Viridian Trainer School, she didn’t know anyone and was quite bored.

  One day, she overheard Sammy talking to Rick about their secret base in the forest and decided to find its location, to William’s dismay.

  For a few days, she came back home dirty, sweaty, and bruised, but happy. Searching for the secret base was fun, and a welcome distraction.

  A week later, she finally found the base. It was smaller than she imagined, but she still found it very charming. A secret place where she could be without supervision, where her parents’ eyes wouldn’t reach.

  She would make this place hers.

  She waited for them to appear, then asked to be part of the club.

  They were reluctant at first, but Sammy gave her an admission test. She had to bring a pot of recently harvested Beedrill honey for them to prove that she had what it takes to be part of the Bug Catcher Club.

  She felt goosebumps just by remembering it. She had never run so fast before; feeling the danger, her body seemed to transform into something completely different.

  Her legs moved on their own; her heartbeat was so fast and so loud it became a single continuous sound, becoming the only sound she could hear.

  For those brief moments, everything became brighter; she could see things more clearly, and she could even feel the wind cutting her skin. It was a bit painful, but also oddly pleasurable.

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  In this state, she found a nearby lake and leapt into it, still holding the honey jar.

  A few hours later, she returned and became the third member of the Bug Catcher’s Club.

  Just the surprised expression on their faces already made the whole ordeal worth it, but sometimes she missed that sensation of the wind against her skin.

  Should I go with them?

  It would be fun.

  She felt an euphoria take over her, and she almost got up to run, but the warmth coming from her hand held her back.

  She looked to her side, only to find that Kai was also looking at her.

  His eyes were of an intense green, one that brought with it the promise of danger.

  She liked his eyes very much.

  She liked it when he looked at her with those eyes.

  It was exciting to be around him, and she always felt a bit restless when in his company.

  But last night his eyes were different.

  It was difficult to describe, but they were not giving her a dangerous sensation; instead, they made her feel… safe?

  In the night before, she had felt very weak after her conversation with William, not because of him, but because her father had called right at the end.

  She felt small and weak, so she didn’t want Kai to see her like this, but to her surprise, she began to tell him things about her life. She cried in front of him, and it should have been an ugly sight to behold.

  The way he looked at her then was so different from normal.

  His gaze was full of a gentleness she didn’t know he could show, but there was also a deep sadness hidden in his eyes that resonated with her own.

  She found that she also liked those eyes, maybe even more than the usual ones.

  “You’re okay?” Kai asked her in a lowered voice, and she noticed that she had been looking into his eyes for a long time.

  “Oh, yeah, YEA-” She yelled, feeling embarrassed, but he blocked her mouth with his free hand. He got very close to her, to the point she could even see the small scratches on his face from when she threw him in the bush.

  His face was bruised and dirty, much like hers, which made her feel even closer to him somehow.

  Why is it so hot in here?

  Her face was burning; was she blushing?

  She saw leaves in his hair. It was hard to notice at first because his hair was also green, but now that he got closer, she could see it clearly.

  He looked like a cartoon character who wanted to camouflage in the forest.

  She found the contrast between his appearance and his serious expression as he looked at the road hilarious and cute.

  She followed his eyes in time to see the last Beedrill passing by. It was carrying a Weedle in its arms.

  The Weedle was bruised all over, with a few dents on its exoskeleton, and Jo recognized it as the one that had fought with Karrablast.

  It all made sense now. This Weedle had called for help, and the whole colony came up to deal with the enemy.

  They watched as it moved past them, dropping to catch the other Weedles on the way, before resuming its flight.

  Kai seemed to be unusually tense.

  Did he have a bad experience with Beedrills? She didn’t know.

  She wanted to know more about him.

  His heavy breath grazed against her skin, leaving her ticklish.

  “Hey, Kai?” She felt an urge to kiss him.

  “Yeah?” He answered, without moving his gaze.

  “Do you want to get some Beedrill honey with me?” Her gaze never left him.