"Well, it's certainly..." I trailed off, wondering which of the many adjectives running through my head was most appropriate.

"Obtuse," Mei supplied, as I floundered for a word. Turning to shoot me a quick grin as I mulled over her choice, I shrugged, before nodded in agreement.

We were back down on the planet, outside of Sandgem Town, and before us sat the Hummer the science division had gone at with our list of requests.

"It doesn't look very friendly," Celia offered.

Indeed, it didn't. While the general appearance was vaguely Hummer-ish, the lines and contours had been modified to our requests, resulting in a slightly-bulkier-looking vehicle that glinted darkly in the morning sunlight.

Not quite black, it was more of a graphite-gray, and the tinted windows denied anyone outside a glimpse of what lay within. Of course, as we were all currently outside of it as well, I shrugged, stepped forward, and pulled the door open.

The interior wasn't cluttered, but there were panels and hatches everywhere I bothered to look, and I did my best to ignore them as I climbed up into the surprisingly comfortable bucket driver's seat.

"Coming?" I asked the others, as they continued to look. With a couple mumbled comments, Ranma, Mei, Celia, and Shinji piled in, Mei taking the passenger's seat, while Celia and Shinji took the center seat.

Behind them, however, instead of cargo storage, there was a fifth chair set into the driver's side (where Ranma sat), across from which lay a number of electronics, a (currently locked) arsenal of Blaster Rifles, and some more equipment. Seeing the rifles reminded me of my request for a roof-mounted repeating blaster, and sure enough, running down the center of the interior was a bump that made sitting in the center hazardous for all but the shortest people.

From the outside, there was a ridge that ran down the center as well, and I smirked as I considered the possibilities. Fortunately, I wasn't really in the mood for senseless mayhem, so I nodded in satisfaction, before slipping back into my seat.

"Those had better stay there," Celia said, eying the racked weapons warily.

"They're there ‘just in case’... we don't have any plans to actually use them," Mei replied, as she fiddled with the center console, which looked more like the interior of an airplane than it did a vehicle.

"Radar... communications... Ah! Climate control," she muttered, before turning on the A/C. While she was doing that, I was trying to find a place to put Ralts, who had been looking around the interior along with the rest of us. Everyone else's Pokémon were in their pokéballs, bur Ralts had verbally protested when I tried to recall him, so, after a few seconds of searching, I handed him off to Mei, who placed the little psychic in her lap after buckling up.

"We forgot to ask for child safety seats," Mei said with a grin as I put the vehicle in gear. It wasn't manual, like my car had been, and it didn't sound like there was an internal combustion engine under the hood. Instead, aside from the near-silent hum of the air conditioner, the loudest sound was that of the gravel and leaves crunching under the tires.

After a few feet of driving, and a small button on the dash lit up, drawing my attention. Keeping my eyes on the road as best I could, I reached out and pushed it, and a small container popped up from the dashboard behind the steering wheel with a pair of sunglasses inside. Smirking, I pulled them on, only to hit the brakes as my vision was assaulted with lights that hadn't been there before.

"Holy crap," I mumbled, staring out the windows. Apparently, the glasses were part of a Heads-Up Display system that oriented itself on my eyes, because there were indicators on each window outlining various Pokémon outside, many of which were invisible to the unaided eye. Tearing them off my head for a moment, I glanced at where the glasses had said a Budew sat, and after a moment of searching, I spotted a hint of movement and a flash of blue that led me to believe that it was indeed correct.

"What's wrong?" Celia asked, frowning.

"Cantrell or SHODAN must have hacked the Pokédex sensors. Check it out," I said, handing her the glasses. She slid them on, and I watched her eyebrows rise as she turned to look out the nearest window.

"That's... fairly impressive," she mumbled, before frowning and taking them off. "Takes some of the challenge out of finding Pokémon though, don't you think?"

I shrugged, watching as the glasses were passed around. "I'm not too concerned with the popular practice of catching them all. At least, not at the moment. And I'm not an easily-entertained 10-year-old just leaving home and learning how to make my way in the world."

"Could have fooled me sometimes," Shinji said, as he stared out the window with the glasses on.

Scowling, I snatched them off his face and put them back on mine, ignoring his squawk of surprised protest. "Well, I'm not. I'm in charge of a ship full of refugees and another full of military personnel. While we're down here sight-seeing," I explained, putting the vehicle back in drive and taking off, "they're up there, trying to rationalized what we so recently escaped, and figure out what to do next. Nabiki's plan, while crazy, just might be what it takes to calm things down. Otherwise I'm going to start getting reports of suicides and other deaths from The Nerve. And none of us want that."

Everyone was silent at that, before Ranma started rummaging around in the compartments in the rear. After a moment, he pulled out a second pair of glasses, handing them to Shinji, before passing more out to the rest of the passengers. Mei tried to fit a pair on Ralts, but without ears or a nose, they didn't stay in place long, and he didn't act too interested in what they offered, which only made sense, since he couldn't read anyway.

"So, where are we headed?" Mei asked, finally.

I shrugged. "If you see anything out there you'd like to capture, tell me to stop. Otherwise, I think we'll head east-north-east."

"Hearthome, or Veilstone?" Celia asked.

Glancing at her in the mirror, I quirked a brow. "Veilstone, preferably. Possibly Hearthome if there's some pressing reason to head there."

She nodded. "I'm not familiar with Veilstone, but I spent a summer in Hearthome judging Pokémon contests."

I frowned. "Like a referee? I thought the Joys did that," I queried, swinging the vehicle around a fallen tree. For a four-wheel drive light-armored transport, it was surprisingly nimble... though that might have been one of the Science Department's many modifications.

"Contests, not battles," Celia explained. "A Contest is where a Pokémon is dressed up by their trainer and performs before a panel of judges. In Sinnoh, there's an appearance stage, a dance contest, and acting, the final of which is really just using different moves in flashy or impressive ways."

I blinked. "No fighting?"

She frowned. "Not all Pokémon-related business involves Pokémon battles. And some of the moves can and do affect other contestants during the acting stage of the contest."

I nodded. "I'm not making light of it, I honestly had never heard of such a thing. My understanding revolves around Kanto and Johto's Pokémon leagues. As far as I know, both regions don't have contests."

Celia shifted in her seat, before responding. "It's... disconcerting to think about... but Kanto was given a bit of a face-lift about a year after Hoenn's Pokémon Champion was defeated a few years back... Officers passing through said the whole region looked like it had been refreshed."

Mei glanced over and me, and shrugged, before turning to look at Celia. "Sounds like Nintendo re-issued Red, Blue, and Yellow, and this world adjusted to keep current."

"Like one of those Universal Rewrites?" I asked with a frown.

"What ever happened to those, anyway? I remember when that happened back... home..." Ranma said, trailing off as he searched for the right word.

"I don't really know," I replied with a shrug. "I don't remember one ever happening in the Wing Commander Universe, or in Eva... and today is our seventh day in this universe, so unless we're not quite there yet, I don't know if this world will have one, either."

Shinji, who'd been silent during most of the conversation, spoke up suddenly, "If it's only happened in your world and Ranma's, then maybe it's because you didn't have a spaceship before then?"

I nodded. "Could be. It's probably far easier to 'edit-in' a few people, than it is to justify the existence of technology from another universe, far beyond anything currently available."

"Or perhaps it's only in universes one of you are from," SHODAN's voice stated from hidden speakers.

Glancing down at the dash, I spotted a small screen that was currently displaying the AI's computer-generated 'face,' and nodded. "That could be it, too. If that's the case, then we should be in the clear up until we reach Sailor Moon."

Mei shuddered. "I can only imagine what kind of fucked-up way my sisters and I are to be 'naturalized.'"

I winced, before nodding. "Makoto managed to fight it off partially, once before. We might be able to pull off something similar. Or find a way to avoid it, or get around it."

She didn't respond, and I left her to her thoughts as the trail we were on became rockier and less level.

"Are you aiming for those potholes?" Shinji complained as the front end bounced out of a pit deep enough to hear rocks scraping on the underbelly.

"Honestly? I think I just hit a ditch at a bad angle," I mumbled, as the vehicle lurched over a speed bump that was surprisingly dense.

The path grew worse as we made our way across the countryside, the absence of paved roads giving way to rocky fields to the south of towering Mt. Coronet, an abundance of Pokémon, and the steady decline of the sun in the sky. Finally...

"Hearthome City," Celia exclaimed as we pulled onto a fairly worn path on the outskirts of a large city.

"So it would seem," I mumbled, pulling to a stop on the side of the road. Popping the door open, I pulled the glasses off (though as the sky had darkened, they’d amplified the lighting enough to continue driving with them on) and stretched as I hopped out.

Ralts, obviously glad to be out of the modified hummer, teleported to the ground beside me and proceeded to look around, much as I had started doing after popping as many joints as I could.

"Not bad," Ranma supplied, before pulling the pokéball off his belt and letting Eno out.

While Ralts and Eno began talking to each other, I turned to the rest of my companions. "I suppose we should find ourselves a room for the night."

"Makes sense," Mei responded, nodding.

"So we're off to another PokéCenter?" Shinji asked.

"Unless you'd like to recline a seat and sleep in the car," Mei suggested.

Shinji shook his head and turned towards the city. After a couple steps, however, he stopped and looked down at the small bag he'd been holding in surprise. Opening it up quickly, he pulled free the Pokémon egg, which was twitching visibly in his grasp.

"I think it's hatching!" He cried. "What do I do?"

"Set it down gently and call out your Bulbasaur. And get your Pokédex out so you can register it," Celia ordered.

Carefully, Shinji crouched and set the egg down, before pulling out his Bulbasaur's pokéball and calling it out.

Once it had appeared, the little plant Pokémon grunted, then turned to see what everyone was looking at.

The egg continued to rock on the patch of grass Shinji had set it on, before finally there was a cracking noise, followed by pieces of eggshell flying away, then a flash of light, and when our vision returned....

"Awww... It's so cute!" Mei squealed.

"... It's so rare..." I mumbled.

"What is it?" Shinji asked, crouching over it carefully and slowly.

"It's an Eevee," Celia said, her voice full of surprise. "It's like Kyle said, rare... and cute." She smiled. "Congratulations, Shinji. That little Pokémon is quite versatile."

"So I see," Shinji replied, absently, as he scratched the little Pokémon's chin like a cat. When it rolled over he gently rubbed its belly, earning vocalizations from the baby.

"Looks kinda like a cat," Ranma said, distrustfully, from across the road.

"Not really. Maybe a little. Far more fox-like, though." Mei said, as Shinji continued to play with his newest Pokémon.

After watching them for another minute, I sighed. "Well, I suppose, all things considered, those of us wanting to sleep indoors ought to get a room in town."

"What do you mean by that? You want to sleep out here in the... err... vehicle?" Mei asked.

"Not really, no. I actually want to go collect a couple Pokémon that are nocturnal and out of the way. I figured tonight's as good a time as any."

"Nocturnal Pokémon around here?" Celia asked.

"Actually, Dark-types, kind of far away; I figure a little flight, a little fight, and maybe it'll give you all some time to settle in before the media closes in," I replied, staring back towards Mt. Coronet.

"Ahh. You know, not all dark-types are nocturnal." The officer offered.

I smirked. "I know that. But from what little I learned last night, these two are somewhat out of our way, rare, and in rather annoyingly inhospitable places. Ranma might be up to exploring, but you, Mei, and Shinji?" I shrugged.

"You think I can't handle a rough trail or some thick trees?" Celia growled.

Grabbing a canteen and pouring some of its contents over my head, I shrugged. "There aren't that many trees on a cliff face." Taking to the air, I paused a couple feet above the ground and smirked down at her. "And unless you can fly, I really don't feel like teaching anyone how to mountain climb."

"Oh," she replied, staring at my feet for a moment before turning to look at Ralts, who was resting on the ground nearby. "Will you be bringing him? As a psychic type, he's going to be at a severe disadvantage if what you're hunting is dark."

Glancing down at him, I shrugged. "If this were a game, I'd be inclined to toss him an experience share and shove him in his ball. As it is, though, I'll keep him safe. He might draw some fire, but dark types are weak to fighting types... and I have a pretty mean right hook," I explained, holding up my fist and grinning.

"I don't doubt it. You're one of the few people I know willing to take on a Pokémon themselves. What do you want us to do?"

Glancing at Mei and Shinji, who were still engrossed with Shinji's new Eevee, I turned towards Hearthome City. "Take them into town, show them around, keep 'em safe... You know this area better than any of us, so I'll trust you to see them through the evening safely."

Celia frowned. "Thanks. From police officer to tour guide; my life is definitely improving," she said, as she turned to go.

I crossed my arms, and floated to the ground. "Don't take it so badly. You've seen my ship, my crew. You're no mere tour guide, you're pretty much our primary contact with this entire world. Selling yourself short helps nobody."

Celia looked at me for a second, then nodded. "Fair enough." Then she smiled. "Just try to stay out of too much trouble, princess."

Before I could yell at her, she had turned to walk off, joining Mei and Shinji over Eevee.

Deciding they had things well in hand, I turned to go, and almost ran smack into Ranma.

"Hello there," I muttered, before taking off vertically. Before I could get away, however, I felt him grip my ankle, and I shrugged. "I wasn't sure, but I thought you might try to tag along. Hold on tight," I said, before taking off.

Flying with Ranma's additional weight wasn't exactly hard, but it certainly was awkward, and I fumbled in the air when Ralts suddenly appeared on my shoulder and latched onto my neck.

"I was wondering when you'd catch up little guy," I said conversationally as I sped up towards Mount Coronet. Ranma yelled something from below, but the wind snatched it away, so I just shook the leg he was holding on to and sped up, smiling as his grip tightened.

"Ralts, you want to splash our passenger? He's a bit heavy currently," I said as we approached the most inhospitable looking face of the mountain.

Ralts squeaked something, and I wondered if he could summon water like water-types. Instead, a moment later, an orb of water drifted towards us from a small pool of melt water below, and it stopped ahead and below us. I smirked as I continued on, the water passing below my feet, to impact against Ranma's face as he flew into it, unable to dodge.

"What'd you do that for?" he –now she- yelled over the rush of air.

Flexing the leg she was holding onto, I nodded, "Thanks Ralts. That's much better." Spotting a promising ledge about three feet wide, I started to descend, keeping any eye out for any moving shapes against the mountaintop's snowy coating.

About twenty feet away from the cliff, I snapped a kick as best I could with the uneven weight attached, and enjoyed watching Ranma take to the air, flailing briefly before snapping an arm out here, a leg out there, and coming to a halt in the center of the path.

Touching down beside her a moment later, I nodded. "Nice recovery."

"You... you jerk!" She said, panting for breath.

"What? I didn't say you could come along. I could have peeled you off when I was still over that field of boulders," I explained, before turning to walk up the trail.

"Hey! You wouldn't do something like that!" Ranma cried, as she started to follow me.

"Maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn't," I said, slowing as the path narrowed to about a foot and a half, then disappeared around a bend.

On the other side, I smirked. There was a slanted side of the mountain, small, hardy plants poking up through the snow. And frolicking in that snow, under the dim light of the partially-cloud-covered moon, were a trio of Pokémon.

"What are they?" Ranma whispered.

"Absol," I replied in the same tone.

There was a soft snap, a muted beep, and I realized what was about to happen too late to do anything about it.

"Absol: the disaster Pokémon. Able to sense coming disasters, this Pokémon only comes down from the mountains to warn people of impending danger."

I buried my face in my hands as Ranma's Pokédex announced our presence to the Pokémon before us. Where before, the three had been playing with each other, they now stood shoulder to shoulder staring at us, and I couldn't help but wince at the distrustful look they shot us.

"Sollllll..." the largest of the three muttered, a moment before barking at the others. The one in the middle yipped in reply, then ran off, while the remaining two spread out a bit.

"Ralts, buddy, wanna tell them we're friendly?" I asked, smirking.

Ralts looked at me from my shoulder, before shrugging and turning to look at the two Absol and begin trying to talk to them. As he did, I sized them up, sure Ranma was probably doing the same as well.

Quadrupeds in form, the Pokémon sported a coat of white hair much like a cat, with a lion-like main of longer white hair around its neck. The black furred face was also somewhat catlike, but growing from the left side of its head was a sickle-like appendage that arched over its head like a horn. Its tail was unusual, as well, shaped like a scythe and dark in color, much like its face. Two pairs of red eyes stared at us, and as Ralts spoke, they gave us both a look, before turning their focus on Ralts.

Then their eyes narrowed.

"Aaand that's that. Ralts, get ready," I muttered, as the larger Absol spoke again.

As it finished, it charged, the other running to the side as if to flank us, and I felt Ralts stiffen, a moment before a barrier appeared between us and the Absol.

"Impressive, little guy!' I said, grinning. Then the Absol hit it with its horn mid-leap, and it cut through the psychic barrier as if it were tissue. That was when I remembered, Dark-types were immune to psychic abilities.

The feral gleam in the Absol's eyes was replaced with one of pain as it smashed into a second barrier, one that had been invisible until struck. Then it flashed orange, the concentric hexagons of an AT-Field flaring into visibility briefly before fading away.

"Not so easy a fight as you first thought, eh?" I asked, a moment before the other Absol leapt at Ranma. Fortunately (for Ranma) he'd been watching for just that, and rolled, catching the flying Absol by the forepaws and planting his foot in it's stomach before sending it along with a little boost in speed.

As the two Pokémon regained their footing and prowled back and forth ahead of us, I grinned. "Not nearly as powerful as I had thought... maybe we should look elsewhere?" I shot Ralts a grin, which he returned nervously, and then they attacked again.

Ranma, for her part, seemed somewhat bored as he practices redirecting his attacker through the air repeatedly, and after deflecting a couple lunges with my AT-Field, I started jumping back, until that got old and I hovered backwards in a large circle as my attacker continued coming at me.

During the next break, however, the Absol after me closed its eyes in concentration, and for a moment, its horn glowed white before a glowing blade of light flew at me from it, like some sort of laser boomerang.

"Woah" I muttered, as it passed over me, out towards the clouds. The next one impacted the ground below my floating feet, and I smirked, beginning to dodge this new attack as well as the physical ones.

Finally, however, we made a mistake. I'd ducked under a low flying-attack after dodging an impressive off-the-wall lunge, and the missed blast traveled a few hundred feet up the mountain before impacting with a satisfying boom. Unfortunately, the following rumble, was far less appealing.

The two Absol howled, and Ranma looked around nervously for somewhere safe to hole up.

Above us, a good ton or two of loose rock and snow slid towards us, growing in size and speed. The only real shelter was against the 10-foot ledge up the mountain side, where hopefully the snow and rocks would pass over us. Ranma and I seemed to see it at the same time and head for the spot, while the two Absol looked on in growing fear.

I waved them over, and rolled my eyes when they failed to move from their spot out in the open. Moments before the little avalanche reaches us, I grabbed one with the a wing, then the other, before capping our little hiding spot with an AT-Field and hoping too much snow didn't get around it.

The roar of the rocks and snow drowned out all but the loudest howl of terror the Absol gave off, and I felt Ralts bury his face into my neck as he held onto me in fear.

Overhead, my AT-Field flashed and flickered as the weight of the rocks and ice pressed down on it as they passed, and a few times, I winced as feedback indicated some fairly large boulders were rolling overhead. Finally, however, the rumble tapered off, disappearing down slope, and I glanced up at the rocks visible overhead, the glowing AT-Field holding them up also illuminating them.

"Well... this is a fine predicament..." I said, straining against the weight of the rock overhead.

"What should we do?" Ranma asked.

"Ralts, think you can take over for a second?"

"Raa..?" The Pokémon said from my shoulder, glancing up at the rocks overhead. "Ra!" He nodded once, sharply, before holding his hand up and summoning a barrier underneath the AT-Field, and I let go, watching as he hunched over as the weight settled on him.

Knowing he couldn't hold it for long (and watching the barrier overhead slowly shrinking, dirt pouring in from all sides) I pulled my commlink from my belt.

"SHODAN! We need help; 5 life forms where I'm at, bring us to the ship!"

"I'm sorry, you're out of range, give us a second to turn around and come get you," The AI replied, sounding somewhat smug.

"Hurry! I growled, before throwing up another AT-Field. Ralts relaxed, his glowing barrier disappearing as I took over, and the little Pokémon slipped from my shoulders to the ground, panting after holding up the debris overhead.

Unfortunately, before he could regain his breath, I felt something inside me slipping, slowly at first, but quicker and quicker, and the glow from my AT-Field overhead started dimming, then deforming as the center started to bulge downward.

"Aaaab" One of the two Absol said, seeing this, and I winced. Before I could ask, however, Ralts looked up at me, his big red eyes glowing softly, before he held his hands up and faced the ceiling. "Raaaaaaa!" With a cry, the rocks overhead disappeared behind another barrier, this one glowing almost painfully bright, and extending down to Ralts, who was also glowing.

"What's happening!" Ranma cried, as Ralts, now glowing an intense white, continued to yell as he held the barrier.

"Oh, wow, he's Evolving," I muttered, before looking around in confusion. Ralts' barrier was gone, and there were no rocks above, around, or below us. Instead, we were on the bridge of the Thunder, with two confused looking Absol softly whining.

"Kirlia!" my little partner said.

"Damn skippy," I replied. Then paused, frowning at him. "Do that again?"

"Kirlia?" he asked, and I blinked. While he'd simply stated what I assumed was his species, I'd gotten the distinct impression that he'd asked me what I meant.

"Apparently interpreting the confused look on my face, he spoke again. But this time, I ignored the sounds he was making as I realized I could feel the emotion behind each word. If not what he meant exactly, then at least I could now understand how he was feeling.

"Okay there, little guy, looks like your psychic abilities are stronger than before."

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, looking between us in confusion.

"I mean I can kind of get a sense of what he's feeling when he talks. Still can't quite understand him, but at the very least, I can repeat what I think he means until I get it right." I said.

"Well, I think he looks kinda girly like that," Ranma said, crossing her arms. "Is that a tutu?"

Poking her hard in the breast, I smirked as she winced and couldn't help but feel the surge of humor from Ralts, who was now a Kirlia, and boy was that going to get confusing.

Glancing down at him, I sighed. "I guess calling you Ralts is somewhat futile, now..."

Kirlia nodded, and I shrugged. "Can't help it, then. Guess I'll have to give you a name."

"Kirl?" It asked. I got the distinct impression it was wondering why I hadn't bothered to before.

"Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it... I mean, I knew you evolved, but I didn't really think about the fact that you'd change names. I guess I was just thinking about Abra, and Kadabra, the other evolving Psychics I know of." I shrugged again.

"So what are you going to call him?" Ranma asked.

"Hmm..." I crouched down to look the Pokémon in the eyes, which were now visible, though green bangs hung partially in the way. "Well, he's a boy, mystical powers, red eyes, pale skin..." I trailed off in thought for a moment, before continuing. "At the risk of sounding somewhat horribly wrong... and probably enjoying it somewhat," I added with a smirk, "I think I'll call him Alucard."

"Kirlia!" Alucard said, with apparent pleasure. Instead of latching onto my head, though, he started twirling around like the ballerina he was dressed as, and I couldn't help but sigh. "First thing, though... we'll have to teach him to dance something a bit more manly."

"Solll..." One of the two Absols said, drawing my attention away from my Pokémon. "Huh... I guess you two want to head back down to your mountain and away from the crazy people, huh?"

One of them immediately barked an apparent affirmative, but the other, larger of the two paused, looking around the bridge curiously, before turning to look at me.

"Absol?" It said. I grinned.

"Oh, is this what I think it is? I've managed to pique your curiosity? Maybe given you something to think about? After all, I've shown you things you probably never thought possible, right? What else could you see, if you were to hang around?"

"Absol."

"Kirlia."

"Ab!"

"Kirrrrr..."

I got the feeling they were talking about me, and when Alucard looked at me before shrugging, I got an even better grasp of the conversation. Alucard was apologizing for my behavior!

"Okay, fine! I'll lay off. Still. Would you like to join us, Absol? I can't guarantee your safety all the time, and I get into some pretty impressive binds from time to time... but I can promise there's never a dull moment."

"Kirlia!"

Absol looked between me and Alucard for a moment, before nodding and walking over to me to smell my hand, before it wagged its tail like a happy puppy and sat down beside me.

"That's a pretty obvious acceptance," Ranma said.

"So it is. Guess I should make it official," I replied, pulling an empty pokéball from my belt. "And pokéball, go" I muttered, tossing it at Absol, who didn't try to dodge it. With a flash, the Pokémon disappeared, and the ball fell to the ground, wobbling slightly, before settling down. "That's that, I suppose we should head back. I had another Pokémon on my list to capture, but that can wait until tomorrow. You ready to go Ranma?"

"Sure..." the teen said, looking somewhat unhappy.

"What's wrong now?" I asked.

"I just... wonder what I'm going to do here... I have Eno, but I don't think I'm really cut out for this... you seem to know at least some of what you're doing, but I'm..." she trailed off, and I sighed.

"Feeling somewhat lost?" I supplied.

Ranma just nodded, and I walked over to pat her on the shoulder. "Ranma, as sure as I seem about my actions, I'm just as confused as you as to what I could possibly be doing here. Here! I'm in a video game I played years ago, facing things that were merely forms of entertainment to me when I was growing up... not to mention standing on the bridge of a starship that I'm also in charge of, surrounded by people I'm responsible for..." I trailed off, looking around at the night shift of officers manning their stations in the crew pits, some of which were trying hard not to watch me or eavesdrop and doing a terrible job of it. I shuddered slightly.

"Look. You can't go through life second-guessing every decision you make. And you can't get through life alone, either. Learn to rely on your friends, learn to make decisions for yourself.. that's what it means to be mature. To grow up. I have a responsibility to everyone on these ships; to see them through the aftermath of a near miss with utter oblivion, as well as the more mundane tasks like making sure everyone has fresh water to drink and three hot meals."

I turned to look out at the star scape ahead, and sighed. "I don’t know what my purpose is... here in this universe, or on this ship, in charge of these people. But I know what my responsibilities are; and I'll see to them as best I can."

"... and what should I do?" Ranma asked.

I turned to look at her and smiled. "I can't tell you; that's for you to decide. But you should figure out what you can do, and do it. It's a martial artists' job to protect the weak, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, hesitantly.

"Well, I've got a shipload of people who are scared, weak, and worried."

"So you want me to help them?"

I shook my head. "I can't tell you what to do. But if you see a problem that needs to be fixed, and you know you can fix it, then isn't it your responsibility to do so? To make life better for others?" I glanced back at the stars, before turning towards the Officer in (nominal) charge when the ship was in its internal night-mode. "Send that Absol back to where we came from before it gets too worried, then send us down to wherever Shinji, Celia, and Mei are."

"At once, Milord!" He snapped out a salute, and a moment later we were standing outside a PokéCenter, the flash from teleporting fading away.

"Kirrr..." Alucard said, to my right.

"Yeah, sleep sounds pretty good, little buddy. It's been a long day," I replied, before making my way inside. Behind me, Ranma stood outside in thought, before slowly following us inside, deep in thought.

AN: Another chapter up. I'm on a roll! What next, I wonder?