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It was unexpected, but Opal felt homesick. It came so suddenly, but it put her in such a down mood that she couldn't even play her viola to calm herself down. Nerezza and Itzal were lost as to what to do. Nerezza couldn't cook to save her life, and Itzal's skills with food were meager, so cooking her favorite foods were out of the question. Being ghosts, neither of the cousins could hold Opal's viola, much less play it, so playing it to cheer up Opal was out. Finally, when Opal and her Pokemon went into the city to find some new clothes, Nerezza lost her patience. "Gast, gastly gast gastly gast gastly gastly gast gast gastly gastly gast gastly?" "Okay, why would you want to go back to your home and to that suffocating lifestyle when we've worked so hard to run away from it all?" Opal laughed softly.

"Nezz, don't you think I would miss it even when I hated it? After all, I grew up there. That's my home. My mansion. And even if she was overprotective, I miss Mother. Despite all of what happened, she loved me. And.. I don't know. I just miss her. And Janice. Remember that time she secretly brought you and I a huge basket of sweets to eat?" Opal smiled at the memory of that and her first meeting the Gastly. But Nerezza remained solemn. "Gastly, gastly gast gast gastly gast? Gastly gast gast. Gast gastly gast. Gastly gastly?" "Yeah I remember, but don't you remember how you hated being there? You cried almost every day. You told me you were lost and confused. Why would you want to go back to that world?" Opal looked at her friend with her odd colored eyes and laughed bitterly. "Don't worry. I'll never forget. It's just that..." The eyes clouded with painful memories and they looked away from her concerned partners. "It's just that I've been away from home for so long and... I don't know. I just wish that I could lie on my own bed for once and not roll around in a sleeping bag or on a hotel mattress."

Nerezza and Itzal looked at each other. Confusion and sympathy reflected in their eyes. Their gazes reverted back to Opal once more as she spoke again. "Y'know what guys? We need another team mate."

The two ghosts and their trainer walked through the streets of the suburbs, a small cup of hot chocolate in Opal's hand. But even that didn't cheer her up. Nerezza couldn't understand it, and even took a few sips of the steaming drink herself. She deemed it delicious and even took a few more sips. Eventually though, the two ghosts lost their patience. Itzal sighed and turned to face Opal.

"Gen, gengar gengar gen, gen? Gengar gen gen gengar!" "Okay, what do we have to do to cheer you up, Opal? You've been mopey and depressed all day!" Nerezza frowned and glared at the Gengar that was her cousin. After a second or two, she spoke as well. "Gast gastly gastly gast-gast. Gastly gastly gast?" "I'm not too keen on having another team mate so soon. Are you sure that's what'll make you feel better?" Opal sighed and sipped her chocolate. After a moment, she looked at her two friends.

"I know it's a bit sudden, and it may be irrational, but we need some more Pokemon with us. You guys certainly need someone else besides yourselves, that's for certain." The woman glanced meaningfully at her partners and they glared slightly at each other. She went back to gazing into her drink. "And I just need someone else to be with us. With you guys off on your own a lot of the time, it gets really lonely for me." Neither of the ghosts had anything to say in response, so they followed Opal as she continued down the city streets.

The trio headed towards the middle of the city and about a block away, Opal could see a familiar face with the same familiar orange hair. She smiled slightly and the two Pokemon behind her looked at each other with excitement. She was finally cheering up! The three hurried to where Meeka was and when they reached her, they could see that she was standing around something with her group of Pokemon. Now curious, the three came over to the breeder. Opal smiled. "Hello Meeka! How is everything?" But as she spoke, she could see that it was an Ursaring that the group was crowding around. The trainer's eyes widened with concern. "What's wrong with her?"

Opal smiled and was happy to be in the company of her friend once more. The breeder always had a way of cheering up Opal and putting her in a good mood. But her happiness turned to concern once more and she looked at the Ursaring, who seemed miserable. "Poor thing..." She turned to Meeka. "Do you think it's emotionally related? And have you seen a healer or something about it?" As she asked Meeka her queries, she knelt down by the Ursaring and looked at her sadly. The sadness that was in the Pokemon's eyes reflected in Opal's for a fleeting second, but it was long enough for Nerezza to spot it. Surprised, she turned to Itzal, who was standing beside her.

"Hey, hey? Did you see that," the Gastly whispered frantically. Itzal glanced at his cousin. "See what?" Nerezza rolled her eyes and glared at the Gengar. "Did you see how that Ursaring looked at Opal and how she looked back at her?! They had the same expression!" Itzal frowned. "So what? They're both sad." Nerezza sighed, exasperated. "Never mind. Idiot. If you don't want help Opal, fine. I'll do it myself." With that, the Gastly stuck out her tongue at Itzal and floated to Opal's side, thinking all the while.