Dryk: Thanks mate! I have to say I really appreciate the effort you must have put in to get through all 69 chapters so far ... and I'm absolutely stoked that the story has kept you engrossed all the way.

Lisa's feeling the first rush of self-liberation, but I think her past experiences will stand her in good stead for keeping a level(ish) head. As for Altaria, I think she struck gold with a particularly gentle and open-hearted pokemon - lucky for her!

Glad you dig Gavin, too - his character is definitely interesting, merging his usual teenage self with that seen-way-too-much tortured side. Things get more interesting for Gavin a little further down the line, too.

Thanks so much for reading, mate, I really do appreciate that you took the time to read - and to reply, as well. Grazie!

Everyone: As for the next chapter - ha - I laugh at my post from last year asking about whether fortnightly chapters would suit or not. I actually used NaNoWriMo again this year to work even more on LtL and succesfully advanced the story another 53,000 words ... to the point where I now have a ridiculously large amount of exposition ready to be posted and a frighteningly small number of chapters left to write.

What's holding me back, you ask? Mostly perfectionism. When you get this close to the end of something as absurdly complex as this story, the last thing I want is plotholes to crop up in recent chapters and destroy the absolute genius (if I do say so myself) of the climax. ^_^ So, it's all coming, my patient readery friends. All in good time!

Cheers!