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Chapter Text

Blair: On Top Of Mt. Silver

They told me it was worse than Twist Mountain. I didn't believe it until now.

I didn't believe those I came into contact with on my journey. I didn't listen to my mother, who worries about me more than I know. I didn't believe Professor Juniper when I mentioned my travel plans to her. Professor Oak from Kanto even had a word or two of advice for me. But I hadn't listened to a single one of their pleas. It's not like I was cocky; I know I'm the Champion of Unova and all, but I'm still pretty grounded in reality. One would think, though: couldn't somebody like me conquer a simple little mountain like this?

But that's not why I'm here.

I'm not here for the howling hailstorms and the craggy mountainsides and Golbat after Golbat after Golbat. I'm here because I'm searching. I've searched all throughout Johto and Kanto, and no matter what I do, he's been one step ahead. He's always been one step ahead, no matter what I do. This is the only place left to look.

According to Professor Oak, only one other person has been on this summit. He didn't say anything else after that. I didn't wonder why at the time, but now I'm starting to.

To say the wind is 'cold' up here would be the understatement of the century. I'm glad I remembered my gloves, otherwise, my fingers would be frostbit by now. I can even feel Victini shivering inside my pullover. It had agreed to stay outside its Pokeball to keep us both warm, but now even the Fire-type is a bit chilly. I just hope its luck doesn't run out, because as far as I can see, there's nothing or nobody --

wait.

I see it just as it lands on the summit in front of me, and then, its wings knock me back with a powerful gust. My footing's gone, and I fly through the air and over the other side of the mountain. I feel my hat fly off my head and reach for it.

"Victini!" I scream, clutching the small Pokemon in my pullover tight with my other arm. Now would not be a good time to die!

Thankfully, I glow, and Victini stops me in mid-air. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you," I say to the fuzzball in my clothes.

From inside, I hear a small "Tini" of recognition.

I look up, the bold, blue sky over my head, the snowy crags below, and me somewhere in the middle. From where I am floating, I can see the giant white monster, elegant and regal as its tail glows a bright red. The powerful heat coming off of its fur melts the snow in the blink of an eye. Its long proud neck stands firm, and its bold blue eyes are not on me.

But his green eyes are.

I watch him for a moment, floating in midair, him still on the back of Reshiram. Then, I can't help but crack a smile.

This. This is what I've been searching for.

It's been two years since I left with Cheren and Bianca on our journeys. Two years since Ghetsis tried to overthrow Unova. Two years since I met him. Two years since I started chasing him, almost. In all honesty, I'm glad Iris beat me that day, because then I could leave my post as Champion and start traveling. Since then, I had taken off and hadn't looked back. First had been Hoenn, reachable by boat, and then the other regions from there, leading me to the last place I would have ever visited -- this very mountain.

But none of that matters anymore, because he's here, and I'm here, and finally -- finally I can get some answers.

"Forward," I say to my pullover, and Victini directs its psychic power back toward the rocky surface of Mount Silver. When I can get my footing back, I say, "Down," and Victini lets go, snuggling close again.

I laugh. "No reason to be cold anymore," I tell Victini as N dismounts Reshiram. Then, my eyes are on him, on this man who left Unova with only a 'farewell' two years ago. I still don't know how or why he's here, on Mount Silver of all places, or how I got so lucky to find him here (that much I can attribute to Victini, I suppose).

But he makes no mention of that. Instead, he smiles and says two words, slower than I've ever heard him talk. "Hello, Blair."

I smile, then look down as Victini flies out from under my pullover and toward N. The taller boy looks at Victini as my little friend circles his face, flying around his hair and finally taking his hat like he used to mine. N can only laugh. "It's saying, 'Welcome back,'" he says out loud, his voice now as quick as it had been before. "But it's funny to think of it that way, because I never left."

His words take me by surprise; something snaps inside of me. I try not to rage. "What do you mean, you never left?" I have NOT spent two years looking for this man only for him to ignore all that hard work!

N smiles at me. "I'm glad to see you as well, Blair. Are you still the Champion, even though you've been chasing me?"

That perceptive little -- well, this is N we're talking about. I clench my fists, and Victini gives me a worried look, reading my emotions. "Iris is," are the only words I can force out.

N nods, then takes his hat back from Victini and sits it on his head. "I see. I figured it was finally time to make myself known, before I head back to Unova."

"You're going back to Unova? When?"

"After we're done talking, of course. I'd really appreciate it if we kept our conversation short, so I can leave soon. It's rather urgent that I get back to Unova as soon as possible."

All of this is said with a smile, and N has no clue what he's saying or how it's coming across. But then again, he was raised by Pokemon, not humans, and some nuances of human language still escape him, I'm sure. But he does sound better than he used to. Looks better, too.

"Where are you possibly headed?" I ask. I have so many more questions to ask. How did he know I was following him? Why did he decide to make himself known here, on this mountain...and why does he have to leave so soon? Can't I at least hitch a ride?

Furthermore, if he knew I was following him, why didn't he just stop and let me ask him my questions, learn more about him, maybe even be friends? I wanted to know how he was able to talk to Pokemon, and to be honest...I wanted to make sure he was okay. After what happened two years ago, anybody would be screwed up. I was worried about the guy whom I had fought against. But it turns out that N didn't need that from me, because he's right here, and he's just fine.

I think...I think I needed him more than he needed me.

N seems to read my mind -- or possibly he's reading Victini's mind, who may be reading mine -- for he then looks out over the vast expanse of where Johto meets Kanto. "There was once a boy on this mountain, the legends say," he tells me.

"They're not legends," I say back. This must be the same person Professor Oak talked about, someone who was up here years and years ago.

"Legends among the Pokemon," N continues. "The boy was the Champion of his region, a very popular young boy whom everybody loved. They all wanted to be a part of his journey, every single one of them. Sound familiar?"

He has hit it on the head -- it sounds like me.

"But the boy didn't want that kind of fame, that kind of lifestyle," N continues. "That wasn't his ideal. So he took his Pokemon and hid away from the world, on this same mountain. He hid for years and years and years until his best friend, one of the Gym leaders in his region, finally found him and convinced him to come back down. What I'm saying is this, Blair: that sometimes you know what you want, but your truth is different."

I don't get it. All I can still think about is: I chased him for two years for this philosophical speech?!?

N smiles at me again. "You may think you're trying to get me off of the mountain, Blair," he says. "But I love being with my Pokemon. I want to protect them. And that's why I have to go back to Unova, to help protect my Pokemon friends from the man whom I once called my father. You can come to help, if you want to." Then, he pauses. "Actually, I take that back. I don't want you to come. Remember what I told you, that day I left Unova?"

I nod. "I do remember. Find your ideals. Pursue them."

"Have you done that?"

Again, he's got me there -- I've spent too much time chasing him and the answers he won't give me.

N smiles. "I think it's time for you to find your ideals." Then, he climbs back upon Reshiram. "This won't be the last time you see me -- and that's the truth."

Chapter Text

No no no damnit.

I take another deep breath. "Pichu are a tricky breed of Pokemon," I recite, "because they only evolve depending on the bond they have with their Trainer. Once that bond is strengthened enough, they may evolve into a HOLY MEW MOTHER OF ARCEUS!"

I can hear Nancy giggling behind me. "Come on, Rosa. You're gonna have to breathe deeper than that."

I grip the chair in front of me. "I hate you."

"No, you don't. You hate Phillip." Ahh, yes, the costume director who decided I had to wear this OH MY DEAR ARCEUS PLEASE MAKE THIS STOP. If my mother could see my face now -- it's probably all twisted and distorted.

"Remind me how I fit you into your dress?" I ask Nancy.

She smiles behind me. "Lucario helped." Ahh. Yes. That's it. "Breathe deep, Rosa."

"Why?"

"Because we have five minutes to get this corset to fit you."

I sigh, then take another deep breath. "And then Pikachu evolves into RAICHU BY USE OF THUNDERSTONE!!!" The windows shake in one of those 'is it live or is it Exploud' moments, and I sigh.

"Again?" I ask.

"Nope! You're good!" Nancy takes my hand and leads me over to the only mirror in this trailer. "Take a look."

I can't breathe nearly at all, but I let Nancy lead me and finally take a look. And, to be honest, I really don't look half bad. The black corset holds my waist in, emphasizing what I do have of my bust, which is wrapped and supported in soft blue dress fabric. The sleeves go down to my hands, and the same color blue makes up the skirt. My hair is untouched for now, but when we shoot, it will be pulled back in the style of the times.

Then again, if I had remembered that Pride and Pokemon would be including old-fashion era dress, maybe I would have rethought this role.

Nancy stands beside me, in her own pink version of my dress. "Perfect," she says with a smile that causes her ponytail to bounce. "Now we just have to wait until Phillip gets here, and then you can get out of that...for now."

Remind me why I wanted to be a part of this movie again? Oh, yes -- I remember now. The chance to finally get out of Unova and explore another region. Mr. Deeoh promised that when we got to Olivine, I'd have plenty of time to look around. And not just the city, or the Glitter Lighthouse where we'll be shooting. He said I could go all the way to Ecruteak if I wanted to.

Which has me more excited than when one Pokemon is Attracted to another. There's a reason I stay away from the Day Care.

But seriously. I hadn't even been interested in the movie, although practically half of Unova had me pegged for the title role ever since it was announced. Yes, I had to audition just like everybody else, but come on -- I'm Rosa Montblanc, superstar actress and singer, Pokemon Musical professional and box office maiden. My movies bring in more money than all of the others combined, and my album sales are unlike what anybody has seen in a long time. I'm a artistic star.

Though to the masses, the 'Current Champion of Unova' title is just an afterthought.

Iris acts in my place a lot, though, considering the amount of shoots and concerts I have to go to. I'm okay with it...most of the time. But there are some days where I'd much rather just be back at the Pokemon League, getting ready to take on another challenger. I mean, seriously, poor Iris hasn't gotten a long break from being acting Champion since she beat that Blackstone kid and became Champion herself. She does understand, though. There have been times where she's gotten beat, but the challenger's victory becomes a receipt for a battle against me.

And I always stomp them.

I never forget the look on Lucario's face after using Aura Sphere, or the way Braviary flies in the stadium, or the way Ray just shuts the entire battle down. There's something about Electric-type Pokemon that just gets me, and I thank the stars every day that this little Mareep attached itself to my hip while at Flocessy Ranch. Ray's an Ampharos now, of course, but we're tighter than Shellder and Slowbro.

It's just like I dreamed ever since I was a kid, watching the same taped battle over and over, late into the night. Two childhood friends battling for the Championship of Kanto, Red versus Blue. The way that Red's Pikachu had commanded the field...even from a young age, I understood the power and the fierceness of that Pikachu, and I wanted the same for myself someday when I became a Trainer. And with Ray, I have that.

Oh, if I could just sneak away for an entire day! I'd get on Braviary and we'd fly until we find Mount Silver, and Red would be at the top, just as the rumors have always said he would be. Then, I'd finally be able to challenge him, Pikachu versus Ray --

"Rosa!"

I jump what must be at least a foot in the air. "And Metapod evolves at level 10!" I scream.

Nancy laughs at me. "Sorry," she says. "Phillip's here."

Pride and Pokemon is a story set in Olivine's early days, which is why we had to come to Johto for our shoot. It tells the story of a boy (played by Curtis) and a girl (played by yours truly) who are betrothed to be married, but they don't like each other at all. They both have friends, though (Nancy and this guy named Brad who's a local actor, in his first PokeStar role) who would be perfect for each other, and so they conspire to set them up. In the process, they themselves fall in love. The girl's father is in charge of the lighthouse, so a lot of scenes take place there, including the big love confession at the end.

It's based off of a novel that was written around the time the Brass Tower in Ecruteak burned to the ground, which makes it very historical -- good for everybody except for me, apparently. The historical dress of Olivine differs a lot from the dress in other parts of Johto, though, which is why I currently can't breathe. (It's because it was a port town: back then, Olivine was Johto's connection to Hoenn and Sinnoh, so its history mixes with the other regions.)

Phillip is a tall man with shaggy hair and a pair of sunglasses on; I haven't seen that man take them off once. He's not from PokeStar, but he's dressed Brad before, so I can't complain too much. He circles me a couple of times, tugs on my corset for good measure, nodding the entire time. I wish I could Thundershock him to put him back in his place, but I know I just have to smile, and all of this will be over soon.

He looks Nancy over, not tugging on her corset, which peeves me off a bit. Finally, he nods at both of us. "Good. I'll see the boys now." Then, he leaves.

Thank Arceus! I pull out my Pokeball and toss it. "Get me out of this forsaken thing, Lucario!"

Lucario comes right out of the Pokeball and smiles, raising his paws. Using his Aura, I'm out and finally able to breathe again in a matter of seconds. I take the corset and toss it onto a pile of other period clothes, wiggling out of my dress and into the incognito outfit I'm wearing while in Olivine: a blue jean jacket with black pants and a big black cap to hide my long hair in. My normal shoes go on, and I wave to Nancy.

"I've got my Xtransceiver," I say, and it's true: in case of an emergency, Nancy can call me and I'll be back as soon as possible.

She nods. "Don't be too long."

She's right, though. We had to do the fitting late, as Phillip couldn't get here from Goldenrod until after rehearsal for a new stage production there. It's just after dinner now, and I have a couple of hours to explore Olivine before I have to be back at the trailer for curfew.

You would think a fourteen year old who is the Champion of Unova and has powerful Pokemon at her disposal wouldn't need a curfew, but that's not the reason for it. They just want to make sure I don't get mobbed by fans. I'm not as well known here in Johto as I am in Unova, but our movies are imported all over the Pokemon world. I've already seen people doing double takes, and I can't afford for anybody to know I'm out and about. The press knows we're shooting in Olivine, so I have to be super-careful.

Which is the reason for this ridiculous get-up. Looking at myself in the mirror right now...I kind of look like a guy.

Olivine is a bustling port town with a bunch of historical buildings. As I mentioned before, its port history means, for years and years, it was the only connection Johto had with Hoenn and Sinnoh. It's not as old as Ecruteak, where most of Johto's history lies, but when travelers from Ecruteak needed to transport their goods, the town of Olivine was formed.

There's not a single star in the summer night sky yet; it's too light out, and I can only barely see the moon's new outline. I pass the Town Hall, the many homes, the main street where I see a cafe. I'll have to stop by there in a bit; I'm starving. Farther out in the distance is the Pokemon League Gym. If I remember correctly, Jasmine knows I'm here, though I haven't had a chance to talk with her myself. Since we're both part of the League, in one way or another, I was hoping to at least have lunch with her while I was in town, maybe pick her brain about places to go while Mr. Deeoh and the staff aren't looking.

It's not like I hate being in movies -- far from it. I just really want to be a Pokemon trainer, too, and I haven't had a chance to in a while.

Past the houses and the Pokemon Center is the Glitter Lighthouse, the historical site where we'll be filming much of the movie. Jasmine's Ampharos helps light the lighthouse, another topic I wanted to discuss with her as I myself own one. Further away is the sea, stretching out to first the Whirl Islands and Cianwood City, then Vermillion, then the rest of the Pokemon world.

If I could, I would jump on the back of my Water-type Pokemon and sail away, let the waves take me wherever I wanted to go. Except I don't have a Water-type Pokemon. I never have. I never really needed one before. Braviary takes me wherever I need to go. I'm not used to being around so much water; I'm much more used to the air. I wonder, if I ever went to Hoenn...would I need a Water-type then? It's good to wonder about these things, I think.

Now that the sky is dark, I reach for my Pokeball and release Ray. Ray's happy to see me, attaching himself to my arm and letting his tail glow a bright red. "We're incognito," I tell him, and he cocks his head to one side. I laugh. "Incognito. It means we're hiding. In secret. Nobody's allowed to know I'm here, remember?"

Ray nods.

"Good," I say, putting my finger to my lips in a hush movement. "Now, what say you and I go get some dinner? Whatever they're feeding Nancy at the trailer can't be as good as what they have there."

Both Ray and I scurry off to the Olivine Cafe, a brightly lit standalone cafe with bright neon signs on the outside. I walk up to the glass door and open it, still feeling self-conscious as I look at my reflection in the glass. Rosa Montblanc, currently looking completely at ease here.

When I open the door, I wonder if maybe I've chosen the wrong restaurant. There is a bar directly in front of me, and several burly sailors are all sitting around it, drinking unidentifiable drinks from huge mugs and laughing, having a good time. There are tables along the walls, but most of them are filled with families and dates having a good time. I scan the walls for an empty seat, but don't see one.

"Welcome to Olivine Cafe!" a boy in a host's outfit says to me. He takes a menu from the wall. "Only one tonight?"

I nod. "Amph!" Ray says in agreement.

The boy smiles at Ray. "All right! Come just this way," he says, and leads me around the bar to a table I couldn't have seen from the front of the restaurant. It's a small table, designed for two. The boy puts the menu on the table. "Is here fine?"

I nod, and so does Ray, taking one seat.

"Perfect," the boy says. "The Pokemon food is on the last page." With that, he leaves.

I sigh, then almost take off my hat until I realize it's the only fabric hiding my trademark buns. Shoot. I can chalk that one up to stupidity; I hadn't remembered to take out my buns before leaving the trailer. At least I have my hat on. Hopefully nobody will recognize me still. That and I'm seated pretty far back in the restaurant, away from the bar. There's a wall behind me, and the door next to me leads to the kitchen.

There's a family seated in front of me, and further up is a guy at a table alone. He looks kind of like he's trying to blend in, like me. Probably a Trainer, judging from his baseball cap on his messy, thick brown hair. We Trainers are notorious for hats and visors; it keeps the sun out of our eyes. As for his clothes, I have no clue why he's wearing that heavy blue pullover in the middle of summer, but maybe he's been traveling from a snowy area. I wish I was more familiar with Johto.

"Ampha?" Ray is looking at me; I laugh.

"What are you looking at?" I ask him. It's like Ray can sometimes read my mind; he's not a Psychic type, but we've been together for the last year, winning the League together and growing as a team.

"Pharos."

"Right. The menu. You'll be wanting the Macaroni and Cheese again, I suppose. Let me check and make sure there's a special version with vitamins." I flip to the back of the menu and survey it; sure enough, there's a Pokemon version of Ray's favorite food. I sometimes let him have mine, and it's not bad for him, but often Pokemon shops will make the same food with vitamins and minerals designed to aid a Pokemon's health. "Yep! It's here. I'll make sure to get it for you, Ray. Now, what for me..."

I open up the menu and look up -- the Trainer from before, seating across the room, is looking right at me. I blush, then realize it's not a 'Oh, it's Rosa Montblanc!' look. He's not getting up from his table to tackle me or get my autograph or steal a strand of my hair to later sell on the Internet. He's just looking at me, a curious look that I can sense in his chocolate brown eyes, even all the way from over here --

"Excuse me?"

I jump. The boy is back; I realize he's ready to take my order. "Oh. Right. Sorry. How about...a vegetable wrap for me, and the Pokemon macaroni and cheese for my Ampharos. Water is fine to drink."

"Amph," Ray says in approval.

The boy smiles and takes my menu. "Coming right up," he says as he puts down two glasses of water.

I smile, then look back at Ray. The Trainer from before is still in my line of vision, but he's got his head ducked behind a menu, so I look back at Ray. "You happy to be here?"

"Amph!"

"You know, Mareep are native to Johto. That's even what the couple in charge of your ranch told me. Maybe we'll see some wild Mareep here."

"Amph amph, pharos!" Ray seems excited. I can't tell if it's because of the other Mareep or because of the macaroni and cheese.

I smile, then sigh and rest my head on my hands. Here I am, finally in a new region. Sure, it's just a first step, but it's something. What's more, I'm relaxing with my best friend, and my disguise has worked so far. Nobody thinks I'm anybody except a kid with a big black cap on, hiding all of my hair. Tomorrow, we'll start rehearsals and do some tech work, and then the next day, we'll start shooting the movie. But for now, it's nice to get a chance to breathe.

"Tini!"

Something is on my head.

I jump; my hands fly to my head, grabbing whatever is on my head and pulling it down. It's fuzzy, and I grabbed it too hard -- it squeals.

"Oh!" I say in surprise, and look at what I've caught with my hands. It's a Pokemon, that much is true, but unlike any I've ever seen before. It's small, maybe about Petilil size, but orange and fuzzy and with the spunk of the Pikachu line. It has two big red ears that form a V in front, two big blue eyes, and little cuffed hands and feet.

Now it looks scared; I put it down on the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you so hard."

"Tini!" The Pokemon runs around on the table, then gives me the most worried and cute look I've seen in a while. "Tini, tini, tini."

"Pharo."

The Pokemon turns to Ray, who starts talking to it. I can't understand the new Pokemon, but at this point, I get what Ray says. Ray goes on to tell the new Pokemon that I didn't mean to squeeze it too hard, and that we just want to be its friends. Which is true.

I scan the restaurant, looking for this Pokemon's owner, and see the Trainer again, his brown eyes locked onto mine. I feel a blush across my face. Who is this guy, and why does he have my attention? The way he looks, the mysterious air he has about him...those eyes...

And then I feel the hat fall from my head.

The Pokemon from before can apparently fly -- I see the wings on its back legs now. I realize that it was more captivated by my hat than anything else. The Pokemon keeps a hold of my hat, but it's too heavy, and it tumbles to the ground, hat in hands.

I reach for my head and realize my buns are exposed -- just as somebody from the front of the restaurant yells, "Hey! It's Rosa Montblanc!"

Shit.

"Come on!" I yell and grab Ray by the paw, ignoring the other Pokemon and my hat. We've got to get out of here before I get mugged or hurt -- or worse. I turn and aim for the kitchen -- but there's a staff worker there already, dressed in a waiter's uniform, and he's got that look on his face that I've been dreading.

"I can't believe it!" he says. "Rosa Montblanc! Can you sign my shirt?"

The crowd of sailors and family members and craziness has formed in front of me, and this worker has blocked my only escape route. I hold Ray close, then realize I've still got an advantage. I look up and see the fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling, adding atmosphere to the small cafe. "Ray, shut down those lights!"

Ray knows what I mean by shut it down: it's code word between us for a well-aimed, extremely powerful Thunderbolt, once again inspired by Pikachu. The Electric attack is well aimed, right at the nearest lamp, right over a Sailor's head. When the bolt makes impact, the glass shatters, and the bolt overloads the cafe's entire fuse box, literally shutting it down.

Dang, Ray's good.

Everybody else stares in shock at what just happened, which gives me enough room to move. I push my way past the worker and into the now-dark kitchen. "Glow!" I tell Ray, and he lights the way through tables and once-heated burners and pots and pans and knives and right toward the door -- which is also blocked now, by a burly cook who takes up the entire door. His arms are crossed, and he does not look happy.

Double shit.

I come to a halt, still holding onto Ray's paw.

"You," the cook says, and now he's waving a ladle at me, "will pay for the damage you have caused here!"

Before I can think or run or do anything, the ladle in the cook's hand starts to glow. Then, the entire cook glows with what can only be a Confusion attack, and he is moved to one side, crashing into an empty cabinet.

I feel something snake down my right arm, and then my grip on Ray's paw is broken, replaced by a human hand. The door is pushed open, and the person looks back at me -- it's the same Trainer from before. His eyes are frantic now, but they shine in the starlight coming from outside.

He's my escape.

"Come on!" he says to me, and he pulls me out of the restaurant. We leave the door open; I glance back behind me and see Ray running right behind, followed by the mysterious flying Pokemon, who is now wearing my hat.

"Ray!" I call out. Ampharos aren't the fastest of Pokemon, so I need to make sure he can keep up. It's been why I've always held his paw close.

"Victini!" the boy calls out, and the flying Pokemon glows again. Pretty soon, both the Pokemon and Ray are floating through the air, and they both catch up with us.

The boy leads me through the streets of Olivine, past the Town Hall again and through a busy street of shops of all shapes and sizes. People are trading and buying and selling goods, and we are causing quite the chase. It gives me a moment, though, to look at this boy again and smile. Is he helping me just because I'm famous? No, that can't be it. He didn't give me the same look everybody else did.

"Get back here!"

I make the mistake of looking behind me: there is the cook, followed by several of the sailors, still chasing us. "We're being followed!" I tell the boy in front of me.

"I know where I'm going," he says, still pulling me. We run, and the Pokemon called Victini floats, along with Ray, at the same speed beside us. We escape through the bright streets and through a residential area, ducking through alleys and around trash cans. I'm still wearing the jean jacket and black pants, though my hair is still exposed -- Victini kept the hat.

We finally stop between an alley and a trash bin; the boy pulls me behind it so that we are all hiding. "Mute your Ampharos," he tells me.

"Ray, stop glowing," I tell him, and his tail turns off. Victini puts the hat back on my head, a little too late.

"Tini," it says with a sad lilt.

The boy laughs, music to my ears. "Now you're sorry," he whispers to his Pokemon, and grabs the little bundle of psychic power, ruffling it behind the ears. Then, he turns to me. "I owe you dinner."

...what?

I'm sure, even in the low light, this boy can see the blush on my face. "Are -- are you serious?"

"Shh." He puts his finger to his mouth. "We're just catching our breath before we run again. You and your Ampharos look like you're really hungry, and, well -- my Victini interrupted that. That's all."

"Tini," the Victini says again.

I reach up and touch one of its ears; it's soft. "I haven't seen you before," I say. And it's true. I know a lot of Pokemon, including all the ones that are native to Unova. This one must be from Johto, or maybe an import from Hoenn or Sinnoh.

The boy looks at me again. "Victini is very rare," he says. "But it's actually from your home region."

I blink in confusion. My home region?

"You know," he says, "being the famous Rosa Montblanc and all."

Oh. Right. That. So he does know who I am. I laugh a bit. "Sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen --"

"No, it's cool. You guys are filming that new movie here in Olivine, right? I can imagine you just needed to get away for a bit."

I nod. "Exactly. Ray and I -- that's my Ampharos -- we had a couple of hours to grab some food, and so we picked that cafe. Are you from Olivine? You must be a Trainer, judging from the hat."

He laughs again. "That's the understatement of the century. But, yes, I am. It's those Trainer eyes of yours, I suppose. You can probably pick out a good Trainer just from looking, since you're the Champion of Unova and all."

And then I realize: this boy knows I'm Rosa Montblanc, famous superstar and singer and actress and all around celebrity, but he didn't focus on that. He called me 'Champion' above all else.

"Come on," he says without another word, and then we're on the move again. The boy leads me back through the alley, and then I see we've cut a direct path straight to the Glitter Lighthouse. I can see the PokeStar trailers in the distance, but he's not leading me there.

"We're going to the Lighthouse?" I ask.

"You'll be safe there," he says to me. "It's owned by the League." Now I get what he means: he's using my Champion status again. The Lighthouse's lower floor is open to tourists, but the floors above it are used for training purposes. The top floor has an apartment, sometimes used by Jasmine, that we'll be filming in. But since the Lighthouse is technically League property, if I get there, I can be in charge and call the shots.

I look behind us; we've lost the chasing mob, as well. "We lost them!"

"Good." The boy pulls me to the side of the lighthouse, hiding in its shadow. Ray goes behind me, and Victini goes to the boy's shoulder. The sky is completely dark now, and the stars hang above our heads. Out hear, near the piers and close to the ocean, we're more exposed. The boy was smart to hide in the lighthouse's shadow for a moment.

I look him over: definitely a Trainer, judging from the boots and black cargo pants and hat. He also smells like a Trainer, as well: there's something about running through back woods and dusty paths that gives off a certain vibe. Despite it all, he doesn't stink: he's a well-kept Trainer, not one that stays out for days and days without a shower.

I'm standing closer to him than I probably should be, and I feel my face flush again. PokeStar has a strict no-dating rule for their contracted actors under eighteen, to help with paparazzi and rumors. Still, every tabloid in Unova pairs me with Curtis, saying we're perfect for each other (this movie isn't going to help that). But I know what love is like. I've loved, and I've gotten my heart broken. Even though I'm only fourteen, I know more than I let on. Rather than let it hurt me forever, though, I try to use pain in my acting. If I don't know what heartbreak is, how can I portray it?

Oh, what am I talking about? I don't even know this kid. It's nice to know I can get flustered and giddy again around a guy, though. Nancy was right: the first boy is always the hardest.

"Stay quiet," he says, and then he disappears from around the building. I adjust my hat and hide my buns, then follow, Ray behind me.

When I get in front of the lighthouse, I stop in shock. The boy is a few feet in front of me, and the light from the lighthouse's door floods the area in front of us. His shadow extends past the light, to the end of the coastline, several feet from both of us. Somebody is standing on that coastline, someone I can't see, but they must be human. Their head looks bigger than a human's should, but I don't know any Unova-native or Johto-native Pokemon (the ones I've studied, anyway) that would look like that.

But surrounding the person are Pokemon I do know: they float in mid-air, their purple flames stronger than I've ever seen them before. Lampent. Their lamp-like forms surround the figure, wafting in a circle. But they're supposed to be native to Unova. What are they doing here in Johto?

I walk toward the boy, Ray in tow. I stop when I'm beside him, but there's a good foot or two between us. "What's going on?" I ask.

His eyes do not leave the scene in front of us. "I -- I've never seen this before."

I'm familiar with Lampent, but they were never part of my extensive studies. "Seen what? They're just Lampent."

"Don't you get it? Those Lampent are leading that person to their death." His fists clench. "Shouldn't you know that, as the Champion? When Lampent surround a person like that, it means the person will die soon. The Lampent will lead them to the underworld."

"I'm sorry. I don't know everything about every Pokemon --" I stop. He's right, though. Lampent are native to Unova. "Wait. How do you know all of that?"

He sighs. "Don't I look familiar at all, Rosa?"

"I've never met you --"

"I know that. But didn't you see my picture in the Hall of Fame, when you beat Iris? I'm Blair Blackstone, former Champion of Unova."

Chapter Text

I don't wait for Rosa's reaction.

Instead, I spring forward, taking Seismitoad from my belt. Whoever that is, if they really are going to die, I won't let the Lampent take them.

"Hydro Pump!" I yell out even before the Pokeball hits the ground. Seismitoad jumps out and aims the attack right at the Lampent, missing the figure in the distance. Thankfully, the Lampent fall right to the ground without any problem.

The person's knees buckle, but Victini's on it, grabbing them with its Confusion. I leave Rosa behind and run up to the person, catching them as Victini controls their fall.

Right now, I can't think about what Lampent are doing in Olivine City, of all places. I can't think about the fact that the current Champion of Unova is here in Olivine, as well, and she's much cuter in person than the posters make her out to be. I hadn't anticipated PokeStar's shoot here, but I can't think about that either.

All I'm thinking is -- what is Lyra Hart doing here?

During my brief tenure as Champion, I learned more about the League than I ever cared to know, including all of the other Champions' names and faces -- Lance, Lyra, Brendan, Dawn, and now Rosa from my home region. Perhaps Rosa's been too wrapped up in her PokeStar studio career to focus too much on being Champion. A shame, too -- Iris said she was damn good at what she did. Heck, maybe I'll even battle her someday, for fun.

But if Rosa didn't recognize me, she wouldn't recognize Lyra. She's older than the Hall of Fame pictures made her out to be, but then again, she won the championship at the ripe old age of eleven. Her hair is still in those pigtails, but shorter now, and she's wearing plain jean shorts now instead of the overalls. Her tube socks are gone, but her shoes are the same, as well as the trademark white hat with the red bow.

That hat -- I should have recognized that hat. But it still doesn't add up. Why was Lyra surrounded by Lampent? Is she sick? I've been out of the loop so long, I don't even properly know if she's still the Champion. And I've certainly never met Lyra in person. I met Dawn during my travels in Sinnoh, and Lance was the one who recommended I check Mount Silver for N, but Lyra's just a face on a poster for me.

Her eyes are closed; I feel for a pulse. She's breathing, alive, but out cold.

"Hey!"

I turn toward the lighthouse entrance; there's someone running out of the door. They run past Rosa and her Ampharos, and now I recognize the hair. Jasmine is a recent acquaintance; when I came here from Unova for a two-week rest, I had made it a priority to let her know I was in town. We battled; I didn't know where to fit the Mineral Badge in my case, or even if I needed to have an extra Johto badge on me, but it's proof I beat her. (Whatever that means.)

She recognizes my hat. "Blair!" she calls out, reaching Lyra's side.

"She's okay, but unconscious," I tell her.

Jasmine nods, concerned. "Were there floating Ghost Pokemon around her?" she asks.

I nod. "Lampent. Native to Unova. It bugs me why they showed up here. Typically they surround a person who is on the verge of death."

Jasmine's eyes cloud with an emotion I can't place. "That makes sense, then."

"What makes sense?"

Both Jasmine and I turn to Rosa, who is now behind us with her Ampharos. "Seriously, I missed most of that conversation," she says.

Jasmine recognizes Rosa. "Are you Rosa Montblanc?" she asks. "I'm Jasmine, Gym Leader of Olivine City. You'll be shooting at this lighthouse in a couple of days."

Rosa's face lights up with a smile so bright I think I might go blind. "Oh, hi! Sorry I've been too busy to keep in touch. I'm Rosa, and this is Ray, my Ampharos."

"Nice to meet both of you," Jasmine says with a smile. She motions to me. "I assume you've met Blair? You're both Champions from Unova."

"We have now," I mutter. This would be so much easier if PokeStar Studios didn't own Rosa's soul.

Rosa looks at Lyra. "Was she the person the Lampent were around? Is she alive?" At those words, I notice her tense up.

"She's alive," I tell her, hoping to calm her down. The last thing we want to do is bring unwanted attention to the lighthouse -- those cafe thugs, after all, are still after us. "Just unconscious."

"Blair, can you carry Lyra?" Jasmine asks, and I nod. I reach down and make sure I've got a firm grip on her, then lift, bridal-style. Lyra's lighter than I anticipated her to be; I notice she's lost weight since her last public appearance at the League Conference last year.

"Got her," I say. I turn to Rosa. "Rosa, do you recognize this girl?"

Rosa shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Blair. I don't."

"Lyra Hart, Champion of Johto," I tell her, and the recognition dawns on her face. "You really keep out of touch with the League, don't you?"

She stays quiet, looking at Ray, and I have a feeling I've touched on a nerve I haven't meant to.

Jasmine leads Rosa, Ray, and myself with Lyra into the lighthouse's main lobby. Victini follows on my shoulder. The lobby is well-lit, with couches, a secretary's desk, and a huge television broadcasting a Johto-region version of 'Koukan Talk.' Jasmine leads us toward the back, into a huge elevator. We get in, and the doors close, taking us up.

"You seemed to mention before that this isn't the first time this has happened to Lyra," I ask Jasmine.

From what I've learned, Jasmine has always been quiet, but she is even more so now. I'm trying to be as gentle as possible, but as a member of the League in town, I want to know what's going on. If there's any way I can help, I have Pokemon that are much stronger than anybody here -- except maybe Rosa.

"I'll explain when we get upstairs," Jasmine says, and that's the end of it until we reach the top floor.

The elevator opens out into a living room, presumably for an apartment. There's a small couch and a smaller television to our left, with a big window and a winding staircase that must lead to the actual lighthouse. To my right is a small kitchenette, and three doors line the wall.

"The crews from PokeStar haven't transformed the interior yet," Jasmine says, "only the exterior. In a couple of weeks, this lighthouse will be a spitting image of Olivine's older days. There are three bedrooms in this apartment. Blair, could you take Lyra to the middle one?"

I nod, and Jasmine goes to the kitchenette without a word. I walk toward the door, and Victini opens the door for me with its mind. The bedroom is small, with a desk and a twin bed against one wall, and a window that looks out over the sea. It's almost peaceful in the dark. I lay Lyra carefully on the bed, making sure her back is straight. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, I want to make sure she's secure. I remove her shoes for good measure, then look her over.

At the moment, she looks nothing like the Champion in her former pictures, even though she's dressed almost the same.

"Are you sure?" I hear Rosa say as I exit the bedroom. Rosa is sitting on the couch, and Jasmine is within hearing range, making tea in the kitchenette.

"I promise Lyra will be fine," Jasmine tells the young girl.

"You aren't kidding, are you," I note as I make my presence known. "You seem to know exactly what's going on. You even said this has happened before. But those Lampent aren't anything to be messed with. What's up with Lyra?"

Rosa turns to me. "Maybe we shouldn't be butting our heads into this mess," she tells me.

I shake my head. "As past Champion of Unova, I am still a member of the Pokemon League. I can bring this to Lance's attention, or even further up, if necessary."

Jasmine sighs, then finishes making her tea. She pours three glasses, then brings the tea out to the small table in front of the couch. She hands me a mug, and I sip. It's hot, but familiar -- it tastes like Nuvema Town.

"You are both from Unova, am I correct?" Jasmine asks.

Rosa nods. "I'm the current Champion, and Blair used to be Champion...like, what was it, two years ago?"

I nod.

"So you're both from the League, then." Jasmine takes another sip of her tea. "I was hoping that these incidents would not be found out, that we could resolve the issue before anybody discovered our secrets. Lyra has been in Olivine for almost the past two years, and these incidents happen on a weekly basis."

I almost break my teacup. "A weekly basis?"

"Calm down," Jasmine says, although I'm having trouble doing that. If those Lampent are always around Lyra, it's a wonder the girl -- the woman? -- is still alive.

"As I'm sure both of you know," Jasmine states, "Lyra's been Johto champion for a long time, dating back to before the Kanto and Johto leagues split into two. That's been six years now. I don't know how much either of you two know, but she had been seeing a local breeder for some time -- Ethan Oro. They had been best friends for a long time, but he had confessed some time after she became the Champion. Since that time, they were inseparable...until almost two years ago." Jasmine sips her tea again. "Neither of you hear this from me."

I nod. Rosa nods as well, completely enveloped in Jasmine's story.

"The two of them were on a trip near the Whirl Islands," Jasmine continues, "when a storm kicked up without any warning. It was just the two of them out on the boat, which capsized before they could prepare. Lyra's Gyarados was able to rescue her, but Ethan was lost to sea. Two years, and nobody has still recovered his body."

I hear a sob behind me; turning, I see Rosa on the couch, openly sobbing. Ray is trying to wipe her tears the best he can.

"Since then, Lyra hasn't left this city," Jasmine says. "She's presentable enough, but stays at the Pokemon Center, and hardly talks to anybody. She doesn't battle anybody unless she has to, and even then, they are lifeless, quick wins, as if she just wants it to be over. The Lampent come and visit her I'd say about once every week, but she always passes out after a time and wakes up again."

"You have to understand how dangerous those Pokemon are," I say, and it's true. They inhabit Celestial Tower in Unova, a resting place for Pokemon.

"I know now," Jasmine says. "But it's almost like Lyra welcomes the Lampent around her. The police force formally declared Ethan dead after a month, so perhaps by getting close to death, Lyra thinks she'll find him again. But even that is a romantic idea. Humans can't be brought back from the dead." She sets her teacup down. "Does anybody want seconds?"

"She can't give up." That would be Rosa, still on the couch, hanging onto Ray. "Maybe he's still out there somewhere!"

I glare at Rosa. "Why must you be so insensitive? It's been two years --"

"Lyra can deal with Ethan's death however she wants to," Jasmine says. "As long as those Lampent do not harm her, it's possible they are part of her coping mechanism. As for tonight, would the two of you mind staying over here?"

I blush and look at Rosa, then Jasmine. "Staying at the lighthouse? Is there enough room?"

"Of course. I have a bunk bed in the last spare bedroom. It's just like sleeping at a Pokemon Center. Plus, I don't think Rosa should be leaving here anytime soon."

That's true, considering those sailors were about ready to rip her apart beforehand. If I hadn't stepped in with Victini, Rosa's face would be on the front page of the tabloids tomorrow, but for very different reasons.

Jasmine turns to Ray. "Ray, would you like to help Amphy light the lighthouse tonight? I'm sure Amphy would like to have another friend."

"Amph!" Ray says in excitement.

"Another friend?" Rosa asks.

Jasmine nods. "Lyra has an Ampharos, as well. Feel free to use as much of this apartment as you want, both of you. It is owned by the League, after all."

I end up having two more cups of tea, then get into the fridge and find some chocolate sauce for Victini. Rosa takes over the kitchen; apparently I got to eat at the cafe, but she never did. She easily finds a box of macaroni and cheese in the cupboard and whips up an entire batch for her and her Ampharos.

You know, maybe I have underestimated her survival skills. She sure doesn't know a lot about the League, but she does have the little habits of a Trainer who's been out in the field for a long time. The quick actions, the constant alertness, the kindness to all Pokemon. Though I can imagine she wore something different than -- well, she's basically wearing my outfit right now, though that's a jean jacket, not a pullover, and her hat is completely black and covers both of her hair buns. She probably doesn't wear a baseball cap -- maybe a visor? I've seen her in tabloids, and I know that she's the Champion from the news updates I get, but I've never seen her in person.

Her eyes catch mine, and I look back at Victini, who is intent on emptying out this chocolate syrup bottle. "Do you want any?" she asks, and I blush before I realize she means the macaroni and cheese. How old is she again?

"I'm good," I say. I have been to way too many regions and met way too many people -- and besides, I'm a guy. If Rosa is as innocent as she comes off, I will do nothing but screw with her if we're anything but acquaintances. Although I gotta admit, she's a looker. She'll find some rich boyfriend, their marriage will be televised, and she'll end up on more products than Marina when it's all said and done.

Rosa and Ray empty the macaroni and cheese, then she disappears while Jasmine takes Ray up to the lighthouse's lamp. I don't need to go upstairs to know that Ray's tail will light the way for several lost travelers tonight. Maybe that's why Lyra stays at this lighthouse: maybe she can't bring Ethan home, but she can help make sure others make it to shore safely. It reminds me of a legend I heard in Kanto during my travels, about a girl who waited for her lover to come back from war, standing on the same cliff until she turned to stone.

The things people will do for love. I don't understand it.

There's a bathroom between the two extra bedrooms; I shower quickly and change back into my normal clothes, as I did in the field. When I go into the small bedroom, I notice that Rosa has already taken the top bunk and is curled up in the blankets. Her hair is out of the buns, cascading down her shoulders as she examines her Pokedex, the same model as mine but in a pink color.

She looks up at me just as I realize I've forgotten to breathe. I take off my hat and hang it on the bedpost. "Busy day?"

She nods. "Our flight from Mistralton was delayed, so we got in just in time for my fitting. Tomorrow we rehearse, and then we'll start shooting."

I sit my bag by the bed and shut off the only light in the room. There's a dresser by the bed, but nothing else. It truly emulates a Pokemon Center-style room: small and only used for sleeping. "They must keep you busy with movies and stuff," I say as I kick off my shoes and climb into bed.

"What about it?" I hear Rosa ask from the upper bunk.

I shrug. "I don't know. It's just that you strike me as more of an actress and less of a Champion."

"You think I'm less of a Champion?" Rosa asks again, and this time, she sounds irritated. "Just wait until we get to the battlefield, and I'll smoke you!"

"Look, maybe --"

"This conversation is over."

"But --"

"OVER."

I sigh. What's her problem?

Chapter Text

    I'm alive.

    I'm dreaming.

    The scenery is familiar to me, as it has been every night, every day, for as long as I can remember. I don't even know why I'm still here, at this shore, trudging on as I must. I only remember that there is a reason for my being here. I remember that I must fight for that reason, even when it seems hopeless.

    I remember.

    I'm still in Olivine City. I've been staying at the Center here, despite the fact that I hate it. Jasmine has been helping me. Just take it one day at a time, Lyra. That's what she told me. One day at a time, one step in front of the other, and everything will get better. But I know better. The emptiness won't go away. It sits in my heart like a rock, a heavy stone. They say, with enough pressure, rocks can turn into diamonds. I wonder when my heart will change, as well.

    I dream of the sea. I live at the sea, in the waking world, but even when I sleep, I dream of the waves and the low, lulling sound, of the great and wide emptiness that invades my every waking and sleeping thought.

    And I remember.

    I know -- I just know -- the light in those brilliant blue eyes, the smile when he hoists the sails, those teeth that dig into a Rage bar, that cocky, surefire attitude -- that everything about him. I replay every step, one after another, until they all meld together in my mind. I stop existing, and he stops existing, and together, the world swirls together until we both exist together.

    Ethan.

    But I know where I am now. I feel the sheets under my legs, the pillow under my head, supporting me, keeping me safe. Though my heart is in the sea, my body is here.

    I pull myself up and sit on the bed. This room is familiar: it's the one I always find myself in after one of my incidents. The sun is coming through the window, and when I look outside, I can see my sea beyond the buildings. The horizon line is too far away for my liking, I suppose. The desk is empty, as it always is, and the bed sheets haven't been moved an inch. Only my shoes have been removed, and I replace those now.

    I can't think in a straight line. My thoughts are the waves: random, controlled by an unforeseen force that keeps me going forward, but deadly if not studied, if not known. The problem is that I don't even know my own thoughts anymore. I don't even make sense to myself.

    Now that my shoes are on and my hat is in place, I exit the room. This is familiar: the couch and table with the television, the kitchen to my left where Jasmine has made a small breakfast. I take the Unova-style pancakes and eggs from where she has sat them out. Jasmine is an excellent cook; sometimes she makes sea dishes from Hoenn, sometimes she makes traditional Johto cuisine, but she's never made Unova food before.

    Jasmine appears from her bedroom. She is wearing a yellow dress today, and not a hair is out of place in her clipped hair. "Good morning, Lyra," she says to me. This is my one saving grace: that Jasmine hasn't treated me any different since I started hiding from the world, spending all of my time by the sea, enchanted by the foreign lamp Pokemon that stay by me. They whisper secrets and memories, words they should not know but I know they do. I do not know them, but I know they must be Ghosts.

    Every time it happens, Jasmine finds me and brings me back here to her lighthouse. And every time it happens, she doesn't ask a single word about it.

    I sit on the couch with the plate of food. "You made pancakes?"

    Jasmine nods. "I got a little bit of inspiration," she says to me. I wonder from where -- maybe one of PokeStar's movies was on television last night, or maybe she saw a foreign recipe she wanted to try out. I cut the pancake and eat it. Whatever the reason, these pancakes are good.

    "Waaaaaaaaaah!"

    I jump. My fork hits my plate as a blur comes out of the last bedroom door behind me. Somebody with really long hair and a cap on is frantically trying to button their jean jacket. "Ray! RAY!" By that pitch, it can only be a girl.

    Jasmine sighs. "I was hoping this would go undetected," she says as Amphy comes down from the stairs leading to the lighthouse. But I realize it's not Amphy -- Amphy doesn't have a Quick Claw around his neck.

    I've put two and two together by the time the mysterious girl and the Ampharos have rushed through the door and out of the apartment, screaming "We're gonna be late! Nancy! NANCY!" the entire way. "That's...her Ampharos, I take it?"

    Jasmine nods. "She was my food inspiration. Rosa Montblanc."

    "Ahh, yes." The name is familiar; Rosa is one of PokeStar's hottest actresses. Jasmine was telling me about how she would be in town for their newest shoot. They'll be using the lighthouse. What was that movie called? Oh, yes, Pride and Pokemon. Apparently it's a literary classic in Unova.

    Then I remember what door Rosa came out of. "Was she --"

    As I look backward, at the door Rosa came out of, I see another face. This one is a boy's face, messy brown hair, chocolate brown eyes. It looks like he just woke up from a long night's sleep.

    I blush, then look at Jasmine. She shakes her head. "It's a long story," she says as I hear the door close behind me.

    She explains that Rosa was being chased by some townspeople last night, and the boy had found her and brought her here. The Ampharos had been Rosa's; I've been so out of it that I didn't bother to watch her Championship match broadcast. Then she tells me that both the boy and Rosa found me last night in front of the lighthouse, surrounded by those lamp Pokemon I don't know the name of. Turns out they're native to Unova, and they can be rather deadly. I hadn't even bothered to keep up with my own Pokemon studies, in light of my real life situations. Knowing that, now, I'll try to stay away from them.

    "They are only worried for you," Jasmine tells me. "I have confidence that they will not spoil this to the League."

    Oh, they better not. If they found out one of their Champions wasn't all in her head, they might have some choice words for me. I suppose as long as I'm able to battle up to snuff, I can keep my position, but I'd rather my reputation not get ruined.

    The door opens again, and the boy comes out, looking much better than he did a few minutes ago. Now I recognize him: Blair Blackstone. He was Champion of Unova the last I remembered; I only vaguely remember that Iris beat him, and then Rosa recently beat her.

    I smile and give Blair a nod. "Good morning."

    He adjusts the strap on his bag as a small orange Pokemon sits on his shoulder. "Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?" I realize he's keeping the incident on the down-low, as well.

    "Where was Rosa running off to?" Jasmine asks from her seat.

    Blair sighs and runs a hand across the brim of his hat. "Apparently she was late for a shoot or something. Turned off her Xtransceiver so she wouldn't be bugged in the morning, but forgot her alarm was set." He adjusts his hat. "I better get going myself. Was going to head out to Cianwood today, hit up the Safari Zone."

    "Blair's been traveling through Johto as a vacation," Jasmine explains. "It's just coincidence that he met up with Rosa here."

    "We actually hadn't met before," Blair says, although I do notice there's a small blush on his face. "I've been traveling, and she's got those movies she's working on. Always good to meet somebody else in the League, though."

    I nod, but I'm no longer in the conversation. The way Blair blushes reminds me of the way he used to blush after I beat him every time. Growing up, we both had the same dreams: we were going to catch them all, and be dual Champions of the Pokemon League. But as we grew, it became clear that he was better at catching and I was much better at battling.

    He would get frustrated, though, to the point where we started making bets on our own battles. The first time he kissed me was also the first time he beat me, spurred on by one of those bets. I know from experience that there is a moment where you just know this is the person whom you want to be with.

    Blair and Rosa may have just met, and they actually may never meet again, but I personally thought they looked cute together. If I hadn't asked, I would have assumed they were together at first glance, but even I know better than to assume.

    I sigh. Who am I kidding? I eat another bite of my pancake. I keep telling myself that I have no place to entertain my imagination, in a world of harsh reality and darkness and -- I stuff another piece of pancake down my mouth.

    I'm not ready to return to reality yet. A reality without Ethan is a reality I still don't want to be a part of. If that means that I live a double life, then so be it. I've been making my appearances as Champion, but I spend my time near my dreams and Ethan and the same sea that gives me nightmares. I remember happy waves, but those waves turn dark and can burn stronger than the coldest fire, swallowing you and pulling you further, further --

    "Lyra?"

    I almost jump again. "Yes, Jasmine?"

    "I was just reminding you that we'll be remodeling in here starting tomorrow. You'll have to stay at the Pokemon Center. I'll be nearby, in case you need me."

    I nod and look down at the pieces of pancake I still have left on my plate. I may be listening, but I'm not here. "Okay."

Chapter Text

    I purposely give myself a bit of extra room in my corset today, although Phillip won't stop looking at me. I keep giving him the evil eye in between scenes.

    After our fitting, we go out to the front of the lighthouse, a familiar sight for me now. It makes me remember last night, and the boy who saved me. Blair Blackstone! In Johto! Who knew? Damn, he certainly is a pretty face, but once he finally opened his mouth, he spouted some nonsense about me being less of a Champion. Well, excuse me if I have priorities! You go back to being Champion if you think it's so easy!

    I fume all the way through rehearsal. It's not even a proper rehearsal; it's just us saying some lines in some locations and looking pretty and NOT BREATHING again. In order to get through rehearsal in one piece, I try to think of anything except what is crushing my ribs. I run lines with Curtis like I was born to do it. I do exactly what Mr. Deeoh needs me to do. I 'make it magic,' as he calls it.

    But when my mind gets a chance to breathe, I think of Blair.

    I had really overslept this morning, so I hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye. Or thank him. Or stomp him in a Pokemon battle. Seriously, the nerve of some people.

    "Rosa?"

    I would have jumped, but I still can't move in this corset. "Yeah, Nancy?"

    Nancy crosses her arms over her black corset. "You weren't listening to a word of what the historian was saying, were you?"

    She has me there. I sigh and turn back to the front of the crowd. All of our trailers have surrounded a small clearing area, near the Glitter Lighthouse. They were moved to this location last night; I can see the spot where Blair and I hid behind the lighthouse from where I now stand. The Ecruteak Historical Society has visited our rehearsal today, and the old man is giving us some notes now. To be honest, I've been so out of it that I didn't even know he was here.

    "...and they say that only its melody can calm it," he goes on. I totally missed the rest of the story, but something about a melody is cool. I don't mind singing, although I prefer acting. I've released a few singles, mostly promotional material, and nothing has sold well up to this point. I only do it because Mr. Deeoh has wanted me to.

    The same Mr. Deeoh is standing across the way from me; I'm lucky, otherwise, he would have definitely found me out by now. "So this melody can calm the beast of the sea?" he asks.

    The historian nods. "Of course. Nobody has seen it in practice, though we do have examples of the melody in our archives. It's historical to Cianwood."

    Mr. Deeoh claps his hands together, and I know we're all screwed. Whenever he does this, it means he's got a brand new idea for something new, and nothing will stand in his way.

    He points across the way, to a girl in a yellow jacket and white hat, scribbling in a notebook. "Miss Rider!"

    She snaps to attention. "Yes, sir?"

    "I need for you to head to the archives in Ecruteak and listen to the melody. Then, we must have a song composed for our movie!"

    The crowd gasps, then applauds Mr. Deeoh's latest idea. I gotta admit, it's not a bad idea, though I wonder why he didn't think of it a long time ago. Music and movies have always gone well together ever since the first Brycen-Man series.

    "This will be perfect!" Mr. Deeoh continues. "We will have a theme song for Pride and Pokemon composed based off of the legendary melody! And what's more, we should have Rosa Montblanc sing it!"

    ...what.

    I want to hide. Instead, I'm pushed forward in the crowd as gaffers and makeup artists and Pokemon handlers and Nancy and Curtis and everybody cheers and claps and supports me. I want to run, but I do what I always do -- I smile, try to breathe the best I can in this corset, and wave nicely.

    Smile. Wave nicely. That's all it takes to charm anybody.

    Thankfully, the group disbands soon after that, and the rehearsal is called for the day. I head back to my trailer, ducking inside and having Lucario pull me out of my corset. I change back into my normal trainer outfit, setting my pink visor into my hair and relaxing into a chair. It's been a long day, starting off with missing call time, standing around in that Mew-forsaken article of clothing all day, then listening to speeches about Johto's history.

    Yeah. When does the training start? The adventuring? The fun?

    I reach into my bag to pull out my Pokedex. If I'm going to be visiting the surrounding areas, I need to know what's here. I flip the dex open, then realize the background color is a green, not a red color. Huh. That's weird. Did it automatically update itself last night?

    And then I realize this is not my Pokedex.

    The exterior has red accents, not pink, and this one has a lot more Pokemon filled in. Someone has clearly done a lot of traveling and a lot of discovering Pokemon in order to get that many Pokedex entries. I know whose Pokedex this is already, but I sift through the menu until I find the Trainer card function. How did Blair's dex get into my pocket last night? My dex better still be in my purse, where I put it before I got to Olivine.

    The Trainer card comes up, a purple placeholder background with the Champion seal on it. That part is familiar; I have the same card on my own pink Pokedex's menu. Blair's picture comes up on the screen, baseball cap and all. He's not smiling, but every feature looks familiar.

    I review all the facts on the card, for good measure...and mostly because I'm curious. "Started journey...two years ago, that would be about right. Birthday September 18th, he has a nice signature...So he's from Nuvema Town! Hall of Fame debut..." I flip the information back and forth, looking everything over, and then my eyes settle on his picture again.

    I remember how he had basically kidnapped me last night, the air of authority he had about him. Is that how a Champion is supposed to be? I don't know anything about who he ended up being, or where he went, after Iris beat him. In fact, a lot of people in Unova talk about Blair and how great he was, but it was like he just disappeared all of a sudden. It suddenly reminds me of Red, and I wonder if the two are related. But while Red was eventually found on Mount Silver here in Johto, Blair ends up in Olivine City, of all places.

    Weird.

    I get ready to close the Pokedex when I notice something weird on the face of the card: Blair's name.

    It's not Blair.

    "Hilbert Blackstone?!?"

    I fall out of my chair and onto the floor. Both Ray and Lucario, who is still out of his Pokeball, watch me as I clutch the Pokedex close. I can't stop laughing. Hilbert! Blair's real name is Hilbert! Who in their right mind would have given him that name?

    "Rosa?" It's Nancy; she knocks on my trailer door. "Are you okay in there?"

    "Yeah." I smooth down my yellow skirt and close up Blair's Pokedex. With a name like Hilbert, no wonder he goes by Blair. "I'm cool. I promise." Ohh, if I am the only person around who knows Blair's real name, things could get interesting.

    Or they would, except I have no way to get this Pokedex back to him. I realize that I don't have Blair's Xtransceiver number. Wasn't he staying with Jasmine? No, that's Lyra, because she's been having problems after that accident. I don't know where Blair has been staying.

    I check my bag -- yep, my own Pokedex is here as well -- and pack Blair's dex next to mine. It's just the middle of the afternoon now; we got done early with the thought that we'll try to shoot some pan background shots tomorrow, as we're actually now ahead of schedule. If I can find Blair tonight and get him his Pokedex, I can get this piece of tech off of me.

    Hopefully I'll see him again. He's really pretty cute, when you think about it...for a kid named Hilbert!

    I open the door; Nancy is back in a red, figure-framing t-shirt (you know, because she's got a figure to frame) and long boot-cut jeans, the latest trend in Castelia fashion. "You heading out for a while?"

    I nod. "Yeah. I've got an errand I need to run."

    She winks at me, and I know that means, I'll cover for you if Mr. Deeoh needs you. Mr. Deeoh knows I'm gonna be out and about during my free time, but you never know with that man. He changes his mind like he gets his spontaneous ideas.

    I exit the trailer and run past Nancy. "See you later! I've got my Xtransceiver!" And, just like that, it's like I'm leaving on my Pokemon journey all over again.

    I'm careful when I walk around town, although I wish I could skip and holler and be excited. I don't know how many of the sailors from last night are out and about, but the middle of town is bare right now. Most everybody is still at work, thank goodness, so I don't have to be in any disguise until a couple of hours from now. Besides, once I reach the Pokemon Center, I can use my League status to protect myself, much like the Lighthouse.

    Hmm. The Lighthouse. Last night's events finally all come back to me. Poor Lyra. Blair's probably right; Ethan's gone. I was too insensitive last night. Maybe sometimes I confuse the movies and real life, think that anything is possible when in reality...it's not. I should go back and apologize, but I don't even know if Lyra remembers me, or what happened.

    Find Blair, find Blair...without his Xtransceiver number, this is going to be hard.

    I enter the Pokemon Center and look around; no Blair. I heal my Pokemon, just in case. The Nurse behind the counter gives me a double take, but only smiles and doesn't say a word. I'm glad to have at least a little bit of anonymity here.

    While Pokemon training is a popular pastime, Champions usually aren't known outside of their home region as household names. I'm known because I'm an actress, not a Champion. I think back to what Blair kept saying, about how I seem to know nothing about the League. I would like to say he's wrong, but he's not. In fact, I've hardly ever been inside Unova league headquarters since I won the championship. Everybody was so happy that I had saved Unova from Team Plasma again that, seriously, the Championship was an afterthought. I used my popularity from being a hero to transition right into movies.

    I had always heard people mention Blair's name in passing, and I remember when he was mentioned on television after he himself won the Championship, then mysteriously disappeared. If you had put Blair in a lineup of trainers, I wouldn't have picked him out as the former Champion who abandoned his post. Again, it reminds me of Red.

    But, much like Red, Blair finally came down from his 'mountain.' If only I knew what it was...

    I take my Pokemon back from the Center, then lean forward on the counter. "Between you and me, has Blair Blackstone been through here?"

    The nurse looks confused; she must not know who Blair is. "A kid with a blue pullover jacket, and a Trainer cap," I say.

    She shakes her head. "Sorry."

    I nod and give her a smile. "No stress." And with that, I'm out on the street again.

    It's a bit of a jaunt across town back to the Lighthouse. I pass the same busy street stands that Blair and I ran through last night. I'm lucky we didn't knock anything over. My walk is quick, but none of the store owners recognize me. If they do, it's just a passing glance. I keep my head down, my visor over my eyes. It's a beautiful day out, not a cloud in the sky...too bad I can't take more advantage of it.

    I get to the Lighthouse and pass the trailers, sneaking around the back. When I reach my hiding spot behind a bush, though, I see that it's impossible to get into the Lighthouse right now. The lighting crew is doing some tests around the site for tomorrow's shoot, and I see a bunch of people walking in and out of the front doors, moving furniture and carrying big buckets of paint.

    Dang. Well, at least that rules out Blair being here.

    I sneak back around the trailers and skip out to Olivine's wide shore, past the mostly empty docks. Olivine's port has been modernized, as everything looks brand new, from the buildings to the docks to even the umbrellas and lawn chairs put out for citizens to sit on. I see some sailors working on their boats and duck my head, praying to Arceus they don't see me. Thankfully, I don't hear a word, and I pass  by, running on the boardwalk toward the sands. The Battle Frontier is just past here, but I'm not interested in that right now.

    I'm the only one out here on this sand right now. If this were Castelia, there would be thousands of people out here, soaking up the shore and the sunlight. But Olivine is different. I think all of Johto is slower-paced than Unova is. I like that it's different, a bit more country. I kick off my shoes and socks, then run my toes through the sand.

    Where is Blair? At some point, he's got to realize his Pokedex is missing. At least I'm trying to find him. I check inside my bag and see my Pokedex next to his, then smile. I don't know why Blair ran away from the League, but I know, if I had a chance, I would run back to the League. I would go back and I would battle to my heart's content, and then travel all over the world.

    ...wouldn't I?

    I lean back, my head and hair landing in the sand. I try the best I can to relax, but I know it's mostly fake. For all I know, a fan could be steps away from me, and I'll have to bolt. I keep my shoes and my bag near my right arm for a quick grab if that happens.

    I can't look up at the cloudless sky, or I'll see spots. Instead, I keep my eyes closed and breathe. Inhale, exhale. Just like in the acting classes I took after my first movie. Breath control is everything, especially when it comes to projection. Inhale, exhale. Let the energy come from deep within, slow, knowing.

    I can't do it.

    I squish up my face and sigh. I want to throw something. I want to fist sand and fling it as far as I can, but I know it won't do me any good. No matter what I do, I'm still stuck. I still have my contract I have to fulfill. And besides, I don't even know if I want to go back to the Pokemon League. I'm comfortable with acting, with performing, even with singing this spontaneous song Mr. Deeoh's got what's-her-face writing.

    The truth hits me. I don't want to go back to Pokemon training.

    And it's true. Kind of. I want to go back. But I'm not ready yet. Not after what happened.

    I choke. The images flash through my mind: Humilau is tropical, while Olivine is simply coastal, so it's not the same. But if I keep my eyes closed, the waves sound familiar. I feel the same heaviness in my heart, the way I gripped my shirt, how embarrassed I felt.

    I was mad at him. We were kind of like Ethan and Lyra, actually -- childhood friends, had known each other forever. Every time we met on our journeys, we battled together. When Team Plasma came into the picture, his fierceness countered with my cool battle demeanor. He fought to the end to get his sister's Purrloin back, and I fought because I hated seeing my home region frozen. I knew I was powerful, but we were especially powerful together.

    Every sign he had given me had indicated he was interested in me -- except he wasn't.

    Instead, when I hesitated, when I told him that there was somebody who liked him like that -- he simply told me that he wasn't interested in anybody at the present time, and left it at that. I channeled my hurt and my anger into my Championship battle, refusing to believe the truth.

    My eyes flutter open.

    That's it.

    I really do want to go back to Pokemon training. It's what I want to do in my heart. But I'm scared to, because the last time I did any real training was when he was around, when I could always rely on him as I had for fourteen years. And now, I'm in Johto, and Hugh's not here, and I'm acting -- and yes, I love acting, but maybe I'm also using it as a hiding place. If I'm acting, I don't have to train, and therefore, I don't have to be reminded of that day.

    But it's been some time since I confessed to Hugh. I've been able to rebuild myself. I've made friends with Curtis and Nancy, and I've kept myself busy with acting. And while I've been busy, I've healed. It doesn't hurt to think about it as much as I thought it would. I mean, yes, it hurts. It hurts a lot. But I don't want to throw up, and I have an appetite, and I know I'll sleep tonight. I'm no longer suffering.

    The next sigh is a happy one. I'm not perfect. I don't expect to be. But at least I know I'm getting better.

    I jump a foot in the air when I hear the horn. I sit up, grab my shoes and bag, and toss my shoes on when I see there's nothing to be alarmed about -- it's just a passenger boat, leaving for an outside destination. The boat is small, looks like maybe a rental --

    oh, hey, that's Blair at the wheel.

    I sprint across the sand towards the boat; it's close enough that maybe he can hear me. "Blair! BLAIR!" Inhale, exhale, projection, INHALE! "HEY, BLAIR!!!"

    When Blair looks back at me, I can't help but smile. I see two things: I see the freedom I so desperately long for, and I see that he's still as cute as he was last night. Recognition flashes across his face, and he waves with a smile that makes my heart jump inside.

    I may not be a hundred percent over Hugh, but if this feeling's any indication, I know I'm going to be okay.

    "You forgot your Pokedex!" I yell at him.

    His face looks concerned. "What?" he yells back. There's too much distance between us.

    I reach into my bag and pull out his Dex. His eyes widen, and he leaves the wheel of the boat, powering it down and having it stall. Then, he runs around to the stern. "How'd you get it?"

    I can hear him a bit better now. "It somehow ended up with my stuff! Did you know it was missing?"

    "No! Come on out!"

    He's smiling again, and I almost let myself float until I realize he just asked me to Surf. "I can't!"

    "What?"

    "I said I can't Surf!"

    "Why not?"

    "I don't have a Water Pokemon!"

    Blair looks exasperated for a minute, then reaches toward his pocket and pulls out a Pokeball, releasing the Pokemon inside. I recognize it as the same Seismitoad that put out the Lampents' fire last night.

    "Go get her!" he says, and Seismitoad jumps into the water as I realize that Blair's sending Seismitoad out to get me, not just his Pokedex.

    He wants me on the boat.

    If I ever wanted an adventure before, well, now I'm getting it.

Chapter Text

    Seriously, what kind of Champion, let alone Trainer, doesn't have a Water-type?

    I suppose there are some areas of Unova where you don't have to have one in order to survive, but especially on the East coast and near Castelia, the type is practically required for everyday life. It's a mode of transportation, for Arceus' sake!

    Then again, this is Rosa Montblanc we're talking about. I shouldn't be that surprised that she's not a typical Champion, because she's not one. This girl has more experience performing in front of crowds than she does performing at the League. I have no clue what she'll do or say next.

    I kind of like it.

    Seismitoad picks Rosa up at the shore, and she jumps onto his back. At least she knows how to Surf, even if she doesn't have a water-type Pokemon. She holds onto his shoulders, and Seismitoad swims across the water toward the boat. Rosa's keeping her eyes on Seismitoad, and I can tell she's a bit nervous. There's no reason to be; I trust Seismitoad with my life, and I know he's safe.

    He reaches the side of the boat, and Rosa looks up at me. I feel my face color just a bit; she looks much more like a Trainer in this outfit, with the pink visor and crew-style Pokemon-logo shirt. Her hair is still up in those high buns that I assume are more of a practicality and less a fashion accessory. The problem, though, lies with the skort ensemble she's got going on: the leggings she has cling to her skin, and the yellow skort is way too high. There's no actual skin, but I can't help but admit it looks...cool.

    She looks cool.

    My brown eyes meet her blue ones. "Grab onto the ladder."

    "Right." Seismitoad rises up from the water just a bit, and Rosa grabs onto the metal ladder drilled onto the side of this rental boat. She swings herself up and over, and I call Seismitoad back into his Pokeball. Rosa climbs up the ladder, reaching the very top.

    When she pulls herself over the boat's side, I grab her arm to help stabilize her. She looks up at me again, and my mind empties out as if a Munna has eaten my dream. I was supposed to be heading to Cianwood today; I wasn't expecting to see her again, if not for a long while.

    Which reminds me. She's got my Pokedex. "Here you go."

    "Thanks." She smiles, and then both of her feet are on solid boat deck. I go back to the wheel of this small powerboat; she follows and sits in the chair facing opposite mine. I put the boat back in gear as we float through low wake. I'm glad Rosa caught me here. Any further out, and I would be headed to Cianwood at full power.

    "If you have Seismitoad, why are you taking a boat wherever you're going?" Rosa asks me as she puts her bag down.

    I shrug. "The path to Cianwood is long and hard. I figured Seismitoad could use a break. Besides, I didn't want to waste my time on every Tentacool that happens to bat at my feet."

    "That's true," Rosa says as Victini flies out of the secret compartment beside her seat, the one that holds the mini-refrigerator. I got permission from Jasmine to permanently borrow her chocolate sauce, and I had been keeping it there. Victini stumbles a bit and somersaults across the deck, between Rosa and me. Then, it looks up at me with a toothy smile.

    "What've you got there?" I ask with a smile of my own; it's a rhetorical question.

    Victini then looks over at Rosa and recognizes her from last night. It bounces over to her and flies up into her lap. Rosa catches it easily, letting the little fire Pokemon settle. "Oh!" she exclaims when Victini offers the bottle of chocolate sauce to her.

    "I wouldn't eat from that, if I were you," I say with a chuckle.

    She laughs as well, and our eyes meet again. I try to break the gaze as naturally as I can, but it's hard. I'm not used to having a human traveling partner. I mean, yeah, I started on my journey at the same time Bianca and Cheren did, down to the measured footstep, but that doesn't mean we always traveled together. And I'd been chasing N, not traveling with him.

    I'm reminded. "You said you have my Pokedex," I say.

    "Oh, that's right." She grabs her bag, which is quite a feat considering Victini is still in her lap, and rummages around until she finds my red Dex. I get up from the wheel for a split second and take it from her. "Like I said, I don't know how it ended up with my things."

    "That's okay. At least I've got it back. Thank you, by the way." The Dex goes back into my pullover pocket, where it normally stays. I'm so used to it being there that I didn't even notice it was gone this morning.

    "So, where are you headed?" Rosa asks.

    "Cianwood. I figured since I was here, I'd go to the Safari Zone, eat dinner in town, maybe stay the night at the Center."

    "Do you mind if I go with you?"

    I blush again. I recognize these feelings: she's certainly not the first Trainer I've found attractive, but ever since I started my journey, I've been too busy either saving the world from N or searching for N to focus on anybody else. "Sure, I guess...wait, are you only coming because you can't Surf back tonight?"

    "Um, maybe that's part of it."

    "Don't they need you tonight for something for that movie? They'll need you early in the morning, too, I bet."

    I look at her for a brief second and see that she's all flustered. "It's not like that, really. I just -- since I don't have a Pokemon that knows Surf, I can't go back on my own. I have to wait for your boat. And besides...it would be cool to see the Safari Zone. I've never seen one before." Now she smiles. "So please let me come?"

    "As long as it doesn't conflict with your shooting schedule, I guess that's okay."

    "YES! And yeah, they're only shooting exterior shots tomorrow. I'm not needed until tomorrow night at the very earliest."

    "Sounds like a plan, then." I relax at the wheel. I'm not the most familiar with boats, but I learned a thing or two while in Hoenn. The smaller the boat, the better I make out. Though I still don't know how I ended up here. Two weeks ago, if you would have told me I wouldn't be chasing N anymore, that I would be in Johto, driving a boat to a remote part of the region with the current Champion of Unova, who by the way, isn't a bad character to have around...I don't know what I would think. Putting aside the fact that she's got the looks to make any guy run in circles for her, she does have the kindness of a true Trainer. Otherwise, she wouldn't have returned my Dex to me --

    "...is your name really Hilbert?"

    I take that back. I take that back!

    I duck my face under my hat, turning it away from her, but I still hear her giggles. How dare she open my Dex and look at my trainer information? -- Well, I suppose she had to, if she wanted to know whose Pokedex it was. Although she would have only known one person with a Pokedex.

    I sigh. "Blair is my middle name."

    "Oh, okay." There's a period of silence, followed by the cutest snort I have ever heard in my entire life. It even beats out the snorts my Tepig used to give after we won a battle. (Tepig has since evolved, and low grunts are much less cute.) Following the snort come rounds of giggles.

    "It's really not that funny," I say to deaf ears.

    Victini starts laughing, too, although I bet it has no clue what Rosa is laughing about. I roll my eyes and focus on the waves in front of me, giving them the patience they need. A few minutes pass. They stop, then they start again.

    "Are you done yet?"

    Rosa takes a deep breath. "I think so," she says, followed by more giggles. I can't tell if I'm really irritated, or if I'm feigning it just to flirt.

    "No, seriously," I tell her. "You shouldn't make fun of it."

    One more deep breath. "Why not?"

    She sounds honestly curious, so I tell her. "My mother named me after my grandfather. He lived in Azalea Town, actually, and grew up working on Pokeballs with Kurt. He still lives there, come to think of it. He's on my list of people to visit while I'm in Johto, though I saw him last time I was through."

    "Oh, okay." Rosa nods. "So it's important to your family." Then, one last giggle sneaks its way out. "Sorry!"

    I just smile and laugh myself. "I could ask you where you got the name Rosa."

    "Well, my mom just liked it. So there." Rosa's hand goes to Victini's ears, scratching behind them. "I'm sorry. I'll stop...Blair."

    I blush again. This is fun, though. I mean, it's a perfect summer day, the sky is as blue as the water is, and I can see some Goldeen and Seaking jumping through the water ahead. Rosa holds Victini close as we move past the low-wake area.

    "I'd hold on if I were you," I say, giving her just enough warning.

    She turns to me. "What are you --"

    I push the boat forward, and it speeds ahead into the water. Rosa lets go of Victini and grips the edges of her seat as the boat flies through the water. Victini flies backward, then levitates in the air, flying after the boat. My left hand goes to my hat, removing it, and I put it under my seat and sit on it so I won't lose it. The boat goes so fast that I can feel the wind through my hair.

    I look over at Rosa and see her two long ribbons of hair trailing behind her, the buns holding up pretty well for as fast as we're going. She's gripping the seat, nervous, but as her eyes meet mine, I can see a smile. It crosses my mind that she doesn't really know me, but she does trust me. Maybe it's because we're similar -- both Champions from Unova, although I abandoned my post almost right after I got it and Rosa's been too busy acting.

    Hm.

    Maybe we really are similar.

    We fly across the waves until Olivine's shore can no longer be seen. In fact, there's no land to be seen anywhere, or any other boats. We're out here alone. I'd be more worried if Seismitoad wasn't here, or if we didn't have our Xtransceivers on us, but as far as I'm concerned, we're safe. I'd be more worried on top of the Ferris wheel in Nimbasa, actually.

    "Who is all in your team, anyway?" I ask as I slow the boat down. We could plow straight through and go straight to Cianwood, but I'm okay with us taking our time. I can tell just from Rosa's gaze that she's not used to being out on the water like this. Heck, if I don't make it to Cianwood tonight, I'm kind of okay with taking her back and going tomorrow. It's kind of worth it to see the wonder in her eyes. Has she forgotten what it's like?

    She holds her bag close. "Liepard, Braviary, Arcanine, Lucario, and Serperior and Ray. Serperior was my first Pokemon; I got him from Bianca in Aspertia, where I'm from."

    Bianca? I internally shake my head. No, it can't be the same Bianca. "Who's Bianca?" I ask.

    "Oh, she's Professor Juniper's assistant. She's really cool, but she's a little clumsy sometimes. What about you, Blair? I know you have...um..." She looks around the deck. "Where did the flying one go?"

    "Oh, you mean Victini?" I ask, and at the mention of its name, Victini finally catches up with the boat, landing square on my hat. I laugh. "Hi there!"

    There's a quick squeal, and then Victini slides into my lap, still holding the bottle of chocolate sauce. I laugh again and put my hand on its ears. "It's a cute one, isn't it?"

    "It is. But I've never seen it before."

    "That's because there's only been one ever discovered," I tell her. "Apparently Victini is very rare, but extremely lucky to any Trainer who finds it."

    "Wow," Rosa says, actually interested.

    "I mean, I have others on my team -- I started with Tepig, and you've met Seismitoad -- but Victini holds a special place in my heart." At the mention of its name, Victini gives another satisfied chirp.

    Rosa giggles, a harmony added to my own laughter. It's no wonder I've slowed the boat down. "So where did you meet him?"

    "It," I correct, but let it slip. Victini doesn't have a known gender, and while I've mastered not calling it a particular gender, everybody else I know slips right into it. "I met Victini on Liberty Island. Do you know where that is?"

    Rosa's eyes light up. "Oh," she says, "that small island off the coast of Castelia! I remember reading about it for a role I kind of wanted."

    I nod. "Professor Juniper and I went out there while I was on my journey," I tell her. "While we were there, we stumbled across a building that hadn't been lived in for years. Victini was sleeping inside that building. I don't know who its previous owner was, or how long it had been sleeping. All I know is that when it woke up, it was a bit...what's the word I'm looking for? Culture shock? It didn't know what to make of me, or of Juniper, or of anything on Liberty Island or in Castelia. It could have slept for hundreds of years, for all I know." I hold Victini close with one arm and continue to drive the boat with the other. "I don't know what you journey has been like, Rosa, except that you became Champion and that you're a star actress. But let me tell you: my journey was anything but normal. I feel like kids normally leave their hometowns at a young age to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and then they choose a profession. They typically don't have to save the world."

    Rosa gives me a chuckle. "Oh, I know how that is." But you don't, Rosa. You don't at all. You didn't have to save Unova from a menacing madman who brainwashed his only son. You didn't have to capture a fierce lightning dragon only to fight against the enemy with that same dragon. You didn't have everything on the line. Your parents and friends supported you and cheered you on, and you probably got starring roles and ticker tape parades while I was chasing N in uncharted Kanto territory.

    But you know what, you're cute, and you are the Champion, which pretty much guarantees you're not a complete idiot. And you gave me my Pokedex back. Even though you now know my real name.

    "I don't know if you ever heard about me," I tell her. "I don't know if I'm still a household name in Unova or not."

    "Oh, you are," Rosa says. "No matter where I went on my journey, it was always 'two years ago, Blair this,' 'two years ago, Blair that.' It seems like everybody knew you. Professor Juniper knew you, Bianca knew you, Cheren knew you --"

    I almost fall out of my chair. "Cheren? You know Cheren?"

    "Yeah! He's the Gym leader of Aspertia. Oh -- I guess maybe you wouldn't know. Aspertia got a Gym, and this kid named Cheren is its Leader. Apparently I was his first battle."

    My brain hurts. Cheren! A Gym leader! I pick Victini up and sit it on the dashboard, where it can lick its chocolate syrup without being disturbed. "Apparently a lot has happened in two years in Unova," I say. "I'm sorry. I've just...been out of the loop for too long, that's all."

    Rosa turns her full attention to me. "You want to know the truth?" she says to me, and I idle the boat so I can focus on those eyes. "People were always talking about the great Blair Blackstone, and how I somehow reminded them of him, and how he saved the day and then disappeared. But I didn't know who this Blair Blackstone was. I always wanted to be Champion, but I didn't really have any precedent to go off of." She continues to ramble, and I let her.

    "Look, so when I was growing up...it was just my mom, my dad, and me and Hugh on the outskirts of Aspertia on a farm. We didn't have a lot, and my dad was in charge of farming the Aspear and Pecha berries so we could make a living. We couldn't even get regular television, although I watched tapes a lot. That's how I found out about competitive Pokemon battling: my best friend Hugh, who lived in the city, brought me a tape with a Championship battle from Kanto on it. I think I wore out that tape, I watched it over and over and over again. But I swore to myself, when I grew up, I would go on a journey and become a Champion, too.

    "We moved to downtown Aspertia after the farm foreclosed, which actually helped my dreams a lot: it meant I got to live closer to Hugh, and that I could go to Trainer classes after normal school. By that time, you had saved the day or whatever it is you did -- I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be naive or ignorant, I just don't really know. All of my classmates, though, talked about how cool you were and how you defeated Team Plasma. Back then, they figured your disappearance was temporary. Anyway, I graduated from Trainer school, got my license, and got my Snivy from Bianca. The rest, as they say, is history."

    "So when you went to Trainer school, I was just a wandering ex-Champion," I muse. "How old are you again?"

    "Fourteen. Anyway, I -- wait, how old are you again?"

    I blush. "What's it to you?"

    "Just curious."

    "Couldn't you have just looked up my birthdate on my Trainer information?"

    "I did! I just -- didn't look up the year. Your birthday is in September, right?"

    That girl's got a memory worth keeping. I nod. "The eighteenth. I started on my journey a little over two years ago, at the same time Bianca and Cheren did. Professor Juniper's assistant, and the Gym Leader in Aspertia? They're both my friends. We all started on our journeys together."

    Rosa's eyes widen in recognition. "Oh, wow. So you'll be...eighteen in September?"

    "Seventeen," I say with a laugh. "I'm not that old. So, are those the only changes that have happened in Unova over the time I've been gone?"

    Rosa shakes her head, and next I am treated to stories of new Gym leaders, tropical lands, freezing climates, the formation of PokeStar Studios, training and new Pokemon and Musicals, which I was never a fan of. Then, she's quiet for a moment. "And -- I mean, that's mostly it, I suppose." I get the feeling she's hiding something from me, but I don't know what.

    "Well, nice to hear it's been peaceful during my absence," I say.

    There's a slight pause, then Rosa speaks again. "Blair, I know you saved the world and all that, but why did you disappear afterward? You saved the world from Team Plasma and all that, but then you -- it's like, I don't know, you just randomly went up to Mt. Silver and stayed up there for years." She laughs. "Sorry, you probably don't even know what Mt Silver is. It's a mountain in --"

    "I know what Mt. Silver is." At this point, I want this conversation to be over. There's too much talk of Team Plasma, too many memories of the worthless journey I have spent two years on. "Look, there was somebody, and..."

    "A girl?"

    My blush increases. "NO -- not like that! A guy!" I shake my head. "Just a friend. But -- I don't know how much you heard about Team Plasma."

    "Enough. I mean -- they're ruthless, they won't stop trying to take over Unova, and the guy in charge is a total quack."

    I nod. "Well, Ghetsis can be a quack. His son, N...he was the one destined to be the King of Team Plasma. He was raised from birth to fulfill that role, to separate humans and Pokemon. And when I got involved in stopping Team Plasma from that goal, I realized that N wasn't the bad guy. He was just trying to help his Pokemon friends, not take over the world. But N was being used by Ghetsis as a tool, and when it came down to it, it was him and Reshiram versus me and Zekrom -- the two legendary Dragon Pokemon. Once I defeated N, Ghetsis revealed his true potential, and once he was stopped, N disappeared on Reshiram. I went home for a while, avoiding all of the press and requests for interviews, then slipped out in the night and took a boat away from Unova. Since that time, I've been traveling throughout the various regions, looking for N."

    "Did you find him?"

    "FInally, yes...three months ago." I remember our meeting on Mt. Silver; how he had been in such a hurry; what he had told me. "I think it's time for you to find your ideals." "I stayed in Kanto for a long time after that, then made my way to here in Johto. After being on the road for so long, I didn't know what else to do --"

    "Don't you get it? You don't...you..."

    I turn toward Rosa and see she's out of her seat, standing on the boat deck, her fists clenched. She's shaking. I'm a bit lost. What did I say? Even Victini is turned toward her, concerned.

    "You were away for so long that you failed to see that Team Plasma came back," Rosa says. "They came back to Unova. Ghetsis tried to take over again. And you weren't there to stop him again. You were too busy chasing N. Who, by the way, came on his big white dragon to try to stop his dad." Her eyes are furious now. "I met N, Blair. And we protected Unova. It's been anything but peaceful during your absence. You're not the hero everybody in class said you were."

    I can't breathe. Because Rosa Montblanc, the real Champion of Unova, the defender and protector and savior of Unova is standing over me, and I am in my place. She's right, though: I had no clue. Not even when N left me standing on Mt. Silver did I know Unova was in trouble.

    I make an awful Champion.

    I have no right to judge Rosa, or what she does with her life, or how she doesn't have time for the League. She's still a better Champion than I ever was, than I ever could be.

    And then I see the wave, towering over Rosa's head behind her, poised to strike the boat.

    I can't think about why there's a wave crashing toward the boat. All I can think is that Rosa is in the way. I leave the wheel and Victini, knowing even though it's a wave, Victini can protect itself with a psychic bubble.

    Then, I sprint toward Rosa. Her face has changed from mad to surprised, and my arms wrap around her and pull her down just as the wave hits.

    I feel the boat disappear under my feet, and then I feel water all around me. I can't breathe, I can't see, but Rosa is still in my arms. I don't know if the boat is upright, I don't know where Victini is, I don't even know which way is up. I try to force my eyes open and all I see is Rosa, eyes wide, trying to kick her way back to the surface. I hold onto her arms as we both kick, and then the water turns again with a violent current that causes me to close my eyes again.

    The sun fades. My eyes go dark. I feel Rosa slip from my arms. Everything goes fuzzy. Only one thought echoes in my mind:

    I am going to die, and I have accomplished nothing.

Chapter Text

    I see Hugh.

    His face, solid as a rock, as he fought against Team Plasma. His unwavering desire and endless rage. The dedication to that rage.

    "I'm not interested in anything or anybody right now. I have goals to achieve. I have to stop Team Plasma!"

    His words echo in my mind. Ripples of water, starting small, then reverberating outward, farther and farther and --

    I open my eyes.

    I don't see anything, but I know my eyes are open. I'm breathing. I feel -- wet. Was I swimming? Where am I? I try to take a deep breath, then my body jerks. By instinct, I roll over on the floor and I hurl. A strange liquid hits the ground, and I realize it must be water. I swallowed water. But how?

    It finally all comes out, and I cough, getting my breath back. I feel nothing short of disgusting. I crawl three big spaces back and sit down again. Control the breathing, Rosa. Inhale. Exhale.

    Oh my Arceus, where am I?

    And I remember: Blair Blackstone. The boat. Him telling me about Team Plasma. News I already knew. So he was the one who stopped Team Plasma two years ago, only to disappear. And I'm still mad that he spent all of that time chasing somebody who came back to Unova anyway -- somebody who stood up to Team Plasma, even if he didn't fight.

    We could have used another Champion, especially a Champion who had already defeated Ghetsis once! Where was Blair in all of that, huh?

    ...where is Blair now?

    I sit up, but there's nothing around me. It's pitch dark. I think there's rock below me, which would mean -- am I in a cave? But I was with Blair, on a boat, and -- I remember there being water, and Blair running toward me, and catching me, and then sinking, further and further --

    I still don't know where I am, but I have to find out. If I sit around here expecting to be rescued, well...that wouldn't be very mature of me, now, would it? "Ray!" I yell out by instinct but I realize my side pack is gone, and therefore, I'm Pokemon-less.

    I try not to panic. I've been through worse. I've been almost frozen alive by Ghetsis. I've had to avoid being shot at in Opelucid. I've ridden on a Pokemon's back through thick, foggy skies, and while not all the time, I've Surfed through rough waters. But this darkness -- it's too much. And after the crash that just happened, all I can deduce is that, either I'm dead and I don't know it, or I've ended up in some underwater seaside cave.

    "Blair!" I yell, unsure of where he is, unsure of where I am. "Blair!" I try a different tactic. "Hilbert!" My voice echoes out, but I hear nothing.

    Deep breaths, Rosa. Inhale. Exhale.

    I hate being alone.

    Even on my journey, Hugh was always one step ahead of me. Even when fighting against Ghetsis, the strange man named N was there, and I knew the Pokemon League and the world was with me in spirit. And Ray was with me, and all of my Pokemon were allied with my heart.

    I have never been more alone than I am right now.

    I have also never been more cold than I am right now. I squish one of my buns, and water drips to the ground. My clothes are completely soaked through, although my visor is still in my hair. If I can feel it, I must not be dead. At least, that's my thought process.

    I take one last deep breath. "BLAIR!!!" No response. I try not to cry.

    Then, I hear something, and before I know it, my eyes are afire.

    I see the boat, as a third person. I see me, standing on the boat, and Blair sitting at the boat's wheel. I see the wave rise up behind me. I watch as it hits the boat, and Blair grabs me, and we both disappear under the waves. I watch as the boat itself turns upside down, capsizing, then floating upside down on the waves.

    And I watch as I dive into the water, then dive down -- down, down, down, further and further -- through what is clearly the water of Route 41 until I see a rock formation through the foamy deep.

    Then, the vision fades from my mind. Did I just see that? I rub my eyes. No, I'm still here in whatever cave this is. But how --

    I hear the same thing again. What is that? It sounds like -- it's high pitched. "Hello?" I call out. "Who is out there? Who is giving me these visions?" Only Psychic Pokemon can give out visions, and I don't know any --

    wait.

    Victini! That's it! Victini can float and use Confusion. Does it know I'm here? Is it sending me these visions? "Victini!" I call out. "Victini, are you here?"

    From out in the darkness, I hear a "Tini!"

    I'm hysterical. "Victini, can you see me? Come to me!" And before I know it, something fluffy and furry and very warm is right next to me, and I grab it. Victini! Thank goodness.

    I squeeze Victini close, and it burrows its way closer to me. I can tell Victini is worried as well. "Victini," I ask, "where's Blair? I can't see anything."

    "Tini."

    I know Victini's alive, and I know I am -- but where is Blair? "Victini -- Blair. Where is Blair? Is Blair..." And I can't say still alive, because that's painting it wrong. If Victini is alive, and if I'm alive, Blair must be alive...right? He might be elsewhere in this cave, but I have no clue where.

    "Tini." And then, I watch as Victini starts to glow a bright red. The V on its head glows brightly, then spontaneously catches fire. The light from the fire casts light across the cave, and I can see the tall cave walls, the impossibly high ceilings, the rocky floor and the far away, dark cave entrances.

    I look back at Victini again. Wait -- I thought Victini was a Psychic type! Is it a Fire-type, too?

    "Okay," I tell Victini as it floats in mid-air. Its big blue eyes are watching me. "Victini, if we're in a cave, we need to find our way out as soon as possible. There's not going to be a lot of oxygen here, and your fire is going to eat up what we have left. But -- we have to find Blair first. And if we can do that, we can form a plan. We also need to find my bag, if it is down here."

    Victini nods. "Tini."

    I take a deep breath. "So the question is...where do we start?"

    And then I remember that Victini is a lucky Pokemon. Blair told me that. I wonder...how do you activate Victini's luck? "Victini," I tell it, "you're really lucky, you know that?"

    "Tini!" Victini nods, its eyes closed, then gives me a wink and a peace sign.

    I laugh. "Okay. I need you to be really lucky right now. We need to find Blair."

    "Rosa!"

    I jump -- the voice is there, and it's loud, and it continues. "The light -- Rosa, is that you?"

    And then, he appears, around the nearest rock formation, in front of me. He's missing his hat, but his bag and MY bag are around his shoulders. His hair is as soaked as mine is, and he looks as lost as I do. He's missing his jacket, only wearing a black T-shirt, but I bet it's in his bag.

    Victini turns toward its owner. "Tini!" it cries out.

    Blair's facial expression turns from weariness to shock to excitement, and then he runs forward, passing by Victini and toward me, grabbing my shoulders. "Oh, my Arceus, are you okay?"

    I'm in shock, and I can't think straight. All I know is that I am lucky, the luckiest girl in the world to have Blair here and alive. I step forward to hug him, but then, his face contorts, and he lets go of me and falls to the floor, throwing up more water than I did.

    I take one huge step back, looking at Victini, who is clearly concerned for its master. It flies toward Blair. "Tini?"

    "I'm -- *cough* -- okay," Blair says in between fits of spitting up water.

    "It's okay," I say. "I did the same thing." I give him time and space, and then he sits up, then stands up, then loses his balance. Then I step forward and grab his arm, steady him. "I've got you."

    He wraps one arm around my shoulder for stability. "Sorry, I --" And he rests his head on my shoulder. "I'm so -- so sorry. I can't --" Both of his arms go around my waist. "You're alive."

    I am confused, but relived. "You're alive, too." I bury my face in his shoulder, trying to hide my blush. I've never, ever been this close to another guy before. We're both drenched, and I realize I can feel right through his shirt. It almost feels like direct contact, like I don't even know Blair, this shouldn't be happening, there will be a scandal -- but then I remind myself that we're both alive.

    We're both lucky.

    His voice is soft in the silence. "I don't know what happened -- I don't know where we are -- but you're here. I was -- I was so worried." He takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I just -- there was a wave, the boat --"

    "The wave hit the boat and capsized it," I say. "I saw a vision of it."

    Blair stiffens and lets go of my waist, looking into my eyes. "Victini sent you a vision of it?" His eyes turn to Victini, whose eyes are watering and paws are shaking. "If Victini saw the boat capsize --"

    And I realize what Blair's inferring -- it's very possible that, while we did fall into the ocean and almost drown, Victini saved us from dying and got us to where we are now. "Victini, was it you?" I ask.

    Victini squeezes its eyes shut. "Tini."

    I could hug Victini forever and it wouldn't be long enough. "Victini, I owe you the biggest jug of chocolate syrup ever."

    "Any sweet will do," Blair says as he reaches for his friend. I realize that he has to let go of me to do so. Victini outstretches its own paws and mutes its fire to a dull glow as Blair intercepts it with a smile. He holds Victini close, both laughing and happy.

    I remember that Blair has my bag. "Did you check in my bag?" I ask as I grab it, not asking permission.

    "You have six Pokeballs in there," Blair says with what must be a smile.

    Sure enough, all six Pokeballs are there. I reach for the familiar one that holds Ray and pull it out. "Ray, are you okay?"

    All of my Pokemon have been safely tucked into the small pieces of Silph technology; Ray is dry and happy to see me. He hugs me tightly with a smile, his tail glowing.

    "Rosa," Blair says to me, "does Ray know Flash?"

    I shake my head, but then see that Blair's got a strange glint in his eye. "I've got an idea. We're in a cave, right?" he asks.

    "Looks like it."

    "And until we find our way out, we either have to conserve our oxygen or make our own. If you let me, I'll teach Ray Flash, and he can keep light going for us."

    "But Ray already knows four moves."

    "Does it know Thunderbolt?"

    How did Blair know? "Yeah! How did you know that?"

    "I watched you use Thunderbolt in the cafe, to shut the lights down." Oh, right. That. "I have the TMs for both Thunderbolt and Flash. If I can teach Ray Flash to get us through this cave, then once we get out, I'll teach Ray Thunderbolt again." He looks back at me. "Because we will get out of here."

    All I can do is give Blair a shaky nod. "Okay." I pat Ray on the back. "Ray, will you let Blair teach you Flash?"

    Ray looks up at me with worried little eyes, then nods. "Amph."

    Blair reaches for his bag and digs out the pouch he uses for his technical machines. "Have you seen my hat? I lost it somewhere in the whirlpool."

    I shake my head. "Sorry. I couldn't see anything until Victini lit up this cave."

    "If I had to guess, we're somewhere inside the Whirl Islands." Blair finally finds the TM he was looking for and pulls out his installer, putting the disc in and spinning it up. He pushes a few more buttons, and Ray starts to glow, the same way he used to whenever he was learning a new move. Then, the glow fades.

    "Got it," Blair says as he stuffs the machine back into his messenger bag. "Ray, use Flash."

    Ray activates the power, and his tail light glows brighter than I had ever thought possible before. Soon, it's become a full lamp for the room, and Blair and I can see clearly again. He smiles at me, and I can tell it's sincere. Now that we have light, we have hope.

    Then I remember what he said before. "Blair, you said we're where?"

    "The Whirl Islands. There's a small island chain between Olivine and Cianwood. Nobody's investigated these islands for years, mostly because of the legend surrounding them. I think it's kind of silly to avoid something because of a legend, but most legends in Johto are true, so I don't blame them."

    "There's a legend for everything," I say, and it's true. "I mean, just earlier today Mr. Deeoh was going on and on about some legend about a melody."

    Blair's eyes flash in recognition. "That may be the same legend," he says as he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a Pokeball. "Hang on for a second -- I want to make sure we're able to breathe."

    The ball hits the floor, and out comes a Leavanny, tall and thin and with a smile on its face. "Why Leavanny?" I ask.

    Blair smiles at me again. "Simple: Leavanny will absorb Ray's light, along with the carbon dioxide in this cave, and turn it into oxygen for us. Not all grass Pokemon can do it, but since Leavanny is part leaf, it's practically a plant. You know, in addition to being a bug as well."

    Man, Blair is smart. No wonder he once claimed the title of Champion! "Thank you," is all I say as Leavanny reaches for Victini. The Fire-type doesn't burn Leavanny, but smiles and spins around her, both Pokemon happy. I can already tell they're good friends.

    "So," I ask Blair, "this legend."

    "Oh, right." Blair shrugs. "There's a legend about the Whirl Islands. I don't know the entire thing word for word, but I remember hearing it when I was going through Johto looking for N. The Whirl Islands used to be one big island, but a huge Pokemon lived underneath it. Something made the Pokemon mad, and it flew up and flooded everything, splitting the island up into pieces. They say, to this day, that same Pokemon sleeps under the islands, and if it ever gets mad again, only its own melody can calm it. People have stayed away from the islands ever since."

    "That must be it," I say. "Mr. Deeoh -- he's the manager of PokeStar Studios -- he's gonna incorporate that legend into the movie somehow. He's gonna have our composer write a song based on the melody, and apparently I have to sing it."

    "You sing?" Blair asks as we sit together, taking a moment to breathe easy.

    I blush. I'm no opera singer, but I can churn out a pop tune. "I've had a couple of singles out," I tell Blair, "but mostly stuff for my movies. I covered that The Four Hitmontops hit from a while back for the latest Amor a Primera Vista movie -- oh, what is it?" I start humming the melody.

    "You mean 'Fantasy,'" Blair notes. "I grew up on The Four Hitmontops. Really old-school, but they still make hits today."

    I nod. "That's it! I just wanted to get free, live in a fantasy --"

    "Fantasy, woah-oh!" Blair joins in right on cue, and we both laugh. "So you sang that song?" Blair asks.

    I nod.

    "I'll have to look it up when I get back to Unova," he says. And then, he looks at the ceiling. "If I ever get back to Unova."

    "Well, we have oxygen now, and I've got a bunch of Berries in my bag, so we'll be okay at least for the next twenty four hours or so," I say. "Let's at least investigate this hall we're in."

    "Sounds good," Blair says, making sure his bag is secure. His hair is dry now, unruly even without the cap, short and shaggy and framed around his face. It's cute this way, although I wonder how he feels about it. Ray, Victini, and Leavanny follow behind us as we walk around the huge room. There's easily a lot of ground to cover, and I don't know where to start except to take a self-guided tour.

    "You're smart, to use Leavanny like that," I say as Blair leads me around.

    "Some areas of Chargestone Cave don't have a lot of oxygen," Blair explains, "but the entire cave is electrically charged, and it glows. Leavanny could take the glow from the lightning and make the chemicals react. She's great for things like that."

    "Lea," Leavanny agrees; she's got Victini in her arms.

    "Plus, she's a great attacker for my team," Blair notes. "She knows both Grass and Bug-type moves, such as X-Scissor and Leaf Blade. I prefer to strike fast, and to strike hard. A good offense is the best defense."

    I nod my head in approval. "I try to be more well-rounded than that, but I agree. That's why I love battling with Ray so much. Having that much attack power feels awesome, and I know Ray can control it."

    "Ray seems to be your special Pokemon," Blair says. "I've noticed throughout my years of training and traveling that people seem to have one special Pokemon they consider their best friend. Mine is Victini, as you can see, though I love all of my Pokemon."

    "I'd agree with that. Ray and I have been through a lot. I guess we all have." I'm reminded of having to fight against Team Plasma, and the argument we had started before the boat had capsized. "I mean...we fought together when Team Plasma came back."

    Blair's quiet for a minute, but when he speaks, his voice is lacking its normal edge. "If I would have known Team Plasma was on the move again, I would have come straight home. I didn't hear any news from home for months. To be fair, I kept myself isolated, and that was selfish of me. But I was looking for that group's destined leader. I would have defeated Team Plasma all over again, if it meant I could come face to face with N again."

    "What's so important about this N guy, anyway?" I ask.

    "That's the problem," Blair says. "I don't really know." There's a pause. "I can't really explain it. All I know is that it's important, that he's important to me."

    It's too silent, almost awkward. But I know that if I was concerned enough about somebody that I would follow them, I'd be in love with them. I know because I followed Hugh. When he went after Team Plasma to get his sister's Purrloin back, I helped him because I knew it would help him. I knew he would be happy I was helping him. I wonder what N said when Blair found him again, how hard he wrapped his arms around the Champion, if he lifted up Blair's hat and pressed his nose to his --

    "You love him, don't you?" I blurt out, to keep myself from throwing up again. I don't think it's wrong -- I'm jealous, and I don't know why. I don't even know Blair.

    "For the last time, no!" Blair runs a hand through his hair. "I mean -- I learned a lot from N, yes. But I spent so much time chasing him after Team Plasma was defeated that I forgot why I was chasing him in the first place. At first, I wanted answers. Then, I just wanted to see him again. But when I finally confronted N, he revealed that he knew I had been looking for him. Then, he left for Unova without a clear explanation, just a bunch of cryptic words of encouragement." He sighs. "It didn't make sense. It still doesn't make sense. I don't know why he did it."

    I almost open my mouth again, but remember that Blair isn't that much different than I am. Both of us became Champions under very dire circumstances, and both of us fought against Team Plasma and won. Both of us are highly skilled Champions with similar battle mindsets. But while I dealt with the pressure by becoming an actress, Blair disappeared after the one man who could have been considered by many to be his nemesis.

    The question is this: what part of Blair's character would drive him to do that?

    I hate thinking of it as a character analysis, but I'm doing it anyway. When I become a superhero, or a school girl, or a scientist, I don't just become those stereotypes. I analyze the script, I paint a picture, I delve in and figure out just who these characters are, and why they do what they do in the script. Mr. Deeoh doesn't give me a lot to go off of -- he's in charge of all of the movies, and sometimes there are gaps in the script because he and the script writers can't agree on something. I've built my career at PokeStar by being able to put the right lines and mood in when there's nothing else to go off of. I'm such a good actress because I take the stereotypes and make them real people on screen.

    If I was Blair -- which, considering how similar we are, I kind of was -- and I had been fighting against somebody for so long, I would want to know the enemy. You know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But N and Blair weren't enemies; they were more like strange friends who were destined for battle. I had heard the legend countless times, of two kings and their Dragon Pokemon. When Team Plasma was defeated the first time, so was N, and he disappeared, leaving Blair with a strange void in his life.

    "You really missed him when he left," I finally deduce.

    Blair stops walking. He looks over at me, the light in his eyes uncertain. "I...I guess I did."

    "Maybe you were so used to having him around that when he wasn't...it hurt, you know?" I smile. "I don't really know N, but he seemed like a cool guy, even though he probably misunderstands a lot. You wanted to be friends with him."

    Blair gives me a small laugh. "I guess you are right. I care about N. I wanted to make sure he was okay."

    I'm full-blown into my character analysis now. "Well, if N made that much of an impression on you, maybe there was something you learned from him. Something you don't really get now, but a lesson that you'll learn in time. And maybe he was just trying to teach you that, before he came back to Unova to stop his dad from destroying everything again." I shrug. "And since you haven't figured it out yet, that's why it's bugging you so much..."

    I stop talking. Blair's turned away from me. I don't understand until I see the tears rolling down his face that I've said something very wrong.

Chapter Text

    "Tini?"

    I look down and see Victini has flown into my arms. It's looking up at me with sad, blue eyes and a concerned look on its face. It makes me think of something Cheren once said to me, some time after we had beat Ghetsis but before I had left to find N.

    Victini always knows when I'm sad.

    I’ve never had anybody figure it out. I’ve always been alone on my mission to find N, save for Victini and my Pokemon friends. And my mission is done, I finally found N, and he had given me a new mission. And this Pokemon champion who went more than two years without decent human contact is now face to face with a beautiful girl who can see right through him.

    I wrap my arms around Victini and bite my lip. This is awkward. I’ve never cried in front of a girl before. I’ve never felt so inferior in front of a girl before. I know that’s incredibly sexist of me to say, but it’s true. I’ve gone in circles for years, and she’s made movies and saved the world when I wasn’t here to do so, and she reads me like an open book that I thought I had locked a long time ago.

    I do not stand a chance with her.

    I don’t stand a chance with myself.

    “Blair?”

    I let go of Victini and fake it. "Yes, Rosa?"

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah."

    "No, seriously, are you okay? I feel like I said too much."

    And I just smile at her. "No. You said the right amount." I catch up to her and don't touch her, but simply smile. "Let's go that way. See where it leads." I point down through one of the tunnels.

    "Why that one?"

    The truth: because I don't want to bring any more attention to myself, and I need some time to think. The lie: "Eh, I feel good about that one. And if it doesn't work, we can always come back, right?"

    "As long as we have oxygen." Way to be morbid, Rosa.

    We start walking again, Leavanny and Ray following behind us. Victini flies ahead and does circles around Rosa, and she interacts enough with him that I can be in my own head for a bit. I'm most uncomfortable because I have a traveling partner -- and never mind that she is sufficiently attractive. I haven't had a traveling partner since, well, since Bianca and Cheren and I all started our journeys at the same time.

    "Hey, Rosa," I say after a while.

    Victini lands on one bun as she turns. "Yeah?"

    "You ever have a traveling partner?"

    "Not really, although I ran into Hugh all the time. Seems like everywhere I went, he went too, but he was also after Team Plasma, so that makes sense now that I think about it."

    Something inside of me drops. "Woah, woah, wait -- who's Hugh?"

    "Oh -- Hugh. He was my best friend growing up. His little sister's Purrloin got stolen by Team Plasma, and so he fought to get it back." Rosa's smile now seems a bit sad, and I wonder if she misses Hugh for the same reasons I miss N.

    What am I kidding? I can see it plastered all over her face. She loves that kid. And any miniscule chance I thought I had with her is gone.

    "Do you miss him?" I ask her.

    She shrugs. "Yeah, kind of. He's back at home now. I think he's just happy that he got what he wanted. He finally got his sister's Purrloin back, but it was a Liepard and it didn't even remember who Hugh was. So he's home with her, working on re-establishing that Liepard's trust. And, you know, I'm all over the world with my movies and stuff." There's something that Rosa's not telling me, but I leave it for now.

    We're quiet again as we walk through a rocky facade and deeper into the hallway. There's nothing but rocks all about us, and if it weren't for the tunnel continuing in front of us, I'd be lost. We're lucky to have Ray with us to light the way. I could have taught Leavanny Flash, but Ray's light is brighter than Leavanny could ever create. Plus, I still like having Rosa here, even though I'm sure I made her a bit sad by reminding her of Hugh.

    "Are you happy, Rosa?" I ask.

    "With what?"

    "With your life. With everything. Happy that you're apart from Hugh, doing your movies and what not."

    Rosa's quiet for a minute, her blue eyes lost in thought. "Most of the time," she says. “But I’m starting to hate how I’m recognized everywhere I go. I want to go back to Training, to traveling the world. I mean, I’m kind of stuck being recognized, but at least if you’re a Trainer, people accept you’re going to be roughing it. If you’re a movie star, they treat you special and don’t let you out of their sight. But I guess I’ve never been a normal Trainer. I always had Team Plasma to take care of.” Her saying that reminds me of what an asshole I was, disappearing for two years.

    “You spent your entire Trainer journey going after Team Plasma,” I note.

    “And I never actually got a chance to get lost, to appreciate things. I’d love to go to another region and do that someday. I was hoping to do it here in Johto, but fat chance of that happening once I get back to the surface. This is the only chance I’ll get…although I suppose I’m sufficiently lost now.” She laughs then, but I can tell her heart’s not in it.

    “You have a point,” I say, trying to save the conversation. “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

    She doesn’t waste a beat. “Mt. Silver. For sure.”

    Mt. Silver? "Why did you want to go to Mt. Silver? I've been up there, and it's cold."

    "Because Red's up there. You know who Red is, right?"

    "You mean the Kanto champion? When I traveled across Kanto and Johto looking for N, I heard tales about him."

    There's a huge smile on Rosa's face. "You know how I mentioned that I watched a video that got me into battling? That video was Red's Championship battle. It was Red and Pikachu versus Blue and Eevee, and I wanted to be just like him. I even got Ray because he's an Electric-type Pokemon. I want to have a better bond with Ray, and then go to the top of Mt. Silver -- to thank Red, and to challenge him. I know I'll lose, but I want to learn from it."

    I sigh. She's not going to want to hear this. "I've been to Mt. Silver, and I only saw N on the top of that mountain. No Red." And then, I follow that up with "But you shouldn't let that stop you from looking, you know? Maybe he's still up there, and I wasn't paying attention. You do what you want to do, Rosa. Go on an adventure. Go be a Trainer. Go be an actress. You're fourteen years old, for crying out loud. Go have fun. Just promise me you'll go get a Pokemon that knows Surf."

    She chuckles at me, and then she leans her head on my shoulder. I stop walking and turn away from her. My face starts burning -- she smells something like strawberry and vanilla and --

    "Let's get out of this cave," she whispers into my ear.

    I nod, trying to keep my cool. "For both of us."

    "In the interim, I don't have any extra food except for Berries. Is that okay for a possible dinner?"

    "More than okay. I should have a couple of bottles of something in my bag. How'd you get Berries? A lot of them don't natively grow in Unova."

    "Oh, I got them here in Johto. I've been feeding some of them to Ray, by request of Mr. Deeoh. Since Ray's going to be in Pride and Pokemon, Mr. Deeoh wants for Ray to have that beautiful "sheen" that Coordinators talk about." When she says 'sheen,' she makes air quotes with her hands, and I laugh. "So we'll be fine at least for one night. So, Mr. Blackstone, what are ya gonna do once you get out of this cave?"

    I roll my eyes. "Okay, so you were right about N. He told me to find my own path."

    "Ahaha -- that's what you're telling me to do!"

    For a split second, I wish our paths could be the same, but that's wishful thinking. Rosa knows what she wants to do, and I have no clue. "But for starters, I want to go check out Cheren's gym. Catch up with people. Where'd you say it was again?"

    "It's in Aspertia, where I live," Rosa says as we start walking again.

    I smile. Nothing surprises me anymore. "Maybe I'll get to meet your friend Hugh, as well."

    This cave is bigger than I thought it could be, but thankfully the light is keeping all of the wild Pokemon away. Nothing like having a huge Electric-type Pokemon glowing in a cave full of Water-types. We walk for what seems like miles, but there's no change in the landscape, all high ceilings and rocky stalagmites. Most of it is flat, although we do make some twists and turns and jump over ledges. Victini goes from my arms to my shoulder to Rosa's visor to the top of Ray's head. For some reason, it can't stay still.

    We walk through a huge gap in the rock formation and into another cavern, this one smaller than the previous one. It forms a tunnel, and I see no end. "Should we go down this way?" I ask.

    Rosa's looking at her C-Gear. "We should eat dinner," she notes. "It's later than you think it is."

    It surprises me. "Really?"

    "Yeah -- it's past ten at night. Are you hungry? I could use something to eat."

    I'm in shock; I didn't know we had been down here that long. Now that I think about it, I haven't had anything since lunch, when we ate at the Pokemon Center cafeteria. I was lucky enough to not get recognized again; I attribute that to Victini. "We can do that," I say.

    Rosa puts down her bag and opens it up, digging through it. "I've got a Berry pouch somewhere in here," she tells me. She pulls something out, but it's not her Berry pouch. "Oh!"

    "My hat!" I yelp in surprise, taking it from Rosa. It's nice and dry, safe inside its hiding place in Rosa's bag. "What was that doing in there?"

    Rosa can't help but laugh. "If I would have known it was there, I would have given it to you straightaway."

    I take the hat and put it back on my head, and now, I feel more normal. My mom gave me this hat right before I started my journey, and I've only felt like a real Pokemon trainer with it on. "There," Rosa teases, "you look more normal now," and we both laugh.

    Rosa pulls out the Berry pouch, and we divide up a few of the berries and eat them, passing off pieces to the Pokemon we have out as well. It's not enough to be completely full, but it takes the edge off nicely. I dig through my bottomless pit bag (seriously, I don't know how Devon makes these bags able to hold everything) and, sure enough, I have three lemonades, two bottles of water, a can of soda pop, two RageCandyBars, and a Moomoo Milk. It's not enough to really keep properly hydrated, but it should buy us the same amount of time as Rosa's Berries do -- twenty four hours. I don't know how long we'll be down here, but thankfully somebody will figure out we're missing when Rosa doesn't show up for her shoot tomorrow. That should get the Coast Guard kicking, and since people know about the Whirl Islands, they should include it in their search area.

    Hopefully.

    Probably.

    I'm hoping the superstition about this place doesn't keep them away. You would hope that an emergency would override any local fairy tales -- though tell that to Lacunosa Town.

    By the time we finish eating, it's after eleven. "Did you bring any supplies to sleep with?"

    "Nope. Did you?"

    "The usual -- a sleeping bag and a pillow. But you can use the pillow; I'll use my bag. I'm used to it. If we unzip the bag and put it on the ground, it should work. We just won't have any blankets."

    "Sounds fine to me. We'll have to do what we can."

    "Can Ray use Flash all night long?"

    "Yep! They don't use Ampharos in the Glitter Lighthouse for nothing." Rosa gives Ray a huge hug. "I'm so sorry, buddy," she says. "I promise you that I will buy the biggest plate of macaroni and cheese after we're free."

    That puts a smile on Ray's face. "Amph," he says as he hugs Rosa back.

    She smiles. "And they have to find us tomorrow. It's not like me to be absent from a shoot. Ray, Leavanny, if you two sit at the front of this tunnel all night, we should be fine, even if you fall asleep."

    I reach into my bag and pull out Victini's Pokeball. "You'll be safe in here," I say.

    Immediately Victini's face scrunches up into what I like to call the "macaroon-or-die" face. Its mouth goes into a small frown, its eyes start to water, and both of its ears droop. But I must stand firm. "No. You can sleep, and the Pokeball will supply you with additional support and the limited-oxygen environment. I'm doing this for your own good."

    Victini latches onto my arm, and I take the moment and bop the Pokeball against its head. It gives me one sad look and then disappears with a flash of red light. "You may hate me later," I say out loud, but I know the truth. Victini will definitely hate me later.

    I look over at Rosa, who has taken off her shoes and propped her bag up against the tunnel wall. Her visor is gone from her hair, and she's got one bun untied, working on the next. I don't realize I'm staring until she looks at me. Whoops. I get to work untying my own sneakers, then put my hat inside of my bag for safekeeping. I prop my bag next to hers, two makeshift pillows that are almost all we have. Then, I pull out my sleeping bag and pillow, giving the actual pillow to her.

    She props it up on her bag. "Thank you."

    I lay the sleeping bag down, unzipping it. "There's not a lot of space here," I say, which is stating the obvious. I don't know, maybe I'm reading the situation wrong, but here I am, getting ready to sleep way too close to an attractive girl. Chill, Blair, I tell myself. She's got a guy back home she's got the hots for. Be the bigger man.

    "Nothing to worry about, Blair," Rosa notes as the other bun comes down, long strands of brown hair waving over her shoulders and down her arms. "Besides, it's not like we haven't slept in the same room before."

    My face lights up, and I'm glad the light is low. "That was different. We weren't sleeping side by side."

    "And lack of oxygen wasn't a problem." Rosa lies her head down on her pillow and relaxes on her back, looking at the low ceiling of our enclave. I lay by her, and the tunnel becomes silent. Ray and Leavanny aren't too far away, on the other side of a rock so the direct light from Ray's tail doesn't keep us up all night.

    I almost tell Rosa good night and turn away from her when she speaks. "Blair?"

    "Mm-hmm?"

    "If I don't wake up in the morning..."

    "You'll wake up. Ray will stay on all night. You know that."

    "I know. But just in case...can you do a favor for me?"

    She's got me hanging on every word, and I don't even know how she does it. I keep my eyes on her, laying on my left side. "Anything."

    Her eyes don't leave the ceiling. "Could you...could you tell Hugh that I meant what I said at Humilau City? I don't know if he just assumed I was kidding, since we were saving the world and all..."

    My eyes widen. Did she...did she confess to her friend?

    She doesn't stop. "But I was serious. I meant every word. And also, tell him it's okay that he doesn't feel the same. I just wanted the truth to be out there."

    Oh. Oh, wow. I -- I'm just speechless at this point.

    She looks back at me, and I can see the sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she says. "I shouldn't be involving you in this. I should be all like, 'oh, yeah, I'm totally going to survive.' But I have to be practical. And even though I won't ever be with Hugh, he's still my friend. I don't want him worrying about me. I want our friendship to survive my silly emotions."

    "They're not silly," I tell her before I can fact-check my mouth. I blush, then try to continue the best I can. "What I mean is -- they're your emotions, aren't they? You shouldn't try to change the way you feel, unless you want to. They're your feelings, and so they're special." Phew. Good save there, Blair.

    I see what must be a bit of a blush on her face, but then she smiles. "Thank you." Then, she looks to the ceiling again. "The entire time we were fighting Team Plasma, I got this huge crush on him. I didn't want to ruin our friendship, so I kept my mouth shut until we got to Humilau City. It was just weighing on my shoulders so much. But when I started to tell him, he told me he wasn't interested in anybody like that. I was mad about it, but now, I just want Hugh to be my friend. And I want to put all of that behind me and focus on what's most important."

    "And that is?"

    She laughs. "Going back to the Pokemon League! If we ever get out of this cave, that is."

    "We'll get out of here. It's like you said before. Rosa Montblanc shows up to her shoots."

    "Well, yeah. And the Pokemon League will know you're gone, too, right?"

    I shrug. "I don't know. I've been chasing N forever, and at first, they gave me flak for it, but then they left me alone. Nobody keeps tabs on me anymore."

    "So your parents aren't worried about you at all?" Rosa asks.

    Oh, I should have known this was coming. "At this point, my mom just lets me do my own thing. She doesn't ask questions. We've always been tight, my mom and me. She probably still thinks I'm out looking for N." And then I say it before she can ask. "And I never knew my dad."

    Rosa's quiet for a minute. "Never?" she asks.

    I nod. "Never."

    I'm waiting for the sympathy, the 'I'm sorry' that always comes from people. But it doesn't come. She just nods, and then says "You should call your mom, when we're out of here."

    It makes me smile. She's right. I haven't seen my mother in a long time. That will be the first thing I do once I'm out of here.

    We're quiet for minute, then Rosa speaks again. "I wonder if this is how Red slept every night, in the cave."

    "Probably," I say. "I've been in that same cave. It's dark, like this, but much colder."

    "You said that's where you found N, right? At the top of that cave."

    I nod. "You know, there's something about that that keeps bugging me."

    "Fire away."

    "I still don't get how N knew I was following him that whole time. It was like he just knew. So when I found him again, it was this whole big anticlimactic mush. I spent so much time looking for N that...well, I don't know what I'm gonna do now with my life." But wait. I do know what I'm going to do with my life -- if only immediately. "Except go visit my mom. And find Bianca and Cheren." I turn to Rosa. "And find Hugh and tell him you meant what you said at Humilau. You know, if you die."

    She glares at me. "I'm not going to die!" she says with a laugh. "So you're gonna visit your mom, and I'm gonna find a way to start training again. Sounds like a plan."

    "You gonna hold me to it?"

    "Of course I am. We're friends, right?"

    And it all makes sense.

    I see N, at the top of Mt. Silver. "Find your ideals." My chase was for him, but he wanted me to find what was important to me. I do want to see my mother again. I had hoped Cheren and Bianca would have stayed closer during our journey, though it hasn't worked that way. I chased N because I wanted him to stay by my side. And as I've talked with Rosa, it makes sense that all I really want is not to be alone.

    I've been sitting here, laying in this cave, talking with this girl while we're trying to survive. It's clearer to me now that she's not just a pretty face. She would make a good friend to have.

    Or a travel partner.

    "Friends," I repeat, the word rolling around in my mouth. I almost open my mouth and ask her right then and there, but I need to think it over more. "What you say we get some sleep?"

    Rosa nods, then turns and lays on her side, facing me. "Sounds good to me."