Today marked the seven hundred thirtieth day - two years exactly - since the public last saw Champion May.
But she had not, as some media outlets suggested, gone missing, because to say that she'd gone missing implied that she was off the map, that she was lost, that she'd ceased to exist without a single trace.
No. She was still here.
She tilted her head back to stare at sky. No clouds. No possibility of rain or thunder or lightning. Just blue. Boring, uneventful blue.
She couldn't believe that she'd ever stopped Team Aqua from making it rain.
Four years ago, when she'd been a girl of sixteen, May had single-handedly stopped the organization from drowning all of Hoenn. Soon after, she'd defeated Hoenn's Pokémon League on her very first attempt. To the population, she was, without a doubt, the strongest, most heroic girl on the planet.
She'd become the best. And she regretted it with every fiber of her being.
Why hadn't she let the police deal with Team Aqua? Why hadn't she been content with being a normal, small-town girl? Why had she spent every waking moment of her life training to be the best?
If only she'd known that all of the action-packed events in her life would, ironically, pave the path for boredom.
To this day, May had never battled anyone for her title. Not a single trainer. Few were able to beat Sidney, and nobody ever made it past Phoebe. People just weren't as driven as she had been. Ever Grande lost all of its appeal as the city of opportunities, and instead, became the place where she spent hours staring at the walls until she went cross-eyed.
But she supposed it was inaccurate to say that all she got out of fame was boredom. She also got a heaping dose of anxiety.
Ever since the Team Aqua incident, May hadn't been able take a single step outside of her home without having the paparazzi swarm her like a horde of Zubat. Sadly, her fans weren't any better. She could've been doing something of little importance, like buying eggs at the supermarket, and people would gather around and point and shout and snap pictures of her on their pokénavs. She'd become less of a hero and more like a creature in a cage, displayed only for the entertainment of others.
And, of course, everyone had wanted to meet the parents of the world's strongest trainer. Norman and Caroline had assured their daughter that they could handle the attention, but May couldn't bear seeing them harassed by camera crews and fans alike.
The fame changed her. Every time she'd had to go on the air for an interview, she was told to present herself in a way that made her look heroic, brave, and refined. Nobody would want a sixteen-year-old girl as the nation's champion if she didn't act mature.
And she'd done as she was told. She'd kept her chin up, squared her shoulders, and pretended to be years beyond her age. She'd traded in her shorts for dress pants and skirts, and had cast away the red hair bow she'd worn since childhood. She'd held herself in a light that made her appear dignified and strong, like Hoenn's rightful ruler.
But how was she supposed to act when she wasn't on camera? Was the version of her that she saw on T.V. the real her? Or was that just an act, put on only to fit the expectations of her many fans? How did she act before she became the best?
She didn't know. She didn't even feel human anymore. She'd been forced to smile for the cameras so often that she couldn't remember what it felt like to genuinely to so. Every attempt at one now came out as a grimace.
She'd become the empty husk of a girl, the Shedinja of a Nincada.
So after just two years of her reign as Champion, she left. She'd packed only her team and several changes of clothes, left a letter for her parents on their kitchen table, and departed for the skies.
At first, she'd made the Sky Pillar her new home. The only people who knew it even existed were the descendants of the first Sootopolitans, and not even they would have guessed that this was where the champion had decided to hide.
But one can only live for so long in an ancient ruin. Wild pokémon like Golbat and Sableye constantly scurried about, and cold, stone floors did not make for a fit sleeping space. May had only lasted a few days before she relocated.
It was convenient for her that Pacifidlog Town was nearby. She'd taken advantage of its pokécenter, where she was served warm dinners and given access to an actual bed.
The town was extremely small, housing a population of less than twenty people. It was not as isolated a town for its residents not to know who May was, but the hype surrounding her wasn't nearly as big as it was on the mainland. Some residents asked her for an autograph, but most kept to themselves and generally ignored her.
It helped that Pacifidlog didn't have a gym, the one incentive trainers usually had for traveling. May didn't know what she'd do if a visitor from somewhere big like Mauville happened upon the small town and saw her residing there. The media would descend onto the place before she could blink.
Over time, the Pacifidlog people warmed up to her, lending her new clothes and occasionally feeding her home-cooked meals. It was nice to be treated like a human again.
She spent her time fishing on the docks, reeling in a few fish per day. The town was big on the consumption of seafood, and she wanted to contribute to its small society in any way she could. Though she wasn't any less bored with her life, it was satisfying to have a small sense of purpose.
Her mother called her every week to make sure that she was still alive. Caroline still tried to convince May to return to Littleroot, but May was never going to budge. She knew she was the worst daughter on the planet, but this was all for the best. Her family was better off without her.
After one year had passed since May's arrival, one of the residents had approached her before she'd gone back to the pokécenter for the night.
"You still living in there?" he'd asked, scrunching his nose at the pokécenter like it was only a little better than a shabby motel.
"Yeah." She'd gazed at the man. "You're Gus, right?" It was hard not to know all the residents of a town when there were less than twenty of them.
The lines around his eyes had deepened as he'd smiled. "Gus I am. And everyone knows who you are, Miss Champion."
May had tried to smile in response, but only succeeded in looking like she'd just swallowed a lemon.
"What's the service like in there?" Gus had asked, nodding toward the pokécenter. "I heard that the mattresses are hard and the food's awful."
"It's not terrible."
"Huh." Gus had scratched his head. "I thought you'd been living with Lane."
Lane had become one of May's first friends in Pacifidlog only because May had traded her Bellossom for Lane's Corsola. Whenever May had needed a new set of clothes or wanted to borrow a swimsuit, she went to Lane due to their close ages and similar statures.
May had shaken her head. "No. But the pokécenter is fine."
"Maybe for one night it is." Gus had placed his hands on his hips. "Why don't you come live with me and Pa? There's only the two of us in that house, y'know. And we have a spare room."
"Pa" was Gus' father, Charles.
"They say, here in Hoenn, there are places called Mirage spots," Charles had told May when he'd first met her, his old voice brittle and thin. "But one does not simply walk into a Mirage spot. Not to mention that these places also appear and disappear mysteriously."
Of course, May knew that the reason these "mirage spots" appeared and disappeared was because of the changing ocean tides. Depending on the time of day, the fluctuation of ocean levels could completely submerge an entire island.
Though she certainly hadn't told any of this to Charles. The old man developed a youthful shine in his eyes whenever he talked about the spots. Telling him the truth would be like telling a young child that Santa Claus didn't exist.
"You can't live in the center forever," Gus had continued. "Don't you think it's time to move into an actual house?"
May had hesitated. The thought of living in a house again was appealing, but she didn't know either of these men all that well.
Gus hadn't waited for an answer. He'd began walking back to his house, easily balancing himself on the log walkways that connected the buildings together.
"Come on," he'd said. "Pa will be alright with it."
And so, she'd moved in with Gus and Charles.
When she'd told her mother a week later, Caroline had freaked out.
"You're living with two old men?!" she'd screeched into the phone, her voice rising several octaves in her fright.
May had held her pokénav away from her ear. Her mother's panicked voice had invoked the image of nails on a chalkboard. "Gus isn't that old."
"May!"
She'd sighed. "Mom, it's fine. They're not bad people."
"You don't know that! What if they, I don't know, try something?"
"They're not going to try anything, and I do know they're not bad people. They gave me my own room and everything."
"That doesn't matter! You get out of their home this instant and –"
"Just because they're older men doesn't mean they're bad people. And they know I'm the champion." Well, at least Gus knew she was. She couldn't tell if Charles did since he only ever talked about Mirage spots. "They won't hurt me. I've already been living with them for a week, and they've been nothing but good to me."
She'd heard her mom huff out a deep breath through the phone. "I don't know, May. I don't like the thought of you living with two men I've never met."
"Then I'll introduce you." May had handed her pokénav to Charles, who'd been sitting next to her at the kitchen table. "Here, Charles. My mother would love to meet you."
Charles had brought the nav to his ear. "Hello, miss."
May had heard her mother reply a curt "Hello," in response.
"Do you know about Mirage spots, miss?" Charles had asked. "They say, here in Hoenn, there are places called Mirage spots. But one does not simply walk into a Mirage spot. Not to mention that these places also appear and disappear mysteriously."
He'd gone on a tangent for several more minutes, during which May had gone upstairs to take a quick shower. He was still talking by the time she'd dressed and come back to the table.
"Thank you, Charles," May had said, gently taking the nav from his frail fingers. "I'm sure my mother has learned a lot."
Charles had smiled. "Anytime."
"Mom? Are you still there?"
"…Yes."
"Still think they're going to try something?"
Caroline had been silent for a moment before saying, "If Mirage Man does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, you take out your pokémon and you get out of there. Understand?"
"Yes."
A second year quickly passed, and not once did May need to take her pokémon out for the sake of her safety.
She'd fallen into a steady routine. She swam laps with the town's children first thing in the morning, though they were more accustomed to the strong ocean currents than she was, and she was always the first one to tire out. In the afternoon, she sat on the docks with her feet in the water, reeling in a number of fish with her Super Rod. Sometimes, she went over to Lane's to converse and drink tea. At sunset, she returned to Gus and Charles' house for dinner and listened to Charles talk about Mirage spots. Then she went to bed, and after a few hours of sleep, repeated the process.
She didn't have any plans to return to the mainland. While this wasn't the most exciting life, it was a peaceful one. And that was enough for her.
"May!"
May looked up from her place on the dock to see Lane waving at her from her house.
"Come join me!" Lane said before disappearing inside the house. That was May's cue that it was time for tea.
She headed for Lane's, holding her arms out for balance as she treaded on top of the log walkways. Unlike the native Pacifidlog residents, May wasn't completely used to the shaky walkways, and she'd fallen into the ocean quite a few times because of them.
She was lucky today, making it to Lane's without a single drop of seawater on her. She walked right inside to the living room and sat in her designated spot on the leather sofa. Lane was already pouring tea into a matching pair of cups.
May's eyes snagged on the newspaper sitting on the coffee table.
"Huh." She picked it up.
It was uncommon to see newspaper in Pacifidlog. The surrounding currents made the town an unreachable destination for Hoenn's mailing services.
"Isn't it exciting?" Lane plopped next to May on the sofa, making them both bounce against the cushions. "The last time I got to read a newspaper was when I visited Slateport a few years ago."
"Where did it come from?" She looked at the front page and raised her brows.
The front article read, Hikers Spot Champion May in Kalos.
"You didn't hear?" Lane asked.
"Hear what?" She put down the paper.
Lane leaned in close as if she meant to tell a secret. "We have a visitor."
This was surprising. "A visitor? Here, in Pacifidlog?"
Lane nodded once. "Mm-hm. He's the one who gave that to me." She gestured toward the newspaper.
"This guy came all the way out here just to give you a newspaper?"
"Of course not!" Lane playfully smacked May on the shoulder. "I just happened to see the paper sticking out of his bag and asked for it. He's really nice."
"How did he even get here?"
"I think he came by Wailmer. Impressive, right?"
"Yeah. I wonder who he is."
Lane shrugged. "I think he's some scientist or something, because he was wearing a white coat. Like, the kind you'd see in a lab."
"A white coat?" The first person that came to mind was Professor Birch. "Did he tell you his name?"
"He did, but I forget… Something with a B?"
Birch?
"What does he look like?" May could feel the hope swell in her like an ocean wave.
It'd been a while since she'd seen a familiar face. Professor Birch was the one who had given her a Mudkip, her very first pokémon, and she didn't care if he knew she was here. She trusted him to keep her location a secret.
"What does he look like?" Lane repeated. "Um, brown hair, kinda tall… I couldn't see his eye color."
Though incredibly vague, the description matched the professor.
May stood up. "Where is he now?"
"I think he went over to your place. He's asking everyone about the types of pokémon that live around here."
"I see. Thanks, Lane." May was already walking out the door.
"What about your tea?" she heard Lane ask as the door closed behind her.
She walked as fast as she could to Charles' house, slipping once against the logs and landing on her stomach. Water seeped through the front of her shirt and shorts, and she quickly pulled herself to her feet.
Some children who were swimming nearby laughed at her fall, but she ignored them as she continued her trek.
The front door was already open when she arrived. She quietly walked inside, taking notice of Gus sleeping on the living room sofa, and followed the sound of voices coming from the kitchen.
She heard Charles' voice first.
"…are places called Mirage spots. But one does not simply walk into a Mirage spot. Not to mention that these places also appear and disappear mysteriously."
May rounded into the room, disappointment immediately taking the wind out of her sails.
Although the visitor had his back to her, she could tell he was not Professor Birch.
He was skinnier and taller than the professor. Along with his lab coat he wore black dress shoes with black dress pants, which differed greatly from the professor's casual attire of shorts and sandals. His hair was brown, but it was slightly unkempt, styled in a way that implied he was relatively young.
"I see…" the stranger said in response to Charles, and May could tell he was only pretending to be intrigued.
She took a step back, needing to duck out before the stranger could see her. She felt like a fool for having expected the professor to be here, and she turned on her heel.
In her haste, she knocked over a nearby pot, the hard clay landing against the wood floors with a loud thud.
The stranger turned toward her.
Recognition hit her like a lightning bolt.
Even though he was taller, even though his voice was deeper, she still recognized him. How could she not? He was the first friend she'd ever made in Hoenn. His face was one she'd know anywhere.
His eyes landed on the fallen pot before moving up into her face. He tilted his head in greeting, and then turned back to Charles. Then he wheeled around in a double-take, and she knew he recognized her, too.
He shook his head slowly as if he didn't believe what he was seeing. His breath caught in his throat, and it looked like someone had suddenly pushed him from behind as he took a shaky, uneven step toward her.
"May?" Brendan breathed, his eyes widening in disbelief.
He'd once been her rival. He'd once shared her dream of becoming Champion. And he could have taken the title for himself had he continued to work for it.
But he hadn't. Instead, he'd gone back to Littleroot and, like his father, committed himself to a life of studying pokémon.
Four years later, here he was.
"Brendan," she started, "what are you doing here?"
He swallowed hard. "I… I'm updating a log of all the pokémon in the region, and this was the last town I needed to visit. Of course, I haven't even started on all the water routes yet, but I figured I'd – wait." He shook his head as if to clear his mind, his disbelief giving way to anger. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"
May blinked. "I live here now. In this house, actually."
"You…" The disbelief was back in full swing.
"Can I get you kids some snacks?" Charles asked.
"No, thank you," Brendan said, "though I am going to borrow this for just a brief moment." He took May by the elbow and dragged her toward the door. His strides were long, and she was practically jogging to keep up.
Despite his obvious anger, she marveled at how different he was.
They used to be the same height, able to look each other squarely in the eye. Now he was a giant, towering over her by a full head, and she needed to crane her neck back just to meet his gaze. All traces of baby fat had left his face, the lines of his features hard and sharp. He was physically stronger now, too. She could feel it in his grip on her arm.
He released her once they were outside on the dock. She spoke first.
"Why are you so angry?"
"Why am I so angry?" he repeated, astonishment coloring the contours of his voice. "May, you've been M.I.A. for what, an entire year?"
"Two years, actually."
"Two years!" he exclaimed. "You've been missing for two years!"
"Just because I haven't been seen in a while does not mean that I'm missing," she interjected.
"That's the exact definition of missing!"
"I'm not missing," she insisted again. "If I was, wouldn't you think the police would be looking for me?"
"Yeah, but –"
She cut him off. "My parents know where I am. And I've spoken to the police, so they know I'm still alive. If I really wanted to, I could go back to Littleroot at any time."
"Then why don't you?"
"Because I don't want to."
"May." Brendan ran a hand through his hair, looking as though he were about to tear a fistful of it out. "Everybody, and I mean everybody, has been wondering where you've run off to. I thought you were in Kalos!"
May recalled the newspaper article she'd seen at Lane's. "That's ridiculous."
"What's ridiculous is the fact that you've been right under our noses this whole time."
"Why is that ridiculous? I'm the champion of Hoenn, and I have an obligation to watch over this country. I've never had any intention of leaving it."
"How can you watch over it from here? How would you even know what the rest of society is up to?" Brendan demanded. "This town is in its own little world."
"It's not that isolated."
He threw her a dubious look. "A woman I met earlier today got excited over a newspaper!"
May shrugged. "We don't get a lot of mail here."
Brendan pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "I can't believe you've been here this whole time… we were worried sick about you."
A flat, "I'm sorry," was all she could say.
A stray wave lapped over the edge of the dock and raced toward them. May let it run over her bare feet, taking pleasure in the sudden coolness, while Brendan leaped back to avoid getting his shoes wet.
He sighed as the wave retreated back into the ocean. "Isn't the champion supposed to be at Ever Grande? What if a challenger drops by and you're not there?"
May dug her pokénav out of her pocket and held it up. "Phoebe said she'd call me if someone ever managed to defeat her."
Brendan was silent for a moment. "Has anyone ever…?"
May dropped the nav back in her pocket. "No."
"That still doesn't explain why you're here of all places. Why haven't you dropped by at home, or anywhere else for that matter?"
"I told you. I don't want to go home."
"What about your parents?" he asked, and inwardly, May groaned.
"I already said they know where I am."
"Do they know that two old guys have practically adopted you as their own?"
May huffed. "Yes, they know about my… roommates. And Gus isn't that old."
Brendan looked at her, his brows drawn together. "They miss you."
May turned away from his gaze. "I know. I miss them, too."
"Then why…?"
"They're better off without me."
"How? May, they need their daughter."
"What they need is some peace and quiet," she said, "and they certainly can't have that with me around."
"What are you talking about?"
May counted her fingers. "The paparazzi, the hordes of fans, the lack of privacy… Am I missing anything?"
"They're not dealing with any of that anymore. Not that I've seen."
She folded her arms. "They're not?"
"No. Not since…" he trailed off, seeming to connect the dots behind her point.
She finished his sentence. "Not since I left."
He didn't say anything.
"See? My staying away has been good for them."
"So is that it?" he demanded, angry again. "That's why you left? Because the media was bothering your family?"
Well, bothering made it all sound mellow.
"I know that you don't want to bring attention to your parents," Brendan continued, "but would it kill you to come visit them every so often? No one would know."
"I won't risk it," May insisted. "As long as I'm still on the news, I'll keep my distance."
Brendan snorted. "You're always going to be on the news."
She turned away from him. "Don't say that."
"Why not?" He was genuinely curious.
"Because I don't want to be famous anymore." Never had she spoken with more conviction.
"Wait, seriously? I thought you celebrities thrived on all the publicity."
May released a short "Hm," the closest sound she could get to a laugh. "Not me."
They were silent for a moment, listening to the sound of waves splashing against the docks. Overhead, a small flock of Wingull passed by. The breeze picked up, bringing with it a draft of salty sea air.
Finally, Brendan spoke. "Yeah, I guess I can kinda see your point. I've seen how… intense the fame can get, especially when it comes to fans and everything."
May pursed her lips. How could he have possibly seen how intense it is? It looked to her like he'd been quite busy studying every single pokémon of the entire region. No time to follow celebrities or anyone of the like.
"But I don't think you can just magically become not famous," he continued, "so staying away isn't the answer."
She looked at him through tired eyes. "Then what is the answer?"
"That, I can't tell you. But," he held up a interjectory finger, "answer this. How many others have prevented a group of water-loving psychos from drowning the world? How many others have become the nation's champion just one year after receiving their first pokémon? And finally, how many others have done all this at the age of… how old were you? Seventeen?"
She didn't correct him. "What's your point?"
"My point," he said, placing his hands on his hips, "is that you're a hero, May. You're always going to be famous, one way or another." He paused. "Kids in school right now are probably learning about you in their textbooks."
"If you're trying to cheer me up, you fail."
He laughed. "Ah, no, you missed the point. I was trying to say that you might as well make peace with your fame, seeing as it's not going anywhere. I mean, in your case, trying to become less famous is like trying to empty the ocean with a thimble. It's futile."
She rolled his words around in her mind. "Make peace with the fame…?"
"Yup. Like… learn to accept that it's always going to be there. Like a shadow," he added. "You shouldn't have to avoid it like it's the plague."
"Accept it," she replied flatly. "How do I do that?"
"You can start by coming home."
She sucked a breath through her teeth. "I don't know…"
He sensed her hesitation and flashed an encouraging smile. "You know what? You don't even have to tell anybody that you're back in Littleroot. That'll keep the press away from your parents, right?"
"I mean, I guess, but –"
"If anyone asks, say you got a new apartment in Rustboro or something. It'll make people look for you in places you're not really in."
May shook her head. "It's not that easy."
"Well, that's what contest stars do, and it seems to work." He sounded very sure of himself.
She gazed up at him. "Why do you know that?"
He self-consciously rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh, know a few people."
That explained nothing.
"Oh, damn," Brendan muttered, looking at the time on his watch. "I've stayed too long… I'll never make my dinner reservation in Sootopolis if I don't leave now."
May could feel the start of a goodbye. The disappointment hit her harder than she'd thought it would.
"If you have to go, then by all means go," she said, seeing him hesitate. "I don't want to keep you here if you have other places to be."
He glanced up at her. "Then… I'll see you back in Littleroot?"
She blinked. "I never said I was going back."
He frowned. "What?"
"I never said I was going –"
"I heard you the first time. But what do you mean, you never said you're going back? Don't you want to see your parents again?"
"Of course I do. But didn't you hear me before? They're better off without me. Besides, I like it here." It wasn't a complete lie.
Brendan stared at her like she'd just grown a second head. "You'd seriously rather stay here than go back home?"
If she wasn't famous, she'd choose Littleroot. But she was famous, and while Littleroot meant seeing the two people who loved her above everything else, it also meant blinding cameras and rabid fans.
On the other hand, Pacifidlog meant security and routine. She could very well live out the rest of her life here, doing the same things she'd been doing for the past two years. She didn't have much else going for her, anyway.
But she surprised herself by saying, "I'll think about it. Going home, that is."
Brendan looked at her like he thought she was lying. "Will you?"
"Yes," she said, feeling a bit offended by his obvious mistrust.
"I hope you don't mean that you'll think about it ten years from now."
"You know that's not what I mean. I'll… I'll think about it tonight."
"Yeah?" He still looked a bit skeptic.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"How will I know what you decide?"
"You'll know what I decide by whether or not I return to Littleroot."
His shoulders relaxed. "All right… If I don't see you in a few days, I'll be back."
She pursed her lips. "I guess I can't stop you."
He laughed once at her disgruntled expression. "Seriously, though. If you do end up coming home, you should come to the party."
"The what?"
"The Devon party?" he repeated in the form of a question. "You know, the biggest event of the year? It's happening in a week?"
She returned his unbelieving gaze with a blank stare. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
He slapped a palm across his forehead. "Well damn, May. How is it that you can be the champion of this region, but not know about the Devon party? This place really is its own little world."
A spark of irritation stirred in the back of her mind. Devon party this, Devon party that. "Just tell me what it is."
"Well, as you clearly don't know," Brendan said, "Devon Corporation is throwing a party."
The same spark of irritation began to burn into a flame. She'd forgotten how condescending he could be. "Yeah, I kind of figured by the name."
Devon Corporation produced virtually all of the nation's products geared towards Pokémon training. It was the biggest business in Hoenn, and it sponsored every pokémart in the region. To say it was a big deal was an understatement.
It was founded and led by its president, Joseph Stone, the same man who happened to be the father of ex-Champion Steven Stone.
Steven Stone, May thought, her mind turning a bit wistful.
She used to look up to Steven, viewing him as a model of what she'd aspired to be. He'd been kind to both people and pokémon alike, treating even her, a young teenage girl from Littleroot, as an equal. When she'd met him for the first time in Granite Cave, she didn't think once that this gentle and friendly man was actually the nation's strongest trainer.
How foolish she must have looked when she'd developed a silly crush on him. She'd only been sixteen, and he, twenty. He'd probably never even thought about her in that way, even when she proved stronger than him. If he had, then surely he would have told her in person that he was leaving the country instead of letting her find that letter on his kitchen table.
"So recently," Brendan said, pulling May from her train of thought, "Devon and Silph Co., y'know, the company from Kanto, teamed up to produce a line of new pokémon products. Like stronger pokéballs, and better potions and such. Anyway, sales were so high, that Devon is throwing a huge party next week to celebrate!"
She waited to hear the exciting part. "So…?"
He made a choking noise. "May, this is a big deal. Only the most esteemed trainers and celebrities are invited! Don't you wanna go and be part of it?"
"Not really, no."
"Why not?"
"Brendan, I just told you that I didn't want to be famous anymore, and the first thing you do is tell me to go to the biggest party of the year?" She shook her head. "I can't just show up to something like this after being away for two years. People would pounce on me. You even said yourself how intense the media can get."
"Of course you can just show up to this," he insisted. "It's gonna be huge – there'll be news crews and everything."
Was he listening? "Brendan – "
He raised a hand to cut her off. "Look. If you're gonna come back to society, you might as well let the whole country know all at once. This party is the perfect way to do just that."
She could feel her anxiety levels spike at just the thought of tossing herself back into the fray. No way was she ready for that.
Brendan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pokéball. He directed it at the water and summoned his Wailmer.
He hopped onto its back and turned to face her. "I gotta go, but I'll be back in Littleroot in a few days. If you decide to come back, knock on my door or something. I know someone who can help you prepare for the party."
He surfed away, and May could only stare at his retreating figure with her jaw hanging open.
Was Brendan serious? A party? She'd hated how many people crowded around her whenever she went to the supermarket. She couldn't even begin to imagine how many people would be at a party, let alone the biggest party of the year.
She forced her legs to move back into Charles' house. It looked like this would be her permanent home from now on.
She opened the door to find Gus and Charles sitting on the sofa. They looked up at her when she entered.
She stared back. "What?"
Gus scratched his chin. "Your friend is right. I think you should go to that party."
"What… how did you hear about that?"
He pointed to the window against the wall. It was wide open. "Your conversation woke me up."
She pursed her lips in disapproval. "You shouldn't eavesdrop."
He grinned. "Sorry, it's a hobby of mine."
She sighed and sat in the rocking chair nearby. "I don't care what any of you say. I'm not going back to Littleroot, and I'm sure as hell not going to some stupid party."
Gus chuckled. "Why not? A party sounds great to me."
"Well, not to me. I'm not going."
"Ah, such stubbornness," Charles said, readjusting his glasses over his nose. "I was a bit like you in my youth."
May became silent. She anticipated the conversation to turn to Mirage Spots, just as it usually did.
"But your friend… Bernard, was it?" he asked.
"Brendan," she corrected.
"Oh, I was right! Anyway, Bernard knew what he was talking about. If you go back, you might as well let all of Hoenn know. It'll get the hard part over with, like ripping off a band-aid."
"I'd rather just stay here, if that's okay with you."
Charles smiled, his teeth yellowed with age. "You're free to do whatever you want, my dear. I don't mind keeping you in my house."
May sagged with relief.
"But the longer you wait to rejoin humanity," Charles continued, "the more chaos there will be when you finally return. And you've waited long enough. Two whole years today, yes?"
This took her by surprise. "How…?"
He waved her off. "The people may overwhelm you in the beginning, but as Bernard said, you can learn how to make peace with your fame. The longer you live with it, the more you'll get used to it. So you need to return as soon as possible."
"But what if I never return?" May questioned. "What if I just stay here with you two for the rest of my life? Then I wouldn't have to worry about fame or anything of the sort."
"You could do just that, but it wouldn't be much of a life," Charles pointed out.
May had already known that. "It's a better option than going back, though."
Charles gazed evenly at her. "Your dream was to become Champion, was it not?"
May looked down at her hands resting in her lap. "It was."
"Well, every dream comes with a nightmare." He leaned back in his seat. "A man buying his dream house will still have to pay the high taxes that come with it. And you, as Champion, still have to deal with all the fans that admire you."
She'd never thought of it that way.
"But it's not just me they admire," she blurted out. It almost sounded like an excuse. "I mean…"
"Your family became famous too," Charles guessed.
"Yes," May said, surprised that someone seemed to understand. "You should've seen it. Every day, people would cram themselves into our town and surround our house. My parents were practically trapped there. It wasn't fair to them."
"Nothing's fair about being a parent," Charles said, his voice rich with the wisdom of one who'd lived a long life. "It's a job that never pays and never ends. But it's also a job we do willingly, because we know that our children are worth it. Believe me, we'd do anything for your sakes. I gave this guy –" He pointed at Gus "- one of my kidneys, and I'd do it all over again without a second thought."
Gus grinned. "Thanks, Pa."
Charles continued. "I'm sure your parents are more than willing to deal with all that chaos so long as it means that you're able to be with them. Right now, they might be living the quiet lives you wanted for them, but that doesn't mean they're happy. Am I wrong?"
That struck of chord of guilt within her.
He was right. Her parents weren't happy. They hadn't been for quite some time. She'd known that. She just hadn't wanted to admit it.
She could hear it in the cheeriness of her mother's voice during their weekly phone conversations - it was always too exaggerated to be authentic. May knew Caroline could never actually be that excited over the sunny weather or the sale on potions in Oldale Town. She could see right through the surface of the façade, and what she saw was plain hurt.
May also knew that the reason her father never answered the phone was because he was spending more hours at the Petalburg gym. More than he'd used to spend, which had been a lot to begin with. Her mother had informed her of this in a casual remark when May had questioned his whereabouts. Caroline hadn't wanted May to give it much thought, but May knew Norman was just as upset by her leaving.
He'd always liked to use battling as a mean to avoid his feelings. Whether he and Caroline had an argument, or the super rare pokémon he'd been trying to catch ran away, he would whisk away to the gym and focus every bit of his attention on battling his many faithful students. He'd stay well after the gym normally closed, sometimes not coming back home until the next night.
And it sounded like he was still doing the same thing now.
She couldn't help the image that seized hold of her mind like a tight fist. She saw her father going through battle after battle at his gym, only stopping every once in a while to eat and sleep. Then she saw her mother in an empty house, sitting alone at their kitchen table.
Their family of three was in fragments, and it was all May's fault. All this time, she'd tried to convinced herself that they were better off without her, that they were living more peaceful lives without a million cameras buzzing around. But in reality, had she mixed up her priorities? Was privacy really better than happiness?
Charles kept talking. "You only have one life and two parents. One day, you won't have either. Go back now before you waste any more of your time."
His voice was so full of regret that May wondered if he'd experienced the same kind of loss. "Charles..."
He folded his bony hands together. "The problem goes much deeper than that, though. Doesn't it?"
May sighed. The old man was much more intuitive than she'd given him credit for. "You're right. As selfish as this sounds, the safety of my parents is only one of the reasons why I don't want to go back."
Charles waited for her to continue.
She sighed. "I know that both you and Brendan are telling me that I can learn to live with the fame, but the truth is, I don't think I can. Just remembering what it was like makes me anxious beyond words. All the pushing and shoving and questions and cameras… I don't want to face any of that ever again. I can't."
Charles was silent for a long moment. He took off his glasses, fogged the lenses with his breath, and rubbed them clean with the front of his shirt. May was beginning to think he didn't hear her until he finally asked, "How is it that you are able to save us all from destruction, but can let your own popularity force you into running away with your tail between your legs?" His usually brittle voice sounded stronger. It didn't fit his small frame. It was like the cry of a Pyroar had just escaped the mouth of a Skitty.
She was too stunned to respond.
"You didn't become Champion purely by chance. You became Champion because you're strong, but frankly, you haven't acted like it for quite some time," he continued. "It doesn't matter that the aftereffects of your fame turned out to be more extreme than you'd thought. What's done is done, and you can't look at the past and wish you'd never done all the heroic deeds that have led you to this point. It's time to start looking forward."
She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
He made a noise that sounded like a scoff. "I have a hard time believing that the same girl who saved the world can be bothered by things such as pushing and cameras and whatever else you said. Honestly, it's very disappointing to see that the depths of our champion's bravery are much more shallow than we thought. Wouldn't you agree, boy?"
Gus, who was clearly not expecting to be included in his father's lecture, swallowed hard. "Uh, well, I mean… uh –"
Charles barreled on ahead. "If you ask me, May, I think you'd better start taking your title of Champion seriously and face your problems head on instead of hiding away for the rest of your life."
His words were like a slap in the face, but a much needed one at that.
Just one conversation with Charles – one that wasn't about Mirage Spots - was all she'd ever needed to see the ridiculousness of her ways.
For four years she'd hated the fact that she was Champion, viewing the title as a ball and chain that had held her in one place. She'd thought that she was stuck to a fate of always winning, that no one could ever beat her.
But she had been beaten. She'd let the paparazzi keep her indoors, let the lack of challengers keep her bored, let the foolish thought that her parents were better without her.
Charles was right. She was the strongest trainer in the country, and she needed to stop hiding away like a coward.
How embarrassed would Hoenn's residents be if they knew that their champion had run away in response to their adoration for her?
She needed to pay the full price of her fame, and she would start by going home.
Gus and Charles watched her as she stood up. Facing them, she bowed.
"Thank you for all that you've done for me," she said, "but I really must be on my way."
"Should you, now?" Charles asked, and Gus erupted in laughter.
"Yes," she replied, "and believe me when I say that I can't thank you enough. You were the ones who took me in when I had nowhere to go, and now, you're the ones who are sending me back to where I really belong."
Charles' expression softened. "You don't need to thank us, my dear. You would have left on your own eventually."
May disagreed. "I don't know about that. I can be pretty dense when it comes to seeing the bigger picture of things. I needed someone to tell me the hard truth, and you did exactly that. Again, thank you." To think that the words she'd always needed to hear had lied in the very place she'd run away to. "But I have just one question."
"What is it?"
"How come you never said any of this sooner? Like when I'd first arrived two years ago?"
Charles released a scratchy-sounding laugh. "Though I did want you to figure this all out for yourself, I couldn't be sure when that would happen. You could have missed the Devon party!"
May groaned. "Don't remind me."
He stood up to pat her on the shoulder. "You'll be just fine."
"Yeah," Gus said, standing up as well. "Besides, you always have us to come back to if things get too crazy."
"Thank you," she said simply.
"Before you go," Charles said, "I need you to know something."
May waited.
"I don't remember if I've ever told you this, but they say, here in Hoenn, there are places called Mirage spots."
May lifted up one corner of her mouth. It wasn't quite a smile, but it wasn't her usual grimace, either. "And one does not simply walk into a Mirage spot, right?"
A/N I've released the first two chapters at once, so click "Next Chapter" and let me know what you think. Please review!