He was obsessed with the girl in the missing posters.

He'd never talked her, the Kalos League Champion. She kept to herself since her ascension, not talking to anyone outside the Pokémon League. She was on TV everyday though, until her 'disappearance' three months ago.

They say she was kidnapped. Abducted. Went missing. They act as though they're blind. Maybe they are. Maybe that was her aim. She was so beautiful, so captivating, but he knew that was one of her many talents. She could blind people, pull the wool over their eyes, and get away with whatever she wanted.

They said it was sudden. They said it was unexpected. But he knew otherwise. Okay, he'd never talked to the girl, but he had eyes. He wasn't blinded by her lies. In her last few television appearances, she was antsy, she was impatient, and she looked dead inside. He knew.

This was no accident. This was no freak coincidence. This was not sudden, or unexpected, or a kidnapping.

This was planned.

Three months before disappearance

"How have you been, miss Champion? We've all noticed that you've been absent from public life recently."

"I've been fine- just busy with my duties. We've had many challengers at the league recently."

Liar. He taps his fingers on the counter at the Pokémon Centre, watching the screen with intensity. There's something about this girl that interests him; not just the fact that she's the Champion in the region. But he can tell that she's lying from these sentences. Her eyes flicker to the left, just momentarily, but it's long enough for him to pick up on.

Calem Arai came from Kanto, and moved in next door to the future Kalos League Champion in Vaniville Town. He didn't speak the local language, so they didn't have any conversations, just a head nod on the way past. She left on her journey a few weeks after they moved in, so any chance after that was non-existent. He left a month after that, when his family were completely moved in.

His friends; Shauna, Trevor and Tierno journeyed with him, and on the odd occasion, he spotted that girl in a city. He learned from others that her name was Serena, and he found himself to have a growing interest in her. When she became the champion, he was at the front of her celebratory parade, and he waved at her when she came past.

"Well, I wish the best of luck to the league. Is there anyone special in your life at the minute, Serena?"

"No. And I doubt there would be, because I'm not the sort of person people want to date," she laughs bitterly, tossing her golden hair over her shoulders.

"I'm sure that's not true!" The reporter chimed, shifting on her stool. "I know a lot of people that would do anything to date you!" She laughs again, with a roll of her eyes, and that's the day that Calem realises that Serena Voclain is an extremely good liar.

Two months before disappearance

He's in the PokéMart in Anistar City when she flashes up on the TV screen, and everyone in the building stops to look. She has that way, Serena. Her voice draws people in, and her attitudes captivate the nation.

He notices that she looks different from the last time he saw her. Her hair had been cut short, so short, in fact, that it was sticking out at odd angles from underneath her hat. Her face is pale and her eyes look sunk into her head, but the mascara and eyeliner painted on her face cover that up.

"I'm making an appeal," she starts, and these four words capture everyone whose attention isn't already on the screen. "This country is in danger. It has been for ages, but I managed to stop it the last time Team Flare raised their ugly heads. They built the ultimate weapon. They tried to kill everyone again, and I assumed that their leader, Lysandre, was dead. But no! I received a message through my Holo Caster this morning from him. He is alive- I can guarantee that. So please, people of Kalos, I beg you. Stay away from the people in red."

It sounds almost like a threat. Stay away. Calem ponders. Was she with them? Was this a warning- don't mess with us, because we have the Kalos League Champion on our side? No, it couldn't be, Calem decides, shaking his head. No one is that good at lying.

Two weeks before disappearance

The Pokémon Centre in Camphrier Town is almost always cramped, with people staying over while they wait on their Pokémon in the Day Care. Calem manages to snag a sofa in the early evening, and watches the news playing on the tiny TV in the corner. It's all the usual- political decisions, the economy, the environment. But then she appears, and the room goes silent.

Her voice is soft and raspy, but the melodious tone still carries through. She looks better than ever, but this could be a trick of the light. Her hair has grown out in the last six weeks and is now a cute pixie cut framing her face. She has plastered herself in makeup, and there's an obviously fake smile on her face. But no one cares about her appearance apart from Calem- they just want to know what she's got to say.

"I have managed to confirm that Team Flare are indeed at large again. I will be looking for their bases and taking down their leaders just as I did before."

"What is different this time?" The anchor asks, and she fiddles with a length of her hair.

"I don't know. There's a different atmosphere this time. It's darker, almost. It scares me, y'know? They did so much damage last time, I have no idea what would happen if they managed to correctly fire the Ultimate Weapon. That is, of course, if that's still their goal."

She seems to know what she's talking about. She's not stupid, that Serena. In fact, from the eloquence of her words to her carefully planned out sentences, Calem would bet good money she had one of the highest IQs in the country. She was deadly, the Kalos Champion. She was smart, tough, beautiful, and above all- perfect at lying.

Three months after disappearance

"You really have to give this up, Calem," Shauna chastised, shuffling through the papers Calem had carefully arranged on his desk. "How long has it been now, three months?"

"Hey, put them down. They were in an order, thank you," he shot back.

"Thanks for conveniently ignoring my question, idiot," she huffed.

"Don't be so hard on him," Trevor hissed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know this is what he enjoys."

"Thanks for you subtle support, Trevor," Calem said, glaring across the room. "And for you information, Shauna, it has been three months."

"And do you ever leave your house? Or open your curtains? I mean, it's like a literal cave in here, Calem! It's gross!" Shauna exclaimed, crossing over to the window.

"I leave in the morning to get the papers, and I go downstairs to get food," he answered smoothly, covering his eyes when Shauna pulled the curtains open. "Thanks. I really needed blinded."

"You never shoulda moved out, Big C. I'm surprised your maman let you leave at all!" Tierno said, shuffling awkwardly in place.

"Please don't call me that."

This weekly trip to Aquacorde town wasn't annoyance to Trevor, Shauna and Tierno, but the state Calem was living in was starting to become one. He had decided to move out a week before his obsession, as Trevor so bluntly put it, disappeared. Or didn't disappear, as he would insist. He was almost like a conspiracy theorist- he had her most recent interviews downloaded onto his laptop, and his walls were covered with newspaper clippings. Shauna started to resent visiting him, as the way his study room had become started to annoy her.

"You really need to stop this, though," she said, dropping the volume of her voice so as Trevor and Tierno wouldn't hear her.

"No," Calem said stubbornly, glaring at the pages he was trying to put back into order.

"Calem, seriously. You never even met Serena. Why are you obsessed with her now?"

"Have you seen the way people have been reacting?" He said, putting his pen down on the table. "The country is in chaos. She hasn't been off the news for three months. The league hasn't been functioning since she left. Serena had an effect on the country!"

"I'm sorry, bro, but Shauna's right. You're gonna have to quit it," Trevor acknowledged. This made Calem look up; he and Shauna never seemed to agree on anything.

"I will 'quit it' when Serena is found. Now, can you please leave my house?"

"No. In fact, we will, if you come with us. And if you don't, I'll… get Litleo in here to burn away all the paper!"

"You wouldn't."

"I would." With a sigh, Calem heaved himself up, and slid his feet into his trainers. "Good decision," Shauna confirmed, and shoved him out the door.

Getting Calem outside was one problem, and keeping him outside was another. Almost as soon as he stepped foot on the cobblestones that made up the road, he was attempting to get back into the house. Tierno blocked the door, and skinny as Calem was, he wasn't going to get back inside. The three friends dragged Calem over to a café with outdoor seating, and Trevor went off in search of food and coffee.

"See, this isn't too bad!" Shauna exclaimed, looking at Calem expectantly.

"It is," he moped, resting his head on his arms.

"Oh, grow up. You're nineteen, and you're lovesick, over a girl you've never even met!"

"I have met her," Calem said, rolling his eyes.

"You nodded at her a few times two years ago, big deal. So did I. There are people who actually knew her who aren't moping as much as you. Like… her parents. I've seen them on TV, and yes they're sad, but they're functioning. Mon Dieu, Calem, what is wrong with you?"

"I did know her," he mumbled, but Shauna merely rolled her eyes.

"You watched her on TV. So did we all. You really need to function better, Calem. I understand that you're sad, and you miss her. But…" Shauna paused, sounding slightly dejected. "You've been ignoring your friends, the people who are important to you. When did you last let Greninja out? I'm sure it hasn't been out in a while."

"I may not be in the happiest mind space at the moment, but I still remember to let my Pokémon out every day. And I may be functioning better if I wasn't constantly being bombarded by questions by my so called friends!" This was the most he had spoken all day, and Shauna was taken aback.

"We're not constantly bombarding you, Calem. We're just… concerned about your well being," Trevor said, returning with a tray filled with pastries and mugs of coffee.

"I know. But I'm fine, honestly," Calem tried to reassure, but his comments fell on disbelieving ears.

"If you're 'okay', will you at least promise to open your curtains every day? And maybe open the window as well," Shauna suggested, placing a hand on Calem's shoulder.

"I'll try."

"No, you will," Trevor said, glaring over his coffee cup.

"Fine, I will. But you're not to come over every day to check that I've done it, okay?"

"Deal," Shauna said, biting into her croissant. The conversation was over, and there was no point in Calem arguing anymore.

They allowed him to return to his house after this- thirty minutes outside was almost too much for him. Shauna promised she'd be back the following week, but Calem just rolled his eyes and waved her off.

He didn't even plan to be there the following day.

For all their moaning and complaining about him obsessing over Serena, he thought he'd actually found her. By watching and rewatching all her old interviews, by analysing newspaper articles written about her, and by curating all this information on a giant map of the Kalos region, he'd managed to pinpoint locations where it was semi likely she would be.

Calem grabbed his backpack from his wardrobe. It was the one he had taken on his journey, so the feel of it on his back was still familiar. He threw his Pokéballs, some food and cash into the bag and zipped it up, leaving it on his bed. Tomorrow morning, he'd be gone. Early in the morning, he decided, in case Shauna decided to come round to poke her nose in again. He laid out clothes, so all he had to do was shower, dress himself and go. He took the map down from the wall, and folded it into his bag before deciding it was almost time to sleep (he did that a lot, Calem).

Morning came quickly, and he was awoken by sun streaming through a gap in the curtains. Calem rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and then got ready. He double-checked his bag- Pokéballs, money and food, check. He strapped his Mega Evolution bracelet to his wrist, and stuck his Holo Caster into his jacket pocket. Lifting a pen from the table, he scribbled a note for Shauna-

Dearest Shauna,

Your words were an inspiration to me, and I decided to go sort out my life, just like you wanted me to.

Just kidding, I'm going to find Serena. Don't come looking for me, and don't call my Holo Caster. Bye, mon amie.

Calem

He threw open the curtains, before escaping through the front door. He would find Serena soon enough.

AN: This is gonna be angsty af since thats what i like to read. Hope you enjoy, and leave a review if you do!