Author's Note: After suffering from a massive case of writer's block, I decided that I wanted to write a story about Team Magma Admin Courtney. I always liked her, and I found her relationship with Maxie in Pokémon Omega Ruby to be quite touching. This story probably won't be super long, but I wanted to write a bit about Courtney's past as well as how she met and grew to admire Maxie. That being said, there will be some implied Authorityshipping. Anyways, I hope you guys like this story!


Courtney wasn't quite sure what had compelled her to take a walk on Jagged Pass that day.

Truthfully, it wasn't the ideal area for a casual stroll. The land was rocky and uneven. Only the occasional picnicker or hiker bothered to tread the rough terrain for pleasure. For others, it was merely an inconvenience that had to be dealt with if you lived in Lavaridge and wanted to take the trolley car to Mauville.

But Courtney always liked the quiet and calm atmosphere of Jagged Pass. Perhaps she was feeling a bit stressed that morning, and instinctively wanted a breath of fresh air before going to help out her grandmother at her lava cookie shop. And she just happened to wander off to Jagged Pass.

Yes, she was sure that it was just a coincidence that she went to Jagged Pass.

A pure coincidence.

After all, no other explanation made sense.

It wasn't if she could have predicted their meeting...

Well, no matter what the reason, there was one indisputable fact; Courtney found herself at the base of Jagged Pass that cool morning, with her mightyena in tow.

She glanced up at the sky for a moment, briefly relishing in the crisp winter breeze. The sun hung low in the sky, but the air felt refreshing against her fair skin.

"It's nice today..." Courtney noted aloud, as her canine companion barked in agreement. She gestured to him with her hand as she climbed onto a ledge. "Come along... Mightyena."

The pair treaded slowly, watching their steps carefully. As a resident of Lavaridge, Courtney was already familiar with the area. Still, she knew that even the locals had to show some caution when climbing up and down Jagged Pass. That didn't stop her from admiring her surroundings a bit. Mightyena seemed to also be enjoying himself as he grinned and trotted beside her happily.

Courtney could tell that, as per usual, Jagged Pass was practically empty. As far as she could see, there were no other people; There were only jagged layers of bare bedrock and the occasional patches of dusty grass. The area was also deadly silent, save for the sound of Courtney and her mightyena's footsteps. She wasn't complaining, though. She quite enjoyed solitude, and the mountain was much more relaxing this way.

As Courtney strolled along, she opened her palm so she could watch the falling ash accumulate in her palm. Some people thought that the perpetual rain of ash on Jagged Pass was a nuisance, but Courtney sort of liked it. Since the winters in Lavaridge were mild, the ash was the closest thing Courtney had to snow. Playing in the ash and pretending it was snow was a guilty pleasure she partook in as a child. She tipped her hand so she could observe the pile of ash on her fall slowly to the ground.

The nostalgia she felt as she watched the ash fall was soothing. Almost therapeutic.

She shuffled along after a few seconds.

Courtney paused and sighed after ascending a few more rocky ledges. She never considered herself an athletic person, but she had almost climbed up the entire hill while she was musing to herself. Her legs felt a bit heavy with fatigue.

"Mightyena, let's rest... For a second," Courtney said between deep breaths. Mightyena looked confused as he glanced up at her with wide eyes, but he quickly obeyed and plopped himself on the ground by her feet. Meanwhile, Courtney sat down on a sturdy boulder as she waited for her heart beat to calm down.

She peered up at the sky, squinting so she could focus beyond the falling ash that slightly obscured her view. When she had last checked, the sun was just barely above the horizon. It hung much higher in the sky, now. She could feel some of the bright rays on her face.

A sudden realization dawned on Courtney. What time was it? She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn't thought to keep track of the time.

She fumbled with her red wool sweater, searching through the pocket with both of her hands. Nothing. Her eyes quickly scanned the ground, but she was pretty sure she would have noticed if a hard metallic object fell out of her pocket.

Her heart sank. Did she forget her pokénav at home?

Courtney mentally berated herself for forgetting something so important. How could she have been so careless? For Arceus's sake, she was seventeen! She was more responsible than that...

She stood up abruptly, startling her mightyena, whose eye darted around wildly.

"Relax, we're not in danger," Courtney reassured him. "But... We should go home now. I forgot my pokénav."

Mightyena looked a bit crestfallen, but he lifted himself off of the ground without a fuss. As he began to follow Courtney on her way down the ledge, she felt a bit guilty. "Sorry, Mightyena... We'll come again tomorrow, I promise."

Courtney's comment seemed to brighten Mightyena's mood. He perked up almost instantly and he barked excitedly. She turned her head towards Mightyena and observed the obvious delight on his face.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she focused her attention back on the ledge in front of her. "You look happy, Mightyena. I'm gla..."

Courtney's voice trailed off as something in the distance caught her eye. Or rather, it was someone. A young man, to be precise.

Mightyena apparently noticed as well, because he remained silent and simply gaped beside her.

In a placed like Jagged Pass, the man certainly stood out like a sore thumb, especially with his head of crimson hair. Even considering his bright hair, Courtney and Mightyena might have disregarded him if he seemed like just a random hiker.

But he clearly wasn't a hiker.

From a distance, she could tell that he donned a white lab coat over a simple dress shirt and pants that were quickly being sullied by the falling ash. He also had the largest pair of glasses she had ever seen perched on the bridge of his nose.

He looked like a professor or some sort... Maybe a scientist. Certainly not the kind of person Courtney would expect to see on Jagged Pass. She watched the stranger as he ascended a few ledges and gradually came closer to her.

As he approached, she spotted a gray thermos in his hand and she caught the faint scent of black coffee. She also saw that his brown shoes were tarnished like his attire. He didn't seem to mind though.

Appearance-wise, the man seemed a little odd. Not necessarily in a bad way... But odd nonetheless.

Courtney blinked, realizing that she had been staring a bit too intensely at the man. She felt a bit embarrassed, praying silently that he didn't notice her gaze.

She forced herself to keeping climbing down, and Mightyena swiftly followed her lead. She felt like the atmosphere had dropped ten degrees. How strange.

As the man passed her, he didn't show any indication that he noticed that she was there. Courtney had intended to do the same, keeping her head down purposely. However, while he passed, Courtney saw something shiny attached to his left wrist.

A wristwatch.

She wondered if it was wise to stop him. He was staring intently ahead, so he was probably heading for an important destination. He was probably a very busy man. But...

Courtney turned around. "Pardon me..."

The man stopped walking upon hearing Courtney's voice. He seemed to hesitate at first, but he ultimately decided to turn around so he was facing her directly.

It was then that she saw her first clear view of the stranger's face.

His facial features were sharp, but he had dark circles under his eyes. He didn't looked aged or old by any means, but he seemed a bit stressed. Maybe overworked.

She also noted that he was noticeably taller than her. Then again, she was fairly short, so perhaps he was merely of average height, but he seemed tall in comparison to her.

But she was taken aback the most by his piercing grey eyes. They were the exact color of stratus clouds during a stormy day, and his stare was so intense... She wondered if she was intimidated or fascinated.

Overall though, he practically radiated an aura of authority... She wasn't quite sure what to think about him. She was just simply awestruck.

"Do you need something, Miss?" The man questioned her. His voice was smooth and had a hint of sophistication to it, and his tone was calm and polite. With that kind of voice, he would make a stellar hypnotist. Or a con man.

Courtney quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat before speaking. "I was wondering... Do you know the time?"

The man raised an eyebrow before he checked the numbers on his wristwatch. "Quarter to eleven."

Courtney exhaled as she felt a surge of relief. If she hurried, she would be at the shop before noon.

"Ah... Thank you," she said, trying to ignore the slight tension hanging in the air. The man's facial expression was stiff and unreadable, but at least he didn't seem annoyed by her.

Social interaction was never her forte...

"There's no need to thank me. It was a simple gesture," he told her.

There were a few moments of awkward silence before the man asked, "Is that all, Miss?"

"Yes," she replied quickly, avoiding eye contact in an effort to dispel some of the uncomfortable tension. She focused her attention on her feet.

"Very well then." The man adjusted his glasses before turning around. "I'll be on my way now, if you don't mind."

"Of course..." After all, Courtney had to get going as well. She quickly turned around so she couldn't see where the man was heading, and after a minute or so, his footsteps faded into silence. She didn't look behind her, but if she did, he would probably already be out of sight.

She heard a low growl. Mightyena had watched the short exchange a few inches away, and he cocked his head to one side. He looked at Courtney questioningly.

"It's okay, Mightyena... Let's go..." Courtney ordered gently. "We'll be late if we don't hurry."

Mightyena nodded and then proceeded to accompany Courtney down the rocky steps. He seemed to forget the red-haired stranger so easily, trotting along in a carefree manner, but it was as easy for Courtney.

She could still recall his grey eyes drilling metaphorical holes into her composure. She had never met a man quite like him. He seemed so formidable...

But maybe she was just exaggerating... She was so used to spending a lot of time with the elderly population of Lavaridge Town that anyone who wasn't over the age of fifty naturally seemed a bit strange to her. Besides, she didn't even know his name. How then did she expect to be an accurate judge of his character?

Courtney decided. There was no logical reason to keep dwelling on that man. She had to focus on work in about an hour anyway. So she pushed those distracting thoughts into the back of her mind, hoping to forget them as soon as possible.

She saw the bottom of Jagged Pass come into view.

It wasn't as if she would see that man again, anyway.