Prologue

May winced as the sea spray and bitter costal wind whipped at her face as she sped across the water on the back of her Sharpedo. Surfing wasn't her preferred method of transport since she usually arrived at her destination soaking wet and chilled to the bone. It was her only option however, the secret base on route 127 that she now called home was located on a secluded patch of beach, which could only be navigated by surfing around the jagged rocks and cliff sides that surrounded it.

Not many people were aware of the small beach, May happened to stumble across it whilst searching for the entrance to Ever Grande City, and was difficult to find whilst flying.

Her Sharpedo elegantly glided between an opening in the cliff and soon her beach was in sight. Sighing in relief, May hopped off her Sharpedo onto the warm sand and thanking the creature she returned it to its pokéball. May turned and waved to the only other inhabitant on the isolated beach, her neighbour and friend, Koji.

Koji was as usual engrossed in his afternoon training with his Machoke and Hariyama, running up and down the small strip of sand.

'Are you planning on taking a break from training soon, Koji?' May asked. 'I just bought some fresh food from Mauville and I'm going to start cooking dinner soon.'

'Sounds good May' Koji replied, slowing to a stop on the sand. 'You pick up any of that ramen from the food court?'

'Of course!' she exclaimed 'I'd fear the wrath of your Pokémon if I'd have forgotten it. It didn't come easy though, I had to wait 45 minutes to get served and battled 3 trainers who were after my seat'.

'Appreciate it May. I'll start the fire while you go and get dried off' Koji said, walking towards their supply of dry firewood.

'Thanks Koji!' May shouted over her shoulder as she crawled into the entrance of the small cave that was built into the side of the cliff. Her base was sparsely decorated, but she had gradually tried to make it as homely as possible, spreading out a few rugs, and even adding a couple of posters and dolls that she had collected. The cave consisted of two levels, the elevated level was accessible with the wooden stairs that she had received in Fortree City, and served as a bedroom. The lower level contained her laptop, a small matching dining table and chairs shaped like a pokéball, and a training area for her Pokémon, with a punching bag and a few other pieces of equipment.

May set her bag down and climbed to the upper floor to change out of her wet clothes before heading back outside with the food to where Koji was waiting. Koji already had the small fire burning without needing any assistance from her Blaziken.

She had once asked him where he had learned his amazing survival skills, and he had only replied that he used to often go hiking and camping with his girlfriend. With that he had gotten a distant look in his eye, and his tone of voice had suggested that it was not a topic that he wished to talk about. May had held back from asking any more questions, but she was still curious about the solitary man who avoided the company of others and revolved his day around training on the beach with his Pokémon.

Once the food had been heated on the camp fire they both sat and ate in silence as they usually did. May watched the dancing flames and thought back to her first encounter with Koji.

She had been excited at first, to find the beach hidden between the cliffs, thinking she was the only one to know about the secret place. Her hopes were dashed when she heard fast footsteps and was equally startled as a man wearing a white karate gi and black belt had come speeding around the corner, almost knocking her down.

Koji had also looked shocker at seeing her there, but once the look of surprise had vanished from his face it was quickly replaced by irritation and anger. He had considered the beach to be his and obviously wasn't happy to find May invading his territory. He looked to be around the same age as her dad, perhaps in his forties with short dark hair and a stern expression. The outfit he wore told her that he must be a skilled fighter, both with and without Pokémon, and she was a little wary of him.

He had recognised her as a trainer and challenged her to a battle, in an obvious attempt to intimidate her into leaving. It didn't work however, as May had stood her ground and quickly defeated his two Pokémon.

Koji accepted her strength and paid her the prize money for winning the battle, before silently turning his back and continuing his training, whilst doing his best to ignore May.

She hadn't stayed long, just enough time to explore the beach and search the soft sand for hidden items before continuing on her journey.

It was a few months before she had returned to the beach to make her new secret base there. Koji hadn't been happy to see her take up permanent residence on the beach, but he hadn't said anything and just engrossed himself in his obsessive training.

Gradually, May spent more and more time at the beach until it got to the point where she would only leave around once a week to pick up supplies from one of the towns at the mainland. But the longer May had stayed at the beach the more Koji had warmed up to her. Especially when he realised that with her being there to get the supplies he would no longer have to venture from the beach.

Soon they had begun cooking together and eating around the campfire, though they had rarely talked more than a few words to each other.

'Why are you here, May?' Koji suddenly asked in a gruff voice, startling her from her thoughts. Her shocked eyes quickly lifted from the fire to briefly meet his before she looked back down. She wasn't sure what had prompted Koji to ask that question. All of the time she had spent here, he had never asked her about her past, and she had never offered up that information. Similarly, he had never told her his.

'What makes you ask that?' May answered with a question of her own.

'There's generally only a few things that could lead a person to live the life of a recluse like this,' he said, 'It's the same things that drove me here. Heartbreak, regret, guilt, loss.'

He had hit the nail on the head and she knew it had shown on her face. 'What I don't understand,' he continued, 'Is why someone as young as you should be experiencing those things and letting it consume you. You still have your whole life ahead of you, and plenty of time to move on to better things.' He stared stared at her intensively, his concern clearly showing. 'Trust me, May, life is far too long to live in isolation like this.'

May had never heard Koji talk as deeply as this, and it surprised her. Not knowing how to reply her eyes drifted to the tops of the cliffs where the sun was setting, and a deep orange illuminated the sky and reflected of the sand and the water around them. Koji's words had stirred up some memories that she had wished to forget. Her emotions burning in her chest where she had locked them away.

As May's eyes burned and threatened to spill tears, she for once just wanted to let her emotions out. To tell the story that still tormented her, and talk about the pain that had driven her to solitude. Koji had said it was the same pain that had caused him to come here. It would be easy to spill her story to him, he would understand her better than anyone. Better than her parent, even better than her best friend Brendan. But she didn't know where to begin.

'It's a long story.' She finally told Koji.

'I have time. It's still early and I'm too full from the ramen to pick up training again now.'

Koji Must have read in May's expression her need to talk, and so she began…