Late
Wally was pretty sure that being friends wasn't supposed to be this hard. It wasn't this hard with Ruby. It wasn't this hard with Sapphire. But there he was, at two in the morning in Emerald's secluded secret base, trying to convince Emerald once again that no, he in fact was not hanging out with him because Ruby asked him to. Yes, he did enjoy his company specifically. Yes, he wanted to do this again. Just maybe not as late next time?
Somewhere, some way, Emerald had apparently gotten it in his head that Wally might not like him. This was, of course, despite the fact that they had been friends for several months now. They'd already had this whole song and dance in reverse, too- but that was different! Wally at least had reason to suspect Emerald didn't like him back then, in those early days when they barely talked. You might expect that talking every day, often about sensitive things (but never quite breaking through Emerald's wall) might clue Emerald in to the fact that Wally did, in fact, like and appreciate him. No such luck. Now, the most direct way to assuage his friend's misplaced fear would be to bring it up directly, which Wally did. Or at least, he tried to. All too often it became a case of "oh, I'm sure you're just saying that" or "look, I know that can't seriously be it." When Emerald got something in his head, Wally had learned, it was immensely hard to get it out.
Well, it's not like I don't understand where he's coming from, Wally thought to himself. He was still, still missing specifics, but he had managed to pick up bits and pieces of his friend's past throughout the last few months. And with that came a few rules to follow, self-imposed, while talking with the little blond enigma. Don't talk about his height- obviously. Don't ask about anything that had happened to him before he met Ruby and Sapphire- those details were given, not asked for. And don't talk about family. The first two Wally picked up naturally, but the third was something he'd gotten burned on before. It was a quick exchange: "Say, Emerald, I've never heard you talk about your family!" Followed by: "There is literally nothing I would rather do less." And that was that.
So here he was, up far later than he would like for the third time this week, trying desperately not to be too invasive, all while his friend almost seemed to expect such questions. He'd make some passing mention to a past event- "Oh yeah, I heard about that while I was living in Johto," for example. Then he'd shoot a glance at Wally. The kind of quick glance that would almost come dangerously close to revealing his true feelings, were it only a little longer. And then he'd wait. Wally knew he was expected to take the bait. What he didn't know was how he was expected to respond. Emerald veered wildly between sharing everything and nothing, and though Wally suspected his preferences leaned towards "everything," his actions tended more towards "nothing." Every conversation was a balancing act. This was new territory for both of them.
That's not to imply Wally wasn't any good at this. "Say, Wally," Emerald started. Short and direct. Short and direct was good. Emerald's lengthier sentences tended to drift from the truth, Wally had found. He spoke loudly and often when he wanted everyone to hear what he was saying and not what he was thinking, putting unnecessary frills onto his sentences like ill-fitting clothing. When he wanted you to know what he was thinking, his sentences became more pointed. It was a habit Wally often found himself drifting into (though not with nearly as much mechanical execution) so it was pretty easy to pick out. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?"
Well, he could still be surprised. "I… no, actually, you haven't!" This was just like him, too, to say something so important so quietly.
"Well, I mean it." Wally bit his lip. He'd thought Emerald was already done. So, tonight is of the "everything" persuasion, is it? "I just wanted to say… thank you. For putting up with me for this long, giving me someone to talk to. Even if I, uh, don't always know how to say what I want to say."
They were getting somewhere. Emerald was letting him in. He had to continue, but cautiously: "...Emerald. I won't press for details, but… if there's anything you want to tell me, you should know that I'll always be happy to hear it!"
Color rose to Emerald's face, just as Wally expected it might, and he flashed a quick smile in a vain attempt to hide it.. His friend, in his experience at least, blushed from embarrassment very easily. It's honestly pretty cute… Wally allowed himself a moment to trail off from his initial train of thought for that particular observation, then returned to the game of friendship chess he'd cooked up for himself. It looked as though Emerald had taken the bait, as he started to stutter out a response: "Well… I mean, that's really nice of you to offer… maybe sometime… I could probably tell you some things, I guess."
It was circular, it was ambiguous, it was evasive. But it was progress.
Wrong
It was a week later. Wally knew no more about Emerald than he had the week before.
This time the two of them, accompanied by Ruby and Sapphire, were sitting around a campfire on the beach. It was another one of these dead-of-night revelatory conversations that Wally was very concerned to realize were happening with high frequency. Somehow, the conversation had gotten over to Ruby's father, and there was something to be concerned about in that topic for sure. Ruby's immediate tension was palpable… but it was best to not pry. At least not when Ruby got like that. It looked like Emerald wasn't the only one whose emotional state he didn't have a complete grasp on. Everyone was still trying to find each other's boundaries, and things like this could happen pretty frequently. Sometimes, what seemed like a sound solution might just be the wrong one at the time. They were all guilty of this, of course, but Wally still found himself beating himself up when he missed his mark. Already careful about his dialogues in the first place, Wally only became more resolute in his desire to handle these situations well as his time with these friends went on.
That's why Wally was determined to resolve the situation as smartly as he could. As a segue, Wally brought up his own parents, talked about how much he loved them… only to see Emerald visibly stiffen. Everything and everyone stopped for a moment. I broke my own rule, he realized belatedly. I broke my own rule and now he's mad. Although it had been for the sake of one friend, he went against the guidelines he set for the comfort of another.
Then he did something odd. He got a little angry. He got a little indignant. All this work on their friendship and this is what he gets? Then he thought that maybe it wasn't too late, maybe he could turn this around. He still didn't want to push him- just calmly nudge him into sharing something, anything- but it was too late after all, and his friend was already muttering and walking off.
Wally… never got mad at anyone, not really. And yet, there was just something about that reaction, that complete lack of connection to his friends, that rubbed him the wrong way. At the time, he'd thought to himself: WHY is he like that? Maybe I accidentally stepped over the line, fine, I'll accept that. But he could at least communicate with us...
Sapphire, apparently the only one saved from inconvenient emotions at the moment, stepped in to explain the situation. "Sorry, Wally. That's just a bit of a sore subject for him. His parents… ahh, I'm not sure it's for us to say."
Yeah, I'm well aware. Wally thought to himself for a bit. Ruminated. Considered alternatives. But no, if he ever wanted to figure these people out, he'd have to meet them head-on at some point.
"I'll see if he's ready to tell me, then." His voice was level, direct, as he got up to follow his friend. It had a tinge of the sort of determination he might feel during a Pokémon battle, a quality that Ruby and Sapphire both picked up on immediately.
"Um, Wally?" Ruby was the one to give voice to his concern, though cautiously. "Are you okay? You sound… a bit intense."
Wally swiveled around at that, almost falling in the shifting sand in the process. But he recovered quickly: "...Don't read too much into that tone, please! I'm fine."
Despite disappearing into the night, there was one problem with Emerald's otherwise masterful escape plan: all he'd actually done was walk up the beach a ways, and his footprints remained in the sand. Out of earshot, but still close enough for Wally to catch up in short order. Which he did, stomping through the sand and ready to get some answers.
Then, a moment Wally would instantly regret: "Emerald, if you could please just tell me what's going on with you-"
It was wrong. It was calm, certainly. It was also pointed, a little sharp, fair, and still tinged with worry. But as soon as his friend turned around, tears in his eyes, he knew it was the wrong thing to say this time.
Apologies
Fleeting moments. Half-said whispers of "sorry." Slivers of pretending nothing was wrong. Worrying. That was how Wally's few interactions with Emerald had gone over the past few days. That was a problem. Not knowing how to fix it? Another problem. This was not how this was supposed to go.
It was time for Wally to think critically about how to solve his problem. Well, how did he normally solve his problems? In his experience, facing them head-on was usually the best way to go. If he wasn't strong enough, he trained to get stronger. If he relied too much on other people, he'd start to do things more independently. But he'd already tried that! He went up to his friend directly, fought to approach the situation from a mature angle, and he'd only made things worse. Maybe he needed a radical shift in logic. Or maybe he just needed to get to know Emerald better.
"I think you just need to get to know our Emerald a bit better!" Wally rolled his eyes- a rarity- as his friend Ruby echoed his earlier thoughts.
"I have been trying, you know! And I thought we were getting somewhere. I really thought we were getting somewhere. I just don't understand him when he gets like this- why he gets like this."
Ruby sighed, then pulled his hat back and ran his hands through his hair. He's getting better about showing his scar, Wally noted. To be fair, they were safely hidden away in Wally's seaside Secret Base, so there was no risk of others seeing him. Still, Wally knew his friend's preferences, and considered it almost a privilege that he was one of the few Ruby was comfortable enough to do that around.
"Okay," Ruby started. "I'm not going to tell you everything he's told me about his past- I'm pretty sure he wants to tell you that himself. What I am going to do is try to give you a bit of perspective. Emerald is… new to this. He hasn't exactly… had the opportunity to make friends until recently. You didn't do anything wrong, not really, and I think he knows that. Still. He just needs some time to adjust, I think."
This wasn't necessarily news to Wally, but it did make him think. I don't necessarily agree that I didn't do anything wrong, he mused to himself. Maybe I really was just too impatient. It's not often that happens. But I guess I was caught off-guard this time.
"Okay Ruby." Wally had a much calmer voice now, steadier. "I know what I have to do now."
"Oh, already? And what is it you've decided?"
"I need to get to know him better, it's true. More than that, I need to understand him on his own terms."
"Emerald!" Wally shouted over the gusts of wind. The waves of the beach they found themselves on crashed. It was windy, very windy, as though a storm was coming later in the day and had dispatched the wind to trumpet its arrival. "Emerald, I have something I want to ask you!"
Emerald's long hair flowed in the wind as he walked close enough to speak plainly. He pushed it out of his eyes as soon it went in. His face seemed almost confused, not sure whether to frown or just look irritated. "Well? What?" Pointed. Direct. Quick. It hurt a little, but Wally was determined. He found his solution.
"Actually, that's not quite right. I have something to tell you. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle."
Battle
Wally figured he had made one mistake, and only one, in his master plan. As he stood in the sand, wind whipping his face, he thought to himself: ...Wait. Did I forget to come up with a strategy?
Emerald, standing with his Snorlax, looked reasonably baffled. "...Uh. Aren't you going to call out your Pokémon?"
"Right, right, of course I am!" Luckily, Wally had trained his team well. Both he and his team had become adept at adapting to new situations. Still, he thought, I'm not exactly sure I can beat the champion of the Battle Frontier. But I have to try! With that, he threw out his first Pokémon: Altaria.
"Snorlax, Take Down!" Emerald yelled out his command with a ferocity Wally was almost expecting, though certainly not hoping for. Snorlax leapt forward, closing the distance between the two Pokémon much faster than you might expect.
"Altaria, Cotton Guard!" Wally was ready for his opponent's sudden attack, and his words reached Altaria just before Snorlax did. Cotton grew and expanded out of Altaria's body, shielding the blow as Snorlax's body connected. Altaria was pushed back through the air, but cooed triumphantly as it emerged relatively unscathed. Snorlax followed the attack through though, slamming into the ground with a loud thud.
As it slowly rose to its feet, Emerald paused for just a second, then shouted another command to Snorlax: "We're changing our strategy! Belly Drum!" There was an intense glimmer in the eyes of the large Pokémon as she violently struck her stomach, an odd and deep sound ringing out across the beach. Both trainer and Pokémon smiled, ready to attack. Wally's spirits lifted: He's actually smiling!
All things considered, the battle was unfolding rather well for Wally. His opponent had maxed his Pokémon's attack, yes, but the negative effects of that decision along with the previously sustained recoil damage put them in a very vulnerable position. His decision to counter Snorlax with his most physically defensive Pokémon was already paying off, and he had the upper hand.
Emerald's assault was as immediate as it was aggressive. "Take Down!" he shouted, surprising Wally not only with the gamble of using another recoil-inducing move but also with the speed at which Snorlax followed the dangerous order.
Thinking quickly, he reacted: "Altaria, Dragon Claw!" A single limb emerged from the mounds of cotton surrounding Altaria, and it glowed with power before striking its rapidly-approaching target. On impact, the beast winced, slightly but visibly, and then put its full weight into its attack with renewed vigor. Again Altaria slammed backwards, harder this time as it hadn't had time to prepare for the attack. They must have a plan to be so in-sync with each other, Wally mused in the moments following this exchange. But there's an opening. Snorlax must be about ready to faint by now. We'll just have to smash through and take Snorlax down before they can enact it! "Altaria, Dragon Claw once more!"
Altaria's claw went straight for Snorlax's head, and connected in spectacular fashion. Snorlax recoiled from the blow and was knocked off balance. Wally stared intently, thinking it would tip over and give him the early lead. Wally was wrong.
"Snorlax, Rest!"
With a relieved look on its face, the beast slammed to the ground and immediately fell asleep.
Oh, that's his game! Wally thought with a start. He was getting as much out of his Pokémon as possible before healing it. But wait- this is Emerald. There's no way he's willing to wait for his Pokémon to wake up, which means…
"Altaria, Roost!" Wally knew what was coming, and he wasn't about to just wait for his opponent's plan to come to fruition without taking the opportunity it afforded him.
And just like that, he watched as Snorlax, still asleep, raised a berry to its mouth and tossed it in. It was just as Wally suspected: a Chesto Berry. Snorlax woke up in an instant, fresh and ready to go. But Altaria was healed up too.
The battle reached a pause, but just for a moment. "You know…" Emerald adopted a taunting voice now, and Wally thought that maybe, just maybe he was seeing the hint of a grin on his friend's face. "If you had prioritized Dragon Dance, you might have been able to overwhelm us before we Rested back to full health. I know that Altaria knows it!"
Wally responded in kind: "Yeah, and if you had started with Belly Drum you might have overcome our Cotton Guard defense!"
Emerald laughed, actually laughed. Not a vindictive laugh, not a contentious laugh, a sincere and honest laugh. "Yeah, but I was a little mad and not thinking very clearly."
Wally's heart soared. Emerald was back. "And what are you now?"
"I suppose I'm… a little less mad. Okay, round two!"
Emerald and Wally sipped at their milkshakes, sitting across from each other at a picnic table.
"I've gotta say," Emerald said excitedly, "baiting me into burning Altaria with Dusknoir because you knew you could take advantage of Natural Cure? That was some quality strategizing!"
Wally laughed. "Thanks! We've been working on drawing out Altaria's strengths, and we came up with that defensive strategy. I'm proud of him!"
Then Emerald got quiet. Something big always happens when he gets quiet, Wally thought to himself. He'll say my name next, then say his piece.
"Wally. I am sorry. I'm still new at this- having people who care about me. I overreacted. I know apologizing doesn't really fix anything, but-"
Wally generally refrained from cutting people off while they talk, but he made an exception here. "Emerald, please! The apology is enough, really."
And then Emerald was crying. "I really," he started choking out, "I really almost lost you just cause I can't handle my own stupid insecurities, didn't I?"
Wally smiled softly and reached across the table, picking up his friend's hands and holding them in his own. "Lose me? You weren't going to lose me! I was mad, yeah, and I was afraid you weren't ever going to talk to me! But Emerald, it's not like I was about to give up on you!"
"...Gosh, Wally, I'm. I'm so sorry."
"Hey, I'm sorry too! For pushing you, I mean. I should have given you some space."
"Even so, I shouldn't have been such a jerk-"
"Emerald! We're both sorry about what happened. That's enough for me! Is it enough for you?"
Silence. Lowered eyes. Finally, he rose to meet Wally's gaze. And he nodded, just once.
It was enough.
