The Fourth

By the time their fourth encounter rolled by, May felt so drained.

Sure, she had successfully stormed Team Magma's base – singlehandedly, to boot – but they escaped in the end, nulling her purpose in the first place. She had promised Captain Stern, the poor man, that she would retrieve his treasured submarine, but those Magma scum had fled while she was preoccupied with battling Courtney. Normally, the match would have been a piece of cake. However, while both opponents' Pokemon had grown, May's team was mentally exhausted from the endless stream of fights, and Courtney's was in tip-top shape. Still, it was six-to-one, but May and her team struggled much more than usual, leaving ample time for Team Magma's retreat.

The next few days had been dreadful. Even though Stern didn't place any blame on her (that she was aware of) and even though she had been heralded as heroic for even daring to enter the hideout alone, the weight of failure bore down on May so heavily she felt as if she were sinking.

Her journey had been paused as she stayed in Slateport for a little R'n'R. When she wasn't sleeping or shopping at the markets, May lazed around on the beach with her Pokemon. After the botched mission, she had called them out of their Pokeballs and apologised to them for being a lacklustre trainer. To be honest, part of her expected some of them to leave then and there – she had failed so much whenever she ran into Team Magma, it was no wonder they hadn't left sooner.

To her surprise, none of them left. Fang had immediately comforted her by hovering above her and nudging her head with his body, while the rest – Dottie, Cotton, Ruffles, and even her latest addition Doe the Eevee – cuddled up around her and tried to sooth her to their best of their abilities. She thanked them warmly before her fatigue caught up with her, knocking her out as she was. It wasn't too bad, though, since she woke up swathed in her beloved team. They slept outside their Pokeballs with her from then on. (Except for Fang. He either kept guard during the night or went out exploring.)

Being a Trainer, May quickly tired of doing nothing. Her thirst for competition needed to be sated regardless of her temporary reluctance to battle. Fortunately, she was in Slateport, which meant one thing – Contests.

At first, May had only entered the Contest Hall as a spectator. She wanted to see what the fuss was all about, when suddenly a voice to the side cried, "Is it? It is! May!"

A blue figure bounced towards May, causing the Trainer to step back a bit. It took a second to recognise her, but the blue hair was a dead giveaway, even if she tried to hide it beneath a beret. "Lisia," May said, smiling. "Hey."

Lisia grinned, throwing her arms around May. "It's good to see you again! How have you been?"

May stumbled beneath the abrupt hug. Despite her petite appearance, Lisia was surprisingly strong. "I'm alright. You?"

"Wonderful!" she cried, prying herself off the younger girl. "Are you here to take part in a Contest?"

May shook her head frantically. "No, no! I'm just here to watch."

Lisia pouted, but brightened a moment later. "Let's watch it together, then. Come on – entry is free if you're with me."

"Are you sure?" May frowned. While she was tempted to take up the offer (if it was free, it was free – Trainers didn't make much, after all) she wasn't sure if it would be fair.

"Of course! This a Super Rank Contest, so it's not like it's a full house or anything."

The lines on May's face smoothed out easily. "Then sure. Let's go."

The Contest idol squealed in delight as she grabbed May's hand and dragged her off with that unbelievable strength of hers. May silently wondered what she had gotten herself into.

Once May entered the hall, however, she felt her breath leave her lungs. It was spectacular! The Hall was easily the size of a Gym, with a third of the area covered by a semi-circular yellow stage with a pink backdrop.

Though Lisia was allegedly incognito – though only a Slowpoke wouldn't realise who she was as soon as they were within a metre of her – she identified herself to the stage managers. Upon hearing who she was, they hastily allowed Lisia and co. into Hall. They settled for a seat near the front of the stage, but not the front row, as all seats were taken by actual ticket-holders.

Soon after they settled into their seats, the lights dimmed. "You're going to love this," murmured Lisia as the spotlights illuminated the stage, and the first Contestant was introduced.

They were dazzling. Not just the first entry, but all four. Contests were so different compared to battles. The Pokemon were groomed perfectly and behaved the way the crowd wanted the moment they were called out of the Pokeballs. People cheered ecstatically whenever a Pokemon made a particularly awe-worthy move, waving their glow sticks in the air and applauding wildly. It was like a concert, really.

As much as they were different, Contests were also similar to battles. The moves selected by the Trainer were tactful and deliberate; some were used to gain the judges' favour while others were meant to startle their opponents or make them so nervous they wouldn't move. It was cunning and sly, and May couldn't wait to take part in it.

Once the Contest was over (and May's favourite had emerged victorious), she and Lisia were bursting with excitement.

"I know that look," gasped Lisia. "You want to be a Contest star, don't you?"

May simply smirked.

Several days later, she had conquered the Normal and Super Ranks of each category. She would have continued on until the Master Rank, but then she was attacked.

It happened as she left the Concert Hall. Night had fallen, and May was on her way to her room in the Poke Centre, when a figure emerged from the shadows.

"You!" it hissed, sounding distinctly feminine. "You're that upstart who stole Lisia's attention and used her name to win all the contests!"

May made sure to stay absolutely still. "Who are you? Stop hiding like a coward."

"How dare you!" snapped the woman, and May was reminded of the times she was reprimanded by her aunts. "My son was supposed to win those Contests, not a nobody like you. Purugly, teach her a lesson!"

May looked around wildly. A hiss from the darkness warned her of the feline's presence. Otherwise, though, she was totally blind in the dark. But her Pokemon was not.

"Fang, up," she barked.

May's Crobat swooped from the sky and paused in front of her long enough for her to climb on. They took off just in time, barely dodging the razor-sharp claws of the foe's Purugly. May stroked Fang's head, grateful for its speed and predilection for hovering around her and outside its Ball during the eve.

"Drop me off in that alleyway," she said into his ear, pointing towards the building she knew the woman was hiding behind. "And when you see that overgrown cat, attack it with Acrobatics."

Fang obeyed with a quiet grunt. Whether it was because the woman underestimated May's prowess as a battler, or whether it was because the woman herself was terrible at fighting, May and Fang won without breaking a sweat.

"Purugly!" shrieked the woman. She rushed towards her fallen Pokemon, but came to a stop when Fang blocked her path. His yellow-eyed glare froze her in her place better than any Ice Beam could. She stayed there til May crept up behind her, effectively blocking an exit she would have dared to make.

"So," whispered May, "unless you want my Crobat to have your Purugly as a little midnight snack, I suggest you come quietly to the police station."

Naturally, the woman obeyed. If she hadn't – well, that was better left unsaid.

May retired to bed that night feeling oddly serene. She probably should have been shaken up by the ordeal, but, sadly, it wasn't the first time her well-being had been at risk. Hell, the incident tonight was nothing compared to what Team Magma put her though each time she saw them.

Team Magma. They had been laying low for the past few weeks, remaining relatively quiet. But May never stopped thinking about them. They were always in the back of her mind, haunting her like a persistent Gengar.

Tonight, though, the thought of them wasn't tinged with fear. When she pictured them, all she could feel was red-hot anger.

May shifted in her bed, careful not to wake Doe. She gazed at Fang, the only one awake besides her. "You had fun tonight, didn't you?" she asked softly.

Crobats' mouths were usually frowning by default, but they still had the capacity to smirk and grin on occasion. Fang was providing an excellent example right now.

May rubbed his forehead absentmindedly. "I had fun, too." And she had. Despite the fact that someone wanted to harm her very badly, battling always provided her with a thrill that was incomparable to anything else – not even Contests.

She blinked groggily at Fang. "I think it's time we return to the battlefield."

Fang's grin grew even wider.

The next day, May dominated each and every Trainer within a kilometre of Slateport. Once there was no one left – and Lisia had bade farewell to her with a bone-crushing hug – May resumed her journey.

Though Crobats were indeed nocturnal, tame ones were often active during the day as well, due to the needs of their Trainers. May tried not to use Fang too often while the sun was up, but there was no other way to travel, unless she wanted to cycle for several days. So she compromised. Instead of making Fang fly all the way to Lilycove, she hopped off at Route 123 and let him gain his much-needed rest. May knew Fang wouldn't mind the former option, but she would.

After stopping by at the Berry Master's lodge and farming some of his crops, May Surfed to Mauville, grabbed an Acro Bike, and Surfed back to Route 118. A pang of nostalgia slammed into her as she strode along the shore. Last time she was here, she met a Legendary Pokemon and went on a small adventure with it.

And with Steven.

May glanced at ledge of green before her, half-expecting the elusive man to pop out once more. No such luck. Sighing, she climbed onto her bike, and rode away from those memories.

The ride to Mossdeep was relatively peaceful – well, as peaceful as it was for a Trainer. Several Trainers challenged her, and were quickly swept by her team. May made sure to keep Doe by her side at all times, and also switched on the Experience Share to spur its growth. It hadn't been long since the Normal Type Pokemon had hatched from the Egg she received as compensation from a penniless Trainer she had defeated, but she was well along in terms of development.

May maintained a steady pace during her journey. Pokemon disliked it when Trainers pedalled furiously, and it wasn't like she had energy to spare cycling crazily throughout Western Hoenn. At her pace, it took the brunette two days to reach Mossdeep, having stopped at Pokemon Centres to rest along the way. When she came across Lilycove along the way, she resolutely avoided gazing at the cave that once served as Team Magma's base.

Mossdeep was a neat city, even if it was a pain to get to. It was one of the most isolated towns May had encountered so far in Hoenn, as it was surrounded by the ocean on all sides. Still, it had a space centre – May had never seen one of those before. She made a promise to herself to head over there once she took care of business.

Smirking, May entered Mossdeep City's Gym. And promptly had her breath taken away.

The Gym, quite frankly, was mind-blowing. Circular platforms hovered over boulders, all of which hovered mid-air. Such blatant disregard for physics was all the information May needed. Mossdeep's Gym was Psychic-based.

Well, that wasn't good.

May stroked Doe's fur worriedly as her Pokemon snuggled further into her arms. The only useful moves she had against Psychic Types were Fang's Crunch and Doe's Bite. However, Fang was part Poison and Doe was incredibly under-levelled. They were last resorts, then.

May steeled herself. She would make do; she always did. Petty criminals, Team Magma, Pokemon League Gyms – she would conquer them all.

Somehow, May made it to the end without a single Pokemon down. Some almost got her – the dual Typing ones – but she pulled through. Now came the real challenge: the infamous double battle of Mossdeep Gym.

Liza and Tate pried open their eyes as May approached via teleportation. They slipped out of their meditative stances and greeted her with small smiles.

"Welcome," said Liza, and both she and her twin brother bowed slightly. May reciprocated the action.

Tate straightened his topic, the green stars of his buttons twinkling in the ethereal lighting. "We've been expecting you."

May's eyes widened. "Because of your psychic powers?" she whispered, awed.

To her surprise (and embarrassment) the twins shared a look before bursting into giggles. "No, no," gasped out Liza. "We…"

"…Have heard about you," finished Tate.

If anything, May was more confused. "What do you mean?"

Liza smiled coyly. "Nothing of importance."

"Only good things," assured Tate.

"Hm," muttered May. "I'm sure. Well, enough gossiping." She smiled. "Let's get down to business."

"Very well," said Liza, raising her left arm and leg into an offensive position. "However, this combination of ours…"

Tate mirrored his sister. "…Can you defeat it?"

May brushed a hand through her hair. "Let's find out."

Like all Gym Leaders, Tate and Liza sent out their Pokemon first. Somehow, May wasn't surprised when a Lunatone and Solrock materialised before her.

Perfect. May tossed out two of her own Pokeballs, shouting orders as she did so. "Dottie, Aqua Tail the Solrock! Cotton, use Thief on Lunatone!"

They hopped to it immediately. Cotton was much faster than her opponents, and attacked the moon-shaped Pokemon flawlessly.

"Lunatone," called Tate, "use Calm Mind and attack back with Hypnosis."

"Dodge it, Cotton! Fly up!"

In the meantime, May turned to her Azumarill. Both Pokemon were equally slow, so it was only now that Azumarill had hit Solrock. The Rock-Psychic Type dropped like a stone against the super-effective move.

May breathed a sigh of stunned relief. To be honest, she wasn't expecting the one-hit K.O. The Attack EVs from the hordes of Carvanhas she kept running into were good for something after all.

Liza yelped as her only Pokemon fainted. She withdrew the fallen sun-like creature with a pout.

The battle from then on was simple. It was two-to-one, and although Lunatone finally managed to hit Cotton with a Hypnosis, Dottie covered for his sleeping partner by slamming the distracted opponent with another Aqua Tail.

May recalled her tired Pokemon with a grateful grin. They had won.

Her grin slipped somewhat upon the crestfallen looks on Liza and Tate.

"Our… Our teamwork," murmured Tate.

Liza sighed heavily. "Normally, our combo would trump most Trainers. Still…"

"This is the May we've heard about."

"Yeah, but he didn't tell us she was skilled at double-battles too!"

The girl-in-question faked an obvious cough. "I'm still here, you know."

The twins snapped their heads towards her in eerie synchronisation. "Apologies," said Tate, regaining his calm. "Congratulations, May. You've won."

"So take this!" Liza handed May a gorgeous heart-shaped badge accented by a red, circular gem in the middle.

"Now all Pokemon up to level eighty will obey you."

In addition to the official Badge, she also received the HM Dive and the TM Calm Mind, which sent her mind awhirl. She could actually Dive to the depths of the ocean! A whole new world was now open.

Her hand closed around the Mind Badge. Team Magma better watch out, she thought to herself.

Tate's sharp eyes dragged May back to the present. "Looks like the bond between you and your Pokemon is far stronger than the bond we share as twins..." Oddly enough, a sly light shone in his midnight eyes. "But you'll go on from here to form even more bonds. That's the future I see for you!"

Liza sighed again, though this time, it was with a resigned smile. "There may be a harsh ordeal ahead for you and your Pokemon... But that's all right! You have each other! That's why we want you to face whatever troubles may come your way head-on and full of courage!"

Those words… they were so ominous. It didn't help that they were from the mouths of actual Psychics. Instead of walking out of the Gym with a proud smile on her face, May exited with a troubled frown. What was with the cryptic parting message?

And then it hit her. Almost literally.

The second she stepped foot outside, the ground beneath her began to rumble. May bit out a curse and gripped the doorway tightly as the island shook dangerously. She kept her eyes on her sneakers for what seemed like hours, until the earthquake eventually subsided.

It was only then that she noticed the thing in the sky.

A huge pillar of green and yellow light shot out of the ocean and into the sky, releasing a loud whine as the energy surged skywards. May couldn't drag her eyes away from the sight for all the Pokedollars in the world. A large block of ice began to sink down her stomach.

Now that the coast was clear, the people of Mossdeep began to gather near the Gym. Some stumbled like newborn foals, their legs shaky from the bone-rattling tremors. May could sympathise. The constant teleportation – as well as the stream of battles – from the Gym left her queasy. And the earthquake? That was simply the icing on the cake.

She took one step. Feeling successful, she started to walk normally.

…And promptly fell like a log.

A pair of strong, steady arms stopped her face from crashing into the gravel. Fortunately, the hands didn't wander, or else the culprit would suffer the wrath of her Pokemon. Once May tilted her head to catch sight of her saviour, however, all doubts were dashed immediately.

"Steven!" she gasped.

The man himself peered down at her with concern (he cares!) and May almost fainted then and there. "May, are you okay?"

May honestly considered saying no in order to stay in him arms a little longer, but all sense of self-awareness prevented from doing so. "Ah, yeah, I'll be fine," she said. Wincing, she extracted herself from Steven's body and tried not to grab at her dizzy head as she stood back up. "Looks I fell for you," she said through the haze of pain.

It took a second for her words to register. All grogginess was drained out of her system, as well as most of her blood. "Um! Anyway!" she squeaked. "What brings you to Mossdeep?"

Thankfully, Steven chose not to acknowledge her slip. (Which was kind of disappointing, in a way.) "I live here, actually," he replied, and May was sure she detected a hint of amusement in his deep voice. She flushed. "I heard from Liza and Tate that you visited their Gym. I was thinking of trying to catch you while you were in the area, but then this happened..." Steven paused, casting a covert glance around them. "We should talk. Let's go to my place."

Um, what. May forced her mouth to work. "Yeah, sure," she tried to say as casually as possible. "So, Liza and Tate, huh?" Was it her, or was there some tension in the air? "Are you three close?"

Steven cocked his head to the side in thought, reminding May of a baby Taillow. Freakin' adorable. "We're good friends," he admitted. "I visit them whenever I'm in town."

May's brow furrowed. "I thought you lived here."

"I do. However…" Steven fidgeted with his metal cuffs. "I travel a lot, so I'm rarely home. Speaking of which – we're here."

Steven Stone was the son and presumed heir of the nationally famous Devon Corp, and so May had half-expected his domain to reflect that. In actuality, it was a common thing, easily looking like it housed any other person in Mossdeep.

As Steven welcomed her inside, she discovered the interior was little better. The house was barely furnished, filled with what looked like only the barest necessities. The bedroom, kitchen, and living room were literally bunched together, making it seem like one enormous room.

Steven shut the door firmly behind them. "Ah, please forgive the sparse décor. As I said, I'm rarely here, so…"

May shook her head, smiling. "Such is the life of a Trainer, right?"

"Right." Steven shared her smile, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Would you like anything to drink?"

She probably should have asked for tea or coffee like a mature adult, but it had been a long day, and May knew it wasn't going to end any time soon. Screw putting up appearances – she wanted a pick-me-up. "Do you have any juice?"

"That is a good question." Looking uncertain, Steven checked his fridge. Looking relieved, he grabbed an almost-empty carton and poured her a cup. "Here," he said as he returned, pulling out a chair from the dining table.

Such a gentleman. May grinned and sat down. She sipped at the juice, relishing the cool liquid as it soothed her dry throat. "So," she said, placing the glass down onto a coaster, "what did you want to talk about?"

A small, hopeless part of her was sincerely wishing for a love confession, but it seemed today was not the day. The topic was much more dire.

Steven inhaled deeply, his steel blue eyes growing stony. "Let us take a moment to understand what is happening to our world right now. The rumbling that shook the earth just now – the eardrum-rupturing explosion we heard – they are proof that a seal, which was long hidden deep undersea, has been undone at last. The super-ancient Pokémon that has been sealed deep beneath Route 128 since ancient times... It slept until now in the Seafloor Cavern. The entrance to that cavern was sealed by the power of a certain Pokémon, all in an effort to keep any human or Pokémon from ever breaching it. But now it appears that the scheming of that terrible team has undone the seal. There is no doubt that they intend to revive the super-ancient Pokémon. And once they do so, it seems they hope to make its power their own."

May felt as if her heart had stopped. Steven must have noticed, because his next words were uttered softly, as if to limit her fright.

"May... If that team obtains the power of the super-ancient Pokemon, it will upset the balance of nature in this world. A crisis unlike any other before it will befall every living thing on this planet. I plan to do everything in my power to quell this situation. That is my duty. But there is a limit to what I can do with my power alone... That is why I am asking for your help. I have great faith in your abilities. Lend me your strength to put a halt to these Teams' mad ambitions! With you and I and our Pokemon all working together, we will overcome this disastrous turn of events. I don't think it is out of the question."

She said nothing. There was nothing to say. All she could do was sit and listen.

Steven's gaze grew hesitant. "Tate and Liza gave you the HM Dive, correct?" When May nodded mutely, he strode to his closet and pulled out a package. "If you use this, you can stay with your Pokémon even in the depths of the ocean... Specifically, along Route 128. Beneath the correct stretch of water lie the entrance to the Seafloor Cavern. I will join you when I finish my duties. Please do what you can to stop Team Aqua and Team Magma until then. I am trusting you to do this forme."

What?! He wanted her to— And stop them— By herself? This was just too much. This day was just too much! May's body must have felt the same, because the whole world was spinning and the lights were too bright and too dark and oh, no, I'm not going to faint, am I? I mean, I was joking about it before, but—

The last thing she saw were the horrified eyes of Steven Stone.