Beget: To Converse


Lilycove City


Long, pale legs dangled over Courtney's desk, and Madison smugly crossed them as her superior swung to face her, in a rare satisfied mood as she offered Madison a quirk of a smile, breaking her usual indifferent pout. They clinked mugs of coffee as though they were champagne flutes, and drank from them deeply, hiding their conceited smiles behind caffeine.

"He's thrilled," Madison hummed moonily, her eyes glazing over. Leaning back, she swirled the coffee in her mug slowly and deliberately, enjoying the weight of it in her hand.

"There's a lot of endorphins going on in Maxie's office, that's for sure." Courtney took another drink. "When did he ask to see you?"

"We're having lunch." The Kalosian girl didn't bother to hide her excited squeal, kicking her feet a little from atop her friend's desk. "I can't believe it. I mean, finally, right?" Madison sighed a little into the space between them, melting into herself with smug glee.

"I suppose you've waited a while for this recognition," Courtney clicked her tongue, pushing some of the pastel lilac hair from her face. "No longer than most admins took to get their status though. If anything, you've progressed faster than the average subordinate."

"You sponge up all the fun," Madison pouted, nudging her friend's desk chair with her foot so it rolled away a little. Courtney blinked at her. "You just suck it up. You soak up every drop of potential for fun. You are a proverbial fun sponge."

"I'm just surprised you know the definition of proverbial," Courtney snorted. "However, I can't deny that you've certainly made your impression," the admin congratulated her reluctantly. "You just want to be careful."

"Why?" Madison gave a trill of a laugh, jumping to her feet and flexing her fingers in a fit of excited energy, ready to take on the world. Courtney didn't miss a beat, but narrowed her eyes a little as she watched her soon to be equal place her coffee mug on the desk, pulling strands of dark blonde hair from where it had caught on her smudged lip gloss. There was a pink, excited flush to her cheeks. The Magma Admin gave no visible reaction.

"You defeated Brandon, who knew you were from Team Magma." Courtney folded her arms and leant forwards. "Undoubtedly, an attack from Team Magma in Kanto that has been heavily documented in the news will have been followed up on by the police and by the league."

"What's your point?" Madison shrugged her off, humming whimsically. "I was already a wanted criminal, just for being part of this organisation."

"But now there's a man who will have given the league an extensive report on this girl from Team Magma who beat him with a team that once performed to the height of success in Pokemon Showcases." Courtney's words almost made Madison pause. "If they link up the team you used against Brandon to your identity, the league can paint a target on your back. You'd have to be withdrawn from civilian life. You couldn't go undercover anymore. You would be the face of Team Magma, recognised as a powerful trainer and accommodated for, and the bullseye for the League investigation." Madison's lip twitched. "Your potential lies in the element of surprise and deception."

"I like to think I've contributed more than that," Madison scoffed, pulling her mind away. "Regardless, Maxie doesn't seem to be worried if he's requesting a lunch with me. And if the league comes after me, I can handle myself. This is about a cause bigger than me."

"Exactly," Courtney's hand clenched. "This is about a cause bigger than you." Almost offended by her friend's insinuation, Madison turned and made a small surprised noise in the back of her throat. "Don't let your ambition and personal gain get in the way of rational thought."

"I won't." Madison felt like her wrist had been slapped. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"You took a chance with limited probability of succeeding, and you defied odds." Courtney didn't move. "Be careful."

"I will." Courtney was probably the only person Madison knew had a genuine affection for her, and knew she would only speak out of well intentioned concern. There was no hesitation as to her dedication, they both knew that much at least. "We're good, Court."

"Mmm." Courtney returned to her coffee, not looking up. "Maxie is fortunate to have you in his ranks." It was a quiet peace offering after chastising her, and Madison smiled, understanding.

"He's even luckier to have you." It was a heartfelt murmur, and Courtney smiled, appreciative. "Look at all this work you've been doing!" Madison gestured blindly to the notes she reluctantly admitted she might have squashed when she'd sat on the desk. Courtney straightened them out neatly.

"I am looking forward to you having your own office to dismantle, I suppose," Courtney teased, and Madison flushed.

"Anyway," she coughed. "Anything coming up from Brandon's research that you think will help? Artifacts? Information?"

"More like dead ends," Courtney scoffed, leaning on the desk miserably, her wrist bending with the weight of her chin on the palm of her hand. "It's just full of references to texts I don't have access to. He says there was a whole library of information somewhere on this shipwreck down south, but I bet it's been cleaned out and shipped out to Universities by now."

"Isn't it worth a look?" Madison pressed, taking the papers from them and scanning through them quickly. The bibliography at the back was packed with informal diary entries and logs of research from hundreds of years past. All of them were sourced to this shipwreck.

"I doubt it," Courtney sighed a little, taking the papers back. "I'm gonna start tracking down these diaries though. Maybe there's one or two in the Museum here in Lilycove. It's worth looking into, anyway."

"Right," Madison hummed, half listening. She peered over Courtney's shoulder to get another long look at the papers, her hands twisting behind her back. "Um, I'm gonna get going."

"Your meeting with Maxie isn't for a few hours yet." Courtney gave her a long hard look, making Madison pause from the quick getaway she suddenly tried to make. "You alright?"

"Just gotta look something up," Madison dismissed awkwardly, laughing and waving her off with a flick of the wrist, and jumping towards the warp panel; it flickered in a bright blue beam of light as it swallowed her whole. "I'll call you after my meeting thanks for the coffee gotta run bye!"

The office was quiet for a moment, and Courtney finished her coffee, watching the warp panel light fade with a slight curiosity. The second empty mug that had been Madison's sat just a short distance from hers, and there was a pink lip gloss imprint around the edge of the mug. Courtney reached forward and traced it with the tip of her finger.

"Silly girl," she murmured to herself, and returned to her notes.


Petalburg City


Knowing that May and Max were occupied with some practice battling, and that Caroline was tending to the Pokemon in the greenhouse, Norman could work privately for a while. He'd read through the bulk of the reports that had been forwarded on his request, and finally he felt he was abreast of the situation - at least enough to begin preparing for the worst. Wallace had left him a message a few days ago to be in touch when he had gotten up to date, and finally he felt prepared enough and alone enough to follow up. The video phone connected with a polite, mousy secretary that bumbled about to connect him, and it wasn't long before Wallace's face lit up the video screen, smiling serenely and twinkling his fingers at the receiver. Norman could have laughed. His old friend hadn't changed over the years in the slightest.

"Good afternoon, Wallace," Norman greeted amicably. Wallace wrinkled his nose.

"Hello there, Norman," Wallace replied brightly. "How are things in Petalburg?"

"Nothing bad to report here," he informed him cheerily. "In fact, the kids are both home. It's nice to have them around for a while."

"Ah, yes," Wallace's grin grew long and catlike. "I had the pleasure of speaking with your daughter recently in Lilycove. A lovely young woman; you've raised her… well."

"The best laid plans," Norman murmured warningly, and Wallace raised his hands almost apologetically.

"I didn't say anything to her," he assured him. "Regardless, it was nice to meet her again after all these years. It's been hard to stay away at Wallace Cups, but I've done as I was told."

"I appreciate it," Norman looked down for a moment. "Unfortunately, it seems our suspicions all of those years ago were right." A little static blurred the screen for a moment.

"It appears so." Wallace gave him an enigmatic grin. "Which, I suppose, leads us to the crux of the matter, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does." Frowning, the Petalburg Gym Leader glanced over his shoulder for a moment to ensure his family really where out of earshot. "What do you need me to do?" He rolled his shoulders back a little, preparing for some lengthy task away from home. It never came.

"There are some… objects that need to be guarded." Wallace's nose twitched. "If they were to fall into the wrong hands, we would have some problems. It's happened before, and..." Trailing off for a moment, Wallace gestured with his hand lazily. "Well. It wouldn't end well."

"Don't be all flowery about it, Wallace," Norman groaned. "What do you need me to do?" His repeated question wasn't lost on Wallace.

"I'll have them dropped off at the gym," the coordinator gave a knowing, settled smile. "It's two orbs. One of them is red, and one of them is blue. I'm sure you're aware…"

"Of the significance, yes." Norman's eyebrows raised pointedly. "I thought there were protections in place for them in Mt Pyre? Hell, I thought they weren't allowed to leave Mt Pyre?"

"We had to have a rather forceful conversation with the pair who guard the orbs." Wallace sighed, momentarily displeased. "They would only agree to letting us guard the orbs on their behalf if they were allowed to keep a tracking device letting them know where they are. Which is fine, I guess. We've added extra protection to Mt Pyre just in case."

"I'm guessing should Team Magma or Aqua find out where the orbs are traditionally kept," Norman figured, "then Mt Pyre would be the first place they'd go. And then the League would be the second."

"Exactly." Wallace gave a whimsical smile. "And who would think to check Petalburg? Not to mention, you're one of our more… competent gym leaders." For a moment, the Champion wriggled his eyebrow pointedly. "The orbs will be safe with you."

"Of course," Norman nodded, smiling to himself. "Is there anything else I can do? Anything I should prepare?"

"Down, boy," Wallace laughed effervescently. "We don't need to start thinking like that unless we lose the orbs. For now, focus on protecting your city and keeping your gym low profile so long as you're guarding these orbs. We wouldn't want to draw any attention to you."

"I understand." The implications weren't lost on was a second fuzz of static as the signal frayed for a moment, but the two men held eye contact for a moment, understanding the potential ramifications that could come from a small mistake now. Faintly, Norman could hear the consequential noise from the gym where May and Max battled playfully, her Venusaur facing his Sceptile, and for a moment, his eyes gave him away.

"Don't worry," Wallace assured him. His eyes hardened. "Steven and I know what to do."

"I know you do." Norman finally looked down. "Let me know when the orbs are on their way."

"We will," his friend pulled out a gratuitous smile from somewhere and twinkled his fingers again. "Give my best to the family. They're always important to the League, you know that."

"I trust you. And my regards to Steven." They finished formally, stiff with unease. Neither of them felt particularly settled. "Keep in touch." As Wallace's image faded, Norman closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cool black screen, listening to the sounds of his children's determination and laughter echoing through the halls.


Lilycove City


"And anything to drink for you, miss?" The waiter asked politely, his back arched as he leaned towards her, his pen poised over the small white notebook in his hand. Maxie had blankly informed him they weren't ready to order, but had asked for a simple glass of tap water to have in the meantime. Madison's eyes flickered to the menu, where she'd spotted her particular favourite; a lightly carbonated pomegranate and pecha berry blend.

"Just water for me as well," Madison murmured politely. "Thank you." Maxie didn't say anything, but his eyebrow twitched and his lip curved in amusement.

"My pleasure, miss," the waiter nodded, and bustled away, his shoes squeaking against the polished floors. Maxie's eyes didn't move from Madison, watching her quietly and carefully. She wasn't sure what to say in response to nothing, and so they sat in an awkward, pregnant silence for a while.

"Admin Courtney sings your praises." Maxie's voice was hushed and surprisingly unsure. "She tells me you're one of the greatest things to happen to this organisation."

"I've learnt a lot from her," Madison told him sweetly, nodding in the direction of the table. "She's been a great teacher to me."

"She tells me you defeated Brandon," Maxie continued deliberately. "She tells me that tracking him down was partly your idea." Madison looked up sharply, suddenly worried.

"She didn't… I mean, she didn't tell me anything I didn't have clearance for!" She fretted, her voice coming out in an apprehensive burble. Maxie coughed to hide a laugh. "I mean, she just, she talked in hypotheticals? I guess? I didn't know…"

"Admin Courtney breached clearance," Maxie told her carelessly, lifting and dropping his shoulders. "I was surprised when she told me. But not after her explanation. She sees a great deal in you, and after her recommendation and your growing list of accomplishments within our ranks, I can see why."

"Thank you," Madison breathed, relaxing into her seat. "I hope she isn't in trouble, or…"

"She's not," Maxie assured her, almost laughing. "You're protective over her?"

"I'm her second," Madison explained effortlessly. "I've got her back, and she's got mine."

"Of course," Maxie was almost purring. "Which is why I think you'd work much more effectively as an admin. Be real partners. Maybe I'll even give you the office next to hers, who knows?"

"Admin?" Madison's chest visibly swelled with air, and her shoulders hitched. "R-Really?"

"You'll report to me, not Courtney. But you'll work closely with her, I assure you," Maxie smiled knowingly. "Plus, when she's working on research for me I can send you out to do field work, as I hear you excel in…" he paused. "How did she phrase it? Deception?"

"I can spin a tale or two," Madison breathed, the air expelling from her lungs audibly. "I… thank you, Leader."

"Maxie," her boss's glasses glinted in the light, "please." Madison arched forward, leaning on her elbows, soaking in the intoxicating air of success, but drew back quickly when two glasses of ice water were placed on the table between them neatly. Despite not having looked at the menu any further, Maxie quietly ordered a pasta dish that Madison couldn't quite make out, and she was left to scan the menu hastily.

"Uh, just the, um, r-roast parsnip soup, please," she asked warily. The waiter blinked but smiled reassuringly, and thanked them both politely as he moved away. Maxie looked like he was about to say something, but something buzzed in his pocket and he took it out without apology. It was about the size of a PokeNav but with a different design, more spherical and less decoration. He tapped at the screen for a while, his eyes furrowed and focused. Madison took a deep drink of her water, still more than a little nervous.

"Sorry," Maxie finally mumbled; an afterthought. She shook her head, smiling.

"You're fine," she told him lightly, looking down.

"I just got some intel from tech; we've finally traced the IP address that's been shadowing our files," Maxie explained in a dark grumble.

"Oh, what do we know?" Madison's ears pricked up. "I mean, if I have cleara-"

"You have clearance." Maxie nearly snorted. "We've traced it to Mauville, past all those damn passcodes and firewalls that have been keeping us out. The Newscaster Hub, to be specific. It sounds like Team Aqua have control over the media."

"That's why we've been followed so closely in the news," Madison murmured, looking away for a moment as she thought. "Huh."

"Huh indeed." Maxie was clearly frustrated. "Well, at least we know we can trace our hackers now. We can start breaking into their files and observing them, too. It's time we evened the playing field a little."

" are lots of things we have that they don't, too." Madison nodded, beginning to grin. "This is something I wanted to mention, actually. Courtney was telling me about the research we've taken from Brandon; apparently there are lots of references to books and resources that were located on an abandoned shipwreck between Dewford and Slateport. I'd like to request permission to go out there and track down any more information that could help Courtney's studies."

"Books?" Maxie arched an eyebrow. "Will they still be on the ship, or will they not have been relocated to a library or research hub here on the mainland?"

"There's a lot of references to this ship, Maxie," Madison insisted, swallowing thickly. "I've got… I've got a feeling about it."

"Alright," Maxie nodded, his lips curving into a smile. "I grant your request. Just try to keep your cover, this time."

"Absolutely sir, I'll be in full civilian gear!" Madison beamed, thrilled. Maxie withdrew a little, but maintained his smile.

"Your enthusiasm is reassuring," Maxie admitted softly. "We live in such a… precarious world. A world of political abuse and indifference, of empty ideals and policy shifts that harm many and yet mean nothing. We're running out of resources, and running out of time." He held her eye contact gently, coaxing her determination forward with a soft insistence. "We need land to flourish as a people, as an existence; it is always a good thing to see passion and dedication to this cause." Madison weakened, her ribs aching as she considered the earnesty in his words. For a moment, her loyalty shifted. It was not to her own ambition, or to her success, or even to the weakening of the ocean. It was to Maxie, and to his beliefs, and to his solution for the world that seemed to escape so many.

"I understand," Madison murmured her reply, meaning it. In that moment, she really did.

"We may be criminals," Maxie straightened his napkin into his lap. "But what we're setting out to achieve is moral, it is vital, and it is for the good of everyone. There is a stark difference between illegal and immoral, however they might overlap in places. Please, always remember this in your instruction of others." Madison nodded, absorbing his words. "We don't want to hurt. We want to help. Our methods are simply… unorthodox."

"Utilitarianism," Madison hummed, smiling. "We've got to do what it takes to make life as good for as many people as possible. Though we may step on a few people to get there…"

"In the grand scheme of things, we'd be improving many lives for generations to come." Maxie nodded, pleased. "I'm glad you understand."


Petalburg City


"I think the most important thing we need to consider," Caroline trilled, gesticulating wildly, "is what you're going to wear."

"Are ya sure she doesn't need to figure out how to string a sentence together first?" Max countered quickly, grinning with a sneer at his older sister. May pushed him back with a pout and sulked in her seat at the kitchen table. Caroline passed them both big glass tumblers full of lemonade that they drank obediently to rehydrate after their match.

"And Max, are you sure you don't need to bite my a-" May was quickly interrupted by her mother.

"I was thinking," Caroline gushed, pointedly not responding to May's choice in potential language, "that we could go up to Mauville a few days early and stay in one of those fancy hotels that keep popping up, and shop around for the perfect interview outfit!"

"Aw, Mom that sounds so nice!" May smiled moonily before taking a big gulp of her drink. "There's that super cute new boutique they were getting ready to open last time I passed through Mauville, I'm sure they're open by now! We can go check it out!"

"Absolutely!" Caroline was thrilled. "I'm thinking a pink dress, but not too young." She tilted her head for a moment. "Something tailored and with neat, clear lines."

"I do love pink," May hummed, thoughtful. "I wore blue to my after party and I really loved that!"

"Blue!" Caroline's face lit up. "Oh it would match your eyes! Something shimmery, with a lilac or teal sort of undertone. Strapless?"

"I'm not attending a gala, Mom," May giggled, pleased for the attention. "Something… oh what's the word I'm looking for. I'm thinking like, not businessy, but smart, and modest…" The mother and daughter looked at each other in a tight focus for a moment, groping for the word desperately. Max watched them, almost embarrassed.

"Conservative?" He offered in a dull, bored drone.

"Conservative!" Caroline and May repeated in a pleased chant, before bursting into silly giggles.

"You both need help," Max snorted. "Professional help."

"We could hire a stylist!" May jumped to attention. "Great idea Max! I mean, I don't know about you Mom but I am awful at hair and makeup. People keep telling me about contouring and blending sticks for eyeshadow and honestly it sounds like a whole other world." May sighed dramatically. "What does lip liner even contribute? People just cover it up with lipstick afterwards right? I'm so confused."

"Oh honey," Caroline sighed, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You have much to learn about the world."

"I'm gonna go make sure my Pokemon are all rested up," Max slid up onto his feet, not wanting to hear the cosmetic rant his mother was about to launch into. "You know, make sure all is well after I creamed ya May."

"It would have been a lot different if my toxic attack had landed!" May stuck out her tongue childishly. "Rematch! Tomorrow!"

"We'll need to set off for Mauville tomorrow, honey," Caroline reminded her sweetly.

"Too bad, Princess!" Max jeered, running for the door before May could grab him. "I guess we'll just have to accept I'm far superior to you in every way."

"I'm gonna crush you like a bug!" May threatened darkly, ready to jump up and chase him, but Caroline stopped her with an awkward laugh and a gentle grasp around her wrist.

"Let him have this," Caroline reminded her in a hushed, motherly tone. "He took the loss in Kalos hard."

"Yeah, yeah," May muttered reluctantly. "He's lucky this time. I went easy on him, but next time I'll cream that little brat."

"I'm sure you will," Caroline soothed noncommittally. "Besides, it's hard having a big sister who's suddenly a big celebrity, you know?"

"I guess," May hummed, thoughtful. She withdrew a little. "Am I really a celebrity now?"

"You're practically a mascot for the region sweetheart!" Caroline waved her off thoughtlessly. "Princess?"

"Right. Princess." May laughed hollowly. "I don't know, this isn't what I was aiming for. I wanted people to think of me as someone with… substance, I guess. Not just a coordinator in a pretty dress."

"Oh honey," Caroline murmured, pushing some of the hair from May's cheek. "Why on earth can't you be both?"

"R-Right," May smiled, her cheeks pink. "Right. Thanks." They were quiet for a time, and May took another drink of her lemonade. "Mom, why did you quit battling?"

"I didn't enjoy it anymore," Caroline told her bluntly, leaning on her hands. She blew a little hair from her forehead. "I mean, your father and I began dating and it was getting serious, and I had always enjoyed raising Pokemon and… I peaked, at some point, too." Shrugging, Caroline gave an airy smile. "It wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. Honestly, I strategised so much and over thought everything… it was stressing me out! I just wanted to spend time raising my Pokemon to be happy and healthy, and to be with your father. But it wasn't some cliche," Caroline began to laugh, "gave up my dreams to follow your Dad thing. Actually he was really upset when I told him I wasn't taking on gym challenges any more. He worried he'd pushed me out of it, but he never did."

"Right." May looked down. "So how… how did you know what you wanted to do next?"

"I didn't!" Caroline brushed her daughter's hair back. "I wanted to give myself space and time to figure that out. And I was happy for it, eventually. I got there in the end. Are you thinking about giving up coordinating?"

"I don't know, maybe." May shrugged. "I've done what I set out to do. I never grew up dreaming of ballgowns and ribbon cups, I just wanted to explore." She sighed, a little weary. "Maybe… but I don't want to let people down."

"The only person you ever need to worry about letting down is yourself," Caroline told her firmly, brushing her cheek. "Not your friends, or your rivals, or… your father?" Her lips quirked into a knowing smile. "You just have to do what you need to do. Your Pokemon will support you all the way! You have the gift of youth and time, and you can change your mind as many times as you like."

"Thanks," May murmured, suddenly tired. "I just wish I was strong enough to… it doesn't matter."

"Strong enough to what?" Caroline paused, suddenly apprehensive. "Why do you want to be strong? You're already a brilliant battler."

"I wasn't strong enough to make someone listen," May explained in a hurried mumble, feeling suddenly shy. "I really wanted them to respect me, but… it doesn't matter now. I just, I'd thought I'd done enough." May stood, her head ducked a little. "Thanks for the lemonade Mom, I'm gonna go pack my stuff together for tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll call the hotel," Caroline told her lightly, standing with her. "We're not done talking about this though. You have to remember that anyone who doesn't respect you isn't worth your time, or your heart May. You have more to give than that."

"Thanks," May flushed. "I appreciate it, but I think I'm just gonna go be by myself for a while. Okay Mom?"

"Alright sweetpea," Caroline sighed, her eyes unfocusing as May hurried away, her head lowered and her arms folded around herself a little.


Fennel Valley


Paul had waited until it was late, at least, before slipping out. A last, clipped conversation with Brandon left him assured his father had known he was leaving without having to expressly explain it, and had gifted him with some more leads to continue his research in Hoenn with a new sense of purpose. It was the only way he could think of to actively pursue Team Magma now, and meant putting his mind to something instead of sitting around and waiting for more news of thievery, or worse. He'd packed his bag while Gary and Ash had taken up Brandon's time, and headed out as soon as he was confident all were asleep. In a rare sentimentality, he paused, looking up at the outline of his father's home. It could have been his too, once.

He walked on, regretting looking back.

There was relative peace for a moment as he disappeared into the shadowy greenery that surrounded the Pyramid. The moon was slowly becoming shielded by the overgrowth, but the light seemed to permeate through and leave the night in a silvery sheen. A quiet scratch of paws against the ground caught his attention, some wild Pokemon probably, so the tug at at his ankle didn't catch him entirely off guard. Pikachu blinked up at him, smiling sadly, his paws clutching the synthetic grey of his waterproof trouser leg. Paul paused. Pikachu clearly felt comfortable enough to scramble up his leg and around his torso, onto his shoulder, in order to have better eye level. From there he gestured with his tail back towards the Pyramid with a little insistence.

"He's on his way, huh?" Paul murmured, contemplating putting Pikachu to the floor and going on ahead anyway. Pikachu chirped enthusiastically, and Paul sighed, resigning himself to lean against the trunk of a tree and wait. It wouldn't take him long.

"Paul!" It really hadn't taken him long. Ash was a little out of breath when he joined them in the night air, having sprinted from the room he and Gary had been given for the night. He was still in his pajamas, and clearly had thought he hadn't the time to spare to change. Paul realised quickly Ash hadn't thought that he would have waited for him. "You're leaving?" Pikachu, satisfied he'd done a good job, leapt from Paul's shoulder to Ash's outreached arms, and scrambling up to sit atop his hatless head.

"Yeah." Paul didn't want to explain himself too much. "I've got some things to take care of in Hoenn."

"Right!" Ash nodded, suddenly enthusiastic. "Make sure you keep your eye out for more info, and let us know, okay?"

"Sure," Paul shrugged. He would probably have touched in with Brandon about it, anyway. For the research; not for his paternal merits. "See ya."

"W-Wait!" Ash stepped forward before Paul could make a move to leave. "I just… wanted to check in after our battle yesterday." Paul snorted.

"If you're here to complain that I defeated your precious Greninja…" Paul began to raise an eyebrow but Ash laughed him off.

"No, Greninja and I know how to lose," Ash grinned a little, embarrassed. "I just wanted to… well, I've known May a long time, and I know she can get a bit intense with the shouting and stuff."

"You mean the Petalburg girl?" Paul knew exactly what he was referring to, but attempted to distance himself. "It's nothing."

"I've never seen her upset like… like that before." Ash paused, not sure how to continue. "When we were younger, she'd yell at Max all the time, and she'd yell at me all the time, and she'd… yell about food all the time." Awkwardly chuckling, Ash rubbed the back of his neck and Pikachu chirped in agreement, giggling. "But she, well, she never looked like that when she did it."

"It's really not anything that I'm concerned with," Paul assured him briskly, adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder, not wanting to admit his intrigue. There was some deep, well hidden spot in a well repressed part of his mind that was curious. Ash had seen her grow from the girl in the pink shirt to something closer to what she was today, and he couldn't deny the existence of questions he knew he'd never ask. "See you around."

"You don't need to worry about it," Ash continued, pressing forwards, dismissing his dismissal. Paul winced. "I know her well enough to know she only gets seriously upset when she cares about something, so you don't need to worry if you think you really did upset her or something. I mean, she'll come around." Paul couldn't find it in himself to reply; there was really no way of avoiding the topic with Ash. He was like a Houndour with a slipper he wouldn't give back, and no matter how much Paul tried to pry it from his grasp, his teeth were dug into it with resolution.

"She'll be fine." Paul shrugged awkwardly, looking to the path he planned to take rather than at Ash. His old rival watched him for a while longer, as though trying to piece things together in his head.

"You didn't really want to battle yesterday, did you?" He asked suddenly, folding his arms. "You heard I'd be on the phone to a friend from Petalburg. It was…"

"I beat you, didn't I?" Paul breathed, exasperated, turning fully away. "I barely know her; stop signifying some importance that doesn't exist." Ash had met many people over the course of his travels. A great deal of them were his friends, some of them were more like acquaintances, and then there were the select few who were his family by choice. Some of them had been rivals, and some of them had been companions. Some he'd spent years alongside and others he'd spent minutes. Some were mentors, and some he'd been able to teach. Some he'd even gotten to act as both. But more than anything, Ash could recognise when one had burrowed under his skin to begin to inspire something greater, and he could recognise something of that in others.

"May's a really good person," he mumbled lightly, his hands finding his pockets. "I'm guessing you guys aren't close or anything, really. But she means something to you, right?" Paul didn't answer right away. He knew Ash well enough to know he was blind to the categorisation of relationships, and the way in which other people might interpret his words. There was an earnest innocence to his words, the same well intentioned naivety that Brandon had pointed out to them the day or so before. They were hard to shrug away, but he did his best to try. "Friends are important. Maybe when you go out to Hoenn you should try and catch up with her and clear the air. It might make you feel a bit better."

"I feel fine," Paul informed him coolly. Ash shrugged. "She's just an over dramatic little girl. She always has been. I'll see you around." Paul finally made his way to the path to leave, but Pikachu wasn't having any of it. He leapt forward again, in front of Paul, and began to rant.

His little repetitive vocabulary was thrown at Paul in the most expressive of ways that he'd ever seen. Pikachu was upset, clearly, but also pleading. Aggressive, and yet protective. It gave him a momentary pause once more, looking down at the impressive little electric type.

"Pikachu spent a lot of time with May," Ash explained lightly, smiling to himself. "Everyone I travelled with, really. He's always the first to defend a friend."

"I see." Paul inhaled deeply. Pikachu looked at him sternly. Paul nodded by a quiet, non admissive means of apology, and Pikachu backed down a little, appeased, but still unhappy.

"Why did you come to the Pyramid anyway?" Ash asked brazenly, hoping a topic change would convince him to stay a little longer. Paul groaned, not wanting to continue this particular conversation. "I mean, you said it was for research, but I've barely seen you look at any of Brandon's stuff, all you did was talk about Team Magma. It was actually," Ash laughed again, itching the back of his head slightly. "Well, it was actually Gary who pointed that out. But he makes a valid point."

"How did you beat Brandon?" Paul asked curiously, turning on his heel to face him. Ash was taken back, and paused to think about it. "You're no stronger than I am. You proved as much in our battle yesterday."

"Gee, thanks," Ash deadpanned. "Well… I don't think it was me that beat him. That battle isn't one I take credit for," Ash admitted deftly, looking towards Pikachu with a smile. The pokemon brightened, and returned to his trainer's side. "It was my third try, and Brandon told me to think about what made me strong. I went back to my roots, I guess." Smiling to himself, he picked up his starter pokemon and rubbed him between the ears. "I called in on some of my first Pokemon, from all around where they ended up. I got my Bulbasaur over from Professor Oak, where he helps look after the Pokemon at the lab, and Squirtle came from Officer Jenny; he helps to lead the fire fighting Squirtle Squad!" Ash grinned, fond of his memories. "And Charizard flew all the way from Charicific Valley for the battle, too." Pikachu made a fond noise, and looked upward to the sky. "We did some special training together, and went camping, just the five of us! When we came back... " Ash's fist tightened, and he looked at Paul with a light he'd never seen before. "We battled together, as one. I didn't win that Frontier Symbol. Squirtle did when he washed out that sand attack from his eyes, and Charizard did when he sent out that amazing Dragon Breath, and when Bulbasaur brought out those incredible solar beams…" Ash trailed off. "And then when Pikachu took out Regice with that Volt Tackle. I'll never forget it." His starter sighed at him pleasantly, moving to sit upon his shoulder and crackle static between their cheeks fondly.

"You attribute it all to them?" Paul asked quietly, a little reflective. "But it was your call, right? Your ideas, your strategies?"

"Well, I mean, everything I know about Pokemon battling I learned from my Pokemon," Ash told him brightly. "And I've never learnt so much so quickly as I did with those guys. We were all beginners together, and there's nothing we don't all know about each other. We've all made mistakes together, we've all grown together. And I know they're still growing out there while they're helping people who need them, like the Professor and Officer Jenny." Ash smiled, warmed. "They bring out the style of battle in me that's the most natural, I guess. Because they're who I first learned to battle with."

"Most natural." Paul considered this for a moment, looking away. "Right."

"You know," Ash offered, rubbing his nose a little. "I think you're at your hardest to beat when you're… emotional."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paul scoffed, his face immediately falling from thoughtful to disinterested.

"Hear me out, hear me out!" Ash laughed. "Well, yesterday, when you beat me. You were kinda… upset, right?" Ash chose his words cautiously. "After the call with May? I'm not saying you were sad about it, but like… if you had been… you kinda battled through it, right?" Ash raised a hopeful eyebrow. "You didn't hide from it so much. But when I've battled you in the past, and you're calm and collected and then something… throws you off balance, maybe?" Ash shrugged. "Like if your strategy doesn't work, or something doesn't go the way you expected it to, or you get surprised; you spend so much time trying not to let yourself be angry that maybe that clouds your judgement a little."

"That sounds completely ridiculous," Paul snorted, and turned to leave again. Ash shook his head, smiling.

"Maybe just, if you're not so busy pretending you're not riled up by the battle and trying to hold back all the emotions that you're supposed to feel when you're battling alongside your pokemon…" Ash shrugged, unsure if he'd overstepped. "Maybe then you'd have more headspace to focus on the battle itself. Letting the emotions happen means being able to spend less time worrying about appearing weak and more time figuring out how you're gonna combat it."

"So I can be pathetic, and dwell on every loss like you do," Paul sneered, and Ash sighed into a smile, reaching up to pat Pikachu on the head gently.

"If that's what you wanna call it," Ash tittered. "It's the best way to grow, I reckon. Anyway. It was worth a shot."

"I'm leaving, remember?" Paul told him stiffly. Nodding, Ash flashed him a thumbs up.

"Gary and I are gonna hang here for a while," he told his old rival brightly. "You don't need to worry, we'll help Brandon out here, and be an extra pair of hands if they come back again."

"Why should I care?" Paul was finished, and turned to leave abruptly, striding into the dark of the night. Ash shivered from the cold, but called after his retreating form hopefully.

"I dunno man," he finished lamely. "It just feels like you kinda care."


Lilycove City


"You told him you told me stuff I didn't have clearance for?" Courtney was not surprised that Madison had appeared in a rage at her front door, and it did not surprise her that it came at three in the morning. Standing aside with a shrug, she allowed her partner in crime to enter her home.

"You told him you wanted to go to the shipwreck, even after I told you there was no point," Courtney countered, shrugging. "Are we even?"

"You could have gotten disciplinary measures for that!" Madison ranted, storming forwards to help herself to the contents of Courtney's fridge. "Heck, you should have gotten them. I don't know how I feel about Maxie's leadership skills and follow through that you didn't. Ugh, don't you ever eat anything human, like chocolate?"

"Vegetables are indeed intended for human consumption," Courtney muttered back, wrapping her nightgown tighter around herself. "Maxie trusts my judgement and my solid track record of objective, rational decisions. That's why I'm an Admin. There's ice cream in the freezer."

Madison arched an eyebrow at her as she pulled out the tub from the bottom shelf. "You hate ice cream." Courtney shrugged, looking away.

"You come over here often enough, demanding my food." She swallowed thickly. "I figured I'd get something that you could target that at, so you'd leave my pecha berries alone."

"Of course," Madison snorted, taking a spoon out from the left hand drawer and helping herself. "Plain fruit is for the weak, anyhow. Regardless, I've got a hunch about this shipwreck. Wait and see, you're gonna be thrilled that I went."

"Honestly," Courtney rolled her eyes. "You're a law unto yourself. Anyway, how are you going to get there without having to brave the big bad ocean?"

"Leave it off," Madison shrugged into herself.

"A helicopter would raise suspicion," Courtney pointed out briskly, sitting next to her at the kitchen bar counter. "You'll have to go out on a boat."

"I know," Madison shifted uncomfortably, taking a mouth of ice cream.

"You'll be spending your time out there studying a shipwreck," Courtney added, humming thoughtfully. "A literal shipwreck. On the ocean. Lots of flooding."

"I'm aware," Madison mumbled around her full mouth and numb tongue.

"You have told Maxie about your particular brand of phobia, hm?" Courtney gave her a cautious, unnerving grin, and Madison hissed. "It might prove… detrimental to your mission."

"We don't speak of it," she grunted. "I won't let it be a problem. So we don't need to talk about it."

"Apart from when we do," Courtney continued, standing and walking towards a cupboard, her nightgown flapping behind her. "I'm guessing I'm putting coffee on?" Courtney hid a fond smile. "You only come here after midnight when..."

"I hate you." Madison resigned herself to Courtney's care. "I honest to Groudon…"

"Tell me about the dream this time," Courtney replied in her usual metallic, dispassionate tone, and Madison groaned into her ice cream. For a moment, she closed her eyes and listened to the noise of Courtney pouring ground coffee into a filter and clicking it into place, and filling up the small jug with water to pour it into the right slot of the machine. It began to hum with life, and the light trickle of the coffee into the bottom of the jug was enough to take her back into her mind, her fingers clenching and unclenching around her spoon.

"So, er, we were at Mt Pyre…"