A/N: Typos ahead.


ch. c: magnitude

"Hap!"

May laughed as the little pink Happiny tripped over her feet and fell into the dirt. She bent at the knee, setting the bucket down to pick the little Pokemon up and put her back on her feet.

"See, this is what happens when you run too closely to my feet! You need to be careful!" she chided gently. The Happiny beamed up at May through the smudges of her dirt on her face and let out a happy chirp. May sighed with affectionate exasperation before turning back to pick up the bucket and continue again.

She had been working at the Pokemon Daycare Center for a few days now, thanks to some connections through Professor Birch, and would remain there until the end of the week. Though she wasn't necessarily interested in breeding, she could certainly use any knowledge about raising Pokemon she could get.

This daycare was run by an older couple who had decades of experience in raising Pokemon and training caretakers, so she figured a little bit of time here wouldn't hurt. She also had to admit it was great fun. She enjoyed the physical labor and adored the wide range of Pokemon that were brought in to either be raised or bred, and her Pokemon were benefiting from the socialization, a great departure from their usual solitude on the road. Kohaku had been helping with the heavy lifting, and Tsuki had been plucking berries with some of the employees. Even Ginko had assembled a strange gang of followers among the baby Pokemon, who were behaving especially well under his eye.

Except for the Happiny at May's feet - she had been following May everywhere from the moment she'd arrived. She wasn't sure what the baby Pokemon found so compelling about her, but it seemed that she couldn't even go to the restroom without the Happiny trying to follow her in. Kohaku had found it entertaining, but Ginko hadn't seemed ready to give up the position of Team Baby yet.

May wiped at her brow. Despite the chill in the air, the work was leaving her with a thin coat of sweat. As she lugged over the bucket of Pokemon food for the herd of miltank, May was careful not to step in any excrement. Her boots already reeked of it - she'd been unable to wipe off the bit she'd stepped in earlier that morning - and she didn't want to have to scrape off more.

Unfortunately, Happiny did not seem to be on the same train of thought, as she promptly tripped and flew face first into a large pile of dung.

"Hrrrppi!" she cried, muffled by the poop. May turned and groaned at the sight of the pink legs flailing in the poop and immediately dropped her bucket to help the Pokemon.

"What did I say? Didn't I tell you you need to pay attention?" she barked. Delicately, she pulled the Pokemon from the pile of dung and groaned again at the brown paste now caked to her face. "Ugh, what am I… Happiny, you're a mess!" she sputtered with frustration. She didn't want to scold the baby too much, but she was running out of patience with the Pokemon's lack of awareness. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that she had still been too harsh, as the Happiny's eyes already began to fill with tears.

Panicking, May didn't know what to do. She looked at her gloved hands and then at the poop-covered face of the Happiny, trying to decide what course of action to take. She quickly tried to wipe away at the poop with her gloves, scraping as much of it as she could away with her thumbs before quickly peeling them off to wipe her eyes with clean hands.

"I'm sorry, Happiny. You just need to be careful from now on, okay? If you're going to follow me around during my chores, you have to be more aware of your surroundings or else things like this will happen more. You don't want to have to take more baths, do you?" she said gently. The Happiny blanched at the notion and shook her head vehemently. May smiled. Some Pokemon were so simple.

"Okay, that's a little better. Let's get you inside and cleaned up," she said, scooping the Happiny up into her arms. The Pokemon yelped happily at the affection, and May sighed as the poop smeared into her shirt. So much for staying somewhat clean.

"I had the feeling I'd be seeing you again."

May froze. That deep voice… no, not here! She turned slowly, shoulders up by her ears with dread. Her stomach sank as she saw a head of bright silver hair and sharp eyes. She wished she could curl up and die.

"M-Mr. Stone… what a surprise," she said shrilly. He laughed.

"Please, just call me Steven. And it certainly is. I wouldn't have expected to see you again here, of all places," he said amusedly before frowning as he looked her over quickly. May felt her face burn. "Are you working here now?" he asked.

"Just for the week - Professor Birch convinced the owners to let me work here for a few days to get some ideas for raising Pokemon," she explained awkwardly. Steven nodded with understanding.

"I see. That makes sense," he said. He then glanced down at the Pokemon in her arms and smiled. "Is this a new member of your team?" he asked. May blushed profusely and shook her head.

"No, she's the owners'. She's just been following me around for the past few days and causing me trouble," she said, giving the Happiny a dry smile. The pink Pokemon beamed, as if proud of her troublemaking skills. Steven smiled amusedly.

"Hm, I guess you just have a talent for charming Pokemon," he mused.

"You really think so?" she asked earnestly.

"Yes. Between that piplup of yours and this little one, I don't think I've ever seen anyone befriend Pokemon so quickly as you," he said. May couldn't help but blush delightedly.

But then she remembered the unsightly brown smears all over her shirt and the Pokemon in her arms. She cringed and tried not to look down, lest she call more attention to her soiled appearance, but it was too late - Steven already had a rather sympathetic look on his face. As if to take pity on her, he nodded to the house.

"Are you heading inside?" he asked. May's face turned even pinker, but she nodded eagerly.

"Yes, um, I need to, erm… clean her up a little," she said with deep embarrassment. He smiled and gestured for her to lead the way. To her surprise, he followed.

"So, um... what brings you here, Mr. Stone?" she asked nervously.

"Please, just Steven is fine," he said again. "And I'm just here for a quick visit. The owners are old friends of mine, so I drop in every so often to visit and check on an old Pokemon I left here a few years ago - an audino."

"Oh, Momotaro? Is he yours?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, so you've met him. No, he was a stray I found nearby - his Trainer had obviously abandoned him, and he was in poor form when I found him. I wasn't able to care for him in the way he needed, so I asked the couple here if they'd look after him. I still come to see him every once in a while though," he explained. May nodded thoughtfully.

"I had no idea. I never would've guessed he'd been through all of that," she said sadly. She imagined the pink Pokemon shivering in the wild on his own and suddenly wanted to get back to the house much faster, but she smiled a bit, knowing he was there. "He's very lucky that you found him. He's a great help around here." Steven smiled warmly, and May was surprised at how gentle his expressions could be in his usually cold face.

"Yes, he's a great Pokemon. I'm very grateful to them for taking him in," he said. May beamed and sighed inwardly with relief as they finally reached the house.

"Tadaima!" she called as they stepped in.

"Okaeri!" said the Daycare Lady, turning from the desk. She lit up at the sight of Steven and rushed forward to greet them. "Oh, Steven, dear! It's wonderful to see you! I was just talking about you to Taro-chan. He should be around here somewhere… Momotaro!" she called out into the backyard. "Steven is here!" There was the soft sound of pattering feet, and suddenly there was a flash of pink and a happy yelp.

The audino rushed inside and sprinted towards the suited man, and Steven caught the Pokemon with a deep laugh as it threw itself at him. May watched with awe as the tall man embraced the audino like a long-lost friend. There were so many unexpected expressions in this man's face. May suddenly felt the weight of all the aspects of Steven Stone she would probably never know.

"Momotaro, how are you?" asked Steven warmly, pulling away. He crouched down to get a better look at the Audino. "You look like you've gained a little weight," he teased, prodding at the Pokemon's belly. Momotaro gave a slight giggle and then poked his own stomach playfully. They both laughed.

May couldn't help but smile as she watched the two interact. The audino obviously adored Steven. It was surprising somehow. She would never have guessed that the man could have so much warmth in him. He was obviously a kind man, but she wouldn't have described him as a gentle one.

"Oh, May-chan, you're a mess!"

May looked up with surprise to see the Daycare Lady fretting over her, and she blushed as she snapped back to reality - the reality in which she was covered with Pokemon dung.

"Ah, yeah… um, Happiny fell in the miltank droppings outside," she explained dumbly. The older woman clicked her tongue and pushed May into the back washroom.

"Well, then, you should hurry and clean up! No need to for you to be standing around in that filth all day!" she scolded. May's face burned as she was pushed into the back, noting Steven's gaze following her. She was grateful as the door shut behind her.


When May reemerged - after cleaning herself up and putting Happiny into the back nursery with the other infant Pokemon - she found that the front room of the house was empty. She frowned and glanced into the back office and the backyard only to find that Steven and the Daycare Lady were gone.

Had he left already? May went pale as she entertained the thought. He would have said goodbye before leaving, wouldn't he? But he barely knew her - he probably wouldn't have given her a second thought! May's head pounded. No, he had to be here somewhere, still with Momotaro. She couldn't have missed her chance to -

May stood still in the door frame as she burst outside and saw that the Daycare Lady, Momotaro, and Steven were, indeed, still together in the front yard. Pulling clean sheets off of the drying lines, Steven had his dark jacket off and white sleeves rolled up crisply. As he unclipped sheets, Momotaro folded and placed them into a clean basket, while the older woman hung up new, wet laundry to dry.

The pale sheets billowed softly against the bright grass and sun, and as the mild breeze blew through the fields, Steven's silver hair rustled in a way that made May wonder how it would feel beneath her fingers.

"Oh, May! There you are!"

May went red as her vapid reverie was broken by the sound of the old woman's voice. She nearly jumped with embarrassment at being caught in such a silly thought and screamed internally at herself.

What is wrong with you? He's 25!

May plastered a smile to her face and jogged towards them, avoiding Steven's eye completely. She needed to get her bearings before she made a fool of herself again!

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" she said brightly. The Daycare Lady smiled.

"Not at all! I'm sorry the little one keeps getting you into trouble," she responded. May laughed.

"Yeah, I can't seem to catch a break," said May, thinking about her now two embarrassing moments today. The older woman nodded.

"Well, take a breather. You've earned it," she said. May frowned.

"Oh no, I'm fine! Please let me help -"

Before the Daycare Lady could protest, May was at the laundry pile, pinning up freshly laundered sheets as well. The older woman gave her an exasperated smile but sighed contentedly as she watched the girl dig into the wet sheets.

The cool, wet laundry was soothing on May's hands and nerves. Her nose caught the fresh scent of cotton and berries, and with the red and yellow leaves of autumn around them, May couldn't help but settle herself into the rhythm of pulling and pinning.

But damn it, if she weren't so short! May gave a small grunt of frustration as she threw a sheet corner over the tall line. Her arms were getting tired from the tossing, and she was sure she looked very silly, flailing over the sheets to get them flat and pinned properly. As she craned her neck again and stood on tiptoe to clip a pin in place, a large shadow engulfed her, followed by a hand reaching over her unassumingly to clip the sheet.

May stilled as she felt Steven's presence behind her, so close. His forearms were slender but sinewy, and on his long fingers glinted those four simple rings she remembered from Granite Cave. She was very grateful that he could not see her face.

"Th-thank you," she sputtered. As he pulled his hands away, the sun hit her again in the face, making her realize just how tall his form loomed over hers. She hazarded a glance up to see him smiling kindly down at her.

"Of course," he said simply. May averted her eyes and moved onto the next one, which he wordlessly began to hang with her.

"How goes your League Challenge? Have you won anymore Badges since the last time I saw you?" he asked. May shook her head.

"Not yet. We hit a bit of a plateau a while back, but we were going to challenge Watson after my week is done here," she said. Steven frowned.

"Watson? Why not Norman in Petalburg?" he asked. May smiled awkwardly.

"Uh, well, he won't battle me… not yet, at least," she said vaguely. Steven's frown deepened.

"I don't understand. A Gym Leader cannot refuse a challenge if she's made it through the trials in his Gym," he said. May nodded shiftily.

"I know, but… well, I promised I wouldn't go to challenge him until I had a few Badges from other Gyms first."

"Why would you agree to that?"

"Because, well…" May's lips twisted slightly. She'd hoped to avoid this, but he didn't seem to be ready to let it go. "He's my dad."

Steven paused, his hands in the laundry basket. He looked up and stared hard at May, who tried her hardest not to squirm. She felt that cold, analytical stare again, the one he'd given her in Granite Cave, but this time, she was exposed and open in the bright light of day. While she could hide her blush under the flickering dim lights of torches, the autumn sun was unforgiving, and she felt like she could shrivel up and die at any moment.

But then understanding seemed to dawn on him. His eyes widened, and he stood slowly.

"You're Norman's daughter," he said, mostly to himself. May nodded curiously.

"You know him?" she asked. He nodded.

"I've met him a few times," he said. May looked up at him eagerly, her embarrassment forgotten.

"Really? When?" she urged. Steven gave a strange smile, and May had the feeling that there was something behind it that wasn't for her to know.

"It's a secret for now. I'll tell you about it another time," he said cryptically. May frowned, but before she could argue, he smiled again. "Have you made use of that TM I gave you?" he asked. May's face lit up, questions pushed aside momentarily.

"Yes! Tsuki mastered it just a few weeks ago! It's really been incredibly useful in Training and Battle. Thank you very much for giving it to me," she gushed. He gave her a slow grin.

"Care to show me?" he asked lowly. May's eyes widened.

"Y-you mean…?" He grinned and stood fully, gesturing towards the field.

"Yeah, show me. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," he said cockily. May immediately scowled at his tone. She hated it when other Trainers talked down to her. She leapt to her feet and immediately followed. The Daycare Lady waved as she watched them go knowingly.

"So you think you've got it down. What do you say to a single Battle?" asked Steven, turning back to face her as they reached an open meadow. He still was without his jacket, white cotton shirt billowing softly in the wind. May nodded with determination and stood her ground firmly.

"Sounds good to me!" she declared. Steven grinned again and reached for his belt. She noted that he was left-handed. She mirrored him. She could feel Tsuki thrum in her Pokeball.

"All right, ready?" he called. May nodded.

"Ready!"

And with a nod, they both threw their Balls into the air, releasing their Pokemon. Both cawed sharply, but over the melodic cry of May's Altaria came a sharp, shrill shriek that she did not recognize. May gaped up into the sky.

It was a Skarmory.

May's hands were on her Pokedex before she could stop herself. She'd never seen a Skarmory in person before, only in Pokemon League Battles on TV or in movies. It was so much bigger than she'd expected, with its armored wings glinting and clinking in the crisp autumn sky. It soared over them effortlessly and easily eclipsed Tsuki's comparatively modest wingspan. May knew without a doubt that it was even more powerful than it looked.

But as she glanced over at Steven, she knew she could not throw in the towel now. He was looking her over again in that cool, assessing way, and something in her gut roared to prove to him that she was not all that he expected. May narrowed her eyes and looked back up towards Tsuki.

"Tsuki! Double Team!" she shouted.

The Altaria didn't miss a beat. If she were intimidated by her opponent, she did not show it. Immediately disappearing into a blur of feathers, Tsuki dove into the Battle. The Skarmory paused mid-flap and hovered in the air as it tried to assess the situation. May gave a sharp whistle, and the blur disappeared.

"Interesting," she heard Steven say to himself. She could feel his grin, though she kept her eyes trained upward. Placing her fingers in her mouth, she gave another sharper whistle, and from above came a sharp glint. She had pulled into a Steel-Winged nosedive.

But just as she was about to strike, Skarmory also pulled into a dive, matching the Altaria's speed. May's eyes widened. Steven hadn't given a single command! May glanced over at the man to see his eyes also fixed upward, but he didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. HIs mouth was pulled tight, eyes studying the Battle in silence. He seemed to be following every movement in detail. May turned her eyes back as well.

The two birds were soaring in unison over the field. Or rather, the Altaria was flying and trying to attack, while the Skarmory was mirroring its every move and, in doing so, was evading it. May watched with frustration as the Skarmory easily dodged and danced around every attack May commanded.

Finally, Skarmory glanced down at Steven, who gave a curt nod.

It happened so fast that May nearly missed it. In a second, the Skarmory was up, and then the next it was was shooting downward, its metal wings glinting frightfully. There was a sharp cry of pain, and Tsuki was tumbling toward the ground. May's stomach lurched, and her feet surged forward to catch her dear Pokemon.

But before the Altaria dropped even half a story, the Skarmory had caught it on its own back with barely a thud. May skidded to a halt as she watched the giant metal bird glide quietly back down to the ground, its fallen opponent resting on its back. May rushed forward to meet them, while Steven joined them calmly a moment later.

As May pulled Tsuki into her arms quickly, her eyes burned. Running her fingers over the bird's head and wings, she scoured her body for injuries only to find none. Frowning deeply, desperately, she scored over her Pokemon in search of where to treat her, but there didn't seem to be a single visible injury.

But then Steven knelt down beside her and pulled the Altaria into his own lap, pushing May's hands away gently. She looked up at him with horror.

"What…?" she sputtered.

"She's just had the wind knocked out of her. There's no need to worry," he said softly. May stared, dumbfounded, as he placed one hand at Tsuki's chest and massaged her breastbone and neck gently. After a minute of this, Tsuki gave a small, sputtering cough and then shivered before jerking awake. May gasped.

"Tsuki!" she cried. The Altaria perked up at the sound of May's voice and immediately sat up, struggling to her feet. Steven set her back down on the ground as the bird scrambled up, and May thought she could cry out with joy.

"Never been beaten before, huh?" asked Steven. May looked up at him with surprise to see him smiling knowingly at her. She blinked dumbly and realized there had been tears in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly - was this the third or fourth embarrassing interaction today?

"N-no… how could you tell?" she asked weakly. His smile deepened kindly.

"Every Trainer panics during their first loss. It happens to everybody," he said. She frowned.

"Even you?" she marveled. He nodded with an amused smile.

"Of course," he said. "Everyone gets beaten sometimes. It's impressive that you've made it this far without a loss." Something released in May's chest with relief. She smiled shyly up at him and then looked back to her Pokemon.

Tsuki was looking up at her with a guilty expression, head low. May smiled gently and ran a loving hand over her wings.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not your fault," she said. The Altaria gave a low coo and pressed her face into May's shoulder. May continued to stroke her wings.

"You both did a great job. Really," said Steven. May looked back up to see him still kneeling beside her, but now the Skarmory was roosted beside him, looking proud at his master's words. Steven smiled at May. "I'm sorry for giving you such a big scare, but I wanted to see how much you'd grown in these past few months, though I guess you'd done more winning than I'd anticipated." His smile deepened, as if hearing the lurching of May's stomach at his words.

"You've really come a long way in such a short amount of time. I hadn't expected you to already have such a strong grasp on Steel Wing, but it seems your talent for Pokemon Training goes beyond just charming them. You really might have what it takes to become the Pokemon Champion." May frowned, despite his flattering words.

"You said that last time, too. How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"I can't," said Steven, shrugging. "But you have potential - much more potential than I've seen in a long time. And you're very kind to your Pokemon. That matters much more than you'd think." May's frown deepened, as did Steven's smile. "A Trainer can have the most talented team assembled, but if he or she isn't good to them, then they will not grow, nor will they win. You have talent and you're good to your Pokemon. I have no doubts that you will achieve great things."

May wanted to accept these words. She wanted to say thank you, but she wasn't sure how to in that moment. How could he know all of these things? Did he really mean them? And so what if he did? Was he someone whose word held any weight? She hardly knew anything about him, still. He could be a sweet-talking bum, for all she knew.

But as he stood, his silver hair glinted against the blue sky and his impressive Pokemon's broad wings, and she knew somehow that this was someone she needed to follow. He was peculiar and vague and all sorts of strange, but something in her gut told her that he knew what he was talking about, and if she listened, he could guide her to great things.

"Well then, let's head back, shall we?" he said with a light smile. He extended his hand down towards her, his steel rings glinting in the sun, and May accepted it, hoping that her hand did not tremble. Warm and rough, it was exactly as she remembered from Granite Cave. This was a man's hand, not like her small girlish hands or the crude hands of a boy like Brendan. She had never known a hand like this, even in her father or Professor Birch, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever have hands like these reach out to her as a man would touch a woman he desired.


Steven did not stay long after they returned to the Daycare Center. As soon as they gathered up the laundry baskets, he hugged Momotaro goodbye, said farewell to the couple and to May, and then he was on his way down the road, just as he had come. May watched him disappear into the fields with his dark suit and silver hair and wondered just when she would see him again, for she knew deep in her blood that she would.

Happiny had come running out of the back nursery at the first sound of May's voice, and she now held her in her arms once again as they waved goodbye. Humming contentedly to herself, Happiny beamed unknowingly as May carried her back inside, feeling much more solemn than she had expected. After all, it had been a surprise encounter with even more surprising revelations, but in the wake of Steven Stone's departure, May could not help but feel somewhat bereft.

As she stepped inside, May found the Daycare Man and Lady speaking to each other eagerly, lowly. May cocked her head curiously as they both perked up at the sight of her.

"May, sweetheart, come here for a moment," said the woman. May nodded and tried not to look suspicious.

"Everything okay?" she asked carefully. They both nodded quickly.

"Oh, yes, everything is just fine," said the woman. She then looked over May and Happiny, and her husband gave a pleased smile. "We've been thinking - why don't you take that Happiny with you when you leave?" suggested the Daycare Lady. May's eyes widened with surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes. My husband and I think it'd be good for her to get out and work with a real Trainer rather than just spend her life here. And she's already so attached to you, I can't imagine her letting you go with a fight," laughed the older woman. May looked down at the Happiny, who was beaming up at her.

May had imagined it, of course. Happiny was a rare Pokemon, but more than that, she loved May and would be heartbroken when she left. And May was always interested in collecting new Pokemon. A Happiny would fill a fascinating niche in her team, and she would undoubtedly bring much joy to her and her Pokemon on the road.

But this was her home, wasn't it? She couldn't just take her because she wanted a new Pokemon.

"Are you sure? I don't want to just take her if you still need her here. She could be really useful to you later," said May. The Daycare Lady nodded steadily.

"We had talked about it after the first day you were here actually after seeing how she took to you so readily, but we didn't make a decision until Steven made the same suggestion," she said. May's heart seized.

"Steven said that?" she asked, amazed. The older woman nodded wisely again.

"Yes, and if he says so, then we certainly can't ignore it! So what do you say?" she laughed. "Do you want to take her with you?"

May looked down at the Happiny again. The little Pokemon didn't seem to really understand what was happening or how much her fate rested on May's decision. But her gaze was entirely trusting, her little hands gripping May's arm affectionately. May's stomach lurched as she thought of how Steven had recognized it too. Something swelled proudly within her.

"Do you want to come with me?" asked May gently. The Happiny didn't miss a beat. She nodded enthusiastically and let out a victorious cry. May couldn't help but grin. She looked by to the Daycare Lady, who was smiling warmly at the two of them.

"Guess it's settled then. I'll arrange the paperwork," she said, turning for the office. But then she paused in the doorway and turned back. "Would you like to give her a nickname?" she asked. May looked down at the Happiny, who was smiling so broadly, May was sure her face would snap in two. She looked up and grinned.

"Shinju."