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Part II: The Infection
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Chapter VII: In Which Solidad Reprises Her Role
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May 29th, 2009. Morning. Opelucid City.
"You'll continue down the hallway, and her office will be to your right," Agent Gray directed Burgundy, pointing down the passageway. "Good luck."
Burgundy nodded, unnerved by her well wishes. She received a call early that morning from Cilan, of all people, informing her that her presence was requested at the Opelucid Gym. They—and he didn't clarify who fell under this umbrella term—were apparently meeting to discuss last night's events.
She fixed her hair as she walked, pulling her long curls behind her shoulders. When she reached the cracked-open door, she peered inside and found that Iris was indeed there—and she was joined by, of course, her husband, as well as Paul, Trip, and Georgia. All five looked up when they heard her arrive.
"Hi, Burgundy," Iris said kindly. "Sit anywhere you like."
Burgundy hesitantly pushed the door open just enough for her to slide inside. She chose a seat next to Georgia, which, ironically, was also next to Cilan. No one said anything further for a long moment. Burgundy frowned. She found it strange; for something that was supposed to be discussion, there wasn't a lot of discussing.
"Don't worry," Cilan said as he leaned toward her, speaking in just above a whisper. "She won't be mad at you."
Burgundy blinked and cast him a wary look.
"Who won't?"
Suddenly, the door swung fully open, the handle hitting the doorstop, and there stood Leaf. She was expressionless, and her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, while her loose gray dress hung slightly wrinkled from her waist down. She was visibly tired; the skin beneath her blue eyes had grayed. Her hand still grasped the handle of her wheeled suitcase, and Agent Murray stood behind her.
No one said anything. Then, she cleared her throat.
"Agent Murray, can you please step out for a few minutes?" she asked. He nodded and closed the door. Leaf pulled her suitcase up beside her and pushed the handle down. She straightened up, putting her hands on her hips and tightly closing the gap between her thighs.
She breathed in, and then out.
"Good morning," she began in a scarily pleasant tone. "Sleep well? I didn't."
Her comment was met with silence.
"You want to know why I didn't sleep?" Leaf went on. "Because I had to pack in the middle of the night to catch a red-eye flight to Opelucid City so I could stand before you on this beautiful morning."
More silence.
"You know, yesterday was just fantastic." Leaf now spoke with a thick sarcasm. "Really, it was something else. Paul, you—" She turned to him, acknowledging him with her hand. "—you truly outdid yourself. In the history of the G-Men's screw-ups, an ever-growing list it seems, this has got to be one of my favorites."
Paul's lip twitched, but he said nothing.
"How did it get to this?" Leaf asked. "How is that the whole nation thinks someone made a second assassination attempt on Iris yesterday when she is actually pregnant? This isn't a rhetorical question. I genuinely want to know. What happened?"
"It started because Iris had a meeting with SAMPLe," Paul began.
"Who?"
"They're a rescue," Iris jumped in.
"And they're relevant because... ?" Leaf's patience was thinning.
"The representative they sent seemed a little slimy," Trip said. "Paul didn't like him, and I didn't either. We were there to make sure nothing went wrong."
"And you two clearly did a fine job, but go on," Leaf said bitterly.
"We stayed out in the hall, Iris met with him, and when she came out, she looked sick," Paul continued. "Then, when she passed out while meeting with Drew and the others, I noticed there was a drink on her desk and..."
Leaf stared.
"That's it?" she said disbelievingly. "You thought she had been poisoned because there was a drink on her desk?! Paul, this isn't a game of Battleship. You can't just make a wild guess and hope you hit something."
"I-" he began defensively, but she cut him off.
"-No, I'm not done yet," she snapped. "This is something that should not have resulted in a hospital trip. Did Iris need to see a doctor? Yes. But we did not need a dramatic trip to the emergency room. And on that note, Iris, if you're not feeling well, for love of Mew, go see a doctor."
Iris sheepishly nodded.
"This has been blown way out of proportion," Leaf said. "Really, it all could have been avoided entirely—Iris fainting, the poisoning fiasco, even this car accident—and that's the most frustrating part. I'm supposed to be training for my match against Ash, and instead, I'm here cleaning up all your mess. The media has had a heyday with this. Thank goodness they don't know about the accident yet."
"I have no idea how they would have even figured out we were worried about Iris being poisoned," Paul protested, finally getting the chance to try to defend himself. "That isn't my fault."
"Oh really?" Leaf challenged. "Because I could think of a few ways this could have leaked. Hmm, let's see... Well, there are our friends on the CIU staff. One of them could have called the office to let everyone know what had happened, and it could have easily gotten out from there. Or maybe one of Cilan's students overheard something when he left class, and they texted 'LOL our professor's wife was poisoned' on blast to all their friends. Or maybe a friend or family member of another patient caught wind of the story in the hospital, or maybe even a nurse snitched on us. The point is, it's there, it happened, and now I've got to fix it."
She paused and took in a deep breath, calming herself.
"There is a very important lesson you three—" Leaf pointed to Paul, and then to Cilan and Iris. "—need to learn: Your lives are now public property. Anything you say, anything you do, anything that happens to you... There is a chance it will end up a headline on some website somewhere. Is it fair? No. But that's the reality. You have to be careful."
"I'm sorry," Georgia interjected, annoyed, "but I can't see how this is as terrible as you make it out to be. Iris being pregnant is a good thing. It sure beats actually being poisoned."
"No, it's not a good thing, and I'll tell you why," Leaf countered. "People are already skeptical of having Iris as a leader, and it's going to draw a lot of criticism for her to be starting a family when she, theoretically, should be focusing on snagging Team Plasma. Do you know why Cynthia kept it secret for months that she was pregnant with Emily? Because the nation was in crisis, and she would be unfairly demonized for a perceived lack of priorities. Yes, it's sexist. But still, for our hand to be forced in announcing a pregnancy this early is embarrassing. And then there's the car accident..."
She stopped, shaking her head.
"You three were the only ones involved, right?" she asked, now addressing Georgia, Trip, and Burgundy.
"Other than the guy Georgia hit? Yeah," Trip said, and Georgia sent him a nasty look.
"The man with the crest of Team Plasma on his hat?" Leaf pressed. "And how is he?"
"Currently unconscious, but stable," Cilan answered. "Several broken ribs, broken arm, cracked skull."
"Okay..." Leaf trailed off, and then looked specifically at Burgundy, who straightened up. "Now, who are you?"
"Burgundy Myers. I'm Cilan's TA," Burgundy quickly answered.
"Uh-huh..." Leaf turned to Georgia next. "And I remember you. You're Georgia Hamilton, Iris's pick for her Elite Four."
"Yup." Georgia nodded.
Leaf stared at her for a long moment. Then, she let out a sigh.
"There isn't an easy way to say this: Georgia, you're going to have to resign," Leaf said. Burgundy drew in a sharp breath, and Trip frowned, casting Georgia a quick glance. Cilan appeared troubled, while Iris looked alarmed. Georgia herself, however, was expressionless. Leaf continued, "Iris cannot take another hit to her reputation. I don't need the Unova Championship to turn into a bigger soap opera than it already is, and since you haven't been publicly announced as the new Elite Four member, we can just quietly part ways."
"What?" Iris said disbelievingly.
"Resignation isn't even necessary," Georgia said. Her expression remained even, showing no signs or surprise or even disappointment. "I never finished my paperwork. I haven't signed my contract yet. I can just leave and get out of Iris's tangled mass of hair."
"Even better."
"No, I'm sorry. This is where I put my foot down," Iris said firmly. "I am not going to make Georgia leave because of the accident. It wasn't even her fault. He was jaywalking."
"Do you think other people care?" Leaf asked.
"I don't care what other people think, actually," Iris countered.
"You can't afford to take that attitude," Leaf fought back.
"I'll take out a loan, then."
"Iris, listen here-" Leaf started, but she was cut off.
"-No, you listen." Iris's voice rose as did she, catching everyone in the room, including Leaf, off-guard. "This is my division. You cannot come here and tell my Elite Four member what to do. Georgia stays—unless she decides to leave herself."
Now Georgia appeared surprised, her eyes wide and confused. The others shared similar expressions, and Leaf wasn't sure what to say for a long moment.
"... Fine," Leaf finally gave in. "But we're not going to announce her as the new Elite Four member for a while, then."
"How long?" Iris asked.
"Several weeks, at the very least," Leaf answered. She then addressed Georgia, saying, "You're not as important a public figure as a gym leader. So if it comes out, it probably won't blow up. In fact, maybe we can prevent the news from getting out at all, if everyone in this room just stays quiet about it. Am I understood?"
"Y-Yes," Georgia said, and the others nodded, too.
"Understand, too, Iris, that this comes at a cost." Leaf turned back to Iris. "It's not going to look good on you to have an empty space in the Elite Four for as long as you'll have it. It'll make people think you're struggling to fill the position because of the mess that is the Unova Championship, or that you're just a lame Ducklett."
"Yeah, well," Iris began with a tired sigh, "I'm pregnant. I'm sure some people will understand."
Leaf said nothing in response. She rubbed the back of her neck—it still had a crick in it from the long flight—and looked away, thinking.
"Where is the CIU office?" she started anew. "I need to speak with Drew and the others, too. Paul, can you ask Dawn for the address?"
"Mm," Paul replied.
"Is that a yes or no?" Leaf asked, annoyed.
"Yes."
"Thank you," Leaf said shortly. Cilan rose to his feet, standing alongside Iris.
"Leaf, I can show you to our guest room," he said. "You can use the washroom to clean up before you head to the CIU office."
"That'd be nice, thank you." She grabbed the handle of her suitcase again and opened the door. Agent Murray was still waiting outside. She told him, "I'm going to need another ride to the CIU office soon."
"Understood, Ms. Greene," he said as she left the room.
Cilan was about to follow, but at the last moment, he turned to Burgundy and said, "Thank you for coming. I'm sorry to interrupt your morning with all this."
"Yeah," Iris added, addressing the whole of the group. "Sorry you all had to listen to Leaf yell for ten minutes. Georgia, are you going to finish that paperwork?"
"I, uh..." Georgia sounded uncharacteristically uncertain. She understood it was an indirect question of whether she still wanted to be a part of the Elite Four. "It's sitting home on my desk. I can finish it tonight and fax it later. I mean, I'm apparently not in a rush since you guys don't want to announce it for several weeks."
"Sure. Take your time," Iris said. "Anyway, you guys can go. I don't want to talk your ear off anymore than Leaf already did."
Cilan kindly held the door for Burgundy, Georgia, and Trip before leaving to find Leaf. Iris and Paul stayed behind in the office, with Paul getting out his phone to text Dawn.
Down the hallway, Trip pressed the button on the elevator to go down. When the doors opened, Georgia and Burgundy stepped inside with him.
"That was intense," was all Burgundy could say when the doors closed again and they were alone.
"Leaf can be an intense person," Trip dismissed. "When she gets mad, she gets really mad."
"I can see that," Georgia said. The elevator doors opened again, and the three headed out together.
"You know, Iris really did you a solid," Trip said, turning to Georgia.
"She didn't need to," Georgia said. "I had a feeling they were going to ask me to resign when I got the call this morning. I did not expect Iris to... well..."
"None of us did. And you know why?" Trip asked. "Leaf outranks Iris, not just in experience, but in a very technical sense, too—and Iris went to bat for you anyway. You should be grateful."
Georgia was silent for a moment as she brushed her bangs out of her face.
"Do you two want to get some breakfast?" she asked suddenly. "On me."
"Breakfast?" Burgundy blinked.
"Since we're all here," Georgia explained in brief.
"Well, I'm for it," Burgundy said. "I wasn't able to eat when I left my apartment this morning."
"Yeah, with the kind of money you don't make, you'd be stupid to turn down free food," Georgia sassed her before turning her eye back toward Trip. "And you?"
Initially, he hesitated. Then, he gave in, saying, "Sure, why not."
"Us, Iris, us, Iris, us, us..." Zoey mumbled as she flipped through the news channels, checking the coverage. She sighed and set the remote down. "Well, it's better than I thought! I suppose since Iris went to the hospital yesterday and her office still hasn't commented on it yet, they're running out of things to talk about, so they're focusing on us."
"That's good, isn't it?" May asked.
"It's good until Iris does say something," Zoey explained. "Contests coming to Unova is big news, but so is the Unova Champion being pregnant, and we'll be competing for airtime."
Dawn frowned, but perked up when she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. She pulled it out and was surprised to see she had a text from Paul; he rarely messaged her. She opened it up and read it: 'Where is your office?' She furrowed her eyebrows, appearing a little apprehensive as she typed out the address and sent it. She then set the phone down.
"What is it?" May asked, noticing her friend's expression.
"Paul just asked me for the address to the office," Dawn answered.
"The CIU office?" Zoey inquired.
"Mhm," Dawn hummed affirmatively. "I think... he might be coming here? Maybe?"
"Oh, that'll be nice!" May said. "We don't get to see Paul that much."
"I think he wants to talk to me about yesterday," Dawn said.
"What about yesterday? I mean, the hospital trip or... ?" May asked.
"I think she means what happened before we met with Iris," Zoey said. "When Drew made that comment."
Dawn lowered her eyes.
"Yeah..." she admitted, trailing off. "He was mad. I wanted to talk to him about it when I got home, but he got pulled into something else, so it never ended up happening."
"I've got to say, I'm a bit surprised you talked to Drew about relationship problems with Paul and not us," Zoey said.
"It was just something I wanted Drew's insight on," Dawn dismissed.
"'Not paying enough attention to your girlfriend?'" Zoey repeated the words used. "I know there are a couple of ways you can interpret that, but the one that comes to mind-"
"-You know," Dawn coughed. "I'd rather not talk about this now. Him coming is a good thing—and kind of a surprise, honestly. Paul's usual solution to fixing problems is ignoring them."
"Yo!" Barry yelled out into the office as he burst through the doors with Drew and Kenny in tow. He pointed to the stack of large, thin boxes in his hands and said, "We got pizza!"
There were a couple of delighted gasps and even a holler as the three men carried the pizza to a table and organized stacks by toppings. Drew slid a plastic bag hanging from his arm down into his hand and pulled out paper plates and other utensils. The staff began to gather around to grab a slice.
"What's all this for?" May asked, approaching her boyfriend.
"Just a little something to celebrate launch today," Drew said.
"Isn't it a little early for pizza?" Ursula asked snidely.
"It is never too early for pizza," Kenny protested. "They actually say it's a good food to have for breakfast. One slice can have all five food groups: grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy, and most importantly, meat. It's a literal superfood."
"Well, I'm not complaining," Grace said, grabbing a plate, and others soon followed her lead. Within several minutes, everyone had managed to get a piece of the so-called superfood.
"So, what's happened since we've been gone?" Drew asked when he finally settled down, being the last to retrieve a slice for himself.
"People have already started donating on our online donation pool," Kelly said.
"How much?"
"We recently hit $7,000," Tim answered.
"That's a... start," Drew said. It didn't even make a dent in what they needed.
"We have more likes and followers every time I refresh our Facebook and Twitter," Ursula offered.
"That's also a start."
"A good start, I'd say." Everyone's heads turned toward the door, and a breath of shock swept across nearly the entire group when they saw Leaf Greene, the Indigo Champion, standing there. Those who knew Leaf, however—Drew, May, Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, and Barry—seemed more confused than surprised, feeling no sense of being starstruck.
Leaf smiled wryly and strode toward the circle.
"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" she asked.
"Nah, we're just enjoying the fruits of our labor," Barry said. "Want some pizza?"
"I'll pass, but thank you." She looked directly at Drew. "I need to talk to you and the other five privately. The other five—you know who you are."
Drew nodded and set his plate down, brushing the bread dust off his hands.
"We can go out into the hallway," he said.
"Thank you," Leaf replied, letting him lead the way. Once they had gone, the rest of the staff began to speak among themselves in curious whispers. Kenny closed the door behind them as they left.
"This place is a lot closer to the Opelucid Gym than I thought," Leaf remarked distractedly. "It only took Agent Murray a couple minutes to get me here. It's nice, too."
"So, what are you doing here?" Kenny asked. "I don't think any of us knew you were in Unova."
"I arrived under two hours ago," Leaf replied. "I got a call at midnight with some unfavorable news, had to pack up, wake up Gary, and make him drive me to the airport."
"Oh, so..." Dawn began, feeling her heart fall. "... Paul isn't with you?"
"No," Leaf drawled, drawing out the 'o.' "I imagine he doesn't want anything to do with me right now. I kind of chewed him out this morning. He's still at the Opelucid Gym."
Dawn nodded, disappointed. Paul had asked for the address so Leaf could come to the office. He, himself wasn't coming. Zoey frowned and cast Dawn a quick glance, knowing she would be upset.
"I get it. This is about Iris being pregnant, isn't it?" Drew asked.
Leaf hummed, nodding. She then said, "I haven't watched any TV at all since yesterday. Is your campaign getting attention?"
"We're actually doing okay," Zoey answered. "It's been a little slow, but we are getting coverage, and people are donating and following our social media profiles—which you probably heard when we walked in."
"I bet it'll pick up more speed when DJ Mary talks about it on her show today," Kenny added.
"Good. I want to keep it that way," Leaf said. "I'd hate for the news of Iris's pregnancy to swallow up your launch and slow down momentum. That's why I don't want to say anything about it until tomorrow, to make sure you guys keep the spotlight."
"Leaf, that would be..." Drew pressed his hands together, grateful. "Thank you."
"Not a problem," she said. "I only ask for one thing in return: I want to keep things quiet about the accident, and it'd be great if you didn't say anything about it."
"Accident?" May asked, confused. "You mean Iris fainting?"
"Well, that, but..." Leaf appeared wary. "You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?" Zoey pressed.
"Ah..." Leaf hesitated. "Trip was in a car accident yesterday coming from the hospital. He's fine. I just want to keep it on the DL."
"We didn't hear anything about that!" Barry exclaimed.
"I'm glad he's okay, though," May added.
"Yeah, now that you know, just don't say anything about it." Leaf glanced behind her. "I have to go. Good luck with your campaign. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."
"Thanks for dropping in," Kenny said.
"For sure. Have a nice day, and congratulations on launch." Leaf turned around and headed for the elevator. Drew shook his head and opened the door back into the office, and the six shuffled inside.
"Why would Leaf want to keep a car accident with Trip a secret?" May asked in a low voice. "I mean, he's only the league photographer. I wouldn't think it would be that big a deal, especially since he wasn't hurt..."
"I'm pretty sure Trip left with Georgia and that other girl," Zoey said. "Georgia's supposed to be Iris's new Elite Four member. That's why she wants to keep it a secret."
"Oh." May's eyes widened. "That makes sense."
"She's a sly one, that Leaf," Drew half-grumbled.
"Zoey!" Zoey perked up when she heard her name called, and she looked to the side to see Brianna jogging toward her. "There's someone from PNN on the line, and they asked to speak with the person in charge of media relations. They'd like to have Mr. Drew on air for a video chat interview this afternoon, to talk about the campaign."
Zoey and Drew exchanged quick glances, and both smirked. PNN was one of the most popular news channels in the nation; having Drew, already well-known for being a Top Coordinator (among other things), would do wonders for their campaign. Drew nodded to Zoey, and she turned back to Brianna.
"I think we can set something up."
"That was short," Agent Murray remarked when Leaf slid back into the front passenger seat of the vehicle outside the building. Although the engine was off, the air conditioning was still running to keep the car cool in the summer weather.
"It didn't need to be long," Leaf dismissed. "They're busy anyway, and I didn't want to eat up a lot of their time."
"Paul called me and wanted me to convey a message to you," Agent Murray continued as Leaf settled herself, shutting the door and buckling her seatbelt.
"He called you but not me?" Leaf laughed. "Wow, he is mad. Good. What does he want?"
"The victim in yesterday's accident is apparently now conscious," he said.
"Oh..." Leaf trailed off. "Well... I guess we know where we're going next."
May 29th, 2009. Late Morning. Slateport City.
"Hey, hun?" Harley poked his head into the living room, where Solidad was reaching on the coach, using her napping Ninetails as a pillow. "I'm going to run some errands. Is there anything you want me to pick up for you? Snacks? Nail polish? A dildo?"
"I'm good, thank you," Solidad tacitly replied. "What errands you running?"
"Oh, you know, you're usual cutesy domestic stuff," Harley answered. "Paying off the credit card, getting some groceries, stopping by our local erotica shop to flirt with the man behind the counter. I'm buying some alcohol afterward as a reward."
"Sounds like you have an exciting day ahead of you."
"I do. You know how to reach me if you change your mind and decide you want something~" Harley trilled before disappearing.
Solidad shook her head and resumed reading when she heard him exit through the front door. She was yet again interrupted, however, when she heard her new phone ring. The noise disturbed her Ninetails, who shifted in his sleep, and Solidad sat up and reached for the device on the coffee table. It was an unknown number, and for a moment, she considered turning the phone off—she guessed it was probably a telemarketer, and she didn't want that cutting into her precious no-Harley time—but she picked up anyway.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hello, I'm looking to speak with Solidad Natochenny." The voice was smooth, oily, like it indeed could have belonged to a salesman.
"This is her."
"Ah. My name is Elijah, and I'm currently overseeing the care for Christopher Rogers. It's my understanding that you're the legal guardian of his son, Andrew."
Solidad stopped, slowly sitting up straighter. Definitely not a telemarketer; in fact, she might have preferred a telemarketer.
"I... was..." she began cautiously. "I think there's been some type of miscommunication. Drew is 22-years-old, a grown adult. I was his guardian for only three years, until he turned 18."
"An adult?"
"Yes," Solidad affirmed.
"If that's the case, would you mind providing his contact information?" Elijah asked.
"Why are you looking to talk to Drew?" Solidad sounded wary. She was not going to give away Drew's personal information that easily, especially not to someone apparently associated with his father.
"His father wants to see him."
"I can assure you that Drew does not want to see him," Solidad half-laughed.
A long pause followed, and Solidad sensed an air of tension in it.
"I apologize, Ms. Natochenny, for perhaps I have not effectively conveyed the gravity of the situation," Elijah finally spoke again. "Mr. Rogers is gravely ill. His skin cancer has recurred."
"His cancer?" Solidad's eyebrows shot up.
"Yes. Were either you or Andrew aware that he was diagnosed?" he asked.
"We knew..." Solidad said. "How serious is it?"
"Very, I'm afraid," Elijah replied soberly. "He's in hospice, too weak to go undergo chemotherapy. His doctors predict he only has only a month left to live, if that. His health is rapidly deteriorating."
Solidad was at a loss for words. She sat there silently for a moment, processing this new information. Ninetails looked up at her with concern, sensing her distress.
"Ms. Natochenny, are you still there?" Elijah asked after a while.
"I am," Solidad said, rubbing her temple with her free hand. "I'm just in shock, I suppose."
"I'll ask again: Are you willing to provide Andrew's contact information?"
"No," Solidad replied firmly, without hesitation. "... But I will talk to him and let him know. If he decides to go to La Rousse, that's his prerogative."
"Will you pass my number along to him?"
"I'll give him the one saved in my phone," Solidad said.
"Thank you, Ms. Natochenny. I hope to hear from Andrew soon." And the line went dead.
May 29th, 2009. Late Morning. Opelucid City.
It has been years since Leaf last visited the Opelucid City Hospital, wherein she had spent time as both a patient and a visitor within the span of two days, and by the looks of the lobby, it hadn't changed since then. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number.
"What?" Paul grumbled when he picked up.
"Hey, are you here?" Leaf asked.
"Where's here?"
"The hospital."
"No."
"Well, you need to come. You can't stop being an active member in this investigation."
"Aren't you afraid I'll add another bullet point to the growing list of G-Men screw-ups?" Paul asked sarcastically.
"Stop being a baby and get down here," Leaf scoffed. "It's a short drive. Ask Agent Gray to take you."
"Should I bring Iris?"
"No. I don't want her to be seen anywhere near a hospital."
"Fine. I'll see you soon." He hung up, and Leaf rolled her eyes. She dropped her cell phone back into her pocket and approached the front desk to speak with the receptionist.
"I need to visit the patient that was brought in late last night after a car accident," she said.
The receptionist was filling out some paperwork, and she didn't looks up when Leaf spoke.
"Are you a family member of said patient?" the receptionist asked.
"No."
"Then I'm afraid-"
"-I'm sorry, I don't think I made myself clear." Leaf cut her off as she reached into her wallet and pulled out her G-Men badge. "I need to see this patient."
The receptionist finally looked up and recognized her.
"My apologies, Ms. Greene," she said. "Do you know the name of this patient?"
"I don't." Leaf shook her head. "How many people come in for car accidents in the middle of the night?"
"You'd be surprised."
Leaf let out a frustrated sigh and tapped her fingers on the counter as she thought.
"... He was apparently wearing a hat with the crest of Team Plasma on the front," Leaf offered.
"Oh... That one," she said, her tone piquing Leaf's interest. The receptionist typed something into her computer, searching for his location. "Third floor, room 306." She then slid a visitor badge toward Leaf. "Good luck..."
"Thank you." Leaf took the badge, pushed herself off the desk, and headed down the hallway, toward an elevator. She pressed the 'up' button and stepped inside. She pulled out her cell phone again and texted Paul the information to the room, to save him a little time with the front desk. When the elevator doors opened again, she headed out into the hallway and passed by several rooms, looking for the one labeled '306.' When she found it, she walked straight up to it, knocked once, and then opened the door.
A nurse was currently attending to the patient sitting inside, and she looked at Leaf with wide eyes. The patient himself, a man with long green hair and steely blue eyes, appeared far less alarmed. He looked at Leaf curiously, his eyes studying her. A bandage was wrapped around his head, and he was wearing a cast on one of his arms.
"Sorry, did the receptionist not call and say I was coming?" Leaf asked.
"N-No," the nurse answered.
"Well, I'm here," Leaf said.
"A visitor?" the patient spoke up, sounding pleasantly surprised. "I wasn't expecting a visitor."
"Hi." Leaf immediately went to shake his unbroken hand. "My name is Leaf Greene."
He appeared somewhat estranged by the gesture, her grabbing his hand and shaking it. He didn't reciprocate, confusion patterned across his face, as if he didn't know he was supposed grasp her hand, too. He shook off the alienation in his expression, however, and replaced it with a smile.
"I'm N," he said.
"... N?" Leaf pulled away, disaffected by his odd behavior. "As in, the letter N?"
"Yes." N nodded. The nurse pulled her things together and quickly left the two alone.
"Is N short for something?" Leaf asked.
"Oh, yes. I'm sorry," N laughed. "My full name is Natural Harmonia Gropius."
"Natural Harmonia-" Leaf stopped short. "That's, uh, quite a mouthful. Is 'Natural' a pseudonym? Is there maybe a different name on your birth certificate?"
"I don't own a birth certificate," N said.
"No?"
"You see, I was raised by Pokémon in the wild," N said. "And I'm afraid they don't issue birth certificates like humans do."
Leaf stared. Then, she let out a nervous laugh.
"You must have hit your head pretty hard yesterday, huh?" she said, still trying to sound pleasant.
"I think I'm doing quite fine, actually," N replied. "I was a little dazed when I first woke up, but I feel much better now. My head still hurts some, but other than that, I'm doing well."
"I... imagine your head would still hurt," Leaf said. "You were hit by a car. I was told you ran out in front of it."
"Oh, I didn't do that purposefully," N quickly said.
"I'm not saying you did it purposefully, but-"
"-I just didn't realize there was a road there," N cut her off; Leaf didn't realize he hadn't finished speaking. Leaf stared at him again, and she was beginning to wonder whether she was wasting her time.
N silently watched her, too, and after a while, he asked, "Why are you talking to me, by the way?"
Leaf sighed.
"To be honest, I was actually interested when I heard about your hat," she admitted.
"My hat?"
"It has the crest of Team Plasma on it."
"What's so special about that?" he asked. The question was genuine, as if he sincerely couldn't fathom why anyone would be interested in something that would associate him with the largest criminal organization in Unova.
"Team Plasma is anti-league," Leaf said simply.
"It is." N nodded.
Leaf's lips quirked into a strange smile.
"You have no idea who I am, do you?" she asked, amused.
"I do. You told me. You're Leaf Greene," N replied, chuckling.
"Leaf Greene, the Champion of the Kanto and Johto regions," Leaf clarified.
"Oh..." There was a change in N's expression, and he appeared a little less friendly, and a lot more wary. Leaf knew it was a risk telling him of her league association, but she was willing to see where this change carried her.
"Team Plasma tried to assassinate one of my friends earlier this month," Leaf went on. "Iris Ajagara is the new Champion of the Unova League, so I know that Team Plasma doesn't like the league very much."
"We didn't try to assassinate her," N protested. Leaf noted the 'we'; he indeed did identify himself as a part of the collective organization. She was also intrigued, however, by his insistence this wasn't an assassination attempt.
"Barret Dunstan had a gun on him, and he was walking toward the stage," she reminded him. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know this. He seemed disconnected from reality.
"Yes, I know," N replied. "But there was no intention of killing her."
Leaf scratched out her previous line of thinking.
"Then what was the intention?" Leaf asked.
Before N could answer, the door opened again, but instead of a nurse, Paul slid inside.
"It's about time you got here," Leaf grumbled.
"I got call from Mr. Goodshow, for you," Paul said, ignoring her statement.
"Ugh..." Leaf pressed her hands into her face and moaned. "I completely forgot to tell him I was leaving for Unova. He's probably freaking out, wanting to plan for the match against Ash..."
"Against Ash?" N suddenly interjected, perking up.
"Yes, Ash Ketchum," Leaf said.
"I know Ash." N then amended, "At least, I've heard of him."
"Yeah, who hasn't heard of Ash Ketchum?" Paul scoffed.
"I heard about him from his brother," N continued. "Ash is the one who doesn't keep his partner, Pikachu, in a Pokéball; the one who journeyed in the wilderness for months so he could liberate Moltres and Mewtwo, isn't he?"
Leaf inhaled sharply and then looked to Paul, who appeared equally surprised. Neither knew what to say. N lowered his head, thinking. His lips had curved back into a smile.
"I'll make you a deal, Ms. Greene," he began unexpectedly. "If you can arrange for Ash and I to meet, I'll tell you what you want to know about Team Plasma."
Leaf stayed silent, hesitant.
"Paul, I need to speak with you in the hallway," she said, though her eyes never left N.
The living quarters of the Opelucid Gym were silent and empty when Cilan entered through the door with a grocery bag slung over his shoulder, and he cast a concerned look about the place. He had initially checked Iris's office when he returned to the gym, but that was empty as well, and now he had no idea where everyone had gone.
"Iris, are you here?" he finally called out.
A short, muffled "yes" followed, and Cilan quirked an eyebrow and rounded the sofa to find Iris laying face-down in the cushions, her arm and her hair hanging off the side.
"Are you okay?" Cilan knelt beside her. "You're not feeling dizzy again, are you?
"I'm fine." Iris's head rose. "I'm just bored."
"Where's Paul?"
"He went to the hospital. The guy from Team Plasma woke up this morning," she explained. "He didn't let me go with him, though. Leaf, apparently, doesn't want me 'seen anywhere near a hospital.'"
Cilan offered her a crooked smile.
"You do realize they're not trying to be exclusive, right? They're trying to look out for your best interests," he said.
"I wish they'd stop," Iris grumbled.
"Iris..."
"I do." She sat up, leaving an open spot on the sofa, which Cilan then took. "I feel so useless, and I'm so tired of breathing in stale air conditioning. Yesterday was the first time I'd been outside the gym in weeks."
"I know it hasn't been fun for you," Cilan sympathized.
"'Not fun' is an understatement."
"I promise we'll visit the Village of Dragons when this blows over," he assured her.
"Which is when? After I lose the title?" A short silence followed, with Cilan unsure of what he could say in response. Iris eventually sighed and added, "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated."
"I know," Cilan said. "If it's any consolation, I'm really proud of you for what you did this morning. For Georgia."
"Oh, that? That was nothing," Iris said with a wave of her hand. "I know Leaf was mad, but I wasn't going to let Georgia fall on the sword."
"All the same," Cilan continued, "you worry a lot about being a good leader. You certainly were one today."
Iris's lips twitched into a smile but she averted her gaze. As earnest as he was, Iris was not entirely sure she believed his words, as sweet as they were for him to say and for her to hear. Nevertheless, Cilan smiled, too, before he brought the grocery bag onto his lap.
"I brought you some things," he started anew, reaching into the bag.
"What?" Iris asked curiously.
"Prenatal vitamins." Cilan pulled out a medicinal bottle and displayed it nearby on the coffee table. "And Ganlon Berries." He then pulled out one of the fist-sized fruits and handed it to her. "They're rich in iron, typically used in Pokemon food to support defensive power, but they're good for humans, too—like pregnant women with iron deficiencies."
"Oh! It's been a while since I last had one of these!" Iris bit into the berry. "Not bad, either."
"Good!" Cilan stood with the grocery bag and retrieved the bottle of vitamins. "You should consume them as voraciously as you did our supply of Leppa Berries."
"Will do," Iris said. As Cilan turned toward the kitchen to put everything away, Iris reached for and grasped the sleeve of his shirt. "Hey..." She tugged on his sleeve, and he leaned down so she could kiss him. "I am sorry. I know it's not fun for you, either."
Cilan straightened up again.
"Well," he began slowly, "I knew what I was signing up for."
February 3rd, 2004. Afternoon. Striaton City.
Although the day was only halfway finished, Cilan was already exhausted—mentally, physically, the whole gamut. Tuesdays were always the worst; they required he wake himself at the bright and early hour of 6:30 a.m. to dress appropriately for a nearly three-hour 7:30 a.m. class at the PCA Striaton City campus. From there, he hurried to make the first of three classes at Striaton University, where he was majoring in Social and Behavioral Sciences. He was finished with school by 3:45 p.m., but he had to return home to help his brothers prepare for the dinner rush, during which his breaks were consumed by finishing any assigned readings or homework.
The other weekdays were better, but not by much. At least he had enough time to properly feed himself. His busyness drew out his longing to travel again, and he did some during the summer and other breaks. He knew what he really needed was something to break the suffocating monotony of his overscheduled days, a breath of fresh air, whether literal or not; otherwise, he wasn't sure he could bear the three more years needed to earn his undergraduate and his S-Class certification.
"How were classes today?" Cress politely inquired as Cilan passed through the restaurant kitchen.
"A bit dry, but okay otherwise," Cilan answered. "If you allow me a few minutes to settle down, I can come help you in here."
"Nah, you should take the day off," Chili said as he entered the kitchen from the breakroom, leaning against the doorway.
"Oh no, I couldn't-"
"-It would be rude to your guest to do otherwise," Cress said. Cilan raised an eyebrow.
"My guest?" Just then, Iris appeared from behind Chili, wearing a wry smile on her face. Cilan perked up in surprise and let out a disbelieving breath.
"Iris!" he exclaimed, delighted, and she laughed as they embraced. When he pulled back, he asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Hoenn."
"I was in Hoenn," Iris replied. "I'm back in Unova now."
"For how long?"
"A while, I'd say." She shrugged.
Cilan smiled as he gestured back toward the breakroom, saying, "Well, come! We have a lot to catch up on, I imagine."
As they left, Chili waggled an eyebrow at Cress, who rolled his eyes in response. Inside the breakroom, Cilan laid his bookbag against a leg of the table and began rubbing his shoulder as he sat down. The weight of Tuesdays was not just exhausting; it was painful. Iris slid into the seat across from him.
"So Chili told me you're really stressed out by all your classes," she began casually, leaning her head on her hand.
"I wouldn't say really," Cilan replied. "I think I manage as well as any other student."
"Uh-huh, and how many classes are you taking again?"
"Counting both the PCA and Striaton University?"
"... Yeah."
"Seven, so 21 credit hours total. I'm a full-time student at Striaton University, and a part-time one in the S-Class program. I'm on track to graduate after four years in both institutions."
"Geez! That's way too much. Twenty-one hours plus work, plus being a gym leader? You're going to kill yourself," Iris half-chastised. "Why are you even taking both PCA classes and university classes at the same time?"
Cilan frowned but answered, "S-Class Connoisseurs are generally expected to have a degree from another institution of higher education. I'll need my undergrad if I want Gerard Poltiere to greenlight my certification in a little more than three years from now. Most A-Classes aren't even accepted into the S-Class program without another degree."
"Well aren't you special?" Iris said dryly. "So you mean to say if you weren't in the S-Class program now you wouldn't be driving yourself into the ground?"
"I'd always intended to go to college," Cilan reminded her.
"Chili and Cress are in college, but they're not taking 21 credit hours."
"Their situations are different than mine," Cilan politely dismissed. "Chili's taking classes online through DIL, and Cress decided it would be best for him to be a part-time student at Striaton University during the regular school year and take additional classes during the summer."
"Why not do the same?" Iris craned an eyebrow. "It'd be easier on you, I think."
"I told you, S-Class Connoisseurs need another degree, and I don't want to prolong the process," Cilan said. "The way I see it, after I graduate and receive my S-Class rank, I'll be able to do what I love, which is work with young trainers and their Pokémon."
"You're in too much of a hurry to grow up."
"Says the girl who constantly accuses people of being children."
"Not you," Iris scoffed. "I always call you a pain, which you are." She waved a dismissive hand. "To each their own, I guess. Drayden wants me to get my GED through DIL at least. I don't think I could make it through any of the college programs, not that I'm interested anyway."
At the mention of Drayden, Cilan folded his hands and laid them on the table.
"Is that why you're back in Unova then? Has Drayden... ?"
Iris was quiet for a moment. Then, she said, "I don't know if you heard, but Leaf's actually in Sinnoh right now, taking on the Battle Frontier. And Paul was in Kanto, doing the same... I guess things are starting to get pretty serious, so Drayden called me back to train under him and eventually take over the gym."
"It's about building a reputation of strength, I suppose," Cilan mused.
"That's exactly what it's about," Iris said. "I think the plan is for me to be a gym leader for several years, then to go into the Elite Four, then to... yeah. I guess I have it easier than Paul and Leaf, when you think about it. Lance and Cynthia don't have gyms to give them, so they have to make names for themselves the hard way."
"Being a gym leader certainly isn't easy."
"Oh no, I'm not saying it is!" Iris amended. "I'm just glad I don't have to go through the pressure of making sure everyone knows who I am myself. Being a gym leader kind of does that for you. I mean, I've won some Don George Tournaments, but that's not enough, you know? It's kind of complicated. The whole thing is."
"I understand," Cilan said. "It's certainly not something I would ever want to be involved in."
"And yet, you put up with 21 hours worth of classwork a week."
"That's different. My classes may be difficult, but they have set me on a path to a career of decorum, and I'm willing to do what's required of me for that reason." He stopped suddenly, seeing the look Iris was giving him. "I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me to say."
"No, it's fine," Iris dismissed. "You're not wrong." She paused. "Cilan, you're not going to think any less of me if I end up doing this, are you?"
"Of course not," Cilan insisted. "You'll always be dear to me as a friend, as will all the others. I admire you, in fact. It's not an easy task you have ahead of you. It's that I, myself, could never find it in me to be a participant."
"Because it's not a career of 'decorum'?" Iris challenged him.
"The Champion title is one of honor," Cilan backtracked.
"Not to you." She stopped herself before she could grow too upset. She brushed her fingers through her hair and looked away. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm just giving you a hard time."
May 29th, 2009. Late Morning. Opelucid City.
"So what's up with this guy?" Paul asked in a low voice, shutting the door behind him as he and Leaf stepped out into the hallway. "He knows about Silver?"
"That's news to me," Leaf said. "Even so, I don't know what to make of him."
"What do you mean?"
"He's kind of-" Leaf stopped, spinning a finger near her head. Paul glowered at her, unappreciative of the sign.
"You do realize he probably has a TBI, right?" he asked.
"I do, but I'm not blowing smoke," Leaf persisted, dropping her hand to her side again. "Not only does this guy say his real name is 'Natural,' he also proclaims he was raised by Pokémon. What's really odd is that he say he didn't mean to run out in front of the car, but that he 'just didn't realize there was a road there'—as if he's actually a Deerling or a Stantler."
"So what's your point?" Paul asked.
"I don't know if I want to bring Ash into this," Leaf replied. "Not before we're supposed to face off, and not if this guy is just... ugh."
"Are you seriously worried about your impartiality thing?" Paul groused.
"You know why I'm being strict."
"You're ridiculous."
"Oh, I know it's ridiculous," Leaf said with a short, frustrated laugh. "The league is a joke, and so is the culture surrounding it."
"Look, if you really want to stick to the league's statutes, then just talk through Misty, or even Gary," Paul said, "because I'd still like to know what this N has to say about Team Plasma. ... And I think Ash would be interested in meeting someone who knows Silver, too."
"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Hayden," the PNN anchor said conclusively, his face taking up the entirety of Drew's laptop screen. On the television, the camerashot of him and the webcam feed of Drew were juxtaposed as the two parties spoke.
"No, thank you, Brian," Drew said.
The feed cut, the segment ended, and Drew closed his laptop and pulled out his earbuds, meeting the sounds of his own staff's cheering. They had remained dead silent for the interview, watching it on the television while Drew sat a short distance away, and now that it was over, they didn't need to be quiet anymore. He was rushed by several staff members and friends.
"That was great, Drew," Kenny complimented.
"Really well done," Zoey agreed. "You were collected, and you sold us well."
"Thank you," Drew said. "It's just another show, right?" He turned to Kelly. "Keep an eye on our donation pool to see if the interview draws us more benefactors."
"Sure thing," Kelly replied, nodding. The staff began to disperse again to return to their jobs, but May lingered with Drew until they were alone. Drew smirked, giving her a knowing look.
"You were wonderful," she said, cupping his cheek and kissing him.
"Am I never not?" he teased.
"You know, some humility wouldn't hurt you," May grumbled as she pulled away. Her eyes then lit up with realization. "Oh! By the way, during the interview, you got a call from Solidad." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out his phone, hanging it back to him. "She said it was important you call her back."
Drew furrowed his eyebrows, accepting the device.
"All right," he said, "I'm just going to step out into the hallways for a few minutes then."
"Okay!" May said cheerfully before leaving to attend to other business. Drew headed for the door, dialing Solidad's number as he did.
"Drew?" It didn't take her long to pick up.
"Hey, May said you called," he greeted, opening the door and the shutting it behind him, the glass panels shaking as he did so.
"Yeah..." she replied. "There's something I need to talk to you about."
"Well obviously, what other reason do people call each other for?"
"Your father is dying." She got straight to the point, quickly forcing the words out.
Drew felt an odd chill run through his body, and at first, he wasn't sure if he heard right. He replayed the words in his head and, discovering no substitution, found himself struck dumb for a moment.
"W-What?" he finally managed to stammer out.
"I received a call from someone who knows your father," Solidad explained. "He said the cancer came back, and that he's currently in hospice."
"That's... That's impossible." Drew shook his head. "It was only earlier this month I read an article that he had done some fundraiser at the Battle Tower for cancer research. It said he'd been in remission since 2007. How could he go downhill that fast? To be on his deathbed?"
"I don't know," she said. "I'm just the messenger."
Drew sighed, raising a hand to rub his temple.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
"He wants to see you, apparently," Solidad answered. "Your father, I mean."
Drew hesitated.
"I... don't know about that," he said. He paused before asking, "What should I do?"
"I can't answer that."
"Solidad."
"I can't."
"You're my adviser Solidad," Drew said, exasperated, "advise me."
He heard her sigh, and she was quiet for a moment as she thought. Finally, she said, "Well, you have to weigh your options. If you think going back to La Rousse and seeing your father will draw out toxic feelings and trigger your insomnia, then it's probably best you stay in Unova. If you don't go see him, though, you will have to make peace with the fact you'll never see him again."
"Great choices," Drew said dryly.
"It's a bad situation. There is no good outcome," Solidad said.
"I know."
"I can give you the number of the man who called me," Solidad offered.
"No, I..." Drew cleared his throat. "I don't want to get roped into anything. I'll ask for it if I decide I need it."
"Okay. I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Don't apologize," Drew said. He glanced back through the windowed door into the office. He could tell the staff was excited about something. "I have work to do. I'll talk to you later."
"Certainly."
Drew hung up and pushed his way back into the office, where he was immediately greeted a jubilant May.
"Guess what?" she asked cheerfully.
"What?"
"No, you have to guess."
Drew glowered at her, but said, "In the past five minutes, we raised the millions of dollars we need to build six contest halls."
"No." May shook here head. "But close! We actually just hit $25,000. ... Okay, so it's actually a drop in the bucket, but still, that's a quarter of $100,000 in under a day! And just imagine what'll happen when DJ Mary talks about it."
"That's... awesome." Drew smiled crookedly. May's expression changed, realizing something was awry.
"Are you okay? You seem kind of upset," she said, her voice full of concern. "What did Solidad say?"
Drew breathed out, pressing a hand to his face.
"I just found out my father's dying."
May 29th, 2009. Early Evening. Pallet Town.
"So Ash told me you're a Pokémon Doctor," Clemont casually struck up a conversation as he added another touch of salt to the pasta noodles he was boiling. Brock was a short distance away, cutting some strawberries for the salad he was preparing.
"That's right," Brock said, nodding. "Well, actually, I'm just certified to be a Pokémon Doctor. I graduated at the end of April, and I'm still combing through the job market. Right now, I'm helping my family at the gym they run in Pewter City and volunteering at the Pokémon Center there."
"No shame in that." Clemont moved back to the pan of sauce simmering over the stove, stirring it. "I didn't know your family had a gym. I have my own gym back in Lumiose City."
"What do you specialize in?" Brock asked.
"Electric-types," Clemont answered. "I'm an electrical engineer, actually. I invent things on the side."
"Really?" Brock raised an eyebrow. He took the strawberry slices he cut and added them to the salad, tossing them up. "What have you invented?"
"Er... well, nothing marketable," Clemont sheepishly admitted. "Most of the stuff I make ends up breaking down or blowing up."
"I wouldn't have taken you for the mad scientist type," Brock chuckled. He inclined his head toward the boiling pot. "Looks like your pasta's ready."
"Hm?" Clemont glanced down and reached for the pasta spoon, dipping it into the water. The noodles, now limber, ran off the teeth. "I guess you're right!"
He reached into one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a colander. After turning off the stove, he moved the pot toward the sink and emptied into the colander, so the noodles could drain. Brock drizzled some dressing on the salad while Clemont dumped the pasta on a large serving platter and poured the sauce on top.
"Okay everyone, we've got dinner ready!" Brock announced as both he and Clemont left the kitchen with the dishes in hand. They laid them on the makeshift dining table their group had put together; Ash wasn't used to hosting so many people in his small home at once, and they had to make due.
"Awesome! Thank you, guys!" Ash jumped off the catch and found a seat at the table. His mouth watered upon seeing the entrée, and he inhaled its scent. "Man, looks so good. ... It'd be something else if you two got together with Cilan to cook something up."
"Who's Cilan, again?" Serena asked, sitting beside him. Misty took his other side.
"He's the husband of the Unova Champion," Ritchie explained. "Remember, she was in the hospital yesterday with everyone thinking she was poisoned?"
"The one who's pregnant?" Serena asked.
"That's her." Ritchie nodded.
"Man, I'm so stoked about that," Ash said, shoveling some pasta onto his plate before passing it along to the next person. "I've known those two for years, and for them to be having a baby is really weird, but also really cool. If only I could call and tell them-"
"-Ah, no," Gary quickly cut him off. "I went over this with you, Ash. You're not allowed to say anything about Iris being pregnant until they officially announce she is. I wasn't supposed to tell you guys anything, but I knew you were worried, which is why I did."
"Why is Leaf so bent on us not knowing, anyway?" Misty asked.
"It's not meant to be a slight against you guys; she just wants to be extra safe with the worries about Iris being poisoned leaking yesterday," Gary answered.
"Well, as soon as it is announced, I'm gonna call and tell them how excited I am for them," Ash said, spinning a glob of pasta on his spoon to eat.
"You mean babble for an hour, like how you did when they got engaged?" Misty teased.
"I was happy for them!" Ash defended.
"As you should be!" Bonnie said. "Weddings are happy! It's a good thing when people get married. That's why I've been trying to get Clemont married for years!"
Clemont turned bright red and sunk into his seat, moaning. Serena cast him an amused, though sympathetic look.
"The real treat will be when you and Misty get married," Gary said wryly, pointing his fork across the table at Ash. "For you, I mean. It'll be a pain for the rest of us, because then you'll never shut up."
Ash flushed pink, while Misty glared at the researcher, saying, "Ha ha, very funny, Gary."
She perked up when her cell phone suddenly rang, and she reached into her back pocket to turn it off—until she noticed who was calling.
"I'm really sorry," Misty apologized, standing. "I have to take this."
Bonnie watched her leave for another room and then looked at Ash, who had already shaken off his spell of embarrassment and was happily sharing some of his pasta with Pikachu. She nudged Gary in the side to get his attention.
"I can't tell yet: Are she and Ash dating?" she asked in a low voice, leaning toward him. Gary shrugged in response.
"Who knows?" he half-laughed.
"Mmm... I don't know," Misty said tepidly as she stood alone in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter. Leaf had spilled a lot of information to her, more than even Gary probably knew at that point, and it was a lot to take in: the car accident, the strange man from Team Plasma, and his apparent connection to Ash's family.
"You don't know if he'll do it?" Leaf asked.
"No, I don't know if I want him to do it," Misty clarified. "He spent years struggling to accept that Silver wasn't coming back. I don't want this to pull out the stitches."
"That's not your call to make. Push comes to shove, you're not his girlfriend, and even if you were, you still couldn't make his decisions for him."
"I don't like you using people as pawns, no matter who they are," Misty retorted. "This isn't just because I love Ash and don't want him to get hurt. You brought me into the Elite Four for a reason."
"I'm not using Ash," Leaf scoffed. "Paul and I thought it might be a mutually beneficial thing, with this guy knowing Silver. We thought Ash might want to talk to him, too."
"Absolutely," Misty agreed with an exasperated laugh. "Absolutely Ash will want to talk to him. That doesn't mean it's a good idea."
"Then my point still stands: That's not your call to make."
Misty's lips tightened, and she drummed her fingers against the counter. Leaf waited out Misty's silence patiently.
"There is a problem," Misty finally said, unhappily resigning to the fact that Leaf, in this case, was right.
"That is?"
"Ash's Kalosian friends are here," Misty explained. "He's not going to jump on a plane to Unova and leave them behind."
"Fine, then they can come with him," Leaf said. "We'll cover their expenses."
"You're willing to do that?"
"Misty, the G-Men is connected to the largest, most financially successful business in Napaj," Leaf answered. "I think we can spare a few extra plane tickets and pay for some hotel rooms."
"Fine. I'll tell him."
"Thank you. Call me when he tells you he's coming."
Misty hung up and let out a frustrated huff. She meandered back into the conjoined dining and living room, where the rest of the group was happily enjoying their dinner. She cleared her throat.
"Ash?" she inquired, getting his attention. He stopped eating, a noodle hanging outside his mouth. The others looked toward her, too. She continued, "That was Leaf on the phone. She, Paul, and Iris are asking you for a favor."
Ash chewed and swallowed.
"Sure," he said. "What is it?"
"Yesterday, a member of Team Plasma kind of... fell into the G-Men's lap," Misty said, being intentionally vague about the accident. Leaf had specified she didn't want people to know about that. "They think he might know something about the assassination attempt. The thing is, he's only agreed to talk if he gets the chance to meet you."
"Why?" Ash appeared confused.
"They don't know," Misty answered. "There is a catch, though."
"A catch?"
"Well, maybe catch isn't the right word," Misty admitted. "I guess it depends on how you look at it, whether it's a good or bad thing."
"Misty, what is it?" Ash encouraged, starting to look a little wary.
Misty sucked in her breath.
"He says he knows your brother."
May 29th, 2009. Evening. Opelucid City.
May clumsily grabbed for a hand towel after splashing her face with water during her nightly rituals. After a short delay, she finally managed to grab one off the rack and dry herself. An alert on her phone sounded and, after hanging up the towel again, she reached for the device. Her eyes scanned the screen before she headed back into her and Drew's bedroom.
Drew was laying on his side of the bed, a book in front of his nose. She couldn't see the title, but whatever it was, he was engrossed; his eyes didn't leave the page when she walked inside.
"Hey," she began gently, "what's on your mind?"
"I'm wondering whether Raskolnikov will get away with the murders," he replied, turning a page.
"I didn't mean your book, I meant-"
"-I know what you meant," Drew said shortly, finally looking at her. "I don't have a good answer for you. I don't know what to think."
"Well, it is a shock," May said, sliding onto their bed. "We had no idea the cancer had come back."
"He must have kept it hidden from the media," he mumbled. "He's good at hiding things."
"If you're this bitter, then you definitely shouldn't go," May said. "You don't owe him anything."
"I know. Believe me, I know," Drew said. "But... It's strange, aside from one ten-minute conversation that happened years ago, he and I haven't been in contact for more than a decade. And I've been happy; I've had you and Solidad, and you two are all I could possibly want or need. Hearing he's dying, though, is really unnerving."
"I think anyone would feel that way," May reassured him.
Drew set his book down on his stomach and leaned his head back, sighing.
"I don't want to leave the campaign behind," he groaned.
"So you are thinking about going?" May asked. "Because, don't let the campaign be what's holding you back. I can take care of it, and everyone else will understand. Even Zoey and Kenny and the others who know that you and your aren't close with your dad will understand."
"I don't know whether you want me to do this or not," Drew grumbled.
"I want you to do what will be best for you," May clarified.
Drew's lip twitched.
"To answer your question: No, I don't want to go," he said. "But, there's a part of me that thinks if I don't, I'll end up regretting it, like I would wonder if I would have hated him less while he was doped up on morphine, or wish we had gotten closure."
"I think Solidad brings up a good point when she says you don't want this to bring back your insomnia," May said.
"I look at this way: I would rather deal with another year of insomnia than sixty second-guessing myself when it's too late," Drew responded. "Besides, I really don't think my insomnia will be a problem. I had problems sleeping because I was afraid—of my father, and of Team Rocket. I'm an adult now. I don't have any reason to be afraid of my father, because he has no legal power over me. He can't revoke my trainer's license now, which he could've done when I was 15, because I got it without his permission. And Team Rocket's not a problem anymore."
May carefully looked him over before averting her eyes and, with a small, strange smile, brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear.
"It sounds like you've really thought this through." She paused and reached for her phone on the nightstand. "There's, um, a flight to La Rousse that leaves at 2 p.m. tomorrow."
"You looked up flights?" Drew raised an eyebrow.
"Drew, I think you actually do want to go, the way you're talking," May said tenderly. "I also saw your face after Solidad first called. You're very upset, but you don't want to admit you are, because you think it's wrong to feel that way. You don't have to justify yourself to me, though."
Drew hesitated and briefly looked away.
"If I go, no matter what happens—whether he dies before then or not—I'll be back by June 18th."
"I'll buy the ticket now," May half-laughed. "You can pack in the morning."
She looked down at her phone and pressed on the flight number to purchase the available ticket. Drew's gaze returned to her.
"May?" he inquired.
"Mhm?" Her eyes met his, and he reached for her arm so he could pull her into a kiss. It was longer than usual, an expression of the depth of his gratitude.
"Thanks for understanding," he said, "even when I don't."
Dawn let out a short, sharp gasp when she walked into her and Paul's apartment and found his Torterra unexpectedly laying in the middle of the room, taking up nearly half the area's space. Piplup squeaked its own name from having Dawn squeeze him too hard, and she breathed out and laughed at herself. She wasn't sure what she initially thought the creature in her living room was, but Torterra definitely wasn't as scary.
"Hey," she said, approaching Torterra and petting him on top of his head. "You kind of surprised me there."
Torterra sleepily opened his eyes and looked up at her, but he made no noise. He simply enjoyed her attention.
Dawn gave him one last friendly pat on the shell before letting Piplup out of her arms so they could converse. She then headed into the kitchen and found Paul there, making himself a bowl of cereal.
"Haven't eaten yet?" she asked, amused.
"No," he said, opening the carton of milk and pouring it. He didn't look at her when he asked, "How did you get home?"
"Kenny and Barry walked with me."
"Kenny and Barry?" His eyes moved toward her, and he looked strangely suspicious.
She raised her eyebrows, now sharing the same expression.
"Are you... suddenly jealous that I'm friends with other men?" she asked. "Kenny and Barry live a couple blocks further down than us, and they walk with me because I don't want to be dragged by my hair into a dark alley."
"Do you talk to them about us?" Paul ignored her question, presenting her with his own—which was when Dawn realized this conversation had nothing to do with jealousy.
"Sometimes, yes," she admitted tepidly.
"And to Zoey and May?"
"Yes."
"And obviously to Drew, too."
"Look, I get it, you're mad," Dawn sighed. "You were embarrassed by the comment Drew made. In fact, I get the sense from some of the things Leaf said this morning that she embarrassed you, too, and probably in front of other people. No one likes being embarrassed, and I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened."
"Why are you talking to them about us?"
"Do you want my honest answer?" Dawn asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Because you won't talk to me about us," Dawn replied firmly. "I went to Drew for advice. I didn't think he'd say anything and-"
"-You didn't think he'd say anything?" Paul cut her off. "That's the problem. When you say things, others will repeat them, and I don't want my personal life to be a segment on broadcast news."
"Do you think I want other people to know we haven't had sex for months?" Dawn snapped, and soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. Paul stared at her, his expression unchanging, and his silence cutting. Dawn clasped her hands together and looked at the ground. When she spoke again, she spoke quietly.
"I don't think you're talking about that, though," she said. "I think you're talking about something else."
Paul's eyes narrowed.
"Paul, I need you to be upfront with me, please," Dawn continued, practically pleading. "I don't like guessing. I don't like guessing because I'm not always right."
"Drop it, Dawn," he warned, knowing what direction she was taking them.
"We need to talk about this," Dawn persisted. "You can't keep pretending something isn't wrong."
"Dawn." His voice went lower, more dangerous than before.
"This is what people in relationships do." Dawn was unwilling to relent. "They-"
"-Then maybe we shouldn't be in a relationship anymore," Paul spat, before she could go any further.
Dawn stopped with a disbelieving breath.
"... You want to break up?" she asked.
Disagreement rose in his throat, but he forced it back down and breathed out an entirely different word.
"Yes."
.
.
