Author's Note: I debated making this one a side-story, but it 1) defines a lot of Roark's character, and 2) sets up a plot point at the end, in more ways than one. Guess you'll have to deal with this most self-indulgent of chapters. She actually did it, the absolute madwoman.
I'm referring to in-game HMs as technical machines, which are available for trainers to purchase, rather than laying around hidden in caves and such. They still have a higher status than regular TMs, so they're more expensive and of limited quantity.
Pikki has taken a part-time job at a deli delivering lunch orders by skating through town, and sometimes to the coal mine. It ensures she can financially stay afloat while she trains her pokemon, including her newest team member. She bought a certain pricey technical machine and taught it to Godoron the aron, whom she pits specifically against Rowan. The two of them build up their weaknesses to one another's fighting-type moves more and more every day. Even better, Rowan seems more willing to battle now that he can hold his ground.
The miners are even happier to see Pikki when she visits bearing food. Their tips rival the ones she used to receive at Atuy Kotan, and in a much shorter amount of time; with each day that passes, she considers staying in Oreburgh. There isn't much to the city at all, just a basic small town that thrives on the coal industry, but Pikki would deal if it means staying near Roark.
When she stops by the mine for deliveries or a bit of training, he takes a little break to chat with her. She slips mochi in with his orders. Even if he's not present to receive them, he always thanks her the next time he is.
A week passes before she's ready to take on the gym. Now that she knows what to expect, and has gotten more used to Roark, she won't be caught off guard so easily. Godoron is armed with a secret weapon, even: the rock smash move. She executes it perfectly against Roark's cranidos, being that he's weak to the fighting-type attack, and she can best withstand his thunderbolt. Maren takes out the geodude with one water gun, and she and Rowan tag team to bring down Roark's onix. At last, she's won her first gym badge.
"Good job," Roark compliments her as she admires the silvery Coal Badge in her palm. She pulls out the badge case she was given with her license, placing it snugly in its specially molded spot. It's presently her greatest treasure.
"I can't believe you picked up rock smash so well." There's a little jealousy in his voice. "Usually I teach that…"
"Well, I did see it in action more than once from you," Pikki reassures him.
"Yeah, but Godoron didn't. Which makes you an excellent trainer."
She glows at his praise. For all his humility, he is a battle professional, and now that he recognizes her as his equal, she would feel more confident about pursuing other avenues with him…
"Speaking of aron," he continues, "I wanted to tell you that we haven't seen any more around the mine yet. It's still possible, we're all watching. But there's also the possibility that yours just wandered too far out of her regular mountain territory, which makes her braver than most aron. You could say she's… a little boulder."
She stares at him, completely deadpan. "Did you just come up with that on the fly? You were sitting on it for a few days, weren't you. She's a little boulder, yeah. That's a good one, Roark." She raises her voice over his laughter.
He has to make himself stop. "Okay, okay… so now that you have your badge, you can finally move on. I'll warn you that the next gym specializes in grass-types, which are strong against your water and rock-types."
Pikki barely hears as it sinks in that she will, at last, have to leave Oreburgh City and him. "I… oh," she replies vaguely. She spent so much of her time training and working that she never got to spend much time with him, and now it's too late.
"I think you can handle it, though," he says. "So don't worry. You'll only get better from here."
"I—" She's not sure what to say, or how to say it. "Who's going to bring all the miners their sandwiches? I've been making good money, maybe I should stay."
Roark grins. "They'll manage. The deli will hire even more part-timers this summer."
"But I… kind of want to. I like it here…" She fidgets.
"Seriously? I thought you wanted to see all of Sinnoh. That's part of why you became a trainer, right? And you've got three pokemon conditioned for battles. You owe it to them to keep going."
She looks up at him. He's not going to get what she means unless she says it directly. Suddenly she understands the local girls' frustration. However, he's right. Maren probably wouldn't mind staying, but Rowan and Godoron are fighters. She could set them free… she considers it, decides it wouldn't be fair to the pokemon she's worked so hard to train. She still wants a rematch with Aden. She still wants to show Riley that his generous tip wasn't a waste.
"I know," she replies quietly.
Roark picks up his red hard hat, which he left by the gym entrance. "I'd better get going." He straps it in place, adjusting the locks of hair that stick out. Then he extends his hand. "Good luck, Pirika."
She shakes it. The last time she'll feel his firm grip, likely the last time she'll see him. "Thanks, Roark. Good luck to you too."
He smiles at her, pausing for a moment before letting go. "Okay. I gotta get to work. 'Bye."
"'Bye." She watches him leave for a second longer, then makes herself head for the pokemon center before she does something silly like chase after him.
While her team gets tended to, she packs up everything from the room she's been living in for the past week. The official Oreburgh Gym hard hat is still sitting on the desk. She takes it, tracing a finger around the badge-emblem sticker. She intended to keep it, but maybe she could return it to the gym and see Roark one last time — although he's gone to the mine now, she'd only be handing it over to an assistant.
She stops by the deli to say her farewells and thank them for hiring her, then on to the pokemart to stock up on potions and great balls. It's almost May, and warm out, so she ties her hoodie around her waist, enjoying being able to wear just a t-shirt. Then she gets a message that her pokemon have finished their checkup. It's time to collect them and leave Oreburgh for good.
She picks up her pokemon in their balls, drops off her hoodie and purchases in her room, grabs the hard hat, and departs for one last errand.
Everyone at the mine is surprised see her, the winner who doesn't need any more rock-type training. She tells them she's here just to say goodbye, not for any other very specific reasons. Supervisor Colin, winking, offers to fetch Roark from deep inside the mountain.
He's wiping his brow with a hand towel as he hurriedly emerges. "Hey, Pirika!" he exclaims. "He didn't tell me it was you. What's up?"
"Sorry to interrupt you at work. I just, um…" She suddenly feels guilty for her selfish mission, though she can't back down now. "I realized I never made it to the Mining Museum's fossil exhibit, and I wondered if you'd like to show—"
"Yes," Roark answers before she can finish, eyes wide.
Pikki giggles, hardly believing how easy this is. "Really? After you get off, of course."
"If you don't mind waiting that long. Plus, I'd have to go home and shower."
"I don't mind. I can't leave without seeing it, for all that you told me. And you should be my tour guide, since you know so much about fossils."
He grins, flattered. "Aw, this is great! I'll meet you at the pokemon center at 4:30, okay?"
"Sure. See you then." On the surface she stays collected, but inside she's screaming because she did it, and he's so eager to accompany her.
She passes time getting cleaned up, changing into a powder blue t-shirt that fits closest to her torso, watching TV in the lobby, daydreaming too much to pay attention. She goes outside at 4:25 to wait, trying not to bounce in place.
When Roark drives up to the center, Pikki finds herself amused and oddly fascinated by his vehicle: an old, slightly beat-up, brick red pickup truck. Its bed is full of dust and pebbles, obviously from hauling fossils and other treasures. Somehow, it fits his image perfectly.
Roark pockets his keys. It's the first time she's seen him out of his mining clothes, she realizes: dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a lightweight olive jacket he's decided to carry instead of wear. His hair is damp and Pikki bets he smells nice, wondering if she'll get the chance to find out.
"You ready?" he asks. "You look excited. Wait 'til you see what they've got at the fossil lab, then you'll really be hyped."
"Lead the way," she says. She has to admit, she's curious as to what's so great about this place.
True to its name, the museum has in-depth exhibits on the process of mining, how coal is formed, displays of tools from past eras, and the history of the Oreburgh Mine. Coal Mining and You, a banner reads. It's all rather compelling, Pikki decides, bending down to read a plaque about a large sample of coal that was carried to the museum by a single machamp. Extracting coal used to be so dangerous, even deadly; she's very glad for workers like Roark who have taken strides to make this necessary process much safer.
He waits patiently while she checks out these exhibits, then guides her to the fossil wing. Its main area is similar to the mining one, with cases of fossil samples and an informative video on loop. Pikki doesn't need to stop and watch the video, as Roark fills her in on facts about each kind of fossil they walk past: what era they're from, the region or even country where they were found, what type and class of pokemon they were. He's a walking encyclopedia of prehistoric knowledge. Pikki is impressed, even a little overwhelmed. There is no way she will retain all of this trivia.
They move on to the restoration department. It isn't for the general public, but since Roark is a longtime volunteer, he and his guest are granted access. It looks like a laboratory for performing complicated science, but if there are any pokemon being brought into the living world from fossilized pieces of rock, Pikki can't see where. One of the scientists describes the equipment and process to her, with Roark chiming in on how his cranidos was reborn.
Then the scientist goes into a spiel about a new experimental revival process that excites Roark but means nothing to Pikki. She observes the gym leader all animated, shooting theories a mile a minute, and it dawns on her: he wasn't eager to take her to the museum, he was happy for an excuse to come here. Listening to his endless knowledge on fossil facts, dinosaur pokemon classifications, and niche scientific processes, she has passed impressed and overwhelmed, instead reaching a profound revelation — Roark is nice, hard-working, and physically attractive, but he is a goddamned nerd.
She thinks about going back to the coal exhibit, which she honestly found more stimulating. The way Roark and the scientist are going at it, there's no way she can tell him so. She might as well slip out and wait for him to notice she's gone… if he even would. She remembers the girls from the pokemon center who complained of his obliviousness, the one who insisted pursuing him was a waste of time — and she sees her point. A whole day she could have been traveling to the next gym, squandered. Each passing day is one closer to the August tournament… and she's already lost a week to one city.
Inching towards the exit, she pulls out her phone and texts her mom about her first gym badge. Ayame sends an enthusiastic "congrats! " in return. Just as she texts back "wait til you hear what I'm doing rn," Roark comes over to her. He noticed.
"You're bored, aren't you?" He looks chagrined. The scientist has disappeared, leaving them alone.
"Um…" Despite her disappointment, she still wants to be polite. "It's interesting, really…"
His shoulders slump. "I knew it, I got too carried away. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I asked to come here, after all." Now she feels a little bad for not getting as much pleasure out of it as expected.
"Can I take you somewhere else to make up for it? Somewhere you'd enjoy more than a dull old museum?"
Pikki blinks. She didn't expect this from the supposedly-oblivious Roark. "I do like museums! I'm actually looking forward to reaching the Shin'ai one in Hallows Town. I haven't been there since I was little, so I barely remember it."
"I'd like to see that. Where's Hallows Town, exactly?"
She knows what his response will be even before she answers. "Along Route 214… all the way in eastern Sinnoh…"
"Oh man. There's no way I can go on a trip like that without making all kinds of arrangements for the gym and the mine." He sounds truly let down.
"Well, I won't be in that area for a few weeks anyway…" she says suggestively.
Roark grins, stepping out from the automated laboratory door. "We should still do something else now. Not much to see in Oreburgh, I'm afraid… I warned you." He picks up his jacket from a coat rack by the museum's main entrance. "I do still owe you for that first bento, and all the mochi you brought me. You want to get dinner? My treat."
Pikki blinks again. He is clearly not as unaware as the rumors say.
"I know, not exactly as thrilling as the fossil lab," he jokes.
"No, I'd love to! Show me some local Oreburgh flavor."
The town doesn't have its own signature dishes, but does accommodate a great deal of food trucks that feature all kinds of Sinnohan fare. The two of them end up walking around and sampling so many tidbits of street food that it turns into a full meal — an experience best enjoyed during warm summer months.
"If you like this, wait 'til you get to Canalave," Roark tells her as they stroll along with ice cream cones to top it off. "There's three times as many food trucks and stalls, and on an international scale. Dad and I got to try new things constantly. It's one thing I miss about living there."
"Was it always just you and your dad?" Pikki asks. "If you don't mind my asking."
"Pretty much. He and my mom split up when I was really young. I barely remember her, honestly."
"That's terrible."
"Eh, not really. She wasn't ready to settle down and be a parent, he said. I do remember spending a lot of time with my grandparents. Also a couple of months with my great-aunt here in Oreburgh. She was the gym leader back then, that was the first time I got to watch some battles in person. She took me to the museum a lot, and that's probably how I got into fossil pokemon. So you can blame her." He chuckles. "Then when my dad brought me back home, he had to explain why my mom was gone. And that was the end of that."
"Wow." Pikki catches a drip of ice cream, which started to melt while she listened to Roark's tale. "I'm kind of in the same boat, except I never knew my dad at all. My mom didn't ever talk about him, and always gave me vague answers when I'd ask. So I stopped asking. Somehow I'd like to find out who he is, though."
"Man," Roark says. "I'm not sure if that's better or worse, not knowing a parent at all."
"I know they never married… I don't think they were together for very long. You know?"
"Awkward…"
"Right?" Finishing off her cone, she shivers from being full of ice cream as evening sets in. It's noticeably chillier than before.
"Where's your hoodie?" Roark asks. "Walking around like that… you're in shorts, too."
She rubs her bare arms. "I didn't think I'd need it." That's only part of the reason she showed up in her tightest t-shirt with the shortest sleeves and lowest neckline. "My legs are fine, though." Her over-the-knee socks have kept her shins warm, at least.
"Here." He shrugs off his jacket and hands it to her. Naturally, it's too large for her small frame, the sleeves extend past her hands, but it's still warm from his body heat. She couldn't be more thrilled unless he'd draped it over her himself. Just when she'd finally talked herself out of infatuation, too.
They walk back to the pokemon center by the light of sunset and a distant chorus of kricketot. "Well," Roark says as they pause before the sliding glass doors. "I guess this is it for real."
"I guess." Now that their time together is over, she's once more reluctant to move on. "It's late, I won't leave until the morning."
"I doubt you'll see me. I gotta get to the mine early since I left a little earlier than usual today."
She smiles at that. "Those fossils wait for no one, huh?"
Roark scratches the back of his neck. "So… uh…" He clears his throat. "Do you maybe want to let me know when you're close to Hallows Town? And I'll see about getting time off to come visit the Shin'ai Museum with you?"
"You mean, like, call you?" Pikki asks incredulously.
"Yeah. Or text me, whatever."
She whips out her phone and hands it over so he can add his number. "Your phone's a lot newer than mine," he says. "Oh, I see. There." He gives it back. "And if you want, tell me how your other gym matches go. I'd like to hear how Maren does against Gardenia's grass-types."
"Okay!" she replies enthusiastically. "Call and text me too, anytime! Tell me if you find any new fossils."
He laughs. "You sure about that?"
"Of course. I'd like to hear from you again."
His flip phone is quite a bit older than hers, so it takes her much longer to input the digits. "I've had that since I moved here. My work phone is up to date, though, and I use it more. Of course, it was provided to me," he rambles.
"Here." She gives it back to him after a couple of minutes. "I put in the number for Atuy Kotan too. Order mochi from my mom."
"Oh man, I almost forgot. I totally will." He looks at the new entries. "Aww, it says Pik-ki."
"Hehe, yeah." She looks down shyly. "You can call me Pikki if you want to. Nearly everybody does, it's my childhood nickname. I don't mind, really."
"It works. Still the cutest name I've ever heard." He smiles at her, not moving. She wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's reluctant to part ways as well. "Okay, so…" he says after a bit.
"Don't forget your coat." She wriggles out of it. "Thanks for loaning it to me."
"No problem. You'd better get inside before you get cold again." He holds out his right hand, like before at the gym. "Have a safe journey, Pikki."
Rather than shake it, Pikki takes hold of it with her left. Their arms lower together as she interlocks their fingers and squeezes. "Thank you, Roark. I had a nice time."
He grins, squeezing back. "Good. I did too."
She waves after him as he drives off, all the way until his truck turns around a corner and is gone. The door barely closes behind her before a familiar front desk attendant all but pounces. "Did I just see that right?" she demands. "Were you on a date with the gym leader?"
Blushing, Pikki can't help but gloat. "Yeah, I suppose I was."
The attendant squeals, joined by her colleague from behind the desk and a nurse passing through the lobby. They swarm around Pikki to ask a million burning questions.
