Clak Clak Clak… Clak – Clak – Clak – Clak… Clak-Clak
"Just stop, please."
"Hold on, I –"
Clak Clak Clak-Clak-Clak-Clak-Clak
"That's not going to work."
"But for a minute, I thought –"
Clak-Clak
"You must be imagining things. It's not possible for that to work here." Gary slid across the bench and quickly swiped the pokédev from Dawn's hands. Before she could attempt to take it back, he shoved it into his pocket and slid back to his side of the bench.
"Give it back! I –"
"Give it up already." Gary interrupted her with a sigh. "Don't you get it yet? Pokédevs can't send or receive any information in this world. We don't have the same satellites or service providers. Without those, we have no signal or service. There's nothing out here to transfer any data or frequencies for our pokédevs."
"But I've seen Tracey and Solana use theirs all the time! I've even seen you use yours!"
"They're always using functions in their pokédev – not calling or texting anyone. And I use mine to check the time."
…
Dawn frowned and dropped her shoulders in defeat. "I miss the pokétab…"
"The what?"
"The pokétab! You remember don't you? The device that –" Dawn's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. You weren't with them when Bill gave them that thing!" Her hands clapped together in excitement. "Okay, so the pokétab is a –"
Finally able to find a conversation that Gary could not immediately dismiss, Dawn eagerly jumped into a long and drawn out explanation of the now-gone device they were given by the Researcher Bill. From its functions, to its design, to small moments in their group that it had been involved in – she spared no hesitation in describing every last detail of the pokétab.
Gary, though curious of the unknown device, didn't seem to care to hear its explanation from the blue-haired Coordinator. Dawn was a 'side member' of the team. She did not have any particular skill or resource that made her an absolute necessity within the group's hierarchy. And though she would have made an excellent addition to his old team, Gary's view of her within this team gave him little care to give her the attention she constantly sought. By being within this group of misfits, she had believed that she had as much right and as much stakes in every action as anyone else within the team. To Gary, that was hardly the case. She had yet to earn the spot she saw herself in – and did not deserve the tone of interest or importance she held. For that, Gary continued to ignore her words… though he decided to please her by at least pretending to listen.
"…and that's when the aliens came and stole our entire team's underwear."
Gary nodded and smiled with interest.
Dawn rolled her eyes. She knew he wasn't listening. Even when her explanation of the pokétab changed into a strange story about monsters and aliens in comical situations, just to see if he would react to it, Gary did not alter in false responses and acknowledgements. She was getting quite used to no one giving her the consideration she asked for – it was not as much a surprise for her as it was thoughtlessly rude.
It was only to be expected, however. She hated to admit it, but she was still a 'side member' of the team. No matter what she had learned or improved off of within the weeks of her adventures with Ash and the rest – she hadn't truly accomplished anything worth noting. Every other member of the group had given something invaluable or impressive that helped one another or all greatly in the long run. As for herself? I'm just a backup. Just reinforcement.
She had not earned a unique spot within their team. And for that, she had not earned anyone's real attention or interest. It was only the other Mayas and Ash that gave her any honest notice. To everyone else, I may as well be invisible.
In a certain perspective, she had learned to be happy for it. Within the reality before this, Dawn realized that she had only gained favor amongst several people for her sense of fashion, looks, and skills as a Coordinator. But none of the three were of any real use within this reality. Her sense of fashion stuck out when they were trying hard to blend in – causing her to give up most of her favorite color combinations in order to better hide with the team. Her appreciably good looks and charm did not seem to have any use within a world where the only ones in power were those beyond her age group – discouraging her from using it as any form of advantage or benefit. And her skills as a Coordinator mattered little when raw power and numbers won most battles in this place – forcing her to drop most of her elegant and stylistic attacks. Though all these factors had originally troubled her, she found that it would give her the fresh start in life that she was seeking within the previous one.
Ash was moving on in his life. New people, new acquaintances, new friends, and new interests appeared one after to involve themselves with the boy from Pallet Town. Though Dawn had boasted spending a massive amount of time with him during their journeys together – his most recent ventures had escalated his relationships with those he could depend on and those that depended on him. Factors such as history and time spent with him were now moot, as familiarity, bonds, and new experiences now took their place. In those things, Dawn had a crippling disadvantage. But with the new world, and its new rules, things had reset.
Dawn had a higher chance of meaning something to Ash now. She had a greater opportunity to become something that he could depend and rely on. …If only she could find the opportunity to make herself known. I don't know how the other girls do it. One minute they're just talking… next minute, one of them's saving his life from something no one else could face.
She sighed. On many occasions Dawn had attempted in mimicking these same events with Ash, only to find that it ended awkwardly due to how forced they had felt. Anything she tried or experimented with would end up in a strange failure. Making moments with him was simply something she wasn't cut out for.
Instead, she focused her efforts in improving herself and waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. Improve, she did. From taking notes from others, to spying on training sessions, to getting tips and tricks from anyone that was willing to share: Dawn had improved immensely in her techniques in Pokémon Battles, mental sharpness, and physical fitness. She was hardly close to beating anyone at their own game – but she was confident that she could combine these skillsets somehow, someway, into something entirely new. If I can do it with my pokémon, I know I can do it for myself.
…I think she finally stopped talking.
"Hm? Did you say something?" Dawn blinked in surprise by the sudden words.
Gary yawned as he stretched his arms across his side of the bench. "What? No. Didn't say anything. Did any of the Quinns contact you?"
"…I don't think so."
"Mm. Keep an ear and mind out then." The Pokémon Researcher bent over and began to rummage through the items in his bag.
He was looking for his pokédev. He placed it in his bag just a few hours ago before deciding to leave on 'Thinker' duty with her. Yet no matter how many times he looked in the bag, he could never seem to find it. Regret is all he felt for having packed so many items and tools for 'just in case' scenarios.
…and Dawn knew all this. What is this? Am I actually able to –
And just as quickly as it had come, it vanished. What? No! Dawn patted her chest and head, desperately attempting to kick-start the control of Empathy she had held onto just seconds before. In the minor time she had grasp of it, she felt at ease – natural – and familiar. Her consciousness had transformed into something far more balanced, clear, controlled, and tangible. Within that moment, she felt more like Maya.
Come on… Come on. Come on! Come back! Please! I just had it! I just did! She continued to push her emotions and thoughts in different directions; scanning for any leftover traces of the empathy ability. A sense of panic and depression was quickly spinning out of its holds inside herself. I was so close! Why now? Why did it have to come up now? Come on, Maya. Please!
"Dawn? Are you okay?"
The Coordinator sat straight up, realizing that her actions and expressions were an obvious cause for concern if witnessed. "Ah… Yeah! Fine!" She laughed awkwardly. "I had some song lyrics in my head and I just forgot it. I was kind of freaking out that I'd forget the name of the song completely. It's been bugging me for days now."
Gary nodded. The explanation seemed believable enough. "Happened to me once too. I'll leave you alone about it. I might make you more confused if I ask for a portion of the lyrics." He turned and looked away. It's surprising how casual this girl treats everything. After everything that's happened to her, all she worries herself with are lyrics? A humored smirk ran across his face.
A heartened smile ran across Dawn's. There it is! She could 'read' his emotions again. It was unclear, faint, and constantly fading, but the familiar feeling in her heart and mind resurfaced into a more permanent form. She breathed in – an air of satisfaction ran through her lungs as she could 'see' the world closer to how Maya could. Don't lose it, Dawn. Don't push it. If you can just get used to it, maybe you can keep it for a little longer.
Her body relaxed as it began to study the almost ethereal sense of reality that resided within and around her. It was unphysical, yet attached to the most mortal of things: the heart. Emotions faded in and away – like a tide of untouchable colors. Feelings trickled and sparked – like a burst of electricity. And intentions shaded everything in innate lights and shadows – like the setting sun and rising moon. Though transparent and threatening to disappear at a moment's notice, Dawn deeply appreciated this connection within the realm of Empathy.
But why now? Why did it come now of all times?
As her inner self searched for this answer, the colors and temperatures of emotion began to drain away like a cloud dissipating across the sky. No… At least tell me why I had you… And as it continued to lose existence, a sharp pain shot through her head.
"I know if I can teach Espeon how to do it, I know I can learn it myself…"
"Don't push yourself too hard. Take your time with it."
"Thank you again for helping me with this, Farron." Maya grinned as she sat up from the bench and adjusted her posture. "You really didn't have to."
"If you ever need help with your techniques, you can always count on my support, Maya…"
"Thanks." She looked away from him – avoiding the wanting stare he would always give her. "It's real kind of you."
"May I ask you something?"
She flinched. "S-Sure."
"Why me? Why didn't you ask Sato or Leanne for help with this?"
"I… kind of wanted it to be a surprise for Sato." Her muscles tensed. A feeling of pure and utter disappointment and jealousy filled Farron – a feeling that was near impossible to ignore. "I got the feeling that Leanne, and especially Ramie, wouldn't like it if I asked them for help…"
And you thought I would like it? Farron's eyes narrowed. He did his best to hide his inner thoughts from her, but he never had solid control with his honest emotions. His heart spoke far too loud to be considered hidden or disguised. Maya, he's not worth it…
"I'm sorry…" she responded to him quietly. The two looked towards the ground in disappointment of the circumstances. She continued, "I just need your help, please…"
"Why would I want to help –"
"Because you care for me, Farron." Her heart felt sick. She never wanted to say it. She never wanted to bring that card up. She never wanted those words to ever be a part of her conversations. Farron was a good friend to her – and to say these words, she knew that she was forcing him to be used by her. She was willingly controlling how he felt for her as leverage to help her gain one more step. One step closer to securing Sato as hers. It was a despicable and shameful act. But she had to do it. She had to use it now. "And if you care for me, you'll help me with this. Please."
"I do." Farron frowned as his hands gripped tightly onto his knees. "I do care for you, Maya. That's why I won't help you. Because he isn't worth all this. He really isn't. That boy doesn't need you. I… I'm the one that needs –"
She stood, halting his words with a push of her Empathy. "I've got to go then. I need to train on my own. I already have a lot of notes and practices to work on. And all those tips and exercises you gave me is really going to help push this forward. Thank you for that, Farron."
Before she could walk away, he grasped onto her hand. "Please Maya. Don't. Not for him. Anyone but him. He's…" His emotions spiraled and imploded into itself – locking her Empathy out completely.
Maya's eyes widened. "He's what? What do you know?"
"He's going to disappear, Maya…"
"Disappear? What do you mean by that?" A frightening orb of emptiness shuddered inside her chest. Her Empathy did its best to drive it off, yet it remained – indestructible – an undeniable truth.
"He's just going to. Nothing you ever do will stop that. He was meant to disappear."
"What… What are you saying, Farron?"
"Too much."
"What –" Farron's entire entity disappeared from her senses. She turned. No one was there. As if no one had ever been there. A creeping tingle remained around her wrist – where Farron's hand had wrapped itself around. There was nothing around her wrist and hand now. Just a phantom feeling – and a deadly premonition. "Sato…"
"AH!" Dawn finally let out the gasp of pain that her body was refused from. Her hands clawed at her head as the last timeless seconds of the memory faded into nothing. She fought to regain control of her sense of self and present understanding. "M-Maya… Stop…"
Gary shot an alarmed glare towards the pained Coordinator. "Dawn?!" He quickly slid across the bench and reached out to her.
Dawn's blue hair flashed orange. She turned in time to find Gary speeding in her direction. A sickening familiarity swirled inside her chest. Maya recognized something that shouldn't have been there – something she should have seen sooner, years sooner. It was only through Dawn that she gained the evidence she needed to see Gary for what he was. What Gary himself couldn't see himself as…
"He was meant to disappear."
The darkness crept closer to her, eternally close, eternally waiting for this moment.
Before it could reach her, Maya kicked herself away from the bench and hurried herself to her feet. Her hair flashed blue as Dawn's influence struggled to keep regain awareness. What am I doing?! That's just Gary! Orange strands sparked back. No… He's just like Farron. I should've known then. I could've stopped everything then if I had just –
"AAHH!" Dawn fell to her knees as she gripped onto her chest. The pain was indescribable – a pain that affected senses beyond the immediate physical.
Arms quickly wrapped around her. It was Gary. "Dawn?! What's wrong?!"
"Maya…" Her hair had faded back to blue. She slowly stood, leaning against Gary for support. "I'm fine. That happens from time to time. I think it's from staying as Maya for too long…"
"Are you sure? I can get you back to the others! Or I can get someone here for you! Maybe Leanne –"
"No, no, I'm fine. This happened before. This time actually wasn't as bad as the first." She gave a weak laugh. "I'm just getting used to being part of Maya still. I guess I'm not as natural with it as everyone else. Probably had to do with the trial the three of us Mayas had to go through." With a charming smile, she waved off his concern. "Don't worry; I'm getting better at it."
Gary wanted to doubt her – but in truth, he had no reason to. Unlike the others, he could not recall what had occurred during his trial in order to become part of his unified form – Farron. Dawn was more than likely being honest, especially when he took into account of his amnesia during Farron's 'unification'. Maybe we all experienced her pain at some point, but in different ways. Just a side-effect from the union? If it weren't for the obvious benefits, I wouldn't think all of this would be worth the effort…
"Can you keep going? Or do you need to head back?"
Dawn moved towards the bench and sat comfortably against it. "I'm fine. As long as I can keep sitting, I'll last."
He nodded silently towards her and took his spot on the other side of the bench. This entire ordeal's risking too much. How much longer do we have to endure this? Will there be an end to any of this? Gary let out a stressed sigh. We'll all be sacrificing ourselves just for this cause…
…
He doesn't know. He has no idea at all, does he? Maya stared at the stars above. Her eyes squinted sadly at the thought of what could have happened to Gary… to Farron… They have no idea what happened to them. They're just being used. Just like Team Rocket. Just like how N was…
Pinching a strand between her fingers, she twisted and twirled her noticeably blue hair in front of her eyes. Maya was a good liar, just like Dawn – she learned it from watching Leanne, just like Dawn had done with Bianca. Both Maya and Dawn were always underestimated and considered mostly harmless by the others due to their innocent and almost naïve demeanor. But the two still boasted the ability of being able to fool anyone… except for Sato or Quinn.
At the moment, however, the only one she needed to fool was Farron – a man who was fooled by himself. For as long as he was blind to her, she had the chance to act on the warning he had given her lifetimes ago.
We can still do this. We can still save him.
That was all that mattered to Maya – he was the only thing that ever truly mattered to her. Her life had been spent attempting to teach the world about the love found in Pokémon, but only one human had ever attempted to teach her about the love found in everything – and he succeeded. For that, he was worth sacrificing everything for. He was worth fighting for. He was worth protecting. If anyone deserved the reward of a peaceful life: it was Sato.
And she was given another chance to keep him safe.
As one with Dawn, she could now freely move and act on her own. With Dawn, she could act through a vessel that no one would ever suspect. And as Dawn, she could start all over again; renewed; reborn. You and I can do this. We'll keep Ash and Sato safe.
Dawn nodded to herself, in full agreement with Maya. For the blue-haired Coordinator, this was all she ever wanted: She wanted to mean something to Ash. And if it meant being his only defense from the darkness – she would gladly take that role.
Her eyes shifted slightly in blues as Maya receded into the subconscious. Dawn breathed a slow sigh of relief and satisfaction. She finally felt whole. She finally felt sure. Her world and her life had changed impossibly within a short amount of time – and it was only now that she found her solid footing. For once in her entire experience after Ash had lost his sight: She knew what to do.
I won't let them take you, Ash… I won't let any of them take you away again.
The light flickered again, its constant spark beginning to fade with each passing second. Pikachu was falling asleep. Though he had offered his help in creating and holding a small glow for Misty, he hadn't realized how long she needed the light. It had been hours – and he could no longer keep himself awake. And with his drifting consciousness, the yellow radiance from his cheeks finally dimmed to darkness.
The room had turned pitch-black. Misty's work with her notes had come to a standstill. Despite the inconvenience, she patted the Electric Type softly on the head in thanks. "You really didn't need to…" she whispered as quietly as she could. Pikachu sleepily responded with a wave.
Her light was finally gone – but her work was nowhere near finished. With a disappointing sigh, Misty pulled out a pokédev from her bag and used its screen's light next to her notepad. It was hardly as bright as she needed it to be, but it was still dim enough to prevent the others from waking up.
Within the room of E-7, all was quiet. All had been quiet for hours as all of its inhabitants had found themselves in deep sleep. The day had been long and the work had been tedious for a team that had been used to ever-changing environments and troubled situations. It was a rest for their tensed hearts, minds, and muscles – but a maddening bore for their pace in missions. And so they slept – to escape from the irritation and to encourage the slow adaptation their senses needed.
All had slept within Room E-7, except for Misty and Pikachu – though only Misty remained now. Covered in papers and notepads, she had drowned herself in organization and comparison of scribbles and scrawls – all in an effort to give the necessary information that the team could use. More importantly, the paperwork had hidden codes in need of decryption. Codes that were notes themselves. Most importantly, coded notes on her target objective: The Leannes.
'AM Bi – 1503 – Spoke w/ Historian Representative* on subj Dialga Carvings12. Conv Time ~13.20. LR: 'Dialga', 'Which Time', 'Date Of Relic', 'Here … in Sinnoh', 'Founding', 'Other Carvings Within … Sinnoh', 'Members Involved'.' Misty pulled away the pen and examined her shorthand work. Her eyes quickly read and reread between her papers, ensuring that her translated words matched with her coded ones. Shifting through more notes, she compared the time for each code before beginning her next set of quick writings. 'AM Bi – 1552 – Obtained photo of ? subj09. Wrk Time ~2.00. XLRX.' Her hand quickly slid down the page and made an extra mark on the bottom, next to the line '09 Unknown Photograph. No angle.'
"Oh, but what about this one? This one is at 1521."
"That's for LAT, not AM Bi." Misty explained with an equally hushed tone. Her eyes widened. She shot a look to the figure to her left: It was Bianca – the blonde from Unova. In a strange form of panic and cool-headedness, Misty immediately began to fold her notes and papers and placed them into her bag.
"Uhm… Did I do something wrong?" Bianca gave a concerned frown. "I'm sorry, I just –"
The Cerulean City Gym Leader had no idea what to do. In any other situation, she would have immediately made a lie, knocked out the intruder, or negotiated a deal of some sort in order to keep the witness silent. However, this was Bianca of the Leannes – her target; and she had failed to hide the work, that was meant to be used against them, from one of them.
Bianca was naïve and gullible, but those traits could have been disguises made by the Leannes – risking the chance that lies could have given her the time and information she wanted. Bianca was mostly innocent and harmless, giving her the benefit of the doubt in most situations – risking the chance that knocking her out would have been an unsound and irrational reaction. And Bianca was still one of the Leannes – risking the chance that Misty would have gained the rotten end of any negotiations. None of her easy choices seemed viable within this situation. She had never expected any of them to sneak up on her – especially the blond one.
How the Unova native was able to get anywhere near her in the first place baffled her. Though Misty had no real connection to Psychic, Empathic, or Aura reading, she had trained her eyes and ears to near perfection. By all accounts, Bianca should have never been able to sneak away from her bed without Misty catching sight or sound from her. All evidences pointed to the fact that she had completely underestimated one of the Leannes; something she should have never been guilty of.
"How did you sneak up on me?" Misty decided that if she could not trick, fool, or make deals with the Leanne, she could at least face her with honesty. "I didn't hear or see you coming."
"Sneak up on you?" The blonde tilted her head. "I've been sitting next to you this entire time."
Misty's eyes widened even further. "Y-You have?"
"Yup. I saw you pulling out your notes and thought I could help. So I just sat next to you."
"But… Then who's sleeping on your bed?"
"Tonya." Bianca pouted. "That was another reason why I came to help you… She's been sleeping there since we got back."
Misty turned towards the bed that the blonde should have been asleep in. A figure was curled in its dark sheets, with the familiar green newsboy cap Bianca had been known for on its head.
Looking back at Bianca, she noticed the blonde was still wearing her hat. Misty pointed at the hat on her head and the hat on the sleeping figure's head.
"I have more than one." Bianca answered nonchalantly. "And I don't blame her for wearing it. They're quite comfy."
Misty sighed. "So you've been here the entire time?"
"Yep."
"And you've been watching me write these notes all this time?"
"Definitely."
"Spying?"
"…Spying?" Bianca tilted her head again. "Why would I be spying?"
"Well why else would you be here?" Misty crossed her arms; unbelieving.
"Sato put us in a team together, remember? For the Archive? I uhm… I didn't get much notes for our meeting. So I thought if I helped you with yours that I could be of some use…"
The rather sad answer made the orange-haired Gym Leader place her palm to her eyes. "And so in your attempt to help me, you inadvertently became a spy for the Leannes…" she groaned.
"Uhm… No?"
Her response was almost adorable to Misty. Almost. "If you've been here the entire time – I get the feeling you understand my codes by now." – Bianca nodded. Misty shrugged her shoulders challengingly. "So you know that I've been spying on all of you." – Bianca nodded again.
…
Misty cursed under her breath. She wasn't sure if Bianca was stalling or simply too dense to realize the seriousness of the situation. "That means you're going to tell them – because you're going to protect them – which makes YOU the SPY." she explained it as clearly as she could.
Bianca shook her head, surprising the Gym Leader. "No, I won't say anything."
Blinking as if her eyes had been the one to hear wrong, Misty leaned back. "Y-You won't?"
"No… Should I?"
"Shouldn't you? They're your friends. And you are a Leanne."
"This is for Sato, right?"
"…Yes?" Misty answered hesitantly.
"And Sato's just looking out for us, right?" Bianca smiled sweetly. "Then I don't need to tell them anything."
"…Are… Are you sure? But aren't you on Leanne's side on all this?"
Bianca looked down, an expression of obvious guilt filling her features. "…No. Not really."
Misty was unsure whether to take her seriously or to fear that she was being fooled into a false sense of security. "And why would you not be on her side if you're a part of her?"
"Because I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing here…" Her answer was honest – too honest. It wasn't a conversation Bianca was ever ready to face. A held-back tear rolled down the blonde's cheek as her body began to shake. "I… I want to go back home, but… I don't want to make everyone here disappear either." She pressed her forearm against her eyes, wiping away the tears that escaped her control. "Really, I don't know what to do. I just want to go home. But keep everyone. Everyone's so nice here. And if we made everything go back to what it was before… We'd lose all those nice people…"
She finally broke down, sobbing as quietly as she could into her sleeves. "I just wish none of this ever happened. I don't know what to do. I really don't. Sato knows what to do without being mean. That's what it sounds like, at least. What BiBi's doing doesn't sound any better than what Team Rocket did… And what the Psychic people are doing doesn't sound like any of us will ever be able to leave all this crazy stuff… I just want to go home… I just… really want to go home…"
Misty wrapped her arms around her and patted her gently. "Shhh… We'll all go home after this."
"…I… I don't even know where home is anymore…"
Misty sighed. "Me neither… Maybe we'll just have to make a new one."
"Will… Will all of you be there?"
"Hm?"
"Will all of you be there? In the new home?" Bianca tried her best to stop her mewling. "I really like all of you. You're like family to me… I don't know if I could ever feel at home without knowing all of you are okay."
A smile formed on Misty's lips. "I'm sure we'll all stay in contact with each other. Maybe even live near each other."
"…Are you going to marry Sato?"
Misty's face turned pink at the unexpected question. "Wh-What?"
Bianca wiped away the last of her tears and looked up at Misty. "If we live near each other… are you going to be married to Sato? Live in the same house? You're always around him and doing everything for him. You do more things for him than any of the others here. And well… They say you've known Ash longer than anyone else here. I think he'd choose you."
"I… Well… What makes you think he won't choose the others? He's really close with Angie… Or Sabrina."
"Sabrina's too focused on missions and stuff like that to really commit. And Angie's just like Ramie – she's going to give up if one of the Mayas gets with Sato." she answered matter-of-factly, "At least, that's what BiBi says."
"One of the Mayas?" Misty leaned back in curiosity. "Why not just 'Maya'?"
Bianca, realizing that she would not be able to sleep in her own bed anytime soon, crawled away from Misty's arms and moved towards the headboard of the bed. She leaned against it comfortably. "You're too close to Ash to be fine being with him as Maya."
Am I? "What does that mean?"
"Dawn and Anabel are really happy to be Maya. But you aren't. You used to be – but after losing Ash and getting him back, you haven't been as close to Sato. You aren't even experiencing Maya's personality anymore in your own."
"Did BiBi tell you all that?"
She shook her head. "One part, at least. About how close you were with Sato. But the other part? About how you're not as close anymore? No, I noticed that myself."
"You… You've been spying on me?" Misty's eyes narrowed.
"N-No. Well… Kind of? I guess I spy on you as much as I spy on everyone else…"
A Leanne to the end. Misty wondered where the conversation would lead if she continued to push for more information – though a larger concern suddenly filled her mind, "Why are you telling me all this?"
"Telling you this? … Uhm… I like Sato. He's like a big brother to me. And… I guess… I think you really make him happy. I think you're the best for him."
The Gym Leader blinked in surprise. "You mean… You think I'm better for him as myself than as Maya? Wait… You think I'm better for him than Leanne?"
Bianca thought for a second before answering, "Yeah, I guess I do. Maya was good for Sato, but I don't think Maya is as close to Sato as you are with Ash. And… well, I never really wanted to say it, but I don't think we Leannes are very good for him." She leaned forward and waved her hands. "Please don't tell BiBi or Latias that I said that! They'd kill me!"
"You think…" Misty's face became surprisingly hot. "I'm that close to Ash?"
Bianca nodded. "I really think you two were meant for each other."
Misty's face became even hotter. "Uhm… Th-Thank you. I honestly didn't expect anyone to say that."
"That's because it's a lie." a voice to their right muttered in annoyance.
Misty and Bianca nearly screamed in surprise at the third voice. They flinched at the sight of an irritated May standing at the side of the bed. "H-How long have you been there?" Misty hissed.
"Long enough." May growled back. "You really shouldn't be counting your chickens quite yet, Misty. Especially since your Mayas are probably flirting with Ash as we speak."
"What?"
"Anabel snuck off." the Coordinator mentioned almost casually, "Just got up and snuck out of here while you and Blondie were having your little girl time. And Anne's emotions only showed one thing: Something urgent."
Misty quickly pushed herself off the bed and began to pack essentials into her bag. "Any clue to why she left?" she asked professionally.
"I'd guess it has something to do with the fact that Ash and Maylene aren't back from their little spar. Oh, and Dawn and Gary aren't due back yet – but who knows, they might have something to do with her freak out."
"And why are you up?"
"Because Anabel's panicked emotions forced me awake." she murmured. "I don't really have full control of my Empathy yet, so sue me. Just be glad I was here to warn you two."
Misty nodded and looked around the darkened room. "…No one else is missing, correct?"
"None that I can feel out." May shrugged. "Angie's awake, by the way. Faking her sleep."
"Doesn't matter. Just make sure she doesn't follow us – we don't need all of us scrambling out of our beds over a hunch."
"Psh. I ain't staying here. I'm going to check on Ash."
"No, you're not. You're staying here and watching over this place."
"Wasn't a suggestion."
"Neither was mine."
The Coordinator sneered. "I don't follow orders from you, Mist. Especially when it concerns Ash's safety. Like it or not, I'm the only one who can follow Anabel's emotions right now. If I wanted to, I can leave you back here. I only told you all this because I thought you'd be concerned that one of the Mayas is sneaking out in the middle of the night… But I guess since you're planning on stealing Ash for yourself –"
"I don't have time for this, May. I can look for Anabel myself. Just point me which way she went."
…
May smirked amusedly and shook her head, walking towards the exit.
"May, get back here now."
The brown-haired Empathic left the room without another word.
"Shoot…" Misty grabbed the last of her needed mission items and was ready to chase after. She stopped herself halfway and eyed the blonde on her bed. "Make sure no one else leaves this room. Got it?"
Bianca sat up straight and nodded.
Misty ran out the door and disappeared into the shadows of Corridor E.
Anabel was found at the hatchway of the Hearthome Tertiary – one of the main exits for the HBR into their own city, and the one Gary and Dawn had used to begin their Thinker duty. She carefully worked the switches and knobs to the left-side wall before slowly peeking her head out of the disguised hatch. Her body hardly moved as quietly or as skillfully as it was being perceived. Using her Empathy masterfully, the Frontier Brain was able to control how any within her vicinity 'cared' about her movements, sound, or her direction – making her seem invisible despite being in clear view.
"And where do you think you're sneaking off to?" Misty grabbed her by the sleeve.
The Empathic didn't seem surprised. Tilting her head slightly to regard the orange-haired Gym Leader, she responded, "I felt something."
"Explain."
"Dawn. Something happened to her." Anabel pulled her sleeve away and began to close the hatch as quietly as she could. "She's fine now. But earlier, I could've sworn…"
"Sworn what? And since when were you able to sense emotions this far out?" Misty leaned her back against the nearest wall. Her latter question seemed to concern her more – as she was sure that not even the 'unified' Maya could have that much control of her Empathy.
Anabel shook her head. "I can't. Something happened to Dawn. Didn't you feel it?"
The Gym Leader raised her brow and frowned. "I can't sense emotions other than Ash's, remember?"
Anabel shook her head again. "No. Not emotions. Something happened to Dawn. Something that has to do with Maya. I'm sure you would've felt something."
Misty shrugged. "Didn't feel a thing. What exactly did you feel?"
Finally able to close and lock the hatch completely, the lilac-haired Empathic exhaled in relief. Her volume returned to normal, "I can't exactly explain. Like… Wait." She looked around curiously. "You were following May?"
Slightly surprised at her ability to read emotions even while still in thought, Misty hesitated with her answer, "…Yes. And I'm wondering the same thing you are. But that's not important right now. What did you feel?"
Reaching out with her Empathy, Anabel scanned as far as she could: The brown-haired Coordinator was nowhere near them. It was a strange circumstance, as Misty's emotions had revealed that she had been following directly behind her for quite some time. Yet May was nowhere to be found. How she could have lost the keen eyes and ears of the Cerulean Gym Leader – made little sense.
"Don't worry about her right now." Misty snapped Anabel's attention back into the current circumstances. The orange-haired tomboy seemed to have gained an innate understanding of what she was thinking even without any proper form of metaphysical abilities. Their connection together as 'Mayas' seemed to have built that. "Just tell me what's going on."
What was going on concerned their very connection as 'Mayas', Anabel wanted to say. But she refused those words from leaving her lips. Misty was one of the most proactive members of their team, and giving her any reason to act needed to first be confirmed and understood. Neglecting to do so was similar to leaving a scent of blood in the water – with Misty being the sharpedo hidden in its depths. "For a second," Anabel decided to respond, "I thought I lost my connection with Maya."
Misty flinched. That's definitely something 'urgent'. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." The Frontier Brain pressed her back against the hatchway controls, preventing the Gym Leader from acting out on her current emotions. "While I was asleep, there was a sudden… emptiness, or disconnection. I felt like how I was before the three of us became Maya at Lake Verity."
Misty inspected her own emotions and memories. Not once had she felt any such 'emptiness' or 'disconnection'. Is it because I'm not an Empathic? Or is it because I haven't really felt as connected to Maya since… Bianca's words echoed in her heart. A curious guilt swirled around her chest as she worried that her lack of commitment to being 'Maya' may have caused the disconnection. However, there was one last detail that needed to be considered, "What does this have to do with Dawn? What did you feel from her?"
"…I felt like she was Maya. As if she left us and went just to her."
"That wouldn't make sense." Misty crossed her arms and studied the Empathic's face. Anabel was not the type to jump to conclusions, even if she is an emotional type. Due to her experiences throughout their travels, Anabel had honed her own emotions to near-perfect control. With that control she had an almost cold logic to her – similar to the Quinns or the Leannes, though her control was driven by care and empathy. Even with that difference, Misty doubted she would have chosen to be irrational over a single, easily misunderstood feeling. There had to be a strong reasoning behind the situation for the usually-hesitant Anabel to push herself into action. "We're all Maya. Pieces of her. Maya isn't complete without each of us." she concluded.
"I thought that too. But… I still couldn't shake that feeling off. It was so strong. So loud. So hot. I couldn't ignore it."
"You're not the type to act over hunches, Anne. Ar–"
"This was no hunch." Anabel interrupted. "I know what I felt. I don't really understand it and I can't really explain it. But I know exactly how it felt. I just can't put it into proper words."
"Then express it in a way that you do know will make sense. An analogy or something."
"…Analogy…" Anabel thought hard. Emotions were difficult to put into words, yet were always done through poetry – and were almost always done with analogies. However, the emotions felt by an Empathic were not simple shades or colors – each emotion held entire stories and settings within, having far more depth than what the normal poem could hold.
"A mirror." is what she decided to begin with, "And it reflects a person in it. But then it shatters. And the person's still in each broken piece… They're only pieces and portions of the person, but together, they make the person whole. But when one piece shifts in the right direction and shows the entire person – then the other pieces are nothing but broken portions of the whole. They don't make a whole anymore – only one of them does."
The analogy surprisingly made sense to Misty, who didn't consider herself to be a deep poet. "And you're saying… Dawn is that piece that shifted towards Maya?"
Anabel nodded slowly. "But –" she quickly added, "She's not anymore. She's back to just being Dawn. At least… I think she is."
"You don't want to ask her?"
"Would she tell us the truth if she did?"
Misty considered. Dawn's easily excitable – and she would normally say anything and everything on her mind… So she would, wouldn't she? But as Maya… "Maya wouldn't say a thing about it."
"No, she wouldn't."
"And what were you planning to do?"
"I just wanted to make sure."
"Make sure what, exactly?"
Anabel frowned. Misty was not going to let the subject drop. The subject was hassling enough as it was without the Gym Leader's interference – yet the situation seemed to have gained a timer as long as she was involved. Anabel wanted time to think – time to reconsider, but Misty's presence would not allow it. "I wanted to make sure that she really was. Really was Maya. She isn't anymore. But seeing her out there? I know something happened. I guess you could say 'intuition' – because that's all I can really go off of right now."
"And what were you planning to do after you found out?"
"I'm not really sure…" She shrugged in defeat. "I didn't think this is how it would turn out. I thought the three of us would finally get used to being Maya, and just… I mean, crazy as it is, I didn't mind… um… 'sharing' Ash, as long as we did it as Maya." She stared at the floor, refusing to look at Misty. What she was suggesting was something they had all considered, but never said aloud. In verbal words: It sounded taboo and completely strange. Though the concept was not foreign to them when they were Maya – as individuals it implied something entirely different. But what it implied was the only thing Anabel sought to hold onto. "I was fine with that. Looking forward to that, really. I thought Dawn was too. But now?"
"…Things never stay easy around Ash, do they?" Misty sighed. "Let's just go to sleep. Maybe Dawn will want to talk about it with us later. It's best not to corner her about it." She turned and waved for the Empathic to follow her.
Anabel stopped her in her tracks – holding her by the sleeve. "You're not helping either, Misty."
The Gym Leader tilted her head slightly. "Excuse me?"
"I said you're not helping either."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean… This thing you've been doing with Ash lately. How private you've been with him. And how you're acting as his only trustworthy partner."
"It's not my fault if he sees me as that."
"He sees you as that because you're making him see you that way."
Misty turned and faced Anabel. A look of tired annoyance filled her expression. "Look, I'm not sure why everyone's getting so worked up tonight – but we really can schedule this argument for another time."
"See? You're doing it again!" Anabel's eyes narrowed. "You keep rescheduling everyone else's conversations and talks, but every minute Ash has just one moment of troubled thought – you come rushing in there as if you're the paramedics! Because of that, he has no choice but to see you as the only one he could count on! Because you're not letting anyone else get the chance! You've been that way since Sabrina and Casey had to leave our group."
"If you've got a problem with it, you could just as easily take the time to go take care of Ash yourself, Ms. Empathic. I'm not stopping anyone. And I'm certainly not stopping you."
"But you are. Because of how you've been treating him, the rest of us feel like we're just getting in his way! By the time he's done talking to you, he's always so emotionally exhausted or estranged that none of us can get near him without him trying to put on the right face. The rest of us feel like burdens to him once you're done with him!"
"And what's wrong with that?!" Misty's controlled temper finally broke. She always did her best to keep her calm around lilac-haired young woman, due to her causing no trouble or offense to others, but it was obvious now that Anabel intended to aim offense towards her. "Is it so wrong that I like Ash and actually am pursuing him for once? I see you girls hanging off him every minute of the day – practically begging for his attention! I'm at least making it worth his time! You can say I'm draining him emotionally all you want, but you know yourself that he's more awake and rested after I talk with him! What you're afraid of is the fact that he's becoming less vulnerable to any moments of sensitivity that you can lay on him! Maybe instead of blaming me for giving him what he needs – maybe you should take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror and blame yourself for constantly bothering him for what you want!"
Anabel took a step back. Misty's green eyes were locked against her lilac eyes – and from the challenging position the orange-haired tomboy was in: Anabel noticed that Misty was slightly taller than her – making her a threatening figure. Anabel never liked bullies. "And maybe you should take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror and know that you're still a Maya! And you left your other pieces out here to act like second-hand replacements!" With a burst of her Empathy, she caused Misty to flinch. "We're all pieces to each other, Misty! You're just shoving us out of the way because you want Ash to yourself! Your selfishness probably pushed Dawn to that point of relying on herself to be like Maya instead of counting on all of us!"
Despite the unnerving aura that was emanating from the fuming Empathic, Misty stood her ground. "Well good for her! She's at least succeeding in something that, for once, doesn't rely on a trampy little outfit and a shallow smile! She's at least working on herself for once instead of waiting for someone to throw her a bone! And so what if I want Ash?! I spent years worrying my head off for that idiot that I actually had to spend even more years trying to improve my career just to get him out of my head! And what do you know? He keeps coming back! No matter how many times I think I'm rid of him – he just – poof – comes right back! As if the whole universe is just dangling him in front of me until I do something about it! And guess what? I'm doing something about it now. And suddenly that's a crime? Ash needs me! And I really never wanted to admit it but I – I need him! None of you other girls get that! You just have your childish little crushes on him and never questioned once if you really did care for him – honestly, truly cared for him!"
Misty's fist planted itself against the concrete wall, echoing a broken thwack down the long, empty corridor. Her arm tensed, her knuckles bled, and her eyes winced. A tear rolled down her eye as she furiously glared at the Empathic. "I care for him. I love him. I spent countless days thinking it over in my head if he really did mean anything to me. I didn't want him to – but he did. He really did. And he still does. Ash may not be 'my everything' – but he's a part of me that I need just to function 'right'. He keeps me caring about pokémon, he keeps me caring about others, and he keeps me caring about what really matters at the end of all this.
"And you… You girls just waltzed into his life, thinking that just a single moment is enough to make him mean the world to you. That idiotic little puppy love you all hold for him is ridiculous! And now, just because 'Maya' and 'Sato' come along, suddenly Ash means a hundred more things to you… He meant all those things to me from the very beginning. I didn't need some cosmic reason to care for him as much as I do… I didn't need to go through this insane journey just to get to know him for who he was… And Ash didn't need this –" Her arms spread wide. "All of this. He didn't need any of this. None of us needed this. We would've been fine, getting to know Ash on our own, getting on with our lives… All of this is too much. And you girls just treat it like a gamble! You just keep rolling with it, hoping it keeps going, until the arrow points to you and Ash running off together into the sunset! I don't need that. I don't need 'Maya' or 'Sato' or anything else to come up. I'll love Ash regardless, and I'll earn him myself!"
"So you're going to deny who you are just so you can prove a point?" Anabel hissed, still defiant towards her.
"What do you mean by that? I'm not denying who I am! If anything, you girls are denying who you are! You forget you're still Anabel and Dawn – with your own lives and stories to tell! Now you just think you're 'Maya', a woman whose life is over with. Done. Gone. And you still hold it over your heads like it's what you represent!"
"Except Maya isn't done. She isn't gone. We're Maya, Misty!" Anabel pushed her Empathy to an immense level, paralyzing Misty with her furious emotions. "If you want to talk done and gone – you're saying the same thing for Dawn and Ash! Those two experienced being taken away by the darkness, remember?! By all accounts, Ash shouldn't be with us – Dawn shouldn't be with us! You're being a hypocrite with that stupid double-standard of yours! You're just trying to prove your worth to yourself! It's that stubborn pride of yours, just because you wanted to be like Ramie!"
Misty's eyes sharpened at the last statement. She struggled to break out of the freezing hold of Anabel's energy, becoming even more furious when her body refused. With a roar of anger, she broke free – knocking Anabel back with a tackle. The two tumbled and crashed onto the floor, with Misty pinning the Empathic down with an elbow to the neck.
"Just… like… Ramie…" Anabel exhaled horribly from her hold.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"Why…? Strike… a nerve?" A knowing smirk formed across the Empathic's face.
"I'M…" Misty froze. Her mind and heart circled frantically as they soon realized… she did. "I'm… I am just like Ramie…" She let go of her victim and sat to the floor. Her eyes were locked in disappointed shock. "I've been acting like Ramie all this time, haven't I?"
Anabel massaged her neck and swallowed hard before speaking, "You lost… your temper just like she did. And…" She swallowed again, trying to relax her throat. "You even used your will to break my Empathy. A definite Ramie-skill."
"But why? Why would…" Misty's voice trailed off, becoming lost in her thoughts.
"You're the wish of Maya to be more like Ramie. Haven't you figured that out yet?"
"I suppose that makes sense. But why is this happening now? Don't get me wrong. I know I've always been jealous of anyone that wrapped their arms around Ash, but… Not like this. Never like this. I didn't feel this way until after we brought back Ash… I mean, if I've always been like Ramie, shouldn't I have shown signs of this sooner?"
"Possibly it's because Ramie only became possessive over Sato after he got involved with other women? And Sato wasn't back until we brought Ash back?"
"…You're saying I'm getting possessive over Sato now because you two, my other halves, got involved with him?"
"Basically."
Misty ran her fingers through her hair in shame. "I just got jealous of myself?"
"Basically." Anabel repeated. "You're enacting the same possessiveness over Sato that Ramie showed against Maya. When Maya or any girl was around, Ramie would suddenly become more involving and protective over Sato."
"…So I'm just going to keep feeling this way?"
"Not if you can help it, I'd hope." The Empathic gave a nervous laugh. "You might still hold that temper of yours, though."
"I'm not going to blame Ramie or Maya for that one." Misty shrugged. "I'll take responsibility for that."
Anabel nodded in understanding.
…
"I'm sorry for being such a jerk…" Misty bowed in apology.
Anabel waved off the penitence and smiled. "Hey, we worked through it. So there's nothing to be sorry about."
"Have you known this about me all this time?"
"Not really… I had guesses, but was only sure after this fight."
"I know I certainly would've never guessed it. You sure you aren't a wish to be more like Leanne or Quinn?"
Anabel shook her head. "No clue. It's easy to examine others, but near impossible to make a clear assessment of one's self."
"I'm guessing it's Quinn." Misty responded with a small laugh.
"I'm sure only Sato could tell immediately…"
"Speaking of… Where do we go from here?"
"Hm?"
Misty rolled herself towards the hatchway and knocked on it lightly. "Dawn out there. If she's Maya, and we're not, where do we go from here?"
"…Um…" Anabel looked away, embarrassed to speak about the subject Misty was referring to. "You mean…"
"Yeah, being Maya together…" She scratched at her orange hair, trying to ignore any silly emotions of shyness and embarrassment. "I don't really mind 'sharing' Ash. I mean, I guess I do. But that's just me being selfish. We're Maya – and I need to get that through my thick skull. I know I'm Misty. And I know I have my own history as her – but I can't deny the fact that I'm Maya either. I mean, if I just get to know you two better… I know I'll be fine with it. Ash… Sato… they deserve the best. And I know we're the best. No matter how many times this universe changes, there's still a Sato and a Maya. And it doesn't matter which Maya came first – we're still Mayas. And Mayas get with Satos. … I guess."
Misty was opening up to her. And in a strange perspective, Anabel had felt like Misty was speaking as Ramie instead of as a part of Maya. The wish's influence was stronger than Anabel originally thought it had been… It was a surprise to her that they could still 'unify' as Maya despite their strong differences. "You're right. Um… Misty? Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"What would Ramie do in a situation like this?"
"Ramie?"
Anabel nodded. "As Mayas, we take signs and feelings as our indication on what to do next. All signs are pointing to the fact that Dawn's Maya now, not us. We're not needed anymore. Sato has his Maya. A full, complete Maya. In Maya's eyes, I think we're supposed to just give up here and just let Dawn take Ash."
"That sounds… pathetic."
"I know. That's why I'm asking you. I'm not comfortable using a Ramie-method to approach this situation, but knowing that you're still a Maya: That's not entirely blasphemous to what we stand for, right?"
"You make us sound like a religious order."
"It helps that I already am religious."
"You are?"
"Doesn't matter. Just answer the question."
Misty stared at the difficult-to-decipher Anabel. The young woman was hardly as mysterious as the Quinns or the Leannes, but she seemed to have her own depth that she never cared to share with others. She decided to drop it. "I guess… Ramie…" Her mind went blank. She could not find a logical or obvious answer. Maybe it's because Ramie's not logical or obvious. Straightforward maybe, but not obvious. In her distracted thoughts, she decided to speak without concern, "If Mayas are the best for Satos – and Dawn's a full Maya… then wouldn't three full Mayas be better than one? Making us better than the best?"
…
Anabel wanted to cry and laugh at the ridiculously simplistic answer, but she refused herself and approached the response with professionalism, "You're implying that each of us, just like Dawn, is supposed to become full a Maya on their own? Then what?"
"Yes, and, um, then we… unite?"
"…Is that possible?"
"I suppose." Misty shrugged – she didn't quite understand her own answer, but it felt naturally correct. "We are all pieces of glass. We just all need to face the right way. Wouldn't hurt to try."
"I don't think three shards of glass reflecting the same figure can be put side-by-side to make a unified one."
"Oh… Well… Then maybe we use a different analogy? How about… We're colors from the spectrum, but in different sides? Together, we made single color. Then one of us just changed in hue until they turned into the color we all used to make… So now, we all change in our own hues until we match that color. And instead of affecting the single color – we're all imposed on one another, matching the same color so we can't change each others' hues anymore?"
Anabel applauded. "That sounded more like a Maya answer than a Ramie one. It makes sense. And it might even work! Awesome job, Misty!"
Misty blushed at the praise. "Thank you. So for now… If we decide to do this, I say we don't bring it up with Dawn."
"How do you think Dawn did it by herself?"
"Not really sure. But it shouldn't be too hard for us to figure out. If she reached the point of being Maya by simply becoming more like her… What's to stop us from doing the same?"
"Maybe the fact that Dawn was closest to being like Maya than the two of us?"
Misty waved off her fact. "Quit being all pessimistic like Quinn. We can do this."
"And don't be overconfident like Ramie." Anabel shot back. "And yeah, we can."
Misty and Anabel embraced quickly before breaking away and nodding to one another.
"…Time to find May?"
"Time to find May."
"So that's what's going on…"
"Yeah, and now it's just a constant balancing act. Though, without the Quinns around, I can't really balance their end."
"I wonder how they're doing…"
"Same here."
"Hey, Ash? Why didn't you tell me all this sooner? I know why you wouldn't really trust anyone else with this stuff… But you know you could've counted on me if you made it clear enough, right?"
…
…
Maylene sighed. She tapped the back of her head on the side of the crate she leaned against, punishing herself for another stupid question. "Yeah, yeah, I wasn't exactly there for you when you needed me. I'm not going to pretend that I would've been any more dependable if I had finished my fight with Domino sooner… But at least know that I know better now."
Ash turned towards her and nodded. "I'm not doubting that you've gotten better. I just doubted you would've really listened to me while you were stressed like that."
"Remind me: Why exactly was I stressed like that?"
"Hey, you know we didn't have time for a spar."
"Yet we just had one."
"Because you forced it on me."
"Hey, only for the first one. Oh, and where oh where are the consequences for this? Far as I can tell: I don't see any."
"We'll definitely feel it in the morning."
"Eh – we'll get through it. We're probably going to end up doing more paperwork and research anyways."
"Except that there's a Raid we need to prep for. And a few Patrol duties that we should probably be a part of."
"OH CRAP! I FORGOT ABOUT THOSE!" Maylene slammed her head harder against the crate.
Her forgetfulness and honest embarrassment caused Ash to chuckle. Maylene joined him in the laugh, though she found the situation they were in more humorous than her own reaction. Leaning awkwardly against the crates of a forgotten corner in Sector D, the two did their best to find a comfortable position that took pressure and weight away from their sore injuries. Their movements and postures were embarrassing – yet they had been continuing their conversations normally for hours. Ash's laugh had only made their situation obvious.
Following the revealing fight held hours before, Maylene had planned to take Ash back to the Room E-7 to recuperate. Ash, on the other hand, had other plans after regaining consciousness. 'That wasn't a fair fight!' were his words that caused another rumble to occur. 'Is that all you got?' were his words that challenged for one more. 'Let's keep going.' were his words that initiated their last one. Now neither had the energy nor will to continue their melees. All that was left for the two was conversation. And within the last hour, conversation is how the two kept their minds off their painful bruises and scars.
"…I don't think we've ever really talked this much to each other." Maylene realized.
"No, we haven't." Ash responded with a wince, adjusting himself to take weight off the curious scratch he found under his foot. "Not if you count when it was just you, me, and Angie on the road together, that is."
"Or if you count our 'sparring sessions'."
"Wasn't the last time we had one when it was just you, me, and Angie?"
"Oh… Yeah, I guess you're right." Maylene rolled onto her back, taking a deep breath in as the crate's cold surface stung the wet scars on her shoulder blades. "Way to keep a gal waiting, by the way."
"I made it worth the wait, didn't I?"
"Yeah… Yeah, you did." She smiled dreamily. "I won't forget this one. I definitely won't forget this one."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Did you?"
"Yeah… Hurts like heck though."
"It's worth every ache and throb."
"I guess so." Ash laughed weakly.
"Hey Ash?"
"Y-Yeah?" The blind Empathic flinched. Maylene's mood had suddenly changed. Though he always had trouble reading her emotions clearly, unless she's eating or excited, he seemed to be able to read her clearly now. Whether it was intentional or by accident: Maylene left herself open for him. It was not an ability or a behavior he knew her for.
"Do you remember what happened after the first fight?"
His heart skipped a beat.
"I mean, the first fight we had tonight?"
He knew exactly what she meant. Though he only had small lapses of sensation, sound, and memory of what had happened afterwards, Maylene's emotions were showing him exactly what had occurred. He had a feeling – but 'seeing' it was something else entirely. "…U-Um."
Ash was no longer the small boy from Pallet Town. At times, he saw himself that way. At times, others saw him that way. But no one could deny that he had matured and grown considerably since his days as a rookie Trainer. And no one could pretend that he was still naïve about certain subjects. What had once been a curiosity that only Ash and Angie would admit to one another – had become the main subject for the entire team: Relationships.
"If you don't want to talk about it…"
He didn't. Despite all that he had gone through and all he had experienced between each member of the group – Ash Ketchum never wanted to bring up that subject when so much depended on its conclusion. In introspect, he had no fear of commitment or decision – he had no dread of love or care – he had no yearning to run from a more involved relationship. What he did fear is what any of those may have meant to the others. What they may think – What they might do – And where the team would be and where their objectives would lead to, if he simply discussed it beyond 'what-if's and 'possibly's.
Maylene's eyes seemed to water at his silent answer.
Is she… crying? This wasn't like Maylene. For that, he was sure. He may have not spent as much time with the fighter as he would have liked – but he knew for a fact that she was not the type to cry. She was prone to becoming easily depressed, she could quickly become somber, and she could lose her bright and loud personality – but she was never known as the type to shed tears for any worries. "What's wrong, 'Lene?"
He used the nickname he had given her. She could have sworn it had been years since he had used it, though she knew it had only been weeks. To her surprise, the nickname had affected her terribly. A sharp feeling of desperation hit her chest, forcing her to face him and ask, "When will you ever give me the chance?"
Ash blinked in shock. Her choice of words was confusing, but the meaning behind each of them was straightforward… due to the voice that spoke them. "Amy?" Sato woke into Ash's consciousness, then quickly faded. Why Sato had disappeared so quickly was completely lost on Ash – but why he appeared so suddenly was obvious. For the short time he was at the fore, Ash had seen Ramie in front of him, not Maylene.
"When will you ever give me the chance?" this time it was Maylene's voice, "How long… do I have to wait until you just give me one chance?" Her voice was cracking as she did her best to hold back her irrational tears. She had never felt this way before, yet she couldn't help but act on the emotions. "It doesn't have to be anything official… It doesn't have to be a big deal… But just give me a chance…"
"Maylene… We… don't have ti–"
KRAK
The fighter's fist shattered one of the corners of a rotting crate. Maylene did not want to hear him say it. She was tired of hearing him say it. They never had time. We would never have time. "Give me an answer. Just a clear answer. That's all I need." she growled in frustration as she clumsily wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Before anybody else asks you. I know they will. I don't need it spelled out for me: You're going to give someone else an answer, a chance, before you ever get to me. And you'll never drop them. Because that's how you are. And that's fine… But that also isn't fair!
"We're going to drift apart after you get with one of the Mayas, or Quinns, or Leannes, or even one of the other Ramies! And… I'll never get my chance. Because I was never a serious consideration to you. I mean, heck, I know I'm not into this romance stuff like they are, but how am I supposed to know for sure? You're the only one I've ever been interested in this way, Ash. And you're a good guy. Heck, you're probably one in a million. And if you get with anyone, they're going to lock you up and never let you out – especially around me. That fight we just had? It was special. Every fight we have is special. And it's something no one else can experience, because there's no one else like you and me… They're going to get jealous about that. Envious about it. And by every right, they'd keep us apart. And I'd stupidly respect that. And I'll just move on in life. I'm fine with that."
Maylene staggered, pushing herself to walk towards Ash. Her body ached, her muscles cramped, and she could barely move forward in a straight line – yet she continued her path. "What I'm not fine with is how you're just going to move on as if I never asked." She finally reached Ash's side of the crates, staring down at him in disappointment. "I've asked more than once, Ash. And I'm not even counting Ramie for this one. I may not have said the exact words every time I've asked, but I was pretty clear about what I meant. So… Please… Just answer the question. I can take a 'no'. But I can't take a 'wait'. I can't stand waiting around for an answer anymore, Ash. It's nothing but busywork until I get one! Just tell me now: Will you go out with me?"
…
…
After finally putting the question into voice, Maylene and Ash realized how ridiculously adolescent it had all been.
Ash began laughing. After all the drama that had built up and the damage had been done by the torrent of emotions – it had ended with a completely innocent question. He couldn't believe how simple it was; how juvenile and adorable it all was. The weight of time and effort they put into the subject and its intentions was absurd when faced with what it ultimately amounted to: A date. Just a single, unsophisticated date.
Maylene, on the other hand, wasn't laughing. Her face was flushed red and her eyes were watering again. "Sh-Shut up! It's not funny! This… This is really hard for me, and –" She burst out laughing, unable to ignore Ash's contagious laugh. "Okay, so maybe it is funny! B-But! You need to answer me, Ash!" She did her best to wipe the smile off her face.
The blind Empathic covered his mouth and snorted the last of his laugh into his hands. "U-Um… OK."
…
"…O…K?"
"Yeah, OK." Ash repeated with a grin. "I'll go out with you."
…
Maylene dropped to the floor, her eyes wide in disbelief. She landed with her back against Ash's legs. "That's it? That's what I got myself worked up for?"
"Yup." Ash snickered.
…
She tugged on his pant leg childishly. "So what now? Do we just say we're dating? And… go out for coffee or something?"
"I'm not really a fan of coffee… And I think we need to find a time when we're both free first."
"Well, I'm not really doing anything tomorrow morning."
"Other than rolling around in pain on your bed from your sores."
"I can force myself to freshen up… I don't really have much 'date' clothes, though."
"Neither do I."
"At least you have shoes."
The two laughed again.
Maylene looked up at Ash – the one she had been pursuing this whole journey, the one she had been waiting for this entire time. She never seriously considered that she could end up in a relationship, yet here she was – even if the relationship might not be as serious as others would take it… I wonder where this would lead. "So where do you want to go?"
"Maybe we could explore the new Hearthome City together?"
"I doubt Leanne will be keen on letting us go out there for little reason."
"I'm on Thinker duty tomorrow, actually." Ash pointed out. "Maybe…"
"Who's paired up with you?"
"May."
Maylene's eyes squinted. "Ooooh, that's not good. She will not be up for me switching for her spot. Do we have any other open slots?"
"Unless we have another meeting, only thing I'm sure of is probably our lunch hours and maybe during late nights."
"Then we can probably go for a late night date… I doubt we'll have much peace if people see us having a date during lunch."
Ash sighed and slid down to a sitting position next to Maylene. "Misty's going to kill me for not getting that much sleep… Also, are we calling this a 'dating relationship' to others? Or are we sticking to a 'private relationship' deal?"
She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I kind of don't even know what I'm doing with this… I never had a boyfriend."
…
"…So you're my girlfriend?"
"…I guess so."
The two sat in silent thought. Admittedly, they had never seen the other as anything other than a partner or associate. In hindsight, the two had realized they had never even considered the other as a friend. In each other's eyes, they were just Ash and Maylene: fighting partners. But now…
He's my boyfriend… Ash is my boyfriend! Maylene jabbed her elbow hard into Ash's rib.
"OW! What was that for?"
She grinned mischievously. "You're technically my property now."
"What?"
"You're my boyfriend. And now you gotta' listen to what your girlfriend tells ya'!"
"O-Okay…"
…
…
"Not that I'd know what to tell you." Maylene laughed in embarrassment. "Er… Get some sleep! I need you awake and rested by tomorrow's date!" She shoved him to his feet. "Come on, go."
"I'm going, I'm going…" Ash rubbed at his ribs and coughed. "Would've probably left sooner if you didn't hit me…"
"Quit whining and go. I'll catch up."
The Empathic nodded weakly and limped down the corridor.
Maylene pulled herself up. She stared at the dimmed fluorescent lamps above, wondering how much time had passed since she first dragged Ash into the abandoned corner. Just that many hours ago, Maylene was just a single Gym Leader with no real hope for a relationship or a boyfriend. And look at me now… Got my hands on the biggest trophy in our team. She snickered to herself. And all I had to do was ask.
"Satisfied?"
Maylene jumped in surprise. With a quick spin and flex, she pushed herself into combat stance in the direction of the voice. Though her body sorely twitched in defiance to her commands, she pushed it to keep focus. However, her guard dropped as soon as she found who had spoken…
…May.
