Wallace's body trembled as Manon's shrill scream cut through the roaring blue flames that hurtled towards them, a wave of scorching raw power. His slender arms stretched out firmly in a vain attempt to block his companions from the worst of the approaching attack.

"Everyone get down!"

Steven's unusually fierce voice barely pierced the chaotic rush of the moaning heat waves flooding over the defenseless trio of trainers. Manon snapped her eyes shut and flung herself to the hard rock, throwing her orange bag over her head to shield herself from the blast. Wallace refused to follow suite. Something had to be done to stop the worst of the wicked Flamethrower from devouring his lover and the defenseless little girl behind him!

"Wallace?!"

There was no time to release his beautiful Milotic. There was no time to call out a move. His soft skin burned as the blaze flew over him and his companions, yet in that instant, just as the destructive force swallowed him, he felt a weight launch into his shoulder and knock him to the ground.

W-What was that?!

Wallace squinted against the bright blue fire flashing all around him. Its strength so fierce it could rival the likes of the sun. The stone walls shone coldly against the light of the attack, dispersing the black shadows engulfing Terminus Cave. In the distance was the silhouette of a young trainer, older than Manon, yet younger than Wallace. He was racing frantically in their direction behind the powerful Pokémon soaring in front of him.

As the flames subsided, so did the brilliant light. Coughs echoed from behind Wallace and he turned quickly to see Manon, still buried under her now blackened bag. Her skin was stained with ash and she spat rubble from her mouth.

"Steven darling, are you alright?"

Wallace waited for a cocky response, expecting something about how his lover didn't need to be babied. Distressing silence was all that followed.

Thud, thud, thud!

"S-Steven?"

Wallace's voice quaked. Heart lurching he scanned the blurring passageway through shaking eyes. Steven's body was barely visible, crammed against the rocky ground and half buried in embers.

"Steven!"

Wallace thrust himself from the rubble and half tripped as he rushed to Steven's limp side. The silver-haired man was unconscious, face stained black with smoke and char. Pressing an ear against Steven's chest, Wallace held his breath. He could hear Steven's heart beating evenly. He was burnt badly, but alive. Though his breaths were short and shallow . . .

Thud, thud!

At the sound of approaching footsteps Wallace jumped to his feet and whirled around, blocking Steven from whatever had tried to wipe them out earlier. Standing in front of him, looking almost angry, was an older teenage boy. He clenched his teeth and scanned Wallace scornfully with icy blue eyes that would freeze the warmest of hearts. Behind him was a black Charizard, waiting patiently as if unsure of what to expect.

"Where did Zygarde go?!"

Wallace blinked in confusion at the unexpected question. Annoyed by the lack of response, the dark-haired boy lurched forward and grabbed Wallace by his shirt, closing the distance between them. Wild anger flared in his bright eyes and Wallace, shocked by the intensity, hastily shoved him off and dug into his bag. In seconds he had his Milotic's pokéball in his hand, ready to fight.

"Who are you?!" Wallace demanded, his soothing voice was almost a snarl. The two men stared at each other for what seemed like hours. A burning hatred already sizzling visibly between them. It was as though a volcano had erupted, the lava spewing out and drowning everything in the surrounding area.

"Please stop it!"

Manon's voice sliced through the thick cloud that had engulfed the two trainers, snapping Wallace back to his senses. Slowly, he looked down to see the small red headed girl that both he and the stranger had failed to notice. She was biting her lip, as if choking back a sob. Her eyes were hidden by the brim of her hat, but Wallace didn't need her to take it off to see that she was holding back tears.

"Steven's hurt. He needs help . . ." She carefully raised her head, her gaze taking in every inch of the stranger. "Alain, please . . . Just . . . Stop . . ."

Alain? This is Alain?

Wallace growled and shoved the racing thoughts from his mind. He didn't have time to waste on a dumb brat. Dropping to his knees he gently cradled Steven's body against his before drawing him up off the floor. The man hung like a rag-doll against Wallace's almost bare chest. "We need to get to a hospital, now. Manon, let's go." He tightened his grip on Steven slightly before turning around and heading back from where they came.

A strange heaviness dropped on the two remaining trainers. Alain clenched his teeth, struggling to control his shaking legs. Manon kept her eyes on the ground, her arms dangling almost lifelessly. Her deteriorated state sent a sudden surge of guilt crashing over Alain. He lifted his hand and reached out to her, but she simply walked away before he could even touch her. Ignoring the fainted Zubats that covered the ground.

I just . . . I attacked humans . . . And I didn't even care to realize.

At the realization, Alain covered his face with his hands, struggling to come to terms with how lost he had become in the race to finish his mission. All he cared about was catching Zygarde. It didn't matter what the cost was.

But it's for her . . . Isn't it?

Without thinking, Alain returned Charizard to his pokéball and hurried after Manon and Wallace. It was his fault that Steven had gotten hurt, he had no choice but to follow.

Beep, beep, beep . . .

Wallace sighed as the sound of the monitors continued to fill the silence. It should have been a good thing to hear them, but it was only adding to the unease at this point. Manon sat on a chair behind him, shuffling uncomfortably and looking at her knees with clenched fists. She was chewing on her cheek. He had told her to stop earlier but she never did for long. Eventually he stopped asking.

A cough from outside their small room's door reminded him of the other presence in the building. Alain had caught up with them before they had left Terminus Cave and they had all trekked back to Anistar City. The walk had been dead quiet, no one spoke. Manon had clung tightly to Wallace's shirt the entire way, and the man could feel Alain's annoyed gaze burning into his back because of it.

After they had arrived at the hospital, Alain had insisted that he stayed in the room as well, to keep an eye on Steven. Without thinking, Wallace closed any distance between them, so that they were face to face. He had held Alain firmly with his hands and looked him in the eyes. Wallace was taller by half a head. Without thinking he shoved his knee between the teen's legs and Alain dropped to the cold floor cursing, holding back tears and biting his tongue.

"Oops, my foot slipped. That's a shame, dear."

Manon had turned to them with confusion, but he waved it off and she followed him into Steven's room. They had left Alain outside, trying to pull himself up off the floor, using the wall for support.

"Wallace?"

Wallace jumped as the unexpected voice hit his ears. Tears brimmed his eyes as he looked down to see Steven awake, messy hair like a mop beneath him. Steven was about to try and lift himself when Wallace immediately leaned forward and pressed his hands gently against his shoulders, easing him back against the mattress.

"Steven's awake?" Manon asked hopefully, leaping off her chair and rushing towards the bed. She wrapped her small fingers around the siding bars and smiled with relief, her own eyes shining with threatening tears. "Steven! You're okay!"

"Listen, Manon . . ."

Manon froze and turned to Wallace, who looked pale. His face was flushed and he was sweating. A strange numb washed over her, turning her body cold. It was an unanticipated feeling of not being wanted.

"Manon, can you wait outside?"

Outside . . . ? Manon shuddered. Alain was waiting outside the door. Wallace wouldn't . . . He wouldn't make me wait outside . . .

"But-"

"Manon, please?"

Without thinking, she nodded. The rawness in Wallace's voice was almost painful for her to listen to. "Yeah, sure . . ." She backed away from the two men and slowly crept to the door, pushing it open. She stood there for a moment as if to reconsider, then she was gone.

"What happened, Wallace?" Steven's voice was frail, even in the dead quiet space. But he was awake and alive, that was all that mattered.

"I'll explain it better later, but the boy named Alain was the one that attacked us in the cave. He's here right now, waiting outside."

"Alain?"

Wallace nodded and gently wrapped his arms around Steven, planting a kiss on his cold lips. They stayed in the embrace for a while, until Steven broke away and sighed, resting his tired and sore body on the soft bed.

"We'll have to question Alain later . . . Why was he there? Why was he in Terminus Cave?"

Wallace growled, frustrated that even when Alain wasn't around in person he still managed to ruin things. "He mentioned Zygarde."

"I see . . . " Steven shook his head, his eyes fluttering. The bandages did little to cover the scars that were left from the flames. They would heal in time, but for now they stood out like pink bubblegum against the paler skin. Wallace held Steven's hand until his lover had fallen back to sleep. He needed the rest, that was the most important thing for him now.

Despite what Manon has said, I can't bring myself to trust Alain. Not after what he did today . . .