A/N: Hey all. So so so sorry for the lack of updates for so long. First semester was kind of definitely hell, but now I've started student teaching and everything is awesome and I'm super excited. Hoping to not leave you all hanging again. This chapter is kind of filler, but that's just because this is the least interesting part of the game and Steven is nowhere to be fucking found for awhile. Things will pick up again in the next couple of chapters, though-I've got something quite entertaining in the works. Hope you enjoy! xx

Wattson wasn't difficult to defeat in battle, and his booming laughter and eager presence made everything entirely enjoyable. Ella was able to forget about her past and present issues with men she hoped not to see again and focus on something that she was beginning to realize was what she had always wanted to do. It was such a rewarding experience to see her sweet Grovyle turn and beam at her after finishing off Wattson's Magneton, tired as it was. The old man congratulated her on a job well done and gifted her with her third Badge, which looked even more lovely than the last two.

The next stop had been Verdanturf, where Ella took a few moments to visit Wally's aunt and uncle's home before heading to the tunnel that connected this town to Rustboro. She knew that with the Badge she had just received she would have the authority to help clear the still-present blockage halfway through the tunnel—and she had an errand to run in Rustboro anyway.

"Ah, Miss Ella!" Several hours later, after the tunnel had been cleared and Ella had travelled back to the Devon Corporation, Mr. Stone's booming voice welcomed her before she could even focus on the source of the sound. "You've returned—and in only a few days!"

This man had such a comforting air about him. Ella couldn't help but smile as she made her way towards the President of Devon. "Everything has been delivered as you requested, sir." She took a seat in one of the plush burgundy armchairs in front of his enormous desk.

He positively beamed at her, reclining slightly in his swiveling wingback chair. "I knew you could do it, my dear. Thank you so much."

Ella shook her head and folded her hands in her lap. "Not a problem at all."

She knew the next question was coming, but it still made her blush significantly. "What did you think of my son?"

A dapper dresser, excellent kisser and exquisitely talented with his hands. "He was very gracious, Mr. Stone."

"I raised my boy right!" He let out a guffaw. "Steven loves his manners and his Pokémon, that's for sure."

"He even gave me a TM—I could tell he's a very skilled Trainer." Ella could have left that detail out, but something pushed her to say it—perhaps her desire to impress Mr. Stone.

"Did he, now?" The big man's eyes twinkled. "When's the second date, then?"

Ella inhaled sharply and hesitated. "I, ah—it wasn't—that is; I doubt we'll run into each other again, sir. I'm sure he has a lot of places to be."

The man in question's father waved a large hand dismissively. "Hogwash! He always manages to show up when he's most needed. I'm sure you'll cross paths soon."

To appease him, Ella nodded. "If you say so, Mr. Stone." She smiled politely once more, ignoring her suddenly faster pulse. "But I have something else to talk to you about, actually."

He raised an eyebrow, folding his fingers together as he rested his elbows on the arms of his chair. "Oh? Tell me."

"I ran into Team Aqua again in Slateport. They wanted the package that I was delivering again."

Mr. Stone frowned. "I assumed as much, though I did not intend to send you into a dangerous situation."

"It was fine; I held my own. But…" Ella bit her lip thoughtfully. "I would encourage you to be really careful, sir. I don't know what's going to happen and I feel like the employees that aren't at least decent Trainers could be in real danger if you entrust them with anything major."

The man thought for a moment. "I understand. How unfortunate that you must be the bearer of bad news—I'm sure you didn't expect this to be the case when you began Training such a short time ago."

"I suppose that's true, but I'm glad I've been able to be of help thus far."

"So am I," Mr. Stone replied very seriously. "You've done us a great service."

They spoke for a few more moments and Mr. Stone gifted her with an EXP Share before she left, handing it over with the twinkle in his eye returning and a stage-whispered "No doubt you'll meet my son again."

Secretly, she hoped so—but she brushed it off with a laugh. "Good afternoon, sir."

The tall blonde secretary, Amelia, sent her off with a warm "Good day", and Ella quickly found herself wandering back towards Verdanturf and Mauville as if time was of the essence. She wanted very much to get her mind off of what didn't matter and back on the task at hand—after consulting her PokeNav, she knew her next stop would be Lavaridge Town for her fourth Gym Badge. It would be several days before that goal was met, though, as she knew needed desperately to train. Her Pokémon were not of types that would play well with Fire.

Ella spent what remained of the late afternoon and evening in Mauville, though, knowing she'd already done enough traveling for the day, simply enjoying the city and shopping. She'd been going so hard ever since beginning her Training that she hadn't allowed herself the time to relax, and this was a welcome distraction from what had been happening lately.

The Pokémon Center in Mauville was the largest Ella had seen yet, and it proved to be a very comfortable place to spend the night. She resolved to stay there when she was in the area as much as possible. Luckily for her, the night was a refreshing departure from the thoughts and dreams that had been plaguing her for the past few days—evidently the day of relaxation had done her some semblance of good.

The next morning, after a solid night of sleep, Ella rose early once again to make her way out of the city of Mauville. It was obvious that she would be returning here several times more, as it seemed to be a veritable hub for business, a delightful social atmosphere, and—of course—the place she could always switch out her bike for a different model if she needed to. Because of this, it wasn't hard to find the energy to leave town and continue. She knew she could always come back.

The chilly morning breeze blew cold against her face as she stepped out of the town gates, and she pulled her wavy hair up into a messy bun as she walked along the path that led north. It wasn't long before she came to a roadblock, though—several large boulders blocked her way. Convenient that her last Gym battle victory enabled her to use Rock Smash outside of battle. She taught the move to her Grovyle via HM, and they were soon through the wall of rock and onto the next area. A few Trainers were hanging out along the path, and Ella engaged in several friendly battles before she saw the next obstacle: an enormous desert, clearly encumbered by sandstorms and windswept dunes. It was a daunting sight, to be sure—but she had to go on, right?

Her first few steps into the storms were the only ones she took before turning back. The wind was blowing so much sand around that she couldn't even keep her eyes open, and there was absolutely no way she could get through here blind. She staggered away from the winds and back into the grass with some relief. The long way around would have to do.

This way at least provided some more attractive scenery, as Mt. Chimney loomed above her up ahead. She could make out a cable car system going up the side all the way to the top, sort of like a skiing area (but with volcanic ash instead of snow). Appreciating the view, she took part in a few more Trainer battles with campers, hikers, and—strangely—martial artists. They all graciously accepted their losses to her, gifting her with some advice for the path up ahead; although she planned on taking the cable car to the top, she listened politely.

Ella's plan was shot, though, when she reached the base of the mountain. Team Aqua members stood in front of the entrance to the small building that housed the cable car's access, blocking her path. She approached them hesitantly.

"Are you planning on standing there all day? I'd like to use the car."

The three who stood before her fixed her with identical frowns. The one in the middle, a tall woman with long dark hair and the signature Aqua bandanna tied atop her head, spoke: "Well, so would we, but we've been 'instructed' to stay here and not do shit. Can't help ya."

Ella sighed exasperatedly. "I guess I'll be intruding upon some plan, then, if I ride to the top of the mountain."

The guy to the woman's left responded. "Not really; just preparations. The plan won't actually happen for another few days."

Surprised that the gang was being so congenial, Ella shrugged. "You know, whatever. I'm not gonna fuck with you right now." She had things to do and really had no desire to get caught up in whatever "plan" was in motion—at least not yet. Somehow she suspected that trouble would end up finding her instead, anyway, if she was meant to be involved.

The three goons didn't even spare her a second glance as she walked away from them and into the cave that made up the base of the mountain. She assumed that this cave would lead her up towards Fallarbor Town, which would be at least one step closer to Lavaridge. Her Pokémon were getting tired anyway; she could really use the Pokémon Center.

What she hadn't been ready for was the explosion of hot, sticky air that met her at the entrance to the cave. It was like a sauna in here at the base of this volcano, and she was incredibly thankful that she could actually see the tiny light that marked the exit from the tunnel way off in the distance. The walls were literally steaming from the cracks between the rocks, and already Ella was sweating. She pulled off the sweatshirt she was wearing and tied it quickly around her waist, thankful that she had chosen a tank top to wear underneath. The ground was rocky, too, and she watched where she stepped as she made her way down the dark path towards the end. Few Pokémon inhabited the tunnel, it seemed—she ran across some slower creatures that didn't approach her for a challenge, but other than that the way was pretty clear. She was grateful to reach the exit and step out once again into the chilly fall air.

The afternoon sun was setting slowly as evening approached, and Ella knew she'd have to stay in Fallarbor for the night, which was entirely fine. It would be nice to rejuvenate both herself and her tired Pokémon. She pulled out her map to figure out which way she would need to turn to get to the town, and discovered she would need to go through several more Trainers to reach her destination.

No one said this would be easy.

There were a few close calls, but Ella pulled through using most of her supply of Super Potions and various Berries. She was able to avoid a few battles as she got closer and closer to the town because of the volcanic ash that rained from the sky; several of the Trainers who would normally have battled her either couldn't see her through the ash or were preoccupied with keeping it off of themselves. Ella didn't concern herself with the ash for now, but as she wiped some of the soot from her shoulders, she couldn't wait to take a shower later.

Before she reached the town, in the last few moments of dim light before dusk, she added to her team a Skarmory—an intimidating Flying/Steel type that she fell in love with at first sight. Hopefully it would take to her quickly, too.

It was with much relief that she finally reached the Pokémon Center at the edge of town. Everyone inside had a friendly face, and one woman in particular—a soft wisp of a girl with long, curly hair—introduced herself to Ella, unprompted, as Lanette. The woman was actually promoting a new online storage system for Pokémon that had just gone up, and Ella was delighted to learn about it firsthand. This meant that she could catch as many Pokémon as she wanted and they would be able to be stored safely and healthily online, ready to rejoin her team at any point.

The ladies spent an hour or so talking, and Lanette let Ella know that she was welcome at her house nearby anytime she was in the area. She seemed like a good person to know, and Ella was grateful for the contact.

Her (now) four Pokémon in tow, Ella spent the night at the Pokémon Center in Fallarbor and had her second night in a row of actual good, uninterrupted sleep. She hadn't thought about Jamie or Steven for more than a passing moment at a time in the last few days—hopefully her focus on her ever-constant Pokémon journey would keep that trend going.

Fingers crossed.