/Rolls in.

Thanks for your patience, everyone! In with summer break, out with writer's block! I realize this chapter is a bit short, but it leads into a mini storyline that I think will be fun. Again, thanks for your reviews and sticking by me. Onwards!

Chapter 11: Incident On The Jagged Pass

Roark

The gondola sways slightly as it crawls its way up Mt. Chimney, ash covering the window glass so thickly it's practically impossible to see the volcanic landscape outside. And I think to myself, people actually live here?

Riley's sitting down with a respirator strapped across his face and his inhaler clutched for dear life in one trembling hand. Despite these measures, I can still hear him wheeze and struggle for breath.

I feel sorry for him, but taking the ride up Mt. Chimney and then descending is the safest way to get to Lavaridge. The ash and debris in the air make my eyes burn, and for a few minutes I long for fresh, delicious coal dust.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow. Coming to sit by him a pulse of alarm washes through me as I realize he still hasn't got putting on a respirator correctly.

He shakes his head, weakly pointing to his inhaler before it drops out of his hand. I push him back in his seat as he leans over to pick it up, getting it for him instead, and yank the respirator off his mouth. A flurry of volcanic ash—and he's coughing and wheezing, skin going blue.

"Oh, you poor man," I whisper, lifting the inhaler to his face and shaking it. With one last burst of strength, he practically swipes it from me, popping the cap and taking a deep breath as he sprays the medicine down his windpipe. Ten seconds pass. He does it again. And again. This goes on about six times until he's able to control his coughing, and he silently slips it back in his pocket.

"Thank god for you," he chokes out in a hoarse voice. "Please don't worry about me. I seldom ever have asthma attacks nowadays and when I do I tend to find myself unprepared."

"Are you sure this is really the best place to 'relax'?" I question him.

He takes another ragged breath and slumps down against my shoulder, like he's about to faint. "I'm… fine," he gasps. "Lavaridge isn't nearly as bad as this. I've been there several times before across this route… come to think of it, I don't know how I managed before there was you."

There's this look Riley's been giving me lately, a doe-like starry-eyed gaze that makes me feel all warm and special inside. Special because I've never seen him look this way at anyone else except me, I guess, and I silently revel in it.

I don't know why it is, but he's been acting differently around me ever since the ferry incident a few days ago.

I guess the obvious answer would be that he's still shaken up over it, but I know Riley's fought way scarier monsters than two hack would-be assassins who can't shoot to save their lives.

I don't know; it's like he's more… vulnerable? Even if he doesn't explicitly let on, I know he's softer than his usual brusque demeanor, and while Riley was always far from "prickly," one would be hard-pressed to call him "touchy-feely," exactly. To have the same man who wouldn't even flinch at insulting his economic competition to their faces and subscribed to a merciless battle strategy now steal furtive glances at me like I'm some precious treasure only he has and delicately brush his hand against mine—it's surreal.

I used to think of Riley as a will steely as the Pokémon he trains. A mysterious energy, a force of nature, friendly but never too friendly. I thought he was superhuman.

And now, I think, this is the first time he's ever bared his soul to anyone.

He… needs me.

The other day I heard him scream for the first time.

Not like when he's shocked or frightened.

He screamed because he was angry.

He yelled into his cell phone at the person on the other end like a wild beast tearing into its prey, and I had never heard him being angry like that before.

He's more emotional, more tumultuous; yet still the firm guiding hand I crave so much—

Every time I try to struggle out of this sinkhole of love I'm in, it just pulls me in further.

And I'm starting to accept it.

"Let me fix your respirator for you…" I tell him softly, and he blushes. "It's okay. It takes a lot of practice getting it on right." I adjust the mask, and he takes my hand, pulling me down onto the seat next to him. Flushing, I nuzzle into him, running my fingers through his.

Yesterday we spooned all night. For the past few nights we've been sleeping together. Well, not like that. We haven't had sex yet and we aren't officially a couple. But I think he's attracted to me. At first we just cuddled a bit to soothe him after his nightmares, but then we started doing it just to do it and the things he whispers to me in bed… the way he worships me, tells me that I'm beautiful and I am worthy of love… things have been kind of crazy.

Every time we touch one another I can feel his desire grow stronger.

He's seducing me nice and slow, like a gentleman.

And although I'd always fantasized about being seduced by a handsome prince like him, he's driving me crazy. I want to make out with him, fulfill his every desire. I want to be able to say, "yeah, he's my boyfriend" and go on dates with him.

I'm starting to feel scared less and less of us being found out. Everybody in Oreburgh knows I'm gay anyway and I don't care anymore. I'm so frustrated and I'm so in love I just can't think straight.

And at the same time I feel so terrible because I want him to break up with his girlfriend, tell her that sorry, Cheryl, it's just not working out and Roarkie's stolen my heart.

I think that's the reason why he hasn't made any bigger move with me yet. Because he's with her, and he's too wonderful a human being to give in to temptation.

I wonder why he hasn't just broken off the relationship, though?

I'm half-tempted to ask him what his sexuality really is, but he might perceive that as rude. I don't know. Hell, I don't know most things about Riley, and I don't think anyone is really capable of explaining him.

The gondola creaks to a halt and the doors swing open. Helping a still coughing Riley to his feet, we enter the surface of Mt. Chimney. It's wicked hot up here and smells strongly of sulfur, yet many tourists still gather round, peering into the crater and taking pictures.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asks, taking hold of my arm and leading me toward the trail that snakes to the base of the mountain.

"Yeah," I answer, uninterested in the topic. "It's like a Stark Mountain you can crawl on…"

"Aha, that's a good way to describe it! There are a lot of Stark Mountains in Hoenn…"

"… Are you feeling okay?"

"What do you mean by that?"

I immediately wish I hadn't said that. "It's just… something seems to be weighing pretty heavily on your mind."

He gives a wry smile. "You're getting good at reading me! Are you sure you can't use Aura? I'm just stressed from the ordeal a few days ago."

"Did you ever find out who the people on the ship were…?"

He shakes his head and gives yet another smile. I can't tell if it's real or fake. "Not yet. Right now I'm just focused on burying myself in the warm sand for a few hours and relaxing. Tch! I'm such an old man that my muscles are aching!"

"You're not old," I scold as we twist and turn down the peak, "they're just tired because you haven't slept."

He laughs then, very loudly, and I cock my head in confusion. "Arguing like an old married couple isn't going to make me feel any younger, you know!"

… Married couple. Yeah.

"And can I ask something of you?"

I blink myself out of my stupor and nod. "Yeah, anything. What is it?"

He fidgets around a bit uncomfortably, then opens his mouth and sighs. "Is it… okay if I'm alone for a few hours? No, no, I don't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just that…"

I cut him off. "It's okay, really. I mean, everyone needs alone time every so often and you must need it more because you're always feeling other people's emotions and stuff… I'll go find something to do for a bit."

His shoulders relax and tension leaves him. I don't want to mess up that relieved look on his face by admitting I AM worried, that he might be hiding something from me (I guess he really can't read my Aura, then?). No, that's silly, I admonish myself. You shouldn't read into things that aren't there.

"Thank you for understanding!" he says. "I just need some time to recharge. Tell you what: I'll take you someplace amazing tonight. You wouldn't want to hang around some boring old spa anyway, would you?"

I open my mouth a bit to say, well actually… but close it as quickly as I opened it. He looks so earnest that I can't tell him the truth, that maybe I would enjoy napping in the sand for a while. "Someplace amazing?"

He winks. "It's a surprise. But I promise; you're going to love it!"

"I'm sure I will." As the small town comes into view, matters shift into more practical concerns. "Should we check into the hotel first?"

"Actually…" He smiles apologetically. "I was thinking of going straight to the spa."

"Oh, okay. Then I'll get our bags to the room!"

"No, the Pokemon Center will hold them for us…"

"It's okay!" I insist. "It'll give me something to do."

"I guess you have a point there. I know! Why don't you take Lucario to help you? He doesn't like hot sands very much, being a Steel-Type and all. And a bit of exercise would do him good."

I'll say.

Riley's been keeping him in his Poke Ball a lot recently and I don't know why. It's not like keeping him in there makes it any easier to travel. But nonetheless, I nod. "You really trust me with him?"

"No, I trust him with you." He ruffles my hair and hands me the bright red sphere. "Meet me back at the Pokemon Center in about three hours or so, all right?"

I nod again, and watch him take off.

"Wait! You forgot to hand me… your… briefcase…" I shout after him futilely. I sigh. He probably wouldn't want me touching that thing anyway. Gathering what I have of the luggage around me, I release a very confused and angry-looking Lucario and put on my nicest smile. "It looks like it'll just be you and me for a while," I tell him.

"Lucar," he grunts, flaring his nostrils. He turns around a few times and snarls, sniffing the footprints Riley left.

"You'll see him again in a few hours," I scold, "I assure you he wouldn't leave either of us behind…" This time he flattens his ears and growls in Riley's direction, and I finally get what he's trying to tell me. "Are you mad at him?"

A quick nod in the affirmative. I frown.

"Because he hasn't let you out in a long time?"

Another nod. He stares at me as though he wants to tell me something else, but at last he breaks eye-contact and sniffs around some more.

"Well, as long as you're with me you can run freely. Can you help me with the bags first, though?" What looks like an eye-roll, and he agrees, pulling a bag with his paws. Luckily, there's only one place to stay in Lavaridge and the bellhop takes our stuff almost immediately, leaving us with nothing to do again.

Both bored and unsure of what to do with this Lucario, I wander about town a bit. It doesn't take long to finish the grand tour. The Lucario looks every bit as bored as I do, occasionally stopping to shake a bug from his fur.

"… How about we go back up to the Jagged Path?" I ask after a while of kicking rocks around. He doesn't answer me, so I steer the creature up toward the mountain pass, where we walk in silence. He sniffs around a bit more, and I watch Pokémon dart in and out of the grass.

On second thought, this wasn't a good idea.

I'm about to turn back toward the hotel and see if I can get in a few hours shut-eye before a female voice stops me.

"Excuse me, don't you know it's dangerous to travel alone?"

I blink and determine the source of the voice, folding my arms defensively as a petite girl around my age comes down the mountain clutched in the arms of a Drifblim. She hops off it and looks me over, frowning slightly.

"I'm not alone," I tell her matter-of-factly. "I have this Lucario with me."

She blinks, gives me a long, hard stare, and suddenly bursts into laughter. "Aha, you're not from around here, are you?" she asks. "If you had come from Hoenn you would've heard about the warning to travel in groups."
"You're right," I answer. "I'm from Sinnoh. And you're not traveling in a group!"

"Au contraire!" A slightly older-looking woman with fiery red hair emerges from where her partner had come earlier, wiping sweat from her brow. "I bet Phoebs wouldn't need an escort, though, bein' Elite Four and all!"

"You know I have to obey the rules just like everyone else, Flannery!" whines the girl, snapping her fingers a few times. "It wouldn't look good of me if I let myself skimp out on safety measures, right?"

"Right." Flannery nods, and gives me a knowing nod. "Look, man, sorry if we're coming on too strong. We're just trying our best to keep everyone safe."

"It's cool," I answer, but immediately blink in confusion. "I don't get what the emergency is, though?"

"Aww, shoot, I was afraid of this." The smaller girl sighs. "It's not a good sign if the tourists don't know."

"Don't know what?" My tone rises. I don't mean to sound angry, but I'm getting impatient.

Both look at each other meekly, then the smaller one plays with the hibiscus in her hair. "I'm… I'm Phoebe, from the Elite Four," she says lamely, "and I've been sent on an investigation due to a recent… breach in security."

"Oi!" Flannery elbows her. "We're not supposed to give the public the real story!"

"Wait, so you guys are from the Hoenn League…" I put two and two together, and brighten up. "You're Flannery, Lavaridge's Gym Leader, and you're Phoebe, the Ghost-Type specialist, right? Oh, man, Miss Fantina talks about you all the time…"

"… You know Fantina?" Phoebe snaps her fingers again. "Don't tell me… you're that guy from the Sinnoh League?"

"Roxanne told me about a Sinnoh Gym Leader who was doing the Hoenn circuit. Is that you?"

I nod. "I'm, uh, Roark, the Rock-Type trainer. " I take out my trainer card to prove it to them. "What's this about a security breach? I don't understand…"

Phoebe sighs and looks around, as though trying to catch prying ears listening amongst the trees. "I GUESS we'd need to tell the other regions eventually if this thing got really out of hand. Not one word of this to non-Gym Leaders or Elites, but recently a very valuable artifact was stolen from the shrine on Mt. Pyre."

"Oh?"

"Yep! And the thing is, if this artifact got into the wrong hands, it could seriously end up damaging Hoenn! It almost destroyed the region once…" She groans at the memory.

"But right now we've got a more direct threat," Flannery adds. "Did you hear about the ferry that was attacked a few days ago?"

I open my fat mouth, about to mention that I was on it, but then close them again. I'm not sure Riley made true on his promise to report to the police. Instead, I merely nod. "Yeah, that was scary," I say at last.

Flannery raises an eyebrow. "Have you ever heard of Team Aqua? They were the sister mob to Team Magma. Huge rivals. Capulets and Montagues. Hatfields and McCoys. You get the idea. There were allegations that Aqua planned to awaken Kyogre, but no arrests were ever made because the Team dissipated after Groudon wreaked havoc."

"What's that got to do with…?"

"Our theory," Phoebe finishes with gusto, "is that the mutual hatred for one another didn't leave after both gangs split, and some Aquas today are still around. The theft of the orb just screams 'Magma,' you know. And why wouldn't they want to harm a Magma?"

"But do you REALLY think the thief is a Magma?" I ask, trying to piece what I remembered of the story together. It was a big news item a few years back, but being that Sinnoh is so far away from Hoenn, I didn't give it much thought at the time.

"That's why this group is so dangerous," states Phoebe. "We DON'T know if the thieves are Magmas for sure or what. All we know is some people are doing vigilante justice in the worst possible way, and civilians could end up seriously hurt!"

"Besides, Team Magma's old hideout is on this Pass. It's been long closed off to the public, but you never know if those goons are sneaking around. That's why it's dangerous to be traveling these parts alone!"

"All right, all right." I put my hands up in mock surrender. "You've shot down any arguments I have. I'll go back down now."

"You can come with us," says Flannery. "I was heading back to my Gym anyway, and Phoebs wanted to stop at the spa!"

"Sleuth work is stressful," she mutters with a blush on her face.

I look at Lucario, fidgeting and growling. Yeah, this adventure sure did him a lot of exercise-related good, Riley. "M'kay," I answer, and suddenly the two girls are practically pulling me down the mountain, chatting in my ear as though we hadn't just shared a grim conversation. Lucario bounds after us, sniffing around a lot.

Excessively, even.

Dog behavior, I rationalize.

"… And you should totally challenge my Gym while you're here!" blathers Flannery at a million miles an hour. Yeah. I think Riley already set that in stone for me, thank you very much. "I always need a fight where I'm the underdog for once! I need more practice handling Rock-Types."

"But you're a lot higher up in your League than I am in mine," I remind her. "I'll probably be easy to beat. I mean, type advantages don't decide a match."

"That's true," Flannery agrees.

"Like, it doesn't help pretty much everyone in the Sinnoh League specialize in Types that beat mine, but even Volkner, whom I technically shouldn't have a problem with since a lot of my team is part Ground, is too good for me."

I'll give him that, at least. Volkner IS good at Pokémon battles.

"I think you'll do fine," Flannery assures me as we get back to town without incident. "You just need speed and a good strategy. Well, see ya! I'll be eagerly waiting for your challenge, Roark!" And like that, she strides off.

Before bounding after her, Phoebe turns to me. "Can I ask one thing of you?"

"Huh? Sure."

She pulls out her Xtranceiver. "Can we register each other? I was just thinking, if you see any suspicious behavior, could you report it to me? Since my grandparents run the shrine where the Orb was taken, I'm personally invested in this case."

I nod, and we exchange information. Before leaving for the spa, Phoebe smiles and waves.

"Ciao! I'm off to get cucumbers put on my eyes."

And then there were two. A boy and a Lucario. Checking my phone, I decide it's high time I met up with Riley, anyway. Putting the strange conversation in the back of my mind, I make my way to the meeting point, eager for his surprise. But he isn't there. Lucario and I wait for nearly a half hour, and we're about to leave when Riley finally comes running up to us, sheepish and apologetic.

"Sorry!" he cries, catching his breath. I wonder if he's going to have another asthma attack. "The sand was so comfortable I couldn't help but fall asleep. And everyone knows when you take a nap, you never want to get up after that."

I nod. Perfectly understandable.

"No nightmares?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I didn't dream about anything this time, thank Mew. And you took such good care of Lucario! Thank you!" He draws out a Poke Ball and Lucario jumps away, growling.

"Uh, maybe you shouldn't do that?" Lucario crouches down and growls louder. "It's pretty obvious he hates being in there."

"I know that," Riley replies tersely. "But… since this is… a very fiery place, and Steel-Types have an aversion to fire, I wanted to keep him from getting nervous by the volcano."

Makes sense, but…

"He knows Blaze Kick. What, is he afraid of his own moveset?" I give a hollow laugh, but Riley just stares me down, almost glaring daggers at me. "Rye…?"

"Do you not value my judgment as a trainer?" he asks brusquely.

"What? No! You're a great trainer!"

"Then you won't question my decisions," he snaps.

"I…"

Riley sighs, and immediately his demeanor softens. "God, I'm sorry, Roark. I've just been having problems with Lucario, and I didn't mean to take my frustration out on you."

"It's okay," I reassure him, but deep down I'm not convinced he meant his apology. "Saying sorry was all that was needed. It's no big deal. What sort of problems?"

He shakes his head. "He's just pissed because I put him in his Poke Ball. He's a very spoiled dog." Lucario growls again, and this time Riley directs his steely glance to him. "Oh, shut up!" he snaps, and the Lucario takes a subservient stance. "You know it's true!"

"… Are you sure you're rested?"

"No, no I'm not rested," and his tone is sharp again. "And I won't be rested for as long as I live! Roark, please, I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's so hard being pleasant when you just want to be left alone so you can sleep."

"Oh. Okay." I don't believe anything he's saying, but I also don't know how to call him out on it. So I just stupidly nod. "It's okay to not show me that thing you said you were if you're that tired."

"What? No. Oh, Roarkie, no, no." He offers me a tiny smile of reassurance. "I made a promise so I'm going to keep it. Besides, it's something I can enjoy, too! Why don't we go there right now and grab some dinner afterwards? It's very close to the Jagged Path, so…"

"Don't you know we're not supposed to be…?" I start, but trail off.

He gives me yet another look. "Not supposed to be what?"

"Never mind." I don't know what compelled me to not tell him about Phoebe's and Flannery's warning, but I shut up. "Let's go."

He quickly takes my arm, leading me back up the path. Lucario follows behind us at a careful distance.

"So, did you have fun while I was gone?" he shoots the shit as though he were never in a foul mood to begin with.

"It was okay," I answer. "I met the Gym Leader."

"Oh? Are you going to challenge her?"

"I think I will." I stick my hands in my pockets and shrug. "She kind of roped me into it."

"That's the spirit!"

"I'm kind of worried though."

"Why?"

I brush some ash from my eyes, quickening my pace so we can get through the Jagged Path as quickly as possible. "Flannery's the fourth Gym Leader ranked in her region. I'm the first. Even though I have a type advantage, I don't know if I can beat her."

"Haven't I taught you anything about strategy?"

"Well, yeah… yes, but, she was all like, 'ohhhhhh your Pokémon have to be fast,' and they're fast for Rock-Types, you know, but… I don't know if they're fast enough."

"Hmmm…" Riley thinks for a moment, and brightens up. "Are you familiar with Trick Room?"

"That's a good idea, but I don't have enough money to buy that TM," I explain. "Plus, there's only like two Rock-Types that learn it."

"You know, I don't mind splurging a little on a TM if it'll help your strategy," he chuckles, at once returning to his normal relaxed self. "You can consider it an apology for Riley being a grumpy old man."

"You're not old…" Not that he'll listen.

"Why don't we catch you a Solrock or Lunatone, then? They live where we're going!"

"Really?" I can't help but be excited. "B-But I don't have any Poke Balls."

"I went and picked up a few from a Poke Mart recently just because I thought I might want to bring an interesting Hoenn Pokémon home. But this is a much-worthier cause, I think!"

"But they're expensive!"

"Roarkie, please. I have more dollars than sense. How about you pour me a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon tonight if you want to repay me that badly?"

I nod in agreement, even though I have no idea what that is. Soon enough, we exit the path and find ourselves a little ways out from the volcano. Riley doesn't say anything, and I can tell he's still in a shitty mood despite his attempts to be nice to me.

"Climb or fly?" he asks suddenly.

"What?"

He points upwards. Squinting, I can make out a cave entrance overhead. I never actually thought Riley gave a damn about caves. He just fraternized with them because they made him money.

"Climb, I guess."

"Always trying to do it the hard way, eh, Roarkie?" He sounds cold, almost angry with me, and instinctively I hang my head in shame. But he doesn't see me, as he grapples onto the cliff without equipment and hoists himself up. He's so strong. My heart pounds out of my chest as I watch him—well, stare. Lucario rushes past me, gives me a sarcastic snort, and is up the mountain in five seconds flat.

Great. Even he knows I have a crush.

At last I will myself to clamber up the rocks to where he and Lucario are waiting, legs sprawled against the ledge.

"It's about time you got up here."

"S-Sorry!"

"No use apologizing. No harm was done."

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"I'm not!" His gaze softens. "Roarkie, I've just been going through a tough time lately."

"I know…"

"You only know part of the reason, but I just don't feel comfortable sharing the whole story yet, okay?"

"Gosh…" I don't know how to reply to that. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He chuckles. "You're sweet, Roarkie. What you can do to help me right now is enjoy this surprise, all right? Come on." He waves me into the cave, and I follow after him.

Instead of seeing darkness, the cave is well lit from crepuscular rays shining through the ceiling. Delicate sand dusts stalagmites and stalactites taller than an Aurorus make the place look kind of like a chapel, and small, fine grains of natural glass make the floor sparkle like jewels. But what's most impressive is the waterfall. It's huge, clear like day and sapphire in hue. It's loud and strong and the drops of the water spray me, gathering in crevices that seem to have an unending depth.

"Wow!" I exclaim, impressed. "This is so cool!"

Riley seems happy that I'm pleased, and he beams. Mood swings, thy name is Fannin. "I'm glad you like it! This place is called Meteor Falls. It's one of the most beautiful spots in Hoenn. I thought you'd enjoy coming here!"

"You know me so well!" I gush. "Gosh, this place must be how old…? I bet there's lots of fossils to be found…"

"There sure are. You can also find a lot of pretty stones here. Even someone like me who doesn't care much about geology has to be dazzled by them."

I'm too busy exploring this treasure of a place to notice him coming up behind me. Before I can get a word in edgewise, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close.

"… Riley?"

He holds me tighter. "Roarkie… you know I can't stay cross at you for long."

"Same goes for you," I answer, willing myself not to tremble in his arms. "C-Can we catch the Lunatone now?"

"Mmm-hmm… But first, can I…?" He folds his lips before he can get out the last of his request.

"Can you…?"

And then his demeanor shifts.

"Son of a bitch…" he curses, letting go and tensing up.

"Riley? What's wrong?"

"We're not alone," is all he grunts, climbing up another set of rocks to another chamber of the caverns. "Sensed an Aura; gonna check it out. If I'm not back in five minutes, come after me with Lucario and your gun."

"What…? Huh…?"

But he's gone like a speeding bullet, leaving me confused and alone and kind of hurt.

Fuck.

… And to think I was about to kiss him.