-May-

I gently knocked on the door into the base's computer room. Though it was already ajar, I didn't want to make too much noise. My voice low, I called out, "Max?"

Max didn't answer. I could hear the running of computers and see the glow of monitors, which bathed the back of the door in a soft, blue light. I pushed the door open and slipped inside.

The sight of multiple tables covered with machines didn't surprise me. If Max was the hacker and data collector of the Hoenn Resistance, then he probably needed as many tools as he could get. I imagined him constantly switching his eyes between computer screens, fingers typing continuously, brows furrowed with determination.

Regarding a situation such as sorting and validating the information we had found on that USB drive earlier, an image of Max hibernating in this room also came to me. I hadn't seen him come out of this room at all since he took the USB drive and "got to work". Hours had passed, with a thunderstorm having crossed over Lilycove a little while back. It was midnight now, according to the clock in the living room, and with everyone getting ready for bed, I thought I'd try to convince my brother to pack it up for the night.

In front of a large, lit monitor, a chair stood perfectly still. Walking closer, I saw a figure sitting in it, hunched over toward the desk. His arms were folded right below the computer's keyboard to cushion his head, while his shoulders slowly rose and fell to the rhythm of sleep.

"He's probably the busiest out of all of us."

I turned toward the voice and saw Drew standing in the doorway, a blanket in his arms. He made his way over to Max, unfolding the blanket and laying it over him.

I removed Max's glasses and put them on the desk. Looking back at the monitor, I knew Drew was right – multiple windows were open across the screen, each filled with files whose titles probably had something to do with the information on the USB drive. Max had fallen asleep in the midst of working. The image of him typing nonstop faded away beneath the sight of him sleeping peacefully, dreaming of a time probably better than the one we were in now. At least, I hoped he was. Nonetheless, I didn't disturb him. If I woke him up to move him to his bed, then he would just realize he'd fallen asleep, brush me off, and keep working until fatigue took over again.

I turned off the monitor to give Max some sense of silence. Then, I brushed my fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.

"Are you coming to bed yourself?" Drew asked.

I met his eyes. "In a little bit."

He nodded, kissed me, and departed. After whispering a "Good night" to Max, I followed, closing the door behind me.

A few minutes later, I was alone in the base's living room. Drew had gone to bed, and since I didn't see Paul, Lionel, or Dawn, I assumed they had, too. I wasn't that tired at the moment, because thoughts about the USB drive flashed through my head. Though it didn't show, I was probably thinking about it just as much as Max had.

I knew that the note that was left by the drive when Dawn found it was from Soledad. So, it was obvious that the drive was from Soledad as well. But, she had become Artemis because of Harley's death and the need to protect Malcolm, so why would she do something like this if she wanted to be forgotten by the rest of us? Besides, she wanted revenge, and giving us the same information she knew offered us a spot on the winning stand before she could even cross the finish line.

'This is proof that you can still trust me.'

And…maybe it was proof that she was still Soledad, too.

I sighed. I wanted to tell Drew that Soledad was alive, but if I did that, I would have to tell him that she was Artemis – an assassin he had undoubtedly heard of. What was worse: Thinking your friend was dead, or finding out that she was alive – and on the other team?

The kitchen light flashing on broke me from my trance, glaring out of the corner of my eye from down the hall. I pushed my thoughts away and walked toward it. Dawn came into view, making her way around the kitchen, humming a happy tune as she grabbed a highball glass from a shelf and placed it on the granite countertop.

She caught my eyes.

"Oh, May," she said, blinking, "I thought you went to bed."

"I thought you did, too."

Dawn shrugged. "Nah. I usually stay up late. I enjoy the peace and quiet, relaxing on the couch, reading a romance novel or two. During times like these, it's rare when you can, you know, 'slow down,' definitely when you're a part of this business."

I looked over my shoulder, thinking of Max. "I can imagine…"

"Well," Dawn said, "you're here. Want a drink?"

I smiled. "Why not?"

Dawn grinned and grabbed another highball glass from the shelf. "You a gin and tonic kind of girl?"

"Definitely."

She laughed. "That's what I like to hear."

As she made the drinks, fetching the gin and tonic water from one of the bottom cabinets, I remembered the battle we shared during the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh all those years ago. She had won the match, and I had made my way back to Johto with a smile on my face anyway, just glad that a person with such determination and dedication had achieved the victory she deserved.

"So," Dawn said, adding a lemon wedge to each glass – the finishing touch, "I take it you and Drew settled your differences earlier? Your relationship is back on track?"

"Yeah, we talked about it."

Dawn shook her head, smiling with amusement. She handed me one of the glasses, the ice cubes inside hitting together from the movement. "Just talked? Then why did you both disappear into his room for hours on end?"

I felt the blood rush to my face. "Uh-"

Dawn laughed again. "Don't worry about it. I would've been surprised if you guys hadn't done anything, considering how much Drew has missed you all these years."

"We weren't…loud, were we?"

"No. Though this base was built to echo sound in some places – a nice thing to have in case a fusion breaks or sneaks its way in – the rooms were made with privacy in mind."

I breathed a sigh of relief, taking a sip of my drink. The taste of alcohol lingered on my tongue. "That's nice to know."

Dawn gestured toward a table on the other side of the kitchen. I nodded, and we both took seats across from each other.

"We never kept much contact after the Wallace Cup," I said. "Apart from now, how did your coordinating career go?"

"It went pretty well. After the Sinnoh League back when I was traveling with Ash, I stayed behind in Sinnoh while he moved on, and I entered my pokemon into a few different gigs. I traveled around some more, won a few Grand Festivals, made some more friends and enemies, and pretty much got my name out there."

"Then, were you…were you invited to Enfer City?"

Dawn's eyes darkened. "Yeah, I was. I attended it with Zoey and Kenny – two rivals and friends of mine. I guess you and I didn't see each other down there. But…" She leaned back in her chair. "When the attack happened, Zoey, Kenny, and I managed to get out shortly after the call for the city's evacuation, and for a while we all believed that what happened was just the result of some power-hungry organization lusting for terror. We never thought that the attack might've come from the inside – and that it would lead to this hellhole we've all been thrown into."

"Are Zoey and Kenny okay?" I asked. I remembered facing Zoey during the Wallace Cup.

"They're both fine. They're part of the Sinnoh Resistance."

I hummed thoughtfully. "What about Paul?"

"What about him?"

"Well, you both seem to know each other. Is he a friend, too?"

Dawn let out an awkward cough. "You could say that. Paul was a regular pokemon trainer, and he was Ash's rival during his travels through Sinnoh. They both learned from one another and all that. You know, the usual stuff that happens during a rivalry."

I arched a brow. "Was Paul always such a…uh…"

"Asshole?"

I blinked. "Yeah."

Dawn waved it off with her hand. "Yes, he was, and he still is. He was like that when Ash and I first met him. He was callous with his pokemon and callous with everyone else. It stems from the fact that his brother lost a match to the Frontier Brain, Brandon, a long time ago, which made Paul develop a philosophy that strength was everything in a pokemon battle. Unfortunately, it also affected who he was as a person, too, though he did loosen up a little after the Sinnoh League when Ash defeated him."

"He doesn't seem that 'loosened up' to me."

"There are new reasons for his callousness now…"

I looked up. "Like?"

"The obvious thing, for starters," Dawn said, "which is the fusion war. The next thing is…his brother."

"His brother?"

Dawn nodded, frowning. "Reggie and Paul might have had their differences, but they still loved one another. During the past five years, Sinnoh was hit with the fusions just as much as the other regions. Reggie was killed in the onslaught."

"My Arceus…"

"Reggie…was Paul's motivation to join the Resistance, just as you were for Drew. Yeah, Paul may not be the nicest guy around, but I can't expect him to start baking cookies for the homeless at a time like this."

I finished my drink. "I understand." I looked up at her, cracking a small smile. "You sound like you really care about him."

Snorting, Dawn rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't be the first to make that assumption. I do care about him, yes. I was stuck with him during the majority of Sinnoh's destruction by the fusions, and we both share our own sense of tragedy in all of this. Misery loves company, as they say."

I flat-out grinned. "You're not specifying."

"Alright, maybe a physical attraction is there…"

"Are you sure Paul feels it, too?"

"Please. Like I haven't caught him staring at my ass on different occasions. Of course, when I point it out, he denies it, but I don't expect any different from him in that department, either."

"Do you love him?"

Dawn swallowed. She looked down at her drink, swishing the ice cubes around. "I…I don't know. If I said I didn't have any feelings for him, I'd be lying. I don't know if these feelings are strong enough to justify screaming from the rooftops that I'm definitely in love with him, though."

"How do you think he feels about you?"

"It's hard to figure out what Paul thinks sometimes. He locked everyone out during Ash's travel through Sinnoh, and with Reggie's death and all, I'm really the only person that can open him up now. A part of me…thinks that means something."

I smiled. "I'm sure it does."

Dawn met my eyes. She shook her head, stood up, and reached for my empty glass.

"I hope it does."

I said goodnight to Dawn an hour later, watching her disappear behind the door into her room. Then, I made my way toward Drew's room, slipping inside, trying not to make too much noise as I maneuvered my way through the pitch-black space. I thanked Arceus for my (mildly) strong alcohol tolerance level; otherwise, I probably would've tripped over myself already.

When I felt the soft padding of the bed, I climbed into it. Drew's arm wrapped around me. I smiled, moving closer to him, feeling the warmth of his skin as I laid my head against his bare chest.

I closed my eyes, drifting away to the sound of his breathing.