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Chapter XIII: In Which Leaf Begins to Crack
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June 20th, 2009. Early Morning. Opelucid City.
Time was something Paul knew he could manage effectively. When he was younger—when he still actively traveled—he regimented his days to where he could cover the most distance, make the most of his training, and still care for himself and his Pokémon. When he came became Champion, however, it was no longer just him and his personal affairs he needed to oversee. He suddenly had an branch of the G-Men to manage, a league to run, and countless other responsibilities and inane obligations to fulfill, all within a complex, corrupted system where linearity did not exist.
That was when control—over himself, over his title—began to slip from his fingers.
Paul could not remember the last time he had squandered an entire day. Yet, Thursday had bled into yesterday, and he could hardly distinguish yesterday from today. In the span of that time, of hours running off his hands and dripping down his wrists, he had not done a single thing of merit. There came a point where he, trying to hold true to what he told Leaf, let out his Pokémon to explain what had happened. He couldn't do it—but somehow, they understood anyway, and were now mourning, too. He hadn't even been able to feed them himself; Agent Gray had done it. They hadn't seen each other (she had the grace to know her superior would not want to be seen), but he knew she was there, at least up until last night when he finally slept for the first time in more than thirty-six hours.
When he woke up that following morning, it occurred to him he had not eaten in nearly as long a time. He rose up, mechanically brushing his fingers through his hair, before opening the door and heading down the hallway. He was not prepared, nor was he happy, to find two visitors in his kitchen.
"Paul!" Barry scrambled to stand from the his seat at the counter. Kenny appeared mildly alarmed, too.
"What are you two doing here?" Paul glowered at them.
"I-I knocked on your door last night to try to tell you we were here, but you said, 'Go away,'" Barry said.
"Why didn't you?"
"Our apartment sprung a leak," Kenny explained shortly.
Paul stared, then shook his head as he let out a short breath.
"Whatever."
He headed for the cupboard, pulling out a box of cereal, and then to the fridge, retrieving milk and orange juice. Kenny and Barry exchanged tentative glances before Barry rounded the other side of the counter to face Paul as he poured his cereal.
"So... how are you doing this morning?" he hesitantly asked. Paul lifted his gaze toward Barry, glaring. He reached for a carton, opening it up.
"Um, Paul, you're pouring orange juice into your cereal," Kenny said, trying to point it out as gently as possible. Paul stopped, setting the carton down and staring at his bowl.
"I don't... even... care." He picked up the bowl, grabbed a spoon, and headed back to his room, slamming the door behind him shut.
"I think I'm starting to get why Leaf wanted us to keep an eye on him," Barry said, and Kenny nodded.
It was the little things, Drew realized, that he appreciated the most about May.
Rarely did she wake up before him. When she did, it was usually because he'd had trouble sleeping. May seemed to know that—and so, when those mornings came, she did what she could to make them just a little bit easier through small and simple things. She couldn't cook (Drew didn't let her near the kitchen unless someone was there to stop her from throwing odd ingredients into otherwise basic recipes, or from setting the stove aflame); so she took other routes.
Like laying out his toothbrush on the bathroom counter, toothpaste already applied. Just to let him know she was thinking about him.
By the time Drew had washed up and gone through his other morning rituals, he found May had already fed his Pokémon, too; they were just finishing up breakfast. May herself was at her laptop, nibbling on some toast.
"Good morning." Drew swept down to peck her on the lips, catching her by surprise. "Thank you for all this."
"Oh... It was nothing," May said, when she realized what he was referencing. "Were you okay last night?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Drew hastily replied. "I've just had a lot on my mind with my father, and Torterra, and then Leaf being... Leaf."
"What about your father?" May frowned.
"It's nothing to worry about."
"Don't do the same thing to me that Leaf's doing to you," May gently chastised.
Drew's lips tightened. Then, he said, "Really, it's just things I only plan to deal with once we're through with the CIU. So I just have to set it aside in my mind for now."
May didn't look wholly satisfied by this response, but she shrugged, saying, "Okay." She perked up when her phone buzzed, and she picked it up to read the text she had received.
"Who is it?" Drew asked.
"Max," May answered. "He and my parents want to spend time with me today."
"Message him back and tell him you will," Drew said without a moment's hesitation.
"Well, I don't want to dip out on the CIU..." May trailed off.
"It won't be like that," Drew persisted. "You ran the movement while I was gone. You deserve a break. Besides, this is your family, and they're only here 'till, what, Wednesday?"
"I also feel bad because Solidad and Harley and the other panelists are supposed to be flying back today..."
"Don't. They'll understand," Drew assured her. "You don't get to see your family nearly enough, and one day, you might regret that you didn't."
Drew didn't mean for it to sound so morbid; nor did he think to consider what his own words implied, what they reflected upon himself. A long silence fell anyway, punctured only when May let out a long breath and nodded as she picked her cell phone back up.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer," Abby apologized to Nurse Joy wearily, standing separated from her by the front counter.
"Oh, please don't feel the need to apologize, Abby," Nurse Joy assured her. "You've been a huge help these past couple of days. I couldn't imagine how I would have survived them without you."
"We're not in the clear yet, though..."
Nurse Joy smiled sadly.
"I know," she conceded. "But I think I might have a better handle on the situation now, at least."
Abby knew Nurse Joy was only saying this to make her feel better. The situation hadn't changed, and they were both still at a loss of how to handle it. She sighed.
"Well, please call or email if there are any issues you want to talk through," Abby said.
"I will." Nurse Joy nodded. "Thank you for all your hard work. Have a good flight."
"Thank you. Goodbye." Abby turned, heading for the double doors leading outside. Yet, she happened to be intercepted by none other than Ash, who was on his way to the cafeteria with Pikachu.
"Hm? Abby, are you leaving?" he asked, stopping her.
"I'm afraid I am," Abby confirmed tacitly. "As much as I wish I could keep helping out with this..." She paused, considering which word she should use. "... situation, I have to back to my clinic in Hoenn. I need to go pack and check out of my hotel so I can meet with Drew Hayden in about three hours."
"Hey, it's understandable," Ash said. "What about that Houndoom, though?"
"Nurse Joy will have to continue to caring for him on her own." Abby sighed before adding, "Although, I have to say, things aren't looking too bright for him."
"What do you mean?"
"Houndoom has undergone four surgeries now to correct and re-correct his jaw, due to him consistently reversing the fixes we make," she explained. "Houndoom should be sent to a rehabilitation facility, but he must be fully recovered before then. His behavior is making that difficult. It may come that Nurse Joy will have to put down Houndoom, even if it's an ethically gray area, since Houndoom has a trainer."
"Putting down Pokémon?" Ash looked alarmed, and Pikachu folded his ears.
"It's rare, but it happens," Abby said gravely. "And it might happen with Houndoom. If a Pokémon is not returned to its Pokéball after thirty days, the return function will cease to work and the Pokémon would technically have to be re-captured by the trainer if he or she wants to put the Pokémon back in its ball. Some argue this means the Pokémon is free of its trainer, but others rightfully point out that there are some trainers who keep their Pokémon outside of their Pokéballs." Abby smiled weakly as she reached out to pet Pikachu. "Not unlike you and Pikachu."
"Yeah..." Ash trailed off. "Gee, I don't know how I feel about that. I don't think Houndoom should be put down anyway, but..."
Misty appeared in the lobby with Ritchie and Serena in tow, her eyes darting around the area until they found Ash.
"It's a complicated issue," Abby said.
"Ash!" Misty called out to him, grabbing both his and Abby's attention as she approached. "We've been waiting for you."
"Sorry about that," Ash sheepishly apologized. "I woke up late and then I got caught up talking with Abby." He turned his gaze back toward the doctor. "I guess you need to get going, though, huh? Sorry for keeping you."
"That's all right." Abby waved it off. "Good luck with your match Thursday."
"Thanks..." As soon as she had left, Ash turned toward his companions, asking, "Do you think if we talked to Leaf, she could help us find Houndoom's trainer?"
"Uh... what?" Misty blinked.
"I want to find Houndoom's trainer," Ash clarified.
"Mm," Misty intoned, unsure. "Ash, I really... don't... think it's any of our business." She had to force herself to say it. "Besides, you have other things you need to focus on. Like Abby said, your match is on Thursday. You should go to the battle club and get in some last-minute training."
"Er..." Ash was surprised Misty was trying to deter him. "I don't really want to go to the battle club. I don't think I could go back, with what happened..."
"Then..." Misty wracked her brain for another excuse. "Why don't you and I have a battle? It doesn't have to be at the battle club. We can find a field at one of the local parks. Ritchie can ref."
Ash perked up at that.
"You and I battling?" he asked.
"Yeah." Misty nodded.
"Well... okay!" Ash agreed. His stomach rumbled, and he let out an embarrassed laugh, clutching it. "But first, breakfast."
"Sounds like a plan," Misty said with a smile as he passed by. When he was out of earshot, Misty let out a long, relieved breath.
"The match is still happening?" Ritchie asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.
"Mhm," she hummed, nodding.
"... What makes you think otherwise?" Serena asked, addressing Ritchie.
"When I heard Leaf had called Misty in last night to talk, I was thinking she might want to discuss putting off her and Ash's match," he answered.
"So did I, to be honest," Misty admitted. "But no, it's still on."
"Wait, I'm confused." Serena made a time-out gesture with her hands. "Why would Leaf delay the match?"
"I mean, if you were in Leaf's shoes, would you be willing to leave at a time like this?" Ritchie asked rhetorically. "It's not a matter of her just being able to leave for a day, have a battle, then come back and pick up where she left off. There's a lot on the line here. If she loses, she's done. She no longer has the power to exert control over the situation or help it."
"That doesn't... make sense..." Serena said slowly.
"Yeah, well," Misty began, giving her a quick pat on the shoulder before following Ash, "not many things do here."
"Good morning. You've reached the non-emergency line for the Pewter City Police Department. If you know your party's extension, please-" Leaf immediately pressed '7' and waited as the phone rang; she had called enough police departments in her years to know how the system worked.
"Hello, this is Amy on the non-emergency line for the Pewter City P.D. How may I help you?" the kindly voice of a young woman asked when the call patched through.
"Hi, this is Champion Leaf Greene, ID 012904 in the G-Men. I'm giving this to you in case you want to call the G-Men HQ at the Indigo Plateau to confirm it's me speaking," Leaf began calmly, though seriously.
A pause.
"M-Ma'am?" The woman on the other line was evidently surprised she was speaking with the Indigo Champion.
"I need to request a copy of a case file," Leaf continued. "I do not have the case number, but I'm hoping you'll help me find it."
"... Certainly," Amy said, recovering. "Do you have a time frame for when this case occurred?"
"It would have been filed about 14 or 15 years ago, so anywhere from 1994 to 1995?" Leaf estimated. "I don't have the full name either, but last name should be Rebolledo. No, wait. Not Rebolledo. Blair. B-L-A-I-R. Rebolledo was the maiden name."
Leaf heard some typing on a computer as the woman searched by her specifications.
"I have a case filed on March 9th, 1994 for the suicide of a woman named Lucia Rebolledo Blair," Amy said after a while.
"That's it. That's exactly what I wanted." Leaf straightened up. "Can you fax me a copy?"
"I can."
"Okay. It's..." Leaf scrambled to find the piece of paper upon which she had scrawled the code. "1-212-9876543."
As she read the numbers aloud, Gary appeared in the doorway to the bedroom and leaned against the frame, waiting for her to finish.
"I'll have it taken care of as soon as possible."
"Thank you," Leaf breathed. "Thank you very much."
Gary spoke when she hung up.
"So I have news," he began casually.
"Good or bad?" Leaf asked, turning in her chair to face him.
"Can't say. Neutral, really." He shrugged. "I got access to a university lab, but you'll never believe where."
"... Where?"
"Some folks at the Mistralton School of Life Sciences are expecting me this afternoon."
"Really?" Leaf's eyebrows rose. "Mistralton City?"
"Yes, really." He smiled wryly before asking, "You still interested in meeting Summer Morana? The university and the hospital are less than a mile apart, and Cilan lent me the keys to his car."
"That's surprising."
"Life has a way of working out sometimes, I guess."
"No, not that," Leaf corrected. "I meant Cilan giving you his keys."
"Are you coming or not?" Gary rolled his eyes.
"Yeah." Leaf stood up, stretching before pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "I'm still very interested in meeting Summer Morana."
"Okay, so," Iris began confidently as she strode toward the coffee table in her office with a large, frayed sheet of paper rolled up in her hands, "I did some digging around this office, and I found this." She began to unfurl the sheet, spreading it out on the table. Trip quirked an eyebrow, giving it a once-over before looking at Iris.
"A really big map of Unova?" he inquired.
"It would be nice to mark where these attacks happened and at which locations a Pokémon possibly killed by Houndoom died," Cilan remarked.
"Yeah! That's what I was thinking!" Iris exclaimed before turning and snatching up a small cylindrical container on her desk. "I found some pushpins Drayden left behind in one of the drawers, too, just for that."
"Perhaps we could go a step further and color-code them," Cilan suggested. "White for attacks, red for deaths."
"Mm..." Iris intoned, lifting up the container to take stock. "It's a good idea, but I'm not sure we have enough of those colors."
"It's not a big deal," Trip dismissed. "I'll go to the store now."
He retrieved his bag and headed for the door; yet, as he did, he nearly ran into Georgia, who had decided to come in just as he was going out.
"Sorry," she hastily apologized.
"Georgia?" He looked confused, as did Iris and Cilan. "What are you doing here?"
"I guess..." She sounded uncharacteristically uncertain. "I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to help? I probably should have called first."
"You... want to help?" Iris drew back in surprise.
"I have a laptop," Georgia said, gesturing toward the bag hanging from her own shoulder. "Are you still trying to find if that Houndoom killed any other Pokémon? Do you want to forward me some of those logs?"
"We... We are," Iris replied.
"I can forward you some," Cilan offered.
"Great." Georgia brushed past Trip and sat down, reaching into her bag to pull out her computer. Iris and Cilan exchanged a furtive glance, while Trip watched her with an indiscernible expression. Cilan noticed when Trip's gaze remained unbroken for a moment too long, and he cleared his throat.
"Trip?" he inquired gently, getting the photographer's attention.
"Hm?" Trip looked back at Cilan.
"The store."
"Right." Trip quickly turned and disappeared from view.
One thing Dawn didn't like: stares.
Staring was different than watching. She was used to be watched; she enjoyed the thrill of standing on stage, of performing with her Pokémon. The eyes of her audience were adoring, and they were welcomed. Stares, on the other hand, were invasive; they were full of disgust, or pity, or confusion, or unsavory intentions.
When she walked into the office that day, her presence was met with a few stares, and immediately, she didn't want to be there. She didn't want sympathy, especially when she was the one who didn't need it—and the person who did deserve it wouldn't want it either. She pressed forward anyway, finding her desk and beginning settle in for the day. Zoey followed her; their workspaces were situated next to each other.
"Hey..." Kenny came up to her cubicle, resting his arms on the low walls. "How are you feeling?"
"Me? Oh, I'm fine." Dawn quickly waved it off. "Glad to be back here, at least. How was everything yesterday?"
"Here? Well, there certainly weren't any celebrations." Kenny shrugged.
"Kenny and I have kind of had a wild night, though," Barry remarked, joining Kenny.
"... Wild night?" Zoey asked dryly.
"So, Leaf came and-" Barry stopped short when Kenny elbowed him in the side, giving him a pointed look. "What? Are we supposed to keep it a secret?"
"Keep what a secret?" Drew asked as he passed by. "What did Leaf do?"
Kenny let out a long breath and briefly glared at Barry.
"Nothing major. She just wanted us to spend a couple of nights with Paul," he said.
"Also, she broke our sink with a wrench," Barry added, and Kenny swore for a moment he might have punched him. Dawn's face fell as realization, as understanding began to set in.
"What?! Why would she do that?" Drew asked.
"... She was trying to give us a legitimate excuse to move in with Paul," Kenny begrudgingly explained. "I'm mad about it, but at the same time, it's hard to be mad about it."
"That's really extreme," Drew said warily. "Why would she be so dead-set on you two..." He trailed off, and his expression changed as a thought occurred to him. "Arceus, does she think Paul's suicidal?"
"Whoa, wait, what?" Barry's eyes widened. "I mean, he was off this morning, but I wouldn't have thought—how would she have even thought that?"
"She was the only person to speak with Paul yesterday," Zoey pointed out.
"It's because of me," Dawn cut in suddenly. "It's because of some things I told her last week. It's not any of our business, and it wasn't even any of mine. Let's not talk about it."
A brief silence followed.
"Dawn..." Kenny began carefully, but she turned away in her chair.
"I didn't want this to be a group affair," she said quietly. "That was a big part of why everything went downhill for him and I."
Zoey's lips tightened.
"It's hard when you're a part of a tight-knit group," she said. "Secrets don't stay secret, and once all fifteen of us know, they're at risk of escaping our circle—too many people know by then."
"Amazing how we've managed to keep one then, isn't it?" Drew remarked. The comment garnered a couple surprised gazes but no words. Their attention, however, was drawn toward the door as a guest walked through, his arrival being met with a few gasps.
"Why does everyone always act so shocked when a Champion shows up here?" Ursula half-sneered under her breath. She wasn't sitting far from Dawn and the others. "Shouldn't this be expected by now?"
Her remark was ignored as Drew rose up to greet their visitor.
"Hi, Wallace," he said, shaking his hand.
"Good morning, Drew," Wallace greeted pleasantly. He cast his eyes about the room. "Is May not here today?"
"No, she's with her family." Drew shook his head.
"Ah, I see." He smiled. "I, myself, had the pleasure of breakfast this morning with my cousin. He's packing now, to my understanding. When must you leave to take him and the other panelists to the airport?"
Drew quickly checked his phone.
"Two hours," he said.
"More than enough time to write up a joint statement about the CIU and the G-Men working together to carry out an investigation regarding Thursday's events, wouldn't you agree?" Wallace inquired.
Drew's lip twitched into a smile, too, as relief crossed his expression. Zoey stood up, realizing this was her area.
"Definitely," she said.
"Yes," Drew added, agreeing. "Thank you, Wallace. We really appreciate it."
Dawn soon tuned out the conversation. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, typing out the plea "Please call me" before hitting send.
June 20th, 2009. Noon. Mistralton City.
Hospitals were hit-and-miss when it came to visitations. Some bent the moment they learned she was the Indigo Champion. Others held their resolve, refusing to let her inside at will so easily. Leaf wasn't sure what type of hospital the one in Mistralton City would be, but she had an idea the moment the receptionist's face lit up when she saw her.
"Madam Champion... ?!" the receptionist appalled when she approached the front desk.
"Hi," Leaf greeted amicably. "I'm here to see a patient: Summer Morana?"
"O-Of course. Let me look her up." The receptionist turned to her computer, typing. "She's in room—Oh..."
Leaf furrowed her eyebrows.
"That's not a number."
"Ms. Morana is a minor," the receptionist explained. "So I must request permission from a parent to allow a visitor who is a non-relative."
"How long will that take?"
"Just a couple minutes." The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a number off the screen. "Hello, Mrs. Morana? This is the front desk. Your daughter has a very special visitor. ... Who? Champion Leaf Greene! I need your approval, however in order for me to..." She stopped, falling silent, and Leaf sensed something was awry.
"What's the matter?" Leaf asked in a low, hurried voice, but the receptionist gestured for her to be quiet.
"No?" The receptionist appeared confused, and Leaf's heart dropped.
"Wait. Let me talk to her," Leaf urged, and the receptionist hesitated before handing her the phone. "Hi, Mrs. Morana? This is Leaf Greene."
"Why do you want to see my daughter?"
"I... just want to chat, that's all." Leaf was taken aback by the tone of hostility.
"Well, she's not in a talkative mood right now."
"Is now a bad time? When should I come back?" Leaf pressed.
"Never." Leaf was shocked as the line went dead; the mother had hung up on her. She drew the receiver away from her head, staring at it.
"I'm sorry," the receptionist apologized, taking back the phone.
"Is there nothing else you can do?" Leaf asked her, half-pleading.
The receptionist shrugged.
"Hospital policy," she said.
June 20th, 2009. Noon. Opelucid City.
Iris looked up in confusion when the fax machine roared to life, and she glanced toward the others when it began to print.
"Did one of the Nurse Joys we spoke to say she was going to fax us logs?" she asked.
"No... ?" Trip answered, unsure.
"That's probably from Leaf," Cilan said. "She asked me for the code to our fax machine this morning."
Iris stood up and headed toward the machine, waiting for the document to finish transmitting. The machine soon hummed and went silent again; only two pages were printed. Iris lifted the sheets out of the tray and was surprised to find it was a copy of an old police report—from Pewter City, of all places. She read further, and a name quickly jumped out at her. Her breath caught.
"Iris, what is it?" Georgia asked.
"Nothing," Iris said quietly as she turned around, opened her desk, and slid the papers inside. "Cilan's right. It's for Leaf."
June 20th, 2009. Afternoon. Mistralton City.
Leaf had to weigh her options.
She had gone to a nearby coffee shop to mull over what had happened and what she should do. She knew she could get in to see Summer no problem if she changed her motivations; or, rather, if she expressed her true ones. They could turn away a friendly visitor, but they could not turn away a G-Men agent working on a case. A flash of her ID, and she'd be in the elevator and on her way. It wasn't a stunt Leaf was sure she wanted to pull, though.
There were several ways Leaf could read into the mother denying her visitation, one being that the mother was merely being protective of her sickly 17-year-old daughter. Forcing visitation, in that case, would be in bad taste. The other scenario, however, was that the daughter had something to hide, and her mother knew it. Leaf waving her G-Men agent title around would then be justified. Even so, Leaf wasn't keen on scaring a sick teenager and her undoubtedly worried mother into talking. It would have been much easier for everyone if she had been allowed into the room as a visitor, so she could get the information she needed in a casual atmosphere.
She knew there was one thing she needed to remember, however: A Pokémon had died. And not just any Pokémon, but the Pokémon of a friend and Champion. And there were many other Pokémon that had possibly been killed and attacked. This was what drove her back to the hospital an hour after she left, now with a much more serious demeanor.
The same receptionist she spoke with earlier sighed when she saw Leaf had returned.
"I'm really sorry, Madam Champion," she said. "As much as I wish I could help, non-relatives are not allowed to visit without parent permission."
"I'm no longer here on a charitable visit." Leaf flashed her badge. "I'm here to interview Summer Morana."
The receptionist's eyes widened.
"I..." The receptionist looked bewildered by the change. "She's in Room 512." She pushed a clipboard and pen toward Leaf. "Please sign in."
Leaf nodded and quickly scrawled her information on the paper before thanking the receptionist and heading toward the elevators. Now, Leaf realized, she had to consider what her approach would be. The mother would certainly be unhappy Leaf had come, but would she roll over when Leaf said she was there as a part of the G-Men, or would further convincing be required? Intimidation was never Leaf's favorite method, even if she was quite good at it. Lance had been her teacher, after all.
Once on the fifth floor, Leaf didn't stop to knock when she found Room 512. A woman—whom Leaf could only assume was Summer Morana's mother, considering her graying blonde hair and evidence of age in her face—sprung up in alarm when she saw Leaf standing in the doorway.
"I didn't give you permission to be here," the woman spat, confronting Leaf.
"I no longer need it," Leaf said calmly, though firmly. "I'm here to interview Summer Morana as part of the G-Men's investigation into the death of Paul Rebolledo's Torterra last Thursday."
The woman's face paled and she backed away. Leaf inclined her head, resisting the urge to smirk. Her intuition, it seemed, was correct. They did have something to hide.
"You may stay in the room for the interview; however-" Leaf began again, but she was cut off.
"-Mom?" The voice was small, frail. Leaf turned her eyes to see Summer Morana for the first time. She was struggling to sit up in her hospital bed, and doing so appeared painful. Her hair was dull, flat, and thin; her skin was pale and clammy. A strange purple mark extended up her arm, and Leaf couldn't tell if it was a bruise or something else.
"Summer..." The mother's gaze softened as she returned to her daughter's beside. Leaf felt disarmed, now unsure of what to say or do. She couldn't bring herself to be forceful when standing in the same room as a dying teenage girl—and Leaf knew from the way Summer looked that death was hanging above her head.
"Summer," Leaf started, but she stopped, struggling to figure out how to sensitively phrase her question. "What are the doctors treating you for?"
"They don't know," the mother said stiffly, before Summer could answer. "She just got sick one day."
"Just randomly?" Leaf pressed.
"Yes," the mother insisted.
"Then you don't think this has anything to do with Summer's Houndoom attacking her several weeks ago?"
A pregnant silence followed, and Summer shriveled up, bringing her legs closer to her. The mother's gaze remained sharp, though fearful. Leaf's suspicions had been incited, but she realized the answers she needed weren't going to come easy.
"What are you doing here?" Summer finally asked, quiet.
"I'm just here to ask some questions," Leaf answered simply.
"Am I in trouble?"
Leaf stared, hesitating.
"No," she decided. A pause. "Summer, what happened when Houndoom attacked you? What led up to it?"
"Nothing," the mother interjected. "Nothing happened."
"I'm not talking to you, Mrs. Morana, I'm talking to your daughter," Leaf just short of snapped, and the mother clamped up. Summer appeared unsure, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Why are you asking?" she asked.
"Summer, we think we might have your Houndoom," Leaf said frankly. "A couple nights ago, a Houndoom appeared in a parking lot in Opelucid City and attacked a trainer, a friend of mine, actually. Paul Rebolledo, the Champion of the Sinnoh Region, came to her rescue, but his Torterra's throat was punctured by Houndoom's teeth, and Torterra ended up dying that evening. Houndoom is still alive, and he's staying at a Pokémon Center in Opelucid City. We're trying to find some answers."
Summer looked shaken upon hearing this news. Her mother was upset, too, but she appeared to be at a loss for words.
"I don't have any to give," Summer finally replied. "That's not my Houndoom."
"No?" Leaf turned her head.
"No," Summer repeated. "My Houndoom would never. He's headstrong, but he would never kill another Pokémon. I've raised him since he was a Houndour, he would never..."
"But Houndoom attacked you," Leaf reminded. Summer was beginning to look more nervous.
"That's... That's..." she stammered. Leaf reached into her bag and pulled out the most recent issue of Coordinator's Weekly.
"I'm sorry to show you something so graphic," Leaf said, holding the cover out to her. "But this is serious. If this is your Houndoom, I need to know it. And if it is, I need to know more about the attack."
Summer's lip quivered.
"I don't know what to tell you," she said, wrapping her arms around herself. "My Houndoom is a good Pokémon. He wouldn't. He just wouldn't."
Leaf was hitting a wall. It was difficult to get far when she wouldn't even admit the Houndoom was hers. Leaf's inward considerations of what to do next were interrupted when she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. She pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Gary, and it caused Leaf's heard to drop.
'The sample tested positive. Houndoom has Virus X.'
"Is something wrong?" the mother demanded suddenly, and Leaf's head snapped up.
"N-No." Leaf's voice wavered. "Um..." She dug around in her bag again and pulled out a pen. She opened her copy of Coordinator's Weekly and scribbled her number on the inside of the cover before handing it to Summer.
"I think there's more for you to say, Summer," Leaf said, trying to keep her tone even. "Please call me when you're willing to say it. For now, I... I need to go."
June 20th, 2009. Afternoon. Opelucid City.
"I think my greatest regret of this trip," Harley began as he pulled his luggage out of the trunk of Drew's rental car, "is that I never got Robert's number."
He and Drew were standing near the curb outside an airport terminal. The other fliers—Solidad, Robert, Nando, and Abby—were a short distance away and, having already retrieved their luggage, were waiting for Drew and Harley to catch up. Drew glowered at Harley as he shut the trunk door.
"You know Robert's married, right?" Drew asked.
"Has that ever stopped me before?" Harley replied with a smirk.
"I didn't know you went after married men, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Drew shook his head. "I don't know how Solidad puts up with you."
"I don't how how May puts up with you," Harley threw back.
"Because we love each other?" Drew answered as though it were obvious.
"Well, there you go," Harley said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Same for good ol' Sol and I."
Drew gave him a strange look but followed him to join the other panelists. The light conversation between the other four halted when they arrived, and Robert was the first to speak again.
"Thank you, Drew, for inviting us to be here," he said graciously. "I wish you and the rest of your staff the best of luck."
"As do I," Nando added. "I excitedly await the day contest halls open in Unova."
"Thank you, Robert, Nando," Drew said. "Thank you to all of you, really. The panel wouldn't have been what it was without you."
"Well, now that we're all here, I guess we should go get checked in." Abby's tone carried a stiff sadness; the vibrancy that was present in her the day she arrived had fallen by the wayside. The others agreed as they followed her inside. Solidad, however, lingered behind for a moment longer.
"So this is goodbye for now, huh?" Drew asked.
"I suppose so," Solidad sighed. "I feel bad leaving at a time like this."
"Don't worry about it," Drew assured her. "I'm feeling better now that Wallace has been by. I'll handle it fine."
"I know you will." Solidad nodded. "It's not the just the CIU, though. So much has happened in the past few days, with Torterra, with your father..."
Drew pursed his lips.
"Well, it hasn't all been bad," he said. "It's been stressful, but I suppose it's put things in perspective—in a good way."
"Perspective?"
Drew paused.
"Would you like to know a secret?" he finally asked.
Solidad raised her eyebrows, but said, "Shoot."
Drew was silent for a moment, considering how he should word his response.
"When we've finished up with the CIU..." he began carefully, "... I'm going to ask May to marry me."
Solidad's jaw nearly dropped.
"What? You're serious?" When he nodded, she asked, "When did you decide this?"
"It's been stirring around in my head for more than a week now, thanks to something my father said—as surprising as that might seem," Drew answered. "I started to think about it a lot more seriously at his funeral, but I knew for sure this morning."
"W-Well, I'm..." Solidad stumbled over her own words and laughed. "I'm thrilled! I've always wanted for this to happen, and I supposed I'm in shock that it is now. Of course, it's very like you to tell me something like this right before I'm supposed to leave."
"Sorry," Drew apologized. "Just thought you might want to know."
"I'm certainly glad I do." Solidad smiled wryly before adding, "But don't think that means I won't want to hear more about this later."
"Noted."
Solidad turned to leave, but she stopped herself, facing him again.
"One more thing," she said. "When the special contest comes—I will be back."
June 20th, 2009. Afternoon. Mistralton City.
Leaf felt like she couldn't breathe.
Her chest had become constricted, and she was beginning to feel lightheaded. She had left Summer Morana's room in a hurry, knowing it would be bad if she ended up breaking down in front of her. That would surely lead to a few unwanted headlines.
Leaf found an unoccupied family restroom down the hallway and she quickly opened it up and locked herself inside. She immediately went to the sink, clutching the porcelain edges, now trying to gasp in air. She reached for her phone again, her hand shaking as she dialed a number and lifted the device to her ear.
"Please pick up," she pleaded. "Please pick up."
"Leaf?"
"Lance," Leaf bleated.
"What's the matter?" he asked, immediately sensing something was awry.
"I just—I don't—" Her voice was growing watery, and she stopped to swallow. She hated crying in front of Lance, even if it was over the phone. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to handle this anymore."
"Handle what? Leaf, please explained what's happened," he said firmly. "And breathe."
"Okay, so—" Leaf's voice remained uneven as she turned and leaned against the wall, trying to stabilize herself. "—so, Gary's thesis. I don't know if I ever told you anything about it or if he mentioned it to you, but it was about this virus. It's this really weird virus that makes Pokémon stronger and more aggressive. Last month, one of the Lileep he and the other researchers had found it in was stolen from Mauville University. Then—then there were these attacks in Unova, and one of them was a Houndoom, but it escaped before it could be properly quarantined. And this Houndoom, we think it's attacked other Pokémon, and we think it's the same one that killed Torterra."
"And this virus... ?" Lance calmly prompted.
"Gary went to see Houndoom yesterday, because he was suspicious." Leaf still couldn't shake the sick knots forming in her stomach. "He thought it might have this virus, and his initial tests said yes, but he wasn't sure—and I guess I was just hoping for the best, pretending it wouldn't happen, but Gary just told me it's for sure. It has the virus. But this not just innocent stat increases and an attitude problem. Iris has been doing some digging with Cilan and Trip, and they think there's other Pokémon. They think there's other Pokémon that have died. This virus, in modern Pokémon, it's dangerous. Gary said it can affect different species of Pokémon and humans. I saw Houndoom's trainer just now. She's dying, Lance. I think maybe she has it, too, and it's killing her. There was another trainer, also attacked by a Pokémon, that died."
Leaf began to sink, sliding her legs out against the tile.
"Who knows how many other Pokémon have been infected? Who knows how many other Pokémon are running around carrying this? There's been eighteen cases of attacks recently. All those trainers... and what about the ones we don't know about?" She posed the question weakly, afraid to think of the answer. "Ash and I are supposed to battle on Thursday. I can't leave now. I can't..."
She buried her face in her hands.
"Leaf..."
"I think I understand now," she cried. "I think I understand why. Why it's this way, why matches are thrown to the Champion, why nothing gets done, ever. Because things like this happen. I couldn't leave this to Ash. But I don't want to... I don't want to get stuck in the rut where I get to hang onto my title because I say so. It's not right."
"What about Iris and Paul?"
"Arceus, don't even—" Leaf let out a bitter laugh. Yet, her lips quivered, and her eyes watered again. When they spilled, Leaf quickly wiped them away. "Lance, I think Paul might be in trouble. That's the other thing. Dawn entrusted me with trying to get him help. I don't know if I'm doing it right, but I have to do something, and I can't leave him now. He said something that really scared me, that told me he didn't care if he was alive or dead—and I don't know if he's going to hurt himself or not, but I can't take that risk, and I can't risk losing on Thursday, and losing the access I need to make sure he doesn't."
"Then don't risk it, plain and simple," Lance said.
"It's not that easy. I don't want to screw this up. Ash getting a fair match, Ash winning, Ash becoming the Champion... It's a shot at making things better. It can begin to set things straight."
"And it won't matter, if this virus is as serious as you make it sound," Lance pressed. "Leaf, I realize you have your ideals; I realize you and Iris and Paul want so much to make things better. But you have to face the truth of the matter: You need to push that match back, and you need to solve this."
"What will I say?" Leaf asked, almost angrily. "What excuse can I give? And the Hoenn League is in July. It's not like I can push it back very far. It'll overlap, and it'll mess everything up, and then the chance for Ash to become Champion will be unsalvageable."
"Sacrifices have to be made," Lance said. "You have to be willing to let go. If you're not willing to publicly talk about this virus yet, and I wouldn't, then use Torterra's death as a scapegoat. Use that as your reason for putting the match on hold; it will buy you time to sort things out. As for the Hoenn League—talk to Wallace. No, I'll talk to Wallace. I'll tell him to put the Hoenn League on hold, too."
Leaf's breath caught.
"Another... another standstill?" The horror in her tone was evident, as the reality of how serious the situation was began to set in. "Like the one seven years ago?"
A brief silence followed.
"You must do what you must," he finally said.
Leaf pushed her hand through her hair before letting it fall to her side. Her tears had stopped.
"I know. You're right," she said quietly.
"I will come and I will help."
"No," Leaf rejected. "I have to do this on my own. I'm going to fix this. We'll talk to the other trainers. We'll find the other Pokémon. We'll make a cure. But I'm not letting go of the match with Ash. I've come too far to let it go. It will happen, even if it doesn't happen now. I said I wouldn't let you down, and I won't."
March 18th, 2003. Evening. Viridian City.
"You know, you'd think someone who works in law enforcement wouldn't break the law," Gary commented dryly, his arms folded as he watched Leaf begin the climb up a chain-link fence, right next to a rusting sign that read 'No Trespassing.' Leaf paused and threw a flirty smile his way.
"You'd think wouldn't you?" she said teasingly. She moved a foot up and, realizing Gary still hadn't budged, glowered at him. "Oh, come on. What's changed? I would expect Cilan or Drew to act like a straightedge, not you."
Gary shrugged, but smirked as he jumped onto the fence, too, climbing over the top with much greater ease than Leaf. She huffed. She should have known. He was wanting to show off.
Leaf finished her climbed to the top and tried to position herself to jump to the other side, but doing do caused a dull pain to suddenly ripple through her lower abdomen. She gritted her teeth, trying to ignore it. Although it had been a year since Domino had tried to kill her, there were times the pain returned, when she twisted her body the right—or rather, the wrong—way. Gary seemed to notice, and he helped catch her on the way down.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled.
They had been there many times before. Neither had known an abandoned amusement park was in the area, but when they stumbled across it one evening, they couldn't resist taking a look around. Now, it was where they spent much of their time together. It was a place they could meet, just the two of them; a nice middle point between Pallet Town and the Indigo Plateau.
"You know," Leaf began as they passed by an old carousel, her hand catching his, "when I'm Champion, I should consider restoration projects a part of my to-do list. After I dismantle the government and put it back together, of course."
"Will you still have that kind of power after that?" Gary questioned.
"I think it'll be reduced, but I don't think it will ever go away. Not all of it," Leaf replied. "I don't know. I haven't figured it all out yet. I wish I could talk more to Iris and Paul about it, and I would if it weren't for Lance and the others essentially giving us gag orders. And I get that. Things would fall apart in a bad way if it came out that the next generation of Champions have already been lined up."
"Yeah, speaking of which, how are they planning on making that happen?" Gary asked.
"Lance hasn't talked about it yet, actually," she admitted. "I know whatever it is, though, it will make sense. It has to. It begins to unravel if it doesn't. There's a reason Lance erased me from the story. Three kids from Napaj's most famous conspiracy becoming Champions would raise eyebrows."
They settled down on a grassy hill overlooking an outdoor performance stage, the roof of which had since collapsed in on itself. The hill was peppered with both weeds and wildflowers.
"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" Leaf asked after a moment.
Gary paused, hesitating.
"I... uh..." he began, unsure of what exactly he should say. "I got an internship offer."
Leaf broke into a smile and let out a short laugh.
"Gary, that's great," she said.
"It's in Sinnoh."
Leaf's smile diminished, as she suddenly realized why he was acting so serious.
"Oh."
"Professor Rowan gave me a call a couple days ago and told me someone had donated a couple Pokémon fossils. He thought I might be interested in returning for another internship to study them," Gary explained. "I told him I'd think about it."
"Think about it?" Leaf scoffed. "What's there to think about? Of course you have to take it. Fossils are your thing. You want to be a paleontologist and research ancient Pokémon."
"Sure, but..."
"But what?" she demanded.
"What about you?" he asked.
"I'll be fine," she said, quickly waving the question off. "I'm used to it being the Lance and Leaf brigade. And if you stay behind because of me, I will punch you in the face every single day, and you will think to yourself, 'I should have gone to Sinnoh, because now my nose is broken.'"
He laughed and leaned in to kiss her.
"Thanks," he said when he pulled away.
Leaf smiled crookedly and folded her arms into herself.
"So... when are you supposed to leave?" she asked.
"About that," Gary began tepidly. "It's two days—early Thursday morning. So, if I go, tonight's actually the last time we'll see each other in a while, because I'll have to pack."
Leaf nodded slowly. A sense of sadness began to swell inside her, but she didn't let it rise to her face and affect her expression. She threw her head back and hummed, thinking.
"Well, if tonight's your last night, then I guess we ought to make it a good one," she decided.
Gary raised an eyebrow.
"And what would you suggest, Ms. Greene?" he asked.
Leaf's lips spread into a sly smile as she brought them close to his again.
"I can think of a few ideas."
March 19th, 2003. Morning. Indigo Plateau.
"Where were you last night?" Lance asked when Leaf walked into his office that morning, the first he had seen of her since yesterday afternoon. He didn't impose a curfew, nor did he intend to, but it was unusual for Leaf to disappear all night. In fact, he had begun to worry something bad might have happened to her not long before she walked inside.
"I was just hanging out with Gary," she replied, shrugging as she bent down to a mini fridge (her idea, not Lance's) stationed beneath a desk and pulled out a bottle of water. Lance grunted in response but returned to his work.
Leaf sat down and unscrewed the cap of her bottle, taking a drink. She had figured the conversation had ended and now she and Lance would go about their normal, daily business—but he soon spoke again.
"Did you use protection?" he asked in a deadpan voice.
Leaf coughed, nearly spitting out her water, though a little drop dribbled down her chin.
"What?" she asked, wiping her mouth.
"There are far too many young couples in Napaj who get pregnant while they're teenagers," Lance said tiredly, lifting his eyes toward her. "Please don't be one of them."
"Arceus, Lance, can we not have this conversation right now?" Leaf groaned. "In fact, can we not have this conversation ever?"
"Just making sure."
"Well, there's nothing for you to worry about," Leaf grumbled. "Nothing happened, anyway."
"That's a lie," Lance said bluntly.
"Okay, yes," Leaf conceded. "But it only happened one time."
"That's also a lie."
"Are you just going to assume everything I say is a lie?" Leaf huffed.
"Liars can't lie to liars, Leaf," Lance said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Well, whatever. We have been safe this entire time, so let's just drop it," Leaf said, lifting her water bottle up to her lips again. Her skin had flushed a light shade of pink; she was still embarrassed by the topic.
Lance didn't accuse her of lying this time.
"Good," he said simply, "because you getting pregnant now would ruin your chances for becoming Champion."
Leaf quirked an eyebrow.
"Chances?" she challenged. "I thought it was pretty much set in stone at this point."
"It never is."
Leaf turned her head.
"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.
Lance paused. Then, he sighed and set down the pen with which he was writing, so he could give her his full attention.
"I'm releasing you from duty in the G-Men," he said plainly, and Leaf felt as though a stone had dropped into the pit of her stomach.
"W-What?" She scrambled to stand. "What did I do wrong? Is this about Gary and I? Because, just so you know-"
"-Leaf, I do not care whether you and Gary are sleeping together or not, as long as it doesn't result in a fetus," Lance cut her off, pressing a hand to his face. "And you didn't do anything wrong, either. I'm releasing you so you can go travel—so you can go make a name for yourself."
Leaf felt her initial panic subside, though confusion soon replaced it.
"A name for myself?"
"You are 16-years-old, and the only merits you have are eight gym badges for a league you never entered," Lance said bluntly, and Leaf looked annoyed.
"I think I have a lot more merits than that," she contested. "Like, you know, having a large hand in taking down Team Rocket, the largest criminal ring in Napaj. But that's whatever, I guess."
"It's an invisible achievement," Lance said calmly. "I know what you've done. The rest of the world doesn't, and they never will. You don't need to prove yourself to me; you need to prove yourself to everyone else."
"... You need to justify making me the Champion," Leaf said, finally understanding what he meant. When he nodded, she asked, "What can I do?"
"Win a league. Become a Top Coordinator. Climb to the top of the Battle Tower. Claim victories in the Don George Battle Club tournaments. Conquer a Battle Frontier," Lance named multiple suggestions. "You are a talented trainer, but you need something to show for it. Koga plans on retiring in a couple years. You have until then to build your résumé, so there will not be a question of your qualifications when you become a member of the Elite Four and, later, a Champion."
"A Battle Frontier?" Leaf perked up.
"Yes."
"Like the one in Sinnoh?" she pressed.
"If you'd like."
Leaf had to bite her lip to contain her smile.
"Okay," she agreed. "I'll go pack now. I'll leave as soon as I can." She turned away from him, toward the door, but paused before facing him once more. "Lance?"
"Mhm?" he intoned.
"I won't let you down," she said, resolved.
June 20th, 2009. Early Evening. Opelucid City.
Misty had a feeling when her phone rang.
She had been half-expecting this call all day. Still, it didn't stop the dread from beginning to pool inside her stomach when she checked the caller ID and confirmed her suspicions. She excused herself from the conversation with Ash and company and stepped a respectful distance away before answering.
"Leaf?" she inquired.
"I need you to send Ash to the Opelucid Gym as soon as possible," Leaf said flatly. "He and I need to talk."
Misty pursed her lips.
"Is this about what I think it is?" she asked in a low voice. Her question, however, was met with silence, and she knew that meant 'yes.'
"I'll let him know," Misty said quietly before hanging up.
The last time Iris had seen Leaf vulnerable and afraid was seven years earlier, when she laid bleeding on the floor of a speeding train, tears in corners of her glossy, dilated eyes as she cried barely intelligible apologies to Gary. Iris had helped treat her. Since then, however, Leaf had maintained an image of total self-assurance—and when it wasn't there, she made sure no one knew it through her sharp tongue and temper.
Now, Leaf sat curled up in one of the arm chairs in Iris's office, her arms drawn around herself. She did little to conceal the doubt in her countenance, and that unsettled Iris. If Leaf was visibly nervous, then they all should be.
"So let me get this straight," Georgia began, addressing Gary. "What we're looking at is some kind of virus that makes Pokémon stronger and more violent?"
"That's the general gist, yes," Gary said. "There is minimal research on this virus, and the research that does exist involves a set of Pokémon that lived millions of years ago, and while they were more aggressive after testing positive for the infection, it was not anywhere near this level. We know it affects modern Pokémon differently, and it probably affects humans differently, too."
"How so?" Cilan asked.
"I don't think the virus turns humans violent, for one," Leaf spoke up. "Summer Morana was paranoid and in a lot of pain, but she wasn't unpleasant. I think it just... makes them sick and eventually kills them."
"We've had one person die, Leaf, and we're not sure if it was because of the virus. We can't jump to that conclusion yet," Gary contended.
"Summer is going to die, Gary," Leaf retorted. "I know it. It's coming."
"We're not even sure Summer has the virus," Gary pointed out.
"I am." Leaf remained firm. "You said Houndoom had purple spots on its skin. So did Summer. It's the same thing."
"We need to test for it."
"Summer's not going to give us a sample of her blood," Leaf said.
"It doesn't have to be Summer," Gary persisted. "There are sixteen other living victims we know of. We need to talk to all of them, and if they show the same signs and symptoms, and if we can get just one sample from one of them..."
"I agree, Leaf," Wallace said. "We need facts, not speculations. We must have our information straight and clear for when we go to the public with this. To do otherwise can cause great damage."
"W-When we go to the public?" Iris asked.
"If this virus is indeed as serious as it seems, we will need to issue a public safety warning," Wallace explained. "People need to know what the virus is, how it is spread, and what to do if you believe you or a Pokémon has been infected. And medical providers will need to know how to diagnose and treat it."
"There is no treatment," Gary mumbled. "Not yet."
"'Yet' being the key word," Wallace emphasized. "If we can assemble of team of researchers, yourself included Mr. Oak, then we can begin seeking means for treatment."
"My hands are tied," Gary said. "We can't run experimental tests and treatments with Houndoom because it belongs to Summer Morana, and we would need her permission to do anything. Leaf said Summer won't even admit Houndoom belongs to her."
"After thirty days, he won't anymore," Wallace said.
"What?" Gary gave him a strange look.
"Of course!" Cilan's eyes widened with realization. "If a Pokémon is not returned to its Pokéball after thirty days, the Pokémon technically no longer belongs to the trainer."
"That's such an... ugh!" Iris shook her head. "My Haxorus was never in his Pokéball as an Axew, and he was never not mine. Most of the people in my village choose to raise and train Pokémon without the use of Pokéballs. The only reason any of my Pokémon have Pokéballs is because it's easier when I travel and because I live in the city now, and it's expected here."
"Is it an ethical complication?" Wallace asked rhetorically. "Definitely. But it is something, I feel, we may need to take advantage of. If I'm correct, the last time Houndoom would have been in his Pokéball was the day he escaped the police station in Mistralton City, correct?"
"Yeah..." Trip stood up and went to check his bulletin board. "May 28th."
"Then thirty days will have passed by June 27th," Wallace said. "A week from today."
"So, until then, we have to focus on learning as much as we can from the trainers who've been infected—or, possibly infected." Leaf begrudgingly corrected herself. "And we need to figure out where this virus came from, if it's really from the Lileep stolen from Mauville University."
There was a knock at the door. Leaf already knew who it was.
"Come in, Ash, Misty," she said. The door opened, and the very people she named slid inside. Ash stood at the forefront, yet he received no friendly greeting. Most of the people in the room had trouble looking him in the eye.
"Ash..." Leaf began carefully, but then he spoke.
"I already know why we're here," he said. "At least, I think I do."
"You do?" Leaf inquired. Ash exchanged a quick glance with Misty.
"Our match is being put on hold?" he asked.
Leaf's lips tightened.
"Yes," she said.
"And so is the Hoenn League?"
"Yeah..." Leaf said, quieter. "A press release is going out tonight. I wanted to tell you in person. I promise we will battle, but it won't be now."
Ash nodded slowly, to show his understanding. Then, he asked, "What's going on?"
"A lot of things," Leaf answered. "It's nothing you need to worry about."
"I'd like to know," Ash said, straightforward.
"You don't need to know," Leaf countered.
"Something's happening. I can tell something's happening. I mean—" He stopped, shaking his head. "—You guys are friends, and I can't stand to just sit in the dark and not know what's wrong. I want to help."
Iris had just about had enough. She dropped a hand into her lap and looked straight at Leaf.
"Leaf-" she began, but she was cut off.
"-Iris," Leaf warned. Iris clamped her mouth, looking annoyed.
"The concern is appreciated, Ash," Leaf continued, "but it would be best if you sit this out."
"I don't know how to sit things out," Ash admitted.
"Then maybe you ought to finally go home," Leaf said. "I'm sure your Kalosian friends would appreciate that."
Ash fell back, and he cast his gaze toward the ground.
"... Right," he mumbled. "Well, thanks."
He turned to leave. Misty lingered behind, and when he was gone, she turned a hard gaze on Leaf.
"What are you hoping to achieve with this?" Misty angrily demanded. "What good is ignoring our history going to do?"
"I'm not ignoring it," Leaf argued. "This is a separate issue."
"Ash is the-"
"-He can't be for this," Leaf cut her off. "You told me that Ash said he didn't want to be chosen. I'm not going to deny him that; if he's going to replace me as Champion, he's going to do it because he earned it. Until then, we have to rise up to fulfill our responsibilities on our own. We can't rely on Ash this time."
"How do you know it's a separate issue?" Misty pressed.
"What?"
"The last and the only other time the league came to a standstill was, funnily enough, seven years ago when we first came together," Misty said. "This is a repeat of what happened."
Leaf let out a strange laugh.
"A repeat?" she said. "Ash hasn't had any strange visions that would lead me to believe he's supposed to take the reins."
"Yet," Misty said with a sharp click of her tongue.
Leaf stared.
"On a less abstract note," Leaf went on, "if a word of this gets out to the media before we're ready to address it..." She stopped, collecting herself. "This has been seven years in the making. We have come too far to drop the ball now. I have come too far."
Kenny and Barry both heard the television on in the background when they walked into Paul's apartment, and they knew it meant one thing: Paul was out of his room again. They exchanged quick glances before heading into the living room, where, sure enough, Paul stood in front of the television with his arms folded.
"Hey, what's-" Barry stopped short when the commercial ended and the news broadcast returned.
"Breaking tonight," the anchor spoke. "The G-Men and Contest in Unova movement have come out with a statement about the death of Paul Rebolledo's Torterra, saying they are launching a full investigation into the incident. Yet, in a surprising move, the investigation has put a temporary hold on all league activities, including the Championship match between challenger Ash Ketchum and Champion Leaf Greene that was supposed to take place Thursday, and the Hoenn League that was set to begin July 11th."
Paul shook his head and went to sit down, though he said nothing. He didn't bother to acknowledge Kenny and Barry's arrival either.
"Paul?" Barry inquired, but he was ignored.
Kenny stared at the screen blankly for a while, unsure of what to make of the news, and then at Paul, whose expression remained listless as he continued watching the report. Kenny went to set his bag down on the counter, but he stopped when he saw Paul's phone laying atop it, with an unanswered message from Dawn reading, 'Please call me.'
Drew was nearly shaking by the time he picked up the phone and dialed Leaf's number. He had risen to his feet, pacing the room as it rang, while May remained situated on the sofa, her gaze flicking between him and the television screen.
"What is it, Drew?" Leaf asked tiredly when she picked up.
"Leaf, what is this? What is happening?" Drew demanded, turning toward the screen. "The Kanto Championship match and the Hoenn League are being put on hold? Because of Torterra's death?"
"Yes."
"Why wasn't I told about this earlier?" he asked. "Wallace met with Zoey and I earlier to release a joint statement."
"Some things have changed since then," she answered vaguely.
"And again, why wasn't I told about it?" Drew did little to conceal his frustration. "The CIU and the G-Men are supposed to be working together to determine what happened—at least, that's what we told the public. Or rather, what you told the public, with the addendum that the league is coming to another standstill."
"Look, I get you're upset-"
"-Upset is an understatement."
"What do you want me to do?" Leaf sighed.
"Quit cutting me off and tell me what's changed."
"I'm sorry, Drew," she apologized, though she hardly sounded sincere. "It's a mess right now, and we're trying to sort things out ourselves. We'll let you know more later."
"That doesn't-" He stopped short when he realized Leaf had hung up on him, and he groaned before falling back on the sofa beside May.
.
.
.