'Maylene,' Crasher Wake tried to comfort her, but to no avail. 'Please, don't be sad; I don't like seeing you like this.'

As much as he didn't like seeing Maylene in tears that mixed with the rain, Crasher Wake's voice remained the same loud one Maylene had always known, though the emotions behind it were different.

'Talk to me, Maylene,' Crasher Wake started repeating his words. 'You can't let yourself be alone. Maylene, please don't be sad; I don't like seeing you like this.'

But again, it was useless. Maylene didn't have the heart to talk, or the mind to comprehend what Crasher Wake was saying, all the while Riolu worked on suppressing his powers, and looking at Crasher Wake, he realised that the human had picked the wrong time to display a new emotion.

Both of the ambitious children were facing a turning point in their lives, and it wasn't an easy transition; having to let go of something they held on to since they were born was harder than they could have ever thought. Crasher Wake had to go through the same transition at a point in his life, but at that time, he had many friends to help him through it, and he was determined to be that friend to Maylene.

And although he was determined to be there for the little girl, he knew that before he could help her, she had to take her time to grieve first.

'I will beat you! And be Gym Leader!' The little Maylene said and punched again with her free hand. 'I am strongest than you!'

'I'm sure you are!' Crasher Wake laughed and brought his whole body in level with Maylene's. His eyes met her eyes, and the determination in them almost disturbed Crasher Wake's balance. 'I can tell that you'll be the strongest. Strongest than all of us!' He reached for his egg and handed it to Maylene. 'This is yours. An early gift from me to you for becoming a Gym Leader in the future.'

'That's too generous,' Maylene's father said, tightening his grip on his daughter's shoulder and pulling her back. 'This is supposed to be your gift, not Maylene's.'

'How can she start training if she doesn't have a Pokémon?' Crasher Wake laughed as he looked around the room. 'There are many youngsters in the room, and she has to start beating them all!'

'How about we let the others in line congratulate you?' Maylene's father said as he slowly backed away, dragging his daughter with him, despite her resistance.

They worked their way through the crowd, and sat back at their table, opposite a young girl that next to her mother shyly. Some people entered the room, while others left, all while Maylene studied them; she had to be stronger than all of them.

Cynthia, Crasher Wake, and all the other people from Sinnoh seemed very different, and as she sat next to her father, Maylene tried figuring out how each of them battled. Cynthia was definitely strong. Her battles were impressive, and she's one of the youngest Champions ever.

'To be the Strongest, I have to defeat Cynthia,' Maylene said, while her father smiled. 'I have to be a Champion, not just a Gym Leader.'

'That's a very ambitious goal,' her father's smile fainted. 'You don't even know if you'll become a Gym Leader; and that in itself is an impossible goal.'

'You became a Gym Leader, daddy,' Maylene said, believing that she had cornered her father. 'You became a Gym Leader, and I am your daughter, so I have the potential.'

'Not everyone has the potential,' he said. 'None of my parents were Gym Leaders, so obviously, it isn't an ability that is inherited. You will have to work hard to be a Gym Leader, Maylene, but I wouldn't recommend it. You don't have to aim to be like me.'

'But I want to become the Strongest,' Maylene said. 'Will you train me? You're strong!'

'Maylene, stop it,' her father said, his voice suddenly taking on a stern tone. 'It is an impossible goal.'

'Hello, Maylene,' Riley said softly as he approached the crying girl, holding an umbrella above his head. 'May I sit next to you?'

Maylene gave no answer. Her face remained buried between her knees, while Riolu signaled that it was safe for Riley to sit next to them. The rain was still falling and drenching the youngsters.

'I have to tell you something, Maylene,' Riley breathed heavily, his voice shaking; he had never encountered someone who wanted these powers he considered a curse so much. He sat next to Maylene, holding the umbrella high above her head, and prompting Riolu to come closer in order to be sheltered from the rain. 'I know how much you want me to tell you that you have control over Aura; Crasher Wake told me, but I won't lie to you, Maylene. You shouldn't cry over this; being able to control Aura does not make you stronger, you would constantly have to hold back, as to not hurt yourself or your Pokémon, or your opponents, no matter who they are.'

'But Pryce…' Maylene tried talking, but her words were hard to understand. 'He… he said…'

'You met Pryce, huh?' Riley let out a hum as he turned to face the horizon; Maylene must think highly of Pryce if his opinion meant that much. 'Pryce is a very strong Trainer.'

'Yeah!' Maylene shouted, momentarily breaking away from her sad demeanor. 'And if he thinks you're strong, then you must be strong!'

'But I'm not strong,' Riley said. 'Pryce is much stronger than me, and he can't control Aura. You should aim to be like him, not like me. We battled so many times, yet I only won once.'

A few moments of silence were filled by the sound of the rain crashing against the umbrella and the puddles. Maylene sunk back into her sadness, and ignored the world around her.

'I'm not good at this,' Riley murmured. 'But I hope you will aim to be stronger than me, because you can.'

As he got up to leave, he took one last glance at Maylene. He realised that there is nothing he could say that would comfort her; especially since he was the cause of the misery she was in.

'My dad says I can't take the egg,' Maylene told the large man in front of her. 'He says it's for you.'

'That's stupid!' Crasher Wake shouted. 'I thought you were going to become the Strongest! How will you do that if you keep listening to your dad?!'

A girl sitting at a table close to the pair oohed, as if to prompt a fight, while Maylene pondered as hard as a girl her age could about not listening to her father; he couldn't possibly stop her.

'Right!' Maylene shouted. 'Give me the egg! You adults are weak against me!'

'That's more like it!' Crasher Wake let out a loud laugh. 'Don't be afraid of anything in your way! Be like me, and don't let an ocean stop you! If you see one, swim! If you see a mountain, climb!'

'Yes!' Maylene shouted as she grabbed the egg, reluctant to become a rebel; but at least for a moment, she would embrace this side of her. 'As soon as the Pokémon hatches, we're defeating you!'