Whatever you think this is, it isn't.

Chapter 21: Madras

"We were best friends alright, since maybe four years old," he began. "We would do everything together. I come up with some crazy scheme and dragged her along with it."

"Yes?" Candice urged.

"Well you could only imagine our excitement when we both got our first pokemon when we were just eleven. We were passionate, dead set to compete against each other like nothing else." He chuckled painfully. "That we did, almost to an unhealthy degree even. However, to be fair, it wasn't even close, as you know."

"Yes." Candice replied.

"She was always number one, but I wasn't even number two. She became champion that year, youngest ever, but denied the title." Barry took a long drink, and breathed out the rest as he carried on. "I could see her change of priorities. Instead of battling, she spent most of her time with the pokedex, and with Cynthia. We no longer talked like we used to, competed like we used to. Then something, I don't know what, happened to her summer that year. She never told me no matter what. She stopped doing whatever it was, and just stopped smiling altogether. She became a completely different person."

"Did this cause the divide between you?"

"No, it actually made us closer than ever. She had nothing else to do, and we spent a lot of time just catching up on kids' stuff." As Barry got more nervous, Candice placed her hand upon his. This calmed him greatly, and so he went on. "About a year ago. I wanted to return to the league. She would have none of that, however, insisting that I stay home. We had a big fight over it."

"That's kind of unreasonable," Candice commented.

"It was, and she knew it too. Soon later she came to apologise, but I was in no mood for it." Barry dropped to the back of his chair, palm on his forehead sighing up a storm. "We somehow ended up having an even bigger fight. Somehow all of our skeletons were brought out after all these years."

"What happened then?" Candice seemed to be absorbed into the story far more than expected. She was practically on the edge of her seat, urging on teenage drama. "Did you guys ever get to talk it over?"

"The next day was the beginning of the league. I left to participate in it, and haven't seen her since." He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of guilt over that. It wasn't entirely his fault, surely, but the things he had done didn't exactly express his apology. "I'm sure she doesn't appreciate the fact that I didn't mention her in my champion acceptance speech either."

"Why didn't you?" Candice leant forward even more. To her, this was the most fascinating thing she has heard in this town since the last time someone tripped and fell off the mountain.

"Part of me was selfish, the other part didn't want to remind everyone that there was another champion who has accomplished this when she was much younger than I was." Barry rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The worst part is, I still don't think that was the wrong thing to have done."

"Well Barry, Candice congratulates you again for being able to finish what you set out to do." It was a well-known fact that Candice was a hard-working girl. Unlike everything else in this town which seemed to be frozen in the last century, she had always been on the move and extremely studious. It was seen as a simple act of teenage violence at first, but when she wrestled the control of the city gym, everybody learnt to take her seriously. "Though a part of me can't help but feel like you still have ways to make up and return your treasured friendship."

"I… don't know if I want to." This caught her off guard.

"Why?"

"Dawn is," a pause, "she's a very talented person. I've always known that. I fear that if we somehow return to how we were, it would also restore my status as the second placer. I don't know if I want that."

"No, of course you don't." Candice turned away before he could catch a glimpse of her expression.

Barry only saw her slowly leaving her room, her own teacup still on the holder. In this moment of silence, he recalled the reason he was here in the first place. He began to wonder if confiding these secrets in her had done him any good, or the exact opposite. The living room, elegant in its secluded atmosphere and sleek, practically reflective wooden flooring, seemed to him a barricade. He had only been here once before, as every other time Candice had been in her gym. This was the only room he had seen, and his natural curiosity was beginning to creep up. He had to fight his very nature to stop himself from leaving his seat, but the wait was getting to him. Fortunately, it didn't last much longer than that.

"Barry." He turned around.

Next to Candice, whom he was waiting for, stood Dawn. She looked exactly like when she left, indicating that she in fact was still in the house. His mind struggled for a brief moment to wrap itself around this unexpected occurrence. It proved wholly incapable of such a task. Dawn simply helped herself down to the table.

"Dawn, I…" The initial response to the stuttering was a complete shutdown. Barry then recollected himself as best as he could, only to continue weakly. "I didn't know you were still here."

"Good." Dawn resumed the tea she hastily abandoned earlier. "You wouldn't have said those words otherwise."

"You knew about this?" He turned to Candice, only to have Dawn snapped back.

"Of course she does, this is her house." Another brief pause as Candice settled herself between them. "She also knows that you've been tunnel-visioning on her this entire time."

"Candice, I…" His words fumbled, but her movements stopped the need for them.

"Candice understands." She placed her grip on his shoulder. Unlike the usual calm, reassuring sensation that so often overflowed him, he felt nothing but judgement from that touch. "Candice is also disappointed."

"But…"

"You should go, Barry." She flashed a slight, still genuine smile. "You're always welcome back, just not right now."

A great deal of confusion passed through Barry, as indicated by the reddening of his face. There were things he felt like expressing, but got a hold of himself. Instead, his presence ended with a huff and a puff. The door slammed behind him, at which Candice only sighed.

"Sorry it turned out like that." Dawn's condolences did not fall on deaf ears, even if her own efforts contributed to this outcome. With how down the mood had become, it was important not to let it slip away. "I didn't really mean for it to get this for."

"I wanted to know, and got what I asked for." Candice continued her sigh. Hands crossed behind her back, she pondered. "I wonder what would've happened had he caught on."

"He isn't that sharp." Dawn chuckled, paying great attention to the conversation. It was a rare chance to lift everyone's spirits. "I'd like to think he didn't mean what he said, either."

"Even after he said all that?" Candice asked.

"I think he was just trying really hard to impress you." The girls gave each other a playful elbow jab at the side. "You know how you always go on about how much you value a determined and one-track mind. It wouldn't surprise me he said that just to suit you."

"Maybe…" Candice turned to her friend with a look of concern. "You hold no ill will of him?"

"I do. Not because he has reformed, but because I am far passed caring." Dawn threw her head back and stared intently at the ceiling. She didn't want to admit it, but her perspective had changed quite a bit over the last couple of days. "With all the things that had been going on lately, this kind of petty problems doesn't even register anymore."

"That's good, I guess." Candice found it difficult to find the right words. The look in her friends' eyes, however, told her she needn't worry. "What are you doing now?"

"Originally I wanted to return to the league, but these recent events had seriously hamper that effort." Dawn turned to her bag, which was lying by the wayside, and rummaged about. Presently, she pulled out her cell phone, and took a good look at it. Unfortunately, there were no news to speak of, causing her to dishearteningly putting the device back. "Without any leads I could help with, I don't have much of a choice but to wait for something to happen."

"So you're here for training then?" If Candice was good at anything, it would be satiating the need for a good sparring partner. "I say you could certainly use some."

"What happened to Maylene?" The girl Dawn spoke of was the Veilstone City's gym leader. This girl and Candice presented themselves as a frequent duo, and was difficult to spot without one another during their free time.

"She can join too, of course." There was a strong hint of enthusiasm in Candice's eyes. "I'll call her right away."

She quickly departed, leaving Dawn by herself. Dawn didn't expect this turn of events, but there was a wise, sensual voice at the back of her mind telling her to just take it all in. She smiled to herself in silence, and took another sip out of the now cool tea cup.