Galactic

by The Blue Engine

When four trainers embark on their journeys, they quickly find themselves caught in a battle against mysterious terrorists, Team Galactic. As the group, alongside their allies and enemies, is drawn into a deadly and dangerous war, they are forced to face their own faults and each other as they slowly uncover Cyrus' plan, forced to protect humanity itself.

25. Reflections by the Lakefront

Reflections by the Lakefront

Never, in the nearly one hundred year history of the Valour Lakefront Hotel, had any one of the seven managers encountered a group as dreadful in appearance then the survivors of that days many battles.

The manager, a thin, lanky man by the name of Pritchard, only happened to be in the front building by chance for a routine inspection when the six people and their army of Pokemon pulled up outside the single storey building in a car that could only be described as belonging on a scrap heap.

Mr Pritchard had been naturally horrified by the image this burnt, broken and bullet ridden vehicle stirred up in his over active imagination, and moved quickly to apprehend the group before his staff, who did not have the proper training for such a situation, got involved.

That left all three of the receptionists, along with the concierge, the two doormen, a quartet of curious cleaners and even the chef, who wandered in from the kitchens after hearing the dreadful noises the once pink car had made with a mixture of scandalized intrigue and horrified repulsion, to stand and blatantly watch as the vehicles occupants stumbled, hobbled and limped inside, instantly unleashing dust, mud and blood onto the carpet the second they stepped inside. Mr Pritchard nearly fainted in shock at the sight the three young men and three young women, along with the bizarre group of Pokemon they brought in, and was left utterly speechless as one of them, a women, the oldest by only a few years and plumper than his usual clientele, stepped forwards.

"Hello, my name is Lucinda Large, I was wondering if you had any spare rooms?"

As Mr Pritchard stared wordlessly down at a woman he thought was perhaps the most optimistically hopeful and ignorantly foolish person he had ever met, he had no idea that the next twelve hours would be perhaps the darkest moments ever to happen to the illustrious hotel, whose reputation would be greatly diminished by the actions of the group before him.

But of course, at that moment, Mr Pritchard's thoughts were reserved solely for wondering if it was worth cleaning the carpet, or if he should perhaps have it all replaced.

---

Matthew awoke to find himself lying across a leather couch, surrounded by his Pokemon, with no memory of having fallen asleep and with half a dozen strangers gawking shamelessly at him.

"Good, your awake," Mira said above him, and Matthew gazed up at the familiar pink hair of his rival, his vision wavering in and out of focus.

"How long have I been out for?" He asked hoarsely.

"Only a few minutes, but you have were nodding off the whole way here," Mira replied, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "We need to get you onto a bed and treat your injuries, but we can't do that until someone gives us some rooms!" She added, turning and staring pointedly at something in the distance. Matthew had the haziest memory of Lucinda driving them to a hotel, and then someone proving hostile when they tried to enter, but the last thing he could remember clearly was Cherubi pushing back Giratina and Charlotte appearing shortly after, and he knew that had been at least an hour ago… or maybe more.

"Where are we exactly?" He asked, trying to sit up but a steely cold flipper forced him back down.

"Plup Plup!" Prinplup scolded, and Matthew managed a smirk, pleased to see his Pokemon were fine enough to try and tell him what to do.

"We made it to the hotel," Mira explained, "and we are just waiting on rooms, but apparently even with all of Lucinda's trust fund we aren't the sort of clientele these wankers are looking for."

"That's hardly surprising," Matthew sighed as he cast his eyes around the room. The hotel foyer oozed wealth and class, from the exquisite leather sofas to the sparkling crystal vases holding the most bright and beautiful flowers he had ever seen. It was the simplicity of what was on display and small touches, such as gold bottomed lamps and shining glass door handles, that marked the hotel as a place of elegance and luxury.

And it was clear that Matthew and his friends did not meet that ideal. He was struggling to see clearly, but it only took a few seconds to cast a glance at everyone: Mira with her hair straggled and clothes coated in dirt, Xavier looking as though he had just run into a burning building, clothes singed and face soot covered, Sahara sitting away from them with her head in her hands, Harrison bruised and bloody, and Lucinda, who appeared to be standing at reception, her hair matted with blood and her clothes barely hanging together, looked the exact opposite of her usual self. Matthew could remember visiting fancy restaurants and events with his family as a child, where all the men wore their finest suits and all the women dressed up like movie stars. If anyone had turned up to dinner or the theatre looking like they had just been to war, they would be turned away before they were congratulated on what they did.

If my father was a guest here he would be complaining to the owners as soon as he learnt they had let us even cross the landing, Matthew thought, laughing slightly to himself, but his joy quickly faded as more memories from the day came rushing back. Things were still a haze, but he would not be forgetting any time soon the way his father had abandoned him and Mira at the exploding warehouse. That wound cut deeper than anything else Matthew had suffered that day, especially as it came off the back of Adrian's pleas for reconciliation and making amends.

Good luck trying to use me again, Matthew thought angrily, his fists clenching, but then a fresh wave of dizziness washed over him and he slumped back into the couch.

"You look terrible," Xavier said bluntly, looming over his friend. "I expect you will need medical treatment soon."

"Ya think?" Mira snapped, and Matthew chuckled weakly as he shut his eyes, trying not to think of his aching body but trying not to slip away into darkness once again. Something soft and furry brushed against his hands, and Matthew opened his eyes as a weight landed on his chest: an Eevee was crawling across his body, rubbing her fluffy head against his hands while staring concernedly at him.

"Eevee…" Matthew whispered, his pain lessening briefly as he remembered the one highlight to come out of today. The Evolution Pokemon smiled at her name, and Matthew beamed brightly back as he looked around for his backpack.

"Looking for this?" Mira said with her mischievous grin, heaving his blue bag up from behind the couch. "It's a bit dirty, thought I would hide it in case it gave them another reason to deny us service."

"I just need a PokeBall," Matthew said. He remembered Felicity telling him back in Hearthome that Eevee would remain loyal to him from birth without capture, but he wanted their partnership to be official. After much blind rummaging through his many possessions, Matthew's fingers finally found a small, round capsule.

"Are you ready to be a part of our team?" He asked Eevee as he withdrew the PokeBall, and she replied with an enthusiastic nod. Matthew smiled, and he pressed the button against her head: the capsule rose out of his hands and opened, firing a red beam that encased Eevee and broke her body down before drawing her inside. The ball closed and flashed in confirmation of the capture, and Matthew smiled at his team as he held up the capsule for them to see. Their bruised and tired faces lit up as well, and while Matthew wanted to continue spiting his father as much as he could, at least his dishonest actions had led to his newest Pokemon entering his life, and that was something to be grateful for.

Soft footsteps sounded behind them, and all eyes turned as Lucinda wearily hobbled towards them, followed closely by the manager, who was looking down at them all as if a group of Muk were trying to book a room.

"Well, I have spoken to Mister Adiem and it turns out he really is this woman's father," the man said with a slightly curled lip, as though he could not imagine someone as wealthy and powerful as Arnold Adiem being connected to them. "He assured me that you would be well behaved guests and insisted that I offer you all rooms to be charged to his personal account."

"Skipping the part where he threatened to have you fired and your name blacklisted at every hotel in Sinnoh, Kanto, Johto and Hoenn," Lucinda added caustically, and the manager muttered sheepishly under his breathe before passing over several keys. Mira bent down and helped lift Matthew off the couch, and he managed to get to his feet before his vision began shaking again.

"Let's get you to a room straight away," Mira said fearfully, and Lucinda quickly passed over a set of keys. Matthew tried to say it was unnecessary, but the words died in his throat and he let himself be guided back along the foyer and towards a side door that would take out to their rooms. The staff all watched them go, and Matthew felt exposed by the way they were watching him, staring at him as if he was some street urchin running naked across their carpets, and for some reason that hurt more than any of his injuries.

"Well, doesn't this place think highly of itself?" A familiar voice drawled from behind, and Matthew, Mira and the others turned to find Vanessa standing in the doorway, gazing around the room as if she had never seen anything like it. "Hell, you could probably eat off the bloody carpets, couldn't you?"

"Umm, excuse me madam, but –" the manager began, but Sahara interrupted.

"She's with us," she snapped, clearly fed up with the way they were being treated, an impression not helped by the way the manager looked at Vanessa as though he was about to be sick.

"Don't look so afraid, Fancypants," Vanessa purred as she crossed the hall, flashing Mr Pritchard her widest possible smile, "the homicidal maniacs that are trying to kill us are gone – for now at least," she added with a wink, and grabbed a key from Lucinda and led the group out the door, leaving the manager with a look of pure terror on his face.

---

The Valour Lakefront Hotel was built on the edge of the forest around Lake Valour, set high on the cliff tops above the beaches of Route 213, and had views of the ocean from every single building. The sun had already set, but the sparkling moon shone over the water, a perfect white circle glimmering on the rich black surface, while a gap in the clouds revealed a plethora of stars that twinkled down upon them all.

This is amazing, Sahara thought as she gazed across the endless stretch of ocean, listening to the distant sound of the waves crashing against the beach. It was so rare that she actually got the opportunity to experience the beauty that Sinnoh had to offer, and everyone hovered near the entrance for a few minutes, quietly watching the ocean and getting lost in their own thoughts.

The temperature was dropping though, and even in her thick white coat Sahara could feel the icy bite of winter closing in. She reluctantly turned away from the view and plodded down a pebble stone path that led from the main building to their rooms. Every room was in a separate cottage, one storey buildings of wood and brick painted in a simple but pleasant eggshell white. Blooming flowerbeds stood on either side of the front door of all the cottages Sahara passed as she made her way towards the ones reserved for them, and despite the horrible treatment they had received, she had to admit this place was luxury.

Sahara quickly came across Room 21, which she would share with Vanessa and Mira. She unlocked the heavy door and stepped inside a merciful warm living room. Leather sofas, a widescreen television, open plan kitchen full of stainless steel appliances, and a floor to ceiling window giving further views of the ocean greeted her as she stepped inside, and Sahara forgot herself for a moment and simply stared in awe.

"Damn, this place is faaaaan-caaaaay," Vanessa chimed as she followed Sahara inside. "Sure beats sleeping in tents. ."

"I don't think I have ever stayed anywhere this nice before," Sahara replied breathlessly, peering inside one bedroom to find a double bed and a beautiful landscape painting of the lake. "I call this room!"

"Go ahead," Vanessa replied. "We've got three rooms, so we will all be sleeping well tonight – well, as long as all our injuries and nightmares don't keep us up."

And the voices inside my head, Sahara thought, and instantly a wave of nausea washed over her. She gripped onto the doorway and remained still for a minute, the hiss of voices creeping through her brain, random words and sentences yelling at her from the back of her thoughts, and she felt a tingling sensation rush to the tips of her fingers.

"Are you alright?" Vanessa asked, her words pulling Sahara back to reality, and she turned to find the red head staring cautiously at her.

"I'm fine," Sahara lied. "I just have a bit of a headache – I think I will go and have a shower before dinner."

"Good idea, I might do the same. Leave your PokeBalls out here, Lucinda said someone will come around and take them to be healed." Sahara nodded, and pulled out her five PokeBalls and dumped them on the table before retreating into her room. Her appreciation of the beauty around her quickly evaporated as the pain in her head spread: the painting was suddenly swaying, and her room spun,

She left her bag and coat on the bed and stumbled into the bathroom, briefly admiring the clean white tiles and shiny mirror before stripping off her clothes. She stared at her back in the mirror, which throbbed as much as her head did, but she could hardly make out the strange patterns and colours decorating her skin as her vision was blurring. Without a second thought, Sahara scrambled into the bath and turned the taps on full blast.

A jet of warm water from the shower head blasted her in the face, and Sahara sighed with relief as she sunk down the smooth surface. She only realised now how much her body ached, her confusion and annoyance at the day's events blinding her to her suffering: the water was refreshing and relaxing, and Sahara let the beads cascade down her body, her hair saturated within moments.

How long has it been since I had a haircut? Sahara pondered, and then snorted with laughter. Bloody hell, how long has it been since I have even thought about that? Not a lot of time for a beauty regime when your being attacked every few days… get it together girl: ain't nobody got time for a haircut during a war.

Her laugh echoed inside the bathroom long after she had fallen silent, and long after the humour at the situation had disappeared. Sahara sighed and fell silent, letting the water wash over, trying not think about what had happened that day. She turned her attention to her aching body: Sahara looked around and spotted some complimentary body wash at the end of the bath, which she promptly grabbed and squeezed out a decent blob. Vigorously, she rubbed the soap into her skin, trying to cleanse herself of everything that had happened that day. However, the more she tried not to think about it, the more the last twelve hours played over and over in her mind: mostly, Sahara could not escape the sensation when she had shot flames from her hands, the rush of joy and power that had spread through her body at the thought of finally conquering Jaki, the one thing she and her mother had always thought impossible..

I haven't spoken to Mum lately, Sahara suddenly realised, freezing in her washing. And she has probably been watching the news, getting updates from Granddad.

"Crap," she groaned and abandoned the body wash, letting the water wash the soapy substance away. She never wanted me to go in the first place, imagine how she feels now. Though she will probably just be smug about this. 'I told you so, didn't I, Sahara, I told you it would be dangerous, didn't I, didn't I?' Sahara smirked again at the thought of her mothers pettiness. With a soft sigh, she let her body relax and slide down the bath until only her head remained directly under the water. It pounded against her face, getting into her eyes, her mouth, her ears, but Sahara was pleased for a distraction, something to take her mind off everything.

What would she say when she found out what I've done with their powers? She has always been more afraid of them then I have, even though they never harmed her – her own bloody Seviper has hurt her more times than any of them put together. Isn't it a good thing I am finally being able to overpower them? Imagine what I could do if I properly harnessed their abilities – if I could move things with my mind, if I could shoot flames and electricity at people. Team Galactic would be gone if I could control my mind and my body, there would be no more threats, nothing to get in our way ever again… I would be unstoppable…

Sahara opened her eyes, her brain finally registering that the water had stopped. She looked up straight to the shower head, and cold fear crept through her body: the water was just floating there, hovering in the air above her. Sahara raised her hands and saw her fists were clenched, a familiar tingling sensation buzzing in the tips of her fingers. With a gasp, she unclenched, and the floating water crashed down on top of her. At the same time, a knock came at the door.

"Are you alright in there?" Vanessa yelled. "It sounded like you were talking to someone – it's not Jaki, is it?"

"I'm fine Vanessa, I was just mumbling a bit," Sahara yelled back as she slid across the bath, away from the shower head. Vanessa seemed to accept this and did not probe further, which Sahara was thankful for: her heart was racing, and it felt as though the bath was spinning when she knew it was firmly in its place. She stared down at her hands as if they were not her own, and Sahara had to stifle a whimper, suddenly feeling dirtier than she had all day.

---

Matthew managed to stay awake long enough to get inside their cottage, but he collapsed shortly afterwards. Mira used her Kadabra to lift him onto the sofa, and she and Xavier were now standing above his bare back, the two coating a thick burn cream onto his wounds.

"I brought some of this stuff after what happened in Solaceon," Mira informed Xavier. "I thought it might be good to keep some more medical supplies on me, in case there was any more trouble. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use it though…," she added, her voice awkwardly trailing off.

"Vanessa and I got badly burnt before," Xavier explained as if describing the weather. "Deoxys healed us though when he found us, which I thought was nice."

"Oh…," was all Mira could think up in response. Xavier was use to his comments making people confused or uncomfortable, and was certain he and Mira had never been alone like this before. He was not sure what to make of the younger girl: she was usually what others might call 'bubbly' or 'full of life', but right now she seemed depressed.

"It is strange, seeing Matthew hurt," Xavier continued, looking down at his friend as he painted the ointment onto Matthew's arm with a cotton bud. "He never got injured when we were children, he was always terrified of getting hurt."

"Yeah, he is such a weak little sod, I bet he would have screamed his mansion down every time he stubbed his toe," Mira said with an air of cheekiness, but her expression did not match the joke. "He's told me a bit about your houses, they sound very fancy."

"That was how my mother described it," Xavier replied. "I never understood what made our house different from others though. I guess I did not have many friends aside from Matthew and my Pokemon, so I never saw other people's houses very often. I do understand we lived more comfortably than a lot of other people. I have not seen a house bigger than ours yet on this journey."

"That's a shocker," Mira said, and Xavier presumed it was meant to be a joke. He forced a laugh, the noise coming across strangled, and Mira awkwardly raised an eyebrow that made him stop.

"I can only imagine what it would be like to be rich," Mira carried on, sighing softly. "I would have loved a huge house growing up: having a private swimming pool as a bath, a wardrobe full of all the designer clothes, a personal butler, a secret room for me to bring boys back to," she added with a wicked smile, and Xavier was reassured to see she was acting in the way Matthew had described her.

"It was certainly pleasant," he said. "I do no like to swim, but I do enjoy spending time with my Pokemon. I do not think there would have been room for Snorlax or Ponyta at a smaller house. Most poor houses are very small, from what I have seen on television."

"I am sure your parents enjoyed it though," Mira said, ignoring his off colour comment.

"I presume so, though my father spent most of his time in the Battle Frontier," Xavier replied. "He was very rarely at home. I expect if he had not been famous then he would have been home more often, but I do not know – maybe being poor would have meant both he and my mother would have to work. It was always reassuring to know my mother would at least be home. I did not enjoy being alone in our house: it was quiet and peaceful, but it is too big for just one person. Even if I do not like interacting with people, my mother did, and she appeared happier when she had guests, and that made the house feel… warmer, I guess is the world people would use." Mira had stayed silent during his talk, and from the look on her face Xavier wondered if he had somehow made her uncomfortable.

"Do you… do you think about your mother a lot?" The younger girl asked quietly.

"Occasionally. As she is dead, I cannot wonder what she might be doing or if she is well, but I remember her from time to time," Xavier replied, his hand freezing slightly over Matthew's shoulder. "I did think about her today, during that battle. I was thinking of letting myself die, you see. I thought it would be easier than dealing with the war at hand." Xavier remained still as he thought back to that afternoon, the noise and chaos that had torn apart Route 212 clear in his vivid memory. Mira had paused now as well, her hand slackening slightly, and her eyes had doubled as she stared at Xavier. "I thought for some time that I would see her again – I have seen her since she died, when Drifblim and I went to the Distortion World, and I presumed dying would mean I could go and see her again. The only reason I am still alive is because my new Hippopotas thought it was protecting me from Saturn.

"Hippopotas said goodbye to his mother before I captured him," Xavier continued, staring into space as though looking back in time, seeing mother and son biding each other farewell as the dust settled over the battlefield. "I have never had the opportunity to witness such an event before. I think someone like Matthew would call it heart warming, but I found it… chilling. The two will most likely never see each other again, unless I make a point of returning to that route after my gym journey has ended. I do not know what it must have felt like to say goodbye, but both of them appeared to be crying sand when they departed, and it made me realise that at least… at least… at least they got to say goodbye properly."

Silence greeted the end of his speech, and for a few moments Xavier stood frozen, a number of thoughts and scrambled feelings jumping through his head. Then he shook his head, storing the thoughts away, and resumed to coat his friend in the cream. Mira, however, remained still for several more minutes, Xavier unaware how much his words had stirred up the young girl's own feelings, and he failed to notice the tear falling down her cheek when she finally resumed Matthew's treatment.

---

The sea breeze and winter temperatures made her skin shiver after the warm shower, but Vanessa did not feel like sitting indoors, watching mindless crap on the TV or staring at the artwork that probably cost about as much as the damage they had caused that day. She was relieved to be staying somewhere warm, but Vanessa was not happy about the attempts at subtly showing off wealth. Besides, the calm, unmoving ocean made for a better view anyway, and Vanessa felt warm enough in a tatty black coat over her old rainbow dress.

"Enjoying the view as well?" A voice called from her right, and Vanessa glanced around and saw Harrison was doing the same thing, lounging about on nearly identical deck furniture, only a narrow hedge separating the two.

"Thought it would be a nice way to unwind," Vanessa said back, wishing she could be alone.

"I thought it would be nice too, though wish it was a bit warmer! You'd think it would be a bit warmer by now," Harrison replied with a slight laugh. "The weather usually starts to heat up around February."

"You're the person who works at a TV empire; go ask the weather girl what's up."

"Lord no; that woman is a capital b-to-the-itch!" Harrison said sassily, and Vanessa smirked as she settled down onto her chair. They had a decent square of grass in front of the polished wooden deck, stretching all the way to the cliffs with just a low metal bar protecting people from falling over the edge.

After all these years and they still haven't put up a decent child barrier, Vanessa thought as she stared at the oil coloured sky. Mum made such a fuss when I nearly fell over the edge, you'd think that alone would have spurred them into – no, stop it, stop thinking about them. That was nearly a decade ago, leave it in the past where it belongs. Vanessa shook her head, her damp ginger locks battering her cheeks as she did so, and pushed the memory into the back of her mind where it was meant to be.

It was easy enough to ignore her past after so much experience doing so, and after a few moments Vanessa's mind was back on the stars shining above. Harrison had fallen silent and they were far away enough from the other cottages that little noise reached her ears; just the wind blowing in from the sea, a calm, relaxing sound that Vanessa rarely had time to appreciate.

Peace and quiet at long last, she thought to herself. Her tired and worn out body felt like rock, her muscles aching and her skin tight after Deoxys had repaired it. She had seen the hotel attendant collect their PokeBalls, and she wondered if her Pokemon would feel the same way when she next released them, their cells, organs, everything healed as though they had not just endured another day of horror and heartache due to their trainer – stop it, Vanessa scolded herself mid thought, forcing it aside. She felt guilty enough for what she had been putting her Pokemon through, dwelling on it now would not help anyone. Was it too much to ask for five minutes of peace and quiet, of simply staring at the stars and not letting everything else weigh down on her? The long walk here from the war zone had been pleasant and relaxing, with the breeze blowing through her hair and quiet finally falling around her, but she had been unable to escape what had happened that day, her thoughts dogging her all the way. Vanessa had hoped she could finally move on, but there seemed no escaping her fears just yet.

"You know, I just have to say, you guys are pretty fucking incredible," Harrison's voice called over the hedge, and Vanessa frowned at the way the universe had answered her question. "I mean, I was nearly shitting myself out there today – let me tell you, I was not a pretty sight! And, I mean, I was ready to quit about one minute into our car chase today – literally, Vanessa, I was thinking of just jumping out the door and heading back to my hotel. 'See you later everyone, I'm going to get myself a mimosa'." A soft, timid laugh erupted over the divide, and Vanessa stifled a groan and shut her eyes, well aware she would not be able to properly enjoy her star gazing now.

"But, then, you know, I realised that probably wasn't fair of me. I mean, we can't just expect four teenagers to run around saving all of Sinnoh for the rest of us. So, of course, I stuck around, thought it was only fair, but fuuuuck, how do you guys survive doing this day in, day out," Harrison cried. "I mean, didn't you get shot back in Eterna? Who nearly dies and then keeps fighting against these weirdos?"

Someone with not a lot worth living for, that's who, Vanessa suggested, but kept it to herself. "And seriously, what are those fashion nightmares with guns trying to achieve?" Harrison continued. "You would think after blowing up, what, the mine, the bridge, the department store, nearly all of Solaceon," Harrison listed, and Vanessa imagined he was counting them on his fingers as he spoke, "like, seriously, we've gotten the memo now! Now can you just fuck off and leave us all alone?" Harrison chuckled at his own joke, but there was an obvious sadness behind it, and a tense silence fell which the rising breeze could not blow away.

"Do you think the worst is yet to come?" The cameraman whispered, and Vanessa knew it was out of fear for the unknown rather than fear someone was listening. "I mean… how worse can things get? It feels like half of Sinnoh has been destroyed by them so far, but I can just tell they are nowhere near finished with whatever they have planned. Do you – I mean, do any of you have any idea what they want?"

No, so why the fuck am I fighting them still? Vanessa thought, but she turned towards the other cottage and said "No idea. I am sure they have a plan, but funnily enough they haven't sat us down and told us yet. Unfortunately, this ain't the movies, and Cyrus isn't a moustachioed businessman that strokes Meowth on a daily basis."

"Well, it certainly feels like we're in one," Harrison scoffed. "If we are, guess that makes me the token gay guy, and you're the sexy femme fatale," he added acerbically, and Vanessa managed a slight smirk, but the weight behind the cameraman's words were already weighing her down: even with the melodramatic delivery, everything he seemed was pretty much her thoughts spoken aloud.

"I just got the call from the restaurant, they are finally ready for us all," Lucinda's voice called from inside their cottage.

"Thank fuck, I have not eaten since lunch – I swear darling, I was about to head back to the lobby and pick up some of that plastic fruit," Harrison sassed back, and Lucinda's deep laughter sounded across the garden. "You coming sweetie?" He added, and it took a few moments for Vanessa to realize he meant her.

"Oh, sure, why not – we sexy femme fatales have got to keep up our energy if we want to bring down the evil terrorists," she replied sarcastically, and Harrison's laughter drifted away inside. Vanessa opened her eyes as the gentle noise lingered in the breeze, watching the stars for a moment before admitting defeat: her peace was gone, she had given up any chance of that when she left the clearing that afternoon. As she got back to her feet, Vanessa knew she could try all she wanted, but nothing would replicate that feeling she had savoured for those all-to-brief minutes back in that broken down van.

She yelled out to Sahara it was dinner, and peered into her room to make sure things were fine before closing the door. She had dumped her battered yellow bag on a chair, and her umbrella lay propped up against it. Better not need that at dessert, Vanessa thought dryly, though her eyes lingered on the solid black fabric and the worn down handle, casting her trusted weapon the same look you might give a former friend who had just betrayed you. She was not sure why it suddenly felt so toxic, but as Vanessa closed the door, she wished she had answers to Harrison's questions, simply so she could give them to herself.

---

"… and did you see the Kris and Lance battle? I cannot remember the last time I was glued to my television like that; that battle was just stunning, wasn't it darling?"

"Yeah, but I still wish that bitch hadn't won."

"Oh, come on, be nice! Her mother just died the other week!"

"Well, obviously that is sad, but it doesn't mean she deserved to win! Lance is sooooo hot, and he had been angling to replace Casimer for years – he deserved to hold that Championship title for way longer!"

"You can't blame Kris for that though," Mira interjected. "It was that creepy guy who cheated in the first place – and I agree with you, Lucinda, Kris definitely fought harder, she looked like she was going to faint throughout most of it."

"Why thank you, Mira, it is so nice to see someone has some sense around here," Lucinda said with a wide grin, and Harrison rolled his eyes and poked out his tongue, making the trio laugh.

"What the fuck are we talking about?" Vanessa asked, eyebrows raised, as she stabbed her burger with a knife and began cutting.

"The battle between Kris and Lance, sorting out the whole cheating controversy to see who was going to be Champion?" Mira replied, her tone making it clear she was surprised Vanessa did not know that.

"Oh right, I think I heard about that – probably happened one of those days we nearly got killed." Vanessa had meant it is a joke, but only Xavier managed a stiff laugh, and things quickly fell silent. Lucinda lowered her cutlery and sat up straight in her chair, feeling self conscious, but the only people left in the restaurant to judge were the staff, and they were going to great lengths to avoid the war struck people they'd heard so much about.

The five star restaurant felt ghostly without anyone else in it. Over fifty round tables were spread out around the cavernous space, each one draped in a silk white table cloth with a different flower arrangement resting in simple but elegant white vases. The sea-facing wall was a giant floor to ceiling window leading to an outer bar area, while opposite was the open plan kitchen, usually bustling with people but currently still and silent, as the staff had only seven clients to serve.

Even with no one else about, the behaviour of the four Dex Holders made Lucinda uncomfortable. Admittedly, she was always intimidated around them, remembering the things she had seen them and their Pokemon do, but her nervousness currently stemmed from how quiet they all were. Xavier practically had to drag Matthew here, while Vanessa and Sahara seemed lost in thought and completely non-attentive on the burgers in front of them.

"I am surprised you have not seen it," Lucinda said, tip-toeing across the line least she upset any of them. "I would have thought trainers doing the League challenge would be following everything happening in the other leagues."

"I am really not that fussed," Vanessa replied as she wedged her fork into the massive chunk of burger she had cut off and shoved it into her face. Lucinda stared longingly at the meal, having had to order a simple noodle salad due to her diet restraints, but quickly pushed aside thoughts of food and looked across at Vanessa.

"I am sorry if I am not understanding something, but I always imagined that anyone who took part in this challenge would have been deeply invested in the experience. I remember people in my year at school who thought of nothing but going out and tackling all of the gyms – I know one girl who couldn't make it here so she moved to Hoenn to try their challenge, that was how much she wanted to be a trainer. It just seems very strange to me that you are not following or even slightly bit interested in what is happening in the other leagues?" Silence fell as Vanessa continued to chew her massive piece of burger, and all eyes at the table looked between the red head and the journalist, wondering what was coming next.

"Of course I am interested in what happens with the Sinnoh League, but when I am a tad busy in this little war against Team Galactic to give a crap about what's happening in Johto, okay?" Vanessa finally replied in a nonchalant tone, but she grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them into her mouth with more aggression than most people would use for such an activity. Lucinda pursed her lips and exchanged a look with Harrison, and was pleased to see he had a similar scepticism etched into his features.

"Why are you taking part in this, Vanessa?" Lucinda asked, ignoring her worries of upsetting them and letting her journalistic instinct take over. "I think you would have to be the first trainer I have ever met that did not care about what was happening in the other leagues. Everyone has their own reason for stepping out their front door, getting a Pokemon and heading off to tackle the gyms. I have met people who have done it for money, glory, power, a bit of fun, even one guy who had been dared to do it by his friends, but no matter the reason, they always have an opinion on the latest news. So tell me Vanessa, why are you bothering with this journey if you don't even care about the most significant event to have occurred in any league over the past few years?"

Vanessa did not respond for a moment, chewing her fries so vigorously that they could hear her teeth banging together. Everyone had stopped eating, their cutlery lying by their plates, burgers, salads, Mira's steak, all going ignored. Lucinda had felt confident while she had spoken, but now that the question had been aired that had faded, and the reporter was intimidated now that Vanessa was staring at her, something close to hate burning in her eyes.

"You want to know why I went on my journey?" Vanessa said finally, her face blank of any emotion but a definite edge was present in her words. "First of all, I did not 'step outside of my door', as you put it, to begin this journey. In fact, I could not have done that, as I did not have a door to step out from. You see, you may not be able to comprehend this, Lucinda, being too accustomed to the fact you can simply phone Daddy and get him to pay for some flash hotel rooms for the night, but before my journey began, I had not slept with a solid roof over my head for quite a few years. I was homeless since I was about, what was it again, eight? Maybe seven, I can't quite remember, to be honest; it was such a long time ago and its easy to lose track of time without calendars or watch and the fact you only have a Staraptor and an Abra to protect you from the world.

"But back to your initial point," Vanessa continued, her words getting more acidic as she pronged her fries with her knife, "why did I go on this journey? Money, to be perfectly honest. I could have done the gym thing earlier, but I got involved with a bad crowd after I first became homeless and didn't really want to put myself back into the spotlight after I finally got out of it. However, I seriously need the cash and the protection now, and if I can win the next Sinnoh League Championship than it will set me off comfortably for the next little while and fix a number of problems for me. So that is why I am on this journey, that and because I have met such wonderful people so far," she added finally, and flashed a bitter smile as she returned to her meal, her eyes daring Lucinda to ask another question.

The reporter felt like she had been stabbed. Vanessa's confession knocked the wind out of her, and Lucinda could feel her heart beating with painful speed inside her chest, making her horribly aware of the need to carry on this diet. Her father had often remarked that Lucinda did not have the tough, uncompromising attitude any good journalist needed to have, the willingness to ask hard questions no matter what the cost. Whenever these accusations were thrown against her, Lucinda told herself they were not true, that she could draw verbal punches and wring the truth out of people as much as her father or Clarisse could. But right now, Lucinda could not stop the rushes of guilt that spread throughout her body, hanging her head in shame as her stomach churned and her body tensed up in fear.

"I'm sorry Vanessa, I had no idea, I… I…."

"You never told me any of this." Lucinda stopped stammering and looked back up; Sahara was looking at Vanessa in shock, mouth hanging open.

"It isn't important, I am not going to drag out my past when our collective futures are a much more pressing matter," Vanessa replied with a carefree shrug, but Lucinda had spent years studying the people she interviewed, and there was a slight shame in Vanessa's eyes, as though she was secretly guilty about not telling her friends her life story.

"You still could have told us," Sahara whispered back. "It's not as though this is something minor we are talking about. Why has it taken this long for you to mention it?"

"And what, have you told us everything about your childhood?" Vanessa snapped back. "Your psycho other self came pretty damn close to killing me back in Solaceon, but you haven't exactly gone into the finer points about why you occasionally transform into one of three crazy she-beasts straight out of comic books. Everyone at this table has secrets, everyone here is hiding something from the rest of us, so don't judge me when your secrets are probably just as big as mine – but hey, at least mine didn't set a town on fire."

Harrison made a low 'oooooh' noise from Lucinda's right, but the journalist slapped him on the hand and pulled a face that said he had to be silent. She turned back to look at the two trainers, who were currently looking at each other as though they were about to attack the other. Sahara was shaking with what must be rage, her hands jittering against the table, and Lucinda tensed up for a moment, cautious that one of those 'she-beasts' was about to rear its head, while at the same time silently hoping for something dramatic.

However, after two minutes of tense, almost painful silence, Sahara stood up with such force her chair toppled backwards, and she stormed away from the table without another word. Vanessa did not watch her friend leave, but every other eye in the room watched as Sahara made marched between the rows of empty tables. Only when the door had slammed shut behind her did Vanessa turn to look at the others, her lips curled in a small but sad smile, and Lucinda could see pain in her eyes, a look that the journalist recognised all to well.

"I don't know about any of you," Vanessa said, forking another couple of fires as she glanced around the table, "but I really feel like dessert."

---

If her Pokemon had not finished being healed, Sahara had a feeling she probably would have walked out the door of the hotel and kept on going until she reached the sea, and even then she would not have stopped as the waves crashed against her descending body…

Fortunately, the timid nurse had finished healing their Pokemon, and Sahara collected her various PokeBalls and left the hotel without a second thought. She had no idea where she was going, but her feet carried her off while her mind remained fixated on the dinner table conversation, and it was a while before Sahara realised she was moving through a corridor of towering trees, something twinkling and blue waiting at the end of the row.

With every step, Sahara's view of the lake grew, but when she emerged from the forest pathway, she was not prepared for the size of Lake Valor: the uneven circle of water was massive, about the size of Solaceon Town, and Sahara was taken aback to discover something like this in the middle of the region. The sea breeze had not made it through the trees, so the crystal clear water was still and unmoving, the surface creating a perfect mirror image of the sky above.

Sahara was cold now that she had stopped moving, but she knew she could not return to the hotel and face the others yet. Instead, she tossed her PokeBalls into the air, and with a series of flashes her team appeared before her.

"Hey guys," Sahara said, trying to keep her face straight and calm. "I thought you might want a chance to relax after the day we have had, and this seemed like just the perfect spot for it!"

"Zel Floatzel!" Aqua cried in agreement, and Sahara laughed as the Floatzel jumped into the lake with a mighty splash, making Smash groan and recoil away. When Aqua resurfaced, Nutty squealed with delight and jumped onto his back: with a flick of his tail, the Floatzel was off, speeding her around the lake and churning up waves.

With a sigh of relief, Sahara flopped down into the grass. Smash let out a deep growl and followed Aqua around the lake, sliding through the grass like a massive grey Ekans, while Hammer calmly sat down a few metres from Sahara, eyes shut and poised for meditating. All the other Pokemon that would normally be roaming the fields seemed to have retreated to warmer shelter for the night, and the lakefront was entirely theirs. Sahara smiled to herself, relieved to finally be alone, to finally have some peace and quiet, and she let herself get lost in watching Aqua carry Nutty around a cave-like island in the middle of the lake.

"Such a lovely evening – you can hardly even see the smoke from Veilstone," a voice purred through the quiet, and Sahara's brief moment of peace shattered. She cast the smirking Spiritomb a foul look before looking north-east towards the city: it was difficult to see so far away in the darkness, but distant spotlights from what must be helicopters were glowing over the city, illuminating the smoke that continued to rise from various sites of destruction.

"Did you really need to point that out?" Sahara snapped, turning to face Spiritomb with fury in her eyes. "I brought us all here to try and forget about everything that happened today, I didn't really want a reminder of it."

"Sorry love," Spiritomb said, shrugging her rock. Sahara looked at her most recent capture for a few moments, hoping for an explanation or reasoning, but Spiritomb just stared back with her narrow green eyes, no compassion anywhere on that shimmering ghost face. With a scream, Sahara angrily grabbed at the grass and tore chunks out of the ground, shouting viciously as she did so, unable to hold things back anymore.

"Five minutes, Spiritomb, five minutes,that was all I wanted! Just five minutes to have some peace and quiet and forget about all the shit that nearly killed me today. Is five minutes really too much to ask from you, from anyone? I have been through a lot today, more than any normal person, let alone a teenager, should have to go through, and I think that I earned five minutes of fucking solitude to forget that all that ever happened!" Her rant echoed across the silent lake, but Sahara could not stop now that the floodgates were open, and she tilted her head up to the sky and screamed. The department fire, the cave, Jaki, her mother, Vanessa, her back, Crystal, Mason, Cyrus, this war, the violence, Eden, Deoxys, Giratina, fire, death, everything, Sahara screamed for all of them, and she did not stop screaming for several minutes, not until her throat was hoarse and there were tears streaming down her face.

Finally, from sheer exhaustion, Sahara flopped silently down onto the field, breathing deeply and rapidly and avoiding the curious stares she knew all her Pokemon were currently giving her.

"Is something wrong?" Spiritomb asked after a few moments, her tone dripping with sarcasm, but Sahara did not have the energy to look at her.

"Everything," she replied breathlessly, talking to the moon and stars above. "Everything is wrong and has been for months. At dinner just now, Vanessa told us that she was homeless before she began travelling – well, I guess she technically still is, I dunno how that works now – but, for a few moments there, I was shocked and horrified that I didn't know that, but then it hit me: this isn't the weirdest thing to happen to me today. For any normal teenager, finding out the person who is probably your best friend is homeless would be a fairly significant revelation, but, for me, it's more 'That's bizarre, but then so is the fact we were both nearly killed in a terrorism attack today, and that my two thousand year old Pokemon saved you, and then I had to help a spy escort two of those terrorists, and then I had to outsmart one of my evil alternate personalities' and, like… fuck me, I just don't think I can handle this anymore."

"Such a shame you can't just have bad skin like other girls," Spiritomb remarked.

"Oh,I would kill for acne being my biggest problem," Sahara snarled to the sky. "You do not know how long I have dreamed of being a normal girl. Do you know how many friends I had before beginning my journey? Zero. No one wanted to hang out with crazy Sahara who acts weirdly for no reason. My mum had to home school me in the end, but even that didn't stop everyone stopping and staring at me when we walked through town: they all knew who I was, they all knew I was different, and they all knew I had to be avoided."

Her voice was straining now, and Sahara was on the verge of tears, but her emotions had been building up for weeks now and there was no stopping her now that she had begun. "What Vanessa said before cut deep, not just because of what she admitted, but because I didn't know it. I have spent years wanting to go on a journey, to take my Pokemon out and see the world, but I was never fussed about gym battles. I just wanted to meet some people who didn't know what a freak I was, who I could be myself around without worrying what Crystal might do next or whatever. And then I got some friends, I made a bunch within my first few days, but nothing has gone right. We all went straight from getting our PokeDexes to fighting terrorists, and none of us have actually had the chance to be friends. In that cave today, Jupiter – you know, from Galactic – she made the point that there never would have been so much destruction throughout Sinnoh if we hadn't fought back. And, as much as it pains me to think about it, I am now wondering how different things would have been if we had never gotten involved in this stupid, violent war…"

"Don't say that!" Spiritomb hissed, and Sahara was surprised by the venom in her voice. "If you didn't stand up to them, who else would have? No one else in Sinnoh has the power that flows through your veins: I saw the things you did in Solaceon Town that I have never seen another person do, not even Charlotte, and few Pokemon would have been able to defeat you."

"But that wasn't me! All of that was Jaki, it has always been Jaki, or Crystal, or Eden, but it has never been me!" Sahara yelled, yet her loudest shout was unable to silence the quiet, guilty but proud voice that hissed at the back of her head: but you have used their powers, you stopped Charon today, didn't you? You defeated Jaki, you finally forced her away…

"Things with them have only gotten worse since I left home, just like my mum always feared," Sahara continued, trying not to remember the feeling of power she had felt in the Turnback Cave today, instead focussing on the floating water in the bathtub. "I feel dirty having these powers, having these bitches crawling around inside my head, and you cannot blame me for wondering what would have happened if Vanessa and I and everyone else had just had normal journeys. Jaki only showed her true powers that night because Giratina had been unleashed –"

"Yes, but that may have happened anyway," Spiritomb said. "There is no way of knowing, but you are involved now, and you could do wonders. You have a gift unlike anything anyone else has ever had – believe me, I have been around long enough to know – and if you harness those abilities properly, you could be the thing to end this war."

"Oh really? A gift? Do you call this a gift?" Sahara snapped, and pulled up the back of her shirt. She could not see the tattoo that covered her back without a mirror, but she was able to turn her head enough to see Spiritomb's face, and even the Forbidden Pokemon could not hide her horror.

"What is that?" Spiritomb asked, the sass fading from her voice.

"I have no idea!" Sahara said, a touch of laughter creeping into her speech. "I have had it as long as I have had these powers, but I have no idea what any of it means! That is my point Spiritomb: there is so much I cannot control and do not understand about my journey. Whether it is my friends, my enemies or even myself, everything is just a huge, shitting mess, and I just wish things were different… I wish things were normal."

Sahara finally fell silent, suddenly out of thoughts to vocalize, and she fell back into the grass and stared across at Spiritomb. Earlier that day, so many hours ago, Sahara had reflected on how she could not trust her latest capture, how she was still uncertain why Spiritomb had wanted to come with her. The Ghost type was always smirking, always making snide remarks, as if she was trying to be disliked. Now though, Sahara's comments had left Spiritomb speechless, the demonic Pokemon silently watching Aqua and Nutty with her vivid green eyes, and Sahara wondered if there was more to the dangerous creature than she suspected.

"Why are you travelling with us?" Sahara asked. Spiritomb did not reply for a few moments, but her green eyes narrowed at the question, and she finally cast Sahara a look that was of pity and guilt rather than of rage and sarcasm.

"Now is not the time for that discussion," Spiritomb replied. "You clearly have enough on your plate at the moment, the secrets of a two thousand year old Pokemon would be too much for you at this present time."

Sahara sighed: even her own Pokemon were unwilling to make her life easier. "Alright… how about this: why did you want me to capture you? Why not Vanessa, you two fought together to stop Jaki and Giratina, it seems like a match made in heaven… well, hell I guess would be the more appropriate term…"

"I had reasons," Spiritomb answered simply, but Sahara raised an eyebrow, signalling that was not enough, and the Forbidden Pokemon rolled her eyes. "I see something in you that I do not see in your friend… no, not your abilities," Spiritomb added as Sahara tutted. "You both have anger and hatred burning inside of you, I can see that both of you are upset and unwilling to accept the situation you have found yourself in. However, I think Vanessa is resistant to what is happening and has a defiant bitterness that seeps into her attitude and demeanour, while you… you have hope. Even when you were screaming just now, I can see you are hopeful for what the future may hold, and if I want to succeed, I am going to need a lot of hope in my life."

"Me, hopeful?" Sahara said, and she could not help but laugh. "You really must not have been paying attention…"

"Oh, I understood what you were saying better than you did," Spiritomb snapped. "You may be angry at yourself for letting this situation get away from you and afraid of the unknown, but you have hope that things will get better, that you will some day find the normality you crave, and that is the type of person I want to battle alongside. You may think there is nothing for you to control, but the power to get what you want is inside you right now: if you master the abilities available to you, Team Galactic will fall and you, Vanessa and the boys can live happily ever after. Deny it all you want, but you know I'm right, and you know you want it."

Sahara did not say another word. She and Spiritomb continued to stare at each other for a few moments, but than an excited chirp cut through the silence, and Sahara turned as Nutty excitedly rushed across the field, her white fur dripping wet.

"What happened to you?" Sahara cried with a broad beam, and laughed as the Pachirisu covered them all with water as she tried to dry herself. Sahara did not look at Spiritomb again for the rest of their excursion, even when she withdrew the Ghost type, but her words lingered for the entire slow walk back to the hotel. Sahara had been scared by what had happened to Mason, she had been scared by the incident in the bath, and she had no idea why she had these powers, but there was little denying what might be possible if she could fully control. And that night, Sahara fell asleep with only one voice in her head, reminding her of how great it had felt to win that afternoon…

---

February 20th 2010

Matthew awoke from a dream with a start. He sat bolt upright in bed, pain flooding in and memories of what his subconscious had been showing him quickly fading away, though odd excerpts lingered and Matthew had a feeling that his father, Charon and Cheryl had all been sitting at a table questioning him about his goals.

A tapping sounded at the window, and Matthew turned groggily, realising this was what had woken him up. Prinplup, Beautifly, Cherubi, and Eevee mumbled and turned in their sleeps as Matthew forced himself out of bed and slid back the curtains, not stopping for a second to think who may be trying to wake him. Thankfully, only Mira stood there in a thick blue dressing gown, and Matthew, slowly waking, opened the catches and pushed it open.

"Sexy pyjamas," Mira said as she climbed inside, but Matthew noted her usual sarcastic tone was turned down. "Pity you've got all your Pokemon out, otherwise I would have climbed into bed with you."

"Sure, sure," Matthew mumbled, too tired to react properly. "Misdreavus isn't here, but she is nocturnal. I usually keep them in their PokeBalls at night, but, after everything that happened today…" A spasm of pain interrupted his speech, and Matthew was too sleepy to state the obvious, but Mira knowingly nodded as she moved towards the cushy armchair in the corner of the room. "Do you want something? Tea, hot chocolate?"

"Vodka?" Mira suggested, and Matthew managed a slight smirk. "I'm good, I just want to talk. I tried going to sleep, but my mind is just, you know, buzzing, and I couldn't shut my eyes for more than a few minutes. I thought of talking to Vanessa or Sahara, but I don't really know them, so… I hope you don't mind," she added, smiling weakly.

"It's fine," Matthew said with a wave of his hand, "I could barely sleep either. I think I could do with a good chat to get some of this stuff out of my head." He climbed back into bed, Prinplup moving over to let him in, and he could not help but groan as he slid beneath the covers.

"Is your back still that sore?"

"It's better than it was, but it will still take some time to heal." Matthew got comfortable enough and sighed with relief, and then turned his attention towards Mira. The younger girl wore a slight smile, but despite her desperation to talk, silence filled the room. Matthew didn't mind though, pleased to have something to distract him from his dreams, and he settled into his pillows and watched Eevee kicking her legs in her sleep.

"Do you think about your family often?" Mira said finally. Matthew was taken aback by the choice of topic, having thought the coordinator would want to dissect the day's events, but he turned back towards her with his mind pondering.

"Sometimes… more often now than I did before," he replied, trying not to think too much of his father, as a burning rage filled him every time he did.

"Ah, okay… I was just wondering," Mira replied, as if the question had had no meaning. However, Matthew knew she would not have come here after midnight just for that, and he remained silent, waiting for her to continue. "Well… I only asked because… well… well…" Mira tried to speak, but her voice trailed off, and Matthew was stunned when he heard a sob escape her lips.

"Are you al –"

"I haven't seen my family for months now," Mira wailed, burying her head in her hands and clearly fighting back tears. "I left home without telling them. They never wanted me to be a coordinator, they thought it was too dangerous after everything that's happened in the other regions. When I told them I wanted to go, they forbade it and threatened to lock me in my room if they had to. So… so… so I ran away, I left in the middle of the night on Christmas Day, I never even said goodbye to them. There were a few weeks when I convinced myself that I had done the right thing, but ever since I got involved with this bloody war, I can't stop thinking about them. What if they are looking for me, what if they are trying to find me and I am never going to see them again because Galactic will kill me first? Or… or…. What if they don't even care that I left…"

"What? Of course they do!" Matthew exclaimed in shock. "They are your parents, they have to love you!"

"Oh yeah? Well, your dad clearly doesn't feel much for you if he left you to burn to death," Mira snapped. There was a moment's pause, and then she looked up with red eyes full of guilt. "No, that was wrong, I'm sorry, I take that back. I am just tired after everything that happened today, I'm not thinking properly. It's just that what Vanessa said, I wondered where her parents are in all of this and why she didn't have a home, and that just made me think of my parents, and yeah…but I shouldn't have taken that out on you, I'm sorry, I am so, so – "

"No, don't apologise," Matthew sighed. He leaned forwards and groaned: he had been trying not to think about these things, but Vanessa's confession had stirred up similar thoughts, the same ones that had seeped into his subconscious and kept him awake.

"Do you know what really bothers me?" Mira continued, wiping away her tears. "What that Charon guy said. Remember, how he asked us why we were really doing this? That just made me think: I ran away from home to show up my parents, I began hanging around with you because you were a rival and I had fun winding you up, that's the only reason why I am in this mess. And that just makes me feel so, I dunno, stupid."

"You are not stupid," Matthew said, forcing a smile as he tried to ignoring the hate brewing up beneath the surface. "Going on a journey is the dream for so many people around Sinnoh and around the world, and your parents should have been more supportive of your wish."

"That's nice of you to say, but I also could have waited a bit longer. They probably would have let me go if I had put some more time between my request and everything that happened in Johto. That was only a few months ago, no wonder my parents were scared."

"But you had the drive to go out and capture and train and win, if you had stayed home you would have hated yourself more than you do now," Matthew pointed out, though the words were more to himself than Mira. The young girl fell silent, dwelling on what he said, and Matthew was left alone with his thoughts, which were becoming more bitter and hate-filled by the moment.

"What about you then?" Mira asked after a while. "Why did you want to go on a journey? Were you getting tired of having personal butlers and chauffeurs to drive you to school?" Matthew gave her a smile, trying to be amused by her joke, but her words, Vanessa's confession, Charon's questioning, his father's action, everything was coming together and filling him with bitter, angry realisations he had not dwelled on before.

He wanted to tell Mira that, as a child, he had simply wanted to go on a journey, that it had been a fact rather than a dream. He wanted to tell her about how everyone had asked him why he wanted to take on the added pressure of being a coordinator on top of doing gym challenges, and that he always insisted on it without ever having a reason why.

Matthew wanted to tell Mira that he had begun to realize now why that desire had flown through him. He wanted to tell her that it was because of his father: his condescending, competitive father, who always had to win and always had to be the best and always had to prove to everyone he was better than them. Matthew wanted to confess that he could see now that he knew he was better than his father, that he had always known it and had always resented Adrian for making his own rules so he could be the best. Matthew was finally working out that his competitive streak, his desire to win and be the best in both challenges, was to show people he was better than his father, that he could do things Adrian could not. And, as much as it pained and disturbed him to think about it, Matthew was beginning to wonder if part of him had savoured going after Team Galactic: he had protested Vanessa's rashness to fight sometimes, but Matthew had never refused to go into battle against them, he had always ended up fighting time after time. He wanted to say this aloud to Mira, to ask if she too thought he was simply fighting Galactic for the simple pleasure of stopping them, to be labelled a hero, to be the very best…

But Matthew did not say any of this. He could not bring himself to speak those words out loud, to have to face Mira or anyone else when they saw how petty and spiteful he was, nor admit that Charon had likely been right all along: fighting for the sake of fighting…

"I thought it would be a challenge, something different and fun and new," Matthew said meekly, keeping a smile on while his contempt for his father burned beneath the surface. "I just wish it had stayed fun a little longer than it did."

Mira knew what he meant and gave a short, sharp nod. She had nothing else to say, and Matthew had nothing he wanted to say, and the two sunk back into silence. When Mira slumped backwards in her chair, Matthew braved the cold to drape a blanket over her, and then he crawled back into bed and turned the light out. However, all the things he hadn't said, all the thoughts that had come to him over the past few hours, they buzzed around his head and refused to let him sleep. Matthew lay awake for quite some time, staring through the darkness towards the Eevee that lay at the foot of his bed, her brown and cream chest rising and falling with every breathe, and all he could think about before he finally succumbed to tiredness was what he had gotten himself into.

---

When the first crack of sunlight burst from the horizon and hit her squarely in the face, Vanessa awoke with a start.

She had been unable to fall asleep: the luxury of her bed had felt uncomfortable and foreign, and Mira and Sahara's coming and goings had woken her from any brief moments of sleep she got. Finally, Vanessa simply grabbed a pillow and a blanket and moved back to the deckchair: low temperatures, a frosty breeze, and sleeping under the stars, being out in the elements was the life for Vanessa.

She had found sleep again easier than her travellers: she had trained herself to doze in conditions like this, and the sheer scale of everything that had happened that day and all the events prior to it had her out like a light. Her dreams had been long and restless though, images of burning cities and Sahara yelling for help interspersed with the haunting, emotionless eyes of Deoxys, his final words echoing throughout her subconscious.

Vanessa blinked the tiredness out of her eyes as they adjusted to the rising sun in the distance, and she relieved to be out of her thoughts and back in this tiny slice of peace and quiet. The sea was finally clear now, a shimmering expanse of water like liquid sapphires. Plenty of Pokemon were swimming about now that it was morning, but they were simply shadows dancing across the ocean to Vanessa, undistinguishable from the next.

Lucky creatures, she thought, watching a Pelipper as it flew overhead, you get to be so far away from all of this. Whenever disaster strikes you, you can just dive beneath the waves and keep on swimming until you outrun danger. How I wish I had that option…

Vanessa sighed and leaned back in her chair, pulling the blanket around tightly as it was still frosty. Monferno had fallen asleep beside her chair, his tail blazing brightly, but not hot enough to fight off winter. Vanessa watched him snoozing beside her, thinking of the day she had received him, the day her life had turned completely to shit.

Vanessa tried not to dwell too much on the past. What had happened weeks, months, years, lifetimes ago did nothing to help her when she was fighting terrorists or trying to defeat gym leaders. She had never bothered to tell her fellow trainers about being homeless as she knew they would linger on it, keep coming back to it and asking questions and judging her actions based on it.

However, in her post-battle weariness last night, Vanessa had, for the first time in a long while, spoken without truly thinking about the consequences. She had been annoyed and bitter, and bringing Lucinda down a peg had seemed like a good idea at the time. But as soon as she had spoken, Vanessa had known Sahara and the others would be hurt by how she had withheld this information for so long. In a perfect society, Vanessa liked to imagine things like this would not matter, that people could accept their friends had reasons for holding back information. Unfortunately for her, she did not live in a perfect world – at least not one by her standards – and she should have known the others would have been undoubtedly shocked and confused by her actions.

Times like this I really miss the good old days when I slept on the ground and starved and froze every other night, Vanessa thought bitterly. At least Staraptor never questioned my actions. She sighed, well aware that line of thought was childish and petty, but she could not help feeling that way. It was becoming clearer by the day how little good had come out of this journey, despite the friends she had made and the Pokemon she had caught. Throughout her dreams that night, Vanessa's mind had kept returning to the forest clearing, the single patch of quiet and calmness she had found so far, and every time she thought back to it Vanessa regretted not disappearing into the trees, leaving the chaos, the nightmare, the pain and suffering all behind.

A cry suddenly sounded from her left, and Vanessa left her thoughts behind and looked around. She saw Xavier on the other side of the low hedge separating the cottages, apparently watching as a cloud of dust ran around the grass. Curious despite herself, Vanessa wrapped the blanket around tightly and crossed the deck, wondering what was going on.

"Hello Vanessa," Xavier said, briefly turning his head in acknowledgement when Vanessa reached the fence, but then resumed his focus on the sand. Vanessa could see now that Heracross was training against the Hippopotas Xavier had caught yesterday: the Ground type was trying to lunge at this team mate and strike a hit, while Heracross circled, arms raised in defence. Grotle and Lapras sat on the deck watching, the latter staring out at the sparkling ocean, while Drifblim was trying to keep the excitable Hoothoot in check. Vanessa was surprised she had not heard them sooner, but realised she had been caught up in her own thoughts.

"A bit early for training, isn't it?"

"I could not sleep," Xavier answered simply. "I tried, but I could not stop recalling yesterdays events, and eventually decided that I would like to get an early start on training Hippopotas."

"Fair enough then," Vanessa replied, bemused by his straight forwardness as always. "You caught him during the fight yesterday, didn't you?"

"Afterwards, technically," Xavier corrected. "Somehow, whatever we did during that battle impressed his mother, and she insisted that I take him with me."

"I have heard of Pokemon doing that," Vanessa said, thinking back to the books she had read as a child. "Seems strange that she would let someone she had just seen in a bloody battle take her child though."

"I found it strange as well," Xavier agreed, and Vanessa noticed his voice crack slightly. "I presume she thought we were brave and strong because we won in the end, but I did not feel that way at the time. If she had known that for several minutes I had been willing to let Saturn kill me and end my suffering, she might have felt different."

"Really?" Vanessa was taken aback by the confession, having never heard Xavier talk in such a way before. She had only known him to be methodical and unbending in his decisions. "Why are you still standing here then?"

"Hippopotas and his mother saved me, and before I got another chance Spiritomb rallied the wild Pokemon to battle. It made me realize something though." Xavier fell quiet, his voice breaking slightly, and Vanessa saw Grotle look towards his trainer with concern. "I decided that death was not the only option: if I died, then there would be one less person standing in Team Galactic's way, and if I was gone, what would happen to my Pokemon? I cannot be selfish and leave my Pokemon behind in a world at war, even if dying would mean I could see Mother again."

He paused and turned towards Vanessa, the battle completely ignored now, and the red head felt a certain chill that managed to penetrate her blanket. "I am sorry you were homeless Vanessa. I always wondered how other people lived their lives, and it was uncomfortable to learn of your past but pleasing at the same time, as it meant you are willing to be open with us. Mother always told me that true friendship came from telling your darkest secrets, so this is me returning the favour." Vanessa smiled thinly back, uncomfortably remembering her conversation with Sahara yesterday about how she did not see Xavier as a friend.

"However, despite the losses of family and housing we have experienced, I think there are more important things to face in life at the moment," Xavier added, strength coming back to his voice, and he turned and awkwardly smiled at his team. "I would love to see Mother again, but the way Hippopotas and the other wild Pokemon aided in the fight made me see that we need to stay here and keep fighting Galactic until they are destroyed."

"Don't you feel drained by this endless war though?" Vanessa asked.

"In a way, yes, but I also do not think I would be the person I am right now if I had not fought them," Xavier replied. "Whether we fight them again or not, I can see now that I want to keep training my Pokemon and keep battling the gyms. I am not ready to die yet, but I am ready for breakfast: shall we head across?" Vanessa paused for a moment, wondering if she had heard properly, but when Xavier looked quizzically back, the red head tipped her head back and laughed.

"Why the bloody hell not?" Vanessa snorted, unable to help herself. Xavier nodded and then called his Pokemon together, leaving Vanessa to make her way back to the cottage.

"Monfer?" Her starter asked sleepily, watching his laughing trainer, but Vanessa merely beamed at him and stepped inside. For the first time ever, she wished she was more like Xavier, having the ability to change topics and leave the serious issues in the past and move on so easily. Even as she laughed, Vanessa was thinking over what he had said, her stomach churning slightly at the similarities in their chains of thoughts. She went to turn into her room when the door next to it opened, and a tired Sahara stepped out.

"What are you laughing about?" She asked sleepily.

"Xavier," Vanessa replied simply, pausing in the doorway as the last of her laughter died away. The two exchanged a look, the memory of last night hovering between them, and they stood in awkward silence for a moment, neither sure what to say to the other.

"I was out of line last night, I'm sorry. I said that more to spite Lucinda than anything else, but it was stupid to have not told you earlier." Vanessa waited awkwardly for a response, and her heart skipped a beat as Sahara smiled softly back.

"I may not know why my mind and body acts the way it does, but when I learn why, you will be the first person I tell, and if I can manage it, there won't be any more towns on fire," she said with a slight grin, and Vanessa laughed before stepping into her room to change. The sun was higher now and shone through her curtains, and Vanessa could see the ocean ahead. She thought of how wonderful it would be to climb onto Staraptor, fly out there and never look back. However, a cold feeling of realisation was creeping through her, a similar feeling to what Deoxys telepathy had done to her yesterday. With a sigh, Vanessa grabbed her umbrella and turned the handle, and for a few moments examined the shining blade that slid out of the tip, the weapon that had been with her nearly as long as Staraptor.

There's no way I can take you away to paradise, is there? Vanessa asked the umbrella. She took the silence for a no, and tossed it onto the bed before getting changed for breakfast, wondering to herself which gym was nearest.

---

The restaurant felt a lot smaller once all the tables were full. Lucinda was the only person sitting by themselves, placed at the same table as last night in the very middle of the room, and she could feel the eyes of over one hundred guests flickering towards her across their breakfast. Lucinda wanted to think it was because she was on TV and these were all fans, but she knew it was more because she was a large girl with fresh bruises and barely healed cuts across her face and neck, sitting alone with just her fruit salad for company.

Don't lose face, don't let it get to you, just keep smiling like you always have, Lucinda told herself, stuffing sliced Apricorn berries into her mouth to try and look busy. A quartet of trainers sat at the table directly in her line of vision: two boys and two girls, roughly in their late teens but dressed and acting like middle aged businessmen and their wives. One of them, a strapping blonde boy in an emerald green blazer, was telling a joke that had his guests in stitches, and Lucinda could feel bile rising up in her throat, thinking of all the people she had met over the years exactly like them.

"Morning sexy," a voice chortled behind her, and Lucinda turned as Harrison sat down to her left, joined quickly by Matthew, Xavier and Mira, with Sahara and Vanessa silently bringing up the rear. "Gross, fruit salad, really? Come on babe, give the diet a miss for just one morning: we are at a five star restaurant, make the most of it!"

"I am, that's why I am having fancy fruit," Lucinda replied with a forced grin, and Harrison tutted before leading the group towards the open buffet. Lucinda watched them go, her eyes briefly meeting Vanessa's as the red head walked past in a floating purple dress that for some reason resembled a curtain, before turning her attention back to the quartet. They were clearly wealthy, she could tell from their clothes, their hairstyles, their glittering wrists and sparkling ear lobes. Dozens of people walked past them, the news was blaring on in the background, staff came and collected empty plates, but the group paid no attention to any of them, merely focussed on what each other had to say with no room left for the world around them. They were so carefree and ignorant, no problems but their own lives to contend with, and it saddened Lucinda that she longed to be like them.

"I have to apologize for my behaviour last night, especially to you Vanessa," Lucinda said once the people in her group had sat down again. Everyone looked at her, their war wounds and tired eyes clearly visible, and Lucinda had to ignore the steaming bacon and fresh pancakes and waffles piled high on their plates least she lose her courage. "I was being nosey and nitpicky for the sake of it, and I should not have forced you into revealing something like that. I saw the upset it caused and I blame myself, so I apologize and hope you can forgive me."

Vanessa gave a carefree shrug as she grabbed her cutlery, but gave Lucinda a warm smile. "Admittedly, you were being a bit of a nosey bitch, but I am responsible for whatever I said, not you, and I shouldn't have used something like that as ammunition, so you don't have anything to apologize for."

"Thank you," Lucinda replied, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "It is just this journalistic instinct that has been drilled into me by my father. Ever since I was a child, I was led to believe being a journalist was the most important thing in the world, and becoming a reporter like my father has been my one goal in life ever since then. It… it is hard to make yourself stand out in this business, so I am always looking for the next scoop and interviewing people without really intending to, and that aspect came out last night."

"Honestly, Lucinda, it is fine," Vanessa said, smiling a bit more forcefully now, and Lucinda realised she had let herself babble. However, she met Matthew's eyes opposite and he gave her a friendlier, knowledgeable smile, and Lucinda beamed back and returned to her meal.

The atmosphere at their table was as quiet and awkward as last night, but a lot of the tension from the previous evening seemed to have faded. Mira and Harrison carried on their playful argument about Kris and her victory, leaving Lucinda to watch the four silent Dex Holders. They all seemed lost in thought except for Xavier, who was systematically cutting his waffles and fruit up with a sort of determined glimmer in his eyes, a look Lucinda usually only saw in journalists with a lead to follow. Matthew was trying to look engaged in the argument across the table, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere, the same with Vanessa, who chewed her bacon staring off into space. She only spoke to Sahara, who too was quiet but seemed more focussed and grounded than her fellow trainers, and Lucinda wondered what had happened to the girl after she left dinner last night. It had been several hours before a restless Lucinda had peered through her curtain and noticed the trainer arrive back at her cottage, looking relieved and somewhat satisfied, and where she had been had bothered her ever since…

"Where are we going to next?" Xavier said suddenly, and all eyes flickered towards him. The blonde seemed unfazed by the question and instead looked quizzically at his companions. "I presume we are not going to be staying here for more than a few days, so which gym are moving towards next?"

"You lot go wherever you want, but I am heading to Pastoria as soon as I can," Mira said with a certain finality in her tone.

"On your own?" Matthew asked, and Mira nodded.

"I think spending some time by myself will be good," she explained. "I need to clear my head and focus on why I am on this journey." She winked at Matthew, and the coordinator smirked back in a knowing manner, but Lucinda could tell he was going to miss his travel companion.

"Well, we will probably need to head off ourselves," Lucinda said. "There will be plenty of story opportunities back in Veilstone, and we have kind of been slack on that front recently…"

"I think the last story we did was on some trainer who had a team full of Magikarp," Harrison said, pursing his lips in annoyance. "Lovely girl, brilliant dress sense, but it is fair to say that she was a few Potions short of a PokeMart, if you know what I mean." Sahara and Mira both smirked, and Lucinda was pleased to see not everyone was wallowing in thoughts of what had happened yesterday.

"So will we go to Pastoria as well then, or on to Sunyshore?" Xavier asked the other three Dex Holders. "Sunyshore is closer, I believe."

"Don't go to Sunyshore halfway through your journey," Harrison said shaking his head. "You either go to Sunyshore or Snowpoint last; that way you sail can sail directly to the Island of Champions."

"Volkner is really tough as well," Lucinda added. "You need a Ground type if you hope to win, and even then I have heard he can bring down an entire team of them with just one Pokemon. Crasher Wake is tough but Water is more easily beaten."

"That's reassuring," Matthew snarked, and everyone chuckled.

"So Pastoria then?" Xavier asked. Lucinda looked at the other Dex Holders, waiting for their reactions: there was hesitation in all their faces, the trio falling silent, and a horrible thought struck the journalist. Where none of them willing to continue the journey? Had they finally been pushed too far?

"… and did you hear about all that calamity on Route 212?" A loud, pompous voice boomed, and everyone turned, Xavier's question forgotten as a group walked past their table. Lucinda looked up, secretly disappointed her suspicions could not be confirmed, but was taken aback when she saw the voice belonged to the quartet of rich teenagers. They had finished breakfast and were now moving towards a set of double doors at the east end, leading to the hotels spa facilities. They continued to talk amongst themselves, not paying the slightest attention to the people they were talking over.

"Oh yes, so terribly dreadful," a black haired girl cooed, holding her hands over her heart in a melodramatic gesture. "Imagine the poor Pokemon, it must have been a horrible for them!"

"It was probably those Team Galactic thugs," the blonde haired boy Lucinda had seen joking before added, and his companions nodded in agreement. "Hopefully the police put a stop to those people before they do any more harm!"

"Excuse me, but could you go away?" Xavier said suddenly, turning to face the four. "We are trying to have a conversation." He looked away before the blonde could respond, but the four stopped in their paths and looked down at Xavier with identical looks of incredulity and rage, and Lucinda realised their peaceful breakfast had just ended.

"Excuse me, you little brat, but who exactly do you think you are talking to?" The blonde snorted after a few moments, puffing his chest out indignantly. "I do not need to be told to be quiet by some filthy vermin like you!"

"We don't want any trouble, he just speaks without thinking some times," Matthew said with a pleading tone, and the blonde snapped his head around and faced him. His eyes narrowed, and then the youth cast his gaze across the rest of them.

"What the hell happened to you all?" He snorted, a slight sneer creeping across his face, and he pointed at all their bruises. "I know this place really isn't fussed about class anymore, but they have seriously let their standards drop if they let dogs like you in!"

"That is very rude," Xavier said, turning and facing the blonde boy again. "We received these injuries defending people like you from Team Galactic and their fight against this region. You could show us a little more gratitude, as you would probably be dead by now if we had not stood up and fought back against them." Lucinda and Harrison exchanged stunned looks, and the formers chest swelled with pride: she had never thought of their actions like that before, and she suddenly felt brave and heroic. However, the ringleader of the little gang turned to his fellows and began laughing, and they all quickly followed suit. The sound of their high, clipped laughter echoed inside the restaurant, and all the other tables fell silent as they turned to watch the commotion.

"You, save us? Don't be so absurd!" The blonde scoffed. "I do not need to be protected by degenerates like you! I do not know what fantasy world you are living in, but why don't you pack your bags and let the truly deserving enjoy ourselves: I did not pay good money to share five star facilities with a band of merry, delusional orphans!" Lucinda dug her fingers into the table in her rage, and she saw that the others in her group were angry as well, but none of them were prepared to sacrifice their break from fighting to deal with someone so up themselves. Xavier opened his mouth to respond, but a bitter faced Matthew grabbed his shoulder and muttered in his ear.

"Yes, yes, bring your pet into line," the blonde sneered at Matthew. "This thing clearly needs to be kept on some sort of leash."

"You tell them, Adrian!" The black haired girl cackled from behind. Suddenly, Matthew froze with his hand still on Xavier's shoulder, a strange look coming into his eye. He slowly raised his head and looked at the rich boy towering over them, and the blonde curiously raised an eyebrow.

"Adrian… your name is Adrian?" Matthew asked slowly

"Yes, that's my name," the snobby youth replied venomously. "Got a problem with that, peasant?" Lucinda cautiously looked at Harrison, who was watching the scene as if front row at a play, and then at the girls, who had looks of curiosity and anger over their faces, and the reporter turned back to Matthew to watch his own maddening expression grow. A pause stretched out several moments, the dark haired coordinator clearly contemplating how to react, and Lucinda could see something was bubbling away beneath the surface, Matthew clearly about to break…

"Yes, I do have a problem with that," he said finally, and with a single movement, he stood up, grabbed hold of his plate and threw it. Adrian's friends screamed as if a gun had been fired, but really the weapon was merely a towering pile of pancakes, topped in whipped cream and Combee honey. Matthew's breakfast splattered against Adrian before bouncing off, leaving a significant stain on the youth's spotless suit. It was a harmless act compared to everything that had happened yesterday, but as Lucinda looked around, taking in the reactions of Adrian, his friends, the staff and all the other watching guests, she remembered that few other people had been recently been engaged in urban warfare, and the tainting of an expensive suit in the most luxurious hotel in Sinnoh was the closest these people came to terrorism.

"HOW DARE YOU, THIS COST OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS!" Adrian shrieked at Matthew, and he lunged forwards, fists raised, but before he could strike Matthew was fighting back: the coordinator swung a clumsy punch, hitting his opponent square in the jaw. It did little but annoy Adrian, who screamed louder and lashed out, hitting Matthew in the nose. Xavier tried to stand, but the other rich boy, a lanky ginger teenager, stepped forwards with an angry grin, ready to fight.

We are about to have another war on our hands, Lucinda thought with dread, wishing now she had gotten something nicer to eat before they got kicked out. Her fears were confirmed a moment later when a brilliant red flash appeared on the table, clearing to reveal a Monferno standing curiously amongst their food.

"Leave my friends alone," Vanessa hissed from behind her Pokemon. Adrian gave her a sneer that implied he was not going to stop, but Monferno snarled angrily, and the teenagers all lowered their hands in fear. However, Vanessa did not back down, her eyes burning with such rage that Matthew stepped away as well. "Good decision. Now, I really didn't want to have to fight anyone today – in fact, I have never really wanted to fight anyone… okay, that's a lie, but I digress. Today, at this very moment, when I should be having breakfast and nursing my wounds, I do not want to battle some snobby little shit in a snobby little restaurant. But then you just had to come along and piss all over that dream, so now I am going to battle you and defeat you and go back to my day with the satisfaction of knowing no one else in this snobby little hotel is going to get in my way." Everyone had backed away now, leaving Vanessa to face down Adrian alone: the blonde seemed horrified at being challenged like this, but then his eyes settled on Monferno and his lips spread in a smile.

"Oh, you have no idea what a mistake you've made," he purred, and pulled a PokeBall from his pocket and pressed the button in a fluid motion. It took a few seconds for his Pokemon to form, but when it landed, a gasp went across the room.

"What is that thing?" Sahara whispered as she dug her PokeDex out of a pocket and pointed it towards the dark blue Pokemon that now stood alongside Adrian. Lucinda was too shocked to reply: she had seen them on television and in books, but had never laid eyes upon a Kalos Pokemon in the flesh before. She knew most of them had died out and that many species were on the verge of being extinct. The fact Adrian had one confirmed his wealth; the only way to get Kalos Pokemon was through a breeder, and only if you were extremely wealthy. Lucinda had an inkling this was the evolved Water starter, though she could not remember its name, and knew that Monferno would be in for a fight.

"Gre Gre," the Kalos Pokemon grumbled. It stared at Monferno like it was prey, just waiting to unleash the tongue wrapped scarf-like around its neck and strike the Fire type down. Lucinda looked at Vanessa, expecting her to withdraw, the type disadvantage clear, but it was clear from her burning eyes and sly smile that the red head would not stopping now.

"Mach Punch."

"FER!" Monferno yelled, and leapt across the table with a glowing white fist. Adrian was taken by surprise, clearly thinking the mere presence of a Water type would make Vanessa back down, and he simply watched as his Pokemon was sent stumbling backwards.

"Again!" Vanessa yelled. By now, Adrian had recovered, and it became clear he was not prepared to sit idly by and be beaten in front of a crowd of scandalized hotel guests.

"Come on Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" He yelled. As Monferno landed his next hit, pushing his opponent into a table, Greninja let out a gargled cry and swung his tongue around. Several strange shapes made of water were unleashed, and every one slammed into Monferno. He cried out and fell to the floor, and a triumphant grin spread across Adrian's face as if the battle was already over.

"Again!" He and Vanessa shouted simultaneously. Monferno got back up and charged forwards, but Greninja was faster and swung his tongue: the Fire Type stumbled as he was soaked, but struggled on and managed a weak punch that brought his opponent to his knees.

"This says Greninja is part Dark, so if Monferno can keep those hits coming he may be in with a chance," Sahara whispered to Lucinda. "But that depends how many of those Shuriken attacks he can take." Lucinda nodded in agreement, and watched as the battle raged on, the same attacks being exchanged but with Monferno getting weaker every round. She glanced at Vanessa, and the red head's smile had slipped, but that fire continued to burn in her eyes and she yelled 'Again' with such ferocity you would think she was at war.

"Grab hold of him!" Adrian yelled suddenly, and Greninja lunged and used his webbed hands to scoop up his opponent. Monferno struggled against the grip, but it was clear to everyone he was worn down . "Now, fire a Water Pulse, head on!"

"Stop him before he can!" Vanessa yelled. "I know your tired – trust me, I feel the same fucking way. We can win this though, just give it everything you have and more! Burn the bastard down!" Monferno looked over and met his trainers eye, and the tiredness evaporated instantly: with a feisty grin on his face, the Fire type turned back around and faced his opponent.

"Moooooonnnnnnnfeeeeeeeeerrrr – NOOOOOOO!" He roared, and opened his mouth wide. A jet of flames shot out, so bright that Lucinda had to shield her eyes, and everyone in the restaurant screamed. Those nearest watched awestruck as the Flamethrower shrouded Greninja, who dropped Monferno as he tried to escape the intense heat. Monferno landed but quickly jumped up again, grabbing hold of the flailing tongue and pulling down: Greninja stumbled towards the ground, and Monferno greeted him with a Mach Punch. Adrian wailed, while Lucinda lead a chorus of cheers as Greninja fell backwards and toppled onto a table, landing on a now burning table cloth and becoming still.

"Now THAT is what I call a victory!" Harrison whooped, and their group laughed as Vanessa stepped forwards. She gave Adrian a broad grin before lifting Monferno from the floor: smoke was rising from his mouth and his chest heaved from tiredness, but the Playful Pokemon had a smile to match those of any human.

"That was incredible!" Vanessa said, smiling down at her starter. "I had no idea you even knew how to do that! It was simply amazing… thank you…"

"Mon Mon!" Monferno replied, and managed one last cheeky beam before bursting into light. Lucinda and Harrison both gasped, and even Xavier appeared stunned as the Fire type suddenly began to double in size. Clearly startled, Vanessa placed her starter to the floor and stepped backwards, watching as his tail tripled in length, his arms, legs and chest extended, and a great mane of flames erupted from his head. The light faded, and, illuminated by the burning tablecloth, Infernape let out a mighty roar before turning to his trainer and beaming.

This… this is the world I want to see, Lucinda thought to herself, feeling all teary as she watched trainer and Pokemon embrace. Even as the security guards came and forced them from the restaurant, even as managerial staff watched them to make sure they were packing and leaving, even as they marched past crowds of scandalized holidaymakers, Lucinda kept her spirits high as she dwelled on that moment. I would gladly live through a hundred battles and fight a thousand grunts if it means I can witness the moments like that: there is simply no greater thing in life…

---

"So it is official: our lives are so completely messed up, we cannot even have breakfast at a nice restaurant without getting into a fight."

Sahara, Vanessa, Matthew and Xavier had found a small clearing a little down the road from the Valor Lakefront Hotel. With no real idea of where they were going or what they would do next, the four had simply flopped down on the grass, sitting in silence and staring out to sea. They had hardly spoken since Monferno had evolved, only talking to farewell their comrades as they all parted ways. Vanessa had noted that the four of them had not even considered going on their own, instead leaving the hotel behind like a herd, bound together by chance and forced into protecting each other.

The red head had been trying to focus on the evolution of her starter, the unexpected and sudden change knocking the wind from her: she had not expected Monferno to evolve so soon, and in her imagination any evolution had taken place somewhere far more intense and dramatic. She had not wanted to think along the lines of what Sahara had said, but now that the silence was broken, so to was her ignorance, and Vanessa was forced to accept the unappealing portrait that battle had painted of them.

"That guy deserved it," Matthew huffed after a few moments.

"I am not arguing that, but… urgh!" Sahara groaned, and they all turned to look at her. "Aren't you just sick of this endless line of crap we seem to stumble into? Can't we just have one day where something bad doesn't happen?"

"There have been several days, if my memory is correct, where – "

"No!" Sahara said firmly, cutting Xavier off mid-sentence. "I am well aware we are not getting shot at every single day, but it sure as hell feels like it. I mean, no matter what we do next, whether we go to Sunyshore or Pastoria or whatever, how long until we run into Team Galactic again?"

Xavier frowned at her. "I was under the impression at breakfast you wanted to carry on." Vanessa turned to the blonde boy and shot him a glower, resisting the urge to thump him over the head, but the feeling passed as Sahara groaned and tipped back into the grass.

"I don't know what I want anymore. I left home to go on a journey, and I have ended up in a nightmare, and I can't decide if I really want to see the rest of Sinnoh if hell is just going to keep on following me."

Silence fell across them again, and Vanessa turned her attention towards the clouds. She smirked as spotted a very large Swellow soaring across the sky, a voice in the back of her head telling her it was rare to see one in these areas, but Vanessa failed to get enthused enough to follow it. She was thinking about all the things that had been dwelling on her over the past day, and was finding it more and more difficult to get rid of the image of Deoxys soulless face every time she shut her eyes.

"Do you guys think there would have been as much destruction caused if we hadn't intervened?" Sahara said out loud. Vanessa paused in her thoughts and let the question sink in, having never considered things from that angle before. I have never been one to run away from a battle, she thought, and lately I have rather been running in head first…

"It is possible, but we do not and cannot know what would have happened if we hadn't intervened," Xavier replied. "Maybe they would have been peaceful, or maybe things would have been a lot worse. They have certainly shown an increasing level of violence since their fight against our region began."

"Do you think though that they are only increasing their violence because they have been thwarted so many times, and have no other option?" Sahara responded, and Xavier did not have a response for that. Vanessa thought about the question, her mind retreating back to Deoxys parting remark: End your petty feuding, end this foolish war, and focus on what truly matters.

"I mean, I want to carry on, I really would like to. I just don't know anymore," Sahara muttered with an air of defeat. "The only way we will ever truly defeat them is if we properly kill them… do any of you think you can do that?" She looked around at each of them, but none of them said a word, and Vanessa watched sadly as Sahara gave a final shrug and stared disparagingly at her hands, lost in thought. Vanessa reached into her bag and felt the familiar handle of her umbrella, remembering the brief time they had been parted yesterday, the path she had chosen, and Deoxys emotionless, soul-staring eyes… she did not want to feel so judged by one Pokemon, but the way the Psychic had looked at her, Vanessa could not shake off the feeling that it had seen something in her, something it disturbing, all her secrets laid bare and exposed…

"You three can do as you please, but I plan to carry on." Vanessa snapped out of her day dreams and looked around, and saw Xavier was on his feet and grabbing his bag. Sahara sat back up with a puzzled expression, but Matthew was looking up at his old friend with something like a smile.

"You cannot be serious!" He scoffed. "Are you seriously considering leaving us behind?"

"Yes," Xavier replied bluntly, and Matthew unleashed a snort of laughter.

"Good luck with that! You have never been anywhere by yourself in your entire life," he said. "Just sit back down and wait for the rest of us to think things over, and then –"

"No," Xavier said, and Vanessa was stunned but impressed by the firmness in his tone. Matthew was taken aback and fell silent, leaving Xavier to quietly cast his gaze down upon them all. "I came on this journey because I wanted to, and if I had wanted to give up before this, I would have done so much earlier. But it is much too late to turn back now. My house is in ruins and my mother is dead, and the rest of my family does not have time for me. The only option I have left is to carry on with my journey, but I would carry on even if my mother was still alive. I want to see my Pokemon grow and evolve and become the best they possibly can be, and I would like to face my aunt on the Island of Champions as I originally intended. If I encounter Team Galactic again, then so be it. They may have upset our journey plans, but if we had not stopped them on all these occasions, no one else would have. Now, I intend to carry on, with or without you three, but I must say that I have grown accustom to having you around and it would be nice to continue this journey as a group. However, if you do not feel the same way, then we shall part ways here."

Xavier finished abruptly, leaving the other three silently wondering how to respond. Vanessa rarely dwelled on what went on inside Xavier's mind, though it was such a fascinating thing to think about, and the brief look inside his thoughts was overwhelming on top of everything else she had to think about. It was easy to forget about all the effects the war was having on them when everything happened one after the other, and Vanessa felt a touch guilty to have forgotten Xavier was now as homeless as she had been.

Yet he wants to keep on going, she thought, staring at the determined, decisive look on Xavier's face. Lost his mother, his house, his dreams, and still he wants to carry on fighting… I have suffered through worse things then this, worse things then all of them, so what is really stopping me? It struck Vanessa that only this morning she had been wishing she had never come on this journey, but if she had not, she never would have met Chimchar, she never would have gotten the opportunity to watch him evolve into the towering Fire type he was now…

"For the simple fact I have nothing better to do, I am willing to carry on," Vanessa said, and all eyes turned towards her. She had to resist the urge to sigh, or possibly do worse, and instead put on a brave face that did not match how she felt on the inside. "I hate what Galactic has done to us, but I do not regret coming on this journey, and if I leave this all behind than there is no way of knowing what they will do next and what opportunities we are going to miss." Sahara and Matthew exchanged looks, taking in what their friends had said, and Vanessa looked across to Xavier and received his grimace-like smile. The red head smiled weakly back, her mind suddenly feeling a lot clearer, the fact a decision was made taking away the need for half the thoughts rushing through her head.

Let's wait a few days and see if I still feel like carrying on then, Vanessa thought grimly, staring west towards Pastoria, remembering what lay beyond there and knowing that Deoxys now knew it too.

"Well, I have managed to win three ribbons, so I might as well see things through to the end," Matthew shrugged, gingerly getting to his feet. Their eyes all flickered down to Sahara, but she was already standing up, though she looked rather more reluctant than they did.

"I am not staying out here on my own with no idea of what is going to come after me," she said, looking at each of them in turn. "If we are not going to leave this all behind, then I am not carrying on blind anymore. I want answers, I want to know why Team Galactic is destroying the region and what we can actually do to stop them. I am prepared to do anything to defeat them, but I want to know why we are living this nightmare in the first place." Vanessa noticed the emphasis she put on 'anything', and her mind briefly went back to last night when Sahara had woken her up early in the morning arriving home, and Vanessa wondered again what had kept her out so late. Before she could pose the question though, a voice suddenly sounded out behind them.

"If you want the truth dear, then you should have just asked." All four heads turned, and Sahara gasped as they caught sight of the woman walking towards them. In her daze and confusion, it took a few seconds to place the face, but Vanessa quickly remembered Deidre Plattina as the grey haired geologist walked closer.

"Mum, what are you doing here?" Sahara exclaimed, stepping nervously towards her mother with her arms handing uselessly alongside.

"I have being attending a conference at the Valour Hotel this week and I saw you and your friends fighting this morning," Deidre replied, casting an icy, judging look across the quartet. "I left you to your own devices to see how you handled things, and I must say I am dreadfully concerned by how quickly you resorted to violence. However," she continued, raising a hand to stop Vanessa, who had opened her mouth to retort, "it is understandable why you are acting this way. The destruction in Veilstone is all across the news, and I am well aware of what happened in Solaceon. In fact, when I saw the damage, I was tempted to come out immediately and track you down."

"And why didn't you?" Sahara asked, suddenly defensive, and Deidre's stern look faltered.

"I wanted to, but I knew when I saw you next, there was the chance you would have questions, only some of which I could answer at the time. So I researched, I filled in the blanks that have puzzled me for years, and when I got my answers, I accepted the invite to this conference in hopes of running into you. And after the performance this morning, I see that you four need help if you are going to continue fighting this war."

"And how do you plan to help us?" Vanessa asked, and Deidre turned to her, gazing up at down at her unusual dress, and flashed a steely smile.

"I plan to give you the one thing no one else will: the truth, every bit of it that I know. I can't do it here, not now, but I know a place down on Route 213 where we can go and no one will think to look. But let me just say this: I am exceedingly glad that you guys have decided to stay fighting."

"Because?" Vanessa snarled.

"Because, my dear, without you, not just this region will fall, but so will the universe," Deidre replied, an eyebrow raised in smugness, and she moved between the group and began to lead the way towards the coastal route, leaving Vanessa, Matthew, Sahara and Xavier in silence as her parting words sank in, a sudden feeling of mutual regret hanging between them. As Vanessa picked up her bag to follow after, her hand brushed against her umbrella once again, and she had to bit her lip in frustration, hating herself that the need for answers was stronger than her need for survival.

I seriously should have stayed in the forest.

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For those interested, the Prologue has been rewritten to a much higher standard, and I hope to do the same with the first three chapters soon. Fingers crossed the next chapter is done before the end of the year: a lot of big revelations in it.