A/N: Suigan is based off of my dog. He's very sweet but can't take social cues. He's the kind of dog you can yell at, but it only gets him more excited. Hyperboleandahalf has a comic that perfectly explains him.
Ch. l: meteor
May hadn't expected to return to Meteor Falls until she had earned her last two badges, and yet here she was, charging into the dark caves once more. The light from outside grew dimmer and dimmer as she walked until the only light available to her was the glow of Suigan's eyes and the yellow lanterns that hung from the cave walls. She assumed they were installed by the researchers in Fallarbor Town.
It was March - still chilly but she greeted the sun with a bit more warmth every week. The depths of Meteor Falls were surprisingly warm - warmer than outside - but May still felt a slight shiver run up her spine as a few zubats flew by her, shrieking into the darkness. May squinted as she walked carefully through the rocky terrain.
A traveler in a small town nearby had told her that there was a rumor of powerful gems being mined from the Meteor Falls caves, so of course, May had come running to see for herself. He could have been speaking of evolutionary stones, but they could also be mega stones. Her pokemon now had two mega stones, but she figured it wouldn't hurt have more. After all, Kohaku had taken to his immediately, and the power it had given him was unlike she had ever seen. If there were a possibility for the rest of her pokemon to achieve such abilities, she would be a fool to not seize it.
As they walked, May thought of Steven's words from the winter and wondered if it were possible for him to be there training still. She hadn't ventured very far into the caves here before and had to wonder just how deep they went. Somewhere in these caverns were Trainers stronger than she'd yet faced. Perhaps if she went deep enough, she would be able to find them.
May looked up at her haunter as he let out a strange, airy chuckle. Frowning, she followed his gaze into the deeper paths. She saw nothing.
"Do you hear something?" she asked. He nodded with a grin. "Researchers from town?"
Suigan then sniffed the air. She cocked her head curiously.
"Mega stones?" she asked.
Suigan floated on ahead, leaving May to pick up her pace to catch up with him. He giggled maniacally as he charged ahead.
"Suigan, slow down!" she barked at him. He cackled again in response. May sped up to a jog and then a full-out run as the haunter began to disappear into the darkness.
"Shit!" she shouted as she tripped and stumbled over a few loose stones. She nearly fell but righted herself and kept running. She looked into the shadows and saw the tip of his tail. "Suigan, come back!" she cried.
"Ah!" she shouted. She shrieked again as she felt her feet slip on a slippery stone and then shoot out from underneath her. Her eyes shot wide as she began to topple backwards.
"Shit!"
May breathed as a strong grip held onto her arm. The ground did not come up to hit her, and she felt safely suspended at an angle. May opened her eyes to see a frustrated expression on a pale face.
"That language again," sighed Steven Stone.
May gasped with surprise as he pulled her upright. As she steadied herself, she looked around quickly, but there was no sign of her pokemon in sight. She sighed and looked up into his frowning face.
"What are you doing here?" asked Steven.
"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.
"I asked first," he said with a slight glare. She pouted.
"Suigan ran off somewhere, and now I can't find him!" She let out an angry grunt and stomped her foot against the ground. "That jerk. I've told him again and again to not run off like this!"
Steven arched a brow at her and asked, "Aren't you the last person who should be saying that?"
May smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," she admitted. "Though he's the only pokemon I've had run off on me like this. He just gets too excited."
"Evidently. So what are you doing here?" he repeated.
"Someone told me they heard some rumors about mega stones here, so I came to check it out," she said.
To her surprise, Steven did not smile. He simply nodded and then looked down the tunnel she had just come from.
"Steven?" she asked carefully. His lip tightened, and May realized that he was still holding her arms.
"I'm sorry," he said, letting go. "I'd help you, but I'm looking for a researcher I know. He was kidnapped from his lab in Fallarbor Town by men in strange red clothes."
"Team Magma? Why? I thought they were good guys," gasped May. His mouth tightened grimly.
"I wouldn't call them 'good guys.' Team Aqua just happens to be a few steps ahead, so they're a worse threat for now. My colleague is a leading expert in mega stones and meteorites here, so I believe they brought him here so they could find the rumored mega stones in these mines," explained Steven. May frowned.
"His name wouldn't be Cozmo, would it?" she asked. Steven's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know Professor Cozmo?"
May sighed and rubbed at her temple. She wondered how these things continued to happen.
The Meteorite felt heavy in her bag suddenly. The year before, she had taken it back from Team Aqua after they had stolen it from Professor Cozmo to use it on Mt. Chimney. They'd failed obviously, but she imagined Team Magma wanted it now for whatever plans they were making to combat the blue-uniformed group. With their dramatic names and strange outfits, she no longer had the energy to feel surprised anymore.
"He's the one who sent me to Mt. Chimney last year. I saw Team Aqua steal a Meteorite from him then," she said.
"That's why you were there?" he growled.
"Yeah, but it all worked out. I mean, I ended up with the-"
There was suddenly a distant howl from deep within the cave. May and Steven jumped, wide-eyed, at the sound. It sounded like a pokemon attacking a person. Fire rushed through her limbs.
"Oh, I'll finish telling you later! We have to go now!" she declared. She grabbed Steven's arm and immediately started deeper into the cave.
"May, wait-" he shouted. "What about Suigan?"
"If we delay, they could really hurt him! We have to go now!" she argued. "Suigan will be fine! I'll find him later!"
She pulled again, and they both started off towards the sound, deep within the cave. May's flashlight flickered and bounced around the dark cave walls as they ran. A group of zubats came shrieking by them. May grunted as one of their wings slapped her in the face but didn't slow the pace.
But as the minutes passed and May's breath began to labor, she realized they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the sound. If anything, they seemed to be getting farther. She slowed and then completely stopped before looking up at Steven.
"Are we going in the wrong direction?" she asked. Steven glared.
"Are you seriously asking me that now?" he asked.
"You didn't say anything either! Don't look at me like it's all my fault!"
Steven gave a more groaning sigh than usual, then took her hand and pulled her back towards the way they came.
Again, May wondered what she had ever done to be so lucky to hold Steven Stone's hand not once but twice! Professor Cozmo and even Suigan flew from her mind as she stared down at their joined hands. Beneath her thumb she felt one of his steel rings. It was warm and smooth against her skin. She briefly imagined what it would feel like against her face, or even more intimate parts on her body.
"You need to think more carefully before you act," said Steven suddenly. May scowled as her fantasies of the older man were immediately replaced with images of shoving him over.
"If you knew I was going in the wrong direction, you should've said something from the start!" she barked back.
To this, Steven said nothing. She couldn't see his face as he pulled ahead, still dragging her behind him. May had always prided herself for being very agile and fast, but he was even more light-footed than she. She picked up the pace a bit to catch up with him.
"How did you know Professor Cozmo was being targeted?" she asked.
Steven was silent for a moment and continued walking. She noted he still did not let go of her hand.
"I've been investigating both Team Aqua and Team Magma for some time now."
"How?"
"My father's corporation is assisting me, and I have a few government connections who have also been concerned and watching them," he explained. May frowned.
"Are you a secret agent?" she asked. He raised a brow at her.
"That's what you're taking from this?" he asked. She glared.
"I get the rest of it, but why are you the one watching them? Why isn't the government doing it?" she asked. Steven shrugged.
"I have a strong team and a lot of resources at my disposal. Why not me?" he countered. May eyed him warily.
"It still seems like a pretty big task for just one man," she said. "Really, though, why isn't the government helping?"
"They're trying, but you know how bureaucracy is. Everyone has to be on board before even one step is taken. It's easier just to do things on my own," he said.
"That's so like you," she said with a grin.
Steven arched a brow at her.
"And it's so like you to be chasing after your pokemon in dark caves," he countered.
"You're one to talk about running around in caves," she bit back.
Steven shot her a dull glare but didn't respond as they continued their quick pace back. May listened carefully but could not hear the sound of any voices. She frowned.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" she asked. He sighed with exasperation.
"The other way wasn't right, so this has to be the correct direction by default," he reasoned.
"But I don't hear anything, and this is just taking us back towards the entrance. The shouts were definitely coming from this direction."
"These paths are winding. The other path could have taken us around and back towards this direction."
"Then it's going to take us ages to get there! Why can't we just smash through the walls?" she argued.
"Do you want the cave to crash in on us?" he snapped.
"We just have to be careful!" Steven looked ready to shake her with frustration.
"That's not how caves wor-"
"Somebody!"
They both jumped and turned towards the wall. Another shout came, "Help me!"
"That's it! I'm not waiting!" cried May. She grabbed a sharp pick from her large bag (Steven wondered from where she had even gotten it) and slammed it into the wall. Like magic, it crumbled. Through the dust and rocks, they could hear the sounds of shouts. May heaved herself through the rubble and dust into the next cave with Steven scrambling behind her.
"May, just wait a second!" he shouted.
May ignored him, squinting and coughing through the dust, "Professor Cozmo! Professor, are you here?"
"I'm here!" came a squeaky voice.
"Shut up, old man!"
There was then a yelp of pain, and May surged through the dust. In the clearing stood a man and woman in bright red and a thin man sitting on the ground. The man clad in red held him by the collar of his coat.
"Professor Cozmo, are- are you alright?" she gasped. Steven caught up to her, still coughing up dust. She was somehow relieved to see that his suit did not magically repel the dirt.
"Oh, May! What a surprise!" exclaimed the researcher. She smiled oddly as he seemed to forget where he was. "And Steven! What a coincidence! I didn't know you two were acquaintances!"
"Shut up!" barked the Team Magma grunt, jerking Cozmo by the neck. He gagged slightly and flopped over.
"Hey, let go of him!" shouted May.
"I'm afraid we need him. You two are free to leave," growled the woman.
"No," said Steven. Team Magma snarled.
"If you don't move, we'll make you regret it," snarled the man, pulled Cozmo by the collar again. The researcher yelped helplessly under the young man's grip.
"Let him go!" shouted May again, starting forward. Steven followed suit. Team Magma immediately threw their pokemon out with a blinding flash. A numel and a weezing came charging out.
"Let's go!" barked Steven. His skarmory came shooting out, immediately cutting off their opponents. May reached for her ball and threw it.
The ball hit the ground with a hollow thud. Nothing came out. All parties watched it as it rolled away, empty.
"Oh, crap!" she cried, slapping a hand to her face. Steven gaped at her with horror, and she met his look with her own.
"What-"
"Suigan!" she cried. "It's because Suigan ran off-"
"You've got to be kidding me!" shouted Steven angrily. May reached for her next ball, but before she could release Aen, there was a great roar:
"HAUNT!"
All parties screamed and jumped as a large ghost fell through the stone walls from above them. Without even a command, he charged the numel and weezing. Both let out yelps of surprise and ducked as the haunter swept over them. His cackles echoed through the cave.
Steven's skarmory saw his opportunity. He followed Suigan's lead and dove low as Suigan flew overhead, catching the numel's legs. His sharp wings slicked against the numel's ankles, and she let out a cry of pain. As she stumbled and fell, the skarmory then pulled back and shot up beneath the weezing. It dodged just in time, but as it teetered, Suigan came down from above and grabbed it in his massive hands.
The cave darkened with a sinister cackle as a shadow consumed both Suigan and the weezing. There was the sound of a low groan from the dark shadows, and May winced. She'd never get used to the haunter's disturbing attacks.
Slowly, the shadow began to fizzle away like smoke until Suigan's silhouette could be seen. His eyes glowed in the dim light, and then a large form fell and crashed into the ground. It was the unconscious weezing.
"Damn it!" cried the man as he called the pokemon back. The woman looked ready to command her numel to attack again, but then Steven's skarmory's talon came down on the numel's neck. The pokemon gave a sad groan as it lay on the ground. Even May flinched at the sight.
"Let Cozmo go," said Steven lowly. The skarmory pressed his foot down a little to emphasize his Trainer's point. The numel gasped less with pain but with shock.
"Fine!" barked the woman. All of her composure had disappeared. "Fine, just let my pokemon go!"
"Let Cozmo go first," said Steven.
"You heard him!" shouted the woman at her partner. The man grumbled but let go of Cozmo's collar begrudgingly. The researcher scrambled to his feet, stumbling a few times, and then scurried over to May and Steven. The woman ran over to her numel and fell to her knees to tend to her.
"Are you okay?" asked May worriedly, looking over the man.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine!" he said with a relieved smile. Steven nodded and the skarmory returned to his ball. Suigan cackled victoriously. Steven pulled Cozmo behind her and took a step towards Team Magma. They both trembled with anger.
"Now, get out of here!" barked Steven.
Team Magma didn't need a warning. They immediately withdrew their pokemon, went sprinting down the passage, and disappeared into the shadows. May let out a great sigh of relief.
"Good timing, Suigan," she said up to her floating pokemon. He grinned and flew around the cave with excitement. She smiled with some exasperation before turning back to the two men. At least he came back at the right time after running off.
Steven was looking Cozmo over carefully, though the researcher seemed fine, as he'd said. From the dirt on his trousers, it looked as if his knees might be a little bruised, but overall, it seemed as if they'd made it in time.
"You're okay, Takao?" asked Steven. The researcher nodded.
"Yes, I owe you both great thanks! What timing!" he said happily.
"What did they come here for?" asked May.
"They asked me about the Meteorite Team Aqua stole," explained Cozmo. "They seemed to believe it held some sort of ability, but I don't know anything about that. And besides, I haven't seen it in two years!"
May grimaced and looked at her bag. Steven arched a brow as she plopped it down on the ground and began rummaging through it. Her arm reached so deep that the bag reached her shoulder before she finally felt something smooth and cold. She grabbed hold of it and yanked hard. Her hand emerged clutching a glistening, iridescent stone the size of a heart. The men's eyes widened.
"Where- Where did you get that?" cried Cozmo as he accepted the Meteorite back. He turned it over and ran his hands over it quickly, nodding as if to answer his own question.
"I got it back from Team Aqua after they stole it two years ago," said May. Steven's eyes narrowed.
"You were there - on Mt. Chimney," he recalled. She nodded, remembering again their tense meeting there.
"Yeah, Brendan and I were able to stop them from using it to stop the volcano, but I guess I just forgot to bring it back," she explained weakly. Steven looked torn between amusement and bewilderment.
"You forgot?" he repeated wryly.
"I was busy!" she said with a pout.
"I can't believe it!" cried Cozmo. He looked between them, eyes shining with gratitude. "I'd thought for sure it was gone forever! What a miracle! Thank you, May! I really can't believe it!"
May grinned at Cozmo's happiness, but Steven still looked conflicted. Before he could respond, Cozmo perked up.
"Would you two mind waiting here until we can fetch some help? We need to block this passage off so thieves don't come looking for stones," said Cozmo.
"We can do that," said Steven firmly, but Cozmo shook his head.
"Nonsense! You two, wait here and rest. That was quite an ordeal I put you two through," said Cozmo. May smiled wryly as she thought he was the one who'd undergone an ordeal. "Do you need to leave? If you need to run, I don't want to keep you, but I'd like to catch up more and thank you properly if you're able to stay."
"I don't mind sticking around," she said. Steven nodded.
"Okay. We'll wait here for you," he said. Cozmo nodded gratefully and then disappeared into the passageways. They could hear the little patters of his large feet run away.
"So much energy," marveled May. Steven nodded with a smile.
"Yes, he fills the trope of the Absent-minded Professor completely," said Steven. He then looked back towards the cave behind them - one she had barely even noticed - and asked, "Want to check it out?" and May frowned deeply.
"Is it okay to?" she asked.
"We won't take anything, so it's fine. Just be careful," he said reassuringly and headed into the small opening. May followed suspiciously.
She had to wonder just how Steven was able to move so quickly through the narrow channel with his height. She was at least half a foot shorter than he, and even she had to bend at the waist to get through. She maneuvered carefully around a rock that jutted out from the wall and then stepped out into the light. She stopped and stared around the cave of treasures.
A couple of lanterns glowed on either side of the small cavern, illuminating the walls of encrusted gems that lined every surface. Stones of every color dotted the exposed stone, but the majority were clusters of gleaming crimson gems that flickered and glinted invitingly.
"Wow," she breathed. "This is beautiful." Steven nodded but gave a bit of a sigh as he ran his hands over the jewel-encrusted walls.
"They're no mega stones though. That rumor you heard must have been false," he said. May still smiled as she examined the glowing stones. `
"Still, they're awfully pretty," she said. Her smile deepened giddily. "And they're my favorite color."
To her surprise, Steven smiled as well. Pulling one of the stones from the wall, he held it up to the light. It broke it into an array of colors while still glowing that deep, lovely shade of red.
"I know. I think I've said so before, but I often think of you whenever I see the color red," he said.
"Really?" she asked with shock. He grinned.
"Is it so surprising?" he asked with an arched brow.
"I think of Team Magma more when I see red," she said.
"Well, with the exception of these past couple of months, Team Magma isn't a major presence in my mind," said Steven.
May's eyes widened at the implication, a scalding wave rippling across her cheeks. Luckily, it was still dimly lit in the cave, so Steven didn't seem to notice. Still, May couldn't help but avert her gaze with embarrassment. Though she wished to ask him just exactly what he meant, she didn't feel prepared to hear whatever his answer may be.
"What will happen to these then?" she asked quickly, her voice cracking slightly. She looked away and pretended to be focused on the stones.
"They'll probably be mined and sold. Hopefully the profits will be able to fund Cozmo's research for a while," said Steven, running his hand over the wall. May nodded vaguely as she looked into a cluster of particularly deep red.
"The red ones remind me of a ring my mother has," she said. "My father gave it to her as a wedding gift. I wonder if the stone came from here."
"Possibly. Fallarbor makes most of its money from the mining here," said Steven.
"It doesn't disturb the pokemon?"
"They've been pretty careful to maintain the natural habitats. Whatever they take out, they make sure to replace so that their homes aren't too compromised," he explained.
"That's good," said May. "I'd hate it if the ecosystem here were disturbed just for profit." She then looked up at Steven to see him smiling at her warmly. Her stomach clenched at the expression, and his smile deepened slightly.
In the red light, the usual hardness of his face somehow seemed to soften. Maybe it melted some of the iciness of his eyes or the glint of his hair, but for the first time, May felt as if she could look directly into his face without the fear that his gaze might freeze her to the spot.
And what a beautiful sight he was. She remembered vaguely the first time she'd met him. It had been in a cave almost like this. He'd stood so tall and intimidating, and she'd wondered if she would ever be able to stand beside him confidently.
Now, here she was, before yet another wondrous sight with him at her side. Her arms and legs still bore as many cuts and bruises as they had back then, and her shorts were perhaps even a bit shorter, and yet with the Badges in her bag and her pokemon at her waist, she realized with a great thrum of her heart that she was a Trainer proud enough to stand on her own.
He was so close though. She hadn't realized just how narrow the cavern was, but in the time she'd been looking at the stones, he'd most even closer to her. She almost wished she could see him in the sunlight, for she was sure she would be able to see every fleck of blue and gray in his eyes at this proximity. She could see the sharp angle of his cheek and jaw, the pale lashes that dusted his cheek. If she just reached out a few inches, she could touch him.
As if to read her thoughts, his eyes widened slightly, and his lips parted to take in a sharp breath. Instinctively, her eyes flickered down to watch the small movement, and as soon as she traced the curve of his mouth with her gaze, he looked away.
As the silence filled the space between them, May thought to herself that she had never felt so bereft before. In her heart, she knew she'd been close to discovering something, only to be pulled away quickly and roughly.
"HAUNT!'
May screamed as Suigan burst from the stone wall directly in front of her. He laughed maniacally as she staggered backward, nearly falling. Steven caught her by the arm just before she stumbled over a rock, and she panted, scowling up at her pokemon, who was now flying around the cavern cackling.
"Suigan! What the hell is your problem?" she shouted. The haunter laughed at her expense and then disappeared again into the stone walls. She took a shaky breath and tried to steady her lungs. She then let out a deep sigh. "Jeez, I can't believe him. I'm sorry about that." Steven laughed shakily, also trying to push away the shock.
"No, it's okay. He's... very energetic," he said. May gave a heaving sigh, expelling the surprise from her lungs.
As the silence settled between them again, May felt an odd tightness in her chest - one she'd never felt before. It trickled down her spine from her lungs to her stomach and even lower. She fidgeted slightly and wished she could figure out if she liked it or not. Either way, something felt as if it had been lost or just missed. Her fingers ached, so she squeezed them into fists. She did not meet Steven's eye.
But she could feel his gaze upon her again, and she wondered why he always seemed to stare at her when she felt the most uncomfortable.
"Steven! May!"
They both jumped at the sound of a voice calling from the main passageway. May glanced up at Steven and then immediately regretted it as his cool eyes met hers. She looked away and headed for the tunnel without waiting for him. She didn't see the frown that pulled at his lips as he followed.
As they came back into the lighter tunnel, Cozmo came into vision with a beaming face. He nearly hopped with excitement.
"Thank you so much for your help!" said the researcher, shaking their hands ardently. "Now that the tunnels are secure, you must let me repay you!"
"Please. You already do enough for me and my father's company. It's the least I could do," said Steven graciously, stepping up beside May.
The researcher pouted but realized he couldn't convince Steven, so he spun on May eagerly.
"What about you? Surely, I can give you something to thank you for your help!" he insisted.
"Oh, no, I'm really okay. It was the least I could do," she said sheepishly.
"You're kidding! There's really nothing I can do?" he asked, then smiled with an idea. "What about a mega stone?"
May perked up with surprise. Steven arched a brow and gave her a knowing smile.
"What do you say?" he asked.
"I couldn't possibly accept that! I'm really fine without any reward!" she argued. She looked at Steven beseechingly, but he just smiled at her in that secret way.
Cozmo shook his head and began rummaging through his pockets anyway. From a deep pocket, he pulled out and tossed stacks of papers onto the ground and then plastic and glass containers. A few vials of strange liquids flew past their heads, and May had to wonder if his lab coat were a portal to another dimension.
"Aha!" cried Professor Cozmo. He thrust his fist into the air. In it was a deep violet, glistening stone. May's eyes went wide with awe as he hurried over to offer it to her.
"Oh, no! I couldn't-" she started to protest, but the researcher took her hands in his and placed the stone in it.
"Please, I would be grateful if you took this stone," he insisted kindly. "You will make much better use of this out there in the wild than I ever would here in the lab. Please give it to your haunter after he evolves. I hope it brings you and your pokemon much success."
May could only nod dumbly at the researcher's generosity. She looked down at the stone to see it catch the light, which it reflected back with an unusually red glow despite its purple depths.
"Ahh!" she shrieked suddenly, toppling backward once again as Suigan emerged from the floor beneath her. He cackled and took the stone from her hands with satisfaction. It sank into his body with an eerie glow. May grimaced as the haunter grinned at her.
"Is that really okay to do?" she asked warily. Cozmo shrugged.
"As long as he has it - even inside of himself - it should work, and since ghosts don't excrete…" he said sheepishly. He shrugged again.
All three of them stood around Suigan defeatedly as the haunter bellowed his laughter. May thought to herself that she would die and become a ghost herself before she learned how to control him.
"Wow, I didn't realize it was so late," said May as they stepped out of the cave.
The sky was painted a fiery red with the sun hanging low and bright. May squinted as she looked out over the rocky hills. The forest in the distance was already black with the coming night. After finally wrangling in her pokemon and saying her goodbyes to Cozmo, she and Steven and headed out. She hadn't expected the chill outside.
"We were in there for some time," said Steven. "Are you staying in Fallarbor tonight?" he asked.
"Uh, no, I was planning on going to help Brendan out for a couple of days around Verdanturf. I was hoping to be there earlier though," said May. "What about you?"
"I'll be training here for another day before leaving," he said.
"Have you been here since the last time I saw you?" she asked. He nodded.
"Mostly. It's been a while since my team last trained rigorously, so it took us some time to find a rhythm. We've been in and out a bit, but we needed the regular schedule. How are your pokemon doing?"
"They're okay. Suigan's been taking up most my time recently, as you can tell," she said dryly. "The others are doing well. They're eager to get to Mossdeep," she said with a grin. He nodded with a knowing smile.
"You'll still call me when you get there, right?" he asked. May nodded though she looked at him questioningly.
"Why there?" she asked.
"I live there," he said plainly.
May's eyes nearly shot out of her head.
"You live there?" she exclaimed. He glared.
"Why is that so surprising to you?" he asked.
"I can't imagine you living anywhere!" she exclaimed. His glare grew harsher.
"What kind of barbarian do you think I am?" he asked.
"It's not like that. It's just-" She paused and looked him over in his now dirtied suit. It was the first time she'd ever seen him looked disheveled in the slightest. "I just can't imagine you sleeping or doing anything so domestic."
Steven glared at her but looked slightly confused himself. May wasn't really sure what expression to make with her statement, but then he raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly.
"Well, you can come see my house in Mossdeep next time so you can see that I do, in fact, do things domestic."
May looked at him oddly, head cocked. He continued to be such an enigma to her. Just as she felt as if she were reaching close enough to touch, she'd be jerked back suddenly. Though they'd stood together so closely in the caves, he now felt worlds away from her again. The idea of him living in a house, cooking and sleeping as normal people do, would have seemed almost normal to her just a couple of hours before, but now...
"I don't believe you," she said with a pout. Steven rolled his eyes, only furthering her thoughts that he couldn't really see her at all past the distance between them.
Determined to conclude their awkward interaction, May pulled a pokeball from her belt. There was a pop and a white glow as a large pokemon solidified beside them. The dragon let out a happy cry in greeting as she saw Steven.
"Latias, hello," he said warmly. He put a gentle hand to her face, and she cooed happily.
"It's nice out, huh?" said May. "It'll be a little cooler once we get into the skies though."
"You'll be flying with her?" asked Steven archly.
"Yeah, we figure no one can really see her when it's dark," reasoned May. "And Tsuki is with us just in case, so they can switch out if necessary. I just don't want her cooped up all the time, you know?"
Steven nodded as he ran his hand over Latias' neck. She nudged his face with her own, and he laughed. May wondered why it was that Latias felt so comfortable touching him in such an affectionate way when May could hardly even meet his eye sometimes.
"Okay, come on. We have to get going if we want to get somewhere good to camp out before it gets too dark," chided May. Latias beamed and floated over to May. Steven smiled as May climbed onto the dragon's back. As she looked down at him, her stomach clenched in that strange way again.
"Safe flying," he said. May nodded.
"Thank you," she said. She then paused for a moment. "I'll let you know when we head to Mossdeep," she added somewhat reluctantly. To her surprise, Steven looked happy.
"Good. I'll be waiting for your call," he said. May's face flushed slightly, but it was thankfully too dark to see it. She patted Latias on the neck.
"Let's go."
As Latias rose into the air swiftly, May made sure not to look back again. She hoped he thought she looked just as cool as she thought he did every time he flew away from her. As she lay with her pokemon in an open field that night near the outskirts of Verdanturf, May felt that strange feeling lingering in her lower belly. She dreamed of red light and a feeling of closeness.