"Hey, good luck out there!" Dawn said, sounding optimistic. Lucas stood not far behind her, fiddling with his scarf nervously as Barry shoved the last of his things into his backpack. I petted Mavis absently as I watched them say their goodbyes and see-you-laters - my mind was elsewhere just then.

We stood at the entrance of Mount Coronet, on the Hearthome side. The sun was only just starting to peek over the horizon (meaning we'd had to wake up at a downright ungodly hour to see off our favorite bundle of hyperactivity) and I was nowhere near awake. My team wasn't even awake enough to walk to Mount Coronet with me, and as a result were all minus Mavis voluntarily riding in their pokeballs, probably getting some more sleep. The greater part of last night had been spent running around buying extra equipment for my trip through the mountains; while there was something like a path chiseled out through them, it was still going to be a long and taxing few days. Not to mention cold. Oh boy, I wasn't looking forward to that.

"...Hannah!" I was finally snapped out of my thoughts by Lucas, who had apparently called my name a few times.

"Sorry, yeah?"

"We should probably get going now. There's a lot to get done today." If you're talking about sleep, sure right we've got a lot to do today.

"Sure. Got it. See you, Barry!" I called one last time, and he just waved from inside the cave without looking back. Before I could take even a few steps he was out of sight around a rocky corner. The three of us remaining exchanged some glances, then turned to head into Hearthome together. It was quiet for a while, with just the sound of our footfalls and some chirping Starly breaking the silence. I cleared my throat.

"So, guys, what's been up with you? It's been a while since we were all in the same place like this."

"Training aside?" Dawn asked. "I've managed to find some time to do a couple of Contests. They're really fun! You guys should see my Roselia onstage, she's just the best."

"Really?" Lucas and I answered together, my answer coming a bit behind his.

"Yeah! It's a whole new take on how Pokemon can use their moves, and with some creativity...well, one time, I was in this Beauty contest and..."

Her story continued well into the city, interrupted only by our questions and comments on it. Her enthusiasm about even the littler parts of the story reminded me, subtly, that she was only twelve. All the other Dexholders were. Sure, I was only two years older, but I was yet again impressed by their competence.

The story ended as we neared the Pokemon Center, where we stopped to get breakfast from the food bar before going our separate ways. As was usual at this hour, the lobby was mostly empty except for us, a couple other early risers, and the nurse at the counter. Dawn and Lucas left before I did - they stuck together nowadays. Traveling, level-grinding, Galactic raids, even in the Underground, I seemed to always see them running around together. It wasn't surprising, given the partners-in-crime relationship their Galactic busting afforded them.

I stretched, considering my options. Visiting Lane was something I definitely planned to do today, since I was in town, but seeing as I was running on three hours of sleep and had spelunking to do later, I was seriously considering just going back to my base, catching some z's, and ignoring the schedule. I checked my poketch. 7:46.

How was this even fair.

I stood up, shifting the base of my hood - having Mavis' weight in it all the time pulled it back and made it press on my neck. She made a complaining sound in her sleep. I ignored her. Slinging my backpack back on, I headed out and took my time exploring the city streets. People dressed for work were starting to come out en masse, but I still had plenty of time before the roads got too crowded.

Eventually I made my way to the apartment building that I knew was Lane's, and slipped inside. I felt like I knew the place well enough now - the elevators were down a short hall and to the left, in the small community area there was a coffee maker where people could get hot drinks on cold mornings, after 10am an elderly woman could almost always be seen outside with her Zigzagoon. All little things, of course, but interesting anyways. I walked to the elevators in question, pushing the button for the fourth floor. It rumbled as it rose. Once it reopened I went with a bit more urgency to the door labeled 412, and knocked. After a long wait and the sound of some shuffling, the door opened.

Mr. Dorin stood there looking scruffy and sort of tired. Immediately, I felt bad.

"Did I just wake you up? I'm sorry if I did."

"No, you're fine. Come on in." He held the door open long enough for me to step inside, then shuffled off to some other room. I got the feeling that by now, he and his wife didn't like me, exactly, but at least tolerated me now. I looked around, hunting for the gray-haired idiot I'd come to see - he was always up by this time. When he didn't appear, I headed down the hallway, opening his door a crack.

"Can I come in?"

"Oh! Sure!"

I opened the door the rest of the way as he took out his earbuds and waved. "I had a feeling you were going to show up today, you know. Looks like I was right! But wow, you're early, you all right?" He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, a music player and book in front of him. A couple pill bottles and other medical supplies were on his nightstand, but aside from that, there was no sign that anything was wrong with Lane. Yoshika was sprawled across his pillow, bone club loose in her fingers.

"Yep, everything's fine. I had to see off Barry - he's going to Snowpoint City, and we probably won't see him for some time."

"Ah, got it. You said something about going up there yourself, right?"

"Uh...hm, don't remember if I did, but that's what I'm planning to do."

"When are you going to go?"

"Today." At this answer, he gave me an appalled side glance.

"Oh, come on! Can't you wait a little longer? I want to come."

"Lane-"

"Don't even say it. I know what you're going to say and don't you dare." He pointed a finger at me as if this was a dramatic declaration, his tone of voice kidding, but his expression dead serious. I raised my hands in a placating gesture.

"Whoa, whoa, sheesh. I wasn't gonna gripe at you."

He retracted his pointing finger. "You weren't?"

"Actually yes I was. But come on, you know it's justified! It's only been a little over a month!"

"And that's plenty of time! Pokemon can do some pretty crazy stuff for healing, I'm perfectly fine and the only reason I'm still here is doctors' precaution!"

"Even so, people generally aren't supposed to go trekking through the mountains unless they're in good shape." I realized too late that by logic, this meant I shouldn't go to Snowpoint either, and I could see the look of evil enter Lane's eyes at the same time as I came to this realization.

"Hannah."

"Yes?"

"I'm going whether you like it or not."

"I knooow," I whined. "But I have to be the mom friend here and hassle you all the way."

"Well, mission accomplished. So can you wait an extra day while I get my stuff together or not?"

"...No."

"Hannah!"

"I can't! Half the reason I'm going is so I can keep up with Barry and help him out if he gets into trouble! I can't do that if he's a full day's travel ahead of me."

Lane huffed, his face turning sour for a moment or two. Our entire conversation so far had been in hushed tones to keep his parents from hearing, but now he raised his voice. "Hey mom!"

"Yes?" Her response was muffled through the walls.

"Can I go out? The Contest Hall's open and I want to show Hannah something!"

"Fine, just be back before noon! And leave your Pokemon here!"

"Moooooom!"

"You can take Yoshika and that's it!"

"Come oooon!"

"That's final!"

More huffing, and Lane hopped off the bed, grabbing his backpack and putting all his pokeballs in it anyways. I was a bit confused by these developments, and shot him a look that said as much.

"You said you're in a hurry to keep up with this guy Barry." was his simple defense. "I'm gonna go get some stuff at the store for the hike and we're off."

"Lane, I-"

"Fight me."

"What?"

"You want to stop me, you're gonna have to fight me."

"Oh my god." Both of us were very obviously joking around, but it was a funny mental image. I rolled my shoulders, repositioning my backpack, and waited for him to finish scuttling around the room and tossing things carelessly into his bag. When he zipped it shut, I headed for the door. Lane followed, Yoshika at his heels. I paused before opening it again to look back at Lane.

"Hey. If you're coming I've got conditions."

"Can we save it till we get outside?"

"Fine." I opened the door and we both hurried to leave the apartment - both of us were keenly aware his parents would be suspicious if they saw he had his backpack as full as it was. We only broke the silence again when we were fully outside the building and on our way to the Contest Hall.

"Okay, so the conditions."

"What about them?"

"As you probably know, I am, for good reason, on your parents' hit list. I'm the one who pretty much smuggled you out of here so if I were to do it again - this time knowing you weren't supposed to leave - that would not really help my case. Not even a little. So I'm not going to help you sneak out of here or let you tag along with me when I leave."

"What? You just said-"

"I'm not done talking! And I never said anything about letting you come along."

"Well-"

"Shhhhh hear me out. I'm just tagging along for an innocent visit to the Contest Hall, maybe a visit to the store if the mood strikes us. Maybe we'll go to the Underground. And if we get anything at the store we could hypothetically leave it at my base because it was simply too heavy to carry. Then when I leave and you go home, what if - this is entirely hypothetical - what if you left again a few hours later, dropped by my secret base to pick up anything we left, and came to Mount Coronet. Where I would be hypothetically waiting for you."

"So if this were to happen - hypothetically of course - I could leave anything I wasn't technically supposed to have at your secret base?"

"Heavens no! I'd never condone such secrecy, at least not if I knew about it." I said this with so much sarcastic emphasis I could practically see the air quotations. "Keep in mind though, for me to meet you by total coincidence at Mount Coronet, without your parents thinking you had come with me when I left, you'd-"

"Need to go back home first for a couple of hours. Hypothetically."

"Correct! That's condition one. Now that we've gotten all these purely hypothetical musings out of the way, here's condition number two. If I say you're stopping for a break you are stopping for a break. I don't care if you don't think you need one."

"Sure, ok."

"Condition three; no dangerous detours. If there's a way that looks like a shortcut, we aren't taking it. If we see an item out of reach, we aren't touching it. No clever ideas, just following the path."

"What if it's a life-or-death matter?"

"Then this condition is subject to change, but there won't be any life-or-death situations."

"Any other conditions?"

"...Not that I can think of, but if I think up more I'll tell you."

"All right."

"To the Contest Hall, then?"

"I, uh...wasn't planning to go to the Hall at all, actually. I was just making an excuse to go buy what I needed without Mom catching on, since I still go in for Contests a lot."

"Fair enough. But hey, how have the Contests been, anyways? Are your Pokemon glad to be back or did they like battling better?"

"That opinion varies," Lane laughed a bit as he said this, and I realized I was in for a long discussion.

...

Several hours, a shopping montage, a visit to the Underground, and a pair of farewells later, I was on my way out of Hearthome again, this time with my team awake and in tow. It was about midday, so the sun was fully up and doing its best to cut through the day's chill. I tried to enjoy the meager warmth while I could. Even from a distance, I could tell earlier that morning that the caves were going to be cold, much colder than it already was outside.

The walk went much faster than I would've liked. Before long I was in front of the cave's entrance. I stopped to tug a large flashlight and thick jacket from my bag (just two of the things I'd bought in preparation for this) and once I had done with them what I needed to, I headed in.

Lane and I had agreed on a general meeting point once I was in Mount Coronet - according to my town map, the first stretch of path through the mountains was very straightforward. I would head about twenty minutes in and stop to wait. The walk went uneventfully, wild Pokemon encounters aside, and eventually I found a spot to settle. I've been using this time to type, even though Dazzle seems to be taking joy in pushing the keys on my laptop anytime I'm not hawkishly watching her.

Until next time, Hannah, out.