Liam had hoped to never make the climb up to the apartment that hosted the Everspring foreign Youth Group, but on this night he was especially apprehensive. He hadn't seen Cass since their conversation the morning before, and he was still unsure about what he should say to her when he saw her. Nothing but his promise to Cass kept him from abandoning his resolution at the last moment.

As he followed Vasilio and Mori up the dark, steep stairwell, he twisted his hands nervously. Above him, Liam heard the rumble of loud music playing from a powerful speaker system and finally saw the orangish light emanating from the Youth Group's open door. Liam ducked sheepishly past the older students who were chatting outside and joined his friends in adding their shoes to the enormous pile just inside the room. Only when his shoes were carefully deposited did Liam take in the room itself.

The Youth room was about the size of a normal Nanzo apartment if all the walls had been knocked down and bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and living room were consolidated into a single open space. This, Liam reminded himself, was probably exactly what had happened. An empty (but clearly usually Rotom-powered) disco ball hung from the ceiling of the central carpeted space. In an elevated alcove on the room's far end, Liam saw a drum set, keyboard, and a few music stands and microphones. A sign above them read "NO POKEMON BATTLES" in huge blue letters. The room was furnished with decrepit-looking sofas, chairs, and beanbags, with one spindly pool table next to a sliding door leading out to a small balcony.

A folding table near the apartment's kitchenette was stacked high with boxes marked "Wang's Pizzeria," which made Liam perk up a bit. He stuck close to Vasilio and Mori as they helped themselves to pizza, introduced Liam to the youth leaders, and settled into three rather ratty and uncomfortable beanbags near the door. Liam kept a vigilant lookout for Cass, hoping to catch her before she was snatched away by the other students. When she finally did arrive, flanked closely by Liz and Taylor, Liam started to stand up and call to her, but he was already too late. A swarm of older students had already claimed her, and Liam was forced to watch from a distance as she smiled and hugged older students he barely knew. Just as the crowd was finally starting to die down, one of the youth leaders grabbed Cass and brought her to the front of the room as one of the nights honored departing guests. Liam sunk sullenly into his beanbag, He would have to wait to say hello.

Liam sat impatiently through most of the night's proceedings, He didn't much like singing, and the testimonials, charges, and farewell gifts to the departing students seemed to go on forever. Liam just wanted to talk to Cass, but was forced to settle for listening to others talk about her. He was keenly reminded of just how popular Cass was, and started to feel almost like a stranger as he heard story after story about last year.

At last, Arthur stood up and closed out the formal proceedings with a prayer. The students were released to mingle and, for many of them, dance. Liam and his friends cleared the main floor as quickly as possible to avoid being trampled by the impromptu dance party, but their little group didn't stay together for long. Mori ditched them to join Dustin, Annalise, and the rest of their crew around the pool table. A moment later, Vasilio excused himself to go ask Taylor about something. Liam was on his own.

Liam tried to get to Cass, but she was surrounded by a tight-knit group of older students and adults and Liam couldn't seem to catch her eye. He paced around the edge of the group, hoping someone would notice him, but to no avail. Feeling deeply frustrated, Liam decided to find his friends again, but even they were now out of reach. Mori was leaning against the pool table, gazing up at Dustin with a dreamlike expression. He was telling a story to his crew in a low mumble as they gave approving sniggers. Liam knew he would have no chance of getting Mori's attention under those conditions. Vasilio, meanwhile, had joined Taylor, Arthur, and Rebecca in an impromptu concert in a far corner of the room. Liam walked over and listened to them for a few minutes, but it was all the same "street songs" he had heard a dozen times before. He glanced back at Cass. She was still surrounded by friends, still laughing, still smiling. She still hadn't noticed him. Nobody seemed to notice him. All Liam wanted to do was escape.

Liam let himself out through a sliding glass door onto the apartment's balcony and leaned on the railing, watching the faraway red and white lights of cars and signs and apartments. He breathed in the cool night air. He felt alone, and frustrated, and like he was nobody. Coming to the party was a mistake, he decided. All it did was remind him that he was a second-class part of the community; an outsider to memories and relationships he couldn't share or understand.

Liam had been alone for about ten minutes when he heard the glass door slide open behind him. He didn't look back; he honestly didn't care who it was, but also secretly hoped they would notice how miserable he was. To his surprise, he felt someone leaning over the railing next to him.

"Are you okay, Liam?" asked Cass.

Liam looked at her, feeling confused.

"Yeah," he stuttered, "Or, no, but… it's nothing. Just too many people."

Cass looked at him with an expression he knew very well.

"I guess it is a lot of people," she said, "I'm glad you came, though. This is the place I'm gonna be the most sad to leave. I've made so many good friends here."

"Yeah," said Liam, wondering if he really was one of them.

"I'm gonna miss some people a lot," said Cass, looking directly into his eyes. Liam felt his heart racing.

"I'm gonna miss you," he mumbled, "You're… you're one of the best friends I've made here. I always forget that people come and go so much."

"It's the price we pay," said Cass, smiling bitterly, "We don't always get to the things we wanted to do, or say the things we wanted to say. You hope people will be in your life forever and then…"

She trailed off. To his amazement, Liam felt her hand close around his hand as it sat on the railing. He froze.

"If we had just been two normal Unovan high schoolers," she continued, but then she laughed, "But then I guess you wouldn't have been you, and I wouldn't have been me."

"I'm… glad you're you," said Liam.

Liam felt Cass's head getting closer to his. He thought she was leaning onto his shoulder, but to Liam's amazement Cass closed her eyes and pressed her lips awkwardly against his. His hands began to tremble.

"Sorry," she said, pulling away suddenly and blushing, "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have…"

"No, it's okay," said Liam, trying to make sense of the storm of feelings inside him, "I just… it makes me sad. Sad to think, I mean, that we couldn't..."

"I know," said Cass.

They stood looking silently out at the city for a few minutes.

"I'm gonna go back inside," said Cass, "You can stay out here if you want."

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I think I will," said Liam, "Thanks."

"Mmhmm," she said. After fumbling slightly with the sliding door, she disappeared back into the crowded room.

Liam walked back home in the quiet dark of the late night with his Sneasel perched on his shoulder. He was a mess of emotions, in that strange ecstasy that tiredness, loss, and the end of something brings. His Sneasel was enjoying the night air, its eyes darting after every Rattata that scurried into the shadows and every Zubat that swooped overhead. When they made it back to White Gardens, Liam didn't go up to his house right away. Instead, he sat down on a bench in the park area in the center of the neighborhood. After sitting silently for a moment, he put his face in his hands and started to cry.

"I hate it," choked Liam, "I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. It's not fair."

His Sneasel crawled down off his shoulder and stood next to him on the bench, looking up with concern.

"I just," Liam continued, "I just wanted to… to hold her hand… and… and to tell people that she was my…"

He groaned angrily.

"She's amazing," he said, after a few minutes of silent tears, "and now she's gonna leave, and I'll never see her again."

His Sneasel cocked its head slightly.

"Okay," said Liam, "Okay, so I'll see her on Monday, but what's the good of that? I barely see her at school most days, and everyone else will be hogging her, and…"

"Snee!"

His Sneasel gave him a small jab with its claws.

"Look, I'm not like you," he protested, "I can't just…"

Liam sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Okay," he said, finally, "Okay, I'll do it."

His Sneasel growled contently.

The next Monday, Liam turned the corner towards the main gate of the school with his heart racing. His eyes darted around, not sure whether he was hoping to see Cass waiting from him or not. He was so anxious and distracted that he always walked right past where she was sitting on a ledge a few meters from the main gate.

"Liam!" she called.

Liam jumped slightly.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "Sorry, I didn't see… did you get my… I mean, I sent you a…"

"I got it," she said, smiling, "I got it, and it was the most TCKish thing I have ever read, but at the same time it sounded like a perfectly wonderful idea."

She took Liam's hand as she lifted herself off the ledge, and didn't let go.

"For today," she said, "You're my boyfriend. And people can laugh at us all they like."

"Okay," said Liam, his hands trembling, "Ready to make fools of ourselves?"

"Let's do it."

Liam Holbrook and Cass McCleod walked through the main gate holding hands for the first and last time. Spring was over, summer was buzzing in the air, and Liam was very, very happy that he had moved to Everspring City.

End of semester 1.

Epilogue

Liam hadn't opened the chest he brought with him from Johto much since the move the previous winter. But on the first morning of summer vacation, something about it caught his attention, and he resolved to finally unpack it. He dug through old journals, half-remembered toys, and carelessly-preserved school assignments, spreading the artifacts of his past life over the floor of his room as his Sneasel watched curiously from atop his bookshelf. The chest smelled faintly like the salty air of Olivine City, and the trinkets reminded him of mornings spent at the foot of the Glitter Lighthouse, watching its bright beams fade with the coming of daylight. As Liam dug deeper, he stumbled on something else: his old Pokegear. He looked at it curiously, wondering if it even still worked.

"What do you think?" he asked his Eevee, who was basking in the late morning sunshine.

"Vee!" purred Eevee.

Liam opened the PokeGear and saw the dusty screen come to life.

"Huh," said Liam, "I guess it's probably not any use here."

Outside his room, Liam heard the heavy trot and jingling collar of the family Furfrou passing by on its way to his parents' bedroom.

"Murk," cawed his Murkrow, which was perched on the railing of his bed's top bunk.

"Crap, you're right," said Liam, "I told Vasi and Mori I'd meet them at the New Court fountain for lunch."

Liam put on a light jacket and pocketed his Pokedex, but just as he was about to leave, he took another look at his PokeGear, Without a word, he pocketed it as well, recalled Murkrow and Eevee to their Pokeballs, and set out for New Court with Sneasel perched on his right shoulder.

"What's that?" asked Mori.

Liam, Vasilio, and Mori were sitting on the edge of New Court's dry fountain, and Liam had just taken out his find from the morning.

"It's my old Pokegear," said Liam, feeling somewhat embarrassed, "I was wondering, actually, if… uh…"

They looked at him curiously.

"Could I have your phones numbers?" asked Liam.

Vasilio and Mori both looked at him with astonishment.

"Are you okay?" asked Mori, feeling Liam's forehead, "This year's finally cracked you, huh?"

"Could be he's possessed," suggested Vasilio with a smirk, "Let's get a Silph Scope and—"

"Guys!" said Liam, holding up his hands defensively, "I'm not sick, I'm not crazy, and I'm not possessed, I just…"

He shrugged lamely,

"Don't question it, enjoy it."

Mori and Vasilio looked at each other and laughed.

"Okay, okay," said Mori, "But if you start being unpredictable, I might have to find new friends. I need the stability."

"I'll use my newfound power to get you to come with us to the skatepark on Friday," said Vasilio, holding up his phone to show Liam his number, "Do you have a skateboard?'

"Nope," said Liam, "Just a scooter."

"That'll work," said Mori, "You'll look lame, but it'll work."

...

Claire pushed her way past the Team Power grunts guarding the Grandmaster's office. They knew better than to question her, but they still looked at her a little uncertainly. She didn't knock as she opened the door; inside, she found the Grandmaster of Team Power sitting in his ornate chair behind a desk of dark wood. He wore an embroidered white suit and a golden mask in the Beizo opera style. His hair and eyes were dark. Claire sunk into the small chair in front of him without looking at him.

"It wasn't my fault," she began, but the Grandmaster raised a hand.

"Team Power doesn't ask for explanations, or excuses," he said, "We punish failure, and we learn from it."

Claire nodded, wringing her hands in her lap.

"Those grunts you gave me were worthless," she muttered.

"Your pointless ventures in petty revenge against your former classmates jeopardized our mission far more than they did."

Claire crossed her arms and looked away.

"We'll act differently next time," The Grandmaster continued, "The Pokemon League has fallen everywhere but the Nanzo Region. I will concentrate our efforts there this autumn. They will be made to recognize Team Power in time."

"What will we do?"

"We will do nothing," said the Grandmaster, "I'm sending you west to hunt down the remaining gym leaders we haven't captured. I'll deal with Nanzo myself."

"Dad..." began Claire, but the Grandmaster interrupted her.

"We have nothing else to discuss," he said.

Claire nodded resignedly and rose slowly from her chair.

"I trust you will have no problems in tracking down the gym leaders," said the Grandmaster pointedly.

Claire sighed and looked away.

"I did my best," she muttered.

"Do better," her father replied.

Claire nodded and left the room without a word, biting her tongue to distract herself from the silent tears pouring down her face.