A/N: My fanfic has an illustrated cover for each chapter, but since FFN doesn't allow inserting images nor does it accept links within the fanfic itself, please head over to my tumblr (carefreejules) if you'd like to see the covers!

Chapter 13 - Raising the Stakes

"So, are you ever going to tell me how you got here?" Juliet asked curiously, sitting on her knees in the field of forget-me-nots while braiding Maya's hair. Maya hummed a melody unfamiliar to Juliet and mindless plucked the petals off of her forget-me-not. It didn't seem like she heard her question, clearly caught up in her own thoughts to answer.

It was...uncanny how much the little girl looked like her when she was a child. Although she didn't really spend time sitting in fields of flowers, making flower crowns, and thinking about fairy tales, it was safe to assume that the girl grew up in a place full of nature and perhaps during a time when civilization wasn't as advanced as it was today.

Was that the reason why a ghost of a little girl was living inside of her subconscious? So, she could experience what life was like in her eyes?

Juliet swore she remembered Darkrai saying she was ill, so she likely didn't have any friends and couldn't go out any farther than what was home to her. She must have been so lonely, being cooped up at home all the time with only her toys and her parents to keep her company while girls her age were probably off having adventures of their own.

It reminded her of when she was young, indecisive of what she wanted to pursue in life, and watched trainers go on their journeys while she studied medicine because that's what her parents wanted.

And yet, Maya didn't seem bitter about her life. She didn't seem to hold a grudge or hold any malice towards her fate or Darkrai. Or maybe it was because she was too young to really understand.

"Hey, Maya?"

"You mean 'Princess Maya'." Maya giggled.

"Right, my apologies, Princess Maya. How come you didn't appear when Darkrai was around?"

"Darkrai's really strong that I couldn't. Even if I did...Would he have been happy to see me?" Maya wondered sadly. "I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but I could feel how sad he was, and I didn't want to make him even more sad."

Or maybe she wasn't as naive as Juliet originally thought. She was more perceptive to other people's emotions than she gave her credit for. Had Maya been watching her exchanges with Darkrai the whole time? Maybe some of her own compassionate heart was rubbing off on her. "Do you miss him?"

"...I do. He was my friend. Even if he looks a little scary, he was nice and played with me a lot when my parents were too busy."

"You're right...Even when he caused me a bit of trouble in the beginning, I liked talking to him." The void of his absence felt more prominent at the mention of the Pokemon, making Juliet look up at the eternal night sky of her dream world, wistfully.

"He doesn't mean to hurt people - just like me, he just wanted friends." Maya nodded to herself.

"You say it like it's the most obvious thing in the world." Juliet smiled.

"Don't you think so? I hate feeling lonely."

"Me too, Princess Maya. It's not much fun either, is it?"

"Nope! Which is why I'm so happy I get to play with you whenever you go to sleep and then see what the world is like during the day! I never got to have my own Pokemon, go shopping, go to cafes-" Maya giggled mischievously. "Spend time with someone you like."

Juliet rolled her eyes and fell back into the field of flowers. She wished she had the child-like innocence that Maya had in terms of love. In fairy tales, they were always depicted as 'love at first sight' or even fell under the category of destiny and fate. She especially hated the former, having a name based off of a famous play of two crossed star lovers, tragically dying over their perceived love for each other.

She hated that.

For her, love isn't just about feeling Butterfrees in your stomach and wanting the physical affection that came from being in a relationship - it was about the emotional connection. She wants to care about the other person's dreams and ideals, and wants to see them thrive and be the best person that they can be. She wants to lift them up during their moments of weakness and vulnerability, but also letting them grieve.

But…it was ironic because as much as she wanted to be that life-partner to someone else, she was...terrified of letting them do the same. What if she had too much baggage? It wouldn't be fair to the other person if she held so much of herself back because of her own insecurities.

Like, she couldn't trust them.

Her feelings for Leon...were complicated. She wasn't going to kid herself and say she didn't at least feel strongly about him. But...knowing that he remembered a side of her that she can't even recall, it felt like she had already betrayed his feelings. It hurt knowing that she had unintentionally hurt his feelings. Which is why she was so desperate to remember, so she can finally share in his joy. She suspected that Maya had something to do with not being able to remember, but the little girl would always get...upset and distant whenever she brought it up, as if her favourite toy was about to be taken away.

As impatient as she was, she didn't want to upset Maya, and seeing how she was enjoying some part of life through her eyes, hopefully that will give her a reason to move on.

This was her life after all.

"It's not that simple, you know." Love isn't a fairytale, she thought to herself.

"But, all that matters is that you like him, right? And I'm sure he likes you too!" Maya reassured with bouncing optimism.

"Hm, maybe. But, he's pretty busy as it is and I don't want him to be any more stressed than he already is."

"...I don't understand adults…" Maya mumbled under her breath.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Juliet jolted up her bed in a frenzy, reeling from the aftershocks of the quaking ground that shook the hotel. She fully prepared to leap out of the window if the hotel was going to crumble, but the hotel eventually settled. The moment of peace was short lived, screams and yells erupting from outside, making her throw back the curtains to see what was wrong. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing a Dynamax Perrserker in the middle of the street of Hammerlocke.

What the hell?! Dynamax Pokemon were only able to transform in direct proximity to a Power Spot, which included Gyms and Power Spots scattered across the Wild Area. No Pokemon should be able to transform outside of those areas!

As civilians fled to their homes or to safety, she noticed someone going up against it by himself. She recognized his lilac mane immediately, followed by his signature Pokemon that unleashed a devastating flamethrower attack that made a direct hit, but only made the Perrserker raise its barriers.

He may be a Champion, but fighting in the middle of a street wasn't at all safe for both himself or the people around him. At least in the caverns of Power Spots, there was a lot of room to move around and openings to escape if things went downhill - this situation was completely unpredictable and there was no running from it. Someone was going to get hurt or worse at this rate.

Juliet didn't waste another second and didn't care that she was still in her pajamas and practically leaping out of the window of her room while sending out her Flygon. She safely landed on her back, and it seemed like her team had the same idea, noticing Mary flying beside her on her Hydreigon, Tessu on her Corviknight, and Vanquil on his Charizard.

"What's the plan, leader?" Vanquil asked loudly.

"Evacuate everyone in the surrounding area! If we can keep that Perrserker in one spot, it won't be able to cause as much damage!" Juliet ordered, nudging her Flygon to pick up speed until they were flying around the Dynamaxed Pokemon. Leon caught sight of her from the ground and waved his arms over his head to beckon her over.

"J! It's dangerous up there!"

"I know, but I'll be able to read its moves from up here! Don't worry about me! Tiki's flying is second to none!" As if on cue, Tiki swerved away from Perrserker's swipe of its dagger-like claws and unleashed her own flamethrower, chipping away part of the Pokemon's barriers.

Looking down at her Dynamax Band that didn't fill up from any Dynamax power as she wanted it to, it was hardly a fair battle, but she'd like to think this was a test of the experience she gained over the year of doing Max Raids.

"Dragon Pulse!" Mary commanded, flying in on her Hydreigon and making a sizable crack in Perrserker's defenses.

"Mary!"

"Don't worry, Tessu and Vanquil are helping Raihan with the evacuation!"

"OK! We can't Dynamax here so this might be tougher than usual-" Her Flygon dodged another swipe from the Perrserker and dished out another burst of flamethrower, inevitably combining with Charizard's own flamethrower that engulfed the Pokemon in a wall of fire and smoke.

Crap, maybe it was a bit too much - they couldn't see a thing through the billows of smoke. Juliet coughed and covered her mouth as Tiki frantically flapped her wings to blow away the smoke. Then, the next moments went by in a blur, as she heard the roar from Leon's Charizard followed by her Flygon being violently shoved away. She watched in horror as Charizard took the attack from Perrserker's razor sharp claws for them and fell to the ground below.

Her heart sank at the sound of Leon's beloved ace hitting the ground.

"CHARIZARD!" She screamed after, making her Flygon give up their original objective and flew to the ground to Charizard's side. Juliet thanked the stars that Charizard was still moving but he was badly injured, a large gash across his arm along with scratches and bruises littered all over his body. Her hand instinctively reached behind her for her bag, and then realizing that she didn't bring her bag in the frenzy.

Leon somehow found them through the smoke and his eyes widened in shock at seeing his partner injured and barely moving. "Charizard?! Hang on! We're going to get you help-"

"Do you have any potions, Leon? I'm so sorry, I was so caught up in helping that I didn't grab my bag before coming here-"

"There should be some juice left in my Hyper Potion, but that gash on his arm is-"

Then, Tiki pulled out the Sitrus berry that Juliet made her hold and gingerly nudged it against Charizard's snout. He weakly looked up at the Flygon, who looked down at him worryingly and motioned the berry further against his mouth. Charizard opened his mouth and slowly chewed the berry, gradually feeling bits of his strength come back to him. Juliet's Flygon then untied the red ribbon wrapped around one of her antennas and tied it around the wound on Charizard's arm. It was hardly a good substitute for a bandage, but she desperately wanted to help the Pokemon that got hurt from protecting her. She whimpered apologetically to Leon's ace and affectionately nuzzled her snout against his cheek.

Juliet smiled softly at the sight. Her Flygon had always been very doting and affectionate towards other Pokemon. On top of being so appreciative when someone did anything for her. She couldn't rest easy until any debt or favour was repaid.

"Good girl, Tiki. He's going to be OK." She cooed gently. Her Flygon nodded, but refused to leave Charizard's side even while Leon applied the potion to his wounds. Charizard didn't seem to mind though, offering his own nudges towards the green dragon, which made Tiki keen from the returned affection.

Once Charizard's wounds were finally tended to for the most part, he groggily rose from the ground and stretched out his wings while being mindful of his wounded arm.

"Are you guys OK?!" Mary called out from above. Charizard prepared to take off again, only to have his non-injured arm being tugged on by Tiki. Even though they couldn't understand the verbal exchange between their Pokemon, it was obvious that Tiki didn't want Charizard to go back into battle because of his injuries.

But Charizard was stronger than he looked.

"Tiki, don't worry. Just a little more and he'll take a long deserved rest after." Leon reassured, reaching up to caress her head. Tiki slowly let go of Charizard's arm, allowing him to take off but not before shooting the Flygon a nod of gratitude.

"Let's go as well, Tiki!" Patting her Flygon's back before climbing on, they took to the skies again to reconvene with Mary again. They did a good job with keeping the Perrserker at bay, but her Hydreigon was starting to look exhausted.

"Is Leon's Charizard OK?" Mary asked with concern.

"Yeah, he's fine. A little beat up but let's finish this battle quick before someone else gets hurt!"

After a few more rounds of attacks, the barrier surrounding Perrserker finally broke, lowering its defenses and wearing it down enough for them to take it down so it could revert back to size and faint. When Perrserker was finally down for the count, Tiki immediately rushed over to Charizard to make sure he was OK.

"Easy, girl. I told you Charizard's going to be fine! You're a lot more doting than usual." Juliet laughed from how her Flygon turned up her nose at her from that. Guess she couldn't stop her from being a bit overbearing.

"Are you all OK?" Leon asked, rushing over to them as they landed safely on the ground.

"We're fine. It was a bit difficult not being able to Dynamax too, but I'm glad no one else got hurt." Juliet sighed.

"I'll go tell the others that everything's OK now!" Mary told them before flying off to the far left entrance to Hammerlocke.

Juliet got off of her Pokemon's back and went over to Charizard to cradle his snout with gentle hands. "Hey buddy, thanks for protecting us back there. Take it easy until you're better, OK?"

Charizard growled softly, nuzzling her cheek with care.

Leon offered the same affection to her Flygon, thanking her again for looking after his Charizard and staying by his side. It was a well deserved moment of peace of just caring for each other's Pokemon after a harrowing situation of protecting the city from the sudden Dynamaxed Pokemon. Its appearance was nothing short of unsettling, feeling a sense of dread creep up closer and closer as problems began to pop up more frequently towards the end of the Gym Challenge.

Was it always like that? Sure the tensions and the stakes are high as trainers grew increasingly more competitive, but that would hardly explain the rise in issues regarding Dynamaxed Pokemon across the region.

"Hey, Lee. A while back you said that you and Sonia went around Hammerlocke to look out for Dynamaxed Pokemon after an explosion from the Chairman's experiments. Don't you think the situation is getting...more dire?"

Leon heaved a heavy sigh. "I agree. He said something about this being good for Galar in the long run, but it's sure causing problems either way."

Good for Galar? What could Chairman Rose be doing to take the risks of temporary damage and explosions for the greater good? How does he actually know it'd be for a greater cause if no one besides him and those working closely with him, were the only ones who knew about it? It felt awfully presumptuous-

"We've arrived on the scene of the raging Dynamaxed Pokemon here in Hammerlocke! Champion Leon and...wait, who's this?" A news reporter approached them with an army of cameramen and other fellow reporters behind them and they were unforgiving with the microphones that they shoved in their faces.

Juliet looked down at herself and clicked her tongue.

Fuck.

She was still in her pajamas. And she definitely wasn't comfortable with seeing members of mainstream media. Seeing their overzealous faces, expectantly waiting to hear what they wanted; it felt like a boulder dropped in her stomach from anxiety.

"Juliet from Raid Prism. I didn't exactly have time to change before jumping into action."

"Ahh I see! And even more so with Champion Leon. It seems like outside of modelling together for work, you also work together in solving conflict. What's your relationship exactly? There's been a lot of speculation online and-"

Juliet rolled her eyes and groaned at the implication. Couldn't the media just let it go already? It was one time and they were clinging on to like a lifeline. She thought she would be satisfied with just...pretending that the media didn't exist so she could go on with her life of being friends with Leon like they always had. But, then, she remembered what he said the other night that rubbed her the wrong way and the annoyance in his tone made it obvious that he was just as fed up:

"...That's probably the Chairman's doing. He's being so secretive about what he's doing that he's even...told media outlets to not say anything that might draw suspicion."

Manipulation, even bribery, who knows what story the media would twist up next just to earn a paycheck. Didn't they have any shame or any semblance of integrity left? People didn't just want answers, they wanted honesty, and the means to get it should be genuine, not out of petty threats from their bosses. That's why Juliet could never truly trust them, and she probably wasn't alone in that way of thinking. Hell, Leon probably suspected it by now. Call her a pessimist, but in her opinion, there was nothing more powerful in the world than the media, because they had the attention of the masses. People are stuck in the mindset to believe every piece of information that's being fed to them because they want to believe that they're being fed only the truth.

The media kept jabbing at their relationship because they wanted her to break out of frustration, they wanted to see how far they could push her so they had something groundbreaking to document if she reacted a certain way. It was like they were holding a gun to their heads, and she hated that Leon was being dragged into it.

Today is a story not told, but sold.

It was suffocating.

"We're just co-workers. As the leader of one of the top Max Raid teams in Galar, I feel that it's my responsibility to help resolve conflict in regards to Dynamaxed Pokemon. Moreover, I didn't come here alone. The rest of my team were either helping Leon and I take down the Perrserker or helping Raihan evacuate civilians. That's all. Good day to you all." She explained bitterly, before leaving the scene on top of her Flygon with a scowl evident on her face. She ignored the way Leon looked at her worryingly as she took off and didn't even hear him call out to her.

She should have left before they showed up.

"Take a look at the news!" Hop exclaimed, holding up his Rotom phone to Gloria as they walked through the tunnel leading into Hammerlocke. His screen showed a news article of the Dynamax Perrserker that appeared in the streets of Hammerlocke. "See! There's Lee! He really is the greatest, right?"

"That's amazing! And it looks like no one got hurt either." Gloria awed.

"Lee and his Charizard took down that Dynamax Pokémon in the blink of an eye! I knew Lee was strong, but this! Really makes you appreciate how great he is, eh?"

"No kidding! I'm starting to get nervous for the Champion Cup…"

"Whoa! You already think you're going to make it to the finals and be the one to fight Lee? Sorry mate, but that's going to be me." Hop boasted, putting his hands on his hips proudly. Gloria snorted and decided to leave it at that, letting Hop bask in his pride. Despite winning fair and square in every battle between the two of them, a part of her couldn't help but feel...guilty. Like she was being too hard on him.

Beating his brother and becoming Champion has always been his dream, and it became more evident that she might be taking that dream away from him. But at the same time, there was no way Hop would accept a victory out of pity. He was her best friend - it would be fair to him if she didn't fight with every ounce of herself.

If she did beat him in the Champion Cup, well...she hoped that Hop wouldn't hate her for it. He was her best friend since childhood, and even though he had always picked himself back up when he started to doubt himself, what if...what if beating him in the Champion Cup ended up being the breaking point?

"Oh, look! It's Lee and Sonia!" Hop jogged over to Lee and tackled him from behind, burying his face into his brother's signature cape. Leon stumbled a few steps forward with a laugh and turned around to properly hug his brother.

"Hey, Hop, and Gloria too! How's the badge collecting going?" Sonia asked.

"It's going great! All that's left is Raihan, Lee's greatest rival! I'm a bit antsy just thinking about it…"

"I'm sure you'll do great, Hop! Raihan's a tough opponent but you've both grown a lot from when I first gave you your starter Pokemon so keep up the pressure!" Leon encouraged passionately.

"You don't need to tell me twice, Lee!"

"Leon, you protected Hammerlocke all by yourself, right? You're amazing!" Gloria chimed in. Leon's eyes furrowed in confusion from what he just heard. Him, protect Hammerlocke by himself? That wasn't the statement he gave to the journalists and news reporters at all. He was strong, but he wasn't at all conceited to take all the credit when others helped him.

He wasn't invincible.

"Wait, where did you hear that? All by myself? Raid Prism and Raihan helped too!"

"Eh? They did? But, they weren't mentioned in the article we were reading…" Hop fished his phone out of his pocket and held up said article for Leon to read himself. As his eyes skimmed through every line and every paragraph, his eyebrows gradually became more tensed in disbelief. No one from Raid Prism was mentioned. Hell, even his own best friend wasn't mentioned!

So, that's why there were a few Marcos Cosmos employees that showed up specifically to where he was giving his account of the event.

They must have pressured the media to make the rescue all about him, further feeding into the idolization that people held towards him.

It was wrong. It was like he had to accomplish things on his own otherwise he couldn't live up to the image that Chairman Rose made for him. Having help...wasn't as heroic or glamorous as saying he did it all himself because he was just that strong.

But, he hated it. It was like his pride of being unbeatable was being used against him.

"Sometimes...you shouldn't believe everything the media says. Juliet and Mary helped me take down the Perrserker, while Tessu, Vanquil, and Raihan were evacuating everyone in the area."

"Really?! Then, how come they weren't mentioned at all…" Gloria mumbled.

"For me, being Champion isn't just about being the strongest trainer; there's strength in accepting help when you need it-"

Life as a Champion sounds lonely, but it doesn't have to be.

"Life as a Champion can be lonely, but it doesn't have to be." Leon echoed the same words that Juliet once told him that resonated with everything he stood for. Maybe in the moment he was being too honest, especially when Hop looked up to him, but he didn't want to keep the realities of being a Champion to himself anymore. If Hop or Gloria really wanted to walk down his path, he wanted to make sure they had an idea of what they were getting themselves into. They were only just young teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them. If he could mentally and physically prepare them in any way, he was going to do so.

Even if it meant being brutally honest about the title they so badly wanted from him.

"Lee…" Hop was starting to notice how...subdued his brother could get. He didn't really think about it when he was talking about his own experiences with the Gym Challenge and Sonia, but here it was again. He was always beaming and radiating confidence wherever he went, that to see him so reflective, it made him feel a little guilty.

But at the same time, it made him feel...relieved. Validated that his brother felt what he feels as well. It painted a different picture of how he had viewed his brother up until this point.

No matter how strong you are, and no matter how much success and fame you have, it's OK to feel weighed down by the expectations.

"Of course you're not alone, Leon! You have us and everyone in the League here to back you up. But, how did that Perrserker even Dynamaxed without being near a Power Spot anyway? Each explosion would always be accompanied by a burst of red light, and then the Dynamax power readings would go crazy..." Sonia pondered.

"Well, finding out the cause is part of a scientist's work." Professor Magnolia intercepted, approaching the group with cane in hand.

"Gran?! What are you doing here?"

"The chairman called for me. He wanted to know all about the red light's relationship to the Dynamax phenomenon."

"Did the Chairman know anything?" Leon asked. If there's anyone that Rose would probably disclose information to, it would have to be the region's esteemed professor, right?

"Nothing worth my time, unfortunately. The chairman's all wrapped up in fretting over the future of our energy, apparently. He's left everything to that executive lady. We just don't have enough data." Magnolia sighed.

Damnit, nothing conclusive but at least Leon had a good idea of exactly what the Chairman was experimenting with. Energy? Dynamax? What was he trying to do?

"That's why I wanted to ask you to start looking into things, too, Sonia. You know more about the Darkest Day than anyone, after all."

"Wait, are you saying that red light and the Darkest Day are connected?!"

Before Magnolia could even answer, Vanquil waved over with a shout. "Professor! We're here!"

"Ah, you four. Just in time." Magnolia greeted. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Of course, Professor! We were already here in Hammerlocke so it wasn't any trouble on our end." Tessu reassured.

"Well then, I'll keep this brief - could you please capture a Gigantamax Toxtricity for me?"

"Another one?"

"Yes, but it must be its bass form. I know that might be a bit difficult considering both Gigantamax forms are the same, but I'd like to work with both of them just to be sure."

"We understand, Professor Magnolia. I'll take care of any of the extras we might find. How does that sound, Juliet? ...Juliet?" Mary glanced over to their leader, who had her eyes fixated on the ground with a somber look on her face. She gently elbowed the black haired trainer, who straightened up her back and finally looked up.

"H-Huh? What was that?"

"Professor Magnolia is asking us to find a Gigantamax Bass form Toxtricity,"

"Oh! I see. That's no problem at all, Professor!" Juliet nodded with a rather forced smile that made her lips twitch.

And it didn't go unnoticed, especially by Leon.

"J? Is everything OK?" Leon asked worryingly, taking a step towards her, who took a giant step back to his surprise. Why?

"Everything's great! Don't worry about me, Champ."

She wasn't looking at him either.

"Then, why aren't you-"

"We should get going to the Wild Area, right guys? We have to scope out the whole place to find a Toxtricity raid so better get to it!" Juliet interrupted hastily, pushing her friends along the steps that led down to the Wild Area. Her sudden brash behaviour was nothing short of alarming, considering how she was usually happy to see him even in passing.

But now, she seemed to be purposely avoiding him. It was a huge shift in attitude from their heart-to-heart during Piers' concert a few days ago; and that's what hurt Leon the most.

"...Did you two have a fight or something?" Sonia asked, her eyebrows creasing with concern.

"No...Everything was fine until we took down that Perrserker...I wonder what happened." Leon replied somberly.

Maybe he should call her later...

"No Gigantamax Toxicitry yet, but at least we're getting a lot of Dynamax Candies for Professor Magnolia in the process!" Tessu beamed cheerfully, juggling the sparkling candies in her hands before catching them and putting them away, but not before holding one up and staring at it intently.

It was called a Dynamax Candy for a reason, so what did it taste like?

"...You're not planning on eating them, are you?" Mary asked, eyeing Tessu suspiciously. Tessu shoved the one Dynamax Candy she snuck out of her pocket, behind her back and whistles innocently.

"No, I'm not going to eat them! But, aren't you just a bit curious as to what they taste like? They're red so maybe strawberry or cherry?"

"If you're going to try one, maybe do it when Professor Magnolia's around so she can study the side-effects on humans." Vanquil snickered. He looked over his shoulder, noting how Juliet was trailing behind further than what was normal. Usually she walked ahead of them, her braids bobbing with each spring in her step, but today her gaze was focused on the ground and her steps lacked any enthusiasm she usually displayed. He slowed his pace to walk at her pace and lazily slung his arm around her shoulder, surprising her out of her gloomy trance.

"What's with the long face, leader?"

"..." Juliet sighed apprehensively. "I hate the media…"

"Oh? I wasn't expecting that. Are they still bugging you about the magazine you were in?"

"It's not even about the magazine anymore - they keep asking about what my relationship is with Leon despite how many times I keep telling them that we're friends." She tightened her first until her knuckles turned white. "They think they can just keep prying into our lives to rile us up because all they care about is themselves - it pisses me off."

"But, you're not mad at Leon, are you?"

"Of course I'm not mad at him. But, clearly the media won't leave us alone when we're seen together. I'm just causing him more grief." Juliet vented irritably.

Leon already had enough to deal with and if she could lessen his burden in any way, she would do it. She already made this vow before, but after today's events and how the media unearthed her resentment towards them, there was only one thing she could do. This wasn't just about their friendship, it was about his career, his title - everything he worked so hard for. It hurt to avoid him, it hurt to keep her distance, it hurt to see how upset he looked when he tried to reach out, but she was doing this for him.

She was only going to get in his way otherwise.

"I don't know about that. It seems like you're causing him more grief by brushing him off. Aren't you like…" Vanquil trailed off, thinking about how to word the rest of his sentence without setting her off. "...Interested in him?"

Juliet roughly shoved his arm off of her. "Seriously?! Now you're sounding just like those journalists."

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to! It's just…"

"You always look so happy when you're around Leon, and he always looks uplifted when he's around you too." Tessu interjected.

"You too, Tessu?!" Juliet gawked in disbelief. Why were her friends trying to get a rise out of her for how she felt?! Why was everyone so interested in whether her feelings for Leon was something more?! It was like the world was just waiting for another opportunity to mock her, like it did back then.

Why her? Why couldn't she just catch a break and be left alone?!

Why did she always have to explain herself to everyone?!

"The media can be nosy for sure, but you shouldn't have to sacrifice your time with him if-" Mary started, before being abruptly cut off when Juliet slammed her hat on the ground, silencing them instantly. She didn't even care that dirt got all over it when she kicked her feet into the moist dirt in a fit of frustration.

They were pushing it too far and she was approaching her limit.

"And, so what if I love him?! I can't just drop everything and tell him that! The media, his fans - they'll eat him alive!" Juliet dug her feet into the ground, unfazed that the dirt was seeping into her shoes. She knew better than anyone else of what blowback looked like, and no one came out unscathed. Didn't they understand how much it hurt her when she told them in the first place?

"Leon worked his ass off for 13 years to get where he is today! If he gets caught doing something that betrays people's expectations of him, that could jeopardize everything he worked so hard for! And, let's just say, on the off chance, he loved me back, do you think he would be happy living in a relationship where he has to keep hiding himself?! He doesn't deserve that, and I don't want to put him through that!"

She didn't mean to yell at them, but she was so fed up.

"So, please...Just drop it already. You guys got your answer…" Juliet whispered miserably. "Let's hurry and find this Toxtricity for Professor Magnolia." She walked hurriedly towards the nearest beacon of light that indicated an active Power Spot and she prayed that this was what they were looking for.

She couldn't stand being around anyone at that moment.

She just wanted to bury herself under the covers and cry.

"Jules, wait! We're sorry!" Tessu called after, but Mary put a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her to stop.

Tears of guilt welled up in her eyes, but she smiled reassuringly. "Let's apologize later, when she's had some time for herself."

"Damn...I really blew it huh…" Vanquil lamented. "Sorry guys. I'm the one who started that."

"It's going to be OK. It's been a rough day so, let's get this task out of the way so we can relax." Mary slowly followed after Juliet, who had her back turned to them as she sat on the edge of the Power Spot, and she thought to herself,

"I'm sorry for not being more considerate of your feelings, Jules."

"Chairman Rose, what's the meaning of this?" Leon demanded firmly, showing him different articles of how he heroically saved Hammerlocke all by himself, all of which had praised him for his selfless deeds and unparalleled strength like he was their lord and savior.

But he didn't ask for this.

It was all lies.

"Hm." Chairman Rose regarded nonchalantly, not taking the Champion's anxieties nor the confrontation itself, seriously. It was a complete switch from how caring and considerate Rose had been throughout his life until now, and it only fuelled Leon's doubt in him. "Meaning of what? The Champion of Galar saved the day once again. Isn't that what the people want to hear?"

"But, it's not the full truth! Why did you make your employees manipulate my testimony?"

"Manipulate? That's a rather strong word, don't you think? I think the word you're looking for is 'altered' or 'fixed'. Like I said, it's what the people want to hear. You wouldn't take it kindly if people started to think you've grown soft, hm?"

Leon gritted his teeth indignantly. Just as he suspected, this was all just a ploy to drum up hype - not to instill genuine hope to his fans like he wanted. It wasn't fair to him. No, this wasn't about him. It wasn't fair for the people who were involved, who took it upon themselves to help him in the first place.

Arceus...Thinking about it now, this wasn't the first time, was it? How many others were swept under the rug in order to blast the spotlight on him alone?

"Listen, Leon. I'm doing all of this for your sake. You've shined and grown because of me. You wouldn't throw it all away, would you?"

How could he be so blind? Leon could hardly believe what he was hearing. He was playing into Rose's hands, like he was dangling some sort of bait above his head. Was that all he was to him? Someone he could use to expand his enterprise? Was he just a pretty face on magazine covers and billboards?

What about his strength and skill as a trainer?

He didn't want to accept it. He couldn't accept it. What about his family? He was the reason they had a roof over their heads and food on the table.

He had already gone too far, invested too much time and effort, to turn away from it all. What about his dream of helping trainers of the Galar region to be the strongest trainers in the world? Was he even making progress in that dream after everything he had done, or was the dream only drifting more far away than he realized?

Was there still time to turn things around, to bring back the genuine kindness that he wanted to believe Rose still had?

"...Tell me, Leon. What made you grow soft? You were so obedient, but you're changed. When you first approached me about changing your schedule, I didn't think much of it at first. Even I realize when I'm working too hard and need some respite. But, I've noticed you've been spending more time with the other League members, and you've been late to more of your shoots and meetings than usual." Rose absent-mindely twirled his hair between his fingers, before staring at him with cold, accusing emerald eyes that made Leon feel an unsettling build up of dread.

Leon's palms began to sweat from nervousness. "I-I'm sorry, Chairman. I just wanted to deepen my relationships with my fellow League members and look out for my brother and his friend. I endorsed them after all."

Rose pondered deeply on his response. "...I suppose I can't fault you for that. Building relationships is the key to gaining new connections."

Leon's lips twitched at that. He knew Rose only meant it in regards to business. Was that the only thing on his mind as of late?

"But, even so, I expect an improvement in your behaviour since the Champion's Cup is just around the corner. You recall how important this time of year is, yes?"

"...I understand, Chairman." For the first time in his life, Leon felt pathetic. Every fiber in his being was screaming at him, telling him that he was just a puppet for someone else's gain and he shouldn't keep allowing himself to be pushed around any further. His pride wouldn't allow it.

But, what could he possibly do? There were too many things at stake if he just turned around and quit. He couldn't even ask Raihan or the other Gym Leaders for help because they were backed by their own sponsors, who were all affiliated with Macros Cosmos. Asking them for help, asking them to stand up with him, would be putting their own livelihoods at risk.

The Champion didn't even tip his hat out of politeness - he abruptly turned around and left, not wanting to keep himself in that situation any longer. As the elevator descended, taking him further away from the man who practically raised him, his thumb hovered over Juliet's name on his Rotom phone.

Maybe she wouldn't be up for talking, but he wanted to make sure she was OK. He was immediately redirected to her voicemail much to his disappointment but it was better to leave something than none at all.

"Hey J...It's Leon,"

"I wanted to check-in to see how you were doing. You seemed upset earlier, especially at me. Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm so sorry. It feels like I've been making a lot of people upset with me lately...But, even so...I want you to tell me what I did wrong so I can fix things and be better...Anyway, I hope we can talk again soon. Take care, Juliet."

Juliet lifted her head from her pillow and choked out a sob.

No, Leon, you didn't do anything wrong. When I read those articles about what happened today, and how my team and Raihan were omitted from being mentioned, I knew that wasn't your fault, but that just means the media cares more about your image than us that they would go through such lengths to make a story that would sell…

I would know...

And...I don't want to get in your way at such an important time of the year...I don't want to make you feel guilty about things that are out of your control.

And, I especially don't want anyone to find an excuse to talk badly about you.

So...I'm keeping my distance so I don't cause anymore trouble for you…

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for falling in love with you.

Where am I…?

Why...Why does it feel like I'm not in my own body anymore?

This power…

It hurts... It hurts…

Every time I open my eyes, everything is dyed in red, like blood is smeared across my vision.

What's happening to me…?