May and Steven's relationship had started with a letter.

President Stone had given her the task of delivering one to Steven, and consequently, she'd wound up in the deepest parts of Granite Cave.

As simple as the errand had sounded coming out of Joseph Stone – "I want to ask you to deliver this letter to a man named Steven. You should find him in Dewford" – it had been one of the tougher challenges she'd faced as a new trainer.

She and her Marshtomp had gotten into more than a few battles with wild Makuhita and Onix, and the rocky terrain hadn't fared well with her spindly, weak legs. Her hands and knees had quickly become raked with bloody scrapes, and the airless cave had made her body sleek with sweat. By the time she'd stumbled into the lowest level of the cave, she'd been ready to pass out.

But there he'd been, gazing up at a prehistoric cave drawing of the legendary Kyogre. He'd appeared completely at ease as though climbing to the bottom of a stuffy cave was something he did everyday. Even now, she still wondered how it could be that he hadn't had a single speck of dust on him.

She'd approached him, gasping for breath, and he'd turned around to face her for the very first time.

She'd shed blood, sweat, and even a few tears, to find Steven Stone. And somehow, she'd found him again without having put in an ounce of effort. It almost seemed unfair.

He was still a breath-taking sight to behold, with his messy silver hair and eyes so pale a blue that they appeared white. But underneath the light of the setting sun, it looked like every part of him was awash in gold. He stood tall and refined, his very being exuberating an air of elegance. She couldn't believe that it was possible for him to have grown even more beautiful since she'd last seen him.

If people were pokémon, he'd be a Milotic in a world filled with Feebas.

She thought she'd gotten over her silly crush. It should have been easy. She'd neither seen nor spoken to him in four years. So why was her heart beating a million times per second?

"Um," was all she could say, stunned into a moment of stupidity.

He slowly turned away from the window he'd been looking out of until the whole front of his body was facing her. He stared, the shock on his face just as clear as hers, before his expression gave way to something resembling pain, as if someone had taken a hold of his heart and squeezed. She'd never seen him wear such an expression, and it both confused and frightened her.

He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. Like her, he appeared to be at a complete loss for words.

She found her bearings first. "I didn't think you'd be up here."

Her voice seemed to break whatever spell had been holding him. He laughed, though he sounded a bit breathless. "I can say the same for you."

The sound of his voice took her breath away. It sounded lovelier than she remembered, like a favorite song she hadn't heard in ages.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, hoping she didn't sound as winded as she felt. "I came up here to look for my friends… Am I intruding?"

"Not at all. You know I've always enjoyed your company, May." He was as kind as ever.

There was an awkward pause as she sifted through her mind for a proper response.

"How have you been?" was what she came up with.

"I've been well," he replied. "And yourself?"

She nodded. "Same."

Another pause.

The thought that she should move closer so that they didn't have to converse with a room's length between them crossed her mind, but her legs had turned into cement.

She felt like there were a million things to say to him, but she didn't know where to start. She hadn't even expected to see him ever again. She would have been less surprised to see the pokémon god Arceus standing in the President's office.

"I guess you're back from your soul-searching?" she asked, referencing the letter he'd left her.

She realized that there was a good chance he didn't even remember what he'd written, or remember that he'd even left her a letter at all.

But surprisingly enough, he did.

"Ah, that," he said without the slightest hesitation, as if he'd written the letter only yesterday. "Yes, I'm back. I actually returned about a year ago."

The surprise was clear on her face. She'd been under the impression that he'd be away for far longer.

"I thought you hadn't planned on returning home for some time," she said, once more referencing the letter.

"I hadn't," he admitted. "But then I'd heard that –" He abruptly stopped himself.

She looked at him.

He took a short moment to reconsider his words, and then said simply, "The world is much smaller than I'd originally thought."

"Oh," was her equally simple answer.

He didn't say anything, and it occurred to her that she should have said more.

"I mean… I'm glad you're back," she added.

"Are you?" he asked lightly, his tone tinged with good-natured amusement. "Because you don't seem to be, May."

"No, no, I am," she insisted, unable to detect the frivolity in his words. "I'm just… surprised to see you."

His smiled, the warm light from outside softening his features.

"That doesn't mean I'm not happy to see you," she said, continuing to ramble like an idiot. "I mean, I am happy to see you – how could I not be? It's been such a long time, and I really missed -" Much as he'd done before, she abruptly stopped herself.

Neither of them said anything then. He stood completely still, looking as if he'd stopped breathing, and her cheeks burned bright.

She didn't mean to cut herself off so suddenly, but what else could she have done? She didn't particularly want Steven to know that she'd missed him, or that she'd actually been affected by his leaving.

She could tell her parents, Brendan, and Lisia that she'd missed them, but not Steven. Steven was different. She had left everyone, but Steven had left her.

"May," he said softly, all traces of humor now gone from his voice. "Please finish what you were going to say?"

His tone was quiet but expectant, as if he knew what she had almost said.

"It's nothing," she mumbled, feeling like a child caught in the act of doing something wrong. "Never mind."

"May," he said her name again, much softer than before. "Please."

It wasn't fair. How could she possibly deny him of just a few words when he said her name like that?

"I…" she started. "I was going to say that I, um…" She paused, dreading his reaction.

"Hm?" he gently prompted.

She cast her eyes downward. "I really missed you."

She meant to put some level of confidence behind her words, hoping that such a tone would feign the appearance of aloofness and evoke the illusion that she hadn't actually missed him. But her voice failed her, coming out no louder than a shy whisper. And if that wasn't any indication of how flustered she felt, her fever-red blush certainly did the trick.

How she loathed herself.

He didn't say anything right away, and she was too embarrassed to look up to see if he'd heard her.

"Thank you," he said quietly. And then he started for her with long strides.

Her eyes shot up to watch as he swiftly crossed the room. She felt like she should say or do something as the distance between them shrank, but she didn't know what. Her heart rate picked up speed with every step that brought him closer to her, and she vaguely wondered if this was what Derek from Devon had felt when she'd approached him.

Steven stopped just inches away. Even in high heels, May stood a good few inches shorter than him, her eyes level to his mouth.

Wordlessly, he reached out, took her by the shoulders, and brought her to him. His hands were warm against her skin, leaving trails of heat as they slowly overlapped across her back.

"Steven…" She didn't know how to react. He'd never even touched her before, save for an accidental shoulder bump once or twice. Her face was on fire, and she was sure he could feel her heart pounding against his chest.

He tilted his head inward so that his lips were just an inch away from her ear.

"I really missed you, too."

She thought she imagined those words. They didn't make any sense. He'd never given any indication that he thought of her as more than a close acquaintance, but here he was saying that he hadn't just missed her, but really missed her.

She placed her hands against his chest and pushed her face back a bit. She needed to see his face, needed to know if she could trust those words.

His face was closer than expected, and she flinched in surprise.

He looked strangely desperate, like a man drowning in the sea, but he said nothing. She could feel his breath against her mouth, and she unthinkingly parted her lips. His eyes flashed to them for a quick second before shifting back up, holding her gaze with the pull of a thousand magnets. She was at his mercy, unable to do anything but stare back into those clear, alluring depths.

"Mr. Steven?" a voice resonated from the stairs.

Two seconds later, the blonde receptionist who'd been in the lobby appeared in the doorway.

"Mr. Steven, your father has arrived. He…" She trailed off at the sight before her. Her gaze flicked between May and Steven, perceived the close proximity of their faces, and she turned bright red and held her hands over her eyes. "I - I'm sorry for interrupting!"

May turned just as red as she realized what this scene must look like to an outsider, and she maneuvered herself out of Steven's arms. Steven, on the other hand, seemed to be completely at ease.

"Please don't misunderstand, Dinah," he said. "We're just two friends greeting each other for the first time in ages." His voice was so steady and composed that May wondered if he'd been completely unfazed by what had just gone down.

"O-Oh… I see," Dinah said, lowering her hands from her face. "I hope you can forgive me."

"No need to apologize. Now, what was that about my father?"

"Right. Your father is downstairs, and he's requested your presence." She looked at May. "He's also looking for you, Champion May."

"We'll be down momentarily," Steven said.

Dinah bowed once and left.

Steven looked back at May and offered his arm to her. "Shall we go?"

She nodded and stepped forward to take his arm. Now that they were alone again, she half-expected him to pull her into another embrace, but he simply turned to walk her down the stairs.

She couldn't help but think about what would have happened if Dinah hadn't interrupted. His face had been so close. Closer than she'd ever seen it.

She discreetly shifted her gaze so that she was watching him from the corner of her eye. He was staring straight ahead, his calm gaze revealing nothing. Perhaps she was reading too much into what happened between them, and it was really what Steven just told Dinah – a simple greeting between two old friends.

Dinah, who was waiting for them at the doorway, quickly unclipped the velvet rope to let them pass.

The party was in full swing. Everyone was chattering away, filling the room with the white noise of indistinguishable conversation. Servants carrying silver trays gingerly stepped between guests. One figure stood in the middle of the room, which May immediately saw was President Stone based on his purple, pinstriped suit. Steven walked toward him, dragging May behind him.

The president was talking to a group of suit-clad men but broke off mid-conversation when he spotted his son.

"There you are, Steven!" Joseph Stone exclaimed with a grin, walking over to clap a huge hand on his son's shoulder.

"Dad," Steven greeted.

"I didn't get to see you come in this morning. How are you holding up? You're not suffering from jetlag or anything, are you?"

May stole a quick glance at Steven. Jetlag?

"I'm fine, thanks," Steven replied.

"Good to hear, good to hear." Joseph turned to May. "And I hope our champion is doing just as well?"

"Yes." May tiled her head in greeting. "It's nice to see you again, President Stone."

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied. "If I'd known the champion was coming, I would have made more of an effort to be here on time."

"That's alright. We are here to celebrate you, not me," she said. "Congratulations on your company's recent success."

"Why, thank you," Joseph said. "Though the credit should really go to Steven here. For the past few months or so, he's been doing most of the work."

"I've hardly done anything but make a few suggestions," Steven interjected.

"And look at where those suggestions have gotten us," Joseph said, gesturing with a sweep of his arm at the many guests. "This is the most success we've had in years! It makes me want to retire early now that I know the future of the company is in good hands!" He released a few booming chuckles.

May felt Steven's arm tense ever so slightly, and she looked up curiously at him. His expression, however, remained unchanged.

"Mr. President?" a voice called over the noise.

Joseph looked over in time to see Dinah's blonde hair bobbing through the crowd, and then Dinah herself appeared at his side.

"Mr. President," she said again, "Mr. Grady has arrived."

Joseph looked at her like he didn't want to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. She returned his look with one of sympathy.

"He's here… now?" he asked.

Dinah nodded once. "Yes."

Joseph took in a deep breath, held it in for a few seconds, and then released it slowly and heavily, letting his shoulders sag in the process.

"Alright. Where is he?" he asked.

"Downstairs, sir. He said he wanted to speak with you alone before coming up."

Steven gave his father a supportive smile. "It's best not to keep him waiting."

"I know, I know," Joseph said. Then, to May, "As much as I'd like to keep this conversation going, I really must see to one of my colleagues lest he think I'm deliberately ignoring him."

"It's fine," May said. "I'm sure we will run into each other again during the course of the night."

Joseph smiled once, and then he was gone, leaving Steven and May alone.

May looked up at Steven. "Why did your father ask you if you were feeling jetlagged?"

He glanced down at her. "He's referring to my flight that landed this morning. I just spent a week in Kalos, you see."

"Kalos?" she repeated, causing every head within a ten-foot radius to look over. "Why were you in Kalos?"

He hesitated for the briefest of moments. "I was looking for something."

"A rare stone?" she guessed.

He looked straight into her face. "No."

Just then, a shrill, high-pitched voice pierced the low hum of party conversation. "Steven!"

Both he and May turned toward the noise.

Annette Harrison burst from the recesses of the crowd, the white feathers of her dress billowing out like an angry Swanna. It took her a few seconds to register Steven and May's linked arms, her brown eyes darkening to black, before she lunged towards Steven.

"Steven," she said again, her voice sounding like that of a whining child's. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

She pulled hard on his free arm. In his surprise, his hold around May loosened, and Annette used the opportunity to claim him all to herself. She dragged him away a few paces, grasping his arm possessively to her chest.

May was reminded of her mother's Glameow as Annette glanced her way, all lowered lids and mincing eyes. The actress's thin lips curved into a victorious, overly-bleached smile before she turned her attention back to the man she'd stolen, her Glameow eyes brightening with innocence.

"Steven," she trilled his name for what May thought to be the hundredth time.

"Hello, Annette," Steven said, all politeness. "How are you?"

Annette pushed out her high-glossed bottom lip in an over-exaggerated pout. "You're mean, Steven. I arrived like, an hour ago, and you didn't even bother to come say hi."

"I'm doing so now, aren't I?"

Annette sighed damsel-in-distress style. "I guess so. But where were you? Isn't this, like, your party?"

"My father's, actually."

The actress sighed again. "It still would have been nice for you to have been here earlier. I don't know anyone here, and I was so, so lonely…" With her free hand, she began to twirl the end of Steven's tie.

May, now awkwardly standing by herself, could only watch the scene before her in silence.

Were Steven and Annette dating? The thought shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. Brendan had gotten himself a girlfriend during May's absence, and it was quite possible that Steven had done the same.

It certainly made sense if Annette Harrison was indeed his partner. Like him, she was both beautiful and successful, and she'd probably never run away from her own fame.

The more May watched the two together, the brighter they seemed to shine. Cast in the shadow of two suns, and she had to turn away.

As she was doing so, her gaze quickly caught onto two heads – one brown, the other mint green. Brendan and Lisia.

She looked once more at Steven. "I'm just gonna…" She gestured behind her to her friends, but neither Steven nor Annette seemed to notice her and she turned to leave.

She stepped quickly and quietly between partygoers, holding her skirt a few inches above the ground so that it wouldn't get accidentally stepped on. She was jostled a bit by unaware bodies, but she kept up her pace.

Soon enough, Lisia and Brendan came into view, their faces turned down at the refreshments table.

"Where have you been?" May demanded as she approached them. "I thought you guys left the party."

They turned around to face her, and she realized that she no longer wanted to know the fine details of where they'd been or what they'd been doing.

Lisia's pink lipstick was smeared all over the bottom half of her jaw as if someone had dragged her facedown through the room. Evidently, some of it had messily wound up on Brendan's mouth as well.

May was certainly feeling like a third wheel tonight.

"Oh, May," Lisia greeted. "Sorry we left – we just wanted to explore the building for a bit. It's our first time being here, and we were curious." Her tone was so steady and sure that May would have believed her if it wasn't for the new makeover.

"Um…" May looked down at the ground. "Razz Berry."

"What?" Lisia asked. "Oh, you mean the code word."

May nodded once.

Lisia began combing her fingers through her hair. "What's wrong? Is it my hair?"

May looked back up. "Your lipstick is smudged." Then, turning to Brendan, "Yours is, too."

The lovers looked at each other and simultaneously gasped.

"Brendy-boo!" Lisia exclaimed. "You look like a clown!"

"So do you!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lisia whined.

"I didn't know! The room was dark and –" He stopped suddenly and glanced anxiously at May. "I mean… I guess the food was so good that we, uh, we –"

May raised a hand to stop him. "It's fine."

Lisia began rubbing at her mouth with the back of her hand. "Better?" she asked, moving her hand away for May to inspect.

The action had only made the smudge worse, spreading it out like an angry, pink rash.

"It's, um…" May looked down again. "Razz Berry."

"Ugh!" Lisia turned to frantically search over the table. "No napkins? Seriously? This is the biggest party of the year and they don't even have napkins?" She looked up and trotted over to the nearest server. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Downstairs in the lobby," he replied, his gaze flicking between her eyes and her messy lips.

"Excellent." Lisia kept her head down as she bounded off for the stairs. Brendan followed, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Wait," May called after them, not wanting to be left alone again. She took a step to follow.

"Are you Champion May?"

May stopped and turned around.

"Yes," she answered.

"I thought so," the man said. "Oh, but where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Evan Grady, and I'm the Vice President of Silph Co. I'm afraid our President was unable to make the party tonight, so I have come in his stead."

Grady? The same Grady that President Stone so clearly did not want to greet?

"I see," May said. She held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"The honor is all mine." He took her hand.

"I'd like to congratulate Silph Co. on its recent success," she continued. "I think it's wonderful that two companies from different regions have partnered together."

Grady smiled, his grip around her hand tightening. "So do I."

Evan Grady was skinny and tall in physique. His forehead appeared large due to a harshly receding hairline, and his face and features were pinched and narrow.

Although his words reflected a well-mannered man, May began to feel a bit unsettled. For one, he still hadn't let go of her hand, and his grip had become unnecessarily strong - he was nearly cutting off the circulation of blood flow to her fingers. More than that, his eyes seemed to glint with mischief, curved and small like those of a Seviper. She half-expected a two-pronged tongue to dart out of his mouth.

"I hope Hoenn is treating such an esteemed visitor to the highest regard?" May asked. She casually moved a step back, and he finally released her hand. Her fingers throbbed, and she fought the urge to look down to see if they had turned purple.

"Why, yes," Grady answered. "This nation is absolutely lovely. I've never seen so much water in my life."

May tried to smile, but as usual, it came out as a grimace. "I'm glad you like it."

"But may I be a bit frank for a short moment?" he asked.

"Of course," May said, though she guessed that whatever he had to say couldn't be good.

"I've been hearing something quite…" He took a moment to contemplate the right word. "Disturbing."

"Disturbing? And what might that be?"

He looked glad that she asked. "I've been hearing that Hoenn's champion is a coward."

May stopped breathing.

He smiled at her expression. "They're saying that you voluntarily ran away from your post, and that this is the first time you've been seen in two whole years. But that can't be right, can it? No champion would ever do such a careless thing. Right?"

May was right to have felt uneasy around him. His tone had become taunting and hostile, and his smile had widened with poorly disguised malice.

"Well," she began, "while it is true that I left my position unannounced, I can assure you that I did not mean for –"

"So it's true," he said, cutting her off. He didn't sound too surprised. "You really did it."

She swallowed hard. "Yes."

"I have to ask," he began. "What on earth was going through your mind? You had a duty to stay around in case something was to threaten the people, but instead, you ran away for a prolonged vacation in Kalos. Completely irresponsible, if you ask me."

She couldn't argue back. Excluding the Kalos bit, Grady was right. She'd been a coward. She'd been irresponsible.

"I know," she said, but her throat had become so dry that she didn't think he heard her.

He kept going. "What made you finally decide to come back, anyway? The party, of all things?" He shook his head. "How childish."

She knew she'd been childish, too. How could she not? She'd only been a child at the time of her disappearance, and children do childish things.

She opened her mouth to say something, to agree with his accusations, when a new voice chimed in.

"Irresponsible? Childish? I hope you're not talking about May."

Both Grady and May looked over at the newcomer.

"Steven," Grady said in greeting. "You're looking well."

Steven stopped to stand beside May. He gave a small smile, though it appeared brittle and forced. "Thank you. You're looking well yourself, Grady."

Grady mustered an equally forced smile. "Why, thank you."

Steven glanced once at May before turning his attention back to Grady. "May I ask what's going on here?"

"Just making light conversation with Hoenn's champion."

"It certainly didn't sound that way to me." Steven's tone was light, but the hard look in his eyes gave his words a cautionary edge.

Grady held his arms out. "Come now, Steven. Surely, you must also think that your champion's actions have been utterly despicable in recent years."

Steven's eyes flashed. "I ask that you choose your words carefully, Grady. I'll not have you insult my friend right in front of me."

"Oh, do forgive me," Grady said, though his tone sounded far from apologetic. "I was not made aware of the relationship between you and Champion May. Still, you must understand where I'm coming from."

"I'm afraid I don't."

The conversation felt charged with tension. May could almost see a current of electricity running between the men's gazes on each other.

Grady sighed like an exhausted parent. "It's as I said before. To disappear for two years is one thing, but to do so as the nation's champion?" He shook his head. "It's a wonder how someone capable of such irresponsibility even became Champion in the first place."

"With all due respect," Steven began, "I believe your impression of May is highly flawed. I've known her for a while now, and nothing you have said so far accurately describes what she's really like."

"Really?" Grady asked. "Do you mean to say that your champion's disappearance did not shake you to the very core?"

Steven's gaze seemed to focus on something distant. "It did," he admitted quietly.

Grady flashed a victorious smile. "Then –"

"But that is not to say that I think her irresponsible, because I don't," Steven finished. His words hardened. "I also don't think her childish, or despicable, or anything else you might have said to her. She is Champion because she is unparalleled in terms of not only strength, but also resolve, and her intentions have always been good."

May fidgeted uncomfortably. Steven had way too much faith in her.

"Hmm." Grady held his chin contemplatively. "Am I to trust the opinion of one who lost the title of Champion to the very person in question?"

That struck a chord within May. It was one thing for Grady to criticize her, but an entirely different thing for him to criticize one of her friends. Her hand instinctively reached for the small bag hanging against her side, where her team waited to be summoned.

But as usual, Steven seemed at ease.

"You're free to trust whoever you want," he said, "but it might do you good to take my word. My intuition has often proven true."

"Has it?" Grady inquired, his tone more amused than curious.

"Well, it certainly did after I suggested that a partnership between our respective companies would expand both sides' gross margins from twenty to thirty percent." Steven paused. "Unless, that is, you disagree?"

May, unskilled in the language of business, found his words extremely difficult to follow. Grady, on the other hand, seemed to understand completely. His smug smile straightened out into a taut line, and his curved eyes narrowed into slits. He clearly wasn't used to being on the losing side of an argument.

Steven calmly gazed back, silent and unflinching in his stance. May anticipated another round of arguments to ensue, but surprisingly, Grady started to laugh.

He bent over and released a few raspy chuckles. "I can't argue with that." There was an undertone of annoyance in his voice, but his eyes were wickedly amused, as if he couldn't help but be entertained. Grinning, he straightened up. "You certainly know how to use words to get your way, Steven Stone."

Steven smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Of course. I wouldn't mean it any other way." He said this with a coy twist to his mouth, and May wondered if he was actually being sarcastic. He turned to her. "Well, Champion May. You sure are lucky to have a friend like Steven to back you up."

May nodded, her eyes widening in surprise. She didn't think he'd bother to address her again. "Y-yeah…"

He reached out to take her hand in his, and she fought the urge to draw back. His grip was firm, but thankfully, not nearly as much as it had been before. Still, she tensed.

As if sensing her apprehension, he smiled wide. "I look forward to getting to know you better, seeing as my colleague here –" His gestured towards Steven " - insists that I drew a very false impression of you."

May said, "Of course," though she didn't particularly want to spend any more time with Evan Grady than she already had.

He released her hand. "Well, then. I suppose I'll take my leave now…" With that, he turned on his heel and skirted off into the crowd, vanishing just as suddenly as he had appeared.

May felt as though some big fiasco just happened, but nobody seemed to notice. People were still engaged in their own conversations, oblivious to the heated conversation that had just taken place.

Steven released a deep breath and turned his attention to May. "Are you alright?" The hardness was gone from his eyes.

"I'm fine."

"I'm sorry you had to listen to that," he said, looking back at the spot where Grady had just disappeared. "That man is always trying to provoke the people around him. I fell into his trap today, but I'm impressed that you were able to keep your composure."

May shrugged. "I didn't really have anything to say." She scanned the room to see if Lisia and Brendan had made their way back to the party.

"Not even to defend yourself?" His voice was quiet, and May almost didn't hear him through the drone of a dozen other conversations.

She turned to face him. He looked troubled.

"I can certainly understand why Grady said the things that he did," was May's matter-of-fact response.

"How?" Steven asked, his voice still quiet.

Her answer came quick. "What Grady said about me was true."

Steven stared at her with wide eyes. When he didn't say anything, May resumed looking for her friends.

"You're wrong," he said finally.

May turned back to him. "I'm not."

"You are," he insisted. "Grady did nothing but list a number of bad qualities that I don't ever recall you showcasing, not even once."

May pursed her lips in disagreement.

His eyes lightened with amusement at her expression, but his words remained insistent. "You don't believe me?"

Ignoring the question, she began looking around the room again.

"I forgot to thank you for sticking up for me," she said. "I really appreciate it."

He watched her in quiet consideration, fully aware of her evasion.

A few feet away, Lisia's green hair bobbed through the crowds.

"Oh." May blinked. "There's my friend – I should probably go see if she's okay…"

She got in several steps before he stopped her.

He did nothing but touch her arm. She could have easily brushed him off, but she'd become rooted in place, stopping as suddenly as if she'd reached the end of an invisible leash. His touch sent a trail of heat blazing along her skin, hollowing her out both inside and out with fire, and her heart skyrocketed in her chest. This feeling was just as familiar as when he'd touched her upstairs, but no less startling.

She thought herself pathetic, being this affected by a man she hadn't seen or spoken to in years prior to today.

He leaned in closer. "Please believe me."

"Why should I?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

She didn't mean it maliciously. It was a very valid question in her mind. Why should she believe that Steven knew her better than she knew herself?

"Because it might do you good to take my word," he said, his voice like silk, and she recognized these words as the same ones he'd said to Grady. He ducked his head so that his mouth was just inches away from her ear. "My intuition has often proven true."

She shuddered at the feel of his breath against her skin.

These same words, when spoken to Grady, had sounded firm and assertive like a challenge. The way Steven was saying them now, however, sounded tender and soft like a plea.

What was he trying to do to her?

She couldn't bring herself to look up into his face. She was all too aware of the closeness of their bodies, of the flush creeping up her face. To prying eyes it simply looked like he was telling her a secret, but she felt the moment to be far more intimate than what any secret could bring.

She stood stock-still, unsure of how she was supposed to respond. This man could take away her words as easily as anyone could breathe.

"May!"

May looked up. Lisia was waving at her from across the room, Brendan at her side.

She stepped away from Steven. "I should probably go see what they want…"

She didn't look at him as she left his side. He didn't try to stop her again, and his hand fell easily from her arm.

She paced quickly across the room. She almost looked back to see if Steven was still there, but decided that she'd given him far too much control over her and kept walking.

"Lisia. Brendan," May greeted as she reached her friends. She was relieved to see that they'd managed to successfully wipe the obnoxiously pink lipstick stains off their faces.

Lisia peered inquisitively at May. "What were you and Steven talking about?"

"Just… nothing." May didn't know what to tell her.

Lisia and Brendan looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

May stared at them. "What?"

They turned back to her, grinning.

"Razz Berry!" Lisia exclaimed.

May's returning look was blank.

"Your face is red," Brendan clarified. "Like, really red."

May felt her face heat up even more, and her friends laughed.

"Well, at least you guys are looking better," she said in an attempt to divert the conversation.

Lisia smiled even wider. "Just in time, too. It's almost six – this party is going to get a lot bigger."

May released the smallest of groans. She'd forgotten that only a small percentage of invitees had been able to arrive at four. The majority of that percentage would be upon this place in – she reached into her bag to check her nav – seventeen minutes.

"I might go," she found herself saying.

"Go?" Brendan repeated disbelievingly. "What do you mean, go? The party hasn't even started!"

"I know but…" She raked her mind for an excuse. "It's already been close to two hours since we arrived."

Her friends stared blankly at her as if to say, So?

"Besides," she continued. "My goal in coming here was to let the public know that I've returned, and I think I've accomplished that."

"I mean, I guess we can't stop you," Brendan said. "But are you sure you really want to leave the biggest event of the year?"

"Yes."

Brendan winced at how quick her reply came.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Lisia asked, though she anxiously bit her lip, and May could tell that she didn't actually want to leave.

"No, that's okay," May said, and the relief on her friends' faces was palpable. "You guys stay so you can tell me all about it later."

Brendan grinned, only too eager to comply. "Will do!"

May walked across the room as quickly and quietly as she could. Her arrival had drawn quite a bit of attention, and she was not eager to see if her departure would elicit the same kind of response.

Luckily, nobody seemed to realize that the champion was leaving for the rest of the night. The glances May got her way were brief and unconcerned, and she easily made it down the stairs.

The lobby was considerably quiet, and the few hints of conversation that could still be heard from upstairs sounded muffled and subdued as if coming from underwater.

May let herself relax, feeling as though she could take her first deep breath of the night. The party hadn't gone as smoothly as she'd hoped, and she was relieved to finally get away.

"Um… did you need something, Champion May?"

May looked up. Dinah stood behind the front counter.

"I'm fine, thank you," May said. "I'm actually on my way out."

A combination of surprise and disappointment flickered on the receptionist's face. "So soon?"

"Yes. But I appreciate you letting me in without an invitation. Thank you, Dinah."

Dinah's mouth twisted as if she was about to cry. "It was my pleasure, Champion May."

May looked toward the front entrance. She could just feel the paparazzi waiting outside in much the same way her Swampert could sense an approaching storm.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

Her arrival had been pathetic. She wanted her departure to be anything but.

She looked once more at Dinah. "Would you mind telling President Stone that I thank him for having me, and that I had a wonderful time?"

Dinah nodded eagerly. "Of course."

May hesitated before speaking again. "And… could you tell Steven that… I hope to see him soon?" She knew she should have at least said goodbye to him, but she'd been focused on making sure that her leaving went as unnoticed as possible.

"Of course," Dinah said again.

"Thank you." Squaring her shoulders, May walked outside.

The masses of people had only intensified since she'd arrived. Bodies clustered as close to the building's entrance as the red velvet rope would allow, and some even held large, handmade signs that displayed her name like advertisements on billboards. They screamed at her with everything they had.

Camera flashes fired off like bullets from a gun. She blinked in rapid succession, spots of light and dark dancing across her vision. Her arm began to rise to cover her face, but she forced it back down. Let everyone get a good look at her face.

She stood there, half deaf and half blind, for what seemed like forever. She didn't even realize that she'd been holding her breath until she starting gasping for air.

She felt like a frayed cord of rope, about to snap at any second.

Make peace with the fame, she thought. Make peace with the fame, make peace with the fame, make peace with the fame.

She counted to ten in her head before making any move to leave. Lowering her eyes to the ground, she surveyed the area. There was just enough space on the path to summon her Salamence.

She reached into her bag and pulled his pokéball out.

"Go, Salamence."

He emerged with a roar, and the cheering and the flashes only increased with his arrival.

Salamence squinted against the brightness and trembled with rage. He flexed his wings, spreading them out until their tips nearly touched the crowds on either side of the path.

May patted him reassuringly on the neck, and he retracted his wings back into his body.

She slowly climbed onto his back, making sure to keep the slit in her dress at a modest width. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal too much of her skin in front of all these cameras.

The moment she was secure in place, Salamence rose to the air, eager to get as far away from Rustboro as he possibly could. His powerful wings beat heavy gusts of air into the crowd, and a few of the handmade signs were sent flying.

Now above the buildings, May looked down. The cameras were still trained on her, angled up to the sky, and the ground sparkled with their flashes.

Salamence began south for Littleroot.

"No, Salamence!" May made a wild grab for his neck and swerved him east. She would not lead the masses to her parents.

"Once we're out of sight, we'll swerve back home," she said to him.

He hummed in agreement and started off in the new direction.

They flew quickly, gliding right out of Rustboro and into Route 116. It was almost comical how vacant it was with the bustling city so close.

They reached Rusturf tunnel when Salamence stopped midflight. He hovered in place and sniffed the air.

"Salamence?"

He turned back toward the direction they had come from and bristled. May felt her heart sink at what she saw.

Two cameramen, one on a Pidgeot and the other on a Staraptor, were flying towards them.

Salamence released an earth-shattering roar. The bird pokémon faltered in fright, but their trainers pushed them forward. Nothing would keep them from snapping a few more photos of the champion.

This was not the first time that the paparazzi had followed her into the air. Once, they had chased her across the entire region.

But she was different than the girl who'd run away. She was the woman who'd come back.

May directed Salamence back onto their route.

"I have an idea," she said low in his ear. "But I'm not sure if it will work."

Salamence looked back at her and tilted his head in acknowledgement.

The clouds, tinged red by the setting run, were thick and low today. Perfect for her plan.

She slowed the pace, waiting for the cameramen to get a little closer.

"Champion May!" the one on the Staraptor called. "Where are you going? Planning on disappearing again?"

"Look here, Beautiful," the other one said, his camera up to his face. "Give me a smile, yeah? Or how about you show off that sexy dress of yours?"

They were close enough, she decided.

She tapped twice into her pokémon's neck, signaling him to swerve straight up into a ninety-degree angle. She heard the men voice their surprise as she disappeared into the clouds.

She and Salamence burst through the other side, their skin damp with water vapors. The clouds now hovered below them like a fluffy carpet.

"Go, Salamence!" she commanded, lightly tapping her legs into his sides.

He pumped his wings as hard as he could, shooting back west. May kept one arm around his neck and turned her upper body around, watching and waiting.

They got a good distance away before she saw the orange beaks of the men's pokémon breach through the clouds.

She signaled Salamence to veer down, and they shot back through the clouds. She pointed for him to land at the nearest clearing.

Salamence flattened his wings against his sides, and they hurtled toward the ground like an earthbound meteor. Their speed made May's eyes tear up a bit, and she held onto her pokémon as tightly as she could.

They hit the ground hard, whipping up a billow of dirt, and May's teeth rattled at the impact.

She quickly looked back up to the sky. If her plan worked, then the men would not have seen her weave back underneath the clouds.

A minute passed. The men did not follow her to the ground.

She let herself relax. Salamence drooped his head, exhausted, and heaved in deep, rumbling breaths.

She stroked his neck. "You did well. Thank you."

She looked around. To her surprise, they had landed right in front of Petalburg's gym.

Not a single person was out in the small town. It was a stark contrast to the more populated Rustboro, for which May was grateful.

She dismounted Salamence, retrieved his pokéball from her bag, and called him back before walking up to the gym. Perhaps she'd see if her father was around.

She waited for the gym's automatic doors to open. When they didn't, she pressed her face up to the glass. The lights were off.

She sighed, more relieved than disappointed. Her father must have gone home. He usually didn't return until well after dark, so it was nice to see that he was at home with her mother.

Nearby, a front door opened, and May scrambled to get Salamence back out.

"May?"

She froze. She recognized that voice.

"Wally…"

Wally stood in the doorway of his house, staring at her with the same innocent eyes he'd always had.

"I... I saw you on the Rustboro news…"

His voice sounded so timid, so faint, but deeper than the last time May had heard it.

She walked over to him. "Yeah…"

Wally had matured into a young, skinny man. His round, boyish face had narrowed, and his shoulders had broadened quite a bit.

But the paleness of his skin and the circles under his eyes were very unsettling. He grasped the door with both hands as if using it to hold himself up.

She never knew what illness he suffered from. She only knew that right after she'd battled him for the last time, his health had quickly deteriorated. It was like his illness had waited for him to reach his peak before striking him down.

It was unfair, she thought, how someone who'd been so passionate about training his pokémon could be forced to stay in bed.

She was overcome with sadness at the way he couldn't meet her eyes, at the way his shoulders were hunched forward. He'd appeared so confident at Victory Road, completely unlike the boy who stood before her now.

His eyes flicked up, and then back down again. "You look so different, May."

She tried to keep the sadness from her voice. "I was thinking the same thing about you."

He shuffled his feet against the ground. May watched him, her chest tightening.

"How was it?" he asked.

She swallowed, wishing he'd meet her eyes. "How was what?"

"The Devon party."

"Oh. Um, it was all right. I left super early, though. Parties aren't really my thing."

He picked up his head and finally looked at her. He smiled. "Same here."

Overhead, a flock of Wingull flew by, their cries carried far by the nearby sea.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Wally said, his voice growing thin.

She realized that she'd never been that great a friend to him. In the numerous times they'd battled, she'd never let him win, not even once. She'd been so focused on being the best that the thought of allowing this sickly boy to experience just one victory never occurred to her. How greedy, selfish, and stupid she'd been.

And after she'd found out that his health had worsened, she never came to visit. She'd told herself that going to see him would only put him in the crossfire of the paparazzi, but she could have at least called him to make sure he was okay.

He had every right to hate her, to slam the door in her face and never speak to her again. But instead, he stood before her, his eyes filled with all the fondness in the world.

"I have been absent for a while, haven't I?" she asked softly. "Forgive me, Wally."

He waved a hand in front of him. "Don't apologize, May."

He swayed a little on his feet, and his hand shot back up to grasp the door.

May gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes." He smiled, trying lighten the mood. "I just got a little dizzy, is all. Nothing to worry about."

"Are… are your parents home?"

He shook his head. "Not right now."

She could hardly conceal her surprise. They left their sick son home alone?

He read her expression. "Don't worry – they'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. They actually wanted to bring me, but I told them I would be fine by myself."

"Where did they go?"

"Lavaridge. To buy… medicine." He said medicine like it was something to be embarrassed about.

"Oh." May blinked. "Well, that's good."

"Yeah…"

The sun sank beneath the tree line, turning the sky a strange combination of magenta and violet. It would be dark soon.

"Would… would you like to come in?" Wally asked, taking a small step inside the house. "It's been so long since I last saw you, and I, um, would like to know more about what you've been up to…"

May didn't see why not. It was still early in the evening, and she really didn't like the fact that Wally was in his house by himself.

"Sure," she said. "Though I haven't been up to much."

Wally gave a small smile. "Same here."


Wally's eyes snapped open.

He looked wildly around, his mind hazy with sleep and eyes disoriented by the dark. His hand reached out and fumbled for the lamp, and a small pocket of light appeared in his living room.

His eyes immediately flashed to May, who was still sitting next to him on the sofa, her eyes closed.

Wally reached into his pocket and pulled out his nav. It was 11:17 at night. Somewhere during their conversation, they'd both fallen asleep, and for nearly five hours. What had they been talking about? He tried to think, but his head grew light and he fell back, dizzy, against the cushions.

He turned his head to stare at May. He'd meant it when he told her that she looked different. She'd grown in the way that was normal for people their age. She looked healthy. She looked beautiful.

She looked strong.

He lifted one hand in front of his face and watched it as it trembled.

He grit his teeth, trying to keep his tears from spilling over.

Ring! Ring!

Wally jumped at the sound.

Ring! Ring!

He looked down to his left. It was coming from May's bag. Her pokénav, probably.

Ring! Ring!

"Um… May?" He gently touched her arm.

She shouldered away his hand, still asleep. His fingers curled, unsure of what to do.

Ring! Ring!

He had to answer it, he decided. What if it was her parents?

He opened the bag's mouth and placed his hand inside, carefully feeling for the nav.

His hand paused on something. It was round, but slightly bigger than a pokéball. It had been cold when he'd merely grazed it, but had grown warm, was still growing warm, in his palm.

He looked at May. Surely she wouldn't mind if he took just a peek.

He lifted his hand and brought the strange item to his face.

It was a magnificent blue orb.

It had a dozen facets carved into it, almost like a diamond. He held it closer to the lamp, and blue light speckled across the room like the most beautiful rainstorm.

He tilted it, mesmerized, and the light shifted in response, a blue vortex in his grip.

And then the orb began to pulse. It sent vibrations running through his bones, shaking his body with the ferocity of a lightning bolt. Heat flowed from his heart and into his blood, trickling out until every inch of him was filled with lava. His eyes rolled back into his head until there was nothing but white left in the sockets.

But it didn't feel bad. No, it felt amazing.

The orb was alive. It was calling him.

It promised to cure him.

It promised to give him his life back.

It promised him power.

And he answered it with everything he had.


May woke up.

She blinked in confusion, her eyelids still heavy with sleep. This wasn't her home.

And then she remembered. Wally had invited her inside. He'd told her about his cousin, Wanda, and how she'd just gotten married a few months ago. May had closed her eyes to rest them for a short second, but had embarrassingly fallen asleep. She supposed that was to have been expected. She'd hardly gotten any sleep yesterday night.

She stretched her arms over her head before reaching in her bag to dig out her pokénav. The time read 11:26 p.m.

She frowned when she saw that she had three missed calls from her mother. Caroline was probably a nervous wreck right now.

She looked around her. The dim lighting of the nearby lamp cast the room in a dull yellow light. Outside, a fierce gust of wind rattled the windowpanes against the glass.

May stood up. "Wally?"

There was no answer. Had he gone to bed?

A loud thump echoed throughout the house, and she quickly zeroed in on the source.

The front door swung open on its hinges. As the wind picked up, it thudded into the wall again.

She walked over and began to close it. Then she stopped and jerked it wide open again.

There, standing a few feet away with his back to her, was Wally.

"Wally?" she called.

He didn't answer. He stood completely still, statue-like, and continued to stare out into nothing, his arms limp against his side. As another gust of wind picked up, May worried that he would fall over, but he remained standing.

"Wally?" she called again. "What are you doing out here?"

Again, no answer.

She moved toward him, not even bothering to put her heels back on. The wind immediately whipped her hair and dress into a frenzy.

"Are you feeling unwell?" she asked. "Do you need me to do anything?"

She stopped just behind him and reached out to touch his shoulder.

Then her back hit the side of the house, and she crumpled to the ground.

A shooting stab of pain cut into the base of her spine, and she would have cried out if the impact hadn't knocked the wind right out of her. She curled around her stomach, feeling as though her chest was collapsing in on itself.

Her lungs contracted, struggling to work properly again. The tiniest sip of air slipped down her burning throat, and she was finally able to cough.

She mustered the strength to raise herself on one elbow. With her free arm, she reached behind her to touch the tender part of her back. Her hand came back blood-free, but that didn't make the injury hurt any less.

She was able to pull in some deeper breaths, and her mind struggled to make sense of the situation. Had she been thrown?

"What…" she croaked. She looked up. And then felt her eyes go wide.

Wally had finally turned around.

Lines of blue light snaked up his arms and bare feet, all seeming to connect to the blue ring in the middle of his chest that glowed bright through his thin, cotton shirt. The light seemed to be coming from within him, as if someone had embedded glow sticks underneath his skin. His eyes emitted the same blue light, shining like two flashlights in the dark, and he glared at her with all the wildness of a thousand untamed pokémon.

His arm was still extended from when he'd thrown her back, his fingers curled out like claws.

Slowly and shakily, she pulled herself to her feet.

"Wally." Her voice shook. "What happened to you?"

His lips curled back over his teeth, revealing long, sharp canines. A low hum rumbled in his chest, the sound of rolling thunder.

She stared in horrified silence. She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. She didn't want to.

He took a step toward her.

Her body reacted faster than her mind. Her arm instinctively flew into her bag, hand grabbing her Swampert's pokéball.

She threw it. "Go, Swampert!"

Her pokémon emerged and landed lightly on his feet. He gazed steadily at his opponent, taking in the situation much calmer than his trainer had, before crouching into his battle position. May could always count on him to keep a clear head.

Wally mirrored the pokémon, moving to crouch on all fours. Another growl ripped from his throat before he charged forward, nails digging into the earth. Swampert jumped back just as a pair of snapping fangs made a grab for him.

He looked back at May, waiting for orders.

But she didn't know what to do. As Champion, she was supposed to save her people, not attack them, and it was possible that her sweet, frail friend was somewhere inside this fanged, glowing thing.

"Please, Wally," she begged. "I know you're in there. Please, let me help you."

There was no indication that he'd heard, or even understood, what she'd said. He dug his nails deeper into the ground, eyes feral and unfeeling in their glowing depths.

Still looking back at her, Swampert growled softly, urging her to act. And still, she hesitated.

Wally seized the opportunity and launched forward.

His body collided with the pokémon, and May had just enough time to leap out the way before Swampert came crashing into the house.

The sound was like that of an explosion. Dust and debris erupted from the house in one massive cloud. Chunks of plaster fell heavy to the ground like hail. The glass windows shattered into a million pieces. One stray shard cut the side of May's face, but she hardly felt it.

"Swampert!" She ran into the wreckage where the left side of the house once stood. She coughed and squinted against the dust.

She spotted her pokémon half-buried among the rubble. She moved to him, slicing the bottom of her right foot along the way, and knelt to his side.

She gingerly touched his face. "Are you okay, Swampert?"

He rumbled in response, but May could tell he was in bad shape. His blue body was raked with cuts, some with pieces of glass still stuck in them. She heaved a piece of wallboard off the lower half of his body, and gasped when she saw that the tip of his dorsal fin was bent over.

He made a move to stand, but his arms tired out and he fell back against the ground.

Her Swampert, the strongest pokémon in the region, had been crushed in just one hit. One hit.

"Hold on," she said in a trembling voice, frantically searching her bag for a potion. "I'll fix this. I swear I'll fix this."

A growl tore through the wind. May slowly turned her head.

Wally stood no more than ten feet away. He stared down at her, his glowing eyes and skin made brighter by the darkness of the broken house. The wind whistled, and thick, brown dust pooled at his feet like fog. He looked like something straight out of a nightmare.

Swampert growled and tried to stand again.

May was frozen, her mind blank. She hadn't felt this helpless since before she became the strongest trainer in the region.

Was this the end for her?

Wally crouched, preparing to leap, and May could only watch, the blood from the cut on her face dribbling down like a tear.

But he turned ever so slightly to the left, and launched himself into the trees.

May didn't react right away. She sat completely still, convinced that he would be back in the very next second to end her.

The wind kept going, hollowing out the house with air.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but her Swampert's rumble of pain finally stirred her into action.

She stood up, putting more weight on her uninjured foot, and returned Swampert to his pokéball.

"Rest up, Swampert."

And then she ran out and dove right into the trees.

"Wally!" she called, her arms out in front of her to block the many branches. "Wally!"

She had to find him. Even though he terrified her to the core. If he could defeat the champion in one hit, then there was no telling what he could do to anyone else.

The cut on her foot burned against the leafy underbrush, but she continued to run as fast as she could. A stray branch snagged the edge of her skirt, but she yanked it free.

She ran out into Petalburg Woods. "Wally!"

The only sound was the rustle of leaves.

"Wally!" she tried again. "Please…!"

She pushed herself into a sprint again, but her bloody foot was too torn up to support her any longer and she sank to the ground.

Her hands balled into fists. What was she supposed to do?

She dug into her bag as if its contents could offer a solution. Her Salamence's pokéball came into view, but flying was out of the question. If Wally was still somewhere within the trees instead of on a cleared route, she'd never be able to spot him from the air.

She grabbed her pokénav and began to dial the number for Hoenn's police department, but stopped when she realized how just ridiculous she was being. The police relied on her to be the last line of defense. It did not work the other way around.

She was dialing another number before she realized it. She still knew all the digits, even after she'd been forced to throw away her previous nav in the wake of her fame. Her thumb hit the Call icon.

It rang three times before he picked up.

"Hello?"

She almost cried. "Steven…"

"May?"

"Steven," she said again, her voice growing a bit hysterical. "Help me."