Chapter Thirteen – At Wit's End
The days that followed were strange. The house had never before been so full of people, yet it had never been so lonely. Serena pictured it like everyone was a piece from a different puzzle, and there was no way to fit all of the pieces together at once. Some combinations worked, but others were impossible. The days before Korrina's departure and Ash and Lillie's arrival seemed like they were a world away. There were no more attempts to cram everyone inside a pillow fort for a game or a movie marathon.
The absence of pillow forts was in part because Aria had appropriated the living room as her makeshift bedroom, but more so because it was impossible for everyone to amicably gather in the same space. Serena's attempts to hold a conversation with Ash were all strained and superficial at best, inevitably going nowhere. Aria, on the other hand, seemed to be interested in speaking to only one person in the house – Lillie.
Being Lillie's roommate proved to be far easier than before, mostly because Lillie returned to the room only to sleep. Otherwise, she spent almost all of her time elsewhere, and much of it with Aria. Serena wasn't sure why she was so surprised by it, because it made perfect sense in hindsight that Aria and Lillie would quickly become friends. They both understood the other's experience with abuse all too well.
For Serena, the unfortunate side effect of Aria and Lillie spending so much time together was that it typically resulted in her spending her time alone. Since he wasn't welcome with Aria, Ash spent most of his time with Clemont and Bonnie. Serena's awkwardness with Ash made it difficult for her to join in, and so after a few failed attempts, she stopped trying to insert herself. It wasn't worth the effort.
Effectively alone in a crowd, Serena was stunned by her sudden abundance of free time. For the first time since she had arrived in Lumiose City, there was nothing for her to do. The first couple of days after realizing her situation were some of the longest and most boring she had ever experienced. Unsure what to do with herself, the seconds on the clock did not tick so much as drip like globs of tar oozing from a funnel. Never before had she been so acutely aware of how much time she had, nor felt less compulsion to do anything with it.
As the days went on, even though she didn't realize it, everything began to change. In the absence of any particular reason to hurry home in the evening, the clock at work became less of a director of her day and more of a mild suggestion. It was much nicer to while away her evenings lost in her work in relative peace than to throw herself back into the awkwardness that awaited her at home. The first two nights she stayed late, Meyer assured her that it was perfectly fine if she went home for the evening and that he had managed on his own late into the night many times. On the third night, he said nothing.
In the absence of human company, Serena had taken to the company of her Pokémon instead. Although before she had only trusted Delphox to understand what to do, after a couple of days of practice with Sylveon and Pancham, the four of them had combined to form something that resembled an assembly line in both form and efficiency. Pancham's boundless energy and knack for climbing and digging through the stacks of boxes made him outstanding at searching for and retrieving parts, and Sylveon's talent for multitasking with all four of her feelers made her almost as adept at manipulating parts as Delphox was with her psychic abilities.
By the end of the first week, Serena had noticed more than once that Ampharos had stopped whatever he was doing in the back room to marvel at the scene for a moment. As the second week of relentless efficiency ensued, she noticed something else – the insurmountable clutter in the shop was beginning to vanish. Teetering towers of overflowing boxes were exchanged for orderly stacks of neat, labeled ones. The floor opened up, the labyrinth of cables replaced with empty space. For the first time since she arrived, Serena thought it was actually possible for the building to pass a fire safety inspection. At least, whenever Meyer wasn't inadvertently setting something on fire in the back room.
One particularly quiet evening, Serena gazed out the front window for a moment and noticed a flickering light. Curious, she left her usual spot on the assembly line and stepped out the front door. The bell rang as she opened it, the ding reverberating in the near-silence, ringing in her ears after the hours and hours of forgettable, droning static from Meyer's radio. A gust of wind greeted her as she opened the door. It pushed back against her, and she leaned her body weight into the door to open it. The door eagerly shut behind her, pushed by the wind.
The street was empty and dark, only illuminated by the streetlights and the few lights in the windows of the surrounding buildings. The flickering light continued, causing her faint shadow to dance beneath her feet on the sidewalk. It seemed to come from above. After looking both ways and confirming that there were no cars anywhere in sight, Serena stepped out into the street and then turned around.
The flickering light came from Meyer's sign. It was the first time Serena had paid any attention to it since the day she arrived. A few more letters in the sign had since burnt out. Ignoring the spaces between the darkened letters, the sign now read Me Eecronc. The flickering light came from the capital E, soon to be the next light to fade.
In the wind, Serena squinted at the sign for a moment longer before tightly folding her arms, then hurrying back across the street with her head down. The cold wind stung her eyes. Despite the sentimental issues with it, she cursed herself for not wearing her scarf. She needed it more than ever.
When she slipped through the front door, she quickly pulled it shut behind her, trying to keep the cold air from following her inside. Once inside, she shivered and rubbed her hands on her arms, trying to warm herself with the friction.
"I was already surprised to have a customer come in so late, but now I'm even more confused."
Serena looked up and saw Meyer peeking out from the back room, cleaning his hands on a rag as he stood in the doorframe. After a couple of seconds of failing to understand what he meant, she realized he must have heard the bell.
"Oh. It's your sign," Serena said, pointing over her shoulder out toward the street. "I saw the flickering light and I went out to see what it was."
"Another letter burning out, I assume?" said Meyer.
"Yes," said Serena. She nodded, then folded her arms tightly again for warmth. "The big E."
"Hmm, I see," said Meyer. He tucked the rag back into one of his many pockets and then entered the front room. "Not a lot of letters left, are there?"
"No."
"Well, that's a shame."
Serena didn't say anything. Meyer walked around the counter and approached the front window. He stopped beside her, then jammed his hands into his back pockets and stared out the window, a wistful look on his face.
"You know, I could have sworn I picked up some new bulbs for the sign," he said. "They should be somewhere in here."
Serena gave Meyer a doubtful look.
"You've got about a million light bulbs in here," she said.
Meyer laughed.
"I'm sure I do!" he said. "I lost track of them, just like everything else."
Serena looked over her shoulder. Pancham, Sylveon, and Delphox continued their work. Ampharos stood in the door to the back room, clearly confused by Meyer's absence.
"You know, it's a lot more organized in here now," said Serena. "If you wanted to, maybe we would be able to find them."
"Ah, I'm not worried," said Meyer. "It's just another expense not worth fixing."
"Don't you think you would get more customers if the sign worked?"
"Not enough to keep this place afloat. I can barely keep the lights on in this place as it is."
Serena gave Meyer an inquisitive look. As much as she wanted to, she did not dare ask the question on the tip of her tongue. She knew better than to inquire about money. Discussing it had already gotten her in enough trouble for a lifetime.
"You've been doing a remarkable job these past couple of weeks," said Meyer. "I have to say, though, I feel a bit like I'm exploiting you. Normally, someone who works as hard as you have should get a raise! I won't be able to give you one, though."
"You don't need to," said Serena. She looked out the front window again and shook her head. "I don't really have anything better to do anymore."
"Nonsense," said Meyer. "You're young. You've got your whole life ahead of you. There's no reason you should be spending all of your time here, working alone."
"I wish I knew what else I could do," said Serena. "If you haven't noticed, I've kind of messed everything up with pretty much everyone. No one wants to be around me anymore."
Meyer withdrew a hand from one of his back pockets, scratched his cheek, then placed it back in his pocket.
"You kids sure do have yourselves in a tough situation," he said. "I don't envy you all."
Serena bit her lip for a moment before she asked her next question.
"Do you... know about everything that's happened?" she said.
Meyer smiled.
"Of course I do," he said. "What kind of parent would I be if I didn't?"
"Um..."
"Don't answer that, please," said Meyer. He laughed to himself.
Serena narrowed her eyes. She didn't understand his reaction.
"Aren't you mad?" she said.
"About what?"
"About all the things I've done."
"Why would I be mad about any of that?"
"I... cheated on my boyfriend with the girl who was sharing a room with me!"
Meyer nodded.
"I know," he said.
Serena stared at him. She blinked a few times.
"...and?" she said.
"So what?" said Meyer.
"What do you mean so what?"
"Do you want me to lecture you or something?"
"No, not really."
"Good! Because I don't want to do that, either."
"Uh..."
"It doesn't seem to me like you need it," said Meyer. "It seems to me like you've done a good enough job of punishing yourself."
Serena tightened her lips and looked away. There it was again, the same thing everyone always said.
"Aren't you... mad?" said Serena.
"I'm mad about the situation, but not at you," said Meyer. "How could I be? Everyone does stuff they regret when they're young. I know I sure did. Any adult who tells you they didn't is a liar. Honestly, you're ahead of the curve by realizing it now and trying to learn from your mistakes. It takes some people their whole lives to learn to admit that they were wrong."
Serena bit down on the inside of her lip. She thought of her mother.
"I'm mad at Palermo," said Meyer. "And all the people around her who are willfully blind to what she's doing, too. It's amazing what the temptation of money and the power of fame can do to some people."
Serena knew all too well what that temptation felt like.
"You kids don't deserve to have to fight someone like her on your own," said Meyer. "It really goes to show what kind of person she is that she would do what she's doing to people of your age. It's completely unfair. I wish there were more I could do to help you."
"Thank you, but I don't know what you could do," said Serena. "I don't even know what we can do."
"The truth is, if it were nearly anyone else, there would be a lot more I could do to help you."
"Hmm?"
Serena saw Meyer move, and she turned her head back toward him. Meyer reached into another pocket. Beneath the fabric, Serena saw him grip something. As soon as he touched it, from the corner of her eye Serena saw Delphox's eyes flash with indigo light. Gently, the parts that floated in the air around her floated down to the surface of the counter. She stood like a statue, her eyes trained on Meyer like lasers. Serena held her breath.
"I think your Delphox figured it out a long time ago," said Meyer. The corner of his mouth turned upward in a grin. He pulled his hand from his pocket. He held a Poké Ball beneath his fingers. "I think it's about time you knew, too."
Meyer pressed the button on the ball and tossed it over his shoulder. It burst open with a flash of light, and Serena spun around to see the form of a tall Pokémon materialize in the middle of the shop floor. Flames danced around it as it took form, then flared to life on its wrists.
It was a Blaziken. A pendant dangled from its neck, a glimmering gemstone embedded in it.
From the same pocket, Meyer withdrew another object. It was a golden ring, bearing a brilliant, multicolored stone. Serena's jaw dropped.
Blaziken's piercing eyes landed on Serena for only a moment before he turned and faced Delphox. The two of them locked eyes. Neither one moved.
"My secret identity, revealed at last!" said Meyer. He was almost laughing as he spoke. "I am none other than the mighty, mysterious vigilante known as Blaziken Mask! Stunning, I'm sure."
"You-"
Serena stared at the ring which Meyer slipped onto his finger. It was unmistakable. A Key Stone.
"You have a Pokémon that can use mega evolution?" said Serena. "And you've kept it secret this whole time?"
"Yes and yes," said Meyer. He flexed his hand and turned it over once or twice, examining the ring on his finger and then setting his hand back down at his side. "Unfortunately, every superhero has their weakness. Especially fake ones."
"You..."
Serena gazed, her mouth hanging open. She could not fathom what kind of exchange was taking place between Delphox and Blaziken, but one thing was certain. The raw power was tangible. Serena felt the energy sweep over her in waves, pulsing out from between the two. She was keenly, acutely aware of what she was witnessing – an encounter between two individuals both in possession of incredible power.
"Sadly, there hasn't been much that Blaziken and I can do," said Meyer.
Still agape, Serena looked at Meyer. He continued.
"I think you understand what I mean. You saw firsthand when you followed Korrina."
Serena thought for a moment. While she pondered, Meyer answered her unspoken question.
"Nearly any other Pokémon, Blaziken and I could win," he said. "Not Florges, though. Especially not one that's developed psychic powers like that."
Serena remembered it, Lucario's futile struggle against Florges' psychic hold, and the devastating damage he took from Moonblast. Not even mega evolution was enough to overcome it.
And in addition to mega evolution, there was something else that Lucario and Blaziken had in common.
A type disadvantage.
"We could train for a hundred years and we still might not be able to beat her," said Meyer. "It's kind of sad, but type advantages are the great equalizer in battles, after all."
Meyer gave Serena a sideways glance.
"There are a lot of things that happen in this city that we can stop," he said. "We can't stop Palermo's schemes, though. Not while she has Florges on her side. She'd wipe the floor with us."
Serena felt electricity in the air. She wasn't sure if it was the prickling on the back of her neck or the lingering cold air that made her shiver.
"Are you sure about that?" she said.
"Very," said Meyer. "As much as I wish I wasn't, it's important that I am. I know better than to throw myself at her. There are people who need me, after all."
Meyer extended his hand, and he pressed the button on Blaziken's Poké Ball. A beam of light shot from it, and Blaziken disappeared a moment later in a flash. Although nothing in the room stirred, Serena felt the energy fade all around like the settling of the wind after a passing gust. On the far side of the room, she watched as the indigo light faded from Delphox's eyes.
"Speaking of people who need us," said Meyer, "why don't we head home for the evening? This mess will still be here tomorrow. Or, what little is left of it, anyway."
Meyer shoved his hands in his pockets again and admired the front room. He nodded a few times.
"I mean it," he said. "You really have done good work."
Embarrassed for reasons she failed to understand, Serena bowed her head.
"Thank you," she said.
A few minutes later, they locked up for the night. As she had once before, Serena rode home with Meyer on the back of his motorbike. The whole way, she couldn't help but wonder why Meyer said there were people who needed them. There were people who needed him. There was no one who needed her.
With her whole heart, she wished things were different.
Serena was shivering by the time she and Meyer arrived home. She wondered why she had been so foolish as to neglect purchasing a proper coat. No matter how thick her sweater was, it wasn't enough to prevent the freezing air from cutting right through her. She wondered if she would be able to get by without her scarf for any longer, or if she would have to confront the awkwardness and wear it anyway. She supposed that the red would at least stick out well enough in the landscape of frozen white that it would be easy for search and rescue teams to recover her after she had succumbed to hypothermia.
As soon as Meyer parked his bike, Serena eagerly hurried up the front steps. She opened the front door and was greeted by a billowing cloud of warmth. The heat seemed to embrace her and beckon her forward. She did not resist. Rather, she sighed in comfort as Meyer came in behind her and closed the door, shutting out the cold air for the night. With her eyes shut, she rubbed her hands together in an effort to restore some feeling to her icy fingers. She was so distracted by the warmth that it took her several seconds to notice something.
There were several excited voices coming from the kitchen, one of which she had not heard in a long time.
"Is that-"
Meyer did not manage to get the full sentence out of his mouth. Stopping himself halfway, he exchanged a brief glance with Serena before the two of them both hurried into the kitchen.
Upon their entry, the conversation stopped. Heads turned. Korrina jumped up from her seat.
"Hey!" she said. "About time you two showed up!"
Serena had no time to react. Korrina was halfway across the kitchen before she could even blink. Before she could even think, Korrina wrapped her up in a tight hug.
"I- ...Korrina?"
"Yep! It's me!"
It was Korrina, beyond a shadow of a doubt. She looked slightly different than the last time Serena had seen her. Much like Lillie, she had added some accessories to her outfit to make it more seasonally appropriate. She had replaced her usual black athletic shorts with full-length leggings, and she wore a white, baggy hoodie – currently unzipped – over her usual short dress. Serena barely had any time to take it all in before Meyer joined in and turned the embrace into a group hug.
"You okay?"
Serena didn't know what to make of Korrina's question until she looked up and saw Meyer predictably looking like he was on the verge of tears.
"I'm fine!" he said, his voice overdramatic and watery. "I'm just so glad to see you!"
At the table, Clemont clenched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He shook his head. Bonnie folded her arms, a rather disappointed look on her face.
"Aw, come on, dad!" she said.
"I'm happy to see you, too!" Korrina said, looking up at Meyer. "I'm glad to be back."
"And we're so happy to have you back," said Meyer.
The group hug parted, and Meyer immediately reached for a rag in one of his pockets. He sniffled loudly as he dabbed his eyes with it. Korrina took a step back from him and tilted her head slightly. She gave him a fond, amused sort of look.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone so happy to see me," she said. "Clemont didn't even get this worked up!"
"That's because unlike my father, I always do my best to maintain a modicum of composure," said Clemont.
Meyer waved his filthy rag at Clemont.
"Now now, there's nothing wrong with displaying a little emotion," he said. "It takes strength for a man to show his softer side!"
"There is a considerable difference between showing some emotion and wearing one's emotions on their sleeves," said Clemont.
"You cry over everything, dad!" said Bonnie.
"They're always happy tears," said Meyer. "Now, how about I get started on dinner? Does that sound good to everyone?"
There was a chorus of agreement from all around the room. As Serena heard the voices, she realized that everyone was there. At the far end of the table, Lillie was seated between Ash and Aria, a barrier between the two of them, maintaining snippets of conversation with both of them. Serena wasn't certain if she should envy Lillie or pity her.
Chaos ensued as Meyer began the dinner preparations, recruiting the help of several people in the process. Realizing that there were far too many cooks in the kitchen, Serena stepped out. Uncertain what her next move would be, she hesitated for a moment at the foot of the stairs.
"Hey."
Serena turned her head and saw Korrina following behind her. Korrina stopped in the hallway, shifted her stance awkwardly, then folded her arms and leaned against the wall.
"So... Clemont told me a lot about what happened while I was gone," she said.
Serena clenched her whole face in an attempt to prevent herself from wincing. It didn't work.
"Oh?" she said.
"Yeah," said Korrina. "How have you been? Are you okay?"
"No," said Serena. She shook her head a couple of times. "I haven't been great."
"That... wasn't a very smart question, was it?" said Korrina. She looked aside for a moment, then back at Serena. "Have things been getting better, at least?"
"Not really," said Serena.
"But it's been weeks!" said Korrina. "I thought for sure that you and Ash and Aria would have been able to talk at least some of this stuff out by now!"
"We haven't talked at all."
"What?"
"No one wants to talk to me," said Serena. She shrugged. "I don't blame them, honestly."
"You mean, you all haven't figured out anything while I've been gone?"
"We figured out that I'm a pretty bad girlfriend, but that's about it."
"Serena!"
"What? It's the truth."
"Come on!" said Korrina. "You've had all this time to try to work things out, and you haven't talked to anyone?"
"I tried!" said Serena. "Aria won't talk to me! And every time I try to talk to Ash, it's super awkward and we just avoid the point! What else can I do?"
Korrina rolled her eyes, craning her neck backward and looking up toward the ceiling with an exaggerated groan.
"Do I have to do everything around here?" she said.
"What more could I have done?" said Serena. "I'm in no position to ask them to do anything!"
"It's not about asking."
"I can't make them talk to me!"
"Well, good news!" said Korrina. "I can."
"Huh?"
Korrina reached into one of the pockets of her hoodie and pulled out a Poké Ball.
"What are you doing?" said Serena.
"Making things happen."
"You can't be serious about this!"
"I'm super serious about this!" said Korrina. She tossed the ball, and Lucario emerged from it in a flash.
"You can't just interfere with this!" said Serena. "It's my business, not yours!"
"It's everyone's business because we're all stuck here under the same roof together and fighting for the same cause!" said Korrina. "How are we supposed to come up with a way to beat Palermo if you, Ash, and Aria won't talk to each other?"
"I don't-"
"Lucario, go get Ash!"
"Korrina!"
Serena's protest went unheeded. Instead of backing down, Korrina advanced on her.
"What are you- Hey! Stop!"
Serena abandoned her question mid-sentence as all sense of civility fell apart. She didn't understand what happened next, only that it happened at a dizzying pace. One moment, she saw Korrina in front of her. The next, she had been spun around, and Korrina held her firmly by the wrist, her arm forced behind her back. Her other arm was trapped uselessly by her side as Korrina gripped her from behind in a crushing hold.
"Ash!"
Serena's cry was answered, but not in the way she wanted. A few moments of useless struggle later, she heard Ash involved in a struggle of his own. She turned her head and saw Lucario pull him into the hallway with both of his hands secured behind his back.
"Lucario, stop!" said Ash. "It's me!"
"Don't fight it!" said Korrina. "It's for your own good!"
Ash turned his head to look at Korrina, confusion and fear on his face.
"Korrina, what are you doing?" he said. A moment later, his eyes landed on Serena. His eyes widened a bit more, and then he looked at Korrina again. "Let us go!"
"Not happening," said Korrina.
"Don't make me get Pikachu!" said Ash.
"The only thing I'm making you do is talk," said Korrina.
"About what?" said Ash. "What do you want to know?"
"Not talk to me," said Korrina. "I mean to each other!"
Ash looked at Serena again. Their eyes met, and his face slackened. He looked more confused than ever.
"Huh?"
"I didn't spend a month away from my friends and resign from my job just so I could come back to a drama bomb waiting to explode!"
Serena's jaw dropped. She tried with considerable difficulty to look back at Korrina. Korrina shuffled her along down the hallway.
"Wait, you resigned?" said Serena.
"Yeah," said Korrina. "Long story. The short version is that I got sick of all the rules and regulations and legal stuff and decided I'd had enough. My grandpa is acting as the gym leader now until they find a replacement."
"I- Wow, I'm... sorry?"
"I'm not," said Korrina. She pushed Serena a few more feet forward, then stopped.
Korrina leaned forward, using her elbow to keep Serena's arm pinned against her while she reached out with her hand. Serena got a very close look at the door to the cupboard under the stairs as her face was pressed against it. Then, Korrina heaved her backward, and the door came open. It was dark inside.
Lucario dragged Ash up beside them. Ash continued to struggle uselessly against Lucario's iron grip. The stale, musty air from inside the closet wafted out. It was filled with random household objects. Serena yelped and then struggled not to trip as Korrina shoved her inside.
"Hey!" said Serena. "Are you-?"
She was unable to finish her question before Lucario shoved Ash inside, causing the two of them to collide and topple over. There was a cacophony of buckets and broomsticks and everything else imaginable as the two of them crashed to the floor.
Serena had just enough time to roll over on the ground and look up to see Korrina shut the door behind them. The light vanished. The lock clicked.
Even more unknown objects went clattering as Serena heard Ash spring up next to her in the dark and then slam himself against the door. He struggled with the doorknob.
"Korrina, let us out!"
"Sorry, but no!" said Korrina. Her voice was muffled by the door. "You have to beat the game first!"
"What game?!" said Ash.
"You're in my brand-new escape room!" said Korrina.
"This isn't an escape room!" said Serena. "It's a closet!"
"I've repurposed it!" said Korrina. "You have to solve the puzzle before I let you out."
"What puzzle?" said Ash.
"Your feelings for each other!" said Korrina. "You have to sort out your issues with each other before I let you out."
"Korrina, you can't do this!" said Serena. "This isn't helping!"
"That's where you're wrong!" said Korrina. "You two have needed to do this for a long time."
"Are you crazy?" said Serena.
"Maybe!" said Korrina.
"How can you think that this is a good idea?" said Serena. "Did you and Clemont do this or something?"
"Ha! No, we didn't," said Korrina. "Funny that you mention it, though, because it took him so long to confess to me that when he finally did, at first I thought he was going to tell me about another kind of closet."
"Korrina, this isn't funny!" said Ash. He beat his fist on the door. "Let us out, now!"
"I will if you two solve the puzzle!" said Korrina. "You've got one hour! I'll be back then. I'll be telling the others to leave you two alone and not to let you out, either!"
"An hour?!" said Ash. "What if we solve the puzzle before then?"
"Make the most of it, then," said Korrina.
"Korrina!" Serena shouted, warmth rushing to her face.
"I'll see you two then," said Korrina. "Good luck!"
Footsteps trailed away. Ash pounded his fist on the door again.
"Korrina! Get back here! Let us out!"
Korrina did not respond. Her footsteps tracked directly overhead, up the stairs.
The two of them were alone.
The first few minutes passed in excruciating silence. As Serena's eyes adjusted, she realized that it was not perfectly black inside. A thin sliver of light peeked in from beneath the door. It was not enough light to truly see, but it was enough to make some sense of her surroundings. Ash stood in front of the door with his back to it, leaning against it. She was not certain, but it looked like his arms were folded. She could not see his face at all.
Serena herself sat on the dusty floor. The closet was deep, almost impractically so, the furthest reaches of it extending all the way to the foot of the stairs. She could not determine what was stored there, and it would have been impossible to reach without crawling. As for the disheveled contents around her, an assortment of cleaning supplies was strewn about the floor, scattered by their haphazard entry.
"I guess she's really not gonna let us out, huh?" said Ash.
"I don't think so," said Serena. "It's hard to make her change her mind."
"Hmm," said Ash. Serena saw his feet move in the dim light. He faced the door and rattled the handle. "I think I can break the door down if I try."
"Meyer would probably be pretty upset about that," said Serena. "We'd have to replace the door."
"Eh, no big deal," said Ash. Serena saw one of his feet leave the ground, undoubtedly to push against the door frame for more leverage.
"Ash, don't!" she said.
"You sure?" he said. "This door's not very sturdy. I think it'll work."
"It's not worth the trouble," said Serena. "Just… don't. Please."
Ash's other foot returned to the ground. He turned around and faced Serena again.
"So, do you wanna wait it out?" he said.
"Why don't we talk?"
"You wanna play Korrina's game?"
"Don't get me wrong!" said Serena. "She did this in the dumbest, most tactless way possible, but… she kind of has a point."
"You think so?"
"Yeah."
Ash responded with something that sounded like a halfhearted grunt.
"She's right that we haven't really talked, and that's my fault," said Serena. "I keep putting it off. It's so dumb. It's just... really hard."
"Yeah," said Ash.
"It's... scary, honestly."
"Yeah," Ash said again. His voice was quieter than before.
Serena shook her head. Her heart was already pounding. She felt sweat forming all over her body. She wasn't certain if it was her or if the closet was just really hot.
"Can you sit down with me?" she said. "I've got a lot to explain. It's going to take a while."
"Sure," said Ash. With some difficulty, he cleared a space around his feet and then slowly lowered himself to the ground. Opposite her, Serena could just barely see the silhouette of his face in the dim light, his back to the door.
Serena wasn't certain if not being able to see Ash's face made this easier or harder. At least it didn't feel impossible.
"I'm not sure where to start," said Serena. "So much happened."
"How about when you left Professor Kukui's lab?" said Ash. "What happened then? You never said."
It wasn't what Serena meant, but she supposed it was as good a starting point as any. At least it meant she wouldn't have to face the hard truth of the matter yet. Not yet. Just a few more minutes.
"Not much," said Serena. "I walked to the Pokémon Center. I spent the night. I took a taxi to the airport in Hau'oli City the next morning, then took the next flight to Lumiose City. I went home. It took a while. Honestly, I barely even remember it. I was barely even there, if that makes sense."
"Kinda," said Ash. "I was super worried about you. I told Professor Kukui and Burnet about what happened. I wanted to follow you, but Professor Burnet told me to let you go. She stayed with us for a long time after that, until Lillie and I left. She spent a lot of time with Lillie. They talked a lot."
"I'm really glad that Lillie had her there to help," said Serena. "She needed her. She needed a real mom."
"Yeah, she did."
"Things were… weird when I got home to my mom," said Serena. "It was like she understood what happened even though I never really told her about it. She just knew somehow."
"Mom powers, I guess," said Ash.
"Yeah, I didn't really understand it. She understood, though. At least, I think she did. We hugged. We both cried. I think we both thought about my dad."
Serena sensed Ash stiffen.
"Hmm," he hummed.
"I'm not sure why," said Serena. "What happened wasn't really like what happened with my mom and dad, but… it also kind of was like that? It's weird. It felt connected, but I don't know how to explain it."
Ash didn't say anything for a while. Neither did Serena. She knew that the present topic touched on the one subject Ash wanted to talk about least of all.
To her surprise, Ash spoke first.
"What was he like?"
"Hm?"
"Your dad."
Astonished, Serena needed a moment to collect her thoughts to respond.
"I don't really know," she said. "I don't remember him very well. I was so young when he left. I have a few memories of him playing with me and taking care of me, but the rest of them are pretty much all of him fighting with my mom. They fought a lot."
Ash said nothing. Serena thought some more and continued.
"My mom and I fought a lot, too," she said. "I used to think it was all her fault. I blamed her for my dad leaving. I blamed her for us fighting all the time. I thought it was all because of her. I wanted to be nothing like her because of it. I didn't want to fight with anyone, ever. I didn't want to say anything to upset anyone, ever. So, I hid everything for as long as I could. When I finally broke and spilled my secrets, I didn't know what to do anymore. I made so many stupid mistakes so quickly. Everything fell apart."
Serena shook her head.
"My dad and I have a lot in common, I think," she said. "I think the same thing happened to him. He wasn't a fighter. When he made mistakes and was backed into a corner, he didn't fight. He ran away. Forever. I tried to do the same thing. Honestly, if Clemont and everyone hadn't come looking for me, I would still be hiding at home."
Serena thought for a moment.
"I never saw my dad again after he left. I never even heard from him. I used to think it was because he didn't care. I'm not so sure about that anymore. I think that maybe he never tried to get in touch with me was because he felt like he wasn't worthy of being a dad, and that he deserved to punish himself for it. I felt the same way about all the things I did."
"You never wanted to hurt anyone," said Ash. "I know you. You made a mistake."
"I made a lot of mistakes," said Serena.
"You didn't make any of them on purpose," said Ash.
"But I kept making them," said Serena. "I still keep making them, and it's all because old habits are hard to break. It's hard to be honest when you've spent your whole life hiding. I've been trying, but… it's hard. I may be determined, but I'm not very brave, no matter what anyone says."
"I think you're brave."
"I think I'm a coward," said Serena. "My mom is brave. She stood up for herself. She fought for her dreams. She even pushed herself to do her best at things she didn't want to do. She sacrificed her career to raise me. Even though it didn't always show, she put me before herself. That took courage. My father was a weak, cowardly man. He refused to fight even when it was his only choice. He gave up. And that's what hurts the most. I repeated his mistake. I didn't have the courage or the strength to wait for you or to trust you. My dad gave up on me and my mom. I… gave up on you."
Ash didn't say anything. In the darkness, the faint shadows shifted. Serena thought she saw him bow his head.
"I lost faith," said Serena. "I thought it would be easy to wait for you to come back. I really believed that at first, but once I left home and came here and stopped isolating myself, and I stopped getting your letters, that all changed. I felt even more alone than I did at home, and I think it was because it was easy to ignore our separation when I couldn't see anyone else together. But Clemont and Korrina were right here, and they were so good together, and I felt so… desperate. I couldn't stand being alone. I tried to pour myself into my work, but it was so mindless, and all of that changed once I found Aria."
"You chased her down, right?"
"Yes, despite her best efforts to avoid me. I didn't understand why back then. I was so obsessed with wanting to apologize to her. I had to undo all the terrible things I did somehow, and since Lillie was in Alola with you, I was going to have to wait to make things right with her. So, I focused on Aria instead. When I finally found her, everything went crazy."
"Yeah, it sounds like it did," said Ash.
"I'm sure you know the story by now, even if I haven't told you," said Serena. "I chased her to an abandoned building where she was hiding, her old dance school. Palermo followed us. We barely escaped. I brought Aria here. Aria ended up trapped here. I felt really guilty about it, and I did my best to fix the friendship she and I had begun to form in Monego City. But that's when things got complicated."
"Yeah..."
Serena squinted in the darkness. She saw the faint shadow of Ash raising his hand and placing it behind his neck. Not that it mattered in their current situation, but she was sure he was looking away from her. Serena hesitated for a while before she spoke again.
"I tried to become friends with Aria, but she and I have a really complicated history. She had feelings for me, and she viewed you as the reason she couldn't be with me."
"I know," said Ash.
"Well, none of those feelings went away. If anything, they became stronger. Aria and I spent a lot of time together, and we began to get really close. And… at the same time I was growing closer to her, I felt farther and farther apart from you. My feelings began to change."
Ash was very quiet.
"From my point of view, all of the signs pointed to you having given up on me. To me, it looked like you wrote to me at first but then stopped. I didn't write back to you until it was too late, and you never even got that letter. It got sent back to me, and so I just assumed you had given up on our relationship. And honestly, why wouldn't you? You had a beautiful, lovely girl by your side who adored you. You saved her, journeyed through a tropical paradise together, even traveled to another dimension together. I was just the girl who followed you until you liked me, then lost her mind because of her insecurity. How could I compete with that?"
"That wasn't what I felt," said Ash.
"I... know that now," said Serena. She shook her head at how stupid her own words sounded. "But we were apart for a long time, and, well, I did what made sense to me at the time. It kind of felt like it was the only thing I could do."
"Really?"
Serena was grateful she could not see the expression on Ash's face. She bit her lip.
"I... couldn't help it," she said. "It just kind of happened. You don't fall for someone on purpose. I couldn't help what my feelings were!"
In the silence that followed, Serena closed her eyes. She bowed her head and then held her head in both hands.
"I couldn't help falling for Aria," she said, quieter than before. "I couldn't change my feelings. What I could have changed are my actions. I really, really wish I had."
"Yeah."
Ash's flat reply made Serena's heart sink. She scrambled for more words.
"I didn't want to hurt you!" she said. "I didn't want to hurt anyone! I just... wanted to stop hurting."
When she received nothing in response, Serena cringed and craned her neck upward toward the ceiling. She groaned.
"I sound so stupid," she said. "I can't believe what an idiot I sound like. What am I even doing?"
She covered her face with both hands, producing a soft clapping sound as she slapped them over her eyes. An extended silence followed as the scent of dinner cooking in the kitchen and endless waves of self-loathing washed over her. She couldn't believe her own words.
She also couldn't believe the next thing Ash said.
"I... didn't know that girls could be, you know, girlfriends."
"Ash! Really?! Come on!"
"I didn't know!"
"Are you serious?! How can you not know? You knew that Aria had feelings for me!"
"I dunno, I just thought she was, like, weird or something."
"Aria wasn't being weird! She likes girls! And-"
Serena stopped herself. She made a painfully awkward face, then continued at a much lower volume.
"...and I do, too, apparently."
"Huh."
Serena knew what Ash's simple reply meant. It was the same one he always gave when he received a new and unexpected piece of information that left him well and truly speechless. She wasn't certain if his genuine astonishment was endearing or the most absurd and frustrating thing ever.
"And also boys," Serena added. "I think. I like you, and I like Aria. That's all I really know. It's… confusing."
"Yeah, no joke," said Ash. "I had no idea."
Serena paused. She wondered for a moment if Korrina's choice of a closet to lock them in had been intentional. She wasn't sure if she should laugh, cry, scream, or all of the above. She did none of them.
"So, yeah," she said. "I dated Aria for a while. We broke up when you and Lillie arrived. I was kind of in denial about what I was doing the whole time."
"What do you mean?"
Serena narrowed her eyes at Ash. She couldn't comprehend his question.
"What do you mean?" she said.
"What were you in denial about?"
Serena winced. She didn't want to say it. She knew she had no choice.
"About... cheating on you," she said.
"Huh?"
Serena paused.
"Don't tell me that you don't know what that means," she said. "Please. There's no way. You have to. It's impossible."
"Well, yeah, but you didn't really cheat on me, did you?"
"What?"
"It doesn't sound like you did."
"What part of me dating someone else without your knowledge doesn't sound like cheating to you?!"
Ash shifted his posture a bit.
"For it to be cheating, don't you have to, you know…"
"What?!"
"Do I have to say it?" said Ash.
Serena dug her fingers into her hair and pulled.
"What?!" she said. "Just- what?! You don't have to have sex with someone for it to be cheating! Where in the world did you get that idea?"
Ash laughed nervously. Serena heard him scratch his neck, for certain this time.
"Man, Brock really didn't explain this stuff very well," he said.
"What did he tell you?"
"I dunno," said Ash. "It never made much sense. I don't think he knew what he was talking about."
"Didn't he propose to practically every girl he met?"
"Yeah. It was a lot like what Bonnie used to do for Clemont."
"A lot creepier, I bet."
"Most girls didn't like it, I think. Misty used to pull him away by the ear. His Croagunk used to punch him."
"And he's the one who taught you about romance, isn't he?"
"Yeah."
"Ugh. No wonder you don't understand."
"It was always super weird."
"I'm sure it was."
"He told me that cheating was when you're with someone and you, uh, do it with someone else."
Serena exhaled sharply through her nose.
"Well, he wasn't totally wrong," she said. "That's one way to cheat."
"What other ways are there?"
"Probably too many to count," said Serena. "That's not really the point, though. The whole idea of cheating is that you aren't faithful to your partner. You have the kind of intimacy you're supposed to have only with them with someone else. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I did."
"I wasn't here, though," said Ash. "You thought I gave up on you."
"That doesn't change anything," said Serena. "You were faithful to me the whole time, despite everything. I was not faithful to you."
"But our break never really ended, did it?"
"That's no excuse," said Serena. "It's a convenient lie I told to make myself feel better about everything. It doesn't matter if we were on a break or not. We never talked about dating other people, let alone agreed it was okay. You signed all of your letters to me with Love, Ash. There was nothing ambiguous about what our relationship truly was, not really. We were still together, just… separated, for a while. That's all. And I let that separation overcome me. I was weak, and scared, and lonely, and Aria was here. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to pretend the consequences weren't real. I wanted to give up and take the easy way out. And I did. I betrayed your trust. I wasn't a faithful lover to you, and I destroyed our relationship. I'm sorry."
"You didn't destroy anything," said Ash.
"Yes I did," said Serena. "We can't continue to be together after this. That's not how this works."
"If you say so," said Ash.
Serena paused. Her brow creased.
"That's it?" she said. "That's all you have to say about this?"
"I dunno what to say about it," said Ash.
"After all this, you're willing to just agree with me that it's over, like it's nothing? Aren't you mad? Do you care at all?"
"I don't want it to be over. But if you say it is, what am I gonna do?"
"I don't want it to be over, either!" said Serena. "That's why I'm so upset about this! I made the biggest mistake of my life! I hurt you, the person I care about the most! Or at least, I thought I did, but none of this really seems to matter to you, and I don't know how to take that! How am I supposed to interpret you reacting to my infidelity as if I asked you to solve a math problem you didn't understand?"
Ash said nothing. Serena faintly saw him bow his head.
"I want to fix things between us," said Serena. "I really do. I don't know if our problems can be fixed anymore, though. It feels like all my effort to make things better has only made things worse, and it's cost me both Aria and you. I don't know what to do anymore."
"I don't, either," said Ash.
"And that's the thing," said Serena. "You were my guiding light for so long. You showed me the way. I followed you, always, forever. But now, we're lost, and neither one of us knows the way."
Serena shut her eyes. She hung her head, curling her knees up to her chest. For the first time, she thought she felt it, Aria's terrible truth about her love for Ash.
But then Ash said something that made Serena's jaw drop.
"At least we're lost together."
Serena looked up at him. It was pointless. She couldn't see his face. There was no way to read his expression, his posture obscured by darkness.
"I'd rather be lost with you than know where I'm going with anyone else," he said.
Before Serena could formulate a coherent thought and put it into words, she was interrupted by the thundering sound of someone racing down the stairs up above. She heard the footsteps reach the bottom of the stairs, then turn in their direction.
"Has it been an hour already?" said Ash.
Serena was certain it had not, but she did not get an opportunity to respond. The lock on the door turned, and it flew open. Both she and Ash squinted and shielded their eyes, blinded by the light.
Lillie stood in the door.
"I apologize if I'm interrupting something, but Korrina sent me to get you two," she said.
"But our time's not up yet, is it?" said Ash. "I don't think we've solved the puzzle."
Serena strained her eyes to look at Lillie. Lillie bore a stern expression.
"Korrina assured me that doesn't matter," Lillie said, shaking her head. "There is something you both need to see immediately."
A minute later, upstairs in Clemont's room, Serena's eyes glazed over as she stared at the monitor. Everyone was gathered around Clemont's computer, a news article displayed on the screen.
At the top of the article was a picture. It was of Serena and Aria at the roller rink, holding hands.
"How?"
Serena's single word broke a silence that had lasted longer than she realized. She blinked, and she realized that her hands were damp. A bead of sweat trickled down her back. She squirmed.
"What is this?" said Ash. He leaned over Clemont's shoulder and tried to take a closer look.
"It appears to be a photo from an outing more than a month ago, when we all went out for Aria's birthday," said Clemont.
"Who took it?" said Ash.
"An excellent question," said Clemont. "We know for a fact that it was not any of us. We didn't have a camera with us that day."
Serena gulped, and she felt her heart pounding in her throat. The photo was grainy and out of focus, but undeniably of her and Aria.
"There were a million people there!" said Bonnie. "It could have been anyone!"
"I think the actual figure is more like a hundred, but your point stands," said Clemont. "There was far too much activity taking place there for us to have noticed anyone taking a picture."
"It doesn't look like the picture was supposed to be of Aria and Serena, either," said Lillie. When all eyes turned to her, she folded her hands and bowed her head for a moment before continuing. "It looks to me like the two of them are in the background of a bigger picture."
"Agreed," said Clemont, nodding at her. "I suspect that whoever created this article likely was not present when the photo was taken."
"And we know who did this," said Korrina. She sat on the edge of Clemont's bed, glaring at the screen.
"According to the article itself, it was written by a reporter named-"
"It was Palermo!" said Korrina.
Clemont hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes, most likely," he said. "I think it is safe to assume that she did this by proxy."
"I was afraid she would do something like this," said Aria.
Aria stood in the far corner of the room, away from everyone else, with her arms crossed and her head turned away. She glanced at everyone else for a moment, then returned to looking at her feet.
"I was afraid she would start targeting you all directly," she said.
"She already did," said Korrina. "Clemont and I lost our gyms because of her!"
"You two are public figures, though," said Aria. "You're not exactly celebrities, but slander is not entirely out of the question for you two. She's going after people who aren't famous now. She's making it more... personal. We're lucky she didn't publish the address of this house. The paparazzi would already be outside if she had."
Clemont scrolled through the article.
"Unfortunately, I think an enterprising sleuth would be able to determine that this address is the place to look," he said. "There are enough clues here to point someone in the right direction."
"Great," said Korrina. She flopped backward onto Clemont's bed.
"It feels strange to say something like this, but I have to give her credit," said Clemont. "It's a brilliantly crafted article. It reads like a gossip piece on the surface, but there's so much more hidden behind it if the reader knows where to look. Fascinating, really."
There was a moment of total silence followed by Bonnie punching Clemont on the arm.
"Clemont!" she said.
"Hey!" said Clemont. He inched away in his chair and covered the sore spot on his arm with his spare hand. "What was that for?"
"This isn't the time!" said Bonnie.
Korrina sat upright on the bed again and scowled at Clemont.
"Can you not admire the bad guy right now?" she said.
"I- Yes, I see your point," said Clemont. His shoulders sank as he spoke. "Not very tactful of me."
"You wouldn't know tact if I hit you with it!" said Bonnie.
"I'll ignore the blatant contradiction regarding what tact is supposed to be," said Clemont. "We have a much more important problem to solve."
Clemont straightened up in his seat and adjusted his glasses.
"We have all been avoiding this subject for a while now, I think," he said. "Not to mention that this is the first time in recent memory that we have all been gathered in one place. Given the circumstances, I would say the time has never been more opportune."
"You mean Palermo?" said Ash.
"Yes," said Clemont. "Or, to be more precise, how to stop her. At this point, I think it is perfectly evident to everyone that we need to come up with a plan."
Ash looked around the room a few times. All eyes were on him.
"Well, what are we gonna do?" he said.
"You're the only one of us who can beat her," said Korrina. "It's up to you."
Ash glanced in Aria's direction for a moment.
"But... Aria told me to stay out of this," he said.
Korrina's head snapped in Aria's direction and her face scrunched up in confusion.
"What?!" she said.
With her lips pursed, Aria nodded.
"It's true."
"Are you crazy?" said Korrina. "How else are we supposed to stop her? Her Florges took out Lucario like it was nothing!"
"I'm well aware of her strength," said Aria. "My opposition to Ash's involvement is for personal reasons, not practical ones."
"Why do you care who does it?" said Korrina. "She ruined your life, didn't she? She's going to ruin all of ours if we don't stop her!"
"I recognize that possibility and I don't want things to come to that," said Aria. "I assure you, the last thing I want is for any of you to be hurt because of this."
"I've already lost my gym because of this!" said Korrina. "We didn't have a way to stop Palermo then, but we do now!"
"Contrary to how it may seem, I'm not so sure that we do, not even with Ash's involvement," said Aria.
"Ash is a champion!" said Korrina. "There's no way she's stronger than him!"
"You're correct that she isn't, but that's not the problem," said Aria. "Palermo is definitely aware that she is outmatched. I can guarantee you that she has accounted for this in some way."
"How could she?" said Korrina.
"In many ways," said Aria. "Palermo has many powerful allies, and I don't just mean powerful trainers. She has influence. She has the media and the law on her side. If we were to attempt to storm her mansion and defeat her, the most likely outcome by far is that we would all be arrested. No one would ever believe us, even if we succeeded and tried to expose the truth."
"We can't succeed if we don't even try!" said Korrina.
"I have no reason to believe that we would succeed even if we did try," said Aria. "There are too many ways for things to go wrong."
"Do you even want to stop her?" said Korrina. She stood up, fists clenched. "This doesn't make any sense! You've got all these people who are willing to help you, so why don't you want our help? You can't stop her alone. What gives? Do you want her to win? Are you on her side or something?!"
Aria looked shocked, like she had been slapped in the face. The entire room fell silent.
"How... how could you even suggest such a thing?!" said Aria. "You've seen the truth about her firsthand! Do you think I want to be trapped here like this? I chose to live in squalor over living another day under her control!"
"Then if that's true, you know that we're all in danger!" said Korrina. "Is that worth you getting to fight back the way you want? She's obviously not going to stop until she gets whatever it is that she wants. Do you want her to do to all of us what she's done to you? If we don't do something, we'll be lucky if she doesn't start attacking our families in the news!"
Clemont raised his hand and extended it toward Korrina.
"Korrina, please-"
"I am not going to just stand by and let that happen!" said Korrina. She advanced a step toward Aria. "Is that really worth it to you?"
Aria bowed her head. With a pained expression on her face, she clenched her eyes shut.
"I don't want any of you to get hurt," she said. "I just really, truly don't believe that the way you want to fight back against her is going to work. She'll deceive you. She will always deceive you. It's only a matter of time."
Korrina glared at Aria. Aria did not look up. A tense silence followed.
After several seconds, Lillie spoke up.
"I... have a suggestion I would like to make," she said, timidly looking around at everyone.
"What is it?" said Ash.
"I have an idea that might be a suitable compromise," she said. "It would be a way for us to take action, but without directly attacking Palermo."
Aria looked up at Lillie and shook her head.
"Lillie, I don't think-"
"Enough!" said Lillie. Immediately, she seemed embarrassed by the volume of her voice. She momentarily covered her mouth with both hands, then folded them in front of herself. "I'm sorry, but we mustn't argue amongst ourselves like this. Both sides have legitimate points, but we have more options than either doing nothing or charging into battle headfirst. There is a space in between those two extremes."
"I'm inclined to agree with you," said Clemont, "although I must admit that I'm not sure what options exist in that space, so to speak."
"I think we have all been focusing on the wrong problem," said Lillie. "Or rather, I think that there may be a better way to approach the problem. If the problem is that Palermo is trying to recapture Aria, we don't have to defeat Palermo to prevent that from happening. All we have to do is ensure that Palermo cannot get to her."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow at Lillie.
"Isn't that what we've been doing here this whole time?" she said.
"In a sense, yes," said Lillie. "I think we are all aware, though, that the relative safety of this place comes not from its actual security, but rather from Palermo's desire to avoid drawing attention to her actions. She seems to consider it too much of a risk to attempt a direct assault here."
"True," said Clemont. "It is not clear that there are any places safer than here, though. I'm not certain that we have any alternative."
Lillie tried to hide it, but a smile began to form on her lips.
"As it so happens, I have access to a place where Palermo absolutely, unquestionably cannot reach Aria, or anyone else," she said.
The gears began to turn inside Serena's head. Her lips parted as the realization dawned on her.
"Do you mean... your mom's artificial island?" she said.
Lillie nodded excitedly. Ash pumped his fist.
"That's it!" he said. "How come we didn't think of that before? Aether Paradise is perfect for this!"
Everyone else looked less certain.
"Is it really that safe?" said Korrina.
"Yes, definitely!" said Lillie. "My brother is the new president of the foundation. He controls all access to and from the facility. There is no way for anyone to enter or leave without his knowledge and approval."
"The facility is in the middle of the ocean, isn't it?" said Clemont. "How could we possibly transport Aria to it?"
Lillie held up one finger.
"The Aether Foundation has a private jet!" she said. "It was how Ash and I traveled here, in fact. I can easily contact my brother and make arrangements for him to send the jet here to pick up Aria. The only trouble would be getting Aria to the airport unnoticed. How fortunate, then, that it just so happens that Aria is particularly adept at disguising herself."
Lillie looked expectantly at Aria. Aria sighed.
"I don't want to trade one prison for another," she said.
Lillie's smile morphed into a concerned frown.
"I admit that this is not ideal, but I think it may be the best opportunity we have at this point," said Lillie. "I may not understand the situation as well as everyone else here, but I am beginning to get the impression that we are running out of time before something terrible happens. I prefer not to think in such black-and-white terms, but it may be now or never."
Stone-faced, Aria thought for a while. She shook her head.
"Very well. Call your brother, then."
Serena had never given it any thought before, but Gladion looked exactly like what she expected a person named Gladion to look like. As she discovered during the video phone call, Gladion was Lillie's antithesis in every meaningful way. Were it not for their hair and eye color, she never would have guessed they were related. Gladion's standoffish attitude matched his all-black clothing, in stark contrast to the pristine white of the office visible behind him. Serena assumed the décor was Lusamine's handiwork. Given what she knew of the place, it was rather unsettling.
Despite his demeanor, Gladion did not hesitate in the slightest in agreeing to send the foundation's jet to Lumiose City. Much like Lillie, he seemed sympathetic to Aria's plight. The conversation lasted much longer than expected, in part because of Lillie's concern about their mother and her interest in her recovery, but more so because Gladion took every possible opportunity to assure Ash at great length that he was stronger than ever before and would defeat him in their next battle.
An impromptu strategy session followed and continued late into the night. The jet was due to arrive the next evening – soon, but not soon enough. As Clemont discovered and then pontificated on at great length, the jet's anticipated arrival would be just ahead of the arrival of a cold front which was expected to produce Lumiose City's first snowfall of the season. There would only be a window of a few hours at most, not nearly enough turnaround time for a pilot and an aircraft after a transoceanic flight. They would have to wait until the storm had passed, which conveniently gave them more time to figure out how to sneak Aria to and through the airport.
That night, Serena went to sleep expecting that the following day would be spent making additional preparations. What she did not expect was how that day would begin.
Early in the morning, she stirred from a deep sleep as she felt someone jostle her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, she saw Lillie standing over her. Lillie had tears streaming down her cheeks, and she clutched a piece of paper against her chest. Ribombee zoomed frantically around the room.
"Lillie?" said Serena. She scrambled to sit upright in her bed. "What's wrong?"
"It's Aria," said Lillie. She swallowed, then sniffled. "She's... gone."
"What?!"
"She left this."
Lillie extended the piece of paper to Serena. Serena took it from her. It was a note, written in that familiar loopy cursive she had seen so many times before.
Dear Lillie,
Your companionship has been a joy to me throughout these last couple of weeks. I will forever be thankful for the kindness you have shown me during this difficult time. I appreciate your compassion and your concern for me more than I can explain. I am truly touched that you would go to such lengths to help me.
Unfortunately, it has become clear to me as my situation has become more serious that I am placing an unfair burden upon you and everyone else in this household. I have been selfish, and it is because of my selfish desires that all of you are in danger. I wanted to find a way to escape this situation on my own, and it is because of that naïve hope that all of you have become entangled in a situation that never needed to involve any of you. I cannot bear the thought of what might happen to you all if your plan to help me fails.
You were correct that we had more options, and there was a very obvious one that no one mentioned, one that now seems to me like the simplest way to do the most good for everyone involved. When you find this letter, I will have already taken that option. I am going to turn myself over to Palermo, thus freeing all of you from her tyranny. For your sake and the sake of everyone else who has been so kind to me over the last two months, I cannot allow you to endanger yourselves on my behalf anymore.
I cannot win this battle, but I can win the war. I will be free of her one day. She will not live forever. When that time comes, I would love to be able to see you again, and all of the friends I have been so lucky to make. Until then, I hope life is kind to you. You deserve it.
I will miss you, and it has been a pleasure to call you my friend. Please send my warmest regards to everyone else. I hope to see you all again someday.
Thank you for everything.
- Aria
