Things Left Unsaid


Inyssa felt like she'd been stabbed in the stomach with a lightning bolt.

Waking came as a jolt, like that of falling backwards on a chair. Her eyelids moved tentatively. she parted her lips to breathe, and soon regretted it. Not only was her mouth full of wet sand but her teeth were made of broken glass. As far as she could tell, anyway.

"Hgh…"

She moved her arms and legs a few inches, not noticing any pain. Slowly she wormed her way up the bed under her, and fully opened her eyes. White and pastel blue as far as she could see, which wasn't much. Probably a hospital room, judging by the acidic smell of disinfectants and cheap perfume.

A pair of bored eyes stared at her from the sill of the door. An old man with moon-silver hair, wearing a white lab coat.

"Had yourself a nice nap?" he asked, voice like the creak of wind. "Hope it was enough to calm your nerves. How are you feeling?"

She opened her mouth to speak, and the needle-like pain in her jaw almost made her eyes water. Slowly she tried again, more carefully.

"Where… am I?"

He walked towards her, each step resounding like a gong inside her head, and sat on a stool next to her bed. Taking a small flashlight from his front pocket he shone it at her eyes, getting a low growl as a response.

"Maylene's disciples brought you here a few hours ago," he said while studying her face. "You were an annoying little shit, let me tell you. Wouldn't stop complaining and yelling about your friend, so I told my Venomoth to use Sleep Powder on you."

Three things came to mind. First, a slight indignation at his blunt, yet casual insult. Second, that she didn't think doctors were allowed to talk like that to patients, and third that as soon as he said those words memories came rushing back at her. Mars, Barry and Shadi. Maylene and her Lucario, and her immobile body being carried by…

She tried to speak, but the man raised his palm towards her, eyebrows knit.

"Don't start again," he warned her. "Your friend's in one of the other rooms, and he's perfectly fine aside from some bruising. And before you ask, no, you can't go visit him until your guardian gives permission."

She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. Guardian? What did he mean by guardian? Before she could ask, the man grazed her lower jaw, and the sudden pain almost made her punch him in the face.

"You got hit pretty hard," he said, lips forming a thin line. "Not hard enough to break bones, but barely. You've got some nasty bruises on your stomach and lower jaw, and it won't be long before they start swelling." He moved her head with his fingers, staring intently at the wound. "I already prescribed some mild painkillers with your guardian's permission. Hopefully they'll dull the pain until it becomes more bearable."

She placed her hand on top of her left cheek and winced at the immediate pain. That's when she noticed she was wearing only her plain white shirt, and swiftly noticed her coat, hat, scarf and belt hanging from a coat rack next to the door.

Her Pokemon…

Part of her wanted to release them and apologize like Maylene had told her to do, but guilt and pain combined made a good argument against it.

"Alright, I'm going to need you to wait here," the man said, startling her. "Your guardian said to alert her when you woke up. Don't try to escape or I'll tie your arms and legs to the bed."

She scowled at him. Her throat was so dry it was killing her. "Uh…yeah. Make sure to bring the heaviest restraints," she said. "Also some water."

Soon she was left alone with that disgusting citric smell and the gleam of her Pokeballs taunting her. Her mind was a strange haze, a bunch of stupid clouds and cotton and other things of similar consistency clogging the gears of her brain. She tried moving her fingers, and experienced the horrible feeling of a million ants running under her skin towards her arm and the rest of her body. It brought bad memories with it, memories of the last time she'd woken up in a hospital with a sense of shame and disappointment.

"Did you sleep well?"

The ants almost jumped out of her skin, in the same way she did. She turned towards the sound of that voice so fast she felt dizzy, setting her eyes on the gigantic curtain separating her from the other bed in the room. Callused fingers grabbed the right edge of it and moved it to the side.

Maylene smiled from the other bed. The first thing she noticed was the band-aid over her cheek, and the second was that she wasn't wearing her usual clothes. Unlike Inyssa she was covered in the typical patient gown, and there was a metal pole holding a plastic bag next to her, with a translucent cable connected to her wrist.

Her eyes widened as she looked lower. Everything from her hips to just under her breasts was covered by a thick layer of bandages, over which was placed a bag full of ice.

The Gym Leader noticed her watching, and let out a short laugh. "Looks bad, doesn't it? I'd like to say it's was Mars' doing, but it was my own stupidity," she said. "But hey, at least ribs heal, right?"

Inyssa parted her dry lips and asked. "W-what happened to you?"

Maylene gave her a swift and concise explanation of her fight against Mars, right up until when the Association forces arrived. Her mouth hung open as she heard it, not believing her ears.

Just like that? The voice whined inside her head. She was defeated so easily?

"…and while they restrained her, that Frontier Brain Palmer took care of the rest of the grunts in the city," she concluded, taking a deep breath. "Quite the ordeal, really."

Quite the ordeal was about as simple of a statement as one could make about the situation, but she figured it was just Maylene's way of putting it. She tried to say something funny or somewhat crude to alleviate the topic, but the words that came out surprised even her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down. "This all my fault. Mars and those guys were after me."

Maylene stared at her for a few seconds and broke into laughter. It didn't last long, mainly because the pain in her stomach and also due to her sudden coughing fit.

"You must be joking!" she said. "Inyssa, your only mistake was facing that bastard alone. You chose to fight, didn't give in to their demands and boldly looked at death square in the face. You did the right thing."

She swallowed hard, the Gym Leader's words turning her cheeks red.

"But I gave up," she argued. "And I endangered a ton of people just for being here."

Maylene dismissed her with a wave of the hand. "You don't need to worry about the people of this town, we're a tough bunch. And besides, no one actually died." She seemed chipper as she delivered the news. "As for your first point; you might've done some stupid things, but no one can blame you for that. People react weirdly to the risk of death."

Inyssa bit her lower lip. "I didn't do anything, I just stood there while Mars beat me."

She was met with another short laugh.

"You think too much, that's your problem." Maylene decided, pushing her nape against the soft pillow. "You can't over think a fight after it's over. Trust me, it's a waste of time."

Hers was a simplistic way to think about it, but she couldn't help but find it endearing nonetheless. Despite being an amazing fighter and trainer, not to mention the one who'd saved her life, one could tell she was still a teen in some ways.

"In any case, you should talk to your Pokemon before they come back." Maylene gestured towards the belt at the other side of the room. "I told you to apologize to them, didn't I?"

Oh, fuck me.

She nervously glanced over at the coat rack, and after gathering her courage tried to get off the bed. The pain was intense, every step she took feeling like someone were hammering a nail through her bellybutton. She noticed not only her belt but also her Pokétch hanging from one of its holsters. Hao's sleepy face met her as the screen turned on. The ghost Pokemon winked and smiled, but didn't speak since Maylene was still in the room

He gestured towards the big, red 1 over the icon of her message app. Above it was written the name of its sender: Percy.

Perplexed, she pressed the button, which opened a white screen with the message she'd been sent:

We saw what happened in the news.

Tell me when you'll be coming to Pastoria; Reiko wants to talk to you about the woman who attacked you.

PS from Reiko: We're so glad you two are okay! Pizzas are on us next time we meet.

She shook her head, bewildered. What could Reiko possibly have to tell her about Mars? As far as she knew neither her nor Percy knew about Team Galactic.

It was something to think about later.

Her Pokeballs had a pleasant, yet sad weight on her hands. She stared for a bit before releasing her partners in a four way explosion of light that momentarily blinded her.

She couldn't even get a word in before Steven lunged at her. His talons strongly grabbed at her elbow, wings enveloping her just below the chin. The Staravia let out strong chirps of relief and happiness at the sight of his trainer, and she even noticed his eyes water slightly. She cleaned her cheek with her free sleeve and spoke as soon as she collected herself.

"Hey there, missed me?" she asked, her voice somewhat low and nasal.

Steven noticed he was smothering and let go of her, flapping his wings down to the ground. There she could see the rest of her team; Bret and Kuro looked at her incredulous while Shadi…

She gulped, lower lip trembling. There was no denying the clear joy in the Kricketune's face, but it was mixed with something far more heavy and sinister. Anger and betrayal looked at her from behind those soft green eyes. Her mustache twitched ever so slightly, the hair at the end of it somewhat disheveled. Thick bandages covered the wound on her chest.

"I'm sorry…" she said without thinking, out of fear alone. She couldn't bear the thought of her own Pokemon being mad at her, not after…

"I… realize that I might have not, like… made the right decision?" She formed an awkward, lopsided smile. "You wanted to fight Mars and… to protect me, I guess. But you can't blame me for wanting to protect you too!"

Judging by the angry gleam in their eyes, it sure looked like they could. The weight of their gazes started tugging down at her shoulders, and she wasn't in the best condition to endure them.

"She would've killed you," she added, tone unsure. "You didn't deserve to get hurt because of me being stupid. This wasn't your fight and…" Her voice trailed off. "And…"

Hindsight hit her in the face like a hammer, or perhaps that was just her pained jaw. The attack in the Windworks, the first time she fought Orion and Pyxis, the incident in Eterna City, and… that night she'd found Shadi collapsed against the door of the Pokemon Center. She hadn't exactly been giving a good example of what she was preaching, had she?

Well, if adding hypocrite to the pile of apt defects she had would keep her friends safe, then she had no problem with it. She'd been called worse, and not without reason.

"I hope you can understand why I did what I did," she said, dropping her shoulders. "That's… all I'm asking. I'm sorry."

It was an empty apology, and she was sure everyone in the room knew it. She wouldn't promise to do things differently next time (the golden rule when apologizing to a friend, as far as she was concerned), because she knew it was a bold faced lie and her Pokemon deserved better than that.

Maybe it was just her anxiety, but she could physically feel the disappointment coming from Shadi, and in lesser magnitude from Maylene. She bit her lip and looked down, feeling more like a pile of shit with every second that passed.

You'll thank me some day, she thought to herself as she raised her hands.

She pointed the Pokeballs at them. "So… please try to rest for now. We'll talk more later."

Her eyes weren't on them as their bodies turned to light. Sighing, she clipped them back on her belt and put it around her waist. It felt a lot heavier than before.

"You can go ahead and scold me," she said, adjusting the belt. "I know you're dying to."

Maylene looked at her with what she imagined a sigh looked like as a facial expression.

"I'm not your nanny. You ain't gotta to follow my advice if you don't want to," she said. "You're making things worse for yourself by assuming everyone's mad at you all the time, and then acting like it's their fault."

"You mean I shouldn't assume everyone's as much a bitter prick as I am?" She formed a smile that didn't extend to her eyes. "Now where's the fun in that?"

Whether due to frustration of simply not caring, the Gym Leader leaned back into her bed and ignored her. Fortunately the footsteps approaching from the nearby corridor didn't give her time to feel bad about it.

Sarah entered through the door, and Inyssa suddenly understood what the doctor had meant by guardian. Through a startled daze she noticed the lines on the woman's face had deepened, along with the dark grey bags under her eyes. The doctor walked behind her, holding something in his hands. Heavy, sinister looking rubber belts with shining steel shackles. She gasped, and the sudden rush of adrenaline made her feel even dizzier.

"I was being sarcastic about the restraints!" she yelled, putting both hands in front of her.

The doctor raised one eyebrow, amused. "I wasn't taught sarcasm in medical school. I was however taught how to use these things; very comprehensibly too."

"Dear Synn above…" she whispered, shaking her head. "Did I punch you before you put me to sleep or something?"

"You kicked me in the groin," he said bitterly. "Accidentally, of course."

She lowered her head, heat rising to her face. "O-oh… I'm sorry."

"No need to. I was joking before, I brought these just in case." He placed the restraints on top of a nearby table. "I also brought your guardian."

As if on cue Sarah stood up straight and nodded. A half drawn smile could be seen on her face, product of the argument between the doctor and Inyssa. A smile so weak and fickle a gust of wind would've extinguished it, but it made her happy nonetheless. If anyone in the entire goddamned world deserved to smile like that, it was Sarah.

"How are you feeling, Inyssa?" she asked, voice thin. "Do you need anything?"

Her words hit hard. She didn't know why, or how, but something about the unbridled relief clear in her tone tugged at the inside of Inyssa's chest. She gulped and pretended to scratch her nose as she looked away.

"I'm great," she said nonchalantly. "How about you and Barry?"

Her expression darkened for a moment. "He's fine, mostly unharmed. Palmer is with him right now."

She took notice of the fact she didn't say anything about herself, nor did she mention how Barry was emotionally. Doubt started forming a knot in her throat until she willed it away.

"Can I talk to him?"

A sudden pause. Sarah shifted uncomfortably in place, unconsciously hugging herself in what she must've thought was her crossing her arms.

"Yes, you can," she said. "But I wanted to talk to you about something, first."

It took the doctor a couple seconds to get the hint.

"Oh, yeah." He straightened his tie, letting out a fake cough. "I'll go have a smoke outside in the meantime. Call me if you need someone restrained."

Sarah shook his hand absentmindedly. "Thank you, Lumos."

He walked out with a lazy sort of tiredness, leaving her alone with Sarah and Maylene.

"Well, I can't move," said the second, closing the curtain separating them once more. "But pretend I'm not here."

Sarah urged her to sit on the bed, which, while incredibly painful, did ease some of the dizziness. The woman sat at her side, fingers interlaced with each other, resting on her thighs.

"I'm… torn, Inyssa," she confessed, and for a second her firm posture seemed to shake. "On one hand I want to tell you how proud I am of you. But on the other…"

"I almost died," she interrupted. "Which you're generally not cool with."

Sarah laughed, a wonderful sound that died barely a few moments later. The woman put a hand on Inyssa's shoulder, which ironically made it feel less heavy.

"I haven't told your mother about this. I fear she might… relapse into her old habits, if she knew." She pronounced the word carefully. "But I can't keep these things hidden for long. The attack on Veilstone is all over the news, and if people weren't aware of Team Galactic before then they certainly are now."

Inyssa raised her legs to the bed and hugged her knees, shame as clear on her expression as if it'd been written with a marker.

"Rumors have already started circulating, and some of them…" Sarah bit her lip. "Some of them are about you. People know it was you who tried to stop Team Galactic back in Floaroma. There's footage of all of us waking up together after the Eterna incident. Not to speak of your televised fight against Fantina…" She started fidgeting with the fabric of her own sleeves, nervously. "What I'm trying to say is that… people might get the wrong idea."

"In… what way?" she asked. "What are they saying about me?"

"That doesn't matter." Sarah said curtly. "The problem is, some trainers might want to follow your example. I can't have hundreds of reckless teenagers running around the region trying to do vigilante justice." She shook her head, tone full of irritation. "Don't get me wrong, what you two did was brave. But instead of fighting you should have gone back to the Pokemon Center and tried to contact us. At the very least form a group of trainers big enough to make fighting Team Galactic safer."

In any other situation, Inyssa would've complained and argued about how Sarah was being unfair and that all she wanted to do was help, but she couldn't. The exhaustion written on the woman's face coupled with the intense shame she was feeling prevented from talking back.

"You can take a break from all of this." Sarah softened her expression, her fingers tightening over her shoulder. "We captured Mars, and the rest of Galactic is soon to follow. This isn't your burden to bear."

She opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off with a stern look.

"No, you can't go see her," she stated. "It won't do you any good."

"Just once, please?" she asked, imitating Barry's Poochyena eyes. "One visit to punch her in the face. It'll be quick."

"Absolutely not. You need to let go," she said. "Living well is the best kind of revenge."

She laughed. "Yeah, well, that sucks for me then."

Sarah's refusal remained absolute, and Inyssa had to accept she wouldn't be able to change her mind. So much for figuring out how Mars knew her sister.

It was worth a shot, I guess.

"That's okay," she lied. "I'll let you handle her."

After a few seconds of silence Sarah stood up, slowly. She looked nervous about something as her hand dug into her pocket.

"I would love to take your word, Inyssa. But if I know you about as half as well as I think I do…" She took it out and showed her closed palm to her. "I'm sorry, but I need to guarantee you two will be safe from now on."

She uncurled her fingers, revealing a round, small device. It looked like the lens of a very tiny camera, with a blinking red light in the middle of it.

"These are tracking devices. You'll both attach them to your clothes so I can check where you are at all times," she said. "The bump in the middle is an emergency button that will send a beacon to both me and Palmer. I suggest you put them somewhere hidden but accessible."

Inyssa stared at disbelief at the small artifacts, unsure if Sarah was kidding or not.

"I am not going to…"

Sarah frowned, and all incentive to talk back evaporated. A strong shiver ran through her spine.

"You and Barry will have these on at all times, or I will revoke your trainer license this instant," she ordered, eyes like that of a Braviary. "This isn't negotiable. I should have you stuck here like the rest of the town will be, but I'm giving you the opportunity to continue with your journey. I can easily take that privilege away."

Inyssa gulped. Sarah was barely taller than her and she looked ready to die from exhaustion, but even then she gave off the vibe of a ruthless Ursaring. The seriousness of her statement was almost palpable.

Without another word of complaint she nodded, and Sarah attached one of the devices to the back of her coat's collar.

"So… the town will be locked?" she asked, still somewhat shaken. "Just like Eterna?"

Sarah nodded. "It won't be for long, but we need to make a full sweep of the area. The Champion will also pass by to investigate."

A wave of excitement washed over her, until she remembered she wouldn't be in Veilstone to meet her. Part of her wanted to be locked in, but she couldn't justify halting their journey just for that.

Still, have things really gotten so serious as for the Champion to appear?

"Then…" She had a sudden realization and turned to Maylene. "I'm not gonna have my Gym Battle?"

For the first time the girl acknowledged them, showing her face through the crack in the curtains.

"I'll be out of commission for a few weeks." She smiled meekly. "But you can come back after you beat Sunnyshore's Gym. That way we can have an all out battle with our best Pokemon."

She really liked the sound of that. While it was disappointing that she would walk away from Veilstone without a badge, it wasn't like their journey had been completely fruitless.

"I'll keep training like you taught me to," she assured her. "Thank you."

Her statement had been entirely sincere, even if small drops of sarcasm had been mixed here and there. Sarah knew this, as did Maylene who simply let herself fall into the bed once again.

Now she only had one thing to take care of.

"Can I go see Barry now?" she turned to Sarah, pleading.

She replied only after a few moments. "Yes... but I need to tell you something first." She pointed at the door. "Come with me."

They walked towards the corridor at the other side, and Inyssa wished she'd brought her shoes. The floor was incredibly cold and slippery.

Sarah stopped after only seconds of walking, and sighed. She turned to Inyssa with an ominous frown, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You have to promise me you won't blame yourself for this."

Those words alone were enough to set the webs of her mind on fire.

"Wh-" She stammered, eyes wide open. "You told me he was…!"

"Barry is okay," Sarah hurried to say. "It's… it's not that."

She put a hand over her face and rubbed her eyelids. "It's… well, something happened to one of his Pokemon."


Barry had always tried to look on the bright side, even when in the bottom of the metaphorical pitch black well he'd gotten to visit once or twice.

Right now the only bright side he could find was behind his eyes. That stupid warmth hadn't disappeared ever since his encounter with Mars. It was heavy and bothersome, and it was the last thing he needed at that moment. Like a thick blanket on a hot summer day.

The back of his fingers caressed Paulette's cheek, so softly one might think he was afraid to break her. She was bedridden like he'd been a few hours ago, the only difference being that she wouldn't leave the place with him.

His father's words bounced off him as he stared wordlessly. The hand resting on his shoulder felt made of iron, and he wished he'd just take it off but was too afraid to ask.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he examined the bandages covering her for the fourth time. The feathers around it were bent and ruffled, much unlike the pristine state she loved to keep them in at all times. In the part where her left wing connected with her body a deep, red stain tore through the pure white of the cloth. He couldn't stop staring at it.

Maybe if he blinked enough times it would go away. The blood and the bandages and the invisible broken glass skimming his throat from the inside.

"I'm afraid the cut was deep enough to sever nerves and muscle," the dark eyed doctor told them, almost managing to pretend he was as heartbroken by the news as Barry was. "It's not possible to restore them completely, though with rehabilitation and a few months of medical care she might be able to fly again."

The look he gave Barry then had been as clear as crystal. She might be able to fly again, with luck. Battling was completely out of the question.

He looked at the rest of his Pokemon, sitting around the bed protectively, like they'd done for him. They were wounded as well, but not nearly as much. A few cuts and bruises here and there, nothing that couldn't be taken care of. Physically they were as well as he was.

But he could tell they shared the same thoughts just by looking. Razen and Kitsune stared at their partner with sadness and pity, their eyes dark and sunken. Pedri was a few feet away, sitting (or perhaps collapsed might've been a better word) against the opposite wall. His gaze had been set on the pearly white floor for almost two hours now. His face was a mask of rage and guilt.

"…it happens in every trainer's life at some point…" His dad's voice broke through the invisible wall surrounding him. He sounded desperate. "Listen… Barry. I'm… you know I'm not great with words, that's' why we have your mom." He formed an awkward smile. "But I've been a trainer for twenty years, and you have to believe me when I say this. It wasn't your fault."

He tried returning the smile, though it barely showed itself. The muscles on his face weren't feeling very cooperative.

"You don't have enough faith on us."

Palmer's thick eyebrows joined above the bridge of his nose. Had he… had he imagined that golden glow in his eyes?

The boy forced himself to smile for real this time, and addressed his Pokemon. He brushed Paulette's forehead gently to get her attention, and spoke with a soft voice.

"This would be the part where I tell you how sorry I am, and how proud you made me," he said, the warmth behind his eyes spreading towards his entire body. "But I'm not like that doctor, or mom or dad or anyone else here. They don't believe in you, but I do."

"Barry…"

"They're all wrong," he said, tone turning harsher, almost into a scream. The air seemed to shake for a moment. "Don't listen to them, Paulette. You're gonna recover and be even stronger than you were before." He closed his left fist strongly, smile wavering. "You'll always be a part of my team, I promise."

"Barry," Palmer repeated, worry lines forming on his forehead.

"Let them whisper whatever they want," he said bitterly, ignoring him. "You're my Pokemon, and no one can put you down."

What startled everyone the most was not the boy's heated tone, nor the clear gold of his eyes. It was his voice. It filled the room entirely, from the walls to the floor to the ceiling and all in between, they could even feel it in their bones. There was no speck of doubt in it, either. It was clear Barry completely believed what he was saying.

"You just need to rest for a while, and you'll be good as new before you know it," he assured Paulette. "I'll go ahead and keep challenging the Gym Leaders, but I'll be waiting for you at the top. I know you'll reach me there."

Some might say he was being selfish, and they'd be more than half right. Some might think he was in denial or putting too much pressure on his own Pokemon, but those people were not in that room with him. For a moment his voice was able to convince even Palmer. His words wormed their way through them like a song, like the heaviest of truths.

And in that moment, as Paulette heard them, it might've just saved her. She parted her beak and let out a low but resounding chirp of approval. Her eyes were as full of fire as Barry's were.

Palmer might've said something, but just then the door opened. Slowly, its creaking a low hum of doubt and fear. Inyssa stepped through it, her fingertips pale over the doorknob. She was leaning down slightly, and her posture was brittle. Her eyes reflected guilt like a polished mirror.

"B-Barry?"

He turned around casually, and when their eyes met his had returned to their usual brown. His expression was unreadable.

Inyssa stood there, frozen by something she noticed in him. She looked like a Glameow that had been grabbed by the tail and dumped into a bucket of water. Three times she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The silence in the room was thicker than the walls themselves.

He started walking towards her, and he could see the panic growing larger in her face with every step he took. He stopped a few inches away from her, and scowled.

"I'm…" She parted her lips to speak. "I'm s…"

Barry slapped her on the side of the head, just above her ear. It was so fast she only noticed the pain a few seconds after, eyes wide in shock.

"A-Agh!" She took a step back and pressed her palms against her head. "The hell was that for!?"

He stomped the floor as strongly as he could, hands curled into fists.

"You are such an idiot!"


Inyssa was too stunned to speak. Barry might as well have told her he was going to become an artistic skater and it would've had the same effect. He didn't look furious like she'd expected, just… Annoyed.

"Just what the hell were you thinking!?" He threw his arms to the sky, nose flared up.

She looked at Palmer, who looked back at her while mirroring her confusion. The man fixed his collar and coughed silently, looking towards the door.

"Y-yeah, I'm gonna leave you kids alone so you can…" He struggled to find the words. "Uh… yeah. Later."

Barry didn't even look at his father as he exited the room. All his attention was focused on Inyssa, who still hadn't given a reply to his question. She silently pleaded Pedri for an explanation, and all she got was a half shrug back.

"What… do you mean?" she asked tentatively. "Is this because of Paulette?"

He recoiled, narrowing his eyes for a moment. "What? No! I'm talking about Mars!" He shook his head in disbelief. "Maylene told me what happened! Why did you give up against her!?"

Heat rose to her face, tinting her cheeks red.

"I… I was just protecting my Pokemon," she said. "Mars was gonna…"

He stomped the ground again, startling her. "That's not what I'm talking about! You told her she could kill you!"

Something like electricity sprung from the back of her neck, putting her hair on edge. Her eyes went wide and her face pale.

"That's not… that's not what I said."

"It might as well have been!" he yelled, loud enough to make her take a step back. "You gave up!"

Those three words pierced her body like knives. She winced and lowered her head slightly, teeth clenched. A wetness formed in her eyes.

No, don't you fucking dare.

"She… she wanted me to plead for my life."

Barry stammered for a few seconds, as if he'd hear the stupidest thing in the world. "Well!? Why the hell didn't you!?"

The sensation that hit her at that moment was the same as just before she realized Mars was impersonating Barry.

"I…" She stood straight and leaned her head to the side, face scrunched up in confusion. "Wh- are you… serious?"

"No, I'm just being sarcastic," he imitated her tone. "I learned it from my idiot of a best friend."

The ants under her skin scurried faster, heating up the inside of it. Something sharp and dazed started growing from her stomach.

Okay first of all, fuck you.

She furrowed her brow and gave him a look that could've shattered glass. "What the hell is your problem? You fucking know me, I would never give her the satisfaction of…"

Something tugged at the back of her neck. Barry's fingers closed around the part of her coat just under the scarf and pulled up. His strength was almost enough to momentarily lift her off her feet.

She looked up to his face. His expression seemed held by duct tape, like at any moment his façade of anger would shatter into a million pieces.

"If you have a chance, any chance to get out alive… you take it." He spat out those last words, hand shaking around her coat. "You don't get to die on me because of your stupid pride. And you don't get to sacrifice yourself to protect others like an idiot."

She opened her mouth and spat a gust of air, almost laughing. "Y-you tried to do the exact same thing for me!"

"Yeah, because I'm an idiot!" he bellowed. "But you're supposed to be the smart one! You're not supposed to act like me!"

His logic rendered her mute for a few seconds, unable to think of what to say back.

"You're not… it's not okay. What do you think I'd do without you?"

All strength left his voice with those last words, and his grip loosened. It was like he'd deflated, his shoulders fell and he lowered his head slightly. For a single moment they looked to be the same height.

He raised his arm, fingers closing clumsily around her hand. "I was so worried, Niss…" he whispered. "Why do you have to play the hero every time? Maybe I wanna do that once in a while, you know?"

He spat out a weak laugh. Not a premeditated one, but the kind that bubbles from the bottom of the stomach and can't be easily contained. It hit Inyssa like a gust of hot air, as if he'd just released invisible embers from his mouth. It was weirdly contagious, and she couldn't help but laugh as well. It left her lips and died in the time it took her to blink.

She didn't know why she did it. She figured she'd finally snapped from the chaos whirling inside her mind.

No, that's not it.

That storm had been weakened, tamed almost. With every word Barry spoke, with every inch less between them it began to dissipate until the only thing that existed were them and the space between their hands.

You know why.

The truth living in the deepest part of her knocked at her door, and quite loudly at that. Each knock resounded inside her chest, growing outwards like a wave, like a fire. It cut her breath short, filling her throat with dry air. It hurt so badly.

Tell him. He deserves to know.

She couldn't, she was too scared to. What if he didn't feel the same way? What if he, god forbid, pulled his hand away and let the storm in her mind come to life again? His fingers around hers felt too good to let go. As long as she didn't, nothing bad would happen.

You're selfish. You're only thinking of yourself.

So what? Telling him would've been even more selfish. What was she supposed to say, anyway? That she couldn't imagine a life without him, too? That he was her lighthouse during a dark night? That she was a corny piece of shit who wanted more of him than he could offer as a friend?

She didn't have anything to give in return. Besides, he was the only friend she'd ever had. How would she know if what she was feeling really was…?

It wasn't worth the risk, she convinced herself. She pushed that irritated voice to a part of her mind where it wouldn't bother her, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Maybe next time we can both be idiots together," she said, her forehead almost touching his. "Strength in numbers and all that."

Barry pressed his free hand against his mouth, trying to contain a chuckle. Wrinkles of a smile formed on the edges of his eyes.

"We really need to stop splitting up," he said. "It's never once worked out for us."

"Maybe we can ask your mom for handcuffs," she offered. "That way we can be together next time we get into trouble."

He knit his eyebrows playfully. "No way, you move a lot in your sleep. A rope would be better."

The laugh they shared was familiar, like an old friend they hadn't met in a long time. It tried its best to untie the know of regret resting in Inyssa's stomach, though it only got half way before giving up.

Still, it was better than nothing. It's the most she deserved, she assured herself.

It was better this way.


Sarah grabbed a cigarette the moment she stepped outside.

She hated smoking. It had brought her nothing but trouble during her younger days, and she would've bet it was the reason behind her occasional coughing fits. She'd done her damnest to stay away from them for as long as possible.

The taste of smoke filled her mouth, bringing her the closest thing to bliss she'd felt in days. She needed it, just this time. Sleep would be a good replacement later, but now she had a job to do.

The main street in front of her was busy, probably more than it'd ever been. Swarms of sunken-eyed people moved from here to there, distrust clear in their eyes. A few gave her the stink eye when they passed close. They didn't trust her. She was part of the Association, after all.

A thread of smoke escaped her lips. She didn't mind. All she cared about was making a world safe enough for her son to live in. Everything else was meaningless.

The creak of the glass doors of the hospital made its way to her, followed by familiar footsteps. She didn't bother hiding the cigarette, even when her husband's judging eyes and his bird nest of blonde hair appeared at her side.

"It'll only be this one," she said, voice rough and cracked. "I can give you the rest of the pack if you want."

Palmer smiled, droopy eyes, and that gave her a similar feeling to that of the nicotine entering her body.

"No need to. I trust you."

She nodded. "How's Barry doing?"

His smile dropped, raising her panic level. Bad news?

"Somewhat in denial," Palmer said. "At least… I think. He wants to believe his Pokemon will get better and… for a moment, I actually believed it too. That kid…" His shoulders dropped. "I don't know how to explain it. Something about him makes you want to believe things will turn out alright."

Sarah stood silent, a heavy feeling of dread setting on her stomach. She'd seen the medical report of her son's Staravia; and she didn't need to be a doctor to know there was no chance for a full recovery. Still…

"If anyone can make that true just by saying it, it's Barry," she said, looking up at her husband. "He got that from you. Your stupid optimism is contagious, it seems."

He put a hand around her waist, pulling her closer. She let herself be hugged, pressing the back of her head against his chest. Warm and comfortable, just like she remembered it.

"Things are getting out of control again," she said after a few seconds. "I don't know if I did the right thing by letting them continue their travels. Maybe they would be safer here."

"That wouldn't have worked, by a number of reasons," Palmer said. "Trust my word as a trainer; there is no way in heaven anyone would be able to keep those two in one place when they have so much to explore. There's nothing we could do to stop them, but at least we can know where they are if they get in trouble."

Sarah sighed. "I'm… I honestly can't believe this." She shook her head, closing her eyes momentarily. "For something like this to happen, and so soon after the war, it almost feels deliberate."

"We'll make it through," Palmer assured her. "Just like last time."

"Just like last time…" she repeated, spitting smoke with each word. "But last time we promised ourselves it'd be the last time. That's why we did all the horrible things we did; so Barry could live in a better world than the one we were born into." Her voice wavered for a moment, her eyes stinging. "Was it all for nothing? I don't want him to become what we did. He deserves better than that."

Her husband's hand closed tightly on her shoulder. "It will be okay, I promise. We'll deal with Team Galactic before they can do more harm, and things will go back to normal again."

She didn't tell Palmer, but his words didn't exactly make her feel better. Before she could at least conceive the idea that while Team Galactic was dangerous, Barry and Inyssa wouldn't be in any more danger than any other trainer. But after the events of today she knew better.

They, or at the very least that woman Mars, wanted Inyssa for something. She didn't believe they wanted her dead, considering all the time they had to kill her. Something to do with Shadi, perhaps? She had considered the possibility that her and the other two young trainer's fates might have something to do with Team Galactic, but it was nothing but a baseless theory. Until now.

She bit her lip, foot tapping on the floor. That woman, Mars… there was something about her that she couldn't make out, something that made her terribly familiar. It didn't help that she'd talked like she knew her, like they were old pals. Something strange was happening, and she had less than half the pieces of the puzzle. She hated not knowing something.

A high pitched ring brought her back to her senses. Palmer and her looked down to her Pokétch; they were calling her from the Association. She raised the device closer to her mouth and pressed the button to answer.

"Miss Paladino?"

It was the voice of Sadie, one of her subordinates.

"Yes, I'm here," she said into the device. "What is it? Do you have an update?"

A few moments passed where all she could hear at the other side was the sound of papers shuffling and muffled whispering.

"Y-yes, I have a report here! It says all the captured Galactic members were successfully transferred to the Stark Mountain prison. Interrogations have already begun."

Palmer let out a thin gasp next to her, and she knit her eyebrows. Stark Mountain… that was very close to where the Frontier facility was located. Why did they choose such a remote location, in an island far away from Sinnoh's shores?

"Understood," she said, trying to sound professional. "What are the results of the interrogation?"

Another pause, though this time there was complete silence at the other side. Sadie spoke after five seconds, tone nervous.

"It says… it says here that there have been no results."

She frowned, tilting her head to the side. "What do you mean? We captured over thirty of them, you're telling me none are talking?"

"It says here that they tried many interrogation techniques on the captured grunts but…" It seemed like she was struggling to say the words. "You might not believe what it says here, but apparently none of them remember anything."

She exchanged a look with Palmer, whose face had gone pale. What the hell was she talking about? Was this some sort of joke?

"Explain," she ordered. "What do you mean they don't remember anything?"

"That's… that's all. It's says here that it's like they have no memory of ever being part of Team Galactic. They even tried using psychic Pokemon to influence their minds and force them to confess, but there were no results."

Her throat went dry as she listened. That was impossible, there was absolutely no way more than thirty people could lose their memories at once. However, she knew that the Association's methods of interrogation were about as thorough and failsafe as possible, so they couldn't be lying, either.

What the hell is going on?

"W-well, that's most of them," Sadie said. "That redheaded woman... The one we believe is their commander can still remember."

Sarah almost choked on her sudden enthusiasm. "Well!? How did that interrogation turn out?"

"They… haven't been able to ask her anything," Sadie said, nervously. "It doesn't matter how much they try to immobilize her; she transforms whatever part of her body isn't bound and attacks anyone who gets close to her. They can't sedate her either, so she's just stuck in a cell for now."

She felt her spirits drop to the floor. There had to be something, at least one miniscule thing that could go right for her today. Anything.

"She hasn't said anything?" Desperation was clear in Sarah's voice.

"I'll ask them as soon as I can, Miss Paladino," Sadie said, tone low. "I'm sorry."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "It's… it's okay. Good job. Call me again if there's an update."

Were it not for the fact her husband was next to her she might've considered punching a nearby wall. She could feel her exhaustion dragging down at her shoulders, the edges of her vision turning blurry.

"I'll go with you to Stark Mountain, don't worry." Palmer placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's close to where I work, anyway."

Part of her wanted to protest, but the entirety of her body silently complained until she had no choice to accept.

"Thank you," she whispered, getting on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"It's the least I can do." He shrugged, smiling. "I'll be heading out now, while you tell Barry goodbye. You know how to handle the kids better than I do. I'm not really cut out for this parenting thing."

She assured him he was doing as good of a job as anyone could, and saw as he summoned his Salamance and flew into the distance. She stood silent for a few seconds, eyes set on the sky and cinder falling from the tip of her cigarette to the ground.

She shook her head weakly, throwing the thing into the trash and rubbing her eyelids. She would have to try and sleep, at least a little, even if she couldn't get her mind off the matter at hand. Those cold, red eyes stared back at her whenever she closed hers. So unnerving, so familiar.

It was excruciating, having something on the tip of your tongue and not being able to bring it out. Last time she'd seen something similar was a couple years ago with…

Every nerve on her body felt struck with lightning. Her lower lip trembled as her eyes went wide as plates.

No, there's absolutely no way.

Her finger tapped the screen of the Pokétch so strongly the film underneath flashed for a moment. As fast as she could she began searching through the myriad of image folders she'd gathered over the years, focusing especially on the albums related to Twinleaf and her family.

You finally went crazy. It's not going to be…

An image had appeared in her head, the face of a young girl she'd known. As she finally found the photo she was looking for, buried in time, she opened it and prayed to god that she was wrong. She had to be wrong.

The image filled the entire screen. Three young teens, two girls and one boy, were taking a picture together, smiling brightly. She saw Ciro on the right, the one whose body they had found two years ago at Victory Road. She saw Shadi, as sleepy looking as ever, showing a peace sign to the camera and smiling lazily. And putting her hand on her shoulder…

Every muscle in her body went numb. There she was. Siffa.

The consistency and color of her hair were different, as were her clothes. But the shape and dark red of her eyes; the way her lips formed that cheeky smile, the sharpness of her features… there was absolutely no doubt.

That was Mars, staring at her from the other side of the screen.