"So, what are you doing for fall break? Sneasel, Slash attack!"
"I will be staying here—Thunderbolt, Raichu!—I need to practice more for the gym challenge."
"Ah, crap. Sneasel, use Ice Punch! Marsha, you don't need more training, you need badges. You should come with us to Hempshear Town over break. We're gonna take on the Steel gym."
"Body Slam! I am going to challenge the Ghost-type gym first. According to the Nanzo Trainer's Guide, it is the least difficult gym badge."
"Yeah, well you should have no—ouch—trouble. Sneasel, Avalanche!"
"It is not wrong to be well prepared. Finish him with Thunderbolt, Raichu!"
Liam winced as the blast of electricity sent his Pokemon skidding across the atrium floor. Marsha had been getting better—annoyingly so—and even Liam's strategy of distracting her with conversation wasn't delivering the way it used to.
"That is five times you have been beaten by a freshman," said Marsha.
Her tone was matter-of-fact, but Liam knew she was gloating.
"Well, it happens," said Liam irritably.
He recalled his fainted Pokemon and took his Pokeballs over to the nurse that was always stationed in the atrium during battle class. He noticed Coach Tang shaking her head and making a tick on her clipboard. Losing to Marsha clearly wasn't helping his grade in this class.
Liam was a little disappointed that he hadn't managed to persuade any of the freshmen to join in their planned trip to Hempshear Town. He thought Chelsea at least would come along, but she was planning to stay home with her family. Liam couldn't blame her, but was struggling to read the entire situation. Chelsea hadn't mentioned the strange incident at the fountain even once, but she was still wearing his Team Virtue jacket, and she got coy with Liam everytime he suggested she return it.
"I saw you checking out that nosy freshman," whispered Mori on their way to Shrike's Unovan History class.
Liam started to protest, but Mori flicked him hard on the side of the head.
"Don't even try it," said Mori. "I know you, and I know what I saw, and you need higher standards. First you're drooling over my middle school bully, now you're creeping on freshmen?"
"I was not creeping on—."
Liam ducked to dodge another flick from Mori.
"Liam, I caught you staring right at her butt," said Mori. "Multiple times. Not to mention that you gave her your jacket. Honestly, if she hasn't noticed, she's a little dense. So just… be careful. Don't give a girl attention if you're not willing to take it any further than that."
They sat down at their usual places in the back of Shrike's classroom. Vasilio's desk was empty—he was obviously still talking to Rebecca.
"What about him?" asked Liam, jerking his head at Vasilio's empty seat.
He was curious to hear Mori's side of the story after his conversation over hundun with Vasilio.
"Don't get me started," said Mori, rolling her eyes. "He's…"
She shook her head fiercely, as if determined not to be drawn into the topic.
"Hey, guys."
Vasilio set this Unovan History textbook on his desk and sat down in his usual chair.
"How was Rebecca?" asked Liam with a wink.
Mori was still sulking.
"Fine," said Vasilio. "But believe it or not, I was mostly talking to Sylvia. Liam, you're still in for Hempshear Town, right?"
"Yeah," said Liam. "Believe it or not, I've been trying to drag other people along too. Without much success."
"Mori?"
Mori shrugged.
"Parents still say no," she said. "You're running out of time, Vasi."
"I got this," he said confidently. "Today is the day. Start packing. I'll come over and deliver the knock-out punch this afternoon."
"Somehow, I doubt it," Mori muttered.
To Mori and Liam's amazement, Vasilio pulled it off. After weeks of respectful argumentation, dogged persistence, and well-reasoned persuasion, her parents finally gave their approval for her to go with them to Hempshear Town. Mori pretended that this wasn't a big deal, but beneath her deadpan demeanor, Liam could tell she was overjoyed. Vasilio had won her a few days away from her overbearing parents. It was practically an early Christmas.
"Staying with Rain is gonna suck," she grumbled. "But at least we don't have to walk this time. My legs still haven't recovered from the trip to the Karst Forest."
Liam decided not to point out that Mori had ridden her Bouffalant the entire way.
Wednesday turned out to be a big day for Mori. She celebrated Vasilio's victory over her parents by finally asking Dustin to the Winter Ball. Her invitation was written on the deck of a new skateboard, which turned out to be the secret present she had been saving up for all semester. Liam was impressed with Mori's discipline in saving her money for so long just to surprise her boyfriend, and he told her so.
"Yeah, well, financial responsibility sucks," Mori replied. "I'm going back to wasting all my allowance on manga from now on."
Shortly after lunch, Sylvia presented Liam, Vasilio, and Mori with a packing list.
"Rain says we need to bring our own blankets," Sylvia explained. "She's taking care of the food, though. Oh, and don't forget money for the train."
Mori turned her large, black eyes on Liam.
"Help a pretty girl that's broke?"
"Oh, I'll get it," said Vasilio, rolling his eyes. "You're lucky we like you so much, Mori. You're expensive."
"She's a freeloading moocher," said Sylvia with a grin. "But we're glad you're coming, Mori. We need the sarcasm to balance out Rain."
"Yay, I'm valuable for something," Mori groaned.
Liam was cleaning out his locker at the end of the day when he heard Chelsea, who was opening her locker next to him, give a start.
"Liam," said Chelsea. "Look at this."
She pulled a folded piece of paper out of her locker door. Liam knew instantly what it was.
"Another one," said Liam, taking the paper from her and reading the message, typed as usual in a bold black font.
THEY ARE INFILTRATING NANZO. NOT SURE HOW. STAND BY FOR MORE INFO.
"Whoever this is, they're getting more talkative," Liam observed, handing the note back to Chelsea. "Infiltrating Nanzo? What does that mean? The Teams and gym leaders have the borders on lockdown. How could they get in and out?"
"Maybe the same way Claire did," suggested Chelsea.
Liam nodded, but his eyes shot to Chelsea as he realized what she had said. Chelsea seemed to realize she had let something slip. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly busied herself in digging through her locker.
"What was that?" demanded Liam, swatting aside the door of Chelsea's locker so he could see her face.
Chelsea flinched and took a step back.
"I swear you told me, bro," said Chelsea defensively.
"I definitely didn't," said Liam coldly. "Chez, seriously? First with Mori, now with me? Were you hiding under the table when I told Vasi and Mori or something?"
Chelsea bit her lip. Liam could see the tears welling in her eyes, but he didn't feel any sympathy.
"Don't even try that with me," he said. "You need to learn not to be so—."
"I'm not nosy!"
"Yeah, well prove that with your actions, not with your words!"
They both stared at each other for a moment. Liam was almost trembling with anger. He couldn't believe Chelsea was playing dumb—couldn't believe she was playing the victim despite the overwhelming evidence of her guilt. Tears were streaming down Chelsea's face, but she looked almost as furious as Liam felt.
"Fine!" Chelsea spat.
She took off her jacket—the Team Virtue jacket that Liam had lent her—and shoved it into his chest.
"If you can't trust me—if you won't… then why should I trust you?"
She slammed her locker shut and stormed away. Liam noticed that she had left the note laying on the floor. He scooped it up, looked at it again, and was struck by a sudden thought.
Was Chelsea writing these notes herself?
Liam immediately realized how unlikely that was—how could she have known Team Power was after Rasmus, for starters? But the fact that he had entertained the idea at all disturbed him. No matter how sneaky and interfering Chelsea was—and Liam was convinced that she was both to an unhealthy degree—she wasn't a liar. At least, he had thought she wasn't until now.
After turning over the note to Miss Snyder, Liam searched the school for his friend. He didn't find her, but he did run into Marsha, who was in a rage that would have been terrifying if it had come from someone who wasn't Marsha.
"You wounded her feelings!" Marsha shouted. "You will apologize to her immediately!"
"Yeah, I noticed," said Liam testily. "I don't think she wants to talk to me though."
He tried to text Chelsea on the bus ride home, but she didn't reply.
"Not that I care," said Mori, lifting her headphones off just one ear. "But if she wants space, give her space. If she's mad at you, you can't force her not to be."
Mori, Liam had learned, was usually right about everything. Chelsea would text him when she was ready. Until then, he was going into break with a broken friendship. It gave him a sick feeling in his stomach.