Aurora's first hint that they were nearing Olivine City came as the sight of a few milling seagulls. Then she began catching whiffs of an unfamiliar scent that Laine told her was the ocean, and she felt a tingle of excitement rising inside. She'd always lived in the heart of a city, and she'd never before had the chance to visit the seaside. Now she picked up her pace, hurrying toward this strange new sight.
Clambering over a sandy hill, she got her first glimpse of the city: a tall lighthouse, it's glass top glittering now in the bright sunshine. Then came the town itself, a number of neat little cottages and shopfronts with matching green roofs. She barely spared a glance at those; she was more interested in what lay beyond the city. At its very edge, she could just barely see a ribbon of clean golden sand, and beyond that, an infinite stretch of water, brilliantly blue and sparkling like sapphires.
"Pretty cool, huh?" said Laine, admiring the view with the calm air of one who has seen the same thing a dozen times before. She seemed to be amused by her friend's awestruck expression.
"I've never seen anything like it," she said. "It just goes on forever..."
"All the way around the world," Laine replied. "You spend a few days on a boat seein' nothin' but water. Then you come back and tell me what you think of it. My dad took me on a boat once. I got pretty bored. And seasick."
Aurora laughed. "You always keep everything in perspective."
"I try. C'mon! You can't see nothin' right from up here. Let's go down an' have a look at the beach."
The girls headed down the path into the town. It was a busy, bustling place full of sunburned tourists taking pictures and sailors enjoying some time ashore. Laine took out her camera and took a few snapshots. Aurora was more interested in looking at the Gym. She'd heard tell that Jasmine was a kind woman, but it took a highly skilled trainer to handle her Steel-type partners. She had no idea how her poor fliers were going to manage. She reassured herself that she didn't have to think about it until later - after all, her goal today was not the Olivine Gym, but the Gym in Cianwood, the small island town that lay across the ocean. That was all she needed to worry about for now...
She paused in her thoughts as she reached the beach. Now she was getting the full effect of the ocean, not just the sight but the scent and sound and feel as well. It was beautiful, breathtaking... and impassable.
"How are we going to get across?" she asked.
"I dunno," said Laine. "I thought you knew."
"I don't! I hadn't even thought about it!"
Laine shrugged. "Guess you're stuck, then, aren't you?"
"Well, you're a lot of help."
"Hey, I'm here for moral support, not to do your thinkin' for ya," Laine replied. "Besides, I kinda thought that was supposed to be part of the challenge, gettin' yourself to Cianwood."
"So what do I do now?" asked Aurora. "I can't get across the water with my Pokemon. They can't swim at all, and they can't fly without a Fly HM, and I can't get a Fly HM if I don't cross the water!"
"Look for a boat," Laine suggested.
There were no boats. Aurora walked up and down the beach in search of transportation, but the only things she could find were either small fishing vessels that didn't take passengers, or huge commercial cruisers that were more than a wandering girl could afford, even if they had been traveling in the direction she wanted to go. After an hour of this frustration, she returned to the place where she'd left Laine. Her friend seemed to have found a Shuckle hiding under a rock and was trying to pry it out so she could look at it. Scar hopped over and hooked his beak in its pocked shell so he could haul it free, and then put his foot on it so it couldn't escape.
"Thanks," said Laine, grinning at Scar. "So, how'd it go, Rora? Any luck?"
"Not a bit," she answered, sitting down on a rock and sighing. "It looks like we really are stuck. Imagine coming all this way just to get blocked by some stupid water!"
"I knew you would mess up sooner or later," interjected a voice.
Both girls jumped, and Scar let out an annoyed squawk. Standing among some nearby rocks was Ember, smiling smugly.
"What are you looking so cheerful about?" asked Aurora, irritated.
"I've had a very productive morning," he replied. He opened his jacket so they could see the shiny new Badge he'd pinned to it. "Cianwood is a nice place, Winter-Hair. You should go there sometime."
"I'm trying," she said, "but I need a way across the water."
"You're too specialized. You need to pick up a few Water-types for instances like this," Ember replied.
Laine looked at him shrewdly. "You have Water-types. Why don' you give us a lift instead of bragging?"
"That would be entirely out of character," Ember replied, "and would probably get me in more hot water than I'm already in. Lucky for you, though, I'm in a good mood today... and I want to show you something."
He hopped down from the rocks and ambled over to join them. Reaching for the PokeBalls at his belt, he carefully unclipped the one at the end. He tossed it casually.
"You remember Hope, don't you?" he said.
"I remember you mentioning her," Aurora replied. "I've never seen her, though."
"No, you wouldn't have. I've been holding her in reserve until she was ready to fight... but she proved herself most admirably in Cianwood Gym. Now that she's evolved, she's a match for just about anything. Observe."
He opened the Ball, shooting out a jet of red light. The waters began to roil and bubble as something huge formed in them. Both the girls stared, and the Shuckle scuttled away unnoticed, as everyone looked upwards at the creature in the water. It stared down at them, showing off a gaping mouth full of sharp teeth.
"A Gyarados," Laine whispered.
"She's beautiful," said Aurora. "Hey, there. Nice to meet you, Hope."
Hope looked rather flattered, as far as a Gyarados could. She leaned forward to have a better look at Aurora, and the girl reached up to pet her. Ember grimaced a little.
"I forgot she was part Flying-type," he muttered. "You and your affinity. Look here, that's supposed to be my partner."
"What? Don't you have any affinities?" asked Aurora.
Ember looked mildly embarrassed. "Not all trainers do. My uncle was very annoyed when I never showed signs of being able to talk to Pokemon besides my own... but I can still communicate well enough with them and that's all that matters to me. So," he said, briskly changing the subject, "did you want a lift or didn't you? Hope can carry us all easily."
"We'd appreciate your help," said Aurora quickly. "Right, Laine?"
"Yeah, right," Laine answered, somewhat unenthusiastically. Aurora rolled her eyes a bit.
"We'll get you another Shuckle later," she said. "Come on, before Ember gets impatient."
At a word from her trainer, Hope obediently lowered her head so everyone could scramble on. Ember took the prime place just behind her spikes, and Aurora found a perch on her neck, while Laine clambered onto her back where she could watch the water for drifting Tentacools. As they began sailing out into the ocean, Scar took off and soared gracefully over their heads. The Gyarados set a swift pace, and soon they were far from shore.
"How long does it take to get to Cianwood?" asked Aurora, just to break the silence.
"It's a bit of a ride," Ember replied. "We can't make a straight line, because of the Whirlpool Islands. I don't think any of us are equipped to handle those."
"I guess not," said Aurora. "But most other things... why didn't you tell me you were raising a Gyarados? I thought you liked to show off."
"A young Gyarados isn't anything to show off," Ember replied. Looking a bit embarrassed, he added, "Besides, this was sort of a private thing. Hope is special to me."
"Oh?"
"Well, yes... Well, you know how I got the Aerodactyl. He was just given to me. Charizard and Seadra were given to me by my mother when I was still very young. Did I ever tell you about my mother? She's my uncle's sister. She and he used to be very close when they were young, or so I heard. She so wanted him to become a good Gym Leader and make it to the Elite Four, and she was a little upset when he didn't make it. She wanted no part of Team Rocket, so she married my father and took off." He gave a little shrug, as if unable to comprehend why his mother didn't want to join the family business. "She taught me a lot, anyway. Like how to win a fight without cheating, and how to get a Pokemon to trust you. She's a pretty fair trainer herself. She's got a Clefable and a Nidoqueen that can handle almost anything."
"I think I'd like your mom," Aurora replied.
"I think you would. It's thanks to her I can understand why Team Rocket's failing, and it's not because of interfering children, no matter what Uncle thinks. Where was I, anyway? Oh, yes, the Pokemon. Anyway, she gave me the eggs that Charizard and Seadra hatched from so I'd have someone to play with when I was young, but I'd never actually caught a Pokemon of my own," said Ember. "Then after Uncle gave me that Aerodactyl, I decided it was time I got something of my own - something I could say I didn't owe to anyone. I caught myself a Magikarp with a hand-line and a Lure Ball - no Pokemon helping me at all. Just a little one, only Level Five, and I raised it completely by myself. I did everything I could think of to make her strong, because I wanted her to grow into something powerful someday, something that people could look at and tell I wasn't just a spoiled kid that had everything given to him on a silver platter."
"And that's why you named her Hope," said Aurora quietly.
Ember nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "So you understand?"
"Yeah, I think I do," she replied.
"Well, I'm glad someone does," Ember replied. "I'm so tired of other people thinking they know how to run my life better than I do."
"I think you're doing just fine," said Aurora. "You're really pretty smart - almost as smart as Falkner sometimes."
Ember looked startled, then surprised her by laughing. "Coming from you, that's as high as praise comes." Looking more serious, he added, "For your sake, I'm glad you have someone worthy of your admiration."
"Do you admire anyone?" Aurora asked.
"Lance," he answered promptly. "Now, there's a leader for you. He earned his power fairly and uses it wisely. He's got some of the strongest Pokemon on the planet and never uses them for his personal gain, only to do what he thinks is right. He's fair. It doesn't matter who he's dealing with - trainers, Rockets, ordinary people - he treats everyone with the respect they deserve. I'd give a lot to meet him someday."
"You probably will," said Aurora. "You're a good trainer. You could make it all the way to the League if you wanted to."
"So could you."
She blushed a little. "Well, first I've got to make it through the rest of the Gyms. That's not going to be easy, considering..."
"You know," said Ember, "being so inaccessible and all, it's not that often that Cianwood has trouble with Rockets. I think you can safely put your worries behind you while you're there."
"Thanks," Aurora said. "You know, as hard as you try to pretend otherwise, you're a pretty nice guy."
"I should be insulted," Ember replied, "but there's really no point in it, I don't think... your friend can't hear us, can she?" he added, giving Laine a glare.
Laine was nearly falling off the side of the Gyarados, leaning over the surface of the water to look at a school of curious Tentacools who had come to have a look at this intruder in their watery space.
"I don't think she's paying attention to us," said Aurora. "Good thing, too, or she'd never let me live this down. She keeps teasing me about you being my boyfriend or something."
Ember blushed almost as red as his hair, but managed to keep his expression to haughty affront.
"Not at all likely," he said. "I'm certain I could find better places to bestow my interests than on some silly little twig of a girl."
"Thanks. I'll tell Laine you said that. It will make my life much easier."
Ember turned and looked off into the distance. "You can tell her soon; we're nearing land."
Aurora turned and looked. Floating in the ocean was a rugged brown island, it's rocky cap reaching up at the pure blue sky, while a tiny town clung to its foot. From this distance, it looked like nothing but a jumble of boxes, but as Hope carried them swiftly closer, she could distinguish houses and shops, and then the shapes of a few children playing on the beach and adults walking the streets. Several of them stopped to look as the giant Pokemon glided onto shore. Hope lowered her head so the humans could drop onto the sand. Ember quickly made his partner vanish back into his Pokeball.
"Aren't you going back to shore?" Aurora enquired.
"I think not," answered Ember casually. "I think I could use a break myself. I intend to hang around for a while. Besides, there happens to be a... situation... at the local Gym, and I'm interested to see what comes of it."
"Situation?" Aurora repeated. "What kind of situation?"
"Nothing bad," he answered. "You know, just Gym business. Anyway, I'm off. See you around."
He turned and began sauntering up the beach. Aurora stared at him in exasperation, then sighed.
"Guess there's no point in expecting him to be sociable," she muttered. Scar, who had come to land next to her, squawked his agreement.
"Oh, I dunno," said Laine. "Looked to me like you two were havin' a nice chat up there. What were ya talkin' about? Makin' wedding plans?"
"We talked about Pokemon," said Aurora, refusing to be baited, "and about Team Rocket, and Lance the Dragon Master, and Ember's family."
"Sounds interestin', I guess," Laine answered, in a tone that said she was not in the least bit interested. "I'd rather hear 'bout that situation at the Gym. You s'pose somethin's gone wrong up there?"
"Why not? Seems like everything else is lately," Aurora replied.
They walked into the town. It was a more rustic place than Olivine was. The city had been clean and gleaming; this town was smaller and plainer, and large portions of it seemed to be put together out of driftwood and bits of old boats. The people looked like simple, hardworking folks. Many of them waved and greeted the two young trainers as if they had been expecting them. It was hard to feel worried in such an atmosphere, and the girls relaxed to enjoy the pleasant scenery. Aurora kept her eyes peeled for the Gym, but was distracted as Laine spotted something else entirely.
"Ooh, look!" she squealed, grabbing Aurora's arm and pointing.
Aurora obediently looked. Some distance away, she could see a large house, and in back there was an empty, sandy lot surrounded by a fence. In the lot were two Machokes sparring with each other... or were there? Aurora looked harder and realized that one of them was actually a human, a young man who appeared from this distance to be as muscled as the Machoke. He was battling the larger Pokemon with considerable skill, effectively blocking its punches and kicks, retaliating with forceful blows of his own. Aurora watched the performance for a moment, duly impressed, and then turned back to Laine, intending to move on again. Laine didn't appear to notice her. Aurora gave her friend's expression a critical evaluation, then looked back at the boy, then back to Laine again.
"He's pretty good at that, isn't he?" she said casually.
"Yeah," answered Laine.
"Not bad looking, either," Aurora continued.
Laine nodded her agreement.
"So, are you going to talk to him?"
"What?" That pulled Laine out of her daze. "Why am I going to talk to him?"
"Because it's more dignified than standing in the street drooling."
Laine drew herself up. "I am not drooling."
"No, but you're staring like an idiot," Aurora retorted. "Go on, talk to him. It can't hurt."
Laine considered that. She looked back at the boy, who seemed to have finished what he was doing and was ambling over to the fence to collect a towel and a water bottle and a towel that were lying there.
"All right, I will," she declared. She began marching resolutely forward, with Aurora trailing behind.
As they drew closer to the lot, the boy noticed them, and he looked up and grinned.
"Hi there," he greeted. "I didn't know I had an audience."
"We just got here," Laine replied. "Ya looked pretty good out there."
Aurora kept quiet. Up close, she was agreeing with Laine's assessment - the boy did look pretty good. He was dressed for martial arts, meaning he was wearing nothing but a pair of loose white pants tied with a black belt, leaving bare an impressive expanse of muscles on his chest and arms. His grey eyes looked kind, and his face was the kind that smiled easily, showing off his even white teeth.
"Thanks," he replied. "Just trying to work off some frustrations; it's been a rough morning. Sparring with Crusher here always makes me feel better."
"Oh. Well, I didn' mean to interrupt you..."
"That's okay. Talking to cute girls makes me feel better, too," he answered, making Laine blush. "I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?"
"Elaine Harvester. Friends call me Laine. That's my friend Aurora."
"Hi, Laine. Hi, Aurora. Nice to meet you both," he replied. "My name's Bruce. I'm kind of the Gym Leader here in Cianwood."
"Kind of?" asked Aurora, startled into speaking. "How can you be kind of a Gym Leader?"
His face fell a little. "Well, I am now, but I might not be for much longer. See, my dad is Chuck - he's been Leader here for years, and he thinks it's about time I took over, so he's trying me out to see how well I do."
"You looked like you could do a good job to me," said Laine, glancing at the Machoke he'd been sparring with.
"I know I could," Bruce replied. "I've just been hitting a bunch of bad luck. See, Dad told me I get three chances to win a Gym battle. If I lose three times in a row, I go back to train a while longer. I thought it wouldn't be a problem, but wouldn't you know, the first guy to come through was a Psychic from Saffron City, and he just creamed me. Dad just about blew his stack. Then just this morning, there was this red-headed kid with a Gyarados, and I couldn't touch the thing... He said he was from Viridian City. Why don't these people from Kanto stick with their own Gyms, huh?"
"You'll win the next one," said Laine. "How much bad luck can a guy have?"
"That's what I'm saying," Bruce replied. "I just know I'll win the next fight, and then everything will be cool... Hey," he added, catching sight of her Badges, "you didn't come here looking to fight me, did you?"
"Not me," answered Laine. "I'm just kinda, you know, sightseeing. I'm not a serious trainer. I'm a researcher."
"For real?" Bruce asked, looking impressed. "Man, you must be smart. I don't think I could do it."
"It's not that hard. You just gotta watch things, and ask lotsa questions."
"Cool. I'd like to hear about some of that stuff. I don't get to see much, since I'm here on the island most of the time."
"Well, I-"
Whatever Laine was going to say was cut off by the arrival of a man, who burst out the back door of the house and came stomping into the lot. He was dressed very much like Bruce was, but the look didn't suit him as well, owing to a sizeable potbelly that looked incongruous on his otherwise muscular frame. He was very bald on top, but he wore an untidy mustache. Other than that, though, he looked remarkably like Bruce.
"What are you doing?" he scolded. "You're supposed to be working!"
"I'm taking a water break, Dad," Bruce answered. "Besides, Crusher's getting tired. He already got beat up once today; I don't wanna push it."
"You think you've got me fooled, don't you?" said Chuck. "Well, I've got your number. You're lazing around flirting with these girls when you should be training. Remember what happens if you lose another fight!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's all under control," answered Bruce placidly. "Just let me take a break and catch my breath, and I'll get right back to work. I'll take Tornado out and work with him, okay?"
"Fine. He needs work, anyway," Chuck muttered. "But I'm telling you, if I catch you lazing around next time I come to check on you...!"
"I'm not lazing, Dad, I'm talking," said Bruce. "And I told you, I wouldn't have lost that first match if the guy hadn't had that Alakazam. Even you can't handle a level thirty Alakazam."
"Humph," said Chuck. "Well, you'd better hope your next opponent isn't packing Psychics or Flying-types, that's all. You lose that next fight, and you won't have another chance for the next five years, you understand?"
"Sure, Dad, no problem."
Chuck didn't look happy about his son's relaxed attitude, but he relented. He gave a curt goodbye and went stomping back into the house, muttering under his breath about kids these days.
"Sorry 'bout that," said Bruce. "Dad's just a little grumpy this afternoon 'cause Mom made him eat salad for lunch. She's trying to put him on a diet."
"So you're not worried?" asked Aurora.
"Not really," Bruce replied. "I mean, I'm giving it my best shot, right? Sooner or later, I'll get a break. I mean, what are the odds that another trainer like that is going to come along?"
"Prob'ly not that good," said Laine, shooting a look in Aurora's direction.
"That's what I think," Bruce replied. "I'm looking forward to winning my first battle as a Gym Leader. Dad's promised that when I do, we're going to have a huge party and invite everybody. It's gonna be awesome. How long are you planning on hanging around?"
"Oh, I wouldn' mind staying here for a while."
"Great. Maybe you can come, then."
"I'd love to."
Bruce beamed. "Hope I'll see you there."
"Me, too," she said. "Hey, you're the expert on Fighting-types, aren'cha? I've got a Machop here with me... I wouln' mind a few pointers on how to raise him. I don' know that much about Fighting-types - there weren' that many of 'em in Azalea Town, where I'm from."
"Really? You've gotta see my Hitmontop, Tornado. He's the coolest thing... and I'd be glad to take a look at your Machop."
"I think I'm going to take a short walk," said Aurora. "I'll see you later, okay, Laine?"
"Sure, fine," Laine called back.
Aurora scampered off, leaving Laine to enjoy her talk with Bruce in private. Scar hopped along at her side, squawking.
"No, I don't intend to start acting like that any time soon," Aurora replied. "Bruce is nice and all, but I think I like my guys a little more refined."
Scar looked at her through his scarred eye and squawked some more.
"No, just because Ember is refined doesn't mean I like him."
"Spear, spear, spear."
"No, I am not in denial. He's my friend, that's all. A weird friend, definitely, but..."
Scar decided he'd heard enough and flapped away. Aurora sighed. It was impossible to win an argument with a Spearow.
Aurora decided that she'd entirely lost interest in looking for the local Gym. Instead, she wandered around the town, looking at the scenery and chatting with a few local trainers. One of them challenged her to a match, which passed the time for a while and culminated in Scar pulling a spectacular victory against the other trainer's Butterfree. That made Aurora a bit more cheerful; it had been a while since she'd had a proper battle, unless one counted her abortive match against Ember, and she was glad to know her partners were still in fighting trim. She celebrated by buying cups of berry juice from a vendor, offering one to Scar.
Even so, it was hard to feel really relaxed. Now she knew what Ember meant about a "situation" at the Gym, and she was wishing she had stayed ignorant. She could have fought Bruce, beaten him, and gone on to Olivine without worrying about him and his personal life. Now it was suddenly her concern. It was clear to her that if she fought him, she would probably win, and if she won, then he would lose his place as Gym Leader for who-knew-how-long. She thought uneasily of how she'd been told that Clair would arrange for promising young trainers to have their careers abruptly ended, and how she herself had felt when she'd been told she wouldn't have a chance to be a Leader herself unless she went on this journey.
*Bruce seems like a good trainer to me. It's not fair he should be punished for losing matches he honestly didn't have a chance in. He's right, Fighting-types just don't stand a chance against something like that Alakazam. He shouldn't be punished for what's not his fault*
There was a further complication, as well. It was clear to Aurora that Laine was smitten with the young Gym Leader, and he seemed to return her interest. He'd already as good as asked her to go with him to the victory party, but there would be no party if he lost his next battle.
*I can't really hang around Cianwood so Laine can work on her chances with Bruce,* Aurora thought. *I can't really leave her behind, either. I don't want her to miss out completely, though...*
She frowned at her empty cup, considering her options. Could she hang around here hoping another trainer would show up and get beaten? What were the odds of that happening? Even assuming the next trainer would lose, how long would Aurora have to wait for them to show up? It might be days before someone else could cross the ocean to Cianwood, and while Laine might not mind waiting...
*It's just not safe, not for either of us. The Rockets are already looking for me - they'll kill me if they catch me. The longer I stay in one place, the more likely it is that they'll find out where I am and come for me. And wasn't that scientist talking about Laine and her dad? If it gets out that she's still carrying his notes... and she's told people! She told Bill, and she'll probably tell Bruce... All it would take is for her to say the wrong thing in front of the wrong person, and she'll be on the Rockets' Most Wanted list! And I haven't even told her yet - she doesn't know to watch her mouth...*
"I shouldn't have walked off and left her alone," she muttered.
"She didn't look that alone last time I saw her."
Aurora didn't even jump; she was getting used to Ember popping up where he was least expected.
"What were you doing spying on her?" Aurora asked.
"It was interesting," said Ember, sitting down next to her. "Besides, you should know by now that I'm not above getting into other people's business. It's an old habit."
"Well, maybe you should think about breaking it," said Aurora sharply. "Whatever Laine's doing is none of your business."
"And yet you seemed to think that you shouldn't have left her alone. Now, why is that, I wonder?"
"I'm concerned about her safety."
"No need," said Ember. "We've been keeping tabs on Bruce ever since it became clear that he was going to be his father's heir to the Gym, and I can assure you that he is tough as a boulder and just as stupid, and has the bad nature of a newly-hatched Igglybuff. He's harmless."
"I know you're being purposely stupid. You're not that dumb naturally."
"All right, then, what are you worried about?"
"Your gang and Laine's big mouth," answered Aurora.
"It's not my gang anymore," said Ember, "temporary though that situation may be."
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't. Are you going to give me a straight answer, or shall I assume you've been taking lessons from me?"
"I don't think I want to tell you," said Aurora. "It's none of your business, anyway - especially since the thing I'm worried about is letting a secret get out."
"I can keep secrets."
"It's none of your business," Aurora replied. "Anyway, I'm mad at you. I don't see why I should tell you anything."
Ember laughed. Aurora glared at him.
"What's so funny?"
"You," he said. "Do you have any idea how juvenile you sound, refusing to speak to me like that? And why in the name of Lugia are you angry with me? Especially after I was nice enough to help you get here in the first place. I could have just left you stranded on the beach, you know."
"Why couldn't you have stayed in Olivine for a while? You could have fought Jasmine first. Your Pokemon are strong; they could have won."
"I know that, but I don't see why I should have... Oh, wait a minute, I think I know what's going on," he said. "You're annoyed because I beat that idiot of a Gym Leader this morning, and now your friend might not be able to go on her date. Is that it?"
"Yes."
Ember gave a derisive snort. "You get angry over the silliest things. Have you stopped to consider that when I got here this morning, I had absolutely no idea your friend was going to fall for that lunkhead? Even if I had, why should it matter? I'm a trainer; I'm here to fight Gym Battles. Specifically, I'm here to win. It is none of my business what becomes of the trainer after I beat him. This game is about winning, not about feeling sorry for people."
"I don't understand."
"What's not to understand?"
"How you can put your life on your line for the sake of your Pokemon," answered Aurora, "but you don't have any pity for the people who are supposed to be your friends."
Ember blinked in amazement. "Who said anything about friends?"
"You did. I heard you, back in the lab. I heard you call us your friends."
Ember's expression turned stormy. "I didn't say that. Don't you go putting words in my mouth."
"You did! I heard you!"
"As I recall, I said that I wouldn't allow harm to come to my Pokemon or my friends. I never said who those friends were, or if I had any. Don't go making assumptions."
"I can't believe you! After everything we've gone through - after the times we've saved each other's lives - and you still won't admit it!"
"There is nothing to admit," said Ember frostily. "It's things like this that make me remember that no matter how talented you are as a trainer, you're still nothing but a silly, sentimental little girl. I'm through talking to you. Good-bye."
He began to get up. He didn't get very far, though, because at that moment, Aurora slapped him across the face as hard as she could, making him nearly fall over. Her hand left a red mark across his face that almost matched his hair. He glared at her, rubbing his face and hissing in pain and anger.
"What was that for?" he demanded.
"Figure it out!" she shot back, and stalked off, with Scar trailing behind her, ruffling his feathers and glaring at Ember through his squinty eye.
Aurora was still feeling faintly annoyed when she reached the center of town, and the feeling was only somewhat alleviated when she caught sight of Laine leaning against the Gym fence.
"Hi!" she greeted. "What'd you run off for? I was startin' to think I was gonna hafta send out a search party for ya."
"I was just looking around," answered Aurora. "Besides, I thought I'd leave you some time to talk to Bruce without me in the way."
Laine smiled a bit. "Yeah. He's nice, isn' he? He showed me all his Pokemon, an' they could talk to me! It was really cool. Bruce says he's never met a girl who had a Fighting-type affinity before. I didn' even know I had an affinity, did you?"
"I had a suspicion," said Aurora.
Laine wasn't paying attention. "He was impressed with my research, too. He told me a lot about Fighting-types. Hey, guess what! He even asked me to be his date to the victory dance! Isn't that cool?"
"That's great," said Aurora, trying to feign enthusiasm.
"You need to find a date for the dance, too," said Laine. "Hey, maybe Ember will go with you."
It was on Aurora's tongue to say she didn't even plan to speak to Ember for quite some time to come, but before she could say that, a better idea occurred to her.
"That's not a bad idea," she said. "Maybe I'll go look for him. He's bound to be around here somewhere... finding him might take a while, though. You sure you don't mind waiting?"
"Nah, I'll be okay," Laine replied. "I wanted to have a look at the pharmacy while I was here. It's supposed to be world-famous."
"Okay. Have fun. I'll meet you back here later," Aurora replied. "See you in... about an hour?"
"Sounds good. See ya 'round, Rora."
Aurora set out - but not to find Ember. She headed for the far end of the town, climbing carefully over the rocks on the beach so she could hide herself among their coves and hollows. Once she was sure no one would be able to see her, she opened up one of her Pokeballs. In a flash of light, Rusty burst into view. He looked around.
Did you have to let me out here? he complained. You just got all the rust off my feathers. Do you know how bad salt water is for steel?
"You don't have to stay here long," Aurora replied. "It's just - I have a decision to make, and I wanted your advice."
That appeared to mollify him somewhat; he preened a bit and sat down on a nearby rock. Very well. Ask.
"Well, you seem to understand honor and things like that," Aurora began. "Now I'm in a situation where... I've always believed that it was wrong to throw a fight. I thought the best way to fight was to give everything you have and not hold back. Otherwise, I didn't think it would be a fair, you know? Right now, though... I'm starting to think I might have to lose a fight on purpose."
Why?
"Because," Aurora replied, and explained about Laine, Bruce, and the victory dance.
"You see?" she said. "If I win this fight, Laine will miss her chance and Bruce won't be Gym Leader, and he deserves it. I don't want to mess everything up. If I fight him now and lose on purpose, I can make sure he becomes the next Leader and everyone will be happy."
Except you, because it won't be fair.
"Exactly. Part of me says I shouldn't do this because it doesn't prove anything if he beats someone who's trying to lose, but the other half says there's no way he could win if I really was giving my all - it still wouldn't be fair to expect him to win against a whole fleet of Flying-types when his specialty doesn't have any defense against them..."
I will fight him, said Rusty.
"Hm?"
I will fight. My nature is half Steel, and Steel is weak against fighting. The annoying Murkrow and your Umbreon will also fight. They have weaknesses. That will be fair. The others can be hidden until the fight is over.
Aurora smiled. "That's the perfect plan. Thank you, Rusty. I knew you could help me."
My pleasure. Just be sure you have a few potions ready when it's over; I have a feeling I'll need them.
"I will," Aurora promised. She hugged him. "Try not to get hurt too much, okay?"
The tone of his thoughts was ironic. I was not intending to do so.
"Good," Aurora replied. She turned to Scar. "If we're going to do this, you're going to have to take off for a while. Go hang out somewhere until I'm done."
"Spear, spear."
"I know you don't like it, but there's nothing I can do about it. Now, go."
Scar went, but not without complaints. He flapped off and perched on a rock, up where Aurora couldn't see him. From that vantage point, he could watch her as she trekked back up the beach and began heading for the Gym. Then he came to a decision. He took to the air again, preparing to complete a mission of his own.
The doors of the Gym swung open, and Aurora stepped inside. It was a dark stone building, scattered with large rocks, many of which appeared to have been cracked by powerful blows. At the far end, she could just barely see Bruce, meditating on a wooden platform, half hidden in the shadows. He stirred as he heard the doors open.
"You again," he said. "I thought you weren't here for a fight."
"I changed my mind," she said. "I, Aurora Cummings of Goldenrod City, challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"
He bowed his head. "Accepted."
Gracefully, he rose from the platform and strode towards her, and she felt a twinge of nervousness in her stomach as she thought how powerful he looked in the dark room.
*What are you afraid of? You're planning to lose, aren't you?*
The two of them bowed to each other, then stepped back to release their Pokemon. He produced a Tyrogue - rare, but presumably young and inexperienced. Aurora matched it with Moondancer and watched the Dark Pokemon zip almost invisibly through the shadows. The Tyrogue tried in vain to strike her, but she was to fast and clever for him, hiding behind rocks and then leaping out to sink her sharp little teeth into an arm or leg. She was wearing him down badly until the Fighting Pokemon used Foresight on him, after which point every blow he attempted found her, and she was quickly beaten. Aurora withdrew her and sent out Blabberbeak. He finished what Moondancer had started, attacking furiously with his sharp beak. The Tyrogue fell, and Bruce withdrew him.
*One down on both sides,* thought Aurora, biting her lip worriedly. *Even with a weakness, she nearly won... What happens if I can't even lose on purpose?*
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud squawk. Bruce had called out his Hitmontop, Tornado, who was now whirling around the room and keeping Blabberbeak on the defensive. The bird had the potential to be quite dangerous to the Fighting-type as long as he wasn't hit himself, so Bruce was carefully directing his Pokemon to make sure the Murkrow never had that chance. Finally, there was a squawk, and the Murkrow dropped out of the air. Aurora retrieved him.
"One more to go," she muttered. "Rusty, you're up!"
Bruce watched, somewhat pale, as the gleaming bird appeared. Even in the dimly lit room, he shone like a star.
"Tornado, return," Bruce commanded. "Crusher, forward!"
The Machoke appeared, and the two of them began circling each other, looking a bit like two roosters at a cockfight. Crusher dove at him, backing away at the last second as Rusty flashed his claws at him. They made a few quick strikes, landing minor blows here and there, neither doing much damage to the other one. Suddenly, Rusty launched himself at the Machoke, screeching and flailing his wings, and Crusher was briefly obscured in a whirl of silver feathers. Aurora held her breath, wondering if Rusty had betrayed her and intended to win this match whether she wanted him to or not. Then she heard a sharp clang, and Rusty was hurled across the room to slam into the wall. He slumped to the floor, and Aurora ran to his side to check on him. He was unconscious.
"Game over," she said. "I give up. You win."
A bell rang somewhere, announcing Bruce's victory to the world. Aurora barely heard it. She knelt next to her fallen friend, trying to keep her tears from falling on his freshly cleaned feathers.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry... You're such a good, brave Pokemon... I'm so sorry..."
Laine had met Aurora just after she had come out of the Pokemon center, which was a relief. If she had actually seen her coming out of the building, it would have been hard thinking of a good explanation for why three of her Pokemon had been knocked senseless. Instead, Laine was happy and eager to tell her friend how Bruce had finally won his first Gym Battle and how he had been officially named Cianwood's new Gym Leader. She was so happy that Aurora, comforted as she was by seeing her partners up and healthy again, was able to give her a real smile.
In the hours to come, the town was very busy getting ready for the big celebration. A dance floor was set up, and tables of refreshments were prepared. The fishermen placed glittering Starmies and Staryus in every available space to light up the town with their ethereal glows. Everyone, young and old, got dressed up in their best to prepare for the festivities.
"Do I look all right?" asked Laine, turning in a small circle so Aurora could inspect her. "I'm not used to dresses."
"You look great," Aurora assured her. Laine had bought herself a frilly pink dress that complemented her rosy complexion, and there were flowers pinned in her dark hair. She really did look quite pretty.
"Thanks," Laine replied. "You look good, too."
Aurora blushed. "No I don't. I'm too skinny. At least you have a few curves. I'm like a toothpick."
"Whatever! Always knew you didn' have any sense," said Laine. "C'mon, let's go. Bruce is supposed to be waiting for me."
The two of them set out into the town. Dusk was falling now, with the first stars starting to peek out to have a look at their earthbound cousins. The Staryus cast a festive light over everything, and the air was full of the sounds of music and laughter and the scents of food and perfume. Everyone they met was excited, and the party atmosphere was infectious.
*I think we did the right thing,* thought Aurora. *Everyone looks so happy... makes me wish I had someone waiting for me like Laine does.*
She took her mind from that gloomy thought and turned her attention to Scar, who was hopping and fluttering along beside her and watching all the festivities with interest. He was not, however, looking her in the eye, and it made Aurora wonder. He didn't seem to be annoyed with her, as she'd feared he would be, about asking him not to take part in the fight. It was more like he had a secret he was afraid he'd let slip if he spoke to her, so he was purposely keeping his distance. He'd never done anything quite like it before, and the puzzle kept Aurora occupied until they reached Bruce's house.
"Sorry if we kept you waitin'," said Laine as he greeted them. "Rora's hair is a lotta trouble."
"That's okay. I only just finished getting ready myself," Bruce replied. "I'm not used to suits."
Laine assured him the suit suited him very well. It was well-cut to show off his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and its pale gray color accented his eyes.
They arrived at the party, where Bruce was given an enthusiastic reception, and Aurora slipped off to the fringes of the crowd where she wouldn't be getting in anyone's way. She applauded with everyone else as Chuck (looking very odd in a suit and tie) officially announced his son his successor as Gym Leader. She sat quietly as most of the other people chose partners and danced. After a while, she lost track of where Laine and Bruce were, so she was surprised to find him suddenly appearing at her side.
"Not dancing?" he enquired.
"I was," she lied. "I'm just resting my feet."
"Oh," he said. "Anyway, I, um... I wanted to thank you."
"For what?"
He took a deep breath. "Look. I know what you did, okay? You lost the match on purpose, so don't try to deny it. I know you had other Pokemon that you didn't send out, because you knew you'd win if you did."
Aurora was stunned. "How did you find out?"
"Somebody told me," Bruce replied. "Right after the fight. Believe it or not, it was the same red-headed kid with the Gyarados. Didn't seem to think it was quite fair that you should have to miss out on getting your Badge just because you wanted to help someone out. He said he was a friend of yours, and he thought it was the least a friend could do for you, letting me know what you did."
"Oh," she said.
"Anyway, as a token of my thanks... here."
He reached one of his large hands into his pockets and took out a fistful of objects: a box, a bag, and a glittering bit of metal. She picked it up and stared at it.
"The Badge?" she said. "But - but I lost..."
"On purpose. We both know you would have won if you gave it your all," he replied. "Besides, the game's not about winning, is it? It's about friendship, with your Pokemon and with other trainers. Your Pokemon wouldn't have done that for you if they didn't love you, and you wouldn't have done that for Laine if you didn't care about her a lot."
"I did it for you, too," Aurora replied. "I know you'll be a great Gym Leader someday. You just needed the chance."
He grinned. "Thanks. Anyway, there's your Badge, your forfeit, and a Fly HM. I figure it'll be useful, with all those Flying-types you've got. And don't worry about the forfeit - half of it is your money you paid me, anyway."
"Oh," she said again, somewhat dazzled. "Thank you. Thank you very much!"
"Don't mention it," Bruce replied. "And now I'd better get going - I just told Laine I was going to get a drink. See ya!"
He disappeared into the crowd again, and Aurora smiled, rather wistfully, thinking Laine was really very lucky to have found a guy like that. But even as she thought that, she remembered what he'd said about the "red-headed kid" who had passed along her secret. She wished Ember was around to ask about it...
"I thought I'd find you here," said a voice, right on cue.
"Hello, Ember," she said. "Were you looking for me?"
"A bit," he said. "Actually, I hardly recognized you, Winter-Hair. You look almost feminine."
Aurora smoothed her hair self-consciously. She'd spent a little of the prize money she had left over from fighting Whitney on a beautiful blue dress, and her silvery hair, which she considered her one real asset, had been unbound to fall nearly to her feet. In the shimmering starlight, she looked like some ethereal sea sprite come up to have a look at the party.
"Thanks, Fire-Top. You don't look so bad yourself - almost human," she answered, evaluating him. He'd managed to acquire a suit from somewhere, and he'd cut his hair so that his eyes could now be clearly seen. They were very blue, like the base of a flame. She hadn't given the matter much consideration since the first time she'd met him, but now she was reminded that he was really quite good-looking.
"Touche," he said with a faint smile. "No matter how ladylike you might look, you're still dangerous."
"Not that dangerous," she answered. "Ember, I'm sorry I hit you. You're right; it was childish of me."
"I suppose I'll forgive you," he said. "You were at least partially right, anyway - I suppose it does behoove me to look out for my friends once in a while. It's just that I've never had any - not human ones, anyway - and it's hard to remember what to do with them now that I've got them."
"Well, you made a good start, talking to Bruce like that," Aurora replied. "How did you know, anyway?"
"Before you ask, no, I wasn't spying," said Ember. "Actually, a little bird told me."
He smiled and nodded in Scar's direction, and Scar squawked his agreement.
"You told him?" asked Aurora, glaring at her partner. "No wonder you've been acting sneaky all day!"
"He didn't think it would be right if the truth didn't come out somehow," he said. "I had a hard time understanding him, but he's a remarkably clever bird, and he managed to get his point across."
Scar sat up and preened a bit.
"Oh," said Aurora. "Well, thank you. I'm very grateful."
"You should be. It's not often I do favors like this for people... but you've done me a few good turns in the past, so I guess I owe it to you," answered Ember. "So don't thank me... Anyway, I see no one's dancing with you."
"No one's dancing with you, either."
"I'm not a particularly sociable person, you may have noticed," he replied. "However, since it would look rather suspicious to be the only person at this party who doesn't have a date... would you like to dance with me, Aurora?"
"I suppose I will," she replied. "Don't step on my feet."
He pulled a grimace of mock-offense. "I'll have you know I had a classical education as befits my station. I happen to be a very good dancer."
Aurora laughed. "Prove it."
"Very well, then."
So he took her hand and led her out on to the starlit dance floor, and they began to dance.