THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND SUGGESTIVE OR EXPLICIT THEMES

CHAPTER 3

Riley sat silently and stared at the drink in front of him. Beside him, he could hear Roark chattering nonstop with Steven.

"If Ditto could mimic another Pokemon's appearance, it must have the genes. How can you morph into an exact replica without the other Pokemon's DNA? I'm telling ya! Ditto might secretly be related to Mew that they possess all Pokemon's DNA!" Roark said in a drunk manner.

"But that's saying the same for Zoroa. Then Zoroa is also another Mew if we go by your logic." Steven replied in a tired manner.

Riley couldn't blame Steven for sounding like that. Roark can babble as much as his energy can provide when he is drunk. For the past hour and a half, the men had conversed about different topics since they arrived in the bar. As the minutes passed, they slowly succumbed to the effects of alcohol and began to chatter nonsense. At least in Roark's case, thought Riley. The man found it amusing how Roark concluded earlier at Devon that Steven would be "as drunk as a Skuntank" after a few drinks, yet Roark himself turned out to be in that position.

The three men were currently in a private area of the bar. The barman would occasionally approach the counter and ask if they wanted another glass. At this moment, Steven and Riley were tied as to the amount of drinks they've downed. Riley opted not to drink as much. He knew that at least one of them should be sober if they all wanted to get home without much trouble.

The distinct ringing of a phone caught Riley's attention. He turned to the source of the sound and saw Steven taking out his phone from his pocket. Steven's face was blank for a few seconds before his eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise.

"I have to get this, excuse me," The blue-haired man said as he stood up from the stool.

Riley couldn't help but notice how the man wobbled the slightest as he made his way to the bathroom. Steven didn't sound too drunk, but his body was definitely showing it.

"Sooooo Riley! How are you and that Cheryl doing? Did you speak to her again after meeting at Eterna Forest?" asked the red-haired man.

"We only met ONCE, Roark. Stop assuming we're dating," replied Riley.

"When did I say you were dating?"

"I can read you like an open book. I sensed your aura. You were a bit too interested in asking if I must say," Riley said with a smirk as he brought his glass to his lips.

Roark just waved him off and proceeded to finish his own drink. For a few seconds, he was quiet. But then, Riley sensed the man's aura once again.

He's going to ask another stupid question isn't he, the man thought to himself.

"Hey, Riley. I wanted to ask, how does it feel that your first love was taken by your own friend?"

The dark-haired man choked on his drink upon hearing those words. He began to cough violently and, much to his irritation, Roark still looked at him with a big smirk on his face.

"I mean, I'm sure you felt even a bit of jealousy, right?" Roark leaned in a bit closer to Riley and added in a low voice, "Do you think you would be in Steven's position right now as husband if you confessed to Cynthia before he did? You could have been Garnet's father instead,"

Riley looked at Roark with an intense gaze. He was warning the man to shut it.

"Come on, man. It's just a simple question. Whatever you answer wouldn't affect anything now. Cynthia and Steven would still be married, and you would still be a godfather to their daughter," said Roark, putting emphasis on 'godfather'.

Riley's left hand balled into a fist, knuckles turning white. It was tempting to punch Roark right now, but he was not the type of guy who resorts to such things. Instead, he slowly breathed in to allow himself to calm down. He opened his mouth slightly, but found himself closing it again when he was lost for words.

Much as he was angered by Roark's statements, Riley couldn't deny the fact that he indeed felt hurt upon finding out that Cynthia and Steven had been dating. Riley and Cynthia were close friends. They met during their journeys as young trainers and eventually became travelling companions. Cynthia loved battling while he preferred to learn about Pokemon. However, their differences did not prevent them from forming a close bond. Riley would chide Cynthia whenever her recklessness got out of hand, while Cynthia always encouraged and supported Riley in his endeavors.

As they approached their teens, his feelings for the girl grew. He didn't know when or how he fell in love with his best friend, but there was no denying of how he felt. When they were 17 years old, they had to part ways. Cynthia wanted to travel to other regions and grow stronger as a trainer. Riley was to train as an aura guardian at Cameran Palace in the Kanto region, shortly after discovering his aura powers. With a promise to keep in touch, they said their farewells.

The next time they met in person, Riley was already the owner of Iron Island and its mines while Cynthia was the celebrated Sinnoh Champion. The rest was history.

"Sorry if I took a while. Cynthia called asking where I was," a voice said behind Roark.

Riley looked behind the red-haired man and saw Steven making his way towards them.

"Did she now?" Roark inquired, "huh, we were just talking about her, eh, Riley?" he turned back to the man in question with a smirk.

Okay, maybe one punch to the jaw wouldn't hurt, right?, Riley thought to himself.

"I guess you also expected her to call me," Steven said with a chuckle. "Let's just finish our drinks and be on our way. I have to pick up my parents tomorrow at the airport, apparently."

"The stone seniors in town, eh," Roark replied.

The men drank in silence with only the occasional clink of their glasses heard. After a several minutes, a man came inside and ordered a drink from the barman. The same man was about to sit down when he noticed Steven beside him.

"Well what do we have here? Steven Stone, correct?"

Steven looked up from his drink and saw a heavily built man in cargo shorts and a plain white shirt.

"Hey, don't just stare at me like that," said the man

"I'm sorry, it must be the alcohol. I may be having a hard time focusing or recalling. Have we met somewhere?" replied Steven.

The man stared down at Steven. He internally chuckled at the sight of the blue-haired man. His face was flushed and his gaze could barely lock into one direction.

"Not really. You're just famous that's why it's easy to recognize ya from anywhere," the man said as he slightly leaned in the counter. "Say, what are ya doing at this time of the night? Don't ya have a wife and daughter back at home?"

With that, Steven snapped out of his stupor and locked gaze with the large man.

"My family is none of your concern, but I can assure you that they are safe."

"Really now? I do hope so. Wouldn't want someone barging into your home when ya have a hot wife inside, eh?" The man gave a suggestive smirk at his statement.

Hearing this, Riley and Roark also snapped out of their stupor. Whoever this guy was, he was crossing the line. They would never let some guy talk about Cynthia in that manner and get away with it.

Steven clenched his jaw so tight it felt like breaking. "Talk about my wife in that manner again and you'll be regretting it,"

The man let out a laugh. "Or what? Going to call out your Pokemon on me? I don't think so. Your family name and company are at stake if that ever happens." An idea then came into the man's mind, "If you think about it, I'm not too interested in your wife anyway. Ya already wallow in her jugs every night. HA! Maybe I could wait until your daughter is 18, eh? Hope she gets her momma's bod-"

In a flash, Steven shot up from his seat and punched the man in the face. The man stumbled and fell back. Steven noticed that the man's right cheek was bleeding. He remembered the two rings he wore.

Serves him right, Steven thought.

By now, Roark and Riley went to Steven's side. They had to put a stop to the fight before it gets out of hand. The barman also came into the scene and stood in between the two men.

"STOP THIS INSTANCE! Continue this fight or we'll call the police and ban everyone in this room from ever entering again!" The barman said loudly in a thick, Kalosian accent.

"aw but this this place serves my favorite drink," Roark said in a low voice.

"Shut it, Roark!" Riley chided.

The bulky man stood up and ran a finger along his bleeding cheek. Before anyone could react, he pushed the barman to the side towards a table and lunged at Steven. He grabbed the blue-haired man by the collar and slammed him to the nearest wall.

"You'll pay big time, Stone!"

Steven tried to free himself from the man's grasp. However, he was at a slight disadvantage. While he was muscular and built enough due to all the years of lifting rocks and heavy equipment, the man in front of him was twice bulkier. However, he was still enraged by this man's previous statements regarding Cynthia and Garnet. He would fight even if it was not in his nature to do so.

With that, Steven kicked the man in the gut and landed another clean blow to his chin.

The man shouted a series of curses before balling his right hand into a fist. Before Steven could react, the man strike at him with great strength. And another. And another.

Cynthia stood in front of the living room's large expanse window that overlooked Jubilife City. Her faint reflection was cast on the glass windows by the dim, yellow light of the lamp across the room. She checked the phone in her hand and saw that it was already 2 am.

She called Steven earlier around 10 pm to ask if he was working overtime at the company. Her husband had told her that Riley and Roark took him to the bar for a drink. This was fine for Cynthia; her husband deserved a break from all the work at Devon. It can't always be work and family for him. He has to enjoy from time to time.

Cynthia also told Steven that his parents called her saying they booked a flight to Sinnoh, and had asked for their son to pick them up. Steven promised to be home by 11 pm. That was hours ago.

She tried to call him several times, but he wouldn't answer her calls. She left him about 50 or so messages, and yet there was no reply.

Where is he, thought Cynthia.

She began to think of all worst-case scenarios as to why he wasn't answering. Steven was never the type to ignore her messages or calls. He knew how easily anxious she can be when it comes to family. More so now after she lost her grandmother from the 'incident' 5 years ago.

Did he get into an accident? No, she trusted that Riley or Roark would immediately contact her if that happened. Speaking of the two, neither of the men replied to any of her messages as well. It worried her that all three might have gotten themselves into something dangerous.

Steven couldn't be…? NO! He would never do something like that, would he?, Cynthia's mind formed a mental image of a random woman in the bar making out with her husband. Her chest tightened from the thought. Considering it was 2 am, who knows how far that could've gone by now.

She turned swiftly and walked towards the coat rack near the front door. She was wearing her pajamas, but her coat should be enough to provide her warmth from the cold night. She picked up her key card and silently went to the hallway where the bedrooms are located. She slowly pushed down on a door handle and peeked inside. She saw the faint outlines of her daughter's sleeping figure.

Cynthia took two Pokeballs from her coat and called out her Lucario and Togekiss. Before the Pokemon cried out (as they normally do when called out for battle), Cynthia placed a finger to her lips, signaling them to keep quiet.

"I need to go out for a while. Could you watch Garnet while I'm gone? If the worst scenario happens, don't hesitate to break the windows to escape," She said in a low voice.

Both Pokemon placed a paw and a wing to their chest in agreement.

Cynthia went out the door of the unit and walked quickly towards the elevator. She pressed a button and waited for the doors to slide open. Upon hearing a distinct ring, she was about to march forward when the sight that met her was enough to stop anyone from their tracks.

The doors slid open to reveal Steven with both of his arms around the shoulders of Roark and Riley for support. His charcoal jacket with metal cuffs was slung in his shoulders along with his scarf, waistcoat unbuttoned, and his undershirt untucked. What particularly horrified her were the stains of blood on his shirt, and the bruises on his face and eye.

"Cynthia?" Riley said in slight surprise.

"We… can explain?" Roark added nervously.

"Let's get him inside first, THEN you ALL explain," she replied sternly, but worry was evident in her voice.

The two men nodded and helped Steven walk towards the door of his and Cynthia's unit.

When they all arrived inside, Cynthia ushered them to lay Steven down on the sofa as she went to the bathroom to fetch a first aid kit. She then passed by the kitchen to take an ice pack.

"Cynthia? Can Roark use one of your bathrooms? The guy is going to throw up," a voice, Riley's, said from the living room.

"Down the hallway to your left," she replied. Hurried footsteps were then heard followed by the slamming of a door and flushing of a toilet.

As Cynthia went back to the living room, she saw Steven lying down on the sofa and Riley sitting on the opposite one. She placed the ice pack and first aid kit on the center table and sat down beside her husband.

"CARE TO EXPLAIN?!" She said to no one in particular.

Riley was about to answer, but Steven cut him off. Despite the pain and throbbing headache, Steven tried his best to recount the events that unfolded. Riley gave his statement from time to time whenever the man had trouble remembering.

"Then we had to stay a little longer in the bar. The police took their time with the questioning and we couldn't risk being seen in the public. It'll affect our work and public image negatively, not that the latter weighed more," Steven said as his wife began treating some cuts on his face.

"We can't risk a negative image in the public considering what we do," added Riley as he observed the couple.

Cynthia was silent throughout the conversation. At first, she had an angered expression that slowly turned into worry and sadness when Steven explained the reason for his actions. After cleansing the cuts on Steven's face, she took the ice pack and gently held it to his bruised right eye.

"Even so, was a fist fight really necessary? I trusted that you wouldn't engage in unnecessary fights inside a bar. It could've been worse for you, Steven! I don't know what I will do if…" Cynthia stopped mid-sentence to swallow a hard lump in her throat.

Steven held her other hand that did not hold the ice pack. He whispered something that only Cynthia heard. In response, Cynthia squeezed his hand and proceeded to apply the ice pack to his other bruises.

Riley observed the couple throughout their exchange. The way Cynthia carefully cleansed Steven's cuts, the gentle pressure she would apply with the ice pack to his bruises, and how she squeezed her husband's hand. Riley felt a stinging pain in his chest at the sight before him. He remembered what Roark previously asked him back at the bar. After all these years, was he regretting his decision of not confessing to Cynthia?

"Do you think you would be in Steven's position right now as husband if you confessed to Cynthia before Steven did? You could have been Garnet's father instead," Roark's drunk words echoed in his mind. Riley took another look at the couple in front of him.

Yes, he regrets not confessing to Cynthia, but he isn't jealous of Steven either. If Steven could make Cynthia happy more than he could, he'd gladly accept defeat. His first love and best friend was content. It was all that mattered to him.

"Riley? Could I get you anything? Sorry, I should've asked earlier. I got too busy that I forgot you and Roark are also here," Cynthia said apologetically.

"No, it's fine," He replied.

Riley briefly glanced at Steven and saw that the man had fallen asleep. He must have slipped into slumber at some point during his last conversation with Cynthia. Steven was already fighting the exhaustion when they arrived in the condominium. Thankfully, they were only met by the doorman and receptionist on duty. Riley asked the two employees if they could keep it among themselves that a bruised and bloodied Steven Stone was seen entering his residence at 2 am. Both assured Riley that they have seen tons of prominent people come and go in the building with controversial appearances. Steven's case was not new to them.

"Sorry about that. The alcohol really hit hard tonight. Say Cynthia, you wouldn't mind if I crashed in for the ni—" Roark couldn't complete his sentence when Riley immediately stood up and placed a hand to his mouth.

"Actually, we were just about to leave," Riley quickly said, "Come on, Roark. We should get you home too before you decide to sleep in the sidewalks,"

"I see. Sorry if I couldn't offer anything tonight," Cynthia said as she stood up and followed the men to the front door.

"I told you, Cynth. It's just fine. Besides, I have to get Roark safely home before Gardenia looks for him herself,"

"Funny, I was about to do just that earlier," Cythia replied with a chuckle. "Until now, you're still the responsible one in the group, huh, Riley?"

"Of course. I'm surprised you took notice of that since we were little,"

"Come on, you were my closest friend at the time. Naturally I'd observe your personality and quirks," Cynthia said with a small smile. "But really, thank you. I hope you two keep safe,"

"Thanks, Cynthia. Take care." Riley said.

As Cynthia closed the door, Roark suddenly shifted his weight to Riley's side.

"What the? Roark, what are you doing?"

The man in question had fallen asleep and almost fell to the floor had Riley not caught him.

Riley sighed. He had no choice but to carry Roark in his back.

What an exhausting night. Next time I'm drinking, I'll do it inside my home, the aura guardian thought.

Steven was caught in a void between sleep and reality when he heard muffled noises. He couldn't tell where they were coming from, but they were definitely getting closer. He decided to ignore them and allowed himself to drift off once more into the realm of sleep. Just as he took one deep breath, he felt something soft— a pillow? – hit his already bruised face.

He sat up in a jolt and winced from the pain. Oh Arceus, the pain. His head was throbbing, His body ached all over, and his face felt swollen. Not to mention, he could barely open his right eye. Before he could register what was happening, a woman in front of him pulled at the blankets.

"GET OFF THAT SOFA, BOY! YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION WHY CYNTHIA PICKED US UP HERSELF AND WHY YOU LOOK LIKE— THAT…!" the woman shouted and pointed to all of Steven with both hands.

"Wait— mom?" Steven asked dumbfounded.

Then it hit him. He remembered all the events from last night and how he was supposed to pick up his parents from the airport at 8 am. Steven glanced at the digital clock on the side table beside him and saw that it was 10 am.

"I… uh…"

"I can't believe you! Getting into fights in a bar like that. We raised you better than that, Steven," Steven's mother said.

"Dear, maybe we should let him eat breakfast first. I'm sure he's still at a daze. Give him some time to think. Maybe he can explain things better that way," a man said from behind.

Steven looked behind his mother and saw his father putting down their luggage on the floor.

"You always insist on going on the easy route with him, Joseph. This is why he turned out like this,"

Joseph Stone raised an eyebrow at that. "This is the first time he actually got into a fight, Lillian. He wasn't much trouble growing up. I'm sure he has his reasons for what happened, don't you, Son?" at his last statement, Joseph gave Steven a small smile.

When Joseph looked back at his own wife, he saw that she was fuming. "W-wait! I'm not saying he's right for engaging in a fist fight, hehe. It's just that, maybe we need to hear out his reasons too, Dear. He's a grown man after all,"

Steven was amused. Since he was a child, he always found it funny how his father could easily get agitated where his mother was concerned. He may seem like a stern businessman, but like Steven, he has a silly and relaxed persona around the people close to him.

"Oh, hi there Mr. and Mrs. Stone. I see you've arrived safely," said a voice coming from the hallway.

A teenager with curly brown hair emerged, holding a giggling Garnet in her arms. The teenager approached Cynthia and passed the toddler to her.

"I gave her a bath while you were away, but she hasn't eaten yet. I hope you don't mind the outfit I chose for her,"

Garnet was wearing a dark gray smock dress with an embroidered baby Gible pattern on the tip of the right collar. She wore navy tights and a pair of dark Mary Jane shoes.

"It's a cute outfit, Kayla. Thanks again for coming at such short notice. I hope I didn't disturb your day off," Cynthia said to the teenage girl as she brushed her daughter's damp blue hair.

"It's okay, Cynthia. I don't mind babysitting Garnet at all," she replied. "I guess I'll see you around. Enjoy your stay in Sinnoh, Mr. and Mrs. Stone. Get well soon, Steven," Kayla said cheerfully to the family as she made her way to the front door.

The entire Stone family gave her small smiles, with Garnet waving goodbye to her babysitter with a tiny hand.

"Buh-Byeeee" Garnet said in her small voice.

Lillian Stone turned to the direction of the mother and daughter, but not before giving her husband a stern look. "You better talk with that boy,"

With that, she approached Cynthia and Garnet slowly. The toddler recognized her grandmother immediately and began to giggle.

"Look at you. Aren't you just the cutest in that little outfit. Come on, hug grandma," she cooed.

Garnet outstretched her arms as Cynthia passed her to the excited grandmother. Lillian immediately hugged and kissed the toddler on the cheeks several times.

Cynthia felt her phone ringing in her coat pocket and immediately excused herself. She went down the hallway towards her and Steven's bedroom.

"Hello?"

"Cynthia! How is our beloved Sinnoh Champ doing?"

"Charles! It's been a long time. I'm doing just fine,"

Charles Goodshow was the current president of the Pokemon League Association. He handles all events and concerns regarding the Gym battles, Conferences, and Championship Tournaments of all member regions.

"I heard much about the research and excavation teams' progress. You're currently on the search for a new potential site, correct?" asked the elderly man.

"Very much so. Our research team have about 5 probable locations being looked up. We're planning on deploying the excavation teams as soon as we get a solid lead on at least 3 of the sites," Cynthia replied.

"I see. Well, I wish you all the best of luck. Now for the reason I've called… You are quite aware of the PLA's situation with regards to the Champion's league, correct?"

"Yes," she replied.

She very much knew what Charles was referring. Since the 'incident' 5 years ago, the Pokemon League Association needed its current regional Champions in investigating the events that unfolded, as well as in searching for the Stone Tablets. It was a matter that only the officials of the PLA, the regional Champions, and a few chosen individuals could have knowledge of. While most of the world knew of the havoc and destruction that had occurred, the PLA decided that the events concerning that 'man', the 'individuals with special abilities', and the existence of the Stone Tablets must be kept as classified information. If anything gets leaked, there will be mass hysteria.

This is the reason why for the past years since the 'incident', there was no Champions League. The Elite 4 and Champion of every region could not be challenged. Most trainers have only been allowed to take part in gym battles up until league conferences. The PLA issued a statement stating that the Elite 4 and champions are needed to help in clearing the aftermath of the events. While this was true, it was not the complete story. The PLA cannot afford to have a change of champions at the time because it would mean having to brief the new champion with regards to the events that occurred. This was a risk that the PLA did not want to take as it can cause information to spread. The organization trusted the current Elite 4 and Champions that they would keep it a secret they'll carry to the grave.

"You see, the organization decided that we cannot keep the Champions league closed any longer. Rumors have been spreading amongst trainers that you Champions and the Elite 4 have dark secrets you wanted to be kept from the public. Some even say that unethical experiments on Pokemon are being done to create unbeatable teams for the Champions," Charles said.

There was a moment of silence before he continued.

"Which is why, we've decided to reopen the Champions league starting with Sinnoh. However, in the event that any of you current Champs would lose your title, the newly appointed champion will be kept in the dark. The PLA will treat the new champion as before, but he or she will not be given any of the information that we hold. It'll be leaving them out, but we have no choice. I do hope your battling skills are not too rusty yet, Cynthia. You'll be defending your title once again by the end of this month,"

Cynthia took her time to absorb what she heard. "I'll be needing a little bit of training, but I'm prepared for anything, Charles,"

"Good. I was hoping to hear that. I'll message you any further details,"

"Alright. Thanks," she replied.

With that, Charles hung up. Cynthia sat on the bed and stared at her phone. She felt both excited and anxious about defending her title once again. For the past years, she rarely had any high-level battles besides the casual ones with the Sinnoh Elite Four and Steven. When she married Steven and gave birth to Garnet, she became focused on her family and research that battling almost never crosses her mind. However, she still had that feeling inside her; that feeling of being in the center stage and analyzing all that the senses could perceive from the challenging trainer's commands to the Pokemon's movements. After all, she was a trainer long before she was a researcher, a wife, and a mother.

You can do this, Cynthia. Just believe in yourself, she thought. With that, she stood up and made her way outside. As she walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, she heard her mother-in-law talking exuberantly inside the kitchen.

As Cynthia walked in, she saw Steven on one side of the dining table holding an ice pack to his face with a freshly brewed coffee in front of him. His father sat on the chair opposite to him and was holding Garnet in his arms. To her right, she saw Lillian stirring something in a pot before placing a small portion in a small bowl.

"How about this. I reheated the special porridge I made before we left. It's made with Mago and Cornn berries. Here Garnet, say AHHH," she said as she scooped a small portion with a spoon and bringing it near Garnet's mouth.

The toddler smiled upon tasting the porridge. "Gammy, Nummy!"

Joseph chuckled at his granddaughter's reaction. The toddler often referred to her grandmother as 'Gammy', and him as 'Gampy'.

"Awww you love granny's cooking? Alright let's get you some for breakfast," Lillian cooed at the toddler.

Cynthia approached Steven and sat beside him.

"They said they're on vacation and will be staying in Sinnoh for a month. Garnet's birthday is next week so they'll stay here until then before they leave for Snowpoint City," Steven told her as he watched his parents and daughter laughing.

"That's okay. It's nice having them around from time to time. By the way, you made coffee?" Cynthia asked as she took a sip from her husband's mug.

"No, my mother made it for me after my father and I talked,"

Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle at this, "She can be quite strict, but you're still her baby boy,"

Steven simply scoffed and smiled lightly in response.

"By the way, I hope you focus on getting better because I'll be needing your help in training my Pokemon, love,"

Sorry for taking so long. I've been busy the past weeks.

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. It's a continuation from the last chapter where Steven, Riley, and Roark went out for a drink. I had fun writing Roark's dialogues. His personality in this story is based off someone I know.

Also, our Garnet is growing little by little. She's going to be 2 years old in the story soon. I don't think I'll be focusing much on her supposed birthday celebration. It's not too relevant on the plot.

So, what did you think of this chapter?