Sera still definitely wasn't a member of Team Magma or anything, and as such it wasn't like she took orders… But she'd gotten her first polite requests as member-adjacent, and was looking forward to seeing what she could dig up on the topic at hand.

First, though, she had another request. Tabitha had excused himself before she was really finished eating, claiming he had business to attend to, but asked her to rendezvous back with him briefly this evening. So she'd opted to spend the rest of the afternoon window shopping and spending some time with her Pokemon in a local park- activities she could drop easily if it got too close to time-and now stood a few blocks from the Trainer's School, waiting.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when something suddenly fell over one shoulder and half her head, panicking and fumbling for about two seconds before realizing it was fabric and looking around for its source.

Oh. Of course it was Tabitha. "Uh, what's this?" she asked, even as she started to pull it off of her and straighten it out to check exactly that.

"The old cloak suited a Magma ally," he shrugged. "Leader Maxie does not make many mistakes, but when he does, it is most often my job to take care of them. So I hope this is a suitable replacement."

Sera looked it over in awe. The new cloak was a little deeper red, with black trim and inner lining, and cut much sleeker than the old one. It didn't really have the same Red Riding Hood vibe. But it was very nice, and the material felt cool and breathable, and "I love it. I- Thank you." She smiled to him.

"Don't read into it." Tabitha crossed his arms. "I would recommend wearing it now to hide that ridiculous get-up, personally."

Sera was- incredulous! "UM. Excuse you?" She was so much lace and frills right now and she 100% saw where he was coming from but that did not at all mean she had to agree. "No, screw you, I'm cute as fuck. I'm a damn Sylveon over here."

"Uh-huh…" he replied dryly. "I'd give you maybe Gothita."

Sera frowned. "...Gothorita?"

"Nah, just Gothita."

She stuck out her tongue, which was totally definitely helping her case, obviously. Unable to resist, she muttered, "...Better than a Makuhita."

"What. … Did you dare to just-"

"I didn't say anything~" she feigned a little too sweetly, intentionally sounding fake. When he did not respond, though, Sera began to worry she'd gone too far. Crap.. Surely something so silly and petty wouldn't burn her bridge entirely this soon but it.. would it weaken it? Maybe she should-

But at last, he replied just as bone dry: "Fuck you, I'm a Hariyama." It took Sera a few seconds to process that before she burst into laughter. "Anyway, some of us have to work tomorrow. And I'm sure you've got a tea party to get to or something, so…"

In most situations, Sera would have taken that as a jab at her being a 'little girl' but. In this case no that was 100% fair, and it only made her giggle more. "All right. I'll text you if I find anything that might be useful."

"Good. Try not to disappoint." He turned then and started to walk away.

Sera sighed, but retained a smile. "I'll do my best."

She started to head the other way, then, when she heard Tabitha briefly call back, "And… Happy Birthday, I guess." Sera didn't reply, but might have beamed for the next half-hour straight.


Morgan didn't know how much more of this she could take.

On paper, it sounded fine. A few health problems in exchange for peace? Privacy? A permanent roof over her head and guaranteed meals? No more battles? What wasn't to love?

Aside from the glaring gaps in her memory seeming to grow worse by the day, noticeably slower processing speed when she had to figure out a problem, what felt like occasional glitches in her basic motor skills, and an occasional absence seizure, this was… totally fine, right?

They swore that most of her symptoms were improving and showing less frequently, but Morgan wasn't so sure.

Adding to this frustration was the fact that she didn't seem to be doing. Anything. If she had all her old spellbooks and potion materials she could be content for months cooped up in a small room. But trying to substitute that with reading up on Pokemon facts lacked the same sense of accomplishment, wasn't interactive enough to keep her as thoroughly absorbed. And worse, trying to absorb high volumes of new information proved more difficult than reviewing and adding to things with which she was already so much more deeply familiar, which was that much more frustrating because she was 98% sure she hadn't always needed to reread new things this many times to retain them better than she was doing now.

One thing that kept her sane had proven to be berry farming. She'd picked up a pamphlet near Rustboro what seemed so long ago now on the health benefits of different berries, but she hadn't really had the opportunity to pay it much mind until now. A few times it helped her identify berries she found in the wild, but it wasn't as though she could grow more. What, was she just going to casually run back to every patch of dirt in Hoenn every couple of days to check and water them all? Hardly.

But now, Genevieve had been kind enough to let her start a garden outside the house, and Morgan was learning a lot.

For instance, it seemed like the Potions sold in stores were likely no more than a thinned Oran puree with maybe some additives and something to help it absorb through the skin. Not that they were expensive, but why pay anything when Morgan could get the same effects for free?

She also learned that some varieties of berries grew remarkably fast, and were resilient in a wide variety of climates. She learned that they kept for a surprisingly long time when stored under the appropriate conditions.

She stockpiled more than she thought she would ever use- hundreds of some varieties at this point- but she kept growing more because it gave her something to do, and the more excess she managed to get, the more she could afford to waste with probably 'fruitless' experiments, pun intended but also a little shameful even though in never left her mind. Wow. She was even embarrassed of her private thoughts now. Good job Morgan.

She looked up from a Rawst bush and sighed heavily.

Berries were fine, but they only helped so much. She needed…

She needed to do something. If she just sat around reading books and picking berries until her recovery was deemed 'good enough', she'd wind up flung suddenly back into the thick of combat less prepared than she'd been when she got here.

Sure, she knew more now, but back then she was fresh off a different sort of battlefield, facing a challenge specifically tailored to beginners. Here, she'd be going up against far stronger foes in some of the worst shape of her life.

The doctors said her brain would probably never be quite 100% of what it had been before the assault. They said 90, even 98, 99! They couldn't guarantee such good results, but those were all possible. But the damage would never 100% go away; she'd carry at least some lingering reminder the rest of her life, just like the scars from any other physical wound.

She touched the new scars on her head. Thanks for those, by the way, Norman.

But even if she couldn't guarantee she'd be ready when they inevitably made her rejoin the games, she could still try. Try to prepare herself, try to get herself used to thinking on her toes, again…

And they would make her. She could deal with boredom if she knew it would last, but even if she didn't know exactly when just yet, she knew they'd make her continue in time. Fulfill the contract she allegedly signed up for. And it was that looming future that made her so restless.

She looked out to the treeline, across the field from where the house stood at the edge of town. The boundary line. The barrier…

If her observations were correct… The Pokemon she'd encountered when she was dumped in the uncharted wilds were stronger versions of those from several nearby routes, at least mostly… A few species she didn't recognize at all, but she couldn't guarantee she just hadn't encountered those yet…

So if she was right, the Pokemon around here should be… Mostly Zigzagoon and Linoone, Poochyena and Mightyena, and a variety of bugs… Maybe the rare Ralts, or something…? She could… probably handle that. With any luck, they'd be stronger than the ones on nearby routes, but not as strong as the ones up north...

What was she doing? Was she really planning to waltz right back into the den of horror that nearly killed her, willingly?

Well, here she was, sneaking through the house to grab her Pokeballs, so apparently so.

Anyway, last time she didn't have them. This time should be a walk in the park, right?

She approached the barrier.

Her Nav was not with her this time. There was no blaring, no warning, but Morgan still found herself on high alert.

Her rail thin frame easily slipped between two trees to find the forest a little dim, but significantly less dense than the tight outer rim would have suggested. It seemed quiet enough, but going further in she would take no chances, releasing both Cerebus and Mithril to escort her.

The prior always made her feel safer, and the latter… For some reason she got the feeling that xe thought this was a good idea. Even a little validation was nice, even if it was probably all in her head.

Not two minutes later, she encountered a wild… What was that, some kind of parrot? Whatever. It was small and alone, so maybe she could use it to help train Wherefore? She sent out the Wobbuffet, and waited for a good opportunity to Counter.

And the bird proceeded to use all sound-based, non-physical moves. So… No it needed to-... Wait, what was the special equivalent of Counter? She didn't have her Nav to check… It… it was…

The next thing Morgan knew, she was clutching Cerberus's arm, and he was making an effort to help steady her. Morgan did not remember grabbing him. Fuck.

She looked out to see- a doubled blur for a moment, but when it came back into focus- Wherefore's lifeless body toppled, and heard the bird shout in a plain human tongue, "BRETHREN, ASSEMBLE!"

As another dozen colorful birds flocked out of the woodwork, Morgan began ever so slightly laughing for what felt like the first time in weeks. Now she got it. This was a really stupid dream. Of course it was.

The birds split between picking at Wherefore's corpse and launching attacks at the other three. Morgan passively observed that they sure felt real, but she was sure she'd wake up sooner or later. Any… time now…

"MORGAN."

That sudden cry was followed by a wave of psychic energy rippling past- and through- Morgan. Mithril was unphased, and Morgan and Cerebus had to brace themselves to hold their ground, but all the… Chatot? Morgan was certain she'd never heard that name, yet felt oddly sure they were called Chatot. Whatever they were, all of them were sent flying.

A few moments later, Genevieve was at her side, a large Claydol floating and small Purrloin standing just behind her. "What were you thinking? You can't just- Are you hurt? That was so- stupid and irresponsible and-... Dear, let's go." Genevieve and Cerberus both started leading her back toward town. "You're so lucky that wasn't worse, you know you shouldn't be out without-.. And how do you think it would look on me if you just up and… disappeared?"

So this actually was real? But that didn't make sense. "How did you find me..?" Morgan muttered.

"Thankfully, Muffin saw you wandering off and came to alert me. You won't always be so lucky." Muffin offered Morgan a disdainful, almost haughty or scolding meow.

Genevieve continued to fuss over or at her all the way home, sometimes simultaneously. Once in the den, she sat Morgan down and checked her over thoroughly, sighing in relief as she said, "Well, there doesn't seem to be any visible damage, at least. How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Ehh," Morgan answered. "I think I'm getting another headache, but otherwise I think I'm okay." Really, she was sure she'd have been fine staying out there. Claydol hadn't done anything Mithril couldn't. She just needed a few more seconds to get her bearings.

… Ugh, they just… left Wherefore's body, didn't they. So much for that revival chance. Now she was just grateful she hadn't had her Nav, so that poor old woman would never have to know what a bad idea it was to give Wherefore's egg to Morgan.

"I'm so glad… Promise me you won't wander off like that again?"

"... Sure, okay," said Morgan flatly.


She wandered off again literally the next day. She took account of Muffin's whereabouts first this time, picked a time when Genevieve was out of the house, and managed to make it an hour in the shallow part of the wilds before turning back. She even made it home first, no questions asked.

The next day, she repeated the process, lasting a little over an hour; the day after, almost two. The attacks were not really too frequent this little way in, and it was actually somewhat peaceful in between them. In the dim quiet, she felt like she was more aware of Cerberus's thoughts and motions, as if they were becoming more in-sync with one another; and she started imagining herself having entire conversations with Mithril.

On the fourth day, she arrived home to find Genevieve waiting. "You took a walk?"

"... Yyyeah," answered Morgan. "I needed some fresh air." … Wait, the garden was plenty fresh. "And to stretch some."

The woman sighed. "If you're going to keep doing this, please take my Nav and Muffin with you. Even under the current circumstances, yours won't cross the boundary line without protest, but with my position mine can."

Morgan blinked. "Are you giving me permission to break the rules?"

Genevieve leered. "Not at all. I'm furious that you're recklessly putting yourself in harm's way. But I'm not willing to have you incarcerated over it and I couldn't live with myself if you didn't make it back, so I guess the next best thing is to take precautions. I'll keep your Nav with me, so if you run into trouble you can dial your own number or have Muffin come for help."

"Mm…" Morgan looked to the Purrloin. "You sure it's a good idea to send your pet out to-"

Muffin spat an indignant yowl her way, and Genevieve followed up, "Dear, Muffin isn't small because she's weak; she chose not to evolve. She accompanied me through several Kalosian tournaments when I was… mm, probably your age and a little younger, before I moved to Hoenn."

Wait… "So, you're an actual trainer?" Also. People willingly came to Hoenn? That might be the strangest news yet.

She chuckled. "How did you think I caught the eye of a Hoenn Gym Leader? Aside from my stunning good looks and sparkling personality."

"And humility," Morgan added.

"Of course~ But yes. I was a Marchioness in the Battle Chateau, among some smaller achievements. And… on that note, if you'd like to spar against my Pokemon some time instead of wandering into the death zone?" Her smile was sweet and bordering on pleading.

"... Huh. I hadn't realized that was an option, but yeah, I guess."

Genevieve nodded. "I.. suppose I'll let Sera know that she can resume some very light training as well."

They talked a little more, but eventually Morgan excused herself to her room… and found a Wingull sitting in her window sill. "Hey. No, shoo," she told it. "What are you even doing here? You should be like… I guess the other side of Oldale isn't too far but still."

It didn't move, but when she moved closer to shoo it away, she realized- "... Peeko?"

The Wingull squawked happily, then spread her wings to circle Morgan's room and drop several rolled up letters on her bed. One by one, Morgan unrolled them. Some were signed, some were not.

Get well soon, scamp. I know a bright spirit like yours can't be kept down for long. Just don't let them extinguish that light you have inside. One way or another, I get the feeling you're gonna change the world.

Gee, who could possibly be calling her that nickname, heh.

I'm gonna be honest, brat, I don't really like you. But I like those League pigs a lot less. Don't take this lying down; give them what's coming to them.

That one was a bit less obvious, but Morgan has a few guesses that were stronger than others.

Hey Morgan. I'm not sure if you'll get this. Do you have any idea how this bird even found ME? Well, it gave me a note saying I should write to you, so that's what I'm doing. It's a real shame about the accident. I hope you and Mr. Norman are both doing better. You both helped me so much. Did you know my Ralts evolved? I guess I'm running out of space on this tiny paper, but I'll try to visit you soon, if you're not back on the road by then!

- Best Wishes, Wally

Awww. Was he that much more outgoing now, or was he always just more talkative in text than aloud? She couldn't help but wonder. She opted to ignore the sympathy for Norman in light of everything else.

Lol hi. I could (and will) just walk over and say hi when I get back to Littleroot, but Peeko found me and is apparently collecting letters for you? She won't let me see the others. … Not that I'm trying to read your mail, ahah. That would be weird. But I figured why not give you an extra one, eh? ilu bb get well soon~

-Serafeyna (:P yes, really)

Morgan was right, that did have a dumb spelling. Why did she find that more satisfying than annoying at the moment?

I didn't get to know you well, but I've greatly enjoyed watching your journey, and the world seems a little brighter for having you in it. Get well soon.

- F. Andrews

Even the old man from the beach? Oh gosh, how many were there?

About a dozen as it turned out. This one sounded like it might be from Aarune or someone from his Guild? Several she couldn't tell, and a few had names she didn't recognize but they seemed like big fans.

Sorry if all these took a bit to find their way to you, lass. Peeko ain't the fastest flier, but she's damn near the sturdiest, and as it turns out, you've made a lot of friends. Remember you're not alone. We're all rooting for you.

- Briney

Morgan folded all the letters when she was done and tucked them away. She thanked Peeko and gave her a grateful pet before watching her fly away, then Morgan flopped down on her bed. For the first time in she couldn't remember how long, she wanted to cry, in… a good way.


Sera was so glad to have the go-ahead. As long as she kept to one route, it still counted as a 'little' training, right?

So she adjusted her party, and… after having spent much of the past few weeks thinking on it, finally retired Zuma in favor of training her new Audino. She thought she was going to be able to convince Zuma it was for her own safety, and to uh… let her focus on contest endeavors. But taking her Silk Scarf to give to Audino left the Linoone pretty thoroughly heartbroken. Sera felt bad, but… Ihhhh.

Additionally, she was able to finally pick up her shiny new Anorith! (Not to be confused with a new Shiny Anorith, unfortunately. But still good.) Octillery was sidelined for the time being for that.

Together, they set out to Route 115, Sera's Nav activated for the endeavor.

The first Pokemon she encountered was a Pelipper. … A Pelipper with both Roost and Protect. It was… a very… long…. frustrating battle. Since 'Resilient Bastard' would not fit in the nickname field, Sera decided just to call him Paladin, and opted to keep him for the time being.

The rest of the route seemed pretty simple, a rather easy hike up the gentle slope that led to Meteor Falls. But then, Sera met Timothy.

Or rather, Wings met Timothy's Hariyama. Sera grinned when she saw it, for… reasons. But Wings…

No… No, I can't- I can't fail again. Sera. ...Had he ever called her by name before? Please. I don't want to.

"Hey, you'll be fine," Sera promised. "There's no shame in a two hit KO, really. You've got this!"

He did not have this.

Once again, Wings failed to take out the Hariyama right away. But this time, the counterattack was far stronger. Wings did not make it to his second attack.

Sera covered her mouth in shame. She'd-... She was able to finish the battle easily enough with Tank, and she could probably afford a Revive sooner than later, if she bought it out of pocket rather than from her specified 'game funds'. And she'd definitely do that. But… wow she… Wings was never going to fight a Hariyama again, was he? She didn't think she'd be making him, either… She really had to remember to apologize when he got back…


As it turned out, Genevieve could be… scary.

In other breaking news, Hoenn was hot and had too much water.

Between Morgan's occasional excursions and their sparring matches, though, Morgan was feeling a lot better about herself, and her odds of doing okay when she had to get back to competing. Genevieve seemed to be getting excited for her, too. Not to have her horse back in the race, but legitimately on Morgan's behalf, hoping to see her do well.

"Oh, dear, I almost forgot! I-..." She rushed into the next room, and came back holding Morgan's hat.

"Oh, shit. Have you had that all this time? I was kind of wondering where it went but I kept forgetting to ask."

Genevieve nodded. "I couldn't quite get all the blood stains out without damaging the material, so I… Well I embroidered some designs to cover them." She handed the hat to Morgan, who looked over the black-and-white Pokeball and wave-like tribal patterns appreciatively. "I suppose you don't… actually need to wear it anymore, if you don't want. I realize now it was probably a little silly of me to push it in the first place. But I thought it might be nice for covering those scars?"

Morgan shook her head. "No, I really like it, actually. I've kind of missed it." She pulled it on and took a moment to get it adjusted just right. She'd cut her hair short just after getting out of the hospital, both to make it easier to care for and to help make the shaved area around her scars less glaring, so it set a little differently than usual, but she ended up pretty happy with the fit. "Anyway, don't sweat the pushing. Wasn't it like… sentimental or something?"

Genevieve forced a weak smile. "Well, yes… Though I can't even remember what story I told you before." She took a seat. "The truth is, I'd made it for myself when I started training. Style is very important in Kalos, you see, and I thought something unique would help to set me apart, but…"

"...But?"

"But some people…" she grumbled, "thought it looked too masculine for a young lady to wear."

Morgan blinked. "... It's. It's a stocking cap." Like a kind of weird one but it was. A stocking cap.

Genevieve rolled her eyes. "You're telling me. If you think Hoenn has awful standards when it comes to clothing, Kalos is… worse, to put it lightly. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to love about a lot of the country. Just… sometimes…" She huffed. "But I never could bring myself to get rid of it. So I suppose when the opportunity arose to have a trainer wear it and still be popular, I may have gotten a little… vindictive."

"You? I can't imagine," teased Morgan. "But honestly, who even cares? Why not just wear whatever you want anyway?"

Wait why did she look even more annoyed now? Genevieve sighed. "Because, dear, when you opt for masculine attire, you're 'a tomboy', but when I try to do it, I'm 'not a real woman'."

"What?" Processing... process… "Oh! Sorry, I had no idea." Genevieve shrugged. "And, yeah, that sucks about the whole, double standard thing."

"Eh. Most of my style aligns to norms pretty well anyway, especially by Hoenn's slightly more lax standards. It's more a principle thing than personal at this point. But yes…"

"Yeah…" Though… while they were on the subject. "To be honest, I don't really think of myself as a… 'tomboy', or any kind of boy. But I don't really think of myself as a 'girl' either? Like I tend to just go with that out of habit, but…" Morgan shrugged dramatically. "I dunno. Whether or not the word itself bothers me depends on the context, but I've realized I really don't care for a lot of feminine terms people use toward me, so…"

"Oh?" Muffin wandered by, hopping in Genevieve's lap, and the woman seamlessly started petting her without taking her eyes off Morgan. "Are you agender, then? Or something else nonbinary?"

Morgan moved her hands in a vague weighing motion. "Mmmaybe? I mean, do I actually not have one or have I just not given it enough thought to pin down what it is? But probably somewhere in that neighborhood, I guess, while I'm thinking about it now."

Genevieve nodded. "That's fair. I just sort of wish you'd told me sooner, though I understand several reasons you wouldn't."

"Yeh." Morgan found herself smirking, though not quite laughing. "So, hey. Sorry if this hurts the whole 'prove the hat can work on a girl' plan?"

Genevieve barked a sharp laugh in turn. "Do you mean by turning it into a 'my trainer has no gender and neither does this fucking hat' plan? Because that sounds like a good plan."

Morgan's smirk shifted to a borderline grin. "Okay, good point."

"Should I make that public, though? And would you prefer neutral pronouns?"

Morgan gave that some thought. "I… guess not right now. I'll think on it more and let you know if I decide I'd like you to. But it's likely to come up more for you talking about me than it is to affect me directly when I'm traveling, so no longer than I have left here, it doesn't seem worth any hassle to me right now."

"Mmm. All right. Well don't hesitate to say so if you change your mind, dear. … I had something else to tell you. What was it…" Morgan waited as she thought. "... Oh! Right! You know how you start back Monday?" Morgan nodded. "Well, your friend Wally got in touch with Norman to mention he wanted to visit you, so we thought it'd be a good idea for him to escort you to Mauville to get back to your journey. Sera will be meeting you both there, but this way, you'll be able to help keep an eye on each other. Wally is looking to start traveling more on his own, as well, so it should be a good test to make sure you're both up to it."

As much as Morgan disliked the idea of a babysitter, something about it coming in the form of an actual child did amuse her, and she could see the point. Not to mention, "That's great to hear for Wally. Sounds fun, I'm looking forward to it."


Norman arrived that morning with Wally in tow. As Morgan watched their approach from her bedroom window, she wanted to feel resentment toward Norman, but the clear strength of the bond between him and Wally made that difficult to muster, she found. Certainly she could still hate him later, but within this moment, seeing them joke with each other and hearing the faint sound of their laughter, Norman seemed...

Morgan held little doubt that if anything ever happened to Wally's family, Norman would adopt him in a heartbeat.

… She suddenly hoped nothing 'mysterious' befell Wally's poor family to facilitate that. Okay, geez, there was the resentment. She knew it couldn't have been too far again.

Once inside, Norman was blatantly avoidant of her, but she supposed avoidant was better than hostile. He fully reactivated her Nav, but otherwise did not interact with her. She bid farewell to Genevieve. Then she and Wally set off.

Going to Mauville by way of Rusturf Tunnel was certainly a quicker route than circling around a third of Hoenn, but the individual legs of the journey took a little longer than it had for Morgan the first time. But that was okay. It gave her and Wally time to talk. He was actually a pretty cool kid, and his upbeat attitude- particularly contrasted with how timid he was when Morgan first met him- was oddly refreshing, even if she did think him fairly naive for it.

The one thing that drove her crazy was the lack of good training opportunities. Between having already fought so many local trainers and Wally handling half of what battles they did have, Morgan was growing concerned she wouldn't be up to par when they arrived in Mauville.

… Unless, of course, she snuck out to train while Wally was asleep. She wandered most nights of their journey until she found Secret Base locations. When they were empty, she was able to ditch her Nav temporarily in them and sneak just past the edge of the boundary line for training. When they were not, sometimes the trainers inside were willing to battle.

In one such battle, someone accidentally killed Morgan's Beedrill. In another, she accidentally killed the other trainer's Medicham. She felt bad about the latter, but the prior was harder to explain… She felt very lucky that they bought a wild Pokemon had jumped her while on an insomnia-induced walk, but she'd have to be more careful. She doubted they'd buy it twice.

They finally made it to Mauville with relatively little incident, though, and both crashed in the Pokemon Center for the evening.

The following morning, it was time to part ways. Wally wanted to see if he could finally challenge Wattson, while Morgan had to meet up with Sera.

"Thank you so much again for everything, Morgan," Wally told her. "Next time we meet, I hope I'm strong enough that we can have a real battle."

Morgan nodded. "That Kirlia of yours is quite the little fighter. I'm sure you'll do great. Just keep in mind your limits and pace yourself, and you'll do fine."

Wally smiled. "Thanks. … But is that a yes?"

"Hm?"

"That you'll battle me next time."

Given they had no idea whether 'next time' would be in a few days or a few months, Morgan didn't know if that was wise… But she shrugged anyway. "Yeah, I guess."

Wally beamed. "Great! Then it's a promise~" She didn't know if she'd call it a- "See you, Morgan!" Ha.. Well, then okay.