Chapter 31

PureBlueSky sat up in his hotel room suite, paid for by Alfred Silph, twirling a pen in his hand while simultaneously staring at the blank screen of his laptop. Right in line with Flurry's prediction, Sky hadn't left the room since the close of the opening ceremonies, now three days gone. His first match wouldn't be until the next day and he didn't particularly feel like training. Not that he needed to, his human Pokémon were already stupidly powerful and most of them trained themselves anyway.

Speaking of which, his human Pokémon had, quite naturally, left him to his own devices. Being back on Himitsu Island and having a chance to interact with the rest of the human Pokémon community would, of course, be too tempting to pass up. So, Sky was left alone with his thoughts.

He wasn't always totally alone. Flurry and Ian stopped in every now and then, mostly to make sure he was alive. They invited him out, but after the fifth or sixth refusal, trying seemed pointless.

And of course, his nights were never lonely. Every one of his human Pokémon had to sleep in the room, no matter how much time they spent outside. The suite was built for two families of four and had all of the comforts of Sky's home in Sinnoh, plus a few extras. Gaudy was Sky's word for it.

But through all of it, and like always, Tempest was the one who stayed with him the most. She would leave to go watch matches in the stadium, or just fly around the island for a while, but otherwise she was at Sky's side.

Neither trainer nor human Salamence enjoyed speaking unnecessarily, which meant that most of the time Tempest was there, they sat in silence. Occasionally Sky wrote something and the scratching pen or the click-clack of his laptop broke the silence. But mostly they just sat there.

Twice, Sky completely forgot to order food and it was Tempest who put a plate next to him. He would stare at it for a second, then, realizing he should've eaten two hours ago, he shook his head and mumbled his thanks. Even then he only ate half of it.

Times like those made Tempest wonder what would happen to him if she and the rest of his human Pokémon left entirely. He had been like this for three years, steadily getting worse. All of them, Tempest in particular, took care of him just as much, if not more so than he took care of them. Their previous winnings earned them plenty of money, but Sky might seriously starve himself to death if Tempest didn't look after him.

The rest of his human Pokémon lost faith in his recovery long ago. It was too painful for them to just watch him punish himself over something he couldn't control. The Four were no more and that was that. Sky himself had said it more than once, but he clearly didn't believe that. Thus, the others turned their attention elsewhere. They would probably all be gone if it weren't for Tempest's undying faith. Her belief in PureBlueSky made the rest believe in him, as well.

Tempest had been his first human Pokémon. She had been the first human Pokémon that the Four had ever seen and was the most powerful. Her evolution started everything.

It was no wonder that it was Tempest that looked after him. She did so, hoping and praying that he would snap out of it. The tournament was supposed to be the turning point. And yet, here he was, hiding like a scared little animal.

Why was she doing this to herself? Everyone else had moved on and given up and yet she still couldn't do it. She realized that it was pride that kept her going. She had too much pride in herself and in what Sky had once been. And what he might become, if she only believed in him…

As much as it hurt to watch him, to give up and admit her failure would hurt even worse.

"You know," Tempest's voice broke through the silence, "she's been looking for you. She kept looking at the stands during her match."

"She must be looking for someone else," Sky didn't look up. He didn't have to ask who Tempest was talking about.

"I'm sure they miss you," Tempest couldn't help but try, "they wouldn't have come if they didn't."

"Maybe," Sky admitted.

"She's in the same bracket as Aurum," Tempest re-stated what Sky already knew, "if they both keep winning, they'll have to fight in Round Three. And you'll have to fight Edge in the semi-final."

"Probably," Sky muttered.

"Is that what you're waiting for?" Tempest asked, guessing at his plan, "A big, over-dramatic reunion on the battlefield?"

"I'm not Silph."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Sky didn't reply. He had run through reunion scenarios, in his head, countless times. Each one was garbage, of course. Maybe he'd sweep River in his arms without saying anything and kiss her full on the lips. Maybe she'd confess her love and throw herself at him. Maybe he would try and she would slap him across the face or curse him out or maybe even have Teardrop shoot him with an Ice Beam.

But the truth of it was that he had no idea what would happen.

"Oh, come on!" Tempest's temper broke "how long are you going to sit there punishing yourself? We've come all the way here and you're still not going to try?"

"Try what, exactly?" this time, Sky did indeed turn to face her.

"I don't know!" Tempest threw up her hands, "try 'hello.' Did you ever think that might work?"

PureBlueSky paused. He didn't have an answer ready. But how could Tempest understand how he felt? It wasn't that he didn't know what to say, or even that he thought River hated him. It was worse than that.

Once they parted ways, everything got worse for Sky. He missed them dearly every single day. They had been his first real friends. Without them, he was nothing. He was broken and alone. How could he face Aurum, Edge and River if they knew what he had become?

"It's not as easy as you make it sound," Sky told Tempest.

"Yes it is," she pressed, "you just need to get out there and try. At least go to a match, or something. There's no point in sitting here doing nothing."

"Edge's match isn't for another two days, anyway," Sky declared, dodging the point.

"So? Our first match is tomorrow," Tempest reminded him, "and you haven't even left the room yet!" She sighed and decided to go for a smaller win, "at least go outside. It's beautiful out there."

Sky glanced out the window at the clear skies of Himitsu Island, "why?"

"Never mind, go back to your book," she turned to leave, "I'll go by myself."

"No, wait," Tempest could hardly believe what she had just heard, "I'll go with you. I'm not getting anywhere, anyway."

"…Alright," Tempest nodded but still hid the fact that she was smiling. She just couldn't give up on the son of a bitch…

Mark had never actually been on a date before. Of course, the criteria for a date varied depending on who one asked.

Some would say that he and Maple had already been dating ever since Maple had evolved. Their hand-in-hand walk on the first night of the tournament could probably also count as a date and therefore be the official start of their relationship.

Then again, they didn't really do anything specific. It hadn't involved a meal, a movie, or any other event where Mark would be required to pay. Not that he would have a choice, Maple didn't have any money. So, maybe that first night hadn't really counted. The second night didn't count because they were both too exhausted to do anything besides sleep.

In Mark's mind, that made his afternoon with Maple, after their morning victory, the official start of their relationship. All of the necessary ingredients were in place and they were both in the proper mindset. With their victory they had survived Round One and according to the schedule, they wouldn't be fighting again for a whopping five days. Thus, it was time for a break and a chance for Mark to work out his feelings a bit more.

Even after their temporary break-up and tender reunion, Mark still couldn't say for certain that he felt the same way about Maple as she felt about him. He felt terrible about that and he hid that feeling as carefully as possible, guarding it as if revealing it might destroy the entire world. He didn't realize that this would be an even worse idea. Labeling the afternoon as a date also proved to be a terrible idea.

The date went by the book. It began with lunch in the square, at the very same café where they had met Alex. Maple ordered her favorite standby of a salad and soda, delighting in the chance to experience the process of ordering food, rather than having Mark bring it to her. Mark mirrored her decision, since he was too nervous to do otherwise.

Maple also took sheer delight in enjoying what Mark referred to as a "sundae." It looked quite a bit different from what she expected, but she really liked the cute little cherry on the top of it, even if it didn't taste as good, by comparison. Mark thought it was far too big for her to eat it by herself, but she surprised him by practically inhaling the seven scoops of sugar-filled dessert.

No matter how many times it gave her a headache, she never learned.

After lunch, the two went off to explore the open-air shops on Himitsu Island. Maple was in desperate need of a new dress since she was now down to just two copies of her light-tan dress. Her tattered and blood-stained one that she had worn the first day of the tournament had already been put through more hell than what it was designed for. Naturally, Maple didn't mind and when Mark tried to convince her to throw it away, she refused and clung to it like a security blanket. Mark couldn't fathom why.

Once again, Maple showed little enthusiasm during their second shopping trip. Mark figured he could manage without Hayley. Provided, of course, that they skip underwear shopping. But Mark had every reason to believe that Maple wouldn't argue.

The open-air markets of Himitsu Island were located just north of the town square. They bore too close of a resemblance to Ecruteak's for Mark's comfort. The unpleasant memories that he now associated with them were almost enough for him to call it off. However, despite the excited glint in Maple's eyes, she stayed close by. As much as she wanted to race ahead, she had learned her lesson.

Looking around, Mark noticed that most of the clothing stores were more like costume shops than any clothing store he had ever been in. That was weird, to say the least. Although, it explained the style of dress of every single human Pokémon that Mark had seen, thus far. Perhaps they didn't even like clothing, but just followed the convention already set in place by the humans they were trying to be like.

Once again, the two managed to locate a set of light-tan dresses that reflected Maple's current collection. The only true difference between Himitsu Island and Alden's corner shop was that Himitsu Island was better stocked. Not only did they find something similar to Maple's dress of choice, but they found it in a variety of sizes. Mark bought five more of the same, simple dress.

This was getting ridiculous. Maple could literally change her clothes every day for a week and still be wearing the same outfit. Mark wouldn't even have to do any laundry.

They briefly stopped back at the hotel to drop off Maple's clothes before continuing. Mark suggested that they continue walking and shopping. Predictably, Maple had no objection and followed after with her usual enthusiasm. She took Mark's hand and hummed a tuneless song as they continued to walk.

But Mark's thoughts were already far away.

This was happening. He was on a date with Maple. He was on a date with the girl who had been his Leafeon just three weeks ago.

What did she mean to him, now? What was she when she was a Leafeon?

She had been his favorite and his strongest. She was the one that he looked after with more care and attention than any of his other Pokémon. That had doubled, if not tripled since she had evolved. If Pokémon could feel jealousy, the rest of Mark's Pokémon probably hated Maple by now. Mark supposed that that wouldn't be too strange. After all, Maple's evolution had proven that Pokémon could feel love towards a human.

And wasn't that the real issue here?

Maple had loved Mark long before those three weeks had started, but Mark couldn't say that he loved her back. He wasn't worried about the fact that Maple loved him. He honestly enjoyed it, no matter how oddly uncomfortable it sometimes made him feel. No one had ever shown Mark this kind of affection, aside from his mother. He never knew his father.

Still, his mother's unconditional love paled in comparison to Maple's. There was no inherent instinct that made Maple love him. She loved him because she wanted to. He didn't know why, but he knew it was true. Even if she didn't say it.

But the problem wasn't Maple's love for him. That was certain and a wonderful comfort to have. Mark was really just afraid that he might not be able to return that love.

He wanted to feel the same way as Maple, but he wasn't ready.

That's what the date was for, right?

But he was walling himself off. As they walked hand-in-hand around Himitsu Island, Mark found it impossible to relax. Every smile, every gesture, every word felt like a lie.

He should tell Maple, shouldn't he? She'd be crushed. He couldn't do it.

She had evolved for him. She had left everything she had ever known behind. She had entered this strange world where she bled in battle. And she did it all for him.

Why?

What the hell was he doing?

He was supposed to be sorting through his own feelings, but instead he was obsessing over what Maple might be thinking. Did she notice that he was hiding something? Would she show it, even if she did notice?

Two days ago, when Maple had left, he had known instantly that he wanted her back. He had chased after her because that feeling had been so strong. But had he done that because he truly missed her? Or was he just trying to make up for upsetting her and his betrayal of her feelings for him?

The date continued and Mark tried to focus on making Maple happy.

The two resumed exploring the island. A few people recognized Mark and Maple, shouting their congratulations, but Mark forgot almost all of their faces immediately. It wasn't that he didn't care; he was just too preoccupied with the date to think of anything else. He also felt like he didn't actually do that much to win. Most of the work came from Maple, and her strength had come from Aurum and Katana more than it came from him.

Maple, however, delighted in the attention. She was more than happy to relay her own thoughts on the victory. Describing the sensation of her fists connecting with Cerberus' jaw was her personal favorite memory of the fight. She loved telling it and did so with an equal amount of over-enthusiasm every time she retold the story.

Mark was glad to see that Maple was happy. She did everything so much more naturally than he did. Mark just about always had to stop and think, but Maple just reacted and lived in the moment. She was perfectly relaxed and happy to just be with him. Why couldn't he do the same with her? Why did he have to keep thinking and worrying?

The date was starting to feel like a mistake. Maple hadn't noticed how distracted he was, but it was getting worse. Soon he wouldn't be able to hide it anymore. They shouldn't have even been out there. They should be training, getting ready for the next match.

Wait, wouldn't his next opponent be fighting that afternoon? They could go watch and see who won. Then he could plan out a counter strategy.

Mark checked the time and saw it was four o'clock in the afternoon. The match was over already. They had missed it entirely. So much for that idea. Now what?

As Mark walked around, following Maple's lead, he racked his brain for ideas. What could they do? Everything he came up with sounded moronic.

"What's wrong?" Maple asked gently.

"Uh…nothing," Mark's guard had slipped and he decided that it would be a good time to call an end to the date, "I think we've seen everything, though," they hadn't, but it was the best he could come up with, "do you want to head back to the hotel, now?"

"Umm…okay," Maple nodded, concern clearly evident in her big eyes.

Dammit, dammit, dammit, Mark thought. She knew something was wrong. Mark cursed himself for being so stupid.

AN: I wonder what the ratio of question marks to periods has been in this story…

And Mark's over-thinking gets him in trouble again. Well, that'll do for some fresh relationship drama for the next section or two. I didn't really think this story would turn into this much of a romance, but it passes the time, if nothing else. Ignore my cynicism if the romance is why you're reading.

Thanks for reading!