Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long. I have no excuse - I was just lazy.
A month passed peacefully, with few happenings. Wes fell into a pattern, but the thought of leaving for Kanto always lurked in the back of his mind. Finally, the day arrived.
Wes woke up. It was still dark, so he reached out and felt around on the table for his PDA. Feeling it, he grabbed it. He turned it on and checked the time. It was 7:30. Definitely early, since the ship didn't leave until 12, but the extra time gave him before having to leave was a good thing. He sat up, stretched, then slid off the bed and put on his blue overcoat. Then he glanced around, making sure no one was there. A part of his mind ridiculed him for that, saying of course no one was there, but he had gotten into the habit at Outskirt Stand. Doors didn't always lock there, and even if they did that didn't necessarily mean anything. Assured that no one was there, he pulled a bundle out from behind the pillow and unrolled it to reveal the Snag Machine. He knew Team Snagem wanted it back, which was why he was so careful. For a bit after stealing it, he had worn it all the time because he was so paranoid. Now he had relaxed enough to only wear it while he was awake. He finished buckling the straps that held it on his left arm, grabbed his pack, and walked out of the room, locking it behind him.
"Hello!" The nurse greeted him cheerfully. She had disposed of the formal greeting because he had been staying here so long.
"Hello." He replied, walking up to the counter. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them over.
"I'm moving on. Can't stay in one place all the time." Although this was not the total truth, Wes did not want to explain everything. She nodded, accepting this explanation, and took the keys.
"Will you return soon?" She asked casually. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, though, that hinted she wanted him to come back. It was this that made Wes look at the floor, a bit ashamed for leaving.
"Probably not... I might never come back."
"All right... Just remember, there's always a place for you in Agate." She said this gently, not judging him. There was slight bit of worry coloring her tone, but that was all.
"Okay... Thanks. Good-bye." He started to leave. When he reached the door, he turned around and did a small wave. A small smile appeared on her face, and she waved back. He then left.
Wes entered Eagun's house, not quite sure what to expect. Eagun, Beluh, and Rui were in the living room, near the table. Rui had her back to the door, and the other two were facing her. She had a messenger bag slung over one shoulder, and a wheeled suitcase sat next to her. It was relatively large, coming up to just above her knee. This kind of amused Wes, because other than his item bag, all he had was a beaten-up backpack. Eagun noticed him.
"So, Wes, you're ready to go?" Wes nodded, somewhat afraid his resolve would waver if he spoke.
"All right, then. Good luck. If you make it to the final tournament, I'll be rooting for you!" Wes smiled.
"Thanks. Rui, you ready to go?"
"Yeah. Let's go." She turned around, grabbed the suitcase, and started heading for the door. Wes followed.
"Wes, take care of Rui!" Beluh instructed. Rui rolled her eyes, but Wes smiled.
"I'll try." He promised.
When they reached the hoverbike, they stopped. Wes looked at the suitcase, then at the hoverbike. How would it fit on? Then, inspiration struck. He pulled his backpack out from the passenger's seat, and rummaged around in it. He pulled a coil of rope from the backpack and tied the suitcase to the back of the hoverbike. Rui eyed it suspiciously.
"You sure that will hold?" Wes smiled sheepishly.
"No, but it'll have to do. It won't fit anywhere else." Rui still looked suspicious, but apparently had been pacified.
"All right." She climbed into the passenger's seat, and Wes got on. He started the engine, and the hoverbike went flying off to the south, toward Gateon.
For a while, the only sounds that punctuated the silence were those the hoverbike made. The hum of the engine, the clink of the sand against the metal, the wind rushing past, and the rattle of the suitcase on its unstable perch. Then, Rui spoke.
"You know, I kind of missed this." She sounded wistful. Wes kept his eyes ahead. Running into a rock at this speed would be bad.
"Really?" He was genuinely curious. He hadn't thought she liked this.
"Mm-hmm... The desert is kind of mesmerizing."
"Yeah... I'll miss it." He said this quietly, barely audible above the sounds of the hoverbike. He felt a hand on his back, and while he didn't look, he knew it must be Rui.
"Maybe you should go to Hoenn, then. They have a desert there. It's not as big as the one here, but..." The volume of her voice matched Wes's, and he could tell she was trying to comfort him. He shrugged.
"Well, I need to get to Kanto first, anyway. And don't you remember? I'm supposed to take care of you." He said the last two sentences sarcastically, emphasizing the absurdity of the idea. Rui chuckled.
"Yeah, by grandmother can be kind of paranoid. Especially about cruise ships. I don't know why, especially because she likes the ocean..."
"Well, she's a grandmother. Isn't that what they are supposed to do?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It can just get kind of annoying." She sounded slightly exasperated, as if she knew that all too well.
"I'm not surprised." Wes said simply. Then, they once again fell silent.
Arriving at Gateon, Wes jumped off, while Rui got off in a more dignified manner. He had already untied the rope holding the suitcase on, and set it on the ground. He grabbed his backpack from the passenger's seat, slung it over one shoulder, then locked up the hoverbike. He surveyed the city, his expression a mix of determination and distrust. He heard Rui's footsteps and the sound of the wheels on the ground behind him. He sighed, still facing forward.
"Come on. Let's get this over with." He strode into town, trying to look confident. Rui followed him, her pace a bit slower.
"Wes?" She called.
"Mmm?" He glanced back, slowing his pace a bit.
"Where are we going?"
"The Parts Shop."
"...Do you know the way?" Wes stopped.
"...No." He sounded reluctant to admit this.
"You should ask for directions, then."
"...I guess." He sounded even more reluctant to do so. However, he still looked around and went up to the person he found.
"Hello. Do you know the way to the Parts Shop?" This was said in a polite tone, with little emotion. The man's eyes widened in recognition.
"Hey, you're Wes, aren't you? That guy who beat that Cipher thing? Can you give me an autograph? Please?" The speed of the talking had steadily accelerated as the man became more certain of who it was. Rui started giggling at the absurdity of this, so Wes turned around and shot her a look. When she had quieted a bit, he turned back around.
"...I guess. I'll need a pen, though."
"Oh, right!" The man dug furiously in his pockets, and came out with a pen and a crumpled piece of paper. He thrust them at Wes. "Here!" Wes took the offered items and hastily scribbled his signature. He handed back the pen and paper.
"So, which way was the Parts Shop again?" Wes asked casually, trying to get the information he actually needed.
"Oh, right, right! It's that way." The man pointed, then ran off, clearly excited with his brush with fame. Rui walked up, smiling broadly.
"You're quite the celebrity now, aren't you?" Her tone implied that she was teasing.
"Tell me about it." Wes muttered, ignoring the implied teasing. He drew his coat closer around himself as if it could fend off being recognized and looked down. "Let's go." They walked over to the Parts Shop and entered. Rui looked around.
"This place is much nicer than the one in the Under." Wes looked up, and briefly glanced around.
"Yeah, it is." He walked up to the counter. Perr was standing there, looking kind of bored.
"Hello, Perr." Perr perked up a bit.
"Hi, Wes. What brings you here?" Wes carefully considered the question.
"I'm leaving Orre, and, obviously, I can't take my hoverbike. I thought you guys might buy it." Perr looked at Wes. He seemed a little confused.
"Yeah, we can buy it. But why would you want to leave? You're famous! Everyone loves you because of what you've done. In the Under, everyone knew you!"
"That's exactly why I want to leave!" Wes sounded kind of tired. "I don't like being so famous. It gets annoying." Perr didn't look convinced.
"Well, if that works for you... Grandpa! Come down here!" Makan didn't come down. Instead, he called down.
"What's the problem?" He sounded annoyed, as if he had been torn from something he had been working hard on.
"Someone wants to sell something!" There was a slight pause.
"All right, I'm coming down!" Makan came down the steps, stopping next to Perr. "So, what's the deal?" He still seemed a little impatient.
"Wes wants to sell his hoverbike." Perr summarized, gesturing at Wes. That seemed to catch Makan's interest, as he snapped his head over to where Wes was.
"Oh, I didn't notice you! So, you want to sell your hoverbike, huh? That's good... Those are full of interesting parts." Makan's eyes had taken on a bit of a maniacal glow. "Lead on, Wes!" Wes didn't know Makan very well, so his sudden interest caught him somewhat off guard. Nonetheless, he nodded.
"It's outside of town. If you'll follow me..." Wes walked out of the shop, out to the outskirts of town. As he walked through the main area, he noticed a few stares. Obviously the man he had asked for directions had spread the news of his arrival... He inwardly sighed, but kept going. There was no point in hiding.
After what seemed to be much too long being stared at, the little group arrived at the hoverbike. Makan immediately rushed over and started examining it. The other three stood to the side, trying not to get in the way. His head popped up from looking at the engine, and he asked Wes to put the bike through its paces. He complied. Makan's eyes took in the hoverbike's motion eagerly.
"The inner workings are in surprisingly good condition, considering its appearance. How about... 3000 Pokédollars?"
Wes turned off the hoverbike and got off, his face impassive. He rested his hand on the handlebars fondly.
"If that's how much you think it's worth..." Makan nodded.
"Let's go back to the shop to finish this." Wes nodded, and walked toward the city. For a moment, though, he turned back around and looked at the hoverbike, remembering everything he had done with it. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on." Rui whispered to him. He turned back to the city and continued.
After completing the necessary business transactions at the shop, Wes and Rui set off for the ship. As soon as they left the shop, a group of girls seemingly detached themselves from the wall of the shop and started walking a few paces behind them. Wes tried to ignore the girls, knowing that they would eventually leave, but Rui kept looking back at them, apparently more angry every time.
"I've had enough of this." She finally muttered, and turned around. Wes stopped and waited reluctantly.
"Why are you following us?" She yelled at the girls, glaring at them. All the girls started talking to each other at once, their conversations punctuated by giggling, then one stepped out toward her.
"Because we want to know what you are doing with our Wes." She said it seriously, ignoring the absurdity of the statement. Wes flinched back, reminded of just how creepy these girls could be when they wanted to. Rui was unfazed, though.
"Your Wes? And what makes you think you can claim ownership over him?" Rui's tone was almost mocking, but her anger was still clearly evident. The group of girls seemed to be at a loss for words for a bit, trying to think of a good response.
"Because we like him more than anyone else ever will!" One girl finally retorted. Rui rolled her eyes.
"There's no point in arguing with people like you." Guessing the argument was over, Wes started toward the ship again, and Rui turned around and followed. Thankfully, the group of girls did not follow, obviously shaken by Rui's casual dismissal of them.
Wes and Rui boarded the ship, and about an hour later it was on its way. Everyone was on deck, watching as Gateon faded away. Some were waving to friends and family still on shore, but most were simply contemplating. There was no turning back now. They were on their way to Kanto.