(Author's Notes)

Finally chapter thirteen is finished! This chapter turned out quite a bit longer than the others, so I hope you will enjoy it!

Fair warning though; this chapter is very dark.

Oh! And I updated the cover art with the completed piece. If you'd to see it in full, please check out the link on my profile page. ^^

Reviews!

archnemesisnae: I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

lightxhope2124: Yaay, I'm glad you like Steven! I tried to base him off of ORAS, and then flesh out his character from there.

Aurawarrior13: I'm not really into OCs myself haha. But I'm glad you like it!

Brendan was unable to sleep a wink that night. He had tried calling May many times since she had rushed out earlier that evening, but the girl had neglected to answer even once, and his worried mind had run wild imagining what could have happened to her. Brendan had been about ready to head out to Meteor Falls himself by the time the early morning hours rolled around, but the injured Lisia had stopped him, reminding the teen that his Pokemon were not suited for battle. All the pair could do was wait. As the morning dragged by, Brendan paced the halls of the Professor's house. Wasn't there something he could do?

While bright morning light spread over the town of Fallarbor, a boy turned up on the professor's doorstep that Brendan hadn't met before. The green haired teen nervously introduced himself as "Wally", and mentioned that he was a friend of May's. Apparently, he had heard about what happened on the buzznav. Their conversation was cut short, however, when the front door was aggressively thrown open, and both teens turned towards the commotion.

Framed in the doorway by bright orange sunlight, stood the Champion of the Hoenn league. The strange thing was… he was completely shirtless, and held tightly in his arms, was the small form of a sleeping May. Her figure was drowned in a shirt and jacket that was much too large for her, and the white fabric seemed to be slipping idly off her shoulder. Steven found himself feeling immediately annoyed, as these teens stared at the two of them in pure shock, a heavy blush spread across Wally's features. May had told him early that morning, when they had set out, to take her to Cozmo's house, but he wasn't expecting two males to be here. He could feel his eyebrow twitch.

"She's injured." Steven said flatly, clearly annoyed. Brendan and Wally's expressions turned from shocked to worried and concerned in a single moment, and the pair quickly scrambled to make a place for May on the couch. Steven laid her down gently, and Wally called for a local doctor on his pokenav. Both boys were burning with questions — what had happened in Meteor Falls, exactly? However, the air around the silver haired champion was quite unapproachable as he sat beside May, his sour expression fixed on the wall as his hand idly played with May's hair while she slept.

The first person to speak up was Lisia, as she waltzed out of one of the inner bedrooms in the house, a bandage wrapped around her injured head.

"I figured you'd turn up, if Team Aqua was involved." She commented blandly, as she took a seat in a nearby armchair. A hand placed gently beneath her chin, she examined Steven carefully. She had never seen him act this way. Was he really that worried for this girl? Wallace's little protege was turning out to be quite fascinating.

It wasn't long before the rural doctor arrived, and Wally gently shook May awake as Steven explained what had happened. The man nodded and began examining the sleepy girl's wounds. May winced a bit when he looked over and treated the gash on her leg. She bit down hard on her lip as he turned her ankle, testing how painful it was.

"Well, she's definitely beat up, but not seriously wounded. Her ankle is sprained pretty badly, but everything should heal up nicely in few weeks, with proper treatment." The doctor concluded, and the men in the room looked highly relieved at his words. May yawned and stretched, as Steven led the doctor out of the house. Brendan and Wally immediately approached May.

"You had me really worried, stupid…" Brendan mumbled, avoiding her gaze. Wally grabbed onto her hand, causing May to blink in confusion. Why did they care so much…?

"Wally? How are you here?" May questioned uncomfortably, completely ignoring the feeling in the room.

"O-oh, well… I've been to Fallarbor with my parents before, a-and Raltz recently learned teleport, so… as s-soon as I heard what was happening, I-I came…" He explained quietly. He really wasn't supposed to travel at all, but he knew he had to come and make sure she was okay. Steven caught the tail end of their conversation as he re-entered the room.

"You have a Pokemon that knows teleport? Have you been to Mt. Chimney?" Steven questioned hurriedly. Now that he knew May wasn't seriously injured, he had to get to Mt. Chimney as quickly as possible. Maxie and his men should have already arrived there.

"I-I haven't… but, I h-have been to Mauville." Wally quickly responded with, he understood the situation and agreed to take Steven and his Pokemon as far as he could.

"EXCUSE ME? You guys are obviously forgetting something." May interrupted them, with annoyance clearly written on her face. All eyes turned to her. May gave the boys a little wink.

"Of course I'm coming too. No way I'm letting those idiots get away with this." She stated confidently. Brendan gave her a concerned look.

"After everything they've done to you… you still want to fight them?" He questioned, clearly shocked by the girl's strength. She may seem like an airhead, but May certainly had a lot of courage — or maybe it was stubbornness? Steven fixed her with a stern look.

"You are injured. You're not coming." He said with finality. Lisia could practically see the sparks flying from her seat in the corner. May laughed bitterly at his words.

"That's absolutely adorable. You think you have a say in what I do? I'm coming."

"You are not." Steven responded with flatly. He had already failed to protect her once, he wasn't going to let it happen again. May turned to Wally.

"Well, you can't really stop me. He's taking me, right Wally?"

"I… umm, also t-think it's a b-bad idea…" He mumbled, quite terrified of May's response. The girl grit her teeth and the present company could see the waves of anger radiating from her.

"FINE. If you losers won't take me with you, I'll find my own way there! I'll walked if I have to!" She shouted, jumping to her feet. She winced and bit her tongue as pain shot through her injured leg, but she stood firm in defiance.

"I may be injured, but my Pokemon are healthy and we can fight! There's no way I'm letting Team Aqua get the better of me!" She stated. Steven looked instantly worried and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her back onto the couch. He sighed frustratedly, and for a few moments he stared at her determined expression, their faces inches apart. That fiery look in her eyes… he couldn't deny it, it was exciting.

"If I let you come with me… you have to promise not to leave my sight, okay?"

May smirked triumphantly.

A few hours later, May, Steven, and Wally found themselves inside the Mauville Pokemon center. Brendan had decided to stay behind with Lisia, after being quite frankly told by Steven that he didn't need anymore dead weight on this expedition. This, of course, had earned a violent outburst from May.

By late morning, May and Steven had equipped themselves with the supplies that they would need for the journey, as well as a much needed change of clothes for both of them. May had managed to purchase a rather touristy-looking walking stick with a Seviper head carved into the tip, from a souvineer shop in Mauville, and she seemed quite proud of herself as she stumbled around with it.

When it came time for Steven and May to make their leave, Wally couldn't look May in the eye. He could not deny it — he was extremely worried about the injured girl going up against such terrible people, but he tried to remind himself that she had the Hoenn league champion with her to keep her safe. Wally found himself wondering, though, if this man was really reliable.

"P-please… be careful…" Wally murmured to May, as he held tightly onto her hand. May smirked.

"Don't be stupid, it's me, so I'll definitely win, hah!" May shouted with a fist pump. However, despite her bravado, she herself knew these weren't the best odds for her, and she found it hard to believe her own words. Still, she knew she had to do this. May wasn't a hero, and she knew it — this wasn't about good or bad, right or wrong. She needed to prove to herself that she was strong enough to overcome this. It was that simple for her.

Wally smiled weakly as they said their goodbyes, and May waved to him as she hobbled off to meet Steven at the edge of town. The pair then set off for Mt. Chimney. Steven insisted on carrying May at least until they reached the cable cars at the foot of the Mountain, and the perturbed girl had begrudgingly agreed.

It was a short walk to the foot of the mountain, but once they arrived, it appeared the workers had fled the area. Was this due to Team Aqua? Still, the process for starting the cable cars was relatively simple to activate, and the two of them soon found themselves seated across from each other in the small cable car.

As the car slowly crept along, hoisting them further up the mountain, Steven found himself staring rather fixedly at May as she watched the scenery outside. The fiery afternoon sun illuminated her cold eyes, and her expression was somewhat of a mystery to him. Was she worried… or was that determination…?

He found it so strange that he was so very drawn to this girl. Sure, this wasn't his first encounter with romantic situations and feelings — he had had relationships in the past. However, those girls had all been rich, well to-do women hand picked by his well meaning father, and none of them had gone very far. He had just never been interested. But now… he knew he had feelings for May. But what could he do about it? May was a mystery. He sighed. But more importantly… could he protect her from all of this, when she was so keen on making Team Aqua her own personal vendetta?

"Wow…" His thoughts were interrupted as May's pink lips parted. Her eyes were glued to the nearing summit of Mt. Chimney. Smoke billowed wildly towards them, and orange flames could be seen licking at the foliage of the summit. Steven averted his eyes. The battle had begun.

"May… are you prepared for what you're going to see up there? This is not child's play anymore. This is a real battlefield, where life and death are on the line." He explained gravely. May clenched her fists, but neglected to speak. Hoenn had been immersed in a time of peace for so very long now, that it was hard for either of them to believe that such an evil organization, like Team Aqua, could arise with such an extensive reach and power. For hundreds of years, the people of Hoenn had lived peaceably with one another — there was no real police force, and yet people got along affably and treated one another with kindness for the most part, at the very least in their public lives. Most people credited this to the domestication of Pokemon, and the tender bonds that they had discovered.

"Our goal is to find and eradicate their leader, Archie. Permanently. Do you know what that means?" Steven asked stiffly. He didn't want May to see the things he knew she was about to; he wanted to protect her. However, even he knew that they were far beyond that point now. May nodded firmly. She had never even thought about having to kill someone before… would she be able to if it came down to her?

Soon, the cable car came to a screeching halt, and May could smell the smoke in the air as she and Steven stepped out onto the battlefield.

As May stepped out of the cable car, and onto the rocky surface of Mt. Chimney, she found herself frozen in her tracks by the sight that met her. Thick smoke hung in the air, as fires burned rampant on the brush that surrounded the mountain top. A writhing field of humans and Pokemon stood before her; some were dressed in the familiar blue and white outfits of Team Aqua, but still others were dressed in a strange red outfit that May didn't recognize. She had never seen such violence in all her life, and she could feel her heart pounding. Pokemon attacked one another with killing force, and humans screamed in pain as jaws closed around their throats. Blood lay spilled like water amongst the Pokemon and humans who had fallen, and their comrades and enemies alike trampled over their bodies as they continued to fight.

Steven placed a gentle hand on May's shoulder, and urged her forward.

"Stay close. I will protect you." He whispered into her ear as he led her through the crowd.

"Keep your eyes peeled for Archie; he's our target." Steven explained, as they made their way through the battlefield, careful to avoid getting in anyone's way. Most of the grunts were too focused on their own battles to pay them much mind, so the pair was able to move freely.

May could feel her body start to tremble as she stumbled on with her cheap walking stick. Her eyes flitted from one scene of horror to the next, and she began to feel sick to her stomach. May had never experienced anything like this, and it shook her more than she had expected. Is this what Team Aqua was truly capable of?

May nearly jumped out of her skin when something caught her foot and she tumbled over, falling none too gently to the rocky ground beneath her. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her pained ankle as her eyes opened wide. May quickly clasped a small hand over her mouth in horror, though, as her eyes stumbled over the object of her misfortune. There was a man lying only inches from her, and she could only describe him as lifeless. Blood lay in large pools around his mutilated body, and his dead eyes seemed to stare straight into her soul.

"S-steven?" May called on instinct, her voice cracking. Looking around, however, she couldn't see the silver haired man anywhere. Had they gotten separated?! Panic welled up inside of May's chest. She couldn't think straight, and her body seemed to move on its own. She stumbled to her feet and started running, completely ignoring the sharp pains in her leg. May didn't know where she was going, she only knew that she couldn't stay there any longer. Was that man really dead…? The only time May had ever seen a corpse, was at her Mother's funeral years ago, but this… this was different. This man had been killed.

When May finally came to, she found herself at the edge of the plateau that served as the main area that the battle raged on. She could see a hot, bubbling pool of lava before her, and the heat wafted up into her face as she stared at the red liquid. She could still hear the noxious screams of the grunts and their Pokemon, but at least she could recover here, if for just a moment. She took in a few steady, deep breaths and fervently reminded herself why she was here. She needed to find Archie! She focused her mind entirely on that objective, trying to block out all of her fears and terror. May exhaled sharply to steady her nerves, and turned her attention to her surroundings. As she looked around for any signs of Archie, she noticed a narrow pathway that led around a large rocky outcrop. It was well hidden and almost overgrown with foliage, but looking closer, she could see small, bright red blood drops painting the rocks that formed the pathway. Someone wounded had obviously been down that way… so maybe…? May didn't giver herself time to think. Limping, she took off down the pathway, her hands gripping onto the rocky wall beside her for support.

As May rounded the corner, she could see a transparent, man-made platform that stretched from the mountain's lip out over it's lava-filled maw. She immediately recognized the woman from Meteor Falls standing guard, but beyond her May couldn't see much due to the smoke. Maybe this was the right way to go, after all? She smirked and approached the woman. May's injured state had her looking less than vicious, but she made up for it with a violent smile and the scent of revenge.

The woman, Shelly, met her with a heavy glare.

"What hell are you doing here, brat?! Didn't you learn your lesson?" She growled, a rebellious hand placed on her hip. May chuckled darkly.

"It's not that easy to get rid of me." She commented dryly, as she examined her nails. Shelly rolled her eyes.

"Hmph. I'll admit it, you're persistent. But to Archie… and me… and all of Team Aqua… your existence is annoying! I want to see Archie's dream unfold, and I won't let you get in the way. Prepare yourself, little girl! I'll be sure the job is done this time!" Shelly yelled fiercely, reaching for her pokeball. May clenched her jaw, the memories of the battlefield she had witnessed running through her mind. Was this the chaos that Archie wanted?

A few moments later, Kanato and Shelley's Grimer were facing off. May knew now that her and Pokemon's life were on the line, but she wasn't going to back down. It took a few turns to wittle down the Grimer's health, but in the end, Kanato and May were successful with rapid, powerful attacks. Shelly's next Pokemon, Carvanha, was defeated rather soundly by Tsubaki's grass attacks, and the battle came to an end with Tsubaki's leaf-like blade at Shelly's neck. Shelley gulped heavily.

"Go ahead and kill me if you want! You won't stop Archie!" She screamed, desperation in her voice. May shuddered, but she couldn't help hesitating as Tsubaki watched her closely for an order. Steven hadn't mentioned taking out any other Aqua members… but this woman was obviously high ranking, so if they really wanted to defeat Team Aqua once and for all… would they need to kill Shelley, too? May had thought, before she came to the mountain, that she was prepared for this, but now, she felt that she was anything but. May could feel her hands trembling and her palms felt sweaty. What should she do?

"Tsubaki—" May's order was cut off in her throat as a booming, deep laughter rattled her ears. Through the sheets of smoke, appeared none other than the imposing figure of Team Aqua's leader, Archie. He walked towards them with careful, steady steps, watching Shelley struggle with Tsubaki, a bemused smile on his cruel face.

"Now, now, what do we have here? The skamp decided to show her pretty little face again?" Archie mused, his dead eyes shifting over to May. The girl stiffened under his gaze, quickly motioning Tsubaki to return to her side. She knew threats against this woman's life would get her nowhere with the uncaring Archie, and she had to play her cards right if she was going to be successful. This was her chance to prove herself; she had to be strong! May let a smirk curve it's way across her lips.

"Of course! I would never pass up an opportunity for revenge, Mr. Pirate guy." She stated with a cute little hand gesture, and a charming smile. Archie laughed heartily, but turned his back to her.

"You came to stop me, then? Come this way." He said, walking off down the platform. May hesitated, but in the end, she decided to follow him cautiously. Shelley fixed the girl with a surly gaze, but stayed put and made no attempts to follow them. May knew her main priority right now had to be Archie, and Shelley wasn't a threat now that her Pokemon were defeated. But could she really do it…?

Archie led her to the end of the platform, and May found it unsettling that she could see the steaming lava through the transparent tiles beneath her feet. At the end of the platform, stood a large, pulsating machine, that appeared to be hooked up to the meteorite they had stolen. More disturbing, however, was the crumpled, bloody form of professor Cozmo that lay at its feet.

"Professor…" May mumbled in shock. What had they done to him? Archie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, him?" The burly man asked, turning to the unresponsive Cozmo. Archie looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I suppose, really, his job is done. He tried to hold out, but in the end, he told us everything we needed to know." He commented, walking over to the other man. May felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

In the blink of an eye, Archie shoved his boot hard into the professor's stomach, and the force sent his body careening over the edge of the platform. May would never forget the screams that echoed through the mountain that afternoon, as Cozmo was consumed by the lava below. For a few moments, May stood in complete shock.

"The great swell of power that sleeps deep in the magma…and it's the key to controlling the super-ancient Pokemon's power?" Archie wondered aloud, running a heavy hand over the machine. May's shock slowly gave way to fury. She knew she wasn't a particularly nice person, in fact, she was pretty rotten most of the time, but this… she couldn't let this happen. She had to stop this! She had to stop Team Aqua!

"With the right bit of work, this little meteorite can be made into a Key Stone, which is certainly quite valuable to me. As long as we're here at Mt. Chimney… Bwahahahah! Look what I nearly went and did! If I give away all my secrets, the thrill'd be gone from our relationship." Archie exclaimed with a grandiose gesture. May rolled her eyes.

"Cut the crap. You know why I'm here." May said flatly, and Tsubaki tensed at her words, ready to attack.

"Very well, girlie, let the battle begin!"