"Mikayla..." Volkner whispered guiltily.
Candace came up behind and place her hand on his bare shoulder.
"What happened?" she asked worriedly.
"It was a wild Pokémon, probably distraught," Volkner lied, "I'm going to go after her...err…it."
"Well okay, hurry back!" Candace winked and retreated back into the room.
Volkner didn't even stop to put his shirt back on; he threw on his dark blue jacket and dashed out the door.
"MIKAYLAAA!" Volkner called out as he ran through powdery snow.
He turned a sharp corner and caught a glimpse of her running toward Lake Acuity, he sped up in pursuit. She finally stopped at the lake, and so did he, about 15 feet away. Her back was turned to him.
"Look, Mikayla, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like th—"
Mikayla spun around, her face startled Volkner, he gasped quietly and stepped back. Never before has he seen that face. Her face was deep red, her hair stuck to the wetness on her cheeks and her blue eyes were ablaze with a glowing hatred that pierced right through Volkner's heart. Her lips and hands trembled.
"How long?" she stammered out in a barely audible voice, she dropped eye contact with him.
"…What?"
"HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?" she screamed and glared into him.
Volkner sighed; it was time to come clean.
"It's been a month." He admitted regretfully.
Mikayla let out a loud, anguished and hurt shriek and collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands. Loud sobs could be heard. Volkner took a few steps toward her, slowly. His steps were halted by an excruciatingly loud crack, like thunder. Mikayla gasped and quickly rose to her feet; the ground was shifting beneath her! While trying to regain her balance, it came to her. She was standing ON Lake Acuity! Her fear froze her in place, she shut her eyes, and next thing she knew her face was being stabbed the coldness of the water she was submerged in. It was so cold that she could not move her body, her vision blurred and she lost consciousness. The last thing she saw was something jumping in after her.
Mikayla's eyes fluttered open, her vision was blurry and she waited for it to focus. She sat up to see that she was in a small, square room with pink walls and white floors, she had been changed into what looked like a night gown and her hat rested on the nightstand beside her. There was one window in her room and it had a clear view of Lake Acuity, which now had exposed waters. Mikayla turned as the automatic door slid open to reveal a Chansey with a nurse's hat on. Upon seeing her awake, the Chansey let out a cry of relief and ran over to Mikayla quickly shoving a thermometer in her mouth a placing an ice pack on her head, and then dashing out of the room. The Chansey quickly returned with what looked to be a Nurse Joy.
"How are you feeling?" Joy asked sweetly.
"I-I'm fine." Mikayla stuttered. "How did I get here?"
"Well, a young man carried you in; he looked like he had fallen in the lake too." Joy said while reading the temperature on the thermometer and smiled when it yielded healthy results.
It had to be Volkner, who else was around?
"Is he ok?" Mikayla quickly spat out, and then internally slapped herself for caring.
"Oh sure, we gave him a few blankets and some tea and he was fine." Joy said this as if it happened every day. "You seem to be perfectly healthy, I dried your clothes for you!" she motioned over to a table in the room where all of Mikayla's clothes were laid out perfectly, even the ones that been in her bag.
"I also took the liberty of healing your Pokémon!" she held up Mikayla's belt, which had six PokeBalls on it.
"Wow, thanks so much, Nurse Joy!" Mikayla quickly bowed her head as she took her belt and began to stand.
Nurse Joy smiled and left the room. Mikayla found her pink duffle bag and began to place her clothes back into it. She revaluated what had happened that night. Volkner was cheating on her, with Candace! And it had been going on for a month. A month. Those words caused Mikayla to wince. How could she have been so stupid? She paid no mind to Volkner distancing himself from her, thinking it was a phase. How ignorant could you get? She forcefully zipped her bag and turned to the mirror, there was a small but noticeable gash below her left eye. She ran her fingers over it, she was truly grateful to be alive at this moment, but hated the fact that Volkner saved her. She couldn't quite place his feelings, he looked so sorry and hurt at the lake, but if he was so sorry, why did he do it in the first place? Why should it even matter? What's done is done. He's a lying, cheating, scumbag. She changed back into her regular clothes and coat and left the nightgown on her bed. She walked into the lobby, and there he was, sitting in a chair with his head hung. She tried to sneak past him quietly, but he heard footsteps, looked up and rushed over to her.
"You're okay!" he whispered in a relieved tone.
Mikayla looked up at him with a solid, stern face, the piercing hatred trickled back into her eyes.
"Thank you for saving my life" she forced out with absolutely no emotion.
She turned away from him, tears welling in her eyes, and left the Pokémon Centre. Volkner attempted to run after her, but the Chansey tugged him back by his jacket, somehow it knew that nothing more could be done.
Mikayla returned to Sunyshore on Pidgeot's back and began to pack all of her belonging into a large suitcase. She met the referee of the gym on her way out and explained the situation to him, he was disgusted by what Volkner had done and said he would pass it onto the staff. He also wished her good luck in whatever she did, and said that he and the staff would miss her. Unsure of where to go, she took the train from Sunyshore to Hearthome. Hearthome City looked so much different from Sunyshore; it was a historic looking city, while Sunyshore was all about being cutting edge. It was late, Mikayla needed to find a place to stay.
*RING RING RING*
Mikayla flipped open her PokeGear to reveal Erin's flushed face.
"Oh my God, Mikayla you'll never believed what's happened!" Erin began. "Wait, where are you?" Erin attempted to look behind Mikayla through the screen.
"I'm in Hearthome City!" Mikayla said, with a very fake, excited tone.
"Really? What are you doing there?" Erin smiled.
"Well, things between Volkner and I didn't work out."
"Oh! Are you okay? What happened?" Erin said with a very concerned looked on her face.
"It's fine, I'll explain later!" she smiled. "Now what is it you wanted to tell me?"
"OH! Well the Master Project, it's FINISHED!" Erin beamed. "And YOURS TRULY gets to go to the unveiling!
"That's amazing news, Erin!" Mikayla said while walking through town looking for accommodation.
There was a bit of a pause, Erin looked like she was pondering something.
"Hey!" she finally said. "Why don't you come with me?"
Mikayla stopped walking and sat on a nearby bench.
"From what you've told me, The Master Project is some serious business! I don't think I'm exclusive enough to be there." Mikayla laughed.
"Nonsense! Elm loves you and you're already pretty famous in Kanto!"
Well it had to be true; Kanto's was the most recent Pokémon league that Mikayla had defeated.
"Please, Mikayla! We're all meeting tomorrow in Pallet Town!" Erin begged.
"Fine! But it's late so now I have to FLY to Canalave! You better hope there's a boat to Kanto leaving tomorrow!" Mikayla teased.
"YAY! Oh this is just so exciting, Mikayla! Something big is going to happen, I know it!" Erin smiled wide.
"Okay, little scientist, you need to get some sleep." Mikayla teased.
"Okay, goodnight! I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Bye!"
Mikayla put her PokeGear bag in her pocket and called out her Pidgeot.
"Come on, let's go to Canalave!" she said as she mounted her Pokémon.
It let out a cry and took off. It was a longer flight because Mikayla's suitcase weight slowed down her Pidgeot, she felt a little guilty. Upon arriving she walked over to the Sinnoh Cruise Company's ticket booth, which of course, was closed. However there was a boat schedule posted.
Cruises for Monday Morning:
Castelia City: 6:00
Goldenrod City: 7:00
Cinnabar Island: 8:00
Vermillion City: 9:00
Slateport City: 10:00
Of course, the Cinnabar Island cruise would be more convenient. To save her money, Mikayla stayed at the Pokémon Centre. Morning came and Mikayla purchased a boat ticket and boarded. She let out of her Pokémon so they could enjoy the ride as well. Her Pidgeot, Feraligatr, Arcanine, Leafeon, Pikachu, and newly caught Chimchar crowded around her and watched as the vast landscape of Kanto entered the horizon. The sea breeze blew through Mikayla's hair as she thought her to herself. This would be a new start for her, seeing Erin again would relieve her stress and The Master Project would peak new interests. She was curious to see what The Master Project had in store for her.