The next morning, Hunter was walking quickly around the house, grabbing various things and stuffing them into a backpack.
Mara stood at the top of the staircase, watching him. I'm coming too, she said, her voice filled with determination.
"No!" Hunter shouted, turning to her. "Listen to me, Mara. I know Taren's your mate, but you need to consider yourself here. Neither of us can find him. You're practically stumbling around the house because of lack of sleep. And, to top it all off, you're pregnant! I'm not having you come along. Think of it. What if you get hurt, or killed, and I have to tell Taren that you died needlessly while you were-"
Taren knows. And I promise to stay out of your way.
"That's not good enough, Mara! Taren would kill himself if he found out both of you died. I want him to be happy. I want you to be happy. I want the best for both of you, but you'd be a liability. I want you to stay here. I'll call Maylene. She can look after you." He moved to the phone to do just that.
Setting down the phone afterwards, he walked around for a few more minutes, then came out, backpack over his shoulders. "Maylene's on her way. Don't try to leave." He looked at Umbreon. "Come on."
They both ran out of the house, slamming the door behind them. Mara sat down on the stairs and absently rubbed her stomach. She could feel its emotions. It was disappointed, curious, and angry all at the same time. She looked at it. Eight months. He needs to hurry. Taren wanted to be here so much…
She buried her face in her arms, crying.
Hunter ran down the road with Umbreon at his side, out of Veilstone and into the mountains. He closed his eyes, snarling angrily when they revealed nothing.
Both ran in silence until Hunter stopped on a ledge, looking out over Sinnoh. Blast it, Taren. Where are you?
He looked at Umbreon. "What do you think happened?"
Umbreon shook its head. Hunter huffed. Then, he looked to his right.
On another cliff at the very edge of its surface, something glimmered.
Hunter jumped over to it, carrying Umbreon until it was safe to set it down again. He knelt by the glimmer and picked it up.
It was Taren's crystal necklace. Hunter stared at it, then closed his fist around it. Taren, are you there? Answer me.
Nothing came back. Hunter got up, and looked over the cliff's edge. He might not have survived if he fell. But I have to look down there, all the same.
He looked at Umbreon. "Stay here. I'll be back."
He jumped over the cliff, jumping on small outcroppings all the way down.
When he got to the rocky ground, nothing was there. No body, no imprint, no drag marks. He closed his eyes, searching the area. There was nothing. He started the search again, paying more attention to detail. There has to be something…there!
A tiny glimmer of Aura was pointing over the mountains. Hunter smiled. "Good."
Jumping back up and getting Umbreon, he returned it to its Poké Ball and then jumped back down to start following the trail.
There. Two short chapters to equal the longer one. Anyway, no, you won't see anything from Taren's point of view. R and R, please!