To Steven, the curtains fluttering in the early morning wind looked like figures. Half-ghosts with hands stretched out towards him, trying to say something. Trying to take back something. The rising sun dyed the sheer material so it was streaked with red. Quietly, he shut the window, and the curtains ceased to move.

"It's not possible," she had said yesterday, "the names are different. My Ash and your Red are two separate people, Steven."

"I know," he had said gently.

"Ash couldn't have known you."

"I know, Alexandra. I never said they were the same people."

"We live in another dimension!"

"Alexandra, my boyfriend was very short. Ash was tall, right?"

She had nodded.

"See? Two different people. So calm down."

He took off his rings, one by one, and his bracelets and chains. As he placed them gently on the dresser next to the bed, he watched Alexandra's rib cage move slowly, evenly, through her tank top.

There wasn't an ounce of fat on her, and Steven started to count her ribs again. Her elbows and knees were knobby. Dark circles ringed her eyes; she was malnourished. She was so worried and tired, that she wasn't eating, and it was showing on her body.

He went into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Fog filled the small room, concealing the mirror, which was good. He hated looking at himself, anyway.

She had woken up screaming. Had woken up holding her stomach, keeping in the imaginary organs.

"Ash! Ash, where are you? Save me! Ash, please save me!" Torrent had stayed asleep between them. Steven had quickly crossed to the other side. When he had pulled her to him, she had shuddered and stopped, quickly falling asleep again. He had held that small body to his own, rocking and murmuring melodies.

"Nobody comforted you," he whispered into the hissing water. "Then again, nobody comforted me either."

After his shower, he pulled on his boxers and grey jeans, towel-drying his hair. When he found Alexandra still sleeping, he stepped outside onto the balcony, where Torrent was standing.

"Good morning."

"Morning." Torrent adjusted his headphones so that one ear was uncovered. "Thanks for getting her to sleep again yesterday. You could have woken me up, though."

"It was no trouble," Steven said, continuing to dry his hair, "My heart hurts when she cries out for Ash."

"Ash, huh? Not Red?" Torrent leaned on the rail, silent, fiddling with his headphone cord. "You really believe it's not the same person?"

"I don't think so." From the clothesline behind him, Steven slid on a slim, black button-down and tightened a belt through his jeans. He started to put on his grey skinny tie. He knew he looked much younger like this, without his formal suit.

"Liar."

"Why would I be lying?"

"For one reason or another. I don't care."

Steven turned to Torrent, putting the tips of his fingers on Torrent's cheek. The Marshtomp grimaced, but didn't move.

"What are you thinking right now? That the C-Key that was killed by his Pieces was her brother? That I was her brother's boyfriend?"

Torrent stayed silent.

"I wouldn't blame you if you were. You're leading towards this conclusion because it's logical."

"Your point?"

"My point is that just because it's logical, doesn't mean it's true." Steven looked inside the window, making sure Alexandra wasn't listening. "If she really believes that I was her brother's boyfriend, that means she has to believe that her brother was killed by what she still views as Pokémon. She has to accept that Pieces just like her own brutally murdered her brother. She has to accept that her parents lied to her about one of the people she loved the most. Most of all, she has to accept that her parents and grandfather willingly sent her back into this world, just to experiment when her own brother had died here."

"How do you know about Pokémon? How do you know her grandfather?"

"I was the previous Champion for the Piece Keepers. I am told things."

"And you don't want her to-?"

"-suffer anymore," Steven cut in. "I barely know her. Who am I to cause her pain?"

"Right." Torrent stared at him, his brain debating whether to believe, or not to believe.

"I have a picture of my boyfriend if you want." Steven reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. "Alexandra said her brother had black hair and her eyes. My boyfriend had brown hair and brown eyes. This was taken before he went insane."

Torrent studied the picture. Then, his eyes slowly looked up until his gaze was boring into Steven's eyes.

"Strange," Torrent drawled, "I wonder why you would have a picture of Stephan as your boyfriend, since you two are brothers?"

Steven's eyes widened imperceptibly.

"How do you know Stephan?" Steven rasped.

"I would change the picture if I were you." Torrent slid his headphones back on just as the alarm on Steven's phone rang, signaling that it was ten in the morning. "Go wake her up."

Steven stood for several minutes, wanting to continue the conversation before reluctantly stepping inside, leaving the Marshtomp on the balcony.

"Alexandra, wake up."

She immediately stumbled out of bed and was halfway across the room to the shower before Steven said anything.

"Someone's a morning person." While the shower ran, he made her bed, smoothing and tucking the sheets in fast, mechanical motions. Behind him, Torrent slung an arm around Briar.

"Let's go get breakfast. I'm hungry, kid."

Briar's eye twitched.

"Let's not forget all the times I helped you when you were a whiny Mudkup, shall we? Kid."

Nevertheless, he took Eris's hand, and let himself be dragged to the kitchen. The other Pieces were already playing outside.

Alexandra stumbled out of the bathroom, dressed in a worn shirt and shorts, her hair flying wildly around her. When she saw her own bed was made, she scowled at Steven and jumped into the bed her Pieces had shared, curling into the feathery blankets.

"Your hair."

"What about my hair?" she snapped.

"It looks like birds can nest in it."

She hid her face in the pillow, but it couldn't hide her blush, which flushed her ears.

"It's always like this in the morning. It calms down by the afternoon."

"Why don't you brush it?"

Her ears seemed to turn even redder.

"I'm not used to brushing my own hair," she said, talking into the pillow, "My brother always did it."

Steven crossed the room to his bag and pulled out a comb.

"Let me brush it. Come sit on my lap."

"Pedophile."

"First of all, I am not a pedophile. Second of all, you are legal, and I'm sure there are actual pedophiles out there who are disappointed in that."

"You promise you won't do anything weird?"

"I promise. Come here." Alex inched her way over, scowling, and eventually climbed on his lap. He started to comb out the tangles, carefully, making sure he didn't yank or pull.

"What are these?" she leaned forward slightly and plucked one ring off the dresser.

"They're mine." Alexandra looked at it carefully. The ring had been carved from a dark turquoise stone, and it seemed like it shifted its dusky colors. There were circles embedded into the stone, overlapping each other.

"Where did you get all of these?"

"Just over the years. You can look at them if you want. Just put them back on my fingers later."

"Where does this one go?" Steven held out the pointer finger on his right hand, and she slid the ring on it. She picked up the next one, a silver loop that had a maze twisted into it, and started to examine it. He brushed out the rest of the tangles in her hair until it was a soft waterfall of silk. With agile fingers, he braided her hair into a fishtail.

"Pass the hair tie in front of you?"

She reached over and handed him the black hair tie. Tying it, he hung it over her shoulder and tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

"There you go."

She hopped off his lap and went to the mirror.

"It's pretty. Thanks you, Steven." Quickly, she returned to his lap, much to his amusement. "Tell me where the rest go." He put the maze ring on his right ring finger. A gold one in the shape of claws returned to his left pinky. And a black ring with six sides and dots in the pattern of a die went on his left ring finger. "Why do you have one on your ring finger?" she asked, while he put a sea-foam colored, gemstone bracelet on his wrist. "Are you married?"

"No, but it keeps the girls and guys away, because they ask if I'm single."

"Girls and guys?"

"Bisexual, but I prefer girls, though all the girls that flock to me seem to be air-headed." Steven sighed when he saw the three chains he had yet to put on. "This always takes such a long time."

"I'll do it." She turned around on his lap so that she was facing him.

Or straddling him.

While she took a chain and hooked it neatly behind him, he didn't move from his position, not wanting to be accused for something he didn't mean. But she wasn't paying attention to anything besides hooking the chains.

"There. Done." Steven leaned back on his hands while she patted his pockets and pulled out a rectangular container.

"Are these your cigarettes?" She popped the top of it open. A cinnamon smell filled the room, curving around their heads.

"Cinnamon sticks." He took one and bit into it, making a crackling sound. "Would you like one?" When she nodded, picked one up with his fingers. "Open your mouth." Without complaint, she opened it.

He eyed her cautiously.

Mouth slightly open. Curled up on his lap. Big, innocent eyes.

"You definitely don't know what a pedophile is, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing." It was too much for him. He placed the cinnamon stick in her mouth and stood up, dropping her on the ground. But she didn't seem to mind or notice. She stood up, chewing, and grabbed her C-Key clothes, heading to the bathroom to change. He collapsed in a chair, sighing.

"Steven, I'm going to go to the Gym now."

"Good luck."

"Want to come and watch?"

"It's not allowed."

"Oh." Her fingers drummed the door and she puffed air in one cheek. "What are you doing today?"

"Reading about rocks."

"And then after?"

Steven chuckled.

"Don't worry. I'll be here when you come back."

Alexandra looked relieved.

"Oh. Oh, okay. Good."

When she closed the door, darkness consumed her, darkness as deep and as complete as dreams. She groped backward into the doorway and opened it again. A sliver of light fell from the crack, but could do little to penetrate the blackness. The crash of waves echoed in the building and Alexandra could feel salty spray on her lips.

"There's water in front of us," Torrent said. "They must have drawn the ocean here. The waves correspond to the ones on the beach."

"You're a beach," Skyra retorted and flew up, disappearing. A moment later, she returned. "The ceiling isn't high. We're just going to have to take the waves. Torrent, give me a piggyback ride. You can - somewhat - control the waves and I don't want to get my wings wet."

"No. Beach." He laughed when Skyra smacked his butt with a wing.

"I'm going to leave the rest of the PENs here so they don't break in the water," Alexandra stated, taking off her jacket and her shoes. "I wish I had brought shorts or something. How deep is it?"

There was a splash.

"Three feet deep. Let's go, Skyra. I can't carry both of you so Lexa, grab my shirt. And there's a ledge, so be careful."

Moving blindly in the dark and unable to use her cellphone, Alexandra grabbed the back of Torrent's shirt for the second time and timidly lowered herself into the water. Her feet touched soft sand and her black sweatpants immediately became waterlogged. Waves crashed into her, pushing and pulling her, soaking her shirt until she was shivering.

"Let's go," she chattered, spitting out salt water. When Skyra perched on Torrent's shoulders, he started to move forward, managing to push aside most of the waves with his innate abilities.

Most.

While Skyra was high enough to keep her wings dry, Alexandra felt waves up to her neck and one even closed over her head.

"Skyra." She coughed, ejecting salt water from her lungs. "Just Peck anything that moves. Torrent, don't stop moving. Find the Leader." Occasionally, the Taillow would dart out into the darkness, finding the target of another C-Key's Piece in the gloom, but for the most part, they both stayed near Torrent, who easily navigated through the waves. "How are you even finding your way through this?" Another wave closed over her head and left her gasping for air, eyes stinging.

"I can feel the waves and currents when they bounce off the walls. They return softer. It's like sonar. But stop talking. You're actually drowning." Finally, they waded up a slope, the water receding until it was around their ankles.

"Where's the L-" Her own violent coughing interrupted mid-sentence.

"Let's do this fast and get out of here, before she gets pneumonia," Skyra muttered to Torrent while Alexandra coughed. "Where's the Leader?"

"Here." A dim light from the ceiling illuminated the room. Skyra's and Torrent's pupils immediately constricted to tiny dots, letting them see in the sudden burst of light, but to Alexandra, after twenty minutes in the dark, it was blinding.

"Ow! That hurts!"

"You must train your body, challenger. Your Pieces may be strong, but if your body is weak, you will merely be holding them back."

She opened her eyes slowly, blinking painfully as the combination of salt and light made tears run down her face. In front of her was a beefy man with blue hair and no shirt. He was sitting under a pounding waterfall, but his voice was deep enough to cut through the sound. "My name is Caradoc. I am Dewford's Gym Leader. I've been churned in the rough waves of these parts, and I've grown tough in the pitch-black cave. So, you wanted to challenge me? Let me see what you're made of!" With a snap of a muscled arm, he threw a PAL to the center of the room, releasing a boy that was only wearing blue shorts. His hair was buzzed, except for three lines that ran from the front of his head to the back.

Alexandra could almost imagine GLaDOS spewing information on the Machop.

"Skyra," said the exhausted trainer weakly, "just Peck them all." She fell back in the water, breathing shallowly. The Taillow struck, wheeling neatly away while Torrent supported Alexandra. The Machop went down without a fight. Caradoc quickly withdrew the Piece and sent out the next one, a boy with white hair in a fohawk, a blue shirt and shorts, and white bands on his wrists and ankles; a Meditite. In the same swinging circle, Skyra Pecked the Meditite on the chest, slamming him to the floor.

"Hurry up, Skyra. Her lips are turning blue." Caradoc sent out his last Piece, another boy, with his golden hair tied on top of his head. His shirt and shorts matched the yellow of his hair, and he was wearing black boxing gloves and a black chain. Skyra, losing control because of her wet wings, missed the Makuhita by inches. In a moment, the Makuhita tensed up his muscles and raised his arms, preparing to attack and defend himself from an attack with a Bulk Up. Regaining her balance, she swung around and Pecked him. He simply responded by tensing again. In a final loop, Skyra rammed, almost invisibly, into the Makuhita.

In the same second she made contact, the Makuhita grabbed her by the wings and hurled her into a wall. There was a sickening crunch of bones and the Taillow slid to the ground, golden blood marking her path down the wall. Caradoc's last Piece didn't even get a chance to breathe before it was crushed to the wall opposite of Skyra with a jet of mud. Torrent strode over to Skyra, picking her up gently.

"Alive," he murmured to himself, "She's alive."

"Well done, challenger. Take this Knuckle sticker - it's water proof - and this Bulk Up Disc."

Torrent snatched the items from Caradoc's hands, but he wasn't listening. His mind was working furiously. Both his trainer and his teammate were in bad condition, and he couldn't take more than one of them on his back. He could float the other one behind him, but it was very likely that they would drown. If he constantly checked on the one who would float, they would take forever to get out of the gym and that meant delaying treatment for both of them.

Caradoc sat impassively under the waterfall, not caring what happened to the challenger or her Pieces.

"Give Alexandra to me."

Torrent whirled around to face Steven and a Piece that looked about Steven's age.

The Metagross had short, metallic blue hair, and a blue surgical mask that had a white X mark on it. He was wearing a long, high-collared, sleeveless navy jacket that was buckled in different placed by turquoise belts. His dark blue pants were spotless, due to the purple aura that surrounded him and Steven. Metals plated his forearms and his shins, dark colors swirling within their depths. The red lights glowing from his eyes reflected distortedly in the water that was frozen in place around them.

"Ex-Champion Steven. Have you come to help the challenger back on her feet?"

"I've come to rescue her before she's killed, Caradoc. Don't let this happen again." The gym leader inclined his head slightly, and went back to meditating under his waterfall. "Torrent, get Skyra. Stavros is going to stop the water with his Psychic. Do your best to help." Quickly, he scooped up Alexandra, wrapping her with his coat. "Follow, Torrent."

He didn't argue.

They went through the maze, stepping on wet sand as water danced and flurried around them, held back by the same purple aura that was outlining Stavros. Torrent kept the waves from splashing behind them, and in ten minutes, they stepped outside the gym.

"Get Skyra to the Piece Center. Right now. I'm right behind you." Both of them started running to the Piece Center, the Metagross helping Torrent with Skyra's wings, when Steven noticed something.

Alexandra wasn't breathing.

He immediately placed her on the ground, putting his ear to her mouth. Nothing. He shut her nose with his hands and sealed his mouth against hers. One breath. Her chest rose and fell, lips tinged blue. Another. It was almost grotesque, the motion of a lifeless chest. One more. She coughed and Steven turned her head to the side as she vomited seawater.

"Shh... it's okay," Steven whispered as she started crying. He picked her up again and walked towards the Piece Center. "I've got you. You did a good job, Alexandra. You won. Shh..." The doors of the Piece Center opened and two nurses with a stretcher waited for them. "You'll be fixed up before you know it. Don't cry." He placed her on the stretcher.

The medical staff wheeled her away.