Days passed, and Harley continued to show Soledad more sights around Slateport, such as the buyer's market, to the breathtaking view on top of the highest skyscraper in the city. Soledad had begun to feel more and more at home, even starting to think that she had been the roommate to the amethyst-haired man for more days than in reality and that she had lived in Slateport for as long as she remembered. Though none of this was true, the mere hospitality that Harley was showing her was something that previously seemed way out of his league – abnormal for his character and possibly an omen for the apocalypse.

Of course, she liked that he was being nice, grateful to how he was generous enough to do all the things he had been doing. Despite this, it still seemed awkward with the whole fact that, a while ago, they were all in Johto and he was scheming behind peoples' backs. The very question of what this all meant had been haunting Soledad's mind since she reached Slateport, bothering her every time it resurfaced itself into her thoughts and left her to stay awake at night, staring at the ceiling in the midst of trying to configure a plausible answer.

However, as she spent more and more time with the said amethyst-haired coordinator, she found her urge to see his new character as suspicious slowly begin to dissipate. She no longer wanted to question him on it. In fact, it soon started to take longer for her to finally remember the mystery, as each day it would be hidden away beneath the veil of friendship she had strengthened with Harley. It was buried deeper with every passing second, lying forgotten in the pit of her mind that served as the sanctuary for exiled thoughts. Even when she ran into May and Drew again and the said chartreuse-haired teen would shoot her one of his infamous reptilianlike glares as if reminding her to keep an eye on her coordinating partner, she didn't feel cautious.

Needless to say, Soledad had begun to see Harley as only a friend – not a criminal worth being suspicious of; not a fugitive on the run from past sins. The days during the Johto journeys now lacked the ability to help her recall on who she was exactly bunking with, as, whenever he flashed her a warm smile that would make her face heat up, the past would yet again be neglected like an unsolved cold case file. She still wondered from time to time who he really was – if the way he acted beforehand was really a façade – but such distracting thoughts had now started to cease more in plaguing her mind.

But…why did she feel this way? Why was she so willing to ignore Drew and his warnings just so she could justify her friendship with Harley?

Indeed, she had made a bond with the amethyst-haired man from all the generosity he had shown her during her stay, and that was a fact that seemed plausible enough to be the reason why she didn't mind being with him, pushing away the possible consequences that were at stake. However, she had grown to believe that the situation had a much more deeper meaning than that, and mostly from how she had begun to feel as if she just…wanted…to be with him, may it was with or without a reason. She couldn't explain it, but the more times he looked at her with that mature metallic blue-green gaze, she could feel the need to just be in his presence become stronger and stronger.

Dear Arceus, Giratina, Lugia, Raikou, and any other Legendary on the planet, what was wrong with her?

Why was he having such an affect on her?

It was another mystery to worry about. Though she somehow felt as if she already knew the answer, she couldn't define it. It was as if the solution was right in front of her, but she couldn't reach it; or that it was so complicated her mind couldn't comprehend it and she was left bewildered with no links or sources to anything – like an investigator with no leads to follow.

She felt stupid for not being able to sort out her own emotions, for getting herself stuck in another conspiracy that was no better than the one before, and for doing so in the time where she had to practice for the upcoming contest. Her recent moments of relaxation had been swept away before her eyes, and all that was left was the few days she had to practice collaborative Pokemon strikes for the aforementioned competition. She knew how important it was, which was why she tried her best to push away the current mystery enshrouding her mind for now, despite that the main point of it was standing right beside her, staring at her with curious metallic blue-green eyes, completely oblivious to the inner torment that was raging on inside of her – and the fact that it revolved around him.

The pink-red-haired woman turned her eyes to Harley, who had his hands in his pockets, eyeing her with slight confusion. They both had gotten up early Monday morning with the intention of training for the contest at the city's park, which provided large, grassy areas perfect for practicing moves and formations. As stated previously, they needed to come up with at least a few collaborative strikes with their Pokemons' attacks to help cancel out the deadly Wall of Fire formation created by May and Drew, and possibly any other powerful collages set up by the other pairs of partners that were attending the competition. Soledad let out a slow sigh, not realizing that she had dazed off again in her thoughts. Harley was her partner, and she couldn't bring their chances of winning down through getting distracted by her inner mysteries; or even letting the puzzles in front of her add tension between her and Harley - tension that the said amethyst-haired coordinator probably wasn't even aware of.

Remembering that they came to the park for the sole purpose of practicing, Soledad put her head back in the game and pondered for a Pokemon in her arsenal that would contribute to the issue. She brought her eyes up to the clear, day-lit sky, Slateport's skyscrapers and large company buildings surrounding the park on every side. The park seemed like any normal park, consisting of manmade pavements through its grassy fields, luscious trees occupying various parts of the area, ponds with fountains located towards the middle, and other trainers training their Pokemon in the large spaces it all provided. It was obvious that this was where Harley went to practice, and she couldn't blame him; it looked like the perfect spot to train and find others to battle without having to search far and wide.

"Are we ready to get started?" he suddenly questioned from the side of her, his luring tone implying his need to know if she was focused or not. She brought her eyes to him, meeting his metallic blue-green gaze as she then nodded with assurance, hoping that he wouldn't ask what was on her mind. With a Pokemon chosen in the pit of her thoughts, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a Pokeball, tossing it outwards into the vast spot of grass before her, where the spherical object burst open in a flash of white, materializing the being from inside a few seconds afterwards. The bird Pokemon who had emerged from the ball blinked her eyes in surprise at the surroundings, but a soft smile found its way onto her beak when she caught sight of her trainer a few feet away.

Harley smiled, eyeing the powerful flying type. "It's nice to see your Pidgeot again," he then commented as the said avian Pokemon stretched out her wings, aware that she had been called forth for battling purposes; though she was just happy to be out in the sunny open again.

Soledad hummed in agreement and she turned her head to the amethyst-haired coordinator, a curious look then crossing her face. "Who you gonna use?" she questioned, watching as his expression displayed seriousness in the act of contemplation. She mentally named all of his Pokemon that he had sported during the Johto journeys, which consisted of Cacturne, Banette, Ariados, Octillery, and the Wigglytuff he had used in the Kanto Grand Festival. Expecting one of these, she only crossed her arms and waited for him to release his choice.

Finally deciding, the amethyst-haired man pulled out a minimized Pokeball from his pocket, then transfixing his narrowed eyes onto the spot right by Pidgeot as he threw the ball outward and released the Pokemon inside.

Soledad turned her eyes to the white silhouette as it began to materialize into the visage of his Pokemon. Of course, as it began to do so, she found her jaw slightly dropping when she realized that it wasn't one of the Pokemon he was known to carry.

Humanoid posture.

A large dorsal fin on its back.

Wing-shaped blades at the end of its two arms.

Sharklike features.

Soledad gaped in amazement as she realized that she was staring at a Garchomp.

The humanoid land-shark, her female gender showing in the feminine glint of her narrowed eyes, straightened out her stance, growling slightly as she examined her surroundings. Pidgeot squawked in surprise, though she kept still in place beside the intimidating creature.

Harley seemed to smirk when Soledad gazed at him with shock, her eyes widened as if she had just witnessed a breathtaking sight. "How did you…?" was all she could muster herself to emit.

"It wasn't easy, if that's what you're thinking," Harley replied, his arms now crossed, an amused look lingering above his lightened gaze. "It took me forever to get a Gible - I had to keep in contact with a lot of breeders in Sinnoh until I could find one who was willing to send one over - and it took me forever to train her into a Garchomp. I've been working with her behind everyone's backs, and now that she's fully evolved I hope to use her for this contest." He chuckled slightly. "I guess you can call her my secret weapon."

As if in agreement, Garchomp snarled her name, meeting Pidgeot's gaze, where the bird then stepped back, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Of course, when the land-shark Pokemon flashed her a quick smile, the flying type caught the friendliness that was buried deep within the dragon and ground type's tough exterior, therefore finding no trouble in coming closer.

Meanwhile, Soledad could only continue to stare in amazement, though she soon dropped the look of shock when she mentally figured that anything was possible when one put their mind to it and this was just another surprise Harley seemed to have in store for the world. Because of this, she returned her attention to the motive behind it all – practicing collaged strikes – and instead shot her own smirk towards Harley – an expecting smile that physically muttered: Well, then let's see what she can do. As Harley nodded, returning the same look, the female coordinator beside him brought her eyes to her Pidgeot. It was obvious that it would be hard if she and Harley simply came up with formations at the top of their heads, so it would prove itself easier if they just performed moves and see what occurred as they went on. "Pidgeot, use Gust!" she ordered, allowing her bird Pokemon to start the experiment.

Pidgeot cooed her name, flapping her wings as rushes of air twirled around her, leaves getting caught in the winds as the grass covering the ground danced to its movements. Garchomp watched the attack with a poker face, keeping a stern frown upon her snout as she waited for her own master's command.

Soledad exchanged glances with Harley, and, in the process, mentally passed over the turn to call out a move, which he then cupped his chin in a thoughtful manner as he pondered for a strike that would go well with Gust. With a hum, he pointed his finger forward, his voice following in its infamous mellow, yet serious manner. "Garchomp, jump in the middle of the winds and use Dragon Rage!"

The land-shark Pokemon followed with a growl of her name, making her way to the center point of Pidgeot's Gust attack, in which the said Pokemon kept her place right above it all as she elongated the winds with more flaps of her wings. Garchomp stood up tall as she swayed her head forward, opened up her jaw, and released the recognizable array of blue flames all around her, allowing it to get caught in the path of the winds. The attack swirled around her, acting as a sort of barricade, and as Soledad eyed her Pidgeot in the air, a sudden addition to the current mix came to mind:

"Pidgeot, hover directly above Garchomp," she commanded, her bird Pokemon taking the said position over the land-shark. "Now, change your Gust attack into a Whirlwind, and form the winds into a twister."

Pidgeot nodded her head before gathering the winds around her, Garchomp's Dragon Rage still swirling around in the vortex. With a sudden turn to the left, and then engorging her body into a full spin, the winds followed Pidgeot's movements, forming a twister around her and Garchomp, whereas the Dragon Rage turned it into a tornado of blue fire, enshrouding them behind its intimidating squalls. To help keep the Dragon Rage alive, Harley called out over the growling gusts for his Pokemon to keep using the aforementioned move.

Soledad smiled as she admired the look of the attack. It was definitely a technique that could rival the Wall of Fire formation, and all it needed was a nice finish – something that displayed perfect coordination, but at the same time served as a powerful attack. The female coordinator turned her eyes downward as she pondered for what such a finish could be, though Harley apparently beat her to it as his voice suddenly returned with: "Garchomp, begin to charge up a Dragon Rush!"

A cry from the said Pokemon could be heard faintly over the tornado's winds, and soon a highlight of cerulean shined from the bottom of the twister, indicating that Garchomp had begun to charge up the field of energy around her that was associated with a Dragon Rush attack. The land-shark Pokemon closed her eyes, allowing the visible power to cover her like a coating, tracing her figure in its glowing texture. While Pidgeot watched from above, which was hard to do since she had to continue spinning to keep the tornado around them alive, Garchomp hummed to herself in the midst of focusing, her eyes opening when the attack was fully charged and ready to be unleashed.

Meanwhile, back outside, Harley caught the bright signal that the Dragon Rush was ready, though instead of calling out for Garchomp to use it, he turned his eyes to Soledad. "Does Pidgeot know any moves that are similar to Dragon Rush?"

The female coordinator narrowed her eyes in determination, searching her mind for the answer. She had an idea of what Harley was attempting to do, and therefore she tried her best to figure out what could help the procedure. She allowed her eyebrows to rise when she remembered one of Pidgeot's moves that would fit perfectly, and instead of telling Harley directly, she called out to her Pokemon: "Pidgeot, begin to charge up a Brave Bird attack, but keep the tornado running!"

Pidgeot responded with a chirp, focusing her energy as Garchomp had been doing, her body, which was still spinning to fuel the twister, becoming engulfed in the flames of the aforementioned technique. Garchomp, who still had the blue coating of a Dragon Rush upon her as she stayed in pending to charge forward, looked up to see the bird Pokemon appear as a raging diamond of fire towards the top of the blue tornado.

Outside, Soledad could feel herself smile as the strong glow of red signaled that her Pokemon's attack was ready. She turned her eyes to Harley, who was smirking back, and they both jabbed their fingers forward in the midst of uniting their voices to emit: "Now! Charge forward out of the tornado together!"

Garchomp and Pidgeot roared in unison, unleashing their attacks as they followed their masters' command. They both burst from the tornado, Garchomp covered with a tracing of glowing blue, while Pidgeot's figure soon did the same as the released Brave Bird coated her in the same kind of energy field. With the bird Pokemon still spinning, the winds that had formed the tornado followed her, decking both her and Garchomp within a blanket of swirling blue flames, adding to the power and beauty of their formative strike.

Soledad and Harley watched in awe as the two Pokemon moved in synch – Garchomp charging from below, and Pidgeot shooting forward right above her. It seemed like the perfect finish, needless to say. The two coordinators made eye contact, smiling as mental images of such a performance's rating among a contest stage flashed through their minds-

Pidgeot suddenly found her eyes widening when the dizziness brought onto her from her constant spinning caused her Brave Bird attack to give out, and she was left without the energy required to keep her in the momentum. She stumbled in midair, some of the flames from the surrounding Dragon Rage and Whirlwind combo making contact with her wings. This made her squeak her name in surprise as she then fell forward towards the ground, crashing into the oblivious Garchomp below, which cut off the land-shark's Dragon Rush strike, and left the two Pokemon to trip over themselves as the high-velocity winds around them barricaded their eyesight.

Harley and Soledad could only allow their faces to fall as all hell broke loose in front of them.

With both of them blinded, Pidgeot held onto Garchomp's head out of fear, the land-shark Pokemon now clawing the air since her face was covered from the bird's wings, leaving her to stumble over herself and send them both tumbling to the ground in a disastrous heap. Simultaneously, as they ricocheted across the grass in movements similar to an airplane that had just begun to make a harsh landing, the Dragon Rage and Whirlwind combo around them weakened and dissipated outwards like the aftermath dust cloud of a building's collapse.

Everything was quiet after that, covered in the semblance of an eerie silence to where Soledad could hear her teeth grit in anxiety. As the dirt, grass, and leftover smoke from the Dragon Rage and Whirlwind combo faded away, it finally revealed the statuses of the two Pokemon after what felt like hours of stressful suspense.

Garchomp was lying face-up on the ground, her tail twitching every few seconds and eyes widened - while Pidgeot was leaning against her, shocked expression frozen into the assumption that she had just seen something that would scar her life forever. Of course, it could've also been interpreted to be the lingering charade of fear usually leftover after witnessing a near-death experience.

Everything continued to be silent, and while fellow trainers among the park approached to find out the origin of the mayhem that had just occurred a few feet away from them, Harley and Soledad exchanged looks that were mixed with shock, fear, and slight embarrassment.

Okay, that didn't turn out so well…

Harley returned his eyes to their Pokemon, grimacing slightly upon mentally thinking about how much the accident had looked like it hurt. Meanwhile, Soledad took off, rushing to her Pidgeot's side, where she cringed when the petrified bird then toppled over, measly mumbling out her name from her gaped beak. Garchomp did the same, though she simply emitted a high-pitched squeak seeing as how it was the only thing she could do in her state. Harley soon came over, kneeling by the land-shark Pokemon, appearing afraid to touch her as she continued to twitch. Yet again he and Soledad exchanged a glance of guilt, saying nothing since they were too busy hoping that Garchomp and Pidgeot would be all right, as well as regretting their past decision of attempting such a complicated technique they should've known their Pokemon weren't used to doing.

Fortunately, Pidgeot soon regained her consciousness, which she showed as she leaned forward, still appearing slightly groggy. Soledad sighed in relief, petting the bird on the top of the head, convincing her to display an awry smile that showed her obvious embarrassment towards the situation. Garchomp recovered as well, rubbing her temple with her claw as it ached, though she then brought her eyes to Harley, who was beside her, a look of peace now replacing his expression of worry. "Are you two okay?" Soledad asked, Harley nodding in agreement to the question. Pidgeot and Garchomp allowed their eyes to meet in bewilderment as they tried to remember what had just happened seconds ago; though when it all came back to them, they nodded their heads to their trainers in confirmation that all they were was a little sore.

Harley patted Garchomp on the dorsal fin, choosing to then state, "Sorry about getting you guys into that mess. We should've known better than to rush into such a collaborative strike."

Garchomp and Pidgeot cooed their names in an assuring manner, as if telling their trainers it was all right.

Soledad brought her eyes to Harley, a somewhat embarrassed look serving as her expression, as well as a grimace. "I don't think this partner thing is going to be as easy as we thought…"

Harley met her gaze, his frown mellow as if he had been suspecting that an accident of some sort would occur. Despite that such a semblance made Soledad feel foolish and cocky due to her lack of self-preparation, a wave of comfort washed through her when the amethyst-haired coordinator cracked a small smile. "We just need practice, that's all," he assured her, his gaze brightening a little. He returned his eyes to Garchomp, who was nodding in agreement to his statement. "Maybe we should let these guys have a breather while we work with our other Pokemon."

"Yeah," Soledad agreed, standing up. She put her hand into her pocket, fingering the Pokeballs inside as she pondered for what one to use next. "Lapras?" she muttered out loud, naming the Pokemon she had in mind, giving Harley time to figure a good match.

The amethyst-haired man put on a face of contemplation, though he then turned his thoughtful eyes to her, a smirk growing on his lips upon remembering that a certain recent battle had already proven the perfect partner for the said plesiosauruslike Pokemon. It was because of this was his reply a more firm answer than a debatable suggestion: "Cacturne."

They both smiled.

"And we'll start with just the basics this time," Harley reminded her as he returned to his feet, pulling Cacturne's ball from his belt. Soledad nodded, displaying a frown towards what would happen if a similar accident like the one prior occurred again. She shot a quick look to Pidgeot and Garchomp, who waved their wings and claws as if telling them to go on and not to worry about them, and all in the while of laying down on the grass, soaking up the sun with relaxing smiles covering their faces. The female coordinator rolled her eyes at their lazy behavior, but nonetheless let them have their moment of rest as she followed Harley back to the training area.


Hours passed as Harley and Soledad attempted various strategies with their Pokemons' moves. Cacturne and Lapras had come together to make some nice combinations that, fortunately, didn't end in tragedy or tears. Slowbro and Octillery were then paired up together, their combined water type abilities pulling off fascinating shows and, all in the while, adding immense power to their strikes. Banette and Ariados each got a turn with Butterfree to help determine whose moves did better displays when put beside hers. Banette wound up putting on a greater show, and therefore Ariados was assigned to be backup.

In the midst of this, more accidents occurred, though the Pokemon would always get up, dust each other off, and then get back on the field. The more times they repeated their formative strikes, the better they got in performing them, and it didn't take much for Harley and Soledad to get the basics of cooperative techniques down to a science, each of them using their own knowledge of coordinating in general to help fuel the other's awareness.

It was all put to the test, though, when Garchomp and Pidgeot were sent forward once again to attempt another try at the Brave Rush formation (as dubbed by Soledad), which went better than it did at first, but only wound up getting worse the more they did it. It was obvious that it was a powerful technique, and with such power came hard training in order to master it and assure that there would be no errors when they used it in the contest. Sure enough, if something did happen when the formation was being performed during a round's match, it would leave both Garchomp and Pidgeot confused and damaged, guaranteeing the opposing side's victory through such a serious downfall.

Harley kept on assuring Soledad with confidence, however. They had a few more days to practice the technique, and though all their Pokemon needed to train in their formations to the level of near-perfection, Soledad somehow felt at ease, lacking worry for getting it all done on time. Maybe it was because her self-esteem had grown high since she and Harley beat May and Drew on the beach, or maybe it was simply due to the fact that the aforementioned amethyst-haired coordinator convinced her not to worry. He seemed mellow enough, appearing to go with the flow, which yet again was an oxymoronic trait when the memory of his spunkiness was considered. However, Soledad found no reason to complain. She agreed that it was better to relax and just see what happened rather than let the worry for the results ruin one's chances of winning in the first place. Even then, though, anxious curiosity to know the outcome of the contest kept on returning to grasp her attention.

Speaking of which…

The pink-red-haired coordinator let out a sigh, leaning back against the couch's comfy exterior. She and Harley had gotten back from the park not too long ago, finally returning to his apartment for the night after hours of immense training. Exhausted, and with the fact that it was nighttime out, Harley immediately mumbled a "See you in the morning..." before retreating to bed, leaving his female partner to dwell in the living room until she turned in for the night as well. She brought her eyes up, feeling tiredness overtake them, though she kept them open as she stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows of the dead day creep up into the nooks and crannies of the apartment. Of course, the overhead light for the living room was on, causing the darkness to recede back into the areas where it already resided, seeming to wait like a still predator for the barricade to be shut down so it could lunge forward and dominate the room in the blink of an eye.

The female coordinator put her hands behind her head, admiring the silence that covered the apartment (excluding the soft purring of the AC system, of course). She didn't know what was exactly keeping her awake, though thoughts of the upcoming contest was at least one of the causes, seeing as how theories of its possible conclusion ran themselves through her head over and over. Would she and Harley's techniques work? Would they ever master the Brave Rush formation? What did the other coordinators, per se, May and Drew, have in mind for their own formations? She closed her eyes, relaxing herself, forcing the anxiety from such questions to dissipate beneath her sighs of comfort. It was all just a bunch of surprises to come, and she would see it commence when it commenced.

"Cacturne?"

Soledad blinked, renewing her gaze as she displayed bewilderment towards the sudden call. She sat up, feeling slightly light-headed from leaning her head back for so long, and brought her eyes to Cacturne, who had been released from his Pokeball for the night, as Harley had previously mentioned that the scarecrowlike Pokemon sometimes liked to sleep on the couch. The grass and dark type cocked his head at Soledad, obviously wondering why she hadn't gone to bed when his own master had already done so.

"Just thinking about the contest," she answered to his physical questioning, yawning in the process, her eyes narrowed from exhaustion. Cacturne cooed his name, as if confused, but then placed his hands on his hips in a scolding manner, his tone matching the impression as he muttered his call a few more times. Soledad looked at him with tired eyes, and when she caught sight of his face, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the fact that he was evidently lecturing her for not being in bed at the moment. Grateful that he was looking out for her, she reached forward and patted the Pokemon on the head, mumbling out to herself simultaneously, "That's not the only thing I'm thinking about, though."

"Cacturne?" he replied, having heard her.

Soledad sighed, turning her head up to look at him in the yellow eyes. She didn't want to emit out loud that she had been thinking about Harley lately, wondering if her need to be with him and stick up for him was simply side effects of her friendship with him, or if it was something deeper than that – something she had no clue of since she apparently lacked the skills of organizing her feelings into a more understandable format. She didn't want to lay out such a mystery in front of Cacturne if she couldn't even comprehend it, which was why she shook her head to help regain her common sense before standing up. "Just…forget it," she then sighed, walking off to the side and leaving him to watch her with what could be interpreted as a hint of worry. Of course, he said nothing, only murmuring out his name when she emitted a "Good night," shutting the door of her bedroom once she entered it.

Cacturne brought his eyes to the ground, wondering what had been wrong with Soledad. He knew it was rude to dwell into the business of others, however, and because of this he decided to leave her alone to sleep as he hopped up onto the couch to prepare for his own slumber. He reached forward, hitting the light switch on the wall, allowing the stalking darkness to finally take over the area and drench everything within a veil of black. He began to settle himself in against the couch's cushions, but before shutting his eyes, he couldn't help but cast a glance to the door of his master's bedroom, which the visible lights of the nocturnal city peered in through a nearby window and covered the said area with a neon glow. Memories of the moments when Soledad first came to the apartment flashed through the Pokemon's mind, and despite that he wasn't entirely sure what Soledad's thoughts were directly about...

He began to switch his eyes between his master and Soledad's rooms, as if linking them through an imaginary line.

...he somehow knew they revolved around Harley.