A/N: I was writing this while I was sick so uh, I might have made some mistakes here and there. In any case, I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter ye.

8 years…

It's been 8 years since he last saw the boy who gave him the cloak. Riley managed to get by, mining ores and selling them. He lived by himself in a humble cottage near the mine because the old house was still held under the monarchy's custody.

He sat on a roof, holding the old cloak close to him. He waited in front of that house every year, but the boy never showed up again. He was about to give up, but something inside kept him going.

Riley sighed. 'Why am I still trying so hard when I know nothing but his name?' He thought, tilting his fedora down. He was about to get off, but he heard some sort of commotion below him. He decided to peer down and take a look.

He observed as a carriage passed by, and he caught a glimpse of the crest at the back of it. He immediately recognized it as the same one woven on the cloak. He shoved it into his coat pocket and followed behind closely, leaping from roof to roof.

He stopped when the carriage went out of town, but he was determined to find out who was inside. He secretly stowed himself away on a cart meant for crates headed in the same direction and got off once he reached the neighboring town. Riley scaled the roofs, only to see it go into a grand-looking mansion that was heavily guarded.

He was disappointed, but decided to stay for a while more to gather information before leaving.

A day almost passed, but he still couldn't find out anything. He reached into his coat pocket and took out the small cloak. It could only cover his torso now, because he'd already long grown out of it. He leaned against a wall and was about to sleep when he heard footsteps and chatter approaching him. His eyes snapped open and hid swiftly.

"Have you heard? Duke Steven is throwing a masquerade party tomorrow night!" A lady claimed as she unknowingly walked past him.

"Oh, but if it's a party, wouldn't an invitation be needed?" The lady's maid questioned softly.

"But of course! I got one, and it says here I can bring an escort with me." She said, holding out the invitation letter for her to see. "Needless to say, you'll be coming along with me."

"It would be an honor, milady." She smiled, bowing her head slightly.

A party...Riley thought. It was a good chance for him to sneak in without being caught - he couldn't pass up on his only ticket inside.

He only hopes luck will be on his side.

Riley waited on the roofs until the next evening before he spotted a gentleman especially well-dressed, going out of his house and just about to step into his carriage. He guessed he was heading for the masquerade, and leaped in front of him and his escort. The latter tried to fight back, but Riley was more efficient in martial arts than he was, and was almost immediately defeated, knocked out cold.

"Y-you want my money, right? Take it..." The gentleman trembled, handing a pouch of silver to him.

"I don't want your money; I want you to take me to that party and tell them I'm your escort." Riley glared, pushing the pouch back.

"O-oh..." He was still tense. "...alright...come in."

He slung the real escort on his shoulder and set him inside the carriage before they set off. They arrived shortly; Riley put on a mask and got off.

"Don't breathe a word to anyone about this." He hissed under his breath.

"...I understand."

The guards checked their invitation and they were escorted to the main hall, decorated lavishly with a chandelier hanging from the high ceilings. The hall was packed with guests, and he began to wonder if he could find Steven at all.

For some reason, he could feel a strange aura among the people. It felt somewhat different from other normal people and Pokémon, so he got suspicious and decided to check just to make sure.

He found himself approaching a young lady without a mask, which made him more confused than anything.

"Excuse me, milady?" He began, but when the lady heard him, she seemed to be startled and ran away without a word.

Riley followed her out past hallways, until he lost her in the garden. His steps slowed down, realizing he was lost. Despite knowing that, he felt unusually serene, taking in the scent of freshly cut grass.

What was this place, exactly?

He swiftly turned around when he heard something, only to see the emptiness of the night. He kept his guard up, eyes darting around for anything malicious. He felt the same aura, only stronger and more aggressive this time.

An invisible force attacked him out of the blue, causing him to flinch. It felt like a strong headbutt, and whatever just attacked him was able to remain invisible. He was right – even if it was a Pokémon, it wasn't ordinary.

He closed his eyes and focused on the aura of his attacker. It had a queer shape, almost like a jet of sorts. It went into a stance, preparing to attack again. He braced himself for an impact, but it never came. He opened his eyes only to see another Pokémon levitating in front of him, and the other Pokémon revealed itself, seemingly frustrated.

"Latias, don't just run off like that – I was worried!" A young man with steel blue hair exclaimed.

Their eyes met for a moment; Riley could only gap, his breath taken away by his eyes. Steven blinked, gesturing Latias and Latios to get behind him for moment.

"This is a very sacred place, you know. You shouldn't be here." He smiled, getting down and offered a hand. "You're a guest aren't you? I'll escort you back to the Hall."

"Are you Steven?" He interrupted, shooting him a stubborn look.

"…that is correct, and you are…?" Steven was taken aback slightly by his sudden change, but managed to quickly dismiss it.

No, what am I thinking, why would he remember a peasant from so long ago?

"Are you alright?" Steven frowned in concern. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Latios bowed his head in guilt and approached Riley slowly before nuzzling him gently.

"I-It's nothing! I'm fine…I'll get back on my own…" Riley quickly got up without even taking another glance at Steven. He walked out of the garden quickly, not realizing he dropped something important.

Steven picked the cloak up and recognized the crest. He widened his eyes, as if he remembered something important.

"Wait!" He called, and Riley halted his steps, feeling his coat pocket for the cloak, only to realize he had dropped it. He turned around in response and saw Steven holding it.

Oh.

Steven approached Riley slowly, and he instinctively took a few steps back. He reached out a hand and took off Riley's mask before smiling.

"It is you..."

Riley averted his gaze, trying to hide his blush. Oh Arceus, he's too close… He felt himself slowly losing composure when he caught a whiff of Steven's scent – it was just the way he remembered it.

"Riley…"

He felt his heart skip a beat when he heard the way Steven said his name.

"Steven…?"

"Hm?"

"We…really should be getting back…you know." Riley tried to say, clearing his throat.

"…oh, right. Here you go," He blinked before returning the cloak. "You can tell me how you got in later so I can give an excuse to my dad. He's…not very fond of strangers."

"…you won't get mad, will you?"

"Why, I would never! I told you before – I know you're a good person." He smiled, gesturing him over. "I have a way with people."

You sure do… Riley looked away for a moment before following Steven back into the main hall.