"Every single time." Falkner smoldered as he sat on the rocks of Whirl Island. He felt, for lack of a better term, absolutely terrible. His proposal to Morty didn't go out so well. The one other man in all of Johto he respected. And he didn't make the proper time to see him. His disciples, Bugsy and Whitney, were smitten with one another and seeing them together made him feel as queasy as jealousy. It made him feel petty, immature, and not better at all. And then there were those visions of his dad happening again. He clutched at his arm hard. If he wasn't gripping at where his traditional outfit covered his biceps, there was a very good chance he'd sink into his skin.
Nobody respected him. Not his colleagues. Not his father. Especially not the league. And he didn't feel worthy of respect. His friends don't give him the time of day, and nobody appreciates the effort he put in to be where he was. He felt transparent. He felt useless.
And then he felt windy.
The wind wasn't the natural breeze of the islands. It was air fluttering down on and above him. As he stared up, he saw a shape familiar to him; a Skarmory. But this one belonged to a trainer. He couldn't see with the sun in his eyes, but as he put his hand up the visage became more obvious. It was Steven Stone.
The Champion of the Hoenn Region. A perfect man that one nary existed in Johto, for most of Falkner's own admittance. Powerful, knowledgeable, and dashing. Falkner was taken aback. In his lowest moment, suddenly this champion comes and graces his presence. Why?
"Hello, Falkner." Steven adjusted his tie as he hopped off his Pokemon. He gave the raptor a few strokes on its beak, which squawked happily.
"H-Hello, Steven." Falkner put on his best smile and a hand out. Steven shook it firmly.
"I'm very happy to see you here." He began to trace around the briny rock the two stood on. Falkner just watched intently as the Champion stroked his chin using just his index finger and thumb. As if though he was scanning the surroundings besides them for any potential leads.
"Not only are you here when I want you to, but I can probably take a rock home, too." He laughed, turning to his blue-haired cohort.
"What brings me to your attention?" Falkner asked, arms crossed now, still incredulous.
"Well." Steven began to speak. "I was there when you battled Winona in Hoenn."
"The sparring match we had a week ago?" Falkner raised an eyebrow. "You were there?! I would've offered you a handshake if I had known."
"Oh, it was important for you not to know." Steven smiled. "I watched in the deep forest of Fortree. And that's because both Winona and you would've battled differently had you both known I was there. I wanted to see you at your truest self, and I must say, you did handsomely."
Falkner blushed, and even trembled a bit. His mouth grew as dry as cotton, taking a gulp that barely had any saliva on it.
"R-really?"
"Ah, so she was right about that too." Steven frowned lightly.
"W-what? What do you mean?!" Falkner's voice grew cracky and ragged.
"Winona. She was right. You do have a self-esteem issue." Steven put a hand out. "Sorry, that might have sounded rude. She told me a bit about yourself after you left for Fortree, when I made myself known to her. She said you loved to hang out around the water in Johto when you're upset… which you seem to have told her happens a lot lately. She said you didn't believe in yourself."
Falkner looked down and to the side. "...Because other people don't believe in me."
Steven raised another eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"
"I… I wanted to confess my love to Morty. A-and I did recently. And it didn't… go well." He huffed, clenching his fists. "A-and the damn girl and her bug boyfriend, I-I raised them, but now it feels like they're more busy playing tag than being trainers any more, a-and I…"
Falkner felt tears well up at the corners of his eye at the idea of having to mention his dad to someone else, but then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. It was Steven.
"I understand." Steven smiled at the Johtoian. Falkner was once again stunned.
"Believe it or not Falkner, but I wasn't just handed the Champion's title." Almost playfully, Steven began to strut around, occasionally taking dips as he knelt to examine the craggy rock below them. "I had to work hard, too. And my father didn't believe I could do it."
If Falkner was wearing a collared shirt, it'd be getting extremely steamy right now.
"And I didn't even get his recognition until I DID earn that Champion's title. And even now, I wonder; do people know and care for me for my title, or for my efforts?" He examined a rock before flicking it away. Falkner was just stunned. Surely, someone like Steven would be happy with all of the potential fans he had, right?
Steven turned around. "That's why I make an effort to appreciate the efforts of my colleagues. Truth be told, I wanted to examine Winona's battling, but yours is what caught my eye. You're a very talented trainer, Falkner."
Falkner's heart swelled as he heard this. This wasn't just a compliment at when he needed it the most; it was one from a trainer he held in very high regard. A warmth spread across his chest; the same he initially had for Morty.
"I wanted to give you a gift, to cheer you up. Skarmory?" His pet Pokemon squawked, raising up a wing, showing it was holding a long, black package in its blade-like feathers. Steven retrieved it.
"Here. I want you to have this. It's a little much, but you know me. Stones are more my thing than whatever this is." He clicked the edges open and the case swung apart, and it reflected a strong light to Falkner's eyes. He recoiled, but once he was able to see what it was, his lungs quickly forced in a deep breath.
"This is…" Steven was about to explain until Falkner cut him off.
"An ancient traditional Skarmory katana." His hands went to examine it. He wanted to just grab it and feel it, but just seeing it, even with its protective wrapping, was breathtaking.
"Mmhm. I figured it'd be much more appreciated in your hands than on my shelf in my villa!" The Steel-Type expert laughed. "I thought it was fitting as well. We both have an appreciation for Skarmory. I mean, it certainly gave Winona's Tropius a run for its money." Steven smiled, before realizing that Falkner was now looking at him rather than his gift. "D-do I have something on my fa-"
"Steven. You came to me at a time when I was at my lowest. I genuinely did not have a good foreboding in my chest. But now here you are. Coming to me, taking time out of your day, just to check up on me. When I felt like I was all alone again. And now I'm not." Falkner let his confession out all in one sentence. Falkner cooly had a hand on his hip. His usual attitude for the most part had fortunately returned to him.
Steven stammered a bit, his steely cool composure being disturbed. "A-ah, Falkner, I'm extremely happy to hear that." Steven closed his eyes and smirked as his handsome face glowed a light pink. "You and I never talked too much together. I hadn't figured how brazen I might've been just swinging by and-"
"No no! It's no hassle at all. Trust me. I truly appreciate this, from the bottom of my heart." Falkner closed the case and procured it from Steven.
"And don't worry. I'm sure you're still friends with Morty, and Whitney, and Bugsy, and I'm sure they still re-"
Suddenly, Steven felt a pressure around his torso. Falkner went up and hugged him. Maybe this wasn't the time to run his mouth. Steven just smiled, and hugged Falkner back. They stayed there for a bit, feeling their warmth against one another. Steven suddenly understood.
"I will cherish this item with all my heart, Steven." Falkner broke the hug and even bowed, making Steven throw up his hands a bit.
"Ah, I'm glad! But please, no need to bow." These old Johtoian traditions always made him awkward. "That being said; why don't we exchange contact information?"
The two shared their information by their devices. Storing them away, the pair spent an awfully long amount of time staring at each other. And smiling.
Steven's device beeped at him. "A-ah, Drake is calling me. I'll have to depart for now, Falkner." Steven held out a hand.
Falkner brought his hand in, but as he did so, Steven suddenly took his hand and tugged him in, surprising him with a forehead kiss. Saying nothing more, Steven hopped onto his mount. Saluting his Gym Leader friend, Skarmory began to rise high up into the air.
Falkner watched as the bird became a small blip against the blue sky. He slapped himself. He took in a deep inhale. That was the unmistakable brine of the Johto waters. This actually happened. He felt lightly numb. He wasn't sure how to process everything. Holding the case in the underside of his arm, and looking at his device, he had a new goal to achieve.
To set up a date with a Champion.