"So, what's the plan?" asked one of the three little girls standing at the top of the stairs. She leaned back on the railing, spreading her arms out across it as she looked at her two sisters.

"Well…" said one of them with a frown. She played with the thick gloves covering her hands, fidgeting with the fabric as she thought. "It is a big request… maybe we shouldn't–"

"Athena." The first one stood up straighter, crossing her arms. "We're doing this. You're the one who said you felt like you were drawn there, we're going to ask her."

"What if she says no…?" a third voice piped up. The middle sister was sitting on the stairs at the very top, playing with her necklace. "What if she gets mad at us…?"

"Then I'll deal with it, Aphie. You know I always do," the first girl answered. "I'm supposed to protect you guys."

The oldest of the three looked at her sister, blue hair falling into her eyes as she brushed it away. The frown remained on her face. "Artemis… you know this is different."

"I don't care, Athena," Artemis declared, leaning back on the railing. Her hands, covered with black motorcycle gloves, grabbed the railing to keep from falling. "I can stand up to her. She's been kicking me around for years, and I'm not going to let her keep at it." She scowled a little at the ground.

Athena sighed. "If you're sure… you've just always been so reckless–"

"What did you say?!"

"Hey…" Aphrodite stood up between her two sisters, looking at each of them. "We're all in this together. Let's not fight…"

Athena sighed again. "You're right. We should work together on this."

"Shhh, she's coming!" Artemis stood, body language tense, as the door opened and the girls heard footsteps below them.

"Hello? Anyone home?" called out a female voice that scared all three of them to their core. Aphrodite's eyes widened. Artemis could tell she was the most affected of all of them. After all, their mother, Scarlett, was the reason she… never mind. It wasn't important now.
Athena was the first to go down the stairs, followed by Artemis and then Aphrodite behind them. Artemis' shoulders instinctively tensed, along with the rest of her body, standing at a slightly looser version of attention, like a soldier awaiting orders. She watched her mother carefully as she studied her three daughters. "You look like you want to say something."

"Well, actually…" Athena started, then stopped. It took her a few seconds to regain her nerve, but she continued at a "go on" look from Scarlett. "As you know, our, er… our tenth birthday is coming up…"

"I am aware," Scarlett answered coolly, keeping her eyes trained on Athena.

"Mhm, and…" Athena looked at her sisters as if seeking encouragement before continuing, "Well, we know what we want."

Scarlett raised her eyebrows. "And what do you want?"
A hush fell over the room. Artemis could feel their mother's gaze daring them to say anything. The three sisters exchanged looks before Athena finally spoke up.

"We want to go to Unova."

Artemis knew as soon as the words were out of her sister's mouth that the answer was no. Scarlett seemed surprised, then angry, surprised again. Artemis could see her searching for the words before her final reply of, "Why ever would you want to go there? So dirty and urban…" She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I don't know," said Athena, with more conviction than Artemis had ever heard from her milder sister. "I can't quite explain it, but I feel… a draw, I suppose. To Unova. I don't know why, but something gives me—us—the feeling that we're supposed to be there. I can't help but think that perhaps there's a reason for that." Athena frowned, already bracing herself. "I want to know what it is."

Everyone was silent for a moment. All three sisters watched their mother with careful hope. They knew what the answer would be, but maybe, just maybe, they would be wrong.

Artemis noticed a few things in Scarlett's face when Athena mentioned Unova. Almost… almost like fear or panic. Something about Unova scared her, and

Artemis wanted to know why. Maybe it was just the thought of sending her children so far away, but… no, that wasn't right. Something was wrong with her; Artemis could feel it.

Unfortunately, before she could think it through any further, Scarlett shook her head. "That's ridiculous. You expect me to let my only children go across the sea because of some absurd whim?"

"It's not a whim," Artemis snapped. "Athena knows what she's talking about, and I trust her. Besides, we all felt it, and there has to be a reason for—"

Crack. Something was stinging Artemis' cheek. It took her a second to realize Scarlett had slapped her. As she retreated back to her sisters with a hand on her cheek, Scarlett glared at all of them. "I said no." She walked away as if nothing had happened before turning around and focusing on Artemis. "And we're going to talk later about insolence," she added before disappearing into the next room.
Artemis glared after her, muttering insults as Athena removed her sister's hand to look at the mark. Artemis could already visualize the angry red mark the blow had left behind, just like every other time she'd been hit like that. She knew the drill by now, but she also knew she couldn't express any more anger within Scarlett's earshot. That would come later, when she had gone to sleep and Artemis and her sisters were truly alone.

Aphrodite frowned, looking at her sisters. "So what do we do now…?" she asked quietly.

Athena didn't seem fazed, even by the rare but still predictable show of violence. "We go anyway," she said as if it were the most obvious solution in the world. "Come with me."

Artemis and Aphrodite followed their minutes-older sister up the stairs to their shared room, the place of all their schemings and plans. Artemis could already tell by the look on Athena's face that this one would be good.

Aphrodite would go first. Athena had figured since her middle sister hadn't had much part in the discussion of Unova, Scarlett wouldn't be as upset with her. Still, Aphrodite did feel a sense of trepidation approaching her, as if walking up to an angry Ursaring. But there was no turning back now, and Aphrodite cleared her throat to get her mother's attention.

Scarlett turned around and, seeing Aphrodite, nodded with a little smile. "Oh, hello. What are you doing here?"

"Um…" Aphrodite rarely spoke above a whisper nowadays, and even with the scrap of paper in her hand she felt nervous. "We, um… we know what we want now."

Scarlett scoffed, "And what is it this time?"

Aphrodite looked down at the paper in her hand, her script of sorts. "Well, um… apparently there's another volume of that history book you found in Eterna City. I know it's a long way, but…" She smiled a little, though she wanted to run and cry. "For us?"

Scarlett sighed. "It is a long way, but you're right. Anything for my girls." She kissed Aphrodite's head before leaving the room to get ready to go. Aphrodite ran back up to her room, where Artemis and Athena were sitting on their beds waiting for her.

"What did she say?" Artemis asked as soon as she saw her sister's green hair.

"Did she believe it?" Athena added.

Before Aphrodite could answer, Scarlett's voice was heard from downstairs. "Girls, I'm leaving! I'll be gone for a few hours, so you three can find something to eat for yourselves. Don't open the door for anyone! I'll be back around evening."

Artemis pumped her fist in the air, grinning as Athena sighed in relief. The sounds of the front door closing and a car leaving the house had never sounded so sweet. Of course, this meant they had to get going; they didn't know when they would get a chance like this again. Immediately the three sisters started to pack, throwing things in backpacks and preparing to be away from home for the first time in nine years. Athena packed an atlas so they could find their way around Sinnoh and Unova if they ever managed to reach it, Artemis packed some Poké Balls she found and a few other supplies, and Aphrodite mostly packed food and extra clothes. Among the three of them, they had a good stockpile of resources that would prevent them from having to go to a city for a long time.
When their packing was done and they were ready to leave, Athena opened their bedroom window—something she'd figured out how to do a long time ago despite preventative measures—and looked down. The drop wasn't easy, but it was what had to be done.

Artemis was the first to drop, being the most reckless of them and naturally the easiest to convince. Athena went next, with Artemis ready to catch her in case she fell. Aphrodite was the hardest to convince to drop out of the window, but eventually Artemis and Athena managed to convince her.

They had done it. They were free.

Athena had to take a few seconds to process it all. Maybe more than a few seconds.

They shouldn't have done this. This was horrible. They were horrible for doing this.

But Aphrodite looked so happy… Athena could see her lying in the grass and giggling. Artemis was trying to climb a tree for a better vantage point. They both looked so happy… and Athena couldn't deny she felt better too. They were free.

"Alright." With that one word Athena had the attention of her sisters, both looking at her expectantly. "So. What are we doing now?"

Artemis dropped from the tree branch she'd been holding with one hand. "I say we get out of Sinnoh as fast as possible. There's no way she won't find us here."

"But we don't have any money," Aphrodite added with a frown. "Or any idea how to leave Sinnoh."

"That's alright. We can travel around until we do," Athena added. "I'm not sure how we'll get the money, but… we will. I promise. Until then, we stay in Sinnoh, but we stay moving. Am I clear? We don't stop for anything, except possibly to sleep."

The other two nodded, Artemis giving her sister a two-fingered salute. "Sounds good, boss." She grinned wickedly.

Athena sighed. "Perfect. Then let's get going. We don't have much time before she gets back, you know, not if we want to get anywhere."

Aphrodite stood up as Athena and Artemis walked away from the house, and soon the three of them were at the same pace, walking away from everything they knew.