A Soul Of Steel

by CeroAjax

The dream of a lifetime was finally achieved by one attempting the Galar Region Gym Challenge: a trainer named Haru. However what is life afterwards for someone unsure of how to handle being Champion? What, if anything, lies next? Does he persist in his new busy life or move to something else? This story explores one such trainer.

34. Chapter 34

Chapter 33: Schadenfreude

- - - - - Paldea, Levincia - - - - -

- - - - - Barcelo Torre de Levincia, Penthouse Suite - - - - -

"Keep up, 'ex'-Champ. I can't have you passing out on me over a simple 'ride'." Oleana would tease her newly betrothed, Sam. As he lay underneath her, the woman who took charge of the Galar Pokemon League grinned in confidence. Her ability to put him in his place for their more 'intimate' of moments was one of the things that drove him up the wall. Being forced to deal with the overwhelming pleasure and weight of Oleana straddling his member and squeezing every little bit out of him possible, Sam's eyes rolled to the back of his head.

He couldn't come up with a response, nor did he feel like there was any need. Being wed and connected to his one true love was like a dream fully realized. One more cry of pleasure later, and both Oleana and her beloved climaxed together. As both of his hands went up to her large chest and squeezed, Oleana herself would end up going cross eyed once the peak of the mountain of intimate bliss hit her. "Just empty everything, my love." She leaned down and smiled wide and full of love for him as a hand goes to his cheek. "I want this trip and these next few nights to simply be a hint of things to come...~"

She would say this after the wave of pleasure after orgasm hit her, then realized the humor in her own wording. Pulling a strand of hair aside, Oleana chuckled. "Well...outside of you, that is, my good boy."

As his hands slowly slid down from her heavy bosom to her wide hips, Sam's head just lay limply to the side. "You are so evil using that term against me, you know." He would say with only slight protest in his voice. It was a farce, of course, for being able to make love to her was a blessing he could appreciate thoroughly.

As her hand stroked his cheek, Oleana withdrew it to then clasp onto his left hand. She turned to look at her own left hand and smiled at the now matching set of wedding bands they both were wearing. "All I know is that I love you with my whole heart and I can only wait to see how the rest of our lives together will be."

The couple held onto each other for awhile as the evening skies of Paldea shone a beautiful peach and violet colored hue through the window panes. All Sam could do was just let out a weakened smile from the wave of pleasure washing over him as he and his betrothed took the time to ignore everything else.

Work. Whether or not dishes were washed back home. How she was going to announce her relationship once she is inevitably questioned by the press. How she was going to approach the situation about Raihan getting jumped by someone she employed to be in Galar. None of these would be on either of their minds.

But as the Paldean winds gave way to a dark blue blanket of the night sky, Sam took to some gentle aftercare. As he got up, re-dressed and gave Oleana a quick peck on the cheek before insisting he get them some wine to toast to, his peripheral vision noted one of the windows to the patio was slightly ajar. Before he could ask if she noticed it, something small was heard sprinting. Its pitter-pattering of feet was heard going from behind the armoire to the living room on the other side of the partition in their penthouse.

"Come out whatever you are: Pokemon or not, you shouldn't be here!"

Sam reached for his bag that was hanging on one of the hooks inside the armoire and got out an Ultra Ball. If it was a Pokemon intruding on them, he wasn't going to waste time with a battle and hope that whatever it was, it would simply be captured in one toss.

A blur of grey and blue skitters between his legs and into the kitchen before a clatter of something heavy was heard hitting the floor with a 'thump'. Sam made his way to it and was met with something small and whimpering due to having become entangled in the multiple giftbags they had accumulated from shopping. A small Pokemon with fox-like features with grey fur and light blue accents was seen having its hind legs caught in the shopping bag handles and staring back at him; fully alert.

"Wha-...oh my gosh. Hey little guy...!" Sam says, putting away the Ultra Ball and kneeling down to it. He sees the small Pokemon try to cower away from him as it made a noisy attempt to squirm away. The now cowering Pokemon managed only to further entangle itself into the bags it ran into. The top part of its lone, wavy-like mane was shaking and undulating as if the Pokemon were trying to scare Sam away in defense. It could only produce a weak apparition of a ghost-like grimace while whimpering.

"Dear? Is everything okay?" Oleana calls out before walking to where he was at, then gasped when she saw him knelt down. "It's a Pokemon."

He turns to her and nods. "It looks like a Zorua, but I don't recognize this exactly. Is it a variant from here?"

Her eyebrows furrow as she appeared confused. "Not here, no. It's a form of Zorua that I thought was extinct." She side eyes in thought. "Though now it appears as if it weren't. Perhaps others like it were just in hiding..."

As she explained, the Zorua before them started looking at Sam with big puppy-like eyes and just looked away in hopes he wouldn't harm it. Sam frowns. "He looks hungry." Hoping to not scare the small fox-like Pokemon, he held his arms up. "Hey hey. Look, I'm gonna help you, so don't be scared okay?" He leaned forward slowly and then blinked when he noticed a few small partial cuts and a small bruise on top of one of its forepaws. The Zorua panicked, making several yelps as it thinks Sam was going to get rough with him. As it twisted and twirled its body as Sam's hands gently closed in, it would notice quickly no harm came. One by one its hind legs were untangled and he was allowed to walk out from it.

With a hop, the Zorua leapt away then turned back; looking to both Sam and Oleana. He was a small Zorua of a grey similar to normal looking Zorua, but its white and ice blue fur color pattern gave it a much more innocent appearance. It glances to the slightly cracked balcony window and starts walking to it before glancing back. He stops in place before looking up at Sam as if studying what the human was going to do. Its nose wrinkles up, sniffing him with its tail in the air.

Sam getting up from a kneeling position makes the Zorua dart away immediately and half hid itself next to one of the chairs. The Zorua watched as Sam returned with a small bowl of berries and a few poffins that he was originally going to give to his Pokemon. "Do we have anything to help with the injuries this one has?" Sam pointed to the cute Pokemon that was staring back at him. Oleana wordlessly nodded, disappeared into the bathroom that linked to the bedroom of the suite, then came back with a small kit she carried on the off chance it would be needed.

It took a lot of patience and some quiet moments of little to no movement, but the Zorua moved from its spot towards the food Sam brought out until it got to him, looked at him as if to see if Sam would do anything, then started nibbling on the berries.

With its attention diverted, Sam stretched out a hand to pet it slowly. The Zorua looks up to him, sniffs his hands, then licks it before going back to eating. The Pokemon focuses on eating as Oleana, with Sam's careful touch, slowly healed the Zorua's injuries.

Twenty minutes pass, and the little intruding Pokemon had become a little more docile with its humans it came across. The Hisuian Zorua, now wearing some bandages, stuck close to Sam's side while eyeing him constantly. He looks to Oleana. "Can we keep him?"

Oleana responded flatly. "Why are you asking me as if I was going to put you in some doghouse for being caught with him?" She of course was merely teasing.

The Zorua put a forepaw forward in mid-step, froze, then climbed onto Sam's lap before looking up at him and putting his forepaws on Sam's stomach. The poor guy just half laughed and half whimpered at the cuteness. "...I'm gonna name him 'Mizu'."

A Hisuian Zorua that was sitting comfortably in his lap just yipped once and relaxed with its usual half lidded eyes looking back at Oleana. She just shook her head. For the rest of the evening and the trip the newlyweds had a plus one.

"Well, you phoned the one guy you know who has a license for operating and giving medical attention and care to Pokemon, but pardon me if this takes a moment to find anything solid." Haru said in a call with Sam.

"Take your time. I think this little guy is getting used to me." Sam replied. "Oh, how was the concert, by the way?"

He heard Haru exhale through the nose and hum for a moment. "I think seeing Nessa slowly realize what makes the band 'tick' for me and thus dance with me throughout the whole concert puts this in my 'Top 10 memories made'."

Sam lightly threw an uppercut in victory. "Ayyyyy, there we go."

"Allright I found something. So it turns out what your wife says is correct. Hisuian Zorua. That you found out as timid as the one that's in your lap is one thing, but the region it comes from was not kind." Haru assumes a 'reading' voice to elaborate to his friend. " 'Exiled from other lands by humans because of their illusions, and unable to survive in the Hisui region due to the harsh environment and conflicts with other Pokémon, the souls of deceased Zorua linger on in a new form, reborn by their malice towards humans and Pokémon alike. Hisuian Zorua's fur is mainly light gray with r-'." Haru interrupted himself. "Wait, you told me it was blue and grey with white tips, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You actual bitch, you got a shiny Hisui Zorua." Haru would say in a flat, annoyed tone. "First you get married before I do, AND you get a shiny Pokemon?"

He heard Sam laughing lightly away from the receiver. "It's not like I planned for it, nor do I have a shiny charm but yeah it sure seems that way."

Haru hears what sounds like a Zorua yapping at Sam like it were talking. "Moving on...here's what else this entry says. 'Hisuian Zorua retains its ability to cast illusions but accomplishes this by constantly unleashing its spiteful power of malice through its ghostly fur, specifically atop its head. It can attack its target with a spine-chilling resentment. This power comes from Hisuian Zorua's own resentment of everything.'."

"How'd you come across this information, by the way?" Sam asks.

With pride, Haru replies, "My great ancestor wrote these notes, actually. Turns out he lived in Hisui long ago." He holds up the thick load of manuscript of which Mars handed to him.

"Really? You'll have to tell me more about it, then. For now I have to get ready and see what I can do about this little Zorua. I've since named him 'Mizu'." Sam says with keenly interest.

The Steel-based expert chuckled. "Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon, then, and try not to get sunburned while you're there extending your bloodline."

"Huh?"

Haru sighed, exasperated. "That was a sex joke, Sam. You were su-. Anyways."

"OOooohhhhhhh"

"Yeah. Have fun, mate." Haru hung up, leaning back into the bed and opening the thick array of manuscripts that used to belong to his ancestor, Hachiro.

"Everything with Sam going well, then?" Nessa asked, laying next to him in the bed. She was still riding the high of coming back home with him after the concert: wide awake. She was wearing one of the new shirts she brought home after the concert and looking at him curiously.

"Yeah. Little jerk somehow happened upon a rare regional variant of a Pokemon that also happens to be a shiny. A little 'all in one' luck, sure, but I'll tell you what's lucky." He thumbed through some pages of Hachiro's journal and pointed to a dated entry that said 'Kailani' on it, front and center. "I found the entry where my ancestor met my to-be-great-however-many-times-grandmother. I held off on reading it until now."

Nessa shuffled closer and leaned in to lay her head against Haru's shoulders. Haru assumed a voice that he thinks his ancestor would have, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"'Today has already been interesting. Yours truly is being asked to essentially act as representative for Jubilife! I am being told to meet someone tha Kamado tells me is very important.' At first I was hesitant to accept. What could I offer to someone that a proven leader like him couldn't? A part of me is telling me, however, this will yield something worthwhile."

- - - - - Long, long ago, Hisui, Jubilife Village - - - - -

- - - - - Galaxy Hall, Galaxy Team HQ - - - - -

"I must ask you to arrive there as a representative of our village." Said one Kamado, a gentleman who was the leader of the Galactic Expedition Team, clad in a black patterned kimono with the emblem of his group sewn on his chest.

Across from his table was a short man with thick red curled hair, glasses, a proper looking cap on his head, and a pattern of silver/green with his clothing. "V-visitors? You're trusting me of all people?"

Kamado nodded slowly. "After the situation with Volo, I, and our village, are greatly indebted to you. I feel that I can fully trust you not just as one of our own, but to act as the visage of us to other people. " He brings forth a piece of paper that detailed the means for the visit. "We are expecting a lady coming from Alola who is the leader of a very important people. As her appointment is in the evening with Cyllene, it will be up to you to show her around and be a professional host until then." Kamado stood up and bowed slightly. "Please, Hachiro."

The redheaded recent hero of Hisui blinked and gave a weak laugh. "If it is my new duty, then I will perform beyond even normal parameters! I shall go now and await our guest of honor." He bowed back to his leader, then walked out into the clean air where he decided to walk with one of his own Pokemon next to him. Tossing out a PokeBall, it popped open and a bipedal fire/ghost Pokemon gave its usual relaxed smirk to its master and wiggled its ears happily. "Onibi, come walk with me. We are expecting someone very important today, and Master Kamado is entrusting me to be a good host." The Typhlosion let out a low tone grumble before carrying on a waltz with Hachiro.

As the pair walked by, Hachiro glanced back to the quaint village he lived in and crossed his arms. "When he told me to be a good host, I merely accepted his notion without really considering what that would mean. As it stands now, I don't know if I know how to be a 'good host'. If anything, I've only experienced what being a good host is like through dining with the professor." He looked off to the shoreline of the small beach and upon walking to it, decided to remove his sandals and dip his feet into the cool waters. "Perhaps it's just as simple: treat them to the finest dining Jubilife has to offer!"

An hour passed, and a large boat with some Alolan men and women were seen pulling up to the port, calling out to Hachiro. As the boat finally anchored in, Hachiro was given a warm, professional welcome by some gentlemen dressed in peculiar wear he wasn't familiar to.

One woman stepped forward clad in shades of varying blue cloth with her hair tied back into a ponytail which was also both dark and bright blue. Her dark skin amplifying the beauty of her naturally bright blue eyes, Hachiro stared back as she leaned down and laid a flower lei around his neck. "Alola kakahiaka~" she said, before noticing Hachiro not break eye contact.

It felt like time stopped. Hachiro found himself smitten solid by the emergence of such a woman. Her very being made his heart skip a beat, and he could not respond to her greeting until a few seconds passed, though it felt like minutes to him. The appearance of such a person threw him off his guard so violently he wasn't sure how to speak for but a moment. "Pardon, miss?"

She gave a patient smile, bowed slightly and elaborated. "Good morning to you. Are you the agent sent on behalf of Hisui?"

He nodded once.

"I am Kailani of Alola~. My arrival was foretold by your superiors."

/Kailani~. Wow. Arceus, grant me strength...I am but frozen before an angel.../ Hachiro's mind said.

"I am Hachiro, of Hazoo-...ahem." He cleared his throat. "Hisui's Security Corps." Removing his cap and letting his natural hair flare outwards, he held the cap to his chest and bowed. "The immense pleasure I feel on meeting you is greater than I should say. I am at your service, miss."

The two exchanged a smile as the regal woman smiled warmly at him, cheeks lightly tinted pink. "Naʻu ka hauʻoli~. The pleasure is all mine."

His Typhlosion had never seen his master act so distracted before in his life, and gawked a little as Hachiro couldn't break away from looking at her. "I was informed that I was to be your keeper today until your meeting with Cyllene, my superior. If there is anything, or anywhere you wish to be, I can bring you to there."

"Oh can you? I have heard mumbles of the quests going on here. Perhaps...hmm." Kailani stood in place and pondered to herself, looking at the strange gentleman. "If you are the decorated man people have said you are...introduce me to the Pokemon you've brought back from the dangerous wild. Where I come from, the strength of a man is measured by his feats as well as his conviction behind those feats. Pokemon are frightful creatures that have only begun becoming tamed...so I've been made aware." She leaned down and looked at him. "I wonder now if you truly are that man."

He stood frozen in place and just looked back to her eyes. The sapphire blues that were only mimicked in beauty by the ocean's depths in her eyes made his heart seemingly jump up to his throat. Hachiro's face grew dark with blush. He reached into his dress and pulled out a small notebook. "Inside here, I have written about all of the Pokemon I have met. I am no professional scribe, but I also have illustrated my encounters with every single one..."

Her eyebrows raised with interest. "Every single one?"

"All 242...with some showing a variance of color, and many appearing in many sizes. Myself and my superiors are trying to find a means of logging those with their own classification. I find Eevees are the most adorable of all of them, personally." He said quietly, putting the notepad back and feeling his pulse race just speaking to her. "In my indexing these magnificent creatures, I have many stories of those encounters. Perhaps before your meeting I may tell you of some in the Obsidian Fieldlands over some prepared sushi?"

She began walking with him back to the village but after a few steps, decided being direct was more to her liking. Her face gave a side glance to him. "You appear off your guard. Do I intimidate you?"

Hachiro appeared completely thrown off and glanced back, but rubbed the back of his head. Normally he would have a response to this, but his wits were leaving him by the second. "I...I seem to be having trouble coming up with the perfect thing to say. It is not usually a problem I have."

Kailani took it in stride and pridefully stuck her chin upwards. "My outward regality and authority of command is something I am exercising to level while visiting other regions. Tell me, what is it you are thinking?"

Hachiro looked flustered and could not match her gaze as Kailani lowered her chin and then glanced back to him. Somehow this visitor had completely broken through his shielded persona and left him vulnerable. "I...I do not believe my mouth nor mind can think of how to describe my first impression of you."

She stopped walking to pivot her body towards him with a raised brow. "Is that so?"

Hachiro immediately felt the need to correct himself and flailed his arms slightly. "T-t-that is not to say you are defined by just words, but while brains and brawn are usually seen as separate entities of the human mind, seeing someone like yourself be a living example of both is rarer than a blue Psyduck!"

Her eyes squinted. "'Blue Psyduck'. You nary have heard of anything I've accomplished since I've arrived."

"That is true."

For some reason seeing this spirited red haired man flustered gave her some pleasure. "You are having trouble keeping up, aren't you?"

He nodded while biting his lip. "That is also true."

His fists were clenched and he wasn't able to look her in the eye. A shade of shame had dwarfed over him ever so slightly until he heard her laugh. Putting a hand to her chin and then resting her face on it as her arms crossed, Kailani sighed. "It has barely been nary a few minutes, but you've made me feel more welcome than any previous visit I've had. Hachiro, you are quite a man of expression. How can I say this...?"

She saw him look at her confused before relaxing her arms to her sides as one would rest on her shapely hips. "I already feel like it was a good idea to come here."

The shame left, and Hachiro's face lit up like the sun as he and Kailani's eyes met each other again, and shared a laugh. Her hands gestured him to follow to her side. A wry smile then added a bounce to his step. "So Hachiro, tell me what is that word you said earlier: 'sushi'? I must know."

His face lit up. "Oh, it's a wonderful delicacy that was only recently made here..."

The two would go on together through Hisui's Jubilife Village and Obsidian Fieldlands with no moment not spent getting to know each other...

Haru would spend upwards of an hour going through the entry that Hachiro wrote about his meeting with Kailani. He and Nessa would find out the pair became ever closer in just the span of a day over his self-guided tour of Hisui. They got a chuckle when Hachiro ended his entry with a simple sentence.

'I believe I have fallen in love.'

- - - - - Sevan's Home, near Circhester and Route 09 - - - - -

- - - - - Early Morning - - - - -

Groaning and having his hands in the pockets of the thick jumper he was wearing, Haru yawns before knocking at Sevan's door. "5 AM shouldn't exist, holy fuck. But my training doesn't skip days." Nora the Glaceon would mew at Haru, letting it known she was loving the weather. She'd smile as Haru reached to scratch behind one of her ears.

A moment passes by, and Haru realizes that even as he gets used to the still air that the door did not open.

"Huh." He knocks again. Another moment passes and Haru presses his ear to the door. "The fuck?" He hears the sound of a Pidgeot cawing a few times, and the low vibration of footsteps. /There we go./

Sounds of locks being undone was heard behind the door, and it swung open slowly until a face leaned forward. Haru relaxed. "Oh good, mate. I was beginning to worry you'd-"

He looked back to see Mars with bedhead wearing a long navy blue shirt with a graphic of a Mudkip near the bottom. The slight opened door implied there was nothing or very little else underneath.

Haru squinted. "...forget." His cheeks reddened and grew anxious. "...Mars?"

"Vee?" Nora says as her tail wags from side to side.

The head executive from Sinnoh nodded, groaning lightly. "OOofff...the difference of timezone between here and Sinnoh is not kind. Good morning. You'll have to forgive me for being sluggish to answer, and unkept. How may I help you, Haru?"

Haru's eyes darted from side to side in confusion. How could she answer the door and be confused as to why someone would arrive when she doesn't live there? "Is...Sevan awake?"

Mars blinked at him slowly.

"He's sort of my physical training teacher and spotter." Haru insisted. The door closed slightly as she held up a finger. In between the cracked open door, Haru saw a large bird Pokemon, Chorui, land on the coffee table and 'nod' to Haru. He stood there outside and waited for Mars to come back.

After what felt like forever, Mars would come back. "Can't even get him to wake up. He's deep in sleep. Which is good, cuz I'd be worried otherwise."

/What's that supposed to mean?/ "Wha-huh? That's not usually a thing." Haru said.

Mars shrugged. "Either way, if he's getting sleep then he must need it. As for myself, I'm going back. Chat later, ." She shut the door slowly and was heard re-locking the door and walking back.

Haru stood there with both hands in his pockets. Dumbfounded. Confused. He looked to his Glaceon buddy who looked back and sat on her rump. "Vee.."

He couldn't help but rub the back of his neck. /What exactly did I walk in on?/ For but a moment, Haru had imagined a scenario in which Mars and Sevan had spent the previous night getting 'refamiliarized' with each other. As he turned away from the door to find an Air Taxi to take, he shook off thinking about such a notion. /If anyone was going to answer the door looking disheveled like that, it would have been Syra. Right?/

The same thought came back, but the mental image of Mars wearing only a shirt returned; replaced with Syra in the same spots. "Aye. It's too early for this shit. I have more important things to do, and I'll be damned if I let such a moment distract me."

In the end, Haru would take a ride to Stow-in-Side with just his Glaceon to train at Bea's Gym. Without Sevan.

For the duration of the trip to Stow-in-Side right until he walked inside its Gym, Haru thought of ways how he could either obfuscate information or find ways not to paint Sevan in a negative light. For one thing, he wasn't sure what, if anything, was going on between Bea. The same notion applied more for whatever led to him finding Mars wearing almost nothing and answering his home door for him. If he gets asked about Sevan's availability by Bea, he was going to have to be simple about it. Meltan would pop out of its ball and scurry up Haru's body before resting at his shoulders. It 'raised'up a part of its body to imitate exercising and posing while looking to its master, as Nora simply gave a smirk.

"Oh, hey buddy. Did my talking to Nora wake you up? I was going to train with you later when you had more sleep." He reached over and gave a pat to the hexagonal nut that was its 'face'. Nodding to a few of the staffers of the Gym, Haru keeps to himself. He finds the workout area and opens the door, steps through and exhales. "Well...no time like the present, I suppose. I'll have to rely on you two to keep me in check today, okay?".

"Good morning, Haru." came a voice from the side. It was Bea, leaning against the wall with her arms folded and in such close vicinity that it made him instinctively jump and put up both hands in self defense. It came at such a speed however to Bea that it was easy to deflect if he threw a punch.

"A-ah...hey Bea." /Shit. Have to work this on the fly, then./ Haru withdrew his arms as his blood pressure lowered.

Bea took a step forward and kept her arms crossed. She was wearing her publicly known neutral expression but Haru could feel there was some tension behind it. "Sev not with you today, hmm? What's up with that? You two are always together here when you're working out."

"Is he meant to be on shift today?" Haru would deflect. All Bea did was squint her eyes. /Man. She could bore a hole through my skull with that glance./ He thinks to himself. "Right. You wouldn't be asking that if he were. Well to my understanding he's getting some dee~eep sleep. He wouldn't wake up when I came to his place earlier and from my experience that usually means his insomnia finally relented for a moment."

Relenting her tense glare for but a second, Bea blinked. "Insomnia? Wait...so the thing he's mentioned about sleep: it's chronic?" She appeared to be slightly worried.

/Bingo. If this gets her to think less that he's doing anything with Mars, then hopefully this keeps Sev out of hot water. Last thing bro needs is more drama aimed at him./ Haru nodded, with Nora resting her rump on the floor to look at Bea. "One thing I've noted even before he was my trainer was how sometimes I wouldn't hear from him at abnormal times of the day. Sometimes days. For whatever reason, Sevan has insane insomnia spikes." He holds up his hands defensively to Bea. "Whether it's because of an illness or something else I can't say. I don't know if it's related to an incident or a person. I just know that when it becomes like this, I can't really do anything."

Bea looked to the side and bit her lip before frowning. "He keeps to himself when he's here, and on the few times I've spoken with him on things outside of work, it's hard to pierce through that shell he wears. So I guess I just don't know enough."

At that point, Haru would walk to a corner of the room and took off the jumper as he began to dress down to start his workout. He glanced back to Bea, who was in thought about the whole thing. "You know, Bea, this is the first time I've heard you being so concerned about him."

"How do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean you normally know and respect that he can take care of himself, but ever since the sudden visitor we had the other day you sorta took a turn. It was a little amusing, I have to admit, seeing yo-" Haru's train of thought was interrupted as Bea's eyes went wide as if becoming over focused on the current topic.

Her arms went to her sides as one hand rested on her hip. "You don't suppose that woman is the reason Sevan is asleep, is she? Do you suppose she did something?"

/Shit./

It was as if Haru had suddenly 'rolled a 1'. A bead of sweat forms on Haru's forehead. "I don't particularly think so. Why would she be?" He made an attempt to give Bea to drop her line of questioning.

"Oh please, Haru. I may have never dated but I know the look of someone being smitten when I see it. Did you notice how she dropped all professional pretense when their eyes locked? How she had to be reminded of her position and place here in Galar before you even got the thing she was handing you in the first place?" Bea began to pace around the mats with her bare feet and looking at the floor. "Something tells me that in some way, shape, or form, that she's in on it. She's ex-Team Galactic. There's-...!" She pivoted slowly where she stood until meeting Haru's eyes with her own."Haru?"

"Hmm?"

Bea walked forward to him. "...how exactly DID you find out he was still asleep?"

More beads of sweat formed on Haru's face.

"What are you hiding...?"

"Look. I'm not actually involved in anything you're talking about or alluding to, so all I can say is-" Bea immediately about-face'd and started marching to the door. "-THAT YOU SHOULD JUST LET THE MAN GET HIS REST BEA PLEASE!" Stretching out a hand, Haru pleaded.

"If that woman is involved in Sevan's sudden turn where he can hardly operate here, then it'll create problems down the line. I run a tight ship here, but while there isn't a strict anti-employee relationship rule in the league, Sevan is under different restrictions than the rest of us under orders of Oleana. If she comes back from her trip to see 'something' is going on between an official like herself and an ex-miscreant like him, it could create tensions for us. Something I refuse to be responsible for allowing to happen under my watch!" Bea said, huffing before taking off sprinting.

/Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck/ Blinking at the open door, Haru just turned to his backpack and reached in as his Meltan and Nora glanced. He yanked out his Rotom Phone and started dialing Sevan's number.

Straight to voicemail.

This presents a problem.

- - - - - Sevan's Home, near Circhester and Route 09...again. - - - - -

- - - A few hours later - - -

"Well shit. I guess he actually is asleep for once..." Syra turned to Tsukiyomi, who looked back up at her. The grey Eevee just yipped back sadly as Syra put her hands in her pockets. "I'm so used to dropping by unannounced and hanging with him for the morning, or at the very least attempting to offer to pay for breakfast." She brought out her Rotom Phone and checked the time. "It's almost 8. Guy must be having a deep one if he won't wake up to a few knocks."

The Eevee that always followed where she walked hopped up onto her hands and then pounced and perched onto her shoulders. "Vee~." he said to her.

Syra kicked his door a few times and yelled before knocking again. "HEY SHIT ASS, WAKE UP! YOU'VE SLEPT IN! Let's get breakfast then hang! Champ's got a busy schedule ahead and I've only a few hours of free time!".

She heard the sound of someone shuffling inside and walk up to the door. A muffled sound of someone going 'Who the fuck keeps interrupting?' is heard; much to Syra's confusion. Both her and her Eevee squint and were then welcomed to the sound of several locks being undone.

"WHAT?! Oh, it's you, miss Syra."

Syra blinked a few times and stared back as Mars, who had previously opened the door to see Haru standing in the same spot she was, looking back. Her eyes scan downwards and her lips flatten. /Oh. That's President Mars of former Team Galactic wearing nothing but a shirt Sevan owns. With hard nipples from the cold./

"...ah."

The redhead leader of Galactic Power Company yawned then smiled. "Good morning. Sorry, were you also looking for Sevan for company?"

"I was coming by to see if he'd be up for breakfast." Syra said before catching herself, giving a side eye to Mars then squinting. "...'also'? Who else was looking for him but myself?"

"Haru came by earlier since it appears today was a day the two were going to train." Mars blinked, appearing a little more awake than when Haru arrived earlier that morning. Her attention diverts as her eyes look at something behind Syra that was coming close. "Oh, yet another visitor?"

As the sound of another pair of footsteps reached near the door, Syra, Tsukiyomi, and Mars look back to see Bea wearing a scarf alongside her usual league outfit with both fists clenched. The Gym Leader froze in place after seeing Mars standing in the doorway. Their eyes lock to each other before Bea notices the finer detail, then looks at Syra. "Bea."

"Mars." Bea would look at Mars then scanned over what she could. A brief scan of what the official from Sinnoh was (or wasn't) wearing brought her to gritting her teeth.

Syra found herself unable to utter much of a response, but being caught in the 3way glares of others who may have had a connection or otherwise to Sevan put her in 'fight or flight mode'. "Oh?" After being woken up twice, and now being confronted by a pair of women that Sevan seemingly had relations of some form with, Mars grew cheeky. A wry smirk appears as she straightened her stance. "Oh-ho...now isn't this something?"

Syra, Mars, and Bea looked to each other tensely before having their thoughts interrupted to Mars' throwing down the gauntlet. "So ladies, are we going to have a problem? Does my being here make you both feel threatened?"

/She's a far different person when someone like him is involved, that's for sure./ Syra thinks to herself. She looked over to Bea who could only tighten both of her fists in response before speaking.

"'Threatened'? You'd only suggest that if it meant something about Sevan. Did you do anything to him?" Bea said as one of her fists shook.

Mars, unable to hold back from sneering, caused Bea to get slightly unnerved. She hit the tree next to her. "HEY! Skip the formalities and explain why you're here!" the Fighting Gym Leader said coldly.

Doing nothing to help the situation but give an idle shrug, Mars would gesture with a hand. "I simply have given him the one thing his soul needed: the company of a woman. I don't believe I need to go into detail, but it's a kind of company that you folks here could...hmmm...MAYBE Syra...but not you Bea, could understand." She smirked confidently. "Since I arrived when I did, he's noticeably gotten far more relaxed: his words, not mine."

"Really now." Syra folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Because it seemed to me the other day you made him anxious and threw him off-balance by throwing yourself at him."

Ignoring Syra's comment, Mars stuck her nose up. "Hmmf. I wouldn't expect you to understand what Sevan and I have been through together. Regardless, my poor boy is sound asleep. He hasn't been sleeping well possibly no thanks to all that silly drama that's come ever since his incident at a certain Gym, possibly more!"

A vein in Bea's forehead throbbed. She had to hold back from speaking on it.

"The horror! Being pushed to another region far away from ME and dealing with that! Separated from friends you've made, family members-"

Syra shouted angrily as one of her nails dug into her own palm. "KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH SHUT! You know NOTHING about what he's been through while here!"

Fake pouting and knowing that nothing that was being aimed at her was personal, Mars just smirked. "If neither of you have anything committal with him, then excuse me while I go make sure his rest remains unbothered." her eyes dart to Bea specifically. "You will report nothing to Oleana because 'nothing' is what happened. I am simply here for him, and should he not wish me to stay when he does wake up, then I will leave."

At that moment, Syra felt a ping of jealousy hit her. Knowing Mars is in some form or way intimate enough to stay with Sevan made her a little angry. Sure, it was her own fault for being noncommittal, having her own self image issues and previously telling him to not get his hopes up about her, but she still harbored a form of attraction towards him. She knew she had no right to feel this way, but still did.

While her own feelings were battling each other until her stomach churned, they came to a brief cease fire when Bea huffed and straightened her stance. Mars would reiterate her stance. "If you two have something to say, then say it."

Syra bit her lip as Mars looked to her. She wanted to not let it bother her, but it was, after all.

"So be it." Turning away, Bea grit her teeth. "I don't care who he sees, anyway. It's none of my business. If he does something that gets himself in trouble it's got nothing to do with me."

Bea stormed off.

As she did, Mars looked to Syra and leaned on the door, crossing her arms. "Tell me."

Syra would whip her head back to look at Mars after seeing Bea walk off.

"...the guy you were talking about to me back in Sinnoh was the same one I was talking about, wasn't it? Sevan, that is."

Gritting her teeth and looking back angrily, Syra's rising irritation made Tsukiyomi tuck his bushy tail between his hind legs and leaned into her neck.

"Are you jealous?" Mars asked confidently.

"You didn't actually do anything, did you?" Syra said, calling her bluff.

The president just smirked wryly and huffed. Satisfied with herself. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Leaving you dangling on a vague non-answer is enough to have you and especially Bea leave him alone: both routes satisfy me." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't get too comfortable with him, Syra. You could never be a proper fit to him, anyway, like I am."

Readjusting her belt, Syra just stuck an upper lip to Mars before turning to walk away. "Sev already knows my thoughts about him." As the door closed once again, Syra just took some longer breaths, uncurled her hands and clenched them.

Inside the home, Mars sighed, walked back to Sevan's bedroom and smiled. /Finally. Some peace.../ While sinking back down until she was right next to him, he grumbled in his sleep and talked. Mars just hushed him, held him close and stroked the back of his head. "No no. None of that now, just sleep, okay?"

"DAMN IT! This is ridiculous..." Bea shouted. She had stopped a few hundred meters before being back in Circhester grounds to air out her frustration. "Bastard. You probably say those words to everyone: the same ones that took me by surprise. 'Most beautiful' my ass!" She threw a punch to a nearby tree, shattering some of the bark from it and scraping her knuckles. She had done this before in training so the skin being scuffed up didn't make her flinch. Internally, however, Bea was having confusing thoughts that began to conflict with her ability to be professional. /I shouldn't give a damn so badly whether he sees someone. Haru dated a super model, and Leon dated a professor!/

Flaring her nostrils and taking a deep breath, Bea marched onwards to find a ride back to her hometown. "It's got nothing to do with me! I'll just up the chores for him when he comes back to work."

Not far away was Syra who had been eavesdropping, and sighed when Bea walked off. It was obvious to her what was happening. "Huh. Well then. You're starting to have feelings for Sevan too, huh?" Tsukiyomi, who wasn't afraid of his master's mood anymore, perked his ears up and looked at her. She looked back at him and pursed her lips. "This has gotten complicated, hasn't it?"

She rolled her shoulders and sighed before bringing her Rotom Phone out of her pocket and checking the time. "Look, I'm not saying that we go get breakfast and order DOUBLE because we won't be joined by him. But I'm also not NOT saying that we should." Looking to him and then her own phone, her decision was made. "Fuck it. My back itches from the line art of my tattoo being done, and this just soured me further. Let's eat our fill this morning before going to see some sick kids, Tsuki. I'm craving some chocolate chip waffles with my meal. What do you think?"

The grey fluffball yipped happily and wagged his tail.

- - - - - Galar General Hospital, Wyndon - - - - -

- - - 2 hours later - - -

'Doctor Grace, you're needed in ICU...Doctor Grace...'

Electronic beeps, scurrying wheeled and heavy medical equipment, and a nearby booth where visitors can grab coffee or 'get well' gifts. Seeing this while being greeted by the hustle n' bustle of medical staff would completely wash away the negativity Syra was holding onto from the earlier incident at Sevan's. Nothing that she was harboring at that time mattered: she was there to see some sick children who were fans or those who had maybe only seen her through the TV doing Pokemon battles.

As she signed into the guest listing, the woman who assists Syra on her first visit notifies one of the doctors working the pediatric wing. "We've been told to expect you. If you go up that elevator down the hall and take it to 8, then make a left, you'll be at the pediatric wing. Someone will be there to assist you."

"Thank you. Should I know anything going in? Should I put on some gloves or a mask? I know that I've had these kids waiting for me for awhile, so I want to take any precautions I can."

The lady looked beside herself for a moment. "Because of their illnesses? Oh, don't worry about that, you'll be told as you go. You are okay for all bu-" She was interrupted by a glance of her coworker next to her, and then corrected herself. "You'll see, Miss Syra. Thank you."

Thinking nothing of it, Syra made her way to the elevator with her Eevee and went up towards the 8th floor. Stepping out, she had a delayed realization that left her uneasy. She looked down to her Eevee. "Wait a minute, Tsuki." Her arms cross over her chest. "...what was that you suppose that the lady at the front desk was going to say?"

Glancing to the directory signage, the Champ squinted. She shook her head and handwaved it away. "It's probably nothing I need to worry about."

The sounds of electronic beeps and hastily marching nurses now intermingle with the occasional chitchat of children talking. It's low, but it's given way to new sounds. There's a different air around as Syra walked into the Pediatric Wing and for all but a moment tried to recognize how big of a deal her visiting may actually be. A doctor comes to Syra as he rounds the corner of the nurse station to shake her hand. "Miss Syra, good morning to you and welcome. I'm Doctor David, nice to meet you."

She shook his hand firmly and smiled as Tsukiyomi's tail started wagging fast. "Same, Doc. Sorry for the delay."

He handwaved it then gestured for her to follow him. "Balderdash! Think nothing of it. Let me take you to some of your biggest fans. They've been wanting to see you for some time!"

As she followed The Doctor and was introduced to children, Syra found herself thinking back to how Haru had to meet sickly fans in much the same manner both in and out of hospitals. During his run as the Champion and now currently as the Steel Gym Leader, he had efficiently trained himself in a persona. Try as she might, however, Syra would seemingly find herself surprised with how much some kids knew about Pokemon battling while others appeared too sickly to say much but lighting up nonetheless when she came into their rooms. Letting them pet Tsukiyomi's rare grey fur would help them while she answered any questions they asked. From simple ones like 'What Pokemon is your favorite' to more cutting lines like 'Do you have any brothers?' which reminded her of Gabriel. She hoped he was doing okay in his journey, and could only reply and give a brief answer about him.

It would be during this visit that her mind wandered often while going down the hallways. /I used to poke fun at him when I was a tryhard villain, but Haru is better than I am at being able to converse with younger ones. Every other kid I've met I feel I have such a hard time talking to. They must be disappointed./

The Doctor looked to Syra as she exited one room of a kid in a wheelchair and raised his bushy brow. "Something bothering you, Miss Syra?"

"Well it's nothing big, I think I'm just...I don't know. Maybe I'm too young to be able to handle the same thing you guys do."

"How do you mean?" He asked with his hands in both pockets.

Syra briely leaned back and glanced to one of the children who was asleep but now holding a small plush of an Eevee. She looked to The Doctor and sighed. "Few decades of being who I am, and I can barely manage talking to people. I'm a big public figure, and yet I feel stilted here. For everything I've done, I still have a hard time accepting compliments: much less young fans who genuinely think the whole world about me. What if they grow up and find out what I did?"

The Doctor's lips pursed a little and then walked to her side giving a pat on her shoulder. "I've seen what you've done, Syra. You're amazing. Own it."

Looking back, Syra wondered where he was going to go with his statement, if anything at all. "You watch the games, too?"

"'The games'. Heh. More like I was in Kanto when you struck out at Team Rocket." He put his hands in his pockets again. "Your actions were broadcast globally but my gosh I saw how you and the others took on that bloke's headquarters and really gave him a what-for. I'm not saying I don't get your contention, but perspective is something one has to keep in mind while here." He glanced around them indicating his occupation and the factors that come into play with it.

"Look around you: these children have to sit and lay here for hours in hospital beds and connected to expensive gadgetry to keep them alive. Each one has held on to dear life because something somewhere gave them hope. I want you to know, there is a world out there, safe, because of you. That there are people living in the light, and singing songs of Syra The Champion and Defeater of Giovanni. A thousand, million years away into the future when will pass and your victory will be a reminder of what people gained."

She bit her lip when he gave her the reality check then smirked. "Were you practicing that for when I came to visit today? Shit...thank you."

He gave a pat on her shoulder with a smirk. "Now c'mon. You got a few left to meet."

The pair began walking side by side before heading to a fork in the hallway as some staff power walked by with one holding onto a gurney carrying a patient on it. The both of them looked up at the speakers as another announcement came.

"Doctor Grace, report to Nurse Station on...Doctor Grace."

"Aye. Not a call for me, then. Well the least I can do before I'm off to lunch is help you meet some of our more sickly patients."

Syra chortled in response. "Could go for some fruit myself since I'm mostly still full from breakfast. You?"

"Anything but pears. I HATE pears."

She began to follow him and would make way down a busier hallway that divvied up into an circular foyer, and would do a double-take when she swore she saw something strange. Pokemon were not uncommon in everyday life, and that would extend to not only chores around the homes, but in Galar they took on jobs both in gig work and officially as occupations. Yet what she saw briefly drew her attention away. What appeared to be a tall woman with brightly aqua blue hair cut short wearing a lab coat and black two-piece bikini with black leggings.

Or so she thought at first. She'd do a double take when having moved past the figure but upon looking back all she saw was a shiny Gardevoir moving to lay down some thick pieces of paper and talking rather lively to other Pokemon staff that were there. It was so alarming that the action of Syra whipping her head back to search for this vision put Tsukiyomi at alert, as his tail had stuck straight upward. He then turned back to look at Syra when even he couldn't see what she was looking for.

"Something amiss, Ms. Syra?" David said, turning back to her.

Syra chose not to pursue it further and turned back to him. "No, I guess not..."

An hour passes. Alongside getting to socialize with a final set of children, Syra got to talk to some of those working the long hours while on their shift. She gasped hearing one nurse drop the line that he had been putting in his 20th hour and was about to head home soon; stating she herself could never succumb to this sort of work and as such kept thanking them for the hard work they all do daily.

She wouldn't get to see Doctor David off, as he had made his exit midway to take to an 'urgent patient's need'. Offhandedly, Syra made the comment to the staff that she appreciates how dedicated he was to working with children. The nurses blink, looking back to Syra in confusion. "You mean Dave?"

"He doesn't work for the pediatric wing." The other nurse stated.

"Vee?" Tsukiyomi yipped: now on Syra's left side of her shoulders as her eyes squint.

"Huh? But then how does he know so much about all the patients? Wait a minute, is he allowed to disclose if he's not-"Syra began to question before being answered by one of the nurses.

"He comes to this floor to work wit-" He was elbowed by his co-worker, who only gave him a glare. "Oh. I mean I don't know why he comes here. I'm a little delirious from my long shift, heheh."

She didn't buy it and leaned in. "Nuh-uh. Wait a minute..." Syra held up a hand pensively. "First there's the lady at the front desk who appeared like she was going to say something, but then cut herself off. I chalked it up to work related 'oopsie' moment back then. But now you, too, huh?"

They appeared to be in a stand-off. The Champ of Galar felt something tug at her gut. "...just what is going on here at this hospital that requires so much under-the-table secrecy? Bedside manners and patient privacy aside, you guys have been acting funny. Are you all keeping enemies here?" The woman leaned in and looked down to the male nurse and eyed him with gritted teeth.

"What could you mean, Ms. Syra?" He'd ask, holding up his hands as she put a hand against the wall to pin him from moving.

"I'm more than aware of patient confidentiality. The laws surrounding that are not something I'm unfamiliar with, but more than once someone in a reasonably respectful position has nearly leaked out something they otherwise would have wanted me to know if they could help it. Just WHAT the fuck is going on here?" Her hand turned into a fist as her face darkened to a more threatening demeanor. "If I find out you all rescued Team Rocket members and are housing them..."

"No! Nothing like that!"

"She's a VIP but you can't see her and nobody should know!" The female nurse blurted, making the male nurse gasp as he and Syra turned to her. Covering her own mouth to make up for the mistake, the nurse blushed. "Please don't tell anyone! I'm sorry!"

Panicked, both of the staff power walked away as Syra felt confused. Surely, she was more mature to realize starting a fight inside a hospital with staff would look bad for her public image and would result in a yelling from Chairman Oleana. However learning that Wyndon Hospital was housing some strange secret that would be even above her knowledge as the protector of the region made her wonder.

/VIP? Sure, we've had special needs of privacy for politicians and targeted figureheads find ways to hide. But why didn't Oleana fill me in on this one? If the few people here ended up almost accidentally blurting it out prior to now...then they probably have wanted some help. Or they couldn't get help. Hmmm. I need to figure out what's going on right now./

So Syra would start making her way to the other area of the hospital that she saw Doctor Dave go to and noticed immediately once heading to the southern area that it was blocked off. As she neared a corner, a pair of female officers with blue spiked hair, wearing combat gear and Growlithes are seen at the end of a hallway. The sign above them and the double doors they stood in front of said "Intensive Care Unit" and hanging on the wall was a sign that went over cautionary procedures/stats about the section. A note on it says to 'please speak low/stay silent, as patients must stay undisturbed unless by hospital staff. The Growlithes are chewing on a meat toy as Syra leans around the corner.

/What the heck? Why does this hospital have armed Jennys here? This is a hospital! If they're blocking the way with Growlithes, then that means they probably-/

"!"

A Growlithe stops chewing on its toy long enough to lift its head at-attention and scan the area ahead of itself. Syra takes note of this and hides into a nearby door that led to the female restroom. She locks the door and puts her ear to it. /Shit.../ She hears footsteps run past as the pair of Officer Jennys talk to each other.

"Did you see anything? Smell anything, boy?"

It barks a little, then sniffs, and then keeps walking past. Tsukiyomi sinks into the back of Syra's top as if it were a hoodie and pokes his head out the back.

Marching further past the restroom, the officers scan their environment. When the coast felt clear, Syra would open the restroom door and look around; noting the officers were further away than they were before. In a hurry, she made a dash to the double doors.

Her fight-or-flight response kicked in as her footsteps were a little too loud, causing one of the Growlithes to turn back to where Syra sprinted to; now hiding behind a janitor cart that was thick with equipment. She was shielded for the moment. The Growlithe growls in her direction, huffs, and then turns away. /Good. The chemicals threw off my scent. Phew./ Thinking it was her time to move, she went through the double doors at a somewhat hastened pace and pressed herself against the wall while crouched.

Her being at alert from the other officers put her wits at a heightened state. /What the fuck, there's another one?/ She thought, as another officer was patrolling nearby. Finding an opening to a small break room, Syra crouch walked into it then sat down underneath so she was under the window. The steps of the patrolling officer Jenny she spotted came closer, stopped, then was interrupted by the sound of a walkie talkie transmission. It appeared the officers she already snuck by had begun searching. Syra held her own mouth shut physically to dampen any sound being found out, then did her best to flatten as much as possible against the wall, with Tsukiyomi following her example.

'Attention all units, this is Jenny 9 here. Keep your wits about yourselves. We have a possible suspicious figure among us. No information yet if they're here to kidnap the Ranger. G-9 Unit Jenny 8 and myself are going to patrol the northern and west wing of the floor. Report anyone that isn't hospital staff or approved visitors. Keep watch. Over and out.'

*Tschrk*

Her mind flashed back to when Sevan got in big trouble with causing trouble at Bea's Gym, and the fallout surrounding thereof. Listening for a chance to exit and ergo get a look at the area, she'd wait until the nearby Jenny walked off. Her and Tsukiyomi let out a sigh of relief very quietly once they both figured she was gone.

"Hey buddy, I don't usually do this but we're going to have to sneak in okay? Just remember to be stealth-like..." She says, as he would then huddle himself again into the back of her shirt as if it were a hoodie. His head pops out and looks around like another pair of eyes.

/Now how am I going to do this?/ The ethics behind her doing this would come back and remind her of her position and ramifications of being caught. In spite of this her gut feeling told her that there'd be something that would make it worthwhile.

Her eyes scanned ahead. /Now...if I were someone explicitly hid here for the sake of protection, what would be a sign of where I would be at?/

She spotted a few notable things as she leaned to look around a corner. A lack of staff. The one police officer. One bag alone on the corner of a nurse station that may have held something important or not; too far away to tell. A mobile computer station in the middle of the hallway. A folded hallway partition with custom signage.

Raising a finger, Syra squinted her eyes and whispered to her Eevee. "You hear that, Tsuki?" She paused, as Tsukiyomi's ears wiggled within her clothing. "Nothing. No beeps or idle noises of hospital equipment here except for one..." her finger then points past the partition. "...except for one that I can barely make out that's coming from past that area."

"!" The Officer Jenny about-face'd to where Syra's hiding. "Who's there?"

/Shit!/ She stayed low to the ground and hid under the raised rounded desk of the nurse station as she did her best to hide her breathing. Walking by near where the Champ was hiding, the Jenny began to scan the area.

"I heard you! If you come out now, it'll be a lot less trouble for you!" she said, giving the only warning to Syra to leave.

Thinking about the situation that she had fallen into, Syra would bring out her Rotom Phone and activated her Pokemon Box link. As the holographic screen came up, she brought out a Rotom that she personally trained. The eager Rotom floated out of the PokeBall and looked at its master. She shushed it with a gesture and wrote a message on her phone screen before flashing to the floating Ghost Electric Pokemon. 'DISTRACTION!'.

Gesturing with her thumb, the Rotom sees the Jenny looking away and understood the assignment. Camouflaging itself completely, it flew into the walkie talkie the officer was carrying and would imitate another officer's voice.

*TSCHKRK*

'This is Jenny 8. We may have a suspicious person entering the wing. Can I get someone to intervene?' It'd say.

Picking up the walkie talkie, the officer drew out her stun gun and held it at the ready. "This is Jenny12, on my way." Syra then watched as the patrolling officer made her way out and thus entered through the open partition after the coast was clear. Eventually the Rotom that hid itself inside the walkie talkie returned to Syra's Box, eliciting a smirk from the Champ.

/Only one guard down the main hallway? Either this Ranger isn't all that, or they think this is enough security./ Tsukiyomi popped his head out fully, sniffed in the direction the officer left, and then yipped as his way of telling Syra 'let's go!'. She followed suit and marched down the hallway with a slight hunch. Not exactly hiding, but doing her best to keep her steps' sounds dampened.

Making her way down the hallway, soon she'd hear the sounds of a heart monitor again, as it would come only from one room. Its door slightly ajar, it was obvious that someone was either nearby, or had just left. it confused the champ. Tsukiyomi would hop out of the back of Syra's top and ran beside her; equally curious. /Why would Oleana not tell me about whoever this is? Either she forgot to tell me.../

"...or you weren't supposed to know."

"!"

Before Syra could react, a dark blue field incapacitated froze her and Tsukiyomi in place as her and his whole body lifted off the ground a few inches. As she hears footsteps from around the corner, she'd see the strangest of all sights. A tall shiny colored Gardevoir clad in what could be described as a walking harassment lawsuit in some regions appeared. Red glasses, black thigh high leggings, black thong with a heart on it, a very female human-like chest necessitating a black bra, a hair clip, and a combative stance.

"Well, well, well. I made it my life's purpose to understand human and Pokemon relations the likes of which no other mind would dare to look into, but you'll forgive me for being less than willing to understand why someone would go sneaking into a restricted area of a hospital..."

/It talks...?!/ Syra thought to herself briefly, in fear.

The Gardevoir looking back at her matched most other Gardevoirs with exception to the manner of dress and the way her chest, slightly exposed as it was, appeared way more humanly feminine. This one was far more human-like and intelligent than others. Yet even still, was a Gardevoir at the end of the day and was able to read Syra's thoughts as if they were spoken.

"Of course I talk, what sort of thought is that to have when I already spoke once before? Now you: Tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

"M-me? You're a Gardevoir...with...boobs...for fuck sake...I should be asking Y-YOU the questions! Like how the fuck does that happ-OOUCH!" Syra yelled out a little in pain as whatever the power this Pokemon was using felt like she was being squeezed. Tsukiyomi was wiggling in place and began yipping at the Gardevoir, making her wrinkle her nose.

"Wait. I know who you are; the champion of Galar. Pretty shitty to see you sneak past security and make your way down here to what's supposed to be a hiding V.I.P." Walking towards Syra, the cosplaying Gardevoir folded her arms and narrowed her eyes to the Champ.

"Why is Oleana hiding someone?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"If it's related to Team Rocket I should be privy to know, because I am responsible for defending this region. Enemy or ally." Syra broke through the pain slightly and was able to look the Pokemon in the eyes. "You can understand that, can't you?"

"Hmmf." The Gardevoir snapped her fingers and released the grip on the Champion and Tsukiyomi, sighing. "I'm gonna get in trouble for this..."

Syra looked to Tsukiyomi, who leapt up onto her shoulders and hid behind Syra's hair: glaring back. "So, talk. What's your deal?"

"My name is Doctor Grace Voir. I came from Hoenn to here to help aid the person of whom you'd be intruding in on. She is a special case that requires my assistance; one whom is always studying Pokemon and Human interspecies genealogy, reproduction, biology, and wellbeing of those of a result of such." She crossed her arms over her ample bosom, making it bounce as she huffed. "While I should be reporting you immediately, I instead would let you through on account you don't spread the information of said person here."

/Jeez, she gives me a run for my money with those jugs./ As her face reddened with a slight blush, Syra bowed her head. "My name is Syra. I just found it strange that someone would need armed guards, and followed my hunch. If it's someone hiding so they can recover, you won't hear me say a thing to my manager or to anyone in any interview."

Squinting through the red glasses, Grace only breathed through her nose and gave Syra the side-eye. She sighed. "If the other officers are looking for you, then you won't have long. I'll see if I can't deter them."

Walking past, looked back to Syra. "One more thing. She is better than how she came here, but any intense stimuli may cause her to faint. As I understand it, Oleana is planning to have her join your previous Champion's upcoming sanctuary. If she recovers fully without any issue, she'll be the reason this region's sanctuary succeeds."

/...! Does that mean she's like Gabe used to be..?/ Syra would nod in understanding and took a step to the slightly ajar hospital door.

"Keep her heartrate below 90." then made her exit as Syra took a deep breath, knocked lightly on the door, and leaned in slowly with her face poking past the door.

"Hello...?"

A giant torrent of water flies right in the direction of the slightly open door, catching Syra almost completely off-guard. She holds the door shut. A female voice is heard shouting from inside. "Vespa! Arrête!"

Syra flattened herself against the door and aimed her voice inside. "OK OK DON'T HURT ME I'M JUST A PASSERBY! I swear I just wanted to talk...!"

The girl inside gasped. "You don't sound like a nurse...nor . Vespa."

A Vaporeon was seen growling towards the door with his gills flared outwards, rear raised and teeth bore.

"VESPA!"

He stopped his growling long enough just to eye the girl slowly, then huffed before laying down into a small kid-sized pool of water. His head laid on the side of the rubber tube.

"Come in, please..."

The door opened wide with Syra's face poking out of it first and eyeing the room. It was a far larger room than normal, and had several pieces of equipment hooked up to to the girl. A heart monitor, syringe pump, dialysis machine, and ICU patient monitor were seen next to a bed. On the bed sat a girl with short brown hair with tips of bright pink of short stature, hazel eyes, caramel brown skin, and all while wearing a hospital gown and weak smile.

Spotting the Vaporeon who just growled quietly from his small pool, Syra held her hands up. "I swear I'm not a bad person. I just...noticed some weird amount of security while visiting some sick kids elsewhere on the floor. Some staff slipped up and spoke about this area, I got curious and...I am now here and...very tens-IS...is he going to spray water at me again?" She pointed to the Vaporeon.

Looking to 'Vespa', the girl just narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Vespa needs to learn again how to greet people who aren't staff. As you can guess...I'm a special case that's 'hiding' here. Long story short, I'm in recovery. But I should be okay soon! Heh...at least I hope so..." She idly looks to the machines that she was hooked up to and frowned.

Syra followed her gaze and found a chair and then sat on it with her hands folded. Recognizing that this person most likely is frail and it reminding her of her brother, she made sure to keep her voice low. "So let me start then and try to meet you half way. The reason I was visiting children today is because I was meeting fans. Children. Because I'm Syra. Current Galarian Pokemon League Champion. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I've seen you before..."

"!"

The girl just giggled a little weakly. "I watched your match against the previous Champion while I was awake one day. I'm a fan, too, and was hoping I'd see you one day. My name's Cherise. I used to be an Elite Ranger, but I hope to come back to it someday."

Syra gasped and immediately went star-struck. "You're one of the Rangers I've heard about! I saw some when I had a trip to Sinnoh! We don't have any Rangers here, and ever since being told about them by Lucas, I've wanted to sit down and chat with one!"

"Lucas? The same Lucas who's assistant to Professor Rowan?" Cherise asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. The very same."

"Hmf. He's got a good heart. Good to know he still holds us in high regards." She looks to the Vaporeon and points. "That's Vespa. He's my companion."

Syra turns back to look at him, waving. The Vaporeon just spits up some water upwards idly as if he were annoyed she was even there. The Shiny Eevee that had been on Syra's shoulders the whole time looked at the Vaporeon, and then Cherise and yipped. "Vee!"

Smiling wide, Syra blushed and pointed to the grey boy on her shoulders. "This little guy is Tsukiyomi. I found him one night under a very bright moon while some Pokemon were being bullies. He's my best friend."

"Vee!"

Cherise looks to him and then her. "Can I...?" Her hands stretched out, with Syra getting no feelings of animosity nor needing to be wary.

"Sure. He's friendly." Syra turned her head sideways to look at him then side glanced with her eyes to Cherise. "C'mon. It's okay."

The grey Eevee hopped off Syra's shoulders and then onto the bed. He cautiously goes over to Cherise who would wait for him to feel comfortable getting closer, but once he was within reach she began giving him some gentle face rubbing. The small, almost portable sized Normal type Pokemon melted in her hands and was smiling from ear to pointy ear. "VeeEeeEeEeEeEeeEeee..."

Laughing, Cherise looked to Syra. "He's loving this. Do you know how to give face massages? Eevees and Eeveelution types really love it."

Looking at how much Tsukiyomi was enjoying the extra attention he was getting, Syra scanned the room again. Next to the hospital bed was a small gift basket that had a card sitting on top. 'Get well soon. We'll meet up again! - K' was written on it. Not wanting to stare but noticing anyway, Syra spotted several small abrasions near the exposed parts of her neckline and bit her lip. /Whatever was responsible for that was what put her here, no doubt./

"You know...a Ranger's duty is constant. Dangerous. Pushes you to places in life that you'd rather not be involved in. If you had a choice between running with your tail between your legs or staying for the greater good, more often than not you can't make a decision. But you must, anyways, because the end result is what matters: safety of everyone at all costs. We care for Pokemon like nobody else and build bonds using our tech, our heart, and extend ourselves to them like no trainer, Champion, or other."

She winced, slightly panicking when she felt her chest constrict suddenly. Tsukiyomi blinked, not knowing what to do before he was slightly pushed aside as the Vaporeon lept from the corner of the room to pounce on the bed and curl up by Cherise's side. He squeezed in right underneath her arms as Cherise bit her lip and looked around her. She was experiencing a panic attack. Syra could only watch helplessly. The two had only just met and she was uncertain if her getting closer would make things worse. Cherise whispered to herself to try and get a hold on herself. "Le Seigneur Arceus est avec moi...Le Seigneur Arceus est avec moi..."

Vespa looked up at her worriedly and whimpered, laying a pay and then shifting his weight so she could start cuddling him for personal security. Wiping away a tear, Cherise just sighed. "...sometimes as a ranger you extend yourself to a point where you can't really come back from it."

Frowning in worry, Syra could only comment what she knew. "The way how Lucas described Rangers made it sound like some of the most dangerous occupations one could take upon themselves. But he also said it was rewarding."

Raising her head and opening her eyes again, Cherise would nod in agreement. "He was right. Even with how I am right now and in spite of everything that's occurred, I wouldn't take it back." Her mind suddenly wandered and she thought back to someone else. "...well. Maybe some things I wish were still the same. But I can't change that, so it's whatever, you know?"

Cherise saw her new visitor scoff. "'It's whatever'? You're in an ICU room hooked up to who-knows-what with no real timetable to when you're going to come out, and you say 'it's whatever'?"

"Oui."

"...but how? Why? Aren't you angry that you're not out there right now on the fields doing what you love?" Unable to comprehend Cherise's way of thinking, Syra sounded a little irritated with a hint of confusion. "You do want to go back to being a Ranger, right?"

Vespa let out some low volume yips as Cherise ran a hand across his back, making his fin-adorned tail flap idly. "I do. The doctors here tell me my recovery is going at a much higher rate now that I transferred to Wyndon. So if anything, I'm glad to be here. It's out of my hands. If Arceus wants me to return as a Ranger, then he'll allow me when the time is right." She lifted her head again to meet Syra's gaze. "You should head out though. Any longer and someone may get suspicious or overhear the chatter and think it's not my TV."

Both of Syra's hands closed into a fist. "I'm going to find a way to visit you again, okay? I had fun talking to you and I really want to see you again." Smiling softly, the Champ stood up slowly as Tsukiyomi lept onto one of her hands then up to her shoulders. "Vee~" he says happily.

Cherise waves to her new friend. "Bonne journée~."

Watching the Galar Champ leave, Vespa stood up on all fours and walked over to the door to inspect that it was truly closed before he hopped back onto the edge of the bed then glanced back to Cherise.

The Ranger squinted her eyes. "Why are you looking at me like you're going to chew me out?"

The Vapreon just wrinkled his nose at her and straightened his stature while looking back.

Folding her arms and then looking to the side while sticking her nose up, Cherise defended herself from his gaze. "Look, you can give me a mean look all you want but I'd like to think I handled that well. I didn't faint. I didn't have any emotional outbursts."

This time... Vespa would say to her, licking a forepaw and then preening himself. Would you have been okay if I wasn't awake and you had a visitor this time?

"Since when do you get snooty about looking after me like this? Anyways, it worked out in the end, okay? Nobody got hurt, I didn't get in trouble, nobody walked in on us, and she'll be okay." She said, leaning into the hospital bed pillows and sighing.

Vespa looked back to the door and then her, then folded both sets of his legs until he laid down like a loaf of bread; his head laying down and looking back with a side eye. I have to do everything I can to make sure your health goes back to normal so we can go back to Oblivia.

"What makes you think I want to go back to Oblivia?" Cherise said quietly.

He lifted his head and blinked twice as his face grew into despair. You mean...but what about Qu-

"La ferme! Rien à foutre! You keep her name out of your mo-...oh non'..." She held onto her chest as the machine monitoring her pulse started beeping louder: noting the rise in her condition. "Restez où vous êtes Vespa. S'il vous plaît."

- - - A moment before.. - - -

Outside of the room Cherise was in, a red light lit up. Just as Syra was exiting the room, the sound of multiple footsteps caught her offguard. It belonged to multiple people. In mere seconds Syra was surrounded as several Officer Jennys and Growlithes showed up...followed by a lone Doctor Voir who only waved when she appeared.

Syra's face turned into a snarl. "You fucking two-timer!"

Clasping both hands together, would hiss hearing that and have a grin spread with a veneer of niceness to hide the snide remark. "Yeah~ about what we talked about? As nice and cordial as you were when we spoke. I just...had a teeny tiny little problem. The last time I was so callous to direct someone who looked innocent into the direction of Cherise, it nearly cost her her life. And when I take into account what you've done just to get here, and given your track record...I'm afraid I just can't take any chances."

Her lower jaw jutting out and gritting her teeth, the woman grumbled while meeting 's smarmy looking grin. "'Given my track record'?"

"Cherise is someone who is Galarian Government and League Priority One. And you...?" The busty Pokemon took a step forward as her bosom bounced in place as she looked Syra up and down one last time, raising an eyebrow. "The others in Galar may be convinced of your innocent act, but I'm not."

At that second, Cherise's machines inside her room were heard blaring loudly, and the psychic link the Doctor had with Cherise connected. /Cherise..!/ "I KNEW YOU'D DO SOMETHING!"

Syra contested. "I did no such thing!" Her words fell on deaf ears as the flared cheeks of 's Gardevoir face twitched and hesitantly took a few steps forward. She about-face'd back to Syra and pointed.

"TAKE THIS WOMAN AWAY! She's endangered the patient!" She'd shout.

"HEY?!" As the Jennys bumrush Syra, one slaps handcuffs on one of her wrists while binding them behind her. Grace is seen sprinting by into the room. "ALL WE DID WAS TALK, YOU BIG-BOOBED QUACK!"

The Pokemon doctor would pop her face out and point to the cops. "Get her out of here and get me all available nurses from this floor! I have to get Cherise's condition stabilized now! Now go!"

Just as one officer barked orders into a walkie talkie, Syra glared back as her magenta colored eyes seemingly lit up with rage. The Champ fought and struggled with the Officer Jennys the whole way out as she got ejected. Tsukiyomi would yip the entire time while he was being put into a cage and ferried by one officer. "GRACE YOU DOUBLE TIMING BITCH! I'LL REMEMBER THIS!" Syra yells as she was eventually forced out of the hospital to a small police car. Her and Tsukiyomi would end up in the backseat as murmurs about whether or not that was actually Syra getting into a police vehicle began to spread.

The entire time as the car drove off, Syra would stare back at the hospital. She felt the anger swell up from deep within her gut as all she could think about was Cherise's unspoken condition and meeting the strange Doctor Grace Voir.

She wondered if it was worth it at the end of the day...

- - - - Later that day, Sanctuary Grounds - - - -

- - - - Far West Wild Area, on top of the Mountains at Lake West Atwell - - - -

" , sir! How fortunate that we can see you today!" calls someone wearing a uniform of similar coloration to his Steel Gym uniform. It's intentional, as it is following his style for all basic staff uniform for the sanctuary.

Waving to them, Haru walked up to a pair of girls standing outside one of the buildings with the words 'LanaHiro Entrance' printed on the side. "Are you here to see how close we are to opening?"

"That...and I finished my morning workout." He said, revealing to them only half of the truth. The other half of it being that he was willing to find any reason to leave Stow-in-Side Gym early.

- - Earlier... - -

"HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!"

Bea's fists and feet slammed the body bag in the dojo. She stared intently as if it were an opponent in the ring, and would only vocalize during each hit. Haru, previously working out in that very dojo, peeked around the door. He had only left for but a moment to refill his ice cold water when upon his return he heard Bea shouting in the dojo.

"...Bea? You're back..."

"Yes. I was -HAH!- able to confirm my suspicions. HAH! So now instead of -HAH!- reporting to Oleana like I would normally, -HAH!- I'm just expressing myself the main way I know how!" A fist slams into the body bag and Bea readjusts her stance until she is straightened.

Darting his eyes from side to side, Haru just cleared his throat. "Ah...well with that being said, I just finished up so...I'm going to let you be, Bea. See you soon?"

"Yes. I imagine I will." Not looking back to Haru, Bea would resume projecting her frustrations onto the helpless beanbag.

/To be fair, I don't blame her for coming back and immediately putting her frustrations into her martial arts workout int he morning. But man would I like to be a fly on the wall to know what happened. It's not like I can ask Sev what went down. Not unless he was actually awake./

"Sir..?"

He raised his head to look at the staff, chuckling. "Apologies. Please, let's start!"

Finally, Haru was able to bare witness to the progress his next phase of his career had led him: his sanctuary for Pokemon. It felt for awhile he wouldn't be able to see anything substantial until years passed, but what was there was surprising. Amidst the construction workers and Pokemon coordinating with each other, Haru walked around wide-eyed and with more fascination of the architecture around him than his Steel Gym. Whereas his Gym was much more of a personal flavor for the Pokemon League, the familial kinship of his sanctuary was already taking form.

"So this is it: the endgoal of my ambitions." Haru said to himself with a revered sigh while he was guided through the first floor of the building where visitors would be able to gain additional information on Pokemon living there. In the center of one of the wider rooms was a pedestal where a statue would be placed later. He pointed to it. "What's going to be here?"

A gentleman who joined the crew to guide Haru through the grounds snapped his fingers when Haru inquired on it. "Oh, that, sir...Oleana told us to defer to you for that one. She was considering putting some form of memorial piece here when the sanctuary is finished building; a 'book end' to the place when we open. You'll have to speak with her on it, but I believe she's getting something special made to represent the namesake of LanaHiro Sanctuary."

Haru stared back blankly and then looked at the blank space. He took a slow gulp. /Is she planning to put a statue of Hiro here?/ "Right. Let's move on. Show me the biome where the water Pokemon will be residing, alongside our Pokemon that need a tropical climate."

"Sir!" The crew said, gesturing the Steel Gym Leader to follow.

The crew would move through the Water/Tropical Biome and ultimately end up back to one giant tower that was many floors completed but still in construction. The entrance was almost completed, but the central hub where all of his co-workers would reconvene and divy tasks among the biomes was still several floors incomplete. The idea was that a central tower at the center of the Sanctuary would allow for workers easy traversal to care for Pokemon within the biomes, divvying tasks, or even house them should they wish. Haru winced when one of the construction workers answered his question on how big the sanctuary is going to end up being: guffawing at the size.

"Sorry, what was the name again you just referenced?" He asked, confused.

"It's called Blueberry Academy. It's an underwater academy that's somewhere off the coast of Unova that has a biome of Pokemon living in it. None of the Pokemon can tell they're underwater, however, not only due to how lifelike the biomes are, but because their faculty made sure to be able to imitate actual weather. That way when, say, yourself or the Pokemon are there, it feels as if you're above the surface." The woman called out to her coworker. "Hey! Do you have any photos of that Blueberry Academy we were talking about earlier? Haru's asking about it."

Momentarily they would produce several photos and Haru just whistled, then looked around him. "...and this is going to be of a comparable size? How am I going to manage and overlook so many Pokemon in such a space? I feel like we're going to need at least a hundred or so employees. After all, you're talking about a whole Wild Area's worth of Pokemon and land."

He stopped himself before he would worry the staff that was with him. "Anyways, thanks for showing me around. I hope to be back soon; when this is all finished."

Waving to them in farewell Haru would turn to make his exit. Seeing the name "LanaHiro" written officially on the entrance sign made him beam with pride. He laughs to himself and wipes an escaping tear from the corner of his left eye as he looks to the ground. /Man. Hiro would love it here./ Folding his arms, he waited for the bussing karts that drove around the area to come pick him up and take him back down the newly paved path that would connect The Wild Area to the sanctuary. He gets a sinking feeling suddenly that something is amiss. Everything was checking out, though, so what would he be worried about? He's getting officially supported by the Galarian League and the love of his life plans to help him there even if it meant less Gym Leader time.

A crowd of the construction workers pass by where he was standing and at first, Haru thinks nothing of it. He glances briefly around and then takes out his Rotom phone. Intending to message Nessa, Haru hoped to tell her about his visit but felt his blood run cold when someone familiar appeared in the passing mob. A woman with pink hair and piercing silver eyes staring back at him. Unblinking. A scornful, yet prideful smirk worn on her face. He hears her speak "What makes you believe you'll last? That you're worth it?"

The Steel Gym Leader froze. He shook his head, praying that he was only hallucinating her being there or that he was simply experiencing some sort of episode. She was still there, standing. Unmoving. "Wait...you're supposed to be in jail." he jests, remembering the end of Operation Critical Hit, when Team Rocket members were captured and sentenced. Giovanni would go to a completely different penitentiary altogether; that much he and Sam made sure of it.

His ex somehow showing up with the same level of smug aura as if she avoided incarceration put him on edge. She wore the same Team Rocket outfit he last saw her in, with her hands to her side. Her eyesbrows raised and she tilted her chin upwards. "Are we in a jail right now?" Staring back, he'd tense up as she asked him another question. "Do you truly believe you've changed? The only reason your reputation isn't in the gutter, is because I allow it."

An eyebrow twitched as Haru's blood pressure swelled slightly. "I don't know if that's actually you or if I'm just having a hallucination, but you don't know anything." His arms folded.

As if like a spectre, she appeared behind him with an arm around his neck. A hand rested on a shoulder.

"I hope Wyndon was fun for you."

Haru felt his heart stop as his eyes widened in horror. It was unfathomable that anyone at all outside of himself, Nessa, Syra, and Milo would know about what they did. How could she make such a pointedly specific statement so confidently? /T...there's no way./ "What...are you talking about...?"

Almost way too satisfied with herself, she giggled and tapped on his collar from behind before standing and leaning against his back with her own. He still had no perfect glance at her, and now she was right behind him. Her head turning to the side. "Where'd your bravado go, little trainer? Afraid of the future, are we?"

"I'm not afraid of anyone. Least of all you, Mela." He said, looking straight ahead. For some strange reason she was exuding a completely different level of command and presence. The confusion surrounding if she was there, how she found him, and was aware of such a secret was clouding his ability to speak more verbose. "How are you even here? I thought you were jailed..."

"Haha...oh. Stuck on that, are we? That's fine. I should let you stay like that, then. An experiment always gives the best results when it benefits all of humanity...or in this case, me." She simply looked forward, as if to ignore what he asked. "Still mad at me?"

"FUCK YOU!" He turned around and felt his pulse race when she wasn't there. Who was he talking to? Did someone or something put him under hypnosis? Did he happen to fall asleep while on his tour of his own sanctuary? What was going on?

A bead of sweat went down his forehead as her voice went closer to his left ear, feeling her breath near his neck. "That's it, Haru. Hold onto that hatred of me. Don't let go, nor forget that you are a vacuous, toffee-nosed, malodorous pervert whose only benefit to others in life is feeding me new research."

"SHUT UP!" He turned around and just like that, she was gone. Haru's skin was pale as one of his hands pressed against his forehead and his breathing quickened. It was as if she was never there to start with, and he had experienced nothing short of a mental trip. "Where the fuck did you go? HUH?!"

She appeared again, this time in a landing Air Taxi cab. Glaring back at him, she appeared, if only briefly, wearing something else he didn't recognize. Pulling down a mask over her face, she appeared to disappear into the cab as if nobody was within it. Throwing all caution to the wind, Haru ran after the Air Taxi but watched helplessly as it took off.

Was she really there? How was he hearing these things? Why would she appear like that, and worst of all, how does she know of Haru's dark secret of what he and Nessa did at Wyndon? The news being let out alone, if evidence were provided, would destroy everything he has dear. Rapidly, Haru signaled for an Air Taxi, and hurriedly hopped with haste into the cab. Telling the cabbie "Hulbury, please", Haru grabbed his chest. At first he thought it was a heart attack, and he was ready to change his destination. However, he realized it was an anxiety attack as both eyes had watered up and the palpitations were waning. As he had worked past his traumas with Hiro's death succeeded, it appeared his insecurities surrounding the words and power his ex held over him was still very real.

Mela's visage and overwhelming commanding energy with the words she said pierced through him like molten steel being smote by a hammer. He buckled over and took of his glasses. "I...it's not true..." Flashes of Nessa hit his mind. "Nessa loves me for me..." Mela's face flashbanged his vision. "Fuck you, you don't know me anymore! LEAVE ME ALONE!...I...I'm worth it, I swear..." He almost panicked when in mid-thought, his phone rang. It was Nessa. Almost not knowing what to do, it was as if he was afraid of picking up the phone. It rang 5 times before he surrendered and picked it up.

"Hey." He said in the fakest sounding 'normal' voice possible.

On the other end, Nessa eyes her own phone as if to glance at Haru in confusion. "...hey? I was calling to see how the visit was going. Are...are you okay? You took a bit to pick up, darling."

"Huh?" He was obviously not okay and shaken up. "I'm...ah. Hah...it's...it's honestly the funniest thing..."

"Haru..."

Away from the phone, Haru muted the receiver and wiped an eye before continuing. "I uh...just had an episode. I need to schedule for my therapist again. There's a..." He fake laughed about it, causing Nessa to go from her attentive, worried state to genuine concern. She sat down on a chair in the living room with the phone close to her ear and legs crossed.

"...I...I'm not worried...w-well I am, but that-..that's not to.." Nessa hears Haru curse away from the phone and openly say 'Fuck me, man' as if regretting how he sounds.

Patiently, she waited until she could tell he was near the phone and replied, "Did you have an episode involving 'her'?"

All Haru could do was inhale through his teeth and groan. "Y-yeah. I got some things to work on that I wasn't aware was still an issue. I'm sorry, hon. I'll be home soon. Love you."

She frowned. "Love you too." Hearing the phone call click off, she put it down and glanced to Nora, who was within hearing range and had her tail and ears lowered. "Please tell me you heard that, too." Nora nodded, then cuddled up to Nessa's ankles with her head lowered. /Just what on Earth gives this woman this kind of power over him...?/

- - - - Penitentiary, East Coast of Galar, near Wyndon - - - -

- - - Front Desk - - -

Staring back at the gentleman at the counter, Haru looked frozen. A bead of sweat formed. "...what do you mean 'There is nobody here of that name'? You DO realize what I'm talking about don't you?"

Sighing and leaning on one elbow, the officer looked back to Haru with a pensive stare. "Yes sir, I understand. Way back when we were all told about the whole of Team Rocket being jailed, we found out through no short order that several groups of the members would be jailed in separate locations to prevent from any usurping happening. Giovanni is held in a separate location, too, which you and I reconfirmed, but nobody in any form of the spelling named 'Mela' is registered."

"BULLSHIT!" Haru's hand slammed on the tabletop counter and turned into a fist as he glared hard. "You're telling me I hallucinated someone by that name now, or that this person somehow slipped by when hundreds of officers raided the building?!"

The officer tried replying calmly in spite of Haru's raised voice. "I cross referenced everything you told me about this person, . Pink hair. Female. Slim build. Wore a Team Rocket outfit just like everyone else. Do you know how little that narrows it down?"

"...I'm aware." Haru said through gritted teeth.

"Even so, I looked through it all, and nobody fits-"

"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME THAT NOBODY FITS THE DESCRIPTION AGAIN! I'm NOT going to stand here and walk away while knowing that they could be out there RIGHT NOW plotting something!"

A few officers walked out to where Haru was and gave a warning gesture with their hands reaching towards cuffs, as the one at the counter just frowned. "I'm sorry, Haru, but I don't have a lot of options here. You worked with a detective. Ask him."

Haru's eyes dart to the officers and then pushed himself away. He stared at the ground and walked off, then eyed the officers before he was out the door. He walked out and began pacing while on the sidewalk. /Either Mela was never a part of Team Rocket and was only doing that to fuck with me as a cheap way to get out of the relationship.../

His mind froze on the last time he saw her when she left him in the relationship and compared it to whatever specter-like appearance she gave off that day. His blood ran cold as he came to a horrible, possible conclusion. /...or 'Mela' was never her name at all...because she knew if I ever knew her real name and life led me down here there would be no way of tracking her./

He could almost swear he heard her giggling menacingly while staring back at him. /Furthermore, how did she learn of what we did that fateful day, and why is she holding onto it?/

*Brrring~! Brrring!*

Haru grabs his Rotom Phone and looks at it. 'Quen' is labeled on it as he blinked. "Huh." He accepts the phone call. "Hello?"

- - - - Hammerlocke, Golemshaven Flats - - - -

- - - - 8th floor - - - -

"Okay so first thing's first, I'm full of it. I'll explain in a second, but you haven't been attempting to use that stone thing that we were talking about last time, have you, Haru?" Quen said while halfway holding up a book she was going through and a drink in the other hand. Enya was seen resting on one of the arms of her couch and 'Vee'd at Haru's direction, welcoming him back.

As Quen let Haru in, he raised an eyebrow. "No, I haven't, but how do you mean 'full of it'? You know a lot more about this than I know anyone else does."

"Because what you have isn't a Burst Stone at all, but something far more crazy and it's taken me since last we talked up until 10 minutes ago to find anything on it." Quen said, hurriedly going back to her desk and shuffling through a few halfway opened books, a few maps, and some old looking sepia colored photos. A few pieces of paper and one book fall to the floor as she looked for something specific. "Give me a second, it's here somewhere..."

He stepped over a small tower of folders as Enya walked through his legs to get to Quen. "I forget but were you not on some other project for a bit? I hope I'm not taking you away from that just to satiate my curiosity."

Choosing to avoid answering with any details on herself, Quen held out a pair of pages that appeared to have fell out of some research she printed. "I couldn't stop thinking about the odd rarity of you finding such a stone and me not being fully sure about it, so I kept digging into it and similarly recorded stones. I couldn't find anything for hours. But now?" she pointed to a sketching of Arceus with the exact stone that Haru got from Syra. "This, what you have, is called a 'Soul Burst' Stone. It is made up off of the carvings that make up the 18 plates of Arceus: dating all the way back to Hisui, or even before that time."

Reaching into his inner jacket pocket, Haru looked at it. "Soul Burst Stone, huh...?"

She nodded and then handed it over to him. "To my understanding, these stones were created by someone looking to unite humanity and Pokemon while tapping into the pieces of the plates that held some use. We are still attempting to figure out what use those plates mean, but somehow they held something, and were given by Arceus itself. Champion Dawn may hold more information on that, given the importance and origin of many things of our universe's understanding of the deity Pokemon, but I'll get to that in a moment."

"Right, okay." Haru said, understanding and keeping up with what Quen was saying.

"What separates the Soul Burst Stone transformation compared to the regular Burst Stones I thought these were like, is that doing so enables the user to represent not just a Pokemon, but all of its type. We understand that the plates themselves were mono colored: each representing a type of Pokemon that is logged. Reports suggest you need all 18 and something else to summon Arceus' presence as a human, some others say otherwise; it's unclear. But if you consider that factoid I just gave you, that means you'd not only be tapping into the strength of that Pokemon and type..."

Haru's eyes widened with half horrified shock and half awe. "...but a strength that's god-like because it's technically a part of Arceus. It's not the halfhearted effort made by man to fuse with a Pokemon, but a blessed ability where the human who can utilize one is a god amongst men!"

Quen nodded and poked Haru in the chest. "Bingo. You caught on."

He looked at his stone with a growing fear. "So...how does one do that, then?"

"Well right now I don't know that much. I'd like to think the method is similar to Burst Stones that history much more commonly knows, but I'd like to guess that it's either way more dangerous, or way more restrictive. It was hard to come by, for one, and the notes I came by were only written by one person."

"That makes it easier then to look into, right?" Haru guessed, then scanned the papers that Quen handed him in an attempt to find the author. He gasped loudly and felt his sweat over his face increase as he dropped it.

"VeeEeEe" Enya yapped at him, looking a little confused but sticking by Quen's side as the boot-wearing archaeologist did a double take when he appeared to drop the papers. "Haru?"

"What the hell does this mean...?" Haru looked down at the paper and pointed to it.

The scribe's name on the corner of the paper was written in a foreign, Hisuian language, but Haru recognized it immediately, for he had read the name before.

"Hachiro..."