"Congratulations, you won," Mako said, recalling his fainted Camerupt to its Poké Ball. "And with your victory, you've also earned the Heat Badge." He handed something to Flannery and she ran over to me, an excited spring in her step and Chi running after her.

"Here you go!" she exclaimed, holding out a red, flame-shaped badge to me. "I told ya you could do it."

"You were right, Flannery. Thank for helping me," I replied as I took the badge from her. I couldn't believe this was even happening. I walked into the Gym this morning, and not ten minutes later I was holding my fourth badge. It was almost surreal.

"Don't thank me, thank Chi!" Flannery said.

"Quiii!" the Cyndaquil squeaked from his spot near his Trainer's feet. I gave the Fire Mouse a smile and a "thank you" as well. It was true, he was as much a help as Flannery was.

"Please tell Winona I said hi and goodbye," Flannery said. "I had a lot of fun talking with her."

"I'll be sure to tell her you said that, then," I assured her. I wish I could have given her something more than a simple "thanks," but I didn't think I had anything she would appreciate. An idea popped into my mind, and I dug around inside my bag until I found what I was looking for.

   The edge of some item I had in my bag pressed into my palm while I searched, causing a dull pain to make its presence known. Despite not being too badly burned from holding Chi, I still had to have both my hands bandaged, and Meteor decided to be my impromptu hands by using his telekinesis until they healed. It didn't matter now because I had found what I was looking for.

   I withdrew my hand from the bag and looked at the brilliant red-colored stone in my hand. It was a Fire Stone I had found a few days ago and had pocketed for no reason other than that I couldn't bear to abandon my love for collecting rocks. "You can have this," I said, giving the stone to her. "Think of it as payment. You can use it on certain Fire-types to evolve them."

"Really? I can have this?" She looked at the stone in wonderment, mesmerized by the yellow flame in the stone's core. When she saw me nod, her face lit up. "Thanks!"

"It's the least I can give you," I said. Thank you, Flannery. Really, thank you.

   The doors of the building parted before me and I felt the cool morning breeze strike me as I exited. Wallace and Winona stood nearby and I waved to them, catching their attentions almost immediately.

   "So how did it go?" Wallace asked me.

   "What do you think?" I replied, pointing out the Heat Badge pinned on my jacket next to my other badges. Wallace gave me a congratulatory pat on the shoulder and Winona looked like she wanted to high-five me. But with the way both my hands were bandaged, she put her own hand down rather quickly. I made a mental note to give her that high-five as soon as my hands healed.

   A few Bullet Punches put that Camerupt down before he knew what hit him, Meteor remarked. And no Confusions!

   "No Confusions," I echoed. "And no failed Flame Bursts."

   Wallace nodded and took out his PokéNav. "Then do you want to move on?" He showed me the device's screen which displayed a pixelated map of Hoenn. I squinted at the tiny dot that represented the next town. It read, "Fallarbor Town."

   "Fallarbor Town, is the next Gym there?" I questioned.

   "The fifth Gym is really in Petalburg," Winona said. "That was the reason we were there the day we met you. Wallace didn't find out the right Gym order before we left Sootopolis. He said we had to go to Petalburg, thinking the second Gym was there." She looked at her brother teasingly.

   "No, I knew the second Gym was in Dewford. Going to Petalburg was a detour!" he said defensively, crossing his arms. When he saw that his lie wasn't working, he exclaimed, "It's not my fault they built the Gyms out of order!"

   Shaking my head in disagreement, I took the device from him and pointed to the map. "No, the way they were built is perfectly reasonable," I said, tracing a path along the pale tan squiggles that represented the routes on the map. "If Gyms six to eight are on Hoenn's east side, then looping around to go back through Mauville makes sense..." I unintentionally trailed off. The route near Fallarbor led to Meteor Falls and out to Rustboro. We were going to be passing through Rustboro on our way to Petalburg. The others seemed to realize this as well and gave me concerned looks. A brief silence fell over us, soon being broken by Wallace.

   "We could always backtrack if you don't want to go through Rustboro..." he offered quietly.

   "No, it's fine," I muttered, shaking my head. "I don't want to deprive you two of anything because of me. My parents most likely aren't expecting me to come anywhere near Rustboro," I said with a partially forced smile. And I will not be changing my mind, or telling them how I really feel! I added to Meteor. I heard him sigh in defeat and mutter an "Okay, fine," before going silent. It was the truth.

   I knew I couldn't let my fears control me anymore, and I wouldn't let them ruin my friends' journeys. But if we were to go back to Mauville, there was a chance we could encounter the Insurgents. And in all hypocrisy, my fear of them was one I didn't want to face anytime soon.

   Traversing the majority of Route 113 was amazingly unremarkable. Other than the impressive close-up view of Mt. Chimney on one side of the path, unchanging forest and Pokémon that could be found on any other route were all that could be seen. Because of this, we were able to make more progress than we expected, ending up on the last stretch of Route 113 when night fell on our second day of walking. Only when we began making our way through the last section of the route the next day did we come across anything of interest.

   I gazed up at the cloudy, gray sky, squinting as I tried and failed to keep the falling ash from landing in my eyes. I quietly cursed to myself as I rubbed my stinging eyes, only to make them water from the increased irritation. Soot seemed to perpetually fall from the sky like rain here and the entire route was covered in a gradually thickening layer of the stuff as a result. There was so much ash that the grass' natural color was smothered by a shroud of gray.

   "Who knew a volcano could produce so much ash," Wallace commented. "It hasn't stopped coming down all day."

   "It's like gray snow!" Winona exclaimed. "Too bad we can't build a Snover-man out of this stuff..."

   "Snow?" I asked, still rubbing my eyes. What was she talking about? My eyes finally stopped watering and I looked up to meet Winona's flabbergasted gaze.

   "You don't know what snow is?" She looked at me as if I was an idiot. Clearly, I was supposed to know what this "snow" stuff was. I shook my head cautiously, hoping she would explain. "Well, it's basically when rain freezes up in the sky, and it makes the ground turn white if it snows a lot. If there's enough of it, you can build stuff out of it! It's really pretty, but it's really cold," she explained.

   "That doesn't sound very pleasant," I said, frowning. The ground turning white and everything being cold? I'd never heard of such an odd weather condition. And if snow was a common thing, why didn't it snow here in Hoenn?

   "I'm shocked you don't know what snow is," Wallace said. "News about the Snowpoint City's Snow Sculpture Competitions are broadcasted pretty frequently. On top of that, Ice-types are practically known for their snow-based attacks."

   You're shocked at everything I don't know about! "Sorry that I don't know! Snow isn't exactly something you can read about in a book about economics or find coupled with problems concerning mutual exclusivity," I said, not sure why I was apologizing.

   It doesn't matter, at least he knows what it is now, Meteor chimed in. Wallace nodded and thankfully changed the subject to something miscellaneous.

   Did you know what snow is? I asked Meteor.

   Nope! he responded. Sounds like it could be fun to mess around with, though!

   "Synth, use Hyper Voice!" All conversation ceased when an ear-shattering cry rang out, followed by the sharp sound of cracking rock. The sound split the air like an explosion, almost seeming to silence the whole route. For the few seconds I heard the person speak, I thought I recognized the voice's owner.

   "What the heck was that?" Winona gasped.

   "You didn't put enough oomph into it! Hyper Voice again, and really try to shatter it this time. I want to see that rock crushed down to dust!" the person commanded fiercely. Now I knew I wasn't hearing things. It had been nearly two weeks since I had last spoken with her, but I couldn't have forgotten her voice if I had tried.

   "Arietta?" I muttered quietly, covering my ears to block out the sound of the cry and subsequent shattering of stone. From how clearly I could hear her voice, she couldn't have been too far off.

Wallace looked to have recognized the voice as well, and he gave me a questioning look. Like me, he was covering his ears to block the horrifically loud cries. In response, I began scanning the rocky cliffs that even now still bordered the route. I caught a glimpse of something moving amongst the craggy rocks up ahead and briefly risked losing the hearing in my right ear to point in their general direction.

   Locating Arietta didn't take very long, all we had to do was follow the repeated Hyper Voices her Pokémon continued to use. Either Hyper Voice had a lot more PP than I had thought, or Arietta had increased it somehow.

   We found her in a sort of clearing formed by fallen rocks. A large purple and yellow Pokémon with an absurdly large mouth was surrounded by piles of fine powder while Arietta herself stood atop a nearby rocky slope, staring down at her Pokémon with a pleased smile on her face. She quickly noticed us watching her and her eyes lit up with recognition.

   "Hey, you three! Can't believe I'm seeing you here of all places! I'll be down in a second." She then jumped forwards, expertly sliding down the slope where she skid to a stop at the bottom, her smile never fading. "That never stops being fun!" she said. The four—more like five if Meteor's random "Hello" counted—of us exchanged pleasantries for the next few minutes. "So what brings you out here?" Arietta asked.

   "We were on our way to Fallarbor Town when we overheard you and your Pokémon," Wallace answered.

   "Sorry if we're intruding in any way!" I apologized.

   "Intruding? A rock clearing in the middle of some route isn't really private property," Arietta laughed. "And actually, Synth is pretty quiet as far as Exploud go. That's what we're doing here. The rocks around here are perfect for training his Hyper Voice on."

   While she was talking, I spotted a stray shard of stone that had escaped pulverization. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands, examining it. "Rhyolite isn't the easiest rock to break, so I can understand why you would choose to train Synth with this variety of volcanic rock," I said musingly, admiring how high-quality of a sample I had found before pocketing it. It was no Thunder Stone, but it was nice nonetheless.

   As I was stashing the rhyolite shard, I made the mistake of putting it in the pocket where I kept the gray spherical stone I'd had with me since the start of my journey. The stone somehow fell out of my pocket and rolled to a stop at Arietta's feet. I didn't even notice it had fallen out until Arietta picked it up and began examining it. She held it between her index finger and thumb, the same way I would with rocks to see if they were see-through. Against its overly-gray surroundings, the yellow swirl in its center stood out brightly.

   "Where... did you get this?" she asked me in a surprisingly serious tone, her words slow and somewhat puzzled.

   "I dug it up near Meteor Falls a couple months ago. Why do you ask?" I responded, exchanging confused glances with Wallace and Winona.

   Arietta didn't say anything. Instead, her gaze flitted from the stone to me. It went on for so long that my face unintentionally flushed hot. Why was she staring at me like that? I then realized that she wasn't looking me in the eye. She was looking at my jacket, or more specifically, my stickpin.

   "Arietta, why are you asking me this? Can you tell me what that stone is if you know?" I asked, trying to cover up my embarrassment.

   She smiled mysteriously and raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. "I can't tell you at the moment," she said, handing the stone back to me. "But be sure to give this to Meteor when he evolves. Call me up once that happens, and I'll tell you what that stone is for. In the meantime, whatever you do, don't lose it or your pin. Trust me."

   "Can't you tell me now?" I asked desperately. It was obvious that she knew something about the stone, but what did my stickpin have to do with it? I thought vague explanations like this only happened in books or movies.

   "No, of course not! It would spoil the surprise!" she said with a giggle. "And speaking of surprises, you three showed up at a perfect opportunity. I saw something that you and Winona would adore, and if we're lucky, they still might be there."

   "Oh, so I'm not included?" Wallace asked, feigning a hurt expression.

   "You can come if you want but I don't know if you'll appreciate seeing them as much," Arietta responded. "And as for you two, I think you'll be en-armored with them! You'll get what I mean when you see them," she said, winking.

   I had to admit, when I heard that, I became a little excited. Even if she was trying to change the subject, it must have been for a good reason. I still couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't tell me what was so special about the gray that it would only warrant an explanation once Meteor evolved. I guessed that I would have to merely wait until that event occurred.

   And what a glorious day that will be! Meteor announced happily. Sorry for listening in. I heard my name and thought it was something important.

   So now you think the mere mention of your name makes the thought important? I questioned him with a small smile, though it was true that his name coming up in my thoughts usually meant something significant.

   Look at that, you answered your own question without having to ask it aloud! he said smartly, which instantly wiped the smile off my face. If he had a mouth, I was sure he would have been grinning smugly.

   Just... be quiet, Meteor, I thought, feeling defeated.

—~*~—

The place Arietta wanted to show us was a forest clearing close to where she was training with Synth. It wasn't the clearing itself but what occupied the woodsy space that caught our attentions.

   Five or six birdlike Pokémon milled about the clearing, minding their own business or absentmindedly pecking at the ground. What made these Pokémon so eye-catching, however, was the fact that their bodies seemed to be covered in a stainless steel coating, including their heads and wings. Their wings' "feathers" were colored red and their talons curled into sharp hooks. Their yellow-eyed gazes flickered about occasionally to survey their surroundings. To phrase it simply, they were absolutely amazing. Winona was as awestruck as I was and stared at them with her mouth agape.

   "They're Steel-Flying-types called Skarmory and are known as the Armor Bird Pokémon. Now is my little joke from earlier making sense?" Arietta said quietly so she wouldn't disturb the Pokémon.

   "They're stunning... I never knew such beautiful bird Pokémon existed," I muttered.

   "I told you that you'd like them," Arietta said to me proudly. "I know Winona loves birds, and you seem to be a fan of Steel-types."

   "Winnie, why don't you try to catch one of them? I'll give you an Ultra Ball if you're worried you'll make it faint," Wallace offered to his sister who responded with an excited squeal. She covered her mouth at the last second, knowing that any loud noises could result in scaring the Skarmory away. Wallace gave her a black and yellow striped Poké Ball and the young girl began looking over the armored birds to she which one she wanted to try and capture.

   Obviously, I didn't want to be left out of this little event. The problem came when I found out that I had used my last spare ball on Orbit. A little part of my soul shriveled and died when I realized I couldn't capture one of these amazing birds. The feeling was hammered in all the more when I heard the cheery click of a Poké Ball signaling a successful capture. Winona had caught a Skarmory and the remaining birds hadn't fled. It ultimately didn't matter since I couldn't catch one.

   "Out of Poké Balls?" Arietta asked when she saw my downtrodden expression. Without waiting for me to respond, she started digging through her bag. "Here, you can have this Quick Ball. It has a higher catch rate if used at the start of a battle." She presented to me a blue Poké Ball with bright yellow lightning bolts patterned on it.

   "You're giving this to me?" I questioned hesitantly, my mood brightening slightly.

   "Consider it a gift from a fellow Trainer," she replied as I gratefully took the Quick Ball from her.

   It didn't take very long for me to decide which Skarmory I wanted to use my newly-acquired Quick Ball on. A single Skarmory stood away from the others. From the way it had its back to the rest of its flock, it looked like it chose to be on its own. Something about that fact made me want to capture it all the more.

   Holding the Quick Ball carefully so it wouldn't come in contact with my burned palm, I took aim at the lone bird. And with what I prayed was enough force and precision, I let the ball fly.

It bounced off the Skarmory's right wing, opened up, and pulled the Steel-type inside. Once the ball landed on the ground, hours seemed to pass between shakes. The ball clicked, and Skarmory was mine. I let Meteor out, and with a flick of his arm he brought the ball back over to me, after which my Skarmory materialized before us.

   "Sorry if my catching you was startling. I'm sure you were expecting a battle," I said to it. The Armor Bird Pokémon tilted its head, eyes narrowing.

   "Nice job!" Wallace congratulated me. "Both you and Winnie managed to catch one! Have you got a nickname ready for it?" Skarmory glared at him and squawked loudly.

   Her, Meteor corrected. Skarmory squawked again and Meteor translated what she said. 'Out of all the things that would get me away from the others, I didn't think being caught by a human was one of them.'

  She wanted to get away from her flock? Interesting... I thought. Skarmory turned her gaze to her Poké Ball and then looked up at me.

   'I never knew fate would play this particular hand but I don't mind. Oh well, as long as this breaks the monotony and I don't get a dumb nickname, I guess this won't be so bad,' Meteor finished translating.

   "Is Maverick a good enough name for you? It suits your independent nature," I suggested. Skarmory looked thoughtful before letting out a caw that Meteor then translated.

   'It sounds so... brutal. I like it! Fine, I'll come with you. Count me in!' she crowed.

   "Thank you, Maverick. Welcome to the team!" I said, knowing then that she was going to fit into my team perfectly. At that moment, I was on cloud nine. I had a new team member, and it was all because of Arietta. Out of the times she had helped me, this time was the most impactful and special. I had to thank her. I went to do so and she said it wasn't a problem. "I'm serious, Arietta. I can't thank you enough," I said firmly. How many times was I going to offer my thanks today?

   "Really, it's not a problem! But now I guess this makes Maverick all the more special," she said happily. Her bright smile lessened into a more calm one and she shook her head. "You know... I'm not one to make assumptions, but this is different," she said. What was she talking about? When I gave her a puzzled look, she continued. "Simply put, I think you have potential, Steven. You might've lost our battle back in Slateport, but that doesn't mean you can't and won't improve. The Heat Badge pinned to your jacket is proof enough. Because of that, I think you have what it takes to be a League Champion."

   I was somewhat taken aback by her statement. Earning all eight badges, let alone challenging the League and becoming the Hoenn Champion, had never once crossed my mind. Though I didn't think I had what it took to be a Champion, I couldn't help but feel happy that Arietta thought I had potential. But becoming a Champion?

   From what little I knew of the regional Champions, they were all extraordinarily strong Trainers with widely varied Pokémon that were worthy of that same label. They were called Champions for a reason. "I... I don't think that's possible. I don't exactly have the most varied team, and I know that could be detrimental to—" Arietta waved her hand lazily, as if dismissing my comment and causing me to stop talking.

   "Don't think like that. All it's going to do is drag your confidence down!" she said.

Like I have any of that, I sighed internally.

"Good team building is important, sure, but how you develop and handle that team is what decides the outcome of a battle. You don't have to have the perfect team to win, plain and simple!" Arietta gave me a knowing smile and pointed to my stickpin. "And believe me, once you learn the truth about that gray stone and that stickpin of yours, your chances of achieving a Champion's title will skyrocket. That, I can guarantee."