"Oh, so you're going to leave soon?"

   Faye nodded, further dampening my spirits. "Things are finally starting to pick back up at work. Like I said before, my coworkers need me."

  It had been a week after I had earned the Mind Badge, and the time had passed quicker than I thought it had. I knew she would have had to leave sooner or later, but that didn't mean I wanted her to.

   "Don't be sad, Steven. It's not like I want to leave," Faye comforted me. "And I won't have to until tomorrow, so we still have all of today to do something."

   "I suppose you're correct," I said.

    "You're absolutely correct!" Wallace affirmed, leaning against me with his arm on my shoulder. I eyed him out of the corner of my vision, and he looked like he had just learned the meaning of life or some other amazing revelation.

   "And do you know why?" Winona continued. "It's because we found out there's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight! Have you or Arietta heard of the Litleonids?"

   I perked up at this new information. "You mean the meteor shower that occurs every decade or so? Those Litleonids?" I asked, excitement evident in my voice.

   "Like there are any others?" Wallace answered, smirking.

   "I was making sure!" I said, turning to a confused but interested Faye. "Like I said, the Litleonids are a decennial event. I've never seen them myself, but my mom saw them with my dad once, and she said they were beautiful."

   "We're only proposing this because I heard you can get a clear view of them from Mossdeep," Wallace explained. "There aren't many things that blot out the sky here."

   "You don't need to convince me any further. I think watching a meteor shower is a perfect way to end our time traveling together!" Faye said.

   Winona shielded her eyes to look up at the sun, which had barely moved past the midday mark. "But we still have, like, seven hours to waste," she pouted.

   I swear if someone suggests that we spend those hours in a store or some crap... Meteor started.

   "We can check out a few stores we haven't been to yet?" Faye suggested, shrugging.

   Arceus-dammit!

   And window-shop we did... for five hours. I would admit, even I was getting bored. Browsing could only be so interesting if you didn't buy anything to compensate. We eventually decided to check out a small trinket shop tucked away between two much larger, commercial stores. It was almost invisible, really. I wouldn't have seen it if Faye hadn't said anything.

   Ten minutes into our time in the store, and I wanted to leave. The place was coated in dust, and nothing interested me. It wouldn't have killed anyone if I waited outside. I was about to leave when I felt someone tug on my sleeve. Winona was standing next to me, looking up, waiting for me to acknowledge her.

   "Hm? What is it?" I asked her.

   "I was looking around and saw something interesting," she said, purposefully keeping her wording vague. I decided to humor her and asked her what she was talking about. She led me to a dusty display case filled with tiny, polished conch-like shells of all things. Or wentletraps if the label on the case was to be believed. Each shell was attached to a woven band, forming oceanic charm bracelets.

   "You want to show me... bracelets?" I asked. The display case made me wonder what was so valuable about them until I saw the gemstones. Nestled in every wentletrap's circular opening was a different type of gem. Topaz, sapphire, and so many other varieties were on display.

   "I thought they were pretty-looking," Winona commented. "And someone else thought they were pretty, too," she added with a smile before leaving me be.

   When Faye and I had talked in Dewford, she mentioned that she liked collecting seashells. That was the first thing that came to mind when Winona showed me the display case. I knew I had to get Faye something in return for buying me the Lunar Wing. And when I saw those bracelets—more specifically, the bracelet set with an emerald—in an instant I knew what I would get her.

   After deciding which one I wanted, I got the cashier's attention and safely made my purchase without Faye noticing. It didn't matter that the jewelry cost a quarter of the PokéYen I had, it would be worth it to see her reaction.

   "Did you just buy something?"

  Startled, I spun around and saw Wallace standing behind me. His eyes immediately went to the tissue that contained the bracelet. "Yes, it's for Arietta," I answered, trying to keep my voice down. He would have pestered me for the truth if I hadn't said it.

He nodded approvingly. "I had a feeling it was for her. You trying to give her a farewell gift or something?"

I nodded, slipping the bracelet into my pocket. "She also bought me something in Lilycove. It's only right if I gave her something in return."

"I'm sure she'll like it... Whatever you got her."

   "I hope she does," I said somewhat unsurely.

  The sun was barely visible, appearing as if it were sinking below the surf and letting its last few fingers of gold touch the purple-dyed horizon in a symbolic farewell to the day. And within minutes, all traces of that brilliant light had vanished from the sky. I couldn't believe how quickly these past few hours had gone by, though Winona said she thought otherwise. We took our time having dinner, as we still had a lot of time left.

"The Litleonids aren't supposed to pass by for another hour or so," Wallace informed us at around ten at night, checking the time on his PokéNav. "We should go find a place to watch from. It seems like a lot of people have already set up by the beach."

I was hardly listening to him. "Darn it, I forgot my jacket back in our room," I sighed. I didn't bother wearing it today since it was mostly warm and I thought I didn't need it, but the oncoming night air combined with a surprisingly chilly wind was proving me otherwise.

"Do you want to run back and get it?" Wallace asked. "If so, I'll give you the key."

"Could you?" I said hesitantly. He handed me the Pokémon Center's room key card. "Fortunately it's not too far back." I smiled awkwardly, feeling foolish for not grabbing my jacket earlier or just keeping it on my person in the first place. "And you all can just go on without me. We're going to the beach, right? That isn't too far from here."

"If you insist," Wallace said. "We'll see you in a few minutes." I nodded before turning and running off.

The buildings and storefronts seemed to fly by as I ran past them, practically nothing obstructing my path. I noted that the streets of Mossdeep were surprisingly empty tonight. All the stores were either closed or just looked empty. Just how many people were going to watch the meteor shower? There were hardly any wild Pokémon about. The lack of life made things eerie, to say the least.

You know this would be faster if you just let Maverick fly you, Meteor said.

I know, but I've never really had a chance to... run like this. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Running right now made me realize how much stronger I'd become, physically, at least. It wasn't by much, but I could tell my body had become more toned since I began my journey. Walking on any ground that wasn't perfectly level no longer put me out of breath, and both jogging and running for any extended amount of time were almost easy for me. It was frankly wonderful.

In no time at all I had arrived at the end of the street, and in turn the Pokémon Center. I retrieved my jacket. Even if it had no warmth to offer me, the presence of my badges and stickpin were oddly comforting. I slipped it on and was about to go catch up with the others when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

My blood chilled, an unimaginable wave of dread crushing me in that moment. The last time I heard that voice, it was jeering my friends and me at Meteor Falls. From the alley closest to me appeared two men: Andrew and Liam. I flinched back, my breath hitching. How did they know I was here?

"When you said you saw him last week, Andrew, I thought you were joking. I didn't think you were actually right," Liam addressed his colleague.

"He would have come here sooner or later, all badge-collecting Trainers do. I thought you would have known that," Andrew said with a sneer. Liam scowled but said nothing.

My gaze frantically bounced between the two men. They had made sure to stand in front and adjacent to me, making my only avenue of escape being behind me. Liam seemed to take notice of my staring and moved closer. I reflexively moved away from him, unintentionally putting myself closer to Andrew.

"What's the matter? We would just like to speak with you," Liam said coyly.

I could feel my legs trembling, threatening to give out. But I forced myself to remain upright. You're not afraid, you're not afraid..! I prayed that somebody would see what was happening, but the streets remained empty.

"But it's a gorgeous evening, isn't it, Mr. Stone? Especially later on tonight. The Litleonids only pass by every decade or so," Andrew said, staring me down with his cold, steel-gray eyes. Hearing him say my surname so knowingly was horrifying.

I would be enjoying my evening if you weren't here, I thought.

Andrew took a step closer, and I further backed up. My back hit the wall I swore was farther away, and with a sickening twist in my gut I realized they had me trapped. I clenched my fists and hardened my jaw, trying in vain to look more brave than I actually felt.

"But it's a good thing we found you," Liam said. "Your aunt has been missing you terribly. I think it would be rather heartless to deny an invitation to visit her, wouldn't it?"

Then it seems I'm the most insensitive person here. I was finally able to speak, but what I said belied how I tried to act. "W-well, you can tell Valerie that I'm not interested," I objected weakly. I could barely talk. My heart was in my throat, and my stomach was so knotted that I felt I could be ill at any moment.

Andrew gave me a saccharine smile that rivaled Valerie's. "I'm glad you insist on being polite about this." His expression then turned dark. "But we're not giving you a choice."

   Faster than I'd ever seen anyone of his size move, Andrew lashed out and took hold of my arm, gripping it tightly. All attempts at bravery were forgone at this, and a terrified cry escaped me. I plunged my hand into my pocket where Meteor's minimized Poké Ball lay, but before I could grab it Andrew grabbed my hand and tore it away from the metal device.

"No you don't! Get his bag, and get those Poké Balls locked down," Andrew instructed Liam. "We don't need any of his Pokémon letting themselves out." Liam snatched my bag from my shoulder with one hand, releasing a puppet Gardevoir from a Poké Ball he held in the other. In an instant, my team's Poké Balls were suspended in midair above Gardevoir's hands, trapped like how Valerie's Gallade had done it.

A wave of disoriented lightheadedness came over me when Meteor's and Orbit's connections were severed. The sensation was stronger than it had been before, and this time it brought a slight pain in my head with it. I fell weak for a moment, and Andrew took the opportunity to seize me completely and bind my hands behind me. I didn't notice what he had done until the haziness had cleared, and when I did, I panicked.

"No, stop it!" I cried. "Hel—!" I was silenced by Andrew's hand covering my mouth.

"I can't have you doing that," he said. I couldn't believe this was happening. Not five minutes ago I was merely trying to rejoin my friends for one last fun night together, and now I was being kidnapped. True terror filled me, gripping my heart in an icy hold. Going on instinct, I bit Andrew's palm as hard as I could, struggling all the while. He grunted in pain before hissing, "Stop it!"

A sudden, hard blow to my jaw stopped my attempts to struggle. My eyes went wide, and my legs momentarily gave out as I was utterly stunned by the pain and shock. He just punched me... he actually just punched me..! I swore my brain had been rattled inside my skull.

"A-Andrew! What are you doing?" Liam gasped. "We brought something else for that if he didn't go quietly."

"What does it matter? He isn't really hurt." I could feel him staring down at me. All I could do was kneel slumped on my knees, stunned and in pain, tears beginning to well in my eyes. "His father was the same way, stubborn and annoying. They're more alike than they look," he muttered.

"Lady Valerie said no violence if we could help it."

"'If we could help it'," Andrew echoed mockingly. He yanked me to my feet, and a weak whimper was forced from me.

Liam looked at me from the corner of his eye, and I thought I saw him grimace for the briefest of moments. "I can't believe you would hit a child that hard..." I saw him mouth quietly, most likely whisper.

"Now let's get going. We've spent too much time out in the open!" Andrew said sharply. He began to drag me into the alleyway, where I would be truly out of sight and away from help.

I tried in vain to escape again, struggling with all my might. But Andrew was simply too strong. My welling tears finally overflowed, and they began streaming down my face. Somebody help me! I begged. Please! Please help me..! The Insurgents both froze when footsteps rang out on the street behind us. The steps came to a halt, and a gasp followed them.

"Oh my Arceus!"

We all looked to the noise, and I was filled with relief. It was Faye, standing there, looking horrified. Her face then twisted into the darkest scowl I'd ever seen.

"What the hell are you doing with Steven?" she demanded loudly, sending out Stella, her Altaria.

"Liam, stop her!" Andrew said. Liam was already sending out his Pokémon. His puppet Manetric along with an Altaria of his own materialized before us.

"Stella, Fire Blas—!"

"Manetric, use Thunder Wave on the girl," Liam spoke faster. My heart plummeted as Manetric sent off a short spark.

   Faye tried to jump away, but the electricity struck her in the leg and raced up her whole body. She didn't even have time to finish speaking before she crumpled to the ground, limp. Stella still fired off the move, which scorched Manetric, but it didn't faint.

   "Altaria, Moonblast. And Manetric, Flamethrower." Liam's Altaria was quicker, closely followed by Manetric. Stella was knocked out in almost an instant, and she collapsed in a white, feathery heap. And in an instant, my brief hope was extinguished, and a new fear took its place—fear for Faye.

Liam approached Faye and grabbed her arm, pulling her upwards, the rest of her hanging limply. Without the anger in her bright blue eyes, she could have been mistaken for a broken marionette. He snatched her purse with his free hand and emptied its contents onto the ground. Loose PokéYen and other odds and ends spilled from it along with six minimized Poké Balls.

  "Imagine if you had the chance to use your other Pokémon. We might have had some trouble." He met her smoldering gaze and his eyes narrowed. "Wait a second, I recognize you," he said slowly. He then said something that I would never forget. "You're Arietta Bellworth, the Hoenn League Champion."

   I swore time stopped when Liam finished his sentence, that Arceus mockingly granted me an extra moment to take in and comprehend what the admin had said. It couldn't have been true. Faye wasn't the Champion, she surely would have told me. I thought I knew her well enough for her to share something like that. But the look in her eyes, the shock and eventual guilt that overtook them when she looked at me, that was all the evidence I needed to shatter my disbelief. I wasn't angry with her, or sad, or any emotion in particular, I was simply numb.

   "You're serious?" Andrew looked over Faye himself. "Then I guess we can alter our plans a little. Kidnapping the son of Joseph Stone is one thing, but adding the Hoenn Champion into the equation will make this mission even more of a success." I could tell he was grinning as he spoke. "Grab the girl and her Pokémon, Liam. They're coming with us, too."

   No, no, no! Why is this happening? How did everything go so wrong so quickly? This is all my fault! Before despair could overcome me I turned my thoughts elsewhere. I knew I couldn't let this progress any further, nobody I knew needed to be dragged into whatever Valerie had planned for me. Shoving past the guilt, I tried to concoct a plan.

   I knew I couldn't get away from Andrew, he far outmatched me in height and strength. But I still had some mobility. If I acted like enough of a nuisance, then perhaps it could buy some time for Faye to shake off her paralysis and flee. It was a better plan than not having one.

I might as well go all-out, I thought grimly. My well-being was the last thing on my mind here. I glanced down at my foot and drove it into his. I then kicked it back as hard as I could into his shin. There weren't any cracks, but it definitely still hurt him.

"You brat!" Andrew snarled. I anticipated that he would try to hit me again, so I bit his hand again. This time, I made sure to draw blood. The metallic taste filled my mouth, and I almost gagged, but I continued to bite down. His hisses of pain conjured the foreign feeling of satisfaction I had felt when I intimidated the criminal shopkeeper in Lilycove but with a vile edge that unnerved me.

   "Liam, help me, would you?" Andrew snapped to his associate, who regarded him with a mock disapproving look.

    "And you insisted you could handle him," the blonde remarked blandly. "I guess I could assist you..." He smiled. "But it's entertaining to watch you struggle for once." He received a glare from Andrew, and he sighed. "Fine, give me a moment to get it."

   It? I shrugged off Liam's ominous statement and continued my annoyance by kicking Andrew's shin, not caring whether I injured him or not. By now he had given up on hurting me and tried to ignore my antics.

   "Now try to actually hold him still, why don't you?" Liam asked. This caused me to pause and glance at the second admin, only to immediately regret it. He was holding a syringe, its clear barrel filled with Arceus-knew-what.

   My purposefully irritating attempts to free myself quickly became desperate tries to distance myself from the Insurgent admins and whatever that syringe contained. But as I dreaded to accept, my struggles were fruitless.

   I gasped when I felt the needle pierce my non-injured shoulder, whimpering fearfully as the plunger was pressed down. I swore I could feel the drug tainting my bloodstream and working its way through my veins. Within seconds my vision began to grow fuzzy, and I suddenly could barely remain standing. My legs completely buckled, and Andrew found himself unwittingly supporting the dead weight of a scrawny teenager.

   "Arceus damn! Kid's heavier than he looks," he complained. I would have scowled at him if I wasn't now fighting to remain conscious. Through the haze of whatever drug or sedative I had been injected with, I glimpsed Faye still laying motionless. I forced myself to look away from her, both nausea and dread consuming me. My plan had backfired, and now I had definitely screwed us over.

   It was now a struggle to even blink without letting the encroaching blackness smother my conciousness. Black mixed with faintly white-dotted navy blue, faint yellow, and tan, painting a hideous picture before my wavering vision. It was morbidly calming to witness, so it was startling to see sudden flashes of red dominate the canvas.

   Streaks of orange molted with yellow followed the flashes. I felt myself being dropped, the impact of hitting the ground briefly restoring some of my awareness. I had a blurry view of the sky as I had fallen on my back. Then I heard a girl's voice yell out an order.

   "Use Blaze Kick on Manetric!"

   It didn't register with me who issued the command, I couldn't think straight. A second later someone kneeled down beside me. All I could make out of the muffled words they spoke was my name. I didn't have the strength to respond, nor turn my head to look at the person. But I had a feeling I knew who it was. The blackness then finally seized my sight and took it away from me, dragging my conciousness with it.

—~*~—

The first thing that struck me when I awoke was confusion. Indistinct shapes and colors swam before my vision. I blinked, clearing away some of the haze. Where I expected to have woken up where I had passed out or in the Pokémon Center, I was someplace I had never seen before.

   I was sprawled out on my side on a white-sheeted bed tucked away in the corner of a bedroom done in blues and decorated with wooden furniture that was fitting for a room of this sort. Faint noise filtered in through the wood-paneled floor, leading me to believe that I was in a multi-storied building. This did nothing to sate my confusion. How did I get to wherever this was?

   In the three seconds it took me to look around the room, I was bombarded with a maelstrom of discomfort. It was almost everything I despised feeling: lightheadedness, pain, and nausea unlike any that had sickened me in the past. I groaned, curling into a ball and clutching my roiling stomach. It was like everything within me had been upturned, turned inside out, and twisted for good measure.

   For what seemed like ages I laid there in that pathetic position, putting what little strength I had into not being sick. I didn't even care where I was now, all I could focus on was how horrible I felt.

   At some point, the churning in my gut lessened enough for me to attempt moving, the prospect of which sounded like agony. I painstakingly sat up and was met with more dizziness. Intent on remaining upright, I slumped against the wall weakly, arms still wrapped around my midsection. Whatever had been in that syringe really had some nasty side effects. Was this what a Pokémon felt like when they were afflicted with Poison?

   Pokémon... Meteor! I had been so preoccupied with my misery that he had slipped my mind. Feeling horribly ashamed for not thinking of him first, I called to out to him.

   No response, and I became concerned. I had sensed his presence since the moment I awoke, and he always responded to me. My eyes scanned the room again in search of my bag, where my team's Poké Balls were kept. When I didn't see it, a familiar pang of panic hit me.

   Meteor, where are you? I asked.

   Steven! Thank Arceus! I'm here, don't worry, he responded in his usual positive tone. To answer your question, We're in Sootopolis City. Wallace and Winona saved you and Faye, and then we escaped on their flying Pokémon. We got so lucky...

    That was such a relief to hear. I could only imagine what would be happening if we weren't saved.

   But why didn't you send me out before? I know you want to try and handle things on your own, but you can't take any chances with the Insurgents! he rebuked sternly.

I know, and I'm sorry, I apologized, feeling ashamed. I didn't know what I was thinking...

   Sorry wouldn't have helped if you're not right and they succeeded. But I'm just happy you're okay. Well, as okay as you seem to be. I can sense the negativity even from where I am.

   The sound of the room's door opening tore me from my conversation with Meteor. I feebly glanced to the interruption and saw Wallace in the doorway holding a glass of water in his hand. His presence instantly proved my worries wrong and calmed me immensely.

   "Oh, you're awake!" he sighed in relief. "Just so you know, your Pokémon are downstairs. I should have brought your bag up here because of Meteor." He held up the glass a little. "I was going to leave this here for when you woke up... Are you feeling okay?" He switched the subject when he saw how awful I looked.

   I slowly shook my head. "N-no, I'm not. For the past however many minutes, I've wanted to vomit with every breath I've taken," I stated bluntly. Wallace's face twisted in disgust, and I regretted what I said. "Sorry about my wording there, but it's the truth. I'm sure it'll be temporary though."

   "Okay, I guess that's good." He looked at the glass. "Do you still want this? Or are you feeling too sick to..."

   "I'll drink it later. Thank you," I said. He nodded and placed the water on the nightstand. I glanced at the glass' contents uncertainly. I was thirsty, but I was sure my laughably weak stomach couldn't handle anything with the state that it was in. Looking back at Wallace, I asked, "So where exactly are we?"

   "At my mother's house in Sootopolis City. We're only here because I knew it wouldn't look good if we showed up at a Pokémon Center with you unconscious. My stepfather bought that you had been accidentally struck with a Hypnosis attack while we were training near here and let you sleep it off in my room. He's... kind of gullible."

   That was one question out of the way. "What about Arietta? Is she here, also?"

   He nodded. "She's downstairs. Do you want to talk with her?"

   "Yes, please. But could I speak to her alone?"

   He looked confused for a moment but dismissed it quickly. "Sure. She'll be up in a moment."

   Faye almost seemed to appear at the door a minute later, looking both relieved and worried. "Wallace said you wanted to talk with me?" I mustered up a small, "Yes." She stepped closer. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked. I shook my head, and she took a seat on the bed beside me.

   "I—" I cut myself off to take a deep breath, suppressing the urge to be sick yet again. "S-sorry," I stuttered.

   "It's okay. He said you weren't feeling good, either. It was probably whatever that blonde man injected you with," she guessed.

   "It was worse before, but I still feel horrible," I muttered. I stiffened when I suddenly felt Faye's hand on my back, rubbing it. It was soothing, and I felt myself relax almost instantly. For a moment, I was able to forget about my nausea and feel at peace. But then a wave of sorrowful nostalgia hit me. Mom always did that whenever I felt ill back at home.

   "I'm sorry," Faye said, taking her hand away. "That was uncalled for. My dad always did that whenever me or my brother were sick. It always made me feel better, so I thought it could help you."

   "No, you're perfectly fine," I said, smiling a little. "And it actually did help a little. Thank you." And I was being truthful here.

   "I just don't like seeing you like this," Faye said quietly.

   After a minute of silence, I finally decided to broach the question I wanted to ask. "Faye, why didn't you tell me you were the Hoenn Champion?"

   "I..." She hesitated. "I don't really know to phrase this other than I didn't want you to think of me as anybody special. I... know you look up to me, Steven." My eyes widened at that. "And I love that you do, it makes me feel like I'm doing my job correctly. Champions are supposed to inspire Trainers."

   I felt my face burn when she said that. It was a tad embarrassing to know she knew I admired her.

   She pursed her lips, looking down, ashamed. "But at the same time, I don't love it. I hardly have any friends, except for my coworker Helena. And a friend who tries to actually connect with me was something I didn't think I could have. But you looking up to me is different. I want us to be friends, not a teacher and a student. I'm sorry if that hurt you in any way, but it does feel good to get it off my chest," she said with a relieved sigh. 

   "You don't have to apologize, I understand," I said. "I'm glad you told me now. Imagine how awkward it would be if you didn't say it and the next time I saw you was at the Pokémon League."

   She giggled, her expression lightening. "You're right. What was I thinking, not telling you. Now I feel so much better."

   "I like to think I'm an understanding person," I said. I then remembered I still had Faye's gift in my pocket. "But now I'm worried you may think I got you this for the wrong reason."

"Huh?"

I pulled out the tissue paper-wrapped bracelet and handed it to her. She gave me a questioning look as she unwrapped it, only for her eyes to grow wide and her mouth to drop open.

"Do you like it?" I asked. "I got it in Mossdeep yesterday with a little help from Winona. It's in return for the Lunar Wing."

"Steven it's... it's beautiful," she murmured, picking it up and examining it. "It even has an emerald inside it..." She put it on, still staring at it. "I love it!" Without warning she pulled me into a hug. For the second time I tensed under her touch, not being used to interactions like these, but I forced myself to relax. I had no reason to react adversely. I was so glad she liked it, and I was glad this conversation ended well in general.

   "Thank you. Thank you so much!" she said happily.

   For the first time that day, I could truly smile. "You're welcome, Faye."