Chapter 8: Awkward Homecoming

Being back in the town I grew up in felt strange. Aquacorde
didn't have a Pokémon gym and neither did Vaniville, the neighboring town. It
was always quiet here because trainers had no reason to come here. Santalune having
a gym and one of the most well-known trainer schools, Aquacorde was just a
small quiet place filled with would-be trainers.

            That was
before. Now, I barely recognized the place. The street was as packed as any
boulevard in Lumiose City. Trainers and battling fans could be seen everywhere
with their Pokémon.

Cassandra stood by the gas pump,
refilling the tank. Taylor was next to her rambling about something she saw on
the drive over that was apparently the most amazing thing ever. Sitting next to
her was her Absol. Abby looked at me with a blank look then turned back to
whatever she was staring at. Ian was in the store, “collecting supplies" as he
claimed. I stayed in the car, tapping my foot to a rock song playing on the
radio with Sparks in the back seat.

            Taylor appeared
at the window. “Hey, Aunt Maya, did you really grow up here?"

            I stretched
as best I could in the car seat. Even after sitting  there for so long, I didn't feel sore. I
guess I was just used to sleeping in odd positions after so long sleeping in
cars, cramped tents, and crappy hotel beds. “Don't call me that. And what are
you talking about?"

            “But you are my aunt. Whatever. You just don't
seem like a 'small-town' kind of girl."

            “Yeah,
because at thirteen you know sooo much about people."

            Taylor gave
me a sour look and went back to Cassandra. “What's her problem? She's been like
this since we left."

            “Just
ignore her," Cassandra said. “Maya tends to get…prickly when she's in a bad
mood."

            “Would it
kill her to at least smile?" Taylor grumbled. “She got to meet her long, lost
niece. I thought she'd be happier."

            “Maya
hasn't had a lot of reasons to smile the last couple of years. First her
brother disappears, then her parents get divorced, then she loses her closest
friends. Honestly, becoming Champion and founding Beacon are the only two good
things in her life."

            Sparks
barked and stuck his head out of the window.

            “Sorry, Sparks,"
Cassandra said. “You're a good thing in her life, too. But, really, you're
trainer needs a shrink."

I sighed and got out the car. “You do
know I can hear you?"

            “So?"
Cassandra said. “Anyway, you seem to be in a nastier mood than usual. What's on
your mind?"

“I haven't been home in 10 years,
and I guess I'm a little nervous."

            “Why would
you be nervous?" Taylor asked.

            I sighed.
There was no getting around it, so she might as well hear it now. “I promised I
was never coming home until I found Bryce. After I put the search on hold—I
don't know, I guess I was just embarrassed. I couldn't go home empty-handed." I
was also worried about Taylor. She reminded me too much of me; young and naïve.
She had her hopes up thinking she was going to find the other half of herself
and get the answers she wanted. I just hoped she didn't get rejected and have
her whole world crash around her.

            “You became
the Pokémon League Champion," Cassandra said. “I think your mom would be proud
of you."

            “You forget
my mom didn't want me to be a trainer in the first place."

            At that
moment, Ian came back carrying bags stuffed with potato chips, candybars and
other sweets. “Since
someone"—he shot
a disapproving look at Cassandra—“forgot to pack snacks for the road trip. I
decided to do prepare for the trip back. I think I went a bit overboard." He
dropped the bags in the back seat. Taylor immediately began digging through
them. “I can't believe I get to see your hometown, Sensei."

            “What is it
with everyone calling me things I don't like?" I asked.

            “I can
think of other things they can call you," Cassandra replied, grinning.

            I gave her
the finger and turned to Ian. “You've traveled most of the region and you've
never been to Aquacorde?"

Ian shrugged. “There's no gym or
trainer school, and the closest town to it is Vaniville which is where people
go to retire. There's no reason to go to Aquacorde."

I turned to Taylor. “Speaking of
going, why didn't you just go to Aquacorde? It can't be that hard to find out
where Bryce came from."

Taylor stuck her head out of the
window, a piece of licorice sticking out of her mouth. “After my grandfather
called my mom a slut, I didn't think they'd tell me if I showed up and asked."

Cassandra finished filling the tank
and replaced the nozzle. “Okay everyone, the tank is full, so now that Maya is
out of reasons to stall, we'll be going to her mother's. But first, I have to
pee."

I watched Cassandra walk away to
find a place with a bathroom. I started walking around the car to stretch my
legs.

       After a while, Taylor got out of the car and joined me. “Huh,
when you told me you were from, like, a quiet town I thought it would
be…quieter," she said.

            “I haven't
been back here in ten years," I said, shrugging. “Things change." It explained
at lot, but even if business had picked up, it didn't explain why
this many trainers would come to a place
that had nothing in it.

            I stopped a
trainer, a girl with short brown hair, who was walking past. “Excuse me, is
there a convention or something happening?"

            The trainer
looked confused at first, but then her eyes widened. “Ohmigosh! You're Maya
Martin, aren't you?"

            “Sorry. My
name is Maya Brown. But don't worry about it; I get confused with the Champion
a lot." It wasn't a complete lie. Brown was my mother's maiden name, but I
hoped this trainer didn't know that. Already people were stopping and staring
and whispering to each other. The last thing I needed was for a mob of people
to make a big deal out of this.

            The trainer
looked disappointed. “B-But you have a Manectric."

            “A lot of
people use Manectric. And I'm not a trainer; he's just a pet." I felt the look
Sparks gave me at being called a pet. Since he was retired, he kinda was a pet
now.

            “That's
true. I'm sorry; you just really look like her," her voice sounded drained like
a child who found out they weren't getting dessert. “Anyway, there's no
convention or anything. I just found out that Champion Maya grew up here and
wanted to check it out. I think a lot of people are here hoping to meet her."

            I looked at
Ian who shrugged. My stomach knotted. Knowing about me being Champion was one
thing, but where I grew up was not public record. I turned back to the trainer.
“Why do you care so much where the Champion lived? She's a nobody."

            The trainer
looked at me as if I just slapped her. “Maya Martin is not a nobody! She rose
up from nothing to became one of the most powerful trainers in the region. It's
because of her that I didn't give up being a trainer."

            Ian jumped
in before I could say anything. “So, Champion Maya inspired you to keep
training?"

            “People say
a lot of things about her, but it never slowed her down," the trainer said
smiling. “She's a total badass. I saw that video of her battling three Pokémon
at once and totally holding her own. Unbelievable."

            “I know!"
Taylor added. She threw a sly smile my way. “I really hope I can become as good
a trainer as her one day."

            “Anyway,
thank you for your time," I said, pushing Taylor away. It wasn't until the
trainer walked away that I finally relaxed.

            “That was
kinda rude," Taylor said. “You couldn't let her think she met the Champion?"

            “Ex-Champion,"
I corrected. “And you saw how many people were out there. That crowd would've
swarmed us." I turned to Ian. “When the hell did I become so popular?"

            “Probably
when Sharon challenged you on TV," Cassandra replied. I had no idea when she
came back, but she scared the shit outta me. “Since you're so secretive about
everything, it's made trainers want to know even more about you."

            “And after
I battle her it's only going to get worse," I sighed.

            Cassandra
shrugged. “That's the price you pay to become Champion."

            “Well, I
think it's awesome," Taylor said proudly. “My aunt is not only the League
Champion, but she's an inspiration to trainers like me."

            I rolled my
eyes and didn't comment. This wasn't what I had in mind when I chose to become
Champion. I just wanted to prove I was the strongest, not become anyone's hero.
We got back into the car and drove
the few extra blocks to my mom's apartment. I quickly walked inside before
anyone else could recognize me.

            My mom's
apartment was on the first floor. I reached to knock on the door and hesitated.
“Hey, Taylor, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I'm glad I met
you."  

            “Ugh. Now
you're getting sappy on me? I think I liked you better when you were mean."

            I smiled
and knocked on the door of my mom's apartment on the first floor. The door
opened and a man I'd never seen before appeared. He was slightly muscular from
either trying to get back in shape or starting to let go. He had a kind face
but strong brown eyes. He had the air of a trainer about him, but he also
struck me as the wise old man who sat on his porch and gave everyone free
advice.

            The man's eyes
lit up at the sight of me. “Champion Maya Martin? I'm so glad to finally be
meeting you. I've heard so much about you."

            Ex-Champion. “Actually, I'm not the
Champion. I just look like her," I said slowly. “I'm looking for Cadence Brown,
but I seem to have the wrong apartment. Sorry to bother you."

            “No, you
have the right place." The man held out his hand. “My name is Greg. It's a
pleasure to meet you. You're here to see your mother, Cadence, right? She talks
about you all the time. Not a lot of people know she's the Champion's mother.
Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I understand the need to keep a low profile.
Things have suddenly became crazy these last few days."

            I shook
Greg's hand more out of reflex than actual politeness. “Right. Uh, Greg, is my
mother home?"

            Greg
stepped to the side to let us in. “Oh, right. So sorry about that. Yes, come
in."

            I walked
inside. The place definitely had a cozy feel to it. Even though I never been
here before, the place felt like home. I half-expected to see something of Bryce's
sitting somewhere almost like a makeshift memorial, but there was nothing.

            “Hi, I'm
Cassandra, that's Ian, this is Taylor, and the Manectric is Sparks," Cassandra
said as we came in.

            “Cassandra,
huh? You wouldn't happen to be Cassandra Knowling, would you?"

            “Yes, I am.
I'm surprised you know that. I guess you heard about me from my folks?"
Cassandra was polite, but there was tension in her voice.

            Greg didn't
react. “I never met your parents, but I do know a lot about The Nine. Every
trainer who wants be someone knows about Cassandra and the Copycat Lucario."

Taylor grabbed me and shook me.
“Hold on. Are you saying that she's
the Cassandra?
I just thought she had the same name. I never thought they were the same
person! OMG! I cannot believe this! I know two of the, like, most famous
trainers in the region!"

            “Then get
it put on a t-shirt and let go of me!" I said, prying myself from Taylor's
deathgrip. I turned to Ian and saw he had a big grin on his face. “What're you
smiling at?"

            “I'm just
grateful two bigshots found time for a nobody like me," Ian said.

            “Dude, you
are not a nobody," I said firmly. “And don't let anyone try to tell you
otherwise."

Ian nodded and turned to Gred. “So,
Greg, you're a fan of Pokémon battling?" Ian was a little tense. He probably
feared Greg would recognize him as Vance's son. On the drive over, Ian told us
how is dad was the famous “Flash of Kalos" famous for his unbelievably fast Pokémon.
I was still surprised I didn't see it when I first saw him.

            “I'm more
than a fan. I'm a trainer," Greg said proudly.

            I spun around
so fast, it made my neck hurt. “What? You're a trainer?"
Seriously, Mom? After all that shit you gave me about being a Pokémon
trainer, you go out and date one?

            “I've been
happily training Pokémon for over twenty years," Greg said. “I would love it if
we could spar some time. It's not everyday you get a chance to face-off against
a Champion."

            Before I
could respond, I heard my mother's voice from the other room. “Greg, who are
you talking to?" She walked in and froze. She looked exactly as I remembered her
although a little older. She had some wrinkles and a little grey in her brown
hair, but she still had that same confident air about her whenever she entered
a room.

            “Hi, Mom,"
I said.

            My mom
rushed toward me with a huge smile on her face. I braced myself for the
crushing hug coming. I was pretty sure I heard one of my ribs break as she
wrapped her arms around me. “Maya, it's really you," she whispered, her voice
breaking.

            “Yes, it's
me. I'm sorry I haven't come by sooner."

            Mom let go
so I could breathe again. “Don't worry about it. I know Pokémon trainers need
to travel and all that." She looked over my shoulder at Cassandra and Taylor.
“Cassandra? I haven't seen you in so long. How are you?"

            “I'm good,
Ms. Brown," Cassandra said. “You holding up okay?"

            “I'm fine.
Thank you for asking. Who're your friends?"

            Ian waved.
“Hello, Ms. Brown. I'm Ian Doyle."

Taylor was half-hidden behind
Cassandra, looking ready to run at any moment. I sighed and walked over to them
and pulled Taylor out into the open.

            “This is
Taylor. She's—" Taylor gripped my arm and gave me a pleading look. “—She's a
friend."

            “It's nice
to meet you Taylor," Mom said. “And it's nice to meet you, too, Ian. So how
long have you and Maya been dating?"

I ignored Cassandra laughing into
her hand behind me and said, “Ian's not my boyfriend. He's my student."

“Oh. Sorry about that." It was
clear in her voice she was disappointed. She turned to Sparks. “And I didn't
forget you Sparks. Has Maya treated you well?"

            Sparks
barked happily in response. Mom scractch under his chin and turned to me.

            “I would
love to see Dust whenever you have a moment. I bet he's gotten much bigger
now." She turned to Greg, and I tried to keep my face neutral. “What did you
say he would evolve into again?"

            “They're
called Flygon," Greg said. “They're a ground-and-dragon-type that's very
popular with trainers, especially since they know it's the chosen Pokémon of a
Champion." He turned to Ian. “You said your last name is Doyle?"

            Ian had a
look on his face like he was caught sneaking desert before dinner. “I…yes, sir.
My father is Vance Doyle."

            Greg
laughed. “Just 'Greg' is fine. You know, I actually knew you're old man. We
used to spar together, but we lost touch over the years. I can't believe he had
a kid. How is he?"

            “He's
fine," Ian said tonelessly.

Greg took the hint and dropped the
subject. Taylor stared at everyone, her eyes wide and bright. I rolled my eyes
at her. We all sat down in the living room. I sat closest to Taylor so I could
talk to her.

            “What's up
with you?" I whispered. “I thought the whole point of this was to meet your
family."

            “I just
want to kinda ease into it," Taylor whispered back. “You can't just drop a bomb
on your mom like that."

            I rolled my
eyes. “Fine, I'll tell her when the time comes." Turning to my mom, I asked, “So
how did you two meet? The last time we spoke, you didn't mention a boyfriend."

            “And I'm
sure you've had plenty of dates I don't know about," Mom replied. She smiled
and took Greg's hand. “As for how we met, well, it's because of you actually."

            “What did I
do? I haven't been back here in years."

            “I know.
It's just that when you told me you became Champion, I told everyone who would
listen, and the whole town just got so excited. Once word got around that the
Champion came from Aquacorde, trainers started swarming this place."

            “That's
what drew me here, and how I met Cadence," Greg added. “Everywhere you go in
town, people are like 'Champion Maya used to shop here,' or 'This is where she
used to eat.' It's gotten a lot more vibrant the last few days. Probably due to
your upcoming match against Sharon."

            “So, I
turned the town into a tourist site?" I groaned.

            “Don't be
like that," Mom said. “You saved a lot of businesses. The Morgans were going to
close their restaurant if it weren't for you."

            I got she
was trying to make me feel better, but it wasn't working. My life growing up
wasn't terrible (other than the neighborhood kids teasing me about not being a
legacy), but I was a nobody. Just another kid running around with ideas of
being a bigshot trainer. There were plenty of other kids who were way more
popular and probably grew up to be someone important. The idea of people
leeching off my success just didn't sit well with me. They didn't help me with
the thousands of hours of training or the late nights of planning strategies,
so why should they get the benefits?

            “Although
I'm surprised you never mentioned you know the Knowlings, Cadence," Greg said.
“Your daughter is the League Champion, and you know the most powerful fighting-type
trainers in the region. You did really good for a woman who can't even throw a
Poké Ball."

            Mom smiled
and playfully pushed him. “You're never going to let me live that down, are
you?" I recognized that smile. She had this sort of strained, overly-polite smile
whenever she was nervous. “Is anyone thirsty? You girls had to drive a long way
to get here, right?" She headed for the kitchen before anyone could answer.

Greg turned to me with a  confused look. “Did I say something wrong?"

“Our families have been friends for
a long time," Cassandra explained. “Veronica helped Ms. Brown cope with the
divorce and Bryce disappearing. Then Ms. Brown helped her after my brother died,
but since Veronica blames Maya, things between them have been awkward."

“Who's Bryce?"Greg asked.

Cassandra snapped her mouth closed
and turned to me. I didn't know what to tell her. I didn't even know Greg
existed until this morning. Sparks sat stiffly on the floor. Ian and Taylor
became interested in their nails.

Mom came back in, carrying several
glasses filled with what I assumed was soda. She passed out the glasses then
sat down. “Okay, so where—why's everyone so quiet?"

We all sat there, holding our
glasses and refusing to look at her.

Greg spoke first. “Cadence, who is
Bryce?"

Mom looked at me. I quickly pointed
at Cassandra who slapped my hand away.

Mom sighed and sat her glass on the
table. “Bryce was my son. He was a trainer, too. One day he left, and we never
heard from him again."

“I'm so sorry," Greg said. He placed
a hand on her knee. “No one likes to talk about it, but sometimes Pokémon
training can be dangerous."

“I tried explaining that to Maya,
but she just wouldn't give up the idea her brother was still alive."

I gripped my glass. Don't react. Just let it go. “Someone
had to do what you wouldn't," I mumbled.

“I never gave up on Bryce," Mom
snapped. “But I had another child to think about."

I laughed although I didn't find
anything funny. “Really? You were thinking of me? I guess the arguing, and the
divorce, and banning me from my dream were for my benefit?"

“You really thought I would be okay
with you running off to who knows where?" Mom half-shouted. “I lost your father
and your brother, and you thought I would be okay with losing you too?"

I was on my feet. Change the subject. This isn't why you came
here.
“You weren't losing anyone! I left to bring Bryce back!"

“That is why I didn't want you to
go!" Mom was on her feet now. “Anything could've happened to you, but you couldn't
accept that your brother was gone!"

“Hey, maybe we should—" Cassandra
began.

“The rangers weren't looking for
him!" I cried. “You and Dad knew it, but you just accepted it and moved on!"

“What were they supposed to do?
They didn't even know where to look!"

Greg stepped between us. “Cadence,
please."

Mom stepped around him, still glaring
daggers at me. “You say it like you could've done a better job, but you never
found anything, either!"

Sparks licked and nuzzled my hand,
and I pushed him away. “At least I tried! I didn't just sit on my ass and drink
myself into a hole!"

My mom's face was turning red. “Would
that have made you feel better? If I just abandoned you and ran off to go look
my son?"

“Might as well have. You weren't
paying much attention to me anyway."

I saw in my mother's face my
response hit a sore spot. I wanted to feel happy knowing I got in a good one,
but instead I wished I had just kept my mouth shut.

Cassandra stepped between us. “Okay,
you've gotten some things off your chests, but let's not forget that this is
supposed to be a happy moment." She turned to me with a strained smile. “You
haven't seen your mom in years. Do you really wanna do this now?"

I turned and headed for the door. “Coming
here was a mistake." I pushed past her toward the door. When I reached the
doorway, I stopped and added, “Oh, and Taylor is Bryce's daughter. Unlike you,
I'm not ready to throw my family away and get a new one."

I left the apartment. Sparks
followed, but no one else did. My mind felt hazy as I walked down the street. People
and buildings seemed to glide past me. I didn't want to think about the fight,
but it kept replaying in my mind. What I said was harsh, and uncalled for. Mom
held on the longest. She even tried to get back with Dad once, but it didn't
work.

I wandered the streets until my
feet started to hurt then I found a place to sit down. I realized my rest stop
was the same little café I used to visit when I was a kid. Sometimes Bryce
would bring me here for ice cream then it became my hideaway when my parents
got into one of their nastier arguments. I had to smile at how I wandered back
here.

“Maya, is that you?" a voice said.

That voice sounded familiar and yet
it wasn't. I sighed and put my head on the table.
Can I just go five fucking minutes without someone recognizing me? I
turned around to see a tall man standing behind me. I didn't recognize him, but
I did recognize the Raichu he had with him. It was the same Raichu from Tyrese's
mother's days as a contest idol. The dark-orange fur on the rodent-like Pokémon
seemed to shine from the amount of care spent on it although now it looked a
little rougher. Tyrese's mother called the Raichu Sparkles (which he seemed to
hate), but we all called him Volt behind her back. Volt smiled at me and waved
its thin tail with a ligtning bolt on the end.

            “Tyrese?" I
asked. Obviously he looked a lot older since I hadn't seen him since we were
eleven. His face was hidden behind a thin beard which was why I didn't
recognize him at first. He was a lot taller, too. He would tower over me even
if I was standing up. When we were kids, he had this smug air about him. Now,
he was more mellowed out, but he still carried himself with confidence.

            Tyrese
smiled. “Yep, it's me! Hey, Maya. You look good. How's it been?"

            Great. Of all the people to run into out
here.
“I've been busy," I said flatly.

            “Yeah, I
bet. Being Champion and all."

            “Ex-Champion."

            “Not
according to Sharon. Anyway, you remember my mom's Raichu? Well, actually, he's
my Raichu now." He patted the Raichu's
head. “He decided to join me when I started my League Challenge."

            I raised a
brow at him. “Your mom actually let you use her prized Raichu for battling?"

            “She didn't
have much of a choice," Tyrese replied with a small chuckle. “When we used to
battle as kids, it turned out Volt here really liked it. He started refusing to
do contests and challenging other Pokémon in the neighborhood to battle. He
especially took a liking to Mrs. Knowling's Lucario. It's a shame she kept
kicking his ass. When I left for my League Challenge, he followed me and
wouldn't take no for an answer."

            “I bet your
mom took that news well."

            Tyrese
chuckled. “She's still pissed about it. Not that anyone cares anymore." He pulled
up a seat and sat down. I did my best not to look annoyed. “So how are things
with you? I hear you started a Pokémon sanctuary."

            “I didn't
realize people knew about that," I said in the same flat tone. I was trying not
be bitter, but I couldn't help it. Tyrese and I were never friends. He and his
friends called me names, made fun of Dust, and kept challenging me to unfair
battles. Most of our interactions ended in punches thrown and someone running
home crying. And I wasn't in the mood to talk to begin with.

            Tyrese
chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. Volt and Sparks were
picking up on the vibe because they refused to look our way.

“Hey, Maya, I just wanna say I'm
sorry for what an asshole I was when we were kids," Tyrese said. “I was dealing
with my own problems—and I know it's no excuse—but it was just easier to take
it out on you. I'm really sorry about that."

            I shrugged
and looked away. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

            “I know
'sorry' isn't really good enough, but I was just a kid."

            “And so was
I," I snapped. “Growing up, I
hated you.
You made me feel like I was nothing, like I didn't belong. And now because I
became Champion and the town is vibrant and happy, suddenly knowing Maya's
okay."

            “You being
Champion has nothing to do with my apology," Tyrese said firmly. “I mean it. I was
angry because my mom was paying more attention to Volt than me. Taking my
frustrations out on you was not okay. I just wanted you to know that."

            I refused
to look at him or respond. I had stopped caring about Tyrese and his friends
picking on me. All their taunts about me being trash and never becoming a good
trainer, and I became the Champion.

            “Well,
whatever. Like you said, we were kids," I said before walking away.

Tyrese jogged up next to me. “So,
how long are you going to be in town for? Maybe we could catch up if you have
some free time. Y'know, start over and maybe be friends?"

I stopped and looked at him. “Are
you seriously hitting on me?"

“No, no, I just wanted to make up
for being a dick all those years ago. I won't lie: you are attractive, but I
kinda shot any chance I might've had a long time ago."

“You got that right. But why do you
have to be friends with me? Isn't the apology good enough?"

Tyrese started playing with his hands.
“Damn. You've gotten real paranoid over the years. But now that you mention it,
I kinda run a small youth outreach program. Y'know teach trainers-to-be the ins
and outs of Pokémon training before they get their license. They would love a
chance to hear some advice from a Champion." He then quickly added. “But that
has nothing to do with my apology. I really am sorry."

“Ex-Champion. And I'll think about
it. I got a lot on my plate right now." I had no intention of going. I wasn't
about to pass on my bad habits to the next generation.

“Yeah, I saw the current Champ
challenge you on TV. Look, whenever you get a moment, just give me a call."

I half-listened while Tyrese gave
me his number before walking away with Sparks.
Is there anywhere I can go now where I can be left alone? When I came
here, I didn't expect to be reminded of all the things I hated. Just for a
little bit, I want to pretend my life the past couple years didn't suck.

There was hill on the outskirts of
town, just before reaching Route 3. Patrick, Neil, and I used to go there and
have practice battles. Our parents hated when we went up there because it
bordered on the Santalune woods and some of the older kids who didn't become
trainers would go there to drink.

The hill was abandoned like I'd
hoped. The ground had recovered a bit from our practice matches. The fake
battlefield we had created was overgrown with grass. The grass had grown long
and wasn't trambled meaning no one had been here in months, maybe longer. Sparks
sniffed at the ground and looked around.

Suddenly, I felt something was
wrong. I turned just in time to see a torrent of water heading our way from the
forest. I leapt to the side avoiding the attack and scraping my knee on the
ground. Sparks jumped in front of me, growling and facing our unseen attacker.

A young woman looking about my age
came running toward us through the trees. She had short dark hair that was
still curly despite being wet. “Are you okay? I'm so, so sorry. I was training
with my Pokémon, and I didn't see you until you walked up."

I wanted to tell the woman I was
fine, but I was too busy staring at the Pokémon behind her. It was a large
canine Pokémon with sky-blue fur and large purple mane. A large, deep blue
crystal in the shape of a hexagon sat in the middle of its forehead. It had
proud red eyes that looked at me apologetically. The Pokémon had to be a
legendary Suicune, but I only ever saw artists' drawings of them. It was still
amazing how accurate the drawings were. Sparks even stopped growling and
stared.

The woman looked back at the
Suicune then back at me and smiled. “Yeah, that's a Suicune. His name's North."
She offered to help me up. “My name's Claire. And I'm really sorry about the
whole 'almost hitting you' thing."

I took Claire's hand and pulled
myself up. “Don't worry about it. It's not like you were aiming for me. My
name's Maya, and this is Sparks."

Claire tightened her grip. “Maya,
huh?"

“Before you say it, no, I'm not that Maya. I get confused with her a
lot."

Claire studied my face as if
deciding whether to believe me or not then eyes moved to Dust's Poké Ball
around my neck. Finally, she shrugged and said, “I guess I should consider
myself lucky then. I heard Champion Maya can be pretty nasty."

“I don't think anyone would be
pissed about almost being drowned by a Suicune," I said jokingly. “So what were
you doing in the woods anyway?"

“Practicing using North in a closed
space. He uses mostly long-ranged attacks, so I need him to practice in a place
where there isn't a lot of open space."

“That's pretty smart. Anyone who
tries to get in close will be caught off-guard."

“Yeah, that's what I thought. My
boyfriend told me not a lot of people come up this way, so I figured I could
just let loose." She sighed and kicked at the grass. “I should've been paying
more attention this close to city limits."

“You're not gonna stop apologizing
for that are you?"

“If could've been really bad if you
got hit."

“But I wasn't hit, and I'm not
holding a grudge." My knee hurt from scraping it on the ground, but I figured
it was better not to mention it. “Anyway, I was just looking for a place to think
for a moment, so I'll let you get back to training."

“Actually, I was about to take a
break anyway and have lunch. You can join me if you want; I have more than
enough."

“And in return, you want me to keep
my mouth shut about today's accident, right?" I asked smiling.

Claire smiled back. “If you don't
mind."

Claire already had a spot set up
under a tree. We sat down and started eating. She had sandwiches made and
treats for her Pokémon. I didn't have much of an appetite, but I ate anyway or
else Claire would think I was upset with her. Claire didn't release the rest of
her team and neither did I.

Claire did most of the talking. I
learned a lot about her. Her family was from Kanto and she was the first in her
family to become a trainer.  Her family
were mostly breeders, but she wanted to train Pokémon instead. She wanted to
become the Champion in as many regions as possible and was saving her home
region for last. I was curious about how she captured a Suicune, but it never
came up.

Finally, I couldn't hold back
anymore. “Seriously, where did you find a Suicune?"

Claire smiled. “So you do talk. I
was starting to feel like I was the only one speaking."

I laughed, too. “I don't really
talk much, and the last few conversations I had didn't end well. Now stop
avoiding my question."

“Wow, you're a bossy one." Claire
petted North's snout. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. “I found him
in the woods badly hurt. I bandaged him up and kept bringing him food until he
was strong enough to move again. But I am a trainer, and I couldn't just let
this chance slip by. So, I asked him to join my team and he did."

I chewed my food and nodded in
silence. She was lying. That was the same as the story I read all the time as a
kid. A young trainer found a Suicune injured in the woods and nursed it back to
health. The Suicune learned to trust humans again and the two became friends. Most
trainers would jump at the opportunity to brag about a rare Pokémon they found.
If Claire wasn't telling, it meant she found North by doing something other
people couldn't know about. But if she were a poacher, she would've sold it. A
rare Pokémon like Suicune was worth too much not to.

“Okay, I think we've talked about
me enough," Claire said. “Now it's your turn. How'd you get your Manectric?"

“Fair enough. Sparks was my uncle's
Pokémon. He's been in the family for a long time. After my uncle retired, he
gave Sparks to me. Said he'd feel better knowing someone was looking out for
me."

“Tell me about it. Traveling alone is
rough sometimes. No one likes to admit it, but any number of things can happen
to us out there. Like the trainers disappearing lately has everyone on edge."

“Wait, what?"

“You didn't know? Well, it hasn't
made the news, but everyone's talking about it. It's been six trainers in the
last two months. People are saying there's some kind of trainer stalker out
there."

“Do you believe that?"

Claire shrugged. “No. I think these
trainers just went out for training or something. The League Tournament is in a
few weeks. They probably went to train somewhere in secret."

I nodded and played with Dust's
Poké Ball.
If someone really is going
after trainers, could that be what happened to Bryce? But I never heard
anything about a trainer stalker when I was looking for him. And how could
anyone be taking down trainers without anyone hearing about it?

Claire's voice snapped me out of my
thoughts. “That's a cool Poké Ball. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.
Where'd you get it?"

“It was a gift from my brother. I
don't know where he got it, but I heard the Poké Ball emporium in Lumiose City
does custom jobs."

“Yeah, my boyfriend bought custom
balls for my whole team." She held up a Poké Ball with a wavy blue design on
it.

“You have a nice boyfriend. You
leave him back in Kanto?"

“He's from Kalos actually. He's a
great guy, but sometimes I feel like he's only trying to compensate for making
us keep our relationship a secret."

I raised a brow at her. “Are you
sure you're his only girlfriend?" I was joking. Kinda.

Claire laughed. “He's not that
kinda guy. The reason is because his family is pretty famous, and he doesn't
want it to affect me."

“And how is acting like you're
having an affair supposed to help?"

“You know how other trainers are.
They'll start saying shit like I only got as far as I did because of his
family's connections. I've seen how other people react to him. That's why I
went along with it."

“People are gonna talk shit anyway.
When you choose to reveal your relationship isn't gonna make a difference.
Sounds to me like your boyfriend's doing it for himself."

“No offense, Maya, but you don't
know him." Anger was creeping into her voice. Our Pokémon lifted their heads
from their bowls.

“I know enough," I replied, trying to
keep my voice neutral. “He's so afraid of what people will think, he can't
admit he's in a relationship."

“People can be real assholes,"
Claire stated.

“Which is why you shouldn't give a
fuck," I said firmly. “People will find a reason to talk shit about you, so why
base everything you do around how other people will react? You don't need to
advertise it, but you shouldn't be hiding it either. Who you date is your
business."

Claire folded her arms across her
chest. “You an expert on love now?"

I looked at her with a straight
face. “I just won't let anyone tell me what I do and don't deserve."

Claire dropped her arms and her
expression softened. “Sounds like you've had to deal with that a lot."

“No offense, but I barely know you.
I'm not about to start rambling on about my feelings to a perfect stranger."

“It ever occur to you that maybe
talking to a stranger is easier?" Claire asked. “Sometimes it's easier to talk
to someone who doesn't have a clear opinion of you."

Sparks nuzzled my hand. It was clear
he was urging me to talk to her. I sighed and patted his muzzle. “Fine. I came
home for the first time in years, and I barely recognize the place. Everyone
treats me like some sort of hero, but I'm not. I'm selfish, I take my anger out
on people, and I can't seem to do anything right. I wanted to give my mom some
peace of mind, and instead I…I said some hurtful things."

“Family reunion gone wrong, huh? Well,
you'll make up with her eventually."

I tilted my head. “Wait, that's the
only advice you got for me?"

North licked his trainer's hand.
Claire scratched him under the chin. “My grandfather used to be a criminal. He used
to run a breeding scam on trainers and even smuggled Pokémon. Every chance he
gets, he tells us stories about all the illegal things he did. He would say: 'I'm
telling you what I did wrong, so you'll get it right.' I used to wonder why my dad
even still talked to him after all the things his father's done."

“Lemme guess: your father told you
to always put family first no matter what?"

“No. He said anyone who regrets
their actions is someone worth forgiving. I try to stand by that. My grandfather
was telling me about the things he'd done so I wouldn't go down the same road
he did."

“I'm not getting the moral of this
story."

Claire laughed. “The point is nobody's perfect,
and you shouldn't expect them to be. I'm pretty sure your mom knows you trying
to do the right thing. She might be a little angry at you now, but she'll talk
to you again."

I nodded and looked up at the sky. The
sun was setting and painted the sky a violent orange color. The bright redness
of the sky clashing with darkness of night always created a sense of calmness
for me.
As long as it comes from a place
of love, all will be forgiven? But what if someone crosses a line they can't
come back from, even if it's from a place of love?
“Thanks for the advice,
and the meal," I said. “Listen, it's gonna get dark soon, then the bug-types
will start coming out. I'm gonna back into town."

Claire stood up and brushed off her
jeans. “Yeah, I might as well get back, too. Want a lift? North can carry two.
I just a minute to pack up."

“I appreciate the offer, but I
think I'll walk back. I want to think some more. You need any help cleaning up?"

Claire waved me away. “Don't worry
about it. Go, and think. Hope you work things out with your mom."

“Well, it was nice meeting you. You, too, North."
I started the long walk home. It was dark by the time I got back home. The
streets were a little quieter now. No one gave me a second glance. I thought
about a lot of things on the way. Mainly what Claire had said about her grandfather.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if anyone knew about my past.

No one gave me a second glance.
When I got to the building, I recalled Sparks to his Poké Ball and went inside.

            I stood in
front of my mom's apartment, thinking of the best way to apologize. I reached
up to knock when the door opened. Mom stood on the other side of the doorway.
Her face was still wet from crying and her eyes were puffy.

            “Mom, I—"

            She wrapped
her arms around me. “Maya, I am so sorry. Cassandra told me everything. You
were still holding on to everything all this time. You were so strong I just
assumed you had moved on."

            I returned
the hug. “I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean what I said."

            We went
inside and went to the kitchen, passing by Ian asleep on the couch.

“Cassandra and Taylor are in the spare
room," Mom whispered. “They wanted to wait until you got back, but I think they
were all tired after such a long drive. We set up a cot for you in the other
room when you're ready."

In the kitchen I sat at the table
while my mom got us glasses of water. It wasn't until I sat down that I
realized how tired I was. Sitting in the middle of the table was an old book. I
almost laughed when I saw that same ugly Purrloin-shaped clock on the wall. It
was the only thing in the apartment that came from the house. It was then I
realized that she had been burying her feelings too.

I looked at the book on the table. Most
of the pages had turned yellow with age and were falling out. The faded words
Rules of a Trainer were written on the
cover.

            I groaned
at the sight of the old book. “You still have that?"

            Mom touched
the cover, staring at it like it were priceless. “Of course. I remember how you
and your friends were always carrying this thing around. I was surprised you
left it behind."

            “I didn't
want it to get messed up." I was shocked I could say that with a straight face.

            “Well, I
used to read it when I was wondering if you were okay. The things you and your
friends wrote in this book. It showed me just how much being a trainer meant to
you."

            It was
supposed to make me feel better, but it was more of a gut punch. I wondered how
she would react if she knew about how I acted during the early years of
training or why I stepped down from being Champion.

            “Listen, can
we finish this in the morning?" I asked, hoping to avoid another awkward
conversation. “It was a long drive here, and I'm pretty tired."

            “Sure. We
can talk in the morning. The guest room is the second door on the right."

            “Got it. I'll
finish drinking this and head to bed. Good night."

The moment Mom left, I started leafing
through the book. We were just kids when we made up half of those rules, but I
agreed with some of them. It sounded like what the ideal trainer should be.
Always being kind to Pokémon, always remembering they were friends, always
enjoying Pokémon battles. Looking back, I wondered how many of those rules I actually
followed over the years. I feared there were times I crossed the line with my
Pokémon but always talked about the kind of trainer I didn't want to be. Was I
actually being that trainer, or was it just self-righteous bullshit? I thought
back to my first reaction to seeing Sharon on TV. What right did I have to
decide what kind of trainer she was based on her appearance? She didn't act
like a trainer, but I couldn't tell someone how to look like one.

            I looked up
when I heard someone walking in and saw Cassandra. I looked at the
Purrloin-clock on the wall and noticed I had been up all night.

            “Hey, Maya,
I just wanted to say I'm real sorry for yesterday," Cassandra said.

            I closed
the book and slid it off the table into my lap. “Don't be. We're were gonna
wind up arguing anyway. I inherited my mom's stubbornness. Even when I was
young, we butted heads a lot. I guess I sometimes forget it's coming from a
place of love."

            “Doesn't it
always?" Cassandra went to the fridge and pulled out a jug filled with tea. She
poured herself a glass then sat down at the table. “If your parents tell you
what not to do, it means they care what happens to you." She leaned back in her
seat and looked at the wall. “I don't remember seeing you go to bed. You were
up all night?"

            “Been
thinking about stuff. Y'know, I have about two days before my match with
Sharon. I could use a sparring partner to make sure my team is in-shape."

            Cassandra
nodded. “I can do that. So you're really going through with it?"

            “I kinda
have to. You saw what it's like here. Everyone is so proud of me. If I turn
down a battle request from a Champion, they'll think I'm stuck up. But I still
don't care if I win or lose. I'll give it everything I got, but I'm done
treating every battle as if my life depends on it."

            “I was actually
talking about all that you stuff you said before about challenging The Nine and
accepting the invitation to the Battle Chateau. League Champion, Grand Duchess,
one of The Nine. You do realize holding all three of those titles will make you
the most powerful trainer in the region? You sure you can handle that kind of
weight?"

            I shrugged.
“What weight? I just wanna battle the strongest trainers; I don't care about
the titles."

            Cassandra
leaned back in her seat, her face serious. “Y'know, I said the same thing when
I decided to travel the world and challenge the most powerful fighting-type
trainers. I was only doing it to piss off my parents. Next thing I knew, people
were saying I was one of The Nine and I was getting so much attention."

            “Is that
why you choose to hide yourself in the middle of the woods?" I asked. “I know
you care about Beacon, but I can tell you're bored."

            “I realized
that once you stand at the top, there's always going to be someone wanting to
knock you off. I just wanted to prove to Veronica that I was a good trainer,
and Lucien wasn't a mistake. I realized I shouldn't take the crown if I didn't
want to wear it. Now I'm stuck with a title and a reputation I never wanted.
Lucien doesn't even like battling. He only did it because I wanted to."

            She leaned
forward and looked me in the eye. “You should think about what you're battling
for and why you're doing it. What will you do when you become the strongest?"

            I never
thought about it. Becoming Champion was about fulfilling a promise. Every time
I battled it was because I had something to prove or something to earn. Whoever
challenged me always had a reason. No one battled just for fun anymore. I was
always told Pokémon were friends and not tools, but was battling just to
further an agenda any different than treating them like tools?

            I ran my
hand over the worn cover of the book in my lap.
What are my Pokémon to me? I stood up and went to grab my Poké
Balls. “Cassandra, can you come with me?"

            Cassandra
quietly followed me outside. I wanted to go back to the hill, but it was too
far away so I found a quiet side street and released my whole team. They looked
around confused and turned to me.

            “I want to
ask you all something. All these years we've been battling, I've pushed you to
your limits and made you travel with me. But I wasn't battling for fun; I was
doing it for my own selfish reasons. I know I haven't been the nicest trainer—"

            “Or
friend," Cassandra added.

            I sighed
and gave her a you're-not-helping look. “—or friend, but I'm done asking you to
battle for me instead of with me. I want to continue to battle and push our
limits and see how far we can go, but I don't want to do it for fame. I want to
do it because it's fun. That sound good?"

            My team
looked at each other, looking more confused than ever. They spoke to each
other, and although I couldn't understand what they were saying, it didn't
sound good.

            “They're
saying—" Cassandra began.

            I held up a
hand to stop her. I didn't bring Cassandra to translate. I needed to hear their
voices myself.

            Dust was
the first one to answer me. He walked up to me and stopped. For a moment, we
just stared at each other. I tried to figure out what he was thinking, but his
eyes were blank.

            Finally, he
reached out and carefully removed his Poké Ball from its chain around my neck.
He turned it over in his claws then pressed the button in the center. The ball
opened and pulled him inside and fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

            The others
stared with the same blank expression. I lined up the remaining balls on the
ground next to Dust's.

            Sunny flew
over, said something to me in Pokémon, then pressed the button her ball. Maude
came over and smiled at me with that wicked grin of hers then pressed the
button on her ball. Abor walked up, followed by Aqua. They both barked
excitedly before pressing the button on their balls. Sparks walked up, giving a
look as if saying
“Did you really need to
ask?"
then pressed the button on his ball.

            I turned to
Dorian. He still stood there, staring. I stared back. Dorian wasn't caught
until after I became Champion, so I wasn't too sure how he felt about me. After
that incident with the Sylveon, I hadn't really used him in a battle, and when
I did, the battles were always short.

            He walked
up and sat down in front of his Poké Ball. The look in his eyes was the same
one the day he first joined my team.

            “I didn't
forget my promise," I told him. “And your answer won't change a thing."

            Dorian
tapped the button on his Poké Ball and it pulled him inside. I smiled and
started collecting my team.

“You got my back on all of this,
right?" I asked.

            “Maya,
you're like a little sister to me, and if I stood by you all this time, why
would I leave now?" Cassandra said. “By the way, what did you promise Dorian?"

            I picked up
his Poké Ball and clipped it to my belt next to the others. After making sure I
wasn't crying, I faced Cassandra. “I promised I wouldn't abandon him. I
wouldn't abandon any of them."

            “What would
you've done if they said no?"

            I shrugged.
“Can't battle without a full team."

            “So you
really just based the future of your battling career on whether or not your
Pokémon agreed to come with you?" I raised a brow at her and she quickly added,
“I'm not judging. I would do the same thing. What I don't get is why you did it."

            I thought
of the book I left in the kitchen. “I…I needed to know I earned the right to be
a trainer. My Pokémon are with me because they want to be."

            “Well, I
think you got your answer," Cassandra said.