The Chasm

To JC and Cameron, Jubilife City was enormous. The two boys whose idea of a large city was the quaint Sandgem town were embarrassing the girls as they gawked at the lofty skyscrapers and hundreds of people, completely in awe.

“Can you please act a little more civilized?” Dawn urged, hiding her face, “People are starting to stare…”

“Everything’s just so HUGE!” JC exclaimed, craning his neck back to try and see the top of one of the tall buildings. “I’d heard Jubilife was big… but man! I’ve never seen anything like this!” He and Cameron both ran from storefront to storefront, pressing their faces to the glass as they got their first taste of the big city.

“Ohh…” Dawn groaned, rubbing her temples.

“I’ll take care of this,” Kira assured her, slipping next to JC and gently taking his hand. “Come on, Jemkyn; let’s go check in at the Center!”

“Oh, okay…” he said as his attention quickly shifted to their clasped hands. Cameron, Dawn and Serina quickly followed after them, but after 20 minutes of Kira leading them up and down nearly every street and cross-street, their legs began to get tired.

“Um, Kira, I don’t mean to be rude,” JC started, “But do you know where you’re going?”

“Of course,” she said, “To the Pokémon Center!”

“And do you know where that is?” Cameron asked from behind, prompting Kira to stop suddenly and touch a finger to her chin as she looked around the enormous city in confusion.

“Oh… No! I don’t!” she said, quite surprised at her own answer.

Serina laughed loudly to herself, “How amusing! She is utterly lost!”

Kira turned angrily to her, “Well at least I’m trying! Why don’t you tell us where it is, oh wise one?!”

Serina stiffened, “I—I do not need to prove anything to you!” she said, turning her nose to the sky.

“Girls, please,” Dawn finally interrupted, stepping in between them. “Just follow me.” She moved the whole group one street over, stopping in front of the familiar Pokémon Center insignia.

“HA!” Kira shouted, pointing at Serina, “I knew I could find it!”

“You still did not locate it on your own,” Serina retorted, “And I still call that a failure.”

Kira glared angrily at her, her fists clenched in fury. JC looked to her and then Serina, finally throwing his hands up and walking into the Center. Dawn shook her head and followed him in with Cameron in tow, leaving the two girls standing at the open door. Completely absorbed with one another, they both glared at the other, a sly grin slowly creeping onto Kira’s face.

“Oh Jemkyn, let’s make sure to get our room together…” she cooed sweetly, purposefully flipping her braid at Serina before entering the Center.

Serina gasped in shock, “Do not just leave me out here!!” She stomped in after them, seeing Kira already sliding her arm around JC’s. She looked back at Serina and batted her eyes, poking out her tongue in a manner more vengeful than playful.

“Welcome to the Pokémon Center!” Nurse Joy greeted them, her exuberant welcome barely covering Serina’s deep growling. “Would you like to rest your Pokémon with us today?”

“Not now,” Dawn said, assuming her usual position as leader of the group, “But we would like a room for a day or two.”

“Of course,” Joy bowed, “Let me get that taken care of for you!” She turned to her computer and went to work, her fingers flying over the keys, “Now, will that be one suite for all of you, or would you prefer to be divided up?”

“The one is fine,” Dawn confirmed, handing her Trainer Card to the Nurse. Joy tapped it to the reader, her eyebrows rising as she gave the same reaction as her sister on route 202.

“Oh! Ms. Berlitz! What a pleasure to have you here with us today! Now I’ll just need the names of your companions…”

“That’d be Cameron Suou, JC Kalmikov, Kira Fuego and a Miss Serina.”

JC leaned over and whispered to Cameron, “Wait, did you ever catch Serina’s last name?”

“Nope,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “Between the hat and the bag, she’s probably too weird for one.”

The two laughed under their breath until their eyes met Serina’s angry stare, then they both suddenly went silent.

“Well that’s quite a group!” Nurse Joy said, completing their reservation. “Everything’s taken care of and you’re ready to go! Your Trainer Cards will act as a card key to the room: number 67.”

“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” Dawn said again, heading for the stairs next to the counter. 

“Thanks!” the rest of them added in unison, following close behind.

Joy nodded with a smiled, “My pleasure. I hope you enjoy your stay!”

They all followed Dawn up the few flights of stairs and then down a hall, ending at a room with a golden ‘67’ posted next to the door.

“This looks like us,” Dawn said, tapping her card to the pad on the door. The lock made a loud ‘click’ and the door opened by itself, allowing the group to file into the spacious room and take in the unexpectedly luxurious air.

“Wow,” Cameron said, not as much excited as he was impressed. “I did not expect this from a Pokémon Center! Are all the rooms this… fancy?”

“Not even close,” Dawn laughed as she tossed her bag onto the floor, “People like us get… special treatment. These sorts of rooms are reserved for those with a name for themselves.”

“Isn’t that a little unfair?” JC asked.

“Nope!” she answered, plopping down on a couch, “We get what we get; just enjoy it!”

JC sighed, taking her advice and checking out the room for himself. It was nothing to scoff at, even for him; the furnishings were all top of the line: there was a large sitting area with couches and chairs, a bathroom the size of his back at home and two bedrooms with king beds set against opposite walls. The view wasn’t bad either as their wall-length window offered a magnificent view of the Jubilife skyline.

He moved over to the window as the rest of the group began unpacking their belongings, staring out the window at the flocks of people rushing below them. After a minute or two Serina managed to slip from her room and avoid the work, instead sidling up to JC and resting her head on his shoulder.

“It is a beautiful city, is it not?” she said, joining him in staring out at the skyline. “Although, I doubt this room comes close to rivaling what you are used to.”

“Oh, no,” he shrugged, “It’s just perfect. To be honest I never envisioned this kind of pampering when I would daydream about my journey. It’s actually a little much…”

She glanced up at him curiously, “Are you telling me you would rather be out camping in the woods than soaking in a hot bath in here?”

“Kind of, yeah,” he smirked, laughing to himself at her choice of comparison. “But our nights out camping were pretty simple, so I’ve probably only got a romanticized view.”

“I see. So this has been your first time camping?”

“Yeah,” he blushed, “My father was more one for business than nature, so Vika and I never had that experience…”

“Vika?”

“His younger sister,” Kira interjected, occupying JC’s available side. “Being born into a wealthy family sure has its consequences,” she sighed, resting her arms on the wide windowsill.

“So true,” JC nodded, remembering his suspicion about Serina’s last name. “Speaking of which; what’s your family like, Serina?”

Serina perked up, caught off guard by the question. “My family?” she asked, staring blankly at the cityscape.

“Yeah, you know, like your mom and dad…?” he laughed.

“Father… and mother…” she said softly, her voice barely escaping her lips. Almost too slow to notice, her hand moved to her small bag and caressed it gently, a warm smile coming across her face.

“They… are no longer with me. They died many years ago while protecting our city.”

“Protecting?” Kira asked, “From what?”

Serina’s eyes continued to stare out across Jubilife City, “Our home was attacked by an evil creature. My father and mother both fought bravely to protect everyone, but they were killed in battle leaving my brother and I alone. Their sacrifices ultimately led to Alto Mare’s victory.”

“I’m so sorry,” JC comforted, putting an arm around her. “I had no idea…”

“You have a brother?” Kira added plainly.

“I do remember them though,” she continued with a hopeful tone to her voice. “My father… he was very strong. I can remember when I was little how he used to put me on his back and run me around. And my mother was very kind and caring. She would always call us her ‘little angels’ in an Alto Maran language from long ago. She was funny like that…”

“I’m really sorry,” JC comforted, holding her against him. “I’m surprised I never heard about this happening. I mean, it wasn’t that long ago if it happened while you were alive, right?”

“Seriously, there’s someone else out there just like you?” Kira continued, still in her own conversation.

“Alto Mare tends to keep to itself,” she quickly dismissed, “I am sure news of the incident simply never made it to your country.”

“I guess that’s possible,” JC shrugged, felling a little ashamed at having just complained about being too rich…

“But I am hungry now,” Serina announced, moving away from them and adopting her usual air. “Let us go and get something good to eat!”

JC chuckled a little at her sudden switch, but he couldn’t shake the feelings of pity that still lingered. He kindly took Serina by the arm, a gesture that wasn’t lost on her.

“I could go for that,” he said, smiling brightly as her warm eyes met his. “Come on, Kira!”

Annoyed but understanding the situation, Kira reluctantly let Serina continue, taking JC’s other arm in hers. “Alright; what’s you have in mind?”

◄►

The search for a place to eat was more difficult than they’d expected, mainly because Serina’s entitled attitude gave her authority to strictly dictate where they could and couldn’t eat. So, after quite an exhaustive search the group finally found a place they could all agree on, albeit a rather busy one. The restaurant was packed, but luckily Dawn’s street skills came in handy once again: she slipped the Maître de a few folded up Pyen, and before long they were seated and indulging their taste buds in a very tantalizing meal.

“Is there anything else I can get for you all?” their server asked, checking in rather frequently on his well-to-do patrons. He was met with an array of pleased sounds, not one of them able to eat another bite.

“No, thank you,” Dawn finally answered in an actual language. “I’ll take the check though, please.”

“Very well,” he bowed, returning quickly with the small black folder. Dawn opened it, the thin screen lining its interior lighting up to display her bill. She tapped her trainer card to the folder despite others in the group vying to pay, shaking her finger at them.

“It’s my treat! Trust me: even if we were to eat out every day for the rest of our lives, I could handle it.”

They all laughed at her joke, knowing very well the plus side to being rich. And after leaving a rather generous tip they were back out on the sidewalks, weaving their way through the crowds of busy city-people.

“It’s so cool to be in the city!” JC said excitedly, still gawking at the tall buildings. “I just can’t believe it took us that long to get here!”

Dawn shook her head, “Well you’d better get used to it; route 201 is pretty short in comparison to the rest of Sinnoh. But…” she added, switching gears, “You know what you guys absolutely have to do while you’re here? The one thing Jubilife City’s known for!”

“Ooh, what?” the boys asked eagerly as they drew closer to her.

“Shop!” Dawn said loudly, laughing at their expected disappointment.

“Aw,” Cameron sighed, “I thought you were going to suggest something interesting…”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” she urged, giving him a peck on the cheek. “I’ll even take the girls with me so that you two can shop in peace.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Actually, Cam, there’s probably some really cool stuff in a city this big…” JC added, siding with Dawn. As a member of the vice-president of Silph’s family, his eyes were already jumping from one electronics storefront to the next.

“Yeah, I guess…” Cameron sighed again, following JC through a crowd of people, “See you guys later.”

“B-but! That is not fair, Dawn!” they heard Serina cry behind them, “I do not want to spend the day with her!”

“Likewise…” Kira groaned.

The boys couldn’t help but laugh at their companions, their whining reminding JC and Cam that a few hours of freedom wasn’t a bad thing. And as it was the first time they were without company in several days, the two best friends found themselves with a lot to talk about as they popped from store to store along the strip.

“Man, I can’t believe I haven’t caught another Pokémon!” Cameron groaned loudly, “So not cool!”

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll get one,” JC assured with a smile. “You’ve never let me stay ahead of you for long.”

“True,” he grinned, glancing through a store window at a few items. Apparently uninterested, he moved along, JC following alongside him.

“So you and Dawn seem pretty happy together,” JC said, resuming the conversation. “She really seems to have taken a liking to you…”

“Well we all knew it was bound to happen,” Cameron said, completely serious, “There was no way she could resist what was meant to be!”

“Right…” JC shrugged, shaking his head. “So then what’s up with you and Serina?”

“Psh, nothing’s ‘up’ with that kid; why would I be interested in someone like her? Besides, isn’t she your girl?”

JC’s eyebrows rose, “My girl? Since when?”

“I mean she’s always hanging off of you in one way or another! It’s pretty obvious.”

“Well I could say the same about you; the way you guys are always picking at each other just screams flirting! Besides, Kira and I are… well, you know.”

“Hm… So I guess we’ve decided that she just wants anyone she can get?” Cameron proposed, his face breaking into a smile. JC followed suit, and soon they were both laughing harder than they had in a while.

After grabbing some drinks at a vending machine they continued down the line, the both of them overwhelmed at the amount of products they’d never seen before. With Jubilife City being one of Sinnoh’s largest metropolitan areas, there were wares from nearly every region represented at one store or another. JC and Cameron marveled at some of the latest gadgets from Unova, the region clearly deserving its title as Shia’s technological leader. Beautiful pottery and jewelry from Almia could be found in several different stores, always secured inside glass display cases. Clothes from Johto and Hoenn filled a variety of high-end boutiques, and bright colored fruits and other foods lined countless outdoor markets, all imported from Sinnoh’s closest neighbor, Oblivia.

“Let’s stop in here,” Cameron said, pointing towards a less conspicuous shop.

“Man, we’ve already hit up one like that; let’s move to the next one!”

“Nah…” he said, peering in through the window, “I just have a good feeling about this one…”

“Fine,” JC shrugged, following his friend into the store. The shelves were piled high with merchandise, most of it old and dusty, and he sneezed the minute he tried to look closely at an item. Cameron made his way through the aisles like a man on a mission, finally stopping at the counter where something shiny caught his eye. It was a large stone, polished and faceted, and it reflected the low overhead light with a pale blue hue.

“You have good taste,” the shop owner said, following his gaze. “That there’s a Dawn Stone.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Cameron said, “A Dawn Stone? Okay, I have to have that…”

“Whoa there,” he said, opening the case. “I’ll let you look at it, but these babies are a little outside your everyday Trainer’s budget.”

“Price doesn’t matter to me,” he replied quickly, catching the owner off guard. He took the stone, examining its quality before saying “I’ll take it.”

“Of course you will,” the man scoffed, taking the stone and laying it delicately inside a lined box. “You can pay right here,” he added, motioning towards a scanner.

Cameron did as he was told, and the owner quickly hid his surprise as the payment cleared.

“Right, well… be sure to take proper care of it! It’s not a toy you know!” he called after them as they walked through the door.

“Oh, I will,” Cameron smiled, holding his new box tightly.

◄►

“So why’d you buy that?” JC asked him as they made the short walk to Jubilife’s central park for a break.

“Um, hello? It’s a Dawn Stone,” Cameron said as they sat down on a bench, “How could I not buy it?”

“Oh, right,” JC laughed at him.

“Plus, I think it’ll make a great gift for Dawn, don’t you? I could turn it into a necklace or something for her…”

JC nodded, impressed; that was actually a good idea.

“So I guess I have to get something for Kira now too, huh?” he said, trying to brainstorm.

“Don’t forget your other woman,” his friend winked to him.

JC rolled his eyes, “She’s not my ‘other woman’. But you’re right about not forgetting her: she’d kill me if I didn’t get her anything, especially if I made an effort to get something for Kira…” He stared up at the blue sky and sighed, “What am I going to do about her?”

“I’d just embrace it,” Cameron laughed, “I mean, it’s not like she’s gonna lose interest as long as Kira’s still around. It’s like some kind of game to her.”

“She’s ridiculous,” JC sighed again, watching a flock of Starly fly overhead. They both sat in silence, listening to the soft ambience of the park: the wind, the sounds of the city, the calls of a few wild Pokémon and the voices of the people who stopped to feed them. Two of those voices sounded loud and rushed, and when the boys turned towards them they saw two men hurrying through the park with their arms full of fishing rods and tackle boxes.

“What took you so long to get me?” one of the men said frantically, “You shoulda told me as soon as you heard!”

“I thought you said your boss was in this week…” the other man explained, struggling to keep up with his companion.

“This is way more important! It’s not every day we get a school this close to shore!”

“You’re right; Feebas are crazy rare…”

Cameron’s ears suddenly perked up as the two men left the park and he turned back to JC, the excitement just bursting from his face.

“I have to go!” he said quickly, jumping up from the bench and running in the direction the men went.

“Go?” JC called after him, “Go where?”

“Wherever they’re going!!” he shouted, disappearing into the streets of Jubilife.

“Oh, okay…” JC said, suddenly finding himself alone in the huge city. He sat by himself for a minute watching the different people pass through the park, but after watching the same guy feed Starly for five minutes straight he dug the two Poké Balls from his pocket and released his Pokémon.

“How would you guys like to do a little shopping?” he smiled, his Pokémon stretching out their bodies. His Pokémon happily agreed, Kai climbing up onto JC’s head and Bells following close on his heels. Together they browsed through the remaining stores, even looping back to ones he’d visited earlier to find gifts for the two girls, as well as little treats for his Pokémon. For Kira he purchased a cool little piece of technology he’d never seen before; something called a C-gear. It was really similar to Dawn’s Pokétch but much more advanced and stylish, and he could easily picture it on Kira’s wrist. For Serina he chose something a bit less practical: a beautiful green sundress he found in a little boutique.

With his shopping now complete and Cameron still nowhere to be seen, JC and his Pokémon returned to the park to wait for the others. Bells and Kai got a minute to play around in the park grass, but it wasn’t long before the three girls found him.

“Well your day seemed productive,” Dawn smiled, nodding towards his bags.

“I could say the same about you guys,” he nodded; they were all carrying at least four large bags each, all stuffed to the brim with who-knew-what.

“What can I say; there was a lot of stuff on sale!” she winked.

“Speaking of stuff,” JC started as he reached for his bags, “Serina, I got something for you…”

“Oh you did?!” she gasped excitedly as Kira’s eyes grew wide from shock, “Whatever did you get me?”

“Just this,” he said as he draped the dress over one arm, the light green fabric rippling as a breeze floated through the park.

“Oh it is absolutely glorious!” she shouted, taking the dress and holding it up to herself. “Well, what do you think?”

“Beautiful,” he smiled, “It’s very you.” Serina smiled happily, suddenly perking up and digging into one of her own bags.

“I also purchased a gift today!” she exclaimed, searching through her new stuff, “Something for Kira…”

“What?” Kira asked flatly, unamused.

Serina pulled a white mass of fabric out of the bag and set it on Kira’s head, “Look; a hat just like mine!” She pressed their matching heads together, “See? We are twins!” she said with a smile.

“Just what we needed,” Dawn groaned, mimicking Cameron, “Another one of those hats…”

“I think they look cute,” JC said, hugging them both. Serina smiled deviously to Kira from around his back, causing her to glare angrily.

“Now Kira, I got something for you, too…” he added, reaching into another one of his bags.

“Aw, you didn’t have to!” she said, perking up and pushing Serina aside as she sat next to him on the bench, “What is it?!”

“Well, I thought that between Dawn’s Pokétch and me and Cameron’s Pokégears you’re kind of out of the communication loop. So… here, I got you this.”

JC handed her a small box which she accepted with great care, slowly flipping open the top to reveal his gift. Her eyes widened when she saw the smooth, metallic finish and the dark screen, removing it from the box as if it were a million-Pyen diamond.

“It’s called a C-gear,” he explained, helping her lay it on her wrist. Two gray bands extended from the device on contact with her skin, dangling below her wrist until they suddenly snapped together and tightened comfortably around her like a watch.

“Well that’s interesting…” Dawn commented, still not sure of what she just saw happen.

“Apparently they’re all the rage in Unova right now,” JC shrugged, “I got it from some import tech store. It’s supposed to be a watch, a video phone and all kinds of other cool gadgets.”

Kira flexed her wrist a few times, admiring her newest accessory courtesy of JC. All of a sudden her C-gear’s screen lit up and a small phone icon danced on the screen before displaying a live video of her friend Kara.

“This is Kara,” she said, answering the call, “Wait… Kira? Hey girl, long time no see!! When’d ya get a phone? How’s the trip?”

“Who is this Kara person?” Serina whispered.

“It’s a friend of Kira’s back home,” JC answered her, “I guess she dialed her number or something…”

“Um, hey, Kara…” Kira stuttered, completely surprised, “Uh it’s… going well.”

 “Aw what’s wrong?” Kara asked her, “You sound like you don’t wanna talk!”

“No it’s… well, I’m not sure how I called you!” Kira replied, looking slightly embarrassed as she glanced around at the rest of the group. “Jemkyn got me this C-gear and it just suddenly connected…”

“NO WAY!!” Kara shouted so loudly that her voice crackled over the speakers, “You got a C-gear!?! I’ve been trying to get my hands on one for months!! Where are you?! Where’s JC??”

“Uh, we’re in Jubilife… and he’s right here…”

“Put him on!” Kara demanded.

“Okay…” she obliged, twisting her wrist several different ways until she finally got a good angle on JC.

“J-C!” Kara shouted when he came into view, “I don’t know how you got one of those but you gotta buy me one right NOW!”

“Wait, what?” JC said, trying to calm her down, “What’s the big deal? And why would I buy one for you?!”

“C-gears are only the coolest thing on the market right now!!” Kara explained, still just as loud. “The thing reads your freakin’ mind!! How awesome is that?!”

“It does what now?!” Kira exclaimed as she pulled her wrist back towards herself, “Is that how it knew your number?!”

“Maybe,” Kara laughed, “What were you thinking about?”

“Well…” Kira blushed, “I—I wanted to tell you and Kylie how JC got me a present…”

“Well there ya go,” Kara grinned, “And look! You got to rub it in my face after all!”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Kira apologized, “I’ll make sure he gets another one and sends it to you really quick!” she added, glancing up at JC with a hopeful smile.

He just sighed and shook his head, “Fine…”

“YAHOOO!!” Kara screamed over the phone, “Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!”

“Yeah, whatever…” JC huffed. It could’ve been his imagination, but he swore he just felt his Trainer Card get lighter in his pocket.

“Well Kira, I gotta go,” Kara said, still brimming with excitement. “I’ve gotta meet up with Kylie; she met this guy yesterday and he invited us to go with him and a friend to the beach. He’s trying to get us all to double date ‘cause his friend thinks I’m hot,” she added with a quick flip of her hair, “I swear it’s just like when JC’d invite us to come along so he could get ya alone…”

“Kara!!” Kira shouted, trying to cover the speaker as she turned bright red, “Not so loud…”

“Aw come on; what’s the matter? He’s your boyfriend by now, right?”

“Well… um…”

“WHAT?!” Kara shouted again as the few people in the park turned towards her voice, “You mean you guys still haven’t hooked up yet?! That’s why we sent ya with him in the first place!!”

Kira struggled to hush her friend, “Kara! There are other people around!!”

“Now hold on one moment…” Serina spoke up, moving towards Kira from where she and Dawn had been standing politely aside, albeit still eavesdropping on their conversation, “Kira, what does she mean by ‘hook up’?”

“Nothing, she means nothing!” Kira dismissed, her face still burning hotly.

“Kira…” Kara said, her voice suddenly strict, “Who’s that other girl? Are you lettin’ some nobody swoop in and take JC from you?”

Serina scoffed loudly at what she heard, “Excuse me? A nobody?! I will have you know—”

“No you won’t!” Kira cut her off, “And bye, Kara; it was nice to talk to you! Have fun at the beach!” she added before covering her C-gear with her hand until she could hang it up. She let out a long sigh and then turned to JC, “Thanks for the gift, Jemkyn. I’m sure we’ll get hours of enjoyment out of it…”

JC laughed sheepishly, “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t know it’d just up and call somebody like that… I can take it back if you want. Or just send that one to Kara…”

“No!” she said quickly, almost shielding her wrist with her other hand, “I mean, no, that’s alright. I can hang onto this one and we’ll just get Kara another one…”

“Are you sure…? JC asked, visualizing the price tag in his head, “It’s fine if you want something different…”

“No, this is perfect.” Kira said, admiring her wrist again with a smile. But while Serina and Kira cozied up to JC, Dawn remained off to the side, obviously anxious about something. She’d been glancing around the park all through the gift exchange and subsequent phone call, her hands holding something nonchalantly behind her back.

“So, is Cam around…?” she finally asked, her curiosity eating away at her.

“Oh yeah,” JC remembered, “He ran off somewhere a while ago. Something about catching this super-rare Pokémon…”

“Oh…” she replied softly, looking rather disappointed.

“I’m sure he’ll catch up soon though!” JC reassured her, “He can’t stay away from you for long.”

Dawn laughed to herself and punched him playfully on the arm, “You know it,” she said with a smile. She quickly slipped what she’d been holding into one of her bags, the entire group’s attention suddenly caught by a loud “Hey you!” from across the park.

The shout came from a small boy no more than ten years old quickly making his way across the grass. He was flanked by two other kids about his age—another boy and a girl—and all three had a Poké Ball clutched tightly in their hand. “Yeah, you!” the middle boy said again as he pointed at their group, “I haven’t seen you guys around before; are you new here?”

“Sort of,” JC answered, “We’re really just passing through—”

“Well are you Trainers?” he interrupted, trying to look imposing in front of his friends.

“Um, yeah…” JC motioned to his Pokémon, “Are you?”

“Sure are! Let’s battle!” the boy said determinedly, his comrades brimming with excitement, “We’ve been lookin’ for someone to fight!”

“Wow, really?” JC asked, not used to battling someone so… small.

“Yeah really! Unless you don’t think you can!”

“Oh how adorable!” Serina giggled, crouching down to their level, “These little ones are so full of energy!”

The children were struck speechless as Serina caught them off guard. Not surprisingly, they gave her the same reaction she always seemed to garner when staring into someone’s eyes.

“Wow, miss,” the little girl said, “You’re really pretty!”

“Natalie!” the boys shouted as they blushed, “You can’t say nice things to the enemy!”

“Oh! Sorry, Tristan…” she said, lowering her eyes in embarrassment.

“Right, well, we challenge you, pretty lady!” Tristan said, pointing to Serina.

“Oh I am sorry,” she giggled again, “But I am not a Trainer. Your fight is with them.”

“Oh,” the boys said, noticeably disappointed.

“Ask the other pretty girl…” the other boy whispered to Tristan.

“I’m gonna, Logan!” he said back. “Well, what about you?” he pointed to Dawn.

“Trust me,” she smiled, “You really don’t want to go there. Try the other two.”

“Fine!” he said, frustrated, “We challenge you guys!”

“Glad we were your first choice…” JC mumbled.

“Jemkyn… why didn’t they say I was pretty…?” Kira whispered to him, her eyes tearing up.

“Really, Kira?” he asked, shaking his head. “You know you’re beautiful.”

She smiled cutely, “But I like it when you say it!”

“Are we gonna battle or what?!” Tristan demanded, growing more impatient.

“Yeah, yeah,” JC agreed, calling his Pokémon.

“Yes!” the children said happily. “Alright, this is gonna be a two-on-two street battle with one Pokémon each, okay?”

“Street battle?” Kira asked.

“It’s a kind of close-quarter battle meant for urban areas,” Dawn explained as the group left the park. “Basically you can’t use any huge or really damaging moves in order to protect the buildings.”

“Oh, okay,” she understood. “Who are we fighting?”

“Us!” Tristan and Logan said together, taking their places on the street just outside the park.

“Let’s go!” the boys said as they released their Pokémon, the two creatures materializing next to each other on the pavement. Tristan’s Starly ruffled its dark feathers and flapped its wings in excitement as Logan’s Shinx—a small electric feline with blue-and-black fur—crouched in a pounce. JC and Kira recognized both Pokémon: they were very common species in Sinnoh and were usually the first Pokémon new Trainers caught to pad out their teams.

“I’ll ref,” Dawn said, moving to the sideline as Kira released Twiggy next to Kai. “Trainer’s ready?” They all nodded to her; “Battle!”

JC and Kira wasted no time in attacking, immediately ordering their Pokémon into the fray to win at all costs. But despite their age, Logan and Tristan weren’t absolute amateurs and they were fast enough to get their Pokémon to dodge out of harm’s way with Starly quickly taking to the air.

“Quick attack, Starly!” Tristan called, his Pokémon swooping towards Twiggy with incredible speed and pointing its long sharp beak at him. However, seconds before impact Kai threw himself at Starly, tackling the incoming Pokémon off-course and skidding into the pavement.

“Thanks, Jemkyn!” Kira smiled, “Alright, Twiggy; razor leaf!”

Twiggy acknowledged with a swing of his head, launching a volley of razor-edged leaves at the stunned Starly. His target cried out as the leaves ravaged its feathers, but the attack suddenly ceased as Twiggy was hit with several hundred volts of electricity.

“Keep it up, Shinx!” Logan shouted, his Pokémon pumping the stored electricity from its body into Twiggy.

“Kai, ember!” JC ordered in an attempt to help Kira’s Pokémon. Kai’s back flared up as he fired his attack, but surprisingly the embers vaporized when they came in contact with Shinx’s electrified body.

“Well that’s a problem,” JC grunted, “Ranged attacks aren’t going to work here…” He quickly glanced at Twiggy who was obviously wasn’t taking much damage from the attack, but the sustained flow of electricity was keeping him pinned nonetheless.

“Ooh poor Twiggy!” Kira whined, “Can’t you help, Jemkyn?” she pleaded.

JC sighed, “Well, I guess we could try to… Kai, tackle Shinx!”

Kai hesitantly agreed, throwing his weight against the Shinx and getting immediately kicked back with a burst of electricity. But the attack was enough to knock Shinx to the ground, breaking his attack and finally relieving Twiggy.

“Now smokescreen, Kai!” JC continued. The black plumes billowed from Kai’s back like a smokestack, filling the street and blocking every Trainer’s view of the battlefield.

“You can do it, guys!” Kira called into the smoke, “Just take a deep breath and regroup! They can’t attack if they can’t see you!”

“Where’d you come up with that rule?” Logan yelled across the smoke cloud, “Shinx use shock wave!” The smokescreen was suddenly illuminated from within like a storm cloud as Shinx’s body charged up a burst of electricity, and the loud squeak echoing in their ears informed them of its unwitting victim.

“Kai! Are you alright?” JC shouted.

“Get the next one Shinx!” Logan called, but as his Pokémon began to charge an even brighter light broke out from within the smoke. A white light so bright that the onlookers had to shield their eyes until it along with the smokescreen dissipated, revealing the status of the battle. All Pokémon were accounted for except Twiggy—Shinx stood with its feet braced, still ready to fight while Kai and Starly struggled to recover from their damage—but in his place stood a more robust version of the tiny Pokémon with two small shrubs growing on the back of its armored shell.

Over on the sidelines Kira’s bag vibrated loudly, her Pokédex responding to the evolution of her Pokémon. JC quickly pulled his own Pokédex from his pocket to scan the Pokémon himself, the device responding in its familiar voice:

BingBing! “Grotle, the grove Pokémon and the evolved form of Turtwig. Grotle lives near water in forests, and leaves the forest during the day to allow light to shine on the tree on its shell.”

“That’s incredible!!” Kira exclaimed as she hopped up and down, “I can’t believe Twiggy actually evolved!!”

“Hey, no fair!” Tristan whined, “No evolutions!”

“It’s perfectly legal,” Dawn officiated, “Continue battling!”

The sudden evolution of her Pokémon filled Kira with a newfound determination, and to everyone’s surprise she quickly assumed the role of enthusiastic battler. “Alright Twiggy, absorb!” she ordered, pointing confidently at Logan’s Shinx.

Twiggy let out a deep grunt as his body started to glow a bright green, the phenomenon mirrored by his target across the battlefield. But unlike Twiggy, Shinx’s body started to sway as it grew weaker and weaker, finally collapsing on the ground as the last bit of energy was drained from its body.

“Shinx is unable to battle!” Dawn announced, holding her hand up towards the fainted Pokémon. Logan groaned and returned Shinx to its Poké Ball, moving towards the sidelines where Natalie stood watching.

Tristan was still in the game though; while Twiggy was finishing off Shinx his Starly managed to take wing again, climbing high until it was circling a good distance overhead.

“I know you’re tired, Starly,” Tristan shouted to the air, “But quick attack again!” His Pokémon obeyed, using gravity to accelerate to attack speed without using its injured body. As it swooped towards Twiggy Kira and her Pokémon’s eyes met, and the eager Trainer once again took control.

“Razor leaf!” she shouted, leaving JC and Kai in the dust as a flurry of leaves swarmed from the shrubs on Twiggy’s shell. Starly managed to evade a few of the leading leaves but was consumed by the ensuing storm, the defeated Pokémon falling to the ground with a dull thud.

“Starly is unable to battle! The win goes to JC and Kira!” Dawn said with a grin, truly excited for her friends.

“Way to take over, Kira!” JC said, not at all embarrassed at being saved by her. He wrapped her in a tight hug, “You were great!!”

“Oh, did I do too much?” she asked, elated at the physical contact, “I should’ve let you make the last attack…”

“And have us miss that amazing finish?! No way!” he laughed, so excited that he hugged her a second time, “That was awesome!”

Tristan stared at the ground and returned his Pokémon to its ball. “Good battle,” he shrugged, “I didn’t expect you guys to be so good.”

“Aw, you were good, too,” Kira answered sweetly as she pat him on the head, “You almost beat us!”

“Yeah, yeah…” he sighed, jumping back as Serina suddenly appeared next to them and latched onto JC’s arm.

“Oh you were most wonderful, JC!” she squealed happily, “You and Kai are so very strong!”

“Thanks, Serina,” he said, caught off guard, “But we really didn’t do much. It was Kira who…”

“You still were great though!” Kira added quickly, grabbing his other arm to regain his attention. Logan and Tristan watched the whole display with interest, their eyes moving from Serina, to Kira and then to JC.

“You’re so lucky, mister!” Logan said, “Your girlfriend is real pretty!”

“Thank you!” the two girls answered at the same time, quickly glaring at each other as they silently agreed not to compromise.

“I think he meant me,” Kira said sternly.

“You?!” Serina scoffed, “Ha! That is truly laughable; he most certainly meant me!”

Kira’s fists clenched in anger, and she started to move towards Serina and in a panic JC did the first thing he could think of to keep her from fighting: he kissed her cheek.

Kira stopped dead, a shiver racing along her spine as she slowly moved her hand to the cheek that JC’s lips had just touched. Serina, however, watched on with jealousy, her emotions juggling her back and forth until she grabbed JC’s head and planted her own lips to his cheek.

“There! Now we are even!” she said desperately.

Kira grinned slyly, her hand still caressing her cheek. “Not even close.”

◄►

Several hours later Serina still clung tightly to JC’s arm, not wanting to surrender an inch to her rival walking a few steps ahead of the rest of the group. Completely oblivious to Serina’s angry stare, Kira walked with a slight bounce in her step while replaying JC’s kiss over and over in her mind. She’d barely paid any attention to Tristan, Natalie or Tyler when they took the group on a tour of Jubilife City, instead using the time to daydream about what her life with Jemkyn would be like once they got married. She was still out of it even after they finally met up with Cameron again, growing slightly annoyed as people kept pulling her from her thoughts to include her in the conversation.

“How would I know what a Feebas eats?” she answered sharply, “I don’t have one.”

“Okay…” Cameron shrugged, not sure what to make of her attitude, “So anyway, it was right after I asked this guy that question that my line started to tug! Everybody was so excited that they ran over to see me reel it in—which I did awesomely, by the way—and that’s how I caught her!”

“That’s a great story and all, Cam,” Dawn smiled to him, looking up Feebas on her Pokédex and holding it out for everyone to see, “But did you really spend all that time just to catch this? It’s just so… ugly!”

“She’s not ugly!” Cameron defended, “She has inner beauty!”

“No, I am going to have to agree with Dawn,” Serina chimed in, “It is quite a repulsive looking creature. Do you not agree, JC?”

JC glanced over the picture on Dawn’s Pokédex; the device showed a large, ratty and dull-looking fish with tattered fins and large, vacant eyes. “I mean, there’re worse looking things out there…”

“Right, name one!” Dawn challenged as they finally approached the Pokémon Center, the building’s red roof appearing to glow in the setting sunlight. Despite not hiking the hours away as they’d done the past few days, the group was still tired from their first day in Jubilife City, and as they passed through the Center’s doors they automatically directed themselves towards the stairs, unconsciously desiring the comforts their room had to offer.

“Oh, Miss Fuego!” Nurse Joy called before they’d reached their goal, “Could you come over here a moment?”

“Um, of course…” Kira replied, turning to the others, “You guys can go on ahead; I’ll be there soon.”

“Oh it’s alright, we can wait,” Dawn answered. Kira nodded, but as soon as she turned her back and headed for the counter Dawn silently motioned for everyone to follow.

“Is something wrong?” Kira asked as she placed her hands on the tall counter, “What is it?”

“Oh everything’s fine,” Joy smiled, reaching under the counter, “There was a package that came for you while you were out today; here you are!”

Kira took the small package wrapped in brown paper and tied tight with a bit a twine. Several different stickers and stamps covered its surface, chronicling its long journey across the regions.

“Wow, Kira,” Cameron laughed, making her jump as she realized they were all standing behind her, “I never knew you were so popular!”

“Oh, uh, me either,” she said, turning the package over in her hands. “I can’t imagine who’d be sending something to me though…” she added as she pulled on the twine and folded back the crisp paper, revealing a small box and a hand-written letter resting on top.

“Well…?” Dawn prodded as Kira looked over the note, “Who’s it from?”

Kira smiled warmly as she recognized the print, “It’s from Papa.”

My Dearest Kira,

Your mother tells me you’ve gone off to start your journey; I couldn’t be more proud! Unfortunately, circumstances keep me from being there to see you off so I hope you’ll accept this instead; hopefully it finds you alright! It’s something I found in a mine we’ve recently acquired; I thought it would go well with those beautiful eyes of yours.

Wishing you the best,

Papa

Kira calmly handed the letter and wrappings to JC, then immediately tore into the box like a child on her birthday: nestled in a bed of cotton balls was a long, faceted blue crystal on a silver chain. Kira lifted it out of the box and held it out in front of her, the gem glistening in the fluorescent lights.

“It is so beautiful…” Serina gasped, admiring the necklace. “And this is from your father, yes?”

“That’s right,” Kira nodded, clasping the crystal around her neck. The chain’s length rested the pendant on her bare skin just above her dress, its blue color standing out even more against her pale skin. JC started to smile as he admired her new jewelry, but quickly rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things: he could’ve sworn he saw it glow coolly the minute it touched her chest.

“So? How’s it look?” she asked, getting an immediate compliment from everyone. Her dad was right: the crystal and Kira’s eyes looked as if they were cut from the same stone.

“Your dad seems like a really nice guy,” JC said as they all made their way up to their room. “I can’t believe I’ve never actually met him!”

“Papa’s… busy,” Kira said, “A lot. Mom and I even moved to Sinnoh just to be around him more, but work still seems to keep him away.”

“That’s really a sad situation,” Dawn sighed, unlocking their room. “Work should never come before family.”

“She’s right,” JC added, “Otherwise you end up a 20 year old who’s never been camping,” he laughed.

“Oh no, it’s not like that!” Kira defended, “He loves us more than anything! That’s why he works so hard; he wants us to have everything we could ever want. It’s really sweet when you think about it…” she sighed, touching her new necklace gently. “And he really enjoys what he does; we couldn’t ever bring ourselves to take that from him, no matter how much we miss him.”

Everyone smiled at Kira’s sudden openness, the emotion of her words hanging in the air as they entered their room.

“I feel for you, Kira,” Cameron spoke up, “I rarely see my dad either; he’s always off working at Pokétch headquarters. I haven’t seen him in months…”

“Wait a minute,” Dawn started, “Cam; doesn’t your dad work right here in Jubilife?”

Cameron thought for a moment, “Oh yeah… I think you’re right!”

“You can be so dense sometimes,” Dawn sighed, rubbing her temples. “I mean it’s your first time in Jubilife and you don’t even think to visit your dad…”

Cameron opened his mouth to defend himself but was interrupted when his Pokégear started ringing loudly from his pocket. Before he could even reach for it Dawn dug for the device and retrieved it herself, checking the number before answering the phone.

“Hey there!” she said excitedly, “One second, okay?” Dawn covered the mouthpiece and turned back to the group, “I’ll be right back; I have to take this,” she said, heading back out into the hall.

“Uh, okay…?” Cameron shrugged, not understanding what had just happened, but not really caring either.

“Right, well who’s tired?” JC asked as he stretched, “I know I’m beat.” 

“Me too,” Kira seconded, the others nodding as well. “How should we divide up the rooms?”

“I have an idea…” Serina said, sidling up next to JC.

“Dawn and I’ll take the other room!” Cameron added eagerly, “You’ll take Kira too, JC?”

“I don’t think so,” Dawn interrupted as she reentered the room, “It’s going to be boys in one room, girls in the other.”

“Aww…” Serina and Cameron groaned.

“Um, but there’re only two beds per room,” Kira pointed out, “And there’s three of us…”

“Well, looks like you two get some more bonding time,” Dawn said flatly, resigning them to each other.

“Great,” Kira moaned.

“I do not think that is such a good idea…” Serina said quietly, her hand slowly migrating to her hat.

Dawn sighed heavily, handing Cameron back his Pokégear. “Fine, you can sleep with me…”

“I find that most acceptable,” she grinned, wrapping her arms around Dawn’s shoulders.

“So, uh, who was on the phone, Dawn?” Cameron asked, shaking a few thoughts from his mind.

“Oh, it was my friend. It turns out she’s going to be later than expected. Much later…”

“Well that’s a bummer,” JC said, “So no Canalave?”

“Not yet at least,” Dawn answered. “But we can still go other places!”

“I want to go north!” Cameron said suddenly.

“We’re already heading north…” Dawn sighed, “Be more specific.”

“Hmm…” he thought, “Snowpoint City!”

“Oh, can we?” Kira asked excitedly, “I’ve always wanted to go there!”

“I don’t mind!” Dawn smiled, “I love Snowpoint!”

“Dawn, I do not do well in cold places…” Serina nudged her.

“Oh…” Dawn sighed, looking as though she’d suddenly remembered something, “Are you sure? I mean it’s really pretty there…”

Serina grew very quiet, “Blizzards of snow and ice are not my idea of ‘pretty’.”

Dawn sighed again, “Alright, we’ll stay behind. You guys can go, though! It’s really nice up there.”

“You mean… split up?” Cameron asked. “Are we allowed to do that?”

“Well it’s not ideal, but we always could. I’ll stay behind with Miss Wimpy here and you guys can go off and do what you like.”

“No way,” Cameron said plainly, “Where you go, I go.”

Dawn smiled, “Alright, well then you and I can stay behind with Miss Wimpy, and JC and Kira and go off by themselves.”

“I do not like that idea!” Serina interrupted loudly, “We should not split apart this way!”

“It’s not like it’s forever,” Dawn said, getting her Pokétch to project a map of Sinnoh onto the table. “Look, there’s a train station just north of Oreburgh City; Kira and JC can take the train all the way to Snowpoint and spend some time there,” she said, tracing the route with her finger. “When they’re done they can just take the train back and get off in Eterna City instead of going all the way back to Oreburgh. Meanwhile, the three of us will head north to Floaroma and then east to Eterna. If all goes well we should all arrive in Eterna around the same time. We could even visit your dad before we go, Cam.”

“Eh, that can wait,” he said, “But the rest works for me. What do you guys think?”

JC and Kira glanced at each other, both their minds swirling with thoughts of going off on a trip by themselves.

“Well, uh, I mean if Kira wants to go…”

Kira blushed hotly, “Oh, uh, I—I have wanted to go since I was little… Just as long as you’re okay with it…”

“Well it’s not like I mind spending my time with you…”

“M—me either!” Kira added. “But without Dawn we’d probably get lost. I mean we’d be all alone…” she said, her voice airy.

“Yeah… alone…”

“Do we need to put you two on ice?” Dawn laughed, “Back to Shia, please.”

“But Dawn…” Serina whined, “I do not want us to separate. I… I do not want to be apart from him…” she added in a whisper.

“You mean JC?” Dawn asked in a tone that seemed a bit strong to the others. “Why?” she demanded.

Serina looked stunned, “Y—you know very well why!” she stuttered.

Dawn startled everyone as she suddenly stood up and took Serina’s wrist, pulling her off to the kitchen. “Look, I’ve put up with this the entire trip,” she said in a hushed tone once they were out of earshot, “I don’t care who or what he is; he’s nothing more than a friend to you, got it?”

“But Dawn, I simply…”

“No, no more excuses!” Dawn ordered as her volume rose, “You haven’t stopped talking about him since you met him; how do you think that makes me feel? I could deal with it if it was just flirting—I mean you used to do that to every guy we came across before—but this is different! This time I know what you’re after!”

“I cannot help it!” Serina defended, “It is quite overpowering… And my instincts say—”

“I don’t care about your instincts!” Dawn dismissed loudly, “You and I are par—” she stopped suddenly, feeling the rest of the group’s eyes on her. “We’re together in this, remember? Besides, he really likes Kira…”

Serina grunted and glanced towards the sitting area, catching Kira and the other’s eyes. They quickly looked away, but not before Serina hit Kira with a very derisive glare.

“That girl is not fit to walk the same ground as any of us,” she scowled, “For all we know, she is the deceiver.”

Dawn’s jaw dropped. “H—how could you even say that? Kira’s been nothing but sweet and caring ever since I’ve known her!”

“So you do not sense something… different about her?”

“No, I don’t,” Dawn said confidently, “And I’d forget that stupid idea of yours if I were you. If JC knew what you’d just said…”

“What would it matter? He does not know anything of it either way,” Serina said, leaning close and whispering in Dawn’s ear. “But I will not be caught unaware. I will play by your rules for now, but I know there is something wrong with her.” Serina turned and looked into Dawn’s eyes for a minute, silently expressing how serious she was before walking off to the bedroom and slamming the door behind her.

Dawn let out a sigh and quickly recomposed herself before returning to the group, stepping in to a sea of awkward silence as she sat back down next to Cameron. Still dwelling on the argument, she started to tap her finger on her leg as she grew more and more agitated, finally breaking the silence herself when she coupled Serina’s name with a few choice words.

“So what was all that about?” Cameron asked, “I mean, man!”

“Just Serina being stupid,” Dawn grunted, “Sometimes I just can’t stand her…”

“Looks like you’re in the same boat with Cameron and me,” Kira said with a chuckle, “Why does she travel with you then?”

“It’s complicated…” Dawn started, trying to find the right words. “Let’s just say it’s an obligation; if a certain person hadn’t gone through all the trouble they did to introduce us, we never would’ve met at all.”

“Who brought you two together?” JC asked, interested in getting a bit of backstory on the two girls.

“They’d have to be one messed up person to think Serina was worth introducing,” Cameron laughed, “Or maybe they went through so much trouble to get the two of you together because it was their last chance to ditch her!”

Kira punched Cameron playfully on the shoulder, “That sounds about right,” she laughed. But Dawn remained quiet, staring at her lap while the others laughed at Serina’s expense. She couldn’t tell them who her teacher was; not yet, at least. She was under strict orders after all…

To everyone’s surprise she stood up without saying a word, picking up a few of her things before kissing Cameron on the cheek.

“We should probably be getting to bed,” she said to everyone as she headed for the bedroom, “We need our rest if we’re going to be heading out tomorrow.”

“T—tomorrow?” Kira asked, surprised, “That soon?”

“Why not?” Dawn replied, “The sooner we head out, the sooner you and JC get to start your honeymoon,” she winked.

Kira blushed but JC quickly followed after Dawn and stopped her just before the bedroom door, “Is everything alright?” he asked softly, “You and Serina sounded pretty intense.”

Dawn glanced at him but quickly averted her gaze towards the floor. “I’m fine,” she replied, “Serina and I fight occasionally; who doesn’t?”

“Are you sure?” JC asked again, “You just don’t seem like yourself…”

Dawn looked back up at him, “How do you know what I’m like?” she smiled, “Nine years is a long time for someone to stay the same, JC.”

He looked into Dawn’s deep eyes, finally realizing how Cameron could get lost in them so often. He wanted to say that she was exactly how he remembered—with a few improvements here and there—but for some reason he felt it was better not to say anything.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, opening the bedroom door and slipping into the dark room. “Thanks for caring though,” she added as she started to close the door behind her, “You’re the cause of all this, after all.”

“Me? But—” he started, but the door latched closed before he could finish. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh, thoroughly confused by Dawn’s cryptic reasoning.

“Jemkyn? Is everything alright?” Kira asked from the couch.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he smiled back at her. “You should probably get in there before they get too settled; you wouldn’t want to wake them.”

“Yeah, alright,” she shrugged as she made her way towards the bedroom door and JC, stopping just before the door and turning towards him. “Well, um… goodnight…” she said softly before jumping forward and wrapping him in a tight hug. JC smiled and hugged her back; he felt her shiver when his hands touched her skin through her open-back dress, but surprisingly it only made her hug him that much tighter. Kira finally released him and turned to the door, trying to hide her blushing face—although unsuccessfully—as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

JC started to move towards his own bedroom but paused when he noticed Kira’s Poké Ball sitting on the kitchen counter. His mind went back the battle they’d had that day and the injuries their Pokémon had suffered; after all that, they’d never healed them when they returned to the Center!

“Hey, I’m going to take Kai and Twiggy downstairs to Nurse Joy,” he said to Cameron, “It just hit me that we never healed them after their battle today; I know Kai could definitely use the treatment.”

“Yeah, of course,” his friend replied, “Just don’t expect me to be up when you get back,” he laughed.

“Don’t worry: I’ll be quiet,” he laughed back, snatching up Kira’s Poké Ball and heading out the door to the lobby. Once there, he rang the bell for the nurse who he assumed was in the back as her usual post behind the counter was surprisingly vacant.

“I’m sorry for the wait,” Nurse Joy said when she finally emerged, “How may I help you tonight, Mr. Kalmikov?”

“I just need these Pokémon healed,” he said, handing her the balls, “One is mine and the other is Kira—Ms. Fuego’s. She’s already gone to bed so I figured I’d bring him myself.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” she smiled, “And I’m guessing it’ll score at least a few points with her,” she added with a wink. “It won’t be too long; feel free to have a seat while you wait.”

“Thanks,” he nodded, glancing around the empty lobby for an ideal seat. He picked one nearby, orienting himself so as to look out the large glass windows into the late-night activity of the city around him. There weren’t many people out at this hour, but what few people were out looked like the sort of characters he’d hate to run into in a dark alley. Luckily he didn’t have long to watch before his Pokégear started ringing from his pocket; he looked at the caller ID, smiling to himself as he answered the “voice-only” call.

“Well hey, Vika; what’s up?”

“Uh, hey. You um… you haven’t called Mom since you’ve been gone! You promised you would!”

“Oh, sorry,” he apologized, “I guess I’ve just been pretty caught up in everything since we left! Sort of slipped my mind.”

“No excuses! She’s crazy worried! Just today she was all upset and telling us you’d been eaten by some wild Pokémon and that’s why you hadn’t called. It’s driving me and Kovos crazy!”

“Wow, really?” JC laughed, “That sounds just like her, though. What’d Dad say?”

“He keeps telling her there’s nothing big enough this side of the mountains,” she giggled, “But then Kovos brought up this article he read about certain Trainers releasing some of their older super-strong Pokémon into the woods nearby. It was so funny, it sent Mom into another episode!”

“Well I’ll be sure to call tomorrow to spare you guys the stress,” he assured her, “Sounds like you could use the help!”

“Yeah,” Vika sighed. “So, um… how is everything?”

“It’s good; a lot of walking but it’s been pretty fun so far.”

“Tell me about it?”

JC was surprised, “You want to hear about it? Like, all of it?”

“N—no! It’s not like I want to; I—I just figured maybe you’d wanna talk to somebody about your stupid trip…”

JC smiled, “You’re right; I’m just dying to tell someone so I guess you’ll have to do…”

“Humph, I knew you would. You’re so predictable,” Vika responded with her usual air. JC rolled his eyes but was actually glad his sister wasn’t there with him as he told his story; he was positive she’d call him out on the “stupid smile” he could feel spread across his face.

The storytelling lasted a good hour, and true to Vika’s request JC told her everything from the moment he left home until his conversation with Dawn just that night. In fact, he even posed the last bit as a question of sorts, asking for her advice on Dawn and Serina’s thoughts.

“Well it’s obvious this Serina girl likes you. As for Dawn… well, my guess is she just cares for her friend; that’s what she meant by it’s all about you. I mean if a guy Laurie liked upset her I’d make sure he knew it!”

“I guess that makes sense…” JC agreed, trying his hardest to place Laurie amongst Vika’s innumerable group of friends. “So what do I do with Serina?”

“You’ve really only got two options: you can stay and make Serina happy, or you can split up and make Kira happy. So which one do you like better?”

JC sighed, “Those are really my only two options?”

“Well…” Vika said quietly, barely whispering, “You could always come back home and be with me…”

“What was that?” JC asked, straining to hear her.

“N—nothing!!” she dismissed quickly, “But you didn’t answer! Do you like the loud obnoxious one or the quiet introvert?!”

“You don’t have to make them sound so cut-and-dry,” JC said plainly, “They’re both complicated girls.” He let out a sigh, “But if I had to choose… I’d have to go with Kira.”

“Then forget about Serina. You can’t make everybody happy, especially when it comes to two girls liking the same guy.”

“Just forget about her? But she seemed so hurt…”

“Well yeah, she likes you! Not that I know why, I mean it’s not like you’re anything special,” Vika added with an obviously derisive laugh. “If she’s got any sense of taste she’ll find someone way better than you in no time.”

“You’re one to talk,” JC mumbled, barely hearing Nurse Joy calling him over his sister’s cruel laughing. “Anyway, my Pokémon are done so I gotta go. Thanks for working through that with me though.”

Vika suddenly stopped laughing, “You’re leaving? B—but I know you’ve got to have more problems than that! You’re so hopeless after all!”

“No I’m good for now,” he sighed, cutting her off when he heard her preparing another excuse, “Don’t worry, I’ll call Mom tomorrow just like I promised.”

“Oh, yeah,” she remembered. “Y—you know… if you call some time and Mom doesn’t pick up, you could always… call me. J—just as a back-up! It’s not like I want you hogging up my phone!”

“You’d actually pick up if I called you?” JC teased.

“I—I’m not a jerk!!”

“Right, I guess I forgot,” he chuckled. “Well I’ll talk to you later, then?”

“Okay,” Vika answered. “Oh, and um… Goo—goodnight!”

JC’s eyes widened as the line immediately disconnected; he wasn’t quite sure, but he thought he just heard his little sister wish him goodnight…

“I’ve gotta be hearing things,” he shrugged, collecting his Pokémon from Nurse Joy and heading back to the room. He had to admit though; it was nice to talk to her, even if she did talk down to him a lot.

By the time JC got back to the room Cameron had made good on his promise; the sitting room was empty and dark with only the glow from the surrounding city buildings coming in weakly through the window. He managed to stumble his way to the kitchen and replace Kira’s Poké Ball before venturing towards the bedroom, stubbing his toe on several pieces of furniture along the way. Exhausted from the day, JC hobbled to his bed and collapsed into the soft embrace of its comforter, not even emptying his pockets before his eyes closed of their own free will.

Shortly after, the door to the boy’s bedroom slowly slid open just a crack and a big blue eye peered inside, checking to make sure they were asleep. When she confirmed JC was back and passed out Dawn slipped into the room, heading straight for Cameron’s bed. She leaned over and kissed Cameron’s lips, gently pulling him from his sleep.

“…Dawn…?” he groaned before she put a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. She motioned to JC and then to the door, hinting for him to follow her. Cameron quickly obeyed, taking care not to wake JC as he searched his bag for Dawn’s gift; when he finally made it to the common room she was sitting on the couch waiting for him.

“Are you happy with your new Pokémon?” Dawn asked as he took a seat next to her, turning to face him while keeping her hands behind her back.

“Definitely!” he assured her, “It’s a Feebas! You know what those things evolve into…” he grinned.

“Yeah, I do. I remember you talking about wanting to have a Milotic when you became a trainer. It’s such a rare Pokémon though, I never thought you’d actually pull it off.” she added.

“I just can’t wait,” he said eagerly, “I’ll be unstoppable!”

“You’ve still gotta get it to evolve,” she reminded him, “Feebas may be rare, but they’re practically worthless if they don’t evolve.”

Cameron shook his head arrogantly, “The conditions for getting a Feebas to evolve are levelling and maxing out its beauty stat. I’m an amazing battler, and I’ve got the epitome of beauty right here as an example. I’m basically set.”

His words were unexpected, and Dawn quickly moved from surprise to embarrassment to a warm feeling of love. She put a hand to her mouth and smiled, her cheeks blushing so hot she looked like Kira.

“I got you something today,” she said, revealing the small package from behind her back. “It’s just a little gift; I hope you like it…”

“I’m sure I will,” he smiled, handing her his own gift. “I got something for you, too. I saw it and just had to buy it.”

They exchanged gifts, quietly opening the other’s package. Cameron’s eyes widened as he pulled a leather cord from his box, a large, serrated fang hanging from the necklace. Dawn, however, gasped as she opened hers, seeing the Dawn Stone Cameron had purchased nestled in a hand-woven setting and necklace.

“It’s beautiful…” she said softly, entranced by the gorgeous gem’s faceted surface. “It’s a Dawn Stone, right?”

“That’s right,” he answered, “The name of the girl I love.”

Dawn’s eyes welled up with tears and she leaned forward to hug him. “That’s just the sweetest thing ever…” she cried, “But it’s an evolution stone! These things are so expensive!!”

“I just couldn’t help myself,” he smiled, “I mean, it’s called a Dawn Stone; how could I resist?”

“You’re too sweet,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes with her nightshirt. “Oh, yours is a dragon fang. I think the man said it was a tooth from a Haxorus or something…”

“That’s too cool,” Cameron said, running his finger along its sharp edge. “I’ve never actually seen one in person; a Haxorus, I mean. They’re a dragon-type native only to the Unova region. They’re crazy vicious but so awesome! Thank you!”

“Figures you’d know everything about them,” Dawn smiled, eyeing him knowingly, “You always were into dragons. But thank you! This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten!” she said, the tears returning to her eyes.

“Aw, come here,” Cameron said, shaking his head. He pulled her next to him, easing her onto him as he lay back on the couch.

“I love you, Cameron,” Dawn said, her eyes closed as she snuggled against him.

“I love you, too,” he replied, crossing his arms over her body. He gently ran his fingers along her soft arms, his eyes growing heavy; it was hours after midnight after all. He heard Dawn let out a small sigh, letting him know she had just slipped off to sleep. He continued to caress her, slowly making up for the years they’d been apart before he also fell asleep, the two of them intertwined together on the couch.

◄►

By 9 AM the main room was thick with an uncomfortable air, with each member of the group fostering their own reasons for the awkwardness. To begin with, Dawn and Cameron were not the first ones up in the morning; as a matter of fact they were the last ones up, and JC, Kira and Serina all had to walk past the two sleeping logs several times that morning as they got ready for the day, trying their hardest to avoid glancing at their love-struck friends. And when Dawn finally woke up they were all reminded of the unease from last night between her and Serina, the latter not talking to a single person since she awoke. JC’s mind was dwelling on his situation with both girls, primarily because of Dawn’s comment before she went to bed, and he was eager to sort it all out as soon as possible.

Due to the sudden change of plans the morning was spent preparing for the day and repacking what little they’d managed to unpack the night before. More or less ready to go, JC, Cameron and Kira sat in the kitchen debating on where to eat before they split up while Serina sat alone by the window, staring out into the expansive city. Dawn, however, was moving between the bedrooms in an attempt to return the elegant rooms to their previous conditions. Figuring this was his last chance to talk to her alone before they split up JC managed to slip away from the others and follow after Dawn into one of the rooms.

“Hey,” he started, startling her as she made the bed.

“Hey,” Dawn replied with a nervous giggle, “Don’t scare me like that… What’s up?”

“Well… um,” he fumbled, “How are you?”

Dawn laughed, “Fine. And you?”

“Confused, actually,” JC replied, glad to have gotten the segue he’d hoped for. He moved to the other side of the bed and grabbed the sheets, helping Dawn in her work.

“Why confused?” she asked, knowing full well where he was going with it.

“I guess I just don’t understand,” he started, “About Serina, and you… It’s like there’s a history that involves me that I don’t know about.”

“Is that so?” Dawn said without looking at him.

“And then you said that Serina getting upset was my fault. I really have no idea what’s going on…”

“That’s not true,” Dawn said, finally focusing on him, “I said you were the cause of it, not that it was your fault.”

“…What now?”

Dawn sighed, tossing him a few pillows, “Just because something stems from you doesn’t mean you actually did anything to make it happen. Sometimes it’s the way things are, and you just have to deal with it.”

“I still don’t get it…” JC said, but impressed at how intelligent Dawn was being. “But even if I didn’t do anything, why am I involved at all?”

Having finished the bed Dawn sat on the end, patting the spot next to her for JC to sit. “Look, all I can say is that Serina likes you. You could even go as far as to say that she feels a connection between you and her.”

“A connection?” he asked, skeptical, “Like how?”

“I don’t know, and honestly it doesn’t make sense to me either. I mean, it’s not like she’s your partner or anything…”

“Well, it’s not like I don’t like her…” JC blushed, “It’s just we haven’t known each other very long and then there’s Kira…”

“Not like that!” Dawn laughed, hitting him on the arm. “Just know that’s where she’s at; she feels really strongly about all this.”

JC nodded, “Okay. But, where did she get the idea? I mean she hasn’t even known me a week…”

“I can sense it,” Serina said blatantly, leaning on the doorframe. JC and Dawn both looked up at her startled, but they remained silent.

“Do not act so surprised,” Serina continued, entering the room and standing in front of JC with her hands on her hips. “You know you can sense it, too.”

JC averted his eyes; he had to admit that he felt… something. It was a sort of warm tingle in his chest that seemed to happen whenever she touched him, not much different from what he felt when he and Kira would have a private moment, but he wouldn’t go as far as to say it was a connection. He was a guy, and Serina was a beautiful girl who seemed to have no problem clinging to him as often as she could; that sort of a feeling was just normal, right? Either way, his lack of an answer wasn’t what she’d hoped for and she, too, looked away.

“One day you will appreciate me for what I am,” she said softly, looking hurt.

“And what are you, Serina?” he asked, the words quickly slipping out before he’d had a chance to think. Their eyes met, and Serina’s hands slowly moved towards her head. But glancing at Dawn she stopped, kissing him hesitantly on the cheek instead.

“Someone special,” she said before abruptly turning and leaving the room. JC felt the familiar sensation in his chest again, sighing as Serina’s words replayed in his head.

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand her,” JC sighed, hanging his head. Dawn chuckled and touched a hand to his shoulder, “It took me a while, too,” she said as she rose. “One day you just wake up and go, ‘oh! I get her now…’”

The two of them laughed and headed back into the main room, finding Kira and Cameron still debating over lunch and Serina off alone by the window again. They joined themselves to their two hungry friends, adding their own suggestions to the lunch selection.

“So are we ready?” Kira finally asked, her stomach rumbling. “We have to get moving if we’re gonna get all the way to Snowpoint!” she added, clutching JC’s arm.

“You’re right,” Dawn answered, retrieving her bag from the bedroom, “Oh hey, I checked the weather for you, too; routes 216 and 17 shouldn’t be too bad this time of year. And by ‘too bad’ I mean you probably won’t die before you get to the city,” she winked.

“It’s that rough, huh?” JC asked as they headed out the door, listening to Dawn’s story of when she braved the routes herself. They paused at the counter in the lobby to check out, explaining to Nurse Joy about their change of plans.

“Well I’m very sorry you have to leave! I was looking forward to getting to know you all!”

“Sorry, Nurse Joy,” Dawn apologized, “We’ll be sure to stop by again sometime.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it!” she smiled. “I’ll let my sisters know you’re headed their way.”

“Thanks again!” they said, waving goodbye to her as they left the Center. They were able to find a place to eat they could all agree on—minus Serina, of course, who had no input on the matter— and in a short hour their journey as one group came to a close.

“It feels like we’ve been together forever,” JC laughed, “Can you believe we’ve only been gone three days?”

“Whoa, are you serious?” Cameron asked, stunned. “Not even half a week?!”

“I wouldn’t have guessed that!” Kira smiled, “It sure feels longer!”

“Well it may have only been three days, but I’m sure gonna miss you guys,” Dawn said, giving Kira a tight hug. “Be safe by yourselves, okay?”

“No problem,” JC said, hugging Dawn next, “We’ll be sure to take it slow when we get to route 216.”

Dawn grinned, “That’s good, but it’s not exactly the ‘safety’ I was talking about…”

JC and Kira blushed hotly, looking nonchalantly out into the city. “Yeah, we’ll remember that…” Kira squeaked.

Cameron and JC smiled and said their goodbyes, the former even giving Kira a warm hug. “Ya know, I feel like I know you better now than I ever did at S.A.,” he said, “So do what Dawn said and be safe; I don’t want my friends getting into trouble.”

“Aw, Cameron,” Kira smiled as she hugged him again. JC turned to Serina and offered her a hug as well; for once she didn’t jump at him, but slowly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Caught off guard JC moved to hug her back, but she released him before he could get his arms around her. Serina stepped back and looked away, almost hiding her face from his for some reason, so Dawn took it upon herself to cover for her awkwardness.

“Well you two had better get going!” she smiled, “You’ve got a lot of ground to cover if we’re going to make our rendezvous on time.”

“Right!” Kira said happily, taking JC by the arm, “Come on, Jemkyn!”

“After you,” he smiled, winking to Cameron and Dawn as he followed Kira into the busy streets of people.

“Think they’ll be alright on their own?” Cameron asked, taking Dawn’s hand in his as they directed themselves towards route 204.

“Of course they will,” Dawn laughed, “They don’t have a third wheel…”