Astra walked down the dim tunnel, footsteps echoing down into the darkness. The minutes passed in agonizing slowness, and she was beginning to suspect that Echo had been a bit more cautious than she'd let on when she'd teleported them into this tunnel. She would have thought that Steven would be around the proverbial corner, but it was just an empty stretch of cave as far as she could see. There had been a few smaller branch tunnels, but Echo hadn't told her to turn, so she just kept going forwards.
The sheer, righteous determination had slowly ebbed away as time continued to pass, leaving only a growing jitteriness and dread. Here she was, about to meet Steven fucking Stone, the final obstacle between her and her village's future. But it was too early for her to even try to overcome him. He'd utterly thrashed both her and May at the same time with only a single command, and the memory of that encounter made the prospect of grilling him about the condition of these caves increasingly hard to envision.
Stars above, what in the world was she even going to do about the cave and Echo's colony? The promise she'd made had been spur of the moment, and she'd never even consider going back on it, but…no solution was readily coming to mind, either. She couldn't exactly feed them by herself; she was having trouble feeding her own five Pokemon! Getting help from humanity was also a non-starter—even if Steven had every answer in the world, the entire point of all of this was to not get their attention. Otherwise...well, that was kind of it?
Maybe if she had a decade or three she could...what, renew the numbers of Lairon and Hariyama? Find a new plant to grow in the moss? But she didn't have a decade. She barely had five months left! She couldn't just leave this for after her hypothetical victory either; if she failed to become the Champion, Echo would be left waiting for help that would never come, and there was no telling what that 'victory' would actually result in.
If she could even reach for victory at all, now. Her showing against Brawly had been absolutely atrocious. It was a miracle she'd been able to stay upright for as long as she did. The music she'd played had been a little evocative but otherwise a total discordant mess, and her companions...
She'd led them so badly, and they'd gotten mauled for trusting her. She'd grown...tolerant of the injuries they accumulated as a matter of course—helped by them not having any problem with getting hurt themselves beyond heat-of-the-moment pain and competitive pride—but the sheer brutality she'd carelessly thrown them into just because of her stubbornness was still horrific! Ash in her face, she hadn't even stopped at a Pokecenter on the way here; they'd just been stewing in their injuries for hours now, and her only solace was that they were too unconscious to feel any pain!
That wasn't something good trainers did. It wasn't something she thought she'd do.
But she did. And they were the ones suffering for it.
Was she really the one most cut out for this...? Why had her home chosen her, anyway? Wouldn't an already grown Kirlia have made more sense? They'd have known not to blindly touch the Ancestor's orb and scar the sky above Rustboro. They'd probably be able to lie to humans better than she could. They probably wouldn't have gotten involved with Brendan and May either; May wouldn't have fractured a rib, Brendan wouldn't have had to face off against a criminal by himself, and neither of them would be lost in a dark cave. And they might be able to actually think of a way to help Echo rather than just...feeling bad about it.
But still, her mind came up blank for solutions. How was she supposed to solve this by herself? Bringing them food from Dewford? She didn't have the money. Figuring out how to grow berries underground? She didn't have the time. Revitalize the ecosystem? Completely infeasible. No matter where she looked, what feeble actions she prodded at, nothing seemed to work. There just had to be something she could do...
A faint cry broke the quiet. Astra paused, looking up from where her gaze had fallen on the floor. What was...?
Something like a hard smack came from somewhere further away, followed by another weak cry of pain.
Astra blinked, then frowned and focused. She sensed two Pokemon just up ahead, a little ways into what looked to be a side passage. One emanating satisfaction, and the other a weary pain and hunger. Was there a fight going on?
The cry resounded for a third time, and before she could even think she burst into a run, turning sharply into an alternate passage. Streaks of blue raced by as her shoes pounded the ground, and after rounding one last corner she found herself in a tiny cavern.
Pressed up against the wall of the cave was a small, steel-white Pokemon struggling to lift themselves back onto their four nubby legs—an Aron, Astra realized. Their large, ovoid head curled down into their chest, sunken eyes squeezed shut as yet another impact struck against the visibly fractured iron plate on their back.
Above them was a Makuhita. Towering twice-over the foot-high Aron, the rotund Pokemon had a focused, satisfied smile on their face as their fist slammed against the shell of their prey. They paused as Astra rounded the corner, looking up at her in confusion.
Astra stared back. Echo had told her about this. Makuhita attacked Aron all the time; a convenient practice target and a meal, all in one. It wasn't some emergency, it was just...the end of a hunt. She'd seen the same when Seedot were cracked open, or when a Poochyena pack successfully ran down a Zigzagoon. How many Magikarp had she personally cleaned?
This wasn't wrong, in the abstract. How could she blame Makuhita for needing to eat? If it weren't this Aron, it would be another creature. Maybe a Zubat. Maybe another Aron. Or the Makuhita would starve.
Except...
The battered Aron opened an eye. A bright blue iris whirled around rapidly, dilating to the extreme as it focused on the Makuhita. Then it noticed her, and stared.
Astra looked at them, mind blank. Makuhita blinked back, uncertainty and annoyance surpassed by dawning shock as they finally registered what had just appeared before them.
From the floor, eyes the color of the sky looked into Astra's. They shook with fear and pain. And...something else.
A second had passed since she had entered. Astra's hand twitched toward her pokeballs. Then she stilled, and raised her hand instead.
A ball of flowing purple light coalesced above her palm, pulsing in fury.
She was so fucking sick of misery.
The Makuhita had only a moment to gasp in shock, slit-eyes widening, before Astra let go.
The psychic sphere slammed into his thick torso. Makuhita cried out, a surge of shock and agony rippling through the air as they were blown back into the depths of another tunnel behind them, with only a fading purple glow remaining visible as they vanished. A moment later Astra heard a distant thoom, and then…silence.
She let out a breath, flexing her hand. Though playing Barrage with Echo had allowed her to practice her Psychic powers, the game itself had been rather low-energy, more about control and reaction speed than anything. Cutting loose, even this small amount, had been very…satisfying.
This, at least, was a problem she could solve.
She turned to the Aron. They had frozen in place, eyes the size of plates staring at her in complete bafflement. Astra walked towards them, and their confusion rapidly transformed back into tense fear and dread. They retreated further into the wall as she drew near.
And then blinked as Astra dropped a handful of Oran berries at their feet.
Astra watched the Aron glance between her and the fruit, caution warring with curiosity and desire. Keeping an eye on her, Aron lowered their head to poke at the Oran with their snout. They side-eyed her, looking for a reaction.
"Those are for you," Astra said, smiling gently. "Go on; I won't bite."
Encouraged, the Aron took a cautious nibble. Their eyes went wide, practically sparkling, and suddenly they were chowing down, juice splattering across their jaws.
"Aron!" they—she—chirped, her voice simultaneously high-pitched and…gritty? Metallic. But while it was certainly rough, it wasn't harsh by any means—though Aron would likely be able to change that very quickly if she wished.
Astra watched Aron chow through the berries, a warm glow spreading through her body. Ah, but if only all of her issues could be fixed with a Psychic Sphere and a snack. Alas. A flash of light caught her eye, and Astra's brow furrowed as she spotted something glinting oddly on Aron's back. Leaning in closer to see through the dim mosslight, her breath hitched as she saw the spider web of fissures along Aron's steely carapace.
Her shell had been cracked! Astra knew Makuhita had to be strong enough to prey upon Aron—but unless there had been a longer exchange before she could hear it, that had only been a few hits! Was her carapace that brittle? Without access to iron, and feeding only off Zubat...
Well, she wasn't about to leave things half-done in any case! Kneeling down, Astra pulled out the Super Potion that May had tossed at her, back near that berry shop in Rustboro. She'd used a bit of it here and there, but the small pink spray-bottle definitely had another good few spritzes left. She would have used it on her fainted teammates if their bodies had the energy to actually make it work, but they wouldn't have any to spare until they regained consciousness.
"Hold still," Astra said, aiming carefully. "This will sting a little." She pressed down the trigger, pink mist coating the fractures in Aron's shell.
Aron jerked and hissed as the fluid soaked through, the sound not quite like the crumple of foil. A brief flash of betrayal lined her face—before dawning awe replaced it. She turned her head, trying in vain to peek at her metallic carapace where Astra could visibly see the cracks mending themselves.
Only a moment later, Aron's shell was whole again. She shifted in place, turned in a full circle, and then began chirping excitedly, nearly bouncing in place with joy.
Astra smiled, tucking the spray bottle back in her pack. Humanity had done some completely awful things, as she had been learning recently, but their miraculous medicine was one thing she would always be astounded by.
"All better?" she asked.
Aron turned to her, eyes sparkling. "Aron!" she cheered.
"That's good," Astra said, smile widening. She began to stand back up, brushing at her dress. "I'm glad I heard the fight—hough!?"
She yelped as Aron jumped at her, the Steel Pokemon's incredibly heavy forelegs quite literally pushing her straight back into the floor. Barely catching herself with an elbow instead of smashing her head on the ground, Astra only had a moment to breathe before a very appreciative Aron draped herself over Astra's torso and began crushing her lungs.
"Okay!" she yelped, wheezing as she frantically pushed the heavily enthusiastic Aron off to the side. "Okay, you're welcome, please move, I can't breathe!"
A moment later and Astra lay gasping on the cavern floor, a somewhat puzzled Aron still trying to snuggle into her chest—from the side, this time. For being a fourth as big as Astra was, this little gal could knock her down with just her completely absurd weight alone! The power of coating yourself with metal, Astra supposed. She couldn't imagine how much damage that 'tackle' would have done had it been hostile instead of an ill-conceived attempt at cuddling. Though, considering part of Echo's story... maybe she could.
She looked down at the Aron burrowed into her side, their oversized head resting on her torso like a football made of lead. Her eyes stared up at Astra, big and blue and very, very happy, and the Kirlia let out a sigh that was more of a wheeze. Reaching out, Astra ran a hand over Aron's head and shell, feeling the smooth, chilly, and oddly organic metal that covered her. Aron trilled, pushing her head into the touch. Astra would have thought it adorable if a hundred pounds of Steel Pokemon weren't still nearly crushing her ribcage.
She still did, but, well. She couldn't feel her leg.
"Alright, enough of that," Astra said, gently shoving Aron off her stomach with a bit of telekinesis. Climbing to her feet, she took a deep breath and patted her dress down again. "I appreciate the thought, but maybe don't jump at people like that? You nearly crushed me, you know."
Aron instantly deflated, her body drooping in shame. "Aron...?"
"It's alright," Astra reassured, reaching down to give her another pat on the head. "Just something to keep in mind, okay?"
"Ron!" Aron chirped, rubbing back against Astra's touch.
Astra smiled. "Good. And don't take any more shit from those Makuhita, alright?" she said, turning back the way she'd come. Aron stared up at her, head tilted in confusion. "And try finding a Nosepass if you can; they might be able to point you to metal in the walls. Take care, Aron."
Astra left the small cavern, her smile fading as she heard a sad, questioning cry echo out behind her. Her just leaving probably wasn't what Aron had expected, she knew. In many ways, that had mirrored about four experiences she'd had before. She had considered it, briefly, but...no. It wasn't...the thing was...
She just couldn't. Not right now, with where she was, and after all that had happened.
And yet, after she had made her way back to the main tunnel, she was completely unsurprised to hear the scuttle of nubby feet trailing behind her. She came to a halt, listening to the steps slow down and pause. She turned her head, looking back to see Aron just a little ways down the tunnel, staring at her nervously.
"You want to come with me, don't you," Astra said. It wasn't a question, but Aron steeled her nerves and nodded anyway. Astra looked at her. She sighed.
"I haven't been a very good trainer, recently," she said, looking down at the ground. "I already have five Pokemon, and I haven't been treating them as well as I should be. Haven't found time to actually give them real, individual attention for a while now. If it weren't for May lending me some of her payout, I wouldn't even be able to feed them very well. Adding another partner to my team on top of that...
"Brendan just warned me about this, back in Rustboro," she muttered. "Taking on more than I already have isn't smart. I'm... sorry, but I don't think I can take you with me when I leave these caves. I've already hurt enough of my friends today; I'm not going to do that to you, too."
Idly, Astra wondered what had happened to the Makuhita she had blasted. With a sinking feeling, she realized that it had obviously gotten heavily injured; who knew if they would find another meal? She hadn't fixed anything at all back there; she'd only just changed who was in misery.
She looked back at Aron. Big blue eyes stared forlornly back at her, her head drooping at Astra's regretful, rejecting tone.
SIlence fell for a moment.
"A—aron," Aron said, slowly turning back. She began to trudge away, and Astra...
Astra just couldn't let such a happy meeting end so bitterly.
"That said," she announced, the corners of her mouth twitching as she watched Aron swivel around nearly instantly. "I wouldn't be opposed to a bit of company while I'm still here, if you want."
Aron's eyes practically shone, her steely shell flashing in the mosslight as she dashed at Astra. She chirped rapidly, running in circles around Astra's feet in excitement. Astra giggled, smiling fondly at their antics.
"Well then, let's get going," she said, once more starting down the tunnel. "We've got a very dangerous man to find."
"Aron ar!" Aron trilled.
The Steel Pokemon excitedly circled around Astra's shoes, and as the Kirlia watched a merry contentment began to grow in her chest. Despite her new, absurdly heavy companion, her steps felt lighter than ever.
----------------------------------------
Astra saw the light before anything else, a slowly growing artificial yellow flicker at the end of the tunnel overpowering the dim blue of the mosslight. As it grew closer, she found herself at the opening to a larger than usual cave; what she could only assume to be the abandoned lesser creche Echo had spoken of before. The cavern was noticeably smaller than the other 'main' creches had been, and she could only see about fifteen or so beds carved into the walls—each of them filled with slowly yellowing grass. She couldn't spot any left-behind puzzles, toys, or Barrage slabs, but there were a few larger moss patches on the ceiling.
There also didn't seem to be anyone else in here, though she could sense a single strangely occluded presence a little further ahead.
Bereft of Champions to interrogate, Astra's mind pondered the purpose of such a place; why use this smaller cave when the Colony had so many massive ones already? Perhaps it was simply...overfill? There couldn't always be exactly enough Abra to fit in every big creche neatly, so if there were a couple Abra without a sleeping space, then they could simply sleep here and teleport back to one of the larger ones once they awoke. The lack of entertainment here seemed to support that—the only use this place had was as a spare resting area.
Her attention, however, had been captured by the nine-foot-wide rock cylinder on the floor, its length just failing to divide the entire room in half. It was completely smooth, almost like it had just been pulled straight out of the wall. The colors on it seemed...odd, the rough gray of the cavern rock near the 'head' abruptly giving way to a thick layer of dull black and then finishing with a massive stretch of shining obsidian.
Astra gulped, examining the horizontal pillar with fascination and unease. She looked down at Aron, who was staring at the shining, glassy stone with starry-eyed enchantment. Astra couldn't fault her for that; she'd never seen a rock so glossy and dark either. Still didn't beat her shiny green rock, though. Maybe she'd try to snag a piece for her collection on the way out. But why was it here? Echo hadn't said anything about weird giant pillars on the floor, so...that left one culprit.
Averting her gaze from the dark rock, she returned her attention to the golden yellow light radiating from behind the pillar's other end, the bright glow completely foreign to the cavern system. Further ahead, she could feel a familiar presence, though it was...oddly faint for how close it was. Strange.
Astra closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of the cool cavern air. She held it for a moment, tensing her whole body, before releasing it all in one long exhale. She nodded to herself, standing firm in the looming face of the scariest human she'd met thus far.
The long wait was over.
It was time to meet Steven Stone once again.
Astra strode forward, circling around the layered cylinder. Aron followed at her heels, the smaller Pokemon's gait much subdued by the serious air. On the other side she found a massive tunnel into the rock wall, shaped the exact inverse of the rock beam, bored through as though it had been erased and restored elsewhere instead of being dug at all. The path was heavily cracked and lined with numerous glassy pebbles and shards.
And at the end of that tunnel was another cavern, shining with lamp-light.
They walked through the tunnel, their strides clinking softly against the volcanic glass and crushing scattered fragments along its length.
As they neared the end, Astra saw the strange glossy stone give way back to the regular brown rock from the caves at the exact threshold of the tunnel. Peeking out from the right were three powerful lamps set up on miniature stands, and the wall directly across the opening seemed to have strange markings on it that...uh...she couldn't quite...make...out...
She stopped as a spell of dizziness and a sense of light pressure brushed over her simultaneously, and suddenly it felt as though someone were pouring ice water directly into her skull. She teetered for a moment, shivering, before the sensations vanished as quickly as they came. Astra inhaled sharply as everything snapped back to normal, blinking rapidly. What was that? Some kind of...stress-induced vertigo? She honestly had no idea.
Was the oncoming meeting really weighing on her that much?
She rubbed her head, looking around the cramped tunnel uncertainly. Aron nudged her leg in concern and Astra twitched, then let out a long sigh and gave the Steel Pokemon a reassuring smile. With no further way to question the strange episode, she turned her attention back to the far wall. Oh, the markings were just writing. Right, well, she could look at that later, maybe.
Astra reached the end of the tunnel and halted at the very threshold for an instant, hovering at the edge, before clenching her fists and stepping out into the cavern proper.
She turned left, and saw a man.
Then she looked beyond the man, and saw an apocalypse.
A mural had been painted on the wall at the end of the cavern, wide as a building and as tall as a tree, drawn in simplistic lines both angular and flowing. And in the moment, it caught her attention far more than even her ultimate opponent could.
On it were two figures. To the left, a monstrous red-and-gray lizard covered in black lines stood atop a cliff overflowing with magma, sporting a wide, jagged tail and razor-like crown. It hunched over, two arms splayed in fury as it roared at the figure opposite, the surrounding mountains erupting into gouts of molten rock and fire. To the right, a foreboding blue-white whale covered in red lines breached a titanic tsunami, hand-like fins and ribbon tails lightly curled toward its torso as if it were mid-dive. Rain fell around it in a deluge, the ocean below churning in massive whirlpools and waterspouts.
Above them, the rock was charred black; whatever was drawn had been long lost to an ancient heat. Though a hint of something green yet remained.
And at the very center...nothing. The lines and colors swirled into an empty vacuum, cutting off abruptly once they drew near. Was it deliberate, or had it been left unfinished?
Missed one.
Astra stared at the ancient painting, mouth agape. This was...far beyond anything her Grandpa had ever made. Even the most ferocious depiction of a Mightyena he had ever made didn't have a fraction of the primal fury the beings on this wall contained. What were they? Who made this? And why was the upper half so...burnt?
But even such a terrifying canvas couldn't distract her from the man standing in front of it for very long.
Steven Stone stood there, atop a small rise in the floor of the cave. His back was turned to her, head tilted such that he, too, appeared to be examining the drawing. He wore a more durable facsimile of his attire from the Petalburg woods—black jeans and a jacket to match.
And...he wasn't turning to face her. Or acknowledging her in any way, really. Astra was pretty sure that she hadn't exactly been quiet, especially with Aron's legs tapping against the glass, but...well, maybe he was just too focused on the drawing?
She couldn't tell, Astra realized with dawning astonishment. Every human she'd met so far had blasted out their feelings and mood like a shining aurora, but Steven's were somehow...muted, as though she was trying to decipher the murmur of human voices through a thick wall. What was that? It wasn't at all like how hatchlings were taught to shield themselves with psychic power, obviously, so... was there something else?
Nevertheless, she still had a letter to deliver—and this oddity would not get in her way. Briefly pausing to silently nudge Aron to wait by the entrance, Astra stepped forward alone, drawing closer to Steven until only a few paces separated them. The mural loomed above, the terrible figures roaring silently.
He still hadn't turned around. Was it deliberate? Fine, then. Steeling her nerves one last time, Astra began to speak—
—and was immediately interrupted.
"They say that time is circular," Steven abruptly said, his voice echoing in the small cave. "That all that is has since been done. There is nothing new to be found, underneath the light of our sun."
Astra stared at Steven's back in complete bafflement. What the hell was he talking about? And was he...rhyming?
"I would think it differently," Steven continued, voice following a strange cadence. "Found a world that runs on rhymes. Time that spins unparalleled, but in themes and paradigms."
The Champion of Hoenn, who held her village's future in his unknowing hands, was...reciting a poem to her. Sure. But also, why?
"So I shall share my thoughts aloud, both retort and reprise," he chanted in that same even rhythm, at last turning around. Steel-blue eyes met pink, boring into her with fathomless intensity. "All that is old is new again, to those with fresher eyes. Hello, Miss Astra," he finished, nodding at her with a smile. "It's lovely to meet you again."
"What the fuck was that?"
It took Astra a moment to realize she'd done more than think that. She flushed red, hands uselessly darting to cover her mouth as her eyes opened as wide as the moon. "Uh! Wait, no, I didn't—!"
"You didn't like it?" Steven asked, face falling.
Astra froze in place, mind blank. She stared at Steven, feeling like her thoughts had been scattered into the breeze.
"What?" she managed.
"My poetry," Steven explained, still looking disappointed. "Was it not any good? I've been mulling that one over for a couple days now."
"I...don't know?" Astra hazarded, still completely lost. She'd been too stunned by his reciting poetry at all to comprehend what he'd actually been saying. "I wasn't really...listening."
"Oh? A shame. I could recite it again, if you want," he offered, to which Astra vehemently shook her head.
"No, no, I'm sure it was fine," she assured him. "It's just...why did you start off with a poem?"
Steven shrugged. "It's just been a couple days since I talked to anyone who could talk back, and I wanted some feedback. Picked it up as a sort of tertiary hobby a few months ago. On top of that, you seemed like someone who enjoys the arts, so I thought I'd run it past you."
...Okay???
"That's the only reason?" Astra asked, incredulous. "You didn't think ignoring me until I was right behind you then spouting off some rhymes was weird at all?"
"Perhaps," Steven admitted, a small smile overtaking his features. "But I've also found that being a little 'weird' does help break the ice a little when I meet people for the first time. Properly, in this case," he added, nodding at her. "Seeing as you've conquered Roxanne's gym and earned both her badge and recognition, I'd hazard that you've heard my name once or twice now."
Oh shit she'd just called the Champion weird.
"Y—yeah," Astra stammered, cringing at herself. "You're...Hoenn's Pokemon Champion."
Steven nodded. "Indeed. I will admit I was a little surprised to meet not one, but two trainers who didn't at least recognize my name. Rather refreshing, actually. That said," he continued, giving her a sardonic smile, "if you've come for a rematch, you'll need a few more badges first."
Astra laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. "Ah, no, no, I'm not here for a challenge or anything. I didn't even want to fight the first time..." she muttered, only a little bitterly. Yes, May had gotten her pumped up enough to go along with it, but he had been the one to ask for a double battle in the first place.
Steven sighed, drawing Astra's attention back to him. "Yes, that was my fault, wasn't it? Before we get into anything else, I do want to apologize for that incident in the woods."
Eh? Apologizing? To her? What was happening right now? She'd expected that kinda-condescending ass from the tail end of their battle, not...poetry and penitence!
…Whatever. All of today had been weird; she would just have to roll with it.
"For beating up our Pokemon?" she checked, trying to regain her mental footing.
"Partially," Steven said. "Your friend got exactly what she asked for, and I would not take back any part of that. What I do regret, however, is dragging you into it." He nodded at her, grimacing in regret. "As well as some of my post-battle actions, or lack thereof. You did not deserve being brought into the conflict as an intentional casualty of your friend's mistake, and my remarks afterwards were in poor taste as well. In addition, I should not have left you both alone in the forest with all of your Pokemon in ill condition without checking to make sure you had medicinal supplies.
"Please accept my sincere regret on the matter," Steven finished, and suddenly Astra was faced with the strongest trainer in the region bowing to her.
Astra stared, warmth flooding her face. This was...um. "I—it's fine!" she stammered, waving her hands about. "It's...May's always doing reckless stuff like that! It would have blown soot in our face at some point—"
Steven glanced up, peering at her oddly.
"—so it's, you know, just part of what being friends with her is like! I guess! So we're cool! Please stop bowing, it's weird," Astra begged, then made a strangled gasp. "Wait, no, I didn't—you're not weird!"
Steven huffed, amusement sparkling in his eyes as he righted himself. "It's quite alright. I'm not one to be very bothered by someone informing me of my social ineptitude; in fact, I'm rather used to it. And I'm glad that there's no lasting ill-will. But moving on, might I inquire as to the circumstances of our meeting again?" His expression smoothed out as he questioned her, settling into a neutral smile. "Did you happen to wander here by chance, or...?"
Astra breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know what she'd do if he'd gotten annoyed with her. Right then; on to business.
"Brawly told me that you were in these caves, actually," Astra said, confidence growing. "You were half-right. I did wander here by chance—" Even if a large part of the 'chance' was Echo pointing her straight at him, "—but I was trying to find you."
"Brawly did?" Steven asked, blinking. "He wouldn't interrupt my sabbatical again unless there was good reason. Well then, what is so important that it needs my attention right now?"
"It's a letter," Astra explained, taking off her backpack and rummaging through it. Jars, the heavy briefcase, water bottle, spare sets of clothes, her old hat and the bolt of cloth, don't even look at the box—ah, there it was. "Mr. Stone at Devon gave it to me back in Rustboro after I helped them get back their, uh, submarine blueprints? They were stolen by some guy from Team Aqua," she explained, offering Steven the thick envelope.
Steven stared at her, surprised and faintly intrigued. "Well, you've certainly made some impressions if you've gotten a courier mission this early, and especially from my father." He took the envelope from her and examined it for a moment, then nodded. "Team Aqua, you say? Well, that's got to be quite the story. I knew they were getting more insistent these days, but...hm."
Reaching into a pocket on his jacket, Steven retrieved a strange folded-up knife. He twirled it around for a second, the blade and handles twisting elegantly in the air—before biting right into his fingers. He dropped it, shaking his hand with a bit-off curse. Astra's eyes bulged, and she let out a half-muffled snort before covering her mouth with her hands again, trying desperately not to laugh.
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"Sidney makes it look so easy," Steven muttered ruefully, grabbing the knife and—carefully—unfolding it. He cut the letter open, peered inside, then pulled out one of many pieces of paper.
Astra stood there, silently watching Steven read the letter. She shifted, glancing back up at the mural, then turned her gaze around the room. The tunnel she'd come out of had carved through a gigantic mass of incongruous obsidian that had sort of...oozed into the room somehow? Everywhere else had words engraved into the walls at varying heights; some neat and orderly, and some looking rather chipped and jagged as if the carver had been in a hurry. The words themselves seemed...odd? Not physically, but...something about the structure was strange, and a few of them seemed to have different double-meanings than usual. She had absolutely no idea how that worked, but she was pretty sure 'anger' hadn't also meant 'vitality' before, but now it did. Somehow.
One of the more orderly blocks of text caught her eye, the writing mentioning 'berries.' Astra walked up to it, peering at...a list of foodstuffs and instructions? Fill a container with water and set it over a hot fire—oh, it was a recipe! Someone had carved how to make it into the rock for...some reason. Was it special?
Either way, it was fascinating. She would have loved to make it, but she had no idea what a lot of these ingredients were and didn't know where'd she'd even find the ones she did. Was there a store that sold Lileep tendrils? Maybe she could grab some from back at the...um. At the...where? There had been a place, hadn't there? How did she...?
"Interested in the carvings?"
"Gah!" Astra yelped, leaping away from the human who had abruptly appeared at her side. Steven looked at her curiously, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. Why did everyone seem to enjoy sneaking up on her!? She hated it! It was the absolute worst!
They stared at each other for another infinitesimal moment before Astra let out a weary sigh. "Please don't sneak up on me," she requested, tiredly. "I don't like it."
"Ah, my mistake," Steven said, amusement still peeking in amongst his contrition. "I'll make sure to take louder steps."
Astra peered at him suspiciously. Was that a joke? Ugh, whatever. "And yes," she confirmed. "I was looking at this one." She turned back to the recipe for what was looking to be stew. "It's pretty neat. I wonder who made it."
"Ancient natives of Hoenn, I've no doubt," Steven said. He reached out, gloved hand tracing a line down the wall next to the carvings. "There are vanishingly few records of any sort from those who inhabited our region in the distant past, so finding a trove of history like this was preciously fortunate. I only discovered this place just this morning, and I never would have found it at all if it weren't for my Metagross sensing an ancient metallic chisel that had been left behind; a case of incredibly good luck."
He let his hand drop, smiling ruefully at the recipe. "What little remains of them is not enough to form a complete picture of their linguistics or culture, so understanding what they left behind and why is currently beyond us; though with this new finding that could change. It is a rather large collection of writing, after all; not to mention the mural."
"Hm." Ancient Hoenn natives? What did that mean? The humans who lived in the region a long time ago? And what were 'linguistics'? Well, at least she could agree on how interesting the carvings in the cave were. "The mural is really cool," Astra agreed. "and I'd like to try out this stew recipe sometime. Though, I wonder why they carved it into the wall; was it that important?"
"Indeed," Steven agreed. "That sort of—"
He stopped. Astra turned to find him looking at her blankly, saying nothing. She shifted uncomfortably under his silent gaze. Had she...done something wrong, again? The way he was staring reminded her of the times she'd asked May a particularly basic question.
"Apologies," Steven began, after the silence had run just a fraction too long. "But could you run that by me again?"
"Run what?" Astra asked, uncertainly. "The...I wanted to try making the stew recipe on the wall?"
Steven studied her, eyes flicking back to the carvings. "What makes you say that it's a recipe for stew?"
"Because it is?" Astra half-questioned, looking back at the writing. "I mean, it's right there. I don't think it could be anything else...?"
Was she missing something? Astra felt a pit opening in her stomach as the Champion continued to examine her like a Cascoon on a branch. She didn't know what was happening, but it couldn't be anything good.
After another long moment, Steven hummed and reached into his jacket, pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil.
"If I may, I have a rather odd request for you," he began, flipping to a blank page. "Could you read this recipe out to me? I'm afraid that I'm still having difficulty making it out myself, even with the lights I brought in," he explained at Astra's confused stare.
There was absolutely no way he couldn't read that. Those lamps had this room lit up like the Dawn Solstice! Something was deeply wrong here, but...she really just couldn't tell what. A bit of recitation didn't seem immediately harmful, though she'd been wrong about innocuous things before. Could she call him out on it? No, no. It was better to just...play along. She wasn't about to incite an even bigger mistake by refusing to do something so simple.
"Sure...?" Astra said, slowly. She looked at the recipe again and scanned the steps. Where to start...oh, it had a name at the top that she'd missed. "It's called the, uh, Oblation of Soothing Seas? What's an...? Um, well, anyway, you'll need to gather these ingredients—"
Astra listed off the materials and steps recorded on the stone wall, nervously glancing at Steven every so often as she went. At least she wasn't alone in her confusion; Steven had grown an increasingly thick layer of bafflement under his stoic demeanor as they went, staring intently at both the recipe and Astra herself as he recorded her dictation and muttering inaudibly to himself at times.
"Well," he said as Astra finished off with the final step—which appeared to be some convoluted method of letting the meal cool off by setting it up on an elevated platform next to the ocean. "This has been very fascinating. Some of these ingredients are rather...obscure. I'd have to see about a project Devon's been working on for Lileep tendrils, but I'm afraid Liechi berries have been extinct for thousands of years. I don't think this recipe could be followed as it is today."
"Oh," Astra said, disappointed. No stew and a berry had gone extinct? She'd never get to find out what it tasted like. "I would have liked to try it."
"It would certainly have been a worthwhile meal to make," Steven agreed, stashing the notepad back into his jacket. "Even if it wasn't any good, it would be a part of old Hoenn culture that had been lost to time."
He looked back at Astra consideringly, then turned to glance at the other carvings scattered across the cavern. His hand drifted onto the envelope sticking out of his outer pocket—and then he sighed, seeming to come to a decision.
"As much as I would enjoy picking your thoughts on the rest of these writings, I am afraid that time works against me," Steven said, giving another rueful smile. "Brawly was, unfortunately, correct; the matters my father wrote to me about require my immediate attention, and I'll have to cut my sabbatical short."
Oh, were they done here? Astra felt herself untense a fraction in relief. She hadn't messed up too badly!
"Sorry about that," she apologized.
"No, no, you've done me a good service by delivering this," Steven gently countered, the two of them turning back to the entrance where Steven's belongings and floodlights were being nosed at by a decidedly not-waiting-in-the-tunnel Aron. "Combined with aiding the transcription of that recipe, I actually find myself tangibly in your debt, Miss Astra. Beyond the terms of your delivery," he added.
"Huh?" Astra asked, confused. Did she just get some sort of favor from him? How? "Um. Really? It was just a recipe..."
"I'm sure you'll understand someday," Steven didn't explain, eyes sparkling with amusement at Astra's annoyed frown.
Stupid mysterious vague Champion. She was going to absolutely cherish kicking his ass in a few months. Whatever, she could deal with him being cryptic now if it meant she could get answers for something else. There was a lot she wanted to ask, in fact, but she didn't know how far this favor went.
Best to find out, first.
"Well, alright," she acquiesced. "What kind of debt are we talking about here?"
"Seeing as you've helped me advance my knowledge of these carvings, I would find it only appropriate to repay you with knowledge of my own," he said. "I would be happy to talk about anything you'd like while I pack up my camp. I can see that you've made friends with an Aron," he continued, nodding toward the metallic Pokemon sniffing curiously at the metal poles holding up the lights, "and even beyond my knowledge as Champion, I am particularly inclined toward Steel-type Pokemon. One of my partners happens to be an Aggron as well. I could certainly tell you about how to properly train and care for—" he glanced at Aron, "—her, if you'd like."
Aron chose that moment to notice their approach. Having decided that this apparently meant wait-time was over, she chirped and ran back to Astra. The Kirlia briefly panicked about being knocked to the floor again, but Aron seemed to have learned from the first time and circled around her instead, rubbing up against her legs happily.
Astra couldn't help but smile down at her, even if the taste of it was bittersweet. "Hey, Aron. I thought I told you to wait in the tunnel?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aron tilted her head, confusion swirling around her like a cloud. Then it passed, and she chirped at Astra once again, just happy to be near her. Astra huffed. What, did she forget? Heavy enough to knock her down but her head was filled with more fluff than Swablu's wings.
Shaking her head, Astra turned back to Steven. "Sorry, but...that won't be very helpful for me," she said, to which the Champion raised an eyebrow. "She... I saved her from a Makuhita just before I got here, but I'm not...bringing her with me."
Repeating it sank her heart all over again, and some of it must have shown on her face or the slump of her shoulders. Steven looked at her and hummed, a small frown on his face.
"That's certainly a shame," he said, idly moving over to organize his stuff into a massive backpack nearby. "Might I ask why? She seems rather taken with you."
"I just...can't." Astra looked away, rubbing at her arm. "It's only been a couple weeks and I already have five Pokemon, and I'm already feeling like I can't focus on them all. Not to mention how quickly they go through food, and I'd have to go find where to get metal for her on top of that. She deserves better."
Steven hummed again as he made one of the giant lamps neatly collapse in on itself, the light in the room dimming as the shadows grew deeper. "Scarcity and a lack of time are entirely valid reasons to refrain from catching a new Pokemon. Not every trainer can recognize their limits, and it is good to know what yours are. Resources and focus are, after all, very necessary for anyone looking to take care of their companions.
"Which is, sadly, what makes them such terribly effective excuses for failure," he finished, steel blue eyes piercing Astra's own like needles.
Astra flinched back as if she'd been struck. Then came the prickling anger.
"Excuses!?" she exclaimed incredulously. "I'm not making excuses! Those are real problems I'm having—"
"But they aren't the reason you're refusing to accept Aron," Steven cut in, his voice insistently calm. "Tell me, Miss Astra: if I were to give you a promissory note that would let you acquire enough food as you required to care for her indefinitely, would you take Aron then?"
"I—" Astra paused, confused. Could he do that? But...no, even then. She shook her head. "That wouldn't solve anything! I'm already not giving my team the focus each of them needs; adding another one on top is just—"
"But why does she have to fight?" Steven asked again, his gaze cool. "It's not a requirement for every Pokemon accompanying a trainer to be trained and capable of battle. She's friendly enough; what harm is there in just enjoying her company?"
"But what if she wants to, huh?" Astra countered, glaring at the taller man. "I can't do that! Keeping her as just...just a pet wouldn't help her at all! She deserves better than that!"
"Better than what?" Steven demanded, eyes narrowing.
"Better than me!" Astra screamed, her whole body vibrating as if it were falling apart. A hint of something wet began to blur her vision, and suddenly she felt very, very tired. "She deserves better than me," she repeated, quieter. She looked up at Steven through gimlet eyes, scowling. "Are you happy now?"
"Not at all," he replied, smiling sadly. "But now we both know what the truth is. You won't take Aron not because you can't, but because you think you'll fail her." He sighed, a forlorn look crossing his face. "It is also unfortunate how doing so is assuredly self-fulfilling. Tell me, Astra," he said abruptly, "you mentioned that Brawly directed you here, yes? Does that mean you, perhaps, faced him in battle recently as well?"
This was not how she was expecting this conversation to go. "Yeah. I lost," Astra bit out, the shameful memory of her actions still leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She eyed Steven in annoyance. "Why does it matter? What, do you wanna hear about how bad I did?"
"Not in so many words," Steven hedged, "but the details of the encounter may prove enlightening. Perhaps not a play-by-play; rather, how did you approach it, or compose yourself during?"
Was there a point to this? Why did he want to know about her abysmal performance all of a sudden? She had half a mind to just... leave. Screw the favor; she delivered the letter, there were no more obligations left keeping her here.
The other half of her begrudgingly pushed the impulse down. No matter what kind of prying oddities were going on here, she needed every advantage she could get, and she wasn't going anywhere without answers.
Even if it meant airing out her failures to her ultimate opponent.
"I was exhausted," she muttered, folding her arms and looking away. "I...had some bad experiences on the trip over and at the town hall, but I kept pushing on instead of taking a break even after literally everyone told me to. I could barely think straight, but I challenged Brawly anyway and got my team mauled for it. And even then, I just...kept going anyway, and came out here to try and find you even though I could barely walk. I didn't even stop at a Pokecenter..."
Steven hummed. "You seem remarkably composed for someone who was on the verge of collapse," he noted, tone curious yet non-judgmental.
Oh. Right. Echo had put her to sleep and then... quartered the time she needed to sleep, somehow.
How did she explain that, though? She couldn't tell him about Echo, but... uh.
Surely there was a reasonable excuse? She just had to...think of one...
Um.
Um.
"I...had a really good nap in the cave?"
Fucking shit.
Steven looked at her, one eyebrow steadily raising. Silence blanketed the room like a rolling storm; filling the air until it thundered in her ears.
"Well, I did!" Astra burst out, flushing red. "It's just...there was this whole thing, and I got separated from May and Brendan, and, uh, I fell asleep for a couple hours in an alcove."
"Hm." Steven blinked, eyebrow still raised. "Separated how?"
Stars above, send down a shining light and just obliterate her now.
Fuck it. The barest essentials of the truth would have to be enough. Humanity already knew that Abra and Kadabra existed here; saying that she'd met one wouldn't compromise anything. She hoped.
"There was a Kadabra," Astra said, haltingly. "They, uh, teleported us apart. I collapsed in an alcove. Stuff happened. Now I'm here."
Steven blinked again, looking her up and down. "You appear to also still have all of your limbs," he observed.
Astra was suddenly glad that she would never meet Echo's cousin.
"Yes?" she questioned, feigning confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"
Steven paused and seemed to direct a glare at...himself? He exhaled sharply, then pressed on. "The Kadabra in these caves have been known to be rather... volatile, though it has been quite some time since a sighting. Or an incident, for that matter. If you did meet one...hm. Maybe that would make sense. They wouldn't have thought to try..." He trailed off, leaving Astra mystified as he muttered under his breath.
Then he shook his head, returning his attention back to the conversation. "Ah, but I distract myself. You have had a very rough day so far, I will agree. But what have you taken away from it?"
"Taken away from it?" Astra repeated, and this time she was genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"
"Think about your actions so far today," Steven explained, gesturing into the air. "Remember them as they happened, and then think of them as if you witnessed someone else doing it. What opinion would you have of that person, in a vacuum? What opinion do you have of yourself, having done it?"
Astra looked at him, saw his cool gaze meeting her own. Emotions hidden behind a fogbank, his face betrayed nothing, expressing neither concern nor judgment. What was he thinking? Did he care? Or was this some dull routine performed a hundred times prior? He was the strongest trainer in Hoenn; surely he couldn't stop to listen to the problems of every trainer he crossed paths with. What made hers so interesting? If it had been anything she feared, it would have been more drastic than this, right? So then...what?
She'd grown so used to being able to feel the emotions behind a human's words that the sudden lack of it was like taking a step, only to find one of her legs had disappeared.
Astra sighed, looking down at the ground again. She didn't spare much thought to his question at all. She didn't need to.
She'd already been picking at that scab for half the walk here.
"That they're a terrible, reckless trainer who throws her Pokemon into danger without any thought for them or even herself," Astra said, quietly. "Good trainers don't do that sort of thing. They listen to their friends and don't get their Pokemon hurt because they get too impatient and stubborn about getting things done immediately."
"And you didn't think you would be the sort of trainer who did that sort of thing, yes?" Steven cut in, softly. "You did something 'bad,' and now..." He paused, eyes closing as he contemplated something. "Hm. A question for you, then:
"Knowing what you do now, and looking back at where you've been; if you were to be yourself at the start of this day, would you repeat yourself and perform the actions you did again?"
Astra's face twisted with incredulity. Do it again!? "No! No, of course not! Why would I ever do that on purpose!?"
"So then," Steven continued, the edges of his mouth curling upwards a fraction. "Would you knowingly do something similar in the future?"
"No!" Astra burst out, indignation flaring up like a bonfire. How dare he! "That was horrible! I would never—!"
She stopped, spotting the trap far too late. Steven smiled, and leaned forward.
"Congratulations, Astra," he said. "You've just done what we in the business call: 'Learning from a mistake.'"
"No, no!" she retorted, waving her arms in firm denial. "It—it's not that simple! I didn't even want to do anything like that in the first place! I— What if something different happens? Aron shouldn't have to—"
"If you are so fated to cruelty and self-destruction, then why not release all of your Pokemon and be done with training altogether?" Steven asked. "Or is it only Aron that deserves to be spared your supposed malice?"
Astra froze, thoughts locking up. Quit being a trainer? Give up on her village's future and safety, and everything they'd entrusted her with? Cut May and Brendan out of her life forever? Forsake the human world and leave her home to rot!?
"I could never," she whispered. Her voice brooked no argument. Steven watched her, and nodded fractionally.
He folded his arms. "Life is full of regrets. Mistakes are unavoidable, and some will haunt you for the rest of your life. I've replayed our encounter in the forest once or twice over these last days, thinking on how I could have handled it differently. But it is only the most recent and trivial entry into an ever-growing list of laments.
"My career as a trainer is not without fault, either," he continued, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a strange gray pokeball with a quartet of blue domes, some large and some small, circling the top half. "Here, let me introduce you to one of my dearest companions. Come on out, Tung!"
Astra tensed as Steven tossed the pokeball into the air, only briefly distracted when she noticed Aron had moved in front of her at some point. She was trembling, but...was she trying to protect her? A quavering electric whine accompanied by a brilliant burst of phantasmal slashes and gray hexagons refocused her attention, and when the light resolved, Astra was once again faced with an Aggron.
Standing at least a full head above Steven, the behemoth resembled the remains in the cave in all but size. Their bulky frame creaked as they stretched out, before crunching oddly as they brought their arms in and swung them back out repeatedly, apparently enjoying their freedom. A low rumble filled the cave as they...purred? The sound wasn't unlike those strange machines inside cars that apparently made them move with tiny explosions.
They also only had one horn. The other was missing; only a worn-smooth base was left, extending a few inches out of the socket in their topmost head plating. And there was a large, jagged white line trailing down their left side. And there was a—
This Aggron was incredibly scarred, Astra realized, the anger she'd felt at Steven's…rather condescending lesson petering away. Various marks criss-crossed their entire body, and in several places were the faded remnants of injuries she could scarcely think of an origin for. What had happened to them?
A low whine pealed through the air, stealing her attention away from the giant. Astra looked down to see Aron practically vibrating in her shell, eyes sparkling as she looked upon the pinnacle of her family's line.
"Aaaaaaaa—!"she squealed, dashing forward to run around Aggron's feet. Or, Tung's, rather. Astra hadn't encountered too many owned Pokemon with names; the last she recalled was Briney's Wingull, Peeko. Oh, and hadn't that snooty kid she'd spied on during her first visit to Petalburg named his Zigzagoon? In any case, Aron looked positively ecstatic to meet Tung.
It reminded her of the fuss she and the other Ralts in the village made when one of their number evolved into a Kirlia.
Tung, for their part, took one surprised look at Aron and bellowed out an overjoyed "AGG!", which Astra had no trouble translating into something akin to "HATCHLING!" once her ears stopped ringing. Then they paused and turned to Steven, an obvious question circling their mind.
"Go ahead, brother," Steven said, smiling. "You can be her cool uncle for a few minutes."
Tung's eyes shone just like Aron's at Steven's permission, and after another loud bellow he dropped onto his stomach. Aron then started trying to scale his head like a particularly joyous mountain.
"Oh my stars, that's adorable," Astra said, hiding her massive grin with a hand as she watched Tung weakly try to shake Aron off, much to her delight. Steven chuckled, having moved to her side as the two armored Pokemon played around.
"Yes, he doesn't get a chance to play with young Pokemon very often, much less an Aron," he commented, looking at the duo fondly. "There's not much time to spare, you see. But I imagine you must be wondering what I brought him out for, yes?"
"It may have crossed my mind," Astra agreed, watching Tung gently push his arm against Aron's repeated headbutts, pressing against the smaller Pokemon just enough that she had to really strain to move his bulky limb. "He's a lot smaller than the last one I saw. A lot more injured, too."
"Yes, wounds like that tend to accumulate when you battle as often and fiercely as I do," Steven said, nodding. "Unless something drastic happens, your Pokemon won't experience any sort of permanent scarring until much later in your career." He paused. "How tall was the last Aggron you saw, as an aside?"
Astra thought about it for a moment. If the Lord of Steel had stood up... "Somewhere between fifty to one hundred feet, maybe?" she hazarded. She wasn't really any good at measurements, but the feel of it was probably more important than the specifics.
There was an odd choking noise to her side, but Steven was still placidly observing his Aggron when she turned to look.
"I don't recall hearing about any Titan Pokemon running around recently," he mentioned, looking back at her.
"Oh, no he was way dead," Astra explained, puzzling over the term he'd used. Titan Pokemon? "He was just rusted armor fused into the stone. Lotta moss growing on him. It was cool."
Steven stared at her, his smile looking a bit pinched and waxy as his hand drifted to his letter again. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, before breathing out a long sigh.
"I'm sure he was," he agreed. "But as interesting as that is, I didn't bring Tung out to compare measurements, but as an example. You've already noted his numerous scars; tell me, how do you think he got them?"
"Probably in battle?" Astra guessed. Steven waggled his hand.
"Mostly. But each one of them is, in some manner, a failure on my part to either prepare or properly direct him," he said, walking forward.
So another way to say in battle, Astra mused—and this time, she made sure not to voice her thoughts aloud.
Tung looked up at his approach, rising to stand at the ready even as he continued to idly bat at Aron with his tail. Steven pointed at the jagged white mark running across the barrel of his torso. "Do you see this mark here?"
"I do." It crossed his chest like a canyon; the attack that made it…she couldn't even guess how powerful it must have been.
"Tung received this mark when I tried to train him with a method he was not ready for. That I did everything I could to aid in his recovery did not make this mark any less painful to receive, nor did it assuage my failure afterward. Tung, about face, thank you. Do you see this patch right here?"
Steven pointed to a massive swathe of slag on Tung's lower back, as though something very hot had blasted him from behind until his armor began to melt off his body. Astra gasped, covering her mouth with a hand in shock. That one was even worse! What could have possibly done that!?
"Y—yes, I see it," she managed.
"I asked him to withstand something he could not bear," Steven explained, looking upon the disfigurement in quiet sorrow. "He held on as long as he could, and it left him injured beyond the capabilities of modern medicine to fully repair. And he did it because I told him to, and he trusted me. His reward was pain."
Tung grumbled, turning back around to give Steven an exasperated glare. "Ron."
"Yes, yes, I know. It won't be much longer," Steven sighed, gazing forlornly at the empty space where Tung's horn should have been. "Last of all, his horn."
"What happened to it?" Astra asked. "It looks like it...snapped off."
"I made him fight a battle he could not win," Steven replied, closing his eyes. "That it was necessary does not mean the consequences are immaterial. All of these and more are the result of errors I made and directions I gave. Miss Astra," he continued, turning to her. "You made a day's worth of poor decisions and led your team badly for one fight. It left them injured, and you gained nothing except a harsh experience. But the bond between you and them will only falter if you believe it will, if you damn yourself and refuse to grow.
"Tung," he called, looking back up at his Aggron. "All of your injuries. All of your pain. The mistakes that I made. Did they hurt? Do you wish events had played out differently?"
"Agg," Tung grumbled, nodding at his trainer. Old pains swirled around his head, sorrow and grief streaking through like veins.
"And yet there is more to what we've experienced than those tragic moments, aren't there?" Steven called, his voice rising in volume. "Do you remember that moment we reached the top of Mt. Chimney and saw the whole of Hoenn stretch out before us?"
"Gron!" Tung rumbled, and Astra could feel the ground vibrate the smallest amount at his reply.
"Do you remember," Steven continued, raising his voice further, "our journey to Ever Grande? Every battle won and hardship overcome in the hell of Victory Road, and all that came after?"
"Gron!" Tung roared, and Astra nearly fell over at the force of his bellow.
And do you remember—!" Steven shouted—and then he stopped. He breathed in, then out, eyes closed. He looked up at Tung, a mysterious smile upon his face. Quietly, softly, he asked his Aggron another question.
"Do you remember our trip to Sinnoh, and what we found there?"
Tung did not speak. He simply looked at Steven, still as a statue. Astra looked between the two curiously. There was a story here; an understanding of sorts. One that she wasn't—and wouldn't be—privy to. What had they seen?
"And now I ask again." Steven's voice was a whisper, and yet it filled the ancient cave. "Once upon a time, I asked you to follow me. After all the pain I've caused you, all my mistakes and blunders…
"Do you regret it?"
Tung's bellow of denial made the cavern shake, a wall of sound that could rival Exploud all but throwing Astra to the floor. Over the din in her ears, one thing was abundantly clear:
There was no other place in this world he would rather be.
----------------------------------------
Far away, a great beast slumbered. His body rusted in the dank air, overgrown by luminescent azure moss. He had long ago become hollow inside. Nothing remained of the being that had been.
Yet, for a single moment, as a faint microseism of a distant descendant passed through his ancient shell...
The moss in his eyes flickered in acknowledgement, just once.
----------------------------------------
Tung vanished back into his pokeball. Astra looked up at Steven from the floor, stunned.
"We are more than our darkest day, Miss Astra," Steven said as he tucked his companion away. He watched the awestruck Aron as she scuttled back to Astra's side. "Just as we are less than our brightest. None are free of faults. None are free of virtue. You will experience grief and loss much worse than this, and know moments of joy and triumph you could never believe possible. This is what it means to be alive. The only choice is how we choose to grow."
He considered Astra for a moment, his expression returning to polite blankness. "I will ask once more, but I will not be the one to whom you give your answer. The final say is yours alone.
"What reason do you have to leave Aron behind?"