CHAPTER 339

It was the morning of the opening ceremony.

As such, it would be easier to find a needle in a haystack than figure out where in the world my friends were. We'd sent each other texts with plans to meet on this exact plaza, but it was so full that I couldn't even rely on the old 'find Denzel's head poking out somewhere from the crowd' trick. I'd turned off my hearing aid for the moment so the feedback loop wouldn't give me a headache by sounding like a malfunctioning microphone, but luckily Buddy was here to help just in case I missed a voice or someone calling out. The number of fans I'd been stopped by was a little overwhelming, and each wanted a picture or something signed. Nearly all of them were civilians, though, not trainers.

Mimi was sleeping. Somehow. They'd spent all of yesterday evening hitching a ride on Byron's Skarmory, who had stayed behind while his trainer had gone back to his Gym to prepare for a meeting with Teracore officials. At least that meant we wouldn't have to watch for their shenanigans. They were the kind of person who'd suddenly run off because they noticed something interesting.

Amidst the countless civilians, you often found trainers who would do a double-take when they saw me. Most stayed away, and fewer still gave me the stink eye for obvious reasons. My advantage was clear, and it was very real. I paid them no mind, but it made me miss the times when I'd been an unknown who could blend into crowds easily. To be honest and luckily for me, most people were just too busy enjoying themselves to care. Another vibration shot up my overalls pocket, and I grabbed my phone after managing to wrest myself to a bit of free space in a plaza with a large fountain where a few small water types rested. Pelipper and Wingull, for the most part, but two eastern Shellos and a Buizel too. Denzel and Pauline had found each other next to some kind of ice cream place… I scanned the surroundings for a moment until my arm moved without my doing, the transparent water wrapping itself around the skin and pointing in a direction.

Crystal Cones. Yeah, that was it. "Thanks, Bud," I whispered before I broke into a jog toward the store. There was another vibration that probably signaled Marley had made it too. It would just be the four of us today. I wished Maymay could have been with us, but with the opening ceremony being at two in the afternoon today, she had a lot of work to do before actually being free to do whatever she wanted the entire month. Not only did every Gym Leader have to be present, but they had to coordinate how their cities were going to be represented and what they'd showcase to the entire region. It had taken a lot of work to get Marley to agree to hang out. She wasn't exactly shy, just an introvert who'd rather spend most of her time alone than with people.

Oh, and Jess?

Jess didn't really care for the Conference and had taken too much time to get her tickets. She was only going to be able to watch this stuff on TV. On one hand, it was hilarious; on the other, it was also really, really tragic. At least we still had phones.

Like every business that opened its doors yesterday, the Crystal Cones was bustling with people. I could already see my three friends through the windows in a queue to buy ice cream. Denzel and Pauline beamed when they saw me, waving and beckoning me into the store silently while Marley just greeted me with an awkward wave. Once I squeezed myself into the entrance, I turned my hearing aid back on and ran past the line of people. Before any outrage could spring up, Pauline spoke up.

"She's with us!" she said before wrapping me in a warm hug I eagerly returned. "There you are, little gremlin! I thought you'd never figure it out."

I greeted them one by one, hugging Denzel and Marley—though the latter was surprised at the warmth and hesitated to return it. Maybe I'd been too forward; people didn't like being hugged all the time.

"What's with the camera?" I nudged my face toward Denzel, who pointed it at Pauline until she made a finger at it. It was a tiny one, small enough to fit at the end of a stick.

He laughed at her until she stepped on his foot. "I messaged that I was going to be streaming?" Denzel frowned. "It said you read it. Should I end the stream?"

"Wha—no, no. It's fine. I'm fine with it." He had told me his plans to stream a whole lot during the Conference, including interviews with trainers and such. I must have forgotten it was starting today because I'd been having too much fun yesterday night. "How many viewers you got?"

"Sixty-thousand, give or take. Want a lapel mic?"

At this point, why not? Poketch would kill me if I let this opportunity go by. I wouldn't answer or talk to his chat, even; it would just be a way to humanize myself before the tournament. A slight shiver shot down my spine. When had I learned to think this way off the cuff? Maybe a month straight of intense work for the company had changed me some.

While slowly advancing through the queue, I put the lapel microphone on my shirt and acted like nothing was really different. I couldn't even see his chat, though Denzel sometimes told them not to be weird or to cut it out, whatever 'it' was. Gone were the days of his skeleton staff moderator team, however. From what I knew, he had dozens of them who he actually paid for their time whenever they did work on a stream.

As expected during the Conference, once we all spoke about how we'd found the island so far as first-timers (I made sure to stay quiet—the last thing I wanted was for people to know I was staying with Gym Leaders), the topic quickly moved on to the tournament itself. About what trainers to watch out for, who would be the worst to end up in a group with, and such.

"Well, obviously you don't want to end up meeting an experienced trainer." Denzel took a lick of his pistachio-vanilla-sprinkles abomination and bit into his cone without a care in the world. "Aubri would be the worst-case scenario—and she's a favorite, but there are a lot more dangerous people than just her."

"Like?" Pauline probed, along with possibly everyone in chat.

Names spilled out of both his and Marley's mouth at speeds I didn't know the latter could speak at. Some of them, I knew. Ammar Hamili from Orre and his crazed Fearow, violent beyond what Sinnoh was used to, along with his other Pokemon which were experts at fighting in a desert and the sun. Bobby or Ramon, my Poketch colleagues—whose friendships with me had frosted over a little bit, but were still very amicable. Archie Wright, who was impossibly difficult to plan against due to his out there tactics and the fact that he owned twenty Pokemon he could make use of—all of them, I'd heard of from Craig back in Sunyshore. Some that followed, however, were new, and I paid attention to each just in case some information could be gleaned, but Denzel unfortunately kept his explanations simple so his chat didn't get lost.

"Jamie Pearce," Marley said. She'd ordered chocolate, but still had barely touched her ice cream. "Galarian, but he's traveled to Paldea too, so this is his third year. He's the one people say might win other than Aubri."

"Your ice cream's melting," I noted.

"Oh." She absent-mindedly started to go at it. "Thanks," she said, voice muffled.

We were trying to find a spot we could stay at that wasn't crowded, which by all means was probably going to end up being in one of the green spaces at the outskirts of town. At least now that we were out of the plaza, things were manageable for my hearing aid. The smooth, orange streets felt smooth under my feet.

After taking a spoonful of strawberry ice cream, I noted, "I remember Craig being worried about him." He'd always been a paranoid man, and that trainer had been the one on his mind. Not Aubri. Not any other peer. A foreigner from across the ocean that carried with him a Glimmora and other exotic Pokemon I'd never seen.

I'd also met him updating some documents all the way back in Veilstone when I was getting my license to carry over six Pokemon. He'd been average-looking enough—slightly long brown hair, skin dotted by a few acne scars, and a crooked smile that seemed to hide mischief beneath his agreeable character.

Denzel grabbed the camera off its stick and pulled it closer to his face. "It'd suck if a non-Sinnohan won this year of all years," he grumbled. "Wait, I have ice cream on my nose—"

"Get your patriotic head out of the gutter. What we need is a fun tournament; it doesn't matter who wins."

"Did you hear they're gonna play videos of Craig at the opening ceremony?" Marley said.

"Arceus. Why not just go get the guy from his grave prop up his body or something at this point?" She watched the reactions of chat trickle down on her phone. "What!? It's not like they wouldn't do it if they could!"

"There's a movie with this plotline," I chimed in. "Forgot the title, but my dad has the old DVD. Weekend at…"

"Sorry if I wanted Sinnoh to get a win for once! Think about how humiliating it'd be for us to get wiped out. A win would be a statement!"

I glanced at my friend, whose jaw clenched slightly, and figured he'd get along with Roark pretty well. The conversation flowed freely, with Marley growing more and more comfortable as we made it to a wider park where we could release one Pokemon each. That was actually a rule on a sign due to how many people were around the space. Denzel opted for Sylveon, Pauline for Primeape, Marley for Arcanine, and me, well—I technically had Buddy already. He slithered out of my clothes, which made Marley's nose wrinkle and both Denzel and Pauline blink, but the reactions were brief and we thankfully moved on rather quickly.

I was growing a bit tired of people thinking I was weird just for protecting myself. If anything, they were the weird ones.

There was nothing strange about keeping myself safe. Hmph. Sylvi's ribbons wrapped all around me and I hugged the fairy type with all my might, kneeling down and gently petting his soft back. The fur felt almost glossy and artificial.

Arcanine immediately started begging for belly rubs, putting himself on his back with his four paws hanging in the air. With a curious stare, Sylveon tried mimicking him and did the same, making eyes at both me and Denzel. Pauline held out a hand, and the fairy type groaned, crawling away with his feelers with a disappointed sigh.

"You gonna buy items later today?" Denzel asked as he fiddled with his camera. "Might be smart to do it before groups are announced after the ceremony."

"Who do you think you're talking to, dude?" I proudly boasted, pointing at my chest with a thumb. "I'll do it ASAP, no worries." Most likely while or right before meeting my parents.

"Someone who loses track of things easily," he said.

"Touché."

With a hand on my heart, a sign of deep betrayal, I yelled, "Marley!"

It wasn't like I was going to reveal anything in a stream with tens of thousands of people watching. There were a lot of eyes on me in the first place, and I needed every advantage I could get, however incremental. I'd need to hand them all back after the month was over, though. Items were expensive and regulated to the point where you weren't allowed to take them out of the League. Nearly all of them were manufactured and owned by the government. Denzel had called it a way to add another layer of depth of strategy to battles. While he continued talking to Marley, trying to probe at something she might reveal, Pauline singled me out away from the stream, motioning at the microphone.

With a quick understanding, I muted it, and she ran a hand through her red hair. "Sorry. I just wanted to ask how things are with Maylene?"

"Oh. Oh, she's great," I said and sat on the ground. The grass prickled at my palms, stopping me from saying a thousand things about her. "Wish she could be there; I bet you'd get along! I can introduce you two tomorrow when there's time."

"Won't you have to train all the time?"

"I'll have to train some, but nothing intense. You know how tournaments go: keeping your Pokemon healthy is as…" I trailed off, "is more important than any intense training you'd get." Buddy nodded along with a knowing stare. "The last thing I'd want is having my Pokemon hurt from battling before an important fight. And every fight's important."

Right now, the most I'd ask of them is to build up their acting skills. They were already a lot better than they'd been in our fight with Gardenia. I'd rarely felt this confident about where we were at technique and power-wise. Sure, I didn't expect a win—my goal was somewhat nebulous, at the moment, when it entirely depended on what group I was in. I kind of just wanted to have a good time and show that I deserved to be here.

This Conference had a larger volume of participants than average, even if it was fewer than what was originally projected due to Team Galactic and the delay, and the scheduling issues. There were a lot of complaints about it online—people who thought they'd deserved to get in but hadn't. The only reason this year was so crowded was the surge of ticket sales. The League had printed a lot more to recuperate, and it meant that they could barely handle this many people.

"But things are really, really good right now," I added with a smile I couldn't help. "Her family's cool too and have taken a liking to me. It kind of makes me feel anxious, honestly."

"Why?"

I crossed my legs. "'Cause things are going too well. Feels like I'm just waiting for a disaster," I whispered, idly tapping my fingers against the ground. "I kind of want it to just happen already so I can start fixing it. Sucks that I can't get ahead of it, you know?"

She gave me a look—a sorry one—and dragged me close with an arm around my shoulder. "You'll be fine. The world's not gonna come falling down on you; just enjoy the tourny."

"Sure," I half-lied. I could enjoy things while being attentive. The last thing I wanted was to be caught off-guard. "Hey, why don't I introduce Mimi to Denzel's stream? They love attention."

The steel type rustled a bit at their name, but they were still soundly in bracelet mode. I felt a little sorry for using them to switch the topic, but the last thing I wanted was a friend worrying about me when things were going to well. Plus, it was either that or talking to her about Emilia, and I didn't want to be mean. There was a reason she hadn't come over right now and she'd be meeting us at the ceremony. Things were still awkward with them.

"Sure. He better pay you for driving up his numbers," she said with a mocking grin.

—

Cecilia had always known there was no authenticity to these hotels. Their designs were all the same—uninspired, unoriginal, and interchangeable no matter the city. It was something Cecilia had always known, but it had only started to bother her recently. From her days as a younger, unborn girl when she feared these places due to Amy finally deciding to cement her betrayal in Eterna City, stabbing her in the back, she had opted to stay in Pokemon Centers instead. It helped, especially now that she didn't have the money to spend lavishly, without a care in the world. Now that Temperance had decided to pay, her refusal hadn't exactly been an option. It wasn't as if her girlfriend could have stayed in a Pokemon Center—the rules did not allow it.

Plus, she wasn't going to let Temperance down. She'd been looking forward to this.

Cecilia looked out the window, her breaths slow and deliberate, and the world passed by below her. The island was so packed it reminded her of Castelia City during rush hour, where the people turned into a sea, a mass of flesh that at times appeared like a hive mind. A little part of her was glad that this enjoyment from city-gazing had been a reality and not something artificially ingrained in her like dancing. It had been a way to connect with her mother, one of the very few, but even alone, she found herself smiling at what she would notice. There was something fascinating about the little moments that unfolded like secret gifts for those who bothered to look.

The early morning light bathed the streets in a soft, gray hue, and a light mist hung over the buildings, giving the scene an ethereal quality that she ought to steal for her own battles. Even from this height, she could see vendors setting up their stalls in neat rows, unfurling vibrant banners adorned with all kinds of motifs. A large electronic screen on a nearby building had flickered to life, displaying a countdown to the opening ceremony. Sinnohan flags hung everywhere you looked, music and cheer made it all the way to her ears—

Arms softly draped around her, and Cecilia felt a kiss at the back of her neck.

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"Sorry. I didn't hear you come out," the Unovan said.

Temperance giggled, and sat down next to her. "It's fine. You were cute. Really focused." Her face caught the light of the morning sun. Her fake freckles were gone, now, and her hair was apparently something called 'Champagne Blonde' despite telling her that was no longer needed. It was difficult to tell the difference. "See anything interesting?" she asked.

She let the words flow freely, content to spend a few minutes recounting a few things. She groaned when she realized Temperance had missed a particular funny sight—a Drifloon having spooked a group of trainers by appearing too close to their face before disappearing. It was odd, considering she'd rarely heard of that species hanging around this island.

"Do you want to hang out with the others? It looks like Ronaldo snatched himself a penthouse," Temperance asked. She'd never been to the Conference, so she'd taken too long to get their room, which was the reason why they were in a normal hotel room. A bed, a bathroom, a TV and a window. It was okay. Boring. "We could go get a drink with the others before we start to get going."

Only a few hours remained until the opening ceremony. The two older friends who remained, Chase and Louis, couldn't be present. Chase was busy learning and dealing with internal Gym politics—he had been hired in quite an unusual way and all signs were pointing to him being the most likely successor, which other Gym Trainers weren't happy with. Louis, meanwhile, had to work hard on his sanctuary. The others… weren't her friends any longer.

It was something she still struggled with. Not just losing them—mostly the reasoning behind it. In theory, she understood why. She'd discussed it many times and even been slapped because of it. In practice, well, she still didn't understand how she could have rejected Emilia without hurting her. Oh, she knew the wrongs. Using her, dragging her around, and such. There were obvious ways to have handled it better. It was just that replaying the scenario in her mind over and over again, it was tough to envision a world without any sort of pain.

Sometimes, it felt like her body was a cage of her own making. She'd have to somehow escape, slipping through the narrow bars, if she ever wished to learn tact.

People were hard.

"I'd do it, but I should be on my way to buy items," she finally answered. "I'm already terribly late because of a certain someone spends too much time getting ready." Cecilia was no stranger to spending too much time in the bathroom, but Temperance just brought it to an entirely new level.

The coordinator ironically fluttered her eyes at her. "Aww, you potentially screwed yourself over because of me? Thanks, babe!"

Cecilia's lips twitched in amusement, and she put a finger on her girlfriend's mouth when she leaned in. Strands of moist hair touched her wrist; she still hadn't gone to dry it. "Now I'll be spending the rest of this morning away from you." She rose from her seat, sparing the window one last look, and patted down her skirt. "Bye."

"Bye? That's it?"

"Yes. Unless you wanted something else."

Temperance scoffed, crossing her arms with a pout. "Obviously not."

"Then bye," she repeated. "Oh. And nice or mean today?"

"Border on the nice, please."

Then border on the nice, she shall. Cecilia grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers before leaving. As soon as she was out of the hotel, she released Scizor. He always made for fun company. Metallic plates ground softly as he stretched, his powerful pincers opening and closing with a series of satisfying clicks. The morning sunlight glinted off his armor, casting faint reflections onto the sidewalk, and he let out a low, contented hum. She'd already researched where these 'items' were sold, and while she wouldn't have enough money to get everything she wanted, at the very least she could try and make it so her Pokemon shone the brightest on the battlefield so that their light would never be swallowed by despondency.

The more crowded the area got as they moved, the more annoyed Scizor got. He was moments away from hissing at a pair of tourists before Cecilia reigned him in by tapping on one of his claws—he nearly closed them on her hands and cut them clean off—and she asked him if he wanted back in his Pokeball. Unwilling to admit to any weakness, Scizor violently shook his head, and his wings shivered in irritation.

"I'm just saying," she noted, "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. There's no shame to it."

He shrugged.

"Here, let me buy you some Lum Berries." He hissed to refuse, but she just linked her arms in his and spoke over him, her voice piercing through his vocalizations and the noise of the hundreds of people around them. "A couple of berries aren't going to make any difference to what I can buy. I need to have Slowking teach you the value of money."

Another hiss, this time as if to say 'absolutely not.'

They bought them at a stand anyway. The Lum Berries were lightly brushed with a glaze made from honey and a touch of Oran Berry juice—The skewers were grilled over open flames, the heat caramelizing the honey, and they were skewered when everything was said and done. He didn't want to say thank you, but he devoured these so quickly Cecilia didn't even get to taste a single one. Somehow, that turned into sampling all kinds of foods from different stalls and ranking them on a tier list. They didn't agree much, and Scizor looked ready to launch a Flash Cannon into her face for daring to say that no, food sprinkled and embedded with metal wasn't edible for her and therefore belonged at the bottom of the list.

She was enjoying herself quite a bit.

Even if she was horribly late. From her own doing, this time.

The store stood tucked into a busy side street, its glass facade catching the sunlight and refracting it into shimmering rainbows. Above the entrance, a bright, hand-painted sign read 'League-sanctioned Item Store' in bold, cheerful letters. A Kadabra trio stood guard at the entrance, and Cecilia had to get her trainer ID scanned to enter just to make sure she actually had eight badges and had signed up for the Conference. The interior was a treasure trove of curiosities, carefully organized yet brimming with life. Shelves made of polished wood held rows of neatly displayed items, each sitting on a cushion of soft velvet or nestled inside glass cases. Tiny placards described their properties with meticulous care. For example, 'Focus Sash – Ensures survival in critical moments.' or 'Shell Bell – Restores a little with every strike.'

It was a decent bit more complicated than these placards gave them credit for. There were layers to this—such as a Shell Bell being far more effective on something that could dish out hit after hit in quick succession. This was one of the few item stores in the city. The few. There was an artificial scarcity system in place, with only a limited amount of items distributed each year to better keep track of any who'd attempt to steal them, but also, Cecilia guessed, to foster competition and ingenuity among trainers. To make them think outside the box. Luckily, she was only here for a few things. A Damp Rock and a few gems of her Pokemon's best typing. Luckily for her, all of that was still available, even if it cost her an arm and a leg.

So much for my savings, Cecilia thought with a sigh as she carried them to the cashier, a tired-looking League Trainer who looked to be about the end of his rope. People were asking him question after question after question about options and if whatever item was available at another store even though there were employees specifically for this. Scizor pushed her, and they inched forward until they finally paid and could get out of this crowded hell. Outside, she didn't mind, but within here? It felt like she was being suffocated from every direction.

What really ripped the air out of her throat like she'd been punched in the stomach, however, was a certain sight. She found it odd how she could instantly recognize the shade of gray Grace's hair appeared as to her warped eyesight. The world around her disappeared as she and some other fancily dressed girl crossed into the store, but Cecilia could see Pauline and Denzel waiting outside. There was less pain at the sight of her now. Less anger, too, even if it remained. Instead, however, it had been washed over by a deep sense of embarrassment, shame, and humiliation.

Their eyes unfortunately met immediately, and that snapped Cecilia out of her spell. She stumbled back half a step before realizing she'd look foolish trying to hide behind Scizor, so instead she decided to do the next best thing she could think of.

Leave. Nothing that could be currently said would help either of them—

"Cecilia!"

Her voice resonated throughout the store. Cecilia considered herself lucky that there were only a set amount of people allowed in at all times. Grace was rather famous these days; heads were already turning in her direction accompanied by whispers. The blonde whispered something to her other friend, who shrugged, and made her way toward Cecilia.

Why? Why even revisit these old wounds, Grace?

"Um. Sorry. You can leave if you want; I just wanted to—to see if you were doing a little better." Grace's gaze felt so piercing it was almost painful. The air around them shivered for a moment and turned blurry, a telltale sign of Extrasensory. She waited for a bit to see what Cecilia would say, but the Unovan found herself nodding along. "I know I have no right to, but I heard a lot about you and I was worried. You know. With the Pauline and Emi stuff."

Cecilia forced a smile in an attempt to avoid the total lysis of what she'd been working toward this entire month. Her eyes darted around, finding anywhere that wasn't her to be so, so interesting. Occasionally, she'd unfortunately allow a glimpse that lingered too long. A strap of her overalls, a piece of her skin, a quiver in her hand, she needed to gouge her own eyes out for her own good.

"Things are going well." Her voice felt robotic. Unnatural. Like it was coming out of someone else's throat. "I'm trying my best to move on. It was tough before, but little by little… I'm getting better, I think. It'll be easier when I'm back home."

There was nothing left in Sinnoh for her but a promise with its Champion which would soon be fulfilled and endless painful memories.

"And you aren't… lonely?"

"I have other friends now. It's not the same as…" she glanced up toward Denzel and Pauline, who hadn't noticed her yet. "And it's difficult to forge meaningful connections while learning so much about myself. And knowing that I'll be leaving so soon. It feels difficult to plant down roots."

"As long as you have people," she said, scratching her arm. "Oh, speaking of—I guess that's Marley." Grace nudged her head back. "I met her in piano class. Turns out she's a really good trainer who's also in the Conference—wait, I guess that's obvious since she was allowed inside—"

"I should leave," Cecilia interrupted. Better cut this off now before the realization that she was nowhere near getting over her was beaten into her over and over. She was still weak. Still beholden to someone else. "I have to go see—Temperance." She'd hesitated there for no reason at all. They weren't dating anymore.

"Oh. Right, right," Grace said. "You can stop, Bud."

She was out of breath. Her heart felt like an earthquake. Only Grace had ever had her feel like that. Cecilia hoped she was happy. She looked the part. More confident than she'd ever been with her, too. The air shivered again, returning to its normal state, and the buzz around the store slowly filled her ears once more. With a nod, the Unovan slipped past Grace. She looked back for a moment.

Grace did not.

Hopefully they would not cross paths again.

Having noticed her, Pauline made herself taller, clearly itching for a fight, while Denzel hurriedly clicked something on his camera and pulled her back. It felt a little tiresome now when it might have not a month ago.

"What did you tell her—"

"Just small talk. Have a nice day," Cecilia said.

The way back was far less joyous and carefree than earlier in the morning, as if all the life had been sapped out of her. She shouldn't have talked to Grace. Scizor was of that opinion as well. Why even treat Grace this way when so much hurt had come their way because of her? Her soul was still a fragile one, a hodgepodge of broken pieces of herself that she had managed to push together at last. Why even take the risk?

In the moment, just looking at her had been awe-inspiring, and the memories beautiful, and the way she moved, spoke, looked, so enticing it had left her tongue-tied for the first time in months. Now it was like she was in withdrawal.

With a quickened pace, her strides carried her through the bustling streets, weaving between clusters of trainers and their Pokemon until she was back at her hotel room. Instead of their floor, she clicked on the final one—PH2. She could hear the loud music from Ronaldo's penthouse even as the elevator climbed up.

It was the first time Temperance's group was even going to the Conference, and they'd already made themselves at home. She'd only brought her closest confidants, a small group of five including herself. They were already day drinking ahead of the opening ceremony, but Cecilia had to admit, it felt nice to return among them, especially after this morning. Cassandra's antics were amusing most of the time; Kael, as the oldest member of the group at twenty-four, took a bit of a parenting role, but he wasn't above mingling; There was the aforementioned Ronaldo, a minor Paldean noble whose bravery outshone his shyness.

There was also a new girl. Amber Stewart. When Cecilia entered the room, she noticed the seventeen-year-old take a hasty step away from Temperance as if them talking in the Unovan's absence was a crime. Cecilia let go of her bag with a tired sigh and glanced at her friends.

Don't take it out on them. And especially not on her. She had promised Chase she would try, and so she would do her best to do better. Temperance excitedly beckoned her closer; she was akin to a balm to her soul, these days.

"I'm back," she said with a tired smile. "Can I get a glass of that wine before we head out?"

—

"So basically, I just wanted to check in on her to make sure she wasn't—you know, self-destructing. Nothing else really happened." My phone hung between my ear and my shoulder as I struggled to carry my bags. Maylene hummed on the other end of the line. "It was… extremely awkward, so I kind of just kept talking to fill in the void, I guess. She was nicer than she had any right to be."

I'd expected Cecilia to look at me with that same ire she'd had during our argument in Canalave, but instead, they'd been somewhat subsumed. That was a good word to describe not only the meeting, but its aftermath, too. Even Pauline hadn't expected her to basically flee the scene as fast as she had. She'd built up an entire scenario in her head where everything would have been explosive and maybe Cecilia would have gone after me with her words too or tried to take me back, but that wasn't her. She wasn't some… villain. She'd just been hurt by my actions, and that pain had rippled across and hurt more people in turn.

A heavy sigh bled through my lips.

"Sorry you had to go through that," she said. "I'd say it'd probably be better to keep your distance now that you got that stuff off your chest. I don't want to hurt her more than we have already."

"Hmhm. I won't." Now that I'd gotten a good look at her and I was certain she was at least okay, I could breathe far easier than usual. It was selfish of me to have called out to her, but I didn't know if I'd be able to keep going if I knew she was still spiraling. I could fully let go, now. "How are the preparations?"

"Going well. They're basically almost over. I can't believe you got so sidetracked you have to carry your stuff everywhere, by the way. Half of it aren't even items! What if it gets stolen? Snatched in the crowd?"

"Come on," I laughed. "People can't steal from me. I'd just have Buddy spook them a little."

"I could steal from you."

"Yeah. Hmhm. I believe you," I said in the driest tone known to man.

"I'll show you when we're home!" she yelled. 'When we're home' made my heart feel fuzzy and warm. There was a sudden sound on the other end of the line. "Crap. I gotta head out. I'm pretty sure one of the flags just caught on fire."

"How is that even possible?!"

"There are a lot of moving parts. See you later! Love you!"

I grinned. "I love you too."

After running back to my friends who were also mostly carrying my stuff, we made our way to the central stadium.

The ceremony would be starting soon.

—

From our seats high in the stands, the view was breathtaking. The field below stretched out like a canvas, a smooth, metallic surface that seemed to curve reflected sunlight. I knew it could be changed at a moment's notice from different battlefields deep below, but they'd opted for this neutral one this time around. There was so much noise that I'd needed to turn off my hearing aid again. The things I'd bought sat at our feet, and we eagerly snacked on pretzels, cheesy fries, sandwiches, or popcorn. Nearly all of my friends were next to me—not only Denzel, Marley, and Pauline, but Emilia, Mira, and Lauren too. My parents were a row down and a bit to the right.

Emi seemed fairly okay, at least from the outside. She felt a little jittery at the idea that she'd missed Cecilia by not having been with us earlier. Apparently she wanted to talk to her again—a civilized conversation where she'd be able to get some things off her chest and maybe where they'd be able to start over as friends before she left for Unova and the connection was lost possibly forever. Pauline clearly disapproved, but had remained quiet at least so far.

Lauren had noise-canceling headphones on due to how the sheer weight of the crowd bothered her. It had been a long time since I'd seen her, but while she still hid her grieving self beneath layers and walls, she was as I remembered her, if a little happier, especially whenever Mira was around. Her brother should have been there. Those words must have been echoing in her mind over and over, and yet she wasn't here just for him. She was also here for herself. To prove she was more.

Mira was… hearing about her divided mind due to overuse of her power had shaken me quite a bit, but I couldn't really tell anyway other than her being more scatterbrained and sometimes saying something out of the blue. She didn't care much for the battle themselves or the results of the Conference. The main reason she'd come here was to support her girlfriend, but it also was more convenient when wanting to visit her uncle in prison. Really, outside of the fact that I knew they were dating, there weren't that many signs. They weren't a touchy couple at all.

Though I was probably being too narrow in my thinking. I just couldn't imagine it myself.

I wished I could have seen Jasmine around, but she was busy coordinating between Indigo and Sinnoh, still. We'd arranged a meeting later today anyway after the groups would be announced.

The stands themselves formed a sweeping, multi-tiered oval around the field, packed with to the brim with spectators, many waving banners or holding up signs adorned with their favorite trainers' names or wearing their merch. I'd seen a few walking in on the way in here, which was honestly quite surreal to see. The stadium roof arched high above, a lattice of transparent panels letting sunlight flood the arena while still providing protection from the elements. Occasional bursts of confetti floated down from what I assumed were hidden dispensers, shimmering like tiny rainbows as they caught the light.

But suddenly—

"Ladies and gentlemen! Trainers and civilians from all across Sinnoh and beyond!" a male voice yelled—wait, was that one of Wake's Gym Trainers? I recognized the voice. "Welcome to the grand opening ceremony of the Pokemon Conference!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, and the announcer paused, allowing the energy to swell before continuing. "Tonight, we honor the incredible spirit of our dear region—a spirit that has endured and thrived, even through one of the most challenging years in our history. We gather here not just to celebrate battles and victories, but to reaffirm what makes Sinnoh truly extraordinary: our resilience, our unity, and our hope." Then came a pause, and for once, everyone was quiet. So quiet it was as if they'd all died. A silent image of Craig played on the large screens above the stands, but also of a Sinnoh in ruin right after the bombings. "And now, as we come together for this Conference, let it serve as a reminder of everything we've overcome—and everything we still strive to achieve. But most importantly… LET'S HAVE A DAMN GOOD TIME!"

The next wave of cheers hit like a crashing wall, overwhelming and all-encompassing. Fists were raged in elation as Sinnohan flags billowed, and I had never, ever felt as Sinnohan and patriotic as I had in this moment. It was so moving.

"And without further ado, here are our delegations!"

What followed were different delegations amidst the Sinnohan anthem, each pouring out of the entry tunnel and onto the field one by one. As Sinnoh's capital city, Jubilife came first, heeded by a procession of people in sharp, tailored outfits, accompanied by drones forming dazzling light displays. Then came Oreburgh, with its hardy folk, its rock types and its makeshift minecarts atop which rode Roark; then came Hearthome and its ghosts sending a chill across the field and dimming it to summon a thousand glimmering stars in the sky; then came Eterna City with its thousand different flowers and ancient history—Gardenia's cloak billowed behind her and plants bloomed with her every step…

On, and on, and on. It was endless, and each was just as beautiful as the last. It was so much better seeing it in reality than on TV, but even then, this was probably the largest ceremony they'd ever put on. Each city was led by a representative, either the mayor or Gym Leader, or both, and even Twinleaf was represented, though it had the smallest of all. I couldn't help but burst into the loudest cheer of them all when Veilstone arrived, led by Maylene—followed by martial artists that represented the city's discipline and fighting spirit, and tech magnates and scientists that had made it grow so large. The last of the delegations came from the League itself, with Cynthia, the Elite Four, and a dozen officials behind them.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TRAINERS AND CIVILIANS," he repeated, "I'LL ONLY ASK THIS ONCE. ARE YOU READY?" he asked.

"YES. WE. ARE!" the crowd answered as one.

"THEN LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"