Chapter 24 - I Think We're Alone Now

The strength you've built, the kindness that you've learned to grow

All together makes your soul a better, brighter light, I know

There you will

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Damn it.

Shiron knew better than to try and win a fight against his mentor. Granted, they hadn't talked in a while, mostly because Shiron got busy with a bunch of other things, but still, he assumed that it wouldn't have been such a beatdown.

Which, considering that he was on the ground, panting and with a few chunks of ice all over his stomach, was a complete and total beatdown.

"You are being sloppy," the Samurott said, sitting and sheathing his scalchops. "It's as if you want to get hurt."

"I-I'm sure… I'm sure it's nothing. I might just be, y'know, bad at this."

Ronan closed his eyes, muttering… something. Shiron didn't hear it. And frankly, after getting beaten up he didn't feel like listening to it. Instead, he decided to sit.

"But it's not that bad, right?"

"You're better at using Liquidation now, yes." Ronan rubbed his beard. "Perhaps you'd like another go? It is only through trial and error that you may succeed."

"..."

Another go at this training. How could it go wrong? Shiron closed his eyes, trying to come up with an excuse to refuse Ronan's offer. He didn't find any.

Oh well, at least fighting was one way of handling his emotions and letting everything out. Shiron got up, adjusting his scarf and looking back at Ronan.

"Fine… I'll try again." Shiron rubbed his arm. Trial and error. His whole life had been that—mostly the error part.

The Samurott stepped back, putting some distance between him and Shiron. He did so for roughly fifteen seconds, and then stopped.

"You're free to make the first move. There is something I would like to show you."

Shiron took a deep breath. He wondered how the others were doing. They were supposed to meet Zero soon, and figure out what this whole "Crack" business was all about.

…Was it the right move? It'd help him be a hero, at least. Plus, Shiron liked mysteries. "I'm going first…"

Another deep breath. Water gathered around his left arm, quickly shaping into a drill. Though not a particularly pointy one, even if the water was spinning around at a high speed.

He ran, raising the water-coated arm and then jumping, lowering his arm as he aimed for Ronan's head. If it connected… it'd be great.

Which meant that, of course, it didn't. Ronan moved his body back only slightly, to the point Shiron was still in front of him, but the Samurott managed to defend against the attack, before he could even punch properly. A sudden defense.

In fact, he not only defended, but also struck back. With a swift movement, Ronan managed to grab his scalchops, coating them in pure dark-type energy. Shiron only had enough time to blink before a barrage of slashes hit his body, and he fell again.

"G-Guh!" Shiron coughed. The strikes stung, like a thousand knives on his body. Somehow, his scarf remained untouched, but the rest of him didn't.

"Like I said, sloppy." Ronan sheathed his blades again, before offering a hand to Shiron, who quickly took it, though he didn't stand just yet. "You're not particularly fast. And you're a close-range fighter. You're better when you're right next to your opponent."

…

He was close to Ronan now. Surely, that had to be an opportunity, right? Shiron still had one of his hands on the ground, and he could do something.

Grabbing a handful of mud from the ground, Shiron fashioned it into a ball and then launched it straight into his teacher's eyes, momentarily managing to blind him.

"L-Like this?!"

"Urk!" Ronan worked on removing the excess mud from his eyes, grinning as he did so. "Like this, yes. You learn fast."

"...Thank you." Shiron's heart skipped a beat. This… this was nice to hear.

But he had no time to waste. Shiron ran again, closing his fists. He tackled Ronan with them, hitting his stomach a few times. Each time, he put more strength into it, and the Samurott received the strikes, grunting more. Despite this, he stood his ground, not moving all that much.

It didn't take long before he grabbed Shiron's hands to stop him from attacking again, right as the mud fell from his head. "Tackle… I find it a simple move, and while it works with your physical strength, there are more refined options for you."

"Uh, s-sorry, I got excited." Shiron gulped. This was a little embarrassing, but he chose to focus on Ronan's words. "A more refined option? Or options."

"Indeed," he smiled in response. "I may be part Dark, but I still have a few other kinds of attacks at my disposal. Today, I will teach you Brick Break."

A fighting-type move. Shiron remembered it, but he wasn't aware his species could learn it. Good thing they could, then. It was better than a simple tackle, anyway.

"When do we start?"

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Rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. Ronan had picked them over from outside the town, so now Shiron was looking at a bunch of them, blinking. Was he supposed to lift them? Throw them?

"Uh…. I don't get it. What am I supposed to do with this?"

Ronan finished putting another rock, then clapped his hands together to get rid of the dust left in them. "Hm? It's rather simple. We're going to break each and every rock. That should give you the basics for this move."

"...I see."

Somehow, that made sense. At least it was better than staying up all night studying history. Not that there was anything wrong with history; Shiron just didn't want to be forced to learn it.

But he was going on a tangent again. "So, uh, how do I do this? Do I just… punch the rock?"

"It can work, but I'm trying to teach you precision." Ronan raised an arm, letting his fist close. "Gather your strength, move your arm down, and—"

He punched the rock in front of him. Shiron watched in awe as the boulder split into two halves, falling to the ground next to Ronan. That was power.

"W-Wow. I… I thought this was gonna be it, but s-seeing it?!" Shiron's eyes sparkled. That was so cool! He just had to do it himself!

"I don't particularly enjoy this move, but I suppose it would do nicely for someone like you." Ronan pointed at another rock. "Care to try it yourself?"

…And all of a sudden the enthusiasm left Shiron's body. He was going to try this, yes, but… well, he was certain it'd end up in failure. Just like everything else he tried.

Plus, what did "gather your strength" even mean? Why did old people have to be so cryptic about things?

Shiron sighed, having walked over to one of the boulders. It looked a little intimidating—no, very intimidating. What if he failed? It'd be the end of that training, and…

…I need to stop assuming the worst. Even if I fail, it won't be the end of the world. I-I think.

Raising an arm, Shiron took a deep breath. It was just him and the rock, the rock and him. He just had to… punch it. Punch it with all the strength he had.

What if I fail?

He couldn't think of that. Shiron lowered his arm at full speed.

It's not going to break.

The thoughts returned, but Shiron tried his best to ignore them.

I'm going to fail, I'm going to fail, I'm going to—

Shiron hit the rock, punching a hole through it. It didn't burst… at first, but a few seconds later, a bunch of chunks of rock fell to the sides. Somehow, someway… Shiron did it.

"H-Huh?! I… I did it?!" Shiron blinked, then rubbed his eyes. This couldn't be happening; he didn't believe it! "I-I actually did it! I broke the rock!"

And it didn't even hurt! His hand was fine, totally fine! Shiron's whole body trembled, filled with disbelief that he even managed to do such a thing. It had to be a dream! But it wasn't!

"You got the basics."

Snapping back to reality, Shiron glanced at the Samurott. "W-Wait, what?"

"I said you understood the basics." Ronan pointed at the rock that he destroyed. There were only two halves when compared to Shiron's boulder, which had been broken apart into many more pieces. "There's a lack of refinement here. You use too much energy, when only a small amount of it is necessary."

"...Oh."

So it wasn't a complete failure, but Shiron didn't figure it out entirely. Right, that… made sense, even if he didn't like it. But still, things ended up better than he thought, which was an improvement.

"But that's a good thing." Ronan raised his head, smirking slightly. "Now you know the basics, which means we can improve from here on. It might even help with your emotions."

His emotions…? Of course, handling them better would be nice. Shiron sighed, hearing his stomach growl.

"...Oh no! M-My job!" Shiron slapped his cheeks, groaning. "S-Sorry, mister Ronan! I got a job a few days ago, and I've been doing good, but I kinda forgot to go, given all the training and—"

Ronan shook his head left and right. "You're fine. Go do your job, then return after it's done. We'll continue from there."

How could he be this understanding? Shiron didn't pry any further, only adjusting his scarf so it'd look nice. He didn't feel the wounds from those slashes anymore, so going to the bakery should be fine.

On the bright side, he learned a new move! Or the beginnings of it, at least. Shiron left in a hurry, ignoring his stomach.

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Once he actually got there, Shiron found the place was oddly… calm. There weren't that many customers, which was great, considering he was (probably) late to his shift.

"A-Ah. I really, really need to calm down…"

Understatement of the century, from the looks of it. Shiron quietly closed the door behind him, already looking at the counter to see Magnus glancing back at him.

"Little late today, huh?" Magnus grinned. He didn't seem mad, at least. "Well, lucky for you, we don't seem to have many clients, so relax, man."

Gosh, why was he so adorable? Shiron felt all his anxiety disappear just from listening to that voice. It was so soothing. He walked to the counter, ready to speak more to him.

"So! Whatcha been doin'?" Magnus peeked a little out of the counter, grinning. "You look a little less… chunky."

"I-I do?!" Shiron glanced down at his stomach. There was a bit of a gut there, but upwards his muscles were a little more defined.

…Wait, was Magnus checking him out? Even if that wasn't the case, Shiron's face turned red.

"Just joking!" Magnus smiled again. "Since today's not that crowded, what do you say I try to teach you how to bake a pie?"

Just hearing that was enough to make Shiron's stomach growl again.

"I'd like that."

Magnus quickly hopped out of the counter, then opened the door behind him, waving for Shiron to come along.

"Don't keep me waiting long! We'll be having a fun time!"

And again, Shiron's heart beated faster than before. As usual whenever Magnus was around. But cooking? Actual cooking? He never tried it before.

Better late than never, I guess…

Shiron walked through the open door, closing it behind him. As he thought, the kitchen was fairly big. Wooden walls, cabinets, tables full of utensils… bowls and everything. Boxes of ingredients, and he smelled cinnamon. Sunlight entered through the wide, open windows, only making the smell more intense.

And, more importantly than all of that, Magnus was there with him. To teach… cooking and baking.

"First things first!" Magnus handed Shiron an apron. "Wear this, so you won't get that scarf full of flour."

"Uh-huh." Shiron turned around, taking off his scarf and putting it on a chair he found. Then, he put on the apron, fitting nicely in his body. "Huh! It's not that bad, I kinda like it."

Magnus looked, trying not to seem like he was staring disrespectfully. "Uh, yeah, it looks good on you."

"T-Thanks!" Shiron gulped. Awkward? A little. But it was worth it. "So, we're making pie?"

"Yup! Since this is your first time, can you handle me the ingredients while I bake?"

It sounded simple enough, so obviously Shiron was interested in that. "R-Right, can do."

Even so, he was a little nervous… but there was no way out of it now.

Magnus led him to the middle of the room, where a large wooden table was set, along with a few bowls. "Okay! We're making rawst berry pie today. Can you tell me what the ingredients are?"

"U-Uh…" Shiron stuttered. Damn it, this was supposed to be simple! "Rawst berries, for starters. Then… water and sugar?"

"Cornstarch and the pie crust as well." Magnus nodded. "I've prepared the crust before, so this shouldn't be too difficult."

He pointed at a stove nearby, where Shiron saw a saucepan. "That's where we cook the berries, right?"

"Ding ding ding! One point for you!" Magnus nodded again, moving there. "Now, hand me the berries!"

Shiron had already seen a bowl full of those delicious berries, so he grabbed it and handed it to Magnus… though not before picking one or two berries to eat by himself.

"I saw that! Heh, it happens!" Magnus put the berries on the pan, and then looked at Shiron. "...I forgot to ask you for the sugar."

"My bad, then." He rubbed the back of his head before grabbing the box of sugar.

Magnus carefully set down and turned the stove on, stirring gently. "The secret is to not use too much strength, y'know?"

Like mister Ronan said… Shiron thought. Who knew cooking would help with that? "Oh, and stir constantly too, right?"

"You managed to get another point, man!"

Okay, so it wasn't difficult at all! At least, based on what Shiron was seeing. Granted, his mind was half-focused on the smell of berries being cooked, plus the sugar…

Magnus continued to stir, glancing at Shiron every now and again. "Look, the strokes are gentle and constant, see?"

"Smells good too!" Shiron felt his mouth start to water by this point, but he managed to keep it together. "You do it every day? Don't you get tired?"

"Nah, it's fun. Plus, it's not like I only make this," he winked. "I think I'll take over from here. That sound good to you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Shiron glanced down at his stomach; it wasn't growling yet. So he left the kitchen and went to sit down at a table.

He happily tapped his fingers on the table, sniffing the air to get that lovely berry scent. For as long as Shiron remained there, he could forget each and every worry he ever had.

No confrontation, no anxiety, no fear. Nothing. He was happy there. Truly and completely… happy. Shiron sighed, grasping at his scarf.

Part of his mind was asking that dreadful question about deserving this. He ignored it as hard as he could.

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"Magnus? You hear me from here?"

It took a while before Shiron heard an answer.

"Oops, sorry! I was distracted stirring, but yeah, I can hear you just fine!"

"Ah, cool." Shiron smiled again. "You wanna hear some stories from me as a human?"

Most of them were bad ones, Shiron admitted to himself. But there were a few that he could share. Those that didn't involve him getting hurt, at least.

"Oh, sure! It's gonna take me a little more to finish here, so go on!"

Shiron asked himself where he could start. But there really wasn't a good place, was there?

"Sometimes, I could see rain from my room. I looked through the window and saw the dark skies, thunder, and of course, the drops." Shiron said. As he spoke, he looked through the door at the town, seeing no signs of rain there.

"Was it a tropical city or what? I don't know much about it… or at all." Magnus still stirred, but then he turned off the stove.

"...I think so. Maybe." Shiron shrugged. "Those rainy days… I remember wanting them to be over. There were times I wondered if they'd ever stop."

"Hmm…"

Magnus started stuffing the crust with the berry cream, listening on as Shiron continued the story.

"That's when I realized something, Magnus." Shiron tried to frown, but instead, he actually smiled. "No matter how long the rain lasts, there's always a blue sky waiting. Even as it rains, the sky is behind it, waiting to come back."

In response, Magnus stopped preparing the food. He took in the words, hearing them ringing inside his head. "Is… is that so?"

"What I mean is that I think I finally have that sky I longed for."

The words were meant for Shiron. He said it to make himself feel better, to cope with every bad feeling. But at the same time, there was truth to it. He agreed with the idea, or he wanted to.

"I'm… I'm glad you did." Magnus continued, putting the rest of the crust on top of the pie. He sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead. "We're all here for you, y'know. Nick, Audrey, Terry, Liz…we're your friends. Not just me."

"I know, I know, but you're…" Shiron stopped himself, only managing to whisper the last two parts of his sentence.

Different. You're different.

Shiron said nothing further, and then he saw Magnus come into the room, carrying the pie. The smell almost took him out of it, though Shiron managed to remain conscious. He really, really had to eat it.

"Here we go! For one hungry Marshtomp~" Magnus put the pie on the table, and then quickly glanced at the door he came from. "...I'm gonna get you your plate."

"W-Wait!" Shiron suddenly shouted, which did its job getting Magnus' attention. "...I want to share it with you."

To that, the Quilladin blinked. "Huh? But I made it for you—"

"It's best if it's shared."

Blinking again, Magnus felt his face start to heat and then promptly went back inside, returning with two plates. He quietly sat on the chair next to Shiron, setting down the plates.

"I, uh, wanna say thanks. It's not often I get to eat what I cook for the bakery." Magnus gulped, grabbing a fork. "Only when there's leftovers, and since you came into town that happened less and less."

"...I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment." Shiron chuckled to himself. "But I wanted to be nice. Plus, sharing food with a friend is good, isn't it?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah, it is." Magnus too a chunk with his fork and munched on it. Unlike Shiron, he was already so used to his cooking that it didn't affect him nearly as much. "Hm, a little too much sugar."

Shiron raised a brow, then did like Magnus and took a chunk to eat. "I dunno what you're talking about, this tastes just fine!"

"Uh, it's called baker's tongue. You don't have it."

…I want yours. I mean what? Shiron blinked. Stupid, dumb brain.

"Anyway, how's your day been so far?" Magnus ate a little more. Still too sugary for his taste, but at least Shiron was enjoying it.

Before he replied, Shiron ate another bite. "My day was, well, fine. I was training a little earlier, trying to learn Brick Break. And, Magnus? It's weird."

"Weird… how?" He tilted his head. "Don't humans learn this kinda stuff?"

Huh. Of course that'd be something a Pokémon thought a human did. Of course.

"We don't." Shiron had to clarify that. "As far as I'm aware, we humans are kinda… fragile. I know I was."

Too fragile for his own taste, given he died before.

"...Oh, I see." Magnus stopped to consider. Humans weren't on his list of things to think about before, but they sure were now. "And… do you still consider yourself one?"

What an intriguing question that Magnus made. Shiron had thought of it a few times, and during other times he ignored the question.

But his life now… his life was good. Friends, a job, a home. Actual people that cared for him. And most importantly of all, Magnus.

Magnus. It all seemed to come back to him. He was always there, landing his hand. Shiron's heart beat faster as he thought of the Quilladin—even if he was right there. At last, Shiron had an answer.

"No. I'm… I'm happy here. I'm not a human. I'm a Marshtomp now, and I want it to stay that way."

It wasn't… only that. There was more to it, more things he wanted. Shiron wanted Magnus. He recognized that now. This feeling, this emotion… it was love.

Love. Such a funny word. One that Shiron never expected to use in his life. Yet it was there on his mind. However, he couldn't say it. Not in front of Magnus.

Because, even though he knew his feelings, Shiron didn't know if Magnus reciprocated. Maybe he did, and the signs certainly pointed to that conclusion. Shiron didn't believe that, though. His brain made sure to plant doubts.

So he couldn't say the words. He just… couldn't.

Meanwhile, Magnus watched in silence. Hearing the answer felt… relieving. It meant he really could handle his emotions towards Shiron now. His heart was racing with the thought of spending more time together.

This was… a crush. It was definitely a crush. He hadn't had one of those in a while. Ever after evolving, for that matter. Magnus didn't have anyone, but now… now he had someone that liked being around him. It was nice.

All he did was stare at Shiron while the Marshtomp talked. It was all he wanted to do. Magnus slowly started to smile.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. You're a nice guy."

"I… I hope so." Shiron looked down, mostly to see how much pie was left, but also because of embarrassment.

"I mean it, man. You're fun to be around." Magnus smiled again, and this time it was brighter. "You'll get the hang of that move. I just know it."

"Heh, thanks." Shiron continued to eat. If things stayed that way forever, he wouldn't be sad at all. Not one bit. With Magnus there, even if they didn't get together…he liked this life.

Of course, Magnus still had to help out. However he could. "I don't know much about fighting moves, but you can ask Mom if you'd like?"

Shiron tilted his head at that. "I thought she was a cook?"

And in response, Magnus simply shrugged. "I mean, she thought too. Dunno the extent of it, but Dad said she was very good at it."

"Huh, that's cool."

There was so much to this world… Shiron wanted to know more about it. No, he would learn more about the world. It was his home now, after all. And together with his friends, he felt as if he could do anything. Especially with Magnus around.

"By the way…" Magnus looked straight at his friend, meeting eye to eye. "I'm going with you. If you're gonna fight this Zero guy, I wanna be there to support you."

"H-Huh?! But he's… strong and stuff! I don't wanna lead you to danger!"

Magnus pouted, backing off slightly. "I can't in good conscience let you go there on your own, even with the team."

Shiron stood there, speechless. He didn't even know how dangerous the mission was. He was under the assumption of it not being too dangerous. He hoped for it.

"...Promise one thing. Just one thing, Magnus. Promise me it and I'll be fine with you going."

"Of course! What is it?"

Silence filled the room. Shiron himself closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, before opening them again. He looked serious, or at least he had a frown that Magnus hadn't really seen before.

"Promise me you won't die."

"..."

It was a simple request, all things considered. Just not die on a possibly dangerous mission. Magnus was more impressed that Shiron asked that. He also enjoyed the thought of Shiron liking him so much he worried.

"I… I'm not gonna die, alright?" Magnus finally replied, reaching out a hand.

And, to both of their shock, Shiron touched the hand with his own, holding onto it as tightly as he could. He really didn't want to let go. Why would he ever let go? This was… real. It was real and it happened. He trusted Magnus to keep his promise.

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Having handled that as best as Shiron thought he could, he left the bakery, taking in the fresh air of Thornwell while looking at the bright sky ahead.

He was supposed to train some more, but Shiron didn't really feel like doing it. At the same time, going to their HQ wasn't exactly something he wanted to do either. So… where should he go? What should he do?

Maybe just walking would give him some kind of answer. So he began by going to the center of the town, taking some time to wave at any Pokémon that looked at him, even flashing a smile at them.

It's always so peaceful around here…unlike home.

Really, Shiron had to admit things in this world were better. He was just reaffirming that line of thought. He had to, every once in a while.

Oh well. Shiron continued on, checking the houses, the people, everyone he could. And little by little, he felt… something. Something tugging at his heart, a desire he didn't recognize before.

But he was able to put it into words. It happened to be the desire to protect others. To protect this town, this world he now lived in. The better way to do that was to… learn to fight. Or to fight well, in Shiron's case.

He finally got the courage to continue his training, rushing on to Ronan's house. Running there also happened to be a good way of exercising and burning those calories he got by eating that pie, amongst other things.

Once he arrived there again, Shiron saw the same boulders from before, but Ronan was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, Shiron knocked on the door, and it didn't take long before he answered.

"Ah! I see you're back. Are you ready for another round?"

He probably wasn't, but… Shiron thought it was better than nothing. He walked towards one of the boulders, staring at it. "So… I gotta break it without using more strength than I need, right?"

"Yes, yes, but before that, I want to see the limits of it."

Shiron tried to read between the lines and figure out what it meant, but the answer came up fast. Namely, that Ronan had put three boulders together, one on top of the other.

"I need you to lift them. I would like to see if you can."

"Uh, okay?" It didn't sound all that bad. Shiron went to the rocks, grabbing the one closest to the ground and…

Lifting them up. It didn't take any effort at all, and he didn't even sweat. "Like this?"

"Impressive…" Ronan rubbed his beard, thinking. "May I add another?"

"I'd rather not, but you're the mentor here, so… sure."

Not too long after, Ronan had put another rock on the top of the pile. And like before, Shiron was able to lift them. However, this time it took him a little more effort. Not too much, though, he still didn't sweat.

"Four still isn't cutting it… interesting."

"I-I take it you wanna add a fifth?" Shiron gulped. This wasn't what he expected, and to be honest he didn't understand why.

"...Hm, perhaps next time."

Shiron carefully set the pile of rocks down, sighing in relief. Not that he was tired from the lifting, he just didn't want to do it anymore.

"Well, I want you to try controlling your strength now." Ronan pointed to the third rock, the one right in the middle. "You're going to try Brick Break again, but focus only on this rock. You must not destroy the others, only this one."

"Ah, an exercise in focus." Shiron did so many of them back with his parents. "R-Right, I'll… I'll try, at least."

He looked at the rock, staring at it. Shiron took a deep breath, attempting to narrow his focus.

"Focus, Shiron. It's only you here." Ronan said, and then he grew quiet.

Shiron was still staring. He focused only on the rock, ignoring everything else.

Imagine there isn't anyone around.

He couldn't even hear anything. The beating of his heart was the only sound.

The only sound. He was alone there, focusing, thinking, planning. Shiron closed a fist, letting his breath out.

Here… we… go.

Finally, his fists were enveloped with power. Strength, energy. There was a faint red glow to them, and they might have even hardened a little.

Shiron punched the rock in the middle, concentrating entirely on it and ignoring all others. He closed his eyes while doing it, praying that it worked.

But then he heard the crumbling, and opened his eyes. All the boulders had fallen, but the main one—the one he focused on—hadn't been destroyed, at least until he took a better look.

The rock rolled on the floor, showing the other side of it had been blown to bits, but not the front, where Shiron actually hit.

"U-Uh…"

Disappointment settled in, with Shiron frowning and even hunching slightly. "I thought… I thought I had it. I'm sorry, m-mister."

"Nobody said you were going to get it right after two times. Let's try again, shall we?" Ronan kneeled to look at the rock Shiron punched. "...With that being said, I think you're at a good start. Keep going and you'll get it."

"Do you really think so?"

Ronan nodded. "It's a matter of trial and error."

Of course it is.

Shiron stretched his arms. Well, he happened to have a lot of energy to try again. But why couldn't he learn to do it the first time around? Why did Shiron have to fail to learn? If he was better, he would've just learnt it already.

"I'll remove this rock and put another one in its place, alright?" Ronan grabbed the punched rock, easily lifting it. "And I want you to do the same thing."

"Hm, I get it." Shiron looked at his hands. Stronger, apparently, but not enough to pass this stupid test.

…Well, not stupid, but it was a bit frustrating to have to try again. Shiron sighed, closing a fist.

Ronan finally put the next rock, reforming the four-rock pile. Shiron gulped, walking close to it.

"Do you have any tips?"

"You're not punching properly." Ronan said, walking behind Shiron. "Put your lead foot forward, and the arm on its side should be extended. I need you to jab straight ahead."

Shiron blinked. It… was an idea. And hey, if it worked, he'd be able to leave sooner than expected!

He stared at the rock, letting his left arm extended, and his left foot forward. A jab… a jab. Shiron could do a jab.

"Remember to bring back your hand quickly."

And he punched, jabbing at the rock with all the strength he had. Shiron unleashed the attack, feeling the power coming through his feet and then climbing up his legs, his shoulder, and finally, through his arm.

The result was that Shiron saw the rock launched forward, falling on the other side of the garden, and the rocks above fell down, connecting to their place perfectly.

"...D-Did I do good?!" Shiron had to know. He was hoping for a positive answer, and assuming a negative one.

"Hmmm, better than before, I'd say! This time I think you used too much strength."

Another mistake. Of course he made a mistake again. It was all he ever did—

Shiron shook his head. Having those thoughts now wouldn't be doing him any favors. "Okay, so not use too much or too little strength… that's gonna be complicated."

"True, but you have the basics of it already, so from here onwards it's an easy journey." Ronan went to fetch the second rock, seeing it had been split into less pieces than before, but still too much. "Hmm, like I said, you have the basics."

"Better than nothing, right?" Shiron clutched his scarf. The basics… he could at least try to use this attack.

"Oh, it's quite good! You just need practice, and that's what I'm here for." Ronan tapped his chin. "...With that in mind, I think we did enough for today. You should rest."

"Uh-huh. No complaints here, I wanna lay down and just… chill for a while." Shiron sighed in relief. Training was fine and all, but he couldn't spend the entire day doing it. Well, he could, but that was a bad idea. He'd be left exhausted.

"By all means, you're free to do that. Come back tomorrow and we'll try again."

The next morning, then. "Fair enough."

Shiron stretched his arms, hearing a few things pop. Well, it should be fine for the most part. He was ready to leave, waving goodbye to the Samurott.

Now… where to? Shiron assumed the others would be up the hill, so he made his way there. Nothing like seeing his friends after training. And there was a nice breeze going on in the town, which he enjoyed as well.

Learning a new move would have to happen later. It was time to rest. Or try to.

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Going up the hill, Shiron saw that it was… normal. Liz was outside, sitting down and…meditating? She looked like she was meditating. Shiron, naturally, didn't feel like interrupting her.

He entered the HQ, finding Nick and Terry having another round of reading comics, to which he quietly waited for them to notice his presence. They didn't say anything, nor did they even move much, if at all.

…They're that fixated on the comics? Sheesh.

Shiron did want to talk to them, so he cleared his throat to get their attention. Still nothing, and Shiron did it again. Nothing. On the third time, Terry finally managed to look at him.

"Oh, sorry Shiron! We were distracted—" Terry saw Nick still reading, and quietly poked him on the arm.

"What?" Nick looked at the door, blinking. "S-Sorry, Shiron!"

"I could've been waiting here for hours, y'know?" Shiron rolled his eyes.

"Your stomach would've stopped working long before." Terry chuckled, putting down the comic. "How was training?"

Nick quietly tapped his foot on the ground. "Yo, I was supposed to ask that!"

Well, it was nice to see his friends were handling things. Shiron chuckled, removing his hand from the scarf. "Brick Break's weird. And apparently I use too much power when trying it."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Don't overdo it." Nick winced. It wasn't the same attack, but he remembered well how Force Palm blew up on his face. "And I say this being, y'know, me. I try too hard sometimes. It doesn't work."

Shiron wanted to say something about that, but he kept it to himself. Better that way. "I also shared some pie with Magnus—"

"Dude, you really gotta kiss him soon." Nick put his hands on his hips, grinning. "We all made a bet on when that's happening."

"...Excuse me?"

"He's joking," Terry replied with a glare directed at Nick. "But really, you gotta make your move. I noticed, and I'm not even interested in romance!"

Shiron felt that familiar heat on his face again. "I, uh, I dunno, I don't even know his type! I don't know if he's into guys!"

That made the room fall silent for a few seconds, and then Nick shook his head left to right, chuckling as he did so. "Oh, he is. Pretty sure he's only into them. Wanna know his type?"

"Nick, what?!" Shiron practically shouted, moving the scarf up so it'd cover the bottom of his face. "W-Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You never asked, dude."

"Sweet Reshiram, you two are funny." Terry managed to hold on a laugh. "I think everyone can tell you and Magnus like each other, Shiron. Try it! The worst he can say is no!"

No. No no no no. That wasn't the worst possibility, and Shiron knew it. The worst possibility was that Magnus would cut any and all ties, leaving Shiron's life behind. He didn't want to lose on a friend because of some potential crush.

Messing up friendships was his thing, after all. Shiron ignored that line of thought to the best of his abilities.

"I… I might. I dunno, do you think I have a chance?"

Nick approached the Marshtomp, touching his shoulders with his hands. "Buddy, if there's anyone here that has a chance, it's you. I'm telling you this as Magnus' friend: you gotta try it."

Even if the words felt nice, Shiron didn't know whether or not to believe them.

"...Why are you so supportive, man?"

Nick just shrugged. "You're my friend. Friends help each other, no? Plus, when I get married and stuff, you'll be my best man."

"H-Huh?!" Shiron gasped. That was so out of nowhere he didn't know what to say about it.

"Oh, that took a turn, huh?" Terry was, admittedly, also lost. He had nothing to say about any of it, so he just quietly stepped away, into his corner of the room.

"Heh, don't worry about it for now! This is about you, buddy!" Nick leaned closer to Shiron's face. "You go there and ask him out! You got this!"

Reassuring words, but Shiron was still confused. Oh well, it couldn't hurt to try… but when they were free.

"...I'll do it once we return from the mission. I'll, uh, ask him out and all that."

"Good! I'd rather you did it now, but it's your life." Nick shrugged, moving away from his friend. "Speaking of that, we'll go in a few days. That should give us enough time to prepare."

"Sounds about right." Shiron pulled down the scarf. "And Nick? Thanks for the support. You're a good friend."

Nick gave him a thumbs up and a smile in response. "You got this, man."

For once, Shiron was actually looking forward to it. If he could do it… it'd be pretty nice.

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The rest of the day had been uneventful. Shiron joined his friends at reading the comics, and then he went on his way, going on another stroll around the town.

But wow, what a day it had been. He was going to tell Magnus his feelings… sometime. When they both had the time to process it. And when Shiron could prepare for the eventual rejection he was going to go through.

So, during that moment… Shiron happened to be alone. Alone with his thoughts, which happened to be the worst kind of alone he could be. Mostly because his thoughts had the tendency to turn out bad.

Not today, though. Shiron was… fine today. All things considered, he had some nice things going for him. But really, the mission… he didn't know what to think of it.

Why were they doing it in the first place? To find out more. That was good motivation, sure. But he didn't dream of confronting what he thought was a dangerous Pokémon.

Shiron didn't even think he had a dream in the first place. Having a dream was painful, making his heart throb. Yet, all his friends seemed to have that kind of aspiration. Of wanting more with life.

It couldn't be that bad to have a dream, then. Surely, it was nice to have one. Shiron tried to think of what he wanted, crossing his arms as he continued the walk.

Nothing. Not a thought in his mind. Maybe dreaming just wasn't for him. Shiron sighed, thinking again. All he wanted was to ask Magnus if he wanted to be his boyfriend, and hoped that would actually turn out decent, if not well.

He wouldn't call it a dream, though. Shiron sighed. In times like these, he'd usually curl up like a baby and cry himself to sleep. That hardly seemed like an option in present times.

So he had to deal with it, for better or for worse. Probably worse.

Things are always so complicated…

Oh boy, he suddenly had the urge to drink something. He was old enough for it, so it could happen. Shiron blinked, thinking about whether or not he should do it. Drowning in alcohol was… something. Probably bad. Definitely bad.

The other option was to drown in food. That, on the other hand, was much more his style. Shiron rubbed a hand over his belly, before deciding against that as well.

Not eating. Not drinking. If he was trapped it'd be just like the old times back home. But it wasn't. No, Shiron was free. Free to be himself, to love whoever he wanted to love.

Magnus. It was Magnus he loved. Shiron remembered the promise again, about Magnus not dying. What Shiron didn't tell his friend was that he made another promise, all on his own.

Growing stronger. Shiron was determined to grow stronger so he could protect his friend. His… crush. The one he loved. As cheesy as it sounded, Shiron could finally believe in it.

He looked up, seeing that sky he always dreamt of. Clouds formed over a familiar shape, the shape that made his face turn red. The shape of his love.

"...Man, I'm weird."

Shiron chuckled to himself. He was being cheesy again, for sure. But this was fine. He liked being cheesy.

"Phew…" Shiron continued his walk, looking at every place, every corner of the town. He wanted to protect them, too. Every single Pokémon around.

Because he realized something that day. Shiron knew that life was precious. Too precious to be wasted—not that he wasted his. At least, he didn't think so.

For a while, Shiron felt happy. Truly happy. He didn't have any anxious or bad thoughts while doing this little bit of self-reflection. No, not at all. He sighed in relief, deciding to go back to the bakery.

Now… he wasn't going to tell Magnus his feelings. Not now. He was just there for the company, and maybe to help his friend out during work. After all, he knew they liked spending time together.

As obvious as it was, Shiron had to remind himself of it quite a lot, considering his anxiety kept telling him it wasn't true. He just continued to walk.

Still no dreams. Nothing. He didn't consider that desire to protect a dream. Shiron just assumed it was a motivation for him. Things were fine. He was happy.

He told himself that, over and over again. Because if Shiron kept repeating the words, then maybe he'd believe in them fully at some point. Even if his current self didn't, maybe in the future things would change.

Little by little, his confidence would grow. His anxiety would disappear, then everything would be okay. Shiron was going to be okay.

At least… he hoped so.