Skord and Rezar called Lyndon. He was about to leave for the day. Usually, he was helpful and in no rush, but he told them it could wait unless it was urgent. They cornered him in the lobby to tell him it was. He was anxious.
'Is it really urgent?'
'We think we've seen a Shadow Pokémon.'
'Oh... fuck's sake. Here? At Mt. Battle?'
'Yeah. A challenger – Rustie Clark – used it. It attacked Skord.'
Lyndon might have recognised Rustie if he saw her, but he didn't remember her name.
'Is she still here?'
'Yes. She's challenging Area 2 now.'
'In that case... I can't see auras anyway, so can I get someone who can to come look?'
'The Aura Reader didn't pick it up, for what that's worth...'
'OK. I'll send someone. I guess we'll learn something if we find out even gifted people can't see auras. I really have to go, like, now. See ya.'
'Thank you, Mr. Massey!'
Lyndon usually told them to use his first name. Formality annoyed him after being called 'Grand Master' for so long. He was in too much of a rush. Long before he met 55 year-old Courtney, she worried she would be that age by the time her first love, Maxie, admitted he felt the same way, so she froze eggs just in case. Maxie never did admit it, but then she met Lyndon. They both wanted children. Their attempts so far were unsuccessful, but they got as far as a 12-week ultrasound this time. Cipher cut his own father off from him. They cut him off from Trip. They would not get in the way of him attending that appointment.
Seth hitched a ride with Wes on his Ho-Oh to Mt. Battle. His mom, Rui, joined them just in case Cipher noticed she was alone at home. She was still recovering from being kidnapped and turned into a Shadow Trainer. Two sets of eyes were always better than one, too. They watched Rustie and Dirk's battle against Area 2's leaders from the break room. She wasn't using Raboot. Wes took the guide's radio to snap at the Area Leaders.
'We need to see that girl's Raboot. Knock out her Pokémon already.'
Rustie looked nervous when both opposing Pokémon piled onto Sylveon and then Bibarel, which evolved from Bidoof earlier that day. She sent out Raboot. Wes glanced at his wife and son. They both shook their heads.
'No aura.'
'At least Lyndon didn't miss that appointment for a false alarm.'
'Unless,' Seth said, 'Even we can't see these auras... since no current technology can.'
Wes frowned. 'That really doesn't come across like a Shadow Pokémon to me. Rui? What d'you think?'
'Me neither.'
'Just looks like it hates its Trainer... but her other Pokémon look happy enough. Don't think it's anything to worry about.'
Seth shrugged. 'You guys would know. Guess it was a false alarm.'
'I'm gonna say something really shitty now, so you can make fun of my coat and face paint in response, Seth...'
Wes smirked at himself. 'Rezar and Skord are sweet kids, but they're such little rich boys, everything shocks them.'
'I'm a little rich boy, Dad.'
'Yeah, but I was a total dick and made you get life experience.'
'I guess I won't argue with that. Being in the Elite Four sure beats the Boltund call centre.'
Chalcedony and Zileh were in the lobby when they left. Zileh's eyes widened. She whispered. Chalcedony nudged her. When she didn't move, she stood to approach Wes for her.
'Sorry to bother you, Wes, but my friend Zileh here would really love to get your autograph. She's too shy to ask.'
'Sure.'
Wes apparently expected to be asked. He carried his own silver marker pen. All three of them signed the same piece of loose paper that Lyndon did. Chalcedony fetched Rustie's program from the car. She knew her friend would be overjoyed to find their autographs waiting for her.
Zileh snapped a selfie of them all together. Everyone said Wes was terrifying, but he was as sweet as any other prominent Trainer they met. Rui was lovely. She complimented their hair and Zileh's jacket. When Chalcedony joked that they should sign her guitar, they happily offered to.
'Eeeeeeeek!' Zileh exclaimed once they left, 'We met Wes and Rui! The original Orrean heroes!'
Chalcedony smirked at her signed guitar. 'Now I look like an insufferable elitist.'
'It's cool! It's so cool! Ahhhhh! Chalcedony! They were so nice!'
'Wes is like a Snubbull. He looks like he'll eat you for breakfast, but he actually just wants a hug.'
'I'm gonna write that in my Rotogram post!'
'Now I wish I'd asked Lyndon to sign my guitar.'
'Just ask him tomorrow. He follows you on Rotogram! So he's, like, your friend now!'
'Maybe it's for the best that I don't. I really will look like an ass with autographs all over my guitar.'
'I think that's so cool, Chalcedony. You're on a Pokémon journey, but you also aspire to be a singer, so it's like the two things combined! And their autographs will always be with you to remind you that people from Orre can do anything. We just have a bit further to climb. That's all!'
'I guess so. Lyndon's getting accosted for another autograph tomorrow, then!'
'Just wait 'til you get Alfie's! You could get Leon's and Abbey's too! Unless you're Fire Agate. That'd be... well, I guess you might be embarrassed about your mom and dad signing your guitar.'
'I'm not Fire Agate, Zileh. Abbey's eyes are brown. Hers wouldn't be green.'
'I told you – a head injury can stop melanin filling them in! And Fire Agate's eyes weren't brown from birth, like some kids. They were blue. And Amber and Fayiz have amber eyes.'
'Rustie and her mom were yelling so loud, I heard them saying that pendant came from Fateen.'
'Ooooh! That means it was in Pyrite! Where you were!'
'Where Gretchen was. She probably threw it away. Fateen's the kind of person who'd pick it out of a trash can. And Rustie's mom is the kind of person who laps up shit like fortune telling, apparently.'
'What she said about you was really horrible...'
'She's not the first. She won't be the last. But, I mean, stripping kept a roof over my head. They'd complain if I'd been homeless, annoying people in Unova's doorways, too. Desperate people can't win.'
'Yeah... I love Rustie, but I guess she had a kinda sheltered upbringing... her mom probably did, too. But you really should take Raboot back. He wants to be with you. Rustie loves all Pokémon. She'll get over it.'
'I know, but I made a promise. I've never been good at promises. And if I don't learn to keep them on this journey, when will I ever?'
'You mean because you left Wyatt? How many people actually stay with their childhood sweethearts, though? You can't shit on yourself for that forever.'
'You really are smart for your age.'
'Well, thanks, but I mean... that's like common sense, right? We all dream of first loves and "the one" but it's really all Sunset City garbage.'
'It sure is. I can confirm.'
The reception doors slid open. Rustie and Dirk stepped out. He stood in the middle of the lobby to stretch his legs.
'I bet we can beat Hebon now!'