The place Arietta led me to was on the outskirts of Lilycove where the steel downtown buildings deconstructed down into white and brown-bricked civilian homes. No, they weren't even that. The houses I was looking at were more like cottages than anything, the kind people would rent on vacation. There were hardly any people in this part of the city, the last person I saw having been making their way towards the city's center.
"That's my place." Arietta pointed to a cookie-cutter home. The two things separating it from the others were the various flowers in a flower bed beneath the single window on that side of the abode and a lonely-looking marble statuette of a Skitty on the front porch. For Arietta's home, it was surprisingly humble. "Inviting, I know," she remarked. "We're almost there, by the way. It's at the end of the street."
Our destination was a small peninsula-like outcropping that sharply dropped downwards to a thin beach. Beyond that was the ocean, which shone orange and yellow in the setting sun. Arietta sat down on the grass and let her legs hang over the partial ledge. Following her lead, I sat down as well, sitting with my legs crossed instead. I didn't feel comfortable with the possibility of falling off, as miniscule a chance as it was.
"Remote enough for you?" Arietta asked, looking out at the water. "I come out here when I don't feel like going into town, which is pretty often. But anyways, what are you waiting for?"
"Oh! U-um..." How do I even start explaining this? "Before I say anything, I'll tell you this. I trust you, Arietta, so that's why I'm telling you. Do you promise not to repeat this information to anyone? And I really mean promise." I made my voice sound as serious as possible. I needed to know I wouldn't regret this.
"Yes, I promise," she said, reflecting my tone.
"Okay." I took a deep breath. "When I said my dad works as a manager, I wasn't telling you the whole truth. In reality, my dad is on a much, much higher rung of the corporate ladder. He's Devon's president."
"Wait, you're related to Joseph Stone?" she asked.
"The one and only," I said, rolling my eyes.
"I didn't know he had any children. From what I've heard, he only has a wife." She turned to me. The light sea breeze pushed her hair away from her face as she stared, almost examining me.
I felt my muscles tense. The way she was looking at me made my stomach squirm uncomfortably, and I had to fight the urge to break eye contact. I'd begun to hate it when people stared intently at me. It made me feel like I was some object to be admired.
"Then again... your resemblance to him is uncanny," Arietta mused.
My heart sank a little. "I hear that a lot. The few that have seen us side by side have said I look exactly like him when he was my age." I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. "It's... quite irritating to hear, in all honesty."
"You're sorta right," Arietta said. "You share his looks, but you have a completely different demeanor. Calmer, almost more gentle in a way. It's your eyes that do it. They're not his."
"Yes, I apparently have my mom's eyes. In some ways, I guess that's fortunate," I agreed, shrugging.
"I could never forget those eyes. Your eyes... they're hers!" At remembering what Valerie had said, I clenched my hands, wincing when I accidentally ripped up small handfuls of grass. I didn't realize how tense I really was. Wanting to move on I said, "I-I hope this doesn't somehow change how you view me. I've said it and I'll say it again, I trust you."
"Why do you think I'd look at you differently? All that's changed in my opinion is that I now know your last name, Steven Stone," she replied, teasingly putting emphasis on my last name. "But now I'm wondering what your middle name is."
"It's Devon," I answered. "My middle name, that is."
Arietta gaped at me. "Are you kidding me, your name's Steven Devon Stone? Not trying to sound rude, but whose idea was it to make the company's name part of yours?"
I was waiting for her to ask something like that. "Both my parents decided on it," I started. "It's in remembrance of the company's founder. The progenitor, Devon Stone. It's a tradition to have Devon as your middle name if you were born into the family. My dad has it, so did my grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandmother, and so on all the way back.
"Being the first-born in your generation also granted you an additional 'perk,' that being the company itself. Most of my relatives had no siblings, so there was hardly ever competition for control. Like the majority of my ancestors, I have no siblings, but I'm an anomaly in that I'm the first in the family to have become a Trainer. This obviously complicates things. My dad supports me in my decision, but like it or not, Devon will be passed down to me someday. When that day comes, I don't know what I'll do."
"I'm sure it'll all work out in one way or another. You're not the first heir to have been put in a position like this, I'm sure of it." Arietta's reassurance was greatly comforting to hear.
"Thank you for listening. I've told Wallace and Winona who I am, but not to this extent. I don't even think Meteor knows the meaning behind my middle name."
"Wow, I know something Meteor doesn't! I feel so special!" she giggled. "Now I feel bad you told me all of that, and you know next to nothing about my past... I guess I can divulge a few things to you."
It was my turn to gape at her. "Really?"
She nodded, looking back to the shimmering water. "Next to nobody in this region knows a thing about me. I'm saying that I trust you with this information, like you did." She paused for a minute, perhaps to mentally prepare herself. I could understand why she would do this. It was more than difficult to share secrets with someone, friend or not.
"First off, names. My name isn't actually Arietta. That's shocker number one. My first secret is my name, my real name. My full name is Faye Arietta Bellworth. I go by Arietta because it makes things easier for me." She smiled forlornly. "Do you want to hear secrets two through infinity? I'm warning you, it's kind of a mess." I nodded, and she told me her story.
"I was born in Sinnoh and lived in a mountain town called Celestic Town with my parents. I have absolutely no memories of Celestic Town. After all, I was eight months old when my family moved here to Slateport.
"Soon after we moved, my mom announced that I was going to have a sibling soon, much to my dad's complete shock. The day soon arrived, and sparring you the depressing details, my dad now had to raise me and my new brother, Kayden, by himself after my mom—to put it plainly—died while having my brother."
My heart sank when I heard that. I couldn't imagine losing a family member like that.
"My mom and dad had been extremely close, and because of that he took her loss horribly. After she died my dad became very paranoid about losing either me or my brother. It was weird with him always wanting to know where we were going or what we were doing, no matter how insignificant. Then the day came nine years later when Kayden broke his arm after sneaking out at night.
"My dad seemed to completely snap after that. We couldn't go anywhere without his close supervision or do anything without getting permission. The two of us were basically tethered to the house and the backyard. He was desperately afraid for us and didn't want to risk anything else happening. I couldn't blame him for it, really, but I hated it regardless. I felt utterly stifled, and I knew Kayden felt the same way."
I understood her all too well. Being under unofficial house arrest had been horrible. Unlike her, though, I was mostly successful when I snuck out.
"As soon as Kayden turned twelve, we both wanted to leave home together. My dad knew deep down that he couldn't keep us there, so he gave us each a Pokémon, and I was finally free!" She smiled joyously. "I could take any risk I wanted and nobody could say no. I did everything I never got to at home and so much more.
"Some time passed and Kayden said he was tired of being dragged through all the 'crazy' things I wanted to do and went off on his own. I don't know why he thought that. What's wrong with wanting to take risks? A life without them is so boring!"
"Well, taking copious amounts of risks greatly raises your chances of hurting yourself. It makes sense that your brother was so cautious," I said. I didn't want to sound condescending but I didn't know how else to phrase it.
"I know that! But I want to make up for everything I've had to miss. Besides, a couple pulled muscles and sprained ankles never truly hurt anyone."
"What if something worse than that occurs?" I asked.
"Broken bones eventually heal," she said, either deaf or choosing to ignore what I was getting at.
Never mind a broken neck, I thought grimly. "No, I mean..." I swallowed thickly, my heart sinking at the thought I was about to voice. "What if you die from doing these things?"
Her expression turned blank. "Death? Like I care about that." I was taken aback by her statement. She said it so carelessly that it disturbed me. "What does it matter if I die?"
"'What does it matter?' Do you even understand what you said?" I gasped in shock.
"I do, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. And I mean every. Single. Word." I was rendered speechless when she smiled widely, displaying blind glee. "I told you, I don't care about any of that anymore! Death is meaningless if nobody you knew is around to remember you." Her eyes grew dull, clouding and growing misty.
I almost didn't say anything, but I felt I had to. "Why do you say that?"
"I-I'm alone now!" she choked out through a forced laugh. "I'm alone, and do you want to know why, Steven? Last year, my dad vanished!" Tears suddenly began sliding down her face. "He went to Sinnoh on some kind of business trip and never came back. I don't want to think he's gone for good, but there hasn't been any sign of him in over a year. The days keep slipping past, and each day without him further proves me wrong!"
I sat there, absolutely dumbfounded as the girl I viewed as a pillar of confidence, strength, and bravery broke down. It was as startling as seeing Meteor cry, and definitely just as gut-wrenching, if not even more so. The droplets I'd come to despise continued to spill from her glazed blue eyes, cascading down her face in tiny streams of yellow and orange.
"My parents are gone, I haven't seen my brother in four years... I'm basically on my own. Risks and the joy I get from them are all I have now. At least if I die, I'll do so doing what I love. Isn't that what everyone wishes for?"
Through all of that she maintained her smile, now corroded with sorrow and decaying into a grimace.
"Who am I kidding, you probably think I'm crazy for saying this stuff." The emotional corrosion crumbled away the last of her expression to reveal its depressed foundation, akin to an old building finally collapsing after futilely clinging to its rusted support beams for years. "I'm sorry for dumping all of that on you."
"No apology is necessary," I assured her. "But it seems that you rarely share that information with others."
"It's obvious, isn't it? This is why I don't like opening up to others," she whispered. "I end up spilling it all and it makes me feel awful. I don't want pity, not when so many other people are suffering more than me."
A pang of empathy sharper than any knife struck what felt like my very core. People shouldn't have to deal with my problems, not when they have their own to worry about. "N-no, don't say things like that!" I burst out. "It doesn't make you a burden at all! I know where you're coming from."
She looked at me, confused. At least I had her attention.
"For so long I felt that nobody should have to bear the weight of my problems alongside me when they have problems of their own. But that can only work for so long. Events occur where your problems are brought to light, and others may ask about them. And when you don't say anything, it makes it so much worse. Not opening up will do nothing but make those who care about you worry even more."
"I know... That's why I don't like getting close with others." She took a breath to calm herself down and rubbed her eyes, breaking the amber streams. I wished I could have comforted her more, but expressing anything beyond words was too out-of-the-ordinary for me. I rarely consoled people through physical actions, if at all. And in this instance, I felt like I would have stepped over some kind of line.
"... You wanted to become closer to me," I said softly, trying to smile. "Why else would you have shared so much with me in the first place?"
She looked puzzled for a moment, considering my words. She then nodded thoughtfully. "I guess you're right," she admitted. "I originally thought it would be a tradeoff for what you told me, but my mind said otherwise."
"Then make an effort do the same with other people," I suggested. "Get to know someone and open up to them if they're willing to listen. The worst they'll do is ignore you."
She frowned, confused. "And at best?"
"They'll offer their assistance or support," I finished. "But if you're really so worried about your dad, then why not search for him yourself?"
She shook her head, her frown deepening. "I... I can't. I have obligations to stay in Hoenn. It wouldn't work out if I left the region."
"Your job, I assume?"
"Yes, that. As weird as it sounds, my coworkers really need me. If I left so suddenly, then it'd be chaos until a replacement was found. And it's difficult to replace my position. It'd take at least a week to get everything prepared and... it's just complicated."
"I see..." I trailed off. "Then I don't know what to tell you. I really wish I could help you but I have a promise to my own dad to fulfill."
"Oh, really?"
"I promised that I would become Hoenn's Champion. I told him that I would make him proud and that he wouldn't regret letting me leave home. The reasoning behind it is that he's afraid of me being out here. By proving that I'm the strongest Trainer in the region, he can put his fears to rest."
"If you want some help with training and stuff, I'd be happy to help," she offered. "I'm the one who said you had potential. It'd be some kind of crime not to help you in some way or another."
"When you phrase it like that, it makes it sound as if I'm forcing you to assist me!"
"Go ahead and think that way then, it won't really change anything." She shrugged.
"So you're going to train with me whether I want to or not?" I chuckled, smiling awkwardly.
Her expression lightened, becoming the one I liked best on her. "Yep! You're welcome, in advance."
"I guess I have to say thank you, Ari—"
She held up her hand, shaking her head. "Call me Faye. I told you my real name for a reason."
"I-if you say so. Thank you, Faye."
"You're very much welcome, Steven Stone. And thank you again for listening to me. I'll try to take your advice and try getting to know more people." She tilted her head and winked. "But don't get your hopes up, I won't stop taking risks anytime soon! I wouldn't be who I am without them."
"You can only hope for so much," I said, admitting mock defeat.
"You're right about tha—" She stopped and pressed a finger to her ear. I had forgotten she was wearing her earpiece until then. "Wait, ten minutes? Are you kidding me?" She instantly sounded irritated. "Okay, okay, you don't have to yell, Helena! I'll be there." She threw open her bag and began frantically digging inside. "Out of all the times..." she muttered.
"Wait a second, I thought you weren't working at the moment!" I exclaimed, instantly confused. "Don't you use that device for your job?"
"I'm sorry! I can't explain right now." She yanked Stella's ball from her bag, the sphere slipping from her grasp a second later. It hit the grass and burst open. "I'll meet you and the others at the Pokémon Center tomorrow around noon. We have to move fast, Stella, so use Dragon Dance!" she addressed the Altaria as she scrambled to her feet. A purple aura surrounded Stella, and the bird spun gracefully in a circle.
"Faye, wait!" I hurried to stand up as well.
"See you tomorrow!" She suddenly leapt off the ledge we had been sitting on. She landed on Stella's back with a sound like someone jumping onto a pillow-covered bed, immediately wrapping her arms around her Pokémon's neck to hold on better. A second later the duo took off at a blinding speed. I surmised that Stella's Dragon Dance move had to have increased her Speed stat. The next thing I knew, they were a white dot on the horizon.
Out of all the humans you could've chosen to look up to, you pick the one that ditches you at a moment's notice. Talk about bad choices, Meteor said disapprovingly.
J-just shush, Meteor, I sighed, my shoulders slumping. I was too confused to argue with him. I had so many questions now but I ultimately came to the decision to let them go unspoken. As much as it would eat away at me, if Faye didn't want to share everything with me, she had every right to. I had my fair share of things I hadn't told her, and she hadn't tried to pry further.
Okay, I will, my partner muttered. But before I do, do you know how to get back to the Pokémon Center?
Do I know..? It hit me that I didn't have a clue. I didn't recall even seeing the red-roofed building at all today. Thinking quickly, I came up with a solution to this. Yes I do, I lied confidently, taking out Maverick's ball. However, I don't feel like walking.
Maverick emerged from the Quick Ball, taking a moment to observe our surroundings before deciding to acknowledge me. If Sierra was telling the truth in that I could fly with Maverick at any time, I could use our new privilege to find the Pokémon Center.
"Maverick, do you want to try soaring?" I asked.
At that, she crowed excitedly in agreement, spreading her wings. It was more difficult getting a grip on her compared to Alti since Maverick had no real feathers to speak of. I had to settle for wedging my fingers beneath the ridge-like plating on her neck. She didn't seem bothered by this, so that put my worry of possibly harming her at ease.
Yeah, I'm sure you know where it is, Meteor said sarcastically.
You shouldn't tease someone about not knowing something if you don't know it as well, I countered. "Maverick, let's soar." I blocked out Meteor's response, letting the whistling of the wind rushing past Maverick and I take its place. The ascent was as nerve-wracking as last time, making me unnaturally tense. I was forced to close my eyes and had to wait for the gale to even out before I could risk reopening them.
"Kar karry!" Maverick soon cried, as if telling me it was safe to look now. I did so and took in the city below us. We were dozens of feet above the tallest building, giving us the vantage point to trounce all vantage points. My eyes widened in awe and astonishment when I caught sight of the bright sparks of streetlights that had come to life in the dying evening light. The lights spread out like ripples in water, clustered in the center but faint at its edges. It was so mesmerizing that I could barely feel the wind buffeting me.
It then came to me that I might have never had a chance to see this. Winning the Feather Badge was what allowed me this privilege. No, it wasn't even that. If not for the hasty decision I had made on the night of the party, I wouldn't have left Rustboro in the first place. I always gave Meteor and my Pokémon so much credit in being the main contributors to my continuous successes, but I guess I had some part to play in it.
So what does it look like out there? Meteor asked.
I remained silent for another minute, reluctant to further break my mental silence. Awe-inspiring... I answered, eyes still taking every last light the city emitted. I was almost sad when I spotted the roof of the Pokémon Center. I didn't want to return to the ground, not yet. Then I thought of my friends and how they were most likely wondering where I had been all this time. "All right, Maverick. Head down towards the Pokémon Center, please," I said somewhat sadly.
Not too long afterwards I entered the Pokémon Center. There were a few Trainers milling around the front counter but none of them were my traveling companions. I settled myself on one of the couches scattered about the lobby, ready to wait it out until they showed up. No more than ten minutes passed before I heard my name being called. I glanced up and greeted my friends with a small wave.
"I'm shocked you made it here before us," Wallace commented. "Usually we're the ones beating you here when we split up."
I pretended to look surprised. "I arrived first for once? I'm shocked, myself. But it was bound to happen some time."
"Where's Arietta?" Winona asked as she looked around, presumably for our absent friend.
Frowning, I replied, "Erm, I'm not too sure. It seemed like she had to go into work even though she said she was off. She was too much in a hurry to give an explanation when I asked."
"That's odd," Wallace said, "Did she say when she was coming back?"
I shook my head. "She is coming back, though. She said perhaps around noon tomorrow, so I don't believe we have too much to worry about. But on a similar subject, where exactly did you two go, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Before I left on my journey, for couple weeks during the summer both Winnie and I would come out here to Lilycove with our father for a vacation. It would be just the three of us. We'd end every clear day by walking along the southernmost beach and watching the sun set," Wallace answered. "There's something almost... magical, about the ocean during dusk. I can't exactly explain it."
"Yeah. It isn't the same during the day, but I thought the water still looked pretty," Winona said.
I never had any special or sentimental places like that with either of my parents. After hearing Wallace's story, I found myself wishing that I did. "I'm glad you could visit that beach today, then," I said.
Wallace nodded. "But since we've regrouped, what should we do?" he pondered aloud. "Winnie and I haven't eaten dinner yet. I'm thinking we could all go grab something together," he then suggested.
Winona agreed enthusiastically, asking if she could pick the restaurant like she always did. I was about to voice my agreement as well when my stomach did it for me. Wallace and Winona heard it, and they both let out small laughs. I was instantly reminded of when I first met them. It was so similar to how it was then. But unlike that day, I was now able to laugh as well instead of feeling cripplingly embarrassed.
"I guess we're all in agreement, then?" Wallace said, grinning at me.
"Nearly. I'll agree on one condition," I stated. I hadn't gotten a real chance to do this, and it was about time that I finally returned the favor. "This time, I'll be the one paying for all of us."
Disregarding Faye's mysterious call, I enjoyed the remainder of the evening to its full extent. We got back to the Pokémon Center quite late in the night and everyone was quick to fall asleep, excluding me.
I laid awake in the darkness, examining my Lunar Wing. It emitted a calming green glow that was relaxing to look at. I wanted to believe what Faye had said about the wing but couldn't bring myself to sleep yet. It was at those times I wished one of my Pokémon knew a sleep-inducing move. It would have made things a lot easier. Eventually my tiredness won out, and I succumbed to it.
I was awoken the next day by Wallace shaking my shoulder, telling me to get up. Unconsciousness called to me and I tried to shrug him away. He ignored my weak attempts at warding him off, speaking more loudly. His persistence quickly got to me, and I gave up. I swatted his hand away and pushed myself into a somewhat slumped sitting position. "What's going on?" I muttered, half-asleep. Everything was hazy and I had to rub my eyes.
"It's almost eleven in the morning," he answered. "I thought you said Arietta was meeting us around noon."
The mental fog lifted the moment he said that. It was that late? A glance at the digital clock on the wall confirmed that he was correct and I was shocked. I didn't remember ever waking up last night. Now that I thought about it, I didn't have any nightmares. I could scarcely believe it. For the first time in months, I had managed to sleep through an entire night. Elation coursed through me, and it was difficult to keep a smile off my face. Some would say I was probably overreacting, but waking up to see the sun completely risen was amazing.
"Stevie, did you hear me? I thought we were meeting with Arietta."
I snapped out of my brief trance and acknowledged Wallace with a nod. "I know, thank you for waking me," I said. I still couldn't believe what had happened. The Lunar Wing actually worked. A warm feeling spread through my chest and now I really couldn't keep from smiling, even a little. I had to pay her back for this, no matter what. Thank you Faye.