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Aqua Affinity Chapter 6: Cascading Wave

(Link to the story here.)

“I remember that it was after her father died. Noel was always a happy-go-lucky person, and when her father died, it sent a pulse through her that was never really shaken out. Demetrius and his daughter were unconditionally close, there was no separating them. The closeness they shared, even without Alice in their lives, was a beauty in itself. Noel received her Mudkip at the age of ten, like any other trainer, and she fell in love with it from the moment she saw it. Likewise, her father felt immeasurable happiness when he saw his daughter’s smile. At sixteen, he rewarded her with a Key Stone on a silver clasp, held by a beautiful black necklace. She promised to always keep it close to her heart. At the age of eighteen, she beat her old man for the first time in the Pokémon League. That was before I rose to the platform of champion. When we were both 19, I defeated the champion and took over the position. She tried to defeat me, but she only tried once. She couldn’t do it, and to this day I’m not quite sure why. Two weeks after that, Team Rocket stormed the island, asking for machine parts from the Space Center. Demetrius defended the island like a champion, but he was taken down like a dog in the backwoods. Noel saw the entire thing. Rocket had killed her mother, and now Rocket had killed her father. She was besides herself, as any daughter would be, but in that moment, when she made eye-contact with that man from Rocket…I saw her change. The Metagross I gave her chased them away, sadly with what they were demanding from the start, but there were still these unforeseen circumstances. She wouldn’t eat or sleep for the week leading up to the funeral. At the funeral, she spoke her words with a sadness that you only hear of, not experience for yourself. I remember it was after the funeral when she did it. She had gone right home to their little house next to mine, all by herself. I went to check on her. I walked in when she was in the middle of the act. There was too much blood at first for me to recognize what she was doing, but when I saw the thread and needle, I was horrified. She was already halfway through the process of digging that stone into her chest, creating a crater of sorts for it to nestle in. I tried to force the needle and necklace away, but I realized it was no use. She kicked and screamed at me, crawling into the corner to sew and sew that stone until she knew it would remain cemented into her for all eternity. I knew there was no stopping her, so I could only hold her while she cried into my suit. I remember what she said to me.

“Now he’ll remain close to my heart…He’ll always be close to my heart…” she had told me.

From that day, I knew Noel was a changed woman, but not for the better. She was strange and confused. I was actually astonished the day she came to me about applying for Professor Cosmo. In the back of my mind, I thought she was going to be okay. The realistic side of me told me, however, that if she ever experienced that pain again, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She’ll implode, she’ll self-destruct. She must never experience that kind of thing ever again.

Krys’ funeral was three days later in Lilycove City, in a beautiful clearing of flowers. Krys’ body was dressed up in a purple dress with an assortment of flowers that were grouped together and placed on her bosom. Her hair looked beautiful, though her face was too pale to reflect the light that once shined through it. All of the grunts were dressed up, grouped around the casket, all with their heads down. They had already said their words; they had already said their blessings. Shelly, Matt, and Archie stood closest to the casket, dressed formally. Noel stood next to Shelly in the front, even though she had requested to stand with the grunts. Archie was dressed in a suit, not a wetsuit, but an actual suit. His hair looked nice, it was clear he had bandana hair he needed to comb through, but none the less, it was nice. Noel hung her head low, trying not to cry again. In her hands was a necklace, the necklace that her beloved friend loaned her several days before. It was for Krys to keep. When the ceremony they held was over, Noel approached the casket and gently placed the necklace around Krys’ neck. Looking at her friend resting peacefully, she heard the grunts all clear out. Only four of them remained. Noel felt tears dribble down her face. Shelly rubbed her back as if she was about to cry as well.

“Doesn’t she look pretty?” Shelly asked.

Noel nodded.

She could hear Matt sigh. “Let’s get the grunts back, Shelly.”

Matt wasn’t his usual enthusiastic self. He wore no war paint, he didn’t boast Aqua pride, all he showed was honest guilt. Shelly nodded and left with him, leaving only Noel, Archie, and a dead body. Noel covered her mouth as if she was still in disbelief. Archie walked up next to her.

“I never wanted this to happen, scamp.” he spoke. Noel wasn’t sure if the comment was meant for her or Krys. “I just wanted to expand the seas…I never wanted to bury anybody in a pit…” he clearly sounded upset.

“This is my fault…” Noel whispered, more tears flowing out.

“Stop it.”

She shook her head. “If I wouldn’t have said anything…Maxie never would have…”

“He would have reacted irrationally either way. When Maxie loses his patience, you can’t stop it very easily.” Archie said.

“I should have been the one he shot instead…” Noel sniffled.

Archie turned her toward him by the shoulders. “Stop it.”

She shook her head. “Krys shouldn’t have—”

“You would have been the one killed, and then Krys would feel the same way you do now. You being killed wouldn’t make it better for anybody.” Archie told her, gripping her shoulders. “Too many people would miss you, Noel. More than you know.”

Noel looked at him, wiping her face. “Like who?”

“I would.”

Noel didn’t say anything back to him. He gave her a hug.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.

She nodded, sniffling. “I’ll be okay.”

Noel had the feeling in her gut that she was going to puke. Not from the death, not from the funeral, but from the blue envelope waiting on her bed a few days later when she returned from breakfast. She blinked several times, inspecting the envelope with all of her senses, even taste. Her name was written on the front in a lopsided handwriting, the sender obviously not capable of keeping a straight line on un-lined paper. She opened it carefully and read it over. She gasped and covered her mouth, nearly dropping the paper. She dashed out of the bunk room and sprinted down the hallway with a huge smile on her face. She bumped into several people on her way to the warp panels, sincerely apologizing as she ran past with a wave. JJ stopped her with his hand outstretched, bandages lining his back.

“Yo, Noel, where’s the fire?” JJ smiled.

“I did it!” she shouted. “I got admin!”

“EHHH?” JJ’s eyes widened. “YOU WHAT?!”

“See ya!” Noel dashed forward again, leaving JJ with his messy black hair in the dust.

She squealed as she neared the warp panel, jumping into it, the panel warping her in a jiffy, allowing her quick entrance to Archie’s room. Archie was standing there all serious, but Noel skipped and jumped into the room, dancing circles around her leader. Archie soon lost the serious act and let out a sigh of relief.

“I see you’re in a…better mood.” he grinned.

“I did it? I did the thing? I was successful at the thing?” she clapped her hands.

“Sure did. I’m promoting you to adminship.” he placed his hands on his hips.

“Oh my Arceus, this is happening.” she paced in front of her leader. “I did something great; I’m a person worth this kind of thing!”

“You sound surprised.”

“Well, to be honest, I am.” she admitted. “Archie, we didn’t finish our battle. We were at a stalemate, remember?”

“I’m well aware of that. But there’s a specific reason why I wanted to pass you.” he slapped her back. “Your passion for Pokémon battles is out of this world, scamp. Even though we were at that stalemate, the fire inside of you and your Swampert was real. You act fast in hard situations, and you care deeply for your teammates. That’s all I ask for in an Aqua Admin.” he smiled.

“I’m honored.” her eyes sparkled.

“Well, when we’re done here, Shelly designed your outfit all by herself. She told me you needed the ‘ultra women’s treatment’. Whatever the hell that means.” he shrugged. “I just need to ask you something quick that’s been picking at me since our battle.”

“Of course.” she nodded. “What’s on your mind?”

“Where’s your Key Stone?” he asked.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Excuse me?”

“Usually, key stones are pretty noticeable.” he held up his anchor. “Maxie’s is on his glasses and mine is on my anchor, they usually are out in plain sight. I don’t see one on you anywhere, scamp.”

She swallowed. “I have one. I just can’t show you where it is.”

“Why?” he asked, puzzled.

“I just…I just can’t, okay?” she looked down.

“I don’t understand why though. The only way you couldn’t show me is if you like, swallowed it or something. Unless it’s like, somewhere I shouldn’t see.” he laughed.

“YEP THAT’S IT I’M HIDING IT WHERE YOU AREN’T ALLOWED TO SEE IT SO UNLESS YOU WANNA SEE ME NAKED I’LL SEE MYSELF OUT OKAY BYE.”

Awkwardly she side-stepped into the warp panel in an awkward salute, her face fire red as she hoped Archie would stop looking at her with his surprised expression. When she left, Archie was just left standing there.

“I’m flattered, but I call severe bullshit on that.” he scratched the back of his head.

She stepped out of the warp panel, only to step into the one on the far left, expression still embarrassed and her face still redder than a Corphish.

I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT.

When she stepped through into Shelly’s room, she had an outfit waiting on a hanger, just for Noel. She looked genuinely excited.

“Noel, you sunburnt or something? Get over here; I have your outfit all ready for you to try on!” Shelly pulled her over.

Noel could tell that Shelly made it because it somewhat matched hers. The wetsuit was a crop top fashion, similar to hers, only the gigantic Aqua symbol wasn’t in the center. Instead, Aqua symbols were cut out on the shoulders. The pants were the same as Shelly’s, but the waistband had an Aqua symbol protruding out of it. She had a golden rope as a belt, much like Matt’s, and her golden chain went around her like a sash. Finally, Shelly presented her with Aqua barrettes, a pretty pearl white that would snap into place with her hair.

“You’re keeping your hair down, right?” Shelly asked, hopeful.

Noel’s heart hurt. “Yea…I’m keeping it down from now on…”

“I prefer it that way.” Shelly smiled, putting the barrettes in Noel’s hair for her. “So girlie, what did Archie say to you?” she gave Noel her new clothing.

“He just talked to me about how the reason he promoted me was because of my battling and quick decisions.” she smiled.

“When you’re not on any missions, you’ll still be a scientist. Is that okay?”

“Of course. I can’t leave them hanging.” Noel smiled.

“Good. Because our next mission is going to be data heavy, as well as being research heavy. After you change, I’d like you to talk with Hyde about what we’re interested in uncovering.”

“No problem.” she looked at Shelly. “Can you turn around while I change? I’m sorry, I’m self-conscious.”

Shelly put her hands up. “Girl code.” she turned around. “I understand.”

Noel got changed quickly, as if she was expecting somebody else to walk in on her. The clothes were comfortable and fit nicely. Noel had gotten used to the crop top feeling, but there were slits in her pants that’d she have to get used to. There was a rush inside of her as she donned her Admin outfit for the first time; a feeling of strength. Shelly smiled as she turned back around.

“I’m so proud of you…becoming an admin… I thought you were just some squirt washed up on a beach…but hey, we sure whipped you into shape, huh?”

“You sure did.” Noel looked down at herself. “Thank you for the outfit. I’m going to go check with Hyde now.” she turned to the warp panel.

“You know, Noel… If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Noel paused before stepping onto the warp panel. “…Yea. Thanks.”

She stepped through the warp panel, forcing herself not to become emotional. She briskly headed for the science labs to do some research and finally get on the inside of the Aqua Agenda. Hyde greeted her with a smile.

“Noel, it’s a pleasure to see you back here.” Hyde shook her hand. “Congratulations on your promotion, we watched the battle commence from here on the television. Wonderful battle.”

“Thank you.” her smile shrunk. “I’m here to do some research.”

“Shelly has informed us, and now that you are an admin, you are capable of studying what we have learned and what we will hopefully learn.” he walked to a section of the labs with filing cabinets. “Come.”

Noel followed him, feeling like she was in some kind of secret club or something. He handed her a few files that seemed secretive. She and Hyde sat down at a table, taking out the papers one by one to talk about them. She was surprised from what she saw on the papers. There were images of spheres and Pokémon, along with foreign symbols she had never truly seen before. She read the scribble on the page, some pf which looked like Archie’s handwriting, but it seemed to dilute into Hyde’s handwriting halfway through the paragraph. She furrowed her eyebrows while trying to read what they had written down.

“Archie is interested with the concept of the Mega Evolution, or perhaps even greater terms, of Kyogre, the legendary Pokémon of the seas.” Hyde explained. “From the Latiasite you and Matt recovered, we were able to detect a similar pattern found in the meteorite from Meteor Falls. And even further, from that data, we were able to come to the conclusion that a similar process would occur within Kyogre. Do you know what I’m referring to?”

The stories Steven and Demetrius had told her as she grew up were beginning to come back to her. Tales of how the world was covered in rainwater and flooded the earth, only being stopped by another legendary Pokémon from the sky. The term they had always used was Primal, bringing Kyogre back to a form of power that could only be dignified as almighty.

“I understand what you’re referring to.” Noel nodded.

“Great. So, are you also familiar with how the powers are granted to Kyogre?”

Noel shook her head.

“From what we’ve uncovered from the lore, the Blue Orb is said to grant Kyogre the power of its ‘Mega’ state. The orb is said to be found on the peak of Mt. Pyre. From the scans of the Latiasite, we are able to dignify the same sequence occurs within the orb when activated around Kyogre, thus reverting it to that state. Does this all make sense?”

“The Blue Orb will grant Kyogre powers similar to Mega Evolution.” she said.

“In a nutshell, yes.” Hyde nodded, shuffling through papers. “But because we don’t have any concrete weather data, we cannot predict the ‘unsound’ weather environments that may come from this. We don’t have the proper weather data, only cave drawings and cave writings from Granite Cave.”

“I understand.” she stood up. “And I’m assuming everyone else is up to speed on this as well?”

“Yes. I would go to them when ready to form a game plan, Noel.” he rose as well. “The Weather Institution near Fortree City seems like a sound target.”

“Alright.” she nodded.

As she started to walk away, Hyde grabbed her arm.

“Are you fully aware of Archie’s dream?” Hyde asked.

“To expand the seas using Kyogre.” she nodded. “I understand now.”

“And are you willing to follow these ideals despite the consequences?” Hyde looked her in the eyes.

“I’m willing to follow Archie no matter what happens.”

Hyde nodded and let her go. “Report to me what you find.”

“Aye.” she nodded and walked away.

Hyde sighed as she walked away, looking through his clipboard. “Poor child.”

Noel walked through the halls, thinking about what she and Hyde had just discussed. Now that she was up to speed, she felt more empowered. She wanted to help Archie achieve his dream, his dream of expanding the seas. Using Kyogre to reach this dream was the only solution, it seemed. Krys had told her on her first day that she didn’t want to ask what the true motive for these ambitions were, and that she was fine living without knowing. She just wanted to do her job and do it right. Noel was going to do the same. Having made up her mind, she walked straight to Archie’s warp panel, seeing Matt ready to step in as well.

“Hey, Noel!” he greeted.

She was once again terrified of the possibility of having her back slapped and was rather relieved when it wasn’t.

“So, you’ve been put up to speed, huh?” he asked.

“Yes. And I’m ready to rumble with some weather.” she smiled.

“Good to hear it. Let’s go in.” he let her go first.

Krys, I know you had the resolve to follow Archie.

Matt stepped on with her.

I have enough resolve for the both of us now.

Archie and Shelly were waiting for them, Archie grinning that shark grin of his.

I will follow Archie no matter what happens.

“Lookin’ good, Noel. Good to see you in your admin gear. Looks to me like you’re ready to go.” he crossed his arms.

“So you’re up to speed?” Shelly asked.

“I am.”

“Great!” Archie clapped. “Let’s start our plan of attack, here. As you all know, we need the final weather information about Kyogre and the Blue Orb, therefore, we will split up into two teams. Noel, since this is your first mission as an admin, I’d like you to go with Shelly. Matt, you go with me to Mt. Pyre so we can secure the orb. Shelly and Noel, I want you to decide who’s going with you on this mission. For you, this is a search and retrieval. Once you retrieve the necessary information, I want one of you to meet me at Mt. Pyre. Understand?” Archie explained with a series of hand motions.

“Aye aye.” Noel nodded.

“Sure thing, bro!” Matt pounded his chest.

Shelly nodded in understanding.

“Remember to radio me if anything happens.” he looked at the three of them in all seriousness. “Let’s roll.”

The three admins headed for the warp panel, Noel being the shortest by only two inches, and proceeded through the hallways of the base while Archie voiced over the intercom. He explained the situation the same way he had to the three of them. Matt branched off into another hallway while the two women walked toward the Squad Stations.

“Any Squad in mind, Noel?” Shelly asked.

“I’m not as informed as you are on their skillsets. You do the picking.” Noel said, looking around as the grunts listened. “I do have a question though. One I should have asked earlier.”

“I already know. That’s what Archie and I were talking about before you came in.” Shelly informed, surprising Noel. “Go and do it. I’ll wrap up the grunts and meet you there when we need to roll out to the Institution.”

They stopped. “Are you sure, Shelly?”

“Noel, it would mean the world to her.” Shelly patted Noel’s shoulder. “Go on and do it before I kick your ass into doing it.”

Smiling and nodding, Noel ran away from Shelly, making a straight shot for the bunk rooms. Under Krys’ old bunk was her knap-sack, untouched and undisturbed since the incident. With it, Noel grabbed the folded grunt uniform on Krys’ pillow and settled it all into her arms. On top of her pile was a small photo strip containing photos of her and Krys inside of a photo booth. Luckily, they had each gotten their own copy. Bundling all these items together, she left the base and let Swellow out of its Pokeball.

“Swellow, take me to Oldale Town as fast as you can.” Noel climbed on.

Nodding, Swellow didn’t hesitate when flying into the sky. They took a shortcut over the sea to get there the fastest, needing to pass over Mt. Pyre in the process. Because of how close the base was to Mt. Pyre, it wouldn’t take Archie and Matt very long to get there. Thoughts raced through her head as her Pokémon raced through the sky, content with the speed they were currently flying. Swellow hadn’t been out in a while, and now that Noel was once again a lone rider, there was no need for Salamence to fly. She held onto Krys’ belongings tight as Swellow sped up over Petalburg City, readying itself to descent over Oldale. Oldale was always tiny. It was a peaceful town where nothing ever happened. The only thing that ever happened in Oldale was the occasional time Steven did a tour of the region, meeting and greeting with those someday wishing to challenge him. Other than that, it was a beautiful, quiet place. When Swellow landed, it was returned to its Pokeball. The wind was blowing slightly, creating a beautiful and gentle breeze that allowed the perfect weather conditions for drying laundry. Laundry was actually the exact thing Noel was looking for. Scanning the small acreage of the town, she quickly was able to spot a clothesline holding an assortment of clothing waving in the breeze. The woman hanging up the clothing appeared to be late forties to her early fifties, dressed in a pink blouse and jeans, hair in a purple barrette and down to her dorsal, just like Krys’. With a sunken heart, Noel walked forward to the woman.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Noel called out, nearing her. “Are you perhaps the mother of Krys Matoi?”

The woman turned around, rather surprised. Her face was covered in freckles, and her eyes radiated the same shine of emerald. There was no mistaking her.

“Yes, yes I am.” she smiled. “Oh, you’re one of those Aqua people.” she set some folded laundry in a basket. “What brings you here?”

Noel presented the bundled assortment of objects in her hands to Mrs. Matoi, eyes sunken and defeated.

“What…what is this?” she asked.

Noel explained what happened that afternoon during the invasion of Team Magma. She explained how Krys saved her life. She explained how she was an inspiration to the grunts around her as well as the Pokémon she trained. Noel felt tears run down her cheeks as she apologized for being in such a position. Noel apologized for the death of her best friend, and for the death of a wonderful woman’s daughter. Mrs. Matoi took the items in her fragile hands, bursting into tears while clutching the belongings close to her chest. Noel wasn’t sure what to do at this point except for look at the woman who stood in front of her, sad and defeated. Noel was surprised when Mrs. Matoi fell to the ground on her knees, doing the same exact thing she had done. Noel needed to look away. It was horrible. Eventually, when it seemed like Mrs. Matoi’s strength had returned to her, she weakly rose to her feet.

“Are you…”she hiccupped. “Are you that nice girl…who she wrote about…? Are you her bunkmate…?”

Noel nodded. “I am…yes…”

“Thank you…” she looked up at Noel with sad eyes. “Thank you for being a true friend to my little girl…”

“Your daughter was the truest friend to me in my time of crisis…and I will never forget that. Being crude to your daughter would have made me a terrible excuse for a human being…” Noel closed her eyes and started to cry. “I’m sorry she needed to lose her life instead of me…I’m sorry I wasn’t the one that was shot instead…” she leaned forward slightly in a bow. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Matoi!”

Mrs. Matoi wiped the tears from her own eyes before placing her hand on Noel’s shoulder. Noel opened her eyes and saw her tears plop into the grass.

“Darling, you have nothing to be sorry for… You did your job as a friend…as a human being… You brought her home to me in this bundle. You kept her from dying scared and afraid…” she wiped Noel’s tears for her. “She wasn’t afraid because you were the last soul she looked at.”

Noel stood back up to see Mrs. Matoi with a small smile on her face, one that held sincerity and a sort of release.

“I would like to give you something that I think Krys would want you to have anyway. Hold on tight, sweetie.” Mrs. Matoi disappeared inside the house.

Noel wiped her face on her bare arm and tried getting herself together. She only hoped she didn’t look like a mess. When Mrs. Matoi reemerged from the house, the bundle was gone, but two golden earrings were its replacement. The one was a long golden chain that would dangle to just over the shoulder. The other one was the same style, only it broke into a crescent shape in the middle, after that the chain continuing. Within the crescent was a small clasp, looking as if it was meant to hold a stone. When Mrs. Matoi presented these earrings to her, Noel placed her hand over her heart, where her own stone jutted out of her chest.

“They were hers. She wore them all the time…but I believe she would like you to have them.”

“Are you sure, ma’am…?” Noel accepted them despite her words.

The woman nodded. “Please.”

Noel could hear footsteps run into town from behind her. She knew it must have been time to leave. Noel put them in her ears, feeling a warm radiance flow through her body. Mrs. Matoi smiled again.

“Stop hating yourself…you are a magnificent young woman.” she looked behind Noel. “Important as well.”

When Noel turned around, she saw Shelly standing there. She looked eager to leave.

“Noel. Are you ready?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Mrs. Matoi’s eyes widened. “N…Noel?”

Noel turned her head and smiled at the woman. “Thank you, Mrs. Matoi. For showing me something I couldn’t see.” she winked. “I was never here.”

Mrs. Matoi began tearing up again. Noel couldn’t fathom why, but she could merely speculate. Noel walked away with Shelly, having no more words to say to Krys’ grieving mother. In reality, Noel couldn’t bear to face any more tears.

“How did it go?” Shelly asked.

“I needed to tell a woman that her daughter was killed instead of me. How would you feel?” Noel asked in return.

Swellow was let out of its ball once again. Noel climbed aboard, Shelly and her selected grunts watching.

“Let’s get to the weather institute.” Noel ordered, a different resolve in her voice. “We have a job to do.”

Noel’s Swellow took off into the air, the grunts and Shelly on their buggies below her. They traveled at an equal pace so they would get to the weather institute as a team. Noel felt something bubble inside of her.

“Stop hating yourself. You’re a magnificent young woman.” Mrs. Matoi had told her.

“Swellow, I’m not sure how I should feel right now.” Noel said as they flew.

“Swah?” it replied.

“I still feel guilty, but I know I shouldn’t.” she sighed. “I know exactly what father would say too.” she smiled.

Swellow looked up.

“Noel, you think too much.” she crudely imitated his deep voice. “For Arceus sake, you need to get your head out of the sand and come to your senses.”

Swellow seemed to laugh.

“So you agree with him, huh? You think I’m over-thinking?”

Swellow nodded.

“Then I guess I am.” she patted Swellow’s head.

As they flew, storm clouds slowly began to brew over them. Swellow flew lower so she and Shelly could communicate.

“How are we doing on time?” Shelly asked.

“From my view, we should be there in thirty minutes. If we hike up the speed, we’ll get there in twenty.”

“YOU HEARD THE WOMAN, GRUNTS! CRAAAAANK IIIIIIT!”

Noel flew back up in altitude and ordered Swellow to go faster. The two transports were flying at equal speeds, the buggies below them spewing dirt behind as they sped along the routes. The rain began to fall when they were well into Route 118, signaling they must have been close. When it began to thunder, Swellow flew lower. They were nearing the institute, seeing the building just over the cliff, after a few bridges. Shelly gave her a thumbs up, signaling she wanted to go faster. Noel nodded. They both picked up speed once again, Noel taking the initiative to take a short-cut over the water to the institute to await their arrival. Swellow needed to get out of the air so they weren’t struck by lightning. She saw the entrance to the weather institute, heading straight for it. Swellow landed, plenty ready to go back inside its Pokeball. When it returned, the buggies made their appearance, startling those training on the cliffs. When the buggies stopped, they were parked on the side of the building, grunts hopping out and assembling themselves. Shelly decided on three that would remain outside to block those entering or leaving the institute.

“If that trainer shows up, radio us. Don’t try to take her out. Leave that up to us.” Shelly commanded.

“Aye aye!” the grunts hollered.

Noel, Shelly, and the remaining grunts headed inside the building. The receptionist was startled when Shelly slammed her hand on the desk and ordered for immediate shut-down. Noel looked around her, seeing scientists and workers stand from their stations and quake with fear. Nodding at the grunts, she walked into the main room and ordered everyone to go upstairs, getting Glalie out for intimidation purposes.

“YOU HEARD ME! EVERYONE UPSTAIRS, PLEASE!” Noel demanded very politely.

The workers and scientists scurried upstairs, grunts taking their positions of holding the fort. In one room, there was a little boy sleeping in a bed. Noel pulled a grunt aside.

“When that little boy wakes up, just let him know we’re not hurting anyone. We just came for a meeting, so don’t be alarmed.” she ordered.

The grunt nodded. Shelly walked up next to Noel. She whistled.

“Way to clear out a room, Noel. C’mon, let’s get upstairs.” she walked to the staircase.

As the grunts pushed ahead to take their positions, the two admins noticed some quarreling. Who seemed to be the head of the institute was arguing with a grunt. The man was in his early sixties, wearing a hat and leaning on a cane. Scientists huddled behind him as they saw the two of them approach.

“Oh come now, Glalie isn’t that scary.” Noel smiled.

“You…you crooks! What are you doing here?!” the man shouted.

“We’re simply here for some answers.” Shelly responded, blocking off the entranceway to the man’s office. “Noel and I wanna know about some things regarding Primal Kyogre, and I know you’ve done a lot of work here with that.”

“Primal Reversion?” the man answered. “Why would crooks like you want to know about that?”

“Sea expansion of course.” Noel smiled and stepped forward. “We just need to know the effects the Blue Orb will have on Kyogre, and what possibly could come from that. When we get that information, we’ll get out of your hair as quick as we came.” a twinkle in her eye seemed to scare him.

“Well…fine.” the man stepped back.

“But sir! Our research—”

“Will be in good hands.” Noel finished.

The man cleared his throat. “Well…realistically speaking, if the Blue Orb were to find itself awakening Kyogre, a torrential downpour would cover the land. Seas would expand, covering the land in great amounts of water, flooding the land and flooding out the people who lived there. The rain would never stop. When in Primal Reversion, the rain would continue eternally, or until the beast commanded it to stop. The beast would revert the world to a sphere of only water, wiping out whatever lived.”

Shelly’s eyes widened while Noel’s smile twitched.

“If this happened all over the world, what would happen to Pokémon and the people?” Shelly asked.

“Eventually, they would cease to exist.” the man answered.

“What?!” Shelly exclaimed.

“The world will be covered in water.” the man finished.

“Archie’s dream…could this really be…his dream…” Shelly stood back in bewilderment.

“Thank you for answering our question.” Noel stuck her hand out. “I’d like the official wavelengths. I want the sequences and numbers you’ve come up with, along with the charts and graphs.”

“But…but we answered you!” the man retorted. “You said you’d leave!”

“Our dream will be fulfilled by this information.”

“Fulfilled?!” Shelly sounded shocked. “Noel, did you hear what he just said?! The rain will—”

“I heard what he said. It’s merely an exaggeration. Hyde and the others will find out what will truly happen when we awake Kyogre.”

“Kzzt! Grunt 2 to admins. We’ve spotted the female trainer, she is currently headed into the building. Repeat. The female trainer is inside the building.”

Shelly answered the call. “Copy that.”

Noel looked at Shelly. “Don’t worry about it, Shelly. It’ll all be fine. Don’t you believe in Archie?”

Grunts’ shouting could be heard at the bottom of the stairs.

Shelly saw the trainer first. “Noel, keep an eye on the scientists. If I fail, you can defeat her, right?”

“Yea. Good luck, Shelly.”

Noel kept her back turned to watch the scientists. They were still frightened, but they also held their ground on the information. They refused to hand it over to her. As Shelly spoke to the trainer, Noel listened to what she said. Her heart sped, sure of her decisions and her choices.

“Young lady…” the man said as Shelly and May’s battle commenced. “I recognize you…”

Noel looked down and smiled.

“You’re…you’re alive…” there seemed to be hope in his voice. “But why? Why join a band of criminals like Team Aqua?”

“It’s a long story…but these people saved my life. They aren’t criminals.” she spoke honestly. “I’m indebted to the friends they gave me, to the connections I’ve made, and to my wonderful leader. I’ll follow them no matter what it takes.”

The men were silent for a few moments, some watching Shelly’s battle and others watching their boss lean on his cane.

“Your father would be disappointed in you.” the man looked at her dead in the eyes.

Eyes widening, Noel’s smile turned into a sickened frown, eyes flashing with anger. Her hands curled into fists. Shelly spoke in her defeat, but Noel didn’t take concern to that right now.

“How dare you.” she hissed.

“Noel?” Shelly asked, touching her shoulder. “You’re up.”

She turned slowly, anger staying on her face and in her eyes. As much as she wanted to swat Shelly’s hand off of her, she didn’t want to be rude. She stepped toward the trainer with a sickening look on her face. May stepped back in horror, as if she had just seen a ghost.

“You’re…” May was horrified.

“Noel Wilson? The dead girl? Is that what you were going to say?” She took another step forward, rage boiling.

May brought out her Blaziken and got into battle stance.

“How cute. Your Combusken evolved and it thinks you two can win.” she smiled.

Glalie floated up to her, growling and itching to fight.

“Glalie, honey, you won’t be okay…you’ll melt…” she returned it to its ball. “Swampert.” she brought it out.

Swampert turned to its trainer, clearly concerned for its friend. Noel noticed this.

“It’s okay. Surf.”

Swampert constructed its wave of water, startling the scientists behind them, and slammed the Blaziken with it. They were in a small space, so water fell onto tables. Swampert recycled its water in battle, so nothing got drenched that couldn’t be dried immediately. Blaziken used Sky Uppercut, dazing Swampert, but Swampert shook it off before it could land another. May called out for Blaziken to perform a Drill Peck, but Swampert evaded it, backing up as Blaziken struggled to land its attacks.

How dare you use a fire type against me. Noel thought.

“Noel, can you hold her off? I have the data!” Shelly shouted.

“I can handle her!” she smiled and nodded. “Get everyone outta the building! I’ll meet you back outside!”

Shelly ran past the battle scene, grunts following her out. Noel backed up, Swampert watching the fire type’s movements.

“Water Pledge!” Noel shouted.

May could only watch as Blaziken was hit with a blast of water. Though Blaziken endured the hit, Swampert seemed to urge it to stay down. Noel turned to the man with the cane.

“You have no right to speak to me about my father.” she spat at his face. “You didn’t know him. You weren’t raised by him. He didn’t get murdered in front of your eyes. Speak to me like that about him again and you’ll regret it. I’m not a vengeful woman, but my father was the best person in my life. How fucking dare you.” she turned back to May.

Swampert allowed Blaziken to stand. May didn’t attack, brows merely furrowed while staring at Noel.

“When Team Aqua’s and Archie’s ambitions have been realized, the world will return to its beginnings, a land where Pokémon and people can live together in harmony. I can’t wait to see the sun set over that vast sea. I want to see our vision…his vision…realized.”

Having nothing else to say, Noel and Swampert ran out of the building to meet with Shelly and the grunts. The rain was pouring down hard.

“Will she follow us?” Shelly asked.

“The man won’t be silent about that we want the Blue Orb. She’ll probably follow us to Mt. Pyre.” Noel predicted.

“We?! Noel, the both of us need to get back to Hyde and relay this information.” Shelly argued. “Grunts, get in the buggies!”

“Archie needs backup at Mt. Pyre. I’m going.” she let Swellow out of its ball, all of her other Pokémon safe inside of their dry homes.

“Noel, would you stop and think about this?! You heard what that man said! Kyogre is going to drown all of civilization!” Shelly seemed to plead with her. “Noel, please! I know you wouldn’t want any of that!”

“You’re overreacting, Shelly. Archie understands what’s going on, he never would have created this dream if he didn’t know what the real results would be.” she climbed aboard Swellow.

“Yes, but I’ve known Archie for twelve years now and I know that he becomes obsessed until he’s proven wrong. Noel, I have a bad feeling—”

“THEN HAVE THAT BAD FEELING!” Noel shouted.

Shelly stepped back in surprise.

“I’m going to Mt. Pyre. You do you, but I’m following Archie.”

Swellow flew into the air with a powerful flap of its wings. Though the thunder and lightning were intimidating, Noel’s drive flowed into her Pokémon like it was a leech. Swellow looked up in concern, but Noel was still simmering with emotion.

“I won’t stray from my path. I finally found a goal…I’m going to achieve it. Nothing’s going to get in my way…” she seemed to be trying to calm herself down. “Deep breaths, Noel…” she took a deep breath, bellowing out a gust of air from her mouth.

“Swuh.”

“I’m sorry you’ve seen me upset, Swellow. I just want to do the right thing.” she sighed. “But I suppose…I guess I am. It’s the right thing if I believe in myself, right?”

Swellow chirped in approval, diving to gain speed and lessen altitude.

“Sorry, you’re my therapist today.” Noel smiled. “Let’s take a right turn here, I see the water route to the base of the mountain.”

Swellow nodded. As they left the grassy, wooded areas around Fortree City, the clouds began to lessen and drift away, the rain slowing to a drizzle. They saw two Sharpedos and some rafts dock at the grassy patches at the base of the mountain. Matt and Archie. Matt pointed up, Archie following his finger. When Noel waved, he let loose a wide grin. She landed, patting Swellow on the head.

“Scamp! I’m glad to see you!” he slapped her back.

“Did Shelly radio you?” Noel asked, returning Swellow.

“Actually, no. I got a little anxious, but I know your mission was a success, seeing you here.”

“It was. Shelly took the data to Hyde, I came as you asked.” Noel smiled.

“Any interruptions?” Archie asked.

“That female trainer showed up.” Noel reported. “She came to aid the scientists who worked there. However, I made quick work of her. I bought us time to grab the data and skedaddle.”

“Nice work Noel.” Archie waved for Matt and the grunts to begin entering Mt. Pyre. “If you need to step out at any time, let me know, okay?”

“Why?” Noel raised an eyebrow.

“Because this is a cemetery.” he told her as they entered the mountain.

Noel blinked, looking above the entranceway to see a sign at the point of entry.

“Souls of the Departed Rest Here—Of Humans and Pokémon”

Noel gulped, but took a step forward with her leader through the entranceway. She could do this.

“Do you think that kid’s gonna follow us?” Matt asked, walking ahead.

“I assume so. However, she needs to make it to Fortree and cross two routes in that time. If she does that, then I say she will indeed make it here.” Noel confirmed.

“Well, that’s okay.” Archie answered. “If she makes it here, she’ll just see us take the orb. If Matt wants, he can battle her.”

“AW MAN, BRO. BRO. CAN I? CAN I REALLY?” Matt turned excitedly around at Archie.

Archie smiled. “Yes, you can battle her.”

“ALL RIGHT! SCORE!” Matt cheered.

While Matt and the grunts proceeded to the stairs, ascending the mountain, Archie paused at a few of the graves. Noel looked at him.

“I can’t bear thinking about Pokémon dying.” he sighed, looking at graves. “I can’t bear it for even a minute.”

Noel was silent, respecting Archie’s words.

“I want to expand the sea for all sorts of reasons.” walking over to another grave. “I want Pokémon and people alike to see a world where the sun glimmers off the waves. I want them to understand what the beauty of the sea is. Water is an element we can’t live without; it supports us in so many ways. I understand land is needed for sustaining energy, buildings, and all that jazz.” he sighed again. “But the sea…the sea can create so much opportunity.”

“That’s plenty enough reason to have the goal you do.” Noel nodded. “My father always told me that if it felt right to me, there was nothing wrong with following my dreams. He told me to believe in myself.” she looked at a grave as well.

“So you do?” he looked up. “You believe in yourself?”

“I do.” she nodded. “And it’s hard to say that lately.” she closed her eyes. “But something in my heart is pushing me. I believe in myself.”

“Then I guess we’ll believe in each other.” she heard Archie say. “I’ll believe in you if you believe in me.”

She looked up with her eyes open, and saw Archie standing with a triumphant smile on his face.

“Enough soul-searching.” he walked to the stairs. “Let’s get that orb.”

The pair ascended the mountain through its labyrinth of staircases, escalating into room after room of graves and mourners. They pressed on, reaching the rest of the group that was singing pirate songs on the stairs, but they were quiet on the cemetery floors to show respect to those needing their silence. When the large group of them was alone on the stairs, they told stories, jokes, and really bad puns. Noel seemed to be on a roll when it came to bad jokes, but one Archie said took the cake.

“What did the pirate say when he turned 80?” Archie asked.

“What?” multiple asked him.

“Aye matey.”

“AW COME ON MAN” was a phrase the majority of the crew shouted, some punching Archie’s arms while he stood there with that shit-eating grin on his face, clearly proud of the joke he produced.

An open entranceway seemed to be filtering fog into this particular staircase, giving them the inkling that they were close to the outside. Matt continued to lead the way, still laughing from Archie’s joke. The grunts discussed among themselves what was happening while Noel took the time to glance up the stairs further, not seeing any true form of light. An even simpler matter troubled her.

What if that net thing didn’t protrude off of Archie’s waist? Like, how big IS the booty? Do he even GOT booty? Like, we talkin’ gold doubloons here or just two pennies? These are the important questions.

“What’s a pirate’s worst nightmare?” Noel asked.

“What?” some of the crew, including Archie, asked.

“A sunken chest with no booty.”

Matt once again lost his shit from the front of the group.

“A SUNKEN…BWAHAHA!” he had to lean against the wall for support.

Noel shared the laughter of the crew until they reached that fog at the end of the staircase. When everyone emerged, there was still quite a bit of mountain to climb until the summit. Matt wiped a tear from his eye, took a deep breath, and pounded his chest. He commanded the grunts forward, leading them in case of any possible obstacles. Archie and Noel lagged behind to discuss the orb itself.

“The orb that we take today will be used to awake Kyogre from its slumber.” Archie explained. “And will bring us one step closer to obtaining the perfect world.”

“Is Team Magma after this orb as well?” Noel asked.

“No. Groudon, the legendary Pokémon of the land, can only be awakened with the red orb. Plus, Magma hasn’t made it as far as we have. All they can do is try to stop us.” he explained. “Therefore, we shouldn’t run into any obstacles.”

As they continued up the slopes of Mt. Pyre, the fog slowly began to disperse, leaving the clouds beneath them on lower levels. They must have been near the summit now, as the tombstones were relished in finer embellishments and looked more like royalty, that or Pokémon truly held sacred. The grunts had positioned themselves on the sides of the main path, nodding at the two admins as they passed by. Archie smiled as he saw the last slope, a staircase created in ancient stone that led to a pedestal holding the two orbs. Archie walked ahead of Noel, following his gaze up the staircase, Matt already waiting for him at the top. Noel followed suit, taking her place next to Matt as she watched her leader approach the pedestal. He smiled, ready to lay his hands on it.

“Hold on! Please wait!” they all heard an elderly woman’s voice pierce the fog.

An elderly woman, followed by her husband, scurried up the path and climbed the stairs to where Archie was standing. The woman was incredibly short compared to Archie’s towering height, but nonetheless she stood tall, even out of breath.

“Don’t you understand what that orb does?” the woman asked.

“Ma’am, that’s why we’re taking it.” Archie bent down to talk to her. “We know perfectly well about what it does.”

“Honey!” she cried to her husband. “Is that kind trainer behind you or not?! Get your arse up here, man!” the woman shouted.

The man climbed the steps slowly. “If you truly know what this orb does, then why take it?”

“To achieve our ambitions.” Archie replied. “Trainer?” he smiled. “I betcha we have company.”

Archie was correct. Back down the path there seemed to be arguing and the cries of Pokémon. Noel furrowed her brows; that trainer was a fast one. Did May want to thwart their plans that badly? She and Matt exchanged glances, but did not act on their instincts. While the elderly couple and Archie bickered about taking the orb, Noel saw Archie rub his temples. He seemed to be very agitated, which wasn’t the normal thing for him to do. Noel saw May appear in the corner of her eye. She knew a battle was coming.

“Never mind you, you old hags.” Archie growled, picking the orb up in his hands.

The blue orb seemed to glow in the man’s hands, sending an eerie feeling through those standing around him, as if they had been experiencing ghostly activity that made their hairs stand on end. Matt nudged Noel, motioning down to the bottom of the stairs. May was standing there with her fists clenched. Archie looked up from the orb and smiled.

“Yo.” he turned around.

Matt and Noel turned with him, arms behind their backs, looking down the slope with their leader.

“I thought something was a bit noisy, and who is it but the usual kid!” he didn’t sound happy, he sounded more serious. “Sorry kiddo, but I’m afraid I don’t have time to play with you right now.”

Archie looked at the orb again. “The blue orb that’s long been enshrined here at Mt. Pyre…” he smiled. “…belongs to Team Aqua now!”

Archie glanced to Matt, and then to Noel.

“Ma-att!” Archie called.

“YES, BOSS?” Matt turned seriously, yet excitedly.

“Why don’t you do a favor for our lively little friend here and keep her entertained? You’d better go full power too, so you don’t offend our ‘honored guest’.”

Matt smiled almost sadistically. “Got it, boss.”

Archie chuckled. “All we have to do now is get to the place where the great beast sleeps…” he looked May in the eye. “We’re going to take that submarine in Slateport.” Archie looked at Noel. “You’re coming with me. Round up the grunts.” he walked down the steps, Noel following in pursuit.

“LET’S GO, GRUNTS! WE’RE HEADED FOR SLATEPORT!” she shouted.

As the grunts saluted and scurried along, Archie gripped the blue orb tightly. Noel walked by his side and listened as Matt greeted his opponent as amped as ever. Noel and Archie followed the grunts back down the stretches of stairs and extensive cemetery rooms, every waking second becoming a booming heartbeat for Noel. She glanced at the orb and a chill shot through her, making her blood run cold. The symbol on the orb seemed to strike out of the gem itself, wanting to make contact with her. Though she kept walking as attentively as possible, she felt like she was in a trance. She was snapped to her senses when Archie stopped.

“Noel? Are you listening to me?”

She blinked. “W-what?”

“I asked if you were okay.” he raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been looking at the orb the entire walk down. Like, I know the orb is pretty and all, but it was getting a little creepy.”

“Yea, I’m fine. Totally. Peachy keen my pirate-man.” she gave him a thumbs up.

“Right.” he started walking again. “Anyway, can you take the orb back to the base while the grunts and I make haste to Slateport? I’d like you and Team Sassy Science to keep watch over this, maybe scan it over.”

“Aye aye, captain.” she nodded.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and reached the exit, Archie handed over the orb to Noel. When the orb was in her hands, her heart hiccupped, almost like there was a phenomena occurring in her body. Her hands seemed to freeze while she held the orb.

Archie, without Noel seeing, raised his brows in concern and suspicion. He watched as Noel swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked. Maybe it was the excitement of seeing the orb? No. That wasn’t it. Archie couldn’t put his finger on it.

“If you need me, radio me, okay? Shelly should already…” he saw her shaking hands. “…be there… And Matt will return shortly. Just have a safe trip back, okay?”

Noel looked up at him and nodded. “I’ll get this right back to the labs. If anything odd pops up, I’ll be the first to tell you.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, seeing whatever spell she was in had passed. He nodded, turning to the grunts and releasing his Sharpedo. As the grunts started their boats, the gaggle of them made their way along the sea to Slateport, eventually fading away in the distance. Noel took a deep breath, looking at the orb another time before releasing her Swampert, who once again looked at her with a deep concern.

“It’s okay, it’s just…an ancient gem… It’s kind of surreal. You know?” she laughed it off. “Let’s just get back to the base. I need to apologize to Shelly for yelling at her earlier.”

Swampert jumped into the water, soaking its trainer with its large splash. Noel laughed, wiping her face with her elbow before carefully climbing onto her friend’s back. She gripped the orb tightly like Archie had, being very careful not to drop it in the bobbing waves. Swampert swam forward at a neutral pace, listening while its trainer talked to it about the small things, like how bright the sun shined that day and how peacefully the Wingull flew. Her blood continued to run cold, despite the heat being radiated off of the sun’s UV rays, the heat soaking into her skin but ebbing away just as quickly as it had come. It had been a long day. She hadn’t had a sequence of missions like that since her first at Meteor Falls. She smiled as she remembered the waterfalls that cascaded down from the cliffs and rocky walls. Her brain desperately tried to stray away from who she was with, but resistance was futile. Those memories of riding with Krys on Salamence for the first time found their way into her direct path of thought, seeming to make her grip the orb tighter, which made it glow brighter. Swampert noticed this and attempted to snap her out of it by shaking its back.

“Huh? Swampert? What’s wrong?”

It grunted at her, but she couldn’t make out its emotion, which was odd. She apologized and patted its head. The cold feeling in her hands ebbed away, bringing warmth and feeling back to her fingers. Though she didn’t fully recognize this event when it happened, her mood seemed to lighten as they neared Lilycove City.

“Look at all those people.” she smiled. “I bet there’s a wicked contest going on right now.”

Swampert nodded, turning towards the familiar cave that held their base. Noel squinted as they left the bath of sunlight and entered the coolness of the cave, being greeted by the grunts that guarded the outside. When Swampert landed, it returned to its Pokeball so Noel could proceed into the base. When she entered, it was business as usual, making the usual trip to the science labs. The orb was still in her hands, but any shine to it had faded away. It looked like the ordinary gem from afar, even though all inside the base knew what she was carrying. When she entered the labs, Hyde met her with a cool smile.

“Noel, I see you’re back!” he greeted. “And you brought the orb. Excellent. May I take it so we can scan it?”

She seemed almost hesitant at first to hand it over, but she did to her discomfort. When Hyde returned from the scanners without the orb, he set his clipboard down and crossed his arms, taking his reading glasses off first.

“Noel, to congratulate you on your successes, the science team has developed a new warp panel in the building just for you.”

“Just for me?” her eyes twinkled.

“Yes. You’re getting your own room.”

“YES!” she fist bumped the air. “RAD! I GET MY OWN ROOM!” she ‘woo-hooed’ in victory. “SCORE!”

Hyde chuckled. “Yes, it’s been organized in a fashion that should suit your liking. You may decorate it however you’d like, using the objects you have scavenged from your old life or from your new life here. Just consider it a final gift of making this your true home.”

“Whose idea was this?” she asked.

“Well…mine.”

She hugged him tightly. “Thank you, thank you!”

“It’s-it’s just a room—”

“Nuh-uh, it’s way more than that. I get to personalize it in my own way. A room represents me and my life, it represents who I really am. It gives me my own slice of me. Me surrounded by me!” she explained excitedly.

“Well…” he hugged her back. “I’m glad I could provide you this service.”

“Like I have my own bed? A table?” she asked, letting go of him.

“A bed, coffee table, book shelf, a desk with a laptop, a closet, and assorted chairs.” he listed.

“Awesome.” she smiled wider. “Thanks again, so much!”

He nodded. “When you’d like to see, it’s the panel to the left of Archie’s.”

She nodded, skipping out of the labs while still cheering to herself. Hyde shook his head with a smile on his face and got back to work. Noel headed right for the warp panels, but before she could delightedly enter her new room, she needed to talk to Shelly. She stepped through Shelly’s warp panel, hoping to find her there, but there was no sign of her. Bummed, she looked around Shelly’s room, nothing seeming to be out of the ordinary except for the obsession with “Pokémon Life” magazines she seemed to have. From a notepad lying on a desk, Noel tore a piece of paper and borrowed a pen.

“Shelly-

I’m sorry I snapped at you at the Weather Institute back there. I was ticked about a comment the old weather fart said, it wasn’t against you at all. I understand your qualms about all of this weather stuff, it’s only the human thing to do. I’ll make it up to you with ice cream or something, I promise! For now, please just know that I’m sorry.

Sincerely, Noel

“That oughta do the trick.” she smiled.

When she left through the warp panel again, she needed to take a breath before entering her very own for the first time. When she stepped through, the familiar coding danced across her eyes, making her excited for the sight that would meet her when she stepped out. Finally the moment arrived where a different room, an unfamiliar room, met her gaze. She gasped when she saw the furniture laid out for her, some boxes that were half-shut placed in the center of the room. A bed was placed in the right hand corner of the room, similar to how Archie had his, and a closet was parallel to that. On the opposite side of the wall where the closet laid, there was a desk with a closed laptop, the Aqua Symbol being a sticker on the lid. The desk was barren, but soon it would be filled with what Noel wanted. A mirror hung above the desk. Noel already made faces in it. There was a rolling chair to go with the desk, to Noel’s excitement. Then there was a table with chairs, set to eat at or to socialize at. It wasn’t the biggest room in the world, but it was good enough for her. She wandered over to the boxes, opening one of them. The one she opened held all of the plushies and accessories she bought at the Lilycove Department Store, along with folded sets of clothing and some posters. The other box held the albums, pictures, and assorted items, including the flower crown that she took from her old home. She smiled sweetly at the crown, seeing how beautiful and pink the flowers were. Setting that gently on the floor, she took out the framed picture of her father next. It was good to see his face smiling in this picture. That black hair of his was short, not quite graying at the roots yet. He usually had a straight face, all serious because of his position in the Elite Four, but when he smiled it was like a new day, a morning sun rising. He did have wrinkles up at his eyebrows because he furrowed them so often, she always yelled at him for that. He was wearing a black shirt in the photo, he always loved the color black. He said it insinuated the eyes he had. Noel had her father’s eyes, navy blue, like a darkened ocean. However, he did have a small scratch over the right one, creating a scar, but it was hardly noticeable if you were around him all the time. She stood up and brushed the frame off. He was the first thing she set on her new desk, always there to give her support. She smiled and got back to unpacking the box, sliding the photo albums she had under her bed like she had at home. She set up a little area for her Pokémon, setting up their food bowls and the toys they played with back at Mossdeep. The flower crown was placed on her headboard, perfectly sitting above her pillows. Hyde had supplied her with two pillows and a queen sized bed, thank Arceus. She was a mattress queen, each appendage scouring each corner. She laughed at herself as she moved the now empty box to the side. The first object she removed from the other box was the small assortment of photos of her and Krys from the photo booth in Lilycove. Her heart hurt as she taped them to the wall behind her laptop. Messing with the earrings Mrs. Matoi had given her, she knew that they would have looked beautiful on her friend. Going back to the box, she removed her Sableye plushie, placing it on the bed and arranging it nicely. The keychains she purchased were strapped to her backpack, which was also in the box, the bag being tossed into the closet. She hung up all of her clothes, surprised to see the clothing she borrowed from Krys being included as well. She hung up her posters that she purchased all around the room, one having a Swampert on it, another having a Seviper on it, and many others that matched her personality. The last item in the box was the assortment of undergarments, making Noel laugh out loud, nearly causing tears. She held up each bit one by one and put them in an arrangement of drawers supplied for her in the closet. With them was the famous Crobat underwear, along with a new addition.

“I can’t believe I bought Sharpedo underwear.” she laughed as she threw them in the drawers.

The boxes were tossed in the corner, ready to be thrown out. As she looked around her new room, she walked over to the desk to look at what she had. Not much, but it was quaint and comfortable. She looked up into the mirror, seeing the emotions flash across her eyes. When her eyes caught the space in her earring, the one that was meant for a stone, she felt her heart wrench inside her chest. Feeling the stone jab out of her own skin from beneath the cloth of her shirt.

“I’m going to keep you close, Krys…”

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