Nostalgia was the first thing I felt when entering Rustboro city. For the first time in almost three months, I was back in what was effectively my home city. The tall stone buildings, the crowded roadways, the dazzling sparks of sunlight off tinted windows... To me, this was where I came from.

   For an hour or so I let myself become distracted, and like a wordless tour guide, led Wallace and Winona through Rustboro's streets, letting them take in the sights for themselves. When we reached the street that separated the business district from the tourist side of the city, I stopped walking.

   "I know my way home from here," I said, a thought becoming vocal.

   "Do you still want us to come with you?" Wallace asked.

   "No." The word came out combined with a shaky exhale. "This is something I have—want to do alone," I corrected myself. "I feel horrible saying that..."

   "It's okay, we get it," Wallace said, nodding. "We'll meet you later at the Pokémon Center, okay?"

   "Sounds like a plan," I confirmed.

   "Good luck!" Winona said with a smile.

   "Thank you," I replied. I'll need every bit of luck I can get. And although I said I wanted to go alone, in reality I wouldn't be alone. It was hard to turn my back on my friends—they had been with me and put up with so much of my nonsense—but I managed to do it and entered the business district.

   I retraced the path I would take from Meteor Falls to my home, unintentionally reliving the days before all of this started. It was the more depressing side of my nostalgia, and one sight in particular made it all the more real. The moment I saw it snapped me right back to the present.

Looming taller than the other buildings in the business district, ambiguously-shaped Pokémon statues placed outside its doors like granite guards, was the Devon building. Instinctively repeating what I had done so many times over the course of my time living here, I glanced up to the window connected to Dad's office, half-expecting him to be returning my gaze. He wasn't there.

   I breathed a shuddering sigh of both relief and dread—relief for him not being there and the other for our inevitable meeting. What would he do? What would he say? So many unpleasant responses to these questions crowded my thoughts that it was difficult for me to think. I was positive that he would be furious with me and that didn't even begin to account for Mom's possible reactions.

Imagining it all was enough to knot my still-queasy stomach, and the added feeling of anxiety wasn't helping things. The sound of a Poké Ball opening on its own resonated from within my bag, and Meteor appeared beside me, startling the people around us with his unplanned entrance. We moved to a spot on the sidewalk between a pair of buildings so we wouldn't further impede any passerby. I wondered why he wanted to talk face to face.

   Nervous, huh? my Metang asked.

   How could you have possibly known? I tried to joke, smiling weakly.

   You keep telling yourself not to be sick every five seconds, he stated in a deadpan voice. I'm willing to bet everything that I'm right. Honestly, your stomach's too weak for your own good.

   And you're right on both accounts. Full points for the correct answers, I said.

   Okay, why are you acting like this? He stared at me suspiciously. Straight-Answer-Steven trying to joke? Did you get body-snatched by a Ditto when I wasn't looking?

   One might as well have, I said despairingly. Fine. If you want the truth, and I know you do, I thought I'd try to act like you and add some levity to the situation. Perhaps I thought it would help me feel better? I don't know, I then admitted truthfully.

   And how is that working out? Meteor asked sarcastically.

   Horrendously, I replied.

   I thought so.

   Really Meteor, what else am I supposed to do in this situation? I asked, covering my face and repressing a sigh. I felt so sure of myself ten minutes ago, and now I've lapsed back into how I usually feel whenever I think of Mom and Dad. I don't want to run again if things turn sour, but I don't want to lose you or the others.

   It's my fault, I shouldn't have brought it up at all, Meteor said.

   It's not your fault at all, I objected, uncovering my eyes to look at him.

   Yeah, it is. I put the thought in your mind and it's making things worse! His eyes fell to the ground as he tried to purposefully avoid my gaze.

   It's not, I stated firmly. Why was he being so negative? This wasn't like him at all, and he thought I was the one acting strange. The thought would have come to me sooner or later, it was inevitable.

   Can't you try to have a premonition and see how things work out? he asked hopefully, glancing up.

   It doesn't work like that, I replied. I think. My eyes narrowed in uncertainty. Could I have a premonition by will? It wasn't like I knew how an ability I found out I had two days ago worked. It was as alien to me as it was to Meteor, he had to understand that.

   Try to! he insisted.

  I said it doesn't work in that way! I repeated, beginning to get irritated.

   There has to be some way you can know! he exclaimed... desperately?

   How many times do I have to—! I cut myself off. This dispute had gone on long enough and I didn't want it to become a full-blown argument. The last thing I wanted to do was yell at Meteor. No matter how much he annoyed me, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

By now, I was more confused than anything. It was not at all like him to act like this. He sounded so desperate, it was like he wanted to know more for himself than I did. At my next thought, my heart clenched. The desperation in his voice wasn't imagined, it was authentic.

You're more worried than I am, aren't you, I stated. Not asked, stated.

   No, that's not... I'm sorry! he yelled, shockingly loud.

I flinched away from him, startled but confused. What was he apologizing for?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm scared! I'm scared, alright? Meteor exclaimed. I'm afraid that your father will get rid of me and I'll never see you again! I didn't think fear was all that impactful, but now I get why it makes you act the way you do. Tears I never knew he could shed sprung to his eyes and fell with alarming speed. I'm supposed to be your protector, your emotional rock, your best friend, and now I'm breaking down over something like this! I thought I would be better than this, I told myself I had to be.

   What are you talking about? I questioned, confused out of my mind and scared for my partner's well-being.

   The night we left was when it happened. Seeing you break down in Petalburg Woods was awful. It made me feel totally helpless and horrible that I couldn't do more to help you. That night, I promised myself that I had to keep you safe and do all I can to support you. And now that all might go to waste!

   I had no idea he felt this way. Meteor wasn't one to keep secrets, so I had always thought everything was fine. I chastised myself for not being more observant. Why didn't you tell me this before?

   I thought it was something I had to deal with alone. What good is a protector if they can't, well, protect?

   If it's been wearing on you so heavily, I could have tried to alleviate it somehow. Friends are supposed to support each other. Best friends, especially, I said comfortingly.

   I didn't want you... to worry. He stopped when he noticed what he had said. In response I slowly raised my eyebrows and the faintest of smiles crept onto my face. Oh how the tables had turned.

   I wonder where I've heard that line before? I asked with over-exaggerated confusion.

   I don't know, it sounds so familiar, Meteor played along.

   Someone should tell whoever had said it that it isn't healthy to bottle up their feelings like that. I shook my head. We exchanged a knowing look, and a second later we burst out laughing. I didn't know why we did, but something about how seemingly bleak our situation was combined with the line I vowed to never say again broke us and the wall of misery we had both constructed.

We continued laughing until I was practically doubled over with tears in my eyes and Meteor's had stopped. Some of the people passing by gave us strange looks which served to make us laugh harder. How strange we must have looked. We were an odd duo to be sure, and in that moment I wouldn't have wanted it to be any other way.

   Well? Are you ready to face certain doom at the hands of my dad? I asked once we had mostly calmed down. Badly stifled giggles escaped through my grin as I wiped my eyes. I felt no dread or fear then, and it was absolutely amazing.

   As long as I'm with you, I'm willing to face anything, Meteor replied, a determined glint in his eye. That was the Meteor I knew. I was overjoyed to have him back. We were in this together from the start and it wasn't going to change now, we would both make sure of it.

—~*~—

The walk through the rest of the business district went by swiftly, and in what felt like seconds I was standing at the beginning of an all-too familiar cobblestone walkway. I had traversed this path more times than I could count but something about it made it feel foreign. I had to remind myself of what I had to do to so I wouldn't turn on my heel and leave. There was no going back. It was time. I gave Meteor a quick, reassuring glance before making my way up the path with him glued to my side.

   My home, which always had a comforting air about it, felt as foreign as the walkway. It was so unreal being here after so long of intentionally avoiding anything having to do with this place. When we reached the front doors, I stared at them hesitantly for a minute, reluctant to knock. Would anyone be home? Was this all a waste of time? Stop avoiding it! Heeding the thought that told me to do so, I raised an already-clenched hand and knocked.

   Nothing. Silence greeted me in anyone's place.

   I didn't want to announce my presence or try the doors, it felt like it would be breaking and entering despite the fact that this was my home. Besides that, I didn't think I could say anything concrete with the lump in my throat. I was beginning to get nervous again.

Once more I knocked, louder this time. My heart was now pounding, and my breaths grew shallow in an attempt to hear better. The faint sound of heels on tile echoed from inside, approaching the door. The suspense was terrible. It was like I was teetering on the edge of a cliff, about to fall. Then at long last I heard the doors unlocking. One opened a crack before opening all the way.

   There stood Mom, wearing the usual classy attire she always wore, satiny black hair pulled out of her face, and blue eyes looking uninterested at the prospect of greeting someone of unimportance. When those eyes met mine, they widened exponentially. Her mouth dropped open and she rushed to cover it with her free hand like she was incapable of closing it. None of us said anything so I decided to break the silence first.

   "Hello, Mom. I... I'm home," I said without any finesse, faintly giving her a sheepish smile.

   Without another word, Mom pulled me into an embrace. She held me as if the moment she let go I would disappear. She then said something, "Steven..." My name, choked with tears. I buried my face in her shoulder and let my own tears flow. Not ones of sadness, but joy. I was so happy to see her again. One word summed up how I felt then: Euphoric. Purely and utterly euphoric. For a minute that I wished lasted forever, I let myself drown in the euphoric bliss.

   "I'm sorry I left, Mom. I'm so, so sorry," I apologized profusely, the words spilling from me like an undammed river.

   "You have no need to apologize, sweetie. What you did wasn't wrong." She let go of me so she could look me in the eyes. "That was the reason you received Meteor. I wanted you to experience what it was like to be a Trainer." She smiled at me, still teary-eyed. "I'm proud that you left, and I'm even more proud that you had the courage to come back home. That's not something everyone can do."

   I smiled, whispering, "Thank you." Hearing her say that brought immense relief. She wasn't mad. That was half of my worries extinguished. There was still a more glaring issue to worry about. "Is Dad here?" I asked, not bothering to keep the fear out of my voice.

   "He's at work, but I'm sure he won't once I call him," she replied. Upon seeing my worried expression she gave me a comforting smile. "He won't be angry or disappointed, I promise. He'll be overjoyed to see you." She wiped away some of my tears as she said this.

Something about the way she spoke allowed me to relax somewhat. I hadn't ever seen her look or sound so confident in any of her previous answers regarding Dad. She was sure of this outcome, completely positive, and I wanted so desperately to believe her.

   Wow, this is going way better than I expected! Meteor said. Am I ruining the mood by saying that?

   "It's good to see you again, Meteor. I almost didn't recognize you! You look so different evolved," Mom said.

   You remembered my name! I'm flattered! he exclaimed. And yeah, having arms does make a difference in appearance. I sometimes have a hard time recognizing myself!

   "Have you caught any other Pokémon? I would love to see them," Mom said to me. "If you want to, you can let them out in the living room while I call your father."

   "Thank you, Mom. And, I will," I said. I returned Meteor to his ball figuring that he would be cramped in the hallways and followed Mom inside afterwards. It was nice to be at home after being gone for so long. Virtually nothing had changed since I left, which I thought was a good thing.

Once I was in the living room, I brought out my entire team. The room's size was of no concern, and they all fit with space to spare. Meteor, Silvette, Orbit, and Maverick, my perfect team of four. I told the others what was happening, and they seemed to be concerned on some level or another, other than Maverick who acted indifferently.

   Mom soon came into the room and her face lit up with joy when she saw my team. I introduced them to her while she took her time looking over them. Thankfully they all seemed to like or accept her, Maverick included. I couldn't believe all this was happening. I was really at home. I would have stayed blissful if it weren't for the sound of the front doors opening fifteen minutes later. My blood ran cold when I heard this. Once again I was put in suspense as I waited.

   Keep telling yourself that it's going to be okay, Meteor said.

   I am. And if it isn't, I'll make sure it'll be fine. I mentally steeled myself for what would come next. For all we said about being in this together, it was really I who had to face Dad. Meteor had no say here, neither did my teammates. I'll make him understand.

Behind me, I heard a new set of footsteps pause on the room's threshold. It was him, I knew it. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him. We stared at each other in tense silence. His stern gaze flicked from me, to my Pokémon, then back.

   "So you really did come home," Dad said calmly as he walked over to me. He looked down at me with an expression I couldn't quite identify.

   "Yes, Dad, I did," I said, my voice steady and as purposefully calm as his. When he didn't immediately respond I continued speaking, saying what I wanted to before he could stop me. "Traveling around Hoenn, what I've accomplished so far, what I've seen so far, has changed me, I think. I love battling, I love my Pokémon, and I love being a Trainer. It's what I want to do in life, and I won't let you stop me from pursuing what I'm sure is my true calling. So yes, I did come back, but I won't stay."

I clenched my trembling hands into fists, bracing for the storm. For once in my life I looked him in the eyes unflinchingly, into those dull blue-gray irises that were the one thing I didn't inherit from him.

   Dad nodded slowly and crossed his arms. "I had a feeling you would say something like that," he said. "Tell me, if you want so badly to remain a Trainer, what is it you plan on doing?"

   His response stunned me greatly. Why didn't he say I was punished? Was he messing with me? Unsure of what was going on, I decided to go along with whatever he was trying to do and gave him an obvious answer. "I want to become the Hoenn Champion," I said. In actuality, I didn't know what I wanted to do. It was all I could think to say in this situation. Anything to keep me from being separated from my Pokémon.

   "Really? And how many badges do you have so far?" I showed him the four attached to my jacket, still confused. "I see. They look good on you, fitting of an up-and-coming Trainer," he mused, then turned to Meteor. "Have you been taking care of my son?"

   What? Uh, y-yeah! As best I can... he said in a flustered tone that was unheard of coming from him.

   I couldn't take the tension anymore. "What's going on, Dad?" I asked. "You don't need to hide it from me. I know you don't want me to be a Trainer. Why aren't you saying it? Can you tell me what you're actually thinking, please?"

   Dad sighed, reluctant to speak. "If you really want to know my thoughts, then you're correct. I don't agree with any of this at all. You're the heir to my legacy, and I want you to continue it. It's what any father would want. And with your decision to leave... you have let me down." Hesitance choked his words. I could tell it pained him to say them. I tried to not let them bother me and calmly retaliated.

   "The difference between you and me is that you're happy with what you're doing," I said. What I said next was no doubt crushing to hear. "I never wanted to run Devon. I used to think I wanted to, I truly did. No matter how much I convinced myself, it never felt right. I tried to ignore those thoughts because I knew it was what you wanted, and I always believed you knew what was best for me."

I began to struggle to speak as I made my deepest thoughts known. With each word I uttered I was proving more and more that I was a failure. Tears began to brim in my eyes for the umpteenth time that, day and my throat closed up.

"I'm sorry that I'm a disgrace to the family!" I lowered my head as the tears streaked down my face. It wasn't going to happen, I wouldn't let him see me cry.

   "Steven, I didn't say you were a disgrace!" I felt him grasp my shoulders and my muscles went rigid, becoming stone-like under his hands. "Look at me, son," he said in a commanding yet soft tone. Unwilling to do so but driven by my deep-rooted sense of obedience, I forced myself to look at him, tears still flowing. "You are not a disgrace," he stated firmly, his brow furrowed in concern. "While I don't agree with your choice to be a Trainer, I would never scorn you for it. Do you understand?"

   "No Dad, do you understand?" I cried. "Do you understand why I'm doing this? Do you understand why I left?" When he didn't answer I exclaimed, "It's because of Meteor! I don't want to stay because I can't stand for him to not be with me. Meeting him, I started to love battling and the excitement it brings. Through that he became my closest friend. He feels like another part of me." The calm, confident front I tried to put up was now totally gone, shattered to reveal my pathetic desperation. "You once said you wanted him to take him from me, and I couldn't bear for that to happen! And I—"

   "I understand."

   I stopped dead when I heard that. Had I heard him correctly? His response answered my question.

   "You heard me. I will admit it, I have denied your thoughts for years. Your mother got through to me and I understand how you feel. That is the reason why I'm going to let you continue your journey. I'll do all I can to support you. You're my son, you mean everything to me, and I won't make you miserable any longer because of my own selfish feelings. I knew I couldn't shelter you forever and it was only a matter of time until something of this sort happened. While I didn't expect it to occur in this way, it occurred nonetheless."

   "Dad, I..." I roughly dried my eyes with my sleeve. "Th-thank you..." I choked out. I wished I could say something more than a simple "thank you," but I could hardly talk. I followed my completely sincere thanks up with, "I'll make you proud, I promise."

   "I know you will because I have faith in you." When he said that, I smiled. This was actually happening. Dad had faith in me. He thought I could do this even if it went against his own thoughts. I couldn't let him down, not again.

   "I'll become the best Champion Hoenn has ever had!" I said. And I meant it.

Dad smiled warmly, an expression that he rarely used. It then turned into a look of seriousness. "Before anything else happens..." he glanced over to Mom, who nodded as if saying "go ahead." "You need to know something important. I have neglected to tell you this for years, and I deeply regret doing so. It's the reason why I wouldn't let you go, the real reason," he said, putting heavy emphasis on his statement. I knew where he was going with this. Resisting the urge to bring up Valerie's name in fear of an unsavory reaction, I let Dad speak.

   "As I've already told you, sixteen years ago there was a group of employees who went against Devon. These employees were headed by someone none of us would suspect—a young woman named Valerie. She was your great-grandfather's secretary. When Valerie's group attacked, it came as a horrible shock to not only the company but our family as well. We never expected someone who was so close to us to betray us the way she had."

   Valerie had been important to the family? I couldn't imagine someone being close to people they despised.

   "Valerie... She was no mere secretary," Mom said after being silent for so long. She looked at me, her gaze filled with unimaginable sorrow and pain. "This leads to something else we never told you. When your father and I told you we had no other family, we weren't telling the truth, for the most part. There was someone else. My younger sister. If things hadn't gone the way they did and she were still part of the family, you would have referred to her as your Aunt Valerie."