"Sweetie, are you listening?"

   "Hm?" I looked up, my eyes lazily focusing on the nurse standing in front of me. Her bright pink uniform and short, dark hair stood out against the stark whiteness of the examination room. Behind her, a blue-uniformed officer waited by the door, keeping watch.

   "I was saying that you need to use the crutch for a week or so until your bones finish healing. Heal Pulse isn't the end-all-be-all for injuries," she said in a sweet, polite voice. "Even then, you should stay off your leg as much as you can. The same applies to your arm. It needs to stay in the sling for around the same amount of time. But if you really want to hear my personal suggestion on what you should do, it'd probably be for the best if you took a week to relax and heal to minimize your chances of hurting yourself again."

   I nodded once before looking back down at the white short-sleeved shirt I now wore. My shirt and pants had been all but ruined by my fall down Mt. Pyre, and I had been provided with a new shirt and hospital scrub pants by the nurse who had been attending to me.

   "Th-thank you. I'll try to take your advice," I said simply. The nurse helped me to my feet, handing me the crutch I was to use. After gaining balance and steadying myself, I was escorted out of the room by the officer, who was carrying my satchel.

   Minutes after Meteor and I said our final goodbyes, a small platoon of police officers descended the cliff we had fallen down. Meteor's body had been taken away, and I was airlifted to the Cascade General Hospital in Lilycove City. There, I was treated for my injuries with the same Heal Pulse method Liam had used on me and had to stay there for the day along with the following night so the doctors could make sure that I was "okay," at least in the physical aspect.

   Faye, Wallace, and Winona spent every last second of every visiting hour with me while I was bedridden. Through them I learned that nearly all of the Insurgents present on Mt. Pyre had been apprehended, including Valerie. There was no doubt that she would be convicted for several accounts of murder in the first-degree coupled with so many other crimes. Imprisoned for life or perhaps worse... I would have felt some minimal amount of pity for her if she weren't such an abhorrent, despicable person.

   After some swift interrogation, some of the arrested Insurgents revealed that my dad was being held prisoner in Rustboro City. Luckily, the police were able to rescue him. He was being escorted to Lilycove, and from the last update I heard, he had just passed through Fortree. That gave me a bit of joy. I couldn't wait to see him again.

   There were several officers stationed in the waiting area as well, guarding every possible entrance and exit. At that moment I had no pride to speak of, so I didn't mind the frankly overkill amount of extra security. Besides them, the room was very much empty aside from my friends who were waiting for me in a sun-lit corner.

   Those three minutes of walking were embarrassingly taxing on me, and I was more than happy to be sitting down again. Tenuous bones plus overexertion and overall exhaustion all amounted to a feeling of being utterly drained of energy. It reminded me all too much of when I was held in the Insurgents' base. But unlike then, I knew this weakness and tiredness would be temporary. And in the tumultuous storm of negativity I was in, that feeling of knowing gave me a small life raft to cling to.

   My friends greeted me once I sat down, and for some reason that simple, everyday gesture meant so much to me. Actively ceasing all conversation to look me in the eye before saying hello and earnestly asking how I was... Perhaps it was because my emotions were running on high at the time, but such a small action was enough to warm my heart inexorably.

   "So your father is almost here," Wallace started. "Are you excited to see him again?"

   "Tremendously," I said, managing a weak smile. "I've missed him so much. I just hope I'll be allowed some time to be with him and... get my thoughts together, before fully taking on my position as Champion, you know?"

   Faye gave me a reassuring smile. "Of course they will. The League Board will definitely make an exception for you."

   "Speaking of the League and Champions, what are you gonna do now, Arietta?" Winona chimed in. I had almost forgotten that Faye told Winona and Wallace the truth yesterday. They were shocked, unsurprisingly.

   The former Champion shrugged, tilting her head. "I don't know. I haven't ever really thought of what I'd do if I ever lost my position," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll do some traveling? But it's hard to imagine leaving Hoenn."

   "Yeah, I get'cha," Winona said. "I'm probably never leaving either. There's too much to love here."

   "Agreed," I added, nodding. "It would be hard to, having made so many memories here." Memories... A pang struck my heart and I frowned forlornly, which didn't go unnoticed by the others.

   "And you'll never forget them, right?" Wallace asked.

   I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I did so. I wasn't going to break down now. This was supposed to be a happy moment, the calm after the storm. But it was hard to live in the moment when so much of the storm was still pent-up within me. Still, I wasn't going to give in, I had to keep my promise. Forcing the dark gales down, I then opened my eyes, letting out that breath. "No, I won't," I said.

   We sat in uncomfortable silence for a minute before Faye cleared her throat. "Um, Wallace, Winona, could I have a few minutes alone with Steven?" she hesitantly asked them. "I'm not trying to get rid of either of you, but I want to talk to him about something. Confidential Pokémon League stuff, you get it?"

   "Yes, that's fine," Wallace replied. "I don't think we'd be allowed back in here if we left, so I'll see if we can make a call on the Communicators or something."

   "Thank you," Faye said. "I won't keep him long, so don't worry."

   I waited until the pair left until I spoke again. "So what do you want to say? I'm assuming it's not actually League-related, am I correct?"

   She nodded, smiling. "I can't fool you, can I?" she said. "But yes, I have something I want to tell you. Winona asking me about leaving earlier made me think about it, and I guess I've come to a decision," she sighed, trying to look resolute. "I want to take your advice and go search for my dad."

   "Oh, you're leaving?" I questioned, my heart sinking. I was surprised that she wanted to do this, but it made sense. She honestly had nothing chaining her to Hoenn now, and I was happy for her that she could finally start looking for her dad, but that didn't mean I was glad about her leaving. I partially was, but a small part of me felt depressed that she wanted to go. I didn't let her know that, of course.

   "Well, I want to, though that could change depending on the outcome of what I want to say next." She hesitated, glancing down at the wentletrap bracelet around her wrist that I had given her months ago. "Do you want me to go?"

   My eyebrows rose. "Why are you asking me?" I questioned her back. "It's your decision to make, not mine."

   "I know, but I feel horrible for wanting to leave when you're going through so much right now. I definitely wouldn't want one of my best friends to leave if I were dealing with something like... all of this. And I do want to stay here in Hoenn and be there for you, but..." She trailed off, sadness making her smile fade. I knew what she wanted to say, so I said it for her.

   "You still want to search for your dad," I finished her sentence. As much as it pained me to do this, I knew I couldn't choose for. I hesitated in my next action before deciding to go through with it. I'm never too good at interactions like these... I reached out and delicately took Faye's hand in mine. Her eyes widened a little, but she didn't try to pull away. "It's okay. You don't have to stay here because of me," I said.

   She stayed quiet for a moment, glancing away as she mulled over what I had said. She then looked back at me concernedly. "Really?" she asked.

   "Really," I smiled and squeezed her hand gently. "It's like my mom used to say, 'Just do what makes you happy.'" It was hard to say that without crying.

   "Simple but effective advice," Faye said with a small laugh. "I wish I could have met your mom. She sounded like she was an amazing person."

   "I like to think she was," I remarked somberly, glancing down at the rings that were once hers.

   "But if you say that you're fine with me going, then... I... kind of want to go start making plans. Sinnoh is halfway across the world and I'll have to book a couple flights. Also, I'm sure you want some time alone with Wallace and Winona. But I don't have to leave now if you don't want me to." She looked away sheepishly.

   She was so honest with her thoughts but still tried to be courteous about it, yet another thing I admired about her. "No, it's fine. I'm just happy that you told me how you felt. Besides, I know you won't be gone forever. You'll find your dad."

   "Do you really think so?" she asked, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

   I nodded, stating without a doubt, "I know so, and I don't need a premonition to tell you that."

   "Thank you," she said. "I'm so glad we met. Without you, I wouldn't be able to do this."

   "You don't have to thank me. Without you, I most likely wouldn't be here right now," I responded, ignoring the grim context. "And you shouldn't talk like we'll never see each other again. You know where you can find me."

   "Yes..." She turned back to me and stared for a moment. She then enveloped me in a comforting hug. This time, I didn't hesitate in returning the gesture. As I held her, I could feel her shaking, hear her trying to hold back sobs, and I felt my own eyes begin to sting. I closed them and tightened my hold, and part of me didn't want to let go. But I had to. "See you later, Steven," she said, her farewell slightly choked.

   "S-see you later..." I stuttered, barely audible. I let her go, and she pulled away from me, slowly standing up. I watched her head to the entrance. She then stopped and turned to look back one last time. She meekly raised a hand to wave at me, and I did the same.

   And then she was gone.

   I brought up my arm and wiped at my eyes. In spite of the tears that had formed, that moment had been enough to raise my spirits, and I was more than grateful for it. I'll miss you, Faye. And I truly would.

   A few minutes later Wallace and Winona returned, sitting back down and instantly beginning to talk. Fortunately, my eyes were now decidedly less blurred by moisture.

   "So what did Arietta have to say?" Wallace asked.

   "She told me about some final things she has to do at the League before I can officially take her place. She went to go take of them now," I lied. I wanted what happened to remain between us. After all, it wasn't a crime to keep secrets.

   "Okay... Oh, yeah!" Wallace said in surprise, snapping his fingers. "Speaking of the League, I almost forgot to tell you something. While you were, er, gone... I asked Juan if it was possible for a Gym Leader to take on a trainee. And he said it was allowed as long as the League approved of it. I talked with my mother for a while, and... she actually said I could do it. So now I'm training with Juan to become the next Sootopolis Gym Leader!"

   My heart leapt with joy for him. "You are? That's amazing, Wallace!" I said. So he had really taken my advice, after all. I didn't think it would actually work out! But that meant that he had decided what to really do with his life, and that made the news matter all the more to me.

   He grinned and shrugged. "You were the one who suggested that I should do it in the first place, so thank you, Stevie." He was trying to act casual about it, but I could tell that he was being earnest.

   "I'm thinking about asking Sierra if she can train me, too," Winona added.

   "I'm sure she can," Wallace said, tousling his sister's hair. Yet another happy glimpse into the past. I knew I couldn't dwell on those memories forever, but I wanted to hold onto them while I still could.

   "You'll definitely be goods Leaders, the both of you," I said. "You have my full suppor—"

   "Steven?"

   My gaze flashed away from my smiling friends, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Dad standing in the main entryway, two officers accompanying him.

   We stared at each other for several precious seconds, nobody saying a word. My friends stepped away, graciously giving us space. I hardly had enough time to stand before Dad reached me, embracing me securely but gently enough so that he wouldn't hurt me. A second later I was deluged with an outpouring of words.

   "I'm sorry, Steven, I'm so sorry about everything that happened!" he said apologetically. "I know you must be furious at me for all of this, and it's perfectly fine if you are!"

   "No, it's okay, Dad! I-it's okay. I'm not mad at you at all," I responded, shaking my head.

"Thank you..." he sighed. "I'm just so relieved you're okay... You mean more than anything to me. I can't imagine what I would have done if I found out that I lost you as well."

"But you didn't," I said, weakly smiling.

"And I'll forever thank Arceus for that," he replied.

"Dad?" I asked. He looked at me, wordlessly acknowledging my question. "I-I've missed you so much," I said, my throat tightening as tears gathered in my eyes, the sentiment finally breaking me. Now that Dad was here, I just wanted to go home.

   Still too proud to cry in front of him, I clenched my eyes shut, holding my tears back as best I could. I buried my face in his shirt, muffled sobs of relief and sorrow wracking my fragile frame, the few tears that managed to escape vanishing within moments.

   "You can cry, son. It's fine," Dad said reassuringly. "Y-you don't have to suppress your feelings because of me." I slowly opened my eyes, tears falling, and looked up at Dad only to be shocked when I saw that he was crying as well. I had never seen him shed so much as a tear in my entire life. It made him look so vulnerable, a side I didn't think he had. And in that brief second, I truly saw myself in him, understood why I had always been compared to him.

   "Th-thank you, Dad," I said, smiling softly.

   "You're welcome, son. You won't ever have to worry about any of this ever again. It's all over." He managed a smile as well, wiping away his own tears with a touch of embarrassment. He let me go, allowing me to steady myself before he handed me my crutch, taking up my satchel for me. "Now, let's go home."

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I know I never ask questions like these, but I honestly want to know your guys' opinions on this. Who were your favorite and/or least favorite character(s) in this story, and why? I'd really appreciate it if you answered this question.