Go to Stow-On-Side, apologize to Wisteria, go home. Go to Stow-On-Side, apologize to Wisteria, and go home. That was my mantra as I walked through the dusty town, keeping my eyes locked straight ahead and not on the people who watched me as I passed them by.

"Apologize to Wisteria, and go home," I chanted under my breath, the clip-clop of Ponyta's hooves on my right steadying me as I forced myself not to make eye contact; doing so would make me falter and break down, and I could not allow myself to do that. "Apologize...then go. Home."

My eyes watered as the footsteps of the people around me and my own made dust clouds rise into the air where I inhaled a ton of it. I coughed and spluttered, wiping my eyes and glasses as the dust covered the lenses in thick layers so I couldn't see. Ponyta nudged me along, forcing me to keep walking through the thickening clouds of dust and crowds of people.

Suddenly, the whine of microphone feedback cut through the cacophony of people's voices and footsteps, and my head shot upwards towards the noise. I was so blinded by the grime in my eyes I hadn't even noticed where I was walking; which happened to be a good thing this time, considering I was only a few yards away from the stage itself once I'd wiped my eyes and cleaned my glasses for the umpteenth time.

The stage was set just outside the Stow-On-Side gym; to the left up a giant flight of stairs was an ancient monument depicting Galar's history (Dad told me he helped to reveal it to the public, though Father often remembers the event quite differently), and to the right was the entrance to the Glimwood Tangle. I'd never been permitted to walk in it alone; it was the one rule my parents were never willing to change. That and telling people who they were, but otherwise everything else could be bent or changed with time and reasoning. Even Opal had been strict about me wandering by the edge of the Tangle alone.

Many a young child has been lured into the Tangle by Phantump searching for victims, my little poplar, she would say to me as a young child. Do you know what Phantump are, Opal? No? They are the spirits of naughty children who did not listen to their parents when they warned them not to walk the Tangle alone.

By then, Dad would usually stop Opal right there and say she was scaring me (which she was, but I would never admit so out loud), but even he agreed that if I wanted to go into the Glimwood Tangle, I would have to be accompanied by him, Father, or Opal.

I quickly dashed past the curtains providing the performers with privacy from the paparazzi, and I was thankful the ginormous Salamence standing guard just outside was too busy sneezing out dust particles to notice me. I dove behind a large black amp just in time, for a small woman who looked a lot like Larkspur walked backstage and sighed as another giant sneeze from the Dragon-type outside rumbled the entire stage set.

"I knew we shouldn't've brought 'im, love," a rough voice rang out from the stage itself, sounding oddly smug. "Y'know he's got an allergy t' dust."
"I know," the woman sighed, running her hands exasperatedly through her hair and turning towards my general direction. She did look a lot like Larkspur; same hair type and color, slightly tanner skin tone, but her eyes were blacker than her hair. "Hold on. I'll run soundcheck in five."

She quickly marched past me and out to try and console the poor sniffling Salamence, and I took the opportunity to run past all the musical equipment and try and find Wisteria, or wherever people during concerts might spend their free time. I was just about to call my idea crazy and call a cab back to Ballonlea, when I heard a sound I never expected to hear at a rock concert, of all places.

At first, I thought I was hallucinating; I'd inhaled too much dust, or it got into my ear canals and blocked how sound passed to the brain, or the heat from the sun above gave me a stroke or something. But, after a few seconds of confusion, there was no doubt; it was a violin, playing a very difficult and lively piece. Caprice No. 24, if my memory of Opal's favorite classical pieces served correctly.

I slowly snuck towards the sound, past various cords and speakers and instruments, hiding from people who could only be from Spikemuth (the heavy use of leather and denim made the fact fairly obvious), until I waited just on the other side of another curtain. Pulling it aside, I peeked into the curtained-off room and gasped aloud, before slamming a hand over my mouth.

The music's volume increased tenfold, and the beautiful symphony of notes exploded out of the room. On a makeshift couch in the back sat Wisteria, a violin perched on her left shoulder, her right wielding a bow that moved faster than my eyes could track, producing the wonderful music I had been drawn to.

Ponyta, upon seeing the familiar head of white hair, started to trot eagerly towards her. Immediately, I grabbed for her, but she'd already pranced out of my reach. I held my breath as she sat by Wisteria's feet, who had not noticed my Pokemon yet for her eyes were closed. Then, just as I was about to try and pull Ponyta back with my telekinesis, she hopped onto the couch next to my former friend and put her head in her lap.

No, Ponyta! I mentally groaned, putting a hand to my forehead. Pausing in her music, Wisteria looked down, surprised, at my partner sitting contentedly in her lap, and I held my breath. Maybe, just maybe, Wisteria wouldn't be curious as to where she came from and go looking for her trainer. Unfortunately, my lack of balance beat me to the punch.

I had been balancing in a squat for the past five minutes, seeing as I didn't want to get my skirt dirty and stained, and my legs collapsed under me as I stumbled sideways into a tripod. Yelping, I covered my head as random pieces of technology came tumbling down on top of me. I heard Wisteria gasp and Ponyta's hooves galloping over to me as equipment was hoisted off of me.

Rising and hacking more dust out of my lungs, I sheepishly looked down at my shoes (which were so caked with burnt orange dirt they were starting to look like Occa berries), and Wisteria crossed her arms. Why are you here? She asked once I finally looked back up at her.

"I....I wanted t-to a-a-apologise," I stammered, fiddling with the cuff of my jacket, the hem of my shirt, anything to not meet Wisteria's displeased gaze.

Why? Try to manipulate me into being your friend again?

"Wh-what? N-n-no, I-I just--"

To try to get me to pity you? To get me to crawl back to you on my knees, is that it?

"N-no," I scrambled for words, my throat closing up as I choked back tears. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, my mind screamed at me as my vision blurred.

Let me make this clear for you, Opal, she said, slowly signing out the words. I. Don't. Want. To. See. You. Again. Got that? I nodded quickly, looking down at my feet as my sadness finally pushed back my resistance and let the tears fall. I turned and I fled the scene, pushing past people and Pokemon that got in my way as I ran for the Glimwood Tangle, resolving to beg and plead my parents to homeschool me again.