Archive of Our Own ^beta

When one got to be Opal’s age, not much was surprising anymore. Perhaps it was several decades of life experience or a sense that she couldn’t spare the energy to be surprised; nevertheless, she was more interested than suspicious of the woman who had wandered up her front stoop.

“May I help you, dear?” Opal called out. She was returning from a brief trip to the theatre portion of the stadium, having spotted the woman once she passed her property line.

The woman jumped in surprise, perhaps having previously knocked on the door and wasn’t expecting the answering voice to come from behind her. “Oh! Uh, hello, sorry for showing up unannounced.”

Opal came to a halt at a few feet away from the stranger, analyzing the woman with a curious gaze. The woman had long platinum blonde hair, so pale it almost looked white. Opal was familiar with the color since Bede had it, but it was a rarity so she wondered if it was natural.

“It’s quite alright, dear,” Opal assured her, friendly but unsure of who this woman was. “May I ask who you are?”

“Oh, of course! How rude of me. My name is Dahlia and I was wondering if this was the residence of the Ballonlea Gym Leader, Bede?”

For some reasons she couldn’t place, Opal was immediately on guard. This woman hadn’t revealed her intention, and she seemed innocent enough, but Opal couldn’t help the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine. “Bede is not yet the Gym Leader, as I have not passed the title to him, but he is not here, unfortunately.”

“Oh,” the woman looked disappointed at first, then brightened, “could you tell me when he will be returning?”

“For what reason do you seek him?” Opal questioned.

“My son…” the woman trailed off temporarily, a strange emotion that gave Opal chills flashing in her eyes. “My son has recently become interested in Fairy-types and he was… enchanted by Bede’s performance at the Champion Cup. I was intending to arrange a meeting, hoping Bede would value another young boy who showed interest in an elemental type so often assigned to girls.”

“There is nothing feminine about the Fairy-type,” Opal stated firmly. “Fairies require a Trainer who can dote on them but are prepared to keep them in line should their mischievous nature become detrimental. Trust me, if you ran into a malicious wild Hatterene, your first thought would not be how ‘feminine’ it is.”

The woman almost seemed to recoil, and Opal couldn’t help but notice the flash of anger she quickly masked. “I see, I was not aware; I apologize for my ignorance. Could I leave my contact information with you to pass on to Bede?”

“I suppose that would be alright.” Honestly, Opal just wanted to get rid of this woman. There was something wrong about this, though she couldn’t exactly place what it was. She accepted the scrap of paper and waved Dahlia off, watching as she departed down the path to join the road before glancing at the writing.

Opal looked the scrap of paper over and noticed Dahlia hadn’t provided her last name, then briefly contemplated tossing the contact information. The subtleties in that woman’s behavior was troubling and she didn’t want to expose Bede to someone like that; however, if her story about her son was true, then Opal didn’t want to inadvertently punish an innocent child who wanted to meet someone they admired.

Albeit reluctantly, Opal entered the house and placed the scrap of paper on the kitchen table.

“It’s so awesome! It’s like a piece of Alola off the coast of Galar! There’re white sandy beaches and sooo many Pokémon.”

Bede silently nodded along as Gloria excitedly talked about her most recent adventures on the Isle of Armor. After Victor bested her in the finals and achieved the title of Champion, there had been some brief concerns about how Gloria would react and adapt to the new situation. To cope, it appeared she threw herself into a training program ran by former Champion Mustard and recommended to her by Leon, who called in a special favor to get her tested for acceptance.

“You should all come out for a day,” Gloria insisted.

“I don’t know if I could,” Marnie admitted. “Leon, Piers, and I have been meetin’ about allocatin’ funds to help rebuild Spikemuth.”

“I might be able to come out,” said Hop. “I could do some research of the Pokémon species on the island.”

“Not me,” Victor responded. “Leon’s got something big planned that I’m helping him with.”

“What is it?” Gloria whined, tired of having only scraps of information of this supposed huge event looming over Galar for the near future.

“Leon will be making an announcement soon; tune in tomorrow, eleven o’clock.”

“Not fair,” pouted Gloria. “What about you, Bede? Think you could spare a day in your busy schedule to come hang out on an island?”

Bede’s head jerked once he realized he was being directly pulled into the conversation. The five teens were hanging out in the Champion Suite located in Wyndon, now owned by Victor but Marnie was staying there as she traveled between Spikemuth and Wyndon while she met with Leon about the funds for her hometown’s rebirth. This had been the first day all five were able to meet together due to their conflicting schedules.

“Ask Opal,” Bede replied dismissively. The elderly woman had an iron grip on his schedule and while a wilder spirit might feel smothered, Bede liked it. Opal made sure to give him plenty of free time, usually so he could meet up with at least one from his friend group or go out with Raihan, but the rest of his days were filled to the brim with training in preparation for his succession.

One day, possibly soon given how much more Opal was packing into his schedule, he would become the Ballonlea Gym Leader.

“Growing up sucks,” Gloria complained. Of the five, she and Hop usually had the most free time since the latter had free reign of his studies while Sonia collected her notes for her upcoming book.

Bede glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and announced he needed to catch a Flying Taxi and return to Ballonlea for dinner. Gloria raised a fuss, which Bede quashed with the threat of tattling to Opal about why he missed dinner and was late returning home when he had training the next morning. The elder woman was gradually taking them all under her wing as grandmother, but she could snap in a second to correct their behavior.

He called ahead to let Opal know he was on his way home as the taxi lifted off the building’s roof before settling into a comfortable position and playing a game on his phone. He got a news update relating to the League reporting Leon’s announcement of his new secret project that all of Galar had been gossiping about for months. He intended to ignore it, since most of the commentary would be hearsay and conjecture until Leon confirmed any of it, but he couldn’t deny he was curious. Maybe there was a tidbit Leon had released to the press in anticipation for the true announcement.

There wasn’t anything noteworthy in the update, though some reporters had managed to scrounge up enough information to reveal this project would involve Trainers from other regions. That was intriguing enough to get his attention; Leon and Victor had been so hush-hush for months and he was amazed they managed to keep everything quiet. They even had to keep Hop and Gloria out of it.

Opal met Bede in the front garden, paying the taximan even though Bede had the money to do so himself. She hurried him inside, almost as if she were worried about them being stopped. Bede raised a brow as he was almost shoved through the front door.

“Did something happen?” he asked as he removed his shoes and put on his house slippers.

“Not in particular,” she responded, though she was noticeably facing away from him as she said this. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why she was so flustered. Dahlia might have behaved oddly enough to draw some attention, but she hadn’t been hostile. So why was Opal so alarmed?

Ever since Bede sent her the text that he was on his way home, Opal had contemplated whether she should give him the scrap of paper or throw it away and pretend it never existed. She continued contemplating it as he fed his Pokémon and then washed up for dinner. Her hand remained clenched tightly around the paper, a small part of her urging it to be thrown away.

“What’s this?” Bede asked as she gave him the paper. He unfolded it, pressing out the creases and read what was written. “Dahlia?”

“A woman approached me today asking about you. She claims her son became a fan of yours after seeing you crash the League Finals.”

“A… a fan?” Bede gaped uncertainly at the scrap of paper. He knew his impulsive stunt to prove his worth against Gloria and Victor had earned him the admiration of many, simply because no one had ever been reckless enough to do it before. He had seen the comments on social media, mostly from the video of his impromptu match, but no one had ever reached out specifically to him.

Bede regarded the scrap of paper with curiosity throughout dinner, Opal silently observing him while he ate. Honestly, he had no moral reason to contact this woman— though he would feel bad if this Dahlia told her son she had communicated with Bede and he never responded. It was a conundrum, but Bede had a good idea who he could talk to about this.

Settled into bed with a Cyndaquil plush, Bede swiped through his contacts until he found Raihan’s name. No doubt the Dragon Trainer would have more experience with interacting with fans given how popular he was on social media and in real life. Perhaps he could offer some advice on how Bede should approach this new situation.

“Hey Beetroot!”

“Don’t call me that,” Bede complained. “Raihan… some woman came to Opal today and left her contact information. She claims her son is a fan of mine after he watched the League Finals.”

“Hey, that’s great!”

“It’s just… I think the implication is she wants me to meet the kid and I wasn’t sure… what was appropriate?”

“Unless this chick’s harassing you to meet him, then I don’t see a reason not to do a meet-and-greet— ‘course that’s me and you know how I am. Alright, let’s approach this from a different angle: are you nervous to meet this kid?”

“I mean… I’ve never been a role model before. What if I screw up and wrongly influence him?”

“Boy, do I know that feeling…”

“Are you implying I’d naïvely imitate you!?” Bede snapped. “I’m not a five-year-old!”

“With your mouth, I’d never assume that,” chuckled Raihan. “But your worries are valid and I think it’s very mature you’re thinking about it. I suggest giving the woman a call, asking exactly what she had in mind, and then establishing firm boundaries based on her response. This could be simple as a meet-and-greet, maybe a little advice on caring for Fairy-types. If she wants an apprenticeship arrangement… well, that’ll be your call, but I wouldn’t recommend it at your age.”

“Thanks for the advice, Raihan; I think I’ll give her a call tomorrow. Goodnight…”

“G’night Beet-juice.”

“Don’t call me that either!”

Bede paced restlessly around the parlor, staring at his phone screen as he simultaneously mustered the courage to make the call and lost it a half-second later, only to repeat the cycle endlessly. What was wrong with him? He had never felt this nervous before over a simple phone call! It was easy: he would call this Dahlia woman and state he was flattered by her son’s admiration and question what she wanted from him to help inspire the boy.

There, nothing to it! So, why was he so anxious about it?

He inhaled sharply through his teeth and began dialing the number, his free hand clutching the paper trembling as each number appeared on the screen. Soon, the whole phone number was displayed, and, after another moment of hesitation, he shifted his thumb to begin reaching for the little phone icon— only for the screen to disappear to alert him he had an incoming phone call.

“What?” Bede griped, upset his moment had been interrupted and irritated it was Hop who was calling him.

“It’s happening!” Hop all but screamed through the speaker, prompting Bede to jump nearly a foot in the air. Snarling in frustration, Bede held his phone at arms-length while still able to clearly hear what Hop was saying.

“Turn on your TV! Channel Five! Leon and Victor are making the announcement! It’s big! It’s so amazing!”

“Is Hop in the house?” Opal asked, walking into the parlor after hearing the boy’s voice from the kitchen. She chuckled softly at the sight of Bede holding his phone out like it would get him sick if it were any closer, the deepest scowl she had ever seen plastered across his face.

“I better turn on the TV,” growled Bede, placing his phone on the coffee table and walking toward the entertainment system, Hop still talking excitedly, unaware Bede hadn’t responded and wasn’t anywhere near the phone anymore.

The screen flickered on, briefly showing an antique show Bede considered a guilty pleasure of his before he switched it to Channel Five. Leon and Victor were onscreen, standing on the field of Wyndon Stadium with a giddy reporter enthusiastically questioning them about their upcoming project. In some peripheral shots, it was obvious there was a mass of other reporters present, but the one front and center had been picked from the crowd to interview the duo directly, explaining how overly eager she was.

“We are here on-site at Wyndon Stadium with Chairman Leon Kinsley and Champion Victor Eckhart who are finally revealing their secret project!” announced the reporter, nearly bouncing with excitement, not only at the news but also the fact she was the one chosen to discuss it with them. “So, gentlemen, it’s amazing you’ve managed to keep everything under wraps with all the people working with you!”

“We’re just as amazed as you are,” Leon laughed. “There’s been a lot of conjecture about what our plans are and we’re not sure if some little details leaked out or if some people speculated and their guesses were latched onto as fact. It’s been especially hard hiding it from nosy family members— callin’ you out, Hop and Gloria!”

“Hey!” Hop shouted in an offended tone from Bede’s phone, reminding Bede and Opal he was still on the line.

“We are proud and excited to announce our grand project has finally reached fruition,” said Victor. “People of Galar, prepare yourselves for the ultimate competition between the best Trainers the world has to offer: the Galarian Star Tournament!”

“We sent out official invitations to every top Trainer we could think of,” Leon explained following a brief pause after the crowd of reporters instinctively exploded into a chorus of questions. “The Tournament will be a Doubles competition; each Trainer will pair up with another— to be decided once they have all gathered— and teams will face each other in tiered battles. Not only will the Trainers need to direct their Pokémon against two opponents at the same time, they also must work in tandem with their battle partners.”

Leon and Victor took turns answering questions further explaining the mechanics of the Galarian Star Tournament, but Bede wasn’t listening anymore. He could hear the blood roaring in his ears, blocking out the noises from the television.

A tournament with top Trainers from all over the world? This… this was legendary! He was going to witness battle strategies and mechanics he could never have dreamed before! He already knew of Mega Evolution, though had yet to witness it for himself, as well as Z-Moves from the island region of Alola. How would the Trainers integrate these different styles with Dyanmaxing and other battling styles?

“Bede? Bede!” Hop shouted from the phone, reminding Bede he had been speaking with the other boy before the news announcement. “Bede, helloooo!? Fairy prince of the wood, can you hear me!?”

That’s a new one, Bede thought to himself as he retrieved his phone, shooting a glare at Opal when she laughed at Hop’s title for him. “I’m here and stop shouting!”

“You’re the one who’s shouting!” argued Hop. “No wait— we can’t do this over the phone! Gloria and I will be there in a couple hours and we’ve got something special for you and Miss Opal!”

“Please don’t,” was all Bede managed to say before the line went dead. He growled softly, narrowing his eyes at the phone screen indicating Hop had hung up. “Hop and Gloria are coming over— not that they bothered to ask if I wanted them here.”

“Brighten that face,” Opal chided him, visibly amused by his irritation. Bede scoffed in response, sinking down into the loveseat as he continued watching the press release about the tournament. Opal smiled as she calmly observed the way he was barely containing his excitement at the prospect of the opportunity to observe Trainers from all over the world battle with one another, right here in the Galar region.

In fact, Bede was so caught up in the moment, he didn’t realize he had dropped the scrap of paper with Dahlia’s number on it when he had initially answered Hop’s call. The paper had floated to the floor and slipped underneath the loveseat, forgotten by Bede and Opal.

The only warning Gloria and Hop had arrived was the shrill screech of “Beeeede!” from the garden and the abrupt slam of someone hitting the front door when they failed to grasp and turn the knob in time. Bede grit his teeth and exhaled a long sigh, muttering obscenities under his breath as he opened the door, stepping back when the two tumbled through, struggling to take off their shoes and tripping over each other.

“Look! Look-look-look!” Gloria shoved something in Bede’s face, and he realized he was becoming too used to the oddities these two created when he didn’t flinch or back away. Bede snatched the object from her hand, revealing it to be an envelope stamped with the Chairman’s seal.

Bede swallowed a lump in his throat, recalling the last time he received a letter with the Chairman’s seal, only the seal had been a rose at the time. Seeing the dried wax in the shape of a Charizard’s head engulfed in flames around the border cemented the truth in Bede’s mind all over again: Chairman Rose was gone.

“How charming,” Opal remarked, receiving her letter from Hop. She turned the envelope so Bede was able to see it was addressed directly to her, beautiful calligraphy swooping and curling across the paper to form “Opal Áine.”

Now curious, Bede turned his letter over, hiding the seal from his sight, and realized his was also addressed specifically to him: Bedivere Ellington. It was strange to receive such an extravagant-looking letter; he wasn’t used to being acknowledged by anyone who had the means to send an ornate correspondence. There was a short period when he was with Chairman Rose—

His musing was interrupted by Hop snickering, prompting Bede to glower and snap, “What!?”

“Your name’s weird,” Hop giggled.

Bede slapped him in the face with the letter, meaning it didn’t actually hurt and Hop’s recoil was more from shock than pain. He jumped back, holding his hand against the struck cheek and staring at Bede with an agape expression. “No hitting!” he scolded in a childish tone, as if he had flashbacked to preschool.

“Miss Opal…” Hop whined, turning to the authority figure to sort this conflict out.

“Bede’s name is one of elegance and reverence,” Opal responded, “to insult it is to insult one of the brave knights of Galarian yore. Besides, he hit you with a flat piece of paper; it didn’t hurt.”

“It hurt my feelings,” Hop pouted, before immediately forgetting and waving his open envelope in the Fairy Trainers’ faces. “Open yours! Open yours!”

Bede purposefully took his time opening the envelope, relishing Hop’s frustration as he became more and more jittery in his excitement. The tri-folded letter inside was on thick cardstock, the message written in black ink and the bottom of the paper marked with a stamp of the Galarian Gym Challenge insignia.

Bedivere Ellington,
You are cordially invited to compete as a contender in the Galarian Star Tournament. The Chairman and Champion both recognize your talent and ambition and believe your performance will dazzle the world.

A scoff escaped Bede before he could stifle it; the rest of the letter was full of pretty words basically begging him to take part. He could understand somewhat; his stunt at the preliminaries definitely earned him Galar’s attention and perhaps Leon and Victor were hoping his mere presence would draw in the crowds— as if the myriad of other famous Trainers wouldn’t do that.

“Sounds to me like they’re begging,” remarked Bede, flipping the letter around to see if there was anything on the back.

“You don’t have to take part,” Gloria frowned, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him. Victor had put so much effort not only in setting up the Galarian Star Tournament, but also in deceiving his twin to keep the tournament a surprise, and she wasn’t about to let his endeavor be criticized.

“Heh,” scoffed Bede, his own eyes narrowing at her. “You’d like that wouldn’t you? Without me being there to stop you; you would climb through the ranks of this tournament, but I won’t let you.”

“Uh,” Gloria smirked at him, popping her hip out and tilting her head, “need I get the scoreboard out? I don’t recall ever losing to you.”

“Oh!” Hop whooped loudly. “Off that high horse!”

“You’re going to rattle my valuables off the wall with that racket,” Opal chastised the teens. “In fact, I’m amazed you didn’t knock anything loose when one of you hit the door.”

“That was me,” Gloria admitted with an embarrassed smile, “I tripped on the front step.”

“Regardless, please take this conversation outside if you’re going to continue being so loud.” She barely finished speaking when Hop and Gloria darted outside, not even bothering to put their shoes back on.

Bede sighed, hesitating for a moment as he contemplated hiding their shoes before deciding that was too immature. He made a show of putting on his shoes and stepping out onto the front stoop, watching Hop and Gloria chase each other around, excitedly discussing which Trainers they hoped to face or team up with in the tournament.

I could face off against Cynthia, Bede thought before he was overwhelmed with intense dread, enough to send a shudder through his body. Sinnoh’s reigning Champion was a sophisticated woman who commanded respect and admiration wherever she went; if he managed to overcome his awe, he might muster the courage to ask for her autograph. However, despite having the type advantage, he couldn’t bear to face that fearsome Garchomp of hers.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he barely heard Hop ask, “Who’s that?” only looking up from his musings when Gloria tugged on the sleeve of his sweater.

“What?” he asked, suppressing the blush that threatened to climb up his face at having been caught daydreaming.

“There’s a woman coming up the path from the road,” Gloria told her, pointing the woman out. “She’s heading straight for us; do you know her?”

Bede observed the woman as she approached. She walked with a distinct air of elegance, accentuated by the expensive-looking outfit she donned; in fact, her heeled boots and flowy skirt looked out of place among the mushrooms, dirt, trees, and cottages of Ballonlea. She should be strutting around a more modern city such as Wyndon. However, beneath the elegance, Bede could sense something disconcerting— was it possible to be overconfident enough to intimidate others on sight?

The woman came close enough to notice the three teens were watching her; she was also close enough to begin scrutinizing them herself. Hop was silent when he would have normally greeted her with a smile and ask her if she was lost or needed help. Gloria had an uncertain expression on her face, one hand held to her chest while the other was brushing gently against her bag, ready to retrieve her Pokéballs.

Bede took notice of both these factors, his heartrate jumping as his muscles stiffened in preparation for fight-or-flight as the woman stopped a good ten feet away, her sharp eyes examining him in particular.

“May I… help you?” Bede asked hesitantly, shocked by how his voice wavered. There was something about this woman that unsettled him on a primal level.

“Since I did not receive a prompt response, I was unsure whether you were simply rude or hadn’t received my contact information,” she responded.

Hop, Gloria, and Bede all visibly flinched as if they had been slapped; which, metaphorically, they had been by the harshness in her tone. Bede wanted to feel insulted— how dare this woman speak to him in such a manner?— but found himself frozen in shock.

“I uh… I apologize,” he finally managed to find his voice. “Could you tell me your name so I can know whether I received your contact information?”

She sighed, as if this interaction was a huge inconvenience. “I am Dahlia Aubert. I left my number with the old woman who lives here.”

Bede wanted to be furious that the great lady of the stage, Opal Áine, would ever be dismissively referred as “old woman,” but even his thoughts were choked up as something about Dahlia’s name registered. “Dahlia” didn’t feel familiar and he was unsure if he had ever crossed paths with a Dahlia before, but “Aubert”…

A cold sweat broke out over Bede’s body. He knew that surname very well, but… it couldn’t be possible, could it? He felt as if all the ghosts from his past were overwhelming him at once. It all made sense: the surname and this woman’s appearance—

“Hello?” Dahlia snapped her fingers authoritatively. “Are you in there? Travis?”

“Whoa, talk about mistaken identity,” Hop visibly relaxed, a natural smile spreading across his face. “His name isn’t Travis, it’s—”

“Who are you?” Bede interjected, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his panic.

“’Who am I?’” Dahlia chuckled, though it sounded robotic, as if there was no true mirth within it. “Why, dear, I’m your mother!”

When Bede didn’t leap into her arms and sob from the emotional reunion right away, Dahlia’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, her motherly smile thinning into a deep frown. The four patrons in this interaction remained still as statues, each one unsure of how to continue; thankfully, the spell was broken when Opal came through the front door.

“What’s going on?” she inquired. “It’s too quiet out here.” She paused when she saw Dahlia, realizing the same uncertainty she had felt in the woman’s presence was also affecting the children, hence the silence. “Oh, Miss Dahlia, you have returned. Bede, this is the woman who wished to speak with you about her son—”

“Get her out of here!” Bede snapped, hiding behind Opal. The Fairy Master gaped at her protégé so openly showing fear. His hand curled around her shoulder, squeezing so tightly it hurt but she couldn’t bear to tell him to stop. His chest was heaving, his pupils were dilated, and his body trembled as his arms curled toward his chest.

“Travis, how could you say such a thing?” Dahlia responded, though the hurt in her voice was obviously fabricated. Everything about her behavior was carefully crafted and presented like a theatre performance, easily fooling the simple-minded. However, everyone present could see through it, even if they couldn’t explain what about her behavior was causing them to internally panic.

“I want her gone! Make her leave! Please! Make her go away!” begged Bede, slipping behind Opal and burying his face between her shoulders, meaning he was slouching to accommodate the height difference.

“Please leave my property,” Opal stated without hesitation. She had only ever seen Bede this vulnerable once: during the Darkest Day. If he was acting like this, there must be an understandable reason.

“I haven’t done anything warranting the cold shoulder,” argued Dahlia, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, her face completely wiped of any sign of concern or empathy at Bede’s reaction. “For what reason am I being told to leave?”

“The reason?” Opal scoffed softly. “The reason is I don’t want you here and now you’re trespassing, so leave. Now.”

“I don’t think I want to,” Dahlia replied, her voice deepening.

“Miss Opal told you to leave!” Gloria abruptly shouted, throwing her bag to the ground with a Pokéball in each hand, repaired to physically face Dahlia alongside her Pokémon. “Get out!”

Dahlia took stock of the situation, especially when Hop positioned himself beside Gloria with a Pokéball drawn, and realized she was outmatched and outnumbered if her opponents chose to make the confrontation physical. She glared at each, her gaze remaining on Bede for a few moments longer, before turning and walking away in a huff. Dahlia was a confident woman, who utilized her poise and self-assurance to obtain every opportunity that crossed her path; to have others so blatantly stand in her way was unheard of.

The four Trainers stayed in place, moving only when Dahlia was out of sight. Opal hurriedly opened the front door, gesturing the children safely inside and locking the door behind them. None of them said anything for a few moments, the only sound being their trembling gasps as they struggled to catch their breath. Opal searched frantically for her phone and hastily began to dial Raihan’s number, her trembling fingers missing the correct numbers several times and forcing her to backtrack.

“What the hell was up with that woman!?” Gloria exclaimed. “I’ve never felt such intimidating aura from another human!”

“She made me feel like an insignificant speck without saying anything!” said Hop.

“Is she a sociopath?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me.”

“I think she knows Bede.”

“But she called him Travis; she must’ve mistaken him for someone else.”

“She said she was his mother.”

Opal froze upon hearing the conversation. Bede never talked about his past; he occasionally mentioned events that happened at the orphanage, but never anything before then. She had assumed he didn’t remember life before the orphanage, since he never mentioned how young he was before entering the system. It was possible Dahlia was telling the truth and if Opal factored in Bede’s reaction, then any memories the boy had might not be all that positive.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t realize Raihan had answered her call and was speaking from her phone. “Hello? Miss Opal? You there? Is this a pocket dial? No, you keep your phone in your purse and that thing’s pretty damn organized.”

“Raihan?” she broke out of her stupor, responding to the Dragon Trainer.

“Ah, there you are! I was getting worried—”

“I need you to come to Ballonlea right away.”

“Is something wrong?” Raihan asked, terror already gripping his chest. He jumped up from his couch and raced for the front door, trying (and failing) to put his shoes on without using his hands, since one was gripping his phone and the other was scrambling for his wallet.

“There’s been an incident with someone who… might have known Bede when he was younger. The event has shaken him severely and I need all the help I can get to help keep him calm. Hop and Gloria are already here, but they’re shaken as well. I’m not doing too well either…”

What could’ve happened that Miss Opal would be so uncertain? Raihan pondered, taking a moment to sit and properly get his shoes on. “Don’t worry, I’m on my way now. Make the kids some tea and give Bede his Mega Altaria plush— it’s the softest.”

Bede idly scrubbed the same plate he had been washing for the last two minutes, staring straight ahead at the blank wall behind the sink. Once he realized what he was doing, he exhaled shakily and let the plate and sponge slip gently from his hands and into the soapy water.

The past week was such a mess. Raihan had come running at Opal’s call, but even his brother’s presence did little to assuage Bede’s fears. Raihan stuck around for a few days, escorting Bede around Ballonlea to help him feel safe after having his entire world shaken. The boy refused to speak about whether Dahlia was telling the truth, but it was assumed they were connected in some way if Bede was feeling so afraid.

It turned out, Bede had every right to be afraid. During Raihan’s second day in Ballonlea, he noticed Dahlia was stalking them. He understood immediately why everyone was so apprehensive: the woman practically exuded venom and fire from her pores. She wasn’t even being secretive about her stalking; she walked out in broad daylight, as if she wanted them to know, without question, she was following Bede.

After a quick discussion with Opal, it was decided for Bede to stay at the Champion’s Suite with Marnie in Wyndon until a plan could be decided on what to do about Dahlia. They couldn’t prove she was stalking him, since she stayed away from the house and didn’t attempt to contact him in any other way, even if it was obvious she was attempting to intimidate him from their perspective. She had yet to break any laws, so they couldn’t have her arrested.

“Bede,” Marnie walked into the kitchen, holding his phone, “it’s Gloria.”

Bede shook the excess water from his hands and dried them off on the towel, taking his phone from Marnie and tiredly holding it to his ear. “What?”

“Okay,” she almost sounded out of breath, and he could hear her stumbling around and moving things. He could also hear another person’s voice but couldn’t distinguish who was with her. “I’ve got a plan. We can’t do anything about Dahlia because we can’t prove she has negative intentions towards you, right? Well, if we can get her to confess and record it, then we can blackmail her into going away!”

Bede didn’t respond right away, heaving a sigh and pinching the skin between his eyes. “You spent a week coming up with that plan? She’s not going to just confess! You’re a naïve fool!”

“Hey…” she responded, sounding hurt by his tone.

“Sorry! I… I’m sorry,” he apologized, dropping unceremoniously into a chair at the table. He ran a hand through his hair, noticing how limp and dry it felt. He hadn’t been taking the best care of himself lately. “I’ve been very stressed about the whole thing. I keep looking over my shoulder ‘cause I’m afraid she’s followed me here.”

“I have a way to force her to confess.”

“How?”

“A friend I’ve made at the Isle of Armor has latent psychic powers: he can use telekinesis.”

“How’s that supposed to help? We float her upside down and shake her until she spills her guts?”

“The way telekinesis works is he surrounds an object with a psychic shield and lifts it. While the object is surrounded, he can feel every facet of its surface. When people lie, there are little tells— like heartrate— that give away their lie.”

“So, your friend will surround her in the psychic shield…”

“And he’ll be able to sense the changes in her body while she speaks. We repeatedly catch her in her lies and apply verbal force aaaand— dun da-da-da!— we have our confession.”

“I still think this is stupid; you don’t know Dahlia.”

“Listen, I’ll bring him to Wyndon and you can meet him. He can explain the nuances a lot better than I can.” She hung up without waiting to hear his response, firmly ending the conversation before he could protest some stranger entering his safe space during this tenuous time.

“Gloria’s bringing someone over,” he told Marnie, setting his phone facedown on the table. The young Gym Leader didn’t respond; rather, she wordlessly set a teacup beside him and began heating water in a kettle on the stove. Bede sighed, unable to muster the energy to help her or even thank her once the kettle whistled and she poured him hot water, bringing over the basket of tea bags for him to choose for himself.

It was odd living with Marnie, who might be the member of the friend group Bede knew the least about, mostly because she was so reserved. Gloria and Hop were so in his face he couldn’t not know their favorite foods, their birthdays, and exactly where they caught each of their Pokémon. Victor was calmer, and Bede had learned some interesting facts about the other boy directly from him, but the rest was thrown at him by Gloria and Hop as well.

The two of them were strange roommates, usually never exchanging more than few words with each other during the day but cohabitating comfortably. Bede would prefer living with Marnie over any of the others; they may not interact much, but they respected each other’s space. Especially during this fragile period of his life, he wouldn’t want Hop and Gloria’s unique methods of cheering him up overwhelming him.

A knock at the door caused him to flinch so badly he splashed his second cup of tea across the table. Marnie immediately jumped up to retrieve a washcloth while Bede cautiously crept toward the door, pausing and hiding behind a corner when Hatterene reached it first. She looked through the peephole before backing away to open the door, her long tendril gesturing for the guests to enter. Bede didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until he saw it was Gloria, not even the presence of the tall stranger following her could frighten him once he knew it wasn’t Dahlia at the door.

“Bede,” Gloria kicked her shoes off and directly approached him, “I’d like you to meet Avery.”

The stranger straitened his back after removing his own shoes, looming almost a head taller than Bede— he seemed even taller due to a black top hat perched on his head. He had long golden blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and round-lensed glasses. The rest of his body was clad in the Psychic Gym Uniform, the most hideous outfit Bede had ever seen in his life— not even the black silk cravat could make the revolting rainbow of purple, blue, yellow, and orange any more appealing.

Bede shook himself from his musing, realizing he was about to exceed the acceptable time limit between an offered introduction and a response. “Hello Avery, I’m Bede—”

“I know who you are,” Avery responded, speaking in a carefully refined tone. “I would consider myself a fool if I were ignorant to your identity. How could one not know who you are after the impulsive performance you graced us with?”

“Wasn’t aware people actually talked that way,” Marnie remarked, having entered the front parlor of the Champion Suite after wiping down the table.

“He’s just trying to show off,” Gloria snickered, Avery looking slightly flustered. “He’s a huge dork once you get to know him, but he doesn’t want new people knowing that.”

“Why would you do that!?” Avery nearly shrieked, his face a bright pink.

“Because this isn’t about you!” Gloria answered. “Bede needs your help and you don’t need to be some fancy-pants weirdo to do it. I need you to be ‘you.’”

That seemed to calm him down, Avery readjusting his glasses and exhaling a long breath. “Very well, you said this task was very important, which is why I agreed to help. Now then,” he addressed Bede directly, “I understand you are being harassed and want to know the culprit’s true intentions?”

“Yes,” Bede replied after a momentary pause. He was hesitant to let too many people aware of the situation, worried it would leak and ruin his public image.

“Before we delve too deeply into the plan for the confrontation, you must confirm certain factors for me,” said Avery. “It may be hard, but this isn’t meant to hurt you. I need to know what is already the truth; once I meet this woman and establish a baseline using innocuous questions, I’ll then be able to tell when she’s lying. Do you understand?”

Bede grit his teeth, his palms already uncomfortably hot and damp with sweat. He never wanted anyone to know his background, only allowing the small amount of information for the League to use to embellish his story to the public eye. If everyone knew the truth aside from knowing he was abandoned at an orphanage, they would look at him with admiration in having overcome so much— they would look at him with pity.

“I understand,” he finally stated, allowing Gloria to guide him back to the kitchen and into a chair, placing an empty cup in front of Avery. Hatterene followed them, positioning herself behind Bede and placing her tendril across his shoulders like a scarf.

“Alright,” Avery began, pouring some water from kettle and selecting a tea bag, “Gloria filled me in on most of the situation. First off, is this Dahlia woman your mother?”

Bede clenched his fist so hard his knuckles cracked. “…Yes.”

“Given your response when you realized her identity, am I to assume you have no positive memories of her?”

“If I did, they’re obscured by the horde of negative ones.”

“You don’t need to go into detail,” Avery assured him. “All I need to understand is how her presence brings you grief and fear, so she can’t argue alienation. Now, if she offered reconciliation, would you consider it?”

Bede froze up, the thought having never occurred to him since he assumed his relationship with his parents was forever severed. He hadn’t thought about them in years until Dahlia showed up, so his immediate reaction to the idea of reconciliation was to immediately deny it, but…

Dahlia’s behavior had been concerning, but Bede was no longer a helpless small child. If there was neutral mediation, combined with Bede’s newfound confidence, maybe there was a chance they could reconcile? But, as quickly as the thought occurred, he quashed it forcefully. What had his parents done to help him reach his goals? Nothing, so why should he care about them seeking him out after he had become famous and successful?

“Absolutely not,” he answered.

“Even if the proper methods were taken?” pressed Avery.

“My answer remains.”

“Very well. Do you believe Dahlia represents a significant threat to your wellbeing?”

“I would hope once I got over the initial shock, I would be able to rise above; but the way I panicked when Gloria knocked on the door tells me that may not happen any time soon. So yes, I do believe her presence is negatively affecting me.”

They continued like this, the questions requiring vague enough answers Bede felt more and more comfortable as time went on. By the end of the interrogation, it seemed as if he had informed Avery of his opinion and feelings about the situation without giving any actual information away.

“I think I have everything I need,” Avery announced. “Now then, I overheard Gloria explaining how my powers work over the phone and I feel she managed to explain it properly. My telekinesis,” he demonstrated by levitating the dirty dishes and placing them in the sink, “works by surrounding an object with psychic energy and lifting it. While the object is encapsulated, I can feel everything about it: every divot, the exact shape, all its properties.

“The plan is for us to establish our presence in Ballonlea; if Dahlia is still around, she’ll take the bait. Bede, you are to confront her in a private place, since she might hold back if surrounded by people. Make her talk— question everything she tells you and find inconsistencies; the longer she talks, the easier it will be to catch her in a lie. While you speak with her, I will hold her in my psychic grasp and sense her heartrate: when she lies, I will know.”

“I have to go alone?” asked Bede.

“We can be there with you,” offered Gloria, “but we need to limit how many people are there at the confrontation.”

“I still don’t like this.” Bede crossed his arms, hunched his shoulders, and purposefully averted his gaze toward the floor. Hatterene uncurled her tendril enough to pat his hair, reassuring him she was still there.

“D’you have a better idea?” Marnie questioned. It was true— Dahlia had yet to break a law; even if her actions could technically be considered harassment, they had yet to fit the legal definition. There was little else to be done.

Bede tried to be as optimistic as he could, but an overwhelming sense of dread prevented him from expressing any confidence. He wondered how he looked, so reserved and withdrawn in comparison to his self-assured and poised persona. How pathetic…

I’m not supposed to feel this way… coming home… Bede’s heart leapt in his throat when the Corviknight touched down in the front garden of Opal’s house. Ballonlea wasn’t supposed to make him feel afraid, it welcomed him when he didn’t have a place to go anymore. This was his home, and Dahlia robbed him of all sense of comfort.

Opal, having been alerted of the plan beforehand, rushed out of the house at her unnatural speed and ushered Bede, Gloria, Marnie, and Avery inside, the lattermost shocked and sputtering at the sight of this well-respected elderly woman moving almost too quickly to comprehend. Bede reflexively began to remove his shoes to put on his house slippers, as he has always done, but Opal stopped him.

“Let’s not worry about something as simple as that,” she stated, hands cupping his face so she could examine his features. “Your hair is becoming brittle and there are circles around your eyes: you haven’t eating or sleeping well, have you?”

“It’s been… stressful,” he admitted, ashamed by his lack of self-care.

“Don’t berate yourself,” Opal gently scolded.

“Listen to Miss Opal, Beetroot,” said Raihan, emerging from the kitchen, an open packet of biscuits in his hand, which he gave to Gloria. “We can’t always predict how we’ll react to stressful situations, and we shouldn’t shame others for their reactions.”

“When did you get here?” Gloria asked, shoving a biscuit in her mouth and offering the packet to Avery, who politely refused.

“Miss Opal called me as soon as she stopped speaking with you. So,” he addressed Avery, “you’re the lie detector?”

“In a way,” the young man responded. “The best I can do is identify when she’s lying, which will help you poke holes in her story. Hopefully, if we apply enough pressure, we’ll get her to crack and admit something we can record and use to blackmail her into leaving.”

Raihan wordlessly nodded in agreement as he listened to Avery explain his powers and how the interrogation would work. He didn’t voice an objection, but Bede could see the apprehension in his expression. Despite being unrelated biologically, the two brothers were in sync enough to both have their doubts about the plan.

There was no time like the present, even if Bede wanted to delay the inevitable as much as he could. It was best to get the confrontation out of the way as soon as possible, then he could go back to living his life without worrying about Dahlia creeping behind him every step of the way.

The plan was for Bede to simply walk in Ballonlea as if nothing was wrong. Based on Dahlia’s behavior, Opal surmised Bede’s confidence would draw her in like a Dustox to a flame. Gloria and Avery would follow at a safe distance so they could swoop in as soon as Bede led Dahlia to a more remote location. Marnie also offered to act as backup, loitering close by so she could run if her help was needed, but not intending to take part in the interrogation.

“Can’t you come?” Bede all but begged Raihan and Opal.

“It’s best we don’t,” Opal apologetically replied, shaking her head with an expression of grief. “Our presence might intimidate her enough to keep her away from you for now, but it’s not enough to drive her out of Ballonlea. And we cannot stay by your side for days on end until she gets tired and leaves of her own accord. I don’t like this plan anymore than you do, child, but if it’s what we need to do to get her to go away, then it must be done.”

Bede exhaled sharply, blinking back tears of frustration— damn it, he refused to cry! He wasn’t some helpless, whimpering, little child who couldn’t face a problem head-on! As apprehensive as he was feeling, this needed to be done if he wanted his life back. So, he steeled his nerves, squared his shoulders, and held his head up high as he left the garden and ventured into Ballonlea.

It was difficult to appear confident and at ease when he knew his tormentor was potentially hiding behind every corner. The luminescent mushrooms of Ballonlea that once provided comfort similar to a child’s nightlight illuminating the dark corners of a bedroom now revealed how impractical they were in lighting up the pathways. Most of the inhabitants of Ballonlea were unbothered by this, having grown used to the constant dimness that was only alleviated in certain locations, such as the openness above the Gym stadium. However, those dark pockets the light couldn’t reach were the perfect hiding places for anyone who didn’t want to be seen until it was too late.

A few citizens noticed his presence and welcomed him back to Ballonlea, asking how his training in Wyndon had gone. Bede made small talk, upholding the lie Opal had spread to explain his disappearance. The conversation attracted some youngsters, one of whom was bold enough to grab his hand and eagerly tug to get his attention. Little voices crowed loudly as they fought to be his focus, questions overlapping into a cacophony he couldn’t hope to decipher.

By the time he had satisfied everyone who wished to speak with him, he realized the public display had gotten him the attention of the one person they were targeting. The kindly owner of the bakery had accosted him from the open door of her shop, where delicious aromas of freshly baked breads and cakes wafted into the street. When he exited with a cinnamon biscuit in his possession, he caught a glimpse of near-white hair, so like his own, in the reflection of the display window.

It took all his willpower not to crumple down on the pavement. Bede steadied his breathing and began striding away with purpose. At the end of this block was a small clearing within a cluster of mushrooms: isolated enough Dahlia wouldn’t feel judged by the public, but open enough to accommodate Bede, Dahlia, and Avery and Gloria once they showed up.

Bede approached the end of the block and ducked around the corner of the last building, slipping between the tall stalks of the glowing mushrooms. He reached the center of the clearing and waited, ears straining to hear the telltale sounds of a human following him.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” said Dahlia, crossing her arms and giving him a disapproving look.

“I can do as I please,” Bede retorted.

“We need to talk, and I haven’t appreciated your behavior recently.”

“We haven’t appreciated your behavior either.” Gloria and Avery approached from behind Dahlia, trapping her between the three Trainers; unfortunately, she didn’t look the least bit intimidated, which drove a stake of fear into Bede’s heart.

“Are you Dahlia?” asked Avery.

“Yes,” the woman replied, “and who might you be and why should I care?”

“Are you a natural blonde?”

“Wha—? Why does that matter?” Dahlia asked incredulously, confused by the question.

“Please answer,” pressed Avery.

“Yes, this is my natural hair color. Can’t you tell? My son shares it was well.”

“Is Bede your son?”

“What did I just say!? Yes, he’s my son!”

At first, Bede was perplexed by Avery’s behavior, wondering if the pointless questions were how they were going to goad Dahlia into losing her temper, before realizing these were the baseline questions the psychic was asking to establish when Dahlia was lying. It didn’t go on long, Avery quieting and nodding to Gloria when he was satisfied.

“Alright,” Gloria quickly took control, her eyes narrowing in displeasure, “we’ve about had it with you, lady.”

“You will not speak to me in such a way,” Dahlia spat, quickly turning this into a battle of wills, which frightened Bede all the more. Gloria was friendly enough, but get her angry and… well, all bets were off.

“What is your problem!?” growled Gloria. “It’s obvious Bede wants nothing to do with you, so why are you harassing him? Can’t handle rejection? How pathetic.”

Dahlia smirked in response. “Travis needs to understand where his talent comes from.”

“I was under the impression it came from countless hours of Miss Opal leering over his shoulder. You haven’t been in Bede’s life for years, what could you have possibly contributed to his legacy?”

“I’m here to ensure his talent doesn’t go to waste; instead, it must be reunified into the heart of the family.”

“You’re not his family!” Gloria declared.

“Oh, and I suppose you and that old woman are?” Dahlia all but sneered. “I gave birth to that boy; I am his biological mother, and that makes me the ultimate authority regarding him!”

“Don’t call her that,” Bede muttered, his muscles tensing in agitation, though he still found it difficult to raise his head to face his mother. “Miss Opal is not just an ‘old woman.’”

“Fine, if that’s how it is,” Dahlia waved her hand dismissively, as if she were granting Bede permission to make such a demand of her. “Travis, we need to go somewhere more secluded and discuss your new position as Gym Leader. You need to give Morgan private lessons so he can rise up in rank quickly. If he surpasses you, then he’ll have a shot of becoming Champion; but, if he’s struggling within a years’ time, then you need to give up your position to him so he can stay in practice—”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa! Time out!” Gloria interrupted. “Who the hell is ‘Morgan’ and why would Bede give up being Gym Leader for him!?”

Dahlia scowled, a hiss of frustration leaking from between her gritted teeth. “Morgan is Travis’s brother and has already shown a huge amount of promise in becoming a champion Pokémon Trainer.”

“Well, good for him; but what does that have to do with Bede’s goals?”

Bede didn’t hear the continuing argument between Gloria and Dahlia, their voices fading into white noise. Brother? I have a brother?

He must be younger, since Bede had no memory of having any siblings when he was still with his parents. How much younger? Was he born soon after Bede left their custody or did they wait a couple years? Dahlia claimed the boy was already showing talent and promise as a Trainer. Perhaps he was an older half-brother, offspring of one parent but not the other? Or he could be a full sibling and was away at school when Bede was little.

No, Bede shook his head, the way Dahlia is speaking implies he’s younger. They had another kid after… after…

“You have no right to criticize me!” Dahlia shrieked, bringing Bede back to the present. Gloria looked ready to throw down against the woman— she had even removed her beret and shoved it into Avery’s hands while the young man tried in vain to grab her by the arm. “Do you have any idea how much I struggled to raise a child like that!? I was at my wit’s end!”

“That doesn’t justify it!” Gloria argued back, Avery hooking his foot around her ankle and tripping her up enough to stop her full-frontal charge.

“It worked out, didn’t it!? Look where he is now! Do you think he would be a Gym Leader if things had different? He’s famous and he did it all without his parents. We did him a favor by abandoning him— made his story more inspiring. No one would care about him if he came from a loving normal family; him being abandoned makes him more of an underdog. That’s why he owes all his success to us; if he had remained with the family, he wouldn’t be as nearly admirable. I am the reason he’s where he is today, and now he needs to repay us by helping his brother succeed.”

All was silent in the clearing after Dahlia finished speaking, Gloria too aghast and disgusted to even think of a response. Instead, she turned to Avery, her expression almost begging him not to confirm what Dahlia said; alas, Avery gravely nodded, “She’s telling the truth.”

Bede nearly choked, already finding it difficult to breathe. Deep in his heart, he always knew it to be true, but deeper than that, he had always hoped, wished, and prayed his memories were wrong. In some way, his parents must have loved him but couldn’t provide for his needs, so they had to give him up; but now, Dahlia had confirmed his suspicions all along.

They never loved him and threw him away when it was convenient.

Gloria inhaled deeply, holding the breath for a few seconds before slowly releasing it. “We’ve been recording this entire conversation,” she revealed, “so, unless you want everyone in Galar to know how you abandoned your son in cold blood and are now waltzing back into his life with no apologies and a mass of demands you have no right to make, I suggest you leave and never come back.”

“You can’t do that!” shouted Dahlia. “You don’t want to ruin Morgan’s chances to become a champion Trainer by slinging mud, would you? And this controversy could hurt Travis as well.”

“I am one of the people in Bede’s life who cares most about him, and I don’t give a flying fuck about his past. No, scratch that; I do give a flying fuck but it’s in the form of knife aimed at your eye. If I ever see you again, you won’t live long enough to regret all your poor life choices.”

“Your hostile attitude isn’t going to bode well if you’re trying to drum up support to slander me.”

“I’m just making threats,” Gloria pointed out. “I haven’t actually done anything, unlike you.”

Dahlia took a single step forward, the weight of the stomp betraying the ill intent she had toward Gloria; however, she only took the single step. The woman gasped softly, both hands grasping at her leg that refused to move.

“You will not move until you intend to leave us,” said Avery. “I have you trapped by an invisible force of my own will. I feel it is best you walk out of our lives and never come back: best for us and for you.”

“You will not threaten me,” growled Dahlia.

“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise,” Gloria snapped, barely containing her rage. She pulled her Rillaboom’s Pokéball off her belt and flashed the shiny red and white surface in the dim light of the mushrooms.

“Fine,” Dahlia relented, “now let me go.” Avery and Gloria stepped aside, allowing her to freely walk past them and exit between the mushrooms.

“She gave up too easily,” Gloria mumbled. “This isn’t over.”

“Bede?” Avery called out, his voice noticeably gentle. “Are you okay?”

But Bede couldn’t muster the mental fortitude to respond. His throat was closed shut and his chest painfully clenched from the emotional weight of the truth he had been avoiding for years. “No, he’s not,” Gloria replied instead, rushing to his side.

What was meant to be a period full of excitement and anticipation was now gray and dull. Being faced with his past pushed Bede beyond his capabilities and now all he could do was lie in bed and pray the ghosts couldn’t find him. Upon returning to the house and recounting what happened, Raihan immediately scooped Bede into a Flying Taxi and took him to stay in Hammerlocke.

Opal and friends visited several times to encourage him to rise out of his depression; even Leon and Victor, who were swamped with work as the Galarian Star Tournament drew closer, made time to come see him and reassure him. Leon had even purchased him a plushie of Cubone, a Pokémon associated with loss and abandonment, but also with strength in rising above that grief. The plushie was currently being crushed against his chest as he lay on his side, facing the wall. The rest of his plushie collection was still in Ballonlea, Raihan and Opal having thrown only the necessities into a bag for him before the former whisked him away to Hammerlocke.

He was pathetic. He was the future Gym Leader of Ballonlea, a rival of the current Champion, one of the strongest Trainers in Galar, the “Fairy Prince of the Wood” (yes, he was owning that title!), but now, all he could do wallow in his own headspace. He should be training for the tournament; at least Raihan was helping exercise his Pokémon while he recovered to keep them in top shape, but Bede should be the one out there on the field.

If he stared long enough at the wall, he could see shapes and faces in the surface. His mind wanted to torture him even more, since they all took the shape of the few memories he had of living with his parents.

They abandoned him when he was five, after a brief life of shouting, crying, and occasional hitting. Despite the poor treatment, he remembered bawling as they left him outside the social services office and made a hasty retreat. He was too small and slow to catch up to them and too afraid to try tracking them, so he reluctantly returned to the locked front doors, sitting and waiting for morning to come so an employee could let him in.

What did they want from me? What about me displeased them so much? Did they never want me? Unless Dahlia was lying, they eventually had another child, so what was wrong with me?

Bede whimpered softly, his fist clenching tightly in his bedsheets. He had tried so hard to overcome that trauma, to put it behind him so he could become the suave and confident Champion Rose wanted him to become. Now it was all crashing down on him, reducing him to a sniveling child. When was the last time he felt like this? He couldn’t—

Wait, he could recall.

Bede shut his eyes, exhaustion weighing him down as his memories and dreams began to twist and meld together. He remembered that day vividly and the memories were so striking and clear it was almost as if were at Wyndon Stadium again, experiencing the Darkest Day all over again.

All around him were voices: screams and sobs of fear and others shouting orders in an attempt to regain control. An immense quake and the terrifying sight of what they saw on the jumbo screen had sent the massive crowd in the stadium scrambling for safety. Most fled the stadium, but a great number were clustered on the open field, many sporting injuries from having fallen over during the quake or during the mad rush.

Bede stood frozen on the battlefield, too petrified to move. He had never felt such fright before; a visceral and primal terror kept him rooted to the spot, uncontrollable tears pouring from his eyes, yet not a sound escaped him. He was sure several first responders had attempted to talk to him or coax him to move, but he hadn’t reacted to any of them.

It didn’t matter how refined and arrogant his persona was; right now, he was a frightened child who only wanted the scary thing to go away. He didn’t want to confront it, he wanted a trustworthy adult to save him, to reassure him and tell him it was going to be okay.

He jumped nearly a foot in the air when a hand touched his shoulder, a shriek ripping its way out of his throat. He frantically turned to see what had grabbed him, his heart pulsing so loudly in his ears he could no longer hear the chaos around him.

It was Opal.

His parents abandoned him when it became convenient to; the orphanage workers had too many children to take care of to pay him much attention; Rose disqualified him from the Gym Challenge; Oleana confiscated the Wishing Stars he had meticulously and tirelessly collected. It seemed as if every adult in his life was unable to provide what he truly needed.

Until Miss Opal found him in Hammerlocke.

Now, when he was most in need of an authority figure who could comfort and console him, there was finally one there for him. The instant he realized she was truly beside him, she had come for him in his moment of need, he burst into ugly sobs and dropped to his knees, begging for her attention and reassurance. It took her a moment to bend down in the grass with him, but once her old bones granted her the movement, she gathered him in her arms and gently rocked him.

He had expected her to be furious; after all, he had run away from Ballonlea and crashed the finals of the Champion Cup, making a spectacle of himself. He expected her to rescind her intention to train him as her protégé after he displayed such disobedience, but she didn’t. In fact, after he had calmed down enough for her to lead him out of the stadium and hail a Flying Taxi to return to Ballonlea, she never rebuked him for his defiance or for any of his actions that day.

She forgave him, because she loved him.

Bede jolted awake from his half-sleep daze. Remembering the events of the Darkest Day made him realize Opal was the first adult who seemed to truly care for him, and from her positive influence came more adults who cared about him: Raihan, Leon, Sonia, Professor Magnolia, even Piers in his own aloof way. As her strict training brought down his walls, he hesitantly allowed Hop, Gloria, Victor, and Marnie in, and, despite his harsh treatment of most of them, they happily bounded into his life.

Was this the first time he was truly happy? He recalled being happy when he had Rose’s attention, but, he was now realizing, that was only because he had the sole positive attention of an adult for the first time in his life. He remembered nearly squealing with joy when Rose gave him his watch—

Where was that watch anyway? He remembered he insisted in wearing it for a while after Opal took him in, unquestionably certain he could regain the Chairman’s favor if he showed enough diligence under Opal’s tutelage. When he realized that wasn’t going to happen, he took it off one evening and didn’t put it back on in the morning. It was probably in some drawer in his desk, collecting dust.

Maybe he would be happier without it. Should he give it back? Could he give it back? No one knew where Rose had gone after he turned himself in, his legal counsel keeping his location deliberately vague. Besides, Bede wasn’t sure what he would say if he ever saw Rose again.

Given the secrecy surrounding the meeting, Oleana felt as if this were some massive illegal conspiracy she was taking part in. Upon Rose’s departure from Macro Cosmos, she was appointed as the new president, though was also aware her every move was being watched. She had no intention of inviting more bad press upon Rose’s company but understood the scrutiny and didn’t object.

“May I ask why my presence has been requested?” she inquired, staring calmly across the table at the other occupants of the room.

“We just wanted to give you a heads-up,” said Leon. “You’ve done well in serving the Galar region as the new President of Macro Cosmos and have adhered strictly to the guidelines and rules we’ve instated. That’s why we wanted you to be aware your position is not being threatened.”

“We’re intending to bring Rose out of hiding,” Sonia spoke, glancing around to Leon, Opal, Raihan, Piers, and her grandmother. “Something has happened with Bede Ellington and we’re hoping Rose may be able encourage him to rise above it.”

“Bede Ellington?” Oleana repeated, an image of curly near-white hair and bright violet eyes manifesting in her mind. “Bede and Rose didn’t exactly part in the best terms. Why do you think Rose will be able to help?”

“He was the first adult in Bede’s life to encourage him to be greater than what he already was,” answered Opal. “Rose was responsible for planting the seed of ambition within Bede, but now that sapling is wilting. Tell me, do you know anything of Bede’s past? Or of his parents, perhaps?”

“All I know is what social services was legally able to tell us. Bede was abandoned outside the Wyndon branch office during the early hours of the morning. The employees were unsure how long he was waiting, but he was stiff from being curled up and shivering. They had to pick him up and bring him inside the building because his legs were too numb.

“Initial examination revealed multiple bruises and hand marks, though no broken bones or permanent scarring. Mental evaluation revealed he flinched from loud adult voices, though children’s voices did not trigger the same response, and cowered from abrupt movements, particularly if that movement looked as if it were aimed toward him. He refused to speak a word for an entire month and didn’t talk about his parents when he eventually started speaking.

“The appointed psychologists could never officially confirm anything because Bede wouldn’t confirm nor deny anything, but they presume the main abuse was raised voices, physical strikes with hands and possibly objects, and restraint with hands. This assumption was compounded when Bede began to express the exact behavior they believe happened to him against the other children, which is a common trait among victims of abuse.

“Thankfully, Bede quickly moved past violent behavior, but what remained was a socially-withdrawn and angry child. He fell into line, followed the rules, and behaved as was expected of him, but refused to play with others— though he did show a remarkable camaraderie with the therapy Pokémon.”

By the time she was done explaining, the others in the room expressed varying degrees of disgust and horror. Raihan looked as if he was about to crack a tooth with how hard he was clenching his jaw. Piers and Leon were staring down at the wood of the table, their own furious expressions glaring back at them in the smooth polished lacquer. Sonia had a hand covering her mouth, blinking back tears. Only Opal and Professor Magnolia appeared to be composed, but their faces were emotionally blank and their eyes shut.

“How could someone just throw away a child?” Sonia whispered, her voice noticeably strained.

“And then come back demanding anything of him?” Raihan snarled. “If I see that bitch again, I swear I’ll snap her neck.”

“Now, now,” Professor Magnolia interjected, “let’s not do anything to get ourselves arrested. The best thing we can do for Bede is remain calm and keep a clear head.”

Oleana frowned as the others talked amongst themselves. She would be the first to admit she was never the kindest to Bede— not because of disliking him, but more due to her professional personality and inexperience dealing with children. Still, now that she was looking at the situation from an outsider’s perspective, she had to wonder if this plan was best.

“Are you sure bringing Rose into the situation won’t open old wounds?” she questioned. “Rose disqualified Bede from the challenge— the boy could see that as the ultimate betrayal from an adult he thought he could trust.”

“Unlike this Dahlia woman, Rose can feel remorse for his actions,” said Leon. “We are all adults in Bede’s life he has come to trust and we’ve shown we’re able to apologize when we’re wrong, but none of us have ‘betrayed’ him in a significant way. Bede’s parents betrayed him in the worst way possible and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. We’re hoping if Rose expresses remorse for what he did to Bede and apologizes, then Bede will regain the confidence to move past this trauma.”

Oleana hummed softly, shutting her eyes in contemplation. “You’re basing this plan off the assumption that Rose will apologize.”

“You don’t think he will?” countered Raihan, his face twisted in displeasure.

“Rose technically followed the rules to a tee: Bede destroyed a priceless piece of Galar’s history— it doesn’t matter the destruction revealed something valuable beneath, Bede was lucky Rose didn’t have him arrested. Disqualification from the Gym Challenge was a minor punishment in the face of what law enforcement could have done; Rose showed lenience towards Bede.”

“Bede certainly doesn’t see it that way,” Raihan muttered.

“Then maybe that’s the key,” Sonia suggested. “Bede sees Rose disqualifying him as the ultimate betrayal, when, if one looks at the bigger picture, it wasn’t nearly the worst thing that could have happened as result of his law breaking. If Rose can convince Bede of that truth, then Bede should be able to understand.”

“If we also take in consideration Bede never met up with Rose afterward, since I swooped in to claim him in Hammerlocke,” added Opal, “then those feelings of betrayal have been festering for a while. Bede never had the opportunity to discuss with Rose the true severity of what he had done and how Rose saved him from the worst of possible punishments; and for that, I accept responsibility for the role I have inadvertently played. That acknowledgement, combined with Rose’s admission, will make Bede understand.”

“Understand what, exactly?” asked Oleana.

“Life isn’t fair, the people you trust most can still make mistakes, and a change in perspective can reveal hidden truths within a situation,” said Raihan.

Bede hated being treated like a ticking timebomb. He wanted to feel frustrated and enraged by Gloria and Victor’s gentle voices and slow movements as they helped him pack for his return to Ballonlea but exploding at them would just confirm he was unbalanced. After wallowing in his own self-pity, Bede finally mustered the fortitude to move on with his life: he had to prepare for the Galarian Star Tournament, which was only three weeks away.

Nearly everyone objected to his decision: Gloria and Hop insisted he stay where Dahlia couldn’t reach him; Victor encouraged him to get back on the field with his Pokémon, but to not return to Ballonlea; Piers reminisced about his own “down periods,” and offered alternatives to simply barreling forward without restriction; and Raihan kept trying to restrict him to smaller outings before attempting to leave his apartment permanently.

Bede wanted to scream at all of them. He wasn’t some fragile pitiful waif; he wouldn’t shatter and breakdown the second another obstacle presented itself. He wasn’t depressed, damn it! He was fine! As long as he kept repeating that mantra and ignoring the worrying looks of every important person in his life, he was fine.

Since the twins couldn’t stop him from returning to Ballonlea, they insisted in coming along, which he begrudgingly allowed. If he tried to push them away, that would make them more worried, and thus more annoying.

He was fine.

Touching down in Ballonlea brought a familiar feeling of dread upon him, eyes already searching the pockets of darkness for the person responsible for ruining his life twice. Gloria and Victor wasted no time in gathering his bag and herding him to the house, flanking him on either side like bodyguards, which he found almost strange enough to laugh about. Victor was the Champion of Galar, he should be the one with bodyguards; and yet, here he was, as if he were merely Bede’s peer and friend.

There were far too many shoes at the front door and Bede quickly realized this was a trap. The twins prevented him from exiting out the front door and he had no choice but to press forward, muscle memory taking over as he slipped off his shoes and put on his house slippers. Just like always… nothing was different…

He was fine.

Opal met him in the parlor, Gloria and Victor slipping past to the kitchen, where several whispered voices could be barely heard. “Welcome home, Bede,” said Opal.

“Thank you, Miss Opal. I assume there’s a welcoming party, but would it be too rude if I retired to my room instead?”

“No, I’m afraid your presence is requested for this.”

“…Very well.”

He was fine.

Bede tiredly walked into the dining room, withholding the irritated sigh that threatened to slip past his lips. Hop, Leon, and Raihan he was expecting, Marnie and Piers less so but still not too implausible— what he wasn’t expecting was the middle-aged man, lacking a full suit but still wearing a white button-up shirt with a tie, who was sitting calmly at the table with an expectant look.

He was fine. He was fine. He was fine. He was fine.

“Hello Bede,” said Rose.

…He wasn’t fine.

“Why is he here?” Bede asked, his knees trembling and threatening to collapse his legs. He took a step back, fighting to keep his balance. In an instant, he wiped his features clean, straightened and smoothed his clothing, and regarded Rose with a carefully guarded expression, one all too similar to how he used to look when first embarking on the Gym Challenge.

“How nice to see you, sir,” Bede spoke, even his tone perfectly constructed so he appeared full of fake confidence.

“There’s no need for false modesty,” said Rose. “Scream at me, if that’s what will make you satisfied.”

“I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone who can’t control themselves.”

“I don’t have a lot of faith in this plan,” Hop admitted.

“What plan!?” Bede snarled, moving so abruptly toward Hop the latter flinched and backed up.

Raihan, disliking the backward slip he was seeing in Bede’s behavior (especially after learning of his habit of reenacting the abuse he had endured as a child), quickly stepped in and grabbed his brother’s arm. “Easy there, Beetroot; no one here wants to hurt you.”

“Really now?” Bede narrowed his eyes at Rose but stilled himself so Raihan would let go of his arm.

Rose stood up from his chair, his movements slow and careful as he was scrutinized by several pairs of eyes, prepared to spring at him should he attempt anything. “Bede,” he spoke, “I’m sorry we parted on such bad terms. I had every intention of finding you after you failed to show up for our meeting in Hammerlocke, but once I learned Opal had snatched you up… well, I thought you were better off with her.”

“So, you just… threw me away?” Bede’s voice was painfully strained, and he was clearly blinking back tears.

“No, I let you go to better circumstances. Tell me, have you flourished under Opal’s tutelage? Has she provided a more appropriate environment and teaching methods for you to enhance your skills? Has she given you more attention than I could ever spare?”

Bede felt his temper gradually cool as he reflected on Rose’s words. “…Yes.”

“I knew exactly where you were, I knew you were safe, and I knew Opal could give you everything I couldn’t. You’re better off here than you ever were with me.”

“Still…” Bede looked down at his hands, refusing to face anyone in the room as renewed feelings of vulnerability washed over him. “All I wanted… was to make you proud. Why did you take the Gym Challenge from me? You said I had the makings of a Champion. You made me believe I could become Champion; then you… you took it all away.”

“I couldn’t ignore what you had done, then everyone would accuse me of favoritism.”

“You said to seek out Wishing Stars! ‘Wherever they are, near or far, cast your eyes on a Wishing Star!’” he recited.

“And in what part of that statement implied I wanted you to destroy the Stow-on-Side mural?” Rose stated firmly.

Bede recoiled, once more that little boy who wanted the approval of his authority figures, only to be physically reprimanded for simply wanting attention. Opal, upon realizing his discomfort, placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him both physically and emotionally.

“I knew this idea was rotten from the start,” spat Gloria. “We should’ve never brought Rose.”

“We’re dealing with a lot of raw wounds here,” Rose responded. “There’re going to be some painful reactions. What matters is we remain calm and not let our emotions rage out of control. We all care about Bede and want this to end civilly.”

“How can you claim you care about him?” Victor all but snarled, causing several of the room’s patrons to jump from the outburst. “You didn’t even remember his name!”

Rose mentally stumbled, wondering exactly what Victor was referring to, though Gloria quickly jumped in with the answer. “Yeah, when we met in Hulbury, you couldn’t remember Bede’s name! You sponsor a challenger and couldn’t even remember his name?”

“You are correct,” Rose replied, “I had forgotten his name; at the time, it was still rather new to me.”

“What?” Gloria squawked. “The least you can do is remember someone’s name!”

“I couldn’t recall his new one and I wasn’t about to offend him by calling him by his old one,” argued Rose.

“Wait…” Gloria quieted, “what?”

“I had changed my name before the Gym Challenge,” Bede revealed after taking a moment to collect himself. “Participating in the Gym Challenge represented the first step into my new life, so I wanted a new name everyone would know me by. Before that, my name was Travis Aubert. Chai— Rose was accustomed to calling me ‘Travis’ and, at the time, couldn’t recall my new name and didn’t want to deadname me.”

“Oh,” Gloria and Victor said at the same time, all the anger and fight leaving them. When they had witnessed the odd exchange in Hulbury, both had been confused and horrified that Rose could forget the name of the challenger he had endorsed.

Bede led himself through a breathing exercise Opal had taught him early on in their training when he become too frustrated. He kept his eyes shut as he inhaled and exhaled and would have preferred doing this in a more private setting, his mind already running away with accusations that everyone was judging him. He opened his eyes and briefly made contact with Rose, gaze immediately darting to look at the floor.

“Let me ask you this, Bede,” said Rose. “What if Hop had destroyed the mural?”

“Hey!” Hop whined, affronted by the accusation and quickly shushed by Leon.

“Please, for the sake of the hypothetical,” Rose implored. “Bede, how would you have felt if Hop destroyed the mural and got away with it because he was Champion Leon’s brother? Would you have assumed that was fair?”

“Of course not!” Bede retorted.

“Then why should you have escaped punishment for the same crime? Because you’re my endorsed challenger? Isn’t that the same situation?”

Bede faltered, realizing Rose was right: if Hop had destroyed the mural, he should be held accountable for his actions, and his relation to Leon would be unimportant in the eyes of the law. In fact, if Hop had committed such a crime, it would reflect poorly on Leon’s public image to be related to such a bad apple. Had Bede’s actions reflected poorly on Rose as well?

“I don’t think you understand the true severity of what you did,” continued Rose. “You should have been arrested. You would’ve been sent to juvenile detention and had a criminal mark on your record. Oh sure, if you behaved yourself when you came of age, it would be stricken and sealed, but it was already public knowledge what you did. I saved you from that, Bede, because I took responsibility for you. In fact, law enforcement believes I purposefully sent you to Opal to reign in your behavior.”

Rose made sure he avoided standing before a judge to account for his crime, but why? Was he exercising his influence to keep Bede from ruining his image any further? But he disqualified Bede from the challenge, which became public knowledge anyway.

“Why did you do it?” Bede tentatively asked.

“Because I didn’t want to see you ruin your life,” Rose answered. “I’m sorry I betrayed you, even if it was to prevent you from a worse fate. I’m sorry I never took the chance to properly enlighten you as to why I acted the way I did. Opal may have spirited you away from Hammerlocke before we could meet up again, but I knew where you were, and I never spared a moment to visit and explain myself.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because you’re better off without me. You don’t need me anymore, Bede. You have everything and everyone you need to be great someday. And… you don’t need Dahlia.”

As if on cue, cruel divine intervention stepped in with loud pounding against the door. “Devil woman!” Gloria hissed, rushing into the kitchen and reemerging with a rolling pin.

“No,” Piers said tiredly, yanking it from her grasp and passing it to Marnie. “Well, what’s the plan here? You guys said the bird might rear her ugly head.”

“She’s like a Mandibuzz,” Hop whispered ominously, “always circling and searching for her prey.”

“I am not a carcass!” Bede snapped. Dahlia began to shout along with her pounding against the thick wood, but her voice didn’t strike fear in his heart as it had before. For some reason, he was feeling angry toward Dahlia, but not afraid anymore. “I’m going to end this, right here and right now.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Opal intervened, grabbing him by the back of his shirt before he could march past her to the front door. “Bede, this woman had made you feel emotionally fragile for weeks on end now; can you handle this?”

“She knows I’m afraid of her, that’s why she keeps coming back,” he replied. “She’ll keep trying until I break down and give her what she wants. I have to stand up to her and show her I’m not going to bend to her whims. If I make it too difficult for her to get what she wants, she won’t expend the effort.”

“Or she’ll see it as a challenge and try harder,” muttered Gloria. “Because that’s what narcissists do when they lose control.”

“I don’t agree with your logic,” Victor told Bede, “but I’ll back you up, whatever you decide.”

“Me too,” said Hop.

The adults in the room all expressed hesitance in this action until Dahlia began another round of shrieking, prompting Raihan to lose his temper. “I’m sick of that woman! Can’t we get her arrested for disturbing the peace!?”

“I mean,” Leon glanced toward the door, wincing as the pounding somehow got louder, “by this point she’s trespassing and proving herself to be a bigger threat than our previous interactions. Marnie?”

“I started recordin’ the second she started squawkin’,” Marnie confirmed. “If anythin’, this is evidence she’s escalatin’.”

While the adults were distracted, Bede pulled himself free and rushed for the door. He could hear the others exclaiming loudly and a clamor of feet as they chased him, but he reached the door before they could catch him, yanking it open and shoulder-checking Dahlia sharply. The woman gasped and stumbled back, but, unfortunately, didn’t fall like Bede wanted.

“What do you want!?” he shouted, soaking up the schadenfreude when Dahlia looked too stunned to respond— she almost looked afraid.

Sadly, she recovered quickly, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. “Are you ready to quit your tantrum and speak maturely?”

“You’re the one who was screaming and beating the door,” Bede retorted, narrowing his eyes just as Dahlia did, but accompanied the expression with a smug smile. “Among us, who’s the one throwing a tantrum?”

Oh, how sweet that aghast expression was upon her face. “I… ah, don’t speak to your mother like that!”

“No, keep going!” Hop called from the doorway, smiling cheerfully with his phone out as he recorded the confrontation. “She was gaping like a Magikarp!”

Dahlia scoffed, trying to regain control of the situation. “Travis, this behavior needs to stop—”

“I completely agree!” Bede interrupted. “Are you ready to leave me alone and move on with your sad, pathetic life?”

Gloria, Hop, and Victor all whooped loudly, cheering him on like Team Yell had done for Marnie during the Gym Challenge. Speaking of Marnie, she remained stoic in contrast to the others, continuing to calmly record the events.

“You will stop this abhorrent behavior and obey your mother!” Everyone froze, only now noticing Dahlia hadn’t returned alone this time. A man and a young boy, who looked to be about ten years old, were standing off the side. The man looked cross, but there was a clear difference in his countenance in comparison to Dahlia.

Submissive, Bede surmised. This must be Dahlia’s husband, but he couldn’t recall if the man was his biological father or if this was a new husband. He had not been part of Dahlia’s plot until this moment, which indicated she was the main aggressor in confronting Bede. It was almost pathetic how the man was attempting to look intimidating after having dealt with Dahlia’s temper several times.

The boy, however, was a much more interesting focus. This must be Morgan and there was no doubt he was Bede’s brother. Near-white curly hair, soft angelic features, though there was a noticeable spark of innocence still in his eyes, having not experienced the harsh trials Bede had to endure.

“I’d fear you more if you weren’t hiding behind a kid,” Raihan remarked, pushing through the crowd of teenagers at the door so he could stand beside Bede, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “Why don’cha come support your wife, unless you’re scared of her too?”

“This isn’t about Lane,” Dahlia cut in. “This is about Travis not appreciating the position he’s been put into because of us.”

“Who the hell’s Travis? I don’t know anyone named Travis,” Raihan grinned cheekily.

“I’ve had just about enough of this mockery.”

“Good, then leave,” Bede quipped, feeling empowered by Raihan’s presence and his friends’ laughter as Dahlia’s face became pinker and more furious. He could tell some of the laughter was forced, and assumed they were still nervous about Dahlia, but they refused to let up until he said so.

“You owe us everything!” Dahlia shrieked. “You wouldn’t be famous if it wasn’t for us! You wouldn’t be a Gym Leader! No one would care about your story! We are your family, I am your mother, and you will show me the respect I am due!”

“Then I will show you none!”

“Travis,” Lane spoke up, “you will respect your mother right now!”

“What makes you think I’m gonna listen to you, you limp-dicked worm?”

“Bede!” Opal gasped from the doorway, though her horror was drowned out by peals of genuine laughter from the teenagers and Leon, even Marnie stifled a chuckle at the insult.

“Listen here, you little bastard!” Lane almost pushed Morgan aside in his haste to confront Bede, moving so quickly the latter couldn’t help but flinch instinctively; thankfully, Lane never stood a chance of actually reaching him.

Raihan left Bede’s side in a flash, hooking one ankle around Lane’s ankle and shoving him in the shoulder. The man fell like a clean-cut tree, grunting loudly as his back thudded firmly against the grassy ground. Raihan stood over him, all humor and laughter gone from his face; all the remained was an expression spelling out one thing loud and clear: stay away from Bede.

“How dare you assault my husband!” Dahlia shouted.

“And I won’t hesitate to do the same to you,” Raihan threatened. “You being a woman doesn’t make a difference to me. Lay a hand on Bede and I’ll bite it off.”

“Yeah, don’t start with that double standard bullshit!” Gloria added, prompting a reflexive warning of “Language,” from both Piers and Leon.

“I’ll have you arrested!” vowed Dahlia, already fumbling for her phone in her purse while Lane scrambled away from Raihan, making no move to help her husband to his feet. “You’re too dangerous to be around Travis! This is not a safe environment! The judge will have to give him back to his biological family! I’m the only one who can care for him properly!”

Opal’s well of tranquility was finally empty. Ever since Dahlia had waltzed into their lives, their days had been filled with nothing but torment and suffering. Opal believed she had dealt with the situation with the same grace and serenity she applied to everything in her daily life, particularly when it came to anything in relation to Bede, but hearing this wicked woman claim she was the only one in this entire world who could provide what Bede needed was the final nail in the coffin. Opal wasn’t going to be serene anymore, it was time for Dahlia to face the true wrath of Fairy Pokémon.

But she didn’t get the chance; instead, another voice cleanly cut through the commotion, having spent years giving speeches and calming excited crowds.

“You’re a monster,” said Rose, bringing everything to a grinding halt. Honestly, most of them had forgotten Rose was there, having gotten caught up in the fervor.

Dahlia gaped and stumbled over her response, almost not recognizing the man in the doorway as former Chairman Rose. Bede stared silently at his former mentor, wondering whether he would continue berating Dahlia or let his single statement sink in.

“I… I am his mother,” Dahlia finally stated firmly.

“That doesn’t mean you’re not a monster,” Rose countered.

“And who’re you to act all high and mighty? You were arrested! You endangered everyone in the Galar!”

“I turned myself in and answered for my crimes,” Rose didn’t stumble over his words, unlike Dahlia, who was scrambling for anything she could use to defend herself. “I initiated a horrible event that harmed countless individuals and I won’t deny any of it. You, on the other hand, committed several atrocities against Bede and since you were able to walk away unpunished, now believe are invincible. Just because you were never punished, doesn’t mean you did nothing wrong.”

“He belongs with us,” insisted Dahlia. “We’re his family.”

“You’re not my family!” Bede snapped. His teeth were bared in a deep grimace, his breath was ragged and uneven, and his fists were clenched tight enough his knuckles were snow-white. “Opal is my family. Raihan’s my family. These guys…” he paused, regarding Hop, Gloria, Victor, and Marnie for a moment, “are getting pretty close.”

“Morgan’s your brother, not Raihan.”

“I don’t even know this kid!” Bede yelled, gesturing to Morgan, who continued to stand on the sidelines, still calmly watching the confrontation.

“Travis—” Dahlia had a warning tone to her voice, prepared to scold him as if he were a mere toddler throwing a tantrum.

“Shut up!” Bede lost it. “Just shut up! My name. Isn’t. TRAVIS! My name is Bedivere Ellington and I’m not. Your. Son!” In a flash, he unhooked all of his Pokéballs and released his Pokémon, the fairy troupe immediately picking up on his emotions and recognizing Dahlia as a threat.

“Stay out of my life,” said Bede. “I owe you nothing and will give you nothing. If you try to come back, I will not hesitate to make you suffer. You can’t make me do anything. I’m not a little kid you can take out your anger on anymore. I won’t break.”

Stunned silence followed his outburst, everyone too astounded to say anything. Morgan finally seemed to be showing some emotion, his gaze firmly set upon Bede with an air of bewilderment. Had he assumed Bede would happily rejoin the family as his older brother? Was he confused Bede was refusing to come back?

“Well…” Dahlia physically and mentally gathered herself, sounding affronted, “it’s obvious you are too emotionally unstable. You’re a danger to be around; we’ll be leaving and we better not find you sniffing around our happy home, wanting to be let back in. Lane, Morgan, let’s go.”

Finally, the small family grouped together and left, but no one dared relax their tensed muscles until the trio were beyond the property line. After all the suffering Dahlia had brought upon them, it was over.

“Bede… you’re a badass!” Gloria cheered, breaking the silence. She threw herself at Bede, nearly toppling him over, saved only by the timely support of Hatterene’s tendril. Victor and Hop quickly joined in, all singing praise of Bede’s amazement while Marnie took a moment to keep recording the moment on her phone.

“Careful,” Raihan called out but didn’t intervene. He and Piers positioned themselves on the edge of the cluster, prepared to reach out and grab anyone who got too rowdy. Opal nearly fainted from relief, Bede’s Gardevoir helping support her before she had a chance to collapse.

“I feel sorry for that child,” Rose commented, his expression one of forlorn despondence as he watched the shortest of the three figures disappear from sight.

“What do you mean?” asked Leon, the only one who heard him.

“Weren’t you paying attention to him during that fiasco? He didn’t react to anything his parents did— at all. That tells me this isn’t new behavior; in fact, it’s probably the norm for him.”

Leon grimaced, realizing Rose was right: it was too disturbing how Morgan had remained calm and passive while his parents raged and screamed. Had that boy suffered the same treatment Bede had gone through? Maybe not, since he didn’t flinch and cower, or he could be desensitized to it and figured reacting would only increase the severity of punishment. “Maybe we should do something.”

“We have no idea where they live,” Rose pointed out.

“But we have their names.”

“Sadly, I don’t think much can be done. If the boy is fed, sheltered, and not visibly suffering, then he’s unlikely to be removed.”

“Even if they scream at him all day?”

“If he lacks injuries, it’s hard to prove.”

Leon bared his teeth in anger, feeling helpless. “Well… I’m still going to report it. Maybe they’ll treat him better if the threat of the cops is looming over them.”

“Do as you wish, Leon,” Rose sighed sadly, “but don’t be too disappointed if you never see that child again.”

Bede grunted in exertion as he finally extricated himself from the grabbing hands of his friends, shoving them away and panting from exhaustion. His rough treatment did little to quell their cheerfulness; in particular, Hop was beaming brightly at him, prompting him to ask, “What are you smiling about?”

“You called us family!”

“I said we were close—”

“You like us~!” Hop teased, poking Bede several times and pouting when his hands were slapped away.

“I think this calls for a celebration!” announced Raihan. “Miss Opal, if you’d like some peace and quiet, I can take the kids to Hammerlocke for a short bit and have Bede back by tonight.”

“Yes,” Opal sighed, “I feel that may be best. This has been too much excitement.”

“Miss Opal?” Bede sounded concerned, immediately rushing to her side to ensure she was okay.

“I’m fine, dear,” she assured him. “But I don’t think I could handle meeting another person like Dahlia. One can only handle so much toxicity in their life, and we fairy folk are particularly sensitive to it. Some of us even attract it, unfortunately.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not afraid of her anymore.” Bede quieted, staring off in the direction the Auberts had vanished. Raihan was carrying on with the teens, Piers quipping in a bored tone every now and again. Leon was with Rose, standing a little further off to the side so their conversation could not be interrupted, but Bede didn’t care about anything else happening around him.

“Why didn’t she love me, Opal?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Because she’s a fool,” was the elderly woman’s response, a warm hand threading through his hair. “And fools don’t deserve children as special as you.”

He was… he was finally okay.

The entire Galar region was abuzz with fire and excitement, enough Bede could feel the energy in the air even from within the locker room. He watched the television monitors as the cameras swept over and across the massive crowd packing the seats of Wyndon Stadium. Some patrons were waving flags from their respective regions and countries, cheering on their chosen champions of the tournament.

All around him, top Trainers from all over the world milled about, introducing themselves and conversing with one another. When Cynthia walked in, Gloria nearly lost her mind, too wound up to muster the courage to walk over and beg for an autograph.

Bede chuckled at the memory of his own hesitation, finding it humorous to be frightened of approaching the person one admired, especially after dealing with all grief and uncertainty Dahlia brought into his life. He casually walked up to the world renowned Sinnoh Champion, introduced himself, and asked for two autographs, one for him and one for Gloria, who was visibly losing her mind in the background. Cynthia greeted him not as a fan but as an equal, remarking how they were both participants in the tournament as an explanation, and gladly granted him the two autographs, one of which he shoved against Gloria’s chest since she was likely to bite his hand off trying to take from him.

None of them knew who their partners were going to be yet. Out of all the people in that room, there was only one who be by their side while all the rest would be against them as they battled for the top of the chart. As Bede regarded each Trainer, he wondered which he would be paired with. Champions, Elite Four, Gym Leaders, freelancer Trainers, even some who had retired from the battling circuit, were all potential partners.

He had been surprised to see Avery among them, having arrived with Master Mustard. As far as he knew, Avery wasn’t a famous Trainer, having not seen him participate in the Gym Challenge for the past several years, but he must be talented if Leon and Victor invited him. All the people in this room, aside from some event organizers and guards, had to present their invitations to gain access. No one was in this room who shouldn’t be there.

At least, he had assumed.

“Hey,” Hop rushed to him, his voice low and hushed, “is that Morgan?”

He pointed across the crowded room, a familiar-looking head of platinum blonde curls sticking out like a beacon. Bede immediately felt a stab of dread, eyes widening and searching desperately for any sign Dahlia, who had seemingly exited his life not with a bang but a whimper, somehow broke in and was about to make a scene in front of all these people he admired.

“She’s not here,” suddenly Marnie and Gloria were beside him as well, the former confirming the devil woman had not snuck her way back into their lives.

“But what’s the kid doing here?” wondered Gloria. “And how did he get in?”

“What should we do?” asked Hop. “Do you want me to get Miss Opal?” Said woman was having a riveting conversation with a thin, brown-haired man wearing a green top with a red scarf tossed loosely over his shoulders.

“No,” Bede stated, “let me handle this.”

“Are you sure?” said Gloria.

Bede nodded and stepped away from them, striding directly for Morgan, grabbing him by the shoulder, and directing him to a more private corner of the locker room. He surprised when the boy obeyed without question and didn’t even make a sound until they were both in the corner.

“Hello Bede,” he greeted him.

Bede blinked in puzzlement for a moment before realizing Morgan had called him by his chosen name, not his deadname. “Hello Morgan,” he returned the greeting. “Why are you here?”

“My mum isn’t here, don’t worry,” Morgan assured him. “I came on my own and snuck in.”

You’re, what? Ten? And you’re already sneaking around like this? Bede wasn’t sure if he should be impressed or concerned. “Why are you here?” he repeated.

“Not everything Mum said was a lie. I really do admire you and I got really excited when I saw you on TV. You looked just like me and…” he trailed off, looking down to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? You’re not responsible for Dahlia being the way she is.”

“’Cause it’s my fault,” he admitted. “If I hadn’t’ve watched you on TV and been really excited, she wouldn’t’ve figured out who you were. It’s all my fault.”

Was it possible? Could he have gone the rest of his life avoiding Dahlia and it was only because of his impulsive crashing of the Champion Cup she found him? “Are you…?” he hesitated, unsure of how to word his next question. “Do you feel… safe with your parents?”

“Mum wants me to be a famous Trainer and gives me lots of gifts when I do good in school, so I make sure to always get good grades, ‘cause she doesn’t pay a lot of attention to me.”

I guess that’s better than hitting and constant screaming, Bede concluded.

“Why do you ask?” Morgan questioned.

“Just confirming something,” Bede tried to sound nonchalant before realizing he needed to be serious. “Listen um… despite being biologically related, we’re not brothers, okay? We didn’t grow up together, we don’t know anything about each other, and I… I think it’s best we not contact each other anymore.”

“… I understand.”

Bede immediately tried to remedy the situation, not wanting Morgan to feel as if Bede was abandoning him, but what else could he do? He couldn’t have a relationship with Morgan without inviting Dahlia back into his life.

“If I can’t be your brother, can I still be your fan?” Morgan asked hesitantly.

“Of course! And maybe someday, you’ll face me during the Gym Challenge, but that’s all we can be: Gym Leader and admirer.”

“Okay,” Morgan replied, seemingly satisfied with that, which only made Bede more concerned. This child was so nonchalant about learning he had a brother and then that brother rejecting him. That wasn’t normal.

Bede never confirmed it, and it felt strange to ask out of the blue, but if Morgan was ten, then that meant Dahlia might have been pregnant when Bede was abandoned. Was her pregnancy the trigger she needed get rid of him? Did she want to start over with a new child, completely wipe clean the slate?

“I’m gonna go now,” said Morgan, turning to leave.

“Wait,” Bede stopped him. “Just because I won’t be around, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel afraid about reaching out to others if things turn bad with your parents. It’s okay to ask others for help.”

Morgan blinked owlishly at him before nodding and agreeing. Once again, he turned away and approached the door, one of the guards finally realizing a child had somehow slipped past and infiltrated the locker room.

Bede watched apprehensively as Morgan was escorted out. The boy’s behavior was already concerning, but what else could be done? Trying to keep in contact with him would only remind Bede of the parents that threw him away and bring continuous pain into his life. As much as he was worried about Morgan, he couldn’t throw away his own mental health for the sake of another.

“Everyone!” one of the event organizers announced. “It’s time to file out onto the field. There, we’ll meet up with Champion Victor and Chairman Leon, who will randomly assign the partner teams and place them on the board.”

Bede quickly took his place in line, glancing around to see if he could find Opal or his friends. It didn’t look like they were close to him, which meant he was surrounded by elite Trainers he only vaguely knew; but that was okay, he was actually excited. It was time for Galar to see him flourish as the Fairy Prince of the Wood. What he displayed at the Champion Cup was only a small taste of what he was capable of. He wondered if Rose was watching, from where he was.

It was time to show the world what he had made of himself.