Just to note, Alain is three years older than Mairin in this fic.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy! :)

Mairin's feet slapped against the dirt path as she ran, heart racing as she attempted to catch up with the teen in front of her. The ten year old was panting, her running barely enough to keep up with his broad steps.

"W-wait Alain!" Mairin cried out, hoping that he'd stop. As she continued to run she mistimed one of her steps, and she felt her feet slip below her. "Ah-agh!"

She grunted as she fell forward, painfully colliding with the ground. Chespie, who had been running alongside her quickly stopped, racing back towards his trainer. The Chespin let out several concerned noises as she slowly pushed herself to her knees, trying to blink back several tears of pain.

"Give it a rest already."

Mairin glanced up as she heard the exasperated voice, finding Alain walking back towards her, hands stuffed into his pockets. A flash of annoyance ran through her as she heard him, and she quickly leapt back to her feet.

"No no!" Mairin cried. "I will definitely mega evolve too!"

Alain had been trying to lose her all day, but she was not about to give up. She was determined to learn more about mega evolution– and she knew that her best chance would be by following Alain. Yes he was cold, but seeing how he treated his Charizard was all Mairin needed to see to know that he had a good heart.

Alain let out a small sigh. "The one evolving won't be you, but your Pokemon."

"I know that!" Mairin said quickly, brushing the mistake off to the side, and she looked up at him. "I'll search for those stones too!" She smiled, pointing at him eagerly. "If I'm with you, I'll find some for sure! Right?"

Alain turned, and for a moment Mairin wondered if she had pushed her luck too far. She wanted to learn more, not just about mega evolution, but about this strange boy as well. He had pushed her away the whole day, and Mairin feared that he'd continue to do so now.

"Do as you please," He muttered, walking away.

Mairin stood there for a moment, slightly stunned at this. Perhaps he hadn't said yes– but he was no longer saying no to her coming along!

"Uh– hey!" Mairin called as he strolled on ahead, and she quickly ran after her new traveling partner, Chespie by her side. "Agh!"

Perhaps it had been a loose rock, or maybe a root, though most likely her own two feet– but Mairin once more found the ground rushing up to meet her.

"Hurry up Alain! This way!" Mairin cried eagerly, staring down at small device in her hands as she climbed higher through the winding cave. She glanced behind her, watching as Alain climbed over a large boulder, a small smile on his face.

"How's the signal?" He asked, moving a bit too slow for Mairin's liking at the moment. She accepted Chespie's outstretched vines, the Quilladin giving her a boost up onto a ledge.

"It's getting stronger!" Mairin said eagerly, watching the waves pulse on the holographic screen. The device was one that could sense mega evolutionary energy, very similar to the one Team Flare had created. However with Team Flare now years in their past, this one was of Professor Sycamore's own design.

Mairin had noticed the device picking up on a very high frequency earlier this morning, and had awoken Alain up right away. They had been searching for mega evolution stones on their journey for quite sometime now, and this was the first signal they had picked up in months. She had thought that Alain would have been ecstatic to finally pick up something, but he seemed as calm as ever.

But he did have a consistent smile on his face their whole way through the cave, which was good enough for her.

"Quill!" Chespie cried as the cave forked, and quickly darted into the right tunnel. Mairin was about to cry out to him to stop– but upon looking at the machine for direction she found that Chespie had picked the right path for the stronger signal– but Chespie hadn't seen the reading for the signal.

"Hey Alain, can Pokemon sense mega evolution energy?" Mairin asked, once again waiting for Alain to catch up. Why was he acting so casual today?! He was the one that took everything so seriously– and now was the time to be serious!

"It wouldn't be surprising, but there hasn't been any concrete evidence for it," He said, approaching her and the fork of the cave. "Let's get going, before Chespie beats us."

And then Alain walked ahead– taking the right tunnel.

Mairin's eyes narrowed. "How do both you and Chespie know which way to go?"

Alain stiffened up for a moment, which only made Mairin's suspicions grow. He quickly took on a relaxed stance, brushing off her question with a wave of his arm– which was not something Alain normally would do. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, heading deeper into the cave.

"I saw the wave length on it as I approached," Alain said as she caught up, pointing towards the machine.

"What about Chespie?" Mairin asked, and Alain took in a deep breath.

"...Like you said, maybe Pokemon can sense it," Alain said, shrugging.

"Fine, that's acceptable– but why then have both of you been acting so weird today?" Mairin asked, refusing to let the topic go. Alain didn't make eye contact, his gaze fixated straight ahead. He seemed to be struggling for an answer, when the machine suddenly started beeping. Mairin yelped, fumbling with the device as it slipped through her fingers.

Alain reached out, catching it before it started falling towards the ground. Mairin gave an uncertain laugh as Alain held it out to her, and she took it back. The machine was now picking up on a very high frequency, still beeping loudly– which meant they were getting closer.

"We're almost there, shall we pick up the pace?" Alain asked.

Tucking her suspicions into the back of her mind, Mairin nodded eagerly, racing forward to catch up with Chespie. She was careful to keep a tight grip on the machine so she didn't drop it again. Alain had a small smile on his face as she ran ahead, briefly glancing down at the keystone on his wrist.

"Din!" Chespie was waiting for her further down the cave, the Quilladin excitedly waving his vines. He pointed towards a small entryway that broke off from their current path, jumping up and down. "Quill!"

"Chespie wait!" Mairin cried as he darted into the small room. She glanced down at the machine– only to see that the mega evolution energy was indeed coming from there. Once again her suspicions rose, but her excitement was stronger. She bolted in after Chespie, excitedly looking around at the walls of the cave– eyes trying to spot some sign of a raw mega stone.

Mairin felt her heart sinking slightly when she saw no sign of any gems hidden away in a vein on the cave walls. Perhaps it was in another nearby cavern? Or maybe the stone was fully buried away in the heart of the wall where they couldn't access it without mining...

"Din!" Chespie cried, pulling Mairin's attention towards him. The Quilladin was proudly puffed up, pointing towards a boulder that sat in the center of the cave. Mairin's eyes were drawn towards what was resting on top of the rock.

Two glistening polished stones, one with a bright rainbow hue, connected to a small green band. The second stone had a twisting yellow and red core, laced onto a strip of leather. Mairin carefully stepped forward, glancing at Chespie, who was grinning. She slowly picked up the band and pendant, looking over the perfectly formed mega and key stone with awe.

"Happy birthday."

Mairin turned around, finding Alain standing in the doorway of the small cavern. He had a smile on his face, hands still stuffed uncertainly into his pockets. Mairin stared at him for a moment, Chespie darting up to her side.

"Quill!"

Mairin's eyes widened as her mind raced to recall just what the date was today. She mentally face palmed as the realization hit her. It was indeed her birthday– and she hadn't even remembered.

Alain approached her. "We've been planning this for awhile now– that key stone is actually the same one we found several months ago. The trainer Sycamore said he wanted to give it to was actually you. The Ampharosite took longer to find, that's why I went off on my own for those few weeks while back," He shifted. "I know that Zach is still a Flaaffy, so you can't really use it yet, but..."

Mairin raced forward, wrapping her arms around him. Her voice was muffled as she hugged him, but Alain could still make out a very happy: "Thank you!"

Alain placed an arm on her shoulder. "You like it?"

She looked up at him, grinning. "I love it!" She pulled back, looking at the stones once more. "How'd you get it here ahead of us?"

"I got up at three this morning," Alain gave her a weary smile. "Me and Chespie hiked out here to place them. He nearly gave away the surprise by running off ahead of us though," Alain added, shooting a glare at the grass type.

The Quilladin was too excited for his trainer to care, wrapping his stubby arms around her leg.

"You guys are the best!" Mairin said, kneeling down and patting Chespie on the head. She looked at the stones one last time, letting out a squeal. "I can't believe it Chespie, I can finally mega evolve!"

Alain sighed, though he still had a smile on his face. "Pokemon mega evolve Mairin, not you."

"Dragon Claw!" Alain called out, and his Charizard spread open her wings, a green energy surrounding her claws. Mairin gulped as she watched the powerful fire type fly across the battlefield, claws aimed straight for her Pokemon.

"Use Dragon Pulse, Zach!" Mairin cried out to her Ampharos, who began to gather a mass of purple and blue energy in front of him.

He released the pulse of draconic energy at the incoming Charizard, which let out a wave of excess energy upon impact. The two mega Pokemon braced themselves as the attacks clashed, each one grunting as they were sent sliding back. They swiftly took up a battle position once more, still raring to go.

Mairin felt her heart racing, the keystone looped around her scarf burning with energy. The fourteen year old had witnessed Alain battling at full power many times in her life, she had often trained alongside him, and she had mega evolved with Zach before.

But battling against Alain, with him going at full power, was something very new to her.

The black Charizard was a mere blur, a powerful Flamethrower engulfing Zach. The Ampharos was left with a burn, whimpering in pain as Charizard veered away. The electric type had been putting up a desperate fight against Charizard, being able to hold up against the much more powerful dragon for sometime now, but it was quite clear he was at the end of his rope.

"Steel Wing," Alain said, sweeping his hand to the side. The Charizard radiated pure energy, her wings gleaming with a metallic sheen. Mairin gulped– she had asked Alain not to hold back, but she was still startled as he came at her Pokemon with almost a merciless battle style.

"U-use Cotton Guard!" Mairin called, and Zach's flowing mane of wool started to glow, raising his defense. Charizard rushed forward, her wing slashing against Zach, who was luckily able to take the hit.

Barely.

As the battle continued, Mairin was slowly starting to realize that she was not as powerful as she had thought.

Mairin's eyes locked on Alain, and she could simply see that he was fully immersed in the battle. Often times when battling one weaker than him he'd do it with a casual air, simply giving his Pokemon orders without truly engaging. Though she knew she was no match for him, her heart warmed to see that he was taking the match with just as much focus as he would with a powerful opponent.

His icy blue eyes were distant, as if in a whole other world when battling. Mairin watched him as he ordered Charizard into a Dragon Claw, mimicking the action as he spoke. She loved the way he moved, his sleek body curving as if he were in the fight himself. While distant to those he didn't know, he truly was one with his Pokemon.

Even though she was in the middle of the battle, Mairin found herself watching his movements, lost in her own mind until Zach's cries snapped her back to reality.

"Amp!" He cried as the Dragon Claw hit him across the chest, and he flew through the air. Mairin's eyes widened as he collapsed in the corner of the battlefield, whimpering.

"Zach!" She cried, about to race out towards him, but he slowly raised his long neck. His red gems gleamed, and he painfully began to rise.

Charizard landed in front of Alain, letting out a roar to let Zach know that she was far from down. The Ampharos narrowed his eyes, and stood. The two Pokemon watched each other, each waiting for their trainer to give them an order.

Mairin's eyes met Alain's, and despite the emotionless look on his face, she saw a smile in his eyes. She smiled as well, glad to see that he was enjoying the match. But before her mind could wander again she forced her gaze towards Zach– who was stumbling.

"Use Discharge!" Mairin cried, and the Ampharos began to spark, building up an electric charge.

"Charizard, give them a Blast Burn," Alain said, and Charizard's tail flame flared up.

Mairin's eyes widened– she knew Alain's battle style too well after years of traveling with him– he was intending to end this battle now.

"Hurry Zach!" Mairin called desperately. Perhaps they could paralyze Charizard before she struck, which would give them a chance to continue the battle...

Because it would be over as soon as the Blast Burn hit.

Embers flickered across Charizard's whole body, flames bursting to life as she gathered the energy for the monstrous attack. Zach closed his eyes, releasing a huge wave of electricity from his body. The powerful surge covered the whole battlefield, striking Charizard as she prepared the attack.

The lizard cringed, showing that the attack had done at least some damage, but a burst of fire covered her fist– showing that it hadn't been enough. Letting out a roar, she struck the ground with her flame-covered claws, cracks appearing in the battlefield. Zach nervously stumbled back as the cracks started to web out towards him, a harsh golden flame visible below.

Mairin opened her mouth to quickly give an order– but there was no where to dodge. The ground erupted under Zach's feet, a plume of golden fire rushing up. The raging flames covered the field, engulfing the Ampharos. A cloud of smoke blocked Mairin's view of her Pokemon, but she could hear him crying out as the attack bore down on him.

Mairin's key stone gleamed weakly, and she cast her eyes out towards the battlefield as the harsh eruption of fire began to die down. The smoke was clearing away, revealing her Ampharos laying unmoving on the field, covered in burns. He glowed for a moment, his mega evolution fading away from around him. Mairin was breathing heavily, staring at her fallen Pokemon.

Charizard let out a victorious roar, her mega evolution fading as well. Mairin ran to Zach's side, while Alain gave Charizard a pat as he approached. The fire type's silver eyes were gleaming proudly, and Alain turned his gaze to Mairin.

"You were wonderful, Zach," Mairin told the electric type, stroking the gem on his head. He let out a small rumble, closing his eyes. Mairin quickly recalled him to a Pokeball to rest, and she closed her own eyes.

She hadn't expected to win– but still it was at this moment Mairin was realizing how weak she truly was compared to Alain. She had been training with them, bonding with them, working to master mega evolution. But even with her Pokemon mega evolving, she was just a mere ember next to his fiery glory. She had been hoping to show Alain how much stronger she had become, that she didn't have to depend on him, but...

"Good battle, Mairin," Alain said, standing in front of Mairin. He was smiling down at her, though she kept her gaze away from him.

"Yeah..." Mairin muttered, and she quickly composed herself. "You're as strong as ever!"

She smiled up at Alain, though he frowned as he noticed that her eyes lacked their usual gleam. He knelt down next to her, and Mairin felt her heart starting to race.

"Is everything okay?" Alain asked, worry in his tone. "We didn't give Zach any serious injuries, did we?"

Mairin shifted. "No, he's fine Alain... It's just me, no one else."

If she had been hoping that would make him drop the subject, it hadn't worked. He scooted closer– which made Mairin's heart race more– pure concern on his face.

"Mairin, what's wrong?" He asked.

She sighed, looking up at him. "I... I was just hoping I was stronger than this, that's all..." She gulped, clenching her fists. "...So you wouldn't have to worry about looking after me anymore."

Alain didn't say anything, and Mairin turned away. Alain was her best friend– but she didn't want to be a burden on him. She had followed him on his journeys for years, and he had placed himself in danger so many times just for her sake. She didn't want him to have to do that anymore, she didn't want him to be at risk because she was weak.

"Mairin," Alain said, and she looked up at him. "It wouldn't matter if you had Xerneas herself on your team– I would still worry about you," He smiled. "You're my friend Mairin, and no matter what I'll care about you. And don't you dare for a moment think that you're weak– you're one of the strongest people I know."

He didn't wait for a response– he stood up as soon as he finished speaking, recalling Charizard to her Pokeball. Mairin watched him as he headed away from the battlefield. And even though the battle was long over, Mairin still felt her heart hammering in her chest.

She thought back on his words, a smile spreading across her face. As she slowly pulled herself to her feet, she felt her cheeks start to flush.

"Oh Arceus," She muttered. "What's wrong with me?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

The question wasn't meant to be harsh, but when coming from Alain sometimes things just sounded that way. Mairin flinched when she heard his voice, but kept her focus on the Flareon in front of her. She hastily continued brushing Kade's fur, the Flareon letting out a purr-like rumble.

Now fifteen years old, Mairin had been working at Professor Sycamore's lab for nearly six months now, having decided to assist the professor ever since Alain had begun his studies here to become a professor himself. She hadn't wanted to be far from her best friend, but at the same time Mairin wanted to run and put as much distance between the two of them as possible.

Stupid crush.

It had been nearly a year since she had discovered her feelings for Alain– and her admiration for him had only grown from there. For the most part she had pushed it aside, letting her heart race and hoped that no one noticed if a blush slipped onto her face. This was natural– Alain was someone she was close to, nice, and kind of cute as well. So what if she got a few Vivillon in her stomach when he brushed by her– she had told herself it would pass with time. He was three years older than her anyways, and treated her like a little sister, he would never return her feelings.

So she went on with life, pretending that they never existed.

But then Alain had gotten a girlfriend.

It was nothing too serious– but still Mairin stiffened everytime Astrid was brought up in conversation. It was the same girl Alain had battled when Mairin had first met him– apparently they had crossed paths when Alain was out on an assignment for the professor, and something had sparked.

Even though Mairin had only met her several times (Mairin tended to vanish from the lab when Astrid came by to visit), Mairin found herself hating her. Mairin's Pokemon seemed to be the only ones that notice– her team always trying to comfort her when her emotions got out of hand. She had tried to rid herself of the jealousy– Astrid was hardly competition when Mairin didn't even have a chance– but the feelings had refused to leave her.

"Mairin?"

She jumped as Alain spoke again, snapping her out of her thoughts, causing her to drop the brush. Kade glared up at her as the brush hit his back, the Flareon scowling.

"H-hi," Mairin said, her voice a bit higher than normal. She slowly turned to face Alain, who was frowning at her. She shifted in his harsh gaze, quickly scooping up Kade. "Do you need something?"

"I asked you a question," Alain said as she stood up. He was standing in the doorway, his arm pressed up against the doorframe– blocking her only exit. "I wanted to know why you've been avoiding me."

Mairin glanced down at the ground, Alain was just too observant. She had just needed time to sort out her emotions– both towards Alain and Astrid– but Alain had of course noticed when his little shadow had gone missing.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mairin said swiftly, eyes darting around the room. She didn't need this right now! Normally she could keep herself composed around him, but now that he was dating a certain blonde...

Alain sighed. "Honestly Mairin, I can see right through your lies like they're glass. Something's bothering you," His gaze softened. "Did I do something? Was it something I said? Why have you been avoiding me?"

Because you started dating some idiot that's probably more interested in your key stone than she is you. Mairin thought angrily, but she didn't voice this. Instead she looked away from him, hugging Kade closer. The Flareon twisted in her grip, unsure of what to make of the silence in the air.

Alain frowned. "Did something happen with your family again?"

Mairin flinched, of all the things to bring up...

"N-nope, everything there is dandy," She said inched back slightly. "Excuse me– I promised Bébé I would groom her after Kade?"

Alain raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound too sure about that."

Mairin shifted, gulping. "I'm fine Alain, really, you're just overreacting. I'm not avoiding you, I've just been busy."

"I guess you have been pretty busy lately," He said, and Mairin found herself relaxing slightly, glad that he 'understood'. "I'll just ask the professor to give you a day off, you clearly need a break. We can go catch a movie or something."

"What!" Mairin cried, jerking her head up. Why was this happening? Sure they were friends– but the last thing she needed was to get her feelings even more jumbled! "I– I can't– I said, um– I told–"

Alain drew back slightly. "You are avoiding me."

The look of hurt on his face made Mairin's heart tightened. Was she taking this too far? She thought that trying to drown out her admiration would be making things better– but this was worse. She guilty turned away, mind racing. What was she suppose to say?

Kade broke free from her, the Flareon racing towards Alain. While technically her Pokemon, both she had Alain had raised Kade from an egg. He raced towards Alain, leaping up into his arms, letting out concerned calls. Alain held the Flareon, but was still staring at Mairin with an unreadable gaze.

"It's– it's not like that!" Mairin said, taking a step towards him. "Y-yes, I have been... giving you some space, but..." What was she suppose to say? "It's not because of you... it's because of Astrid."

Alain didn't reply right off, lips pressing together as he took this in. "Did something happen with her?"

She took you. Mairin thought, but she bit her tongue. Crush or not, Alain was still her best friend, and him dating someone had created a rift between them. Yes, she had helped create that distance, but she never would have if Astrid hadn't shown up.

But she wasn't about to tell him how she really felt.

There was a lump in her throat as she spoke. "I... I just didn't want to get in your guys' way..."

Kind of a lie... but kind of the truth as well. She hadn't wanted to get in their way, but mostly because she had been trying to keep her feelings buried.

"Oh Mairin," Alain said, his gaze soften. "Just because I was dating someone didn't mean you had to keep your distance," She looked at her feet. "You're my best friend Mairin, and I would never want to lose that."

That really wasn't what she wanted to hear, but her throat still tightened. "Thank you, Alain."

He smiled. "Well, do you want to go catch a movie then? How To Train Your Latios III is out now, isn't it? You wanted to see that, right?"

Mairin watched as he scratched Kade behind the ear. "...Isn't that something you should be doing with Astrid?"

Alain chuckled. "She's not really the type to see a movie as a good date. I guess I don't really see it as one either. Besides– we aren't dating anymore."

Mairin's eyes widened. "What?"

Alain gave her a small grin. "I tried to tell you, but someone was trying to avoid me."

"What happened?" Mairin asked, trying to keep the eager tone out of her voice.

"Nothing too exciting, she's a very nice girl, but nothing really clicked between us," He shrugged. "We both decided to just part of friends yesterday."

Mairin smiled, though mostly to herself. She looked up at Alain as she approached him, grabbing Kade from him as she walked by. Her heart didn't feel quite as heavy anymore, her tone taking on it's normal playful edge.

"Well," Mairin said with a grin. "As long as you're planning on paying, a movie sounds like a blast!"

Alain rolled his eyes at this, but followed after Mairin, a relieved smile on his face.

"Please Alain... hurry..." Mairin whispered as she stood near the bus stop, rain pouring down onto the empty streets. The night was cold and dark, and Mairin found herself pressing up against Chespie as she looked down the road.

The Chesnaught was attempting to shelter his trainer from the storm with his large arms, but whenever the wind blew the rain would be washed up onto her. The grass type quickly shuffled around to try to block the wind as well, but Mairin didn't care, she was sure she couldn't get colder than she already was.

Tears fell down her face, though with the rain falling most probably wouldn't even notice. The redhead sniffled, wiping at her face as she tried to compose herself. Chespie let out a sorrowful rumble, and she pressed up against her starter.

"Why did she have to be there...?" Mairin whispered. "Was one weekend too much to ask for? Was that too much for her?"

She closed her amber eyes, more tears pouring down her face. Her bottom lip was trembling, trying to hold back her tears. Chespie shifted to make sure he was still blocking the rain, then he wrapped a thick arm around her. She pressed her head up against him, looking down the road once more.

Her heart beat hopefully when she saw a figure making their way towards the old bus stop.

"Mairin?" His voice was faint in the rain as he called out, but Mairin recognized it. She pulled back from the Chesnaught, watching as the figure pulled closer. She raised one hand half-heartedly, and his pace increased.

"Alain," Mairin muttered, and she bolted towards him. He was wearing a thick rain jacket, a huge black umbrella spread above him. He paused as he watched the sixteen year old run up to him, before increasing his own pace. The rain fully poured down over her, her hat and scarf soaking wet. Her long hair clung in strands, slapping against her back.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," Alain said as she raced towards him. "I came as soon as I got your message– Mairin!"

"Agh!" Mairin cried, her feet skittering across the slick cement. She closed her eyes as she felt herself tumbling forward, painfully crashing into the pavement. Her wet jacket became drenched as she landed, her chin and palms burning as they hit the cement. She groaned, but didn't move.

She just didn't care.

"Mairin!" Alain cried again, and she heard his footsteps as he ran forward, alongside with Chespie's. Alain drew up next to her, kneeling down, and she felt his hand on her back. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"

"...I can stand..." She muttered. With one hand holding the umbrella over them, Alain wrapped his other under her shoulder, trying to help her up. Her knees ached, and she simply didn't have the heart to stand. It wasn't until Chespie had joined them that they were able to place her on her feet with his powerful grasp.

Alain handed the umbrella to Chespie, who held it out over them, and Alain took her hands into his. He looked over her scraped-up palms, but saw no blood. Mairin didn't say anything as he examined her, his sharp blue eyes taking in her battered and soaked self. Her eyes were red from crying, exhaustion making her limbs shake.

"Mairin, you're drenched," He whispered. "You should of had me meet you at the Center."

Mairin closed her eyes. "I d-don't want to see anyone else."

His hands tightened around hers. "Was it that bad?"

Tears entered her eyes, and Alain gently slipped off her soaked hat as they stood under the umbrella.

"...No more than usual..." She whispered. "I... I just can't take it anymore, Alain! I don't want to see her ever again!"

"Naught," Chespie rumbled angrily.

Alain wrapped his arm over her, taking the umbrella back from Chespie. He guided her down the road, leading them back towards where he had come from. She pressed herself up against him, whole body shaking. She had missed Alain so much.

"I'm going to get you wet..." She whispered, but she didn't pull away from him. Chespie was walking behind them, the grass type not minding the rain. He just watched his trainer with sad eyes as Alain held her close.

"I don't care," Alain snapped. "Tell me what happened."

And so between her shaky sobs, Mairin told her story.

She had been going to visit her parents for the first time in several years– she had never been close to them, though they had cared for her. She was the youngest of three by fifteen years– leaving both a huge age and emotional gap between her and her siblings. Her older sister was a skilled doctor, while her brother was a famous Pokemon Performer. Her brother wasn't too bad, he was the father of her niece and he treated Mairin decently– but she was no closer to him than she was with her parents.

Her sister was where the real problems were.

A klutz. Childish.

An accident. Ugly. Stupid.

Unwanted.

She had heard the words her whole life, but never had the stung lessened as she had grown. While her parents had never favored her, they had still cared for her, but her sister always went out of her to push Mairin away. To make sure Mairin knew that she hadn't been wanted her life.

The fact that her parents had never made any effort to stop this hurt even more.

But this weekend was just suppose to have been her and her parents– a chance to see them again, maybe even her brother and niece too. Her sister worked in a completely different city, usually with an unbendable schedule.

But of course she had found time for this weekend.

"Don't you know when to give up?" She had bitterly told Mairin. "Can't you see when you're not wanted here? We have our own life– and you have no right to keep trying to shove yourself into it."

She was sobbing by the time she reached this part of her story, hands tightly gripping Alain's jacket.

"What did your parents do?" Alain asked, tone even.

"..." All Mairin could see was a blur, relying on Alain's steady to grip to keep walking. "I d-didn't stay long enough to find out... I just g-grabbed my bag and ran... Took the first bus away from there and then called you..." Her throat tightened. "But it d-didn't look like they were g-going to say anything... again."

Alain's arm tightened around her, keeping her in his protective embrace. Despite the cold night, the air around him was warm, and Mairin pressed herself closer to him.

"W-was it wrong for me to go back?" Mairin asked quietly. "Is she r-right? If they don't care th-then why do I keep...?"

"Mairin, don't you dare for one moment think that you did something wrong," Alain snapped, voice cold. "They are your family– they're suppose to take care of you. If they refuse to even defend you then they don't deserve you."

"...No one deserves to b-be stuck with someone like me..." Mairin whispered, voice quivering, and Alain stopped in his tracks.

He turned to face her, his gaze angry. His hand tightened even more around her shoulder, and his voice was almost a hiss.

"What did you just say?" He growled, eyes flashing. Mairin tried to pull back, but his grasp made that impossible.

"Th-that no one should be stuck with someone like me!" Mairin stuttered out, her voice rising. Fresh tears entered her eyes. "I'm nothing but a burden for people, Alain! I'm w-weak, I can barely take care of myself, people are forced to support me! Even you– I wouldn't leave you alone until you let me tag along and–"

"And who knows where I'd be if you hadn't!" Alain screamed, cutting her off. His cry echoed through the streets, and silence settled around them. The only noise was their breathing and the rain pouring down onto their umbrella. Chespie stood behind them, blocking the wind as the two friends stared at each other.

"A-alain," Mairin whispered, and he turned his head away.

"Mairin, you found me when I was literally pushing everyone I cared about away from me," He muttered. Even though he wasn't directly facing anymore her his hand was still on her shoulder. "I was walking towards a blind goal– and you were the light I needed," He glanced at her, expression unreadable. "Mairin, if it weren't for you..."

She looked down. She was starting to feel the chill of the night again, her wet clothes icy against her skin. Yet there was a small flicker of warmth in her heart as Alain spoke.

"Thank you," Mairin whispered. "I... I think I needed to hear that..."

He gave her a small smile, pulling his hand away. "Let's get out of this rain."

She managed to nod, stumbling forward. He stayed by her side, holding the umbrella out over them, but she wished that he'd hold her close again. He made no move to do so though, so she wrapped her arms around herself to try to hold onto the little warmth she had left. Chespie's heavy footsteps shook the ground slightly as they walked, providing some comfort.

She was safe– far away from anyone that wished to hurt her. Perhaps it had been a bit rash for her to run off and end up in this tiny town, which ended up making Alain have to travel all of the way out here just to find her– but he had still done it. He had dropped everything in the middle of the night to drive out here to find her.

Mairin could faintly see a small Pokemon Center in the distant– it seemed they were probably going to spend out the night there. Mairin didn't mind– simply glad that she was safe once more.

She increased her pace slightly, the thoughts of fresh clothes and a warm shower driving her forward. Sleep to make this horrible day vanish for at least a few hours.

But fate was fickle, and Mairin felt her stomach twisting as her shoe got caught on an uneven section of the sidewalk. Her hands instinctively went out as she began to fall forward, ready to attempt to break her fall, bracing herself for the inevitable pain.

But instead a different sensation washed over her as she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, a hand gripping her shoulder to steady her. Her heart was racing, and she wasn't sure if it was from the fall or not.

Alain had let go of the umbrella when he had reached out to catch her, the wind catching it, sweeping it away. Chespie had reached up, grabbing it before it could fly away in the storm. The rain now washed over the both of them, the cold droplets soaking her once more.

"You need to watch your step more," Alain muttered, flipping her over so she wasn't facing the ground. Still in Alain's arms, she found herself staring up at the stormy sky, Alain's soft gaze watching her. She blinked rapidly, trying to get the drizzling rain away from her eyes.

Alain didn't pull her up right away, his hands supporting her as he looked down at her. His wet hair was laying flat against his head, raindrops running down his face. His gaze was sharp as it always was, but Mairin caught a slight hesitation in his eyes. There was some color in his cheeks, both of them breathing heavily as they sat there in the silence. His gaze softened, still watching her as her heart started to race. Mairin felt as if a dozen Vivillon had taken refuge in her stomach– a sensation she hadn't felt with Alain for some time now.

Despite the emotional pain she had been through today, she felt her cheeks flushing as she laid in his arms. She didn't dare move, for fear of ruining the moment, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. The rain didn't seem quite as harsh though, the storm providing music to the silent scene.

"Ah-ah– ah-choo!"

The moment was shattered as a sneeze escaped Mairin, the sound echoing through the streets. The small blush in her cheeks flared to a bright red in embarrassment. Alain gave her a small smile, pulling her up so she was on her feet. She looked away, wanting to cover her face with her hands.

Alain slipped off his raincoat, draping it over Mairin's shoulders, before accepting the umbrella back from Chespie. Mairin wrapped the large jacket around her, staring down at her feet. Alain placed an arm over her shoulder, covering both of them with the umbrella.

"You've been out in this rain for too long," He said gently. "Let's get you to the Center."

With too many emotions running through her, Mairin simply nodded.