Vermilion City didn’t change in eleven days, but Maylene had hoped that something would distract her from the events that had come to pass. Riolu was cradled in her arm, and the remains of his Poké Ball were packed away with her belongings. She stood leaning on the rails of the port, watching the sea and hoping for anything to distract her while she waited for the S. S. Aqua to take her back to Cianwood.

There are many people aside from Chuck that she would have preferred to talk to, but he was the closest person she could think of; everyone else was in Sinnoh, and she didn’t know anyone from Kanto. A Magikarp was popping against the surface of the water, trying to jump over the water, but always stopping her swim too soon, her mouth constantly gaping as if she was surprised.

Riolu was clutching at Maylene’s blue shirt when, hours later, the arrival of the S. S. Aqua was announced by the ship’s loud horn, and the dull voice that came with a shrill noise from the megaphones. Maylene showed her ticket, and was able to quickly find her room. She locked the door, and was overcome by a deep slumber.

*

The next day, Maylene opened her eyes as soon as the sun had risen. She walked to her window, leaving Riolu fast asleep on the bed. The light reflected on the buildings of Olivine City, and the surface of the sea was glinting, disturbed only by the ripples of the slowing ferry. A good distance was still between them and the dock, and everyone seemed to take that opportunity to watch the sunrise as the footsteps outside Maylene’s door indicated.

After a few minutes, Maylene started to notice some disturbances in the surface of the sea. A new set of ripples intercepted those created by the S. S. Aqua, and they slowly became waves. A large serpentine beast with glaring red eyes had come into view, and only when it approached the window did Maylene register that it was looking directly at her.

The Pokémon’s jaws clamped around the circular window, and with a fast motion, pulled it out. The frightened screams of the people above reached Maylene’s ears as she fell onto the floor, and Riolu woke up with a wince.

The Gyarados swam away past the hole, and right behind his fin, Maylene spotted a familiar face.

‘Come on, jump aboard!’ Crasher Wake screamed unnecessarily.

She didn’t have to think about it; she trusted Crasher Wake enough to do what he said. Maylene wrapped her arms around Riolu, and walked to where the window used to be. The Gyarados swam closer to the ferry, and Crasher Wake was reaching for Maylene.

‘What about my bag?’ said Maylene. ‘It has my clothes and everything in it.’

‘I’ll take of it, just jump to me!’

With a final check that the numb bundle in her arms was indeed Riolu, she dived towards the hole, and fell into Crasher Wake’s arms. Gyarados gave a roar, and it swam away as all the spectators took photos and stared in disbelief.

‘How did you know where to find me?’

‘Brawly called me and told me what happened,’ said Crasher Wake. ‘So I just sailed the sea until I found you; caught this Gyarados while at it!’

He gave a slap to the Gyarados, and the Pokémon roared in anger.

‘Are you going to take me back to Sinnoh?’

‘Do you want to go back to Sinnoh?’

‘Yeah, I think I’m done,’ said Maylene, casting a glance at Riolu. ‘It’s not like I can go anywhere else.’

‘What about Chuck? You can still train with him,’ said Crasher Wake. ‘Besides, I think I’m starting to like Johto! The sea here is great! Sinnoh is cold, and the seas there are not good enough. But this! This is great!’

Maylene lacked Crasher Wake’s enthusiasm. She glanced again at Riolu, and her eyes lingered on the Pokémon, who looked back in surprise. He couldn’t believe that Maylene would give up on her goal, and Crasher Wake seemed to reflect his thoughts.

‘Listen, Maylene, I know you faced more hurdles during the past few months than ever before, but you can’t give up! You said you wanted to become a Gym Leader! You would be great as a Gym Leader!’

‘I don’t have what it takes, though.’

‘Name the Gym Leaders that you know!’

‘There’s you, dad, Roark just became one, his dad, Fantina, and there’s Chuck and Pryce from Johto, and Brawly from Hoenn.’

‘And you’re Strongest than all of them!’ Crasher Wake gave a loud laugh. ‘You have all that it takes to become a Gym Leader! Gyarados, let’s go for Olivine!’

Gyarados gave a roar, and swam faster towards the city. They stopped at the beach, where they all stepped onto the sand, and Crasher Wake returned Gyarados to his Poké Ball. He signaled for Maylene to follow him, and walked towards the center of the city.

‘We’ll start by getting back the old you! I don’t like this depressed Maylene!’ said Crasher Wake. ‘The old Maylene ate a lot, so you’re going to start eating!’

It took them a few minutes of roaming to find a restaurant, and Crasher Wake held the door open as Maylene went in reluctantly. They sat at a table in the centre of the restaurant, and a waiter handed them their menus.

‘Anything interests you? I can see a lot of things I want to eat!’ exclaimed Crasher Wake.

Maylene shook her head, and handed her menu to Riolu, who was sitting on a chair, and almost completely below the table.

‘Come on, Maylene,’ Crasher Wake pleaded. ‘Moping won’t get you anywhere! No one blames you. If you ask anyone, they will tell you that it was all Bruno’s fault. When Brawly told me what happened, the first thing I wanted to do was go to Bruno and give him the same treatment he unfairly gave you!

‘But right now, I want to make sure you’re okay, and you’re obviously not. This isn’t the Maylene that I know! I want you to show Bruno that you don’t need his help. You can become a Gym Leader on your own, and you can defeat him. I want you to show them all. Be stronger than Chuck, be stronger than Pryce, be stronger than me, your father, anyone! Be the Strongest!’

‘And what if I don’t want to be strong anymore?’ said Maylene. ‘What if I don’t want to be a Gym Leader?’

‘Then you can stop training, but you do want to be a Gym Leader,’ said Crasher Wake. ‘When I was your age, I was constantly made of for my size, but I didn’t let that get in my way!’

‘I didn’t know you were born skinny…’

‘I wasn’t! Kids made fun of me because I was huge. I was as tall as you when I was four! You have the ability to be strong, and I’ll prove it!’

Maylene looked up questioningly at Crasher Wake, and one glance at his eyes zoomed her back. In that moment, Maylene could have sworn she had travelled to all the times she and Crasher Wake had a battle. Every drop of rain surrounding them was clear in her head. Every blotch of mud on her clothes was as present.

She hadn’t had such a sensation for a long time. Excitement mixed with her doubt, and quickly overcame it. Maybe it was the fact that she had never defeated Crasher Wake, and she made him to be a godly figure in her mind, flawless in his battles, that erased her fear of defeat.

‘There’s a twist, though!’ Crasher Wake said with a grin. ‘Since your Machop is new to your team, and my Gyarados barely spent three hours in my possession, we’re going to use them, and have a battle that will shake Johto to its core!’