They were in agreement at least. Saya leaned back and looked up to the sky as she kept her thoughts to herself for a moment. She had missed the clash of her identity on the stage versus what she was like now. The bright and cheery colors being muted to their current muddy shades. Her hands leaned back as the soft caress of the grass was there to greet her. Saya pursed her lips together in thought as she thought back to some of the simpler times. The places she'd visit like Sinnoh and even as far back as Unova! Her stoic demeanor remained solitary before she looked back to Reese.

"I never showed you one of my routines." Saya exhaled and slowly pushed herself to her feet and looked down at Reese. She was unsteady and lacked any sort of cohesion. But still, she extended her hand for Reese to take while adjusting her glasses with a soft nod. "I'll have to pretend you're my old Kirlia, but I still remember the old steps."

REESE RHODES

☉

Another day in paradise, that was the motto of the coffee shop that Saya had found herself sitting in. Located in bright and sunny Mauville Hills, the unimposing woman was busy tapping away on her laptop in the corner of the shop. A cup of caffeinated goodness was brought to her lips, chugging the day away with her bag on the table.

Unbeknownst to anybody, inside was a particularly nasty device, one she had used multiple times in the past when out on a job. It was everything any aspiring "security consultant" needed. A semi VPN that would list her location as being inside of the company instead of at a coffee shop, alongside an identity spoofer that she had worked hard to recalibrate to feign one of the ID cards belonging to an employee inside. It was a pretty easy effort to blend into a crowd while she worked on cracking into parts somebody's network. Her target this time was the company just a few buildings west.

After an hour of perfecting her false credentials and hoping she wouldn't be denied, the system allowed her to log in remotely.

"Easy." she muttered underneath her breath. "Now we get to the fun part."

One of those rich shoobies had hired her under the table. It was a simple job, really. They had somebody that they must have had a falling out and wanted a a quick and easy plant job. She'd leave a remnant of seemingly stray code in the network that would let her know bits and pieces. Financial records, audits, what upgrades and more they had planned. All she would need to do is to check in on it from time and time again.

Another long sip of coffee later, and Saya got to work.

PENELOPE LIVY

☉

Pain hit her feet in a steady beat. Waves of nerves crying out from the tips of her toes to her upper thighs had made her breathing become labored. Saya winced in a pain, though her eyes fell onto the egg on her chest, making sure she hadn't damaged it. Once she was certain it was safe, she looked up at Reese with a look of shock.

Others were watching and looking on. She wanted to just die here, and not exist with everybody staring at her. How could a star like her who had grown up with all eyes on her be reduced to what she was now? Her eyes remained down on the ground to avoid the glare of others, though she would hear a thud of somebody next to her.

Reese sat down beside her and waved off some of their concern. She silently thanked whatever legendary above that she had met this former contest winner within the past hour or so. But it was a double edged sword. There was some humiliation mixed in with this relief but it was far better than the alternative.

"I'm fine. Great day to forget the wheelchair at home. I just need to rest for a bit."

She laid down on the lawn and frowned, letting out a frustrated groan while her hair laid on the green grass beneath her.

"Do you ever miss it?" she asked, "The stage, I mean. Not every day, but every so often, I wish I could go back to how it was. I miss the crowds, singing practice, even the long nights."

REESE RHODES

☉

Saya couldn't help but become interested in the performance that the Lurantis would perform. It was always such a beautiful Pokemon, one that she had found herself envious of back when she used to collect them. Reese had taken the two of them near the fields next to the hall, were a couple of people were already practicing. People of all ages and their pokemon happily training for their moment on stage.

Just seeing some of them had caused her to feel out of place.

Her eyes remained on Reese and his Lurantis, doing her best not to let her vulnerability show to the two people she had already met. The Lurantis began its spectacles with a shining display of movement which basked in the glory of its SUNNY DAY. The dance that Lurantis performed was smooth and flowing, with each step and turn deliberate and well timed. It was a little out of tune and place, but it was to be expected. It had likely been a while.

For a moment watching the performance, Saya could feel something in her icy heart. It felt nice watching somebody else perform. Just returning to that little display that she had so loved twenty something years ago. Her permanently stoic face had actually lightened up as the performance came to a close. Saya applauded with a small laugh, beaming at the two.

"Nothing short of amazing. You've obviously trained her well, even after all these years." Saya said, "I would show one of my own, but I don't tend to really get along with Pokemon ever since..."

It happened. That short, cold prickling of pain struck her as her words trailed off.

"Nggh..."

Her face twisted into a pained grimace while her legs began to shake and wobble. It didn't take long before she fell to the ground on her rear. Pain fired through every muscle in her legs. She cursed her endurance for not being able to power her through the hour.

Not here. Not like this in front of people.

REESE RHODES

☉

Their smile faltered as Saya's own would go from its normal resting bitch face to a slightly more concerned resting bitch face. Reese's answer was understandable. Everybody needed a break from the fame, but she could see it clear as day in those eyes. The look she had known all too well. It was a way of safeguarding yourself from the ugly truth and keeping up appearances. It had only been so long since they had talked and Saya had already found a kindred spirit with another person here.

She wouldn't ask much of anything else. Everybody had their reasons.

"That's a shame, I bet you were something to see on stage." Reese did have some keepsakes left though, as her curiosity was growing more and more. She tapped the side of her cheek with her hand, resting on the edge of the egg holder on her chest. "I'd love to see them, Reese. Assuming you don't have anything better to do."

REESE RHODES

☉

The news had left Saya dumbfounded. She hadn't expected a fan of hers to end up here, of all places! It had been a while since her last competition, about two decades or so, and still, people remembered her so freely. She stood silent for a moment to absorb the comment before a rare smile crossed her face.

"Thank you, it's nice to hear that again..." Saya replied, "I would have loved to see you perform."

The boy did look down about admitting he too had stepped out from the contest stage. It was a fairly common practice, to their credit. A world of bright lights, ascending heights and crushing dreams. Very few could stay in it for so long without a fallback or having to leave for many issues.

"I don't mean to dig into it, but why did you stop performing? You can guess why I did, but you seem like the type to love an audience."

REESE RHODES

☉

Saya had not wanted to take this route along her walk, but the recent side walk renovations had forced her hand. Ever since coming to Hoenn, her doctors had insisted that she try to take a more proactive approach to exercising, though it never felt worth doing.

Especially so HERE.

Posters and advertisements of various contests and more that had made her resentful of the people here. The many memories and knowledge of the circuit back in Unova would always come to face her here as she couldn't stand it. It was a mockery of the world that she could no longer participate in any longer. A forbidden fruit forever out of reach.

The egg she had been keeping an eye on sat in a pouch across her chest, surrounded by heated blankets and with both hands properly secured just in the unlikely event that it fell. But she didn't care about it. Once the owner was found, she could get back to her perfect, Pokemon free life. They were all just a hassle...

Saya continued to walk until one person who had been standing around almost collided with her. In an instant, her arms wrapped around the egg to protect it, as if she were falling and wanted to brace for the impact. But after that, she sighed and looked up at whoever had run into it with a question.

"Watch where you're going, genius! You could have damaged the egg!" Saya snapped at him. Normally, she would stomp off with a bunch of sarcastic remarks but slowly closed her eyes and did what her psychiatrist had taught her to control herself. She took a few deep breaths to control herself.

"I'm...sorry. I've just been on edge lately." she apologized and then shook her head. "I don't come here all that often, but I used to compete when I was a kid. Saya Yasumura."

REESE RHODES

☉