Archive of Our Own

Wallace,

Safely arrived in Canalave City this morning. Boat ride was uneventful, although I did get a little seasick towards the end, which I am telling you so that you may laugh at me now & forget about it by the end of this letter. Good thing you're not with me, or else you surely would have mocked me even more in person! To that I say: we can't all have grown up in a literal water-filled crater. Some of us were born in caves, you know.

City is VERY beautiful. I'm staying at a small harbour inn, not unlike the one in Lilycove back home. The owner tells me that the inn was out of use for a good fifty years or so before they've recently renovated it, and now it seems to be thriving! Best night of sleep in all of Sinnoh, he says proudly (and without me asking). Other than that, there's an absolutely COLOSSAL library (which, if I recall correctly, my father once tried to buy during one of his interregional business trips), a state-of-the-art Steel-type Gym, and a direct ferry service to Iron Island (a defunct mine and pokémon training area). Three guesses as to where I'm going first. Actually scratch that, you only have one guess; you'll get it right anyway.

Hope all is well in Hoenn, or at least as well as it can be after the barely-averted crisis. More specifically, hope you're well, too. I know I've left in a bit of a rush – only because I know you can handle it – either way, how are things on your end?

Yours,

Steven

Steven dearest,

It will never cease to amuse me that the literal son of the literal owner of a literal tech company insists on sending handwritten letters from one region to another. I know you don't like your family all that much, but sweet Arceus, use your pokénav! Unless of course it doesn't work in Sinnoh, in which case I am very sorry for my complaint and profoundly grateful for any old scrap of paper you decide to stuff into a Pelipper's beak and send over to Sootopolis.

I am also dutifully laughing at your sea-induced misery. Picture me, cackling maniacally in my living room without the slightest ounce of pity, because Steven Stone got seasick! Now, as fun as that may be, I do prefer my friends not to be in pain and discomfort, so I am glad to read that you're safely back on land (and in a nice inn with a lively owner, at that). I will not ask what Joseph Stone wanted with the Canalave library (sell it back to the city for a higher price?) nor will I inquire about the Steel-type Gym, but do tell me everything about Iron Island, as that's obviously where you'll spend the next week at least, really Steven, who do you take me for?

As for Hoenn and me, I would like to say that all is well, but it would only be a partial truth. Your departure was 'rushed' indeed – we are still in the middle of reconstructions, although thankfully everyone has a plan for how to handle things, more or less. One building in particular that needs reconstructing is the Sootopolis Gym, which I still haven't decided what to do with. I haven't the time or energy to go look for a successor, and who knows! You may return and want your title back, and then where would that leave me?

As you can see, I am full of questions about the future but mostly fine. Although I will say: it would have been nice if you had left me something more substantial than a sticky note on your kitchen table before disappearing. I may have been a little worried.

Dramatically yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Pokénav does NOT work in Sinnoh, because Devon doesn't have an interregional monopoly on tech products (yet). This is an unambiguously good thing, so I guess you'll just have to live with scraps of paper and Pelipper beaks for now.

Iron Island is, unfortunately, FULL of people. It is also however full of holes, crevices and tiny caves where you can hide from said people and explore in peace. Jury's still out on this one! I did meet an interesting trainer by the name of Riley, who was kind enough to show me around and then leave me alone, although he did insist on buying me a drink at the inn later this week (jury's still out on this one, too). He has a Lucario – you know, those blue Steel-type Medicham with the Mightyena face – so that's neat, but Metagross doesn't seem so like him very much. Riley, that is, not the Lucario. Either way, I came here to climb down cave walls & dig around in dirt, so that's what I'm doing most of the time. Could give you more details but I don't want to bore you! I did find some beautiful hematite crystals left over from the island's mining days; one of them is included in this letter, so you don't get to complain about me not sending you a souvenir. (The actual Canalave souvenir shop only sells junk, anyway. They have Beldum pencil sharpeners?? The disrespect! Beldum does NOT look like a pencil sharpener.) Might soon take a break from the island & visit the Gym, although not to challenge. Imagine trying to beat a Steel-type team while having mostly Steel-types yourself! I'm falling asleep just thinking about it.

Speaking of Gyms, have you considered asking Juan to come back? It would spare you the trouble of finding and vetting someone on such short notice (sorry). Blame it on me if he's giving you a hard time about it, that might make him more likely to say yes. Glad to hear reparations are moving forward otherwise! Although I can't say I'm surprised; Hoenn's in much more capable hands now.

Yours,

Steven

Steven dear,

I am deeply sorry to point this out, but Beldum does sort of look like a pencil sharpener. In fact, a Beldum pencil sharpener sounds like the most adorable thing created by mankind, so I don't understand why it upsets you so much. What is wrong with you?

In fact, contemplating that question for a moment: when I said that I'd be grateful for 'any old scrap of paper' from you, it was not in fact intended as a challenge for you to write your letter on a (thankfully unused) napkin from that inn where you're staying. Yes, I laughed when I opened the envelope, yes, you are the funniest man on the planet, but could you think about the practical implications for a moment? It's going to be frayed and illegible within weeks, and then what will I do if I want to re-read your sweet, profound descriptions of Iron Island? At least have the foresight to, I don't know, use the back of a receipt the next time. (The hematite is really pretty though.)

I'm glad to hear you're meeting people and not being a complete hermit, although please do warn me if anything gets serious enough for you to move to Sinnoh forever. I would appreciate a bit more than some vague words scribbled on a napkin. Also, I know what a Lucario looks like, since you insist on showing me at least one video of them doing something funny every time we meet. I have seen more Lucario bump into trees, trip over their feet or chase their own head attachments than anyone should in their lifetime. (Not that I mind; they are pretty funny.) That being said, if Metagross has reservations about this Riley person, you might want to heed them. As we both know, Metagross likes me very much and therefore has excellent taste in people.

Getting Juan to come back is a solid idea. I do feel bad about dragging people out of their well-deserved retirement so yes, I will blame it on you entirely! Also, there's no need to butter me up; flattery's never been your thing, and you shouldn't start now. You're the one who decided to leave, the least you can do is own it.

Eternally yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

It's not flattery if it's factual, is it? We may both be good trainers, but you are definitely the better Champion: the people of Hoenn love you & you love them, you have the kind of charisma that could convince a Numel to take a dive in the sea, you're the sharpest person I've ever met, and you've handled this whole ordeal much better than I have. Again, no flattery or self-deprecation here, just fact. Although I do agree with that last bit – I decided to leave, and I don't regret it. I do regret not giving you more of a choice in the matter, but you must know by now that I can be a bit of a selfish coward sometimes.

You'll have noticed that I am indeed writing this on the back of a receipt. It's from the Canalave souvenir shop; I have enclosed the Beldum pencil sharpener in this envelope, so that you may sharpen all of your pencils to your heart's content. Have to admit, after my initial indignation the concept has very much grown on me & I've bought one for myself as well.

Visited the Gym yesterday. Leader Byron introduced me to his ace Bastiodon, a recently discovered and revived fossil pokémon that looks like it bashes its face against a mountain every day, and I mean this in the best possible way. I'll include a drawing of it on the back of the other receipt; unlike you, I'm not much of an artist but it might make you laugh. Would like nothing more than to bring one of them back with me but that sounds illegal (??) – will have to look into pokémon smuggling laws & loopholes.

As you can see, if I'm thinking about smuggling pokémon to Hoenn then I'm NOT thinking about moving to Sinnoh forever. Definitely not for Riley; had a nice time but it won't go anywhere. I shall only rely on Metagross' judgment from now on. Also should I ever want to leave Hoenn for good, I promise I will tell you in person and NOT via a napkin (or the back of a receipt, for that matter).

Yours,

Steven

Steven darling,

I appreciate the compliments, but please don't badmouth my friend like that. You're not selfish or a coward for needing a break after all of this; just open your mouth and TELL ME next time. Who knows, I may have liked to come with you! Although that raises the question of who would run the show during our combined absence. Anyone but Glacia, I hope.

The Beldum pencil sharpener is even more charming than I imagined, and my pencils are now so sharp that I could use them to stab challengers instead of battle them. Not that there's been any yet, I believe we all need a breather after the whole ecoterrorism thing. Still, compared to pokémon battling, I imagine pencil stabbing would save us all quite a bit of time, don't you think?

Regarding your artistic abilities, I don't know what you're talking about. Your drawing of Bastiodon is a masterpiece and I shall frame it immediately. That being said: DO NOT GET ARRESTED FOR POKÉMON SMUGGLING, holy Rayquaza on a tricycle. I will NOT bail you out if you do. In fact, I will come to your prison cell just for you to see my profoundly disappointed face, and I will bring Milotic, who will also look profoundly disappointed. Is this truly the risk you want to run, Steven Stone? Is it?

In other news, Juan has accepted to reprise his role as Sootopolis' Gym Leader. He needed less convincing than I expected, actually, although he agrees that it was very rude of you to just vanish without warning. Furthermore, I had to sit through a very tedious pokénav call with your father who wants to know your whereabouts; I think I managed to make it clear that it's none of his business while also remaining perfectly polite. The things I do for you, Steven! Your mother says hi, by the way. I like her, kind of; she's just as much of a capitalist as her husband but at least she's charming about it. Now excuse me while I try to delete the phrases 'company interest', 'public opinion' and 'shareholder concerns' from my brain.

Exhaustedly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

I promise not to get arrested for pokémon smuggling if YOU promise not to get arrested for MANSLAUGHTER. Being the Champion can have difficult moments but do NOT resort to stabbing challengers. Don't stab any of your colleagues, either; Glacia might be a tempting target but I promise she WILL get you first. (If you absolutely HAVE to stab someone I recommend Sidney, as there's a good chance he won't even notice.)

Interestingly, you never actually asked me not to smuggle any pokémon, only not to be caught while doing it. See, I pay very close attention to what you're writing!

Left Canalave this morning to stay in Jubilife for a while; instead of exploring the new city, I decided to first visit Sandgem Town and the nearby pokémon lab. They breed a Water pokémon there that evolves into a Steel type! This is your chance, Wallace! Its name is Piplup, and it is small and blue and funny; its final stage isn't small anymore but still just as blue and just as funny. Actually, it looks a little like me on a bad day, suit and frown and all. Since you enjoyed my rendition of Bastiodon so much, I'm including one of Empoleon (that's the Steel type) in this letter; decide for yourself if you see the resemblance.

Glad to hear about Juan and sorry to hear about my father. Thanks for keeping him off my case; I'll contact him myself so that he doesn't bother you again. I guess if one is as rich as he is, the concept of other people's boundaries gets a little fuzzy. Don't let yourself be charmed by my mother either, she might seem nice but I'd put her up there with Glacia in terms of likelihood to stab you.

Yours,

Steven

My dear Steven,

I deeply admire your ongoing campaign to convince me of the superiority of Rock-, Ground- and Steel-types; the Barboach that you gifted me a while ago remains a trusted cornerstone of my team, and this Piplup pokémon seems positively delightful. However, I must repeat myself: do not get arrested for pokémon smuggling, IN PARTICULAR not for my sake. As a Champion and a former Champion, surely we can find a way to procure these pokémon without resorting to illegal practices? Or at least not without proper research and an actual strategy, Arceus have mercy. (Empoleon does look like you! It has that same brand of disgruntled regality as you do at League meetings when you haven't had your coffee yet.)

I feel spoiled receiving all of these artistic masterpieces, so I am reciprocating with a portrait of Milotic from just a few days ago, when he was lounging in the water next to the new Sootopolis Gym (still under construction). He asked me to tell you that he misses you dearly; you might be able to make out the wistful yearning in his facial expression. Or not. Milotic's face has never been the most expressive.

Thanks for the heads-up about your mother! Also, I enjoy subtlety as much as the next coordinator but I do feel the need to spell this out: we haven't known each other for that long, but if you ever want to talk about your family, my ears are open. (Or eyes, in this case.) I know a thing or two about not meeting people's expectations.

Un-stabbingly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Did you know that the TV in my Jubilife hotel room has interregional reception? This is very lucky for me, because I wouldn't otherwise have found out that YOU just had your very first official Champion match yesterday. (Did it really not occur to you to mention this??) Either way, had a great time watching; your new team is brilliant (though I would enjoy seeing Luvdisc return) and I don't think I've ever seen anyone pull off a cape this well (I'm including both Clair and Lance here). You can tell Milotic that I miss him, too. Don't exactly have a wall at my disposal where I could hang his portrait, so it stays in the designated letter pocket for now.

Have spent a lot of time wandering the city streets. The buildings are impressive, especially at night with all the lights on, but it's a little too busy for my tastes. (The post office is open 24/7?? WHO needs to send a letter at four in the morning?) I also got recognised twice, which was honestly surreal. I doubt I'll stay here for long – might do the predictable thing and head over to Oreburgh in a day or two. Go look at the mines, lie in the dirt, breathe in some cave dust, you know the drill.

Thank you for the offer, though I don't want to be that guy who always whines about his rich kid problems. Needless to say, the same goes for you (although your mother seemed pretty cool that one time I met her). Also, am not the most literary person but I HIGHLY doubt that 'un-stabbingly' is a word.

Yours,

Steven

Wallace,

Yes, I am using a hotel bar coaster as stationery this time. No, it's not working very well. But look at this Spinda print! That alone should be worth it. Don't worry, I'm not going to write anything too important – already had drinks with this guy & you know what a lightweight I can be. It's pretty funny, actually; he's exactly my type, even asked me to his room, and yet here I still am, unable to stop thinking about the evening before I left Hoenn when you showed up on my doorstep and

Ran out of space on the coaster so I'm continuing on a napkin. Sadly forgot where I was going with that, and the print is making it very hard to read. Real genius move there, Steven! Maybe I should just get another coaster & send you that one, without the scribbles all over. Then again, you like my scribbles, at least I assume you do or else you wouldn't write back quite as often. I do like it when you write back.

Look at me getting mushy! Must be time to leave; no space left on the napkin either.

Yours,

Steven

Wallace,

Please ignore that last – well, letter might be a generous word. I do not for the life of me remember what I wrote, only that I wrote it, so don't bother trying to decipher it. At least we know now who needs to send a letter at four in the morning! Me, apparently.

I should definitely move on to Oreburgh today; expect something more substantial soon.

Yours,

Steven

Dearest of Stevens,

If 'un-stabbingly' wasn't a word before, I am declaring it to be one now. It's called a neologism, get with the program!

It did, in fact, occur to me to mention the match to you. I then decided against it, on the off-chance that I may lose and be humiliated beyond repair, which fortunately did not happen. I'm glad you appreciate both the new line-up and the cape! Luvdisc might make a comeback but only once I've gotten tired of leading with Wailord, towering over all of us with that vaguely benevolent look on his face. Match was more enjoyable than I expected, though of course not as enjoyable as the ones with you. I doubt anything is going to clear that bar in the foreseeable future.

Repairs on the Sootopolis Gym are finally done! You could say that it all went … … … swimmingly. Ha! Sadly Juan did not agree with my re-modelling plans, so the architecture stays the same. I tried to explain to him that while yes, the ice-floor-puzzle is very fun, having a basement full of women underneath comes across as a bit weird. Juan doesn't seem to mind looking like a serial killer, though. More power to him for staying true to his artistic vision? I suppose??

Poor you, taking a walk in the big city and having people recognise you. The audacity! What's next, fans giving you flowers? Presents? Autograph requests? Interviews? – On second thought, you're right, that's not how anybody wants to spend their vacation (is that the correct word for what you're doing?). I hope you get to leave Jubilife behind in peace and am breathlessly awaiting detailed descriptions of every single rock in Mine Cave Dirt Town.

Don't worry about the coaster, most of it isn't legible anyway. [a few very thoroughly crossed-out words] It's the thought that counts! And the Spinda print is indeed very cute.

Swimmingly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Mine Cave Dirt Town is GREAT, I'll have you know. Not enough time or patience to describe every single rock, although I was tempted to try and write this onto a rock & send it to you. Would be a step up from the coaster, I reckon!

As you will have guessed, I'm mostly hanging out in the mines, and so is the new local Gym Leader Roark. (He's Byron's kid – you know, the Canalave Leader – talk about nepotism!) Anyway, he showed me how to get into Sinnoh's underground tunnel system, which is THE most exciting thing EVER. Have to put that on the back burner for now, though, since at this point, I would just get lost within 5 minutes & never make my way out. Decided to go look for cool minerals instead, and wouldn't you know, I found some pyrite! Maybe you know it as fool's gold; it can be used to light fires but mostly it just looks very nice. I'm sending it to you for educational purposes, and also because Oreburgh doesn't have a souvenir shop, or else you'd be getting another pencil sharpener.

Happy to hear about the Gym! I imagine it's nice to have things return to normal, even if 'normal' includes women in the basement. Does have serial killer vibes but still sounds like a better deal to me than, say, having to stand in the dark all day in Dewford's Gym, or narrowly avoiding electrocution in Mauville's, or even just taking one wrong step in Mossdeep's and getting crushed by a statue.

Also happy to hear that your first challenger didn't immediately surpass me in terms of fun while battling. Would be a bit of a bummer to be that easily replaced, although I wouldn't fault you for it. Interestingly, I have yet to battle anyone in Sinnoh; however, since you are the least replaceable person on this planet you don't have anything to worry about.

Yours,

Steven

Precious Steven,

I am starting to suspect that all this talk about geology is just a cover for the fact that you are simply a bit of a Murkrow when it comes to shiny things. Not that I'm complaining – the pyrite is gorgeous, and yes, I know what fool's gold is. I do listen to your tirades about rocks, you know! (Maybe not to the ones over pokénav at three in the morning; there are limits to friendship and unfortunately this is one of them.)

THANK YOU for staying out of Sinnoh's underground tunnel system for now, I had a brief heart attack when reading those words. Thank you further for not actually writing your letter on a rock; I would pity the Pelipper who has to carry that back all the way to Hoenn, though I respect the creativity. Maybe I should look into diversifying my stationery, as well? I could steal some of Phoebe's spell tags, create a bit of chaos and mischief in the process. We've all gotten too comfortable without any lunatics trying to awaken legendary pokémon, and shouldn't it be a Champion's duty to keep his colleagues on their toes?

Speaking of Champion duties, your father has called me again. He keeps going on about shareholders, and frankly I don't know what he expects me to say. Like, oh boy, those shareholders are sure holding a lot of shares! Maybe instead of just listening, I should tell him something about berry blending and contest ribbons in return, so that we may both learn from the other.

Steven, you have to be careful with the things you say. I'm doing my best here, but reading about how I'm irreplaceable is going to make me blush a lot.

Flatteredly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Sorry for the long wait. Remember how I said I wasn't going to get lost in Sinnoh's underground tunnel system? Turns out I'm a dirty liar! Literally; everything I own is covered in cave dust now. But I did make it out, albeit not quite where I wanted. I thought I was going to be smart and travel all the way to Hearthome City underground, but I took a few wrong turns & ended up right inside one of the lower southern caves of Mt. Coronet. I'll be honest, I was very tempted to just abandon all civilized settlements and explore the whole mountain right then and there, but I was low on supplies, and besides, I have this feeling that I should save the mountain for later. No need to rush, right?

So either way, I'm in Hearthome now! Haven't really taken a look around yet, as I am writing this in the morning and it was already late when I crawled out of the cave yesterday, but the hotel room window has a great view of Mt. Coronet. There's also a HUGE Contest Hall right next to the hotel – will investigate later. Let's see if anyone in Sinnoh can give you a run for your money!

100% agreed on a Champion needing to keep his colleagues on their toes. I will give you one of my kidneys if you manage to prank Drake, I swear that guy never lets his guard down! The other kidney I will give you for a recording of the phone call with my father where you tell him all about berry flavour profiles. (Really though, I'm sorry that he's like that. I sent him what I thought was a very unambiguous letter that he needs to stop bothering you, but apparently he doesn't get it?? I'll try again. Thanks for being so patient.)

Yours,

Steven

Unbelievable Steven,

Sweet Rayquaza on a stick. WHY are you like this. Is it not enough for me to suffer your absence? Must I now also be subjected to the idea of you nearly STARVING to DEATH in some underground tunnel of a foreign region?? Really, the only logical conclusion is that you enjoy my pain. You sick, twisted man. – Seriously, please don't do that again. Or if you have to, do it in Meteor Falls where I can find you. The whole Mt. Chimney thing was enough of a scare.

And for Arceus' sake don't give me both of your kidneys. Or either! You need those to live, you know. That being said, pranking Drake sounds like a marvellous idea! I don't think he takes me very seriously so I might just manage to get him. Regarding your father: don't worry about it too much. He's not bothering me; really, I think he just needs someone to talk. Even if it is mostly about shareholders. (Does he think I'm a shareholder? Should I become a shareholder? What should I share? Whom should I hold? What does it all mean??)

I'm looking forward to your impressions of Hearthome. The Contest Hall especially, I heard it's more extravagant than the one in Lilycove, even. Although the people who said that were mostly Hearthome residents themselves, so I'm not sure I can take their word for it. That's what you're for!

Unfortunately I don't have time to write much more, as I need to prepare for another match later this week. There, I mentioned it! Perhaps your Hearthome hotel room has interregional reception too; if you care to watch, that is.

Trainingly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

I HATE this place. I wanted to take a walk in the local park, Amity Square, thinking it would be a fun and relaxing activity for Metagross, since it always gets a little buzzy if it spends too much time in its pokéball. So I arrive at the gate, and the warden suddenly tells me that Metagross isn't cute enough to walk around in the park?? What?? After a moment of stunned hesitation, I try going in with Cradily. But then the warden says he isn't cute either?? The AUDACITY?? Cradily LITERALLY has giant eyes & tiny round stump-feet. How is that not cute?? As you can imagine, I left in indignation at this warden's horrible taste. I can't imagine what he considers 'cute'; Skitty and Torchic, probably.

That aside, Hearthome is very nice. There's a pokémon fan club (maybe if I can convince them of the greatness of Metagross, they will help me get into the park?), a beautiful building with stained glass windows (not entirely sure what it's for), and an entire house dedicated to the manufacturing of 'poffins'. You probably know what those are much better than me – a Sinnoh version of pokéblocks, I gather? At any rate, the cooking process seems very intricate.

As promised, I went to look at the Contest Hall (which is indeed more extravagant than the one in Lilycove, sorry) and promptly spotted world famous Kalos coordinator Fantina. Refreshingly, she had no idea who I was, but when I mentioned living in Hoenn she immediately went, 'Oh, then you must know Wallace!'. Apparently you met some seven or eight years ago when she was on a trip through Hoenn in search of promising young coordinators? Turns out she's followed your career pretty closely so we ended up talking about contests for an hour or so. We were joined by another guy whose name I didn't catch; he said he knows you too, though he was being weirdly coy about it. Either way, I had no idea you were such an interregional celebrity! (Also one of the Contest Hall employees gave me a hat. Not sure what I'm meant to do with it but Metagross likes it.)

Congratulations on the win. Of course I care to watch, I have to see how Whiscash is doing! Really good switch-in on the Attract there – laughed out loud when I saw it.

And – this is going to sound hollow but I am truly sorry about the tunnel thing. Didn't think about how that might bring up some unpleasant memories. I promise only to get lost in Meteor Falls from now on. (Also hope you're not actually 'suffering my absence'? Honestly, I thought you'd welcome a break from me.)

Oh yeah and DON'T become a shareholder. Believe me, there's not any sharing nor holding involved.

Yours,

Steven

Steven dearest,

I am deeply moved by your righteous anger on behalf of Metagross and Cradily, truly the two cutest of pokémon. Do let me know if you manage to get into that park after all – it must be very special if it's so exclusive. I'd offer to catch a Skitty and send it over to you, but I believe that a) you're allergic and b) that's illegal. Maybe try and find something cute and local that doesn't make you sneeze?

You met Fantina! I didn't tell you about knowing her because I wasn't sure she'd even remember me, and then it would just have been awkward. (If the guy is who I think he is: pay him no mind. I also wasn't sure he'd remember me, albeit for different reasons.) Moreover, I'm quite impressed that you managed to hold a conversation about contests for 'an hour or so', and with an expert like Fantina no less. Don't tell me you actually paid attention when I made you watch all of those re-runs!

Norman asked me out to lunch the other day. Of all people! Not a date, obviously (although if you held me at knifepoint I'd admit that he is a bit of a dilf). He wanted to thank me (and you, in absentia) for keeping his kid safe during the whole almost-catastrophe a few weeks ago. I told him he didn't need to thank either of us for not making a child responsible for Hoenn's future, but I'm passing his gratitude along regardless. The venue was lovely, by the way, a newly-opened restaurant in Petalburg. They even have that weird Kanto dish that you really like (Arceus knows why).

And no, I'm not literally suffering; it's a figure of speech. I'm doing quite fine, save for all of those heart attacks from your reckless antics. (Although why you think I'd want a break from you is beyond me.)

Winningly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

No luck with the local pokémon so far – only thing I've caught is a Bronzor, and the Amity Square warden won't let this one in either. It 's very cool though, its face is all flat (maybe it was smashed by a Bastiodon?) & it makes funny noises. And no allergens! Haven't sent you a drawing in a while so I'm including one of Bronzor now.

I see how it is. You listen patiently to my tirades about rocks, yet you don't expect me to listen to your tirades about the state of contemporary contests? Well you're in for a surprise, because I do in fact pay attention to everything you say. (And even if it were all completely boring, I'm sure you'd find a way to make it interesting anyway.)

Speaking of interesting, ran into that guy from the Contest Hall again. Still didn't catch his name, but he insisted on talking to me & I didn't want to be rude. He made some … really unpleasant insinuations about you? Not sure what was wrong with him but he sounded bitter. Told him that he should get over whatever his problem is, seeing as how you're Hoenn's Champion now & can do a lot better. That seemed to shut him up, thankfully; didn't want to cause a scene but the way this guy was going off I very well might have. Think I'm going to leave Hearthome soon. Maybe straight to Veilstone? Or should I take the Pastoria detour? I'd love to see the Water Gym but I don't feel like trudging through an entire route's worth of marshland …

Good to hear from Norman & his kid. Though his thanks really should go to you; I made a lot of not-so-great calls that day. Very tactful of you to not point that out and criticise my food preferences instead! Now I'll have no choice but take you to that restaurant and eat my 'weird Kanto dish' in front of you, out of spite. Was that your plan all along??

(Glad to hear that.)

Yours,

Steven

Sweet Steven,

I remain in awe of your artistic abilities; your drawings are certainly more expressive than anything I've seen in Lilycove museum. I shall hang the Bronzor sketch right next to Bastiodon's beautiful face, although since it's so symmetrical I'm not certain which side is supposed to be up. You should have signed it!

I'll be honest, a route of marshland sounds horrible. I'm told Crasher Wake is quite the character but I don't know if he's worth that kind of trouble. Also, I've heard you whine about the rain on route 120, I can't imagine what the infamous Sinnoh weather would do to you. Did you even pack a rain coat? An umbrella? Didn't think so. Be nice to yourself and head to Veilstone!

(Just a side note: I really have to reiterate my plea for you to be careful with the things you say. I'm trying not to read into anything but it's getting a little difficult.)

Another call from your father. Since you gave your implicit blessing, I did counter his business talk with a rather detailed lecture about berry flavours and their effect on a pokémon's condition, complete with comprehensive instructions on how to make pokéblocks and what makes them different from poffins. The result is that he wants to invest in berries now?? I tried to explain that you don't invest in berries, you grow them, but he wasn't listening anymore. Have I committed a grave mistake? (I didn't record any of our conversation, unfortunately, so you get to keep your kidneys.)

Economically yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Sorry for the long wait, again – I did head to Veilstone but then got distracted in the ruins next to Solaceon Town. There's something both unsettling and comforting about that place; someone left a message on the walls, about friendship, and lives touching to create something new, if I'm reading it correctly. Wonder who wrote that.

Anyway, I'm in Veilstone now, although guess what: the route I took was at LEAST as rainy as route 120. There's just no doing it right! City is harsh, if I had to describe it in one word; lots of steep cliffs and rough roads. Still, they have a casino & a department store here, so they can't be too short on tourists who drop money. Also there's this huge company building towering over everything, complete with its own warehouse – “Galactic” is what it says over the entrance. I think they do r&d into energy sources? They don't let anyone inside, but it doesn't seem very exciting to me anyway (nor would it to you, for that matter). Speaking of huge companies, wish I could have listened in on that call with my father. You seem to have a real talent for handling him! And don't worry about him wanting to invest, that's just how conversations with him tend to go.

(Side-noting back: I'm not sure what you mean. Is this about the Hearthome guy? Sorry if I've overstepped or anything – didn't know you'd mind.)

Nearly forgot: the casino has a photo booth right next to it! I took a few pictures with Metagross; it's wearing the hat from the Contest Hall. The photos are enclosed so that you can laugh at us.

Yours,

Steven

Dear Steven,

The photos are lovely – Metagross' hat in particular is quite dashing. Since I am still debating whether I should really write this letter, I will be candid and also say that I hadn't quite realised how much I missed looking at you.

It's not about the Hearthome guy, or overstepping, or anything like that. Somewhere in an earlier letter you said that you pay close attention to what I am writing, and so do I. I also pay close attention to what you're not writing, which is a little bit trickier to figure out. This will sound blunt, but just to be certain we're on the same page: we're not going to talk about your last evening in Hoenn, are we? Because I hoped we might, but then you disappeared, so I assumed we wouldn't, but then you started writing to me, so I thought you'd bring it up, only it's been a while now and you haven't mentioned anything except for that one thing on the Spinda coaster that I wasn't meant to read. You'll understand that I am a little confused.

Uncertainly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Mt. Coronet is much further from Veilstone City than from Hearthome, but since the former is built on a rocky plateau and the latter is right at the mountain's foot, this hotel room window actually has a much better view than the other one. The mountain's peak is covered in snow, even this time of year, though snowfall is supposed to be even thicker on the routes up north, and the base is shrouded in mist. I'll have to go up there soon; I know you're not really one for hiking but I'm sure you'd find this sight just as enticing as I do.

By the way, can you tell that this is the third draft of this letter? I might run out of hotel stationery before I'm done, and then I'll have to resort to napkins and receipts again. Really, I should just send this one regardless of how it turns out, I've never been one to worry over words. The things you do to me, I guess.

Case in point: I would talk about the evening before I left if I had any idea what to say, or how to say it. Went to Sinnoh to figure some things out; this is one of them. Ever since Groudon and Kyogre disappeared back into their respective caves I've been feeling restless, and I don't know how to get back to normal, if that's even possible. Don't want to saddle you with all of that though, not when I don't have any kind of grasp on it myself. Not exactly your job, after all.

– Wow, this makes even less sense than the other two attempts! We're rolling with it.

Yours,

Steven

Steven,

I understand that it's never fun to gently let someone down who you presumably care for, so I'll do my best to make this easy for you. Here are a few statements that, paraphrased, have been expressed to me at various points in my life – just pick the one that best suits your thoughts:

• I had a good time, but really I'm not looking for anything more.

• It was just a case of me being in an emotionally vulnerable position and you being a beautiful and equally emotionally vulnerable man in my home.

• It was mostly your idea, actually; I just went along with it.

• It was a mistake and I deeply regret it.

Please let me know which one of those it is, so I may stop wondering and start trying to get over it.

Wallace

Dear Steven,

Forgive the tone and lack of subtlety of my last letter. I did not mean to corner you, nor did I mean to make things awkward. If you'd rather ignore it, you may; we needn't talk about anything.

Yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

First of all: whoever said any of those things to you was an idiot & I hope you don't have to deal with them anymore. Second: if I made it sound like I regret anything, I don't. (Can't stress this enough.) Also, how would it have been 'mostly your idea'? Sure, you showed up at my place, but I'm the one who went ahead and kissed you, and I'd say we were about equally involved in the rest.

So instead of your suggestions, how about I try a bit harder and articulate what I actually think, and you pick whatever you like best:

• I had a good time and am looking for more; I also can't help thinking you deserve better than me.

• For example, you deserve someone who won't leave for another region because he panicked & doesn't know what to do with his own feelings.

• On that note: This will sound stupid but I'm really not used to caring about anyone as much as I care about you.

• None of this is an excuse, obviously.

• I would like to say that I'll board a ship for Hoenn tomorrow and that this will never happen again, but I don't think I can promise even that.

• You wrote that you're confused; truth is, I'm confused as well. I can only ask for your patience.

And please don't apologise for 'cornering me' or whatever; it's not your fault I'm a bit of a Skitty, emotionally.

Yours,

Steven

Steven dearest,

It truly never gets boring with you, does it? Here I was, anticipating a rejection, and instead you decide to bamboozle me with honesty and sweetness. I'm not being facetious, by the way; I know that I never sound more than half-serious at any given time but I really appreciate it.

I would also greatly appreciate it if you left the question of what I deserve up to me. You may have inferred that my own relationship history isn't exactly stellar, but I still prefer making my own mistakes instead of having someone try and avoid them for me. Especially when that someone is also making himself unhappy in the process. See, doesn't it sound like a silly argument when I put it like this?

But you are very lucky, Steven, in that I have the patience of a Seedot. (Are Seedot patient? They look like they are.) I also like you enough to put up with your Skitty ways, so take all the time you need. No, I don't expect you to come back to Hoenn tomorrow, nice as that would be; you had your reasons for leaving and I want to respect that.

Though I'm going to ask: if you put distance between us specifically in order to figure out what to do with your feelings, is it really a good idea to write me a letter every few days?

I now realise that this sounds like I want you to stop writing, which I do not. Just wondering.

Wonderingly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

You know, when I left Hoenn I didn't actually PLAN to write you a letter every few days. In fact, I was going to cut off all contact & return half a year or so later as a completely new person. And then I boarded that ship and couldn't stop thinking about you! Funny how that works. (I also did very quickly start feeling bad about my disappearance. Maybe I can't promise that I'll never leave, but I do promise to tell you about it next time.)

The more time I spend here in Veilstone the more I'm itching to climb Mt. Coronet. I have no ambitions to go all the way to Snowpoint but I don't think I can leave Sinnoh without at least that much. Not sure why, but the restlessness thing hasn't gotten better & I feel like Mt. Coronet might have some answers for me. Don't worry, I bought a winter coat at the department store yesterday that should protect me from the snow for a while; now all I need to do is backtrack through that rainy route (ugh) and get to Celestic Town somehow. Expect some more whining about rain and fog in the next letter! I'm a riveting pen pal, I know.

Sadly I'm not familiar with the Seedot mindset. I know that Trapinch are very patient, in that they dig a hole which they then sit in and wait until prey stumbles in, but that doesn't sound like a good metaphor unless you plan to literally murder me. Maybe with one of your sharpened pencils? As you can see, I am once again writing silly things when really, I just want to thank you. (Both for the Seedot patience and for the willingness to make a mistake with me.)

You had another match!! I understand why you didn't mention it but still. Managed to catch it, though I missed a few minutes here and there because the reception was shaky. Didn't matter; I could watch you battle for hours on a screen the size & quality of a potato and still never get bored.

Yours,

Steven

My one and only Steven,

You can't just tell me that you enjoy watching me battle! Now that's going to be all I think about during the next match, and then I shall surely lose. Or is that exactly what you wanted? Is this but the first step in reclaiming your title as Hoenn Champion? Speaking of which, we never actually had an official match for that. Passing on the title via sticky note, while apparently legal, is a little lacking in flair, you have to agree. We should do something about that once you return.

But first, your foggy, rainy, snowy adventure awaits! Congratulations on the foresight of buying a coat, I would not have put it past you to just go ahead unprepared and freeze to death. I am, in fact, genuinely looking forward to your descriptions; when I was a child, my family couldn't really afford to travel, and as an adult I've always been too busy to leave Hoenn. That is to say, I've never actually seen any real snow! The coldest place I've ever been is probably Shoal Cave, or the Sootopolis Gym's basement, or perhaps under my mother's disappointed stare after I stole a pokédoll from our neighbour when I was eight.

On the topic of parents, I got yet another call from your father. I have to say, I'm starting to look forward to them! I'm still not entirely sure what a shareholder is but he makes it sound very important. This time, he asked for the Champion's formal permission to buy some land so he can 'establish Devon as a key player in the berry industry'. I told him he is welcome to use the communal planting fields just like any other Hoenn resident, or maybe he could put to use the excessively big garden that is attached to his villa? He wasn't very happy to hear that, so I fear my chances of becoming a Devon shareholder are ever diminishing.

Since you have so dutifully supplied me with artistic interpretations of various Sinnoh pokémon in past letters, I feel compelled to illustrate something in return. (Not the part about Trapinch catching its prey, that just sounds mean.) So here's my rendition of a Skitty and a Seedot. As you can see, the Skitty wears a little tie, and the Seedot has a small cape, although I suppose Seedot don't have shoulders so it would just slide down. Hopefully you weren't looking for too much realism here!

Unrealistically yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

YES we should have a match when I'm back! But don't worry about the Champion title; perfectly fine with being the trophy in this relationship. (Disagree with the notion that sticky notes have no flair, so to prove a point I'm writing this entirely on sticky notes.)

Made it all the way to Celestic finally. After being DRENCHED in RAINWATER and getting lost TWICE because of the damn FOG. Was at this point seriously considering to backtrack to Veilstone & teach everyone on my team Sunny Day but they don't even sell that TM in the department store. Luckily I have Skarmory with me & he flapped some of the fog away, but still! The coat helps with the cold but not so much with the rain & it's useless against the fog, and I arrived in town about as soaked as if I'd just dived from Mossdeep over to Sootopolis. Luckily the people here are very hospitable, even to wet & underprepared tourists. I'm staying at an old lady's home who rents out her attic to travellers sometimes; she told me that she has another home on the island northeast of Sinnoh, but it's getting harder for her to travel and she doesn't have any children so she's looking to sell. Will NOT make any rash decisions but I can't lie, I'm tempted. After all, there's still a lot of caves in this region that I haven't explored, and you really should get to see some snow.

I would like to give you some explanation as to my father's behaviour but I have no idea. He wasn't this pushy when I was Champion?? Maybe he knew I was a lost cause & is now hoping the new Champion will let him get away with his free market nonsense (in which case, tough luck for him). If you're still looking to become a shareholder, I have an offer for you. What you would share: my bed; whom you would hold: me. (Ha! You thought you knew all of my bad jokes? You haven't heard half of them.)

Thanks for the drawing. The Skitty & Seedot look a little ridiculous but overall very happy; I'll add them to the designated letter pocket. Hey, did you know I've looked at your drawing of Milotic pretty much every day just because I like seeing something you made? In case you needed any further proof how much of a loser I am.

Yours,

Steven

Most wonderful of Stevens,

Thank you so very much for at least sticking the sticky notes onto each other in the intended reading order. I wonder what the next difficulty level of your correspondence will be! Are you going to run a letter through a paper shredder before sending it to me? (Don't get any ideas.)

Glad to hear that the bad weather hasn't DAMPENED your spirits too much. (You think you have a monopoly on bad jokes?? Think again, darling.) Though I do have to ask, is impulse-spending on houses a thing that you do? Is it something that I should discourage you from? Because while I do very much want you to come back to Hoenn soon, I also would not say no to looking at some snowy Sinnoh scenery with you. (Then again, I really don't think you need to buy a house for that.)

If you are already in Celestic Town, I'm assuming this is the last letter that will reach you before you climb Mt. Coronet. Unless there's a post office at the summit? That sounds very inefficient so I won't rely on it. Anyway, allow me to be serious for a moment and wish you the best of luck on your journey. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for. Or, failing that, something equally as valuable. – I know that was dreadfully earnest, but rest assured, I rarely ever get like that, and even then only with someone whom I like very, very much.

Speaking of: I hate to break it to you, Steven, but when it comes to embarrassing behaviour you have absolutely nothing on me. I was not joking when I said that I framed your drawings. They are on my wall; I am literally looking at them right now. I keep the hematite in my pocket. The pyrite is on my bedside table. The Beldum pencil sharpener was stolen at the last league meeting by either Tate or Liza, but once I find the culprit it will be back on my desk in Evergrande where I can see it at all times. Winona told me yesterday I may as well move to Fortree for all the pining I'm doing. So please don't call yourself a loser, for I am not sure what that would make me!

Embarrassingly yours,

Wallace

Wallace,

Sadly so far I have found neither a post office nor a paper shredder on Mt. Coronet; otherwise brilliant idea! Could get Armaldo to cut this letter up for you, or maybe even Metagross. It's been really excited ever since we started climbing; given that metal becomes more conductive with lower temperatures, I think its brains just run faster in the cold. Can't say the same about me! Though there is something thrilling about this kind of weather. Maybe the knowledge that if I stop moving for too long, I might freeze off a toe or two.

Don't worry, I don't have a real estate purchasing problem & I'm not addicted to signing leases. As much as this region has been growing on me, I'm not ready for that kind of a commitment. At least not until I've had a second opinion. (Preferably yours.) I MAY have left the old lady my contact details. You know, for unrelated reasons. Because she was being so nice! It's important to maintain interregional friendships.

Finding whatever I'm looking for would be a whole lot easier if I knew what that is. Then again, since I don't know that, anything I find will be better than nothing. I guess? That made more sense in my head. Either way, I like it when you're earnest so don't stop on my account. Also, I hope you realise that telling me you keep all the bits of mineral I send you is only going to encourage my Murkrow tendencies. Better clear out a shelf, because you're going to get a LOT of cool rocks! (That's a pleonasm, by the way: all rocks are cool.)

I'm going to stop writing and do some more hiking. Would be very unfortunate if I got stuck frozen to a boulder out here, and I can't quite feel my fingers anymore. Looking back, we were lucky neither Groudon nor Kyogre made it snow!

Yours,

Steven

Wallace,

Decided to release the Bronzor that I caught before Hearthome. There are many of its kind around here, it likes the cold & I can't take it back to Hoenn anyway. The whole pokémon smuggling business will have to wait until next time! It was very happy to be back with the group – as far as I can tell, that is; Bronzor are not the most expressive of pokémon.

It's odd, writing a letter that isn't a reply to one of yours. Covered a lot of ground today – will probably reach one of the smaller peaks tomorrow & then head back down – and I kept coming across stuff that I wanted to point out to you. Tried to keep track of everything but no guarantee.

First of all, the SNOW. I wasn't very clear in the last letter but as soon as I left Celestic Town there was snow EVERYWHERE. On a cloudy day it just looks white; when the sun comes out, it's blinding. The snow on route 211 has already been pressed down by many hikers' feet, but up here the snow is thick and loose enough to swallow my boots at every step. It's really crunchy, too, not soft at all; the cold probably makes it freeze together. I don't even want to know what it's like during actual winter! (I mean, I kind of do want to know. Maybe with better shoes and a tour guide.)

Also: ran into a flock of tiny little bell-shaped pokémon. They make ringing sounds, like Chimecho; pokédex says they're a pre-evolution? Wonder why we don't have that back home. Either way, they're cute & make a lot of noise which I feel is something you'd appreciate. I then found some pieces of schalstein (won't insult you by explaining what that is – I'm sure you remember from one of my rock tirades, don't you?), which could give me some really interesting insight into Mt. Coronet's volcanic origin, although the people here seem convinced that Arceus literally created it all by itself. Am skeptical about that; then again, after the whole Rayquaza thing I don't think I have much room to talk. Anyway, the pieces I picked up are speckled with grey and green and a little bit of rust red, and there's a lot of thin layers to them, like puff pastry. Not doing the greatest job at describing it here; will just have to show you instead.

And finally, I spent last night in a cave that, supposedly, is the only place in Sinnoh where you can find wild Feebas! Didn't spot any; from what you've told me they're very shy so I didn't expect to. Really beautiful place though – after Skarmory flapped away some of the fog, that is – lots of tiny dawn stones & light clay in the walls, which made the whole cave glow blue. Can see why the Feebas would gather there.

[a few scribbled-over words]

Should stop writing maybe. It's a little funny; I haven't exactly met a lot of people in Sinnoh but this is the first time I'm truly aware of being alone, and not in a good way.

Yours,

Steven

Wallace,

By the time you read this, I might already be back in Hoenn. In fact, I hope to be, but just in case the ship gets, I don't know, stuck in a sea traffic jam (is that a thing?) I'm sending this final letter to you.

Turns out I've been a bit of an idiot. This is nothing new but it still bears mentioning! Going somewhere far away and looking at things may be useful to find some new ideas or get some old ones in order, but there's a fine line between running towards something you want to find and running away from something you already know is there. Should have picked up on that sooner, given that whenever I thought to myself, “wow, what a neat thing to discover,” the thought that followed was more often than not, “I wish Wallace was here with me.” Still don't regret coming here, mind you. Guess I did figure out something, after all.

The view from Mt. Coronet is incredible. Don't think I can do it justice by describing it, and honestly, being half-delirious from the cold & exhaustion was integral to the experience. Maybe you could go into the Sootopolis Gym basement, run around in circles for an hour, then close your eyes & imagine you're on top of Sky Pillar? That might come close. It honestly reminded me of the moment right after Rayquaza flew off and the weather returned to normal. The kind of calm that settles into your bones, like you never want to move again.

Did move again, of course: made it down from the mountain in one piece (& frostbite-free) and had Skarmory fly me over to Canalave right away – no point in delaying anymore. Haven't been good at saying this but I really want to see you. Spent last night at the harbour inn once again; not sure the owner remembers me, with all the traffic they've been getting, though he told me that his son's sick and they might have to close up for a while.

Sitting at the pier right now, waiting for the ship to dock so I can post this right before leaving. Very lucky with the weather: the sky's bright but a little cloudy, and the air moves just enough to not make me want to disappear into a cave. Really, the kind of day to spend with someone you love where it doesn't matter at all what you do.

– Not going to write much more here. Although there is still a lot I want to say, I'd rather do that in person, and listen to your answer. There's also a lot I don't want to say, or maybe can't just yet, but I think you understand that. And besides, I'm sure I'll tell you somewhere down the line anyway.

So, I remain, as I have been & hopefully will be for a while,

Yours,

Steven