The first thing Niyah noticed when she woke was that everything smelled like sea salt and jasmine.
The second was that this wasn't her Pokémon Center room.
Her eyes snapped open. For a few disoriented seconds, all she saw was the white ceiling above her and the faint blue glow filtering through gauzy curtains. The sheets were soft, too soft, and the rhythmic hush of waves outside was too close, too loud. Then came the ache. A dull, throbbing pulse in her right hand.
"Ugh…" she mumbled, sitting up and clutching it. The knuckles pulsed with faint warmth, probably from when she'd been writing lines last night. The memory hit her like a splash of cold water.
Right.
Hulbury.
The pranks.
The chase.
And being caught.
Her expression twisted into a pout. "That woman actually carried me," she muttered under her breath. "In public. The audacity."
Mimikyu, curled up beside her, let out a quiet amused chirp. Litwick's flame flickered brighter, clearly smirking in his own ghostly way. While Togetic hummed softly from the foot of the bed, wings fluttering like she was still dreaming.
"Oh, don't you start," Niyah whispered, tugging the blanket up to her chin. "She got lucky, that's all. Next time…"
The mischievous gleam in her eye sharpened. "…I'm getting even."
From the right of her came a voice, smooth, cool, and lightly teasing. "Getting even, are we?"
Niyah froze. Her head snapped toward the door. Nessa leaned against the frame, still in casual morning clothes, an oversized navy hoodie and shorts, hair tied up lazily in a bun. She held two mugs of steaming coffee, a blue one clearly for herself, the other with colorful patterns, likely for Niyah.
Niyah's immediate response was to bury herself back under the blanket. "Nope. You're a dream. I'm sleeping."
"Nice try," Nessa said, walking in. She set the mugs down on the nightstand and crossed her arms, raising an amused brow. "You were muttering about revenge. Not exactly the words of someone peacefully resting."
"I talk in my sleep," Niyah grumbled from beneath the covers.
"I'm sure you do."
Nessa's tone softened as she glanced around. The guest room was a small, airy space, seashell decorations, a small desk, a window overlooking the harbor. The Pokémon were still half asleep, except for Togetic, who had started preening her wings in the morning light.
Nessa crouched down so she was at Niyah's level. "Breakfast in fifteen. Wash up, please. You've got sea salt in your hair from last night."
"…You're not my mom," came the muffled reply.
"I don't want to be," Nessa said, smirking. "But I am the one who carried you home, so that gives me limited breakfast authority."
Niyah peeked from under the blanket, glaring up at her. "…Fine."
"Good girl," Nessa said lightly, standing.
"Don't call me that!"
But the older woman was already gone, leaving behind the faint scent of her perfume, clean, oceanic, and frustratingly calm.
—
Hulbury's morning air was crisp and bright, the smell of brine and freshly baked bread drifting down the narrow streets. The café Nessa chose was small and seaside, perched right above the docks. It wasn't crowded just a few fishermen, an elderly couple, and a pair of Wingull perched on the railing waiting for crumbs.
Niyah sat across from Nessa at an outdoor table, trying to look unimpressed while sipping a strawberry smoothie that looked far too cheerful for her current mood. Her Pokémon sat nearby, Mimikyu disguised as a rag doll on her lap, Litwick happily absorbing the sunlight from the table's edge (despite pretending he wasn't enjoying it), and Togetic chirping as she tried to sneak a bite of Niyah's pancakes.
Nessa stirred her coffee, pretending not to watch too closely. She'd spent half the night thinking about how to handle this. She couldn't push too hard; the girl was sharp, wary, like a Meowth who'd been caught too many times. But if she wanted answers, she needed to start somewhere.
"So," Nessa said casually, "you slept well, I hope?"
Niyah shrugged. "The bed's too soft."
"That's a complaint I don't hear often."
"Feels weird," Niyah muttered. "Like it's waiting to eat me."
Nessa snorted into her coffee. "You really are something, you know that?"
"People keep saying that," Niyah said, stabbing at a pancake. "Not sure if it's a compliment or a threat."
The café's background hum filled the short silence that followed. Nessa let the conversation drift for a bit, talking about Hulbury's tides, the fishing festivals, even a few tourist traps. Until she slid her first real question in, as smooth as a current.
"So, full name? I need it for your trainer record update."
Niyah blinked mid-bite, hesitating only for a moment before answering, "Niyah Soleil."
Nessa nodded. "Pretty name. From Kalos?"
"Dunno," Niyah said with a shrug that was far too casual. "I just woke up with it one day."
Nessa tilted her head. "That… sounds dramatic."
"Maybe I'm dramatic."
The older woman's lips twitched. "You definitely are."
Niyah grinned a little, but it quickly faded when Nessa added, "You're really twelve?"
This time, the girl didn't answer right away. She swirled her straw in her smoothie, eyes flicking toward the harbor. "I guess," she said after a pause. "Give or take a few lifetimes."
That made Nessa set her cup down. "What does that mean?"
Oh no, I said too much, Niyah's expression was unreadable. "It means I've seen more than most kids my age. And probably more than you think I should have."
The air between them shifted slightly still light, but carrying an edge of honesty. Nessa didn't press. She leaned back instead, letting the tension ebb before she changed direction.
"So," Nessa said smoothly, "about the psychic powers. That's not something most trainers develop. You've had that long?"
Niyah blinked, caught off guard. "Maybe. It's hard to tell. It's not… new. Just easier to control now."
"Do you know where it came from?"
"Does it matter?" Niyah said quickly, then forced a smile. "It's not like I'm going around reading minds or anything."
Nessa's eyes narrowed, but she kept her tone light. "You say that like you could."
Niyah's grin turned sly. "Could I?"
"Maybe," Nessa said, leaning forward just slightly. "But if you could, you'd know I'm wondering why someone with your gifts hasn't drawn the League's attention sooner."
"Maybe they weren't paying attention."
"Or maybe you were hiding," Nessa said.
Silence again brief, taut, but not hostile.
Niyah busied herself with her pancakes, tearing off small pieces for her Pokémon, Nessa watched her carefully. There was an almost practiced way to how the girl deflected, turning every personal question into something playful or mysterious before it could touch anything raw.
So Nessa changed the rhythm again. "How did you catch so many rare Pokémon?" she asked offhandedly.
Niyah looked up, deadpan. "Charm and good looks."
"Try again."
"Fine. Divine intervention."
"Uh huh."
"Or maybe," Niyah said with a mock-serious expression, "they just liked me. I mean, have you seen me?"
Nessa's chuckle was low and genuine. "You're incorrigible."
"Thank you," Niyah said brightly, clearly taking it as praise.
They ate a little longer in companionable silence before Nessa slipped another one in:
"Where did you get your Rotom Dex?"
Niyah didn't even blink. "Found it in a vending machine."
Nessa raised a brow. "You expect me to believe that?"
"Believe whatever makes you happiest," Niyah said airily, patting the small lavender device floating beside her. Roty gave a polite buzz of amusement.
"Technically, she's not wrong," Roty added. "Was inhabiting a vending terminal before being, bzzt, liberated."
Nessa nearly choked on her coffee. "You stole a Rotom?"
"Rescued," Niyah corrected.
"Unlawfully," Roty supplied helpfully.
"Traitor," Niyah hissed.
Nessa laughed outright at that. "You're unbelievable."
"Thank you again!" Niyah said proudly.
—
By the time their plates were half empty and the morning crowd began to thin, Nessa finally circled to the one question she'd been sitting on all morning.
"Where did you come from, Niyah?"
The air stilled. No playful quip this time.
Niyah's hand froze around her fork. The sunlight from the café window caught her eyes, and for a fleeting second, there was something unreadable behind them, loneliness, maybe. Or distance.
"I don't," Niyah said finally, her voice quiet, careful, "want to talk about that."
Nessa didn't miss the change in tone. Her usual mischievous lilt flattened out into something hollow.
"All right," Nessa said softly, "I won't force you."
"Good," Niyah muttered, stabbing another piece of pancake. But her hand was trembling slightly.
Nessa looked out toward the water instead of pressing further. "You don't have to tell me everything, you know," she said quietly. "But I'd like to understand the parts you're willing to share."
That caught Niyah off guard. Her eyes lifted, studying Nessa carefully. "Why? I'm just another challenger."
Nessa smiled faintly. "Because you're not just another challenger. You're a girl who can teleport, wield ghost-types with surgical precision, and outsmart half a city in one afternoon. That doesn't happen by accident."
Niyah didn't answer, but her gaze softened slightly. "…You sound like Leon."
Nessa blinked. "You know Leon?"
"Sort of," Niyah said vaguely. "We've met. He's… different."
"That he is," Nessa said with a soft laugh. "But he means well."
"Yeah. So do I." Niyah took another sip of her smoothie. "Usually."
"Usually?"
"Depends on who's asking," Niyah said, the mischievous glint returning to her eyes.
And just like that, the heaviness in the air began to fade. Nessa smiled again, gently steering the conversation toward lighter things, training, fishing contests, even a few stories from her own early days as a Gym Leader.
By the time breakfast ended, Niyah's shoulders had relaxed, her laughter genuine again. Whatever shadows had flickered across her earlier seemed to fade under the sunlight and the warmth of simple, human connection.
—
As they walked back toward Nessa's apartment, the docks bustling around them. Niyah lagged slightly behind watching the glint of the ocean, the Pokémon diving through the shallows, the people laughing and talking without a care.
Nessa glanced over her shoulder. "Something on your mind?"
Niyah shook her head, smiling faintly. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"…About how weird it feels to stay still," she admitted quietly.
Nessa's expression softened. "Then consider this your rest stop. Even waves need to calm before the next tide."
Niyah looked at her, puzzled but faintly amused. "Is that a water type proverb or something?"
"Maybe," Nessa said, smiling. "Or maybe I just made it up."
Niyah grinned. "That's cheating."
"Then I'm learning from the best."
For a moment, both of them laughed. And in that fragile, sunlit space between questions and truths left unspoken, something subtle began to shift. Not trainer and challenger anymore, but something closer to equals… or perhaps the beginning of something resembling family.
—
Back at Nessa's apartment, sunlight streamed through the wide windows overlooking the harbor. Niyah dropped her bag onto the couch and stretched, pretending to admire the ocean view but her mind was already scheming.
She made me write lines. Sixity whole lines, Niyah thought darkly, glancing toward Nessa in the kitchen. No one escapes prank justice.
Her Pokémon watched as she crept toward the counter, holding a small packet of salt she'd swiped from the café. Togetic hummed in warning. Mimikyu tilted its head, whispering a soft, doubtful squeak.
"Relax," Niyah whispered. "It's harmless. Just… salty."
Her plan was simple: slip the salt into Nessa's morning tea when she wasn't looking. Except Nessa, apparently, had eyes in the back of her head.
"Don't even think about it," the Gym Leader said without turning around.
Niyah froze mid reach. "Think about what?"
"The salt packet you've been clutching like it's a Poké Ball," Nessa said, finally turning with an amused grin. "If you wanted your revenge, you should've aimed higher."
"How did you-?"
"I was once a kid too," Nessa said, crossing her arms. "But unlike you, I learned when to expect retaliation."
Niyah groaned. "You ruin everything."
"Correction: I prevent kitchen disasters."
In one smooth motion, Nessa plucked the sugar from Niyah's fingers and dropped it onto her own mug. "Nice try, though. A for effort."
"Boo," Niyah muttered, flopping onto the couch in defeat. Mimikyu patted her shoulder sympathetically while Litwick's flame flickered in silent laughter.
Nessa smirked as she sipped her correctly tasting tea. "Tell you what. You can try again another day, if you survive training first."
That perked Niyah's head up. "Training?"
"Mm hm." Nessa's eyes glinted. "You and your team look restless. Let's fix that."
Niyah groaned again, dragging a pillow over her face. "This is revenge."
"Exactly," Nessa said sweetly. "Now move."
—
The Hulbury shoreline glittered under the late-morning sun. Nessa led Niyah and her Pokémon to a quiet stretch of sand beyond the harbor, waves rolling gently, Wingull wheeling overhead.
"All right," Nessa said, clapping her hands. "We'll start simple. Warm-ups."
"Warm-ups?" Niyah echoed. "We're not running a marathon."
"You will be if you don't start moving."
Niyah groaned, but when Nessa jogged toward the surf, the girl begrudgingly followed, her Pokémon scampering beside her. Mimikyu bounced over the sand like a doll on invisible strings, Litwick hovered determinedly, and Togetic twirled in the breeze, humming cheerfully.
After a few minutes, Niyah collapsed dramatically onto the sand. "I'm dying. Tell my story."
"You've barely started," Nessa said, not even winded.
"That's the problem."
Nessa grinned. "Come on, prankster. Let's see how your team handles professional battle exercises."
They spent the next hour sparring with Nessa calling out sharp, efficient drills. Togetic practiced dodging water blasts, weaving gracefully around them. Mimikyu's shadow attacks flickered with precision, and Litwick's flames burned brighter than usual, forming playful spirals in the air.
Niyah, though, had a mischievous edge to her training turning drills into games, sneaking mock commands, and teasing Nessa's Pelipper by making faces at it between rounds.
"Focus, Niyah!" Nessa called out.
"I am focused," Niyah said, eyes sparkling. "On not drowning."
"You're hopeless."
"Hopelessly talented," Niyah corrected.
Eventually, Nessa called a break. Both trainers sat on the sand, watching their Pokémon chase one another through the shallows. Litwick floated over the water like a tiny lantern, Togetic twirling circles around Mimikyu's disguise.
Despite herself, Nessa found her lips softening into a smile. "You're good with them," she admitted quietly.
Niyah blinked, surprised by the compliment. "…Thanks. I try."
"You do more than try," Nessa said. "You listen to them. Most trainers don't."
The girl looked away, cheeks faintly pink. "Guess I just… get them. They're my kind of weird."
"Then you'll fit right in here," Nessa said, nudging her lightly. "We're all weird by the sea."
—
It happened just as they were packing up.
A shimmer in the air, barely visible, but sharp enough to make every Pokémon freeze. The sunlight dimmed for a heartbeat, as though the world itself inhaled.
Niyah felt it first. A sudden pulse deep in her chest, like a heartbeat that wasn't hers. The sand beneath her hand buzzed faintly, warm, alive.
"…Not again," she murmured, clutching her wrist. The ache from earlier flared with a silvery light beneath her skin.
"Niyah?" Nessa turned instantly, concern creasing her brow. "What's wrong?"
The girl shook her head quickly. "Nothing. Just… just a..headache."
But Nessa didn't buy it. She saw how Niyah's eyes flickered, briefly, impossibly, with pale blue light. The same light that rippled through the air where her fingers brushed the sand.
Then, like a gust of wind, it was gone.
The waves resumed their rhythm. The sunlight brightened again. Mimikyu's shadow twitched uncertainly before settling.
Niyah let out a shaky breath and forced a grin. "Guess I'm low on sugar."
Nessa wasn't laughing. "That wasn't just fatigue."
"It's fine," Niyah said, voice too quick. "Probably a leftover effect from… teleporting. You know how psychic stuff gets."
Nessa studied her quietly, the pieces starting to click, too many rare Pokémon, too much power for a supposed twelve-year-old, now this.
She'd heard rumors, ancient energy signatures reawakening across Galar. Leon had mentioned something about the Rusted Sword's and Rusted Shield's resurgence. Could it really be connected to this kid?
Niyah avoided her gaze, instead calling her team back into their Poké Balls. "Anyway! That's enough training for today, right?"
Nessa hesitated, then nodded. "For now."
But as they walked back toward town, Nessa's eyes lingered on the faint silver mark still glowing along Niyah's wrist, shaped almost like a blade.
—
The afternoon sun hung low when they reached the Pokémon Center. Niyah paused at the steps, looking up at the red-roofed building. "Guess this is goodbye, huh?"
"Not quite," Nessa said casually.
Niyah blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you're not staying here tonight."
The girl frowned. "Why not?"
Nessa shrugged lightly. "Because I'm not done making sure you don't self-destruct."
Niyah's mouth opened to argue, but she caught the faint amusement in Nessa's eyes and sighed. "You just want to keep an eye on me."
"Maybe," Nessa said with a small smirk. "But I also make great hot chocolate."
"…Fine," Niyah muttered, pretending to think it over. "But only for the hot chocolate."
"Of course."
Back at the apartment, Niyah kicked off her shoes and immediately made for the guest room. "I'm sleeping for a week."
"Wait," Nessa said, stopping her in the doorway. "You're not changing first?"
Niyah blinked. "Into what? The only things I have are these clothes and my gym uniform."
Nessa stared at her for a moment, then disappeared down the hall. When she returned, she held a soft teal sweatshirt, obviously hers, judging by the size.
"Here," she said, tossing it over. "It's clean. Probably too big, but it's better than nothing."
Niyah caught it, hesitated, then went into the room to change. Stepping out, Nessa nearly melted from the sight. The sleeves swallowed her hands, and the hem nearly reached her knees. She looked down at herself, cheeks coloring faintly. "…It's comfy."
"Good," Nessa said. "Get some rest. We're going shopping in the morning."
"Shopping?" Niyah echoed, already half buried under the blanket. "You act like I'm your kid."
Nessa smiled, leaning against the doorframe. "You are a kid, Niyah."
"Yeah, yeah, not yours though," Niyah muttered, yawning. Her Pokémon nestled beside her Togetic curling near her shoulder, Mimikyu at her side, Litwick dimming its flame.
Before long, Niyah's breathing evened out. Nessa stood there for a moment longer, watching the faint rise and fall of the blanket. Despite everything, there was something heartbreakingly small about her, the way she curled in on herself, the guarded calm that only existed in sleep.
With a quiet sigh, Nessa turned off the light and closed the door.
—
Later that night, Nessa sat at her desk, phone propped up on a stand. Leon's face filled the screen tired but smiling, cape draped over one shoulder.
"So," he said, "you've still got yourself a mystery girl."
"That's one way to put it," Nessa replied. "Her name's Niyah Soleil. Psychic potential off the charts. Has at least three rare Pokémon with absurd abilities, a Rotom Dex she allegedly liberated from a vending machine."
Leon's brows rose. "That's… concerning."
"You're telling me," Nessa said. "But listen, I want her name registered, nothing else. No age, no background, no ability tags. She deserves some privacy."
Leon frowned. "You sure? The League's going to want details."
"Then they can wait," Nessa said firmly. "I don't want them scaring her off."
Leon studied her a moment, then sighed. "All right. Just the name. But Nessa… you're getting attached."
"I'm not."
"You are," Leon said gently. "And that's not a bad thing but be careful. Kids like her… they burn bright, and fast."
Nessa's gaze flicked toward the closed bedroom door. "She's not a flame I plan on letting burn out."
Leon smiled faintly. "Spoken like a true Gym Leader."
"Spoken like someone who's tired of losing potential to the League's politics," she muttered.
There was a pause, the sound of waves faint in the background.
"Keep me updated," Leon said finally. "If anything changes with Niyah."
"I'll let you know," Nessa promised.
When the call ended, Nessa sat back, rubbing her temples. The moonlight outside caught on the ocean below bright, shifting, and deep.
And in the next room, a faint silver glow pulsed once beneath Niyah's sleeve, in rhythm with the tide.