David
Things have definitely calmed down for Wallace since his time in the spotlight. Even though he still felt like he was being run ragged back home in Sootopolis, he didn't feel pressed to attend to all that needed attending to. So of course, when he received an invitation to visit a secluded island at the behest of one who sought the champions of the Pokemon world, it was difficult to find any reason not to go. In fact, it seemed more like a vacation. The Sigford Mansion was enticing on a number of levels— there was a luxury about it that accommodated his lifestyle, and it was on an *Island*... What could be more perfect? He and his Pokemon are never far from home when the sea laps at nearby shores. 

Something he hadn't been expecting, however, was to learn of the presence of an old friend of his. He hadn't encountered her yet, but as soon as he arrived in this paradise he had learned that Winona was here as well— and suddenly it felt a little less like a paradise. It's not like their relationship was *Bad* Or anything, but he had to admit that he's been avoiding her since their relationship fell apart all that time ago. In Fact, he was nervous to see her... While he didn't remember those feelings for her now, he wasn't usually the kind to let things like that go. If he saw her, he was afraid that it would all come rushing back.

Currently, he walked aimlessly along the shore— listening to the waves never failed to calm him. He meditated on how he, *Wallace*, Contest Master and on-and-off champion, would let something like this get him so flustered. He needed a new hobby. He was getting himself so worked up over the idea of seeing Winona that he didn't even notice her on the beach, as if she knew this was where he'd be... No, wait, someone like her probably isn't stressing about the likes of *Wallace*— she was far too dignified for commiserating about her past relationships. 

Oh Arceus, it was too late to turn back now. She was Right There. He froze for a heartbeat before attempting to coax his bold persona to the surface. He straightened his posture and spared a few pats to make sure his sea-green hair was still as pristine as ever... He couldn't let her see his charm slipping. That would be *Disastrous.*

He waved a hand in the air as he approached and tried to act natural, and he was sure he was pulling off such a feat without fault. No way she'd see through him, nuh-uh. He cleared his throat and put on a cheerful voice. "Hey Winona, long time no see! What a strange world we live in, both of us coming to a place like this." He tried to chatter as naturally as possible.
Amy
While Wallace was doing his whole bold shebang, she heard him from a mile away. The guy was always loud and dramatic... So much to the point where she could tell where exactly he is depending on how loud his songs and dances are. But why was she here anyway? Well, the truth is that she wanted to be at the beach so she could watch the early sunrise with her coffee. Truth was, she was always an early bird, along with Asterix. Those were the hours where the two would practice their flying while they were younger... Peace and quiet. But now, it was disrupted. Winona then finally decided to respond, as she didn't even look at his direction, keeping her eyes on the beatiful waves. "Hello, Wallace. Fancy seeing you here... When have you arrived...?" The lady said, yawning. Guess she still needed a bit of time to fully wake up, huh?
David
Oh Arceus, oh no, that yawn was kind of cute. She was just as pretty as ever, and it was exactly what Wallace was afraid of. He'd have to swallow all of that during his time on the island, he would just have to revert to that kind professionalism that they shared while the Hoenn crisis played out. Yeah, that wouldn't be too hard, Wallace was an amazing actor. He could pretend like nothing was wrong all day long, no cap. He placed a hand on the back of his head and broadened his welcoming smile. "Well, I kind of just got here. Still haven't quite settled in yet, I was hoping to come out to the beach to... Think, first... I guess." Yeah, wasn't the smoothest delivery, but he didn't want to admit that he came out here in hopes of delaying this inevitable confrontation. He was used to diving into situations without much of a plan, but this was different. His heart was on the line, everything needed to be staged and coordinated just right. This wasn't some reckless gym battle, this was a deliberate and orchestrated Contest, and he wasn't winning. "It's a bit of a surprise, running into you."
Amy
"I am assuming your master is taking over the gym while you are gone...?" It may seem harsh, but Winona had no bad intentions, she was just curious. Regardless, the girl sipped her coffee as Asterix looked at Wallace with dissapointment. He thought that the guy would give up already realising that her and Wallace just aren't for each other. Hell, she didn't even want to be in the League after their break-up! Really shows you how one person can change your life, huh?
David
"Oh yes. Jaun is happy to have something to do these days. It's been a while since he's been in the fray." Since Wallace returned home, he'd taken over not only gym leadership, but also guardian duties and governance over the city. It left Juan with little to do besides sip vacation juice by the calm Sootopolitan waters. Both of them really needed the change of pace. "What about you, Winona?" Even saying her name felt unfamiliar on his tongue. "Surely Fortree is *Absolutely* Falling apart in your absence." Even though he told himself to maintain a professional relationship, he couldn't help the playful dramatic sarcasm. Habits like that are difficult to break, even when she was being so cold to him.
Amy
"Fortree falling apart?" The girl looked at him with confusion. "I have retired from being a gym leader years ago, Wallace. I left it in the hands of a trustworthy trainer." She said, smiling. Honestly, that guy is someone she can respect for his passion alone. "I am surprised you haven't heard of it..." Winona said, as she stood back up, looking Wallace eye to eye. Oh no, she is even cuter up close. The girl had a blank, unamused look on her face though... Almost as if she wasn't feeling anything from this conversation. Strange, considering Winona is passionate most of the time, as she always wants to reach new heights, just like her Pokémon.
David
Wallace looked as confused as Winona did. "You *Retired?"* Wallace put his hand on chest in dramaticized disbelief. He wondered how that information failed to reach him. Looking back, it made a bit of sense. Any of his correspondence with the Fortree City Gym was through someone else, but he figured it was just because Winona didn't fancy talking with him. Turns out she just wasn't a gym leader any more. He spared a moment of frustration over Steven never bothering to enlighten him over this fact... Steven always had his fingers on the league's pulse. Maybe Steven *Decided* That Wallace hadn't wanted to hear it. He was going to call that rock-obsessed devil as soon as he got a chance. He snapped back into the conversation. "But.. Why, if you don't mind me asking? I could never imagine leaving the league, I mean—" He faded out, opting not to dump all of his business on Winona like they haven't just seen each other for the first time in years, but his head was racing. "You're just a natural-born leader, that's all. You never seemed like someone who could stand to be idle." He tried to avoid eye contact and cover it up with a casual smile.
Amy
"I haven't been idle in those years... I assure you." The lady looked at Wallace, sighing. "I have been working on my passion projects to improve Hoenn as a whole. The reason I left... It's simply the fact that I felt like I lost my touch. I felt the job could be done better by somebody else." She took her hat off, looking down. While that was the reason, Wallace knows better than that. He knows how competitive Winona used to be... And now, it's all gone. Could it be... That he is partially responsible? Asterix just rubbed his head against her legs, as he wanted his mistress to forget about those times, wishing for Wallace to disappear.
David
Wallace had to hold in the urge to tell her it wasn't so. He can't imagine Fortree City gym without Winona and her pokemon at the helm, and when his eyes cut to her Alteria, he wondered if her Pokemon could feel it too. How dare Winona say she's lost her touch? Wallace couldn't imagine a more graceful and competent gym leader at the seat of Fortree. Milotic would never let him quit— but she did let him drag her out to this island. 

"Right, I'm sure you've been putting your many talents to great use," Was what he managed to say instead. "And I'm sure they're well-adapted to any of your other endeavors." He should stop speaking, he should leave her alone. Instead, his voice lilted and his charm turned dangerous. "Why don't you catch me up on your passion projects over lunch later." God, why did he say that. It's like he couldn't turn the arrogance off.
Amy
Winona gripped her hand even tighter, as she felt... Different. Did she feel... Anger? Hatred? Sadness? She couldn't quite tell. It was... Horrible memories of being under his shadow. Just his cute companion... And not the skilled trainer. The girl then looked Wallace with a sad, yet determined expression. If it weren't so sad... It would be absolutely gorgeous, as she looked so elegant while frowning. "Wallace... Can I... Ask you something...?" She said with a heavy heart and an even heavier breath. "I plead of you... To bury our past. We are former colleagues. I don't want pain for either of us..." Asterix was shaking, as her lip quivered. This was too much. All of the memories of her skill never being enough to be seen as Wallace's equal. She felt jelaous and pained. That's why... The breakup happened. She didn't want to hurt herself nor Wallace anymore. She knew her pride and jealousy would end up taking them both over. They had to put this behind them to move on. Winona looked the man in the eyes, begging him to understand without uttering a single word.
David
There were a lot of things Wallace didn't understand. He didn't understand why he wanted to be closer to her, and he didn't understand how she could pull the breath from his lungs with one crushing look. Her look made his heart race and her words opened a vast crevice between them, and the pit that dropped into his stomach was like warning that he was well and truly *Fucked.* It wasn't because she was being clear over the state of their relationship, but because he never realized how much she could haunt him like this. This was a rejection before anything could be kindled, and it actually *Hurt.* Hm, this was new. 

He tried not to let any of the shock show on his face, but... He couldn't be expected to wear his cheerful mask *All* The time, right? "Oh, right! Of course, our past. Wouldn't dream of dragging you into anything like that." He had clearly dug himself into a hole at this point, but he was still struggling to put down the shovel. "It's clear that you're not interested, I mean, not to imply that I was implying that you'd be *Interested* In me, you were the one who, you know, last time... Well it's not like I have to remind you or anything!" Wallace's eyes shifted as he tried to find a way to salvage this. He sighed. "I don't want this to be as awkward as I am currently making it for the rest of the time I'm here, and I definitely *Don't* Want you to be sad, or, whatever emotion this is." He gestured up and down Winona's shorter frame.
Amy
"Wallace... I..." Winona looked up at him, as she had a defeated look on her face, before she gave a painful smile. "You're an egoist till the very end..." Winona then listened to his whole spiel about her not being hurt. She knew that he didn't have bad intentions, but she simply wanted to put this matter to rest. "I want you to know... I was jelaous of you. Of your power casting a shadow over everything I worked so hard for... And yet, even after I focused on my passions and a search for myself... We meet again." The lady then went on, as her voice was monotone, being too drained to express any kind of emotion. "I don't hate you. But I hate the fact that my past will always haunt me. The same past when I felt my only worth was being your lover and not being an individual that can stand on my own. I forgive you for being proud of your title and having me as your queen. I would have done the same. But know this... I didn't leave you because I thought you deserved pain. The opposite is true. I wanted to save you before my pride and jelaousy turned into spite and hatred." The girl confessed, as she felt more at ease. Then, she looked Wallace eye to eye again, as their faces were inches from each other. "We may meet again, but know that this is the end of us having feelings for each other. It brought us more harm than good and it is time to turn a new leaf. I beg of you once more... Please understand."
David
Wallace was quick. He took things in stride, he performed his role and he performed it well, but this was never a confession he expected from *Winona.* On one hand, he felt a tingle of excitement over the idea that she had been thinking about him, that she thought of him as superior, but he shoved that dark feeling away. It was overshadowed by his devastation, her words faded out, and all he was able to parse from her confession was "*...Before my pride and jealousy turned into spite and hatred."*

Is that what this was? Did she hate him? She *Hated* Him for living in his shadow? He stepped away, their faces were too close, and he couldn't handle it. Not only was it *His* Fault that she felt inadequate, which was disastrous enough, but he had no idea the extent of her feelings. *She hates me.* Maybe it was because it was Winona, or maybe it was just because he couldn't comprehend the idea that someone could dislike him. *No one* Disliked him. He was *Wallace.* And wow, Wallace was missing the point. Winona had feelings that were deep, valuable, and understandable, but he couldn't see them through the haze of his own self-absorption. Of course it had to be about him. It was always about him. 

"I didn't realize you felt this way... There must be something I can do to make this right." His hands were thrown up in front of his chest as if to protect himself from her. "Anything, Winona. It's not about the feelings I have— I mean, had— it's about making things okay between us." That wasn't even the whole truth. Wallace couldn't mask that yeah, this was about him.
Amy
The lady simply saw his reactions. Of course... She's an idiot for thinking Wallace thinks about anything else other than his own ego. Winona wanted to cry, because her confession simply went from one ear to another. She felt... Dissapointed in herself and Wallace. Dissapointed in herself for opening up to him and dissapointed in Wallace for not considering her emotions for even a second. The lady then sniffled, putting her hat back on, as she simply uttered: "It is not all about you and your ego, Wallace. For love to exist, the couple has to understand and care for one another. But you cannot comprehend me not liking you because you make me feel dwarfed in your presence." She put her cap back on, as Asterix glared at him, starting to leave. Then, she said with a bitter voice. "Until you realise what I went through and why I did what I did, please don't speak to me." The girl then turned around and left the beach. But as she was going back inside, small tears were falling on her face. *"Wallace... Why must you torture me like this...? What did I do...? Please... I just want you to understand. That's all I am asking of you. Not riches, fame nor power. Just empathy."*
David
Wallace watched her walk away, devastated. He wished he could understand, but he just couldn't, and he didn't know how to make himself get it. All he could hear were his own demons, and right now, they wouldn't let up. The image of the tears welling in Winona's eyes was burning into his brain, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to see anything else for a long time. 
.
*I did that.* 
.
*I made her like that.* He turned around to see the ocean. It's calming aura just couldn't crack the stress that was building around Winona's outburst. Damn, he leaves Sootopolis for one day, and he's made an enemy out of an old friend. He lowered himself onto the sand and buried his face into his knees, fighting the urge to go after her. As dense as he was, even he could see that she was overwhelmed by him right now. They'd find time to talk later. 

For now, Wallace could only wait for her to calm down. Part of him wanted to run, but making things right between him and Winona was a challenge that he couldn't back down from. He couldn't accept this outcome. No, he had to stay on this island, no matter what it did to him.