Having spent two days recuperating from the end of the Conference at home with my family had been soothing on my mind. The tournament's end was confirmation that everything had come to a close; for a few weeks, there would be no more battles to fight, no responsibilities, and most of all, I'd be able to do whatever I wanted throughout Sinnoh. There were plenty of people remaining who I wanted to see before my flight and company I wanted to enjoy, but one thing would need to come first and foremost. I ran through a checklist of everything I'd need for the day, though I panicked for a few seconds when I couldn't find Sunshine's Pokeball. He was at Eterna Forest's Ranger HQ, at the moment, spending time with his old teammates Mudsale and Lurantis—and he had asked to stay there until the weekend of my party. With the Circuit and the Team Galactic situation in full swing, he hadn't had the time to visit. It was important to him now, especially given that he'd be gone an entire year. "Dad!" I yelled, fumbling to get my apartment keys out of my pocket. "I'm going out!" My father hobbled out of the kitchen, still half asleep as he usually was for at least an hour after he woke up. "This early?" he asked, face dropping. "I haven't even gone to work yet." "My schedule's going to be a little packed until I leave, but if you want, we can hang out tomorrow night?" I hesitantly proposed. Everyone was going to miss me, but I was his daughter. There was a difference between being a flight on Princess' back away from visiting and being on the other side of the largest ocean on our planet. "Err, there's also a movie coming out later this week—" Dad gave me a tired smile, and returned to buttering his toast. "Don't worry 'bout it, kiddo. I know you're a busy girl. You're all grown up!" "No! I genuinely do want to watch it with you!" His shoulders loosened a bit. "Cool. I hope you aren't taking me to watch something awful." "D—don't say that like it's something I do often, you jerk! You always picked the movies! Remember Scary Gastly II?" "The Scary Gastly franchise is an underappreciated satire on the horror genre, something you were obviously just too young to understand given how much you complained about how corny it was—" he cut himself off, shook his head, and bit into his toast, ignoring my knowing grin. Already, I'd pulled out my phone and searched reviews for the movie and just let the score do the talking for itself. "Don't let me keep you, renowned movie critic Ms. Pastel. When do you think you'll be back?" I tapped a foot and winced. "Um. That could be complicated to answer. Probably by tomorrow, though. At some point." Dad cleared his throat. "Nothing dangerous, I hope?" "Nah. Just a friend I need to see." Twinleaf rarely changed. It was a city the complete opposite of Jubilife, still beneath wide skies and soft wind. No paved roads. No cars. No towering skyscrapers. Only dirt, aging fences, and houses that looked nearly identical to how they did a decade ago. Mom's house was the splitting image of how I'd left it at the start of the Circuit when we'd first met other than the fact that there was one fewer occupant. Without grandma to keep my mother company, I sometimes wondered if she was lonely. She had Herdier and a tight community around her, but family was family. My grandmother had been… prickly toward me, but I knew very little of how she'd interacted with her daughter. She'd seemed protective. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, as they always did. With more than a decade spent without me, she'd take any amount of Grace she could get. Moments like these made me feel guilty, even now, but I brushed past the feeling and wrapped her in my arms while Princess gave a polite, but curt chirp behind us and Mimi mewled around my neck. "I didn't think you'd come! You didn't even text—oh, I haven't made anything!" "Don't worry about it. Sorry I didn't warn you—" I groaned when she finished the hug with a tight squeeze. "—I hope I'm not interrupting any plans or whatever. I just swung by 'cause I have a thing to do in the area." "A thing?" she asked, hands still on my shoulder. Unconsciously, her hands pressed around my shoulders. "I hope you aren't thinking of—" "It's nothing bad! I'll be at the lake for a while," I said. Her demeanor changed, and she relaxed immediately. "Arceus, Dad had the same reaction," I groaned out before stepping inside and mumbling, "nothing around here could kill me anyway." "I heard that, young lady!" We spent the rest of the morning together chatting about anything that came to mind, or enjoying each other's company in occasional silences that still remained comfortable—a testament to how close we'd gotten this year. Eventually, with the news of my arrival, Denzel and his parents came by to visit and the entire thing turned into an extended lunch. Both my parents had a knack for speaking to others, but my mother was far softer about it. She spoke like she was offering something, always leaving space for others to step in. Denzel's Mom had a rough edge to her, seemingly never fully relaxed even in the slowest town in Sinnoh. She kept things short with me and threw the occasional sharp look my way that past me would have returned, but current me decided to ignore. Each time, Denzel gave me this quiet, apologetic glance, like he knew and couldn't do much about it. Eventually, my best friend and I found ourselves leaning against the porch's railing, two glasses of juice in hand and the afternoon wind blowing in our hair and clothes from the sea to the south. Our Pokemon were out and about socializing, with even Princess joining in on the endless banter session that was Denzel's team and fitting in like a glove—the only problem being that she maybe took things too seriously. Milotic found himself taking refuge with Angel and took great pleasure in watering him like a plant. Occasionally, Denzel would look at his phone and curse the internet here for being so bad. On the third of such complaints, I rolled my eyes at him. "Why don't you just get a League Kadabra to Teleport you around?" I asked, half teasing. "Mornings in Twinleaf, evenings in wherever the hell you'd be living." "'Cause I need to be here or my mom's going to kill me! You're lucky your parents just let you do whatever and run around Sinnoh like you want," he bemoaned. "She won't even let me train in front of the house. She says it'll mess up the property." He glanced at me and sipped on his apple juice. "...yeah. My team is ass at holding back and they'd go crazy. Honestly, good judgment call from her." "Why're you here anyway?" he asked. "I know it's not just to visit your mom. You're too fidgety for that." Ah, the perks of having a best friend who knew you inside and out. "I don't fidget." "You do! You wear your worry on your sleeve, dude." He shrugged, downing his glass with a satisfied sigh. "People can tell when you're off, and right now you're off. Don't tell me those Unovans have you running scared." "Stop making everything into a competition between us and them, Legendaries. No, it's nothing like that." I paused for a moment and stared at the bright, blue sky. "Ever not speak to a friend in a while beyond like, texting, and you're nervous to see them again?" "I've never been friends with a God, so no, I'm afraid I can't relate to what you're feeling." My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, and I hit him in the shoulder. Of course, he knew already. "Not so loud!" I hissed out. "I haven't…" I glanced at the window; our parents were still speaking—Denzel's mother was a lot more at ease. "I haven't told them. They worry about me too much." "Hell, I worry about you too, Grace." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's a big leap you're taking—" "You're sounding like you're forty. I'll be fine in Unova!" I hadn't meant to raise my tone, but the amount of worry coming from everyone felt like a little much. "Now, as for my friend, I'm just nervous. Thinking about what to say. Which is stupid because they're literally, like… reading my mind every waking moment," I finished with a whisper. Denzel rubbed the back of his neck, then arm, then face, and made that look he did when he was presented with an idea he didn't gel with. Like a thousand bugs were crawling over his skin. "I really couldn't live like that. But hey, if they already know, then there's literally no point in being nervous, right?" I nodded, kicking at a rock on the porch and watching it tumble down to the yard. Mimi jumped off my arm and went to chase it down the porch stairs. "Right. Like I said, stupid. But they're not even talking to me!" My friend shrugged. "Like I said, I'm not well versed in Gods, but I honestly think that if you talk it out, you'll be fine. You have a knack for things like that." While his advice was sound, I could tell he couldn't help but treat Mesprit as an Other. Someone so far removed from what it meant to be a person that even Denzel had no idea how to approach them. The Legend had their particularities, but they were far more vulnerable and human than most realized. They had weaknesses, wants; they yearned for things— The image of Mesprit sticking out their tongue and blowing a raspberry flashed within my mind, and just like that, I knew I'd be fine. "I'll go see them now, I think." "Sure. Good luck, Grace." I side hugged Denzel and smiled. The League had torn down the massive fortress they'd erected around Lake Verity, leaving only a few outposts here and there around and in the forest around the body of water. I was glad to see that the land had already healed. Grass had reclaimed scars left by pavement, concrete, and barbed wire. Mesprit's lake was still as calm as ever, without as much as a ripple across its surface even when Princess landed near the shore. She, Mimi and Buddy had been the only ones to come with me—the latter always willing to offer his protection at all times. After dismounting, I knelt beside the lake. The fresh dirt felt soft underneath my bare knee, almost too comfortable, and the usual calm spread further through my veins with each breath taken. "You gonna let me in?" My hand hovered over the water's surface, provoking a reaction from the lake. The liquid bubbled wherever my hand stood, nearly foaming and jumping at my skin to drag me deeper into the depths. I allowed the question to sit for a good minute, but still, silence. "No? I'd really like for us to speak." Next to me, Buddy sighed and asked if we should settle in for a few hours of waiting, not bothering to hide his displeasure at all. I flicked one of his tentacles with a finger. "Don't be rude." He answered by saying that Mesprit could feel his irritation regardless. "There's a difference between voicing it and bottling it up, obviously. Even Princess is behaving." The fairy huffed, displeased that I would single her out as if I'd expected her to be impolite when we were guests. The truth was, she could be when she didn't want to pretend she was a grownup. With a smile, I ruffled the fur on her head and placed Mimi on top of her before I once again faced the lake's stillness. Part of me wondered if I'd be able to invite me in regardless, but that would be taking it a step too far. If I was breaking in, there'd be no point. "I guess we'll stick around," I declared as I faced my team. "It's rarely been just the three of us! The first two members of the family—and Mimi!" The steel type celebrated with a metallic squeak. "Wait! What was that? Is that a new noise? Add it to the Mimi's noise catalogue, Bud!" The Jellicent clicked with humor—obviously we didn't actually have a catalogue unless dear Cassianus had been keeping things from us. If we hadn't been near the lake, I would have felt restless. We passed the time wandering around the shore, greeting whatever wild Pokemon we came across. Lake Verity was a peaceful area of some sort where any species could meet and gather their strength if they'd been harmed. According to a nice Shinx we'd found resting at the base of a tree, no Pokemon remained here long. Take Mesprit's generosity for granted for too much time, and you'd suddenly wake up miles away. The Legend wasn't meant to interfere with the circle of life for too long, and they were a stickler for His Rules. "At least they're not kicking us out." A sigh escaped my lips as I scratched below the Shinx's chin. The static made the hair on my arm stand on end. The little electric type meowed with a tilt of his head, curious as to what I'd been referring to. "I think I'm having a fight with a friend, but I'm not sure why. You ever been in a situation like that?" The electric type purred at my touch and nodded. He was fighting with his siblings right now, actually, which was why they'd run over here for the last two days. He was the weakest of his litter, and his siblings kept hammering that point every day while they basked in their mother's praise. "Wait, you're a child?" His chill demeanor had me believing that he was at least an adolescent. "Your mother must be worried sick—ow!" A flash of pain at the tip of my fingers, then numbness. He'd shocked me. Luckily, I gently clicked my tongue before Buddy could intimidate the poor feline. I shook my hand, teeth sinking into my lip. It wasn't my place to intervene in such fights, especially if Shinx didn't want to go back. "Just promise me you'll go back soon?" He looked away, unsure of why I even cared for him given that I was nothing but a human he'd just met. His eyes widened—then he asked: how could I understand him so well anyway? "Don't worry about it. Wanna hang out with us? Princess can take you on a flight around the lake." The electric type's eyes shone, and thus, I befriended a strangely mature baby. None of this really mattered in the grand scheme of things. Hours spent lazing around the lake under the sun, letting a Shinx try to hunt me. Taking him for flights that grew more and more daring. Playing hide and seek together with other wild Pokemon sometimes joining in on the fun. Princess had even tried to form some kind of court with the kids she'd befriended, whom she ruled and pretended to send to war against the evil, treacherous, fiendish, cunning, vicious Sea Monster from the depths, with Mimi acting as her advisor. Yes, she'd added all those adjectives. Of course, with a year of childrearing under his belt, he had no trouble acting out his part and then playing dead. All those lessons and movies we watched had paid off. The sun hovered just above the treeline, and a wash of orange and blue danced across the horizon. Shinx had wandered back home to his family. "Damn. Where'd the time go?" I whispered to myself. "I really should have brought food. Maybe I can find some edible berries around here… err, actually, that'd probably get me food poisoning—" My eyes blinked. Now breathless, I answered, head swiveling toward the lake. No answer. My feet carried me toward the shore, where I knelt and lay my hand an inch from the water once again. My hand plunged into the lake, whose waters turned scorching— The first time I'd been in Mesprit's lake, experiencing the sheer breadth of color and scale of emotion the God could experience had brought me to my knees. I'd expected much of the same here, if only a little more manageable for my feeble human mind to comprehend thanks to Mesprit's hospitality. Instead, when I reached the end of the dark depths and landed in a puddle of void ankle-deep, a certain emotion overtook all the myriad stuck at the periphery of my vision. A faint, silvery-lavender glow drifted from Mesprit, soft as a breath. It shimmered without warmth, like moonlight through thick glass. It had a way of clinging around Man's heart, trapping them within their own mind like a prison. I had felt it in spades after the raid—seen judgment and apprehension behind every stare. Alienation. The feeling of unbelonging. The source of it was different—I was too rusty to tell where it came from. "Don't pretend as if you could even begin to understand the depths of Emotion." All color drained from their world, and it all returned to nothingness. The silence, the lack of swirling tornados and hurricanes of emotions felt so wrong my stomach turned a little. Like taking away the sound of the ocean next to the sea. Mesprit turned away from me, their little body hovering just a little ways away. I tried to take a step, but my feet were stuck. "So you've come to harass me. You're persistent, Grace! I should have thrown you away from my lake!" "But you didn't." I kept struggling to move. "I'm worried about you, Mesprit. Could you tell me what's going on?" The God flew up, tails wrung together like they did when they were nervous. "What even is the point?" "We're friends, aren't we? We made a pact. I said I'd try my best to do right by you." The invisible force gripping my ankles like ice slightly loosened. "Friends are supposed to be there for each other." "I know that's how it works!" They finally faced me, smooth visage contorting; a wave of red hot anger blasted me. A fragment of their true emotion, and I was left nearly unable to stand—the searing ire permeated through me. "I'm not dumb. Ugh, you think you know so much more than me! You have a teeny tiny brain—" "Then explain it to me!" The world itself took a breath with Mesprit. This was the first time I'd ever lashed out at them since becoming friends, wasn't it? They were so powerful and knew so much, but so fragile and ignorant all the same. Mesprit hugged themselves and closed their brilliant yellow eyes. "I—sorry. I think your anger got to me and made me yell." I clenched my forehead. "Could we start over?" The following silence felt like an eternity, but eventually the ground loosened and Mesprit allowed me to walk. Carefully, I approached them with a hand outstretched, and my friend finally took it. Their skin felt smooth like polished stone, and strangely cold. Not quite flesh, but one could still feel the life underneath it. "It's okay. Friends fight all the time—you know that. Wanna talk about it?" "I… have cut myself off from my siblings for a few weeks now. They keep asking me to respond, but I haven't." My mouth gaped—that was essentially the only people they could talk to other than me. Before I could ask why, Mesprit continued. "Things with you have been superb, Grace! You're a wonderful friend, though I wish your life wasn't so boring now!" I scoffed, grabbing them into my arms. "It's not boring, it's nice." I sat down and placed them on my lap. "And it hasn't been that long since Galactic." "Ah, yes. The empty shell must be having an experience so terrible words cannot describe it." A chill ran down my spine. "Serves him right." Gulping, I added. "And who knows? Maybe in ten years I'll be doing crazy stuff again, right? Is this what this is all about?" Mesprit shook their head. "Obviously it's not something as trivial as boredom. Who do you take me for?! I'm already used to that! Hmph!" "You are complaining about it…" "Shut up! You're lucky your trap works so well, or I would have been out of your cursed embrace!" I patted their head, and their tail twisted around my arm. "Don't add on to it!" I giggled. "You're a funny little critter." "This is disrespectful! I'll have you turned into a ball full of rage ready unable to stop yourself from killing! I'll make it so that you can't ever stop crying! I'll make you hate every person you see! I'll…" Mesprit sighed. "You aren't even scared. You suck." "You wouldn't do any of that." "Guess I'll take my chances!" After finally winning an argument with Emotion itself— "You didn't! You didn't, you didn't, you didn't!" —I decided to give them time until they were ready to speak. Time here was immaterial, you could spend an hour in Mesprit's lake and only have a mere instant pass in the outside world. With a sigh, the Legend finally allowed themselves to settle into my arms and began. "I am failing Him." A deep, deep, sadness began to radiate from their skin, yet somehow this time, I was unaffected. Were they protecting me? "Ever since we became friends, Grace Pastel, I have found myself getting bad thoughts." "Bad thoughts like…?" "Breaking the Rules," they specified in a half-sob—I squeezed them a little tighter. "I miss seeing the outside world. I miss flying around with my siblings. I miss the Ingot! I miss flying around and seeing you shaking in your boots! You were so scared of Distortion's realm! But now…" "I don't understand," I slowly mumbled. "This isn't the first time you save the world . Atreus let you out—" "He wasn't my friend! He didn't show me kindness! He was terrified of me, and then used my powers for himself until he grew old on an island with his cult!" Mesprit growled. "And it was fun to look at through his eyes. It was my first time seeing the outside beyond my Lake since my creation! But we never talked. He never visited. He never acknowledged me. And when he died, that was that. A blink." So now that Mesprit had experienced all of this through someone offering them kindness— "Now I cannot help but want to break His Rules. I'm a broken Concept!" Mesprit cried. Their tears were every color all at once. "You've infected me with your human thoughts! I hate it!" Mesprit's story was a tragic one. Doomed to roam a small lake not large enough to even fit a Wailord comfortably, forever looking toward the stars and calling out to a Father who would never answer. He had cast them here, as He had all of His children, but Mesprit's part was a harrowing one to play. I had thought they would be satisfied with seeing the world through me, but I'd never figured to ask if it was still enough. "Stop thinking kind things about me." "I won't," I said. "You have a pretty bad Dad." Mesprit gasped, and when their anger flared, I couldn't help but feel it seared against my brain. "How dare—" "It's—it's true," I forced out. "He might have His reasons, but He didn't even consider how you'd feel about it." "What a gross oversimplification, calling Him my father! Still your tongue!" "I'll come visit you more from now on," I ignored them through clenched teeth. "And me, personally, I don't think there'd be anything wrong with… stepping out of the lake for a while and playing around with the Pokemon here. You wouldn't even have to go that far." "Preposterous! I will never!" I bit my lip. "I don't know what I'll do when I go to Unova, though. It's not like I can send someone to check on you. Only I can enter your lake…" While I was trailing off and thinking, Mesprit suddenly stilled. "There might be a… no, no! I shouldn't think about this!" "I'm done with you! The audacity!" A wave of psychic energy blasted me away from Mesprit, skipping across the endless pond like a stone. Had I been in my real body, the damage would have been traumatic. Right now, all it was was disorienting. "I'm kicking you out!" "I'll swing by tomorrow morning before I leave back to Jubilife! And at least once every few days before I leave—" Their hand flickered. There might have been a hint of a smile on their face as they raised their hand and my consciousness returned to my real body. They'd probably still be silent for a while, but… Mesprit would come along. Route 215 hadn't changed, not even in my absence. A thick sheet of cloud hung low over the forest, spilling endless rain that soaked the earth and softened every sound to a hush. The downpour never stopped, and within these woods, the world itself felt sealed away, dim and so distant. Princess flew at a leisurely pace while a psychic barrier kept the rain at bay. From above, retracing my old path through the forest felt almost playful. I watched the winding trail disappear beneath us, remembering each muddy step I'd taken after the chaos in Solaceon. We'd passed the city on the way here, and today, few traces of the Darkest Day remained beside the fact that it was still incredibly empty. "I'm pretty sure we could land anywhere, and she'd find us within ten minutes." I'd needed to raise my tone so my daughter could hear me. "But that overhang we painted with them in sounds nice. Remember where it is?" The Togekiss nodded as she picked up speed, diving low in a way that made my stomach drop in such a satisfying way my lips couldn't help but twist into a smile. A few hills dominated Bellatrix's route, and this was one of them. Clearly ancient and weathered, covered in vegetation that clung to its flanks. Moss had thrived in this humidity, creeping across every inch of its walls, and even small trees grew through its cracks. To its west at its base was the very overhang where a bit of kindness had changed my life, for Bellatrix had found interest in me and altered the course of my destiny. I liked thinking I'd also changed hers—for the better. "Look!" I ran forward, crying out with joy. "The art we drew's still there!" There was Angel's maelstrom of nonsensical colors, Honey's detective pikachu drawings, Sweetheart's cute but terrible self-portrait where she'd given herself teeth and claws all over her body. Princess and I's family portrait of us in Floaroma when we'd visited after the raid to see Jacob. Bella's horrible art of what was supposed to be a full moon in a clear night sky, and Nightstalker's portrait of her. When I'd come here to paint this—before Bellatrix had been with child or I'd even caught either Mimi or Cass—I had done so to get tutoring on both Princess' Moonblast and my manipulation over emotions to potentially cure Justin. Before Lou had perished to save me, before the bombings, before my relationship with Maylene or anything had blown up with Cecilia. "Innocent times. I knew far less about myself, back then," I muttered, running a hand over the dry, weathered paint. The Togekiss stood next to me, patting my back with a wing before gently saying that while we might have been more innocent, darkness had clouded our minds in preparations for what was to come. Plus… The fairy huffed. She was glad we'd met Cassianus and Mimi. I rubbed her forehead; she leaned into the touch. "I'm glad too." I paused. "This art, though… we should have come here more when we visited last. I wonder how Theo's doing now." We'd only visited once after Bellatrix summoned her egg through sheer belief slightly before the Conference, but unfortunately we'd missed the birth because she'd formed quite a bit faster than even Bellatrix had expected. Theodora had therefore been born at the end of June half a year later than Beast's timeline, but her name and personality remained consistent. I decided to let my family out for some fun and reminiscing together even if this all was not that long ago in the grand scheme of things. Even Sweetheart deigned to sit still and add to the conversation instead of standing out in the rain and sticking her tongue out—for approximately two minutes. Cassianus, meanwhile, despised this route and stuck to the furthest reaches of the overhang they could find. Honey teased the psychic by pretending that he was going to chuck water at them until Mimi crawled up his leg and pricked his knee. The entire incident had both me and Sweetie howling with laughter. But there were moments of quiet too, where the shape of absence loomed within us all. I sighed. "Man, I miss Sunshine." That, they could certainly all agree with. "The Enforcer has a way of worming his way into our souls whenever he isn't lazing the day away sleeping," Cass chimed. "Except for me!" The Claydol furiously blinked at me. "Obviously I do! Except when he blows smoke in my eyes when I annoy him. That interferes with my primary visual array. Or when he threatens to eat me for dinner. A terrible choice, mind you. I would not be of any nutritional value whatsoever," they said. "I simply meant that I, as an artificial creation, do not have a soul! The Enforcer has therefore not won against me and never will." Princess scoffed, saying that they definitely did have a soul before even I could. Even at their most robotic, the fairy was adamant that there'd always been nuggets of personality within them. Cass' eyes turned to X's. "My apologies. I cannot hear you over the sound of this rain, oh dear." That got them another person trying to douse them with water. It was not long before Bellatrix and her family found us. She practically glided across the forest floor, sliding as if it was made of slick ice. She still wore the little hairpin I'd gifted her on her pastel hair, and when she set her starlike eyes upon me for the first time in over a month and a half, a grin far too wide split her face. Behind her came Nightstalker, his feathers frayed, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. In his wings, he cradled a small Hatenna, holding her close like she was the most precious thing he'd ever known. Princess was the first to dash and envelop her sister within her fluffy wings, a gesture Bellatrix returned eagerly with her clay. "Bella! Night! It's really good to see you." I hugged her next, then turned to the Decidueye. Theodora opened her mouth, but no sound came out of the little fairy. Instead, garbled noise—almost like television static—penetrated my mind. Had I been unused to telepathy, that would have been a mighty migraine. "You're so big now, Theo! Goodness, another month and you'll be as big as your Dad!" Theo gestured at me, pointing at my arm. I held out a hand, and she placed one of her hat-limbs in my palm, welcoming. "How polite." Nightstalker smiled with pride, his piercing red eyes somehow warm instead of the usual prickle wherever he looked. He explained that Bellatrix was already teaching her the ways of the fae—as expected. Sister! It is always such a pleasure when you and your gathering visit us, the Hatterene said cheerfully. Her voice was soft and gentle as always, like silk brushing against my skin. My daughter has been growing plenty, as you can see. That word—daughter—was something she always said with such pride. Her claw went to find Theodora, and she picked her up from Night's wings. While my family made themselves at home and chatted with Night, Princess and I remained with Bella. My starter had given herself the title of aunt and perpetually tried to connect with Theodora, but Bella's daughter found herself… not disliking her, but not caring much for her either. Theo often just ignored Princess' attempts to grow closer to her, much to the older fairy's frustration. It wasn't her fault—Theodora was just prickly with people and Pokemon. The closest she was to was Mimi, and even then, she mostly watched the steel type instead of interacting with them. You seem to be missing your wyrm, Bella noticed. She touched me all over with her claw as if to inspect my health. Theo tried to mimic her, but her two pseudo-limbs were nowhere near long enough to reach me from Bella's hat. I suppose it is a good thing that he will not influence Theodora with his sullen ways. "You say that," I said, "but he's grown on you." Perhaps an infinitesimally small amount. She gazed upon Nightstalker. The cross-armed grass type was popular with my Pokemon, and each one of them tried to get his attention to tell him whatever story was on their mind. Cass, however, steered clear; by the amount of blinks, I could tell that they still found Bella and Night's company unpleasant. From what I understood, they were just anxious given their strength compared to us; it was in their nature as my protector. "He's staying with friends right now close to Eterna Forest." I didn't miss the shadow passing over her eyes when those woods were mentioned. "This is my last time visiting. Um, I'll be leaving for Unova soon." Bellatrix's claw stilled for a moment. I knew this was coming. A young fae cannot stay beneath her mother's brim forever. "Come on, Bella. Don't get all misty-eyed on me," I said. "I want to see the world, and Unova's a good start. I won't be able to visit for a year… I'll miss you. Arceus, now you made me get all sad about it." The fairy let out an ethereal laugh that reverberated across the cave's walls. Even Theodora will leave me someday. Her daughter jumped off her hat and let out a silent protest. Yes you will, little one; there is nothing wrong with this. Even I did, even if it was a forceful affair. "I'll make sure to bring you back lots of stories about Unova. We can trade!" Do take care that these stories of yours don't end with you lying still in the ground, dear sister. "Unova's safe. I'll just chill out, make friends, and help Pokemon in need." Theodora pouted—she was saddened about my departure too. "She's a lot better with crowds." Back when we'd first visited after her hatching, she'd been unable to stay next to too many of my Pokemon at once due to how loud their emotions were. She would always struggle with this—Bella had gone as far as to make everything on her route quiet because of it—but she could at least manage, now. The Hatenna smiled and hopped with joy. "I thought it'd take longer." So did I, truth be told. Theodora keeps impressing us, even if she has not yet awakened Belief. Hatenna were technically only psychic types, I remembered. Bellatrix stared into my eyes with a hint of suspicion. I am surprised at how much she enjoys your company. I scratched the back of my neck. Had I not awakened my Shard in full, she would have figured out that in another timeline, she'd gifted me her daughter. "Mhm. I guess we're just compatible. Right, Theo?" She hugged my leg, and I grabbed her in my arms. Her skin was soft and glossy, just like her mother's. Are you still unwilling to trade for how you knew my daughter's name before she was even born? Bellatrix asked. "Like I told you last time," I said, "you wouldn't be able to afford it." That lit a fire in her ever-sparkling eyes. I will when you come back. There was simply too much going on at this party. Time had gone by in a flash, and I was now only a few days out from my flight to Unova. The inside of the venue was extravagant in a way that didn't try too hard. Clean marbled floors, soft lighting, and high ceilings that made everything feel open and easy—a necessity considering the amount of people here. Tables stretched across the room, loaded with rows of snacks and dishes for anyone to graze on at their own pace. Music drifted through the air and felt pleasant on the ears. Most of our Pokemon were outside the venue, connecting, sparring, or just waiting all grumpily for this to end—though I would not single out any names. Lauren was on DJ duty for the night, something she could use as an excuse to pick and choose who to interact with and not be assaulted by people she'd rarely met before. Given her distaste for loud places, she had her noise canceling headphones with her should she get overwhelmed, and the volume was set rather low. Right now, she and Marley were talking about music—or at least they had been the last I'd been near. Mira checked in on her occasionally, but she was busy chatting up Chase. The boy had a permanent scowl on his face as if he really wanted us to know he'd rather not be here despite us knowing otherwise. Already, he'd complained about the resort's lack of accessibility for his wheelchair. The two had remained good friends, even after Coronet— Louis' voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He looked more and more confident these days, but there was a refined way about him. His golden hair slicked back, he patted me on the arm. His face was slightly flushed. He was technically the only one here allowed to drink legally. "How is it that a party for you, you're stuck in your corner doing your own thing?" He was exaggerating. I'd done the rounds already, and Maylene had gone off to socialize with Denzel while I relaxed for a bit. "Come and talk! Pauline's betting on how many marshmallows she can fit in her mouth." I raised an eyebrow and craned my neck, searching for the redhead. I found her easily enough, clutching a pack of marshmallows in her arms like it was a weapon and a fiery look in her eyes. "She's betting money? On that?" "Oh, Grace, you can bet money on anything." He leaned in. "Want to know something funny?" I nodded. "There's a bet going on about you on if you'll get arrested within the first three months—" "Oh, is there," I muttered. "Come on, Louis. You're going to keep me company at this party. Let's get some chocolate." My friend balked. "I've already had too much! It's a whole fountain!" "Yeah, and I wanna glaze some brioche in it. Come along, now." Would it be nefarious to use Louis, as the drunkest person at this party, as my pawn to get information? Maybe. But I was tired of these rumors about me getting arrested. People ought to have more faith in me! A chocolate fountain was one of the best things mankind had ever invented. While I munched on my brioche and handed some to Louis, Pauline looked to be tapping out of her challenge early, much to Emilia's joy. "Hey, before I enlist you in my quest for revenge at all of your hubris. You doing alright?" I asked. "I can guarantee you that I will not puke." "Not that! Here, have some brioche." I snorted and handed him a piece of my chocolate-doused bread. He hesitantly grabbed it as a flicker of soberness flashed in his eyes. "I mean, you were close with Cecilia and she left. So are you alright?" "Oh." He rubbed his chin. "I know Sinnoh was holding her back, in the end. Unova's where she'll truly be happy." Louis let out a sigh and ate, carefully chewing on the bread. "This is really good." "I know right?! Chocolate fountains are friggin' amazing!" "I… do miss her. She's been too busy to call, and the time difference doesn't help. Plus, I'm busy with the sanctuary too." "Happiest I've ever been." I gently knocked him on the shoulder. "You better! I want every single one of you to answer me that before this party's over!" "I thought you wanted revenge for—" "I can want both! Now onwards, my partner in crime—" I winced; Louis clearly stifled laugh. "Not the wisest phrasing. Pauline first! I bet she started the bet." I dragged my friend toward the redhead. "Why don't you spill all of your secrets, O mysterious Louis Bianchi." His smile met mine. "I'm afraid I've been sworn to secrecy. Should I talk, my life will be at risk." "Yeah. You might choke on some marshmallows." Emilia noticed us first—not that Pauline could, given that she was still doubled over and heaving for air. She was so dramatic it looked like she'd actually nearly died, with how she supported herself on her knees and wobbled as if she could barely stand. "I see we've come at a good time," I said. "How many?" I interrupted Pauline with a gasp. "That many?" "The bet was thirty." Emilia wagged a finger. "Sounds like you've fucked it up. She always goes too big." "Har, har, har. I'd like to see you try." "Unlike a certain someone, I didn't brag about it the moment I saw the marshmallow pack." The two had grown closer since the Conference, returning to what their relationship had looked like before it had all blown up—without the labels or the physicality. I did not know where their path would lead, but right now, Emilia and Pauline were just good friends unless I remained clueless about what a relationship looked like from the outside even now. The four of us chatted for a bit, mostly about their plans for the future. The coordinator was pining for the Grand Festival next year, with both the confidence and skill to have a shot at qualifying. The summer had been rocky for her, but I fully believed she was the happiest she'd ever been without even needing to ask. "Have you decided what you want to do, Pauline? Next year, I mean." I already knew that she wanted to eventually take over the family business. There was, however, a sentiment of safety behind knowing what would come immediately after. "You're nosy today, gremlin!" She gently elbowed me. "Feeling melancholic already?" "I'm curious about what my friends are going to be doing while I'm gone!" She grinned, linking her arm with mine. "Aww, you're sweet. Hey, Emi, can you believe we used to hate each other?" "Uh, for the record, I never hated you." I hummed to think. "I just disliked you." Louis gave us a sluggish nod. "The hate was clearly one sided." "Rent free," Emilia said. Pauline gave both of them the finger. "Fuck off. Anyway…" she cleared her throat. "I was thinking about just going around the Circuit again, really—like I told you guys before. I don't want to be Champion or anything, and I'm under no illusion that I've got what it takes nor do I have the desire to, but I'd really love to experience the Conference at least once. The rush of a tournament, you know? I can't have my only experience be Solaceon," she spat out. "Plenty of tournaments all year round that aren't the Conference." Louis shrugged before shuffling off to grab another fruit punch. "They're not the Conference, you dumbass!" Pauline cupped her mouth to scream. Instead of answering her, he just started dancing to the music as he moved across the venue. "Legendaries, how much has he had to drink?" "I think he's just happy," I muttered. "But we should definitely cut him off. How much have you had to drink?" "Not one glass, believe it or not," Emilia said. "I've had some." "Damn. I guess I won't get to manipulate you and get to the bottom of who started that bet about me." The two girls stared at each other— "Oh, you both know." Emilia raised her hands innocently. "Totes not." She paused. "But for the record, I believe in you, even if I didn't bet on you." "Ugh! Whatever. It'd be too obvious if it was one of you." "You think you've got us all figured out, huh?" Pauline jeered. We bantered until Louis returned with his drink in hand—and a non-alcoholic one for me. It was plenty of fun to talk to Cecilia's original group of friends. We'd all first seen each other in Oreburgh after I'd spectated Cecilia's battle, but we had truly first engaged on that sunny autumn day in Floaroma. Louis, with his ego fit for a Legendary and a cluelessness about the world that was almost sweet; Pauline and her untamed temper and childishness when it came to battles; Emilia, terrified of everything and still blind to what she wanted—or not courageous enough to take that leap. "Though I guess we were all somewhat blind, back then," I whispered to myself. My friends gave me a confused stare, but by now, they were used to me spacing out. Blunt in the worst ways sometimes, plagued by self doubt until he found a way to learn to love battling. A single wish had propelled him: to improve the human condition and to be deemed worthy of his father's company. I sincerely hoped that he was at peace. "So, Pauline? Let's return to the conversation at hand. Your goals!" She winced, sucking air through her teeth. "Honestly, Grace. There's nothing wrong with taking my time, I think. I mean, I'm sixteen." Pauline laughed with such an uncharacteristic whimsy that even Emilia made a face at her. "Life goes on, you know? Nothing wrong with not rushing into what you're going to do for the rest of it." "I…" my voice trailed off. "I guess that makes sense, Pauline!" she mimicked my voice and inflection, butchering it in its entirety. "Well now I'm not saying that!" I yelled at her, causing them all to chortle. "But yeah. I don't know. I might have been coming on a little strong 'cause it just feels like I need to know that you'll be okay before I leave." "Gremlin, everyone will be fine." "Just answer me this, then," I said. "Are you happy?" The redhead glanced at Emilia, fingers twitching. "Yeah. I am." The group dispersed soon after that, with us splitting to socialize with other groups that had split or merged. I dragged Louis toward Lauren and Marley, the only duo which had stuck together through our entire talk with Pauline and Emi. Lauren was looking at picking up the guitar, and while I'd stuck to what I'd learned from my summer piano class, Marley was going to try to diversify and learn more instruments with Jess whenever there was time. "...too soft. And I'm not good with my fingers." As usual, Lauren spoke in a quiet, but blunt tone. If you weren't focused, you'd miss her voice amidst the pop music I'd sent her to the party. Of course, the first thing she'd said was call my music taste incomprehensible before saying that she'd do what she could to salvage this. "I'd like to learn it eventually. Music's always been my second passion." "Hey girls, sorry if we're interrupting," I said with a wave. "My acolyte and I are checking in on everyone." "Acolyte?" Marley repeated with a smirk. She leaned against the DJ table. "Is this a story?" I scoffed, looking at Louis. "Dude. Can you believe the gall of this girl to ask me if this is a story?" "Ab—solutely not. I'll have you know that we all take Grace very seriously around here, girl." Ah, Louis. He always let his old, haughty self out when he was drunk. That was definitely enough alcohol for him tonight, though. Every word out of his mouth was slurred. "This is an emergency of the highest calibre." "Uhuh," Marley said, unconvinced. Lauren wrinkled her nose. "You people are weird," she said. I waited to see if she'd put her headphones on, but instead, she focused on her computer. For Lauren, that was as good of an approval as we were going to get. "We were talking about music." "I hope you didn't busy yourselves talking trash about what I like." I fluttered my eyes at them, fake-pleading with a pout. Lauren spoke over Marley. "We were. I mean, it's all so horrible and boring." I groaned. "It really isn't." "If someone asked me what the average teen girl listens to nowadays, then I'd point to you," Lauren said with ruthless nonchalance. "I mean, Pink Hearts? Nova Rae? Did you just sort through what's trending?" This was Lauren, so she was genuinely asking me. "I mean, I don't always listen to it. It's just what goes on the radio when Dad takes me for a drive or in stores—" "I mean… Pink Hearts is a pretty good group," Louis chimed in. "No one asked you—" Lauren paused. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be nicer to people. Mira's told me I can be too blunt sometimes. I meant that your input is not something I'd consider even in the slightest, even if it is a valid opinion—ah." With a grimace, she reached to adjust the gain knob again, fingers twitching slightly. "The treble's too sharp. It feels like needles in my ears." I couldn't really tell the difference, but said nothing. Besides a few accidents, my hearing aid had been doing a wonderful job. It was a nice change from the Lily's crowded streets and stadiums. Louis ranted about Pink Hearts for a while; it was an all-girls group from Galar that had started blowing up abroad the last few years known for their multiple Toxtricity who were essentially their tech team. "Look, every time someone brings up a music group, it's always Galarian or Unovan. I'm just a little tired of them ruling the Culture with an iron fist," Marley complained. "An iron fist? What are they, the Lance Blackthorn of music?" Rolling his eyes, Louis tapped the DJ table with his glass until Lauren stared daggers at him and whispered 'personal space.' "Sorry. I just think they make better music. Better most things, really." He'd do best to not let Denzel hear him say that. "If we were on par—" "Lance isn't actually an all-powerful tyrant," I cut in. "Jasmine told me a lot about clans and the influence they hold before she left. Wait, has anyone ever listened to Indigoan music?" So went the conversation. I felt out of my depth at times, but it was nice to see Lauren have some fun and bond with more of my friends before I left. It was a debate, but a fun debate without stakes or hard feelings. "By the way! Lauren, I know you're innocent, but Marley! Were you the one who started the bet going around on me getting arrested?" The petite girl stared at me, eyes full of suspicion. "You don't know? Are you screwing with me?" When she realized that I was not, she continued. "Wait, this is too good of a bit, I need to keep it going!" Marley placed a hand in front of her mouth to laugh, a soft and delicate thing. "I only started hearing about this like two days ago, so it can't have been me. I, uh, did bet against you…" "Thank you for not accusing me with your nonsense," Lauren sighed. "I'm tapped out." She pulled up her headphones—ah, she was done socially for a while, then. Well, I knew she wasn't the happiest she's ever been. Her brother's death still weighed heavily in her mind, and it would forever keep a little part of her heart vacant. A sibling—and especially one like him—was impossible to replace. She would keep Roxie with her, at the very least, even if the dragon had given up battling for now. "Since you didn't have the name of the culprit, I'll just ask this: what are your plans for next year?" "Hm? The Circuit again, obviously. I'll throw myself at it, try to climb that treacherous hill until I'm satisfied with my performance," she said. "I mean, this year was so much fun, even if you knocked me out." "You certainly had a great performance," Louis said. "Any other aspirations?" "Short term, not really. Making my parents accept me for who I am would be nice. Other than that… long term, I'm just working toward my goal of moving to Kalos as an adult. I need good credentials and savings!" Marley didn't react at all to my surprise. "I guess you did never ask. I've been learning the language in my own time. I want to live in Lumiose! Isn't it such a chic city? I'd love to check out the fashion there…" I grabbed her shoulders. "Marley, I need you to go talk to Pauline to me immediately about this if you haven't. Have you?" She shook her head. "Oh, Arceus. She's super into fashion too!" "Is she? I thought it was just a thing her mom forced on her because of the business or whatever—" "No, no, she loves this. Go on." I gave her a push. "Lauren's done for a while anyway. Ugh, I can't believe I won't get to see you guys bond!" I realized that Louis was smiling at me as Marley left, a boyish grin that was only there because he was too drunk to care about how he looked. "You have a kind heart, Grace. It warms me to see." "What, because I want my friends to be closer?" I waved a hand to dismiss him. "That's just normal friend stuff." "No. It's like you're a mother making sure everything is in order and that we'll be fine after you leave." He started rubbing his eyes. "Oh, Arceus, I might actually cry…" "Louis! You're supposed to be an annoying funny drunk, not a sad drunk!" I wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I can't have my acolyte crying." He sniffled, nodding before clearing his throat. I needed to keep our momentum going, even as the party started to wind down and our Pokemon started falling asleep outside the venue or asked to return to their Pokeballs. The party wasn't over—no, it was just starting! I grabbed on to Louis' wrist. "Come along. We need to find our next targets." I scanned the room and found Maylene and Mira to be an unlikely pairing. My girlfriend hadn't checked on me in a bit, but Legendaries, she fucking killed in a suit. There was a bit of nervousness to her. The way she'd kept glancing at me every few minutes when she thought I couldn't see, or how she seemed to want to approach me but couldn't figure out how. "Let's check in on Maymay and Mira." As it turned out, their version of small talk had been for Maylene to call the pink-haired teen out on her lack of fitness and for her sedentary lifestyle. Since the Conference had ended, Mira had either spent her days in her apartment working on a personal project she had still not revealed, visiting her uncle in prison, or staying with Lauren in Canalave. It was easy, with an Alakazam or Gardevoir to Teleport her around without even needing the League. "It's hard when you have people in your head whining about what to do whenever you even move a finger wrong," Mira grumbled, then paused. "See? They're complaining even now." Maylene crossed her arms. "All I hear are excuses. You should at least walk around for a bit every day and not just—" she noticed me, "—G—Grace. Hey." I squinted at her. "You're acting weird." Her eyes suddenly found everything but mine just so interesting. "No, you're acting weird." Really? All she could muster was that weak of a rebuke? "How's your party been? Personally I think it's been great." "Emilia and Denzel did pull out all the stops." Mira covered her mouth to yawn. "I'm surprised Chasey hasn't bailed yet." "This must mean," Louis said, slightly slurring his words, "that he's having a good time." "Really, Louis? Look at his face." Mira pointed at her friend, who had a deep scowl etched into his face as Denzel spoke to him. Now that we were closer, it was easy to notice the bags under his eyes. "He's never wanted to go home so much, but I'm his ride back, so he has to wait. Sig can't Teleport long distances yet, even if she's been learning." "His Teleporter back," Louis said. "Not ride." He wrinkled his nose. "H—how crude. Maybe I should challenge you to a battle to put you in your place." "No thanks, man. I've had enough battling for at least six months unless your name is Lauren Goodwill." I nudged Maylene's arm. "This is vintage Louis. He used to be , but all the time before you met." When she laughed, my body finally untensed slightly. "At least you can still laugh with me. Talk to me, Maymay." My head rested on her shoulder, and I intertwined my fingers with hers. "What's wrong?" She whispered to me, "I—guess it's finally sinking in that you'll be gone…" she trailed off. "Sorry, that was mostly an excuse; I don't want to lie to you. I want to talk to you after the party when we get home." My face—body—froze up. Each breath felt tight in my throat, and the need to ask if I'd done something wrong wrestled me to break free— "It's nothing bad! Sorry, I should have led with that!" Maylene dragged me into a tight hug. "You didn't do anything bad." "Ah. Sorry for freaking out on you; that hasn't happened in a while." I sank into her body, embracing her warmth in full. "I thought that maybe you'd changed your mind on long distance now that we're so close to d-day." I looked up at her and smiled. "Me neither. What's got you so nervous, then?" "I'll tell you after…" "Don't let me interrupt," Mira said. "I'm gonna get some more cake. There must be some Denzel hasn't gotten to. He eats enough for three people, I swear." I held onto the fabric of her shirt as she passed me, clicking my tongue. "Now wait a sec. I heard there was a bet about me—" "Ah, right! The bet!" "Did either of you start it?" "Yup, I did," Mira said. "Just kidding. Got you there, though!" She cackled like a maniac, throwing her head back. "I bet against you." "How can it be a bet if nobody bets for me?" I breathed out exasperatedly. "I mean… I voted for you," Maylene offered. "Was it because you felt bad for me?" "Enough about the bet," Louis said. "Grace, go ahead." Right. "Mira. I've been making the rounds and talking to everyone again to figure what their plans are for the future. You have this… project, right?" My friend hummed with intrigue. "I've gotchu interested, huh? It's nothing big, really. So you know how evolution's supposed to be this natural thing? Like, get stronger or use a stone, then boom—new form. But I've been digging into all these cases where Pokemon don't evolve even when they could and cataloguing the different reasons, the differences in cases between trained and wild Pokemon, bla, bla, bla." She twirled one of her pigtails. "Essentially, I'm writing a paper. The topic's fun enough, but I just want to make something in Professor Rowan's strike zone." Her eyes shone. "He's an evolution maniac, and he hasn't studied this topic yet." "It's a pretty crowded field of study and I'm starting from scratch, so it's definitely going to take me the better part of next year to get it done and interview a sample large enough to be taken seriously," she continued. "But I'm hoping my focus on wild Pokemon will get me attention." "I didn't think you'd go for a subject in the humanities," Louis said. "Why did this need to be secret again?" "Because I work better when I'm hiding things, Louis dearest." She blew him a kiss and twirled. "Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but one of my me's is craving that chocolate cake." She sauntered off, skipping across the carpet like a little girl. Had she told me about this, I might have been able to get her a job as an assistant through Barry, even if he had thrown me to the wayside as his 'rival' he had only battled once. With Dawn joining the Circuit, a slot had opened up, but a whole year? By the time Mira was done, Rowan might have replaced Dawn already. "I can tell what you're thinking, dummy," Maylene said. "Some people want to handle their futures on their own." "I'm sure Mira would have asked if she felt like she needed your help," Louis added. She'd always been . Wandering off alone in search of Abel, shutting herself away long after the rest of our friends had opened up. Back when we truly met, in Solaceon and later in Veilstone, Mira had been the first to call out my fae-touched ideals and the childish hypocrisy woven through them. She was a good friend to keep. Maylene made herself scarce soon after, still nervous about whatever it was she was going to tell me when the party was over. Louis and I figured it was time to go and see Chase. It was the first time I'd speak to him since he'd known about my cheating. Not only had I betrayed his best, closest friend, but I had betrayed him too. Lying to him, stringing him along in my touch-therapy when he didn't know why. I'd been an awful person—and in many aspects, I was still growing, but I truly hoped he would… not forgive me right away, but give me the opportunity to just talk to him before I left for a year. Denzel was just about done with his conversation when we made our way toward the two. He patted me on the shoulder while he left Chase. "Good luck, dude. You've got this," he whispered. "I've been buttering him up for you for like thirty minutes." I fake-grimaced. "Denzel. Phrasing." "What? It's a common saying!" "I'm just fucking with you," I said with a snort. "Hey, did you start a bet about me—" "I gotta go check on the others, see you later!" He ran off. "That dick. It was totally him!" "Treachery on the highest of levels, I do agree," Louis said. I nodded at him. "That's why you make the best acolyte." I already knew much about Denzel. He was the one I was certain would become central to the group after my departure. He had all the qualities for it and more, if I was being honest. He was working toward his goal of growing his online presence, and making it to the Conference next year but always left enough time for those who needed. That was the thing about Denzel: it always felt like he had more hours in the day than others. The reality was that he just worked that much harder. Finally, we walked up to Chase. He had a way of being shorter than everyone else because of his disability but of still managing to look down at us. He calmly tapped a finger on his chair and adjusted his trusted dark blue cap. "Bianchi and Pastel," Chase noted in a harsh, but not quite hostile tone. "Quite the mix you've got here." "He's been my trusted partner for the night. We make a good team, I'd say." It was difficult to find a way into a conversation that wouldn't feel stiff. Biting the inside of my lip, I continued. "It's been a while." "Yeah. Because of you," he deadpanned before smirking. "But Cecilia told me I shouldn't be keeping doors permanently closed should I be able to help it. Hey, Bianchi. Can you do me a favor?" "Let me have a moment with your friend for a bit," he said. So he was giving me a chance! Perfect. "Louis, go find Denzel. No more drinking." I gently pushed him along. "Thanks for keeping me company, I'll come get you after." "Don't forget me like my father forgot about me…" he said as he stumbled. Chase held back a laugh—horrible, considering the baggage Louis had with his father, but I couldn't help but smile too. "Of course not, Louis. I'll always look out for you. It's wide open halls here; I'll have an eye on you." He shuffled away without another word, leaving us together in silence. It wasn't very often that I didn't know what to say to someone— "Thanks for setting things right with Cece as best you could," he said. "It's the least you could have done, but I appreciate it." We both faced the party, me leaning against a wall and him against one of his fists. It felt like his arms were bigger than before—like he needed to compensate for losing the ability to use his legs. "We both had fun, and like you said. There's been a door left open for friendship later down the line." "That's nice," he said. "Friend or not, hurt her again and I'll beat your sorry ass, by the way. I'll crawl to Unova if I gotta." "She's in a very good place right now," he sighed with satisfaction. "Took a while, but she got there. I'm proud of her." I wanted to agree with what he was saying. To say I was excited for her to grow further as a person, but it felt wrong. As the primary cause of what she'd gone through, was it not hypocritical to nod along to this and say that I was proud of her for getting better? "Just spit it out, Pastel. You're shaking worse than my Wimpod." "O—oh. I was just going to agree, I guess. I hope Unova fulfills her, too." My right foot tapped against the ground. "Um. How have you been doing?" "Working. Working. Working some more," he said with a heavy breath. "It's fulfilling, considering this is what I've been wanting to do since my Dad died. I gotta say, not a fan of being a Gym Trainer. Thank the Legendaries most of what I do is not within the confines of that horrible fucking job." "Will Byron make you fight trainers next Circuit?" "He said I gotta, so I will." "God, that'd be fun to see," I laughed. "Don't bully the little ones too hard." "Little ones? They'll be a year younger than me, I'm not holding anything back unless I hear it from the big man himself." He was speaking of Byron much more positively than before. I knew the Gym Leader had barely spent any time at the Conference because of how much he was working and catching Chase up to speed, but it seemed like the Iron Islander had acknowledged his efforts. "And how is your… other work going, if you don't mind me asking?" "Steady. Unfortunately we can't just unmake decades of policy within a few months, but we're improving our people's lives substantially. Of course, Teracore's already sued the Canalavian government and a lot of people on City Council who've been getting fat paychecks aren't willing to shut the hell up, hold their noses and vote for us. Fucking lobbyists." He gripped the side of his chair, but held onto his cap to calm down. "If it were just up to me, I'd nationalize the whole thing and gouge its insides while keeping the important parts like what Cynthia did to Bianchi's Dad." He nudged his head toward Louis, who had found his way to Denzel and was busy singing horribly. "That's not within Byron's authority. Not now that Galactic's been dealt with." "Nah. The National Security Emergency Act's been rescinded, and even if it wasn't Cynthia would probably say something like 'Chase, I've spent all of my political capital already to dispatch of Galactic; I can't have people thinking that I'm a tyrant unwilling to relinquish power. It makes sense, but she's still an asshole. She's been pretty hands off since she needs to appear neutral or people will start getting nervous. It remains a local matter for now." I blinked at him. He was… well, he'd never been dumb, but he was a lot more level-headed and calculating than he used to be. He was fully growing into his role of future Gym Leader already. It excited me to see him blazing a path forward just like I wanted to. "Of course, I can't wait to get these Teracore fucker in prison, but the justice system is slow and we haven't even started that part yet. We first need to keep bringing the Iron Islands' plight to the people of Canalave's ears to get them on our side…" What followed was an intricate rant about Chase's future plans to expose Teracore for illegal practices and force the City Council's hand through public pressure. He talked about community assemblies in the lower wards, recruiting local journalists who hadn't yet sold their pens, even organizing walkouts at the mines once they had the numbers. There was talk of organizing the miners into a union who could put forth leaders to speak for them and to put them in front of the media. He had names, dates, and contingencies, all filed away behind those sharp eyes of his. "All in due time," he said before yawning. "At least I lit a fire under Byron's ass and he's been working harder than me." He paused. "What about you in Unova?" "Don't let the iron grip of the market shake and dissuade you from what you want to do," he said. "I dunno what your deal with Poketch is like, but Cecilia's been telling me that a lot of Pokemon Rights activists are catching fire post Plasma ban because the whole ideology's been tarred." He looked up at me. "Can't be good for PR." "I won't," I said, the conviction in my tone evident. "I wouldn't be me anymore if I stopped thinking with my heart." "Good. I think you'll have a positive effect. I know how warm you can be, Grace—" he caught himself. "Ah, fuck it. If it slipped, it must be because I've subconsciously somewhat accepted you. Only somewhat." I jumped up and down and clapped. "Yes, yes, yes! I won't make you regret it!" Chase growled like some kind of wild Pokemon. "Whatever, just get out of my face. I'm going home." His grip firm, he rolled his chair toward Mira. He turned toward me. "What?" "So Denzel started that bet about me, right? Wanna get back at him by—" "What? Grace, that was Louis." By the time I was out of my stupor, Chase had already left. "Louis! I'm dumping chocolate on your perfect fucking hair!" Chase and Mira had been the first to leave the party, but people had continued to filter out as night turned to morning and the first glimpses of sunlight shone through the venue's windows. Denzel and Louis were the last to depart, the latter having fought for his life not to get his hair ruined. All night, he'd followed me and pretended to not be a traitor. Maylene couldn't get enough of the story when I told her as we stepped inside her room in her Gym. She'd begun to loosen up some, but her anxiety was still pervasive and had her on edge. "Want anything? Water?" she asked as soon as she was down laying mats on the floor to sleep on. I'd be spending tonight with her before heading back to my Dad's tomorrow. "Nah." Morning sunlight glimmered across her skin in a way that was hypnotizing. "Are you ready to tell me what's gotten you ?" I gently patted her arm. "You can tell me anything, Maymay." "Okay. Uh…" she gulped. "Don't take this the wrong way, okay? And we don't have to do it if you don't want to!" "I don't even know what 'it' is." "I'm getting to that! You're so impatient." "No, I've been waiting the entire night," I challenged playfully. "Can't I be curious about what my girlfriend wants to tell me?" Maylene wringed her hands together—she was taking so long I thought I'd need to kiss it out of her. Whatever that meant. Arceus, I needed to keep my head under control. "Okay. So like. You're leaving soon and things are going to be difficult for the both of us. So, I was thinking… as a sort of like, rekindling or vow or whatever—that's something you would say," she stopped herself to giggle. "You could use your emotion powers to just. Look at me? And maybe feel it a little." Why she'd been so anxious was obvious now. I'd told her many times I wouldn't use my powers unless it was a matter of life or death to respect people's privacy and how addictive altering someone could be. It was a big leap, one that was impossible to take lightly. Sweat dribbled down my palms and my clothes felt too tight all of the sudden. I wouldn't even be touching her emotions, so the addiction problem was moot—and if I had her consent to look, if she was willing to give me such trust… "Yeah," I exhaled. "Yeah, let's do it." "Now you sound excited, you perv," Maylene said. She was trying to play it off, but I could tell this was a big relief for her, as it would most likely be for me. "Come on, you're the one who suggested it," I countered. "Uh. So. Should I do it now, then?" We stood around awkwardly for a bit before she broke the silence. "Come closer." She outstretched her arms. "I want you close." Oh, Arceus. My head was already spinning. She looked so vulnerable, opening herself up to me like a little locked treasure chest. Maylene was forbidden fruit, and here she was, offering herself up to me. My feet moved before I could think. I stepped into her embrace like I was slipping into warm water—hesitant at first, then all at once. Her arms tight, trembling as they wrapped around me. I could feel her pacing heartbeat against my chest. She smelled faintly of sweat and perfume. "I can look?" I asked again, tears in my eyes. This amount of trust felt so alien, yet it was something I couldn't help but welcome with the desperation of a woman dying of thirst being offered water. I had unknowingly wanted this for so long. "Really?" "Really," she softly said. Her hands gently ran through my hair. It began from the heart. A soft blush of gold stirred beneath her skin, right beneath the ribs, where the deepest feelings lived. I saw it bloom there, hesitant at first, then pulsing gently outward like warmth soaking into a cold room. Curling around it came pink. It was soft and tender, like flushed cheeks or the warmth of held hands. The two colors bled into each other, folding and unfolding in waves like a gentle glow through rose quartz. I watched it rise through her chest and up her throat, licking at her collarbones, glowing soft beneath the skin like light beneath thin fabric. It soaked into her jaw, her cheeks, her temples, spilling out of her in waves so thick I could almost feel the warmth brushing against my lips. I reached out for it, sitting on top of Maylene as she remained on her back. I placed a hand above her heart and slowly pressed against her chest. "Is this okay?" It was a touch. A mere touch of the feelings she held for me which had gone from hatred to indifference to friendship to love so deep I couldn't gaze to the bottom. I allowed it to pool around my palm. "Mhm." She could barely get that affirmation out. Maylene's blush was deep pink. "It f—feels weird. A g—" her body seized up; aura leaked out of her pores, cold yet warm at the same time. I tried taking my hand away, but she grabbed my wrist and placed it back. "Good kind of weird." "Great. I—" I felt dizzy with the sheer amount of affection radiating across the room and on my skin. "I don't think we need words for this. Right?" My girlfriend nodded. I sank further into her. "Grace?" Melody asked. "You've been looking off to the side an awful lot. Are you alright?" I turned from my plane window and looked at my liaison. "Why? Is there a melancholic air about me?" I asked with a grin. It was only my second time on a plane, and my first on one so large that we would need to fly for half a day to reach Castelia City. I'd never flown so high up on Princess, above the clouds where all that lay above you was an endless stretch of blue as far as the eye could see. The airplane was packed full of people, some going on vacation, some going back home—you could tell by their accents. Cecilia had largely lost hers, but Unovans like speaking like they were about to be late to a life-changing meeting and enunciated their words less. She sighed. "I guess I was worrying for nothing. You're fine! Just make sure to get some rest during the flight." "I'm too excited to sleep…" I grumbled. "You'll regret it later." I'd bid farewell to my friends at the airport with misty eyes and shaky smiles. There hadn't been a grand send-off, just a tangle of hugs and words shared between those who had been there. Denzel had even made a joke about Maylene stowing away in my luggage. Aside from Chase, they'd all been there, along with my parents, and it had felt surreal to actually step through those gates and see them fade away. We'd all cried, of course—especially Maylene. How couldn't we? We had gone through hell and back together, forged ever ahead this past year and saved the world, and now I was going my separate way. Now, with nothing but the low hum of the engines and the occasional ding of a seatbelt sign, I was alone with my thoughts again. Well—alone with Melody, who was diligently typing something on her tablet and pretending not to peek at me every few minutes. I wasn't even allowed to have Mimi with me. Airport security forced people to put their Pokemon back inside their Pokeballs and to relinquish them during the flight. I had squeezed out the last of my tears. Now it was time to set my sights upon a new land. Dreams were made of determination; the skies remained ever out of reach. There was no reason to cry. A/N: There it is. The last epilogue. I Will Touch the Skies is over. More than 2 million words, two years and a half of writing and it is now over. It still feels surreal for me to say. As I write this author's note, the realization that there are no more chapters to write hasn't truly hit me yet. Never would I have thought that writing this silly Pokemon fanfic would allow me to meet so many great people, foster a great community and get so many readers. I can't get the accurate count of views across all websites, but I've gotten 5 million on Royalroad alone. And yes, while I am no longer as stat-obsessed as I once was when I first started writing this fic, it is difficult for my heart not to swell in pride at that number even if those are just the amount of people who just clicked on the fiction page. When I first opened google docs in November 2022, inspired by the few Pokefics I had read like Traveler, my goal was to simply have… maybe ten dedicated readers, a few of whom would sometimes leave a comment for me to read. I want to thank each and everyone of you across every website—Royalroad, NovelHub, Spacebattles, Sufficient Velocity, FFN, and Questionable Questing who has stuck this far with me. No story is perfect; IWTTS had its ups and downs (and people have vastly differing opinions on what those are), but I want to think I've improved as a writer throughout and that I will keep improving going forward. Now. IWTTS might be over, but its sequel will be coming eventually. First, I'm probably going to take a break from writing—and definitely take a break from writing so much Pokemon. This story will be new, meaning that I will not keep updating this fic/thread. I don't have an exact timeframe for when the sequel will be out, but if you want to keep up to date, I recommend joining my discord: Regardless, when the sequel is out, I will update IWTTS one last time with the link to the new page. Right now, though, I have plenty of ideas that have been sitting in my head for the last two and a half years, and I plan on writing something original (and much shorter) in-between the two, which should come out in a few weeks. Again, join my discord for updates if you want them—there might be some voting opportunities on what gets written. That is it from me. Thanks for all the support. See you later.