Dungeon 72 - Lineage

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"Bleeargh!"

Brian was standing near the edge of a ship, puking all his lunch into the sea. He groaned, trying to find the strength to back off into the safety of the ship's deck. Well, relative safety, if he wasn't so prone to seasickness.

"Sure yer alright, Goggles?"

The Zoroark took a quick glance behind him, seeing Dex steering the ship. He was focused on that task, but with all the experience he had, Dex allowed himself to be somewhat distracted by his friend.

"Look, bein' seasick ain't a pretty thing. An' considerin' yer pukin'... might be better to get some water. Check the fridge."

"Urgh… I'm sorry, Dex, but traveling on a ship is just awful. There's nothing good about it!" Brian finally managed to walk to the deck again, panting.

Dex didn't move from his position, steering and checking the clouds. The sky was pretty clear, and there weren't any signs of rain. Good.

"I getcha, but I also didn't ask ye to come with me."

"And miss out on helping a friend, after we beat up a God? Nah, it isn't like me." Brian groaned, covering his mouth with a paw. He rushed to the inside, more specifically, to the kitchen, leaving Dex by himself.

Gah. Can't believe I'm really out here, travelin' to meet me folks again… just the thought made a knot form inside Dex's stomach, but unlike Brian, he held the urge to vomit. So many years…

A few questions were on his mind. The biggest one being: how were they? Did they hear about his accomplishments? Or even think of him at all? Dex didn't even remember how long it was since he last saw them, just that it was a long time ago.

Guess I really did make a name for meself. Wonder how they'll react to that… Dex sighed. It was thanks to his friends that he was able to go so far, and even saved the world! Surely they wouldn't be mad at him for that. Sure, he met terrible Pokémon along the years, made enemies, nearly got himself killed multiple times…

But they were his parents. They'd have to be happy to see him! Dex wanted to believe that, and telling himself the same thing over and over again helped with that. In a way, having Brian there with him also helped, because believing that he saved the entire world was hard.

"B-Back…"

Said Zoroark walked back, sighing in relief and rubbing sweat off his fur. Dex almost wanted to laugh, but even he knew being seasick was something serious, not to be joked about.

"Feelin' better, Goggles?"

Brian shrugged. "A little. Better than before, for sure."

He decided to hold the mast for better balance, and took a look around the ship. It wasn't a small one, but not big either. "H-Here's hoping nothing shows up to attack us."

"Even if that happens, I'll hold 'em off. Water's my element, y'know?"

"T-True…"

Might as well show me appreciation now. Dex smiled. "Oi, Goggles. Just wanna thank ye fer helpin' out. Not just with me parents, but with everything."

"Really…?" Brian left the mast, heading closer to Dex. He looked up, and returned the smile. "Heh, don't worry about it. I'm always up for helping my friends."

"Aye. Didn't even think I would ever have mates…" Dex kept the smile up. "Y'all are the best."

Brian looked at the sea, gulping. This time, he didn't feel like throwing up. Maybe the chat with Dex was helping more than he thought. "R-Right. I appreciate it, but it's not really a big deal. Besides, we're just going to see your parents! It's not an issue at all!"

"Yer only sayin' that 'cause ye don't know them." Dex sighed, continuing to steer, but his grasp was tighter. "...I'm kinda worried about how it'll all go."

"Hm… how can I help?" Brian asked. He would go for a hug, but considering that would distract Dex, it was a bad idea to do it. "Look, I'll be there for you the entire time! It'll be alright!"

Dex shook his head. "I'll be honest with ye, Goggles. Just hopin' fer some kinda closure here. If they wanna reconnect or not… I dunno if I want it or not."

And hearing that, Brian frowned. He spent so long trying to reconnect with his brother, and now Dex wasn't sure if he was doing the same thing? It stung.

"Look, from someone that was in a similar position… I'd say to give it a try." Brian said, sighing and looking down, then back at Dex. "We don't know what's gonna happen, but from now on, we have control of our fates."

Dex didn't answer, but he nodded, seemingly satisfied with Brian's words. At least try. It wasn't that hard to try.

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Their trip continued into the afternoon, with Brian spending most of it holding onto something on the ship, anything, really. With all the power he had, Brian was able to not throw up anymore, and more or less enjoy the ride. If "enjoying" meant trying to ignore the existence of the sea at every moment, all to control his anxiety better.

"Y'know, it ain't so scary, Goggles. Ye just gotta... let go o' yer fear." Dex sighed. Part of this was so he could ask Brian to take the wheel, since steering for hours on end was getting exhausting.

"I just… I don't like the idea of drowning. It's scary, and I almost drowned when I was a kid." Brian gulped. That memory was repressed, and he rarely brought it up. Ironically, the last time was when he first met Necrozma. Now that things were peaceful, he remembered it again.

"Tell me about it. We're friends, aren't we?" Dex asked with a frown. Helping Brian with something as deep as fear would be hard, for sure. But again, he had to try, like Brian himself said.

So Brian grabbed the mast again, gulping. He knew Dex was trying to help, and while he appreciated it, part of Brian also didn't want to bother his friend with something like that.

That part was ignored, because it was dumb to think that way. Brian just nodded, slowly. "Alright, so… I'm gonna say sorry. Err, sorry, if Lance was here, you wouldn't be having to deal with someone as scared as me…"

"...I'll be real with ye, Goggles. As fun as it'd be to have Pup here, he's busy, ain't he? Besides, yer alright too! Just not as fun to tease."

"Hey, I'm fine with teasing! I'm just not gonna be your fake boyfriend!" Brian managed a chuckle, letting go of the mast, taking deep breaths. "...Lance's going to the Tree of Life to return the crystals, as part of his redemption… I'm hoping they're alright too."

"Aye. We're all strong. Ye know we defeated Necrozma! With... a lotta effort, but still."

A lot of effort. Really, they almost lost that fight, and they both knew it.

"Right, we're strong." Brian rubbed his arm, looking away at the wooden floor, all to not see the sea. "I guess I'm just scared of what lies deep in the water. I don't know all the Pokémon in the world!"

Dex stopped, gazing in the distance. He could almost see the borders of an island… they were close. "Scared o' the unknown, eh? I can agree. When I ran away... I had to be a stowaway in every ship I came across."

"And you never wanted to go back…?"

"Nah." Dex shook his head. "Things changed now, though. I ain't sure if I wanna reconnect or not, but we'll have to see."

Brian had a few words to say about that. First, Dex offered them, once they left Cydonia, a few weeks before. Brian himself wanted to come with him, just to help.

"...I think it's pretty brave of you to try. I said you should, and I believe that, but it takes a lot of bravery to make amends with someone."

The Floatzel continued to stare into the horizon, and had a small smile on his snout. "Pup's speech about bonds got me good, what can I say?"

To that, Brian rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. "Well, I'm glad everything's calm now. We defeated a God, I think talking with your parents is gonna be easier!"

"If I ain't dead by the end o' it, I'll pay ye lunch." Dex raised a single arm, pointing to the small chunk of land they could see. "There. We're almost there. Congrats, ye won't need to suffer fer much longer."

"Thank the Gods." Brian sighed in relief. "...The non-genocidal ones. How long until we get there?"

Dex stuck out his tongue, almost tasting the air, before shrugging. "Hard to say. Few hours? We're probably gettin' there by evening."

"Cool."

It had been a while since Brian went on a trip that didn't involve a mission, or ended with him being involved in some sort of fight. For once, he was excited to see what Dex's hometown was all about. Not to mention they likely suffered from the Enlightenment—the common folk term for the six-month timeframe where they were trapped in dreams—like everyone else on the planet.

For his part in it, Brian wanted to check how they were. Not everyone would recover, obviously, but he had hopes for this island. In fact, it was all Brian had. "When we get back, I'm gonna start looking for places to go on vacation."

"Great plan, Goggles. Do pick somewhere with some hotties. I miss Scruffy, o' whatever his name was. Weird dreams, am I right?"

Was that an actual request…?

Brian gulped. Of course it was.

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Hours passed, and they managed to dock at the port. Dex maneuvered the ship around, before pulling the anchor to fix them in place. He rubbed his paws together, looking around. His ship was one of the few there, with Dex only seeing two others; none that he recognized.

Are they still here, or—

"Finally!" Brian's first instinct was to jump out of the ship the second they arrived, kissing the wooden ground and thanking whatever deity he could think of.

Dex chuckled at that. "Whoa, yer kinda overdramatic, Goggles. It ain't so bad."

"Says you, the guy that lived like this his entire life…" Brian shrugged, breathing a sigh of relief. "So, this is the place, right? What's the name, anyway?"

"Noxport. Here it is." To prove it, Dex inhaled the salty air, filled with the smell of aquatic Pokémon. It was the same smell he always knew, confirming it was indeed the place he grew up.

But different at the same time. Dex rubbed his eyes to confirm, but his vision was just fine. The village had buildings on the verge of breaking down, destroyed ships on the mainland, thick grass covering the small shore… all happened in the span of six months.

"I... I didn't expect this to happen…" Dex blinked. The few buildings still intact looked more robust, tougher, with bricks as the foundation. Nothing like the small village that he grew up with. "This place would've been different, even if Necrozma didn't do his thing."

"It's expected, right? You're like…" Brian started counting. "Eighteen?"

"Aye." Dex nodded, crossing his arms. "Ma an' Pa wanted me to take the family business, since it'd help with the exports. We didn't get that many tourists."

Now that he mentioned it, Brian noticed there wasn't anyone waiting for them on the port. Well, it was a small port, with only enough spots for three to four ships, at most. The citizens were probably inside the village. Including Dex's parents.

"We gotta go. Can't keep stalling, y'know." Brian said, tapping Dex's back. "C'mon! I'll be here to support ya! Just friend stuff!"

Dex wanted to crawl into a hole and ignore this, but they already made the trip, and Brian was there, being a supportive friend.

So Dex had to reciprocate. "Ah... I've gotten this far. Can't go around quittin' just yet."

"Good, that's what I'd like to hear!"

Next, Brian pushed Dex forward, and the two left the port. Walking into the town, they saw it just as deserted as the docks. Dex looked around, searching for anyone he could recognize, but the place was empty. Not a single soul except for the two of them.

It remained that way, while Dex searched for his parents.

"You… don't remember where your house is?" Brian blinked.

"Eh, it's been years, can't remember. Besides, we used to live on a boat. I'm mostly just lookin' fer 'em." Dex shrugged.

As they walked, it didn't take long until someone whistled at the two. A long, sharp whistle. Brian's ears perked, as did Dex's, and the two turned back.

"Oi, ye lot!" Said a rough Seismitoad. He had a beer belly, more pronounced than the normal ones for his species, but Dex knew it was a hard stomach. Not to mention the muscular biceps this water-type had…

But drooling violently was out of the question. Dex just waved. "Howdy!"

"Don't "howdy" me, ye scurvy 'mon! Who brought ye two 'ere?! We ain't got the structure fer tourists!"

Brian gulped. I thought Dex's accent was thick…

"Just lookin' fer me folks. Nothin' wrong with it, don't ye think?"

"Yer folks? What be ye blabberin' about? I don't—" Seismitoad took a closer look, squinting his eyes. His jaw almost dropped. This Floatzel was familiar. Well, his voice was. And there was the fact that nobody there was a member of that species. Except for one couple, a couple that had a missing son for almost ten years.

"Wait, wait! Ain't ye—by Kyogre's waves! Dexter?!"

Dex jerked his head in the direction of this strange Seismitoad. He was familiar, somewhat. "Yeah...? I don't remember ye. But that's me name."

"Ye don't remember me? Eh, guess it be been a while." Seismitoad grinned, wrapping his large arm around Dex's shoulder. "I can't believe ye returned! We thought the worst 'appened to ye! An' who's that twink with ye? Boyfriend?"

"Who, Goggles? Nah, he ain't my type!" Dex chuckled to himself. "Seriously, who are ye?"

"Yer folks' old boss."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Dex stopped to think and his eyes widened. "Aw, fuck! Didn't recognize ye!"

Meanwhile, Brian looked at the two in quick succession. To say this was out of his league would be an understatement; he quickly shook his head in denial. "Uh… I'm Brian, Dex's friend. We're here to meet his parents."

Seismitoad looked at the Zoroark and nodded. "Aye, 'is parents. I know where they live. C'mon, ye two can follow me! I'll leave ye two at the door!"

Easier than I thought… Dex rubbed the back of his head, following the Seismitoad.

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True to his words, the Seismitoad left them in front of a house. Unlike the other ones, it wasn't as broken, the windows were still intact, and the grass was relatively kept. It was also made entirely of wood. There were even a few plants on the front, like a small garden. Dex thought it was cute.

But he didn't knock. No, he just stared at the door, like it was the biggest challenge of his life. He was as tall as the door, but to him, that object was like a giant, ready to squish him under it like he was nothing. Not to mention his parents. Dex still didn't know what their reaction to him would be, and the possibility of being disowned was too close for comfort.

"Dex… I know you're worried, but it's gonna be fine!" Brian tapped his friend's arm, trying to cheer him up. "I'm here for you regardless! If they accept you back or not, I don't care! You're still my friend!"

He didn't move, just gulping. "Thanks. I guess it's just kinda... I dunno, painful? Like, maybe I'm disappointin' them."

And that was something every child went through. Brian himself sometimes wondered if Nick would ever be disappointed in him. At the same time, he knew his father loved him, and that was enough to calm down all the weird thoughts. For Dex? Brian had to step in and help.

"Look, man, it's not easy. I know you did something bad, but so did everyone." Brian looked up at his friend, smiling. "And now you're here, doing something that might be harder than fighting Necrozma. Facing your past is never something easy. Lance would tell ya!"

"Gotcha... I'm just... Gods, why is it so hard?"

Dex looked at the door again, like it was mocking him and his inability to do a simple task. Just knock! It was that easy, that simple.

"Goggles… I wanna ask ye something."

"Yeah?"

"Knock it with me. Both o' us. Might be the only way I'll do it."

Brian opened his mouth, not saying anything, and only giving a simple nod.

The two of them walked a few feet forward, before knocking on the door together.

…

…It was faint, but they heard a voice. Someone complaining? It was an aggressive shout, though unintelligible. Dex shivered from top to bottom. It was almost like he was a child again. Brian stood close to him, hoping his presence alone would be comforting.

"We ain't gettin' any bloody tourists around 'ere!"

"A-Ah!" Dex tried to whisper, but it came out as a much louder shout than he intended. The voice from inside the house was undeniably his father's, and hearing it made Dex freeze.

"You okay—" Brian stopped himself; the answer was splattered across Dex's face. The frown, the shivering teeth, everything pointed to "not okay".

Footsteps grew closer, louder. Until the door started to creak, slowly opening. Dex's father was much like him, but had fluffier fur with a darker tone than Dex's, a bulkier physique, though he still had a beer belly, and his teeth were sharper. If put side by side, one could still identify which was which.

"I don't know who ye might be, but I'm not fixin' to—"

"H-Hey, Pa." Dex said, raising an arm to wave.

Brian knew better than to say anything, letting the two Floatzel solve this situation. If it was possible to solve it. At most, Brian would be a mediator in case things went south.

"Ye... Dexter? N-No, can't be... I just…"

Dex raised both of his arms to try a hug, smiling. It took him a while to smile, but he did it. "Pa! It's me! I just... I've been everywhere. All these years, I've been doin' a buncha things. I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left."

"Y-Ye… Dexter…" he sighed, tears forming in his eyes. The larger Floatzel trembled, barely able to see his son from the sheer amount of water that covered his eyes. "It be… ye…"

Taking the courage to step forward, Dex hugged his father as tight as he could. He also got teary, and didn't hold back the tears from happening. "Really, pa, I'm really sorry. I was stupid, an' I just wanted to... be me. Not be some extension o' ye or Ma."

"Yer mother... I-I gotta... wait 'ere. I'll call 'er," he nodded, pulling back from the hug and looking at his son again.

"I-I…" Dex nodded, not saying anything else. His father understood, and entered the house.

Brian glanced at Dex with a smile on his face, and a toothy grin to finish the look. "Good job. You did the hardest part. I'm sure things will go just fine with them."

"Goggles... I sure hope yer right."

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Seconds passed, more like minutes, hours, days. Dex crossed his arms, waiting. If his father had a normal reaction, he couldn't begin to think of how his mother would react. Even if Brian said something different, he figured they were disappointed. It was just… obvious.

Brian rubbed his arm, sensing the tension in the air. Hopes were one thing, but actually waiting for the end result? It was anxiety-inducing. "I… I still think this'll be fine. But I'm kinda believing less—"

They both heard a high-pitched scream coming from inside the house. Brian froze.

"Uh… I wanna say that's not normal?"

Dex just laughed out of nervosism. "N-No. It might be Ma. Or definitely Ma. Either way, I'm screwed. Yer too!"

"B-But I didn't do anything!"

The door creaked again. This time, Dex's dad only poked his head out. "Oi. Come on in. By the way, Dexter... yer grounded."

"Thought so." Dex rubbed the back of his head, before entering with Brian.

With each footstep inside the wooden house, Dex heard the ground squeak with his weight. With their added weight, it was putting some pressure. A look at Brian—and the shrug from him—told Dex it was fine to walk, and wouldn't put them in any danger.

But the more important detail was in the middle. Since the living room—as his dad said—was under renovation, there were boxes scattered everywhere, the couch still had plastic wrapped around it, and the windows were dirtier on the inside.

Dex, of course, noticed the other big detail. His mother; sitting on the couch. She had a thinner physique, her tails were both perked upward, her eyes red from the amount of tears she cried, and her fierce glare pierced through Dex's chest.

She opened her mouth, and it trembled, but she didn't say anything. Another scream, and more tears fell from her eyes. The scream was so loud she had to cover her snout with a paw. Everything in sight was just unbelievable.

"Ma, I…"

"Not the time fer blabberin'." Dexter's dad intervened, walking to the couch and sitting next to his wife, trying to calm her down. If her glare was fierce, his was even more. He stared at his son, snarling.

Even Brian was scared. "U-Uh, mister…"

"Miles." The older Floatzel answered. "Name's Miles, an' this here be me wife, Angela. An' who're ye supposed to be?"

Dex sighed. "Me teammate, Brian Williams. I call him Goggles."

"Ne'er got rid o' that there 'abit o' yours, eh?" Miles huffed. "...Dexter, ye do realize ye've been gone fer years?"

And there it was, another jab at him, at his mistake. Yes, Dex knew he was wrong, but feeling wrong? An awful feeling. He didn't want it.

"Look, Pa, I—"

Miles punched the couch, producing a large sound. His paw was coated with ice, and the couch was punctured with the attack. "I ain't done! Ye stand back an' listen, ye little shit! do ye 'ave any idea 'ow long we searched fer ye?!"

Okay, maybe this went the southest it could've gone. Brian gulped, looking at his friend. Dex said nothing.

Angela leaned against her husband, still crying, but now having enough strength to talk. "Drop it, Miles! He's 'ere with us now! It's all that matters!"

"Well, 'e better 'ave a damn good reason to 'ave ran off like that!"

Dex looked down. They wanted to know his reasoning, but they also didn't let him speak. What was the point?

"U-Uh, sorry to interrupt, mister and miss…" Brian fiddled with his fingers, clearing his throat to have their attention. "I-I can't excuse what he did, but I just wanna say… Dex, your son, just saved the world less than a month ago."

Miles quirked a brow. "The 'ell is that there supposed to mean?"

"If you just let him explain everything… I'm sure you'll all understand." Brian said, nodding slowly. Good, now all they had to do was take that bait and let Dex speak.

Angela panted, looking at her husband again. "M-maybe... we should listen to 'im, Miles. There's nothin' wrong with it."

"Sheesh, thanks, Goggles. I mean it. It worked well." Dex looked down, considering if he could still run away from all of this. He couldn't. "Look, I recognize I made a terrible mistake."

He paused. "The truth is... I couldn't take it! Y'all kept pressurin' me, forcin' me to be like... yer puppet. Yer way, or no way at all. When I realized I could go… I just did."

Miles listened with a frown in his face, holding paws with Angela. To hear those words coming from his own son was nothing short of terrible. And worst of all: it was true. They had years to figure out what happened, and pressuring Dexter to follow in their footsteps was as good a reason as any.

Of course, it didn't justify running away. Dex knew it, and all he could say about the act was "sorry". Even if it didn't solve everything, it was a good start. "I kinda did it on a whim. Thinkin' back on it, there were a million other things I could've done."

The older Floatzel just sighed. "True. Ye was stupid. Too stupid. We was worried, y'know?"

"Really worried. We thought someone kidnapped ye!" Angela added, clutching Miles' paw.

Dex just looked down, he was at a loss of words.

That was terrible too. Miles felt his stomach wrap itself in a knot, and he groaned. If only he had realized it sooner, then Dexter would have stayed with them. There were many things both him and Angela could have done, but that was in the past. And now, in the present, his son was with them.

What could he do now? Miles senses a lump in his throat as he thought of the words. He had to swallow his own pride and admit one thing. "I guess... I wanna apologize to ye too, Dexter. It wasn't me intention to do that there to ye."

"Pa…"

"I just wanted to 'ave someone succeed me. I ne'er expected that ye wouldn't want it." Miles admitted, grumbling and trying to accept the words. Apologizing wasn't in his blood, but he had to do it.

Dex didn't show any reaction, other than opening his mouth, not saying anything, not even gasping. Completely lost on what to do, or say to his father. Never in his life did he think Miles would apologize and notice he did something wrong.

That's nice to hear… Brian thought, watching the scene while he leaned against a wooden wall. Families were always different, but he was just happy to see them working on their issues. Communication was the best way of solving things.

"...I can admit we was both wrong, in our own ways." Miles said, his fur standing up. His eyes watered again. "...Right?"

"O' course, Pa! I'm here to apologize too!" Dex put a paw in his chest, nodding as the tears fell again. "I just wanted… ye two to forgive me. Forgive yer stupid son."

Angela's tails swished, and she left the couch, walking towards Dex. She raised her arms—he was taller than her—and touched his cheeks, feeling the fur, and confirming this was all… real. Dexter really came back, and apologized, and wanted their forgiveness. That last part was easy, or it should be easy. Forgiving someone for past mistakes, especially her son? She could do it. She hoped so, anyway.

"We searched fer ye everywhere. There was a whole search, everyone in town looked fer ye," she said, putting her head on his chest. "Sweetheart... I missed ye, so so much."

Dex groaned, putting a paw on his mother's back, pulling her into a hug, one she reciprocated without hesitation. "I-I went into ship after ship, runnin' as much as I could. I just... s-sorry, Ma."

"I allowed yer father's... ideals o' how ye should live." Angela rubbed her paw on his face softly. "Yer not the only guilty one around 'ere."

Dex sighed. "Or I might be the guiltiest. Either way... I'm really sorry fer all I've done. None o' ye deserved it."

"The first step in makin' amends be done already, son." Miles left the couch next, walking to his son and tapping his shoulder with a paw. "Yer back 'ere with us now. We couldn't be 'appier. But I'm still curious about... why ye didn't return before."

Dex continued to hug his mother, but he glanced to the wall. "Long answer. But I guess I got all the time in the world, don't I?"

"We still have three months to enjoy, but uh, yeah." Brian said, waving a paw. "...Jokes aside, I'm staying here as long as I need to."

Miles tried to smile, but he kept the frown. However, after forcing himself some more, a small smile did form. "Ye got good mates durin' all them years, didn't ye, son?"

"The best ones I could ask fer." Dex couldn't help but blush at the sentence. "Look, if I could go back an' undo it... I don't know if I would. If I hadn't run off, we wouldn't meet, we wouldn't be teammates… and I don't want that."

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Dex sighed in relief, like a colossal weight had been lifted off his back. He just told them the thing he wanted to say the most. Now… Dex hoped they would understand him, for once in his life.

But his anxiety still remained. He backed off from the hug, smiling sheepishly at his parents, and waiting for whatever punishment they were about to throw at him. Whatever it was, he could take it.

"I… I see…" Miles muttered, looking at his wife, as if she had the answer. She returned the look, before leaning close to him.

Angela decided to ask another question. "Dexter, sweetheart, can ye tell us more? what 'appened after ye left?"

"Oh, alright…" Dex took a quick glance at Brian. "I only really know goggles fer like... I think it's been almost a year now. Before that there, though? Life's been rough. Really rough."

"I'd love to 'earrr more from 'im, but let's focus on ye now, Dexter." Miles said.

Oh boy, where could he start from? Dex remembered the first thing he did, find a ship leaving the island and invade it, hiding from the crew inside so they wouldn't kick him out. He remembered staying inside a box and only leaving when the crew was asleep, feeding himself when they didn't see.

One of them eventually did see, the Ludicolo captain kicking him out at the nearest city. Dex remembered how hungry he was, not having a place to stay, or anywhere to eat, anything.

His stomach growled. "I ran. Again, an' again, an' again. From village to village, city to city. I ran an' I survived off o' scraps. It was... hell."

Angela covered her snout with both paws, gasping. "Sweetie, you—I can't believe ye... ye've been through all that there…"

"Was our teachings really that bad?" Miles frowned. He almost wanted to hug Dex, but somehow, that felt wrong. "Was I pressurin' ye that much?"

Brian also stared, his ears drooping. Even back in Bright Dawn, he knew Dex's house was a mess. Things really didn't get better for him until they met.

"Somehow, I made me way to Bright Dawn. Y'know, the city o' dreams! Somethin' like that."

"What? Ye went all the way there?" Miles almost dropped his jaw. He had to sit down, along with Angela. The couch was still somewhat frozen. He ignored that detail and focused on what his son said. "It be… I don't wanna say impressive, because I'm disappointed in meself fer pressurin' ye enough fer that there to 'appen, but…"

Angela held his paw. "We can't take it back now, Miles. All we can do is move forward."

Seeing them react like that, Dex sighed, almost cursing his inability to return before, but his mother had a point; the only way to go was forward. "So... I kinda stayed there. Didn't think either o' ye would want me, so I tried me best to make a life. Barely worked, hah…"

Brian raised an arm. "That's where I come in. I asked him to join my team, team Liberators, and he did. We went on a few missions together!"

"Team Liberators? I feel like I've 'eard the name before…" Angela tilted her head. Her curiosity peaked, so she wanted to know more. "What 'appened?"

"We ended up goin' on a massive mission to, err, rescue someone. It was all fine, but the conspiracy kept growin'." Dex explained. This was the part where he had to explain Necrozma's entire thing, and doing it on his own was next to impossible.

"Uh… Goggles? Little help here?"

"Sure." Brian stepped forward, adjusting his goggles and cracking a smile. "Hey! First off, I'm Brian, Brian Williams! I'm this guy's friend and teammate. Before he joined, he was living in a dump! Now… still a dump, but he can probably afford a better house."

That sentence was received with a punch to Brian's arm, causing the Zoroark to squeal.

"Oi! Don't make me look bad!"

"You already do that yourself!" Brian hissed, rubbing where Dex hit his arm.

"Can't say this here been what I considered when thinkin' o' yer mates…" Miles had a light chuckle, but he still wanted to know more. "An'?"

"This story is kinda… long." Brian admitted. He didn't know the full details about Necrozma's life, but there were still things he could tell. If they wanted him to, that was. "It might be tedious, sure you wanna know?"

"Ye told me an' Angela that somehow, Dexter saved the world. O' course I wanna know!"

"Me folks are a tough nut to crack, Goggles." Dex said. "...But yeah, I think we can tell 'em all we know."

"Hah… I know this will be taking a while. I might need to take a seat."

Angela rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'll go get them chairs…"

"Ah, okay then." Brian rubbed the back of his head. "So… where do I start?"

----------------------------------------

It took them half an hour to explain the events that transpired over the last eight months. Miles and Angela didn't say anything when the others were talking, letting their questions to the end. It wasn't until Brian was left panting by all the explanations that the couple did something.

Angela offered to get some water in the kitchen, and left to do just that. Meanwhile, Miles crossed his arms, sighing.

"So that been the deal with them weird tendrils. Ye stopped 'em?" Miles asked, though he knew the answer already.

Dex nodded. "All four o' us. Technically five. I never knew I 'ad it in me, to be 'onest. Only found out because o' them. An' they also convinced me to see ye an' Ma."

"Really?" Miles raised a brow, looking at Brian. "Guess I gotta thank ye too, lad."

Brian gave him a thumbs up just in time to see Angela coming with a glass of water. He drank it all in one go, sighing in relief. "Okay, thanks! For the water, and the compliment. Really, I'm just doing what friends do."

"Dexter didn't 'ave many mates. Or any at all. He been always a lonely child." Miles explained as Angela handed him another glass, which he drank.

"Uh... I don't think you needed to say that, Pa."

Miles looked at Angela, handing her the glass. "We... I think we 'eard enough o' yer stories, son."

"I could listen to more o' them, but I'm satisfied with what we got." Angela added.

And hearing them say it made Dex relax a little, his tails slightly twitching. Maybe coming to see them was the right choice after all. "Not gonna lie, it ended up a lot better than I thought."

Miles smiled, putting the glass on the couch, before looking at Angela. They both knew what to do; hug Dex. They did it at the same time, enveloping him with the hug he so desperately needed, but didn't know.

"U-Uh! Ma, P-Pa…" Dex muttered. The hug was certainly too much for him, and the tears came back, from all three of them. Dex whimpered, before returning the hug, crying out all his emotions, letting everything out. All the sorrow, all the regrets, it was all being released with a single hug.

Angela rubbed her paw on Dex's bandanna, smiling. "I missed ye... Dexter, me sweetheart."

"Ye 'ad a rough life... an' fer that, I'm sorry. I ne'er should've done all them things." Miles hugged his son tighter, crying out as well. He sniffled.

Brian watched this, feeling a tear too, but he didn't cry. He was just happy to see his friend that way. With a sigh of relief, he leaned against the wall again, grinning. They did well, they really did.

Miles started to back away, slowly, along with Angela. They both held paws, smiling at their son.

"Listen, Dexter, yer mother an' I, we be both sad o'er what 'appened, but we can be together again. Right?"

Angela's ears twitched. "We won't lie, it be what we want. But…"

"Ye 'ave yer own life now, son." Miles went and hugged him agani. "All we want... is fer ye to be a part o' ours. Visit us, y'know? every once in a while."

Angela nodded. "An' we'll visit ye an' yer mates too."

"S-Sounds…" Dex gulped, rubbing off some tears. "Perfect. Thank ye. I mean it."

Brian raised an arm to cheer, whistling and grinning. He almost considered making an illusion of a wagging tail, but thought it was too embarrassing. "Hey! Congrats! You got this!"

"I... I wanna thank all o' ye. Goggles, fer comin' with me," he looked at Brian while saying it, before shifting to his parents. "Ma, Pa, fer... forgivin' me. I know it wasn't easy."

Miles finally managed a proper smile. "I doubt it'll e'er be. But like we said, forward be the only way."

With another hug from them, Dex felt… fulfilled. He visited them, talked things out, and in the end, it all went as well as it could have. There was no need for anything more. Maybe spending a few days there, at most.

Angela clapped her paws together with a big smile. "Since we be all 'ere, we might as well celebrate. Dexter, would ye like me to make yer favorite meal?"

Instantly, Dex lit up, his eyes sparkling. "Oh! It's been so long! Yeah, I want it! Goggles! Yer in fer one hell of a treat!"

"Really? Nice." Brian tapped his stomach, and it growled. He did need some food…

Dex chuckled at him again. For once in his life, things were looking just fine.