With the Wallace Cup over, Pastoria City is almost back to normal.

Almost. There's still one event left. The local Croagunk festival.

Lucas and Ursula are ready. They've got their Croagunk hats on and are waving their Croagunk face flags in my face, to try and entice me. I'm not taking the bait.

"You guys can go without me," I tell my friends. "I don't even have a Croagunk."

"Anyone can attend, regardless if they have a Croagunk or not," Ursula informs me. "It's just the main attraction. They have-" she pauses abruptly, looking at Lucas. "What, exactly?"

"Croagunk based attractions," he finishes for her, pulling out a pamphlet and flipping through it. "The most accurate Poison Sting contest, the Brick Breaking contest, the Poison Jab duel contest, the how far you can throw your Mud Shot contest, and others."

Even if the premise is rather stupid, it does sound like a lot of fun. But there are simply more important things for me to be doing. The super-secret medicine to wake Glaceon up is going to be delivered today, festival or no. And I need to be there, at her side, when it happens.

Not to mention, what I say to her is going to be crucial. Today is better spent collecting advice before having that conversation.

I know where to start, too. At the dry cleaners.

Not because I have anyone to talk to there. Because I have clothes that need cleaning.

Once I get the sailor's uniform that I wore the other day back, cleaned, pressed and folded to the point it looks almost as brand new as when I got it, I head to the house of the man who gave it to me, whose address Nurse Joy was nice enough to tell me this morning.

Ding-Dong!

The door opens fifteen seconds after I ring the bell. As I suspected, the festivals of us landlubbers don't really appeal to men of the sea. "Hey, Captain!" I greet. "I came to return these." I hold up my and Ursula's sailors uniforms.

"That's not the only reason you came," Captain Grimes says grumpily, though he holds the door open for me to come inside. "Keep 'em," he tells me, when I look to set the sailor uniforms down. "You two more than earned your stripes."

"Thanks!" I say, beaming, as we enter his living room. "NIce place you got here."

He looks around speculatively. "I've got stuff from all over. Criss-crossed around the world. Twice, actually. You want something to drink?"

My captain goes into his kitchen to look for some lemonade, while I inspect my surroundings a little more closely. He does have an assortment of interesting things from around the world, and pictures to match.

I recognize Cinnabar Island's volcano, the iconic lighthouse in Olivine City, Slateport's bustling markets, the snowy tree tops of Snowpoint, the familiar, towering skyline of Castelia, and even the crystal clear waters and pure white sands of Alola.

Captain Grimes's beard and mustache are bright red instead of white, like they are now, but it's definitely him, wearing one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen. Probably because of the slender, pretty brunette alongside him, in every single picture.

I'm unable to peel my eyes away, even though I know how this story ends. It's just… they're so young, and happy, and full of love that it's hurting my heart.

He clears his throat behind me, and I turn around, wiping a tear from my eye. Captain Grimes hands me a bottle of sweet tea with a lemon flavor and gestures for me to take a seat. He settles heavily into a leather armchair.

"You know, huh."

It isn't a question. "Yeah," I sniff, not wanting to tell him it was Santos who told me. "Would you have gone to see Ophelia? If Wallace hadn't come?"

Captain Grimes sighs heavily. "That was the plan, yes."

I can't bring myself to ask the follow-up question. Of why he's still alive.

"Do you know how it happened?" he asks me instead.

"I heard she was lost at sea during a storm. And that she was never found." I'm grateful for the tea, because this heavy topic has my throat really dry.

"Well, whoever told you that isn't wrong. They left out the worst part, though. About how it was all my fault."

I wait for him to continue. "We were in Azalea Town, in Johto. Ophelia wanted to see the cherry blossoms while they were blooming in Cherrygrove City. I figured we'd sail on over. That sailboat I rented was a beauty."

His smile is a pained one. "Back in those days, I was an arrogant bastard. I had conquered the toughest waters the sea had to offer. Pacifidlog to Slateport, the waters of the Sevii Islands… you name it, I had done it. I thought my skills were so supreme…no damn Absol was going to spook me out of the trip."

"What happened?" I ask softly, despite not really wanting to hear it.

"That's the thing," he grunts, leaning back in his chair. "I don't remember most of it. All I remember is that storm hitting us, and that awful moment her hand slipped out of mine. When I came too, I was alone. Adrift, like a piece of driftwood, with a hole in my chest where my heart should be. I had no reason to live. I suppose you're wondering why I'm still kicking to this day, huh?"

I nod, mentally thanking him for not making me ask it out loud.

Captain Grimes leans in. "That storm was sent to humble me, and remind me of what the sea was capable of. To this day, I wish Ophelia didn't have to pay the price for my hubris, but at least the next time I saw an Absol, I knew what was coming. And not to head out."

There's something almost fervent in his eyes. "Do you see what I'm saying, lass? You've been thrown a lifevest, like I was. Hell, whoever you're worried about hasn't even left you. Don't forget about what happened, but at the same time, you can't worry about what was, or what might have happened. Make the most of this second chance."

He slumps back in his chair, impassioned speech over. "I thought I was ready, the other day, to meet Ophelia, because she'd finally be proud of the man I became. But again I was saved. So, there's more for me to do."

"I think I understand what you mean," I eventually say after chewing on his words for a bit. "Don't get caught up in what could have been. Be thankful it wasn't worse, and make the most of that gift."

My captain chuckles. "You're a good girl, lass. Despite sneaking aboard my ship. I'll get you back for that one, I promise."

"How are you going to do that?" I ask pointedly, as we walk to the door. "You don't even know my name."

"You'll see," he answers mysteriously, as he lets me outside. "I'll hear it soon enough. Now, go enjoy the festival instead of wasting your time around an old coot like me."

Well, I can't really call this a waste of time, considering I've been given some pretty good advice, even though it isn't exactly something I can put into words. I'm going to need to talk to someone else for that. I think I know who, too.

Back in the Pokémon Center, the entire building has been cleared out. There's one unlucky Nurse Joy who has this shift, her Chansey, some dude passed out, drunk, by the smell of him, in the lobby, and me.

Every computer in the center is available. I pick one in the back, fire it up, put in my earphones, and hit my mom's number on the video call app.

She's at home, by the look of things. Mom's more surprised about why I'm not out and about today. "Luna?" she asks. "Isn't the Croagunk Celebration today? Why are you not out enjoying it with your friends?"

Why everyone is so committed to get me to attend a freaking frog festival, I don't know. "There are more important things today, mom. They told me this morning that someone's finally delivering Glaceon's medicine today. They're guaranteeing that its going to wake her up."

"Isn't that even more cause to go? A nice local festival to celebrate with?" She frowns as I sigh heavily. "Unless you don't want to celebrate her recovery, that is."

"It's not that I'm not happy she's waking up," I say, ignoring my mom's not very convinced expression. "But I don't know what to say when she does. I know that I shouldn't baby her, and act like she's a piece of glass, to try and move on from this, but at the same time, I don't want to act like nothing's happened either."

Finally, she nods in understanding. "Ah. So you're stuck. Have you given any consideration to why this happened?"

"Not really," I reply in confusion. "I know why it happened. Lucas warned me I was putting too much on Glaceon's plate, and it overwhelmed her. It was my fault."

Mom presses her fingers together and steeples them under her chin. "Not exactly," she says, bringing my hopes up before dashing them against the wall. "It was your fault, but for an entirely different reason. Tell me, how mad will you get if I lay out exactly what you've done wrong?"

"You know I'm not really the type to blow my lid, mom, come on," I say, a bit petulantly.

"I don't know," she mutters under her breath. "You've certainly got quite the mouth and brain for insults, when you want. Regardless," she continues, raising her voice back to normal. "This is because of how you've set up your team, Luna. Or not set it up, to be more precise."

While I'm trying to figure out what that means, she goes on. "Tell me," she presses. "Who's the leader of your team? The one you count on the most, in the critical moments, and dire situations, to pull through. Every trainer needs that one Pokémon."

"That's Glaceon," I blurt out instantly. "It's always been her. That's never been a debate."

She leans back in her chair triumphantly. "Is that the first time you've ever said those words aloud?"

I pause for a long moment, thinking back. I don't remember any other time. "How did you know?"

"Because of Charmeleon," she tells me simply. "And how he's acting. He's got it in his head that the number one spot on your team is up for grabs, since you've never explicitly said otherwise. He thinks that if he goes above and beyond, trains extra hard, fights and beats the most powerful opponents, that by the time he evolves, he'll have surpassed her. Add to the fact that most of your other Pokémon have been growing, and Glaceon has already evolved, it's no wonder she's feeling the pressure. To the point that she was hiding how badly she was doing from you."

"All I wanted to be is fair to everyone," I say miserably, as her words start signing in. "I didn't realize that this would happen!"

"This is perfectly normal," Mom assures me. "You might be immensely clever, Luna, but you're still a first-year trainer. It's better that you hit this speedbump now, rather than later, with an even more powerful Pokémon. And honestly, once Glaceon is secure in her position, you should be more than fine. Dragon-types are the hardest to incorporate into a team, but Glaceon will easily put them in line."

"But what should I say to her when she wakes up?" I ask again, still wanting advice on that.

"Oh, Luna," she answers in her softest voice. "Isn't it obvious? Tell her exactly what you told me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with telling someone important how much you love them, and how much they mean to you. Even if Glaceon knows it deep down, hearing it out loud can be that reassurance that she needs."

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Ah. I can do that. I think. Hopefully it doesn't feel awkward and forced and fake. Grand shows of affection aren't really my thing.

I see out of the corner of my eye Nurse Joy's Chansey waving at me, which must mean my package is finally here. "Seems like that's my cue, Mom," I say, after acknowledging Chansey.

She waves me off and goodbye, but doesn't hang up, as she sees on my face that I have more to say. "Mom… I know I'm not anywhere close to being a perfect daughter, and that it was a challenge raising me at times, but thanks for everything. I couldn't ask for a better mother.

"Don't stress yourself out, Luna," Mom advises me. "You know exactly what to say when the time comes. You can be extremely eloquent when you need to. I know you gave Vivillon an amazing parting speech."

"And," she adds, right as I'm about to hang up. "You may think yourself perfect, but you are in my eyes. I couldn't ask for a better daughter. Stay safe, Luna. Love you."

Great. Everyone is determined to make me sappy and emotional. I turn away, trying to keep a straight face as I end the call, and follow Chansey.

"Do I need to sign somewhere for this super special medicine?" I manage to ask the bright pink Pokémon as she walks me to Glaceon's room and points with her stubby arms for me to go inside.

Chansey makes the gesture again at my question. I figured that importing a specialty medicine all the way from Johto would need my signature, but Chansey shakes her head and waddles away.

As soon as I enter, I find out why. Cynthia holds up a little orange bottle, as if toasting me. "Normally, you would," she says, "but I think I know who you are by now."

I squeal a little internally. The champion is familiar with me!

Still, I do my best to keep my cool. Can't have her knowing that I'm totally enamored with her. "Shouldn't you be at the festival though?" I ask, turning around the question everyone has been posing to me all day. "For security?"

Cynthia waves me off easily. "I was the one who okayed the request for this, so I needed to be here to receive it. And there's no need for alarm. The only thing of note that's happened is some hooligans, trying to enter a Pokémon that wasn't a Croagunk into the contests. I heard they made quite the ruckus, but were driven off by some good samaritans. Crasher Wake and everyone else have things under control."

"What about the guy?" I press. "You know who I'm talking about, right?"

Of course, I'm referring to the freak that I chased all over the town. I'm sure Cynthia's interrogated him by now, and I am half dreading, half interested in what she's found out.

She considers my question, eventually replying with one of her own. "Only certain people, like gym leaders for example, can put in a request for this potion. Why do you think we keep it a secret? As in, why don't we let the general public know about a drug so powerful that it can cure almost any ailment?"

An image of Paul and Chimchar flashes in front of my eyes. "Bad trainers would abuse their Pokémon even harder."

Some people don't know how good they have it in this world. I don't verbalize the statement, but Cynthia seems to agree. "There's one less horrible person in the world, at least. I should thank you for bringing him in, even though I did tell you to be careful."

Is she saying what I think she is? "The bomber guy is dead?"

Cynthia nods, eyes looking towards something distant. "We executed him the other day."

Of all the things I expected, that wasn't one of them. "You executed him?" I ask, so surprised that I find myself sitting down heavily on Glaceon's bed, not that it disturbs her.

The champion raises an eyebrow, though her tone remains level. "What else would you have us do? I won't tell you his name, because he doesn't deserve to have it spread, but he was a wanted man in multiple regions. Always seeking a bigger and more exciting thrill. He was addicted; he would never stop. And he confessed. Even his lawyer didn't fight us, and she's the best we have in the region."

How can a guy like that afford such an expensive lawyer? Either he robbed a bank very recently, or…

Someone really powerful is behind him, pulling the strings. "Who's this lawyer, anyways?"

Cynthia hands me another business card that's unfortunately not her own. It's a familiar face, though I'm just learning the person's true name. "Julia is extremely good at her job, even if I don't agree with her methods. I was relieved that she didn't fight us on this; because she rarely loses a case she takes."

So in the end, all I've learned is what Commander Jupiter's day job is. Team Galactic was behind this, but my best lead is dead. Although, I doubt he even knew how deep the conspiracy goes.

"I know I don't have any proof," I say, looking down at my feet. "But all this is connected. All these events can't be isolated incidents."

"Right now, you're fighting a different, more important battle," Cynthia advises me, though I'm pretty sure she's not ignoring my words. She hands over the secret potion. "One much closer to home. Are you ready?"

"I think so." My lack of confidence must be showing, because she stops in the doorway to wink at me.

"Remember, Pokémon are true partners in every way. There's nothing you can't trust one with, because the bond between us transcends our differences." She leaves me to it, and I mentally berate myself for not getting her phone number.

Whatever. Next time. For now, let's turn our attention to what's really important. Oddly enough, this potion has a regular cap instead of a spraying one. I twist it open and take a look inside. It's amazing how a miracle drug looks and smells like nothing.

Since I didn't bring a spoon with me, I tilt up Glaceon's head, open her mouth, and pour some inside, making sure it goes down the match before I replace the cap and set the secret potion aside.

I lose track of time waiting by her side, as the medicine circulates through her system for what feels like an hour. Eventually, finally, her eyes flutter open, though Glaceon recoils, blinking furiously, as she tries to adjust to the light after being in the darkness for so long.

Sorry," I apologize, getting up to cut all the lights, barring the bedside lamp. I sit back onto the bed again, and debate internally what to say first.

Part of me wants to lead off with some humor, to break the tension, like commenting on how much beauty sleep she needed, or joking that she must have a Snorlax somewhere in her ancestry, but it's not the time for that.

"What's the last thing you remember?" I begin, as Glaceon slowly becomes more awake and alert. "Using Freeze-Dry and passing out?"

She nods once.

"You've been out cold for over a week, Glaceon," I say, as a chill goes down my spine at the phrasing, because Glaceon may have well been an ice statue when I found her. "Hypothermia. As an Ice-type. Which means you pushed yourself so far past your own limits that you couldn't regulate your own body temperature."

I pull my knees up to my chest. "You really had me worried." A massive understatement, to say the least.

"I've been thinking about what happened," I continue. "Were you getting annoyed with how everyone was evolving and progressing, and with how long it was taking you to use those moves that you forced yourself to learn them, no matter what?"

Her silence speaks volumes, as well as her looking anywhere but at me as I'm speaking. "Of course, there's been other disappointments for you as well. Losing to Gible in the contest. Not being picked for the gym battle in Veilstone, which we won. And then what happened to you against that poacher's Annihilape. Seeing Cynthia's Garchomp again must have brought all of those to the forefront of your mind."

More silence. More confirmation that I'm hitting the nail on the head. "I'm not mad, Glaceon, I'm more relieved than anything right now. I'm not going to hold you back from the gym battle, or treat you like a delicate flower."

That statement gets her to look at me once again. "I've never outright said anything that would make you disappointed, have I? That would put undue pressure on you, to think that you were underperforming?"

She shakes her head no. "At least I'm not totally in the wrong, then." I muse, giving her a wry smile.

Glaceon makes a surprised sound. "I might not have said anything to make you think you were inadequate, but I didn't say anything to the contrary, either, have I? I've never given you the support you desperately needed, even as we've added so many new faces."

I grab her head and force it towards me to make sure she can see and hear the sincerity I'm trying to convey. "Listen, Glaceon. You're more than irreplaceable. You will always be the most important Pokémon on my team. It's you I trust to pull us through in the clutch moments, in the big battles. Alright? Can we put this behind us, and start anew?"

I release her face and hold out my hand to shake, crossing my fingers with the other behind my back as I mentally plead for her to agree.

Glaceon takes a long moment to think, before she closes her eyes and turns her head up and to the side, in a clear refusal.

"Oh, come on!" I half-whine. "I'm being super serious! Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"

She ignores me in favor of pulling up my bag onto the bed and digging through it. "That's my stuff," I say grumpily, as she finds what she's looking for, dumps it in front of me, and snaps it open.

It's my badge case. Glaceon points triumphantly to the Knuckle Badge filling up the third indent, and her meaning couldn't be clearer.

"Are you really going to hold it against me that I didn't pick you for the gym battle?" I demand, not beginning to get frustrated myself. "Being number one means you need to be in every important battle? That you need to be the star, no matter what, even if it's a bad matchup, where someone else might be better suited? I didn't raise you to have such a big ego."

Glaceon's stare is frosty and challenging, and I do get her point, if a bit begrudgingly.

I'm contradicting myself like crazy. Because I said way back, that everyone on the team could be the star, depending on the day. And that it wasn't personal, and we won and lost together as a team. Which is totally at odds with what I just told Glaceon.

No wonder she isn't convinced. Because that's what I truly believe!

I pull out Bellossom and Absol's Pokéball and Great Ball to stare at them. Am I supposed to tell Bellossom that even though she's been working super hard, and I told her she's going to be the linchpin for the battle against Crasher Wake, never mind its going to be Glaceon instead?

That would go over swimmingly, I'm sure. And against Fantina, Absol has to be the guy. He resists Ghost. He can use Taunt to shut down her status moves. And my biggest mistake was not involving him enough last time.

Byron is a steel specialist, so I can't even promise Glaceon that she's going to participate in that battle.

I drop the two Pokéballs I'm currently holding in favor of grabbing one of Glaceon's well-used pillows, which I use to muffle my scream. Why is being a Pokémon trainer so haaaaaaaaard?!

Feeling only slightly better, I peek out over the top of the pillow to see what Glaceon is doing. She's staring at Absol's Great Ball sullenly.

Now what? Charmeleon and Bellossom's issues are bad enough. I don't need another pair of Pokémon at each other's throats.

"Listen, I know you and Charmeleon don't always get along, being fire and ice, along with some other things that I've learned. But what problem could you possibly have with Absol? He's so calm, and quiet, and level-headed. I feel like I can tell him any-"

I cut off, as I realized what I'm saying. I tell Absol things that I don't tell Glaceon. She must feel that I don't trust her.

Of course, I can't, considering she put herself in the hospital. If I tell her that we may need to fight a legendary Pokrmon in the future, what kind of pressure would she feel under then?

Especially considering that it would most likely be a dragon. "Hey, it's not like that. Absol's in tune with disasters, and that's the only reason I tell him these things…"

My words are only succeeding in making her expression more and more glum. I think we're in a deeper hole than when we started.

Another testament to my abysmal skills, I suppose, when it comes to matters such as these. But what did Cynthia say before she left?

Pokémon are true partners of our heart? So we should be fine opening up ours to them?

Corny, but that's all I can do, at this point.

"Hey," I say softly, getting Glaceon's attention once more. "How about this? I'll tell you something that I've never told anyone else. Not Lucas or Ursula, not the rest of the team, not even my own mother. Want to hear?"

Her ears perk up a little at that. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and plunge right in.

"Once upon a time, I had a life. Where Pokémon weren't anything more than stuff you saw on television, or in games. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it wasn't real. But then I died. And was reborn. Here.

I crack open one eye, and see she's not disbelieving or scoffing at what I'm saying. It gives me confidence to push forward.

"For the longest time, I thought everything was a fever dream. As wonderful and amazing as the world was, I felt like as soon as I got involved, I'd wake up and everything would be ripped away. That if i kept my distance, it wouldn't hurt so badly. But I never could hide how much I loved Pokémon. Which of course, my meddling mom noticed."

I give her a small smile. "That's where you come in, obviously. Back in my old world, Glaceon was always my favorite Pokémon. I loved how cool and cute you looked, but also how strong you were. How you could topple the mightiest of dragons so effortlessly."

"Of course, I never told you any of that when you were an Eevee," I say, as she's drinking my words in. "I didn't want to force you to evolve into something you didn't want to be. But you knew, somehow. You looked into my heart and you knew."

Leaning in, I give her my pitch for a second, and hopefully the final time. "We're going to come back from this twice as strong, Glaceon. Because we have a special bond, that can't be broken. And no matter how much love I have for everyone else, you'll always have the biggest piece of my heart. Okay?"

This time, when I hold my arms out, she leaps right in. I rest my head on hers, enjoying the embrace for several seconds before opening my mouth again. "You can keep those things a secret, right?"

She makes an affirming sound, and I hug her even tighter for that. It did feel good to give up my biggest secret, but it was draining as well. I might tell someone else, another time. We'll see.

For now, I rifle through my bag and bring out one of Ursula's fancy brushes, that she uses to make her Meowth and Growlithe's fur glossy and shiny, and get to work. "I've got so much to tell you," I begin, as Glaceon settles in happily. "We can start with the contests, or when I almost sank at sea, or when I had to chase a crazy guy all over town…"

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

"Why does this always happen?! Why is it always the same?! Why, why, why, why, why, why, whyyyyyyy!?"

Jessie grabbed her partner's shirt and shook him furiously, as James went limp from the manhandling. ""Don't ask me!" he pleaded, holding his hands up. "I don't know anything!"

"We were doing so well!" Jessie all but yelled at him. "Meowth was winning those prizes left and right! Yanmega was dominating all those goofy Croagunk! And then the twerps show up, and we lose!"

"Face it," Meowth grumbled from the side, wiping the blue and purple paint Jessie and James had slathered him with to look like a Croagunk and fool the dimwitted people of Pastoria off. "We had our chances, when the twoirps only had a couple o' Pokémon. Now they done got stronger, and you two are the same lousy trainer's you've always been!"

"That's right!" James immediately latched on to what Meowth was saying. "We might have more and stronger Pokémon, but so do they! It evens out, and they battle gyms and stuff! It's no wonder they're outpacing us!"

James breathed a sigh of relief as Jessie released him, her legendary wrath starting to fade. "What are you saying?" she asked. "Do we need to level up as trainers?"

"Only if you two want this to stop happening!" Meowth told them pointedly.

"How are we supposed to do that?" James wondered aloud. "We can't go back to the academy. We're not rookies any more. Not to mention that we're the laughing stock of Team Rocket."

Jessie scowled at her downer of a partner. "There has to be someone out there that can show us a few things!"

"But who?" Meowth asked again.

All three rockets put a hand under their chin, thinking furiously. "Hmm…"