Treecko Colony Burial Grounds, Petalburg Woods, June 22nd, 2005

The forest was still, and the eyes of many watched them as they stood in vigil, as they stood in honour.

Five beasts, large and small, stood arm in arm, guarding a dearest friend from any who dared come. The sixth amongst them - their weakest yet their strongest - stood alone with a shovel as he ploughed the earth, casting blood, sweat, and tears aside as he dug the pit, set the tomb.

And through this, the man remained silent in grief.

The man had been there for hours, having started with the rise of the sun, and now ending with the ascent of the moon.

Through it all, cryptid shadows stalked around them, chirping and crying and warping and seething . Yet they stayed back, for even in Madness, they understood the ritual.

It had been their burial ground, after all.

Once, in a time long past.

The coming dusk cast an orange light in the sky above them, heralding the death of day, and the birth of night.

The Storm was far away, ravaging the remains of Cerulean. Yet, they all felt it as if it was here.

Ash threw one last pile of dirt above him, and cast the shovel out of the hole. The edge of the pit reached the tip of his hair, deep enough for his friend to more quickly become one with the earth.

Ash jumped out of the pit, and turned back to the shadows of the forest, stating in monotone, “We come to reunite our friend with his home. Leave us, and no harm shall come to you.”

The eyes of the forest - glowing, red, Mad - did not blink, and neither did they move. Ash turned his back to them, not out of trust of their assent, but of trust for his friends’ ability to fight back if needed.

He hoped - prayed - it wouldn’t come to that.

They had just lost a brother to the never-ending war. They would not lose another in mourning.

Ash stepped up to the congregation of pokémon, each guarding the body of their brother as if it would disappear.

Charizard - the tallest amongst them - craned his neck to stare at Ash, before raising his wings to allow Ash into their circle.

Greninja and Lucario parted, giving Ash the space to take one last look at Sceptile before they lowered him into the grave.

It was surreal to Ash, looking at the cleaned up body. Just hours before, Sceptile had been mangled - broken - by the Chariot’s Tyranitar. They had very nearly lost the body in the wreckage, though Greninja fell back to recover it before the facility crumbled in on itself.

Of course, by then, the Chariot had gone with the wind, laughing Madly the whole way out.

Ash rubbed away the crust from his eyes - he had been awake for nearly 72 hours straight - before nodding in thanks to Lucario, who had cleaned Sceptile up for the burial.

Sceptile’s form almost seemed peaceful . The bones that were broken, bent, shattered had been set right. The gecko pokémon had been cleaned of all blood, grime, and ash from the battle.

If it wasn’t for the hole piercing through Sceptile’s heart, Ash wouldn’t have been surprised to see Sceptile open his eyes, and stand once more amongst them.

But that was a fantasy.

…

If it was any consolation, Sceptile’s death was sudden, and quick.

Ash felt the sting of tears entering his eyes, and decided to set Sceptile in his tomb before he was incapable of doing so.

Ash knelt down, and picked up Sceptile’s still form into his arms.

The body was exceptionally light, given that Sceptile had been tall enough to nearly dwarf Charizard in size. Yet, the gecko’s body was limber and flexible, fitting for a creature that relied far more on dexterity than raw strength.

The procession moved to the pit, standing over it as the chirps of the forest drew to a close.

Giving honour for the fallen.

“I first met Sceptile in this forest,” Ash intoned to the darkness - to the void - “He was young, as I was, nothing more than a Treecko who had just dug his roots in,” Ash smiled - nostalgic, real - “He was a stubborn thing, choosing a doomed tree out of pride, out of obligation. The other Treecko of the colony thought him a fool, but he resolved to prove them wrong, and become the strongest amongst them,” Ash breathed in and out, allowing silence to overtake the forest before he said his final words, “The tree may have fallen, but he proved them wrong in the end. He grew up to be the strongest he could be, fighting the likes of legends and demons. He was a warrior , and in the end, he died giving honour to his Colony, and to his friends.”

Ash kneeled, and lowered his head as Charizard and Greninja laid Sceptile’s form into the tomb, “May Sceptile, Warrior of Petalburg Colony, Rest in Peace.”

Ash remained kneeling until his two pokémon stood once more by his side - Charizard’s eyes glistened, and though Greninja did not weep, he stood absolutely still, giving honour to his fallen brother.

Ash stood, and began to shovel the dirt into the tomb, so that Sceptile may become one with the forest that birthed him.

As was custom for the Colony.

The moon flickered overhead as Ash strapped the shovel onto his pack. He looked up into the sky, and decided that enough time had passed for the shadows of the forest to forego their silence, and to rage .

Ash turned to Charizard as the trees began to rustle - and the cryptid forms of the mutated Colony stalked closer - “It’s time to go.”

Charizard gave one last gaze to where Sceptile was buried, then nodded, lowering its body for Ash to climb on.

Pikachu scampered onto his shoulder as Ash recalled his other pokémon. The noises of the forest began to rise to a cacophonous screech as shadowed demons clawed their way to the burial grounds, reaching into the sky as Charizard beat its wings.

And the forms of what once were a proud Colony of Treecko were now nothing more than twisted mutations that frothed .

Charizard rose to the sky, his dark red scales almost shining crimson against the moonlight.

Once they passed the outskirts of the forest, Ash adjusted his place on Charizard’s back to get a better view of their surroundings.

And to see where it was safest for them to land.

Going east was not an option. Not at night. Even from this distance, Ash could see the tidal waves and firestorms wrought in Groudon and Kyogre’s wake.

Rampaging in Madness.

North wasn’t much better, with it being home to mutated Salamence. Even somewhere as close as Rustboro wasn’t safe, given that it was overrun by several Regirock.

And they were potentially even more dangerous than the dragons, given what happened to Regigigas.

In the end, Ash decided on the one nearby place that didn’t hold any immediate peril - yet, he would almost prefer if it did - “Fly southeast to Petalburg City. May’s house.”

Charizard didn’t give any indication that he heard Ash, but he still turned around, and began to glide towards the faded ruins of the once-lively city on the horizon.

Charizard landed in front of the house, allowing Ash to dismount. Though the major threats in the region were not immediately present, a small number of mutated Linoone and Mightyena still roamed the area.

However, Ash trusted his friends to ward off any intruders, at least for the night. Once the sun rose, they would head northwest, towards Unova. While it would be a very long flight, Ash had reason to believe that Team Source held a solid presence in the region, what with the rumours of the Magician basing his operations in the region.

As Ash trudged through the wreckage of the house, he heard a series of howls from outside - A pack of Mightyena . Ash didn’t worry about it, though, as a quaking Roar shook the very earth they stood upon, causing the mutated wolves to run away.

Before long, Ash had found a space that remained relatively intact - May’s room - and released his pokémon. After a moment of hearing Charizard roam outside, Ash brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled.

Not a second passed before the entire house shook, and Ash turned his head up with a glare towards Charizard, who perched precariously on the partially collapsed ceiling, staring down at them with mild amusement.

Ash leaned back, crossing his arms at the winged beast, “You do know that you could have collapsed the house on us, yes?” At Charizard’s prideful snort, Ash glared harder, “It doesn’t matter if we would have lived. You shouldn’t needlessly risk your lives for a meaningless stunt.”

Charizard once again snorted a small plume of smoke, though he craned his neck in apology. Ash’s eyes softened as he regarded Charizard, “Stop. What’s done is done, and I won’t hold it against you,” He turned to his other pokémon, face turning grave as he paused, before slowly stating, “It’s… It’s been an honour, having you all by my side. You all are the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Another snort rang out into the night, with Charizard giving a small nod to him, indeed, being the greatest. Ash’s other friends also gave various forms of assent.

Ash gave a watery chuckle, “I know, Charizard, you’re the best … Like no one ever was…” Ash’s eyes turned forlorn - yet held an undercurrent of cold determination - “You all… should leave.”

Ash had braced himself for their reactions, which they did give. Charizard sucked in a breath before rumbling angrily. Lucario shifted back, as if struck. Infernape growled, and Greninja simply glared.

Yet, to Ash, the most simple - the most devastating - response was Pikachu’s.

Whereas the other pokémon began to loudly protest the idea, Pikachu remained silent, keeping his eyes closed, as if sleeping.

Yet, Ash ignored the increasing volume, instead watching Pikachu as the mouse opened his eyes, locking them with Ash’s own.

The other pokémon quickly stopped, and watched as Pikachu and Ash stared at each other, communicating in a way beyond words and gestures.

An eternity passed, and the pokémon waited to see if their smallest - strongest - would side with them… or side with Ash.

They nearly startled when Pikachu gave a light sneeze, before spitting on the ground, giving Ash a small glare before spitting again.

Pikachu was absolutely disgusted by the idea.

Ash felt himself giving a sad - desperate - smile, “Pikachu, I… You need to go, please ,” Ash clenched his fist, willing away the sudden onset of tears, “I - It’s dangerous , Pikachu,” Ash’s eyes flashed, an intense glint appearing in them, “ I am going to die, Pikachu. Whether it’s from the Storm, or the Chariot… I can’t have you die with me. ”

Ash gripped his knees - he was kneeling to them, begging - “Everyone else has already died. Brock, Misty, May, Serena, all of them ,” Ash stared at them, pleading for them to see and understand - his eyes glistened with tears - “I can’t have that happen to you.”

Ash stood up, a pit of rage descending into his stomach, “Look at Sceptile! He died because of me! ” Ash’s voice cracked at the exclamation - and, oh, he couldn’t bear to see the deep sadness in his pokémons’ eyes - “He’d still be alive if he didn’t step in front of me! I should have taken that Horn Drill , not him!”

Ash faltered slightly as he felt an overwhelming aura of denial rush out of his pokémon, nearly crushing him under its weight - under its love . All the same, he grit his teeth, reigning in his anger - his self-loathing - and knelt down to Pikachu, “It’s already too late for him. Too late for me . But it’s not too late for you ,” He cast his eyes up to face his other pokémon - and, oh, it was far more difficult than any battle had ever been - “I… I don’t know where you can go, but you need to get away,” Ash stood up and began to pace, hands shaking by his side in grief and desperation, “Maybe… Mount Quena! I don’t know if it’s still hidden, given what happened with Mewtwo…” Ash turned away from his pokémon, cradling his head in his hands, “Maybe Ilex Forest? If… If you all could go back in time… You could get away… ”

Suddenly, Ash stopped as several bodies wrapped him up into a hug. Greninja, Infernape, and Lucario fit together to surround him while Pikachu rubbed against his leg. Charizard had even descended from the roof, and raised his wings to envelop Ash and the others in an embrace.

And this… broke (absolved) Ash.

After several hours of holding in his grief - holding in his hatred, his fear - Ash wept.

Wept for the loss of Sceptile.

Wept for the loss of those that he loved.

Wept for the loss of hope… Hope that he and his friends may live in the end.

‘I am going to die.’

And his friends would stand there with him.

Facing the abyss - the storm - the veil side-by-side.

…

and in the end, You did

You bested the Storm, and died for it

yet here You stand, side-by-side with those You love

those who love You

I look forward to seeing You at the close

My Chariot

go forth

go forth, My Chariot

go forth, and conquer

…

Outside of the Slowpoke Well, Outskirts of Azalea Town, November 14th, 1997

“Slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwpoke.”

Red rolled his eyes as Pichu tussled with one of the many Slowpoke in the area, many of whom had crowded around Red in mixed curiosity and lethargy.

Charmander stood guard over the well, eyes narrowed into triangular slits as it observed the landscape. Meanwhile, Froakie had taken to Red’s shoulder, and was currently watching the herd of Slowpoke with thinly veiled confusion.

For his own part, Red didn’t mind their company. Despite the… nightmares he still faced after the Storm - after the Chariot - Red still thrived in the company of pokémon.

Red still found that most pokémon liked his company as well, which had been the case with his time as Ash as well.

Although, Red had noticed that the amount of wild pokémon he had encountered over the past two months had been rather slim. Of those that did meet him, most seemed almost primal in fear, before settling down once Red began to talk to them.

It was another odd thing that surrounded Red.

‘What are you?’

The Slowpoke occupying the well were some of the very few who had come up to Red without any reservations, crowing almost longingly as they hobbled around, and generally did nothing much outside of eating, drinking, sleeping, and defecating.

It would’ve astonished Red that Azalea Town celebrated Slowpoke as sacred creatures, but he had seen, and lived, weirder.

Besides, if the Slowpoke were useful for one thing, they allowed an easy sanctuary away from Karen and Salvare.

Red… hadn’t spoken to either of them since coming out of the forest. He had seen Salvare take a few tentative steps in his direction, though Karen always stopped him before he reached Red.

Red kept his silence, hoping - begging - that this would finally just drive Salvare away . But… The kid - for reasons that eluded Red - still seemed determined to stick by him.

At least Karen seemed to have the desire to leave, taking Salvare with her. It was much easier to make her hate him - like he hated himself - given that she was already predisposed to fear him.

For all that she denies it.

But… The kid seemingly couldn’t hate Red, which…

Terrified him.

“Wherever he goes, I go.”

Red closed his eyes and locked away the voice in his mind.

He had been hearing so many voices.

Red turned his mind to the brief conversation he had - could it be called a conversation if he didn’t speak? - with Karen earlier that morning.

He had just signed up for the Gym Challenge - November 16th, 8-Badge - when Karen stepped up to him, scowling, “We’re having that talk after your Gym match, capiche? ”

Red’s face remained neutral as he nodded silently - which only seemed to rile her up further . Instead of continuing to talk, Karen turned around and grabbed Salvare before he could speak to Red, dragging him out of the Pokemon Center.

Red turned his thoughts to the talk, and what he would say, and what he would keep to himself.

Obviously, no mention of Team Source, his future, and the subsequent time-travel could be made. He never knew who the information could reach, after all. Red had already let slip his experience with legendaries, but not the extent of it.

All Karen - and Salvare to a lesser extent - knew was that Red had experience with legendaries . Plural, but not a specified amount. Taking his wording literally, Red could have interacted with as many as all of them (which he genuinely questioned whether that was the case), or he could have interacted with as little as two .

Red wasn’t a great liar. As Ash, he was too forthcoming and honest to even consider it, and as Red, he initially lacked the confidence and thought it took to craft a convincing lie.

After all, it took Herren all of three seconds to call him out on it.

Instead, Red found it far easier to keep secrets from others by simply not saying anything. No one knew to ask for the truth if they didn’t know they needed to.

And it was an interesting thing.

He has spoken far less as Red than he ever did as Ash.

And, in all honesty, Red saw no real reason to share anything with them.

After all, anything he could share would only drag them into his own problems.

And saying nothing at all just might just be the final push to get them to leave.

It was a cold, practical frame of mind. It was dishonest, and somewhat cruel, but necessary.

‘I am going to die.’

Red frowned, recalling the night where he made his plea to his pokémon.

‘I can’t have you die with me.’

Red scowled, pushing the memory away. This wasn’t like that. This was necessary. This was for their own good.

Ash’s pokémon had nowhere to run.

Salvare and Karen… they had no place in this.

it was selfish of you to bring them along in the first place.

That was the crux of it, wasn’t it?

Red had been selfish.

He had already played his part in saving Croconaw back at the Lake of Rage. Him taking Salvare as his protege wasn’t for Salvare’s benefit, it was for his own.

Red should have left Salvare at Ecruteak - no, he shouldn’t have indulged himself even that much.

It had been three years since he had any human friends.

Red shouldn’t have allowed himself the weakness of travelling with Salvare. It was his burden to bear; his alone . Team Source knew his name - knew his face - and he knew that would happen, and yet he still took Salvare in.

Selfish.

Cruel.

Red’s face twisted, memories of old friends, old family flashing through his mind.

So many…

So many died because of him.

He had promised himself - promised himself time and time again - that he wouldn’t allow it to happen again - no matter how many times it inevitably did.

Red couldn’t allow Salvare, and even Karen, to suffer the same fate.

He shouldn’t have dragged them with him in the first place.

or would that have simply dropped Salvare into The Chariot’s hands?

Red shook his head, banishing the doubts in his mind.

He needed them to get away.

For their own sakes.

He could see it now.

In all of its terrible truth.

Judgement seemed to show genuine care for his leader.

Red could see Salvare’s eyes now, staring at him with such obedience, such devotion, that Red did not deserve.

care that was not returned in the slightest.

go forth

go forth, My Chariot

Red’s eyes hardened as he peered off into the distance.

go forth

Like a tumour, a singular thought - naught but a whisper - lodged itself into his mind.

‘You’re the only one I can call My Equal’

And all around Ash, a field of graves stood.

Those buried who were demolished by The Chariot’s wrath.

Or the wrath of the Storm.

And it had only been mere weeks before when Red - and his friends - had nearly died underneath Goldenrod.

His pokémon had nearly died for him.

Again.

He had been too weak.

And so he needed to push them away, for he was too weak to protect them. Too weak to save his pokémon. Too weak to save those he loved. He couldn’t bear for it to happen again, so he needed them-

Hello?

Red snapped into attention.

W-Where am I?

Red closed his eyes with a shuddering breath, and rapidly tried to reach out with his mind to the sound of the voice - it was young, so young.

A minor pressure began to press on Red’s head - adding to his eternal headache - as Red whispered, “ Can you hear me? ”

Red’s eyebrows creased as he felt something shift just outside of his senses. He smelled the salt of the waves, and felt his hairs rise with the static of a storm.

Oh - Hello…

“ ...Hi… ” Red replied slowly, concentrating hard to keep the voice - the presence - in his mind.

Who are you?

Red felt a trickle of sweat drip down his brow, and kept his reply short, “ Red. ”

…That’s a weird name.

Am I dead?

“ No, ” Red hissed, and quickly reigned in the growing pit of rage he felt for Team Source, lest he frighten the creature, “ You are alive. ”

Oh…

…

Am I…

Am I… Free?

“ Yes, ” Red breathed out - he felt Pichu sidle up next to him - “ You are free. ”

…

…

Where am I?

“ Far… ” Red grit his teeth as the strain on his mind and aura grew overwhelming, “ Far away from the lab. ”

…

…

Thank you…

Unbidden, tears began to trickle down Red’s cheeks - and he didn’t know whether they came from him or the creature.

…

I…

I want to see…

I want to see the world…

“Froakie,” Red whispered, keeping his eyes closed, “Remove the pokéball from the machine, and let the baby out.”

Red focused on the creature’s presence, keeping it within his senses, lest it fade away and never return.

After a few moments, he distantly heard a croak by his side. Red mentally prepared himself as Froakie released the creature, and felt the pressure on his mind gradually ease.

Red blinked away stars as he opened his eyes, before looking down to see the crouched form of a small - very small - Eevee.

The pokémon looked up at him with wide - innocent yet guarded - eyes. Looking at it again, Red wondered if the creature was even smaller than Pichu.

It was smaller than the length of his arm at the very least.

Red locked away his curiosity and focused on comforting the creature - he didn’t know whether to call it Eevee, the Changeling, or what.

Red knelt down, and saw in his peripheral that Charmander and Pichu had crouched down to appear less hostile - and the creature was so small.

Red locked eyes with the creature, and said in a gentle whisper, “Can you hear me?”

The pokémon gave a shaky nod, remaining silent as it observed Red with a mixed gaze of longing and caution.

Red could see splotches of muted colours drifting along its fur.

Red remained silent for a moment, rapidly running through several ways to calm the baby pokémon down, before settling on, “You’re never going back there. You’re free. Do you understand?”

The baby Eevee stared at Red with wide eyes - flashes of blue, red, and purple danced in its pupils . It lowered its body, flattening its ears behind its head as a small, almost inaudible whimper came from the creature’s lips.

It was scared.

It thought it was still going back.

Red breathed slowly and made eye contact with the creature, “You aren’t going back because I am here ,” Red slowly extended a hand to the creature, “I destroyed them, and will destroy them again if they dare come after you.”

Red laid his hand down next to the baby, and watched with sad eyes as the baby hesitated at his proximity, “I know you are afraid… I’m afraid too,” the baby Eevee flicked its eyes to Red at his admission, “We both have demons that we run from. Let me help you fight against your own.”

Red kept his eyes locked with the baby’s, willing his conviction through them. Eyes were the key to the soul, after all. The baby stared back, its eyes bearing both the innocence of its youth and the hollowness of its age.

For one so young, it had suffered that of several lifetimes.

But did that make the baby pokémon any different than Red? Did that make it any different from any of them?

Red had suffered - is suffering - too, suffering alongside his brethren.

He, the eldest amongst them, lived only mere months over twenty.

They were all young.

The baby mewled, and a harsh static filled Red’s ears and eyes. What once was and never would be again became present, even if only for a moment.

And the creature blinked, and from its eyes, two souls stared at the expanse beyond.

Waves, crashing waves. A canvas of blue stars in the water. Cloudless skies, yet the Storm approaches.

Birth. What is birth but a new beginning? The waves shimmer, and we are content.

Free.

We blink, and the mountain grows. The Storm approaches, cloudless, yet grand.

Beautiful, yet terrible.

We die, partly. Could it be called life if there is no living?

We live, partly. Could it be called death when there is such pain?

We blink, and the canvas of blue becomes a canvas of shadows.

What once was would never be again.

freedom is a lie

The shadows move - dance - heckle - haunt.

There is no rest. No warm soul to cry upon.

The canvas of blue fades away. The scent of the sea, a myth.

They want red, give them red.

They want blue, give them blue.

They wwwwwwwant yellow, give - give it to them!

They want purple - warm, so warm - do it now!

Starving starving they want the shadows . It burns so cold.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

and there was light

and the light was overwhelming

and the light hurt

and the light was good

and the light was free

freedom is a lie

Yet we became the light

And the light became us

and it scares (me)

do you see, lightbringer?

do you see me?

do you see what I have become?

“ I do, ” Red murmured in answer.

And to this, the baby shattered , then reformed.

Eevee became Flareon, and embers licked the edges of its fur, which then solidified in harsh tones of yellow as white arcs of electricity danced across the creature’s neck, which twisted and writhed to a wreath of gills, glowing a soft blue before receding back into its skin as the creature’s tail split into two, and its eyes, locked with Red’s - twin gazes of crimson - hollowed out and starved before spiralling together in a cacophony of light, let there be light, let there be light, let there be light.

And to this - the creature’s rage, the creature’s plea - Red answered by gripping its paw, “ I see you. I see you for what you are: a monster. ”

Against the rising static of his ears and eyes, Red smiled - hollow, yet understanding, for they were the same - “ I see you for what you are because I am a monster too, ” And for the first time in years , Red allowed his hold on his spirit to slip, “ See me, as I see you. ”

And Red blinked, and from his eyes, two souls gazed at the sky above them.

It was cloudless as it was still. A storm freshly passed yet the Storm silently grew.

We stood, overlooking the world, blessed by the light of Our first rainbow.

In Our arms was our friend - brother - whom we would travel the world with, and conquer.

Our family grew, both amongst man and pokémon.

We were happy.

We were free.

We travelled, and saved many from death.

We travelled, and grew to love and hate and hope and live.

We travelled, and communed with the legends and the myths of the world.

Yet, in the end, all it took was for one enemy to remain undetected.

They unleashed something they could not control.

The Source of all power in the world.

Ever beautiful.

Ever terrible.

The Storm raged, and We remained to bury Our family.

We lived as prey to the man who walked the path of destruction.

as prey, We learned.

as prey, We survived.

as prey, We became a monster.

We became the predator.

and in Our wake (even still), We carved a path of destruction.

We stood underneath the earth in a prison of glass.

Our everlasting enemy stood against Us, unknowing what We truly were.

the never-ending war resumed.

We carved a path of blood to free that which Our enemy held in chains.

“ You, ” Red spoke aloud, keeping his eyes closed as he lightly stroked the head of the creature - it mewled in longing, in loathing - “ They made you a monster, but they made us a monster too. ”

Red opened his eyes - and, for once, his eyes did not blaze, instead remaining solid and sure - “ I do not fear what you are. I do not flinch when I gaze into your eyes. You are young, as we once were. We are the same, ” Red breathed in tandem with the creature, “ We are the same. ”

Against his declaration, the world around them gave no answer aside from a soft hum of the wind. If one were to look, they would almost see the clouds form a spiked halo, bearing in its centre the sun.

And for one moment, the sun glowed red.

Red’s eyes drifted down as the creature moved against his hand, leaning into it. Its fur no longer shifted, though its colours still bore the markings of several forms. Yet, Red felt no lingering pain in the link of minds - of spirits - he shared with the creature, only a faint feeling of assurance.

It was not a feeling of trust.

It was not a feeling of distrust.

It was the assurance of choice, and the freedom to make it.

So Red stayed, and lightly petted the baby creature as it fell asleep, exhausted both in body and in spirit. Once it was asleep, Red closed his eyes, and felt the hairs on his skin rise as he once more locked away that sacred part of himself that he shared with the baby, and became cold .

The pain of loss always became easier when locked away, lest it overwhelm him.

After all, he no longer held the luxury of time to grieve.

In the end, it was for his own good.

…

Several hours passed before the creature began to wake from its slumber. In that time, Red hadn’t moved from his position beside the creature, and opted to take the time to brainstorm new strategies for his pokémon.

Especially Froakie. The frog had acquired a level of control over Dark-type energy that only normally came with its final evolution.

Red softly closed his notebook when he felt the creature begin to move - he should really find something else to call it . He watched as its fur shifted, then smoothed, a purple sheen glowing softly as the last rays of the setting sun shine upon the creature, “It’s a beautiful sunset, isn’t it?”

The creature craned its neck, giving Red a small gaze before turning back to the sun. Red felt a soft, hesitant voice in his mind.

…It is.

Red hummed, flicking his eyes towards Froakie and Pichu, who had noticed the baby’s awakening and were now bounding towards them, “You know, we should find yourself a name.”

The creature gave a slight grumble and turned its head to stare at Red as if he was an idiot, giving a soft croon that, while not accompanied with a psychic feeling, Red still understood.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

However, Red only frowned - though he felt far more wrathful within - , “I… I don’t think ‘Specimen’ is a fitting name.”

Red silently willed away his growing rage towards Team Source as the creature tilted its head, confused, before communing with Red in his mind.

That’s what the shadows called me.

At this, Red couldn’t keep the scowl off of his face, though the creature didn’t back away in fear like Red expected - dreaded - instead analysing him, trying to understand something.

“That…” Red huffed a humourless laugh, “Whatever they called you is not your name. They don’t get to define who you are,” Red’s eyes softened as he regarded the creature’s eyes, “Like I said, you’re free now, and that includes choosing a name.”

Froakie, who had been watching the interaction in stoic silence, took the opportunity to croak something to the creature.

Red didn’t entirely understand what the two were saying - he wasn’t quite as adept at parsing out pokémons’ speech as N was - but he understood on a basic level that Froakie was listing out potential names to the creature.

Suddenly, the creature huffed a laugh at one of the things Froakie croaked. Red watched on with a raised eyebrow - and no small amount of interest - as the creature snicker while Froakie looked on, face completely innocent.

Red was about to ask what Froakie said when Pichu crept up to the frog, asking the very same thing. Red’s eyebrows only rose higher when Pichu snorted . Loudly.

After a few seconds, Red crossed his arms and asked, “Do any of you all care to fill me in on what’s funny?”

Froakie and Pichu made eye contact before turning to Red, shaking their head in the negative at the same time.

Red’s attention turned to the baby as it stopped snickering. With a small smile, it locked eyes with him.

Won’t tell. Very naughty.

Red’s eyebrows rose higher , “Already corrupting the youth, Froakie? For shame,” He shook his head in mock despair as the baby began to snicker louder. Red concealed a smile at that.

It was good… It was good for the baby to laugh.

“In all seriousness, though, did you give any actual names?” Red asked Froakie, to which the frog responded with a shrug.

Vee.

Red’s eyes widened as he turned back to the baby, its eyes staring back with a soft glow of determination.

My name is Vee.

Red blinked before exhaling a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding, “You’ve chosen your name, then?”

Yes.

I am Vee.

The baby creature - Vee - almost seemed defiant in its choice, as if it was a final stand against an encroaching enemy.

In a way, Red supposed, it was.

“Vee,” Red tasted the name on his lips - he already liked it more than ‘creature’ or ‘Changeling’ - and smiled, “It’s good to meet you.”

Vee closed its eyes and nodded solemnly - far too solemn for a child, but it wasn’t a normal child, not anymore . Her eyes opened, and soft blue eyes shone as light began to caress its fur.

Vee nodded again, almost to itself, before giving a small yawn.

As it began to fall into slumber once more, Red felt one final declaration in his mind - his soul, let there be light - and heeded it.

See me for what I am, Lightbringer.

I am Vee. I am free.

And, though Vee had already fallen asleep, Red nodded back, responding with his own light .

I see you, Vee.

I see you, and love you.

…

Pokemon Tower, Lavender Town

“Took y’all long enough. Did yeh all travel by foot?”

Koga kept his face expressionless at Agatha’s question, knowing that if she were truly dissatisfied with their tardiness, she would have shown it in much more physical ways.

Though there was a faint presence behind her that he couldn’t quite parse out.

Pryce, however, didn’t seem to understand that, or - more likely, given Koga’s understanding of Pryce and Agatha’s relationship - fully understood and still took offence, “Well I’m bloodeh sorry tha’ I had to fly m’way over the whole bleedin’ region . Couldn’ta picked a better place t’speak, now could’ya?”

Had Koga had his way, they would have simply ended it there and moved on with whatever it was that they were meeting about. However, he had long learned not to be too hopeful about such things, having seen Agatha and Pryce devolve into blows over weather patterns .

That… was certainly a day.

As the two oldest Aura Guardians once more resumed their eternal war of words, Koga took the chance to search for the source of the faint disturbance he had felt upon arrival. He scanned the balcony as he walked along, and it took him longer than he would like to admit to find the source of his agitated senses, standing like a dark blight in the corner of the balcony.

“Ah… How goes it, Herren?”

As if parting a veil of shadows to step into the light, Herren leaned forward to give Koga a toothy grin, “Took you long enough to see me, Koga. Are you getting rusty?”

Koga huffed, feeling equal parts amused and offended, “Hardly. You’ve always been good at hiding yourself,” Koga glanced a look at Agatha, who was still bickering with Pryce, “I imagine she hadn’t seen you?”

Herren snorted, stepping up to stand next to Koga, idly moving the toothpick across his mouth, “For one as paranoid as her, she can be remarkably lax with her senses.”

Koga shook his head, muttering, “ Only you, ” He straightened, his voice gaining a slightly sharper edge as he asked, “Do you have business with us?”

Herren hummed, the steel irises of his eyes darkening as a shadow surrounded them, “The earth has shaken, my friend, and I am not one to ignore it,” He crossed his arms, looking west, “You’ve felt the shift in Ilex, did you not?”

Koga frowned minutely - he was somewhat surprised that Herren had apparently felt it too - “Yes…”

Herren simply shrugged in response, as if it explained everything. In a way, Koga supposed it did, though he felt the need to ask, “So you decided to wiggle your way into one of our meetings?”

Herren smirked, “I was already in the area, and who am I to deny an opportunity to annoy our resident hag?” The man chuckled, before abruptly stopping as a Yamask floated from behind his body, chirping quietly at Koga. Herren gave a soft smile as the pokémon excitedly nudged up to the ninja master, “Koi also wanted to say hello, and I’m not one to say no to her.”

Koga hummed to himself at the answer. Given everything he knew about the man - which was remarkably little - his reasoning fell in line with what they knew of him. Especially what he said of his pokémon.

The man adored that Yamask.

Before either of them could say anything more, though, Agatha seemed to have finished verbally sparring with Pryce, and noticed Herren’s presence, “Bah! I knew there was somethin’ afoot!”

Herren raised a singular eyebrow - which the Yamask mimicked - “And yet you didn’t see me. How about that…”

Agatha snorted angrily before shifting her gaze to Koga, “Alright, enough’s enough. Throw ‘im out.”

Instead of doing as she bid, Koga remained silent as Herren barked a laugh - the Yamask by his side widened its eyes at that - and Pryce snapped, “Really, woman?! Jus’ because he’s of Johto doesn’ mean yeh can throw ‘im out like cattle!”

“Wooh, yeah, baby, Johto represent,” Herren deadpanned - the Yamask, Koi, chirped a laugh - “In all seriousness, I was under the impression that I was still considered a Master, even if Rogue. Unless something’s changed?”

Agatha harrumphed, tapping her cane on the ground, “I’m well aware of your delusion over your skills, boy -”

“Tried and proven in battle against you , Agatha dear,” Herren’s smile broadened, showing far more teeth than any human should have, “I’ve always felt that to be a better measure of mastery than talking theory .”

“Enough!” Koga snapped, massaging his temples. It was enough having to deal with Agatha and Pryce; adding Herren into the mix only made it worse. “I have no objection to Herren remaining. Do you, Pryce?”

Pryce grumbled, “I don’ care one way or the other. I jus’ want teh move on.”

Agatha’s eyes narrowed as she gazed between Koga and Pryce, “Bah! Fine!” She glared at Herren, who visibly looked amused at her dissatisfaction, “One of these days, I’ll beat you to a pulp.”

Herren dramatically reeled back, bringing a hand to his chest, “Be still my beating heart.”

Koga shook his head as Herren tried to egg Agatha on. Thankfully, the old woman merely sneered and turned away, sharply stating, “Two days ago, a massive psychic wave erupted from the Eastern Sea. I felt it rather strongly, given that I was here visiting,” Agatha then nodded to Koga, “Koga also reported sensing it as far as Fuschia City.”

“Ten days before that ,” Agatha continued before anyone could get a word in edgewise, “We all felt a disturbance originating from Celebi’s domain. The disturbance then cut off approximately an hour later, and it has remained calm since then,” Agatha paused for a few moments before adding, “I have received insider detail of what exactly happened from my apprentice, who was at the site of the event.”

“Karen was at the site?” Koga asked, feeling rising alarm, “What was she doing there ?”

“She was already heading that direction, so I told her to check out whatever was going on with Celebi,” At Koga’s wide-eyed expression, Agatha scoffed, “Oh, do stop worrying, Koga. She’s a big girl, and it isn’t as if Celebi is known for bein’ violent.”

“That’s… beside the point,” Koga hissed incredulously, “Violent or not, Celebi is primordial . One doesn’t simply waltz into their domain on their own.”

Agatha sniffed, “She wasn’t alone , and that’s the interesting thing,” Agatha smirked, both in pride of her apprentice and at the incredulous expression that remained on Koga’s face, “You recall that Rogue Guardian that Karen’s travellin’ with?”

Koga nodded as Pryce muttered, “My memory’s not that bad, woman.”

“Of course,” Agatha purred malevolently, “It turns out Red may be far more than we initially believed based on what my apprentice shared…”

Koga noticed that Herren perked up at the name - was that recognition he saw on his face? - though Pryce rose before he could question Herren and snapped, “Jus’ tell us, woman! Yeh don’ need to drag this out!”

Agatha gave an exaggerated pout, though - somewhat surprisingly - acquiesced, “Well, it turns out that Red was the one to calm down Celebi from its funk,” She paused to allow her words to sink in, “Oh, and Karen also mentioned that he supposedly has experience in dealing with other legendaries.”

The old woman allowed herself a pleased smirk as silence took hold over the balcony. After a few moments, the silence was broken with a cough, prompting Agatha to turn a glare to Herren, “This… Rogue Aura Guardian’s name is Red? Red Satoshi, perhaps?”

Agatha’s glare sharpened, “So you know of him?”

Herren shrugged, passing a new toothpick to his Yamask, who had bitten through her previous one, “Yeah. I met him a few months ago. Good kid, if a bit intense.”

Koga blinked at this bit of news - Herren met Red? Small world - while Agatha pressed, “And you just happened to come across him? Nothing more than pure coincidence, hmm?”

In the face of her scepticism, Herren held up remarkably well - compared to anyone else Koga knew - “Yeah. Helped him out a bit and went our separate ways,” He turned his head to look at his Yamask as she tugged on his sleeve, “I know, Koi. You like everyone we meet.”

“Agatha,” Koga began, drawing the woman’s attention to himself, “You’re saying that Red calmed Celebi , correct?”

“I am, or rather, Karen is,” Agatha steepled her fingers and leaned back against her shadow - who giggled menacingly - “She didn’t give many details, as she told me that she wanted to tell me in person, but I understand that it involved a good amount of time-travel and mist , whatever that means.”

Koga began to massage his head as Pryce jerked forward - a move mimicked by a suddenly intense Herren - , “ Time-travel ? Your apprentice time-travelled ?”

“Along with Red,” Agatha confirmed, “I don’t know the details, but I am to understand that the two of them blinked in at several points in time, ultimately ending with Red doing something to appease Celebi from its distress.”

“That…” Koga petered off as the implications set in, “That’s… what? ”

“That’s all Karen said?” Herren leaned forward to ask. At Agatha’s jerked nod, he frowned, “That’s not very specific.”

“I’m aware,” Agatha growled out, “I fully intend on squeezing everything out of her when she returns.”

Herren leaned back with a soft snort, muttering, “ That’s not worrying at all .” The man didn’t bother lowering his voice enough for Agatha not to hear, yet the old woman didn’t do anything more than narrow her eyes at him before turning back to Koga and Pryce.

“Regardless of the details, this marks Red as a major player on the board, whether he knows it or not,” Agatha finished off with a small frown, the shadows around her twitching in agitation.

Koga’s attention turned to Pryce as the old man nodded, “Aye, he communed with a primordial, an’ he apparently has done so before,” Pryce furrowed his brow in confusion, “I imagine we would’ve heard o’ him before if that’s the case.”

“Not necessarily,” Herren piped up with a thoughtful gleam in his eye, “You all keep watch over the local primordials, but that is not to say that Red couldn’t have made contact with one outside of the region,” He paused for a moment to move the toothpick along his mouth, “I mean, you all keep watch over two pairs of the elemental birds in Kanto and at Shamouti. What’s to say that Red hasn’t communed with another pair across the world?”

“If you’ve already forgotten, boy, Red didn’t specify what legendary he communed with,” Agatha growled as she began to rub her forehead.

“I’m just stating a hypothetical,” Herren shot back, rolling his eyes in tandem with his Yamask, “Case in point, there are five known pairs of the elemental birds in the world. Just about every primordial has at least two incarnations, aside from the major ones like the primals down in Hoenn. Who is to say that Red hasn’t communed with one outside of your purview?”

Koga hummed in consideration. It was an interesting point, if a little bit off putting in showing how much they didn’t know.

“I don’ see why we’re wastin’ our time with this,” Pryce piped up, earning a nasty glare from Agatha, “It’s not like we can figure out anythin’ jus’ by talkin’ about it.”

Koga waited for Agatha to give a rebuttal, and was faintly surprised when none came. After a few seconds of silence, Koga added with a raise of his hand, “I concur. We have other subjects to discuss, after all,” He paused before posing a question to Agatha, “Karen is still travelling with Red, correct?”

“Not for much longer,” Agatha answered, her tone sharpening back up to usual levels, “She still has her last few badges to earn before she qualifies for the Silver League,” Agatha frowned, “I don’t know why she hasn’t left already. Seemed to me like she was waitin’ for the result of something before making her way up north.”

Koga hummed, “In that case, I’d like to ask if you’ve figured out anything more regarding the psychic wave to the east.”

“Unfortunately, nothing much,” Agatha frowned, leaning back against her shadow, “The only potential lead I found was a small island some 50 kilometres off the coast of Cerulean Bay.”

Koga leaned forward, “I take it that it was the site of the event?”

“Most likely,” Agatha answered, “It was an utter wasteland. Nothing but ash and psychic remnants,” The old woman snorted, though the only humour she found in the situation was of the morbid variety, “The island was private property, according to the League database. There wasn’t a name of the owner, nor any contact information,” Agatha frowned, appearing far more severe than before, “The only thing of value in the paperwork was the date it was filed: April 14th, 1985.”

Koga frowned alongside Pryce, idly noticing Herren lean back with a thoughtful hum. To the man’s side, the Yamask gave a small croon, prompting Herren to give a soft smile, “I know.”

Agatha turned her attention - and ire - to him, “Know what ?”

“That this is likely something far larger than you think?” Herren scoffed, “Tell me, the acquisition of an entire island by a nobody doesn’t just get accepted without any investigation, yeah?” At Agatha’s stiff nod, he continued, “Then it’s safe to say that nobody even saw this when it first went through the system, or you would’ve known about this a long time ago.”

“Hmm,” Pryce leaned forward, a cold glint appearing in his eyes, “It was towards the end of Oak’s reign as Champion. Perhaps it slipped under the radar in his rush to leave?”

“I doubt that,” Agatha shot back in a clipped tone, “Sam’s never been one to let something like this slip.”

“Perhaps it’s a forgery?” Koga proposed, cupping his chin with his hand, “Someone could have sent this in at a later date and tried to make it appear more legitimate.”

Agatha shook her head, “I already checked, but the island has been marked off as foreign territory for twelve years,” Her gaze narrowed as she pursed her lips, “Whatever happened there… It’s been in the works for a long time.”

The group stayed as they considered this new source of intrigue. After a few minutes passed, Herren stood up with a small stretch, “Well, if that’s all…” He petered off to look at each of them, seeing if they had anything to say. When none of them did, he nodded to himself, “I’ll be on my way then. I’d love to stay and catch up, but I have a birthday to celebrate and I need to be on my way.”

“Oh?” Pryce perked up, “I’m surprised you’re still celebration’ your birthday at your age.”

Herren gave an amused huff, “It’s not mine, old man. It’s Koi’s.”

“The Yamask’s?” Agatha asked suddenly, prompting Herren to turn to her, looking far less jovial than he did with Pryce, “Is it the birthday of its current life, or its previous ?”

Koga frowned at that question - how could something have two birthdays? - but, upon seeing the shadowed wrath slowly descending within Herren’s eyes, he decided to intervene, “Agatha, that’s-”

“Both,” Herren interrupted, giving a (fake) smile at the woman, “And I best recommend you keep your questions to yourself in the future,” Though Herren smiled at Agatha, his eyes bore a malice that alarmed Koga, “If I were anyone else, I wouldn’t be so merciful .”

It was only through rigorous training as both a ninja master and an Elder Guardian that Koga didn’t tense at the sudden spike of darkness surrounding Herren. He idly waited for Agatha’s response, prepared to separate them as quickly as possible should things get any more heated.

And, for once, could Agatha not provoke a fight?

After several seconds of silence - during which Pryce subtly shifted behind Agatha - the old woman sniffed, “This is why I don’t trust you, Herren. You keep secrets from us.”

Herren’s smile sharpened, though the darkness around him bled back into his skin - Koga idly wondered if Karen’s aura would come to feel as uncomfortably warm as Herren’s - “Don’t we all? We are in the business of secret-keeping, after all.”

Herren shook his head, visibly scowling as he turned away from them, “Koga, Pryce, it was good to see you,” Before either of them could respond, the man walked back into the tower, disappearing within its halls.

Koga shook his head, exhausted, as Pryce rounded onto Agatha, “Really, woman?! Did ya have to drive ‘im off!”

“He was already leaving,” Agatha pointed out with a snarl, “And I stand by what I said.”

Koga interrupted before Pryce could respond - back to the same old squabble - “We understand that he’s a Rogue, but it is valuable for us to retain a positive relationship with the man,” Koga crossed his arms, hoping that Agatha would see the practicality of his view, “We’re limited in scope, and he isn’t. Would you throw away a potential source of information?”

Agatha glowered, “I understand that, Koga. I jus’ don’t trust him with our knowledge.”

Koga spread his hands, “That can’t be helped, Agatha. It’s an exchange, like everything else we do,” He sighed rubbing a palm across his face, “Look, at this point, what’s done is done. Can we move on?”

Agatha grumbled to herself, “Fine! Fine,” She leaned back, crossing her arms, “We still have to share our reports, now that the big things are out of the way. Who wants to go first?”

Koga looked over to Pryce, who groaned into his hands at the fact that the meeting wasn’t over. Sighing to himself, Koga took it upon himself to give the first report, since Pryce was giving a silent tantrum and Agatha still seemed hostile.

Honestly, he was the youngest of the three of them, yet he was the most mature.

He almost pitied Karen for when she would have to deal with this.

…

Outside of the Azalea Gym, November 16th

“Red.”

Red grimaced internally - he had been dreading this - before turning around to see Karen standing with crossed arms, eyeing him with a mixture of annoyance and resignation.

Almost exactly the same things he felt.

Karen jerked her head back, “Salvare’s waiting,” then began to walk down the street without another word.

For a brief moment, Red considered going the other way, not even bothering to have this ‘talk’. He quickly shook his head of the thought, and began to trudge after her.

He had already agreed to this. If nothing else, he kept his word.

It didn’t make the upcoming confrontation any easier for Red - it was almost sad how much more at ease Red felt in battle than in this . Normally, Red would have been able to find some support from his pokémon, but they all had to be sent to the Pokemon Center for healing after their narrow victory over Bugsy.

The only pokémon Red currently carried with him was Vee, who was asleep, resting from the strain they both felt when Red allowed Vee to see through his eyes during the Gym match.

They would have to improve on that technique. While it was a good way for Vee to learn, it slowed down Red’s reflexes and tired them both out considerably.

While Vee got to rest in her pokéball, Red still had a deal to uphold. The exhaustion didn’t even grate on Red anymore, not when it was the only thing he felt.

when was the last time You truly rested?

By the time Karen found Salvare, Red felt any last remnants of his exhaustion go numb. He would leave it aside for later, like everything else.

The three of them stood in a small park at the edge of town. Though it was only midday, Red could count the number of nearby people with his fingers.

It made some degree of sense, he supposed. Azalea Town didn’t boast a large population, and the vast majority of visitors had passed through earlier on in the League season.

Red’s (purposely) distracted musings were cut off by a cough, “Erm…” Salvare extended an arm towards one of the larger elm trees in the park, “I was thinking we could do this in the shade… If that’s fine with you?”

Red shrugged, allowing Karen to answer for them, only to find her looking at him, a defiant expression on her face. He mentally sighed to himself - so this is how it’s going to go - and turned to look directly at Salvare.

He couldn’t stop the small flinch as Judgement stared back with distant eyes.

Red took a silent breath - and saw Salvare, saw him for what he aimed to avoid - and replied in clipped monotone, “That’s fine.”

Though Red could tell that Salvare was dismayed at the response, the kid hid it remarkably well under a small smile. Karen shot Red a scathing look that he pretended not to notice, then went off to sit down next to Salvare, facing across towards Red as he joined them.

Both of them faced off against him.

How… ironic.

It should have made him happy, or at least relieved, that they both sat against him. It indicated that, in some way, they were already separated from him, and that all it took for them to leave was one, little push.

it would be so easy. You know them well enough to shatter any chance of sticking with You.

to save them.

show the woman who You truly are: a monster.

and deny the kid any attachment to You.

it would be so easy…

‘But it isn’t you.’

Red’s eyes widened involuntarily - and the sinister pulse of crimson left his eyes - as the small voice tapped into his mind. Ignoring the empathic and intense looks from Salvare and Karen respectively, Red reached and whispered back.

You should be asleep.

Vee sent back a vague mixture of silly tired worry empathy , causing Red’s lips to quirk up. Red clumsily sent back a feeling of calm, and before long, Vee fell back asleep.

It took a few moments for Red to remember the situation, and by the time he did, Karen broke the silence, “This, this right here is why we’re having this talk,” She gestured agitatedly towards Red, appearing more frustrated than angry (for the time being), “One moment, you look like you’re looking into Giratina’s backside, not to mention how bright your eyes got. The next moment, your eyes die out and you smirk as if someone fell on their ass!”

Red’s budding smile slid off of his face, and he kept silent. He watched as Karen raised an eyebrow, silently demanding him to respond, before giving a large sigh when he did not.

His line of thinking returned to what he aimed to get out of this. He still needed them gone, away from the dangers he ( was ) attracted, but there was no need to be antagonistic towards them.

He didn’t much like the fact that it had been his first instinct.

Regardless of anything else, Red had… enjoyed their company, however brief it was. It was entirely selfish of him, knowing that his mission would end in death or damnation, yet still dragging someone else with him. While he didn’t regret ever meeting them, he very much regretted dragging them into his own problems.

And this was a chance to undo that failure, to let them keep their lives.

the Storm had already taken Your life, after all.

it was no real loss to lose it again.

So, no, he wouldn’t needlessly attack them just to get them to leave. He had already done enough damage to whatever memory they would retain of him. Goldenrod had seen to that, along with Ilex Forest.

Even over the last month, as Red had spiralled from the fractured connection he shared with Vee when she was still trapped… they had still stuck with him.

If nothing else, they didn’t deserve his disrespect.

but for them to live, they need to stay away.

I am going to die.

Karen growled lightly, leaning forward with an intense glint in her eye, “Listen. I’ve let a lot slide with you, but at a certain point it becomes too much,” Her voice lowered in volume as she began to tick off her fingers, “I could live with your freakish amounts of aura. It… interests me, certainly, but I could move past it,” She raised one finger, “I wasn’t - I’m still rather pissed at how you began treating Salvare at Goldenrod. I certainly haven’t forgotten that you disappeared right before his Gym match,” Red determinedly kept his eyes on Karen as she said this, lest he crack under Salvare’s hardening stare, “Then, after that, fuckin’ Ilex Forest happened, and you connect with a primordial like something out of a fairy tale , and disappear for another week and a half! ”

Karen sighed heavily after her outburst, pinching her brow with her fingers, “I’ve wanted to leave for a while now. You’ve been a dick to me, and I haven’t been much better. I…” Red watched silently as she winced, flicking her eyes to Salvare - who was nodding encouragingly - before looking back at Red, “I know that I didn’t do myself any favours by trying to use Amnesia on you when we met, and for that… I apologise ,” Karen’s lips pursed as if she bit into an underripe oran berry, “But that doesn’t excuse how you’ve been treating Salvare.”

Salvare opened his mouth to interrupt, but Karen placed a hand on his arm and leaned forward, “Regardless of anything I’ve done, Salvare hasn’t done anything to warrant you treating him as if he’s a stain on your shirt,” The edges of her eyes shadowed as dark wisps trailed around her, “I’m giving you one last chance to explain yourself, Red. And so far, you haven’t given me much confidence that you can .”

She leaned back, allowing Red to mull over her words. Though his face didn’t show anything more than a frown, a pit of dread began to grow in his stomach as his eyes turned to Salvare, seeing the kid staring back looking lost? Resigned? Determined?

Salvare’s face looked everything but Judgemental.

Red closed his eyes - crimson irises began to glow - and took a breath, “Salvare…” Even with his eyes closed, Red knew that the kid was staring at him with a sudden intensity, “Have you… Have I done anything to hurt you?”

He heard a hitch of breath - he didn’t dare open his eyes, lest he see Judgement look back - “Not… physically. It doesn’t really matter …” Salvare’s voice trailed off in a whisper, and despite the discomfort of his own question, Red couldn’t help but scowl.

“It does matter!” Red snapped, opening his eyes - he was aware that they glowed; he didn’t care - “If I did, then-” Red’s mouth snapped shut, his eyes widening as he saw Salvare - saw Judgement.

Judgement, laying in a ruined valley, crippled from The Chariot’s wrath.

Judgement followed The Chariot, and died for it.

Salvare followed Red…

was He any different from The Chariot?

Red gripped his knees, keeping his mind in the present moment. “ I’ve been blind, ” Red’s voice bit out, a quaking rasp almost laughing within it, “ I have hurt you, haven’t I? ” Red’s eyes flashed , and his grip on his knees lessened, “In that case, Salvare, I apologise.”

Distantly, he saw Karen sit up in surprise. However, his eyes remained on Salvare, whose face still hadn’t changed - as if waiting for the other shoe to drop . Red carried on regardless, his voice mechanical, “I apologise for not being candid with you this past month. For stringing you and Karen along. I made a mistake when I agreed to travel with you, and I wish to rectify that by separating from you both,” Red was aware that his voice had become increasingly robotic, almost rehearsed, but it was the only way he could say this to them without it coming out in an indiscernible rush.

He needed them gone. He needed them gone, for his own sanity.

He needed them to understand that.

Unfortunately - though predictably - Salvare didn’t quite understand, “Why? Why was it a mistake?”

“Even better, why are you like this? ” Karen snarled, her dark aura prickling, “It’s right fuckin’ fitting that the moment you actually apologise, you go an’ ruin it by being an insufferable idiot! ”

“KAREN!” Both Red and Karen snapped their heads to Salvare as he yelled - neither of them had ever heard the kid address either of them that way before - “Red has a reason. Whether or not it’s crap is something we’ll have to judge once he tells us what it is,” Salvare finished this off with an uncharacteristically annoyed look at Red.

For his own part, Red felt a part of him shrink into itself. After even the past month, Salvare still held patience; only now was it beginning to dwindle . A memory of two years before resurfaced in Red’s mind, one which bore striking similarities to where he was now.

I am going to die.

I can’t have you die with me.

Even though he had only known them for about two months, Red would sooner cut off his own arm than allow them to die for him - like everyone else. Neither of them deserved to lay down their lives for him, not even Karen, for all that they fought.

In another life, he could have even seen himself looking up to her for her tenacity.

Too many graves had been set for those who died so that he may live. Many of them had directly taken attacks meant for him, and the rest had been swept away by the results of Red’s greatest failure.

Brock. Misty. Max. May. Dawn. Iris. Cilan. Clemont. Bonnie. Professor Oak. Gary.

Mom.

Serena.

All of his pokémon.

…

Except for three.

“You two aren’t the first people I’ve grown to care for,” Red murmured, “Even you, Karen,” he added, seeing her open her mouth to respond.

She instead settled for a small scowl, muttering under her breath, “ You have an interesting way of showing it. ”

Red ignored her words and turned back to Salvare - it was easy to keep the faces of those who died for him in his mind; those wounds never healed - “What happened to my friends… What happened to everyone close to me…” Red’s lips thinned, his words now coming out in a clipped bite, “I don’t want that to repeat. I won’t have that repeat.”

Salvare’s voice carried in a whisper, “What won’t you let repeat?” Red merely eyed him - flickering crimson to bubbling violet - and Salvare asked in a stolid murmur, “They died, didn’t they?”

“ Yes ,” Red hissed - he wished more and more that his pokémon were healed and by his side - “ They died because of me. ”

“Did they?” Karen asked, harsh, yet vaguely sympathetic, “Or are you blaming yourself for something that wasn’t your fault?”

“ It damn well was ! ” Red snapped - and the ground shook lightly in his rage, in his self-loathing - “ They wouldn’t have died if I was stronger! They wouldn’t have died if I protected them! They wouldn’t have died if they hadn’t sacrificed themselves-! ”

Red’s breath hitched and, to Salvare and Karen’s horror, he began to cough uncontrollably. his eyes stilled, red as blood . Red gasped for air a second later, feeling wordless waves of warmth emanating from within the lone pokéball on his belt.

I’m sorry, Vee. I’m sorry.

Red didn’t parse any words in his mind, but he felt Vee fall back unconscious, exhausted once more from the strain of their link.

His eyes returned to the other two, expecting to see anything from anger to disgust.

He was weak. His weakness was the death of others.

What he didn’t expect to see in their eyes was pity .

Their eyes held no true understanding; how could they?

They hadn’t lived through what he had.

As Karen eyes him with a remorseful - but still calculating - look, Salvare leaned forward with a sympathetic look, “It’s… terrible that such a thing happened, but… It isn’t as if the same will happen to us. We’re not in the same danger as whoever you knew before, at least, not to the same level…” Salvare paused, before turning back to Red with a hard look in his eyes, “Unless you still have enemies from that… time?”

Red clamped his mouth shut, unwilling - and in some ways, unable - to answer.

It was almost ironic that, though Salvare’s understanding of it was slightly off, Red still retained his enemies from that time.

Only, it was from his future, and his past.

“Hold on a second,” Karen’s voice brought Red’s attention to her, “If that’s the case, why haven’t your pokémon evolved if you had such dangerous enemies?”

Though her face appeared more aggressively curious than accusatory, Red still scowled at the question, and snapped, “They weren’t always like that.”

It took a few moments for Red to realise the implications of what he just said - and Arceus above, Red, get a handle on what you say! - by which point, Karen had also connected the dots.

She snorted, though her face didn’t show any humour, only thinly veiled exasperation, “ Could you be any vaguer? ” Her voice rose from its whisper as she shot Red a mixed expression, “So, what, your pokémon devolved ? Is that it?” She laughed to herself, not noticing how Red had tensed at her words, “That’s… That can’t be right,” She flashed Red a brittle smile - unbelieving, and Red didn’t blame her - “I mean, c’mon. Next you’ll tell us you time-travelled from some sort of apocalypse-”

“Red,” Salvare’s voice cut in, allowing Red to turn away from Karen - lest she see how pale he had turned at her words - “Are these… enemies, organisation - are they still out there?”

There was an oddly intense cadence in the man’s voice - one that Red hadn’t heard since the Rocket attack at Ecruteak . Red grappled with himself, one side demanding silence with the other begging to let go , and just tell them.

But he couldn’t.

It would doom them.

…But if he gave enough to justify them leaving.

It would be worth it.

“... Yes, ” Red’s voice was low, careful - keep facts vague; half-truths and white lies - “They… are aware of my existence, and that I fight against them.” Red took in their faces - curious and determined of things they don’t understand - “They won’t hesitate to kill me, or anyone else they deem a threat. That’s why you need to leave .”

“If it’s so dangerous, why not go to the League for support?” Karen asked with a raised eyebrow - and Red was faintly astonished that this was what she asked rather than questioning what he said - “If not that, you could’ve at least asked me about getting the Guardians’ help.”

“ No. That-” would place an even bigger target on myself, the two of you, and everyone else involved - “-isn’t necessary. I… have it handled .”

Red only just held back a wince as he said that - it sounded weak even to his own ears . Karen narrowed her eyes at his words, before speaking further, “You haven’t exactly inspired confidence , Red,” her eyes narrowed further, touches of darkness flickering across her face, “For that matter, who would this - what - organisation even be? You obviously have no issue dealing with Team Rocket-” Red idly noticed Salvare’s glare at the Team’s mention, “-Not to mention the fact that you’re a bloody ghost .”

Red blinked before raising an eyebrow, “Pardon?”

“You have no history!” Karen snapped, flailing her hands in the air, “You go on about all this terrible shit, yet when I look your name up, I find nothing on you before September! Nothing!

“Not even the Elders know anything about you!” Karen cried, looking more and more manic as she unloaded everything that she felt was off with Red, “Just, one day, out of thin air, you appear, fight with freakishly strong baby pokémon, wield aura like a third arm, commune with Celebi , and start havin’ mental breakdowns over a terrible evil that we know nothing about! ”

Just as quick as Karen rose in passion, she deflated, “Listen, I - we can tell that you truly believe in this great and terrible evil, and that we need to stay away. But, I’m sorry, I can’t discount the possibility that you’re making this up in your mind.”

making this up in your mind.

“ Excuse me? ” Red asked in deadly monotone, “ You think I’m making this up? ”

that everything.

the destruction of the world.

the death of Your friends and family.

their sacrifice so that You may live.

that it is all a lie?

freedom is a lie.

yet most find comfort in their chains.

“She’s not saying that,” Salvare assured, turning Red’s eyes - glowing, glowing - to him, “She’s just… stating that you haven’t given us anything concrete- ”

“ You think I would lie about something like this?! ” Red hissed, eyes twisting in vermillion spirals .

To Salvare’s side, Karen’s eyes began to widen as flakes on Red’s skin cracked and glowed.

‘Lightbringer, please calm down.’

“ They ruined my life ,” Red spat, trying, in vain, to reign in his rage, “ The war may have paused for a time, but it resumed in the end. ”

“What are you talking about? What war ?” Karen asked, her eyes narrowed further.

And, if only for but a single moment, when Red turned his eyes to hers, she saw the darkened soul the man bore that she had only viewed shades of before.

Mad.

Mad.

The next second heralded a flash of light - let there be light - and Red was held back from snapping by a warm presence on his lap.

‘Calm down! You are bringing too much light!’

Several seconds passed before the words registered in Red’s mind - his vision, his senses, all bearing a crimson haze - and, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Red wrangled himself back into control.

Salvare and Karen were speaking now, asking questions that Red didn’t hear over the ringing in his ears.

Instead of paying them any mind, Red looked down to see the small form of Espeon rubbing against his side.

“Vee?” Red’s voice came out as a whisper - shadowed by an unnatural rasp - “Y-You didn’t have to do that.”

You didn’t have to fix my own problems.

Vee looked up, her small face managing to give a glare that made Red remember that Vee could and did hear his thoughts. Her face shifted to an almost neutral stare, after which Red received a message in his mind.

‘You were becoming broken. The light only made it worse.’

‘I will bear the light.’

Before Red could stop her - stop her from bearing his demons - the Espeon in his lap quivered, and her fur shifted hues as it transformed into Sylveon.

The small fairy shivered at the light gravitating towards itself, but it kept its form, latching onto Red’s soul to stabilise it.

Red was Lightbringer. From his soul came the light, let there be light.

Vee was Lightbearer. Within her soul held the light, ever beautiful, ever terrible.

And there was calm, calm as the light - the memories, the nightmares - settled between them.

It wasn’t long before the calm was broken.

“ Red ,” That was Karen’s voice, which held a tone that Red wasn’t a fan of - though, that didn’t say much - “ Why, and how, in God’s good green earth, do you have a tiny Espeon that evolved into something else? ”

Red stiffened - given the events of the past minute, he had forgotten that neither Salvare or Karen knew about Vee - “You need to leave-”

“ No, Goddamnit!” Karen cut him off with an explosive yell - Vee retreated against Red; he felt the embers of rage flare once more - “Not this shit again ! You can’t expect us to leave you to your own devices when you apparently have a dangerous group that wants your head-”

“‘Leave me to my own devices’,” Red interrupted, “You make me sound like a child.”

“That’s because you’re acting like one !” Karen hissed, either not hearing or ignoring Salvare’s frantic attempts to halt the rising tension, “You make it seem as if you’re some sort of doomed hero, Red, and I call bullshit -”

“ We just want to understand. ” Salvare physically shoved Karen aside to say this, staring imploringly into Red’s eyes, “Can you-”

“ No! ” Red shouted, feeling the last of his patience snap, “ It would ruin you. ”

Like it did him.

He was not an innocent creature.

Red distantly felt a tug on his link with Vee.

‘Why not?’

‘Why not show them?’

“ Show them what? What I’ve seen?” Red laughed to himself, not caring about how crazed he sounded, “ They would run in terror. ”

is that not what You want?

‘Is that not what you want?’

The two voices - one cold, one warm - combined to one, chilling note.

‘We can share what You felt to them.’

show them what You truly are.

a monster.

Red’s eyes blazed as he made his choice.

Let them feel, let them see what I am.

Let them see what I have lost.

Let them see what I have sacrificed.

Let them see what I have become.

Then, surely, they will run far, far away.

go forth, My Chariot.

“Red,” Karen’s voice reached his ears as she began to lean over to him, “Listen-”

“ No. You listen to me , ” Red’s voice rasped out, causing Karen to reel back and Salvare to shiver, “ You want to see? Fine. Then see me for what I am, and then you will wish to run. ”

And, before either Karen or Salvare could say anything, Red and Vee took hold of their aura, and pushed.

In the back of Red’s skull, he heard the echoes of resounding laughter sink into his soul.

…

One moment, Karen sat beside Salvare, eyeing Red in no small amount of dread as something else spoke with his mouth.

The next moment, Karen felt senses that were not her own.

L e t t h e r e b e

At first, there was nothing. Karen tried to scream at Red to stop whatever he was doing , but she couldn’t move her mouth, she couldn’t move her hands.

She couldn’t move.

There was pressure keeping her still. Like the mist in the forest.

Then, something shifted .

And Karen felt weary.

She felt weary, and it wasn’t her own, but she felt it in full.

She didn’t know, didn’t see the source, but felt it all the same.

She felt a weariness that s(he) kept hidden. Somehow, it felt familiar, and that only made it worse.

Then came the unease. The growing restlessness.

‘There’s a rat. There is no one you can trust.’

She didn’t know where the voice came from, but s(he) knew it wasn’t good.

Shimmers surrounded her, shadowed people who she had never met.

They all felt the pressure in their hearts begin to increase.

Then came the shock, followed quickly by anger.

Yet, unlike what she felt in Red, the anger felt akin to righteous fury.

Red’s felt cold, personal, hopeless.

The earth shook in her mind’s eye, yet she sat still all the same.

Salvare twitched.

Then came surprise.

Then adrenaline.

Then loss.

The first to sacrifice their life for Him.

And if Karen weren’t already held still by whatever spell Red had placed upon them, she would be stilled under the immense wave of loathing, guilt, hatred, hopelessness that threatened to consume her.

As it did him.

It wasn’t long before everything came to a head.

It wasn’t long before the second great sacrifice was made for Him to live.

Then came the Storm.

And, though Karen saw not what the Storm was, she felt Red’s transformation under it.

Whereas before she felt optimistic confidence in the face of great danger.

Now, she only felt dread.

And this, this was only the beginning.

the beginning of the war.

Karen felt something shift within herself (himself).

Something broke, reforged, and broke again, repeatedly.

The only constant was a prevalent undertone of guilt.

He was too weak.

He was too slow.

He was too stupid.

They had sacrificed everything so that he may live, and yet he did nothing to stop this.

Karen heard laughter (her own?) echo across her mind.

A feeling of pure hatred , pure terror , pure desolation took shape in her (his) mind.

It took the shape of an idea given shape in a man.

And something in Red warped .

And s(he) felt herself (himself) become a mirror of that which s(he) hated .

Do not yield in the face of unbeatable odds.

Do not stagger from the breaking of bones.

Do not let up on your attack, on your wrath.

They (your friends your family) have laid down their lives for You.

Do not allow their sacrifice to be in vain.

You are to either die or be damned.

Kill them before they kill you.

Kill them all!

And for one beautiful, terrible moment, Karen saw Red as he saw himself.

a monster.

Karen felt something snap, and her vision returned to her.

The forced link between them and Red retreated.

There was a ringing in her ears - not painful, just loud - that slowly dwindled to a small hum, allowing her to hear Red’s voice - his actual voice - repeatedly ramble, “-sorry. I shouldn’t have done that - I’m sorry. Fuck , I - I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry. ”

Karen was still blinking away stars when Salvare’s voice cut in, “No. It…” Salvare paused, as if considering his words, “It was necessary, wasn’t it? You had to show us what you felt for us to understand.”

“ What? ” Karen asked - her voice sounded hollow to her ears - and rounded onto Red, who was looking away from them, shaking uncontrollably , “That - That was your feelings?! ”

“ I’m sorry, ” Red said again, his voice sounding weak, broken , “I… I didn’t mean to force you through that.”

Salvare tried to get a word in edgewise, “Red-”

Red shook his head, “ This is why you need to leave , do you understand?” Unlike earlier, where Red’s voice was forceful, angry, it now sounded almost pitiful in how desperate it was, “Everyone I’ve ever cared for has died because of me . I can’t go through that again. It’s already too late for them. Too late for me. But it’s not too late for you -”

Suddenly, before Karen or Red could comprehend it, Salvare rushed forward and enveloped Red into a hug.

Karen was too shocked to say anything - Salvare didn’t do hugs, didn’t do physical contact, really; it always made him visibly uncomfortable - only letting out a small croak at the sight.

Red didn’t say anything either - didn’t move, in fact - allowing Salvare to speak, “Red, if it wasn’t for you, I would most likely be dead ,” - something dark flashed in Red’s eyes, and Karen didn’t like it, not to mention what Salvare just said - “Even when there was no real reason for you to do it, you allowed me to tag along and trained me, brought me up to become better than I was.”

Salvare let out a wavering laugh - there were tears glistening in his eyes - “Hell, even when you were acting like an ass over the past month, you were doing it from a perverse duty of getting us out of danger,” Salvare pushed himself off of Red, his face suddenly hardening as his eyes met Red’s, “And Red, know that I say this with utmost honesty, that was the dumbest bullshit you could’ve pulled.”

Karen’s eyes widened as Salvare said that - and a large part of her internally cheered as he did - and watched Red’s face lose the last bit of restraint as Salvare said, “I don’t care who or what is after you. You were there for me . I’ll be there for you .”

As Salvare said those words - with a scary weight of finality in them - Karen bore witness to the last thing she expected going into this.

Red began to weep.

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t loud at all , as Red merely closed his eyes and allowed his tears to flow. The sight somehow seemed perfectly in-line with everything she knew of Red - cold and controlling his appearance - yet completely alien - open, honest in a way that he hadn’t ever allowed before.

Vulnerable.

It was in this light that Karen saw something in Red that she had known intellectually before, but she hadn’t ever truly considered.

Red was young, only a year older than herself.

And right now, with his face open, no longer controlled…

He looked young.

Karen didn’t get much time to ponder this - amidst everything else - before Red’s eyes sharpened, his face hardening once more.

However, whereas before when Red’s eyes grew cold and his face stony, this time something had changed.

Shifted.

Karen could see the signature glow of Red’s eyes, yet they no longer burned cold, cold enough to give her shivers just by looking at it.

They burned warm.

A solid fire, stoked from the embers of a cold rage into something new.

Something broken, then reforged, stronger than before.

The aura around Red shifted too, though Karen doubted that anyone but her felt it.

It no longer felt as cold.

Oh, the cold was still there, certainly. Something so entrenched in Red’s aura wouldn’t leave in a day . But there was a warmth to it that kept it at bay.

Karen waited a few moments for the emotions to die down before regarding Red with a small frown, “Do you respect us, Red?”

She watched as Red furrowed his brows, mulling over his words before responding, “Yes.”

Karen raised an eyebrow - it wasn’t a knee jerk response, which meant he thought about it - “If you do, don’t force us away just because you want us gone,” She raised a hand, stopping Red from responding, “It’s our choice of whether or not we’re staying to help you with whatever you’re going through, got it?”

For a moment, Karen almost expected Red to object - there was a certain light in his eyes, a mixture of doubt and something else, something self-destructive - however, to her mild surprise, Red instead pursed his lips and gave a single jerked nod.

“Glad that’s settled, then,” Karen breathed, allowing some tension to roll off her shoulders, “For what it’s worth, Red, I respect you too, even if you’re an ass,” She crossed her arms with a huff, “I… won’t bother you for more details on everything yet - trust me, though, I will - but I am going to be sharing what I know with my master.”

To her lack of surprise, Red was visibly unhappy with that, though he didn’t object. Instead, he bowed his head, muttering, “ Don’t share it with anyone else. ”

Karen’s eye twitched, and she readied a retort before biting it down, “ Fine ,” She felt her face naturally begin to revert to a sneer - Red just had that effect on her - so she turned to Salvare, “Well, Salvare, for what it’s worth… I’m not stopping you.”

Salvare turned to her, visibly confused, “What do you mean?”

Karen felt a sense of melancholy settle within her as she gave a sigh, “Well, you’ve already said that you’ll stick with Red, so…” Karen shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant, “I suppose we won’t be seeing each other for a month or so.”

“W-What?” Salvare shot up, surprised, “You’re leaving? ”

“She still has her last two badges to earn,” Red brought up, “And they’re both across the region.”

“ Of course you knew that ,” Karen grumbled to herself, “Listen, I… Red, we will be talking more about everything at the Silver Conference, you understand?” Red gave a small - resigned - scowl, but remained silent, which was about as good of a response as Karen expected.

“And you,” Karen pointed to Salvare, “Are going to continue the training exercises I’ve given you with your aura, do you understand?” As Salvare nodded frantically, she rounded onto Red, “And you , Red, will begin properly training him in aura.”

To this, Red grimaced, “I’m… I don’t think that’s a good idea-”

“I don’t care,” Karen cut off, exacerbation leaking into her voice, “Whatever problems or insecurities you have with your aura, stuff it . He chose you ,” Karen was aware of the bitterness that entered her voice at that, “ Don’t make me regret this. ”

Red held her gaze for several seconds, both of them glaring in a silent battle of stubbornness - which Karen began to think was a good analogy of their relationship - before crossing his arms, “ Are you sure? ”

Though the question itself seemed simple, Karen understood the truth of it within Red’s eyes.

After all, naught even an hour ago, she had seen what he saw himself as.

a monster.

And Karen couldn’t help but snort, “So what if you’re a ‘monster’? You’re not evil ,” Red stiffened as Karen said those words - serves him right, self-deprecating jackass - “You’re rough around the edges, certainly, but that’s nothing to cry over.”

“She’s right,” Salvare added, sounding far more intense, “No-one’s perfect, and if someone is pretending to be,” Salvare gave a languid shrug, “They’re probably planning on stabbing you in the back, sometimes literally.”

Karen blinked - as did Red - before clapping her hands, “Well, in that case…” She trailed off as she took into account that the sun was setting, “We have been under this tree for far too long .”

“I agree,” Red nodded, his voice low, measured in a way they hadn’t heard in over a month. He turned to Karen, “I presume you’re leaving soon?”

“There’s not much reason for me to stay much longer. Clock is turnin’ and all that,” For some reason, Red’s face twitched as she said that, “Why d’you want to know?”

“To say goodbye?” Red replied, deadpan - to his side, Salvare rolled his eyes at the continued passive-aggressiveness between the two - “Also, if you had time, I wanted to see about a battle before you go.”

“Oh?” Karen raised an eyebrow, intrigued, “Finally taking me up on that rematch for Ecruteak, huh? You know what, sure.”

“Alright,” Red nodded to himself as they began to walk back towards the Pokemon Center, “Tomorrow morning, then, before you go?” As Karen nodded, Red gave a grim smile, “ I won’t hold back, so don’t do so on my account. ”

“Oh, Red, you sweet summer child ,” Karen’s grin grew positively feral - and, for once, the darkness around her quivered in excitement rather than frustration - “ The thought never even crossed my mind .”

…

Archived Audio Recording, April 2nd, 1995

“-don’t care if you thought it was difficult! It doesn’t excuse selling them for three times the price!”

Raised voices.

A man and a woman.

The woman is aged in skin.

The man is aged in spirit.

“Listen, I’d understand to some extent if you picked them from Orre, but the Badlands isn’t that dangerous.”

“Hell, you’ve done it in previous years without any issue. What caused the increase in price?”

A snipped response.

The man growls.

The pokémon by his side chirps worriedly.

“Oh, so just because your usual trail was uprooted by a Diglett War means you have to triple the bloody price tag.”

“Gee, I’m sorry you had to walk an extra kilometre off the beaten path. Perhaps I should give you double pay for the brain damage you’ve given us both.”

The pokémon by his side twitters loudly.

Admonishing.

The man sighs.

“Yes, yes. I know. She’s just the only provider of these flowers within a thousand kilometres. It’s not my fault the market in Pyrite Town burned down.”

The pokémon gives a single chirp.

“Listen to her, Takashi. She’s right.”

“Oh, stuff it, old hag.”

“Reduce the price to fifty percent and I’ll buy it.”

The man and woman haggle.

Eventually, the man purchases the flowers for 70% of the original price.

“Bloody miser.”

The pokémon chirps a laugh-like sound.

Though he hides it in a fake scowl, the sound makes the man happy.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up.”

The old woman watches the interaction with a small smile.

She sees the grief the man holds in his heart when he looks at his pokémon.

It bears the face of his love, after all.

“You know, Takashi, for one as travelled as you, I can’t say I understand why you don’ just go up to the Badlands and get the flowers yourself.”

The man is silent for a moment.

“I’d mess it up somehow.”

“I was never the gentle one between us two, and she always loved these flowers.”

The pokémon by his side gives a small chirp.

Joyous, yet melancholic.

The man huffs, only feeling the latter.

“She always liked poetry, and these flowers were - what - poetically sad?”

The man shrugged, lost in a dream with no memories.

“I mean, all I see is a purple flower. What is it called, a hycint?”

The pokémon by his side gives a betrayed cry.

“A hyacinth.”

“Right. That.”

The man turned the bundle of flowers in his hand, lost in thought.

He suddenly snickers.

“She probably would’ve butchered me for calling it what I did. So, I guess that answers your question.”

“Besides, getting them here is better than going to Kalos. Have to show some Johto solidarity, especially with Ecruteak.”

The woman huffed as the man gave a roguish smile.

He was a man of many masks, yet only one true face.

“Well, all the same, Takashi.”

“I’ll still be here next year with your flowers.”

“I’m sure.”

The man left without another word.

He walked by the marketplace, which stood in the shadow of the Tin Tower.

The man couldn’t help but look up at the towering monolith.

It taunted him.

It scorned him.

“They couldn’t even bother identifying her…”

The pokémon by his side chirps consolingly.

The man sighs.

“I know. I buried the guilt long ago.”

“But she at least had family who could’ve retrieved her.”

“I never did.”

The pokémon by his side is silent.

It mourns for something it doesn’t truly understand that it has lost.

“No. No, I’m wrong.”

“She was family.”

“We would’ve-”

Something within the man’s voice breaks.

The masks that the man holds crack, if for but a moment.

Eyes the shade of midnight peer up at the tower, their irises glowing rings of baleful crimson.

“He would’ve been seventeen.”

The man becomes silent.

The pokémon whimpers softly.

A single tear trickles down the man’s cheek.

Before long, it runs dry.

“...Come on.”

“We will mourn.”

“Then… Then we will resume.”