Chapter 27

Above the Surface (…where they lay)

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The sky was gray that day. It hadn't really been shining in either sun or fire since the day we'd changed everything, but I didn't mind. The rolling gray above my head was somehow comforting, a little like being wrapped up in a blanket. But whether a dark sky came off as comforting or gloomy depended entirely on your mood, I supposed. Every now and then, as I walked on with Alphonse at my side, I thought I could catch a glimpse of the sun peeking through the gray—as if to say it was still out there somewhere—before disappearing into the cloud again. The skies must have looked a little lighter because of the sun still shining just beyond them. Maybe that meant that later on… it really would break through.

A cold wind pushed me from behind, and I turned around to the eastern skies to see a dark wall of clouds gathering and rolling over where Driftveil's Drawbridge still stood. Our risen side of the bridge stood vivid and red against the high darkness, almost like some sort of tower. I wondered for a moment if we would be able to lower it, and connect it to Nimbasa again…

I pulled my jacked up tighter around my neck, flinching as a few small rain drops hit my face.

'I'd better hurry…'

I started back through the streets at a little bit of a quicker pace. I couldn't go too quickly though, considering how busy the streets were. There were people walking and moving around in every direction I looked, catching my eye around every corner I turned. It got to the point where I really had to look out where I was going. I hopped over someone pushing a broom near my feet and flashed them a smile as I went by. I noticed them pointing at my feet and picked up on what they meant just in time to twirl around someone with a shovel just behind me.

As I continued on my way I picked up a crushed can I found along the path and tossed it to someone nearby holding a large trash bag. Had to put all that stuff somewhere, right? I bid them a parting wave and hurried off again. I would have loved to stick around to help the townsfolk clear up this mess, but I had other things to attend to right now. Besides, I'd probably just get in their way.

In the next street, instead of just people, I saw a few bulldozers and forklifts cruising around. The drivers spotted me quickly and scooted back a bit in order to let me through. I waved at them as I hurried through the gap they made. Once through I eased back into a slow walk and looked back over my shoulder to see them clearing away some of the larger bits of garbage off the streets. The bright yellow paint of the machines was still brilliant even under the gloom of the sky. They probably considered those machines to be as nice of a haul from Plasma's mining garages as I did. It beat using your hands to clean up muck and dirt any day, and I liked how we were already putting those machines to a much better use than Plasma ever did. And besides, if they weren't here anymore then they certainly wouldn't be needing them.

Like Pokémon I guess, if those things were used the right way, and in tandem with us, then—as N would probably put it—the resulting equation could only be good.

This city that had appeared to me as such a ghost town not long ago was now bustling with life. Wherever I went I heard noise: the sound of footsteps, of shovels scraping dirt and trash, the deep growling of machines, and a cacophony of hammers slamming new boards onto sinking houses. Repairs seemed to be going well; I could see that clearly down every street I walked. I saw people patching up the concrete of their houses, sealing up roofs, adding shudders to the windows and placing doors back on their hinges. Small steps now… one at a time they went. It was slow, but even if it was just a little I felt like this town was starting to show a bit of its old, cheerful face. Even just a little.

As I walked near an row of houses near the outskirts of the town, I noticed in the distance some people were bringing down that old chain link fence Cheren and I had slunk through in what seemed like an age ago now. And on the wind, as I walked by, I thought I could hear the people considering demolishing the wall blocking off Route Six too. I couldn't be sure, but I really thought I saw them smiling.

It was an abstract, enticing kind of thought, for both me and these people. Team Plasma was gone now. And life could do nothing more but continue on.

"Toukie? Are we close now? Are you sure you know the way?" Alphonse blinked at me with his big blue eyes.

I shoved my hands into my coat pockets, smiling casually. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

He pouted a little, "Okay… if you say so…" by the way he started buzzing through the air, spinning and looping aimlessly around my head, I could tell the boredom was getting to him. He was just like a kid. Could he not just lay back and take it easy for at least a few minutes?

Apparently not, as he quickly got bored with fluttering around and went to greet some of the working townsfolk we walked by. He hopped on their heads, helped them pick up a few stray pieces of litter, and even returned a hammer to a roofer who'd dropped it. He wasn't being a nuisance to them, but helping out in his own little way, and nobody seemed the least bit bothered by it. The man on the roof waved to us after Alphonse had returned his hammer, and we walked on.

My legs were starting to ache, but it wouldn't be much longer now until we got there. I didn't want to push myself, after all. I was still pretty sore from that battle with Granite and Xiao Ling, and I got some pretty nasty bruises from it. Luckily for me, no bones had been broken, and I hadn't been dealt any serious or irreparable damage. Even the ringing in my ears—caused by the explosion of Golurk's Fly attack—was starting to go away… a little.

A cold wind blew by me, and Alphonse and I hurried on.

When I'd reached the house, I slid the bags I carried further up my arm and used my free hand to rap on the door. Oliver showed me in.

"Um. Sorry, eheh, it's a little bit of a mess in here."

His was one of the bigger and more put together houses I'd seen in town, a lot like Winston's but kept much cleaner on the inside. The living area wasn't too cluttered or ruinous, but suffered from being old, unwashed and unkept. Beautiful looking carpets had been stained and muddied. Green flowered wallpaper had been washed of its once springly colour. The boards on the ceiling were crumbling, but not yet opening up into the sky. That must have leaked when it rained.

"Oli! We brought gifts! Toukie, show him!" Alphonse chirped, flapping his arms.

I laughed warmly, "Yeah we brought you some food and supplies from Simon. I think he said that the market should be up and running in a few days, so there'll be more stuff available then." I handed him the five or so plastic bags that had been pulling down my arm the entire trip over here. It was nice to get that weight off.

When he took them, something caught my eye near the window. She remained so still and quiet that at first I'd thought she was nothing more than a pile of blankets on the chair. But as I looked closer I could see the face and hands peeking out through the wool covers.

Oliver caught me looking. "Oh, uh. Forgot to introduce you, I guess," he smiled and gestured her way. "This is my mum." He called out to his mother, "Mum. Can you hear me? This is Touko and Alphonse. They're friends of mine. Say hello."

Oliver's mother simply continued to stare out the window, not even moving on her chair as if she was frozen to the spot or like she was some sort of wax statue. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, and she hardly even blinked. Skin and lips were pale and she looked a bit unkept, like she didn't often bathe. Oliver had told me that she had been suffering from a severe depression and hadn't been working in the mines for quite some time. When I saw her, I felt a pang of familiarity. The way she looked… and the way she acted (or didn't act) caused me to feel a little sad.

Alphonse seemed intrigued by her, and left the perch of my shoulder to investigate.

"Is she okay? Is she sleeping? She's not saying much," Alphonse noted, nose twitching curiously.

Oliver laughed weakly, "She's awake she… um… just doesn't move much."

"Is it okay for Alphonse to get so close?" I asked Oliver.

He smiled lopsidedly, "Well, I guess. Mum doesn't really react to much, whether its food or drink, or even my voice. Maybe Al can get her to wake up a bit by startling her one way or the other. Any reaction is better than nothing."

"I'll try to make her smile!" Alphonse called over.

Oliver and I watched as Alphonse fluttered before his mother's eyes. He tried to squeak to her, poke her shoulder, but in the end after no response, he settled down onto her lap and tried to rest. All she did was sigh and her eyes never left the window.

"Where's your dad at? Helping around outside?" I asked him.

Oliver shrugged. "Yeah. More or less. He's with some of the other guys from the mine trying to sort out what to do with all the leftover machines and things that Team Plasma kept in the warehouses around in the harbor. There are even a few boats left over I hear, but none of them are those Black Ships, or whatever." Oliver shrugged, "I'm all right with it. I'm not really good with all that management stuff, so it's okay if I stay here and look after my mum for a bit. Neither me or my pa like to leave her alone for long, ya know?" his eyes never left her as he talked, and he sounded a little bit sad.

I smiled as I got an on-the-spot idea. Kinda crazy but worth trying at least. "Why don't we bring her outside for a bit, just to let her get some fresh air?"

Oliver blinked at me wordlessly. It took him a few seconds to give me an answer, so I waited patiently.

"Yeah! We should!" Alphonse perked up, "Being outdoors always makes me happy~ happy~!"

"It looks like it's going to rain… but I guess it wouldn't be so bad for a minute or two." Oliver looked down, but a smile tugged at his lips, "Some fresh air would make her feel better." He turned to her, "What do you say, mum?"

Alphonse quirked his ears and looked up at her. Oliver's mother didn't move and her eyes remained fixed out the window.

She was sitting on her own wheel chair, so Oliver and I maneuvered it through the living space and down the front steps, which unfortunately weren't wheel chair accessible, but there were only a short few, so we managed.

The wind was starting to kick up, and the dark clouds I'd seen blowing over from Nimbasa were starting to dominate the sky. Thunder rumbled like the distant roar of a giant. People who had been outside working on their houses or cleaning the garbage from the street were starting to take cover under any shelter they could find.

I was about to retract my previous statement and say we head back in when the rain started falling. It started out slow and small, but it picked up and fell thicker, and I felt its cold against my skin.

Oliver and I simply stood out in the rain together without saying a word, both staring at the ground in front of us and watching the rain dampen it.

"Waa! Wet!" Alphonse yelped and buried under the folds of blankets that covered Oliver's mother.

"Oh, sorry Alphonse," I had to smile. "I guess we should head back in until the rain…oh!"

Oliver's mother suddenly moved. I sucked in a quick gasp, and blinked to try to make sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. Her movements were slow and steady, but this mannequin of a woman was moving, and I watched as she held out her arms and opened her palms to the rain. The droplets fell and pooled in the depression of her wrinkled palms.

"Mum!?" Oliver gasped, coming to his mother's side to try and get a response from her. She didn't move or really acknowledge him and just kept staring at the sky. Still, Oliver kept on calling out to her and trying to get her to respond or to notice him, his eyes wide in disbelief and desperation. I merely watched as the rain dampened me.

After about the tenth time calling out to her, Oliver's mother turned toward her son, and while her eyes were still emotionless and unfocused, she reached up slowly to caress his face. He burst into tears and threw his arms around her.

I noticed something in the corner of my vision and I looked over to see a person standing in the rain a few feet away. He was a broad and tall man with rusty red hair and beard. He was looking over at us, or rather, Oliver and his mum in shock, which was quickly replaced by a warm, and yet sad smile. He ran to them, to his family, and wrapped them up in his massive arms. Oliver laughed while crying, and his mother, while still blank and zombie-like at first glance, had a small smile on her face.

And the rain kept on falling.

My footsteps squished and splashed with nearly every step as I tried at least a little to avoid all the puddles that had appeared after the short rain. I wasn't making the best progress, but I didn't mind. My feet were warm in my high boots and the sound of my splashing footsteps and the rich scent of mud in every breath was somehow incredibly calming.

Alphonse peeked out nervously from the neck of my coat, glancing up at the sky before sinking back down against my chest. I wanted to tell him to stop worrying, but the gray blanket above us was getting a bit patchier now. For every light patch there was another dark one not far away. Every now and then I thought I felt another raindrop hit my skin, but maybe I was just imagining it.

After the rain had ended, the streets had turned empty. I guessed everyone had decided to use the rain as an excuse to take lunch.

"Toukie! I see somebody, look!"

A small boy stood a little ways off picking garbage off the street. He looked as if he was a year or two younger than Terrance. Seemed like he was someone who wouldn't let the weather get in the way of his job. I watched a moment as he tried to pick up an old bottle off the street with a gloved hand. It looked like he was having a little bit of trouble considering one—it was a pretty big bottle, and two—his other arm happened to be in a sling.

Every time it looked like he had it, the thing slipped right out of his small hand. He pouted, "Stupid bottle…" before he could take out his rage on the garbage beneath his feet, I picked the bottle from the ground—careful not to cut my hands on the sharp edges—and dropped it in his bag.

He blinked up at me in surprise, and I nudged his cheek with my knuckle.

"When the sky is gray I kinda feel like frowning too, but you know, I think that's the time when we should smile the most," and so I did, "Mind if we help out?"

"Go long!" I shouted, getting into pitching position and then tossing a can over. The kid, who had been hoisted up on Hyle's shoulders—because why not let my Emboar out to join the fun?—held out the bag and laughed as it swooshed in.

"Ten points!" he called.

I gasped faux dramatically as Alphonse flew over our heads, making a noise as if he was a dive bomber. "The bombs are coming down! Take cover!" Alphonse fluttered over the kid's head and dropped a ball of paper inside the bag.

The boy quickly sealed it shut and shouted, "BOOM!" as he shook the bag as if a bomb had exploded inside. He then opened it up and tentatively peeked in. "The threats has been numeralized!"

I burst out laughing. "Neutralized! You mean neutralized!"

"That's what I said!" he assured, flustered, but I was nearly on the ground in laughter.

We bid the kid farewell after we'd cleaned up most that section of the street, and he went back home. I decided not to return Hyle to his Pokéball and left him out to stroll along with us as we made our way to the next stop.

When we arrived at the house I found that the gate was closed. Of course he had to close it, which left me dealing with the weird as heck lock on it again. Now just… how did I get it untwisted last time? Did you unwind it this way… or that way? And what about this knot? And this squiggly bit? What the heck even was that?! I eventually got it open a few seconds short of telling Hyle to Heat Crash the gate down, and when I finally DID get it open, I found Winston already hobbling out of his house. He was carrying a wooden crate by a handle with his one free arm—as the other was still getting him by with his crutch—and added it to a large stack of the things that were piled right outside his door.

"Spring cleaning?" I asked as I walked over.

He smiled boyishly. "Yeah. More or less. Even though it's still winter…"

"Those are neat crates. Where did you get those from?" I asked, eyeing them over and wondering how heavy just one of them would be.

"Ah, those," he grinned. "Thing was, how it started, was that I decided to heft all the bottles and junk out of the house, but I didn't have any way to get them out save carryin em out by the handful, and remember I only really got one hand to use here. Though I probably coulda grabbed one or two in my teeth but there's this funky smell that comes out of some of them…"

I waved away his words with a grimace, "Yeah, yeah. Then?"

"Right!" he almost laughed, "just while I was mulling over my conundrum here, that bald old mole Simon pops over with a bunch of these crates with nifty handles which makes em easy to carry, even for someone like me. And tells me to use em any way I want. Pretty neato, huh?" he jerked his chin to the crates stacked almost neatly outside of the door, "Got about three hundred bottles and counting in there. There's still a whole whack in the house too. It's about time I cleaned all this shit up, but that smells gonna be in there for years, I'll tell ya that."

I tried to suppress a frown quirking my lips, "Even with the nifty crates, you're not over doing it are you? Don't push yourself too hard, or you might get hurt…"

He held the smile. "Ah, don't worry about it. I fell down and knocked out a few of my teeth, but it's no biggie. I saved them all in a jar fer later. Plannin' on makin' a necklace out of them. Want it?"

I frowned, unamused. "As a memento?" Wait… why was I playing along?

"I was thinking it'd be more of a thank you gift fer ya!"

"How about I have my Emboar stuff them back in your face instead?" Hyle smashed his fists together to bring that point home.

Winston put up his one hand in peace. "Just a joke, me lass. Just a little joke! Wait… you're not serious about that threat, are you? I need the rest of these teeth!"

I smirked and took a seat down on his front steps to rest my legs for a little. "Maybe if you shift all the bottles out of your house by the end of the day, I'll think about it." Hyle plopped down with a thud beside me on the grass.

"How about I take a break first? I've only got one leg to work with here," he chuckled, joining me on the step.

"Yeah, go ahead," I said, watching Alphonse spin restlessly through the air—maybe practicing some more air bombing maneuvers. The wind whistled and the clouds grew a lighter shade of gray. An old plastic bag flapped wildly stuck on a prong of Winston's fence. Entranced I watched it flutter, waiting for the wind to rip it away.

"So," he said after a while. "You'll be heading out soon, eh?"

"Seems so," I looked up at the gently rolling clouds. In the following silence I turned my gaze back down to Winston. His hands were folded tight between his knees and they were shaking just a little. "Are you going to be okay?"

He didn't respond right away, and his expression looked clouded over. "Somehow… maybe." There was another silence, "And… that's thanks to you."

I looked back at the sky.

"I saw what you did."

I turned slightly to him but he didn't look at me.

"I…" he rubbed his neck, "I wasn't out there. I don't think there was much I could have done to help you," and he put a hand on the stump of his leg. "But I had a pretty nice view from here. The sky looks beautiful on fire."

I don't know if that was supposed to make me smile, but I couldn't help it. "Yeah."

"It does!" Alphonse chimed in.

"And… hell, there really was a big turnout, eh? Looked like you got the whole freaking town charging up to those gates," he looked upward, almost seeming overwhelmed with the memory.

"Yeah, I was surprised too."

"I think it was…" his voice started out strong, but as if he suddenly became aware of what he was about to say, he faded. I looked to him in question and saw his eyes nostalgically skyward. "I just think that what you all did out there was… pretty dang cool."

"What about me!?" Alphonse smiled widely, fluttering in front of the old guy. "Am I cool too, Winsty!? You should have seen me, flyin all around helping and saving people! It was awesome! Everyone was cheering!"

Winston chuckled, nudging his hat up his forehead. "Yeah, I heard em roarin' for you all the way out here. You were pretty cool out there yourself too you little…" he squinted, "…chicken… fox? Or whatever it is you are."

"I'm a fireball!" Alphonse flapped his arms like crazy.

"All right you two," I stood up. "I just came to see how you were doing, but you look like you have everything in order here… for now." I all but glowered at him seriously. "You will be all right, right? Because if I hear you're up to any shenanigans don't think I won't come all the way back here and hog tie you myself."

"Yeesh sister, you're starting to sound like that old Clay," Winston rubbed the back of his head nervously. "But… yeah. I got the message loud n' clear, ma'am."

I cocked an eyebrow. 'Ma'am?' I wasn't sure if that bothered me more than being compared to Clay. I was nothing like that salt of the earth geezer!

"'sides," a small smile warmed his face. "Thanks to you… thanks to what you did here… I don't have anything to run away from no more. I'd… like to try and be a little bit like how you are, and look right up into the light and keep walking forward no matter what. I know it ain't easy but… heck I don't have anything else to lose."

"I think you can do it, Winsty! You're great!" Alphonse smiled widely.

Hyle snorted loudly in agreement, spewing a bit of smoke.

"Thanks chicken-fox and pig monster!" he grinned cheekily. "Man you Pokémon dudes sure are… something else… it's gonna take a while for me to get used to having guys like you around when you all come back."

When you all come back… not if…

I smiled. "Then, if you're good." I was about to head off, took one more glance at the crates on his front step and said, "You know, I'm heading to the market next. How about I take a few of these with me?"

"Oh…" he blinked as I headed over. "Sure you can carry all that, lady?"

"Sure!" I mean, how heavy could they be, right? I squatted down and wrapped my arms around a stack of two, and heard and felt by back crack loudly when I hoisted them up. "Ghrgrh. O… okay maybe… it's a bit heavier than I thought."

"Yeesh lady," Winston sweat nervously, hands up at the ready to catch me if I suddenly fell too far back—which honestly felt like it was just about to happen. "Don't push yourself too much now. Remember now you just got finished sending that HQ flying sky high."

"Sky high!" Alphonse chirped, plopping down on the box and adding his four point zero kilos to it.

"That… technically… wasn't my… fault," I ground out.

Before my arms could give way, Hyle gently lifted the crates from my arms with only one of his. He then went down and scooped up a few others, and then shot me a condescending look. 'Don't push yourself.'

"Better let the flaming pig monster handle it," Winston showed a weak smile. "You're still a little sore from all the commotion, right? If anyone deserves to take it easy right now it's you."

"Right…" I heaved a relieved breath. Who knew bottles could weigh so much, or maybe Winston was right and my body was just too tired for them right now. I smiled at Hyle thankfully, then turned back to Winston, "Then, I'll leave you to the rest of your late winter cleaning. You got it all covered, right?"

"Don't worry about me," he straightened his hat. "There's a lot of work ahead but I'm sure I can manage."

I nodded and slowly started off. "Gotcha. Listen, if you need any help just ask someone in town like Simon or Charles, heck, even Clay."

The smile on Winston's face was gone, and he blinked at me as I started to walk away. It looked like he wanted to say something else to me, but didn't.

I got to the gate, and was about to fumble it open again when his voice cut through the air. "Hold on!" I turned to see Winston standing at his doorstep, eyes burning in desperation. His voice came out hard but passionate. "When you… When you go back out into that world, and keep on fighting for the change that you want to see. Don't you dare…" he looked right into my eyes, "don't you dare die out there, hear me? You keep yourself alive no matter what… Touko." Even at a distance I could see his eyes were shining.

Come back alive…

Alphonse waved, and I tried to smile as best I could. "Yeah."

I turned my back and left his house behind.

"Tired of flying? Or is the top of my head just that comfortable?"

Alphonse peeped tiredly and nuzzled into my hair.

"I'll take that as a yes," I smirked heading on, enjoying the sound of the bare earth crunching beneath my boots. "How's the crates, Hyle? You don't need me to help lighten the load, do you?"

He snorted at my too-cheery smile. Despite that though he really did look like he was having no trouble at all carrying six of those crates.

He wouldn't even have time to break a sweat before we reached the market.

The explosion had nearly erased any sign that Plasma's ominous HQ had ever been there to begin with. Even the dark wall which had surrounded the factory had toppled over in the shockwave or had been melted down in the heat… all except one piece. By either weird luck or coincidence, one lone slab of the wall still remained, standing on the edge of town above all the other houses. It almost looked like some sort of broken down monolith or grave marker for the factory itself—if you wanted to look at it that way. I looked at it more as a visual marker of where Clay and the others had decided to set up their new market. Actually, now that I thought about it, this might have been the place—or at least near it—that I went, disguised as Dorothy's grandmother, to pick up her food box from the soldiers. But I couldn't be entirely sure of that.

I couldn't seem to take my eyes off what remained of the wall as me and the gang made our way ever closer. By the time we'd reached it, I had to crane my neck a little bit to see the ragged top which stood deep and dark against the rolling gray sky. A second later, from the corner of my eye I realized Hyle and Alphonse were craning their necks to look up at it too. Did they have some sort of indescribable fascination with the ruined wall too or… were they just imitating me? The thought almost made me laugh.

"Oi! Touko! Over here!" I looked down to see Dorothy standing outside one of the tented stores that everyone was setting up. Seeing Dorothy waving, I trotted over quickly, into the shadow of the broken wall.

She blinked at the crates Hyle held. "Bottles Well now, you never struck me as the heavy drinking type."

My face went flush for some reason, and I frowned indignantly at the mere thought. "I know you're teasing and everything, but come on! You know these belong to Winston!"

She blinked at me, completely unruffled, "But I thought the two of you were drinking buddies! The whole town is talking about it, don't you know? Do you mean to tell me all those rumors I heard about you drinking him under the table was a lie?"

"Ugghgh!" I grabbed my hair in my fists. I was this close to either punching Dorothy or running away… whichever came first. I really hoped she was just teasing. I wasn't sure I wanted to have that kind of reputation here. "Whatever! Just tell me where to put these crates so I can leave!"

A sly smile spread on Dorothy's face, reminding me a lot of a Purrloin. She waved her hand, "Oh settle yourself, I'm just teasing. As for the crates, just dump them wherever. We'll get to them later."

Dorothy's mischief looked like it was waning, so I heaved a sigh and tried to get back on point.

"Anyway," I watched Hyle set them down outside one of the tents. "How are things going around here?"

"Well enough," she said with a smile that was a little less mischievous than before. "We've raided the harbor and found quite a load of supplies and items from Team Plasma's warehouses. It looks like they'd kept all of their junk stored in there instead of the HQ."

"How much do you have as far as food is concerned?"

"Clay's doing a tally with a bunch of the other folk. We don't got a set number yet but there sure are heaps of the stuff," Dorothy ran a hand through her black hair.

"Ah… Clay. Where is that old goat anyway?" I blinked.

"Old goat!? Who are you calling an old goat!?"

"Found him," Dorothy muttered as Clay stomped out of the tent.

I greeted him with a toothy smile. "How are things looking in there, Mr. Miner King!?"

Clay huffed and nudged up the brim of his hat. "Well 'nough. Team Plasma left a lot behind when we done kicked em outta 'ere. Should be lastin' us quite a while if we pace erselves."

I sobered up. "That's… not going to be easy. You have a finite amount of food and water here left over from Team Plasma… and this place," I looked over my shoulder and almost thought I could see the drawbridge in the distance, "you're so isolated. How are you going to get more supplies? You're blocked off from Nimbasa and Mistralton… and even if you could get to them somehow, they are cities still under Team Plasma's control."

"What about that Striaton?" Dorothy broached. "Hasn't that town also been liberated from Team Plasma's influence? Couldn't we set up some kind of trade route with them?"

"No good," Clay said, looking contemplatively out at the horizon. "Yer fergettin' them Black Ships out there. The only way we can get out o' here is through the ocean, and we ain't goin' nowhere as long as those things are still prowlin' bout."

"So… you'll…?" my voice was soft.

Clay stopped and looked right into me. "We rebuild. We're all still alive here and plenty capable. We'll pace ourselves and make our rations last as long as we possibly can."

"Team Plasma has really ruined the earth with all their mining and digging," Dorothy said. "But I don't think it's dead yet. The earth is still alive… it's still breathing… its heart still beating. It won't be easy… but we'll survive. I know we can."

Their expressions looked strong. They looked resilient, the furthest thing from defeated. When I looked at them, looked into those eyes, I didn't feel worried, and felt confident that everything would be okay for them.

Or at least, that was a hope I wanted to hold in my heart for them.

Before I left, there was one more thing I wanted to ask, "Uh, Clay. Another thing about Team Plasma…" he noticed my hesitance to begin and cocked an eyebrow, but didn't press. I didn't really know how to put this delicately so I decided to be blunt, "When we blew up that HQ and Team Plasma evacuated… not all of them were able to escape, were they?" My eyes drifted to where the last section of the wall loomed. This did look similar to the place where I'd picked up that food box with Dorothy, but I really couldn't be sure. "The soldiers that are left…"

Clay huffed loudly and crossed his arms, "Yeah, there's a few of 'em still here all right. Some o' the town folk around picked up a lot of wounded and injured of em after the smoke was settlin. Most of em surrendered, some of em had to be talked down, and a few put up a bit of a fight," he must have noticed the face I made, "but don't worry. I took care of em."

I was hesitant to ask, but knew I had to have this answer before going on, "What are you going to do with them? You don't think Team Plasma will come back for them, do you?"

"Well," Dorothy shrugged, "personally I like to think they'll cut their losses. There weren't many of them left back here, under twenty at the most. Which I think is just enough for us to handle too."

"We'll keep em behind bars for now," Clay said, "Gotta get back to that ol' harbor buildin they done tore down my ol Gym to build an' see if I can make some sorta better holdin' cell fer em there. I'll give em a bit of a talk, lay down some terms fer em, and if any of em see sense and want to cast their lot with us, then all the better for their long term health, if you know what I mean."

"And… if they don't?" I dared ask.

"Then," Clay began with a sneer, "I'll throw em in a raft an' kick 'em out to sea. See how long they want to hold on to their loyalty then!"

Dorothy hummed, "Ooh, I like that plan," and for a moment it looked like she was imagining how they would struggled out there in the sea. "And, if that doesn't work, we could always have my mother give them a stern talking to," she flashed me a wink, "I told you her fire is low, but it certainly isn't out. For her, raiding Plasma headquarters is a no go, but giving a tongue lashing to those upstarts is something that she's more than qualified for."

And for a second, I swore I saw Clay sweating. But when Dorothy burst into laughter, I couldn't help but join in, and my earlier worry for them felt like it had been sent off with the wind. Yeah. These people… had everything covered here, didn't they?

Clay cracked out one more big smile before I left, and said to me, "We've got the reigns back now, miss. From here on out, if we stick it together, there's nothin' we won't be able to do. So don't you worry yer fluffy ol' head 'bout it."

I blinked… fluffy?

They both gave my head a reassuring pat and wished me well on my way. I couldn't really argue with that, and not wanting to hold them up any longer than I already had, I bid them farewell and left the market behind. I looked over my shoulder time and time again until it disappeared into the streets behind all the houses, and all I could see left was that rising lonely monolith over all the roofs.

Alphonse lifted off from my head and started puttering through the air again. Just before we'd reached the bar he called out to me.

"Toukie! Look what I found!"

"Hm?" I saw him sitting on the ground at the corner of a nearby house. I came over and sat down next to him—ignoring the grinding in my bones. "What's up, little fireball?"

He flashed me a big fanged smile and pointed at a small clump of grass sprouting out from the earth. "Look! A pretty flower!"

I almost couldn't see it at first, but I noticed through the dark blades a small white daisy bobbing lightly on the breeze.

"Yeah…" I couldn't take my eyes off it. "It looks really nice, doesn't it?"

And honestly, it really did.

I walked all the way back to Simon's bar and stopped at the door. I looked at Hyle, "I dunno if you can fit in here, big guy."

He glowered and snorted indignantly which made me laugh. "Just joking. Thanks for all the help today," I rustled out a Pokéball and held it out. "You just go have a rest now, okay."

He closed his eyes and grumbled steadily as I sealed him back up.

"Bye bye Hylie," Alphonse waved slowly.

"Ready to head in, then?"

"Yeah!"

Alphonse flew right off my shoulder the second we stepped through the doors and made a beeline toward N who was sitting at one of the tables doing his work.

"N!" Alphonse whirled around his head before plopping down on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. "Me and Toukie are back! Did you miss us?"

N stopped typing to scratch the Victini under the cheek, a bright smile warming his face. "Yes I did. It's good to see you both back okay. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah!" he raised his arms, "we went and visited a whole lot of people! And I took good care of Toukie! I made sure she didn't get into any mischief."

My eyebrow twitched. Mischief?

N chuckled, stroking Alphonse's head and smoothing back his ears. "That's good to hear."

The bar was dead empty. All the people who would usually be here at this time were out in the town working and being busy. I'd seen it look this way before, but the bar always felt weird to me looking so empty and silent. A place without people where people were supposed to be.

N was here. I was here. Simon was behind the counter cleaning glasses, and Cheren—who was all bandaged up and whose arm was held in a sling—sat across from N. And… there was one more: a woman sitting at the bar drinking up all the ginger ale that Simon seemed to have in stock.

She turned to me as I started to walk over. "So, you're back, Touko."

I matched her gaze as best I could, though I couldn't deny feeling a little bit nervous just looking at her. I was still having a bit of trouble trying to process that the champion of the Sinnoh region was here having a casual drink.

"How are things out there?" Cheren asked as I walked over and took a seat.

"Busy… but also settling," I told him. "I saw Clay. He said that everything was going to be all right. He said that they'd all keep surviving."

Cheren leant back in his chair. "Nothing to worry about then. It'd take a lot to get that old goat to croak."

I had to smirk. "Tell me about it."

"Interesting," Cynthia said, walking over with her drink and taking a seat with us. "No matter how many times I see it, the way humans band together in times of tragedy always fascinates me." She took a sip.

"I still don't know how you managed to get in here," Cheren said, throwing Cynthia a look, seeming to be as unsettled by her casual attitude as I was. "And for what reason is the champion of the Sinnoh region doing here in the first place? Shouldn't you be fighting challengers or something in your own region?"

Cynthia set down her drink and blinked at Cheren. "How did I get in here? Through the front door of course!" she smiled a little too brightly.

"You know what I mean!" Cheren barked, but immediately flinched from the force.

N abruptly stopped typing.

"Hey, take it easy!" I stood up, putting a steadying hand on Cheren's shoulder. "Don't get all worked up now, all right? You're hurt way worse than I am."

N glanced at us and then resumed his work.

Cheren sighed, easing back down in his seat. "Right…" he mumbled. "Sorry…"

I rubbed his back calmingly, "Just take it easy, okay?" I looked up at Cynthia, "But miss… uh… miss champion, I'm also wondering what you're doing here and why you showed up to help us. Uh… not that I'm trying to sound ungrateful or anything, because if not for you that HQ would still be on fire, but how did you even make your way to Unova? Shouldn't the borders be heavily guarded from the outside?"

"She's right," N said without even looking up from his screen. "Team Plasma have fortified the oceanic barriers around the nation, not allowing any vessels to come or go. The Black Ships are their defense."

"Do the other regions know?" I asked, "…about what's going on here?"

Cynthia took a long sip of her drink. "Traces of it. Unova is a very distant region from places like Sinnoh and Kanto, so regular citizens often don't hear much about what's going on here. But, of course some red flags started coming up when this nation slowly started cutting off all its ties with other nations and shutting itself off from the world. The citizens of Kanto and Sinnoh aren't seeing the warning signs, but the Elite Four and Champions of other regions are starting to grow more suspicious. But, there's not much we can really do about it from the outside, you see. Even if we have Pokémon with us, the matters not as simple as barging in and demanding what's up. Even before I'd got here…" Cynthia looked down, thoughtful. "I hadn't any clue that… this sort of thing had been going on."

"I hate to tell you that there's a lot more to see," Cheren mumbled.

"But that's why I'm here. Even if the signs weren't tell tale, I just knew that something was wrong here. That something horrible was going on beyond those sealed borders. Unova is like a second home to me, and I had to get in here no matter the costs and find the truth of what was going on. I just managed to sneak passed the border patrols with my Milotic, but there were some close calls, let me tell you. Just like this lad said," she thumbed to N, "nothing dead or alive is getting through those waters. And that bit about fighting challengers in my own region? Not to worry. I have a former challenger holding down the fort for me right now. Things'll be fine if they're the one on the Champion's seat for a while," and she sipped her drink with an air of relaxed confidence.

Cheren sighed and bumped his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his one free hand. "I see. Well, all of us feel the same as you do, Miss Champion. That's why there's no point of cowering away from what's really going on here. We have to stand up and fight Team Plasma with all we've got, just like we've done here." It seemed that Cheren hadn't abandoned his previous sentiments. "Results."

Cynthia smiled. "I agree completely. And please, just call me Cynthia."

"And speaking of which," I turned to N. "You still haven't really told us what you'd found inside of the factory."

N stopped typing, and Cheren glanced at him gravely.

N sighed. "It's no good. I've been trying to recover the data for days now, but with my current level of equipment I'm not going to be having any luck here. I'd managed to hack into the depths of the Mother Computer before it recognized my presence. But, when it had, I was harshly booted out of the system, and all of the data I'd been trying to extract from it hadn't downloaded successfully, and in addition to that, most of the important documents have all been corrupted by a kind of bug. They'd really fortified their defenses around this information. They really didn't want just anyone to come in there looking at it…"

"Does this mean that we're at another dead end?" I asked weakly.

N was silent for a time. "If only it were that simple."

His words, though steady, were dire. I raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We saw something in there," Cheren told us. "It appeared on the screen. It was like… some kind of schematic… or building plan."

"A building?" I frowned. "For… what?"

N turned his laptop around to show us an image on the screen. At first I could make no sense of it—it was all blurry pixels and static-blocks of color blotting out the image. I squinted through the digital corruption. I couldn't make out any fine details but the skeletal image was there. It looked like… a tower.

"In reality, I believe this building is meant to be quite tall, much taller than your average skyscraper, but I can't say for certain," N informed.

"And I'm guessing that we don't know what it is, what Team Plasma are building it for, or why," Cynthia said, swirling what was left of her drink around in her glass.

"Unfortunately, no" N lowered his head, the brim of his hat hiding his eyes. Alphonse frowned on his shoulder.

"So it really is a dead end then?" I asked, looking nervously between everyone's grim faces. "I mean… what exactly should we do now…?"

Both Cynthia and Cheren were silent.

N took a breath through his nose and looked right at me. "Zekrom and Reshiram."

I felt… a sudden coldness sink through me.

N shook his head. "I'm not sure what these towers are for, or when or where they are set to rise. What it all boils down to is that Team Plasma are planning something which is clearly going to boost their strength and already encompassing power. If they plan to ramp up, then we must do so as well."

"Reshiram and Zekrom…" Cynthia mused.

"Where are they now?" Cheren asked, leaning in closer. "Doesn't Team Plasma already have one of them?"

"I'm certain that they do not, at least not yet." N turned to me with deadly serious eyes. "You rejected Zekrom during our final battle, Touko. Do you remember?"

I could only stare at him. Yeah… I remembered all right.

"It was fascinating, because Zekrom did not refuse you, but it was the other way around. You rejected your calling as a hero, refused to accept its power and have it fight at your side. Because of this Zekrom fled from Team Plasma's castle before our fight could conclude… I can only assume it has returned to dormancy somewhere in wait of another hero, perhaps."

Was that what had happened? I could only remember it distantly now, like the flashes of some dream. But I did remember vividly declining Zekrom's power. I frowned, chewing my lip.

"And Reshiram?" Cheren asked, "I'm sure you fought together with it, right?"

"Yes," N answered curtly, "But after the battle, Reshiram left me. I'm not sure where both of the dragons have gone, although I do have a few good ideas which I believe are worth pursuing."

"Wait," Cheren put up his hand, "Reshiram left you? When? Where? I thought it saw you as a hero…"

"It had," N said. "After our battle, I had displayed Reshiram before the masses of Unova, and I told them to release their Pokémon. They saw that I was a king, a hero, and they knew that I could understand the true hearts of Pokémon. At least… that was what I claimed, and once they all saw Reshiram standing behind me… they had no choice but to believe it, and they listened to every word I said," N seemed to zone out for a moment, caught up in those faces of the past. He came back to himself before any of us could speak, "As the years went on, and more and more people released their Pokémon… I had no longer a need to convince them with the powers of a legendary god. Pokémon became sour in their eyes, and they soon grew to hate them all on their own. Ghetsis told me that I had no need for Reshiram anymore, for the hypocrisy that it could create. He told me that the powers of a god must be sealed away… that I had use for them no longer… so he took Reshiram away…" he frowned and clenched his fists.

"Doesn't that mean that Ghetsis would have it then?" Cheren asked, pressing his fingernail gently between his teeth. "If so, then it's really bad news for us."

N shook his head, "No, Ghetsis doesn't have Reshiram right now. And even if he did, I'm not sure he would be able to control its power on his own. He'd never told me what happened to Reshiram, and he would never answer me when I asked. I'd thought that he'd locked Reshiram away somewhere, either in a Pokéball or in the form of the Light Stone, and had hidden it somewhere where no one but himself could take it if need of using a god would ever arise again… but I eventually discovered that was not actually the case."

"I don't like the sound of that" I began hesitantly. What could be worse than Ghetsis having the dragon?

"I believe it was stolen," N said, steepling his fingers in thought.

"Stolen? What!?" I gasped. "This is the first I've heard of it. Why didn't you tell me about that?"

N didn't look at me but his brow remained slightly furrowed, "It didn't seem… important at the time." I waited for some kind of elaboration, but there was none.

I mean, sure things were kind of rough between us the years I'd spent locked up in Team Plasma's castle, and things got even more hectic during our escape, but the fact he hadn't mentioned this at all. I stared him down hard, stuck in my thoughts. He must have seen me looking at him, but didn't look back. It felt like there was more to this somehow, but at the time I just couldn't understand what.

Before I could ask anything else to him, Cheren spoke up.

"But who could have taken it?" Cheren pressed, "and how?"

N remained composed. "I am not sure. There was… so much going on at the time that I wasn't as heightened to Reshiram's presence as I should have been. Usually I could feel that it was near somewhere in the castle… a certain throbbing warmth in the air. I can't remember when it began to lessen, or when it disappeared. But there was one day I happened upon Ghetsis speaking to one of the sages. They had said that the Light Stone was gone…" he looked hard at the table. "It was in that moment that I truly felt that Reshiram's presence had completely disappeared, and the castle had felt colder than it ever had before."

"I can't believe it," Cheren sighed, a deep line of worry creasing his forehead. "I'm not sure if this is good news or bad. Who could have stolen it? And where did they take it? And why? They couldn't have been using it, or we would have heard something. Right?"

"I do not know the answers to any of those questions…" N closed his eyes. Alphonse frowned and nuzzled his cheek. "As I think about it a little bit more, it occurs to me that perhaps Reshiram was not stolen, but could have been moved to another place, or it is even possible it had found some way to escape on its own as Zekrom had." N frowned deeply, caught up in his thoughts and all the possibilities of this situation, "This is my fault. If only I had been more attuned to Reshiram, or had stood up to Ghetsis I… could have…" his eyes went to me, and in them I saw a kind of desperate vulnerability. I'm sure Cheren and Cynthia didn't see it at the time, caught up in their own thoughts as they were. But I sure saw it.

A moment later he lowered his eyes back to his laptop and didn't look at me again.

"So…" Cynthia broke the silence that followed. "Both Reshiram and Zekrom are wild cards now for both parts good and bad. On the bright side… at least Team Plasma doesn't even have one of them right now, but on the down side we don't know where they are… we don't even know where to begin to look," she frowned and pressed her cheek against the cool side of her glass.

"What about…" Cheren began, "Dragonspiral Tower?"

N sighed and looked up, "Yes. That is what I was thinking. And if they are not there, then at least we could pick up some clues to where they might be."

"But," I spoke up. "If that's where they are, wouldn't Team Plasma have gone over there already and taken the stones? I mean, it's kinda the most obvious place to look."

"You are correct," N said, "but I don't believe Team Plasma has been there yet. If you think about it, Team Plasma have been building a society where the mere mention of Pokémon is shunned upon and scorned. Even Team Plasma refrain using Pokémon in public anymore where they can," N looked at me with his slate gray eyes, "Of course some of the soldiers have used Pokémon on us before, but that is because in that case, conventional weapons may not always be enough."

"Right," I said, only faintly remembering the soldier I duked it out with on route one. Most of the other Plasma soldiers we'd fought with our Pokemon had been inside of buildings like the Dream Factories—and in towns like Driftveil where news never got out to the public, and I didn't think that people like Granite or Xiao Ling really cared about flaunting their Pokémon all out in the open. Even thinking back on it, didn't Team Plasma edit out Christophe using his Pokémon in the battle I'd had with him on the Black Ship on all official broadcasts? I nodded as the memory came back to me. "Got it. Their message is Pokémon are bad news in all cases."

"Makes sense," Cheren nodded, "Team Plasma don't want the regular folk calling them hypocrites if they're seen relying on Pokémon too much. And toting around a legendary dragon would really be overkill."

"Right. And I don't think that is the only reason either," N sighed through his nose. "The reason why Ghetsis needed me in the first place… was because he can't understand the voices of Pokémon like I can. He couldn't control Reshiram or Zekrom without me, because they did not recognize him as a hero. They did not see him as worthy of being blessed by their powers. The power of the legendary dragons is nothing to take lightly. If Zekrom or Reshiram do not see you as worthy or trust in your heart, they could rend this entire nation into thunder and ash… Only a true hero can wield their power without laying waste to the whole world."

"Scary!" Alphonse grabbed his ears and folded them around his head.

I swallowed hard.

"I get it," Cynthia leant back in her chair. "Team Plasma thought it would be better to just leave sleeping beasts where they lie and leave it at that, right? No point stirring up a Beedrill's nest if you don't need to, right?

"Correct," N nodded.

"But now…?" I tapped my finger nervously against my lip.

"But now it's different." N looked at us all. "Touko and I have been turning this nation on its head after our escape from the castle. Striaton, Accumula, the destruction of the Dream Factory and the Black Ship, and now this. These aren't just kinks in the armor, these are serious blows to their strength. Even if they don't show it, and are doing everything to smother word of our actions and presence, they can't keep it silent forever."

"They're starting to worry." Cheren finished.

N nodded, "Precisely. Change is coming. As every day we grow stronger, and our presence grows bigger, Team Plasma realize that they just can't leave us to do as we please anymore. I'm sure that they are planning to attack us again, and for that, they'll need to fight fire with fire. They'll need to gain powerful Pokémon of their own, and the best for that job would be Zekrom and Reshiram."

"So you think they are moving to obtain them?" Cynthia asked.

"But it's not easy as all that, is it?" I interjected. "I mean, it's not as simple as just waking them up and using them. You said that Zekrom and Reshiram will only fight beside people they see as worthy… a hero…"

N looked down at his hands. "Yes. That is how it should be."

A spark of panic went through me. "But you don't think that Ghetsis has… that Christophe…"

"Even gods can be captured…" N murmured, clenching his fists.

"Well, it's no good sitting around here talking about it," Cheren said. "We know what we have to do now. We've got to get to Dragonspiral Tower before Team Plasma does and get to Zekrom and Reshiram."

"Wait," I put up my hands. "How are we sure that Team Plasma hasn't already gone there and turned the place out? I mean, I know you just said they would rather let sleeping beasts lie where they lie and everything. But they still could have taken Reshiram or Zekrom if it was in the form of the Light Stone or Dark Stone and just, you know, not wake them up…" I didn't think we really had any guarantee they hadn't already done so.

"Well, that's because…" Cheren frowned, "We encountered one of the sages inside of the Mining HQ."

I felt my breath catch in my throat, "You—what?!" I wheeled toward N, "How come you didn't tell me? Are you alright!?" and I meant more emotionally than physically.

Only a little unease crossed N's face. "Yes. Please, don't worry. It didn't… It doesn't matter."

Cheren's eyes lingered on N for a few moments before he turned to me and spoke, "The sage, Zinzolin I think, wanted to confront and talk to N. He asked him if he would rejoin Team Plasma with Ghetsis."

My eyes drifted from Cheren to N, "I hope you told him where to stick it."

"I think we were set up," Cheren went on. "Though I hate to admit it, our rebellion went off a little too well, especially after the skirmish the both of you had with that Plasma soldier in town. There's no way Team Plasma didn't have any inkling of what was about to happen."

Cynthia's eyes hovered between us interestedly as she sipped her drink slowly.

"So, what," I waved my hand, "Team Plasma played us as much as we played them? They let us go through with our plan because they wanted to talk to N and try to get him back? But what about the schematics for that…" I looked at the back of N's laptop, "…that thing…"

"I believe they allowed us to see this because it makes no difference one way or the other if we saw it or not. I also believe, after I declined his offer, Zinzolin greatly assumed we would perish within the depths of that burning building," N said lowly.

Cheren sighed exhaustedly at the memory of his narrow escape, "You run a lot faster than I thought you could."

"But," N looked up, his expression more nonchalant, "back to the point. Specifically Zinzolin said he had need of my power. My ability to be able to understand Pokémon. I believe they would not have need of that skill unless they were intending to speak to an incredibly powerful Pokémon."

Cynthia smirked, "And the Legendary Dragons are about as powerful as it gets," she raised her glass to the sky, "his loss though if you turned him down. They won't be able to get their hands on Reshiram or Zekrom easily without you around."

"Yes," N nodded, "that is what I am hoping." He looked back at me, "That is why I think Team Plasma have not been to Dragonspiral Tower before now. But after the scene in the HQ, Zinzolin must be returning to the castle to tell Ghetsis that I am a lost cause. And when Ghetsis learns of this, I believe with or without me, they will intend to find and… procure Zekrom and Reshiram at any cost. They can no longer afford to leave those sleeping gods where they are."

I did not like the sound of that at all.

"Well, they're going to have to go through us to get them then, if they want them so bad," Cheren bumped his glasses up his nose. "I don't intend to make it easy for them at all."

I looked up and him and blinked. "Whoa, hold on! Does that mean… you're coming with us, Cheren!?"

He huffed. "Why wouldn't I? Whether it was part of Team Plasma's master plan or not, Driftveil is liberated and the people are free. That's all that matters to me in the end. So now, finally, I guess my work here is done," a small, tired—but contented—smile made its way onto his face. "So, with no other pressing matter to attend to, I guess I'll tag along with you guys from now on."

I smiled hugely and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Awesome!"

"Ouch-ouch-ouch! H-hey! Weren't you the one who told me to take it easy just a second ago!" he struggled. "Stop manhandling me!"

"Your wounds are healed?" N asked, his tone coming off kind of mechanical and flat. "You are well enough to travel with us?"

Cheren smirked, gently pushing out of my arms. "Don't write me off so easily. I'm fine!"

"He says he's fine," I showed N a smirk.

"Do I hear sarcasm?" Cheren grumbled as I rested my elbows on his head—he didn't look too thrilled about that.

"Mind if I help out as well?" Cynthia asked, swallowing what was left of her drink. We all blinked at her and she frowned. "What? You said that we should start fighting fire with fire right? You guys could use my help on this one."

N, Cheren and I shared a look. "Sounds like… a really good idea." I shrugged.

"Count me in then," Cynthia said with a smile, raising her glass in cheers.

"Then…" I looked around. "What do you guys know about Iccirus City? I mean, I know it's under Team Plasma's control and everything but in detail…?"

Cynthia shrugged. "Don't look at me. I'm a clueless tourist here." She took a sip of her empty glass.

Cheren shook his head. "I haven't looked into it too much. N?"

N folded his hands. "I don't know much more, but if I were to assume, I would think that the town would also be surrounded by some kind of barrier."

"Like the walls on Route One… what for…? Oh, is it because of the Marshes?" I asked.

"Yes. Iccirus City is surrounded by forests and marshes and they have been a rich habitat for a diverse ecosystem of Pokémon in the past. No doubt that Team Plasma would have blocked the town off from those places, and perhaps a Dream Factory has been built there as well to stave off any curious Pokémon as well… but I can't say for certain."

"Then…" I began. "No point in wasting time guessing. Let's go find out for ourselves."

We all shared determined looks with each other and nodded.

The next day the sky was still gray. N, Cheren, Alphonse, Cynthia and I were standing on the edge of the city. The mountains rose behind us. We'd been seen off by quite a crowd that day. I was hardly expecting the turnout, despite how busy most, if not all of these people had to be. But they were here… all of them. I had to resist the urge to tear up.

Simon smiled at me as he handed me a backpack. "I've made you all a few sandwiches for the road. It was pleasant having you around, Touko. Thank you for all the help."

"We'll miss you, Sandwich Lady!"

"Come back soon, ya hear!?"

"It won't be the same without you!"

A lot of the random villagers called out to me and I remembered a lot of their faces from the bar when I was serving them Simon's sandwiches.

"Thank you…" My bottom lip quivered, but I managed a smile. "Thank you… so much."

"Hey now," Charles came over and placed a huge hand on my shoulder. "Dry those tears. Face the world with your head held high, Touko. You've got a lot to be proud of." I was shocked by his kind smile, and the words he spoke. He looked up to N, Cheren and Cynthia. "You all got loads to be proud of! I sure ain't alone in sayin this but, we're forever in your debt. All of ya."

Cheren cracked a smile. "Don't get all emotional now, Charles. That's not like you at all."

The Heartbreaker brought up his arm to dry his tears. "You're right."

N nodded, "We must go."

Simon looked a little sad. "Yes. We understand. Please… be careful… and do whatever you can for this world. And if things ever get a little hard, remember that you always have this place to call home."

"Yeah! Show Team Plasma who's boss!"

"Bring the Pokémon back, will ya!?"

"Kick their butts, Sandwich Lady!"

"We will," I said, calling out Rhoden. N and I boarded as Cheren rode with Cynthia on her Togekiss. "We will." We had to.

Everyone waved goodbye as we rose up higher… and higher… and higher away. The houses of Driftveil became indefinable blocks and the people turned into specks. It all soon disappeared from sight. Up above us the gray clouds began to break away… and we flew into the rays of the sun that shone through.