After nearly a year of absence due to a hacker attacking my FanFiction account, I've decided to make my comeback. If you're reading this, I hope that it's still a good story to read since you've clicked on it! It's one of those 'feel good' stories out there, so you'll be in for a smile.

This story is now overhauled thanks to japaneserockergirl.

November 24

Route 213: two weeks after the events on Stark Mountain

The gentle ocean breezes soothed her mind. It was a very early dawn where the sun hadn't raised on the empty beaches of Route 213. And yet there was a teenage girl sitting down on the sand. She had come here because she had to think. She had to think of what she was going to do next, but she had come up with no decision at all.

She was a member of the destructive Team Galactic, but ever since the events of two weeks ago she had nowhere else to go.

A hairstyle coloured red where it stuck out at the front and covered at least one of her eyes. Maybe she should get a new hairstyle.

She had a name; Mars. A name she was born with ever since she was a young child. But she could never recall how she got that name nor could she remember who gave it to her.

She had a title; Commander Mars. No, Mars thought. That's ex-Commander. Ever since Dawn Platinum and Lucas Diamond had smashed Team Galactic's last plans two weeks ago, she had been on the run. Mars knew that on the events on Spear Pillar, Cyrus had disappeared into the Distortion World. After Stark Mountain, she tried to find the Distortion World on her own. But she failed in the end.

It was their entire fault. Every time Team Galactic tried to pull off one of their operations Dawn Platinum and Lucas Diamond would arrive to crush their plans.

WHY DIDN'T I STOP THEM AT JUBILIFE CITY IN THE FIRST PLACE?! She thought angrily to herself, because she had underestimated them, because they were capable of handling a greater power at an unimaginable scale.

Mars had narrowly escaped arrest from the International Police at Stark Mountain. She found out that later the other Galactic Commander Jupiter had been arrested a week later.

Saturn, however, managed to get his criminal record cleared by supporting the Galactic Energy Limited Company in Veilstone City. With no one else from Team Galactic on the run, it meant that she had moved up one spot on the International Police's Wanted List: Number Two.

She thought back to the time of her final defeat at Stark Mountain when she and Jupiter had been defeated by Dawn and Lucas. Mars had told them that she would go back to being an 'ordinary' girl. What was that supposed to mean?

She had her Pokémon, but what were they good for? She had hands. But these were hands which through her she had harmed others with.

Mars wrapped her arms around her legs and tried to stay warm. But on the inside she was cold, how could she keep warm while she wrestled with her guilt?

Indeed, she had too much to think of the crimes she had done previously. Why did she exist? What was her purpose in life? Mars didn't have one, she might as well disappear.

Bottom line was: Mars was more or less broken. She put head in her knees and cried.

Route 214: near the Valor Lakefront

Now elsewhere the Pokémon Ranger Kellyn was walking through the cleanly cut grass of Route 214. Accompanying him was his Partner Pokémon Pachirisu and with special permission from the Ranger Union, he was allowed to legally take two more Pokémon as his partners; Grotle and Kirlia.

He had come here on short-term mission; find and apprehend a suspect on the International Police's Wanted List. The suspect went by the name of Mars, and if she was on such a high ranked number on the list, her punishments must be really harsh. Whatever, Kellyn thought. She deserved it.

He walked past the Lakefront Hotel and turned right onto the beaches of Route 213 and the sun began to break through the skies of the Sinnoh Region.

Kellyn shielded his eyes from the sunlight, which was now shining brilliantly on the waters of Route 213. It certainly did warm up the air in the cold, but it did no good to his vision. He lifted a hand near his eyes and continued to walk.

There wasn't another route to Veilstone City to take except through the beachhead. Kellyn sighed and walked past the waters of Sinnoh. Still, he had to keep up the mission. Pachirisu, Grotle, and Kirlia tailed behind him.

On the way, Kellyn couldn't help but hear a very, very, deep "Sigh…" Alarmed, he turned to see where the sigh came from.

Sitting near the shores was a girl his age with a unique red hairstyle and dressed in a –

Team Galactic uniform? Kellyn thought. Without having to think he knew that this unmistakably had to be Mars; the second ranked suspect on the International Police's Most Wanted List. The first thing Kellyn would have done would be to immediately turn her in to the police immediately, but when he really thought about it he wondered what Mars was doing all the way out here in the open. In the mission file it said that Mars was always on the run, Kellyn found it very peculiar.

I don't understand why's she's here...

If anything, Kellyn would have surprised her from behind and arrest her. After all, it was part of his patrol to take her in. But as he got closer he could notice that she was crying.

Thinking better, he walked over to Mars to investigate.

Mars still kept her head down and listened to the gentle sound of waves crashing against the shores. Apart from the waves the only thing in her mind now was… regret. How she wished she never joined Team Galactic in the first place, then she could be someone else.

She looked up and saw the sunshine across a beautiful ocean. Mars, for what felt like the first time, could actually see its natural beauty. She gave herself a fraction of a smile and bowed her head again. Who was she kidding? She was nothing.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Especially in the morning," said a voice next to her.

Mars jumped and looked right beside her, it was the Pokémon Ranger Kellyn. "Ranger!" she shouted. "What are you doing here?!"

"Do you intend to fight?" Kellyn approached calmly.

"If you're going to turn me in, yes!"

Mars threw her Poké Ball with her Purugly in it to face Kellyn and his Pokémon. But from what Kellyn could tell, Mars' Purugly looked in bad shape.

Kellyn could see in Mars' eyes that she didn't have the hype to fight either. Rather, they looked weary. "Your Purugly isn't looking well, Mars. If you're going to really fight me, do you mean it?" he asked.

Mars opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She sat down again to face the ocean. "No I suppose not."

Kellyn kneeled right next to Purugly. "She's seriously on the verge of collapsing, Mars. If you don't get her to a Pokémon Centre now... I don't want to think about it. She can't even fight in this condition."

"Well… I don't really know," Mars shrugged. "I'll be out in public and that's the last thing I want to do, so I can't help Purugly now. There isn't much I can do now either. If I even think about going back to Team Galactic now, they'll think of me as a deserter. In fact, I don't think I ever regarded them as friends. Like they would even care about my Purugly!"

"But you know, your Purugly is still is in bad shape nonetheless. If it were me, I would bring her to a Pokémon Centre anyway. If you're not going to bring her in to a Pokémon, maybe I can," Kellyn offered.

Mars took some time to think of something, but Kellyn was patient. "Fine. Just... don't... tell anyone," she said finally. "I've got nothing left here."

"What about your other Pokémon? Aren't they your friends too?" Kellyn said without looking at her, as he began to motion for Purugly to follow him.

"What? They're nothing. They're just… tools. Tools to get the job done."

"Don't be ridiculous Mars," Kellyn shook his head and slightly smiled. He even stopped his walking to look at her. "Can I see your Poké Balls?"

"And how do I know you're not going to keep them for yourself?" Mars weakly stared.

"You don't," Kellyn humorlessly answered.

Mars paused and took out her remaining Poké Balls and tossed them to Kellyn. He then threw them out and out came Mars' Purugly, Bronzor, and Kangaskan. They, like Mars, looked tired.

"Why don't the three of you take a break in the water?" Kellyn suggested.

The three Pokémon smiled and ran into the water. Mars saw them happily splashing each other and she could see that they were having a very good time with each other. They weren't battling, they were just… free.

"You know, Mars, Professor Rowan once said; Pokémon aren't just tools, they're friends!"

Kellyn was considerate of Mars' request. "Fine. I'll give you a friend for a start indeed."

He spotted a Marill near the shoreline, armed his Vatonage Styler, and shouted. "Capture On!" and fired.

The Capture Disc soared gracefully towards the Marill. Kellyn, using fine control with two fingers, captured the Marill within ten seconds. The little Pokémon leaped happily into Kellyn's arms. Kellyn showed Mars the Pokémon and held out a Poké Ball.

"Hey, Marill, how would you like to join Mars' team? Trust me, she's friendly," Kellyn said.

Mars stared at Kellyn. How could you say that, Kellyn?! I'm wanted Number Two! No one, not even Pokémon, could respect me!

But Mars was sadly mistaken; Marill happily jumped into the Poké Ball. To Mars' surprise; the Ball only wiggled once before the capture was complete. Kellyn smiled and presented the Poké Ball to Mars.

"You've got to treat your Pokémon well with kindness, Mars," Kellyn said. "While Marill is still young, treat her the right way in spite of what you've done."

He sent out the Marill. "Why don't you give her a hug? It's not very dangerous."

Mars' hands shook nervously. Kellyn placed the round Pokémon into her arms.

It was a very strange sensation for Mars. The Pokémon felt squishy not to mention a water type Pokémon, and yet it was warm. Mars looked at the Marill. The Pokémon seemed to enjoy Mars' company very much and rubbed itself into her shoulder. Mars closed her eyes tightly and cried while hugging the balloon Pokémon very tightly.

Kellyn had more than enough experience to identify criminals, their personalities, and how they should be treated when brought to justice. He had known a few criminals who were regretful and remorseful for what they did, and those who could fake it. What he should be doing is notifying the International Police and fulfill his duty as a Pokémon Ranger to bring Mars to justice. But looking at her right now, he couldn't. She was a very different matter, and some part of Kellyn could understand that.

Kellyn didn't have the nerve to arrest Mars now. Not when she looked so fragile... so weak... and so scared. If he tried to take her in now, what good would that do to himself and her? As much as Mars did with her criminal life, he couldn't take her in now, now that Mars looked so defeated and scared.

His duty as a Pokémon Ranger was at stake here, but he also had a major sense of morality, and empathy in particular, at stake as well. What reward would he get if he turned in a remorseful criminal whose life was in shattered pieces? Simply, he would be crushing her life into bits if he did.

Perhaps Mars had spent too much time with Team Galactic to know what it meant to be normal, but that left her with a critical question.

"Kellyn…? Can you help me with something?" she asked in tears and in a timid manner.

Maybe duty as a Pokémon Ranger could wait for now. But if Mars tried anything... Kellyn would arrest her then and there.

He paused at the question, but slowly said, "Sure. What is it?"

"How can I be 'ordinary'?"

The ocean breezes echoed near the shores as Mars asked Kellyn with pleading eyes.