Incandescence - Prologue
The waves are rolling just like I remember.
The ocean, it's still blue, as is the sky. There are deep gray clouds gathering in the distance. I smile.
There is still white sand on the beach. My smile is fading. What is this? There is gray mixed roughly in with the soft grains of sand. I feel my feet sinking into the mixture and it difficult to walk and run. I run my front paw over the top of the beach and smell it. It smells of fire. It is ash.
It is our ash. The ashes of Ailis and the Phoenix Town Lifeguard Rescue Team. Of my trainer and my teammates. And almost of me. Part of me is glad that their ashes are here, on our beach, and not in some vase in a funeral home or maybe even Ailis' parents' house. It is selfish, but it is the truth. It is almost like I can feel them in between my toes and in my soul. In my heart.
There is naught left, and yet I am content.
The waves roll up and lick at my paws. My eyes travel over the shoreline, and as they do, I become aware of something. My buoys are still there. The little red and white ones that coast along with the gushing of the waves. They are still weighed down by the cinderblocks. I am happy.
There are steps behind me. A tall, lean Houndoom walks up next to me and nuzzles my face. Despite whom he is, and what he has done, I do not hate him. I love him.
He reminds me I should be resting. I argue back that I have been away for awhile and that I'm not doing anything extreme. I am only watching. He will not give up. I give in and we walk back to Jillian who has been watching me, I think, watching me reminisce. She has tears in her eyes. I smile. I stop and place a hand over my stomach. I feel a kick. The dark fire dog has come up beside me. He smiles. Jillian smiles.
We are back in the hotel. I am finished recording my story. I am to read it and retell my story to the people and pokemon around me. I hope I don't choke up while I'm telling it.
Don't worry, I tell my friends who around me.
My story has a happy ending.