It had been a year. A year since he had gone around petrifying Pokemon all over the world, deceiving folks left and right and living only for selfish gain. But he still remembered it so well, despite how badly he wanted to erase it all from his mind.

Now that the whole ordeal was being brought up again, with the town planning some big party to celebrate the world being saved, it was as if a new weight was dropped on him and he had to carry it around along with all the other weight he already had.

On this particular day, whenever he walked around the village, he would see someone and would have flashbacks to the day when… he came with Yveltal and petrified them all. Even though he was being controlled by another at the time, it was hard not to feel responsible when he was the one physically doing those things. And if he had made one single decision differently… perhaps none of that would've happened…

~.~.~

"Why in the world would I wanna do that? Turnin' folks into stone and causin' a bunch of mayhem? That's madness! I ain't a criminal!"

"You'll gain power and become unstoppable. Aren't you tired of being betrayed? We've been there, and we learned the hard way that no one ever cares about anyone but themselves."

"I don't believe that at all. It was just a bad s-"

"You have nothing left, Nuzleaf. NOTHING. The process has already begun. So will you wise up and join us, or will you spend the rest of your life alone?"

He had nowhere else to go. No one to turn to. It was true that strange things were happening within him that he couldn't explain. Reluctantly, he nodded and followed…

~.~.~

He pounded on his head, trying to shake off the bitter memories. He hated thinking about this stuff. WHY was it weighing down so hard on him?

If only I said no…

It's all my fault… it's ALL my darn fault!

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"Here are your rewards! Thank you!"

Kangaskhan handed some items to the three Beheeyems.

"Thank you, ma'am."

They left the cafe and caught sight of their friend over by Kecleon's. They approached the leaf man and pulled him aside.

"Oh. Hey, fellas. Back from missions?"

"Yeah… something like that. Do you have a minute? We want to talk to you about something…"

"Somethin' bad?"

"No, not necessarily. It's just… here," the first one took him by the arm and led him into the school zone, since everyone there had gone home by that point. The others followed.

"Y'all are worryin' me…" Nuzleaf said nervously.

They all went and sat by the small pond. There was a long period of silence. The Beheeyems were nervously exchanging looks with each other.

"Nuzleaf…" one of them began, "we just wanted to tell you that… we're thinking about moving."

"...Y'all are fixin' to leave? Where to?"

"Most of our rescue calls have been from Pokemon Square on the Air Continent. And since it's a hassle to constantly be going back and forth, we figured it would be best to..."

"To relocate," the third one jumped in.

"But, nothing's for sure yet," the first one continued. "We wanted to see how you felt about it?"

Nuzleaf looked confused. "Well… fellas, I think that's great. Do whatcha gotta do. Why would ya need my permission?"

"We just… didn't want to leave you if that would make you feel… well... obviously it's no secret that the four of us aren't exactly everyone's favorites in this village. All of them except for maybe three or four have trust issues with us, and who could blame them? But at least we've been the outcasts together. We'd hate to leave you alone with that…"

"..."

He sighed, just staring at his reflection for a moment.

"It's… really not that big a deal. Them villagers bein' standoffish, it doesn't bother me much. I ain't gonna hold y'all back from doing your good work."

"Nuzleaf, we know you're lying. It does bother you…"

When he looked back up, he caught sight of an Azumarill in the distance, staring him down menacingly. A new villager, perhaps? He looked away and tried to ignore her glares.

"It's unfortunate, sure, but it don't bother me much," he finally responded. "Look, y'all go on and relocate. I'll be sure to visit ya every chance I get!" He forced a smile.

"OK… if you really mean that, then we'll go…"

The three Beheeyems gathered around to hug their friend.

"Thanks, Nuzleaf…" they said in unison.

The Beheeyems left the school zone, and Nuzleaf sat at the pond for a few more moments, mulling the whole thing over. He hated to part ways with them after all that time, but… what kind of a friend would he be to hold them back? It's not like they were around much anymore anyways...

After some time, the Azumarill who had been staring him down started approaching him. He got up to leave, but the blue rabbit went up and stopped right in front of him, preventing him from exiting the secluded place.

"Erm… hi there? Is there somethin' I can help ya with? I reckon I haven't seen you before…"

She looked angrily into his eyes. "Really? You don't remember me? Really?!"

He looked puzzled. "No, I don't reckon I do…"

"Or how about my daughter? My little five-year-old Azurill? Remember her?!"

He thought for a moment and then fell into a cringe.

Air continent. Baram Town. Parents and their kids playing at the park one moment. Quiet statues the next.

"L-look," he said as he snapped out of his trance. "I'm awful sorry about all that. Truly I am. I... wasn't fully in control of myself, and-"

"You turned my CHILD into STONE!"

She was furious. And he couldn't blame her. Though he wished she'd calm down and let him explain. She was getting a little scary.

"I'm sorry…" he was starting to tear up. "I never wanted to hurt your kiddo, or you. You gotta believe me. If there's anything I can do to make it up to y'all…"

Azumarill stepped closer and slapped him across the face.

"You stay away from my daughter!"

He didn't look back at her. He just fixed his gaze on the ground, with warm tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I don't know why these other villagers were so quick to take you in and trust you! You're disgusting! You and the other three! Disgusting, all of you!"

She turned away and stomped back into town, leaving him there stunned, crying and weighed down in guilt.

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"Mawile!" a voice sounded through the building. "Can you report to my office, please?"

The steel fairy put down her papers and shuffled through the mess of books on the floor to get out of the room.

"Yes, chief?"

She walked up to his desk.

"I have a mission for you."

"Can any of the others do it? I'm sort of busy in my studies today."

"I'm afraid the others have all left for other missions, so I'm really going to need you for this."

"OK. Shoot."

"I was contacted by Kecleon from Serene Village. The poor fellow was in a panic because he is nearly out of merchandise, and his delivery man had some sort of emergency and can't get there until next week. I want you to go visit him at Serene Village and see what items he needs, and then scavenge some dungeons for the said items."

She raised an eyebrow. "...Seriously? That's the big emergency mission?"

"I know it's not ideal, and I do apologize for the inconvenience. But it would really help me out. I've already been called for a different mission elsewhere."

"All right, Chief. I'll do it. But you owe me one."

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After spending about an hour clearing easy dungeons, Mawile arrived in Serene Village. She made her way to Kecleon's shop. He looked like he was having a serious breakdown.

She also noticed a familiar leaf head over there, trying to calm him down.

"L-listen Kecleon, I really don't mind goin' through some dungeons and getting some loot for ya. I can really help you…"

"Oh, it's no use! I'm ruined!"

The gecko was sweating profusely.

Mawile got to the counter and tried her hand at calming him down.

"Excuse me sir, I've just been sent from the Expedition Society to help you. I'm about to head out now, but I need to know what items you need."

He was still freaking out.

"It's no use! If just one person goes out, that'll take ages! The festival is today! My reputation is doomed!"

"Well… what if I go with her?" Nuzleaf asked. "We can both go. I mean, if you're OK with that, ma'am…?"

Nuzleaf looked at Mawile nervously.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, why not? We'll both go. How does that sound, Kecleon?"

He started to breathe a little easier.

"Well… I suppose if there are two of you… that should be fine…"

"Awesome! So what can we get for you?"

He handed her a list.

"Sweet. We'll be back in a couple hours at most."

They started to head out, when Mawile paused and turned back around.

"Hey… do you mind if we run to the cafe real quick? I want to grab some water before we take off."

"Not at all. I reckon now's the time to do that."

They went inside and Mawile got her glass of water. Nuzleaf's heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw a familiar face enter the building.

The hostile Azumarill went up to the counter and started filling out the signup sheet. The festival was happening later that day, but they were still welcoming last-minute volunteers.

Kangaskhan smiled at her. "Hello. You're interested in volunteering for the festival?"

"Yes, I would love to help out."

Azumarill smiled before turning her head and glaring at Nuzleaf, raising her voice so that he could hear her. "Considering that this party is for the heroes and villagers, and not for the scum of the earth."

"Hey! What's your problem, lady?!" Mawile shouted at her.

"Was I talking to you?!" she screamed back.

"Oh my…" Kangaskhan muttered. She quietly made a note by Azumarill's name: Has quite the temper… be aware.

"Look. Just don't worry 'bout it, OK?" Nuzleaf said. "Let's just get outta here."

He and Mawile exited the cafe and headed out to their first dungeon.

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The two had been scavenging the Poliwrath River dungeon for about a half hour, filling their large bags with various items. They were making good time and expected to be finished sooner than planned.

They had been making friendly small talk the whole while, and nothing really felt awkward, much to Nuzleaf's surprise.

"Well, it looks like we just need a couple more apples, and then we'll be good," Mawile said.

"This really wasn't all that bad," he said cheerfully.

"Were you expecting it to be bad?"

"Well, no… it's just…"

She turned her head to him. "Yes?"

"I reckon it's jus'... surprisin', is all. I thought y'all hated me after… everything…"

"Well I can't speak for the others, but me? I don't hate you. I mean, hey, if I was being controlled and forced to do terrible things, I would hate it if people treated me like a criminal afterwards. So why would I treat someone else like that?"

That certainly came as a shock. Did all of the Expedition Society feel that way? Or was it just her?

"...Well, I do mighty appreciate you sayin' that. It's refreshing, honestly…"

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The festival was up and ready to go. Kangaskhan had just made the announcement and gave honorable mentions to Harley and Todd. Various stands with food and games were set up around the square, and Todd was entertaining everyone with his stories.

Nuzleaf and Mawile came rushing back and dropped off their large bags of items to Kecleon.

"Oh my! I'm saved! Thank you so, so much! You're beautiful people, both of you!"

"It was no problem…"

They were both catching their breath.

"I hope you both enjoy the festival!" he said cheerfully.

They left the shop and walked towards the village's exit, as to not be standing in the way of anything.

"I actually think I'll stick around a little bit for this," Mawile said. "I mean, why not, right?"

"You're certainly welcome to."

"You'll be coming too, right?"

"Eh… I don't think so. I reckon I'll just head home and catch some Z's."

"Oh, come on. You're not avoiding it because you feel guilty, are you?"

He kept looking at the ground.

"You shouldn't feel bad," she continued. "There are no hard feelings. Forget what that nasty Azumarill said. This gig is all about celebrating our world being saved. And that includes you being saved."

He let out a sigh of surrender.

"All right, I reckon I can stay for a lil' bit at least…"

Mawile gave him a friendly smile. "Good. Come on, let's go check it out."

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Nuzleaf had just been browsing around at the festival, not interested in doing anything or talking to anyone. Mawile had gotten sidetracked by some young kids who are big Expedition Society fans, so he was alone until he finally bumped into Harley.

"Oh, hi Nuzleaf," she greeted.

"Hello to you," he replied with a smile. "Are ya havin' fun?"

"Yeah, it's been good. Todd and I have just been telling stories about our different adventures. And by that, of course I mean Todd's been telling the stories and acting everything out, while I keep my distance for safety reasons…"

"Hehe… that's understandable, I reckon."

"So are you one of the volunteers for this?"

"Not this time. I wanted to help 'em out, but I had a lot of work out in ol' Carracosta's fields this week."

"Gotcha. Well that's OK! Maybe we can-"

She was interrupted by her partner running up and dragging her away by force.

"Come on, Harley! We've gotta tell them about the time we fought the Regis!"

"O-okay…"

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After Harley was taken away from his presence, Nuzleaf snuck away and went home. He tried, but he just couldn't stand being at an event like that after… everything.

It's my fault… it's my fault…

I don't even deserve to be here...

And it certainly didn't help when Azumarill had caught sight of him from a distance shortly later, and would not stop giving him the death glare if her life depended on it. It seemed like she wouldn't even blink. That lady was scary.

Her daughter was standing next to her. He couldn't bear to even look at her. It was too much.

He just gazed out the window for about an hour. That's all he ever did whenever he was lost in thought. The sun was starting to set.

After a long while, his thoughts were interrupted.

"Oh, there you are."

The leaf man turned away from the window to find Harley slowly stepping into the house.

"I was wondering where you went. Are you feeling OK?

"Yeah, I'm fine, kiddo. I'm jus' not much of a party kinda guy."

"I understand. I just hope you didn't leave because you… felt bad or anything, about… well, you know…"

"Just forget about it, OK? Don't worry 'bout me."

He looked down for a moment before turning back to the window.

Harley sighed, feeling shut out yet again. She took a moment to quietly work up the courage to ask the next question.

"Nuzleaf… why don't you ever talk to me?"

"Pardon?"

She was silent for a few seconds as he turned back around to face her.

"I wish you would talk to me. I mean, after everything we've been through, I just feel like…"

"Hey. I said drop it. You've got ears, don'tcha? I ain't in the mood for chit-chat right now. You should go back to your party. It's all for you and your pal anyways…"

"I just want to help you!"

"For the LAST time, stop!"

She never heard him yell like this before. It threw her into speechlessness.

"I was doin' just fine and I didn't ask ya to come in and pester me! Ya just couldn't let me have my peace and quiet, 'cause you're a pest!"

Harley started crying. "I… I don't know what I did…"

She turned back and started running out of the house.

Nuzleaf let out a heavy sigh. "You didn't do nothin'..." he muttered under his breath.

"Harley!" he cried out after her.

She was too far away by that point. He started running after her from a distance, all the way up the large hill and to the big tree.

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Quiet sobs could be heard as he approached the edge of the cliff. He slowly and hesitantly walked up and took a seat next to the sad Chikorita.

"I'm sorry kiddo. I... didn't mean to bark at ya…"

She just kept looking out at the distance. The village party could be seen from up there. They started setting off fireworks.

"I reckon it's just been a rough week on me," he continued. "All the folks here bein' all jazzed about the anniversary of the world being saved… and knowin' I was one of the reasons for the crisis in the first place…"

She finally turned her head to him, still laying on the ground. "But it wasn't you, though. It was Dark Matter. It took control of you."

"Yes, but… it wasn't really that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… sure, what I became wasn't who I am, but… it was more of an influence over time, not just somethin' that took control of me all of a sudden. I still made the choice to follow it at the start. It's sorta hard to explain…"

She finally sat up. "Nuzleaf… who were you?"

"What's that now?"

"I've really wanted to know for a long time… you were one of only five Pokemon in the world who Dark Matter was able to get ahold of. So, how did it get to you?"

"It's a long story, kiddo… we'd be here all night."

"Well…" she looked back at the festival in the distance. "I'm not much of a party person either, so I'll be here all night anyways."

Nuzleaf took a deep breath and had sorrow in his eyes. After a lengthy moment of silence he finally spoke.

"All right… I'll tell ya."

A slight breeze flew by and rustled the trees. He turned around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. His backstory wasn't exactly something he enjoyed talking about.

"It all started back in my hometown on the Grass Continent… with me and my three best friends…"