The walk back to 000's apartment was supposed to be short and easy - all things considered - as Malie City was quite compact, in a charming, old fashioned sort of way. The agent was never especially fond of his hometown growing up, but he lived through a dirty, challenging youth. To him, the city was nothing but a cruel reminder of how fickle life could be.

After joining INTERPOL, 000 had been whisked away and thrown halfway across the world as part of his first assignment. The young man drank and celebrated his escape from his shoddy hometown, refusing to admit to anyone besides his partner that it was definitely a major culture shock when he left the Alola region for the first time. He had always felt out of place since his parents kicked him out as a kid and standing in a huge city, the likes of which could never exist in Alola for so many reasons, 000 again felt like a scared young child, completely unsure of his fate. It took all his willpower to struggle through the language barriers and culture gaps until he began to find his place in the world. And after a few months of running around Kalos, he almost felt homesick for Ula'ula in all its simplicity, but no one would ever know the truth.

In the ten plus years since he had first left Ula'ula, 000 truly had seen the world. His passport bore the stamps of every region and he had collected magnets from each of the towns and cities he was dragged through - his fridge now bore the souvenirs of his travels. He'd gotten a chance to experience sprawling countrysides, towering cities, and everything in between - including a city in the trees, which specifically caught his fancy for the impressive level of solitude it presented alone.

He had met many people that were eager to share their cultures, he tried so many bafflingly delicious dishes and had seen pokémon he never would have believed existed without seeing them with his own eyes. And his job was tough, serious work, don't be fooled otherwise. He went through hell and high waters daily to complete his missions, but his travels made him feel alive for the first time since his depressing youth. He had a purpose - he was not a waste of air, despite what his asshole of a father had said after throwing the young boy out onto the street one miserably stormy night - and as 000, he felt like he had a second chance at life.

But, when it was all said and done, 000 was quite old fashioned himself. After travelling from Kalos to Hoenn to Unova then from Sinnoh to Kanto to Johto, 000 had found himself wandering from town to town with an aching desire to return to his home.

It was just sheer luck that one of his senior agents tracked him down in Ecruteak City, where he was offered a chance to return to his home. He graciously accepted the offer as it was presented to him and 000 was immediately deployed to Ula'ula, where he was told to make himself comfortable and be INTERPOL's eyes in Alola.

So, there was something that could be said for returning to his old haunting ground, even with the dark memories of his youth lingering in the shadows and alleyways of the city. After travelling around nearly the entirety of the world, 000 was excited to return to his easy going island life, tucked away in this little corner of the world. After all, 000 was a simple man. He planned to live and die on Ula'ula - that is, if he had anything to say about it. He was happiest living like a boulder, immobile and stuck in one place where he could settle down and grow moss until his dying day.

Travelling around the world had certainly opened his eyes and 000 was thankful for what he had been through, but, at the end of the day, he found he wasn't meant for globetrotting and sightseeing. Whereas anyone would have killed to experience 000's young adult life with INTERPOL, 000 was happy to lay that life down and return to Malie City. He simply had no way of knowing that fate had dragged him to back to his hometown just in time to rescue and resuscitate a blue-haired Faller and be stuck with all the chaos that was slowly unfolding, of course.

And here he was, leading her through the city streets by the hand, as the girl kept getting distracted by the smells and sounds of the city. After going through hell in the hospital, he'd be damned if he'd lose the girl on a simple walk back to his flat.

After passing a number of restaurants, 000 eventually gave in to Lola's begging and she enthusiastically dragged him into a malasada shop to enjoy a bite to eat. 000 stepped back and watched as the girl babbled with a server, trying to decide what she wanted to order. He chuckled to himself, the girl was so animated as she spoke - she could probably go through twenty different emotions a minute. He had just slumped against a wall as she finally placed an order and she reclaimed his hand, forcing him to the register to pay for her food.

000 was used to demanding senior agents and being forced to do things against his will, but for some odd reason, he wasn't too off put by the way this girl treated him. In fact, he hated to admit it, he found her pushy sort of attitude kind of endearing. It was rather refreshing to be around someone who wasn't scared or made uncomfortable by the crimson-eyed agent, even if he felt a bit out of place at his own expense.

After collecting her food, Lola strolled over to a booth by a window, 000 forced his hands in his pockets and followed after her. Her eyes were comically large as she examined her pastry, turning it over again and again in her hands before taking the first bite and her eyes fluttered to a close as she bit into the haupia-filled center. 000 couldn't help but smirk at her as she returned from her sugar-based high, her pale face taking on a pink-tint as her eyes met his.

As if in defiance of his grin, she stuck her tongue out at the agent and took another large bite of the malasada. He looked the girl over as she munched on her treat, realizing that this was the first time she had been quiet by her own means, which was a damn good break for the agent.

But 000 felt a pull, a need to ask what was on her mind, but another part of the agent told him that evening was approaching and reminded 000 that he was in dire need of sleep. Elongating their time at the restaurant would only eat away at the precious hours of night. But, he had to admit that he was intrigued by her. Maybe a little conversation wouldn't hurt… He sighed and stared out the window as life continued as normal, his eyes staring past the hustle and bustle of the day as he swirled around the thoughts in his head, uncomfortably aware that the girl was watching him the whole while.

"Whatcha lookin' at me for?" He turned his head quickly, a knowing smirk on his face as he caught the girl staring at him. "Ain't nothin' to see here."

"Oh!" The girl choked down another bite. "I was just thinking about you - er, the other you - the one I'm engaged to." She tried to shrug it off casually, but he could easily see her features twisting up in discontentment. "I'm a little confused, that's all."

"C'mon, you can talk to me, girl," 000 stretched out in his seat placing his hands behind his head. "What's on your mind? I mean, what's really on your mind?"

Lola set her malasada down and exhaled deeply. "I can't remember much of what happened right before I woke up on the beach with you, but…" she trailed off and glanced out to the busy street. "I know you - er, he - had done something bad to me. He tried to kill me and I don't know why." She looked up to him, her eyes sparkling with the beginning of tears. "I don't know what went wrong. Everything had been going so well! We had moved in together, we were engaged, and we were happy - I'm sure of it! But…"

000 nodded silently, unsure how to comfort the girl.

"I'm worried now that everything was somehow an elaborate lie," she wrung her hands together, no longer able to keep her anxiety under control. "That he was using me from the start." She shivered involuntarily. "Arceus, I hope not."

000 shifted forward in his seat and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry yourself too much about it. You're here now and you're safe."

"That's not the problem, though!" Lola had raised her voice and everyone in the building silenced and turned to her. "That doesn't fix anything with me being here now! He still tried to kill me! It's still eating away at my mind!"

"Whatever happened happened," 000 lowered his voice as he responded, the patrons of the restaurant slowly started going on with their business as normal as their short lived free show ended. "Whatever I - him, you know who I mean - was gonna do to you, it clearly didn't work. Instead, you wound up here with me and I'm gonna look out for ya. You don't need to worry about him."

She shook her head violently, a tear threatening to run down her cheek in the process. "No, Nanu, you don't understand!" Her voice had taken on a sharp whisper. "I spent years with him, trusting my life to him and he turned on me! Do you understand? That's not something I can just forget!"

"I understand better than you know, girl," 000 nodded, still uncomfortable with her calling him by that name. "But, holding on to those worries and fears ain't gonna fix anything. I'm saying this from experience, alright?" He hesitantly reached across the table and took her hands in his. "Don't ruin the present because of the past. It ain't worth it."

Lola hiccupped and withdrew her hands to wipe at her teary eyes. 000 quickly placed a napkin in her palm and she thanked him quietly before dabbing at her face.

"I know this isn't where ya've come from and this is all probably strange and new to ya, but you can start yourself a new life. You can live free from the fear of him. You can catch some pokémon, get a job, start a family or -"

"My pokémon!" she cried out. "Rose! Oh no, I had forgot all about her! Where is she?"

"Where is who now?" 000 asked, confused.

"My cubone!" She hissed. "Where is she?!"

"You didn't have any pokéballs with ya when I found ya," 000 responded hesitantly.

Lola grabbed at the brim of her hat a look of total horror on her face. "Oh no, oh no, oh no… That means… she's still there…"

000 cursed under his breath, he didn't even think to ask her if she had any pokémon with everything else that was going on. "Don't worry about it, girl, we'll get her somehow, someway."

"Would you stop calling me that? My name is 'Lola,' not 'girl!'" Lola glared at him and took a vicious bite of the malasada without breaking eye contact. "And how can you promise me that? You don't know how to get me back to wherever I came from, so how on earth can you say we'll get Rose back?"

000 gestures with his hands to tone it down, "Listen, I don't know how we're gonna do it right now, but know this, Lola - when I make a promise, I fully intend to keep it."

Lola rubbed at her bloodshot eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

000 offered his hand to her. "I promise."

Lola took his hand and they shook, 000 realizing all too late that he had promised her the impossible… but he couldn't bring himself to let her down.

"Now, c'mon and eat up. I don't know 'bout you, but I'm bushed. Let's call this day 'done.'"

"Alright." Lola smiled weakly and took a small bite of her pastry. She didn't look fully convinced, but she was willing to trust him and that was good enough for the agent.

000 leaned back in his seat once more, quietly cursing at himself for already getting so personally invested in another Faller's life. He promised himself he wouldn't let this happen, yet here he was making the same damn mistakes he had done years prior.

But, 000 reasoned with himself, even if he got too close to the girl, all he had to do was simply ensure that what happened to his old partner could never possibly occur for Lola. He would have to put his feelings aside and turn her over to HQ. She wouldn't be all too happy being trapped in such a sterile, cold environment, but she'd be safe and healthy, which couldn't be said for his old partner, who died painfully in the line of duty.

It was simple - he only had a few hours left with the girl before 100kr would arrive in Alola and 000 would be forced to part with his emotions and the Faller for good. They'd have a nice, little heartfelt goodbye and both go their separate ways. He wouldn't stop her from leaving and he would be calm and under control of himself and certainly not start up any of his usual funny business to get her off the hook with a loophole or something.

Then, Lola wouldn't follow him into battle. She'd be locked up in a heavily monitored room where her death wasn't looming behind every corner. She'd live to a ripe old age and never have to risk being torn to shreds by a raging UB, which, after witnessing first hand, was a fate 000 couldn't wish on anyone, even his most hated foes.

000 glanced outside at the world passing by in a rush, already pissed at himself for thinking too much of the girl. She was so young and full of life. It was a terrible idea to imagine caging her and letting her soul burn away until she'd be nothing but a husk of her former self. But, 000 had no actual ties with this girl, he couldn't let himself get wrapped up in emotions around her just because she knew his true name and she was engaged to some jerky version of himself in another reality.

Lola wasn't his problem.

Sure, she'd probably despise a life of being monitored 24/7 on CCTV with minimal distractions and being quarantined in a windowless room deep inside a government facility, but he owed it to Lola and his late Faller that she'd be given an option to live. It didn't matter shit if you were able to live freely outdoors if your death was lingering maybe only days away. It would be better for her to live a bland, unexciting life just so she could keep living.

Or, that's what 000 had been taught to think.

His eyes were drawn back to the girl who was brushing the sugary dust off of her hands and face, blissfully unaware of the distressed look caught in the agent's eyes. He hated himself for already considering options for how he could cock this all up and create a third option of some sort, where the girl wasn't doomed to choose a free death or a caged life.

Did this young woman deserve a chance to live? Yes, most absolutely.

Did she deserve the miserable life he would be serving into her if he handed her back to HQ? No fucking way.

000 sighed wearily as he tried to push her out of his mind, yet the grinning blue-haired Faller was rooted already deep in his mind, refusing to leave.

Arceus above, he thought to himself, tomorrow can't come soon enough.