Melissa, Melissa, Melissa...

My bigger body shook in the girl's grip. How could I coincidentally see her a third time?

"Hello Riptide." the girl's mouth broke into a huge grin. "I see you couldn't stay away."

I gasped and tried to escape, the girl squeezed tighter.

"Calm down." Melissa whispered. "I won't let Dad kill you, I'll hide you somewhere."

"THE BANDITS!" I yelled. "THEY'RE ATTACKING MY FRIENDS!"

"Quit squirming! I'm trying to help you!" Melissa snapped. "You hurt your leg!"

My eyes lowered to my throbbing leg. I sighed and stopped squirming.

"Better." Melissa said. "I'll make a poultice for your leg, than you can go. OK?"

I nodded.

Melissa lifted me up and placed me in some bushes. I licked my leg and winced.

I saw the bushes away from me shake.

"GET!" I growled. "I can still fight!"

"No need."

I froze as a small pink mouse-like Pokémon flew across the trees to my side.

"MARY ME-"

"Shh." Mary Mew whispered. "You have several ways to take the same path, destruction comes either way."

"What?!" I gasped. "What did I do?!"

"Something inevitable." Suddenly, I heard a cackle of lightning and the squeals of Pokémon. Did I doom Willow Creek?

I knew I couldn't stay for Melissa. Despite my injury, I leaped out of the bushes and felt the rain heal it.

I had to protect my friends.

I leaped over the muddy puddles and ran down a hill.

I tripped.

I squeaked as I became one with the mudslide, the mud melding into my fur. Mud covered my mouth and rocks scraped my gills. I desperately tried to separate from the mudslide, but it pulled me back.

I finally escaped, and sprinted through the forest again.

"RIPTIDE!" a voice cried.

"HELLO?!" I cried back.

"YOU DOOMED WILLOW CREEK." a separate dark voice growled.

"No I didn't!" I cried back.

"YOU DOOMED THE WORLD." the dark voice growled even deeper.

"Riptide!" I felt Felis's paws prod my belly before the world turned black.

"Riptide?"

I lifted my head and turned to see a poultice on my leg. The voice belong to Mud Tail, who was sitting beside my sister.

"We became mates while you were gone." Mud Tail gave me a wink.

"Gross." I muttered. "Why him, Pixie?"

"Don't be like that." Pixie wrapped her ribbons around Mud Tail's body. "It's not like we have children or anything."

"Yet." Mud Tail licked my sister's cheek. I shuddered.

I looked to my left, noticing another patient in Mud Tail's den

My mother, Blaze.

"Scum." I growled at her. I quickly regretted it, just now noticing the slashes and fang marks on her body.

"She can't hear you." Mud Tail growled. "She's dying. We found her on the territory of the Willow Creek Bandits."

"What happened in the battle?" I asked.

"We won but we lost." Mud Tail growled. "We lost so many that if they choose to strike again, we won't have a fighting chance."

"Who did we lose that I know?" I asked Pixie.

Pixie looked away.

"Who'd we lose?!" I asked louder.

"Thunder, Mira, Maudie, Kludd, Martha, Smoky, Bone, Acorn, Elk, Fox, and Camelia's children."

I winced. My brother was dead? Martha died?! Even Camelia's and Lumber's young dead as soon as they were born?!

"NO!" I cried. "THIS IS MY FAULT! I WASN'T THERE!"

Pixie sniffled, Mud Tail walked over to Blaze and put his left paw over her heart.

"And this is the last of the casualties." Mud Tail sighed in defeat. "Blaze has just died."

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS!" I got up and ran away. I screamed at the rain and cursed Mary Mew.

Felis and Dew were watching.

"It's not your fault." Felis walked and twined her tail with mine.

"DON'T ACT ALL AFFECTIONATE JUST SO I CAN GET INTO YOU!" I growled. My eyes widened at my remark.

I didn't want to see her cry, I ran past her and screamed at the clouds of Monmaura.

I ran to the overflowing river that bordered Willow Creek and the Bandit territory.

I collapsed and rested my head on the muddy ground.

"I was only trying to be nice to you, Riptide."

"Sorry, Felis." I sighed. "I didn't mean to say that to you."

"You heard of the deaths that the Bandits caused?" I nodded. "I can see why you're upset. They killed my mother too."

"You sure you don't blame me over it?" I asked.

"I didn't even know where you were." Felis replied. "Now I know, and I still don't blame you."

An awkward silence followed as Felis began licking the gunk off my fur. I rolled over onto my back and Felis licked my belly.

"If it's any consolation." Felis meowed awkwardly. "We can do that if you want."

"Really?" I got up. "Even after what I said?"

"I do love you." Felis confessed. "Even as babies. Dew teased me over it all the time."

"Thunder and Pixie did too." I chuckled. "I wasn't sure if I wanted pups though, I already screw up all the time."

"I need this, and so do you." Felis insisted.

"Please stay, I just need a moment of silence till I have my answer." I muttered.

"Of course." Felis replied.

I laid down, giving myself more time to take in the deaths and now Felis's confession. I wanted to just start out as more than friends with her, but now she's asking for us to mate! I felt obligated to since so many of us died and we have to repopulate Willow Creek.

The deaths felt overwhelming more than anything. In an instant, almost all my loved ones were gone.

But life moves on. I have to do this for Willow Creek.

"Let's do this." I replied to Felis, getting up.