Chapter 37: A Tearful Goodbye

"No… it can't be…"

"She didn't say that… someone tell me she didn't say that…"

"This has to be some kind of bad dream. Firefly, she… she would never…" Despite what everyone wanted to believe, despite what everyone thought, Firefly had just spoken the words no one wanted to hear. No one, that is, except Giovanni.

"Well now, I'm glad you finally realized how futile your efforts were," Giovanni said. Firefly glared at him with hatred in her eyes.

"Save it!" she growled. "I only surrendered myself to protect those I truly care about."

"A bothersome weakness," Giovanni spat. As Firefly glared at him Indigo stood next to her.

"Firefly… what are you doing?" he questioned. Firefly looked at him, her eyes filled with warmth in spite of everything that had happened.

"Protecting all of you," she told him.

"By sacrificing yourself? Do you have any idea what he'll do to you?" Indigo questioned.

"I'd rather him do it to just me than all of you," Firefly replied.

"But…"

"Please, Indigo… let me do this," Firefly pleaded. While Firefly and Indigo spoke Giovanni called one of the other Rockets over to him.

"Prepare to leave. Inform those at the main base that we are returning with 01," he instructed.

"At once, sir," the Rocket said. As the Rocket left to carry out his orders Giovanni watched as more of Firefly's friends and family approached her to say goodbye.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rusty asked. "I mean, there's no telling what kind of Hell Giovanni will put you through."

"I know, but that's a risk I'm willing to take," Firefly replied.

"Well I don't agree with this," Shadow commented. "It's not right that you have to give up your freedom for us."

"You got that right, pal," Icy agreed. "This whole things stinks worse than a Muk."

"I know none of you like this, but please try to see things from my point of view," Firefly pleaded. "If I didn't surrender he would have kept attacking the children and everyone else in the cave. What would you have done if you were in the same situation?" The others went into silent thought, each of them putting themselves in Firefly's shoes.

"Well… now that I think about it I guess you really didn't have any other choice," Icy commented. "With that said that doesn't mean I have to like this decision."

"Trust me I don't like it either," Firefly said.

"Are you… are you sure this is the only way?" Shadow asked, hoping for an alternative solution.

"This is the only thing I can think of doing at the moment," Firefly told him. Everyone went silent. They all wanted to help Firefly out of this situation, but none of them knew how.

"Mommy!" Everyone looked up and saw Farris, Firestar and Pearl bringing Kaiser, Summer, Tsunami and everyone else over. Shadowfire had went over to help Sage free Solarflare, and now the three of them came to join the others.

"Are you okay, Rusty?" Pearl asked as she and Rubic stood next to him.

"Physically I'm okay… but…"

"Yeah… we know," Rubic said, looking over at Firefly as her three children stood before her.

"What's happening, Mommy?" Tsunami asked. Firefly tried to smile, but it came across as a sad one.

"Mommy's going to go away for a while," she said.

"But… but why, Mommy?" Kaiser asked. "Why do you have to go away? Don't you… don't you love us?" Firefly gasped when she heard that question. She brought them close and hugged them, tears filling her eyes.

"Of course I love you. I love you all so much, and that's why I have to leave," she said.

"But why?" Summer asked, looking at Firefly with tear-filled eyes. Seeing the sadness in the young Chikorita's eyes hurt Firefly more than anything Giovanni could possibly do to her.

"Please… don't cry," she whispered.

"But we don't want you to go," Summer whined. Off to the side Rei was watching the heartbreaking scene. In her eyes this should not be happening, not to someone as kind-hearted as Firefly.

"This isn't right. She… they don't deserve to go through this… and it's all because of him…" She glared at Giovanni. If looks could kill the leader of Team Rocket would have been dead ten times over by now with the look Rei was giving him.

"I won't let him do to them what those trainers did to me!" With a loud yell she lunged at Giovanni.

"Stop that Mawile, Machamp!" one of the Rockets ordered. Before Rei could get close enough to strike Giovanni the Machamp cut her off and struck her down with a devastating Cross Chop, knocking the Steel type to the ground.

"Gah!"

"Rei!" Indigo shouted. By the time the others looked the Machamp was preparing to deliver the finishing blow.

"Leave her alone!" the Growlithe barked. He took flight and hit the Machamp with Extremespeed, knocking him away from the Mawile.

"You'll pay for that!" the Rocket declared. "Machamp, use…"

"Stop!" All eyes were on Firefly after her outburst.

"You've got what you want, there's no need to keep fighting," Firefly said. Giovanni looked at her.

"And why should I stop after that Mawile tried to attack me?" he questioned.

"Because if you don't… I'll make sure you pay for it," she warned.

"And what makes you think you'll be able to harm me? Or have you forgotten all the Pokémon I have at my disposal?" he said. To reinforce his point all of the Rocket's Pokémon let out growls.

"What makes you think they'll be able to stop me?" Firefly questioned. "Especially if I happen to call on… a certain someone…"

"You wouldn't dare," Giovanni said.

"You want to try me?" Firefly challenged. The two of them were locked in an intense stare-down where the first to blink would be at a disadvantage. After a few seconds Giovanni spoke up.

"Recall the Pokémon," he announced.

"Excuse me?" a Rocket asked.

"I said recall the Pokémon!" Giovanni yelled. No one else questioned him as they recalled all their Pokémon. Soon only Giovanni's Persian was left as the only Rocket Pokémon left. Firefly let out a sigh of relief.

"At least there won't be anymore fighting," she said. She looked over to where Rei was knocked to the ground and saw Indigo helping her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll… be fine," the Mawile replied. She looked up at Firefly and saw her smiling back at her.

"I'm glad you're okay," Firefly said. Rei managed to smile, but there was a bit of sadness behind it.

"Thanks, but you're the one that I'm worried about," Rei told her. "I just… I don't think it's fair that you have to give yourself up to him."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm not the one anyone should be worrying about," Firefly explained.

"If not you, then who?" Rei asked. Firefly looked down at the saddened faces of her three children.

"If you need to be concerned about anyone it's the three of them," she answered. "They need as many positive influences in their young lives as possible." Rei looked at the three young Pokémon. Though she originally had no intention of getting involved in the lives of Firefly's group she couldn't force herself to turn away from Pokémon as young as those three.

"I've… felt the pain of being torn away from loved ones. I couldn't stand the thought of sitting by and watching it unfold again without doing anything to stop it…" As Firefly listened she could feel the pain in Rei's voice.

"She must have experienced much pain and suffering in her past," she observed. Despite this she had one request for the Mawile.

"Rei, right?" Firefly asked, getting a nod from her. "I have… a request."

"Okay," Rei responded.

"Would you please… help look after the young ones in my absence," Firefly asked. "I know the others can raise them while I'm gone, but…"

"Don't worry, you don't need to say anything else. I'll be happy to help look after them until you come back," Rei said.

"Thank you," Firefly said. With that said she looked around at everyone, seeing nothing but sadness in their eyes and on their faces.

"Come on, everyone. This won't be the last time you'll see me," Firefly spoke.

"It's not that," Firestar said. "It's just… we just got you back… and now we're losing you all over again. It's not right!" Shadowfire was trying to consol Solarflare, who was the most broken up about what was happening. Seeing all this was making it harder and harder for Firefly to go through with this, but she kept telling herself that this was for the best.

"Please everyone, listen," she said. "I know this is hard for all of you to accept, but believe me when I say this is the best course of action right now." As they listened they could hear the shakiness in Firefly's voice, letting them know she was fighting back her emotions as she spoke. They could also see a few tears starting to form in her eyes.

"As long as he has me… he'll leave all of you alone… and that's why… I've agreed to give myself up," Firefly continued, her voice still shaky. "Just know that though this is goodbye… it's only for now. I… I will see you all again…" Firefly was close to breaking down. Seeing this Indigo went over and stood in front of her.

"Firefly…" She looked up, letting him see her face. She was no longer fighting the tears, choosing to let them flow freely.

"I… didn't want anyone to see me like this… especially not you," she sobbed.

"I hate seeing you like this," he whispered. "Why… why put yourself through this?"

"I… have to," she answered. "I have to… to keep you all safe."

"Listen to me, Firefly…"

"Please… don't make this any harder than it already is," Firefly pleaded. "I've made my decision… now they'll rely on you."

"No… they'll rely on us," he corrected. "No matter what you say I will come rescue you." Firefly giggled, a slight smile appearing on her face.

"Still trying to keep chivalry alive?" she joked.

"Only for you," he replied. The two of them locked eyes briefly.

"This may be my last chance for a while… I'd better tell her now…" Just as Indigo was about to open his mouth Firefly brought her lips to his, the two sharing a brief but passionate kiss. When the separated Indigo was left speechless.

"Don't… don't forget about me," Firefly whispered. With those final words she turned and walked over to Giovanni.

"I'm ready," she said.

"It's about time," he complained. He motioned for his men to follow as he lead the way back to their base camp, Firefly at his side. As she walked away she glanced back at everyone. There were no smiles… no dry eyes… only the saddened looks of those who were losing someone they had grown extremely close to.

"Goodbye, everyone… and Indigo… I love you… always and forever…" With more tears threatening to spill she turned back and followed Giovanni. Indigo watched as she and the Rocket search party faded in the distance.

"I will rescue you… and when I do I'll never let you go again…" The group faded completely minutes later. While everyone else tended to the wounded Indigo kept staring in the direction Giovanni and Firefly left, all the while one thought repeating itself over and over again in his head…

"… I will rescue you…"

This was indeed a sad time for Firefly's friends and family as they were forced to say goodbye to her as she surrendered herself to Giovanni. Now with their leader back in the clutches of Team Rocket how will the others go on? And what kind of future does Firefly now have? Find out in the next chapter of Firefly: Queen of the New Breed!

Please review