Chapter 64 - Parting of the Heroes of Saffron
Since the group had separated from Reina and Yuta in Celadon City, they weren't entirely sure of what happened immediately. As Yuta had predicted, he had to fight the occasional Neo Rocket grunt, and Reina helped out the people of her city. When all was said and done though, they made it out safe and sound. They contacted Logan and the group at the Pokémon Center to make sure that everyone else was okay, and they claimed that they'd be off on their adventure for Yuta's eighth badge when they felt comfortable leaving Celadon.
It left the others in Saffron City, and while they were all eager to move on, the stress of the battle had worn down on some of them more than others. After some rest, Omori, Michika, Cyan, Skylar, and Seshiru all met in the lobby. While Cyan and Skylar weren't familiar with Seshiru, Omori, or Michika at all, it was still nice that they could share breakfast with one another. They could share their stories and talk about their journeys. And even if Omori annoyed them, they still had their battle at Silph Co. which kept them united.
"They're calling us the Heroes of Saffron," Omori said while reading the news on his PokéNav-esque device. "I think it's kind of a cheesy name, but if it means I get to add another cool title to my resume, then by all means. They're gonna eat this up next year."
Michika sighed. "They're not releasing our names though. Just in case there are any leftover members of Team Rocket who want to get their hands on us, they want to protect our identities. You shouldn't go openly talking about this."
Omori folded his arms. "You don't get to have an opinion on this. You've already won the top prize in contests. I can use this for something."
Cyan and Skylar exchanged looks, unsure of what to make of the two.
Seshiru sighed. "I say we take the day off. We all need some time to unwind. It might be wise to have a nice reset. As fun as this was, we still have business to attend to."
Omori laughed. "My season is over, girl. I get to relax for a couple of months now."
"I'd like to spend a day relaxing," Skylar exclaimed. "And then it's back to Unova for me! What about you, Cyan?"
Cyan cocked his head. "I'm… not sure. I didn't really see anything past the battle with Team Rocket. I have no plans. There's my battle with Kaarina in Alola, but that doesn't have to be right now."
"I was so terrified!" Bill exclaimed over the screen. His hair was frizzed out, and his face was ghostly white. "Your Mightyena suddenly took off! I couldn't tell why, and before I could try to get him back, he was gone! I'm glad to know that he left to help you though."
Logan called Bill as soon as he woke up. He was still a mess from the night before, but after a bit of sleep, he felt a little better. Logan looked down at Mightyena. "Thanks for coming. You really saved us. I'd love to keep you on my team, but I'm thinking that my last gym battle needs to be fought by my current team."
Mightyena nodded happily. He didn't mind if he had to go back to Bill for a bit longer. He was just excited to be with his trainer for awhile, even if the circumstances weren't the best.
Logan sighed. "I'll send Mightyena back to you. And if I get to the Indigo League, I'll give you a call then. It was nice to be with him, but I owe my current team the next battle."
Mightyena barked happily before he let himself be returned to his Poké Ball. Logan had kept it the entire time, as it felt like he'd still be keeping Mightyena by his side. But now, it felt like a real departure. Sure enough, they'd see each other again soon, and it softened the blow. Logan sent over the ball and then hung up the call. He held his head back and closed his eyes tightly. His head was still ringing from the fight. And his mind was racing in a thousand different directions.
"Hey, dude!" Cyan exclaimed, startling Logan. "You still haven't taken a bath, huh?"
Logan laughed and then rubbed his hand through his dirty hair. "Nah. Not yet." He observed Cyan's bloodstained shirt. "And neither have you, I think."
"You got that right!" Cyan exclaimed. "Smelly, but proud! We're going to a hot spring! All of us except for that Omori boy. He said he's nervous about getting naked in front of other people. Do you want to join us?"
Logan's eyes widened. He hadn't gone to a hot spring since he traveled with Himawari. Although it was weird for him to say, he missed bathing with someone. The conversations were always relaxing.
"Of course!"
"This is nice!" Logan exclaimed as he dipped himself into the steaming water.
"You're telling me!" Cyan said excitedly. "I haven't been to a hot spring in forever!"
The two sat in silence momentarily. Logan let the hot water wash over him before he decided to strike up a conversation.
"So, you came to Kanto just to battle Team Rocket?"
Cyan nodded. "Yeah. Someone had to."
"I think you should stay in Kanto a bit longer! You can take on the gyms and enter the Indigo Conference! I'd love a battle with you!" Logan exclaimed excitedly.
"I don't think there's enough time," Cyan replied with a sigh.
Logan sunk into the water. "Yeah. You're right. In fact, I still haven't earned my eighth badge. How about this! Stick around and join our group! We can go to the Indigo League together! It'll be really fun! Your support would mean the world!"
"I'd love to travel with you, Logan, but I have things that I need to take care of. I have an important battle coming up in a couple of months, and I want to focus on it. I'll support you, but I'd be foolish if I let myself get lazy again."
"Where will you go next?"
Cyan smiled. "I got a letter from my friend in Galar. She wants me to drop by. I'm not sure if the offer still stands, but I think I'll go there, train for a bit, and then head back to Alola. As you know, I hold the title of the first Alola Champion, but I never technically earned it myself. That kind of hangs over my head. I appreciate that they did that for me, because they thought I was gone forever. But, now that I'm back, I feel that I need to prove to everyone that I earned it. I hope you can understand."
"Yeah, man!" Logan exclaimed. "No problem! And I'll make sure to watch your battle on the TV when it happens. I'm excited for it!"
Cyan looked into the water. "Me too."
"How did you meet Skylar?" Logan asked. "And also, you guys aren't, like, a thing, right?"
"We're just friends!" Cyan exclaimed. "I don't see her in any other way! And we met through baseball!"
"Baseball?" Logan said before sticking his tongue out. "Sounds like a snoozefest!"
"You don't like baseball?"
Logan shook his head.
"What kind of sports do you like?"
"I love pro wrestling!"
"Pro wrestling?! That's not a sport! It's fake!"
"It's predetermined, not fake!"
On the other side of the wall, Seshiru, Michika, Yurie, and Skylar were all enjoying their baths. Skylar had never gone to a public bath before, and she was very embarrassed. But after some convincing from the other three, she eventually gave in. However, she made sure to keep a towel around her the whole time.
"The Battle Frontier?" Skylar wondered after hearing about Seshiru's journey. "That sounds awesome! We don't really have the same thing in Unova, but there is a Battle Subway where people can battle really strong trainers. There's also a tournament every few years that's supposed to crown the best trainer in the world. It takes place in Nimbasa City, so I've been to a couple of live battles."
Seshiru adjusted the towel on her head and then folded her arms. "I think I'd like to participate in that someday. After all, once I defeat Jindai, I'll probably be the strongest trainer in Kanto."
"Then we'll have to battle!" Skylar exclaimed. "I'm set to be the strongest trainer in Unova! Just give me one year!"
"What about Logan?" Michika asked.
Skylar paused and then made sure that her towel was wrapped well enough around her before exclaiming, "I'd crush him! Put us on a field together, and I'd make him look like a rookie!"
Yurie laughed to herself. "I'm sure he'd enjoy a battle with you. I didn't even know he had a cousin."
"Everyone has cousins," Skylar said. "Well, maybe not everyone, but most people do."
"What kind of parents does Logan have?" Yurie asked. "Sorry for the sudden question, but I'm curious."
Skylar folded her arms. "He doesn't talk about them much either, huh? His mom is a nurse, and she's my mom's sister. She's also Professor Juniper's sister. Hopefully he's talked about her once or twice."
Yurie and Seshiru nodded.
"His dad, well, he's a former gym leader. I honestly don't remember him much. When we were younger, we called him 'the monster'. He was so tall and big, but now that I think about it, Logan will probably be as tall as him in a couple of years. But, he doesn't look like a monster to me," Skylar said, now beginning to ramble. "We were just kids. His parents are divorced, and because of that, he moved back and forth between a couple of towns when he was small. Every time that he'd come through Nimbasa, we'd play. I don't know the whole story, but from what I understand, he got tired of going back and forth from Driftveil and the White Forest. He eventually just asked if he could live in Nuvema with Aunt Juni. After that, we lost contact."
"I see," Yurie said quietly.
"Why do you ask?"
Yurie put her finger to her lips. "Well, last night, when everyone else left the lobby, he said something."
Seshiru's eyes widened. "Oh boy."
"What did he say?!" Michika screeched.
Yurie became red in the face, but she wasn't sure if it was from the heat of the bath or from embarrassment. "He confessed his feelings to me."
Michika couldn't handle herself. "And what did you say?!"
After a day of relaxing and making sure that their Pokémon got checked out at the center, the group went to the Saffron City airport where Cyan and Skylar would not only say their goodbyes to the others, but also to each other.
Michika and Yurie held hands. They tried to hold back tears, but it was impossible. They hugged and then sobbed quietly.
"I promise to go to Sinnoh and go to your tea shop!" Yurie exclaimed.
"I'll make you the best tea ever! It'll be really bitter! I promise! I promise!" Michika said through sobs.
"Where are you off to?" Seshiru asked Omori. She wasn't really interested in where the boy was going to go, but she wanted to get everyone's attention from Yurie and Michika.
Omori put his hands on the back of his head. "Gonna go back to Johto for a bit. I want to try to catch my mom while she's in the city. I have a lot to tell her. And then after that, I'm going to Hoenn."
"Take care of yourself and don't flirt with too many girls," Yurie said. She had pulled herself away from Michika momentarily.
"That'd make you jealous?" Omori wondered.
"No. Hoenn girls are strong. They'll beat you up," she answered. "Every time I see you, I have violent thoughts, and I'm a nice Hoenn girl!"
"I'm sorry I never contacted you," Logan said to Skylar. "I've been wrapped up in my own thing, and to be honest, I didn't even know that you were struggling."
Skylar shrugged. "I get it. I was so focused on my own journey. I honestly forgot about you too."
Logan glared. "I'm trying to be nice to you right now."
Skylar laughed and then walked forward before embracing her cousin. She squeezed hard, intentionally hurting Logan's previously injured shoulder. "Love you. Good luck with your last battle. Call your family more."
He winced from the pain but fought through it before resting his cheek on her head. "You too. I promise you that I'll watch your Vertress Conference matches next year. And congrats on the Orange Islands. I'm proud of you. Aunt Juni is proud of you."
The two separated, and Skylar looked at Cyan. They froze. They hadn't prepared mentally for this moment, as they had been traveling together for the past few months, and they got so used to each other's presence.
"Galar, huh?" Skylar wondered. "It's far."
"Not as far as Unova, technically," Cyan said. He bowed. "Skylar, thank you for everything. Without you, I wouldn't have pulled myself out of the rut. I would have still been relaxing on the beaches in the Orange Islands."
Skylar was beginning to tear up. "And thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have made it around the islands. I would probably still be stuck in some stupid theme park. You helped me learn so much."
Cyan didn't want to cry, but he felt himself shaking. He stepped and then reached out, taking her in his arms, and allowing her to sob into his chest.
"You're my best friend," he whispered.
"Make sure to write letters or something. I'm not sure how it'll work," she said. "I'll miss you so much. I won't forget you."
"Me too."
"That's sweet," Seshiru muttered. "Why don't you hug Yurie like that?"
Logan groaned before separating the two. "That's enough. Please let go of my cousin."
The two parted and looked at one another. They weren't sure what to say.
"Do your best," Cyan said.
"You too," Skylar replied. "Don't lose."
"I hate goodbyes," Yurie interjected, hugging Michika violently once more. "I don't want you to go!"
The two cried again, but the group let them. And one by one, everyone boarded their planes. First it was Omori, and then Michika. Skylar was next, and Cyan was last. When they were all gone, it was down to just Logan, Yurie, and Seshiru. They all looked at one another and couldn't help but smile. It was sad to see their friends go, but it was nice to be back to some sort of normalcy.
"We should take a train to Viridian," Seshiru suggested. "Walking sounds good and all, but nah. Also, you two have some explaining to do."
Yurie and Logan looked at one another.
Twenty Hours Prior
"You-you love me?" Yurie wondered. "Like, as a friend or as a-"
Logan let go of her hand, and his eyes widened. "I mean, as a friend, I love you."
"Oh."
"But, more than that too!" Logan exclaimed. "I'm not good at words and stuff! I love you more than a friend. I would say girlfriend, but you're not my girlfriend, right? Or are you? I have no idea."
Yurie shook her head violently. "No! I'm not your girlfriend! We're just friends!"
Torchic looked up at the two and cocked his head. "Tor-chic?"
"Well, okay," Logan said. "I guess that settles that. I'm sorry for bringing it up."
"I guess it does!" Yurie exclaimed, still shaking.
Logan turned to walk away and go back to the room where he could get some rest, but when he noticed that Yurie wasn't following him, he stopped and looked at her.
"What?" he wondered.
"Me too."
"You too?"
"I-I love-love-" Yurie stuttered, unable to properly form her sentence. "I love you too."
Logan froze. "So…?"
"So?"
"So, are we like a couple? Or, how does it work? How does this work?"
"I don't know! Do you want to be a couple?" Yurie asked.
"I-I think so."
"I think so too."
"Cool," Logan said before putting his hands in his pockets. "Then, we're like a couple. That's cool."
The two were silent. Mightyena and Torchic exchanged glances. They were only Pokémon, but they knew that the situation was awkward. Mightyena got behind Logan and started to push on the back of his legs, and Torchic did the same to Yurie. They did this until Logan and Yurie were close. She was roughly a foot smaller than him, so it was still weird, but now they didn't have so much distance between them. Before then, every inch felt like a mile.
Logan looked at Yurie, and she responded in kind, finding it difficult to look at him in the eyes. He finally leaned forward and took her into his arms, and he held onto her tightly. Slowly, she raised her own arms and returned the hug. They stood still for even longer.
Then, Logan kissed the top of Yurie's head. She broke from the hug and looked up at him. He couldn't handle anymore of it though, so he turned. Instead of running or walking away, he held out his hand.
"Let's go."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And that is the end of this arc! And by that, I mean the Cyan/Skylar/Team Rocket arc. As far as I'm concerned, Team Rocket is done for, and they're all going to jail. I don't really want to go through the process of explaining that in the story. Cyan and Skylar's journey together is also over. Skylar will pop up occasionally, but her tenure as a main character has come to an end. However, Cyan still has a little bit more of a story left to be told. And hey, Logan and Yurie have decided to become a couple! But do they even know what that means?
Not sure when I'll post up the next chapter. Today is the first day in roughly a month that I've felt okay, and because of that, I'm gonna try to get some writing done.
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "Whats next for Cyan and Skylar now that their mission is accomplished?" - It looks like they're going their separate ways.
Imprisoned of Hell - "Damn good chapter. So that's the end of Team Rocket. And Yurie finally confesses her feelings to Logan." - Actually, it was Logan!
CrescentApple - "Ah... This was one of the best chapters in the story, but that's because everything was building up to this chapter. Every single character going all out, the walls and roofs getting destroyed, pokmon fainting left and right, even the trainers aren't safe from all the destruction and mayhem." - I think there is one more chapter in this story that will feel like a perfect conclusion and that'll be the last chapter. I'm looking forward to it.
pokestets23 - "DUDE! That arc was awesome. The world needs as much love as possible. Thanks for being you and staying strong!" - I'm trying my best!
SceptileBlade - "Yes. Send the bad guys to jail. Good ending to the Rocket arc, and of course, end it on another cliffhanger. The shiny hunters are probably dead though, unless they have some TRio level immortality. So RIP to that. Keep up the good work" - Dead or not, they wouldn't be coming back to the story as it were. I really wasn't sure how to write that part...
wisdom-jewel - "I love how Cyan confessed to Giovanni how much damage he has done. I'm not sure if he was aware of how much he has done to Cyan and his family. I do wonder if Logan wins would he go and visit his family. If that's the case, I wonder if Yurie would go on to a different region and try her hand in it. And I love how Yurie confessed her own feelings. I want to know if Yurie does go off, would Logan go with her, or would she have a different traveling companion." - As far as Logan goes, this is his last journey. Maybe not his last story, but definitely his last full-length journey. I'm hoping to transition Yurie into the main character eventually. I just need to stay motivated.
