"Open your eyes… Wake up, Kumiko."
Slowly mustering the strength to move her body as she forced open her dreary eyelids, the first sight Kumiko saw was Reina sitting by her bedside. Though she was initially too dazed to react, Kumiko quickly became confused as to why her once missing lover was somehow beside her again. "Reina…? What… what happened?"
"Kumiko… I'm so glad you're alright." Almost leaping out of her chair upon hearing her beloved speak to her for the first time in a long while, Reina embraced Kumiko with a tender hug. She really missed this sensation. As Kumiko's warmth flowed into her body, Reina was not intent on letting go. Not now. Not again. "Don't worry. Everything's been settled. You don't have to struggle anymore."
"What… what do you mean?" There was so much Kumiko didn't know right now. From how she ended up here to why Reina was back, everything Kumiko could observe about this situation seemed so wrong, yet so right at the same time. "The last thing I remember is… I saw you at the Gym, but then I can't recall anything after that… Am I in a hospital right now?"
"No. You're in the guest room of Tsubame's house." Focusing her eyes a bit more, Kumiko then recognized the decor around her. No wonder she felt a strange sense of déjà vu upon gazing around. "After you were cured, she and Suzume agreed to let you stay here for a second night until you woke up. Just in case something worse happened to you, they also let me be by your side the entire time. Thankfully, you slept well."
"Hm, so you were watching beside me while I slept? Huh… how cliché of you." The corners of Kumiko's mouth tilted upwards into a small smile, before her eyes widened as she fully caught the gist of what Reina was saying. "Wait, cured? What do you mean by that? What actually happened when I was out? And how long have I been like this?"
"Sorry, I got a bit ahead of myself there." Reina hastily apologized. In her excitement and relief at Kumiko finally waking up, Reina forgot to tell her beloved about the events that transpired between yesterday and now. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we? Everything began two days ago, when I couldn't face myself and ran away from you back in Dacap Town…"
"Wait, so you battled a Legendary Pokémon? Just to get something which could heal me? And won?" After she finished listening to Reina's recount of what happened in the past 48 hours, Kumiko's jaw was left hanging on the floor. To think that Reina had gone through so much right after she was rescued from HTT's clutches was honestly overwhelming for Kumiko to hear. Once again, Reina had proven how special she was.
"Yes. That should be the gist of it." Aside from leaving out the parts where she beat Shuichi to a pulp, caught Mikatsuki, and planned out a date, Reina reckoned that was a succinct enough explanation for Kumiko. Hearing that her childhood friend had been grievously injured or that she had managed to capture a Legendary Pokémon would definitely be too much for Kumiko to handle, on top of everything she just learnt.
"I can't believe it… I always thought you were already special enough, but you've completely defied and exceeded all my expectations this time!" Everything Reina had done for her sake only impressed Kumiko even more. This was far beyond anything she thought Reina was capable of. "Just how? Just how can I compare with you?"
"No, Kumiko. You've got it all wrong." Tears beginning to form in her eyes, Reina couldn't hold it back anymore. "You just can't compare yourself to me at all! When I was kidnapped, you immediately rescued me the next day, but I just abandoned you right after in your hour of need! Who am I to be worthy of everything you've done for me, especially when I've let you down this much?"
"Reina, look at me." Accepting Kumiko's request without hesitation, Reina was completely caught off-guard when her beloved kissed her directly on the lips. Both their faces turning a bright red from the sudden display of affection, it wasn't until a few moments later that Kumiko broke away before continuing their conversation. "I've always thought the same way as well, but you know what I've learnt? As long as we're doing all this for each other, worthiness really doesn't matter. Because I love you."
"Yeah… you're right. Even when I deserted you the first time, I still came back and made it up when you were in much deeper trouble. After everything, I just couldn't stand by and watch you suffer." Wiping away the tears forming in her eyes, Reina couldn't help but cry more when Kumiko reached for some tissues and gave them to her. "You're the only person I've risked that much for, and it's because I love you too."
Never letting go of each other even after so long, the two lovers remained in their tender embrace for as long as they possibly could. Oblivious to the world around them, Kumiko and Reina were finally at peace after these harrowing days. However, despite nearly all of Reina's actions ultimately paying off in the end, there was still one last thing she needed to do if she wanted Kumiko's faith in her restored once more.
"Do you think Reina's doing fine inside? She's been in there for quite a long time. I wonder if anything went wrong…"
Gossiping as she lounged on the sofa in Tsubame's living room along with Junna, Masako was worried about how Reina was currently faring. With her not exiting the guest room ever since she entered, Reina's status was a complete mystery to everyone. Though she was concerned whether or not Reina and Kumiko's reconciliation had gone smoothly, something else was also on Masako's mind.
Right after she returned from Crescent Moon Lake, Reina announced to everyone that she had successfully summoned the Winged One, battled it, and emerged victorious, allowing Kumiko to be healed by its powers. This was definitely cause for celebration, but Reina had immediately pulled Sari aside, and the shrine maiden had a look of complete shock on her face after their talk was over.
Just what happened at Crescent Moon Lake that required such an urgent conversation? Masako could only guess that it was something strange relating to the Winged One, but that was about it for her personal theories. Whatever the circumstances behind that mysterious meeting, Masako hoped that it wasn't related to Kumiko's condition. The poor girl had been through enough already.
"Junna, Masako, do you need any more tea?" Holding a serving tray in both her hands, Tsubame looked at her two guests. Noting that Tsubame's poise had markedly improved, Masako was pleased Junna's training regimen paid off. When she first met her, Tsubame's hand-eye coordination was nothing short of awful. It was only after some help from Junna that this trait of hers steadily went away.
"No thanks. We're good." Letting Junna decline Tsubame's offer, Masako wondered just when Reina would come out. The door to the guest room hadn't opened even once, and she couldn't hear anything from inside. If anything, this complete lack of activity was more troubling to Masako than hearing screams and shouts. Was Kumiko's recovery going smoothly?
"Junna, Tsubame, I'm going to check on Reina. We haven't seen her ever since last night." Once that sentence left her mouth, it was then that Masako realized just how long they had been waiting for Reina. Looking at the window to confirm her suspicions, the sun peeking out from the horizon confirmed them. At least she and Junna were mostly treating this as a sleepover at Tsubame's.
Heading up the staircase, Masako then twisted the guest room's doorknob before lightly pushing the door open. Standing in silence as she processed the scene in front of her, she left the door hanging as she scrambled down the stairs. Alarmed by Masako's sudden movements, Junna and Tsubame sprang out of their seats. This was not good. Not good at all.
"Masako, what happened?" Tsubame asked, gravely concerned about Kumiko. Feeling guilty about how her mishandling of the situation led to this chain of events unfolding, Tsubame's emotional stake in this scenario was far higher than that of her friends. If Kumiko's condition worsened for a second time, Tsubame wouldn't know what to do anymore.
"Kumiko- Kumiko and Reina are missing!"
"Are you sure doing all this was a good idea? I mean, escaping through the window was definitely going to turn a few heads, but now this? Oh man, why did I agree to come with you in the first place…"
Holding on to Reina for dear life, the constant gust of wind blowing past Kumiko's face was nearly enough to make her let go. However, every single bone in her body flat-out refused to obey those natural instincts, choosing instead to cling on even harder. Even as Reina bolted forward at full speed on their rented electric bicycle, Kumiko had no intention of getting off this wild ride.
"Kumiko, why don't we go somewhere together? You know, to get away from all this." Reina had suggested once their emotions weren't flying high anymore. Readily agreeing to Reina's demands without a second thought, Kumiko had done a double take when her beloved then suggested they escape through the guest room's window. Now that was unexpected.
"Come on, are you leaving or not? This is the only way we can get out of here without anyone noticing." Once Reina was preemptively perching on the window like an Aipom, there was no way Kumiko could resist anymore. Tentatively stepping out of bed, Kumiko was surprised to find that there wasn't much pain or aching in her legs, contrary to the time she regained consciousness at the hospital.
In fact, she felt like every part of her body was completely refreshed from head to toe. Kumiko speculated this was the result of being healed by the Winged One, based on what Reina told her previously. However, this only made Kumiko wonder just what she was hit by which necessitated the usage of such a powerful cure.
Breathing out a wistful sigh, it soon quickly turned into a yelp of shock as Reina rounded the next corner at high speed, the bike's electric motor accelerating them to ludicrous velocities. After they got off the roof, Reina led Kumiko to a nearby bike rental area next to a cycling trail. Inserting the rental fee into the bike's locking mechanism, Reina gestured for Kumiko to sit on the back seat before they took off.
Speeding past the city's outskirts, Kumiko and Reina soon entered a dim tunnel which burrowed through a mountain, before reemerging on the other end to be greeted by the pristine countryside. With the sudden change from darkness to light, Kumiko was overwhelmed from seeing the wide expanse of nature all around her, but Reina kept on cycling nonetheless.
Approaching a bridge, it was then that Kumiko noticed it stretched between a river valley, and they were currently on one end. The sheer difference in height between them and the ground gave off a sense of majestic grandeur, even causing Kumiko to forget how daunting such a sight actually was. If it wasn't for Reina's presence, Kumiko would've definitely said the view was the most beautiful thing around.
As they zoomed past the curved part of the bridge, Kumiko then noticed something interesting. Wondering whether or not to tell Reina about it, Kumiko briefly considered keeping her mouth shut so as to not disturb her beloved while she was cycling, but her inner desires eventually won out. Pointing in the direction of what she saw, Kumiko gently tapped on Reina's shoulder. "Can you stop here?"
"What for?" Even as she asked in response to Kumiko's question, Reina's hands were gently pressing on the brakes, slowly decelerating the bike. After they came to a complete stop a short distance away, Kumiko hopped off the bike's back seat and went over to what her eyes set sight on. Looking over in that direction, Reina saw an abandoned bike lying on one of the bridge's guard rails. "Oh, I see."
Inserting a coin into the bike's locking mechanism, Kumiko then pushed it over to where Reina was. "Rather than continuing to sit behind you for the entire trip, do you mind if I ride along with you? I don't want to burden you that much, especially with all the effort you're putting in."
"Of course. That's not a problem." Waiting until Kumiko got on her bike, Reina then began to pedal slowly, allowing her beloved to easily catch up with her. To Reina's surprise and delight, Kumiko did that in a shorter time than she expected, and the two soon accelerated forwards together. Now neck-and-neck with each other, there wasn't any fear of Kumiko falling behind, nor Reina leaving in the dust.
"By the way, where actually are we heading, Reina?" Even after following her beloved for so long, Kumiko still had no idea where their destination was. Though the landscape in front of her was simply magnificent, what came after this spectacle was completely unknown to Kumiko. Anticipating Reina's reply to be something impressive, Kumiko was instead taken aback by how her beloved responded.
"Nowhere in particular. We're just enjoying the road we've found ourselves on." Reina simply answered. These past few days had been filled with some of the most dramatic twists Reina ever experienced, but she could reap the rewards now that they were over. Though a part of her longed to resume pursuing her goals, Reina just wanted to appreciate the time she had with Kumiko, especially since they had just reunited.
"What? That's so unlike you! But don't you know where this road ends…?" Still confused by Reina's unorthodox reason, Kumiko didn't know what to think of that. Reina? Living in the moment? Had her beloved been replaced by a doppelganger while she was out? As her mind struggled to parse this shift in Reina's attitude, Kumiko's beloved laughed before speaking.
"Well, no. I just thought of this idea on a whim, so let's just keep cycling until we hit a dead end. Then we'll decide what we'll do next." That was a half-truth. Reina was actually reusing the ideas she thought of for her reconciliatory date with Kumiko right before everything went out of control. Now that the situation had significantly stabilized and calmed down, Reina decided to give her plans a whirl.
"Alright. Then I'll be by your side wherever you choose to go." Having complete faith in whatever Reina would do next, Kumiko gave her beloved a reassuring smile. With her destiny in Reina's hands, Kumiko was confident everything would turn out alright, no matter how things unfolded. With Kumiko's unwavering trust in Reina now back in full force, the two lovers continued cycling towards the great unknown.
"Whew, I can't believe we cycled that far in one go! And that was without doing any preparations at all! But man, that was seriously exhausting…"
As her sweat-soaked shirt clung uncomfortably to her skin, Kumiko slotted her rental bike into a designated bike rack. Reaching the end of the trail a little over an hour since they began cycling, Kumiko and Reina were surprised to discover it concluded quite close to its starting point. Once her bike was fully stowed away, Kumiko turned to Reina, who had just finished doing the same. "So, what are we doing next?"
"Well, I don't know about you, but I could really go for a shower right now. Cycling all the way here really took a lot out of me." While Reina was trying to air her shirt out, Kumiko couldn't help but stare at her beloved's body. The way a thin layer of sweat clung to the exposed parts of Reina's skin was extremely attractive to Kumiko, and she couldn't get this thought out of her head even as Reina approached her.
"Yeah, same here, but about that…" Though Reina's suggestion was certainly a good one, Kumiko wasn't sure where that could be done. Aside from the rows and rows of bike racks around them, there seemed to be nothing else in the surrounding vicinity. With this excursion supposed to be a secret, Kumiko thought going back to Tsubame's house wasn't a good idea either. This indecision of hers continued until she saw a sign.
"Wait, it says that there's a shower facility nearby!" Kumiko exclaimed, drawing Reina's attention. Truth be told, Reina was just speaking her mind back then, but she felt oddly satisfied now that Kumiko had found a way to fulfill that nascent desire of hers. However, a blush began to creep up on her face as she realized the ramifications of her idea, causing Kumiko to momentarily hesitate. "What's the matter?"
"It's nothing. Since you and I should both have a change of clothes in our bags, we don't have to continue soaking in our own sweat after we shower." Deflecting Kumiko's concern by alleviating another of her worries, Reina then headed to the shower facility with her beloved. Holding hands along the way, Reina couldn't believe how much she missed doing this with Kumiko.
To their surprise and delight, the shower facility was completely empty, allowing Kumiko and Reina to have unchecked privacy while they relaxed. Closing the door behind them after entering, Kumiko began to undress once the last glimmer of light from outside faded, but she was stopped by Reina before even her navel was exposed. As she clutched one of Kumiko's hands, Reina did the deed for her, swiftly taking off her shirt.
In response, Kumiko used her free hand to swipe at the straps of Reina's dress, letting it fall to the floor once Reina's arms complied with her actions. Removing her undergarments by herself, Reina picked up her fallen clothes from the floor before folding and neatly placing them on a nearby bench. Not wanting to fall behind her beloved, Kumiko started to undo the button on her denim shorts.
However, Reina was one step faster, and used her unclothed body to wrap herself around Kumiko in an embrace once she came back. Her hands quickly undid Kumiko's bra before sliding down, removing the last of her beloved's clothes while getting a good feel of her backside. Though their bodies were now completely exposed to each other, Kumiko and Reina never felt more secure.
Seizing a moment of weakness, Kumiko used her taller frame to overpower Reina before shoving her into the nearest shower stall. Being pressed against each other, Kumiko and Reina were relieved as they felt a serene warmth being mutually radiated. Turning on the shower with a spare hand, Reina only felt the heat Kumiko was sharing with her get more comforting as cool water poured down on them from above.
"Ahh… this is so relaxing." Resting her head on Reina's chest, Kumiko paid no heed to how Reina's face was getting exponentially redder with each passing moment, instead choosing to focus on this sensation of pure bliss. As Kumiko continued to smother herself, Reina let out a wistful sigh before wrapping her arms around her beloved's body.
"If you think this is relaxing, then I'll show you something better than that." Winking at Kumiko, Reina drew shut the shower curtain, effectively sealing them off from the outside world. Now that not even a single soul would be able to witness what they would do, Reina could finally begin. As her suppressed passion reemerged with a vengeance, Reina slammed her body into Kumiko's and started delivering her affection.
"Wow, and I thought a bike would be the most tiring thing I rode today… I didn't know you could give out that much. If we went on for a little longer, I don't think I'd be able to move anymore…"
"You were also impressive as well. I almost felt like collapsing several times back there." Reina replied, lazily stretching her arms in the air. Despite their bodies being fully refreshed after taking a shower together, Kumiko and Reina still felt exhausted, most likely because of the extra 'activities' they did while bathing. Nevertheless, it felt good to finally let it all out after so long.
"Where are we going next? I trust you've got something up your sleeve." Kumiko asked. While relaxing in the shower was her suggestion based on a serendipitous turn of events, Kumiko innately knew that Reina had been guiding their hand throughout most of this date. Wait. Would it be appropriate to say that this was a date? Kumiko wasn't sure, but it felt like one from the look of things.
"Nowhere in particular. Let's see where we end up." That was a lie. Without Kumiko realizing it, Reina was slowly steering them to their next destination. Though the circumstances had drastically changed, Reina was still just as adamant in seeing her plans through. Now that Kumiko was definitively back by her side again, Reina's determination to make up for lost time only grew stronger.
"Ooh! That movie looks interesting! Why don't we go and watch it?" Turning a corner, the couple walked by a cinema when Kumiko pointed at a movie poster being displayed at the front. Just as planned. Anticipating that Kumiko would like this movie, this was the next stop Reina had in mind.
"Hmm, Our Oath's Finale: A Promised Brand New Day. If I remember correctly, this is the sequel movie to the series we watched on Netflix all those weeks ago. Seems like a good choice." Having done her research prior to coming here, Reina was surprised this movie had gotten such mixed reviews considering the TV series was so well-received. However, she decided to reserve her thoughts until she actually saw it.
"Netflix? Don't you mean NetBallFlix?" Though she was confused as to why Reina somehow misspoke the name of the popular streaming service they used, Kumiko still followed her beloved as they entered the cinema and bought tickets for the next available screening 20 minutes later. "And did we really watch it there?"
"Never mind." Realizing she incorrectly recalled the circumstances they watched the TV series in, Reina shook her head. Loitering around in the cinema's foyer until they could enter the theater, Reina wondered what they could do in the meantime when she heard the rumble of Kumiko's stomach. As Kumiko's face turned a deep red, Reina couldn't help but lightly giggle. "Do you need something to eat?"
"Um…" Still recoiling from the shame and humiliation this faux pas brought on her, the tables were turned when a similar sound emerged from Reina's side. Now it was Reina's turn to be embarrassed, but the underlying problem still remained. Ever since they left Tsubame's house earlier today, Kumiko and Reina hadn't eaten anything at all. "Yeah. Let's go grab some food."
Heading over to the snack stall, the couple deliberated about what to buy for a few moments before getting two hotdogs, two sodas, and a large tub of popcorn to share between them. Once they returned to the center of the foyer, Kumiko and Reina discovered it was now nearly time until the movie started, so they hurried along to the designated theater with their food in hand.
Making it there with just a few minutes left, it didn't take long for the couple to find their seats. For whatever reason, the theater was quite empty, though Kumiko and Reina didn't bother snatching up better seats considering they already had a prime position. As they began narfing on their hotdogs, the lights dimmed and the pre-movie advertisements began.
"Just what are they trying to sell us here?" Kumiko wondered, but quickly became flustered as she realized she said that out loud. Thankfully, the lack of people in the theater meant it wasn't much of a problem, with only Reina shooting a cursory glance at her. Shrinking back into her seat in embarrassment, Kumiko could only wait in silence until all this ended and the movie started playing.
"Wait, they're setting up the main character with that guy? Even though they don't have that much chemistry between them?" Upon seeing the movie's cold open, it was now Reina's turn to exclaim, though she remembered to do it quietly. Despite reading about this plot development beforehand in the novels, this abrupt hook-up still caught Reina off-guard. Just what had the author been thinking when she wrote this?
"Yeah. That really came out of nowhere. But that new character with a red bow in her hair looks cute." As the movie's opening montage rolled by, Kumiko couldn't help sighing happily as she saw the old cast again, intersped with quick cuts of the new characters being introduced. After so long without seeing them, this was a refreshing 'welcome back'.
"Oh, they changed the character for this scene." Reina lamented. In the novels, it was a shy trumpet-playing kouhai who interrupted the main character here, but she was instead replaced by the aforementioned bow-wearing kouhai. Come to think of it, the trumpet kouhai wasn't part of the opening montage back there, so she most likely wouldn't be focused on. That was a shame. Reina was looking forward to seeing her.
"Really? They're going with such non-standard marching outfits again?" It wasn't until quite a while into the movie that Kumiko spoke again. With such garish colors and obnoxious accessories, those marching outfits seemed like a better fit for the circus than a music performance. Oh well. At least that trombone girl showed up for a bit in the middle there.
"Yes! Go smack him with that umbrella!" Cheering once she saw that 'date' scene being cut short in the most entertaining way possible, Reina was even more pleased when the main character ran up that hill on a whim just to meet her special one playing the trumpet up there. That scene only served to highlight the bond between them, but Reina felt irked by a certain portion. "Ugh, why is she still apologizing to that useless boy? Shouldn't she be focusing on listening to her special one?"
"Reina, wouldn't you say sorry to someone after you suddenly deserted them like that? Especially when you treated them that badly?" Kumiko retorted. Despite the boy greatly annoying her just by existing, Kumiko couldn't help but feel sorry for how he was being portrayed. It felt like his sole purpose in the entire series was to get kicked around by everyone else.
"A butt shot… what?" Feeling utterly confused by the framing in this dramatic scene during the audition section, Reina didn't know what to make of it. Considering how this scene was supposed to be the movie's climax, it felt off-putting to see a character being used like that, doubly so when she was new. From Kumiko's movements, Reina could tell she was also uncomfortable with it as well.
"Not another swimsuit scene…? Do they have nowhere else to go in the summer?" Seeing everyone at the pool again, Kumiko wasn't sure why it was there at all. Couldn't the characters just go to a restaurant for a victory meal? That felt more appropriate to Kumiko, considering she did it a few times back in middle school.
"I swear, the novel's author really has some weird ideas." Knowing this scene was also present in the novels, Reina was still befuddled by it nonetheless. Of all the things they chose to adapt in the movie's limited run-time, this relatively unimportant scene was one of them. However, the fouling of her mood was lessened when the training camp scene ended. "Oh good. They broke up. Bye bye, stupid hairclip."
"What's with all the spinning and CG in the performance? It feels like I'm going to throw up any second now." Even though the music being played during the competition was certainly excellent, the accompanying visuals felt too cinematic for Kumiko. This wasn't an action movie. It was just a simple, low-stakes story. Besides, the cinematography made the excellent CG unfortunately much more apparent.
"Sigh… I can't help but feel bad for the band's president and vice president. They came so close, yet so far." Upon learning the band couldn't advance past the regional competition, Reina wondered what they didn't do well enough, but then it hit her. As their free-choice piece had to be cut short due to time constraints, it couldn't reach its full potential. In a way, that was like this movie itself.
As the credits began to roll soon after, Kumiko prepared to leave the theater, but was soon stopped by Reina tugging on the sleeve of her shirt. Curious as to why her beloved was telling her to stay, Kumiko still trusted her nonetheless. Waiting until the final lines disappeared from the screen. Kumiko couldn't believe what happened next. "What? The main character becomes president? But how is she qualified?"
"Beats me. This seems more like plot convenience than earned character development." At this point in the narrative, Reina felt like the author was just pulling plot devices out from nowhere rather than concentrating on what already existed in the story. "What did you think about this movie, Kumiko?"
"Well, I thought the story was alright, but we didn't get to explore much of it in such a small amount of time. I really wanted to see more of the new characters." Kumiko replied. "At least there's going to be a sequel from the looks of things. Makes me excited about how the band will bounce back from all this."
"Yeah, about that…" As someone who already read the final novels, Reina was not optimistic about how things would turn out. However, she still held some hope that she had interpreted some things incorrectly and plot points could be modified in the adaptation. "Never mind, let's get going. There's something I want to show you…"
"Oh, you're back. What did you need to do there?"
"Nothing much. Just a phone call. I needed to get approval for where we're about to go." Reina replied. With the prerequisite permissions obtained, Reina was confident that she could pull off the show-stopping finale to this date perfectly. After all, everything had been previously planned. All Reina needed to do now was put it into action, and she had complete confidence in her abilities for doing that.
"Approval? Just where are we going?" Kumiko asked. Though she was already suspicious about how spontaneous this 'date' actually was from the very beginning, this proved to be the final nail in the coffin. With how mysterious Reina had been acting ever since they left the cinema, Kumiko knew that her beloved was definitely saving the best for last, and she couldn't wait.
"You'll see." Reina's accompanying smile was both cool and mysterious, simultaneously calming Kumiko down while making her even more excited. Sending Eurydice out, Reina then whispered their destination to her. As she latched on to Eurydice, Reina then waited for Kumiko's hand to intertwine with hers before they Teleported away.
Once they emerged at their new location, the first thing Kumiko saw was a ring of trees with ethereal pink leaves encircling a crescent-shaped lake. With the sun starting to fade away, the rising crescent moon was starting to be visible on the water's surface. For some reason, Kumiko felt like she recognized this place, but she couldn't place the memory.
"Where… is this?" Having completely no idea about where they currently were or what Reina was planning to do, Kumiko looked around in abject confusion. She trusted Reina enough to know her beloved wouldn't disappoint, but being left in the dark about everything caused a small seed of doubt to start sprouting in Kumiko's mind. Thankfully, Reina stepped in to alleviate her worries.
"Kumiko, to be honest, I haven't been completely clear with you about everything I did when you were unconscious." As the sky dimmed, Reina's words seemed to have taken on an aura of significance. "My newest team member met me during that time, and now I want to properly introduce you to her right here."
Readying her Moon Ball with conviction, Reina paused for a moment before throwing it out. "Mikatsuki, let us sing forevermore!"
Kumiko only had one word upon seeing a Legendary Pokémon appear before her.
"What?!"
A/N: Now that Kumiko's awake now, it it safe to say that she was in a Kumikoma?
All jokes aside, I hope this lighthearted chapter was what you wanted, especially after such a climactic battle. With everything back to 'normal' (besides Reina now having a Legendary Pokémon), our story can now continue as planned. What new challenges await our heroes?
Stay tuned for the answer when the next chapter drops March 17th!