Here we go!
"Oh. My. GOSH!"
Sunflora's gasp rippled the waves as her head broke free of the waters heavy grasp. Loudred bubbled up next to her, filled with so much hot air that he had shot them to the surface.
Corphish was last, guiding their precious cargo up with a pressurised set of bubbles.
"Hey!" Corphish yelled, snapping his pincers. "Where are we?"
Filled with air and specialised bubbles, the Swap Cauldron bobbed in the water, sinking down as air escaped before Corphish guided it back up.
"This… isn't…where…we went," Sunflora huffed and puffed. Her green was a little washed out and had nothing and everything to do with the water. Loudred, with his big mouth and being used to be inside all the time, had fared fine in the Dark Crevice.
The name for that charming little dungeon that had been found off their coast.
Corphish also had thrived.
Sunflora, however, was a bit sick. Being a Grass-type, she had a little more need for the sun than another kind of pokémon, especially as a Sunflora.
She'd been forced to tap into the Sun Stone in her head to make it through, and Sunflora would rather want to soak in the sun's rays to make up for that bit of energy she'd had to overexert.
Several days in that dungeon. It was the largest, deepest, worst one they've ever been in. Thankfully there had been stable zones in the dungeon. They could spend the night and not go crazy as the dungeon winds rippled the water flooding the entire thing.
At the end of their gruelling journey, their prize, their task, and everything they wanted to see. The Swap Cauldron. Croagunk would be so happy!
However, leaving didn't bring them back to the entrance. Or, at least, Lapras wasn't here.
"You've got the signal?" Loudred asked, helping support Sunflora on the water as she raised her head to the sunny sky.
"Y-Yeah," she said, almost catching her breath. A leafy hand slipped into their battered bag and pulled out their backup just in case the dungeon did do this very trickiness.
A flat disc that, when dropped in the water, would send out a pulse. Lapras should be able to pick it up. Corphish too, and he flinched as the soundless, to Sunflora, signal pulsed out.
Loudred also twitched, being far more sensitive to sound in general than either of them.
And then…it was a waiting game.
"So…have we made it?" Corphish was the first to speak, quietly voicing the thoughts they were all thinking.
"How long have we been in the guild for, Blossom?" Loudred asked. He was loud but not yelling.
"Nearly three spins around the sun," she answered, breathing evenly now. "Wow, three years. Well, nearly."
"Wonder how long we'd stay," Corphish added. "If Timber didn't decide to strike out on his own."
"As long as he would have needed," Blossom sighed. "But I am glad he decided to do it."
"Sick of loitering around," Loudred teased.
"Shush, you know that's not what I mean. Shut your big mouth, Boom, or I'll shut it for you!"
"Like you can shut anything, let along MY mouth."
"Children," Corphish sighed. "Please."
"Don't you interfere, Jet!" they shouted as one.
Jet, Blossom, and Boom. Frankly, the Corphish felt singled out with a j-starting sound.
Blossom and Boom shared a glare at the notion of having the same thought before the sunflora smiled. "Hee-hee. Ah…no, I'm glad Timber decided to do his own thing because, in retrospect, we were putting a lot of pressure on him. Us waiting for him. Poor guy, I feel so bad. He's been a nervous wreck almost the entire time we've known him, but since forming his own team… you've seen that confidence boost!"
"Yeah," Jet agreed, sighing as well. "I liked to think we were helping him, coaching him, providing a safety net of sorts…but I think we were more holding him back. Making him feel like he had to get somewhere at our pace, rather than his."
"That's NOT what we were trying to do," Boom protested.
"But that's what was happening anyway."
The loudred grumbled, but he couldn't deny it.
"Timber's alright," he acquiesced.
"I'm glad he has your stamp of approval," Blossom said dryly. "It must mean the world to him."
"My stamp is worth more than your stamp!"
"My stamp is well informed and is known for quality! Everyone knows Sunflora, and Sunflora knows everyone."
"That just means you know people."
"Knowing is at least half the battle."
"NO! All the battle is skills and power!"
"And tactics and smarts."
"Yeah, I have that too."
"Suuure you do."
Jet shook his head as the two fell into another argument. He'd long since moved past being concerned; really, he felt like it's how the two communicated in general. Arguments. No feelings were hurt, not since Spring Cave at least. And they were both concealing smiles every time they raved at each other.
He wondered at energetic people like them.
"So?" Jet asked as the newest argument wound down to an agreement that X-Eye Seeds were invaluably useful. "Call it kicking the beedrill nest, but we still haven't decided on a Team Name."
He braced as soon as the words left his mouth as the reaction was expected.
"TEAM SHOCKWAVE!"
"We're not calling ourselves that," Blossom snapped. "Team Appeal is far friendlier!"
"We are NOT a knock-off Team Charm. No one is as stylish and cool as those ladies, so stop trying."
"I am NOT trying to copy them; I'm trying to appeal, eh? Eh?"
"No!"
"Well, Team Shockwave is both selfish and stupid. Only you can do them, and that sounds like an Electric-type team, which none of us are or can use moves of!"
"It's cooler than Team Allure!"
"Team APPEAL, you single bongo drum!"
"Hey! I can get a girlfriend any time I want!"
"Not what I was referring to, but I still doubt that."
Jet let the verbal ping pong go on a little longer before clearing his throat. "Ahem." He didn't flinch when two sets of bloodshot eyes snapped to him. "How about Team Voyage?"
Blossom and Boom shared a look, Jet waited expectantly.
"What, you think we're a boat?"
"That's Lapras."
"Sounds like we'd be carrying goods."
"We want adventure! And excitement! Not point one to point two, let's go to point one point three and then jump left!"
"Team Voyage doesn't even sound like a thing for an actual single team. It's like…going on the expedition with the guild. Lots of pokémon working together."
"Which was the best part of the guild, absolutely. Well, Chatot was kinda the best part…."
"Ah, don't make me sad, Boom."
"I just miss him."
"I miss him too. You know, he once sung to me when I was overwhelmed and wanted to leave the guild?"
"I didn't. Sounds like him. He once took me out flying, it was scary as anything, but I'd asked him for weeks if he'd do it and was able to trick him by taking a job that was urgent but far away…heh, I don't think I tricked him at all."
"I remember," Jet added, "him asking me to take care of Shinx and Meowth out in the Boulder Quarry mission he figured out, maybe he even made it up, just to give them some confidence."
"He really was the best," Loudred sighed. "I remember Charmeleon. Remember him?"
"That jerk?"
"Yeah. He didn't like Chatot and all the rules. He just never stuck around long enough to see more than ol' fussy feathers."
"A lot of the ones who left never did…."
They floated a little longer. "I kinda like Team Voyage," Blossom admitted.
"FINALLY!" Boom shouted. "I've was thinking that the whole time but didn't want to be the first to say it."
"Hey!" Jet snapped, pinching Boom's ear. "next time, speak up. Legends know you speak up enough already."
"Oh, suurrre, the ONE time I don't talk is the one time you wanted me to. I see how it is." He poked Jet back and got pinched again, which quickly spiralled into a slap-fest of minor pokes and pinches.
"Boys, boys, BOYS!"
"WHAT?" They asked as one, Jet around Boom's neck as Boom knocked on his shell.
"Lapras is here."
They glanced to where Lapras was fast approaching. Boom gave Jet one last knock on the shell and tossed him back to the Swap Cauldron, which was beginning to sink again.
"Tally ho!" Lapras called, racing over as fast as he could. Which was very fast.
He nearly bowled them over, and then the wave almost sent them under again, only by grabbing onto the slippery surface of the Swap Cauldron kept Blossom and Boom afloat. And bubbles under their feet by Jet.
"My goodness, sorry about that," Lapras apologised, turning around and swimming at a much more reasonable pace. "I have been waiting three days; I've been very concerned, as has much of the town, I imagine."
"The dungeon was a bit of a problem," Blossom admitted. "Deepest, longest, trickiest one we've ever encountered. Over five anchor points, which was helpful enough. But we found it!"
"There were books in it too," Jet said, flipping the cauldron over to reveal the books inside it as well. "But I don't know if they're salvageable. We brought them along anyway. There was other stuff from the guild in that dungeon, but mostly broken, or we couldn't carry it along with us."
"I see," Lapras said, levitating them out of the water as his eyes glowed a soft blue. He brought the cauldron up as well and placed it upside down on his shell, fitting it into some of the bumps on his shell and setting the three around it. "Well, let me get you back to town. Everyone will be thrilled to see you, Croagunk, most of all!"
"I wonder if he'll smile?"
"He's always smiling, though."
"Yeah, but in a not-creepy way."
"That's Croagunk, though."
"…Fair point. Maybe he'll hug us instead. Or cry."
"Okaaay."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No, seriously, what?"
"Nothing, Jet, nothing."
"Mmmm. I can feel you judging me."
"So, Team Voyage then?"
As it turned out, Croagunk took the Everything Above option.
He was pretty strong, too, hugging the trio with a considerable amount of pressure, nearly choking the guys as he beamed and sobbed into Sunflora.
Wigglytuff was dancing an absolute storm, and even Armaldo cracked a smile he couldn't suppress as the whole guild cheered in celebration, and no small amount of relief, as Team Voyage was delivered by Lapras floating them right up to the guild.
With the Guildmaster being able to actually attend this time, no Aegis Cave to get stuck in, it was immediately decided to throw a party.
And at Sunflora's suggestion, the entire town would be invited.
"Fair enough!" Wigglytuff beamed. "You're friends with absolutely everyone, and you should be able to have friends here! Oooh, we can make apple pie, and apple turnover, and apple cider and…."
He rolled off to Spinda to spread the good news.
And so the town prepared a party.
It was for the newly minted Team Voyage, but the trio also insisted on the celebrations being for all. They had survived The Dream, survived the town coming under cataclysmic threat, they have survived, and they were thriving.
It would be a celebration for everyone.
The day after they returned and the celebration was planned, Team Ion came down to the guild nice and early while the morning address was still being held.
"Sunflora is handling much of the supplies, but we've still got to get the games running," Armaldo, as serious as ever, was saying. "Hopscotch and never did I ever won't cut it for this. We've got a ruined treasure bag out by the incline, puts ideas in it."
"Okay, that should be all!" Wigglytuff beamed. "Okay pokémon, time to get to work!"
"HOORAY!"
"Before we all break off," Scout said, once the cheers had ceased but before they started moving in earnest. "I just thought it was right if I told you guys the things I'd kept secret for a while."
"Oh my gosh!" Sunflora squealed. "I've been waiting to hear this for ages. No one tells me anything."
"Everyone tells you everything," Corphish said deadpan.
"Clearly not since I've not known this. Oooh, is this Meowth's secret not-secret about being a Night Mate finally come to life!?"
"What? No!"
"Tee-hee-hee, you know I'm kidding."
"You also were the one who spread that around the first time."
"Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee."
Smiling and shaking his head, Scout walked the guild through the things he knew. He'd discussed it with Rai and Mane along with Team Sunrise a few times. He felt that they deserved to know, since at this point it really didn't matter.
All things considered, the news wasn't taken poorly at all. Most of the apprentices didn't quite understand what he really meant by it all, but the honesty was appreciated and Sunflora swung him around excitedly.
"I'm a pokémon that deals in information and secrets," she said to the dizzy Scout. "For this gift, I can tell you something in return! Anything you like, I probably know or can find out!"
"Really? Why does Diglett like feet."
"Except that, Meowth. You said this was a story for kids."
Mane snorted and the guild disengaged to their tasks for the day.
Bidoof had a door to go knock-knock on first, however….
"I have decided on something," Saniya said, the morning of the planned party. She had been on the party-planning committee, and things were going to be LOUD.
"What is it?" Sean asked. The four of them still lived in the guild. They were technically still apprentices, after all. But now that Team Voyage had graduated, their own minds were ticking to that tune. Not now, though. Something for later.
"I'm sane now," Saniya said happily, and Striker spat out the drink he had been most unwisely drinking.
Guardian thumped his back as Striker coughed as Sean gave Saniya a look she was more known for giving. "Pardon?"
"Yep," Saniya said pleasantly. "Azumarill and I have been making such good progress that I think it's clear I'm no longer the fire-lighting, chainsaw-dreaming, paroxysmal mess I used to be!"
"I'm not even sure what that word means."
"Chainsaw? Me neither." She giggled when Sean gave her a flat look. "I joke. I'm still Saniya! I just won't come for your knees anymore. Or at least as much, Strikey-Wikey." She winked, hovered up. "I'm going to go to town and get the rest of the party councils supplies!"
"I thought it was a party planning committee?"
"We've decided to unionise. First, the party. Then the town! Then the WOR-" She cut herself off and cleared her throat. "Parties are fun. We want people to enjoy themselves. I'll be back, tata."
She zipped off with a remarkable lack of destruction in her wake.
"That's…," she began, not really sure what to say.
Striker stopped coughing and gasped out something himself. "It'll be good for her," he wheezed, catching his breath.
"You alright?"
"Fine."
"We should support her if she's decided on this," Guardian suggested as they began getting ready for the day. Sean had decided against his cape today. "A party will be excellent though, how long has it been since we've enjoyed such a thing?"
"There was Scout, Rai, and Mane's graduation with Keira around," Sean said. "Few months ago."
"Too long then."
As Team Sunrise got ready for the day, breaking bread and water between them, Blossom was busy at work.
Blossom the sunflora, graduate of the Wigglytuff Guild, and maybe-leader of Team Voyage if Boom wouldn't argue with her so much, was a busy pokémon at the best of times.
She'd lived in Treasure Town since she joined the guild three years ago, and in that time, she'd made it her mission to get to know everyone. She loved people. Loved talking, chatting, helping, everything about it.
And she positively loved to hear stuff over tea.
If someone wanted to know something, they came to Sunflora. She could probably find it out or already knew it.
The price was easy. Just more information.
If it weren't for Blossom being a kind-hearted pokémon who had no interest in using her power for evil, she'd be utterly terrifying with the scope of her information racquet.
It spread a lot further than Treasure Town, after all.
"Okay, ladies, gents, and others," Blossom said to her committee. Her most trusted partners. Spinda swayed dizzily as he tended to do while Wynaut beamed at them all. Shuppet of Team Ebony and both members of Team Slacker chatted slowly while Saniya flitted around happily. She said she had become sane; they were all thrilled for her.
Technically they were the party planning committee, but Blossom was close to them all already, and they had the best ears for information around town.
First the party. Then the continent. Then they'd get dirt on Arceus and-
Blossom looked at the suggestion paper in confusion. "How many times do I have to explain that we are not taking over the world."
"Aww," Slakoth said. "I…had planned…my brutal regime…already."
"Sucks…to be you…pal," Slowpoke said apologetically.
"Anyway," Blossom said. "Have we got the fireworks?"
"Got them!" Shuppet said, a smoky tendril pulled out a big bag of explosives. "Hard to find too, but Murkrow and I were able to get it done!"
"Spinda, alcohol?"
"I've been miiixing them all…up over the last…couple…days!" Spinda declared passionately. "There will be enough…for everyone, even…Banette."
"Distractions for the children?"
"Too easy," Saniya said, swooping down. "I have the mirrors and have already annoyed Dialga into giving me an allowance to feed into the feedback loop. Sean speaks really highly of cartoons, so." She pulled out an old disc that had been found in a dungeon some time ago and bought by Saniya. A faded word calling it 'Saw' was on it. "I bet they'll love this."
"Party games?" Blossom asked before using an Ingrain vine to pull up her stack of board games and other games. "I have them."
She set the paper down. "Team Slackers, what were you meant to be bringing? I can't seem to find anything."
"Energy," Slakoth said.
"And positivity," Slowpoke added.
Everyone's eyes fell on them for a time.
"Sounds great!" Wynaut chirped. They trotted around. "I've got the contact back from the other teams we were inviting, so the place will be raving with excitement!"
They cheered.
"By the way, where's Bidoof?" Saniya asked.
"He said he was going to invite his friend and that she might take some convincing," Blossom explained, brimming with excitement for the night.
"Oooh, the mysterious BELL!" Saniya yelled before catching herself. "Ahem. I mean, the lovely knock-knock joker. Ah, I would love to meet his friends. Everyone Bidoof knows is so interesting. Paras with her marbles, Flaaffy's everything. You guys."
"It would be nice," Blossom nodded. "To finally meet her. I… wouldn't be too hopeful though, if she's as nervous as he says, coming to a party might be too much."
"Oh…good point."
Moving onwards from that, the committee continued preparing for the Best Night Ever.
The night of the party was upon the town.
As the sun began to set and the stars began to twinkle before a bright full moon, Treasure Town made their individual ways to the Wigglytuff Guild, rebuilt and stronger, as well as Spinda's Café, as there were too many to comfortably fit just in the guild.
The party would stretch from north to south, from the guild all the way to the beach of happy pokémon, celebrating the success of Team Voyage and their own survival against Darkrai.
Guildmaster Wigglytuff, not wasting a moment to let people get drunk and tired, announced his favourite activity. One of them at least
"Okay, everyone!" Rhythm called, voice easily able to cascade across the entire chattering crowd to reach everyone's ears. "We're going to start with, drumroll, please."
Armaldo, eyes as flat as a furret's face, tapped a drum as asked.
"A DANCE!"
Ludicolo and his bellossom backup burst from the guild's lower level as a whistle called out.
"Oh YEAAAAH!" Ludicolo yelled. "Get this party STARTED!"
The bellossom each jumped once, each individually, doing a spin before Ludicolo really began to dance.
But he wasn't alone. Spinda began to shake the drinks with the beat of the music as Ludicolo dragged Kangaskhan onto the dance floor. The guild began to shake, a good test to its durability, really.
Marill pulled his mother onto the dance floor, and they did a slow dance grinning all the way while little Azurill rolled up to Team Sunrise.
"Mr Dusknoir?" Azurill asked, peering up at him with the love and adoration of the One True Fan. "May I have your hand for this dance?"
Guardian could never refuse such an honest request and floated out with Azurill in his hands.
Saniya dragged a seemingly unwilling Sean onto the dance floor as well, and Rai and Mane teamed up on Scout, as they always did, to bounce him between them, laughing all the way.
"Come on, Armaldo!" Rhythm said, tugging on the large Bug-type's arm. "Dance with me!"
"No," Armaldo said as Flaaffy and Bidoof raced past.
"Dance with me," Flaaffy was saying. "You'll feel better."
"Ah, shucks, that's kind of ya, I was hoping that Bell-"
"No depression tonight, only dance!" Flaaffy had even let his wool down for the night.
"Come ooon," Rhythm repeated, pulling harder. "It'll be fun!"
"No."
"You'll like it!"
"No."
"It's exercise!"
"No."
"Please?" A glimmer of something…more than just an eagerness to make Armaldo asked entered his eyes, and Armaldo made the mistake of seeing it.
"…One dance."
It would not be just one dance.
Various teams, several having been graduates of the Wigglytuff Guild themselves, also mingled.
Being an equine, Ponyta couldn't really dance as much as awkwardly shuffling in place. But he had Bellsprout, and the Poochy Brothers, on his back having a good time.
It was a challenge, who can stay on Ponyta the longest as he tries to buck them off. Bellsprout was the master of the game, being able to cheat and just wrap his vines around Ponyta's trunk to hold on. For that reason, he was there to make sure no one got hurt.
Ponyta was grinning as he jumped and bucked in place, the Poochy Brothers yelping and hollering as they tried to hang on. One flew up and managed to latch onto his brother's tail, which did not serve to save him, only drag that one off too.
"I knew it!" the third brother laughed. "I'm the superior broth-ah!" And that was him flying off too.
"Six seconds," Camerupt said. "That's a new record."
"For longest?" Poochyena said.
"For shortest."
They were consigned to the pits of shame as Charmander and Machoke took their place. Torkoal was watching with a tired smile. He was pretty sick at the moment, and Ponyta had flatly refused to leave him.
Thus, Torkoal convinced him to bring him to the party instead. He'd be fine, plenty of pokémon around watching, and Fortune could let his mane down and have some fun again.
Machoke placed Charmander on first. "Ready, babe?"
"Hatched ready."
"We'll see," Ponyta snorted, grunting as Machoke jumped on as well. "Last longer than six seconds, please." And then the ride began again.
By one of the windows, a circle of Wobbuffet, Corphish, Kecleon Purple, Rai, and Xatu were playing Truth and More Truth.
Xatu and Kecleon were already down to one plain seed each, Rai and Wobbuffet were on the bold three each.
"This one goes to everyone," Corphish said, deciding to bend the rules because this was partly his night. "Eat a seed if you think Grovyle has a sexy voice."
Corphish grinned as everyone, including himself, had to eat.
"Monster. I'm going next then," Kecleon said. "Hmm. Xatu! How do you open those boxes?"
Xatu looked at him in horror; he had no seeds left to avoid the question with. Rai had no pity, not after the string around town he had a wing in all those months ago.
"Oh, look at the time," Xatu said, fluttering. "I have to go powder my beak."
Kecleon was the winner of the game.
Spinda was situated in the guild itself this night. He had other pokémon manning the café down the road, as the bulk of the partiers were here, so was he.
Shaking up drinks. Night had fallen, so the harder liquids were being served.
Perhaps it wasn't the best of choices, alcohol was no way to cope, but Team Ion and Team Sunrise were partaking in it. At least this once.
"Finally," Sean sighed, taking a long drink of his appletini. He smacked his lips, fighting to stop his face from screwing up from the hit of intense flavour. His eyes watered a little.
"Can't handle the tini, Sean?" Striker teased; he was already on his third and was flushing. He took a bite of a salad, and Saniya warped into place.
"Cannibal!" she accused, pointing at him before checking herself. "I mean. Can I have some?"
Striker gave her the rest of it, and Saniya vanished to the places only she knew with Striker's salad. Another Saniya may have plotted to clone it and grow her own Striker! But this Saniya would just eat it and be sane.
Sean made it halfway through his one drink before he started hiccupping.
"Did I ever tell you about my family?" the baby pokémon asked.
"N-No…?" his captive audience, Marowak, asked.
"It all started when I was born. Humans do that. Then everything was great until I was however-old, and we got him." Sean's distant stare turned into one of hatred. "Sandile. Or, as mum and dad called the monster. Killer. He was the worst. I hate him."
He started going over his life, long and painfully, to the increasingly uncomfortable Marowak who came to learn more about Sean than he ever expected or wanted.
"I blame Keira. She made me a furry because riolu are the most huggable pokémon in the world. Who cares if I had sticky hands? I gave him and Keira my chocolate. Who cares if I wanted to be that cool? Fuck that, I AM that cool, sticky hands or paws or chocolate whatever."
He wasn't allowed to have another drink.
As drinks were passed and games were played, a loyal and oddly important member of the guild bit her lip. Not sure what to say about Sean drinking. Not sure what to say about Torkoal being here, sick as he was. Wasn't sure about a lot of things, the worst of which she tried not to think about.
That room of theirs would be so much quieter without Sunflora.
"You look concerned," Blossom said, sliding into the space that Chimecho floated. "Haven't you been having fun?"
"Oh, I'm going fine," Chimecho replied levelly.
"I didn't see you on the dance floor."
"Hard to dance when you don't have feet."
"Ah, come on, Melody." Blossom extended one of her leafy hands. "Dance with me?"
"Thank you, Blossom." She did not take the offered hand. "But I'm alright."
Blossom smiled sadly. "I'll be back."
Melody, the chimecho, continued floating in place, refusing to bite her lip and gazing blankly out at the raucous crowds before Blossom appeared in her peripherals again.
"Here we go," she said, sliding a pile of what looked like disgust made matter.
"…Plain seeds?"
"For a game of Truth and More Truth," Blossom replied. Melody levitated the two seeds with a rueful expression. "I'll start. Why don't you want to dance?"
Melody moved her distant stare to Blossom and held it for a moment, a long moment, before sighing. "I can't dance, you silly thing. We'd both look silly."
"That's the point, though," Blossom smiled.
"Hm. Alright, my question. How much have you had to drink tonight?"
"Not as much a Grovyle," Blossom giggled. Striker had drunk a lot. Not the smartest for a Grass-type, many of them were more affected by alcohol than other types, depending on their physiology. "I think I might ask him for a smooch later, see what he thinks."
Melody smiled briefly.
"Who are you most worried about tonight?" Blossom asked, continuing the game after their pause.
Melody frowned and opened her mouth before her answer got lost in the whirlwind of thoughts she was trying to ignore. "…you."
Blossom smiled sadly. "I'm fine, Melody. Are you?"
"You already asked your question," Melody replied. "Mine. Where are you going after tonight?"
Blossom turned to look up. "Jet and Boom, and I think we're going to tackle on a tough mission. Really try to do something good before breaking off into rescues and treasure hunting."
Melody bobbed in place, not sure what to think of the answer. Not that she didn't already know it, Armaldo tended to default to her assistance when bookkeeping was afoot. She knew where they were going.
"What are you thinking right now?" Blossom asked. Melody ate a seed.
"What do you want to do next tonight?"
"I want to dance with you."
"Blossom, please."
"Come oon! It'll be fun."
"…hm."
"What are you trying to not think about?" Blossom asked.
Melody gave a weary sound and floated up her second seed but then didn't eat it. She let it drop as tears entered her eyes. "You. Us. Not living together anymore. Not seeing each other every day anymore. Oh, Blossom, I'm going to miss you so much!"
Blossom, smiling softly throughout it all, cracked as well, as tears overwhelmed her vision too. "Melody, oh my gosh, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like." And then she hugged her, and they both burst into tears.
"I won't be gone for long. I'll come back all the time!"
"It still won't be the same."
"It'll be different, but that's not bahahaad."
"I'm not going to be able to sleep, not knowing what you're doing."
"You have to promise me you won't drown yourself in work."
"You have to promise the same thing! And to come back often, I can't imagine not hearing your stories all time!"
"I'm going to miss you."
"So much."
Best friends were hard to part from. But Chimecho was of the guild, even if she was still technically an apprentice.
It didn't take long for Loudred to get drunk as well and also cry, hugging Bidoof and Croagunk.
Corphish remained the only one not bawling by the halfway point of the party.
"Just one, for luck!"
"Ah…fine."
Blossom giggled as Striker gave her a drunk kiss on her hand before staggering off to do something else.
Across the room, the sound of shattering glass entered people's heads. Saniya, staring across the room, witnessed all.
Her eye twitched, and then her thoughts went further than her own head. "CARAZY SNAIYA IS BACK! AHAHAHA. AHAHHAHAHAHA. AAAHHAAHAHAHAAAHAAAAA."
As Saniya had her psychotic break that projected into other people's heads, Striker wandered outside.
He'd drank a lot. Too much, undoubtedly. But he needed some liquid courage for what he was about to do.
"Scout," he said, remarkably level.
Scout looked up from where he was sitting, a shadow across his face as he observed the unsteady grovyle. "Striker."
Striker made his way, carefully as it was dark, to where Scout was sitting, the meowth blending in with the darkness besides his eyes and charm.
He came to a stop in front of Scout, significantly taller than the meowth, and they stared at each other.
"You wanted to see me?" Scout asked. He'd received a note, of all things, in Striker's sloppy unown print asking to be alone later.
"Yeah," Striker said, Scout's nose wrinkled. He could smell the alcohol on his breath from here.
"Are you okay?" Scout asked. "You seem…very drunk."
"Got to be," Striker mumbled. "Can I sit down?"
"Go ahead." They were near the cliff's edge, so Scout was going to suggest that anyway.
After Striker sat, they fell into a very awkward silence. Scout avoided being alone with Striker since the last time they had been alone.
'I don't know if I can ever call you my friend again. Can you accept that?'
Few things had stung quite like hearing that.
"What do you want, Striker?" Scout asked tiredly, as the grovyle was not speaking. Staring blankly at the ground wasn't getting them anywhere.
"I want to…talk."
Why? About what? Scout settled on. "Then talk."
Striker stared at him like he'd asked him to speak the moon language of the moon clefairy. He opened his mouth, and air came out with no words.
Scout was almost amused. "Striker…what do you want?"
"I just want to talk."
"About what?"
"Us," Striker said, heat entering his voice for a moment out of frustration. "I…ugh. I don't know how to even begin, alright."
Scout waited, tilting his head slowly. "What kind of talk is this?" he asked lowly. "Is something going on?"
"No," Striker growled. "No, I just…want to make things right between us."
It was uncontrollable, but Scout couldn't hold the expression of disbelief across his face.
"Don't give me that look!"
"The last time we talked," Scout said, composing his expression. "You made it clear that you had no interest in this. And I accepted that."
"Well, now I'm thinking differently," Striker snapped. "But…ugh. I don't want to fight. Guardian's so upset, Sean, Saniya…Rai."
Scout hadn't seen this group faux-happiness about his and Striker's relationship. "So, you just want them to drop the matter?" he asked.
Striker's expression twisted into a frown. "You're not making this any easier, Scout," he said. "It's not just for them. It's not good for either of us. Azumarill agrees; she's been having me work on things."
Scout tried his best to step away from it all, but it was hard. Really hard. "Alright," he said. "I'm willing to try if you are."
It was a vague statement, somewhat passive-aggressive, and all that they needed to say to assure everyone else things were worked out between them.
Striker very almost agreed as well.
"No," he said softly. "That's not…fixing the issue. It's just what we did before, ignoring it."
Now that, that got a reaction out of Scout. He blinked, a flicker of something brighter touched his eyes, and he swallowed. "What kinds of things is Azumarill having you do?"
"Talk about why I feel the way I feel about things," Striker admitted. "It's not easy to do, even with Azumarill. She has me talk about the things that make me feel, and then we talk about why."
Scout girded himself and swallowed. "Alright." He could guess where this was going. "That night? Me threatening Sean?"
"That's exactly it," Striker said, voice breaking into a darker growl for a moment. Even so long after it happened, Striker still looked furious at the mere reminder of it. But he composed himself. "I…." He sighed heavily. "I understand that I am difficult when it comes to matters of Sean."
"Which I understand," Scout said, both of them still restrained. "It was a stupid thing." A flash of memory came to Scout, Mawile forcing him to admit something to Sean in The Dream. About how he really felt.
"And that moment shattered my perception of you," Striker continued. "You stopped being Scout to me then."
"I'm still Scout," Scout said. And he was. It had taken a long time to believe that, and even then, the Spacial Rift, the normal meowth he saw in there, still twinged at the tiny seed of doubt he still had.
"Yes. You are," Striker agreed, nodding. "Guardian would never be able to be so close to you if he wasn't certain. I just…." He closed his eyes. "I see you threatening Sean like that, and that was just something you'd never do. It broke my trust in you."
Scout felt prickling up his back and a feeling of rising anticipation in his chest. Was he going to do it? Say why he really did that?
He swallowed. The words were not coming. "I've apologised for that. To you and Sean."
"It doesn't mean I can forget what you did," Striker said, and that snapped the fraying thread.
"Well, maybe I can't forgive you either!" Scout said, raising his voice, and it carried in the quiet night.
Striker stared at him. "What?"
Scout couldn't take it back now, so…he just went on with it. "You…you nearly killed Rai," he said quietly but very firmly. Striker's expression turned painful, and Scout swallowed. "Underground Cave. Mesprit. You slashed Rai. He nearly died."
"I…I didn't…it was a reflex."
"Yes," Scout said. "It was. He attacked you from behind, so you reacted instinctively. I could let that go like it didn't matter because it was an accident…but then you took the Time Gear anyway. You didn't give us any way to get out, being injured and exhausted. If Mesprit hadn't sacrificed herself getting us out, we would have been frozen! And IF you had still somehow saved time after that, we would have unfrozen, no one around, the teleporter gone, and Rai would. Have. Bled. OUT!"
Scout was shaking now. "There. There. THERE! Happy Striker? You want to know what happened that night? I made a mistake, a stupid mistake, out of instinct because everyone was fighting, and I just wanted it to stop. BUT! I would NEVER have cut Sean, no matter what happened."
Nothing but the crashing of waves.
"…Have you told anyone about this?"
"I told Sean in The Dream."
Striker swallowed. He couldn't believe this…Scout had felt this way.
"Why would you…just why?"
"I don't know!" Scout said. "After you cut Rai, everything just went red. I wasn't thinking. Just like that night. We both didn't think, we both made mistakes…and we both can't forgive each other for them."
"It's not just that the mistake was made," Striker said. "It's what it did. I don't understand why; why would you do it? Even on reflex. You targeted him."
"Striker, stop."
"No, we're talking, so we are going to talk. Stop trying to deflect, Scout. We all know you do it when you have something more to say!"
"I said stop!"
"Tell me!" Striker demanded, grabbing Scout by the arms, and squeezing.
"Stop trying to antagonise me!" Scout yelled back, wriggling out of Striker's grip. He was let go. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to push this into a fight. Well, I'm not fighting you!"
"A fight would solve it," Striker growled, squeezing his eyes shut. "We fight, we draw, we understand each other again."
"Grow up," Scout snapped back. "Even if that would do it, I'm not interested in fighting you. Why now, Striker? Why. NOW? Of all times, of all days, you do this now? Why not months ago?"
"I wasn't ready."
"What changed that?"
"I don't know. Time fixes things."
"Time sure fixed this, now hasn't it? We're arguing now."
Despite it, a smile struck Striker's face like a jagged scar. "Yes. So, let's keep going." Scout narrowed his eyes at him. "You know, for a long time, I had become convinced you weren't even Scout."
Scout didn't flinch; he'd suffered this all before. "Well, I am."
"The Scout that I knew would never try and hurt others. Everything was for the mission, but you never had that until Guardian betrayed us."
"Fine, if you're going to bring up old stuff, I will too! You forgave Guardian, and he did FAR worse than me."
"I didn't see him do it."
"How in the FUCK does that matter?" Scout shouted. "Guardian had Sean on an execution platform to have his soul ripped out. I put my claws to his neck for a threat. Guardian was going to end the world, and I was trying to stop my friends from fighting each other. I agree Guardian deserves to be forgiven for all that, but why shouldn't I be as well?"
"I didn't SEE him do it."
"I don't understand, Striker."
Striker scoffed and spun around wobbly, almost looking like he was going to stomp off. He re-evaluated and turned back. "You don't act like yourself anymore, and you don't even care!"
"FUCK YOU, STRIKER! I never stopped thinking about the idea I might have killed and replaced Scout's mind like this until recently. But it's NOT TRUE, and I don't NEED you making me doubt myself all the time!"
"Why do you doubt yourself, then?" Striker demanded. "If it might not be true. Scout did not KNOW the things you know."
"I. Don't. Know."
"That isn't good enough!"
"Stop turning this on me. You KNOW I'm Scout; we've already agreed on this. YOU are deflecting just as much as I do."
"Fine," Striker snarled. "Tell me something true, and I'll do the same."
Scout closed his eyes, standing in the darkness. "Fine," he said softly. "It wasn't just to make everyone stop fighting. You nearly killed Rai. I wanted to scare you."
There it was. "I knew it," Striker said lowly. "I knew there was something else to it all."
Scout raised his head. "I acted without thinking; I was trying to make everyone stop. But after I realised who I'd grabbed, I doubled down on it to scare you. You. Nearly. Killed. Rai. And then you doubled down on it as well. Is that why you don't like me, Striker? I remind you of how much of a bastard you are? I guess I had to have gotten it from somewhere."
That struck a nerve, and he twisted his head sharply as a brief flash of green glinted at his elbows. Just a moment before it faded. "More than anything, you got your sharpness from your father," Striker muttered.
Scout's eyes were narrowed, but not out of anger more…shame at this point. "I told you mine," he said sourly. "Tell me yours."
"It was everything for the mission, okay?" Striker said. "We would all die in the process, so it didn't matter what had to be done to save the world."
"So, you knew that'd kill Rai?"
"No!" Striker raised his voice. "Everything for the mission was the idea, but I couldn't do it! I loved Sean too much. I'd sacrifice too much for him, even if it set us back ages. I couldn't do it, even if it was needed to be done. I put him first. Dammit!"
"That doesn't excuse cutting Rai!"
"I didn't mean to, Scout! But we agreed, anything for the mission."
"ANYTHING?"
"We were going to do it secretly, not hurt anyone. But the world was ending, Scout! Pokémon wouldn't understand, so if it came to it, we'd have to fight. Not hurt them if we could, but sometimes you have to prioritise."
"You're not even SORRY you nearly killed Rai!"
"Shut up, Scout! You're not listening. I AM sorry."
"But you'd do it again if you had to."
Striker paused. "…no. No, I wouldn't."
"What? You JUST went on about 'anything for the mission'."
"We had to save the world," Striker said, closing his eyes tightly. "But there are some things I learned that just…I thought of myself as the pokémon who could do anything for it. But Sean…I just…I couldn't. I thought he'd survive the erasure of time, as he wasn't from our world. How I reacted when I realised he did disappear…Guardian and Saniya have never, ever, spoken of it."
"So, no, Scout. As it turns out, I couldn't do anything. I'm too soft, too weak, to really do as we planned. As we agreed."
"And if you knew, you'd get spared afterwards?" Scout asked. "How would THAT affect what you did?"
Another nerve touched. "It should not have just been us who was saved," Striker said.
"No, it shouldn't have been, but it was. The whole Dark Future, Danny, everyone."
"I don't want to speak of that, Scout."
"Well, there's a lot we don't want to talk about that you said we have to in order to work this out."
"Are you still angry?"
"I have not heard anything that justifies you forgiving Guardian and not me. If you hate me, just say it!"
"I do not HATE you, Scout."
"What else is this, Striker? The first time we talk in months, and we're just yelling and arguing in an attempt to patch things up. You didn't want to try back then, and I'm sorry, but I don't know if I want to try NOW."
"Even if it would make Rai happy?"
Scout paused. "…" His eyes met Striker's. "That's why you're here," he said. "He put you up to this."
"That's not-"
"Rai asked you about this, didn't he?" Scout said flatly. "The other day when Mane, Sean, and I went to Circh, and he stuck around here. That's what he was doing, wasn't it?"
Striker's silence was damning.
Scout sighed, beginning to look very sad. "I'll talk to Rai. I love him for trying to make me feel better, but this isn't working, Striker. You don't want to do this either."
Scout turned to leave and began walking. Striker's arm caught him before he could leave, however.
"Rai asked me, yes," Striker admitted. He swallowed. "But it only reminded me of what I had been thinking anyway. Scout…please."
Scout frowned and then shook Striker's hand off his shoulder. "I don't understand."
"It's the same as with Azumarill. You sometimes need a push to get going, you understand that? Right?"
Scout frowned. "Push off a cliff," he muttered.
"Do you hate me that much?"
"I don't…hate you," Scout said, voice breaking briefly. "We used to be close. So close. I do remember that stuff now. You taught me Night Slash, twice. I thought you were the coolest pokémon in the world, same as my dad. You were like an uncle, even though we're about the same age. You always seemed so cool, so strong, like you could do anything. Like we were always safe when you were around, Striker the Grovyle."
Scout shook his head sadly. "I remember us picking on Guardian or making Sean eat or Saniya giving me flowers to give to you. I remember stealing a Sun Stone for you so you could last in the darker areas longer."
"You stole that?" Striker gasped.
Scout laughed mirthlessly. "Where else would I have gotten it?"
"You said you found it."
"Not untrue."
They shared a small smile for the briefest of moments. But then the moment passed. "And now we're here," Scout said, smile slipping into nothing. "I'm not Scout to you, and you're a hypocrite to me. I understand why you couldn't forgive me, emotion doesn't play nicely with logic, but it still hurts, Striker."
"I'm trying to," Striker offered.
"I don't…care at this point," Scout said, huddling upon himself. "Hope hurts just as much, and I don't believe you actually want to try. It's because of Rai, or Guardian, or Sean. It's for them."
"It is not!"
"It is."
"In one way, maybe. But it can ALSO be because I want it."
"And you came here picking a fight."
"Fights get this kind of stuff out. We're talking now."
"And it's just hurting all the more."
"I still think we should fight for real," Striker said, raising his arms and his leaves flashed. "I want to see how strong you've become."
Scout was unimpressed. "I'm not fighting you, Striker."
"Just because you'll lose doesn't mean it won't be useful."
"Taunting isn't going to help."
"Pokémon talk through actions, Scout!" Striker's voice was raising, breaking. "I would have thought you would have remembered this by now."
"Why do you want to fight so much? Do you want to hurt me that much?"
"NO! But this is the only way."
"Only way to WHAT?"
"For me, to be honest." Striker raised his leaves; they glowed green. "Brace yourself, Scout."
"I am not."
"DO IT!"
"Fine, then HIT ME!" Scout yelled, raising himself up as Striker held frozen in the position to strike. "DO IT, STRIKER!" He opened his arms as if he was asking for a hug. Or a slash to the chest.
Striker did not.
His arm began to shake, maybe from the weight of holding it before slowly, he began to lower it. Everything lowered, really, as Striker began to droop, and he dropped to the ground as his expression slowly shifted from the frozen rage to…pain.
And to Scout's shock, he began to cry.
"Why are you crying?" Scout demanded as Striker covered his face and began to shake. "Why are you crying?" his voice cracked as Striker began to bawl. "WHY ARE YOU CRYING?"
And his vision blurred as Scout fell apart as well.
"I'm sorry," he whimpered as Striker's sobs cut through the air like a whip through his heart. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Stop apologising," Striker croaked, hiccupping wetly. "Stop it!"
"I-"
"You've already apologised!" Striker yelled. "So STOP IT!"
"Do you think I don't mean it?"
"I know you mean it, Scout! SO, JUST STOP APOLOGISING!"
Scout stared at him in distressed confusion. "I don't understand, Striker."
Striker squeezed his eyes shut, hiccupping again. He'd drank waaaay too much if he was actually crying.
He stared at the ground for a long time, twitching with the hiccups every so often.
Scout did not move; he wasn't sure.
"When Sean saved me," Striker said, finally finding his words. "I was helpless. And for some time, I still was. I had no parents, I had no siblings, or anyone to protect me. I was half-mad and about to die when he saved me. It…it can't be denied that I looked to him as something of a parent. I know he's not, and it's not like that anymore…but, even then. I was so helpless, and I tried to get stronger to protect him."
He shook his head. "He still saved me so many times. I was useless."
"You're not useless," Scout muttered.
"Not anymore. But…that night, when you had Sean by the neck, I felt helpless again. For just a moment, just one moment before I collected myself, I felt it again. If you were actually going to hurt him, I couldn't have stopped you. I was helpless. That's why, okay. That's why I was able to forgive Guardian despite him doing so much worse. He never made me feel helpless."
Scout was silent for a long moment, taking that in. "I…understand," he said softly. "And I'm sorry, again, that I made you feel like that…but why couldn't you just tell me? Or someone about this. You haven't, have you?"
Striker gave a snort. "No. I haven't. Not even Azumarill. I cannot stand the feeling of being weak, dependent, helpless. So, I much prefer to go on as if I never was. But when I looked at you, I just remembered that feeling again. It was easier to push you away rather than deal with it."
"Because that's the way of the emotionally stable," Scout snarked.
"I'm baring my heart to you," Striker responded. "Which I have done for no one else."
Scout was silent, tension holding his shoulders rigid before he let it all down with a sigh. "Thank you. I've said everything I have to say. We've both been awful with a lot of things, but-"
"I'm sorry," Striker said, finally saying it. Scout's eyes, downcast, snapped up in relief. "You said it so many times I hadn't said it at all. I'm sorry. For Rai, for taking this all in the worst way. It's not right what you did…but it's not right what I did either. We both made mistakes…and we're both sorry."
A small glimmer of hope entered Scout's eyes. He couldn't help it. Hope hurt the most, but it was always worth feeling. "Can we…do over again? Get to know each other again?"
Forgiveness hadn't been spoken of. It was too early for that, these wounds only just now revealed, and wounds took some time to heal.
They had spoken privately like this once, and it had been ended with a message that they may never be able to be friends again. Merely coexist.
Yet, Striker gave a small smile. "Yes, I would like that."
The beach was a lovely place.
The party had stretched all the way from the guild to the beach in a conga-line of merriment and activity. Still, the beach was for quieter things, personal stories, inside jokes under the light of the moon. It was a safe place to remember all that had been done to get to this place.
Diglett was at the beach all night.
He was happy, laughing, playing games with those who were there. Sharing stories and food and drink. But as people slowly got tired and left, he remained where he was, watching the waves.
He wasn't alone forever, though. The marker denoting the life his father had lived close by. Diglett was alone until the soft sound of roots parting grass pulled his eyes away from the dark ocean.
"Hey," Sunflora said, sitting down next to him.
"Hi, Sunflora," Diglett chirped. "Whatcha doing down here?"
"Party's wrapped up," she answered, relaxing with a sigh. "So, I thought I'd go around. Check, make sure everyone's alright."
"Mm. What are we going to do without you to look after us?" Diglett said a little cheekily. But there was a slight turn to his voice that it might not be entirely a joke.
"I guess what you all did before I came here," Sunflora answered, smiling at Diglett. "Oh my gosh, that seems so long ago now." She leaned back, looking at the stars. "Plucky young Sunflora, giggling her way into town."
"No one saw the mastermind of gossip coming," Diglett added.
"No," Sunflora giggled. "Not even me. Ah well, I'm sure my successor will carry on strongly."
"Who is that going to be?"
"It's a secret." Sunflora winked.
"Come on. Tell meee. I'll tell you a foot fact!"
Sunflora snorted. "That's very kind of you, Diglett."
Diglett giggled.
"Hm, probably Wynaut," Sunflora said. "They're a good hub for information."
"And wouldn't use the power for evil," Diglett agreed.
Like Team Slacker would.
"Hey, Blossom?" Diglett asked.
"Yeah?"
"You knew pretty much everything anyone else knew. Do…you know why my dad loved the sea so much?"
Blossom had tensed slightly and gave a soft sigh. "Sorry, Burrow. He never would tell me either."
Burrow the diglett sighed sadly. "I understand. But I don't understand why he did…or why he wouldn't tell me."
Dugtrio said he'd tell him when he was older, but older never seemed to be enough.
"We really didn't know a whole lot about you and your dad," Blossom said, looking to his grave marker. "But we all knew how much you loved each other."
Burrow nodded, tearing up a little. He'd grieved already, but a loss like this never really stopped hurting completely. He just wanted to know.
"…If anyone would know," Blossom added, not wanting to offer false hope but unable to see her friend like this. "It'd be Azumarill. Maybe, just maybe, you could ask her?"
Burrow brightened up. "Azumarill! That's a great idea! When she has time, at least. I know she's a busy pokémon these days."
"I'm sure she can find some time for you," Blossom said, smiling.
"Yeah…hey, Blossom?"
"Yes?"
"I'm going to miss you."
"Aww." She took him into a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much."
"You're going to miss everyone," he said, mumbling into her chest.
"I will, but I'll still miss you so much. You keep Boom entertained; ah, he's going to be crying when we leave. You read everyone's feet perfectly. You change the jobs. You are a friend. You're my, and our, friend. I'm going to miss you."
"Visit often."
"Of course."
She sat together, close, as the waves went back and forth. Back and forth.
Mane awoke in the kitty pile and decided he needed to stretch his legs. He untangled himself without waking the others and stumbled outside.
"Oh, Litleo. Good morning."
He jumped when the soft voice hit him from behind and turned to see Wigglytuff sitting on the edge of the cliff.
"G-Guildmaster Wigglytuff," Mane stuttered, a little thrown. He cleared his throat and ignored that. "Good…morning?" Looked like midnight to him, with a crescent moon hanging over the cloudless sky.
Wigglytuff giggled. "Good morning indeed. What are you doing up so early?"
"Just stretching my legs."
"I see. Well, don't mind me." Wigglytuff went to turn back, but Mane stepped forwards.
"What are you doing?" Mane asked, blinking sleepily a little.
"Oh…just some singing," Wigglytuff admitted. "I like to sit here, sing, and remember."
Mane blinked as his cognition returned, and he blushed, realising what he'd intruded on. "Oh, oh! Uh, sorry."
"There's no need to apologise, Litleo," Wigglytuff insisted. "Company is nice, even for a moment."
Mane smiled and nodded. "Well, I uh…."
"I'll let you get back to your walk."
Mane still didn't go.
"Is there something else?"
Mane took a breath. "Not sure if I ever told you this…but he saved my life in the cave. When I stupidly ran forth, forgetting the warning, and got attacked. I would have died had he not blocked Kabutops."
Rhythm smiled, a sad but also happy thing. "Thank you. It's what Trill always would do. Everything for others. He saved me in that same cave from that same attacker in the same way. I could only wish it ended the same way as well…."
Mane bowed his head.
"Where are you off to next?" Rhythm asked. "For Team Ion?"
"Oh, uh… we've been talking about maybe trying to find Soothe. Meowth says she's pretty much the last loose end, and he wants to know why she saved him against Darkrai and then just left. Not sure if or when we'll go, though."
"Ah." Rhythm's smile twitched. "I should not keep you then. But still…I urge you to be careful. Goodnight, Litleo."
Mane, deciding his legs were stretched enough, began walking back into the guild. "Goodnight, Guildmaster."
Rhythm continued humming as the first glints of the rising sun touched the distant horizon. It'd still be a while before sunrise, but he could watch it, nonetheless.
Not alone, though.
"~I love you…I miss you. All these miles awaay~."
The crunch of foot on gravel alerted Rhythm to taper his song off, and it fell from a crescendo to a whisper to a sigh.
He continued watching the horizon for a moment before an old smile graced his face, and he turned to his visitor. "Hi, Soothe."
=) Don't we miss my cliff-hangers?
I'm glad I decided to do some recovery chapters. These have been very nice to write. More to come too, but characters are getting ready to start moving.