Bright lights flooded in from a nearby window, as I woke up from the deepest slumber I could imagine. The hallucinations of my father and Katherine had seemed so real. My body was tender from overuse, but relief flooded my chest as I realized I had survived my dance with death. Stretching both arms up in a lazy arc, I took stock of my current situation. I was in a clean white room, with numerous beeping machines. IV's ran down to my right arm. The soft quilted blanket was coiled up to the bottom of the mattress. My eyes widened as I came face to face with three beings who mattered more than anything else in my life. Each of them appeared to be worried as I started to take in my surroundings. The weakness from the fight with Mewtwo permeated my body and I could barely move a muscle or an inch, without the soreness affecting me. Glancing to my Pokemon I noticed that both her paws were heavily bandaged while she sported a bad looking wound on the end of her tail. The flesh appeared bubbly, and I suspected that Zekrom was to blame. Shifting my weight, I looked around my hospital room. My mother, Eon, and Lula all surrounded my bed. My Pokemon clung to my right side of the bed, her paws a mere few inches from mine. My dry throat gave me away, as I let out a small cough, and shuddered. Before I could move, my mother rushed forward and pressed herself against me.

"My boy! My baby boy! You're alive! Thank god! Thank Arceus! Oh….I couldn't bear it! MY SON!" Her voice wailed as she wrapped her arms tightly around me. I felt the urge to return the embrace, but my body was too weak to do so. Her warmth radiated against mine, as she trembled violently.

"Master! Are you okay? Are you feeling...okay?" Lula asked as I stared into her eyes.

"I mean...I'm pretty sore but otherwise, I feel...alive. Why do you ask?" I said, as my mother retreated. Although her eyes were red from grief and there were bags under her eyes she appeared to be in tip-top shape. An awkward quiet filled the air as I looked to each of them in turn. Everyone avoided my gaze and I felt like I was missing something important.

"What's wrong guys? Did...Did Mewtwo win?" I asked, only for Eon to visibly wince at the question. Lula hung her head, as my mother started to wring her hands over and over again. The pit of my stomach started to tighten as I realized their reactions weren't normal. The EKG monitor followed my increased heart rate as the tension in the room reached a crescendo. Turning to my starter Pokemon, I gulped audibly before asking the question.

"What happened?"

She met my gaze for a minute before my Mother cut her off. Looking to her, I noticed that her eyes had filled again with water.

"Kyle. You need to brace yourself for some bad news," she whispered softly. I nodded firmly and steadied myself for whatever words came out of her mouth next. Surely things couldn't have gone that bad, had they?

"I'm sorry, son. But you'll have to give up on your dreams of being a Pokemon Ranger."

Her words were stunning but I felt confused as to why she would say such a thing. Despite my apparent weakness, I still felt 100% physically adept at fighting. I just needed to recover a little bit and I'd be back on my feet.

"Wh-why? It's not like I'm dead. And I'm fully capable-"

"You aren't. The doctors couldn't save your left arm."

Her words hit me like a brick, and it took me a minute to fully comprehend what she had said.

"My...my arm?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion.

"Rose...cut it off. She severed everything below your elbow, including that part of your hand. The damage was irreparable," Lula interjected, her voice saddened.

"Stop joking," I replied shakily, growing angrier and angrier with each passing second. "If this is your idea of a prank its not funny. I can still feel my fingers-" I stopped mid-sentence, as my Mom tilted my head to look down at that specific part of my body. My eyes bulged in shock, and I reached out with my right hand to touch the bandaged limb. As they had said, my left arm no longer existed. I had a nub from my bicep down. Clean gauze surrounded the wound, and I could just make out the sutures that had been placed on it. The pain wasn't there, but as I tried to wiggle my fingers there was nothing there. My body had been amputated while I was asleep.

"No… Nonononono. This has to be a mistake. I….Mom!" I started hysterically, only for my mother to touch my cheek. Looking into her eyes, I felt my fear drain replaced with simply sadness. She had a way of making the darkest storms fade away with just a touch.

"Kyle Bredeson. I'm so proud of you and everything you've done. I know this is tough, just like with your father...but I will support you every step of the way," she spoke to me fervently.

"As will I," Lula said.

I remained quiet for a few minutes as I absorbed the impact of my newfound condition. Not being a Ranger wasn't the worst that could happen. If I couldn't have that dream it didn't mean much if everyone else had survived the fight. Looking up to Eon, I noticed his gaze had grown tense over the past few minutes.

As his eyes met mine, I noticed that he appeared genuinely upset.

"Kyle. I know what you want to know but before I tell you...Do you promise to remain calm? If not, Nurse Joy will need to sedate you."

Gulping again, I nodded. I wasn't sure if the answers would bring me more questions or unwanted pain.

"Mewtwo...is dead. So we don't have to worry about that threat for now. We won."

The legendary's last words to me echoed around in my mind as I questioned who and how. Instinctively I knew the answer and as I looked into Eon's firm gaze, he answered the unspoke question.

"Rose did it. I don't know where she is. Delilah helped guide us to you. At that time, you were on the verge of death, and I had to take emergency action to heal your wounds. I can confirm the damage was done by her horn. Superheated, it was a clean cut. Unfortunately, she and Mewtwo were gone by the time we arrived. After tending to you, we tracked them for as long as we could. We arrived at the corpse of a cold and unmoving Mewtwo. She was nowhere to be seen and our search turned up nothing."

His words made my heart skip a beat, and my dry mouth begged for water.

"So…We are safe? Everyone made it out, right?" I asked, clinging to the last shred of hope I had.

"I'm sorry Kyle. I wish I could tell you otherwise," Eon said sighing heavily. "Let's start with the biggest one concerning you. Elaina...didn't make it. She was shot to death protecting Sarah. Your Pokemon are all fine, except Bryan and Chris. They are both in the ICU. Chris has Pulmonary Edema. Fluid in his lungs. Bry on the other hand took a huge hit from Zekrom. Arren's Pidgeot died from the fall, but Bry is in critical condition. Gallade, Reshiram, and Zekrom all have passed away. And finally but not last Rayquaza died to bring those two down. I'm just as shocked by all of this as you are. Take a moment to breathe and-

He trailed off as his words sunk in. All of the friends who had supported us were on the verge of death or gone. Elaina! She had been so bubbly and fun, but she was gone. Bry was in critical condition. Chris was dying in another room. All the terrible things, made me shake with fury as I glared into his eyes.

"WHAT HAPPENED! WHERE WERE YOU? HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!" I screamed, trembling with emotion as Lula restrained me gently.

"Master Kyle. Please calm down…"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at her, my right arm coming free. In my rage, I didn't realize my actions until my hand had finished its arc across her muzzle. Blood rushed her cheek and poured out of her snout as my attack fully affected her. Silence filled the room, as my actions echoed off the wall. I had smacked Lula. Abused my best friend. Fear and hurt filled her eyes as she retreated away from my current position. I wanted to take it back. I felt the urge to apologize but the circumstances hardened me to her pain. Turning on Eon, I could see he wasn't fazed by what I had done.

"I trusted you Eon. You're a champion. I thought- I thought you told me that things would be fine. That this wouldn't happen. Elaina was my friend too GOD DAMNIT!"

"Kyle. That's enough," my mother threatened, but I shrugged her guidance off. My emotions were out of control and I had no sense other than the anger which fueled me at this current moment.

"So who am I supposed to trust? Friends betray you. Your heroes let you down…your family tries to silence you like good little girls and boys. Maybe Mewtwo should have killed Humanity," I spat the dark words out of my mouth without a second thought.

Eon appraised the current me, before pulling my mother away from me. Before I could stop him, he lead her out.

"Don't you fucking run! You need to answer for-"

"I did answer your questions. While things didn't go according to plan, I tried to protect you all. I didn't want this to happen. You need time to heal up. Mentally and physically."

Before I could stop him, he exited leaving me alone and burning up with so many conflicting emotions.

Looking at Lula, she avoided my gaze, and I felt regret and shame at what I had done. Before I could speak again, the door hissed again and two old friends entered the room. I watched them with wary eyes, as I expected they had heard my outburst. My eyes appraised their condition, saddened to see them injured the way they were.

Arren had several long gashes up and down his hoodie, with a piece of gauze on his cheek. Pene on the other hand had her leg in a cast. The two greeted me with a wave, as I sat there. I was wracked with guilt at their losses. If they had stayed back, then there would have been no need for those pointless deaths.

"Kyle. I know you aren't mentally well right now and this is all overwhelming. But I need to tell you something," Arren spoke, turning my attention from my emotions and to his words. Looking into his eyes, I noticed that they watered with emotion before he spoke.

"Pene wasn't crying because of the battle or adrenaline. Eon and I spoke before the fight. I brought up our conversation about destiny and fate. At first, he tried to dodge things however eventually he let something slip," he stated in a serious tone. Focusing on him to the extent of all else, I waited for the bombshell of information.

"Pene wasn't crying because of the battle or adrenaline. Eon and I spoke before the fight. I brought up our conversation about destiny and fate. At first, he tried to dodge things however eventually he let something slip," he stated in a serious tone. Focusing on him to the extent of all else, I waited for the bombshell of information."This fight was orchestrated from the beginning. There wasn't a random occurrence. Eon knew everything that would happen from the moment he met you up to this point," Arren said.

My mind broke as I realized that all the decisions I had thought I had made of my own free will had been stolen from me.

"Then-Kat...Katherine…"I whispered as the defeat from earlier seemed minuscule to the realization of what that meant.

"Eon sacrificed her," Pene whispered. The loss of my arm suddenly hit much harder than it had before. At first, I thought it had meant something. That I had done something good and given it up to save humanity. But in the end, it had all been for naught. Because everything...including the loss of it had been preordained and the champion had hidden that fact from me. He had lied to me.

I trembled with emotion, as reality sunk in bit by bit. He hadn't done anything to protect me. Instead, he had forced me into the scenario knowing I would lose.

"So what was the point?" I whispered, my fist balling up. I let out a choked sob, noticing that my friends appeared saddened by my condition.

"We survived, and while Pidgeot and Gallade would have wanted to be here, they were proud to fight for us."

"Fuck that Arren! They didn't have to die!" Pene stated, shoving my friend. I expected him to retaliate but to his credit, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know what to say. The world brought us back together and tore us down," he said in a small voice.

As I sat there in the room, dizziness filled my head. Unable to contain my emotions any further I slammed my good arm into the bed, ignoring the physical sensation as I lost all self-control. I threw a temper tantrum like the kid I was, screaming and crying as I punched the bed over and over.

"ITS! NOT FAIR! HE KILLED KAT AND JUST LET IT HAPPEN! MY BEST FRIEND! BEFORE I EVEN HAD THE CHANCE TO LOVE HER! HE LET HER DIE AND FOR WHAT? FOR WHAT?" I howled, punching the cloth. The door opened and an Audino entered. She watched me quietly as I sobbed desperately for the misery to fade away. To go away. But the knowledge of what had occurred was too much. Before I could stop it, my arm hit the metal frame of the mattress, making me swear in pain. Just as I raised my good limb up again, white smoke covered my head. Drowsiness took over and I collapsed back onto my pillow without another thought or word.

It was a full moon. As I stared into the sky, and then glanced at the clock, I felt numbed by everything that had occurred. Pene and Arren had returned to their respective regions, while I had slept. They didn't blame me for how I acted and had left me a message letting me know that if I needed them they were a phone call away. It was a solid attempt but at this time, nothing could pull me free of the depths of depression. Hours passed on without word before I sat on the hospital bed unmoving. For the first time in my life, suicide seemed like a legitimate option. What reason did I have to continue surviving? Bryan was currently being treated for severe wounds. I had hurt Lula and put my friends in harm's way for no reason. I had given Rose a chance and she had used it to take my only dream away from me. I wondered if she even felt remorse for it but knew the answer to be no. As I sat there in the night time, I expected someone to come in and tell me this was a cruel joke. That all of this was just a joke and everything was okay. Yet I knew deep down that this was my sentence. I was alone. Curling my legs up to my chest, I wept openly for my losses, unable to contain any of the pain which swirled endlessly like an undertow. I gave in to it, unwilling to face my future or anything else. I didn't know where to turn outside of inwards.

A light caress around the soft skin on the back of my neck pulled me free of my self-loathing and misery. Its eyes searched mine before the long tail pet my cheek tenderly.

"Wh-what do you want?" I sniffled, trying hard not to lash out at her as well. The depths of my anguish felt unending and innumerous. The pink legendary floated onto a bubble as it continued to stroke my cheek.

"Kyle...I'm sorry."

The words weren't what I wanted to hear as I looked away from Mew. Her usual demeanor of naivety and childlike innocence was gone replaced with affection and concern. Despite my current mental condition, I felt the legendary start to search my mind. I didn't resist, letting it examine and feel the pain I was experiencing. After a moment she retreated and exhaled quietly.

"It's not fair….it's not fair!" I raged, unwilling to move away from that thought of discontent. She didn't argue or attempt to reconcile instead, just giving me company as she sat there. I knew she understood intrinsically what I was referring to.

"What if I told you...that there was no saving Katherine?"

Looking up I noticed that I was no longer alone in my tears. The diminutive legendary wept with me openly.

"I wish I could say she would live a full long life. I'd have given you that if I could. You need to heal. Take as much time as you need. I'll be here," she whispered. Before I could resist, Hypnosis overpowered me, and the legendary held me tightly, rocking me to a deep dreamless sleep.

ONE MONTH LATER

My dimly lit room remained my sanctuary. The door shut tight, I had isolated myself away from everyone. Since the hospital had released me, every day had been a struggle. Seemingly mundane tasks such as opening the milk jug, or brushing my teeth became chores that left me in tears. My depression extended beyond my limited capabilities but to my relationships. Emily had left to become a Pokemon Trainer weeks earlier with a weakened but recovered Chris. Despite my promises, I had failed to see her off. I chose to wallow in my own angst. She had seen me look out my window as she departed. For now, it was just my mother, Delilah, Lula, and myself. Somedays I was doing better than others, but the pain never disappeared. My dreams were filled with regrets and anger as Eon and Rose's deceit consumed my daily thoughts. As I sat in my bed now, I glanced at the black pack. Even now, I fought with myself daily to ignore the gift that Rose had given me. I reasoned that she had failed to keep her promises so why should I keep mine? Nonetheless, the bag was a reminder of when things had been simpler. When she had been by my side. Eon visited every Saturday trying to placate me, and reach me, but every time, I refused to give him my time or energy. A knock sounded at my door, and I turned to stare at the wooden barrier. I willed the being on the other side to simply go away.

"M-master. Your mother wanted to know if you were hungry?" Lula asked. Her normally calm and regal voice had turned skittish and afraid since the last altercation we'd had. I could always hear her and mother speaking about my condition which did little to help my mental state.

"Go away!" I snapped.

She squeaked, and as she departed, I reached into the backpack and grabbed a granola bar. Trying to open the plastic wrapping, my teeth failed to cut into it. My eyes watered and I cursed out loud.

"FUCK!" I screamed throwing the bar at my bookshelf. It bounced harmlessly off, and I felt my self-loathing and regret return full force. I hadn't eaten in three days and I couldn't deny that the hunger pains helped overwrite the pain in my chest. I didn't know what the cure was for a broken heart but hanging onto these grudges helped me stay grounded in my situation.

"Master?" Lula asked, her voice hesitant to ask.

"GO AWAY! LULA! I DON'T NEED YOU!" I shouted at the wall, before rolling back into bed. I spent most of my days sleeping and staying awake at night. To her credit, she gave me space. As I lay there, trying to fall back to sleep, my mind reflected on her. Despite how I acted. Despite my current attitude, Lula remained faithful and loyal. Guilt filled my gut as I reflected on the third day home following the fight. Lula had only been trying to check on me. When she saw me reach for something with my left hand she had grabbed it for me. Her intentions had been to help. Instead, I saw it as a slight. I had hit her again. Not out of reflex. It had been one hundred percent spiteful. Her eyes had grown wide after the fact. Her fur had been stained red from my attack. We had remained motionless. The incident hung about us every time we spoke to each other. There was an air of blame and fear that was entirely my fault. My morales should have made me apologize. I don't know why I haven't.

As I lay there, tears stung my eyes. I was a failure. A waste of space. As my mind drifted towards unconsciousness, I heard Lula sag against the opposite side of the door frame.

"Master. No matter what happens, I'll stay. I promised you as a Popplio. We miss our Kyle though. All of us do. When you're ready to let me in, I'll be ready to forgive you," Lula said in a soft voice.

"I'll leave the plate at your door, as always. Please...come out. I want to be there for you."

I shut her out and closed my eyes tightly, but that was the end of it. Silence returned. It was time for me to sleep. I went through the same nightmare again. My arm being severed. Rose's betrayal. The death of everyone close to me.

I awoke at 7 pm, sweating profusely and gasping for breath. I wanted to scream. Instead, I gulped down and forced myself to steady itself. I looked down at my trembling right arm and fought to get it under control. Yet, nothing would make it still. I glared at my only working arm and despised my lack of strength and willpower.

Rolling off the bed, I stood up and moved to the window. Using my good arm, I opened the curtains staring into the storm clouds. A breeze flowed through the ominously open window. Kneeling down I shut the glass pane slowly before standing again. Thunder rumbled in the distance as it poured rain down onto the quiet city streets. It was on nights like this I remembered the fight on the beach. I wish it had been me who had died on that day. I crossed the quiet expanse barefoot and opened the bedroom door. There was peanut butter and jelly sandwich with soupy oatmeal. A cold glass of milk and chips surrounded the meal, and despite my desire to die, I gave in and picked up the plate delicately. Placing it on the bed, I went back and retrieved the bowl before I sat down and started to consume the meal in silence. Looking at the door, I noticed a note. Walking over to it, I read it quietly to myself as I took another bite of the sandwich.

Son,

Delilah and I went for a walk with Lula. She said she had some unfinished business at the old training field. That being said, Eon says-"

I crumpled the paper up and threw it at the trash can watching as it soared harmlessly into the air before hitting the wooden floor. I questioned why the three of them would go for a walk in weather like this but realized that it wasn't my concern.

"Why did Arceus not kill me? Katherine was waiting for me," I whispered. Dragging my feet across the cold wood, I returned to the bed and stared at the far wall.

"You're far worse than Lula let on," a voice from the far left corner of my room stated. My eyes widened as I stared into the darkness. A lightning bolt went off outside revealing the unlit portion of my room.

Out of the shadows, two yellow eyes emerged, and I could now sense a presence had entered my sanctuary. A presence I hadn't detected in the past few minutes. Glaring at the figure, I watched it stalk across to the door, and close it gently. The room was filled with darkness again, as I sat there waiting for the figure to make its agenda known.

"Whose there?" I growled, furiously.

"A friend," it spoke again, the feminine voice familiar but different at the same time.

Another bolt of lightning flashed and my eyes widened as I recognized the Pokemon in my room. Rose. Her fur was much shorter than it had been after the fight. Her normally thick horn had been shaved down an inch and her left paw was missing a claw. However, the most surprising feature was the huge scar that was visible even at this distance. The knotted flesh looked painful, and based on how she winced I considered the possibilities it did. She sat regally, before taking a step forward into the little light that came through my window.

"The traitor," I huffed, leaning back. Bitterness filled my throat, as we stared at each other. She took another step, and I tensed waiting for her to strike.

"I guess so," she said, jumping to the edge of the bed.

"So...now what? Here to finish the job?" I asked quietly.

"Maybe," she murmured hopping up to the mattress.

The air was tense as we stared each other down before she sat on my bed. Tension filled the air, and I waited patiently for her to explain why she was here. However deep down I suspected I knew the reason. We remained motionless and I tried to calm my beating heart as it raged against her.

"I miss the rain," she said, turning away from me to look out at the sky. Her words threw me for a loop, but I fought back not giving her any way to wiggle out of this.

"Enough beating around the bush. Just do what you came to, and leave.," I snapped. Her eyes turned to me before her maw turned into a frown.

"Did you open my gift?" she asked, glancing at the book bag.

"What does it matter if I did?" I demanded. To her credit, she didn't flinch at my lack of kindness.

"I see..." she said trailing off. A sad look came over her face yet I wasn't fooled by the false emotion. This gave her great joy. I was sure of it. She hesitated before moving forward step by step.

I closed my eyes as her claws touched my throat. The sharpness was surprising and I waited patiently for her to end it. Part of me wanted to fight, but in the end, I knew it was futile. There was nothing left for me on this earth. Death was what I wanted and if Rose would give it, I'd gladly take it. I just hated to give her what she wanted.

I could see Katherine clearly in my mind's eye as I waited patiently for it to all end.

"I'm sorry," she said.

I didn't believe her.

Thank you all for supporting my story. I am so happy to finally get the story out of my head and I know that I've left this open. I'm working on something else right now and hope to be posting it here very soon.

Until then, take care and stay safe!