We're almost near the end! Thought I'd never see the day, and the last chapter got more read than I expected! And apologies for the month-long wait. Work, life, and other fanfics are getting the best of me.

This chapter is best read while listening to the Undella Town OST...

Chapter thirty-eight: Ocean Breeze

The search had already taken three hours. By then, the sun had begun to set.

The International Police had requested assistance from local Unova authorities to look for what would have remained of their agents. The explosion that had shook Castelia City had occurred an hour ago and although coast guards had their ships ready, it was too dangerous to head out to the water. The radiation level was strong and it was expected to take time before it could clear, if not neutralised. For the time being, the agents were presumed dead until further notice. The remaining thermal fusion reactor had been moved by the bomb squad. It was in custody of the International Police, and its whereabouts were secret. Perhaps there could be some use of the reactor, had it not been weaponised.

Castelia City itself was also a victim, given its proximity to the explosion. Almost every building and structure was left seriously damaged, which warranted an enormous effort from emergency services to evacuate the city. Evacuation centres had been established at the neighbouring cities of Nimbasa City and Nacrene City. Despite the explosion, Skyarrow Bridge remained structurally sound, which made evacuation easier, and the International Police foothold at Route 4 was also helpful. As local police ramped up efforts to ensure no one wandered the streets, anyone caught would be arrested.

Of course, it wasn't just Castelia City that was affected but all of Unova. If the Lake Valor explosion in Sinnoh could be felt across Sinnoh, this explosion near Castelia City had done more damage than that. It was so bad that people living as far as Icirrus City thought an earthquake had struck, the amusement park at Nimbasa City was in dire need of repair, and countless property damage claims were reported. There was even a rock slide reported on Route 20, near Flocessy Town, to name a few natural disasters.

Unity Tower was almost unrecognisable. Thanks to Eclipse's warning from earlier, leading Essentia to secure the tower and clear the floors of Fiera agents holding Corrosive Gas, Looker's investigation team had evacuated the tower. The political leaders were immediately rushed out to safe houses far from Castelia City. There had been no one in Unity Tower at the time when the thermal fusion reactor detonated. This meant the probability of casualties was near zero. It seemed everyone at Unity Tower owed Eclipse their lives.

That is, if they knew about Eclipse in the first place. No one knew about her or what she did, of course. Neither would they know that she and Looker had taken the reactor to the horizon to save the city. Only Emma, Acht, and Atelier knew what exactly happened, and the Unova counter-terrorist team to some extent.

And as far as Acht was concerned, Project Fusion had been an expensive and catastrophic failure for Fiera. He had even sent a message to Fiera agents – on a word-processed letter – to never approach Eclipse again, or else the IP would reveal publicly that their operation had been felled by a seventeen-year-old girl – withholding her name of course. That seemed enough for the eighteen thousand or so Fiera agents to leave Eclipse alone.

But despite not knowing the details, the Unova authorities suspected whoever the IP asked to look for were responsible for averting the explosion in the city. This was the least they could do to repay a small debt. Even then, the best the coast guard could do was to search the surrounding waters where the explosion occurred. It had taken at least half an hour before they could head out, and the timing didn't include the pre-departure checks.

But it had already been three hours since the explosion and sunset had begun to fall.

Emma had worn a sad face throughout those three hours, not knowing what she could do next or where to go. Something in her chest hurt and she could hazard a guess why. Mars and Looker must have died in that explosion and all that was left to do was to recover their bodies. In the meantime, she had spoken with Atelier for the slightest of hopes that he could track them.

"Can't you just track her GameFreak down?" she said.

"I tried, Essentia. I tried. I only have her last known location which was just off the waters not far from you. I'll relay those coordinates to our fellow IP officers," Atelier replied.

But that was all Atelier could really do. It seemed that the slightest of hopes for finding them had become bleak now. Emma turned to Kangaskhan and Purugly and could see tears in their eyes. When the Pokémon looked back at her, even Emma started to shed tears.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!" she said to them. She was choking on her tears, unable to move or speak more. What could she possibly say to comfort the Pokémon whose Trainer had supposedly just died? It was next to impossible.

What surprised Emma after, though, was that she an arm wrap around her in a display of comfort. It was Kangaskhan, wearing a sad face also, who gently pulled Emma closer to her like a mother would. Even Kangaskhan knew exactly what Emma was feeling, if not worse. Maybe it was of Kangaskhan's paternal instinct that she did so. It took some time before Emma let go of Kangaskhan and then kneeled to hug Purugly too, apologising for the same reasons.

Then Emma turned to look at her other Pokémon. Malamar, Crobat, and… wait, where was Mars' Bronzor? It was here earlier when Mars came to drop off the reactor earlier! Did Mars take Bronzor with her on the airship by accident or did Bronzor go on its own accord? Emma shook her head. She could only imagine the dread of reporting Mars' presumed death to her family, let alone Bronzor.

Emma also knew it was time for debriefing. It had to be done though she didn't feel like going.

The sound of gentle and rolling waves splashing on the seashore was nothing short of comforting. On a quiet day, it was as soothing as a lullaby that could be enough lull someone to sleep. There was no need to see the waves or the shore. The sound was enough to make one want to stay there forever. And with the smell of ocean breeze, that could only add to the immersive experience. To be at the shore in uninterrupted silence was pure bliss.

Ocean air…

The waves had carried the girl to the shore as gentle as the waves themselves. She was dressed in a black coat, dress shirt and tie and all. And she had strikingly noticeable red hair.

This is familiar.

It was the same feeling from last year… It happened on Route 213 in Sinnoh. At the time, she was a criminal on the run, and within days had turned her life around to become someone much better. She had reformed to become a Pokémon Trainer with the aim of winning the Pokémon League, while also growing berries in Floaroma Town to make a living. The moment she had turned her life around was the best feeling in the world, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

It seemed like another weight had been lifted from her shoulders once more. Right now.

Was it a mirage? She wished she could stay here forever.

The gentle waves had carried her to rest on the wet sand where the waves constantly and gently crashed and recoiled. She was barely conscious as if she were about to fall asleep and her body was weak. She tried opening her eyes and could only make out blobs of light at first, then as her brain started to focus – but briefly as she was about to pass out again – she could make out the seashore. But that was all. She was about to pass out again. There was no strength in her body and mind left.

And even so, Mars felt relieved all the same. A weight hadn't just been lifted from her shoulders. Instead, it was like something that had weighed her heart down had simply disappeared, leaving Mars with a light feeling in her chest. Whoever Team Galactic's Mars was, or whatever was left of her, didn't seem to burden her at all. It was as if the personality of Team Galactic's Mars had been removed from her mind, and the memories of Team Galactic's Mars were all but distant.

She was at peace. The ocean air reminded her that she truly wasn't what she used to be. Did something happen earlier? Her brain wasn't working well at the moment. She tried opening her eyes but her eyelids felt heavy and tired, and so was her brain.

Mars passed out. The side of her head hit the sand and she lay still.

Because Mars was unconscious for a time, it felt like hours had passed by too quickly.

In the next instance when she was conscious, Mars found herself in very unfamiliar surroundings. She was resting on a comfortable feather bed in a bedroom with painted walls of deep pink. The bedroom had a dresser, a desk and chair, and at least two windows with views of the ocean.

The room was brightly lit even though no lights were turned on. Wait… Was that the sunrise on the horizon? The rays of light were beaming into and illuminating the bedroom.

She yawned, and then took a better look around. She recognised her clothes – the tie, the coat, her bag, and all, being hung to dry near the window. Mars then realised she was wearing nightclothes – very comfy ones, she had to add – that weren't her own. Someone had changed her clothes and let her rest in this comfortable bedroom, but who?

Feeling well-rested, Mars got out of bed and on her feet, her feet touching the carpet floor. It felt very surreal that – if she recalled correctly – she had been caught in an explosion earlier. Had she died? And was this what heaven was like? If so, heaven felt like home. She walked over to her drying clothes near the window. They had been cleaned. Mars could smell the faint scent of detergent on them – except for the tie (which had to be dry-cleaned).

Now that she looked outside, Mars noticed this bedroom was on the second floor, as she could see the shore below. The sunrise was blinding though, so Mars turned around to leave the bedroom. There was another bedroom across from hers, a staircase leading down, and, to her left, a living room with a door leading out to a balcony. If she had time, Mars would have wanted to check out the later. Instead, she went downstairs to where the kitchen was.

"I sensed you were awake. Come and have breakfast."

Mars wasn't expecting that kind of greeting either. When she looked to see who it came from, Mars saw a young woman at the kitchen making grilled fish and oatmeal – a combination that raised question marks over Mars' head. She decided not to ask about it though. Instead, Mars looked at the young woman – she looked very familiar. The dark blonde hair, the similar age to her own…

"You're quite a long way from Sinnoh, Mars," she said.

Mars took a seat at the kitchen table. "Wait a sec… You're…" she started. It felt like her mind was retracting, as if confused.

"I thought I recognised you, and your handy ID confirmed it for me. If you must know, I'm Caitlin," the young woman said. She smiled slightly. "I used to live in Sinnoh, like you."

That added to Mars' surprise, as if there weren't enough already. That is, to wake up in a stranger's villa and said stranger recognised her. Of all people, it was one of Unova's Elite Four. No wonder she looked familiar. Still, Mars hadn't realised how hungry she was until the food was placed before her, so she ate breakfast heartedly. It tasted delicious.

Was she that hungry? Neither had she had talked and realised too late that Caitlin was watching her with indifference. Mars felt embarrassed. Now that her head was less dizzy, she looked at Caitlin again. "So sorry for being so quiet. Thanks for the meal. Now, how did I end up here? I haven't died, have I?"

Caitlin shrugged. Her smile faded as she gathered her memories. "You washed ashore here in Undella Town last night, and I happened to see you while out on a walk. How that happened, I won't ask, though your Bronzor was with you at the time. You washed ashore together."

Bronzor? Bronzor was also here? Mars looked around and sure enough, Bronzor had floated from upstairs above to join her at the table. Now if Mars wasn't surprised enough already, she was surprised even more. Her thoughts went back to Purugly and Kangaskhan, and then Mars remembered. Purugly and Kangaskhan were left waiting in Castelia City when she went off to bring the thermal fusion reactor far away. And Mars remembered the explosion too. The memory of it was so violent she could barely recall what she had seen or heard.

"No way. Bronzor. Was it… you?" Mars started. Bronzor's eyes turned to ones that showed it was smiling. Then it snuggled against Mars' arm. Mars almost wanted to cry. "You're… you're okay." Yet she was all smiles.

Caitlin noticed Mars' reaction. Was she always this emotional? "You're… There's something quite bright about you, Mars. Like you're unusually happy. Certainly not like what I've heard about you at Team Galactic. Did something happen?"

Mars lifted her head up. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. "It's a long story. Believe me, I went through hard times over the past week to realise it." She paused. "I can't say too much, though." Bronzor glanced at Mars and then went off to get some more rest, still tired.

Caitlin's face remained neutral. "Did the explosion have something to do with it? It was on the news. There's no need to hide anything, Mars." She smiled a little, as she saw the look of excessive surprise on Mars' face – the most obvious was that Mars' mouth had fallen open. "Did I tell you I'm a psychic? I can read minds."

Mars shook her head silently, her expression clueless. Now this amused Caitlin, mainly because she wasn't expecting Mars – the former Team Galactic admin – to be acting so personable, if not emotional. In a sense, it reminded Caitlin about herself. "Then again," Caitlin added, "I'm sure everyone knows about the explosion already. It affected my place here, as you can see, it's quite messy right now." She got up to get a hot drink. "Milk tea?" she offered, which added to a seemingly endless list of surprises for Mars. She nodded silently.

After breakfast, they were enjoying two cups of brewed milk tea, brewed using a saucepan over the stove, boiling water, teabags, milk, and honey. The end product had the same sweetness Mars would get in Sinnoh. Now that Mars had changed back to her clothes, minus the tie, they sat at a table on the balcony of the home, which turned out to be a villa. The view of the morning sun over the water was nothing short of spectacular.

Caitlin had briefed Mars on what had happened the past while. An explosion from Castelia City had left the electrical grid in Undella Town damaged and so the resort town was currently functioning on emergency power. Fortunately, the water system was okay. Mars sipped her milk tea, unsure how to explain things without giving away too much, so instead she continued the conversation from earlier. "I don't know if know what it feels like to wrestle with your past. I'm infamous for having one." She looked down, suddenly feeling nervous to look at Caitlin in the eye. If Caitlin could read minds, could she understand emotions too?

Her answer came rather quicker than Mars expected. "Did I ever tell you I used to manage a facility in the Sinnoh Battle Frontier?" Caitlin replied. "At that time, I hadn't awoken to my powers yet… and when I did, I came close to destroying everything around me."

That got Mars' attention.

Caitlin went on, seeing that Mars was interested. "Let's just say my psychic powers are correlated with my emotions. I had a temper, you know, and I was an emotional girl. Once my powers awoke, I had harmed everyone and everything I knew, even my Pokémon. Imagine psychic power going out of control: that's how bad it was."

Mars raised an eyebrow. "I can imagine, but I won't ask how bad. Why are you telling me this, Caitlin?" She could kind of understand what Caitlin was getting to.

At first, Caitlin didn't reply. She opted to quietly sip her milk tea while she gathered her thoughts. "Mars, didn't another side of you come close to destroying what you held dear? You asked me if I ever wrestled with my past. The weak impatient girl who couldn't handle her emotions before is no longer there. Now she is able manage them. What about you? Have you changed?"

It struck Mars that as Caitlin shared about her former self, Mars understood. What happened to Mars' former self? However, she was sidetracked by the fact that Caitlin had guessed the truth about her other self. "How could you possibly know I came close to destroying–?"

"I can read emotions."

Mars rolled her eyes. Of course that was obvious. Why not read emotions too if she could read minds? The memories of her fight with Purugly came back to her, making Mars tear up faster than she thought. "My former self consumed my thoughts… Yeah, it had its benefits too, like being able think more logically than ever. But I… I ended up hurting my Pokémon because of my former mentality."

"Your experience isn't much different to mine, Mars. In my honest opinion, having no psychic powers at all is having psychic powers you can't control. Just like how I was that weak girl, let me ask you this: is your former self still a part of you?"

In all honesty, perhaps that would explain why Mars felt lighter. Her past self, the cold-hearted girl that was once Team Galactic's Commander Mars would forever be buried in her past. Mars knew she still had some characteristics of her past self that wouldn't go away. However, it felt like it wouldn't haunt her for good either. It surprised Caitlin that Mars returned the answer with a light smile. "She'll be in my memories, and she'll stay there. Maybe like you, I'll keep her under control."

It was quite possible that the explosion had something to do with it, yet in that moment that Mars took the reactor away, the act reminded her that she something better than Commander Mars could ever be. If only she could turn back time to undo the damage she had done before… If only she hadn't run away from home as a little girl… The International Police wouldn't be hunting her down.

But in a twisted sense of irony, were it not for Team Galactic, Unova would have been blown to bits. Her skills in Team Galactic played a role in foiling an enormous threat from Fiera. Come to that, Mars was reminded that she didn't act alone. There was Purugly, Kangaskhan, Atelier, Emma, Looker…

Her smile faded. She looked at Caitlin again. "Say, did you find anyone else on the shore?"

Caitlin shook her head. "No. Why?"

Mars feared as much. That left one more question for her unanswered. Well, maybe her associates at the IP would have better luck.

"It's nothing," she replied quietly. She sipped more of milk tea and watched the ocean view. The more she thought of it, the more Mars was reminded of her time on Sinnoh's Route 213. It was there that she started her new life, amid an ocean view and crashing waves, and it felt like it had come full circle here in Undella Town. Perhaps she needed to be reminded that she wasn't what she had been.

I didn't count on the references to the original Catharsis story I wrote would work so well here, and with Caitlin's past no less! If you didn't catch it, this chapter title 'Ocean Breeze' is a reference to the first chapter in Catharsis, 'Ocean Air'.