TEAM: ...

Flare's POV

Hazy… hazy… it's all murky…

I didn't know what happened. I couldn't see anything. I wanted to think that… that… was just some weird nightmare again, but things still didn't feel right with that idea. It was dark. I was shaking. I didn't like it.

I opened my eyes. The haze lifted. The sky was bright through the nearby window. I was back in the bed of the spare room. I wanted to sigh, but there was still some weight I couldn't let go.

I groaned and put a hand to my head as I sat up. I was already trying to shake off the dreamless mush and recall what exactly happened last night. I rubbed my surprisingly tired eyes and reached for my glasses.

Was I… crying?

"Flare dear, you're awake!"

That voice woke me right up. "Mom…?"

I didn't really expect it, but there she was, actually here somehow. She stood over me, evidently worried.

I was still confused. I double checked to make sure we were still in the daycare room. "What're you doing here, mom? Did something happen?" I noticed something. More like a lack of something. "Where are my Pokémon?"

She still had that look on her face. The kind when she had really bad news. She was even clutching my hand. And then she turned to look at the TV.

There was an urgent news report going on. "... following the unusual spontaneous weather patterns around the Wild Area came a sudden surge of wild Pokémon suddenly Dynamaxing and growing aggressive. A sudden surge of Dynamax Energy could explain this, but we have yet to find out what exactly caused this change."

It all came back to me. The Slurpuff. The fight. The…

I suddenly found myself short of breath. Last I remembered we just finished taking down the Slurpuff, and I was…

I tried to compose myself amidst my panic. I looked at mom again. "Where… where are my Pokémon?"

She just clutched my hand even tighter. I could just tell from the look on her face that she was hesitating.

"Come with me." She helped me up. "I'll take you to them."

Author's POV

By one corner of the first part of the Wild Area stood what remained of what looked to be a watchtower. History has cut it down to size to the point where it was no longer eligible to use for its original purpose. And yet, the vague cylindrical formation of cold bricks still stood the test of time at the center of this grassy field, as if it froze mid-collapse and refused to crumble further. For a landmark of such historical significance dating back to Galar's medieval era, it had been revered with a new purpose.

Watchtower Ruins served as its own secluded spot that wasn't entirely overrun with wild Pokémon. As such, it had been repurposed into a resting field. In this graveyard, it is said that the spirits of humans and Pokémon alike will watch over those who've gone too soon. The lingering presence of different types of ghosts, visible or not, gave the area an ethereal air that was distinct compared to the open wilderness of everywhere else.

Flare watched on in silence as Judith guided her through the area. She noticed the frigid mist that coated the floor and recalled memories of the Fairy type variant. The implications of this place led her to remain clutching the warmth of her mother's hand. Judith felt this and desperately wanted to comfort her daughter, for she knew very well what they were approaching.

A group of Pokémon were all gathered up ahead, standing in silence. Flare immediately recognized the figures of her team and didn't hesitate to run after them.

"You guys!" There was a tone of released relief as she called out to them. The sound of her voice got them to notice her. As Flare got closer, she knelt down to bring them all in for an embrace.

She found herself sniffling a bit as she felt the confirmation that her team was here and well. "You guys…" Flare pulled back to get a good look at her Pokémon, all here and in the flesh. "You're actually okay."

"Speak for yourself." Spike retorted with a chuckle, his tone quieter than usual. "You were the one who passed out last night."

Flare sighed at the recollection. "But I thought there were more of those giants, how did-"

"I do believe I was responsible for that." Flare looked up to see that Levin was approaching her. "It was a good thing I arrived when I did."

Tilda wiped her eyes for a bit before her familiar excitement returned. "You… you should've seen how cool he was, Flare! He just came in and started blasting all those big meanies with his psychic attacks! He was moving so fast too… or maybe we were just slow. I dunno."

"A-Ahem…" Hook cleared his throat a short distance away, close enough to join the group but still kept his space from the group hug. "I bet I could do that too. Just… just you wait."

"Heh. Don't sweat it." Cress spoke up. "We were still pretty cool back there."

Flare just chuckled. She was just glad to be with her team again, the very sight of them making it feel like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Spike, Tilda, Cress, Hook, and…

The very realization got Flare to stand up and look ahead. There she saw what exactly the group was gathered around in the first place. A simple wooden plank structure jutting from the ground to serve as a makeshift gravestone. Tied around one of the wooden planks was a white cloth. Twigs stood in somber silence, clutching Zap tightly.

Flare's heart shattered at the realization. She quickly approached her Thwackey and knelt down to pull her in for a hug. The tears were already coming back. "Twigs… I'm so, so sorry…"

The Thwackey had already spent her fill of tears, but she still found herself with a sad smile on her face, surprised at the gesture. "I'm okay, lass. I'm okay. It's nae your fault."

Judith watched on as Flare started to break down in front of her Pokémon. She wanted to comfort her, but the rest of her team were quick to gather around her. The sight of it gave Judith a sense of sentimental pride. She wasn't sure about how her daughter would deal with the loss of a Pokémon, but just seeing her then with her team gave her confirmation. To think it all started with just a Grookey. "She'll be okay." She muttered to himself. Judith brought her proud stare to the Indeedee standing next to her. "Thanks for calling me here, Levin dear. And for helping out. I needed to see this… I needed to be here."

The stoic Indeedee merely nodded. "I was just doing my duty." He raised an eyebrow. "Though, dare I say, colour me surprised to see how fast you got here. Especially considering the responsibilities you must be dealing with back at home."

"Oh, don't worry." Judith smiled. "I left Banana to watch over everyone."

Levin frowned. "Him? Need I remind you what happened last time you trusted him with a house? Please tell me that Sheep is still there, at least."

"Sheep…" Judith hesitated at the realization. "... isn't home right now. Ah."

She quickly approached Flare. "I have to deal with some matters at home now. Take care, will you dear?"

Flare looked up at her, tone still shaky. "Okay."

Judith knelt down to give Flare a kiss on the head before hurriedly taking off. Her Braviary let out an echoing screech to the sky as it flew off with Judith on its back. Levin stared as Judith disappeared from sight before silently deciding it was his time to head back to the daycare. His job was done here.

Flare's POV

I still needed a second. Everything just happened so suddenly. Yesterday I just got my third Gym Badge and decided to train and everything and now Crumbs is…

I sighed. It felt empty. I had to sit down and stare at just what exactly resulted from all of this. The grave, the scarf… He was really just… gone.

At least the rest of my team seemed to understand. They all joined me in mourning in silence. It was all I could do. And yet, I wished I could've done more.

Maybe I could've tried to put him back in his Pokéball… or maybe if I just didn't train that day…

The more I thought about it, the more the regret started piling up. I didn't even consider something like this even happening, and yet it still felt like there was so much I could've done.

"Guys…" I finally spoke, my head tucked near my knees. My voice was heavy. "... I'm not sure where to go anymore. I… I don't want to put you guys in any more danger."

My mind was all muddled with all the "could've's" and regrets. I knew just the suggestion of quitting would cause quite the reaction, but I could barely think straight in the moment. All I could focus on was how badly I didn't want what happened to Crumbs to happen to anyone else. They were all still here with me, but for how much longer?

I looked up to see Twigs place a hand on my shoulder. "Flare, lass. I told you. You're nae at fault here. I knew Crumbs better than anyone. He wouldn't hold any of this against you."

I was still in disbelief. I still felt guilty that he never would've asked for such a fate. "I just… wished I could've saved him."

Twigs seemed to choke up. "Me too… And yet… if it weren't for him, me and Zap wouldn't be here either. He cared a lot. He wouldn't want us to get hurt, or starve, or… fall apart." She stopped to wipe her eyes. "The big softie."

Cress crawled up to me. "You know… this sad stuff doesn't last forever, believe me. It's okay. Sometimes you just gotta hang in there for a bit and maybe things will get better."

I heard Spike sigh next to me. I've never heard him feel this distraught before. "He was a good kid. I get what you're coming from, but I know we're stronger than this. We didn't exactly lay our heads down and give in, did we?"

"Ahem, yes, what he said." I heard Hook speak up as he came closer. "Even with what happened… I doubt that it was reason enough to believe that I, er, we, are not strong enough for this."

Tilda nodded from nearby. "You guys are all really strong. And I think we're only strong because we got someone like you with us, Flare." Even if she wasn't peppy this time, her words still felt encouraging.

I smiled as I let their words sink in. They were all right. And just like that I felt my thoughts clear up a little. "You're right, you guys. We've come this far, haven't we?" I knew Crumbs wouldn't want us to just quit. If anything, maybe just a short break to recuperate, and then it would be back to the road.

I let out another sigh, this time in relief. I didn't take my eyes away from the grave as I did so, but even then, I felt like I could come to terms with it all. It's what he would have wanted.

Thank you for everything, Crumbs.

"If… if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure the ghosts here will keep him company."

Yeah… wait-

I suddenly cried out in surprise at the sudden unfamiliar voice that popped up near me. The boy that was nearby yelped in shock too. I watched as he quickly picked himself back up, clutching some sort of white mask that covered his whole face. He was definitely much younger and shorter than me, to my surprise.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry… I should've introduced myself first, oh crumbs…" He froze for a second. "T-That was… a figure of speech! I wasn't talking about your… oh…"

For a second he looked as if he was trembling in fear, trying to look away from me as if he did something wrong.

I tried to loosen up, wondering why a kid like him was here in the first place, until I recognized his purple uniform. "Aren't you… the Ghost type Gym Leader?"

"Oh, y-yep." The mention seemed to get him to calm down. He turned to face me, his tone still meek. His purple eyes stared at me through his mask. "... 'M Allister. I… didn't make it far in the tournament, s-so I'm not taking part this year… I was just here visiting my ghost friends. I-I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear!"

At first I thought he was referring to the spirits of the deceased here, but now that he mentioned it, I noticed several Ghost type Pokémon hovering around the area, surprisingly docile for Pokémon of their typing.

It was then that I noticed a Duskull right nearby, watching me intently. So intently that I wondered how long it was floating there. "Uh… is this Duskull yours?"

"O-Oh, no…" Allister slowly shook his head. "She must be a wild one who's taken interest in you… Her name is Spair…"

So it's a she… I wanted to question how exactly Allister could understand this silent Duskull, but I decided not to. I remembered that his whole background was being able to understand and see ghosts better than others after… some kind of accident. The website was really vague.

I took out a Great Ball as Spair continued staring at me. "Well, since I'm here, I might as well." Surprisingly enough, she didn't even put up a fight as I threw the ball at her.

As I warped my new capture away through the Box Link, I noticed Allister stare at me with even more intrigue. "You're… you're a Gym Challenger, right? I think I've seen you on the telly."

I widened my eyes for a second at the idea of a Gym Leader recognizing someone like me for being on TV. Normally it would be the other way around. "Are you sure? I just got my third Gym Badge yesterday, actually."

His eyes seemed to light up. "O-Oh, so it was you. Y-You were in that one trio run in Motostoke. I just remembered because I… I also saw one of your friends stop by here earlier… I don't remember who, though…"

Wait, if they stopped by here, then that must mean- I quickly got up. I turned to my team. "Guys, we have to go."

"O-Oh…" Allister nervously shifted. "... did I s-say something wrong?"

I gave him a smile as I got ready to set off. "No, no… I just thought it was time for me to get back to my Gym Challenge. I've been on this training detour for a while now and felt like I have to catch up now."

"That's okay… I'm sorry for your loss…" He started waving at me. "And g… good luck! With… um… everything…"

I waved at him as me and my team started heading back. Spike spoke up. "He's a nice boy."

I chuckled. "At least we got a new catch in the process." The thought of a new catch once again reminded me of the current state of my team. I didn't want to just forget about Crumbs so soon, and yet-

We all skidded to a halt. In front of us were a whole group of wild Pokémon, the likes of Linoone, Rhyhorn, Metapod, and even Sigilyph. My team stepped in front of me, ready to fight, but I felt like something was off. The wild Pokémon, their stares weren't hostile.

Twigs realized it too. She stepped forward. "This lot… these were the Pokémon we trained against yesterday."

Hook frowned. "Have they come back with a grudge, maybe?"

I caught on to what Twigs was getting at. "I don't think so, actually." I turned to face the group ahead. I noticed that each of them were holding a bunch of things. Berries. "You guys remember what he did yesterday, don't you? Are these berries… to pay your respects?'

The Sigilyph in front slowly blinked, nodding. It proceeded to lead the rest of the wild Pokémon past us, the whole group passing by without any sort of quarrel. Me and my team just stood there for a second, a bit dumbfounded at what just happened. Yet, I found myself relieved by the encounter.

I smiled. That was when I knew for sure that Crumbs would never be forgotten. I looked back at the grave in the distance once more, making out the shape of his scarf. With how it was blowing in the wind, it looked like it was waving at us. I waved back before facing ahead. "Let's get going, guys."

Author's POV

That area in Bridge Field saw the most commotion ever since the event. Maybe not as much commotion as the day Leon adopted a certain trio of Pokémon, but the news report about it put Bridge Field and its daycare facility in a bit of spotlight. Not to mention all the trainers that swooped in to help out with the Dynamaxed threats the night prior. And yet, after all that, it was like the storm passed like it was never there, and everything including the weather went back to normal.

As Twigs stood in the dining room once more, she felt fortunate that the daycare was safe from all the damage that was caused. At least that was something she saved.

Therese hugged Twigs tight. "I'll miss having ye around, ya know that?"

Twigs hugged the Indeedee back. "Rest easy, Tea. I'm sure Flare will let me visit every now and then. I'll be back, promise."

Chloe smiled at the sight. "I dinnae remember the last time I was this proud of seeing a foster go. Anything else ya need for the journey, lassie?"

Twigs looked around for a bit before noticing the bowl of berries on the table. She took an Oran Berry and handed it to Zap, who was still sniffling on the floor nearby. She gave the Toxel a reassuring pat on the head as he shifted his attention to his food.

Therese put her hands on Twigs' shoulders. "I worry about ye, Tara. Are you… really gonna be okay without a battle partner?"

Twigs frowned for a second, gaze wistfully trailing off for a second as she hesitated. "I'll think of something. Don't worry." It was then that she noticed that Zap had clung onto her leg, clamoring to be lifted. "Would you look at that. Looks like he wants to go already. Guess I got no choice."

She picked Zap back up and waved goodbye, once again leaving Chloe and Therese as she found herself back outside.

Flare was waiting for her there, as was the rest of the team. "Ready, Twigs?"

The Thwackey nodded with a bit more confidence. "I'm ready."

The following trek through the latter part of the Wild Area wasn't as eventful as anticipated, probably due to the recent disaster silencing the behavior of some groups of wild Pokémon. Even then, just making it through the area proved to be quite the walk, going through sandstorm-prone fields and an upward hill.

At last, the group found themselves before a castle brick wall with a gaping dragon head serving as the entrance. The group stood before Hammerlocke, the center of the Galar region and the next leg of the Gym Challenge.

Flare took a deep breath, taking in the weight of just how far they've come, as well as the lack of weight from one less Pokéball in tow. "We're here, guys."

Stepping forward meant leaving the Wild Area behind once more, possibly for good. Some of them decided to look back one last time. Some of them didn't. Either way, as they moved forward, they all had the same thought.

"Goodbye, Crumbs."