Six months after the decoration ceremony, Ruby, Topa, and Agnes returned to the lake that Agnes's family owned. It was a cold night of early spring, and the two pokemon slept huddled together in a single tent by the water, under the warm protection of their fluffy coats. A small eevee with yellow fur slept on top of the ninetales, nursed by the slow movements of the latter's chest.
Agnes stood outside, held upright by the two crutches on which she leaned. The icy water of the pristine lake bit her naked feed with the support of a gentle breeze, and although she wore only a shirt and jeans, she did not shiver or cover herself with her arms. A look of sorrow on her face, she looked up at the snow-covered mountain far in the distance through a break in the heavy mist that covered the lakeside.
A rustle to her left caught her attention. She peeked at it and sighed, then turned around and took a few laborious steps towards a bush by the edge of the forest.
"I knew you would be there," she said. "The mist gives you away."
A canine pokemon stepped out of the combined covers of the bush and the mist. Much taller than a human, most of its body was covered in teal fur, except for the bottom of its muzzle, belly, and inner part of its upper limbs, all covered in a fur whiter than the snow Agnes was just gazing at. A few more spots of white adorned its shoulders and legs, bringing attention to the two ribbon-like limbs that protruded from the end of its spine. Emerging from the middle part of its muzzle was a large hollow jewel in the form of a tall hexagon and coloured like frozen jade, half as tall as Agnes herself, with two spikes extending over the top of the pokemon's red eyes and forming elongated rigid eyebrows. As it stared down at the human before it, its long purple mane flowed behind it, agitated by a wind that did not affect the leaves surrounding it.
"Hello, Suicune," Agnes said, bowing as she could on her crutches.
"Hello," Suicune replied. Her voice resonated like a chime in a snowy winter. "I came here to check on you."
"Thank you. I'm… doing better. I can somewhat walk now."
Agnes lifted one of her crutches with a shy smile, to which Suicune granted a passing glance before turning her gaze back to the human.
"I…" Agnes hesitated. "I never thanked you for saving my life."
"I did no such thing. I simply–"
The pokemon was interrupted by Agnes stumbling towards her and wrapping her arms around the base of her neck. She embraced Suicune, laying her head on her flank and tightening her hold.
"What are you doing?" Suicune asked.
"It's called a hug. I don't know how else to thank you, I thought you would… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched you without asking."
As Agnes pushed herself away, one of Suicune's tails held her in place.
"You may continue," the pokemon said. "This is… pleasant."
She bent her legs, laying down in a relaxed position and bringing Agnes with her. The human let out a quiet sigh and turned around to lay more comfortably against the giant canine's flank.
"I'm doing better," Agnes repeated. "I have a new path for my career. I've resolved the problems I had with my family, we put an end to the murders, and Ruby and Topa are finally happy."
"Are you?"
Agnes lowered her head and hesitated. "Yes," she finally said. "I think I am. Having Ruby in my life changed it completely. I couldn't thank her enough for what she's done for me."
"That is good. Now that we meet in better circumstances, do you have any questions to me?"
"Honestly, I have so many questions we could be talking all night, but I suspect you wouldn't answer most of them. So I'll just ask… do you know why I can talk to gengar?"
Suicune remained silent.
"Were you also the one who kept Ruby alive?"
"No," Suicune said. "Her survival was your doing."
"I see." A faint smile brightened Agnes's face. "Why did you save me? I thought you didn't want humans to know of your existence."
"That is true. I took a risk by revealing myself to you. I trust that you will keep your word?"
"I will. I made a promise."
"Good." Suicune nodded. "I saved you because you were indirectly important to us – much more so now after what you experienced in the hospital."
"So I was right? I really went to another world?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"We don't know. We are investigating. I may call on you for that purpose."
"I see. I'll be there then."
Agnes let out a deep sigh and pushed herself against the Suicune. There was a long silence during which her gaze was drawn back to the tall mountain.
She pointed to it. "Will I ever get to meet the others?"
"That decision is not mine to make."
"It doesn't feel right, you know. Keeping a secret from Ruby and Topa like this."
"It is a necessary secret, but if it grieves you, I will consider whether or not to trust them."
"I trust them. But I understand that there is more than just you at stake and you can't decide that on your own."
"Indeed."
There was another long silence. The mist in front of Agnes fluttered and moved in shapes like terrestrial clouds, and she watched the spectacle with a faint smile, her right hand on her stomach and her left hand holding one of Suicune's tails. After over a minute of contemplation, she seized her crutches and pushed herself up – with the help of the pokemon she laid against.
"Thank you for checking on me," she said. "I feel guilty for cuddling with you when I should be cuddling with Ruby instead."
"You should not. There is no shame in seeking warmth when you are cold. Before you go, I have one last matter."
Suicune stood as Agnes turned around to face her. She used her tails to pull a large stone the size of a human eye from the fluff of her mane and dropped it into Agnes's hands. It was a roughly cut brilliant gem of a dark blue colour reflecting the moonlight in spots of azure and white. As Agnes raised it up to the sky, it became transparent, dyeing the moon with the colour of the sea. Something liquid permanently agitated the inside of the stone, disturbing the light that made it through, and revealing a few bubbles travelling incessantly within the confines of their minute realm.
"This is my gift to you," Suicune said. "I want you to keep it and never use it for anyone other than yourself. When you are ready, you will understand the significance of this stone."
"I… I don't know what you mean, but I will keep it with me. It would make a great necklace."
Suicune nodded. "Farewell, then, Agnes. Take good care of yourself and of Ruby. She is important in ways only you can understand. Until we meet again – I look forward to another hug."
"Goodbye, Suicune," Agnes said with a chuckle. "And thank you."
The mist that covered the lake gathered and enveloped the large pokemon. When it dissipated, Suicune was gone.
Agnes woke up late in the morning, still holding the Water Stone she had been gifted. She was alone in the tent, and splashing noises came from the outside, together with a comfortable scent of dew. She grabbed her crutches, slid the stone in her pocket, and hoisted herself out.
Ruby barked with joy when she exited the tent and rushed to her, her wagging tails throwing water all around her. Topa and the eevee continued playing together in the lake, taking turns splashing each other, and occasionally bouncing an inflatable ball between them.
"Good morning, Ruby," Agnes said. "Good morning, everyone. Come here, look what I found in the lake."
The pokemon gathered around her as she pulled the stone out of her pocket. They opened their mouths in awe, peeking at one another.
"I'm going to keep it as a souvenir," Agnes said. "Do you like it?"
Ruby sniffed at the stone, then nodded with energy.
"That's good! Okay, let's have breakfast and get ready to leave. I'm sorry I woke up so late."
Breakfast was quick. Agnes had prepared portions of wet and dry food for the eevee as well, who ate with enthusiasm with everyone else. While Ruby helped her human dismount the tent with her telekinesis, Topa kept playing with the wild pokemon until she was called back. The eevee got a short hug and a few pets before Agnes and her two pokemon turned back and left.
Agnes stopped as they were about to leave the clearing. She lowered her head, hesitated for a second, and turned around.
"Eevee," she called. "Do you want to come with us?"
The eevee looked up with wide eyes.
"You don't have to be alone," Agnes said. "You're welcome to join our family if you want to. But I would understand if you decided to stay."
The wild pokemon stared at Agnes in silence for a few seconds as everyone waited. She looked back, scanning the lake and the forest that surrounded it, and looked up at the White Hat.
She barked joyfully, tail wagging, and ran towards the human. Topa and Ruby celebrated her arrival with short hugs, and Agnes dropped to her knees to haul the eevee up and place her on her shoulder.
"Thank you," Agnes said. "We'll come back here, I promise. But for now, let's go home. We'll find you a name later, okay?"
The eevee barked with enthusiasm and Agnes stood. She peeked at the White Hat again, then at the bush where she had met Suicune, and surreptitiously bowed to it before turning around and leaving the lake with a new friend and a bigger family.
FIN