The early morning light shown down on the ruined remains of the Safari Rescue. Both the building and barn had burnt to the ground and the only thing proving it had ever been there was a cloth line in the back, and the smoking remains.

By the time the police and fire department arrived, it was too late. The poachers were gone and the buildings couldn't be saved. The ambulance and medical personnel were very welcomed as both people and Pokémon needed treatment.

As treatment on her wounds finished, Serena counted her lucky stars that for a second time this week, she had avoided any major injuries. Sylveon was fine as well. She couldn't battle for a few days, but she wouldn't have any lasting damage. Apparently, she still had injuries from the battle against Mega Scizor.

And fortunately, the news was the same for most of the other surviving Pokémon as well. None would have lasting injuries or life changing conditions. Although the fate of the captured ones remained undetermined.

As the nurse walked away, Serena put her hat back on her head and made her way into the woods in the back of the house. She had a lot on her plate she needed to digest. The nurses wouldn't miss her, they had their hands full preparing the Pokémon for transfer to another rescue.

Thanks to Zinnia's advice, she had been able to recover her clothes as she had left them out on the clothes line. However, when she went to get them, she couldn't help but notice the dark haired girl's clothes were missing.

She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but between this, her knowledge of the criminal underworld and her incredible skill in battle despite not competing in Pokémon leagues once again had raised her suspicions.

Did Zinnia really have ties to the Delta Reapers? She had said it was because she wanted revenge, but how much did Serena really know about the girl's past? How much could she really trust about her? Did she really trust the words of someone who could be lying?

Serena slapped herself on her cheeks with both hands. What was she doing?! Since when was she this distrustful? Back in Kalos, she had trusted people so easily, even if they later turned out to be Team Rocket. Now on her third day in Hoenn, she was questioning her newest traveling companion! Why?! She wasn't like this!

Then her mind replayed the moment where everything had turned. She was standing, powerless, alone against the lone trainer who had beaten not just her and Aria, but also the top Pokémon Coordinator and an entire stadium of her fans.

Back then, when she had heard that they had tied to the underworld, she had suppressed it back then, but she had been terrified! Now she was scared of running into another trainer like him, but actually interested in stealing her Pokémon.

If she faced someone with even half his skill, she would be powerless to stop them. She would lose her precious partners and that scared her more than anything. It made her jumpy and suspicious of everyone. Now she was questioning Zinnia, a girl whose only crime was being wronged by the underworld and wanting to get back at it.

Honestly, she envied the girl. She was so brave and strong. Instead of getting scared after a bad loss, she wanted to get even, while a part of Serena wanted to run away.

She was a weakling and a coward! All she ever did was get in the way. What was she thinking, traveling on her own?! She never stood a chance out here! She-!

Serena was ripped out of her thoughts as she spotted Kay. The girl was kneeling in the grass tending and placing a small body wrapped in cloth into a small hole.

The girl's hands were covered in bandages and were trembling not just from emotions, but also undoubtedly pain.

Steeling her emotions, the blonde approached Kay. She could spend as much time self-loathing herself later. Right now, Kay needed someone, anyone, to help her pick up the pieces of her life that had shattered completely over the course of a single night.

Once she reached the girl, she knelt down, placing a hand on her arm, prompting the rescue worker to look up at her.

"Let me." Serena said gently, just looking at Kay told her that the girl was completely exhausted and broken. And the blonde didn't blame her. If the shoe was on the other foot, she'd be the same.

"We're both morning, let me help you."

Kay said nothing, but offered the body to the blonde, who carefully took it and laid it in hole. Neither said anything, neither really could. And as they lay the Pokémon down to rest.

The two stood in silence as they looked down at the grave. Neither had a strong bond with the Pokémon, but that didn't make them feel any better. In fact, the thought made Serena's stomach hurt. The poor Pokémon had been fully rehabilitated and was up for adoption, only to have its chance at that life snatched away in the cruel way.

"I found him myself, ya know?"

Serena looked over at Kay as she spoke, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"I found him washed up on the shore just a little ways away from here. He was hurt and scared." As she spoke, Serena heard the girl's voice becoming more and more uneven as she held back all her emotions.

"When I brought him back, he didn't trust anyone, not even me. I think he was abandoned by his trainer and couldn't bring himself to trust humans anymore. It took so much effort just to treat his wounds. But after several days, we finally found out if he was with another Pokémon, he'd be much calmer." Kay let out a dry chuckle at the memory, though to Serena it seemed more like she was doing everything in her power to keep herself together.

"After that, we put him in with Spheal. And even though Piplup never admitted it, after a few weeks of being treated together, he wanted to get to know him better. But the little guy was so proud he never could. Or he never realized." Kay had a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes. She looked so hollow.

"I think Spheal wanted to be friends too, but didn't really understand how. Piplup couldn't play like he did with his parents. And with him pretending to be so aloof, he never could find a way to connect. And now they'll never get that chance. I just hope he lives on in his memory like in mine."

Giving the rescue worker a smile, Serena gently put her hand on the girl's back and began rubbing it comfortingly.

"That's a good way to look at it." The blonde said. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that. Now, what do you say we go check on said Spheal and make sure he's okay? I'm sure everyone's tired after last night."

Kay gave a weak nod, then the two began the short track back to the ruined rescue.

However, when they got there, they were greeted with a less than pleasant welcome.

"Well, it's about time you got back!"

A tall man with a ridiculously expensive suit, a waxed mustache, and a short hair smoothed back against his skull to much grease stood in the driveway of the rescue. A nice car that must cost a small fortune was behind, it was the newest model that came out earlier this year and was so shiny that it must be waxed almost daily.

He stormed over to the two girls, face staining with anger.

"What exactly happened here!?' He roared. "Care to explain to me why the barn that I sponsor isn't standing anymore?! Or why I got a call in the middle of the night saying that Everboar's mining works support a rescue that abuses their Pokémon?!"

"W-what are you talking about?!" Kay protested utter confusion. "We got attacked by a group of poachers! They overloaded the electrical system and caused a fire! Besides, what are YOU so upset about?! You weren't even here!"

The man, Mr. Everboar, let out a scoff, disappearing Kay's explanation with a wave. "Don't bother trying to put the blame on anyone else. It was your own incompetence that resulted in the rescue falling apart. I wasn't born yesterday."

Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw Kay's hand clenched into a fist as the porous man continued to speak. And the blonde didn't blame her. She wanted to shut him up too.

"I spoke with the police who got here. According to your own testimony it was a Golem that caused caused the fire. You honestly think a rock type could start the fire? It clearly was the work of an electrical overload. So an electric type move would have to have started it."

Mr. Everboar paused for a second to think, then leaned in with a smirk across his face. "Or maybe a stupid little girl with a Pokémon that knows Tri Attack."

Kay bit her lip and said nothing. Her hands were shaking with rage at the actuation. And Serena felt that same rage filling her as well. This man clearly didn't care about the Pokémon. He was just upset that something he had spent a considerable amount of money on was now destroyed!

Deciding to step in, Serena took a step forward so she was standing in between the two.

"Excuse me, Mr. Everbore, but I think you're being harsh." She said, trying to keep her voice level. Even as he looked down at her like she was some kind of ugly slug. "I was there. I can say for certain that Kay did everything in her power to try to protect both the rescue and the Pokémon. She-"

"Well, I guess her everything wasn't enough, was it?" Mr. Everboar cut in. "Besides, if she had tried, then she would have gotten all the Pokémon out, wouldn't she? Listen little girl, you should really pick your sides better. Defending a lazy good-for-nothing will get you into serious hot water some day. Picking who you associated with will eventually determine your career once you reach the end of this whole trainer nonsense."

Serena's jaw dropped as he spoke with complete seniority, as if he thought this behavior executable! How delusional was this man?!

"Although, I suppose it's my fault." He said, turning away and moving his hand to rest on his face. And while he spoke out loud, it seemed like he was more talking to himself. "After all, what was I thinking? Sponsoring a rescue run by the lower class. Especially those two. That's just egg on my face. Those two idiots ran their mouths about things they knew nothing about and got themselves killing poking around things they shouldn't. Probably for the best they were shot in the street like the dogs they w-!"

Bam!

"Gah!" Mr. Everboar cried as Kay's fist slammed hard against his face, sending him crashing to the ground, mud ruining his suit.

"Shut up!" Kay screamed at Everbore, her entire body shaking as the bandages on her burnt fist started to come off. "Don't you dare speak about my parents like that! They gave their lives defending Pokémon! Unlike you, they cared more about other living creatures than lining their pockets! Now, get off my property!"

Mr. Everboar stared up at her, hand resting on his injured cheek. His eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. Then, his expression changed to one of rage!

"How dare you lift a finger against me!" He roared, rising to his feet where he towered over the two girls. "This is an unprovoked assault! I could sue you out of existence for that, you little bitch! Now I know this was a deliberate act of sabotage! You want to ruin my chances of my upcoming merger with Keysone mines!"

"Unprovoked!? You ran in here with unproven actuation and baseless charges!" Serena snapped back. "Not everything in the world revolves around you! Some of us deal with real problems and dangers while you sit in an Ivory tower completely oblivious to the suffering that we have to live with!"

Mr. Everboar opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when the air was filled with a certain buzzing.

With a snarl, he took a step back and pulled out his phone. "Yes?" He answered. Then, after a few seconds of a quiet mutter on the other end Serena couldn't make out, he gave a few nods of his head.

"Yes. Yes! I'll be right that….Tell them I'll be late….Some little brat ruined my clothes and I need to go change…no! Not all the way home! I'll just pick a new suit on the way there! Just-…Yes. Okay….. Yes, I'm on my way."

With that, he hung up. Then he turned and shot Kay one last furious glare. "I'm not done with you yet brat! As soon as I take care of adult stuff, I'm getting on my phone and letting EVERYONE know what a worthless brat you are! So good luck getting any sponsors from here on! I think you'll need it!"

Everboar spat into Kay's face before turning around and getting into his car and driving off, spraying mud at the two girls as he left. Fortunately, both managed to get out of the way, only getting their shoes slightly dirty.

"Yeah, and don't come back." Kay snarled as she watched the car disappear down the road. She whipped the spit off her face then wordlessly began making her way towards the road.

As she waited, Serena caught sight of her unbandaged hand. The skin was dark red and even black in some places. Parts of her flesh were starting to peel revealing the chard muscles. It was a little shocking to see how much damage had been done to the girl.

"Kay, wait!" The blonde cried as she ran after her, swallowing hard to steel her nerves from the grizzly sight. "Where are you going?! You need to rest! Her hands need time to heal and as well as your Pokémon! You can't just-!"

"I'm going after the poachers!" Kay as Serena caught up to her. "I'm not letting them hurt those Pokémon anymore than they already have! Every second we wait, they come one step closer to being hurt beyond recovery!"

"But what about you?!" The blonde protested, physically stepping in front of the enraged girl. "What about your Pokémon?! If you don't have time to recover, then you won't be able to save them!"

"We can't!" The rescue worker argued, trying to push past the blonde, only stopping with a cry of pain as pressure was applied to her hands, a slight trail of blood leaking from them.

"You need to rest!" Serena insisted. "You won't find them in your current condition! Just stop for a minute and take some time to heal! I'll go looking for them! Just please, don't get yourself killed over this!"

"But what about the Poké-!?"

"We will find them, I promise. But first, you need to rest."

Kay made a move to protest more, but stopped as a bolt of pain shot through her arm from her hand. The adrenaline was wearing off and the severity of her wounds were making themselves known.

Realizing the blonde beauty was right, the rescue worker relented and let herself be led to a nearby tree where Serena began rewrapping her injuries.

They sat there in silence for a little while as Kay watched the blonde. "You know what you're doing." She said as the bandages were quickly and effectively tightened around her hands, causing the girl to smile.

"I have a friend I used to travel with. He got hurt a surprising amount." She confessed. "Nothing serious, but enough that I learned how to treat people as well as Pokémon. It's nothing like what you do. I don't even know where to begin teaching a Pokémon to hunt or how to stitch up a large cut. I'm sure compared to you, what I'm doing is making you cringe on the inside."

Kay shook her head as Serena finished one hand. "Not at all." She said to the blonde. "Believe me, I can't do that kind of stuff either. It takes years of medical school to do that. I just know how to stop bleeding long enough to get a Pokémon to a professional. And even then, the longer I stop the bleeding, the more likely the limb will need to be amputated."

The girl looked over to the burned remains of the rescue and let out a sad sigh.

"My mom had actually passed medical school. She could have made it as a big time doctor, but she wanted to save lives instead of make money. And when she met dad, the two just clicked. As for where things went from there, you can probably guess."

Serena snarled to herself picturing a tiny, baby Kay running around on the rescue.

"But that was when the underworld was run by Team Aqua and Team Magma." Kay said, not bothering to hide her anger. "After they left and the underworld was thrown into chaos, the number of casualties grow during their stupid power struggle. And when the Delta Reapers appeared, it signaled the end of the way of life as they knew it."

Serena looked up at the girl and saw she looked ready to cry, but was still determined to press on. Despite not really knowing each other, she clearly had a lot to get off her chest after the encounter with Everbore. And if Serena couldn't make the girl smile, she could at least be someone who would listen to her wows.

"My parents saw that if they were left unchecked, they would become a huge threat in the future. They went to the Devon corporation, the elite four, even multiple gym leaders! None listened to them. Eventually, they decided to go get some evidence and expose them to get the support they needed to stop them. But, well, you heard Mr. Everbore. You know what happened."

Kay let out a tired chuckle as she stared over at the burned building, pain visible on her face. "They were never rich and they rarely had enough money to spend on nice dresses or suits, but they always gave whatever they had to others without a second thought. They always believed that if people helped each other, that one day, we'd reach world peace. I remember when pa told me, ``I asked how lending our spare tire would help anyone since it was made for our car."

The girl let out a dry laugh at the memory. "Life was so simple back then. I try to live by the code they taught me, but I can't see the world the way they taught me anymore. No matter how many criminals get caught, or how many Pokémon we save, there is always someone else to take their place. It's a never ending cycle and I can't help but get tired of it."

At this point, the tears in her eyes began to fall as Kay let her emotions spill out as she curled into a ball. "I-I'm so stupid!" She half laughed through her sobs. "I knew this was hard work, I've always known that! But it feels like with every step, I'm getting farther and farther away from their goal! And I don't know what to do!"

Kay's voice gave out as she began sobbing uncontrollably, her body shaking with each loaded heave. "They must be so disappointed in me! Their own daughter is too weak to carry on their will! But I want to! I really do! I just don't know how! And as I stand here stupidly trying to figure it out, their legacy falls apart under my watch! And I can't do anything about it!"

As the girl's sobs grew heavier, Serena acted on instinct, quickly wrapping her arms around the girl's head and pulling her close to her chest. The poor girl had her entire world flipped on her head overnight, and was now having all that without her parents to help her.

"Your parents wouldn't be disappointed in you." She assured the crying girl. "Anyone, even me, can see how hard you're working to keep their dream alive. It's natural to fail at first, but as long as you don't give up, you can make any dream come true."

"That's right, no giving up." Serena thought to herself. Hadn't she resolved to not to run away or throw in the towel anymore? She had, yet when things got tough, she still caved under the pressure. That wasn't her. Her journey with Ash had made her stronger than that! Sure, he may not be by her side anymore, but that didn't mean all her past experience had been for nothing. She wanted everyone to be able to smile even during hard times. Just like Aria. She had made that her new dream after losing against the queen, and she was going to follow it no matter what!

"I know what it feels like to think you can't do anything, but we need to tough our way through. We need to believe that soon everything will be alright again." She had been so consumed by fear that she felt like her only option was to give up and cry. "And one day, when all this is behind us, we'll be so much stronger for it. And that dream we thought we'd lost will be right there, closer than ever. Waiting for us to reach out and grab it."

Serena tightened her grip on Kay as her own mind began racing. In only three days in Hoenn, she had seen so much suffering and loss. These people were suffering at the hands of a heartless criminal organization. It hurt so much to think of just how many people had lost their lives or homes because of the greed of others. Yet, due to the nature of the crimes, it was never talked about on the news.

The Kalos Crisis, despite next to no casualties, was all anyone was talking about because of the direct nature of the attack. But because it was directed, it meant you could fight, it meant you could win. A faceless organization who controlled an entire region without ever showing their face was somehow more terrifying than facing down a man made legendary.

"I promise, things will get better." She said to herself as much at to Kay. "We will fix this. We will arrest the poachers and put an end to this once and for all. I promise."

At her words, Kay wrapped her arms around the blonde and began sobbing into her chest.

"I miss them!" She cried, squeezing her tight. "I miss them so much! Ever since they left, I've had a burning ache in my chest that won't go away! I want to see them! Even for just a minute! To tell them everything! I-I!"

"I know." Serena said, gently rubbing her back. "I know."

Serena stood a respectful distance away as Kay washed her face in the nearby river. They had stayed in each other's arms for an hour before the rescue worker was feeling better. The blonde couldn't help but wonder how long she had held all that in.

Years probably. After their death, Kay would have been the sole heiress to the rescue, meaning she had to keep herself together and keep the place running, all without mourning properly. Serena couldn't even begin to imagine what that would be like. If her mother died like that, she wouldn't be able to keep herself together.

"Hey, how do I look?" Kay asked, breaking the blonde beauty out of her thoughts. "My eyes aren't too red, are they?" Serena did notice a bit of puffiness, but given how much she had just let out, she was impressed by how much she had gotten rid of.

"You look great." She answered as they started the trip back to the remains of the rescue. "Besides, it's okay to cry. It helps us heal. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Maybe, but I want the police to take me seriously. Believe me, I know that's a lot to ask." She replied in a more joking manner, though Serena heard the anger that her voice still carried. "And besides, I want to get back at the Pokémon stealing bastards as soon as possible! They're going to pay for burning my house to the ground!"

Kay paused for a second, then spoke again in a much softer tone.

"And thanks. For being there for me. I really appreciated it. Been wanting to get that all off my chest for a while now. I…I'm glad I met you. And while I hope you never need it, know that I'm here for you if you ever want someone to vent too. Sooo…yeah. Thanks again."

"No problem." Serena replied with a smile. "That's what friends are for!"

Kay turned to lol at the blonde, then a smile appeared on her face as well.

"Right, friends." Murmured as she looked ahead. "That sounds nice. I think I like that."

The two continued in silence, enjoying the other's company. But as they drew near the burnt barn, Serena decided to bring up something that had been bothering her since last night.

"Hey Kay?" She said unsurely, not entirely confident she would handle the topic well. "About the two girls we battled last night? I don't think their-."

"About time you two dorks made it back! I was getting worried!"

Serena's head whipped around at the voice who had cut her off to find Zinnia sitting on a stump in the driveway of the rescue, her trademark grin spread across her face.

"I'm gone for less than a full day and come back to find you two have somehow burnt down two full buildings!" She joked. "Were you partying that hard without me? I don't think I bring the mood down that much, do I?"

Serena opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Kay as the girl angrily made her way towards the dark skinned girl.

"Where were you!?" She snapped, grabbing Zinnia by the collar of her cloak. "We were fighting for our lives while you off playing hide the Zucchini with who knows who! If you had been here then we might have gotten out without any-!"

"Yeah I know." Zinnia cut in, her face becoming more serious. "Funny enough, I can talk to pigs. They told me what had happened. I'm sorry for your loss, but unlike them, I can offer you something more than empty, kind words."

Kay's eyes narrowed as she let the other girl go. "What's that?" She asked, causing the dark haired girl to grin. Behind them, the blonde ran up to them, panting as she reached them just in time.

"Revenge." Zinnia said with a grin. "I know where the poachers are hiding."

Both Lay and Serena's eyes went wide at this news. They had been expecting to go looking for the thieves! They never anticipated Zinnia finding them first!

"I…but!…What!?" The blonde stammered. "You found them!? How?! When?! You couldn't have been gone for more than twelve hours! Where did you even start!?"

"Couldn't sleep last night, so instead of wasting my time trying, I brainstormed everything I knew about the poachers." The dark haired girl explained. "See, I couldn't get over why they picked such a strange target. Rhyhorn aren't just common, they are difficult to contain. If scared, they can plow through just about anything. So why target them specifically?" The girl paused for dramatic effect as she grinned at the other two.

"Don't know? Come on! It's so obvious when you stop and think about it! They must have a way to contain them that's both easy and cheap, like a coastal cave that is so damp that a water hating Pokémon wouldn't think about trying to get away without a trusted ally leading them! And as luck would have it-!"

"The entire route runs along the coast." Kay breathed out, her eyes wide in shock. It made so much sense! Not only the targets being fire and rock types, but the poachers hadn't even tried to get the Pikachu who had also been in the barn despite how rarer it was! But if they couldn't keep it in check, then it made sense why they had ignored it! Poaching Pokémon was pointless if they couldn't get them to market!

"Exactly!" Zinnia said, a light dancing in her eyes as her grin became something Serena might call scary if she was on the reserving end of it. "So, I travel along the coastline looking for anywhere that might fit the poachers' needs. And I found it! I even got a look inside the cave as the old man beat the shit out of one of his girls. It's definitely the ones we're looking for!"

There was a short pause at the news Zinnia had brought in, then Kay's expression changed to one of righteous anger. Without a moment's hesitation she drove her fist in the palm of her other hand, eyes burning with passion.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get those bastards!"