The first thing I did, when I could remember is, was to hound Ariel. I wanted answers. And maybe, childishly, I blamed her slightly for the death of my Pokemon. I wanted to lash out at her. But she didn't give me a chance. All my calls and messages went unanswered. Until one day. I was so startled that someone picked up that I accidentally drop the phone.

By the time I picked it up, I could only hear a loud gruff voice speaking. '… number, if you know what's good for your sister.'

It sounded so ominous that my fingers were trembling as I pocketed the phone. I did not have a choice. I guess I would pursue this another way. So, the next few weeks (or months, I don't know. It was blurry.), I threw myself into training with a fervor. I found that going to bed bone tired is the best way to fall asleep without thinking of a certain brown-haired girl. Or a sniggering green insect. Some nights I will dream of green eyes, lips curved into a half smile and hand stroking my hair, only to wake up, the absence of arm draped around me perpetuating the loneliness. Some days, I will wake up, feeling the emptiness, the sense of despair so deep that it took a while before I could get up. Sometimes, the lack of Razor Wind and Bug buzz during trainings cut through my chest, squeezing my heart so hard I couldn't breathe. Those days were the days I let myself curl up, early morning or late at night, against a tree, the wall of a cave, and let the tears fall, comforted by the presence rest of my Pokemon, whom I made sure were asleep first. I grew accustomed to sleeping all together with them out in the open. It doesn't last long, because I cannot dwell on those thoughts. I must get stronger. My Pokemon must get stronger. Only Estelle seemed to notice the early morning, late night cry fest.

'Master, you cannot carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.' She told me one night, when everyone else had gone to sleep.

'But there are some burdens I must shoulder alone,' I told her. 'Don't worry about me, Estelle.'

'Oh, but that's when I worry, Master,' Estelle replied.

Turns out, Estelle worries were eased in a few more weeks. I travelled through Route 112 and 111. Then I quickly maneuver through the City to Western Mauville, not wanting to meet anyone I knew, least of all my family. I had the Surf HM downloaded into my Pokedex. After the 4th and 6th gym, the Pokemon League gives the HM moves Surf and Fly respectively. HM, or Hidden Machines, are moves that can be taught to Pokemons (Don't ask me how the technology works. I only graduated high school.) and not only were they strong moves to use in battle, they were also used outside of battles to get the trainers from one place to another via (duh) water and air. I had the HM Surf, but no Pokemon to teach it to, so I bought a ticket on a small ferry to cross over to Route 118. There, I made my way over to Route 119.

Both Route 118 and 119 were miserable. So really, it was perfect for me; I was thriving in misery. For some reason, it is always raining. I have long given up on asking Lexy or Dawn to dry my clothes whenever we found shelter, because I'll be soaked again the next day. Maybe it was because of the rain, but the two Routes were boggy and marshy, complete with tall grass that blocks your vision. Did I mention boggy? It's filled with quagmires. One wrong step and you'll be drowning in the mud. It's like quicksand but almost worse, because the mud gets everywhere. And by everywhere, I mean everywhere, even up your you know where. I learnt that the hard way. Because of the grass and rain, visibility was so low it's impossible to know where the quagmires are. Or where the Glooms are. If you somehow missed and stepped on the gigantic red flower usually submerged in the mud, the offending Gloom will let out a stench that will haunt you for days.

It was also almost impossible to navigate the Routes. It just a wide stretch of land filled with grass everywhere and no real route. Maps and compass were useless because I had to wipe my Pokedex's screen every second. This made me miss Neo more often than not, because he would've been able to navigative this marsh with his scythe. We tried using Abraxion's scythe on his head, but not only did he look ridiculous cutting grass with his head, it was not very feasible. So I resorted to trudging blindly through the Route, hoping I was going North. I kept Dawn in her Pokeball most of the time because of the rain. And Lexy was also benched because his weight makes him an ideal victim for the marsh. Estelle quickly became my go to Pokemon because she could Teleport me out of the bogs.

One afternoon, or at least I think it was afternoon since I couldn't see anything but gray clouds, I was brushing grass out of my face, squinting to make out a tall building to my far left when I heard a cry. It had been a particularly bad morning because the night before, I received a text from Ronnie.

'I'm really sorry about Neo. About everything. Can we talk?'

Of course I didn't reply her, but it kept me up the entire night. And I was so preoccupied with it that I almost missed the cry. But there was it again! I crept cautiously towards the sound. It sounded like a Pokemon, and for all I know it could have been just territory squabble between two Linoones. But that will just mean lunch. Or dinner? As I parted the grass, Abraxion close behind, the source of the cry became clear to me. There was a tiny Mudkip, barely bigger than my head, that was stuck in the mud. It must have been a baby, or it wasn't from around here because the Pokemons can somehow sense the quagmire and avoid them. This Mudkip was flailing around in the bog, which wasn't really helping.

'Hey,' I called.

'Muuuuuuud!' It gave a squeal and a whine when it saw me.

'Dude, stop moving,'

It made a visible effort to stop thrashing, but it was quivering from head to toe. Ok, this Mudkip didn't seem like it hated humans. So it couldn't have been abandoned. I wondered where it came from. Long ago, Mudkips, along with Treecko and Torchics, could be found in the wild. But the Pokemon League decided to use this three Pokemon as starters Pokemon Trainers can buy from the lab, so they were rounded up to be used from breeding programs. There were hardly any to be found in the wild after that.

I released Estelle and explained the situation. She Teleported to the bog and came out with the Mudkip.

'Little cretin!' Estelle growled, as the Mudkip squirmed in her arms, smearing foul smelling mud over her white dress.

Estelle's actions bellied the tone of her words. She adjusted the Mudkip so that she was cradling it. The Mudkip wiggled, turning its head to look at Estelle.

'Mudkip!' It exclaimed in delight.

Mudkip slipped out of Estelle's arms and scampered off, disappearing within the grass. Estelle and I looked at each other, then at the grass. Which parted to show Mudkip's impish face.

'Mud!' It darted back towards us and tugged on the bottom of Estelle's skirt, leaving muddy imprints.

'Erekas!' Estelle pulled her skirt away. 'The little nitwit wants us to follow it.'

I looked at Abraxion, who shrugged. He probably doesn't sense any danger. Though I wondered if that disaster spidey sense of his extends to being kidnapped by small blue axolotls. It certainly doesn't extend to quagmires. We decided to follow the Mudkip, who was now impatiently splashing in the mud. We trekked for a long time. Maybe it was because of the mud sucking my shoes in. Or probably, more likely, because the Mudkip took us on many detours to splash in puddles of mud. It really didn't learn its lesson. Estelle saved it from 3 more quagmires before we arrived at a small, brightly coloured cottage. It stood out against the gloomy rain, like a splash of life in the otherwise dreary route. The Mudkip hopped in the unlatched door, muddy footprints sullying the pastel blue steps.

'Little rascal! Get over here!' A voice wheezed.

The Mudkip squealed and came barreling out the door, darting in between the folds of Estelle's skirt.

'Travelers!' A pale face poked out of the door.

Life was not kind to this man. Wrinkles cut harsh lines into his face. What little hair he had was pure white. He spoke with a slight quaver and his fingers that were holding the door open were crooked and spotted. But he had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes as he looked upon us.

'Come in!' He beckoned.

Call me crazy, but I decided to enter the house. I had Estelle and Abraxion and I was pretty sure I could take on an old man with a tiny Mudkip. I was also tired of the constant splatter of raindrops that sliced on my face despite the hood of my jacket. The inside of the cottage was nothing like the outside. Cozy was the first word that came to mind. There was a sofa, stuffed armchair and a rocking chair arranged in front of a fireplace, that was burning. Oh! A burning fireplace in this torrent of rain! I subconsciously moved towards the heat.

'Ay, bet you wouldn't mind some of that heat, would ya?' The man chuckled, grabbing a towel (that seemed to be specially for the Mudkip) by the door. 'Go on girl, get cleaned up. You're more than welcome to stay. I'd love a good story about your travels.'

Puzzled by this show of hospitality, but not going to argue, I took a shower, taking the opportunity to clean my team as well. He also allowed me to do laundry. With dryer option! I sat down on the sofa afterwards, enjoying the feeling of being dry, clean and warm.

'Ay, hope you don't mind, lass,' The old man said, still in the armchair. 'I asked the other traveler to get us some tea. I've got some biscuits. We could have tea while you tell me about your adventures. You look like you need it.'

'You have other travelers here?' I asked curiously.

'Just one. I found her trapped in the bloody bog yesterday. A bit absentminded you if ask me, but a good lass. Ah, here she is.'

Really, the words absentminded should have cued me in. But stepping through the doorway, carrying a tray of tea and biscuits, was none other than Mari.

'Mari?'

'Cara?'

We said at the same time. I had no idea she was even near Fortree. Actually, last I texted her was in Mauville. A pang of guilt nagged at me. Caught up in my own personal drama, I completely forgot to check in with Mari. Of course, I know that sometimes friends grow apart. We are just simply too busy trapped in our own lives, subjected to life's cruel path. But I'd never imagine it'll happen to Mari and me. Mari was my best friend since we were kids, having a tug of war over a stuffed Charmander. She smiled, and I knew, no matter how long we spent apart, how long we haven't talked, that it was alright, that she will always be my best friend. She set down the tea, and gave me a hug

But it was because I knew her so well that I notice a sort of stiffness to the hug. No, not because of our friendship, but life had been cruel to her too, as it had been to me. She drew back, and I noticed a trace of lingering sadness in her eyes. I thought about the drag of her feet as she brought the tea, the haunted look in her eyes. The one that was probably mirrored on my own when I lost Neo. I gave her another hug, one that says I know. I understand and I'm sorry I wasn't there. It was then that she softened and returned the hug with her usual vigour.

'Ah. You lot know each other. Good good,' The old man said as we broke apart. 'Go on then, sit down, have some tea.'

We had tea, and biscuits. And, because in this cozy room, all the trouble seemed so far away, I realized that I was famished. I had some more tea. And biscuits. And we took turns exchanging our stories, from the start and with some backstory for the benefit of the old man. Looking at Mari, whose clothes hung loosely on her shoulders, I could understand why I needed tea. I hadn't paid attention but I supposed if grief affected us the same way, I probably lost more weight than I should have.

'Well, you two have quite the adventure, haven't you?' He clapped his hands when we were done. 'I haven't heard such good tales in a long time! It gets a bit quiet, living here by my lonesome. My grandson doesn't visit as much now.'

'Thank you for the food,' I racked my brained, wondering how to be polite in phrasing my question. 'I really appreciate it, but who are you?' Then added hastily. 'Sir.'

'Blimey I forgot to introduce myself! Gone daft in my age. It's a wonder you lot came in. By Arceus, all the horrible stories seemed to happen in a bloody Galarian cottage doesn't it? You have nothing to worry about, my dears. I am Arthur Coburn pleased to meet you!'

The accent and the way he spoke suddenly made sense. 'You are Arthur Coburn! The 34th Champion of the Galar Region!'

'Oh that's why his name sounded familiar,' Mari, who never really paid attention in history, muttered. Out loud, she said. 'But why are you…'

'In the middle of a bloody swamp that never sees the sun?' Arthur smiled kindly. 'I like the rain. And so does my grandson's Pokemons. He loves water Pokemons, see?'

'Wait Lucas Coburn is your grandson? As in the Sootopolis Gym leader?' Of course, Mari knows this. She probably knew all the hot gym leaders' names.

'Yes!' Pride shone in his eyes, the way it shouldwhen grandparents talk about their grandkids. 'Handsome lad, my boy. I take care of his Pokemons here.' He gestured to a trio of Mudkip. 'That's his Swampert's kids, right there. The rest of his Pokemons are in the back. Where these three should be, really. But these little gits don't like to listen, don't they? Especially that one.'

He gestured to the Mudkip I met. And I could see what he was talking about. The Mudkip was definitely the ringleader. It puffed up its chest and stood on two legs as it regaled the other two, who were looking up to it with big wide eyes, with its misadventure. I could definitely see the Mudkip leading his siblings into all sort of mischief.

'Oy, come here. How did you get yourself dirty again?' True enough, there was a streak of mud across its cheek.

The Mudkip squealed as Arthur got the towel, darting off to the kitchen, its siblings on its tail.

'Oy, get back here you cheeky git,' Arthur shouted.

Arthur seemed attached to the three Mudkips despite all the names he was calling them.

'Should we help him?' Mari wondered.

'Bollocks!' Came the shout from the kitchen.

'I think he got it,' I made a face.

True enough, Arthur stepped out of the kitchen, toweling a squirming Mudkip, two others trailing behind him.

'Say, why don't we head on down to the aquarium?' Arthur asked us. 'It will do this old bones good to see your Pokemons.'

Mari and I agreed eagerly. It would be amazing to see a Gym Leader's Pokemons. The aquarium turned out to be underground. He led us downstairs into an arena, where the lights automatically came on. There was a massive tank at the side, housing such a wide variety of Water Pokemon that it puts the Sootopolis City Aquarium to shame. At the opposite side, there was a smaller enclosure, but by no means was it negligible. There was pool nearer to the glass fence. Beyond stretches large expanse of muddy ground and grassy land, where Palpitoad, Quagsire, Lotad, Squirtle and many others frolicked. The Mudkip in Arthur's arms leapt towards the enclosure, catching the tip of the fence, legs scampering wildly before tipping over the glass fence and dropping into the pool with a plop. Arthur picked up the other two Mudkip and placed them in. They eagerly swam after the first Mudkip, tussling in the water. Over to the end, I could vaguely make out training equipments. In the middle, where we were standing, there was a battlefield.

'Bloody brilliant, eh?' Arthur smiled at us, who were busy gaping at the scene. 'My boy loves Water Pokemon, that's why he's at Sootopolis gym. Funny eh, you Hoenneses stick to tradition so much.'

It was true, the Hoenn gyms typing haven't changed much since recorded history, while other regions' gym typing tends to change whenever there's a change in gym leader. I wondered how rich Arthur was. It must be something to be an ex-Champion whose son is a Gym Leader. The entire arena was an impressive set up, especially given that it was in the middle of nowhere. There was even a computer if Lucas needed anyone in particular. Ok, so that means most of the Pokemons were probably the League's, but still…

All Gym Leaders have a personal team, mostly well rounded. While Lucas's personal team consists of Pokemon of various types, there were rumors of him having a tendency to the Water types, training more Water Pokemon on top of his 6 regular team members.

'This one's mine' Arthur pressed a button which causes one of the glass panel of the enclosure to slide open.

A gigantic turtle lumbered out. It had a jagged horn in the middle of his forehead and half lidded eyes, like it had just woken up. Turquoise scales covered its body and it was sporting a massive, brown, jagged carapace. I have never seen the Pokemon in my entire life.

'Sebastian is a Drednaw from the Galar Region.' He introduced the Pokemon.

Arthur moved to scratch its chin and I half expected Sebastian snap its enormous square jaw lined with jagged fangs. But he only nuzzled Arthur.

'Go on then. I promise Sebastian won't bite. He's a big softy, aren't you, Sebastian?'

He was big, that's for sure. I wasn't too convinced about the softy part. I let out my team, because the Arthur had been so nice to us till this point. The Mudkip we saved squealed at the sight of Estelle. It jumped out of the pool, scampered up a stalk of weed, teetering slightly before jumping over the fence ('That's how he always escape! Brilliant bastard!' Arthur exclaimed). It dashed towards Estelle, tiny legs pumping with excitement.

'He's taken quite a shine to your Gardevoir, hasn't he?' Arthur observed as it darted around the folds of Estelle's skirt.

Lexy looked on interest, his eyes widening as the Mudkip tripped on the puddle of water he made and came to a skittering stop in front of Lexy. Dawn sniffed at him, wondering what this new creature was, for she hasn't met him yet. Then Lexy's attention snapped to Mari's team.

'Sheep!' Lexy cried, lumbering over to greet his old friend.

Or at least Lexy remembered him as a friend. Jupiter clearly remembered Lexy as a rival, or as least the blue dinosaur that tried to eat him. Mari's team changed considerably since I last met her. There was Jupiter the Ampharos. Eddie was is now a Ludicolo. She had a gigantic Charizard named Zenya, a Metang named Android and a Snorunt name Reina.

'Hermes?' I asked, though knowing the answer to my question.

It didn't come exactly as I thought though. A huge purple shape rose up from one of my shadows (there were four, due to the amazing arena lighting). A chill passed through me as the sinister shape took form.

'GENG!' It shouted, scaring about 10 years off my life.

'Erm, yeap,' Mari rubbed her neck. 'That's Hermes.'