I awoke in Kyle's bedroom, alone and cold. I listened carefully for noise and could hear sobbing a mere ten feet from my position at the foot of his bed. The warmth from the indention on his bed made me curious as to why he would wake up. I searched rapidly for a clock and found that I had slept for almost eleven hours. It was now six am in the morning, and he was already getting ready for the day. The sun hadn't even broken through the dense clouds and filtered into his room. Stretching out, my claws dug into the soft mattress gently before I moved lithely down to the ground. Concern filled me as his sobbing refused to wane and I hesitated to enter without his permission. While I had already seen his body, it was a matter of respecting his boundaries. I paused at the bathroom entrance before knocking twice. His crying quieted and I could hear him straining to compose himself as he answered my call.

"Oh...Rose. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" he sniffled from behind the wooden barrier.

"Not at all. Are you okay?" I asked, in a straight tone.

"Fine. I'm okay. I'm okay...just...I"m fine."

His tone trembled and I had to fight the urge to not snap at him.

"You aren't. Let me in."

"Just give me some space," he said, in a small frightened tone. I knew it would hurt but holding it in wouldn't help him. I was here to bring him up and I needed to prove that I could care for him without dragging him down.

"Either you let me in or I come in. One of the two. The door isn't an issue. What's bothering you is," I said, my breath hot and heavy. I could hear him shuffle for a minute and wondered if perhaps he was going to try and hide his condition. A click and creaking as the door opened, was a sign that I would get to see how he was truly doing. As I entered, I noticed a trail of snot was coming out of his nose, and his eyes were red from sobbing. He looked pathetically frail and I fought the temptation to give him a generic 'tough it out' line. That was not who I used to be.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my tone going from harsh to straight pleading. I nudged past his leg and hopped to the toilet so I could face him eye to eye. He looked away ashamed and started fiddling with his fingers biting at the nails.

"Kyle. Don't do that," I warned, only for him to curse out as he started bleeding from one of the wounds. Before he could react, I had forced the wound into my mouth and I gently lapped at the cut several times. The salty iron fluid entered my mouth but I ignored it. After a minute I let him go noticing he had a huge blush on his cheek.

"You-your sister used to do that to my wounds."

"Did she? Hehehe," I chuckled before noticing that despite the immaculate nature of his bathroom, a single tube of toothpaste and toothbrush sat on the floor. His gaze followed mine before he spoke quietly.

"I can't open it. I got frustrated and...I'm just dragging everyone down around me."

His words made me want to laugh, but I realized how difficult it must be to deal with his handicap.

"I'm sorry. It must be hard," I replied, hopping down. "Would you like me to open it for you?"

"NO!"

The acidic accent hit me hard, and I flinched instinctively, before noticing that his eyes had started to water up again.

"I hate it….I hate this. I shouldn't be dependent on anyone else."

I understood his desire to be capable and wanted to be of some sort of help.

"Can I make a suggestion?"

He stared at me for a minute before nodding without a sound.

I watched him pick up the tube one more time, and try to twist the lid off. I could immediately see the issue he was dealing with. The cap was stuck with old toothpaste that had dried and hardened like glue. After a second attempt, I could see him gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Wait. Try using your armpit to hold it, and your good arm to get a good grip on the cap. If you leverage in opposite directions you should be able to open it."

He stopped and proceeded to follow my directions. After placing it in his armpit the first attempt, progress was made as the cap started to come off. Excitement filled his face and with a determined effort, he wrenched the bottle open on the second try.

"Yes!" he screamed triumphantly, and I couldn't help but smile at his accomplishment. A small victory was still a victory nonetheless.

After several minutes, he stepped away from the counter with a large blush on his face.

"So...does that mean...we are dating?"

His train of thought this early in the morning caught me off guard and I looked away shyly. Did I really wanna pursue the relationship this soon after returning? Would it be fair to him if he was still hurting internally? Sadness filled my head as I realized it would be selfish of me to force him to decide now, even if it is what I wanted more than anything in the world. Inhaling, I steadied myself before speaking clearly.

"No. I'm sorry Kyle. It was cruel of me to demand that without considering your feelings."

He remained silent for a minute and I feared perhaps that I had hurt him again unintentionally. Looking up I noticed that his gaze was downcast. I wish I knew exactly what he was thinking but without Mega Evolution, I was left in the dark.

"To be honest, while I'd love to date...maybe I'm not in the right state to do that."

His maturity in the current moment was something I greatly approved of. He knew his weakness and despite what we wanted he decided to give us both time to heal.

As he reached for the hem of his shirt, I decided to give him peace to change out of his clothes.

"Rose," he called after me as I slipped out of the room.

"Hmm?"

"Don't go. It's not like you haven't seen this before."

His comment made me shudder, but I gave in, sitting down as he stripped. My eyes roamed the contours of his body in delight, before settling on his arm. The twisted marks and scar filled me with anxiety and sorrow. I had hurt him, and I would have to look at the reminder for the rest of his natural life. Would my sister have approved of what I did? I questioned it hard and bit my lip as the angst overcame my happiness.

Steam filled the air making my fur hang heavier than usual, but I remained motionless until Kyle finished with his cleaning. As he exited the bathtub I averted my gaze and followed him out, as he remained deep in his own thoughts. Returning to the wooden floors of his bedroom, I waited patiently for him to get dressed.

"Rose. Thank you for coming back. I'm not fully over how my life is going to be, but you've given me a way forward. Since I can't become a Ranger now though, I have to figure out what I want now."

Dressed in a black turtle neck and tan cargo pants, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Let's go. I'm sure Mom and the others are downstairs," Kyle said. Nodding in agreement, I followed in silence, as we made our way downstairs. The living room was desolate, and yet I knew that his family would be waiting in the kitchen. Warm sunlight flooded the small kitchen, as we stepped into the presence of his mother, Delilah, and Lula. My eyes absorbed the scene in its entirety. There was a massive stack of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, along with piping hot coffee on the green kitchen counter. The scent of warm food wafted through the air. His mother let out a small scream before bum-rushing her son. I stepped out of the way, glancing to Delilah who gave me a smile.

"I foresaw this...I'm so happy it came to pass," she whispered to me, as she floated over to pat my head.

"So our discussion about my future?"

"I didn't see anything. I only know you would cause him great pain," she replied in a sad tone. Before the final fight, Delilah had warned me that I would hurt Kyle. The injury would change his very life for the worst, but I had to take responsibility for it. Nonetheless, it didn't help the guilty feeling which filled the pit of my stomach. Glancing back to Kyle, I watched as they spoke to each other. Their conversation wasn't hard to follow and I found myself listening with rapt attention.

"Sweetie. Whatever happens, you know I support you."

"Thanks, Mom. But...I'm not sure what I want to do," he replied, as she lovingly massaged his good shoulder.

"There are many different paths you could take from here," Delilah offered, as I sat down idly waiting to be addressed.

"Your father saw great things for you, and I don't think he would want you to give up simply because of a setback," Olivia stated. Looking at Lula, she mouthed two words to me.

Thank you.

"We can...discuss it after you get some good food in your system. Now then," Olivia spoke in an affirmative tone, as she spun to face me. Her eyes turned furious and I backpedaled nervously as she approached me. Her entire body language spelled danger for me.

"Welcome home Rose. Tell me...when we discussed keeping him safe, what part of that did you fail to understand?"

"I-I-I-" I stammered as my brain gave up, trying to come up with an excuse. My back hit soft flesh. Looking up I noticed that Delilah had cornered me, and I shivered as his Mother came within touching distance. Before I could react, warm arms encircled me, and I gasped in relief.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for bringing him back. I am happy to hear that you didn't die on that battlefield. All alone and in such pain. It must have been terrible. You would have been the second child I lost," she told me. Her voice cracked, and I looked up to notice she was crying into my fur. My own eyes wept in concert as I wrapped both claws around her. I was home and it felt great to be loved the way she did.

"You saved him, not once but twice. You brought him back to me, and for that, you have my eternal gratitude," she whispered, as she pulled away holding me at arm's length.

"T-twice?" I choked out, confusion hitting me hard.

"We may have spied on your conversation a little last night," Delilah said in a soft tone.

"I see," I giggled. Despite my reservations, I knew that everyone here deserved the truth and reasons behind what I did. Lying and hiding things is what had caused so much pain to this family, and from this moment on I had to atone for those wrongs.

"Let's eat before the food gets cold."

As I hopped up to a wooden stool, my mind floated naturally back to Robert and Barbara. Their kindness had paved the way for this redemption. I sent a silent thank you up to Arceus hoping it would reach them. I made a vow that I would return to them to give thanks as soon as possible. A plate slid in front of me, with several pancakes on them. A red heart made out of strawberries covered the top with a whipped cream smiley face in the middle. Two chocolate chips stood out, and I smirked at the art.

"Kyle. I hate...to be a burden, but if your Mother won't ask, I will," Delilah said, as she took a seat next to me. Sinking a talon into a single juicy fruit I smiled as I swallowed it in a single motion.

"Do you intend to visit Bryan? He's not seen you in a month."

My eyes widened as her words hit my ears. Had he abandoned the poor Emolga?

"I should. I doubt he'll forgive my absence," Kyle replied, his voice faint.

"His recovery is coming along, but I think seeing you will really help him," Delilah pushed, and I noticed that he started to get up to leave the table.

"Kyle," I pleaded, grabbing his good hand with my paw. His gaze turned to me, and the pain slid off his face. I knew he felt guilty and blamed himself for whatever happened to Bry. I was still surprised he had failed to visit him. He sighed loudly, hanging his head in shame.

"You're right. We can make the trip today," he replied.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Olivia said in a cheerful tone. Looking at her, I noticed that her face was concerned. Shaking my head, I asked the one question I had to know.

"Where's Emily?"

Lula gulped audibly and I noticed she avoided my gaze.

"She departed for her Pokemon Journey about a week ago. I got a call that she beat Elesa at Nimbasa City gym, yesterday morning. So I'd say she and Chris are doing very very well," Delilah replied.

The news hit me like fresh water and I smiled broadly. The young girl was out strutting her stuff and making a name for herself. I sliced a piece of cake away and lifted the sweetened bread to my lips.

"I-'m a failure."

His words were soft but spoken with such regret I felt pity well in my chest. Before I could speak he continued on.

"Lula...I know you can never forgive me but I'm sorry. For all the pain, neglect, and abuse you have endured at my hand. No matter how low I got I should have never taken it out on you," he whispered. I remained quiet as I awaited the resolution to their conflict. So many wrongs had occurred in my absence but I needed Kyle to be happy at the end of the day...I stopped mid-thought. What if he felt no true remorse? Would I be happy to support him if he wasn't the man I believed him to be? Looking at Olivia I noticed she was watching me carefully. I tried to hide the rolling fear but knew I was doing a pitiful job of such. It was then I noticed that Kyle was laughing. Looking to Lula and Kyle I realized I had been so engaged with my thoughts I had missed the rest of what he had said. Nonetheless, everyone was content to dig into the bountiful feast. All negativity faded into the background as we each got ready to visit Bryan in the hospital. As Kyle went upstairs to grab his jacket a soft hand on my scarred side caught my attention. A twinge of pain from my injury reminded me that I still had a lot of recovery to undergo before I'd be combat-ready. Nonetheless, I'd defend him until my last breath.

"You're worried about him aren't you?" his mother whispered. My eyes closed as she tenderly massaged my still-healing wound.

"More than just him. What if I made the wrong choice? What if...he's not the male my sister would have wanted to be? Or worse...what if I'm on the wrong path?" I begged her for answers only to notice her sad smile hadn't changed as I spoke the feelings deep in my chest.

"What if the world was flat?" She joked and I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the statement.

"His father wouldn't have been disappointed and neither am I. Nobody is perfect and hoping for someone to live up to all your expectations is selfish and misleading. The fact he's trying to fix it now makes me proud. So your questions...the answer is right in front of you. He's none of those things. All we can do is have faith and care for him."

Her words hit a chord in me and my body relaxed naturally as my anxiety faded away. There would be time to face these things later on. For now, I could only be here for him.

As we traveled post-haste to the hospital, the trip made my partner extremely nervous. He fiddled with his fingers and tried to avoid stares from onlookers. A young boy received a smack from his parent after his insensitive comment of "Look. What happened to his arm, Mommy?"

My gaze turned to Kyles's face and I could sense the unwanted attention humiliated and embarrassed him. Looking around I sought out anything I could use as a distraction however, Lula beat me to it. She begged her "master" for a chance to go to the spa with him this weekend. It was only Tuesday yet, I was sure that such an event would be grueling on the male. More importantly, it meant she got time to seduce him, which was another issue entirely.

Finally, we arrived at the hospital. The main room was filled from wall to wall with people and Pokemon. They were covered in what appeared to be dirt, ash and blood. There was an air of panic that filled the area, as we shuffled to the main desk. Standing behind it, a male Nurse greeted us, with his Audino.

"How may I help you all to- Miss Olivia! It IS such a pleasure to see you again, Ma'am," the male said, shifting several pink locks out of his gaze. "And I assume this must be the great Kyle you keep boasting about. Welcome, young man." I watched him carefully and noticed his eyes flicked to Kyle's wounds. At first, he seemed unfazed by it, but his eyes continued to get drawn to the empty sleeve. It irritated me and I felt the urge to snap at him grow with each passing second.

"Hello, Nurse Joy. I'm sure you can guess why I'm here again," Olivia stated drawing his attention up and to her.

"Again?" I asked, confused. She shooed me and I nipped her finger tenderly.

"OUCH! Rose!" she chastised and I let out a grumpy sigh.

"She was here yesterday to visit Bryan I believe. Is that correct?" he asked in a soft feminine tone.

"Yup," she replied cheerfully.

"Follow Audino. Unfortunately, today several contest participants got severely injured. If a Ranger hadn't been there when the stage collapsed we would be dealing with casualties. Not just scrapes. We've been extremely busy due to that awful event. Luckily none of the injuries are life-threatening."

With a turn of his heel, the male Joy walked, off leaving us alone with his Audino. . He pulled us down multiple winding pathways in silence. As we followed the healer, curiosity got the better of me.

"How often do Rangers come to Pokemon Centers to be healed?"

Kyle looked at me confused, as the question seemingly came out of nowhere.

"In my time I've seen one or two. Normally to assist with medical care and not to receive. They are pretty adept at keeping themselves well maintained."

We turned down another long white corridor. It ended at a set of elevator doors.

"Downstairs you'll find rehabilitation. He's scheduled there for the next hour. After that, we have a Zebstrika who suffered a terrible neck injury. If you need any help, just page the front desk. I or Nurse Joy will be there to assist you."

Like that he turned around and waddled back to what I was sure would be a long list of patients.

" Mom. I'm not sure this is a good idea. What if he hates me? I...I…"

"You have nothing to be worried about. You know we've been here weekly. Just go in. Trust us. He's missed you," she ushered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes watered and I watched as his good arm started to shake violently. My sympathy went out to him. Despite his irrational fear, I knew that waiting here would only hurt him further in the end. Reaching up, I exhaled and pushed my own mounting concerns down before moving past the barrier. As the door opened, my eyes admired the empty room, minus several poles that went from the ground to the ceiling. In the middle of the whitewashed room, sat a parallel bar. Nurse Joy stood next to it, as I strode across the tile to greet Emolga. My eyes widened in horror, as I noticed that his left side was horribly disfigured. The skin which was supposed to be taut was ripped in multiple places. His spiky tail was smooth, and his stomach had several bandages taped to his abdomen. Our eyes met, and a smile broke out on his face.

"You-you're alive?" he asked, confusion setting in before his head snapped to the main attraction. I knew he cared lest about my state of being. The person who really interested him was standing behind me.

"KYLE!" he screamed. The electric flying type was ecstatic, as he launched himself off of the bar towards him. My eyes narrowed, and before any damage could be had, I dashed the short distance to catch him as he plummeted straight towards the hard floor. To my relief, I was in time, as he landed softly on my chest. As I tried to sit up, my eyes widened in shock. His bandages turned crimson red, and he started to cry into my fur.

"Bry. Bry! Are you okay?" I asked, watching as he waved me off.

"K-Kyle! Kyle...nothing else matters. PLEASE!" he begged, trying to sit up.

"Bryan! I told you we needed to wait before we restarted gliding practice. We already had to remove another rib after the last accident. Chansey...if you would be so kind."

A bright green aura surrounded Emolga as he slowly recovered from the painful contraction. His limbs relaxed as he started to cry harder.

"I-I can't go back like this!" he sobbed, as Kyle finally reached my position. Looking at my friend, I noticed his eyes were downcast with pain. His gaze swept up to Nurse Joy as he asked a question that floored me.

"When did he wake up from his coma?"

Looking down to the Emolga, I noticed he had curled into a ball in humiliation. Turning my attention to the nurse I noticed she appeared empathetic to the circumstances.

"A week ago. His mind suffered minimal damage. As a matter of fact, he came out entirely coherent and aware of his situation. However...the damage from the fall and the Hydro Pump from Blastoise has caused some irreparable injuries. To save him, our head Joy had to remove two total ribs from each side, just so he could breathe. The internal damage was almost too much but he fought."

My eyes looked at the electric type before I gently tilted his head to meet Kyle's gaze.

"I can't-"

"You don't have to. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. Can you-"

The conversation happened as each tried to out talk and explain over the other.

"I'm sorry."

"You did your best! I can't be upset with you," Kyle said.

"But I won't be able to help you attain your dreams," Bryan replied dejectedly.

"It's not about that. We are all happy you survived. Isn't that right, Lula?" Olivia spoke up as the Water-type wrapped her tail around the two of us lovingly.

"There's nothing else that would make Master happier."

Bryan started to weep and I knew that despite his wounds, he was still mentally recovering from the fight.

"BUT IT MEANS NOTHING! I WANT TO FOLLOW YOU AND I-"

"Remember our talk before the fight? I'm not abandoning you. I'm broken too," Kyle said. My eyes narrowed in irritation before I spoke my piece.

"Not broken. Neither of you is. You've changed and it's okay."

Kyle's eyes met mine and I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

"So the dark type feels something? Huh!" Bry teased. Groaning, I jabbed his cheek.

"Just remember. Anything I do to you here doesn't matter. Since we're already in a hospital," I responded to which he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Is there a chance he will be able to glide or fly again?"

There was a gasp, and I noticed that Delilah turned her head away sharply. Her reaction told us all the answer we didn't want to know.

"It's all my fault. ALL MY FAULT!" Kyle wailed, slamming his fist into the ground. A small yellow paw touched his good arm, as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"I'd do it again. In a heartbeat," Bryan said, the electric rodent clutching him lovingly.

"It's not fair! Why didn't I just send you away?" Kyle continued. Everyone stared at him sympathetically. And yet my irritation peaked. He had no right to cry over that. Gently pushing Bry's grasp off of his hand, I forced Kyle to look at me. His eyes opened and I watched the water spill soundlessly.

"Enough."

"Rose...now is not the time to," Bry started but I gave a warning growl.

"He needs to hear this. I'm tired of everyone babying him. It's not what he wants or needs right now."

Remaining firm, I faced him again and steadied my breathing.

"Everyone here made their choice a long time ago. Even if you had told me I wasn't coming to the fight, I would have followed. If Bryan had not had confidence in the person you were, he wouldn't have begged to come along. Enough crying. Forgive yourself. NOW!" I stated sharply. He recoiled slightly and as we stared deeply into each other's eyes, I felt myself drawing closer unintentionally. Pulling out of reach, I sat on my haunches. I rubbed my eyes thinking perhaps I had overstepped my bounds.

"Thank you, Rose. Really…" he whispered. Glancing at the nurse, I asked the next question which I knew would not have a pleasant answer.

"If he were to stay how long would it take for him to recover?"

The nurse bit her lip anxiously before glancing at Chansey. The pokemon nodded slightly.

"With any luck, his body should heal properly without any further setbacks by the end of this year. So four months give or take a couple weeks."

"Kyle. I hate to ask anything of you right now...but please. Can you promise to visit me? I don't care if I have to stay here forever. Just..drop by and let me know you are okay. I can get by if I know that."

Kyle nodded in agreeance, as he stood up.

"Can I help with his rehabilitation?" he asked, only for the Nurse to shake her head.

"Unfortunately in your current state if you can't catch him, you'd only worsen his condition."

Everyone exhaled a heavy sigh at the news.

"Thanks for visiting. I have work to do though. I don't care what she says. I'm going to fly again. Even if it's just a flutter. My Mom would never let me give up. I promise I'll keep it up! Kay?" he asked, beaming. I smiled at his persistence.

"Okay, Bry. I love you all. So much," Kyle replied in a shaky voice.

"I know," Bry replied, before heading towards the post. I watched everyone depart in silence. Bry met my gaze, and I expected him to give me another biting tease, however, instead, his eyes turned sad.

"Rose. I know you and I have not really gotten along, but I need you to make me a promise. No matter what happens...please keep an eye on him? I'm in no condition to support him and he needs it now more than anything else."

His plea tugged at my heartstrings, and I exhaled softly.

"I promise. Take care...or else I'll make sure you fly for real next time," I stated, turning on my claws. As I felt the sliding door close behind me, his request echoed again in my mind.

"Rose? You okay?"

Looking up I noticed that Kyle was watching me intently. Shaking my anxiety off, I gave a small smile and nodded.

"Perfectly fine. Shall we be on our way?"

"Let's," his mother said.

As our group departed the hospital I couldn't help but shake the feeling that someone or something was watching us.

Mew stared at Kyle's house alone and vacant. Despite her misgivings about her mission, she was less concerned about her safety and more concerned for the boy. If the conversation earlier had been any indication, the pair would make their move shortly. His life was in jeopardy. They would kill him. And she was helpless to stop them. Darkness crept as the sun started to fall over the edge.

"Kyle deserves a chance, doesn't he?" she asked aloud. The air whistled past her, and a chill ruffled her fur. Of course, she wouldn't get an answer. The discussion with the female and her mon had her worried. The woman wasn't normally rash, but they couldn't afford a mess up. As the family returned, she glanced to Rose, happy to see the Absol had come back. Her mind shifted gears quickly, considering the odds she could approach the dark type about the truth. However, even she knew that such a conversation would only end in death and helplessness. The weight on Mew's shoulders was hers to bear alone. With a blink of light, she vanished. She might have to break the rules. There would be punishment afterward...but she couldn't afford to watch another one die.