Chapter 15
Additions to the Team
The next morning, Terron finally woke up. He still felt sore from yesterday's adventure, but at least he no longer felt overwhelming fatigue.
The Cubone found himself still in Zekra's bed, but the Zorua wasn't there anymore. Puzzled, Terron looked around him to see if she was still in the room.
Sure enough, Zekra was in the bedroom. She was sitting in front of the single window in their room, staring out into the distance. There was a pensive expression in her eyes.
"Oh, you're awake," Terron said.
Zekra looked back at Terron. She mustered up a small smile.
"Yeah, woke up about a couple hours ago," Zekra replied. "I figured I'd wait for you to wake up too. Didn't think you'd sleep in until almost noon, though."
Terron turned away, feeling slightly embarrassed that he had been asleep for so long. He slowly sat up. He then saw the Mienfoo's blood still stained into Zekra's fur, making him remember what had made Zekra do yesterday. Guilt overcame him once more.
"I'm… I'm sorry," Terron said sadly.
Zekra glanced at Terron with an odd expression.
"For what?" she asked.
"For making you turn into a Drifblim," Terron answered. "It's my fault that you fainted. I shouldn't have pushed you so much. I'll make it up to you, though. I promise."
Terron waited for Zekra to say something. She wasn't answering right away, making Terron worried that she was upset with him.
Zekra let out a sigh.
"It's fine, Terron," Zekra said after some time. "I'm not mad. You were just trying to save that Mienfoo. It's not your fault that I'm not as skilled as I want to be with my abilities. But, I suppose yesterday was an improvement since I lasted longer than I used to."
"If you say so," Terron replied unsurely.
There was silence between the two for a moment.
"Do you want to go check on the Mienfoo, now that we're both awake?" Terron then asked.
"Well, we might as well," Zekra said. "Not like anyone else is going to check on her and tell us how she's doing."
Terron and Zekra then left the bedroom and headed for the medical wing of the Fellowship. Despite the fact that there was a hospital within Aurora Town, the Fellowship had their own version of a hospital that was exclusive to their members and clients. They felt it would be less of a hassle if they had their own doctors to take care of their members. It would save a lot more time, money, and explaining in certain cases.
The two found themselves in that medical center not much later, waiting in the lobby. Various Pokémon were sitting in piles of hay that rested near the walls. Terron and Zekra approached the counter, where a Bayleef stood.
"Hey, we wanted to visit a friend of ours," Zekra said. "She came here last night. She's a Mienfoo. Do you know where she is?"
"Ah, the Mienfoo," the Bayleef said with a smile. "I remember her coming in. Very hard to forget her when one of the leaders brought her in. Yes, let me get someone to take you to her."
The Bayleef looked over to its side.
"Can you bring these two to Room Twenty-One of the Fighting-Type Wing?" it asked.
A Sylveon then came over to the children and nodded in understanding. It looked back at the two, wearing a bright smile.
"This way, please," the Sylveon spoke.
Terron and Zekra followed after the Sylveon, where they walked in silence for the next couple of minutes. The children glanced at each other occasionally, feeling anxious about the Mienfoo. They had hoped she had managed to survive, despite being hospitalized.
The three eventually came to the right room. The Sylveon carefully opened the door and let the children inside. The room was rather simple, with one window, a small table to set meals on, and a bed next to such table. All of the walls were painted light green.
In the bed was the Mienfoo, fast asleep. Most of her body was covered by the thick bed sheets. A few bandages were wrapped around her exposed arms and face.
Standing by her bedside was Emdox. He was staring down at her curiously.
When he noticed the presence of the children, the Xatu turned to face them.
"Oh, it's you two," Emdox said before looking at the Sylveon. "Thanks for bringing these two. You may go. I'll keep an eye on them."
The Sylveon nodded before exiting the room and shutting the door. The children were alone with Emdox and the unconscious Mienfoo now.
"What are you doing here?" Terron asked curiously. "Don't you have to manage the registration office?"
"I told Rayne to manage that until I return in a while," Emdox answered. "I figured I'd come down here since Garter was telling me about your friend. Let me assure you though; your friend is fine. She's stable and should be able to get out of the hospital as soon as she wakes up."
Terron and Zekra let out a sigh of relief.
"Wait, how is she able to heal that quickly?" Terron then asked. "I mean, she almost died and lost so much blood. No one can recover that fast."
Emdox looked back at the Mienfoo.
"She has a special ability that very few kinds of Pokémon possess," the Xatu explained. "This ability lets her heal at a phenomenal rate when she's not in combat. We call this ability "Regenerator". Of course, it won't save her if she's on the brink of death. It can't stop severe bleeding. But, thanks to the nurses in fixing that particular problem, her ability was able to take care of the rest of her problems."
"Oh, I see," Terron said. "That's a pretty useful ability then. I'm glad she's able to recover so quickly."
Emdox nodded and continued to stare at the Mienfoo.
"Really though, why are you here?" Zekra then asked. "I'm sure you don't do this for every member that gets injured."
"There are two reasons," Emdox answered. "One is because I have a message to deliver to you two. I was going to go to your room and wake you up, but I realized that you would be coming here anyway and plus, it would be less of an intrusion."
Emdox looked back at the children.
"Len decided to give your team the day off, today," the Xatu said. "He thought you could use some time to yourselves after what you went through yesterday. Of course, he wants to talk to you about that later in return for letting you have this day of leisure. Nonetheless, you're exempt from fulfilling a mission today."
"I didn't know you guys gave members free days," Terron said in surprise.
"We usually don't except for particular holidays or important events," Emdox replied. "But, it happens for our teams who go under severe turmoil in their day. We realize it's best for them to rest before sending them out on yet another mission."
Terron wasn't sure what to say. He didn't really think that yesterday was that bad since his friends were still alive and recovering quickly, but the Cubone wasn't going to complain. He could make use of the day off.
"What's the other reason for why you're here?" Zekra then asked.
Emdox paused.
"The second reason… is because this Mienfoo reminds me of one of my friends," the Xatu replied, almost reluctantly. "A friend… who is also a member of my team and someone I cherish."
"King?" Zekra asked, remembering the Bisharp's story.
"No, not him," Emdox said with a laugh. "Though, I'm surprised you know his story. But no, it's another teammate. Her name's Jade. You haven't met her yet. She's out on a long-term mission with two other members."
"Jade… I think Bane and Rayne were mentioning her," Terron remarked. "But, why does the Mienfoo remind you of Jade?"
"Because Jade was a feral, just like this Mienfoo," the Xatu answered. "And just like this Mienfoo, she was always a feral. She was born in the wild, unlike King, who lived in his own little civilization at birth. Just looking at this Mienfoo brings back old memories of Jade is all. It's like I'm looking at a kindred spirit of her..."
Emdox looked back at the Mienfoo, reminiscing of days long ago. A melancholy gaze formed in his eyes.
When Emdox realized this, he shook his head and returned his expression back into its usual look.
"Sorry," Emdox said. "I just miss my dear friend is all. We would spend many hours with one another back then, whenever we got the chance in our busy schedules. I haven't seen her in a couple of months since she's out on that mission, and seeing your friend makes me remember that I haven't seen her. And with it, it makes me have a strange feeling of nostalgia. But, it's nothing to worry about. It happens to everyone."
Terron and Zekra weren't quite sure what to say. Just then, Emdox's expression seemed to brighten even more.
"Oh, your friend is coming to her senses!" Emdox then said, growing excited. "I can sense her conscious mind arising."
The two hurriedly went over to the bedside of the Mienfoo. Just as expected, the Mienfoo started to move around sluggishly in the bed before tiredly opening up her eyes. Terron and Zekra smiled in joy at seeing that she was okay and with them.
Once the Mienfoo fully awakened, she noticed the blankets covering her. She started to poke them, trying to understand what they might be.
"Good, you're awake," Emdox said pleasantly to the Mienfoo. "You might be wondering where you are right now. Well-"
Suddenly, the Xatu held up his wings in front of his face to protect himself. Before the children could ask what was going on, the Mienfoo pressed her paw into the wings of the Xatu and released the white energy that had been building within the paw.
CRASH!
Emdox was sent flying backwards into the wall. He didn't seem to be injured, but he still took a while in attempting to get up.
The Mienfoo immediately jumped out of the bed and landed behind Terron and Zekra. She then ran straight for the closed window.
"Wait, stop!" Zekra cried.
She pounced at the Mienfoo, landing on the fighting-type's back and bringing her to the ground. Terron was quick to help and proceeded with pinning her down as well.
"MEEII! MEEII!" the Mienfoo shrieked.
She started to squirm, which Terron and Zekra found they couldn't work against. They were tossed off the Mienfoo, landing on separate sides of the feral. With their weight now off, the Mienfoo once again got up and darted for the window.
Just before the Mienfoo burst through the glass, she immediately became frozen in midair. The Mienfoo attempted to move, but found her limbs were locked in place. She struggled and cried loudly, trying to become free.
Terron and Zekra got to their feet. They looked behind them to find Emdox's eyes were glowing a bright blue; he was using his telekinetic abilities to keep the fighting-type from escaping. He watched as the Mienfoo continued to scream, fighting off his influence on her.
"Yes… you and Jade truly are kindred spirits," Emdox said with a sigh. "I remember having to do this to her too…"
Emdox turned to the startled children.
"We need to take her outside," Emdox said to them. "She's terrified of me since I'm a stranger to her and she feels confined inside this room. Follow me."
"Wait, you can't just keep her like this!" Zekra cried. "It's not right to have her under your influence!"
"It's only temporary," Emdox assured. "Besides, it's the only way to get her out of the hospital safely. She could get injured from trying to break out the window. It's all that's on her mind right now. She doesn't understand the concept of a 'door', so she won't leave any other way."
Zekra let out a sigh of defeat, not liking how the Mienfoo was being handled. However, she saw that Emdox was right.
"It's still wrong though…" Zekra muttered. "Being paralyzed against your will…"
Reluctantly, Terron and Zekra followed the Xatu out of the room. The Xatu put a psychic bind on the Mienfoo's tongue so that she couldn't scream and controlled her limbs so that it gave the impression that she was walking normally amongst the inside of the hospital. This way, she wouldn't make a scene among the other patients and visitors. When the four got out of the giant tree, Emdox finally released his hold on her.
The Mienfoo fell to the ground, but was quick to get back to her feet. She looked around, panting heavily as she noticed the change of location that was so different from her home. She moved around in circles, looking in every direction she could.
"Is she going to be okay?" Terron asked. "She seemed so panicky back there."
"Yes, she'll be fine," Emdox said. "She just needs an open space. It feels more natural to her since it's like the wild; no boundaries to hold her back."
The three watched the Mienfoo continue to look around, slowly starting to calm down as a more intrigued expression formed. She went up to one of the trees and gently put her paws on its trunk. And then, she started to climb the tree. Her small claws provided good gripping as she slowly went up to the lowest branch of the tree. Once she had reached the branch, she sat down in it and looked toward Terron and Zekra.
She looked at them the same way she had back at Diamond Dust Mountain.
"So what are you going to do with her?" Emdox then asked. "She's done recovering and almost at full health again."
"Well, I'm not really sure," Terron replied. "I didn't really think about anything beyond getting the Mienfoo to the medical center. What do you think, Zekra?"
"Hmmm, she is pretty powerful," Zekra started to say. "I mean, we could take her back to the wild, but it looks like she's grown an interest in us and wouldn't want to leave us. So maybe we can make her a part of the team."
"Another member to our team, huh?" Terron said thoughtfully. "That would be nice, actually. It would make battles and missions easier to do, especially with her strength."
Terron brought his gaze to the Mienfoo.
"Hey, we have a question for you!" Terron called. "Can you come here for a moment?"
The Mienfoo recognized that she was being addressed and slowly started making her way off the tree. Terron watched as she came to the three, though she kept a distance from them since Emdox was there with the children. She stared at the Cubone curiously.
"Hey, do you want to join our team?" Terron asked the Mienfoo. "You don't have to, but we'd really like it if you would. We could use your company and power for our team."
The fighting-type showed visible signs of thinking, as if she understood what she was being asked. She looked at the ground has she pondered.
After some time had passed, the Mienfoo glanced back at the kids and seemed to smile. Understanding what she was trying to say, Terron and Zekra smiled as well. They went up to the Mienfoo and stood by her sides before looking back at Emdox.
"We'd like to make this Mienfoo the third member of Team Vendetta," Zekra said cheerfully. "We think she'll make a nice addition to the team."
"I think so too," Emdox replied. "I'll go register her under your team name. But before I do so, I need to know what name you wish to give her. We need to call her by something."
"Well Terron, you want to name her?" Zekra then asked the Cubone.
Terron was taken aback.
"Me?" he asked. "Why me?"
"Well, I gave the name of the team," Zekra explained, "so you should be given the opportunity to name something. Plus, it was your idea to save the Mienfoo. I think you should have the honor of naming her because of that."
"Well, if you say so," Terron replied. "Just give me a second to come up with one."
Terron thought for a moment, considering a good name for the Mienfoo. He needed a name that would suit this fighting-type. He needed a name that would fit a Pokémon who bravely fought to protect two strangers and risked her life in doing so. He needed a name that this Mienfoo could proudly wear.
After thinking for a minute, a name finally came to Terron.
"Her name's Impetus," the Cubone said. "That's what I think her name should be."
He looked up at the Mienfoo and watched as her smile seemed to grow. He wasn't really sure if the Mienfoo could understand what just happened, but he was glad she seemed to like the name.
"Impetus… such an interesting name," Emdox commented. "Based on what your memories tell me, I do think it's a fitting name. Well, from this day on, she will be called Impetus by all those her meet her. Now, we just need to mark her and then I'll go register her."
The Xatu cautiously made his way toward Impetus. She tensed up, her eyes becoming wide.
"Impetus… don't be difficult for me…" Emdox said gently. "I don't want to have to use my telekinetic powers on you again. Just stay still and let me enter your brain so I can put the mark on you…"
"Mei!" Impetus spat.
She immediately shoved her paw at the Xatu.
"Wait, Impetus!" Terron cried. "Stop!"
BOOM!
A few minutes later, Terron, Zekra, and Impetus were standing by themselves once more, taking a break from what had just happened. Impetus had attacked Emdox whenever he tried to come near her or try to connect with her mind, usually in the form of a Force Palm. Terron and Zekra tried to get her to stop, but she was dead set on not letting the Xatu get into her head. It finally ended when Emdox got tired of trying to coax her and used yet another psychic bind to hold her still. Once he had managed that, Emdox put the mark on her.
Now, Impetus stared at her left paw, which had the Mark of the Fellowship. It was a red color, being the same shade of the color as the other red colorings of her fur.
"Don't worry, Impetus," Zekra said. "You'll get used to it being there. It's not like it's going to prevent you from using your paw."
The Mienfoo didn't say much as she continued to stare at the symbol curiously. Terron looked at his own marked paw and observed the unchanged symbol.
"To think that we have to have these to be members," Terron said. "I kinda like them… but I wish we could have had a badge instead. It's weird thinking that they changed me so that I'm one of them…"
"Huh, you know, I never thought of it that way," Zekra replied. "I suppose they did 'change' us. But, it's not a huge change. I mean, we're still us. Our personalities are the same. I doubt that giving someone something that changes their appearance also changes their personality."
"I suppose you have a point," Terron shrugged. "I guess what's done is done. I just hope that in time, when we have to get our future members marked, they don't put up such a resistance like Impetus did."
Terron glared at the Mienfoo. She shrunk in shame.
As the three chatted, Terron noticed Garter climbing down a nearby tree. When the Ariados managed to reach the ground, he made his way toward the group, wearing a broad grin. Impetus, growing alert, went into a hostile pose. When Garter saw this, he stopped about ten feet away from the group.
"Ah, see your friend is okay," Garter stated. "I was wondering how she was doing. Haven't checked on her since last night."
"Yeah, Impetus is fine," Terron said. "She's a part of our team now."
"Really?" Garter asked. "How come she's joining you two?"
Terron then explained to Garter about the encounter they had with the Mienfoo, how she followed them, and how she saved their lives from the Weavile. Once Terron had finished telling the story up to the present, the Ariados nodded thoughtfully.
"So that's why you wanted to save her," Garter said. "I wondered why you wanted to do that. Not many Pokémon want to save a feral."
Garter paused for a moment.
"Anyway, I came to see you children for another reason," he said. "I was going to give you it last night, but all of you were in a critical condition and I figured it could wait. But, now that you're all better… I have something for you, Terron."
Garter then took an object that had been on his back and set it on the ground: it was present. It was wrapped up in various leaves, kept together by thick silk. It was a somewhat large gift. Terron stared at Garter oddly.
"What's this for?" Terron asked.
"To make up for kidnapping you two," the Ariados answered. "It's my form of an apology. Remember? I said I'd make it up to you somehow."
"But you've helped us out so much already," Terron said humbly. "First, by saving me when I fell off the tree, and then by brining Impetus to the medical center. You don't have to do this. I think it's overdoing it."
"I still feel you should get this present," Garter insisted. "I still feel terrible about what I did. This present was the only thing I could think of to relieve me of that guilt. So go on; take the gift. You'll like what's inside."
Terron let out a sigh as he approached the Ariados and stopped in front of the present. He observed the wrapping curiously, finding it to be an odd contrast to the wrapping paper of his human life. He carefully ripped apart the leaves.
When the leaves were torn away, Terron found what was meant to be the gift.
He almost didn't believe what he was looking at.
There, among the pile of leaves… was a skull. A skull fit for the head of a Cubone.
Terron cautiously picked up the skull in his hands, making sure it was real. He realized very quickly that the helmet was indeed, very real. He could feel the fine bone and the various cracks that went throughout the skull. It was not a perfect helmet, but Terron didn't mind that.
It felt so nice to have a helmet in his hands.
He felt a happiness he couldn't begin to describe. He thought he would cry.
"Heh, I see you like it," Garter said with a chuckle. "Thought you would. It's a Deino skull. It was tampered with in order to make it work for you, such as giving it some eye holes since Deino don't have eyes, but it's in usable condition. I had it special ordered from the Dusk Mines Fellowship since they like to keep all of their executed criminals' bones and other valuable body parts in a storage center or something like that. It just so happened that when I asked for a helmet fit for a Cubone, they had that one. A dragon's skull is considered very valuable to bone-users like yourself, so I think I lucked out in getting it."
Terron couldn't say anything. He might have been disturbed by how the Dusk Mines Fellowship stored corpses for some reason, but he was too filled with glee to think about that.
"Well congratulations, Terron!" Zekra said with a grin. "You finally got your helmet! And it didn't take you a month! Now put it on so you can stop complaining that you feel weird without it!"
Terron nodded as he took a few steps back. He looked at Garter and his teammates before smiling. He looked back at his helmet and, with a deep breath, placed it on his head.
The helmet sat comfortably on his head, fitting him quite well despite it once belonging to a very different Pokémon. He could see clearly out of the artificial eyeholes, just as he had without the helmet. His ears, though being pushed down, could still hear everything around him. He could breathe without any troubles.
Terron felt a peace of mind overcome him.
He felt whole now.
Terron…
The Cubone heard a familiar voice. It was coming from inside his mind.
Terron…
That voice… It's…
Before Terron could finish his thought, his body collapsed, hitting the ground as his vision cut to black.
When Terron awoke, he found himself still lying on the ground. He got back to his feet, expecting to find himself still in front of the Fellowship with everyone surrounding him. Instead, he found himself in a completely new location.
The Cubone was standing upon charred ground. He was on a small space of land, completely surrounded by molten lava. The fiery substance flowed all around him, bubbling and hissing. Just in front of him, beyond the endless lava, was an enormous volcano. Magma streamed out of the peak continuously, adding to the rivers of heat around Terron.
What… what is this place? Terron thought. And where is everybody? How did I get here?
Terron looked around, trying to find a way off his tiny island. However, he saw none. He was in the very middle of a pool of lava.
That voice I heard before I came here… I know that voice. It's the same voice as the one I heard back when I was in Wayward Woods with Zekra. Yeah… the voice that helped me. And… now that I think about it… I'm sure this is also the same voice I heard after I got kicked out of that jungle dungeon. They're the same voice. But, who is it that's speaking to me? Who is the voice?
"Terron… you are here once more…"
Terron turned toward the source of the voice, which came in the direction of the volcano. But, no one was in sight.
"Where are you?!" Terron demanded.
The Cubone gasped when he realized he could talk. His tongue was actually producing words, unlike the last time he had been transported to an unknown location.
"I told you never to return… yet you come despite this. Why did you return?"
"I didn't return here on purpose!" Terron answered. "I don't even know where here is!"
"Still, you came back. I had hoped you would never return."
Terron frowned. He started to remember his last experience with this voice.
"Alright, I'm going to try asking this again since you didn't answer this last time," Terron said seriously. "Who are you? What is this place? And why shouldn't I come here?"
There was silence.
"Answer me!" Terron cried. "Answer for me once!"
HIISSSSSSSS…
A large amount of bubbles surfaced in the lava in front of Terron. The Cubone backed away from the sight as far as he could.
"You should never come here… for your time will steadily cease."
Four massive claws started to immerge from the magma pool. Terron's eyes grew wide with horror. The claws were twice his size.
"This place… is my home where no Pokémon should dwell."
The claws moved toward the small patch of land, dripping with lava.
"And last of your requests…"
The claws settled on the ground before Terron. The Cubone tried to get away, but he had nowhere to go. He started to hyperventilate.
"I am you."
"Wha… What?!" Terron asked in disbelief. "What do you mean?! I-I don't understand what you're saying! Your answers don't make sense!"
"Your initial questions have been answered. You no longer have a reason to be here. Now, leave! Never come back!"
The claws slowly reached for Terron. As they did, Terron felt his vision blur. Before he understood what was happening, he fell backwards into the lava, his consciousness having drifted away.
Terron awoke in a fright, panting heavily. He found the three Pokémon staring down at him from where he lay on the ground. Impetus was rather distant from Zekra and Garter, but she still seemed just as concerned.
"What happened to me?" Terron asked as he got to his feet.
"You passed out," Zekra answered. "You were just lying there after you put on your helmet. We tried to get you up, but nothing really worked. Everything okay?"
Terron put his hands on his head, trying to shake the strange experience out of his mind. He couldn't talk about what he had just seen. At least, not now. Maybe later when he, Zekra, and Impetus were alone he'd try.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Terron said calmly. "I was just so excited that I fainted from happiness. I didn't think such a thing could actually happen. Hahaha…"
Zekra and Garter gave Terron an odd look before giving him his space.
"Thanks though, for the helmet," Terron said to Garter with a smile. "I'm really glad to have it. Been looking for this thing everywhere. Now I can just focus on getting a better weapon…"
"You're welcome," Garter replied. "Glad you liked it. Take good care of it. I'll see you children around."
Garter then took the leaves that had wrapped up the gift and went back to his usual spot among the trees. Zekra waved goodbye to Garter until he was out of sight. She then looked at Terron pleasantly.
"So, looks like we're getting a lot of good things on our day off," Zekra said happily. "First Impetus, and now your helmet. What more things can we get?"
"Lots of money?" Terron suggested.
"Heh, yeah I wish," Zekra said with a laugh.
She then looked out toward the outer parts of the city, where the city borders could be seen. She stared at it for a while, seemingly thinking about something. Impetus went to a Fellowship tree and found a good branch to rest in.
Now that Terron had some time to think, he pondered in what he should say to Zekra about what had happened with the voice. He wasn't quite sure how to even begin the subject. The topic was so strange and bizarre, that he doubted there was any easy way to talk about it. He wasn't even sure he wanted to talk about it.
I don't have to tell her about this… Terron considered. I mean… it's not that big of a deal, is it? I mean, sure, it's giving me cryptic messages that I don't understand… but it's not affecting my reality. The only time it did was when it was yelling me, telling me how to fight. Since then… it's been stuck in my head. It's not helping me or causing problems. Well, except sucking me into strange places, but that's not very often. So, maybe I can keep this a secret. Maybe I should just figure this out on my own.
Terron glanced at Zekra.
I know she and I share all of our secrets… but this is one I need to keep. She'll worry about me. I don't want her worrying over something as weird as this. She's got enough things on her mind.
"Hey, Terron."
Terron brought himself back to reality to find Zekra sitting in front of him. She was looking at him with a somewhat reluctant expression.
"Yeah, what is it?" Terron asked.
"I was wondering… if I could go somewhere today," she said shyly. "I've been thinking about it since yesterday, and since we have the day off, I thought today would be a good day to go."
"Okay, well where do you want to go?" Terron asked.
Zekra rubbed her paw into the ground.
"My old home," she answered quietly. "There's… something I need to do there. By myself."
Terron stared at Zekra oddly, not quite sure what she could possibly need to do in Blackoak Town. Everybody who lived there was dead… so surely no one was there. Yet, Terron could see that Zekra was serious about going. He wasn't sure about letting her go, though. He worried something might happen to her while she was gone. He would have asked to go with her, but Terron could tell that she only wanted to go alone.
In the middle of Terron's deciding, he started to remember how he wanted to make it up to Zekra for making her collapse the other day. Perhaps, letting her go on her journey, alone, would work for a good apology. He didn't like the idea, but Terron wanted to keep her happy.
"Do you know how long you think you'll be gone?" Terron asked.
"Just until evening," Zekra said. "I was gonna get there by Drifblim, so it shouldn't take long."
"Well, alright then," Terron said with a small smile. "Just, be careful, alright?"
Zekra smiled and pressed her head against Terron's side.
"I will," Zekra replied. "Thanks. I hope you and Impetus enjoy your day off too. I'm sure she'll listen to you even though I'm gone."
Zekra then removed her head from the Cubone and started to walk away. Terron waved goodbye to his friend as she slowly faded into the distance.
Once she was gone, Terron stood by himself, with his only other friend taking a nap in the trees nearby.