As the morning sun carefully reared its pale face, Aiden awoke to find the signature golden leaves of the Dawnbreak Woods bristling overhead. The dungeon, as always, was the spitting image of serenity; the spotlessly blue, overcast sky seemed to envelop the abundant bundles of flowing, golden leaves below. Shaking off what remained of her sleep-induced gaze, the Scorbunny's eyes wandered first to the charred remains of a nearby campfire, then towards the disheveled, half-awake Meowth sitting next to it.
"Yo, Treph," Aiden tentatively greeted while staring at Trevor's drooping whiskers as well as the sagging shadows which loomed underneath his large eyes, "You good? Were you awake all night?"
Trevor nodded slowly. "Couldn't get a wink of sleep. How's your wound?"
Aiden's gaze swiftly snapped towards the side of her chest, now wrapped in a cluster of fresh bandages which barely hid a massive, dark bruise. "Aah, nothing too bad," she muttered dismissively, "Could be worse. Don't worry about me- I'm fine!" The Scorbunny noticed the scrawny, paperback journal laying next to Trevor, an ink-tipped twig laying nearby. "You're still writing on that journal we managed to nab? You gotta let me see what you've been writing about sometime, I've been tempted to take a look more than once, y'know!"
Trevor remained silent, continuing to stare at Aiden's wound absentmindedly. Aiden's smile faltered slightly. "Aw, don't look so glum. This little bruise isn't a problem for me- I've been through much worse. All we need to do is find ourselves some berries- then we'll have ourselves a proper meal for the first time in months! That ought to rejuvenate your spirits as well our bodies!" Aiden stood upwards with a slight wince. "Anyways, we don't have time to dawdle, let's go!"
Aiden began taking a few steps southwards, then noticed that Trevor wasn't moving an inch.
"Hey, c'mon!" Aiden urged, "I know you're tired, but we have to keep moving!"
Trevor took a deep breath, then stood up with a somber look. "Aiden," he murmured, "I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?! Hunters'll find us if we stay here for too long- you're gonna get caught!"
"That's... the point. I'm going to turn myself in."
Aiden violently recoiled to the point of nearly collapsing. "W-WHAT?! Y-you can't!"
"If I give myself up, then everything could return to the way they were before. I'll tell everyone that I forced you to house me, that I made you defend me against your will. You can still salvage Team Spirit, as well as your dream of becoming a top-level explorer!"
"Do you know what you're saying right now?!" Aiden responded loudly, "Have you seen some of the Pokémon chasing us?! If you give yourself up, they'll kill you for sure! This is basically suicide!"
"Well, fine!" Trevor suddenly shouted, "What other choice is there, anyways?! Wouldn't it be better for me to just disappear?! Isn't that what everybody's been saying?!" His voice petered out into a barely audible whisper. "Thank you for everything you've done for me over the past year. I really appreciate the time we've spent together; I sincerely, honestly do. But I refuse to let myself drag you down any further than I already have." Trevor's eyes turned glossy as he shakily held his head up as high as he could manage. "I have to leave."
Aiden simply shook her head while taking a step forwards. "Trevor, no. I won't let you-"
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Trevor screamed, taking an Iron Thorn from his satchel and hurling it wildly, the spike landing a meter from Aiden's feet. Unfazed, the Scorbunny began to approach Trevor with heavy steps.
"Maybe I'd be better off dead, every Pokémon on the continent seems to think so! A-and you're probably thinking that too, after all the trouble I've caused you! Ruining your career, being too weak to fend for myself, never being good enough! And Rin too- Rin left all because of me!"
"Trevor." Aiden said firmly while continuing her advance, thorn after thorn landing a safe distance from her feet.
"If all I ever do is make life worse for everyone around me, then maybe I should just disappear! Maybe I should just die and leave this world without any trace that I ever existed! Maybe I should-"
Aiden placed her arms tightly onto Trevor's shoulders with a firm grip, the Meowth resisting at first before seemingly losing all strength in his body. His heart tightened as he witnessed the sheer intensity burned into Aiden's bright, yellow pupils.
"Aiden..." Trevor whispered in a quiet voice which quivered uncontrollably, "I'm so scared. I feel so... so alone."
Aiden slowly nodded. "I'm scared too. But you're not alone. We have each other, don't we?"
"But all I'm doing is dragging you down, aren't I? What about your dream, your future as an explorer-"
"You really think I'd choose being an explorer over you?" Aiden shook her head, "Do you really think that little of me? I'd never, never even consider the idea."
"But I... I..."
"Shh." Aiden slowly placed a finger onto Trevor's trembling lips, then enveloped him into a tight embrace. "You're going to be okay. I know it seems like the world is collapsing in on itself, like everybody in the world is out to get you. Yet, I think all we can really do in this situation is cling tight to what little hope we have left and strive to make things right." Aiden's hug grew even tighter. "We're going to be all right."
As Trevor continued to be wrapped in Aiden's firm arms, he finally allowed his tears to fall amidst a series of choked sobs as he finally returned her embrace. "We're... going to be... all right." Trevor wiped the tears from his eyes, then hung his head ashamedly. "Aiden... I'm so sorry."
"What do you mean, you're sorry? I should be thanking you."
Trevor's eyes creased in confusion. "Thanking me? For what?"
"For telling me all of this. For letting it all out. Couldn't have been easy."
-
It was only after Aiden and Trevor had split apart when the latter took note of a pointy shadow from behind a nearby patch of tall, golden weeds, the former noticing shortly thereafter. Trevor swiftly snatched an Iron Thorn from his satchel and took aim as Aiden assumed an offensive stance.
"Hey!" Aiden shouted, "I'm gonna give you five seconds to come out with your hands up before we come over there and beat your ass! One... two... th-"
From the patch of tall grass, the shadowy figure emerged out into the open and revealed its golden hide which shimmered in the early sunlight. One of its lanky, purple-tipped hands clutched the handle of a circular shield whose color matched that of its wielder; the other was wrapped around the blue, single-striped scarf slung around the figure's trembling, sword-shaped body. Its one, purple eye was creased with conflict.
"...Percival," Trevor recognized, instantly lowering his thorn.
"S-silence, human! You may have helped me a while back, and I may have witnessed that unexpectedly beautiful heart-to-heart you just had, but my devotion to the force's cause... to my dream... shall prevail nonetheless!"
Trevor simply stared at the Aegislash with a somber expression. "Percival, please. You're better than this."
Percival violently shook his head in response. "In the name of Master Jett, for the sake of maintaining peace and order throughout the continents, I, Percival, shall..."
Percival's trembling only intensified as he attempted to finish his declaration, trying in vain to avoid meeting Trevor's gaze.
"Shall... shall..."
In one quick movement, Percival threw his golden shield to the ground, then despairingly sunk to the floor. "Why," he muttered, "of all Pokémon to end up being the human, why... WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU?!"
Saying nothing, Trevor dropped his weapon to the floor, which landed with a dull thud. Percival's single, purple eye widened, then closed tight as he hung his head in resignation.
"I... can't do this. This simply doesn't feel just. Everybody has been raised to view humans as inherently evil, yet I've now witnessed firsthand just how close minded that view actually is." Percival slowly raised his head and began staring towards Trevor intently. "You two don't deserve this kind of treatment, especially not from the esteemed Continental Police. I now have a new goal: I swear upon my honor as a policeman that I shall clear your names!"
Both Trevor and Aiden stared in silent astonishment. "You'd really do that?" Trevor asked in utter disbelief, "...even if it may go against your fellow policemen?"
"Of course!" Percival placed one hand towards his chest and struck a triumphant pose. "Everybody in the force loves me, so there shouldn't be any trouble convincing others that you're harmless! Leave it to my natural charm!"
"That's... perfect!" Aiden turned towards Trevor, her yellow eyes brimming with optimism as a light breeze began brushing through her massive ears. "You hear that, Treph?! Even if he's just a novice, a testimony from the legendary Jett's personal pupil should sway the opinions of at least a couple Pokémon! There's still hope!"
"Hope for you two? Not a chance."
From seemingly out of nowhere rang a deep, caustic voice which instantly sent the fur on both Aiden and Trevor's skin skyrocketing upwards. Sure enough, from the patch of grass Percival had come from emerged a set of sandy, deep blue scales accompanied by a set of pearly white teeth which looked sharp enough to pierce through iron. Alpha's crimson-red scarf fluttered slightly, then fell completely still as he glowered over the now mortified pair.
"You're not getting out of this so easily," the Gabite gloated with a crooked grin.