Rose Dawn Marigold. 18 years old. She stood at a height of 4'11". Her hair was light blonde with a few red highlights. Her eyes were hazel in color. And, by the time she joined the Solace Guild in PMDO, she's a member of Team Inferno.

However, after everything that happened on Mount Ebott, she seemed to be rather nervous and uneasy, considering that she felt guilty for the reasons that Josh, Cross, and I were put in mortal danger. That wasn't the case, though, and she knew that. But there were a few things that made her doubt her thoughts about it. 1: She wasn't strong to fight off and defeat Zeraora. 2: She knew that Volt would be furious if she showed herself, given what she remembered from how strict he was. And 3: She was afraid that perhaps Josh and I were a lost cause if we were throwing our lives into danger at any given opportunity.

She had just recently finished helping patients at the vet when she received another message from Chris. She groaned, thinking of deleting the message, but as soon as she saw the title of the message, it read "MESSAGE FROM J" complete with a chibi Lucario. She sighed, wondering what this was about, and she soon checked the message on her phone. She was surprised to find not a random question or comment, but rather, a full essay.

Dear Rose,

I know you are upset, and probably won't listen to me, thinking this is another message from Chris. Well, to be honest, after hearing how Chris kept on messaging you, I was kind of surprised that you kept on rejecting his messages. REGARDLESS, I chose to contact you through him, seeing as I can't really message you given I can no longer access a menu.

If you're worried about me, then don't. I'm doing just fine. Adam and Cross, too. However, I must admit that I personally feel awful that you had to leave so suddenly. Adam told me that you felt like we were a lost cause. First of all, shame on you. Second, sorry for the previous sentence. I get that you're sad, but it's going to take a lot more than a few Iron Thorns to put me down.

You told me the day you joined that the reason your team refused to cooperate with you was because they thought Gabe was a lost cause. I honestly don't want you to follow the same path. You left your old team because you had a fire burning inside of you. A passion to protect the lives you care about. If you give up so soon after you've joined, then you're simply extinguishing the flame that I saw inside of you that day. I'm still alive because you care. I hardly ever feel any sort of compassion from others apart from Adam, and perhaps Wulfrock and occasionally Rinekai. Life has been tough these past few years. But after seeing you join our team, you ignited a spark of hope in me that I never thought I would ever feel again.

You're compassionate. You're smart. You're generous. Living in this world without you in it would only break my heart. You brought me out of such a dark place in my life. You were there to give me a reason to live.

Therefore, I would love to have a talk with you tomorrow morning, if you're available. I know you only work on weekends, but this is rather urgent. Try to convince your parents if you can take a day off so you can speak with me. I need to know as soon as possible if you want to talk. I don't know what would happen if you are not here.

I hope this message reaches you, because I would be a little steamed if you decided to throw this message away. Let me know if you want to talk. And by that, I mean to contact Chris, and convince him to tell me that you would want to talk. God, I am not sure if that's the right way to phrase it…OH GOD, CRHIS! ARE YOU WRITING THIS DOWN? STOP IT!

If he redacted that last statement, that's fine. The main point is, I want to talk as soon as you are ready. I'll be waiting by the floral shop in Talis.

Sincerely,

Josh "LucarioTrainerJ"

PS: I totally didn't delete that last message like Josh wanted, by the way. I just wanted to dick around with him. Still, I hope you like what I'm doing here for you. – Chris

Rose giggled a little, but returned immediately to feeling sorry for herself. Just then, she could see her mother approaching her, and she asked "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

Rose quickly put her phone away, and just stared at the clock on the wall as she was ready to sign off for the night. "It's nothing, Mom," Rose answered sternly. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Rose. You're frowning." Rose's mother walked up to her daughter, and she saw that she was mostly uneasy. "Now tell me. Is it Gabe again?"

Rose winced at the mention of the name, before answering "No."

Rose's mother raised an eyebrow as she took note of Rose's expression. "Rose, you know that you can't hide your feelings from me," she said. "Now tell me, what's bothering you?"

Rose sighed, taking a seat as she looked over to her mother. "Mom," she said. "Do you think it was wrong for me to try and find Gabe?"

Rose's mother shook her head. "I wouldn't say that," she added. "In fact, I'm actually pretty glad you were willing to try and help Norman in his search."

Rose scrunched up once she heard Norman's name. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Rose looked at her own hand. "I found the very thing that killed Gabe. It was so close to killing some other people I was with. I was scared, thinking that I probably wasn't going to save them. My own team felt like they were on death's door." She then clenched her hand into a fist, saying "I wanted to help them. But…I only ended up placing another friend of mine in danger."

She recalled the instant where Cross shielded her and Josh from Zeraora's attack. She saw how Cross's eyes glowed pure white, and with what appeared to be flames entering into his body. She was so scared that perhaps her friend was close to dying. Her fears only heightened when Cross collapsed after the battle was over. She felt guilty for herself, wondering if all of the fighting was going to be worth it in the end, or if she was only kidding herself.

She sighed, lowering her hand, and she began to start doubting herself. "I don't know," Rose said. "Maybe what I'm doing isn't helping at all. I'm only afraid of what could happen if I lose them all. I'm not even strong enough to protect them, so why bother?"

Rose's mother pulled up a chair and sat down next to her daughter, giving her a reassuring hug. "Hey, nobody said that it was going to be easy," she mentioned. "But there is one thing that I am so proud of, and it's that you're so kind, supportive, and considerate of others. You were helping your friends do something important. I couldn't have been prouder than I am now."

Rose smiled a little from her mother's comfort, and she asked "You really think I'm helping them?"

"Of course, sweetie," Rose's mother said with a smile. "You are helping them as their friend and teammate. I think that's more than enough to really give them support."

Rose and her mother stopped hugging, and Rose couldn't help but feel rather bad about herself for simply abandoning her team like that. Still pouting to herself, she looked away for a bit. "The thing is, I want to be stronger. I want to be there to help them as they fight for survival. I just…I don't know if I'm strong enough for when the time comes."

"You'll be fine, Rose," her mother said. "I encourage you to try and help others, whether they be inside a videogame, or here in reality. You're nice enough to do so."

Rose gave a slight laugh, and looked at her mother. "I never thought I would see you interested in videogame affairs, Mom."

"Well, Gabe was the only thing on your mind when he disappeared, so I guess I only grew numb to the concept." Rose's mother smiled, giving her daughter an encouraging look. "If you want to help them, then help them. You can take a break from helping me for the time being."

Rose was a little astonished to hear that. "But…what about our promise?" she asked. "You said I could help you when I rescued Gabe!"

"Yes, but since you have other people that need your help, I'll be holding off on your assistance for now. Besides, I already have other people that can help me, including your father."

"I don't think Dad would like to get his hands on animals he's not comfortable with," Rose said with a doubtful expression. "And besides, what does he know about being a veterinarian, anyway?"

"That's none of your concern, sweetie," her mother argued back. "I only want you to be happy, that's all. So, do what you think makes you smile, and I'll be sitting here holding the fort."

Rose was almost speechless upon hearing her mother mention that. All that Rose could muster was a huge smile, her eyes starting to water, and she nodded with approval.

The very next day was a Sunday for her, but she never would've imagined going back into PMDO once more, especially when she said that she was going to be helping her mother's veterinary clinic on weekends. She ate a hearty breakfast, and after saying her goodbyes to her mother and father as they made their way to work, Rose was left all alone inside of her house.

She made her way to her room, pulled out her VR headset, and stared at it for a bit. She closed her eyes, thinking back to what Josh wrote on the message she got just the other night. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and lay flat on her bed as she strapped the headset on. Once she was ready, she closed her eyes, and said the phrase "Connect: START" before her vision was encompassed by white.

Chapter 27: A Rose on the Grave

I woke up to the sound of Josh pouring the water from his flower vase out the window. Once that was done, he set the vase back onto the shelf by his bed, and put the roses back into it. He took notice that I was awake, smiled, and said "Good morning."

"Yeah," I said with a yawn, showing all of my razor-sharp teeth. "Morning!"

Josh snickered a little, before mentioning "You know, you should probably cover your mouth with your hand when you're yawning. All of those teeth could frighten someone if they took notice."

That startled me the way Josh was teasing my appearance like that. I couldn't help it! I mean, he knows I'm self-conscious about my body, and tends to make fun of me at any opportunity when we're alone! Still, I reflexively covered my mouth with my hand out of embarrassment to avoid making people think that I was scary.

Josh chuckled as I made that motion. "Relax! I'm pretty sure nobody is going to freak out if they see you, Adam. You've got nothing to worry about."

I slowly lowered my hand when he said that, and I sat up, doing my morning stretches. I flexed every muscle in my body to relieve the tension, which Josh couldn't help but avert his gaze. Ever since I became an Incineroar, this was his general reaction to seeing me stretching. I'm assuming that he felt embarrassed to see me like this, though sometimes, I often wonder if he found the idea of me like this to be…appealing.

"Josh, we sleep in the same room together," I said as I continued stretching. "No need to feel ashamed."

Josh winced a little at that statement, his cheeks blushing as he averted his gaze. "You have no idea what you're doing, do you?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm stretching to relieve tension," I stated. Is there something he's not telling me?

Josh was quick to start pacing his way towards the door. Again, this happens a lot when I'm stretching. Though, naturally, I'm unclear on what it was he's so embarrassed about. We're brothers. He doesn't find my body attractive. Right?

Josh stopped at the door, and he looked back at me as I finished my stretches. "When Rose comes here, I'd suggest you don't do that in front of her," he mentions.

"Why?" I asked curiously. "Is there something wrong with my stretches?"

"Wha-NO!" Josh exclaimed, his face flushed red. "It's just that…" He winced, feeling embarrassed as he was clearly holding back something he likely didn't want to say to me.

"What?" I asked him. "What about my stretches is concerning?"

Josh was quick to then shout at me "IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A MUSCULAR TIGER WITH CHISLED ABS, BULGING BICEPS, AND A KIND DEMEANOR! ANY GIRL OR FURRY WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU!" Josh quickly realized his mistake of blurting out that sentence, and averted his gaze from embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I just…"

This time, it was my turn to feel embarrassed. He thinks I'm hot furry material? Oh crap! IS THAT WHAT HE THINKS OF ME OVER THESE PAST THREE YEARS!?

"You know what?" Josh stated. "Maybe I should just go to the floral shop!"

"I think that's a good idea!" I quipped. "Maybe you can show off how much you can go flaunting how obviously NOT appealing it is as a Lucario at points! That should make the world a better place, right?"

Josh soon got a little hot-headed with me. "How long have you known?" he demanded.

"Since the day you got the game," I stated. "I've always known you were obsessed with becoming a Lucario, Josh! Just admit it! You think I'm hot! And it's only because you're secretly a furry underneath that stoic personality, aren't you?"

"SO, I'M A FURRY! SO WHAT!? What's it to you? You clearly don't see me that way!"

"That's because I have standards! I only took on this appearance because I wanted to protect you! I never asked to be a hulking Adonis, let alone a tiger!"

"I'm aware of that, and I'm sorry!" Josh stated, which was enough to shut the both of us up from our heated argument. He closed his eyes, and sighed. He started to look bad over what he said, and he mentioned "I'm sorry for putting you through all of this, really. I never asked for either of us to be trapped here. And what's more, three years like this has really started to affect my mind."

I calmed down, and I ended up patting Josh on the shoulder. I thought about what I should say for a bit, considering what could be the most reassuring thing I should tell him. After a few seconds, I told him "Hey, I know that you didn't mean for this to happen. But right now, we should focus on how we should train for our fight with Team Delta this Saturday."

Josh looked up at my face, and the both of us smiled at each other. After a few gentle pats, Josh mentioned "I should go to the floral shop and meet with Rose, first. Just promise me one thing, alright?"

I nodded my head, crossing my arms. "Anything, brother."

Josh rubbed his cheek, and said "Just promise me you won't bring this up in front of either Team Calibur or Rose, alright? I don't want them to think differently of me."

I smiled, making a zipping motion over my mouth. I imitated the sound of a zipper, pretending that my mouth was closed shut, just so Josh got the idea I was never going to tell a soul.

Josh nodded. "Good. Thanks, Adam." He then made his way towards the door, and started to open it. "What can I do without you, you know? Especially considering we've been at this for ye-AAAAHHH!" Josh only screamed as he took notice of Cross standing by the door, ready to knock as Josh opened it. Josh panted as he clutched his chest, the shock showing clearly on his face. As he stared at Cross, he asked "How long have you been standing there, and how much did you hear?"

Cross looked away for a bit, before he then lowered his arm and looked at Josh with a blank expression. "If you're wondering, I've heard muffled screaming behind this door, but I didn't hear anything coherent. I have no idea what you were arguing about, but I could guess and say it has something to do with how opposite you are at points?"

Josh sighed with relief, and he steadied his breathing as his whole demeanor calmed down. "Alrighty, then. Promise me that if you see Rose log in, tell her I'll be in the floral shop, capiche?"

"Noted," Cross said with a smile. "Now, run along! I'm sure you have places to be!"

Josh nodded, and immediately, walked down the hallway. I approached the door, and peered down the hall to see my brother walking a fair distance away, before turning right and out of sight. It was there that I quickly turned towards Cross and whispered to him "So how much did you really hear?"

"The walls and doors are paper thin. I've heard everything," Cross answered honestly, giving a devious grin. "The plot thickens on the legend of LucarioTrainerJ and BlazeTiger, it seems. The furry, and his brother, who despite all outwards appearances, is self-conscious about how people see him."

I groaned as he said that, and I begged to him "Please don't tell your team when they log in."

Cross gave me a smile, and mentioned "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell a soul, or my name isn't-" He then crossed his arms in an "X" formation, and stated "X-Glaive! Keeper of secrets!"

I sighed with relief, knowing he was considerate enough to at least keep a hushed tone of voice as he made his latest self-proclaimed title. "Are you going to get some breakfast?"

Cross lowered his arms, and he said "Yeah. I haven't eaten in two days, so I'm starving!" He nudged my arm a bit, and he said "I'll see you in the mess hall, tiger." He then started walking down the hall, turning the same corner as Josh, though I know for a fact he's just going to take the stairs and head for the mess hall for some breakfast.

I started to collect myself as I left my room. Curiously, I held out my arm and started to flex my muscles, feeling just how solid and rigid they were when I poked them. I groaned. Christ! I really am furry material, aren't I? Could this day get any more awkward?

Almost as if the world seemed to want to spite me today, I saw Rose exit from her room, and I was startled by the sudden shock of her looking straight at me. But what even surprised me was that she had this look on her face like she knew something was up. Oh no! What if she thinks I'm hot? What if she knows that Josh is into weird furry crap? What if she thinks I'M a furry!? She doesn't think that, does she? DOES SHE!?

"Sorry! Did I startle you?" she asked me with concern.

I quickly tensed up, but at the same time, I tried to hide the idea of how awkward my morning began. I fumbled a bit at my words for a bit, and I nervously poked my fingers together to try and show that I was slightly uncomfortable. "I, uh… I mean, I just… I was only… I didn't…" I looked at her, sweat visibly coming down my face. "When did you log back in?"

"Not that long ago, why do you ask?" Rose asked curiously.

"I, uh… It's just that… Josh and I… We, uh…" I gulped. "How long ago?"

Rose gave me a curious look, before asking "Is everything alright?"

"What? Alright? I mean, yeah! Everything's great! I'm doing fine! Josh is doing fine! Yes! Everything's fine!" I was so scared and nervous, not quite sure how to talk to her without sounding like I was trying to hide something embarrassing.

Rose only calmly stated "Have you seen Josh? He said he was on his way to the floral store. Said there was something he wanted to tell me."

"Yes! Yes! Go to him!" I shouted, and I pushed her out of her room and down the hallway. "You should go talk to him! Let him know that I am going to wait for him in the mess hall! What are you waiting for? Just GO already!" I gave her a gentle shove, and she looked partially annoyed at me for how weird I was acting. Please don't take this the wrong way! I'm only trying to avoid anything awkward between us! Josh is better at these situations than I am! Go to him! Don't even ask me anything more, I'M BEGGING YOU!

As if she was reading my mind, she sighed, and said "I'll see you later, then. Thanks…"

She soon left as she made her way towards the exit of the building, all the while I just stood there in awkward silence, petrified in shock and fear.

Only for both Chris and Nolan to be standing behind me, both curious on what I was doing. Thanks, universe! You really know how to make things better!

"Are you okay, Adam?" Chris asked.

"Why are you in the hallway as still as a statue?" Nolan asked.

I hung my head low and lowered my arms. "I don't want to talk about it…"

Josh was just traversing down the streets of Talis, when he heard several players whispering among themselves. "Did you hear that he assaulted D-Volt?" "I've heard he challenged D-Volt to a battle." "I don't even know what he's thinking, but that Lucario's got some nerve." "Talk about scary. I don't think I want to be in his position." "Who does that Lucario think he is, anyways?"

Josh tried to ignore most of the comments about him as he walked. Overall, he couldn't help but feel like he's being called out for a hasty and reckless action. To be fair, even he didn't know what he was doing. His thoughts were brought back to that incident when he was trapped in this world, and especially the events that led up to it. He protected me, but he felt awful with what he had to do. He could still feel the lifeless corpse in his arms. People talked back then as well. However, he mostly heard comments about what he did, and he didn't like it. He just leapt in there and killed him! Jesus, I don't even want to know what happened. Why is he crying, even though he's saved us? That was scary! He's a monster; he killed that guy without hesitation! Look at what he did!

"Josh! Hey!" That familiar sounding voice took Josh away from his thoughts, and he turned around, seeing Rose heading straight towards him. "I heard you needed to talk to me, so I came here as quick as I could."

Josh's immediate response to seeing Rose was giving her a hug, a few tears pouring down his face. He wept into her shoulder, and he muttered "I'm so sorry, Rose. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Rose comforted Josh by patting him on his back, giving him a look of pity. "I know what you've been through has been rough. You risked everything to keep us safe, even though it wasn't the brightest option." She smiled, and told him "I know you were trying to protect us. I should be the one apologizing for running away so suddenly."

Josh smiled back, wiping away tears, and he said "At the very least, I'm glad you're here. You wouldn't even believe how I felt when you left." He glanced away from for a bit, his smile fading. He was afraid to tell her what happened, but he knew that holding it in wouldn't do him any good. He patted Rose's back, and started walking again. "I guess if you were with us when we were grilled by Volt, you would've found a way to reason with him."

"Oh no. What happened?" Rose asked with concern. "Did he punish you severely?"

"Well…" Josh scratched his cheek, and he tried to find the best way to explain himself. "You promise you won't freak out?"

Rose sighed at his question. "What happened?"

Josh sheepishly grinned, desperately trying to sugarcoat the issue, but not doing a particularly good job. "I may have attacked Volt for trying to trap us in the town, and then challenged his team to a battle this Saturday…"

Rose stared at Josh with shock. "You WHAT!?"

Her shout was enough to grab the attention of several onlookers. Josh nearly jumped when she shouted, but felt immediate shame when he looked back at her, seeing the Roserade just bewildered by what Josh had done. Josh tried to reassure her, and he said "I tried to apologize to him, obviously! But he was rather eager to see this battle through. I couldn't question him beyond that!"

"Yeah, but you simply just don't act like that in front of your commander!" Rose argued. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't! And I'm sorry!" Josh said, trying to divert the conversation a little. "But now, we're pretty much just on the rope in regards to Cross and his team training us. I said I wouldn't start training without you."

Rose was mad, and Josh realized that was the last thing he wanted to say. "I can't train for combat, Josh! I'm a mediator, not a fighter! How am I supposed to become as strong as you guys within a week? What are you, crazy!?"

Josh winced at her words. "Rose, please… Let's just get some flowers, alright?"

"Not until you give me a reason for why you're acting the way you are!" she stated. "Why are you so anxious? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Rose, I…"

"What made you think that fighting Volt and his team would guarantee anything? Who do you think you are, anyways!?"

"I DON'T KNOW, ROSE!" Josh shouted, stopping in his tracks, giving Rose a shock as he stared at her. "The only reason why I'm here to begin with was because of a mistake that I've made! I can still feel the life drain from the person I've killed. I did that… And you know what they called me?" He held out his paws, staring at them, shaking at the thought of killing someone to save me. "They called me a monster…" He trembled at the next sentence. "I only wanted to protect Adam. I knew that if I didn't do anything, I would've lost the one person that I cared for. I didn't want to kill anyone… I didn't mean to kill him… I was just… So scared and angry…" He winced, falling to his knees, as he gritted his teeth in apprehension. "I didn't mean for anything bad to happen. Honest. I was just…" He lowered his arms to the ground, his head held low, and he trembled with fear and depression. "Maybe they're right… Maybe I am a monster… Now you know. You know the reason why I hesitated on wanting to go home." Tears once more formed in Josh's eyes as he sobbed. "I'm just a scared, lost, and stupid mutt, just like Volt said."

Wow, he cries a lot, doesn't he? Rose thought to herself, staring at the Lucario in front of her. She knows that Josh was a little unstable, thanks in large part to me and Cross, but it's still a sight to behold once she saw just how vulnerable Josh really is. She started to take pity on him, and with a sense of remorse, she knew that Josh needs more time to straighten himself out. She slowly walks towards him, and she knelt down by his side. This was followed by her petting Josh on the head, which grabbed his attention.

Josh was a little bit shaken, but as he looked up at Rose, he saw that she had a look of pity for him. Rose sighed, giving a gentle smile, before commenting "What am I going to do with you?"

Josh sniffed, and he started to wipe away his tears again. Josh and Rose both rose to their feet, and Josh apologetically rubbed his arm, a slight blush on his face. "Sorry for being such a mess," he said. "I guess that's not befitting someone like me, is it?"

"Everyone has their issues, Josh," Rose said, crossing her arms. "The fact that you are so spiteful of yourself is enough to make me wish that you were more open."

"Am I…not open enough?" Josh asked gently.

Rose shook her head in response. "I think you're open in your own way. I'm no expert when it comes to psychology, but something seems to be lingering inside of your head that's tearing you apart. And I won't hesitate until I manage to see you feel better with yourself."

Josh gave a slight smile, glad to see that Rose is at least open and honest with him. "I guess seeing who I am might be a turn off, right?"

"No, on the contrary," Rose said. "I think I can do what I can to help you. Mainly because…" This time, it was Rose who was blushing. "…because you helped me."

Josh looked at her, unsure on what it was she was talking about. "With…?"

"You shielded me back at Mount Ebott, even though you had so many needles in your back," Rose answered.

"I did?" Josh questioned. "I mean… Did I? I don't think I remember that…"

Rose gave a slight giggle, and she looked Josh right in the eye. "The fact that you acted to protect me, risking your own life in the process, it's admirable. It just goes to show that deep down inside, you're no monster." She then placed her hand(?) over Josh's chest, looking at him. "You're a good person, Josh. Thank you."

Josh blushed, trying to avert his gaze, before he then took notice of the crowd of onlookers still staring at him, likely because of his outburst. Sweat started to pour down his head as he took Rose's arm, saying rather quickly "Come on! We should get some flowers before things get even more awkward."

"Alright, if you insist," Rose said, a smile blossoming on her face.

Rin and John got to meet each other IRL at Rin's apartment. John invited over his wife, Nora, and his daughter, Lucile. Rin was single, but lived a rather normal life in her flat. The walls of the living room were decorated with the pictures of Rin, her team, and even two pictures of herself, and her deceased brother, Kai, which she happens to share a username with in PMDO in memory of him.

Upon opening the door of her apartment, she was greeted by the sight of John and his family, and said "Ah, nice to see you guys!"

"Hey, Rin!" Nora said, giving her friend a hug. "I like what you did with your hair!"

"Really?" Rin asked, placing a small grip on the single clip she put in her hair which resembled that of a pink chrysanthemum. "Oh, well, it's a temporary thing. Don't expect it to be something I'll be keeping."

"Well, it looks great, regardless," Nora complimented.

Lucile was eager to go inside. She was only 9 years old, but she really did enjoy seeing some of her father's friends at times. As soon as she and her parents entered, she asked Rin "Is it true that you are a Braixen in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Online?"

"Why, yes," Rin answered, kneeling down to Lucile's height. "Is that your favorite Pokémon, Lucy?"

"Well…no. Not really. My favorite is actually Fennekin."

"Oh, well…sorry if I ended up evolving too early, then…" Rin said.

"That's okay!" Lucile answered with a smile. "I was planning on giving the game a shot anyway and playing as a Fennekin myself."

John placed a hand on Lucile's shoulder, and said to her "Maybe when you're older, sweetie."

"Aww, really?" Lucile pouted.

"Listen to your father, dear," Nora said. "He's only looking out for you."

"Yeah," John replied. "An MMO is quite the time investment. You could get bored of it pretty fast, you know. Or, what if something were to happen in there and I wasn't there to help you?"

Lucile giggled when John ended up rubbing the top of his daughter's head. John smiled back as he and Lucile were practically made to care for one another. As he finished giggling, he looked back at Nora, and asked "Say, may Rin and I speak in private, Nora? Private business, you know."

"Oh, of course," Nora nodded. She then held out her hand to Lucile, and said "Lucile, Daddy needs to speak with his coworker for a bit, so we should leave him alone for a while. How about we go and buy some ice cream?"

"Okay then," Lucile said, nodding towards her mother, before she took her hand. "Want anything, Daddy?"

John pondered on it for a bit, before saying "I'll have some chocolate ice cream. Thanks." He then turned towards Rin, asking "How about you?"

"No, thank you," Rin answered with a smile. "I already have some vanilla ice cream that I've picked up yesterday. I'll just scoop that up for myself."

"Suit yourself," John answered, before turning back towards his wife. "I'll be here when you get back, dear." He gave her a kiss on the lips, before both Nora and Lucile walked out the door and left both John and Rin in the apartment by themselves.

Rin was quick to cross her arms and glare at John, almost completely dropping the smile she had earlier. "Alright, what's happening?"

John sighed, turning towards Rin as he adjusted his glasses. "Do you remember what we were going to be talking about once Mike was willing to listen to reason?"

"Well, that plan failed," Rin stated, walking towards her fridge and pulling out a bottle of iced tea. "You mentioned something about our 'buddies' down at the government, but you know as well as I do that Mike doesn't want anything to do with them after what happened with Damon." As she unscrewed the cap of the bottle, she took a swig as she saw that John was rather uneasy. "If it's about the government, it's likely about our recent output, correct?"

"Well…yes, actually," John answered, walking towards the couch and sitting down, almost exhausted. "Rin, I'm afraid that because we failed to locate MCP within the game's files these past five years, we're jeopardizing the lives of millions of players by doing so. So far, nothing to report."

"Yeah, and if the big boys are sending us to locate it, they're clearly afraid of something that they don't seem to want to tell us," Rin replied, sitting in a chair next to the couch. "Just…what is it that they are afraid of?"

"From what I can gather, it's probably the fact that Nick is still stuck in the game, and is unable to get out due to his human body being disconnected," John surmised. "But that was the testing stages of the game, so there's no guarantee that MCP could be back, right?"

"But the disappearances prove otherwise," Rin commented. "It makes me sick, how they're covering these events up like they were nothing to worry about, when all along, people's lives are clearly being put in jeopardy."

John couldn't help but silently nod in agreement. He sighed, leaning back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "Unfortunately, they're throwing an ultimatum our way. Either we find MCP for them, or they shut down the game, killing those who are still trapped inside of it."

Rin was about to take a sip as he said that, but stopped. She looked at John, unsure on what to say for a while. John took notice of her, and added "They said that we have until the end of the summer to find MCP, shut it down, and save everyone, or else they'll be forced to make the decision to shut the game down and prevent further damage."

"Three months?" Rin estimated, to which John nodded. "But that's not nearly enough time! If we had more than twice that amount of time, we could do it, but three months?"

"I know…" John said, feeling defeated. "However, what do you suppose we do if Mike isn't willing to listen? He hates these guys more than we do."

Rin had to ponder on this thought for a while. Her mind was racing to all of the possibilities, with which many things could end up going bad. But soon, she comes to a realization. "Maybe…we can do something about it…"

John looked at her anxiously. "Oh no. You're making that face that reads 'John, I have an idea you probably won't like.'"

"Well, yeah, but listen…" Rin then beckoned John close to her, and she suggested "If Josh and Adam are fighting against us in a week, I may have a plan…"

Josh and Rose both arrived at the floral boutique, where they are soon greeted by the sight of the Florges, Juniper, as she was sitting by the counter. "Oh, Josh!" she said with a bow. "Welcome back so suddenly! I was expecting you to arrive back within a week!"

"Sorry, but there's been a change of plans, Juniper. I hope you don't mind," Josh said with a smile.

"Oh, not at all!" Juniper smiled back. She then took notice of Rose, and she said "So, I take it that she's a friend of yours?"

"My teammate, actually," Josh answered. He then nudged Rose forward, where he said "This is the Green Flame of Team Inferno, BlossumBelle."

Rose gave a gentle bow, answering "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine!" Juniper replied in kind with a bow back to her. As Juniper looked back at Josh, she said "Now, I do hope that you win that contest of strength against Team Delta. They can be pretty dangerous."

"Don't worry. I'm well aware of that," Josh said, looking desperate to move on to his order. "Now then…" He cleared his throat. "Can I get a mixture of flowers this time?"

"Really? Are you spicing things up for yourself? Or are you trying to impress your lady friend?" Juniper teased.

Josh blushed at that comment and averted his gaze. Rose took notice, and gave a look back at Juniper, who couldn't help but giggle. Josh sighed, and he said "Give me an order of 6 red roses, 6 blue roses, 6 green roses, all in a bouquet together. And then…give me an additional order of 2 dozen white roses in two separate bouquets, please."

"Wow! You must love your roses," Rose said, before thinking about the irony in her words. "You…don't love me because I'm a Roserade, do you?"

Josh gave a startled laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, looking to see that Juniper was gathering flowers per his request. As he looked back at Rose, he could see that she was curious, and he asked her "Why do you say that?"

"Well…it's because you are a fan of flowers, and you really love roses, so I was just curious if you only allowed me in your team because…" Rose blushed, averting her gaze.

Juniper started humming as she was getting the flowers ready, which Josh started to wince a little at the music. "I only took you under my wing because I wanted to make it up to you for my own failures. Not only that, but you looked like you weren't going to just leave us to die." He sighed, looking at her. "And, well…I think I really like that. You being there to help us in our time of need." He gave her a gentle smile. "I appreciate it."

Rose couldn't help but stare back at him. This remained that way for a short while, before she then averted her gaze, silently commenting "I guess we both have problems, don't we?"

Josh just looked at her with confusion on that statement. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that…" Rose started, before she looked back at Josh. "Before I even met you and Adam, I never would've imagined how serious this sort of problem is. I can't even begin to describe how I feel upon learning all of this. You and Adam are just trying desperately to survive, and I… I'm afraid that I might end up losing you much like I lost Gabe."

Josh couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Is that why you ran away?" he asked. "Because you're afraid of being connected to us and losing us?"

Rose nodded.

Josh sighed. "I thought so." He then patted Rose's shoulder, and told her "Tell you what. I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you. I'll do better for not only myself, but for Adam and Cross, too. What we all need is some time to collect out nerves and think about what to do next." He gave a smile to her, and said "Starting with me, what do you think I should do to make us more in sync as a team?"

Rose smiled, answering "How about being more open and honest with me, okay?"

"I promise," Josh answered.

"And you promise to avoid making rash decisions?" Rose asked.

"Of course."

"Good. At least we're on the same page," Rose said with a reassuring smile. "Now, what do you want me to do to have us more in sync?"

Josh had to think for a bit, but soon concluded with "How about you try to put in some leg work and take up some combat training."

"Josh, I was being serious," Rose stated.

"And so am I."

Rose was taken aback by Josh's words, but before she could argue to the contrary, Josh quickly said "There's only so much that Adam and I can accomplish by ourselves, you know. If you want to be committed to this team, it's crucial that you try to catch up to us in terms of levels and combat training." He then looked at her carefully, and said "Starting with…removing Sludge Bomb."

"Huh? Why, though?" Rose said almost flustered.

"If you intend to be a Poison-based fighter, then Sludge Bomb isn't going to help you out. You still know Toxic, yes?" Josh added.

"Uh…yes. Why are you asking?" Rose wondered.

"If you replace Sludge Bomb with something like…say, Venoshock, for example, you can increase the damage output once the target is poisoned. A Toxic-Venoshock combo would be a tremendous boon in combat." He then gave Rose a confident look of determination, and boldly continued his game plan. "Petal Blizzard would be incredible if you went against Wulfrock, but the other two are less susceptible to damage if you stick with that option. What's more, is that once you engage in combat, you will need to prioritize your own strategy for when you need to face against tougher opponents. I'll suggest that you keep Aromatherapy in case Adam and I are afflicted with life-threatening ailments, of course, but if you wish to get some other move to utilize, I'd be happy to assist you!"

Rose just stood there taking all that Josh said to her, and she couldn't help but find his random excitement almost endearing. However, as she sheepishly smiled back at him, Josh began to realize he started to geek out again about the semantics of this game, and he blushed profusely. He sighed, composed himself, and went back to being a stern leader. "My point being," he said, "that you should think carefully with what moves you end up teaching yourself. If you need any further advice, be sure to let me know."

Rose took a moment to calm down, and politely nodded. "Thanks for the advice. I'll take that to consideration."

Josh smiled at her for that comment. He soon crossed his arms as he looked back at the counter, staring at Juniper bundling up the flowers that Josh requested. Josh soon held out his paw, and suggested "You know, Juniper, I think maybe you should set up the triple-color variety for delivery. Our hands could be quite full if we're grabbing so many flowers at once."

"Oh, of course, J! Where do you suggest I deliver them then?" Juniper asked.

Josh soon walked over to the counter, and he ended up signing the address of his room, as well as the time of the delivery. "Just deliver it personally to the barracks of the Solace Guild, the room emblazoned with the red and blue flames, and set the bouquet on the bed on the left once you enter the door. Don't bother setting the flowers in the vase, for I will see to that personally."

"My my. You have quite the order here," Juniper said in utter surprise. "In that case, delivery fees will be a little bit extra."

"I can afford it," Josh replied, pulling out his bag of Poké and giving the intended price. "Send my regards to Evelyn, would you?"

"Of course! Thank you so much!" Juniper said, accepting the cash in exchange for the two bouquets of white roses. "Come again, you two!"

"Merci beaucoup," Josh replied, giving a slight wink back at the Florges. She blushed a little and giggled at him.

As Josh carried the bouquets, he walked over to the exit with Rose, and handed one of the bouquets over to her. She was a little baffled by this, but before she could question things, Josh was already moving on ahead, and she quickly picked up her pace to keep up. The two of them were in relative silence for a while, but despite the hesitancy, she looked at the flowers, and she couldn't help but think about something.

Why would he give me these flowers? I didn't ask for them. Her eyes soon widened upon coming to a realization. He loves me, doesn't he? And we've only known each other for a few days! This is honestly quite sudden! Why would he even consider giving me these flowers apart from the idea he likes me? Is he trying to make the move right now because he's desperate for some sort of loving affection? Ooohhh… I figured he would be desperate, but I WASN'T EXPECTING IT TO BE THIS DESPERATE!

"Rose?" Josh asked suddenly as they walked.

Rose almost jumped as she heard Josh. "Yes!?"

Josh, however, didn't look to be happy, or bashful. Instead, he had this somber look on his face. He sighed, and asked her "About…what happened…"

"Eh? About what?" Rose asked quizzically.

"You know… About Gabe… And Norman…"

Rose soon stopped in her tracks at the mention of their names. It was only a couple of days ago that Norman almost killed Josh for failing to stop Zeraora. She remembered how Josh was feeling guilty for what happened, and that he needed to be reminded that all was right with the world, and that there was still a chance to change things. She recalled when Cross performed on stage with Team Requiem, and how Josh suddenly felt as if he was given hope again. In a way, she knew that she was doing the right thing for him to cheer him up.

But why would he bring this up now? Especially since she has to catch up with her team for a fight she didn't agree to?

Josh took notice of Rose having stopped walking, and he looked at her. He could see that she looked absolutely troubled with what Josh said. Josh ultimately felt a sense of remorse over the things that happened, but he had no idea how to best describe his feelings in any way that wouldn't sound…odd, according to him. Walking up to her, he asked her "Are you alright?"

Rose looked back at Josh, and asked "Why are you so fixated on Gabe and Norman so suddenly?"

Josh averted his gaze, before continuing. "It's just that…after seeing Snipeard, Norman, so angry at me for failing to save Gabe, I was a little scared thinking that you would have similar thoughts to him." He turned away as he looked over at the crossroads in the plaza. "After all, you and Gabe were a couple, right? You were willing to do anything to help him, right? And yet here I am, having failed my duty as not only a leader, but also a friend, and look where it ended up. Gabe died because I was unable to do anything to save him. And what's worse, Zeraora is still on the loose out there. If I didn't find him and eliminate him from the picture, that would be the worst way of paying respect to Gabe's memory."

Rose couldn't help but find that Josh was feeling spiteful of himself. "Josh…"

Josh soon took a breath, and he looked at the bouquet he was carrying, and continued. "I told you already not to look for vengeance when it came to Zeraora. But…once we came across him, I could've sworn that he and I…we weren't so different. But in the end, the fact that he still wanted to kill trapped players, how he almost ended up killing me, Adam, and Cross, and how he's still going to kill the other trapped players, it pisses me off. He feels no regrets with his actions. No remorse whatsoever. I wanted to do everything I can to make sure he pays for his actions." He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth with rage. "The next time I see him, I'm going to make sure he suffers for what he's done. That's why you are not allowed to have vengeance upon him yourself. He will pay dearly for Gabe's death, and I will make sure he never harms another innocent soul ever again!"

Rose almost felt scared by what it was that Josh was saying, feeling as if he was a completely different person from what she saw of him just a few minutes ago in the flower shop. He has more issues than I thought. No wonder he vented at Volt. Gently, Rose walked close to Josh, and wrapped her arm around Josh's, causing the Lucario to calm down and look at her. "I don't care if you said what you did to protect me," she said. "I know you feel guilty for what happened. I understand you have issues. That's what I'm here for. I'm going to make sure you don't feel these lingering regrets ever again." As she gripped tighter around Josh's arm, she trembled. "When I saw how angry you were at Zeraora upon learning what he intended to do, it horrified me. Don't go pursuing a crusade that would end in your death. Please. I've already faced the loss of one friend. I don't want to witness another."

Josh couldn't help but feel like she was being so sincere with him, telling him that what he was thinking was the opposite of what she wanted him to think. His nerves soon began to settle once Rose cradled his arm, and with a deep breath, he pushed away all of his negative thoughts. He looked back at Rose with a sad expression, and quickly said "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Josh," Rose muttered, looking back up at him with a matching expression. She eventually let go of Josh's arm, and gave a reassuring smile to him. "I swore that I would do everything to protect you and Adam. And I intend to keep that promise."

Josh smiled back at her, feeling his own soul being put at ease. He then looked back at the bouquet of flowers in his arm, and his smile faded once more. "You see, I didn't just pick up these flowers for you, Rose."

Rose started to blush a little, and Josh couldn't help but take notice. "Don't get the wrong idea," Josh mentioned. "I gave you these flowers because I wanted to show you something. I just thought it'd make things easier if you knew."

"Knew what?" Rose asked.

If you wandered towards the north end of Talis, where the massive tree known as the Tree of Origin lies several kilometers north, you can see what appears to be a selection of stones that line up along the outer wall. Of course, the town was heavily guarded, especially after the attack from Zeraora a few days prior, but just as long as you stay within 30 meters of the town's wall, you would end up within the town's boundaries regardless. It is this wall, where the stones reside, that Josh and Rose would end up visiting that day.

Josh and Rose approached two guards to the northern entrance, which appeared to be a Chesnaught named Forrest, and a Serperior named Cottonmouth, and gave their express permission to the stones outside. Josh even swore to stay within the town's boundaries, which after a bit of convincing, was more than enough to convince Forrest and Cotton to let them pass.

"You have five minutes," Forrest stated.

"Make it quick," Cotton added.

"Thank you," Josh said with a bow.

As Josh and Rose reached the outer wall, he turned towards the stones that were already laid out on the side. Rose couldn't help but see the names of various players on those stones. Curawfisu. Psylink. Locke. Who are these people? Rose looked back at Josh, and asked him "Josh, are these famous players or something?"

"In a manner of speaking," he answered. "Unfortunately, they're no longer here. They died after they were trapped in the game."

This shook Rose, and as she looked back at the stones, she quickly realized what it was they were. "That must mean… This place is-"

Josh nodded. "It's a memorial site. For fallen players."

Rose and Josh continued walking through the line of names on the stone, until the both of them stopped right at a particular stone. Josh noticed that Rose was almost awestruck upon seeing the name.

Mongoon. The valiant Zangoose explorer.

"Gabe…" Rose muttered. As she looked at Josh, she asked him "Was this site your idea?"

Josh shook his head. "It was Nick's, actually."

"Nick?"

Josh gave a look back at Rose. "Infernick the Charizard. He was quite sentimental, so he made a memorial site to remember those who have fallen. He values human life above anything else, so it pains him to see or hear about trapped players losing their lives."

Rose looked right back at the stone. "I see. I'm sorry to hear that."

Before long, Josh walked towards where Gabe's memorial stone was at, knelt down, and placed the bouquet of flowers down by the site. He lowered his head, giving a bow to pay his respects.

Rose now understood the significance of Josh picking up the flowers at the shop earlier. As she looked at her own bouquet in her arms, she began to get flashes of when she spent her time with Gabe.

Rose was a Roselia at the time before she first heard about Gabe's disappearance. The day before he vanished, both she and Gabe met each other in the real world, and he was more than happy to have her for company as they stared up at the night sky together. Gabe laid back in the grass while Rose just sat there, staring up at the sky.

"You know, Norman's being a little skittish," Gabe mentioned.

As Rose looked back at him, she asked "Why's that?"

"Well, he seems to be nervous considering how much we have yet to explore in this world," he answered, scratching a little at his chin with a blush. "Well…in the virtual world, I mean…"

"Haven't you and Norman discovered just about everything together?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Well, not everything…" Gabe answered. "We still haven't been able to see Gelassenheit yet. But more importantly, we want to complete the trials, you know? We want to actually see Arceus, battle against him, and see what could possibly be awarded to us if we reach the end."

Rose wrapped her arms around her legs as she heard Gabe's comments, finding them to be oddly intriguing. "If it's just the two of you, battling Arceus might be the most difficult task you could ask for. You wouldn't make it on your own, Gabe."

"I know," Gabe bemoaned, sitting back up and looking at Rose. "Maybe you and Team Radiance could help us to make things easier?"

"Huh?" Rose was almost flush with embarrassment. "But…I'm no fighter, Gabe. My other teammates are, but I can't exactly see myself on the battlefield."

"Why not?" Gabe asked.

"Well…I wouldn't know where to start! I only evolved into a Roselia thanks to gaining more strength on the sidelines, healing my team, adding status afflictions to the enemies, and so on. If I were to go out there and deliberately fight against somebody, I'd be scared to see what would happen next!"

Gabe smiled, leaning a bit closer to Rose, before asking her "What's the problem with that, huh?"

Rose looked back at Gabe, her anxiety diminishing by Gabe's presence. She averted her gaze a little, before she asked him "How many of the trials have you beaten?"

Gabe sighed. "I haven't even started them yet. I know! The great Team Intrepid. Poised to explore the world and face any challenge. And yet we haven't even taken on a single trial yet."

"All to see Arceus, yes?" Rose wondered. "What exactly do you intend to do once you find him, anyways?"

"Battle him, of course," Gabe answered.

"And then what?"

Gabe had to think about that for a moment. For the past couple of years, the Trials of Arceus were all that were on his mind since they've been announced. He was willing to partake in these events more than anything, wanting to experience the thrill of these battles until he actually saw Arceus with his own eyes. As he looked back at Rose, he couldn't really give her a straight answer to his question. "Maybe…once I'm done with these trials, I can finally gain some sort of recognition. Team Intrepid could really take off as a group of explorers who can conquer just about any challenge in their path, and inspire others to do the same."

Rose smiled, cuddling next to Gabe as she heard him talk. Gabe couldn't help but give her a gentle hug as they sat there, overlooking the night sky. "I hope you can achieve that goal, Gabe," she said.

"With you, perhaps, I can achieve it," Gabe added. "What do you say?"

Rose looked up at Gabe, and she nodded her head. "I'll try and convince my team to help! They needed a chance to become great in their own rights! We'll make the best alliance possible, with some of the best players. I just know it!"

Gabe gave a chuckle at Rose's statement, petting the top of her head. "I look forward to it. Thanks, Rose!"

Rose smiled, feeling like she can actually become something stronger if she tried hard enough. This convinced her to log back into the game the next morning, and she went over to a store and bought a Shiny Stone, allowing her to evolve into a Roserade. She quickly left the store to reach where Gabe and Norman would be staying at, and as she arrived there, she saw Norman already sitting there, staring at the ground.

"Hey, Norman!" Rose said with excitement, grabbing the Inteleon's attention.

Norman was surprised to recognize Rose's voice, and saw the Roserade do a little twirl before giving a playful bow to him. "Rose?" Norman asked. "Is that really you?"

"Uh huh! I just recently evolved!" Rose mentioned. "Gabe told me that we should team up and take on the Trials of Arceus together! I haven't told my team about it yet, but I want all five of us to make an alliance of players to take these trials together!"

Rose was expecting Norman to feel as excited as she was. She even went out of her way to convince her mother to let her work weekends once she made her choice. She was all caught up in her education, and all she was hoping for was a chance to be with her friends and go on an adventure to take on the trials and face Arceus. Gabe felt like she was more than ready to take these trials on, but it was only now that she felt like perhaps she could actually do this task.

The reaction she got from Norman, however, was for him to lower his head, trembling like something horrible had happened. Rose was a little concerned to find Norman so shaken like this, and she asked him "What's wrong?"

Norman looked at her, a pained expression on his face, and he told her "I'm afraid we should postpone our original arrangements, Rose. I'm sorry."

Rose's excitement died down. "But why? I thought you and Gabe were okay with our help."

The mere mention of Gabe's name caused the Inteleon to tremble even more. He gripped his hands together tightly. "Gabe is gone, Rose…"

Rose's heart was starting to sink into her stomach. "W-what?"

Norman looked up at Rose again, clearly upset. "Gabe has vanished into the game and hasn't logged out, Rose! I saw him in his bed. He looked so peaceful with that headset on him. And what's worse…he's unable to log off, as I saw a display on his visor, saying that he's unable to respond. I even tried contacting him through communications in the game, but I got no response!" Lowering his head again, he gritted his teeth. "Some people approached me as I was looking for him, and mentioned that he was trapped here. He tried doing some early level grinding, only to end up disappearing after a couple of hours. Nobody knows why. I'm sorry…"

Rose stumbled a bit upon hearing this news. And all at once, she felt like her entire world was collapsing in on itself. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing. Gabe…was gone? Missing? Trapped? How? And why? She had so many questions plaguing her mind at that instant.

She talked to her team, begging for them to help her rescue Gabe. However, the both of them tensed up, looked at each other nervously, before staring back at Rose, explaining to her that she was on her own. As Rose questioned why, they simply refuted that it was a hopeless endeavor. Gabe was a lost cause. Nothing they can do will change that.

Rose went to file a complaint to the administrators of the game, but they simply ignored her pleas. She didn't get any help from people within the game's development team at all. She was ultimately on her own.

Well…not entirely on her own.

She still had Norman, who was the only one other than her who was willing to help.

"I guess we're on our own, Rose," Norman said, readying some supplies for himself. "You and me against the world, all to save one person."

"But…what if we fail, Norman?" Rose pondered. "What'll happen if Gabe truly is gone?"

Norman slammed the wall behind him. "He's not! Not yet, he isn't! That's why we should never give up hope, Rose! We need to have faith that we can find him again. I don't care how long it will take. I know that we will see him again."

Norman stood up on his feet, looking down at Rose as she was rather nervous. "I'd suggest you find clues on your own, Rose. If nobody's on your side on this one, you had better think for yourself, and do what you think is right."

Rose anxiously saw Norman ready to leave, only for her to then leap at his leg, holding him back. "I don't know if I can, Norman! What will happen if I lose you too? I don't want you to disappear as well!"

Norman's melancholy expression was enough for him to think about how Rose was feeling for once. He turned back to her, knelt down to her height, and gave her a confident expression. "I won't end up like Gabe did. I promise. I need you to promise that we will both see each other again with Gabe alive and well! Promise me that you will never give up, no matter the odds stacked against you!" He held out his hand to her invitingly. "We will save him. Promise?"

Rose hesitated for a moment, but she knew for a fact that Norman was right. She shouldn't be giving up on herself like this. She shook her head to compose herself, looking back at Norman with a confident expression. "Promise!" She gripped Norman's hand, and the both of them shook on the promise to bring back Gabe together.

Unfortunately, this was a promise that Rose was unable to keep…

As Rose saw Josh paying his respects, she took note of how he was still wrapped up in bandages from his fight with Zeraora. This reminded her of how Gabe was all bloody when she last saw him, and that thought scared her. Josh truly did feel regret for not keeping his promise to her.

With newfound determination, she walked next to the memorial site, knelt down next to Josh, and placed her bouquet down next to Josh's. She looked at the grave right in front of her, and she did everything she could to hold back her tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you, Gabe," she muttered. "So please, as a way to make up for it, give me strength."

Josh looked over at Rose as she muttered to herself, and found that Rose had a couple of tears in her eyes, but her expression was that of determination and acceptance of what happened. She looked confident, and was not going to make the same mistakes twice.

"Give me the strength to protect my new team," Rose muttered. "We risked so much for you, and I promise I will not fail again. Just watch, Gabe. I am going to be stronger so that Josh and Adam won't have to die." She took a deep breath, staring at the grave, all the while Josh was practically moved by Rose's devotion. "I promise!"