Chapter 32 - Leaving
It was late at night, though not quite bedtime yet. A young Eevee slowly walked through the hallways, yawning as he went. The halls were nearly empty by this point in the evening, and the low light from outdoors cast an eerie look on the building's interior.
Terry was wiped out. Everyone in the guild had been working really hard ever since the 'Plaza Incident', and he was no exception. This was the third day where he'd had to skip out on lunch. Right now, he was just anxious to finally get back to his room so he could lay down and relax his aching legs.
Of course, physical exhaustion wasn't the only thing making him so tired. For how much he wanted to get some sleep, he doubted he would get very much. His mind was far too troubled for that.
Finally, he had reached the grand entrance hall of the guild. Terry started to slowly make his way down the massive staircase that was opposite the front doors. He was so light that his paws barely made any sound on the lightly-carpeted stairs. He reached the bottom before long and was about to head straight for the door leading to the common room.
He stopped, though, as his ears perked. He could hear voices. Terry couldn't see anybody in the large room, so he wondered where the voices could be coming from. He stood for a minute and swiveled his large ears to try and pinpoint the sound's origin. Eventually, he turned around. To the right of the grand staircase was the doorway leading to the first floor of the guild, as well as the tucked-away door to Kandice's office. The voices were coming from the other side of the staircase, which was just a dead end.
Terry's curiosity got the better of him, and he made his way over to the other side of the stairs. The voices were hushed and muffled, so Terry couldn't make out any words in particular. He couldn't even recognize who the voices were. Only a few seconds later, Terry rounded the corner. When he saw who the voices belonged to, he froze on the spot with one paw hanging in the air in mid-step.
There were two Pokémon in the little hidden corner of the area next to the staircase, a spot where they would be hidden from most Pokémon's view. Sitting with his back against the far wall was Rico, the Riolu that still held a very special place in Terry's heart even after recent events had torn them apart. The other Pokémon, somewhat unexpectedly, was Lupe. The Vulpix was sitting in front of him. Or, rather, sitting on top of him would have been more accurate to say.
And the two Pokémon's lips were locked together in a kiss.
Obviously, it didn't take long for Rico to notice their unexpected visitor. He hastily broke the kiss as his eyes went wide. "T-Terry!" he exclaimed in surprise.
Lupe whipped her head around to look behind her, adopted the same look as Rico, and then scrambled to get off of him.
"Terry, I…Hi! I didn't see you there…" Rico babbled, wearing an awkward smile, "I, uh….We…It's not what it looks like…?"
Terry just stood there silently, only moving to slowly put his raised paw back down onto the ground.
Rico's expression then changed as a genuine frown appeared on his muzzle. "I'm sorry, Terry," he said, "I didn't think anyone would see us back here. We weren't, y'know, thinking clearly…for obvious reasons."
Lupe frowned as well, though she also wore a noticeable blush. "T-Terry, we…" she murmured unsurely, "We don't…We just…Uh…"
"We didn't want to upset you or anything," Rico said, "We didn't intend to, anyway."
"I thought you were already back in your room," Lupe added.
The two continued to blather on semi-coherently, stumbling over each other's words, until it just became a cacophony of mixed up sounds. Terry stood there for about a minute, just listening to the two Pokémon talk over each other.
Finally, Terry held up one of his paws. The other two fell silent at the gesture. Terry took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let it out slowly. When he opened his eyes to look at them again, he wore a gentle smile as well. "It's okay," he said.
"H…Huh?" Rico muttered.
"It's fine," Terry continued, "I'm not upset. I'm not mad. It's not like you're doing anything wrong."
Rico looked over at the Eevee quietly for a moment. "Terry…"
"We're not together anymore, Rico. We broke up. It's over, right?" Terry spoke softly, "It only makes sense that sooner or later I'd see you with somebody else. And…" He turned his attention over to Lupe directly. "If she's making you happy…then I'm happy. And vice versa to you as well, Lupe."
"Terry, I…" Lupe replied quietly, "I don't know what to say…"
Terry shook his head and said, "You don't have to say anything. I'm happy for you both. Really, I am."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lupe asked in concern. Rico remained silent beside her.
"It's okay," Terry repeated. He briefly glanced off to the side and then said, "It's really late and I'm exhausted, so I'm gonna get some sleep. I'll see you two tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay…" Rico and Lupe both said, a hint of uncertainty in both of their voices.
Terry nodded, and gave them one last warm smile. He then turned away from them and headed in the direction of the common rooms, trying his best not to let them see he'd started crying.
"That was like two weeks ago…" Terry said, his voice slightly muffled as he laid with his chin on his pillow, "But it still feels like it happened yesterday…"
Ziggy looked over at Terry with a frown. He was seated in the Eevee's new room, which was mostly barren of any personal touches, and had been listening to him talk for the past ten minutes or so. Nobody else was in the room, and Ziggy hadn't said anything since Terry had started talking so it felt like even he himself wasn't there.
Terry sighed bitterly. "I really needed to talk to someone about that right after it happened…but I just haven't been able to say anything to anyone until now," he mumbled, "They haven't made themselves public yet, I guess in respect to me, but I know they're still together…" Terry then groaned and buried his face into his pillow.
"I…" Ziggy spoke, but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. "I'm sorry," he said, "I don't really know much about this whole…dating stuff…"
The Eevee lifted his head and looked up at Ziggy. "I know. I'm sorry too. I just…needed to talk to someone and you're a great listener."
"Th…Thanks…"
"I just don't know what to think…or what to do…" Terry muttered.
"Are they…uh…" Ziggy scowled to himself for a moment, wracking his brain and trying to come up with something relevant to say. "Are they…going to get engaged like you two did?"
It was like an invisible spear had been shot right through Terry's heart. He whined softly as a miserable frown spread across his muzzle, and then he promptly buried his face into the pillow again.
"Oh no…" Ziggy said worriedly, "Oh gosh, I'm sorry. That probably wasn't the right thing to say." With a grimace, Ziggy closed his eyes and silently berated himself. Here he was, yet again, just making everything worse.
Terry lethargically rolled onto his side, a vacant look in his eyes. "They haven't known each other for as long as I've known Rico, but it's still been more than a year. Plenty of time to fall in love, get engaged, be happy forever…"
Ziggy knew he should say something, anything to try and make the Eevee feel better, but he simply couldn't make himself open his mouth.
"I…I don't want to keep Rico from being happy if that's what'll make him happy, but…I just don't know if I could handle it…"
Ziggy noticed that tears were forming in Terry's eyes, and he stifled a whine of his own. Talking to Terry was something he was good at. Making him feel better was one of the few things that stood out in his mind as a real accomplishment. Now, though, he didn't feel any of that. He was afraid to say anything at all.
His confidence was shot.
"Those awful creatures are destroying Pokémon's lives…They wrecked mine, they wrecked Dante's…" Terry grumbled.
Ziggy slumped and sighed. "They're wrecking mine too…"
"Huh?"
Ziggy glanced over at the sullen Eevee. He didn't want to bring things down by talking about his own problems, but Terry actually looked concerned for him even in spite of his own turmoil. "They scare me," he admitted, "Like…a lot."
"Well, I think they scare everybody. You're not alone in that…"
"Yeah, but…I dunno. It's just…it was really, really hard to be brave enough to…go out there. I had to make myself go outside, I had to make myself go outside without the hoodie, and I had to make myself go out and start helping Pokémon. Now I'm a recruit and I have to try and make myself start actually doing jobs and requests soon. But with those…things out there…"
Gentle silence filled the room for a moment. "I get it…" Terry said eventually, "I totally get it. The timing is just really bad. If this whole thing were happening like a year from now, you'd probably be able to handle it better. Right now, though, you've got enough to worry about…"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make this all about me…" Ziggy said.
Terry fell silent for a moment, and then let out a huge sigh. "I guess up until now, this all still felt like a dream. Like it wasn't really happening, and somehow Rico would go back to normal. But now that he's moved on…" There was a hitch in his voice and he clenched his eyes shut, a few tears forming.
Ziggy awkwardly reached over one of his paws and started to pat Terry on the back. "It…" he started to say, but then his words died on his tongue. He was still second guessing everything. He couldn't focus.
Ever since that awful incident in the plaza, horrific images of the event kept popping up in his mind. Even now, weeks after it had happened, they still plagued his subconscious. Most of the city had slowly gotten back to a normal, if somewhat anxiety-ridden, lifestyle. Ziggy hadn't been so lucky. None of the guild training he had been doing recently had gone very well. He was so shaken by the event that he had no confidence, and the images in his head meant he couldn't focus.
Plus, he still couldn't stop thinking about the horrible tragedy that had happened to Dante.
As Terry continued to silently cry into his pillow, Ziggy listlessly glanced off into space. His brain was tied up in knots, but that was nothing new. It had been that way for his whole life, and yet he had never found the way to properly untangle it. Every time it felt like he was getting close to an answer, something knocked him right back down. He didn't want to feel like this. He wanted to be helpful to others, and he wanted to be reliable.
Ziggy realized he was subconsciously gazing in the general direction of the common room, despite there being multiple walls in the way. Out there where Pokémon much stronger, braver and more reliable than him were. They could get over troubles and move forward, so why couldn't he?
"So…How long?" Sparks asked.
The Raichu was sitting at one end of the common room table. Across from him sat two other Pokémon, though the rest of the room was completely empty. The quiet atmosphere of the room was almost too uncomfortable to bear.
"Three weeks, maybe?" Rico replied, "Or just under that anyway…" He sat next to Lupe, who had one of her paws resting on top of his.
Sparks spent a minute glancing between the two Pokémon. They both looked uncomfortable, but not ashamed. "Well…" he eventually said, "Obviously it's justified why you two would keep it secret for the time being."
Rico nodded. "But we can't just keep it secret forever."
"No, certainly not," Sparks agreed. He glanced over at Lupe, who hadn't said much yet. He hated to see her look so uncomfortable, but it was just the circumstances of the situation and couldn't be helped. "Talk to me," he said to them both.
Rico and Lupe looked at each other for a moment. "Well, it just kind of happened," Rico said, "Dating officially, that is. I don't mean feelings just happened out of nowhere…"
As silence fell once again, Sparks looked poignantly at Lupe. "Talk, Lupe," he said to her gently but firmly, "I'm here to listen. Don't be nervous."
Lupe glanced away. "I've…always had a crush on Rico," she admitted in a quiet voice, "Ever since he first joined…"
"Really?" Sparks reacted in genuine surprise.
"I thought he was really brave and handsome, but really nice and friendly too. Whenever he was around, I always had a really good time. He was really good at making me smile." She then cast her gaze downwards slightly. "But he was practically joined at the hip with Terry. They were always together and so close to each other that it felt awkward to try and, y'know…push in on that. So I just kind of admired him but never said anything…"
Rico glanced over at her and for a brief moment there was a little smile on his lips.
"And, I mean, it didn't take long to see that Rico saw Terry as much more than just a friend. Honestly I thought they'd been secretly dating the whole time. And besides, I gave up 'cus I figured he was into males instead."
Sparks briefly glanced over at Rico, who rolled his eyes. "I like both," he remarked, "Terry told me on one of our 'new' dates that he only likes guys, but I like both."
"Fair enough," Sparks replied with a shrug.
"I really thought it was over when Rico proposed. It broke my heart, up there on the ridge watching it. It was so hard to keep from crying, because I didn't want to ruin the beautiful moment…"
Sparks thought back to the couple's engagement. Lupe had looked particularly emotional, but Sparks had apparently misjudged just what kind of emotions she had been feeling.
Lupe sighed softly. "My feelings were rekindled when Rico saved my life. He put himself in danger to knock me away from the Nihilego before it could zap me. I felt just as much for him as in the beginning and…Well then, of course, Rico lost his memory and then they broke up and…"
The Vulpix couldn't continue, though. A grimace grew on her face and she then suddenly buried her face into her paws on the table. "L…Lupe?" Sparks spoke up in concern.
"I feel like I'm taking advantage of a bad situation," she said in a muffled voice.
Rico reached over and pet her back comfortingly. "Lupe, sweetie, we've talked about this. It's not like you did it intentionally. You didn't pounce on me the moment I broke up with Terry, it just happened naturally afterwards."
Sparks felt troubled and unsure of what to say next. It had never been his intention to make either one of them upset; he just wanted to understand.
"Contrary to popular belief," Rico then said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "breaking up with Terry wasn't easy for me either. Obviously it hit him a lot harder, but it was still a weird and upsetting experience for me. There's a hole in my memories, for Arceus' sake." He then sighed softly and lowered his voice. "She was there for me."
Lupe lifted her head from her paws. She hadn't started crying, but she did look emotionally drained. "I would have given up any chance I had with him to get those two back together, but we both knew it just wasn't going to happen. I hate how this whole thing makes Terry feel, but…"
"All right, all right…" Sparks said, holding up a paw, "Let's all relax a bit. I understand what you're saying. It does make a bit more sense to me, knowing how long you've had a crush on him, Lupe."
Rico shrugged and said, "I can't lie, I always did think she was really cute. And she's so sweet to me when I'm upset. She cares so much. That…Ngh…That whole thing with Dante really shook me, but she helped me through that too…"
Sparks thought about things for a moment, and then nodded. "What you're doing, Rico, is what we hope Terry will be able to do with time. The both of you are capable of moving on. The both of you are capable of finding someone new. It's just that this whole thing is…weird…in a lot of ways."
"You're definitely right about that…" Rico remarked.
Lupe sighed. "I don't want to make Terry upset," she said, "But I was so happy when Rico asked me out. He does make me happy…"
Sparks shook his head. "It's okay. You two deserve to be happy. Everyone does." He then glanced in the direction of the dorms for a moment. "Terry will be fine. He'll get through this eventually, especially with all of us helping him. Ziggy's in there right now talking with him, actually…"
"I sure hope so," Rico said, "I do feel bad for him."
"Just…maybe no kissing or stuff like that when he's around. Y'know, be tactful."
"Oh, of course!" Lupe replied.
"When he saw us, he caught us by surprise," Rico added.
Sparks idly scratched his head as he continued to look at the doorway to the dorms. Though this was an unexpected development, Sparks truly wanted things to work out for everyone. He just couldn't shake this nagging feeling that they wouldn't.
When he glanced back at the two, though, he saw that they were once again holding paws. From the outside looking in, this didn't look like a random fling. They'd apparently been getting close for a while now without letting anyone know, after all.
"So…" Rico said, breaking the awkward silence, "Should we tell everyone? We can bring it up at dinner tonight…"
Sparks sighed softly. "I suppose so. Might as well. If Terry already knows, then it shouldn't be a big issue."
Rico nodded. "All right," he said softly, "Thank you, Sparks. Thanks for being so understanding."
"It's what I do," Sparks replied with a shrug.
The two then informed Sparks that they needed to head off and bid him goodbye. Sparks waved as they departed and watched them walk out the door to the main hallway, walking side by side. If he squinted his eyes, he could swear that it was Terry walking alongside Rico instead of Lupe, and that wasn't exactly a comforting mental image. The last thing he, or anybody, wanted was for someone to replace Terry.
"Love's dumb…" he muttered to himself.
Real life was slowly returning to the Rescue Society, and to Radiant City as a whole. Time had passed since the incident in the plaza, and nothing even remotely sinister had happened since. The city's Pokémon slowly withdrew from their protective cocoon and were out and about on the streets again. With not much else to do in regards to the Nihilego and its new red counterpart, the guild was back to doing normal jobs again.
"I want to, Sparks…" Ziggy said in a crestfallen voice, "I really want to, and I hate that I can't make myself just do it…"
Sparks looked down at the Buizel walking next to him as they made their way through the halls of the guild. Ziggy had been off the field long enough that it was time for him to get back to his recruit's training, and that meant going out with experienced members to do jobs.
"Still feel shaken up?" Sparks asked.
Ziggy grumbled in frustration.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sparks asked, "I really want to see you stand back up and beat this thing. I know you're capable of it."
"I just keep thinking about Pokémon getting hurt…" Ziggy admitted, "I just…can't shake this thought in my head that the next time I go out on a mission, someone else is gonna lose a leg."
Sparks reeled slightly and looked down at the Buizel in surprise. "Ziggy, wh…I don't…" he muttered, at a loss for words.
"I know it doesn't make sense…" Ziggy said, "Sometimes it feels like nothing makes sense…"
The two slowly made their way down the staircase in the grand hall. As they reached the bottom, the door to the common room opened and a Pokémon stepped out. It was Terry, and he was wearing a woven satchel across his back. He saw the other two Pokémon and turned to look at them.
Sparks was quiet for a moment. "Good luck, Terr," he said, giving him a nod of encouragement. He knew that the Eevee was heading out to complete a job.
Terry just regarded them silently for a few moments. He didn't say anything to them, and eventually just turned and quietly headed out the front door. Sparks cringed as he watched the troubled Eevee leaving. He had seen the heavy dark rings around Terry's eyes. It was honestly impressive that he was going out at all in his current state, and apparently on his own.
"Oh dear…" Ziggy said quietly once the front doors closed.
"Yeah…" Sparks agreed. He then cleared this throat and said, "Anyway… Ziggy, I think you just need to do it. Just pick a job, whatever's easiest or most comfortable, and do it. If you want, we can get a couple of Pokémon to go with you. We can make it a big four-mon team if it'll make it easier for you. Once you actually get out there, you'll feel a lot better."
'If nothing else happens…' Sparks added in his head.
"I…I don't know…" Ziggy muttered as the two made their way into the common room. Sparks glanced idly at him again. There was one good thing to note, at least. Ziggy had been through a lot of stuff, with a lot of ups and downs, but one thing was for sure.
He hadn't complained about his fur colour in quite a while.
It was still early in the morning, so some members of the team were still getting ready to go. Liz, Kandice and Tora were still seated at the table, munching on some snacks. Danika was on the couch sorting through some papers, and Jules was sitting on the ground nearby organizing his travel pouch.
"Hey, you guys," Danika greeted them as they entered. Sparks waved at everyone absentmindedly.
"Hello, Ziggy," Kandice said sweetly as the two made their way over to the table to sit down. Ziggy slumped into his seat unceremoniously and didn't meet anyone else's gaze.
"How ya feelin', sugar?" Liz asked him, leaning over the table slightly. The Miltank honestly looked like the brightest one in the room. She tended to have so much positive energy bubbling within her that it took a lot to bring her down, and that was definitely showing now.
"I dunno…" Ziggy replied.
Liz looked over at Sparks, who simply shrugged in response. "C'mon, sug," she said, looking back to Ziggy, "Brighten up those eyes a li'l."
Ziggy finally lifted his head and looked at her for a moment.
"Ya can't stay mopin' forever," she said, "I've been tellin' that to everyone here. Bad days are bad, but all days ain't bad days."
"I guess…" Ziggy said without much enthusiasm.
"It's been far too gloomy 'round here," Liz said, shifting her attention to the group in general, "We gotta start lookin' at the bright side again. I mean, b'sides! It's gonna be Family Day soon!"
"Wow, already?" Sparks remarked, "Life's been so crazy that I almost forgot. Is that next week?"
"Two weeks from now," Liz clarified, "but close enough!"
"That is a reason to smile, I suppose," Sparks said, "Hopefully most of the city can see that too."
Ziggy was looking back and forth between the two. "'Family Day'?" he eventually asked curiously.
Sparks had to catch himself before he expressed his disbelief, and once again reminded himself that Ziggy lived on the street for most of his life and didn't know about certain ubiquitous things. "Family Day is a worldwide holiday," Sparks explained, "It happens every year just before summer comes. It's a day where every Pokémon, all around the world and if it's possible, will spend the whole day together with their family. Usually this involves everyone going to the home of whoever is the oldest surviving relative."
"It's a big deal," Kandice added, catching on that Ziggy was truly ignorant of this information, "Pretty much no business is open on Family Day, and hardly anybody skips out on the festivities."
"It's the one day where nobody is expected to work at the guild, so long as there's at least a few Pokémon who volunteer to stay behind in case of emergency."
Ziggy was silent as he listened, but then eventually spoke up. "Oh…Oh, yeah…I think I remember somethin' about that."
"Oh yeah?" Sparks replied.
"It's been a long time, though…"
Sparks nodded sagely. Even if he had heard about it as a cub, Ziggy would never have had much of a reason before to celebrate Family Day. He was concerned that the topic would be insensitive to him, but Ziggy actually spoke up again.
"So, are all of you going out to your families?" he asked, with genuine interest in his voice.
Everyone present answered in the affirmative, with most of them talking about their parents or grandparents that they would be visiting for the day. Tora was the only one in the room who would be leaving the city, as her parents lived in a mountain city a fair distance away.
Once everyone quieted down, Ziggy slowly turned to look at the one Pokémon who hadn't answered yet. "What about you, Sparks?"
Sparks just smiled softly and shook his head. "I don't have much blood family left, sadly," he answered, "Remember, I'm old. My parents died a while ago, and obviously I have no children. My brother is the only blood I have left, and he and I live too far apart to really make it work for Family Day."
"Your brother lives far away?" Ziggy asked.
"He lives literally on the other side of the planet. It would take weeks for one of us to visit the other, not to mention it would be wildly expensive."
"Oh…" Ziggy said. The melancholy that Sparks had expected earlier from him finally found its way into his voice. "I'm sorry. That really sucks…"
Again, Sparks shook his head while smiling. "Buddy, I already spend every day with my family. They're all here, and we all eat breakfast and dinner in this room each and every day." The Raichu took a moment to look at the smiling faces all around him.
Ziggy was quiet for a moment, but then a little smile formed on his muzzle. The first smile he'd seen from the Buizel in quite a while. "You're right," he said simply.
Sparks chuckled and pulled the Buizel into a playful side hug. "You and I will do something fun on Family Day. How's that sound?"
"That sounds good," Ziggy said with a nod. A moment later, he brightened up slightly. "Hey! Maybe we can invite Charlie."
"Charlie?" Sparks remarked, thinking about their Lopunny friend. He realized after a second what Ziggy was referring to; the fact that Charlie had effectively abandoned her family and struck out on her own. "Yeah, maybe. We can certainly ask her."
"Cool!"
Everyone had pleasant words to say to the two after this. Sparks noticed that Ziggy was smiling even more than before. His mood had definitely improved, and Sparks was very happy to see it.
Then, Jules hitched up his travel pouch and announced that he was heading out on his job, so everyone waved goodbye. He made one of his typical off-colour remarks as he reached the door, causing everyone else to look over and laugh at him.
As he went to open the door, though, it nearly smacked him in the face as it was suddenly opened from the other side. A pair of Pokémon came bounding into the room, laughing merrily at something one of them had apparently said.
Rico and Lupe noticed everyone looking at them, which was mostly just coincidental as they had all been looking at Jules a moment before. They slowed their walk for just a moment, but then smiled at everyone and both waved. Everyone in the room waved back at them as they crossed the room and headed into the dorms.
Uncomfortable silence followed.
Sparks was about to say something, if only because he felt like something needed to be said, but he was interrupted by his badge suddenly illuminating.
"Hey Sparks," a voice emitted from it, "Mr. Dante is in the conservatory and he wants to speak to you and Ziggy."
"Thanks, Ryuga," Sparks replied, holding a paw to his badge.
He then looked over at Ziggy, and was dismayed to see that the Buizel's smile was gone. That same forlorn look had replaced it, and Sparks could easily guess why. Is was disheartening to see. He didn't want Ziggy to start feeling sad every time he thought about Dante, just because he was still upset over what had happened to the Lucario.
"Let's go see what he wants," Sparks said to him as he stood up.
Ziggy didn't verbally reply and simply nodded.
The two said goodbye to the others in the room and then quietly made their way over to the conservatory. Ziggy was hanging back behind him, casting his gaze to the side and fiddling with his forepaws. Sparks hadn't seen him walk like this inside the walls of the guild in many, many months.
When they eventually made it to the conservatory, they saw that Dante was the only one out there. He was sitting on one of the rocks next to the pond, his good leg lazily hanging over the edge into the water. He was reclining back, resting on his forelimbs, and looking up to the sky with a peaceful look. His crutches were laying on the grass nearby, showing that he had made his way out here on his own.
What was most noticeable, though, was the fact that Dante had his sheathed sword strapped to his back.
The two entered the conservatory and called out to him. He slowly turned to look at them with a smile and then beckoned them over.
"How are you feeling, Dante?" Sparks asked once they had reached the Lucario.
"Better," he said softly, "It's been a week since I went off the pain medication and I haven't felt a need to go back onto them."
"That's good," Sparks said with a nod.
"It is a rather nice day today," Dante said calmly, "Only a few stray clouds in the sky. Although I know you prefer when it's pouring rain, Ziggy."
Sparks glanced over at Ziggy, who still looked distressed and uncomfortable. It was clear that seeing Dante still set off bad memories and made him feel anxious.
"So…What's up?" Sparks asked Dante, "You wanted to talk to us?"
"I did," he said, "Well, more specifically to Ziggy, but you two are rather inseparable and I figured you'd want to be here as well, Raz."
"Okay," Sparks said, relaxing a little. Hearing his old friend use his real name made him feel at ease and slightly nostalgic. Dante was one of the few Pokémon out there who still occasionally used it.
"I've had some time…Some time to think…" Dante then said, "I still don't know what path my life is going to lead down now, but the roads ahead aren't as clouded as before. I thought about becoming a writer, but then I remembered sometimes even I can't read my own paw-writing." He chuckled softly.
"For what it's worth, I think you'd be a fantastic writer," Sparks interjected.
"Perhaps, perhaps. That's not important at this moment, though. That's not why I wanted to talk to you…" He then looked down at Ziggy with a calming smile. "There is one thing I know for sure now, and it involves you," he said to the Buizel.
Ziggy looked unsure, as if stuck between Dante's relaxing smile and his unintentionally ominous-sounding statement.
Instead of saying anything, though, Dante grabbed hold of the strap of his scabbard and carefully lifted it up and over his head. He then held the scabbard and brought it down to Ziggy's eye level. The Buizel's eyes lit up in wonder.
Sparks gazed down at the instrument with interest as well. There was not often an opportunity to observe the sword or scabbard in good detail, as they were either in use or attached near a part of Dante's body that didn't befit being stared at. The scabbard was somehow colourful while only utilizing blue and yellow features. The design was fairly simple, with little yellow shapes of various size and shading decorating the mostly-blue length of the sheath. The blue itself shifted in shade as well, but only subtly enough that it was noticeable when looked at up close.
The sword's hilt was visible at the end of the scabbard. A simple, flat gold-coloured crossguard with a grip extending out from it. The grip was covered in what appeared to be tape, wrapped in a criss-cross pattern, but the dark-blue designs of the grip itself could still be seen below it. Instead of a pommel, there was a dulled silver spike at the end. Though it appeared sharp, on closer inspection it seemed like one would have to try really hard to puncture anyone with it. Sparks belatedly realized that this spike was designed to resemble a Lucario's chest spike.
"Your…Y-your sword…" Ziggy mumbled. Sparks could see that, even through Ziggy's discomfort, a little bit of awe was shining through as he beheld the sword.
Dante nodded. He then held the grip and pulled the sword halfway out of its sheath, revealing the pristine silver blade. There was nothing special about the blade itself, other than it looked exceptionally clean, sharp and well-maintained. Even from his greater height, Sparks could see his own face's reflection in the blade without having to lean in close.
Then, Dante slid the sword back into the sheath with a satisfying shunk sound. "I have carried this blade ever since my sword training was complete, all those many years ago," he explained solemnly, "It has served me well on many occasions, and has saved my life countless times. With it, I could contend with mighty foes that would have otherwise obliterated me on the spot. It was crafted by my master, the one who taught me how to use it."
"Wow…" Ziggy murmured reverently.
"Sadly, though…I can no longer use it," Dante said.
Ziggy flinched slightly, frowning heavily at the thought.
"For obvious reasons," Dante continued, "I cannot wield it properly anymore. It may, of course, be in the realm of possibility that I could learn some fantastical one-legged swordfighting technique…but by the time I could learn something like that, I would be nearing my deathbed…Truthfully, I no longer have use for it."
A quiet whine escaped Ziggy's throat. Sparks could tell he still felt slightly guilty about this, like he was the reason Dante wouldn't be able to swing a sword anymore.
"So, I've given it plenty of thought," Dante then said, "and I've decided…I want you to have it, Ziggy."
The young Buizel's eyes nearly bugged right out of his head. "Wh-What?!" he stammered as he looked up at Dante in shock. Sparks also found himself giving the Lucario a wide-eyed look.
Dante didn't verbally answer, though. He simply extended his arms and held the sheathed sword out towards Ziggy, whose eyes were drawn back down to it. He smiled at the Buizel, calmly and pleasantly.
Ziggy stared at the blade for a few seconds in total silence, then subtly started shaking his head. "N-n-no…" he whimpered, "I-I-I couldn't! There's…Th-There's no way in my whole life I could…ever…do the things you do. Y-you're so amazing, Dante! I couldn't…couldn't possibly…!"
A light chuckling filled the air, bringing Ziggy's gaze back up to meet Dante's. He seemed amused by Ziggy's reaction. "Do not be silly, my friend," he said, "I do not intend for you to do battle with it."
A beat of silence passed, and it looked like Ziggy's brain skipped a gear for a second. "…Oh," he said, but afterwards just looked confused.
"I was gonna say," Sparks chimed in, "It's a little big and heavy for him."
Dante chuckled again. "It wouldn't matter anyway. This sword was specifically, meticulously crafted for my paws. It is minutely attuned to myself, my body, my fighting style, and so on. Unfortunately, no other Pokémon on this planet would be able to properly wield it."
Sparks gave him another look of surprise. "Is that so…?"
"I meant what I said when I said I had no use for it," Dante continued, bringing his attention back to Ziggy, "As a weapon, it truly is of no use to anyone anymore. But this sword is more than just that."
Again, Dante held out the sword towards Ziggy. The Buizel gave Dante one last unsure look, and then grabbed onto the scabbard with his own paws. Dante carefully transferred it into Ziggy's grip, whereupon the heavy weapon pitched to the side and the chape of the scabbard hit the ground. Ziggy was left awkwardly holding the sheathed sword up diagonally.
"This sword came into my possession when I had achieved one of the most important goals of my life," Dante said, "When I promised myself I would become the best I could possibly be. I kept it with me, all these years. I meticulously cared for it, kept it sharp and clean, so it would never have to be replaced. It was a reminder to continue doing my best and being my best. Now my life is going in a different direction and I have to reach that goal all over again. So, I want you to have the sword as a keepsake. I want you to keep it in your room. Perhaps hang it up on the wall. I hope that this sword may inspire you to one day do what I've done. To be the best you can be…because deep down, you and I both know that you can. Is that okay?"
Ziggy was in shock. He looked down at the sword reverently, a twinkle in his eyes. Even though he couldn't hold it up properly, Ziggy was now carefully gripping the scabbard like the object within were the most valuable thing in the entire world.
"Zig?" Sparks gently prodded, and then repeated Dante's question. "Is that okay?"
"R…Really…?" Ziggy asked in a tiny voice, looking up at Dante.
The Lucario nodded. "Absolutely. Not only do I think you deserve it, but…I feel like you'd be able to make some use out of it now that I can't."
"Wow…" Sparks remarked.
"D-Dante, I…" Ziggy muttered, "I don't know what to say…"
Then, Dante glanced away and looked out across the courtyard. "Just promise to be the best you can be…" he said softly, "Just like…like I once did…" There was a noticeable hitch in his voice.
"It's okay, Dante," Sparks said, "I told him about Riya."
A visible shudder ran up Dante's spine, but otherwise he didn't react. He remained silent for a few moments and then let out a soft breath. "I made her that promise…" he spoke slowly, "…when we first became a team. Every time she smiled at me, I know she was thinking about that promise and was proud of me for keeping true to my word…"
As the Lucario fell silent once again, Sparks looked back over at Ziggy. He was now looking down at the scabbard again, but this time with a more contemplative look.
"That's an absurdly kind gesture, Dante," Sparks said to the Lucario, "Are you totally sure that's what you want to do?"
"I am," he said resolutely, "I'm just like all the rest of you; I see potential in this Buizel. I want to do whatever I can to bring that out."
Sparks couldn't help but smile warmly at his old friend. "We'll take good care of it. We promise."
"I promise," Ziggy spoke up, causing both of the others to look at him. He spent another moment looking down at the scabbard, but then looked up at Dante. Sparks was surprised to see that his whole demeanour had changed. There was a new look in his eyes that could almost be called 'fierce'.
"I promise," Ziggy repeated, "I'll do my best. I'll be my best. I'll do it…for you…and for Riya."
Dante looked surprised for a moment, then his face melted into a heartfelt look. "Thank you, Ziggy…" he said.
"Here," Sparks said, "Why don't you give it to me and I'll carry it back to your room. Then later today I'll find something we can use to put it up on the wall."
Ziggy nodded. "Sure," he said, and then awkwardly tried to hand off the sword to the larger Raichu. Despite his strength and larger size, even Sparks found the sword heavy and awkward to carry.
Sparks then took a moment to look at the two Pokémon and reflect on the heartwarming exchange they had just shared. He was so proud of Ziggy for what he had promised. Ziggy didn't even know Riya and he'd still promised. Sparks had known her, had become good friends with her, and missed her dearly as well.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow," Dante then announced.
Sparks and Ziggy both looked over at him in surprise. "What? Why?" Sparks asked.
"I'm leaving the city for the time being," he answered, "I need to adjust to…the new changes in my life, and the chaotic atmosphere of Radiant City is not the place for this. A very nice family that I've known from my travels lives nearby in Honeydrop Town and have agreed to let me stay with them. It's much more peaceful there."
"Ah, I see…" Sparks said, unable to keep a bit of disappointment out of his voice, "Well, that does seem like the smart thing to do. We're gonna miss you, though."
"Yeah," Ziggy agreed, "I'm gonna miss you a whole lot!"
Dante smiled at Ziggy. "We can always write one another," he said, "In fact, I'll have more time to do so than beforehand."
"Okay," Ziggy replied, "Sure…"
For just a moment, Sparks caught a bittersweet smile on Ziggy's muzzle before the Buizel turned away bashfully. He then looked over at Dante and said, "We'll all come to see you off tomorrow. Let us know if you need anything before then."
"Will do," Dante said with a nod.
Sparks gave the Lucario one last fond look. He then tapped Ziggy on the shoulder with his tail and said, "C'mon, let's put this in your room for now."
The day had passed by rather uneventfully. The only thing of note to occur was the news of Dante's departure spreading. Besides that, though, one would be forgiven for thinking nothing bad was going on in the outside world.
Now it was the evening, and Sparks and Ziggy had both finished all of their tasks for the day and eaten dinner. Ziggy was waiting back in his room, while Sparks had set off to procure hooks and nails for holding up Dante's sword.
Ziggy already seemed to be in a better mood. He was definitely feeling a bit depressed about Dante leaving, but that seemed to be the only thing troubling him at the moment. Otherwise, the gifted sword seemed to give him the pick-up he'd needed.
Sparks still couldn't believe how generous Dante had been to give up that sword to Ziggy. The Lucario had held onto that sword for close to 20 years by this point. It was one of the things that made Dante unique; something that gave him his identity. He only hoped that Ziggy truly understood the gravity of such a gift, though he had a sneaking suspicion that the Buizel did.
As Sparks rounded the next corner, on his way to the supplies storage room to get the nails, he stopped in his tracks. The hallway before him was mostly empty, which made sense for the time of the evening that it was. Most Pokémon working here were in their rooms either eating or resting. However, there was one solitary occupant in the hallway.
Terry was standing about halfway down the hall, up against the wall on the left. He was facing away from Sparks and he wasn't moving. Sparks looked at the Eevee curiously, wondering what he was doing. He realized a moment later that Terry wasn't really standing, and was actually leaning against the wall.
Sparks walked over to him. "Terr?" he called out as he approached. The Eevee didn't reply, and didn't even visibly react. It was as if he hadn't heard his name at all. Growing concerned, Sparks walked right up next to Terry and stood beside him.
He found that Terry was just standing there, lazily leaning against the wall, and staring ahead with a distant look in his eyes and a small frown. "Terr?" Sparks repeated, "You all right?"
Still Terry didn't move or react. He looked like an empty husk, as if his soul had somehow left his body.
"Terry, c'mon. You're freakin' me out…" Sparks said.
Finally, this caused Terry to react. He let out a long sigh and his ears drooped even lower than they'd been before. "I don't think I can stay here anymore, Sparks…" he said in an even tone.
"What?" Sparks blurted out in surprise.
"I…I think I have to leave…"
Sparks moved in front of Terry and sat down in front of him. "Terr, what are you talking about?"
Terry's thousand-yard stare was broken as he cast his gaze down to the floor under his paws. "I don't think I can handle this anymore…" he said, "I can't…be around him anymore. Every time I see him, every single time, it hurts. It hurts so bad, right in the middle of my chest. It feels like I'm sick. It feels like I'm dying."
Sparks' ears drooped as well, now knowing what the Eevee was talking about. "Oh, buddy…" he said sympathetically.
"I can't work here anymore," Terry said, "I can't do my job here because I'm always thinking of this…always reminded of all this…"
"I…" Sparks started to say, but he found he didn't know the words to use to comfort his friend.
"It just hurts too much to be near him…" Terry moaned, negative emotions finally slipping into his voice, "I have to leave."
Sparks reached out a paw to gently pat Terry's head. "C'mon now. Don't be too rash about things like this. I know things are bad, but…" Again, Sparks couldn't find the words to continue after the 'but'.
However, Terry just gently shook his head. "I made up my mind…" he said in a low voice, "I'm leaving."
A heavy, uncomfortable silence filled the hallway. Sparks just looked at the Eevee for a moment, unsure of what to say, while Terry just kept his eyes on the floor. Eventually, Sparks simply spoke the only words he could think of. "Where will you go?"
Terry sighed again. "I'll just move to some other city and join the guild there. I'm not gonna leave the Rescue Society or anything…"
"Well…That's relieving to hear, at least. You are a very talented guild member and it would be a shame to lose a hard worker like you."
"Mm…"
"Are you sure, though?" Sparks added, "All of us here would be really sad to see you go. There's tons of Pokémon who would miss you dearly. We're a family here. All of us…together…"
Sparks felt Terry stiffen up, and immediately realized he may have overstepped himself. "I'm going," Terry said resolutely, and then added in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry…"
Sparks felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Now two of his closest friends were leaving. He wanted so badly to try and come up with a reason for Terry to stay, but Sparks knew in his heart that the Eevee was right. With how their relationship had collapsed on itself, being around Rico was only going to make Terry feel worse and worse. The two of them remaining on the active team together wasn't going to be any good for him.
"If…that's what you really want to do," Sparks said sadly.
"Don't worry, I'm still putting in my last two weeks…" Terry replied flatly.
"Oh, well that's…good…" Sparks said, not sure exactly what to say. He sat there for a moment, waiting for Terry to say or do something, but the Eevee just remained leaning against the wall. "Are…you gonna be okay?" he asked in concern, "Do you want me to call Kandice?"
"I'll be fine," Terry said flatly.
Sparks bit his lip. Terry apparently wanted to be left alone, though he was choosing to do so in a remarkably odd location. "Well, uh…Just call any of us if you need anything, or if you just want to talk. We'll be here for you." He stood up, but Terry remained as statuesque as before. Sparks was worried about him, but he also knew from experience that sometimes the pain just hits so hard that all you can do is sit there and think about it for a while. He'd been there quite a few times in his life.
"Give Ziggy a call later, okay?" Sparks eventually said, "He'll be free all evening."
At first it seemed like Terry wasn't going to reply yet again, but after a moment he whispered, "Okay…"
Eventually Sparks had to move on from the distraught Eevee, as he was still on an errand for Ziggy who was waiting for him. It was a bit unnerving to see Terry's thousand-yard stare, but Sparks reasoned that he would be all right in the long run. Losing Terry was going to hurt, but he knew it would be the best thing for the Eevee. Once he was away from all of these stress triggers, he would be smiling again.
Still, though, Sparks felt the same way that he did when he failed to help a client. It was one of the worst feelings he knew.
"Is it straight now?"
"Uh…Yeah! Yeah it's straight now!"
Sparks let out a grunt of satisfaction and hopped off the step stool he had been using. He took a step back and stood next to Ziggy, and then they both looked up at what Sparks had been working on.
High up on the wall, just below the ceiling, Dante's sword was now mounted. Sparks had used some simple plastic hooks that were hard to see from afar. There were enough of them that the sword was secure in place and wouldn't fall off, but also in such a way that the sword could easily be picked up off of the hooks and taken down for whatever reason. He had also arranged the sword so that it was halfway sheathed in its scabbard, so that both the scabbard and the blade itself were on display.
"Wow…" Ziggy murmured.
"It looks good up there. Really brings the room together," Sparks said with a chuckle. The irony being that Ziggy's room was otherwise undecorated in any way.
"I still can't believe it's there," Ziggy remarked, "It's, like, not real…"
"You can wake up to it every morning. Smile when you see it. And that's a good thing, because starting the day with a smile is something wonderful." Sparks gazed up at the sword. He had attached it to the wall that faced the foot of Ziggy's bed. This way, when Ziggy woke up and sat up onto his pillows, he would be looking right at it.
Sparks then glanced over at Ziggy. For the first time in a while, Sparks didn't see very much stress in the Buizel's expression. Though he wasn't smiling, Ziggy was looking up at the sword with a somewhat hardened look, his jaw set firmly. His eyes seemed brighter too.
Ziggy then cast his gaze downwards, so that he was looking at his grey recruit's badge. "I have to do better now," he said, "I just have to…I can't give up now. I can't back down now."
"That's good to hear," Sparks commented, "but don't push yourself too hard."
The Buizel then turned around to face Sparks. "You guys gave me this," he said, pointing to his badge. Then he pointed over his shoulder and added, "…and Dante gave me that. And…I know both were for a reason…"
"Well, of course."
Ziggy gently shook his head. "And if a Pokémon were as big of a screw-up as I think I am sometimes, then they wouldn't be getting stuff like this."
Sparks arched an eyebrow and said, "Uh…Bit of an odd way to put it, but sure."
For a moment, Ziggy glanced off to the side and didn't say anything. His expression seemed to grow even more resolute. "I gotta try harder," he said eventually, "I can't be scared all the time…"
"It's okay to be scared sometimes," Sparks said, "but…"
"But I can't let it control me," Ziggy finished.
"Right!" Sparks said proudly.
"The world's messed up out there…" Ziggy then said in a quieter voice, "I have to help."
Sparks let out a quiet breath and nodded sagely. "The world will probably always be messed up in one way or another."
"I can't fight the weird portal creatures…er, I mean, the weird portal Pokémon…but there's lots of other stuff I can do, right? Other Pokémon need help. Even just, like…Terry…"
"Whatever you do," Sparks said, "You're gonna do great. Nobody's expecting you to fight the giant red beast. If it shows up again, you just run. In fact, I'm gonna give that to you as official orders, so it'll be your duty to run away from it and keep yourself safe."
Ziggy looked up at Sparks in silence for a moment. Then, miraculously, he cracked a smile and laughed softly. "Yes, sir," he said playfully.
Sparks smiled as well in response. "So, you're feelin' better then?"
"Mhm," Ziggy nodded.
"It's good, too, 'cus you're pretty close to upgrading that grey badge of yours. Carmen's already forgone the applicant process, since she's seen enough of what you can do already. You just gotta hit all the prerequisites and you'll be a rookie member instead of a recruit!"
"Wow…Imagine that…"
Ziggy then turned around once more and looked up at the sword on the wall. He gazed at it reverently for a few seconds. Sparks had to admit he was just a twinge jealous that he couldn't keep such an awesome sword in his own room. Just a twinge, though.
"I'm not gonna be scared," Ziggy repeated, "I'm gonna be brave. I'm gonna do my best…For you, and for her…"
Sparks couldn't help but beam with pride. It had been another really rocky setback on Ziggy's journey, but things were again looking up for the young Buizel. His words didn't sound like empty promises either. It already sounded like Ziggy was less nervous. Sparks had no trouble believing that Ziggy truly would start to be braver.
He only hoped that would still hold true when, not if, some chromaphobe tried something stupid.
