Penny and Amara dropped Nemona off at the Pokémon center just south of Cascarrafa and made the left turn toward the Team Star barricade. As they hopped off Miraidon, Amara flashed Elaina's Star Badge and Penny made a phone call. "Giacomo, It's Cassiopeia. Can you come let me in?" Then the door opened, and a man walked out. His hat and jacket attempted to project an aura of classic coolness, but something seemed off about the way he moved. As he walked toward Penny, he smiled and held up his arms to pull her into a hug. Amara noticed he was missing his ring finger on one hand.
Oh, hell. I really hope that's not from the academy. Amara echoed to her backbrain. Giacomo looked toward Amara and smiled warmly. "And you're the system that's looking out for my best friend. Thank you all for taking good care of her."
"Now for the big ask, Gi. Will you go back to the academy?" Penny's voice carried a plea, but also the barest hint of hope peeking out from beyond the clouds. "They actually cleaned it all up. Please come back so you don't get expelled."
"No." Giacomo's response came as flatly as Amara had expected from a man who carried himself like Giacomo did. "Not after the tenth of April last year, and especially not after Garrett." Giacomo let out a sigh and turned. "Cass, I believe you that they cleaned up after Operation Star shit the bed. I don't want to go back because of my own trauma. I'm trying to keep it together for the squad. Hell, everyone's really sad to have lost the Starmobile."
Amara took a step forward. "You and me, Pokémon battle, three on three. If I win, you go back for at least a term. You win, name your prize." She flipped through the Pokémon she'd caught with Elaina on the way here and noted that yeah, she had this, easy. "I win, you have to skinny dip in the school fountain in broad daylight." Amara shrugged. "Deal."
"You've got some grit if that didn't faze you. Where are we doing this, here?" He turned and stepped through the gate for a second, then popped his head out. "Yeah, court's clear. Come on!" He waved the two girls inside and Amara took her place on the court across from Giacomo. "Hope you're ready for a cold bath." He said as he tossed out two Pokémon, a Sneasel and a Bisharp. Amara chuckled.
"Come on out, Pikachu and Sudowoodo." She tossed the two from their Pokéballs and the battle was on. Then Amara blinked and the battle had ended. "Penny, honey, I blacked out. What happened?" She turned to find Penny and Giacomo hastily running away. "Oh, fuck. Team meeting!" Amara sat in a patch of grass and dissociated.
She appeared in a green field with a lone tree on a hill in the center. As she stepped forward, she found Elaina and Melody around the tree. When she crested the hill, she found Madilyn sitting alone against the tree trunk. "Everyone's scared of me. Daddy was supposed to make me perfect. Why is everyone scared of me?" She looked up to Amara with tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm scared. What if daddy was wrong? What if he made a mistake and I'm not perfect after all. That would mean all the terrible things he had to do were just to hurt me. Daddy didn't want to hurt me, right?"
Amara sat at the base of the tree with Madilyn and had a tear well up in her own eye. "Madilyn, he hurt you because he didn't care. He needed to make you into his weapon. He hurt you and warped you into an attack dog for his personal gain. Everything else he said is lies." As Amara finished, Madilyn started to cry.
"No! It can't be all lies. Daddy told me he made me perfect. He told me he loved me!" Madilyn's tears grew heavier as Elaina and Melody approached the two girls. "And if it was a lie than who am I? I don't know how to be a person!" Amara motioned for Madilyn to receive a hug. Madilyn leapt into Amara's arms, crying. "I don't want to keep going. It hurts too much."
It was Melody who spoke next. "That decision is your right, and we will honor it. We only ask that you give that decision the gravity it deserves." Madilyn sniffled, then nodded thoughtfully. She affirmed that she would think on it as she stayed at the base of the tree. "I won't try to take over anymore. Will you please tell Penny that I'm sorry I scared her?" Amara nodded, then the world grew fuzzy.
"Amara, wake up. Come back to us." The call echoed through the field from the sky above. "I think they're calling for me. I better head out." She said as she blinked, and the Team Star base came back into view. Penny was standing over Amara as Amara shook off the dissociation.
"Madilyn fronted for the battle with Gi. She won, by the way. Scared the absolute fuck out of both of us." Penny gave Amara a hug, then Amara climbed to her feet. "Where's Gi now?" Amara asked as Penny looked over her shoulder. "He's packing a suitcase. After all, a deal is a deal."
"She's sorry she scared you, Penny. I've kinda been inside helping her through the 'my dad's an abuser' breakdown for the past however long it's been since the battle." Penny's eyes softened, so Amara continued. "I think we're making progress with least I hope so." Penny smiled at Amara's statement, then the two walked, hand in hand, the rest of the way to Cascarrafa.