"RISE AND SHINE, LADIES!" yelled a harsh voice. Gardevoir shot awake in fright. Looking around, she saw a yellow and black bee pokemon with drills for hands standing at the foot of her bed. She was in a hospital. Next to her was an awake and equally confused Garchomp. The two locked eyes before looking towards the Beedrill before them. "Morning, ladies! You put up a good fight against that Malamar. He's in our custody now," he then looked outside to the destruction caused by Alakazam, which was thankfully limited to the park due to the efforts of our heroines. Beedrill then turned to leave, "I'll leave you two to recover. Rest well, soldiers!"

"You know, I don't think he's military," said Garchomp. When she got no response, she looked over at Gardevoir who was staring into the distance.

"Hey, Chrona," said Garchomp, "Are you okay?" Gardevoir turned back but couldn't look Garchomp in the eyes.

"I'm…I'm so sorry," said Gardevoir, her voice soft and fragile. Worried, Garchomp leaned in to comfort her. "It was my fault that any of this happened."

"Chrona, we've been over this."

"I know, I know," said Gardevoir. Obviously, what Garchomp had said back there was touching, but how could she put that into practice. She was bedridden. She couldn't go out there and help with the recovery effort for a week. If she was supposed to work for forgiveness, then how could she undo the damage she had done.

Garchomp told her,

"Look, what happened wasn't your fault. You didn't make a mistake here. What, you didn't magically know that Malamar was part of the cult? You didn't overcome mind control, something you've never had to deal with in your entire life? Look, I get that you're worried. You've been through…a lot. Maybe more that anyone ever should. That's enough of a burden for anyone to go through. Don't let yourself add more on top of the pile." Gardevoir grinned lightly. It was sweet to hear, it really was. It was just that,

"I need some time to think.".

"You're not the only one who has a lot to think about," said Infernape as he walked into the room. Gardevoir was stunned. Infernape was…alive? No, this had to be a ghost, but Garchomp looked as though she was seeing him as well. He was real. She began to well up, tears threatening to spill over. Infernape tilted his head and asked, "Are you okay?"

Gardevoir jumped out of her bed and tightly embraced the fire type. Infernape was stunned at the moment. He had only a general idea of what happened so this came as a surprise. However, he still went out of his way to pat Gardevoir's head. She looked like she needed this. For a few minutes, the two just stood there. The warm embrace of relief washed over Gardevoir. All of that fear, that guilt, that worry, faded away like a bad memory.

Once Gardevoir pulled away, she told him,

"I'm glad you are okay. I'm so sorry about what happened to Jess. I know you'll never forgive me but-"

"What are you talking about?" asked Infernape, "Jessie's fine." Gardevoir was once more flabbergasted. Jess was alive as well. How were they both alive. Last she saw them, Jess had just unlocked a new mega evolution that would leave her, at best, worn out to the point of collapse, and Lee was bleeding out on the ground. Naturally, there was a lot of explaining that needed to be done, but the psychic type wasn't fully paying attention. She was simply processing what she was just told.

That should be the end of it. The end of her worries and guilt. She didn't kill two people via her own negligence. Sure, for some, that was a satisfying end and they would move on like nothing ever happened. Gardevoir couldn't. Alakazam's words, Garchomp's words, they all meant something. She couldn't just throw it all away just because her mistake wasn't as disastrous as she thought it was. She still messed up. It was a moment where she chose to feed those starving overseas, not those right in front of her.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I know you probably won't forgive me, and you don't have to, but I want you to know that I know I've messed up in the past. If you hate me, I understand. But I want to be better. Furthermore, I want to show you that I can be better. Because I've seen what I am capable of. I unlocked a mega evolution and escaped hypnosis. I have a lot more power over myself than I thought I did, and it's with that power that I want to show the world what I can be." said Gardevoir.

That was a lot for Infernape to take in. Never before had he seen Gardevoir so determined to be better. He knew that his time, she would make every attempt to redeem herself. He truly believed that. Has she always felt this guilty? How much did his grudge weigh on her conscience? Never had he given this much thought before but good Arceus. While he didn't know the details, obviously Gardevoir came here either to get help from Alakazam or because she personally knew him, and he doubted that latter possibility. That meant that she came seeking help. He couldn't help but feel a weight crushing on him. What had he done?

Infernape knew what he had to do. He took a breath, steeling his resolve and getting ready to say those three words,

"I…I…" He paused. He couldn't finish that sentence. Why? It was just three stupid words. Gardevoir had changed, why couldn't he? He looked Gardevoir in the eyes. A look of confusion written on her face. He looked away, unable to look her in the eyes. Turning around, he walked away, guilt-ridden.

Gardevoir simply watched as the fire type left. She wasn't surprised. Not to insult him, heavens no. It just didn't impact her as much as she thought. Perhaps this was already a step forward. Sure, it stung a little to see him go without saying those words, but that was something she wasn't looking for anymore. What she was looking for was being a better Chrona.

She looked back at Garchomp and weakly grinned. This was just a little roadblock.

Unbeknownst to everyone, a certain someone was watching in the distance. Looking into the hospital with a pair of binoculars, a ghost type smiled at the scene before him. It was nice seeing that everyone was okay. Vida wouldn't be happy that he was out here, but he didn't give a damn. When he heard what had happened, his heart lodged up in his throat. He had stared death in the eye, but never had he felt like that before. He had to come here. He had to make sure everyone was okay. He chuckled to himself in a mixture of both annoyance and sincerity.

"Goddammit, Kage," said Gengar, "You broke your own rule." What was that rule?

Never get attached.

(A/N): Thanks for being patient. I know it was a little weird but this date was just far too important for me to not publish something

One year ago today, I started publishing Pyrophant. To say it has been a journey would be an understatement. Pyrophant has taught me so many lessons as a writer. I don't just want to talk about me for this entire segment. I want to thank all of you. Thank you so much for reading my story. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story. Even if you outright hated Pyrophant, thank you for even reading this in the first place. I know this fanfiction has its problems. I am aware of it, and looking back a year ago, I, 100% could've done better, but that's the writing journey for ya. You write, you think you are good, then one year passes and you realize just how far you've grown. Even with this stories flaws, even if this story is one giant dumpster fire rife with cringe, I will never be ashamed of writing this story.

So, I want to thank every single one of you. I don't care if it's hokey.

Thank you those who read this story weekly

Thank you those who read up until a certain point

Thank you those who only read one or two chapters

Thank you those who commented

Thank you those who stayed silent.

Thank you those who left kudos, bookmarked, etc

Thank you for experiencing the world I've created

Thank you for seeing my characters overcome impossible odds and grow as people

And most importantly of all

Thank you for reading Pyrophant.

The next chapter will be this Saturday, March 2nd 2024. I'll see you there.