Chapter 9

A Life Worth Living

February, 3029.

Kade walked alone through the snowy woods of the mountains surrounding the cabin house of the First Regiment. The morning sun peaked through the trees ahead of him, leaving his face and jacket speckled with light as he trudged up a small slope. He came upon an overlook, providing a view of a small valley between twin peaks. He sighed as he scanned the bright landscape ahead. "Don't think Dorbee's gonna be in these woods either." He said to himself. His eyes fell to the snow beneath his feet. The heads of flattened grass poked out of the shallow layer of frost, brushing against the laces of his boots. "Can't think of any other places to look…. Maybe you'll come find me one day, Dorbee. We'll hang when you do." Kade turned and headed back down the slope, following his path back to the house. "…I hope you still remember me by then."

It had been a week since the alleged assassination of Shauna Creetley. The PRA was able to keep the truth behind her death under wraps, as public news medias could only report briefly on her sudden passing due to sickness. The talk on this subject was short lived among the few that would take interest in her sudden passing, as the story was swallowed up in the infinite stream of media flowing throughout Lumiose City's vast online discourse. As of now her company is in the process of being auctioned off, and unless either of her two children attempt to claim ownership, it will be sold to the highest bidder.

The three superiors of the First Regiment sat in a meeting room at Central Headquarters. "Morning, Captain Pitchford, Officer Lynn, Officer Oddiwar." The old Commander Kayle of the Pokemon Rangers stepped into the office. He was casually dressed in a maroon sweater and jeans, and his long white hair flowed unbound against his back. The three of the First Regiment stood in salute before returning to their seats.

"First, I want to personally commend the squadron for recovering Mrs. Creetley last week and express my sympathies in her unfortunate death. I'm sure your team did everything you could to prevent it. But with her body recovered, we now have the evidence pointing towards her killer, and investigation into this has begun on my end here at headquarters. You're not alone in this fight anymore." Kayle explained, turning on the projector screen for the room. "Thank you, Commander." Clay nodded.

The projector displayed court documents calling for a summons. The faces of the First Regiment sunk as they saw this. "As you know, Wellerton's hotel collapsed only a few hours after your team left the area, and the police and ambulances vacated the building thoroughly before leaving it alone. However, the owners are suing the PRA, believing the First Regiment is responsible for the building's destruction. Obviously I don't think this is true, as we reviewed the tapes from everyone's body cams on the scene, there wasn't evidence that indicated you guys took that building down. But, for reasons beyond me, the city approved the case, which means this is going to regional court… which is a bigger deal than we want it to be." Kayle said.

"We should let it." Mavis began. "I've already been working with our lawyer, Riza, here at headquarters to create a case that should condemn the city for forcing this to be a regional suit. The evidence for that is almost completed. And if this actually manages to reach regional courts, our primary witness testimony alone will be enough to secure this case." Mavis said confidently.

"And who is this witness again? One of your new recruits, right?" Kayle asked. "It's Tyrene. She was the one that recovered Shauna's body. She saw the most out of everyone on the scene, but she's still incapacitated." Clay said.

"I see…." Kayle lowered his head with the knowledge of what had happened to Tyrene based on what was described in the mission report that he read. His heart ached for his student, who had been so badly injured. "…Officer Oddiwar did Riza tell you when Mr. Wellerton wanted to go over the case for the first round of discussion?" he asked. Mavis sighed. "As soon as tomorrow."

"I'm assuming Tyrene is in no condition to tag along for that meeting then." Kayle crossed his arms and turned toward the projector screen in dismay. "She is conscious and shows a stable state of mind. What I wanted to propose is that we transfer her to Lumiose Regional Hospital so that she can be interviewed while she recovers." Mavis suggested.

Clay was visibly unenthusiastic about the idea, despite having already discussed with Mavis about it the day before. He wished there was a safer alternative on where to keep Tyrene. Although he knew his paranoia had no real ground to stand on, he feared that a public hospital kept Tyrene closer to danger than the house. He thought of the face of the doorman. For him, that face represented the powers in which Tyrene and Blastoise had been ambushed by that night. He questioned the size of their zone of operation, questioning any point of safety within city limits.

Clay looked at Gino, whose attention was somewhere else completely. He sat resting his chin on his folded hands, staring directly into the opposing wall, unmoving. Clay turned back to the Commander. "…I'm uneasy about dismissing Tyrene somewhere that isn't our team's house." He said.

"Lumiose Regional is the same hospital Major Hollinder is recovering in. At his request he has his own guard already surveying that hospital, Major Iluni. I know you know Hollinder, Captain. You know he doesn't make moves unless he's 150% certain. I'm sure once he's aware a new recruit will be staying there, Decidueye's watchful eye will be over her." Commander Kayle reassured.

"…the inside of the ambulance was the last thing I remember." Tyrene said. She sat in the living room with Kade and Owen and their pokemon. Tyrene's head was wrapped in bandages, covering her entire face except her eyes and mouth. Her left arm rested in a bulky cast and she was dressed in a white hospital gown.

Kade stayed quiet as he processed the story Tyrene told him. Her dark gaze rested on the rug in the center of the living room. She kept her right hand on her cast as she sat with a blanket draped over her legs. Never had Kade seen her sulk in defeat like this.

"Gino said it might be a month or two before you can use your arm again regularly. It's weird. I didn't take him as a doctor when I first met him." Owen said. Tyrene slightly scratched the side of her cast. "And it seemed the treatment was good cause you were out for a few days. Glad you're awake and walking around today."

"…Dad, called me." Tyrene began. "He says I should resign because of how badly I got messed up. He wanted me to jump back in once I'm feeling better." She said. "What do you think?" Owen asked.

"No way." Tears welled in her eyes. "I think we're building so much momentum from our first mission alone. I know Clay will look for Shauna's killers, and I have to help since I saw them face to face. I can't leave. It doesn't matter how hurt I am. Besides…. I have to be a better Ranger fast…. So this doesn't happen again." Her lip quivered as she looked at Kade briefly before looking away. She hid her sniffles as she spoke. "I'm not staying this weak. But I'll need your guys' help."

"You got it." Owen said. Mismagius waved her arms in agreement from where she sat on Owen's head. Kade could tell how intense Tyrene's pain was. Her good hand hovered over the bandages on her nose, wanting to adjust them but the pain of any such contact was too much. The vibrations of simply speaking was enough to irritated the tenderness of her face, as she stopped and took steady breaths through gritted teeth.

The headstrong, outgoing and confrontational person Kade knew seemed torn down before him. A latent rage began to warm his heart as he watched Tyrene struggle to speak. Owen stood up and retrieved the painkillers Gino had instructed her to take. "We can wait for you to get better no problem. Not like our missions will stop coming." He gave his sister two pills.

Later in the day, Clay, Gino, and Mavis all returned to the house. Gino hung his jacket and immediately went to his office without saying a word. Clay and Mavis met the three recruits in the living room. With the painkillers taking effect, Tyrene appeared much more relaxed than before. "Tired of the infirmary?" Mavis asked, sitting down with the rest. "That room feels like a prison cell after long enough." Tyrene said.

"Well I'd hate to stick you in another room, but…." Clay sat on the edge of the table in the center of the living room, facing everybody else. "Our regiment is facing legal problems due to the Wellerton's hotel collapsing. And you'll have to act as a prime witness, which means we need to transfer you to the hospital in town so there's a place where you can be interviewed while you recover." Clay explained.

Tyrene looked out the windows to the west where the sun was beginning to touch the ocean's horizon. "…. Whatever we need to do, I'll do it." She said. "Mavis will drive you there tonight to get you settled in a new room because the law people want to see you tomorrow. It'll be likely you'll do most of your recovery from there, so whatever you need from here, we'll pack up for you too." Clay explained.

Later, the team was ready to make the move to the city as they packed into the car. Kade and Owen tagged along with their pokemon as ordered by Clay to help move her things for her at the hospital, as well as to keep watch over her during her stay.

Kade and Gallade sat in the hospital lobby, just the two of them. Tyrene had been transitioned into her room smoothly, where nurses performed a check up on her wounds, seeing what else needed to be done for her healing process. Owen and Mismagius stayed in the room with her, preparing a sleeping spot in a chair beside the hospital bed as night drew.

Mavis entered the lobby from the elevator. "We're all set." She said, plopping herself down in a row of chairs across from Kade and Gallade. Kade simply nodded, having nothing else to say at the moment. "…. You have something on your mind too, I can tell. You've looked that way ever since you got back from the mountain."

Mavis' insight was partially true. From the mountain to the meeting with Bastiodon in the prison, Kade couldn't get his mind off of it all. "…. I feel… I don't know... really not prepared for being a Ranger." Kade sighed.

"Well…. you're still pretty young to begin with. You don't see a lot of 18 year-olds running around in Pokemon Ranger Squadrons in this region at least…. But I would say that gives you the head start no one else in our position really had. And Gallade's the same age as you, right? There's still tons of room to fit all the information of being a Pokemon Ranger into those squishy heads of yours." She explained, pointing at the two of them.

"Even still, I feel like I'm not here for as good a reason as the others are. You remember when Clay first asked us why we joined the Rangers? You wanna know what my reason really is? Cause I thought it'd be cool! Everything I learned about the Rangers was from all the stories our dad told us about being one. He talked about how much he helped people damaged by Lugia's flood, and all that shit really stuck, I guess…." Kade shrugged.

Mavis raised an eyebrow. "So, you're inspired to be a Ranger because Rangers are cool?" she asked. "…Then just be cool."

"Huh?" Kade looked up at her. "You heard me. It's as complicated as you make it, dude. And once you're as old as me you'll find many things that matter a lot more than 'being cool'."

"How about this, I'm about to go meet up with our lawyer at a place near downtown that's pretty chill. You and Gallade should come with me, it'll be a nice night out." Mavis smiled. "I guess we could." Kade looked at Gallade, who nodded in agreement.

Mavis drove them to a spot called 'The Spot 2', which was a small bar and restaurant at the side of Main Street closest to one of the city's many ports. If it were day, they would be able to see the ocean's horizon a few blocks down from outside the bar's window. But tonight, only the snow glowing from the city's streetlights and neon signs illuminated the path to the black abyss of the city's shoreline.

The establishment was so dimly lit in a blue haze that Kade found it mildly disorienting. The only light guiding his step was the neon glow emanating from the bar counter. There was only roughly a half dozen patrons at the bar, whose shadows could be seen slumped below the light illuminating the many glass bottles decorating the wall behind the bartender, who was a Zangoose. The pokemon mixed their shaker in silence as they eyed the newcomers entering the establishment. A low synth chorus played from the overhead speakers, acting as a future-wave lullaby for the heavily inebriated.

Mavis led Kade and Gallade to a circle booth at the side of the bar. There, the lone lawyer sat with tablet in hand. "Mavis. Who the hell are these two?" The lawyer was a tall, older woman with black hair draped against her shoulders. She wore a blue suit jacket which matched the lighting of the bar, emphasizing its professional presence against all other features. Her arms were crossed defensively as she waited for Mavis' answer.

"Evening, Riza. These are my bodyguards, Kade and Gallade." Mavis boasted, gesturing to each one standing on either side of her. "They're actually new recruits for the First Regiment. You know, also very involved with the case." She said as she slid into the booth, followed by Kade and Gallade. "Hello." Kade greeted her softly.

"Well keep introducing them as bodyguards, got it? They don't need to share the heat the First Regiment's already simmering in. Now listen, we got two avenues to handle this suit. Tim Wellerton's team offered a settlement of 14.6 million, which is fucking crazy considering the state that dump of a hotel was in before it collapsed. And I know the PRA wouldn't be too happy shedding out dosh like that, especially since your chain of command had reported bearing no responsibility over what your squad does and doesn't too. Buncha dickheads. Always saying different shit during press conferences. Anyways, unless there's a stack like that lying around, we'll go with the other plan of enforcing the civil code of PRA ordinance. Typical pull for you Pokemon Rangers, but they'll be expecting it and come up with some piece of shit plan to further waste time and money, which the PRA will also get on our asses about. so we'll need the video evidence and the testimony from this Tyrene Williams gal to seal the deal. The sooner we get this the better, which I believe the Wellerton team knows as well, which is why they're gonna meet with the poor girl tomorrow to interrogate her and pressure her into saying some shit that'll hurt our case."

'Damn we just sat down.' Kade thought to himself as he listened to this lady speak at a million miles an hour. "We'll have people there to deter any unwanted visitors. They can paint the 'official' label of their meeting with Tyrene as brightly as they want, but if their ulterior motive is to what… get Tyrene to confess to destruction of property on the PRA's behalf? No way will we let that happen." Mavis said.

"They'll pull the 'withholding of evidence' card on you if your team directly bars communication with her, you know this. With the little time we have to prepare her, we just need that video feed from your mission first, then her testimony. Besides that, she needs to keep her mouth shut." Riza shook her head.

The two women then began rapid firing complex court concepts beyond Kade's realm of understanding. He sat there nodding his head occasionally, looking back and forth between Mavis and Riza. "That's what I'm sayin." He'd whisper to Gallade before the two laughed silently together.

What Kade didn't notice was that a waiter had been coming over and dropping drinks off repeatedly in the cover of the dark environment. He wasn't aware until Mavis offered him an Alola Island Iced Tea. "You're 18, right?" She asked.

"Damn right I am." Kade accepted the drink confidently. He only had one night of drinking when he had reached the legal age of 18, his birthday. Even then, his father kept him from getting too inebriated in order to protect his health. Kade resented this and has been waiting for a good opportunity to hit the town ever since. He simply wasn't expecting the opportunity to appear here, given the circumstance of his presence at this bar.

The drinks kept coming and he kept drinking. Mavis was generous enough to order the pokemon mixes for Gallade to tag along. These drinks were brewed to manage against a pokemon's immensely fortified constitution. For a human, these were highly concentrated elixirs of death. Gallade took a sip before turning to Kade.

"This hits." He whispered, tapping his glass with one of his broad fingers.

Kade chuckled before trying to tune back into the conversation. "…The thing about this judge is he's kinda hopping on that human-first train that's taking hold in the city's social movement. He'll eat up any scenario where a pokemon in your possession had committed any form of infraction, even the tiniest misdemeanor. If the Wellerton team does their research as good as I do, they'll investigate every breath your team's pokemon took over the three days you worked with Triple C. AT LEAST. So if this Gallade right here's got a dubious past, prepare to be front and center of that court room little fella." Riza spoke as if the alcohol was beginning to get to her as well.

"Human-first? You mean like some human supremacy shit?" Kade asked. The single drink was already doing a number due to his low tolerance. Yet Riza had him matched as she lowered an empty glass from her lips and set it beside a pile of many. "Those freaks are few and far between, but lately we see that type of ideology slithering into positions of power, like our friend Judge Mellion. But we shouldn't waste too much time speculating on how he'll behave in court. We should expect that the law of the land prevails throughout the trial." Riza spoke much slower now, over annunciating her words and physically leaning into the ends of her sentences.

Kade then noticed a shadow dash through the bar out of the corner of his eye, followed by a voice which he recognized. He leaned out of the booth, seeing the door open then quickly shut. From the overhead streetlights outside, he caught a glimpse of the figure, their large, orange ears revealed under the glow of the city. By the direction they turned, Kade could tell they were heading in the shore's direction.

"Is that…." Normally he would mind his business. But his slightly intoxicated state left him unusually curious. He turned back to the two women. "'scuse me for a second, guys. I'm gonna go call my Dad." Kade promptly got up and left the booth, taking Gallade with him. "…Feels a little late for a phone call, hm?" Mavis said, raising an eyebrow. But Kade was already gone.

Gallade followed Kade outside, asking him who he saw. "That was Delphox, 100%." Kade said, sloshing through the dirty snow of the sidewalks. They reached the docks, only a 3 minute walk from the bar. The city lights seemed to end like the city itself as Kade and Gallade approached the void of the night which the ocean hid within. The dock itself was one of little traffic, harboring a few small vessels here and there. The shore itself was just a stone overlook with a railing lining its edge. The water lapped against the stone wall, about 15 feet below the railing.

Beneath an overhead light, Kade could see a Delphox leaning against the railing, facing the ocean. "…. Okay so maybe I'm like 95% sure that's Dawud's Delphox." Kade loudly whispered as they approached, not concealing his voice very well. Delphox turned her head, keeping her elbows resting on the railing.

Since arriving at the bar with Mavis, Kade felt a sense of whimsy and carelessness in his inebriated state, feeling like he could sense the humor in everything around him. But he felt it all leave his body the moment he saw Delphox's tearful face.

"What in the world are you two doing here?..." Delphox's voice was as soft as the waves lapping against the retaining wall beneath her.

Kade then hurried over to the railing beside her. "YO what's wrong?! Are…. Are you alone? Where's Dawud and the gang?" Kade asked, looking around. Gallade leaned on the railing beside Kade. The two boys crossed their arms inquisitively, listening to the seemingly heartbroken pokemon.

"… We were all partying with the other contestants somewhere down the road. I split from them a while back. I was…." Delphox paused, resting her head on the railing.

"… Can you… just leave me alone?"

Kade crossed his arms. "I got a feeling something happened. You ain't too good at hiding it, Delphox. Did Dawud piss you off or something? Or-." Kade thought about how he saw Delphox at The Spot 2, but didn't recall seeing Dawud, Greninja, or Chesnaught anywhere inside.

"No. It's nothing…"

Kade felt the bite of the winter breeze against his face, as he looked back into the city. "Gotcha… I mean…. Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Delphox gave him an irritated look. Then, her eyes softened as sadness took over once more.

"…It's odd. You might be the only human on the planet that can ask something like that and mean it."

Kade placed his elbows on the railing. "I bet Dawud would mean it too if he could understand." He said.

"He… did give me a choice, I guess. When he adopted me, he seemed to care a lot about whether or not I wanted to fight with Greninja and Chesnaught in the Pokemon League. But at the same time, there wasn't any other path for me to take. Dawud showed me the only open door…." Delphox wiped her eyes.

"I never told you what my life was like before Dawud found me. I was a… an idol pokemon… Back before I evolved."

Kade nodded, barely knowing what she was talking about. "You were like a popstar typa thing? Like, you were doing concerts and shit, right?" he asked.

"Basically. For as long as I can remember I was doing pageants and performing in front of huge audiences all the time. It was… really fun. My pokemon team was great to work with and my managers were all super nice and encouraging…. And I really loved the fans…. I…." Delphox began choking on her words as her sadness spilled over.

Kade didn't want to ask the obvious. He looked at Gallade and back at Delphox while she cried into her arms. "You uh… You must really miss it then, huh?"

"…It all ended when I evolved. For the longest time I was on medication to delay my inevitable maturation as a pokemon. But of course it had to come one way or another. And like that…. I was dropped by everyone and everything I'd ever known."

She let go of the railing and stood tall, facing Kade directly. "I've become so tall now! My limbs are longer, sturdier…. My energy within flows stronger, I have an even better control over my fire than I did as a performer, and yet…"

The light caught the side of Delphox's face Kade couldn't see until now, revealing her eye swollen shut. "I just don't fit the scene anymore… according to my producer. I'm too intimidating in my new form. I'm not cute anymore… not engaging anymore. And there's… there's no reversing it."

"They wouldn't take you back, huh?" Kade asked quietly. "That doesn't sound too encouraging to me." Delphox didn't reply, letting her arms hang in defeat like a child standing in their bedroom doorway after a bad day of school.

"You know what?... Fuck em. If they don't want you, then that's that." Kade was fixated on her eye. "…. And you're telling me they hit you when you went back? Shit if I were you I woulda burned that fuckin place down."

Delphox's demeanor didn't change. "…You don't get it." She turned away, looking out into the ocean once again.

"You're right, I really don't. But… That does sound super shitty. I know what it's like to go after that passion, though. Shit, I bet if Clay turned us away on our first day I would've crashed out hardcore, right Gallade? After all that time we spent training and shit…."

"Hey! Guys! What are y'all doing over there?!" Kade, Gallade and Delphox all turned towards the voice calling for them from behind. Kade's smile widened as he recognized the person approaching from the final city block towards the shore. Delphox let go of the railing, mildly surprised to see who had appeared.

"Delphox! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The high-spirited Dawud hurried to the three at the overlook. With him he had the rest of his pokemon team, Greninja and Chesnaught. Kade walked up meeting him halfway. "Crazy running into you out here." He said giving him a fist bump. "Same dude! I thought you were working now." Dawud.

"Yea, listen bro…" Kade turned Dawud away from the pokemon in a huddle. "Delphox is dealing with some shit right now... I think. Seemed like she tried going back to her old life, if that makes sense. Is some shit going on behind the scenes? Or…." Kade waited for a response in Dawud's facial expression.

His eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! Damn…. I mean I ain't you, so communication is limited. But I know everything about her from her documents and shit we got from picking her up at PDS…. I didn't think it was eating away at her this bad…. Here, I'm gonna talk to her."

Dawud hurried over to Delphox, still visibly excited to see her. Kade waved Gallade over to him as gave Dawud and Delphox their privacy. He chuckled a little bit looking at their height discrepancy. Delphox was almost a head taller than Kade, and Dawud barely came up to Kade's shoulder. Yet Dawud held himself large, leaning against the railing next to Delphox all relaxed.

"…. Kade gave me a rundown of what was on your mind…. Man, I wish I had what he got. I don't think I'd get anything done if I did, though, cause I wouldn't be able to stop talking to you and the squad. Ever. I mean, you guys ARE my best friends."

Dawud took a chill minute to assess his pokemon. Behind him he could hear Kade and the others catching up. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "Because of that, what you're going through means a lot to me, even if I can't understand you. So maybe what I shoulda done is made the 'agreement' between us more formal."

He held out a crumpled copy of the flyer for the Pokemon League World Tournament, where their images could be seen displayed gallantly alongside all the other competitors in a glorious collage. Delphox knew what he was holding. She didn't look his way.

"…I promise to enhance the lives of my pokemon to the best of my ability. I have a dream I'm chasing and I believe this team will find it just as fulfilling as I will. My team are already champions in my eyes, I'm just tryna prove that to the rest of the world." Dawud proposed.

Delphox noticed his pause, afraid that he was about to reveal some unappealing/discouraging circumstances to this so called 'agreement'. She remembered him looking the same way on the day they first met. He was full of himself and powered by nothing but his own motivation.

"All I ask is for a chance to show it."

And she scoured her memories, only recalling moments where he poured that limitless motivation over her in everything she did.

Delphox's frustration boiled over as she hugged Dawud, lifting him up into the air and spinning him around, all while cursing every person from her old life that had thrown her away. "Ay! AY! Spinning too fast! I'm gonna THROW UP! I've been drinking A LOT!" Delphox set him down as he lunged for the railing and promptly vomited into the ocean.

Delphox stood back in surprise as Dawud raised his arms upward as if he was receiving a gift from heaven, before turning back to Delphox. "*huff* *huff*…. But yeah, …. Whoever's got you fucked up right now, I ain't like them." Controlling her strength, she hugged him again.

Back at The Spot, the two working women sat wasted in discussion, still on topic for their upcoming court case for the Pokemon Rangers. "Mavis… I can tell…. Mavis…. I'M A LAWYER… Mavis, I know you have a desirable outcome for the case yourself?... I KNOW…. You…. Whatisitcomeontellme." Riza said.

Mavis swirled a can of sweet seltzer like it was a crystalline goblet of fine wine. "I want my squad, the First Regiment, to operate with more autonomy." Her intoxicated speech was slow and consistent. She slumped back in the booth, staring at the ceiling while she spoke.

"We could have this case settled 500 times faster if I didn't have to get so many damn approvals from the Kalos commanders. I've sent THOUSANDS of emails and those old farts take at least a week to message back, probably because they spend 4 of those days just getting out of bed. The system itself is stupid in that it's not like getting approval denied for the First Regiment to represent itself in court will magically make the lawsuit go away!... If we can steamroll this case, then we will have a good enough case for Kalos Command to form our own Jurisdiction. This is something Clay and I have been working towards for years now." Mavis shook her head, taking another sip of her drink.

"…. I want these new kids to be proud of being Pokemon Rangers. Good Rangers… are few and far between."

Cool air swirled through the bar as an aura of merriment filled the atmosphere. Mavis peaked out of the booth to see Kade and Gallade had returned, along with Dawud and his pokemon. "Some phone call, Kade. I thought you ditched me!"

"My bad, my bad. I ran into my friend though. This is the guy I was talking about last week, Dawud." Kade introduced his friend and his pokemon to Mavis and Riza. "More the merrier! Come on, guys sit down!" Mavis scooted over next to Riza, who was unenthusiastic about the newcomers. "…I'm too old for night outs like this." Riza sighed.

As the group sat down, any topic of discussion around the court case vanished. Drinks appeared at the table more frequently as the work meeting quickly transformed into a party. Gallade and Dawud's pokemon team all caught up with each other on their own side of the large booth as Kade and Dawud went shot for shot with each other, telling stories of their childhood together with Mavis and Riza.

Everything became dreamlike for Kade as inebriation set in. He felt unusually at peace sitting and listening to all the voices around him. 'This is a good time' he thought, over and over again. He watched how the venue would shift from one place to another as he could really only feel Dawud leading him around to other places, like a spectator to his own body.

"Bro is faded!" he could hear Dawud's voice and hand touch his face as they were walking outside. Kade kept staring at the city lights above him as their group walked from bar to bar, while the voices of his friends were constantly around him. He couldn't sense who was around him and who wasn't anymore, but he was content with the sound of happiness there was all around him.

He couldn't remember what part of the city it occurred in, whether it was inside or outside, or who was next to him when they appeared, but he remembered a sorrowful face gazing at him from afar. It was the eyes that first caught his attention, before slowly identifying the rest of the face. Kade drunkenly beckoned over a Pangoro, the one whose eyes he met with. The Pangoro approached with caution.

"Are you tryna drink with us, man?" It felt like it took years for Kade to speak this sentence, patting a hand on Pangoro's large, fuzzy arm. Kade saw Chesnaught's huge hand reach over him to greet Pangoro with the same attitude.

Pangoro didn't say anything. They contemplated deeply on the proposal before nodding, to which Kade threw his arms up in celebration. A shot seemingly materialized in Kade's hand before he went to take it. Dawud's voice rang out, "Kade! Wait!"

And with that drink, everything faded away.