TEAM: Squeakers (Raticate) & Arachnio (Ariados), Geodon (Graveler) & Dandelion (Skiploom), Sectonia (Butterfree) & Count Blood (Golbat)

She wasn't sure when she started having these. Sensations that were vaguely familiar… maybe. In a body that was… much shorter than hers. Walked differently than hers. Warmer than hers.

Through jagged gaps, there was a looming view of the sea. The name of a bluff came to mind. In the distance, beyond her rocky chambers, she heard the faint chatterings of bustle that was to be expected of a nearby town.

A blink, and she was suspended in breathless darkness. Another blink, and her world seemed to shapeshift around her. Or maybe it was her senses that did, leaving her with a hazy headache.

Lying on the grass. The breeze of Johto. The nearby bustle of Goldenrod. And the smell of… of…

"... home."

Muttering the word awoke her with a start. Back on her bed. Under the light of Goldenrod's golden rays. Home. This was home. With a disoriented groan, she got up.

She moved to meet Wesley in the dining room. He paused upon seeing her. "You had that dream again, didn't you?" Read like a book. "Didn't sleep well?"

Roko slowly nodded.

There was a weariness in Wesley's smile. "Guess that makes the two of us…"

It was hard. It was hard to sleep. It was hard to dream. It was hard to rest easy. Sometimes, his dreams would bring him back to that moment. The forest. Make him relive it. Remind him what he could've done. Remind him of what he'll never get back. As if it was his heart's way of crying out in agony.

It took him longer than usual to get out of bed. But it was okay. Crying showed how much he cared, he reminded himself.

Seeing Roko meet him in the morning gave him some solace at least. It was something he still had. Something he could still cherish. He hoped she was holding up well with those recurring dreams of hers, even if he had no idea what was causing them. It had been a while since she woke up all frazzled like that.

After breakfast, it was time to prepare to set out. Wesley got his cap, his bag, his Pokéballs. Roko was already strapped in her shirt and dungarees fit, though she still needed to comb her locks and put on her hibiscus. He had grown accustomed to her look, and liked how complete it looked on her.

She stopped to stare at him back. "What? Is there something in my hair?"

Wesley blinked innocently, gaze darting away. "No, it's nothing."

Before long, the two of them had made it to the daycare's main door.

"Just heading out to Goldenrod!" Roko called out. "Bye Grammy, bye Grampy!"

The respective guardians wouldn't let her leave without some forehead kisses, which Wesley felt almost fortunate to be exempt from.

Stepping back into that happening big city, the morning was… relatively calm, all things considered. There was a nice breeze lingering from the outskirts, bustle was minimal, another early morning where the happenings would come later. He followed Roko dutifully, starting to wonder about this early riser side of her. She tended to sleep in whenever she visited New Bark.

There was her thinking face. "Okay, now where to go today? Hmm…"

Stifling a yawn, he let himself settle into the ease of her company, a familiarity he found himself thankful for in these trying times. From the beginning, he was glad to have a good friend like her for a journey like this. He was glad to have her company when he needed it too, especially when it came to sticking around Goldenrod. But over the last few days, he didn't expect the effect that'd have on his heart.

She was mulling things over, still walking as staring at nothing in particular, noticeably deep in thought. "We already visited the Game Corner. And we just went through the Department Store yesterday… Not sure the GUT will have anything new for us today…"

He felt the urge to keep staring at those flickers of her scarlet gaze, or the way her brownish-orange locks bobbed as she walked. Or listen to her normally quiet words break out into full tangents when they stumbled into something she knew about, music to his ears. The way she reached for his hand when she wanted him to notice something. She made him feel... safe.

He hoped he made her feel safe too.

These feelings… whatever they were, they weren't supposed to happen, far from what he ever expected, but… he was glad all the same.

"Oh, I know." There was that glint in her eye. "Follow me!"

Granted, there was still the matter of trying to figure out what to do with these emotions. He knew he'd have to spend a lot of time thinking about it before acting. In the meantime, he was just happy that she was happy.

He knew that once he was done with Goldenrod, it would be a while before he'd see her again. So he faced her with a smile, almost tempted to reach for her hand. "Coming, Roko!" Might as well enjoy the moment while it lasted.

It was back to the outskirts of Goldenrod, being figuratively whisked away towards whatever landmark Roko had in mind. Wesley was happy to follow her down the path.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Roko pointed out, her gaze warm. "Did something happen? Oh, was it the Girafarig video again?"

There was no denying his smile, that's for sure. "I'm just happy to be here." And that was the truth.

He kept a better Smeargle-eyed look at the path ahead, making sure the wild Pokémon nearby weren't acting up. Thankfully, things still seemed all quiet on this front. It had been quiet for a while, actually…

The path Roko lead him to followed a similar trail to when she hauled him to the Pokéathlon Dome, save for one different turn. That one turn was all it took to turn that quiet air into one of pure tranquility.

Just a few steps in, and Wesley could feel himself breathing easier, as if being in this park had some sort of healing effect. Soothing was more like it. There was a fragrant air from a flower bed, and the nearby benches and lamp posts spoke of a place of gathering. Though right now, all things were peaceful, as if this path was one he could walk without a care in the world.

"Here we go, National Park." Roko's voice was soft yet succinct, a mix of her outgoing tour guide voice and her more timid personal voice. "This is one of my favorite places to come to for the atmosphere alone. Though it does get noisy and lively on, uh…" She started counting on her fingers. "Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Good thing today is… not those."

He followed her further down National Park's serenely quiet path, to where there looked to be a main area. Finely cut tall grass seemed to shape out a certain symbol, circling the sprinkling fountain at the center of it all.

Roko reached for her Pokéballs, bringing forth several excited lights as her Pokémon were sent out to roam. Roko took her own seat by the fountain's bench. "When I have a lot on my mind, I sometimes just come here and… well, think." She took a deep breath, letting out a relaxed sigh before facing him. "If you want, you can see if there are any trainers around who want to battle, or any Pokémon you want to catch, or…"

Wesley cleared his throat. "Actually… there's been a lot on my mind too." He calmly joined her on the bench as he sent his Pokémon out to roam as well. "Do you mind if I join you here on the thinking bench?"

Roko smiled. "I don't mind."

He joined her there in silence, on this bench with adequate space for two. Here to watch the grass. Here to watch the sky. Here to watch the carefree view of National Park. Roko had shut her eyes, and Wesley couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind.

But he didn't want to let his own emotions distract him. This quiet moment of introspection gave him a lot to reflect on. A lot to consider over the course of this little trip of his. Namely, what he would do, where he would go, and how he would deal with everything he experienced.

He did what he came here to do. Roko was home safe and sound, an escort mission success. But… that was only half of what he set out for, right? He didn't want to go home empty handed. Especially not carrying less than what he set out with.

…

The others… they wanted to see National Park too, didn't they?

Couldn't let his emotions distract him. He kept his eyes open and saw his Pokémon. CB perched on a nearby lamppost. Sectonia bickering with Roko's Ledian and Luxio. Dandelion still trying to toss Geodon over the fountain. Cue and Bouncy chasing each other. Arachnio watching them all, Shard close by. Wesley couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.

He could only imagine what the others would've done if they were here. Maybe singing a song. Maybe enjoying the quiet air. Maybe running around the fountain. Maybe enjoying their lives without a care in the world, without anything to worry about, no pain, no fear…

He could only sigh. He could only sniffle. He could only cry. What was he going to do…? Where was he going to go after this…?

"Wesley…?" His vision was blurred with tears, but he could still make out Roko's worried stare. "You're crying again… Are you sure you're alright?"

He didn't want to let his emotions distract him… but…

Ironic. Usually it was him who comforted her whenever she cried. He wasn't used to being seen like this.

"I'm just… thinking about a lot." Even when he tried his best to smile, he wavered. "I'll be… I'll be okay."

"Wesley…"

She inched closer and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a warm hug.

Somehow, he didn't expect this. Somehow, he didn't expect her to still be here, to still comfort him, to still reassure him that he deserved good things.

He could only cry. But he was grateful. Grateful for her touch, for her concern, everything. He returned the hug, holding her close, silently apologizing for the way his tears would stain her shoulder.

"I just… I just miss them so much…"

"I miss them too…"

Feeling her tears as they hugged felt all too familiar, making Wesley want to do his best to hold her close and make sure she was alright. She must've been thinking the same thing, and that very fact settled in his heart.

Despite everything, she was still here. Despite everything, she made him feel safe. Despite everything… that was what mattered. Despite his tears, he was grateful, so grateful.

"Thank you, Roko…"

They remained that way for what seemed like an eternity. Just them, on this bench, hugging until they both felt alright. When the hug finally broke, Wesley could smile again, even if only a little.

He found the courage to speak his mind. "I've also been thinking about… where I'd be going after this…" He cleared his throat, rubbing his cap. "I already brought you home safe and sound. But… I can't go back to New Bark just yet."

Wiping her tears, Roko tilted her head. "Why not?"

Wesley took a breath, steeling his expression. "Because I told Professor Elm I was going to track down that thief. Silver, I mean. I'm not just going to go home empty-handed if I can't help it, right? Though…" His expression faltered. "... that does mean we'll have to part ways. Since you're right where you want to be and all."

"Mmm… okay." Roko nodded slowly. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

Wesley watched as her expression shifted to one of determination. That confident glint in her eye.

"I've also been thinking about it… and I decided that I'm going to keep traveling with you."

Wesley blinked at her, but sure enough, her expression didn't waver. "Wait, but why?"

Roko's smile grew. "Because I like traveling with you, Wesley! I like seeing new cities with you, I like seeing you in action, and…" She slowly reached for his hand. "I want to be there to help you when you need it. You've done as much for me."

Wesley kept blinking, trying to stop himself from crying again. "Roko…" Nope, didn't work, here came the waterworks again.

She reached out to start rubbing at his back. "I'll be here whenever you need me. Besides…" He caught a glimpse of her smile. "... we might as well visit the closest place over. Ercuteak City."

Wesley quickly stopped wiping his tears to stare at her. "Ecruteak City."

Roko giggled. "Was just making sure you were paying attention." She got a light shove for that. "The way you kept calling it Ercuteak really irked me, you know."

And so the teaser had become the teased. That aside, Wesley was just happy that she was happy. The thought of their shared travels ending like this was a fear he could put to rest, and all of a sudden, the future seemed brighter. He would never forget the cost of coming this far, but every tear he shed was all in their names, which he would always remember. And he hoped they were proud.

When Roko got up from the bench, she extended a hand his way. "Here to more adventure. Aye aye?"

Seeing her take the initiative sparked some pride in his heart. Wesley felt himself ease into a smile as he accepted her hand. "Aye aye."

There was a nice walk to be had, a pleasant opportunity where it was just the two of them. Then there was the matter of other things. Like when Cue and Bouncy decided to tag along to make sure they weren't alone. Or when they had to help Arachnio stop Shard from flying away. Or helping Dandelion fish Geodon out of the fountain. Or Geodon helping them stop Sectonia from picking fights with trainers. All CB did was watch.

While there was a lot more accidental liveliness to be had, especially when Roko's Croconaw and Luxio got involved, it was the kind of rough and tumble Wesley could laugh at with her. Eventually, after taking a sunset's worth of time gathering everyone up, the time came to depart National Park. And as he bid adieu to the Goldenrod's golden rays, Wesley hummed as he walked.