CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
SEPARATION

-Aura-

"Did he seriously just leave us like that?" Amp asked, shortly after Udon flew away.

The worst had happened. Our biggest defender and friend had run off, leaving us here to die. We also lost Ruffles, which was something none of us could've seen coming.

"I…I guess so…" I said, struggling to get up.

Poppy's hammer did a number on me. It also did serious damage to Loom, who was currently passed out. Hopefully, she was still breathing.

I slowly got up and made my way over to a small pack I brought with me that fell during our battle. Digging through, I pulled out a few potions. Afterwards, I began to spray one on myself, healing most of my injuries.

Walking over to Amp, I felt a little bit more agile on my feet. The potion had worked perfectly.

After healing Amp and Loom's wounds, I sat down in the snow and waited for Loom to wake up. She was still alive, thank Arceus, but very beat up.

"What're we gonna do now?" Amp asked. "Are we still getting to Mew?"

"We can't go without Udon," I stated. "Besides, the only map we had is torn to shreds."

Amp stood up, looking visibly upset.

"What do you mean we can't go on without him?!" he asked. "He abandoned us! And you're sticking up for him?!"

I looked down at the snowy ground. Amp had a point. Udon did leave us, but I couldn't give up hope that he was a good Pokémon.

"He's our friend," I said. "He ran off because he was upset. Can't you show a little compassion?"

"Compassion?!" Amp yelled, storming over. "I have compassion! We all lost someone today! You don't see me running away!"

I looked up at him.

"Ruffles was, for a short time, all Udon really knew," I said. "He was the first Pokémon he ever met. His first friend. Without him, well, he probably feels like his world just ended."

"Ruffles was important to me too," Amp said. "He and Udon were the first ones who really got me. Who understood what I've been through. But just because someone dies, doesn't mean you give up."

I stood up and began walking over to Loom's unconscious body.

"What are you doing?!" Amp asked.

"I'm waking up Loom and, together, we're gonna find Udon," I stated. "With or without you."

"You're leaving too?!" Amp asked, furiously. "We need to go home!"

"No," I said, turning to face him. "You need to get home. Loom and I, we're already there. So, if you want to get back to where you came from, you either go there yourself or wait until we've found Udon."

It took a minute for Amp to answer. He was clearly still upset over all that happened.

"Fine," he said. "Let's go get Udon back."

I was surprised he agreed to come along. I thought for sure he would go off on his own, up the mountain.

After waking Loom up and telling her what happened, we all stood together, looking out at the great unknown.

"I saw Udon go that way," I said, pointing out in the distance.

"You know we're never gonna find him, right?" Amp asked.

I knew how stupid this was. He could've flown anywhere in the world. We would be looking everywhere for him.

It was like trying to find a ghost.

"I'm not giving up on him," I replied. "I can't afford to lose another friend."

So, with that in mind, we put our journey up the mountain on hold and began a new adventure.

To find Udon.

-Udon-

It felt like a bomb had been dropped on my life.

It had been a few days since Ruffles' passing, and I was still not processing it well. I only left my hotel room to go to work. I needed to afford a place to stay somehow.

I got a job at a restaurant, like back in Talardi. Only this time, I didn't have Ruffles to keep me company. It wasn't extravagant pay, but it was just enough.

At some point, I knew I had to find Aura, Amp and Loom. But part of me didn't exactly want to.

Because I was worried it would all come back to me again.

Walking down the streets of Bliburn, my temporary home, I felt completely and utterly alone. It didn't help that it was raining out, my body soaking wet. I was getting back to the hotel after a long day of washing dishes.

That's when I saw it.

Up in the sky was a Pokémon I never thought I would see again. Mewtwo.

I immediately began beating my wings and took off, flying towards the monster. I was going to get him this time, I swore of it.

But, as I went to punch Mewtwo out of the sky, he disappeared. Then it dawned on me. I was seeing things. Mewtwo was never even there to begin with.

"I'm losing it," I thought, clutching my head in my paws. "What's happening to me?"

I flew back to the ground. Everyone around was looking at me like I was crazy, which I most certainly was.

When I made it back to my hotel room, I put on some music and sat on the bed. If I was going to gain my sanity back, I needed to do something I didn't even think was possible.

I needed to kill Mewtwo.