When we get up the next morning, I already know what I have to do.

I mean that in two senses. I literally know what we have to do to progress from here, convoluted as it is (whoever programmed this thing must really like pointless roundabouts- I make a mental note to punch Red in the face for those later, even if they aren't his fault). However, I also know what I have to do to make a few things better with the team.

It's teambuilding time.

"Alright, who's ready to go do something fun today?" I ask my assembled Pokemon, who are sitting in the backyard looking extremely bored.

Reginae says nothing, but D'spinas raises her drill and asks, "Does it involve grinding?"

"What? No, of course it isn't grinding. Since when is grinding fun?"

D'spinas buzzes with indignance. "I enjoy grinding."

"I think you might be alone there." Luna smirks, then stares at me intently, ears twitching with anticipation. "So, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, would you guys be interested in going into the tunnels? I hear they have all sorts of shops down there and most if not all are Pokemon friendly."

"I honestly don't care." Reginae mutters, lying on the floor. It's an improvement from yesterday, if not by much.

"Alright, anyone else going to be more fun?"

"There are trainers down there. Grinding is still on." D'spinas buzzes.

"I could really use a bowtie. Possibly also a more professional stick." Ten says. "Not that I don't love you," he adds, looking towards the stick he currently has tucked over one wing.

Luna's ears twitch again. "Is that the place with massages? They only take you if you have a Trainer with you. Pokemon friendly my ass." She mutters, "Not like I'd know. Just heard rumors."

"Not in front of Rose!" Ten protests. "Watch your mouth."

Rose chirrups, completely oblivious. "Pokemon are friends!"

I smile. "That's right, Rose! All of you are my very best friends."

She perks up at this, holding her arms up so that I can pick her up. Although she doesn't talk much, I feel the need to protect her. Shell would have gotten along well with her.

"Alright," I say, bringing out the Pokeball that for so long has remained dormant in my back pocket, "Should we bring Clay out too? I don't know if he-" I tuck it away, imagining a Geodude sitting in the corner of a shop or worse, splayed out on the ground after an attack. "Never mind."

"You have to warm him up to the team eventually, Ashley." Ten cooes. "It's the only way things are ever going to get better."

"I know," I tell him, "-but it's going to be a long time before I'm ready to take that step. For now, all we can do is send him out in a few battles and hope for the best. Anyways, we should probably... get going."

I step carefully down the stairs, Rose still managing to jiggle up and down as I carry her down up the stairs. Getting her anywhere without accidentally cracking her open has become a mildly terrifying rite of passage, but if I don't worry about it too much and just relax it's usually fine.

"Ashley!" calls Ethan's grandmother. "You aren't going to leave on us, are you? We made breakfast."

I put on the fake smile I've become so accustomed to. This morning, it's a little easier than usual to appear excited even when the air screams Ethan Ethan Ethan and every single family picture reminds me that I, indirectly, am responsible for the disappearance of their grandson.

Who am I kidding? Of course it's my fault.

Not like I didn't deserve it. I was an ass to my only friend for over two years, never called him, secretly thought he was super pushy, and then he disappeared because of a global phenomenon I failed to prevent.

The team notices how quickly my demeanor changes, but none of them try to talk it out of me. Instead, they sit next to me at the pretty table by the window, an old vintage wooden table with cute old-person drapery that thinly veils the yard.

"What's that smell?" I ask enthusiastically. "It smells amazing." She doesn't need to know I have light allergies this time of year and can't smell anything.

"You'll see." There's a faint sizzle and then the slap of something solid onto a plate. She slides me a huge pancake covered in syrup in pancake.

It's been painstakingly molded into a heart shape.

"There you are, dear. It's been so nice having you here! I'm sure if Ethan was still- well, if he was-" she trails off, readjusts her reading glasses, and says, "He'd be so proud of you, Ashley."

We could've stayed here together the first time.
I try not to cry into my pancake as I eat it slowly, savoring every bite. Slowly, when I'm done, I stand up and hug his grandmother with all the clinginess of a young child. I pray she can't tell that there are tears streaming down my face and I'm on the verge of sobbing.

Gently, slowly, quietly, she puts her hand behind my back and pats me. "It's okay." She's crying too. Drops of salty water fall onto my shirt. "It's okay."

When I get up, my other Pokemon also full with fresh berries, she guides me to the door. "Is this your last day?"

I nod. "Thank you so much. For... for everything."

"Anyday." She hugs me tight, and then gives me a small slip of paper. "These are our numbers."
"Thank you." I say, and then give her a sad smile. It's the first genuine one in quite a while. "Thank you so much." My team at my back, I turn to leave.

"Good luck! Call us anytime!" she calls after me.

"Knock 'em dead out there." calls his grandfather.

The smell of pancakes still lingers on me. I recall a time long ago when I made pancakes with my mother:

"Ethan, are you enjoying your breakfast?" My mom calls. The air is rich with the smell of pancakes.

"Yeah!" he yells back, stabbing his fork into the last cinnamon one and depositing it neatly on his plate.

"Aw, not fair!" I protest. "I wanted that one!"

"Your mom is amazing." he says, ignoring the morsel in favor of one of the plain ones. I frown. "Do you think she could put candy in them?"

"If you mean chocolate chip pancakes, I've already got a few cooking. Sound good?"

"Awesome!" he slams his tiny hands onto the wooden table. The forks clatter slightly but everything else remains undisturbed. Quickly, he jumps off and runs over. "You have to show me how to make these!"

"All you have to do is sprinkle them in before they cook fully. Here, you want to try?"

He nods and begins handing them out like a Delibird with a full load of presents. I giggle from the table, stealing one of the last cinnamon pancakes from his plate. As I do, it tracks syrup everywhere. Rapidly, I shovel the entire thing into my mouth, barely savoring the overly sugary greatness of it as I race to get it down.

Ethan comes back and sits down besides me, carrying a new plate of chocolate chip pancakes. "Hey, Ashley? When you're grown up and you've become a famous Pokemon trainer, could you give me some money to start my own restaurant?" he asks, full honesty in his voice.

"Of course! What are you going to sell?"

"Just pancakes. Nothin' else."

"That's such a cool idea, Ethan!" my mom tells him.

"You really think so?"
"Of course! You can be whatever you want when you grow up, alright?"

I stand up on the chair. "Yeah! I'm going to be the best Pokemon trainer that ever lived. I'm even gonna capture legendaries!"

"Awesome!"

"Feet on the ground, Ashley." my mom chides.

Hastily, I get back down into my seat. "I know, right?"

"Yeah! I'll be there to support you the whole way. Wait..." Ethan says, momentarily losing focus as his fork stabs empty air. "Where's the last cinnamon pancake?"

***

"We're here." I say, opening the door into the subterranean tunnels.
With the exception of Rose, who stays comfortably nuzzled into my arms, my Pokemon immediately break free to do what they do best (cause chaos). Luna is tugging at my leg, Ten and Reginae are both just wandering off, and D'spinas is already quarreling with some trainers' Magnemite. I have no idea how you strike up a fight with something that doesn't even have a mouth but if it can be done, she'll probably do it.

I walk past her as she spears the poor thing with several Twinneedles, to the dismay of a local trainer, and I hand him a small bundle of money. "Here. I don't know if that was a match or something, but... please just take this and don't mention it." D'spinas looks like a Furfrou who just peed on the couch. I point at her firmly, "As for you, stop looking guilty! Better yet, stop trying to kill things."

"I am a trained assassin." she tells me.

"Yeah, and that was someone's pet."

"It was giving me a dirty look."

"It can't emote. It is a piece of metal with an eye on it." I throw out my arms to convey my frustration. There's a tinkle of shattering glass behind me and I turn, fearing the worse.

It's not my Pokemon. Someone honestly thought it was a good idea to bring a fully trained Salamence down. Besides the Salamence is Luna, who gestures towards a small booth.

I walk up to her, leaving D'spinas to turn on more local Pokemon. "Is this the massage booth?"

Luna nods.
"I feel sorry for you if this one is yours." the masseuse admits.

"You hold your tongue, Robert." Luna stares him straight in the eye.

I facepalm heavily and leave the bewildered gentleman with some cash and Luna, who looks both ready for a nice massage and/or to kill someone.

"Ten!" I call, running up the hall.

"I found my stick, Ashley." he says earnestly, holding a screwdriver under his leg.

"Is that what it's supposed to be?"
He nods. "Also found the bowtie."

I purchase both. Arguing is futile.

"Right. You got what you want. Can we please find the others?"

He nods and we race off down the hall. Reginae is in the botany shop, standing next to a small pink seedling.

"This is Fabian. It's short for Faboidae." Reginae takes the plant carefully in his mouth and secures it between two of the leaves around his neck. "She belongs to me now."

"Did you seriously name a plant?" asks Luna as she emerges from down the hall, incredulous. She cracks her back.
"Excuse you, Ashley named a Bellsprout. They're just plants with googly eyes taped on."

"The Bellsprout can talk." Luna explains, exasperated.

"You're not a grass type. How would you know?"
"Look, I know grass types. They don't gossip with the foliage."

Reginae narrows his eyes. "Nice chat. Now never talk to me or my daughter ever again." He stares over at me. "You going to say something sassy? You can leave too."

"First of all, I have the wallet. Second, I wasn't, I swear." I put up my hands in earnest. "Third... what's a Faboidae?"

Reginae's face lights up. "Okay. Faboidae are a subfamily of legumes. It's the family this little specimen belongs to. She's actually from the genus Lotae, but I thought Fabian was a better name, so-"

"A... a lotus." A shiver runs down my spine, even though I don't know why.
"Technically a trefoil, but whatever. I don't think this is a safe way of carrying her. Do you think we can buy her a pot?" Reginae nervously fiddles with his leaves, which curl around the plant. "This is so awkward. I didn't even know Bayleef could manipulate these."
"I know where to find berry pots. Those have covers so if 'she' does fall, she'll be safe. They're also super portable and we need to head there anyways before we can go anywhere."

"We could also get her one of these. Hey! Come here!" Luna calls from down the hall. I run up to find Rose pressed against the glass, staring at what looks like a crocheted bag of some sort. "Now we can carry the baby in style. Also Reginae's plant, but whatever."
"I'll pass." Reginae grunts.

Rose begins to whimper. I pick her up and throw some more money at the cashier.

I moan. "You guys all good?"
Everyone nods.

"Okay. I think I need a rest now."

"Well... I guess it worked out, didn't it?" Ten says, "I had fun. This bowtie really doesn't fit though. Hopefully when I evolve it will look somewhat better."

"I think you look adorable, you little dork." I push him slightly and he slides back with a playfully annoyed chirp.

"Adorable? Ashley! Give me some respect."

I get up. "I'm just messing with you. Anyhow, we need to get going. We have a watering can to receive."

"A watering can? What does that have to do with anything?"

"We need it to ." He tilts his head, and I mutter, "Yeah, it sounds stupid to me too. I've learned not to question anything. When you time travel, you realize how little sense the world makes."

"Isn't that the beauty of it?"

I pause. "I... I guess it is kind of beautiful, in its own strange way." I don't really have the heart to connect the dots for him. He's heard me break down. He knows that this world isn't real and the chaos itself is a bunch of numbers and variables.

He casts me a look as I round up the others, all of which are holding their new merchandise. D'spinas is holding Rose's new tote, which is worrying for several reasons.
"You all ready?"

There's the tap of several feet on the steps as we return into a sky full of stars. It's breathtaking, even with most of the natural beauty obscured by Goldenrod's bright lights. The moon holds my gaze overhead and I allow myself to feel at peace for once.

"Ashley?" asks Reginae. "The berry pots?" "Right." I tsk, withdrawing my significantly shallower wallet. "Now that we're done spending... who's ready to get some berry pots and get back on the road?"

(I had so much fun writing this chapter. :>)