Team Love had been apprehended along with Lieutenant Surge who were both unconscious. The only conscious Apostle was Jack after we had finished saving both Cubone and my Pokémon companion, Violet. Jack was given a cast placed over his limb by the Gym Leaders, designed to lift his left broken arm in place; he had been depressed the entire time even before we had entered into Mr. Fuji's domain, not even uttering a word to us.

This building we approached was very simple in design and since Lavender Town was located within a mountainous region. It was a log cabin, with a small cook fire billowing from the dark, red brick chimney located near the right side of the roof.

As we all entered within the room, we were greeted with a warmth unlike no other. The cold air was bitter and our clothes were tattered and torn from the hefty exchange we trainers had elapsed with encountering both Teams. To top off our exhaustion, the winter was brutal and unforgiving in this high elevation. So being accepted within a well lit room, with a warm campfire and a cozy home like Mr. Fuji's was most welcoming.

"Come in have a seat, all of you." He smiled with an exquisite charm in his voice.

Each of us tired and haggard had taken our seats across a wooden table, we hardly even exchanged glances with one another after all we had been through, it was late at night and the burdens we carried weighed heavily upon our shoulders. On the plus side, we were all just happy this conflict didn't go as south as we had imagined.

Hell, I was worried that Lieutenant Surge was going to cause the whole building to collapse with his Voltorb. Being glad it didn't escalate to that point. We were all somber, and concerned. Blue had been badly injured by Jack along with Penny Whisp and a couple of questions arose during those events that beat upon my weary mind.

How did she get involved with Blue? Does she know something about Jack?

She involved herself in the most mysterious circumstances. Yet, I don't know whether to trust her, because it seemed that she had joined with him in taking on Jack. It couldn't have been a coincidence, since she herself was injured during the battle along with him when Jack's Haunter had nearly caused serious damage with his Curse move.

Luckily, after fighting Jack I was able to prevent him from going further. Jack very well could've killed them both had we not gotten there sooner.

"I appreciate you all coming to my aide." Smiled the old man with sincere happiness.

"My bones are brittle and my health is waning, but my passion for Pokémon bleeds with sobriety, I took Marowak's son Cubone under my home and raised him. Him and your Pokémon Violet were just small children after they witnessed the tragedy of their own mother being taken from them. You have now brought peace to the tower and as thanks for your efforts. My household is putting together some Beef Stew so that you can recover from your injuries."

"Thank you, at least they are safe and sound from their clutches." Grinned Misty alongside Brock.

Each of us took a moment to bow in gratitude for his hospitality. It was something we all needed. Especially since our rugged journey from the Bike Racing Contest all the way through Rock Tunnel and up the tower. We had become weary from our travels and our training, which only strengthened us more.

"Thank you for being so kind." I bowed in respect to this gracious elder.

He then nodded back to me in respect to my manners. Wrinkling his nose as he assisted with his two grandchildren who lived with him. Two of them from what I observed, there was a boy who seemed to be about the same age as me. A teenager, with sleek black hair, glasses and with dark blue pants and a white buttoned up shirt, he was doing dishes at the sink from the food that was being prepped before our arrival. Alongside him was another girl, who was younger than him, she seemed to be about eight or nine and wore pigtails with her red hair, she had lighter blue eyes than her older brother and right by the cook fire,wearing a pink dress. She stirred the boiling food contents in a large dark pot. She was more bubbly than him, humming to herself with utmost enthusiasm as she continued to churn.

"What are our plans for making sure Team Love don't escape, we don't have local police to take them right?" Queried Yellow who was ready to pounce on the Lieutenant anytime he made a move.

Not to worry my dear boy, they won't be waking up for a while and since we don't have police in this town, I called the authorities in Celadon to make arrangements for their detainment. With all of us here with our Pokémon, they would be fools to plan an escape." Informed the old man with a wrinkle of his nose once more.

Mr. Fuji seemed wise and eloquent in his speech as well, he gave off vibes of a once great Pokémon intellectual. I had many questions to ask him but in the meantime, I didn't want to be nosy. He allowed us to grace his home and the least we could do was be respectful.

"Do you think Blue will be alright?" Inquired Yellow with concern as he observed the three unconscious individuals laying on the wooden floor of the cabin and right across from the rather silent individual who was seated in a brown sofa in the living room.

I showed the same concern as Yellow, but I couldn't help but reassure him that everything would be alright to him with a smile.

"Blue is a fighter, he'll just need some rest and he'll be back to his usual self." Blurted Brock with flexing enthusiasm.

We each exchanged laughs from his fun, positive influence over us. It really was a treat to have them here on the journey as our guides, both Brock and Misty brought levity during the toughest circumstances we had as trainers and that is something I've never forgotten.

I turned toward Red who didn't seem too enthused although I could tell Red was just as concerned about his rival and friend. Blue may have been teasing him a lot and showed little to no friendship whatsoever. It didn't matter, Red still counted him as a friend and I could sense he was disappointed for not being there alongside him when he learned from my lips that Blue had lost his Raticate.

"...................."

"Are you sad about his Raticate?"

My friend nodded, he showed concern for him, as were all of us. He risked his life to save my Pokémon only to lose his own, which showed just how dangerous this journey has been.

"I'm not just concerned about his Raticate, I'm sad that he lost his best friend. He had everything he could've ever wanted to try and become the best when he first started off on his adventure. You and I had Pokémon when we chose as our partners at Professor Oaks lab. He had the best of both worlds, his Wartortle and his Raticate."

I nodded to him in agreement, he certainly was counted lucky among all of us to have a Pokémon to love at such a young age.

"He lost the best fighter on his team, his Pokémon fought with all their might to reclaim my own and Mr. Fuji's. I cannot be more grateful to Blue, he helped me understand that there is nothing we need to fear." I said while taking a sip of the warm cocoa prepared by the Fuji household, still showing regret over having not stopped him sooner from recklessly climbing the tower. Had I prevented him from saving my own Pokémon this would've never have happened.

The boy was silent for a moment and then turned to face me. He knew that something about me was different. Almost like I had experienced the world a thousand lifetimes.

"........You've changed." He said with hesitance in his voice.

Changed?

"What do you mean?" I asked with a curious face.

He smiled and then looked into my blue eyes. Something had been confirmed in that tower and I knew that same thing was also reciprocated to him. We both knew that we had grown a lot through our adventure and it seemed hard to put into words exactly how we felt about it all.

"I...." He laughed with a relent. "I am proud of you..."

Proud? I blushed with soft astonishment.

"W-w-what makes you say that?" I inquired while shaking the cocoa within my hand nervously. Not knowing what a boy like him would say next that would put my own emotions on a rollercoaster. He seemed to be doing a good job at tugging at them with compliments.

"Ha-ha! I mean.... ever since you asked me about how to understand Pokémon's feelings. You've seemed to grasp that by merging with Violet. How did you do it? How did he come to accept you so willingly?" He asked with a smile.

"It.... It took a lot of effort on my part in order for it to happen... I'm sure it was the same with you?" I answered as succinctly as I could.

The boy nodded and then took a sip of his cocoa, looking into his reflection of the swirling liquid with firm contemplation of the events.

"Pikachu was not really willing to be my partner right off the bat either. In fact, once I got to Pewter City, Brock and the townsfolk were dealing with a pest of Pikachu that was causing a whole ruckus, smashing windows, causing blackouts among electrical grids—"

"So I wasn't the only one dealing with a troublemaker like Clefairy." I affirmed with a nod, while gulping down the cocoa halfway down and placing it upon the table with enthusiasm.

"Right!" He grinned. "He didn't seem to trust me at first, I learned later on that the rodent was the leader of this rag tag of ruffians and after I had captured him in my Poké Ball. He was the one that lead his group and that was a quality that I could use during his training. After taking on Brock's Geodude, Pikachu demonstrated power and his leadership quality showed an encouragement that I never really had at the beginning of the adventure. After winning battles with Blue, Pikachu had changed something about me that was once lost. Part of the motivation I never had initially at the start at least, not since your father came into the picture...."

"To become the Pokémon champion?"

He affirmed with a nod and a wide smile, the more time he reminisced on those experiences, the more he began to acknowledge his strength even more. He didn't believe it at first, but as he and I progressed through our journey in Kanto. We had accomplished so much together as a team.

"It was hard not knowing the potential of strength after battling Blue. He made valid points, however Blue was wrong. I am just as sure as the Pokémon that I bonded with, the battles we could have potentially lost, the struggle against Leader Giovanni. None of that could have been done without my Pokémon. They have grown along with me and my goal is becoming more clear from each passing day." He smirked with a happiness I had not seen since the day we we met face to face again in Pewter City.

He was determined to see his goal to the end and it was all because his Pokémon helped him along the way that I truly understood why he exclaimed his goal from the beginning. I could tell just by hearing this story; his confidence in himself as well as his self-esteem, they had all been growing strong.

"Now after seeing the way you merged with Violet, it makes me happy, in a way."

"Why is that?" I asked with curious attentive eyes towards his.

"You and him now have a purpose, your goals are aligned. You're bonding with your Pokémon and they in turn are growing stronger alongside you. It was a journey, but one that has been rewarding, hasn't it?"

I never in my life had thought about it in his own words, but he was right. After Red observed me being fuzed with Violet in that tower. I couldn't help but agree with him with those same observations. I've never felt as close to Violet as I had, not since he had inhabited my vessel on Route nine had I truly understood his feelings and based on that experience of having been uncomfortably probed by him several times. He transcended my fears and helped me reorient my path.

I nodded once more to him and looked right back into his eyes, the aroma of dinner being prepped and our bellies aching with hunger, our rugged journey had been our trial, pushed our very limits and had brought our strengths as trainers closer than I ever thought possible.

"Th-thank you for everything Red, thank you so much for teaching me the Importance of understanding Pokémon's feelings. I would've never discovered that bond if I had not encountered him or shunned him away permanently. These Pokémon I have, Ivy, Violet, and the rest. They mean the world to me, it took me a long time to truly overcome my fear, but now that I can manage it better I..."

I paused and after careful consideration of the journey, I had decided on something more, something Important, my goal wasn't just to become a great Pokémon trainer, In fact because of Red's thoughtful example, I've decided something that I wanted more in my life. Something grand and there was no other better time to tell him than now.

"Red, for a long time I've wanted to become a great Pokémon trainer, but now that you are my rival, I'm going to present to you a goal that is something more loftier. I'm shooting for the stars on this one! So here it goes Red." I said as I stood up on my chair, with my tea cup firmly held toward the ceiling.

"I will stop Team Love but not only that, I've now decided....."

"I want to change the world."

"A world where Pokémon and people can live freely and I will do it by helping others understand their bonds!" I shouted a loft as all eyes watched me break through an energetic enthusiasm that was bottled up inside of me. This burst of energy caused everyone at the dinner table to laugh at my sudden outburst, yet I knew myself better than they understood.

Despite my initial embarrassment after that declaration, I sat back down. Finished up the rest of my cup of cocoa and slammed it down with firm, serious realization of who I truly was deep down. My best friend caught wind of it and understood. His eyes had befallen upon me the whole time and he couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm happy that you have finally found your true goal." He said while clasping hold of my hand.

This thrill and exhilaration of feeling his touch after so long. His fixed determination held strong as he held my hand close to mine. It was the first time ever since I was younger to see him so fired up after my declaration. A paradisiacal moment, one that I never wanted to let go from, nor forget between the two of us.

"..........Let's see them through to the end, together!" He smirked with wide magnitude.

It was during this exchange that my motivation and my goal had begun anew.