They cast her aside. It happened so suddenly, their fingers pointing to the door as she scurried to collect the few things she called her own. She wondered if she should feel sad. She didn't.

She wondered if she should feel sad when she left with a bag that hardly bore any weight. She kept walking down an endless road until her legs began to ache, sweat trickling down her temples as her mind remained in a fog. People walked past her, didn't see her. That's fine, that's normal. She was invisible, after all.

She wondered if she should feel sad when the day turned to night. Clouds obscured the moon, banishing light from the black sky. Fatigue weighed on her shoulders like an anchor, but she kept walking. She didn't know what she would do if she stopped. Perhaps, she thought, she'll turn to dust.

She wondered if she should feel sad when she did stop. She didn't turn to dust. It was dawn, but the air was still quiet and dead as she collapsed onto a bench. Her eyes shut and she found herself in a deep, dreamless sleep.

She didn't feel sad when she woke up under daylight. She sat up, but couldn't find a reason to stand and walk. She knew she was aimless. The streets were full of people now, shouting and groaning and smiling and laughing. All those people had places to go, a reason to wake up, a reason to exist. Still, she didn't feel sad.

She didn't feel anything. She wondered if she was even capable of feeling anything. She wondered when it was that she became this husk. She wondered if her soul clawed its way out of her body and vanished, leaving its shell behind to rot.

Seconds and minutes fell away like the sands of an hourglass, yet she didn't move. Then, slicing through the monotony like a blade, a gentle hand touched her shoulder. A voice called out to her.

A man was calling out to her. Her.

'This is impossible,' Mitsuki thought. 'I'm supposed to be invisible.'

*  *  *

The distant memory came and went.

It amazed Mitsuki how much has changed since that day, and she was grateful for it. Still, as she started her day at the Cosmos Corporation, her stomach twisted. There was going to be a meeting in a few short hours, and her nausea only worsened as it drew closer and closer. OZone told everyone in advance that the subject of the mandatory meeting would be—

She really, really didn't want to think about it.

She stood in the hallway, taking slow, rhythmic breaths. As an admin, she knew she had work she should be doing. But she just couldn't find the will. The hall was quiet, a characteristic that was rare within the Cosmos building...

She realized it was only inevitable for the silence to be broken.

"Mitsuki! Hey! Mitsuki!"

Mitsuki raised her head at the sound of footsteps speeding towards her. Her eyes met with Daichi's, who was running straight for her with an upbeat smile. Considering it was rare to find one without the other, she wasn't surprised to see Rōzu following close behind. He held his spoiled Jolteon in his arms, listening to it coo with happiness as it was carried.

Daichi stood before her and shoved a pencil into her hands, not bothering with context. "Mitsuki, I need you to hold this pencil tightly, okay? Hold it out by the tips."

Mitsuki obliged and gripped the pencil, but tilted her head. "Why?"

"I'll tell you why! Because I'm about to show you a magic trick!" Daichi took a box of cards out from his pocket, retrieving an ace from the stack. "See, I'm actually a secret ninja. I could turn this seemingly innocent card into a mighty weapon that'll slice through anything!"

Daichi posed with the ace in his hand, a wide grin stretched across his face. Mitsuki looked to Rōzu, who just shrugged with a smile of his own.

"Just go with it," he said.

Mitsuki nodded and held the pencil outward. Daichi raised the ace into the air, making downward motions towards the pencil as he prepared to use the card like a knife.

"One... two... and three!"

Daichi brought down his card and struck its edge against the pencil. The card didn't slice through nor even dent the pencil. The air fell silent and still.

"Um..." Daichi let out a nervous laugh, trying to analyze Mitsuki's consistently blank expression. "That was a test run! Here's where the real magic happens!"

Daichi raised and brought down his card once again. The pencil remained unharmed by the impact.

"...heh heh. Heh." Daichi's nervous laughter somehow became even more self-deprecating. "Third time's the charm, they say!"

One final time, Daichi raised and brought down his card. Opposed to it snapping in half, the pencil was knocked out of Mitsuki's hands and dropped to the ground. The air, in what began to feel like an awkward curse, fell silent and still yet again.

"F,"  Rōzu said.

Mitsuki stared at the now grounded pencil. "That the trick?"

"No. That wasn't supposed to be how the trick went at all." Daichi sighed, rustling a hand through his fluffy hair. "Dang. I was hoping to cheer you up with that."

Mitsuki raised her head. "Cheer me up?"

"Oh! Did I say that out loud? Well, uh, yeah." Daichi slipped his card back into the box, then shoving the box back into his pocket. "I mean, you've been acting kinda down lately. And I needed to practice some of my magic tricks and I just so happened to see you, so I—"

"He's been looking for you the past ten minutes," Rōzu interjected.

"...Thanks, Roz. I wanted to be smooth about it, but so much for that."

Daichi huffed. Rōzu wore a smug smirk as he lowered Jolteon to the ground. Mitsuki was left at a loss for words, processing everything she had just heard. Daichi's intentions blindsided her. Her violet eyes widened, gawking at the two boys in front of her.

"You were worried?" Mitsuki asked. "About me?"

Daichi hesitated, shifting his gaze to the floor. He then returned Mitsuki's gaze, nodding his head. "Yeah. You haven't seemed yourself in a while."

"Not since Arc caught UB-Gluttony," Rōzu said bluntly.

"Actually, you've been acting  a little off even before that." Daichi took in a tentative breath. "It's the whole... UB thing, isn't it?"

Mitsuki's heart dropped into her stomach at the mention of the Ultra Beasts, and a haunting memory attempted to resurface into her consciousness. She tried to suppress it, chase it to the deepest corner of her mind as she forced a crooked smile onto her face. She shook her head. They didn't need to know how scared she was. Why would anyone waste time worrying about her, anyway...?

Rōzu saw right through her. "You don't need to lie to us, Mitsuki. Be honest. Are you okay?"

Mitsuki took a step back. She searched for something to say, but no sound came from her open mouth. Against her initial instincts, she found it difficult to lie to the pair of kind, caring, gentle faces staring back at her. They were looking at her, seeing her. Her cheeks felt warm...

Why did she feel happy all of the sudden?

Jolteon approached her, standing on its hind legs as it butted its head against her arm. She scratched behind its ear, smiling an earnest smile.

"Daichi. Rōzu. Thank you. I will be okay."

After giving Jolteon one final pat on the head, she turned her back to the boys and walked down the hall. She raised her hand and waved, looking back while still smiling. She bid them farewell before they could say anything more.

"Bye-bye. I'll see you both at the meeting."

Daichi and Rōzu stopped, looked at each other, and then spoke in sync. "There's a meeting?"

Mitsuki came to a halt and turned right back around. The boys looked dumbfounded. She couldn't hold back the giggle building up in her throat.

So she laughed. She couldn't remember when she last laughed.

*  *  *

"I believe I have told you all beforehand our reason for meeting today."

OZone addressed his ten admins with a serious grimace on his face, a look that kept everyone's mouth shut. There was a chill in that meeting room, the type that makes a person's very core shiver. Only one man sat unphased, his sharp tongue spitting words without the slightest delay.

"This is concerning the Ultra Beast entitled Symbiont, correct?" Arc asked.

A shrill whimper pierced through the air. The admins all looked over to Mitsuki, who curled into herself with her hand covering her mouth.

OZone spoke before anyone could voice their concerns, returning everyone's focus to him. "Yes," he said, a pained look in his eyes. "We're here to discuss UB-01."

OZone stood up from his seat. He folded his hands behind his back, paced back and forth as he kept talking. "To reiterate my course of action, I plan to capture as many different Ultra Beasts as possible and place them all in each of your hands. With the Ultra Beasts on our side, we will conquer and capture Necrozma as soon as we find a way to access the world it resides in."

OZone paused, stopping in his tracks and looking away from all the worried faces. He let out a harsh sigh. "We currently know how to access the world Symbiont inhabits. That much is obvious, considering it was the first world the ID3I connected with. Therefore, it'd be the natural choice to pursue it. Capture it, make it a pawn in our plan..."

"Sir." Belle shot her hand up. "No disrespect, but I must question you about this. Is the capture of Symbiont necessary? We all saw what that thing is capable of."

There was audible toxicity in her voice when Belle called Symbiont a "thing." The majority of the admins shared a collective nod.

"...I agree with Belle." Serenity's voice wavered. "As she said, no disrespect. But sir, wouldn't it be best if we forget about that beast?"

"I've considered that," OZone said. "But I've concluded that ignoring Symbiont would be too much of a waste. It's potential as a resource is much too high. Much too valuable."

"You think it'd be worth it?" Buzz asked. "Don't get me wrong sir, I'll never second guess your judgment. And I'd be more than excited to study that beast further! But... considering what happened..."

Buzz's voice trailed off. He made no effort to try and say anything more.

Tony stood up, laying his hands flat on the table. "Ask Mitsuki if she's okay with it."

All eyes were suddenly on Tony, who brushed off the staring with a blindingly white, toothy grin. He sat back down.

"What's all the looking for? I'm only telling the truth." Tony's smile fell. "Seriously though. Sir, you should ask Mitsuki if she's okay with this. If she isn't, wouldn't catching the beast be the wrong thing to do? I couldn't support that."

Arc countered. "Our individual opinions on this beast does not matter. If anyone has a problem with it, they could leave like cowards. Otherwise, stay and assist OZone. Put aside trivial emotions, and help him reach his end goal. No matter what."

A gasp escaped Serenity's lips. "Arc! That's..."

"A shitty thing to say," Rōzu said. "Mitsuki's feelings do matter."

"Yeah!" Molly slammed her fists on the table. "Everybody, don't listen to Arc! Ozzy, you should ask!"

Arc held his head and groaned, yet ignored the comments. "OZone. You should do what's best for your objective."

Throughout all of this discussion and conflict, Mitsuki didn't say a word. Her whole body tensed; she worried she would forget to breathe. She slid her cupped hands from her face to her ears, trying to block out all the arguing and debate. She wanted it to stop. She prayed it would stop.

She just wanted the meeting to be over, no matter what the result. She didn't want to think about the Ultra Beast. The air leaving her lungs, her feet leaving contact with the ground, the touch of an alien, slimy skin...

If this meeting would just end, she wouldn't have to think about it anymore. Everyone would stop arguing about it, so she wouldn't have to think about it.

Mitsuki tried harder and harder to plug her ears and ignore it all. A voice called out to her, just her. She felt someone grab her hands and gently pull them away from her ears. It was only then Mitsuki realized that the arguing had stopped, and everyone was silent.

"Mitsuki." OZone held her hands in his, kneeling just below her eye level. "You know that I'm deeply, deeply sorry for what happened to you during testing. Correct?"

Mitsuki nodded.

"Good. Now I want you to know that I want to make it up to you. I realize how scary that experience must have been..." OZone squeezed her hands. "But I want to help you overcome it. I want you to be the one to capture and tame Symbiont."

If a pin dropped at that moment, it would have been the loudest thing in the room.

"Sir..." Cypher was the first to speak. "Are you serious?"

"Why on earth would you make her do that?!" Daichi shouted.

Chairs scratched against the tile floor, several people preparing to stand up and protest. OZone didn't want any of it. A single scowl directed their way was enough to signal everyone to remain hushed.

So, they remained hushed. The room became so silent, and somehow so centered on her, that Mitsuki thought she was going to forget the other admins were even there. To her, in that moment, it was just her and OZone's words.

The idea he put forward made her want to shriek. But despite the anxiety that crawled up her spine and between her shoulder blades, something about OZone's firm grip on her hands kept her panic at bay.

"I'm asking you, Mitsuki. This isn't a command." OZone's spoke, tone stern and low. "But I always felt that the best way to overcome hell is to face it head-on. Conquer it. I do not want you to live in fear, I want you to conquer it."

OZone finally released Mitsuki's hands and pushed himself back onto his feet.

"I'll be with you every step of the way," he said. "You're a strong woman, Mitsuki. I believe you could do this. I believe in you."

Everyone watched Mitsuki intently, though she barely noticed. OZone asked with a firmness that could make the silliest question sound grave:

"Will you face UB Symbiont? And will you defeat it?"

She barely noticed when everyone's anticipation turned into speechless awe at the sound of a single word. She said it on a whim.

"Yes."

* * *

She had three hours to prepare to face Symbiont in its native world. Three hours didn't feel like nearly enough, but then again, three-hundred years wouldn't feel like enough either.

Maybe she should use this time for preparation to actually... well, prepare. But she hardly entertained that thought. She sat in the now empty meeting room, alone with nothing but her worries and doubts for companionship. The ceaseless silence was more unnerving than calming.

What possessed her to say yes? That word just slipped out her mouth like it meant nothing, as if it were the obvious answer. Was it the expecting look in OZone's eyes that made her say that? Maybe it was his deep, smooth voice that made her feel like she could do anything. Maybe she simply didn't want to disappoint him. Whatever the reason, she figured going back on her word now was not an option.

She never thought she'd miss the feeling of nothingness. But as of late, she found herself thinking of it fondly compared to the queasiness that would come and pass, come and pass. She felt lightheaded. The fluttering in her stomach kept building up. All she wanted to do was vomit.

She asked herself multiple times if she regretted this. Any of this.

The door creaked open.

"Oh goodness, Mitsuki. I knew you'd be in here."

"Came here to think? This place could be good for that."

First walked in Serenity, every step she took overflowing with effortless grace. Belle followed close behind, her back straight with her hands at her sides. They both seemed fairly calm, although Mitsuki swore she saw Serenity's lip quiver.

Mitsuki kept staring at the floor, the ceiling, the plant in the corner, the dust on the table, anywhere but the two women in front of her.

She managed to squeak out a greeting. "Hello."

Serenity took a chair beside her while Belle chose to stand, leaning her hips lightly against the table's edge. Mitsuki internally prepared herself for an onslaught of questions she did not want to answer, she couldn't answer.

They never came.

Serenity reached forward and grabbed Mtisuki's hands, cradling them in her palms. "You must be so nervous. You don't have to wait all alone if you don't want to. I'll sit with you!"

Mitsuki let out a light gasp at the sudden touch. Serenity lips curled into a smile as she giggled, endeared by Mitsuki's mannerisms.

"You really are something else, Mitsuki." Belle shook her head, yet she chucked under her breath. "You really are taking this world by storm, aren't you?"

"I..."

Mitski went to speak, but her throat constricted. She felt a wave of heat rush to her face; her cheeks reddened.

"You're bold," Belle continued, placing a hand on Mitski's shoulder. "You seem tense, though. I can only imagine how you're feeling. Serenity and I figured you could at least use some company."

"That's only if you want it, though! If you want to be alone, then we'll go," Serenity added.

Mitsuki answered before she even had a chance to give it thought. "No!"

Her mind caught up to her lips, but even then she didn't think twice.

"Stay here, please..."

She found comfort in the two women. The warmth of Serenity's palms... Belle's assuring presence and grip... the simple fact that they came here for her...

The fact that they'd stay here with her...

Mitsuki wondered why, despite everything that happened and was going to happen, she felt happy.

* * *

The three hours ticked away, each second slow and menacing like the countdown to a death sentence. OZone and Mitsuki stood in front of the ID3I, an unspoken, unbearable tension weighing heavily on their minds. It took every ounce of willpower in Mitsuki's soul not to bite at her nails.

Arc, along with several grunts, prepped the machine for use. As they worked, OZone slipped a Pokéball into Mitsuki's hands.

"Here," he said. "You don't have a Pokémon of your own to fight with, correct? You may borrow my Incineroar for the time being."

"Thanks."

Mitsuki spoke in a whisper, pressing the Pokéball against her chest. She never imagined entrusting her life to a Pokémon that didn't even belong to her, but here she was.

"It's ready," Arc said. His hand gripped a lever. "Waiting for your orders, sir."

OZone nodded, but before he could give the command to activate the machine, the room's double doors burst open. A slim, tall man came running in, heavily panting the moment he stopped to catch his breath.

"Ah, good. I'm not too late." Tony wiped the sweat off his forehead; his sight focused on Mitsuki.

"Tony? What are you doing here?" OZone asked.

"Don't worry 'bout it, boss. This will only take a second."

Tony approached Mitsuki with his hands in his pockets. Before she could blink, he was in her personal space with his utterly captivating, velvety eyes. Mitsuki looked up at him and didn't dare look away.

"You're sure you want to do this, Mitsuki?" He asked. "No one would blame you for bailing out. If you truly don't want this, say so."

Mitsuki's face contorted in thought, questioning if she should take this opportunity to back out. Somehow, after all the apprehension and the stress, it would feel like a colossal betrayal. She really, really didn't want to face Symbiont, but now it felt like something she needed to do. She didn't want all this anxiety to be for naught.

She wanted to trust OZone's word.

She shook her head. "I'm going to take on that beast. OZone said that to overcome hell, you should face it head-on. So..."

"Oh, Mitsuki." Tony slipped one of his hands out of his pocket and stroked Mitsuki's cheek. Her fair, porcelain skin was soft to the touch. "I understand. I must say, you are absolutely radiant—"

"Are you seriously using this as an opportunity to flirt with her?"

OZone interrupted unapologetically, glowering at the pair with his arms crossed. Arc, still standing by the machine, groaned and slammed his palm against his forehead. Mitsuki's face was a flaming red, while Tony only rolled his eyes.

"Ay, I'm trying to have a moment here." Tony sighed before pulling his second hand from his pocket. He uncurled his fist to reveal a tiny hairpin sitting in the center of his palm. A pink, crystalline floral charm was connected to the pin's base, shimmering modestly beneath Mistuki's gaze.

Mitsuki's heart pounded as Tony brushed her bangs to the side and slid the pin into her hair. Afterward, he took a step back, jamming his hands back into his pockets as he grinned.

"It's a good luck charm. Take good care of it, okay? And come back safely. We'll all be waiting for you."

Tony waved farewell. He turned to the door and made a quick exit. Mitsuki stood stunned, processing what just happened as her fingers grazed the pin in her hair. Her glassy eyes looked to space, her mind spinning in circles.

She was pulled back into reality by a hand patting her back. She raised her head to see OZone smiling down at her.

"That was... unexpected. But a little luck should go a long way, right? Now it's for certain that everything will be alright. You've got this, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki's stomach was in knots, but she tried to take solace in OZone's assurances. She consoled her frantic mind by claiming it was all going to be okay, just like OZone said. Even if she was lying to herself about things being okay, it would be a lie she'd drag to the grave if needed.

"Are we ready, sir?" Arc spoke through tight lips, enduring his impatience.

OZone stepped forward, his back to Mitsuki, facing the ID3I. A mountain to be climbed. "Yes, Arc. Activate it."

A familiar spectacle played before Mitsuki's eyes. The low humming switching into a high pitched screech, the wave of energy, the lights, the mist, the portal. Every bone in her body screamed at her to bolt, but her feet remained locked in place.

"Let's go." OZone grabbed and tugged at Mitsuki's hand, which was the only reason she was able to force one foot in front of the other.

They stepped through the portal, and like one movie scene switching to another, their surroundings changed at the snap of a finger. The sterile white walls of the laboratory were replaced by sage-colored rocks.

Symbiont's world, or at least this part of it, was cave-like in structure. The ground was dirt brown, contrasting the colorful rocks and the lavender crystals that emerged from the walls. The ceiling was covered by growing mushrooms. They hung upside down and illuminated the cave with a gentle, white glow.

It was alien in every sense of the word.

Mitsuki jammed her hand into her pocket and clung to Incineroar's Pokéball like a lifeline, the eerie silence pulling at her declining composure. She stayed by OZone's side, who observed the land with a composed, flat face. He nodded to himself.

"The beast isn't here," he said. "We should move forward."

Without warning, the echoing began.

They were foreign cries, but unmistakably the cries of a creature. It was shrill and shaky, almost like that of a terrified child. They echoed and layered over each other, a blunt warning of an incoming horde. OZone and Mitsuki looked up and into the distance, and they saw them.

The Symbionts were white. Their slimy, mucoid skin glistened in the mushroom's light. There were three... four... six... eight of them. There were eight of them all floating beside each other, riding the timid breeze like a jellyfish would ride a current. They cried, and cried, their calls bouncing against the cave walls.

Among those creatures was a black sheep, a piece of gold amongst diamonds. A parasite with a golden, glittering body shook erratically as if it barely had control over its own movements.

Mitsuki's vision, bit by bit, spot by spot, went black. Her mind felt light, her body felt heavy. Her legs gave out and she collapsed, hitting her cheek on the ground. She could feel hands grab her side and shake her. They shook and shook, but her conciseness faded.

* * *

It was a memory Mitsuki knew would never fade, not for as long as she lived.

She had no idea why this man, who referred to himself as "OZone", would suddenly invite her to coffee. Out of all the people out on the street, why her? Her? She's supposed to be invisible.

They sat across from each other at the cafe's table. Instead of looking past her, he tried to make eye contact with her. She desperately avoided meeting his eyes, choosing instead to focus her attention on the warm, dark drink that filled her cup.

She couldn't believe she agreed to this. Hell, she didn't even like coffee. But she had no idea how she'd be feeding herself from now on, so she figured she could at least use this as an opportunity to fill her stomach with something, at least. Ignoring the man staring at her, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for the taste.

She took the cup, lifted it to her lips, tilted her head back, and downed the entire drink in one gulp. She winced at the bitter taste, her face scrunching up and her tongue sticking out. She shuddered as the heat hit her stomach like a rock, which she found uniquely sickening.

The man stared at her with his hand on his chin, as if he were trying to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. "Did you... not like your coffee?"

Mitsuki did not answer. She placed the coffee cup back onto the tabletop and folded her hands in her lap. She spoke under her breath:

"Thank you."

Her eyes remained locked on the now empty cup.

"That wasn't an answer," the man said.

She refused to look up. "The coffee was fine."

"And that wasn't an honest answer."

Mitsuki feared that if she looked up, the man's sharp eyes would burn a hole into her skull.

"What is it you want from me?" She asked.

"W-well." The man stuttered before clearing his throat. "Nothing. You just seemed lost. You don't know what road to take in life, do you?"

Silence. The man cleared his throat again and kept speaking.

"I know it's an extreme assumption to make, but you have this blank look in your eyes. I figured, if nothing else, I could lend you an ear. It wouldn't feel right just to leave you out on the street like that."

"...Oh."

As the man took a sip of his coffee, Mitsuki finally looked up at him. His eyes were dark, his brows were pointed and arched downward, his face was long and seemed perpetually ready to scowl. Regardless, there was a gentle, earnest look on his face that conflicted with his sharp features.

The man smiled as their eyes met. His overt friendliness made Mitsuki feel... something. She couldn't put a name on it. She didn't understand it. But it was something other than nothingness. It was something she wanted to grasp and hold onto.

She faintly remembered wishing for somebody, anybody, to reach out to her. It was a faded dream that suddenly reappeared within arm's length. Tremors rattled her unprepared heart.

"You're right. I don't know what road to take," Mitsuki admitted. "My family rejected me. I have nowhere to go. I'm alone."

There was a long pause. Mitsuki averted her eyes, biting her lip. The man stood up, the ground squeaking as his chair slid across it.

The man wrapped his arms around Mitsuki's frail body, pulling her into a soft embrace.

Mitsuki blinked, her body frozen in shock. "W-what are you—?"

"I figured, if nothing else, I could hug you," he said. "You looked like you needed it."

The man pulled away and sat back in his chair. Mitsuki sat still as the shock faded. She felt the man studying her with narrowed eyes, watching every subtle movement. It was like she was the suspect, while he was the detective attempting to arrive at a conclusion.

No matter what conclusion he made, he decided to slip a business card out from his pocket and slide it across the table. Mitsuki, after a short deliberation, picked it up and read over it. Under the man's name, the card listed the information of a corporation he owned. Cosmos... the place that would blast apart the dark box Mitsuki lived in and reveal a new path.

"I'm sure I could easily find a position for you," the man said. "So please, come. You won't have to be out on your own anymore."

Tears pricked in Mitsuki's eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she cried, or even what crying really felt like. Now, she felt like her entire body was about to give into it. Maybe she'd hunch forward as her voice screamed and the tears dripped from her eyes onto her knees. Maybe she'd take desperate, soundless gasps as she gripped her chest and clenched her teeth.

But before she could reach that point, the man stood up. Everything became unsettling. An unnamed anxiety clawed at Mitsuki's mind, preparing to tear at her until she realized... something. Something, she needed to realize something. She pulled at her hair, the distortions of her subconscious falling apart, as the man spoke one last time.

"Mitsuki. You need to wake up."

* * *

Mitsuki took a heavy, rickety breath as her eyes popped open.

The first thing she saw was the glowing mushrooms hanging over her head. She jolted up into a sitting position, blood rushing to her head and ears. A booming voice echoed across the cave wall, rattling Mitsuki’s brain as she tried to process where she was.

“Thunderbolt!”

OZone’s powerful shout, the cry of a Pikachu, the crackling of electricity, the shrieks of beasts. As Mitsuki recounted everything, she wondered just how long she left OZone to defend her unconscious body. After everything he’s done for her…

She realized she was still clutching Incineroar’s Pokéball in her hand. Did she refuse to let go even as she dreamt? She stared down at the ball, her whole arm shaking, before turning her head to see the ongoing battle. Two Symbionts, one white and one golden, relentlessly charged towards OZone. The man’s only defense was his Pikachu, who panted heavily as it charged up for one attack after another. OZone held a firm stance, feet far apart for a strong foundation, standing between the beasts and Mitsuki.

Mitsuki’s whole body felt cold, but she resisted the urge to curl up and shudder. Somewhere, she managed to find the strength to stand up, Pokéball still in hand. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as her heart kept slamming and slamming against her chest.

OZone peeked over his shoulder, sparing only a moment of his attention away from the beasts. “You’re awake. Thank god.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I failed when you needed me.”

“...Mitsuki, no—”

“It’s okay. I won’t fail again.”

Although her legs were wobbling, she walked to OZone’s side with an icy, resolute expression on her face. Her nails curled into her palm, nearly ripping into her skin, as she stared directly at the golden beast that had haunted her.

“I can’t fail. Everyone’s waiting for me to come back successful, and I don’t want to disappoint them. I don’t want to disappoint you. If I could conquer Symbiont… then I can move forward without any regrets! None!”

With a shriek meant to be a battle cry, Mitsuki threw the Pokéball out into the battlefield. Incineroar emerged, landing on its feet with its teeth bared.

“Attack!” Mitsuki shouted. “The gold one! Attack it!”

Incineroar roared, flames bursting from its flaming belt. It became engulfed in its own fire, rushing forward and leaping into the air. It tackled the golden Symbiont with its Flare Blitz, bringing it down to the ground. Incineroar held the beast down with its weight, opening its jaw in preparation for a flamethrower.

The white Symbiont, now alone in the air, retaliated by spewing poison in Mitsuki’s and OZone’s direction. The two backed away from the liquid toxins as OZone shouted his command.

“Electro Ball!”

OZone’s Pikachu charged up its electric energy and fired an Electro Ball at the pale beast. More of OZone’s commands followed; Pikachu obeyed and kept delivering powerful attacks. The pale Symbiont eventually lost the will to continue, making its escape by zig-zagging through the air and fleeing deeper into the cave.

The golden Symbiont had no such luck. Incineroar was still on top of it, spewing flames from its mouth again and again. The beast cried, but no matter how much it fought and squirmed, Incineroar held its ground with its relentless attacks.

Mitsuki stood back and witnessed. There was something cathartic about watching it, watching the monster of her nightmares at the receiving end of torment. It was like a musical symphony, between the roars and the cries and the sizzling fire. It was joyful and wonderful and uplifting and more, but it felt wrong. The beast’s suffering felt wrong.

“Stop it!” Mitsuki shouted. “Get off of it! Get off!”

Incineroar didn’t listen and prepped for another Flamethrower. It only stopped once it heard its trainer’s call.

“Incineroar.”

The large cat looked back to see OZone’s disapproving glare. It slowly lifted itself up,

freeing the beast from its grip. The beast did not move.

Mitsuki approached the grounded creature with slow, cautious steps. She found herself looking down at its twitching body. It was covered with dirt and soot, its tentacles were limp. It softly whined, a low yet high-pitched sound of misery. Mitsuki pitied it, and she recalled the pity she felt when she first saw it. She remembered how it looked so lost and confused after emerging from the portal, how much her heart ached for it. That faithful day turned into a horror, but still, she felt pity for Symbiont.

A hand took Incineroar’s Pokéball from hers before placing a Beast Ball in her palms. Mitsuki turned her head to see OZone’s grin, his Pikachu riding his shoulder and his Incineroar standing behind him. He said nothing; there were no words that needed to be said.

Mitsuki knelt beside the golden Symbiont.

“You’ve horrified me, but I won’t let you scare me anymore,” she said. “You’re a monster, but I don’t think I hate you. I hope we could find a way to get along. I want to understand you.”

Mitsuki pressed the Beast Ball against Symbiont’s skin. Shortly after, the beast went into the Beast Ball, which clicked in confirmation. UB Symbiont has been caught.

“Amazing, Mitsuki.” OZone extended his hand and helped Mitsuki back onto her feet. “I knew you could do it—”

“Why?” Mitsuki asked.

OZone raised his brow. “What?”

“I just want to know why you’re so kind.” Mitsuki smiled. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this if it weren’t for you. This is all thanks to your support… so I’m just curious. Why?”

OZone chuckled and shook his head as if the answer was obvious. “I take care of my employees, Mitsuki. But don’t misunderstand, you were the one who caught Symbiont. I may have helped you along, but it’s your strength that has brought you here.”

“I see. You’re a good man, OZone.”

Mitsuki noticed OZone flinch at her comment. She giggled, happy to have caught him off guard, before turning away and walking towards the portal.

“Let’s go home,” she said.