Ashley's expression grows serious as she looks around, seeing no one but me. "Are you alone? Where's Bronze?"

 "We don't... we don't travel together. Different schedules, different goals." I say, trying to explain it without talking about the incident involving Gaile. She notes the resigned tone in my voice and stops pressuring me for an answer. 

 "Tell him I'm okay." she says, her voice cracking, she presses a hand out, stopping in midair, and I get the impression she's miming some kind of mirror. Where is she?

 "I will." I promise.

 "Anyhow, uh... this." Ashley is obviously holding back tears. "Okay. I have no idea how I got here, I'll admit it... so I'm guessing this is your doing, somehow. Everyone's alive, right? Everyone's okay?"

 "We're all here." I promise.

"Okay. Well, it can't be all of you, because Ten's with me. Don't wait up for him. I'm guessing we don't have long, especially because there's no way Red would let me broadcast something like this. So, you... you're human."

"Yeah. We're taking down the League and then we can get back to Johto, whatever that entails."

"Alright." She's practically cracking down now, tears of joy running down her face. "Alright. This could work. Ilex. The Shrine of Celebi in Ilex. Celebi will be there." Her expression turns to somewhat fearful and she steps back. "Oh no." She's flickering now.

 "Wait up!" I say, "What do I do with this?" I hold up the Ampharosite.

 Ashley says something, but I can no longer hear her voice. She places her hand where my Mega Ring is and then disappears.

 "What was that?!" Rune asks, incredulous. "What the hell was that?!" 

 "It was a message." I say, breathing out slowly as my heart races faster than a Zebstrika. "She's still out there." The golden light grows brighter as I smile. "So what does she want us to do?" I clutch the Mega Stone, and it hits me like a brick. "I think I need to mega evolve myself." 

  "Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to do some training, then." Chrona tells me, jokingly.

 "I will be there every step of the way." Nico says, nodding curtly. 

 "How am I the only one still freaking out about this?!" Rune complains.

 "Pich hasn't said anything." Chrona points out.

 "The great bird Pokemon." Pich blurts out. "It was here, right here." She laughs hysterically, out of confusion, fear, shock or some unholy mixture of the three. "And you... and Celebi..."

"What Celebi?" asks Chrona.

 "Nico saw it." Pich points out.

 "I did see it." Nico admits.

 "I'm not crazy." She continues.

 "I can not confirm that. I think you need to rest." Nico tells her.

 She passes out on the ground. I return her to her Pokeball. "Now how do we get out of here?" I ask.

 Rune squints. "We came through that tunnel, right?"

 "I don't know. Seems like it was that one." I say.

 "Well, let's give it a shot. Get a move on!" Chrona says, leading the way back into the abysmal darkness until- like she expected- it gives ways to a stormy sky and fog hanging over a small island.

 She takes a long, deep breath, exhausted. I recall her as well, and send out Klaki, who emerges in the bay, bobbing in the water. "How'd it go?"

 "Well. It was definitely something." My team members (at this point just Rune and Nico) give each other nervous looks before both jumping onto Klaki's back.

 As we head back, I call up Bronze for the first time in who knows how long, still feeling guilty. Ashley's expression of disappointment when I told her we weren't travelling together... Ashley. The fact she was even there. In front of me...

 Bronze picks up, jolting me from my thoughts. "H-hey." I mutter into the phone. 

 "Lilly?"

 "We need to talk."

 "Well, where do you want to meet up?"

 "We're on our way to Coumarine City right now."

 "I'm already there."

 "See you, then." I say, ending the call. "You're trying to make up with him, aren't you?" Rune asks, sensing my apprehension.

 I hold the Ampharosite in my hand, letting it glimmer in the little sunlight peeking through the clouds as it rains. "I hope so. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. Some part of me refuses to believe what I just saw was real."

 Klaki tries to turn around to say something and then there's a loud smack and Rune falls into the water. Rune yells some very loud swear words as Nico helps him back up, steaming as his high body temperature evaporates the water from his ears.

 "Sorry man, I hit a boat." Klaki says. Sure enough, a whole row of yachts sit before us, bobbing gently in the waves.

 "Well, we're here." I say, rubbing Klaki's horns appreciatively. "Welcome to Coumarine City."