*Three Years Later*

"Have a nice day!" I said cheerfully as I handed a young Trainer his three Poké Balls before he started sprinting out the Pokémon Center.

Three years and I would have never guessed I would be working at a Pokémon Center. I mean, that was the end goal of mine, but I guess I thought I would be working in Nacrene City, where my caretaker, Nurse Joy, worked.

Don't get me wrong, I love it here, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. The nice thing about working here in Castelia City is that I can easily contact Nurse Joy from Nacrene City if anything happened.

Audino came out from the backroom handing me his clipboard. I smiled as I saw the keystone hanging off the pen. After our time being Unovan Superheroes, my Pokémon and I decided to travel to Kalos before my eighteenth birthday to find these things that could unlock mega evolution. It took me a while to actually understand it and learn how Audino and I could use that new power to heal more Pokémon. We managed to find the keystone and Audinite a month before I could apply to nursing school, which was a miracle.

Which leads us here. I tried reuniting with my old friends when I got back, but they were busy. Rena had become a successful inventor. After her new and improved heal ball was released—which she released right after I told her that it worked during the final battle between Team Miasma and me—her inventions had become a huge success. We stayed in touch, but it was usually for her asking me for ideas, which resulted in lots of improvements in the Pokémon Center.

As for Landon and Wendy Rhea, they still stayed in their underground house outside of Nimbasa City. They somehow managed to open up a little shop in that city, helping Trainers with their Pokémon. Like being a Pokémon nurse, being a breeder seemed to have taken most of their time. When I could, I would still call them, usually asking about what my parents were like.

Funny how much has changed as that was something I would have never done before I became Swanna Girl.

Rudi and I broke up. The minute I arrived to Kalos, things were rocky for us. After what happened during our time as Unovan superheroes, I started having nightmares, ones that reminded me of what happened that day we defeated Team Miasma. It was a hard time for me. Nurse Joy seemed to have noticed the change and suggested that it would be the best time to go on an actual journey. I chose Kalos, seeing how Taipan used a keystone to mega-evolve his Gengar. I wanted to do the same thing, only instead of using it for evil, I wanted to use it to help both people and Pokémon.

This lead to many arguments between Rudi and me. He wanted to go with me, but I wanted some time alone to reflect everything that had happened. Besides, I didn't tell him everything that had happened that day when Team Miasma was defeated. I didn't talk about what happened, and no one questioned me.

Rudi was the only one who tried to get me to talk about it. When I left, things only got worse.

Now, Rudi wasn't even seen in Unova, which made me wonder if he regretted what he did. Turns out, he didn't like the spotlight of being Braviary Man, but that didn't mean he wanted our story to end. He started telling people about what happened that summer, which was something I didn't want happening.

I wanted no part of those retellings of the great Swanna Girl and Braviary Man. What was done was done.

Rudi was Rudi though, and he never listened. He let the Delcatty out of the bag. Eventually, through telling those stories, people caught on that he was Braviary Man. I warned him that would happen, which only caused him to disappear.

No one knew where he went. I tried calling his family members, trying to see if they've heard from him, but they didn't. Rudi and I promised to still be friends; however, the day he left was the day we broke up. There was no way of telling what had happened that day.

It was just like the stories of the Unovan Trainers who stopped Team Plasma.

"Nurse Gray," My assistant, Joy, said, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I glanced over, seeing her standing there in a little nurse dress she enjoyed wearing. Like me, she decided to start out learning young. At the age of sixteen, this girl was already my height, but it was easy to do as I wasn't really that tall.

I still found it weird that I've been working for at the Pokémon Center for less than three years and I already have someone shadowing me.

"Joy," I said, looking down at my clipboard seeing if I missed anything. According to it, all the injured Pokémon appeared to be doing fine, but when I looked up at Joy, I could tell that wasn't the case, "Is everything alright?"

She nodded her head, "Of course, I—I was just wondering, well, if I could have the weekend off? My family is coming over from Sinnoh in celebration of my sister graduating nursing school."

I smiled, "You can have all next week off if you want. I can handle it from here, I promise."

My assistant smiled before she wrapped her arms around me, "Thank you so much Nurse Gray!"

"You can call me Sylvia, you know," I reminded.

The young girl let go and nodded her head, "Why don't you ever take a break?"

I waved the clipboard, showing the keystone that attached to it, "Someone's got to be here in case things get bad."

Joy's smile dropped, "But, you should have a break too, shouldn't you?"

"Okay," I gave in, handing her the clipboard, "But you have to call me if anything goes bad."

My assistant's eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at Audino, who gave the girl a firm nod, confirming her thoughts. Joy quickly straightened up and brought her free hand above her eye-brow as if doing a salute.

"Thank you, Nurse Sylvia, I won't let you down," She promised.

Out of anyone, I trusted Joy. She reminded me of me sometimes. Most days, she would offer to work on Sundays, even though I've told her those days she has off. Other days, I can find her scribbling in her own notebook. With her work ethic and positive outlook, I can tell she was going to make it far in life.

I quickly went to the back room where I saw a picture of me healing up my first Pokémon for the first time hanging on the wall. Nurse Joy took an old camera and took a picture of it when it happened. After that Swanna had passed away, she gave me a picture of her. There was never a moment where I didn't miss her. If only I would've gotten there sooner, she would still be around.

I hung up my apron and grabbed a light blue jacket from the rack, turning around to see my reflection through one of the windows of the emergency rooms. I guess I had changed over the past three years. My glasses were gone, being replaced with contacts. It was a change I made when I went to Kalos, being that I misplaced my glasses many times while I was there. Bags fell under my eyes as I stayed up late trying to come up with improvements for the Pokémon center or finding other ways to help Pokémon. I didn't want to be the reason another Pokémon died.

One thing never changed. Despite being a nurse, I wore white pants and a pink shirt with a Poké Ball on it to signal that I was a Pokémon nurse. I still refused to wear a dress unless it was absolutely necessary.

I turned around, seeing my male Swanna looking over at me with an apple in his mouth. I smiled as I grabbed the apple from his mouth and took a bite out of it. Some people might think that's gross, but thinking about it, this apple was the first thing I had all day.

"Want to go walk around the city?" I asked my trusted partner, who gave me a weird look, "Audino and Joy should be fine taking care of the Pokémon Center for just a few hours, don't you think? We'll come back before it's time for dinner."

With that being said, Swanna nodded his head. I smiled.

Together, Swanna and I walked out from the back room and towards the desk, where Joy was talking to Audino about how they were going to run the Pokémon Center. I couldn't help but to laugh when I heard her say that they had to do this perfectly. I know I said this before, but I can't help thinking about it again. Joy will become a great Pokémon nurse someday.

Shaking my head, I walked out the Pokémon Center doors and looked up at the skyscrapers around us. Posters of Rena's Widgets hung all over the place. Even a video of hers played on one of those screens Castelia City had up, with her showing off the newest piece of technology that she had invented for the public. It was called the Quick Transfer, where Trainers didn't have to go to the nearest Pokémon center to transfer a Pokémon back to Professor Juniper, but rather, they could do it through this handheld device.

Rena was really something. Swanna nudged me while I was watching the video, so I couldn't hear anything else about this new invention. I turned my head, seeing a Castelia Cone shop, which had a long line as far as the eyes could see.

Swanna knew I couldn't have Miltank milk. As I looked at it, I noticed a sign reading, "Miltank Free Castelia Cones" on it. It felt too good to be true, but I still walked over with my Swanna. It wasn't so I could try it, but more so that he could have a bite of the cold treat.

Together, we walked to the line. As we got closer, I read the prices of what each Castelia Cone would cost. A part of me wanted to try this Miltank-free Castelia Cone, but I didn't want to take any chances. Instead, I pulled out enough money to get Swanna one. At least he could try what this dessert was like.

By the time I reached the cart, the man working there had his back turned towards me, as he was preparing a Castelia Cone for the customer in front of me. Before he could even turn around, the man asked, "And what would you like today?"

A part of me froze, but I shook it off, telling myself it wasn't possible, "I'd like one Castelia Cone please."

This time, the man flinched and slowly turned around. His navy blue eyes had dulled a bit since the last time I've seen him, but everything else seemed the same. If that wasn't enough to give him away, I noticed a lanyard hanging around his neck with a Castelia Cone key chain hooked onto it. It was the same keychain I'd given to him three summers ago. Seeing him work at a food truck, more or less a Castelia Cone one, was somewhat surprising, especially since I've lived here for just over a year, thinking I knew everything that happened here.

"Sylvia?" He asked.

"Rudi?" I asked, shocked that he even remembered me.

The man didn't even hesitate as he handed his last customer a Castelia Cone and threw a "closed" sign on the door. The people behind me started to groan. When I looked back, I could see them all slowly walking away, all very disappointed that they weren't going to get a Castelia Cone for the day.

When I looked back, Rudi had already hopped out of his food truck, stumbling to rip off his white apron. I shook my head, not fully believing what I was seeing.

Then again, when I saw Braviary hop onto the counter of the food truck, with a little paper hat on. I felt like this had to be some messed up dream.

"Sylvia, what are you doing here?" Rudi asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said, before lightly hitting him on the arm. The man acted as if he was hurt, rubbing it a bit as his apron fell off, "What are you doing at a Castelia Cone shop? Don't you know your family is worried sick about you?"

Rudi frowned, "Well, I mean, a lot has changed in three years. What do you expect I tell them? That I've been working at a Castelia Cone shop for the past two years. Who would be proud of that? My family might just be safer thinking I'm gone in case anything happens again. I put them through so much. They don't deserve that."

I turned my head to see the sign on the Casetlia Cone van, "You invented a new kind of food, that's not shameful."

The man blushed redder than a tamato berry, "Still doesn't make up for putting their lives in danger. Rena could've died three years ago. I can't face her now."

His face was red, but his eyes were broken. I knew what he was talking about. It was a hard day, well, more like a hard summer as I was pulled into trying to shut down Team Miasma. After three years, I still had nightmares, but I had my Pokémon and Nurse Joy to help me through that, and the Rhea family always seemed to be very supportive as well. Rudi didn't have that as I started to realize he was blaming himself, cutting himself away from his family.

It wasn't his fault.

I knew what it was like to keeping thinking it was my own fault for Swanna's death. It was hard, but it was also the drive I had through getting me through nursing school. That summer had changed me as a person. Before, I just wanted to be a Pokémon Nurse, not really thinking of what that would mean. If I'd gone in thinking I could save the lives of every Pokémon while going through schooling, well, I would've had a rude awakening during my first class where we had to learn that there would be times that we couldn't save every Pokémon that came in.

That was a hard class for everyone. Even I walked out of that class feeling a bit depressed, but then I remembered what happened. I had been through that time and had learned from it.

Rudi just needed a little push.

"So, Miltank free Castelia Cones, huh," I asked, "That's something to be proud of. I mean, don't tell Rena I said this, but I think this is the best invention yet."

Rudi's eyes brightened a little, "Do you really think so?"

I nodded my head. The man smiled and quickly hopped into the food truck. I didn't have to ask what he was doing. Instead, I watched, thinking about his family instead.

"You know, they miss you a lot," I told Rudi.

The boy nodded his head, as he finished putting the ice cream on the cone, "I just don't know how Rena will react."

"Still scared of her Hydreigon?" I asked.

"Who isn't! I'm surprised she didn't fly over to Kalos when—" He cut himself off, realizing the awkward situation he put himself into. Instead of finishing his sentence, he handed me the Miltank free Castelia Cone.

"You know she did in a way," I told him, "But with everything that I've helped her with Rena's Widgets, I don't think she could afford loosing the person who gave her ideas for inventions."

Rudi nodded, "Glad she hasn't changed a bit."

"Everyone changes a bit," I told him, "But change is good."

Rudi smiled as I took my very first lick of the Castelia Cone. My eyes widened as the cool chill of ice cream melted on my tongue, bursting with a vanilla flavor. He was right about one thing. Castelia Cones were simply amazing.

(-The end-)