Seventy-one.

Seventy-one people and Pokémon were killed in the tsunami, and that number still rises as more bodies are found.

Matt and his Pikachu were among those who had lost their lives in the disaster.

Many buildings were destroyed, and hundreds of survivors were displaced with nowhere to go. It would take a lot of dedicated work and time to be able to rebuild Kanto back to the beauty it was before.

Only a few days after the torrent, nearby regions such as Sinnoh and Hoenn, and even Alola sent police and medical forces to respond and help out the destroyed region.

The Kantonian and Johtonian Elite Four and respective Champions were among the first to respond to the area, and Bea was able to actually meet Bruno of the Kantonian Elite Four, whom she admired and respected for his outstanding skill in Fighting-Types.

On better terms, Bea, Dylan, and the three boys were brought to a nearby hospital. Their wounds were taken care of and they were safe there.

While at the hospital, Conner was reunited with his Croconaw. Apparently the Water-Type has been found unconscious, and was brought here to be helped by the doctors.

And what's more, apparently when the wave had gone back into the ocean, many people and Pokémon had been sucked out with it. Of those who had been pulled out to sea was Lu. When police officials went out to sea to patrol for any survivors, they had found the Hawlucha, still alive. She was returned to Bea a few days later.

After first hearing about the quake and tsunami, the Galarian League had sent a helicopter as soon as they could so that Bea could return back home. She refused, as she would rather stay here in Kanto— not for her vacation, but to help the families and residents of the region. And so she was expected to return in a week.

Within that week, Bea helped clean out a large portion of a nearby city, Lavender Town. Everyone agreed that the bodies of those who lost their lives— both people and Pokémon alike— would rest at the top of the Pokémon Tower, where they would be far above from the crashing waves, yet close enough to them as well.

There was a remembrance, and Bea was the one who had been comforted by Josiah. Even if she had only known Matt for a few hours, it was emotional to have him gone. Dylan was also in tears, thinking of what had happened if Bea had been on that list of people killed. Technically she should be on that list, with the boys as well, but yet here they were, alive and breathing close by each other.

The week came and went, and before Bea knew it, the helicopter was back to pick her and Dylan up. If the airport hadn't gotten destroyed, or if the roads weren't full of debris, Bea would have asked to have a plane. But as it was, there weren't any easily accessible ways to return home.

The helicopter landed; the time to leave had come. Bea glanced back, surprised to find a huge crowd there. They were all there to send her off safely. Her eyes burned with fresh tears, and her lip quivered. These people were so selfless!

That's what a natural disaster like this will do.

Eventually Bea couldn't take it anymore and broke down in front of everyone. Immediately people rushed around her, patting her back, giving her hugs, and whispering words of encouragement.

Bea began to cry even more, surrounded by these people she hardly knew. She didn't even know their names, and never saw their faces before, yet here they were, trying to help her.

The crowd dispersed after several moments (mostly due to Dylan's comment that Bea needed space to breathe) and watched as Bea quickly wiped her eyes on her new Johtonian shirt. She felt bad for messing it up, but the action was involuntary.

She lifted her head and saw three certain boys hiding in the back of the crowd. She took a step forward, then another.

The crowd parted around her like the Red Sea, until she was in front of the three boys. Her Poké Ball shook a few times before Mienshao let herself out. Bea didn't say anything to her.

Conner, Abe, and Josiah were shaking while they cried, and in one movement, Bea wrapped her arms around the three of them.

"B- Bea! I'm so- ree- ee," Conner gasped out, leaning towards Bea.

The older girl rubbed his back. "It's alright, Conner. I've already forgiven you."

Conner looked up at her and wiped his nose on his hand. "Really?"

Bea nodded gently and turned to Abe.

"Thank you for saving my life," he whispered, looking down. "More than once."

"There's no need to thank me," Bea told him, patting his head. He looked up at her with teary eyes, and she wiped them away with her thumb. "Tell your sister I said hi, alright?" She asked, just to try to help him.

Abe nodded. "Right." He stepped back before running to Mienshao and embracing her in a huge hug. The Fighting-Type was caught off guard at first, but returned the gesture.

Finally Bea turned to the last boy, who had yet to say anything.

"Bea! Don't go!" She was taken by surprise by Josiah's yell as he hugged her as tightly as he could. "Please!"

"Josiah. . ." Bea began, but he didn't let her continue.

"I won't let you leave! I can't let you go!"

"Josiah. . ." Bea could feel the tears burning in her eyes. Josiah had been the first of the four boys to accept her, and had been kind to her since they first met. And now, with this whole experience to add to that, it hurt to have to say goodbye.

Bea collapsed down on her knees and hugged Josiah, trying to hide her tears beneath her hair. It didn't quite work, though, and felt Dylan pat her back.

"We need to leave," he told her.

Bea nodded and took a deep breath to regain herself. She gave Josiah one last squeeze before letting go of him and standing up straight.

"I'll be back," she said to Josiah before he could say anything. "I promise."

Josiah blinked a few times and looked up at her with watery eyes. "Promise?"

Bea nodded and gave him a small smile. "I promise."

Josiah seemed to accept that, for he nodded and gave her a huge smile. "Whenever you see me again, I'm going to be the best Pokémon Trainer ever!"

She laughed. "I'm sure you will."

"Bea, we need to go," Dylan repeated.

"Right." She looked back at the three boys. "Bye, guys."

Conner nodded. "Bye. . ."

Abe glanced at her for a second before giving Mienshao a high five. "Bye, you two! My sister and I will be rooting for you both in the next Gym tournament!"

Bea nodded. "Thank you, Abe." She pulled out Mienshao's Poké Ball to return her.

Josiah still seemed a bit torn, but there was nothing that Bea could do.

"Hey, Josiah." He looked up at the sound of his name. "Take care of everyone, okay?"

His face lit up. "Okay!"

Bea nodded and, along with Dylan, went back towards the front of the crowd to the helicopter.

"Ready?" Dylan asked, opening the door for her.

Bea wiped her eyes of any last remaining tears and glanced back at everyone. "Yes, I think so." She got inside the helicopter, and Dylan closed the door behind her. A few seconds later he opened the door on the other side and got in next to her.

As the vehicle was going up, Bea looked out the window, only to see Conner, his Pokémon, Abe, and Dylan waving up at her.

From her height in the sky, she could see the destruction caused by the tsunami. All around these people was debris and fallen buildings, and yet they were still smiling, with actual joy on their faces.

"I thought you were afraid of heights," Dylan commented. Bea saw his eyes sparkle with the mischievousness she hadn't seen in what felt like years.

"You know what, I think that there are bigger things I can worry about. Being here in Kanto has taught me that." She looked out the window.

"What are you thinking about?"

Bea sighed. Her brother caught onto everything going through her head. "Just about everyone back in Kanto. I hardly knew them, but it feels like I'm so close to each of them."

Dylan smiled softly. "That's what a natural disaster can do. It can tear people apart, but it can also bring a community closer together."

🌊 🌊 🌊

A month has passed since Bea returned home to Stow-on-Side with her brother.

Since then, many good things have happened, such as Bea and Dylan's scars being mostly healed. Bea's was so faint now that she could apply a little bit of makeup, and it would be virtually impossible to detect. Not only that, but the residents in and around Kanto were helping each other out and fixing the region to its once-glorious self.

Dylan finally confessed to Nessa about his feelings about her. And while she didn't share the same feeling towards him yet, they definitely were a lot closer than they had been before, and went on walks more often between Nessa's time at her Gym and her life as a model.

Dylan now helped out Nessa in her Gym, and she and him trained with his Palpitoad daily until it evolved into a very powerful Seismitoad. Bea, however, would not go anywhere near the water, and she was more than a bit surprised that Dylan could adjust back to normal life so easily after what had happened.

People still would point and whisper amongst themselves whenever Bea would walk by. "That's the girl who was trapped in the Kanto tsunami not that long ago!" "Yeah, I heard about that— Wait, is that actually her?" Those were the kinds of things that Bea would hear, and she tried her best to ignore them. Hopefully they would forget about her soon. At least, that was her wish.

There was one thing though that worried her the most. Ever since she returned from Kanto, Allister had completely avoided her. It was as if he had forgotten all about her. She would see him in passing and call out to him, but he would look up at her for a second before quickly running the other way.

And Bea even admitted that it hurt, being ignored by her best friend.

Dylan told her not to worry, that eventually Allister would come around and talk to her again. But then that "eventually" turned into a week, then a month, Bea started to become concerned.

She just didn't understand why Alli would want to ignore her. They were friends, she thought. Not only that, but she thought that he would be ecstatic to see her alive again after what had happened back in Kanto.

That wasn't the case, though, and Bea was about ready to give up on trying to get her friend back when someone came up behind her.

"Hey, Bea?"

The blonde whirled around, prepared to hit whoever touched her shoulder. She was not expecting to be facing a black-and-white haired Gym Leader around the same age as herself. His eyes were a soft bluish-gray, and his skin pale. From up close, Bea noticed just how much resemblance his younger sister had to him.

Piers took a step back. "Woah, calm down. It's just me."

Bea glanced down. "Sorry." She didn't say anything else; she was too ashamed to have let her guard down like that and then behave like she did to the Dark-Type Trainer. She was too ashamed to have nearly punched him.

Piers gently placed his hand back into Bea's shoulder, looking at her face. "It's fine. I know you're thinking about him, am I right?"

"What?" Bea shot her head up. How did Piers know? Was it a lucky guess? Or were Bea's walls down for a lot longer than she had thought? "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bea. . ." Piers sighed. "It's Allister, right?"

Bea stiffened. "Do you know why he's been avoiding me?" Her gray eyes searched Piers's light blue ones.

A sad smile appeared on his lips. "Perhaps it's better if he tells you himself."

"But I can't! He won't! He keeps avoiding me. . ." She quickly wiped a tear from her eye before it could fall.

"Say, Bea." The blonde glanced up for a second. "Who was it that told you to go to Kanto for your vacation. . ?"

Bea frowned, not sure why he had changed the subject so suddenly. "It was Alli. . ."

"Then that's your answer. Or part of it anyway." Piers smiled softly, although it seemed a bit forced. "He's most likely in the cemetery. Now go, and get your friend back." His hand squeezed her shoulder gently, full of compassion.

Bea took a step back. Then another.

Alli.

Without another word, she turned and ran in the other direction, towards Allister's cemetery. She had an idea. . .

As she was sprinting, she threw Mienshao's Poké Ball ahead of her. The Fighting-Type was confused at first, but began running beside Bea nonetheless. After explaining her plan to her, Mienshao agreed to help get Allister back.

Now all they needed was to find him.

As the two of them neared the cemetery, Bea looked up ahead and sure enough, Allister was there, sitting in front of a small tree. The only Pokémon near him was his Phantump. It took every inch of Bea's self control to not go over there and talk to him.

"Okay, Mienshao," she whispered. "You stay here, and I'll go to the other side." She pointed to the northern entrance at the other end of the cemetery. "When I give you the signal, I want you to start going towards Allister, okay?"

"Mien." She nodded.

If all goes according to plan, I should be able to catch Alli and finally get him to explain what's going on.

Bea hurried along to the opposite side and took a deep breath. She had to do this, but whether or not Allister would listen to her. . . That was another story.

She closed her eyes and gave a nod, hoping that Mienshao noticed. Luckily, she did, as when Bea opened her eyes back up, she saw Mienshao walking towards Allister slowly.

"Shao?" she asked quietly, to avoid startling him.

Allister's head turned and saw Mienshao there. His body went rigid. Immediately, he bolted up to his feet and returned his Phantump back into his Dusk Ball before running in the other direction of Mienshao— right to where Bea was hiding.

As soon as his foot exited the cemetery, Bea jumped out from her hiding spot and wrapped her arms around him. Allister struggled and squirmed within her grasp, but she didn't let go. It pained her to see him act like this.

"Alli," she tried saying, but he ignored her. "Alli, it's me! Stop fighting!"

Allister paused for a moment before resuming his fight, only now his movements were more desperate. "No! Let me go! I don't want to die! Please, forgive me!"

Bea didn't reply, but loosened her grip on him, in case he ended up choking himself with how he was flailing. In that instant, Allister freed himself and whirled around. He looked up at Bea's face through his mask. "Go away! Please!" His voice was begging.

"Alli. . ." A tear fell down onto the pavement below her as Bea took a small step forward. "It's me, Bea."

"B-Bea?" He almost sounded like he believed her, but that left as he spoke again. "No! She's dead! Stop lying to me and leave me alone!"

In one moment, Bea grabbed Allister and untied his mask.

"Alli, look at me." She leaned down to look at his teary black eyes. "I'm real. I'm alive. See?" She intertwined her fingers in his and held them up so he could see. "Could a ghost do this?"

Allister blinked and stared at their hands for several moments. "You're- you're alive?" Bea nodded gently. "H- how? Shuppet said she saw you die. You died in the—" He stopped mid sentence.

Bea sighed. "I. . . I did." One look at Allister's horrified face told her that that was not what she should have said. "According to Dylan, anyway," she added quickly. "But then he brought me back, and I'm here. I promise you, Alli, I'm telling the truth.

He nodded slowly, but then took a step back. "You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Be- because I told you to go to Kanto for your vacation. And then you asked if I had wanted go too and I said yes but then I bailed at the last minute and told you to go with your brother." He took a breath. "I should've been there! This is all my fault. I am the one who nearly got both you and Dylan killed."

A sad smile made its way onto Bea's face. "Alli, I could never be mad at you. You know that, right?"

"But-"

"No one could have predicted that that tsunami would have hit, alright? So the best thing we can do now is to learn from it, without dwelling on what we could have done better." She ran a hand through her hair, pausing for a moment.

Both of them looked at each other.

"Bea?" Allister's weak voice quivered. He glanced down, his hands clenched into fists. "Please tell me you won't do that again."

Bea's gaze softened. "I wo—"

"Promise!" Allister's body shook as he tried to hold back tears.

"Alli. . ." Bea gently embraced him in a hug. They both leaned into each other, needing each other's support. "I won't do that ever again. I promise I'll always be here, no matter what. And I'll keep fighting for you, and everyone else.

"I promise this, Alli. I'll be here for you.

"Forever."