11:23 a.m., November 6th, Friday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 150.

  Events: Rhea and the girls are on a Badge Hunt, trying to get all the Kanto Encrusted Badges before time runs out! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (28 days away).

  The previous evening was a blur of warmth Rhea hadn’t expected.

  Her parents arrived late—nearly 10 p.m.—arms loaded with enough junk food to feed a small army. Popcorn, chocolate, gummy Teddiursa, sour Bellsprout strips, honey-glazed crackers, and about six different flavors of chips that her mom kept side-eyeing like they were contraband.

  “This is a tad excessive, even for me,” her mother had sighed, though she’d been the first one to crack open the honey crackers. She was a sweets fiend. What she really meant was, “Why don’t you spoil me like this more often?”

  “But you were the one who bought it all, honey?” her dad countered, spreading everything across the hotel room floor like a festival. “Trying to act like a mom by throwing me under the bus and reaping the rewards?”

  “Well, you didn’t have to expose me like that…” her mother pouted, comforting herself with sweets, obviously, and making them all laugh. “Let me fake being a good mom every once in a while.”

  Rhea was quick to correct her, saying that she’d been a fantastic mom. Yet, in the back and forth, with all the laughs, pouting faces, and smiles, she couldn’t help but feel a little of the weight of sorrow her parents had walked to give her this wonderful life.

  Captured by your husband and childhood travel companion. Betrayed. Her mother suffered in ways she couldn’t dream under Rainbow Rocket. Her father, sent as a child to be a double agent by Giovanni and ordered to betray the woman he loved.

  She was the product not of genetic experiments, war, and dimensional domination…but a broken, heart-torn couple, ravaged by war and impossible situations.

  Rhea watched her parents more than the three back-to-back movies they’d brought. One of the romantic dramas had her scientific mother pretending not to cry…and that was enough to make her cry. Not the movie, but seeing her cuddled up to her dad, watching the fires of a tragic life be washed away by love.

  She could feel the words practically leaking out of her mother’s heart and Aura in the way she looked at her father, and she hoped to one day share that kind of connection with Jason.

  Rather than reflecting on the themes or theatrics of the movies, her heart was drawn to what warmth the future held. She reflected on the first day of her journey, after her big brother dropped her off. She’d been trembling and anxious as she went into the Center bathroom, where she met the Wooloo girls for the first time.

  From there, so much sorrow and joy had followed her with each new revelation about her family and past, the growing pains of becoming a trainer, and experiencing the heartache of so many people across Kanto.

  In all her internal reflections, Lori was busy cackling so hard at her own jokes that she’d fallen off the bed. Amira had smiled more than Rhea had seen in weeks, and even her mom had relaxed after her capture and torture, leaning against her dad’s shoulder with a contented sigh.

  It felt…normal. Safe. Like they were fighting back the flood of sorrow with every breath of life. In all the hopelessness she’d felt throughout the last few months, she’d turn those tears into fire to stand where she stood now, Nova literally turning into a Flareon.

  She found comfort in all her snuggled Pokemon, each of them sharing in her twisting inner heart. Rhea didn’t feel sad—she simply recognized the sadness that had brought them all here, and accepted it. She allowed the light of a hopeful future to take her in…because the future was what she made it.

  Her future wasn’t decided by the United Leagues, her aunt, her friends, or even her parents. With the sun of her teenage, innocent life fading, she allowed it to set to walk through the fires of this world. Because where there was raging fire, there was pain, but there was also light and warmth.

  Her dad had hugged her tight before they left, whispering, “You’re doing great, Lil’ Swablu. We’re so proud of you.”

  Her mom had kissed her forehead, clinical mask slipping just enough to show the worry beneath. “Rest today. No training. No Aura usage for at least two weeks—including your fight with Giovanni and Forrest… Even if it feels impossible. You really stretched yourself with V and Lulu’s resonance. Doctor’s orders.”

  Rhea had smiled and made the promise: “If I cannot beat them without my Aura now…I’ll become too dependent on it. Against Blaine, I was just proving to myself I could control it, even if I still need a lot of practice. Promise. No more resonance for at least two weeks.”

  “Good!”

  With her parents leaving, and a full eight hours of sleep, now she was standing in the hotel lobby with her packed bags and her team buzzing around her legs. She felt the weight of what came next settling over her shoulders like a familiar coat.

  Viridian.

  Giovanni.

  Twenty-eight days.

  “You good, Sunshine?” Lori asked, nudging her with an elbow. The Unovan girl looked surprisingly alert for someone who’d been up until 2 a.m. stuffing her face with popcorn and making snarky commentary during every movie scene. “You’ve got that look.”

  “What look?”

  “The ‘I’m spiraling but pretending I’m not’ look,” Amira supplied, adjusting the strap of her designer travel bag with practiced ease. Her crimson eyes were sharp despite the early hour, though Rhea noticed the slight tension in her shoulders that hadn’t been there before. “You’re reflecting on everything we’ve been through since becoming a team, aren’t you?”

  Rhea’s smile turned somewhat melancholy as she bent down to scratch Nova’s ears as she ran forward, no doubt hearing her teammates probing her mood.

  “I’m that easy to read, huh? I guess I do have a terrible poker face,” Rhea whispered, pulling her long, braided hair over her shoulder. “After everything you told me about your thoughts, Lori, I think you’re right. Our parents, the League, everyone has been trying to guide us in a certain direction… There’s too many coincidences.”

  Lori’s smile fell slightly, arms crossing as she looked after Gables and Amber, talking in private and flirting. Lulu and Zyra were quick to disrupt them with a prank, laughing and being chased off by the huffy fox for ruining her moment.

  “I didn’t mean to make you go all philosophical or put a heavy shadow on you. I kind of want to confront my parents about it, but I don’t know what good it will do.”

  Rhea nodded, watching Amira play with her phone to call them a cab to the airport, no doubt. “I think you’re right. We need to step out of their shadows and find our own light, so to speak. And I’ve only been able to find the courage to say that because of both of you… Thank you.”

  Her teammates paused at her sober words and grateful smile, Amira’s fingers pausing over the hologram.

  When they resumed, the redhead mumbled, “That is far from one way, Rhea. I was paralyzed in so many ways… I didn’t know what being a real friend was. I was afraid of chaos, yet Lori helped me understand the growth in it. Thank you, Rhea, Lori.”

  Lori rubbed the back of her neck, looking away with embarrassment despite towering over them. “If we’re airing our hearts so early in the morning, I’m going to need more coffee, but… I still haven’t shared everything with you two. Be a little more patient with me?”

  Rhea smiled, knowing the much taller girl had body dysmorphia issues that ran deeper than she was willing to let them in on, and closed in to hug her. “Always.”

  Her phone buzzing saved Lori’s reddening cheeks, and she pulled back to check it, Rhea’s heart doing a small flip when she saw the notification banner.

  Nova’s Big Screen Debut! Filming Schedule Confirmed for… January 15th-February 10th? Preparation meetings begin December 20th. Please confirm attendance… Is that going to be a problem? That’s during the Silver Cup.

  Her chest tightened as she tapped the notification, scrolling through the details.

  Ambrosia and Vee—Nova’s parents—were confirmed for lead roles. It seemed her texts to both Ash and Elaine had moved ground the producer could never have made.

  Nova would have scenes with both of them, including a bonding sequence that was apparently central to the plot. The friend she’d made in Saffron would be a critical figure, as well, which was in the contract.

  It was a dream opportunity for her little Eevee to connect with her family, to shine on a stage that would reach millions across multiple regions.

  The Pokémon Dungeon Rescue Squad TV series was a massive inspiration for her team in general, but really, Nova was the main one enthralled by it. Of course, with that, Lulu was influenced a lot, obviously, though on the villain’s side.

  But it also meant Nova would be gone for months after they finished the Silver Cup.

  If they went to Paldea, then she wouldn’t have her little Ace.

  “Pwe?”

  “What is it, Rhea?”

  Rhea looked down to find Nova staring up at her, pink eyes wide and questioning as Amira moved closer to look at the message.

  “Ah, the scheduling is set for the film. Earlier than I anticipated, but I suppose that is the director’s way to jump full force before even getting everything lined up. Honestly, if all of his projects didn’t turn out to be major box office hits, he’d be destitute with how brazen and unreasonable he is.”

  The Eevee’s salt-and-pepper tail swished anxiously, black-heart tip flicking back and forth in that telltale nervous pattern, and Rhea could feel the thread of worry pulsing through their bond like a gentle tug.

  “Yeah, I’m glad you got your lawyers to look over everything to make it all work out, Amira. We’d be lost without you. And yes, Nova, it’s the movie stuff,” Rhea said softly, scratching under Nova’s chin. The texture was always so soft under her fingers—like silk mixed with cotton. “We’re committed to it. You excited?”

  The Eevee let out a small, wavering trill, pink eyes shining with a worry Rhea felt like a tug on her own chest. Lulu being Lulu was already a disaster waiting to happen…but the thought of being gone from Rhea for months? That fear was deeper, heavier—short-term chaos and long-term separation crashing together in her tiny heart.

  “Pwe…pori?”

  Rhea could read every emotion flickering across their bond. And, shockingly, Mya was trying to mediate as Holly joined her. Rhea was still centered on her most stable and grounded girl in her team.

  Nova was excited to meet her parents and spend real time with them. She was terrified of leaving them behind for so long. She was even worried she’d fall behind the others in training, though Rhea was sure her parents would be able to teach her more than any battles they’d have. And, perhaps most of all, she was scared Rhea would be sad and grow bitter at her for going.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Hey.” Rhea cupped Nova’s face gently, thumbs brushing over the soft fur near her cheeks. “You’re going to be amazing, and we’ve still got over a month and a half before then. That’s forever in our lives…”

  “Pwe…”

  “I know. I love you, too,” she whispered, holding out a hand to tap her little girl’s held-up paw. “We’re always a team. You and Mya will always be my first bonds. And I know your mom and dad are going to love you…and you’re going to learn so much from them. Battle techniques, maybe some new forms…and when you come back, you’re going to show and tell me everything, okay?”

  “Pwe-pwe…” Nova’s voice was small but resolute.

  “I’ll miss you like crazy, too, but we don’t need to talk about this yet.” Rhea chuckled, voice thick with emotion she didn’t try to hide. “This is your dream, Nova. Battling is fun, but you really do like Contests. Movies are a new experience. Plus, I know you’ve been talking the ears off the other Pokémon about your special time with your mother. I’m not going to hold you back from it. Not ever.”

  Nova’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as Amira smiled and stepped away, returning to her phone. The redhead must have said something to Amber through their connection because the fox sniffed, held her nose in the air, and stormed back to Gables.

  Rhea squeezed her starter’s paw firmly. “Later, Nova. Right now, we need to focus on the path ahead of us before we center on the path of the future. Are you with me?”

  “Pwe!”

  “I thought so.”

  “Pun-pun?”

  Alice hopped over from where she’d been doing cartwheels and showing off her flips to onlookers in the lobby—she was really being a sweetheart and distracting everyone to give their group space. The Lopunny patted Nova’s shoulder with one long ear in a gesture of solidarity that was somehow both awkward and sweet.

  Mya jogged over with Lulu and Shae in tow—the Ralts seemed to be getting influenced by the villainess while she’d been unconscious. Bad or good? She couldn’t say yet. Nonetheless, the pair immediately tangled themselves around Nova’s legs in a full group hug that had her Eevee smothered and crying for mercy.

  “Nee-nee!”

  “Wile!”

  “Ralts-ralts!”

  “Pweeeeee!”

  “We’ve got her while you’re gone,” Alice seemed to say with a determined thump of her foot, and Nova relaxed slightly, tail wagging with more confidence.

  “Alright, ladies!” Lori called from the lobby doors, where a sleek black car had just pulled up to the curb. “Seems Ruby here got our ride. Fancy, as usual. Let’s get this show on the road before I fall asleep standing up. I am not a morning person, and you all know this.”

  Rhea straightened, pocketing her phone and shouldering her bag. “Lori, it’s practically noon.”

  “And I need a second nap to save me from early wrinkles. Sue me!” she snickered. “Some of us aren’t born natural blonde bombshells, Ms…what was it? Joltik? No,” she laughed with a wink as Amira rolled her eyes and let the driver take her bags to the trunk, “That’s right, you evolved into a Galvantula. Right, Ms. Big Butt?”

  “Oh, shut up,” Rhea snorted, shaking her head. “Teasing me about Jason’s nickname is only going to make me miss him more, meanie.”

  “I got you to smile! Bittersweet is still sweet, Sunshine.”

  “Whatever you say, Ms. Love Expert.”

  The girls filed toward the car while the driver held the door, clearly unsure whether to be terrified or charmed by the parade of personalities—human and otherwise.

  Amira glided in first, perfect posture as always, already scanning the route on her holo-display.

  Lori flopped into the middle seat, like she owned it.

  Rhea followed, Nova leaping into her lap before the door was fully closed.

  “Next stop,” Lori declared, stretching like a Luxray waking from a nap, “Viridian. Land of Giovanni, political stress, and way too much drama. Buckle up, ladies.”

  Rhea exhaled slowly, hand drifting to Nova’s soft fur again as she hopped into the car.

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “No kidding… Back to Viridian. Seems like forever ago since the Plasma incident.”

  Shae held up her hands, and Rhea put her on her shoulder, humming a tune only she could hear. “And did you call a Rocket car for us?” Rhea asked Amira as they settled in with the salted island breeze flowing around them.

  The redhead’s lips twitched into a small, secretive smile that immediately made Rhea suspicious. “Something like that. We are on a bit of a time crunch, and I wasn’t exactly sure when you’d wake up, so everything was thrown out of planning.”

  “Amira…”

  “You’ll see.”

  The airport was surprisingly quiet for a Friday morning, though Rhea supposed most people weren’t flying out of Cinnabar at 11 a.m. on a weekday but flying in. They bypassed the main terminal entirely, the driver guiding them around the back roads to a private section of the airfield Rhea hadn’t even known existed.

  And that’s when she saw it.

  A massive jet—sleek, black, and gleaming in the late morning sun—sat on the tarmac like a predator at rest. The Rocket logo emblazoned on the tail fin was unmistakable, a stylized R in crimson and black that practically screamed wealth and power.

  “Uh, Amira? We skipped the whole Mukin’ airport for a private jet?” Lori mumbled slowly, her voice climbing an octave as she pressed her face against the car window. “Is that—”

  “One of Rocket’s company jets—my father’s specifically,” Amira finished, stepping out of the car with practiced ease as it came to a stop, though Rhea noticed the faint pink tinge creeping up her neck. “Yes. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and I’m deciding to eat with it here. Sue me.”

  “And why would I do that when we get Rocket treatment?” Lori laughed. “If anything, I’m happy I get to sleep better than First Class! Dream world, here I come.”

  “Amira,” Rhea squeaked, staring at the aircraft. “Is this because of my battle with Blaine?”

  The redhead showed a pained smile. “You’re getting a lot better at reading between the lines, Rhea. I think I’m having an influence on you. I’m not sure how to feel about that.”

  “Hey, don’t count out my bad influence on our little Honey Pot,” Lori joked back.

  “Yes, yes,” Rhea half sighed and laughed at the same time. “You’re both corrupting me in all the best ways. Well,” she glanced away with a bit of color touching her cheeks, “maybe Lori is a bit more degenerate than I would like, but that’s just her.”

  “Right? No, I think you’re also having a good influence on me in regard to that, Sunshine,” the Unovan girl whispered so softly she wasn’t sure she heard it. “In any case, we’re off! Wait, is that—I should have known, Amira!”

  The Rocket girl forced a grin as a familiar brunette girl who looked just as old as her daughter emerged.

  “There’s my little Mew! Girls, I can’t wait to catch up!”

  Lyra was bouncing up and down at the door, a glowing ball of energy.

  Rhea followed, heart pounding as she climbed the stairs, Amira’s face bright pink now.

  “Mom, you don’t need to be so…you.”

  “Oh, but that’s all I can be is me, silly! Oh, we have so much food prepared. I cooked it all myself! Come! Come! Family lunch.”

  The interior was exactly what she’d expected—polished dark wood paneling, cream leather seats that looked like they cost more than her entire wardrobe, soft ambient lighting, and enough space to comfortably fit a dozen people. It smelled like expensive cologne, fresh coffee, and something else she couldn’t quite place. New car smell, maybe? New jet smell?

  And sitting in one of the front seats, long legs crossed and a tablet resting in his lap, was Silver as his wife hopped in with them in tow.

  “Good morning, ladies,” he said, looking up with a calm smile that immediately put Rhea at ease. “I hope you’re getting accustomed to my adorable wife. I know she can be a handful. Sorry, sweetheart.”

  “Oh, stop it, Dad,” Amira chuckled as she went to hug him and Lyra beamed nearby. “You encourage her to be a force of chaos.”

  “What can I say? I fell in love with the woman because of that energy and chaos.”

  Lyra snickered. “Some have even joked, calling it stockholm syndrome, like I tied him up and locked him in my basement.”

  “Well…it was my basement at the time,” Silver mused.

  The brunette pushed her lips to the side with a playful glare. “Hey, Gold and me were infiltrating a Rocket base, thank you very much. And someone, I recall, tried to strip me down naked in front of all the grunts!”

  “Eh—those are details from another time.”

  “No! Not another time,” Lori breathed with interest. “Story time! Give me all the details.”

  Rhea watched the chaos with a smile. It was so different from her family dynamic, yet also similar in a way. Her father was the adventurous ball of chaos, and her mother the defensive, hideaway wife, who isolated herself in self-crucifixion research due to guilt.

  In contrast to their family dysfunction, Amira’s parents seemed perfect—order and chaos, working hand in hand. Yet she knew the family had many internal problems of its own. They were just way better at hiding it than normal families, and for good reason, with how public they were.

  She sat down, studying the three of them as they got together.

  Silver’s red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, though the pronounced ahoge sticking up at an adorable angle completely undermined his otherwise professional appearance. His wife appeared to love playing with it as they sat on the couch together, the woman bobbing back and forth while handling every barb their embarrassed daughter threw.

  He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark slacks—clearly coming from or heading to work. And in an instant, he was redirecting the two women in his life back to their group:

  “Rhea, Lori, I hope you don’t mind the company. Lyra and I insisted that you travel with us to make sure you made it on time. We wanted to make sure you arrived safely.”

  Rhea just smiled inside, thinking, Yeah, sure, Silver. The royal-we is what you’re saying. That’s a good guy, right there. Lyra pushed it, no doubt.

  “I see no problems, Mr. Rocket!” Rhea brightened, some of her nervous energy melting away at his warm, soothing voice, calming the chaos. She’d always liked Silver since meeting him on their first visit to Viridian. He was calm, steady, and had this way of making everything feel manageable even when it wasn’t. “It’s so good to see you! How have you been?”

  “Busy,” he admitted with a wry smile, setting the tablet aside and managing to get away from his wife to greet them properly. “But that’s nothing new. Congratulations on your Blaine victories, by the way. All three of you were exceptional. I could say we got an enormous amount of good data, based on the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon you used, but that’s beside the point. The more impressive part was that you all managed to control those energies.”

  He shook their hands and motioned for them to join Lyra and his daughter as the brunette dragged the redhead toward the back dining area. “Please, join my girls. I’ll let the pilot know we’re ready to take off. We’ll be in Viridian by the time we finish lunch.”

  Rhea forced a smile.

  Before we’re done with lunch? Either this is a hyper-fast jet, or we’re going to be having a long lunch. Both? Probably both.

  “I love it. Thank you for everything your family has done for us.”

  “…Oh, I think we haven’t done nearly enough,” the man whispered, vision falling to the carpet with a bitter smile. “The sins of the fathers do affect their posterity… Every generation. But we can only work to better the future instead of wallowing in the past.”

  He moved closer to shake her hand a second time, now only the two of them in the lounging area, with everyone else rushing to the back for food. Silver’s gaze showed real empathy and fatherly warmth that took Rhea by surprise.

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my daughter… I cannot express… I do not have the words to say what you have done. It’s something I could never do as her father. All I can say is thank you. You have lifted a burden from my heart that has plagued me for decades.”

  In that shocking silence, Rhea didn’t know what to say. Apparently nothing, because with a nod, Silver broke away to speak to the pilot.

  She watched him go, rubbing two fingers together that still tingled from their gripped hands. His lightly leaked Aura said everything she needed to know—the fears of a father toward his daughter, and his adverse effects on her.

  There’s so many inner connections between people’s hearts… My Aura and powers affect so many people. When I first started this journey, I was just so nervous about making friends. If my teammates would even like me. What they’d be like. But now… How many people have I touched on this journey over the last few months?

  A lot of people…

  So many people.

  She stared down at her hand as it started to shake, and a dark thought began to leak into her heart.

  How much of that is truly because of me…or the powers I was gifted with as Rainbow Rocket’s ultimate weapon? Giovanni’s genetically engineered right hand. What will he do when he finds out Mom swapped the sperm from his to Dad’s? I’m not Giovanni’s…but the Abilities I was gifted were real.

  Reaching up to rub between her eyes, she forced out a laugh.

  “Cut it out, Sunshine,” she mumbled, channeling her inner Lori. “In the end, it doesn’t matter. Both are me…”

  She took out her phone and flipped to Jason’s texts, heat rising in her chest again as she whispered words she needed to hear:

  “Difficult, you’re making this difficult. I’m so self-involved but you’re making me change my way… Somehow, single-handedly, you break me. One look, and I’ve lost control. I’m slipping into the pool of your way.

  “Fall into your luster.

  “Fall into your shine.

  “You’ve left me with no cover. I have nowhere to hide—one way or another. Once I’ve seen who you are, there could be no other… Like a spider, you’ve trapped me in your hold. So did you design this web? Because I’ve got you on my mind.”

  Rhea whispered her own response as the jet prepared to lift off, taking from his earlier message:

  “Funny—a white horse of reason and a black horse of passion… I was developed by a reason…which was slipping into your pool of passion. Somehow, you can ground me with love without even being here. It’s unreasonable. But I need you… I love you. Text me tonight, please. And thank you for loving me.”

  With that message sent.

  She went to have lunch with her friends and Pokémon.

  She was once a naive, teenage girl, stepping into a world that she was sheltered from.

  Now, Rhea was leaving that girl behind, because the future may hold more pain, but the joy and happiness she could gain were worth every drop of blood and tear shed.

  She felt free again.

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