Patricia Greenwood

  —

  "Why is it this fuc-! Why does this place have such bland music?"

  Me, Leaf, and Professor Oak all looked at Erin in confusion as we sat out back after dinner relaxing. Charizard sat at the table with us, too, but she was half asleep after she ate half of a Ponyta by herself. Bland music? This was Piers, though? I mean, he wasn't my favorite, especially his style, but she said it was bland. Erin meant what she said.

  "Define bland, Erin." Leaf was giving her an odd look. The Professor looked intrigued, though.

  "It all sounds like it was meant for a children's audience, even metal and rap, and it was. I thought there would be more musical diversity and depth here, for some reason. It's like, the one thing I'm really racking my head about. The food is fine, just bland, you don't use enough of any spices, you act like salt is gold even though you can just evaporate it out of the sea! I mean, there's a few things missing, but considering it's the food and drinks that were more chemicals than nutrition? Glad for that one." That was quite the expression on her face. How bad were those… foods?

  "Everything else is more or less here, as far as major dishes. Pizza, burgers, pasta, pastries… well that's western food, so like, the other side of this world… I mean, there's a lot of Eastern food here in Kanto too, obviously. I never got to visit Japan, and I know the food is blander, but I'm still looking forward to trying everything here. I mean, Japan was famous for so many dishes, but my favorite was always sushi- although, it's not nearly as diverse here, obviously. You can't beat dozens of species of fish- out of probably twenty thousand saltwater species worldwide- approved for raw consumption." That was insanity!

  I mean, I had heard about these 'animals', but they sounded… far too eerie to me, honestly. Uncanny. Like a mixture between an insect and a Pokemon in intelligence…

  "Architecture? Amazing, far more amazing than my old place overall. I mean, we could do beauty and inspiration and the wonder of the human spirit like that, the Taj Mahal speaks for itself, but it was usually just soulless squares that were hyper-efficient… according to the board of directors who never used one and sat in beautiful, still-square skyscraper offices among the clouds… Architecture seems much more personalized here, even normal homes, although to be fair, other parts of my world had that… the older parts. I lived in a relatively newer part of the world… Houses here aren't exactly the same in almost every way, other than what the builders messed up… I fixed so much stuff… Toilets suck…"

  She never talked about her old life… Not really… That was one of the more intimate things I now knew about my daughter's previous personal life… She fixed her house a lot… and she hated fixing her toilet…

  I mean, I could agree with her on that one.

  "Infrastructure? Amazing here, but that's just because you have magic people that fit into impossible spheres, and spheres that absorb mass. I guess that's kind of counterbalanced by aquatic species taking down ships, though… Routes? No real parallel, no real comment. Well, we had roads obviously, but unless you were in a war zone it was just… a road. No magical creature throwing a fireball at your face... But of all things, music is the window into the soul, and this place feels so limited… I feel bad, honestly… Well, it's not li-… Oh." Her voice was so small as she got a disturbed and sad look on her face, and I felt a headache begin to form.

  Erin'd had a realization, and now she was going to sit here and just break some perception we had about life, the universe, or even a piece of toast!

  Arceus, she probably could read into a piece of toast! 'This toast is different this way here, so this specific crumb means that you're all illusions!' I could see her doing that! Not her words, because my daughter was insane, her origins aside. I could never predict what craziness was about to leak out.

  I sighed.

  Heavily.

  "Erin, what did you realize about music of all things? Professor, you haven't been here for one of these yet, but you'll either enjoy this, or leave with a huge headache. I already have one forming." He began to chuckle as Erin glared at me.

  "Oh, I quite enjoyed her theory of everything and the fae! Thank you again for sending me the video, Rotom! Erin was right, there has never been any record of the type of 'bond' Leaf and Clefairy share. I truly regret that I can't publish any of it…" Yes, please don't, Professor. He perked up a bit.

  "Is it a theory if Clefairy gave it away, though? Fae never answer those questions, they can't. Certain information makes them flee, even though we have never figured out a pattern. In fact, I get the feeling Erin suspected that, and wanted Clefairy to have to react after she agreed not to." He was giving my daughter a knowing glance, and I began to grow suspicious. Especially when she avoided my eyes.

  "Erin, what did you intend to happen?" She refused to look at me.

  "Erin. What?" She turned back and glared at me.

  "I intended to never know the answer to exactly what I… dealt with. I intended to just have a relaxing night in the open air again. I intended to never speak of any of that. I mean, the fae stuff. I'll talk about my theory of everything any time, no problem. I intended many things, and many things ended up happening, as they are wont to do as time flows ever onward." I scowled at her as Leaf giggled.

  "Erin, you are not a fae. Just give me a straight answer." She just grinned at me, her darn spooky-beautiful eyes far too wide. And pleased.

  "Sure about that? I've literally never told a knowing lie the entire time I've been in this world. Fae can lie, as long as they aren't lying to themselves. Look into my eyes, mom. Watch the shine!" She was far too pleased with herself.

  "Erin. This is not a request. Tell me what you intended to happen." She was far too proud of herself, not just pleased. That was dangerous.

  "Intentions are strange things, mom." She was chuckling now!

  "Erin, I've heard you lecture Fraxure on pride, but you look a lot like him right now when he finally got a decent Breaking Swipe down." She scowled at me before looking away.

  "It's not my secret to speak of. Ask her." I saw her Shellder up and shook my head.

  "Clefairy, can Erin tell us?" She looked up from the light doze she had been in, resting in my daughter's lap like usual. She looked up, thought for a second, then looked at Erin in absolute, utter shock. Then they both grinned. Evilly.

  "That is not a good sign, Erin! What did you do!?" They both turned their wide, too-proud grins at me. Professor Oak spoke up.

  "Erin, maybe just tell us? You obviously want to." She beamed a huge smile at him.

  "Yes, obviously, but you know the fae enjoy their games and entertainment." She barely flinched when she said that, but it was still there. She would hurt herself for her own amusement… Arceus above, why is she so crazy?

  I just want that one answer, please?

  My other daughter got a huge grin on her face, too. I scowled at her.

  "Leaf, I can tell you just communed with Clefairy. Tell me. WHAT?! Did your insane sister do?!" Her smile grew so wide she looked like Erin, and I grew worried for an entirely different reason.

  Leaf could be who she wanted. I would prefer it to be someone sane, though. If she wanted to follow Erin, that was her decision… But I don't think Kanto could survive two Erin's…

  Clefairy was just smiling widely at Erin. She had shared a single wicked grin with my daughter, and that worried me terribly, but now it was just pure adoration, eyes sparkling. That was new. She looked like she would turn the world upside down for Erin right now… Maybe literally, fae nonsense being what it is…

  "I mean… Give them a hint, Erin." Erin frowned at Leaf, but groaned after a second.

  "She had no reason to believe I knew any of that, considering I'm not from this world, this universe. I didn't start out a blank slate here, I arrived with all my memories… I doubt any fae would have thought I knew any of that, and thus she had no reason to leave before I started. So how do you punish someone for something they had no control over? You don't, not if you're fair, and despite everything about the fae, they are fair. They can twist fair to be unfair, but the point stands. So how do they punish Clefairy for a reaction she had, but only after I had put her in a position where she had to react? Such as, hearing something you shouldn't be hearing, at all, and having to leave?" She smiled. "Conflicting rules, basically."

  She went silent and stared between me and the Professor. He was thinking deeply, even as Erin was putting in… earbuds? I gave her a look but she shook her head, before she bent over Rotom, already muttering at it. The Professor spoke up uncertainly.

  "They would make a new rule?" Erin just shook her head.

  Leaf spoke up, and I guess we were talking to my other daughter now, considering Erin had entirely turned to Rotom, fingers dancing across it. She was squinting and frowning at its screen.

  "Nope! Not even close!" Leaf was far too happy about something that my daughter and a fae had thought was devilishly awesome! Something that made Clefairy that happy couldn't be- Wait… Clefairy is… not that bad. At all, really. I like her, actually… Somehow, to my never ending disbelief. Only Erin would find or make a nice, good fae… She was still a prankster, but I would forgive that. She was a Pokemon as well as a fae.

  "Leaf, just… tell us?" She Shellder'd up just like Erin! No, this was a bad thing! I like Clefairy, but they are too happy, still!

  "What else would you do? If you can't punish her, what would be the point?" Leaf giggled at the Professor's question and I got worried. She was way too happy. They all were.

  Erin looked up briefly and scowled theatrically at me.

  "Just tell them, Leaf. I'm busy, and this is distracting." What was she doing on Rotom?

  "Fine, fine. Your no fun, mom, Professor." I scowled at her, but the Professor was… you know, I'm not even surprised at this point. The man records anything he finds interesting, if he's not taking notes, or both.

  Like he was.

  "If you can't punish someone who broke the rules, but broken rules must be punished, what do you do? You remove the rules for the individual." We both gasped in absolute horror. Leaf didn't even flinch at the sound, just smiling serenely at us.

  "Remember our bond! Clefairy will still never lie, she has literally no interest in lying on a fundamental level… she just can now. I don't think you understand how big a deal that is for fae. She has the choice now. Erin gave her a choice that she had never even thought possible, so now, every time she tells the truth?" Her smile grew even warmer, so warm and serene.

  "It feels! Not better or worse necessarily, it just does, because it's a choice, and choices are important. Especially when you have so very few. Erin gave her a new feeling to savor, too. Freedom. Clefairy is possibly the first free fae in history. She's never heard of this! She can share that much of her knowledge with me freely. She does still have rules baked into her existence itself, but those are it now." Erin was widely smiling even as she tapped away, and Clefairy was beaming a huge smile at Erin. Hadn't stopped, actually.

  I exchanged stunned glances with the Professor. That shouldn't be possible! That was… it was a rule, right? How do you get removed from the rules? WHAT!?

  "Leaf, HOW?!" Wow, that was the Professor! Leaf just gave the flustered man a wide smile. Still so happy for her friend, who almost looked like she was using Swift in her eyes somehow! Still!

  "Because Erin is probably one of the more devious individuals on this planet." She was grinning, but she was watching Erin, who was… I spoke up disbelievingly.

  "Is she… air drumming?" It really looked like it. Her lips were moving, but not clearly enough to read. She was singing to herself!

  We all exchanged stunned glances around the table. I had never heard her so much as hum a tune! Judging by the stunned look on Leaf's face, she hadn't either. The Professor didn't know her all that well, but he looked so happy. Probably because he was about to hear the most exotic music he's ever heard…

  "Well, this looks like it will be interesting! In fact, Patricia, would you care for a shot of Winton Brandy? Strong stuff, but a shot to sip on and smell is divine." Erin perked up a bit, then went green. No…

  No way.

  WHAT!?

  "Erin Phoebus Greenwood, have you had Winton Brandy?!" She paled, but then went greener. She held up a finger, pointed at herself, then held it in front of her lips, then pointed at Leaf. She was still… lip syncing? What even was that called? Really? She's not syncing to anything…

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  My other daughter had a look in her eyes. Far too amused…

  "Mom, let's say this. Erin got her punishment. All of them. Plus… it wasn't all her fault." Erin looked up with true alarm in her eyes and Leaf's mouth practically clicked as it shut. Well, it wasn't Raihan, he was surprisingly mature despite… appearances. That only left…

  "Mom, put your PokeNav down. Don't do it. You should be thanking him." Now Erin growled with her eyes glowing, because of course they were!

  Oh Arceus, I don't care where she's from, I love her dearly, she is my child, but why must you test me SO? She couldn't just… NOT?!

  She is breaking my sanity!

  "Why? Why would I be thanking Looker for giving my underage daughter alcohol!" Leaf's smile grew wide, and then Professor Oak bellowed out a laugh.

  "Hah! He gave you what looked like a normal amount of liquor, didn't he?" Erin's face was still green, and she was studiously ignoring us. Wait, Looker loved to ruin Erin's day, but he wasn't malicious, so… Why would he give her that mu-

  Oh.

  Because Alakazam said she needed it… And he was pissed at being successfully guilted… I could ignore it this once… And have another talk with Rotom, for the future… I don't think she would… but Rotom would make sure.

  Her head was bobbing now, and I found myself really looking forward to whatever my insane child dragged out of that disturbing head of hers. They were always interesting, honestly…

  I was also going slightly crazier, for sure.

  "You know Professor, that sounds great, actually. Thank you." Might as well roll with it, right? I love her, and she wasn't going to stop being… her…

  Charizard gave me a huge smile as she bent to let the Professor climb on. Judging from her excited face, she was about to get a shot, too.

  —

  An hour later Erin looked up from Rotom and blinked rapidly.

  "Ah, wow, Rotom screens are nice, but still. Too much ghostly energy." The Professor looked intrigued for all of a second before Erin continued. "I mean, I think anything Rotom touches just turns worse, so who knows." Rotom giggled.

  She looked around and gave us strange, searching looks.

  "I know I love to talk about theories and listen to my own 'brilliance', but for this, I'm just going to sing. Try to find out the difference between this world and my old one as I do. Now… These are the equivalent of hearing a complex song and reproducing it with wooden plates and spoons instead of instruments. So much is going to be missing, I can only do vocals, and honestly… It was hard getting just two songs with even very basic rhythms. I wasn't a musician in any form, I was horrible at it, actually." Aww, I had kind of hoped to hear more, but I understood that.

  "I mean, there were thousands, probably tens of thousands of songs that were just voices, but I really didn't listen to those genres… Either way, only two. They aren't exactly what I would listen to all the time, not at all, actually. The first one is… it isn't super, ah, fun, probably, and I never actually watched the show it was inspired by, but I liked it… It's not extreme, I'm not about to tear my throat doing death metal. It is… one end of a scale. Something… different than you've probably ever heard. The second you'll probably… not hate… maybe. It's not exactly happy, though..." Death metal? Like metal, but death? Erin, what the hell is that!?

  That gave us so much information, dear… Still, this brandy is amazing! I've only taken two sips, barely even enough to coat my tongue, and I was feeling a little loose already. I was mainly just breathing it in, honestly, it smelled amazing. This one shot probably cost as much as my computer did… Charizard had just drank hers… She didn't even hold it in her mouth briefly, just down the hatch! What a waste…

  Erin stood up and walked into the yard, then frowned.

  "Mom, gimme a nice flat platform, please, wide as you want, at least ten by ten." Leto growled, and a moment later Erin rose up on the new platform of stone. She shuffled around a bit, smiled evilly, and I mean that literally, then looked at Rotom and bounced her eyebrows.

  "Time to go insane, bud!" Not worrying at all!

  Her voice was evil as she declared, not even sang, as Rotom began to play a bouncy, simple tune. She was theatrical as she did it too, shuffling and throwing her arms out like she was talking to an audience of more than three humans and a lot of Pokemon, like she was talking to a packed crowd.

  "Dearly beloved, for your entertainment

  It's my pleasure to introduce to you Hell's latest arrival

  The equal opportunity killer, Alastor!"

  Okay, now I began to have real worries.

  The worries only grew as she continued to speak-sing from the viewpoint of a murderer who went to hell and decided to kill more!

  "I don't know how I got here

  But I think I'm starting to understand

  I don't belong among the angels

  And baby that's just fine with me

  The things I did up there were high school

  But now I'm going for my degree!"

  That was… not comforting…

  What was really disturbing was how into it she got. When she was talking she practically acted it out, like she was an actual murderer who went to hell and was walking around looking for a mark! She air-sliced a throat! She stabbed invisible people! Her eyes were wide with excitement as she did it!

  "Haven't been the same since I expired!

  Doesn't mean that I plan to retire!"

  Her voice caught as she spoke those words, but she kept on going, getting even more animated as she practically danced around her impromptu stage.

  "And now I have the power to bathe all of you in entertaining fire!" She was rapturous as she practically shouted to the sky as she sang.

  Was this really a song from her old world? People enjoyed this? I actually somewhat enjoyed the vague, simple melodies that were playing, but Erin hadn't been lying when she said there wasn't much but basic sounds and her vocals. Not that she lied…

  It was a song about reveling in killing, in a place where everyone was evil. Full of targets… Her head was bouncing, eyes wide in glee, arms bouncing and swinging to beats she hadn't been able to get into the music.

  She was truly enjoying this song…

  "And maybe I enjoy it just a little bit

  Does that make me insaaaaaane?"

  She took a deep breath, and when she looked up at us there was a huge, wicked grin on her face. She looked like she was about to eat someone. She bounced her eyebrows at us.

  "Like it?" I scowled at her, not even looking at the expressions of the others. She rapidly looked back at Rotom, hanging there in the air.

  "Oh, hey, looks like it's time for piano." A soft, gentle tune began to play as my daughter seemed to retract in on herself, not quite hugging herself, but close. Her voice was soft as she began, so gently.

  "I know you've got the best intentions

  Just trying to find the right words to say

  I promise I've already learned my lesson

  But right now, I want to be not okay…"

  Her voice was already breaking, and my eyes started to mist. There was almost no actual music from instruments, just Erin's voice and a very basic piano tune. She wasn't the best singer, but the emotion in her voice…

  "Let me just stop trying

  Let me just stop fighting

  I don't want your good advice

  Or reasons why I'm alright

  You don't know what it's like-"

  She pulled a huge sob back in, sniffling.

  "Yeah, you don't know what it's like…."

  Is this about… depression? Almost certainly, but I don't think that was all…

  "Don't look at me like that

  Just like you understand

  Don't try to pull me back

  Let me just give up

  Let me just let go

  If this isn't good for me

  Well, I don't wanna know…"

  Oh Erin…

  When she finally finished, she just stood there for a moment, wiping her tears away. She looked up, and I almost cried myself just from the pain in her eyes. She cleared her throat, giving us all very odd looks.

  "O-One more… This song was so famous that I can actually remember most of the words, if not all, e-even if I never listened to it casually… and it's just v-voice, with a beat… Rotom, just… just give me a couple high, happy, sounding strings to strum, you don't have ukuleles here for some reason…" Rotom flew to her, oddly silent and compliant, and rested itself in her left hand. She took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. She looked back at us.

  "This is called Over the Rainbow… And it's about… you'll see…"

  She didn't start singing, she started… going 'Oooo' in a repeating pattern... But it was somehow… touching, soulful. She just kept doing it too, for almost a minute as she got into it, flicking her other hand onto Rotom to create a light, breezy, cheerful sound.

  Then my newest daughter opened her mouth and broke my heart with her voice. She was singing so slowly, and tears were already flowing from her tightly closed eyes.

  "Somewhere over the rainbow way up high

  There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby

  Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue

  And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true…"

  She was sobbing into the words now, but it was so hauntingly beautiful, still.

  She kept singing for minutes, and as she just kept putting her heart into her words, I realized what this song was about. Everything. Life and death. Why did I also get the horrible feeling that it was talking about a form of afterlife? There was no afterlife, that had been confirmed! Supposedly. I should ask the Professor…

  When she finished, she turned away from us to wipe her face, and I noticed Leaf and the Professor also had wet eyes, along with all the Pokemon. I truly did not have the words for what I had just heard. I mean, I had heard much more technically complex music before, but…

  The feelings in her voice…

  Professor Oak spoke up, so very, very softly.

  "This is your afterlife, isn't it?" A single strangled sob escaped her, but she didn't respond. My eyes widened in horror.

  Arceus above, it was! She had died! Gone to a different place after!

  "T-This place… I-It's…" She cut herself off with a huge sob, but she walked over to the table. Her face was a ruin of tears and snot, but she quickly grabbed two pieces of grass, broke them into even lengths, then broke one just a little shorter. She placed them down so that the longer one's right end was behind the shorter one's right end, not much, but a noticeable amount… She pointed to the longer piece, resting below the shorter one.

  "My world…" She sobbed again and walked away, out the gate and into the Ranch as Rotom flew to her. Kallen gently followed her, not even latching on, as the rest of the Pokemon outside just… sat there.

  Most of them were still too emotional to move if they had wanted, actually. Maddy was rapidly blinking, Wukong was furiously rubbing at eyes that were totally dry, Leto was a mess, considering she refused to sniffle, such an act being far too undignified for her. It was just… flowing, instead. Much more dignified... The rest of Erin's team were huddled together, crying… The rescues, too, from their usual corner. Lucy was crying in my lap, while my valet dabbed at his own eyes with a very fancy handkerchief…

  Clefairy was crying, but she was still looking at the gate Erin had walked through, and I honestly don't think I could put her expression into words. It was like she was lost… The shine in her eyes was dim, as well. Leaf's maid was already at Leafs side, hugging her from behind, eyes also wet even as she stroked my daughter's hair.

  Fraxure wasn't crying, but he looked sad. I didn't know it was even possible for him to feel empathy…

  "I-I… I think that… Professor, there is no afterlife, right? I thought…" I trailed off and he softly spoke up.

  "It has been confirmed through various friendly Mythicals and Legendaries throughout history… There is no afterlife… This is where we come back to, supposedly. They could have lied, but I… I highly doubt that…" He looked disturbed, but Leaf's face was too knowing. I didn't glare at her, I don't think I had the energy to, but my voice was mildly pleading as I spoke.

  "Leaf… What did you realize?" Her eyes were sorrowful as she looked at me, before she closed them. Her voice was so soft and sad as she spoke.

  "If her world's music had that much depth of emotion… and that usually comes from… extremes… and she finds ours bland…" She sniffled.

  "If her theory of everything is even remotely close… And I think we're mostly sure of that… Where was her world in relation to ours, or those adjacent to ours? Her universe?" She went silent as I tried to follow her train of thought.

  If we were all part of Arceus, and moving towards Him, and there was no afterlife… That would mean we were near the… top…

  Oh Arceus, you cannot be serious!

  "Leaf… are you saying she's from Hell?" My voice was breaking as I said that. No! She was too good for that!

  Leaf shook her head.

  "No, mom, if you want to be technical, that's where Clefairy comes from, even lower than Erin's old world, lower than all worlds… I think those pieces of grass are morality, maybe." Morality? She continued with a pained face.

  "I don't think it was much further… down, but yeah. I think… I think that those are scales, ranges. Her world's 'best' person was still not as good as our 'best'... and her worst was so much worse we couldn't begin to fathom it… Or that might have been the range they could potentially express and feel…" She went silent, even as I digested that.

  Erin had spilled way too much to me. I knew Leaf was probably right… What did that mean for my daughter, though? She… thought she was a monster, and truly believed it. She called this world a utopia, despite it being filled with harsh realities… She just wanted to do good, but she had 'lied like she breathed' in her old world…

  Leaf's voice was broken as she whispered her next words.

  "She was transplanted here, and her soul never… advanced properly, and she probably thinks that's why she can't appreciate all the flavors or sounds. In her mind… I'm pretty sure she thinks she is, or has the capacity to be, the most evil person in this world, because to her, she comes from… a darker place… and just is worse, at heart, simply because she's from there…"

  I truly did not like how likely that sounded…

  —

  Erin didn't come home that night. I would have worried, but Rotom told me she was fine. Nothing else, because apparently it does feel some affection or loyalty towards her… The rest of us just kind of… dispersed, after she left. I truly did not want to think about how accurate Leaf might have been, because it made far too much sense…

  She didn't speak to anyone the next day, either. She looked right through us, and even Leto was ignored. She walked back in at dawn, grabbed a bunch of energy bars and a water bottle, then just… walked back off, Rotom still following her. Kallen was sleeping, considering he had been up with her all night. She just… didn't stop.

  I know she was fully recovered, and now it was just a matter of re-building her muscles, but… I still worried. They were leaving in two days, and I… I just wanted my children to be happy and healthy. How do I do that for someone like Erin? It was like she wouldn't allow herself… Didn't believe it was possible, that she deserved it, so she just put her damn mask back on…

  The next morning she came back, slowly dragging back a slightly-singed Arbok with a disturbing amount of stab wounds, and after a quick dip in the pond and a shower, she finally collapsed into bed. Rotom refused to tell us anything, other than it had helped kill the Arbok by paralyzing it. Guess it does actually have loyalty… It got mad when we kept asking…

  Finally, it was time for them to leave again. I still hadn't heard a word from Erin, but I didn't care as I enveloped her in a long hug. She would hopefully talk to Leaf, but… My newest daughter was stubborn.

  Looker's therapist needed to hurry up! I mean, he actually gave me updates every now and then, so I knew he hadn't forgotten about it like he had Erin's money! My money, now, and Arceus above, Erin had been worth a lot. Far too much, actually. I was going to hold onto most of it for now.

  If I ever started getting more than Team Rockets… 'common' Pokemon, I may need to create a special environment for them… I would take them all, of course, but I truly hoped there wasn't a member of Team Rocket roaming around with a Trubbish or Garbodor. I would still take them in, but even those raised by a trainer and fed high-quality foods still reeked. They were the smelliest Pokemon! They were generally extremely friendly and helpful, too, which made it an even bigger shame…

  Arceus, I hope there wasn't a Rocket with a Tauros! No, no, I would have to get it bound… and then moved to a different Ranch. I refuse to give up those ribs. Even if I wont have them for a while without Leto here.

  Finally Erin spoke, voice rough and scratchy from disuse.

  "Patricia… Mom…" She trailed off, looking at the ground before she slowly, gently returned the hug.

  "T-Thanks…" That was all she said, but I didn't care. I knew what she meant.

  It felt truly strange, watching the two of them fly off to Pewter City on Maddy. They might have already had a Badge, but this felt much more like the true beginning of their Journey, almost two months after the start of the Circuit. Maybe mine, too.

  My life is unrecognizable these days. I'm not Patrica Greenwood, remote sales minion with no job security or future and an empty house, not anymore. I'm Patricia Greenwood, owner of a Rescue Ranch, personal trainer of five Pokemon and caretaker of thirteen more, and that number is going to increase.

  It's inevitable, honestly…

  My daughter had promised me she wouldn't run off looking for them, and her new 'career' was a huge issue between us… Yet, I really couldn't help but look forward to getting more rescues. They deserved happiness in this life… I mean, I don't want her to be in danger, but she was… insane, wouldn't ignore them if she saw them, and she had a powerful team…

  Team Rocket also didn't deserve mercy, so…

  Oh Arceus, screw it!

  Let her run wild, I guess… so long as she comes back to me, and the same person. I don't want her to lose that goodness in her, even if she thought it didn't exist. Even if she truly believed that she was a monster in her heart, I knew better.

  There were certainly a lot of eyes watching them fly away that agreed with me.