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Chapter Text

Wild Pokémon Grand Finale

Final Chapter: A Wild Ninetails Has Appeared!

The once serene, almost crystalline waters of 'Lake Farfetch'd' had been tainted red by the blood of Luxray's old would-be killer. Absol floated limply at the surface, unmistakably dead. He had proven notoriously hard to kill in the past, though it seemed even he couldn't escape his fate in the end.

Luxray dusted himself off and licked his wounds from the fight. It disgusted him to admit it to himself, but Absol had dealt him quite a few injuries that would cause him agony for days, if not weeks. Damn that insufferable pest. It shouldn't have been worth this much effort to kill him. Absol should have died back in Houndoom's slave mines.

As he finished cleaning himself and looked around the lake, Luxray heard his own stomach growl and decided he might have to kill another Kangaskhan later. Until then, perhaps Absol would do. How ironic, he thought, that Absol was about to meet the same fate as his first dearly beloved.

But when Luxray turned to the body of his old adversary, he saw Absol's corpse begin to melt away into the water. It lost shape and form as it dissipated, becoming vapor that vanished into the morning sky.

"What in the name of…?" Luxray began, baffled.

Suddenly, Luxray was struck heavily on his backside and flung forward, collapsing near a pile of jagged stones. His head swam as he dazedly stood and searched for his attacker. As his blurred vision cleared, his eyes set upon a horrifyingly familiar white-and-blue figure grinning smugly at him.

"It c-can't be," Luxray sputtered. "You're DEAD!"

"I've been about as close to being dead as you can get at least three times now, but that's never stopped me," Absol chuckled.

"But…how?! I killed you! I drowned you and slit your throat!"

"When, Luxray? When did you kill me? Where's my body?"

Startled, Luxray once again looked back at the lake, as if expecting to find Absol's body there. But it was just as gone as it had been a moment ago.

"It looks like this time, you're the one who was too slow."

Before Luxray could react, Absol struck him with Rock Smash, once again lowering his already weakened defense even further. Luxray attempted to counter attack with Discharge, and he blasted Absol directly and sent him crashing to the ground in a smoldering heap. However, Absol's body faded away the same as before; another Substitute! How did Absol have this much health left? No. When he wasted time on the first copy, Absol must have gotten to some healing items. That ment-"

Luxray had no time to contemplate this, as another Psycho Cut nearly tore him in half from his left side and knocked him flat on the ground.

"The world doesn't need people like you and Houndoom in it anymore," Absol's sickening voice rang in his hear. "Eventually, even the gruesome scars you left on this region will heal. If you hadn't tried to kill me and Ember, you might have lived to see it."

"I WILL NEVER DIE!" Luxray screamed.

In a rage, the warlord leapt to his feet and charged at Absol to grapple him down again, but his own weakened defense was his undoing, and one more powerful blast from Psycho Cut cleaved him to the bone. He collapsed to the ground heavily, hearing his own limbs crack and shatter as he did so.

Seizing his moment, Absol rushed forward and grabbed Luxray by the neck, jerking his head toward the lake and holding it under the water the same way Luxray had tried to do to him twice. Luxray feebly thrashed and struggled against his iron grip, but Absol had no intention of slackening his hold in the slightest. After all these years, it was time to end it, and nothing could stop him. Absol dug his hind claws into the dirt and held onto Luxray's neck with both his front paws, making sure to keep his arms just out of the water in case Luxray tried to use an electric move to throw him off.

After nearly a full minute, the glow of Luxray's single yellow eye finally dimmed as it rolled back into his head, and his arms and legs grew limp as his struggles ceased. Absol knew Luxray could have used a Substitute, so he used a quick Psycho Cut on Luxray's wounded side. It opened a very real bloody gash, proving undoubtedly that this was the real Luxray who was about to die. He doubted that the warlord even had enough energy for yet another Substitute anyway.

Even when Luxray's body fell completely still and his breathing slowed to a halt, Absol continued to hold his head under the water and silently counted to a thousand. It was an easy thing to do after all he'd been through, and he couldn't afford to take any chances with this demented mass murderer.

For the next sixteen minutes, the only noises Absol heard were the sounds of his own heavy breathing and his heart hammering in his chest. He knew that later he would feel excruciating pain from his wounds and immense physical and mental exhaustion, but for now, he was totally alert as he kept his eyes on Luxray's lifeless body in the water. The purple light from the Life Orb shards in Luxray's body was slowly dimming and fading away as well, and soon there was nothing left seeping from his wounds other than his cold blood.

Finally, as Absol reached a thousand seconds, he ever so slowly released his death grip on Luxray's neck and stepped away from his body. He half expected Luxray's nightmarish form to suddenly leap back out of the lake and attack him, but it seemed there was no danger of that.

Still, Absol had taken too many chances in his life, and even if there were no opposing odds, he had no intention of leaving Luxray alone until he was absolutely certain beyond even unreasonable doubt. The images of Elsa's mangled body crept into his mind one last time and gave him the anger needed to do what he did next.

Absol swiped his longest claw down and swiftly decapitated Luxray. After a long moment of lifeless silence, he shoved Luxray's body all the way into the water, trusting nature and the creatures and insects within it to dispose of the warlord's vile remains in time. At long last, it was all finally over. The poison was gone from the wild. Luxray, enemy to human and pokemon alike, was utterly dead, his own last words proven false.

"You're lucky," Absol muttered. "Elsa was a very forgiving person."

With that, Absol slowly turned and began to walk away from the mangled corpse of his longtime enemy.

"Sadly, when I die, you'll find out very quickly that I'm not," he said over his shoulder.

When Absol took another step forward, a vicious pang shot through his leg and caused a shuddering groan to escape his throat. He hadn't felt the pain during the exhilaration and terror of combat or the nervous minutes of Luxray's end, but he knew that soon he would ache and burn more agonizingly than ever before. He could only imagine what his back must look like, no-doubt shredded and mangled beyond recognition by Luxray's fearsome, jagged black claws.

Absol was tempted to collapse and sleep right then and there, and he felt he could slumber for at least a year, despite how painful it would probably be to lie down at the moment. Still, there was one last thing he needed to do before he could have true peace of mind. One last piece of his life he needed to fit together. The most crucial and vital piece.

It was time to find Ember.

The island that held Ember's final destination was nothing less than breathtaking, and an indisputably ideal location to hold the next National Pokémon Championship Tournament. As Ember scrutinized it from above while Tropius slowly drew nearer to it, she saw that virtually every type of landscape that could be imagined was somewhere on that vast island. A third of it was composed of grasslands and occasional small forest areas, and Ember spotted a few impressive modern buildings clustered together that were probably the main facilities in this region's version of the Battle Frontier, if any were still in use.

Another third of the island's terrain was that of a vast desert area, probably used for training purposes, though there was no way to tell whether it was artificial or simply a stroke of luck. At the end of the desert-like area was a stark and rugged mountain, nearly as tall as Rypherior's mountain, or Mt. Coronet, as Tropius called it.

The third (and by far the most appealing) of the environments was a vast lakefront surrounded by serene fields and rivers, probably used as a resort or for recreation. The entire island was mind-boggling; it was like a miniature version of the Sinnoh, of nature itself in all its forms. The break of dawn bathed the otherworldly island in miraculous sunlight, adding even more to its great majesty and glory.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Tropius asked over his shoulder, his voice softer now that they were flying more slowly and wind was dying down.

Ember sighed. "No, Tropius, I'm not. But for the longest year of my life, I've been trying to find my place, and this might be it, so I have to."

If Tropius could have shrugged at the moment, Ember felt sure he would have. Instead, he merely kept his eyes fixed on the great island below, which was rushing up to meet them as he carefully but swiftly descended through the morning skies. He flew toward the very edge of the grassland-portion of the island, slowly nearing one of the vast beaches at its very tip.

"I'd take you in further, but this is as close as I get to human terrain," Tropius announced, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, but from this point forward, you're on your own."

"I understand," Ember replied simply, knowing that she had no right to ask for more than that.

As Tropius finally slowed to a halt and landed at the edge of the beach, Ember carefully stepped off of his back, feeling a moment of disorientation and dizziness as soon as she touched the ground which nearly caused her to stumble and fall.

"That usually happens after you fly, especially if it's your first time," Tropius said, not unkindly. "It'll wear off in a minute."

Despite her half-blurred vision, Ember gave him a small nod.

"Thanks for everything, Tropius," she said, smiling. "I hope Scizor gives you those extra pancakes he promised."

Tropius let out a hearty, guttural laugh. "Well, I have to give you credit for being cheerful while still dizzy."

"Yeah, I learned how to be cheerful all the time, since I'm dizzy almost every day."

"And a joke, too!" Tropius beamed. "A bad one, but a joke nonetheless! Most people just turn purple-faced and run to the nearest bush when they land."

Ember merely snorted and turned toward the dense grasslands, her vision slowly becoming more focused as she took a few steps around the beach. She knew which way she had to go, though for some reason she couldn't bring herself to head for the tournament just yet.

"Hey, uh, do you want me to wait here for you?" Tropius called.

Ember turned back and shook her head at him. "One way or another, I…don't think I'll be coming back here. You should just fly on back to the main region."

Tropius gave her a brief nod, though there was still a light of hesitation in his eyes.

"You don't have to do this, you know," he said quietly. "I can still fly you back, if you want. I won't even charge you extra," he added with a faint smile.

For one final moment, the slightest temptation crept into Ember's mind to go back. She almost took an involuntary step closer to Tropius, and she felt the words of agreement on her lips. However, the memories of years of love for Rose and her most precious teammate, Charizard, surfaced once more, and the moment was lost.

"If you see Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and the others, tell them I say hi," she replied softly.

Tropius regarded her one last time, a slight sadness in his eyes. Finally, he spread his leafy wings and took off into the dawn skies, becoming nothing more than a shadow on the horizon. There was no going back now.

As Ember stared at the long dirt trail before her that led toward the main battle facilities—and subsequently, the NPCT—she still had a rough time overcoming the immense hesitation gripping her. She realized she hadn't really thought this whole plan through very far; she was relying on sheer chance to find Rose here before other trainers interfered. Heading back to the main region with Tropius never felt more appealing, though it was far too late for that.

She decided that she would be able to figure out where Rose was once she got there. After all, she'd been able to find an antidote for Absol in a human city when he was dying, and she was no stranger to travelling through large towns and gatherings unnoticed, especially since she didn't have a time limit now. She would find Rose in the end—she was certain of that.

The cool dirt path paved the way through a small route filled with tall grass that swayed ever so slightly in the wind. She remembered the immense walkway leading to the entrance of the first NPCT a year ago, and how there had been lights, screaming fans, and a long red carpet rolled out for the main contenders, Rose included.

Here and now, the only lights were what starlight could seep in between the trees and the occasional lampposts that guided travelers at night, the pathway was flanked by grass, rocks, moss, and the occasional Bug or Grass pokemon sleeping soundly nearby in place of screaming fans, and the infinite silence and darkness was the red carpet that stretched along the path before her. And yet, it was no less exhilarating and terrifying as the day she'd stepped into that arena alongside her master.

Somehow, despite its great beauty on the surface, the whole island felt…artificial. The touch of mankind was apparent everywhere; the lampposts, the route checkpoints and signs, the occasional houses littering the route, empty or no. All of it in its own way detracted from the natural beauty of the landscape; this verdant paradise was nothing more than a site for battles and spectators now. Even the wild pokemon around the tall grass and lakes were fewer; they were still present here and there, but most of them were probably incredibly skilled at avoiding detection by now.

Ember soon entered a huge clearing filled with houses and tents, no-doubt a gathering place for trainers who planned on challenging the tournaments and battle facilities on the island. She stayed out of the light and moved carefully around the clearing. Even though most trainers were still probably asleep at this hour, she'd learned from Absol not to take chances.

Oh, how she wished she had Absol by her side now. She would have given anything for his company and his comforting words and his calm advice. Never before had she felt so alone, so out of place in this world that she'd once been a part of. And now, she was willingly surrendering herself to that world, and to her old life of battling at Rose's command alongside whatever new teammates she'd trained.

It took a few minutes of careful progress through the shadows to reach the end of the clearing safely, and once she did, she was rewarded—or perhaps punished—by the sight of a long building that looked like a tunnel leading through the rest of the route. This checkpoint no-doubt led to the main battle facilities, and to the start of the new life she'd willingly accepted.

Luckily, the checkpoint tunnel was free-access, meaning that people could go to and fro without dealing with security measures, so Ember didn't have to worry about any hidden cameras or locked doorways while the staff was gone. She imagined that this was because most security and surveillance procedures would take place inside the battle facilities, not in the paths leading to them.

When she reached the other end of the tunnel, she couldn't hold in a gasp. The great structures that loomed before her stood nearly as tall as the island's mountain, and even with their lights turned off they were so colorful, intricate, and gaudy that it was almost ridiculous. At the far end of the huge water bridge that connected the other four battle facilities, the Battle Tower itself was nowhere to be found. She imagined that it had been torn down a long time ago so they could build a new one back in the main region.

In the place of the old Battle Tower was another long checkpoint tunnel that paved the way to what would undoubtedly be the new NPCT. She realized that Rose probably wouldn't be there yet, but it couldn't hurt to check the place out and, if necessary, wait for her near there when the next round of the tournament began. It was obviously dangerous, but she was no stranger to grave risk.

Crossing through the last tunnel took longer than expected, but upon reaching the other end, she wasn't disappointed. At long last, it stood before her. The massive modern coliseum where the greatest battles in the region, if not the world, took place. She'd finally made it. The whole structure had been placed in the middle of the largest clearing on the island, and it was encircled by tall grass and the occasional tree cluster, but all of that was invisible to Ember; she couldn't take her eyes off of the pinnacle of her quest, the destination she'd fought so hard to reach.

After a few more awestruck moments of silence, Ember was snapped out of her mesmerized thoughts by strange voices nearby. As she drew closer to the tournament site and stepped clear of the tall grass, she suddenly saw a large group of humans around the entrance! She quickly ducked back out of sight, though she continued to listen carefully to their conversations. From what she understood, they were merely discussing top trainers from other regions, battle strategies, and most of all, betting. Now she understood why all the nearby houses were empty; it wasn't because everyone was still asleep, it was because the tournament was about to begin!

Luckily, it was still early and the next round of the tournament hadn't officially begun, or there would be far too many humans about and she would have no chance of finding Rose unnoticed. For now, the only people nearby were top trainers who hadn't entered, or the occasional tournament participant who was just chatting with his friends before battle.

Ember decided that she'd better find a good place to hide and stay there. She could wait until Rose had completed the next round and then find her as she was leaving. With that, she looked back and forth to make sure no one was in her way, then turned and left the area, heading for the tall grass and trees around the NPCT to look for a good place to hide nearby and watch for her master.

Once she made her way out of sight in the dense foliage, she slipped her way between the trees and found another trail that probably led around to one of the other two main areas of the island or merely back to the normal facilities. She stepped out onto the path, searching for a better vantage point.

"…and I was really surprised. I expected to be fighting your Gyrados first!"

Startled, Ember jumped back into the thick grass and crouched down to hide from view. Two trainers were walking down the path, laughing, talking, and exchanging Friend Codes. At first, she couldn't quite make out their faces or attire through the dense growth obstructing her vision. The second trainer merely laughed at the comment from the first. Ember never heard both of them simultaneously, but the two voices sounded familiar. She didn't know why, but her heart was beginning to race, though whether it was in a good way or bad she had no idea.

"You made quick work of my team this time," said the second chillingly familiar voice. "I half expected to sweep you guys again."

"Well, my Sun team is in its peak form, and nearly twice as strong as my old one, plus I brought a Tyranitar counter this time. Don't get me wrong, I'm walking on air right now, but I really wish such a climactic battle against my rival would have been the final match of the tournament instead of the first."

Ember nearly fell out of her hiding place. Sun team? Anyone else would have leapt to the next obvious conclusion immediately, but it seemed so impossible at the moment that she couldn't believe it. Despite the risk, she dared step further out of cover to get a closer look at the two trainers.

Her blood ran cold as she gazed upon the first, who was looking at the other trainer and didn't see her. The first trainer was none other than Velour, the soulless monster who had robbed her old friend Lucario of his freedom, and his life. She still wore the same dark shirt and navy jeans. The only noticable difference was her hair grow out since the last time Ember saw her, the brown hair now going a few inches past her shoulder. Despite everything Velour still carried the same leather briefcase that held her Pokeballs, and subsequently, her fiendishly powerful pokemon. Though Ember couldn't see her eyes, she was certain the pair of cold, silver orbs were as cruel and cunning as ever.

However, the sight of Velour didn't shock her nearly as much as the other trainer. She'd expected it to be Minerva, but the reality was far better. After so long searching for her, Rose seemed almost like an illusion to her, but Ember knew she was as real as she'd always been. She was holding a different trainer bag than the old one she used to carry, but everything else about her was the same. Of course, she had aged a year, and was even taller than before and looked to be a much stronger trainer, but the same calm and cheerfulness was in her bright green eyes, which had been able to look right into Ember's soul from the moment she was born.

All her doubts and fears about this place melted away at the sight of her trainer, replaced by her old burning desire to return to her loving master, though that desire was magnified many times. She wanted nothing more than to rush into her master's embrace, even if it meant being returned to her Pokeball.

Wait a moment! Her Pokeball! Ember quickly unslung her bag and emptied out the contents, and she almost yelped with joy when she saw her old Pokeball on the ground. The same rose-shaped seal was still on the front, surrounded by a few fire seals for dramatic flair. There were one or two small cracks here and there from so many years of use, but it still worked perfectly. It would be an excellent start to returning to her old life. Everything was perfect.

But wait. She suddenly remembered that Velour was still there. What was that monster doing with Rose? She was obviously planning some kind of vile trick! Rose was in grave danger! Ember was ready to leap out and defend her master, but Rose suddenly laughed at a comment Velour made. It sounded much too…friendly. Relaxed. What was going on here?

"Well, I'm heading out. Got a lot of pokemon to catch," Velour told Rose. "Is your team still training over there?"

"Yeah, I'm letting them KO a few wild pokemon around here while I wait, but I think we're just about done," Rose replied.

With that, Ember's master pulled out six Pokeballs of various types, rays of light shooting into the distance from the capsules and returning pokemon to them that Ember couldn't quite see clearly. However, only the five Pokeballs activated; the sixth apparently didn't find its target.

"Huh, that's strange," Rose muttered. "I could've sworn all six of them were right around here…"

"Well, I'd help you look, but I've got to head out. So long."

With that, Velour walked off through the tall grass, disappearing between the trees. Ember didn't know it, but that would be the last time she ever laid eyes on that trainer, which was decidedly for the best.

With Velour gone, Ember waited patiently for the right opportunity to approach her master, but the problem was soon solved when Rose turned around and faced her direction. Her bright green eyes squinted as she stared into the thicket, her mouth slowly stretching out into a smile.

"Oh, Ember, there you are! Come here, sweetie! I've been looking for you!"

Warmth overtook Ember that eclipsed her inner fire and wrapped itself around her heart. Nothing else mattered now. Her master was calling her, in that same kind and loving tone that she'd always used when she was still with her. Ember found herself stepping out of the foliage and walking toward her in a trance. At last, she was home.

However, just as Ember's elation reached its peak, something very strange happened.

Another pokemon ran out in front of her from behind a pair of nearby trees and rushed into Rose's arms, licking her hands and nuzzling against her. Rose obviously couldn't understand its speech, but Ember heard the pokemon say, "So, where are we going today, master?" For a long moment, Ember was left utterly bewildered. She had no clue what the other pokemon was doing, or why Rose was allowing it. Had she misheard her own name by accident?

However, when she got a better look at the other pokemon, her blood turned to ice. She thought for a moment that she was looking at a mirror. The pokemon had shining crimson eyes, golden-yellow fur, and a blue scarf around her neck that looked just like her old Choice Scarf. Even more startling and unmistakable were the nine tails on the pokemon's backside. Words crawled up to Ember's throat, but it had constricted too tightly and they were choked back.

She was looking at another Ninetails.

It was impossible. And yet it was true. Ember was staring at a Ninetails that looked exactly like she'd looked before the 'accident.' In a way, it was almost as though she were looking at herself from a year ago. But surely she couldn't be another Drought Ninetails? No Ninetails would ever have a place on a Sun team unless they possessed Drought, but perhaps Rose was trying out a new strategy, or perhaps the Ninetails belonged to someone else. It was absurd, but it was the only explanation, other than…

"Who are you?!" Ember shouted without thinking.

Rose and the other Ninetails turned and looked at her in bewilderment. Ember realized it had been a ridiculous thing to do, but she was too shocked and confused to care. Her question would have sounded like nothing more than a loud yelp to Rose, but the other Ninetails had heard her well enough, despite the obvious confusion on her face.

"What do you mean? Who are you? Where did you come from?" the other Ninetails asked nervously.

"Why are you with my trainer?" Ember demanded, a little more harshly than she'd intended.

"Your trainer? Rose is my master! What are you doing here?"

"I…I'm Rose's Drought lead!"

The other Ninetails shot her a puzzled scowl. "What do you mean? I'm Rose's only Drought lead. Always have been, always will be. Who are you?"

Rose suddenly began peering back and forth past the trees. "Hello? Are there any trainers around? Does this Ninetails belong to anyone here? It's not every day a wild Ninetails walks out in front of me, guys!"

All at once, Ember's world seemed to shatter around her. Rose truly didn't recognize her? All words left her dry throat as the hideous truth began to settle in. She tried to stave it off, to convince herself it was still a mistake, but the proof was right before her eyes and undeniable. I've been…I-I've been…

No. There had to be some other explanation, something she was missing. She'd been gone a whole year. Perhaps she had made a mistake in her search. But Rose's blank stare confirmed it all. Her own master didn't recognize her. Worse, she'd called the other Ninetails by Ember's own name. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't convince herself of any lie or half-truth.

Ember had been replaced.

The word rang in her ears as though it had been screamed at her through a megaphone. Replaced. Rose had never expected to find her again. Replaced. Rose hadn't lost her because of some mysterious accident. Replaced. She'd abandoned her on purpose. Replaced. Was she even the first? How many other Embers had Rose owned and discarded before her? Oh, God…

Absol was right. Lucario was right. Both dead and both right. Even Arcanine was right. Rose hadn't missed her when she was gone because Rose had never truly loved her. She'd only kept Ember around because of her ability, but whatever problem Rose had found with her, she'd been replaced by another—and probably stronger and better—Ninetails. The other Ninetails even had Ember's own name, and the same exact rose\fire seal was on her Pokeball.

Ember's legs turned to jelly and gave way beneath her, and she fell to the mossy ground, shaking with violent sobs. She must have looked ridiculous to Rose and her new Drought lead, but too large a piece of her heart had been ripped from her for her to care. The last person in the region—in the world—who cared for her was a lie. The human who had raised her since birth didn't have an ounce of love for her. Rose was no different than any other competitive trainer. For a whole year, she'd fought so hard to return to a trainer that simply didn't want her anymore.

The worst part was finally being certain that it hadn't been some freak accident that left her stranded in the wild alone, wounded, and forgotten. It was obvious she'd been released because of her failures, or whatever problems there might have been with her stats or IVs. Now it all made sense; why all her other teammates save for Charizard had been lost in the wild and never found again, why Rose was able to use her Sun team without her, why only Charizard had been kept…it was all about the tournaments. Rose didn't care about her pokemon. They were just tools for battle, like all the millions of other pokemon trapped in capsules.

Finally, Ember found the strength to stand, and she slowly rose to her feet, facing her former master and her replacement. Rose looked utterly dumbfounded, while her Replacement seemed more anxious as she stared at the dumb wild pokemon who had thrown herself at her master's feet. She saw their stares through the mist in her bloodshot eyes and barely held back another sob.

"Alright, Rose," she choked out, knowing that her trainer couldn't understand her. "If you don't want me anymore, I'll leave. But I…I still love you, master, even if you have forgotten me."

With that, Ember took a tentative step back, not knowing where she could go afterwards. She'd already told Tropius to go back, leaving her no apparent way to return to the main region, but she decided that she'd at least better get out of her (former) master's path before some trouble started.

However, Rose continued to watch her back away for a few more moments. Then, she looked down at the Ninetails standing beside her.

"Well, Ember, d'you think you're up for some extra experience?" she asked.

"Of course, master," Ninetails yelped back.

Suddenly, the morning sun burned through the clouds and cast the whole area in blinding light. Startled, Ember turned and faced the other Ninetails, who almost immediately launched a Dark Pulse at her. For a moment, Ember froze. Her master was attacking her? How could she do that?!

She managed to snap herself out of it, but the attack was too close to dodge. The move hit with enormous power, knocking Ember senseless. It had been a while since she'd faced an opponent with perfect EVs and IVs, and the other Ninetails had been raised flawlessly with even better stats than hers.

An icy hand gripped her heart as the truth sank in. Her master saw her as just some random wild Ninetails who'd happened to appear in the tall grass. Rose was going to attack her like any normal trainer would, and would undoubtedly kill her for experience. Ember didn't want to die, but how could she fight her master, let alone six other pokemon that were all stronger than her?!

"Please stop!" she begged, both to Rose and to her 'mirror.' "I'll leave and never come back, just let me go!"

Rose couldn't understand a word nor did she seem to care, and the other Ninetails wasn't much more sympathetic. Ember's Mirror launched another Dark Pulse. This time, Ember dodged the wall of black energy, though she was still unable to retaliate. She felt the same hesitation as the day Lucario had asked her to attack Velour directly, only this time it was infinitely more powerful and debilitating.

In the short space Ember had left to think, she realized how foolish her quest had been all along. She'd fought so hard to return to her trainer, and now the same human would be the death of her. She'd survived Rypherior's caverns, she'd survived Minerva and Velour, She'd survived Tyranitar, She'd survived the gangs and Arcanine, and now this was how it would end. Perhaps she should simply give up and let it happen. After all, she had nothing left to fight for. Absol was dead, she was trapped on the island, she would never see her friends again, and her own master thought of her as trash…If no one wanted her, perhaps she should simply disappear.

Ember decided to simply let it all end. She stood still and allowed her Replacement to aim her next shot. However, when the absurdly powerful Dark Pulse was launched, Ember found herself dodging to the side once again. Why am I still trying to survive? She wondered. What do I have left to live for?

As her Mirror fired another shot and she dodged again, a new thought entered her mind. Maybe life under a trainer wasn't a life at all. Maybe life was only worth living if it was her own life.

Another Dark Pulse. Another skillful dodge.

Perhaps she didn't have to disappear just because her trainer didn't want her anymore.

Yet another Dark Pulse. This time, Ember not only briskly dodged, but she felt herself moving closer to her enemy of her own free will, spreading her tails out in combat stance.

Maybe she could find a way to escape the island. Maybe she could return to Umbra's town. Maybe she could rebuild her own life.

Ember's Mirror feigned another shot, but Ember predicted the move and avoided it when it came, landing right in front of her enemy as one last realization rang in her head like thunder.

Life was always worth living!

Ember launched Fire Blast, nailing her Replacement right in the face and sending her flying backwards, nearly knocking into her trainer as she thudded to the ground. Rose looked utterly shocked at the sudden move, and Ember's Mirror didn't look any less startled as she shakily rose to her feet.

Ember realized that as powerful as her Replacement was—and as she had been a year ago as a competitive pokemon—she now had something that her Mirror would never have. She had all the experiences she'd shared with Absol in the wilderness, all the combat and survival techniques she'd been taught and even learned on her own, and all the hardened strength and endurance of a pokemon that had served in one gang and battled against the other.

But her biggest advantage was that she was a wild Pokémon, well and true.

At last, Ember realized what she had to do, and what she had to fight for. She had to escape the island, and her past. She had to find her own way in her true home, the wild. She had to go on living, just as she'd promised Absol she would.

But first, she had to sweep Rose's entire team.

Rose glared at her before glancing down at her Ninetails. "Okay, Ember, it looks like this might actually be a little interesting. Let that Ninetails have it!"

Ember tried to gain the upper hand with a fast first move, but the other Ninetails was easily faster than her thanks to her Choice Scarf and better IVs. Her Mirror fired a well-aimed Dark Pulse that caught Ember on the side. It felt like getting buffeted by a hurricane. She fell back slightly and retaliated with another Fire Blast, which sailed directly towards her Replacement at lightning speed.

Sadly, her Mirror easily avoided the powerful yet relatively inaccurate move. Ember instinctively deactivated Drought to prevent Rose and her Drought lead from finding a way to use it to their advantage. As soon as the sunlight faded, her Replacement's jaw dropped.

"Wh-what was that?" she sputtered. "H-How did you do that?!"

"Do what?"

"You just turned off Drought! How did you do that?"

"What, you can't do that?" Ember asked wryly. "I've learned a thing or two in the wild. It's easy of you've got the willpower."

Although it made her feel smug at the time, Ember's taunts didn't have the desired effect on her opponent. Instead of making her flustered or intimidated, her Mirror suddenly looked resolute, her eyes like steel. She suddenly tensed, reactivating Drought. Then, she looked briefly strained, but her body soon glowed as she willed her own inner fire to follow her commands. Ember realized her grave error as Drought suddenly deactivated again, this time by the will of her opponent. The other Ninetails suddenly looked elated, her eyes shining despite the eminent conflict.

"I-I did it!" she shouted. "I can…I can control Drought! Wow! Can all Ninetails really do this? It's amazing!"

The other Ninetails then began giddily turning Drought on and off, reminiscent of how a child would behave when discovering an amazing new toy. Damn it, Ember thought. How could I have been so stupid? If I can do it, she can do it too. And now she knows how!

Ember's Replacement suddenly faced her again, looking almost eager to fight now that she'd learned the new technique. Her mirror swiftly fired another Dark Pulse, the black energy roaring through the air and tearing up the ground as it approached her. She managed to avoid it, though her Mirror's aim was improving. Unless Ember moved in a less predictable pattern, she soon wouldn't be able to avoid her shots at all.

Ember retaliated with Psyshock, the bright pink waves providing a brilliant contrast to the pitch-black energy of her opponent's attack. The other Ninetails grunted as the move hit her for solid damage. Luckily, Psyshock hit for physical damage despite being a special move, and since Ninetails in general had less physical defense than special, she had an advantage against her Mirror's Dark Pulse.

This time, Ember was unable to avoid her Replacement's next well-placed Dark Pulse, and she was sent careening through the thorny foliage and gasped for breath. As she rolled to her feet, she realized that she couldn't hope to win unless she hit her opponent hard and fast. Mustering her will, she activated her own Drought.

Ember relished the look of utter shock on her Replacement's face as the sun burned the ground once more. Rose looked even more stunned.

"By God, that Ninetails has Drought too?!" she yelled, eyes wide. "But that's impossible! We're not in the Dream World!"

Ember felt another slight pang of sadness at her master's total lack of any memory of her. Fine rose, she thought. If you still don't recognize me…I'll make you remember!

With that, Ember launched a full-force Fire Blast straight at her Mirror, at herself from a year ago. However, the other Ninetails recovered from her shock in time to roll to the side, avoiding the barrage of flames. Luckily, the Dark Pulse shots were beginning to get predictable, and when Ember dodged it again, her replacement gritted her teeth in frustration, no-doubt exasperated at being trapped using the same move over and over again.

As Ember prepared to launch another Fire Blast, her Mirror deactivated Drought. Ember quickly tried to reactivate it, her inner fire blazing as she struggled to win the clash of wills. Other trainers from the NPCT began to appear and watch the two combatants in surprise, no-doubt alarmed by the majority of sunlight repeatedly appearing and disappearing right over their heads.

Ember knew that the other trainers probably wouldn't interfere in one trainer's battle with a wild pokemon, but she didn't want to take any chances. Since nearly every part of the island would be totally devoid of humans save for the NPCT, she quickly turned and ran back down the path she'd taken to get there. Without hesitating, the other Ember dashed after her at top speed, easily starting to catch up thanks to the speed from her Choice Scarf. Rose was struggling to keep up with them, and was soon left behind as the two Ninetails entered the rich green fields relatively near the beach.

Ember's Replacement finally caught up with her and tackled her to the ground, and the two briefly grappled and wrestled against each other before Ember finally managed to kick her opponent off her and roll to her feet. In the scuffle, Ember had managed to tear off her Mirror's Choice Scarf, and she tossed it into the far grass and out of sight.

Unfortunately, she soon realized that she'd made another deadly mistake. The other Ninetails was already faster than her thanks to her own stats and IVs, and now she could use all four moves at her disposal. When Ember tried to use Psyshock, her Replacement moved faster and launched her own Fire Blast, no-doubt furious at the loss of her Choice Scarf.

Ember quickly deactivated Drought, though her Mirror's Fire Blast still hit hard and pelted her back a few feet, nearly knocking the wind out of her with its great force. Not only did the move nearly roast her alive, but it also scorched the ground and made a large black crater around them. At first, Ember was worried it might start another big fire like the one she'd fought Arcanine in, but nothing seemed majorly affected; The trees, flowers, and even grass seemed mostly artificial. Despite all its glamor and glitz, the whole island was akin to a dead husk, which was what Ember would be if she couldn't think of a way to beat this combatively superior version of herself.

Despite herself, Ember used Toxic. She knew that Rose would heal the other Ninetails after battle, and that she wouldn't be putting her Mirror's life in danger. However, the other Ninetails seemed terrified of the poison cloud and dodged it with the speed of a beast possessed. She then retaliated with a vicious Fire Blast, which Ember managed to avoid since her opponent was trying to reactivate Drought for extra power.

Instead of wasting time trying to prevent her Mirror from using her ability, she allowed Drought to reactivate, using its strength for her own Fire Blast. The other Ninetails realized her mistake and deactivated Drought again, weakening the flames just before they struck. She seemed less affected by the attack than her opponent, and she barely even winced as Fire Blast struck her dead-on. Ember wondered whether that meant that her own special attack IVs were slightly weaker, or if her Mirror's defensive IVs were just higher.

Either way, it was evident that Ember had little chance of winning in a contest of brute force. Her opponent was slightly less experienced but had far more power and better stats, not to mention she seemed to have a few clever tricks up her own sleeve. Ember remembered the way she used to fight a year ago, and since Fire Blast and Dark Pulse were both moves she used to have, she assumed that her Replacement's other two moves were Hidden Power (Ice) and Solarbeam. Probably useless in this fight, but one never knew.

The other Ninetails drew back, flames welling up in her throat. Ember expected her to use Fire Blast and leapt to the side, but she realized too late that it was a feint. Her Mirror blasted her with Dark Pulse, and she barely managed to spread her tails in time to avoid being sent flying again. More of her stamina was sapped by the waves of black energy, and she was once again on the defensive.

Loud footsteps suddenly broke her concentration. She dared a quick glance to the side and saw Rose running up to them, winded and clutching her side. Ember knew that Rose could use devastating items against her, mainly like Ultra Balls or healing items for her own Ninetails. She had to take this fight away from her.

Narrowly avoiding another Dark Pulse, Ember bolted off through the west exit of the artificial woods, her Mirror following her at lightning speed. The other Ninetails was still slightly faster than her, but it was by a small enough margin that Ember was able to keep going for another ten minutes before her opponent caught up with her.

The two combatants eventually found themselves in the island's desert-like area. The winds slowly grew fierce and sand whipped their faces and stung their eyes, causing the chase to grind to a halt as Ember and her Mirror once again faced each other, digging their paws into the hot sand and preparing their strongest attacks. The metallic-red rocks seemed to shimmer with each burst of flame they sent at each other, making the whole route look like a storm of fire.

Ember's Replacement looked clearly terrified of this cruel and vicious sandstorm, though the determination behind her eyes overpowered the fear by far. Ember recognized the look; she must have had it many times during combat. It was the overwhelming desire to win no matter what the cost, the drive to snatch victory from a powerful enemy. At that moment, Ember realized she was in for the fight of her life. She had no chance of sweeping Rose's team. She would have to beat this Ninetails and get out of there somehow.

Driven by the same instinct, both Ninetails activated Drought simultaneously, the sandstorm temporarily fading as the harsh sunlight made the already hot desert even starker. Luckily, both Fire pokemon could easily handle the heat and continued the duel relatively unimpeded, save perhaps for the uneven ground the sand provided.

The other Ninetails fired off a swift Solarbeam, shattering through several large rocks as Ember barely avoided it. She retaliated with another Toxic attempt, though the slow venom cloud was no match for her Mirror's speed and reflexes. As the other Ninetails prepared another rapid attack, Ember deactivated Drought, allowing the sandstorm to resume unhindered and buffet them both.

As painful as the harsh weather was, Ember was grateful for it at that moment, because it threw off her Mirror's rhythm and hurt her as well. The other Ninetails was visibly angry at being outmaneuvered and quickly reactivated Drought, launching her most vicious Fire Blast yet. The wall of flames rushed at Ember, eager to swallow her up and finish the job.

Ember was prepared to avoid the attack, but her Mirror suddenly deactivated Drought. What in the world…? As the sands returned and obscured the startled Ember's vision, the Fire Blast connected dead-on. Before hitting the ground, she mentally screamed at herself for falling for the exact same tactic she'd just used.

As she stood up and reactivated Drought, she saw her Mirror grinning smugly at her. She must have had the exact same look on her face when she'd tricked Absol back at that lake so long ago. It made her blood boil to see it. She used her own Fire Blast, but the other Ninetails deactivated Drought a second before she launched it, making it absurdly difficult to aim with such poor visibility. The attack sailed through the sandstorm before fading away, missing its target of course. Now she had only one Power Point for Fire Blast left, while her opponent still had two.

A Dark Pulse sailed at her from the hurricane of sand blinding her vision, and she hadn't seen it quickly enough to avoid it. The pulse of energy slammed her backwards and she fell painfully on a large flat rock, her head swimming a bit. She reactivated Drought, though her opponent immediately deactivated it again. Ember gritted her teeth.

"So that's how you want to play it, huh?" she mumbled bitterly.

As she took another few careful steps forward while searching for her Mirror, she soon saw the vague outline of a large object on the horizon, nearly invisible thanks to the sandstorm. She once again activated Drought, her opponent almost instantly deactivating it. However, that one second of vision had given her all she needed. The huge mountain she'd seen while flying over the island on Tropius was up ahead. If she could get there, it might give her a chance to recuperate. At least it was far and high enough that the sandstorm would be out of reach if she could get there.

Instinctively, Ember moved to the left a few feet, since her opponent couldn't see any better than she could in this weather. A few seconds later, another beam of energy smashed the ground where she'd been standing a moment ago. The sandstorm once again vanished as the other Ninetails activated her own Drought, obviously tired of the cruel weather interfering with the fight.

With all the speed she could muster from her aching limbs, Ember charged through the sandstorm, heading in the general direction of the mountain-like area. She'd hoped that her opponent hadn't seen her yet, but that hope was soon dashed when her opponent immediately rushed after her. However, Ember had gained a significant lead on her opponent, and the distance between them wouldn't be easy for her Mirror to close.

Suddenly, a Solarbeam shot past Ember by mere inches and blasted a hole in the ground. She mentally cursed when she realized that her opponent could beat her at long-range fighting with ease. Psyshock, Hidden Power, Fire Blast and Dark Pulse were all powerful moves, but most were just erratic pulses of energy. Solarbeam was a direct, focused ray, and thus had one of the longest ranges of any attacks known to pokemon. She remembered that all too well from the day Lucario had asked her to fire on Velour from afar, since even his attacks couldn't reach.

One of the other Ninetails' Solarbeam shots caught Ember on the side and grazed her leg, causing her to stumble. Wincing and holding back a cry of pain, she quickly stood up again and continued running. She knew she had only two options; keep moving away from her opponent until she reached the mountain and could use the terrain to her advantage, or run back towards her opponent and hope for the best in an up-close fight. Since her enemy had superior speed, power and battle moves, the latter would spell her doom, especially since Rose was slowly following behind and she needed to keep moving anyway.

Reaching the mountain wasn't too difficult. Scaling it was another matter. Since neither of the two combatants knew Rock Climb, they had to stick to the footpaths around the cliffs while ascending the rugged peaks, and Ember had to deal with constant Solarbeam shots the whole way. Thankfully, once she successfully turned off Drought, the moves took far longer to charge and came less frequently. Her opponent's attacks were so powerful that most shots could shear through even the solid rock to get to her.

However, once Ember finally gained the high ground and had a solid vantage point on her opponent, she opened fire with Psyshock, catching her startled opponent off guard. One of the pulses even hit the other Ninetails directly, and Ember was rewarded with the sound of her Replacement crying out in pain. When Ember continued to fire, her Mirror ran forward and hugged the rock walls tightly, which made firing down at her from the ledge above nearly impossible. Her Replacement also tried to reactivate Drought, but Ember immediately shut it back off.

"How can you put up this much of a fight?" Ember's Mirror called up to her. "I'm as powerful as any Ninetails can possible be! You're…you're just a wild pokemon! How can you be so strong?"

Ember couldn't help chuckling. "I'm only this strong because I'm a wild pokemon."

She didn't even need to see her Replacement to know how shocked and confused she must have been at that statement. Ember knew that she was dealing with a pokemon who had been raised and trained identically to herself from the moment of her birth, and her Replacement no-doubt had the exact same beliefs about trainers and wild pokemon as she used to have.

In every way, Ember was fighting herself, fighting against a version of her that hadn't yet seen the wonders of the wild, a person identical to herself right before her abandonment. The only way she could win was to use everything she'd ever learned outside of Rose's teachings, and to exploit all the mistakes she would have made a year ago.

Ember heard her Replacement rushing up the path to meet her. She fired a Psyshock down at the easy target, who was now exposed while running up the path. However, the other Ninetails suddenly spread out her namesakes, leaping perfectly to the side while still avoiding falling off the edge. Ember's move missed, and her opponent was soon on the same level as her. Despite Ember having lost the direct advantage, at least they were out of the sandstorm and on even ground, so it was once again a fair match.

Which, sadly, was the one thing Ember had no chance of winning against this opponent.

As soon as the other Ninetails was about to attack again, Ember did the most impulsive thing she'd done that day: she rushed forward and grabbed her enemy, causing them both to tumble down the Cliffside. Luckily, they weren't all that far up, and thanks to their incredibly light bodies, the fall wasn't badly injuring. However, it was certainly painful, and the two Ninetails fell all the way down and out of the desert area, landing in a cluster of bushes and tall grass right at its edge. The combatants were so covered in red marks and bruises at that point that they were almost unrecognizable.

Despite her agony, Ember immediately shoved off her surprised opponent and dashed toward the center of this new location, her Mirror closely pursuing her. As the scenery of the artificial desert finally passed entirely and was soon replaced by wide open fields of grass and rivers, Ember realized that they were fast approaching the gorgeous lakefront resort area. It also meant she was running out of island.

As soon as they reached a large enough clearing, Ember immediately pivoted and used Toxic again, catching her startled opponent off guard. However, the move had made her lose momentum, and her Mirror caught her with another Fire Blast, torching her wounded body and sending a rush of pain surging through every receptor in her body. The only reason she was even able to withstand the blow was because she'd turned off Drought in time.

The poison would now steadily drain her opponent's health, though it didn't seem likely she would be able to survive the fight with her Replacement long enough to win. At least they both only had one shot left for Fire Blast, so it was a contest of who could use that last Power Point the most wisely. Ember knew that she just had to be the one who made the second-to-last blunder, and she would win.

Ember fired another Psyshock that caused her opponent to stagger back, and then she immediately tried to reach back to her trainer bag for an item. However, once her Mirror recovered and saw the move, she immediately bull-rushed Ember and rammed her onto the ground, then followed up with a Dark Pulse. Bad idea, Ember thought bitterly as she was pelted by the black waves.

Don't rely on human items and techniques, her mind told her. Use nature to your advantage. It's the only edge you've got on this enemy.

Thinking on her feet, Ember used Will-o-wisp on the base of one of the artificial trees, burning away the hollow material. As the tree fell towards the other Ninetails and she scrambled to get out of the way, Ember used the distraction to buy herself more time to think. What could she use to her advantage in a place like this?

The sound of birds squawking nearby broke her concentration. Wait a moment. That was it! Ember saw a small group of bird pokemon like Pidgey and, yes, Farfetch'd, pecking at the ground nearby. Perfect. As her opponent tried to leap over the fallen tree to get to her, Ember circled around behind the flock. As soon as her Mirror moved toward her, Ember blasted the ground behind the birds with another Will-o-wisp, causing them to squawk in fear and fly away, moving directly toward the other Ninetails.

Ember's startled Replacement was soon caught in a storm of squawks and shrieks and feathers, and she began firing off Hidden Power Ice at the bird pokemon to try and blast her way through. While she was distracted, Ember gathered her strength and launched a full-force Psyshock, blasting her Mirror right in the face and knocking her flat on the ground.

When the dazed Ninetails staggered to her feet, she glared at Ember in both anger and shock.

"That's not fair!"

Ember smirked. "Fights are never fair."

In a rage, the other Ninetails activated Drought and prepared to use her last Fire Blast. Ember tried to deactivate her opponent's Drought, but she was startled to find that she couldn't break the will of her Mirror, of her younger self. No matter how hard she stoked her inner fire, she couldn't force Drought to deactivate.

Ember realized too late that her opponent had counted on this. She tried to leap to the side, but her Replacement had predicted where she would try to dodge and nailed Ember with her Drought-empowered Fire Blast. It was quite possibly one of the most painful, devastating hits Ember had ever taken. Her body's impact on the ground was only the tip of the iceberg. The sheer power behind the move was more than enough to make her vision darken and drive her endurance to its limit. A year ago, she would never have been able to withstand that attack.

As she slowly forced herself to stand and fight the otherworldly pain, she saw her opponent wince slightly and struggle to catch her breath. The poison was beginning to sap her Mirror's strength as well, though they were both at the very limits of their endurance. The other Ninetails was at least out of Power Points for Fire Blast, unless Rose had decided to use PP-ups on her new Drought lead, which would be-with how short-lived these Drought leads were-a waste of money. Either way, the next few moves would decide the match, and Ember's fate.

When she tried to use another Psyshock, nothing happened. Ember mentally screamed profanity when she realized that not only did she have only one shot for Fire Blast left, but she was also out of Power Points for Psyshock! Now she had no moves left to use, unless she wanted to risk her last Fire Blast, though her enemy was almost certain to avoid it.

To give herself more time to think, Ember fired a Will-o-wisp at her Mirror's face. The other Ninetails was startled by the ineffective move choice, giving Ember the moment she needed to turn and run down the resort path, looking for anything she could use to defeat her opponent. The other Ninetails was soon on her heels, already gaining on her thanks to her superior speed.

Several large lakes and rivers spanned the area, and although they looked indescribably beautiful and pristine in the sunlight, Ember had no time to admire them. There had to be something nearby that she could use to help her win! Anything, a weapon, a tool, an item—

A Solarbeam suddenly clipped Ember on the side, knocking her into one of the large lakes with a soft splash. When she quickly swam to the surface, she coughed out the water she'd inhaled and searched for her enemy. The other Ninetails was already at the lake, no-doubt preparing to finish her. Ember braced herself for the next attack, trying to think of some way to survive, but nothing came to mind this time. It looked like her luck had finally run its course.

However, when her opponent reached the water's edge, the strangest thing happened.

The other Ember suddenly stopped, looking down at the water hesitantly. Was that fear in her eyes? Her Mirror continued to stare at the water, pacing back and forth as if waiting for something to happen. Ember watched her in utter bewilderment, wondering why her Mirror was acting so tentative all of a sudden.

And then, like the light from Drought, it dawned on her.

The other Ninetails was afraid of the water.

How could she have missed it? It was so obvious! She remembered how horrified she was when Absol had taken her to that lake so long ago to clean her fur. It had taken Absol's best method of 'persuasion' to finally get her in the water, and even then, she was terrified beyond belief until she finally realized that it wasn't dangerous to Fire pokemon. She thinks she'll die if she goes in the water! Ember realized, grinning.

However, instead of backing down, the other Ninetails suddenly reared back, the energy for Hidden Power Ice surrounding her. Ember realized in horror that her Mirror was about to use Hidden Power Ice on the lake and freeze it solid with her still in it!

However, Ember managed to move faster and leapt out of the lake, splashing water on her Replacement in the process. The other Ninetails immediately yelped in fright and actually began trying to shake the water off of herself like a scared little kid. Did I really used to be so afraid of the wild? Ember wondered.

Using her Mirror's distraction to her advantage, Ember quickly made sure Drought was active and blazing, then used her Final Fire Blast, pouring everything she had into it. Her Mirror saw the attack coming too late and was hit dead-on with the full brunt of the attack. The other Ninetails was sent flying and actually smashed through the hollow base of one of the artificial trees nearby before landing on her back, the sound of bones cracking all-too-evident as she did so.

Ember waited for the next round to begin, but her counterpart didn't move. The whole lakefront was once again engulfed in absolute silence. Was it possible? Had she finally overcome the will of her opponent? Since she had no Power Points left for any of her damaging attacks, she merely waited silently for nearly twenty seconds, but there was no movement. As unbelievable as it was, the staggering truth soon became undeniable.

It was over.

Ember took a few moments' pause to catch her breath and get over the awe of her victory. She'd actually won. She'd defeated a Ninetails that was more powerful than her in every respect. She'd beaten a stronger version of herself from the past. She'd proven that the wild had made her stronger than any human training ever could have, and that she'd gained more from the wild than she ever had with Rose.

Ember finally moved closer to her counterpart, seeing that she was still conscious, though far too hurt to move. The Ninetails was clutching her side and groaning in agony, trying desperately to rise to her feet, though with the angle one of her paws was bent at it was a useless effort. As soon as she saw Ember, she froze, her eyes wide in horror. Ember calmly walked up to her and looked down at the wounded form of her old self.

"W-What are you going to do?" the other Ember pleaded. "D-Don't kill me, please!"

Ember let out a long sigh. "I've been a part of one of two of the most sadistic gangs in the region, and they always taught me to finish off my opponent."Almost subconsciously her eight tails twitched."It's also one of the many hard lessons I learned in the wild."

The other Ember closed her eyes tightly, quivering as she awaited death. However, Ember shoved her head onto the ground to knock her out, then withdrew an Antidote from her bag and healed her adversary of the poison.

"But I'm not a part of that gang anymore, and I'm certainly not in the wild now, am I?" Ember said, more to herself than to her counterpart.

As Ember turned to leave behind the unconscious form of her naïve antagonist, her legs suddenly gave way and she fell to the ground again, utterly exhausted. She'd been thoroughly drained both physically and mentally, and that fight had used up every last drop of her strength. She simply had nothing left in her. Had she always been such a pain to fight?

Already, consciousness began slipping away. She'd done all she could do. Her journey was finished. She'd fought through everything life had thrown at her, and now she badly needed to rest. Perhaps Rose had already lost their trail, and wouldn't be able to find—

Speak of the Darkrai. The sound of loud, hurried footsteps broke the silence of the resort area and brought her back to her senses, or what was left of them. Ember forced herself to stand and looked to her right, seeing Rose rushing up towards her and her unconscious opponent. Trainer bag. Ember immediately dropped the sopping-wet bag on the ground and began rifling through it for healing items. She gave herself a Sitrus berry, though she had no idea how much good it would do now.

As soon as Rose saw the knocked out form of her own Drought lead lying next to the eight-tailed Ninetails, her jaw dropped and she froze. Then, slowly, her fists clenched, and she looked at Ember with such hatred and disgust it made her shrink back slightly.

"No!" Rose growled, seething. "No, no, NO! This wasn't supposed to happen! To that monster?! How…?! HOW could my Drought lead lose to an eight-tailed freak of nature?!"

Despite their flustered immaturity, her words cut Ember like a knife. To be called a freak and a monster by someone she'd loved for so long only trampled on what was left of her heart. She only wished she could leave this island forever and never have to see Rose looking at her with such hatred again, but it didn't look like her old master would be letting her go anywhere.

Rose pulled out her Pokeball and returned the other Ember to it in a flash of red light. She then suddenly yanked out another Pokeball. The capsule was cracked and the red paint was so worn it almost looked like a Premier Ball.

Ember braced herself for what would undoubtedly be her last fight. It had taken everything she had merely to defeat Rose's Drought lead, and she had no chance against Rose's other five pokemon. But at least she didn't have to die without a fight. And maybe there was still a way to escape. Maybe she could—

Her hopes were instantly dashed when she saw the pokemon Rose had sent out. The light surrounding it finally faded away, and the silhouette of her next—and undoubtedly last-opponent was unmistakably clear. A draconic pokemon with black scales and a fiery tail stood before her, calm and confident as always.

Ember was face-to-face with her old leader, Charizard.

In that moment, Ember realized that it truly was over now. What shattered her heart was that it didn't look like even her beloved friend and father figure recognized her. She would soon be killed by her oldest and dearest teammate, and he wouldn't even know that he'd been the death of someone he was once so close to. There was no chance he would have recognized her the way she appeared now. She must have looked like a monster, with one of her tails missing and her fur all torn and covered in red.

Despite the gruesome tragedy of the situation, a sad smile slowly spread across Ember's no-doubt bloodied lips. She was so glad to see Charizard, even if he didn't remember her, and even if she would soon die at his hands. She only wished she could have met with him as a friend and partner again, but even that great comfort had been denied her.

Rose was about to order Charizard to attack, and her old leader seemed willing—if not too eager—to do so. However, Ember merely shook her head and gave Charizard one last smile.

"It's alright, Charizard, I won't fight you," she said quietly. "I could never beat you anyway. Even at my best, I could never be as strong as you. I tried as hard as I could, but you were always Rose's best Pokémon, and you always will be."

To both Rose and Charizard's surprise, Ember slowly walked up to Charizard and lied down at his feet, leaving her neck exposed and calmly surrendering herself to her fate. Strangely, she didn't feel sad about it. In a way, it felt almost comforting that her end would be at the hands of a loved one.

"Just…make it fast, okay, Charizard?" she asked, closing her eyes.

With that, Ember rested her head on the grass and awaited her swift death. She only hoped she would be able to see Absol again wherever she was going. She hoped they could finally be happy and together again. She continued to wait for the peaceful end, for darkness to consume her vision for the last time… Any moment now, and it would all be over…

"Ember?"

Her eyes shot open. The soft, deep guttural voice had come from Charizard. She looked up into his calm, wise black eyes that had many a time touched her heart, and she saw a light of recognition shining in them as he gazed upon her. Could it be…?

"Is it really you, Ember?" he asked softly.

For a brief moment, Ember was in utter disbelief. Then, as the truth sank in, her heart melted. Charizard remembered her. He recognized her. He still knew her. Tears slid down her cheeks as she continued to hold Charizard's kind gaze, all words eluding her. She slowly stood up and tried to speak, but she soon found she was far to overcome with a new feeling of both elation and relief, her body actually shaking slightly as she looked into the eyes of a companion she'd yearned to see again for so long.

After a few moments, Charizard gave her a warm smile, the very same smile that had always made her feel wanted while on Rose's team, that had made her feel like she actually belonged and was loved. For the first time since she'd arrived on the island, she felt like she was home.

"It really is you," he said. "I don't know what you're doing here, but I'm so glad to see you, Ember."

All thoughts of trainers and battles and danger and escape disappeared from Ember's mind. No longer able to resist, the broken Ninetails threw herself into Charizard's welcoming arms, crying and hugging him tightly, feeling the same reassurance in his tender embrace that she always used to after grueling tournament matches in the past.

"I…I-I missed you, Ch-Charizard," she whimpered softly between sobs.

Charizard gave her a gentle squeeze and softly stroked her fur in that way he always used to when she was upset after losing a match or her when master was angry with her.

"I missed you too, Ember," he said soothingly. "I always missed you. It's been so long…God, you've grown so much I barely recognized you. Are you alright?"

"I t-think I'm feeling…a lot b-better now," Ember replied, her cracked voice barely above a whisper. "I thought…I would n-never see you again…"

As Ember and Charizard remained in their warm, tight embrace, Rose stared at the two with wide eyes, both disgusted and bewildered as she watched her starter caressing some random wild Ninetails.

"Is this a new attack or something?" she wondered aloud. "This must be a new species of Ninetails. Maybe an undiscovered evolved form…?"

Rose opened her back and reached for her badges, but in her haste they fell from the trainer case and landed in the mud. As she angrily searched for the one that would force Charizard to attack, the two Fire pokemon savored their moment of peace as long as they could. Eventually, Ember looked back up at Charizard, remaining in his arms.

"So, what happens now?" she asked quietly. "Do you still…have to kill me?"

Charizard looked almost hurt. "Of course I'm not going to kill you, Ember. I could never do that. But why are you here? How did you survive? When Rose released you, I thought…I thought for sure you'd be done for out there."

"It was hard, but I met someone who helped me learn how to thrive in the wild. He taught me all I needed to know, and we fought and survived together, even when the East and West Sides hunted us down. For so long, I…I searched for you and Rose, and eventually…I ended up here. But why did you never tell me the truth before, that Rose didn't really care about me…about any of us?"

"If I did, you would have had nothing to live for. Do you have something now?"

Ember thought back to her freedom in the wild and the friends she'd made on the way, those that were still around and those that were gone. The memories gave her strength and conviction even now.

"Yes," she replied firmly.

Charizard was visibly impressed. "You really have grown up out there. I remember how young and innocent you were back then, but you've become so strong now…Rose really doesn't know what she threw away. I bet you could give me a run for my money now," he added with a small grin.

A weak laugh escaped Ember's throat. A warm and satisfied feeling washed over her at Charizard's praise. She remembered how good it had made her feel whenever Charizard had praised her after combat when she'd beaten an opponent or helped win the match. She already knew she'd grown much stronger in the wild, but hearing Charizard say it somehow made it feel more rewarding, more absolute.

"How have you been holding up since I…disappeared?" she asked.

"It was like a year where every day was identical to the last," he replied with a sigh. "Once Rose started releasing everyone, all life was for me was a perpetual changing and replacing of new teammates as Rose reshaped her team for the new tournament. I was no stranger to that life, but after you and the others came along, going back to it felt even more hollow and depressing. New faces came and went, and I never had time to get to know any of them. Every night, I thought fondly of the five pokemon who had changed my life so much, wondering if they were okay. At least now I know that you are."

"Just barely…but I never forgot about you, either, Charizard. I don't think any of us ever did."

"Believe me, It's wonderful to see you again," he continued. "But, Ember…why did you come back?"

For a few moments, Ember thought about her answer. A dozen responses came to mind, a dozen truths and half-truths struggling to escape her lips. However, in reality, the truest answer turned out to be the simplest one.

"I missed you," she replied earnestly. "You, my teammates…and Rose, too. I didn't know the truth until now…that she didn't want me, and that everyone else really is gone…"

Another slight pang of grief caused Ember to look down at her feet. However, Charizard suddenly reached his claw under her chin and gently tilted her head back up until her eyes met his.

"Listen to me, Ember," he said softly but firmly. "You have a great new world that's all yours, one that I never experienced. You have a home in the wild now, where you really belong. I'm glad to see you're safe, but you shouldn't have come back. This world—this prison—is not for you. The tournament Pokémon tried to break your body, and Rose may have broken your heart, but your spirit could never be broken, nor should it be confined in a capsule for the rest of your days. You may have been born in the world of humans and competition, but the wild has always been where you belong, Ember."

"I…I think…I realize that now," Ember said slowly, allowing his words to sink in. He was right. It had been foolish to fight so hard to come back to a world where she didn't belong. Rose had raised her to be a tool, but the wild was in her nature, in her very blood, as was her freedom. How could she not have seen it before?

Charizard must have seen the light of understanding in her eyes, as his smile soon returned and he nodded in approval.

"Go home, Ember," he said. "I can't come with you, but I'll always be satisfied knowing that you finally found the life you deserved."

Ember tightly hugged Charizard one last time, and he returned the embrace, the two teammates silently sharing their moment of farewell, and of gratitude for all they'd given each other.

"I love you, Charizard," she whispered, slowly releasing her embrace.

"I love you too, Ember," he replied, stepping back from the daughter figure he was now bidding farewell and giving her one last warm smile.

With that, Ember reluctantly turned away from her old leader and—as far as she was concerned—father. She slowly began to walk away, knowing it would be the last time she ever saw him.

"Oh, and Ember?" he called.

"What is it?" she asked, turning back.

"I don't actually have a nickname," he said, grinning. "Rose was too lazy to give me one at the time."

Ember couldn't help but laugh, remembering how much she'd used to want to know his name. The two held each other's gaze one last time, knowing that their memories of each other would never die.

Suddenly, the loud snap of Rose slamming her trainer case shut broke the moment, having given up on finding her badges again. She stared at Ember, though the seething fury was gone from her eyes, replaced by a far more sinister calm and composure.

"If this one wild Ninetails is stronger than mine, and even my Charizard can't attack it, it must be worth quite a bit," she muttered, reaching into her trainer bag. "I bet this freak will be a good battler for me in the next tournament round anyway."

Ember's blood turned to ice and a sickly hand gripped her heart as Rose pulled out an Ultra Ball from her bag. She stepped back in fright, but there was no way she'd be able to move fast enough to avoid it at this range. She had broken out of Ultra Balls before, but her wounds would be a great hindrance to her movement, and her chances of breaking out with brute force looked incredibly dicey.

Quick as lightning, Rose reared back and hurled the black-and-yellow capsule. In another millisecond, Ember would be struggling for her life to escape Rose's grasp, and a permanent life as her tool.

Suddenly, a black blur whooshed by and smacked Rose's Ultra Ball out of the air. The capsule shattered as it hit the ground, the light dying away from its broken shards. There was a long silence as Rose stared in utter shock at the remains of her Ultra Ball. Ember looked up and gasped when she saw the cause.

Charizard was standing in Rose's way, having blocked the ball with his wing. He looked back at Ember, his eyes now hard as steel.

"Run!"

Needing no further prompting, Ember turned and ran as fast as her legs would allow. She charged through the tall grass, rushed between the trees, bolted around the desert, and dashed across the entire island. She ran and ran, her heart pounding and her adrenaline pumping, pushing her to go as far as she could possibly go. Nothing else mattered now. She only knew to flee from the grasp of the humans, to put Rose behind her and keep going until she couldn't go any further.

And never once did Ember the wild Ninetails look back.

Abandoned. Alive. Alone.

Those three words described Ember's life all too perfectly. She'd been twice abandoned by the same trainer. She'd had her life threatened more times than she had tails, but she was still alive.

And yet, for all she'd achieved since her abandonment, she was still completely alone.

She'd searched the island desperately for some means of escape, some other pokemon who happened to know Fly, some hidden passage or route that would lead to some improbable exit. But no matter how hard she looked or how much ground she covered, there was simply no feasible way to leave the human domain and return to the main region.

And now, at the point of losing all hope, Ember stood at the edge of the beach upon which she'd arrived there in the first place, gazing out at the massive region that had been her home for so long. Why, oh why hadn't she accepted Tropius's offer to fly back to the mainland? She would have given anything to go back now—not like she had anything left to give.

Escape by boat? Impossible. Even if she found one, she could never sneak aboard and stow away on it undetected, and the chances it would even be going the way she wanted were slim to none. Swimming? Laughable. She had gotten fairly good, but the island was miles away and she could never get that far. Fly? Beyond unlikely. No pokemon of any value would dare show their faces anywhere near the sight of trainers, who would be swarming every inch of the island as soon as the tournament was over. No matter which way she looked at it, everything seemed hopeless. Again.

"Why did I have to throw away everything to come here?" she sighed. "I was so stupid…"

Maybe things aren't so bad, said a soft voice, undoubtedly in her head.

"Of course they are," she muttered to herself, her eyes still tightly shut. "How can they not be? I've lost everything, and now I'll be trapped alone on this island until someone finds and kills me."

Why have you given up all hope? You've faced hopeless situations before.

"That's because there were still people out there who cared about me, who wanted me alive. Now there's no one left, and it's all my fault."

Why is it your fault?

"If I hadn't come along, Absol wouldn't be dead now. He'd never have been captured and killed by Houndoom…" The words tasted like chalk in her mouth. Ember felt her buried grief threatening to rise to the surface once more and squeeze at her throat.

But he told you that it wasn't your fault, the soothing voice replied. You made him happy again, gave him something to live for. What's so wrong with that?

Ember briefly scowled, feeling that the voice in her mind was vaguely familiar. However, she eventually attributed it to her own aggrieved, tired mind playing tricks on her.

"I should have just forgotten about Rose and stayed with Absol right from the start," she told herself. "If I had, we both could have survived."

You needed to see the truth for yourself, even if it was painful, the voice countered. If you hadn't, it would have plagued and tormented you for the rest of your days.

"But it wasn't worth Absol's life! I…I would give anything to take it all back, to tell him I'm sorry…"

Why are you so sure he's gone forever? He told you he would always be with you, didn't he?

"Of course…but he was obviously speaking metaphysically. There was no way for him to escape those mines…was there?"

This time, there was a brief pause. Ember silently waited for her mind's counterargument.

Do you remember what Absol said to you when you first reached Rypherior's cave and you nearly left him behind because of the danger? The voice replied, sounding slightly louder and closer now.

"Yeah…he just chuckled and said, 'You can't get rid of me that easily.' What about it?"

Well, didn't you believe him?

Ember scoffed. "Of course, but that…can't change what's happened, so why does it matter?"

"Because you can't get rid of me that easily."

At this, Ember started slightly. At first, she was certain the voice had been in her own head, but it sounded much too familiar and distinct for that now. She quickly turned toward its source, her jaw dropping as she saw none other than Tropius stretching out his wings on the beach nearby, smiling jovially at her. When had he flown in? Had she been too distraught to even hear him coming? She remembered that Tropius had been a quiet flier, which at least explained that. She was certain the voice she'd spoken with hadn't belonged to Tropius, but she was elated to see him nonetheless.

However, all thoughts of Tropius instantly disappeared from her mind when she saw another pokemon leap off of his back and onto the sand, briskly shaking himself off. The white-furred passenger smiled warmly at Ember, his bright red eyes gleaming in the slowly-setting sunlight. Was this some kind of hallucination? Was her mind playing one last cruel trick on her? She could hardly dare to hope he was real, afraid that she would soon wake up and find out it was a dream. But everything in front of her seemed to argue against that.

As he moved closer toward her, she began to feel incredibly dizzy, her vision swimming and her legs weakening. He reached out and put his paw on her shoulder, the warmth and softness of his touch dispelling all thoughts of him being unreal.

"Pretty rough day, huh?" Absol said kindly.

Ember heard nothing more, as her vision soon went totally black and she fainted on the beach.

Waking up after suddenly losing consciousness had never been one of Ember's favorite pastimes, and she normally dreaded it from the moment her awareness returned. However, this time felt…different. It wasn't painful or unpleasant, and she didn't feel sick or exhausted. There was also a soft warmth on her right cheek, though she had no idea what was causing it. She felt like she was waking up from an incredibly pleasant sleep, and she remembered having the most wonderful dream. She saw Absol's face, almost as though he were back from the dead, and the way he'd spoken to her…

When she thought back, though, she realized that she had no way of knowing whether she was still on the island, or if the whole thing had been a dream as well. Heck, maybe her entire adventure had been one long, incredible dream. If so, it had been the most amazing, miraculous, beautiful, intriguing, difficult, tragic, heartbreaking, and yet wonderful dream she'd ever had.

Deciding that there was only one way to find out, Ember slowly opened her eyes.

The first sight that greeted her was the one she'd been yearning to see again for so long, though she had been certain she never would again. Absol was smiling gently down at her, and the warmth she'd felt was his paw resting on her cheek, softly stroking it as he slowly pulled her out of her sleep and back to reality. And what a beautiful reality it was.

"Are you back with us?" he asked, his soothing voice making her feel even more at peace.

"I hope so," she replied with a faint smile, still slightly groggy. "Absol…is it really you?"

He chuckled a bit, a sound she'd missed for a long time now.

"Last I checked," he replied. "If you still aren't sure I'm your Absol, you remember my nickname, right?"

Ember grinned. "Shadow."

At this, Ember heard a cough and tilted her head to see Tropius, who had been drinking from a lake nearby, and was now choking on the water. Once he recovered, he grinned widely.

"Shadow?" he chuckled. "Your name is Shadow?"

"Tropius, aren't you late for something?" Absol growled.

Tropius just laughed again and went back to drinking and washing himself off. Absol looked back at Ember, his smile returning.

"I was starting to think I'd never find you, you know," he said. "It was just luck I found Tropius flying back to the mainland, and he told me what happened."

"And you saved my life," Ember said quietly. "I thought I would never escape that island alive. Where are we?"

"When you fainted, I had Tropius carry you, and we all flew back to the mainland. I hope that's okay…"

"Of course!" Ember replied quickly. "I don't mind at all."

"I certainly do," Tropius called, looking back at them. "From now on, no more free rides!"

Ember and Absol briefly chuckled at the remark. When Ember returned her gaze to her mate, it felt like she was looking at a pokemon who'd risen from the dead. A thousand questions sprang to her mind, and she was sure that a year ago she'd have asked them all at once. But here and now, she would settle for just one.

"Absol…how are you still alive?"

Absol smiled again. "Sometimes, I'm not sure myself. Darkrai must be crying over how many times I've cheated death now. I thought for sure I was finished down there, but…let's just say that a lot of things went right for a change, and I had a little help from a close friend."

Ember nodded slowly. She had a feeling she knew what friend he was referring to, and not for the first time, she felt grateful for all the wonderful people they'd met on their journey. The words rang pleasantly in her mind. Their journey. It was indeed theirs once more. Finally, they were together again, and they'd survived everything that had come their way.

Ember slowly rose to her feet, feeling totally refreshed. None of the pain from her previous clash with her Replacement lingered, and she realized that Absol must have healed her wounds in her sleep. As soon as she was sure she was steady, she stepped forward and hugged Absol tightly, and he eagerly returned the embrace.

Soon, without either knowing who had made the move first, their lips met, a feeling of lasting joy and relief washing over Ember as she kissed Absol for the first time in what must have been months. She never thought she'd feel the gentle touch of his lips or his warm embrace ever again. He was alive. And now, they could finally have their life together, without any more danger or trainers or gangs or hunters getting in the way.

When they finally broke the kiss for air, Ember wrapped her tails around him and they held each other tightly, savoring every second of the reunion, not even caring whether Tropius was watching or not.

"I'm sorry for everything, Absol," she said quietly. "I should have listened to you right from the beginning. In fact, I…I think deep down, I always knew the truth, but I never allowed myself to see it. I just…didn't want to believe it. But you were right. Rose was…"

Absol leaned back slightly and met her gaze, giving her a tender smile.

"It's okay, Ember. All of that is behind us now," he reassured her. "It's time to look forward instead of focusing on the past."

He briefly glanced over his shoulder at Tropius before looking back at her.

"Besides, we'll have plenty of time for apologizing to each other in private later," he added quietly with a slight grin.

Ember smirked a little. Finally, the two released their embrace and turned to Tropius, who suddenly looked worried.

"Uh oh, you're gonna ask me for another favor now, aren't you?" he said tentatively.

"Just a little one," Absol replied. "Can you give us one more flight? We'll pay you for the trouble."

Ember grinned and nuzzled up against Absol. "So, where are we going today?" she asked.

"Home, Ember," he replied, reaching his arm around her. "We're going home."

"Hmm, that's a likely story," Umbra told the interloper Ampharos—or Kala, as she called herself-at the town entrance. "Still, I'm afraid I can't take any chances."

Kala, who was standing at the gates of the town Ember had described to her, let out a long, aggravated sigh at the Umbreon who was blocking her path.

"Look, she said you would let me in," she protested. "Ember gave me distinct instructions about this place!"

"Hm. Can you describe this 'Ember' character for me?"

"Um…multiple tails, golden-orange fur, red eyes…"

"Does she have a pungent sense of humor?"

"Yeah! That's her!"

"Doesn't ring a bell."

Kala nearly melted into the ground. She paused for nearly a full ten seconds before thinking of her next tactic. She was starting to suspect this Umbreon was either very clever or very stupid, and she was starting to think it was a combination of both.

"This is a community of pokemon who want to live in peace, and I'm one!" she tried.

Umbra stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You're very clever—and beautiful—but you'll find I'm a pokemon of dazzlingly sharp intellect, and I won't fall prey to such a façade so easily."

Kala groaned. "If I were trying to trick you, why would I march up to the gates and tell you my name and purpose instead of, say, creeping up on you and not waking you up at your post, leaving me free to do my dastardly work?"

"Aha! So you admit you're planning something sinister, eh?"

"Wha-no! I'm just saying that whatever you think I was going to do—I mean, what you think I'm planning…"

Umbra chuckled triumphantly. "So, can't even keep your story straight anymore, eh?"

"I can shoot Thunder pretty straight," she replied evenly.

"Like I was saying, welcome to our humble town," Umbra said with a smile, standing aside and opening the gates.

With a sigh, Kala stepped inside the city, marveling at the well-kept houses and buildings, as well as all the finer touches, such as orb-lanterns and lampposts powered by pokemon fire and even electricity. The town was also surrounded by tall hills and dense forest, and as such was not only well concealed from potential threats-trainers—but also reaped the benefits of nature, such as an abundance of berries and water from the nearby springs and lakes. The plant life was also well maintained by the numerous Bug pokemon in and around the city. In a way, it was almost a paradise for pokemon.

"Well, I have to give Ember credit," Kala muttered. "She sure knew what she was talking about."

Umbra smiled. "Yeah, it's one of the few places we can call home, but it certainly suffices. That aside, though, you say you talked to Ember?"

Kala grinned wickedly. "Ember who?"

"Okay, I had that one coming," he admitted with a sigh, making a mental note not to fall into that one again. This 'Kala' was a much more serious adversary than she'd first led on.

"Anyway, if we're done playing word games, I was hoping I could find a place to stay here," Kala said.

"Of course," Umbra replied, his grin widening. "A gorgeous and intelligent lady like you is always welcome here. In fact, we even have a few unoccupied houses around here, great location, plenty of space, good ventilation—"

"Wait, are you a pokemon, or a Real Estate agent?" Ampharos asked with a smirk.

"Both! Now, then, about your new home…"

Umbra briefly glanced away while speaking, gesturing to a few of the houses near the entrance. He suddenly froze, staring wide-eyed past the town gate. Ampharos looked at him in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"Look, do you see that?"

Without waiting for a reply, Umbra turned and ran toward the gates. Bewildered, Ampharos followed him, stopping at the entrance and peering outside. Sure enough, there was a large green pokemon flying toward them, his wings flapping silently as he grew larger on the horizon.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Umbra replied. "I may have to…oh, wait, I know him! That's Tropius! He's part of our community. What's he doing here, though…?" he wondered aloud.

Tropius soon landed about a half a mile outside the gates, and two pokemon—one with golden\orange fur and one with white fur—hopped off of his back. At first, Umbra and Ampharos couldn't even begin to make them out at this distance, especially with the sunlight in their eyes. However, as they headed toward the town, their forms slowly grew clearer.

Ampharos actually staggered back a half-pace once she began to recognize them, her jaw nearly hitting the ground.

"Oh…my…God…it's…can it be?" she sputtered. "It's…it's…"

Umbra just stared in wide-eyed silence at the two incoming pokemon for a few moments.

"…Holy jeez," he muttered finally. "…They made it…they made it!"

Upon arriving at the town entrance, two familiar faces immediately ran outside to meet Ember and Absol, teary-eyed and grinning widely. Umbra immediately tried to rush up and group-hug them both and failed epically due to his size, instead settling for one at a time. Ampharos kept a respectful distance, but was no less elated to see them.

"I knew you guys'd come back," Umbra said, wiping his eye. "Everyone else said you were gone for good, but they should have listened old Umbra, because I always knew right from the start-

"Well, nobody else did, so I'm glad you knew before all the rest of us," Absol interrupted.

"Of course! I know absolutely everything! Don't you know that by now?"

The joy of the reunion was the only reason that joke received any laughs.

"That aside, how did you guys survive?" Umbra asked, like an eager child waiting to hear a bedtime story. "I heard you were captured by the West Side! How did you escape?"

Ember smiled. "I thought you said you knew everything."

Umbra faltered. "Well, I do…most of the time."

"Well, I bet you didn't know that Exeggcute are actually seeds instead of eggs."

"No way, they're definitely eggs!"

"Nu uh, they're seeds."

"No, they're eggs!"

Absol groaned. "Oh, no, not this again. What have I done, bringing these two back together?"

After another brief fit of laughter from the others, Kala, whose eyes were slightly red, regarded Ember and Absol in both awe and admiration.

"I can't believe you're both here," she said quietly. "Absol, after the trainers attacked and destroyed all the East and West Side bases, I thought you were killed…and Ember, when I showed you that island, I thought I was sending you to the same fate…but here you both are, alive and well. How did you do it?"

Absol couldn't resist a smile. "In the future, nobody assume I'm dead until you see my body, okay? But all jokes aside, we're here and we're here to stay, and that's all that matters."

Umbra looked back and forth at them with bated breath. "You're here to stay? But, wait, Ember, does that mean you…I mean, with your trainer and all…"

Ember hesitated. "Well, I uh…all that is, well…"

"Let's just say that that issue is behind us," Absol said, rescuing her. "I think we both agree that this is where we want to be."

Umbra beamed like the sun on midsummer morn, rushing over to the gate and shoving it open.

"Well, if you guys are really staying, then for crying out loud, come on in!" he shouted ecstatically.

Smiling, Ember and Absol followed him and Kala into the city, instantly breath-taken by the pristine, well-kept town and the myriads of pokemon of all types living there. Umbra led them down several streets, showing them all the main buildings, item stores, and other high points of their new home. At the end of the tour, Ember couldn't help shaking her head in wonder.

"Looks like you guys have been doing pretty well for yourselves," she remarked. "Who appointed you the town gatekeeper, anyway?"

Umbra shrugged. "Well, I am a pretty vital part of the community, and they gave me the job because of my marvelous talents at warding off intruders."

"I gathered," she replied dryly.

"By the way, what are you doing wearing one of our ribbons, anyway?" he asked.

Ember looked down at the yellow ribbon around her neck.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'm an honorary member too," she replied with a grin. "Small world, eh?"

Umbra's eyes widened. "They made you a member? They're just giving the title away now!"

"But wait, Umbra, if you're a member too, why don't you have a ribbon?"

Umbra looked down sheepishly. "Well, it's just…they're so unstylish. They'd ruin my charm and good looks!"

Kala chuckled. "How can you ruin what's not there?"

"Okay, you guys, that's enough," Absol cut in, hiding a smile. "So, Umbra, is there any place around here where we can stay?"

"Yeah, of course!" Umbra said. "I was actually just telling your Ampharos about the available houses when you showed up. So, I'll set one up for you and Ember, and then one for me and Kala, right?"

Kala scoffed. "You wish, Vaporeon wannabe."

Umbra shrugged. "Meh, it was worth a try. And why does everyone keep calling me that?"

"So, about our homes," Absol interrupted before another word game could start. "We're more than willing to pay…"

"Oh, no, there's no fee (sadly) or anything," Umbra said. "Any pokemon who want to live here are welcome. The only price is that you help out the community like everyone else."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Ember added with a smile. "Where are the homes?"

"There's an entire empty lot right over there," Umbra said, gesturing to a distant row of houses. "Just pick one that you like, and we'll work out the details later. To be fair, since Kala was here first, I'll help her find a good one and then I'll catch up with you guys later. Is that okay?"

"Sound's good to me," Absol replied, waving. "Be seeing you both."

"I'm so glad to be able to see you both again," Kala added. "Since we're all part of the community now, we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other, so I'll meet up with two again later."

With that, Umbra and Ampharos headed off into the heart of the vast city, soon disappearing from view. After they were out of sight, Ember and Absol headed for the neat row of houses Umbra had pointed out, eager to find a good home among their friends and this kind community.

Ember hadn't noticed it during all the warm reunions, but Absol was walking with a slight limp now. She didn't know how, but his leg had probably been badly injured recently. Ember hoped the limp would get better but she had a feeling it was staying for good. She walked closer to him and silently offered to support him as he walked, but he waved the help away with a grateful smile. She still walked slowly enough to make sure he could keep up, which allowed her to enjoy their time together more anyway.

As they walked through town together in companionable silence, Ember couldn't help thinking back to all the times she'd travelled at Absol's side, just the two of them against the world, trying to find their place. And now, they'd finally found it. She gazed fondly at the pokemon who'd given her a brighter future, wondering if his thoughts were similar.

"Absol, really, how did you survive?" she found herself asking. "And are the gangs really gone?"

Absol nodded slowly. "Without their leader, Luxray walked through the West Side like it was nothing, and the trainers destroyed the rest. As for how I held on long enough to escape and kept going afterwards, well…I guess that every time I was about to give up, I thought of you. Just remembering all we'd fought through together was enough to keep me going. In a way, you saved my life too."

Ember smiled. "Hopefully we won't have to keep saving each other's necks anymore from now on."

Absol shrugged. "One can only hope."

After going through the rows of beautiful little homes and talking about their past adventures, Ember and Absol finally decided on a place to live, which wasn't nearly as difficult as they'd expected. After so long of searching for a home during their journey, they weren't exactly picky about which roof they wanted to stay under. Rather than immediately enter the cheerful-looking house, though, Ember and Absol merely stood there in silence for a minute as they allowed all that had happened in so short a time to sink in.

"So, is this everything you were hoping for?" Absol asked with a smile.

"It's got its ups and downs," she replied. "I…I think I'm going to like it here."

Ember and Absol briefly admired the house Umbra had selected. It was relatively small, but the windows allowed them to see that the home was well furnished and would suit their needs perfectly. The garden in front was even more spectacular, and even the occasional berry bush could be found here and there.

But far more important than the house was the city it was in. At long last, they had found a place that was safe from trainers and gangs. They could finally live in a place where all their friends were, and where they could have the peaceful and happy life they'd fought so hard for. It was all they ever could have wanted and more.

After another quiet moment, Absol glanced at her again.

"So, when did you become a member of this big community?" he asked wryly.

"Oh, a few things happened while I was on my own," she replied nonchalantly. "I kind of helped save their leaders from a trainer attack."

"Is see. Is there anything else I should know about?"

Ember smirked. "Well, I didn't know you were alive until now. I'd say that makes us even."

Absol broke into laughter, as did Ember briefly. However, after another moment, Absol looked slightly downcast and apologetic as he regarded her.

"Listen, Ember, um…I'm sorry about Rose," he began tentatively. "I know she meant the meant the world to you, and knowing the truth now…"

"Absol, it's okay," she replied, reaching her paw to his cheek. "I don't need her anymore. Yes, I'm still a little sad, but…I have you again. And as far as I'm concerned, that's more than a fair trade."

Absol returned her smile and took her paw in his. "Well, if that's the case, let's enjoy what we've got while we still have it. And once the NPCT is over, I think the rest of the trainers will really start leaving. And in a year or so, once they're all gone, we'll have an entire region to explore. And I'll be with you every step of the way, Ember, just like I always have."

"I can think of no one I'd rather have with me," she replied with a warm smile.

Absol glanced briefly at their new home before returning his gaze to his mate.

"I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired," he said finally. "Let's head inside and see if this community knows anything about interior decorating."

Ember couldn't help laughing as they approached the house. However, she suddenly remembered something important.

"Oh, Absol, wait!" she said. "Before we call it quits, there's one last thing I need to take care of. Can you wait here for me? I'll only be a few minutes."

Absol smiled. "Of course. I'll be right here for you when you need me."

Ember briefly smiled back before heading off toward the forest outside of town, knowing that he always would be.

"Just don't go getting mixed up in another crazy adventure," he called over his shoulder. "I don't think I have another one in me quite yet."

Ember chuckled to herself. Oh, no, she had no intention of going anywhere. For the first time, she was right where she wanted to be, and nothing could change that.

The high cliffs at the edge of the forest gave a view of the sea that was as serene and beautiful as could be imagined. The air was crisp and fresh with a hint of the smell of salt water, and the plant life in the area was as unique as it was extravagant. The whole route languished in the crimson-tinted twilight that heralded the soft darkness of June nights.

Ember stood at the top of the cliffs, gazing out at the ocean and thinking about all she'd seen and done ever since Rose released her. She'd started out as nothing more than just another competitive Drought Ninetails, and one with slightly faulty stats, at that. And yet, thanks to Absol and all the others who had helped her, she'd become stronger than she'd ever thought possible and learned more than Rose could ever have taught her. And now, she had a life ahead of her that was to be envied by the greatest champions in the region. If the journey had been any less difficult, she would feel almost unworthy.

Ember thought back to how Rose had treated her, and who her former master really was. In a way, she couldn't bring herself to hate her. Rose had abandoned and nearly killed her, but what her master did had led to her finding this beautiful new life in the wild. While she couldn't forgive Rose for what happened to her other teammates, she was ready to forget her past and look forward to the future.

Reaching into her trainer bag, Ember pulled out her old Pokeball. She briefly gazed at the seal that portrayed a rose surrounded by flames. The image brought up many memories, of good times and bad. She thought about Cloyster, and who he had become when he was unable to cope with being released. She thought about Charizard, who was still a part of that life and couldn't escape. She thought of all her other teammates whom she hadn't seen since her release, who had been taken by the gangs.

And she thought about herself, and how she hadn't been able to bring herself to accept the truth until it was almost too late. She realized that, in their cleverness, the humans had found a way not only to capture pokemon, but to insidiously and ingeniously capture their hearts and minds too. And yet, their grip wasn't unbreakable, and she was living proof. And one day, she knew that all pokemon would be free.

Ember took one last look at her old Pokeball, the symbol of her life as a trained battler. Finally, she tossed it over the side of the cliff, watching it disappear into the massive pool of blue below, and with it, the chains Rose had placed around her heart. She had a new calling now, a new and better journey. She would devote herself to helping the spreading community of wild pokemon, to all her good friends, and to Absol. At last, she'd found her place in the world, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

After a few more moments of peaceful silence, she turned and briskly headed back for Umbra's town. She'd kept Absol waiting long enough. Today was the first day of the rest of their lives.

It was time to get started.

Some time later, in a distant forest…

Ember couldn't help but moan in agony as she began to awaken. Every part of her body ached and stung. She couldn't see anything as she waited impatiently for the dark mist she had grown so familiar with to disappear from her eyes. Her headache was unholy. She almost wanted to sink back into unconsciousness again, but realized that would be impossible. She'd been knocked out a lot before, but she hadn't felt pain like this in a long time. She also felt very cold.

Finally, the fog began to clear from her vision. Ember hoped to see her teammates, and to hear them say that it was time for the next round of the tournament, and that their victory was assured. She hoped that Rose would be there to give her solid commands and win it for them, and she hoped she would soon be able to help her friends succeed in the NPCT.

But she didn't see or hear any of those things. Instead, when her vision cleared and her senses readjusted, she saw grass and trees all around her. She realized she felt cold because of a chilly breeze blowing by. As she tried to move, she felt that some of her fur was damp and sticky. When she checked the spot, she saw that her side was streaked with semi-dried blood and even singed slightly.

Eventually, she found she could move again. When she stood up, she got a better view of her surroundings. Gone was the tournament island, replaced by a massive forest. At first, she thought she was dreaming, but when she took a step forward, a sharp pain in her paw confirmed she was awake. She took in the very fresh air, which at least felt good. She turned all around, looking for the tournament arena.

But it wasn't there. She saw nothing but forest in every direction. Where was the tournament? Where were her friends? Where was her trainer? Ember suddenly began to feel very worried. Why was she in a forest? She tried to remember all that happened before she was knocked out. She remembered battling some strange Ninetails that had only eight tails and also knew how to use Drought, and that it was one of the toughest fights of her life. She remembered the other Ninetails jumping into the water like it was nothing, and then she recalled being hit by an incredibly powerful Fire Blast. After that, everything else was blank.

Ember tried to piece together what happened. She was battered pretty badly, but how could she have lost to a wild pokemon? She couldn't stop thinking about the intensity of the fight, and how it had ranged all over the island. In all that chaos and confusion, there might have been an accident. Yes, that must have been what happened! She had somehow gotten lost after the battle. Everyone must still be nearby. She limped past a few trees and turned a corner, expecting to find her trainer at any moment.

When she didn't see Rose right away, she kept moving past a thicket and through another clearing. And another. And another. She began to panic as she kept searching but saw no sign of her master anywhere. Had she gone too far? Was she on the wrong path? Maybe her master was still ahead of her? She heard flapping and looked up, seeing a group of wild Starly flying through the air above the trees. She suddenly realized where she was.

She was in the wild.

THE END