Chapter Text
After what must’ve been at least an hour of sobbing, Chrysanthemum finally got up, and she started to make her way down the path once more. As she did so, she stumbled every so often, being too exhausted—both physically and emotionally—to put any effort into walking straight.
Heh… heh… get it? Because… Because…
Chrysanthemum decided not to think about their mutual confession at that moment, knowing that it would make her even sadder. She distracted herself with thinking about the fuchsia ribbon now tied in a bow around her right ear—having long put her Power Band back into the treasure bag ever since Rose had given her the ribbon.
Rose…
Chrysanthemum shook her head, doing her best not to stop right then and there and start bawling again. Despite her efforts, tears started to well up in her eyes.
Shakily, Chrysanthemum said to herself, “I have to keep going. I have to get home. I have to fulfill Rose’s final wish.”
Chrysanthemum kept that last thought in her head. She kept thinking about Rose’s last wish for Chrysanthemum to tell everyone back home about what happened. She used this to motivate herself so she could continue to take step after uneasy step away from Temporal Tower.
After not long, Chrysanthemum finally neared the Rainbow Stoneship. Silently, she stepped onto it, and after Chrysanthemum reached the center, the Rainbow Stoneship started to move.
She turned around, and Chrysanthemum watched as she slowly, yet surely, got farther and farther away from Temporal Tower; as she got farther away from Rose…
Chrysanthemum collapsed as she cried out loud yet again, and she screamed for her lost love. Chrysanthemum cried, and she didn’t stop until well after the Rainbow Stoneship had already returned to the Hidden Land.
•─────•°•❀•°•─────•
The ride back to Treasure Town was silent, other than the small waves crashing against Lapras as he swam over the water. Chrysanthemum both appreciated and dreaded the silence, because while she could put off talking about the plight that weighed so heavily on her heart, she was left alone with her thoughts to reminisce about happier times.
Finally, they had landed on Treasure Town’s beach as the sun was setting, painting the sky in beautiful pinks and oranges. Chrysanthemum did her best not to compare this to the day she first met Rose as she carefully and quietly got off of Lapras.
Lapras looked at Chrysanthemum sadly, and he said quietly, “Please, be safe. I don’t know if you consider me a friend yet, but if you ever need someone to listen, I’ll be here anyway.”
Chrysanthemum held back her tears and half-heartedly mumbled her thanks before walking away. She didn’t want to be the one to tell him that he could never be a better listener than Rose, in her eyes.
Walking up the hill to the guild entrance felt more like climbing up the highest mountain. Chrysanthemum wasn’t ready to tell the rest of the guild why she was coming back alone, but she knew that she would have to. Not only because it was what Rose wanted but also because, if anyone deserved to know what happened to Rose the Bulbasaur and Bramble the Grovyle, it was the guild.
Chrysanthemum paused slightly as she stood before the guild, almost too scared to go any closer. She stepped onto the grate in front of the guild entrance.
It really is a lot like that day…
Once Chrysanthemum was over the grate, Harlow the Diglett shouted, “Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!” Harlow continued, “The footprint is…” He paused before letting out a loud gasp. “It’s Chrysanthemum! Team Flora and Grovyle did it! They’re back!” He exclaimed excitedly.
Chrysanthemum winced. She really felt like she wasn’t ready to explain everything.
Chrysanthemum jumped a little when Harlow burst out of the ground. Then, the ground practically shook as the rest of the guild—other than Wigglytuff and Charles the Chatot—barreled out of the entrance to greet her. Chrysanthemum took a breath to steel herself, knowing that their enthusiasm would be short-lived.
“I KNEW you had it in ya!”
“Golly, you’re heroes!”
“You’re not too hurt, are you?”
“Hey, hey! You did it!
“You truly are an inspiration to all!”
“Oh My Gosh! You saved the world!”
Despite all of the praise being thrown her way, Chrysanthemum couldn’t help but look over at the one Pokémon who had yet to say anything. Marshall the Croagunk was always pretty quiet, but he was also always pretty perceptive, too. The latter was currently evident, given the fact that he was standing to the side with an uncharacteristically worried expression on his face, no matter how subtle it was.
Finally, Wigglytuff and Charles came up, albeit not in as much of a rush as everyone else.
Walking up to Chrysanthemum, Charles said, “Congratulations are in order, Chrysanthemum! You’ve led your team, and you three have saved not only the world but all of time itself! I’m proud to have you as a part of this guild—”
“Where are Rose and Grovyle?” Marshall asked suddenly, his worry even more apparent.
Everyone immediately quieted, considering the question. They all turned to Chrysanthemum, expecting an answer.
“They’re—” Chrysanthemum took a deep breath through her nose and released it through her mouth—”gone.” Chrysanthemum finished as she looked away, tears stinging in her eyes but not flowing.
The other guild members—sans Marshall—gasped, but before anyone could ask anything else, Chrysanthemum continued.
“They both came from the future in order to selflessly save our present,” Chrysanthemum said as she looked back up with an expression of conviction.
However, her tears now flowed freely.
“Bramble the Grovyle sacrificed themself to protect Rose and me from Dusknoir, and Rose,” Chrysanthemum said, swallowing dryly, her expression faltering for just a second, “she came from the Dark Future, so when we saved the world, that future ceased to exist, and so did she.”
Chrysanthemum looked around at the other guild members. Nobody was saying anything.
Charles came forward before he spoke up. “I… am so sorry, Chrysanthemum,” he said with a look of sympathy and sadness on his face. “Is there anything the guild or I can do for you?” he asked.
Chrysanthemum looked back at the ground and said, “I just want to go back to my room and sleep.”
Charles nodded. “Okay, have a good rest,” he stated plainly, not wanting to make the situation any more awkward.
Chrysanthemum nodded back before walking forward. As she trudged towards the guild’s front gate, she felt everyone’s eyes silently pitying her.
When Chrysanthemum finally reached her and Rose’s room, she looked over to her partner’s empty bed, which she knew would never be filled again. Chrysanthemum sighed before making her way to her own bed and lying down in it.
Chrysanthemum untied the fuchsia ribbon around her ear before gazing at it longingly. She laid her head down and whispered, “Goodnight, Rose.”
Chrysanthemum closed her eyes and shed one last silent tear before exhaustion took her to sleep.