It's you, it's me, it's us

Chapter 1- Face it

"He can't be dead. He just can't. Right Espeon?" 

Espeon turned and looked at Helioptile. She sighed. "I don't know. We have to be sure."

"Just hope for the best." I said to them. They were all silent. 

Espeon gave me a look that said I hope you're right, Sylveon.

Just last night, we knew something would happen. We didn't know what it was, terrible or not, just that it was going to happen. We tried warning him, we all did- Vileplume went as far as accidentally using stun spore on him. He understood, sort of, and he reassured us everything would be fine. But he was wrong. Because the very next day, today, he died. Like that's 'fine'. 

I glanced over at Vileplume, Beedrill and Azurill, who was crying. They were all unusually subdued, except for Azurill, who was always worrying or crying about something. Vivillon, who was with him when he died, probably felt the pain the most out of us. She was half-asleep, lying there doing nothing. 

We'd been hoping since noon for news, and now it was almost midnight. We were all in the lobby of the pokemon centre, waiting anxiously for Kirla, his girlfriend to come back. Kirla would have caught me, but she let him catch me instead. It was the five of us- Him, Kirla, Vivillon, me and Grovyle. He let Grovyle go, just before he caught Beedrill, back when he was still a tiny, hurt weedle. That was too long ago. 

Kirla was back, crying. 

"She says you can go now." She whispered to me, hugging me close to her. I think she saw me as the only remaining thing that would remind her of him. Butterfree and Togetic were set on staying with her. I asked them if they were sure, but they gave me a look, and I knew they were. 

I didn't want to go. I didn't want to go at all. I wanted to stay forever with her, and believe that everything would be fine, like he said. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.

Espeon raced over. "It's proof." she said simply. "It all depends on this news. It's all up to this moment."

I didn't listen to her. I was focused on the screen. 

"...And his body has not been found. Most believe he is dead, but some still think he might not."

"But that means..." I whispered. 

"Yes." said Vivillon sadly, her voice barely more than a whisper and shaking violently. "If he's not dead, then he's gone. Gone forever." she promptly fell out of the air and collapsed. 

"No!" I cried. 

"No!" said Kirla. She looked as though she could pull every one of those magnificent brown hairs she took such pride in out- and burn them and throw the ashes in a river. She cried, harder than ever. 

I stretched one of my feelers toward her and tickled her under her chin. She smiled slightly, then sniffed. "I just hope he'll come back." she whispered. She looked straight into my eyes. "Don't you, Sylveon?"

I rubbed her legs, then went and join the rest of the group. 

"Guys." I said. "if he's not found, then won't he still be alive?"

The rest of them still looked grim. "It's not happening, Sylveon." whispered Vivillon. "They just said they've searched everywhere, and he still hasn't been found." 

"Then... does that mean...?" Azurill's voice sounded even high-pitched than usual. 

"Yes." choked Vivillon. "face it. He's gone, and he won't be coming back."