Broken Souls

A Forest We Once Knew

ACT 2: LOAD GAME.

"We're home."

Lilly's voice echoes the forest for just mere moments until the entire clearing bursts out into jubilant noise. She lets out a wailing cry and jumps into my arms, and I swing her around until her feet don't touch the ground. Electricity crackles around her shimmering golden fur, ripping through the air in streaks, and I feel myself freeze up as it spreads to my own pelt. The pain is so familiar and yet it exhilarates me, reminds me of the strength of my own body.

I set her down and she stares up with that devious, dark-eyed smile I fell in love with while I feel my fur beneath my pawpads and lark, devilishly sharp claws. I exhale a stream of smoke through my nose, remembering the feel of the internal flame coursing through my body, the way heat prickles at my neck and mouth. I had felt almost as if I was missing some sixth sense for my entire year in Kalos, something crucial that called to me during the worst of my nightmares, and now that it's seething within me again I already can't imagine losing it.

"We're back." Dill is already rolling around on the ground, covering his baby blue scales in a nice muddy paste. Some remaining shreds of meaningless human dignity prevent me from joining him.

"Being a responsible adult should be a form of torture. Welcome back, Johto, goodbye Kalos-" Toxis falls next to his partner and kisses the earth. "-and goodbye taxes!"

"What in Arceus's name are taxes?" Dill tilts his head, looking thoroughly befuddled.

Toxis exhales for a good half minute, blankly gazing at the sky, and then picks Dill up and kisses him right where his fins meet his chubby face.

It's touching, but I have work to do. I look around, taking names and counting heads, and it appears we're all here. Another long stream of smoke leaves my nostrils, though I'm satisfied to find we're all accounted for, from Rage to Khrys- safe for Peckers, that is, though he didn't make the journey with us. According to Lilly, he's with... well, he's waiting for us up ahead. Everyone's huddled about in groups, taking in the incredulousness of the situation, and I feel the sudden pang to be with all of them at once. Being home is at once every good memory of warm nights, training, and fighting, but also each painful, bloodstained day that marked the end of the Pokemon now standing before me.

Beneath all of it is a longing so primal it burns deeper than my fire. I'm trying to remember, I realize, the instant everything becomes worth it, the moment when "I" becomes "we".

Ashley.

I steady myself and call to the others, "So we're back."
Everyone grows silent, and then another roar of celebration followed by excessive chatter emanates from the onlookers. Couples fall against each other and old friends parted by death stand as if nothing had ever happened to us.

I feel a rush of pride, every feeling somehow more... visceral as a Typhlosion. The fire surges through my blood, leaving me close to tears... can I cry? I think I would have had to at some point, given everything- off topic again. I clear my throat. "We're also disoriented and just so happen to be a massive group of rare Pokemon who might not even be ID tagged wandering around a forest. At the very least, we should get out of the rain."

There's a distinct pause before Dusty puts his thick, daggerlike claws out of the shade of a nearby tree and then slowly, as if learning to use them for the first time, drops them back to his side. "Huh. So it is raining."

"Did you have claws the last time we saw you?" Khrys asks, peering over at him from Sky's side.

"Did any of us? Reckon not." laughs Millie.