When Lightning Strikes

Present: Goodbye Again

It was still dark, and Reeda was still outside on the beach, remembering and reconnecting the dots. No one had gone outside to talk to her—not even her own pokemon.

She relived the emotions of that night, that battle, and everything else that had happened afterward. Aether Paradise coming in, the financial ruin that slowly took the town over, the Champion coming in and demolishing everyone including Guzma before they were even crowned champion.

Reeda took out Beast's pokeball, staring at the design. She wanted to throw it in the ocean and let it sink to the bottom of it, never to see the light of day again. She wanted to do the same with her old Team Skull necklace, rip skin off that her tattoos were on. She wanted to forget everything that had happened before Team Skull was disbanded, and all of those were reminders.

She heard sand shifting under someone's feet, moving towards her.

"Go away," Reeda snapped. "I'd really like it if you could just go away."

The person stopped, not moving. She felt their eyes burn into her skin, looking into her soul and heart. She snapped, turning around to look at who the hell was behind her.

Guzma stood there, staring at her. His chain was gone, as were the tattoos on his arms. He still had the same bleached white hair and dark circles under his eyes though. He had a pair of yellow rimmed sunglasses on his head, both of the lenses circular.

Reeda stared, then glared, and then looked back at the ocean. "Now I really want you gone."

"A bunch of the locals told me that there was some punk wandering around looking for me," was Guzma's reply.

"So?"

"What do you want, Reeda?"

Reeda remained silent, not wanting to answer him. Instead, she got up and tossed him Beast's pokeball. "You know anything about this?"

Guzma didn't say anything. He stood there, staring at it as if horrified. To Reeda's surprise, he shuddered, tossing it back to her.

She held it where she caught it, staring at him. "You know something about this don't you?"

"I'm not gonna tell you about what happened, Reeds."

"You are going to tell me, or so help me I will release what's in this and force you to tell me."

Guzma froze, eye's wide with fear. He tried to smirk, but he was shaking. "You wouldn't."

"Try me." Her eye's were cold. "I want to know why you disbanded Team Skull and if it had anything to do with Aether Paradise or that lady Lusamine."

"What'll you do if I tell you?"

"I'll at least have a reason to blame you for taking everything away from me!" Reeda shouted, loosing her temper. She felt herself trembling. "You gave me a home—you gave all of us a home—and then you turn around and leave us all behind! Why did you leave?!"

Reeda fell to her knees, her hand still holding Beast's pokeball above her head as if trying to defend herself with it. She felt tears falling off her face, hot and angry. "I know I was an ass at first but after a year... I finally had a real family. You know what it's like growing up without one because you were part of one of those families." She still stared at Guzma, not daring to break eye contact. "I know because you were right, we are pretty similar, but at least I wouldn't abandon everyone and make them start from square one all over again! Do you realize how long I stayed in Po Town waiting for everyone to come back before the Kahuna forced me to leave? How long I've been wandering around trying to make ends meet? DO YOU?!"