Dungeon 75 – Everlasting

Although you think I cope

My head is filled with hope

Of some place other than here

Although you think I smile

Inside, all the while

I’m wondering about my destiny

I’m thinking about

All the things

I’d like to do

In my life

I’m a dreamer

A distant dreamer

Dreaming for hope

From today

---

There was nothing left but the empty darkness of the void. No sound, no smell, nothing. Then, there was something. Or someone, a Lucario, standing in the middle of it all. He trembled, looking around to try and find an exit.

A futile attempt by Lance. He groaned, before chains sprouted from the ground, wrapping themselves all around him. With a gasp, Lance looked down to see how strong the chains were. Too much, making him unable to lift a finger, let alone escape that prison.

“Number ten. Ah, yes, I never called you that, did I,  vessel ?”

In front of him was… Morgan. But he was different, taller, with a black armor so familiar that Lance shivered: Necrozma.

“I could have tried this, were the circumstances different.” He smiled, a twisted, jagged smile, walking up to Lance and touching his chin with a hand. It was so cold to the touch. “…But, you could say, I’m not here anymore! That’s true, I’m stuck inside that prison! But… you and I both know I’m never getting out of your mind, don’t we, Lance Williams?”

Lance groaned again, unable to move. The coldness of the crystal was haunting, making him whine and try desperately to move, but the chains only got tighter with every attempt.

“I’m with you,  forever . Don’t you forget this.”

Whatever that was, Lance didn’t believe it, or rather, didn’t want to believe it. Xerneas offered to help him move past this, and she could, she was strong! But Necrozma was still there, so did she fail?

“…All of us are with you.”

Necrozma’s voice changed, and so did his appearance. This time, he was possessing the body of an Aggron, who was barely holding together, melting away in front of Lance.

“You… aren’t real.” Lance muttered. “…You aren’t.”

“I know, but either way, you can’t get us out of your mind. And that’s why I won.”

Lance gasped, seeing the Aggron fully melt, lava coating the void’s floor in an instant. Unlike the coldness from before, this was hot. Yet, it didn’t give him any pain.

“We’re all your sins. And we will never let you go.”

From the lava, multiple heads appeared. Aggron, Servine, Salazzle, and so many from when he was kidnapped. All his kills, there with him, reminding Lance that this was him. No matter how much he tried to hide it, he was a murderer.

“N-No, I—”

…

…

…

…

…

…

“Lance?”

He woke up with a gasp, clutching the sheets beneath him and panting. Lance struggled to catch his breath, everything around him slowing down almost to a halt.

“I-I’m here…” he said, looking to the side. He was on the top of their bunk bed, with Brian down on the floor, looking up at him.

“Nightmares again?”

“Y-Yes…” Lance sat down, breathing slowly. His body still trembled. His mind was still thinking about that nightmare. “…Brian, I want to ask you a question.”

“Sure, no problem!” Brian forced himself to smile, then jumped on the bottom bed. “What’s up?”

Before he asked, Lance wondered about the answer by himself. About change. It was something so scary, so daunting to think about, because change brought uncertainty into his life, and that was sickening. What if things could stay the way they were, forever?

Lance knew it wasn’t possible, but it didn’t hurt to dream about it. With a deep breath, he prepared for the question.

“Do you think I’m a murderer? Do you think… I can change?”

Silence. Deafening silence as Brian considered what he should answer. He knew Lance liked honesty, which should make it easier. It didn’t.

“…Lance, you killed before. I can’t say it was justified, or even excused.”

Lance’s heart clenched as he heard his brother’s words. They cut through him, leaving behind a jagged wound that refused to heal. He was able to hold back the tears that threatened to spill, knowing Brian could see right through him. And it hurt even more because it was coming from his own brother.

“I… I see.” Lance sank into his bead, a heavy sigh escaping him. The weight of his mistakes—his sins pressed upon him, suffocating his every thought. “I want to change, Brian. I know I was wrong, but… what if I can’t? What if this is my very nature?”

From the bottom bed, Brian reached up, gently tapping the mattress above. His every movement carried with it a mix of frustration and compassion. “Listen, the mere fact that you’re questioning yourself so much is the proof you need. Change isn’t always straightforward, but your efforts are commendable, Lance. Your journey’s hard, but it’s not impossible.”

“Oh?” Lance peeked his head down the bed, looking at his sibling with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and wiggling his eyebrows. “Did I hear you right? You just said “commendable”? I didn’t think you knew that word!”

Right after Lance finished talking, Brian’s cheeks turned red, and he turned to face the wall. “…Shorty.”

“We both know I’m almost your size now.”

“Dork.”

“Hm, but you’re the one blushing and hiding.” Lance quipped, playfully pointing at Brian’s flushed cheeks and feigned attempt to cover his face.

Finally, Brian chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Alright, Shorty, but don’t get too comfortable. You won this round, but the next one’s on me!”

Lance smiled back at him, and his tail started wagging. “Thank you. I… I want to keep trying, Brian. We defended our world, but it’s still not a perfect place. It won’t ever be, but I still want to fight for it. The right way.”

“Funny, because you write with both paws, so maybe it should be right-left way?” Brian grinned.

“…I hate you.”

Brian stuck out his tongue. “I love you too, Shorty.”

“Hm… I don’t usually do this, but you deserve it.” Lance jumped out of bed, stretching his arms, before turning around, with both arms extended… for a hug.

“Whoa. I think we might have a meteor shower today.” Brian giggled, leaving his bed and giving Lance a tight hug.

“I’m… I’m happy to have you in my life.”

Brian had the biggest smile possible. “Me too.”

---

Their next step was leaving the room, walking down the familiar set of stairs. This time, no illusions, no weird dreams, just their home; the place where their adventure began. Lance smiled at the thought. However, he noticed a distinct lack of his other two teammates.

“Where are they?”

“I think they woke up early.” Brian shrugged, walking towards the living room. As he found out while doing that, both Nick and Amelia were watching TV together.

With a smile, he waved at the two. “Good morning!”

“Hey, Champ!” Nick waved, standing up and walking up to his son, offering a paw. “How was the night? Hopefully your brother didn’t make you the third wheel in your own house…”

Lance was already on the defensive, putting a paw to his chest. “What? I did no such thing!”

“He’s just teasing you, sweetie.” Amelia said, her voice laced with gentle amusement as she offered Lance an understanding smile. “I do hope you two had a nice night. All the traveling must have been exhausting.”

“Oh, my brother? Well, he wasn’t a bother, for sure!”

“Ah.” Nick said, stepping away…

…And bursting into laughter. Seeing that, Brian had the same reaction, the two laughing at that pun together. So much that tears were forming. So much that it was getting hard to breathe. But it was fun.

Even Lance was enjoying this, in his own way, which was a small smile and crossed arms. Someone’s excited.

Amelia had a laugh of her own, though not as big as the others. “Dear, I think you and Brian had about enough. It might be healthier to not laugh so much.”

And so, Brian slowed down, touching his father’s shoulders for balance. The Lucario stopped as well, only laughing slightly.

“A-Alright… I had my fun. So, about your night?”

“Pffft, don’t worry, dad. We had a good night, nothing happened.” Brian grinned, already adjusting his goggles. “And we’ll have a great day, too! I just know it!”

“Well, nice to see you’re optimistic as always.” Lance smiled at him, before crossing his arms. “But seriously, where are Dex and Meggie? We all came here together.”

“Your friends woke up early and left.” Nick answered. “The Floatzel said something like “Yarr, I ‘ave to get somethin’ fer me mates, yarr”, then he left.”

Amelia raised a brow. “Good impression, but I like your regular voice better.”

“I suppose we should go after them…” Lance muttered. His stomach roared. “…After breakfast.”

“Aye!” Brian nodded.

---

After their meal, the brothers ventured outside, stepping into the familiar embrace of Thornwell. The town, once their home, remained unchanged in its comforting familiarity.

Lance surveyed the streets, noticing how there were subtle, yet noticeable alterations. Most of the stores had undergone renovations, a testament to Necrozma’s attack before. Yet, the essence of Thornwell still lingered, clinging to what was known to its inhabitants.

And he was conflicted. On one hand, he yearned for change, to break free from all that trauma bubbling inside of him, to explore new territory. The prospect of new experiences enticed him, but it was nothing except a distant whisper of possibility.

Yet, amidst that desire, he wanted stability, to know things wouldn’t change anymore. To… be with his friends, not worrying about anything else. It tugged at his heart.

…I know things can end, but they can begin as well. I know that, so why is it so hard?

As they strolled, their neighbors approached, engaging in small talk to which one or both of the brothers responded. Lance, however, seemed more introspective than usual, lost in contemplation. The journey they—all of them—had embarked upon had been nothing short of remarkable.

However, one nagging question still persisted within him: had he truly changed? Or was he still bound, shackled by the identity of the killer he used to be?

There was no time to answer that, as Brian touched his brother’s arm to bring him back to reality.

“Wonder what Dex’s getting us. What’d you think, Lance?”

“Hm… I don’t want to say alcohol, but…”

Brian grumbled. “It’s nice, but he overdoes it, like in Treasure Town.”

“Indeed…”

More walking, and now they were in the center of the town, where most of the roads intersected. On one of the roads, Lance saw them. Three: Dex, Meggie… and James, that Typhlosion that helped him and joined his father’s guild.

“Oi, Megs, Dex!” Brian waved, already running towards them.

“W-Wait.” Lance muttered, following the Zoroark.

“Howdy, Pup, Goggles. Nice to see ye two.” Dex grinned, pointing at James. “We were just talkin’ to this guy, he had some great ideas fer vacation spots!”

“Hey.” James smiled at the two. “It’s been a while! Nice to see you’re okay, and with a bigger team now!”

“Uncle James!” Brian went for a hug, enveloping the badger with his arms. “It’s so good to see you!”

“H-Hello.” Lance waved, not really feeling the need to hug him. Maybe just waving was for the best.

…No, he was a changed Pokémon now. And part of that change was being more affectionate. Lance walked up to James, giving him a hug.

“It’s good to see you.” Lance said. He could hear everyone’s jaws dropping.

“W-Whoa. Pup! That ain’t ye!”

“W-Weirdness aside, hi, darling.” Meggie kissed Brian on the cheek. “What Dex said, we found a few good spots.”

“…Vacation?” Lance blinked. They were still insisting on that?

“Like what?” Brian’s ear twitched.

Her eyes sparkled. “Well, there’s Overcast Village… Sunset Valley too. Oh, and I’ve heard about this place, Selenia!”

“Aye. I liked most of ’em. Kinda far away, though.”

James nodded at them. “Well, I’ll leave you guys to it. If you need anything, just go to the guild!”

And with that, he left.

“Okay, so!” Meggie clapped her hands. “There’s a bunch of other places, but… I dunno, I liked these! What’d you guys think?”

Dex grinned. “Personally, I wanna check out Selenia. Didja know they call explorers mercenaries there? Crazy, but really fun!”

“Huh…” Brian smiled at the Floatzel. “Neat, guess the world’s a lot different than we thought.”

Lance, meanwhile, was quiet. Like usual, but… somehow, quieter. He was focused on the idea of them having a vacation. All of them, him included. Why? He was going to leave in just a few months, so why plan it all?

Spend my time with them, that’s the obvious answer.

Did he deserve it? That wasn’t a question anymore, the answer was “yes”. Lance had a different concern: the inevitability of him leaving. If only things could stay that way forever, then he wouldn’t have to worry about it ending, about anything changing.

He didn’t want it to. Staying with his friends did wonders for his mental health, their presence was refreshing. Losing it all… Lance whined just thinking about it.

“Well, maybe we should try a vote! There’s four of us, so it might end in a draw, but—” Brian heard the whine, looking at his brother. “Lance?”

“…”

It would end, inevitably. Lance couldn’t accept that, never! His mind kicked into overdrive, and he did the most rational thing he could come up with: running away, towards the beach.

“Pup!”

“Lance!”

“Shorty!”

All three of his friends cried out, but he didn’t listen, the only thing he heard was his own heart beating, each beat like a drum, ringing inside his head. Lance moved almost out of instinct, just trying to get to the beach as fast as possible.

Grass paved way to sand pressing against his feet, until Lance tripped, falling to his knees. He panted, clenching his fists on the sandy ground and letting all the tears fall. Why couldn’t things just stay the way they were, forever?!

“H-Hey…” Brian’s voice, and heavy footsteps; likely Dex’s.

“Pup, what were ye thinkin’?! Runnin’ off like that!”

“He was overwhelmed!” Meggie said, and though Lance didn’t turn around, he knew she was floating, much like always.

Lance’s voice trembled, but no words came out, his gaze was fixed on the sand beneath him. The grains felt abrasive against his skin, but it didn’t matter in that moment, as even their rough touch brought a comfort, however odd, a place where he could unleash all his emotions.

“I… I don’t want to go.” Lance confessed, his words barely audible. Each syllable carried his full apprehension.

Brian leaned closer, concern etching across his face as he knelt beside his brother, placing a gentle paw on Lance’s shoulder. “What do you mean? C’mon, you can talk to us!

“…I think I get what Pup’s talkin’ about.” Dex raised his head, giving them a look of understanding what was met with a gaze from Brian. “Travelin’ was fun, but he’s worried about leavin’ to work fer the king.”

“H-He’s right.” Lance inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling with the weight of admission. Slowly, he exhaled, the words starting to spill out. “…It’s been wonderful. I know I’ll have to go, but I don’t want to. I wish things would continue the way they are. I don’t want them to change. I wish we could just… stay like this forever. It’s not bad to wish for that, is it?”

Meggie floated closer, her presence casting a comforting, yet ethereal glow upon Lance’s downcast face. She placed a hand gently under his chin, lifting his gaze to meet hers. “Lance… I wanna tell you something that’s obvious, but it needs to be said. The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

She took a small pause, letting Lance sink her words in. “Our bonds we forged will stay, and the memories too. They anchor us, while we drift in a sea of change.”

Holy hell, she sounds so pretty when she talks like that… Brian gulped, keeping that thought to himself. After all, the moment was to comfort Lance.

“She’s right…” Brian settled down next to his smile, a tender smile resting on his snout. “Lance, change is terrifying! Daunting! We don’t know what the future—or even tomorrow will be like! sat down next to his brother, smiling at him. “And it’s scary! We all know that! Change is terrifying. The future is terrifying! None of us knows what tomorrow will be like!”

Dex crossed his arms, looking at the waves. They helped him calm down a little. “Even if yer leavin’, things aren’t like last time. Fer starters, I’m here now. An’ we know yer gonna be back.”

“Nothing… is forever, Shor—Lance.” Brian admitted, ears drooping. He held his mane up, so it wouldn’t touch the sand. “…And you know that. I know it’s scary, but it’s not over for us. We’ll still have many adventures in the future! None of us is leaving, or… ending things! We’ll still be around! Hell, we might kick another God’s ass if we need to!”

Everyone had different words to say to him, but they all carried the same message, that worrying so much wouldn’t do him any good. Lance knew all that, but the irrational part of him didn’t want to accept it. But… Lance was budging the more they talked to him.

“We’re all yer mates. An’ mates stick out fer each other.” Dex turned around, offering a fist.

Before he did anything, Lance stood up, removing the sand in his arms… albeit slowly. Once he was done, he looked at the Floatzel.

“We do, don’t we…?” Lance bumped fists with Dex, managing a smile. If he could hold them all in his paws—all the ones he loved, all those dear friends, then things would be a lot better.

Instead, he did his best to hug the three, pulling each one closer. “Thank you.”

Needless to say, the reaction was overblown. The three exchanged glances at each other, gasping in shock because Lance initiated a group hug. However, there was no complaint; they returned the embrace eagerly.

“…This is a surprise, for sure.” Meggie shivered, feeling the warmth of Lance’s embrace.

“Errr, Pup, ye feelin’ okay? Not that I’m complainin’ o’ anything, but yer not usually the touchy-feely type o’ guy.”

“It’s really gonna rain meteors today, huh?” Brian blinked, embracing his sibling even further. “…Thanks.”

“Well, you’re my friends, and I love you guys. But don’t get used to it, it’s a special occasion.” Lance grinned, before pulling away from the three. He almost wanted to cover himself with the cloak he wore, but it wouldn’t work. “Consider this a sign of my appreciation.”

Dex rubbed the back of his head, turning to the ocean again. “If I’m bein’ honest, we could all use a little appreciation in our lives.”

“…We all learned a lot.” Brian smiled, embracing Meggie. “I never knew I could be a hero, but I am now! Well, I might not be in the future… I kinda like this, no world-ending threats, just peace, y’know?”

Lance arched an eyebrow, taking a few steps forward until his feet were submerged in the gentle caress of the water. “…So you’re telling me you’re not scared of the changes we’ll go through? You know they’re coming, but you’re not scared at all?”

“It’s… kinda complicated.” Brian shrugged, a conflicted expression crossing his face. “Sorta, but not so much. I’m kinda excited and nervous at the same time, y’know?”

“Fear of the unknown, or really, of what the future holds… is natural, Lance. Kinda hard—or pretty much impossible not to worry.” Meggie let out a heartfelt sigh, resting her head against Brian’s arm. Her voice carried a touch of vulnerability. “Here’s the kicker: as long as we stick together, supporting each other, I think we can overcome anything that comes our way.”

“We ain’t sayin’ we ain’t scared, Pup. ‘Cause fear’s a natural part of our lives. But ye gave one heck of a speech ’bout the strength o’ our bonds. I’d put yer trust in ’em.” Dex stretched his arms, a hearty laugh escaping him. It was weird that, after so many years, he finally found true friends—friends that accepted him for who he was.

“I… I see.” Lance cleared his throat. There was something he could do to show Dex appreciation for all the help in saving the world. It was a tad unorthodox, and they—especially Dex—would never let him hear the end of it, but so was hugging them. Oh, what the hell!

Lance turned around, raising his head to meet Dex’s gaze. Though the Floatzel stood taller than him, Lance didn’t require any assistance for this simple act. With each step, Lance closed the distance, focusing solely on Dex’s lips.

…And in an audacious move, he planted a kiss there. The gesture was fleeting, yet tender, and left the room filled with stunned silence, their jaws collectively dropping. Dex, in particular, stared back at Lance, eyes widening to their utmost limits.

“Hmmm?!” Dex didn’t say a word, allowing the moment to unfold completely. He also let it linger for a few more seconds. The impact of that brief exchange remained, and he knew it would stay that way for a little longer.

As Lance finally pulled away, wiping off a trace of drool, he offered a playful disclaimer. “…Don’t get used to it, I just feel a lot more affectionate today.”

“O-Okay, first, what the fuck?! Secondly… what the actual fuck?!” Dex blinked, and for once, he blushed, his face turning a deep shade of red. “Pup!”

“…Play your cards right, and who knows what might happen?” Lance shrugged. “It’s not impossible, I’ll tell you that.”

Meggie looked at her boyfriend with a smug grin. “Told ya. Now you owe me money.”

“Aw, damn.” Brian muttered. “…Guess you won the bet.”

“W-Well, that sure was something.” Dex smiled sheepishly.

Meggie giggled to herself. “Well, it was. And… I have some news, because we both woke up earlier.”

“R-right! Yer folks said they were makin’ a party, it might be ready now.”

“…Uncle Magnus, he’s gonna whip up the cake, isn’t he?” Brian mused aloud, his stomach growling with anticipation.

“I sure hope so. His culinary skills are second to none.” Lance’s tail started wagging.

“Well, then what are we waitin’ for?!” Brian smiled, rubbing his paws together. “I’m hungry, and we gotta go!”

It wasn’t even up for a vote, the team simply left the beach, heading to the siblings’ house for their party. Excitement and anticipation filled their hearts as they walked, already looking forward to all the food and celebrations that awaited them.

Lance took one look back at the beach, letting out a heavy sigh to himself. His friends helped deal with changes, and although he knew what they meant, it was hard to accept it. However, he could still try anyway.

---

It was noon already, and the sun continued to burn brightly, but not as much as when they were in Treasure Town. For now, they were more comfortable with it, though the thick coat of fur—and Meggie’s icy body—made it hard to enjoy the heat.

“…I miss the winter.” Lance grumbled, knocking on the door. Did he need to? No, but it was respectful of him to knock.

“Note to self: pick somewhere cold fer our vacation.” Dex grinned, seemingly getting over the kiss from before.

“More like a note to everyone…” Brian rolled his eyes.

The door opened, and they all heard a thunderous laugh coming from the Pokémon—the large Swampert that couldn’t hurt a bug was standing in front of them.

“Hah! Hey, kids! Long time no see!” Shiron grinned, bumping fists with each one of them. “Heard you got through some nasty stuff at the kingdom…”

“Sup, mister Fin.” Dex gave a thumbs up to his fellow water-type. “Pretty much! Real nasty, wouldn’t recommend.”

Brian went in for a hug, and Lance followed suit. Shiron was taller than them both, and was able to give the two a hug at the same time.

“Always a pleasure seeing you, uncle!”

“Yes,” Lance added with a smile on his face.

“It’s good to see another human.” Meggie nodded.

Shiron looked at the Froslass and nodded back at her, grinning. “Same here! Hope you’re enjoying your life here, I know it can take a while to get used to it…”

He tapped his belly. “Now, I know I’m hungry, what about you, kids?”

“For uncle Magnus’ food? Always!” Brian was drooling, though he cleaned it.

“Is it really that good…?” Meggie tilted her head. “Well, now I’m curious!”

Dex was drooling too. “It better be great!”

“Hah! Lemme assure you two… Cupcake is the best baker in the world! That’s for sure!”

“Cupcake…?”

Brian flicked his ear. “Don’t worry, Megs. It’s just his nickname for uncle Magnus.”

And now Shiron was drooling too. Before anyone else could drown in it, they entered the house, heading to the dining room as their first and main destination.

“They redecorated it.” Lance said. “And really fast, too.”

A large, rectangular table stood in the center of the room, adorned with a white tablecloth and elegant silverware, organized next to the plates. To add to the decoration, a centerpiece of flowers and candles was put in the middle of the table.

“It was my idea.” Amelia said. She sat at one of the tables, with Nick by her side. They both enjoyed a glass of wine. “We had to set things up quickly, but I hope it’s to your liking!”

Nick raised the glass. “We had help.”

“Flattering, Nick.” Shiron smiled, sitting down. “I hope you guys like sweets… not that anyone’s sweeter than my Cupcake~”

Dex chuckled, taking a seat. “As far as presentation goes, I’m likin’ it.”

“So we just wait.” Lance sat next to Dex, seeing the Floatzel blush slightly. “…Ease up, big guy.”

Meggie and Brian sat last, side by side, and then waited for the food to arrive. And then the smell hit their nostrils.

Rich, warm, and even comforting. A sweet aroma that Meggie and Dex found to be almost intoxicating. They each took deep breaths, the scent enveloping all their senses, making their mouth water in sheer anticipation. Distinct, with notes of cocoa, vanilla and butter blending together in an incredible medley. The entire smell was like a warm hug from a dear friend.

“I… I wanna have whatever that is.” Dex said, sniffing more of that delectable smell.

“H-Here it is!” Said a boisterous voice, coming from the kitchen.

A Chesnaught walked out, wearing an apron that used to be white, but was stained with cocoa powder. He was also holding a large plate with an even larger cake on it.

“Ta-da~!” Magnus said, smiling.

The chocolate cake stood proud, showing a rich, moist texture that promised to melt inside their mouths. Its color was deep and dark, inviting and hinting at the indulgence inside. As for the frosting, it was a creamy chocolate ganache that swirled around the cake smoothly, even having a glossy sheen to draw their eyes in.

Magnus already started taking slices of the cake, putting one in Shiron’s plate… and kissing him on the cheek. “For you, sunshine!”

“Aw, shucks… I really feel loved when you say those things!” Shiron kissed him back, before grabbing a fork and a knife to eat.

“Let’s see what this is all about…” Meggie said, almost whispering, and taking a bite. The tenderness of the cake exploded in her mouth, and she instantly smiled, only thinking about how good the cake tasted.

Dex did the same thing… and had the same reaction, almost choking from the sudden surge of sweetness inside his mouth. His taste buds exploded with delight, like he was tasting a piece of paradise itself. He took another bite, and the pleasure doubled! Dex let out a small sigh of pure satisfaction.

“Mister Fin… ye were right, yer husband makes excellent food!”

Shiron just grinned. “He does, doesn’t he? Like I said, Cupcake’s the best!”

“H-Hey, don’t go around doing that! It’s k-kinda embarrassing…” Magnus looked down, resting his head on Shiron’s arm. “…B-But thanks. You’re wonderful too. I did my best here.”

“Yer best? Mister Apron, yer best be… I dunno, the bestest best!” Dex said, puffing out his chest. He was too proud of that.

“…Interesting friends you got there, Lance.” Magnus smiled a little.

“See? I knew I had to be your wingmon.” Nick grinned in return. “I knew you’d be a good couple.”

Lance ate his cake in silence, but couldn’t help himself, he chuckled. “Uncle Magnus, don’t ever change. You’re too sweet.”

“I picked the best husband!” Shiron smiled again, kissing Magnus on the cheek. It made the large Chesnaught blush some more. “Well, kids, what was the mission all about? I wanna know!”

Nick nodded. “We never met a legendary like Necrozma, but we had our fair share of encounters.”

“…It was a rough fight.” Lance said after a sigh. “If we weren’t all there, I doubt there was any shot of winning.”

At the same time, the subject brought Xerneas’ proposal to the surface. Lance still didn’t know what to make of it, and he didn’t even talk to the others about it. Time was running out, and he had to tell them about it, sooner or later. Probably sooner.

“Bein’ honest, the worst thing was them dreams. Man, I had a cute boyfriend in them!” Dex put a paw to his chest, laughing to himself. His tone wasn’t serious at all. “But really, talk ’bout a hard-ass fight. I wasn’t used to it!”

“…I doubt any of us was.” Meggie sighed, eating more of the cake. It was so good, and distracted from talking about Necrozma. Especially when they were finally at peace. Which did beg the question of what she was going to do now.

Hearing all them laughing, playing around and eating didn’t help her come up with an answer, but it did make her smile; she could figure it out when the time was right.

“Dex…? I think we can try that speech we planned before. Nothing wrong with that, right?”

“Hm? Oh, gotcha, Popsicle!” Dex stuffed another slice of cake—Magnus did make a lot, more than enough for all of them—and stood up, smiling. “Gotcha, gotcha! I’m ready!”

Lance held a knife in hand, cutting the cake into tinier slices. “A speech?”

“Yer not the only one that can make ’em, Pup.”

“Well, it’s always nice to hear what your friends have to say.” Nick replied.

Meggie stood up and cleared her throat, looking around the room, but more specifically, at Lance and Brian. Once she started to speak, her voice rang out clearly.

“I just wanna say I’m very grateful to have found you guys. Look, I was tossed here! No memories, no idea who I was—” she stopped to sigh, but kept a smile up. “…But I know now. I’m Meggie, a member of team Liberators, and I’ll always be. You two welcomed me with open arms, and now I belong somewhere.”

Once again, Meggie stopped, her eyes starting to tear up. “You’re family—Brian’s my boyfriend! I cherish you guys so, so much! We share our struggles and our triumphs. No matter what, we’ll always have each other’s backs. And, Brian? I love you.”

Lance listened to it, being overtaken by that urge to hug her, but he had a feeling the speech wasn’t over yet. All he could do was nod.

“Megs…” Brian nodded, sniffling and smiling. “I love you too.”

Dex nodded in agreement, looking at the three with shining eyes. “Same ‘ere, Popsicle, same ‘ere. I didn’t think I’d ever find ma—friends like y’all, but I did, and I’m glad. Every moment is an adventure!”

There was a small moment of silence, before Dex smiled again, and his tails wagged. “We ain’t done. We’ll have challenges ahead, an’ we’ll get through all o’ them. Together.”

Hearing it all filled Lance with a weird feeling. Pride, happiness? Fulfillment? All of them? If he had them, his friends, he could surpass anything and anyone.

“Well said.” Nick started clapping, and everyone followed suit, with Shiron whistling at the team.

“Way to go, kids! That’s how you build lasting friendships!” The Swampert said.

With that in mind, the rest of the party was fairly simple. After giving out that speech, Meggie and Dax sat down, ready to enjoy their friends’ company once more. All they wanted to do was chat and eat, and they did just that.

---

The party was over, and it was time to clean everything up. Normally, Lance would offer himself to help with such a task, but he was stopped by his father, who insisted on doing that part. In fact, none of the adults in the room accepted team Liberators’ help, they wanted the group to relax.

Which gave Lance the perfect opportunity to call a meeting with his friends, inside his room. The team climbed up the stairs, and then entered the room.

“Well… I do feel a little important when I ask for a meeting.” Lance leaned against a wall, arms crossed as he looked at the others. “…But I have the feeling I’m about to get a lecture.”

Meggie pulled a chair—luckily, the room had two of them, so Dex sat on the other one—sighing because she knew what this was all about. That kind of meeting.

“Ye do look like yer the authority figure ‘ere, Pup.”

Brian grinned, jumping into his bed and stretching his arms. “I’ll have you know I led this team pretty well, if I do say so myself!”

“Yes… I liked the speech, and I suppose we are family…” Lance muttered with a sigh. His shoulders never felt this heavy. “…Yet, I keep hiding things from you. This ends today. Because—”

“We know about Xerneas.” Brian blurted out. “…Megs told us.”

“We were kinda waitin’ fer ye to tell us.” Dex shrugged, then he sighed. Hiding things was bad, more often than not. But Brian’s decision to wait? He didn’t know if that was bad or not.

Lance stared, not quite sure what he should say in return. Complain about Meggie? No, she was right, and he knew that.

“Well, that does make things easier. I apologize for keeping it a secret, but yes, it’s something we need to discuss.”

Then, he put a paw in his arm, rubbing it up and down. “…Now, like I said, I have many regrets. I promise I’m not keeping secrets anymore.”

“Good words, Pup. I—” Dex took a look around, then walked to a bookshelf nearby. “…Goggles was right. Yer a big nerd.”

“Well, it’s a good hobby, I suppose.” Lance rolled his eyes. “…Anyway, about Xerneas, and what she told us.”

Brian moved around the bed, holding a burp. “Yeah, something about a bridge?”

Well, no better time to talk about it than the present. Lance would have a lot of time to himself in order to plan this, but for now, he needed his team’s blessing.

“Yes, she wants our help to return to the world. To talk with mortals, and maybe… I suppose she wants to understand us.” Lance said, whining a little. “After Necrozma’s attack, I believe we can’t be on our own, but we can’t do things his way either.”

Meggie raised an arm. “I think that, somewhere along the way, we can find a compromise. A way to do things together.”

“Not gonna lie… I didn’t expect y’all to say something like that.” Dex rubbed the back of his head, sitting again. “But yer talkin’ about literal gods. Can we trust her?”

While they talked, Brian took a moment to consider. Xerneas helped them all, so yes, she did seem trustworthy.

“I think so,” he said. “If she’s willing to work with us, I’d say we should be more than willing to do the same.”

Lance closed his eyes, sighing, before he opened them again. “It’s not easy, and I’ll admit, that’s part of why I was so scared of change. I don’t know if we can do this.”

“We literally had an entire speech about stickin’ together, Pup.” Now it was Dex that rolled his eyes, grumbling.

“I know, I know…” Lance covered his face with a paw.

Speech or not, doing something so big was hard, and it would take an incredible amount of effort, as well as time, something he wouldn’t have once Edgar called him again.

“Well, I’m just gonna say this: I’m up for it.” Brian said, moving to the side so he could see them. “Or, should I say… I’m down for it.”

They heard rumbling laughter coming from outside. Knowing it was for the best, the team ignored it.

“Still, ye gotta have a plan, Pup.”

“…I do, yes. Brace yourselves, because, as you all know, I like to be dramatic.”

Lance clapped his paws together, before flicking his cloak to the side. It was way too dramatic, but he was having fun with it, and that was what really mattered to him. He could see everyone else staring at him.

“Ahem… I want to make a city.”

First, silence reigned inside the room. Then, the other members of the team continued to stare at Lance, still quiet, as if they waited for him to say anything else.

Brian broke the silence. “…Uh, what’s the punchline for this joke? There is one, right?”

“Pup, ye can’t be serious. A whole-ass city?”

Even Meggie, who knew about Xerneas’ conversation, couldn’t believe it. “I… I gotta say, I’m surprised. Intrigued, but surprised. Mostly the latter. Are you serious?”

I was sure they would react this way. Lance folded his paws behind his back, walking in circles around the room. “I am very serious. Obviously, a project of this magnitude can’t be done in the blink of an eye. I’ll admit it’s mostly an idea, but I’d still like you to listen to it.”

Brian sat on the bed, paying more attention to what his brother was saying. “Go on.”

Well, where can I start…?

Xerneas had good ideas. Great, even. Restore connection between her and the mortals, and so, stop others like Necrozma from showing up.

“A city—a conglomerate where we can be a beacon of hope, to prove that a new way of life, in unison, is possible.” Lance said, stopping in his tracks to look at the three. That was their answer to this kind of conflict… but pulling it off would change the entire world.

“…See, saving the world was the easy part. Changing it so we can live a better life? That will be the real fight.” Lance said. “And I’m just one Lucario with an incredible amount of trauma. I can’t do it alone, I never could.”

“Ye want our help.”

Lance’s ears twitched, and he looked at Dex with the softest expression the Floatzel had ever seen him have. “Of course I do. Like you said, we’re family. I could not hope for anyone else to help me.”

Regardless of help, it was very complicated. Meggie nodded, mostly to herself, absorbing all the information she could about this. “Well, I doubt you’re gonna do that now, right?”

Brian shrugged. “Yup, it’s pointless to start now. We’re still sixteen! Or… seventeen in a few months. Still, we don’t have the power, or even the influence, to do it now.”

“Both of you are right.” Lance nodded, turning his attention to Dex. “And what do you think? I still want to hear your opinion on this matter.”

“Aye, ye want me opinion? Gotcha, Pup, but like ye said, be prepared.”

To start off, Dex clapped, then grumbled a bit to himself. To be entirely honest, he had no idea how a city was made. “I dunno anything ’bout laws an’ all that fancy stuff. That’s all on ye, Pup. But… I do know about us common ‘mon.”

He paused, sighing. “Listen, we like to feel safe. I doubt many ‘mons would follow ye around, not unless you really manage to convince ’em yer city’s better.”

“In other words, I need to show proof…” Lance put a paw in front of his face, grimacing. “…I suppose it’s a bit of an utopic dream.”

Brian stood up, touching his brother’s shoulder. “Hey, Shorty. A dream’s a dream. You know what uncle says, right? Sometimes, dreams are really painful…”

“…And sometimes they get you really fired up.” Lance said, a tint of red in his face. “Uncle sure is cheesy…”

“God, yer family is just full o’ speeches, ain’t it? First, the no reward thing, now this here…”

Meggie giggled a little. “Well, you gotta admit the no reward speech is pretty inspiring!”

“…It kinda is, yeah. Nothing wrong with it.”

Lance cleared his throat. “Cheesiness aside, I see where Dex is coming from.”

“Heh! ‘Course ye do!”

“…It’s utopic, but I suppose this is what I want. I failed the world many, many times. The least I can do is try to change it.”

Lance clutched his chest tightly. “I don’t want to be Necrozma. Him and I are very similar, but his ideals, his ways—they’re nothing like mine.”

“Yer just… yerself, Pup. That’s all we could ever hope to be.”

“And I will be.” Lance looked away, his expression turning somber. “…Xerneas mentioned that I’ll need to keep seeing her, because apparently, I still have a bit of him in me. But don’t worry, she’s helping out.”

Brian huffed, shaking his head. “…I’ll give you this, at least you told us. It’s not bad, is it?”

“That nightmare today was related to it, but all things considered, I’m better!” Lance said, though he didn’t sound sure. “…I think.”

“Ye damn better. After all the trouble we went to save yer sorry ass, ye better be okay.”

Lance raised a finger, but then lowered it. “…Well, when you say it like that, I can see your point.”

“So, what’s the plan, exactly? You seriously can’t expect me to believe you have the entire planning of a city in that big head of yours, Shorty.”

This time, Lance didn’t reply, because he didn’t have an answer. It was laughable, and he laughed. Until he sat in Brian’s bed to wipe the tear away, still chuckling somewhat.

“H-Hah! You’re right, I don’t have a plan! Nothing… well, except for one thing, but later.” Lance crossed his arms again. “Still, I want to give this a shot when I can. When I do, will you all help me?”

“When the time comes, yeah.” Meggie smiled at him. “…But really, don’t think about that right now.”

Lance nodded, slowly. “Fair enough, however, I will share a bit of information. It’s… admittedly a prototype, but I have one idea for how to name this city. I want to call it… Lux.”

“Interesting name, where did you get it from?” Brian asked.

“Well, it came from luxury, but I figured cutting a part of it would sound a lot less pretentious—”

“Nerd.”

“Maybe we shoulda sticked with the vacation plans…” Dex said, after a chuckle.

Brian, hearing that, smiled again. “Y’know what? That’s a great idea! Where are we going? I kinda wanna go somewhere cold, or with good food.”

“Well… I don’t actually know. Hm…” Lance scratched his head. “Sunset Valley sounds like a good place to visit. I don’t know why, but I feel great things coming from that place.”

“It’s an island, pretty big from what I’ve heard.” Dex added with a shrug. “Kinda far away, though.”

He paused, considering what he knew. “…Actually, that sounds fun. I think there’s a beach. There ain’t nothing like the sound o’ waves crashin’ against the shore. heh, I could spend hours just swimmin’ in the ocean!”

Meggie chimed in, floating above Brian. “The other places have cities! And I dunno, there’s just a lotta culture, history and food to explore! And I dunno, we could shop!”

“Hm… I dunno, not really feelin’ it.” Brian furrowed his brows. “What if we go on a road trip? Maybe we can stop at whatever town sounds interesting! Like our own little adventure!”

Lance nodded thoughtfully. “All good ideas. Personally, I’m with Dex here, but all the options sound good.”

“Nobody’s sayin’ we can’t do all of ’em.” Dex grinned.

Excitement grew in their eyes as they realized it—they could go to more than one place!

…But not all of them. Lance sighed. “We won’t have time to visit all of them in three months. We should pick at least two places to visit.”

“Perfect.” Meggie clapped her hands, before hugging Brian’s mane. “Oh, this is gonna be great! I can’t wait to go on this trip!”

Interesting, I started this by talking about a dream, but now we’re all planning a trip… Lance smiled at his friends. “Well, you’re lucky. I love planning. If you let me have my way, I’ll build the best itinerary I can think of.”

Brian chuckled a little. “We can always count on you to be as nerdy as possible, even when we’re about to go on vacation!”

Well, they could spend the rest of the afternoon doing that, and Lance wouldn’t complain one bit. What better use of his time than figuring out where to take his friends?

“Alright, everyone, alright.” Lance walked to a table, opening a drawer and picking a notebook inside it. “This is where I truly shine. And, like Brian said, I am a nerd.”

With a pencil in paw, Lance and the rest of the team prepared to plan their trip.

---

Once evening had arrived, the team was called for, as Nick put it, “movie night”. Of course, they agreed to it, taking seats inside the living room—mostly on the floor—and preparing all the popcorn they had in store to watch the movie.

They all gathered around the TV, as Nick inserted the tape into the player, pressing play before settling onto the couch, his tail brushing against the sofa. As the screen flickered to life, they leaned closer, excited for the movie to start.

“Y’know, can ye imagine if we got famous enough fer someone to make a movie outta our adventures?” Dex grabbed a handful of popcorn, munching on it.

“Having seen some of the, ahem, fiction about my team…” Nick shivered slightly. “…I can assure you it’s nothing interesting.”

Amelia held a giggle. “You know you’ll have to show them to me someday, don’t you?”

“Shhh, it’s starting!” Brian grumbled, trying to pay attention to the screen.

Lance was as quiet and introspective as usual. It’s not that he didn’t want to watch it, but at that moment, he could only think about taking a few minutes to himself. With everyone laughing at that strange romcom, he needed a distraction, a reason to walk away.

Or—and that was unexpected—he could just tell them the truth.

“I… I’d like to go out. I want to go out for a walk, over the hill. You know the one, father.”

Nick flicked an ear. “That one? Go ahead! Don’t need to tell me this!”

“Hm… I’m gonna trust you on this one, Shorty.” Brian waved his brother goodbye, but watched him leave the room, and then the house.

“Pup’s gonna be okay, right?” Dex said after swallowing a large chunk of popcorn.

Meggie crossed her arms. “…I don’t think it’d be a bad thing to follow him.”

“Hm…” Nick looked at them, giving a slight nod. “He’s out for a walk, but it wouldn’t hurt. Go.”

Every member of the team understood what they needed to do, exchanging glances and silently affirming their decision. Without any further hesitation, they left the house.

---

Lance trudged along the bustling streets, purposefully trying to avoid engaging in the casual conversations that the neighbors and shop owners attempted to have with him. He did so by resorting to mere waves, nods, or even changing his direction.

As he climbed up the hill, each step became burdened, weighted with a growing sense of unease. This particular spot held some significance, albeit not quite as much as the beach did. Still, why did the prospect of visiting it feel so arduous? Doubt crept into his mind, but he knew he had to keep going anyway.

Undeterred by the wind that whipped around him, causing his cloak to billow in the air, Lance pressed onward with unyielding determination. Every few steps, a sigh escaped his snout, his ears twitching slightly in response. Despite all of this, Lance persevered, ascending higher and higher.

“I knew I made the right decision, this view is beautiful…”

Evening had settled in, casting an obsidian veil overhead, adorned with the radiant glimmer of countless stars.

A soft whisper escaped his lips, and he found himself smiling at the view unfolding in front of his eyes. “…This is the world I fought so hard to save. This is my reward. Things do change, they change all the time.”

And that was okay. Change was a part of life.

Lance’s gaze shifted to his outstretched paw, seeing his fingers slowly curl, closing the paw. “Sometimes I wonder about my destiny, about what I should do. I… I want to change, too.”

It all began with a burning desire, a dream to explore the world and lend a helping paw to those in need. Along the way, Lance found himself entangled in a web of conspiracies, facing the threat of losing himself… and nearly witnessing the world being plunged into chaos. Yet, against all those odds, he and his friends triumphed.

“No matter how much things changed, we triumphed. Again and again, and… I believe we’ll continue to do so.” Lance opened his paw, his gaze fixed on it. A small, purple glow of aura emanated from it.

“Isn’t if funny, Scar? You were there when the color changed. I never really cared about it. It didn’t mean anything.”

Lance thought that way for a long time. Now, with a different kind of awareness, maybe he could reevaluate.

“I know what it means now.” Lance let the aura dissipate and sighed. “Transformation, and my pursuit of growth. That’s what the purple color means.”

For some reason, that was oddly comforting. Lance even chuckled to himself when he noticed that. He looked up at the sky again, admiring the view.

“Ah… I should have called them over. They would have loved this view.” Lance muttered to himself, rubbing his chin in thought. He continued to gaze at the breathtaking view, lost in his thoughts about his friends.

Just as he contemplated whether it was too late, a voice broke through the silence.

“Heeeeeey!”

A familiar voice called out from behind him, getting Lance’s attention and making him turn around, seeing Brian waving an arm, Meggie grabbing his other one, while Dex just grinned at him.

“Ye ain’t gonna get rid o’ us so easily, Pup!” Dex sported his trademark grin, his eyes wandering to the sky and a whistle escaping him. “Oh, now that’s a good sight.”

Meggie smiled softly, waving at the Lucario. “Well… we’ve managed to track you down, what’s up?”

Brian grinned. “I had a hunch we’d find you here, or maybe at the beach. You really love these spots, don’t ya? Remember when we raced to the top?”

His friends followed him. Again. Lance couldn’t help but smile at that, especially Brian’s comment. “If I remember correctly, which I do, I happened to win that race.”

As Brian’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, he shifted his gaze towards the hillside. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, illuminated by the stars in the sky. Now he knew why his brother chose this spot of all places.

“Well, why’d you come here, anyway, Lance?” Meggie tilted her head to the side, though the mesmerizing view still caught her. “…Apart from that.”

“I needed a moment to myself, to really think about… well, everything.” Lance smiled. “And at this time of the day, it does give a nice view, don’t you think?”

“Aye, aye. It looks incredible.” Dex beamed, drinking in the beauty of their surroundings. After all the trials they faced, this moment of peace was well-deserved.

“…So I take it you’re feeling better now, Lance?” Brian stepped closer to the hill’s peak, gazing at the serene location. No structures were found there, making it an even better place to chill. “It’s very peaceful.”

Meggie gasped to herself, her eyes sparkling with an idea that matched the tranquility of their surroundings. “I know! Why don’t we take some time to just, y’know, relax here? If Lance’s here for this, I don’t see why we shouldn’t do the same thing, and it could be fun!”

“Hm… I’d like that.” Lance smiled at them again. His anxiety from before didn’t seem to show up at all, not even as a passing thought. Right there, in that moment, Lance was at peace.

So, the four stood together, looking at the beautiful sky. The stars remained in place, but a few of them flickered. Dex caught sight of a shooting star, in particular.

“…Heh, guess it ain’t a bother, after all.” Dex said to them, grinning as wide as he could, and crossing his arms.

Brian moved his head to the side, seeing Meggie grabbing his hand and smiling at him.

“Thanks, Brian, for everything. I’m a human… and a Pokémon. Both at once, and that’s just the way I like it.”

He had that same grin, rubbing Meggie’s head with his other arm, before setting his sights on the stars again. “Goodnight, world! We did our best! And we’ll keep doing our best! Today, tomorrow, and forever!”

“Heh.” Lance smiled like he never did before, a toothy smile, showing off all his fangs, while his tail wagged like crazy.

He raised a paw in the air, as if trying to grab one of the stars. “My bonds with you will never shatter again, and I will find my redemption. No matter how long it takes, I’ll be fine again. Because… I have all of you.”

And that was all he could ever hope for.

The End