Chapter 39: Her Promise

The day of Rockruff’s funeral couldn’t come quick enough. After the guild leaders had announced it to everymon, it swiftly became a topic the guild members had on their mind constantly. The question of what to expect was the most common, as most of them had never observed a wildmon way of doing it before.

Litleo had no clue, and wasn’t keen on guessing either. They’d find out when they got there.

“Helin, you come from a settlement, right?” Corvisquire asked, leaving Wartortle’s arm and landing on an adjacent chair in the mess hall.

Litleo’s ears angled toward the new conversation starting. She looked away from the window, no longer focused on the tranquil lake outside. It was a weird start to the day— those doing community service had left early in the morning. For everyone left behind, Rapidash had announced during roll call that everymon wasn’t required to work today. Instead, they were free to prepare how they wanted for tonight.

Naturally some ‘mon lounged in the mess hall for breakfast afterward, Litleo included.

Helin glanced up from her book, mildly irritated. “I do, why?”

“Has your settlement had a memorial before?” Corvisquire went on.

“Plenty. But where I’m from, we don’t make a big fuss over it.” Helin placed a bookmark on the page and shut what she was reading. “They’re usually small and private.”

“Even for somemon important, like the leader?”

“Even for them. They get the same lava burial as everymon else.”

Litleo’s eyes widened at the words ‘lava burial.’ “Doesn’t the word burial imply you’re putting something into the ground? There’s nothing to bury with lava.”

Helin focused on Litleo, scratching her frills. “We lived around a lot of lava. It achieves the same effect. I personally believe they aren’t gone, anyhow.”

“Why not?” Wartortle repeated, cocking his head.

“It’s simple. We have concrete evidence the Tree of Life and the Voice of Life are linked to a realm outside the mortal plane. You have Xerneas and Yveltal in charge of the in between. Then half of ghost-types are literal manifestations of life that aren’t ready to move on. You put together the rest.”

“Uh… ye lost me after Tree o’ Life.”

Helin ran a paw down her face. “The spirit, the soul, whatever you want to call it, must linger somewhere after you die. Wherever that place is, you can meet them again.”

“That’s assuming you retain memories and whatnot when you move on,” Corvisquire remarked. “And if you don’t, is that really you?”

“Bah, that’s moving into philosophy, and exactly why I didn’t go down that route with my research. Too existential for me.”

The rest of their chatter faded out as Litleo pondered Helin’s reasoning. The afterlife always was a bizarre concept to think about. There was plenty of life to live in the present, why think about things you’d never get to know? ‘Would legendaries even have answers to these questions? If they haven’t died themself, how would they know?‘

She supposed there was some comfort in thinking Rockruff was waiting, somewhere out there. What would his appearance be like when the time came?

Litleo’s eyes began to sting slightly. ‘We can do that later tonight, not now,‘ she thought, shaking her head. She jumped off the seat and put her plate away, then exited the mess hall. Her agenda now was to head into town for an errand-

“Litleo.”

Litleo stopped in the main hall, tail jolting up. She’d gotten enough sleep to know that the ‘mon standing in front of her wasn’t a hallucination. “Roca?”

The green-eyed rockruff seemed shocked too, if her alert ears were anything to go by. “Why are you confused? Did you read the letter we sent?”

“I… did. I didn’t think you’d be the one they send over.”

“It makes the most sense. I’m the most familiar with you all, ironically.”

“Are you done setting up the um, memorial?” Litleo asked. Although that was the reason they were all getting together, guilt still stabbed her for saying it.

Roca glanced down. “Most of the big stuff. My pop is taking care of the rest.”

“I see. You’re here pretty early, regardless.”

“I know. I was hoping to get Ruffers’ scarf fixed.” She rustled through her sack, where Litleo saw a hint of the orange fabric. “We don’t have anymon who’s good with this kind of thing at home. Was hoping one of you could direct me to somemon… in town.” Her ears flattened at the words.

Dewott’s advice rang in Litleo’s head. It wasn’t Rockruff, but she had plenty to say to Roca too. This was an opportunity. She didn’t need to wait for later tonight, when everymon was together and they wouldn’t have a moment to themselves. Her chance wouldn’t slip this time.

Litleo pushed away the nagging voice saying this would be a mistake. “If you’re looking to go there, want to come into town with me? I had something I wanted to do.”

Roca blinked.

“I know we aren’t on the best of terms-“

“No, I’ll- I’ll go with you.” Roca stood straighter. “This’ll work.”

“Cool,” Litleo said, keeping her face neutral. First step, done. “Let me grab my bag and ask Watchog about the place he uses to fix our scarves. We can go after.”

---

As much as Litleo had the urge to jump into the topic right away, she knew better than to tackle what was sensitive for both of them right off the bat. If her big argument with Ezera was anything to go by, she needed to start small, like asking a simple “How are things.” Pleasantries were annoying, but necessary. Not that anything about the topic was pleasant to begin with.

It would be nice to have her team here to help. The chance of running into them at town seemed high, but she had no way of knowing what they were assigned to. Even if they did meet, it’s not like the two of them could do much. Litleo had to chat with Roca one on one no matter what.

They reached the halfway mark to town when Litleo popped her question, slowing down to match Roca’s pace. “Did your dad take the news alright?”

“I don’t know if I could call it alright. He tried his best,” Roca said, volume lowering with each word. She kept staring ahead. “The first night was the hardest.”

‘Don’t we both know it,‘ Litleo thought. “I hope it gets easier for you and him.”

“We’ll survive. That’s what wildmon do.” Roca gave Litleo a sideways glance. “I hope it’s been okay for you too.”

A small sense of relief washed through Litleo. Hearing that, maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to navigate the conversation. “I’m managing, honestly. I’m surprised you managed to organize everything so quickly.”

“Ruffers was popular with the kids. They wanted to help out, so all their parents got involved too. Then after Salna told Chief Ryn, it went from there.”

‘Their community’s more tight knit than I imagined. I’m glad. He deserves that, at the very least.‘

“So, you know a place that fixes scarves?” Roca said.

“Stylin’ Spidops. I’ve never visited it, but Watchog tells me they’re a general accessories store. They do repairs for torn clothing too.”

“I hope they don’t turn me away for being wild…”

“They won’t,” Litleo assured, shaking her head. “Business is business, and they won’t think about doing that when I’m standing right there.”

“I hope they can fix it by tonight, if that’s the case.”

“Depends on how busy they are. I don’t know how many townsmon typically wear or rip clothes.”

“Probably those rich ones. Another way for them to show how much ‘better’ they are,” Roca spat, disdain on her face. “You’ll never catch me wearing shit like that.”

“Me either.” Being an adventurer, scarves could get in the way of fighting. Adding more items was an easy way of hindering mobility, or giving the enemy more tools to work with.

But in a world where Litleo wasn’t part of the guild and led a different life, there was a small chance she’d wear an extra something. A very small chance.

Since there wasn’t a transition to another topic, the girls were silent while they passed through Kaiyo Town’s entrance. The roar of the town’s activity swiftly replaced the speechless air, between the countless footsteps and jingles of doors opening and closing, to the myriad of smells both enticing and unpleasant.

Roca defaulted to taking cover behind Litleo, shrinking herself as small as possible. She did the same thing during the Dyna Festival, Litleo remembered.

How long would it take before Roca became accustomed to it? Would she ever? Litleo felt compelled to ask, but that was best saved for somemon who knew Roca better.

According to Watchog, Spidops’ store was located a few streets down from Sawk and Throh’s Dojo. Once they finished there, Litleo was free to work on her errand: getting a memento for Rockruff. Something small that she could leave at his grave, or whatever it was Rugged Crags was doing.

“I think this is it,” Litleo commented, arriving at a compact, rustic building with a top hat painted on the door. If that wasn’t obvious enough, to the left sat a glass display— though perhaps web display would be more accurate. Hats and longer, fancier scarves hung off the sticky string. Different patterned quilts and blankets laid below it.

“Got to give them points for creativity…” Litleo muttered, pushing open the door. She detected a sweet honey-like scent right away.

“Welcome welcome welcome, customers! Wipe your feet before you come in, please and thank you,” Spidops greeted, back turned as he spun web on a wooden wheel of some kind.

Litleo carefully rubbed her paw pads on the pristine wool mat beneath her. ‘Must either replace or clean it everyday.‘

Going inward, the flooring consisted of mahogany wood. Above was the barrel vaulted ceiling, hosting a chandelier that burned six candles. And to her sides spanned a long array of shelves filled neatly with enough accessories to fill multiple galas.

Taptaptaptaptap!

Litleo barely turned to the rapid patter of footsteps, and the next thing she knew Spidops was in her face.

“Come to shop or request a special service?” he questioned, a little too eagerly.

“Dimo honey, you better not be scaring the customers away again!” another feathery voice called from the back.

“I’m respectfully staring this time!” Spidops responded.

A heracross soon rushed out from the back door, adjusting the lace ribbons around his wrists. “Hi there,” he said, leaning on the counter. “How can we help you today?”

Litleo took a step back, accidentally bumping Roca in the process. She checked to make sure the rockruff wasn’t entirely losing her mind. Roca continued making herself small, and slightly jerked her head up.

“We have a scarf we’d like fixed,” Litleo answered, taking the hint.

“Mmm, bring it here, we’ll see what we can do,” Heracross said.

The two girls trailed after Spidops, who joined Heracross behind the counter. Litleo climbed the step stool in front of her and held her paw out to Roca. As the torn scarf was handed over, Litleo held onto it a tad longer than normal as she glimpsed the sewn initials.

Spidops immediately grabbed it when Litleo told herself to let go. He caressed the scarf with his many arms, whispering, “Goodness gracious, it’s so mangled! It’s okay, I’ll fix you.”

Heracross tutted a couple times, peering over Spidops’ shoulders. “That is a rough job, but nothing out of our league.” He gasped. “And the sewing… we’ve worked on this before! Belonged to a rockruff in the guild, didn’t it? Just like…” His eyes landed on Roca, earning a flinch from her.

“It was her brother’s,” Litleo abruptly said.

Going off Roca’s timidness and Litleo’s curt response, Heracross didn’t press.

“Can you fix it today?” Roca spoke up.

“For same day repair, it’ll be an extra two-fifty on top of the five hundred for this job,” Spidops replied. “We could make a new-“

“No, we want this one,” she shut down. Roca quietly counted the coins in her sack. “Shit, I only have four hundred…”

“I can cover the rest,” Litleo jumped in, already opening her satchel.

Roca was about to argue, but reconsidered. “Thanks.”

Litleo silently nodded. Pooling their coins together, Heracross counted them before scooping the pile into a bin. Spidops took that cue to disappear with the scarf into the back door.

“You can come pick it up in say… five hours? Patchwork will be pretty intensive,” Heracross remarked. He tapped his pincers on the counter, causing Roca to turn her head up. “You shouldn’t keep your head down so much, rockruff. Show off those beautiful green eyes of yours! Like emeralds on a sea of sand. Ever think about wearing something red?”

“N- no…” Roca replied, promptly turning away.

“You should.”

“No thanks…”

“We’ll be back in five hours then,” Litleo repeated, saving Roca from the attention. “Thank you.”

They headed outside, although the crowded street didn’t do much to ease Roca’s nerves. Could Litleo go browsing if Roca was uncomfortable? She’d rather have her stay outside town in that case.

“Hey, I’m going to go around looking for something to leave Ruffers,” Litleo explained. “You don’t have to come with me if you’d rather get a break from all the noise.”

“Wait, you want to leave him something?” Roca said, distracting her from her anxiousness.

“Yeah. I feel weird coming to the memorial with nothing. And… also like I have something to make up.”

Roca thought about it for a moment. “I should tell you that there won’t be a grave. We’re having a bonfire.”

Litleo’s eyebrows raised. “Huh.”

“The point is, you don’t need to get hung up on bringing anything.”

“It’s still something I want to do.”

“…That’s your choice,” Roca said. “Go. I’ll follow you. I’m okay as long as no other towner notices me.”

Litleo doubted how true that was, but decided to plod into the busy market. Some cursory glances at the available wares didn’t pique her interest, and she quickly learned how Rockruff felt during his gift shopping. Most of what she saw was bland or downright odd, to put it bluntly. One offered to make divine necklaces out of cheap paper. Another claimed to be selling sea shells that could hear the voices of the dead.

Litleo pitied anymon who actually bought into that stuff.

“Do you remember, before you helped that furret, how Ruffers was looking for a gift to bring me?” Roca asked while they went to the next stall.

Sadness pinched Litleo’s chest. Right, he planned to do that when he had the time. “I do.”

“I wonder, if he had the chance, what would he have settled on?”

Again they were asking a question that’d never get a conclusion. Litleo knew one thing, though. “If nothing satisfied him here, he’d go searching another continent if that’s what it took.”

‘What AM I looking for here?‘ Did there have to be deep thought with a gift? As long as the ‘mon in question enjoyed it, what else was needed? ‘I wish somemon could tell me if I’m overthinking it.‘

At the eleventh stall, Litleo had half a mind to skip it entirely, but a box of peculiar looking rocks spoke to her. They were a smoky black color and came in odd shapes, but one recurring theme in all of them was the cracked center that spread out in the shape of a star.

“Hey, what do you call this?” Litleo queried to the scraggy shopkeep.

“Miners call’em ‘astral quartz’, miss.”

‘Huh. I’ve never seen this in my life.‘ “Are these naturally occurring?”

“I wouldn’t know. I just sell’em.”

So they could be fake for all she knew. Her logic insisted to move on— surely there was something better she could buy. Except, her heart felt strongly attached to it.

When I go, I think I’ll be a star.

She didn’t forget Rockruff’s words. This ‘astral quartz’… it vaguely resembled a star, was that good enough to be what she wanted to leave him?

Evidently, it leaned toward yes.

Roca sniffed the box of rocks. “Is this what you’re going with?”

“I’m thinking about it,” Litleo admitted.

Roca scrutinized the black rocks herself, pawing over it. “There’s a tradition we have in Rugged Crags, that when you’re old enough, the chief will lay out hundreds of different stones to choose from. All you have to do is pick your favorite out of those.”

“What do you do with it after?”

“The chief keeps it, and stores it somewhere with your name. It gets brought out again for your… funeral.”

Litleo vaguely recalled the idea of time capsule. Rugged Crags’ tradition seemed similar, without the letter part. “I’m assuming you and Ruffers picked one out?”

“Some time after Salna took us in, yeah,” Roca said. “He never told me what he chose, so in a weird way, I’m excited to see that.”

“And you’re okay with others seeing it?”

Roca tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

‘How do I say this?‘ Litleo stepped aside so she wasn’t blocking other customers from the merchandise. “The way you describe the tradition, it’s intimate, in a way. You could’ve had a private memorial between yourself and your settlement, no dirty townsmon or ‘guildies’ to invade it. Most of all, no me.”

Based on the way the rockruff flinched, it was obvious that the last statement meant she agreed to some extent.

“I suppose I’m asking, what made you decide to invite us?” Litleo questioned.

Roca’s paws shuffled on the ground. “It’s no secret that I think the world would be better off without towns run by asshats like Duraludon. I don’t know why he hates us so much, or why other towners follow him.”

Her attention drifted to a group across the street. A totodile and charmander were excitedly showing each other a pinwheel and spyglass, respectively. Next to them, a cubone and snivy idly chatted as the latter tossed a coin.

The charmander turned their spyglass toward Litleo and Roca’s direction, giggling. They made eye contact with the girls and put the item down, cheerily waving. Roca checked around her wondering if that was directed at them. The rockruff soon awkwardly waved too, before the group of four began moving on.

“Then I see stuff like that and I… know now not all towners are awful. I’m stubborn but not stupid,” Roca went on, turning to Litleo. “Furret found love and bonded with a wildmon. That barkeep and Greedent help wildmon on the side. I think those are the kind of ‘mon Ruffers tried telling me about. Not everymon who isn’t wild or from our settlement is out to get us. That includes your guild.”

Clarity seized Litleo. Originally she thought they’d discuss these heavy topics somewhere quiet and secluded. A place where nothing could distract them and the important things they had to say. Yet somehow, their words, their attention, even their conflicted emotions, were surfacing in this small bubble they carved on the street. They were fixed on each other. The moment— it was now.

“I see. Then, Roca,” Litleo began, inhaling deeply, “I wanted to say, I’m sorry for causing your family so much grief.”

The rockruff stiffened. Litleo couldn’t tell if that was a signal to stop, but once the words flowed out, stopping the momentum was like trying to plug a leaky dam.

“I didn’t protect Ruffers enough. I’m sorry I hurt him, and you, with my lies. But most of all, I’m sorry for taking your brother from you.”

Each apology made Roca’s ears and head go lower and lower.

“I just… I know he was everything to you. A few days ago I wondered if it was better that I never met him at all. If I didn’t… end up in this world in the first place. All our lives might’ve been better off.”

The street blurred away between the two. The clamor of the vendors went mute, and the overwhelming smells dissipated. Wherever they were, they were here, bound by one guy who mattered more than they could inexplicably say.

“I can’t change what’s happened.” Litleo scrunched her eyebrows, resolute. “I can accept that… I’m better, because I met him. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity without you. So thank you for setting Ruffers on the path that led him to me, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be the partner he needed.”

When the last word left, Litleo sat down to ease the tingling pins and needles in her paws. Her aim wasn’t forgiveness. She couldn’t nor would she ask that of Roca. No, just being able to say it was good enough.

She took a long and deep breath. The amount of air Litleo expended was enough to last a five mile run.

Not once did Roca make eye contact with Litleo during her speech. The only connection she was having was with the floor, mouth quivering as her tears spilled downward. Litleo half expected herself to cry, but her tear ducts were empty it seemed. She patiently waited for Roca to wipe her own. Would the rockruff lay into her? Accept it and move on? Do something else entirely?

“You didn’t take him from me,” Roca softly corrected after some time. “He made his choice the day he left Rugged Crags.” She sat down next to Litleo, cutting off any argument. “You might not be a wildmon- or shit, even a pokémon. But what does it matter? I wasn’t there because I was too afraid… You were.”

Litleo rubbed her foreleg, silent.

“I’ll even say I’m glad it was you who had his back. You were the most qualified. We both know that one way or another, Ruffers would’ve done that kind of sacrifice someday. If not for you, for somemon else. It just sucks you were the ‘mon who had to witness it.”

Roca fixated on the astral quartz in the corner of her vision. “I might’ve blamed you before. I don’t anymore, Litleo. If you still want to be sorry, find that son of a bitch Eternatus and make sure he stays dead.”

For the second time Litleo felt like there wasn’t enough air around her. She was inclined to believe everything happening at the moment was a dream. One last fantasy she concocted because reality disappointed more often than not.

A simple bite on her lip told her it wasn’t. In that case… “Trust me, I already have that planned,” Litleo said, nodding.

“Good.”

They shared a small smile. Life truly did work in strange ways. Going from despised to accepted in her partner’s sister’s eyes wasn’t on the bucket list.

It was as if, slowly, the shackles on Litleo’s paws were breaking apart. The anchor in her chest wasn’t as heavy, and in the future she’d be treading the water’s surface instead of floundering in the depths.

If anything, his face was concerned. He wanted you to live.

Litleo knew what she’d give Rockruff.

“Ruffers would be losing his mind right now if he saw us like this, wouldn’t he? Me, in the middle of a town and you even talking to me,” Roca commented, gently laughing to herself.

Litleo giggled with her. “Maybe. I think he’d be happy, too.”

“Hopefully he’s watching us now.” Roca checked the sky. “So are you buying it?”

Litleo shook her head. “No, I figured something else out.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll be keeping that to myself, if you don’t mind.”

Roca gave her a curious glance, but ultimately moved on. “We have time to kill. Do you think I could… try that dessert he liked, from the bakery?”

“Sure. We both can,” Litleo said, grinning.

---

Ezera and Dewott ran down the cobble trail, nighttime coming out in full bloom as purple and blue ate up the last vestiges of sunlight. The duo took off from town as soon as the person in charge dismissed them, since they didn’t know when the guide from Rugged Crags would arrive. Getting there late would hold everyone up, and they definitely didn’t want that on an occasion this important. However, they’d been working all day, and combined with Ezera’s questionable endurance, the run did not last long.

‘I wonder how Litleo’s been feeling today. She’s gotta be nervous,‘ he thought as he panted. Ezera was nervous for her, and he hoped that the memorial wouldn’t be too taxing on her mental state. The last thing he wanted to see was her in more pain, but maybe it would be okay. Litleo seemed stable the past few days anyway.

“You know, funerals and memorials in my world generally involve wearing a lot of black,” Ezera remarked.

“Black what?‘ Dewott signed, raising an eyebrow.

“Black clothes. It was supposed to resemble respect for the dead.” He touched his own scarf. “Don’t think we’ll be swapping our scarves out for black ones.”

Dewott pointed to his ear, then laid his wrists on top of each other while shaking his head. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard that custom existing here. We don’t wear much of anything to begin with.“

“Yeah, not a bad thing. It’s interesting to think how universal it became for humans.” Ezera briefly shook himself out. “Okay, you ready to go again?”

“Whenever you are.”

They resumed jogging, managing to keep a somewhat consistent pace. Eventually the guild’s castle outline came into view. Ezera ran through the list of areas where they could find Litleo, and the first few options that came to mind were the back of the guild, their room, or in the mess hall. He couldn’t picture her waiting for them in the lobby or talking with another team to pass the time. Understandably, Ezera about fell over as he pulled into the courtyard and saw Litleo AND Roca chilling on the grass together.

“Dewott, am I crazy?” he asked.

“Define crazy,” the otter signed, making frantic motions around his head.

“Crazy as in I’m seeing Litleo and Roca acting like they’re friends.”

“No, you’re not too crazy this time.“

“Huh.” What happened while he and Dewott were in town? He couldn’t wait to hear this.

Litleo spotted them and got to her feet, tail curling upward. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Ezera said, approaching them. “Good to see you, Roca. I thought you’d be at Rugged Crags.”

“I said the same thing.”

“They don’t need me to finish setting up, so… I volunteered to guide you guys,” Roca responded.

Ezera put his hands on his hips. “Oh, cool. Have the others gotten back yet?”

“They returned a little while ago,” Litleo said, looking toward the inside of the guild. “You’re the last ones.” Taking in Ezera’s guilty face, she quickly added, “Don’t feel bad. We aren’t in a rush.”

“Now that you are here, I should check in with Rapidash and see if we’re ready to leave. I’ll be back.” Roca padded away.

When they couldn’t see her anymore, Ezera cleared his throat, grinning madly at Litleo. “Wanna fill us in between you and her? You looked pretty buddy buddy just now.”

“Not when you’re staring at me like that,” Litleo said, rolling her eyes.

“I’ll stare at you how I like.”

“Uh huh,” she scoffed. “Roca came into town with me. We had a good talk and cleared the air. I… suppose I was the one who needed the most clearing.” Litleo nodded at Dewott. “You were right, Dewott. It helped a lot. I owe you.”

Dewott’s eyes lit up. He pulled his scarf up, hiding half his face. “I’m really happy it worked for you.“

Ezera beamed at his teammates’ positive feelings. They both deserved to feel that way, even on a night like this. Who said people had to go into memorials with pure doom and gloom?

“I’m going to see if I can sneak something from the kitchen. Me and Ezera haven’t eaten,” Dewott signed, hunching slightly and moving his paws in a down-forward motion. He then rubbed his stomach.

“What? You didn’t have to starve yourselves to get back here,” Litleo chided.

“It’s okay, we can just have some Apples on the way if it comes to it,” Ezera assured. He fist bumped Dewott before the otter left, leaving him and Litleo alone. “And then there were two.”

“Won’t be for long.” Litleo clawed at the grass. “Lately I’ve been wondering something.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think there’s a reason we became the pokémon we are?”

“Hm, I wondered the same thing. I know I’m grateful I didn’t become a fish.”

“Pft, I would not be on your team if you were a fish. I can tolerate you, but not enough to where I have to carry you everywhere.”

“Woooow, I see how it is,” Ezera said, chuckling. “For the record I’d carry you if you were a fish.”

Her smirk lasted a second before fading. “We’re supposed to have been called here. Whoever called us, they could’ve just picked any random pokémon off the top of their head and went with that. But if the choice was specific somehow, why a litleo for me? Fire types are supposed to be warm, but when I think about myself, I have all the personality traits that better suit cold ‘mon.”

Ezera scratched his arms, looking away. ‘Same with me. Dragon-types are cool and strong, but I barely fit the cool part as is. Strong? Not yet.‘ “Well, you’re warm to me and Dewott. You’re like… a blazing forest fire.”

“That makes me destructive,” Litleo said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Well yeah, wait- no not like that! I just meant like, since you’re so- uh, forward, that uh-“

Litleo giggled as he tripped over his words. She lightly jostled him. “Relax, Ezera. I know.”

Ezera frowned and crossed his arms, bringing about another giggle.

“That was before, anyway. These days when I think about you, Rockruff, and Dewott, I’m not so cold anymore. It’s nice.”

It took a lot of effort for Ezera to not outright squeal. Litleo, admitting something as cheesy as that? Damn, if that wasn’t going to make him cry right then and there. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that.”

“You’re lucky I’m feeling open tonight.”

“Can you stay open more often?” Ezera asked. “I’m willing to tip extra…”

“It closes down just for you. You’re the worst customer I have,” Litleo shot back.

Ezera feigned his heart hurting. “You’re so cruel.”

She waited for them to stop laughing before asking, “Any updates on that voice in your head?”

“Ah, no. They’ve gone silent on me again.”

“Next time they appear you should ask them how you could get home. We need to figure out our next plans, for taking down Eternatus too.”

The mention of Eternatus made Ezera fidget. ‘She’s determined. I’d rather not fight Eternatus at all, but I can’t let her do it alone.‘ “What about you? You’re human, don’t you have a home to go to?”

“That I don’t remember.” Litleo shrugged. “Is there much point in going to a world I have no memory of?”

“Maybe we could get your human memories back too.”

“…I didn’t think about that. Maybe we could.”

Dewott and Roca walked out of the guild lobby at the same moment, ending their chat. The former handed a brown bag over to Ezera.

“I got some nuts and dried Mago strips. We could eat these and an Apple,” Dewott signed.

“It’ll do,” Ezera said, peeking inside the bag.

Roca viewed the twilight horizon and sighed. “Rapidash said she’ll be rounding up everymon now. Apparently we’re traveling by drednaw?”

“Did you not take a drednaw to get here?” Ezera asked.

“I walked. I’ve never ridden one before.”

“Oh.” Ezera should’ve seen that coming. Taking a drednaw meant she’d have to walk through an entire town by herself afterward. “Well, they aren’t that bad. Just pretend the ocean is very wobbly ground.”

“I’m thinking I’ll just walk myself back. Might take longer but…”

“If you’re scared of falling, we’re right here. We’ve got an expert swimmer too,” Litleo said, signaling to Dewott.

Dewott waved his arms in front of him. “I don’t know about that, but it is true we won’t let you fall.“

Some tension left the rockruff’s shoulders. “One of you will have to hold me really steady, ‘kay?”

“Not a problem,” Litleo nonchalantly assured.

Ezera studied Litleo, and how a certain calm surrounded her at the moment. He’d always known her as stoic or serious, but never truly calm. That and relaxation were two things that didn’t align with her personality.

Even retracing to their initial meeting, she was constantly thinking about the future. Litleo could claim all she wanted about not being much of a worrier, but she was the biggest one Ezera knew outside himself.

What was the next action? What were the stakes? What could be done to lessen the odds of someone getting hurt? Planner might’ve been a better name to describe Litleo, but technically, weren’t planners people who worried about not getting the best outcome?

When Ezera thought about it, she could be called one of the most caring people around. ‘I hope one day she won’t have to be on guard. Until then…‘ He went and stood next to her, talking loud enough only for her to hear. “Hey, Litleo.”

“What?” Litleo said.

“We’re right behind you. Always.”

Confusion sat on her face, then she understood. Water seemed to shine over her eyes briefly. “You better be. I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

---

Rugged Crags appeared much different at night than Litleo expected. During the day, it was a drab and dusty place, more barebones than the streets of old Kaiyo Town. At night, those same pillars of rock cast tons of shadows everywhere, making it a prime place for ghost and dark-types to jumpscare unsuspecting travelers. She was glad none lived around here, or at the very least, none that dared show their face to a group of their size.

Litleo figured some anxiousness would crop up during the journey, yet it didn’t. Another emotion was taking its place, more fizzy than anything. Could anticipation be called an emotion?

“Through here,” Roca announced, ducking into the underpass that led to the settlement.

Sirfetch’d pivoted to the guild members, waving his leek. “You heard her!”

The guild followed suit, though it wasn’t like Litleo and Ezera needed the guidance. Soon enough the settlement’s crooked rock wall was upon them. A soft yellow light could be gleaned emanating from inside, illuminating the edges of the wall. Was that from one fire or multiple?

Stepping inside, the answer was a singular large bonfire, crafted some ways off from the well. Many residents gathered in groups of four, five, or six, talking in hushed manners. Several others looked on from the comfort of their holes, those at higher elevations dangling their feet off the edge. The guild received a few stares as they came in.

“I need to find my pop,” Roca commented, getting on her hind legs to see. “Tell your guild they can wait by the bonfire. I’ll see you there.”

“Will do,” Litleo said.

Pichu bounced up and down, holding her teammates paws. “Woah, Ruffy lived here? No wonder he was okay with that Sea Kissed Wastes tunnel…”

Her remark went in one ear and out the other for Litleo. “You all see the giant bonfire? We’re going there.”

“You’ll have to be a tad more specific, Linoone. I can’t see it,” Sirfetch’d said.

Rapidash sighed and levitated him onto her back. “I’d rather you not embarrass us tonight, Guildmaster.”

“Oi, I’m being perfectly serious!” Sirfetch’d claimed.

“This is your first time here, right, Dewott?” Ezera asked as they ambled to the fire. “What do you think?”

“It’s pretty. I like how they’ve got their settlement built. A bit too dry for my liking though,” Dewott signed, emphasizing that point by tapping his foot on the dusty ground.

Litleo thought about making a comment, but her brain was stuck processing just how many pokémon were waiting for the funeral. Hearing it from Roca and seeing it with her own eyes were two different things. There was at minimum over a hundred ‘mon paying respect to him. Was each individual closely acquainted with him? Probably not, but they still cared enough to stick around as opposed to going straight to bed.

‘That doesn’t rule out the chief made it mandatory they attend,‘ Litleo mused. She dismissed the thought. Her pessimism could take a hike for the evening.

Now closer to the bonfire, it was easier to discern little drawings and scribbles that had been made on the wall ahead. They were written out of brick red chalk it seemed. Litleo couldn’t read any of the words from where she sat, however with the context of the drawings, it was clear to assume they were addressed to Rockruff. In addition to that, garlands of flowers and weeds were strung on edges of the walls.

Off to the right, a sandslash came speeding in holding a bundle of sticks. Roca tailed him by picking up any he dropped along the way. Salna set the bundle down next to the other mounds of sticks nearby, then proceeded toward Litleo.

“Litleo, I’m darn glad you made it,” Salna said, eyes showing signs of having cried earlier. “And your friends as well.”

Ezera and Dewott gave a quick wave.

“Hey. Thanks for inviting us,” Litleo replied. Her heart hurt for him too.

“Ah, it was only natural.” Salna waved a claw. “The guild meant a lot to Ruffers. You most of all. Wouldn’t be right without the lot of you here.”

“Is there anything we can help with?”

“No, no. It should be all done. We’re waiting on Chief Ryn to begin.” Salna sat down, sighing.

Roca plopped beside him. “He told me he was getting Ruffers’ stone, it shouldn’t be long now.”

It was clear to Litleo where Rockruff got his work ethic from. Salna was a great parent through and through. “The art on the wall, is that your doing?”‘

Salna lifted his head. “It was my idea. The kiddos are the ones who did the actual work.”

“It’s nice.”

“It is, isn’t it? We’ve got an artistic bunch this generation.”

“Hey, Pop.” Roca took out Rockruff’s repaired scarf, sliding it to Salna. “I got it repaired today. Where did you want to put it?”

Salna’s eyes started glimmering. He gently held it between his claws. “It’s like new! We can hang it in our cave. Would be a nice thing to see in the morning. Oh, drat, that reminds me I have to take out the extra bed too. We… won’t be needing that anymore…” The sandslash’s face fell.

Litleo felt as if she should say something, but nothing came to mind. Luckily Roca was on it. The rockruff leaned her head on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to do it right away,” she said.

“I know, I know.” Salna kissed her forehead.

“Actually… I never asked. Litleo, is it okay if we keep his scarf?”

“Please do,” Litleo responded. ‘I have the ones we never wore, anyway.‘

“Hello, dears.” Rapidash came up, focusing on Salna. “Am I correct in assuming you’re Rockruff’s parent?”

“Oh, hello there.” Salna rose to his feet to greet her. “That’s me, good ol’ Salna.”

“Salna, it’s a pleasure. I’m Rapidash, vicemaster for the guild.”

Salna was taken aback. “The Vicemaster? Geepers, I admit I wasn’t expecting high ranking officials to attend.”

Rapidash shook her head. “Please, it’s nothing serious. The Guildmaster and I get involved in all our members’ activities. Rockruff was one of the brightest this guild has ever seen. You raised two excellent ‘mon.”

“It does my heart good to hear that,” the sandslash replied, looking and patting Roca. Roca averted her eyes, embarrassed.

Litleo took another glance around her as those three struck up a conversation. More of the wildmon gathered at their location, some mingling with the teams while others mostly stuck to themselves. The children were the most amused, adamantly yelling and asking questions about Rockruff. She was pretty sure she heard one tell Team Ace, “I bet Ruffers was way better than you!”

That got a lengthy giggle out of her.

“ALLLLRIIIIIGHT FOLKS!” a powerful voice yelled.

The clearing instantly quieted. Ryn stepped out from the crowd, strolling to the front of the bonfire with his hands put together. Three white lines were painted on his forehead. “Thank you all for attending. Life is a sacred thing, and tonight is one of those nights we honor a ‘mon who returned to the earth too soon. Ruffers, the rockruff.”

Litleo’s anticipation jumped up a level, causing her tail to keep twitching. She swiftly realized it was hitting Ezera. “Sorry,” she muttered.

“It’s okay,” he said, standing closer to her.

“As is our tradition, however, not all of him has returned yet,” the rhydon continued. “Remember, the stones we choose influence the kind of ‘mon we are and the lives we should lead. They also safekeep some part of our essence, so that the living can convey some final words before you move on. Bearing that in mind, what Ruffers chose is…”

Litleo heard Roca and Salna audibly inhale and hold their breaths. A part of her held it too, if simply out of curiosity.

Ryn uncovered his hands, revealing an oval tangerine stone in his palms. “An amber. Meant to symbolize the preservation of friend and kinship.”

Roca said under her breath, “That’s definitely him.”

Litleo agreed wholeheartedly. Orange was Rockruff’s favorite color. It made sense it’d be an amber.

Ryn stomped again, raising a tiny platform from the floor, and another higher one to place the amber on. “I’d like to give Ruffers’ family a chance to speak at this time.” He stepped back and beckoned them.

Salna and Roca exchanged knowing glances. They walked forward, but the rockruff hurriedly doubled back to Litleo.

“You should say something too,” she encouraged.

Litleo’s mane went from cool to blazing in a millisecond. “M-me? I’m not family-“

“You were to him. And…” Roca played with her paws. “It would mean a lot if you did.”

“Urg…”

Ezera nudged Litleo’s leg. “I think it’d be good if you did too. Obviously no pressure, though.”

Litleo suppressed the instinct to tuck her tail in. ‘Way to give me a warning!‘ She didn’t have anything prepared to say! Roca’s sympathetic gaze connected with her own. But how could she say no? This was the least she could do.

“…Okay, I can say one or two things,” Litleo relented. How hard could it be? She could figure out something.

“Thank you,” Roca said, smiling.

The two girls positioned themselves to Salna’s side, who stood on the platform. The sandslash nervously cleared his throat. “Heh, never had this many listeners before. Aren’t the lot of you too old for a bedtime story?”

Laughter rang out among the audience, none more loud than Ryn who was practically guffawing. Once it settled down, Salna continued.

“All of you know me as the storyteller. It was no different when I first ran into Ruffers and Roca. I knew I had found a pair of young’ins who were destined to make a mark on the world. It’s like that moment in crafting a story, when you think of a plot point and know it’ll be the defining moment? That’s how I felt when I met these two.” He extended a claw to Roca.

“I’ll never forget how it took a bit to win Ruffers’ trust. You would never expect he used to be a ‘mon full of caution. But, I told him stories night after night, whittling down that barrier. Even when he and his sister moved in with me, I told him more. He listened attentively to each one.” A teary grin graced his face. “Geepers, every story Ruffers listened to, he always asked at the end, ‘Why? Why does this character do this?’ And I had to tell him, ‘Because they just do. Because they can. Because it’s nice.’ He couldn’t believe that.”

Some ‘mon in the crowd began whispering, likely discussing the same thing Litleo was thinking. ‘Rockruff used to be more pessimistic?‘ She found that absurd. As far as she was concerned, he had been born seeing the world full of sunshine and rainbows. ‘I’m glad he didn’t end up like me.‘

Salna looked at the amber in front of him. “Through the kindness of those tales, and every one of you, he turned into the epitome of what it means to be selfless. He was compassionate, thoughtful, and determined to turn the world into a place like the stories I told him. I… I couldn’t be more proud calling him my boyo.”

The sandslash turned his head and stepped down from the platform, wiping his eyes. Roca went up and hugged him, then took her place on the platform next. She raised her head high, opening her mouth, only for a squeak to come out. The rockruff’s paws clenched and unclenched as she composed herself.

“Ruffers and I… didn’t have anymon before we came here. Our parents disappeared, so we were left to survive on our own in the wild. It was… tough living near a river full of competitors who were stronger than us. That didn’t stop my brother. He was determined to see us get to the next day, even with his injuries. He was even brave enough to have us try and live in a town too.”

“When that all happened, I did nothing. I was his shadow, a sister who relied on his protection more than anything. Then we came here and I thought, finally, I wouldn’t have to be so reliant on him.” Her body language drooped as she went silent for a few moments. “Nothing changed. I still hid behind his every move. When he left for the guild, the same thing happened. Nothing. It was only after he went missing that I finally did something.”

“I’m not Ruffers,” Roca stated, reaching out to touch the amber. “No ‘mon ever will be. But I… want to follow his example. I want to see his dream come true. He inspired me and so many others, it’s only fair something of his gets achieved. I won’t be his shadow any longer.” She stared outward, holding a resolved expression.

“Yeah! For Ruffers!” someone shouted.

A chorus of voices joined in repeating the same thing, eliciting a round of chest beating and ground stomping. Roca hopped down and staggered briefly. Salna wrapped an arm around her as they huddled close.

There wasn’t any doubt in Litleo’s mind Roca would make good on that promise. The rockruff may be timid, but she had every bit of Ruffer’s spirit in her.

Speaking of his spirit, it was her turn to speak of him. Litleo stepped up, gaze sweeping across the gathered pokémon. Hundreds of eyes concentrated on her— expecting, judging, wondering. Who was this litleo they were looking at?

What was there to say about Rockruff that hadn’t been said? She was blanking.

Fifteen seconds passed.

Still blank.

Going up was a stupid idea. She never gave into peer pressure before. Why did now have to be the one time she felt bad-

Litleo glimpsed Ezera and Dewott’s reassuring smiles, calming her down. Those smiles. Of course… it was obvious.

She stood tall. “Ruffers was my partner in our team, though partner feels like an understatement— there were times he was much more than that, like an extra ear. A jokester… A hero. He’ll probably be remembered a hero. I suppose that’s fine, good for you if you want to remember him as that.”

Some odd faces formed in the crowd. Others appeared ready to badmouth her. Roca and Salna watched her curiously.

“To me… that’s not what I’ll think of him as. He was a simple guy who wanted to help. Fame, money, exploring— It was secondary, if not important at all. What was his end goal, then?”

A pause. Litleo made sure to stare long and hard at just about anyone she could. Their skeptical gazes faltered. “One extra smile. That’s what Ruffers aimed for everyday. He named us Team Ardor, and no ‘mon was more passionate about giving smiles than him. It didn’t matter if you were the enemy. He was everyone’s friend.”

Litleo centered on Ezera. He gleamed with pride, nodding enthusiastically. She stepped down to the silent, but approving judgment of the audience.

“I don’t think anymon could’ve described him better,” Roca whispered.

“Thanks,” Litleo said, swiping her mane back and looking at her paws. ‘Are you listening, Rockruff? Are you content?‘

Salna, Roca, and her reclaimed their original places in the crowd.

Ryn lumbered to the middle again. He held up the amber to the sky, where the stone reflected off the bonfire’s blazing glow. Then, he crushed it. He threw the orange crumbs into the bonfire and pounded his chest twice. “Merge with the earth, Ruffers, and rise again one day sturdier than before.”

The gathered pokémon bowed their heads like a wave, flowing from one point to the next. The pops and crackles of the fire accentuated the minute long silence they held.

“Now it is everymon’s turn to offer a few words of their own, if they’d like to,” Ryn continued. “Take a stick and add one to the fire once you finish. This concludes the formal part of the memorial.”

At that, a line began to form before the bonfire, with the guild at the forefront. Ezera and Dewott went to go say a few things, while Roca and Salna were pulled aside by their neighbors.

Seeing everyone occupied, Litleo slipped away, craving some solitude after being around pokémon the entire day. They wouldn’t miss her for a few minutes. She hiked to a familiar ledge— the one she went up when breaking the news of Rockruff missing to Roca.

Litleo was grateful it was a clear night. The stars, and by extension the galaxy, could be gleaned from anywhere a ‘mon looked. Good thing too; That meant Rockruff could be seeing how many lives he touched.

“I hope you don’t mind that I couldn’t exactly hang around there… I had something else in mind,” Litleo murmured.

The higher up she went, the more she appreciated hearing less of the settlement’s low chatter and instead the crunch of her footsteps bouncing off the walls. Combined with the tang of the bonfire’s smoke, an exhale left Litleo after she reached the top. Tranquil, alone, and out of the way.

Perhaps she could… hum up here. Intense embarrassment burned in her chest thinking about it, partially because she’d rather live in isolation than let somemon else hear her. But, she also didn’t consider herself very good.

It used to be a little thing she did for fun, back when her concerns solely consisted of what commission she and Rockruff would do next. Then the stress came around and after living in it for so long, the notion of humming faded alongside everything else joyful.

However, that was then. Things were changing. Litleo got her answer about Rockruff— something that seemed impossible to solve those many months ago. She had her new goal: put an end to Eternatus so no one else would go through her pain.

She had a team.

So what taking on Calyrex and Eternatus would be more difficult than they could imagine? Nothing could stop her from thinking that tonight, things could go their way. And that was something to cherish.

“Hmmm…” The first note Litleo hummed came out flat. ‘Shit, this doesn’t sound good at all.‘ She tried again, to some moderate success. “Hmmm hm hm hmm hmmmm…”

Litleo stopped, wondering if it was worth sounding like crap. ‘Nothing’s being lost here. No ‘mon’s listening… Besides, Rockruff wouldn’t care.‘ She inhaled and closed her eyes, then tried once more. On this try, she didn’t cringe or care that her improv notes weren’t how she wanted them to sound. She let the melody overtake her.

Her humming lasted for a solid few minutes, its cadence slow but steady. It was only after feeling that she exhausted her creative energy she stopped.

“Wow, is there anything you aren’t good at?”

Litleo jolted hearing Ezera’s voice behind her.

“That was beautiful,” Dewott signed.

Litleo’s cheeks and mane grew hotter than a torkoal as she shifted toward them. “You- you guys! What the heck? This is the second time you’ve barged in on me.”

“In our defense, you didn’t say anything about wanting some alone time. What were we supposed to think?” Ezera countered.

“I-” Litleo sighed. “That’s fair. You should be down there, though, not chasing after me.”

“You should be too. You think we wouldn’t notice you disappearing?”

“I… wanted to say goodbye my own way. He really liked when I hummed, even though he only overheard me once.” Litleo rolled her eyes thinking about the moment. “When I was in the shower.”

Ezera smirked. “Ah, so he was observant like me.” That earned him a punch from Dewott. “Ow!”

Litleo turned back as a quick snort escaped. “Yeah, you could say he was.” She went silent, staring at the golden flames below.

“Deep down, I feel like I always knew he was gone. But… I wanted to deny it.” A cloud passed over the moon as she gathered more of her thoughts. “I told myself if I could block it indefinitely, it would eventually become the opposite. Kind of depressing, huh?”

Dewott signed first since Ezera hesitated to speak. He pulled his arms inward and pressed the edges of his mouth up. “It’s not sad. It means you wanted to be optimistic.“

“Yup, I feel like that’s the kind of thing you don’t want to be realistic for,” Ezera added.

“I suppose,” Litleo acknowledged. “But I can’t argue that I’ve never felt better facing the truth.” Her expression soured. “Ugh, that sounds so cliche.”

“We’re just glad you finally opened up,” Dewott signed, forming a ball with his paws and unfurling them.

“…I’m glad too,” Litleo said, closing her eyes. The three enjoyed the calm for a few minutes until she spoke again. “You two can head back. I’ll be there soon. I need… a few more moments.”

“Whatever you want,” Ezera replied. “But I’ve got one tiny request. Can I hug you?”

Litleo and Dewott raised an eyebrow.

“Leave it to Ezera for the unexpected,” Dewott signed.

“You- you want to hug me? Why?” Litleo asked, her tail swishing.

Ezera fidgeted with his hands. “I don’t know… I just figured you kinda need one. But if you don’t, that’s okay too.”

“…Never change, Ezera,” Litleo said, shaking her head. “Fine. A quick one.”

Grinning, Ezera put his arms around her the best he could. Litleo became hyper aware of how… comforting, he was. Despite having no fur, there was an undisputed warmth he carried. Like she could stay there for hours on end, sheltered and unbothered by all the sadness in the universe… except for one.

‘Don’t start… don’t start…‘

Ezera was about to break it off when a drop of water hit his arm. He leaned his head back and found a stream of tears trailing down Litleo’s face. She was biting her lip, still trying to hold it in. Ezera wiped some of it away and held her tighter, waving Dewott over. Together they huddled in each others’ embrace.

“Ugh, we just did this at the beach. I thought I was done crying,” Litleo sniffled.

“I don’t think crying has a limit. Take it from me, I have a business in it,” Ezera joked.

“Shut up.” Litleo playfully pushed him, yet he didn’t budge. Her hopes of having a short lived cry were dashed as the repeated memories of Rockruff and her team being kind enough to be here played over and over in her head.

She might as well let it all out.

“I miss him so damn much,” she whimpered, hiding her face in between them.

Ezera squeezed her.

“There’s so much I didn’t tell him…”

“He knew,” Ezera softly consoled, rubbing her back. “Trust me. He knew.”

They stayed this way for minutes, not daring to break away.

“I’m going to get tears and snot all over both of you,” Litleo said in between breaths. “This is so gross.”

“Well, then we better hope no one comes up here right now, huh?”

“We could always start digging our own hole for a dirt shower.” Dewott mimed a drill going down.

Their laughter traveled high into the sky.

Ezera couldn’t stop his tears from falling either. He knew her pain. And while Litleo’s sobs wracked her body, a new feeling arose. For her tears carried release, and relief. Relief… a feeling she had all but missed.

‘Rockruff… Ruffers. I know you always worried about me. But you don’t have to anymore, because…‘

Litleo snuck a glance to the stars, taking in a huge breath. Each twinkled brilliantly in their spots. Some were distant, some were close, yet undoubtedly shimmering with vibrant, radiant light.

She imagined that goofy grin of his staring down at her. Telling her to stop holding on to him, to lose that frown, and to look at the friends by her side. The image faded back to the blanket of night.

Rockruff once told her he wanted to be like those stars. At the time, Litleo saw nothing special about the little orbs of cosmic energy.

But, seeing them now… They were so, so beautiful. She could definitely say that he was up there twinkling away. More than that, he was giving everyone a path forward— like the gentle soul he strived to be.

‘I’m going to be alright. I promise.‘

Litleo angled her head high, and smiled.

 

---

End of Arc 3: Wavering Strength