Second Chances (Sequel to Hearts of Gold)

A Lesson On Mythology and Loss

My eyes open slowly, eyelashes fluttering against the slightly moist sleeping bag that my arms are still wrapped around from last night. It's all crumpled up like old paper, as if I was wadding it up to throw it away. I feel like throwing something away, getting rid of something, and my eyes flicker to the Pokedex.

There's something I should be avoiding as I open up Pikapad. The familiar cutesy logo and the old empty account that hasn't updated in months greet me like old friends.

Of course, 'old friend' is probably the nicest way of putting 'deceased teammate'. 'Deceased teammate' is the nicest way of putting 'living, breathing, thinking, writing being that you indirectly killed for your own purposes'.

"We don't think of it that way," Rune says from outside the tent.

"Wh-what?" I say, unzipping the tent a little to see him bending down to my level.
"I can hear your thoughts. Telepathetic? Starter? Goldeneye weirdness? Any of this ringing a bell?" Rune says, tapping the stick against his head.

"You could at least be a little polite about it. Not everyone wants someone probing the deepest recesses of their mind at all times." Chrona says, striding over. "Especially when that someone is a furry pyromaniac with no manners whatsoever."
"Someone's crabby."
"I have every right to be. A teammate died last night."
"Alright, alright, break it up." Pich flaps down to their level, lands in the dirt, and slaps them both across the face with a wing. "The other teams are watching. No one feels good about this but we're going to keep it together."
"Well said." Nico says, leaning against a tree.
"You know what? If we don't feel good about it, why don't we just prevent it in the future by not getting any more teammates? We all know that everyone besides us three kicks the bucket!" He snarls, sparks flaring from his fur.
Nico looks over at Rune with profound indignation, even bothering to place a single heart right above his chest spike near where his heart is.

"Hey Lilly, hope I'm not interrupting anything. Shauna and I didn't want to wake you up last night, but if you need us, we're here for you." He comes in closer, ignoring the large host of squabbling Pokemon. The other teams have joined the fray now and everyone is complaining in beautifully terrible harmony. Bronze leans over my Pokedex and furrows his brow. "What are you doing on Pikapad? I didn't know you were a writer."

"I'm not. One of my Pokemon was."

"Nico?"
"No, Juliet. She's... she's gone, actually. I was just thinking about all of the Pokemon I'd lost so far and I got this out." I say, looking away from him. "She wrote a fanfiction about us, actually. Kind of funny."
Bronze smiles. "Well, what does she have to say about me?"
I feel warmth come to my cheeks as I eagerly search the pages. "'Her eyes brighten just seeing him, as if by some ethereal magic.' 'Though he seems like a typical bad boy, it quickly becomes obvious he just doesn't understand fashion and finds a hoodie and ripped up jeans comfortable.'" I pause for a second before reading the last one, "'Sometimes, it feels like love is something beyond the reach of Pokemon. However, seeing the two of them resting in each other's arms, bound by something that stretches regions and lifetimes, it's a little bit easier to believe that somewhere, there may be a happy ending for Shin and I... in this world or the next one.'"

Bronze puts a hand on my shoulder. I put my head on his. We sit side by side until the tears break loose and I'm sobbing again, ragged breaths coming in and out like if I don't gasp them quickly enough I'll never draw another. This gets Rune's attention and I feel his warmth surround me, though for a second, it almost feels like the heat is coming from Bronze, and I'm in the warm but powerful embrace of a Typhlosion.

We all disband slowly, and I return to the campfire which Shauna is currently working on along with Ginger while all the other Pokemon carry on hushed conversations. Pacifica is talking to Chrona from on top of her flower, while Escargot listens in with interest. Shruikan is in some sort of arm wrestling contest with Nico while most of the remaining Pokemon watch with keen interest in their eyes. Pich is sitting by Nephthys, messing with her Mega Stone.