Our Resolve

Chapter 3: Tragic Reunion

Song choice for this chapter: Tell Your Heart To Beat Again

Warnings Before You Listen! IT'S A RELIGIOUS-THEMED SONG! IF YOU'RE OFFENDED BY SUCH MATERIAL, I ADVISE YOU NOT TO LISTEN.

3:07 AM.

The numbers on the clock flashed brilliantly as (Name) opened her eyes wide at the sound of her phone ringing audaciously.

"Arceus, who could be calling me at this hour?" (Name) grumbled loudly as she reached for her phone. To her surprise, the call was from her mother. (Name)'s mom hadn't contacted her in years. Since (Name) left on her Pokemon journey, she and her mother hadn't talked. Her mom was a good parent; though shy and timid, she always cared for (Name) and Leaf the best that she could. Once (Name) left the house however, her mom had just never called her and vice versa. The (e/c)-eyed girl just guessed it was because her mom never had much to say.

(Name) hesitantly tapped the 'Talk' button and brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" All she could hear was sobbing.

"(Name)! Oh, my dear, sweet daughter. I'm begging you, please! Come home to Pallet as soon as you can!" Alarmed by her mother's tone, the (h/c)-haired girl's eyes widened.

"Mother, what's wrong?" (Name) questioned, beginning to get nervous.

"(Name), it's your father! He's been admitted to the hospital! He's got three days, at the most! Please, (Name), please come home!" (Name)'s eyes welled.

"I'll be right there," she whispered, before hanging up so her mother wouldn't hear her sobs. The last thing (Name) wanted to do was make her even more upset. The (h/c)-haired girl burst into tears, trying to muffle her sobs with her pillow, but within two minutes, N was already at the door with a panicky look on his face.

"(Name)! Are you alright? What happened?!" N practically shouted.

"N, my d-dad is s-sick!" (Name) choked out between tears. "And it's bad! He's only got three days! A-And my mother w-wants me to g-go back to P-Pallet..."

"Look, I'll cover for you. Don't worry. I've got your back," N soothed. "You can leave in the morning. I'll let Elesa know."

"T-Thank you, N..." She gave him a small, tearful smile which he returned.

~~~

The airplane was silent. (Name) was seated between a man about her age rummaging through his briefcase and a teenage girl with giant headphones, lip-syncing as she swayed back and forth.

(Name) stared down at the designs on her airplane tray in dismay. None of them burst with radiance and creativity, as they usually would. The (h/c)-haired woman drew out a quiet sigh as she set down her pencil and relaxed back into her seat, closing her eyes to try to get some sleep.

...

...

...

Gary's brows furrowed in frustration as he desperately searched through his briefcase. Just where are those papers that Gramps wanted? He grumbled to himself. Due to his window seat, he could hear the humming of the plane right beside his ear, giving him a splitting headache.

Gary sent a quick glance at the people beside him. A woman, in her early to mid twenties, scribbling away in a notebook, and a young girl bouncing up and down in her seat to music. I hate plane rides, he mused. Getting stuck with strangers for hours is certainly annoying.

...

...

...

I wonder why no one is occupying the middle seat, the teenager wondered as 'Love Yourself' blasted in her ears. (I just cringed at my music choice) There's just this awkward gap between me and that boy with spiky hair. I guess just he doesn't like me very much then.

~~~

"(Name)! My baby! Thank goodness you're home!" As mentioned before, Mrs. (Last Name) was normally an extremely reserved person, but with her husband in critical health, and her oldest daughter still missing after countless years, she had finally lost control of her emotions.

"It's good to be back, Mom," (Name) whispered softly, returning the feverish hug that her mother gave her.

"Your father will be so happy to see you..." (Name) felt tears pool in her (e/c) eyes.

"Can we go visit him? Now?" The (h/c)-haired woman was surprised at how small and scared her voice came out.

"Of course, sweetheart."

(Name) knew seeing her father in such a bad condition was going to be bad, but not this bad. Frail, tired, pained, uncomfortable— (Name) could not control or deny the misery and anxiety she felt when she saw her precious family member having tremendous difficulty breathing

"...Daddy!" Thrusting her pride and adulthood aside, (Name) practically flew across the room to her dad's side. She watched as his head rose slightly in recognition.

"(Name)..." His hand twitched before reaching for his daughter's, which she tightly clasped. (Name)'s mother joined them, and Mr. (Last Name) offered her his other hand, which she readily took.

The family sat in silence, reveling in each others' presence, while the heart monitor beeped rather unsteadily.

"I missed you so much, dad," (Name) whispered. "I'm so sorry for not coming back to visit. So sorry."

"It's alright." He then let out a weak chuckle before lurching forward in a violent cough. Both (Name) and her mother jumped, gasps escaping their mouths. "Don't worry. I'm fine." The two women breathed a sigh of relief. "(Name)... Miriam... and wherever you are, my dear daughter Leaf... I won't be here much longer." Another cough.

"Don't talk like that, dad, please!" (Name) felt her stomach lurch at her father's words. "You'll be alright, everything will be alright..." But all three of them knew that he wouldn't.

"I—" This time, droplets of blood came out of his throat. (Name) squeezed her eyes shut as tears rolled down her face. "Love—" More blood, more coughs, he sounded like he was choking. "You..." Mother and daughter watched in horror as his eyes drifted shut, and the heart monitor began to slow.

"No!" Mrs. (Last Name) cried out. "No, please no!"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The last sounds of his heartbeat echoed throughout the room before the line fell flat.

~~~

Black. Rain. Endless tears. A day of mourning.

The flower-filled coffin was placed up on a raised platform, as speeches about Mr. (Last Name)'s accomplishments and legacy, and how he would be missed, were made.

It's not fair, (Name) thought bitterly to herself. It's not fair! Why does everything seem to go downhill for me lately? Why?!

She and her mother stood side by side, at the very front of the crowd, clasping hands tightly, as salty droplets followed a continuous cycle: fill, overflow, fall. Fill, overflow, fall.

~~~

Gary was not aware that there would be a funeral that day. Not until Professor Oak came barging into his house to tell him to get ready. Despite Gary's age, he was still babied by his grandfather, and it definitely didn't help that Gary had made the grave mistake of giving his grandpa the keys.

Rain was pouring outside at an alarming rate. How ironic. Just like in the movies. Gary tugged on a black tuxedo and black tie. Jeez, I just got back, too. And I'm already attending a funeral? Literally, I don't even know who this funeral's for, for Arceus's sake!

Gary, his grandpa, his sister Daisy, and Daisy's husband Bill all arrived together, joining the population of Pallet Town under black umbrellas.

"Oh, how tragic that Mr. (Last Name) passed away!" Daisy cried out. "He was my math teacher. A great man..." Gary's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. (Last Name)?

"Did you just say (Last Name)?" Gary asked his sister incredulously. She shot him a pointed look.

"Gary! Don't use his name so disrespectfully, especially at his funeral!" Daisy scolded.

"Wait, Daisy! Does Mr. (Last Name) have a daughter named (Name)?" Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Gosh, where did you get that idea from?! No, he and his wife only have one child, and her name is Leaf. She disappeared years ago! Mr. and Mrs. (Last Name) have really had it rough..." She sniffled as her husband gently comforted her.

"But what about—"

"Enough questions, Gary," Professor Oak stated firmly. "You're a grown man, for Arceus's sake!"

"Whatever, Gramps," Gary grumbled.

~~~

(Name) couldn't believe her eyes. Sitting right behind her father's coffin, on a stone chair, was Leaf. Only, it wasn't exactly Leaf. (Name) could see she was slightly transparent and no one else around her seemed to have noticed her. Leaf can't be dead, right? Even if she is, there's no way that that's her ghost! I'm just seeing things.

I'm not a ghost, (Name). Leaf's voice, something that (Name) had not heard for many, many years, echoed inside her head, causing fresh tears to cascade down her cheeks.

Then... Then what are you? If you're alive, why didn't you ever come back? Do you realize how much we all missed you? How much we worried? You weren't there when our father died, as mother and I held his hands as he passed right in our arms! Where were you all this time, and you have the nerve to show up at his funeral?! Rage combined with (Name)'s despair, and new emotions began to swirl in and out of her subconscious, causing a splitting headache.

I'm sorry. Leaf's voice was incredibly quiet. One day, you'll understand. I promise. (Name) blinked, and Leaf was gone. (Name) shook her head.

I'm crazy. I was just imagining things.

~~~

The following week, (Name) stayed with her mother in Pallet, trying to console her heartbroken mother. The (h/c)-haired girl of course, was still not entirely over her father's death, but her mother was on a whole other level of sadness. It was almost depression.

"I just want to die," Mrs. (Last Name) would groan. "I don't want to live here without him any longer."

"Mom, don't be like that," the younger woman would always say. "Dad would want you to be happy, with or without him. Even when he's not by your side physically, remember that he'll always be looking after you from above."

One day, it all became too much for Mrs. (Last Name). After being frantically called to the hospital, (Name) learned that her mother had passed away from all the grief she had felt. (Name) was speechless. In less than two weeks, both of her parents were gone.

(Name) continued to stay in Pallet. Every day, she would visit her parents' graves and kneel in front of them, crying until her voice was gone and her eyes red.

"I'm all alone now, Mom and Dad. I'm all alone." She lamented one day. She grasped their headstones, collapsing onto their sturdy surfaces. "I miss you two so, so much."

"(Name). Chin up. Stop crying." The girl was suddenly enveloped by warmth. A familiar scent invaded her senses.Mangoes.

"Leaf!" This time, her older sister wasn't just a hologram, she was a real, living, breathing, human being. (Name) immediately returned the hug, more tears streaming down her face as she buried her face into the comforting warmth of her sister's shoulder. "Please, Leaf. Please never leave me again."

Although (Name) could not see it, Leaf smiled bitterly. I wish I could stay here, but I can't, not for long. I'm not a normal human anymore. I can't stay here for too long, I'll put everyone in danger.

"You're not alone, my dear little sister. Please, just understand that. Mom, Dad, and I love you very much. Like you said to Mom before, although we may not be here physically, we'll always be looking after you." Suddenly, she was gone, and (Name) sat by herself in front of the graves of her parents. once again. She let out a silent scream of agony.

"Leaf," she sobbed. "Where did you go?"

"Hey, are you okay?" A very familiar voice asked. (Name) looked up in surprise, into the eyes of none other than Gary Oak. She let out a loud gasp.

Gary stared back at her with equal shock. It can't be her, right? (Name) doesn't exist! This can't be possible...

"...Gary?" she called out tentatively. The spiky-haired man felt his heart leap into his throat.

"(Name), is that really you?" Gary's voice shook, the back of his eyes burning with joyful tears.

"Yes, it's me!" In spite of herself, (Name) could feel a smile tugging at her lips, as they both started toward each other, slowly at first, but then their pace sped up to a run. As they threw their arms around each other. they could feel the warmth, the security, the absolute peace—

But in the blink of an eye, all of that disappeared, and they each found themselves alone, in front of the (Last Name) headstones. Was I just imagining things? They both wondered. No. That couldn't have been fake. It felt too real.

I know she's out there, and I will find her, he thought.

I know he's out there, and I will find him, she thought.

The two exited the cemetery, a sense of determination filling their minds.

~~~

Leaf watched the two through the crystals at Legendary Island. She fell to her knees, grateful tears falling from her shining, joyful eyes.

"Thank you, savior _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ."