Child of Thorns - A Pokemon Sinnoh Reimagining

Metchi sat sprawled against the seat of her table, absentmindedly sipping her drink and enjoying the music booming through the bar. She liked the song. It was one of this year's top 10, she believed; that one punk ballad by Roxie that Metchi was convinced was about two women, gang leaders, that hated each other's guts but were secretly in love, deep down. No one believed her, and it wasn't like she could ask the singer herself for proof.

Maybe someday.

This was a nice bar. It was the only one she'd found that didn't advertise craft brewing or cheddar-covered fries or blue-cheese burgers. A bit dingy, but that's why she liked it. It didn't pretend to be anything but a dark, loud place for people to get shitfaced in, and maybe pick up some strangers to accompany them for the rest of the night.

Not that Metchi was in any place to look for the latter, though. She still had a job to do. A stranger's warm embrace would have to wait for another day.

Though it didn't take her long to get some company, even if it wasn't the type she intended. She'd barely gotten through her first drink when she spotted a familiar head of spiky blond hair in the distance. Barry looked over for a few seconds before finding her.

"Oh… hey," she said, raising her glass a bit as the boy sat across from her on the small table.

"Hey…" Barry looked down at his own drink, and swallowed. "Flint told me you might be here. Said it was… your style or something."

Metchi smiled. "What can I say? I make my tastes known." She took another sip of her drink. "What you got there? Gin tonic?"

"Hm? Oh nono, it's… just sparkling water," he said. "I like the bubbles. And how it tickles when you drink it."

That's all the explanation Barry needed, and Metchi had to respect that. Any other kid his age would've said that with a hint of embarrassment, but there was nothing like that in his voice. Metchi looked down at her own drink and downed it, letting out a pleasurable sigh. Spicy.

"Don't like alcohol? I remember the look you gave me when I mentioned drinking together."

"It's not my thing," shrugged Barry. "And I know people who've had trouble with it. I'd rather stay away from it."

Metchi nodded absentmindedly. He must've meant Inyssa's mom; she'd heard about it from the half-pint herself, as well as everything else regarding her… complicated familial situation. It wasn't the kind of topic to be discussed in a bar, that was for sure.

"Anyway… what are you doing here?" she asked. "Thought you wanted to challenge Volkner for the badge."

A somewhat incredulous laugh left Barry's mouth. It was a nice sound. Bright and warm.

"Yeah, I don't think either of us were… in the mood," he said, looking to the side. "Him and Flint were arguing pretty loudly after you left. It was… too much. Too loud and… thrumming, like a heartbeat." His face scrunched up at that, and Metchi could've sworn she saw a glow behind his eyes. "So I excused myself. Told him we'd come back tomorrow for the badge."

"Right," muttered Metchi, licking her lips, tasting what was left of the alcohol off them. "I'd say I'm sorry but… I'm not."

Barry shook his head. "You don't gotta apologize. I… it was kind a mess there. Just… a lot," he said, trying to find the right words. "I came here 'cause I wanted to see if you were okay?"

Metchi raised an eyebrow at that, and if it had been anyone else but Barry, she would've laughed derisively in their face.

"I really mean no offense by this, but I'm not a hormonal, overtly-emotional eighteen-year old anymore. I'm not gonna be moping around just 'cause some nerd thinks he's smart because he got a rise out of me. You think it's the first time that's happened?" she questioned with a sarcastic smile. "You can't throw a rock in here without hitting a pile of dumbasses like Volkner. They're not worth my time or my energy."

Yeah, that initial comment had definitely hit a nerve with Barry, but due to consideration or maybe something else, he closed his mouth shortly after opening it, keeping the rebuttal to himself. Metchi did feel a little guilty, in all honesty. It's not like it was Inyssa and Barry's fault that all this horrible shit was happening to them at the very peak of their adolescent explosion of hormones and sentimentality. It truly was a tragedy.

But in some cases, it was also a bit funny. Kind of.

"I just thought…" Barry pursed his lips, concerned. "I mean, 'cause you and Flint are friends, and now…"

Metchi rested it importance with a lazy wave of the hand.

"Flint and I have known each other for a long time. I know he wouldn't be friends with someone who were genuinely a bad person, and I admit I might've gotten a bit too heated back there," she admitted. "But hey, that's life for you. Sometimes your friends have terrible taste in friends, and there ain't much you can do. I'm sure there's something that firehead sees in that dumbass."

Barry let out a small chuckle. "Flint is kind of weird like that."

"Always has been," said Metchi. "Even when he was a dumb teenager back in Lavaridge, he always strolled around like there was nothing wrong, causing trouble and then accidentally fixing it. It's a wonder he got hired as an Elite Four, but he really is something else."

"Aha… You two must know each other really well," said Barry, then concern crossed his expression again. "Ah, sorry, I…"

"It's fine."

Metchi leaned back on her seat, taking in a deep breath. Lazily, she raised a hand and showed the waitress two fingers, indicating that she wanted a refill, before turning her gaze to Barry again.

"Not like we have much else to do, and I did promise you," she said. "So… wanna hear the story?"

The next words out of Barry's mouth were obvious for a polite kid like him. "Only if you don't mind…" Even though his eyes were burning with curiosity, he still pretended to be mindful. It was adorable.

The waitress came by to refill her drink, and she took another sip before she started talking.

"You're a smart kid," she said. "Considering everything you heard… I'm sure you already figured out what my job was before I came here to Sinnoh."

A bit of guilt in his face, Barry gave a small nod.

"You were a ranger, weren't you?"

She was surprised that the word still hurt a bit coming out of his mouth, if only barely. An unpleasant surprise. She only hoped that retelling the story wouldn't…

She nodded.

"Yeah. Though it was a little more than just a job to me," she said. "You could say I was practically born into the rangers."

"What… do you mean?"

Metchi sighed. How to explain it more accurately. She leaned back on her seat, took another sip and looked over to the distance before continuing.

"My earliest and strongest memory is that of resting on the back of a flying Pokemon, the clear Hoenesse sky rolling by above me. And my second earliest memory… is of being taken in by my new family.

"According to what I found out a few years later, the Swellow that delivered me there was heavily wounded, and died shortly after landing. They couldn't identify who was the owner. To this day, I've got no idea who my real parents are, or what led to them putting four-year old me on the back of a dying Pokemon and sending me away."

Barry's eyes widened. "That's… awful."

"Eh, it's not like I remember, so it's not a big deal," she shrugged. "Besides, the only people I really consider family is the man who took me in, even if he had nothing to gain by doing so." A warm smile formed on her lips. "His name was Matteus Hayworth, though to me he was always 'dad', or 'old man' if I was feeling angry. I know you probably already figured it out, but he was a ranger; a pretty damn famous one actually, and the head of one of the five ranger bases in Hoenn, which surveyed the entire southeast portion of the region."

"W-wow," Barry whispered, awed. "He must've been a super cool dad."

"Guess you could call him that. He was a fucking mountain of a man, the kind you see across the street and have to do a double-check to make sure you didn't just see an Ursaring. He was kind, but grumpy. Had more cunning and luck than any man should, and he could make friends with literally anyone, even if he hated their guts. And yet he never hid his intentions. He was honest at his core, even if you had to read between the lines sometimes.

"He took me in without protest, despite being single and having no kids. Treated me like I was his daughter from day one." Metchi eased herself into the story, her eyes growing distant, the smile on her face slowly dropping. "I admit, his parenting style was a bit more laissez-faire than most, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. He ran a tight ship. Made me help him with the house, cooking and whatever other ranger matters he had to attend to outside his office. And even though he disguised it as 'interest' for taking me in, he never just had me doing blind work. Every task he gave me had a purpose, taught me something new, a skill or point of view I might find a use for someday. From cooking to survival to how to handle knives, he… taught me everything I know. I wouldn't be half the person I am today if it weren't for him."

"Ha… I can definitely imagine a man like that being your dad," Barry smiled. "Was he preparing you to be a ranger someday?"

"I think he was mostly making sure I could make it on my own, were something to happen to him," she said. "Besides, it was lil' pipsqueak me that bugged him to let me be a ranger whenever I had the opportunity. Over the years, he took me to his base a few times. The people there were so friendly, always ready to help those in need, whether they be humans or Pokemon, even if they had nothing to give in return. I… admired that. I admired them all so much. I spent the next few years doing my best, training and learning so that I could join their ranks some day. And in the meantime, I got to know them more. Sometimes, when dad had a job to take care of, he'd leave me in the base, and the rest of his squad would babysit me. It was…" She closed her lips, feeling them dry. The words struggled to come out. "They were fun times. Times I look back on fondly, even now."

Cold. The glass felt cold in her hands now that the ice inside was melting, cold drops of condensation dripping down her fingers. She looked down at the clear reddish liquid and gulped.

"…I was eighteen when I joined. And for a while, things went well. There were only about a dozen rangers in the squad, and having someone new, trained by the boss no less, was a sigh of relief. Especially with how thinly we were spread out, considering the size of the territory we had to look over."

Barry frowned. "There weren't enough rangers?"

"Ha. Let's just say it wasn't the most enticing of careers," she said. "A trainer could get their certification in half the time it'd take a ranger, and they wouldn't have to deal with intensive training or government restrictions or Pokemon regulations or with having to help the general populace. And of course, the pay was nothing to write home about. Even for those in charge, like my dad. Most kids wanted to become the Champion, not run around making sure local Ludicolo aren't summoning rain everywhere with their silly dances."

"Ha… yeah…" Barry looked down. "I'm…"

"Hey, it's not like I blame them," she shrugged. "Being a ranger is tough work, and not very rewarding. We regulated Pokemon territory every year, a task that would've resulted in hordes of Pokemon attacks to civilians if not done correctly, and we never got an ounce of recognition. But of course one stupid kid goes and stops a couple of environmental terrorists and he's hailed as the region's hero. Go figure."

Realization dawned on Barry and his face lit up with wonder. "W-wait, you mean…!"

Metchi smiled sourly. "Yep, good ol' Brendan. I shouldn't talk about him like that," she whispered. "He and those pals of him, May and Wally, are real good kids. They helped us out plenty when we were in a bind, same with that guy that had just become Champion at the time; Steven or something. Truth be told, the League was a lot friendlier and more helpful in Hoenn than it is here. Might be because our League wasn't also our government," she laughed. "No, it was mostly our employers that caused us trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we rangers were trained by other rangers, and sometimes by experts from the League, but we were officially employed by the government. Our pay came mostly from the citizen's taxes," she explained. "The people were… mostly content with paying a bit more so that we could keep the region safe, but we weren't very profitable for the state, nor the companies lobbying in its name. And most importantly, our attitude of 'nature and civilians above all else' was… a bit at odds with their philosophy, let's say.

"We heard the same thing from these assholes every week. They thought that rangers were outdated, that our methods were archaic and that the amount of training and expertise needed to become a ranger was ludicrous, considering that most of the knowledge needed didn't usually see use in the real world. And for a while… those were just sly comments. Things I'd hear one of them mention to my dad, of which he'd just laugh it off like it was a joke." Metchi closed her eyes and sighed. "But it wasn't a joke to me. It made my blood boil every time I heard it. And it made me even madder that my dad reacted like that instead of telling those people to fuck off."

"I… get why that'd be frustrating," said Barry. "But he was probably just–"

"Trying to keep his job. Our job. I know, I get it now," Metchi shook her head. "In retrospect, it's clear that dad's approach actually bought us a lot of time, and that blowing up at them like I would've done in his place was exactly what those assholes wanted. But… anger feels a lot more real, a lot more justified when you're younger, you know?"

Barry smiled, and Metchi figured he was thinking back to Inyssa. "Yeah, I know."

"Besides, dad never scolded me for it. He never told me that I was being childish or petty or anything like that. He respected my anger. Told me that it was valid, that I should hang on to it, and use it when necessary." A sad look crossed her face. "But even then, I didn't get it. Part of that anger started targeting him. As time went on, I grew bitter because of the way he did things, always with a smile and a laugh, faking courteousness just to get what should be ours. I hated it. Felt like a Caterpie begging for some scraps.

"In time, though, their attempt to undermine us got a whole less subtle. That's when they tried to pass both that law and that project at the same time."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Which ones?"

"The project was an idea they'd been toying with before, a proposal by Devon, a company closely associated with the League," she explained. "They figured that they could kill two Tailow with one stone by taking a big percentage of the public funds that went into rangers, and using them to hire normal trainers to do most of those jobs instead."

Barry let out a little gasp, and she smiled knowingly. "Yep, it's the same system you guys use here; that's where they got the idea from. Instead of having a bunch of over-trained rangers per territory, just have a couple with enough knowledge and experience to lead the trainers that'd serve as manpower."

"That's…" Barry made a face, lips pursed. "I… remember my mom saying it was more efficient, but that–"

"It was better for the region, worse for the people," Metchi summed up. "After all, trainers would only accept assignments if they were paid to do it. Us, on the other hand, regularly volunteered to help civilians without compensation. That would disappear if this project became a reality."

"Synn above…" Barry shook his head. "I can't imagine what you must've felt when you heard."

"Oh I was right pissed, you can be sure of that," said Metchi. "But they couldn't pass the project right away, there'd be too much outcry. People liked the rangers because we always made sure to help them out; our public image was too good. That's what the law was for.

"Article twelve… the annexation of Pacifidlog."

"What?," whispered Barry. "But… isn't Pacifidlog still independent?"

"Yeah, 'cause the law never got to pass," Metchi nodded. "Pacifidlog is… unique, because of its status as the last fully independent native settlement in all of Hoenn. Mt. Pyre had been the last one, annexed about twenty years ago. In fact, back then the agreement for it to be annexed was to leave Pacifidlog alone, since the two places were home to the same people. But of course, promises like that rarely mean much.

"We… the rangers from our base I mean, worked closely with the people of Pacifidlog, since we shared a territory," she explained. "They were always so good to us. Only a few dozen people lived there, but they always gave us a warm welcome when we came to help with the local Tentacruel population, and they always gifted us nice things, mostly a bit of what they'd fished that day. Now… you gotta understand, they were the best fisherman in all of Hoenn. The stuff they caught was delicious, and often sold at exorbitant prices because of the difficulty of their methods and refining. Seafood from Pacifidlog was… a delicacy, you could say.

"And by now you should know that people don't like that which they can't make theirs easily."

"Really? That's why?" asked Barry. "They wanted to annex them just for their fishing?"

"Well, the whole territory was rich in rare species, and it served as a nice connection to the south sea. That's why the state offered to make the place an SEZ," said Metchi. "Of course, the people of Pacifidlog just wanted to be left alone, and we made sure to interject in their behalf whenever we could, but the state pressed just as hard. They used every argument they could think of to get popular opinion on their side. They started suggesting, not so subtly, that maybe the people of Pacifidlog had had something to do with the Aqua incident a while back; not only 'cause their leader had been born there but also because the elders of Mt. Pyre had failed to stop him from getting the Blue Orb. They suggested that they'd collaborated with the terrorists."

"That's… insane. It doesn't even make sense!"

Metchi formed a lopsided grin. "Course it didn't. Phoebe, the elders' granddaughter and Elite Four member, did her best to stop the terrorists when they were still at large, but people are quick to forget stuff like that. Luckily the League did step in on Pacifidlog's defense, mostly at the behest of the Champion. And to Devon's credit, the CEO did express his disapproval of the methods the government was using to manipulate public opinion… though of course he never admitted that the law and the project were connected." She curled her lip, looking to the side. "Anyway, the whole thing mostly stalled out for a while, but it never went away."

Barry smiled nervously. "And I'm guessing you never stopped being mad over it?"

"Nope," chuckled Metchi. "I… actually grew more and more frustrated as time went on, and the government kept getting in our way. I just… didn't get it. I honestly couldn't understand why they'd spend so much time and resources going against us, when all we wanted was to help, to have them let us be. I'm guessing the people from Pacifidlog thought the same thing, when they heard of the annexation," she said bitterly. "I… never stopped butting heads with those assholes though. It got to the point where my dad and my teammates recommended I just stay away from them. Take a vacation, maybe." She chuckled. "Right, like it was that easy."

Her hand wasn't cold anymore. When she looked down, she noticed that all the ice had already melted, and her drink had gone from a deep red to something more like a pink. Sighing, she raised the glass and chugged down the entire thing. It stung her throat something awful. She enjoyed the sharp feeling for a few seconds, eyes closed, trying to make it last. When the sting was gone, she lowered the glass and spoke again.

"Dad and I… we had an argument that day," she said, barely a whisper. "He'd been called to do a job for the government, and left me in charge, and of course the usual topic came out. Things got… heated. I called him awful things. Said he was a coward, that he didn't care about what was right, only about keeping us afloat. It got bad. So bad that a few of our teammates had to interject. I had tears of anger by the end, and of course my dad was calm as usual, which only served to piss me off even more.

"He… apologized before he left, like it was his fault." Metchi stopped, then took in a deep breath before continuing. "And then it happened."

Barry seemed almost afraid to ask. He gulped. "W-what?"

"I really shouldn't give those assholes any credit, but for what it's worth… I don't think it was a coordinated effort, but the actions of one guy. He was someone high up in the local government who wanted to climb the ladder even more, so he came up with a… clever way to resolve the stalemate regarding Pacifidlog's annexation." She spat those words like poison, fingers curling inward. "It… started with an alarm in the base. I got to the terminal first and I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. An emergency beacon saying that a small school of Gyarados was fast approaching the southern edge of Pacifidlog."

"G-Gyarados?" Barry paled at that, the reaction of someone who'd seen one of those things firsthand. "A whole school of them?"

"Yeah. Luckily, schools of Gyarados rarely contain more than two or three of them, because of how territorial they are. Unfortunately, three of those fuckers could still reduce Pacifidlog to a floating pile of burning debris in the time it'd take me to sneeze." Her expression grew dark. "Gyarados are the biggest threats you can run into at sea, and since day one all rangers are told that under no circumstances should they attempt to fight one. That's why we're usually notified in advance if one of them is spotted near a human settlement. Except… that time."

"Did…" Disgust showed in Barry's face. "Was that guy responsible for…?"

Metchi nodded. "He delayed the message until it was almost too late. He was also the one to call my dad away from the base, as well as Phoebe, who was the only Elite Four member we kept in contact with on the regular. And he was our only point of contact with the rest of the League, at least the part of it that could interject in time. He made that crystal clear when we came to him asking for help."

"That's…"

"He'd clearly heard about me. That's why he sent my dad away, because he knew I'd be left in charge in his place, and that I wouldn't take his… threat very well." She looked down, ashamed. "His plan was simple. First, he'd anger me enough so that I'd attack him, all so he could use my aggression against us later. Then, he'd have us rush to try to save the people of Pacifidlog from the Gyarados, to no avail. And finally, rush in with a bunch of League trainers and save the day, thus proving that rangers couldn't be trusted to protect Pacifidlog; that only the government could."

There was a sudden golden glow behind Barry's eyes, and she suddenly felt a burst of anger that did not belong to her.

"H-horrible," he whispered, eyes wide. "That's so horrible."

Metchi smiled appreciatively. "Yeah… it was a mess. I only spent like a minute beating the shit out of him before we went off to Pacifidlog as fast as we could. I sent half of my teammates to take care of the evacuation, while the rest of us who had Pokemon headed further into the sea in our boat and waited for the Gyarados, to try and slow them down.

"If there'd been more than three of them, I probably wouldn't be here telling you this," she sighed. "We had a few Pokemon and tasers. Did a little damage, but not nearly enough to matter, only to piss them off. It was…"

She tried to find the words, but came up short. Something was pulling at her from the depths of her stomach.

"I remember being hit by one of their tails, and by the time I regained consciousness everything was smoke and chaos. I could barely see 'cause of the blood running down my eye. The boat's engine had been damaged and we were sinking. Someone was screaming. I… saw one of my teammates lying on the hull, unconscious, while she slid down toward the water. I tried to get up, but my legs didn't listen to me.

"Then I heard a growl. I looked up and saw one of the Gyarados, looking down at me. There was… a light in its mouth; it was preparing a Hyperbeam I think. I didn't have time to move or get away. I remember… my last thought, at least I thought so at the time, being… 'This isn't fair'. I didn't want to die.

"Heh. I guess out there somewhere, a finger in a Mankey's paw curled, because the next thing I saw was my dad appear out of nowhere, jumping in to shield me from the attack."

Barry's breath hitched. She felt a bit of his distress, but her gaze was set on the empty glass in her hands, so she couldn't see his face.

"He came flying in on a Pokemon that didn't belong to him, a Swellow, like the one that first delivered me to him. And… after that day, I never saw it again," she sighed. "I'm guessing it somehow knew what was happening, and warned my dad and the League people he was meeting, which is why they showed up when no one expected them to. Though obviously… dad got there first.

"I remember the sounds of battle raging around us, of Phoebe and a bunch of other trainers fighting off the Gyarados, but all I could focus on was the weight of my dad against my shoulder, and the feeling of blood running down his chest toward mine. And even then…" She chuckled, though it was weak and formless. "Even while bleeding to death, he was ever calm, ever composed.

"I… held on to him like my life depended on it and yelled… so many things, few of which made sense. I apologized. I screamed at him for intercepting that attack. I begged him to stay awake, just a little more, until we could get him to a hospital. And he… he just laughed. He patted my head and ruffled my hair. Told me he was sorry. That he should've listened to my warnings. Begged me to forgive him for being such a sorry sight of a father. Forgive him for… leaving me alone. Again.

"And then I heard something in him give out. I opened my mouth to yell at him, but there was no one there to hear me."

Barry made a noise across from her, voice straining. "Metchi…"

She closed her eyes, her grip on the glass getting tighter. "I screamed and cried, so loudly and for so long that I could feel my throat rip itself to pieces, until the echo of my own screams drowned the silence and emptiness of the man whose lifeless body I held in my arms. At some point… I passed out. And next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed. Can you guess who came in as soon as I woke up?"

There was no guess, no answer, but Metchi figured that was okay. "It was that asshole; the one that had thought the whole thing up. His plans had gone astray, you see, and he figured he could still manage to taint the ranger's reputation by provoking me to attack him again, this time while I was sick with grief and flooded with drugs and painkillers."

"W-what!?" asked Barry. "Wasn't he arrested?"

"Not at that point," she smiled. "The League was gathering evidence on him, and he was arrested later that day and given the life sentence. But at that moment, I didn't know that. And none of my teammates could've been there with me, because they were all either in the same condition or answering questions for the League and the government. I was alone in that hospital room, not thinking straight, convinced that I'd just gotten my dad and Mew knows who else killed. Convinced that those people were there to arrest me, to put me behind bars for what I'd done.

"I… acted in a panic. I jumped out of my bed and kicked one of the doctors in the chest before jumping out the window and running away." She shook her head. "It's… funny how much you can do in such a short time if you're full of nothing but panic and stimulants."

"What… did you do?"

She shot him a sad grin. "You already know the answer. And you gotta understand the mental state I was in. The realization of what had happened… I didn't want it, didn't want to be there when it finally set in; I just wanted to run away. So that's what I did."

Barry swallowed. "You left Hoenn."

"I… couldn't stay," she said, almost pleading. "How could I face my friends again? I'd gotten their leader killed because of my stupid pride, because I wasn't good enough, because he had to come in and…" She stopped, and took in a deep breath. "Right then, I was sure I couldn't ever show myself to them again, that if I did they'd beat me up or yell at me or try to kill me for what I did."

"That's…"

"Stupid and absurd, yeah," she said. "Unfortunately, by the time the drugs and the panic wore off and I could think straight again, I was already on a boat heading to Sinnoh. And I'm not one to turn back once I commit to something, as stupid as it might be.

"Less than a week after I was here in Sinnohan shores, with nothing but my clothes and a little bit of money I'd managed to scavenge. I didn't know anyone here. Didn't have any plans for the future, and only knew a little bit of Sinnohan. I was desperate and afraid." She looked up to Barry and smiled derisively. "And you can guess what happened next."

"Yeah… Team Galactic."

"That's a story for another day, though." Metchi sighed as she leaned back on her seat, shoulders slumping. "Sorry, but it's been a while since I've talked so much, and my throat's pretty dry. Think I'm just gonna spend the rest of the night preventing that from happening again."

She gave him a smile, but of course Barry didn't play along. These damn kids never did. Always with their empathy and their emotive responses and stuff, it was getting real old, even if it did make her chest feel just a little bit warmer.

"I… I never even imagined…" Barry looked down sadly. "I'm sorry."

Metchi shrugged. "Don't sweat it. It honestly feels like it happened a lifetime ago for me," she said. "Time heals and all that."

"Still…"

Metchi didn't need to look at his face to know what he was feeling. Guilt. Shame. She rolled her eyes; these fucking kids…

"I didn't tell you that story to make you think that all trainers are evil or incompetent or anything."

"I… huh?" Barry looked up, surprised.

"Sure, you guys caused us plenty of headaches before, and you might be the reason I joined Team Galactic, but the real enemy was always a lot subtler and insidious than just a bunch of kids who wanted to become cool heroes," she explained. "You chose to be a trainer, and that's the path you gotta walk, in whatever way makes you feel proud of yourself. "

"Well… yeah, I guess," he said, frowning. "But…"

"It was actually something my dad said," Metchi cut him off. "'If trainers do their best to help people, and if rangers conduct themselves with the heroism expected of legends, then what difference would remain between the two?'" She shot him a warm smile. "We all gotta do our best with the path we chose. That's all there is to it."

She saw it almost like in slow motion. Barry's expression changed; lit up, as though some kind of knot had come unraveled inside of him, and for a moment the light behind his eyes shone like a storm, and his face truly was as radiant as the sun, as the yellow of his hair.

"I… yeah," he said, barely a whisper. "I think I get it."

She nodded strongly, then reached over and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. "That's what I like to hear. Now, let's forget about all this sad shit, okay? What do you say, wanna order a pizza and get some drinks in?"

Barry gulped, still overwhelmed, but he managed a small nod at least. "Y-yeah. I'm not gonna get anything alcoholic, but I think I could go for a piz–"

A ring broke through the dull throb of the music flooding the bar. Barry almost jumped out of his skin before he realized what it was, and raised his Poketch, brow furrowed.

"Who is it?" asked Metchi.

"It's… Niss?"

He stretched one of the earphones from the side of the device and put it in his ear before answering. Judging by the way he squinted, he could barely hear the girl on the other side.

"Niss? Ye-yeah I'm here. We're here in Sunyshore," he said, speaking loudly. "Yeah sorry, there's some music… huh? Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Why do you…"

There was a moment of silence.

"…Huh? What, did something happen?" he asked, a hint of panic. "No, I haven't heard anything. What's–"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, and then his face went deathly pale, all that warmth and brightness from before evaporating in an instant.

"Wh–mom? What happened to her?"