Rhea’s heavy eyes kept hovering between open and shut in the Center’s recovery area, waiting for her Pokémon. Lori’s intense battle was fading in and out.
It wasn’t long until she felt herself slipping into a warm, velvet wave that carried her into her dreams, unable to hold off the soul fatigue. It wasn’t the volcanic heat of Blaine’s Gym or the burning pressure that had consumed her chest before everything went dark, but the familiar, comforting weight of her team pressed against her body.
Mya’s cool, metallic head rested on her left shoulder, the Steel-type’s soft breathing creating a rhythmic vibration against her collarbone. Nova curled into a tight ball between her legs, tail wrapped protectively around Rhea’s ankle.
Lulu and Shae were tangled together on her chest, rising and falling with each breath she took, while Alice sprawled across her legs, the Lopunny’s growing frame taking up far more space than seemed reasonable for the hotel bed.
Hotel bed?
Rhea’s eyes fluttered open, squinting against the soft evening light filtering through the curtains. The ceiling was the same cream color from before, the faint scent of ocean salt mixing with the lingering smell of Fire-type energy that clung to her hair and skin.
“I’m…back in the hotel? How long was I…”
“Nee?”
“Pwe?”
“Mawile!”
“Ralts!”
"Lop-Lopunny?!”
She tried to shift, and every Pokémon on her immediately stirred, heads popping up in various states of alarm.
“Shh, shh, I’m okay,” Rhea whispered, throat scratchy. “I’m okay, girls. I promise.”
Despite her soothing, they knew the truth. Her body felt heavy, limbs sluggish as if she’d been sleeping for days. Which, considering the dryness of her mouth and the way her stomach rumbled with a vengeance, might not be far from the truth.
A familiar snort came from the chair beside her bed, and Rhea’s head turned to find Lori slouched in the cushioned seat, long legs kicked up on the mattress, arms crossed over her chest. The Unovan girl’s violet hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion despite the cocky smirk pulling at her lips.
“About Muking time, Sunshine,” Lori drawled, stretching her arms above her head with an exaggerated yawn. “You’ve been out for two whole days. Nurse Joy was starting to think you’d gone into hibernation like a Snorlax, but Brock said it’s fine.”
“Two days?!”
Rhea’s stomach dropped, and she tried to sit up too quickly. The world tilted, and Mya immediately pressed her horn against Rhea’s shoulder, forcing her back down with a worried trill.
“Mawile-wile!”
“Easy, easy!” Lori was on her feet in an instant, hands on Rhea’s other shoulder. “Don’t go pulling a Rhea 2.0 on me. You just woke up, dumb butt. Your body needs a second to remember how to person—ya feel me?”
“It’s just—two days?” Rhea croaked, blinking rapidly as her brain tried to catch up and noticing her blonde locks tied into a braid—likely Amira’s doing. “I’ve been out for two days? Lori, the Cup registration. We have to—”
“Yo, we’ve got twenty-nine days left still, yeah, I know. We’re fine, Rhea. It’s fine.” Lori’s voice was firm but gentle as she eased Rhea back against the pillows, Nova crawling up to nuzzle her face between the Ralts and Cosmog. “Amira’s got the flight-game on lock to Viridian. You know her. We’re not behind, Rhea. Breathe.”
Rhea sucked in air, puffing it out slowly as her heart hammered against her ribs.
Twenty-nine days. Okay. That’s…that’s still workable. Probably. We just need… Muk, how is Lori going to get the Cascade Badge? We need to split up, don’t we? And I missed their battles… I suck.
The realization hit her like a Thunderbolt, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes before she could stop them. “I missed your full match,” she whispered, voice breaking. “Your battles. I wanted to be there. I wanted to—”
“Hey, hey, none of that,” Lori interrupted, flicking Rhea’s forehead lightly. “You were there, dork. You passed out in the Center while watching the tail end of my match on the monitor. Nurse Joy found you curled up in one of those ugly plastic chairs with a Lum Berry wrapper stuck to your cheek. It was actually kind of adorable—she caught a picture for us.”
Despite herself, Rhea let out a watery laugh, swiping at her eyes. “I hope you haven’t shown Jason that yet. Jason…”
“I get it. You’re out of touch,” Lori interjected, “but calm down a little, girl! I know that you worry a lot. What did you expect to do, sleep text? Chill, Goldilocks. And we let you be the one to break that adorkable picture to your boyfriend. We got you! He’ll eat it up. Won’t even think about the two days counting sheep.”
Rhea relaxed her shoulders at the prompt, letting her Pokemon chide her with worry as Lori nodded with satisfaction. “Yeah, well, you were pretty out of it. Blaine helped us get you back here without the media going full feeding-frenzy mode. He’s a solid guy, even if he did roast the Muk out of all of us in his own way.”
Rhea’s fingers twisted in the blanket—the same soft hotel sheets from before, though someone had clearly tucked her in. Guilt coiled in her stomach, hot and acidic.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I was supposed to get strong enough to—”
“If you finish that sentence, I’m gonna smother you with this pillow,” Lori threatened, though her tone was light. “Geez. You’re giving perfect Ms. Ruby a run for her money in a cry for perfection. Give yourself a break. The Mukin’ Champion of Paldea flippin’ descended from the sky on you like some kind of deity. You’re allowed to be human, Rhea. Shocking, I know.”
“But—”
“No butts—leave that for those photos of your boy, I see you trying to sneak a look from time to time.”
“Lori…”
“Hey, I’m not judging!” She snickered. “He’s got the assets to admire. So admire away. You’re not a burden, Rhea. Be a little degenerate. You know I am! And before you spiral into your guilt-tornado, both Amira and I are totally fine. We won our battles, got our badges, and Roxie double-evolved, which was insane, by the way.”
She swiftly pulled out her phone with an eager grin. “Oh, look, look—I’ll show you the shifts. We’ve been doing some photo shoots that’ll blow your mind.”
Rhea’s chest loosened slightly as she brandished the holographic screen, boasting about her pup’s luster in the sun and on the beach. Roxie’s Lycanroc forms truly were amazing.
“Also,” Lori continued upon finishing her slide show, leaning back with a knowing grin, “Jason has been asking me for hourly updates since you passed out. Hourly.”
Rhea’s breath caught, and her hand automatically reached for her phone on the nightstand. It wasn’t there, and Lori held it up with a smirk.
“Do I know you or what? The boy is a mess, Rhea, which is not shame material—it’s boy’s got goldie fever bad material. Don’t worry. I sent him the best angles of you sleeping. I had to call in some favors to stop him from booking another flight back here.”
“Give it, Lori!” She huffed, making grabby hands. “You’re making me anxious.”
“Fine. Fine. Just because you’re cute when you pout—or is that why I did it? Hmm. We’ll never know. I charged it for you, by the way, but fair warning—you have about a billion messages. Your phone might actually explode when you turn it on.”
Lori tossed it onto the bed with a laugh. “Your funeral. I’m gonna grab you some water and food because you look like a Ghost-type right now. Don’t go video calling until you’ve had a shower. I didn’t think it was possible, but when you drain your Aura so much, I guess even you have bad morning syndrome. Oh, and don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”
“What kind of trouble could I get into, Lori?”
“Uh, trying to get out of bed, numbskull. You’re staying put until Amira gets back, got it? She’ll give me a tongue lashing if you’re up doing jumping jacks, like the extreme outdoors girl you are… Give yourself time to rest. ‘Kay?”
Rhea huffed but nodded, and Lori gave her a satisfied smirk before heading toward the door. She paused at the threshold, glancing back with an expression that was far too serious for her usual demeanor.
“For what it’s worth, Sunshine…what you did in that Gym was incredible. Scary as Muk, but incredible. We’re all really proud of you. Don’t worry. My mom said you’ve got a lot of support in the League. Call it nepotism. We take those!”
Before Rhea could respond, Lori slipped out, leaving her alone with her Pokémon and the weight of the last two days pressing down on her chest. She stared at her phone, fingers hovering over the power button. Her team shifted around her, Lulu crawling up to pat her cheek with tiny hands, with her newest little girl mirroring the fluff ball.
“Nee.”
“Ralts-ralts.”
“Yeah, I know,” Rhea murmured, stroking their head as the world faded away with her gaze on the crystal. “Let’s see how bad it is.”
She pressed the button.
The screen lit up, and immediately, notification after notification flooded in, the device vibrating so hard it nearly fell out of her numb fingers. Alice caught it with her ear, stabilizing it in Rhea’s lap with a concerned squeak.
“I’m okay, Alice. Just…a lot of people worried about me, I guess… I keep burning as bright as I can, but am I just being selfish? Maybe I am. I want to protect others… I know there are growing pains. It just sucks worrying everyone…”
Rhea scrolled through the notifications, her stomach twisting tighter with each name that appeared.
Jason: 47 unread messages.
Mom: 12 unread messages.
Dad: 8 unread messages.
Sabin: 15 unread messages.
Rylee & Sam (Group Chat): 23 unread messages.
Ash: 3 unread messages.
Dawn: 5 unread messages.
Blue: 2 unread messages.
Cynthia: 1 unread message.
Bianca: 9 unread messages.
And that wasn’t even counting the social media notifications, which had apparently broken into four digits.
“Oh, Muk,” Rhea breathed, scrolling to the top of Jason’s messages first. “Am I that much of a distraction? Does he really think about me this much… I really scared everyone.”
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Her Pokémon crowded her, shaking her slightly from all sides, telling her it was a team thing. Stop blaming herself.
“No, you’re right… I’m spiraling again, sinking into my insecurities. I’m not alone. We’re a team… And we stay the course. Just read, and soak in the warm feelings… People care about us.”
3:52 p.m. Nov 3rd - Mankey Butt: Holy Arceus, Rhea. Lori just texted me. Are you okay? Call me when you get up.
4:17 p.m. Nov 3rd: Sunshine, please text me when you wake up. I know you’re resting, but I need to hear from you. Your battle was so intense. I’m worried.
5:43 p.m. Nov 3rd: Lori said you’re stable. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you did anything wrong! You are phenomenal. I’m just trying not to freak out since I’m not there. I saw the battle footage. You were amazing. Truly amazing.
7:29 p.m. Nov 3rd: I talked to your mom. She said you just need rest and that this happens sometimes with Aura users. I wish I was there.
9:15 p.m. Nov 3rd [Photo attached - Jason sitting on a bed, hair messy, looking exhausted]: Can’t sleep. Keep replaying your battle. That flame around you… Rhea, you’re something else.
Please wake up soon.
11:47 p.m. Nov 3rd: I miss you. I know that’s selfish when you’re recovering, but I do. So much. I keep looking at our old messages and your photos… Doing that helps. I stopped on a picture of you and a Rapidash, and I just kept getting lost in my thoughts.
The human soul is guided by two horses—a dark horse of passion, and a white horse of reason.
I was developed by a reason.
I think I have discovered passion.
I think.
I feel.
One look, and I lose control.
I slip into the pool, falling into the last stop—your luster.
Into your shine.
Just looking at all our past adventures back home… There could be no other girl on my mind. I’ve fallen into every trap and hold you have over me. And I love it.
I love you.
And I just wanted you to know, you’re on my mind, beautiful.
The messages continued through the next day, each one a mix of worry, midnight poetry, encouragement, and the kind of raw honesty that made Rhea’s chest ache.
I’m his beautiful last stop… Why do you have to punch my heart like that?
She wiped away the tears leaking down her cheeks, heat burning her nose and throat.
Is this…what Mom and Dad feel? You’re on my mind, too.
She scrolled.
2:34 p.m. Nov 4th – Mankey Butt:
Lori sent me a picture of you sleeping. You look peaceful. I’m glad you’re resting… but I’d feel better if you were awake and yelling at me for being dramatic again. It’s the only thing that helps.
A weak laugh escaped her before she blinked through another wave of tears and held her breath as the next message loaded.
10:23 p.m. Nov 4th:
I love you, Sunshine. Did you design this, or did it come naturally? You got your hooks in me, and now I can’t think of “me”… without you. Wake up when you’re ready.
That was the line that broke her.
Her vision blurred as Nova climbed onto her chest, whining softly and licking at her wet cheek.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, even though she clearly wasn’t.
“Pwe…”
“It’s hard to think someone loves me this deeply… He can’t stop. I’m all he can think about…because he loves me. He really loves me. I’m loved. And that’s okay,” Rhea whispered, though her voice cracked.
Her mind began to wander, reflecting on the moment he’d surprised her in Saffron and she’d tackled him without thinking, pinning him beneath her, hair framing his stunned face…or their first kiss in Fuchsia. “I’m okay. Now I’m the one slipping into the pull of your waves, Jason.”
She scrolled to her mom's messages next, heart already melted and prepped for every other message, yet she braced herself nonetheless, and she slipped into each new tide each message brought.
4:02 p.m. Nov 3rd - Honey Tree: Rhea. I saw everything. Your father and I are on our way to Cinnabar now. Don’t panic—you’re fine. Blaine contacted me directly. This is normal for someone with your level of Aura sensitivity, especially after what you just did.
4:45 p.m. Nov 3rd: We’ll be there tomorrow morning. It’s just for a checkup. You probably won’t be up for at least two good days. Get some rest, sweetheart. We’ll be near, but we don’t want to overwhelm you. You pushed yourself hard, but you handled it better than I expected. I’m proud of you.
6:17 p.m. Nov 4th: We were delayed a bit, but I managed to verify what I already knew. You’re in an evolutionary state. You’ve broken past a wall. Your soul just needs time to adapt, but that means you probably shouldn’t use your Aura at that level for a few weeks, minimum. You need to stabilize. We’ll talk when you wake.
Rhea exhaled slowly, the knot in her chest loosening slightly.
Of course, they came. Overprotective and scientific at the same time. I guess we won’t be going that crazy against Giovanni, girls, but we’ll figure something out.
Her dad’s messages were shorter but just as heartfelt.
6:07 p.m. Nov 3rd - Pappa Ursaluna: Love you, kiddo. Can’t wait to hug you. You’ll be fine. You’re a tough honey cookie.
Rhea smiled despite herself, saving the photo he sent of his mother drooling onto his shoulder on the plane ride to her personal folder.
Dad’s the best.
She moved to Sabin’s messages, and her smile grew.
4:07 p.m. Nov 3rd - Big Bro: RHEA WHAT THE MUK
4:08 p.m. Nov 3rd: Okay, that sounded bad. You were INCREDIBLE. But are you OKAY?? Kate and I just watched the footage, and I think I aged ten years.
4:52 p.m. Nov 3rd: Mom texted me. You’re resting. Good. You scared the Muk out of me, Rhea. Don’t do that again.
7:41 p.m. Nov 3rd: Also, your visible Aura? That flame effect? Paldea is OBSESSED with you right now. My friends won’t shut up about “the Kanto Aura Princess.” I told them you’d hate that nickname.
Kate says hi and that you’re officially cooler than me now. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I’ll allow it. Text me when you wake up, okay? Love you, sis. You’re a beast.
Rhea’s throat tightened again, and she quickly typed out a response to her parents and brother. Jason’s message would require much more careful work and a more settled heart.
4:58 p.m. Joltik Butt: I’m awake. I’m okay. And I’m definitely not cooler than you…yet. Lulu is totally cooler, though. ;) Love you, Sab. Tell Kate I said hi.
She sent it and moved to the group chat with Rylee and Sam, her heart clenching at the sheer volume of messages.
3:58 p.m. Nov 3rd - Wooloo Rylee: RHEA ARE YOU OKAY
3:59 p.m. Nov 3rd - Wooloo Jade: We just saw the broadcast. Lori said you’re stable. Please take your time and rest… We’re all thinking about you.
4:22 p.m. Nov 3rd - Wooloo Hannah: Rhea. Rhea. RHEA. I’ve replayed the Haunted Terrain sequence fifteen times. FIFTEEN. That wasn’t standard stuff—that was borderline Mythical-tier. Rhea, that was insane.
5:16 p.m. Nov 3rd - Wooloo Sam: We’re sending our best wishes. Let us know when you wake up. But not right away. I know you’ve got a ton of people to talk to before us.
8:47 p.m. Nov 3rd - Wooloo Rylee: Lori sent us an update. Please, don’t worry about me, if you are. I couldn’t stand that. You’ve done more than enough for me with the funeral and everything… Thank you. You’re stable. Thank Arceus. I was so scared.
11:29 p.m. Nov 3rd - Wooloo Jade: You’re going to be Champion someday. I know it. Just…please take care of yourself.
Rhea smiled, blinking back tears as she typed.
6:53 a.m. Joltik Butt: I’m okay, you guys. Thanks for worrying about me. I’ll call you later, okay? <3
She scrolled through the rest—Ash’s calm reassurance, Dawn’s motherly concern, Blue’s blunt but caring message (“Kid, you just made half the League faint. Nice. Get some rest.”), and Auntie Cynthia’s strategic but warm notes on relaxing after a big match.
Rhea saved that one, too, her fingers trembling slightly as she set the phone down.
“Okay,” she whispered to her team, who were all watching her with varying degrees of concern. “Okay. I need to call Jason.”
She pulled up his contact, hesitating for only a moment, saliva becoming thick, before hitting the call button.
It rang once.
“Rhea?”
Jason's voice was rough, like he’d been awake for hours—or hadn’t slept at all in the last forty-eight hours. The sound of it made her heart ache, and she had to swallow hard before responding.
“Hey, Mankey Butt,” she said softly, trying for levity and failing. “Sorry, I scared you. I loved the poetry… You always shock me with it—good shock.”
“Ah. Well, at least you took it better than my paranoid brain, tripping over every word I sent.” Jason let out a breathless laugh, and she could hear him moving, probably sitting up. “You don’t know what someone means to you until… Yeah. I’ve been losing my mind for two days, but you’re on the phone. Are you okay? Actually okay? Please, don’t lie to make me feel better.”
“Ouch! Trust issues, much?” Rhea teased with a strained smile. “No, that’s fair… It’s something I’ve done since we were kids… The truth? I’m tired. I’m sore. But I’m okay,” Rhea promised, her voice steadier now. “I’m okay. Not great. Just okay… More so, hearing your voice.”
She heard choking on the other side.
“Jason?”
“Wrong pipe… You caught my heart with a left hook there. No biggy—I take those punches like a champ. Keep them coming!”
It made her smile because typically, he was the super smooth one, able to get her to blush and stammer. He must have been really worried about her.
“So, what did you think?” she gently prompted, giving her little girls a bit more attention as she put the phone on speaker. “Did I cause a scene? Am I a troublemaker?”
“Pfft.” Jason cleared his throat and snickered. “What do you mean? You’ve always been the troublemaker in the village—running away, food strikes to force your mom to take care of herself… You’re a beautiful menace, Rhea.”
“Love the modifier…”
There was a pause, and then Jason's voice came through, quieter and more vulnerable than she’d heard in a while. “I think you’re a powerhouse. I couldn’t be prouder of your team… Sunny can’t stop talking about Alice, by the way. I’m planning wedding bells.”
Rhea snickered, envisioning the smaller rabbit next to the taller bun in a suit. “I can see it… I wish you were here,” she suddenly whispered. “I know I’m selfish. And I don’t want you to drop everything… It’s just a feeling I had to say…because I miss you. Keep going.”
“…I miss you, too. I just wish I’d been there and so much more… But I need to have faith that you can also take care of yourself. At least, until you want me to take care of you. Let me know; open invitation!”
“How dangerous of you! I might just take you up on that at some point to keep you on your toes.”
“It’s a good thing I’m a good dancer!”
“…You’ll have to show me. But I’m okay now, Jason. I’ll do what my mom suggests, but I’m also on a schedule. Twenty-nine days… I’m going to win the Silver Cup.”
“I don’t doubt you will… You’re unstoppable, Sunshine. I’ll be in your corner. Always… Can I leave you with one last bit of poetry?”
Rhea leaned back and closed her eyes, letting her heart open up to accept the waves.
“Always.”
A stillness followed as he took a deep breath, controlling his voice before he began:
“I have nothing left to give—
I have found the perfect end.
You were made to make it hurt…
Let forever drag me down.
I will fight for one last breath with you.
I will fight until the end.
So carry me to heaven’s arms.
Shine, and let me follow your light.
Take the time to take my last breath…
Because I will end where I began:
Trapped in your eyes.”
Rhea had to let those words sink in, allowing the agony aching in her chest press a bittersweet torment. “I missed you, too.”
“You’ve read my mind.” Jason paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was low and warm. “Get some rest, okay? And call me later when you’re feeling up to it. I want to hear…anything, just to hear your voice.”
“Way to slay my heart,” Rhea whispered, feelings swelling inside her gut. “Talk soon.”
She hung up, exhaling slowly as she set the phone aside. Her Pokémon immediately swarmed her, nuzzling and chirping their relief, and she wrapped her arms around as many of them as she could. Yet, her brain was still in a daze, dragged into the deep pools of her boyfriend’s warmth.
How did I get so lucky?
“Okay, girls,” she murmured, resting her forehead against Mya’s cool metal for support. “I think we need to make a few calls… Hmm?”
The door clicked open, and Lori reappeared with a tray of food and water, Amira following close behind. The redhead’s expression was calm but searching, her crimson eyes locking onto Rhea’s with quiet intensity.
“You’re awake…and were talking to Jason by the puffy, tear-stricken cheeks,” Amira said simply, setting a small bag on the table. “Good. Whatever political nightmare is waiting for us in Viridian can wait. First, you eat, and we watch one of your sappy drama films.”
“Ooh. Is it an action one?” Lori inquired, handing Rhea a glass of water. “Are we talking about the spy family or the enemies-to-lovers one?”
Rhea took the glass, her lips twitching into a small smile. “I could watch a horror flick right now and smile, because I wouldn’t be watching it.”
Lori whistled, lifting an eyebrow. “What magic words did Mr. Mankey Butt say that’s got you on Cloud Nine? Whatever you’ve got, I want a hit.”
She simply giggled as if she had a secret; her gaze drifted to the window, where the evening sun was just beginning to fall over Cinnabar’s volcanic horizon, before it went to the bustling redhead.
Twenty-nine days.
Their next destination was their songstress’ grandfather…
Everything led to this.
And they could do it.
They could go the full mile.
Together.
