Life's Requiem, Death's Caterwaul (Champion Leon X OC [Slight x Raihan])

What Comes After

"You have a bad habit of adding to it."

"Yeeeeeah, I do," she laughed lightly, then sighed again, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them, she deflated some, "I... um... I'm sorry, 'Lee... about all of it–of getting us involved.

She lifted a hand to his mouth when she heard him trying to speak, "No. Don't... don't argue. I know it ended up for the best. If we hadn't stepped in.... We might not even be here, but... you were right, too. Getting involved almost killed us. Again. Galar it was understandable–it was your home. Your friends. Family. Here is... it's not the same, and even though we became the only one who could do something... I should have talked to you first and made sure you were okay with it. I should have thought about it more. I should have noticed it was bothering you more. I should have... a lot of things, and I'm sorry, 'Lee. I hurt you. And then I got mad at you for being upset over me throwing myself into danger."

She paused to finally look up and meet his eyes; saw them staging intently. Focusing on her every word.

"I'm sorry. I just... All my life I've gone it alone and just charged in–with or without a plan. If I saw people hurting others, I couldn't–I can't just stand by. I was raised to do what's right, and after dealing with Rocket and then Galactic and Plasma... it just... it became like a habit? If that makes sense? And I never had to ask anyone if they were okay with it. It was always my own decision. I never relied on anyone but me and my Pokémon, and they were always like me–ready to fight to do the right things. To be honest, back in Galar was the first time I genuinely worked like that with people–with even just you to help people. And here I just... didn't even think to ask. So... Arceus, I know I'm a broken record, but... I'm sorry. I should have talked to you, and I didn't. I hurt you."

She looked away again, shame coming over her as her words made real the full brunt of the damage, she'd done to him. She could imagine a little why he was so hurt by it, but regardless of the reason, it had hurt him, and that's what mattered the most.

"It's okay–I understand," Leon finally replied, and she looked up in surprise.

"But... it's not okay–," she started, and he was the one to bring a hand to her lips, silencing her.

"I... yes, it hurt–seeing you rush into danger... but only because I was scared. I didn't want you to get hurt again. I was... I was scared I couldn't protect you–that, no matter how hard I tried, you'd just get hurt again, and... after what happened in Galar... I just... I already couldn't protect people from Eternatus... and then you got hurt thanks to Sordward, and just... I felt like such a failure. To my family. My friends. Galar. You. Myself. And if I couldn't protect you, then... I dunno, I felt... worthless. And it made me so anxious, and when you would just run in I... I blamed you. I see that now. You were just trying to do the right thing, and I wanted to stop you because I was scared, and I took out that fear on you.

He pressed his head into her hair again, "I should have just talked to you about it... but I was afraid you'd be mad at me or that you'd get hurt that I wanted to stop you or... I dunno. I just... I couldn't tell you. And that made it worse."

"You know you're not a failure, though, right?" she asked, tone stern. He chuckled, only for her to sit up suddenly and cup his face in her hands. "You're not a failure. Even when you lost to Gloria you weren't. You've always done your best to help others, and even here in Kalos you've worked to help these people and your own. You are an amazing man. You do everything he can to make people happy. Don't you dare shit on everything you've done. Also, as I recall, you tore through Team Flare's base to bust me out, and then faced a monster Pokémon and we survived. You're no failure, you hear me?"