Let's go Pikachu! Part 2

Part three-finding Lillie's mom

The doors of the Pokémon Center slid open, and Lusamine stumbled in, her expression weary but resolute. Lillie shot up from her seat, tears brimming in her eyes. "Mom!" she cried, running to her.

"Lillie!" Lusamine dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I'm so sorry... I'm safe now, thanks to—"

"Where's Mia?" Gladion interrupted, his voice sharp and tense.

Lusamine's expression darkened. "She stayed back... to protect me." Her voice wavered as guilt flickered across her face.

The room fell into a heavy silence.

"She what?!" Paulo shouted, slamming his fist on the counter. "Are you telling me she stayed in that place alone?"

Blue swore under his breath, pacing furiously. "That kid has a death wish."

Leaf grabbed his arm. "Blue, calm down!"

"Calm down? How can I calm down when she's out there fighting a bunch of goons by herself?"

Red stood up abruptly, his face pale but his eyes blazing. Without a word, he stormed toward the door.

"Red, wait!" Misty called. "You can't just—"

He ignored her, throwing the doors open and marching out into the night.

"Red's right," Gladion growled. "We have to go back for her."

Lusamine shook her head, trembling. "She told me not to look back... She was determined to fight them off so I could escape. I—"

"Don't blame yourself, Mom," Lillie said softly, though her voice shook. "Mia knew what she was doing. She always does. But we have to go get her."

Rosa stood up, fists clenched. "Then let's stop wasting time. Mia's stubborn, but even she can't hold them off forever."

Blue turned to Paulo and Leaf. "You guys with me?"

"Of course," Leaf said firmly.

"You bet," Paulo added, his jaw set.

The place was a mess—smoke curling through the air, scorch marks on the walls, and debris scattered across the floor. My body ached, and I could feel the sting of countless cuts and scrapes. My Pokémon stood beside me, breathing heavily but standing tall. We had done it. We had defeated the last boss.

Pikachu stood in front of me, sparks still crackling from her cheeks. Slobro's usual lazy expression was gone; he looked sharp and determined. Aerodactyl flapped his wings tiredly, while Omastar and Dewgong huddled close to Jynx. They were all beat, but we had pulled through.

I wiped my forehead, feeling the grit of sweat and dirt on my skin. "Good job, guys," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "We did it."

The boss glared at me, teeth clenched. "This isn't the last you'll hear of me," he spat before turning and fleeing into the shadows like the coward he was.

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu growled, ready to chase after him.

"Let him go, girl," I muttered. "We won."

I took a shaky step forward, but my legs wobbled. I stumbled, trying to catch myself when I heard it—

"MIA!"

That was Lillie's voice. I blinked through the haze, and my vision focused on a group of figures running toward me. My chest tightened. I could see them all—Gladion, Lillie, Lusamine, Rosa, Misty, Blue, Paulo, Leaf—

And Red.

My heart skipped a beat. Red's eyes were wide, and for once, they weren't calm. He was terrified.

Before I could say a word, he was already there, sprinting toward me. I barely registered the impact before he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a crushing hug.

"Red?" I croaked. "I'm fine, really—"

He was shaking. I felt it clear as day. His grip was tight, like he was afraid I was going to vanish into thin air if he let go.

My throat tightened. "Hey," I said softly, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm okay. I won, didn't I?"

I heard the others catching up, their voices filled with relief and anger.

"You reckless kid," Blue muttered. His voice sounded shaky. "Do you have any idea what you put us through?"

Gladion's voice was colder. "You could've died. What were you thinking?"

I sighed, leaning against Red. "It worked out, didn't it?"

Misty let out a long breath. "Of course it worked out. You're Mia, after all."

Rosa wiped her eyes, grinning despite the tears. "Seriously, though, Mimi, you love giving us heart attacks, huh?"

"Eh," I shrugged. "Gotta keep you guys on your toes."

I glanced up at Lusamine, who was staring at me with tears streaming down her face. "You saved me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You protected me, Mia."

"Yeah," I said awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. "That's kinda what I do."

Red finally pulled back just enough to look at me, his face flushed and eyes red. He didn't say a word—just stared at me like he was making sure I was really there.

"I'm glad you're safe," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

I smiled up at him, feeling a warmth spread through my chest despite the pain. "Me too, Red. Me too."

And then we hugged again.