The Void She Filled

Final Chapter: My Own Kind of "Happily Ever After" (Who Knew?)

Hi everyone, and if you're reading this, thank you so much for making it this far! It means a lot to me!

My main goal was to try to wrap up the story with a neat bow, and I believe I did a good job with that! I can't believe this story is finally finished. I've been working on and off with it since 2014... not including the countless editing sessions it has undergone since, over the years. It's kind of sad that it's over now. But the spirit of Rosa x N, the OTP I hold close to my heart, will remain strong!

Forgive the sap in this chapter, by the way... I tried to do it so it wasn't cheesy, but this is my first time writing romance, so...

This is a little longer than my other chapters, but that's mostly because I want to be conclusive in wrapping things up.

Please enjoy the very last segment of Rosa's adventure! And stay tuned for any updates!

~Rosa950

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After our emotional moment, Hilda decides to fly back to Aspertia on her Braviary. She says she wants to figure out what she should do next with her life, and how she can further her relationship with Hugh. This leaves N and I to decide how I should finish my journey. Despite the fact we're almost at the Elite Four, I insist on going back to the beginning of Victory Road, and starting over from there.

"I want to battle all of the Trainers to get my Pokémon back into the swing of things!" I plead to N. "I feel like it's not fair that I can just happen to get a free pass up to the Elite Four. I want to earn this fair and square." And maybe then you can see how I battle, and observe the bond we forge because of it.

"Well, I am still uncomfortable watching Trainer battles, sometimes," he admits candidly. "But I understand where you are coming from. This is your journey, and you're free to choose which path you want to go. Besides... I enjoy seeing how much your Pokémon trust you."

A huge smile grows on my face. "We've had a long journey together," I remark dreamily. "I owe it to both them and myself to finish all of what we've started. Thank you so much, N!" Beaming, I give him a huge hug, with which he returns with an eager laugh.

"I'm so happy to see you enthusiastic again, just like that day at the Chasm," he remarks when we part. He gestures to the steep cliffs before us. "Some people try to slide down these to reach the bottom. Think you're up to it?"

"Um, hell no!" I burst out nervously. My palms immediately grew clammy at the sight of such a dizzying drop. "Maybe if I wasn't still recovering. But the last thing I want to do is tumble head first and ruin all of the progress I've made." Instead, I put my arm around him.

"Why don't we enjoy a nice stroll down to the bottom together, N?"

"That sounds nice," he agrees, accepting my offer. And so the two of us descend, discussing the road ahead as my face refuses to lose hold of its grin.

We spend the rest of the day conquering Victory Road from the ground-up. Forgetting the burdens of the somewhat recent past, I eagerly engage in battle after battle with other Trainers. My Pokémon and I are so happy to be active again. For the first time since that dreadful day, I truly feel like myself. N looks on to all of the action eagerly, and gives encouragement to my Pokémon when needed. He is also extremely generous, healing my Pokémon after a particularly rough bout.

By the time we return to the uppermost plateau, it's dark enough that it's difficult to see without a light. So we decide to call it a day and rent a room in the Center for the night. We fall asleep content in each other's arms. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so... happy.