Crossfire

Decisions

"This shows that you and I - Will be the best that the world's ever seen,Because we always will follow this dream!"

***

Alya's PoV

The sun was going down, and the party was over. We said goodbye to our friends, and the three of us went back to the restricted areas of the labs for the night. Professor Sycamore went off to bed, but Alain led me deeper into the building. He opened a pair of double doors that led into a vivarium.

The glass ceiling above let in the little light that was left outside. Grass covered the floor, trees were sprouting up in places, and a fairly large pond was located in the middle. Alain stepped in swiftly, stopping as several pokémon gathered around him. My steps were smaller, wanting to give him some time.

"You look well," he commented as a Linoone stood and rested its front paws on Alain's chest. A Combee hovered by his head.

"You haven't seen them in a long time, have you?" I asked softly, walking over to him. Before I could reach him, I was startled by Garchomp coming out of nowhere and making its way over to Alain with a happy smile on its face.

"No," he answered, looking up at the pokémon he rescued and raised. I watched the two of them and walked over to a rock that was by the water. I looked down at my reflection, it getting distorted when a Marill leaped in, causing ripples.

"H-have you decided what you're going to do? Now that everything is over?" I asked hesitantly. The pokémon seemed to sense the mood and quieted down, but didn't quite leave his side.

"I don't know yet," he replied truthfully.

"I see," I muttered. I heard him sigh and walk over to my rock. I spun around to see him standing about a foot away.

"I may not have known the Director's actual intentions, but I did help him. I made you help him as well. I've caused trouble for many people and pokémon... and made mistakes I can't atone for," he said dejectedly. My face dropped into a frown. "I don't know what I should do."

"I know how guilty you feel about everything that has happened, but all I can say is that it's not your fault. Believe me or not, but it isn't. It shouldn't matter now. All of that is gone and behind us. It's only been a few days, but here we are. Already deciding what to do with our future. Honestly, I don't care about my future anymore, as long as you're in it. Even if we're in different regions across the globe," I confessed with hope that our future together is brighter than what I'd been seeing it as lately.

"So, you're leaving, then?" he asked after a moments pause. I sighed very heavily and got to my feet, taking his hands in mine. As much as I didn't want to go, I knew I needed to leave Kalos. At least for a little while.

"Yeah. I think I am," I whispered. "But not forever. Just for a bit. I need to... clear my head for a while."

"Alola is far away. Furthest region you can get from Kalos," he pointed out, his eyes downcast. I looked over his shoulder, seeing all the pokémon look at us curiously. Garchomp had its head lowered as we talked, most likely understanding the heavy situation.

"It's all right. I get that you don't want to leave them. Not again, anyways. I'm not asking you to come with me." He sighed much heavier, his hands squeezing my own. He didn't get a chance to reply to me as the sound of shattering glass and the scream of Pikachu was heard from the room the party was held in.

We both took off into a sprint towards the cries of distress. Apparently, our friends hadn't left the labs yet. My breaths came short, my body telling me that I wasn't quite ready to be back in action quite yet, but I didn't listen to it.