The End

70 - The Beginning

Mischief shuffled next to her. "That was really the Shadow Lands?"

Faith nodded. "Yes. And now it's safe. No more Darkness."

Cleo narrowed her eyes at something glimmering beyond the woods, gathering into a shimmering pool at the foot of the mountain. "Is that a river?"

"Yes. After Yveltal was destroyed, rivers burst forth from the Silent Mountains to flow into the purified land."

Cleo blinked a few times as she took this in. Rivers flowing through the Border Woods towards those mountains... It was really over... the Shadow Lands were gone.

No more Darkness.

"I can't believe it," said Cleo. "This war has been going on since I was a hatchling... and now it's over." She looked over at Faith's smiling face. "It's like a massive weight has been lifted."

Faith reached over and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Of course. You're free now." She chuckled and linked her paws behind her back. "I'm going to see who else is here! See you in the dinner hall!"

Cleo watched the mawile skip away down the hill into the group of new pokemon. For the first time, she took in who was amongst them. A few sneasel and weavile had been brought in, along with a couple of purrloin.

"Cleo?"

She looked round at Mischief. He was staring down at the gathered pokemon, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"I feel different," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

"Like... well, I'm not dizzy any more." He gave her a sideways glance. "I think the pokerus is gone."

Cleo smiled. "It sounds like it."

He returned her smile and looked away from her. "I don't remember my family. To be honest, I'm not curious about my memories. You guys have been there for me, and I'm really grateful for that. Now that I'm here and I'm well and don't pose a risk to anyone, I think I might go and see if I can find some of my own kind."

"You never know," said Spark. "You might even find your family here."

"You never know." He gave her a small wave and moved down the hill. "I'll see you later?"

Cleo nodded. "See you later." She watched him move away out of sight then looked up at the rolling hills. "Maybe it was just the pokerus."

"What was?"

She looked back down at Spark. The little dedenne twitched her nose at her.

"Are you all right?" Spark asked.

All right... she thought about how she'd felt the first time she'd considered it was the pokerus causing him to show any interest in her. But now, those feelings of sadness felt like a dream.

Washed away, along with her wounds.

She smiled. "Actually, yes. I'm fine."

She turned and looked out at the vibrant mountain and followed the woods out into the Rocky Plains. So much had changed since the day she first met Spark, and now they were still standing side by side, the war finally over.

"So, Spark." She looked down at her friend. "You've always been part fairy type."

"Yeh!" Spark chuckled and finished her berry. "Who would have guessed?!"

Cleo laughed. "Not me. Well." She turned away from the scene and moved down the hillside. "Shall we see if we can find any of our new friends?"

"Yeh!" Spark licked her paws and followed after her. "Ooh! I wonder if there are any more dedenne here? Or meowstic?"