Pokémon: Outcast of Comb Island (Ch8)

[previous: https://pastebin.com/qvaBifrM]


Chapter 8
Departure


	CIS4 awoke in less pain than she had expected to. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw that she was lying on her back, still within the Amber Castle, with the human beside her and leaning over her. A weak smile appeared on his face as she regained consciousness and tried to shake off her grogginess.

	“It’s over,” he said, forcing a smile. “That was pretty rough, but you lived. I just used a Revive to wake you up. You don’t seem too badly hurt. One Revive should be enough for now, unless you feel like you need more healing.”

	The Vespiquen shook her head slowly and tried to look around, but she still felt weak, albeit not in much pain.

	“Weavile and Scyther are badly hurt,” Vincent continued, “but thankfully, it’s nothing that can’t be healed. I called them back to their balls. They’ll be in stasis as long as they’re inside, so their conditions won’t worsen at all. As for the other Vespiquen, she’s fine. But that Ledyba didn’t fare so well. You can take a look if you want, but be warned: it’s not a pretty sight.”

	CIS4 snapped out of her grogginess immediately as Vincent finished talking. She buzzed her wings up to speed and lifted off the ground. She staggered in midair, as she was still weak, but she recovered in moments and looked for Taranza. The corpse on the floor several feet away caught her eye immediately. The motionless body lay prone in a small puddle of its own hemolymph. Its elytra were open, exposing its back and revealing three parallel vertical cuts, of which the middle was dimly glowing white and noticeably deeper than the others. The body was profoundly unsettling to look at, but impossible to look away from.

	“The other Vespiquen did that,” Vincent explained. He had moved into a sitting position, and looked at the Ledyba with a frown. “He tried to attack me, but I caught him in a ball to try and hold him off. He broke out instantly, but that bit of distraction was enough to break his concentration and eliminate those barriers he set up. After that, the Vespiquen could come right over and... you know.”

	He sighed and continued, “I already used the Silph Scanner on him. It couldn’t pick up any vitals. It told me he’s dead, and it never lies. I don’t doubt it, though. Weavile damaged his back shortly before that, so I assume that’s how the Vespiquen killed him so easily. She must’ve hit the same, weakened spot. But looking at her now, seems like she isn’t very happy about it.”

	CIS4 tore her eyes off of Taranza and looked at Crimson, who hovered close to the floor on the other side of the corpse. The Vespiquen was hunched over and held her head in her hands. Whatever Combee had not been knocked out by Taranza gathered around her, looking down at the body. None said a word, not even the queen. The only sound in the room was the buzzing of their wings.

	“Maybe you could comfort her,” Vincent whispered to CIS4. “It’s times like these I wish I was a Whisperer, and could understand Pokémon language, so I could know what just happened. But maybe you could walk with her and help her feel better.”

	“It’s worth a try,” CIS4 said quietly. She slowly hovered towards Crimson, careful to go around the body of Taranza. Her rival’s Combee did not try to stop her.

	As CIS4 approached Crimson, she heard faint murmuring from the Vespiquen, only audible up close: “Why did it have to come to this? This shouldn’t have happened.”

	“Crimson?” asked CIS4. Her rival did not look up, but she did fall silent briefly. When she resumed talking, she spoke louder, though her voice kept cracking with emotion.

	“I didn’t want to do this,” she said. “If he just hadn’t taken such extreme measures...” She stopped. She had grown too choked up to continue.

	CIS4 pondered how to proceed. She was not sure what to say to help Crimson feel better, but she knew she had to do something. She tried to assume a comforting tone, though it was difficult to maintain under the circumstances.

	“I know this is hard for you,” she said, “but there was no other way it could have gone. I understand your sadness, and I don’t think you’re wrong to feel that way, but please don’t think you’re entirely to blame. If you hadn’t stopped Taranza, he would have killed the human, and maybe me too. Not to mention Weavile and Scyther. He was out of control. And it may sound harsh, but you did what you had to do.”

	Crimson finally looked up. CIS4 found it hard to read her expression, primarily because a Vespiquen’s face was less expressive than a Combee’s, yet she could not doubt that Crimson felt anguished.

	“I still wish he hadn’t done that,” the Vespiquen said. “If I’d had my choice, I would have spared him. Despite everything he did, all the times he argued with me, he only did it to help me and my followers. Even in the end, he was willing to oppose me and put his life on the line because he thought it was best for the swarm. But now he’s gone.”

	She put her head in her hands once again. “What have I done?” she moaned.

	“You’ve done what was best,” said CIS4. “And what was the only option. There really was no other way this could have gone, not after Taranza started acting so aggressive and refusing to listen to you. Please, don’t be too hard on yourself.”

	Crimson paused and let out a long sigh before looking up again. “I know you’re right,” she said. “Truly, I do. But it’s still hard to accept that he’s actually gone, and that I killed him. My advisor, my friend, dead by my own blade. Even if it had to happen, it still hurts. But your words of comfort are helping, in a way. I appreciate that, rival.”

	“I figure you could use any support you can get,” said CIS4. “I can’t offer anything except kind words, but hopefully they help.”

	“I believe they do,” said Crimson. Then, turning to her Combee, she added: “But speaking of help, there’s one matter we must deal with, even in the midst of this depressing turn of events. The Combee who fell fighting Taranza must be assisted. Everyone, get to work. Examine the fallen and retrieve healing supplies from the storeroom.”

	The Combee mobilized immediately, eager to take their minds off their sorrowful queen and the corpse of Taranza. Some of them flew past Vincent and CIS4 to descend the tunnel behind them and go to the storeroom, while others stayed behind and flew to the two groups of fainted Combee on opposite sides of the room. To give the Pokémon more space, Vincent and CIS4 moved to the center of the room, careful to go around the body of Taranza. There, on the pathway between the two pools of honey, the human and the two Vespiquen gathered together in awkward silence. For a time, nobody was sure what to say. Crimson’s eyes kept drifting to the body on the floor, and she finally broke the silence.

	“What makes this harder to bear,” she began, “is that I didn’t fully disagree with him in the first place. He did have a point: humans can indeed be dangerous. But he went too far when he believed all humans posed a threat to Pokémon, and when he chose to take that belief as fact and try to commit murder because of it, all without confirming its truth. Caution is important, but what he did was not caution—it was madness.”

	She paused, then finally looked away from Taranza’s body and faced CIS4 once again. “He went way too far,” she continued, “and he had to be stopped. Even if it meant taking his life so that yours, and those of your friends, would continue on.”

	“It’s good to hear you’re coming to terms with it,” CIS4 said. “I hope you can manage without him, until you find someone to fill his position.”

	“Fill, but not truly replace,” Crimson said quietly. Her gaze returned to Taranza’s body and did not move away, even as Combee began to reenter the room from the storeroom below. They carried with them, in their mouths or stuck to their fuzzy abdomens, small yellow balls that appeared to be made from mix of honey and pollen.

	“Those look like Pollen Puffs,” CIS4 noted. “Are they? I thought only Ribombee made them.”

	“That’s usually the case,” said Crimson, taking her eyes off the body to look at the Combee instead. “However, we recently learned from a Ribombee how to make them ourselves, so we’ve been able to craft them right here in the castle and build up a stock of them. I would offer you some, but we unfortunately don’t have many to spare.”

	“That’s alright. I don’t think I need any more healing supplies, considering how well-stocked the human is.”

	The two Vespiquen watched as the Combee brought the Pollen Puffs to their wounded comrades. They dropped the orbs onto the injured Combee, and the spheres burst on impact and scattered healing dust all over, waking the Pokémon from their unconsciousness and healing their injuries to an extent. As they recovered, they began to talk with their fellow Combee and fill each other in on what they had missed, including the death of Taranza. Most of the Combee had mixed reactions to the news, considering they had just been attacked by the Ledyba, but most of them felt at least some remorse, even if they did not make it plain.

	In less than a minute, all the Combee had regained consciousness, and they were counted. None had died, though some required further healing, and were led away to be healed elsewhere in the castle.

	“It looks like my swarm is still intact,” said Crimson. “That’s nice.” She looked away from the Combee and focused once again on the corpse of Taranza, still lying on the floor. “But now that the Combee are safe, I suppose we should deal with Taranza’s body. We cannot leave him here. I’ll carry him outside, and have some Combee accompany me.”

	As she spoke, a dozen Combee flew to her and hovered by her side, ready to do as she said. She hovered over to the Ledyba’s broken body and carefully scooped it up into her arms. It continued to bleed hemolymph, but less so now. Still, some of it got on Crimson, and she had to resist the urge to drop the body and wash the hemolymph off immediately. It could wait. The body first needed to be moved somewhere else.

	“You two should come with me,” Crimson said, turning to Vincent and CIS4. “I am glad to have had a chance to meet with you two, and to test my strength against yours, rival, but I think it’s time we part ways.”

	“I think so too,” said CIS4. “We’ll follow you.”

	Crimson flew ahead, carrying Taranza’s body down the tunnel nearby with her Combee in tow. Vincent donned his backpack once more, then walked to the edge of the tunnel and peered down.

	“Interesting,” Vincent murmured. He began writing down more notes. “Seems like they’re performing necrophoresis.”

	He glanced over at CIS4 as he wrote, and saw that she was staring at him with her head cocked to the side. Vincent took it as a sign of utter confusion.

	“That means they’re moving the dead out of their territory,” he explained. “It’s a process known to be performed in many social Bug-type Pokémon species. Come to think of it, we humans do the same sort of thing with our own dead. We usually take the body somewhere special, and most of the time, we either bury it or burn it.” He cracked a smile. “Guess humans and Pokémon aren’t so different after all.”

	He finished his notetaking and looked back down the tunnel. “But considering the queen’s going down, should we leave too? If the queen’s going, I don’t think she’d appreciate us staying behind, where she can’t see us.”

	He jumped as something wrapped around him from behind and squeezed him. He looked back, and relaxed immediately when he saw CIS4 had hugged him from behind, just as she had done before lifting him up the tunnel. Once again, she closed her eyes, buzzed her wings, and lifted him off the floor. She struggled with the effort, but she managed to get into the tunnel and descend down it with him. It was far easier than the ascent, as she was not fighting against gravity, and instead merely trying to withstand it to an extent so that their descent would be safe. They reached the bottom of the tunnel without incident.

	“I’m still impressed you can lift so much weight,” Vincent said as CIS4 released him. “I mean, you seem to struggle with it, but with practice, I’m sure you could get better. Maybe you could even lift heavier things than me. If we have time, maybe we could test it out. As long as you’re okay with it, of course.”

	CIS4 wavered. Like Vincent, she was curious about the upper limits of her strength, but lifting the human was enough of a workout for the time being. She flew on ahead to catch up with Crimson and her Combee, leaving Vincent to hurry after her. He spared only a few glances at the room and the Combee gathered in it, all of whom eyed him cautiously.

	“Hey, are we leaving the castle?” Vincent asked as he and CIS4 reached the entrance. Outside, the Vespiquen carrying the Ledyba’s body had already reached halfway across of the bridge, as had her Combee. “Looks like the queen’s leaving, so I assume we’re meant to follow.”

	CIS4 nodded, and Vincent let out a long sigh. “Is that so? That’s a shame. This castle is so impressive, I’d love to stay here longer. But I guess I’m lucky enough to have seen it at all, so I should be happy about that.”

	He and CIS4 left the castle and walked across the bridge, though neither could go far before looking back at the grand golden structure behind them. It was too amazing to part with, but they had no choice. Their visit to the Amber Castle had come to a close.

	“I don’t want to leave it, though,” Vincent said to himself. “Just like how I don’t want to leave her.”

	He almost fell off the bridge as the force of his own words hit him. Once again, in the midst of all the recent excitement, he had forgotten that he was required to leave CIS4 behind when he left the island. And once again, he did not want to obey that requirement.

	“There might still be a way around it,” he murmured. “Maybe the Institute will hear me out and let me take her with me. But would that cause problems? And what would her new followers do? I can’t take them all with me. Not to mention, I still need to tell her about all this in the first place.”

	Vincent heard a loud buzz echo around the room, louder than the constant drone of Combee wings that filled it by default. He realized it was CIS4 calling to him; being lost in his thoughts, he had not noticed how she had already made it across the bridge. She hovered before the entrance of the lightstone-lit tunnel, and was gesturing towards him. He waved back to her and ran across the bridge, as quickly as he felt was safe.

	“There’s still a lot to be done,” he muttered as he ran. “We may have survived that crazy Ledyba, but this isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.”


***


	The trip back up the tunnel seemed shorter than the trip down to the castle. The group returned to the sunlit surface, where CIS4’s Combee swarm still waited. Crimson left the tunnel first, and the swarm almost flew towards her, having mistaken her for CIS4 until they noticed her differently-colored forehead and lack of a scar, along with the mangled Ledyba in her arms. They backed off, careful not to be too close to an opposing warlord, and backed up even farther when they saw her own Combee followers leave the tunnel behind her. The two groups of Combee looked at one another suspiciously, but they did no more than that.

	Meanwhile, CIS4 and Vincent exited the tunnel, and the scarred Vespiquen’s followers perked up instantly as they saw her. She and the human went to them, and the Combee flew over to meet them halfway. They began to talk excitedly to their queen, asking her how things went, if she ran into any trouble, and (in quieter and somewhat frightened voices) why the other Vespiquen was carrying a dead body.

	Only two Combee did not fly to CIS4. Instead, they slowly approached Crimson, their eyes locked on the body in her arms. As they drew near, the Vespiquen locked her own eyes on them, and watched her former followers with surprise.

	“23? 25?” she asked. “Is that you? I didn’t expect to see you again. At least, not so soon.”

	“Yes, it’s really us, Your Highn—Crimson,” said 23, without taking his eyes off the corpse. “But, is that who I think it is?”

	Crimson slowly nodded. “I’m afraid so. Taranza has died.”

	23 and 25 looked at one another, unable to say anything for a while. Eventually, 25 looked down at the ground, seemingly deep in thought. 23 looked back at the body, then at Crimson.

	“I don’t know how to feel about that,” said 23. “On the one hand, he always was a bit of a jerk, but I don’t know if he really deserved this. What happened to him?”

	“He attacked my rival and her human friend,” Crimson explained, “as well as two of his other Pokémon companions. And some of my own swarm, too. In order to prevent him from killing anyone, I was forced to... kill him.”

	23 and 25 started and hovered backwards. “You killed him?” asked 25.

	“I was forced to!” Crimson snapped. “Don’t think I wanted to do this. I had no choice!”

	“She’s right,” came the voice of CIS4. 23 and 25 looked to see her hovering towards them, her swarm and Vincent close behind. “He was out of control. She needed to stop him somehow.”

	The two Combee hesitated to reply, looking back and forth between the body and the Vespiquen who held it.

	“I believe you, Your Highness,” said 25 at last. “It’s just... surprising to us, as I’m sure you can understand. It’s rather shocking to see him die, after we’d spent so much time with him as a part of the swarm. But if there was no other way, I suppose nothing could be done.”

	“Did you bring his body out to bury it?” asked 23 quietly, still staring at the body.

	“That was the plan,” said Crimson. “We can’t leave it in the castle, and I don’t feel comfortable unceremoniously dumping it out here in the open. We need to find a place nearby to bury it, then we’ll come back to say our farewells to my rival and everyone else. Combee, follow me.”

	She flew off, as did her followers. CIS4, her swarm, and Vincent watched them go. Once they disappeared among the foliage at the edge of the clearing, the group gathered around to talk while they awaited the return of Crimson.

	“Well,” 25 began, “despite this dark turn of events, I am glad to see you survived, Your Highness. And it looks as though the human is in one piece as well. It seems like things did not go too poorly down below, except for whatever happened with Taranza.”

	“You’re right,” said CIS4. “All things considered, it wasn’t too bad. I can tell the details, if you want.”

	“Actually, Your Highness,” 23 said, “before you do that, you might want to look at the human. He seems like he’s worried about something.”

	CIS4 looked at the human beside her. Indeed, he seemed to be distressed, or at least deep in thought, with his arms crossed and his head bowed. He looked at the ground, staring at nothing in particular, until CIS4 laid a hand on his shoulder. He started and looked over at her.

	“Oh, it’s just you,” he said. “Sorry, I’ve just been thinking about something important. It’s something I need to talk with you about. Your swarm can stay and listen, though.”

	The human hesitated before he continued, long enough for CIS4 to get a bad feeling about what he was about to say.

	“CIS4,” he said at last. “I hate to say it, but we have a problem. Or, two, to be exact. The second one will come into play in a few days, but the first one needs to be addressed now. It’s about your swarm. You and them ought to stay together, right?”

	CIS4 nodded, until she saw Vincent’s face fall.

	“That’s the problem. If you and your swarm stay together, I won’t be able to stay with you.”

	CIS4 recoiled in shock, and Vincent realized his words may have been misconstrued. Quickly, he added: “But that won’t last forever! Just overnight. Don’t freak out just yet.”

	The Vespiquen calmed down, and Vincent, relieved, continued. “See, I don’t have the equipment to camp out in the wilds overnight, so I need to stay go my hotel room back in the town at night. That means I can’t keep you and your swarm with me, because wild Pokémon aren’t allowed in the hotel. And even if they were, the room is way too small to fit all your Combee comfortably. The only place you can stay with your swarm is the wilderness, so that means you’d need to stay out here—at least during the night—if you want to be with your swarm. In other words, we’ll have to split up temporarily.”

	Vincent fell silent. He expected CIS4 to act disappointed, or perhaps even angry, at this news. However, the Vespiquen did not feel nearly as surprised as she had before. In fact, she felt better after hearing the human explain the problem, because she had expected him to say something far worse. Though she would still have preferred to not leave the human at all, only staying away from him at night was an acceptable tradeoff for keeping her swarm.

	“Combee,” she said, turning to her swarm, “you heard him. I wish I could stay with him, but it seems like there’s no other way. From now on, until plans change for any reason, we’ll go our own way at night, but reunite with him come morning. Any objections?”

	To her relief, no Combee protested this decision. To her chagrin, many of them stated that they were more than happy to get away from Vincent, for they had yet to grow comfortable around a human such as him. CIS4 decided against telling them that the human could be trusted; at least they were not hostile, and if their dislike of humans made them more willing to accept this deal, then perhaps it was for the best that they feel that way. Satisfied, CIS4 turned back to Vincent, who was looking at her with interest.

	“Did you just tell your Combee to do as I said?” he asked her, and CIS4 gave a nod in reply. “Good,” the researcher continued. “I know you probably want to stay with me all the time, but that just isn’t possible. I’m glad you’re fine with this compromise.”

	CIS4 was more than fine, all things considered. She would have to leave the human at night, but at least they could still spend their days together. At least he was not leaving the island, and her, behind.

	“But now we come to the second problem,” Vincent said. “Namely... the day after tomorrow, I need to leave the island, and you, behind.”

	Everything stopped. CIS4 froze. Her wings even stopped beating, and she fell to the ground a foot below, startling herself out of her shock, but only partially. She stared wide-eyed at Vincent, too stunned to fully comprehend his words. All she knew was that they had hit her like the Leavanny’s attack from days ago. She refused to believe his words, even as they formed a scar within her, more gruesome than the one on her face.

	She had never given much thought to the chance that the human would leave her eventually. She recalled Taranza mentioning such a possibility in the past, several days ago. He had told her that the human might abandon her eventually, but she refused to believe him. She thought he was being blinded by his hatred of humans. Now she saw that she was the blind one.

	“I can tell you don’t like that,” Vincent said quietly as CIS4 stared at him in shock.

	“Oh, really?” CIS4 shouted, though the human only heard it as an unusually piercing buzz. “What tipped you off? Wow, you must really be an expert researcher to figure that one out!”

	“CIS4, please,” said Vincent, holding up his hands, “I can’t understand anything you’re saying.	Still, it’s obvious you’re upset with me, and I understand why. But please, hear me out. There may still be hope.”

	CIS4 flexed her claws and glared at the human. “There’d better be,” she said. “I can’t lose you. Not after all you’ve done for me.”

	Her Combee, sensing her distress, looked at the human as well, and buzzed a bit more intimidatingly. Vincent looked at them and shuddered in spite of himself.

	“Look,” he began. “Trust me, CIS4: after all we’ve been through, I don’t want to leave you behind, and I know you’d like to stay with me, too. But as the rules stand right now, I’m not allowed to take any native Pokémon off the island for fear of disrupting the ecosystem, especially if said Pokémon is a Vespiquen like you. Due to the rarity of your kind, I have to be especially careful about bringing you off the island. That could have much bigger consequences than removing a single male Combee, for example—there are tons of them here, so the difference would be miniscule.”

	CIS4’s followers, being all male Combee, resented that remark. Their eyes turned red and their buzzing turned even more intimidating, and the human was forced to backpedal immediately.

	“No offense to you all,” Vincent said quickly. “That’s not to say you’re worthless. You all have value—all Pokémon do. But not as much as a Vespiquen, as I’m sure you’ll agree. I don’t mean it as an insult, believe me.”

	The Combee hesitated to calm down, at least until CIS4 spoke up and ordered them to do so.

	“Leave him alone,” she said. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”

	The Combee obeyed her and quieted their buzzing. Vincent, glad to have avoided a confrontation with two dozen angry Combee, continued his speech.

	“Now, I didn’t make that rule about not taking Pokémon off the island,” he said, “but it is a good rule, and I have to follow it. When I first met you, CIS4, I told you my ultimate goal was to help Pokémon, remember? And this rule is designed to help with that, so I can’t go breaking it just because I dislike it. That being said, in special cases, it might be possible to get around that restriction, provided doing so won’t cause any harm. And there’s a chance that this case will be one of those special ones.”

	CIS4 and her Combee started as he said this. The scarred Vespiquen drifted closer to Vincent, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

	“You’re special,” the researcher continued. “You’re the first Vespiquen the Bayview Institute has ever had available for close study. They might allow you to come with me off the island just so I can continue learning about you. Plus, you probably still have the Rare Elixir in your system, so that could be another reason to keep you around: they want to know how it works and how it affects you. With that in mind, the Institute might let you come with me after all.”

	“Really?” CIS4 cried, hovering up close to Vincent. He stumbled back, wincing at the loud buzz she had just made, and only stumbled more as the Vespiquen suddenly flew even closer and threw her arms around him in an unexpectedly tight embrace. Vincent ignored the urge to struggle free, and instead returned CIS4’s hug.

	“You seem happy,” he said with a laugh.

	“Why wouldn’t I be?” she said. “You really had me worried there for a bit, but if there’s any chance we can stay together, that’s all I needed to hear.”

	She held him a bit longer before finally releasing him and hovering back. But as she did, a new thought struck her. She started to ask Vincent something, but then she remembered that he could not understand her, and so she simply gestured with her hands at the Combee grouped all about them. Vincent looked at them, and could guess what she meant.

	“You’re wondering what’s going to happen with your followers?” Vincent asked. CIS4 nodded, and he continued. “Well, that could pose a problem. I’ll ask the Institute if they can come with us, but I doubt they’ll say yes. It’d be too tough to bring them all off the island, and even if we could take them off, removing this many Combee might cause a disruption in the ecosystem—not as bad as removing you alone, CIS4, but still noteworthy. Not to mention, the Institute wouldn’t benefit from it, because they don’t really need any more info about Combee.”

	CIS4’s arms fell limp at her sides. “You get me all happy, and then you just break more bad news?” she said to Vincent. “Now, whatever happens, I’ll lose someone I care about! Staying here means I lose you, leaving means I lose my followers.”

	“And that’s not all,” said 23. “If you leave, what will we all do?”

	“He’s right,” said another Combee from the swarm. “We just started following you. We can’t leave you so soon!”

	The swarm began to murmur and mutter out of displeasure and distress. CIS4 wanted to say something to alleviate their worry, but she could think of no way to solve the problem. Vincent also noticed the Pokémon’s anxiety, and he could guess what was worrying them. It truly would be impossible to bring them all with him off the island, but perhaps a sort of compromise could be reached. With that thought in mind, he spoke to the Pokémon again.

	“Don’t get too worried,” he said. “I’ll bring up this dilemma to the Institute. Maybe they’ll take pity on you Combee and let some of them join me and CIS4 when we leave. That’s probably the best outcome, because I know not all of you can come.”

	That seemed to calm the Combee, though Vincent could tell that they were still uneasy, judging by their constant fidgeting and quiet buzzing murmurs to each other. He wondered if he could say anything else to take their minds off their worrying, but he was startled out of his thoughts by an unexpected noise from the edge of the clearing. To Vincent, it was merely a buzz, but to the Pokémon, it was a familiar voice.

	“Is something the matter?”

	Vincent, CIS4, and her Combee looked towards the voice, and saw Crimson returning with her Combee all around her. The body of Taranza was gone, and most of the hemolymph that had dripped from the corpse onto the Vespiquen’s arms and body had been cleaned off.

	“You’re back!” said CIS4. “That was quicker than I expected.”

	“I could say the same,” Crimson said. “But the deed is done. Taranza’s body has been buried.” She looked down and shook her head. “Pitiful Taranza... I still find it hard to believe he’s gone, even now that the body has returned to the soil. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get over his death, but I’m sure time will heal the wound to an extent. And I’m glad you and your friends did not meet the same fate as he did. That eases the pain.”

	“That’s good to hear,” said CIS4.

	“But let us move on to other topics. I heard your Combee talking about something. They seem distressed. What happened while I was away?”

	CIS4 explained in brief what Vincent had said, and the primary problem it caused: what to do with CIS4’s swarm if Vincent was able to bring her with him off the island. Crimson listened closely, and when CIS4 had finished, she bowed her head in thought. She took a while to look up, and when she did, she spoke slowly, as if still forming her thoughts.

	“I have an idea,” she said. “If you leave the island, perhaps your followers could join my swarm. That way, they will not become outcasts as soon as you leave. Instead, they will still have a warlord to follow—one who is a Vespiquen like you, no less.”

	“I guess that sounds like a decent plan,” said CIS4, albeit with some hesitation. “So long as you promise to treat them well, that is. If you do, then that’s definitely a better option than abandoning these Combee to the wilderness without a leader.”

	“A valid concern,” Crimson said, “but you don’t need to worry. You have my word that I will not treat them any worse than my current followers. They will be like any other Combee in my swarm.”

	“In that case, I think I’m fine with your offer. But seeing as I’m not really the one affected by this, I don’t think I should make the final decision.” CIS4 then turned to her Combee and asked them: “What do you all think? If I leave the island, will you be okay with joining Crimson’s swarm?”

	CIS4’s followers began to talk quietly amongst themselves. They soon reached an agreement, and they told CIS4: “We accept her offer. If we can’t follow you, following another Vespiquen is the next best thing.”

	“Not to mention, her castle’s so pretty,” another Combee added quietly. “I’d like to live there.”

	The rest of the swarm murmured in agreement.

	“Of course, there is one caveat,” said Crimson. She looked at 23 and 25, who shied away. “You two are still exiled from my swarm. I cannot go back on that, even in a situation like this.”

	“But then what will we do if Her Highness leaves?” asked 23, fear creeping into his voice. “We can’t follow her, and we can’t join you... I don’t want to become an outcast again!”

	“Neither do I,” said 25. He sounded calmer than 23, but he was still clearly distressed. “There must be a way around this. Crimson, Your Highness, do either of you have any ideas?”

	“Maybe you can join me,” said CIS4. “Remember, the human said he’d try to get his leaders to let me bring some followers. If I’m allowed to do so, I can bring you two, while the rest of my followers join Crimson.”

	“That would solve the problem nicely,” 25 said. He now sounded far more relieved, and 23 began to calm down as well. “For now, let’s make that the plan. Of course, we need to inform the human of it, and I’m not sure how we could go about that.”

	“I’ll figure out a way to make him understand,” said CIS4. “Don’t worry about it. But for now, is there anything else we need to talk about or deal with, Crimson? Or is it time to say goodbye?”

	“I believe we should say farewell now,” said the other Vespiquen, hovering closer to CIS4. “It was a pleasure to duel you again, rival. Though we may not have always been on the friendliest of terms, I enjoyed spending more time with you today. I wish you luck in your travels, be they with the human or your swarm. Just remember the advice I gave you after we fought.”

	“I will,” CIS4 said. “Thanks for letting me visit you and duel you one more time. And good luck with your own swarm. One last thing: I’ll visit you later, so I can tell you what the final decision is regarding leaving the island or staying. I don’t know how long it will take, but it could be a few days.”

	“However long it takes, I’ll await your return,” said Crimson. “Combee, let’s go back to the castle. Farewell, rival.”

	The Vespiquen and her Combee descended into the dark tunnels. Vincent, CIS4, and her followers watched them go. Only after they had vanished into the shadows completely did the group turn away and leave the area behind.

	“It looks like this little adventure is coming to a close,” Vincent said as he and his group returned to the forest. “We found the castle, and all we have to do is a bit more research and training. And, of course, talking to the Institute about you and the Combee. But I’ll have to wait until I get back to the town to do that. Speaking of which: it’s getting late, so we should head back to the town before it gets too dark. But we can continue to fight wild Pokémon along the way.”

	CIS4 gave a buzz and a nod and followed after him, with her Combee all around them.

	“Don’t you worry,” Vincent said to them. “The first thing I’ll do when I get back there is call the Institute and ask if you can come with me when I leave the island. And I’ll also see if you can bring some of your followers with you, CIS4. I just hope they say yes.”

	“So do I,” CIS4 said.


***


	Their training was as successful as it was melancholy. As they traveled through the forest back to the town, they came across several wild Pokémon, and CIS4 and her followers faced each one while Vincent looked on. The Vespiquen met with success against all foes she faced, but that did not break the tension that hung over her or Vincent. While the Combee were able to remain calm and hopeful, as they knew would retain a leader whether CIS4 stayed on the island or not, the human and the Vespiquen had much to worry about. They spoke little during their training, as did CIS4’s Combee, who could sense their queen’s nervousness and did not know what to say.

	CIS4 found some respite from her anxiety in battle. Each time she confronted a wild Pokémon, she fought ferociously and tried using some of Crimson’s advice to fight better. She could feel herself growing stronger and more accustomed to her new body with every battle. In particular, she found that her Slash attack improved with time until the energy extended past her claws. The attack was not as impressive as Crimson’s—it appeared to be more like a knife than a sword at this point, as Vincent put it (though CIS4 had no idea what knives and swords were)—but she could tell that she was improving. Furthermore, CIS4 encountered several more outcast Combee, all eager to join her if she accepted them. She always let them join her group without a second thought, but she always made sure to warn them about the upcoming events and the changes they might entail. No Combee complained, however; they were all too happy to have a Vespiquen to follow, if only for a while.

	Between battles, CIS4 thought about how to convey her plan to Vincent, regarding letting her followers join Crimson if need be. She eventually settled on getting his attention and performing a series of gestures and motions that she hoped got her point across. Vincent ended up thoroughly confused, but after asking some yes-or-no questions and asking CIS4 to repeat some of her gestures, he slowly began to comprehend her meaning.

	“I think that’s a good plan,” he said. “Assuming I understand it right, that is. If your Combee are willing to join that other Vespiquen, that’ll solve the problem of what to do with them. But those two Combee, the first two who joined you... If I understand you right, you want them to come with you, instead of staying with the other Vespiquen? In that case, I’ll try to get the Institute to let them join you.”

	That raised CIS4’s spirits, along with those of 23 and 25. They all continued their training with renewed vigor.

	As the hours passed and the sun sank low, the group moved south and east, towards the edge of the forest closest to Costa Town. By the time they made it there and finally left the confines of the forest, the sun had almost set, though the forest behind them blocked it. The group moved ahead across the grassy open land, following the dirt path as it crested a hill and offered a view of Costa Town on Comb Island’s shore, along with the vast sea beyond. A few stars already twinkled above in the eastern sky, and some of the lights in Costa were lit.

	“Is that where the humans live?” one of the Combee asked. “I’ve never seen it before. They call it a ‘town’ or something, right?”

	“I think so,” another one replied as he squinted at the town below. “Looks scary. Everything’s all smooth and straight... so different than the forest.”

	“It’s not as scary as it looks,” said CIS4. “Trust me. I’ve been there a few times.”

	“I’m just glad we won’t be staying there tonight,” another Combee said. “I’d take the forest over that place any day. Speaking of which: are we going to go back to the forest now, Your Highness?”

	“I wish we didn’t have to,” the Vespiquen replied, “but I think it’s time.”

	As they spoke, Vincent took in the view and waited for them to finish. Once they fell silent, save for their buzzing wings, he turned to CIS4 and shrugged.

	“As much as I hate to say it, it’s time we split up for tonight,” he said. “But I’m sure you’ll do fine out in the wilds if you stick together.”

	Vincent looked back down at the town and continued. “When I get to Costa, and back in cell range, I’ll call the Institute and ask if you can come with me off the island. Then, in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, I’ll return to this hill. Meet me here. Understood?”

	CIS4 gave a nod, and Vincent smiled back. “Good,” he said. “But before you go, I want to give you something.”

	He reached into his backpack and withdrew a plastic bag with some green leafy herbs inside. He took half of the supply out and handed it to CIS4. She held them gingerly and looked them over cautiously.

	“These are medicinal herbs,” Vincent explained. “I bought them after you suffered your big injury from that Leavanny. Eat part of one, and it acts as an analgesic—a painkiller—and helps you heal faster. Feel free to use them if you or your Combee have some sort of emergency and need quick healing.”

	CIS4 now regarded them far less cautiously, and she thanked Vincent, though all he heard was a quiet buzz.

	“And with that,” he said, “I think that’s all for now. I’ll head to Costa Town now. Good luck in the forest. See you in the morning.”

	Having said that, Vincent turned and descended the hill before he could convince himself not to leave CIS4 behind. But it was only temporary, as he reminded himself, and it had to be done. CIS4 knew the same, and with effort, she made herself stop watching the human walk away, so she could turn and lead her Combee into the twilit forest.


***


	The phone buzzed, and a familiar voice came through.

	“Hello?”

	“Hi, Susie. It’s Vincent.”

	“Oh, hey. How’s it going?”

	“Pretty good, mostly. Today was fruitful, but my Pokémon got pretty banged up. Weavile and Scyther are in bad shape, but I’m going to the Center to get them healed.”

	“Well, make sure they get healed. Especially Scyther. He’s just a Rental, remember? We need him back in good shape, Vincent.”

	“I know. The Center’s machine might not heal them all the way, but it should help, and they can get healed the rest of the way back home.”

	“Sounds good. But why’d you call me? Not just to tell me about your day, I assume.”

	“You’re right. I’ve got a very important question for the Institute to consider.”

	“Ask away.”

	“Can I take a Pokémon with me off the island?”


***


	Two Combee buzzed, and CIS4 turned to see familiar faces approach.

	“Your Highness? Are you alright?”

	“You seem to be quite anxious. Why did you leave the swarm?”

	“Yes, 23 and 25, I’m fine. I just couldn’t fall asleep, so I came here to be alone and think.”

	“I can’t blame you for not sleeping. We couldn’t sleep either. Those bushes don’t make good beds.”

	“Actually, the bushes weren’t the problem, 23. I’m too nervous to sleep. I’m just worried about what will happen. Either way, I lose something I care about. A friend, or a swarm.”

	“I see. That is a fair reason to worry, Your Highness. But worrying will not help. The best you can do is hope for the best.”

	“25’s right, Your Highness. And besides, no matter what happens, things won’t be all bad for you. You’ll end up losing the human or the swarm, but you’ll still get to keep the other, right? Just remember that, and maybe you’ll feel better.”

	“You do have a point, both of you. Thanks for your kind words.”

	“Are you feeling better now?”

	“I think so. Maybe good enough to get some much-needed rest. Come on, let’s get back to the others, before they see we’re gone and start to panic or something.”


***


	The night faded away. From the hilltop above Costa Town, CIS4 and her followers watched the sun slowly rise over the ocean, dying the waters with a strip of yellow from the horizon to the shore. Their night had been a rather restful one, save for CIS4’s temporary insomnia. She had successfully driven her fears and anxiety out of her mind, and even now, they did not return. She felt ready to face the future, and whatever news the human would bring.

	The sun continued to drift ever higher, and soon, the swarm spied a lone figure exit the town and walk along the path up the hill. As the individual drew nearer, the swarm recognized it as the human. He approached and raised his hand in greeting as he neared the top of the hill. CIS4 and her Combee stayed put and waited for him to arrive,

	He stopped to catch his breath at the top of the hill, then he spoke.

	“I talked to the Institute last night,” he said. “I told them my reasoning. I said you and I would both prefer if you came with me off the island. I also pointed out that if you join me, they can get more info about you. Finally, I mentioned your followers and your plan for what to do with them, and asked if they’ll allow me to bring with us the two followers you indicated yesterday.”

	He paused and shrugged before continuing. “Unfortunately, they couldn’t give me an answer to any of that right away. It was pretty late when I called them, so they’d finished work for the day and couldn’t take the time to decide on what to do. They said they would discuss it today and get back to me soon. I’m sorry, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer before they come to their decision.”

	CIS4 looked defeated and hung her head, but it took mere seconds for her to perk up again. Though this news meant that she would have to wait and fret even longer before the verdict came, she knew that worrying would do no good, just as 23 and 25 had said last night. She refused to let this turn of events depress her. Vincent smiled at her as she got over her sadness, and then gestured for her to follow him as he walked past her towards the forest. She hovered after him, her Combee close behind her.

	“In case you’re wondering about Weavile and Scyther,” Vincent said over his shoulder, “they’re doing okay. When I got to the town last night, I made sure to visit the Pokémon Center and heal them. But the nurse didn’t seem too happy when she saw what happened to them. She remembered me bringing you in earlier when you got attacked by that Leavanny, and she really chewed me out for letting my Pokémon get in such bad shape all the time.”

	He shook his head and chuckled. “It was annoying to hear her nag me like my mom always used to, but you know what? She was right. All three of my Pokémon got pretty busted up over this trip. And in your case, CIS4, it was entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have kept you out against that Leavanny and put you in harm’s way like that. I promise, if we end up sticking together, I’ll never let anything like that happen to you again.”

	He fell silent briefly, only to chuckle once more.

	“Okay, enough with the sappiness. I swear, if Weavile were out right now, she’d probably scratch me for that. Let’s change the mood and go do some more training. This could be our last session together, so let’s make it count.”

	CIS4 had every intention of doing just that. She followed the human, and her Combee followed her, and they all delved into the forest once again.


***


	The training was fruitful, and concluded at dusk. The human left the Vespiquen for the night again, and their parting was easier than last night. Once he returned to the twilit town, he made for the bar and, for the final time, took a seat in the noisy establishment. The bartender walked over to him and flashed his gold-toothed smile, as he had many times before.

	“Nice to see you again,” said the bartender over the murmur of the other patrons and the sound of a pianist playing loud ragtime badly in the corner. “It’s been a while.”

	Vincent nodded. “It sure has. And this might be the last time I come here. I’m leaving the island soon.”

	“Aw, that’s a right shame. Weather too much for you?”

	“No, it’s not that. I’ve got to head back because my assignment is complete. I’ve done what research I had to do. I even evolved my Combee.”

	“You don’t say? My, that’s pretty good. Feels like just yesterday we talked about you catching her, eh? And now you’ve gone and evolved her. Nicely done.”

	“She’s pretty happy about it too,” said Vincent. “And I’m happy because it gave me some good scan data. Plus, I’ve been able to observe how she reacted to her evolution and how other Pokémon have been treating her. It’ll be good info for the Institute.”

	“I’m sure it will be. But out of curiosity, where is that Vespiquen of yours now?”

	“She’s in the wilds,” said Vincent. “I can’t bring her and her followers into the town, so she needs to stay outside during the night when I return here. I’d rather we stick together, but that’s just not an option.”

	“I see,” said the bartender. “Hey, I just remembered something. About that Amber Castle I told you about earlier: did you find it?”

	Vincent simply shrugged. “If I found it, I couldn’t tell you,” he said. “And if I didn’t, I’d say the same thing. Its existence—or lack thereof—is not something that should be revealed to the public, or even to you. No offense.”

	“None taken, mate. Afraid people would try to invade it, I wager?”

	“Exactly. So I won’t say a word.”

	The bartender gave another golden grin. “I understand. You researchers always got to look out for Pokémon. I respect that. People and Pokémon working together, helping each other, coexisting and whatnot... a mighty beautiful thing, that. You’re doing a good service. And speaking of service, we sell food here and it’s almost too late for dinner, so lemme ask you: can I get you anything?”


***


	Night fell and left once again, giving way to another twilight before the sunrise. Vincent sat silently at the desk in his bedroom, poring over the notes he had taken over his trip to Comb Island. Each note called back a memory, and they grew all the more vivid as he reached those he had taken after meeting CIS4.

	“Even if she has to stay,” he said to himself, “at least I’ll still have the notes of her. And maybe one day I’ll come back and see her again.”

	He still did not know how things would turn out. The Institute had yet to come to a conclusion when he called them last night after visiting the bar for dinner. He only hoped they contacted him this morning before he left the town, as the time was drawing near for him to leave. The boat set sail not long after noon.

	Eventually, he closed the notebook and set it on the desk, then he grabbed his cellphone from his pocket. There was someone he wanted to call before he left the island. He dialed the number: Euclid’s. After their introductions and pleasantries, he told Euclid what had happened since they last spoke, excluding everything regarding the Amber Castle, which he wanted to keep secret for now. Euclid did not notice the omission, but he did seem impressed that CIS4 had evolved.

	“Not bad,” Euclid said. “Not bad at all. It’s a big deal for a Pokémon to evolve. I bet she felt happy about that.”

	“She sure seemed like she did,” said Vincent. “She even hugged me. Tightly, too. I tell you, she has such lanky arms, but she’s way stronger than you’d think.”

	“Stronger than I’d think, huh? If there’s one thing I’ve learned—and I’ve learned a lot of things—it’s that you should never underestimate anyone. Even if they seem small and weak, like CIS4. Well, I guess she’s not so small and weak anymore now that she’s evolved, is she? And she’s got you to thank for that.”

	“That’s right. I don’t think she could have done it without me. When I caught her, she had no followers. She really was weak. But she’s strong now. I’m proud of her.”

	“As you should be. You’ve both done good to get this far. But enough stroking your ego—my ego’s the only one I want stroked. There’s something else I want to talk about: did you find that Amber Castle we talked about last time?”

	“I don’t think I can answer that,” Vincent replied. “Whether I found it or not, I should keep all info about the castle a secret to everybody.”

	“Even from me?”

	Vincent did not reply right away. “Under normal circumstances, I’d say yes,” he replied at last. “But you’re not normal.”

	“Hey, that hurts, Vince.”

	“I didn’t mean it like that! I mean you’re not some random guy on the street asking if I found the castle. We’re friends, and I trust you. You’ve helped me before, and I know you’re a good guy. You wouldn’t tell a secret if it would hurt Pokémon.”

	“You’re not wrong there, that’s for sure.”

	“With that in mind, I’ll tell you if you promise to keep what I say a secret.”

	“On my honor,” said Euclid. “I promise not to tell anyone, no matter what.”

	Vincent hesitated, even after Euclid’s promise. Part of him still doubted Euclid, but he trusted him, and he decided to believe him. “In that case: yes, it does exist, and I found it.”

	A quiet laugh came from Euclid. “I see,” he said. “Looks like I was right after all. But was there ever any doubt?”

	“Of course there was. You’re not always right.”

	“History begs to differ.”

	“If you say so. Anyway, jokes aside, I seriously don’t want word of the castle getting out. If I find out you told anyone, I’ll let Weavile have her way with you.”

	Euclid laughed, louder this time. “Oh, come on now, we both know she’d ever hurt me. Not intentionally, at least. Speaking of which, how’s she doing? It’s earlier on the island than it is here on the mainland, so I assume she’s still asleep?”

	“Not exactly,” Vincent replied. “I didn’t tell you yet, but while we were in the castle, we got attacked by an angry Ledyba, apparently part of the swarm. He really did a number on Weavile and Scyther—and CIS4, too, but to a lesser extent.”

	Euclid did not reply. He was silent for so long that Vincent asked what was wrong.

	“A Ledyba?” Euclid asked in a low voice. “Are you kidding me? You got swept by a Ledyba? Pardon me for being so blunt, but that’s a disgrace.”

	“It wasn’t a normal Ledyba,” Vincent snapped. “It had some sort of power I’ve never seen before. It was like Z-Power, but it didn’t use any Z-Moves. It just got some kind of aura and became super strong and resilient. It was the strongest Ledyba I’ve ever seen.”

	“Implying it has any competition,” Euclid muttered. “But did your little fight end okay for you and your partners?”

	“Technically. I got Weavile and Scyther partially healed, but they’ll need to be healed the rest of the way on the mainland. Remember, the machine in the Pokémon Center here is old and doesn’t work so well. The Institute has better machines, so I’ll have to complete the healing there. For the time being, I’m keeping Weavile and Scyther are still in their balls so their conditions won’t worsen. That’s why I can’t let her out to talk with you.”

	“Aw, that’s a shame. I was hoping to talk with Weavile again. I was wondering how her woodcarving hobby is going.”

	“She’s almost done with that Tapu Koko figure,” said Vincent. “If we hadn’t been thrown off course by all this drama, she would have finished before we left the island. Now, she’ll have to finish it back on the mainland.”

	“Good for her,” said Euclid. “At least she’s close to done, and more importantly, she’s safe. When you get the chance, tell her I said hi.”

	“Sure. Anything else?”

	“Actually, I just remembered something. Remember when I told you about that Combee I found on the island years ago, and helped train until she became a Vespiquen?”

	“I do. You wanted me to keep an eye out for her, right?”

	“Exactly. Did you find her?”

	“Sorry, no such luck. The only Vespiquen I’ve seen on the island besides CIS4 is the one in the castle, and she didn’t match the description you gave of the one you met.”

	Vincent heard a long sigh over the phone. “Then I don’t know what happened to her,” he said. “I was hoping you’d find her, so I could get come closure. But thanks for looking, nonetheless. Come to think of it, maybe this is a sign that I’m due for another trip to the island. If you couldn’t find that Vespiquen, maybe I can. If there’s one thing I do well, it’s succeeding where others fail.”

	“You’re full of it.”

	“Hey, remember what I said earlier: my ego’s the one that ought to be stroked.”

	“Whatever. Look, if you want to go to the island, be my guest. But if you happen to find the castle, you’d better not cause any trouble.”

	“I wouldn’t dream of it. Don’t worry about it.”

	“Good. Now, unless there’s something else you want to say, I should get going. I’m expecting a call from the Institute.”

	“Why?”

	“They’re trying to decide if I can bring CIS4 with me off the island today.”

	Euclid paused, as if surprised to hear it. “Oh. I didn’t know that was still in the air. You really want her to come with you, then?”

	“Of course. We’ve been through so much together, I can’t just leave her behind.”

	“I know that feeling,” Euclid said. “It can be hard to leave your friends behind. I hope things turn out well for you.”

	“So do I. They should be calling any minute now to tell me the news. It’s just after 6 here, and factoring in the time zones, that means the Institute should be in their business hours now. They said they wanted to gather and do some last-minute discussion first thing in the morning, and then they’d call me.”

	“They’re sure cutting it close if they’re only calling on the day you leave the island,” said Euclid. “You sure they aren’t just making you wait until the last minute for dramatic effect?”

	“Come on, they wouldn’t do that. This is serious business. They said they were close to reaching a conclusion, but they needed to look over some more data and info before they made the final decision. I guess they’re curious if a Vespiquen would give them needed info, or if it would be a waste. So they really do need all the time they can get.”

	“If you insist,” said Euclid. “But whether that’s right or not doesn’t matter—the final decision’s what counts, so I’ll hang up now and let you await it. Good luck, Vince. Hopefully we’ll cross paths again someday.”

	“See you around,” Vincent said, and so ended their conversation.

	The researcher set down his phone and took up his notebook once again, intending to read it until he received the long-awaited call. He only had a chance to read one page before his phone rang once more. He looked and saw that the call was from the Institute. His heart skipped a beat. It was time.

	He picked up the phone. “Hello?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

	Susie’s voice answered him: “Hi, Vincent, it’s Susie. Hope I didn’t wake you up.”

	“No, it’s fine. Did the Institute decide what to do?”

	“Sure did. At long last, the suits got their act together and made their decision. Listen up.”


***


	Once again, CIS4 and her followers hovered on the hilltop west of Costa Town and looked out over the ocean as they awaited Vincent’s return, hopefully with a decision regarding their fate and his. As the Vespiquen observed the vast sea and the rising sun, she realized that she now looked upon the expanse of water with a different mindset than she ever had before. The ocean had always been an impassable barrier to her, and always represented an obstacle she could not hope to overcome, but now it carried an air of hope about it. If the human was authorized to bring her with him off the island, she would gain a chance to cross the water and see what lay beyond. She had heard vague tales of strange places beyond the sea, inhabited by bizarre Pokémon, alien terrain, and many more humans than the island was home to. These lands were intimidating in their unfamiliarity, but if she was to visit them with the human, she could overcome her fear.

	“I see him!” 23 said, jolting CIS4 out of her thoughts. “The human’s coming!”

	The Vespiquen looked away from the sea and turned her gaze on the hill below. Indeed, a single figure clad in a large yellow raincoat was quickly scaling the hill, and she recognized the figure as Vincent.

	“I hope he has an answer to all our questions,” 23 said. “We’ve waited too long to learn what’s going to happen to us.”

	“You can say that again,” said CIS4.

	“We’ve waited too long—”

	“I didn’t mean it like that, 23.”

	The Combee muttered an apology and fell silent.

	“The human draws near,” 25 said, his eyes on Vincent as he walked up the dirt path on the hillside below. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”

	They waited. The human approached. Finally, he reached the Pokémon and came to a stop on the hilltop, several feet before CIS4. He seemed winded, and put his hands on his hips and looked down, taking a brief pause to catch his breath. He only took a few moments, but each one made CIS4 grow more agitated. The moment of truth was near, and she could wait no longer.

	Finally, Vincent looked up. His expression seemed neutral, and CIS4’s heart sank.

	“I got a call from the Institute,” he said. “They made their decision.”

	He and the Vespiquen looked at each other a few moments longer. Then he smiled, broadly and sincerely. “Good news. You and your first two followers are authorized to join me when I leave Comb Island, and the rest can join the other Vespiquen.”

	Nobody said anything for some time. They were all too stunned by the news. Finally, the Combee broke the silence. Loud buzzing filled the air as they cheered, and CIS4 recovered from her shock at last. She almost did not believe the human’s words, but she knew they were real. She and Vincent—and her first followers, 23 and 25—would be together from that day forth. CIS4 flew forward and hugged the human tightly once again, and Vincent returned her embrace and laughed.

	So ended the outcast of Comb Island, for she would never be an outcast again.


[the end]