"Whew... Thanks, Bibidi."

Slowly, carefully, El would touch down upon the hard and stony ground of the little 'island', that rest deep within Meteor Falls. The sound of water could be heard all around them, from the flowing subterranean rivers that made up the boundaries of this island - and occasionally, the splash of a wild pokemon swimming past could be heard. Meanwhile, up ahead, an old shrine stood - housing an equally (if not moreso) ancient bell at its center.

The year before had certainly been a year. It, for the most part, was a lot of the same-old that El had adjusted to in the wake of Isaac's departure so long ago. A monotony of basic day-to-day life, interspersed with their dad taking them out to practice pokemon battles that they had no interest in, and escapes being found on their old computer in the form of video games. But in the past couple years, things had become increasingly hectic across Hoenn - meteors, strange powerful pokemon, and the like - that they could barely comprehend, as coddled as their parents had tried to make them.

And now, just as the new year begins, they found an upheaval that they had brought upon themself - namely, in setting off on their own, even if by ultimately unintended means. When they went to bed, it was often in some cheap hotel or camping out in the wilds - and when they woke up, it was amidst the happy smiles of their pokemon. Certainly, there were certain comforts of home that they missed - such as reliable internet, or a warm bed that they knew was clean...

... Yet, that all being said... The freedom that came with it all - of being able to simply exist as they pleased, without judgement or protective fussing from their parents, was one that was plenty welcome. They knew that at any point, they could probably ask Bibidi to teleport back home - and they were sure that they'd be able to return to life as usual, once their parents stopped fussing and scolding and worrying over them.

But the 'life as usual' they knew then, it wasn't the 'life as usual' that they wanted. Not when Isaac Merlo was missing from home. Not when they felt like they were about to be reduced to dust, under the expectations that they couldn't bring themself to reject to their dad's face. In their mind, the perfect 'life as usual' would just... For the four of them, to be a family again - just like when they were little. When they felt less lonely, in their own house.

Though, a gentle brush against their mind - a hue of concern from Bibidi - would break them from their thoughts. "Sorry-" They spoke, perhaps a hair too-quickly, as they smiled and pat the alakazam on the back. "Just... Thinking. About what I want to wish for, with the new year." They reassured, adding "I bet you have things you want to wish for, too, right Bibidi?"

Quietly, the alakazam nodded - though Bibidi wouldn't 'voice' these thoughts right away. Instead, they'd prompt El with an image of the bell, a questioning hue conveyed alongside it. Weren't they here for a reason?

El blinked at first, before perking up. "Oh, right! The bell!" Stepping carefully up to the shrine - being mindful of where they walked, to avoid tripping - they'd pull out a few pokeballs.

One by one, Yggdrasil, Psyche, Sobek, and Behemoth would all come out - curious eyes gazing about at their surroundings. They recognized where they were - at least, in the sense that El had told them about the destination. But to actually see it was another story - and it was safe to say that a couple of them were quite impressed with the scenery.

El, though, would take the time to address Behemoth. "You wanna help us ring the bell, so we can make our wishes?" They questioned - to which the nidoking snorted in affirmative, stepping forward and pulling back a fist to strike it with a firm and clear BONG!

And as the bell rung, El would think on their own desires for the coming year. Certainly, to find Isaac and maybe convince him to visit home was one thing, but... They were also a Ranger now - albeit a ranger-in-training. They could take on the less battle-oriented challenges in gyms. They could go do contests, and earn ribbons for everyone... There were oh-so-many options, more than they could even begin to decide upon.

So maybe, just to start start, the happiness and health of their pokemon was a good thing to wish for - right? They could figure out all the little details, later...