In the end it was Chu-e.

He cracks open the door unafraid. Regardless of it was League, Rocket, or Hideo Kino; even skinny and sickly he would keep his head held high.

This time, Chu-e just smiled (even if Hideo couldn't see it) and hummed softly.

"Hi, Hideo. It's good to see you." He stepped back for the other to come inside if he wanted. If the boy did, Chu-e would gently close the door behind him. "Errie isn't home right now. Joining us for dinner?"

Chu-e's home smelled like baking bread and spices. Something bubbled on a pot on the stove. Even before the boy answered, Chu-e was already making his way to add more food for a new mouth. (As if Chu-e didn't always make much more than just he and Eris Halla could eat in one meal anyway....)

From down the hall a sudden yip.

Beepin barreled towards her most favorite person, the Zoroark intending to love on and sniff Hideo until she was happy.

The door opened in front of him - and he recognized that voice quickly.

"Hi, Mr.Choi!" he answered, waving. The "Ralts" on top of his head waved as well. "Yeah, I can join for dinner. Your cooking's way better than the stuff I can make!"

He could smell it from outside - and after walking forward, inside. "It's alright if she isn't here. Got plenty to talk about anyways." Plenty he wanted to share - and ask.

But first, a wild Zoroark appeared! Hideo recognized the yip, though he realized what was coming a moment too late - not that he knew the hall enough to know where to move to avoid it.

"Nice to meet you again too!" Hideo exclaimed, brushing Beepin's mane. It was only once he heard a *thmp* behind him that he realized the "Ralts" was knocked off him. "Oh, uh, sorry, didn't mean to drop you."

The pout on the "Ralts"'s face gradually turned into Uxie's pout, the Illusion dissipating from that drop, though there was little reason to maintain it behind closed doors. The Skill Swap wore off, Uxie Levitating up in the air near Hideo. It watched the affection display behind closed eyes.

Chu-e Choi

Chu-e whistled. Beepin stayed close to Hideo Kino but she did, at least, drop to her paws and stop dog-piling him. She would stick close to him the whole time he was here, adoring the boy.

"You have a little friend, too? What's it's name?" Chu-e didn't seem all that concerned, though. One might be more impressed by things like this if he didn't have to deal with Mesprit getting into the sugar all the time.

Regardless, Chu-e poured Hideo, himself, and now Uxie a glass each of some apple juice he had chilling in the fridge. he went and sat down on his couch, sinking into pillows and blankets. A small needle point he had been working on was picked back up from where it had been sat on the living room table. He started to work on it again as he spoke.

"What did you want to talk about?"

A light tap on the head by Uxie's hand ensured Hideo knew where it was as it floated around him.

Freed from the Zoroark's affections, Hideo took a second to brush himself off of any stray hairs/slobber. "My little friend here is Uxie. It's one of Mesprit's siblings. Been with me as long as Mesprit's been with Eris; they joined us at the same time."

He already knew Chu-E was aware of Mesprit being with Eris. He had no idea how much Eris had let her Pa know, so that was as much as he'd give for the moment.

The two followed Chu-E into the living room, Hideo taking a seat in a nearby lounge chair. Uxie landed on his lap, eagerly watching as Chu-E prepared some drinks for them. The apple juice found Uxie's mouth before it reached Hideo's hands, the pixie levitating its cup psychically.

"Well, Uxie was gonna be one of the things, but there's a few other things I wanted to talk about. First thing was something I wanted to tell Eris first, but there's no problem in you hearing it first."

He took in a deep breath. Best to start with good news first, even if thinking about how he got it still left him uneasy.

"I'm gonna be a Gym Leader, over in Littleroot! I gave them the paperwork a few days ago, and I already know I got the support of a lot of people in the League, so I'm sure I'll get it."

He'd spoken with confidence and joy - though it did waver slightly.

Chu-e Choi

While Chu-e could make his own guesses at the situation, Eris Halla had kept her lips locked about Uxie. She was a real bro like that.[break][break]

Chu-e waited patiently for Hideo Kino to muster up whatever courage he needed to speak... and then the boy revealed something good![break][break]

"Ah! Congrats! You'll do a wonderful job." He clapped, hoping to soothe some of the boy's nerves.[break][break]

"You're the only person in Hoenn to beat a Rocket Underboss in battle at least three times in a row." Chu-e offered, a bit cryptically, but grinning still.[break][break]

If Hideo figured it out, that would make him the only person in the League Chu-e had been honest about his precious Rank in Rocket with.

Hideo's legs swung up and down, a smile on his face. He was glad to get a good response from Chu-E - a small part thinking he might not. "I already dipped my toes in it with the Minor League, and I got some good feedback with what I'd set up on my own. This'll be a larger-scale version of that, a full Gym."

And more than just a Gym: it would be a place for people to learn. Not just from battling.

Hideo's head tilted slightly at Chu-E's reveal. "An Underboss? That's like, one step away from being head-honcho, right? Never would've thought that Mr. Ki I met so many times was an Underboss!"

He was a lot friendlier than he would've expected from that high up in Rocket - and from the current conversation, that didn't seem as much of a facade.

"Dunno if I'd call our meeting in Littleroot a win though. We barely even battled."

How own mention of Littleroot gave Hideo pause, the boy going silent for a moment. "... why'd you decide to leave Rocket, anyway?"

The first of many questions he'd wanted to ask.

Chu-e Choi

"Whenever I'm allowed, I'll come and have a look." They weren't much for battling anymore, at least not now. Mostly Chu-e just wanted to relax and maybe cheer Hideo Kino on while the boy defended his Gym Badge.

The conversation went on from there. Chu-e's tongue felt stiff in their mouth when Hideo mentioned why they had left.

It was a long pause of silence. Just the background noise of the house being lived in for a few moments.

"I mostly left for Eris Halla." Is what they finally decided on. Yet, they didn't just end there. "But... a part of it was very selfish of me. I'm very, very tired, Hideo." Their voice was quiet when they said it.

"May I take your hand for a moment?" Was asked then.

If Hideo allowed it, Chu-e would guide the boy's hand to their wrist. And Hideo would be able to feel it. How thin it was. Like even Hideo might be able to squeeze and snap the bone.

"I'm very sick. I have been for a long time. I don't want to fight in another war. I just want to rest."

"I look forward to it. There's always a spot for friends." Not that he could force Chu-E to watch, but he did want to show off everything he had set up.

The silence that followed weighed on him heavily. He knew there was a fine line between what he wanted to ask and what he should ask, and there wasn't any way to know where that line lied without crossing it.

He received an answer, Hideo nodding along. The line hadn't been crossed yet.

On prompting, he extended his hand, Uxie watching through closed eyes. What he felt was almost like skin and bones, and he feared squeezing hard could actually break something. He had to be as delicate as he was with his small Ribombee - perhaps more so.

The small smile on his face was gone. He had to be careful with more than just his words.

"I remember when we first met, you told me you were sick. Honestly, that might've been part of why I never thought you were Rocket. It's still hard to comprehend, even with you telling me." The thought never even crossed his mind until Eris revealed their allegiance.

"And that stuff with that monster…Necrozma, I think people were calling it? What did that thing do to you? Did it make the illness worse?"

There was a slight strain to his voice. "Did you really die?" He opened his mouth as if to ask the next part, "and then came back to life", but chose to stay silent, his mouth closing shut.

Chu-e Choi

The conversation moves on from more pleasant topics. Chu-e is tempted to request it end there- but Hideo Kino seems upset. Chu-e was also tired of... the secrecy. Their whole life had been just sitting on top of secrets for one reason or another. It was tiring in a whole other way. Mentally taxing to keep up with who had been told what lie.

"Necrozma." Chu-e confirmed. Their voice is laced with a bitterness as they say it; like even the name tasted terrible to speak. "It infected me. It's more like a virus than a pokemon, I think." Chu-e frowned at that.

"It actually... cured me for a time. I guess it wanted to keep my body strong while it infected me." A sigh. "Do you know what Cordycepts mushrooms are?" It might seem like a sudden change in subject, but...

"They burrow into bug's brains and take control of their bodies. It's like a zombie virus. Necrozma was kind of like that to me, I think. I would black out and just.. do things. With no memory of them. It made me attack people I cared about."

The next part was harder to parse.

"I did." There was a pause.

"It couldn't cure my disease all the way. I had a brain rupture from stress and died instantly." That was... that was hard to admit. "So it took control of my corpse and moved me around to do... I don't know."

It had admittedly been a risky subject to touch on, and he wouldn't be shocked if Chu-E refused to answer. The answers he did receive had a notable bitterness to them; probably best not to dig any further about Necrozma than he was given.

He shook his head regarding the mushrooms. "Best I know is about Shiinotics and Morelulls," he said. He wasn't great at identifying things that could kill him if he touched or tasted them.

Which wasn't to say a Shiinotic couldn't be one of the latter.

The concept was easy enough to grasp, terrifying as it was, Hideo cringing at the thought. "That sounds awful," he added. "I can barely imagine what it's like to have a parasite like that in you. I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

Hideo didn't need to ask about the resurrection after death, with Chu-E speaking in front of him, even holding his hand. "...I think I know a bit of what happened, when Necrozma was controlling your…you. Over in Sootopolis, where that big tree was. I was there when…you were there, and Necrozma appeared. In full."

He didn't want to give too many details - not unless Chu-E wanted them.

"That was actually where Uxie here first appeared to help me. In-person…or I guess In-Pokemon." His free hand gently patted Uxie on its massive head. "Uxie and the other Lake Trio Pokemon tried to restrain it. Even worked…until another Necrozma showed up."

Everything went to hell in a handbasket there.

"It was where I first heard your name. Your real name. Someone said it when they saw you there. I didn't know that was you, for, uh, obvious reasons."

Chu-e Choi