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Years ago, Gunner had stood in that same courtyard where the memorial was erected. A festival had taken place that night, and crowds gathered to watch the fireworks over Celadon City. He'd dressed in traditional Kantonian attire to appease his new girlfriend; they matched, the darker fabric of his hanfu complementing the lighter fabrics of hers.[break][break]

That same night, Sayori had confided her dreams and fears. The desire to travel, to paint all the capitals of the world in watercolor, to grow a garden of her own, to have a family. And not being able to accomplish any of it.[break][break]

And Gunner, in his lovesickness, promised her she'd do it all. With him.[break][break]

But the first cracks in their relationship had begun to show within a few weeks after his stupid declaration. Sayori was too good, too sweet. She liked gentleness, calm, and routine. The cage slowly closed around Gunner, yet he refused to see it.[break][break]

In the present day, he sighed. He'd raised his hand to touch the bronze curve of the statue's cheek, stopping shy of grazing his fingertips against it. No matter how much he wished to see Sayori again, he could not. She was dead; the statue could not SHAPESHIFT into her likeness. The memorial wasn't even her resting place.[break][break]

Still, as he turned away from the statues, Gunner felt lighter. Team Rocket had been defeated. Kanto was free.[break][break]

Now someone else could leave its borders to travel and paint the world in watercolor.

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Later that evening, Gunner met with his Kantonian friends who'd survived the war. They wore the tales of their suffering on their weary faces, lines like trenches etched into their features. He knew, though, that the worst and most lasting reminders of Team Rocket's regime were scored into their hearts.[break][break]

Despite his own suffering, he did not know the worst of it. He never could.[break][break]

But the smiles that pushed those facial lines aside contained genuine relief, too. They flashed bright in the dim light of the pub, drawing crescent moons over the rims of drinking cups. Hours passed as they drank beer, ate SLOWPOKE TAILS, laughed, and shared stories.[break][break]

Incredible, harrowing stories.[break][break]

At the end of the night, Gunner staggered back to his hotel, one friend accompanying him to make sure he got there safely. As they walked down the street toward the main entrance, his friend grasped his shoulder.[break][break]

"Hey, it was good to see you, Gunner. Never thought I would again."[break][break]

That sobered the blonde man, if only by a fraction. "I wasn't sure I'd see you again, either."[break][break]

They stopped before the front doors of the hotel. "Listen. Whatever you have, hold onto it tightly. Never take it for granted. You never know what you will lose, or what you'll miss when it's gone."[break][break]

Gunner nodded, his thoughts flashing to Sayori. To GIDEON GRAVES.[break][break]

To mila alexopoulos.[break][break]

"I know."

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"How was your trip?"[break][break]

Gunner walked alongside his brother through the cemetery just outside Fallarbor. The somber stroll was their ritual every month: they greeted their grandparents and cleared away litter from the tombstones before heading into the town for dinner with their parents.[break][break]

"It was good," said Gunner, understating the emotions he was still in the middle of processing. "I got to see some friends and catch up on what's currently going on in their lives."[break][break]

"I imagine they're focused on rebuilding and restoring normalcy."[break][break]

The younger Graves nodded. "Yeah. It's going to be a challenge, but overall, I got the sense from everyone I talked to that they're full of hope for the future."[break][break]

Gideon smiled. "That's good."[break][break]

The two men arrived at the headstones for their grandparents. A bouquet of flowers lay withered on the ground; Gunner picked it up and replaced it with a fresh set. Meanwhile, Gideon carefully pried some creeping moss off the corner of the small monument.[break][break]

"What about Sayori? Did you find her?" he asked, broaching the topic with great care.[break][break]

Gunner stilled. "No. They don't have individual graves for those who were killed en masse. But they built a memorial to remember all those who died, so… It's good enough, I guess."[break][break]

He tried to keep the disappointment from showing on his face, but he'd never been good at hiding his emotions. Seeing this, Gideon reached out and grasped his brother's shoulder in a rare display of empathy.[break][break]

"It's okay. She knows, Gunner."[break][break]

The younger man was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded, accepting. "Yeah."[break][break]

Gideon drew away. "Come on. Let's go see Mom and Dad."

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Paper lanterns illuminated the courtyard, casting a gentle, warm glow upon the various food stalls set up along its perimeter, the ancient tree in its center, and the people who'd gathered for the Tanabata festival. Gunner stood among them, hanging a small piece of paper on one of the tree's branches.[break][break]

"What'd you wish for?" mila alexopoulos asked as she finished hanging her own paper.[break][break]

He chuckled. "That's not how wishes work, Mila. If I tell you, it won't come true." A sly smile spread across his face as he regarded her. "Why, what did you wish for?"[break][break]

She didn't answer him, instead matching his mischievous look with one of her own. Linking their arms together, she walked him through the crowd to a narrow, stone-covered path that led deeper into the surrounding forest.[break][break]

"I'm glad you're back," she confessed once the darkness of the trees' canopy enveloped them. "The apartment isn't the same without you in it. It's more boring."[break][break]

Here and there, other lamps hung from low branches, but their light was even softer than in the courtyard. The result was a private, intimate atmosphere, perfect for a couple seeking a romantic rendezvous.[break][break]

Gunner wrapped his arm around Mila's shoulders, pulling her into the warmth of his embrace. "Are you saying you missed me?" he teased her.[break][break]

In the dim light, he didn't see her blush, but the way she curled against his side expressed her vulnerability. "So what if I did?" she murmured, her words betrayed by the tenderness in her voice.[break][break]

His smile grew fond. "I missed you, too."[break][break]

Words gathered in his throat, urging him to speak them into reality—words he had turned over in his head more than once, while lying next to her at night when she was sleeping.[break][break]

"I love you."[break][break]

Mila stopped walking, forcing him to stop, too. She raised her face to his, her eyes wide and brimming with joy. Gunner could not resist; he leaned down and kissed her, pouring the full breadth of his emotions into the gesture.[break][break]

She kissed him back eagerly, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, to run her fingers through his hair.[break][break]

And when they pulled apart, she beamed at him. "I love you too."

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