Shalin was starting to feel somewhat better. She had just completed her last skin graft treatment yesterday. She was due to be discharged in a couple weeks; the remainder of the time she spent in Dewford would be mostly observation to ensure the grafts were remaining in place and healing properly.

That was not the case with the Shiny Vaporeon in the bed next to her; there was just barely enough of her tail left that skin grafts were an option. Her treatment would be on the scale of months rather than weeks. If the HYPER BEAM had melted any more of the water-type's tail away, amputation would have been the only option, and the Pokémon would never be able to swim again. Even so, she likely wouldn't be in the water until early summer.

It was not long before a familiar face walked into her room. She turned off the television and waved to her guest with more strength than she had in a while. "Theo." the Captain scowled, her gold Ranger badge on a shelf in the corner of the room. "Why are you here?" Was he here to finish the job? No way. He would never be able to get anything resembling a weapon past security.

Shalin's emotions were swirling. They were once good friends, having trusted each other with their lives. They had met so often, traveling together and catching Pokémon together. They had delved deep into a dangerous crypt beneath Mount Pyre, the ETHEREAL MEDALLION in its resting place beneath Sootopolis as a direct result of their efforts and teamwork. Without his help, Olivia and Toxrill would still be within their slimy eggs.

Not long ago, the two were locked in bitter battle, Shalin having her youth, her skill in the saddle, and her skill with a bow to blame for her victory. Today, the very person she had tried to take the life of was paying her a visit. One of the people she trusted most was with Team Rocket. Just how much did Theo know about the Halls of Origin?

"I... I trusted you," Shalin cried. "The months we spent together... the trip through the tomb... did it mean nothing to you? Was it all a lie?!"

Those were words Shalin did not expect to hear out of a Rocket, let alone one with the fame and fortune Theo had. If only her battle-crazed, Gym Leader friend knew how nice this middle-aged man was outside the field of battle, maybe that would change his tune about Rocket. She could feel the sincerity in the man's tone. This was not what the Rangers, and the League as a whole, had taught her about Rocket. Was Rocket a way of life to Theo, or was it just a job, the Underboss not showing prejudice toward Rocket or League outside the confines of his grim, illicit work?

When it was clear to Shalin that Theo was being genuine, she breathed a sigh of relief, rolling under her covers and toward the man she had spent so much time traveling alongside. "To save lives," was her short answer. "Hoenn has problems that are less grand than this stupid war, you know. Even without the League and Rocket going at it, Mother Nature is dangerous. Who's gonna open up the roads blocked by prowling Pyroar? Who's gonna disperse a pack of Mightyena terrorizing Verdanturf's daycare? Who's gonna bring mom, pop, and their children home after their boat broke down off the coast of Slateport?"

"I only did so on behalf of my superiors," Shalin answered. "I did not want to be in Dewford that day. But it is my duty as Captain to protect the interests of Rustboro." And the League as a whole, but she was loyal to Rustboro first. Rielle let out a pained screech as her HYDRATION failed to soothe the wounds of her half-ruined tail. She frowned, shedding a tear. As much as she suffered, Rielle was suffering more. She might never be able to swim again.

"Because I go where I am needed. And Rustboro needs me. I did not take the ofice from boruta maher only to run back to Johto. It is, at this point, my duty. Plus...the friends I have made in Hoenn are near and dear to me. They offer me... solace that no one in Johto has. You... you treated me like family. To find out a close friend is on the opposite side of the aisle is... heartbreaking."

That someone so high up in Rocket, though Shalin was blissfully unaware, would be willing to remain human around a Ranger Captain, was a testament to the human element within Theo. "How many years has this war been going on now? Five? Six?" she moaned, shakily wiping her face clean with a small stack of tissues. Her pain was both physical and emotional.

"No it doesn't," she nodded in agreement. "Littleroot was horrible. This was far worse. I'm no fighter. I may know how to shoot a bow, but I'm no fighter. Not against people, anyway. Against the wrath of Hoenn itself, I'll fight. I know how to fight against hurricanes, earthquakes, and thunderstorms. But not against disasters created by people."

In Shalin's eyes, it was not as much of a losing battle as Theo presented it to be. "An armistice. Why can't we just... have an armistice and fight the disasters Hoenn creates for us, instead of fighting ones we ourselves make?"

Shalin shook her head. Not in disgust, but in civil disagreement. "Theo, take a step back and think about what you're saying. When you fight, what do you fight for?" The answer was "the glory of Rocket", but it was one that she was sure Theo could never say except behind closed doors with colleagues present. "Fighting for the sake of conflict is asinine. When you fight, do you do so to seek something, to destroy something, or to protect something?"

The just fought to protect something. It was what the Rangers lived to do. While their enemy was nature and not humanity, a war against nature was equally as weighty as a war against mankind. "As a Ranger, I fight every day I'm in the field. What do I fight for? To protect Hoenn's less fortunate citizens against Pokémon. Against tornadoes. Wildfires. Floods. Even an eruption of Mount Chimney." In the case of Petalburg's and Rustboro's people, even the whims of Elisabeth Fiorelli 's god.

"Theo, you know as well as I do I can't do as you ask," she deeply sighed, knowing their adventure deep in the Forbidden Crypt would likely be their last together. It was a shame; if they weren't on opposite sides of the war, they could be great friends. "I would be betraying all of Rustboro if I were to step down as Captain. As long as you are willing to fight to protect, true peace can happen. It breaks my heart, but I can't. I just can't."

Theo's blatant honesty was shocking. That he would openly say that he fought for Rocket showed how trusting he was of her. "I'm a Captain. While I don't report directly to the Commissioner, I have a lot of responsibilities as a Ranger. As long as I am a Ranger, I cannot accept your offer." It was not her dogma, but her sense of duty, that kept her on the side of the League.

"But Theo?" Shalin asked, her eyes shifting toward the burner phone and back. "This misunderstanding doesn't mean we can't continue to be friends, right? Setting our differences aside and just... exploring Hoenn's corners like we used to. I miss it. Aside from what you do in Rocket's name, you're a genuinely good and understanding guy. When I get out of here and am feeling better... let's go Mega Stone hunting. Like we used to."