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Hearing it back, their Pokemon surrounding them, the big happy grin on his face as Kepler curls into him, and Ashley rests himself there, as the Pokemon that surrounded them just continued to happily enjoy the moment. Little Maple puts a paw to Cloudstrike's back. A job well done.[break][break]

With all of them, Kepler's claim has Ashley tearing up a little, and kissing again, and again. Yeah.[break][break]

Twenty years was nothing to the rest of their lives.[break][break]

"I like the sound of that."[break][break]

Whatever comes, let it. They would make it. That, Ash was sure of.

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There was nothing Kepler had to be sorry about. Now locked in place, arms around his neck, fingers lacing through silvered hair, his eyes well up. Kep was here. Ash was here. That could be enough...[break][break]

The hole would always be there, in the chain of memories. That... hole of the duo both longing for something, for that something they had prepared for. But before either could make that choice, it was stripped away from them. Even if they forgot now, it would likely always be there. It would always be there, and as he tightens his grip on Kepler, he finally smiles.[break][break]

It's flimsy. It's weak. It's palpable to breaking at a moment's notice. It's a smile though. It's warm, though embers, and dim, though bright. It's still a smile.[break][break]

He tightens his grip again, and holds Kepler tighter.[break][break]

"It's okay."[break][break]

He keeps his forehead there, and closes his eyes. That smile persists through it all. One thought keeps digging into his mind, festering away, like a lingering disease.[break][break]

This was Rocket's fault.

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El Diablo feasts upon fear, scaring the swarm away best it could, the demon roaring again, as if to tell them that continued assaults will lead to ruination. The monstrous dragon stops, landing on the ground, and merely snorting, a hot puff of steam from its nostrils, as it moves nearby, readying to unleash hell at a moment's notice.[break][break]

There's no feeling in it anymore though. Not for Ashley. It's just another mission. With two people he actually kind of enjoys the company of.[break][break]

The flock of Delibots has Ashley stare on, as Hitoshi and Kusanagi strike first, and go to town. With a nod, so too does El Diablo, as with a BREAKING SWIPE, the ancient dragon attacks everything to keep the heat off of Kusanagi.[break][break]

It's to Hitoshi's question, that Ashley takes pause, and his face is unmistakably... troubled. Memories may be fading, but he still holds them tightly to his heart.[break][break]

"Aside from Zacian? Probably." Ashley bites his lip, and turns towards El Diablo, still swiping away. Isaac Merlo had a similar experience. The Sword and the Shield were just that. Parallel worlds that tore apart between the instruments. Silver eyes lacked conviction, just more trouble as he turns to the side.[break][break]

El Diablo roars. A reminder of where they were. He regains his composure. "Stadium full of ash... horse guy told us... shit. It's getting harder to remember." He rubs the back of his head. Damned memory was going.[break][break]

Turning to Selena, someone he saw like an older sister now.[break][break]

"You remember?"[break][break]

...[break][break]

He really was going to miss this.

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There's an overwhelming fear that overcomes him, as the Darkrai appears. The emergence of the inky blackness, the ichor that it phases from, as the sharpened claw is prepared... readied for Ashley. And his pupils shrink. They're going every which direction. Was... was he going to die here?[break][break]

...[break][break]

Was this what Rocket was now? It... hadn't changed at all.[break][break]

He hadn't breathed air, and when the burning in his lungs stopped, he realized he was still able to do so. Manually, he catches his breath, to see the deed's ending. The dirty move made, and Ashley gets to see Jayden...[break][break]

And then something else drags out of him.[break][break]

"That's it... huh?" Was it courage? Was it stupidity? Was it just that self-entitlement he felt? Maybe he wanted to fight back. And now was a time. "You're no different than Silas Blackwell's Kanto... you know that, Walsh?" He can feel the tug at his heart, as he steps on the thinnest strand of ice, steps away from the drown. "Ja-... he didn't fail to kill me. I got away. Simple as that. I deserted before because your predecessor was a fucking joke of a person. The punchline is he's six feet under now. Dead. For the same actions." He can feel his heart starting to burn, as the metaphysical ice cracks below his feet.[break][break]

"No wonder people betray Rocket. You make it real easy."[break][break]

He stands his ground. Silver eyes filled with hatred. Contempt laced with disdain, a cocktail with angered vim and vigor. Testing the ice, ready to make a dent in it. He knows he won't get away with the words, but...[break][break]

The blood from his clinched hand helps stabilize him. He stands between Walsh and Jayden now. The ice cracks spiral out of control. Sink or swim time.

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It's been a little since the engagement. The sepia tone of the world ahead of them, this Border between life-and-death felt almost alien. But it felt more peaceful than it ever had been before. It was calming, relaxing, like it just made sense...[break][break]

He still remembers Galar. It's starting to fade away. Bits and pieces come to mind better, but a lot of the faces are disappearing. Sometimes, it's like a fleeting daydream, called back as a memory with the piece of the crown he has. He still remembers the twenty years, but it's getting harder and harder to picture them. Even the piece of crown has lost the same luster he once used for recollection.[break][break]

One of these days, it will fade. But while it sits in his mind, it's a reminder that things must be done before they fade away completely. And so, this trip back to the Borders is twofold; one, to find a way to leave the Border, and two, to tell him.[break][break]

"Seems like it. Glad they aren't heckling us this time." he muses to Isaac, a quiet smile, before moving through the rift between with them both. He takes a breath of the ancient air in here, and feels lighter. His shoulders had an incredible weight pulled away, leaving him, as he is, all he is.[break][break]

Fear holds his heart. It takes him, and digs into his chest like a blade, a scalpel to open it up. His face is covered in sweat, and he feels hesitation. Two black bags form slowly under his eyes.[break][break]

He feels sorrowful... so as he takes a step forward, he turns towards Isaac. And with a nod...[break][break]

He moves to Kepler.[break][break]

"Hey." The fog was making it hard to see anything else... but he can see the trouble in Kepler. He likes to think, even imaginary as those twenty years will soon be, they helped him see his fiancee's heart wide-open. Damaged or busted, or whatever, he saw it all for what it was.[break][break]

"You come here often, cutie?" He flirts, moving to grab his hand, his own ring on his finger. Fear pricks at his heart... for in the distance, something was readying to disrupt them.[break][break]

A set of footsteps within the fog and mist... the entrance, now, nowhere to be seen.[break][break]

"Damn, this mist is crazy today..." It's disrupting, and little does he, or the rest of them know, that they were soon to be walking into a trap, a game of shadows ready to begin. Letting out Spice Girl the Charmander, the little girl begins lighting up their way, waving away the mist in a small circle around them. The Charmander turning her head to look at the trio.[break][break]

"You guys hear that?" Ashley questions, almost concerned.

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It takes Ashley a few minutes to comprehend those words. Science wasn't his strong suit, and Kepler speaking of it has him confused for a moment. It isn't the sexual organs themselves, but what that had to do with them, until it dawns on him. And Ashley's older, mid-forties eyes widen with epiphany, the revelation taking a good minute to sink in.[break][break]

"Really?" It's not a miracle. It's biology. That part has him blink. And he realizes what his boyfriend is- nay, what has been in front of him all along. Ash just smiles. It's something to have twenty years of marriage and have no idea at all.[break][break]

Wild shit.[break][break]

But seeing Kep conflicted like this grounds him a little, as he listens. And honestly, how could he argue? This was Kep's body. There was no way either of them could have seen this coming. It was the transition, after all. Ashley hadn't even known to begin with, so it never registered with him at all. But as Kep moves to the bed, dizzy, Ashley takes a moment to listen. To the woes. To the fear. To the worries that hang over his husband. And in truth, he felt it too.[break][break]

So. In wisdom, he responds by first moving to him. He places his arms around Kep's waist, and pulls him into a hug. First to comfort him. Then he speaks.[break][break]

"Me too... I'm terrified. If we never get to go home, if... those things do happen, we might have more trouble than we ever bargained for." He starts, a foundation in realism. Every bad thing could happen, and as he holds Kepler tighter, pressing his head onto his shoulder, he continues.[break][break]

"Look at the positive though. I learned that from a friend of ours." Melancholic as it was to do so, he knows who he's thinking of. "It means... we can both make dad jokes now. A lot of them. We can figure out how it works together. We can leave a legacy behind in Galar. If you decide you want to keep it." He closes his silver eyes, and lets himself quietly hum. To lighten the mood.[break][break]

There wasn't really a means for him to say if he wanted it. Because at the end of the day, this miracle, this accident, this oopsie was nothing anyone could predict.[break][break]

And the decision was his queen's. Not his. Never.

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Sushi. It all started with sushi. As funny as that sounded, that little Slowpoke sent him on the journey of his life. From nearly dying, getting back to Rocket, enjoying seafood with Kep and Isaac, trick or treating, Meteno, ice skating, drinking, the winter masquerade, the journey into the borders, the Ultra Sea War, and now... the ever-fading memories of Galar.[break][break]

He thanks every day, and everyone for this moment. With Kep around him, wrapped in his arms, in his neck, in his lips, they share the moment together. The Pokemon around, just enjoying the moment. So much so, that Ana, the little Pikachu feels the energy pulse through her body. Her body shines brightly.[break][break]

The new beachside Alolan Raichu happily skating upon her tail, as she surfs around them both. And all while Ashley is holding Kepler, hoisting him into his arms, and spinning him in this alcove.[break][break]

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

If only he can get it out from every kiss he made, but Holy Diver and Kingsley continue their rainbow bubble beauty, the scene magnificent, as Laguna squelches over too.[break][break]

Maple, however, had to get Kepler's Pokemon. Because they needed to be in on this too. They needed to enjoy this together. The Glaceon gestures for them all to see this moment together. Letting the breeze come back in, as Ashley holds Kepler closely.[break][break]

"We've waited twenty years for this... to do it right this time. Ya'know?" He still has Kepler in his bigger, beefier arms, held up now.[break][break]

"All the way this time." Ride or die.

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There's a pause. Ashley stands up, and looks towards the rising sun. And it's... beautiful. It's wonderful. It's something he wants to keep. He wants to protect that sunrise. To hold it in him.[break][break]

Rocket looked to the sunset, cloak and dagger in the night. His role in assisting mint frost against Gym Leader Josh, the traitor hunt with Cillian Quinn, the blatant murders he had to commit with Zev Harcourt. Everything in Postdorm and Meteno. For the first time...[break][break]

"..."[break][break]

He takes a breath in, he shuts his eyes.[break][break]

"The rains have ceased. And we have been graced with another beautiful day." he smiles to the rising sun upon the waves, the gorgeous coloration of the sky providing him every bit his resolve. kepler brueshaber may not be here to see it... but he would be. Soon.[break][break]

He turns to Isaac, and smiles wide.[break][break]

"Yeah. I'm gonna tell him. It's time to leave Rocket behind as the relic of the past it should have been."[break][break]

Those words burn in his heart. He grabs harder at the shard of crown in his hand. He holds his fist out. Ashley's soul had always been balanced between both sides. But a reassuring smile would tell Isaac where he finally landed.

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Just more crying. Bawling. Tears, just falling. Everything hurts. But it's not physical. For the first time, a mission happens where the physical pain was nothing, and the emotional pain was the hardest part. How else can get they get through this? This hell that has been put on them.[break][break]

It's maybe ten minutes... Ashley has stopped. He can't anymore. Placing both hands on each cheek, he cups Kepler's face, as he presses his forehead to him.[break][break]

"We can't get this back. We can't turn it back." he laments, a sadness carried in his chest that washes away everything else. A pain that drowns the heart, a trauma that will be buried in a chain of memory to be forgotten.[break][break]

He doesn't let go.[break][break]

They lost enough. They lost more than enough. But not everything. And that was the part that Ashley would cling on. As he holds Kepler, he tries to smile. "But you still have me. I won't leave you."[break][break]

"Ever."[break][break]

They lost what they could have. But in that, they could make it through. They had to. If they didn't... would that be it? Would this be the end for them?[break][break]

Ash didn't want that.

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Alright, yeah, Ashley was getting a little too cocky. A smidge of arrogance that inflated his ego. He rode with Shalin Nariya, on a Yanmega. He can handle this, easy-peasy. And though the little Galarian Rapidash seemed a lot more passive, Ashley knew the shiny one would be an easy ri-[break][break]

And the neigh roars out, as the anxious Rapidash rears up onto its hind legs, as Ashley is holding on for dear life, his silver eyes wide, as he holds on, gripping towards the neck, and shaking. And now, almost like a Bouffalant, the shiny Rapidash attempted to throw Ashley off.[break][break]

And the poor guy was thrown off into a tumble, the wind knocked out of his lungs.[break][break]

"Yeah... no problem... lungs burn... no race." He gasps, hoping to gain the air back, as the Rapidash snorts, and trots away. Ash doing his best to just get his breath back. It comes back slowly, steadily, and allows him a chance to get himself back on his feet.[break][break]

"Envious of riders now. This isn't an easy pastime..." he laments, his face coated in sweat as he moves to approach the Rapidash.[break][break]

He's riding that horse. So help him. He can't look like a loser to a new friend.

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Oops.[break][break]

Ashley's older gaze just continues to scan over Kepler, but his focus is truly on one thing; the belly. His expression, disbelief. He was confused, and he had no idea how to function, but he tries to find a way. When he finally cranes back to those eyes...[break][break]

"How...?" Then the smile comes. He didn't realize he wanted it, but he knows now that he did. Always. Something in Ashley shifts permanently. He never thought this was possible. A miracle? He didn't know. But now, he looks at Kepler with a sense of pride.[break][break]

Yeah... they did enjoy those activities a lot, huh?[break][break]

Well. Anyways. As he places his hands in Kepler's, he seems oddly happy? It's something else... and then he realizes what Kep asked him to promise. Now he's conflicted. But he's happy, still! He has to be![break][break]

"Never thought I'd be king. And here I am. Never thought I'd be... this either. But here we are. I-" he muses, and holds tightly upon Kep's hands. And he continues. "-want this."

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