What happened after was for tomorrow. They would not get off of this island today, but rescue would come or they would claw their way from this small, forested strip of land with nothing but their hands and sheer will. Even if their water supplies dwindled and their few allies abandoned them, they would survive.

They both had that obligation. To each other and to themselves. They would see the sun rise. They'd see the sun fall. They'd see it rise again.

They were going to live.

Even if he should be dead.

No matter what happened after they left this island behind, that fact would not change. Nor would it change the fact that in this moment, they needed one another.

As they left the water, trails of saltwater trickled from his wounds and into the sand below. Not just the wounds, but them. It fell from them in small trails, and Rex shook his head like a Growlithe, sending drops of water everywhere.

"How do you do it?" He asked curiously. "Plan so far ahead, I mean? You always know what to do next, no matter what happens."

---

keiko mori

Selfishness was just another form of faith. Belief in one's self. Belief in the fact that they deserved something that others did not. It was not the belief in a higher power, but something else entirely. It was a fervent need that allowed for continued functioning and continued life.

Time would not heal all wounds. Some scars would never fade.

"I need you more." He leaned in to taste the salt on the air, on her face, on her lips. He squeezed and did not let go. "Please don't leave. Please stay. Please..."

Please...

"...stay with me. Even when we get off this island." His voice trembled at the selfishness of the request, at the mockery of the demand, at the absurdity of this development. It had been a day, almost two. This was absurd, like a bad romance novel that his neighbor had loved to read. "No matter what."

Funny, then, that it didn't feel terrible to live through.

---

keiko mori

Togepi. It was such an innocent Pokémon. In a sense, it was similar to Rex. Yet Gallade fit him better, and it was a stronger Pokémon than the egg. It acted as an anomaly that tied him to Littleroot. For her to ask about it was utterly random, yet it made perfect sense.

It was a strange Pokémon.

"It was my neighbor's Pokemon. When she disappeared, she left behind Togepi's egg. It hatched when I went through her house, trying to see if she had survived Dialga's attack. She was like a little sister to me." He missed her so much. Yet she was not the only fallen friend that had curdled before raw divinity. "Togepi's a little part of her, even if he's just a baby."

His vision blurred with tears. Rex couldn't tell if it was from the pain of salt on skin or from the memories of yesterday. He could barely see the courier in the water next to him.

"It should have been me."

---

keiko mori

It was that big of an ask.

The Spiritomb was wily, it was violent, and it also had enough souls to play a small pachinko tournament. Between them all, there was definitely a brain cell or three to rub together. The sealed evil was remarkably clever, and as a result, tricking it would be impossible.

"Over here! Idiot! Dipshit! Stupid ghost!" Rex taunted and sneered as he danced from side to side, his Gallade doing much of the work while the Forbidden Pokemon waged its war of attrition with Rex's loyal knight. "Hey! HEY!"

Spiritomb pointedly ignored him, and Gallade struck at the spirit in retaliation for that heinous crime. As Tsuru hid, Rex danced with the spirit for several more moments.

"HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO~"

Gallade, finally annoyed at Rex's incessant bleating, simply kicked the Odd Keystone past the door in question. That was one way to handle it. "Got it!"

---

Mitsuru Kagami
42. Use a pokemon to clear the air of smoke or other noxious gases.

If they got infected, they got infected. Rex suspected it wouldn't matter. Before he grew too weak to travel, they would find a way off this island.

By his own hand, if need be.

"No. Don't be sorry." He insisted, feeling hurt. This was his error. His crime. His sin. It was Keiko's job that had gotten them stranded here, but he had followed and had arguably made it worse at every step of the way. She had done much of the work while he had bled for meaningless goals.

It was all he knew.

"I need you to ask your question." He insisted, his gaze boring a hole through her concern. "Ask it, and I'll do anything you want. I won't complain. I won't betray you. I won't hide anything from you."

The waves lapped at their waists, but Rex did not flinch. He squeezed her shoulders, fervent.

"Ask it."

---

keiko mori

The answer to her question was depraved. It did not help him, but from his experience in battling and in Littleroot, the struggles of others had given him clarity. Marching alongside his Pokémon and throwing everything into the incinerator was how he found meaning in his life.

His Pokémon bled for him, exclusively for his own benefit. If he bled for Keiko, for her benefit...

It was fortunate that she perceived his heart as golden. Gold did not rust or tarnish when buried in his blood. As ironclad as his will was, it was bound to rust when it inevitably broke down.

"I don't know. It's just what I do. Every time there's a problem, every time there's something I can do to fix it, I just throw myself at the problem until it goes away. Even if it hurts. It's all I know. It's all I knew when they pulled me out of the rubble at Littleroot. But..." He grimaced as she grasped at him, salt water stinging his cuts. Now it hurt. "...I want to do better for you, because you're kind."

The concept of leaving their partnership like this hurt his heart, knowing that if this didn't work, she would never look at him like this ever again.

It was likely that he'd never see Keiko Mori again.

"I can, because you asked me to. I'll prove it." His forehead tapped against hers, until they were mere inches apart. "Ask me anything. I'll answer it honestly."

Trust.

---

keiko mori

Damn. She was right.

He hated that. It made dancing around her with words almost impossible. She didn't seem mad, even. No, she was hurt. Rex blinked once, slowly, before crossing his arms to think. How did he solve this? How did they solve this? How did Rex ensure that he didn't betray Keiko for a third time.

Even if it was insignificant, he had told her that he trusted her. Without his word, who was he?

Nothing. Just another braggart.

"I'm sorry." Rex said simply, before shaking his head. "I didn't want to ruin your moment because I decided to fight a Pangoro. It's not fair that you had to clean up my mess."

He flinched again.

"I just wanted to see you smile."

This saltwater stung, but he needed to think of a solution to this as quickly as possible. How did he get over these sorts of trust issues? What was his gameplan?

It popped into his head quickly.

"Keiko." He looked at her even as she pulled away. "I need you..."

"...to punch me in the face. As hard as you can. Atonement."

---

keiko mori

"No." Rex said, though he immediately grimaced. "Yes."

Still, he didn't shy away from the waves that lapped at their feet, at their legs, at their waists. It was by that point that Rex turned to her, concerned that they would soon have to float to stay above the waves, relying on the buoyancy of salt water to stay afloat in such pristine waters.

"Sorry, I should've told you, but..." He reddened as she started working on his shirt with surprising fervor, and he quickly moved to shimmy from it. A few cuts revealed themselves, though Rex did his hardest to put on a brave face for Keiko. "...you were excited. I didn't want to ruin the moment."

A lot of wounds marked him. Many were old. Scuffles with wild Pokémon, reminders of Littleroot, a few from wrestling Pokémon at Sea Mauville.

"But I'm fine." He wrapped his fingers around her hand and squeezed tightly. "Seriously."

The waves lapped shortly after, and he tensed slightly at the sting of salt.

---

keiko mori

Time froze as she took the initiative. He didn't mind that. Her mouth tasted like Pinap as well. He didn't mind that sensation either.

In fact, Rex thought it improved her. It fit her. Delicious, yet biting when the opportunity presented itself. She was at her best like this, with her gaze ahead and a purpose before her. When Keiko had control over the situation, she shined. When she had control over him, she shined even brighter.

Rex wanted to see her blind him, but he wouldn't let her beat him that easily.

This contest was not yet over.

"I'd hate to see you covered in dirt and blood." Though he didn't hate that aesthetic either. How had she found a way to stun him, even when her hands were covered in his blood? It was a deranged thought, but he had never been particularly reasonable. That was Keiko's job, but even then...

"Don't worry." He kissed her lightly. "I'm an adult. I can handle some salt."

Famous last words. He unsteadily rose to his feet with the courier's help.

"Come on."

---

keiko mori

As expected, Rex opened his mouth.

"That's not-MMPH!" She pushed a chunk of Pinap past his lips, almost causing him to choke. Keiko looked remarkably pleased with that little gambit, especially as she started to clean his wounds. Each time she did so, he twitched slightly in recoil. Eventually, the pain became a constant companion, and he did not recoil from its touch.

Nor did he recoil from hers.

It didn't stop him from looking embarrassed as she moved his face around. He looked terrible.

After a moment of chewing, he finally swallowed and glared at her. "You're so cruel."

He pouted for a moment.

"You're good at this. Your guild taught you how to dress a wound, then? Not a bad skill to have. I approve." He shivered as she wiped his face, leaving only the fainted imprint that blood had once stained his skin. He would've threatened to fuss, if not for the fact that she was working. "You'll get dirty if you keep doing that."

---

keiko mori

"But the Gogoat... are they okay?" Nearby, Gogoat demurely chewed on a few leaves and berries, before snorting at them. Rex immediately relaxed. "That's good."

Immediately, the rush began to slow down and become as tranquil as a lake. Yet that tranquility was stabbed through with bites of pain and needles of aches. That Pangoro had roughed him up pretty good, all things considered. He would've won in the end, but Keiko's order had saved the day in the end.

Another debt.

Another thing owed.

"Fine. You win." The words came begrudgingly. He hated losing as much as she did, but a loss offered room for improvement. Either her words were getting stronger or he was getting weaker. Both were unnerving. "Gallade, keep an eye out for that Pangoro. Bring Gogoat back to camp. You know the way?"

The Gallade nodded once, then twice.

"Good. Off you go." When the two disappeared, Rex's head turned back to Keiko. "Help me? It's hard to move."

---

keiko mori

Luckily for them both, he wasn't concussed. He was just an idiot, but Keiko already knew that from the origin for this entire escapade.

Most of what had occurred over the past day had been because of his odd nature clashing with hers. One would've called it a disfunctional relationship. Rex would've called it a very functional partnership. They hadn't killed each other yet, though it was likely that this Pangoro would.

"A leash? Do I look like a dog?" Rex grinned, delirium flickering through his pupils. "Don't worry. It's an easy match. Eh, Gallade? We're gonna become Top Champions together, right?"

In the midst of clashing blows, Gallade nodded once, before attempting to push the bear away with his mind. The bear's Dark-type protected it, but Gallade simply pushed it back with a mighty Force Palm. A Moonblast emerged between the knight's hands, before firing out towards the Pangoro.

"When I make it to Ever Grande, I'd really like it if you were there." He wiped a red scratch on his cheek. "With me."

As Keiko suggested, the Pangoro was sent flying by the mental attack.

---

keiko mori

There were many trails on the island, forgotten to time and overgrown with age and a lack of people to traverse them. Perhaps people had lived on the island years ago, or perhaps it was simply a series of paths walked by the wild Pokémon that populated this lonely stretch of land.

Eventually, Keiko would find marks on trees, freshly carved into the bark as a reminder. They were remarkably similar to those on the young man's Gallade, a loyal knight that followed his foolish lord to the ends of the earth.

Eventually, the distant sounds of his voice rang out, whispering through the trees.

"Leave Gogoat alone!" The sound of blade meeting bark and flesh erupted, followed by a ferocious roar. The skittish grumble of a Gogoat quickly followed. "Fight me instead!"

The trees parted to a clearing where Rex and Gallade faced a giant Pangoro, the young man's body scratched and bleeding as he grinned up at the giant bear. Gallade quickly crossed the distance with an Agility while the Pangoro released a Breaking Swipe.

Gallade dodged. Rex was not so lucky.

"Guh!" He slammed into a tree, grunting as he wiped his mouth. "Not bad."

---

keiko mori