Chapter Text
"I'm sorry Rio! But it's gotta end! You've just gotta accept this!" "No!!!" Rio jumps at mew, as the harmony scarf begins to shine a familiar glow. He reaches out and grabs something, but it isn't what he expected. "What in the world?!" Rio kneels on the floor with a familiar pokémon in his arms. His eyes are closed, he didn't want to look at the bright light. But he doesn't need to see, he recognizes the feeling of the slightly warm fur in his arms. Tears well in Rio's still closed eyes, he doesn't want to open them. "(It can't be...)" He's afraid that he may be holding something different then what he thinks. He slowly opens his eyes and is met with a sight that only makes him cry more. "(Fenn...?)" Rio tightens his grip, pulling his friend into a silent embrace. As this happens, Rio himself begins to shine, but this is different. It feels different. "(I... I won't let anything bad happen to you ever again...)" These thoughts speed through Rio's mind as he's enveloped in light. Not too long after, the light fades. And where a small Riolu once kneeled, a Lucario now stands. He goes to turn around, but suddenly wakes up in his house.
"(Ugh... Another dream... How many more times am I going to relive this...)" Rio gets up off his bed and walks outside of his house. The suns shines down on Lively Town, it had been years since Dark Matter menaced the planet. And years since Rio restored Fenn. Over the years the once inseparable friends have drifted apart, only really spending time together while doing work for the Expedition Society. Rio walks through the busy streets of Lively Town, passing by pokémon both familiar and unfamiliar. although even those that he once knew seemed so distant now. Rio and Fenn's friendship aren't the only ones to have decayed over time, there weren't many pokémon Rio still regularly spent time around that weren't members of the Expedition Society. He could still fondly think of all of them though, he could never forget them. As he walks up to the Expedition Society building for roll call, he can't help but think back to the time before even dark matter was a problem to him. The simple days of helping others and spending time with his closest friend. It all seems so distant now, even if in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that long ago. He brushes off these feelings and enters the building.
It's the usual at roll call. "Give it your all out there team!" "Yes sir!" Words so ingrained into Rio's mind that they might as well be second nature to him. Afterwards he meets up with Fenn for the daily routine, helping anyone in need, checking mystery dungeons for abnormalities, the usual work that he's become so accustomed too. "Heya Rio, ready for today?" "Ready as I'll ever be." They exchange pleasantries despite the fact that they could hardly even be considered acquaintances anymore, once loyal companions reduced to co-workers at best. Like last night, Rio comes back to that day in the Purifying Cave. "(I won't let anything bad happen to you ever again.)" A childish thought, maybe. But one that still lingers in his mind. Despite the distance, he still cares deeply for her. He never could stop caring, no matter how far apart they grow something always tells him to cross that distance. A strange feeling from deep within that he just can't quite explain. He always attributes it some kind of sentimentality, it's just because they've known each other for so long. Again, he brushes off these thoughts and focuses on his work. It's not something that he should be distracted by.
"I'll be fine, I'm always fine aren't I?" Fenn was glad that she was enveloped in a sickeningly bright light, because if she wasn't Rio would be able to see the tears streaming down her face. She knows she isn't fine, but why make him worry even more then he already is? "Do me one last favor... And don't you cry!" She said in a vain attempt to try and bring some comfort to him in her final moments. Soon after everything began to fade, it almost felt like sleeping in after a long day of adventuring. But she knew it was the end, a cold dark and horrible end. An end right where she thought it was a beginning. She closes her eyes in acceptance of this fate... And wakes up. A familiar feeling is all over, soft fur and what feels like light rain drops. She's so tired, she struggles to even open her eyes. But part of her knows what is happening. She knows that the fur is blue, and that the rain is not what it seems. "(How...?)" Is the only question she can think about. She was sure it was the end, Xerneas told her so. So how did he manage? Eventually, she finds the strength to open her eyes and look at him. He's changed, he wasn't the same. How long had it been? From her perspective it was like falling asleep and waking up the next morning, but he looks older now. Had it been weeks? Months? Years? She wouldn't concern herself with it too much now, she was too busy trying to hold back tears of her own. She heard voices, many voices. She recognized most, but two were unfamiliar, even though one felt like she should know it. The voice sounded so familiar, but she just couldn't pinpoint where she had heard it. She tries to open her mouth and say something, but instead she wakes up in her house.
"(That dream again... What does it mean?)" She pounders the meaning of the constant dreams. Flashes back to the day when she lost everything, and the day she got it all back. It's of little concern to her now though, She has places to be. It had been a few years since she was brought back, overtime she had grown from a small Fennekin into a powerful Delphox. She grabs a berry from a large bowl and eats it as she leaves her house. She rushes down the busy street, running to ensure she isn't late for roll call.
Fenn meets up with Rio for the days work, the one who worked so tirelessly to bring her back. She always feels like she owes him something, but he hardly even talks to her anymore. He never was the talkative sort, but now he's even more reserved then he was before. She can't help but wonder if she did something wrong, it reminds her of that time she thought Rio hated her when they were kids. She didn't plan on drifting so far apart from him, she always wanted to say something but could never quite think of what to say. She thinks back on her dream, even then he didn't say much. Why did he work so hard for her? She doesn't quite understand why he would do so much just for her. But like this morning, it's of little concern. She has more important things to worry about right now, but she decides to put a pin in it for later.
After The days work, Fenn invites Rio to spend some time at Cafe Connection, He's slightly surprised but accepts the offer. "So... How are things Rio?" Fenn says before taking a sip from the tea they had ordered. It was Rio's order, she just ordered the same since he seems to like it. "Things are... Good. Thanks for asking..." Rio answered nervously. "I've been meaning to ask... Why haven't you said much to me lately? Did I do something to upset you?" Fenn asks with a dejected look on her face "What?! No! Of course not! It's just... Well things feel have felt awkward between us ever since you came back." Rio responds quickly, trying his best to make her feel better. "I thought that since you realized who you really were, you wouldn't really want to be around me anymore. I figured we were just... Allies now... Not friends..." Rio says while looking down at his tea. "What?! Of course not!" Fenn shouts. "We've always been friends, and we always will be! Me being Mew didn't change that!" "Really? I... I'm sorry for being so distant then. I never meant to make you upset..." "It's fine Rio, I'm just glad we're on the same page now." "Yeah, I still feel bad though..." "Then that settles it!" Fenn says while standing up. "Settles... What?" Rio asks before Fenn grabs his hand and starts pulling him out of the cafe. "W-Wait! Slow down! What about my tea?!" Rio's protests fall on deaf ears as Fenn drags him outside and past Lively Town's gates.
Eventually, Fenn reaches the gates of Serene Village, still dragging Rio behind her. "Here we are!" Fenn shouts. "My arm hurts..." Rio mutters. Fenn looks around before running off somewhere, leaving Rio behind in the village center. "(Jeez, she really hasn't changed much... If anything it feels like she's gotten more hyper.)" after a few minutes, Rio hears shouting, and not too long after Fenn comes running into the square with a Pangoro in tow. Both Rio and Pangoro are profoundly confused by her being able to overpower him. "Let go of me you nuisance! Will you ever change?!" The Pangoro yells at Fenn, who is seemingly unphased by him. "It's been too long since all of us have gotten together! So let's-" "Let go of me!!!" The Pangoro screams while ripping his arm out of Fenn's grasp, at the same time a Shellmet runs into the square. seeing this, Rio starts to put the pieces together. "Wait... Pancham?! you evolved?!" "Yeah, why does it matter to some random... Wait, Rio?! Is that you?!" The two friends walk closer to each other as Shellmet approaches "Pan! I'm here! I heard you screaming!" "And Shellmet, it's good to see you too!" "Yeah, first Fenn shows up, and now you too? (And of course I'm the only one who hasn't evolved yet...)" The friends talk with each other about various things before Fenn speaks up. "It's great that we're all here. but Pangoro, where's Deerling, Goomy and Espurr?" "Oh, Deer and Goo are out helping Carracosta with the fields, And Es... We uh... Don't know where she is. And you can just call me Pan, We've all come up with nicknames for each other while you two were off living your best lives at Lively Town." "Yeah, and you can call me Shelly!" Fenn looks slightly saddened by what Pan said, but she quickly livens up. "Alright then, It'll just have to be us 4 then! Here's my idea, me and Rio haven't been doing much together recently. And the both of us haven't been coming to visit you guys here often either. So all of us are going to go camping!" "What?!" Everyone except Fenn exclaims. "Oh come on you Miltanks, it'll be fun!" "I mean I'm not exactly opposed to it..." Rio says quietly. "... I guess I could go with you two, it would be nice to shake things up a bit." Pan says while turning to Shelly. "I don't mind either, maybe we'll meet a Karablast while we're at it! Shelly says excitedly. "Well if we're all in agreement, let's get ready!" Fenn says while running off towards Carracosta's house. Everyone else leaves the square to prepare for the trip.
After awhile, the friends meet up at Serene Village's gate. Fenn is carrying a basket full of berries, Rio holds a cluster of firewood, Pan has 4 sacks of straw, and Shelly has... Nothing on account of him not having arms. "Do we have everything we need?" Rio asks everyone before they leave. "I've got enough berries for all of us!" "I scrounged up some straw, and put it in some bags for us to use for bedding out there." Everyone turns to Shelly. "... What?" "... Anyway, is everyone ready?" Fenn asks eagerly. Everyone checks their things, and then start walking past the village gate. The group walk through the woods surrounding Serene Village. "So why did you decided that we needed to go on a camping trip?" Rio asks Fenn. "Well you seemed sad, and I wanted to cheer you up. So I figured spending some time with our old friends would do the trick!" "And you thought the best way to do that... Was a camping trip?" "Yeah!" "Okay... (Why is that the first thing she thought off?!)" Pan scoffs at what Fenn said. "Man, you're an adult but you still act the same as you did back when we were still in school." Pan says sarcastically "And you're still a grouchy bully!" Fenn says in the same tone as Pan, causing everyone to laugh. Soon after, they reach a small clearing in the forest. "This looks like a good place to camp, I'll start getting the campfire ready." Rio says while setting down the firewood he brought. Fenn puts her basket of berries down next to the wood before starting to walk off. "I'll go look for some kindling!" Pan sets the beds down and sits down on one, Shelly moves over to one as well. Rio gathers rocks from around the clearing and places them in a circle, then puts the firewood in the middle. He then sits down on one of the beds. "Yo Rio, how've you been?" Pan asks. "I've been good. Like Fenn said, we haven't really done much together in awhile. I am glad that we get to spend time together... But an impromptu camping trip is an odd way of doing that." "You can say that again!" Shelly says. "I'm back!" Fenn shouts as she runs into the clearing with her arms full of sticks. She runs over to the unlit campfire Rio had set up and piles on the sticks she had gathered, she then grabs a few berries from her basket and shares them with the others. She sits down on the last bed and they all start eating.
Later that night, they all sit around the campfire. Pan and shelly are talking about various things that have happened while Rio and Fenn were away at Lively Town, obviously exaggerating some aspects to make themselves seem cooler. Rio and Fenn sit close together as they listen to Pan and Shelly's wild stories. Despite the obvious embellishments, Fenn listens intently. "(Does she really believe what they're saying?)" Rio wounders while listening to Pan's tale, when suddenly Fenn rests her head on Rio's shoulder. "(Huh?!)" Rio is taken aback, but doesn't protest. "(She's so close... It's nice...)" Rio thinks to himself as Pan continues to talk. He thinks about that feeling, that one that kept telling him to talk to Fenn again. Finally, he realizes what it really is. It's not sentimentality, and it's not just because they are friends. "(Do I... Love her?!)" Rio can hardly believe this revelation, he can hardly keep still. He's visibly nervous. "Rio are you okay? You seem tense." Fenn asks. "I'm fine! It's nothing!" Rio shouts. "Calm down man, did my story really get you that exited?" Pan says while laughing. "It's nothing, I'm just... Tired! I'm tired!" Rio says while getting up and laying down on his bed. Pan laughs at Rio's odd behavior. "Yo Fenn, what's up with him?" "I don't know, he did say he was tired." "What, do you just believe what everyone says?... Don't answer that actually." Pan says while getting up and walking over to his bed. "I'm gonna get some shut eye too." he says while laying down. Shelly lays down on his bed as well, leaving Fenn alone by the campfire. "(Pan's right, Rio is acting strange... It's kinda cute actually!)" Fenn thinks before pausing. "(Wait... Why would I call him cute?! That's ridiculous! He's... He's... Oh no... Do I have a crush on him?!)" Fenn nearly screams, but holds her tongue so she doesn't wake up the others. She calms herself and walks over to her bed. "(Now is not the time to worry about this! I'll... I'll worry about it tomorrow!)" she thinks as she lays down and goes to sleep.
The next day, Everyone gathers the things they brought and head back to Serene Village. "Alright, we should head back to Lively Town now. I promise we'll come back again soon!" Fenn says. "That's great, it was dull around here without the village nuisance!" Pan jests. Everyone laughs, Then Rio and Fenn leave the village and begin the trek back to Lively Town. As they cross the familiar peaks and caves of the Water Continent, Rio and Fenn think back on what happened while they were camping. The feelings that have been in the back of their minds for years now. The two had been friends for so long, but they had never considered the possibility of being anything more then that. "(There's no way she would like me like that... Even if my body doesn't match, I'm still a human...)" "(He probably doesn't feel the same way about me... We're just friends, nothing more...)" Eventually, the two reach Lively Town and head into the Expedition Society building. They explain why they were absent for that days roll call and go out to do some easy work for the day. But the whole time they keep thinking about each other, and the feeling they realized yesterday.
At the end of the day, the two walk into the center of Lively Town together. "Well, that's everything for today. It's been fun Rio!" "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." "Wait! Before you go Rio, I have something for you!" Fenn opens her bag and takes out a pair of identical scarves with a familiar pattern woven into them. She hands one of them to Rio and puts on the other one "I paid someone to make a new pair of scarves for us! They aren't magic like the harmony scarves, but they look the same!" "Wow, Thanks! That's... Really cool!" Rio says nervously while putting on the scarf, the two of them then head back to their respective houses for the night. Rio lays down on his bed while admiring the scarf Fenn gave him. "(It's a nice scarf...)" The design brings back memories. He can't help but think about the day on the hill, the day he officially became friends with Fenn. "(Those were good times... I shouldn't tell her how I feel, it would probably just make things awkward between us. And I don't want to risk ruining our friendship...)" He puts the scarf back on and goes to sleep.