Chapter 20
Goodbye



I sit in peaceful silence atop the mountain. The sun is just starting to rise; after waking up early, I couldn't go back to sleep. Fortunately, it gave me a lot of time to think clearly. Life advice: Always sleep before making an important decision, or else you might do something stupid or forget something obvious. And wow did I forget something obvious last night.

I stare out at the horizon, watching the golden sunrise light up the world. It's like the land itself is waking up...

"MUDKIP!" Snivy's cries from behind me, throwing open the tent door. "Oh thank goodness, you're still here. Your sleeping bag was empty, and I..."

"Hey, I promised, right? Friends don't break promises."

"Yeah. Sorry, I just got a little scared. So, uh... how long have you been up?"

"... Long enough to think things over."

"Ah... So you've... decided?"

I nod. "Snivy, I love you. I love hanging out with you, exploring with you, sparring with you. You make everything so much fun, and it's a blast getting into silly games with you. Heck, it's thanks to you that I even have the courage to admit all that, the courage to enjoy all these silly, childish things. And this world is amazing; being a Mudkip, exploring mystery dungeons, camping out under the stars, my time here has been incredible..."

"... You're leaving, aren't you..."

"I'm sorry. I want to stay, I really do. But there's something more important than that... I have parents back home. They don't know where I am or if I'm okay, and they never will if I stay here. I can't do that to them."

"Your... parents..."

"Don't worry, they're nothing like yours. If they were, I'd stay here in a heartbeat, with the one who cares about me. But they care about me too, and I care about them. If I don't go back, they'll spend their whole lives thinking I'm dead. I can't hurt them like that."

"Yeah, that'd be... pretty awful... So Jamie, this is... goodbye?"

"I... I just need to let them know I'm alright. After that..." I wrap Snivy in a hug. "I'm coming back."

"W-what? How-"

"I'll find a way. I'll research everything I can about traveling between our worlds, I'll talk to the Guardians, I'll punch Arceus in the face if I have to! I'll find a way back to you, whatever it takes."

A tear drips onto my shoulder. "... You promise?" Snivy sobs. "You promise you'll come back?"

My throat tightens and my heart aches. "... I can't promise that. I wish I could, but I can't. I don't know if it's even possible, but I'll try. I'll move heaven and earth if it means seeing you again, that's my promise."

Stillness falls over the peak. Tears form in my eyes, and I try to hold them back-

Suddenly, Snivy wraps their arms around me and holds me tight. "Mudkip, I... I..." Snivy's speech turns to relentless sobbing.

Their tears push me over the edge, and I can't hold back anymore, bursting out crying into Snivy's shoulder. I don't want to leave! I want to stay here in this amazing world and go on adventures forever! I don't even know if I'll ever be able to come back! I don't want to lose this! I don't want to lose Snivy...

It takes a while before our tears run out, and a bit longer for me to finally loosen my embrace. Snivy lets go, and I step back and wipe the tears from my eyes.

"Thank you Mudkip," Snivy says. "Thank you for being with me when I was alone. Thank you for accepting me when no one else did. Thank you for everything."

"And thank you, too. For helping me when I was lost, and for all the fun we had. I've changed so much on this adventure, and I hope I can have more adventures with you soon. If... When I come back, I'll see if I can wait for you at Sceptile's house."

"Alright... Jamie," Snivy takes off their Joy Scarf, "take this with you. To remember me by."

"... Okay... But in exchange," I take off my own scarf, "you have to take this to remember ME by."

Snivy pauses, then smiles. "You drive a hard bargain, Jamie. Deal."

Snivy puts on my scarf, and helps me put on theirs. It's a little silly, since the scarves look exactly the same, but it feels nice to have something of Snivy's to keep with me.

Snivy puts a hand over the scarf around their neck. "I'll miss you, Mudkip..."

"I know. I'll miss you t-"

Suddenly, Snivy wraps their arms around me and pulls me into a hug. I return the gesture, squeezing my arms tight around them. Then, after just a moment, it's over.

"Sorry," Snivy says. "I just... needed one last hug."

"I think I did too. So, I guess it's time to say goodbye."

"I guess so. Well... Goodbye, my friend."

"Goodbye, my friend." With that, I turn and walk toward the Gate, through the dome-shaped barrier, and all the way up to the portal to that vortex of colors. I give on last look back at Snivy, take a deep breath, close my eyes...

And step inside.



I open my eyes to see a vortex of colors spiraling downward around me. That feeling I've been chasing, the feeling of home, it's all around me. The aura of the Earth.

The colors descend around me as I rise upward, and that strange feeling covers my body. I start to go numb, my limbs melting into glowing light. My hearing fades and my vision darkens. Finally, my thoughts start to go quiet, and I fall unconscious...




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