Reeda woke up, and was confused for a moment. She didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there until she remembered that Pidg offered her a place to stay that night. She also remembered that they had been talking in his room, like old times, and then she had fallen asleep. Pidg was also sleeping still, face lost in the pillows and an arm still around her. She didn't have the heart to wake him up, so she just laid there next to him—her head on his shoulder and listening to his heart beat.

There was a knock at the door after a while, and Pidg got up and answered it—albeit a little reluctantly. Reeda got cleaned and fixed her hair into a braid, tossing it over her shoulder. After getting her clothes on, she went and sat down in the kitchen where Squeak and Fang were already there. Pidg was talking to someone at the door still, but she didn't pay much attention to them. When he got done talking, Pidg made them breakfast and fed both Reeda's pokemon and his own—Narcotic the Siinotic and Luna the Lurantis. Reeda had never battled them before, but he'd still never asked her to battle him.

When the food was done, they ate quietly. Reeda soon found the quiet unsettling and decided to bring up the fact that she had to get going soon. She didn't know where she'd go but she had to go somewhere. She couldn't go back to Po Town since it was now just a ghost town, and she no longer lived on the docks. Reeda couldn't find a reason to settle down just yet either.

She was about to explain this when Pidg started to talk. "I'm taking a few weeks off for work."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Pidg said. "Originally it was to go visit family, but then you came by and..."

"Pidg..." Reeda sighed. "I know what you're going to say but... I don't think you want to come with me."

"You vanished for close to two years, Reeda. You never told me where you went or where you were."

"I was okay."

He reached over the table and covered one of her hands with his. "Please." He gave it a gentle squeeze. "I almost gave up on seeing you again until last night. I thought you had vanished for good."

"Obviously I didn't vanish." She covered his hand with her other one. "...but okay. I'll let you go with me."

"Thanks, Reeda."

The rest of that day was spent planning on where to go. Reeda had heard rumors that Guzma was either on Melemele to return home for good or was at the Battle Tree on Poni Island, but decided that Melemele would be a good location. It was a small Island, but that made it easy to navigate and interrogate. Plus, there'd been something tickling in the back of her head for a long time, and it seemed that going back to his roots would be the only answer she could try to get at.

They boarded a boat in Heahea City the next day, headed for Hau'oli City. Their provisions were minimal, and Pidg had gotten a friend to house sit for him. Reeda was always ready for everything. Her essentials were her feet and her pokemon. Nothing more, nothing less.

And it was everything she needed.

"HEEEY!"

Reeda looked over to the dock. Someone was running alongside the boat, waving their arms.

"STOP THE BOOAAT!"

Reeda cursed. Someone had failed to board the boat. She grabbed Squeak's pokeball and let him out. "Squeak, we need to get that passenger on board. Hop to it, fast!"

Squeak was already on it, speeding down as fast as it could to reach the passenger. "Agility! Faster!"

Squeak sped up instantly, reaching the stranded passenger. "PSYCHIC!" Reeda shouted. "HEAD FOR HOME!"

Using his psychic powers, Squeak picked up the passenger and moved as fast as it could. The ship was just about to break away from the port, and if it left they'd both be stranded there. 'Think Reeda think...'

Reeda let the beast pokemon out. "Electric Terrain! As far as you can go!"

The beast whirred, emitting lightning everywhere that turned the ship and the port into an area buzzing with electricity. Squeak started to speed up. 'Yes!' Reeda though excitedly. 'Soul Surfer!'

Just as the stern was going to be out of reach, Squeak sped up even more and managed to make the final leap with the passenger still held onto with Psychic. Reeda went over to Squeak and hugged him. "You big speed fiend you..." She scratching him behind the ears, making him even more happy.

She looked over at the beat pokemon. "You get the bigger thanks big guy! Without you Squeak wouldn't have made it."

The beast hummed and scratched its head, acting bashful.

Then, all of a sudden, the passenger leapt onto Reeda, crushing her in a Bewear hug.

"REEDA!!" The passenger continued to crush her body. "I thought that voice was familiar! And that Raichu! It had to of been Squeak! Redgi's going to so happy to see him again! That and Diva with Fang too!"

Reeda managed to get some air before looking at the passenger. She looked her age, and her dark skin seemed to blend in with her clothes—a grey halter top and faded black shorts. She wore black shoes, and her blue eyes were electric like her hair which was braided down her back.

"... Cissel?" Reeda asked, amazed. "Is that really you?"

"What up my home girl?"

Reeda hugged her back. "It's been too long, Cece! How've you been?"

"Well enough," she replied. "Thanks for the pick up there."

"Hey, once a grunt always a grunt—that meaning we have to look out for each other, right?"

"Yep!"

"You met each other through Team Skull?" Pidg asked. He'd watched and listened to everything and had just managed to ask about it.

"Oh yeah," Cissel laughed. "I was one of the only people to try and befriend her at first. I've never met someone that kept to themselves so much."

"Trust me," Pidg said, "I know. It took forever for me to befriend her too."

"Really now?" Cissel elbowed Reeda. "Never told me you had a boyfriend Reeda."

"He's not my boyfriend, Cissel." Reeda snapped.

"Uh-hu." Cissel winked.

Reeda rolled her eyes. "What've you been up to as of late? Haven't seen you since the disband."

"I've been around." Cissel smiled. "Mostly visiting family here, but there's supposed to be a festival in Iki Town on Melemele for commemoration of—" Cissel stopped suddenly, thought for a moment, and then clapped twice. She looked nervous as she struggled to remember something.

"Wait..." Pidg said, catching on. "Isn't that for Tapu—"

Reeda covered her ears and was hunched over in a matter of seconds. She was deathly pale and shaking. She couldn't seem to catch her breath either. Squeak smacked Pidg, obviously infuriated.

"Reeda!" Cissel was next to her, arm over her back and talking softly. "Reeda it's okay, Reeda come on, it's okay... sshh..." She looked over at Pidg, mad as ever. "Gee you think you know a guy!"

"I'm sorry!" Pidg said. He got down with them and started to help comfort Reeda. "She never told me... I mean she had nightmares but... she gets triggered by the— "

"Colors," Cissel groaned. "That was the safe word for them. That and hot chocolate for... well you know."

'Tapu Cocoa?' Pidg thought. He wanted to ask, but in the end he didn't want to scare Reeda anymore.

Reeda was still shaking for a very long time. A few of the sailors came by and asked if everything was okay, one of them even bringing a blanket for her. She'd tried and tried to say all the names of the guardians without breaking down and panicking. She'd tried to put up with hearing them, not just from herself but from everyone else.

No one knew how much she tried and how hopeless she felt when she failed.