I awoke the next morning feeling hazy, and most of the sickly feeling had subsided enough for me to rise from my bed. I treaded heavily across my bedroom floor to greet my mother downstairs when a duet of lovely melodies drifted through the air and danced through my ears, making me curious as to where it was coming from. Once downstairs, I shuffled my way like a zombie into the lounge, rubbing my eyes when I stopped in my tracks, both shocked and embarrassed. It was Kari with Sæll in her lap, dressed out of her school uniform into a vintage, puff sleeved, white and brown dress with beads hanging loosely around her hips, and runes lightly burned into the brown, leather like fabric to make a sort of ethereal design. She was singing a song from her region while my mom was preparing breakfast, not noticing me until she turned around to collect something from the counter. "Oh! Good morning, Spirit. Feeling better hon?" She asked, causing both Sæll and Kari to stop singing as they looked my way. "Er, y-yeah..... Did, ummm.... Did she stay the night?" "Last night, and will be here until you're feeling your best! I felt awful, having Kari come all this way to send her all the way back, and I thought you could use a friend to oversee your recovery." Mom said, and I quickly looked away from her as I replied quietly, "O-Oh.... Y-You didn't HAVE to...." "I-It's fine? We all need to step back sometimes. You know, to clear our heads and think a bit?" Kari replied awkwardly, petting Sæll before recalling her. We stayed silent for a bit, not really knowing what to say, and where to start when mom said, "Why don't you wash up, and show Kari around the yard? I'll call you when breakfast is ready." "O-Okay, sure...." I replied, and I quickly turned to gather up a towel from the clean laundry basket before heading to the bathroom. I could only ponder what it was I was going to ask Kari as I lathered my candy pink hair, which was let down from their pigtails long enough for the floral scent to completely soak through them. It wasn't an easy thing, to go nearly a week without talking to someone you cared about and suddenly begin to interact with them via getting sick. She probably still hated me for what I did in Zapapico, and the guilt still weighed on me. After I was through washing up, I dried off, and turned to find that instead of my usual clothes that mom had gotten me, a folded up dress that kind of matched Kari's was sitting atop the toilet lid with a single note that read "I'm sorry", signed with a drawn sad face with teary Furfrou eyes. It was DEFINITELY Kari who had placed this here, and I held up the dress to observe the materials and design, which held some kind of ritualistic patterns on the skirt hem with an unmatching top that was cinched together by rope, and partial threading. Not really my cup of tea, but I found myself in no position to refuse or complain as I reluctantly threw on the garment and underclothing that went with it. After I was dressed up, I had slipped on a pair of cloth boots that was outside the door, and I met back up in the room with my mother, who was still busy, and Kari, who remained by the front door awkwardly. Sighing, I came to her side, and pushed open the door as I waved for her to follow, and the next thing I knew, I found myself showing Kari the different crop gardens the locals had tended to for our arrival in Cabo Poco. "Well, I suppose you guys don't have to worry about Pumpkins for Halloween." Kari joked, looking around at the large, orange gourds. "Sure... Right...." I replied dryly, looking on at the intertwining vines that connected the vibrant fruit. I knew Kari was only trying to make up to me what she should've been doing since this whole treasure hunt started, but I still felt uncertain about my path as Kari's playful smile faded. "Still, it takes a lot of passion and work to raise a good crop. You have to pick out the weeds, till the dirt, give nutrients- much like raising a child from the womb!" She said, running her hands across the soil lightly before holding it up to her nose to smell. "Y-You'd compare a breathing human to produce?" I asked, feeling a bit off put by her claim. "Is that not correct? To raise a healthy crop, you need love, compassion, nutrients, patience, and a source of protection for it. For a child, you need love, passion, patience, nutrients, and protection for them as well! Your soil here- it has all the minerals needed for the seed sown to grow big and strong, and from those same minerals the seed your mother grew is growing big and strong." "What seed?" "You, silly! My mother taught me that we are not separated, but one with the food you eat, the flowers that bloom in spring, the Pokémon that are born- our fates are intwined to each other, just like the vines holding these Pumpkins. We simply cannot exist without each other! Sadly, there are fates that shrivel and die before producing fruit, but in it's place a new vine grows to a new fate, like a new bloom sprouts on a brand new vine in spring." The odd Nord girl lectured, standing up from the ground. "Must you ALWAYS be vague? I feel like you make a game out of confusing others out of boredom!" I complained, putting my hands on my hips as I stared at her in annoyance." "I find the concept to be quite simple. Others get it slower than most, and that's okay, just as long as they're not completely dismissive about the idea." "You're just one big riddle! I mean, nobody even acts like you're real, Kari, so how can I know you're not in my head?" I asked, placing my hands to my head to massage a migraine. "If my presence feels real to you, then why should it matter? But in all honesty, people choose to ignore what is right and unconventional for the convenience of fairness and sensible. They'd rather have what fills their cup in quantity, over what should be judged on quality. Quality gives value, where as quantity never runs out! So pray, Spirit, what is the quality of your life up to where we stand today?" "Uuhhhh, good? I suppose?" I answered, unsure of what she meant. Kari raised a quizzical brow towards me, expecting more of an answer I couldn't give as I replied, "What? Do you want me to tell you it's bad, or something?" "No, not quite." She shrugged, adding, "But your life quality can be enriched than it is now, and was then, don't you? It was a vine of fate that brought you here to Paldea from Kalos, Spirit. THAT was only the first leap! It's up to you where the vine goes, and wether you choose to let it climb, or let it shrivel before it has the chance. You think your fate died when you left, but I ask you, don't you have a whole door of fates here where you are now? You know, beating the Gyms to become champion, or helping Mabosstiff back to health? And do we not help to nurture that vine with each victory, and every encouraging voice? And now, your fates are tied to others that you have met-Nemona's, Arven's, and even myself. You are a big role in our lives, just like we are in yours, and your mom's too. So I ask again, what is your quality of life in YOUR eyes taking all I have said into consideration. How enriched do you feel it's become since you left the lonely life behind?" I stopped for a moment to let Kari's words sink in, and the more I thought, the more I began to actually get what it was Kari was trying to say. Watching the vines weave over and under, I weighed how my life was in Kalos when I was isolated, and always trying to find something or another to do alone, compared to the endless possibilities I had here in Paldea, and the events I could host with my friends. I think I had the answer Kari was looking for- that I should've known all along as I replied, "Between here and Kalos, if I had the chance to go back in time, I'd tell myself to come here sooner. Kalos had the living, but Paldea has the feelings and memories that I SHOULD have been having, and making. So you wanna know if my quality of life has changed, then yes." I looked her into her eyes, and approached her before throwing my arms around her, catching her off gaurd as I finished, "And if I'm being completely honest, I have you, Arven, and Nemona to thank for it all." "Well," She chuckled, pulling me into a hug as well, "It's not JUST the three of us that ought to be thanked. Without your mom, you wouldn't have us, and without Clavell, you wouldn't have who matters most of all!" As soon as she said that, I heard a small, "Quax- Quaxwell." making Kari and I separate as I found River standing at my side. I could see in his eyes that he was happy- OVERJOYED that Kari and I had gotten along again, and I lightly pet his head as I laughed, "You're right." River wrapped his wings around my leg, and at the same time, Hálogi was at Kari's side; jumping around happily like he did when River and him would play. "Hálogi's missed you too, to be honest. Spirit?" "Yes?" "I was never considering on stopping, you know, being your friend. I was just as guilty, because my gods would see that as abandonment. Even for a noble cause, a nord should place their families first, and hold their friends closer, which I didn't do. I thought you hated me for it, which was why I was trying to find some way to make it up to you." She admitted, and a weight lifted off of my heart as my eyes widened. "M-Me too! I was awful in Zapapico- no, the MAJORITY of the time I was with you, when you were merely just trying to help me adjust. I thought you grew tired of me, and gave up, which really stung to think about. I was trying to find a way to make it up to YOU!" Kari's eyes, too, went wide before smiling, and she replied brightly, "Well, how about we make it up to each other together, yes?" She held out her hand to me, and I smiled as I took it. "Agreed." I answered, and just like that I officially felt a new leaf was turned- leaving behind the old me to embrace the new me that followed.