I swore the world was ending when I awoke the next morning. A barrage of sound banged at all of my walls, and it seemed like the walls themselves were shaking. That might've just been the Sleep Powder talking though, because things became a lot calmer when the fog filling my mind began to clear. The mess of noise was likely caused by Ina. And now that I could actually discern the individual sounds, it was just her moving about through the hall outside my door, opening up the other rooms in the process. Sure enough, she was out there when I checked.

"Morning, Loto!" she called as she rushed past, carrying a high stack of towels with a half-filled bucket of water dangling from her wrist. Lili was going wild too, as she was practically drowning the rooms and hall with the scents of a bouquet of flowers. I actually had to cover my nose so I wouldn't smell it, it was so overpowering. I felt bad for Dew since she could smell it better, and she buried her face in my scarf to escape it.

I followed Ina into one of the rooms, utterly confused. "What's going on?" I asked.

She spared me a glance. "Kamal and a couple of his lackeys are coming later today. We're supposed to have this whole place as clean as possible."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Yep! Run these down to Kū." She tossed me a wadded-up bundle of towels. I vaguely recalled him as being the worker who was in charge of all of the clothes washing here. "Also see if we have any more candles. They have to be the green or white ones," Ina added. I didn't hesitate and left.

Similar chaos was happening on the lower floors as I descended, and I was surprised to see a couple people I hadn't seen before. Likely guests, since they had bags with them. None of them looked particularly happy with all the activity.

"Noisy bunch..." a guy grumbled as he went on ahead of me down the stairs. By the time I got to the lobby, he was out the front door, and Abloy was locking it. I guessed that nobody wanted any interruptions or possible unveilings of what was going on here.

After handing off the towels to a disgruntled and rain-soaked Kū, I found both Guella and another staff member in the lobby. They were scrubbing it down, making every surface shine. Guella noticed me come in first, and a horrible sense of awkwardness filled me when our gazes met. She did smile as she said good morning, though it wasn't that wide.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked.

"No thank you, we can handle things," Guella responded. "I just ask that you stay up in your room later today with any lights out unless I call you down, please."

It was like a kid being confined to their room as punishment. My eyes narrowed, but I didn't object.

Breakfast with some kind of bread that bore a sweet taste that wasn't sugar. Apparently it was "banana bread." Bananas were definitely not native to Tranquelum, but I still liked it, and I knew Dew would love it. After telling someone about the candles Ina wanted, I took a couple slices of the bread back to my room, where I sat down at the table and ate in silence.

The frenzied noise continued on outside my room, and I tried to ignore it. I had work of my own to do.

Shoving a slice of the bread in my mouth, I got up and went over to my bookshelf, taking out my notebook again. I proceeded to drown myself in my notes for the majority of the day.

I worked away, adding what I could and changing what I knew was wrong, and most importantly just reading it. I read it over and over, truly grinding my Torchic-scratch into my mind's eye. I wanted to be prepared for anything, which meant preparing to answer any questions about my work.

The noise outside eventually quieted down, and all I could hear was the patter of rain on the roof. Were they here? Or did Ina just finish and went on to help someone else?

"De? Dene?" Dew nudged at my fingers, trying to swat at them with her tail. When she finally got my attention, she jumped from the table and ran to the door. She looked back at me before trying to jam her paws in the small crack in the door.

"What're you doing?" I asked, standing up. She ran back to the table, tapping my notebook with a paw while looking at me, then looking at the door. "You think they're here?"

Dew's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, one ear drooping. "You won't know unless you look yourself," her look seemed to say. And yeah, I couldn't stand to wait around any longer. Grabbing my notebook in one hand and scooping up Dew with the other, I headed for the door. I sighed internally. I'm sorry, Guella.

I already knew that Ina was gone, though I didn't expect the other floors to be empty as well. The inn was a quiet place to begin with, and with nobody around it was almost eerie. Then as I approached the first floor, I could hear Guella's voice along with a male voice I didn't recognize. They must've been in the lobby. The voice was smooth and strangely melodic, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

I hadn't yet turned the corner to the final flight of stairs, and since they were fully exposed to the lobby, I peered around the corner to see what I'd be dealing with. Guella's staff along with Pele and Abloy were lingering near the walls of the lobby, quietly watching the exchange between her and the three men in the room's center.

Two of the men were people I did recognize. They were the guys who'd nearly run into me when I first arrived here. But the third, the one who stood in front of them and was the owner of the lyrical voice, was new.

He somewhat reminded me of Rudra, with his rich brown skin and dark hair that was cut short. But his aged face was slim and sharp, and his eyes were a piercing blue that I could see from my spot at the top of the stairs. That had to be Kamal.

"Arihi, my dear, how about we discuss things in a more comfortable setting?" he spoke. "I'm sure you've prepared our usual nilgiri tea, yes?"

Guella nodded. "Of course I have." The four of them headed for the kitchen as the others watched them go. Once they were out of sight I physically relaxed, letting out the breath I'd been holding this whole time.

   A few moments later, Abloy drifted to the front door and unlocked it. The staff began to leave, though many of them were reluctant to. It didn't seem that Rudra was even going to leave. Then again, it might've been because of his own involvement with Kamal.

   Ina was the last one out the door, but just as she was about to exit out into the stormy morning, she paused. She then glanced over her shoulder before turning around, looking right at me.

   I gritted my teeth. Dammit...

   Ina took a few steps back into the lobby, still staring at me. "Loto?" she questioned, confused. The worn floor creaked a bit as Rudra moved to stand next to her, and his gaze was on me then as well. There was no point in trying to back out now, so I descended the stairs. Ina looked more confused than anything while Rudra's eyes narrowed. "What're you doing?" she continued.

   I sighed. "I just want her to be happy," I said. "I know you said not to, but I won't let anyone stop me. You know she's unhappy right now." When I started for the kitchen, Rudra stepped in front of me, looking extremely uncomfortable as he did so.

"Back up, kid," he said. "You know I can't let you go in there." I'd never seen someone look so intimidated by me before. This situation was definitely a new one, that was for sure.

   "De ne!" Dew squeaked fiercely, her whiskers beginning to crackle with static. I held my hand up to her.

   "Don't do anything. This is somethin' we can talk out," I said. Besides, it wasn't like she really could do anything to him if things got bad and he transformed. I would do all that I could to prevent that from happening though. I tried to soften my expression as I looked back to the Ground magician. "Please," I said. "While you might be fine with how things are, it really isn't okay."

"Truthfully, I'm not," Rudra said, frowning. "But it's for your sake. Though I've only known Mālika for a year, I know how much she treasures you. If she doesn't want you to do this, then I won't let you either."

   "I know how much you care about her as well," I said, "how she talks with you and tries to give you confidence in yourself."

   He stiffened, his eyes filling with both alarm and anger. "S-so it was you that I sensed that night! You were listening in on us?"

   "Unintentionally!" I said, waving my hands. "I'm only bringing it up because I'm tryin' to make a point. Do you really want to let someone who helps you like that be unhappy? Just pretend I'm not her grandson for a moment and think. Imagine how much happier she'd truly be if I took the debt from her. She'd smile so much more."

   He seemed to consider things for a moment, and I waited with bated breath. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I just can't let you. I've put all my faith in Mālika before, and I'll do it again." He clenched his fists. I could tell it was in an effort to steady himself, and it failed. "And I'll make sure you don't interfere with this meeting," he still said in as forceful a tone as he could.

   "By what means?" I dared to ask.

   Rudra looked back at me. "By whatever means necessary," he answered.

   My shoulders slouched. And when I thought I'd done it... Well, some people unfortunately needed a nudge. I felt horrible for doing this, but I purposefully stepped closer to him. "I'm sure you know what Ice can do to Ground," I stated coldly.

   Rudra flinched, and I thought my bluff would work. But he stubbornly refused to move, even though I could see him visibly shaking.

   "Please," I insisted. Still, he stayed where he was. Was I actually going to have to do something to make him move? I held up my hand, making sure he could see the frost beginning to creep up it. I could only imagine the look on his face when I would conjure a round of Ice Shards. I smiled grimly. What a monster I was... Still, I had to do what I had to do.

   "Just stop it, Rudra." Ina spoke up from behind me, and we turned to look at her. She had her arms crossed, and she wore an expression of acceptance. "Let him do it."

   Rudra pursed his lips as he said, "I know you're just saying that because—" He was cut off by her retort.

   "I'm being serious," she said. "Think of everything Boss has done for us, is still doin' for us. We shouldn't stop Loto from wanting to help his family."

   "But think about Mālika wants," Rudra said.

I already had, and it made things more bleak. "Then you're just willing to let her be unhappy until the day she..." I took a breath. "Until she dies?"

   An almost palpable silence could be felt in the lobby then. Rudra crossed his arms, breaking eye-contact with me. "I-if it's what she wants, then so be it. It's better to pass on without any regrets," he said.

   A painful pang struck me with that. "And what if she does come to regret this? I've seen someone die feeling regretful before, and it's haunting," I said sadly. "If there's regrets now, she'll have the rest of her life to come to terms with them. I think it's better that she has that time than to have it be one of the last things she ever feels."

   "You won't have any regrets doing this?" Rudra said as a last effort.

   I tried to smile. "I'll have the rest of my life to get over them, too."

With so many words going against him, it didn't take long for Rudra to crumble after that. I honestly felt bad for him. He stepped aside, moving far from me. "I-I hope you know what you're doing, kid," he said.

I smiled, holding up my notebook. "I do."

I entered the hallway alone. Dew and I decided that it was best for her to stay with Ina and Rudra, since we didn't know if Kamal would appreciate her presence. After all, Abloy and Pele had stayed behind.

   Snippets of conversation filtered down the hall leading to the kitchen. I tried to be as quiet as I could making my way to the doorway. When I reached it I stopped, keeping myself out of sight. I then peered into the kitchen.

Kamal and Guella were seated at the table while his bodyguards stood closer to the door. The crime lord looked surprisingly lax, sitting with one leg folded over the other while casually sipping a cup of tea during breaks in the conversation. I decided to wait for the next subject change before I made myself known.

It was then that one of Kamal's men left his position and whispered something to him. He paused, glancing at the door before looking back to Guella. "Have you recruited any new Pokémon or magicians that I'm unaware of? Rock, Electric, or Ice in particular," he asked.

"Why do you say that?" she asked unsure. She then turned to face the door. "Lotario, are you there?" Her voice was shocked but still held a note of sterness.

"Lotario?" Kamal echoed, raising an eyebrow.

I didn't think I'd be introduced this way. Well, it was better than trying to knock. I stepped into the doorway, not daring to actually enter the room yet.

"And who is this young man?" Kamal asked. "Your name is Lotario?"

I nodded. "Yes. My name is Lotario Ne'igalomeatiga." Instinct drove me to bow my head, and I did so.

"You don't have to do that. Please, step in." I did looking back up. Kamal seemed to examine my face for a moment before a flash of recognition passed over his face. "I remember you now," he said. "You're Arihi's grandson. Son of Enele Ainalani and Natia. I thought you had passed along with your brother and parents."

"I hadn't, I'd just been stranded on Tranquelum when our ship wrecked," I said.

"Yes, I remember when Arihi informed me of the wreck," Kamal said, shaking his head sadly. "That had been quite a mess. Well, it's wonderful to see you've managed to return to this beautiful island. And it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He looked to Guella. "Are you planning on passing the debt to him? He looks rather young to handle such a task."

I thought she would immediately object, but she didn't say anything. I took the opportunity to speak up.

"She isn't passing it on to me, I'm taking it," I said.

Guella finally reacted then. She nearly got out of her chair. "Lotario—!"

"Now, now, Arihi. Let the boy talk," Kamal said, holding up a hand. "But I can agree that this is a surprise." He took another drink from his teacup before placing it down on the saucer. He then stood and approached me. This guy was a good six inches taller than me, but I was more than used to looking up at others, and I confidently looked him in the eye. "How old are you, Lotario?" he asked.

"Eighteen," I answered. "I can assure you that my age won't affect what I can offer you."

Kamal smiled. "A strong response for one so small. I can admire that."

Without warning, Kamal reached for my scarf. It took all my willpower to not step back or smack his hand away, though my skin still crawled when I felt his fingers brush my neck. He pulled my scarf down, exposing the scars left behind by my transformations.

"Just as I thought. A suitable heir to the Ne'igalomeatiga legacy," he said sagely.

"Th-thank you," I replied, hoping that was the right response. And judging by the unchanging look he wore, it was.

"I only ask because I believe it wouldn't be fair to put so much weight on a youth," he said. "So what is it that you can offer my clan, Lotario? Your magic, I'm assuming?"

I shook my head. "No, it isn't." I steeled myself, ready to recite what was essentially a sales pitch. "Have you ever heard of a man named List Hawley?"

Kamal looked thoughtful. "I believe so... Apparently he was a madman scientist who tried to settle here for a spell. What part does he play in this?"

"It's his work that does. He was researching something he called Black Powder, which is an explosive. I've taken up his research and continued it, tryin' to make the stuff for myself."

Now here came the lies. I showed him and his lackeys my notebook, flipping through the pages. My formulas were half-finished at best, though I purposely tried to write up ones that looked complete. If I didn't know the real end results, I was sure as shit they didn't either.

"And as you can see here, I have a working formula," I pointed out. "I can make it."

Kamal frowned, looking unconvinced. "And what can this Black Powder do that a Pokémon cannot?"

"It can be used for more than just destruction, if that's what you're thinking," I said. "It can also be used for diversions or distractions, in case you want to draw attention away from yourselves or create chaos that you can use to hide in. I'm sure you don't want to risk too many men or Pokémon. And even if you don't find any use for it, you can sell it yourself to those who want it at any price you want." If he took the deal, I hoped he didn't do this last part. But I had to explain every possible option.

Kamal nodded thoughtfully, crossing his arms. "Although that does sound tempting, how difficult is it to store this explosive?"

"You just have to handle it right. You'll already be getting it made, so all you have to do is keep it in a dry environment away from any fire. That's pretty easy considerin' that it can be transported in a variety of containers, which also makes it easy to hide." Was that consideration I was seeing in his eyes? I felt a small spark of hope.

"Will you be able to provide the materials for it?" he asked. "You do know this is supposed to be something you can do yourself."

"I will. The one and only thing I need is to know how I can access Primrose's black market." I closed the notebook. "That's it. You can leave the rest to me."

"Very well. We are in need of something of this sort, especially after the failure of our last mission." Kamal held out his hand. "Do we have a deal then?"

"Wait, there's one last thing I'd like to know," I said.

Kamal arched an eyebrow, taking back his hand. "And what would that be?"

I just had to know this, it would eat me alive until I knew. I hoped I wouldn't regret asking it... "When you rescue people, do you purposefully kill others in order to do it?" I got my answer almost immediately.

"Well, of course. You can't expect to rescue a magician from a Vere prison and waltz out with no issues. Blood has to be shed."

I knew he would say that... My heart sank, but I also felt an odd sense of reassurance.

Kamal shook his head. "I know what you're thinking. Really, we have to do all we can to assure that the job gets done, and it is only fair that I ask for payment afterwards when I request none up front." He looked right at me. "I can admit that I am not a good person, but I'm not a monster."

What I said next truly cemented my thoughts on this matter. "I-I never said you were, and I don't think you are." And... he wasn't. He still was helping people, even at the cost of others' lives.

The smile returned to Kamal's face. "Why thank you. I'm glad someone appreciates the work my men and I do," he said. Even his smile went to his eyes. He then held out his hand again. "Now do we have a deal?"

I didn't hesitate this time, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. "I, Lotario Ne'igalomeatiga, will take on the debt of the Ne'igalomeatiga family," I said in as serious a voice as I could manage.

"Spoken like it should be. You truly are a product of the Ne'igalomeatiga line," Kamal chuckled.

I could see Guella out of the corner of my eye, shaking her head. But I knew this was for the best.

"Now, because I'm so generous, I'll let this first task be an easy one." Kamal picked up the teacup, waving it in my direction. "Produce enough Black Powder to fill this cup, and we will return in a month's time to retrieve it." He drained the remainder of the cup's contents before speaking again. "I'm already expecting great things from you, Lotario. Don't let my interest be for naught."

"It won't be," I said.

Kamal scribbled something on a bit of paper before handing it off to me. "That is the location of the market as well as the instructions on how to access it. You'll only be receiving this information this one time, so do try to not lose it."

I slipped the paper deep into the pages of my notebook. "Thank you. Have a good afternoon, sir." I turned and left the kitchen, where I remained until the trio of men left the inn.

I could feel the gazes of Dew and the others on me while I waited. The one time I looked at them, I was greeted with both concern and confusion. I gave them a small smile with a nod, and that seemed to be all they needed to know what happened. There was more relief than I expected.

Eventually Kamal and his cronies left, though Guella wasn't with them. I peered into the kitchen, and she was still sat at the table, her head in her hands. She didn't move, so I entered the room, unable to hide my nervousness. She didn't even look up before she spoke.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, her tone of voice hard to discern.

"Because I wanted to," I replied. My heart twisted when she didn't respond, but I continued. "I can understand if you're angry. And... I'm fine with that. At least I know that you'll be happy, and that's all I need."

She raised her head, and tears were glimmering in her eyes. "Dammit, you're just like Natia," she muttered, putting a hand to her mouth. "Such a reckless, caring fool. She got too much from me, and she passed it on to you." Her hand lowered as she pushed herself out of her seat, allowing me to see the smile on her face. It was so relieved, so joyful, so genuine.

"I'm glad that I never forgot that, then," I said, laughing nervously.

Guella let out a small laugh herself, and she walked over to me, holding her hands out. I took them, and she squeezed them tightly but comfortingly. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She laughed again, a few of her tears escaping. "I know I'm an awful guella for saying that, but I can't help it. Thank you, Lotario."

She let me go, though I hugged her back a moment later, holding her tightly. "Things... are gonna be okay now," I said. "W-we'll be okay." I could feel tears pooling as well. Still, I smiled.

And there it was. In that moment I felt lighter than air, like the greatest weight had been lifted from me. It was wonderful to experience this bliss again, and I wouldn't let it slip through my fingers. Because no matter what the past held, what the future had in store, I knew I could truly smile through it. And I was looking forwards to it.

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Author's Note:
Well, it's almost time for this story to come to an end! But I have something I'd like to ask you, reader. I'd like to know who was/were your favorite/least favorite character(s) and why. Besides just being curious, I want to know what characters I did or didn't handle well so I'll know for future writing projects. I'm interested in hearing what you have to say! But on that note, I hope you enjoyed this final chapter, and I'll see you in the epilogue!