Ashley smiled, petting the Pikachu before scooping him up with one arm while she carefully raised Pyre in the other. "This might not be comfy for a while, guys. Fido, my hands are full. Self-return, please."
She braced herself as the Mightyena barked once in consent before he leaned on her to press the button on his ball with his nose, the red light surrounding him as he disappeared. She knew she could return Pyre too, but she figured the injured bird would rather catch a ride- it would allow him to 'fly' at least. She looked up.
"Ready."
The pickpocket shook his head briefly. "Kid, I'm a rogue. You think I don't understand the hell we go through; the [merda] the world's turned into? We all have different coping methods. Yours is anger. Mine... mine's distracting myself with material pleasures." He glanced down. "You're right," he murmured. "Everyone has an agenda. It's what makes life so difficult, now, but it's the only way to survive. We can't have it both ways." He tried to force a smile, but he knew it wasn't working. "I can definitely tell you're not five."
"Sorry, Leon. Floods, huh?" he murmured a few minutes after he had stopped speaking again. "She died protecting you. I... I let my family die."





