Everyone’s eyes were on Primeape. His body heaved up and down with every breath. His arm was still extended from where it had smashed right into his brother’s face.

  His brother wasn't moving, but he was alive. As it stood, he was just unconscious. A single hit had knocked him out.

  Slowly, Sam took a step forward. The clearing was practically silent.

  “Primeape...” he said softly, trying to call for his Pokémon to step back.

  Unfortunately, all his voice seemed to do was snap Primeape out of his shock. The Fighting Type blinked and looked around as if he had just now realized what he had done.

  His eyes flicked to his brother, to the Mankey, and then to Sam’s team behind him. He said nothing, and neither did anyone else. Primeape proceeded to do the only thing he could do:

  He ran.

  Faced with the weight of everything that had just happened, Primeape turned and dashed right out of the clearing. Arm over leg, he scrambled to escape, quickly disappearing into the curved ravines of the nearby cliffs.

  “Wait!” Sam’s shout saw no response, only his voice’s echoes returning to him. Primeape was already gone, too busy running away to do anything else.

  Sam cursed, breathed out, and readied himself to chase after his Pokémon, but he froze when he realized the current state of the clearing. All of the Mankey crouched by the boulders in the back, watching his group warily. Despite this being their home, they all looked ready to flee.

  As for Primeape’s brother, he groaned in his unconsciousness, but he wasn’t in a state to stand up. A few of the Mankey looked like they wanted to run up and protect him, but none wanted to get closer to Sam’s group after that demonstration.

  “Ugh. Alright.” Sam rubbed the side of his head. “Typhlosion, come out. We need your help!”

  Upon the appearance of such a large and fully evolved Pokémon, a ripple of greater nervousness passed through the entire Mankey tribe. However, it turned to curiosity when Sam placed two items into Typhlosion’s paws.

  “Here. A Sitrus Berry and a Super Potion. Heal the Primeape, okay?”

  Typhlosion nodded her head. Sam looked over everyone else.

  “Misdreavus, help her. Haunter? Stay on guard with the Gastly.”

  Those two gave their acknowledgments, and Sam took off. Behind him, Typhlosion turned toward the wild Primeape as Misdreavus drifted over to float beside her, but both of them just looked down at the human-made Super Potion spray bottle in confusion.

  Sam didn’t see what they did next as the cliffs soon obscured the campsite from view. However, he trusted his Pokémon to manage the situation, and even in the worst case, it wasn’t like a bunch of Fighting Types could hurt Ghost Types, anyway.

  Primeape had charged right through this ravine path, traveling in the same direction as those Gligar but sticking to the ground. Sam didn’t see any of those gliding Pokémon, but he did see the trail Primeape left behind. Primeape hadn’t bothered to cover his tracks, so there were obvious footprints, disturbed dirt, and the occasional trampled shrub that guided Sam in the direction of his friend.

  Weaving between the stones, Sam hurried after him. He found it slightly ironic that Primeape had found such a “followable” path only after his old tribe had been located.

  Still, he was more worried about his Pokémon than anything else, and he soon slowed as he reached the end of the trail. Ahead of him, the ravine opened up to a short ledge. Primeape sat on a stone at its edge, staring out over the entire valley at once.

  In the distance, clouds of flying Pokémon traveled in flocks, and the occasional movement in the dry foliage below hinted at other Pokémon scavenging for food along the ground. The sparse few patches of trees and shrubs tended to lack leaves, but they still added a splash of green to this otherwise dirt-brown view.

  But it was still a valley. And it was full of life. This was where so many Pokémon fought and struggled and thrived while living off-route.

  Primeape remained seated. He stayed on his stone and watched it all. Sam hung back for now, giving Primeape the chance to calm down while trying to see how he was doing. Though he was facing away, he did look slightly better. At least, that heavy breathing from before was gone. He was tense, but his body was no longer heaving with every breath like before.

  After waiting a few seconds longer, Sam moved to step forward but stopped himself when a pebble fell from above. Rocks cracked as roots pierced into the stone, and rather than Sam walking up to talk to Primeape, Trevenant left his position at the top of the cliffs to approach, instead.

  Primeape heard the crunch of stone behind him. The regular cracking of the earth betrayed sharp spikes being stabbed into a wall. He did his best to ignore it, but he knew he couldn’t ignore it forever. Soon enough, the noise changed from a Pokémon defying gravity to that of the rapid taps of multiple legs moving closer to him along the ground.

  He knew who it was. There was only one Pokémon on the team who could move in that manner—there was only one member of the team that had more than two legs. But he didn’t want to greet them. Pulling himself in, he continued to sit on his boulder and stare out at the valley that used to be his home.

  When Trevenant eventually reached his side, neither of them said anything. He just stood there next to Primeape in silence. Primeape expected some kind of speech or a condemnation or any attempt to say something.

  But Trevenant stayed quiet.

  He only offered his presence, and that was enough.

  ...Mostly.

  Primeape was already starting to feel a bit ticked off. He got the sense that Trevenant had something to say, but he was choosing to wait to say it. He just stood there, looming with that same quiet to him as always. It was awful, as the lack of anything was starting to make Primeape feel as though someone was beating him with a shovel. A familiar heat came from his chest, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.

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  He couldn’t hold back forever. Silence existed to be broken.

  So Primeape talked, unable to resist blurting everything out. His rant started simple and summed up his feelings as succinctly as he could.

  For Primeape, none of this was fair.

  All this time, Primeape had been fighting to get stronger. All this time, Primeape had been fighting to stop being weak. And when he finally got a chance to prove to everyone that he wasn’t that same, pathetic Mankey?

  It hadn’t mattered.

  His brother, the same brother who had all but thrown him away when his usefulness ran out, didn’t even want to fight. It was like that thing had been happy to see that he was back.

  It should have been afraid. It should have been furious. The Pokémon that had once been family should have reacted in any way but exactly like that. But he hadn’t. When Primeape’s fist sailed right toward his brother’s face, his brother almost looked like he was full of regret.

  And the more Primeape remembered that expression, the more extreme a twisting in his chest became. Fed up, he smashed a fist into the boulder he sat on. Dust fell from his hand when he pulled it out of the resulting crack, and he wrapped his arms around his legs.

  Primeape breathed out, grumbling as he did. He tried to calm himself in the same way he’d practiced so many times before.

  He hated this.

  He hated his brother.

  He hated everything that had just happened.

  He hated how his brother didn't fight back. He hated how easily his brother had been knocked out. He hated how the entire tribe had been there for support. He hated how getting his revenge had felt wrong even though it was everything he'd sought.

  Above it all, there was one thing Primeape hated the most—he hated how his brother had acted as though everything would finally be alright now that Primeape had returned.

  With that statement, he went quiet, a heaviness returning to his breathing even though he had nothing else to say. His rage continued to smolder in his chest, but at this point, he didn’t care. He felt far too exhausted to give it anything other than the briefest of acknowledgments.

  Unfortunately and infuriatingly, Trevenant continued to choose to not speak. At least, Primeape appreciated that he was listening. If nothing else, having another Pokémon there was nice. It meant he wouldn’t be alone.

  For a while, they lingered at the top of the cliffside, and life in the valley beneath them continued on, unaware of everything that took place. Time passed, and after just a minute longer, a new set of footsteps echoed out as Sam moved up to join Primeape as well.

  “You know,” Sam said, “you are allowed to be upset.”

  Primeape grunted in annoyance. He was not upset. He was angry! Yeah, he was definitely still angry, it was just that he was... angry in the opposite direction.

  He let his head fall onto his knees, and Trevenant chuffed as if something Primeape had said caused him to laugh. Primeape grumbled in response and ignored how that was the first time Trevenant made a noise in this conversation. He didn’t want to get angry about it right now, and he didn’t want to think about how he’d done nothing but rant.

  “But this sucks,” Sam continued.

  Primeape snorted. He could only agree.

  “I get this wasn’t supposed to happen. It really wasn’t what either of us planned. Instead of him being a raging jerk, we got here and he was a leader. An actual one. And that means we can’t just take the easy way out.”

  Sam rubbed his temples.

  “If he had been nothing more than a tyrant, we could have been leaving by now. You could have strolled up, punched him in the face, and left right after. Didn’t need to be more complicated than that. I mean, imagine what that could have looked like—your fist smoking, your brother recoiling, and all of the Mankey looking up at you in awe.”

  Primeape actually let out a short laugh before quickly schooling his expression.

  “Except...” Sam said, his voice becoming soft, and Primeape went silent to listen to his trainer’s words. “He was tired. Injured. All this time, he’s been fighting to defend the tribe, and he even proved his change when he gave that berry away. Your brother—if you even want to call him your brother, I mean. That Pokémon changed, but that doesn’t mean what happened to you changed. Just because he has the tribe’s support doesn’t mean you have to forgive him for what he did.”

  Primeape looked up at Sam to see him staring back.

  “The past still happened. You’re allowed to be upset about how you were treated. He’s done nothing to make up for that. Guilt isn’t enough to make everything okay.”

  To the side, Trevenant rustled his leaves to express his agreement. Like usual, he shared no words, but his meaning was clear enough.

  Just like Primeape, Trevenant was yet to forgive. Honestly, Trevenant would never forgive the people who burned down his family and his home. However, for the sake of his own well-being, he had to move on. He had to recognize just how pointless a constant search for revenge would have been. It wasn’t worth letting himself be controlled by nothing but rage.

  And, as Trevenant looked back to Primeape, Primeape could understand why Trevenant had come. Their backgrounds were similar enough, and Primeape had already given him advice in the past. So just like how Primeape had once supported Trevenant, Trevenant was now supporting Primeape—but it wasn’t an exchange. Trevenant was here because they were friends.

  “...But, also, like, I don’t mean you should never forgive him. Or that you need to. It’s complicated, you know? Morally and ethically and, I guess everything else, too?”

  One of Primeape’s ears flicked to the side. He hadn’t realized Sam was still talking—or that he had started rambling, more like.

  “I mean, that Pokémon’s been fighting for the tribe for a while, so it makes sense why he fell into a leadership position. He had to, or, well, he already was in a leadership position, so he was forced to take on the responsibility no matter what. So then does that mean you need to forgive him? Because he’s changed and understands responsibility now? Or is that too much leniency, and you should wait until you actually feel better about the situation? Like, family doesn’t get a free pass to be rude just because they’re family, so does that mean he needs to do something for you, or is it enough that he’s changed? Or maybe because he changed he will be better from now so you should just forgive him regardless or is there a better moral outcome here that’s still an outcome that makes you happy so we should spend time finding a different solution that—”

  Sam stopped to breathe in, and he seemed to notice that Primeape and Trevenant were staring blankly. Awkwardly, he turned away from the pair and cleared his throat, coughing into his hand in an attempt to regain control of the situation.

  “Sorry. I got caught up in my thoughts. Read too many books, y’know?”

  Primeape snorted. He appreciated the effort, nonetheless.

  “But I guess if I have to summarize everything I was trying to say, I think it’s worth talking to him no matter what, Primeape,” Sam said softly. “Not to forgive him outright, but at least just to talk. Even after everything else, he was still your brother. That doesn’t mean you two have to make up, it’s just... I just don’t want you to pass up a chance to say goodbye.”

  And Sam went silent, his gaze gaining a certain quality Primeape couldn’t put into words. What he did understand, however, was Sam’s point, and he disliked that he agreed.

  Primeape had no way of knowing where he’d be in the future. The same was true for his brother. Leaving everything like this would only foster regret. If he wanted to move on, they needed to talk. He needed a way to move past this for the sake of his own well-being, just like Trevenant had said.

  So, there was no sense in waiting. Primeape scooted back on the rock and hopped down to the floor. Trevenant and Sam both silently watched him begin to head back toward the ravine, and Primeape had to stop walking to shoot them a look to say that, yes, he was trying to return.

  “Ah! Good. I just— I just want you to be happy, Primeape.”

  Trevenant was already moving up to catch up. Sam had to jog to reach Primeape’s side.

  “But you know...” Sam said, speaking as they began walking back to the Mankey’s campsite. “Your brother kind of got what he wished for. He’s the strongest in the tribe, so he’s their leader, but that also means he’s the one fighting on the Mankey’s behalf—Every. Single. Time.”

  Primeape grunted—so what?

  Sam just smiled.

  “So you know what that means? He’s caught in a trap of his own making. Instead of falling behind, he’s stuck in his position at the top. If I had to call it something...” Sam let out a chuckle. “I’d almost say that he made a wish on a Mankey’s paw, yeah?”

  He shot Primeape a smirk, and Primeape had to stop walking just to stare back.

  That was awful.

  That was genuinely the worst joke Primeape had ever heard, and he increased his speed to march far, far ahead.

  “Wait! Hold on, don’t run off without us!” Sam called out. “We’re off-route! Don’t go all the way back to camp on your own!”

  But Primeape tread onward, his fast pace allowing him to keep a decent lead on Sam and Trevenant—yet never out of sight. They raced to catch up but failed to reach him. Primeape didn’t want to acknowledge that awful pun, but really, he didn’t want them to see the small smile that had crept onto his face.

  Sam’s Team:

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Fog, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier)

  Approximate Team Strength: 7 Stars

  (Fire / Ghost Type, Female, Timid Nature +Spe/-Atk)

  Abilities: Blaze

  Held Item: Charcoal

  Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember, Flame Wheel, Curse, Will-O-Wisp, Incinerate, Detect, Quick Attack, Swift, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Double Team, Infernal Parade, Confuse Ray, Hex, Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Shadow Claw

  (Fighting Type, Male, Impish Nature +Def/-SpA)

  Abilities: Anger Point, Vital Spirit

  Moves: Scratch, Leer, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes, Assurance, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Cross Chop, Curse, Brick Break, Rock Smash, Rock Slide, Bulk Up, Rage, Rage Fist

  Haunter (Ghost / Poison Type, Male, Naive Nature +Spe/-SpD)

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Confuse Ray, Spite, Mean Look, Hex, Shadow Punch, Night Shade, Acid Spray, Ominous Wind, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Nightmare

  (Ghost Type, Female, Hasty Nature +Spe/-Def)

  Pokéball: Friend Ball

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Growl, Psywave, Astonish, Confusion, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Ball, Nasty Plot, Psybeam, Will-O-Wisp, Psychic, Hex

  Trevenant (Ghost / Grass Type, Male, Quiet Nature +SpA/-Spe)

  Pokéball: Moon Ball

  Abilities: Harvest, Frisk (Developing)

  Moves: Horn Leech, Tackle, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Growth, Ingrain, Leech Seed, Forest’s Curse

  Redi’s Team (at last sighting):

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Fog)

  Approximate Team Strength: 6 Stars

  (Normal Type, Male, Adamant Nature +Atk/-SpA)

  Abilities: Guts, Quick Feet

  Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Fire Punch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Slash, Ice Punch, Focus Energy, Thunder Punch, Hyper Beam, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Giga Impact, Shadow Claw, Sleep Talk

  Porygon (Normal Type, Genderless, Quirky Nature +-n/a)

  Abilities: n/a

  Moves: Tackle, Sharpen, Conversion, Psybeam, Thunder Shock, Charge Beam, Discharge, Tri-Attack, Charge, Teleport, Recover, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Lock-On, Zap Cannon

  (Dragon Type, Female, Rash Nature +SpA/-SpD)

  Abilities: Shed Skin

  Moves: Wrap, Leer, Thunder Wave, Twister, Slam, Agility, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush

  Auxiliary Pokémon: x2 (Tibia and Fibula), a decent number of wild (variable)

  At Home (non-battlers): ,

  Pokémon included in this chapter:

  Mankey /

  huge thank you to everyone reading! Your support keeps this story going.