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“Yo! Uncle Enzo!”
The Typhlosion heard someone calling to him as he left Spinda’s Café. He looked toward the crossroads and saw Grookey and Drakloak approaching. He smiled. “Hey, G&D!” Enzo greeted them. “How you doing?”
“We’re good!” Drakloak replied. “Are you ok? Your fur looks paler every time we see ya!”
Enzo crossed his arms. “Really?” he said indignantly.
“Really,” Grookey spoke up. “Fur on your back is green, and your belly is warm gray.”
“And those tufts behind your legs, they got silver tips!” Drakloak remarked.
“You saying I’m old?” Enzo pressed.
Grookey and Drakloak glanced at each other. “Uhhh…”
“Do I come to your dorm room and slap the apple out of your mouth? And that was my room long before it was yours!”
“I mean… You kinda just proved our point,” said Drakloak.
Enzo burst into hearty laughter, and the two boys laughed too.
“Ok, yeah. You could say I’ve been around for a long while. But enough about me, boys. What’ve my favorite apprentices been up to today?”
“We just got back from Shaymin Village,” Drakloak answered.
“Yeah, and the Shaymin guided us up the mountain!” Grookey said. “You should’ve seen it! The view from the peak was-” Grookey twirled, “aaa-maz-ing!”
“Oh, I have seen it, sonny. In my day, you had to fight a hoard of Grimer to get that view!”
“Heh. By the way, we got something nice for you, Uncle.” From his treasure bag, Drakloak pulled out a small, pretty box. It was white and cerulean, and topped with a Gracidea flower.
Enzo smiled and accepted the gift. “Thank you kindly, boys. Ooh, I remember the first time I found a Sky Gift…”
“Who’d you give it to, Mr. Enzo?” Grookey asked.
Enzo’s smile flattened. “Well…”
“Oh, you tried to open it yourself, didn’t you?”
“…Yeah, let’s go with that.” Enzo put his Sky Gift into his own treasure bag. “Anyway, what else is new with you, G&D?”
“We’re gonna stop by Scraggy and Scrafty’s before they close up shop,” said Drakloak. “We need to get a few more things for the party tonight.”
“A party? What’s the occasion?”
“It’s Chatot,” Grookey answered. “He’s retiring, so we’re all putting together a farewell celebration for him.”
“Is that so?” Enzo rubbed his chin. “You know, Chatot was the Guildmaster’s right hand even when I was an apprentice. Back when Wigglytuff was in charge. Can you believe that?”
“He’s trained a lot of explorers,” Drakloak remarked. “That’s for sure!”
“So what are you up to, Mr. Enzo?” Grookey asked.
“Not much. Spent the day in the café, sharing stories about the good ol’ days. Would’ve stayed longer, but it’s Friday. So I’m heading down to the beach.”
“Oh, what happens at the beach on Friday?”
“Hey Grookey,” Drakloak spoke up. “Let’s go, we’d better hurry.”
“But I wanna know-”
“Come on, let Uncle be. S&S will close soon, let’s catch ‘em before they do.”
Without waiting for an answer Drakloak started to push Grookey towards Treasure Town. Though he quickly looked back at Enzo and gave him a knowing nod.
“Tell Chatot I said hi!” Enzo called. Now alone again, he walked down the stone steps toward the beach.
It was one place in town that never changed, but Enzo always slowed down to admire its scenery. There was soft, golden sand, crystal blue waves, amethyst clouds, and a topaz sky. And as always the Krabby were perched on the jagged, rust-red rocks, blowing prismatic bubbles toward the horizon. Enzo had been across oceans and ventured over other continents, but no view was richer than Treasure Town's timeless beach.
Enzo took his time walking across the beach. He watched the shimmering bubbles float towards the west. He breathed in the scent of the ocean breeze, tasting the salt in the air. He was mindful of the silky sand beneath his feet, his paws sinking a little and leaving a print with each step. And he listened to waves, their dull rumble as they rolled up and unfolded at the edge of the land, each releasing a calm sigh before receding back to the sea.
He stopped in front of the mouth of Beach Cave. To the right there was a small site, made up of spiral stone circles, leading up to a modest pillar in the center that towered over the smaller pebbles. On the face of the pillar, a familiar pattern of an old relic was painted in white. A few small, burnt twigs were partially buried beneath the sand among the stones.
Enzo knelt in front of the stone circles. He retrieved his Sky Gift from the treasure bag. He gently opened the lid, knowing the wondrous little box would gift him exactly what he wanted: lavender incense sticks. He retrieved two of them and held them over his back. He grunted, struggling to produce flames. The edges of his fire band made only smoke, and towards the center the fire was a dull red. Nonetheless the incense ignited, and he staked them to the left and right of the pillar.
“Hi, it’s me again,” Enzo spoke as he sat in front of the pillar. “It’s been a week already. Time flies, huh? Well, things are still pretty peaceful. The guild’s had fewer jobs, so they can focus more on expeditions. They still gotta train, of course. Speaking of which, Marowak’s son came to run the dojo. He’s an Alolan type, so he can make green fire with his club. It’s pretty neat. Come to think of it, it’s been almost a year since Scraggy ‘n’ Scrafty set up where the Kecleon bros used to be. So yeah, the town keeps changing.”
“Oh, and I just heard that Chatot is retiring. Crazy, right? He’s been around forever… Always helped us out when we needed it. Well, maybe not always, but he’s still our friend. I was leaving the café when I heard. Manaphy’s been working there, he gets gummis from the Marine Resort and delivers them to Spinda. He seems pretty happy…”
“Anyway, G&D told me about Chatot. They’re getting a farewell party ready for him. Those little guys are so thoughtful… I know I say this all the time, but they remind me of, well…” Enzo’s voice went hoarse as he choked on his next words. “They remind me of… us.”
Enzo paused. “…They just came back from Shaymin Village. Climbed up Sky Peak.” Enzo took on a hearty tone. “I remember going up there for the first time like it was yesterday; the view was breathtaking! I’m sure it still is. G&D gave me this Sky Gift here, really kind of them. It made me think of the first Sky Gift I found, and how I gave it to-” Enzo’s eyes began to shimmer. “…to you.”
Enzo sniffed, and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “W-well, that’s about the gist of it. The town’s grown a bit, with more folks moving in. Some folks we remember are still around.” Enzo glanced back in the direction of Treasure town.
“…Some aren’t. Guild’s got a new guildmaster, and new apprentices, but they work just like we all did so long ago. Good for them, the world always needs good folks to handle work. It’s been a real long time since I've set foot in a dungeon…” Enzo’s gaze wandered over to the mouth of Beach Cave.
“So… yeah. Some things change. But some things don’t. Like how the beach here is always pretty. The townsfolk are always nice. I hang out at the café and share stories, reminisce about old adventures, and people there are always happy to listen. And… a-and…”
Enzo bent over. His tears flowed, glistening as they ran down his cheeks, hanging on the edge of his face before falling lifelessly into the sand. His voice quaked.
“I miss you.”
Enzo wept. As the sun crept toward the horizon and the sky darkened, he cried. He sobbed, his whole body shook, his raw emotions flowing out for a while before he composed himself.
“I know I say it every time I visit, but… I miss you… I always miss you… not a day goes by where I don’t think of you… Every last ounce of gold and gems and treasure we’ve collected over the decades, I’d throw all of it to the sea if I meant I got to see you again-!”
Enzo paused, his chest expanded as he gasped to catch his breath “…I hope that you’re at peace, wherever you are. And I hope to see you again, some day…”
The sun had set, but Enzo did not move. While the Krabby retreated for the night, he stayed at the monument to his late partner, where the incense burned brighter than the remnants of the evening sun. He pondered how, decades ago, his partner first found him here on this very spot, back when Enzo was just a Cyndaquil, and his partner a Totodile.
He flashed back to all the adventures they had since. Joining the guild, the expedition, traveling through time, saving the world, to graduation and beyond. Paradoxically it all seemed so distant, but at the same time it also felt like it happened mere days ago.
Enzo closed his eyes and hummed a song to himself. The incense burned, their tiny flames smoking and crawling down the sticks until they faded as the daylight had. One by one, a sea of stars illuminated the night sky. The moon rose as well, but it was a new moon; cloaked in blackness and offering no light.
“...I will see you again, Ferruccio.”
It was too dark to see where Enzo went.