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Peace had come to Lumiose once more.
After successfully thwarting history repeating itself in the form of the city falling to the same fate as Geosenge five years before, life was back to normal as closely as possible.
Business was bustling all around, especially at a certain hotel, the meeting place of a certain group of pals.
Days had passed since the world was saved, but there were a lot of things to think about.
"Hey, Naveen, any progress on the new getup yet?"
The teens were lounging around the chairs surrounding the table, overlooked by the old man and his faithful partner.
It was Paxton, the hero chosen by the Z-A Royale, who had asked this question, sitting between Taunie and Lida, with his arms draped around the headrest of a turned seat, head resting on them.
"I don't think I have a clear picture of what I want to have in mind at the moment."
"Oh, c'mon, Naveen! Where's that pep in your step?" Lida admonished. "What about that iconic Team MZ style?"
"We could definitely imagine Lida wearing them to help you out," Taunie suggested. "She likes the baggy kind of outfit, right?"
"Ugh, Taunie, nooooo." She momentarily covered her face with her hands, pulling them downwards in a dramatic show of play-horror. "That would be embarrassiiiiiing."
The others laughed at this, the designer of the group unable to hold back a smile.
Even AZ couldn't help but have a little chuckle to himself.
He wasn't going to let them know.
Not yet...maybe.
They could manage with the remarks of how his age, far longer than a typical human could dream to live past, was finally getting to him.
That was how he'd brushed off their concern when they noticed the slight, yet increasingly subtle shake of his hands, the occasional wobble of his cane (They must have thought he'd needed it for being so tall, just as many drawbacks for each advantage he had granted by his over nine-foot frame).
But Floette could notice.
She could notice that he wasn't being truthful in a way.
He had felt so full of life ever since they had reunited after their three-thousand-year split from each other.
Surely nothing bad was going to happen...right?
The others had bid each other goodnight as they headed for their respective rooms.
His cane leaned forward with every step, a worrying departure from how it was yesterday, the Pokémon noticed.
"I'm fine, Floette," he whispered, mindful to not awaken his hotel's guests. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry."
Kyuru kyu.
"It's just as I said before. I'm just an old man finally feeling his age."
Kyun...
"Oh, I'll be careful."
He opened the door, and she almost followed him inside, but he gently pushed her away with his free hand.
"I understand you're concerned. But I'll make it through the night."
The look he was giving her...
So stern, yet soft at the same time...
"I'll open the door for you in the morning. Stay right there...okay?"
Her eyes widened, and she beamed. Watching over his room for the night? Her Trainer was really letting her do that?
Kyuru~n!
"Nice of you to agree."
As he shut the door, he knew there was no way he could keep his promise.
But he still had to say it, as always.
"Good night, Floette."
If there were any witnesses at this moment, someone reasonable could take note of how final it had sounded.
Those were the words of a man ready to close the curtains on the stage called life.
But Floette wouldn't know that. Not for a while, at least.
Gently easing herself to the floor with a yawn, she closed her eyes, ready for another tranquil day ahead of her at the hotel.
If only anyone could realize this peace would come to be a bittersweet one.
Floette woke up first that day, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she took hold of her flower with her tail.
It was very early in the morning, and nobody else was awake, nor would they be, at this time besides her and her Trainer.
She'd been a good Pokémon all night and never moved even slightly from her spot.
Yet there didn't seem to be a sound coming from his room.
Maybe he was sleeping in for a bit?
He had to be. Managing a hotel could be very tiring.
She didn't mind waiting a little longer.
The sun had started to shine through the windows when she finally noticed this quiet wasn't normal.
She had to do something, anything to have him open the way to his room.
She knocked, lightly, quiet enough to not stir anyone else awake.
Kyuru?
No response.
...Kyu?
Nothing.
Kyuuuu...
Silence.
She knocked again, a bit louder this time.
Still not a peep from the other side.
This was starting to worry her.
She needed help.
Taunie was hugging a pillow like it was one of the stuffed toys from back home.
Paxton and the others had gone out. Lida had wanted to show him and Naveen some new dance moves, she supposed.
Meanwhile, that left her with more time to perfect her croissant curry recipe. Should there be more spice? Maybe put some more croissants around it? Oh! Maybe she could even cut them up and--
A rap on the door interrupted her dreams.
Okay, maybe the new idea could wait.
Floette zoomed in before she could even take a single step forward.
Kyururu kyuu!
"Wha?" She yawned, still a bit tired from being woken up so suddenly. "AZ's not letting you in his room?"
Kyukyun...
"Alright, let's see what I can do."
And so, the two went down the hall, all the way to the very end, where the old man had decided to reside.
"AZ?" She knocked on the door.
Kyu...
She didn't get anything.
"AZ, Floette's been waiting for you."
Still nothing from behind the door.
"I'm coming in now. Floette needs you to--"
When the knob was turned, she was prepared to get him up herself.
She didn't expect this.
Not at all.
"A...Z...?"
Her eyes widened as the door slowly opened to thrust her into something that couldn't possibly be real, but was.
Floette let out a frantic cry, flying over to the bed.
It was him.
Eyes closed, unmoving, not even breathing--
She was frozen in place as the Pokémon started to shove him as hard as she possibly could, moving the grasp of her flower to her tail as she pushed on his forehead, his nose, anywhere she could possibly think of to wake him.
Nothing.
No response.
Not even a single acknowledgement of knowing she was waiting for him.
What haunted the girl the most was his face.
He was...smiling.
He'd fallen asleep happy, with the knowledge he'd lived to see the world saved with his Pokémon by his side, and that it would be in good hands without needing him.
No.
What in Arceus's name was she thinking?
He wasn't asleep.
He was...
He was gone.
Dead.
She couldn't even check his pulse even if she tried.
Floette was getting desperate now, crying out for her Trainer to just wake up, to tell her good morning--
"Floette... Stop."
But she wouldn't listen. She started to shake him, hoping against all possible hope he was only in a very deep sleep he had to come out of, she needed him to come out of--
"Floette, I said stop! There's nothing you can do!"
Taunie's shout made her pause.
She stared at his peaceful, lifeless face, mind piecing it all together...
And then, she finally knew.
Five years.
The two had only been together for five years after three millennia apart...
All to end like this.
His eternal life had at last become finite.
She uttered a quiet, heartbroken whimper, slowly laying next to him as it all sank in.
Taunie was frozen in place.
He... He couldn't be dead. Not now. He was just healthy a few days ago.
Was this something she was supposed to be in the loop on?
How could he just...decline like this?
It was too soon.
She could have said goodbye if this was going to happen. Everyone could have.
AZ was selfish. He'd done so many things wrong in any of the three thousand years before she'd met him, and he was only now trying to fully make things right, just for him to do this?
Today, of all possible days, and he decided to up and die on them in the night?
This wasn't fair.
None of this was even fair; even Arceus had to know this.
But...what if it had to happen?
It had to, eventually.
Just like...
Hands almost shaking, she got out her Rotom Phone and dialed her friends.
They answered, Paxton being the first to get a word in.
"Taunie! Hey! Lida just showed us a new dance she and Starmie came up with that incorporates Mega Evolution into it! Pretty cool, right?"
She didn't say anything. She couldn't. Not with what she'd just come across looming over her like an Ariados ready to feast upon its entangled prey.
His face fell when he noticed, trying to figure out why she looked so sad. "Is everything okay? Something happen while we were gone?"
"Yeah, what's with the long face?" Lida added. "Would you want some--"
"Don't," Naveen cut in, stoic as ever.
"Guys..." She swallowed the lump in her throat.
This was going to be so hard to tell them.
"It's...about AZ. He's..."
There had been a letter addressed to them that she read while waiting for the others to come.
Taunie would be in charge of Hotel Z from then on.
That was the only thing that really mattered to her.
The trees rustled in the wind.
The five of them had gathered around the cemetary, looking upon an intricate grave.
It was as if time had stood still in the moments since it had become clear to them what they had to--no, needed to do.
Lida was the first to speak after a long moment of silence.
"Even his grave is imposing... I guess that's fitting for AZ, in a way."
The somber atmosphere his passing had left hung heavy over their heads.
"It seems like he handled all the preparations for it by himself," Naveen remarked. "He had me take his measurements. But he told me it was so I could make him some new clothes, not so he could have his grave dug..."
Quiet fell upon the group once more.
Yet in spite of it all, Taunie found it in her to smile, looking at the sky full of hope, and every dream still in her and her friends' reach.
"Keep watching over Lumiose, AZ," she promised. "We'll make sure it becomes like you wanted--a city of harmony between us and Pokémon."
In the distance, the man once known as Lysandre watched them.
"For three thousand long years, he bid farewell to so many...and now, we bid farewell to him."
It was a while longer before she was done.
"Let's go home. I think we need a good meal."
"Yes! That!" Lida was always down for an offer like this. "I'm starving."
"It'll be that curry again, I suppose."
Oh, Naveen. Always the predictable one.
"We've got so much left to take care of. So many things to clean up and set right..."
The three of them went on their way, Floette looking back one final time before following behind.
Paxton, however, lingered for a bit.
It was because of him that he was able to make the friends he did in Lumiose.
His time in the Kalos region wouldn't have been special if he hadn't been there.
Thank you for everything, AZ...
May you finally rest in peace...
We'll handle things from here.
With his final thoughts settled, he joined his allies to celebrate their bond, and the life of a friend, no matter how short of a time they'd known him.