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Notes: Chapter Ten's title is another reference to Revolutionary Girl Utena, this time referring to when Utena, as a young girl shortly after her parents' deaths, lays in the coffin and requests to see something eternal.

Warnings: violence, injuries; this is the one where Chairman Rose gets hit by a car.

---

The next morning, since there was no one to take turns with, Rose spent a long time cleaning himself in the bathroom. With the items Oleana brought, he was able to fix his facial hair and dress in his own clothes, finally presenting himself back to his standards.

Gloria confronted Rose as soon as he entered the meeting rooms. "You got your pokémon back!" she said.

"What?" Rose adjusted his grip on Budew. "This one isn't mine."

"I know that," Gloria said. "I know you got yours back, too! Don't try and hide it!"

"All right, all right. Oleana brought them to me." He looked above Gloria's head, further down the hall. He didn't see Acacius immediately, but he said he would be back in the morning…

Gloria blocked him from progressing further. "Battle me!" she demanded.

"Excuse me?" Rose said. Budew perked up.

Hop ran up behind her. "Gloria, come on, Lee already said you couldn't."

"Battling calms me down," Gloria said. "Plus, I haven't battled the chairman yet. Not Acacius, either, but he's being an ass."

"Did Acacius come back?" Rose asked. "Is he here?"

"He's in the kitchen," Hop said. "Gloria's right, though, he's not in a good mood."

"Regardless, I ought to return Budew to him, so if you'll excuse me…"

Rose stepped around Gloria and headed down to the kitchen. He heard Hop say something, but couldn't tell if Gloria responded.

He knocked on the kitchen door. "Acacius? Are you in there?"

It was Raihan's voice that answered. "He's in here, yeah. What is it?"

Rose pushed the door open with his foot. "Acacius, I was wondering if you wanted Budew back," he said. "She's behaved fairly well, all things considered."

"Well, that's good." Acacius didn't look at him when he spoke. While Raihan washed dishes, Acacius stood next to the fridge with a half-eaten serving of curry, his head down and staring at nothing in particular. The bags under his eyes looked darker than before.
Rose set Budew down to roam. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Acaicus said.

"Are you sure? You look like you haven't slept."

Acacius dropped his plate on the counter with a clatter. "I don't need you pretending to care about me, Chairman."

Raihan stopped in the middle of rinsing off a plate, the water still running. Rose stared at Acacius in confusion. The other man wouldn't look at him. "Pretending?" Rose said. "I… Acacius, what is this?"

"What," said Acacius, "didn't you say it yourself? Everything you do is an act."

"That's not…" He mentally floundered for words. "That doesn't mean I don't care. Did I do something to upset you?"

Acacius crossed his arms. "Maybe I just realized I don't actually know you," he said. "Sure, I know the act you put on, but there's a real you underneath all of that." He huffed. "I wonder what kind of person has to pretend all the time?"

Rose was left speechless. He barely felt Budew nudging his leg.

"Dude, what the hell!" Raihan exclaimed, turning the water off. "What's going on with you?"

Acacius glared at him. "Everyone else is allowed to be an ass to him! Why am I different?"

"You're being downright nasty!" Raihan glanced at Rose. "Especially considering he's right to be worried. You spent all night doing God-knows-what and you come back looking like garbage–clearly, something's up."

"I'm fine," Acacius said through gritted teeth.

"Acacius," Rose said quietly, "I thought I was being myself. How am I supposed to be?"

"I don't–" Acacius cut himself off with a hiss. "Whatever. I'm going for a walk."

He shouldered past Rose and out the door. Rose took a shuddering breath and looked down to see Budew staring up at him.

"What the hell," Raihan said. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

Rose couldn't find the will to move. Budew chirped at him and tilted her head.

Eventually, he knelt down and picked her up again. "Gloria was right," he said. "He is being an ass. Let's get ourselves breakfast."

---

Gloria approached again while he and Budew were eating. "So," she said, pulling out the chair next to him, "about that battle–"

"I really shouldn't," Rose said. "It wouldn't be safe to have a pokémon battle indoors."

"Obviously we wouldn't have it indoors."

"And I'm not allowed to leave the building." Rose sighed and gave Budew a piece of fruit, which she snapped up at once and started after the eggs on his plate. "As much as I like the idea, it's just not feasible. I would get in a lot of trouble."

Still, the champion was relentless. "C'mon, I'll take the blame if we get caught. I'll say I made you do it."

"That won't fly. I'm the adult, so the responsibility falls on me."

Gloria groaned. "Like I don't know what I'm doing? Sure, I'm fourteen, but I'm not stupid."

"I don't think that's quite what it means."

"Then what does it mean?"

Rose gave up on eating anything and nudged his plate towards Budew. "You're a child," he said, "and children are allowed to make mistakes. It's almost expected of you. Adults are not granted that same luxury. It's our job to take on the burden of responsibility."

"Adults can't make mistakes?" Gloria said. "What do you call your whole deal, then?"

"Let me rephrase. Children are allowed to make mistakes without facing the consequences for them."

"I mean, you're doing a pretty good job at avoiding jail time–"

Rose decided he was done with the conversation. "Where are your friends, Gloria?"

"Bede and Marnie are out shopping," Gloria said, "and Hop went with Leon to run errands. It's just you and me, Chairman." She paused. "And, like, Raihan and Nessa are here, I guess? I dunno where everyone else went."

"Talk to Raihan and Nessa, then," said Rose. "I have a busy day ahead of me keeping Budew entertained, so I'm afraid I have to decline a battle."

"Ugh! Fine." Gloria stood up again. "I'll battle you one of these days!"

On another day, Rose might have expressed more enthusiasm. After Acacius' outburst, he couldn't even fake it. "I'm sure you will," he said, and watched Budew lick the plate clean.

Once the door closed, Rose was prepared to sit in silence until the day ended–but there was a knock not long after Gloria left. "What is it?" he called out.

Raihan opened the door. "Hey," he said. "I heard Gloria was asking you for a battle?"

"You heard correctly." Rose kept his eyes on Budew, who was trying to get in the trash can. "I wouldn't mind, but I can't leave the hotel."

"I mean, we can probably make an exception, if you were up for it."

That got his attention. "Really?" Rose said, turning to look at him. "And Leon would allow it?"

"I mean, I'm not exactly asking permission, but I'm sure he'll understand." Raihan shrugged. "It's mainly for Gloria. She needs something to take her mind off of things, and honestly? You do, too. Maybe a battle would help you both."

"That's very kind of you," said Rose. "If you're willing to vouch for me, I'd be happy to take part in a pokémon battle."

Behind Raihan, he heard Gloria cheer. "Yes! Finally!"

Rose cracked a smile. "She talked you into it, I assume?"

"Yeah," Raihan said. "What can I say? I'd kinda like to see you battle, too."

---

Gloria had already chosen a location. The outskirts of Wyndon had a few unused parking lots, and one of them was so overgrown that the bushes and young trees formed a shield around it, protecting them from prying eyes. "Hop found it," she informed him on the car ride there, leaning up from the back seat. "We've already been training our pokémon there, but we haven't had a real battle yet."

"And this would be a real battle," said Rose. "I'm assuming you'll be using your strongest team?"

"Uh, duh! I hope you are, too!"

"I only have the one team with me, but, well, you're in luck. There aren't any others I would battle with."

"Awesome!"

"Gloria, put your seatbelt on," Raihan said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"What?" she said. "We're not going that far–ow!"

The car went over a deep pothole and sent Gloria's head into the roof. She slumped back in her seat and glared at Raihan. "You hit that on purpose," she said.

"Nope. It's a bumpy road, so seriously, buckle up."

The road had been unmaintained for years, and by the time they got to the abandoned parking lot, Rose was sore just from the constant shifting with every dip and bump. As soon as the engine turned off, he got out and stretched.

Gloria jumped out and ran to the center of the lot. "Woo! I'm ready!"

Raihan stood up with a smile. "You want to lay down some rules, first?"

"Standard league rules! Full power! Let's do this!"

"You're an impatient girl," Rose said. "I can't complain. I imagine I shouldn't be out for too long."

With Raihan supervising the match, Rose and Gloria shook hands and went to opposing sides of the empty lot. "Alright!" Gloria said, taking out a pokéball. "Let's see what I'm up against! Inteleon, go!"

The pokémon burst out and warbled before standing up straight and crossing its arms. Raihan cheered.

Rose smiled and took his first pokémon off his belt. "Escavalier."

His pokémon appeared disoriented, looking back at him and raising his striped lances questioningly. "Just a friendly battle," Rose said. "Do try to win, though. Use swords dance."

Gloria called out her pokémon's move, and the battle began.

Rose recalled that Inteleon had been Gloria's starter pokémon, and it certainly fought like one worthy to be by the champion's side. Escavalier was soon defeated; after a brief intermission where Rose had to stop Budew from running out on the field, he sent out Klinklang.

"Snipe shot!"

"Wild charge."

Inteleon was knocked out. Klinklang made a valiant attempt against Gloria's next pokémon, a Cursola, but soon succumbed to Gloria's onslaught.

There was a spark in Gloria's eyes as she battled, each move ordered with equal intensity, each pokémon cheered for with the same enthusiasm. Didn't that get tiring? Rose thought. Shouldn't her energy be saved for when she needed it? Perhaps this was only a fraction of her full potential. The thought was frightening.

Ferrothorn fell. He was three pokémon down, and Perrserker wasn't faring well against Gloria's noctowl. The champion had three pokémon left against Rose's two, and he suspected he wasn't winning the battle.

Still, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. It felt good to get out in the fresh air and watch his pokémon go at it with everything they had. Even as he recalled Perrserker, there was a thrill he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"Copperajah, it's up to you," he said, sending out his last pokémon.

"Noctowl, return!" Gloria nodded at the pokéball. "Go–"

"Guys! There's a car coming!"

Raihan's shout snapped them both back to reality. "What?!" Gloria yelped. "No one knows we're here!"

"Maybe they'll go past us?" Rose said, perhaps a little too optimistically.

The van screeched into the lot, nearly hitting Raihan's car. Rose moved to recall Copperajah, but the van revved its engine and sped forward, and Rose realized, too late–it was rushing right towards him.

He didn't feel the initial impact. He hit the ground hard and nearly knocked his head against the asphalt. He lay there for a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning, and the pain hit all at once.

The van's door opened.

"You weren't that hard to track down after all," Mable said. Rose couldn't see her clearly, but he could hear heavy boots on the pavement as she walked towards him. "After I figured out you went to the league, it was obvious where you'd be."

Rose was wracked with pain, and his legs weren't responding. He tried to get away and only ended up rolling onto his back with a wheeze.

"Get away from him!" Gloria shouted.

His vision was slowly clearing; he recognized a frosmoth unfurling its wings between him and Mable. She halted and went back to the van, her two pokémon stepping out from behind her. Houndoom lowered its head and snarled, Weavile brandished its claws.

"Houndoom, flamethrower," Mable said. Houndoom obeyed and breathed a stream of fire at the frosmoth. It shrieked, but stayed aloft, turning to Gloria for its next instruction.

The moment Houndoom's mouth closed, Budew launched herself against its side.

Rose tried to call her back, but the only noise he could make was muddled by pain. Budew ignored him. She backed up and stood between him and Mable's houndoom. She let out a long, threatening hiss, and was enveloped in white light.

Rose stared dumbfounded as Budew's form changed, rapidly growing and changing before his eyes. When her evolution finished, Budew–now Roselia–puffed herself up and shrieked at Houndoom.

Her moment of glory ended when Houndoom breathed fire on her. She had just enough strength to stagger to Rose's side before fainting.

Copperajah trumpeted. Houndoom yelped and barely dodged as she charged forward, forcing it to retreat back behind the van. Copperajah snorted and backed up, standing protectively over Rose.

Raihan threw a pokéball and shouted, "Flygon, dragon claw!"

The pokémon burst out and flew into attack form at once, slashing at Weavile with glowing claws. Weavile yowled and retaliated by flinging sharp, icy points at its wings. Flygon made a hasty landing and screeched.

Surely, Mable knew she couldn't win; she was up against not only Copperajah, but two of Galar's most powerful trainers, both of whom had full teams of pokémon; she only had the two. Still, she wasn't backing down. Rose tried to move again, but his hips and abdomen screamed at him, and his legs were going numb. Dimly, he felt Roselia breathing at his side.

Raihan and Gloria ran across the lot. "You're outnumbered," Raihan said. "Just give up! You're not getting what you want!"

"Really," said Mable. She opened the van's back door. "Tell that to him, then."

She dragged her hostage out by his hair. Rose's heart dropped.

Acacius was bound and bruised, with his mouth taped over and his arms tied behind his back. His eyes were uncovered, darting from side to side as Mable yanked his head back and put a knife to his throat.

For a moment, he and Rose made eye contact.

"You're still outnumbered," Raihan said, but he was far less confident than before. His flygon looked back at him, waiting for an order. Copperajah, similarly, stayed still and silent. Gloria's frosmoth landed, waving its wings slowly. And Gloria herself–

Gloria appeared to be retrieving a pokémon from her boxes.

"Hey, Mable," she said. An ultra ball dropped into her hands. "What do you want, really?"

Mable looked at her incredulously. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don't just want the chairman," Gloria said. "Sure, you want to do messed up experiments on him or whatever, but you're not doing it for no reason. What do you actually want from this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mable kept the knife on Acacius' throat. "I want immortality. Team Flare couldn't do it, despite Lysandre's promises, but this guy–" She jerked her head towards Rose. "–he gets it by total accident! I want to figure out how, and then I want to do it to myself."

"Okay," Gloria said, and she threw the ultra ball.

The ball hit the ground and burst open. White light poured from it, expanding and coalescing to form a shape that grew bigger, bigger, bigger–

And Eternatus was there.

It appeared larger than in Rose's nightmares, barely fitting in the sky above the lot. With a shake of its head, it unfurled its skeletal body and peered down at the tiny humans below. When it saw Gloria, it bent down towards her, but she raised a hand and said, "Stay."

No one moved. Raihan's mouth hung open. Rose couldn't take his eyes away, sweat breaking out on his forehead. The energy in Eternatus' chest, the same as what powered his own body, churned and roiled, even as Eternatus itself obeyed Gloria's command.

"Here's the deal," Gloria said. "Leave us alone, and I'll give you Eternatus."

Raihan recovered. "Bad idea!" he shouted. "Gloria–"

Mable shook her head, appearing to be at a momentary loss for words. "That's it?" she said. "I'm supposed to believe you'll just hand me Eternatus, no questions asked?"

"I'll do it," said Gloria. "You think I want to keep the monster that ripped someone's heart out? If I hand it over, maybe it'll do the same to you, and we'll all get what we want."

"Gloria–"

Eternatus shifted in the sky, and Raihan sputtered and had to try again. "Gloria, think about this!" he said. "We can't trust her. You can't trust her."

Gloria ignored him. "All you have to do," she said to Mable, "is leave everyone alone. Do whatever experiments with Eternatus you want, but let go of Acacius, give up on the Chairman, and leave all the rest of us alone."

Mable frowned. She didn't say anything for a few, long moments.

Finally, she said, "Fine. Give it to me."

"Let go of Acacius," Gloria said.

"Oh, sure, like you won't all jump me when I do?" Mable snorted. "Give me the pokéball. Then I'll let him go."

Gloria hesitated. Raihan grabbed her arm. "Gloria, you can't! There's got to be another way!"

She pulled away and walked towards Mable.

Eternatus followed. Rose's stomach flipped as it drew closer, blocking out the sun above him. Mable flinched. "Hey, hey!" she said. "What's it doing?"

"It's just–" Gloria huffed and turned to Eternatus, holding up its ball again. It dissolved into red light and was sucked back into the ultra ball, leaving the sky clear. Rose remembered to breathe. 

The exchange was brief. Gloria held out the ultra ball. Mable took the knife off Acacius throat and snatched Eternatus' pokéball away, holding it as if it were poison, or a bomb.

"Fine," she said. "We all get what we want."

She shoved Acacius away. He hit the ground and let out a muffled cry. Mable got back in the van and slammed the door. Raihan shouted something, and his flygon took flight, but Mable was already speeding away, too fast to be caught.

Rose forced himself to move.

At the slightest shift, fiery pain shot through his waist and legs, running through his bones. A yelp escaped him. For a moment, he felt every fracture in perfect, agonizing clarity.

The pain faded. Rose gasped, his head pounding, and sat up. His body felt fine. He might even be able to stand. He found Roselia's pokéball on his belt and recalled her before getting to his feet.

He didn't so much walk to Acacius as he stumbled and fell to him, collapsing by his side. Acacius didn't look at him. Rose took a moment to catch his breath before reaching over and tearing the tape off his mouth.

"Acacius," he said. "Are you all right?"

"No," Acacius said. "I got kidnapped and beat up, and I don't know why you're bothering to care after what I said."

"I'm not worried about that right now." Rose tried to untie Acacius' wrists, but the rope had been partially melted, the synthetic material fusing together. "I need to cut this. Where are your pokémon?"

"I don't know. She might still have them."

Gloria and Raihan were arguing. Rose couldn't make out the words, just Gloria shouting. Rose waved Copperajah over, but she wouldn't be able to break the rope without hurting Acacius.

"I thought I knew her," Acacius said.

Rose looked back at him and saw tears in his eyes. "Mable?"

"Who else?" Acacius cracked a bitter smile. "We were around each other for two years, y'know? I knew she was an ass, but she killed her own friend. I never thought…"

He sobbed. Rose struggled for words. "It's not your fault," he said. "It's not…"

He found a piece of slate on the ground near them. It wasn't very sharp, and pieces broke off as he sawed at the rope, but its material had weakened enough to cut through it. With his hands free, Acacius sat up, tears trailing freely down his face.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I didn't mean what I said."

"It's alright," said Rose. "It… it wasn't really about me, was it?"

Acacius shook his head and fell against Rose, wrapping his arms around his chest. His body trembled with barely-suppressed sobs. Rose sat awkwardly for a moment before he returned the embrace.