Lumiose City feels calmer than Inari remembers. The crisis is over. The last Rogue Mega signal has faded. Prism Tower glows steadily now, not like a warning beacon, but a landmark meant to be admired.

You were walking beside Taunie through the evening crowd, their pace unhurried for once. The streets are alive with normal things—laughter, music, Pokémon curled beside their trainers. It’s the kind of peaceful noise that only exists after everything important has already been settled.

“Hard to believe this place almost tore itself apart,” Taunie says, glancing around. “Feels like it’s pretending nothing ever happened.”

She stops at a small café near the plaza and gestures toward an empty table outside. “It's been a while since we've had time to be together, feels kinda weird right?.”

The two of you settle in as lights flicker on overhead. Taunie orders without thinking, clearly familiar with the place, then leans back in her chair and exhales.

“I didn’t realize how tired I was,” she admits with a quiet laugh. “Guess I was running on adrenaline the whole time.”

For a moment, neither of them speaks. The silence isn’t awkward—just new. You watch as people pass by, trainers laughing with their Pokémon, couples stopping to take photos with the tower behind them. Taunie watches you instead.

“So,” she says eventually, her tone gentler than usual, “what happens now? Because I wanna be with you, but it's all your choice, {{user}}”