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Description
It was the longest walk Dagger had ever made through the hallow halls of PEF HQ. He passed many other members, but none seemed to notice him as they were too preoccupied with their own work. This would be the day he would leave his used to be home, but there was one last thing he had to do.

There it was the infirmary door, plain as day. Dagger stood in front of it for the longest time, unable to will himself through. One of the doors swung open gently with the aid of a stout, curly red headed nurse.

"Oh, sorry there love," the human nurse said, startled by the Gallade, "Didn't mean to get in the way."

The nurse brushed past Dagger without a second look back, hurrying away to some other job she was called to. Dagger took a deep breath before catching the door on its backswing and entering. The air was tinged with the scent of anti-septic cleaners. Beds were lined along both walls with pokemon and human occupants in various states of recovery. Dagger headed down the row, listening in to visitors giving words of encouragement to their friends and partners. Skipping a couple of empty beds, he made for the last two beds on the right where a Charmeleon and Lopunny were resting. Both the pokemon had bandages wrapped around them in assorted places; the Charmeleon in particular had a cast wrapped arm in an over the shoulder sling. Sensing Dagger's approach the two turned to eye their visitor. There was a mixture of emotion between the two pokemon, but a prominent sense of anger and hatred emitted from the Charmeleon as he Dagger came closer.

"What are you doing here," the Charmeleon almost spat out at Dagger.

"Draco, please don't get so worked up," the Lopunny said timidly.

"Why not Lilly, you know what he did," Draco nearly shouted, "So why are you here?"

"…I came to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry, SORRY?! Do you really think that's all it's gonna take for us to forgive you?!" Draco hissed.

Dagger could only look at the floor, "…No."

"Nothing you could ever say or do can make up for killing Maria!"

The mention of Maria's name made Lilly sniffle.

"It's all your fault that's she's dead; dammit Dagger why did you have to pick up that essence?!"

It was dead silent between the three pokemon as the tension mounted.

"…I know you can't forgive me, I can't even forgive myself," Dagger said quietly, "That's why I'm leaving the PEF."

Lilly sniffled again, "Dagger…"

"Fine then," Draco seethed, "Just get out of here you murderer! It'll be better off without you!"

Draco turned away from Dagger, angry tears streaming down his face.

"…Lilly," Dagger whispered.

Lilly tried holding back her tears, "Please Dagger, just go."

Dagger's legs were weighed down like lead blocks as he left the infirmary. He thought at least talking to his old partners would help, but it only made him feel even worse than before. Now there was nothing left for him to do except leave. He looked down at his PEF vest, the symbol from Jake's team still lingering on the back; he would leave it behind as well.

"Where are you going?" A voice behind Dagger broke his stride.

It was Jake, alone, to confront the wandering Gallade.

"What do you care," Dagger picked up his usual toneless voice.

"I don't see why you're leaving our team."

"It is none of your concern," Dagger turned to depart, "And I wasn't really a part of your team."

Jake crossed his arms and spoke in a softer tone, "…I know what happened to your team and your last mission Dagger."

Dagger stopped dead in his tracks, but gave no other reaction to Jake's statement with a silent stare between the two.

"As I said before, it is none of your concern," Dagger continued to take a step.

"So that's it, you're just gonna give up?" Jake called after him, "That's a pretty big let down if you ask me."

"How would you feel if you hurt someone you cared about," Dagger said an edge of anger behind his mask.

Jake paused, "…I don't know. I felt like the only the only way to make things right after the incident was to quit myself. It was terrible to watch someone die before my eyes, but I couldn't just sit around thinking about what could have been. There's just too much that I can still do to help those that are still here."

Right there, Maria stood again, smiling as she always did to cheer Dagger up. Dagger was in awe, he thought about all the times he was happy with her, Draco, and Lilly. All their missions and time together seemed like a distant dream, yet also like the closest memories he had. A hand invaded Dagger's vision, it was Jake's, waiting for the return gesture that was long overdue. Dagger hesitated, his hand hovering in midair before locking onto Jake's Jake brought up another warm smile; Dagger couldn't help it, a single tear escaped from him which he quickly wiped away.

"Come on Dagger, Dakota has another mission for our team," Jake said leading the way.

He couldn't believe it, but Dagger felt a surge of happiness run through him and he didn't feel like he was losing control.

Dagger stared off into space as he thought, 'Maria, I promise I'll never forget you and all your kindness, and I promise to work to atone for what I did. For you, myself, and my team.'

Description
It was the longest walk Dagger had ever made through the hallow halls of PEF HQ. He passed many other members, but none seemed to notice him as they were too preoccupied with their own work. This would be the day he would leave his used to be home, but there was one last thing he had to do.

There it was the infirmary door, plain as day. Dagger stood in front of it for the longest time, unable to will himself through. One of the doors swung open gently with the aid of a stout, curly red headed nurse.

"Oh, sorry there love," the human nurse said, startled by the Gallade, "Didn't mean to get in the way."

The nurse brushed past Dagger without a second look back, hurrying away to some other job she was called to. Dagger took a deep breath before catching the door on its backswing and entering. The air was tinged with the scent of anti-septic cleaners. Beds were lined along both walls with pokemon and human occupants in various states of recovery. Dagger headed down the row, listening in to visitors giving words of encouragement to their friends and partners. Skipping a couple of empty beds, he made for the last two beds on the right where a Charmeleon and Lopunny were resting. Both the pokemon had bandages wrapped around them in assorted places; the Charmeleon in particular had a cast wrapped arm in an over the shoulder sling. Sensing Dagger's approach the two turned to eye their visitor. There was a mixture of emotion between the two pokemon, but a prominent sense of anger and hatred emitted from the Charmeleon as he Dagger came closer.

"What are you doing here," the Charmeleon almost spat out at Dagger.

"Draco, please don't get so worked up," the Lopunny said timidly.

"Why not Lilly, you know what he did," Draco nearly shouted, "So why are you here?"

"…I came to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry, SORRY?! Do you really think that's all it's gonna take for us to forgive you?!" Draco hissed.

Dagger could only look at the floor, "…No."

"Nothing you could ever say or do can make up for killing Maria!"

The mention of Maria's name made Lilly sniffle.

"It's all your fault that's she's dead; dammit Dagger why did you have to pick up that essence?!"

It was dead silent between the three pokemon as the tension mounted.

"…I know you can't forgive me, I can't even forgive myself," Dagger said quietly, "That's why I'm leaving the PEF."

Lilly sniffled again, "Dagger…"

"Fine then," Draco seethed, "Just get out of here you murderer! It'll be better off without you!"

Draco turned away from Dagger, angry tears streaming down his face.

"…Lilly," Dagger whispered.

Lilly tried holding back her tears, "Please Dagger, just go."

Dagger's legs were weighed down like lead blocks as he left the infirmary. He thought at least talking to his old partners would help, but it only made him feel even worse than before. Now there was nothing left for him to do except leave. He looked down at his PEF vest, the symbol from Jake's team still lingering on the back; he would leave it behind as well.

"Where are you going?" A voice behind Dagger broke his stride.

It was Jake, alone, to confront the wandering Gallade.

"What do you care," Dagger picked up his usual toneless voice.

"I don't see why you're leaving our team."

"It is none of your concern," Dagger turned to depart, "And I wasn't really a part of your team."

Jake crossed his arms and spoke in a softer tone, "…I know what happened to your team and your last mission Dagger."

Dagger stopped dead in his tracks, but gave no other reaction to Jake's statement with a silent stare between the two.

"As I said before, it is none of your concern," Dagger continued to take a step.

"So that's it, you're just gonna give up?" Jake called after him, "That's a pretty big let down if you ask me."

"How would you feel if you hurt someone you cared about," Dagger said an edge of anger behind his mask.

Jake paused, "…I don't know. I felt like the only the only way to make things right after the incident was to quit myself. It was terrible to watch someone die before my eyes, but I couldn't just sit around thinking about what could have been. There's just too much that I can still do to help those that are still here."

Right there, Maria stood again, smiling as she always did to cheer Dagger up. Dagger was in awe, he thought about all the times he was happy with her, Draco, and Lilly. All their missions and time together seemed like a distant dream, yet also like the closest memories he had. A hand invaded Dagger's vision, it was Jake's, waiting for the return gesture that was long overdue. Dagger hesitated, his hand hovering in midair before locking onto Jake's Jake brought up another warm smile; Dagger couldn't help it, a single tear escaped from him which he quickly wiped away.

"Come on Dagger, Dakota has another mission for our team," Jake said leading the way.

He couldn't believe it, but Dagger felt a surge of happiness run through him and he didn't feel like he was losing control.

Dagger stared off into space as he thought, 'Maria, I promise I'll never forget you and all your kindness, and I promise to work to atone for what I did. For you, myself, and my team.'