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Walpurgis' eyes opened slowly, a cold sweat causing his shirt to cling to his torso. The rocket sighed, climbing out of his bed. It was the same dream. It had gone away for a long time, but it was back, and it seemed determined to mess with him. Walpurgis pulled the shirt over his head, slinging it into the hamper as he walked into the bathroom connected to his room. Walking to the sink, he turned on the water, splashing it into his face.

He looked into the mirror, watching the water drip off his face like the rain that eventful day in Saffron. He grabbed a towel, drying the water. He'd ignored the dream for a while, but during the Rinual Mountain mission, it had caused him to slip up. Caused him to take unnecessary risks. It was foolish. Walpurgis closed his eyes again, leaning against the wall.

He couldn't ignore the dream any longer.

The interior of the room was dark, the only illumination coming from a candle lit upon the desk. Behind the desk was a man who remained seated as Walpurgis knelt down on one knee, bowing his head. "Mr. Trias."

The man smiled kindly, the candlelight betraying the scars of age on the man's face. "Please, raise your head, Melris. It didn't fit Shaw to be yielding, and it doesn't fit you. Now, come, tell me why you came to me; you haven't visited since you were assigned to Zatao, so you'll forgive me if I presume you want something."

Walpurgis stood, nodding. "You are correct, sir. I came to request a leave of absence."

Trias tilted his head, inspecting Walpurgis' features for a hint to his motivation. "May I ask why?"

Walpurgis shrugged. "You could, but I would refrain from answering."

The old rocket laughed. "You're so like Shaw, Melris. He would have been proud to see how far you've come." Walpurgis crossed his arms, saying nothing. "Alright, boy. You have your leave. How long will you be gone?"

Walpurgis shrugged. "A few weeks, maybe a month. Two, perhaps. I don't know for certain." He turned to the door and opened it, but Trias stopped him.

"Come see this old man sometime when you don't need a favor, yeah?"

Walpurgis smiled, closing his eyes. Without turning back, he nodded his agreement, shutting the door quietly behind him.

The Next Day

Walpurgis walked through the bustling streets of Katarina, weaving through the pedestrians. Stepping into the harbor, he located the harbormaster. "Hi. I'm looking for a ship headed for Vermillion City, Kanto. Are there any scheduled for today?" The harbormaster adjusted his glasses and pulled a list out of his pocket. "Lemme check that for ya."

The hair on Walpurgis' neck stood on end, and he got the feeling he was being watched. He crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on the harbormaster. "Ah, 'ere we go. We don't got none today, but there's one tomorrow morning. Would that do ya good?"

Walpurgis nodded. "That's fine. How much would a ticket cost?" The harbormaster indicated the sum, and Walpurgis handed over the money to receive a ticket. "Thanks." He turned and left before the harbormaster could respond.

Officer Matthews gave chase to the man as he ducked into another alley before losing sight of him. "s**t! Wish the Commish would see fit to tell me the b*****d was fast, too." He drew his gun from his holster, hidden underneath his shirt. He walked carefully through the alleys, the area foreign to him. It was his first time out of Kanto, let alone in Zatao. "Drop the weapon." The gun clattered to the floor. "Who sent you?"

Matthews tried to turn towards the man holding him, but the man tightened his grip on his neck. "I don't give information to murderers."

"Wrong answer." The point withdrew from his back before plunging into his leg. Pain erupted from the wound, and spots clouded Officer Matthews' vision. "Try again."

Matthews gritted his teeth at the pain, hissing at the man holding him. "I'll tell you nothing." The man sighed. "I give you points for loyalty, but I'm afraid I'll have to dock you points for your lack of common sense." The man released his grip on the officer's neck as his fist collided with Matthew's kidney. Matthews dropped to his knees as waves of pain and nausea bombarded him. "Who sent you?"

Walpurgis narrowed his eyes at the the man's answer, driving his knife into the man's leg. Saffron. He waited for the man to stop screaming before speaking again. "Does the name Hughes mean anything to you?" The man said nothing, but a quick widening of his eyes betrayed him. "So Hughes sent you, then. How did you find me?"

The man chuckled, his breath ragged with pain. "People have been watching you since you came here. You're a marked man, Walpurgis Night." Walpurgis backed away from the man, withdrawing his knife from the now twice-injured leg. He crossed his arms, thinking. The man clearly figured Walpurgis already knew most of this, or else he wouldn't have changed his tune so easily, even without the poison clouding his mind.

Walpurgis looked at the man. "Nameless Officer of Saffron, it seems that our time together, however short, will now come to an end. You see, while I could let you go now that I know why you were tailing me, I'm also not stupid. The second I do, you'll go to the local authorities and try to stop me. And we can't have that, now can we?" He placed a firm hand upon the man's chin, placing his knife at the man's throat. The man's eyes bulged in fear, and Walpurgis gave him a cruel smile.

"Goodbye."

The boy ran, his feet splashing through the wet alleyway. He was almost there. Shaw would be so proud of him.
An imposing figure cut off his path, pointing his gun at the boy. The crack of a gunshot resounded through the air.
A splash, and then silence.