Chapter 14: Stranger
The Desert Cat
Good Boy
Chapter 14: Stranger
Author’s Note:
I forgot to mention it last time, but thanks to Team_Ion for the great team name! It fits them perfectly.
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“You couldn’t get in, could you?” Luxray asked when they returned to Meadow town that afternoon.
Lucario shook his head.
“We have some ideas, though,” Zorua said, “we’re going back to Pokémon Square for help.”
“Alakazam has been worried about you all, you know; especially you, I think.” Luxray smiled at Absol. “After Braixen brought you in yesterday morning, he arranged to contact her every six hours for updates.”
Absol was pretty sure that Alakazam hadn’t been doing that with any of the other teams they’d sent out, and some of those dungeons were a lot more dangerous than Creepy Tunnel. Was it because they had Arcanine along, or was he just worried about her in the mystery dungeon? Actually, she thought, it was probably Charizard or Tyranitar’s idea; they were both protective of her.
“Do you guys have some of those sandglasses here too?” Zorua asked.
Luxray nodded. “We would have put them in the common room, but Beldum didn’t want so much traffic; they’re in the spare room behind Bayleef’s office.”
Zorua hadn’t thought about it before, but that made sense; they had to have matching ones in every town, so Pokémon there would know when to expect Alakazam or Xatu or Delphox to contact them.
“We have another contact scheduled in about two hours,” Luxray continued, “would you all join us for a meal while we wait? My partner and our cubs would like to meet all of you.”
Zorua shrank back behind Arcanine as Absol and Lucario accepted for all of them. This was going to be really uncomfortable, she thought; Luxray and his partner were too polite, too professional, to bring up her past mistakes when there was work to be done, but the Shinxes wouldn’t be.
Luxray led them across the square to a timber cabin set into a mound of earth. On this side of town the stockade construction was complete. From the outside it looked tiny, and Absol wasn’t sure how they could all fit comfortably inside, but as they followed Luxray and Lucario in, she saw that it was only the entrance to a larger structure below. The delicious smell of baking Apples and spices wafted up to them.
A ramp led down from the door into a spacious underground den. The floor was earth, packed solid from generations of use and scattered with colorful rugs. The walls were made of large stones, carefully stacked and mortared, sloping outward as they rose like the sides of a large bowl. The roof overhead, which had appeared to be the mound of earth from the outside, was supported by huge logs which met at a large stone column in the center of the room. The windows in the cabin served as skylights.
Two young Shinxes bounded up the ramp to meet them, jostling to be the first to greet the visitors. Zorua fell to the back of the line, hoping to put off the meeting as long as possible.
They brushed past Luxray, who was in the lead. The front Shinx ran straight for Lucario, who caught her mid-pounce and spun her around in the air. The second slipped past him. Dodging between legs, he sniffed at Absol, Arcanine, and Team Arcana as he passed, then stopped to stick his tongue out as Zorua before turning around.
Lucario and his Shinx were both grinning as he set her down. She walked beside him. That wasn’t fair, Zorua thought; beside Lucario was her spot.
Luxio appeared around the center pillar, smiling up at them. “Oh, good! you’ve brought everyone. We hoped you’d be back in time for dinner; I’ve Apples in the oven.”
“My partner,” Luxray said proudly, pointing to Luxio, “and our cubs. That’s Scruffy with Arcanine, and Fluffy with Lucario.
The names were fitting, Absol thought. They were both clean, but Fluffy was neatly groomed with a light purple bow tied around her neck, while her brother’s fur stuck off in spiky tufts in all directions.
“What did you find?” Fluffy demanded excitedly of Lucario, “did you get in the door? Was it scary?”
“Were there any bad Pokémon?” Scruffy asked Arcanine, “are you real explorers? did you get to fight them?”
The two of them were charming, Absol thought, but Arcanine looked a bit overwhelmed as Scruffy bounced around in front of him. Lucario and Fluffy seemed to be good friends, but both of them were ignoring Zorua, who looked uncomfortable. There had to be some history between them, Absol thought; Servine in the lodge had mentioned Zorua getting a Shinx lost, hadn’t he?
“I’m sure they’ll tell us all about it once we get comfortable,” Luxray said.
Arcanine thought it sounded more like a command to them than an admonition to the Shinxes. This wasn’t just a friendly visit; Luxray expected a debriefing too. A private one, so he and Lucario could plan how to present any unexpected information to the rest of the town. Arcanine approved.
There was a stove set into the back of the pillar, burning cheerily. The rest of them settled onto the rugs on the floor, while Luxio took the Apples out of the oven and distributed them on plates. She walked with a limp on her left hindleg, Absol noticed as she worked.
Fluffy immediately lay down across Lucario’s lap, staring smugly at Zorua as if she had scored a point in some contest between them. Zorua did her best not to stare at them. Luxray had set her up on purpose, she thought.
Lucario looked uncomfortable as they ate, glancing between Fluffy and Zorua. He finished first and lifted Fluffy off of his legs, scratching her between the ears as he set her on the floor.
“I’m going to get some air.”
This was her fault, Zorua thought guiltily as he left. Somehow she’d expected that Lucario would just be waiting patiently while she was off with Arcanine, and nothing would have changed between them when she returned. Lucario must miss Treecko as much as she did, and he was stuck here working while she was adventuring. He was a much better Pokémon than she was, and he’d always been on good terms with everyone in Meadow Town; of course he had other friends here. Zorua waited until she heard the door open, then got up to follow him out. Absol and Arcanine and Team Arcana could tell the story as well as she could, she though.
Lucario hadn’t gone far; he was sitting on a rock beside the door when she emerged. She leaned up against his side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” Lucario began, “that was awkward, wasn’t it?”
“Don’t be sorry,” Zorua said, “you’re the nicest Pokémon in Meadow Town, and I’ve spent sixteen years here being a selfish jerk. I shouldn’t be jealous that you have friends.”
“Zorua…” Lucario didn’t correct her.
“You always looked out for me. I was mean to everyone, even you, but you were still my friend. Why?” She nuzzled her face into his chest fur. Lucario didn’t say anything, just held her, like he always had. Now that he was Lucario, though, their embrace seemed even more intense. Was it just because he was bigger? Could he sense twice as much with four feelers instead of two? She didn’t know.
“Lucario, I’m sorry.”
Lucario lifted her face up and looked into her eyes. “Zorua, you’re not a bad Pokémon. I know you do care about people, and you work hard…also, we’re still partners, right? Once things settle down, I want to go exploring with you and Arcanine.”
Zorua nodded vigorously, and Lucario smiled. They sat there a while, not speaking, just enjoying each other’s company.
“I should probably go apologize to Fluffy too, huh,” Zorua said eventually.
“I think you should,” Lucario said, “it’s not going to fix everything, but it’s a good start.”
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Team ACT and Delphox were waiting for them in the courtyard when Braixen Teleported them back to Pokémon Square late in the afternoon. Arcanine saw at once that they had not been idle. Half a dozen Pokémon were unloading baskets and bags of Berries and Apples, setting the berries out on large wooden racks in the courtyard to dry, and packing the Apples into crates. As the nine of them walked back to the manor, another pair of Pokémon arrived with full baskets.
“You were right,” Alakazam admitted to Arcanine, “so was Absol. We held a meeting in the Square last night to explain the situation; half of Pokémon Square is out collecting food and wood today, though we’re still figuring out how to store it all, and which buildings are going to need work. Delphox has sent word to all of the other towns.”
As they approached the manor door, Arcanine caught scent again of the unknown Pokémon he had smelled the night before they left. Tyranitar opened the door ahead of them, and as the warm air from the manor flowed out, the scent was suddenly much stronger.
Arcanine stopped, uncertain. The Pokémon was feline, he though, male, and probably a Psychic-type. He was sure that he recognized it, but when he tried to recall where he might have smelled it before, all of his memories ended in the same place, like an impenetrable wall in his mind in the mountains outside Treasure Town.
“Something wrong?” Tyranitar asked quietly.
“Smell someone strange.”
“Ah, yeah. He found us after the meeting last night.”
“Who is he?”
“We were hoping you would know.”
That was a strange answer, Arcanine thought; why would anyone else be looking for him now, and why would he know them?
“Why me?”
Tyranitar shrugged and didn’t answer. Arcanine was sure he knew more that he was saying, but it didn’t seem worthy of a confrontation; it would make no sense for Team ACT to betray him now. The rest of their teams and Team Arcana were already waiting for them at the library door.
“Are you coming?” Zorua called, “you’re letting the cold in.”
Arcanine entered, and Tyranitar let the door closed gently behind him. They walked side by side across the lobby. Tyranitar and Charizard both seemed like decent Pokémon, he thought; calm and practical, and they’d taken care of Absol and Zorua. He didn’t want to forgive them just yet for selling him to Team Magnezone, but it was difficult to remain angry. He could compromise with himself, he thought, and just dislike Alakazam.
As they passed one of the side rooms, he saw Growlithe watching him from inside. She raised her head and growled, but didn’t get up. She and Team Mighty must have moved into the manor too, he thought; their scents were strong and fresh as well.
“So, you weren’t able to open the chamber?” Alakazam asked once they had all settled in the library
“No, but we have some ideas,” Zorua said, “and Absol had another vision, but we don’t know what it means.”
“I do know what it means,” Absol corrected, “with the books here, I think I can locate the positions of the planets in our astrology, but I’m not sure that helps us.”
“Arcanine, you’re certain you can’t translate from our astrology to yours?”
Arcanine shook his head. “Don’t know enough.”
“That may not be as much of a problem as we thought,” Alakazam said, “we had a strange visitor last night, after the meeting in town. He claimed to be familiar with your astrology
“Smelled him,” Arcanine said, “what is he?”
“You don’t know him? He inquired about you, specifically.”
“I...don’t know.” He had been right before, Arcanine thought; the stranger had been following him. “Where is he?”
Alakazam shrugged. “He said he would be back.”
“I don’t recognize the scent either,” Espeon said, “are you sure we can trust him?”
“I think so. I don’t think we have a choice.”
“Zorua, you said you had other ideas?” Charizard prompted.
“Yeah. Umbreon knows what the rune on the missing disc should be, and we think someone can make one. We might be able to hire a Ground- or Rock-type to tunnel through the wall.” Zorua continued, explaining the rest of what they had discussed the night before.
“This isn’t how this sort of thing is usually solved,” Alakazam objected after she had finished.
“Team Poképals already had the Relic Fragment,” Zorua said, “and you did have to make the Teleport Gem for Sky Tower.”
“I suppose so,” Alakazam sighed, “may we see the discs?”
Arcanine set the bag down and Espeon sorted out the discs. Alakazam and Delphox each picked one up and examined it.
“You’re right,” Delphox said, “I don’t think there’s anything magical about them. They’re quite heavy for their size, aren’t they?”
Alakazam nodded in agreement with her. “You’re certain they don’t interact with anything in the holes? A switch or lever or pressure plate?”
“Must, somehow,” Arcanine said, “but didn’t see anything.”
Alakazam touched his disc to Delphox’s. Nothing happened. “Not magnetic, either,” he observed.
That gave Arcanine an idea. “If they’re ferrous, could be magnets inside the door.”
“Do we have a magnet to test them?” Absol wondered.
“We have a Beldum,” Zorua said, remember their first trip into Creepy Tunnel, “if a badge will stick to one, a metal rock should too.”
The Federation Beldum watching the sandglass in the lobby seemed at first annoyed by their request, but agreed once they explained the situation. Alakazam held out a disc as it Magnet Rose from atop the crate where it had been resting. As soon as Beldum began to rise, the disc leapt from Alakazam’s hand to clang against it’s chassis. Delphox held hers out, and it did the same.
Alakazam laughed as Beldum settled back onto the crate and the discs fell free.
“That’s great!” Zorua exclaimed, “you guys figured it out!”
“This is only part of the puzzle,” Absol reminded her, “we still don’t know where they go.”
“If the mechanism is this simple,” Alakazam said, “the runes may not matter, and we probably don’t need to the discs to match exactly.”
“We don’t know that there’s not more to it,” Umbreon cautioned, “if we’re going to replicate them, we should match the originals as closely as possible.”
“We could probably have Kingler and the Krabbys make them for us,” Tyranitar said, “they’re excellent sculptors, but we’ll need a source of the correct type of stone.”
“Metagross should be able to locate matching stone,” Delphox said, “I’d like to take one of these to Team Victory, if you guys don’t mind. I’ll carry it myself.”
Delphox looked to Arcanine for approval, and Arcanine looked to Zorua, who seemed to have forgotten again that she was team leader.
“What?” Zorua realized that everyone was waiting for her answer. “Oh, yeah. That’s a good idea.”
“I have a Rhyhorn cousin in Northern Desert who’s nephew’s sister’s father is an Excadrill,” Tyranitar said, “we haven’t spoken in decades, but I saved his life, once. He’s a reliable Pokémon. If he’s still alive, he’ll help.”
“That’s settled then,” Alakazam said, “anything else?”
“Not to nag, big guy,” Zorua said, turning to Arcanine, “but you promised to tell us about your past when we got back to Pokémon Square.”
“Did I?” Arcanine couldn’t remember what he’d said, the last few days while they had been exploring. He had to talk about it sometime though, or they’d never stop bothering him about it.
“You did,” Absol agreed, “but if you don’t want to, it’s okay.”
Arcanine looked around uncomfortably. Everyone was watching him now. It shouldn’t be difficult, he thought; it had been easy enough to tell in Magnezone’s prison, but there he’d only had the walls and darkness watching him. He lay in front of the stove, staring into the flames which flickered under Charizard’s teapot, and imagined that he was alone in the room.
“About five years ago,” Arcanine began, “woke up in the mountains east of Treasure Town...”
There were questions, of course, when he finished, but Arcanine didn’t have many answers. He still had no idea how he had come to be there, or why he’d been injured.
“That’s quite a story, big guy,” Zorua said, leaning against his shoulder, “thank you.”
“Yeah.” Absol sat on his other side, hip against his shoulder and a paw on his back. “Thank you.”
Arcanine and Zorua joined Absol as she and Alakazam searched through Team ACT’s astrology books, refining her notes from her dream into a more precise prediction, with Charizard as her scribe. Arcanine watched for a while; it was fascinating, though a frighteningly primitive system, and Absol seemed to know exactly what she was doing. Soon Arcanine began to doze off; Absol had slept well the night before, despite her vision, and Zorua had napped on his back on the way back to Meadow Town, but he was still exhausted from the night of nightmares in Creepy Tunnel.
At another table, Delphox and Team Arcana were discussing the script on the discs. Stretching out on Absol’s bed, Arcanine let their conversations fade into background noise. He wasn’t bothered by the activity around him; rather, he found it comforting. Surrounded by books and the massive stone walls of the manor, and the scent and sound of friendly Pokémon around him, the manor felt like home. It was a feeling he couldn’t remember having since before he had arrived outside Treasure Town five years ago.
It took them most of the night and four or five pots of of tea, but finally Absol was satisfied with their results; they had the positions of all the planets plotted against her modern, familiar stars as best she could remember from her dream. Some of the positions were impossible, at least now, and she couldn’t even begin to interpret what they meant, but that was a problem for another day.
They could send for Mother and Ninetales, she thought. They both knew so much more than she did. If what dream-Ninetales had said about the age of the vision was true, even her father, who seemed so ageless with his thousand-year lifespan, might not understand. What sort of Pokémon lived so long that even the stars were nearly unrecognizable? Surely, it must have been one of the great legendaries she had seen in her vision. How wise must he be after all those millennia?
Absol yawned and stretched. She could decide what to do tomorrow; there was no way to send a message until the Pelippers opened and Alakazam’s scheduled Psychic contacts began in the morning anyway.
Arcanine was occupying almost her whole bed, but she didn’t mind. She wriggled her head between his forelegs and pressed her back against his chest. He’d seemed to enjoy it in Creepy Tunnel, so she didn’t think he’d mind now. Arcanine curled around her without waking up. Zorua settled the blanket over her and stretched out against her other side. Absol wondered whether Zorua minded sharing her partner.
“Zorua?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have to keep me warm. I don’t want to take your spot with Arcanine.”
Zorua yawned and rubbed her face against Absol’s shoulder. “Are you comfortable there? ‘Cause I’m comfortable here.”
“Yeah.” Absol yawned too, and pushed her horn into Arcanine’s mane. There was still an unnatural chill, but after a few minutes, she decided that this was the warmest she had felt since the night of her vision on Mount Freeze.
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Arcanine was suddenly awake and fully alert. It was still night through the library windows, but be felt like it must be getting close to morning. Whatever had woken him, it hadn’t disturbed Absol and Zorua, who were both still sleeping peacefully beside him. Absol raised her head to blink sleepily at him as he extricated himself from the pile.
“Just taking a walk,” Arcanine said quietly, not wanting to wake Zorua, who would probably ask further questions.
Absol lay her head back down, unconcerned. Zorua didn’t seem to mind their new order of sleeping, he thought as he slipped quietly through the curtain and padded across the lobby. He didn’t either. Was there a commutative property to cuddling? So long as the three or four of them were together, it didn’t seem to matter.
As the door closed behind him, Arcanine smelled the stranger’s scent again, strong and fresh this time. He stepped out into the courtyard, raising his nose into the wind to track its origin. There, directly upwind from him, a figure crouched atop the courtyard wall. He hadn’t chosen that spot on accident, Arcanine was certain; it was an invitation.
The stranger’s face turned toward him as he approached, large eyes shining violet in the moonlight. With a running start, Arcanine leapt up onto the wall a bodylength from him; the stranger didn’t flinch. Up close, he could see more detail. The Pokémon would have been as tall as Tyranitar, if he were standing, with powerful hindlegs and a large feline skull, and short grey fur which faded to pink or purple on his belly and tail.
They sat silently for several minutes, both staring out politely over the courtyard as each watched the other at the edge of his vision.
#Sorry to wake you,# the stranger said eventually, #what were you dreaming?#
Arcanine opened his mouth to tell the stranger it was none of his concern, but it didn’t seem like the right thing to say. Anyway, the stranger was a Psychic-type, and Arcanine had the impression that he was immensely strong. The stranger probably knew the answer better than he did.
“Don’t remember,” Arcanine answered instead. It was mostly true.
The stranger just nodded.
“Who are you?” Arcanine asked, “what do you want?”
#The moon is round tonight, isn’t it?# the stranger asked cryptically.
Reflexively Arcanine glanced upward, though he knew already that it was nearly full.
#How many people here know what it really is, do you think?# the stranger asked.
“What is it?” countered Arcanine.
#The core is probably iron,# the stranger said dryly, #the surface is mostly oxygen, silicon, and magnesium.#
“You’re from the Human world, too.” It wasn’t a question; Arcanine already knew it had to be true.
The stranger nodded.
“Do I know you?”
#Possibly.# The stranger shrugged. #My name is Mewtwo.#
The name meant nothing to Arcanine, though somehow he knew that it should. He didn’t even know whether it was a species, or a nickname. It didn’t matter. Mewtwo obviously knew something about Human astrology, and must already know what they needed; why else would he be here now?
“Will you help us?” Arcanine asked.
#Is that what you want?#
It seemed a strange question, but it was a strange conversation, so Arcanine stopped to consider it anyway. Of course it was what he wanted, even if he had taken longer than he should have to realize it.
“Yes.”
#What if we can’t stop it?# Mewtwo asked, #what if you could go back to your own world instead?#
Arcanine shook his head. “My friends are here.”
#You would die with them?#
“Yes.” When he answered, Arcanine had no doubt at all. Whatever he had left behind, he had a family here, now, and he wouldn’t leave them.
#Good.# Mewtwo smiled, fangs glinting in the moonlight. #I’ve already spoken with Team ACT; we have a lot of work to do.#
Why did Mewtwo need his approval to help, Arcanine wondered; it was Team ACT’s base, and Team ACT’s quest; well, theirs and Absol’s. There were so many things he still didn’t understand. The two of them walked side by side back to the manor. He didn’t know why, but it felt like a very natural place to be.
“You know how I got here?”
Mewtwo’s hand was outstretched to open the door. It dropped to his side as he turned to face Arcanine. #Some of it.#
“Need to know.”
Mewtwo hesitated. In the dim light, Arcanine couldn’t make out the emotions on Mewtwo’s face, but this close, he could smell them; sorrow, doubt, even fear? What could such a powerful Pokémon have to fear from him?
#I’m sorry,# Mewtwo said eventually, #I can’t.#
“Why?”
#You’re starting to remember, aren’t you?#
Arcanine nodded.
#The mind is an incredible thing,# Mewtwo said, #so fragile, yet so resilient. I need you to remember your own memories, not mine.#
“Why are you here?” Arcanine tried instead, “why am I remembering now?”
#The first, I’ll explain in time. The second…I don’t know.#
Not wanting to disturb any of the others, they went into one of the unused rooms off the lobby. It had been the kitchen, originally; it had it’s own woodstove, with two oven doors and a metal plate on top. Stoneware cups and bowls and plates and various knives and tools were stacked neatly on the otherwise mostly bare shelves. Other than the three kegs of cider and wine stacked in the corner there was no other food, and most of the room was dusty; Team ACT obviously didn’t cook much. Mewtwo perched on a keg, and Arcanine sat on the floor beside him.
#I’ve already discussed the situation with Team ACT,# Mewtwo began, #but I would like to hear your interpretation as well, and Absol’s when she wakes.#
“Where should I start?” Arcanine asked. If he began five years ago, it would make for a long story, most of which he didn’t think was relevant.
#Your first encounter with the Ice-types was in Meadow Town?#
Arcanine nodded.
#Begin there.#
Mewtwo listened intently as Arcanine told his story, interrupting occasionally with questions. Mewtwo seemed like a very intelligent Pokémon, he though, but knew even less about this world than he did. By the time he reached their second visit to the chamber at the end of Creepy Tunnel, the sun was beginning to breach the horizon and they could hear Pokémon moving about in the manor.
There was a tick of claws on wood, and Absol and Zorua peered around the corner into the kitchen.
“Arcanine-” Zorua began; then she saw the other Pokémon in the room. “Who’s that?”
#My name is Mewtwo.# Mewtwo slid down from the barrel, unfazed by Zorua’s unusually aggressive manner. He bent down and extended a hand for Zorua and Absol to sniff. #Now you’re awake, may we join you in the library?#
“Um, yeah,” Zorua answered, “everyone else does, but first we’re going to eat and stuff.” She looked to Arcanine. “You coming, big guy?”
“Who is that?” Zorua demanded again as soon as the door closed behind them.
“Stranger Alakazam talked about last night,” Arcanine said. Zorua seemed upset, but about what, he didn’t know.
“Stranger?”
Arcanine nodded.
“You two sure looked like you knew each other, sitting together like that.”
“Zorua, think we do. From…before. Says he knows how I got here.” Arcanine knew that Zorua and Absol would know what be meant by ‘before’.
“So, how did you get here?”
Arcanine sighed. “Won’t tell me. Says I have to remember myself.”
“And you don’t think that’s suspicious at all? He looks like a Psychic-type. Maybe he’s the one who did this to you?”
“Of course it’s suspicious. Doesn’t matter; he knows Human astrology. Need his help.”
“Do you think he can figure it out?” Absol asked, “Do you think we can trust him?”
“Lot of Dark-types here. Watch him. You two and Umbreon and Tyranitar. We’ll continue with making the disks, and Excadrill. He can’t do it, we’re no worse off than before.”
Team Warmth found that all the trees and bushes in the courtyard and near town had already been picked bare. There were plenty of Apples and Berries in the crates stacked outside the manor, but Absol suggested that it was warm enough this morning for a stroll to be pleasant. Zorua thought that perhaps Absol just wanted to give her an opportunity to calm down before they returned to the library.
They passed dozens of Pokémon out gathering food and wood already; some of them recognized Team Warmth, mostly Arcanine and Absol, Zorua thought, and waved as they passed. They two of them seemed to enjoy the attention, waving and shouting greetings in return. Whatever Alakazam had told the town two nights ago, people were taking it seriously.
Mewtwo was waiting in the library when they returned, along with Team ACT, Team Arcana, and Delphox. Zorua realized that they hadn’t seen or smelled Team Easy since they’d returned from Meadow Town; hopefully the two of them were having some success with Wigglytuff Guild’s archives.
Seated at the table where Absol had been working the night before, Mewtwo looked up and smiled as they entered. Instinct drew Arcanine toward Mewtwo, but he remembered Zorua’s earlier accusation and lay down on Absol’s bed instead with feigned nonchalance. Zorua and Absol sat to either side of him.
“Mewtwo has offered to help us with the weather problem,” Alakazam explained, “we’ve talked, and I allowed him to observe our discussion last night, so he is somewhat familiar with the situation.”
Pokémon looked around uncomfortably, even Charizard and Tyranitar. The library was a safe, neutral place, and no one liked the idea of having been watched there by strangers.
#I apologize for the intrusion. It was rude of me not to make myself known earlier.#
“So you know everything about us,” Zorua said, “why won’t you tell us about yourself?”
#I’m sorry,# Mewtwo said, his expression remaining neutral, #there are certain constraints on what I may tell you; I will explain in time.#
Zorua turned to Alakazam. “You’re not going to go along with this, are you?”
“Zorua, Mewtwo has discussed this with us, and I believe we should accept his conditions for now.”
“This is about Arcanine, isn’t it?” she accused them, “you better not be setting us up again.”
Zorua looked around the room, searching for support. Absol seemed to agree with her, and Team Arcana looked unsure. Neither Delphox nor Arcanine would meet her gaze. Whatever it was, Zorua thought, Delphox was in on it too, and why was Arcanine being such a pushover? He was the one who ought to be upset about the situation.
Mewtwo took advantage of the moment of silence to turn the discussion back to the topic of the weather situation. #Absol, Team ACT has told me most of your story, but I would like to hear it from you.#
While she was tired of repeating the story, Absol though, at least this was a friendly audience. She had repeated it so many times that it came easily now, and without her original awkwardness. It was almost like repeating any of the other stories that Mother and Ninetales had taught her. She skipped most of the details of her time in the library and the search for Kyurem and Darkrai, assuming that Alakazam had already explained them. Mewtwo listened intently, but asked no questions until she reached the chamber in Creepy Tunnel.
#As Arcanine has described,# Mewtwo said, #I’m afraid our system of astrology is very different from yours, and I want to be sure I understand what you saw. Would you allow me to look in your memory and experience it myself?#
It was an awfully personal request from someone she had only just met, Absol thought. Though Mewtwo’s manner was friendly, Absol was hesitant. They didn’t know where he came from, or even what he was. Zorua didn’t trust him, and she was good at dealing with people. Arcanine did, but he was admittedly biased. On the other hand, he was their best lead for opening the doors in Creepy Tunnel and the other dungeons. She was surrounded by friends who wouldn’t allow her to be harmed, and Alakazam was a pretty strong Psychic-type too.
“I’m Dark-type...” Absol began. It was an easy objection and didn’t require her to make a decision.
Mewtwo held up a hand, and removed a narrow gold band from one finger. #This is a Ring Target,# he said, holding out toward her, #as long as you hold it, you can be affected by Psychic-type moves. Set it down, and you will break our contact immediately.#
Absol had not expected her objection to be overcome so easily, and now she was faced with a decision again. She looked around the room, searching for consensus in everyone’s faces.
“Well, I don’t trust him,” Zorua said bluntly, “it’s way to convenient for him to just show up with all the answers, and why won’t he tell us about Arcanine?”
Arcanine looked away from Absol’s gaze, unwilling to offer an opinion.
#I’m sorry,# Mewtwo said, placing the ring down on the table in front of him, #it would be easier, but it’s not necessary. Would you help me understand your notes instead?#
“No,” Absol said, coming to a decision, “I’ll do it.” She took the ring from the table. As she slipped it onto a claw, she felt a brief tingling sensation travel up her foreleg and throughout her body. It passed, and she felt no different than before. “What do I do?”
Mewtwo came around the table and squatted in front of her. Their eyes met, and Absol found it difficult to look away. There was something mysterious and attractive and powerful there, like staring at the stars. He reached out and placed his fingertips gently on her temples.
#Have you ever had a dream that you knew was a dream, and you could direct it consciously?# Mewtwo asked.
Absol nodded.
#This will be similar, except that we’ll both be able to control it. We’re going to be together in your dream, but remember that we’re also still here in the manor. Whatever we say, everyone else will hear too, but they won’t know what we’re seeing and hearing in the dream. Now, you don’t have to close your eyes, but it will make the transition more comfortable.#
Absol stared into Mewtwo’s large eyes a moment longer, assuring herself that this would be okay, then closed her eyes. At first, she felt nothing but the light pressure of Mewtwo’s fingertips. The sounds and scents of the library faded away.
Absol opened her eyes. She was looking down at her own forelegs; Mewtwo’s ring gleamed on one claw. Mewtwo stood beside her. Though she could see and smell the two of them clearly, all around them was featureless, silent darkness. It wasn’t a frightening, cold darkness like her vision on Mount Freeze, but a warm, comforting one, like being tucked into a blanket.
#Can you hear me?# Mewtwo asked.
“Yes. Where are we?”
#Wherever you want to be. We’re on Mount Freeze, correct, looking up at the stars?#
As he said it, Absol saw that it was true. The darkness around them resolved into familiar starry sky and the outlines of distant peaks. The wind began to blow, stirring her fur.
#Very good. You take it from here.#
There had been so many more stars in her dream, she though, and they had been larger and brighter. As she though it, the familiar real sky became the memory-sky that Ninetales had shown her. Ninetales was there too, now, waiting silently. The wind picked up, whipping stinging snow crystals against her face.
“This is amazing!” Absol exclaimed, “it’s just like it was. I didn’t know Psychics could do this.”
Mewtwo grinned down at her. #Most of them can’t. Now that we’re here, we can view it however you like. You can take us to any part of the dream, like skipping scenes in a mov...like turning forward or backward in a book. You can pause and walk around. Just remember that we’re limited to the information that you experienced in your dream. Ninetales isn’t really here; he’s just your memory. You can ask him questions, but he can’t tell you anything he didn’t in the dream.#
“Ninetales was showing me the constellations. They were so different, there...then? I found Temporal Tower...”
She searched the sky until she had oriented herself in the same way the dream had begun, and traced out the Tower to Mewtwo. He nodded in understanding.
#Good. Then what?#
“Ninetales,” Absol tried, “can you show us Mew’s Tail?”
“See those two bright stars together, and the dimmer star below? In your time, those two stars are so close that they appear as one. Follow the curve of the tail to that bright one to the left, and the dim one below it.”
“Nine... dream-Ninetales says that one is Mars.” Absol pointed. “But I’ve never seen Mars there before.”
Absol guided the two of them through the rest of her vision, pausing to try to answer Mewtwo’s questions. He was a very intelligent Pokémon, she decided, but didn’t know any more about astrology than did Arcanine. She should bring Ninetales, and maybe Mother, too; they would be better teachers than she was.
They reached the end of her vision; dream-Ninetales turned his alien blue eyes to them. Mewtwo seemed fascinated by them, pausing the dream to examine them more closely.
“What is it?” Absol asked.
#Have you ever seen a Pokémon with eyes like this before?#
Absol shook her head. “Is it important? What does it mean?”
#I have an idea, but let’s discuss it with everyone. I think I’ve seen what I needed to see; are you ready to go back?#
“Could we see somewhere else?” Absol asked, “like my other vision?”
#We could, but we should probably get back. Your friends are worried about what I’m doing to you in here. I’ll explore it with you another time, if you like. Now, it will be most comfortable if you close your eyes, and you imagine yourself opening them back in the library.#
Absol opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as her pupils adjusted from the darkness in her dream to the morning sun in the library.
“Absol!” Zorua pushed in between her and Mewtwo without waiting for Mewtwo to move. “That was really creepy. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she assured Zorua, leaning down to rest her chin on Zorua’s head, “actually, that was amazing. You could hear us talking, right?”
“Yeah. You were just sitting there, staring at each other and talking.”
Mewtwo stood and returned to the table, a contemplative expression on his face.
“So, can you open the door?” Zorua asked impatiently.
#Now? No. In a few weeks, with Absol and Alakazam’s help? I don’t know yet. However, there is another issue. Absol, you said that when you woke in Creepy Tunnel, you couldn’t wake the others?#
Absol nodded. “I had to use a Chesto Berry to wake Espeon, and she used Heal Bell.”
#And the rest of you, you all had nightmares?#
Mewtwo looked around the room; Zorua, Arcanine, Espeon, and Umbreon all nodded.
#I suspected when Absol described her vision, but after seeing it for myself, I’m certain. Ninetales in your dream was Darkrai. He must have been close, perhaps even in the room with all of you.#
For a moment, no one knew what to say.
“Darkrai!” Tyranitar growled, “so he is involved.”
“Darkrai,” Alakazam mused, “it would explain the inability to wake from nightmares, but if this is his doing, why contact us at all? To mislead us?
“Maybe he doesn’t know how to open the door either?” Delphox suggested, “the ice-types failed, and now he’s using us instead?”
“Maybe he wants to help?” Absol suggested, “I know he was bad before, but the stories say he changed.”
#I think we can assume the information in your vision to be true,# Mewtwo said, #Darkrai would have nothing to gain by misleading us when the task was already impossible, and it doesn’t interfere with pursuing your other ideas. His purpose, however, I don’t know.#
Alakazam agreed to send for Mother and Ninetales, and left to relieve Xatu in making their daily contacts with the other towns. Delphox joined him, Teleporting to Team Victory with one of the discs for Metagross to identify. Team Warmth and Team Arcana remained in the library to talk.
Absol restarted the astrology lessons she had begun with Arcanine at the beginning for Mewtwo. It was eerie how similar their reactions were, despite their different morphologies; how their heads cocked when they were uncertain about something, the way their brows furrowed in concentration. Mewtwo asked many of the same questions that Arcanine had on their first lesson, but picked things up more quickly. Zorua, Espeon, and Umbreon watched their lessons, though Absol was sure that they all knew the basics she was teaching now.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Team Warmth was finishing a late lunch in the courtyard when Team Mighty arrived, barking and growling playfully as they chased each other through the gate and toward the manor. The Mightyenas circled them and came to a stop, panting hard.
Arcanine watched them warily, but didn’t get up. The Mightyenas watched him too, but Absol was relieved when she didn’t have to intervene again
“We’re going to play Pawball.”
“Will you join us?”
“We’ll be the best team.”
“Zorua can play.”
“Arcanine can play.”
“Everyone can play?”
“Shall we join them?” Absol asked hopefully, “we all have fun. Arcanine, I think you’d be really good at it.”
Arcanine figured he could guess what Pawball was, and he didn’t think it sounded fun at all. He opened his mouth to decline, and then thought back to the night before they’d left for Creepy Tunnel, when Absol had seemed so excited to heal him. He’d resolved to be more cooperative or something, hadn’t he? Besides, Absol looked so adorable when she was excited, and he would hate to disappoint her.
“I’d like to,” Zorua said. It did sound fun, she thought, now that she wouldn’t have to hide her identity. It would be good to get some exercise after laying around the library all morning.
“Alright,” Arcanine said, ignoring the aches in his back as he pushed himself up, “sounds like fun.”
With Team Warmth there, the teams were unusually large today. Liepard, Jolteon, and Flareon all joined their team. Machop and Rapidash ended up with eleven Pokémon on their team; they were probably still at a disadvantage, Absol though, with mostly smaller, less evolved Pokémon.
Arcanine stayed back as the game started. The rules seemed simple enough, but he wanted to get a feel for how people actually played. He was surprised to see Absol, normally so gentle, tripping and tackling her way through the crowd with little regard for her own safety. Everyone else played rough too, it seemed. He was hesitant to join in; not for fear of being injured, but of injuring the other players. He was the biggest Pokémon there by a large margin, and a newcomer, and he didn’t really know what the rest of Pokémon Square thought of him and his bounty. It wouldn’t make a good impression to be unnecessarily rough on his first opportunity to interact with the rest of the town.
It took only a few minutes for Absol and Team Mighty to score the first goal.
“Everything okay, big guy?” Zorua asked as she and Absol limped back to the center of the field, “you don’t look like you’re having fun.”
“Yeah, fine.”
“Come on, guys,” Absol said, waving everyone toward her, “let me use Moonlight before we start again.”
Both teams gathered around her. It only took a moment’s concentration this time before Absol could feel the energy flowing through her. The silver haze was visible even in the daylight. What was he so worried about, Arcanine wondered; he was probably the only Pokémon here who wasn’t already injured. Pokémon were tough, and healing was easy, and no one seemed to be holding grudges.
“That was good!” Flareon commended Absol, “you’ve got the hang of it now.”
“Arcanine gives me plenty of opportunity to practice.” Absol looked over and winked at him.
They kicked off again, and this time Arcanine was right beside her, shouldering smaller Pokémon aside as they ran down the field. They played through two more goals before one of the Mightyenas bit through the ball.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Zorua asked as they flopped down together in the sun.
“Was fun,” Arcanine admitted, “you were right.”
Absol joined them too, and the Mightyenas immediately lay down around her, one on either side and one in front of her, blocking her off from the rest of Team Warmth. Absol laughed, resting her chin on the back of the Mightyena in front of her while the other two leaned their heads possessively against her shoulders. At first, Arcanine wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or amused. Absol was obviously enjoying the attention, so he decided not to worry about it.
“Will you spend the night with us?” the Mightyenas asked.
“Growlithe wants you to stay.”
“We want you to stay too.”
“We’re in the manor now.”
“By the library.”
“You won’t have to go out in the dark.”
“You can walk back with us.”
“And eat with us.”
“And sleep with us?”
Absol laughed, rubbing her face against the back of the Mightyena in front of her. “I’d love to join you. We still have some work to do tonight, though. Can I come over later, after we finish helping Mewtwo with his astrology?” Absol looked over to Zorua and Arcanine. “If it’s okay with you guys.”
“Have fun,” Zorua grinned at her.
Arcanine nodded in agreement.
After the last few nights sleeping together, Absol wasn’t quite sure what their relationship was. It wasn’t amorous, at least not yet, but it was certainly more than just a means to keep warm. She was sure that Arcanine felt the same way, and Zorua seemed to be encouraging them. She didn’t know what to consider her relationship with Team Mighty, either; there was a gentle, caring side to the three of them that most Pokémon seemed not to see, and they were great fun to wrestle or play tag or ball with, but they weren’t really capable of conversation. If she was going to be exploring with Team Warmth, there would be plenty of opportunity to spend time with Arcanine and Zorua; so long as everyone else was okay with the situation, why not enjoy Team Mighty’s company too?
“Can you give us a couple minutes?” Zorua asked Absol, “I wanna walk back with you, but I need to talk to Arcanine real quick.”
“Sure,” Absol agreed with a nod. She was pretty comfortable with the Mightyenas around her, and not in a hurry to move.
Zorua led Arcanine out of earshot, and sat down. “You’re sure you’re okay with this, big guy? Not jealous?”
“Maybe a little jealous,” Arcanine admitted, gesturing back to where Absol and Team Mighty lay grooming each other, “look how comfortable they are together. They’ll take good care of her.”
“Yeah,” Zorua agreed, “I am too. You know what this means, though?”
“Hmm?”
“I have you all to myself tonight.” Zorua grinned, and Arcanine grinned back. “You’d be okay with her joining us too, right? Not now, but eventually?”
Arcanine considered a moment, then nodded. “Of course, if you are. Lucario too.”
“Good. That’ll make things less awkward when we’re exploring together,” Zorua said, “you should head back to the manor; me and Absol have stuff to talk about on the way.”
While they were out, Arcanine had hoped to take Absol a couple places; the local tailor, to make some improvements to her blanket, and whoever made wagon harnesses, to have some sort of saddle designed for the two of them. Those things could wait, though.
“Okay,” Arcanine agreed, “see you back later.”
Team Mighty left too, and it was just Absol and Zorua. They walked slowly, shoulder to shoulder.
“You and Arcanine,” Absol wondered, “what’s it like?”
“Mating?”
“Yeah.”
“Umm...” Zorua had no idea where to start. “It’s like doing it with your tongue, I guess, but better...”
“That doesn’t sound all that special,” Absol said, “there has to be more to it, right?”
“Well, it’s not just, like, the physical feeling. It’s being the closest you can ever be with someone you really care about.
Zorua saw that she still wasn’t getting her point across; there had to be a better way to say it.
“Well, say it’s a really nice day,” Zorua tried again, “you play tag for a while, then you wrestle with your best friend in the grass til you’re both tired. You find a whole bush of your favorite berries and stuff yourselves, then lay down in the sun to groom each other til you fall asleep. Then imagine if you could do all those things at the same time.”
Absol looked dubious. “What do I actually do, though? I mean...I’ve seen other Pokémon mate, of course, but where do we start?”
“Just don’t worry. Your instincts know what to do, and I bet Team Mighty are experts. There’s a couple things you could try though, that Lucario and Arcanine both liked.”
Absol’s face grew red and her ears folded down in embarrassment as Zorua described them in detail.
“Zorua, I like Team Mighty, but I’m not sure I want to do all that…”
“Then don’t. Just...be honest and tell them what you want, because what they want is to make you happy.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The library was crowded when he returned, with Team Arcana, Team ACT, Team Mighty, Mewtwo, and Delphox all in attendance. Mewtwo had been busy while they were out; already he was surrounded by piles of open books and pages of half-finished notes and equations. Some of it looked very familiar to Arcanine. He took a page Mewtwo wasn’t using, and began to examine it. There were ellipses at the top, labeled with arrows and letters and numbers, and row after row of equations below.
#Do you understand it?#
“Some of it,” Arcanine admitted, “they’re orbital diagrams. This is Inclination, Eccentricity…I’m not sure about the rest, and these are equations for ellipses.”
#Very good, you do remember.# Mewtwo took the page, and placed another one in front of him, this one with only a few lines of equations at the top. #What about this?#
The form of the equation was familiar, but it’s meaning escaped him. “We’re integrating...I’m sorry, I don’t know what these are.”
#A conversion, of sorts,# Mewtwo said, #ultimately, we need to get from this,# Mewtwo pointed to Absol’s notes, with the sky divided into twelve sections and the planets placed against the fixed stars, #to this.# Mewtwo indicated his own sketch of the planets on the familiar ecliptic plane. #If you like, take both of those and try to solve it for me.#
For a while, Arcanine stared at the pages, not knowing where to begin. He had an idea what it all was for, and what operations the symbols were supposed to mean, but he wasn’t sure how to go about actually solving it. Even if this part of his memory seemed mostly intact, he hadn’t used any of it for five years.
After a while, he thought he could see how to begin. Taking a pencil in his teeth, he began to write out very slowly and carefully the next line of the equation Mewtwo had left off.
Eventually, Absol decided she wasn’t doing any good there. Despite what Mewtwo had said before about needing her help, he didn’t seem to need it right now. Most of the symbols interspersed with numbers that he and Arcanine were writing didn’t mean anything at all to her, thought some of the diagrams which accompanied them were the astrology with which she was familiar. She and Zorua joined the others in searching Team ACT’s library for anything else about the Great Orrery. It was boring, frustrating work, as they’d been through all these books once before, but now they knew what they were searching for.
There was no way to write neatly with one’s mouth. There had been Human machines to help, before, he though, with buttons to push to make the symbols appear. It took Arcanine several messy pages, and several patient corrections from Mewtwo, to solve the equation.
Arcanine put the pencil down and stepped back. His jaws ached after gripping the pencil so long, and he worked them open and closed to loosen the muscles. He would have to find a better way to write, if he was going to help. Maybe something like a big blackboard on the floor?
#Well done.# Mewtwo said, looking over his work.
“How can you remember all these numbers?” Arcanine gestured to the list of orbital parameters in front of Mewtwo.
#Remember this morning, I asked if you would return to our world if we couldn’t save this one?#
Arcanine nodded.
#Arcanine, it’s not just here, it’s there too. I’ve stared at these numbers every day for the last two months. In the Human world, we have a very precise measurement of what is wrong, but no understanding of why, or what to do.#
“But here, we can fix it, right?” Zorua asked.
#I don’t know.# Mewtwo rubbed his eyes tiredly. #Here, at least, we have a lead.#
It was well after dark now. They all worked a while longer, but eventually Absol had to admit that she wasn’t making progress. All the words were starting to blur together in the blue light of Espeon’s Luminous Orb, and she couldn’t remember what she’d just read.
When Absol got up to leave, Team Mighty followed her. Growlithe was waiting for them in the Mighty’s room, her eyes shining in the darkness.
“Absol!” Growlithe exclaimed happily as she entered; Absol thought it was the most emotion she had heard in Growlithe’s voice since they’d met.
“You don’t mind me joining you?”
“I asked them to invite you. I mean, I know they wanted to, too, but it was my idea tonight.”
Growlithe rolled over, making room for her on the bed. She curled up beside the Fire-type, pressing her cold horn against Growlithe’s warm flank. Team Mighty lay all around them, leaning inward, sandwiching the two of them together. The two closest to her were both trying to lick her face at the same time; at first, she tried to return the attention, but they all kept getting in each others’ way. She relaxed, deciding that, this time, she’d let them do the work. It felt so warm and comfortable, even if their blankets smelled like they hadn’t been cleaned in decades, that all she wanted to do was sleep. Team Mighty didn’t seem to mind at all.
Author’s Note:
I forgot to mention it last time, but thanks to Team_Ion for the great team name! It fits them perfectly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“You couldn’t get in, could you?” Luxray asked when they returned to Meadow town that afternoon.
Lucario shook his head.
“We have some ideas, though,” Zorua said, “we’re going back to Pokémon Square for help.”
“Alakazam has been worried about you all, you know; especially you, I think.” Luxray smiled at Absol. “After Braixen brought you in yesterday morning, he arranged to contact her every six hours for updates.”
Absol was pretty sure that Alakazam hadn’t been doing that with any of the other teams they’d sent out, and some of those dungeons were a lot more dangerous than Creepy Tunnel. Was it because they had Arcanine along, or was he just worried about her in the mystery dungeon? Actually, she thought, it was probably Charizard or Tyranitar’s idea; they were both protective of her.
“Do you guys have some of those sandglasses here too?” Zorua asked.
Luxray nodded. “We would have put them in the common room, but Beldum didn’t want so much traffic; they’re in the spare room behind Bayleef’s office.”
Zorua hadn’t thought about it before, but that made sense; they had to have matching ones in every town, so Pokémon there would know when to expect Alakazam or Xatu or Delphox to contact them.
“We have another contact scheduled in about two hours,” Luxray continued, “would you all join us for a meal while we wait? My partner and our cubs would like to meet all of you.”
Zorua shrank back behind Arcanine as Absol and Lucario accepted for all of them. This was going to be really uncomfortable, she thought; Luxray and his partner were too polite, too professional, to bring up her past mistakes when there was work to be done, but the Shinxes wouldn’t be.
Luxray led them across the square to a timber cabin set into a mound of earth. On this side of town the stockade construction was complete. From the outside it looked tiny, and Absol wasn’t sure how they could all fit comfortably inside, but as they followed Luxray and Lucario in, she saw that it was only the entrance to a larger structure below. The delicious smell of baking Apples and spices wafted up to them.
A ramp led down from the door into a spacious underground den. The floor was earth, packed solid from generations of use and scattered with colorful rugs. The walls were made of large stones, carefully stacked and mortared, sloping outward as they rose like the sides of a large bowl. The roof overhead, which had appeared to be the mound of earth from the outside, was supported by huge logs which met at a large stone column in the center of the room. The windows in the cabin served as skylights.
Two young Shinxes bounded up the ramp to meet them, jostling to be the first to greet the visitors. Zorua fell to the back of the line, hoping to put off the meeting as long as possible.
They brushed past Luxray, who was in the lead. The front Shinx ran straight for Lucario, who caught her mid-pounce and spun her around in the air. The second slipped past him. Dodging between legs, he sniffed at Absol, Arcanine, and Team Arcana as he passed, then stopped to stick his tongue out as Zorua before turning around.
Lucario and his Shinx were both grinning as he set her down. She walked beside him. That wasn’t fair, Zorua thought; beside Lucario was her spot.
Luxio appeared around the center pillar, smiling up at them. “Oh, good! you’ve brought everyone. We hoped you’d be back in time for dinner; I’ve Apples in the oven.”
“My partner,” Luxray said proudly, pointing to Luxio, “and our cubs. That’s Scruffy with Arcanine, and Fluffy with Lucario.
The names were fitting, Absol thought. They were both clean, but Fluffy was neatly groomed with a light purple bow tied around her neck, while her brother’s fur stuck off in spiky tufts in all directions.
“What did you find?” Fluffy demanded excitedly of Lucario, “did you get in the door? Was it scary?”
“Were there any bad Pokémon?” Scruffy asked Arcanine, “are you real explorers? did you get to fight them?”
The two of them were charming, Absol thought, but Arcanine looked a bit overwhelmed as Scruffy bounced around in front of him. Lucario and Fluffy seemed to be good friends, but both of them were ignoring Zorua, who looked uncomfortable. There had to be some history between them, Absol thought; Servine in the lodge had mentioned Zorua getting a Shinx lost, hadn’t he?
“I’m sure they’ll tell us all about it once we get comfortable,” Luxray said.
Arcanine thought it sounded more like a command to them than an admonition to the Shinxes. This wasn’t just a friendly visit; Luxray expected a debriefing too. A private one, so he and Lucario could plan how to present any unexpected information to the rest of the town. Arcanine approved.
There was a stove set into the back of the pillar, burning cheerily. The rest of them settled onto the rugs on the floor, while Luxio took the Apples out of the oven and distributed them on plates. She walked with a limp on her left hindleg, Absol noticed as she worked.
Fluffy immediately lay down across Lucario’s lap, staring smugly at Zorua as if she had scored a point in some contest between them. Zorua did her best not to stare at them. Luxray had set her up on purpose, she thought.
Lucario looked uncomfortable as they ate, glancing between Fluffy and Zorua. He finished first and lifted Fluffy off of his legs, scratching her between the ears as he set her on the floor.
“I’m going to get some air.”
This was her fault, Zorua thought guiltily as he left. Somehow she’d expected that Lucario would just be waiting patiently while she was off with Arcanine, and nothing would have changed between them when she returned. Lucario must miss Treecko as much as she did, and he was stuck here working while she was adventuring. He was a much better Pokémon than she was, and he’d always been on good terms with everyone in Meadow Town; of course he had other friends here. Zorua waited until she heard the door open, then got up to follow him out. Absol and Arcanine and Team Arcana could tell the story as well as she could, she though.
Lucario hadn’t gone far; he was sitting on a rock beside the door when she emerged. She leaned up against his side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” Lucario began, “that was awkward, wasn’t it?”
“Don’t be sorry,” Zorua said, “you’re the nicest Pokémon in Meadow Town, and I’ve spent sixteen years here being a selfish jerk. I shouldn’t be jealous that you have friends.”
“Zorua…” Lucario didn’t correct her.
“You always looked out for me. I was mean to everyone, even you, but you were still my friend. Why?” She nuzzled her face into his chest fur. Lucario didn’t say anything, just held her, like he always had. Now that he was Lucario, though, their embrace seemed even more intense. Was it just because he was bigger? Could he sense twice as much with four feelers instead of two? She didn’t know.
“Lucario, I’m sorry.”
Lucario lifted her face up and looked into her eyes. “Zorua, you’re not a bad Pokémon. I know you do care about people, and you work hard…also, we’re still partners, right? Once things settle down, I want to go exploring with you and Arcanine.”
Zorua nodded vigorously, and Lucario smiled. They sat there a while, not speaking, just enjoying each other’s company.
“I should probably go apologize to Fluffy too, huh,” Zorua said eventually.
“I think you should,” Lucario said, “it’s not going to fix everything, but it’s a good start.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Team ACT and Delphox were waiting for them in the courtyard when Braixen Teleported them back to Pokémon Square late in the afternoon. Arcanine saw at once that they had not been idle. Half a dozen Pokémon were unloading baskets and bags of Berries and Apples, setting the berries out on large wooden racks in the courtyard to dry, and packing the Apples into crates. As the nine of them walked back to the manor, another pair of Pokémon arrived with full baskets.
“You were right,” Alakazam admitted to Arcanine, “so was Absol. We held a meeting in the Square last night to explain the situation; half of Pokémon Square is out collecting food and wood today, though we’re still figuring out how to store it all, and which buildings are going to need work. Delphox has sent word to all of the other towns.”
As they approached the manor door, Arcanine caught scent again of the unknown Pokémon he had smelled the night before they left. Tyranitar opened the door ahead of them, and as the warm air from the manor flowed out, the scent was suddenly much stronger.
Arcanine stopped, uncertain. The Pokémon was feline, he though, male, and probably a Psychic-type. He was sure that he recognized it, but when he tried to recall where he might have smelled it before, all of his memories ended in the same place, like an impenetrable wall in his mind in the mountains outside Treasure Town.
“Something wrong?” Tyranitar asked quietly.
“Smell someone strange.”
“Ah, yeah. He found us after the meeting last night.”
“Who is he?”
“We were hoping you would know.”
That was a strange answer, Arcanine thought; why would anyone else be looking for him now, and why would he know them?
“Why me?”
Tyranitar shrugged and didn’t answer. Arcanine was sure he knew more that he was saying, but it didn’t seem worthy of a confrontation; it would make no sense for Team ACT to betray him now. The rest of their teams and Team Arcana were already waiting for them at the library door.
“Are you coming?” Zorua called, “you’re letting the cold in.”
Arcanine entered, and Tyranitar let the door closed gently behind him. They walked side by side across the lobby. Tyranitar and Charizard both seemed like decent Pokémon, he thought; calm and practical, and they’d taken care of Absol and Zorua. He didn’t want to forgive them just yet for selling him to Team Magnezone, but it was difficult to remain angry. He could compromise with himself, he thought, and just dislike Alakazam.
As they passed one of the side rooms, he saw Growlithe watching him from inside. She raised her head and growled, but didn’t get up. She and Team Mighty must have moved into the manor too, he thought; their scents were strong and fresh as well.
“So, you weren’t able to open the chamber?” Alakazam asked once they had all settled in the library
“No, but we have some ideas,” Zorua said, “and Absol had another vision, but we don’t know what it means.”
“I do know what it means,” Absol corrected, “with the books here, I think I can locate the positions of the planets in our astrology, but I’m not sure that helps us.”
“Arcanine, you’re certain you can’t translate from our astrology to yours?”
Arcanine shook his head. “Don’t know enough.”
“That may not be as much of a problem as we thought,” Alakazam said, “we had a strange visitor last night, after the meeting in town. He claimed to be familiar with your astrology
“Smelled him,” Arcanine said, “what is he?”
“You don’t know him? He inquired about you, specifically.”
“I...don’t know.” He had been right before, Arcanine thought; the stranger had been following him. “Where is he?”
Alakazam shrugged. “He said he would be back.”
“I don’t recognize the scent either,” Espeon said, “are you sure we can trust him?”
“I think so. I don’t think we have a choice.”
“Zorua, you said you had other ideas?” Charizard prompted.
“Yeah. Umbreon knows what the rune on the missing disc should be, and we think someone can make one. We might be able to hire a Ground- or Rock-type to tunnel through the wall.” Zorua continued, explaining the rest of what they had discussed the night before.
“This isn’t how this sort of thing is usually solved,” Alakazam objected after she had finished.
“Team Poképals already had the Relic Fragment,” Zorua said, “and you did have to make the Teleport Gem for Sky Tower.”
“I suppose so,” Alakazam sighed, “may we see the discs?”
Arcanine set the bag down and Espeon sorted out the discs. Alakazam and Delphox each picked one up and examined it.
“You’re right,” Delphox said, “I don’t think there’s anything magical about them. They’re quite heavy for their size, aren’t they?”
Alakazam nodded in agreement with her. “You’re certain they don’t interact with anything in the holes? A switch or lever or pressure plate?”
“Must, somehow,” Arcanine said, “but didn’t see anything.”
Alakazam touched his disc to Delphox’s. Nothing happened. “Not magnetic, either,” he observed.
That gave Arcanine an idea. “If they’re ferrous, could be magnets inside the door.”
“Do we have a magnet to test them?” Absol wondered.
“We have a Beldum,” Zorua said, remember their first trip into Creepy Tunnel, “if a badge will stick to one, a metal rock should too.”
The Federation Beldum watching the sandglass in the lobby seemed at first annoyed by their request, but agreed once they explained the situation. Alakazam held out a disc as it Magnet Rose from atop the crate where it had been resting. As soon as Beldum began to rise, the disc leapt from Alakazam’s hand to clang against it’s chassis. Delphox held hers out, and it did the same.
Alakazam laughed as Beldum settled back onto the crate and the discs fell free.
“That’s great!” Zorua exclaimed, “you guys figured it out!”
“This is only part of the puzzle,” Absol reminded her, “we still don’t know where they go.”
“If the mechanism is this simple,” Alakazam said, “the runes may not matter, and we probably don’t need to the discs to match exactly.”
“We don’t know that there’s not more to it,” Umbreon cautioned, “if we’re going to replicate them, we should match the originals as closely as possible.”
“We could probably have Kingler and the Krabbys make them for us,” Tyranitar said, “they’re excellent sculptors, but we’ll need a source of the correct type of stone.”
“Metagross should be able to locate matching stone,” Delphox said, “I’d like to take one of these to Team Victory, if you guys don’t mind. I’ll carry it myself.”
Delphox looked to Arcanine for approval, and Arcanine looked to Zorua, who seemed to have forgotten again that she was team leader.
“What?” Zorua realized that everyone was waiting for her answer. “Oh, yeah. That’s a good idea.”
“I have a Rhyhorn cousin in Northern Desert who’s nephew’s sister’s father is an Excadrill,” Tyranitar said, “we haven’t spoken in decades, but I saved his life, once. He’s a reliable Pokémon. If he’s still alive, he’ll help.”
“That’s settled then,” Alakazam said, “anything else?”
“Not to nag, big guy,” Zorua said, turning to Arcanine, “but you promised to tell us about your past when we got back to Pokémon Square.”
“Did I?” Arcanine couldn’t remember what he’d said, the last few days while they had been exploring. He had to talk about it sometime though, or they’d never stop bothering him about it.
“You did,” Absol agreed, “but if you don’t want to, it’s okay.”
Arcanine looked around uncomfortably. Everyone was watching him now. It shouldn’t be difficult, he thought; it had been easy enough to tell in Magnezone’s prison, but there he’d only had the walls and darkness watching him. He lay in front of the stove, staring into the flames which flickered under Charizard’s teapot, and imagined that he was alone in the room.
“About five years ago,” Arcanine began, “woke up in the mountains east of Treasure Town...”
There were questions, of course, when he finished, but Arcanine didn’t have many answers. He still had no idea how he had come to be there, or why he’d been injured.
“That’s quite a story, big guy,” Zorua said, leaning against his shoulder, “thank you.”
“Yeah.” Absol sat on his other side, hip against his shoulder and a paw on his back. “Thank you.”
Arcanine and Zorua joined Absol as she and Alakazam searched through Team ACT’s astrology books, refining her notes from her dream into a more precise prediction, with Charizard as her scribe. Arcanine watched for a while; it was fascinating, though a frighteningly primitive system, and Absol seemed to know exactly what she was doing. Soon Arcanine began to doze off; Absol had slept well the night before, despite her vision, and Zorua had napped on his back on the way back to Meadow Town, but he was still exhausted from the night of nightmares in Creepy Tunnel.
At another table, Delphox and Team Arcana were discussing the script on the discs. Stretching out on Absol’s bed, Arcanine let their conversations fade into background noise. He wasn’t bothered by the activity around him; rather, he found it comforting. Surrounded by books and the massive stone walls of the manor, and the scent and sound of friendly Pokémon around him, the manor felt like home. It was a feeling he couldn’t remember having since before he had arrived outside Treasure Town five years ago.
It took them most of the night and four or five pots of of tea, but finally Absol was satisfied with their results; they had the positions of all the planets plotted against her modern, familiar stars as best she could remember from her dream. Some of the positions were impossible, at least now, and she couldn’t even begin to interpret what they meant, but that was a problem for another day.
They could send for Mother and Ninetales, she thought. They both knew so much more than she did. If what dream-Ninetales had said about the age of the vision was true, even her father, who seemed so ageless with his thousand-year lifespan, might not understand. What sort of Pokémon lived so long that even the stars were nearly unrecognizable? Surely, it must have been one of the great legendaries she had seen in her vision. How wise must he be after all those millennia?
Absol yawned and stretched. She could decide what to do tomorrow; there was no way to send a message until the Pelippers opened and Alakazam’s scheduled Psychic contacts began in the morning anyway.
Arcanine was occupying almost her whole bed, but she didn’t mind. She wriggled her head between his forelegs and pressed her back against his chest. He’d seemed to enjoy it in Creepy Tunnel, so she didn’t think he’d mind now. Arcanine curled around her without waking up. Zorua settled the blanket over her and stretched out against her other side. Absol wondered whether Zorua minded sharing her partner.
“Zorua?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have to keep me warm. I don’t want to take your spot with Arcanine.”
Zorua yawned and rubbed her face against Absol’s shoulder. “Are you comfortable there? ‘Cause I’m comfortable here.”
“Yeah.” Absol yawned too, and pushed her horn into Arcanine’s mane. There was still an unnatural chill, but after a few minutes, she decided that this was the warmest she had felt since the night of her vision on Mount Freeze.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Arcanine was suddenly awake and fully alert. It was still night through the library windows, but be felt like it must be getting close to morning. Whatever had woken him, it hadn’t disturbed Absol and Zorua, who were both still sleeping peacefully beside him. Absol raised her head to blink sleepily at him as he extricated himself from the pile.
“Just taking a walk,” Arcanine said quietly, not wanting to wake Zorua, who would probably ask further questions.
Absol lay her head back down, unconcerned. Zorua didn’t seem to mind their new order of sleeping, he thought as he slipped quietly through the curtain and padded across the lobby. He didn’t either. Was there a commutative property to cuddling? So long as the three or four of them were together, it didn’t seem to matter.
As the door closed behind him, Arcanine smelled the stranger’s scent again, strong and fresh this time. He stepped out into the courtyard, raising his nose into the wind to track its origin. There, directly upwind from him, a figure crouched atop the courtyard wall. He hadn’t chosen that spot on accident, Arcanine was certain; it was an invitation.
The stranger’s face turned toward him as he approached, large eyes shining violet in the moonlight. With a running start, Arcanine leapt up onto the wall a bodylength from him; the stranger didn’t flinch. Up close, he could see more detail. The Pokémon would have been as tall as Tyranitar, if he were standing, with powerful hindlegs and a large feline skull, and short grey fur which faded to pink or purple on his belly and tail.
They sat silently for several minutes, both staring out politely over the courtyard as each watched the other at the edge of his vision.
#Sorry to wake you,# the stranger said eventually, #what were you dreaming?#
Arcanine opened his mouth to tell the stranger it was none of his concern, but it didn’t seem like the right thing to say. Anyway, the stranger was a Psychic-type, and Arcanine had the impression that he was immensely strong. The stranger probably knew the answer better than he did.
“Don’t remember,” Arcanine answered instead. It was mostly true.
The stranger just nodded.
“Who are you?” Arcanine asked, “what do you want?”
#The moon is round tonight, isn’t it?# the stranger asked cryptically.
Reflexively Arcanine glanced upward, though he knew already that it was nearly full.
#How many people here know what it really is, do you think?# the stranger asked.
“What is it?” countered Arcanine.
#The core is probably iron,# the stranger said dryly, #the surface is mostly oxygen, silicon, and magnesium.#
“You’re from the Human world, too.” It wasn’t a question; Arcanine already knew it had to be true.
The stranger nodded.
“Do I know you?”
#Possibly.# The stranger shrugged. #My name is Mewtwo.#
The name meant nothing to Arcanine, though somehow he knew that it should. He didn’t even know whether it was a species, or a nickname. It didn’t matter. Mewtwo obviously knew something about Human astrology, and must already know what they needed; why else would he be here now?
“Will you help us?” Arcanine asked.
#Is that what you want?#
It seemed a strange question, but it was a strange conversation, so Arcanine stopped to consider it anyway. Of course it was what he wanted, even if he had taken longer than he should have to realize it.
“Yes.”
#What if we can’t stop it?# Mewtwo asked, #what if you could go back to your own world instead?#
Arcanine shook his head. “My friends are here.”
#You would die with them?#
“Yes.” When he answered, Arcanine had no doubt at all. Whatever he had left behind, he had a family here, now, and he wouldn’t leave them.
#Good.# Mewtwo smiled, fangs glinting in the moonlight. #I’ve already spoken with Team ACT; we have a lot of work to do.#
Why did Mewtwo need his approval to help, Arcanine wondered; it was Team ACT’s base, and Team ACT’s quest; well, theirs and Absol’s. There were so many things he still didn’t understand. The two of them walked side by side back to the manor. He didn’t know why, but it felt like a very natural place to be.
“You know how I got here?”
Mewtwo’s hand was outstretched to open the door. It dropped to his side as he turned to face Arcanine. #Some of it.#
“Need to know.”
Mewtwo hesitated. In the dim light, Arcanine couldn’t make out the emotions on Mewtwo’s face, but this close, he could smell them; sorrow, doubt, even fear? What could such a powerful Pokémon have to fear from him?
#I’m sorry,# Mewtwo said eventually, #I can’t.#
“Why?”
#You’re starting to remember, aren’t you?#
Arcanine nodded.
#The mind is an incredible thing,# Mewtwo said, #so fragile, yet so resilient. I need you to remember your own memories, not mine.#
“Why are you here?” Arcanine tried instead, “why am I remembering now?”
#The first, I’ll explain in time. The second…I don’t know.#
Not wanting to disturb any of the others, they went into one of the unused rooms off the lobby. It had been the kitchen, originally; it had it’s own woodstove, with two oven doors and a metal plate on top. Stoneware cups and bowls and plates and various knives and tools were stacked neatly on the otherwise mostly bare shelves. Other than the three kegs of cider and wine stacked in the corner there was no other food, and most of the room was dusty; Team ACT obviously didn’t cook much. Mewtwo perched on a keg, and Arcanine sat on the floor beside him.
#I’ve already discussed the situation with Team ACT,# Mewtwo began, #but I would like to hear your interpretation as well, and Absol’s when she wakes.#
“Where should I start?” Arcanine asked. If he began five years ago, it would make for a long story, most of which he didn’t think was relevant.
#Your first encounter with the Ice-types was in Meadow Town?#
Arcanine nodded.
#Begin there.#
Mewtwo listened intently as Arcanine told his story, interrupting occasionally with questions. Mewtwo seemed like a very intelligent Pokémon, he though, but knew even less about this world than he did. By the time he reached their second visit to the chamber at the end of Creepy Tunnel, the sun was beginning to breach the horizon and they could hear Pokémon moving about in the manor.
There was a tick of claws on wood, and Absol and Zorua peered around the corner into the kitchen.
“Arcanine-” Zorua began; then she saw the other Pokémon in the room. “Who’s that?”
#My name is Mewtwo.# Mewtwo slid down from the barrel, unfazed by Zorua’s unusually aggressive manner. He bent down and extended a hand for Zorua and Absol to sniff. #Now you’re awake, may we join you in the library?#
“Um, yeah,” Zorua answered, “everyone else does, but first we’re going to eat and stuff.” She looked to Arcanine. “You coming, big guy?”
“Who is that?” Zorua demanded again as soon as the door closed behind them.
“Stranger Alakazam talked about last night,” Arcanine said. Zorua seemed upset, but about what, he didn’t know.
“Stranger?”
Arcanine nodded.
“You two sure looked like you knew each other, sitting together like that.”
“Zorua, think we do. From…before. Says he knows how I got here.” Arcanine knew that Zorua and Absol would know what be meant by ‘before’.
“So, how did you get here?”
Arcanine sighed. “Won’t tell me. Says I have to remember myself.”
“And you don’t think that’s suspicious at all? He looks like a Psychic-type. Maybe he’s the one who did this to you?”
“Of course it’s suspicious. Doesn’t matter; he knows Human astrology. Need his help.”
“Do you think he can figure it out?” Absol asked, “Do you think we can trust him?”
“Lot of Dark-types here. Watch him. You two and Umbreon and Tyranitar. We’ll continue with making the disks, and Excadrill. He can’t do it, we’re no worse off than before.”
Team Warmth found that all the trees and bushes in the courtyard and near town had already been picked bare. There were plenty of Apples and Berries in the crates stacked outside the manor, but Absol suggested that it was warm enough this morning for a stroll to be pleasant. Zorua thought that perhaps Absol just wanted to give her an opportunity to calm down before they returned to the library.
They passed dozens of Pokémon out gathering food and wood already; some of them recognized Team Warmth, mostly Arcanine and Absol, Zorua thought, and waved as they passed. They two of them seemed to enjoy the attention, waving and shouting greetings in return. Whatever Alakazam had told the town two nights ago, people were taking it seriously.
Mewtwo was waiting in the library when they returned, along with Team ACT, Team Arcana, and Delphox. Zorua realized that they hadn’t seen or smelled Team Easy since they’d returned from Meadow Town; hopefully the two of them were having some success with Wigglytuff Guild’s archives.
Seated at the table where Absol had been working the night before, Mewtwo looked up and smiled as they entered. Instinct drew Arcanine toward Mewtwo, but he remembered Zorua’s earlier accusation and lay down on Absol’s bed instead with feigned nonchalance. Zorua and Absol sat to either side of him.
“Mewtwo has offered to help us with the weather problem,” Alakazam explained, “we’ve talked, and I allowed him to observe our discussion last night, so he is somewhat familiar with the situation.”
Pokémon looked around uncomfortably, even Charizard and Tyranitar. The library was a safe, neutral place, and no one liked the idea of having been watched there by strangers.
#I apologize for the intrusion. It was rude of me not to make myself known earlier.#
“So you know everything about us,” Zorua said, “why won’t you tell us about yourself?”
#I’m sorry,# Mewtwo said, his expression remaining neutral, #there are certain constraints on what I may tell you; I will explain in time.#
Zorua turned to Alakazam. “You’re not going to go along with this, are you?”
“Zorua, Mewtwo has discussed this with us, and I believe we should accept his conditions for now.”
“This is about Arcanine, isn’t it?” she accused them, “you better not be setting us up again.”
Zorua looked around the room, searching for support. Absol seemed to agree with her, and Team Arcana looked unsure. Neither Delphox nor Arcanine would meet her gaze. Whatever it was, Zorua thought, Delphox was in on it too, and why was Arcanine being such a pushover? He was the one who ought to be upset about the situation.
Mewtwo took advantage of the moment of silence to turn the discussion back to the topic of the weather situation. #Absol, Team ACT has told me most of your story, but I would like to hear it from you.#
While she was tired of repeating the story, Absol though, at least this was a friendly audience. She had repeated it so many times that it came easily now, and without her original awkwardness. It was almost like repeating any of the other stories that Mother and Ninetales had taught her. She skipped most of the details of her time in the library and the search for Kyurem and Darkrai, assuming that Alakazam had already explained them. Mewtwo listened intently, but asked no questions until she reached the chamber in Creepy Tunnel.
#As Arcanine has described,# Mewtwo said, #I’m afraid our system of astrology is very different from yours, and I want to be sure I understand what you saw. Would you allow me to look in your memory and experience it myself?#
It was an awfully personal request from someone she had only just met, Absol thought. Though Mewtwo’s manner was friendly, Absol was hesitant. They didn’t know where he came from, or even what he was. Zorua didn’t trust him, and she was good at dealing with people. Arcanine did, but he was admittedly biased. On the other hand, he was their best lead for opening the doors in Creepy Tunnel and the other dungeons. She was surrounded by friends who wouldn’t allow her to be harmed, and Alakazam was a pretty strong Psychic-type too.
“I’m Dark-type...” Absol began. It was an easy objection and didn’t require her to make a decision.
Mewtwo held up a hand, and removed a narrow gold band from one finger. #This is a Ring Target,# he said, holding out toward her, #as long as you hold it, you can be affected by Psychic-type moves. Set it down, and you will break our contact immediately.#
Absol had not expected her objection to be overcome so easily, and now she was faced with a decision again. She looked around the room, searching for consensus in everyone’s faces.
“Well, I don’t trust him,” Zorua said bluntly, “it’s way to convenient for him to just show up with all the answers, and why won’t he tell us about Arcanine?”
Arcanine looked away from Absol’s gaze, unwilling to offer an opinion.
#I’m sorry,# Mewtwo said, placing the ring down on the table in front of him, #it would be easier, but it’s not necessary. Would you help me understand your notes instead?#
“No,” Absol said, coming to a decision, “I’ll do it.” She took the ring from the table. As she slipped it onto a claw, she felt a brief tingling sensation travel up her foreleg and throughout her body. It passed, and she felt no different than before. “What do I do?”
Mewtwo came around the table and squatted in front of her. Their eyes met, and Absol found it difficult to look away. There was something mysterious and attractive and powerful there, like staring at the stars. He reached out and placed his fingertips gently on her temples.
#Have you ever had a dream that you knew was a dream, and you could direct it consciously?# Mewtwo asked.
Absol nodded.
#This will be similar, except that we’ll both be able to control it. We’re going to be together in your dream, but remember that we’re also still here in the manor. Whatever we say, everyone else will hear too, but they won’t know what we’re seeing and hearing in the dream. Now, you don’t have to close your eyes, but it will make the transition more comfortable.#
Absol stared into Mewtwo’s large eyes a moment longer, assuring herself that this would be okay, then closed her eyes. At first, she felt nothing but the light pressure of Mewtwo’s fingertips. The sounds and scents of the library faded away.
Absol opened her eyes. She was looking down at her own forelegs; Mewtwo’s ring gleamed on one claw. Mewtwo stood beside her. Though she could see and smell the two of them clearly, all around them was featureless, silent darkness. It wasn’t a frightening, cold darkness like her vision on Mount Freeze, but a warm, comforting one, like being tucked into a blanket.
#Can you hear me?# Mewtwo asked.
“Yes. Where are we?”
#Wherever you want to be. We’re on Mount Freeze, correct, looking up at the stars?#
As he said it, Absol saw that it was true. The darkness around them resolved into familiar starry sky and the outlines of distant peaks. The wind began to blow, stirring her fur.
#Very good. You take it from here.#
There had been so many more stars in her dream, she though, and they had been larger and brighter. As she though it, the familiar real sky became the memory-sky that Ninetales had shown her. Ninetales was there too, now, waiting silently. The wind picked up, whipping stinging snow crystals against her face.
“This is amazing!” Absol exclaimed, “it’s just like it was. I didn’t know Psychics could do this.”
Mewtwo grinned down at her. #Most of them can’t. Now that we’re here, we can view it however you like. You can take us to any part of the dream, like skipping scenes in a mov...like turning forward or backward in a book. You can pause and walk around. Just remember that we’re limited to the information that you experienced in your dream. Ninetales isn’t really here; he’s just your memory. You can ask him questions, but he can’t tell you anything he didn’t in the dream.#
“Ninetales was showing me the constellations. They were so different, there...then? I found Temporal Tower...”
She searched the sky until she had oriented herself in the same way the dream had begun, and traced out the Tower to Mewtwo. He nodded in understanding.
#Good. Then what?#
“Ninetales,” Absol tried, “can you show us Mew’s Tail?”
“See those two bright stars together, and the dimmer star below? In your time, those two stars are so close that they appear as one. Follow the curve of the tail to that bright one to the left, and the dim one below it.”
“Nine... dream-Ninetales says that one is Mars.” Absol pointed. “But I’ve never seen Mars there before.”
Absol guided the two of them through the rest of her vision, pausing to try to answer Mewtwo’s questions. He was a very intelligent Pokémon, she decided, but didn’t know any more about astrology than did Arcanine. She should bring Ninetales, and maybe Mother, too; they would be better teachers than she was.
They reached the end of her vision; dream-Ninetales turned his alien blue eyes to them. Mewtwo seemed fascinated by them, pausing the dream to examine them more closely.
“What is it?” Absol asked.
#Have you ever seen a Pokémon with eyes like this before?#
Absol shook her head. “Is it important? What does it mean?”
#I have an idea, but let’s discuss it with everyone. I think I’ve seen what I needed to see; are you ready to go back?#
“Could we see somewhere else?” Absol asked, “like my other vision?”
#We could, but we should probably get back. Your friends are worried about what I’m doing to you in here. I’ll explore it with you another time, if you like. Now, it will be most comfortable if you close your eyes, and you imagine yourself opening them back in the library.#
Absol opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as her pupils adjusted from the darkness in her dream to the morning sun in the library.
“Absol!” Zorua pushed in between her and Mewtwo without waiting for Mewtwo to move. “That was really creepy. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she assured Zorua, leaning down to rest her chin on Zorua’s head, “actually, that was amazing. You could hear us talking, right?”
“Yeah. You were just sitting there, staring at each other and talking.”
Mewtwo stood and returned to the table, a contemplative expression on his face.
“So, can you open the door?” Zorua asked impatiently.
#Now? No. In a few weeks, with Absol and Alakazam’s help? I don’t know yet. However, there is another issue. Absol, you said that when you woke in Creepy Tunnel, you couldn’t wake the others?#
Absol nodded. “I had to use a Chesto Berry to wake Espeon, and she used Heal Bell.”
#And the rest of you, you all had nightmares?#
Mewtwo looked around the room; Zorua, Arcanine, Espeon, and Umbreon all nodded.
#I suspected when Absol described her vision, but after seeing it for myself, I’m certain. Ninetales in your dream was Darkrai. He must have been close, perhaps even in the room with all of you.#
For a moment, no one knew what to say.
“Darkrai!” Tyranitar growled, “so he is involved.”
“Darkrai,” Alakazam mused, “it would explain the inability to wake from nightmares, but if this is his doing, why contact us at all? To mislead us?
“Maybe he doesn’t know how to open the door either?” Delphox suggested, “the ice-types failed, and now he’s using us instead?”
“Maybe he wants to help?” Absol suggested, “I know he was bad before, but the stories say he changed.”
#I think we can assume the information in your vision to be true,# Mewtwo said, #Darkrai would have nothing to gain by misleading us when the task was already impossible, and it doesn’t interfere with pursuing your other ideas. His purpose, however, I don’t know.#
Alakazam agreed to send for Mother and Ninetales, and left to relieve Xatu in making their daily contacts with the other towns. Delphox joined him, Teleporting to Team Victory with one of the discs for Metagross to identify. Team Warmth and Team Arcana remained in the library to talk.
Absol restarted the astrology lessons she had begun with Arcanine at the beginning for Mewtwo. It was eerie how similar their reactions were, despite their different morphologies; how their heads cocked when they were uncertain about something, the way their brows furrowed in concentration. Mewtwo asked many of the same questions that Arcanine had on their first lesson, but picked things up more quickly. Zorua, Espeon, and Umbreon watched their lessons, though Absol was sure that they all knew the basics she was teaching now.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Team Warmth was finishing a late lunch in the courtyard when Team Mighty arrived, barking and growling playfully as they chased each other through the gate and toward the manor. The Mightyenas circled them and came to a stop, panting hard.
Arcanine watched them warily, but didn’t get up. The Mightyenas watched him too, but Absol was relieved when she didn’t have to intervene again
“We’re going to play Pawball.”
“Will you join us?”
“We’ll be the best team.”
“Zorua can play.”
“Arcanine can play.”
“Everyone can play?”
“Shall we join them?” Absol asked hopefully, “we all have fun. Arcanine, I think you’d be really good at it.”
Arcanine figured he could guess what Pawball was, and he didn’t think it sounded fun at all. He opened his mouth to decline, and then thought back to the night before they’d left for Creepy Tunnel, when Absol had seemed so excited to heal him. He’d resolved to be more cooperative or something, hadn’t he? Besides, Absol looked so adorable when she was excited, and he would hate to disappoint her.
“I’d like to,” Zorua said. It did sound fun, she thought, now that she wouldn’t have to hide her identity. It would be good to get some exercise after laying around the library all morning.
“Alright,” Arcanine said, ignoring the aches in his back as he pushed himself up, “sounds like fun.”
With Team Warmth there, the teams were unusually large today. Liepard, Jolteon, and Flareon all joined their team. Machop and Rapidash ended up with eleven Pokémon on their team; they were probably still at a disadvantage, Absol though, with mostly smaller, less evolved Pokémon.
Arcanine stayed back as the game started. The rules seemed simple enough, but he wanted to get a feel for how people actually played. He was surprised to see Absol, normally so gentle, tripping and tackling her way through the crowd with little regard for her own safety. Everyone else played rough too, it seemed. He was hesitant to join in; not for fear of being injured, but of injuring the other players. He was the biggest Pokémon there by a large margin, and a newcomer, and he didn’t really know what the rest of Pokémon Square thought of him and his bounty. It wouldn’t make a good impression to be unnecessarily rough on his first opportunity to interact with the rest of the town.
It took only a few minutes for Absol and Team Mighty to score the first goal.
“Everything okay, big guy?” Zorua asked as she and Absol limped back to the center of the field, “you don’t look like you’re having fun.”
“Yeah, fine.”
“Come on, guys,” Absol said, waving everyone toward her, “let me use Moonlight before we start again.”
Both teams gathered around her. It only took a moment’s concentration this time before Absol could feel the energy flowing through her. The silver haze was visible even in the daylight. What was he so worried about, Arcanine wondered; he was probably the only Pokémon here who wasn’t already injured. Pokémon were tough, and healing was easy, and no one seemed to be holding grudges.
“That was good!” Flareon commended Absol, “you’ve got the hang of it now.”
“Arcanine gives me plenty of opportunity to practice.” Absol looked over and winked at him.
They kicked off again, and this time Arcanine was right beside her, shouldering smaller Pokémon aside as they ran down the field. They played through two more goals before one of the Mightyenas bit through the ball.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Zorua asked as they flopped down together in the sun.
“Was fun,” Arcanine admitted, “you were right.”
Absol joined them too, and the Mightyenas immediately lay down around her, one on either side and one in front of her, blocking her off from the rest of Team Warmth. Absol laughed, resting her chin on the back of the Mightyena in front of her while the other two leaned their heads possessively against her shoulders. At first, Arcanine wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or amused. Absol was obviously enjoying the attention, so he decided not to worry about it.
“Will you spend the night with us?” the Mightyenas asked.
“Growlithe wants you to stay.”
“We want you to stay too.”
“We’re in the manor now.”
“By the library.”
“You won’t have to go out in the dark.”
“You can walk back with us.”
“And eat with us.”
“And sleep with us?”
Absol laughed, rubbing her face against the back of the Mightyena in front of her. “I’d love to join you. We still have some work to do tonight, though. Can I come over later, after we finish helping Mewtwo with his astrology?” Absol looked over to Zorua and Arcanine. “If it’s okay with you guys.”
“Have fun,” Zorua grinned at her.
Arcanine nodded in agreement.
After the last few nights sleeping together, Absol wasn’t quite sure what their relationship was. It wasn’t amorous, at least not yet, but it was certainly more than just a means to keep warm. She was sure that Arcanine felt the same way, and Zorua seemed to be encouraging them. She didn’t know what to consider her relationship with Team Mighty, either; there was a gentle, caring side to the three of them that most Pokémon seemed not to see, and they were great fun to wrestle or play tag or ball with, but they weren’t really capable of conversation. If she was going to be exploring with Team Warmth, there would be plenty of opportunity to spend time with Arcanine and Zorua; so long as everyone else was okay with the situation, why not enjoy Team Mighty’s company too?
“Can you give us a couple minutes?” Zorua asked Absol, “I wanna walk back with you, but I need to talk to Arcanine real quick.”
“Sure,” Absol agreed with a nod. She was pretty comfortable with the Mightyenas around her, and not in a hurry to move.
Zorua led Arcanine out of earshot, and sat down. “You’re sure you’re okay with this, big guy? Not jealous?”
“Maybe a little jealous,” Arcanine admitted, gesturing back to where Absol and Team Mighty lay grooming each other, “look how comfortable they are together. They’ll take good care of her.”
“Yeah,” Zorua agreed, “I am too. You know what this means, though?”
“Hmm?”
“I have you all to myself tonight.” Zorua grinned, and Arcanine grinned back. “You’d be okay with her joining us too, right? Not now, but eventually?”
Arcanine considered a moment, then nodded. “Of course, if you are. Lucario too.”
“Good. That’ll make things less awkward when we’re exploring together,” Zorua said, “you should head back to the manor; me and Absol have stuff to talk about on the way.”
While they were out, Arcanine had hoped to take Absol a couple places; the local tailor, to make some improvements to her blanket, and whoever made wagon harnesses, to have some sort of saddle designed for the two of them. Those things could wait, though.
“Okay,” Arcanine agreed, “see you back later.”
Team Mighty left too, and it was just Absol and Zorua. They walked slowly, shoulder to shoulder.
“You and Arcanine,” Absol wondered, “what’s it like?”
“Mating?”
“Yeah.”
“Umm...” Zorua had no idea where to start. “It’s like doing it with your tongue, I guess, but better...”
“That doesn’t sound all that special,” Absol said, “there has to be more to it, right?”
“Well, it’s not just, like, the physical feeling. It’s being the closest you can ever be with someone you really care about.
Zorua saw that she still wasn’t getting her point across; there had to be a better way to say it.
“Well, say it’s a really nice day,” Zorua tried again, “you play tag for a while, then you wrestle with your best friend in the grass til you’re both tired. You find a whole bush of your favorite berries and stuff yourselves, then lay down in the sun to groom each other til you fall asleep. Then imagine if you could do all those things at the same time.”
Absol looked dubious. “What do I actually do, though? I mean...I’ve seen other Pokémon mate, of course, but where do we start?”
“Just don’t worry. Your instincts know what to do, and I bet Team Mighty are experts. There’s a couple things you could try though, that Lucario and Arcanine both liked.”
Absol’s face grew red and her ears folded down in embarrassment as Zorua described them in detail.
“Zorua, I like Team Mighty, but I’m not sure I want to do all that…”
“Then don’t. Just...be honest and tell them what you want, because what they want is to make you happy.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The library was crowded when he returned, with Team Arcana, Team ACT, Team Mighty, Mewtwo, and Delphox all in attendance. Mewtwo had been busy while they were out; already he was surrounded by piles of open books and pages of half-finished notes and equations. Some of it looked very familiar to Arcanine. He took a page Mewtwo wasn’t using, and began to examine it. There were ellipses at the top, labeled with arrows and letters and numbers, and row after row of equations below.
#Do you understand it?#
“Some of it,” Arcanine admitted, “they’re orbital diagrams. This is Inclination, Eccentricity…I’m not sure about the rest, and these are equations for ellipses.”
#Very good, you do remember.# Mewtwo took the page, and placed another one in front of him, this one with only a few lines of equations at the top. #What about this?#
The form of the equation was familiar, but it’s meaning escaped him. “We’re integrating...I’m sorry, I don’t know what these are.”
#A conversion, of sorts,# Mewtwo said, #ultimately, we need to get from this,# Mewtwo pointed to Absol’s notes, with the sky divided into twelve sections and the planets placed against the fixed stars, #to this.# Mewtwo indicated his own sketch of the planets on the familiar ecliptic plane. #If you like, take both of those and try to solve it for me.#
For a while, Arcanine stared at the pages, not knowing where to begin. He had an idea what it all was for, and what operations the symbols were supposed to mean, but he wasn’t sure how to go about actually solving it. Even if this part of his memory seemed mostly intact, he hadn’t used any of it for five years.
After a while, he thought he could see how to begin. Taking a pencil in his teeth, he began to write out very slowly and carefully the next line of the equation Mewtwo had left off.
Eventually, Absol decided she wasn’t doing any good there. Despite what Mewtwo had said before about needing her help, he didn’t seem to need it right now. Most of the symbols interspersed with numbers that he and Arcanine were writing didn’t mean anything at all to her, thought some of the diagrams which accompanied them were the astrology with which she was familiar. She and Zorua joined the others in searching Team ACT’s library for anything else about the Great Orrery. It was boring, frustrating work, as they’d been through all these books once before, but now they knew what they were searching for.
There was no way to write neatly with one’s mouth. There had been Human machines to help, before, he though, with buttons to push to make the symbols appear. It took Arcanine several messy pages, and several patient corrections from Mewtwo, to solve the equation.
Arcanine put the pencil down and stepped back. His jaws ached after gripping the pencil so long, and he worked them open and closed to loosen the muscles. He would have to find a better way to write, if he was going to help. Maybe something like a big blackboard on the floor?
#Well done.# Mewtwo said, looking over his work.
“How can you remember all these numbers?” Arcanine gestured to the list of orbital parameters in front of Mewtwo.
#Remember this morning, I asked if you would return to our world if we couldn’t save this one?#
Arcanine nodded.
#Arcanine, it’s not just here, it’s there too. I’ve stared at these numbers every day for the last two months. In the Human world, we have a very precise measurement of what is wrong, but no understanding of why, or what to do.#
“But here, we can fix it, right?” Zorua asked.
#I don’t know.# Mewtwo rubbed his eyes tiredly. #Here, at least, we have a lead.#
It was well after dark now. They all worked a while longer, but eventually Absol had to admit that she wasn’t making progress. All the words were starting to blur together in the blue light of Espeon’s Luminous Orb, and she couldn’t remember what she’d just read.
When Absol got up to leave, Team Mighty followed her. Growlithe was waiting for them in the Mighty’s room, her eyes shining in the darkness.
“Absol!” Growlithe exclaimed happily as she entered; Absol thought it was the most emotion she had heard in Growlithe’s voice since they’d met.
“You don’t mind me joining you?”
“I asked them to invite you. I mean, I know they wanted to, too, but it was my idea tonight.”
Growlithe rolled over, making room for her on the bed. She curled up beside the Fire-type, pressing her cold horn against Growlithe’s warm flank. Team Mighty lay all around them, leaning inward, sandwiching the two of them together. The two closest to her were both trying to lick her face at the same time; at first, she tried to return the attention, but they all kept getting in each others’ way. She relaxed, deciding that, this time, she’d let them do the work. It felt so warm and comfortable, even if their blankets smelled like they hadn’t been cleaned in decades, that all she wanted to do was sleep. Team Mighty didn’t seem to mind at all.
