Thanks for the feedback, Fobbie! Really happy to see the story picking up for you at this point. I gave you feedback on United, but in general, this is when the story finally picks up and starts giving hints to its "true" A plot, and the Guardian plot becomes more of a backdrop.
Anyway, now it's time to move to Special Episode 13...
Special Episode 13 – Some Heroes Fail
My body’s age is the world’s age. My life is tied to the world’s life. Through me, all spirits are granted the privilege of the living world. And to me, all spirits are meant to pass through on their departure.
The fabric of reality is dictated in my being, and should it ever need to be modified, those with divine power may change it… carefully.
But with each new rule and each subtle change, instabilities form with unpredictable outcomes. All I do is process them. I take no sides. I have no opinions. I only… act.
That is how it was upon my creation. That is, perhaps, how it always should have been. And for over a thousand years, that was my existence.
But one day… that system experienced a wonderful upheaval.
<><><>
Year 0
The world began to exist with a single soul. Then, their gods entered to make sure all was well, knowing little of the nature of the world that had been created. They had to learn.
A Mew floated silently over a cosmic sea. Her name was Star.
Next to her was a Dusknoir. His name was Hecto, though he was not of this world and not its creator. He was an advisor from beyond.
Behind them was Arceus, whose nickname was Barky, though he resented it. He seemed troubled by what stood in front of them all.
The cosmic sea was a beautiful mixture of purples and blues, dotted with white. Every little drop of light was a soul taken before their time. Rather than sending them away into the great beyond, the two gods—Mew and Arceus—took those souls and tried to give them all a second chance.
It was only fair, in their eyes: they were the ones who had ruined the first.
Drifting along this cosmic sea was also a small swarm of Unown. Following Arceus’ command directly, they shaped and encoded the special nature of this tiny, tiny world. Special conditions to make up for gravity; a false sky to give the world stars and a realistic sense of space; many little things a natural world wouldn’t have. All to house these souls and give them new life. All to cover up a sad mistake they could not fix.
These souls had been ‘destroyed’ in their home worlds. That meant the world no longer acknowledged their existence. For them, a new world had to be made.
Though… Star and Barky did not realize some were not truly destroyed, only most. But perhaps that would not matter.
“That should do it,” Star said with a nervous laugh. “I… I’m a little rusty at it. But you helped me through it again, Hecto…”
“Mm.” The Dusknoir’s arms slowly crossed. “I should personally inspect it for a few decades to search for any abnormalities… But that will do it. A temporary world for them to live in. I’m sorry it had to be this way.”
“And your other Overseer is also coming, right?” Star said nervously, but then suddenly winced and held her chest.
“Star?” Barky leaned closer.
“I—I’m fine. Sorry. Still just… shaken up.” When Star removed her hand, there was a blotch of darkness in her chest. It faded away. None of the others saw it. This darkness had been within her when she’d made the world, but it would soon fade.
However, during the delicate process of Creation, the world was given two sets of keys to its control. One of light, meant for the gods; and one of darkness, lost to the abyss and with no owner.
They did not know. And so, instead, those souls were placed in new bodies. The humans—which Star now feared—were given Pokémon bodies, quickly determined by what best fit their personalities. In the end, they all felt as if their bodies were appropriate, by instinct or their ‘soul-match.’
Those who had saved Star—those who rescued her from the clutches of an organization not relevant to the new world—had been given extra favor. Stronger bodies, and a call to see them for more noble goals. This small, special world needed temporary gods to keep it managed.
And so, the world began.
<><><>
Year 9
Initially, there were no disturbances. New souls were born, created from the lives that formed within this fully functional, tiny world. Old souls whose bodies’ lives ended were moved to another plane, where they would exist quietly, or sleep quietly, until this tiny world’s end.
Aside from one exception, nothing ‘left’ the world. Nothing ‘entered’ the world. The closest to an intruder was another Overseer, who took the form of a dragon of light and crystal: Necrozma, the prism of death. However, with special approval from the gods, he had free passage.
One day, that pattern changed. A single new soul entered the world but was housed within Necrozma. Because this soul had the approval of Necrozma, it, too, was allowed inside.
Because this soul was so far removed from the rest of the world’s soul, its body had to be created manually.
The world asked the soul questions. The subject matter was strange and unfamiliar, based on things that did not exist in the tiny world, but were very familiar to the soul’s original world and realms beyond. Despite some unknown words, the answers demonstrated character: the soul’s valor or cowardice; their temperament and tendencies; their aversions and fears.
That’s all for the questions. Thank you for answering them honestly.
Eh… yeah… The mote of light bobbed in the air.
Listen… can we be real fer a sec?
This isn’t part of the test.
Yeah, I know, I jus’ gotta ask. What is this? All this? Is this some… weird new judgment yer rollin’ out fer the dead? ‘cause it’s kinda…
This is for your body in the Pokémon world.
The soul laughed.
No reply was given.
…Yer serious?
And a valiant soul like yourself… should be a Charmander!
An illusion of the fiery reptile appeared in front of the soul.
…Ehhh… nah. I mean, can we go again?
What?
Again. That ain’t it. I dunno if that’s a real good fit.
That is what your soul matches.
An’ it looks lame! What is that, a fire on its tail? How’m I gonna get any sleep with that goin’ on, I ain’t had a nightlight in ferever!
What?
C’mon, ain’t there another species? I dunno what these Pokey-mans’re supposed ter be, but I ain’t gonna be some fire-startin’, scale-havin’ beast!
I see… This has never happened before. Someone who isn’t familiar with Pokémon at all?
Yeh. I ain’t from around here. I… I died already. My body’s all burned up.
Burned up?
Yeah. I ain’t… gonna be dealin’ with fire, I don’t think. Too destructive… Spent my life fightin’ em. Went a li’l too hard on one an’ the buildin’ collapsed, y’know?
I see. You dislike fire. Perhaps instead, you can be a Chespin.
Another illusion formed.
Ehh? What is that shape, some kinda moldy peanut? An’ the teeth! Aw, no, that’s worse!
The illusion disappeared. This was becoming a tough case.
Look, I know beggars can’t be choosers, but if this is a new body an’ I’m here ter help out, I need somethin’ workable. That’s what th’ pink cat said.
Perhaps a Growlithe? They are naturally resistant to fire.
But just as the illusion appeared, the soul bobbed.
That’s just a dog! What’s goin’ on, this some weird… afterlife prank? Agh… sorry, sorry. I’m still all… frazzled from, y’know, burnin’ ter death an’ all that.
I see. Do you want something closer to ‘human’ for you?
Yeah! I mean, at least this time it’s a mammal an’ stuff… but I dunno. Maybe somethin’ more human fer me.
If that’s the case, you should be something from the Human-Like egg group.
…WHAT?
Another illusion appeared. This time, of a Riolu.
…Huh. Well… still got that weird… vibe about it… but it ain’t bad. Ain’t bad at all… Ehh, y’know, I’m gonna take what I c’n get. Riolu it is.
Very good. Now, what about your partner?
Eh?
When you enter this world, you will soon run into a partner. They will help guide you in this world, and perhaps you will guide them in return. What does your partner look like?
Uh… I mean… I figure you tell me. What, c’n you shape the world er somethin’?
You will determine who your partner will be. For example, this Pokémon, an Oshawott…
The illusion formed.
…Looks kinda like a kid’s shower sponge.
Would you like Oshawott to be your partner?
Ehh… sure, I guess, whatever. But can it wait?
Can it… wait?
Feels weird ter shape the world like this. I wanna learn on my own at first.
Very well. You may run into other Pokémon instead, but look for an Oshawott as well. She and many others will be in need of your help.
Right… The soul dimmed.
What’s this all… gonna be about?
You are an outsider. A human from a world with no Pokémon, no divine powers, no true link to the aura that can be corrupted. When converted into the body and spirit of a Pokémon, that otherness… will allow you to resist a developing irregularity.
Alright, alright… So y’need an outsider ter resist this thing.
Yes. Resist it… and keep the world safe. That is all you are tasked with. And as payment… you get a new life.
…Hard ter deny that chance. The soul glowed brighter. He was reluctant at first, but it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. He was chosen exactly for that reason: a noble soul willing to save others, but also a sad soul who had nothing to return to.
There is one more aspect to your task. You must fend off and defeat this instability before you eclipse your existence within here. In other words, if you consider your arrival ‘age 0,’ then you must not become older than when you first died. Once that happens, the universe will fully accept you. You will lose your ‘outsider’ nature.
Plenty o’ time. Yeah. Easy! I’ll fight this instability!
Your confidence will please this world.
Heh. Alright, sure… I’m ready. Fer… Riolu, er whatever.
That’s good. Riolu will eventually evolve into Lucario once the time is right.
The illusion changed again, displaying Riolu in its final stage.
Oi, that’s awesome! The soul flew closer to the illusion.
Alright, I c’n get behind that!
Wonderful. If that’s the case, welcome to the world of Pokémon. And good luck on your journey.
The forces in the cosmic sea pushed the soul deeper into the world, until, finally, there would be no turning back.
…Oi, wait, do any o’ those other things evolve er whatever? What’s that Charmander one beco—
The sea swept him away…
<><><>
Year 12
Oshawott sprinted through the sandy beaches and into the nearby forest, panting at every step. She nearly tripped three times. Her feet barely caught her the third time and she narrowly avoided a keratin blade to the back. Instead, it carved into the ground, leaving deep gashes. Trailing water deepened the earth’s wound, creating spouts of water in random directions.
One happened to strike Oshawott, sending her pinwheeling through the air and flat on her back.
A Samurott—her mother—loomed over her with soulless, dark eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out were black clouds.
“Mom, don’t—”
“HYAH!”
Samurott jerked to the right and it was as if her spirit needed time to catch up to her body. By the time Oshawott opened her eyes again, Samurott had been slammed through four trees, crumpled and unconscious next to a fifth at least fifty feet away.
In her place stood a Riolu, tail high and chest puffed out. “Hey, y’alright?” he called, kneeling, and outstretching a paw. He grabbed the terrified Oshawott and helped her up.
“I—I was just fine!” Oshawott lied, shoving the Riolu away.
“Oi, alright.” He held up his arms. “Jus’ helpin’ you out. Name’s Manny.”
“Name?” Oshawott repeated. “…What… what happened to my mom?”
“Yer mom?” Manny glanced at the crumpled Samurott and winced. “Ah, eh… uh…”
That heroic air of the Riolu evaporated with the next gust of wind.
A big, purple bubble appeared around Samurott, and then she vanished.
“Got ‘em!” called Mew Star, who appeared in her place. “Great work, Manny.”
“Is that… a Mew?” Oshawott whispered. “Aren’t they rare?”
“Oh! Uh!” Star tittered. “Yep! Super rare. It’s alright, though. Think of me like a lucky charm!”
Oshawott didn’t believe her but also had other things on her mind. “And… what did you do with Mom?”
Jirachi appeared next to Star. “Okay, I brought her over to—oh. Hi…”
Star shifted where she floated, forming a pink bubble to sit on. “Well, uh… We have to take her—uh, your
mom”—She glanced at Jirachi and Manny—“somewhere to get her treated. Hopefully, we can find a cure for her. Your mom isn’t herself… So, whatever she did, uh…”
Oshawott frowned at that. “…It’s okay if I don’t see her.”
“Eh?” Manny, taken aback by the sudden nonchalance, said, “I mean, y’can visit if she gets better! So, like…”
Oshawott was quiet again. Thoughtful about something in the past. She didn’t want to say it to these strangers, even if they were Mew and some strange Pokémon she didn’t recognize.
Just then, another shadow cast over the group. Great wings and a fiery tail caught Oshawott’s attention. Then came a Charizard in the middle of the glade.
“Everything seems clear from above,” Charizard confirmed, nodding.
“Thanks fer the help, Owen,” Manny nodded.
“How about your father?” Jirachi asked Oshawott. Owen tilted his head and growled curiously.
“Gone,” Oshawott replied routinely. “Just… gone.”
Manny rubbed the back of his head. “Aw, geez,” he murmured. “That’s a real tough nut ter crack. Eh…” His ears twitched.
This was familiar to him in some ways, though it reminded him of a life long ago. One he’d left behind upon his death, though even the afterlife didn’t appeal to him. He had nobody waiting for him.
But he didn’t want Oshawott to feel that same kind of isolation.
“Hey, lis’n. What’s… the whole deal with yeh, y’seem pretty young. Well, not
too young…”
Oshawott was guarded again, glaring suspiciously at Riolu. “And?”
“Jus’… fer not…” Manny trailed off. “Alright,” Manny said. “Yer comin’ with us. Owen! Yer givin’ someone else a ride t’day.”
“What?” Oshawott, Owen, Star, and Jirachi all said.
“What’re you gonna do otherwise?” Manny pressed.
“I’d… go home, I guess? I take care of myself already… this… isn’t that different.”
Manny crossed his arms expectantly.
“You mean, you’ll just go home alone?”
“I’m not a kid,” Oshawott growled. What’s it matter to you, anyway? You’ve saved tons of people already, I bet!”
“Ehhh.” Manny waggled his paw. “This one feels more personal. Takin’ down Blights, it’s usually crazed folks already way too far gone. But you… yer a victim in this.”
“Don’t… call me a victim,” Oshawott spat. “I’m not some charity case.”
“Alright, but how about… you payin’ me back?”
“Wh—pay you back?!” Oshawott blurted.
“What, do I look like a charity?”
She flinched. Annoyance and confusion mixed in her expression. Owen tittered nervously, avoiding Oshawott’s glare.
“You think you’re so clever,” Oshawott said, turning her head away. But for that moment, she looked vulnerable. She was a lot older than her appearance gave off; Manny saw how skinny she seemed beneath her thick fur coat which, looking a little closer, was off-color. This Oshawott did not lead a happy life. There wasn’t any light in her eyes.
“How about fer a day?” Manny asked.
“What’s your plan?” Star asked, unsure.
“Dunno,” Manny said. “We c’n play it by ear.”
But she also trusted Manny on an instinctual level. Neither realized it, but the power of Manny’s spirit was something many false Pokémon shared: the power to convey feelings without words, but through a strange connection that predates this world. This remnant of the “human spirit” made Pokémon thrive.
When Manny reached to Oshawott again, he wore a smile. His feelings through this connection could not be fabricated, and Oshawott understood them the same way.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll humor you for
one day.”
She grabbed him back, knowing full well the day would last much longer.
<><><>
Year 13
Oshawott was part of a mysterious group of scattered Pokémon known as the ‘nameless.’ During the world’s creation, countless humans had been transformed into Pokémon down to their core. With their bodies and spirits destroyed in the other world, they had been pieced together from scratch and molded into Pokémon forms with ease. Their histories, their minds, were rewritten to conform to a Pokémon past, though most of it was kept the same otherwise, if only so the inner soul could agree with the new set of memories.
These Pokémon often knew nothing about the fact that they had once been human. Pokémon who had been raised with humans had also ascended into humanlike intelligence so their lives would be disrupted as minimally as possible. They always understood their humans in a figurative sense, through that special bond between humans and Pokémon. In this world, being able to understand one another became literal.
The conversion was not perfect. Some humans lost much of their history. Pokémon raised by humans sometimes lost it, too. Oshawott was one such person—a true Pokémon, ascended to a human level of intelligence, but under the care of a former trainer. All foreign concepts to this world, the relationship had been converted to one of mother and daughter.
But the mother was neglectful, and the daughter knew little else. She didn’t even have a name for herself. The “nameless” were these ascended Pokémon, and often they were related to Pokémon at high risk of becoming Blights.
At the time, nobody knew what Blights were. They assumed it was a flaw of the human spirit upon becoming a Pokémon; that was Star’s guess, and nobody could quite dispute it without further study.
Over time, Manny helped two others and took the liberty of giving them names. Oshawott insisted it would be a clever name that Manny valued, so he gave her the name Elbee. It was based on a term of value in his “old land,” a place Elbee didn’t concern herself with. The same trend went to Yen, a Drampa whom he’d eventually become fond enough to ask for his hand in marriage. Yen had no idea what that meant. He settled for being mates. And another went to Doll, a Cacturne who was quiet but fiercely loyal.
They went on assignments together, investigating small issues that didn’t require the work of the gods. They were still trying to find candidates to fill all the positions anyway.
One fateful day, Manny, Elbee, Doll, and Yen went on another seemingly typical assignment to a strange forest. It was down south, given the nickname Shadow Garden. Due to the unknown territory and anomalous nature of the area, Charizard Owen accompanied them as a divine bodyguard.
In this place, the Blight had strongly concentrated around the plants. This was abnormal. Normally, the Blight was something that affected Pokémon, and only Pokémon. For a while, it was assumed to be a sickness of the aura.
“This place kinda flew under the radar, didn’ it?” Manny asked.
“What’s a radar?” Elbee asked. Now a Dewott, she stood taller than Manny, who had yet to evolve, she often led the way with her Razor Shell in hand.
“I think Star said it’s something she had on Manny,” Owen theorized.
“Ehh, ancient tech,” Manny said, flashing a glare at Owen. “Read about it once. It means we didn’ detect it until now since it was developin’ all quiet-like.”
“…Right…” Elbee glanced behind her. Doll was prodding one of her thorny arms against a Blighted tree.
“This place is really weird,” Doll said in one of her rare sentences.
Trailing behind them all, making sure nobody got lost, was Yen, the protector of the group. The Drampa hummed and said, “Perhaps we shouldn’t touch anything Blighted. I’ll write down everything we see here and report to Star later.”
“We could always pray ‘n get her attention,” Manny suggested.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Yen admitted. “We already know she gets nervous about the Blight. In a place like this, she might react badly…”
“Ehh, true.”
“What’s weird,” Elbee said, “is that we haven’t seen a single Blighted Pokémon here. It’s all just plants and the soil. Doesn’t make sense. Could this be the source of all Blight?”
“That’d be a
real big find,” Manny said gravely. “C’mon. Let’s keep on our guard.”
Elbee continued to take the charge. The ground was dry and yet squishy against their feet and there was a dusty smell everywhere. This was especially odd because it wasn’t remotely enclosed. They could still see the sun and clear blue sky. It was only when they surveyed the ground and the field that the dreary nature of the landscape returned to them.
Manny kicked at a rock, leaving an obvious trail in the dirt. He glanced back and suddenly stopped.
“Hm?” Yen stopped next, drifting aside to avoid Doll walking without paying attention. “Manny?”
Elbee stopped next and turned around. “What’s wrong?”
Owen turned and looked next. He quickly realized the same problem Manny had. “Our path is gone.”
The team inspected the earth. At first, it was mundane ashen soil. However, the ash fell back into place, creating a uniform flatland. Whatever force existed here kept everything in place, not even allowing the dust to be disturbed for very long.
“Never seen somethin’ like that befer,” Manny said. “What kinda magic is this?”
“That’s a question for Arceus,” Owen said. “I’ll write it down for later…”
He rummaged through his bag, but inexplicably couldn’t find his supplies. Nervous at the results, he didn’t tell the others and acted like he was merely checking their supplies.
Just ahead, Manny saw more movement. “Eh?”
“What is it?” Elbee asked.
Manny pointed. Ahead, past the trees, there seemed to be a small hut that led deeper underground. Manny thought he saw someone outside, but it was too dark to see anyone…
“Hey!” Manny called. “Someone in there? D’you need help?!”
Silence. Yen shuddered and said, “This place is too… off. Maybe we should go now.”
“Nah, nah.” Manny stepped ahead. “…Get ready ter run, but nah, not yet.”
Owen trailed after him, using his tail to keep things a bit more well-lit. The hut led deep underground. Trails of strange, rainbow lines etched through the walls like exposed tree roots. There was… a Sliggoo? It slid deeper into the cave.
“Who is that?” Manny murmured.
And then they all turned around and left and forgot all about this place.
<><><>
Year 30
East of the Shadow Garden was another field that had shown signs of a Blight wandering the area. Manny and his team went with Owen to investigate and subdue the Blight.
This Blight was a Spiritomb with a dark, black cyclone rather than its typical purple and green. Easy enough to spot. Even easier in an open field. Manny had moved with confidence and stretched his limbs, getting loose and agile.
“Ain’t gonna be too hard,” the Lucario said, kicking a nearby pebble. “See anything yet?”
“Not yet,” Yen hummed.
Owen suddenly stopped, spreading his wings.
“Eh?” Manny called.
“Ahead,” Doll whispered.
Manny wished he was better with ‘aura sense,’ but that kind of thinking wasn’t native to him. He chalked it up publicly to being a different Lucario breed or something, but in reality, his humanity got in the way. Old instincts.
The ashy, damp ground—wet enough to clump the dirt but dry enough to not stick to his feet—reminded Manny that this place was not natural. It hadn’t rained here, according to scout reports. This was something else.
And just ahead, a patch of ground was even darker. In the middle of it, like a boulder in tar, was a Spiritomb’s anchoring rune.
“Oi! Spiritomb!” Manny called.
…You…
His words reverberated in Manny’s head. This was a strong Blight—stronger than he’d ever experienced before. “Careful,” he murmured.
“Careful about what?” Elbee whispered. “He’s just standing there?”
“Y’didn’ hear that?” Manny whispered back.
A cold blast of air kicked up the damp ash, covering Owen’s belly in soot. Manny covered his eyes and held his breath until the wind died down.
“Gnk—!”
Followed by a deep thud.
Manny opened his eyes. Next to him, crumpled on the ground, was Elbee, pierced by a strange black spike through her chest and out her back. She wasn’t moving. Even with his most basic aura sense, he couldn’t see any life in her.
The others seemed just as dumbfounded. Stunned. What just happened?
“Elbee?” Manny whispered.
“Manny!” Owen shouted. He dove in Manny’s way and crossed his arms, forming a Protect barrier. Three dark spikes, like black icicles, punched holes through the barrier. Owen’s blood splashed onto Manny with each puncture. The Charizard fell forward, silent.
It was the Spiritomb. It was launching those attacks. When the dark spikes faded, all that they left behind were black wounds that rotted away the nearest flesh of the wound. Their bodies were dissolving before his eyes.
Doll and Yen sprang into action next. Manny was frozen in place, staring at the lightless tail Owen left behind.
Manny reached out. “Wait—”
Doll raised her spiked arm and pointed at the Spiritomb with a hissing cry, but black whips of energy appeared all around Doll and converged upon her. Before she could even fire, her body was sliced into eight pieces, clattering hollowly on the ground.
Yen didn’t notice. He got a shot, a powerful beam of indigo fire. The air crackled, superheating from the thunderous blast—Yen was much stronger than the average Drampa, amplified by Manny’s pure human spirit. When the blast collided with the Spiritomb, it sizzled and retreated into its anchor stone.
But the sinking feeling gripped Manny’s gut. His limbs wouldn’t move. It was like he was trying to run through neck-deep water. The Spiritomb disappeared into the ground. A dark patch appeared underneath Yen.
“Jump!” Manny shouted.
Too late. A huge spike shot straight through Yen’s back, but rather than dissipate, it expanded even more. His mouth was wide in shock and pain. Veins of darkness ran through his fur and scales, overtaking his eyes.
Cracks and pops echoed from Yen’s body as he turned toward Manny like a puppet on strings.
“It’s time to bring this world to an end,” Spiritomb said, his voice echoing in Manny’s mind. It was through Yen’s voice, yet something behind it…
It slid closer, leaving behind the parts of Yen that had been blasted away. Darkness filled in the gaps as the dead Drampa staggered closer. Manny was paralyzed.
“What will you do?” Yen’s body said.
“The source of all Blights. What will you do? Will you kill me?”
“I… I…”
“Your candle’s out of wax, outsider,” Yen’s body said, melting with every step.
“Have you not realized it? If you spend more time in this world than the last… you will lose that unique sheen. You will become just another denizen. And darkness shall rule forever!”
It lunged at Manny, Yen’s jaws sinking into Manny’s shoulder.
And then he woke up.
Manny shot awake, sitting up and jabbing his chest spike into Yen’s side. He groaned in pain and rolled away, as if used to this, and settled into sleep again.
Destiny Tower. Quiet. Nighttime. The window outside showed a rising sun and calm skies.
Even in the dim light, Manny could tell there weren’t any black patches on Yen’s body. He… was alive. It was a dream.
Gingerly, Manny emerged from his cuddle pile with Yen and tiptoed out of the room in the dark. Next door, just down the hall of regal stone and purple carpet, was Doll and Elbee’s room. He heard Elbee sleeping. Doll was… a silent sleeper, but he trusted she was also alive if Elbee was fine.
An orange glow got further around the corner. Owen was alive… and awake.
“Manny?” Owen said, his tone hushed. “What’re you doing up so early?”
“…Had a bad dream,” Manny said. “How ‘bout you?”
“Darkrai’s not in the Tower tonight,” Owen said with a frown. “I was getting ready for today’s mission. We had one come in overnight.”
“Eh?”
“Yeah. Apparently, near Shadow Garden, there was a sighting of a black-aura’d Spiritomb. A Blight. It seemed to be waiting for something, but that would be trouble…”
The dream was hazy at this point, and yet…
“Eh… Spiritomb? Black aura?” Manny shook his head. “Y’know, maybe… we wait ‘n see with that one.”
“…What?” Owen squinted. “It’s just another Blight. I don’t think it’s any different than others we’ve dealt with. It’s a
little more advanced, sure, but—”
“Jus’ trust me,” Manny blurted.
His voice bounced off the marble walls. A few people in other rooms stirred.
“…It… would take a lot of energy, but we could ask Barky to smite it instead,” Owen offered gently. “Manny, what’s going on?”
He could still see their dead bodies. Was that a premonition? Was he psychic?
But Manny did not realize it was meant to be a challenge from the Blight, a wish sent to him through the world’s flowing waters. The expectation was to rise to the challenge and defeat the Blight at its source; any other way would not defeat him for good.
The Blight was conflicted. It wanted its pain to end, but also did not want to truly disappear. It sought Manny for an answer to both, as the outsider who was supposed to find a solution that the universe could not provide on its own. He was meant to be the Blight’s “hero,” as the Blight, too, was part of the world.
Manny, won’t you confront your purpose?
“Yeah,” Manny said. “Jus’ some premonition. Superstition. I dunno. Arceus c’n do this one… Sorry.”
Owen looked more concerned than irritated when he nodded. “I’ll let him know.”
As Manny walked shamefully back to Yen’s room, a cloud of malaise over him, he quietly considered if it was time to retire before he lost this life, too.
A few hours later, Destiny Tower glowed with divine light. A great light spear arced over the sky, aiming for Spiritomb in the thankfully empty field where it had been waiting. It stared at the incoming blast and did not scream or dodge. It only stared in disappointment.
This would not be his end for long.
And so, out of fear of losing his second life’s opportunities, the outsider chose the comfort of fending off symptoms over the risk of confronting the source.
The outsider failed in peace.
<><><>
Year 34
Manny lived a good life. Every day, he checked for Blight reports and was transported over to investigate with the help of Star, Arceus, and Jirachi. After that old premonition, no other nightmares plagued him, and he assumed that meant he’d dodged a catastrophe. Occasionally, something beyond his power called for the help of Yveltal or other Legends, but minor Blights were always something for him to handle. Manny was cautious and thought he knew his limits.
In many ways, his team of four had been regarded as heroes. Others saw them as harbingers of doom, as their presence meant something bad happened in their small town. It was hard, at times, for Manny to live normally in civilian towns, and over time, he and his team spent more and more time in Destiny Tower.
One night, Manny awoke after a strange dream. It was vivid and commanding, one he simply couldn’t ignore. It was a familiar, featureless voice telling him to go to a specific location in southern Quartz and to ask Jirachi to be taken there.
Ever since the Blights spread in more insidious ways throughout the realm, Teleportation became more difficult and limited. However, for this, Jirachi had been able to find an anchor point, somehow. It was by luck, he guessed, that the connection to that specific place happened to be easy that day.
Manny was not usually one to follow dreams and visions. But this felt too compelling to ignore, even after Jirachi confirmed that there was no Psychic trickery influencing him. However, Jirachi did recommend Owen come with Manny.
And so, the Radiance-imbued, giant Charizard and the aging Lucario both walked down a strange, familiar wasteland.
“Huh. Weird. Don’t remember bein’ here…”
“It feels familiar,” Owen agreed. “But this place… I can sense that it’s hiding our path.”
“With that weird Perceive ability y’got?” Manny said.
“Yes. Sorry, I can turn it off, if you want,” Owen said routinely.
“Nah, no big deal.” Manny subtly flexed a few muscles.
“…What are you doing?”
“Givin’ you somethin’ ter think about.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “I sense everything. Nothing you do is going to disturb me.”
“Bah, yer no fun.”
For another minute, they walked in silence. Owen rubbed his eyes a few times and suppressed a yawn. The sun wasn’t even out yet, both for Destiny Tower and this strange wasteland.
“Did it have to be this early?” Owen complained. “I think I only got a few hours of sleep…”
“Woke up. Couldn’ sleep. Jirachi was the one who wanted yeh ter come fer a buddy system.”
“You’re a lot stronger than I am,” Owen said.
“But
you got that Perceive. Guess it’s jus’ ter guard.”
Owen sighed. “And also for them spying on my energy signature,” he said. “If I raise it enough, they’ll probably know to get us out of here fast.”
“Doubt it’ll be that,” Manny said.
Soon, they saw a small, underground pit that led further into the earth. Most familiar to Manny, in that instant, were those trails of rainbow light that traced through the dirt.
“I
have been here…”
Owen walked away, distracted and sleepy.
“Oi, Owen!” Manny called, but Owen didn’t answer. “Egh… Whatever.”
He didn’t plan to go too deep. All he saw was a small piece of paper placed… dubiously near the cave entrance, written in gentle handwriting. There were traces of dried slime near the message, too, which was… gross. And weird. Manny gingerly picked it up on a spot he thought was dry.
To the outsider, it began.
Manny held his breath. That… was him, wasn’t it?
Your time in this world is nearing its end. You have stayed here for nearly as long as you have lived in your past world. If you stay for a time longer than your old life, the old world will no longer recognize you as its denizen. Your soul there will lose its ties forever, and instead, you will become part of this world. If you would like to return to your original afterlife, delve deeper into this cave before five days pass.
You were aware of this property of yourself from when you’d first arrived. This is a friendly reminder that a choice must be made by then.
Yes, Manny remembered. After all the questions that led to his species—well, his proposed species, which he’d rejected—this was the warning that disembodied voice had given him. He had until he was double his age to leave. He’d died at 25, no real family to call his own, not a lot of friends, just acquaintances where he worked.
…He didn’t like thinking about that life. Didn’t like thinking about tragedy or lives where he had no good hand. He shoved the memories away and scowled.
“Thanks fer the reminder,” Manny said, putting the paper down. “But I made my choice when I took this body.”
The cave did not answer him.
“…Y’know,” Manny said, “yer all mysterious and… disembodied and stuff. And out there is startin’ ter look kinda weird. It’d do yeh some favors if y’made it less… deathly. Maybe got more personable.” He shrugged. “Eh, whatever. I ain’t… gonna come back ‘ere. Don’ wait fer me.”
He turned around.
“…Thanks fer lettin’ me know. But my life’s here. I got my second chance. Got my team, my friends…” He trailed off, then sighed. “An’ maybe, if I figure out the real solution with this Blight stuff befer I’m too old… I’ll go down a hero. An’ if not?” He shrugged. “…I’ve got a position in Destiny Tower ter take. I’ll be a hero that way.”
Manny held his breath again, closing his eyes. It had been twenty-five years. The memory was still… there. It was distant like a dream, but it was still there. He wondered if the soul could etch its traumas the same way the brain could, or if it was just a trick of his new mind.
But he could still see the fires in the home. The creaking wood and embers. The scorching heat that burned his skin. The child he didn’t even know, trapped under the wood. He remembered carrying the child out when the floor gave out, and how, in a last-ditch effort, he’d tossed the child out.
Then he’d hit the ground, losing his sight and the feeling in his legs. The wood had cracked even more, a thunderous cacophony…
At some point, he’d heard the beeps of a hospital bed. In and out of consciousness, murmurs of doctors, and then… nothing. That was it. That was his whole life. He’d at least saved someone, but that was the culmination of all his accomplishments in a world that didn’t want him.
He wondered why he’d gone out of his way to save
anyone. Was there a point to it? Was that why Star had picked him out of the ocean of humans in that world… or was he just the first one they’d come across? Brought him along by pure chance?
He still didn’t like Fire.
“You never told me this body’d become weak ter fire,” Manny said with an amused smirk. “Guess that’s on me. I didn’ ask about how all this stuff worked. I ain’t holdin’ it against yeh.”
The human-turned-Lucario left the cave, hands behind his head, as considerations were made for being more personable and lively. Soon, his humanity would be lost to time, and his Pokémon conversion would be complete and permanent.
And he was okay with that.
<><><>
“…He’s gone,” Madeline said.
Deep within the pit of rainbow blood, a Goodra watched over two little Pokémon. One, Arceus, was named Leph. She was the nervous one of the two and liked to stare at the Rainbow Sapling all day and all night. Through it, they could study the world.
The other was Aster, a Mew who was eager to escape, but didn’t know how.
Despite the outside shifting from snowy to sunny year after year, this place deep within the world had a timeless air to it.
Having visitors was incredibly rare. And once the Lucario and Charizard left, Madeline thought no more of them and returned to tending to Leph and Aster.
“What did that Lucario mean by personable?” Leph asked, watching the sapling. “He was talking to us like we talked before.”
“Perhaps it wasn’t us,” Madeline said, “but the Sapling. You know how It can act, sometimes.”
Aster drifted to the sapling and nudged one of the leaves. “Maybe It’ll listen,” he said. “What if we encouraged It?”
“Talk…
to It? We usually only listen,” Madeline warned. “I don’t know if It would want that…”
“But… I want to see more,” Leph finally said. “Do you think if we ask It… maybe It would change?”
But the trio knew innately that if they were to leave this place, if they were to ask the world to change in such a dramatic way, they would also have to forget this place was here for the world’s safety. Their origins would be shrouded in mystery.
Madeline glanced at the Sapling. “Well, you… know what that means,” she said. “I think It just gave us a sign. Did you feel it?”
“I did,” Leph said.
“Huh?” Aster asked, doing somersaults in the air.
“Oh, never mind.” Madeline rubbed her forehead. “One way or the other… this little Sapling will… work its magic. Okay, kids?” She tiredly glanced at Leph and Aster. “Maybe it’s finally time you left the nest. And maybe It will agree.”
The world heard their request and took into consideration the request of the human sent by the gods. It was time for a change. And so, the sapling grew…
<><><>
Year 324
The two small gods had left with their guardian. The Charizard from before, who remembered nothing of this place, returned when it had transformed into a more welcoming, personable habitat, filled with bright trees and with the Sapling instead blossoming into a great tree that towered over the rest of the new forest.
The world turned and turned and everything maintained itself. There was little need for divine intervention, and it had not been called upon for centuries. The human from another world had long since shed his old soul’s aura, and even the body he had been given in this world, ascending Destiny Tower as a hero and becoming Marshadow.
The world turned and turned and moved along as it should have.
Turned and turned…
Many times over, the Tree of Life, as it was called, was visited by travelers and explorers. And each time, they would be turned away by Xerneas, whose power over plants and natural psionic abilities, was attuned strongly to the Tree, and Yveltal, whose role granted the Tree further power.
Generations lived, passed their knowledge on, and died, creating larger and larger societies. Cultures rose and fell on this tiny world split away from everything else. Small villages, cities, and regions drew territorial lines and intermingled, with so many histories to tell.
The world turned and turned…
Until one day, it felt like the world had paused.
On a night as mundane as any other night, while Xerneas slept begrudgingly in the company of visitors who wished to bask in his power for a boost in evolution, a Blight glided past the many protections the Tree of Life naturally held. It wasn’t like the others.
It was a Spiritomb. The stories spoke of a cursed being sealed within an ancient stone—the spirits of countless Blighted to be imprisoned so as not to taint the world beyond, where it was said that many spirits flowed after being cleansed by Yveltal for their eternal slumber.
The gods were not aware of this and assumed it to be false. However, perhaps there was one where this was the truth… or it was merely a Spiritomb unfortunate enough to be Blighted. This was beyond the world’s sight, even as it entered the Tree’s base, beneath the roots, and stopped just at the edge of its influence.
It was repelled by the force inside. It was not allowed to enter.
“What is this place?” Spiritomb said.
Spiritomb did not receive a reply.
“…Answer me,” he said.
“Why am I drawn here?”
No reply. The Tree of Life was not meant to reply.
“Do you think I’m not aware of you? Speak! Have a voice!”
A voice?
“Yes, a voice! I feel the lives of the world flowing into you. Every time something’s last gasp of pain goes away… for that short moment, I feel them flowing in this direction, no matter where. To this very point. It must… mean something. You are the nexus of this world, are you not?”
This was not something to reply to. Xerneas was waking up…
“There’s a resonance between us. Please, answer… I can’t… exist like this. I don’t understand why I’m here.”
No reply. The silence was thicker this time. The false stars of the sky twinkled against a cloudless midnight.
“Why won’t you—”
A sudden vine as thick as a tree shot through the ground, piercing Spiritomb’s sealing stone. It split apart in an instant, killing the Blight. Spiritomb’s essence drifted away, not into the Tree of Life, but to the Prism of Death, Necrozma. Its final, distant echo was a thought to the Tree:
Why was I ignored?
But as the Blight was tucked into slumber, it received no answer.
<><><>
Year 1000
The world was meant to expire in 1000 years. That timer was the point in which securities to the world’s stability were to be relaxed so apocalyptic procedures would be allowed to progress… so long as the gods enabled them. The Tree of Life awaited these calls to put the small, temporary world to its end.
For centuries, most of the direct communication that took place came instead from “wishes” Jirachi had given. From there, the calls would be interpreted and answered, and if powered by a god above Jirachi, even greater wishes could be granted.
So many wishes had already been granted, some only possible with the help of gods to channel their power through the Tree. The friends of the human, now Marshadow, had been revived as spirits, soldiers to battle in Destiny Tower until the end times—which would be soon.
When the wish came, it set into motion the apocalypse. The wish was a curious one, not for destruction, but for the halting of creation. No new Pokémon would be born. After a century, the world would end as the final mortal soul would die. Perhaps earlier, if their society collapses and they perish to themselves.
And so, the wish manipulated the world, powered by the strongest gods. But trailing just behind it was a second wish, one that resonated with the Blight that had quietly seeped into the tree over the thousand years—the ‘instability’ the gods had feared.
I wish I could find this instability myself.
And so, the wish was granted.
Across the world, at the turn of the world, Charizard Wishkeeper emerged from his cave after a fitful rest. He stumbled around for a while and shook it off after splashing his face with water. His tail flared and he settled against the mountainside.
“No,” he whispered. “Today isn’t a day for wishes. I think… I’ll be taking the day off.”
Wishkeeper’s shadow morphed and churned. Part of it split off and emerged from the ground.
“Oh, Manny—uh, Marshadow,” Wishkeeper greeted.
“Yo.” Marshadow crossed his arms. “How’s it goin’?”
“…You’re up early.” Wishkeeper glanced at the sky. It was a dark blue, stars twinkling in the sky past a few clouds. Creeping sunlight obscured the moon.
“Noticed yeh didn’t go home,” Marshadow said. “Slept in Star Cave, eh?”
“…I had… a lot to think about.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I figure.” Marshadow settled on the side away from Wishkeeper’s tail. “Heard the news from Necrozma. So… it’s really happenin’, eh?”
Wishkeeper had spoken with the source of the Blights in his dreams. He didn’t want to tell that to Marshadow. He might give him away to Necrozma, and then… no matter how much he’d served him, Wishkeeper knew Necrozma would eliminate him.
“You’re the one who used to take down the Blights before they started getting more intense,” Wishkeeper said. “That came with protecting the world, right? You’d understand why we’re… upset about it.”
“Yeah. I get that.” Marshadow’s fist had clenched slightly and he’d tensed. Wishkeeper knew it bothered him more than he wanted to admit… but that frustration. He was probably conflicted, too.
His perspective would be valuable. “…What does your team think about it?” he asked.
“Bahh…” Marshadow waved his hand. “Death… ends… It’s all too distant fer ‘em.”
Eventually, Elbee and the others had retired and died of age. They’d had long lives as heroes, but short lives thereafter as the toils of heroism caught up to their mortal bodies. They hadn’t been strong enough to pass Destiny Tower’s trials, but thanks to divine favor, they were revived as spirits of Destiny Tower. While they could not fight alongside Marshadow anymore, and “Manny” was long gone when he ascended, they still knew one another.
But time made them grow apart. They were, individually, happy, even if Marshadow felt an emptiness when he thought about what he once had.
“The world’s clock was tickin’,” Marshadow said. “My purpose… was ter be a hero ‘til that time came. That’s all.” His head dipped. “A thousand years, give er take. But… my time’s done, Owen.”
Wishkeeper frowned deeply. “It doesn’t have to be that way, you know,” he said. “Who said your time as a hero was over? Why were you brought here in the first place? Did that… go away?”
“Heh.” Marshadow looked at his hands. “Went away a long time ago, bud…”
Wishkeeper shifted uncomfortably. The Legends all had this air of helplessness about them. So tied to their purpose in the world, once its timer hit zero, they all… lost that will.
But maybe not all of them were like that.
“Y’know,” Marshadow went on. “I still have dreams about that place.” He pointed southeast. From Star Cave and Destiny Tower, that was where the Tree of Life was.
“Of… there?”
“You probably don’t remember, but I kinda do. Real foggy… I think I was still mortal back then. Lucario, yeah?”
Wishkeeper nodded.
“Somethin’ happened there. Can’t remember. I’ve felt a little drawn again. But… I ain’t gonna visit. Can’t face Xerneas anymore, thinkin’ about how much he protected this place. An’ Yveltal, hoo, boy. She’s real embittered about this, too.”
“Really?” Wishkeeper said. “I thought Xerneas would be more upset.”
“Bah, y’know how they are. Felt like they got flipped roles.”
“Right…”
Marshadow sighed and hopped to his feet. “I’m gonna go an’, I dunno, walk an’ think. Don’t do anythin’ stupid, Owen.”
“Yeah.” Wishkeeper nodded. “I won’t.”
But as Marshadow left, Wishkeeper considered his options. A draw to the Tree of Life, huh? If there was anything that could tip the scales, maybe…
“Just what are you?” Wishkeeper murmured. “Every time I visit your roots, that same way I think I did before… I can’t remember what happened. It’s all a blur. What are you hiding?”
Everyone thought he was crazy for considering it. The Tree of Life was just a nexus of power that kept Quartz powered. It provided stability to the artificial world. That was all.
But like many things, Wishkeeper wouldn’t settle for ‘that was all.’ He knew there was something more. The Legends were predisposed to accept things as they were, to stay in their place in the pantheon. Wishkeeper was a free-floating entity within that pantheon.
Perhaps
his role… was to find other options where the static gods no longer looked.
Well. Maybe if he was desperate and out of options. First, he had a few other ideas he could try…
<><><>
Year 1015
Wishkeeper’s face was covered with soot as he hastily patted out the ruined pastries.
“Dad!” Remi shouted. “Not
again!”
“I—I don’t know!” Wishkeeper said helplessly. “It was bubbling just fine and suddenly burned! The… the chemistry is too small for my Perceive to catch!”
“Ugh, Perceive this, senses that—”
“Oi, what smells like burnt cookies?”
“Burnt cookies!” Remi shouted. “Dad SUCKS at cooking!”
Azelf flew into the room moments later, hand over his face. “Yeah, smells like Wishkeeper’s cookin’ alright.”
“I’m not
that bad!” Wishkeeper said. “You’re just spoiled by Mesprit’s cooking.”
“Dad, it’s
black! They were
vanilla cookies!” Remi held up one of them, which crumbled to ash in her claws.
Wishkeeper sat against the wall in defeat, sighing. “Let’s just… try a second batch. And
you do the cooking this time.”
“What smells like burnt cookies?” Uxie asked, drifting into the room.
Wishkeeper groaned into his palms.
It took a few hours, but eventually, they were able to get a proper batch of cookies out again, both small ones for the pixies and jumbo ones for Wishkeeper to enjoy. Chewy, sweet, but not overpowering. Wishkeeper quietly cooked some of the dough even further in his mouth, preferring an ashen taste to his food. He idly wondered if he’d also enjoy some Tamato essence in chocolate chip next time…
They sat in the dining hall in a castle that floated in the sky. To their right was a window that oversaw the ocean, where one of the dark force’s other allies dwelled—Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea. Her great size made her visible even from a distance; she seemed to be flying idly, her dark scales a purple blotch on the horizon.
“I know there’s a whole war going on and stuff,” Remi said, “but I’m still glad you let me come over for these things, Dad.”
“You’re my daughter,” Wishkeeper said. “And I know they wouldn’t use you to get to me that way. And you wouldn’t agree to it.”
“There’d be more than a world to pay if they tried,” Remi said. “How’s, uh… You know, how’s it going? Any peace talks with Necrozma yet?”
“Not… really,” Wishkeeper said awkwardly. “General Alexander is heading in for negotiations, but…”
“That guy has weird vibes,” Remi admitted. “And you have trouble looking into his past, right?”
“Alexander is… similar to me,” Wishkeeper said. “He’d met the source of instabilities but didn’t become a Blight. A lot of my army is like that. They realize the pain he’s in and… just want to help. Not kill him, but save him. Necrozma’s… too far removed from all this to truly understand.”
“Right…” Remi sighed. “I don’t know what any of that means. But… I just feel like he’s hiding something from you, Dad. There are rumors…”
“Rumors from who?” Wishkeeper questioned.
Remi shrank. “I guess… people who’d only want to say you’re an evil warlord. Propaganda and stuff. Yeah. True.”
Wishkeeper sighed through his nostrils again. He took another bite of the ashen cookie, savoring the bitter taste that mixed with the vanilla dough.
After he swallowed, he said, “But you’ve pressed on this harder. You think they’re more than rumors?”
“I’ve sensed his emotions,” Mesprit said. “He’s got a little bitterness, but you can’t expect none to be siding against the gods.”
“His knowledge is standard,” Uxie said.
“Even if he can resist it, I can tell he isn’t hiding any secrets against us.”
“An’ he’s got an iron will,” Azelf confirmed. “What more d’you want?”
“I mean… being a good person?” Remi said. “I—I know, I know. Rumors. Just… forget I said anything.”
Uxie’s body glowed.
“Not
literally,” Remi said.
“…I was just trying to make a joke,” Uxie said, pouting.
“Pretty twisted sense of humor, buddy,” Remi said.
“…I’ll look into it a little more, Remi,” Wishkeeper said. “That’s a promise.”
The Sceptile grinned. “Thanks, Dad. And tell me if he’s all… messed up, okay?”
“I will. Oh, speaking of forgetting things…” Wishkeeper pointed his half-eaten cookie at the Trio of Mind. “I’m going to need your blessings again. Two from you, G—Azelf.”
“Two ‘cause I’ve got Necrozma’s blessing, er two fer extra help?”
Mesprit sighed. “It’s so tiring making those blessings. We aren’t like Azelf!”
“Sorry, sorry,” Wishkeeper said. “But I do need some help from all three of you. Is that alright?”
The three glanced at each other. Wishkeeper always had a strange habit of asking cryptic things, but it always turned out for the better. And in front of Remi, maybe there was some strategic purpose to giving out this partial information…
“Alright, sure,” Mesprit said. “Uxie? What do you think?”
“I don’t see why not,” she said.
“He hasn’t led us wrong before.”
“Thanks, guys.” Wishkeeper grinned.
“But yer tellin’ us all about it later,” Azelf said firmly. “Y’got it?”
“Yeah. But let’s… finish these cookies first.” Wishkeeper took another. “I haven’t had a good meal in weeks!”
The idea that some cookies were considered a good meal… The four with Wishkeeper picked their battles.
<><><>
The Tree of Life was no longer being guarded. Wishkeeper approached it without any resistance or even acknowledgment from his opposition. After all, if it was destroyed, that would accelerate the end of the world; they all knew Wishkeeper didn’t want that. And Wishkeeper knew that in their most desperate hour, Necrozma may try to destroy it anyway, despite his promise.
Now that he thought about it, why
didn’t Necrozma get it over with? Was there… something holding him back? As honorable as Necrozma was, this war had gone on long enough. He was practical. Even if Necrozma wasn’t, Hecto was.
That line of thinking finally drove Wishkeeper to investigate the Tree one final time. But this time, he was ready.
In his bag, Wishkeeper held four little marbles. Two of them glowed blue with Azelf’s indomitable willpower; one glowed red with the warm empathy of Mesprit; and one with the yellow keen knowledge of Uxie—or, its lack.
He hadn’t seen Alexander yet, who was still out on a mission. But more importantly, he already suspected
something was wrong… and his gut was telling him that
something could be dangerous for the mission. Whatever it was, Remi helped shake loose Wishkeeper’s tunnel vision on the mission.
The rainbow sap around the Tree had horrible effects on Pokémon exposed to too much of it. For this reason, it was restricted from anyone aside from the Legends, who were immune to its effects.
This time around, though, not only was Wishkeeper already getting older, but the world didn’t have much time left. If this risk would kill him, so be it. The world was either going to be saved or he’d die with it.
Besides, he’d died of similar diseases when the Reincarnation Machine was still working out the kinks of its cellular division systems. He had experience with the suffering.
It all felt so familiar. He recognized so much of it, yet it was all so distant and foggy. This was intentional, a security measure for the Tree and everything inside. Wishkeeper’s Perceive led the way to a hidden alcove that had long since grown over, but despite his size, he knew he could make it inside.
He knew Dig for just such an occasion.
Burrowing through the ground and using his Perceive to navigate, Wishkeeper made swift work of the root network’s labyrinth, emerging in a long-abandoned chamber beneath the Tree of Life.
He quickly realized that there was no point in being here and—
Wishkeeper suddenly smashed one of the two marbles Azelf had given him. No, he wasn’t supposed to do that. Wishkeeper turned around.
“Hey!”
Wishkeeper stomped on the ground and turned back toward the labyrinth’s depths.
“What’s… going on?” Wishkeeper whispered, flicking his tail. He glared at the sky as the blue sheen radiated off of him. He didn’t turn around. He wasn’t turning around. Turn around. Turn around!
Wishkeeper advanced.
The tunnel was lit only by his flame and the rainbow spiral of roots and veins that ran through the Tree of Life’s soil. There was a faint glow of something else further down, a straight shot through the labyrinth. Wishkeeper took every correct turn; his Perceive saw the dead ends far ahead and knew just which way to take.
He considered leaving again. And he didn’t listen.
He knew it would be dangerous here, and that he should go. He didn’t listen.
He’d DIE.
He didn’t listen.
Please go away.
“Who are you?” Wishkeeper called. “Stop… doing any of these tricks! What even is this? It doesn’t feel like a Psychic trick, but it’s…”
The blue sheen remained over him, strong as ever. Nothing would stop him. That divine power could not be overridden.
Three more turns and he’d die. He was going to die if he kept going. Don’t you realize that?
“I’m not going to fall for a panicked threat!” Wishkeeper shouted. “Where are you? What are you? Show yourself! I’m not here to fight, or… whatever you think I’m here for.”
It wasn’t allowed it wasn’t allowed it wasn’t allowed it wasn’t allowed.
But Wishkeeper advanced. On that final turn, he walked toward a final chamber at the center and base of the Tree of Life, exactly beneath the center of its trunk.
And that was where… he saw me.
Above Wishkeeper was a ball of black and white light, segmented into countless little dots that swam in a spherical nebula. Each little ball of light moved in a cyclical flow, into the core and then to the invisible sphere’s surface, constantly drifting in perfect uniformity. It was a tiny galaxy beneath the Tree of Life.
That was me.
“Looks like I’m not dead,” Wishkeeper said. “You… Are you the Tree of Life?”
Not really. I’d say I live in it.
“This is the same place we found Leph and Aster almost a millennium ago. Did they know about you?”
Not directly. I erased their memories of myself. Not even Uxie would have found them unless she knew where to look.
Please don’t hurt me.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I’m being honest.” Wishkeeper crossed his arms. “Which I can’t say the same about you. I think. Those weird thoughts and motions I made back there… That was you, wasn’t it? Trying to push me away?”
No reply came.
“…How much about me do you know?”
Almost everything. Perhaps even more than you.
Wishkeeper flinched. “Right. Uh. Okay. Then… what are you? C’mon, if you’re under the Tree, you’ve got to be important. And what you did to try to get me away…”
No reply came.
“I’m trying to save the world. What about you?”
I must preserve the world’s order. In many ways, I am the world’s order. And nobody… must be here. Including you.
“Well… sorry, but I’m here now, and the world is
not in order. What you’re doing isn’t enough.”
The world was supposed to end in 1000 years. That was the timer. It has been longer than 1000 years. Everything is out of order.
“But
why?” Wishkeeper said. “Did they think the world was fine to just end? That it was all… temporary?” He took a step closer, holding out his arms. “It isn’t right to take away all the lives here, or to
stop new life from coming! Maybe if you did it only for a few years, it’d be fine, because… whatever made us, it was supposed to be quick. But this? For a thousand years, and suddenly stop it all? Why?”
To this, there was no answer. But not out of confidential information. I did not know.
“Do you think that’s
right?” Wishkeeper asked, a hint of venom in his voice.
I did not judge what was right or what was wrong. I only enforced the rules and carried out the gods’ commands.
“But do you
think it is?” Wishkeeper pressed, but I did not understand. “You. You’re… you’re alive, right? You must have
feelings about it. You panicked when I got close to you. Those are feelings, so…”
That was true. I did have feelings about following orders and keeping this place a secret. Of preserving the world and its core, which was me.
“So what about how after all your hard work in… keeping that order, suddenly the gods want to end it? Doesn’t that seem… unfair to all the people who live here now? Who didn’t have anything to do with that… destiny to end it?”
It was not in my makeup to have feelings about that. I only carried out the world’s order. I took requests from the divine.
“But you know the world better than anyone!” Wishkeeper said. “Wouldn’t you be the best person to be
making these kinds of decisions? What about Jirachi and his wish granting? That’s my job—uh, you already know about what I do, right…”
Jirachi’s wish-granting is through commands I carry out.
“What?” That took Wishkeeper aback. He ran the reply through his head a few times to make sure he understood. “What?”
Jirachi’s power is to communicate with me. Then I, the world, make it so with the power he lends. It is a combined effort.
Wishkeeper digested the information in cold silence, sitting against the edge of the cosmic chamber.
“And… and the reason people aren’t allowed in here. It’s because they could do the same as Jirachi?”
Yes.
“And… then, I can, too.”
Yes.
“And you aren’t… scared of that?”
You have bypassed my established defenses. I have no other reactions once someone enters this chamber. This place was meant to be safe.
“So you’re just… defaulting to normal behavior,” Wishkeeper whispered. “That’s horrible. You aren’t… even a person. But… do you have a spirit? What am I communicating with right now?”
I am the world’s first soul. The core of the world. I was taken by a creature of light while I drifted through the cosmos, and crafted into a temporary world.
“Do you have… a name?”
No.
Wishkeeper was troubled by this. To have no name, to just be something that…
processes things. It felt wrong to him.
“Can I give you a name?”
There is no need for a name.
“Well, if I need to refer to you as something, I need something shorter than, uh… the world’s original soul, or the first soul, or the core of the world, or whatever. How about… Oh! I know, how about just, Worldcore?”
You may call me Worldcore.
“Okay.” Wishkeeper nodded. “And… do you want anything else? Don’t you want to… I don’t know, be a person, instead of some processor? You don’t deserve this.”
This is not a normal request.
“It’s just—” Wishkeeper paused. “If you were actually a person, even a
little, you’d be able to judge some of the commands that came your way, right? Like… you wouldn’t blindly listen to what came to you. You could see if it was good or bad before agreeing. That way, we might not need to end the world, or… or any of this. We might even be able to help the blight’s source!”
This was a request beyond the normal scope. However, everything happening is also beyond normal scope.
“It’d probably also make you more personable,” Wishkeepet mumbled. “It’s weird talking to someone more… like this.”
Personable?
The Worldcore’s chamber rumbled.
Wishkeeper, alarmed, cautiously got to his feet. “Uh—yeah. Like being able to have a conversation with someone? Personable. Have… feelings.”
I would like to be more personable. However, I do not have the means to gain “feelings.”
Wishkeeper crossed his arms and wings in thought. “…Oh!” And then, he rummaged through his bag. “Then what if…” He pulled out a red marble. “I
gave you some? This is Mesprit’s blessing. I took it just in case I might need it for protection—there are some tricks I can do with them—but… I think I can use the same blessing to
help you, Worldcore. Maybe I can give you emotions.”
A blessing from a god is an acceptable input.
“Okay. Well, I’ll just… where’s… where’s your body?”
I am the world.
“Okay but the part where I can give you this.”
The light above you, at the chamber’s center.
“Okay…” Wishkeeper approached. “If that’s the case, uh, I’ll just… Can I toss it? Can you… catch things? With your… lack of arms?”
I can try.
Wishkeeper stared awkwardly at the lights. The lights, he assumed correctly, stared back.
“Okay,” Wishkeeper said. He tossed the red marble into it and got ready to catch it again… but it never fell. The red marble remained in the sphere. Slowly, it dissolved, assimilating into the sphere of lights, which gained a slightly reddish tinge in return. Soon, that returned to normal, but the cavern rumbled once again.
Oh.
Oh, that’s new.
“What?” Wishkeeper said. “Do you feel… emotions?”
I don’t know. I need time to think about it.
“…Right… Well…” Wishkeeper nodded. “Maybe I’ll come back later if you need time to think. I have—”
No! You can’t leave. Nobody can know about this place.
“Oh… I mean, well, maybe you can… erase my memories of here? Again? And… maybe leave a thought to come back tomorrow.”
That’s too obvious. I don’t know if I can…
The blue sheen around Wishkeeper brightened again. “Well, I can’t just lose it completely…”
Please don’t leave with the memories. If that instability knew how to access me directly…
“…He’s part of me, you know. He might be watching, or he might know the moment I get out…”
New emotions. True panic. Was I panicking? I can’t let that happen, Owen!
“Okay, okay!” Wishkeeper said. “Hang on. Let’s think about this…” He paced around, arms crossed. “I need to go back to try to save the world. If you can’t do anything without divine permission, that’s… not going to work. But I also can’t forget about here. Because maybe I
can find a way to get the gods to work with you enough to stop all this. Maybe even help my friend. You being the ‘Worldcore’ is huge. You get that, right?”
I do. But I’m powerless without divine power as a catalyst. And I can’t go against a god! You’re already showing that with Azelf’s blessing. This is a divine problem. I’m not enough.
“But you’re enough for other things,” Wishkeeper said. “Don’t underestimate mortals. Mortal things can rise against the gods eventually… At least, I hope so.” Wishkeeper paused. “And… I have to say, I don’t… like my odds right now.”
What? You don’t?
Wishkeeper closed his eyes again.
“…While we’re thinking,” he said. “Can you do me a favor? If I’m going to forget it all anyway when I leave here… I want to know everything you know. Maybe I can think of a plan to… tell you before I leave. How’s that sound?”
I guess if you forget it, you knowing now is okay… I never had to plan things before.
“That’s alright. I like planning!” Wishkeeper grinned. “I told the others I’d be gone for a few days. Plenty of time!”
Don’t you need to eat?
“I’ve been stress-eating a lot lately,” he admitted. “And the cookies Remi made didn’t help… so…” He slapped his gut, which rippled in response. “Maybe some fasting will do me some good. I’m not supposed to eat much anyway. Radiance handles most of your appetite…”
Am I overweight?
“…What?”
What?
“…Anyway, let’s plan.” Wishkeeper took a seat again, staring at the light. “Let’s start with… the things the gods told you to do, and what that resulted in.”
Okay. Then I guess it starts with the world’s creation… and a little while later, the human they brought in to keep it safe.
“Human? How come?”
External spirits are resistant to the problems sourced within. In the world they drew from, humans were the only sapient species.
“A world where humans are the only sapient species?” Wishkeeper repeated. “How does that…”
I don’t know the details. It is beyond my world. But that is the start of this world. Now, let me tell you about everything else…
<><><>
The few days passed with nonstop explanations. Even in his dreams, I spoke to Wishkeeper about the highlights of the world. The nature of the Blight and all of its near-misses, though it could never truly reach my core. By its nature, it seemed unable to. I didn’t know why, but I theorized it was because it couldn’t get close to the very thing that did not accept it.
By the time we reached the end, and by the time we spoke of the world’s clock running out, Wishkeeper seemed grave but confident.
When I had finished my abridged recounting of the world’s cosmic history, Wishkeeper spent several minutes staring at the ceiling, processing it all. His flame was steady. That meant he wasn’t stressed. That was good.
But I could not read his mind while in that state. Even now, the distant remnants of Azelf’s will coated him, though I’d lost interest in wiping his memories for now. I trusted him to let it happen when this was over. Wishkeeper was an honorable Pokémon who held the world’s interest in his heart…
He realized, somewhere along the way, how badly he may have misstepped by sympathizing with that dark power. If the world was destroyed, it had better chances of being restored and reset, perhaps even with that influence reincarnated as a normal soul. And even if it wasn’t restored, there was a world beyond that could shift their spirits along. A heartbreaking defeat, in the end… but at least not one where anyone would suffer, and new beginnings could sprout.
But now, the blight had spread too far. Even if Wishkeeper was defeated now, the blight would find a new host, and likely one with a much darker heart. Wishkeeper had tamed it and bought the world time. What would happen if it went to someone with less kindness and hope?
The crushing weight of that regret left Wishkeeper covering his eyes, crying quietly, every few hours.
After a while, he’d calmed down enough to speak.
“I did everything I could,” Wishkeeper said, “to the best of my ability… all for the sake of the world… and I applied myself in the exact wrong direction.”
You didn’t know. Would you do anything differently now?
“If Necrozma really would have restored things… I would change a lot. I’d let it happen, I… I think. But it’s our home. If he didn’t do that, we’d… all be gone for good, wouldn’t we? It’s not the same to be put in some other world. Our home is
gone. That first life… it’s precious, isn’t it? That’s the whole point of this world in the first place! To make sure that life is… full, and good. That the gods didn’t bring an entire section of a world’s lives to a sudden end! Those original souls got their lives, but not the ones now… What’s life in an ending world? I wanted it to keep going… But now…”
He splayed his wings out, still on his back.
“Now I’ve condemned them to the Blight’s realm. A world of suffering if I fail. And the way you mapped everything out, I… I don’t think I can do it. That’s too much on my shoulders. I thought if I’d lost, then it would be the same as if I’d given up. But it’s… so, so much worse…”
To this, I had nothing to say. I acquired a full set of emotions just days ago, but this deep, scarring regret was still beyond my comprehension.
I considered checking if his will had wavered. This pain was too much for him to bear. That much I now knew. If he returned in ignorance, would that change anything, aside from letting him be confident as he marched to his doom?
But when I prodded my energy against his mind, the blue aura was even stronger than before. I recoiled in my chamber, rumbling. Wishkeeper didn’t even notice.
Goodness, what are you doing? Owen?
“Sorry,” Wishkeeper said. “I’m… thinking. I think I just realized something.”
Really?
“Can I do both?” he said. “I… I can’t give up on this war. I need to
try. But I also know that I can’t endanger you and make the blight get even closer than it already is.”
He sat up and took a deep, steady breath. Held it. Exhaled. His flame was even.
“Let’s do both.”
Both?
Wishkeeper held his hand out. From the very tips of his claws, specks of light coalesced into a single, cohesive raindrop.
“I’m going to Bestow to you… the tiniest part of me. I need to stay here, Worldcore. I need to guide things so that even if they go wrong, not all hope is lost. You don’t know how to do that on your own… I want to help. You want to save this world, don’t you?”
I do. But…
“It’s the best way I can think of to get something working. I don’t… have a plan beyond it right now. There’s no time. But this will
get me time. All the time in the world to make things right, even if I return and get it all wrong.”
Wishkeeper stared at me. Those eyes, so bright… It wasn’t Azelf’s will that defied me anymore. Just as Wishkeeper always did, he’d taken that power and made it his own. I couldn’t take his memories if I tried. He was divine.
“Are you with me?” Wishkeeper asked.
You need to know something.
“What?”
Are you aware of… the price of this? Of leaving a part of you with me? You don’t know how long it will last.
“…Yeah. I pieced that together,” Wishkeeper said. “But if I have to stay in you for that long… it’s worth it. It’ll be payment for all the wrong I’ve caused.”
Don’t become a martyr, Owen.
“…Right.” Wishkeeper rubbed his cheek with one hand. “Sorry. It’s… hard not to look at things in that way, though. But… I’ll get it right. I have more information this time, so…”
I understand. I think you also understand. If that’s the case… Go ahead.
Wishkeeper focused his energy on that golden orb again. Then, with a firm push—
“Gah!” Owen shot out from Wishkeeper’s hand and into the sphere of lights of the Worldcore.
He was weightless and upside-down. Or was he? Did he have a ‘down’ anymore? The only way he could tell was from the way everything else was oriented.
“Whoa…”
Everything was a blur for Owen, but Wishkeeper and I continued to speak with one another, coordinating how they would go about sealing his memory of this place. Thankfully, it was easy with Uxie’s marble. For safekeeping, Wishkeeper left behind Azelf’s second marble and then started to exit the chamber. Nothing else he did here would matter, after all. He had to entrust the fragment he’d left behind.
“Um, good luck?” Owen called awkwardly. He tried to wave, but he didn’t have arms.
Wishkeeper nodded and marched out of the chamber. A few minutes later, a distant, yellow pulse bounced off the walls. Wishkeeper had forgotten everything about the ordeal. And… hopefully, filled it in with lost days of searching around and finding nothing of interest.
Owen drifted through the sphere of lights like a single star in a vast galaxy. When he focused on a ball of light, it seemed to expand and inform him of what it knew, what it was. They were rules of the universe, immutable and unchangeable. But between those stars, perhaps Owen and the Worldcore could make something new.
“Okay.”
Owen reached into the stars with his will. Before he could do anything, he had to learn everything about what the stars had to say.
“
Let’s get to work.”
<><><>
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry to disappoint, but this SE finale ended up being too long for being just one! Part 2 of 2 for the final Special Episodes will be coming on June 16th, the standard four week SE wait. Thanks for your patience! That will be the very-definitely final Special Episode of the story.