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Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. lugia
  5. quilava-fobbie
  6. sneasel-kate
  7. heliolisk-fobbie
Alright, got 2 chapters on my plate from that Review Exchange in Union that I need to deliver on in -checks notes- ... 36 hours, and with RB4 on the horizon, now's as good a time as any to get in some practice with large batch reading, so let's see how this goes starting with…

Chapter 4

Owen forced himself to settle down for lunch. He didn’t know if his heart was racing or sluggish. It was a strange mixture of beating quickly, and then slowing down to rhythmic, loud booms. The excitement killed his appetite, like his stomach was already satiated with his hopes, dreams, fears, and anxieties, but he knew he had to force something down for the mission portion of the exams.

I'm... not convinced that that's all just excitement and anxiety over the TH entrance process here.

He was sitting at Ludicolo Café, lined with bright brown walls and large, green tables that resembled a Ludicolo’s hat. Ludicolo himself was dancing along the aisles, serving drinks, along with other assistant waiters and waitresses. The exams were a bit of a spectacle for the average citizen, and the activity was a strain on the staff. Owen hoped they got paid extra for this day.

Owen: "... Wait, when was this mentioned again in the story?" ^^;
Gahi: "Owen, it's a cafe shaped like a Ludicolo head. Just how much of an introduction do you think it needs for the readers when even a Deino could pick this place out?"
:what:

Owen: "(Wait, are you even here right now, Gahi?) And I guess, just kinda wonder if I should've at least slipped in some commentary about what this place is like. After I'm sure that I remember coming here before."
- Beat moment -
Owen: "... Um, I do remember coming here before, right?"
:ohnowen:


He was downing a simple sandwich and an apple smoothie. He spotted Lucario Rhys entering the café with the trio. Good, they got him.

“Hey!” Owen called, waving. His tail blazed a bit brighter with joy. There was something that warmed his heart about seeing those four, no matter the circumstance.

Cue Rhys just casually bringing up Owen's Hot Spot Dance in like 30 seconds and him no longer feeling so warm in his heart afterwards. :V

Though yeah, if it wasn't already obvious that Owen has met these four prior to his memory wipe (and probably 'latest' from the way some of the prose has been written), it's pretty obvious now.

“Hey, where’s yer folks?” Gahi asked. “Y’know, the ones at that place Rhys brought yeh.”
Mispy: "... Gahi, why do you care about this when you can't physically hold forks?"
:gardexhausted:

Gahi: "Look, if he's gonna be on our team, he might as well give off a good impression! What are 'mons gonna think if they see our newest teammate's a slob with table manners that'd embarrass a Grumpig?"
:what:

Owen: "(I'm pretty sure he's projecting right now, and if he did it any harder, he'd display slides on the café wall.)" -_-;
Gahi: "Also, the dialogue was of 'folks' there."
- Beat moment -
Demetri: "... Guess we should bring it up with the writer of these things huh? (Even if you honestly do seem like the type to rag on a 'mon for not eating with utensils, Gahi.)" ^^;

“Oh, they have to stay inside and do their own work and stuff,” Owen said. “They knew I’d be doing all these qualifiers, but…”

“I’m sure they’ll be very proud,” Rhys said, nodding.

Yeah, not like you don't already have a leg up on knowing that, Rhys. Even if I can't say I really trust your answer right now since you weren't exactly giving off "shooting straight" vibes last chapter.

Owen eyed the bag around his neck. It was glowing again.

Owen: "Is... it supposed to do that? Since I get the distinct feeling that it's not supposed to do that." ^^;

“Well, go on,” Rhys told the three. “Get your food. You skipped breakfast, after all.”

“Meh,” the Trapinch grumbled, wobbling forward first.

Owen watched them get in line, but then turned to Rhys. “You aren’t eating?”

“There is no need for now. I will have lunch later.”

- Blink moment -
Owen: "... Busy with errands or something?"
Rhys: "'Or something', yes."

“How come they skipped breakfast?”

“They weren’t going on a mission, so I used that as punishment.” The Lucario grunted. “They would have a big lunch to compensate. They were trying to touch some of my treasures again.”

“You mean that orb in your bag?”

No reply; Rhys only held the strap a bit tighter.

They were absolutely trying to touch the orb in Rhys' bag, I can already tell. Though wait, if it's Rhys' bag that's glowing, you might want to explicitly state so when Owen notices it. Since at first I thought Owen had one of his own that was glowing when I read "his bag" there.

“It’s kinda glowing again, isn’t it?” Owen tilted his head. He leaned forward to get a better look, but Rhys placed a paw over it. “I think that pink mist I saw earlier came from that bag. Do you think it wants me to touch—”

“You simply shouldn’t,” Rhys said curtly. “It would be very bad if you touched it here.”

Owen: "... Are you going to give me an explanation as to why it would be bad, or...?"
Rhys:
Image

Owen: "(... Figures.)" -_-;

Owen watched Rhys carefully. “Do you know what that mist was? Or who?”

“I cannot be certain,” Rhys lied, and Owen knew that much.

“Can I at least see it?”

“You may not.”

Owen: "You do realize that if you were trying to get me to not be interested in that orb in your bag, you're kinda failing hard by stonewalling me like this, right?"
:UnimpressedCabot:

Rhys: "Owen, you don't need to deal with it. That's all you need to know about the orb, alright?" >_>;

“Is it too strong for normal Po—” Someone tapped on his shoulder. “H-hey! Nevren!”

“I was looking for you!” The Alakazam gave a cheerful little bow. “I wanted to congratulate you on your successful battle against James, much better than any other Charmander on record. Though, I should probably mark it down as an outlier in the logs. After all, you’re a late-evolver, as you call it, hm?”

Nevren is cutting in to quietly tell Rhys to shut up right about now about that orb, isn't he?

Owen: "Wait, where on earth did you come from?!"
Nevren: "I'm Psychic."
Owen: "But that doesn't even-"
Nevren: "I'm Psychic with Teleport as a level-up move."
- Beat moment -
Owen: "... Okay, I guess that makes some sense. Sorta. (Even if I'm not sure how the narration isn't making me more surprised that you were here in this café when I didn't notice you until five seconds ago.)"

Owen began with a babble. “Yeah. I did well enough that James had to refresh his Substitute. But it was still not that good—I hope I’m not getting weaker from taking easy assignments or something. I’ve been feeling a little off lately, actually.”

Rhys glanced at Nevren, but then at Owen. “Indeed, you’re quite strong for a Charmander.”

Oh, so Owen's "level" doesn't get reset in between memory wipes. Handy for avoiding PokeAni syndrome, I guess.

“It isn’t as if Trapinch, Axew, and Chikorita normally do that well, either,” Nevren noted. “And yes, it’s quite strong, but it’s still weak in the grand scheme of the Hearts. Still, he has the benefits of my Eviolite that I gave him,” Nevren said. “Though, during the exams, you will have to go without it.”

“Aw, I’ll do fine.” Owen waved his claws dismissively. “That Aerodactyl was a fluke.”

Nevren:
Sticker, sceptilisk,

Owen: "It was, okay?!"
:judgemander~1:


“Ahh, Aerodactyl, yes,” Nevren said. “He was quite strong, wasn’t he? I imagine if he cooperated, his performance at the test you took would be quite substantial.” He nodded. “Ahh, Rhys. And how are you doing?”

... Wait, so they conscript captured criminals into being punching bags for trainees in the TH?
:fearfullaugh~1:


I mean, I can't judge that harshly considering some of the stuff that happens in my own writing, but boy would that've been something if Owen's entrance exam had been a grudge match with Jerry.

“Just fine, Nevren.”

Owen sensed, for the briefest of moments, a thickness in the atmosphere. Muscles on Rhys in particular felt tense, and Nevren was standing still for a longer period of time than usual. Owen rubbed his head—his awareness of the bodies nearby was starting to get to him in such a crowded place. He wished he could turn it off.

Owen: "... Wait, is Nevren your special someone, Rhys?"
Rhys: "What? Ew! No! Why on earth would you even think that, Owen?!" >.<
Owen: "I mean, the text was saying you two were getting all tense and awkward, and..."
:wellyousee:

Nevren: "Let's just forget that ever happened and move along, hm?" >_>;

“Back!” Gahi said, hauling his head onto the table; on top of Gahi was his plate, which slid onto the table. Demitri and Mispy took their seats next, carrying their plates in a much more normal fashion, with Mispy using her vines.

... Impressive balance by Gahi there. Though I wonder how often he winds up having to redo a meal at Ludicolo Café from someone bumping into him while carrying his plate like that?

“D’you like this café, Owen?” Demitri asked.

“It’s good for something quick, and the smoothies! Perfect! I visit here all the time.

Yeah, I kinda wonder if that should've been brought up at all in the narration prior to this since getting a read of how Owen parses Ludicolo Café could potentially lean in more into the overall air of mystery surrounding his memories at this point in the story. e.x. if he realizes that he goes here a lot but has a "huh, didn't remember that on the menu" moment but brushes it off as things blurring together from visiting the place for the thousandth time or something like that.

Nevren eyed the four of them slowly. “Well! You seem to have these trainees in order, Rhys. Will you be overseeing them?”

“Y-yes,” Rhys said. “I will, though Owen has elsewhere to be than my home.”

“Ahh, that’s true,” Nevren said. “Though, I suspect you may want to mentor him. Is that right?”

I can't tell whether or not this sequence would work better with more description, or if the lack of it plays in with Owen being slow to the plot of him having his memories lazored better as a character.

There it was again. Owen was sure of it this time. Tension. He felt an atmosphere of irritation, the flicking of Rhys’ tail, the bristling of fur. Or perhaps there was something more. What was it? From Rhys? Or Nevren?

Oh, nevermind, there's that description I was looking for. And I get the feeling that Rhys and Nevren butt heads a lot when the kids aren't cognizant of it. Or maybe even when they are given how everyone on Team Alloy gives off vibes that they've gotten memory lazored at least once before.

“Yes,” Rhys said. “I think I will.”

Owen stopped focusing on the atmosphere and realized the words being said. “Wait—Rhys, you’re gonna be my mentor?”

If you pass.”

Owen: "Hah, easy peasy! I'll be there training under you before you know it!" ^^
Rhys: "You... should probably be more careful about what you wish for, Owen." ._.;

“I’m gonna get Rhys as a mentor! Y-yes! Yes!” Owen stood up. Forget the creeping dread—he was about to get trained by an Elite! He sprinted off; all that was left behind of him was a stray ember from his tail.

Demitri jumped in surprise. “Wh-where’re you going?!”

“Exams!”

Owen... is gonna regret this in like a chapter, isn't he?

Demitri stared, but then looked back at Owen’s plate. “He left a bit of his sandwich,” he mourned.

One of Mispy’s vines greedily wrapped around the remains.

Well someone's ravenous there. I might be forgetting something from the dinner sequence in Chapter 2, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time Mispy's Big Eater/Extreme Omnivore tendencies have popped up onscreen. Though it makes me wonder just how fast things are going to escalate from leftover hunks of sandwiches there.

There was a long line for the exams. Due to the irregular sizes of everybody waiting in the queue, there was no telling how many were actually there. Between the Rhydon immediately behind him and the squad of Eevee evolutions in front of him, it could have been anywhere between five and fifteen Pokémon ahead. Despite this, when Owen stepped in line, it became even longer behind him.

Owen: "... Wait, just how many Pokémon are competing for these 16 openings anyways? This is nuts!"
:ohnowen:


“Talk about lucky.”

He leaned to the side to get a better look at what the exams were like. Last year, they were mock-Dungeon explorations. It seemed to be the same case this time around. Owen was first able to register his ID, and afterward, waited with the other Pokémon agonizingly for his name to be called—one way or the other—to go into testing.

All the times before, he had been rejected. He wasn’t sure why. He did well in the academic and sparring portions, to the best of his memory. But there were just so many other candidates that were better, he figured. But despite the pit in his stomach from the past days, he had a good feeling about today. This was going to be better. It had to be. Right?

I would recommend breaking this one paragraph into 2 or 3, since that is a lot of sentences all shoveled together in one block.

It looked like candidates were heading into different Waypoints with established Hearts. Owen recognized most of the tiles as connections to weaker Dungeons that he’d be able to easily beat. If the test was to just get past those—this would be easy!

He also noticed Anam standing in the back, watching every Heart get assigned. James was reading from a list, showing it to Anam every time. Every so often, Anam shook his head, and James seemingly skipped that line.

... How odd. Did Anam have final say? Once a name was given approval, James passed the word to the announcer. Owen’s heart picked up the pace. Did his name just get skipped? Was that it?

Same deal here. It doesn't necessarily need to be into three paragraphs like I suggested here, but this paragraph is also long enough to the point that you should probably consider breaking it up.

Three more Pokémon were called in, and Owen shuffled aside to let them through. He spotted Nevren walking past them; the Alakazam glanced at him, and then flashed a small smile. He then spoke quietly to the Pokémon at the front, managing the candidates, and then walked away.

James showed Anam the list again, and this time, he was staring at it for a long time. So long, in fact, that Owen and the others in the group wondered what the holdup was. Anam mumbled something to James, and James mumbled something back. Nevren stepped over and checked who was on the list. He tapped Anam on the shoulder—a trail of slime connected his finger to Anam thereafter—and said something else.

... Are those three going to spike Owen's application before he even gets to the mock MD stage? Since they're sure giving off that sort of vibe right about now.

C’mon, body, why can’t you zero in on what they’re saying? Owen complained, but the crowd around him distracted both his ears and whatever other strange sense he had. There was no body language for him to detect from so far away.

... Because you're a reptile and most reptiles tend to have weak hearing relative to mammalian or avian counterparts?
:joltyshrug~1:


And then, finally, Golem spoke again. “Next! Charmander-1!”

- Blinks -
Wait, when was it ever mentioned that there was a Golem in this scene again? It might be worth mentioning him/her earlier, or if sticking to your guns, make this more obviously "by the way" like "the Golem handling exam announcements" or something like that.

Wait. He was called? He was called! He made it into the practical exam! “Y-yes!”

The crowd waited anxiously for two more names to be called.

“Oh, sorry, everyone. Nevren wants to personally test Owen alone,” Golem said, “since he is such an exceptional case with his test results.”

:absus:


Well that's not totally shifty and suspicious at all there.


Why did he have to phrase it like that? Owen shrank down. “S-sorry…” He didn’t need to look back to feel the envious glares. “How come I’m exceptional? Oh, because I’m a late-evolver and stuff?”

“Yeah. For a Charmander, at least. You sure you didn’t eat an Everstone or something?”

Well we already know that that's not the case through some fairly prominent story art floating around on the internet. I vaguely am aware that Owen has some sort of cosmic importance to him as a character, so it'll be fun to see how fast that gets thrown out in the open. Even if I'm not expecting it to come all that soon since all of Kilo Village gives "unreliable narrator" vibes.

“No! I’ll totally evolve soon! So much for being a kid, huh?” Owen remembered this Golem from before. Still, he figured he should stop letting his size dictate his behavior. If he kept getting insecure about his size and stature, maybe he did deserve to be called a kid.

The Alakazam approached, his mustache grand as ever. “Good to see you, Owen. It’s about time that we leave for your test. Please, come with me.”

That actually makes me wonder how age and evolution interlink with one another in this setting? e.x. is it theoretically possible for a Pokémon to become a fullevo while still a child by age? If so, how do they turn out by the end?

Eternal Whistler Cave was on the northern peaks, with ancient, black mountains carved by a constant, shredding wind. The cave itself was a structure that went in a winding path from one side of the mountain to the other; the cold air blew through this labyrinthine passageway constantly. The result was a noise of wind running through the cave, like a deep whistle or moan of some great titan. The easy way through the cave was to follow the wind, which blew from the south toward the north; the difficult way was against it. Apparently, a very small distortion existed here, leading to a small, junior-level Dungeon that was even less threatening than the one where he had encountered Aerodactyl.

Owen, could you tempt fate any harder right about now? .-.

Aside from the atmosphere itself, that is. The ocean was behind them; sheer cliffs threatened to plunge Owen to his death if he took a single misstep. And, in fact, he had nearly done so quite a few times. He imagined using his Badge as an emergency warp-away would be an automatic failure for this test. Still, it wasn’t the fall that frightened him the most, or the constant wind. Even with his Fiery attributes, the combination of the altitude, the wind, and the cold made for a challenge that no wild Pokémon could pose.

Owen: "... No pressure at all right now."
:uhhh:


“S-so… c-cold…!” Owen’s teeth chattered, his hot blood becoming an uncomfortable lukewarm beneath his skin.

“Keep it up, Owen! The caves will be quite windy.”

“Y-you don’t s-say?”

Oh, I see that Chars in this setting don't just tank winter chill for days. Though it makes sense given that Owen is reptilian, and one would assume that low temperatures would catch up with him eventually.

Owen wasn’t sure what was more irritating: the fact that he, a Fire Type, was so weak that he was starting to feel cold in this extreme atmosphere, or the fact that Nevren was, as he always has been, calm and unflinching against the same weather. Waves crashed on the rocks far below. Owen decided long ago not to look down. If he fell, the descent would last at least ten seconds, at least. He didn’t want to find out what would kill him first—the cold of the water, or the force of the impact.

Oh, so that's not seen as normal for Fire-types in this setting. Or at least not for strong ones.

Nevren: "... As you were saying about being a late-evolver?"
Owen: "Th-This doesn't count, alright? It's just freakishly cold right now!" >///<

The black mountain’s rocks were worn down from constant erosion. There were very few loose ones; only the biggest, densest boulders could withstand the constant force. Owen felt like one of the small rocks. He had to lean his body forward just to advance, and a single misstep—he’d tumble backwards and off the mountain for sure. His flame, half its usual size, cried for shelter.

Owen’s bag was securely fastened around his neck, pushed so strongly by the wind that the strap left an imprint on the scales of his chest. If he stayed in this sort of wind any longer, it’d surely fuse into his body completely. He squinted through the gusts and followed Nevren into the cave. As promised, it was even windier than before. “Oh, come on!” Owen screamed over the wind.

You see, I knew that Owen was tempting fate like crazy in that first paragraph. I just wasn't expecting it to come back to bite him this quickly. ^^;

“We’re almost there!” Nevren said cheerfully.

The walk took a bit longer until, finally, Nevren made an odd turn into an alcove. There, when Owen entered, the wind became much weaker. It was just a room with a rocky wall, but the tunnel ended abruptly in a dead end.

“Wh—huh?” Owen built up the courage to open his eyes.

“This is an offshoot from the main path,” Nevren said. “The wind has nowhere to continue through. It will be weaker here. An ideal spot to meditate, don’t you think? Before we enter the Dungeon proper.”

Owen: "We didn't even enter the actual Dungeon yet?!"
:grohno~1:

Nevren: "Did I stutter?"

“Oh—yeah! Did I mention that I meditate to you? I must’ve forgotten.” Owen’s body relaxed, his flame finally having some reprieve from the bitter gusts. “It really helps me to clear my head. Sometimes I can even get to think up new fighting techniques, y’know?”

Nevren nodded. “I’ll give you an opportunity to do that before we have our true Dungeon exploration.

... Why do I get the feeling that Nevren meant that in the sense of 'clear my head' and not 'think up new fighting techniques'? Since that response felt very carefully worded there.

“Okay, sure!” Owen found a nice spot near the right side of the offshoot and sat down. There, he closed his eyes, trying his best to meditate. Now that the wind wasn’t constantly battering him, the general cold was much more tolerable, the natural heat of his body more than making up for it. Breathe in, breathe out. In a strange way, the chill was calming.

Owen: "(... Have I meditated here before or something? Since I sure wasn't expecting a place like this to be so calming...)"

“…Say, Nevren.”

“Hmm?” Nevren was settled on the opposite side of the offshoot.

“You’re a Psychic Type, right? So, does that mean you’re sorta more in tune with the mind?”

“Well, yes, though I would say the stereotype is a bit exaggerated.

Owen: "Wait, that's a stereotype? I thought that that was just a thing for Psychic-" ._.;
Nevren: "It's. A. Stereotype. Yes."

“That’s good, um,” Owen said, but then paused to consider how to phrase it, “because I think I’m crazy. I don’t want to—to make you worried or anything, but sometimes I just get this feeling that I’ve done something before. This stuff, right now? This feels new. But, like, talking to Rhys, and his students, feels like I’m having the same conversation all over again.”

Oh, well scratch that thought about Owen having been here once before. Probably. Maybe.

“Ah, how strange,” Nevren said. “But I do not think you are crazy. Perhaps you are just excited.”

“Excited,” Owen repeated. “And what about if…” Owen wondered if he should mention the pink mist. “Uh… never mind. I’m probably just sleep-deprived. I was so excited for today that I only slept for, maybe, a blink’s worth of time, y’know?”

“Ah. Well. What better way to freshen the mind than to meditate?”

Narrator: "He's not just excited."

“Yeah, okay.” The chilled Charmander closed his eyes and steadied his breath. Clear my mind. Just listen to the world, he thought to himself, and then attempted to think no longer.

The whistling of the wind was all that filled his head. He was well-versed in this sort of meditation, and he was able to slip into the state very easily, only vaguely aware of the world around him. Owen’s thoughts became deeply inward, envisioning himself standing in a void. His body no longer moved—only his inner body, like his aura, in his thoughts, in this void.

He went into a battle stance in this void, blasting plumes of fire in the dark. They became Flamethrowers shortly after. He stomped on the ground, leaving Fire Traps behind. Shadowy creatures, envisioned dummies, chased him to put the traps to use, but Owen defeated them easily. They evaporated in a black fog, much like the ominous shadows that James became.

Would recommend hacking that second paragraph up into two. But... that vision he's getting while meditating is something that actually happened to Owen in the past, isn't it?

Owen was surrounded. He blasted the dummies ahead of him with flames, clearing the way, and stomped on the ground for the dummies behind him. Then, he ran ahead. His form grew. It reddened and became taller; his flame became hotter. A horn emerged from the back of his head. The Charmeleon in the void spun around and scorched the dummies. He crouched forward, and his back expanded; the outer layer of his scales and skin split open, forming wings; the single horn split as well, becoming two on either side of the back of his head.

... Or it could just be a vision. Or not. Since I'm aware from the GL crossover that HoC's power scaling is such that it wouldn't be that surprising to see a Warp Evolution in it.

Yes! Oh, the feeling, this was what he wanted, what he always imagined. Charizard! To fly through the sky, scorching his foes below. More, higher, stronger—keep fighting! Don’t let the fire go out! It was a surreal mixture of elation and serenity. A fantasy that calmed his aura. Slowly, his Charizard aura touched upon the ground, and the flames died down. Calm, calm. Keep it all calm. Burn slowly. Crackle, crackle….

In the real world, Owen abruptly jumped to his right. “Ngh—what?” His body had moved on its own, as if he’d sensed something. He looked at where he once was; the rocks were severely warped into oblong shapes by a strange force. He stared ahead and saw Nevren, who was staring back with a blank, emotionless expression.

Owen: "(Oh well that's not creepy and concerning at all right now...) U-Uh? Nevren? W-What just happened back there?"
:ohnowen:


“A-Alakazam Nevr—”

Nevren’s eyes glowed bright, and Owen knew to dodge again. The rocks behind him twisted in the same way.

“What’re you doing?!”

This... isn't supposed to be part of the exam, I'm assuming.

The rocks kept twisting around him; he had to keep moving. Nevren held his arm forward; electricity crackled from his spoon. This time, it was too fast. A horrible pain rushed through Owen’s body; his legs refused to listen to any command. And then, he felt another pain—a twisting, indirect, dull, but incredible sensation of pressure across his entire body, like a giant hand twisting him into a spiral.

Owen screamed and shook. He could move again. He fell on his knees, coughing; everything hurt. Everything felt broken. He tried to take a breath, but something there wasn’t working, too.

Nevren stared at Owen. His eyes glowed.

Nevren... is the one responsible for Owen's mind-wipes, isn't he? Like the "shifty vibes" from him kinda went up to 11 this chapter, and this moment vibes very hard with "Owen's not going to remember large chunks of the last 48 hours after this".

He was going to kill him. Right here, Nevren was trying to kill him. That could be the only explanation. Owen’s mind switched immediately to survival, as if he was fighting a hostile outlaw, but there wasn’t much he could do. His body was already broken. He didn’t have time to reach into his bag for any assistance. Was this it? Why? Nevren, what was he doing?

I'm pretty sure that he's about to hard-reset you in about 30 seconds, since this feels an awful lot like the Prologue in vibe right now.

Confusion washed into fear—and then—just as quickly, it washed into something primal. A roar of madness echoed in Owen’s mind.

A burning flame in Owen’s chest seared his insides; his vision felt red. The pain vanished. His body moved. It broke more from it, but without pain to stop him, he kept moving.

And thus, a superpowered evil side emerged from deep within Owen's consciousness to puppeteer his body and go on a murderous rampage like in my giant robot anime games.

- Beat -

Nah, it's probably something different, but still. Let's see where this is going, since I get the feeling that this is distinctly not normal for denizens of Kilo Village.

Owen: "... Th-This is all perfectly normal for Charmander under duress, right?"
:ohnowen:


He dodged the Psychic attack and rushed at Nevren. He jumped—the little Charmander was now at Nevren’s height in the air, in for a full collision. He opened his mouth; his fangs were red-hot, and he was in a direct course for Nevren’s neck, but the Alakazam weaved to the right. Owen spun his head and blasted Nevren’s face with fire. Nevren grunted and Owen landed. He landed oddly on his foot, spraining it or worse, but it didn’t matter. He spun and flung himself toward Nevren again.

Nevren couldn’t dodge this one. Owen wrapped his arms around Nevren, getting as strong a hold as he could; in a split-second, his teeth sank into Nevren’s neck. Owen didn’t hold back. His jaw clenched as hard as it could, until his jaws met—

“Ng—uff—!” Owen opened his eyes with a jolt.

Owen: "W-Wait, did I get him? I-I totally got him, r-right?"

The Charmander was on the ground, legs crossed. He was on the right side of the room. Nevren was still sitting where he had been when he started meditating. The only sound was the wind whistling. The rocks in the alcove were normal and untwisted. His body felt just fine. Relaxed, even, like it usually did after a meditation session.

“Hm?” Nevren asked. “Is something the matter? You weren’t meditating for long.”

... Yeah, Nevren is totally the guy responsible for Owen's mind wipes. There is no way that everything up until this point was really all just a dream or some freaky astral projection thing.

“I… I…” Owen rubbed his head. “I think the altitude is getting to me, Nevren. I don’t think I can meditate here. I’m used to doing it underground, y’know?”

“Ah,” Nevren said. “I see. Well, there’s no use in trying further if the environment isn’t ideal. Why don’t we simply advance through the Dungeon normally?”

Owen stood up, dusting himself off. Just in case, he checked his body for any possible injuries, but there weren’t any. Perhaps he really was crazy.

Owen: "... I really need to invest in a camcorder one of these days. Assuming they exist in this setting." >_>;
- Owen trails off and shuffles out the cave uneasily -
Owen: "That couldn't possibly have all just been a trip while I was meditating... right?" ._.;

It was easy. The Dungeon was filled with small Rock Pokémon like Geodude and Shieldon, yes, but Owen wasn’t afraid of them. He could tell that they were weak. Unlike the Aerodactyl, which was hard to get close to, Owen could easily approach these slow-moving wilds and dispatch them with a single swipe of hardened claws. This Dungeon was in a rough area in terms of its environment, but the Pokémon themselves were less than formidable. For that, he was thankful—as the wind was still relentless. Nevren had a barrier up ahead of them to ward off most of the atmospheric onslaught.

Owen: "Metal Claw, gotta love it."
:charhaha:


The cave itself had the same general layout that Dungeons were known for. Corridors connected small rooms, this time made from the black rocks that had been carved by the cold winds. Within the cave, small pieces of sediment constantly chipped off of the walls, forcing Owen to walk with his eyes partially shut for fear of getting bits of mountain dust in them. Despite the barrier, Owen’s body shivered at every step. It was like walking on frost, yet the dry winds from the south didn’t allow for much ice to form.

Owen: "Dammit, I should've rented a set of goggles for this. It would've been fitting too! Protagonists always have goggles!" >_<;
Nevren: "That's in Digimon, Owen."
Owen: "Whatever!"

But other thoughts distracted Owen from most of the harsh elements of the cave. He dwelled on the strange dream he had. After his last experience with dreams, he was growing paranoid at what was real and what was a trick of the mind’s faults.

“N-Nevren?” Owen asked, nearing the final segment of the Dungeon. “When you meditate, do you get weird dreams?”

“Hm? No, not that I’m aware,” Nevren said. “Is that what happened? You seem quite shaken.”

Yeah, I can already tell that Nevren attempting to reduce Owen to red paste wasn't just a vision there.

“Yeah,” Owen said, deciding not to comment that his current shaking was due to the cold. “At first it was normal. I was just fighting in a big, black room, kinda. I mean, not a room, since there weren’t any walls, but that’s how it usually goes. But then, suddenly I felt like...

Owen hesitated, [ ]

“Like you were gonna attack me," he continued. "And you were! I mean, in my dream. And then… and then I think I went crazy. I started to see red, and I stopped feeling pain from all your super strong attacks, um, and then.

Another pause, [ ]

I don’t think I remember what happened after that.” “Hmm. That’s a very vivid dream.”

Narrator: It was not just a dream.

Though IMO, it might make sense to cut up Owen's dialogue into multiple paragraphs and interleave description / internal thoughts in between, especially if showing the reaction of Owen / Nevren can give hints at how one or the other is ticking right now without giving away too much of where the plot is going.

“Yeah,” Owen said. “I think I shouldn’t try to do that on high mountains. O-or cold ones.”

“Well, regardless of that,” Nevren said, “I’m quite confident in your abilities. I will be giving you a very positive review to James regarding your performance. I can almost guarantee your acceptance into the Thousand Hearts.”

:absus:


Why do I get the feeling that this is not the first time that Nevren has told Owen this?

“W-wait—really?!” Owen asked. A sneaky Geodude threw a rock at Owen, hitting him in the back. Between Nevren’s barrier and how weak the Pokémon here were, he didn’t feel the need to acknowledge it. Seeing this, the Geodude hastily crawled away.

“Of course!” Nevren said. “This is one of the designated testing Dungeons. If a recruit can pass it without assistance, and shows little signs of struggle, then it means you are ready to be part of the first tier of the Thousand Hearts."

[ ]

"You may think of yourself as unskilled—” he shook his head, “—but in reality, few non-wild Pokémon get this strong or adept at fighting to handle such a task without trouble. Most only train themselves until they can reach the final stage of their species’ evolutions.”

Another part where IMO it probably makes sense to cut up an existing paragraph of dialogue and drop something in between, since that is a lot of words Nevren's getting out without much of a break in between them.

It made sense to Owen. He didn’t know how long he had been training for this moment. He had taken on more moderately difficult Dungeons in preparation for the exams.

So, I’ve just been training for so long, that my normal is most others’ abnormal?” He carefully stepped over a small crevice; Nevren had barely noticed it, but Owen’s shorter stature made it a conscious effort to avoid falling in.

Another paragraph that IMO works better cut up. It might make sense to go a step further and also split Owen's dialogue off from the rest of the attached paragraph, but that's optional.

“Yes, precisely!” Nevren said, chuckling. “You’re quite abnormal indeed, Owen.”

“Aw, shucks!” Owen laughed. A volley of rocks grazed the top of his scaly scalp.

A gutsy Carbink threw a rock at Nevren from behind. A barrier blocked the attack, nullifying it completely.

Owen: "... How are you just not missing a beat during all of this anyways?" .-.
Nevren: "One, practice. Two, these ferals are kinda pathetically weak so this doesn't exactly faze me."

“These guys are persistent,” Owen said.

“They’re merely territorial,” Nevren said. “Well! Let’s finish this Dungeon. You can wait for the promotion announcements in the evening. Perhaps with your friends? Team Alloy? I quite like that name.”

“Totally.” But then, a thought occurred to him. “Abnormal…”

He's about to bring up the Swolax, isn't he?

“Hm? What was that, Owen?”

“Uh, Nevren? I think I overheard someone after the Ceremony talking about some kind of… mutant Pokémon being spotted. You said you’d take care of it. What was that?”

“Ahh, that was nothing to be concerned with. Pokémon tend to be a bit jumpy about the wild Pokémon in abnormal places, thinking they’re mutants. Sometimes they just happen to wander. I helped relocate the… creature to its proper place, and all was well.”

Translation: It was absolutely something you should be concerned with and Nevren needs to learn how to take lessons in telling more convincing lies.

“Oh! That’s kinda cool. So, are those missions usually reserved for Elites?”

Nevren: "(... Wait, he believed that?)"
:what:


“Actually, Rhys and I reserve those sightings for ourselves, as we’re specifically trained with ‘abnormal Pokémon relocation,’ so to speak.”

“Oh, wow! That’s so cool!” Owen said. Still, it was odd that there were strange Pokémon to begin with. Where did they come from?

“In any case,” Nevren said, pointing at the final distortion of light, “let us return home.”

Owen: "Wait, but you didn't answer my-!"

After completing the Dungeon and parting ways with Nevren, he spotted Gahi returning from his squad of potential recruits near the Heart headquarters. Owen ran over. “Gahi! How’d it go?”

“Went fine. Gonna go and give my report ter James first, and I’ll be right back, eh?”

“Sure.”

Owen: "U-Uhm, Gahi? Tell me, whenever you do your meditation thing, do you ever have visions of Pokémon that you know trying to brutally murder you?"
:fearfullaugh~1:

Gahi: "... Owen, have you been huffing Stardust or something? How on earth does anyone have something like that happen while meditating?"
:what:

Demetri: "Actually, Gahi. I think I might've had something like that-"
- Cue Gahi shushing Demetri with a nub-arm -
Gahi: "Look, point is that if that actually happened to you, that wasn't a normal experience, alright?"

Fast as always, Gahi didn’t take long to head back out.

“So,” Owen said, “how’d those recruits do? The ones you handled?”

“Feh, they ain’t ready.” He clicked his jaws. “Figure yeh passed, though?”

Owen: "I mean, Nevren said that I was almost guaranteed to pass! So..." ^^;
Gahi: "And did he mean it? Or was he just being nice to you and not telling you that you were on track to obviously fail?"
:what:

- Beat moment -
Owen: "Nevren... wouldn't do that to me, w-would he?"
:uhhh:


“Nevren said that he was gonna give me a review brighter than my tail, so I hope so!”

“Heh.” Gahi’s eyes glinted with amusement. “Well ain’t that something. Maybe we can form a team o’ four, go exploring. Three’s a good number that most recommend, but eh, four ain’t beyond us and what a Badge can handle, even if we gotta rescue a few folks along the way.”

See, now I'm expecting Nevren to just turn around and bomb Owen's exam since there is no way that guy is trustworthy.

Owen nodded. “Yeah. But I don’t think I’m gonna go to that Dungeon again. I tried to meditate there, and I think I got a low-air dream or something, because…” His attention was caught by a passing conversation.

“ . . . Strange, isn’t it?”

“Creepy, more like!”

“They should’ve investigated.”

“No way! That wasn’t part of the mission!”

It's the Swolax or some other mutant, isn't it?

Owen cleared his throat. “Um—what was creepy?”

“Y’didn’t hear?” Gahi asked.

“What?”

“One o’ the teams that went out headed ter Calm Water Lake.” Gahi jerked his massive head in the direction of the Waypoint rows. “Around the third section, there was an eerie glow from the walls. A recruit got lost on the path, took a wrong turn, I dunno.”

Owen:
:wtfuckle:

Gahi: "Well, yeah. That's why everyone's talking about it right now."

“A weird glow?” Owen asked, flame growing just slightly in height. “Was the group the one with Rhys?”

Gahi shook his head. “Nope. Rhys handled some other team. They’re gonna send someone in ter investigate. Pro’ly gonna see the mission go up soon.”

Gahi glanced at Owen. The Charmander didn’t even have an opportunity to ask: Gahi asked for him.

Wanna go?”

Would cut up the last paragraph of this sentence into at least 2 parts. I personally suggested 3. Though I'm honestly a little surprised that Rhys and the glowing orb of mysteriousness weren't responsible here, since that's also where my mind immediately went to on the mention of a strange glow.


Was it the same sort of glow? That orb? But Rhys didn’t go with them, so it couldn’t be from his weird, green orb. But there was a cold pit in his stomach when he thought about it. That must have been the thought of going to a watery Dungeon. Still, his curiosity trumped his Type, and he agreed.

“Sure. But we have to be back before sunset! Let’s get Demitri and Mispy.”

Wait, you mean there's more than one of them?!
:grohno~1:


Though a bit out of steam here, so I'll come back for Chapter 5 tomorrow and give my thoughts here:

Boy did that all escalate quickly. Like thus far the overall surface of normality has been holding in and around Kilo Village, but it's been breaking down in live-time this chapter and it makes me wonder just how long it'll take before weird stuff starts happening out in the open in full view of everyone. Not that there aren't likely ways of putting that genie back in the bottle to some extent, since I am convinced that Nevren is either personally nuking Owen's memories, or else he's involved with some group doing that. And if that's indeed what's happening and Nevren can do that with Owen... who else has he been doing that with? Especially with Team Alloy having had lines of dialogue that strongly imply that they similarly have "fuzzy memory" like Owen does. Definitely a strong note to head into Chapter 5 with on that front, since thus far HoC's chapters do a pretty good job at making you want to see what comes next, and this one wasn't an exception.

As for criticisms, I don't have too many to throw around. The biggest recurring criticism that I have is that there were some paragraphs that felt like they ought to have been multiple smaller paragraphs, especially with a few longer blocks of dialogue. There were also a couple points where I thought that some extra description would've helped for setting the mood in a few scenes, but altogether it wasn't enough to get in the way of my enjoyment of the Chapter.

Good show, @Namohysip . And I'll be looking forward to being able to come back to this story in short order.
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. lugia
  5. quilava-fobbie
  6. sneasel-kate
  7. heliolisk-fobbie
Yo, jumping right back into this while the night is still relatively young. Let's pick up right where we left off with…

Chapter 5

Watery Dungeons simultaneously fascinated and unnerved Owen. Due to his nature, they would be perhaps the last sort of Dungeon that he’d want to explore. Not only would getting his tail doused be perhaps the most excruciating pain imaginable—aside from being impaled—the terrain also made his Fire Traps useless. Calm Water Lake was no exception.

We're... gonna see Owen get soaked to the point of at least a near-death experience on at least one occasion in this story, aren't we? Though I see he's still got lingering memories of the Prologue swirling around in his mind.

The lake—a clear, blue expanse surrounded by yellow-green grass—disappeared the moment they passed through the distortion. It was replaced by blue, rocky walls made from amalgamated sand, rough and perpetually damp to the touch. The ground was covered in a thin layer of water that went just past Owen’s tiny ankles. This was a challenge for Gahi, who was even lower to the ground. His massive, orange head was constantly tilted upward to prevent his lower jaw from dipping underwater.

Oh, so that's how this story handles the "(under)water dungeons" from canon. I wonder if there are any Pokémon in particular that would just be flatly hosed if they tried to go through a dungeon like this.

Calm Water Lake is kinda boring.” Owen had his hands behind his head, staring at the wispy clouds. Despite how much he didn’t like the Dungeon itself, it was still better than the cave before. “Hey, do we have any warps left?”

Five words spoken seconds from disaster.

“I do,” Demitri said. “Mispy used her Badge to get our group back, but mine still has a charge left for the day. Once we’re done exploring this Dungeon, we’ll head right back to Kilo.”

Oh, so TH badges can only be used a finite number of times in a day, huh? I suppose that means that you can't load up on like a dozen requests all at once like you can in PMDX?

Though that does make me curious as to what the nitty-gritty of these rules are, and if it might have made sense to hint at them earlier on in a moment like Owen's exam sequence since that feels like it'd have been a perfect opportunity to bring up some mechanical particulars about how dungeoneering works without having to have someone play exposition fairy that would be well-known by the cast as part and parcel of their world but not the readers.

“Yeah. I hope it goes by soon,” Owen said. “I’m sick of walking through water. Nothing’s happening.” He had been hoping to find mysterious, pink mist to lead the way. Nothing of the sort was around.

“I mean, it’s called Calm Water Lake,” Demitri said. “Isn’t that kinda what you’d expect? Even its title is boring.”

Owen: "That... sounds less boring and more like 'I really, really don't wanna be here', really."
:fearfullaugh~1:

Demitri: "It's boring for the rest of us, anyways."
:gardeshrug~1:


“All of the wild Pokémon are asleep. They won’t even bother with you unless you aggravate them first. Where’s the fun in that?” Owen blinked. That was an odd comment from himself. Was he getting antsy again? Did he skip his meditation this morning? The one in Eternal Whistler didn’t count. Not after that dream.

Gahi: "You find getting mobbed by snarling ferals fun?"
:what:

Owen: "... That came out wrong? But hey, I'm entitled to like having a bit of a challenge with my missions! Getting ones that I could do with my eyes closed all the time does get a bit boring after a while." ^^;

“I know what y’mean,” Gahi said. “I don’t wanna go ter this place either, ‘cause the wilds’re all weak.”

Oh, well then. Sounds like Gahi and Owen are more kindred spirits when it comes to dungeoneering than I expected.

“All this teaching hasn’t given me a good fight the whole day,” Demitri said.

Mispy sighed deeply. Her leaf bobbed and brushed against Demitri’s tusk.

“You guys like to battle a bunch, too, huh?” Owen said.

Such an attitude was incredibly rare among bystander and civilian Pokémon. There was no need to fight, usually. Some Pokémon went their entire lives not evolving simply because their auras never became efficient enough to trigger it. Most only trained enough to evolve and simply stopped after that.

Oh, so you can't just curry or harem life your way to evolution like in mainline, huh? Though I suppose such a mindset would be handy for characters that are going to need to go through 150+ chapters of shenanigans.

I'd also recommend splitting off Owen's dialogue from the rest of the attached paragraph, since it likely would help the rest stand out a bit more.

That was just another layer of kinship he felt with these three. Fellow battle-hearts!

Demitri: "I mean, there's also that weird sense that we've somehow met each other before." ^^;
Owen: "Yeah, but that's just a feeling. It's not like we really met each other sometime in the past... right?"

“I know what that’s like,” Owen continued. “If I don’t get a good fight in for the day, I can’t sleep at night. I’m all restless! And I need to fight something! My parents gave me a rock that I can beat up if I ever get like that. But if that isn’t enough, I need to meditate and stuff.”

I am pretty sure that that's not supposed to happen normally, but Owen is already fairly obviously not a normal Pokémon. I guess we'll see if the rest of Team Alloy is in his same boat or not shortly.

“Baah,” Gahi shook his head. “Don’t even say the word. I hate when Rhys makes us do that.”

“It calms the mind, though.” Demitri rubbed his tusks, finding a little nick to scrape dirt off. “And we know it makes our attacks more efficient, so it isn’t all bad!”


Gahi: "... How on earth does that work anyways?"
Demitri:
Image

Mispy: "Yeah, I don't think we're getting away with that in this story. Or at least not for the long run. But still, let's focus on bailing out those Hearts that got lost in here for now."

“Tune the aura,” Mispy said.

“Ha, it’s like we get the same lectures!” Owen said. “I wonder if my parents and Rhys went to the same classes.”

Narrator: "They did, and that's not the only things they went to together."

“Feh, wouldn’t doubt it.” Gahi fell into a dip in the watery ground, struggling and gurgling in the sudden increase in water. Mispy fished him out, placing him a few paces ahead. “Bah, stupid water… Say, how come we never saw yer parents, anyway? Figure they’d’ve supported you fer the Ceremony, at least.”

- Beat moment -
Owen: "... Now that you mention it, that is kinda weird. I haven't failed that many times in the past to the point where they just weren't expecting me to make it... have I?"
:ohnowen:


“I think they’re busy at home,” Owen said dismissively, though his tail dimmed. “My parents have been really hesitant about going out lately. I’m not really sure why. I hope they aren’t afraid of the light or something.”

"Or something".

An entire segment of the Dungeon passed in complete silence. It didn’t feel awkward to Owen. In fact, it was serene. For perhaps the first time all day, his heart was at ease, traveling with these three like old friends. Without realizing it, a dumb, subtle smile grew on Owen’s face.

Narrator: "That's because you are old friends and just don't realize it yet."

“Y’know, that thing y’mentioned,” Gahi suddenly said. “About us seeming familiar? I’m starting ter feel it, too.”

“Huh?” Owen asked.

Demitri tapped his claws against his scales. “Yeah, I’m with Gahi, for once.”

“Mm.” Mispy nodded.

Owen stared. “Yeah… it’s weird. But, I don’t know why, either. You guys?”

Owen: "... This isn't going to turn out where one of us is some sort of time traveller trying to save the others through repeated time loops, right?"
Gahi: "... What, have you been reading Druddigon Cube lately or something like that?"
:what:

Owen: "I mean, I have, but no it wasn't from that. It was from some other comic involving magical transformations or something along those lines... bah, the name's right on the tip of my tongue!"
Mispy: "Oi, can we stay focused on the mission right now?" >_>;

They all shook their head.

Owen shrugged. “I decided that I should just stop dwelling on it. Maybe we’ll figure it out later. Oh, right. Are we at…?” He pulled the mission statement from his bag, and then at his surroundings. They said section three.

I was joking about the 'let's stay focused on the mission right now' comment, even if it wasn't Mispy that did the honors.
:loltias:


“This way,” Mispy said, suddenly turning. She walked with purpose, but it didn’t appear to be in a particularly interesting direction.

“How come?” Owen asked, running after her.

Mispy can see auras, too, just like Rhys,” Gahi said. “That’s why she thinks ghosts are everywhere. I think her senses are just outta whack.”

Owen: "... Wait, since when do Chikorita do that again?"
:wtfuckle:

Demitri: "Since Mispy. It's not that unusual of an ability, right? Why, I'm pretty sure there's an Umbreon back in Kilo Village that does it on a regular basis!" ^^
Mispy: "(I'm pretty sure you need to stop poking your head in other stories, Demitri.) But look, the point is that I can see auras. So just let me do my thing here and stick close." -_-;

Mispy puffed her cheeks; a vine threatened to bludgeon Gahi, but she restrained herself.

“A Chikorita? How?” Owen asked. “Does she secretly have aura sensors, too?”

Owen knew that Gahi was particularly fast for his species, too. Demitri was an Axew, and they were historically strong… but those strikes he dealt to Aerodactyl were something else. Did Rhys recruit them because they were particularly talented?

Yeah, I kinda figured that Owen would find that weird. Though Team Alloy getting gathered together because of some sort of weirdness magnet X-Factor wouldn't be that surprising, honestly. Since they're rather transparently being set up to be the "protagonist team" of this story, even if I'm not sure if they'll stay that way given HoC's reputation for having a cast herd.

“I dunno. Maybe it’s in her leaf,” Demitri said. “It’s pretty cool. I don’t know how it works. But it’s helped us a lot when we have to chase down clever outlaws. And now, uh, Mispy? What d’you see?”

Owen: "And you've never thought of going to a library or something to see if this is some sort of documented phenomenon or something?" .-.
Gahi: "Owen, have you seen our schedules with Rhys? We're too busy for that sort of stuff! Why I'm not sure if us poring over books in a library would get anything to stick with us."
:UnimpressedCabot:

Demitri: "... Yeah, I've got the weirdest feeling that we've actually tried that before, but I don't remember anything we learned from it. Guess that whole meditation schedule must not be good for self-studies." ^^;

“Weird,” Mispy mumbled.

“She sees a weird aura,” Demitri translated. “I guess it’s a good lead for—oh. Uh, Mispy? I don’t think we need an aura sensor for the rest of this.”

There was a wall ahead, to their right, that looked like it was easy to break. A dim light shined from the inside, going through the tiny cracks that made this part of the wall more obvious.

Gahi:
Image

Owen: "Should we worried about this right now, or...?"
Demitri: "Dunno, really. What do you say, Mispy? Does it feel safe to proceed?"

Owen nodded, readying his claws. “Just give me a second to reset my aura for Metal Cl—

Actually, wait, what does that entail anyways? Is this basically the in-universe equivalent of reshuffling a moveset a la PLA/SV?

“I can do this,” Demitri said to the others.

The Axew backed up and steeled himself, tensing his muscles. He ran forward, slamming his head on the wall; it easily collapsed, falling around him.

“D-Demitri!” Owen said.

“I’m okay!” Demitri called back, climbing out of the rocks; he had a few scratches—as well as a bad wound on his head—but he was conscious.

Well this mission is going well™️ at the moment.

“Don’t do that!” Owen said; Mispy was already healing him with waves of light. “Next time, let me do it! Metal Claw would’ve done the same thing.”

“Feh, he’s an idiot.” Gahi wobbled ahead of them and over the rubble.

Missed an opportunity for Gahi to throw in a quip about Demitri being hard-headed there, since hey, it'd have worked on a couple levels at this moment. :V

They all looked inside. The walls of the cavern beyond the false wall glowed dimly; it reminded Owen of the mushrooms in Hotspot Cave. And, of course, the orb that Rhys possessed. He took the lead, and the rest followed. The passageway was only a few paces wide—and those were tiny paces, considering the size of their bodies. Every sound echoed endlessly.

Not more than twenty paces in, Gahi remarked, “This place is giving me the creeps. Think there’re Ghost Types wandering around?”

Owen: "... I'm sorry, if we're all obviously getting the creeps right now, why aren't we calling in backup and just waiting at the moment?"
Gahi: "Because if we do that, the backup team will get the rank points or whatever we call 'em and we get bupkis?"
Owen: "B-But Demitri literally just picked up a head wound 30 seconds ago!"
:ohnowen:

Demitri: "... I got better? Mispy is an effective healer. Besides, I'm sure whatever's out there is nothing we can't handle."
:joltyshrug~1:


Demitri shuddered. “H-hopefully n-not.” He looked at the walls uneasily. Mispy wrapped a vine around his torso, squeezing him just slightly. He loosened in response. “I don’t think so, but this weird glow is what I’m kinda worried about. It’s the same as the glow in Rhys’ place, y’know, that weird orb?”

Well, scratch that for Demitri being unfazed. Though I see you're already telegraphing that he and Mispy are going to get close™️ from that little bit of reassurance she gives him there.

“Yeah,” Owen said. “You mean that thing he brought with him to the ceremony, right?”

“Yeah, that one,” Demitri said. “Think it’s related?”

Owen: "On one level, I feel as if there should logically be a ton of things that carry weird glows in this world, but that orb did seem kinda important, so..."
:wellyousee:


“Maybe,” Owen said, “but a lot of things glow. There are these mushrooms in my home, um, I can’t say where, but at my home, they glow kinda like this. So, it could just be, like, moss, or a tiny fungus or mold that grows on the rocks.”

Owen wanted to believe it was actually related, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. The past few days have been filled with confusing disappointments.

Wow, I actually wasn't that far off with Owen's train of thought, except he went the less genre-savvy route for a conclusion.

Go back… go back!

Turn away… leave!

Owen: "Oh well that's not ominous at all right now."
:uhhh:


All four explorers stopped walking. Demitri’s knees knocked against one another. Gahi churred a rapid, growling noise. The little buds on Mispy’s neck started to glow.

Mispy closed her eyes. “I see… something.”

Owen: "Um, Mispy? If you could give us a bit more detail to work with than that-"
:ohnowen:

Mispy: "I'm working on it, alright?!"

Owen noticed a pulsing light in the bottom corner of his eye. It came from his bag. “Uh, why is my Badge blinking?”

“What?” Demitri checked his; it, too, was blinking. “Oh, that’s… that means we just completed a Dungeon.”

“What?”

Owen: "... Wait, but then why are we being told to go back if we've completed a dungeon? Isn't all the weird stuff supposed to happen inside of it?" .-.

“We aren’t in a Dungeon anymore,” Demitri said. “This cave ahead of us isn’t part of Calm Water Lake’s Dungeon. Which means—” He glanced around uneasily. “—if we get hurt here, or worse, we won’t be warped out. They might just keep attacking us, or…!”

[ ]

Owen gulped. “M-maybe we should go back.”

I kinda wonder if it'd have made more sense to show the gears turning in Owen's head a bit more, since I'm actually not sure why this time around he's going full "nope nope nope" instead of "it's fine, we can do this™️" like he did post-encounter with the Swolax. His thought process and getting a sense of why things are different here might have helped ground this moment a bit better.

“What, and miss a real fight?” Gahi asked, stomping his tiny foot on the ground. “Let’s feel it out!”

Image


I feel as if I should be less surprised by Gahi being the most combative / eager for battle of the four given that he gives off a "tries to position himself as the team leader" vibe, but I'll file that one away for the future.

“I do want a fight,” Demitri mumbled, unconsciously sharpening his left tusk with his claws. “But this could be dangerous.”

“Mmn.” Mispy seemed unsure, but she advanced. The others followed her lead.

I'm surprised at how much is coming through between the lines from the way these three are reacting to a potentially dangerous situation and how they contrast with one another, even if I suspect that Mispy would out-aggro Gahi if she were in a bad mood at the moment.

Leave, leave!

Or become one of us!

Owen: "Oooookay, I think that's our cue to get out of here!"
:eltyscared:


Demitri let out a squeaking noise that defied his Dragon pride. Mispy had to prod him on the back to keep him walking.

“Okay, enough whispering!” Gahi said. “Just show yerself and get it over with!”

Wow, I really was onto something with that remark on another server that Demitri reminded me of Pladur. Next thing, you'll tell me he's an accomplished cook. :V

Surprisingly, they complied. Ahead of them, right where the glowing cave had a turn to the right, a creature rose from the ground. Houndour. But the colors were a bit odd—instead of the usual orange-red on black, it was ocean-blue on black.

“Heh, Houndour, eh?” Gahi said, wobbling forward. “Y’look weird, but I’ll take yeh on!”

Owen: "Um, Gahi? I'm pretty sure that Houndour's a mutant."
:uhhh:

Gahi: "Yeah? And? It's one Houndour against four of us. Mutant or not, we can handle one Houndour!"

Owen’s fire grew a bit. “Uh, Gahi, I dunno if—”

Gahi dashed in an orange blur, wiggling his head and jaws; mud formed in the back of his throat, ready to fling. The Houndour opened its mouth and fired a concentrated jet of—water directly at Gahi. Surprised by the blast, Gahi jumped out of the way, hitting the wall next to him. While successful in avoiding the water, he sustained a small blow to his side from the rocks.

Kr—beh! What’s that supposed ter be?! What kinda game’re you playing?!”

Demitri: "M-Maybe it's his Tera Type?"
:fearfullaugh~1:

Gahi: "One, that didn't exist at the time this chapter was written. Two, he doesn't have a giant crystal... thing sprouting out of his head, so it's not a Tera Type, alright?!" >_>;
Owen: "Gahi, it was blatantly obvious that we were dealing with a mutant!" >.<
Mispy: "... Wait, if this Houndour's Water-type, doesn't this mean that this guy should just keel over if I hit him with Solar Beam?" :?

Gahi threw some of his mud at the Houndour; Mispy, whose buds were glowing bright, fired an intense beam of light at the Houndour next.

“W-wait! Mispy!” Demitri said, but it was too late.

Oh, so Mispy already figured out the plot, huh? Though from Demitri's reaction, I'm not sure if that's going to work out terribly well.

The Houndour was completely incinerated; in its place was a small ember that floated in the air. It vaguely resembled Owen’s tail flame, only cyan like Rhys’ aura energy. It fled into the wall.

Owen + Gahi + Demitri:
:uhhh:

Mispy: "Whelp, problem solved."

“Mispy, that’s too much!” Demitri said. “You just obliterated some poor—”

“It’s a ghost,” Mispy said.

“What?”

Mispy: "Demitri, I have aura sensitivity, remember?" >_>;
Demitri: "... Right. But still, you could've told us this first!" ._.;

Whispers filled the air. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from, or how many were even whispering. Multiple. That’s all they knew. And, perhaps, from everywhere.

“Why is there a Water Houndoom here? How does that even work? A gh-ghost that’s a Water Houndoom?” Owen squeaked the last part, taking a worried step back. He bumped into Demitri, who was practically a statue.

Demitri: "Is... Is it too late to use our badges and bail from here? Since I really think it would be a good idea to use our badges and bail from here."
:fearfullaugh~1:

Mispy: "Demitri, get ahold of yourself already!"

Three blue-themed Pokémon—even if they weren’t supposed to be blue—rose from the ground. A Nincada, Morelull, and Venipede, rippling like a lake. They all advanced forward, Watery techniques ready.

Owen, realizing that there was too much risk involved, with perhaps tens or more others like them ready to close in, shouted to the others, “Let’s go back!”

Gahi: "Feh, that's what you're worried about? We can take 'em-"
:what:

Demitri: "No! No! I'm with Owen on this one here!" O.O;
Mispy: "Uh... it would probably be wise to not just stand here surrounded by a bunch of ghosts when I just used a move that has a recharge turn, Gahi..." ^^;

This time, they agreed. Demitri grabbed their Badge and held it in the air; thankfully, now that they were outside of the strange effects of a Dungeon, they could use it to warp back to Kilo Village without the Dungeon interfering. Still, it needed a few seconds to gather its charge. The ghosts fired another set of water jets at them—Owen countered with a plume of fire, hoping to soften the blasts. Mispy shot her vines forward and blocked the rest. That bought them just enough time. In a flash of light, they were gone.

Gahi: "I still say we could've taken 'em-"
Mispy: "Gahi, shut up." >_>;

They wanted to tell Rhys about what they found before reporting back, but they also realized upon returning that it was close to the evening. Clouds painted the orange sky with lumpy, purple blotches.

Oh, Mew, we almost didn’t make it!” Demitri said. “Look! That crowd!”

Note to self: Mew is probably particularly important in the local cosmology along with Arceus given that it's a reflexive figure in minced oaths.

“Wait, so do we report first, or—”

“No time!” Demitri took heavy steps forward, his speed betraying his mental fatigue. “C’mon, Owen! You go ahead to the front! You’re probably gonna get accepted!”

Owen: "... Wait, we're really just gonna go on like we didn't almost get murdered out of existence by watery ghosts?" ._.;
Gahi + Mispy + Demitri:
Image

Owen: "... Well. If you insist..."

The ceremony was a rush and then a wait. Owen took the long way around when the immediate path required traversing around a Muk, and instead settled for weaving between the legs of an antsy Rapidash mother waiting for her son’s results. He scrambled between Pokémon tall and small, apologizing to each one, until he spotted a Decidueye.

There you are,” James said, green-and-brown feathers puffed out. Under his glare, Owen shrank to nearly three quarters of his height. “I imagine you just became aware of the results. Stand there, please.”

Owen failed again, didn't he?

Owen stood at the front row, to the far right, with his eyes fixed on the ground. After gathering enough courage, he leaned forward and counted off the Pokémon to his left. There were fifteen others here, but more importantly, they were all candidates that were practically beaming. He really did make it in! After countless applications—Owen couldn’t even remember how many times he’d tried—he was here, standing in the front row!

... Can't tell if Owen actually passed, or if it's gonna turn out that he got his spot mixed up with some literal who and will promptly get his soul crushed in about 30 seconds.

“Ahem,” James began, “Goodra Anam is currently occupied with… processing the retiring Hearts. In his place, I would like to make official the advancement of these sixteen Provisionary Hearts into the fold of Entry-Level Hearts. To commemorate this, they will relinquish their Provisionary Badges, and in return be given their official Thousand Hearts Badge. I shall begin from the leftmost member.”

James walked away from Owen. His tail lowered at the realization that he was the last to arrive. Talk about a first impression.

Owen: "I swear, it's like the universe is trying to burn a hole in my stomach from suspense and stress right now." >_>;

Owen took the wait as an opportunity to size up the other fifteen members. Nervous shuffling, eyes filled with more ambition than their bodies could handle. They were all weak. He could feel it. What was he doing, taking so long to just enter, if he was already breezing past the easiest Dungeons? Owen refused to accept anything but the idea that it was a mistake—an oversight. “Hmph, well, I’ll show them…”
This... is building up to a rug pull moment, isn't it? Since this distinctly feels like the setup to a rug pull moment.

Each Pokémon gave up their Badge in exchange for an official one, all the way up to Owen. It was right there. The gravity of the ceremony hit him just then. He was going to do it! Become a Heart! And yet, before James could give him the Badge, before he’d truly become a member of this grand, worldwide organization—

“Waaaaaiiiiit!”

All eyes turned to the main building. Anam was running out as fast as he could. A trail of purplish, transparent slime littered the ground behind him. “Am I late?!”

Owen: "Oh thank Mew, I thought it was gonna turn out that I'd gotten my place mixed up with someone else for a second!"
:blazikensweat:


“Yes,” James replied. “I have already started the ceremony. There is only one left.”

“Who? I’ll—I’ll do that one!” He sniffled. “I’m sorry, Jam-Jam! I didn’t mean to, but I was just so sad! So many good Hearts!”

Owen: "Wait. Jam-Jam?" .-.
Demitri: "Yeah, and? Anam gives pet names to everyone he knows." ^^;
Owen: "But 'Jam-Jam' doesn't even sound like 'James'!" ._.;
James: "Trust me, if that was enough to stop Anam, it'd have spared me a lot of embarrassment."
:gardexhausted:


James sighed, shaking his head, while the audience gave James amused smiles. “Very well,” Jam-Jam said, holding out the final badge. “I can’t be angry at you, Anam. Please, give Owen his Badge.”

“Owen? Oh, right, Owen! Of course! I’m so happy Owen could get in this time!”

Wow, so Owen actually did get in after all. Part of me wasn't expecting that.

James’ glare was so intense that, for a second, Owen thought Anam’s slime bubbled.

Owen’s heart skipped a beat, and his flame flashed white for an instant. He was about to be given his Badge by Anam himself.

The others in line noticed, too. They all stared at Owen with mixtures of surprise, confusion, and envy. What’s this upstart doing here? That’s probably what they were thinking. Or maybe they were irritated that being late was suddenly being rewarded.

There's... something else going on with Owen in full view of everyone present, isn't there?

Goodra sniffled and wiped his eyes. “Owen—I mean, Charmander Owen, I give you this Badge in commemoration of your advancement into the Thousand Hearts.”

He handed Owen the lightweight, golden emblem. It was covered in slime; Owen politely took it and, when Anam turned away, wiped it with the cloth of his bag. He then admired the clean, heart-shaped insignia on the front, using his tail to better see the shining details.

Owen: "... Anam won't take offense to me doing that, right?" ^^;
Mispy: "Nah, he's used to it."
:gardeshrug~1:


“And now, of course, we must accept you into the Thousand Hearts more formally. I’m sure you all remember the motto?”

Owen’s tail grew to twice its size. “Yes!” he said, just a bit too eagerly. A few of the newcomers gave him an amused smile, but they nodded, too. Suddenly, the atmosphere felt charged.

Okay, now I'm curious as to what this motto is like myself.

“Then by my lead.” James looked ahead; with him, the Entry Hearts—and even the many behind him—recited the Thousand Hearts’ mantra. At first, it was a gentle chant, but the final lines transitioned into a rallying cry.

“A thousand hands
A single heart
Working and beating as one.

Unite the lands
From worlds apart
Until our battles are done.

We serve Kilo and all its parts
Under one name: The Thousand Hearts!”

... Why does this motto sound like it'd be scarily appropriate for Rainbow Rocket given a couple names being changed around right now? Like it's one of those cutesy mottos that feels like it would very easily wrap around to take on decidedly less cutesy undertones depending on the context it was used in.

Though Kilo and its other parts are officially pieces of other worlds duct-taped together. Or at least they are if that motto can be taken at face value, filing that one away as a note to self.

Stomps, roars, and cheers deafened Owen, but he didn’t care—his flame was three times its normal size and his chest felt just as swollen with pride. He screamed with them, straining his throat, blasting little embers into the air. Losing all sense of self, Owen hopped from foot to foot, pumping his tiny fist in the air.

Owen: "I should probably be a bit more worried about accidentally burning someone, but screw it, I finally made it!" ^^

After some time, the crowd calmed down, and James raised his wing to signal for them all to fall into silence. There was a little, happy gleam in his eye, but that was all he showed. “This concludes the ceremony of advancement. You are all dismissed.”

Owen spun around to avoid any of the onlookers. His heart was still racing, but on his way down, even with the immovable grin on his face, the pressing issue of what they found in the lake returned to the forefront of his mind. After backtracking through the evening crowd, he spotted the silhouette of Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi in the twilight.

Gahi: "You were really going to town up there. Feeling good?"
Owen: "Just a bit, yeah." ^^;

Demitri had a similar smile. “Okay, I can’t deny that yelling that last part is something I never get tired of.”

This line isn't going to age well like 90 chapters in, is it?

“I know, right?!” Owen said, beaming. “Oh! But—where’s Rhys? We should talk to him about what we found first, right? And then we can report it later. Then, I’m gonna go back to my parents’ place and tell them about what happened.” He glanced at the Waypoint lines and saw a Torkoal enter Calm Water Lake. “Uh—"

Owen: "... Right, that was why I wanted to tell someone about what was going on in that place first!"
:ohnowen:


“There.” Mispy pointed her leaf forward. Rhys was walking toward them from the main building.

“Where have you been?” Rhys asked. His voice sounded suspiciously strained. He cleared his throat in an attempt to get it to sound normal again, but it was no help. “The entire ceremony was almost delayed to find Owen.”

Owen: "U-Um... shouldn't we do something about the Torkoal-?"
:fearfullaugh~1:

Gahi: "(Not now, Owen!)"

“We were doing a quick mission,” Gahi said. “How ‘bout we talk about it over dinner? I’m starved. Owen’s coming with!”

Owen’s stomach growled loudly at the mention of food, his mind suddenly filled with the thoughts of a fine, hearty stew.

Owen: "(... Wait, we're really just letting that rando Torkoal go out into the Mystery Dungeon infested with water-mutant ghosts?)" ._.;
Gahi + Mispy + Demitri:
Image

Mispy: "He didn't exactly look like a pushover, Owen. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Dinner was a savory rice dish. While the food was wonderful, mealtime itself felt tense. Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi seemed antsy from not getting a good fight in—and, after getting one, being forced to flee.

I presume that the three didn't see the same Torkoal enter the MD that Owen did, since that turtle's just completely absent from their thought process right now.

Rhys—his voice recovered—finally broke the silence. “Well, now that you’re here, why don’t you speak about that mission of yours? Did it not go well?”

“No,” Gahi mumbled. “Hated it. Nearly got killed.”

[ ]

“K-killed?”

Probably would've worked better to show Rhys having a moment of
:tessohno:
there to sell the sense that his mood's abruptly swinging over to worry about what on earth went down at CWL.

Demitri nodded, poking at a stray grain of rice. “We were attacked when we were investigating a weird glowing at Calm Water Lake. But that glowing led us outside the Dungeon early, somehow, which is where we got attacked. By a weird… water-typed Houndour, or something.”

Rhys scanned the four of them, as if expecting them to say it was a joke. When none came, he said, “I see.”

Owen: "... Wait, you mean there were supposed to be water-ghost things out there?!"
:grohno~1:


Silence accompanied the five while they ate.

“That’s it?” Gahi asked. “Y’usually have something ter say ‘bout us being reckless, or maybe some theory on why it’s like that.”

“H-hm? I do? Well. I don’t this time. I’ll speak to Goodra Anam about it tomorrow. Yes, I’ll do that…”

Owen: "... Rhys, should we be concerned right now? Since you're really giving me the sense that we should be concerned right now." ._.;
Rhys: "Look, just... focus on eating and calming down right now. You four have had a long day."

Owen looked at the others expectantly. He wanted to ask about the Orb again, but after that encounter in the lake, he was too jittery to do it alone. He’d stumble over his words. And what was he going to do? Sneak into Rhys’ room and steal it? That’d just make him an outlaw! There was no point. He could ask politely, when there was less tension. He didn’t see that pink cloud this time, anyway.

I mean, you could try hiring Jerry to do it assuming that he didn't instantly try to Rock Slide you into next week over getting him stuck as a Broken Heart.
:gardeshrug~1:


“Um. Well, if that’s all, when I finish dinner, I think I’ll just head home,” he said. “Thanks, by the way! I-it’s really good.”

“No,” Rhys said. “Just for tonight, I want you to stay here. I will explain to your parents about it later.”

Owen: "... Are you going to explain why I need to do this, or...?" ._.;
Rhys:
Image


The Charmander reflexively nodded, but then the words actually registered. Owen felt even more trapped than when they were in that glowing cave.

Y-you? But I can’t, um, they don’t know.” Owen looked like he was going to stand up. “They’ll freak out if I don’t get home by nighttime, and it’s almost that already! So, um, I just… I can’t just stay here without telling them.”

“They will understand.”

- Owen blinks -
Owen: "Wait, are you able to talk with mom psychically or something? Since how on earth would you even begin to explain-?" .-.
Rhys: "Owen, they will understand. Just trust me on this one."

“Rhys, yer being weird,” Gahi said. “What’s going on?”

“It’s too dangerous to go out,” Rhys said flatly. “The path to your home, Owen, is dangerous tonight. It will be safer tomorrow. Not tonight.”

Owen: "Rhys, if you're trying to calm me down right now, this is more or less the textbook example of how not to do it."
:wtfuckle:


“B-but—” Owen stopped himself, but he couldn’t ignore that serious aura Rhys was giving off. Would him leaving, now, be that dangerous? Or was it bad for some other reason? He didn’t sense any malice from Rhys, but to suddenly make such a request…

“This is final,” Rhys said. “I’m sure they will just think you need to do overnight training and orientation.”

Owen: "And what makes you so sure about this again?"
:judgemander~1:

Rhys: "... Past experience. Just, please listen to me about this, Owen. It's for your own good."

Owen looked at Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi, but they were equally confused. Rhys wasn’t explaining anything. But, in the back of his mind, Owen trusted what he was saying. He didn’t know why he trusted Rhys, but his gut feelings hadn’t been wrong before, not when he felt so sure of himself. If Rhys said it was dangerous, then it was.

Rhys, um. I’ll stay here. But can you explain why it’s so dangerous?”

They have been disastrously wrong before in the past and Owen just can't remember them, haven't they? Since that really feels like one of those statements that isn't going to age well at some point in the future.

Rhys looked at his rice and ate. The others ate, too, in a silence so thick that Owen felt he was eating some of it with each bite.

“We are all going to need to be careful for a time,” Rhys said. “There may be Pokémon in search of objects like the one in my room. Anything that gives off that glow may be a target, and I don’t want to risk anything right now.”

Anything? Owen thought about Hot Spot Cave.

Owen: "U-Um... Rh-Rhys? When you say 'anything that gives off that glow', does that mean-"
Rhys: "Anything, Owen. Which is why you're staying here tonight."

Demitri swallowed his most recent bite quickly. “S-so, Calm Water Lake might have another of those orb things?”

“Possibly. But we can’t do anything about it today.” Rhys motioned to the black sky outside the cave, a chilling wind knocking a few ripened Oran Berries from the treetops. “We can explore this further tomorrow, after I see Goodra Anam. He may be able to help.”

The plot isn't going to let them get away with waiting until tomorrow, is it?

Owen sighed, figuring that was the most they were going to get. “Okay,” he conceded.

“You will stay in Gahi’s room,” Rhys said. “Demitri and Mispy share a room. We have an extra bed in storage.”

“Oh! That’s convenient.”

“Yeah, I kinda always wondered why we had that,” Gahi said. “Ain’t like we get guests.”

Owen: "(Okay, seriously, have we met before in the past? Since how on earth does Rhys just conveniently have a fourth bed in your room lying around?!)"
Demitri: "(I... kinda get that vibe myself, but how come Rhys hasn't said anything like that on his end? Could it have been some sort of dream thing? The Dream World has been a thing for over a decade in this franchise...)"
- Owen shakes his head -
Owen: "(No, we've met before in the past somehow, I just know it. I just... don't understand how to prove it, or why none of us can remember anything about it.)

Owen finished his meal; despite the tension, he was satisfied with even the leftover grains of rice and veggies.

Aah, that was good.” He rubbed at an imperfection in his scales. “I, er, I guess I’ll get familiar with—oh! I don’t think I can sleep in your bed, though.” Owen tittered. “See, my tail-flame kinda burns most beds. I know Charmander fire isn’t usually that hot when we’re calm, but I get really worked up when I sleep, or something, so…”

It's going to be a bed specifically suited for Owen, isn't it?

“There’s no need to worry,” Rhys said. “They’re made from Rawst leaves, so they are flame-resistant.”

Owen:
:wtfuckle:

Rhys: "... Is there something wrong with a Rawst leaf bed? I wouldn't have expected you of all Pokémon to complain about it."
:lucariwhat:

Owen: "(That's literally the same thing my bed's made out of at home! How on earth does Rhys just have-?!) Er... no, that's perfect, really. I was just a little surprised at how perfect it was."

“Oh! Oh, wow!” Owen nodded. “That’s kinda… really convenient, but I guess I’ll take it!” He fiddled with his claws. At this point, he was sick of inquiring.

Owen: "(Okay, you know what, screw it, I'm just gonna flop over and tell myself that I'm not going crazy right now and that Rhys doesn't secretly know me from way back and is keeping me in the dark about it for... reasons.)" ._.;
Rhys: "That would be wise, yes. Though do be mindful that you're speaking around two aura-sensitives and a 'mon with hearing well outside your own range at the moment."

[ ] Rhys set up the spare bed; Gahi led the way down the hall, past the first pair of rooms, and into the left of the second set.

“Here’s m’place,” Gahi said.

I kinda feel that this paragraph should be expanded a bit, since there's no mention of Rhys leaving the kitchen at all at the moment when it'd require only a very brief sentence to pull off.

It didn’t look different from the others; a simple, rocky room with two beds in the middle. One seemed quite sandy, ideal for Gahi’s species, like a pit in the ground. The new bed was a soft set of Rawst leaves; Owen gently ran his hand across the pile. They were just like the ones at home. This wouldn’t be bad at all!

Owen: "... I think it even has the same arrangement as the ones at home, actually." ._.
Rhys: "Is there something wrong with the bed, Owen? I can change things around if you'd like."
Owen: "No, no. It's fine really. (Seriously, Rhys. Who are you? And why does it feel like you know me like the back of your paw when I can't even remember seeing you outside of passing glimpses before three days ago?)"

He happily hopped on his bed and looked at Gahi. “I hope my tail doesn’t bother you at night.”

“Nah, I don’t think I’ll notice.” He shook his entire body, vibrating into the sandy pit, and he was gone.

“Oh.” He wasn’t sure what he had expected.

Every so often, Owen heard the muffled clicks of Gahi’s massive jaws. He sighed, closing his eyes. Something about that sound relaxed him, but it also kept him up for a while longer than he was used to. Every so often, Gahi’s sleep-churring startled him awake.

Owen: "... Even if I just don't question things, I'm not going to be able to sleep a wink tonight, am I?"
:ohnowen:


Owen was half asleep, somewhere between dream and reality. Something ethereal reached out.

Owen. Owen? Owen! Hello?!

Owen: "... This is a dream right now, right?" .-.

That’s a pretty voice…

Owen! Wake up!

Five more blinks…

Ugh, stupid, flaming scale-bag—wake up! HURRY!

Owen: "Okay, never mind! Waking up now!" O_O;

Owen thought he was dreaming, but it felt too real, and too normal. Too groggy. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, squinting outside their room. Something was glowing. That same, strange glow. But it wasn’t like that last time. The old glow was softer and constant. This one was wider; it and spilled almost into Gahi’s room.

Owen blinked again; the light was getting brighter. Owen hid his tail under the leaves to make sure it wasn’t him. Without the flame, it was clear as day—that light was moving. Was it the cloud again?

Owen: "... Wait, is everyone else awake and seeing the same thing that I am, or...?"

So, this is my night, huh? Owen thought.

The blur from his eyes completely gone, he spotted something in the corner of his eye. He immediately turned, his heart skipping a beat. The mist. It was right there, like a trick of the eye—just barely visible. Owen thought it was just a splotch on his pupil. It didn’t say anything, but it was very anxiously moving toward the hall, then back to Owen, and then back to the hall again.

Owen: "Um... Demitri? Mispy? Gahi? You are awake and seeing this right now, right? You're the ones whose voices I was hearing 10 seconds ago, right?" o_o;

Why me? Owen thought. He slowly got out of bed and wrapped some leaves around his flame. Still holding his tail, he stepped outside. The source of the light was a Pokémon floating in the air. A small one—an Espurr. Floating. High in the air.

Owen: "Ooookay then, I'm just going to assume that everyone else is asleep then. Probably not a good sign right now." .-.

She didn’t notice Owen; she was facing into Rhys’ room, moving inside.

Trespasser!

“Um—hey!” Against common sense, Owen shouted. “S-stop!”

Cue things going seriously sideways in 3... 2...

His legs moved on their own until he was at the entrance to Rhys’ home. There, he saw the Espurr going toward the orb—she was about to touch it.

Y-you aren’t supposed to—!”

He saw that Rhys was still asleep. The pink mist followed. It pushed futilely against the Espurr, defending the orb to no effect.

I get the feeling that this is not going to end well for that Espurr. Though would recommend cutting this one paragraph up a bit.

Then, the Espurr and Charmander locked eyes. He couldn’t get a read for her expression, but she didn’t maintain eye contact for long. He only knew that her eyes shined more than anything else. The atmosphere around him changed—he recognized this feeling. It was an incoming Psychic attack, just like Nevren. He jumped out of the way just in time to evade the twisting energy that chopped the wind behind where he had been. The power behind it was incredible—yet Owen had a sinking feeling she could do a lot more.

Owen: "Oh sweet mother of Mew... Rhys, how are you just sleeping through this right now?!" O.O;

The Espurr readied another strike, but a ball of bright, blue energy hit her on the side instead. She yelped and fumbled in the air. Rhys was awake, sitting up in his bed of leaves; he stared directly at the Espurr, who squeaked even louder at the glare. And then, she vanished in thin air—as if she wasn’t there to begin with.

“Wh-what… what?” Owen breathed.

Teleport, son. Part and parcel of Psychic-types.

Rhys stood up. The silence that followed—with Rhys staring at the pink mist, and then at Owen, and then at the orb—was long enough for Owen to absorb what had just happened. Some Espurr with the same sort of glow as the orb tried to steal it, or something.

“You should get to sleep, Owen.”

“Wait, but what—”

Owen: "Rhys, there was literally a random Pokémon sneaking around your house! She was in your room five seconds ago and you saw her!"
:grohno~1:


“Sleep.” Rhys held his right paw in Owen’s direction. It glowed an eerie white. Rhys fired, and Owen felt a hot buzz course through him. His vision concentrated into a tunnel and then faded to black. Owen’s consciousness quickly followed.

Well that's not creepy and concerning at all coming from a guy who's deliberately been hiding knowledge of past encounters with Owen from Owen and his pupils.

So. You’re asleep again.

Hello, pretty voice…

Owen. Listen. This is super, ultra-important. The orb. Touch. ASAP.

Owen: "That's... gonna be kinda hard since I'm pretty sure that Rhys just used Hypnosis on me... somehow. And I'm sorry, but who are you, again?" .-.

But, Rhys said…

And sometimes, Rhys is an idiot. We’re running out of options and time. Just touch it, okay?

Owen: "You realize that you didn't answer the question about who you were, right-?"
Disembodied Voice: "Look, just touch the orb, dammit! We really don't have time for this!"

I’m so tired…

S-stay with me, Owen. There are lots of bad ‘mon out there trying to get those things, and the more we ha—


The rest was lost.

So there really are multiples of those mysterious glowy orbs floating around. Though it looks like there will be no orb-fondling this chapter. Something to look forward to in the future.

And this seems like as good a place as any to recap things:

I mean, it's kinda being held together by duct tape and some willful suspension of disbelief on Owen's part, but I'm honestly surprised that the masquerade of "normal life" is (just barely) holding up still in this story at the moment. Even if I kinda get the feeling that next chapter is the one where things finally become untenable. We got a number of hints as to things that might lie on the other side of the curtain, since we've got mutant ghosts prowling around, multiple orbs of power and/or doom, and mysterious powers of obviously Bad News™️ that are after them. Oh and Rhys very obviously knowing about Owen through prior memory cycles like his parents but having reasons for trying to keep him in the dark about it which I can tell is going to have quite the story behind it.

The critiques I have for this chapter are basically the same as the ones that I had for Chapter 4. Some paragraphs felt like they needed to be cut into smaller ones, and some parts of the story were a bit light on description. The sequences between Owen talking with that voice™️ in his sleep might have benefitted a bit with a bit more extra clarity as to which lines were Owen's and which were the voice's, but it wasn't that hard to figure out after looking a bit closer. And in the end, I think the chapter was strong enough to not really have those flaws detract from the experience.

Nice work with the chapter, @Namohysip . Dunno if you're planning on giving your earlier chapters a once-over at some point, but even if you don't, I've been having fun with them so far. And I can already tell the next time I cross paths with this story is going to be a trip.
 
Chapter 144 - Triple Luck

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Yep, I plan on going over some of these earlier chapters a bit more thoroughly one day, maybe some time soon come 2023, but otherwise, it's been nice to see you enjoy these chapters! Hopefully you'll enjoy what's to come soon.

--

Chapter 144 – Triple Luck

There was no way Star had given Qitlan the Reset Key. The very aura that would send Owen back to an amnesiac Charmander. The key that would make him forget everything, erase his current self, and start anew all over again. Under Alexander. A shadowy soldier. The perfect killer.

But there Qitlan stood, the Key in an orb, and the most confident smile on his face. It wasn’t a bluff.

“Now, I understand how much you value being yourself,” Qitlan said, taking a step forward.

Owen took one back, sensing guards at the other end of the hall. But with Qitlan there, they didn’t advance just yet.

“Surrender,” Qitlan said, “and we won’t have to use this. It would be inconvenient, I admit, to have you down to Charmander, building you up. It’s simply better if you were yourself, as you are now, all your strength, under Alexander. You’ll be with Mhynt, too. I’m sure she would be happy to… share her time with you. A happy soldier is a loyal soldier.”

“You led me down here on purpose,” Owen said. “But you didn’t do it to my other half yet, did you?”

“Not just yet. You were… the larger threat.” Qitlan nodded. “So, come quietly, will you? I can just make another for your other half, if you’re warning him right now.”

Owen hid a wince, but his heart was hammering in his chest. Key. The Key. He was going to be Reset. He was going to…

His heart rate was slowing down. The flame on his tail dimmed to something a little calmer. Mesprit had his hand on his shoulder. While the red sprite was trembling, he seemed to be trying to dull Owen’s emotions. Uxie had her hand on his other shoulder.

“Stay calm,” she said. “Think this through…”

Calm. But this was bad. The Reset Key would undo all of his progress. He could try to flee, but then he would make more from Star, and then what? That wasn’t a good option, as far as Owen was concerned.

If he did lose himself… he would just become helpless again. But his other self wouldn’t. But would he want to sacrifice his wings just to give the other Owen the chance to flee? Would he then fight… himself? How quickly would he be strengthened? How damaging would that be to himself?

He’d already witnessed one ‘recombination’ nearly completely erase someone. Rhys wasn’t even there anymore, not the same at all.

Qitlan approached and the Reset Key was a little brighter. That confidence in his strut told Owen that he knew he’d won. But it still didn’t make any sense. Why was he so confident, why wasn’t the other Owen under his control?

He had to take a chance. Reset and lose everything, and put his faith into the other Owen, or flee and leave Star behind. Star, who had caved and provided that Key, despite telling her to hang on a little longer. Did she think granting this would have been better? Or was she trying to stop her torment? Star was selfish enough to do that, but why now? Why had she held out for so long, only to give him a trump card at the very end?

It wasn’t adding up.

But Qitlan’s confidence. Why? He knew it was real. It…

Owen glanced at Uxie. He thought about all those times he had been genuinely happy, despite living a lie. Despite his memories being modified. To someone with Perceive like him, he would have looked genuinely normal, all those false lives.

What if…

Could that be the answer?

How many seconds had passed? Everything felt slow, and his emotions were starting to run high again, pushing past Mesprit’s suppression. He looked strained. Uxie looked like she was trying to get a good shot, but would Qitlan resist it? He was much stronger than any of the guards; there was no telling. He couldn’t gamble with that.

Qitlan took one more step forward and raised the orb skyward. The guards seemed ready to attack. This was it. It all boiled down to one decision.

Could he trust Star to hang on just a little more? To not give in and produce the Reset Key? Was this a perfect bluff?

And could he trust the other Owen to pick up where he’d left off if this all failed?

To both… He had his answer.

Owen grabbed a sphere of his own, this one of platinum glass. He crushed it and grabbed Mesprit and Uxie by the waist.

At the same time, Qitlan crushed the orb and let a shockwave of strange energy overtake the hall. Owen jumped to the side, plunging himself into the wall like it was just another doorway.

The aura still hit him, though, and for a horrifying, sinking moment, he wondered if he would be stuck in the wall, reset, dormant, confused, and he’d just doomed Mesprit and Uxie to the same fate.

Everything went dark; Owen couldn’t see. But his Perceive gave him all the answers he needed as he held his breath—he couldn’t breathe anymore, either—and kept Uxie and Mesprit against his chest.

Another second passed. And then another. Nothing was happening.

He could also tell if they were strained or not. The blessing would last about as long as Rayquaza’s, so he only had a minute or so.

“Owen, we can’t breathe. Hurry!” Uxie urged. “Take us somewhere!”

The shockwave didn’t feel at all like a Reset Key. Was it fake after all? Did Star trick him? But he was too keen for that…

Didn’t matter. Now he could rescue the others. Owen ascended to the higher floors, hoping Qitlan would scatter with the others to clear the way to Star.

<><><>​

South Null Village was under siege by a two-person army. One was Aster, who blipped wherever he pleased, taking down defending guards in one hit each time before disappearing to the next part of the street. His mobility disrupted any attempts at the guards from keeping a tight formation.

That made Leph’s job a lot easier. Compared to Aster, who was just there to cause a ruckus, Alexander had given Leph very specific instructions: Get to the Tree and extract the spirits inside.

From high above, Leph wasn’t sure how to interpret it all. The aerial guards were being knocked to the ground at once. Some of them seemed to be more powerful than the rest by huge margins. In particular, a Milotic partnered with a Zoroark kept Aster from going anywhere near the Tree. The Zoroark’s mane crackled with electricity, while the Milotic swam through the ground like it was water.

A Marshadow and a Lucario battled with their backs facing each other, giving Aster no way to break their coverage. They fought in sync so well that even Leph couldn’t see an easy opening. Strange. Something about that Lucario was familiar to her…

That wasn’t important. Her next Judgement was fully charged. From her back, filaments of light exploded out, curved through the air, and rained upon the streets. The explosions drowned out the screams, but Leph had a feeling she hadn’t hit anyone badly.

A part of her wondered if the small casualties would set off Alexander. Maybe she should kill a few just so he wouldn’t bother her…

No. Her main goal was the Tree of Life. That meant if she did just that, it would show her focus and loyal discipline.

Below, Aster was being pushed away by an onslaught of attacks that had caught him off guard. That Milotic was troublesome… Why was she so determined? She considered taking her out so Aster could have more even footing.

Leph directed a few of the filaments of light toward Milotic. They weren’t even paying attention to the blast.

The first filament lanced her through the chest harmlessly. Her whole body distorted and faded away…

Zoroark. Of course.

Perhaps that was also why Aster was having so much trouble. Fine. She just had to be fast. With a cold, calculated movement, she disappeared and reappeared next to the tree; a reaction of countless guards bombarded her with weak, quick strikes. She tapped her foot and rocked the ground in an Earthquake, and then blasted more light in a cone over her back. Leph winced slightly. She’d killed a few of the weaker ones. She could feel their lives disappear, reclaimed by the Voidlands.

“OWEN!” cried a deep, feminine voice. The Milotic, and perhaps this time real. Leph was about to conjure another Judgement, but Aster appeared between them.

“I’ve got them, Leph!”

“Right.” No time to think. She just had to follow orders. Follow orders, and she’d live another day as herself. She shoved a hoof into the bark of the tree—

And everything went white.

She stumbled back, the tree’s bark disappearing. The blinding sunlight disoriented her. Her rear touched another tree and she leapt back, but it was perfectly normal. Just a healthy oak tree.

Healthy… oak tree.

Leph stopped to admire it. It called to her in some deep, wistful way.

The sunlight felt so real. The warmth from the blue sky. They had flashes of that under South Null, but she had to destroy it. That was her assignment. Where did—

She felt a presence behind her. She whirled around and fired a single beam of light.

Clang!

An ethereal ring shook the ground. The light bounced off of a golden barrier and careened into another tree, which toppled over. Behind the shield was a huge, towering Charizard. Taller than she was. Up close, she’d have to crane her neck.

“Y… you…”

The Charizard smiled, nodding. “It’s just me, Leph.” His voice was just like she remembered. Deep, powerful, scary… but it was a scary voice that would ward off others. A voice she had trusted, once, before it had all gone wrong. And… this manipulator knew that, so he assumed this form.

“Don’t try to—”

“I can’t do anything here.” He bowed his head. “This is all just a vision, Leph. A second in the Voidlands… it’s probably minutes in here. You have time to take me away.”

“You…” Leph hesitated. It was the same voice, but… “You aren’t acting like… him. Who are you?!”

“The memories of… Wishkeeper are with another Owen,” he said. “But I know bits and pieces. And I know who you are; the other Owen told me.”

“Did he tell you that you led an army to kill Necrozma?”

“He did.” Owen nodded. “But I would have avoided it, if he agreed to spare Kilo. You know that.”

“You… you were the one who caused all this,” Leph said. “The whole reason I’m in the Voidlands… It’s because—”

“—Alexander took my place, and succumbed to Dark Matter’s power. And then, when it consumed him, he became… too powerful, even for Dark Matter to fight against. I’m not going to deflect blame entirely, but… don’t forget, things only became worse when I was taken out.”

“If you just accepted Kilo’s end… none of this would have happened,” Leph said. “I still blame you.”

The mockery of Wishkeeper nodded. His flame dimmed.

“And what are you doing now?” Leph asked. “Trying to fix your mistakes? Trying to atone? You… you deserve to be Voided the same as any of Alexander’s victims. You try living a life where you’re nothing but a shell!”

She fired another beam of energy, which was deflected without him even moving.

Leph went on. “All the pain I went through under that Hydreigon’s tyranny, all because you couldn’t trust Necrozma! Now I’m—” She choked up, wincing. Her vision was blurry with tears. “Now I’m…”

Owen gestured behind him. “There’s a place I like to meditate,” he said. “Before you take me away, would you like me to show you?”

“Why?” Leph accused.

“It helps clear your head. And… I don’t think anything I say here will make you feel better. Just that I’m sorry. I’ve done a lot of thinking about what I could have done better, what I’d tell people if I could. But what happened, happened. Even with Dialga on my side, I know I can’t go back and undo it. Not without making things a whole lot worse.”

He led her down the clearing, filled with healthy trees with a foreign, green color for their leaves. Everything was so bright. It unnerved her.

The Charizard eventually settled against a tree a little wider than he was, and tall enough to rival the Castle. She leaned back a little to see the top. It, too, was empty, filled only with leaves.

She sat next to him, on edge, waiting for some kind of attack. None came.

“How’s Aster been?” Owen asked. “Seems he’s a good fighter. But when he learned it was me, there was… a lot of hurt in his eyes.”

“He’s confused. That’s all,” Leph said. “He tries to turn everything into a game to cope.”

“I don’t blame him. At least he was happy for most of it… even if… Well. He’s probably killed a lot of people, hasn’t he?”

No reply. Leph didn’t want to follow this thinking. She didn’t need reminders. She had to survive; it wasn’t like she was actually killing them anyway. They still lived. They still stayed in the Voidlands. She killed nobody.

A huge wing draped over Leph.

“I know you can dispel that,” Owen said, gesturing to the ring around her abdomen.

She shrank away, but that warmth was… nostalgic. Had she been cared for by him like this in the past? She couldn’t remember anymore. Did Alexander take that memory away? Or was she tricking herself?

Alexander promised that as long as she obeyed, she would keep her memories. She was still herself. She still had all of herself. She had to.

Had to.

“I can,” Leph replied. “But I don’t trust you like that.”

Owen tilted his head a little, but the wing started to pull away.

“It’s cold here,” Leph murmured.

The wing stopped. Her Arceus ring of gold and emerald prodded at the membrane. It was probably uncomfortable to hold it over her like that.

“Well, alright,” Owen said, holding his position. “Sorry that I evacuated all the spirits here. It’s just me. But I think that’s the one Alexander wanted the most, isn’t it?”

“Probably…”

“I’m not mad at you for it. I’ll come with you quietly.”

“Well, it’s not like you have a choice. I’m… going to take you back. That’s what you deserve.”

“But could you do something for me?” Owen asked. “I think it will free you.”

“You won’t trick me.”

“Why would I trick you, Leph?” Owen asked. “You… you do remember, right? I remember enough that I want to help you. My enemy is Alexander, not you… so…”

And Leph also knew that perhaps even here, Owen could read her body’s tells. Was this even her body, though? This was all some sort of spiritual vision. Maybe Owen’s Perceive didn’t work here. But did he still have the power to read her past? Mhynt did. Owen had the same blessing, the ability to read a spirit’s path.

But… there wasn’t really anything to be seen there. Nothing that he could use against her. It would just be more reasons why she hated him for all he’d caused.

“Leph?” Owen asked.

“What?”

“The favor. Would you hear me out?”

“Say what you want, but then I’m taking you.”

“The me in Cipher City can free you from Alexander,” Owen said. “If you fly north and see him, will you stop and help?”

“What if you’re lying?”

“Then take him back to Alexander, too. You can’t lose here.” Owen leaned a wing over Leph, nodding. “I want you to be free. That’s always what I’ve been fighting for, and… I’ve learned from my mistakes. Right now, that’s all that matters. Being free from the Voidlands. It’s possible, Leph. Don’t forget that. Okay?”

Leph sighed and placed a hoof on his thigh. His body dissolved into nothing but a cyan bubble with a gold center, which she placed in her chest.

“Don’t forget,” she mumbled, the environment around her dissolving. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do this whole time…”

<><><>​

Owen and Swampert had underestimated just how much they could resolve at once.

They had split up. Owen sent Swampert to the higher floors, making sure he tapped on every coin that had been set down the day prior, as well as tip over every vase that he’d put down, even doubling back if he had the opportunity. It was all just a diversion. Owen hadn’t put anything in those vases—no resources—so it was just a distraction to get them paranoid.

The problem was getting to the dungeons. All the stairs were heavily guarded and Owen lacked the brute strength to pierce through. His Perceive didn’t give him any proper hints, either. He could only sense, far below him, that the other, Charizard Owen was being held up by some other mishap. He wasn’t communicating, so he could only guess what the standoff was.

The Charizard had remarked that he knew where the Charmeleon was, but couldn’t properly sense him. That was strange, but Owen also couldn’t sense himself well. Something was blocking his Perceive, but only for his own body. He didn’t know what interference that was, but the pain in his chest made him hope it wasn’t some disruptor they’d lodged in him somehow. Was that even possible?

Qitlan was holding something, but it was invisible to his Perceive.

“Stop!” called a guard once again, and Owen sidestepped on his way down the hall to dodge a rock the guard had conjured and tossed his way. He instead turned around the corner and sprinted to the stairway. For once, it didn’t seem to be occupied.

Tumbling down from the upper stairway, weaving past a few other guards, was Swampert, covered in welts and cuts from narrowly dodged attacks.

“Swampert?!” Owen called.

“Kid, you really got me in hot water this time!” Swampert grabbed him by the shoulders and throttled him. “Why?! Why did you make me tilt all those vases?! What was your plan?!”

“D-diversion?!” Owen said with a nervous titter. “Hey, by the way, I’m also being chased!”

Both sets of guards closed in on them. Swampert grabbed Owen and held him up.

“I—I got him!”

“Hey! Let me go, let me go!” Owen cried, kicking his legs and swinging his tail. He could feel Swampert’s uncertainty, his brief, furtive glances. He was desperate for Owen to think of a plan.

What was he supposed to come up with?! They were cornered!

The guards, however, seemed confused. “What?” said the leading Blaziken.

“I got him!” Swampert said again, holding Owen up like a prize. “Where do I take him?”

“Uh… To King Alexander, I think,” Blaziken said. “He should be around here, right? Take him upstairs!”

Swampert offered a wobbly grin and nodded.

“…Hang on a second, that’s Servant!” cried a Beheeyem in the back. “He’s working for Owen! They’re in cahoots!”

So much for that, Owen thought, wincing. “Agk—squeezing, you’re squeezing me!” Owen hissed.

“…I guess I’m done for now,” Swampert said as the guards murmured loudly with one another. “You really trapped me, huh?”

“Th-that’s not what I wanted,” Owen mumbled, genuine. They were trapped and he was hoping they would spare him if this had gone wrong, but…

“You said you’re going to free everyone eventually,” Swampert said. “…Is that true?”

“If I get out of here…” Owen’s shoulders sagged. They were closing in, taking careful paces, like they were expecting him to pull something. But Owen was out of ideas.

“Then I have nothing to lose.” Swampert tucked Owen under his arm like luggage.

“What—”

“HAAAAAAA!” Swampert charged down the hall and raised his free arm high. He conjured a massive wave of water behind him, towering over him and all the other guards, who immediately opened fire. Owen squeaked and held his hands forward, creating a Protect.

With oddly quick thinking, Swampert positioned Owen just in time to block most of the hits before charging forward again, surfing on his own wave to gain extra distance.

Why is using me as a shield intuitive?!

But it was working, for whatever few seconds they’d needed to press forward. As Swampert dashed past the break in the crowd he’d made, putting all of that exercise to good use, he dug through a pouch on his side. It wasn’t filled with much, but it did have that little pebble that Owen had gifted him. He squeezed it tight and a strange, golden energy coursed through his arm.

Owen wasn’t sure what went through Swampert’s mind just then. All he knew was that everything the guards were now throwing at him did nothing. Even as he fled through and took every hit, even as Owen’s Protect shattered.

“You told the truth!” Swampert roared, tears rolling from his eyes. Flames, ice, and blades conjured of the elements cut through Swampert, but he took all of it and powered on. Step by step, unimpeded. “I remember!” Swampert roared. “I remember my name!

Owen gasped, narrowly blocking a stray blast as the brief energy faded from Swampert’s system.

“My name… is Artur! Born in Pyrock… in the outskirts! And I remember!

He slammed into the wall and conjured more waves of water to push him down the hall to another set of stairs.

“Well,” said an icy, familiar voice, “I’m so happy you could remember… before losing it again!”

“Watch out!” Owen shouted.

Artur held Owen forward and Owen erected a shield, narrowly parrying a concentrated beam of darkness. It sizzled, stinging his scales even past the Protect, which dissolved by the time it was over. The walls around him had been perfectly burned in a circle where the blast had sprayed.

And far ahead was Alexander, flying toward them. On his back was Mhynt, who hopped off and dashed ahead even faster.

“W-wait!” Artur shouted. “I’m—”

Mhynt drew her Honedge from the darkness and leapt. Owen crossed his arms to gamble on another Protect in time, but he was too slow. The blade nicked him on the cheek and plunged into Artur’s heart.

The Swampert opened his mouth in surprise and terror. It didn’t seem like pain. Perhaps it never had the chance to catch up to him, because seconds later, Artur turned to dust. Embers of life siphoned into the blade, giving the once-dull eye a very dim glow.

Owen hit the ground and lost his breath. “Uff—”

Mhynt pointed the blade at him next, just as Alexander drifted closer with a devilish grin on all three heads.

“And here we are,” he said. “Thought you could escape with this little trick? Qitlan already trapped the ‘other you’ here… and Leph and Aster are burning down that Tree of Life as we speak. You will soon be nowhere but in my clutches, whelp… And for what you’ve done… you certainly exhausted all of your privileges here. It’ll be back to the dungeons with you.”

Mhynt grabbed Owen by the arm and forced him to stand, using her blade to coax him up to make up for her height.

“Come, Mhynt,” Alexander said, spinning around. “Let’s reunite him with his old cell.”

“Of course,” Mhynt replied.

Owen glanced down at Mhynt, betrayed. He couldn’t get a read on her. As far as he could tell… she was genuinely going to take him over. She had no tell, none at all.

No. He had to believe in her. He had nothing left but faith in others to pull through. Maybe Mhynt had an idea after all. Maybe—

There was a hand coming out of the floor. That was weird.

Mhynt stifled a startled chirp when it grabbed her legs. Another hand grabbed Owen’s tail.

And suddenly, they were pulled under.

<><><>​

Qitlan marched toward Beheeyem and grabbed him by the neck.

“Ngk—!”

“Why did you lie to me?” Qitlan said, holding a finger to his temple. “Choose wisely or I’ll give your brother your skull.”

“Y-y-yikes!” Beheeyem wriggled a little. “Y-y-you said t-t-to make you think we got it! For a bluff! To fool his Perceive! Please don’t kill me!”

“What?” Qitlan hissed.

Beheeyem hastily clicked two fingers together, and a bind against Qitlan’s mind suddenly split open, and the true memories resurfaced in a rush. The hasty steps down the dungeon. The quick thinking, the gamble, the false orb of light energy.

Qitlan released Beheeyem and sprinted down the hall. “Secure Mew,” he ordered. “Where is she located now?!”

He addressed the first guard he saw—a Golduck who still looked dazed by something that had happened before.

“WHERE IS SHE?” Qitlan roared, shooting Golduck in the arm.

He quacked in pain and crumpled to the side. “I don’t know! They didn’t tell me! H-hey, do you know what Hydro Pump is?”

“Useless.” Qitlan sprinted down the halls again, but skidded to a stop when he heard a commotion down a different hall. Green lights and purple smoke…

He saw a wraith skittering down the hall just as he turned, but it was all the way on the opposite side. He saw several guards crumpled on the ground, but no Owen. He didn’t produce green flames, did he? No, the Grass Orb… what if—No. They’d flame-proofed those chains; he wouldn’t have been able to break Mew loose so easily, and he didn’t have much physical strength.

“What happened?” Qitlan asked, catching the smell of the purple gas. It muddled his mind. He shook it off, but saw that all of the guards seemed both dazed and wounded. Some kind of toxin…

One seemed to be in better shape because he was giggling. “Speak to me, what happened?”

“Pretty lady…” The dazed Weavile giggled.

Qitlan shoved him away and checked the room. The door had a hole melted through it, but it also looked like it had been blasted by some other kind of energy, too. Green scales littered the ground, oddly hexagonal in shape. Deeper inside, past the two-door chamber, was an empty cell.

Empty cell. Empty cell. And the chains looked like they’d been rusted away and then chopped by incredible force.

The whole room had that intoxicating smell in the air. Qitlan didn’t wait any longer, knowing that it was the wraith.

Down several more halls, but the Void Shadow was fast. Whose Void Shadow was it? Dark Matter was dead, or at least useless; the only other one who could control Void Shadows was Alexander. Who?

Qitlan recognized this area. The center of the basement of Cipher Castle, the connection to Kilo through a great crater. Nobody could pass through, but sometimes wanderers found their way inside to be converted to guards. Easy, strong labor.

But a Void Shadow couldn’t escape through there. Smirking, Qitlan continued forward, knowing it was cornered.

The door creaked open, heavy but accessible—because what could possibly escape through here?—but he noticed the unused lock had been melted through anyway by some corrosive liquid.

And the Void Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

“What?!”

So, naturally, it had survived up ahead. Qitlan sprinted through the door and into the large, empty room, but he never reached the other side. Instead, the world around him shifted from a dark, blue-black dungeon to a brown, arid field.

And suddenly it felt like his whole body was on fire. He hissed, blinded by the light, and staggered back to safety until the burning stopped.

“Qitlan, sir!” cried a few guards.

“By the Void, why did he go through?!”

“Someone, get a medic!”

“Qitlan, are you okay?!”

Qitlan groaned, looking at his hands. All the skin was gone. He could only imagine what the rest of him must have looked like. He whispered, “Star… Star is here, somewhere. Somewhere in the outskirts is her Void Shadow. Get her… She went through. She must have been reclaimed. Get her… get her…!”

His vision was darkening. The pain was too much, even for him. As the medics descended upon him, he could only hope that Alexander would not be disappointed… Qitlan imagined falling into Alexander’s embrace, feeling his tough scales. That he didn’t fail. And that they would get them again.

With a little smile, he allowed himself to fall unconscious.

<><><>​

Owen really was carrying them out like groceries.

Mesprit and Azelf were in his left arm. Cipher Owen and Mhynt were in his right. Conjuring an updraft for himself, Owen glided through the main floor of Cipher Castle, making a straight shot toward the grand entrance.

“Wait!” Mesprit cried. “We forgot Mew!”

“Taken care of,” Charizard Owen said.

“What? I can’t sense her!” Charmeleon Owen yelped.

“I sensed someone fleeing with her while rescuing you. Don’t know who, but they fled through some spot in the dungeons and then vanished. I think they’re safe. Star felt relieved.”

“But what if it’s all a ploy?” Mesprit cried.

“We’re out of tricks, I—I need to have faith.” He faltered a little. “I’m sorry, this plan didn’t go as well as I thought. I couldn’t get to Star in time and I sensed you were cornered, too. I messed up.”

“Don’t beat yourself up yet.” Uxie focused ahead. “Mesprit and I are out of power. You only have Azelf’s blessing left. And a whole fleet of guards are about to pursue us.”

“I—I think I’ll figure out a way to get past the guards. I just need a little more timing. Hey, by the way, question. Those… powers you had on emotion and knowledge. Do they affect Dark Pokémon, too?”

“Well, yes. Those are divine powers, not Psychic powers. Though, strong Pokémon can resist it, if you’re thinking of trying that on Alexander…”

“Would it work for at least a little while?”

“If a ‘little while’ means seconds, then perhaps so. But right now, we aren’t at our best. Our other halves are not part of us. Don’t expect it to work for more than a few instances.”

“Good enough,” Owen growled to himself.

Charmeleon Owen, meanwhile, was holding Mhynt’s shoulder. “Hey,” he said. “Can Alexander control you if he figures out what happened?”

“It’s possible,” Mhynt said.

“Then now’s the time for me to try to free you.”

“So you really can do that?” Charizard Owen asked.

Charmeleon Owen nodded. “I think I reawakened some of Diyem’s blessings in me. Mhynt, are you…?”

“…And you won’t control me next?”

Both Owens looked betrayed, but Charmeleon Owen recovered faster. “I don’t know how, and I don’t want to find out.”

“Decide fast! They’re closing in!”

By now, the city lights were below them, beautiful crystals amid a black sea of stone. From all four sides, winged guards were already catching up. Even the ground guards were taking aim, and Owen just remembered the sentry spire would also be firing at him. But this time, he didn’t have Rayquaza’s blessing to get him through. He only had one last blessing.

“Fine, do it,” Mhynt hissed.

The Charmeleon grabbed Mhynt with one arm over her shoulder. He tensed, but Charizard Owen still couldn’t get a read for what was in his counterpart’s body, which unnerved him. Why was his Perceive acting up like that? It was like something was blocking his senses, absorbing it from the inside.

Shadowy energy raced along the smaller Owen’s shoulders and into his arms, seeping into Mhynt’s. Then, he tugged, and an even greater shadow tore its way out of Mhynt, who was suddenly gasping for air and squeezing her little fingers over Charizard Owen’s arms.

“I can’t… breathe…” Mhynt whimpered.

“A little more,” Owen begged as he pulled. “Skies, there’s a lot of Alexander in here…”

That made Mhynt wince even more, so Charizard Owen held her a little more firmly as he dodged between stray blasts from below. “You’re fine, Mhynt,” he said gently. That relaxed her muscles a little. “Not long now.”

“Got it!” The other Owen finally yanked something free from Mhynt, which burst from her shoulder yet left no wound. Mhynt screamed and tucked her head against her carrier’s chest, pounding her fist against his arm. Despite her size, the strikes nearly knocked Owen off balance, but it also helped him dodge the first blast from the sentinel spire.

“Gah! It’s really firing already?!” Mesprit said.

Then came an explosion up ahead. The missed shot had hit a building instead, and it was collapsing in front of them.

“Oh, gods…”

Owen wished his Perceive wasn’t active, but as he flew over the building, he couldn’t help but count how many were trapped inside the rubble.

“Don’t slow down,” Uxie said.

“I wasn’t going to—” Owen wasn’t sure if he was lying. Maybe he would have tried to help. But Uxie reminded him that he couldn’t. But… “But they’re trapped—”

“Save them by saving the Voidlands. If you go down, the guards will—OWEN!”

Owen descended toward the building. The guards were fifteen seconds away from him at most. Alexander was speeding towards them at the same time. At the rate this was going, they would meet him at the same time Alexander would.

Uxie was shouting various curses into his mind, commanding him to fly away. But he knew the timing of the sentry tower now. He had a bit. And this was just what he needed for the final stretch out of the city.

Landing on the ground, Owen released Mhynt. “How good are your powers as Lunala?” Owen asked immediately.

“What?”

“You can change into her, right? You’re whole?”

“I… I haven’t used that light in a very long time, Owen. The darkness corroded it into—” Her eyes widened with realization.

“Please, try.” Owen loosened his hold, and then glanced at the cloud of guards coming in, parting ways for Alexander himself to approach. “You need to use that light and get us far south. Maybe… halfway. That should be enough.”

“I can’t be precise like that… I’ll…”

He lunged forward and held his arms out, crafting a Protect just in time to parry a shadowy lance. It deflected into the ground where it turned the stone to shadowy dust.

“What if I fail?” Mhynt asked, the smallest hint of helplessness in her voice.

“Then I have another backup. Try, don’t be afraid, Mhynt! Anything is enough!”

The Treecko winced again and nodded. Then, she tensed herself, and her expression grew firm. Uxie and Mesprit floated just behind Owen, still tapped out. Charmeleon Owen was pushing a few pieces of rubble aside by conjuring some vines. Some Pokémon under the surface pushed their way through the rubble. At least most of the buried Pokémon were hardy; being able to breathe was the concern, not the weight of the debris.

“I’m sensing a strong power in the way,” Mhynt said. “I don’t know how to do warp travel in the Voidlands, not… not right now, I can’t get past—”

“Go in front of it,” Owen said. “That’s Leph and Aster. Has to be.”

“Don’t we want to avoid—”

“Other-me has it covered. Do it!”

The guards wouldn’t wait, so Owen bought some precious seconds. He grabbed the final blessing and smashed it. From the orb of light, blue energy enveloped everything within at least hundreds of feet in all directions. And suddenly, all of the guards stopped advancing. Even Alexander faltered.

Their will to fight had been sapped. For how long, Owen wouldn’t risk. But with their empty wills… maybe he could try to get into their heads. Alexander was a lost cause, but the guards…

“Look at what your so-called leader has done just to get me.” Owen spread his wings to look bigger. “Sacrificing innocent civilians, not even caring how many he destroys, just because he’s afraid of my power!”

“Don’t listen to him,” Alexander hissed, trying to conjure some of his Shadows again. One of his heads looked much darker than the rest of him again, like he was struggling to maintain its shape. “You… what trick is this…”

“If you want to defect, if you’re tired of living in the Voidlands,” Owen roared, “come to South Null. Defect! Come with your head low, surrender, and you will find a new home away from Alexander.”

“Your words fall on deaf ears!” Alexander spat. “Now FALL!”

At first, Owen thought Mhynt’s body had torn apart. It horrified him. But then, wings replaced where her back had blown away. Where her legs and limbs had shriveled, a great body of cosmic colors came into being, complete with the head of an upward crescent moon. She was strained, but she raised her wings and blasted over Owen’s shoulder, striking Alexander directly when he was focused on his own strike. Alexander tried to throw what he had, a faded lance of darkness.

On reflex, Owen reached toward it and pulled at that same aura. He tried to trace it—it was so slow compared to Alexander’s other attacks—but it was too strange. He couldn’t figure out how to copy it.

Charmeleon Owen rushed forward next, grasping at the energy with his claws in the same way. Filaments of dark strings traced through the air and into his claws like he was toying with a puppet, and then the Charmeleon pulled. The lance was in his hands. Then, like it burned him, he hurled it back at Alexander, who was too disoriented to defend. It struck him in the chest, sending him careening past all of the guards with a frustrated roar.

Mhynt’s wings stretched as far as they could. There was a great light behind him that was expanding outward. Mhynt’s wings collapsed around them all. Everything was too bright, then too dark, and then too bright again. It burned, then it was cold, and then…

<><><>​

South Null was burning, and Leph flew away from it with Aster on her back and one more spirit within her chest.

“…Leph…” Aster tapped on the wheel over her abdomen. “If we’re doing bad things for someone who’s bad, because if we didn’t, we’d die… are we bad?”

Leph sighed. Why now, after so many centuries, was he now thinking about the philosophy behind all this playing? Owen must have reminded him of times gone by.

Because of course Owen would do that. He had practically raised them, even if it was here and there. Unlike the Legends, he knew how to interact with mortals. He remembered how to think the way a mortal did, and now so was Aster. Was that better? Worse?

“It’s just how things are,” Leph said quietly. “We don’t have a choice. Worrying about it won’t help anything. It’ll just… make you feel worse.”

But that was probably how Aster had coped all this time. It had finally caught up to him. Now, Leph only wished she could be as carefree as he had been…

A bright light assaulted her vision and her flight path. She yelped and abruptly halted her flight; Aster slammed into the back of her neck. When the stars faded from Leph’s vision, she saw a Charizard, a Charmeleon, several small Pokémon, and a huge pile of rubble. She could sense many lives underneath the rubble.

“What in the world…” Leph descended. “Aster! Lift those stones. There are Pokémon inside!”

“Okay!” Aster hopped off of Leph and focused, his whole body radiating violet light. Stones glowed with the same color, arranging themselves into neat stacks and freeing many injured and battered Pokémon underneath.

Leph heard a light chuckle in her mind.

There he is.

Leph, startled, looked around. “Who’s there?”

Sorry. I was just watching. It’s me, Owen. In here.

She looked down toward her chest. Then at the sky.

Up ahead. That’s the rest of me. Mind… handing me over?

Leph stared uneasily at the downed Charizard. Azelf, Mesprit, she recognized those two, as well as a Charmeleon under his wings. There was even…

“Mhynt!” Leph trotted over. “Mhynt, you look awful!”

The Treecko was withered like a leaf. Her back looked torn apart by something, and her arms and legs bent at odd angles. Leph tried to focus some healing energy toward her, which helped a little…

“Leph…” Mhynt wheezed, reaching up. “Get… get Owen… to… free you.”

“What?”

“I’m… I’m free, Leph…” Mhynt limply squeezed Leph’s golden hooves. “I’ve never felt… so…”

“Save your strength,” Leph whispered.

The Charizard was stirring, but the Charmeleon got up first, groaning. “Don’t remember that being part of the travel…” He wobbled to his feet. “…Leph?”

“H-hi…”

“Hi.”

“Rescue complete!” Aster said cheerfully, holding about twenty Pokémon in a lazy cloud above his head.

“Set them down,” Owen and Leph requested.

“Oh—sorry.”

Leph turned her attention back to Owen. “There… are two of you.”

Three, actually.

“Er, yeah, long story.”

Mesprit and Azelf helped Mhynt stand, but then realized they were better off carrying her. She could barely stay conscious. Charizard Owen, meanwhile, took her in his arms and nodded firmly, assuring them she would be okay.

“You… you really can do it?” Leph asked. “You can… just do it like that? Undo what Alexander did to me?”

“It’s why he’s afraid of me,” Owen said. “I take it other-me told you everything?”

“…How… how did you plan all of this?” Leph asked. “I can’t believe it.”

“Alexander used to work under me. Between the notes all of my selves shared, I knew some of his strategies. And… I didn’t know for sure. But if he sent you two to South Null, I knew how it would go. I’m… glad I was right.” He held out his hands. “May I be whole? Then I think I’ll have the strength to free you.”

But if she disobeyed, Alexander would Void her. That would be the end. She’d be gone. She’d be nothing.

Remember what I said, Leph. Alexander doesn’t matter anymore. Please… trust me one last time. Isn’t this exactly what you said you’d do?

It was. It really was.

But after so many centuries… it seemed too good to be true. Getting this change… facing everything she’d done, after being free from that darkness…

You can do it, Leph. Do it for Aster.

Aster…

The Mewtwo was chatting happily with the confused civilians, who seemed varying degrees between startled and scared. His happy laughs. Were they fake? Could they be real again?

“Okay.” Filaments of light emerged from Leph’s back, and then, from between the back of her shoulders, they drew out a single golden orb. Gingerly, she let it drift toward Owen, but the moment she let go, it zapped into the Charizard’s chest.

“Guh—” He staggered back and nearly squished Mesprit when he landed on his rear, squeezing his head.

“…Um… Owen—”

He held up a hand and then resumed squeezing his head.

They stood there, awkwardly, for a few seconds.

Then, “Wasn’t expecting it to be that fast…” Owen shook his head. “Sorry. Was sorting through some… memory-shock? Yeah, let’s call it that…” He breathed a deep sigh. “How far are we from South Null?”

“By wing, only a few minutes,” Leph said. “Not long at all if Aster Teleports us there.”

“Everyone here?” Owen asked, concerned.

“At such a short distance, he can handle it.”

“Right… okay. Let’s get that done. The sooner we can get out of here the better.”

<><><>​

Zena was a nervous wreck. Even while she was in the hospital, her trivial wounds getting looked at, she couldn’t stop thinking about if Owen’s absurd plan was actually going to work. Doubts that maybe he’d planned too much and too many cascading things were about to go horribly wrong. That maybe Owen shouldn’t have pushed himself so far just to get an edge on Qitlan’s infinite planning. He’d exchanged careful strategy in favor of doing something unexpected and spontaneous, but wouldn’t that result in losing and sacrificing too much?

“Yer lost in thought again.”

She gasped, glancing at the door. “Don’t scare me like that,” she murmured at Marshadow, who closed the door behind him and offered an apologetic smile.

“Nah, sorry. Kinda comes with the bod’.” He hopped onto the hospital bed and asked with his eyes if that was acceptable. Zena didn’t object. “Anyway, just checkin’ on everyone. You got a lotta bad hits, y’know. Worse than most.”

“I suppose I’m a larger target,” Zena admitted. “Any news about Owen?”

“Well, the scouts saw Leph stop her movements,” Marshadow remarked. “Was pretty weird. Saw a lot of random building rubble suddenly appear in the air, too. Double weird. Not sure what that’s all about, heh.”

“Oi, oi, y’left me behind!” someone called as the door burst open again, revealing a bulky Lucario.

“Manny,” greeted Zena with a small sigh. Gods, she was listening to him in stereo.

“Hey Zeeny,” Manny greeted, earning a slight twinge of perplexed annoyance from the Milotic. “How’s my double talkin’?”

“Well, he told me about the scouts…”

“Cool, yeah, since ol’ Marshadow’s hastier, he didn’ get the latest,” Manny said with a smirk.

“Now c’mon, I ain’t gonna have a pretty lady waitin’!” Marshadow said.

Manny held up his arms, but then smiled at Zena. “Owen’s comin’ back. Looks like he pulled off a real miracle this time.”

“What?! How many—er, how much of Owen? All of him?”

“Yeppers, all three, if y’ask me. Dunno how that one got pulled off. Missin’ Star, though…”

Zena’s first thought was that it didn’t matter, but then she remembered how important that actually was… She winced, now a little guilty for the thought. “Let’s go. I want to see him.”
 
Chapter 145 - Unexpected Life

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Chapter 145 – Unexpected Life

The doctors had insisted Zena stay in bed and recover from those wounds, which were still bleeding mildly despite her Mystic healing. Being struck by the Judgement of Arceus, as it turned out, was more difficult to heal. But Zena insisted a little harder that she go and see Owen; she would be fine. The pain meant little to her anyway.

It was easy to tell where they were. The Radiant Tree of Life, which had gone dark when Leph fled, was brightening. It seemed like it was trying to form a portal into the living world again, since their convenient one had gone out with the Tree’s light.

She had made it just in time to see Owen, two of the Trio of Mind, their former assailants, and another Owen standing by the tree. Owen had pulled something vile and shadowy out of Leph’s chest, which left her collapsed on the ground from the shock. By the time Zena had gotten within speaking distance, Aster had collapsed next, trembling and incapacitated.

“Um… I do hope I am not interrupting anything,” Zena said.

Charmeleon and Charizard both looked at her with relieved smiles. Only then did Zena notice Mhynt also there, frowning pensively, but saying nothing.

“…Oh. Right,” Mhynt suddenly said, holding out her palm before forming that empty Honedge.

Zena was immediately on guard, but when Owen and Owen only looked perplexed, she did nothing further.

Mhynt pointed the blade at the ground and fired something red. Zena watched in disgusted awe as a skeleton formed, stuffed and covered itself in living organs and red flesh, and finally covered properly in skin that went over the body in a fine mist before solidifying.

A Swampert now stood there, dazed, and returning to his senses. “Buh—huh?” He blinked. “What? Where?” He spun around, but then yelped when Mhynt tossed the Honedge husk toward him.

“Keep it as an apology,” Mhynt said with a hum. “I don’t need it anymore.”

“Oh. Um. Thanks?” Swampert gave Charizard Owen a panicked look, but he only nodded, as if that would mean something.

“Anyway,” Charmeleon Owen finally said, “I think… it’s about time we do our own return to form, huh?”

Charizard Owen nodded. “Right. Let’s get together again.”

They stood awkwardly. Zena awaited whatever strange process they were going to go through. She wondered if she would be allowed to watch, or if it was something stranger and… No, no, she shouldn’t fantasize.

“Um, Owen?” Zena spoke up.

“Yeah, hang on,” they both said, staring at each other.

More silence.

“…Okay,” Charizard Owen said, clearing his throat. “So… we have no idea how to recombine.”

Zena gaped. “What?!”

“We didn’t think about this part!” Charmeleon Owen squeaked. “We uhh, I mean, I figured one of us would die and we’d combine that way! I wasn’t counting on being rescued from all angles…”

“Wait, so should I kill you?” Charizard Owen asked.

“I—maybe? You’re the one with wings, so I don’t think I should take you.”

“Wait, can’t you evolve yourself?”

“I kinda tried that during the raid and it didn’t work…”

“So that’s another strange thing along with not being able to Perceive part of you…”

The two Owens continued to talk to each other, theorizing and contemplating with sentences too fast that Zena stopped following along.

“Hey, ehh…” Manny spoke up. “How about a dance?”

“What? A dance?” they asked. “Why?”

“I dunno. How about the Hot Spot dance?” Manny suggested.

They suddenly looked horrified. “No!” they exclaimed. Charizard Owen continued, “How is a dance going to get us together?! How do you know about that dance, anyway?”

“Ehh, well, I was the one who suggested it ter Star, an’ I guess she told it ter Amia, an’—”

You put me through that?!” Charmeleon Owen said. Both their tails flashed a strangely furious blue.

“Y’know, ferget I said anything!” Manny took a few careful steps back, holding up his paws.

“Alright! Alright. How about… we try it like a fusion?” Charmeleon Owen said. “We do that all the time.”

“So, like, a special hug?” Charizard Owen asked.

Mhynt squinted.

“Yeah! Alright, you’re pretty big, so how about you just hold me?”

“Sure, uh, like this…?”

Mhynt inched toward Zena. “So, he still does that.”

Zena glanced down, still keeping one eye on the odd ritual. “…Wait. That’s on purpose?”

“Oh, that’s cute.” Mhynt chuckled to herself.

“What does that mean?”

“Wait! It’s working!” Charmeleon Owen said, and just as he started to sink a little, both Owens flashed a white light. Two became one, but for a blink’s worth of time, something dark emerged from Charmeleon Owen’s chest.

Zena recalled that had been where Owen had been stabbed through Diyem before being kidnapped…

What was that?

But it happened so quickly that she had no time to react to any of it. It was over already, the full, whole Charizard standing before them. He took a long, deep breath, then exhaled, wincing a little as he rubbed his chest.

“Not the smoothest transition,” Owen mumbled. “Give me a second… Just sorting out memories again…”

“Take your time,” Zena said, slithering a little closer. “…Owen… Are you feeling okay?”

The Charizard took a few minutes to stretch his wings and arms, shifting his weight like it was a little uncomfortable. The delay in reply put Zena a little on edge. It didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t place why. Maybe his movements were off. She gave uncertain glances to the others as Owen rubbed at his chest again.

“Yeah! Just was a… a, uh, just a rough…” He trailed off, then shrugged unevenly.

By now, the others were growing quiet from their buzzing banter in the crowd. “Eh, Owen?” Manny asked.

“Yeah?” Owen asked. “Yeah, I’m… fine, just… with, fus, that’s…”

“Did the fusion go wrong?” Zena asked, but she couldn’t find anything amiss with his aura. None of that fragmented mess that it had been during a Reset, or just before when he had mutant problems. It did seem a little weaker, though, and something seemed…

Owen said a few more words, but they were incoherent. There was a startled look in his eyes as he gestured to himself, confused… He squinted, but it looked more like a wink.

And then he collapsed against Zena.

“Owen!” Zena wrapped ribbons over him.

Everyone shouted, but Manny was quick to spring away, saying something about a doctor. Mhynt looked like she was staring death in the face.

“I—I’ll stay here,” Zena said helplessly. “Get help! Anywhere!”

While Manny ran to the doctors and others left to find specific people, Zena called Mhynt over to try to see what was wrong. But even Mhynt was out of her element here.

“Just—just be with him,” Mhynt said shakily. “He’s divine, isn’t he? Shouldn’t this not happen?”

“I don’t know,” Zena said. “Owen, Owen, can you hear me?”

Mhynt felt around his chest, but then flinched.

“Careful, Charizard have massive body heat,” Zena warned. “The stress might—”

“It’s cold.”

Zena’s heart sank into her gut. She felt Owen’s body. Warm. But when she felt where Mhynt touched—right near his heart—all she could feel was the cold of a void.

<><><>​

Once again, Zena was in a hospital. This time, it was in a waiting room. There was a strange, helpless feeling wrapped around her heart. Even after healing attempts by the others, even a bleary Arceus herself, it wasn’t enough to undo whatever strange damage Owen had taken from the reunion with himself.

They’d hauled him into a room immediately, triaging him. It was apparently high priority because he was already whisked away into one of the operating rooms. Zena wondered if Owen would have approved of that, or if he would think about how many others would be waiting a little longer for their treatments because of him.

As far as Zena was concerned, this was a little more pertinent. Owen had gods and usurpers to fight.

She’d lost track of the time. A few employees occasionally emerged, coming and going to check on Zena, but all the while, she assured them with little nods and not much else. She wasn’t well. Everyone knew she wasn’t well. But they couldn’t do anything about it, nor could she herself.

Heaving a sigh, she curled up in the corner of the waiting room and contemplated closing her eyes.

Then, a Carnivine came floating into the room, holding a small box of chocolates. They made eye contact and Zena immediately recognized him as her former boss. She hid a scowl as he floated over.

“I, er, I… heard what happened,” he said. “You’re… Zena, right?”

“I am.” So he remembered her name.

“I just wanted to apologize for… things.” No eye contact. “The spa isn’t doing so well after being, uh… destroyed. But we’ll bounce back. I had no idea how important you were, see…” He placed the box on the table next to Zena, as if it would mean something.

“Well.” She wondered how the others would have handled this. That softened her gaze some. “Thank you. I hope the spa improves, but I hope we can rescue everyone before then.”

“That’d sure be something,” Carnivine remarked with a little laugh. “Uh, really, though, thanks. And sorry. I don’t know what that battle was, but by the time I was awake again… it was all over. I must have already been saved by someone, maybe one of your group.”

“And how about the others?” Zena asked.

“Most, er, they’re still being… searched for. But we ran into a few. They aren’t interested in working again. Poor Vaporeon is an Eevee again, too, so her old job won’t really… work now.”

“Right… some had been killed.”

Carnivine nodded solemnly.

“I’m glad they’re still around,” Zena said. “Thank you for the update.”

“How’s Charizard?”

She hid her apprehension. “Well… I don’t know. But I know he’ll pull through. This is just a… bump on the path.”

“Or a shift in the current, right?” Carnivine asked lightheartedly.

She found herself smiling a little. “Yes, or a shift,” she said. “And we will swim through.”

“Heh. Yeah. You know, when I saw you guys, like, in just little glimpses, you seemed like a good couple. I hope he’s good to you.”

“He is.” An image of Mhynt holding Owen’s chest flashed in her mind. She frowned and surveyed the room. She wasn’t there; she had gone on a walk, a ‘short’ walk.

“Something bothering you?” Carnivine asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just waiting.”

“Ah. Well… I hope that goes well.”

Zena nodded. “Thank you.”

And as he left, he floated over a Treecko walking in through the same door.

“No news?” Mhynt asked.

“None.”

Mhynt leapt onto a chair and took a seat, sniffing the air before snapping her fingers. There was a pulse of aura from where she’d clicked, which bounced off something invisible on the seat on the other side of Zena.

“Hello, Enet,” Mhynt greeted.

“Enet!” Zena prodded at the empty air with her ribbons, feeling thick fur. “I could have known I had company, you know.”

The illusion dissolved, revealing the Zoroark with completely frazzled fur, her bangle completely missing. There was a worried expression in her eyes, too, and she looked afraid that Zena was going to scold her.

Zena sighed and said, “It’s okay, Enet. Just rest with us, okay?”

She took this as an invitation, apparently, and leapt into Zena’s coils and curled up. She was… warm, so Zena didn’t try to move her.

“I can tell you’re worried,” Mhynt said. “Don’t be. If anything, just be impatient.”

“What?”

“Owen’s taking longer than usual to come back from this, but I know he will.”

“Too strong,” Enet agreed.

“I know that,” Zena lied. “…But, thank you. It’s good to have assurances. And… well… from you in particular. You knew him well.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Mhynt said. “I know who he used to be. But… he’s changed. A lot. I wonder if losing his memories allowed him to be… happier again. Funny how that works.”

And then, a door opened down the hall. A Scyther covered in blood emerged and waved at them.

“He’s gonna be just fine,” Scyther said with a little grin.

Zena looked him over.

“Oh, sorry. We just got finished. It was a little trickier than a trivial surgery, but he’s a strong one. He’s stable and in recovery. Though… we aren’t sure what it was in him.”

“What?” Mhynt asked.

“He insisted he hang onto it,” Scyther went on. “If you wait a few minutes, we can have him in a recovery room…”

“We’ll see him, then,” Mhynt agreed.

As Scyther left, Zena exchanged an uncertain look with Mhynt. In the end, things could never be simple.

<><><>​

The recovery room they’d kept Owen in was a large, sterile room with a single bed that was extra soft and comfy-looking. Compared to stone, at least. Had it not been for the sorry state of the Charizard in it, Zena would have been envious.

He was on his back, tail dimmer than usual but stable. Zena wondered if the surgeons had an easy way to tell how healthy he was just from the flame alone. There was a curious glow around his body, as if he’d been blasted with countless Heal Pulses over the course of whatever procedure they’d gone through. His scales seemed damp from Life Dew. The air was humid; maybe it was in the air.

Zena didn’t recognize most of the other devices in the room. A few of them made occasional, soft beep. Others had screens with numbers and lines on them. None of it made sense, but they reminded her of more sophisticated versions of what Kilo’s hospital had.

On a small table next to Owen’s bed was a strange, black orb about the size of a small pumpkin. Staring at it unnerved Zena, and she assumed it was some other Void technology. Maybe a good luck charm to the place’s denizens…

“Um, Owen,” Zena whispered.

Owen’s eyes shot toward her. Okay, so he was alert. A good sign.

Then he smiled a wide, wide smile and reached toward her, grasping the air dumbly. “Zenaaaa Mhynnnnnt…”

“Oh no.” Mhynt pinched her snout.

“What’s wrong with him?” Zena asked, alarmed, as Owen giggled and tried to crawl toward her, only for him to fall back onto his bed.

“They had to use a special medicine to operate on him,” Mhynt explained to Zena. “The downside is for a few hours afterward, it leaves you a little… drunk.”

“That’s not how I imagined Owen drunk would be.”

“Not exactly drunk. Loopy. Silly.”

“What a strange side effect…”

“Guys,” Owen said, whispering loudly and with wide eyes. His reptilian pupils focused on them individually. “I’m a daddy.”

“That’s nice, Owen. Now go to sleep,” Mhynt said.

“Y-yes, Owen, you are,” Zena said. “You remember, Spice, Enet, and one of the spirits, don’t you?”

“No, no, no, no,” Owen explained, shaking his head. “I’m a new daddy…”

Zena and Mhynt squinted.

“Excuse me?” Mhynt asked.

“I had an egg.” Owen tapped his chest and closed his eyes, looking falsely serene. Zena was almost fooled, had it not been for his wobbly movements as he tried to sit up. She took the opportunity to gently press him back into bed.

“Owen, dear,” Zena said patiently, “males can’t have eggs.”

“Not with that attitude!” He pointed at the dark orb on the table.

“…Hm.” Mhynt nodded to herself. “I see.”

Don’t act like you understand! Zena glared at her. “Owen,” she pivoted, “was that responsible for you… passing out?”

“It was in my here,” Owen explained, tapping his chest and wincing. He kept tapping until Zena used a ribbon to gently, but firmly, stop him. “Right by my heart. I guess that was bad. It was in the me that was in Cipher Castle… uh-huh, and that was messing with my Perceive, too! It was all that! And he she is gonna hatch to be a beautiful baby them.”

“Interesting…” Mhynt hopped onto the table and knelt down to inspect the egg, which was larger than she was. “It’s certainly not a normal egg. The shell is made of some kind of… darkness.” She glanced seriously at Zena, then at Owen. “Alexander didn’t perform any strange experiments on you, did he?”

“Nope. I didn’t sleep. I was clever and faked sleeping. Even when I slept with Swampert.”

“You what?” they both asked.

Owen went back to tapping on his chest, so Zena gently placed his hands by his side. The Charizard, taking advantage of a long neck, lurched forward and licked her on the cheek. “Got youuu.” His tongue was still slightly out of his mouth.

Zena flushed and decided to let it slide. “…Mhynt, er, do you… know what it might be?”

“I know what Alexander’s energy feels like,” Mhynt said, “and it’s not his. The only other darkness we know about is ‘Diyem,’ so our best bet would be to ask him about it.”

“What do we do?” Zena asked.

Mhynt crossed her arms, staring it down like it would somehow give her the answer. Zena figured that they should ask Owen, too, when he was of… sound mind.

The Treecko sighed through her nostrils. “Stay here with him. I’ll fetch Diyem. What did you use to escape to Kilo?”

“Well, the rift in the sky… which is closed until Owen can restore the Tree…”

“Then a Dungeon rift is our next option,” Mhynt said. “…It would be faster to wait for Owen to recover. Hmhh. Fine. I’m going on some errands. Would you like anything to eat?”

“Oh, no, thank you. But… get something for Owen, just in case. I think the lack of spirits in his Guardian Orb is making him almost mortal again, not to mention whatever that dark egg did to him…”

“I’ll get something after asking the doctors.” Mhynt left a little hastily, and Zena could imagine a thousand reasons why.

She also knew she was the last person Mhynt would answer if she asked.

“…Is she gonna be okay?” Owen asked.

Zena wasn’t sure if he was lucid or if it was that obvious. “I think so. She just needs time. And… maybe someone else, who isn’t us, to talk to about it.”

<><><>​

The warmth of the sun was bittersweet. Spice felt just a tiny bit at home in those dark tunnels, but she also knew that she had a home on the surface. A proper home, and according to what Owen had said…

No. Not important right now. Instead, in her arms, she carried the tiny, delicate form of a Pokémon she’d only read about in stories. Mew, the Creator of the Common. The original progenitor of all mortals. Where Arceus was the god who had given rise to the pantheon, it was Mew who gave the pantheon its worshippers.

Was that same exact person in her arms, trembling, right now? What in the world happened to make this ultimate creator reduce herself to this?

Strangest of all, though, was the calm warmth that came from her gem. That urgent feeling of having to go, go, go and get her was finally gone. That Zygarde must have been very focused on saving her if it had managed to influence her thoughts in that way, but… it worked out.

The crater was steep near the end, but Spice managed to climb it. Brandon was waiting a fair distance from the crater’s edge, legs crossed and chatting with six other metallic figures. One of them, a Blaziken, pointed at her, and the other five disappeared into fire that returned to the Machoke’s metal body. The Blaziken lingered a little longer, but then disappeared, too.

“Hey,” Brandon greeted. “So, uh…”

“We need to see Xerneas, immediately.” Spice held the Mew forward, but then quickly pulled her back to her chest when Mew shifted in discomfort and seemed to sizzle. “I don’t know why but if she gets too far away from me, she starts… burning.”

“Yeah, that’s bad.” Brandon kicked up a huge metal board. They both climbed on and started flying away, Spice securing Mew against her chest once again. It felt like she was whispering something to the gem in her chest.

“Hey, you feeling alright?” Spice asked.

She said something again, but it was too soft.

“Mew?” Spice leaned her head down.

“I’m… sorry…”

Gods, her voice was so soft. What was she apologizing for?

Mew curled up even tighter and Spice decided not to press it for now.

Brandon had been flashing a few concerned looks.

“Do you know her?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Brandon replied. “You know how I worked directly under Arceus for a little bit?”

“Sure.”

“Mew is his partner. Think of them like cosmic roommates. I was chosen a long time ago for some reason to be a protector of a piece of their power. Steel, in this case.”

“Obviously.”

“I guess I kinda see the point in both of their philosophies, but right now things sorta got turned sideways after this Dark Matter stuff. Before, the main issue was… a disagreement on what to do with this power, I guess. They couldn’t trust themselves with it, and it got scattered so nobody would risk having a majority of the divine power. Is… my guess.”

“Seems kind of strange,” Spice remarked.

“I mean, yeah. Life can be like that sometimes. But the more I think about it, now that this near-apocalypse happened, the more I wonder if there’s more to it after all… I think I’d want to know the truth when we get the chance.”

“The truth, huh?” Spice asked.

“Yeah. There’s been… a lot of secrecy floating around. Impacts the whole world. But…” Brandon glanced at Mew, whose eyes were closed. But her ears twitched now and then, suggesting she was listening. “I think that can wait.”

The rest of the flight went quietly, Spice occasionally looking down to inspect Mew, but finding no change in her state for better or worse. Once they flew over the caldera and into Kilo Village, they stopped by the Thousand Hearts to check where Xerneas was.

Apparently, he had taken up temporary residence in Yotta Outskirts, leading them to take another quick flight down the mountain and to Leo’s home village. Most of the area had been repaired since the random mutant attacks, and even the fields were starting to regrow some of their crops. It must have been a relief to Leo that the settlement had endured, unlike several others that still had refugees in Kilo Village.

“So, where do you think Xerneas will be?” Brandon asked as they went over the fields.

“That’s a joke, right?”

“Man, play along at least a little…”

It was obvious. One field was literally brighter than the others. Under the late afternoon sun, the plants glowed softly with prismatic light, and a small tree had sprouted overnight. Basking under it was the rainbow-horned Legend himself… though it was a little strange to see the god of death right next to him, preening feathers of ice. Also curious were two Kommo-o statues. No, not statues. They were moving.

“Xerneas!” Brandon shouted. “Urgent heal over here!”

“How urgent?” Xerneas said with a hint of annoyance, not even moving from his resting spot.

“It’s Mew! We got her from the Voidlands!”

But when Brandon simply said ‘Mew,’ Xerneas was already on his feet. It was the most responsive Spice had ever seen the grumpy god.

“Take Her here,” Xerneas said, horns aglow. Yveltal stumbled away and folded her wings, nodding.

“You rescued Her? How?” Yveltal asked. “I thought Owen was…”

“I just had to. Something was telling me to,” Spice said, holding the Mew out. “She starts dissolving if she stays away from me for long. You need to be fast.”

“This could hurt you,” Xerneas said, horns getting brighter. “I’ll… be careful at first.”

“Whatever, just heal her!”

Spice shut her eyes like it would help mask the pain. Even through her scaly eyelids, she could see the bright, prismatic lights being charged. Was that going to blast her away completely?

She braced even harder but refused to lower Mew. It had to be done to revive her. Maybe she could keep Mew at her feet instead, and then step away? No, that was… was that disrespectful? What were the customs that Mew put forth to follow? She never really read either Book…

On the other hand, if she was blasted away, maybe she’d awaken as who she was ‘supposed’ to be. That Charizard’s daughter. Maybe that would make things easier.

No, no. She couldn’t do that—she’d leave Leo behind, and Sugar, the whole family she’d become part of. Sure, by some Dungeon magic to warp their minds, but it wasn’t like she had hurt them—

“That should do,” Xerneas stated breathlessly.

“Eh?” Spice dared to open one eye.

Xerneas looked a little fatigued, but was putting up a front by staying upright. Meanwhile, Yveltal crept closer and tilted her head, inspecting the Mew in Spice’s hands.

Spice brought her close. “Mew?” She held her further away and she didn’t sizzle.

“I’ve revived Her,” Xerneas said. “I made Her compatible with the world of the living. A body to suit the spirit. But… that is all.” He shook her head. “I… cannot do more. She needs time on Her own to recover. At least a day, maybe even five.”

“Yeah, makes sense to me,” Brandon said, kicking a rock idly. “That was, uh… good work you did there, Xerneas. Thanks. She’s gonna be alright?”

“In time,” Xerneas confirmed. “You were wise to bring Her to me.”

“Yeah, good thinking, Spice,” Brandon said. “But that doesn’t answer how she got there in the first place… Was she kidnapped or something? And like, how?”

“Questions for when She is recovered,” Xerneas said, taking a seat next to Yveltal again. Apparently no longer able to keep up the façade, he slumped against Yveltal and closed his eyes.

Spice wondered if that was uncomfortably cold or not.

“…So… we’ll… take her to my place, I guess,” Brandon said. “See you. Spice?”

“Yeah. Ready to go. Take care.” The gods of life and death, lounging under a tree in the outskirts of civilization. The world really was coming to an end. She wondered what Arceus was doing. She scanned the horizon, but couldn’t see Destiny Tower.

“Hey, Brandon,” Spice said, “if I hand Mew off to you, can you drop me off in eastern Kilo?”

“Uh, the planet or the town?” Brandon asked.

“Kilo Village.”

“Sure. Why?”

“I want to track someone down.”

<><><>​

This was all kinds of wrong. A strange, twisting feeling was building in Spice’s chest. The gemstone lodged there was much cooler, now, after Mew had been rescued. After Brandon had dropped her off, she asked around for a few temporary addresses. Along the way, she found Leo, who had been waiting for her return. She tried to wave him off, but eventually apologized and explained everything to him. It didn’t seem to help a whole lot, but it did at least assuage his fears that she wouldn’t do it again. Presumably. Hopefully.

Then she explained why she’d come back so late in the day. “Owen said I need to find someone called Diyem. He apparently… has my memories, or something.”

“Oh… yes, I actually have the information about that, too. I know where to go.” Leo stared at her, gravely. “But do you want this?”

“I don’t know!” Spice blurted. “But… it’s gonna bug me for the rest of my life if I don’t at least… find out, right? There’s no harm in hearing about ‘who I used to be’ if I don’t actually lose who I am now, right?”

Leo had a strange look between concerned and bewildered. And Spice couldn’t blame him. In some ways, she was bewildered with herself, too. All her life, as much as she tried to ignore it, that empty feeling of not knowing who she really was had eaten away at her. Now, with the opportunity to find out, she was shying away—not because she was worried about it at all, because she was sure a daughter of a Heart wouldn’t be someone terrible if Owen wanted to see her again—but because she wondered how she’d compare.

These thoughts raced through her mind as they walked down the streets, following a scribbled set of directions to a temporary housing district. They were all hastily built structures that were made solely to house the total deluge of refugees, and most lacked basic facilities. There were communal buildings just down the road to take care of the rest until they could find their feet.

Would she fade? Forget about Sugar, Leo, her mother Anise, her father Whystle, would they all become meaningless if she remembered her old bonds?

Leo put a hand on her shoulder, startling her. The Delphox gave her a concerned look.

“I’m fine,” Spice said. “Just… anxious.”

“I would be,” Leo replied. “Are you sure you want to do this? You made a life for yourself. What if…”

“But it’s bugging me. I spent all my life, well, my current life living like this and wondering what I was trying to cover up. So, I need to do this.”

She said this mostly to herself, trying to keep steady on the path. The path that she’d forgotten about. The one that drove her to conjure a false life for herself with the Void’s energy. Brainwashing her own, new family to think they’d always had her around.

Sugar still didn’t know. Would she ever know? Could she ever ask her about it… ever tell her mother? No. No no no she couldn’t do that, she couldn’t expose the lie. In fact, it wasn’t a lie. She was real. Spice. Spice was all real.

Spice swore when Leo held her shoulder again, this time firmer. “What?” she spat.

But then she realized that Leo had a new flavor of concern in his eyes.

“If you aren’t ready, it’s okay,” Leo said. “If you’re scared… I doubt Owen would force it out of you. And if he tries, well, I’ll fight to keep you away.”

“He has an air of someone a lot stronger than you,” Spice said.

“Hmph, well, I was stronger when we were dating,” Leo muttered. “I’m sure I kept up.”

“You keep telling yourself that.”

Spice could remember that crazy look in the Charizard’s eyes. He was restraining himself from begging, but Spice saw it in how he spoke and behaved. He longed so badly to see his daughter again, and it was her, yet not her. If she refused this, would it be forced out of her anyway?

Or was it just inevitable?

Was there someone, right that moment, trying to claw themselves out of Spice’s body? Tear her mind apart to replace her with what had been sealed away? What would happen to “her” when that emerged? Or would she just… be gone? Like none of it ever mattered?

What happened to a Void Shadow when they were purified?

“You don’t have to,” Leo said. “When he left… I could tell that, for some reason, he wouldn’t force anything on you.”

“What?”

“If… you’re scared. It’s for a reason, right?”

“I-I…”

“Spice… this is a very big decision. Bigger than most people could ever dream of. If you aren’t ready…”

“Yeah… I… No. No, please… maybe, er…” She couldn’t stop thinking about this Charizard she barely knew.

“May I help you?”

Spice stiffened and searched for the voice’s source, not thinking to look down until he spoke again.

“Ahem.”

“Another one?” Spice mumbled.

“Diyem,” greeted the Charmander. Spice noticed the black flame and tensed. “So, you must be Remi…”

“Spice.”

“Mm.” Diyem nodded. “A new identity for yourself to replace the one you lost, then. The fact that you were able to do this at all and retain your sanity… yes. You would be able to do that, wouldn’t you? Perhaps it takes all of your inner light to do so… but you have.”

“No riddles. Tell me exactly what that means, now.” Spice kept a strong tone in her voice, but at this point it felt like she was staring death in the face.

“Your ‘light’ is a blessing passed down by Owen and your former life’s mother, Mhynt. It is the light of Necrozma, which can counteract the powers I possess, which include turning people into Void Shadows and sealing their memories. I believe the part about replacing your old identity is… something you are already familiar with.”

Spice tensed, nodding. “…Fine. But since you’re the one who took my memories away… you can also give them back. Right?”

Diyem nodded. “But you’re afraid.”

“What will happen to me?”

“You will be fine,” Diyem replied. “Your current memories are just as weighty as your old ones. Owen has a lot of experience with this sort of thing.

To that, Leo hummed loudly. “I don’t know if fine is correct. He seems very different from before, but there are similarities, and, to be honest, when I talked with him just a little bit after… it all seemed scattered. Calling it fine is a little hard for me to agree with. But, er, Spice, you only have… the two lives to worry about, so that shouldn’t be so bad. Right? From what I’d gathered with Owen, he… had more.”

His uncertainty did Spice no favors. “Just a little,” she finally said. “It’s gonna drive me crazy not knowing anything. But you’ll be around, right? For more?”

“Fine,” Diyem said, clearly annoyed. The little Charmander approached and gestured for Spice to get down. She kneeled and lowered her head, figuring if it had to do with her mind then it would need him to touch her head.

She saw his feet, and he reached out, only a few inches from the top of her head. He was deep in concentration. His toe claws curled. She didn’t like the smell he had, like stale brimstone. She wasn’t even sure if that was possible.

“I need you to work with me, here,” Diyem murmured.

“What?”

“Focus… relax. You’re going to feel something on your forehead. Conceptually, try to let it in. Like answering someone’s telepathic call.”

That was a little too abstract for her liking, but she tried. At first, it felt like she was coming down with a slight fever, but that subsided in favor of a dull pressure on her forehead. She tried to answer this call, like sending a thought to a Psychic.

And suddenly, Spice was not standing in front of them. She was on her side, and her body was much smaller. It was nighttime. The dark scared her, but there was a gentle orange glow in the room, coming from a warm body to her left. A Charizard. To her right was a strange creature with huge wings colored like the stars. There was a simple comfort in the air, but a lingering, longing, wistfulness, too. It was a distant sadness, like it wasn’t truly there, only implanted in the memory because she was thinking back.

And then the memory ended. Spice gasped and stumbled back. Diyem, too, winced, and was holding his hand like it had been bitten.

“Sorry, did—did I do that?” Spice asked.

“No,” Diyem muttered. “I should be the one to apologize. I gave you false hope; I am not able to unlock any of your memories.” Diyem grumbled to himself, rubbing his wrist. “It was not me who sealed them after all.”

“What?” Leo whispered.

“Just add it to another thing to deal with Alexander over,” Diyem said.

“Alexander?” Spice repeated, that single name bothering her. She couldn’t place why, once again. A frustrating itch in her mind.

“…Spice,” Leo said, holding her shoulder. “Why are you crying?”

“What?” Spice touched her cheeks and was stunned at the wetness. “I…”

“Did… did you remember something?”

“Impossible,” Diyem dismissed. “In any case, I’m leaving. Between Spice and Enet, it seems neither of them had their memories sealed due to me.” He wandered off. “We can figure out more of this later when the actual threat has been dealt with.”

As he left, though, Leo looked at her again. “Spice? Did you remember something?”

“No, just… some stress, maybe,” Spice replied. “…I’ll tell you later. And… probably Owen, too.”

She could already imagine Owen’s look with strange clarity, like a feral begging for scraps.

“You’ll be okay?” Leo asked.

She tried to answer but her throat locked up.

She must have had a panicked look because he held her shoulders with bold hands. “Hey, hey.”

“I’m—I’m fine.” Spice waved him off. “I’m gonna stay at Sugar’s tonight. You just… go. Alright?”

“Spice…” Leo didn’t let go, so Spice pulled away.

Regretting it seconds later, she leaned against him. “…Sorry,” Spice murmured. “I have a lot of thinking to do. When you’re done with work… come to Sugar’s. I’ll be there.”

<><><>​

Spice had one more thing she wanted to do first. Wandering and lost, she sucked in a breath and resolved to go someplace she’d been avoiding ever since her return. Ever since the world had ended.

So, with only a few kilos of daylight left in the day, Spice approached Sugar’s work. Sugar and Spice, named after the sisters they had never actually been.

Gods, what would she say? How could she say it? It would all be so… much.

But she worked up the courage to finally enter. And at the counter was Sugar, offering a friendly but nervous smile.

“Spice,” she greeted. “Hey! You made back from Heart stuff?”

“Yeah. Heart stuff. Sorry I haven’t… come here all that often.”

“Oh, it’s fine. How have you been? Get any… sleep… yet?”

“Still don’t need to,” Spice replied. “Thanks, though. I’m feeling better. Hey, you’re about to close, right?”

“Well, I am… yes…”

“Can we… talk?”

“Sure. Not too long before closing… Nobody’s here… Let’s talk!” The Salazzle gestured to one of the tables, taking a seat.

Spice followed and brought her claws together. She was still so self-conscious of how she appeared, despite how normal it looked in her eyes. She was a monster to them. And soon, when she confessed… she would look like a monster in many more ways.

“I have a confession,” Spice said. “It’s about… my place in the family.”

“Your place,” Sugar said nervously. “What do you mean?”

“…About… being your sister.” Spice could already see how tense she’d become. Completely silent, holding her breath. Spice had to get it over with. Rip off all bandages and bindings at once. It would hurt but then it would be over. “‘Spice’ never existed. You never had a sister, I… made it up.”

And to this, Sugar looked surprised. Spice wasn’t sure why. Obviously, she was expecting something, right? Yet she was surprised?

“What?” Spice asked.

“That’s… silly. Spice and I grew up—I mean, you and I grew up together!”

“Y-yeah, we did. You did. But I… I was… just being a sister. That’s all. I mean… what I mean is, er, no, that’s not right.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Sugar said. “You grew up with us. How are you not ‘real?’”

“It… it was luck. Back when Mom lived in the South, back before Anam annexed everything. Back before Dungeons were blessed and made safer. I was… a wraith. A very special wraith that could leave Dungeons, and… had a few other little perks. Dungeons that aren’t blessed can mess with mortal minds if they aren’t careful, and if someone knows how to do it. Which… I did.”

“Mess with minds?” Sugar whispered.

“I can’t do it now! Not—I mean, not without a Dungeon where… Look, I can’t do it anymore. I only did it for one specific thing. Your family… wandered into a Dungeon for some reason. I think to escape from bandits. And I… took the opportunity. I saw a mother, a father, and a daughter, and… and I wanted in.”

At this point, Sugar was so stunned that she only watched her in agape silence.

“So, I… messed with their heads a little. Made them think they had twins. And… that was it. That’s what I did.”

More silence. A few Pokémon had walked past the entrance, but weren’t paying attention to their conversation. They only got a few side-eyes from bystanders seeing a wraith chatting it up in a shop.

Spice looked at her claws again. “I’m sorry I kept it up for so long,” she said. “I… don’t know why I did it either. I don’t remember my past. Just that I wanted a family. And I…”

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“What?” Spice squinted, looking up. Sugar had a mixture of bewilderment and skepticism in her eyes.

“Killed me,” Sugar said. “Just took me out of the picture and replaced me. We were twins… You could have gotten away with it.”

“Sugar, that’s awful!” Spice chided.

“A-and aren’t wraiths awful?” Sugar countered shakily. “I don’t understand! Why are you telling me this?!”

“I just… had to… I wanted to be in a family, I didn’t want to take it away from others!”

“Then—then this doesn’t change anything!” Sugar defended. “Even if it was by some trick, you still lived as my sister for… for all those years, and you obviously cared, right? You cared?”

“I did—and I do! Just… things are coming up now, and I had to… tell you.”

“What came up?” Sugar asked.

“My—” And just then, Spice locked up. So many tiny little thoughts and doubts paralyzed her. Her past life. She’d already told Sugar that ‘Spice’ wasn’t real, and now she was going to finalize why. This whole conjuration of a family to fill the void of her forgotten past. The illusion was going to evaporate right in front of Sugar’s eyes.

No. No, she couldn’t do that.

“My conscience,” Spice said hollowly. “When Dark Matter was defeated, a… small part of my conscience returned. The part that felt bad about what I did. I just had to get it out.”

“Oh…” Sugar winced. “Well, I… that…”

The wind blew. The final traces of twilight crawled across town.

“I’m sorry,” Sugar said. “This is an awful lot…”

“Yeah…” And she hadn’t even told the whole story.

“But you’re still my sister,” Sugar said. “Does Mom know? Dad?”

“You’re the first. Er, aside from Leo…”

“Of course you’d tell him first,” Sugar said with a forced, teasing smile. But then her expression grew solemn. “…I… need time. But, I love you, Spice. That hasn’t changed, okay? It just… is something I need time to digest.”

“Can’t blame you there.” Spice sighed. “Alright. Thank you. Sorry for dropping that… Oh, and… can I stay at your place tonight? Need to sort my head and…”

“Of course, of course.”

“Um, hello?”

A Hydreigon floated at the front. He nervously brought up his left head in a wave. Spice felt a horrid pang of something in her gut and she wasn’t able to discern the full emotion.

“Oh! Welcome!” Sugar sprang up from the table.

“I hope I’m not too late…”

“Not at all! Please, did you want to order anything?”

As the Hydreigon made his orders, Spice took some time to calm her nerves. She couldn’t find it in her to tell Sugar the whole truth. It gnawed at her. It would continue to gnaw at her. Maybe if she remembered everything, she wouldn’t care anymore. But then… would ‘she’ ever get the chance to say goodbye?

She had to work up the courage some other time.

Hydreigon was stealing a few nervous glances her way. Spice waved, just as awkward.

“Oh, that’s my sister, Spice!” Sugar explained. “She’s one of the Thousand Hearts.”

“Oh, dear! I’m sorry if I was staring.” Hydreigon shook his heads in unison.

“It’s alright. Used to it. Not every day you see a wraith in town. Or ever.”

“Y-yes. I’m sorry, again, truly. If you’re a Heart, you must be good.”

“Mmh.” She was beginning to wonder why Anam spared her. Maybe he knew, somehow…

“Y-you know, my son is actually in the Hearts as well,” Hydreigon said.

“Oh, really?” Sugar asked as she bagged his picks.

“Yes! Yes, actually, ah, that’s why I’m here. He loves this place. A bit of a regular, always drawn to it, so I had to get some of the treats for when he returned.”

“Aw, returned? Off on a mission?”

Spice frowned, thoughtful.

“Yes,” Hydreigon said. “A-actually, he’s likely in the Voidlands now. Ah, but not in danger! I’m sure. He’s… he’s certainly going to return safely…”

“Excuse m—” By the gods it was his father.

Did that mean this was her grandfather?

Why did she have the feeling that she recognized that Hydreigon from somewhere?

“Huh. That’s interesting—hey, actually. Have we met before? You seem familiar.”

Hydreigon shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m certain I’d remember someone like you. Oh, dear, was that offensive?”

“Your son… is Owen, right?”

“Oh! So, you know him?” Like a switch, Hydreigon was beaming. He suddenly looked so much more comfortable. “Yes, my son is Owen. The most recent Heart, I think, actually. He’s so happy to be one, even if his recent work has been quite, err, out of scope. Surely, they’ll give him a break one day…”

“Yeah… I was on a mission with him once to a big forest fire, actually. You know, Fire crew.”

“Ohh, I think I remember something like that a year or so ago…”

“That’s the one.” How small the world was. “What’s your name?”

“Ah, Alex.”

Spice felt like she’d been dunked in ice. It ran down her spine and all the way to the tip of her tail.

“Er… are you okay?” Alex asked.

“Oh, uh, sorry. Just thinking. Southern name, huh?”

Alex bobbed his head nervously. “Quite a long time ago.”

“Hey, it’s alright. I’m Southern, too. And besides, the culture spread around a little, last few generations. Who knows who’s really Southern anymore, y’know?”

“A-aha, yes… yes…” Alex continued to drift nervously.

“And here you are,” Sugar said, handing over Alex’s sweets.

“Oh, thank you so much.” Alex graciously tucked it away in a large satchel around his neck.

“Hey, one last question?”

“Hm?”

She gathered up the last of her nerve. “Do you… know the name Remi?”

It was for only a flash, but there was a deep, deep terror in Alex’s eyes. Spice had no idea why, but it disappeared a moment later, and he shook his head. “Sorry, er, no. Anyway, I don’t want to hold up closing time, ah, goodbye.” He bobbed again and flew out.

“…Well, that was an odd question,” Sugar said, frowning at Spice. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Spice said. “Sorry. Was just rolling with a hunch.” She stood up. “Here, I’ll help you close out…”

That look of terror etched itself in Spice’s mind. He knew who she was. He had to.

What bothered her was how frightened he looked for it. As her eyes trailed to the exit, where Alex had flown high into the sky, Spice wondered what secrets he might have known about her past…

<><><>​

Author's Note: Thanks for reading, everybody! This is the final chapter of the first arc for Act IV. The next chapter is going to be Special Episode 11, a love story that centralizes around Owen's stepfather, Alex. Surely nothing bad happened to him back then.

As with all Special Episodes, this one will not be out for four weeks. Sit tight! If you want to keep updated about HoC or my other works, or want to chat with others reading the same material, consider joining my discord in the meantime. It's in my signature on this post, just below.
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. lugia
  5. quilava-fobbie
  6. sneasel-kate
  7. heliolisk-fobbie
Heya, saw that HoC was up for Review Tag, so Imma just take the opportunity to just slide right in and belt out a speedy review. Since hey, it's not as if I'd run out of material if I came back to this story during RB4:

Chapter 6

“Ugh, what a weird dream,” Owen mumbled. He rubbed his eyes; he still ached. He must have jumped improperly to avoid that Psychic attack and bruised himself. Wait. If he ached, then that wasn’t a dream, was it? Owen chanted to himself, “Not crazy. Not crazy. Not crazy.”

Owen you have bruises on your body. You can admit that that all happened already.

Owen: "I-I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this! I was... uh... sleepwalking! Y-Yes, that must've been it!"
:sweats:


“Eh?” Gahi said, peeking out from his sand pit. “What’re yeh mumblin’?”

“N-nothing,” Owen said. “I think I just had a weird dream. That’s all.”

I like how Owen from his tone of voice doesn't really believe this himself. I kinda wonder if this particular moment would've benefitted from Owen wrestling a bit in his mind in the narration before answering Gahi though since something about his line feels like it was meant to come after a pause, but the back to back dialogue gives off a very "prompt" vibe.

“Well, have ‘em some other night,” Gahi said. The Trapinch clicked his jaws. “…I don’t smell breakfast.”

“Does Rhys usually make it?”

“Yeah. Unless he made something cold that doesn’t smell. Usually if we’re running behind er something…”

Owen: "Does Rhys normally do this, or...?" .-.
Gahi: "Would you have expected me to point this out if it was normal?"
:what:


The kitchen had food on the table—a simple fruit salad—and a note from Rhys saying that he had gone to speak with Anam, and to stay at home until he returned. “That glowing stuff must be real urgent…”

[ ]

“Wait!” Owen said. “That’s right! There was an Espurr that was trying to take the orb last night! I remember!”

“Eh?”

I kinda wonder if this would've been better served by getting into Owen's head and showing the almonds activating internally over "... Wait a minute, that wasn't a dream!" before he pipes up.

Dunno, maybe I'm overthinking things a bit there, but this is another one of those moments where things weirdly read faster than I think they're intended to.

“What’s going on?” Demitri said. “Are you talking about last night? I think I had a dream of Rhys whisper-yelling. He sounded really angry.”

Yeah, another benefit of slowing down and dropping in "gears turning in Owen's head" moments is that you can establish what the state of Team Alloy's members are when Owen wakes up in description, since at first, I thought it was just him and Gahi awake, but the text doesn't explicitly say one way or another.

Owen nodded incessantly, the memories of the night before flooding back, replaying in his head multiple times. “Last night, while you guys were asleep, I think I woke up and saw a weird Pokémon enter Rhys’ room. She tried to, like, get the glowing orb while Rhys was asleep!”

[ ]

“Did she?”

“No, but she nearly twisted me to shreds with a crazy-strong Psychic attack. I think it was even stronger than Nevren’s!”

Can't really get a feel for how Demitri is meant to react right here to Owen's statement and if he's supposed to be "wait, huh?", something more alarmed, or something else. Also, if Demitri is underreacting relative to Owen's expectations, it's a handy way to lean into that "I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I know what I saw, okay?!" thing he had going on towards the beginning of this scene.

“How d’you know how strong Nevren’s is?” Gahi said.

[ ]

“Oh, um—” Owen rubbed the back of his head. “Well, it was really strong in my dream…”

And here would be a decent spot for a brief "beat" moment. Since this is technically two separate incidents of "wait, did that actually happen?" for Owen and the "oh right" moment would likely fluster him a bit, enough so that it might make sense to explicitly depict that and whatever's going on in his head as a third-person limited perspective story.

“Wait, back up,” Demitri said. “An Espurr? That isn’t even fully evolved. Why is it so strong?”

Owen: "... It was a late evolver like us? Look, the point is that there really was an Espurr trying to steal that freaky orb, okay?!"
:ohnowen:


“The weird thing about that is that she kinda glowed, too. The same way the orb did, and the cave did.” And the mushrooms did…

A sudden silence filled the kitchen. Realization washed over them.

He left the orb alone!” Owen said. “Right? Did he?”

... Wait, is the 'He' supposed to be Rhys or the Espurr? Since I'm tripping up a bit as to who the pronoun is meant to refer to.

Forgetting about breakfast, the quartet rushed into Rhys’ room. It was the first time that Owen got a good look at it in the sunlight that bled into the shallow cave. There was a simple bed of leaves to the left corner of the room, and a solid stone desk to the right. There was a strange stash of Pecha Berries under the desk. Owen saw a small piece of parchment lodged inside the pile of berries in the shape of a heart. At first, Owen thought it was from Anam and his saccharine taste in themed shapes, but somehow, that didn’t feel correct.

I mean, even if it's not from Anam, I suspect that it's a standardized TH letterhead fit to specs Anam designed. Since... yeah, heart-shaped parchment is a really specific design for a letterhead that feels very "Anam" to settle on.

The shelves were lined with artifacts both shiny and dusty. Owen saw a number of strange items on the three shelves that lined the cave’s far wall in a half-circle. He only recognized a few of them: an Everstone in the far right, which Owen subconsciously inched away from; something that looked like a prototype Badge, lumpy and bronze; something that looked like one of Nevren’s zany inventions, some metallic bracelet; and what looked like an old, faded edition of the Book of Mew.

Wait, is Owen supposed to know what a 'prototype Badge' looks like? Since I actually don't recall if the story ever mentioned what those were or what they did.

Though 'Book of Mew', huh? Guessing that's a religious text in this setting since Mew does have that whole "progenitor of Pokémon" lore from Gen 1 to it.

The final item gave Owen pause. “Huh. Didn’t peg Rhys as a Mew sort of person,” he mumbled under his breath. “Seemed more like the Arceus type.” His eyes continued to trail along the other books lining the shelves. There was even a book that didn’t seem to have text on it at all.

Those two get into pissing matches in this setting, don't they? Since if they're being mentioned in distinct breaths where Pokémon are expected to hold one or the other as patrons specifically...

Owen: "... Wait a minute? Aren't Mew normally wildcards in stories like ours? For a guy who was all gung ho on discipline and meditation like Rhys seemed to be, that... makes me wonder if I should be worried right now."
:fearfullaugh~1:


And there it was—perhaps he had forgotten about the orb in his rush to see Anam. For whatever reason, the orb was there, its glow significantly fainter against the morning sun peering through the cave’s entrance.

Considering how Rhys was dead set on keeping you from even being in the same room as this thing normally, I'm pretty sure that you should be a lot more uneasy at the moment, Owen.

Owen squinted, suspicious. Rhys wasn’t the sort to be careless. Demitri mentioned an argument, perhaps after he had been put to sleep. Arguing with who? The mist? The orb itself? Maybe Owen wasn’t the only crazy one in the family.

Wow, and here I thought Flame from Rebirth was credulous as a Char. Owen's definitely going out of his way to set a new benchmark, even if I suspect that some of this is conscious resistance to accepting that the crazy-sounding things going on are really happening.

This orb must have been there intentionally. That voice—was it the mist?—told Owen to touch the orb. But should he listen to that mist, or to Rhys?

I mean, I'm pretty sure I know who he's going to listen to, and I'm pretty sure it's not Rhys.

And sometimes, Rhys is an idiot, Owen recalled.

Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi wandered the room, looking for a way up. Mispy’s vines were too short to reach on their own, and it was hard to pick someone like her up to begin with. She always did seem heavier, or perhaps denser, than the average Chikorita—though, Owen had a feeling if he said that aloud, he’d face the wrath of her Solar Beam.

Mispy's part-Steel or something like that, isn't she? Though I'd recommend hacking this paragraph up into two, since Owen's recollection of what he was told in his """dream""" feels pretty distinct from the rest.

“But it’s still so high…” Demitri finally said. Vines wrapped around his abdomen. “N-no way! I can’t do it!” he protested, legs shaking.

“Aw, c’mon, it’s barely that high,” Gahi said.

“I just can’t do it. Demitri shook his head, little feet trembling in the air. “I—I mean, it’s… it’s just too high up!”

Now I'm morbidly curious as to what would happen if Demitri managed to get himself stuck in a tree. Since I know that that looks like with a male Axew of my own, and somehow I get the vibe from Demitri that while he'd probably be a bit more dignified, it wouldn't be that different.

Mispy sighed. Even if she tried, her Chikorita-strength vines weren’t quite enough to lift an Axew like Demitri. But, Owen… Mispy eyed Owen, sizing him up.

“What?” the Charmander asked.

Mispy brought two vines forward, wrapping around him.

“U-uhh—personal space, please?”

Mispy:
Image


Mispy lifted Owen up. “Hmm. Half.” She glanced at Demitri. She had a much easier time lifting Owen in the air. This just might work. He was even lighter than Gahi—and easier to hold, too.

“Well, ain’t that something,” Gahi said. “Owen, you were the piece we needed, eh? Okay. Let’s go and lift ‘im up!”

I actually did a double-take at this since I wasn't sure what was going on, though I'm guessing Team Alloy is on the "check out the Orb" train there. I kinda wonder if it could've been beaten over the reader's heads harder since I didn't realize that they also saw the orb and wanted to see it themselves since they never explicitly say anything to the effect to express interest in it and the one thing that does that at the moment is a single sentence saying that they looked for a way up.

Mispy nodded, but then nodded at Demitri. He went up to the wall and held his tiny arms against it; Gahi got behind Mispy and pushed his head beneath her. Using Gahi’s front as a platform, she climbed onto Demitri’s back, awkwardly maneuvering until her chest wrapped around his head.

Oh hey, they're making an Adventure Squad-style tower. :V

[ ]

“W-w-wait!” Owen said. “Wait! What are we doing? M-move slower!”

Was this it? He didn’t expect his wish to touch the sphere would be granted in this way. He had been mapping the room in his head, looking for shelves to hop and Rhys’ various knickknacks and books to use as footholds. Owen normally wouldn’t disrespect a book by using it as a stepping stone, but perhaps this time would have been a necessary evil.

I didn't get the vibe that Owen was moving at all, it might've made sense to either drop in an additional paragraph mentioning Mispy is moving him around, or add it as an extension to the last paragraph of the prior block.

Though would recommend hacking Owen's dialogue off from the rest of the paragraph here.

“We’re gonna grab that orb and take a look at it!” Gahi said.

Image


[ ]

“O-oh, okay. But—but it wasn’t my idea, okay?! I need to make a good first impression with Rhys, and I don’t want him thinking I’m some—some delinquent!”

“With a vocabulary like that, I ain’t gonna feel too worried ‘bout that,” Gahi said.

“And with a vocabulary like yours,” Demitri said, “Rhys will probably think it was your idea.”

Another bit where showing some description of this moment / the stuff in Owen's head probably would've been a nice addition. Especially since this is basically a "whelp, no turning back now" moment for him that he seems to be getting cold feet over from his dialogue.

Gahi: "How's that not the definition of stereotyping?!" >.<
Demitri: "Look, it's not our fault that your dialogue reads like Huck Finn sometimes, and he wasn't exactly Mr. Straight and Narrow in his book."
Owen: "... Are we supposed to know about that book? Though uh... right, I was supposed to touch the orb, huh?" ^^;

Owen hoped that his parents wouldn’t be upset if they found out. But then again—they didn’t even show up for his acceptance of the Heart position! Maybe a little rebellion was warranted. Yeah, that was a good excuse.

Oh yeah, somebody sounds totally convinced right about now.

Owen was at eye-level with the orb. Up close, it seemed bigger—he wouldn’t be able to hold it with just one of his tiny hands. He’d need to grab it by both sides; it was almost half the size of his head. He saw little, flowing lights swirling inside the pale, green sphere.

Just a little more, Mispy!” Owen said. “I can totally get it!”

Rhys is going to walk in on them in 5 seconds, isn't he?

Mispy obliged, straining her vines. “Almost?!” She adjusted her vines lower to push him just a bit higher.

“N-not too low, Mispy!” Owen squeaked. “S-sorry!”

[ ]

“Almost… got it…!”

Owen took a break to let Mispy drift him closer, relaxing his arms. Then, he reached out one last time, feeling that Mispy was at her limit. He knew it, now—he could grab the orb! Owen reached out.

Okay, I—”

Contact.

Feels like something is kinda missing before the "Almost... got it...!" moment, but maybe that's just my bias for scenes that are visualization-friendly speaking. Since it feels like it'd be a relatively easy way to build up some suspense about what's going to happen.

Though speaking of which, let's go ahead and see how much of a disaster this is going to be, huh?

The Charmander went completely limp; his arms fell forward, the orb still in his hands. Mispy stumbled from the dead weight.

“O-Owen? Is it heavy?” Demitri asked, unable to look up.

The flame on Owen’s tail went out.
Well then. I mean, I was expecting it to blow up the room, but I see the orb didn't disappoint there.
:uhhh:


“Hrrmmnnn, what a mess,” Rhys muttered, walking through town at a brisk pace.

His bag hung around his shoulder, the bottom bumping against the spike on his chest. He glanced down inside; he had a few items, along with a cloth wrapped around a large sphere, glowing faintly. He scanned the immediate area. Business as usual for most of the Hearts. Missions, missions, and more missions. He spotted an Aerodactyl grumbling while posting mission statements on the bulletin board.

Ohai, Jerry. How's Community Service life as a Broken Heart treating you?

“Ahh, Rhys!” Nevren called.

The fur on Rhys’ body bristled. He walked without acknowledging the Alakazam.

“Now, Rhys, that’s no way to greet me,” Nevren said. “What are you doing here? You don’t often come to Kilo Village unless there is a ceremony.”

He looked at the bag. [ ]

…It’s not exactly a good idea,” he said, “ to be carrying that around right now, don’t you think?”
IMO, Nevren's line here would likely read more organic if you hacked it up into pieces and showed him
:sceptical~1:
at Rhys with his bag in a bit more detail or something like that.

“I will take my chances.”

“Are you sure?” Nevren tilted his head. “Rim might try to take it from you in broad daylight. Do not think a crowd will discourage her. The Hunters have been getting antsy lately.”

Oh, so Rim is that Espurr from the end of last chapter, huh?

“And what will she do if she sees me? Glare angrily at my feet?”

“Now, Rhys, that was uncalled for.” Rhys clutched at the bag.

“…She entered our home yesterday.”

I KNEW IT

“Ah.”

[ ]

“I do not want her to endanger my students,” he said. “I would rather take it with me while speaking with Anam.”

Yeah, funny story about that, Rhys. Though this might've benefitted from dropping in a moment of "Nevren, sod off" body language from Rhys here. Especially if this scene is meant to be written from his perspective.

“Hrm.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Rhys made a motion to walk past Nevren, hesitating briefly, as if knowing that Nevren would say something. Yet, when he didn’t, he continued past him.

Nevren watched Rhys walk. “Has Elder talked with you about any of this?”

Wait, Elder is a name of a person and not a title in this story? Though looks like Rhys was correct in his anticipation, just slightly delayed.

Rhys hesitated, looking down at his bag. “Of course we talk.”

Silence.

“…Where are you going, anyway?” Rhys said, looking back.

... That's a good question, honestly. And what on earth is in your bag right now such that you think that the Orb on your shelf at home is in it?

“Ah, well. I was sent on a mission to where Owen had gone the day prior. I need to take care of one of the mutant sightings there before anybody else gets hurt; it was already designated as a restricted zone until further notice. Well, I plan to give that further notice.”

Oh, so those ghost things were mutants after all. Probably. Maybe. Assuming that Rhys isn't talking about where Nevren almost murdered Owen out of existence.

“Ah.” Rhys hummed, glancing down at his bag, then at Nevren. “Will you need help?”

[ ]

“Not at all. This will be trivial. Carry on with your duties so you may return home with that Orb, yes?”

[ ]

“Mrm. Very well.” Rhys continued into the office, and Nevren headed out of the Heart HQ.

This also seems like a spot where some more description would've probably been warranted, especially if you're trying to give any hints or red herrings about Rhys and Nevren to your readers.

Though I just realized that for a scene written from Rhys' PoV, we're not seeing an awful lot of what's going on in his head. Is that a deliberate choice by virtue of Rhys' inner workings being a spoiler minefield? Or is that an artifact of early installment weirdness?

The entryway, past the main, heart-shaped exterior, was a building of stone and wood, painted in various shades of pink, red, and purple. Pathways on the ground were painted in a dark violet to indicate which way to go in the main lobby; the walls were a soft, invigorating red, with white stripes separating the red from the purple and other colors. The ceiling was pink, and the upper half of the walls shared the same color. They were all solid colors with no real pattern, except for some floral designs lining where the colors changed.

The color scheme disgusted Rhys, but he didn’t have the heart to berate Anam for his taste in décor.

Not least of all, since I'm pretty sure that doesn't end well for the Pokémon that do from what I vaguely remember of Anam's portrayal in the GL crossover.
:fearfullaugh~1:


To Rhys’ left was a stairway into the in-house dorms, where Pokémon that preferred to live directly inside of Kilo Village slept. To the right was where official business took place, such as meetings, private assemblies, and administrative work. Rhys entered the right stairway. There were very few Pokémon in the Heart during this time of day. With the morning missions taken and afternoon missions still unprocessed, the boards were being cleared off by the disgruntled Aerodactyl, muttering something about Solar Beams.

... Wait, didn't Rhys see Jerry working outside earlier? Or was the earlier description meant to indicate that Rhys had been at Heart HQ earlier in the day, left, and now he's back?

It was dark in the hall, and then brighter at the exit. The colors were the same, and Rhys generally didn’t care for Anam’s style. But he was the boss. The Lucario sighed to himself, fidgeting with his bag.

... Wait, so how many decisions does Anam get to make in and around Kilo Village by fiat anyways? Since if Rhys' opinion here isn't exactly rare, that has some implications for how on earth KV is being run such that nobody's able to do anything about redecorating the HQ that by their standards is really gaudy and tacky.

A Decidueye emerged from the floor in a black mist—not a normal entrance for his kind, but something that the Lucario was accustomed to, specifically for the second-in-command. “Rhys,” James said. “Is this about the recent sighting?”

“Calm Water Lake? Somewhat. Where is Anam?”

Oh, so it was about the ghosts they ran into.

“He is in his quarters.” He motioned behind him with a wing. “I will see you there.” He sank into the ground again in a cloud of ominous, black smoke.

Totally normal thing for a Decidueye to do there. /s

Goodra Anam’s quarters was at the very edge of the building, at the back and center of the Heart. He was staring at a large map of the world on the front wall, above the entryway. Due to Anam’s size, it wasn’t easy to see the rest of his room. However, the gentle, strange, sweet smell associated with the Goodra permeated the atmosphere. It was like he bathed in Pecha juice.

inb4 Rhys has to fight back gagging every time he comes to this place.

“Oh, hi, Rhys!” Anam said, waving. “I was just looking at the map.”

Rhys entered and turned around, looking with him. The map was ancient and hand-drawn. Much better copies existed of the world, but this was Anam’s personal copy. The original copy, apparently, complete with dried slime and illegible scribbles in the empty spaces. Kilo Village, and by extension Kilo Mountain, was at the center of this map, displaying a largely circular country in the middle of an ocean on all sides.

I see that KV follows the Cradle and Etherium's school of world design of "stuff in the middle and a whole lot of functional bupkis all around it". Even if I suspect that there's still more floating around out there since I remember the Heart motto distinctly mentioning worlds plural.

“…Calm Water Lake,” Rhys said, pointing to the northeastern river that fed into the reservoir. “We always suspected an orb would be hidden there. But we didn’t find one, last we checked.”

“We assumed it was a false lead,” James said. “Previous signs lasted only for a short while, after all. But it happened again, and this time we have actual witnesses to prove it.”

“Not good.” Rhys sighed. “They might be taken by the Hunters… But perhaps we should also investigate.”

Filing that one away since: A: Pretty sure that's not slang for Rescue/Exploration Team members in this setting, B: Pretty sure we're going to be hearing that term a lot in the coming chapters.

“There were sightings of a Torkoal entering the lake,” James said. “I assume you know him, Rhys?”

Rhys looked away from the map and toward the ground.

Yes, I’m sure that Elder attempted to speak with whoever held the orb. Anam… I actually wanted to tell you about some extra information.”

He paused to make sure he had their attention. [ ]

It’s very likely that it is the Water Orb—my students explored it, unannounced.”

I would explode Rhys' line there into a few separate chunks there, though while it was kinda obvious in short order, this basically confirms that Rhys is managing to keep (at least some of) his memories across Team Alloy's mind wipes. Since this is a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that exactly nobody among their number, and I suspect KV at large, knows about.

[ ]

“W-wait, your students?” Anam said. “You mean… all four of them… together? Wouldn’t that spook the Guardian?”

IMO, another spot that would probably benefit from explicit body language / description, since up until this point Anam has been pretty goofy and happy-go-lucky while here he kinda vibes as if he's meant to be spooked. Might make sense to dwell on it, especially if there's anything about him you'd like to call attention to for readers.

“Yes,” Rhys said. “They are fine. Owen is, too. The Water Guardian may not have realized it, thanks to their current state.”

James’ feathers puffed out considerably. “Those four are not supposed to be together, ever, Rhys.”

Oh, so Anam and James are in on whatever it is that Nevren's got going on with Owen's (and probably TA at large's memories). And likely Rhys too at this rate given that these two are bluntly telling him that he's doing things wrong with the way things are going between those four.

James: "Seriously, Rhys. All you had to do was tutor one of those four and keep him or her away from the others in some secluded forest-" >v>;
Rhys: "We have Waypoints, remember?"
James: "... Right, that's a thing. But my point still stands!" >v<

“I understand,” Rhys said, “but a… series of circumstances caused them to be together, recently. But that will be the end of it. Once I get home”—Rhys let out a defeated sigh—"I will… set things right. Owen will return home. The rest of Team Alloy will forget him again. He will train and meditate, and… things will remain as they have always been.

Somehow, I wasn't expecting hard confirmation that Rhys was in on resetting TA's memories to come out right here and now in this scene, though I guess this really is the chapter where we're just going to smash the seeming normalcy around KV into a million pieces, huh?

“…You’re lying,” Anam said, nibbling on his slimy fingers. The feelers on his head twitched uncomfortably.

“Ngh.” Rhys’ head went lower. “Anam, don’t start talking about any silly ‘dark emotions’ you may feel from me. I get enough of that from Owen’s Perception.”

... He can do that? Are these off-spec powers coming from those orbs or something? Since since when were Goodra aura sensitive in any branch of canon?
:ohnowen:


[ ]

“S-sorry,” Anam said, looking down. “But… it was just so obvious.”

[ ]

“We can’t allow this,” James said. “I understand your feelings on the matter, Rhys. But it’s still too dangerous. Perhaps later. But not now.”

Yada yada, you know the drill. Especially since this is a golden opportunity to draw contrast to Anam and James' personalities, especially when they're under a stressful situation where things aren't "going to plan™️" for them.

“It has been that way for quite a while, hasn’t it? Perhaps later. Perhaps later…” Rhys smiled bitterly at James. “That is all I wanted to say. Thank you, Anam. Be careful.”

“Rhys…” Anam sniffed. “I… I don’t want you to be upset!” He wiped gooey tears from his face. “Can I do anything to help?!”

Yeah, this is why more description earlier would've helped for getting a read on Anam, since I didn't realize he was supposed to be crying/tearing up right now.

Rhys closed his eyes. [ ]

Anam. A long time ago, you told me that you saw great potential in the bond that my students shared. That if they could train their spirits to overcome their… weaknesses… they could perhaps tip this teetering scale in our favor. But to you, Anam,” he said, turning around, “what is that favor? What then, if we win?”

inb4 it turns out that they're the living keys needed to stave off a multiversal collision- oh wait, wrong story for that. But I'm interested in where this is going, too. Since I gathered that TA was going to turn out to be cosmically important, but even so, I still haven't been able to suss out the "why" just yet.

“F-favor…?”

Rhys crossed his arms. “How do you plan to use my students, Anam?”

“I… I just, um…” Anam hesitated. “I don’t know. But together, they’re really, really strong.”

Narrator: "He knows and is being deliberately obtuse."

“I see,” Rhys said. His eyes were closed again. “Anam.” He stared at Anam, right in his glistening, green eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that you don’t know what to do with that power. But the world will not wait for your decision. And neither will they.”

“What?” Anam asked. “What’s that mean? Rhys…?”

... Rhys sensed Owen touching the orb in his study, didn't he?

The Elite Heart said nothing else and turned to exit. James, glaring from behind, assured Anam that Rhys was merely upset at his circumstances, and he just had to blow off some steam. While this was normally true, James was worried at how affected Anam was, this time.

“Anam,” James said, “is he not always like this, when he has that tone?”

Anam gulped, but then shook his head.

This time… he feels different.” The feeler-horns behind his head twitched. “He’s telling the truth… b-but what’s that mean? I dunno… I dunno…”

... Wait a minute, did Rhys leave out the Orb for TA on purpose? Since this is giving off the vibe that he left the Orb out for them on purpose right now. .-.

“Goodness. You’re an angry one.”

Nevren tilted his head to the right and stepped away, narrowly dodging a brutal swing from the muscular Snorlax mutant. In the close quarters of the wooden Dungeon labyrinth, it wasn’t the easiest maneuver, but it seemed like Nevren knew exactly where to move before the strikes even began. The air that followed made the Alakazam’s mustache dance with the flow. The strange creature made another brutal swing, trying to punch him in the torso next, but Nevren vanished in thin air.

Ah yes, the return of Swolax. So it was going to come back in this story.

The Snorlax stared at his hand, squeezing his claws dumbly.

“So unhinged. Is there even any reason within you?” Nevren asked, though the question was rhetorical.

He floated just above Snorlax’s shoulders. He tapped a spoon on the behemoth’s head, squinting at some invisible spot on his skull.

Yes, very disturbed. There may not be any coming back from this one. You’re simply too berserk.”

This scene will be going places shortly, won't it? Since I saw how Rhys talked about how mutants were handled earlier on.

Snorlax roared and swung behind him; Nevren hopped on air, easily avoiding his arm, and then formed a small ball of light in his hands.

“It’s a shame, really. I don’t know how to dispatch of someone like you most of the time. You’re a danger to all life, you know. Yes, a true shame…”

Whelp, time to see how chunky salsa these cleanup operations get.

Snorlax opened his mouth, orange energy concentrating at the back of his throat. The sphere emerged, aimed at Nevren.

“Ah. Hyper Beam. I should have—”

The blast cut through the ground and into the forest behind him; the Wooden Wilds’ trees splintered near the top, and one of the labyrinthine walls of the Dungeon incinerated completely, leaving a scorched hole into another hallway. Embers and smoke filled the air.

Well then. That would explain why these things are getting put down with extreme prejudice.

Also boy did Owen luck out in Chapter 1 way back when.
:fearfullaugh~1:


Wordlessly, Snorlax turned around and lumbered through the Dungeon, growling. His arms twitched and swung, and the Snorlax himself was breathing heavily and angrily. For no particular reason, he roared and slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a crater as big as he was in it. Then, he continued forward.

“Yes. Too far gone.”

:worriedgoo~1:


Snorlax spun around, blasting another Hyper Beam through the smoke. This time, it didn’t hit anything for a while. It struck the end of the hall with an explosion that rocked his chest. Glowing eyes of an Alakazam shined through the smoke.

“Oh? You can blast them repeatedly? What drawback does that give you, hmm? Perhaps it takes up too much energy.”

Well, for one, he's no longer sapient- oh right, ferals exist so that's not a guarantee.

Uh... that's a good question, really. But I'm guessing that it'll be "something something Psychic-type weakness".

Snorlax fired again, this time directly at the glowing eyes, but they disappeared a split second before the blast could connect. He sniffed the air, trying to find the Alakazam’s scent, but the smoke made that too difficult. He opened his mouth again, but then Nevren reappeared right in front of Snorlax, tapping a single, glowing finger to his forehead.

Snorlax stopped his blast; the energy that had been gathered dissipated harmlessly in all directions. But his mouth didn’t close; instead, it hung open. His legs wobbled, but he didn’t quite fall down, so much as he leaned against the wall that hadn’t been destroyed.

Actually, wait. Why is Nevren not just chunky salsa-ing this thing anyways?

Nevren sighed, looking at the entranced mutant. “I apologize in advance.” His eyes glowed brightly. Nevren placed his palm on the Snorlax’s chest; the glow of his eyes channeled rapidly down his neck, into his arm, and into his palm, and then into Snorlax.

After a brief spasm, the Snorlax disappeared from the Dungeon.

... Wait, where on earth did he send that thing? .-.

Nevren dug through the bag over his shoulder and pulled out his Badge. He tapped on the Heart symbol in the center twice and held it in the air. After several seconds of waiting for the safe extraction to be established, he disappeared from the Dungeon, reappearing near the entrance. While he fully expected to see the unconscious, or perhaps dead, Snorlax nearby, nothing waited for him at the entrance to the distortion.

Oh, well that's not ominous at all there. Guess that's not the last we've seen of Swolax in this story.

“Hm.” Nevren inspected the area halfheartedly, but then shrugged. He supposed it was already taken care of, then. Efficient. Knowing there was nothing else to worry about, and his mission was accomplished, Nevren walked toward the Waypoint back to Kilo Village.

:copyber:


I can already tell this is going to cause problems later.

Rhys’ walk back home was a quiet one. He heard wild Pidgey singing in the trees. Rattata scampered in the bushes. Auras were wild or calm, rushing or resting. They were all weak, really. Wild Pokémon in this area weren’t anything to worry about. That was one reason he enjoyed living in the forest to the side of Kilo Village’s outskirts. The auras didn’t overwhelm his senses. It also meant that if a powerful aura was around, he could spot it instantly.

“Hello, Rim,” Rhys said.

He stopped walking and lifted his head. To his left was the black, rocky Kilo Mountainside. To the right was the surrounding Kilo Forest, comprised of thin trees with thick, lumpy tops. And ahead and behind him, the thin, grassy field that connected the two.

... Wait, he just knows the 'mon who tried to break into his house last night? .-.

An Espurr appeared in front of Rhys, ten paces away. She was floating at eye-level to Rhys, but she didn’t look directly at him. She stared at his feet instead.

“H-hello…” Her voice was like a whisper, barely audible over the wind. Rhys had to strain his sensitive ears just to hear her.

“I didn’t appreciate your antics last night.”

“S-sorry…”

Okay, Rim. What is your game here?
:absus:


[ ]

“Will you stop, then?” Rim didn’t reply. [ ]

“I see,” Rhys said. “So, it’s begun again. Do not think that I am unprepared, Rim. Send that message to the others.”

Having a bit of trouble visualizing how Rhys and Rim are meant to be reacting right now, a little bit of body language would go a long way for both of them, especially for selling the sort of dynamic these two have with each other since they very clearly have history.

“The… orb… p-please…”

“The orb?” Rhys grabbed at the strap, pulling his bag up. “You intend to take the orb?”

[ ]

“P-please…”

[ ]

“I will not allow it.”

I can't tell if Rim is meant to be coming off more as a pleading child or a junkie going through withdrawal right now, but either way, this is more than a little concerning.

The wind died down. For five seconds, the atmosphere was without sound. Then, it picked up again. The leaves on bushes rustled; wild Pokémon, sensing the tension, fled. The wind stopped again. Rim’s fur, however, continued to blow, energy swirling around her.

Yeah, I'm guessing "junkie going through withdrawal", since this is giving me strong "End of AKIRA Book 1" vibes right about now.

Rhys felt the air twist around him; in a deft movement, he jumped back, dodging Rim’s first Psychic blow. The dirt where he stood warped into an oblong, spiral spike of grass and mud. Rhys countered with a bright ball of concentrated light from his paws, aimed at Rim. It was weakened by an odd, invisible barrier, but still passed through, making the Espurr squeak. She countered with another bout of twisting energy. Rhys dodged it again, but felt the fur at the edge of his tail spiral into a corkscrew.

Rhys fired another Flash Cannon at her, its brilliance scaring off all spectating wild Pokémon. Rim vanished. Rhys cursed and glanced behind him; he felt a powerful presence in front of him instead, but it was too late. The twisting energy surrounded Rhys, and the attack connected. He lost the wind from his chest; his bones were strained. He jumped away, but dropped his bag in the process.

Ngh—”

Rhys: "Oh, that's not good..."
:uhhh:


Rim was readying another wave. Rhys ran in the opposite direction, and then redirected himself. He fired another ball of steely light one last time; Rim dodged, but had to close her eyes against the bright detonation. When she opened them again, he was gone, but the bag remained. Based on the dim glow it emitted, the orb was still inside.

... Wait, how many orbs does Rhys even keep at his house? .-.

She hastily floated down and pulled the cloth out. The orb fell out of the bag, knocking against the dirt with a dull thud. She smiled in relief and hastily grabbed the orb with both hands.

Nothing happened. Her smile transitioned into a confused frown.

This is going to be one of those moments where at first the consumer of forbidden power thinks it's a dud and then they blow up, isn't it?

In another second, her big, purple eyes bulged with panic. She pulled her hands away, and then touched it again. Nothing. She touched it yet again. Still, nothing. She whimpered and knocked her claws against the side. It made a hollow tink.

The glow inside was just a latent Aura Sphere; Rhys had mimicked the Mystic radiance perfectly, yet it was all a fabrication. It was simply colored glass.

Well, that would explain why Rhys was so unbothered by Rim getting at the thing. Though I have to wonder how difficult it was for him to make this decoy in the first place and what his game is holding secrets from the rest of the "not getting our minds wiped" gang. Since he definitely did not tell Anam or James about this.

“Got it, guys!” Owen said. “Ha ha, that was… what?” The orb wasn’t in his hands anymore.

Owen: "Oh thank gods, I am still alive right now. That last scene was scaring me."
:sweats:


He was standing in a clearing within a forest that was vaguely similar to the one outside Rhys’ home. Sunlight poured through the treetops above, creating dazzling patterns on the ground. A large, open field sat to his right, beyond tree trunks wider than he was tall. To his left—and in all other directions, really—was more and more forest. Tanned wood topped with bright green. There was no mountain and no nearby cave; Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi were nowhere to be seen.

Owen: "... Or I could be dead after all, since Rhys' house didn't look like this when I came to it."
:ohnowen:


“Okay. I’m crazy,” Owen finally conceded, looking at his hands. He was certain that he was holding the orb, or that he at least grabbed it. But then, in an instant, it was gone, and then… What happened after that? He did feel a bit strange. He had blacked out for at most half a blink. And then, he was here. It still felt like Mispy was holding him, but it was some sort of phantom sensation. He saw no vines wrapped around his abdomen.

... Am I reading Owen astral projecting right about now or something? Since I'm kinda getting those vibes right about now.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast.” But then again, he didn’t feel hungry.

Something rustled behind him.

Owen: "... Oh great, just what I needed right now."
:uhhh:


“U-uh—h-h-hello?” The flame on his tail brightened. Fire danced in the back of his throat. His heart was racing with onset panic at being thrown into a completely unfamiliar place.

More rustling behind him again, where he had once been facing—and to his left, and his right, and above him. Eyes everywhere, little dots in the shadows of bushes and branches. He caught sight of one of them.

H-hey!” he said, pointing. “I saw that! C-come out! And—and do it in a… slow and non-threatening way! P-please!”

Oh yeah, that's really gonna stop them there. Though let's see what on earth we're dealing with right now.

After a few seconds, a Leafeon emerged. Owen deflated with his sigh.

A few other Pokémon revealed themselves, including a large Jumpluff. Another was a Murkrow—but instead of its iconic, black feathers, it was covered in sharp leaves. Another emerged—this one was a Cubone, holding a solid, wooden stick instead of a bone. Its helmet was made of the same material. The Jumpluff—an actual, normal Pokémon—helped him relax the same way seeing the Leafeon did. If there was anywhere for him to be placed randomly, a place of Grass-Types wasn’t too bad.

... Wait a minute, is this the moment where Owen gets that Grassmeleon form he shows up in some art pieces as? Since everyone else here has something similar going on at the moment.

“Hey,” Owen said, lowering his guard. “S-sorry. I’m just a little… confused. Um. Where am I?”

He nervously nibbled on his tongue. [ ]

I’m sorry if I’m, um, intruding, or anything like that. I think I got here on accident, somehow. I’ll go right home! When… I know where that is.”

One of those "blow up and expand" paragraphs here. Though that makes me wonder how badly the rest of Team Alloy are freaking out right about now back in normal reality.

The Pokémon all looked at one another. They seemed to understand Owen, and were murmuring to one another. Owen’s breathing steadied. At least they weren’t wild. Another ideal circumstance. He listened in on the words being said, sensing that quite a few of these Pokémon were tense and ready to fight or flee. He gulped. Was he about to become a Carnivine’s lunch? Some Grass cult’s sacrifice? Even if he had an advantage, he didn’t think he’d be able to take on all of them. It would be the most humiliating way to die, really—a Charmander, eaten by a bunch of Grass-Types.

Could be worse, I've seen a Charmeleon almost die to Paras before. Pretty sure that's a level of humiliation above what you're worrying about, Owen.
:loltias:


The mumbling slowly subsided; more and more of their eyes focused on something behind Owen. The Charmander almost didn’t want to look back. He could feel it. A presence—a powerful, incredible, radiant presence. Perhaps it was the cult’s leader, ready to cook him up. Charmander stew! With only the finest herbs and berries. It cooked itself.

Ah yes, the "self-cooking Fire-type" joke, even if I tend to see this one more about Tepig.

He couldn’t move; his flame burned brighter, ready to run and torch anything that stopped him.

“Yo,” said a feminine, yet casual voice. “Took you long enough.”

... This is the voice who reached out to Owen in his dreams, isn't it?

By some miracle, Owen heard this voice over the blood pounding in his head. This voice sounded familiar. Recent. Wait! It was the pretty voice!

Yuuuuup.

He spun around.

His jaw nearly detached from the rest of his head. “M-M-M… Muh—Muh—”

“Nice to meet you in spirit, Owen,” the Mew said, smiling wryly. “How’s life?”

Oh, so that's who encouraged him to ignore Rhys.

Alright, so admittedly I'm a bit spoiled secondhand that this character is bad news even if I don't know the specifics behind why. But I suspect that that won't become apparent for a good while into the story for here. And with how credulous Owen is, I'm not sure she'd need to work all that hard to pull a fast one over him and the readers.

Though I suppose the shakeout from the Orbening will need to wait for another day. Not that this was exactly a bad note to leave off on to keep the audience in suspense.

Aaaaand it's recap time:

Okay, so the obvious strength of this chapter was how it just smashed the status quo into a million pieces and set things up such that things can just go from 0-60 in the next chapter. Since I seriously doubt that Owen's just going to be able to sweep things under the rug once he comes to post-Orbening, and it looks like Rhys engineered this to happen under the noses of his colleagues. All of that more or less screams "nothing is going to be the same again" once the dust settles from this.

I thought that the chapter also did a good job at hinting that there's still wheels within wheels to go for the full story behind things that are going on, since I saw what happened with the Swolax there. And mechanically, it's not a half-bad structure to get readers interested in the "hey wait, that's weird" and want to come back to see where it will go in the future. It's been a bit of a constant of the story thus far, so it's good to see that it didn't let up since it primes the audience to look forward to what the aftermath of all of this will be.

As for criticisms, the number one criticism that I have is that there is a dearth of description in some scenes that makes it kinda hard to get a bead on characters or stuff that's going down at times, with it being especially noticeable in the opening scene in the chapter. At about 5000 words long, you have a bit of wiggle room to address that before things start getting into "long and plodding" territory.

The whole thing about "paragraphs that read like they'd be smoother as smaller paragraphs" also reared its head here and there, but by and large, those: A: are subjective to an extent thanks to differences in narrative style, B: aren't terribly hard to address if you decide "no, no, he's got a point" on a few of them since it's just punching the return key a couple times and occasionally adding a sentence or two.

On the whole, I thought the chapter was pretty fun @Namohysip . Since even if I had a few bones to pick with some of the detailing, it did what I suspect was its intended meta job pretty well and made a decent sales pitch for coming back to this story for the upcoming Review Blitz.

Hope the feedback helped, and till next time!
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Thanks for the review, Fobbie! I replied to you elsewhere for all of these, but I may as well briefly state that I'm very happy that you were interested in the plot more now that you're getting into chapter 5 or so. That's usually when it picks up, and I do wish I could have made it pick up faster, all things considered. It's hard to shake the slow burn writing style that can scare off many new readers.

As for criticisms, the number one criticism that I have is that there is a dearth of description in some scenes that makes it kinda hard to get a bead on characters or stuff that's going down at times, with it being especially noticeable in the opening scene in the chapter. At about 5000 words long, you have a bit of wiggle room to address that before things start getting into "long and plodding" territory.

This is the main conflict I have for these early chapters. Do I write more to flesh things out, or do I save it for later in an effort to get to the truly hooking part? I feel like each reader is going to have a different preference, and that balance is probably impossible to find a medium for everyone. It could use some quick, efficient an additional description, though, I agree...
 

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
[Glances at date of last review] Hmm... hmm... yes I see... let's all ignore that.

SE8

Really funny to see Star as just this regular legend caught by humans, after all the world-scale god-tier crises. But I suppose it fits with the whole "gods are weaker in physical form" thing. Even weirder that it's Cypher that caught her and not like, Team Rocket.

Funny that Hecto's name was that well before he went and became the legendary known for splitting into increments of 100. :P (Or, well, maybe he already is a Zygarde in this world, and Dusknoir is just a guise.) Granting the boss the ability to use Thunder is the funniest way to prove your legendary status.

So here we meet, well, most of the characters I'd been assuming were human for ages. Along with a few that I don't quite recognize. Utano is presumably related to Rui? I thought maybe she'd be Rui's older sister, but if Michael is an adult, I'd assume the events of Colo/XD already happened... maybe the timeline is completely different. There was no mention of Michael fighting Cypher, after all, he just became a researcher here. Speaking of Michael, it's so wild to meet a canon character after all this time.

"Then, he made the mistake of looking down. He wondered if he would ever forget what that attack had done to his body… There wasn’t a hint of cream-colored scales on his front anymore. It was all crimson."
This is what I mean when I say 'less is more' when describing gore.

Sooo the obvious implication is that Quartz island... became Kilo. Hecto said something about Arceus smiting the island if he found out, and here were are. It's kind of amazing that something so small led to... all this. Obviously there's a lot still missing--I definitely had a bit of a "where's the rest of it" moment when I got to the end, lol.

112

Really love Angelo just remarking on all the spirit bullshit and how weird all of it is. It's so easy to forget that there are people in this world that are actually normal. And he isn't even really all that normal himself, all things considered!

"It wasn’t ever his choice, was it?" Ouch. Some real LC vibes here.

"Further down the road, that Fairy Joltik was chasing down a tiny, terrified Manectric and Crobat with a frantic Porygon-Z just behind her. Perhaps trying to stop her."
Is that Koa and Echo. :P

Right, so that description of Nate was obviously reminiscent of Eternatus, but... *squints* Nate was introduced into HoC in June of 2019, but SwSh didn't come out until November. Something's up... Eternatus isn't the full truth of his nature. I'm guessing you had an idea for an eldtichy character and Eternatus ended up being a perfect fit. (Considering that BLC had multiple eldritchy characters who weren't Pokemon at all, I can see this happening.)

The other thing is that the shades that come from Nate are referred to as "wraiths" which is also what void shadows have been called, so that makes me wonder if Nate got... corrupted somehow? We haven't actually seen much Void-y stuff from the Chasm vs the Basin, so that would explain a few things.

The reveal that Nate killed Angelo Sr... it's just so absurd in its mudanity compared to everything else going on.

And we return to Owen being extremely comfy cosy confined in no remarkable way whatsoever. Definitely not reminiscent of anyth--*shot*

Tbh I am all here for floofy Owen

113

I love how this whole plot-important convo is taking place in the shower.

I was going to make a "namo likes big pokemon" joke but all of the precedent is right there in canon, so Game Freak is in fact responsible for Pokemon becoming lorge.

> “You can’t just fight them to keep them from staring?” Owen asked
idk I'm with Owen I think Zena should fight them

The Amia stuff is genuinely pretty heartbreaking. Good to see things that can't just get fixed immediately--I was a little worried that they'd find a fix too soon, or at least get reassured that a fix was possible. A lot of the high stakes Bad Things that sort of occupy the same 'slot' as death so to speak just sort of inherently feel more reversible, even the memory loss.

Wild to think that Owen was hoping to return home someday after gaining his wings, and that life is now so far gone it barely exists.

So... I'm wondering if the implication here is that shadows leaked into the human world, were used by Cipher, and then had to be expelled by force? I don't think DM was ever in the human world. I also don't think some random criminals managed to invent reality cancer wholecloth, so... maybe Shadows weren't as cancerous in the human world, but because of the unstable way Kilo was created, there's been a kind of snowball effect.

DM seemed considerably more agreeable in that flashback. He even talked about the world was ending as if it were... something regrettable? Sure doesn't seem like that was his goal back then, like it is now. Unless DM back then was too weak to do anything and needed to deceive Owen in order to gather the strength to then make his true colors known? Mm, that doesn't seem your style. Leaning more toward the two of them trying to find an alternative, and then that failed, and DM gave up.

114

Ohoho, so DM told Anam not to let Owen into the hearts.

It's really funny to see Anam reading DM like a book and DM being all "nuh uh it's totally coincidence >:[" even though he's fooling nobody.

Owen just sitting there with Hakk like, "Hey I guess you tried to betray me but we can't talk about it. Okay."

> “Oh, so she’s part of the VPN of your world.”
get out

Zena doesn't know anything about the shadow war and she doesn't have any kind of ~agenda~. She objectively isn't hiding the truth from Owen because she doesn't know the truth either! She wasn't even there! Taking the advice of a friend is not the same thing as following orders! :screm:

DM is also obviously holding back on saying why Owen sided with him. If you just say that with no context, it sounds like Owen was in on the whole "destroy the world and kill everyone" thing but that's obviously not true. So then DM, why won't you say what Owen was really going for, hm? It'd mess with your narrative, wouldn't it?

115

Re: Marshadow. "Yeah, you're possessed by DM and might try to backstab us, but we can't do anything about it so hang with us" will never not be hilarious to me. I don't think I've ever seen this type of posession in media ever, where the person still acts exactly the same but just will occasionally follow their progra--okay, actually, it's very similar to when AI characters get possessed.

All this talk about "following orders," but to be honest... no one is really ordering Owen around at this point? I mean sure, he has to follow the rules in the village, just like anyone, but all the people who had goals for him in the past are busy with other things right now.

Anyway, glad that Owen and Zena managed to quickly figure out that Owen was never trying to doom everyone by siding with DM. And I like how she trusts him to keep a secret and doesn't angst about it.

Everyone and their mom wants to save the world but no one can agree on what's wrong with it lmao. In fact, I don't know if we've learned what was wrong with it by anyone's perspective! Aside from Anam, amusingly enough.

Still unclear on if Alexander taking over the voidlands would have any effect on Kilo, if DM were gone. As far as I'm concerned, let him be all "look upon my works and despair" surrounded by a bunch of red sand and void shadows. :V

Ohh, Star is in Cipher castle. I'd forgotten that we lost track of her ages ago. That's a really long time for her to be absent! Her original slapfight with Arceus is sorta irrelevant now lol.

I keep going back and forth on Mhynt's angle through all this. Leaning toward her playing a very veerrry long con, maybe? The thing is, I feel like almost anyone would have that suspicion in-universe, so there must be a very good reason why she's so trusted in Cipher's ranks. There's also the problem of what was her goal before all these Kilo folks showed up and shook up the status quo. Anyway, I enjoy how she just dunked on the loyalty test without missing a beat.

116

I liked the conversation with Klent and Amelia--taking opinions from others doesn't mean your decisions aren't your own! It just leads to better decisions!

So, Spice has Void power of course, but the question still remains: what was strange about her beforehand, which caused her to gain Void power from the basin as opposed to just... going mad or becoming a void shadow or whatever? It's either there was something unique about her before, or something unique about her situation that gave her a very different takeaway than everyone else.

Very interesting how one of the zygarde got pulled into the voidlands. And he obviously wasn't supposed to be there, because Mhynt didn't hesitate to send him back with Spice. So the basin being a portal to the voidlands would certainly explain why shadows keep leaking out of it and why people go mad next to it, but it doesn't explain why no one in the voidlands can get out that same way. Or maybe it's the same deal as dungeons--they can, but they'll burn in Kilo. So I'm wondering if it's only because of Spice's already-existing unique attributes that it's a two-way road for her. Also makes me wonder if it'd be the same for Jerry, although despite his Void power, he doesn't have all the same attributes as her.

117

Jeez, really chilling that just being vaguely near the basin screwed Leo up so much.

Look, I know it would be really creepy to see in person, so I can't really fault the others on their reaction, but I think Xypher's collection is sweet, ok. :T And so was his conversation with Owen. He cares so much. Best birb.

118

DM's speech was missing the bold in the beginning of the chapter, is that an error?

> Would he have let Tim go with Ayame and Ire, and would he return to the lab to live a quiet life? Deep in his heart, he knew he wouldn’t have, no matter who told him.
That vibe of not wanting any of those things to have happened, but not wanting to change them either... Jade can relate.

All right, I'm sure you've been waiting for my reaction to this one in particular. :P And, well... Owen's callout is pretty good, yeah Hits pretty much all the buttons I would have wanted to see out of it. And it's fair that Eon can't really be blamed for the original memory loss, the fusion going wrong... that was just a tragic accident. There's still a whole heck of a lot of other problems, of course--it wasn't all just for getting Owen back. I mean, plenty of the stuff he was doing was pretty messed-up before he ever lost Owen. :V But in a way, being cut off from all his goals back in Kilo is helpful for him. Being stripped of his power, too. There's still just so much everything for him make up for, but... it's a start. So long as he drops the entitlement thing.

Nevren was Michael?? As in, the canon XD Michael? The character everyone else wants to stab is a canon character, amazing. No idea what would be different about Eon and Nevren that made them take up new names without really deciding to when no one else did...

> “Well,” Trina went on, “I think I’m far better at keeping the land safe compared to what Eon does with them.”
She's right and she should say it. :V

Really good talk between Zena and Owen, and how it's not about whether or not someone deserves forgiveness, but that if they're gone, they can't ever fix what they did.

> Knock. Knock. Knock.
Dammit I was only going to read ONE chapter tonight, who gave you the right to end it there. :screm:

119

tbh I'm pretty sure Anam is fine. :V

> “I’ll admit the first building was entirely my fault,” Dark Matter said, shrugging, “but I only struck the second one because you did not believe me.”
This is amusingly defensive from him. I was expecting just a flat "I don't care."

DM's posturing here is interesting because he's obviously a very real threat, and yet... if he is able to do all that now, what does he gain from their surrender? Why not just kill everyone now?

We're being given a lot of reason to doubt Necrozma or think that Necrozma is the real enemy here, but tbh I'm pretty sure there's more to it than that. Like yeah, "Necrozma wants to destroy the world" sounds bad on paper, but so does "Owen helped Dark Matter."

Aaaaand there we have it. Getting all the hands. The power to rewrite reality, and fix DM. That tracks perfectly for Owen, mind, but plenty of other people have also been after the hands! And not necessarily to eliminate DM either, since half the important players didn't even remember that DM was a thing. Actually... I think I'm unclear on why Eon was out collecting orbs (hands) in the first place. Nevren of course was trying to deduce their original goals through the memory trick.

Actually... a lot of the original info about the motivations behind orb/hand hunting feels weird now. Presumably Necrozma got erased from history before Star tried to overthrow Arceus, and then Star came to regret forming the Hunters, hid the orbs, Eon tried to get them... It's almost like after Necrozma got erased, they all got confused on what they even wanted the hands for (ironically, save for Nevren, who was always trying to figure out the original plan.) Owen was the first person to try to get them all, but no one after him was trying for the same reason as him. Were they trying to break the Decree that erased all the important stuff? (And Arceus... didn't want that...?)

I have realized that I've completely lost track of who still remembered DM was a thing before DM's return. Halp.

---

I have, of course, read further than this, as you know, so all of this was cobbled together from notes. Which means I already know the answers to some of the speculation in here, lmao.
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Half of this is theorizing and I'm all for it! I'll clarify a few things just so it doesn't send you too far off the beaten path, but in general I'm loving the speculation that's going on here,

There was no mention of Michael fighting Cypher, after all, he just became a researcher here. Speaking of Michael, it's so wild to meet a canon character after all this time.

This is the biggest one, and frankly it's my fault for following the "Southern Tradition" for Nevren/Michael. But the timeline was vaguely alluded to here, and I think I wasn't clear enough. The stuff with Shadows is taking place before Colosseum. Quartz Isle didn't exist in the games because Arceus made everyone forget it existed.

Michael is the father of the Gale of Darkness protag, who canonically died to unknown circumstances pre-game, and was a lead researcher. You can therefore reasonably deduce that protag!Michael's Eevee is the son of Vaporeon Emily. How ironic that he canonically winds up freeing a Shadow Lugia, eh?

Is that Koa and Echo. :P

I do love my cameos.

I'm guessing you had an idea for an eldtichy character and Eternatus ended up being a perfect fit.

You're precisely right. I knew Gen 8 was around the corner when writing these parts, so I kept his appearance vague until I saw Eternatus and went "Yep, I'll template that."

All this talk about "following orders," but to be honest... no one is really ordering Owen around at this point?

I'm not entirely sure where you're referring to here (the chapters blend a bit for me, admittedly) but Owen has... a complex. This is a flaw for him. He is afraid to listen to advice because he thinks someone's manipulating him again, so he kinda has to... re-learn what it means to trust people telling him things?

DM's speech was missing the bold in the beginning of the chapter, is that an error?

Likely.

I think I'm unclear on why Eon was out collecting orbs (hands) in the first place. Nevren of course was trying to deduce their original goals through the memory trick.
It's almost like after Necrozma got erased, they all got confused on what they even wanted the hands for (ironically, save for Nevren, who was always trying to figure out the original plan.)

This is a reasonable conclusion to make, and perhaps one I can make more clear down the line. But basically, """something""" happened that took Necrozma out of the picture--and the picture books. And the regular books, too. But because everyone's goals were still in place... their minds "filled in the blanks." It went from "We have to get the Orbs to stop []!" to "...Barky must be up to something if we've been gathering these orbs!" and so on.

Even Arceus and Star were subject to this erasure. They did not know Necrozma existed. Only Anam did... and he was cursed with that knowledge, because any time he told anyone about it, poof, gone. They don't remember him saying it. Just like when Emily said her title of Stormbringer.

--

Anyway, very glad to see all this theorizing! It's definitely convoluted. It's one of those things that's clearer on a second read, but I do need to work on making it easier to follow on a first. Glad you enjoyed it regardless~
 

Arukona

A Scribe Penning His Brainworms
Location
Ardalion
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He/him
Partners
  1. aggron
  2. sceptile
  3. lucario
It’s about time I got around to reading more HoC. I read up until the first Special Episode some time back, but no more than that. Of course, though, thanks to the Review Blitz being on, now’s the time to make some more progress on one of the longest fics in the PMD fandom. (And boy, is this a long one. Obviously, I won’t read the full thing; probably about the next 12 chapters or so.

Let’s get into it. This’ll be me noting down things that stick out to me while I read. Very much a ‘reaction as I read’ type of review.



Special Episode 1

Fire-types in the rain? Oh dear. Never good for them. Perfectly sets the tone for this chapter - probably gonna be a tense and maybe a tragic one.

Salazzle gluttony? Yeah, I could picture them with that tendency. Still, by the looks and attitude of Spice, she hardly seems to be one with a Salandit harem at her beck and call. Different from others of her species, perhaps.

I rather like Owen’s dogged determination here. Makes us want to root for him all the more. He’s a Charmander here, so presumably, this is him in the past.

“Ugh! Stubborn. Males are all the same,” Spice hissed.

Okay, I take what I said about Spice back. Maybe she’s not too different from her species average.

“I—I don’t think storms work this way!” Owen shouted.

Interesting. Could this mean this is an attack? Or is this just one wacky as hell storm? (I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the former.)

Another Charmander, one that’s identical to Owen? Hmm…there’s definitely more to this one than meets the eye.

Ah, lore on Mystery Dungeons. I do like the greater expansion of how they work in this universe.

Deca doesn’t seem to be an overly emotional ‘mon. I guess since he is a mirror image of sorts, he would be rather different from his more emotional other self.

Wait, why is Deca blindfolding himself? What reason would he have to do that?

“Deca, why do you do that? With the blindfold.”

“Helps me concentrate. I can’t look at others that aren’t my kind without…” He shook his head. “It’s a disorder.”

Hmm…sounds oddly specific. Quite strange - only adding to the mystery of this other Charmander.

“…It’s nice to meet you,” Rhys said, “Deca.”

The emphasis here makes me think that these two have met before. If so, what were the circumstances?

Clever strategy by Owen to put out that fire. I’ve seen that elsewhere, in fact, using smaller fires to prevent the spread of a bigger one.

Ouch, poor Owen. That tail of his is sure gonna be quite the reminder of his health (as is the case for Charmander).

So Zygarde makes an appearance here. Not the first Legend, and by no means the last. (It’d make sense, given his role as land restorer.)

Don’t ever forget…”

This reminds me of something.

Oh, Deca doesn’t know the dance. That’s why he can’t get in. Nice, nice! I liked that bit of humour in the first few chapters, glad to see it’s still here.

So Deca’s gearing up to possibly be somewhat antagonistic, disillusioned by the treatment given to Owen. (Owen’s evil twin, possibly?) At the very least, he doesn’t think highly of Star at all. That’ll make an interesting development down the road - will Owen have to fight his doppelganger in future?

So that’s the end of this Special Episode. There was good tension in this, and we saw Owen’s plucky determination that we love him for. Nice to see him in the past, too. And just who is Deca, his mysterious other half? That’ll be something for the future, no doubt.

Chapter 12

Well…that escalated quickly. And after such a calm opening, too.

The regenerative powers of Anam are certainly something. I suppose the gooeyness of Goodra does lend itself to interesting morphing capabilities. I like that.

Anam using his hands to regenerate? I guess you could say they’re…‘hands of creation’.

ADAM’s a computer. Cool - I like those kinds of characters.

Gotta like the signs of Anam’s age, where he describes the ‘beep-boops in the hospitals.’ Bit of an ‘Okay, boomer’ moment for him - maybe more in future?

Aww, poor Demitri and his acrophobia. Good thing he’s not a Bagon, though, otherwise that would definitely be a problem in an area like this.

“Yes, well,” Rhys said. “I’m sure I can be friendly.”

None of his students looked convinced.

F2CsbTnblXcCxFNhHKY5QtT22zZDEKRoWuwFAXttHv06MzTFIOFELdwDcnVqqpX93mpyWbNeiCh1qhKLWr1MtVp9B1fwVOx3JqBZjp2-a_YHoxFqRgizqjb6hDt9yvrCaHgGX4xKEumXvk5fKjaAxPVnwWMZgKEpvcz9rwlgx1MOUIJqsyAJfCeP35JNSA


An interesting dilemma for Rhys over his Divine Promise. That does make the stakes in this fight all the harder.

Oh, the other three have evolved! Yes! Always a favourite part in my fics to see our heroes evolve.

Ah yes, and the trouble of being stronger comes with not knowing one’s own strength. Like that moment where Mispy strikes Gahi with a stronger vine. That was pretty funny.

And the end of this chapter. Another good one!

Chapter 13

Owen having that loopy moment with the X-Eye Seed was neat. Although, Alex and Amia, you could just tell him that? He’s not a kid anymore…

Heh, gotta like Alex’s squirming when Owen challenged his strength. I wonder what the outcome of that match would be? (In time, it would probably be a curbstomp for our Charmeleon hero.)

And what a surprise, that the Fairy Guardian would be a playful mischievous sort. I definitely did not see that coming at all. No sirree, I did not. Not at all. No way.

Oh, shrinking shenanigans? Another favourite trope of mine that I like to see. I’m immediately interested.

Willow seems like a fun sort. Petulant, maybe, but her antics might make for some interesting shenanigans.

That image of Valle dragging himself made me snicker. Also, the Guardians can fly? Boy, their abilities seem endless. What’s next?

Aww, Owen and Zena are getting close. How cute!

And it seems another big mystery gets added to the pile; over how Gahi seemingly remembered flying at one point. Not too unlike Owen’s own memories that come before. So it’s not just Owen experiencing this; possibly Mispy and Demitri, too. And the Guardians all seem to know something about this. More secrets to be uncovered…

This keeps me intrigued. And in my opinion, if a fic generates intrigue, then it’s doing a good job.

Chapter 14

Based on this chapter’s title, there’s a bad omen on the horizon.

So Owen and Zena are gonna meditate while reading. Hm. Almost like the banner art for this story…

Somehow I feel like that fact about Kilo not having that name during Zena’s time is going to crop up again and be important in some way later on.

No, Owen, don’t be turned away from this. This oddity means something. And that question of why the Guardians intend to keep it secret still remains. There’s a big secret being kept, if I had to guess.

Owen being a tiny little Joltik’s servant for the day cracked me up. I doubt this’ll be the last time he’ll be the butt of this kind of treatment.

Oh no. The Hunters have struck, and a mysterious Luxray is among the enemy ranks. And right when everything was in place to bring Cara back to base…Don’t we all hate it when that happens?

(Also going to throw out a guess - was that Luxray responsible for the storms that ravaged the fires in the Special Episode?)

I see this is where the Hunters are really beginning to make their moves. Part of me wonders, though; how are the captured Orbs gonna be used? Will the enemy use some kind of brainwashing technique, or will they have new ‘mons lined up to use that power for themselves? A question that’ll be answered in due time, no doubt.

They forgot their badges? Hmm. Enemy trickery or just plain forgetfulness?

So Mystics can devolve and evolve as they so please? Another power to add to the (growing) list…

And it seems Owen has quite a big challenge on his plate. Will he manage to overcome it? Find out next time on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation Z!

Chapter 15

So the mutants and Hunters look to be in league with one another. Maybe the Hunters are behind it?

Wow, are the three of them evolving again? Barely any time between the last evolutions, and yet now they’re coming in hot and fast!

But he couldn’t flee. He just couldn’t. He had to fight. He had to win. He had to kill.

Oh boy, those are primal instincts setting in. That’s not good at all.

And now Owen’s evolving! Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting full evolution until later in the story. I’m very surprised it’s happening this quickly.

Okay…these memory lapse shenanigans are getting stranger by the minute. Coupled with the fact that they appear to have devolved but with no reactions from any of them…there’s definitely something fishy in the air, and the Guardians know what it is. Is memory erasure another weapon in the Guardians’ arsenal? I guess the chapter title makes sense now - ‘Reset’. It does feel like our heroes have been sent back to square one, evolution-wise.

That devolution is what strikes me most. Is that an ability of the Hunters, I wonder? But if so, then why did Team Alloy have virtually no reaction to their devolved states? You’d think they’d miss their evolved forms…so there’s definitely some level of memory erasure, if I had to guess.

Chapter 16

So Rim wasn’t quite strong enough to handle Manny. Must be a real tough cookie, whoever they are.

“Okay. Thanks anyway, Cara. Forget about all this and enjoy your afterlife.”

Wow. Ice cold you are, Star. Sure not winning any sympathy points among the audience (or me, at least.)

We find out a little more about the mutants. Created auraless, soulless beings, almost manufactured by whoever the Big Bad is, probably. Maybe the Big Bad has no aura, and that’s why the mutants don’t have them…Hmm…

Okay, not gonna lie, this whole cycle of ‘erasing Owen’s memories anytime he gets too curious’ is getting to be a bit cruel to the poor guy. When’s he gonna escape it? It’s almost feeling like Groundhog Day.

More memories. He saw Rhys approach him while at the meeting—right before he had passed out. He was telling him something—to go rest, that he was tired. And then, his paw had glowed… and Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi all passed out. And then Owen did right after. And… and that fight. Feraligatr Azu. He wasn’t a Charmander, was he? No. He was too tall.

He wasn’t at thigh-height. He was at belly-height.

I was a Charmeleon.

And now it’s beginning to sink in. I’m picturing a confrontation about all of this at some point in the future. Will all the Guardians we’ve come to view as allies become antagonists in some way? Or is it more of a safety precaution on their part? They brought up the chaotic auras of the late evolvers, and now I’m realising that might have been passed off as an excuse. These four seem to instil fear in the Guardians every time evolution happens. Is it maybe to do with the chaotic energies of evolution and how it affects these four in particular? We saw how Owen seemed to become almost feral in the fight with Azu - I wonder if the two events are related?

This all makes me curious, and curiosity compels me to keep going.

Chapter 17

‘Looking for a new rock, at least two feet in height, polished! Will pay 3000 Poké!’ was what he had posted.

It ended up being a very good rock.

3000 Poké for a rock? That's a bit steep, isn’t it? Shoulda maybe gone a bit lower there, Owen. All kinds of swindlers out there.

Oh, Owen’s gonna try and summon spirits? Interesting - I wonder if he’ll have a James or Alex of his own?

“Yeah,” Star said, “your Mysticism is actually a lot higher than when you started off, more than I expected, actually, but you don’t know how to use it yet, is the problem,” Star said.

Slight error here, with the two ‘Star said’s.

I’m beginning to think Zena might be having doubts about resetting Owen’s memory every time he gets too curious. That might make an interesting possible schism with the other Guardians later down the road.

But it seems she’s not at that stage yet. Given their growing bond, though…Owen might well extract the truth from her eventually.

I tell you, I really feel for Owen in this chapter. The truth feels distant, but he can’t even begin to go down that road without everyone else telling him to go off and train or meditate or something. Now once again, he’s getting that feeling that his whole life is a lie.

And now the anguish is coming out. The emotions here are greatly expressed; we’re really able to feel his emotional turmoil come out in full.

Hmm. By the sounds of it, they’re about to tell him the truth. But somehow I feel like the whole truth won’t come out immediately.

“You killed me,” the former Guardian said, “and my daughter.”

…..

…..

…..I love a good wham line like that. Wow, that was a good way to end the chapter right there. Great job!

But what could this revelation mean, and how does our hero react to it? Only one way to find out…keep reading.

Chapter 18

Hm. Was expecting a bit more of a reaction from Owen after last chapter’s wham line. Like a “WHAT?!” or something to that effect.

And yep, as I expected: Zena’s beginning to turn away from this whole ‘erasing Team Alloy’s memories’ plot. I’m liking this: finally, Owen has someone to stand up for him among the Guardians.

What they are. They’re the very same things being sent to kill the other Guardians.

So Team Alloy are mutants? That would explain their constantly shifting evolution patterns.

“But how was he after he evolved?” Anam asked.

“Um… he was a much more difficult opponent,” Amia said.

Okay, so that battle didn’t just end right after Owen evolved. And yet they still weren’t allowed passage?

Wow, these Fighting spirits are ripped. Giving JoJo a run for its money right there.

And these are quickly seeming like curbstomp battles. Gives a good idea of the power discrepancy between Owen and the Guardians.

So…the Garchomp mutant fighting Manny also can take on the form of Owen, specifically? More mysteries to be added to that growing pile. Can the mutants change form like that? What in the world could this all mean?

Chapter 19

So that’s an ancient dialect that Manny and Gahi speak. And there was me thinking that was just a strange quirk of Gahi’s.

Capturing the essence of enemies and turning them to your side? There’s good logic to that, I suppose.

By the sounds of it, the whole constant resetting of memories must have going on for a long time if they’re talking about Team Alloy having not aged and died yet. A long time, possibly hundreds of years, even.

Rhys’ familiar feeling about Manny - what could that mean? It’s definitely more than the species. If that line was put there, it must mean something.

So it’s confirmed; Owen and Team Alloy are hundreds of years old.

I suppose it makes a bit more sense now why they’re repressing Team Alloy’s memories, for fear that they’ll revert to the way they were before. And the trauma of those past memories, too - those wouldn’t be worth remembering. Even still…there has to be a better way, surely? One that doesn’t involve constant devolving.

Chapter 20

So we’re finally gonna have that showdown between Rhys and Manny as promised.

Come on, guys, don’t taunt. That’s completely cringe - just ask any Smash player. The only time you taunt is for the lulz.

A clever use of aura on Rhys’ part. A good foil of defence against Manny’s offence.

Also, we really see displays of power here. A match that’s over with only a few moves? Yet another example of just how stupidly powerful some of these characters are.

Okay, so now we get an explanation for why Team Alloy’s evolutions keep being reset: because when they fully evolve, they shift to battle mode. I wonder, then: will that become one of their main struggles, working to keep their sanity while fully evolved?

“Centuries! Hah! That’ll be fun fer them ter sort through.”

Won’t it just? Probably a lot of bad in those memories, but maybe glimmers of good in them too. I wonder what’s locked away?

And the end of this chapter. Nice fight scene in this one.

Chapter 21

‘Our Lord’? What, are we gonna meet Arceus this chapter or something?

Mispy being a glutton as usual.

The ‘play dumb’ strategy seems to be the way to go. Still, at what point are Team Alloy going to hear the truth about who they really are?

Oh, sooner than I thought. Guess the truth can’t be hidden forever.

Hm. Never thought about how a Milotic eyebrow raise would look. But looking at their brows, yes, that would be quite a marvel to see.

And now Amia’s guilt begins to seep in over Owen coming to terms with who he really is. That whole scene between Owen and his parents is really touching, and I really liked it.

As I predicted. We are indeed meeting with the Llama God Himself.

Arceus gives off a stern vibe, as I’d expect from Him.

Okay, this deal screams ‘too good to be true.’ There’s a catch somewhere. Is Arceus trying to trick Owen? I don’t think so, but…the possibility is there.

I’ve a feeling this Divine Promise, if Owen makes it, is going to cause conflict among his allies.

So this has turned into a threat and an ultimatum by Arceus. Don’t like what you’re doing at all, O Creator…

Thank God (not Arceus) for Star’s save! Though, judging by the way the two parted, it seems Arceus still has some faith in Star, and relations haven’t completely broken down between them. Although now that Arceus has made his presence known, how will that impact the story? Is this going to be a tug-of-war for Owen to choose between Star or Arceus, I wonder?

One thing’s for sure; I have a strong feeling we won’t be seeing the last of Arceus.

Chapter 22

So Owen’s in the aura sea. In a not-quite dead way, presumably? But then the presence of Hecto as a Dusknoir does imply this is hardly the land of the living, either…

“Owen… I think it’s time that we explain to you why you’re so important in all this. I mean—I don’t think we can tell it… tell it all just yet, but at least what sets you apart from the others.”

Ah yes, a ‘hero different from the rest.’ Sure haven’t heard that before. But it’s something that’s not just his mutant status, I take it.

I really like when Owen evolves. Nice to see him finally evolve without any sort of consequence (at least in this state). And how happy he is, too. It's adorable.

Okay, so we’re adding Kill God to the do-list. Boy, Owen sure has a lot on his plate by this point…

Hecto and Star are partners? …Unexpected. But hey - gods live by different rules.

Hecto seems to be a grey figure - we’re certainly not able to tell much about them. Though the ‘caught Star’s heart’ part (wow, that rhymed) is certainly intriguing. Just where does he stand in all of this?

The already thick plot thickens…

Chapter 23

“Would it’ve hurt to give us the actual Dragon type?” Owen mumbled.

Guess it’s hardly a surprise that Charizard themselves are bitter over ‘not being Dragon-type.’ Nice lampshading there.

Owen’s true form sounds quite interesting. I wonder if he’ll be able to master it eventually without going insane? I’d like to see that at some point in the future.

Alright, so the mission’s not quite Kill God. More like Make God Not Be A Twisted Bastard. Doesn’t make it any easier, though…

I don’t know why, but when Mispy found Owen’s bag easily, I couldn't help but be reminded of this:

n8XpSNiYs4mdBdzv3lHHSkWZZVd0cPf0w4S_Es4aX3KgsvX4NeMANxFlHZ83w1-Z4ib0e9lNQJ3lpZZJdRMROBHCN8t0lqMX-xqqT9YGMDeljlABG-m0SsKtTMjGL89Cag8iLGKgt-ZcKDdVW9fSBQaxZJeZga6L40rhOtAPHktEpG_nDueOltX7qMpaSg


I absolutely love the reference with Ho-oh’s Absurd Escapades. Hmm. I wonder if Part 7 has a horse race, a disabled protagonist, Jesus and an evil President, too? (Probably whatever this world has as equivalents to those.)

It’s an interesting point to touch on, how dulled Owen’s senses would be as a Charmander compared to a Charizard. I like that detail very much.

I had a feeling that ‘Sugar n’ Spice’ would see the return of Spice. That scar, though. Grisly.

Weird how Deca and Spice appeared in the exact same place. Coincidence, or…?

Okay, this is getting weird. Kilo Village is abandoned? What, did Owen walk into a mirror world or something?

Spice seems rather more laidback than she first appeared back in the Special Episode. Maybe it’s because she’s not in an emergency situation this time?

Hm. Deca’s still as mysterious as ever. A real enigma, that one.

“Let’s be fast,” Rhys said. “The wind has been relentless ever since we left the market.”

Predicting it: a Hunter gained the power of the Flying Orb, and that’s going to be the next big adversary Owen and his allies have to face off against next.

Conclusion

This was an engaging read! I really enjoyed the multiple twists and turns that took place through these chapters alone. (If it’s this intense, the rest of the fic sure has to be a sight to behold. And given how many chapters I haven’t read…)

I loved the characters. Especially Owen. We really feel his innocence and emotional turmoil as the truth begins to leak out and he begins to realise his own nature as a mutant. I really felt sympathy for the poor kid. Precious little Charmander/Charmeleon/Charizard who I never failed to root for while reading.

Shoutout to the rest of Team Alloy as well. Gahi’s probably my favourite of the other three.

I would be curious as to seeing the antagonists that aren’t just mindless mutants or Arceus. I wonder if they’re just as colourful as our current cast?

I do have some criticisms. Firstly is how convoluted the fic can get sometimes. Multiple times I did have to reread parts to make sure I understood them correctly. Secondly, the power scaling of pretty much everyone but Team Alloy is something that I don’t entirely get on board with. It can be a bit unnerving and even slightly absurd to find out close allies of this nature have immortality, no need to eat, levitation, regenerative powers among others. Just a personal taste of mine.

Regardless of these faults, I can see that you did an excellent job with this. This part of the story captivated me, and I can see that there is much, much, much more to go (more than a million words!). No doubt it’ll be a wild ride, and I look forward to seeing what this conflict spirals into.
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Giving JoJo a run for its money right there.

The funny part is I didn't actually view any Jojo related material until years after that chapter was published! I sort of unintentionally took on several anime tropes since that's just the sort of thing I enjoy, and turned it into reading material.

So…the Garchomp mutant fighting Manny also can take on the form of Owen, specifically? More mysteries to be added to that growing pile. Can the mutants change form like that? What in the world could this all mean?

Ah, this is an error on my part with clumsy wording. Amia didn't see Garchomp literally turn into Owen. She "saw him" in the Garchomp because they were both mutants, and she imagined that if Owen got to the top, Manny would have killed him and claimed his soul, too. And obviously, Amia would be horrified by that.

So it’s confirmed; Owen and Team Alloy are hundreds of years old.

I do like how you are coming up with these theories and get quickly confirmed a few scenes later. That means I'm leading you right!

Multiple times I did have to reread parts to make sure I understood them correctly. Secondly, the power scaling of pretty much everyone but Team Alloy is something that I don’t entirely get on board with. It can be a bit unnerving and even slightly absurd to find out close allies of this nature have immortality, no need to eat, levitation, regenerative powers among others. Just a personal taste of mine.

Yes, the power scaling is baked into the plot (It is a conspiracy to do with the divine, after all) and a matter of taste, and the plot is definitely very elaborate. I think it also suffers a little at trying to set up too many things at the beginning in an effort to "Get to the interesting part," but as a result can be very dense with "stuff." I'm glad that it at least keeps things engaging!

Regardless of these faults, I can see that you did an excellent job with this. This part of the story captivated me, and I can see that there is much, much, much more to go (more than a million words!). No doubt it’ll be a wild ride, and I look forward to seeing what this conflict spirals into.

Very glad that it's been an overall positive experience for you! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy what's to come~
 
Special Episode 11 - Dark Radiance

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Special Episode 11 – Dark Radiance

Every night, as he drew nearer and nearer to evolution, Alex dreamed of the strange blade made from dragon scales and spells. It was the one destined to cut through his neck.

Each time, in that dim haze of a nightmare, his other half would grasp the blade in his mouth, twist his head, and Alex would go tumbling down, down, down.

And then, every night, he woke up first, with a start, as Xander yawned, content and safe, as the head who would win.

<><><>​

Summer was Alex and Xander’s favorite season, and it was one of the few things they could agree on. The two heads of the Zweilous—Alex on their left, Xander on their right—naturally opposed one another. They were two halves of the same Deino, split down the middle and destined to recombine when they evolved once more. Xander, naturally, was going to be the one that would win out.

So, Alex once again sighed to himself when he caught the scent of blood on the table. Dinner. And the beautiful humming of his mother, who drifted soundlessly across the room and tap, tap, tapped on the cutting board with her head-hands.

“Want to have another tug to see who gets the bigger half?” Xander taunted, growling into Alex’s ear as usual.

“It goes to the same stomach,” Alex grumbled back, commanding the body to march forward. They took a seat once they were on softer ground, their bed.

“But it’s the meaning behind it that matters,” Xander replied. “We’re evolving soon, aren’t we? Well. I’m evolving. You… get to fade away.”

Alex’s chest hurt, but he wondered if Xander felt it the same way. He didn’t want to be cruel like Xander. Callous and brutish. As a Deino, he had wondered if being that way was necessary; he supposed their split was taking on that persona or not. That conflict of being so strong, like his father, or being so gentle, like his mother, was what had led to his split. He was sure of it.

All Zweilous ‘split’ in this way. And according to Father, the stronger one would win, and the weaker one would be a feeble voice in the back of their heads, until eventually it would submit to the stronger one’s way of thinking, and truly become whole.

But Mother had a different attitude. She claimed that only through compromise and mutual understanding would they evolve. It was naïve; Hydreigon came about from strength alone. Their heads would be forced together by then, no matter how it happened.

Xander headbutted him.

Alex yelped. “Excuse me!”

“Stop going quiet and thinking,” Xander demanded. “It’s… annoying. It makes our muscles tense. We don’t need that after all the training today. It’ll ache.”

“Ugh, now I can’t even think? My thoughts are the only thing I’m allowed to have to myself anymore.”

“Generosity is what Mother believes in, isn’t it?” Xander mocked. “Maybe one day I’ll have those, too.”

As Xander chuckled to himself, Alex only shrank away.

“Hey, hey! Don’t do that, either! I don’t want to feel your terror. Keep it in your head!”

“Now, boys.”

They both tensed and straightened their necks upward.

Mother went on, “What did I tell you about fighting?”

Xander sighed. “That it’s something for the ferals, and we can do better.”

“That we should speak kindly and take care of our mutual body.” Alex nodded. “But I’ve been doing that!”

You want to laze about,” Xander countered. “I am the one striving to actually get stronger.”

“Well, you overeat,” Alex said. “We need moderation, too… We certainly eat more than our bodies use up from training…”

“If only because you have to get some of it.”

“It goes to the same—”

“Ah, ah,” Mother went on, gently patting both of them on the head. The Hydreigon continued, “How about we avoid fighting for the rest of the day, hm? Speak gently to each other.”

“Yes, Mother,” Alex said.

“Fine,” Xander relented.

And once again, through Mother’s peace talks, the two heads set up a truce until morning.

<><><>​

But they had one last thing to do before allowing their day to end. When they were certain that Mother and Father were asleep, Alex and Xander carefully and silently tiptoed their way outside, following lifelong, known paths through their abode and out the door. The wind blew gently and the leaves rustled, masking their steps perfectly. They knew this path well.

Once they were far enough away, they sniffed the air. It was yet another miniature competition to determine where she was.

This time, Alex won. “My side,” he said, taking control of their legs to march onward.

“I smelled her, too,” Xander protested, wresting control to march the same way and through a few branches. “Hey, psst… You there?”

She giggled in response, and once they broke through the bushes, they entered a clearing and tackled the source. Her skin was soft and her dress was elegantly smooth as ever. A Gardevoir.

“Found me again,” she said, running a hand along both their cheeks.

“Hey, Evelyn,” they both said dreamily, leaning into her hands.

“Want to go to the hill?” Evelyn asked.

“Yeah!”

They happily ran through the clearing and past a few bushes. Evelyn occasionally stumbled over bushes, so they let her ride on their back again.

Once they reached the apex of a hill in an open patch of land, Alex and Xander crouched down and let Evelyn dismount. The air always smelled fresher here, just beyond the forest where everything sounded clear and distant.

Evelyn flattened herself against the grass and rolled next to the Zweilous, who lay belly-down.

“It’s such a beautiful night,” Evelyn said.

“Yeah…” They leaned against her. Xander tried to wrap his head around Evelyn’s shoulders, while Alex nuzzled her cheek. She giggled either way, scratching both of them under their chins.

Xander nudged her. “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

“Oh, stop!” Evelyn giggled.

“It’s the only reason we come out,” Alex added.

Evelyn signed, content, between their two heads.

“So?” Xander asked in a little whisper. “Want to do something else tonight?”

Alex felt their heart fluttering. And Evelyn seemed just as receptive, her touch against their heads a little slower.

“I don’t think there’s anything stopping us,” she whispered back.

For the Zweilous and Gardevoir, the night went on for a while longer.

<><><>​

The warmth of morning felt nice against Alex’s scales. He was sure Xander thought the same. Even with that anxious feeling in his stomach, the sun helped to lighten his mood.

The bruises still hurt, though.

“Aaaaah!”

“Quit screaming!” Xander spat. “Bite! Keep biting!”

They nipped at Mother’s shoulders, trying to force her to let go, but they were already ascending. When they let go to get a firmer grip, she abruptly released them, and they were free-falling toward the ground, ocean air drowning out all other sounds and smells.

They were running out of time to steady their descent. Suddenly, though, they were caught by Mother again, and their crash instead became a harsh stop. Then, their paws touched sandy soil, and Alex heaved a sigh of relief.

“Ugh… lost again,” muttered Xander.

“You did very well that time,” Mother said gently. “Come, let’s recuperate over some lunch.”

“We’ve only been training for a few hours, though,” Xander said. “At this rate, we aren’t gonna evolve until we’re, like, thirty…”

“Oh, don’t say that. You’re so close!” Mother giggled, patting them both on the head. “Besides, you shouldn’t be in such a rush to evolve. You two need to reconcile first.”

Alex huffed. “You speak as if it’s so easy…”

“Well… I’m sure it isn’t. That’s true… But all the more reason to spend more time, yes? Compared to being a Deino, you don’t have as much time as a Zweilous to get your heads in order. That much I know.”

They both sighed. “Yes, Mother…”

“Now, let’s get breakfast! I want to check on the egg, anyway.”

“Right…” They started walking back, Mother drifting near them with a little humming tune.

It was still going to be a long walk.

“You seem lost in thought,” Mother said.

“Huh?” they both replied.

“My comment about evolving didn’t bother you, did it?”

“Nah,” Xander said.

“A little,” Alex said.

Alex felt their body shifting as Xander readied to headbutt him, but he’d been stopped by Mother.

“Now, don’t do that,” Mother said. “We can’t have feuding. Not when you’re so close. You don’t want to have a turbulent psyche, do you?”

They’d never really talked much about evolving. Father only said that he should evolve as fast as possible, for some reason, and that it was part of some great tradition… He still didn’t really understand.

“Father didn’t tell us much,” Alex said. “And Hydreigon are pretty rare out there… We’ve never met a single other one… You aren’t even a true one, so… o-oh, I’m sorry. If that’s terrible to say.”

“Just the truth,” Xander replied with a hint of indignation. “But… you know, I still love you, and stuff. You just don’t get what it means to be stuck with him, though.”

“I’m sure it’s difficult for both of you,” Mother said. “But I think you’ll still do fine in the end. Don’t forget that, okay?”

“I’ll try…” Alex dipped his head down. “I don’t get it, though. I’ve talked to other Pokémon sometimes, and they say that you can’t become a Hydreigon without being a Zweilous first. But you say you’ve always been a Hydreigon?”

“Well…” Mother trailed off. “No. That’s not exactly it. Your father has special abilities that only he does. It’s a power he had acquired from the gods after saving the world from the Dark War.”

More foreign things that Alex only heard tell of and little else. Xander was probably just as stumped, the way he wasn’t saying anything.

“What was the Dark War?” Alex asked. “Everyone talks about it like it’s ancient history, but…”

“Well, in some ways, it is,” Mother explained. “I don’t really know the details myself. But… your father saved me from it a long, long time ago. His noble acts were what saved the world, so he was given a lot of privilege from the Legends for it. You could say he’s blessed.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, you know,” Xander said. “You don’t need to hit me with those fairy tales.”

“Oh, they’re hardly tales! I know for sure I was there… just in a different body, from a different time. It had to have been centuries by now…”

Alex tilted his head at that, like he was trying to hear her a little better. “Excuse me?” he asked. “Mom, Hydreigon don’t live that long…”

Did they? He didn’t really know.

“Well…” Mother sighed. “Your father told me that it’s about time that you know the truth about things. I’m sure you figured it out already…

“Not really…”

“I had a hunch.” Xander nodded. “Dad’s super strong and basically the leader down in Pyrock, right?”

“That’s exactly right.”

It wasn’t totally registering with Alex what that meant. Maybe only having half a mind was messing with his ability to comprehend it, but he always knew Father was strong. But how strong?

“Why are you telling this now?” Alex asked. “I kind of… find it hard to believe. I thought it was just a story.”

“Well, it’s just a story now,” Mother said. “But it used to be present day. Does that make sense?”

They didn’t reply. Xander was being awfully quiet.

Once at home, Alex and Xander settled on their bed for a little afternoon nap. Mother prepared a simple meal for them, but they could still talk since they were in adjacent, small rooms. It smelled like Mother was cooking some kind of meat dish with a lot of seasonings. It tickled Alex’s nose.

“So how about you?” Xander spoke up. “Did you get turned into a Hydreigon with that same divine power?”

“Yep! That’s exactly right! That’s what we meant by not being a Zweilous before becoming a Hydreigon. I do wish I could have, though, but your father wasn’t very interested… He can be so impatient sometimes.”

“He can just change species of others? How come you became a Hydreigon?”

“I think, well, I think he’s very proud of carrying on the Hydreigon line. It’s a bit rare, so he’s keen on preserving it… And, well, when you’re male, it’s not as often that your family line will carry on as your species. Not nearly as often and I don’t think he wanted to keep trying until I had a Deino.”

“So he wanted to guarantee we’d be a Deino. Huh.” Xander shrugged. “Well, hey, if he was blessed with that power, they clearly don’t mind him using it for that.”

“What were you before?” Alex asked.

“That was so long ago!” Mother laughed, sighing, like she was trying to recall. “Let’s see… I had legs, I remember that. And a green body. Ah! Sceptile, that was it. It’s been so long; I hardly remember anymore.”

“Well, that’s kinda scary…” Alex shifted his side of the body. “Being someone for so long that you forget what you used to be? What in the world is that like?”

“I guess only I know!” Mother laughed a little, scraping something onto the plates in the other room. “Anyway, come on! Lunch is ready!”

Xander led the body this time, but Alex was happy to be at their usual seat.

“So, how is the egg?” Alex asked.

“Oh, wonderful,” Mother replied. “You’ll be having a baby brother or sister so soon! I’ve always wanted to have another child, but for some reason, it’s the one thing your father seemed to be patient about. So peculiar, wanting to raise you entirely on focus, and only then would he want another child…”

“Maybe he knew it’d be a handful to just have one,” Xander said.

“It’s thoughtful of him,” Alex concluded.

Mother giggled and the smell of freshly cooked meat and spices took over their senses. For once, they shared their meal equally, because Mother was watching. Alex savored every bit.

<><><>​

“You’re kidding,” Evelyn whispered in the cold of night. “So, it’s true, the rumors? Hydreigon Alexander is an immortal blessed by the gods?”

“I mean, if Mom didn’t lie or anything… yeah,” Xander said.

“It seems absurd if you ask me,” Alex said. “My father, immortal? My mother, blessed by his powers of transformation? Why had we not learned something like this before?”

“Maybe you did and he made us forget,” Xander said with a spooky groan, nearly headbutting him had they not been in front of Evelyn.

“Oh, don’t talk like that,” Evelyn said. “There’s no way to modify memories that way. Not even the most powerful psychic can do something like that; those are just rumors!”

“I hope you’re right,” Alex said. “But yeah, that’s basically what we were told. But… he might also know that we go out all the time. I don’t think he followed us this time, but… I think we should lay low for a little while, if that’s alright.”

“What?” Evelyn sounded a little hurt and uncertain. “You mean…”

“Yeah, we didn’t tell him. And you know he’s gonna be mad.” Alex winced.

“But I’ve never gone against the Shadow Clan at all! That’s all Mother’s focus! I even have a proper southern name, it was, you know, to denounce the fragmented nature of things! Does he not care?”

“He doesn’t.” Alex sighed. “Not until your mother officially surrenders.”

“Well, with all due respect, we have quite an advantage,” Evelyn hummed. “Fairy is his total bane. Honestly, I’m not sure how he’d held an advantage for so long to begin with, the way he’d be so weak to us. Almost like it used to be different, the way the stories go with how he’d dominated before…”

“Well,” Xander interjected, “unless we suddenly became weak to Fairies one day, seems more like there was a change in management since your mom took over. Anyway, I’m bored of talking about this stuff. Wanna just go to the usual spot?”

Evelyn sighed and rubbed them both on the head. “Sure. Oh, but actually, if you have time… Mother wanted to talk to you.”

“Eh?” Xander asked.

“Um, that’s peculiar timing…” Alex didn’t want to imply, but Evelyn was the daughter of an important figure. There was always that tiny layer of uncertainty with doing anything unexpected with her.

“It’ll be okay,” Evelyn said. “Trust me, like, they wouldn’t dare hurt you if you’re with me, for one. And they know you’re innocent in all this, too. You don’t want to hurt me, right?”

“Duh,” Xander replied.

“We’d never. We want this feud to end…” If there was anything Xander and Alex agreed on, it was that Evelyn didn’t deserve any of this trouble.

“Exactly. Now, come on! Let’s go to her and we can talk it out there. I think it’ll help end the feud once and for all.”

“Also ominous,” Xander muttered.

But Alex drove them forward, walking along for a few minutes through the forest and in the cold night, down unfamiliar routes and past slightly different, unfamiliar scents.

They’d never gone this far down the forest before. And finally, far ahead, they could hear murmuring of unfamiliar voices.

“It’s okay,” Evelyn said, placing a hand on their back. “Just smile and walk, okay?”

So, they continued walking through the forest, and now a small settlement. A colony, probably an extended family, all the way until a deeper voice called out to them.

“Evelyn. You’ve arrived.”

“Mother! Yes! I have! This is him!”

“I see.”

This was an imposing, cold voice that directly contrasted Evelyn’s warm cheer. Yet, they could hear the vocal resemblance, even if the tone was completely foreign. It put Alex and Xander on edge.

“Welcome to our side of the forest, Alex and Xander, is it?”

“Y-yeah.”

“My name is Gardevoir Amia. I am the proper leader of Pyrock, before it had been taken from us generations ago.”

“Yeah, we know the story,” Xander said. “We were told it a little different but, you know.”

“Wh-wh-what Xander means,” Alex said, “is that our father told us our side of history, even if it may conflict with… with, um, with yours.”

“I’m not offended. It is only natural that you were told things the way they had been.” Amia still spoke evenly, regal. It was kind of like Father with its coldness, but not nearly as cruel.

“So, Mother,” Evelyn said, “why did you want to bring him here?”

“You are in love, correct? You’ve confessed as much?”

“Yes, I have,” Evelyn declared. “And… that’s just how things happened to be. We’d met by chance, and we’d matched nicely. I do not think it is some kind of ploy.”

“And you’re certain of this?” Amia asked. “Do you have any proof?”

And suddenly, Alex realized this might have been a mistake after all. There was no proof. How did they prove he wasn’t a spy?

“Well, um,” Alex interjected, “I don’t know how to prove that.”

“Look, if that’s what this is about, how about we just leave?” Xander said. “We, uh, we’ll… not bother your kid again and stuff, and, uh…”

“That won’t be necessary,” Amia said. “On the contrary, I actually brought you here to save you.”

“Well, you’ll have to beat me f—wait, save?”

Xander had been reeling up for a fight, and yet they’d both been thrown off their game with the reversal.

“Save us,” Alex repeated. “Are you sure? Wait—from what?”

“From your deaths.” Amia paced closer to them. Her steps were elegantly soft against packed soil. “What I’m going to tell you is something you must keep a secret for as long as you can. But you are nearing your evolution, are you not?”

“What’s with everyone obsessing over my evolution?” Xander asked.

“We are,” Alex answered Amia directly. “Why do you ask?”

“I will lay it out to you flatly, and answer your questions afterward. Alexander is going to kill you and use your soul to further strengthen him. He has done this for generations, and we have uncovered the… obvious, in hindsight, pattern.”

“Is part of being Psychic also seeing the future? Because you’re right, I have a LOT of questions!” Xander said before Alex even had the chance to process what Amia said. “Kill us? Use our spirits for—are you insane?! Why? How would that even fly with Mom?”

“Your mother has no knowledge of this. She is just a puppet of your father’s, and has been for a long time. A plaything. A means to produce offspring and little more.”

“Okay, you’re taking that back,” Xander warned. “I’m gonna torch you otherwise. You hear me?”

“W-with all due respect,” Alex said, “this is an incredible thing to tell us. How… how can you prove this?”

“We don’t need to,” Amia said. “Instead, I would like to give you a gift. A protective charm that you must hide from your father until it is necessary to use to save yourself. Is that fair? It won’t activate on its own. You must be the one to use it.”

“Specifically saying it won’t activate is suspicious,” Xander growled.

“Oh, don’t be so worried!” Evelyn said, patting them on the back. “I promise, it’ll be just fine. Mother, is he in danger right now?”

“No. That, I am certain. He only kills his son or daughter when they have evolved into a Hydreigon. Then, he will challenge them to a duel, and of course he will win. That is when your life will be in danger, and then your afterlife as well. You will be cursed into eternal servitude to his phantom army, just like all of the siblings before you that you never knew.”

“I have never once,” Alex said, “seen Father with a… a ‘phantom army.’ But thank you for the protection. I’m sure you care for your daughter and wouldn’t want to hurt me.”

“I’m glad you two share such a bond,” Amia replied. “That is precisely why I am taking action now. In some ways, Evelyn defying my orders to grow a bond with you has become a happy accident. A risky opportunity. I hope you do not think less of me for taking advantage of it.”

Alex and Xander were both quiet in response. Something was tingling in the air and they reflexively flinched away.

“Please accept this into your chest,” Amia said, putting something strange in front of them that stung a little.

“What is it?” Xander asked.

“Think of it like a stored bit of power. Fairy power, specifically, and some… divine trickery of my own. When the time comes, focus on it, and you will be able to expel a breath with the same element. It should be enough to ward away your father.”

“What about Mother?” Alex asked.

A hesitating pause followed. Then, with a regretful tone, Amia said, “She is already lost. I’m sorry.”

Alex shook his head slowly in disbelief, but Xander was more aggressive.

“As if I’m gonna believe that!” Xander shouted. “Mom, already lost? No. Not gonna happen!”

They got silence in reply, and then a gentle hand on their back.

“Will you at least take this power?” Amia asked.

Murmurs surrounded them from many onlookers. A crowd had gathered. If they made a scene, it would only make them look bad—at best.

“Xander, we should accept it and go for now. Clear our heads…”

“Whatever.” Xander stomped his foot. “Fine. Give it here. How’s it work?”

“You need only hold still. I will embed it invisibly within your chest.”

Alex hummed. “That sounds a bit painful. Will it—”

“Yeah, fine.”

“No, wait, do I need to brace for something, or—YGAAAAAH!”

The pain was immense and sudden. Alex passed out.

<><><>​

The next thing Alex knew, he was bobbing along as Xander walked one-headed. Evelyn was on their back. “O-oh. Huh? Hm?”

“Finally,” Xander muttered. “It’s all lopsided without you awake. C’mon, help me walk.”

“Where are we?” Alex asked breathlessly.

“Almost to our little clearing, dear,” Evelyn said. “I decided to go with you for a little while until you came to. Now that you’re back… I think I should get going in case we get spotted. It’s already so late…”

“We got in trouble a few days ago for the same thing,” Alex said. “But at least he won’t kill us like how your mother said.”

“I think that’s fake,” Xander said. “We should just ask.”

“N-no! We certainly shouldn’t!” Alex whispered.

“Remember, it still needs to be a secret,” Evelyn said. “Stay quiet for now, okay? For me?”

That quieted Xander down. He fumbled over his words, but then nodded. “Fine,” he said, bumping his head against Alex. “C’mon. Let’s go home.”

And with another air of unease, they split off.

<><><>​

One of the favored places that Alex and Xander preferred was a small cave further north of their usual meeting spot. They were sure that Father knew nothing about it, and it was by a river that helped mask their sounds.

The past few days had been tense with his father and mother. They were surely getting suspicious with their behavior. At some point, they arranged to meet with Evelyn in a more secluded spot to finally make a decision.

They… had to trust Evelyn enough to ask a little more. Maybe some proof. If they just had a little proof…

“Evelyn?” Alex whispered.

“I’m here,” Evelyn replied. “Did you… come to any decisions?”

“No,” Xander said flatly. “It just doesn’t add up. Dad just wants me to grow up dominant so I’ll be strong like him.”

“I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “It… it’s hard to believe, but at the same time, I do not know why your mother would lie to us if she values your feelings so much, too. What has your father said about this?”

“He doesn’t say much,” Evelyn admitted. “He’s practically a servant to Mom. Always defers to her. But… I think he also agrees. He’s worried for me… and therefore you. Our kind are pretty tuned to emotions, so it’s hard to fake things with each other.”

“Well… I’m worried, too,” Alex said. “Father can be so cruel. I wouldn’t put it entirely past him, even if it seems completely unreasonable alone. Still… you wouldn’t lie to us. She told us the same thing, Xander.”

“Y-yeah, well…”

Evelyn was awfully quiet, but then someone rumbled behind them.

A familiar rumble. No no no.

“So,” Father said, his voice a great hiss, “this is what it has come to.”

Metal clanged against stone. Father was dragging something with him—the blade. The blade encrusted with dragon scales that could cleave through his neck.

“I was wise to bring this with me,” Father said with venom in his voice. “Alex… how much poison would you be for the proper head’s mind otherwise, I wonder?”

“F-Father, what do you mean?” Alex said. “Is it true? Is that really what we are to you?”

“Just say it isn’t,” Xander said. “It’s obviously some mistake.”

“Who told you this?” Father asked, his voice now closer. “No matter. I’ll just force the evolution now. It’s a waste of energy, but this has gone on long enough. I’ll learn the truth and kill whoever told you!”

The air was charged with an acidic feeling. It became harder to breathe as Father radiated a power he rarely displayed. And then came an intense heat, and then a spike going into their chest. Power surged through them like electricity, and at the same time, the wind whistled as Father flew closer. The metal blade screeched against the cave walls and then whistled through the air for a swing.

For a moment, Alex resigned himself. He almost felt relief. All the worry about this moment, and it was finally happening, and it was so fast. He had no way to defend against it… Did it matter? Did any of it matter?

At least now he would be strong like Xander.

The swing should have come by now. It hadn’t. At first, Alex wondered if, somehow, Xander had been slain, but surely he would have felt some of the pain.

“Gnkhh—what… what did you… d-do to…” Father was in pain.

Their body moved. Xander was driving the body, and Alex was too stunned to do anything but listen to Father running back. There was a tingling in his chest that lingered, and Xander’s breath stung when he happened to turn his head to look back.

“Gah! Xander, don’t breathe flames on me!”

“WHAT?” Xander cried—but Xander was on the wrong side.

“X-Xander?! When did you get there?! How?!”

“I was gonna ask you the same!” Xander cried. “Did we swap heads?! What?!”

“What—what did you breathe on me?”

“Not flames. I think that’s fairy power. That thing Evelyn’s mom gave us. Ugh! It’s awful! But it stopped him. L-let’s go. We’re out! We’ll figure out the head thing later!”

“What?!” Alex yelped. “But Xander, he’s… y-you were going to evolve, just like you wanted!”

Xander didn’t answer. He kept running. “Evelyn!” Xander cried. “EVELYN!”

“This way!” called her voice. They leapt over boulders and stumbled over roots. This wasn’t a familiar path and Alex felt like a Deino again, helplessly bumbling through in unfamiliar lands, weak and pathetic.

“I’m here, I’m here,” Evelyn whispered, holding both their heads. “Alex, are you okay?”

“Uh, wrong head,” Xander said.

“What?” Evelyn whispered.

“H-hi, Evelyn. Um, something strange happened.”

“Mother must have…” Evelyn pulled them ahead. “Please, come, quickly. He must be trying to find you. Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” they both said.

“I’m going to Teleport again, but with you this time. But you can resist it very easily, so I need you to trust me completely.”

“We do.”

She embraced them, and while disoriented at the positioning, Alex adjusted and leaned his cheek against her back. Gods, this was strange. Evelyn always rested between them, and now the wrong side of his head was feeling it.

They felt weightless for an instant, and then they were somewhere else.

“Moooom!” Evelyn cried. “You were right! You were right, he’s coming, oh, Skies, what do we do?!”

“Calm, calm!” called an unfamiliar voice from someone who smelled like they had fur.

“Whoa, wait, what’s up?” called another wholly unfamiliar voice. “Yo, Rhys, fill me in?”

“Later, Star.”

Their voices were becoming muffled. There was a tightness in their chest. Alex had only felt this once before. He gasped. “Xander—”

“I know,” he replied back, grave. “We’re evolving. R-right now.”

“We… we are…”

He was having trouble speaking. The heat was rushing over and his mind felt fuzzy. It was happening again. Once, it happened when his conflicted mind had split in two. Now, it was time to reunite.

This was it for him.

“Xander… I…”

Xander said nothing, and the dizziness overtook him.

<><><>​

Alex felt like nothing. No weight, no sound, no scent. Floating somewhere. At first, he wondered idly if this was what happened if he was the mind that lost. But that would be silly; he would simply awaken as ‘Xander,’ and never be any the wiser of what he used to be. Who he was, his dreams would all become afterthoughts in an instant. Meaningless.

Maybe this was a middle ground, and he would eventually stop thinking altogether, and let Xander replace him. Become Xander. Was that it?

“Hello?”

Alex hadn’t said it. But it sounded like him, aside from the assertive tone. Which meant…

“Xander?” Alex called back.

“Are we dreaming?” Xander asked.

Silence. He wondered if that was true. But he didn’t know how to answer. It felt like they were drifting a little bit closer. Inch by inch. They were only a few feet away from each other, though. So strange to hear him not right up against his ear.

“Maybe this is a vision,” Alex concluded. “The… the last time we’ll ever get to talk to one another. Do you think all Hydreigon went through this?”

“Maybe.” Xander dismissed it, though, like he didn’t care. But it was more halfhearted than usual. “Fine. Not gonna waste time with this. Alex, look… He… he wanted me to be… how I was.”

“What?”

“Father. He wanted me to take over. Because I’d be like him. I’d… be…”

“Xander…”

“It was true, wasn’t it?” Xander asked, laughing. “It really was true…”

Two feet away. It felt like they were already only two feet away, but that was still so much further than as a Zweilous.

“Don’t think like that,” Alex encouraged. Because he knew where this was going and suddenly he couldn’t accept it.

“No, I should! He wanted me to be a monster! Just to kill me, or whatever. He gave himself away. It all would’ve been over if I believed him!”

“Yet you had the power to fight back! I just stood there, accepting my fate. You fought! Xander, you fought!”

“Who cares! You knew! You were right, you… were like Mom, okay? You win.”

“No, I don’t win! It isn’t a competition!” Alex pleaded. “I never wanted it to be a competition between us; why can’t you get that?!”

“Because that’s all I know!” Xander cried. “That was our difference! That was what split us, that’s how I am!”

Alex had never heard him so broken before. It hurt.

Xander continued, “And now, at the last second, I realized it was all because I was… shaped and favored to be just how he wanted, not how I wanted, everything was just one big lie! Mom was… Mom might already be…”

“Xander… I need your strength,” Alex whispered. “Please, please don’t give up. Please persist, I need you, I need your strength! We need… we need to compromise. We need to work together; I don’t want you to disappear! I never wanted that!”

“Don’t you lie to me,” Xander spat. “That’s not at all how this is. I wanted you gone. It would’ve been so easy. Don’t tell me you wanted me to stay despite that; it’s a lie!”

“I…” Maybe some of that was true. “But only fleetingly. When I truly thought about it, about you, about how I’d feel, no! I wouldn’t want you gone! You… are the one who gets things done. You had the courage to rebel and seek Evelyn at all. You had the strength to keep training as hard as we did. I’m…”

“The only one that’s kind. The one Evelyn actually likes. I know she wishes you dominated.” His voice cracked. “It’s all for nothing. All of it’s nothing! Just let me go! LET ME GO AWAY!”

They touched. They had no body; they were just wisps in a void. Electricity bubbled through them, but Alex felt empowered. And Xander was fading.

“No! No, please, Xander. I need you, I need… that strength. If Father made you into a monster, then be a monster toward him! Be a monster that defends against other monsters. Monsters prey on weaklings like me, Xander, please, I need… to know how to be strong. And that’s you, I shouldn’t be… alone…”

Xander wasn’t saying anything. He was still there. But his whole world had collapsed around him in seconds. All that bluster, all that confidence, gone like dust to a gale. And as their essences dissolved against each other, he could feel some of those thoughts. How thoroughly everything Xander did was just to wall himself off. The very same, exact fears Alex had felt, Xander had, too.

And he had no idea, all this time. How afraid Xander truly was of every single day.

“I’m not strong,” Xander whispered.

“But you’re defiant,” Alex said. “You are strong. You have the courage to stand up to that fear… Gods, Xander… you were so strong despite feeling as afraid as me?”

“You were so nice… despite feeling all that fear?” Xander countered.

Alex didn’t have a counter for that. In that stunned silence, Xander shrank even more.

“Heh… at least… Evelyn will be happy…”

“Please,” Alex begged. “Mother wanted compromise. We can still follow her. Please, a deal… Just one little deal.”

“…Fine… what.” He could barely hear Xander now.

“When things are dire… when I truly need strength, when everything else fails… You must emerge.”

Alex couldn’t feel Xander anymore. He’d been totally pulled into his essence.

“Xander?” Alex whispered. “Please… I want to hear you one more time… please…”

But Xander was already gone. Instead, he felt a slight warmth at his very core. A presence. Himself, now. A bubbling little piece of courage was what remained of Xander… and then a strange defiance.

“F-fine,” Alex said. “If you refuse to get out, then… I’ll just force you when it’s needed. How does that sound?!” He felt silly, talking in the void. But it had to be said.

Everything was fading again. Time accelerated from its standstill.

And suddenly… he was there again. High above the others. Weightless, still, but now because he was floating with spectral power.

“Alex… Xander?” Evelyn whispered.

And in front of him, in a small room, was Evelyn. She had kind red eyes, a thin frame, a beautiful white dress that made up part of her body, and stunning blue hair.

Alex opened his new mouth for the first time to breathe, and then leaned down to kiss her without a second thought. A bold move he never would have considered in the past, but now it came so easily to him. And Evelyn was stunned, yet leaned into it, closing her eyes.

Instincts filled Alex’s mind with all the new sensory information he was now capable of. The new aspects of his body and power, the way his forelegs had become diminutive heads, his hind legs nothing but drifting things behind him… Floating was as natural as standing. And his wings

But most of all… This new sense he’d finally earned, that so many were simply born with, simply handed upon hatching.

But now, that reward was something he could truly savor: sight.

“Evelyn,” Alex whispered. “You’re beautiful.”

<><><>​

Alex had always been told about ‘sight’ before, a way to tell where things were without scent or sound. That it was very precise, and that they could turn their heads in a direction and know where everything was that way, just by ‘looking.’ For a Deino, their lives were without it; for a Zweilous, it was much the same, as far as Alex knew. But they finally gained eyes upon evolving to their final form, after great struggle and constant training.

With it came the instincts to understand what he was seeing. But it was all still overwhelming, even with that. So many people and their ‘visual’ appearances were being instantly paired up with their scent and sound profiles. A whole new dimension was being added to everything and everyone that Alex had known.

He had no idea that so many of the higher voices that came from below him also came from bodies so small. They ‘looked’ small to him, now. A Charmander had the ‘appearance’ of something so small and dainty. The walls were ‘brown,’ as Evelyn had explained to him. Brown and black rocks. He saw the sky and the ocean from high above once on a test flight, and the sensory overload of flying by his own power, combined with the light—he could have died right there and have been satisfied.

And all of it was earned. He’s finally earned his eyes. Six of them, even if the four on his smaller heads were not as good.

He was sad he couldn’t see his mother first, but this would have to do.

There were other very unfamiliar Pokémon in the rocky cavern. He had no idea what any of them were until they spoke up and he recognized their voices. That furry-smelling Pokémon was actually someone called Lucario Rhys. There was also a Charmander named Owen with him, and he smelled like brimstone despite assuring them he’d washed up. Surrounding the Charmander were three other Pokémon of similar sizes. Over the Lucario’s shoulder was a floating, tiny thing with a very long tail.

Apparently, it was this Lucario and those associated with him who had been collaborating with Amia and her clan to uncover information about Father. And after what just happened… maybe it was true after all.

In some ways, Alex already missed being blind.

Then there was Evelyn, the blue-haired Gardevoir, and Amia, a bit taller than Evelyn, but with emerald hair instead. They were all talking about some war, but Alex still felt too dazed to understand what it meant.

Occasionally, Pokémon he didn’t recognize asked him trivial questions like his name, what he remembered, how he felt. They seemed silly, but he answered to be polite.

Eventually, Rhys approached him, and it was startling to see how clearly Alex could now tell that without waiting for the scent or sound to get more intense first.

“Your chosen name is Alex?” Rhys asked. “Is ‘Xander’ there?”

Alex winced. “I… want to hope so,” he said. “But he did not wish to dominate. I was surprised as well, to learn that…”

“As am I,” Rhys admitted. “But your aura is not turbulent. I believe you have found peace in your evolution. You are lucky, considering how you were raised.”

“My mother helped guide me down a proper path.”

“Your mother, right. Her name is… Remi?”

Alex nodded.

“Hmm… It sounds familiar. Unfortunately, I don’t believe she is relevant to any of this beyond…” He spoke carefully. “Beyond her relation to your father.”

“It’s… Is it true? Warlord? A soul eater of some kind, how does—Please, you must explain. I have no intention of returning to his side, but if we can save my mother…”

Rhys closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Alex. Your mother has already been reclaimed. It was the first thing your father did upon returning home. Our scouts confirmed that she is… withdrawn into Alexander. She is not dead, not in the sense you would imagine. But I’m afraid you cannot see her. She seemed to have a blessing of some kind that allowed her to persist beyond Alexander’s typical range, but she was still under his domain.”

None of that made sense. Gone, withdrawn, reclaimed? What does that mean?

“You seem confused,” Rhys said.

“Of course I seem confused. I have no idea what you mean,” Alex replied breathlessly. “I…”

His levitation faltered, and Rhys swiftly moved in and propped him up. He leaned against the surprisingly strong Lucario for his petite size.

A new voice called into the room. “Apologies for being late.”

Formal, remarkably neutral. It was a voice that wasn’t appealing nor unappealing. In some ways, it felt almost bland in tone. Entering the cavern, lit only by dim orbs embedded into the ceiling, was a strange canine with black scales and green hexagons along his body. Strangely enough, sometimes the green hexagons lit up in a slow rhythm.

“Who are you?” Alex asked.

“You may call me Zygarde Hecto. Overseer.”

“Oh. Overseer of…”

“Kilo, for now.”

The small, pink thing giggled and landed on Hecto’s back. “So formal! He and I are sorta dating, but long story short, he’s basically someone who’s helping out with a little trouble happening in this place. He’s the scout Rhys sent to look around for what’s going on.”

“Oh, you, a scout?” Alex asked. “I suppose you look like you might be a good scout… stealthy…”

“Kilo is in danger due to Alexander’s movements and actions. He intends to resurrect some great power that had been sealed away. Unfortunately, a strange force is causing me to forget what it is.”

“Causing you to forget,” Alex repeated. “What does that mean, causing you to forget?”

“The fabric of this world that permeates every living creature can be manipulated by powerful entities. Sometimes, the rules to what can and can’t be remembered and perceived can be imposed upon mortals and weaker immortals, like I am right now. Even at my greatest power… I am limited by my domain while within here. Which can lead to frustrating circumstances of remembering while outside of it, yet helpless once within.”

Alex decided to pretend he understood all of that. “Your point is, as this Overseer, you are stepping in to… stop my father?”

“In essence, yes. That is the ideal outcome. If your father can be defeated, and then I may observe the end result for a few centuries, that will save this world from destruction.”

World destruction?” Alex laughed in disbelief. “My father raised me to train and become strong. If he plans to destroy the world, why would… I—I mean, why would my younger sibling be incubating, then?”

“His claim over the world will not be the end of all life. Only all free life,” Hecto said. “All will be under his dominion. Conquest. But in the process, the world itself will fall to ruin due to the nature of his power over Shadow. That is why I have stepped in, specifically. His dark powers are a cosmic threat, and therefore beyond the simple domain of mortals, or the local gods.” He gestured to the pink creature.

“Oh, yeah, never introduced myself, huh?” The pink creature held out a paw, but then realized who she was doing it to and patted Alex’s left head instead. “My name is Mew Star.”

“M-Mew Star? Local god? Wait… so not simply a rare creature, but the Mew?”

“Yeah, that’s the one!” Star replied cheerily. “Don’t worry, though. I’m not here for godly worship or whatever. I just want to make sure the world doesn’t end. I’m an asset to stopping Alex right now. Even got special permission from B—Arceus to descend and help directly.”

Alex lowered himself again, sighing. “This is all… a lot.”

“I imagine so,” Rhys said. “The good thing is, you do not have to take action. Your best choice in the matter is staying away from the fighting. In fact, I would go so far as to recommend you flee entirely from this battle.”

Alex flinched. What? Flee entirely? After all this time…

“I must, err, respectfully disagree,” Alex said. Then, when he realized how pathetic that sounded, he straightened and said, “I’m fighting. If he wants me, then I’ll be at least a distraction while you take him out. I know my father. I’ll be able to avoid him.”

“You’re just barely getting used to a new sense,” Rhys countered. “You will be disoriented.”

“I’m not running from him!”

That startled him, yet also didn’t surprise him. His voice was deeper and firmer, resolute. He’d never spoken like that before. But under this stress, there was a warmth in his chest…

Xander. He’d called upon him. Or, he became him, for just a little. So seamless…

He let the momentum carry him. “If I’m part of a long line of sons and daughters created from him and some twisted relationship with my mother, then let me be the one to also break it. I still have an unhatched sibling that I can fight for, too. I won’t run away from them. Please… You have to accept this.”

Even as Alex spoke, he could see his words having an effect. It was so strange to witness the way they moved, the sounds that corresponded with weight shifting, little grunts, body movements once invisible to him. That must have meant they were agitated.

For some reason, the Charmander was sniffling. “That’s so cool,” he said. “Rhys, we gotta let him fight!”

Rhys rubbed his forehead.

“He’s got you beat there,” Star remarked, shrugging.

“Oh, not you too,” Rhys muttered. “Fine. But it will be anything but the front lines. If he gets a hold of you, that’s another lost to his cycle. Is that a fair compromise?”

Alex nodded. “I’ll support. I just won’t run.”

“Oh, Alex…” Evelyn strode up to him and embraced his neck. “If that’s how it’s going to be… we need to train up.”

“Train?” Alex asked. “With… Fairies?”

“Hmph. Afraid?” Amia taunted, crossing her arms.

“N-no, I… Alright. Training. Let’s see what we can do!”

He was going to regret this.

<><><>​

The following days had become a whirlwind of activity as he was trained, debriefed, and warned about everything Alexander had actually been doing. Each revelation felt more unreal than the last, but most worrying was the fact that everyone he spoke to lacked the full picture, and acknowledged as much.

Rhys worked with Star, one of the Creators. Rhys was part of an organization that was dedicated to the study of life and spirits, but had recently pivoted to fighting Alexander in the middle of something they were calling the ‘Second Dark War.’

The first Dark War was shrouded in mystery, lost to time and perhaps divine intervention. Star suspected that Arceus was responsible for its erasure from history, and also suspected that, after Alexander, perhaps Arceus would be the next on their list of people to question and stop. That alone seemed farfetched, and even Rhys seemed skeptical, but perhaps it was true. Who else would have the power to erase such things from history?

Owen and his three friends were apparently a secret weapon of some kind, though Rhys was cagey about talking in detail about what they were capable of. Only that, if there was a need, he would be able to “unleash” their full power if it meant stalling Alexander for a finishing blow.

But Alex sensed a great conflict in the way Rhys spoke of it, and Evelyn’s keen sense of emotions confirmed it. While they were an “ultimate weapon,” Rhys was also treating it as a “last resort.”

It was probably fine.

And then, one day, Hecto returned from another scouting mission, but this time with some company and terrible injuries.

“Ah! Um, ummm, Evelyn! Amia!”

Alex happened to be the one to see him first, training outside the caves many miles away from his old home, where it was safer. Hecto, the canine Zygarde at the moment, was missing almost his entire lower half, bleeding a green fluid and one of the Cells that comprised his body dangling.

“Hello,” Hecto grunted. “Please relieve me of what I am carrying. That is all that matters.”

“But—but you’re hurt! I’ll get a healer—”

“These wounds are far too grave and settled to heal,” Hecto said. “The egg. Please.”

“Egg—”

Alex gasped. He knew that egg, its speckled blue and black exterior… Hesitantly, he picked it up. “This is… my brother, or sister, isn’t it?”

“Yes. You seemed… to value them greatly. I did what I could. It is safe…” He rested his head on the ground, eyes dimming. “Good. The mission is accomplished.”

And right before Alex’s eyes, the Zygarde degraded into oozing cells, about seven total. The worst was how his head had split into two lopsided blobs…

“H-Hecto…” Alex sniffed. He set the egg down nearby, very gingerly. The shell felt like it was beginning to thin out—a sign that it was hatching time soon. “I’ll… I’ll avenge you, Hecto. Putting your life on the line just to try to get my sibling back… I had no idea you’d go so far. And—”

“I recommend getting the egg somewhere safe first.”

Alex shrieked and spun around, seeing another Hecto standing there, looking up.

“Wh—but—but you, that’s, sacrifice…”

“…Mm. I realize that I did not explicitly tell you that I have spare bodies. My apologies.” He then looked at the egg. “The sun is harsher in this region. It’s better inside.”

“I… y-yes. Okay.” Every day was a shock. He could feel his lifespan shrinking.

He picked up the egg and dusted off some of the sand, and then drifted toward the small encampment they’d made for themselves. The trees here were a lot thinner and the sun was indeed much warmer. It no longer smelled of the ocean, but the scent still lingered from the south. It was very dry, too. Alex found himself needing water more often, even with his scales. Maybe it was the training, or the fact that he was so much larger, or that he was now conscious of three mouths doing the drinking instead of just one.

“Err, what about those?” Alex asked, gesturing at the remains of the dead Hecto.

“I will harvest him,” Hecto said. “You may go on ahead.”

Alex decided he didn’t need to see that and agreed.

After some navigation through the forest, he made it to a spot where it was dimmer and the thin trees were just a little denser. It was where they’d built an underground base. ‘Not their real one,’ Rhys had said, ‘but a good outpost.’

Underground, packed dirt and reinforced clay formed most of the makeshift base. The walls were thankfully tall enough to allow Alex decent movement even while flying. “Um, excuse me! Hecto gave me an egg?”

“Wow, didn’t know he swung that way,” Star said.

“No! Not what I meant! And um, males can’t have eggs,” Alex said.

“Bah, I’ll find a way.” Star smiled at him and gestured to the right. “Put them in there. I set up an incubation area. Aww, he’s gonna be a boy. Healthy!”

“Y-you can tell, just like that?”

“Sort of my role,” Star pointed out. “Think of it like a sixth sense.” The Mew floated to the top of Alex’s head and sat down. “You know, I just wanted to say to you… you’re really kind, you know that?”

“Oh… um, that’s good… That’s good, right?”

“Yeah. I think I get why Alexander wanted to focus on just one head or something, because trying to get both of you to be like him would’ve taken too long. Weird… You didn’t inherit much of his nature at all. Remi must have had a stronger influence…”

Her paw traced his scales and scratched under his chin. He suppressed a pleasured growl.

“Well,” he said, gently shaking her off. She floated a few inches above him. “We’re both glad. I wanted to be strong, but I didn’t want to be a monster. Mother was right after all. Compromise…”

“It’s probably why Evelyn loves you so much. Anyway, we were about to have a strategy meeting. We want you in it if you’re going to go for the assault. Things are going kind of fast right now, but if we can get this done, we might be able to take Alexander out here and now.”

“Just like that?” Alex asked in a whisper. “I… I don’t know how. He seems so strong…”

“He’s also just one person. Sure, he has a phantom army but he’s still the core of it all, and that’s his weakness. If we can take him out, that’ll be it. Take out the lich, and all the minions fall! Just like one of those fantasy books!”

“I see…” Still too surreal for him to fully comprehend. But he was starting to get the gist of what this all meant. “Will this be everyone, then? Do you have an army of your own?”

“They’re all still fighting their own fights. We’re the ones tasked with taking out Alexander directly,” Star explained. “But we do have a little more backup coming. A few old friends of mine, and the leader of the Hearts.”

The way Star said it, the term sounded important, but Alex didn’t know what it meant. He just nodded.

“And what can I do?” Alex asked. “Who will I go with?”

“If you’re going to be the distraction,” Star said, humming, “I want you to go with Rhys’ group.”

The little Charmander straightened his back and puffed out his chest. “When you see me tomorrow, I’m gonna be evolved and way stronger!”

“Mm. All in preparation,” Rhys said. “We’ll be doing intensive training for it. I know a special technique that will help them grow faster.”

“You speak like evolution is something that happens on the regular,” Alex mumbled. “When I first evolved, it was a celebration…”

Star gave him a sad smile. “Well,” she said, “it’s all for the world. Are we ready, everyone?”

Many nodded.

“Then it’s a good night’s rest, and then the final assault!”

<><><>​

After a heavy dinner, Alex curled up in bed. It was nice to be able to totally relax himself, completely disabling even his spectral floatation. He allowed gravity to pull him into his nest, nuzzled into the grass and curled around the Gardevoir right next to him.

It was strange. When he closed his eyes, it was a lot like when they’d known each other. But now, with sight, there was a new dimension to basically everything that he did. In some ways it was a little tiring.

It was convenient being able to see and know things from so far away, though. He understood how useful that was for battle against silent foes, or how, perhaps, his father had followed him so easily in the past. With no footfalls, there was only scent that he could rely on, and that wasn’t always reliable depending on the direction of the wind.

“Evelyn,” Alex said. “Your mother. She’s the strongest of your… clan. Correct?”

“It’s hardly a clan anymore, but yes,” she said. “She’s trained for a long time to take a power that your father has. It’s been misused for quite some time. But she has a plan… Perhaps we can save everyone.”

“Ev—even Mother?”

“Yes. You see, Mom, she… inherited a power from someone. She’s also blessed by the gods in her own way. Unlike Alexander, though, she doesn’t kill her children. They all live happy lives and, er, well, move off and die of age. She doesn’t. But she has a power, a very special power…”

“What is it?”

“You’ve seen it already.”

“The Fairy thing?”

“No, that was a little trap she set for you. I meant when your heads switched. She has Manaphy’s blessing.”

“Oh, goodness…” A beat. “I don’t know what that is.”

“You’ve never heard about it?”

“Not really. And it’s not like I know how to read…”

“Don’t they have books for the blind?”

“That’s not why I don’t know how…”

“Oh.”

Another awkward silence. Evelyn gently rubbed his cheek, as if in understanding.

She continued, “Manaphy is the god of, er, changing places. I don’t really remember the exact term. But she can swap the very spirits of two people, have them live in the body of another, just like that. And, in cases like you, she can also swap the minds of the same spirit, if there are multiple.”

“Oh. Well. A bit pointless on me, isn’t it?” Alex asked.

“Maybe for you,” Evelyn said. “But… your father.”

Alex’s mouth opened slightly in disbelief. “Y-you mean… no! Is that possible? Could my father have… once been kind? One of his heads? And…”

“Think of how he spoke about you, or, er, the Alex half.”

“Xander’s still in here, too,” Alex said, only mildly offended.

“Yes, I’m sorry. But imagine if she switched the father you know… for the father that ‘lost’ that battle? He didn’t win by compromise, did he? So, what if…”

“That’s brilliant!” Alex laughed. “It’s no wonder you’re so confident. All you have to do is turn this Alexander into the dormant one… Oh, I hope that works…”

“We don’t really know what the losing head was like,” Evelyn said, “but considering how he talks about it… we can be confident he wouldn’t want it. And therefore, we do. Right? Does that make sense?”

“At the very least,” Alex said, “we can disorient him. You’re right. Oh, now I’m excited!” Alex shook his smaller heads.

Evelyn giggled, nuzzling him. “Alright,” she said, wrapping her hands around the back of his head. “Let’s get some good rest. We’ll get it all done in the morning.”

“Right… rest first.” He sighed, trying to calm down.

The prospect of saving his mother was what kept him awake the most.

<><><>​

It was cold that morning. When Alex opened his eyes, he assumed he was blind again. But it was just dark. And… airy. And he felt weighed down, too.

Why did his head hurt?

“Thank God you’re awake,” Star whispered, slapping Alex on the cheek.

“Ow! Excuse me?” Alex grunted, trying to get up, but then he yelped as a twisting shock ran through his body. Only then did he realize that most of the cave had collapsed onto him.

“Hold still. I’ll get you out of there,” Star said. Psychic energy enveloped the stones and rocks, releasing Alex, but he wished he hadn’t been staring when he was released. He couldn’t recognize his lower half.

“Don’t panic, don’t panic!” Star assured him. “I got this. It’s not even that bad, it’s just some crushing. You’ve had worse, right?” She patted him on the shoulder, but Alex had been stunned into silence. Or shock. He wasn’t sure anymore; everything was blurry.

“E-Evelyn,” Alex managed. “Where is—”

“She’s safe. But we have to get out of here. Alexander got the jump on us.”

Warmth spread through parts of Alex’s body that had been totally crushed, followed by a brief agony of tingling and featureless pain. He screamed but a psychic hold wrapped around his muzzle, though it fizzled a second later.

“Ugh! Right, Dark. Just shh!” Star said, physically clamping his jaws tight with her tiny arms. She was surprisingly strong.

“Sorry,” Alex said through a closed mouth. The feeling in his lower half returned; a little crushing never killed anybody, right?

Why did he think that? Had a thought from Star channeled into him with her healing?

“We might get spotted,” Star said before he could test his healed body. “I’m gonna Teleport the both of us out. Don’t resist, alright?”

Alex nodded. Star wrapped her body around his neck and started glowing white.

Something cut his cheek. Cold, a deeper cold than ice, and a burn like acid. When Alex opened his eyes again, he was not in a new location. It was still dark and it was still the collapsed caverns of their old hideout. Star was pinned to the wall with a spear made of a strange, shadowy material rammed through her chest. Her eyes were wide with fear and surprise.

He knew that power, the feeling alone. Instead of turning back, he rushed for Star and grasped at the javelin, pulling it out. Star’s mouth opened with pain, but he grasped her tiny body in one of his smaller jaws and curled her under his chest, flying away as quickly as he could.

That sizzle approached again and he weaved left, dodging it. Then he weaved right and dodged another, just from the sounds in the air.

The cave below him was a blur of ruins. The whole place had been savagely leveled overnight. How did he sleep through it? Or had he been knocked unconscious before he could wake?

“Die.”

Two small jaws grasped Alex by the tail, and then he was yanked backwards. He saw his father’s crazed eyes, his jaws that seeped with a black fluid. Then they were upon him, and a horrible, tearing pain cracked his snout and forehead—

And then it stopped.

<><><>​

He could still hear, he could still think, but only barely from the pain that was suddenly all-encompassing. He wasn’t even sure if he was screaming or not. All he thought to do was flail dumbly, not knowing anything else, until that same warmth from before restored his eyes.

That blindness had been a small comfort, but now he could see again.

Even better, he could see Evelyn, whose eyes were wet with tears. Her delicate blue hands covered her mouth.

“That guy’s beyond help,” Alex heard Star mutter while he was still in a daze. “He ate his own son’s face! Who does that?!”

“Shh, he might be waking up,” Evelyn said. “Don’t frighten him. Oh, Alex… h-he’ll be fine, right?”

“You’re lucky his son’s resistant to Shadows, or I wouldn’t be able to heal this,” Star said. “But yes. Look, it’s already closing up.”

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” called an unfamiliar voice. Alex eventually tied it to a Fraxure, who looked somehow pale in the face despite his scales.

“Cool,” said a nearby Bayleef, her eyes focused on Alex for some reason.

Alex gasped to indicate his presence. “I—I’m okay,” he said. “I’m okay…”

“Oh, thank the skies… Alex! I—I thought the first onslaught had taken you…” Evelyn rushed to his side, embracing his main head and neck. Alex wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She was trembling and there was blood—his blood—on her shoulder.

“What happened?” Alex asked. “Please, tell me. Where are we?”

It was another cave. He could still smell the ocean, so it hadn’t been very far. Father could be upon them at any moment…

“Alexander grew wise to our plans and made a preemptive strike. Most of our initial plans have been completely overturned,” Amia said, stepping closer and out from a deeper part of the caverns. “But this also simplifies matters. Alexander is coming after you, Alex. So, we will defend you with our lives so he may not become stronger. We will end his cycle here, permanently. No matter the cost.”

Alex took a shaky breath. Just one exchange with his father, when he was truly fierce, truly ferocious… He didn’t want to face him anymore. He did not have the fighting spirit to do so. Even Xander would have been completely overwhelmed by this. Even that half of him saw sense to flee. And the overwhelming shame that burned into his stomach was enough to make him sink and sniffle.

Evelyn embracing him was the only true comfort he had. His mother was dead. His father had killed her. And now he was next. His little world, blind to everything else, overturned in a matter of days. He was falling and tumbling and all he had were a bunch of strangers to defend him… and Evelyn.

Alex ran everything through his head again and then suddenly looked at Star. “Y-you were impaled!”

“Yeah, that one… still hurts. But I’m sort of divine, so it’s pretty easy to heal that. But I’m not doing too well, actually.”

And when Alex took a closer look at her chest, he could indeed still see some darkness swirling over her fur where the spear had pierced.

“Look, don’t worry! We still have to take him down, right?” Her eyes were desperate again.

But he couldn’t do the fighting.

Deeper in the cave, an Alakazam emerged. He seemed composed, in the same way someone was trying to stay calm after a great outburst. Everyone had gone quiet when he emerged.

“…Hello,” he replied with false cheer.

“Hey, Nev. Is Rhys…?”

“He will recover,” Alakazam replied tersely, eyes closed. “I will be taking the four, now.”

“Wait, you’re what?” Star asked, rising, but then winced and clutched her chest.

“Yes. Alexander is far too great a threat. It is time to employ our desperation tactics.”

“Hold,” Amia said. The Gardevoir with emerald hair stared coldly toward Nevren. “We still have other measures. We do not need to endanger them with… whatever those drawbacks were that you’d warned us about.”

The quartet of Pokémon looked confusedly between them. Alex had the sneaking suspicion they didn’t know what they were talking about. Frankly, neither did he. What were those four middle-evolution Pokémon supposed to accomplish? Father rivaled the gods themselves.

“I’m going,” Nevren said with another grave nod. “Owen. Demitri, Mispy. Gahi. Come, now. It’s time to fight.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” a Vibrava replied, flitting over Alakazam’s head. The other three ran after him, and soon they were leaving.

Heavy, wet footfalls echoed from deeper in the cave, and then a Goodra covered in blood ran past them, calling ‘Nevren’ as the five left. The blood didn’t smell like it was from a dragon. The strange Mew went next, floating shakily after them before hitching a ride on the Goodra’s shoulder.

Soon, only three remained. Alex, Amia, and Evelyn. He was lost in a war so far out of his vision that now that he could see its ramifications, he felt blind all over again.

And then, Amia marched out.

“Mother,” Evelyn said desperately. “What are you doing?”

“If Nevren intends to use his trump card,” Amia said, “I shall use mine. It’s time we end this once and for all and put an end to the Shadows’ cycle.”

“Then let—”

“You,” Amia said, “will guard Rhys and Alex. Rhys in particular is extremely vulnerable, and if Alexander claims his soul, we will be just as vulnerable regardless. Every soul he claims adds to his power. It does not need to simply be of his lineage; that is only what allows him the greatest growth… had he not been facing gods and those blessed by them alike in our gamble.”

As she spoke, she walked further out of the cave.

“I do not know how many of our clan he has already claimed or killed. Your father is still out there, fighting. I must join him.” She glanced back at Evelyn out of the corner of her eye, nodding. “Be strong for me here. I will return.”

In a flash of light, she was gone.

At first, perhaps Alex would have listened. But he took one glance at Evelyn, and he knew even with his limited knowledge on sight that she was in anguish. She knew something he didn’t, or maybe it was just a feeling.

Were they all going to die? If they didn’t go, right now, would they never see any of them again?

A warmth bubbled in his chest. He didn’t feel very much like ‘Alex’ anymore.

“Let’s go,” the Hydreigon said.

“H-huh?”

He lunged for her and pulled her onto his back; she followed out of pure surprise. He flew, despite his pain, but just as he did, another green canine appeared.

“Good, you’re here,” Alex said, or maybe right now he was Xander. He didn’t know and didn’t care. “Rhys needs to be guarded. We’re coming along.”

“Is that what was ordered?” Hecto asked.

“Yes. Guard Rhys.” The lie came easier than usual. Once Hecto was out of earshot, he asked, “Evelyn, can you get a sense for where your mother went?”

“The Teleport is still fresh,” she said. “I… I can tell. I know the direction.”

With a firm nod, Alex held Evelyn’s shoulders and waited for that disorienting flash to take him away. A moment later, the smell of the ocean was stronger, but the darkness of early morning allowed more detail.

“Where is everyone?” Alex asked.

“I can’t Teleport as far as Mom,” Evelyn admitted. “Give me a second…”

Alex worriedly scanned the horizon, rising higher after getting Evelyn on his back. Maybe he could fly while she focused on her next Teleportation. That would be a fast mode of transport, right? The chilly air helped him be more alert as they raced over fallen trees.

A shame he was still trying to get used to more advanced flying maneuvers. Evelyn, too, was struggling with it, based on how tightly she was holding onto his shoulders.

But they didn’t need to fly very far. In the dawn’s long shadows, the smallest pulses of energy stood out against the dark. Therefore, the clash between god and usurper bathed that darkness in light as if by a second sun.

Flames of orange and indigo tore a whole section of the forest away in an instant. A beam of concentrated sunlight carved another fissure into the earth, leaving glowing spots of melted rubble in its half-cylinder mark. Then came a retaliatory meteor of darkness, the skies themselves raining with a strange, deep purple water. Crackles of blackened lightning came from those clouds, smiting what remained of the ruined battleground, which had become a wasteland in a matter of seconds. And all of those attacks were dwarfed by the sheer crater beneath them that would have taken a good part of the morning to fly around. It radiated a horrible malice.

From the explosions, a tiny figure trailed out in a ragdoll’s arc. Friend or foe? Alex couldn’t see yet, so he flew closer. Then came another figure, one he’d easily recognize as his father. He smashed into the arcing comet, jaws locking onto his prey.

Alex now could see who it was. “Star!”

In a flash of light, the Mew disappeared, yet there still seemed to be something in Father’s mouth, like some part of Mew couldn’t escape. Evelyn pointed to the ground. “She went there!” she whispered, and Alex started to fly that way, evading Father’s notice.

The dust and debris still falling from the last explosion battered him, sometimes pieces of wood the size of whole fruits slamming onto his back. He coughed through the smoke and flew over four figures. Three of them were down, so he descended and whispered, “Can you heal them?”

“I—I’ll try.”

Alex had no idea what they were supposed to be. He couldn’t even comprehend what he was seeing. Was it horrifying, confusing? All he saw were four vague shapes that looked like they were meant to be fitted together into a single, whole, but parts were torn away.

And then, to his horror, he realized that he recognized those four—but for their lower forms. It only clicked when he saw one of those misshapen… things emit a flame on one of its appendages.

“What happened to them?” Evelyn whispered, voice trembling.

“Heal them,” Alex urged.

“I’m t-trying,” Evelyn said, but her hands were trembling. She pointed at them, managing to get the melted Charizard. It didn’t seem to do anything, but he did glance at Alex and Evelyn.

And all Alex could see in those eyes was bloodlust. Empty-headed bloodlust, even lower than the most mindless feral.

He knew in that moment he had to get away. He ascended, thankful that Charizard’s wings hadn’t properly reformed yet, and followed the destruction in time to see Father chasing down someone else. “There!” Alex said, suddenly wondering what he was even thinking to do. Were they losing? Did he come here just to feed his soul to his father?

A small part of him was tempted to go back. The rest of him, and Evelyn, urged him forward.

“Mom!” Evelyn whispered loudly to Alex, pointing.

An emerald-haired Gardevoir was standing against a boulder, hiding. Meanwhile, Father was pinning Star to the ground with one paw over her chest, squeezing it.

“No…” Alex went forward on autopilot, but still had no idea what to do. “He’s got Mew. He’s got the Creator in his jaws, how, what—”

“We have to save her. S-somehow!”

Star was seconds away from being killed and possibly even claimed. A divine being, claimed by the monster he’d called a father only days earlier. As the morning sun rose higher into the sky, the long shadows getting cut by new light, Alex mustered the last of his courage for one final cry.

“Father!”

And suddenly, the Hydreigon of Shadow turned all three heads his way.

There you are,” Father said with a great smile. There was a chilling echo to every word. “Giving yourself up?”

Star wasn’t moving. Was she already…

“I-if I do… will you end this war?”

“War… This isn’t a war,” Father shrugged. “I’m only taking back what was meant for me in the first place. My natural, divine right, as the proper savior of this world.”

“And yet you’re killing the very Creator Herself!” Alex countered.

“A Creator would not descend to a state where She could be killed,” Father countered. “Really, I’m doing this world a favor by taking Her place. I will at least honor that much of her responsibilities…” He leaned closer. “Are you ready to die, Creator? Lend me your power. I will make it… painless.”

“I-if you take her, then… you’ll never have me,” Alex said. “I’ll run. A-and you’ll never find me. I’ll…”

Father tilted his head again, that grin morphing from a challenging smirk to an entertained smile.

“Oh,” he said, “that is… adorable. You think you matter.”

Why wasn’t Star Teleporting? Was that disabled somehow? She couldn’t be dead. Couldn’t be. Not yet. The way Father was sparing a few extra glances suggested he was still watching. She was still alive. It wasn’t too late!

“Do you know how many souls I control?” Father asked, drifting toward Alex. As he did, Star was dragged by a near-invisible thread of darkness that had been tied around her chest. “How many are already part of my personal army? You are nothing to what I already have. I do not want you for power. I want you for pride. To keep my own blood with me forever. My empire, by my own essence, growing to rule over everything else.

“Why? Because I can. I clawed my way to this power and I will use it. Every ounce of this power, I earned. This forsaken world, corrupted by darkness, must be tamed by that very same darkness. And I have conquered it long ago, dear blood. This is just the ending act.

“Now is the time for me to take the final step into ascension. Every spirit inside of me, working in-step to usurp the very Creators that granted me life. Like one thousand little hearts all beating as one. As my heart. The gods’ own pride, their own folly, led them to this perfect, vulnerable moment.”


He raised his smaller left head, and Star followed, dangling limply. Blood pooled beneath her. She was so pale.

There went Alex’s last idea, using himself as a gambling chip. Maybe it was a bluff. Maybe Father really did still need him. But right then, at that moment, Alex wondered if the best option was to just give up. He was so… tired. It was all too much. And staring at the ruins around them, it felt like there was nothing left to be saved.

The crater seemed so horribly large. It would take most of the day for the average person to walk around its perimeter. And they were just at its center, where Father’s most recent blast had started. He could feel the Shadowy energy radiating from it, and perhaps even more, the way it had clashed with Star. The little shelter that had survived faded into rotten ash. Evelyn, on her back, felt like she was struggling to breathe. Alex felt fine. Almost invigorated, despite everything.

Amia was visible again. Her body looked a little darkened, but not terribly. And she was trying to aim at Father’s head with something, from a blind spot behind him. Alex tried to ignore it, a flicker of hope in his heart again.

How long had they been at a tense stare down?

“Do you feel it?” Father asked. “This place… it’s mixing the energies together. Radiance and Shadow, together. It’s… intoxicating. I could bask in it forever. And maybe soon, I will… I’ll give you one more chance, blood.”

He held his free head forward.

“Join voluntarily with all of your kin.”

Over his shoulder, featureless phantoms, all of them Hydreigon, floated like a miasma, glowing eyes staring at him. He could only guess that his mother was the one that was so much brighter than the rest. It stood out like the sun in the sky.

She really had been claimed.

Like so, so many others.

“Or be dragged in, pathetic to your last breath.”

Evelyn’s grip was getting weak. The atmosphere was killing her. He had to run. He couldn’t fight. But then, Star…

And then, Amia fired.

And by some miracle, Father didn’t notice when it struck him clean on the head. There were no wounds, no changes, not even a noise. It was just a flash of light, and suddenly Father seemed completely stunned. His eyes were wide and his jaw was agape.

“Now!” Evelyn slammed on Alex’s shoulders, and he rushed into action. He flew under Father and grabbed Star—cold and limp, but she responded with a whimper—and felt the acidic thread that connected her to the tyrant Hydreigon. On instinct, he clamped his main jaws onto the thread and pulled. There was feedback into his teeth that felt like ice, cutting into his gums, but the thread snapped, and he started to fly away, spinning only to see if anything had changed.

Amia’s power would have allowed Father’s mind to swap with the other Zweilous head. That was the theory, right? Perhaps they should have tested it on him first. ‘Xander’ would be present for a little while. That was fine. Maybe having some of that bravery would have been nice. He could feel his own frustration bubbling at that, but then he refocused on Father, whose flying had slowed.

“Did we do it?” Alex held his breath. “Is… is the other mind active?”

“Yes! It must be!” Evelyn said. “Yes! Mom did it! It’s over! I can feel his emotional waves… It’s different. There was horror, and then, hang on, I almost have a feel for it…”

Alex slumped over, relieved. It was finally over. He didn’t like the way they had to do it. In some ways, he pitied the Father he knew, because now he would likely be in that same dark oblivion he’d tossed aside his other self to become. A mere afterthought of what he had once been like.

But… he would never truly be gone. They were still the same ‘Alexander.’ So, they would still need to be careful, in case temptation brought about that old self.

It was going to be okay.

Evelyn fell off of Alex’s back.

“Eve—” Alex choked.

Evelyn’s eyes were wide with shock, a javelin of shadows piercing her chest. It had been so fast. Dark tendrils were pulsing from the impact site, dissolving her skin and flesh like fire on cotton.

Alex turned his head to face Father again. He only caught a glimpse of the emptiest, most savage, soulless grin he’d seen. An image he knew would burn into his mind forever, for what little time he had left to think.

Three spears pierced through Alex’s chest, and one each pierced through the heads of his arms. It was so cold he couldn’t even register the pain. He only tasted the acidic metal in his mouth, blood tinged with darkness.

He fell for at least two seconds, getting faster the whole time, until he slammed on boulders and stopped next to Evelyn, who was already barely conscious. Weakly, she tried to reach out to him, but then he realized she was pointing at something.

Agonizingly, he turned his head. First, he saw Star’s body, crumpled and torn and motionless. She’d fallen with them. And… while she had been alive before, she was alive no longer. He couldn’t feel that gentle aura of power coming from her. The god had been slain, completely. It was just a husk of dead flesh now.

Then, he saw that Father hadn’t properly gotten to him afterward. The residuals of a stinging blast of Fairy energy had stalled him. This Hydreigon wasn’t fighting with nearly as much grace, but he made up for it in total ferocity. Amia would have gone down next, had it not been for the final interloper Alex could see. It seemed to be the Charizard from earlier, fighting with blind fury. Flames shrouded his slender body and Father couldn’t properly land a blow on him. Strange golden barriers precisely blocked every hit.

The ground was shaking. Everything was getting so much darker. Was that because his vision was finally failing him? It had been a lovely few days of sight. It was a shame he couldn’t enjoy it for longer.

But he felt oddly peaceful about returning to that comfortable darkness. Things were less complicated back then. When he was blind to the world. When his only worry was not getting caught by his strict father and doting mother. When he could enjoy the quiet nights. He could hear the water now, rumbling the rocks.

Evelyn… was she also going to die? They’d die together. So morbid. There was a small, stray thought that wondered if one should live, and if it should be her. He focused as much as he could, willing himself to see one last time. See her one last time.

Some time had passed and Alex didn’t even realize it. There was a Charizard on the ground near him, crumpled with limbs in wrong directions, struggling backwards. And… it was boiling. The sky had erupted in flames.

He agonizingly turned his head again, and was certain he’d seen a true demon. His Father had become shrouded in nothing but flames. The spectral wings had burst into fire; his scales rippled with the colors of magma. Flames poured from his mouth, mixing with dark clouds like a whole forest’s life burned at once within him. It smelled of brimstone.

The Charizard screamed a mindless scream, no longer fierce but afraid, as the demon fell upon him. Alex couldn’t see anymore, but he could hear, and he felt another psychic wave that his body resisted. He recognized it as Amia’s strange swapping powers.

Father grunted. “What… what was that?” he said. “That trickery… what did you make me do?!”

“Then even at your core, you were a monster,” Amia screamed, her voice shaking.

Silence for a moment, and then he chuckled. “So that is your trick… I see. Yes… my other self. Pathetic, primal, monstrous. He sees a single goal and takes the straightforward, naïve path. A fool. He was a slave to his urges. I was the calculating one. But we both agreed on what we wanted, in the end. All Hydreigon are like this. We always agree… we only differ on the methods to get to what we want. Of course, the superior head always wins… But now I see why my most recent blood had been such a failure. You must have swapped him around, too.”

Alex tried to speak. The swap had nothing to do with it. And he knew, in his heart of hearts, this was the truth. But why did he even care to prove himself to such a monster anymore?

No words came.

“But you brought to me a wonderful gift,” Father went on. “Owen… what sick joke it is that you’ve come to get in my way again. But that doesn’t matter, does it?”

The Charizard whimpered helplessly. There was a dragging noise and the whimpering got louder.

“Reduced to a mindless weapon. Even your body has been corrupted. You’re barely worth my effort. But that soul of Radiance and Shadow… that is the prize, even if I need to break you down to get to it. Maybe I’ll do it slow. Show you how helpless you truly are to me…”

More mindless cries and whimpers were his only reply. Alex heard sizzling. The Charizard was doomed.

The ground rumbled even more. Father didn’t notice, floating in the air. But then it was audible enough that rocks started to rumble.

At the same time, a gentle warmth coursed through him. He could see again. Barely. Just barely.

Gods, it was much darker. A miasma of shadows thickened the air.

“What?” Father turned toward something Alex couldn’t see, behind him.

“Away…”

The party of demons had grown from one to two. A new voice. It was many voices, speaking in unison.

“Stay away from him…”

“You…”
Father floated backwards. “I killed you!” He lunged for Charizard anyway, but that set off an ear-splitting roar. Suddenly, Father was blown into the sky by a tendril of darkness. Five more sprouted from it, enveloping him, clawing at him. Alex struggled to keep watching as Father tried to fly higher and higher, only to be dragged down, down, down…

He was persistent. He flew as hard as he could, but in Alex’s blurry vision, he saw… pieces of Father getting pulled in. The more Father flew, the more of him was torn down, passing into a dark portal. By the time he was halfway disassembled, he abruptly spun around and roared, flying directly into the portal.

There were more tendrils reaching toward Evelyn and Alex. But Evelyn was reaching toward Charizard, sending a him pulse of energy—a familiar one, the same one that had tried to heal Alex.

And the dark tendrils stopped. They retreated back to the portal…

Father fell completely into it, but something had fallen out of his decaying body just before entering. It looked like an orange, glowing orb.

It bounced on the ground, emitting an ethereal ring. All fell into silence.

His dark wounds reopened. His vision was fading again.

He heard steps.

Someone sobbed. Sounded like Evelyn, but deeper. Amia.

Evelyn tried to move. She was reaching for someone.

“I’m so sorry,” Amia said. She was right next to him.

“M… Mom…” Evelyn was barely audible. Only from the silence of the crater could Alex hear.

But that was all Alex could muster. Amid this family and not a single one of blood to call his own, Alex finally drifted away. The last thing he heard was Amia’s voice.

“I won’t let you die.”

And he felt her psychic swap’s pulse one last time.

<><><>​

He remembered… floating. A weightlessness that was even more ethereal. Something warm had drawn him in, and, mindlessly, he had followed it.

Some unknown amount of time passed. To Alex, it felt like a second, yet he had a suspicion it could have been days.

He emerged from a sphere of light and thought nothing of it, too dazed to process what had happened. Had that all been a dream? Or was this the dream? What was… anything, anymore?

The cavern around him flowed with veins of lava, and it glowed with unnatural brightness. It was comfortably lit and warm, but he was suspicious that it should have been much hotter. Most alarming were his arms, which were now coated with fire. He didn’t know why that terrified him so much. He screamed without realizing it and fell against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut.

No, no! Not a monster, I’m not, I’m—I’m—

“Alex?!”

Alex gasped, jolting up. That was—Amia? But her tone was so upward. That didn’t match her at all.

He dashed out the cave in time to see a blue-haired Gardevoir running to him. Behind her, there was a typical-looking Dusknoir, a slumbering Charmander in one arm, and a strange, diminished blob of darkness in another.

“Evelyn! You’ve… grown up… quickly!”

Evelyn winced, looking away. “Please,” she said, “you must… call me Amia for now.”

“I’m sorry? Is that not…” He trailed off. “Is that not your mother’s name?”

“It is,” she said. “She… I must honor it. If I keep anything of hers, it must be her name… for a little while.”

Alex thought back to those hazy final moments. That pulse…

Cold horror snaked down his spine. “She swapped with—”

“She sacrificed everything to save me,” she said. “I… I don’t know why. It’s all so meaningless! And to make matters worse… she won’t even come here. She’s searching for Father…”

“I don’t follow. What do you—”

Dusknoir drifted closer, nodding respectfully, and Alex stopped his questions.

“If I may take over.”

Alex recognized that voice. It was deeper and hollow, but the way he spoke…

“Hecto?”

Dusknoir bobbed again. “This is my form in the spirit world when guiding those across the aura sea. Or, in this case, in an outpost near the coast of the living. I would like to explain a few matters to you. Do not be alarmed. You are dead.”

“D-dead?!” Alex chirped, alarmed.

“Yes.”

“But that can’t—but I’m here, I’m speaking, I’m—”

“A dead spirit. I am sorry if this is inconvenient for you. But your soul now rests within part of the source of power once held by a great evil. It is, thankfully, in proper hands now, in your mate, Evelyn, now Amia.”

“That’s… going to take some getting used to,” Alex admitted, though he wasn’t sure if it was the name swap or the part where he was no longer alive.

“Your bodies were unsalvageable. Thankfully, I was able to get to the scene and show the sole survivor how to harvest spirits from the dying using the Orb’s power. The only one who could not be saved was Star. She is recovering in the aether. As a god, she will be greatly inconvenienced, but may still run things from outposts such as these if she must.”

Alex nodded dumbly. “P-point is, I’m… dead? This is… beyond?”

“This is a place between. If you would like to leave for the afterlife proper, you may. However, I am afraid that your mate is bound to the Fire Orb and may not leave until she is slain. Even a visit to the afterlife will be fleeting, and will require ferrying by me.”

“Then I will stay,” Alex replied.

“I understand.” Hecto bobbed again. “Thank you for taking this so well. We will—”

A horrible scream came from the Charmander. He clawed up Hecto’s shoulder and was stilled by his massive hand. But he tried to run anyway, taking fleeting glances back at Alex.

Alex realized why quickly. It was, surely, the same reason he was terrified of his own appearance. His eyes darted around the field of lava for a place to hide, but the fields were too open.

“Calm. Calm,” Hecto said, patting Charmander on the shoulder, but he kicked away and ran down the lava.

“Wait!” Alex cried, but Hecto held him on the shoulder. His hand burned and yet he didn’t seem to react.

“This realm is completely safe to him. Let him flee. We can sort out your appearance later.”

“Of… of course.” What did that mean?

“M… mmggh…”

Alex blinked. In the world of familiar voices, this was the one that he would never truly be able to forget. “Mother!”

“Ah… who is there? Such a deep voice, but it can’t be…”

It was the blob in Hecto’s arms.

“It’s me! A-Alex. And Xander. Your son, not—er, not…”

“Where am I? It’s… very warm. I’m… was I…”

“You were claimed by a great evil a long time ago. I’m afraid I do not know the circumstances of your current condition.”

“Oh… don’t worry about that. I think I can see you now… but I’m fading fast.”

“What?” Alex whispered. “Mother, what happened to you?”

“Can’t I do anything?” Evelyn—no, Amia—asked. “Please, there must be!”

Hecto’s one red eye dimmed. “No. There is nothing that can be done. This is a dying soul… I can already feel her presence fading away. And I cannot sense where it is going. That typically means it is evaporating into nothing.”

“Don’t worry! This is okay! I made a deal with someone a long time ago… I know where I’m going. Chances are, you won’t remember me. I need to…” She trailed off, and her body was losing its shape even more. “Is Owen here?”

“Owen?” Alex asked.

“He is here. I’m afraid he perished and died in this realm.”

“I figured. Thank you. Please, watch over him. Repeat that! Say it out loud!”

“What?”

“Say it now! Take care of Owen!”

“T-take care of Owen. I need to take care of Owen?” Alex looked confusedly at Amia and Hecto.

“I’ll take care of Owen,” Amia agreed. “But why?”

“He’s going to be needed for the world later. The person I’m trying to stop… I know he’ll try to return. And Owen’s the only one left who can do it.”

“Who is this evil person?” Hecto asked.

“Sorry… I don’t know anymore. He was sealed away, and memories of him disappeared when that happened. Just like me. Ah… sorry… I…”

Perhaps she wanted to say more, but she was just a haze in Hecto’s arms now. She murmured something. She sounded happy when she did. Alex leaned closer to hear a little more.

“Mother…” Alex said. “Mother, don’t go! Where are you going?!”

“So… proud of you…”

Gone.

And then, Alex looked at Hecto, rubbing his eyes. He had a serious case of the sniffles. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I think I’m… overwhelmed with being dead.”

“Mm.” Hecto bobbed. “My apologies.” His red eye looked down at his arm, which had been positioned as if he’d been holding something, but nothing was there. He lowered it without a thought.

Amia seemed contemplative. “I feel like someone just exited this domain,” she said.

“You would naturally be very aware of such things,” Hecto said. “Who left?”

“I don’t know. It’s like I had miscounted this whole time…”

Hecto looked at his arm again, and then noticed that there seemed to be markings in his hands. “Hm. There’s a message on my hand.”

“Oh, goodness! Are you injured?”

“It is not a bother. It says, ‘Remi.’”

Alex’s heart fluttered. “Remi… Is that a name?” He held his chest. “Why do I… feel…”

“…Mm. I understand what happened,” Hecto replied. “Someone… must have had their soul destroyed in front of us. They were too injured from the previous battle. Unfortunate.”

“De… destroyed…” Alex shuddered. “That can’t be. How could something…”

“Do not worry. I will dedicate resources into finding them. I will try to deliver the news to you when they are found.”

“I’m sorry?” Amia asked, taking a seat. “You said they were… destroyed. How can you find them?”

“Apologies. The terminology must be confusing to you. I come from… a place beyond here. Do not speak openly about this with others, but you have little incentive to do so anyway. It is irrelevant to your reality. But it is likely this person is now in the Overworld.”

Alex tilted his head. “I’m not familiar with that at all. A world that’s over us?”

“In a sense,” Hecto agreed. “When a soul is destroyed in one reality, they are ejected completely and utterly from it, and float in the Overworld. Then it is part of my job to recover them. However, they will never be able to return here. The reality itself… no longer acknowledges their existence. They are utterly gone from this world. Sometimes, realities are so prudent of this that those still dwelling within it lose their ability to acknowledge that person as well. Sometimes in the form of forgetting them; other times, in making as if they are completely invisible. Though, not all realities are this way… but it appears this one is. Strange. I do not recall Star mentioning this detail to me.”

“W-well, could there be another reason? What if… what if we were attacked by a Psychic?” Alex asked. “Er, I may be Dark, but there are techniques to go past that, surely…”

“That is a much less likely reason,” Hecto dismissed. “But the chances are not zero. If that is the case, then you may recover memories of them when the seal is undone, somehow. But if it is, it is above my power. I do not detect anything of the sort.”

His red eye flashed a shade of green.

“And I am quite powerful.”

That probably ruled it out, then… He couldn’t remember who it was, though.

“Protect… Owen,” Amia whispered.

“Hm?”

“Do messages from them remain?” Amia asked.

“I do not know for this world.”

“Well, I remember saying that, as if repeating it. Maybe this person knew what was about to happen. But whatever it was, I remember urgently saying to protect Owen.” She looked down the lava road, where a small crowd of Pokémon had stared down the path to the screaming Charmander.

“Hm. Perhaps it would be wise to follow that. His spirit has special properties that may be useful in the future. I’m afraid whoever created this power also had their soul destroyed, but their remnant power remains within him and others. That power, from what I have analyzed, will allow you to materialize him in the living world again, Amia. Not only that… but I believe he will be able to sustain himself no matter his distance from you, too.”

“I… I see. I’m still getting used to that power,” Amia admitted. “But thank you for letting me know. Still, I don’t understand why he’s here at all. Owen said that if he ever died, he would… be recalled somewhere. Why here, then?”

“That is a question for Rhys to answer. It seems he wanted his spirit to be tied elsewhere. It is no longer my place to intervene on this matter.”

Hecto bobbed one last time and drifted backwards. “That will be all. It seems that whatever evil we had to battle, it has been vanquished. While frustrating that we cannot recall specifics, its erasure from our minds suggests it will no longer be a problem. I will conduct research into what it was to prevent any resurgences, and inquire with Star about the properties of erasure in this world. I will be very busy while tracking them down in the Overworld. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Oh, er, of course…” Amia waved, and then Hecto disappeared in a mist.

It was just the two of them, now.

“…Well!” Amia said with a nervous smile. “I’m… sorry about this. But this is your home, now, if you’ll have me…”

Alex smiled nervously, nodding. “I didn’t quite expect this sort of arrangement,” he said, “but… it will be okay. No, it… would be wonderful, actually. I want to get away from home. I have nothing but bad feelings about being alone in that house.” He sighed. “Then… if I’m dead, who are all these people?” He gestured out.

“Those are… all the people that had been claimed by that evil force. When I took its power, I also took everyone they claimed. All Hydreigon like you, actually. But over a few days, they’ve decided they all looked a little too similar, so they picked new forms.”

“New… forms.”

“It terrified Owen anyway. We felt bad.”

“A-ah. Right. Well. I suppose I’ll think about that.” Alex hesitated, feeling like he was forgetting something. Alone in that house… He grew up alone? Surely he had parents. And—

“THE EGG!” Alex screamed, gasping, but then he recalled Hecto had… Yes, Hecto had taken it somewhere. Perhaps… Yes, he could ask—

“The egg is fine, Alex!” Amia assured him, grasping his shoulders. “Hecto delivered it to Pyrock. It will be well taken care of. I… can’t go there, but I’m sure they will hatch and grow up to be happy and healthy. Okay?”

Alex deflated. “But I was going to have a sibling… wasn’t I? Or…” Even that felt hazy. Was that egg in some kind of peril?

It was all so confusing… Maybe he should stop thinking about it. Maybe he’d simply found the egg.

Alex recalled the strange, defeated sadness he’d felt only moments ago, before Hecto had left.

“Were my parents… destroyed?” he wondered.

“Hm? Did you say something?” Amia looked back. She was already walking down the path to find Owen.

“Er… nothing. You go on and find Owen. I’m going to decide on a form that won’t frighten him.”

“Of course.” Amia smiled, and then walked further along.

Only a handful of days had passed, and Alex had gone from Zweilous to deceased Hydreigon. What a sad, lonely life he’d lived. Maybe… abandoning this form would have been better after all. Symbolic of trying to find for himself a new start.

As Alex’s eyes followed a magma river, he happened to see a Magmortar sitting by the rocks, before shifting to the form of a fiery Machamp, like he was testing out bodies.

“…That would do,” Alex finally decided.

With some concentration, he shed his scales for a body of flame and fire powder. And with it, he shed the past he no longer wanted to keep, feeling at one with Amia, the only constant left in his mind.
 

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
Alrighty, here we go with 120-128:

120

So Manny and Marshadow are like, two halves of the same whole... I suppose that would explain why they're so similar, yes. :P I can't recall how Marshadow reacted when the Kilo folks who knew Manny first showed up and inevitably compared them. Guessing he was probably ignorant of the split? As for this flashback... did Owen split them apart here? I didn't notice the first time I read it, but Manny looked at his paws in surprise, like he wasn't expecting to see that.

Owennnn.... it is okay to listen to other people's advice and opinions and that does not equate to being controlled. Blindly rejecting everyone's input is not cool or based--especially when they don't know any better and aren't trying to mislead you.

Honestly, throughout this entire arc of DM's attack on Kilo and Arceus helping everyone fend him off, Arceus has been pretty cool. Perfectly agreeable and sensible. I guess he's mellowed out a bunch since the old days? I still don't know what everyone's beef with him was. (Okay, destroying Quartz Isle wasn't cool, but no one even remembers that anyway, so that can't be the reason they wanna depose him. :V) Sure, there's the decrees, but were those even his fault?

re: Valle sitting in Hot Spot--if anyone's patient enough to stand there for a month doing nothing, it's him, lol

Marshadow is invited to keep quiet because somehow his heckling is more frustrating than the "trying to capture Owen" part. :P It's so weird to see someone being controlled by a villain, still having their normal personality, but not... acting like they don't want to do any of those things. It's like he's still himself, but also not?? Gah! Pretty satisfying when Owen bit him, I gotta say. :P

121

> Necrozma… He’s just another god sealing my memories.
I mean, I don't think that Necrozma erased himself from history and everyone's memory. :V And he's been letting the memories back slowly to not overwhelm Owen.

That is very interesting how the revisor only rewinds Kilo and there's a vacuum left if anyone goes into the voidlands. And man, Lugia breaking into the HQ was a real oh shit moment.

> He’d been imprisoned. Horrible memories.
I continue to marvel at how the understated lines are the best ones.

God the way that the damage is just instantaneous lethality--definitely makes Shadow Lugia feel like one of the most overwhelming threats so far. I mean sure, DM is strong, but most of the fights with him have involved characters managing to evade and counterattack at least a little, even if they're outmatched (see: Rhys). But with Lugia it's just, no. do not attempt. Insta-fail.

Speaking of Rhys, all the Rhys whump sure was something~ It's wild that he felt the effect of the revisor going off clear on the other end of Kilo. I don't think he's normally been aware of that in the past, since he's been with Nevren for ages and Nevren uses it all the time. Maybe it's specifically because of the wonkiness with people going through the Voidlands, and the two realms getting de-synced. Which... actually makes me wonder if the two are just de-synced from now on, or if each time a portal connects the two, it's automatically re-synced.

122

Eyy, we finally get to see Remi after meeting her at spirit's edge so long ago. I do wonder where she is. We haven't seen her in the Voidlands. Actually, thinking about it now... for all the people that didn't end up in the Voidlands, I'm curious how exactly they avoided it. It sure seems like there was nothing stopping DM from winning back then... but on the other had, Owen obviously didn't get all the hands and fix DM, because, well... *gestures to the state of things.*

Really nice to get an Alex and Owen reunion after all this time. Throughout all the memories, all the history, it's nice to return to something that's familiar. It's more nostalgic than everything that came before, if that makes sense.

That flashback with Dialga and Ray sure seems to imply that Necrozma was responsible for the legends falling into the Voidlands, but...

Oh yeah, two dark wars. Genuinely no clue what happened in the second one if that was after Necrozma got erased and DM got sealed and everyone forgot everything. Maybe that one was Alexander's fault? Since Void power leaks in through the chasm, I guess that would explain how another dark war could happen even in DM's absense.

iirc the stuff with Emily getting corrupted happened in the second war, right? Because the second war was after the orb guardians started to be a thing, and she used to be one...

Man, what the heck was DM even doing in the Ghost Orb. I wonder if like, Madeline put him there (smth smth ghost giratina?) I still can't let go of the fact that Nevren knew the ghost orb was important for Reasons, but he didn't know why. Maybe it was a shred of info he gleaned with the memory trick?

> How long do you think you existed as Dialga, compared to anything else?”

I mean, Kilo's only been around for a few milennia at most, right? Not exactly like merging with a Dialga that's been around for billions of years. :V

> Even as he took his last breath, Rhys had won.
Yes good. Everything about this scene was good. Characters going to their death with a smile 💯 💯 💯

123

Well, three guesses who Nevren was split from lmao.

> The rumbling of battle, elements and darkness sailing over them, felt quiet and insignificant for the briefest moment. A thousand jumbled thoughts raced through Nevren’s mind as his expression remained stoic. Several times, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He couldn’t recall several of his thoughts. He only saw Rhys laughing across the table at a little joke he’d once said. He couldn’t remember what it was.
This is a really great moment.

Starr 🤝 Phol - Radiant Incineroar

And hey, they figured out that Radiance is UE against Shadow! Unfortunately, the reverse is also true...

124

> After all, nobody really knew the Voidlands existed. Not even Star or Barky, apparently…
Right, that's right... but then who... maybe Necrozma did erase himself idk. But then why on earth wouldn't Star or Barky want the decrees broken? Or is is that breaking the decree would only break it for the person who got all the hands, and neither of them could let that be the other? It's either that or Barky put the decress on everyone including himself and then scattered the hands to prevent anyone from breaking it which... good job. 👏

XYPHER NO

Yeah, okay, well done with that one, damn... The way the fic is set up makes it really hard to get gut punches like that, but this was the rare opportunity where the loss is real, and man does it hurt.

> I know, in the end, you will make the right choice…

This makes it sound like Necrozma is expecting owen to spare DM. The narrative has been set up in such a way to make Necrozma into the embodiement of all of Owen's fixations on control and obedience. But it would be really anticlimactic to have Necrozma fully believe Owen will destroy DM and then be all pikashock when he doesn't do it. There's no way that he actually still wants Owen to do that.

125

So Nate has light, if I'm understanding that memory of Necrozma correctly. And, oh, he's a Voice of Life. Which makes me wonder if he's a Voice who took the shape of an Eternatus, or an Eternatus who gained the power of a Voice. But he also has bolded Void speech... does he have all five energies?

Hah, using the revisor to launch multiple Judgments is pretty great. That's pretty much it for DM if they can just keep soft resetting it over and over...

(I haven't really stopped to wonder how Leph is a thing, lol. Either Arceus just... decided to make a daughter, some time back in the legend era, or someone ascended to become an Arceus and was basically adopted by him as a result, or what.)

> He was going to do it. He was going to kill Dark Matter.
no he ain't. :V

It's kind of fascinating that DM wanted to die at first, and now he's far more determined to end everything else rather than just quietly accepting his own end. Owen was the one who refused to just let him die. And like, I get that it was noble and well-intentioned of him, and that in the end, it's probably better for them to fix DM, but man, the Suffering Ratio for that decision was sorta... not great. :V Maaaaaybe stop to think about just how many thousands of people you're making suffer all to help your new friend? (This is of course directed at Wishkeeper, as current!Owen is absolutely correct that having DM on their side would be a big improvement over the current situation.)

ALEXANDER YOU FUCKER :screm: :screm: :screm:

126

Huh, I hadn't thought about it before, but--can Alexander can use Radiance? That's what it seems like he did when he impaled DM, but for some reason I thought that only Mhynt and Owen had Blacklight. Especially since the light does burn him, unlike the BL users, so I don't think it's innate.

Aaaaaand, Necrozma wanted Owen to spare DM, yep, there we go, that's what I was waiting for. Honestly Necrozma has seemed perfectly reasonable throughout all this. And maybe he didn't make the right call with pressuring Owen against using the hands to fix things way back when, but he's had a lot of time to reflect since then.

127

Soo, Amia. Having her stick around this long as a Void Shadow set up an obvious expectation that her subplot would go somewhere. And yet, voiding has been a crucial stand-in for death to give some much-needed permanent consequences. So having her revived, but as a blank slate stating from scratch with no memories, a different person needing to learn how to exist again... I suppose I can accept that as a compromise.

> “…Diyem.” Owen tilted his head, considering it. “You know… Now you made it your own.”
I can't believe that what we thought was a play on "Dungeon Master" turned out to actually be a play on "Dark Matter" turned out to actually be a play on freaking carpe diem.

And HOO BOY HERE WE GO. The rumor finally come out: Does BLC is HoC sequel. So while this seems obvious in retrospect, there were a couple of reasons that I'd been assuming this wasn't the case (because of course it was impossible to not at least consider it.)

1. "The Charizard that accepted him." You just. Always used that wording, so we naturally assumed that was another Charizard because BLC already had 12, what was one more? I think we even listed them as a separate character in the zard lists. Why wouldn't Owen or Diyem just say that they had history?

And yet... Owen had a lot of memory loss in the campaign thanks to Soda. And Diyem isn't the oversharing type. And once Owen got his memories back, well... he was a lot more zen about everything at that point, and it would be weird to suddenly bring it up out of nowhere when we'd already known Diyem for so long.

2. Diyem said that he won. He absorbed the world and everyone in it into his voidlands. But in HoC, we can clearly see that Kilo exists, and people still live there. Of course, the end of the world could always be something that's yet to come, but that would be kind of weird now when we're like 5% of the way into his redemption.

And then I remembered how the fic has just. Never even mentioned why Quartz and Kilo are always talked about like different places. It's easy to just autofill that Kilo must be the new name for Quartz--so much stuff got forgotten, why not a name? But I think it's not. Diyem did win, Quartz and almost everyone in it was absorbed, and Kilo was born in its place with only a small handful of legend-halves being the only people left from the old world. That's why there's a decree. The world did end, and it was supposed to stay forgotten.

Except here is the part where I lose my mind, because what you actually said was:

1673897483359.png

And okay, so our brains didn't autofill that Diyem must have come from a PSMD-like world, it was literally stated outright.

So this... isn't the same Diyem? But it was so perfect, nnnnnnnnn

Anyway.

In other news, Diyem's first positive emotion was feeling very comfy cozy, and I stand by my HC that he and Eien--*shot*

128

Really enjoyed the Spice panic attack, just completely shutting down, desperately trying to work through any other thing she could have done even though it's too late, wondering if she is who she is (and tbh, know how Namocore goes, I wouldn't be surprised if this weren't Spice, although I personally do prefer if it is her, and she's just always had void attributes that only recent intensified.)

The Diyem and Zena was pretty interesting, but tbh I'm with Zena in that, if you look at it in terms out outcomes, Anam really did make the world a better place. And Diyem could feel it too, it just obviously couldn't ever be enough to dwarf his hatred.

---

Alright, that's probably a good place to end it off, since the special episodes are so long, I should bounce to other things for the rest of the Blitz.
 

Forestoak

Cosmic leech
Location
https://www.wattpad.com/717235456-pokemon-divine-a
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. clodsire-custom
  2. groudon
I'm still reading through Act 1, and I have to say, I really like it(more than that even...)!

I'm honestly wondering about the mutants, are they the work of the Hunters? I hope I can see it explained...

If Rim is the Psychic Guardian, how did she get the orb without being cursed with eternal sleep? Star is The Mew, so does she have something to do with it?

I wonder why Team Alloy can't be together, will they fuse, or something? Or become a deity as powerful as Arceus or the Sinnoh Legendary Three or the Regi Titans? Or even something like Yveltal?

The beginning is quite fast and fun, but it goes even faster and mysterious...and how are the other guardians like(well, clearly the Normal Guardian is strategic, but blasting Anam, James, and Zena is a little bit over doing it. Also, what is up with the Porygon-Z)?

My favorite moment is probably when Owen goes crazy and screeches 'I"M A PLANT!'. It was funny-though a little bit panicky.

My favorite character is Anam right now, after all, he's the Ghost Guardian, is emotional, nice, and the art with him and James is funny.

I wonder why Arceus or some other not-helpless legendary aren't helping.

Why does Gahi talk the way he does?

There actually is a houndour that is water type-the alolan houndour...I think.

Okay, maybe the part with Owen isn't my favorite-maybe Team Alloy destroying the aerodactyl is my favorite.

What happened with the Nevren attack? Did all of this happen, but the memories were altered? Or did Diagla do something?

What are the other glowing objects in Rhys' room?
 
Last edited:

Starlight Aurate

Ad Jesum per Mariam | pfp by kintsugi
Location
Route 123
Partners
  1. mightyena
  2. psyduck
Hi! I'm here for your Catnip Review Blitz! I'll be reviewing the first Act as well as Chapters 1-3 for this review. I generally review chapter by chapter, starting with line quotes and the meat of my thoughts at the end. I'm so happy that I got assigned to read Hands of Creation; it's something that's been on my radar and I hear people talk about it so highly, so I'm glad that I finally had to take a look and give it a review!

Act I
An original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon setting. No prior knowledge beyond basic Pokemon trivia is required.
Okay good, because apart from all the hype surrounding Pokemon Red Blue Mystery Dungeon when they came out (that it was a Pokemon game where a human is turned into a Pokemon), I know almost nothing whatsoever of PMD.

He saw the blade coming out from his chest.
Eughhhh OW

Maybe we find this out later, but I can't help but wonder why Owen's dad is a Magmortar and his mother is a Gardevoir--is it some strange biology, or adoption?

“Owen, did you have a nightmare?”

“I think so…”

“Well, it’s gone, now,” Amia said.
Ah. So (as far as Amia knows, at least), Owen had a nightmare about getting stabbed. Makes sense as to why she's expecting him to go out tomorrow--I was thinking she was being harsh and insensitive XD

In the corner of his eye, he saw an eerie glow. His consciousness abruptly cut out.
‼️

Being part of the Thousand Hearts is a big deal, after all! …If you get in. Remember, there’s no shame in failing the exams.”

She was trying to help him feel better, but that didn’t help the knot of inferiority tightening in his gut. How many times had he tried and failed to get in? No, this would be different. That was the whole reason he was going out on a practice exploration in the first place.
I'm sure these "dreams" are all pointing to a larger plot point and are something more than just regular dreams, but to be fair, knowing you have something huge coming up (and especially if you've already failed it a couple of times) could definitely be cause for strange dreams--at least, it happens to me.

“And if I get horribly maimed, I’ll just warp back to the entrance! It’ll be fine!” He grinned, but he wondered if his word choice could have been better. He was trying to be funny, but he practically heard his father’s heart explode through his giant torso.
Yeeeaaah, not the best kind of joke to make when your parents are nervous and full of anxiety.

Alex hummed worriedly. “That was a close call, yesterday,” he said. “I’ve never seen one of those mutants so powerful before. What if he runs into another of those—those things in the Dungeon?”
Looks like it actually wasn't a dream at all!

"You know it’s me they’re after, not him.”
Woah, Amia, WHAT?!

Alex rubbed his cannons together. “If I was just a little stronger, I could have defended us both. But I just… evaporated after the first strike. Curse this body. It’s so foreign, even now. Sometimes I wish I…”
I'm getting the feeling that Alex used to be a human and was transformed into a Pokemon--if not a human, then at least something else, since it seems he's not supposed to be a Magmortar.
And that raises even more interesting questions! It makes me question Amia's background, whether she started out as a Gardevoir/Ralts or if she used to be a different creature, too. And then it makes me wonder what Owen really is or where he's from--and if Alex and Amia are actually his parents. Amia seems to be a much more exotic name than Alex and Owen, which makes me think she's much different from them, especially since she mentioned that creatures were after her.

I know this chapter is old, so I won't say too much: it's definitely an action-packed start, and it leaves us with many questions, particularly just WHAT happened to Owen, why those creatures are after Amia, who Amia and Alex are, and whether Owen will pass his exams this time.

I find the writing to be a bit too action-packed; I would have liked more feeling from Owen after he got stabbed in the chest, even if it did turn out to be "just a dream" (though apparently that's not quite the case), as to how painful it was and how urgent the situation must have felt. Very little is explained, just set up--a fitting start before we actually get to the meat of the story!

Chapter I

The caverns that he lived in had no natural sunlight, but the mushrooms that lined the rocky walls and ceilings gave more than enough light.
I love the image of glowing mushrooms lighting a cavern! It gives off high fantasy or fairy tale vibes.
Not that it mattered; complete darkness was a foreign concept to most Charmander.
Because of their tail flames, I take it.

In that sense, his adoptive mother was an exception to the population, though she could deal with the heat like any other Fire could.
An answer--and another question! I wonder why Amia can deal with the heat so well? There's definitely something different about her, and I wonder if the other Pokemon are aware of it.

“Oh, hush, I’m not that old. Auntie Arcanine is just fine.
:mewlulz: Funnily enough, in some cultures, being called "auntie" is used to refer to a woman who is considered older--otherwise, they're referred to as "big sister."

When he became a Charizard, he’d have to keep to one side so he didn’t take up the entryway
I can't help but think that this "when" might be an "if."

Aww, Owen grabbing a rock just so he weighs enough to activate the tile is kinda cute, but also sad! It makes him seem so much littler when he wants to grow up to be big and strong.

Instead, it made for a colorful, intricate pattern that, from what Owen had read, was meant to be aesthetically pleasing, and had little other functional value.
Owen saying "this has no value other than looks" makes me think that the colorful lights absolutely DO mean something significant.

Owen stepped onto the Waypoint and gently tapped his ankle on the tile. In a flash, he disappeared.
Hooray, he was able to teleport without the use of a large ronk this time!

The town itself was in the middle of a crater at the top of an extinct volcano.
Reminds me of Sootopolis! Though I expect this one isn't flooded. I know you're from Hawaii, and is this village based off a place in real life? "Kilo" makes me think of "Kilauea," at least. I've only spent time on the Big Island, so I've only seen the active volcano and don't know about elsewhere.

The altitude, however, wasn’t very high; the mountain was mostly underwater, rather than above the sea—according to the Water Pokémon, at least.
Interesting! So it's only within the crater that it's dry land, and the outside is (supposedly) water? Though given how long this story is, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there's actually an entire, explorable world outside, and that the "it's just water" is a made-up story. Guess we'll find out!

Owen had no idea, though it might have something to do with their leader’s personality.
I wonder what this could mean--personality as in the leader was known for kindness and compassion, or is the leader a Pokemon that's themed around hearts? There are plenty of other "heart" associated words if you look at the roots; "mercy" means "a heart moved by another's misery" from its Latin term misericordia, so I see a lot of directions this could come from.

He couldn’t ignore how nervous his parents were, and that dampened them slightly—but he figured that if he kept acting cheerful, maybe he’d be able to fool himself into truly feeling confident, too.
:( That's so sad. It's an unhealthy (if understandable) way of trying to cope with knowing that others don't have faith in you.

The idea that something wasn’t right with anything he did. Not that he did it incorrectly, but that something, in general, felt wrong. Even now, it tugged at his mind.
That something isn't right with what he DOES, or that something isn't right with WHO he is? I have a feeling it's both, but that the latter is an important part of it.

He was a full-grown adult! Or at least an adult! Lots of weaker Pokémon never evolved. He just happened to be strong and slow at evolution.
Definitely a kid-like attitude, at least!

As I'm reading Owen's thoughts, I'm wondering how old he really is--he claims to be a late evolver, which implies he's not a young child, but his "I'm not a kid" attitude gives me the impression that he's about a tween/early teenager.

Nevren nodded. “I see potential. Quite a bit!”
Aw! I hope Nevren is being honest. But even if not, hearing praise from someone in a position you deeply respect is very edifying and hopefully gives Owen encouragement!

Nevren nodded. “In fact, why don’t I give you a small gift?”

“What? A gift—from you?! Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Please! I’ll treasure it!” Owen had no idea why Nevren would want to give him a gift so randomly. But he wasn’t going to question a freebie!
Ha, this reads like talking to NPC's in a Pokemon game who randomly give you small gifts for no apparent reason whatsoever.

“I’ve trained hard enough to become a Charizard already. I’m sure of it! But, it just never happened. It’s so weird. Everybody else in my scales would’ve evolved by now, but…”
This also makes me wonder what it takes for Pokemon to evolve in this Universe. Owen claims that he's trained hard enough, but I wonder if there's mental/emotional/spiritual maturity that it also takes for Pokemon to evolve. He certainly still acts like a small child, so even if he has physical strength under his belt, maybe he hasn't reached other milestones to evolve. And even then, there isn't anything to attest for his strength--he claims he's trained hard, but has his training been effective?

Everything today did. He shook his head; if he kept thinking like this, his entire day would be ruined. He forced excitement to take over. He had an exploration to do!
Trying to conceal the things that make him sad and give him pause and make himself be excited goes along with the "fake it till you make it" attitude that he's been taught, so it's understandable, but it shows he needs to grow a lot. I expect we'll see this excitable demeanor crack at some point before too long.

“Nope!”
Haha, I love this reaction.

He looked up at the sky. The sun’s rays weren’t shining through the tall trees anymore—not directly, at least. It looked like it was going to turn orange soon.
Geeze, I keep forgetting that "Dungeon" in PMD doesn't mean literal dungeon--and that they're outside, with a lot of them in the woodlands and such. Until now, I kept on thinking he was going through caves.

All that was left behind were a few stray embers from his tail; Owen bolted.
Smart move! I wouldn't expect the Aerodactyl to keep his word, at least. "Give me what you have and I'll let you go" often ends with the victim defenseless and murdered.

So! Looks like Owen's in hot water. He managed to get all the way to the final section of the dungeon--only to find a Pokemon he has no hope of defeating in combat. And really, what can he be expected to do, apart from run away? I'm not sure where the next step will lead--I don't think he'll run all the way back to the beginning, so I imagine he'll come across something unexpected in the dungeon.

At this point, I still don't have many thoughts on it, just so many questions (most of which I've pointed out). At least we know that Owen is adopted, his "dream" was most definitely Not A Dream, Amia has something strange going on about her, and being a "late evolver" is apparently a Thing that as of yet doesn't have an explanation. So far, this fic has a small, quiet, "slice of life" kind of air about it--but just looking at the chapter list and knowing what kind of stuff you produce, I imagine this is not going to be that kind of fic!

Chapter II

Unfortunately, all it did was slow him down. “Nghh—that burns,” he muttered, rubbing at his right side with his wing.
If attack mechanics here work as they do in the mainline games, then hopefully the burn will lower his attack and chip away at his health until he faints, right? Right?!?!

Owen turned down the corridor, but then skidded to a stop. “W-wait! That’s not fair!” he shouted.
Pls forgive me but I just recently watched the film Labyrinth for the first time and the protagonist is going through a dungeon-like maze and saying, "That's not fair!" all the time and I couldn't help but think of it as I read Owen do this.

He was in the exact same room he had been in before. He even saw the Aerodactyl emerge from the hall next to him.
Ugh I CRINGED when I read that.

And then, despite expecting nothing of it, he prayed to Arceus that he’d be able to wake up afterward.
I think this is interesting! So Arceus is revered as a god/God in this universe, though Owen will say a prayer in times of peril, he doesn't seem to actually believe that either Arceus exists, that Arceus will respond to Owen's prayers, or he DOES believe in Arceus but acknowledges that praying might not do anything.

Again?

Owen’s own thoughts gave him another pause.
Ah! I wonder if Owen has two separate consciences inhabiting his body and that each one is present at different times, so he's only somewhat-aware of a lot of things that happen to him.

“My dad wants me to be a berry farmer because my sharp senses would let me tell when they’re ripe or not.”

“Goodra Anam says that a lot of thieves only do what they do because they don’t have the skills for anything else,” Demitri said.
Oh man Demitri, that sounds like a roundabout insult :mewlulz:

“Others do, though,” Owen said, taking a hesitant step forward.
This is really sweet <3 I think it's a bit much for Owen to be so concerned about the feral Pokemon that he's going back to check on them, but it does show his compassionate character. It also begs the question as to what feral Pokemon are considered: are they the same level of sentience as the other Pokemon, like Owen? Or are they "lesser" beings? Or are they just viewed differently by Pokemon who don't inhabit the dungeon? They don't seem to be talking like Owen or even the Aerodactyl were, so it gives me the impression that they're "less."

“To be honest, a lot of these don’t actually look like your flames, Owen,” Demitri said, pointing at the Paras. “Looks like some of these guys got hit by something a lot worse.
Huh! I wonder who else was going through the dungeon? Could it have been the mutant snorlax?

Rhys was moving stiffly. That was odd. He usually moved with a graceful flow.
If this is Owen's first time meeting Rhys, how would he know this?

“And I say that whatever phenomenon it is, it’s nothing to worry about. Now, enough talk of spirits. "
Uh, nobody mentioned spirits except for YOU, Rhys.

And they're on their way back to Owen's home! I don't think things will bode well for Owen, here. We know little of Rhys except that he's a Hearts mentor, which indicates he's good, but he's certainly acting off, to say the least. The fact that his own students are terrified of the place he lives in makes him seem a bit aloof, if he's not going to tell them why he's got strangely-colored mist erupting from rooms. And his "spirits" comment just further cements that there are things he's hiding that are a lot more important than he's letting on.

I do think Owen's attitude in this chapter is sweet. It's cute that he wanted to go back and check on the Paras he attacked earlier to make sure they were okay. And his over-eagerness at finding out that he was being invited into the home of a Hearts mentor was really cute, too! I certainly wonder what fire injured the Paras so badly if it wasn't Owen's own.

Lots of questions! Everything having to do with Rhys, who was hurting the Paras so badly, why Owen feels like he's met Rhys before and what the deal with this "phantom pain" is. I'm worried for Owen bringing back someone of such a high stature and high power back to his parents' home when he was told to keep it all a secret. This chapter set a lot of things up, so it'll be exciting to see where it goes!

Chapter III

Owen noticed that Mispy was being quite pushy with Demitri, playfully prodding at his back with her vines on the way into their room. Demitri, meanwhile, meekly bumped against her with his tusks, flicking his tiny tail against her front legs, which earned a giggle in response.

“Bah, get a room,” Gahi muttered.

“We are,” Mispy teased.
Now I regret thinking of these Pokemon as children >_<

“Oh, okay.” He wasn’t convinced. “Nothing about any ghosts, maybe? Spirits, little,” Owen paused, “pink clouds?”

“Pink,” Rhys repeated. “Are you sure it was pink?”
Rhys is really giving minimal effort in trying to cover up how strange his place is, haha.

The Lucario’s eyes, which glowed just barely in the darkness, held no expression; that, in itself, was abnormal to Owen. Why would someone not react to such an outlandish statement unless they were prepared for it?
Good point!

“Like I used to chat with you and stuff. Do you ever get the feeling that you know somebody for a lot longer than you actually do? That there’s more to it?”
This gives me the impression that Owen is a reincarnation.

Finally, Rhys answered. “I do not believe in love at first sight.”

Simultaneously, Owen’s tail burned white, and his heart skipped a beat. “N-not in that way!” he squeaked.
That's kind of mean for Rhys to evade the question by saying something this awkward when he knew it wasn't the case!

The Gardevoir adjusted her blue hair; there was a bit of ash remnant on the right side, perhaps from one of the kids’ pranks
Woah, I hadn't realized that Amia was shiny!

A strange mutant that had been described as a Golduck by some and a Toucannon by others had gotten dangerously close to Kilo Village.
Ah, so there ARE other mutant Pokemon roaming about! I wonder what's up with them?

“Maybe the rumors are true. They say Anam used to be a priest of some sort.”

“Maybe he really is holy? Oh, thank Him, the whole town is blessed!”
Does this universe have a religious institute of some sort? Apparently there is at least one religion that acknowledges Arceus as God (I assume that's who they refer to when they say "Him"), so asking of Anam was a priest makes me think of a religious hierarchy. Although I find it interesting that they ask if he used to be a priest, as opposed to whether he is a priest, since the religions I'm familiar with almost all have priesthood as a lifelong (and afterlife) thing.

He dismissed the notion immediately. Glowing like that happened all the time! The Hot Spot mushrooms glowed in the same way! It was simple bio-luminescence. Perhaps Anam was just a rare variety of Goodra, or he had some glowing moss as part of his breakfast or last night’s dinner.
Kinda weird that Owen was freaking out about Anam glowing and asking himself if other people had seen it, and once he heard that they had, he backtracks and says that it must all be natural.

“It’s hard to believe that the leader of the Thousand Hearts has such a… bleeding heart for all his members.”
*Ba-dum tsss!*

He glanced over and saw a Voltorb staring very hard at his paper, which was on a similar desk, though at ground level. His eyes, narrow, stared at the third question, electricity coursing around his body. Then, with a pop, a bolt singed one of the bubbles
Ha, I was wondering how Voltorb was going to answer questions if he couldn't realistically hold a pen.

Last time, he had been so nervous that he tripped over his feet and busted his snout before the battle even started. There had been blood everywhere…
Aww that's so sad! I pity poor Owen :(

And he won passed! After hearing him struggle so much for so long in battling, it's edifying to see that he did well enough to pass the exam against James' substitute. And I really like how you handle the move Substitute here! It's neat to see that Pokemon who are incredibly powerful and advanced can create literal copies of themselves, albeit weaker battlers, who can fight back and speak for their original. I think it's really creative.

I feel like Rhys isn't going to give away his answers about the Orb so quickly or easily, considering how evasive he was when Owen asked him about whether or not the two have already met before. That orb, and the "eviolite" that Nevren gave Owen are, I imagine, something much more serious than either of them are letting on. As I said before, I get the idea that Owen is a reincarnation of someone, as he has memories that he doesn't know where they come from, and has experiences that he can't quite remember or understand. Seeing random Pokemon glow, such as Anam, only further adds to the air that there is a LOT happening around Owen that is more serious than others are letting on and the stakes in this story are much higher than Owen, or any of the entrance-level Pokemon, knows.

As far as characterization, Owen is really cute and charming. He definitely has a lot of insecurity stemming from the fact that he hasn't evolved and had failed multiple times to get accepted past his entrance-level examinations. He definitely wants to prove himself and get his adoptive parents to stop worrying. He also has a big heart (heh) with a lot of compassion and kindness, as shown when he goes back to the feral Paras and gives them rawst berries to heal them from the damage he did to them.

The biggest thing I'm still fuzzy on is how old these Pokemon are supposed to be. I kept on thinking of Owen as a child, or maybe a tween/young teenager, given his general attitude about things. I then expected Gahi, Mispy and Demitri to be about the same age, but the line about Mispy and Demitri sleeping together really threw me off (and made me feel kinda gross inside). The aloofness (if not flat-out lying, considering the "eviolite" from Nevren) from the older Hearts is a bit off-putting, at least for the time being. I never feel comfortable with people lying to and hiding truth from each other, especially when they're all supposed to be "good guys," though I imagine they all have their reasons.

Did I overanalyze a lot of this too much? Probably. But that's how I tend to review stuff, especially when higher powers, such as the mentions of Arceus, and existentialism come into play, heh. Overall, you've definitely set this up to be a big story with a lot of questions waiting to be asked--and I'm sure that there are only going to be MORE questions as the story progresses! I imagine that I'll be back reviewing this at some point, and I look forward to seeing where this all goes!
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Owennnn.... it is okay to listen to other people's advice and opinions and that does not equate to being controlled. Blindly rejecting everyone's input is not cool or based--especially when they don't know any better and aren't trying to mislead you.

Congratulations, Owen! You've leveled up! You have gained a new feat: Crippling Trust Issues. Good luck!

Honestly, throughout this entire arc of DM's attack on Kilo and Arceus helping everyone fend him off, Arceus has been pretty cool. Perfectly agreeable and sensible. I guess he's mellowed out a bunch since the old days?

Turns out Arceus can actually be a god when the other god is out of commission. He's just one of those people who isn't good working with others at his level. Still a little full of it though.

Really nice to get an Alex and Owen reunion after all this time. Throughout all the memories, all the history, it's nice to return to something that's familiar. It's more nostalgic than everything that came before, if that makes sense.

That's one of the major reasons I included this scene actually. We need normalcy after... all that. And what came after.

And hey, they figured out that Radiance is UE against Shadow! Unfortunately, the reverse is also true

Honestly, the fact that Blacklight was a thing at all has given a tiny handful of people an extra layer of insight on some of the similar mechanics at play here.

The way the fic is set up makes it really hard to get gut punches like that, but this was the rare opportunity where the loss is real, and man does it hurt.

"Nobody dies in HoC" is still true, but that's because there are other ways to "permanently lose someone" anyway. After all, Eon and Owen is the prime example of a permanent loss that doesn't involve true death at all -- and is a common theme throughout everything.

ALEXANDER YOU FUCKER :screm: :screm: :screm:

Get ready to say that a lot.

Huh, I hadn't thought about it before, but--can Alexander can use Radiance?

He can't! I think I could have been clearer here, but he ripped it from the Tree and tried to utilize it, but it left that throwing arm in tatters, replaced by unstable Shadow. It's like holy water to him.

Soo, Amia. Having her stick around this long as a Void Shadow set up an obvious expectation that her subplot would go somewhere. And yet, voiding has been a crucial stand-in for death to give some much-needed permanent consequences. So having her revived, but as a blank slate stating from scratch with no memories, a different person needing to learn how to exist again... I suppose I can accept that as a compromise.

Yep. This ties into the "permanently gone" trope mentioned above. Even as Amia regains some of those memories back, that emotion is still blunted and faded as she sort of relearns everything, but isn't quite the same as new memories go on top of the old, ultimately making her different than the "Amia" everyone remembers.

The Diyem and Zena was pretty interesting, but tbh I'm with Zena in that, if you look at it in terms out outcomes, Anam really did make the world a better place. And Diyem could feel it too, it just obviously couldn't ever be enough to dwarf his hatred.

It's a very nuanced debate, what with Anam basically colonizing the world with Diyem's political manipulations and power, while also... doing it for good? Makes it a little hard to decide who to shake the pitchfork at.

Thanks for reading, Chibi! I always love your opinions and theories.

I'm still reading through Act 1, and I have to say, I really like it(more than that even...)!

I'm flattered! Very glad you've been enjoying yourself.

I wonder why Arceus or some other not-helpless legendary aren't helping.

This, and many questions in your review, are all very good questions to ask, and once I'm glad you're asking. Some of them will have answers sooner than you think...

I'm so happy that I got assigned to read Hands of Creation; it's something that's been on my radar and I hear people talk about it so highly, so I'm glad that I finally had to take a look and give it a review!

Wow, didn't expect that sort of impression! That's good to know for sure.

I find the writing to be a bit too action-packed; I would have liked more feeling from Owen after he got stabbed in the chest, even if it did turn out to be "just a dream" (though apparently that's not quite the case), as to how painful it was and how urgent the situation must have felt.

I agree. Some of my earlier writing sort of intentionally "dulls the pain" of combat, but in some ways it's intentional because Pokemon of this world are naturally more battle-capable, pain-dulled, and so on. But even then, the injuries here are really bad... If I remember right, I think Owen was going into shock here and adrenaline overload, so he actually didn't feel as much pain in the moment. It's hard to make that one clear, probably could have done better.

Reminds me of Sootopolis! Though I expect this one isn't flooded. I know you're from Hawaii, and is this village based off a place in real life? "Kilo" makes me think of "Kilauea," at least. I've only spent time on the Big Island, so I've only seen the active volcano and don't know about elsewhere.

"Kilo" means "a thousand" in this context. It's sort of like what Diamond Head on Oahu looks like from above, with a flatland inside a caldera, but otherwise, there are no direct inspirations taken. It is much like Sootopolis, though, now that I think about it. But it's an old, old mountain well above sea level (and it's mentioned in chapter ~50 or something that there are drainage paths in the streets, too) so there's no flooding here.

It also begs the question as to what feral Pokemon are considered: are they the same level of sentience as the other Pokemon, like Owen? Or are they "lesser" beings? Or are they just viewed differently by Pokemon who don't inhabit the dungeon? They don't seem to be talking like Owen or even the Aerodactyl were, so it gives me the impression that they're "less."

In Kilo, feral Pokemon are just as sentient as other creatures (in terms of their capacity to feel, etc.) but they are not nearly as sapient. There is a clear divide between the two for as-of-that-chapter unknown reasons, but that's just how the world is. Thankfully, it makes the carnivore problem not a huge problem, since the "lowest-sapience" level feral Pokemon (ironically, like those Paras) are the typical food sources.

The biggest thing I'm still fuzzy on is how old these Pokemon are supposed to be.

Somewhat intentional, and I'd argue a minor design flaw on my part with the early chapters. However, some of those questions will... become clear in ohhh, 3 to 5 chapters from now or so.

I imagine that I'll be back reviewing this at some point, and I look forward to seeing where this all goes!

And I look forward to it!

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! This has been a great blitz.
 
Chapter 146 - Four Teams

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Chapter 146 – Four Teams

It was deep into winter. The world had nearly ended during the harvest season, and there was a massive shortage of supplies for all the refugees. Emily, the Shadow Lugia, was still blindly rampaging throughout the world, but due to her complete aimlessness, she was treated more like a weather phenomenon or natural disaster than something to actively flee.

Thanks to advice from Owen, as well as the Charizard himself leading some of the charge, they learned that Pokémon with gold Protects held a particular advantage when it came to diverting her to harass somewhere else. Due to a silver lining of Dungeons still expanding and Anam in perpetual recovery, Kilo Village had become the last bastion of civilization. Tiny pockets of villages remained to be gathered back, but not many dared leave the mountain. Word from Pyrock confirmed that they would be in need of supplies there as well, but it had fallen into local villages self-ruling.

Wild Pokémon had grown hostile, due either to residual effects of Dungeons becoming more spiritually corrosive than before, or simply from the worsening environment without more intelligent Pokémon controlling the landscape. Civilized Pokémon had, in a way, become their own keystone species to the environment. Now that it was disrupted, wild populations were in danger of outpacing the dwindling winter resources, should that persist into spring.

So many factors led experts to determine one thing: While they would narrowly survive winter, they would not survive the next season without serious losses and an even greater permanent blow to world stability.

To Owen, that was a timer. By his hand, only a few seasons prior, he had grasped the Grass Orb and put the careful stasis set up by the world’s Elite Hearts into total upheaval. Now, they had nowhere to go but forward. If they failed, the world would collapse one way or another, and Alexander would rise again to reclaim the ruined lands.

If Kilo degraded too far, Alexander would catch wind of it and try to make his move. South Null and North Null Village were the main strongholds and connections into the living world. They also knew that Cipher Castle held a direct connection through Void Basin for an invasion at any time. Surely, by now, Alexander’s forces had discovered the uses of the light crystals to escape the Voidlands, now that the Dungeons were totally unsealed.

Owen wasn’t really sure when it happened. But with Anam’s general absence, Nevren missing, Rhys united with Dialga, and James tending to Anam, all of the Elite Hearts had suddenly… disappeared. Owen had filled that vacuum with the help of Elder and Rayquaza, still yet to unite, and others who pitched in where they could.

To many who knew Owen, his countenance had changed significantly during his work managing the Hearts. He acted formal; he had a serious but attentive expression any time someone spoke to him. Not once did he stumble over his words or openly second-guess himself. He was like a completely different person.

But really, Owen was one and the same, screaming in his mind about how he was supposed to handle the next hour. He was just scrambling to figure out what it meant, at night, in the quiet with Zena.

This was one such night, back to the ground in a field in Yotta Outskirts. Leo apparently helped take care of his parents here, and Spice visited often, so it seemed like an idea place not too far from Kilo Mountain. Distantly, Leo’s parents were shouting over some board game they were playing with their son and Spice’s family.

The wind blew, but mercifully it was not snowy. No ice coated the fields, so the two of them were simply enjoying the bare land.

“Stars. I still can’t get used to them again,” Zena said. No snow and no clouds made a clear night sky.

“Yeah,” Owen replied with a relaxed smile. “Not having to worry about all that… even for a little while, is nice.” But he always felt a pang of guilt knowing that as they enjoyed this, there were still countless souls suffering in the Voidlands. Every day resting felt like a day wasted, even if he knew, on a practical level, they couldn’t feasibly do anything yet.

The scouts had determined that Cipher City was crippled from the onslaught, at least for its leading forces. Without Leph, Mhynt, and Aster at Alexander’s disposal, he must have been plotting for some other assault. But the Kiloan forces making any moves now, when Kilo Village was still recovering and Legendary halves were still fusing, would be a blunder.

Zena curled around him, but gingerly avoided the black sphere resting under Owen’s wing.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m restless, too. Maybe not as much as you, but… you need rest. You’re still completely on edge. That can’t be good for a tactician, can it?”

“It can’t,” Owen relented, rolling so he rested against her.

She encircled him one more time and focused on the dark egg under his wing. Owen lifted it so she could see it easier.

“How is it?” she asked.

“No idea. But it’s wiggling and getting a little bigger, so I think it’ll hatch soon. Perceive still can’t see what’s inside… which is weird, because I don’t usually have that problem.”

“Could it be absorbing whatever mechanism you use to see inside things?”

“It was the same way when it was lodged in my chest, so maybe,” Owen agreed. “Still, whatever hatches, it came from when Diyem defended my life. I don’t think it’s evil, and… I want to give it a chance.”

Paws on grass in a familiar rhythm caught their attention. Owen’s Perceive caught the body shortly after—Manny.

That was unusual. “Manny?” Owen asked, not turning his head.

“What about Manny?” Zena asked.

“Yo.”

“Gh—skies, Manny,” Zena said with a sigh. “Don’t sneak up on us like that…”

“Ain’t no sneakin’ with Owen.” Manny somersaulted through the air and landing a foot away from the couple. He collapsed on his rear and leaned backwards. “Aaah, that’s the ticket. Nice ‘n relaxin’ nighttime.”

“We were just about to go to sleep,” Owen said. “Is something wrong?”

“Just checkin’ up on ya,” Manny said. “Sorta became nocturnal in a little ways.” He raised a paw, which suddenly shifted a spectral black before going back to normal.

“O-oh. Oh, goodness, you…”

“Yeppers. I’m united. That’s what we’re callin’ it, yeah?”

Owen slowly sat up to give the subject the respect it deserved. “You mean… you’re Marshadow right now?”

“Eh, half. Maybe two thirds. I ain’t good at measurin’ that out.” Manny smirked. “Just call me Manny. All m’ spirits still do that, an’ Yen prefers it, so I ain’t gonna object.”

“Oh, gods, that’s right, Yen…” Zena winced. “That must have been a difficult discussion.”

Owen’s flame dimmed. That Drampa within Manny had essentially been his mate, right? They must have spent a lot of time quietly talking when nobody else would know. “Was he okay?”

“Oh, totally,” Manny said. “Turns out Marshadow ‘n Manny didn’t diverge all that much. Yen clicked real easy. So, when we fused, zero issues. I think Madeline an’ Giratina’re the same, but they ain’t fusin’ yet ter give Xerneas a hard time.”

Zena sighed. “I can’t believe someone as agreeable as Anam came from someone so… um, dedicated to proving a point.”

“How many curse words did yeh jus’ cycle through in yer head?” Manny asked.

The Milotic quickly looked away, ribbons curling.

“Heh.” Manny let up, staring at the sky with his paws behind his head. “Nah. They’re alright. Get the feeling they’re just a little afraid themselves. Madeline met James when she was already split. Giratina ain’t got any feelings fer ‘im yet, I bet. Maybe they’re tryn’a foster somethin’ fer Anam’s sake. Y’know, since…”

Since Anam still refused to make public appearances after all this time.

“Right,” Owen said. “I can’t blame them. Imagine if I split in two Owens and spent too much time apart. I wonder if Hecto as contingencies for that, since there are literally a hundred of him wandering around…”

Manny shrugged and kicked his feet in the air.

“Alright,” Owen said, sighing. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothin’ gets past you, eh?” Manny said.

“It was pretty obvious,” Zena said, “when you came here so suddenly.”

“…Yeah,” Manny finally admitted. “Restless. And you kinda became the lead tactician fer our whole… whatever we’re calling ourselves. Team Alloy Extended?”

“Restless. Right.” Owen nodded. “Tomorrow, I was actually planning to get everyone together for a talk. I wanted to tell everyone what’s been on my mind, in case there’s any information missing. Then give it another few days to process, and then we’ll start mobilizing again, at least some of our teams.”

“Already breakin’ it down into teams,” Manny said in an almost mockingly impressed tone. But Owen knew Manny; he was just giving him a hard time to be fun. “Look at you. Ain’t no rest fer the endlessly dyin’ Charizard.”

“Right, well,” Owen pushed on, “point is, when I go over the four goals we need to achieve, you can pick the one you’ll be a part of. Knowing you, it’ll probably be… Legend recovery. But we’ll see.”

“Sounds about right.” Manny rubbed a pawpad under his nose. “Wouldn’t mind gettin’ all those old friends back.”

“Are any of them particularly different?” Zena asked. “Do you know which ones are paired off?”

“Been askin’ around. Pretty sure Brandon’s Reshiram, fer one. Kyurem and Zekrom, they’re the others of the Trinity. Ain’t sure which one’s which though. Aramé seems like th’ sort ter be Kyurem with how nihilistic she is, but y’know, who knows?”

“Aramé never seemed like the nihilistic type,” Owen said. “Back in Kanto, she was the one who helped me and Eon, you know, become stronger, back when we were just a pair getting stronger for the League. That sounds more like a Zekrom ideal.”

“Yeah, no clue what any o’ that stuff is,” Manny replied flatly. “But sure. Anyway, aside from that, ADAM’s got a weird spirit but he ain’t a half. Willow’s a half—yeah, terrified o’ that one too—an’ so is Valle.”

“And Valle, we know, is Necrozma’s half,” Owen added. “From… my memories of that.”

“Yep. Guess that explains why his glow is way brighter than other Mystics.”

“Um.” Zena cleared her throat. “Are we sure Willow was a Legend? That’s… disturbing to think about.”

“Hopefully her half was sane an’ they balance out,” Manny said. “Eh, alright. I’ll get outta yer hair.” He hopped to his feet and paced toward the main village of Yotta Outskirts. “Strategy meeting t’morrow, yeah?”

“Yep. See you then.” Owen sighed, feeling something rumble against his wing. He lifted it to see the egg still shaking. But not yet. It would be any time at this point, though…

“You’ve taken a real shine to that. I hope you aren’t growing too attached,” Zena said, curling around him again. “It’ll be fine, right? If it turns out to be something evil, we, er…”

“Diyem said it was fine, and I trust him,” Owen said. “He had no way of knowing this would have happened.”

“Mm…” Zena rested her chin against part of her long body.

“I know it’s hard to trust him,” he went on.

“Oh, don’t use your Perceive like that,” Zena murmured.

“N-no, I wasn’t!” He might have, subconsciously. “Just… I figure it’s only natural to not trust him. I have a history with the guy, y’know? That’s all.”

She seemed tense. He quickly reached for his horns so he wouldn’t have to read her more. But then, she quickly grabbed his arms—like she knew it was coming—and kept her ribbons firmly around them.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I… understand, too.”

He let go of his horns and nodded. “I guess another reason I try to sleep in fields lately is because I think my Perceive has people nervous. Ever since I told Jerry that he should try eating less fatty foods during lunch, he’s been giving me weird looks.”

“Well, yes, Owen, but that’s usually because people don’t like others seeing their internal organs,” Zena explained gently, rubbing his shoulders.

“It’s just practical, though, isn’t it?”

Zena gave him that pitying smile. “Well… it is,” she admitted. “Maybe we can think of ways to get that across without reminding them of how much you can see.”

They settled down against the ground again, eyes to the sky.

“Mispy loves it,” Owen remarked. “She’s fascinated by… organs, and how everything works together. Maybe it comes with being a healer. I think it’s a little weird, but I get the feeling she wouldn’t mind fusing with me now and then.”

“Oh, so that sense transfers?” Zena asked.

Owen nodded. “And I get her aura sense, too,” he said.

“Perceive and aura sense?” Zena repeated. “That basically means you can detect anything.”

“I think that’s the point. Giving Mispy something to sense auras was a major thing Nevren had…” He winced. Right. Nevren. That was still a sore subject for a lot of them; they still weren’t sure where exactly he was hiding.

Perhaps sensing this, Zena gently held his shoulder again and leaned into him.

“Well, it’s just useful,” Owen concluded. “Sorry. Talking a lot and it’s already so late… You aren’t too cold?”

“I’m never cold with you,” Zena pointed out.

“Oh, that’s right. I’m hot.” He stretched his wings and pulled her in. After making sure the egg was in its usual, secure spot, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off, letting the comforts of Zena’s rhythmic breathing coax him to slumber.

<><><>​

They’d repurposed an old room in the Thousand Hearts HQ into a main conference room. It had once been used as a gathering place for data, reports, bounties, and other immediate request to be processed and disseminated. Now, it had a central table, many seats or all-purpose nest-bags for any body type. The newest addition was a straight-from-Void digital board that Owen had spent several days on-and-off wrestling with the interface to get working.

Cutting-edge technology from that decrepit place had been migrated to the living world. With it came huge developments in all kinds of technologies that Owen didn’t know the start of. But now, it was just another asset in this new phase of the Third Dark War.

Owen stood at the front. And in front of him in this room held the most important people in the world. He knew every single one of them.

Only then did he realize how massive this could be. How this really was going to be their last shot at stopping Alexander and the remnants of Dark Matter from destroying the world, or worse.

It was one thing to think about it. To have the memories of what had happened, to finally escape that cycle of repeats. But it was another to see so many of his friends in the context of their positions in the world’s balance. And then he had to wonder, how had it fallen down from so high up to land in his hands?

The person standing before them should not have been Owen. The only reason he was there was because of the properties of his spirit. Some kind of divine right. How hypocritical was it that such blessings had been the sole reason for him standing there instead of someone like Anam, who—well, he’d lost his powers and morale. But there was of course Barky, who—well, his ego had rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Marshadow could have—well, he was with Manny now, and neither of them were particularly interested in major leading… Trina? No, that was mostly hypnosis…

Gods, was he really there by default? Barky was standing near the back—he refused to be shrunk down—and Star was resting on his back. It seemed so wrong, even if he’d been irreverent of them for a while.

The last of them were starting to gather up. Nearest to him, at the front of the table, were some of his closest friends. Team Alloy, back during his final life as Wishkeeper, brought to him simply because of Jirachi’s generosity. A little toying with coincidences, somehow, made them happen to meet him, starting everything.

Next to them was Zena, whose eyes always calmed him. They’d started off unhealthily obsessed with each other because they were their only sense of normalcy; everyone else lied, or was caught up in it. But they were able to be truthful to each other. But then, the Voidlands took away her memories. It helped them see things for how it truly had been, and they’d rebuilt from scratch, even after those memories returned.

The Voidlands had been a blessing in disguise for them, hadn’t it? Selfish as it was to look at it that way.

Rhys—or, Dialga, taking the form of a Lucario—watched over them. ‘Rhys’ was gone, but maybe some echoes of his personality compelled Dialga to watch over Team Alloy anyway. Palkia was standing next to him with a cheery smile, but without Nevren, he could not revert to an Alakazam. Instead, he was uncharacteristically… small, almost Rhys’ height. In fact, a lot of them were abnormally small to fit here.

That was thanks to Willow. While her powers could be dispelled by a stiff breeze, it was useful in a conference room. The Joltik was proud and openly bragging to how useful she was to the others, using Valle as a stone pedestal to be seen. ADAM buzzed and was apparently recording the meeting. Somehow. Owen wasn’t sure how that Porygon-Z worked.

Next of their currently allied Legends were Yveltal, Xerneas, and Giratina. While the first two had united with Ra and Step, Madeline stood beside her Giratina half. Next to her was James, and—oh, Anam had made it. Good. He was even smiling today, and it looked at least half-genuine. Owen tried to ignore both Jirachi and Eon staring at him, the latter taking the form of a Charizard, of course.

The surviving Guardians were all there, too. The one that stood out the most was Trina, with Har and his own Team Alloy duplicate as representatives of their small squadron of what was left of them. Most of other mutants had been lost to the Voidlands.

There was also Amia—she was getting used to the name again, even if Evelyn seemed distantly familiar—and her mate and his father, Alex. Perhaps to keep Owen’s nerves calm, he still assumed the form of a Magmortar, now that Amia’s Fire powers were back from recovering a gemstone in Amia’s old body’s statue. Owen wondered if Alex had grown used to that form anyway.

“I think that’s everyone who’s coming,” called a meek voice from the far back of the room, who closed the door behind him. This was a Smeargle that Owen didn’t immediately recognize, but he was probably with the part of Team Alight who had gotten involved with this whole mess. Leo, whom Owen had vague memories of, and Spice, who was…

And there was also Jerry, murmuring to Diyem about something. Diyem, still a Charmander, refused to use anyone as a booster, and simply sat on a high seat. He gave Owen a little nod and stared, looking bored.

He’d probably paused long enough. He felt like a few people were still missing, but hopefully they would be caught up later on essentials.

Seeing every single one of his friends in one room, staring at him, former foes and new allies alike, left him feeling paralyzed.

Seconds passed. They stared, patient, perhaps thinking that he was waiting for something. He wasn’t. His mind had just gone blank.

But he couldn’t call for another meeting. That’d just be silly.

The door opened.

“Sorry, late,” Hakk muttered. “So bright out. Couldn’t see a thing… Brought these guys with me.”

And behind him was a smaller Arceus, a Mewtwo, and… Mhynt. All freed from the Void, but now that they were up against everyone else, they still seemed, somehow, relatively darker.

But Hakk, a simple glance at that icy Sandslash, brought a new fire in Owen’s chest. His gaze hardened.

And finally, he found his momentum.

“You’re right on time,” Owen greeted. “Thank you, everyone, for coming. For anyone who misses this meeting, please convey the news to them if they are relevant. None of this information is necessarily confidential, but don’t share it freely if you can afford it.

“This is going to be a strategy meeting on what needs to be done about Diyem’s four remaining fragments. For those unaware, Diyem is the remnant of Dark Matter that had been given some of my light. With it, he can feel things that… he simply was unable to feel before—positive emotions—without it harming him. If we can defeat the other four fragments, extract them, and siphon them into Diyem, then he will be the dominant force… thus saving him. Any other way, and he will return to the Voidlands and cause trouble for us in the future… and we will lose Diyem himself. Everyone following so far?”

Jerry raised a wing, and Owen nodded for him to speak. “What is Diyem?” the Aerodactyl asked. “Not trying to offend, but, c’mon. On a cosmic level, what is he?”

“Diyem is something that was born when the world was created. A stray thought from the Creators had gave him awareness, and… that resulted in the dark forces that permeate this world. We can’t really get rid of that. It’s baked into reality. But we can give it to the best of the Diyems and hope that’s enough.”

The black-flamed Charmander nodded. “I’m sorry if my existence is inconvenient for you. To be frank, if I could die properly, I’d allow it. But that is something the gods currently cannot do.”

“Mm.” Jerry sat down again and nodded. “And that’s where my dark powers come from. Or, what my lineage is, before it was taken from me. For better or worse.” He glanced at Anam, who stared at the ground.

“Yes,” Diyem said. “That is something that can be explored later. Owen, there are four fragments aside from myself. Continue.”

“Right. We know where two of them are. One is in Lugia Emily; her body is still wandering around Kilo, but we’ve figured out how to drive her away thanks to some help from Gold Aura Pokémon, and Nate.”

A gurgling sound came from some black, shadowy thing near Smeargle.

“Y-yeah, him,” Owen went on. “Treat him like a protector of Kilo.”

“That’s literally what he is,” Diyem murmured. “The term he came up for himself was a ‘Voice of Kilo.’ He was born at the same time as I was. From what I can tell, he seems to embody this world’s will to live. And I am its will to die.”

Demitri rubbed his head, looking confused. Mispy comforted him with a few pats with her vines.

“The next fragment,” Owen said, “is Alexander himself. He stole a part of Dark Matter. He might have several fragments, but they’re all ‘one’ piece that we need to recover by defeating him and extracting the piece. We aren’t ready to take him on directly, but that’s related to the first team, led by me.

“I will be leading the charge to Necrozma. According to Darkrai and Cresselia of North Null Village, he is across an ocean of black water, but they have a ship that can take us across. Flying would be too risky, even for Mystics.”

Owen pointed at a collection of names on the screen. “Team Alloy will be going. We obviously make a good team for this, and we’re strong enough to defend against whatever comes our way. That will also include Eon, Zena, Rh—Dialga, and Mhynt.”

“Sea can’t be that far,” Jerry said. “Can’t Aster just Teleport there?”

“Um, I wish I could, but the sea is huge,” Aster said. “It feels even bigger if you try to Teleport… I don’t know why…”

“Sounds like some kind of psychic field,” Barky hummed. “Are you sure Necrozma wants to be found?”

“He wanted me to go that way,” Owen said. “Oh, and also, we will leave Valle here, but… we will be bringing him with us directly after we set up one of Palkia’s Teleporters there. I think, for the same reason Aster can’t Teleport, Palkia can’t go there, either. But if we bring one of his pearls inside, that should bypass it.”

“I’m quite confident that will be sufficient,” Palkia said. “Even if it isn’t, that only means bringing Necrozma back with you the old-fashioned way. Inefficient, but it gets the job done.”

Owen sighed, then moved on. “The second team will handle something else that is essential: Voidlands scouting and Titan slaying. We’re going to be using the power of light and Legends to take down as many as we can. The strongest ones have Legends at their center, and we’ll be gathering them up because some are halves of people here with us. And, hopefully, that will help bolster our forces when we make a final assault against Alexander and Emily.

“Leading this will be Manny, who has fused with Marshadow. He knows the Voidlands very well and has the strength to fight Titans alone now that he’s merged, but backup is what he’ll need if Alexander tries to strike. All Legends we have will be fighting alongside him, aside from Star and Barky, who will remain Kilo-side.”

“Yep, I’m ready fer that,” Manny confirmed with a wave of his arm, leaning back. “I’ve got Necrozma’s light in th’ form o’ th’ Fightin’ Orb, lots o’ spirits, an’ all that. Channelin’ that light ter empower other Pokémon, I’m pretty talented at that, too, y’know. I’ll be great fer this.”

“Thanks, Manny. And to all the Legends—I know you just got out of the Voidlands, but you’ll be needed to get all your friends out, too.” Owen faced the crowd as a whole again. “Our third team is going to be Kiloan scouts. They’ll be scouring all of Kilo to find straggling mutants, settlements, and possible leads on the two missing Dark Matter fragments. Diyem is pretty sure that only Alexander is wholly within the Voidlands as a fragment; the other three have their piece either partly or fully on Kilo. And we only know of Emily. There are two more lurking around, and they would have to be powerful.”

“Well, I hate to point fingers, but,” Brandon said, “doesn’t that mean it’d have to be a Guardian, Hunter, or some immortal person we’ve lost track of?”

“You’re right,” Owen replied. “That’s possible. But Diyem has checked everyone here already, and there wasn’t a reaction.”

“Any way to hide it?” Brandon pressed.

“Possibly, yes,” Diyem said. “Those with Necrozma’s light could possibly hide it. But it wouldn’t be easy. I also want to check Ghrelle, Aramé, and potentially the fallen Guardians. There is a chance my fragments are not on Kilo, either, but across the aura sea.”

“No,” Hecto said. “I am certain that there are no fragments of you across the aura sea. The true afterlife is safe of your blight.”

“You’re certain?” Diyem asked, eyes narrowing at the green canine across the table.

“Yes. I have specific checks in place. I did not know what they were for until recently when memories of it were resurfaced, but they did not go off. You are exclusively on Kilo or the Voidlands.”

“Well. That simplifies things,” Diyem said. “Good.”

“Is this a recent development?” Owen asked, slightly annoyed.

“Apologies. I only got this news in the morning.”

“Well, alright. Let’s talk after about details,” Owen said. “Anyway, third team, the Kiloan scouts, are going to be led by Team Alight and those close to them. They’ve proven themselves for a while at being good at traveling Kilo, and going by wing alone will miss a lot of ground. Palkia has also set up Waypoints to start simplifying travel again. While scouting around, they will also be re-blessing Dungeons to seal them off. We’ll only keep strategic Dungeons open for Voidlands travel.”

“All handled here,” Spice said. “Void Shadows won’t attack as long as I’m around.”

Various eyes uneasily turned toward her, and she scowled.

“Everyone, please trust Spice,” Owen said. “I don’t know if it’s been told to everyone yet, but she is… a reincarnation of someone I trust. Or, part of her is.”

“And me!” called a Zoroark that suddenly appeared next to Leo. “I’m also me!”

Smeargle had nearly passed out from fright.

“And do not forget the third,” Xerneas pointed out. “Have you discerned who that is yet?”

“I gave my spirits to Zena, who then gave them to Enet. Eventually, that final piece will show up, and… hopefully things will work out.” Owen shifted uncomfortably. He still felt conflicted about it all. Spice, Enet, and the third piece… If they became Remi again, what would happen to ‘them’ afterward? He supposed, after seeing Rhys or Manny… he knew the answer.

Somehow, it felt different for Remi…

“And finally,” Owen said, “our fourth team will be defense and communications. Barky, Star, and everyone else will remain here in Kilo Village or South Null Village. We have a lot of refugees, rebuilding, and defense to do in case Alexander or another fragment launches an attack to destabilize us. Even if we need to win against Alexander, we can’t lose what we have. It’s not as glamorous, but I hope you’ll all give it everything to defend what we have while we rebuild.”

“Hmph, not glamorous.” Barky shook his head. “Defending your home is of utmost importance. It’s why I will be leading things for it and communication between all parties. My telepathy is unparalleled. You only need to pray my name and I will be able to answer.”

“Hopefully, we can also establish a cross into the Voidlands, too,” Owen said, “but right now, that isn’t working.”

Murmurs of agreement and contemplation rippled over his team. Most of them seemed to understand. He could sense the usual pangs of uncertainty in their body language, but he knew he hit all the right notes. He didn’t think there would be a way to assuage all of their fears when, frankly, everything was so uncertain to begin with. The fear was justified.

“This is the point where we can ask any overarching questions,” Owen said. “Does anything come to mind?”

Jerry raised his wing again. Owen nodded, and Jerry said, “Say we defeat all the Dark Matters and Diyem is the dominant fragment. What then?”

“Then… we will have Dark Matter in one place. We can evaluate him, and…” Owen trailed off. “Save him.”

“I have a piece of light within me,” Diyem said. “That alone is more than enough to not only dampen my powers from what they used to be, but is also a weakness that, if fostered, can kill me like a poison from within. So, if you’re worried about my rebellion… I will not be able to rebel at nearly the magnitude I had in the past. Additionally, I have spoken to Hecto on this.” Diyem closed his eyes. “…When this all comes to an end, the Hands of Creation will be used to destroy my soul.”

Ice gripped Owen’s chest. It had caught him so off guard that he couldn’t mask his flame dimming by half.

“That—” Owen searched for the words in the split-second he had. “That’s not part of the agenda,” he dumbly finished.

“I apologize. I should have saved it for after everything, not after the overview.” Diyem’s eyes were closed. Everyone else was staring in stunned silence, one way or the other. Some had gaped at Diyem, like Mesprit and Demitri. Others seemed contemplative, like Uxie and Mispy. Others looked insulted, as if the idea of considering it was an affront to them specifically, like Azelf and Gahi.

But some also looked right at Owen, like Zena. And there was no hiding how badly he wished to protest.

“Is there any other way?” Zena asked.

“Perhaps,” Diyem said. “We can find an alternative. But that is the safe default, and I accept it.”

“I should explain,” Hecto said, “that the destruction of a soul is not precisely what one would assume, in the grand scheme of things. The act of destroying someone utterly in a world will eject them from that reality. They will never, under any circumstance whatsoever, be able to return to that same plane of existence. ‘Dimension,’ to use simpler terms. So do not mourn him. This will be what he wants.” Hecto’s eyes dimmed. “He will then be under my care and out of your hands.”

“This also means even if I die,” Diyem said, “you still have a means to erasing a more evil Diyem the same way. No matter what state I leave the world in, the result is the same for you.”

“But…” Demitri couldn’t finish. He lowered his claws and stared at the table.

“You should be thankful,” Diyem said. “It isn’t often that the least ideal victory can still leave all parties intact.”

“How is that intact?!” Owen exclaimed, but then winced at his voice echoing back to him. He wasn’t conducting himself well. “I—we can strategize about this later.”

“Of course.” Diyem bowed his little head, claws intertwined.

“…If I may ask,” Mhynt spoke up, leaning forward on her incredibly high seat, “Hecto, shouldn’t you answer just who you are in relation to all of this? I believe it went over the heads of some of us listening, but your talk about a soul’s rejection from a realm implies the existence of realms beyond.”

“Well, yeah, there’s across the aura sea, right?” Demitri asked.

“That,” Hecto said, “is still within this dimension. I am… from a place beyond. I am a scout for a force that is not relevant to your current struggles. I was partnered with the one you know as Necrozma. The two of us were a team of Overseers, from a place called the Overworld. It is beyond even the network of Ultra Space that connects this world to others within the same dimension, such as the world it splintered from, the one of humans.”

Demitri and Gahi both looked confused by that, while Owen noted that Smeargle and Jerry’s eyes had nearly completely glazed over.

“The point being,” Mhynt clarified, “you are not even native to Star and Barky’s creations. You are… the most otherworldly beings in this room, even more alien than the divine, the humans, and even those from the world of humans like Owen.”

“That is correct.”

“And the conflict in this world is so troubling that it required outsiders such as you to intervene?”

“Yes.”

“I believe that is relevant,” Mhynt said.

“I suppose in the context of the magnitude of the problem, yes, it is. An entity such as Dark Matter has a risk of spreading to other parts of this reality and, if it permeates strongly enough, may even try to expand into dimensions beyond this one. As it stands, that threat is far and away. However, the risk existing at all is cause for concern. If Dark Matter’s primal, chaotic power goes to someone fully sapient such as Alexander, it is very likely that the Overseers will take decisive measures to put an end to it.”

“H-how decisive are we talking?” Demitri squeaked.

“…Some diseases leave certain parts of the body in such a state that there is nothing to do but remove it and hope the rest of the body may persist. In that way, all of Kilo, and all that it has touched, will be… removed. Erased. Destroyed utterly, as I mentioned prior. It is not cruel. I will assist your destroyed selves in recovery. But your home will be gone. It must be, in this hypothetical.”

Owen thought back to Necrozma’s approach to ending Kilo’s population. Was that… the same? Was this the more direct approach they’d told Necrozma not to do?

Then it would just be another failure state.

Mhynt snorted in disapproval. “As guardians of all realities, I suppose I see your point. I could say a few things about how impassively you convey it to the natives, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you think we can handle the facts without sugar-coating.”

“Then in the end,” Spice said, her black embers flaring a little, “that just means if we want to avoid Alexander winning and Hecto’s little Overworld club killing everything… we just have to win.” Her yellow eyes seemed to focus on Owen. She gave him a wry smile. “So, none of this affects your plans. No pressure.”

Owen stiffened. “I—I guess it doesn’t.” In fact, I guess it’s a little comforting. Even if we lose… at least it won’t be more of the Voidlands… right?

But it would still mean his world would be gone. It’d… just fail. Nothing.

And he’d have to live with that failure forever. Well, ‘live.’

“I apologize if this puts a damper on your morale,” Hecto said. “It was not my intent.”

“You did your best, dear,” Amia replied. “It must be so hard to relate to us mortals.”

“Barely anyone here is mortal,” Jerry muttered just barely enough to be heard.

“Will we be getting any resources from the Overseers to assist in this?” Mhynt asked. “We could use all the help we can get.”

“As it stands, myself and Necrozma are the best you can get. Others are likely in other corners of your reality rallying assistance in other ways. I do hope it becomes useful, but I have lost communication with them for some time, and do not know their current status.”

“How long?” Demitri asked.

“Since Kilo was created.”

“Oh.”

“It did not help that for a time, I forgot my duties. The first Dark War’s end resulted in much of my self being forgotten for some time, along with any memory of Necrozma. That is the pitfall of directly entering the domain of someone’s world. I am subject to their rules. At first, I thought it was because someone was destroyed, but it seems this world either has no mechanism to properly destroy someone as I described, or it has not been discovered yet.”

“Just like when Star or Barky become physical,” Owen guessed. “They aren’t really at their strongest here, but they also can’t do a whole lot without descending, right?”

“Yes. It follows similar principles.”

“At least that means we’re on even footing,” Owen hummed. “Or… closer to even footing.”

“Yes. I suggest you try to work around that when trying to defeat Alexander and the others,” Hecto said. “Just like the Overworld, the world of Kilo operates on domains. So long as you are battling the ruler of a domain within their realm, you are at an inherent disadvantage.”

“Easier said than done to get someone out of their domain,” Jerry remarked. “That means you need to pull Alexander kicking and screaming out of the Voidlands.”

“That is correct,” Hecto said. “Even battling him in a Dungeon, rather than the Voidlands proper, could be sufficient to weaken him. But within the Voidlands, he naturally, perhaps even subconsciously, draws from the power that permeates the atmosphere there. That corrosive power that makes spirits within unable to survive outside… and the same power that draws their spirits back into the Voidlands. A prison that makes them not only dependent on its energy to survive, but turns them into more of the same energy with time.”

“He probably knows this better than we do,” Owen said. “It’d have to be a trick and then forcing him out. But… that is a possibility. We’ll strategize about that once we have more strength and resources.”

“Of course.” Hecto nodded. “I will assist you however I can.”

Owen took a steady breath. Some unexpected developments during a meeting of all times, but Owen maintained most of his composure. And despite the shift in context, there wasn’t a lot that actually changed for their immediate goals. They could continue.

“Now that we have the overview taken care of,” Owen said, “let’s get into some logistics. . .”

<><><>​

They’d started the meeting in the morning. It went on up until Jerry noticed that Angelo was looking exhausted and uncomfortable. That was when Spice reminded the other ninety percent of the room that there were still some people who were mortal and needed basic things like food and breaks.

Had it really gone past noon?

A little embarrassed, Owen called for a break for two kilos. He translated for Hakk that meant a little more than half an hour.

Owen took the time to get some sunlight near the back of HQ, at the edge of the crater, flying with Zena to enjoy the view. Once they landed, she coiled next to him and raised her head to the breeze.

“I feel bad,” Owen admitted. “I totally lost track of time during the meeting and forgot about the others again. And they were all sitting on the far end of the table. Must have been out of my Perceive range. That room is big…”

Zena smiled, but it was in a way that she was trying to humor him. “You were very passionate about… planning,” she said. “Combine that with Mystic stamina and you can get nonstop days of planning. I think that would be enviable to a lot of people… though I do still like to sleep.”

“I, er, I’ll… I mean… planning is fun.”

Zena rubbed a ribbon between his eyes. “One of us needs to have fun with it,” she said. “I have no idea how you kept all that in your head. Surely your spirits helped take notes.”

“Oh, I… actually gave them all to Enet.”

“What—still? I thought that was only for Alexander.”

Owen shook his head. “Enet’s still sorting through all of them to figure out who the final third of Remi is.”

“Still?”

“It’s not as easy when they’re all spirits in the Orb. Klent, Amelia, all the Grass Spirits are Electric Spirits now until they can sort that out. Then I guess, anyone who was friends with that part of Remi can stay with Enet, and the rest can return to the Grass Orb. At least, that’s the plan. I’d be fine if it was just me again.”

“Won’t that make you nearly mortal without them?” Zena asked.

“Mutant. I think I’m already immortal without that kind of power. But… I do need that extra power, too, I guess. I just don’t know how I feel about using spirits for that…”

“It isn’t like they mind,” Zena said. “Many spirits just want to rest. They don’t mind if their power us being used for a good cause in the meantime. That’s how almost all of my spirits are at this point.”

Owen shifted uncomfortably, turning his head away. “I guess so,” he said. But there was more to it. The way Zena continued to stare, he had to elaborate. “I just don’t know if my own personal feelings are leaking into theirs, influencing them. There’s no way Klent would have forgiven me for killing him and his daughter if it wasn’t for the fact that I was influencing them.”

“Were you?”

“Not intentionally, just… that’s obviously why they forgave me,” Owen said. “You don’t… forgive someone for that. I know I wouldn’t.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Zena said. “Are you sure it isn’t simply a result of feeling how you had felt?”

“I mean, they’d have to do that… right?”

“Exactly. But not in that you’re forcing them.” She wrapped her ribbons around his shoulders. “If they’re part of you, then they also know exactly how you feel. They know your honest feelings. And you’d know theirs, if you peeked, right?”

“I’d never do that to them.”

Zena wrapped once around him. “All the more reason for them to trust you,” she said. “You can’t hide your feelings from them. That they remained with you means they know you care. Isn’t that better?”

“…I’ll ask,” Owen said. “Right now, they’re with Enet. If they all return to me willingly, then…”

“Exactly.” Zena nuzzled him. “You’ll know for sure.”

Owen sighed, wrapping his wings around her and staring at the sky. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Something invisible entered Owen’s range. He turned his head back. “Oh, hey, Enet.”

“Oh? Enet’s here?”

The illusion dropped, and the Zoroark landed next to Owen, affectionately nipping at his arm.

“Finally taking up flight, are you?” Owen asked. “Hope the meeting wasn’t too boring.”

“Very boring,” Enet replied honestly.

Owen tittered. “Yeah, sorry… I think the rest of the meetings will involve just the key strategists and leaders. It probably wasn’t that helpful to have everyone there in the first place.”

Enet dug through her mane, feeling around for something Owen couldn’t quite Perceive. That meant it was the egg she’d been caring for while Owen was at his meeting. With a pang of guilt, he realized it had slipped his mind.

“Oh, Enet, I’m sorry—I was supposed to pick that up after—”

“Hatching!” Enet declared, pulling it out.

The black sphere had a darker crack in it. The color of the crack made him feel like he was going blind.

“Oh!” Zena whispered.

The egg wobbled and the crack widened.

“Uhh, put it down, just in case, Enet,” Owen said uneasily. “We have no idea what’s inside, so…”

They found a nice spot on stable, flat ground near the crater’s edge where it wasn’t in danger of rolling or tumbling away, and they waited silently. Owen told Enet to go and let the others know, but she refused, far too interested in watching the egg hatch.

Then, with one final CRACK! the shell broke apart. Each piece of that blackened outer layer dissolved into smoke, and then nothing at all. Inside, a black blob coalesced into solid material. A head. Arms. Legs. A tail.

Zena gasped, leaning forward. “It’s…”

Color came next. Orange scales and a cream belly. Big, blue eyes, just like Owen’s. They even had that more feral, reptilian face shape to them compared to others of his kind. But, most of all, the flame that ignited a moment later was not orange or even dark like Diyem’s, but a strange mixture of white and black, like two kinds of material burning under the same flame.

Enet crawled toward the confused Charmander, the last of her black egg dissolving from the scales. She sniffed her, nuzzling her, but Charmander was focused more on Owen and Zena, the first two they’d made eye contact with.

She grasped Charmander and raised them skyward. “Healthy girl!” she declared.

Charmander squealed and kicked her legs, spitting little flames the same black-white color as her tail’s ember. At first, Owen was worried that Enet was scaring her, but then he noticed something else. Something that almost confirmed she couldn’t be the same as Diyem…

She was laughing.
 
Chapter 147 - Spirit Lineage

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Chapter 147 – Spirit Lineage

The last thing Owen was expecting to throw several plans into question was a child hatching. It had slipped his mind completely, that egg. But now, he was balancing a little Charmander between his horns while sitting at the table of the conference room. Zena tended to the Charmander to make sure she didn’t fall.

Slowly, others trickled in. The first was Mhynt, who saw the Charmander and sighed, hopping onto her stool and staring at Owen. She said nothing.

“…Okay, yes, this was what hatched from the egg,” Owen finally said. “I’m still thinking about names.”

“She has your eyes,” Mhynt said, and somehow, despite his Perceive and knowledge of the Treecko, he had no idea if she was mocking him or not. “Certainly not your flame, though…”

“Yeah, I’m not sure what kind of energy it is,” Owen said. “It feels like Shadow, but it’s also… not? It almost reminds me of the energy I can channel in my Protects, or when I Bestow something.”

“It might be both,” Mhynt said, her expression hardening. “Which is surprising. We should think about precisely how it was born.”

“She, actually.”

Mhynt nodded. “How did her egg come to be?”

“Well… I don’t really remember too well. Or why. But…”

Mhynt sighed. “I do hope you’re careful about this,” she said, “but… she doesn’t seem to be evil. Inherently, at least. Her aura is… strange, though. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I believe I know what it is,” Xerneas said, standing at the entrance. Yveltal bowed her head to slip inside next, reminding Xerneas to do the same so his antlers didn’t get caught in the doorway.

Owen’s scaly brow furrowed. “What? So it’s something to do with her life energy?”

Xerneas nodded. “And I believe we are incredibly lucky that you were able to escape before Alexander could discover it… That is the very thing he had been striving for.”

His father, followed by his mother, entered his Perceive range.

“Oh!” Amia called, waving. Her movements were still foreign to how Owen remembered her. Little subtleties that constantly reminded him that she wasn’t all there yet, and perhaps never will. Not the Amia he knew. “Congratulations, Owen!”

“Uh.” Awkwardly, Owen shifted his weight and gestured to the Charmander. “Just so you know, that wasn’t… from Zena and me. That was something else.”

“Oh, I think I remember that,” she said. “Yes… You two were a couple! But, only just beginning. Sorry, I’m still sorting through all those memories…”

“Yeah, that’s okay,” Owen replied, throat tightening. When Zena held his arm with her ribbon, he relaxed.

“Bring Charmander to me,” Xerneas said. “I can have a closer look at her spirit.”

Diyem entered the room next, wearing a cautious frown. “Will this harm her?”

Zena slithered to Xerneas, gently holding Charmander in her ribbons. The little Pokémon made a cooing sound as she was carried closer to Xerneas.

“It will not,” Xerneas said. “This is… a new life brought into the world.”

Zena set her on the table and she plopped onto her rear, staring at Xerneas. She held her arms up and grasped the air.

“It is against everything I am to harm a healthy child.” Xerneas brought his head down until he was eye-level with Charmander.

She continued reaching up, wobbling until she was on her legs.

Amia breathed in. “Goodness, already standing up on her own, so bold.”

“You have your hands full with this one,” Mhynt commented. She was smiling, but Owen shared her sad nostalgia.

“Perceive will help, while I’m around,” Owen said. When he said it, he realized that he couldn’t possibly bring her to the boat. He’d need to find someone else to take care of her for a little while.

“Mmff.”

Charmander grasped at one of Xerneas’ antlers, stepping on his snout to get closer.

Slowly, he lifted his head. Dauntless, Charmander continued to climb.

“Yes, I can feel it,” Xerneas said. “It is clear in her flame as well. Down to her very core, she is a being of light and darkness. A blend even more perfect than you two, Owen, Mhynt. Though, because of that… it seems she is a different breed.”

“Then, she isn’t a vessel for me,” Diyem said, looking disappointed.

“What does that mean?” Zena asked. “You didn’t plan on possessing her, did you?”

“The opposite,” Diyem said. “One alternative plan was to find an incarnation of myself that had… no proper memories. To seal all of my other selves within, to be replaced by a more dominant life for a time to learn what proper happiness was like. It’s not unlike how Owen had been overwritten for a time.”

“Hopefully in a less traumatizing way,” Owen muttered. “But you’re saying that’s not the case?”

“Yes,” Xerneas confirmed. “Whatever brought about her egg, the process created a new soul. She is not Diyem, and she is not Owen. However, her aura… I can trace its ancestry back to you, Owen. As well as… Diyem.”

“Just like that?” Zena asked. “You can tell someone’s parentage?”

“I remember Star mentioned something like this a long time ago,” Owen hummed, thinking back to how his ancestry had been scrubbed clean.

“…Owen and Diyem had a child together?” Mhynt asked, bemused. She leaned back against her chair, smiling wryly. “And you didn’t even invite me.”

“I can trace parentage, yes,” Xerneas said. “For most Pokémon, the creation of a new life is a biological and spiritual process. In the spiritual portion, both parents’ essences are used to spark a new essence entirely, placed within that new and developing body in the egg. This process is permanent on the spirit, but can be cleansed from the aura.” Xerneas glanced at Owen. “As is what happened to you when you were placed in the Reincarnation Machine. Your ancestry by aura was washed away, and you became artificially recycled. Something similar happens to souls that choose to reincarnate through the normal process, which removes their memories, too. That way, the old soul may live a new life without the burdens of their memories, for a time. Long enough to experience everything anew before all lives reemerge upon death.

“But you, Owen, were always burdened by your memories. They returned stubbornly and quickly, because you were always, on a cosmic level, dead. A spirit in an artificial shell. Memories are enteral in a spirit; without a proper body to be your active ‘mind,’ your spirit would resurface all it knew.” Xerneas closed his eyes. “But you, of course, took that to your advantage, and became a threat to all of us.”

“You can save the lecture,” Diyem muttered. “What of her, then? Her ancestry traces to us. What of her spirit? Is she reincarnated?”

“No. I can tell, too, that her spirit holds no ancestry but to you two. A reincarnated spirit would have more strands tracing to previous parents that had touched its previous life’s first spark.” Xerneas tried to get a good look at her, but she was already trying to leap from his left antler to his right. He kept still.

Yveltal giggled quietly and kept her distance. “It’s nice to see you enjoying some company for a change,” she said. “I do miss that.”

“How have you been doing?” Owen asked Yveltal. “You know, with… being Step.”

Her countenance became more solemn. “Sobering. But I’m happier now. And I’m together with my mate of both lives. In many ways, that is ideal, isn’t it?”

“I’d go so far as to call it poetic,” Mhynt remarked. “Different lives usually mean different friendships. It’s lucky that you have the same.”

Owen wasn’t sure why he couldn’t feel any tension from Mhynt with those words. Because he certainly felt some in his chest, and even Zena’s. He was tempted to remove his horns.

“In any case,” Mhynt said, leaning forward on the table again, “Xerneas, explain the significance of this Charmander and her black-white flame.”

“She is Alexander’s goal of trying to create someone that is a proper blend of Shadow and Radiance, down to the core. The darkness of Diyem, and the light of Necrozma. There are some who have something akin to this, such as you. Ones that have their blessings. However, even if those blessings were granted to you, brought into your auras and then your spirits… you yourselves were not of those blessings.”

“Hmm… I think I understand,” Mhynt said. “Alexander was someone who had Shadows, and so his offspring were also of Shadow. Just as Mew’s blessing can also be carried, I believe?”

“Jerry has that,” Owen said.

“Mew’s blessing as well as Shadows, hmm.” Xerneas nodded. “There is not much that we understand about how the passing of blessings from parent to child operates, only that it happens. I’d go so far as to say it was an unforeseen consequence of other things Star and Arceus had done when crafting this world. It must be a side effect of the spiritual aspect of offspring.”

“This mate of Alexander’s that we’ve heard about,” Mhynt said. “Do we know anything about her?”

“It’s foggy, but she was also a Hydreigon,” Xerneas said. “I was not around at the time, so all I can tell you is what I’ve been told from Star… but she is in no state to recollect anything about Alexander at the moment. I will not press her.”

“Is there anyone else who might know?” Owen asked.

“Well.” Xerneas hummed. “You will want to speak to your father, Owen. If anyone knows, it would be him.”

“R… right…”

“…Why?” Zena asked. “I’m sorry. I think I forgot this part.”

“My dad is Alexander’s kid,” Owen said. “Which… makes Alexander my grandfather, at least, adoptively. Technically. I don’t think that really matters.”

“Oh.” Zena stared awkwardly. “Right. I think I heard something like that.”

“It’s a very… disturbing family tree,” Xerneas said. “And for some reason, I have a sinking feeling it’s far worse once we piece it together.”

“Don’t say that,” Owen mumbled.

“My instincts tell me so, and so I must say that,” Xerneas countered.

“It is an expression, Xerny,” Yveltal whispered. “Ah, Owen. If you are not sure you want to talk to your father about this, perhaps one of us will instead?”

Gods, it was weird to hear Step’s accent leaking through in that kind voice, on top of that deathly form. “Uh—no, I’ll do it,” Owen said. “Meeting is soon, right? I’ll do it after. I don’t think he’ll be coming to the meeting.”

Xerneas lowered Charmander back down. “In any case, it seems that Charmander is the first of her kind. Someone who not only inherited the blessings of both sides, but was born with them. Owen… not to bring up painful memories, but you had Remi before acquiring blessings of Shadow, correct?”

“Not too long before in the grand scheme of things,” Owen said, “but yes. After all, nobody could have children at all when I started… you know.”

Zena winced. “How awful…”

“Perhaps if Remi had somehow been born later, she would have this property instead,” Xerneas remarked. “What is curious… is that perhaps Diyem, too, had light’s blessing. But that…”

“Destabilized me,” Diyem said, “but I do have it in some small way. I do not know if that was a catalyst, or if she merely inherited Owen’s spiritual properties more.”

“Mm. Well, that’s enough talking.” And just as Xerneas spoke, the door opened again, the main flood of others coming back from their break.

It was time for more logistics.

<><><>​

Evening cast long shadows from the caldera’s edge into Kilo Village. The meeting had gone until everyone but him seemed mentally fatigued from all the planning. After he had asked Arceus for his opinion on certain tactics, and the god himself apologizing because he had been focusing on worldwide prayers, that was the signal that it was time to call the meeting to an end. They could do more planning tomorrow.

Owen took the road this time, looking for the Yotta Outskirts Waypoint that Palkia had so graciously set up for them. The fact that Nevren had developed the previous Waypoint system, and the irony behind that, bothered him a little, but hey, at least Palkia was nice. As long as the others kept him from performing experiments again.

Eventually, it was just Zena and Owen while walking away from HQ.

“Sorry that ran for so long,” Owen finally said.

“It was important,” Zena replied.

“I think I even bored the hatchling,” Owen remarked. “But, you know, I think she helped, too.” He could still sense her balanced atop his head, staring at the sky. The way her muscles were so relaxed suggested she was entranced by the stars. It was a clear night.

“Oh, easily,” Zena said. “People rotating out to keep an eye on her during parts of the meeting they aren’t needed for… helped with stamina. We probably covered more ground that way.”

“Owen! Zena!”

Just down the road, Alex ran after them, still awkward in his Magmortar form. Owen wondered if he kept it after remembering Owen’s fear, or…

“Hey, Dad,” Owen greeted.

“Diyem, ah, oh, one moment…” Alex puffed, cannon-arms against his belly as he wheezed. “Sorry. So far from your mother, I get tired quite quickly…”

“It’s alright… Diyem said something?” Owen asked.

“He said you wanted to speak to me,” Alex said. “I thought I’d see you going down the other street, but I saw your flame this way…”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Zena and I decided to take a longer walk around. I did want to talk, though.” Owen glanced at the Milotic, then back at Alex. “Let’s go to Mom’s. Where’d you go?”

“We were actually at Sugar ‘n Spice,” Alex said. “They were about to close for the day.”

Owen tried to keep his flame calm. “Oh. Well… sure. We can talk there.”

He didn’t walk, and Alex didn’t start walking, either. A wind blew, chilly, carrying a little evening frost with it.

“It won’t be too hard on you, will it?” Alex asked nervously. “With… with Spice, and…”

“No, er, no, it’s fine,” Owen said. “Yeah. I’ll go.”

“This seems private,” Zena said quietly. “Should I take Charmander back to our home for now?”

“If you want,” Owen said. “You can come with us, though.”

“You don’t mind?”

“I’d… I’d like it, actually. If you’re fine with it.”

Zena glanced at Charmander atop Owen’s head, seeming torn. “It won’t upset her, you think?”

“I don’t think she can understand what we’re saying yet,” Owen said. “It’ll be okay.”

“She’s adorable, you know,” Alex said with a smile. “So well-behaved, too.”

Charmander blinked at Alex, tilting her head. She plopped atop Owen’s head and tapped her tiny fists on his snout.

Owen smiled. “Well, okay. Let’s go.”

<><><>​

“Just so you know, we’re technically closed,” Spice reminded. “If you planned on getting any goodies, we’ve packed up for the night.”

“Oh, no, er, sorry, so sorry,” Alex said. “Oh, dear, we really are keeping you, aren’t—”

“I was joking,” Spice said. “We’re just doing cleanup. You guys relax here.”

Amia giggled. “Unorthodox meeting place, but I wanted to know my supposed step-granddaughter a little more.” The Gardevoir adjusted her green hair and sighed.

“Well… it’s not like we’ve met before,” Spice said. “Or, I don’t remember it. Yet. Or ever.”

“That makes both of us!” Amia replied with a laugh. “I hardly remember anything myself!”

Spice and Alex shared a look. Alex gave a wobbly, nervous smile; Spice, despite her lack of pupils, stared at him with pity.

“Dad,” Owen said, “can I ask you about… your father?”

“Ah.” Alex fidgeted. “A difficult question. I, er…”

“I know it’s probably hard for you,” he said. “I mean, you even abandoned your old species for it… And I’ve seen what he’s done. But I need to know because it might tie into what he’s doing now. It could even give ideas on how we could trick him, or learn more about how he… thinks.”

“Are you sure?” Alex still looked apprehensive. “I don’t… know if…”

“We won’t know for sure until we find out,” Zena said. “Is it that painful?”

“Of course it’s painful,” Alex said, “but that isn’t why I’m hesitant. I’ll admit, I… oh, fine. I know how you are by now, Owen.” He smiled feebly. “Nothing will stop you from wanting to learn the truth.”

“Thanks.” As painful as it was, they had to know. It was better than not knowing.

Right?

“Should I be here for this, or…?” Spice glanced at Sugar, who had just emerged from the back room from organizing their inventory.

“If you want to,” Alex said, but then, a moment later, seemed to realize something. “Actually… yes. I think you should be here.”

“Not ominous at all.” Spice took a seat and tapped her claws rhythmically against the table. “Sugar?”

“I hope you don’t mind if I listen in, too,” the normal Salazzle said, taking a seat on the other table.

“That’s okay, too.” Alex took a breath. “Right. I’ll get right to it. Ah, oh, dear, how do I even begin…” Alex sighed.

Charmander complained by slapping Owen harmlessly on the top of his head; confused, Owen grabbed and set her down. She wobbled to Zena and tried to wrestle with one of her tail feathers.

“…Oh, I know,” Alex said. “My father, Alexander… was obsessed with growing his own power. Truly and utterly obsessed. He had children in a… a twisted pattern where, as one would evolve into a Hydreigon after intense training, he would… he would kill and put them into the Fire Orb.”

Owen gaped. “He what—what do you—what?”

“Spirits within an Orb seem to be what make him stronger,” Alex said. “You draw from their power. More spirits, more power. And Alexander wanted… the most compatible spirits possible. Spirits that had his own essence. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Owen, but—I couldn’t remember. When Alexander was pulled into the Voidlands, all memory of him followed. Only when the Voidlands became totally unsealed did the memories come back again. Like a balance of power had been upset.”

“Wait. H-hold on.” Owen held up his hands. “But the Fire Orb didn’t have any Hydreigon. They were all Hot Spot villagers. Auntie Arcanine, and the kids I played with, they were—it was all an act, sure, but…”

“All Hydreigon originally,” Alex said. “They took on different forms because it upset you.”

“Upset me… I…” Owen shuddered, flashes of memories coming back to him. He had been trying, perhaps subconsciously, to not think about those moments. They were fleeting, but he remembered a fiery Hydreigon… ripping him apart. He remembered feeling so helpless, his Perceive telling him that Alexander planned to do so much worse to him, if he had his way.

“Owen,” Zena whispered, ribbons wrapping around him. Owen flinched, and she pulled back, giving him room.

“Zena, I—sorry. Sorry.” He gestured for her to come closer again, and she wrapped around his arms, gingerly this time. Then she leaned against him. She was cold, but that was a small comfort. “Thanks,” he whispered. “Can you ask questions?”

“If you want,” Zena said. “Alex, you all chose different forms. Was that to comfort Owen?”

“We thought it was a strange coincidence that we were all Hydreigon. We had no memory of sharing a father nor any memory of having siblings, since he had them in sequence, not all at once. We figured we might have been… creations of some kind, or a colony of Hydreigon. Those memories returning made things very awkward…”

“How did Amia come to acquire the Fire Orb?” Zena asked.

“Oh, I remember that one,” Amia said. Her usual smile was subdued. “It was actually my mother who was named Amia. She had the blessings of Manaphy and could swap things around readily—it wasn’t limited to spirits, but even minds or thoughts could be swapped if it was the same person split in two. I never saw her using it much, since tampering with such things is… not the greatest thing to trifle with, but she’d used it to… save me. Alexander had injured me horribly… She wanted me to live. But those injuries… couldn’t heal.”

“Shadow energy seems to cut more than flesh,” Zena said. “Maybe that’s why it couldn’t heal so easily.”

“That’s my guess,” Amia agreed. “But to honor her… I took her name. Though, I did miss my hair. It’s very rare, you know. I used simple Mystic power to alter it. But… my real name is Evelyn. Ah, but… I’ve been using ‘Amia’ for most of my life, haven’t I? So, I guess… technically, my name has been Amia for much longer than it had been Evelyn.”

“It must have been hard to keep that up for her. Where is she now?” Zena asked.

“I think… she eventually found her way across the aura sea, or something,” Amia said. “She was searching for my father, but he might have been claimed by Alexander. Perhaps pulled into the Voidlands. I feel terrible, but… I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know where she is anymore.”

Owen couldn’t imagine that kind of pain. In some ways, maybe Owen was lucky he’d spent so much time ignorant of his own past…

“Diyem mentioned,” Zena said, “that Alexander was searching for more than just power when he had so many offspring.”

Alex hummed. “Right, he was trying for something else. And he was obsessed with it. Trying to find someone who had the power of Radiance and Shadow, at the same time. Like Owen, as we’ve learned, even if the Shadow aspect had been rendered dormant.”

“Well, he’d obviously need a source of Radiance for that, then. Power of light,” Zena said. “But Necrozma was selective of who he blessed, wasn’t he?”

Owen felt cold. He’d nearly tuned out of the conversation with a thought that occurred to him—a cold, horrible thought—but he listened in silence. Numbness crawled along his cheeks.

“He… was,” Alex said. “Very few Pokémon passed their bloodline of that same Radiance on, presumably, but… there was one bloodline that reawakened. You see, some of Alexander’s children were not of Shadow. They fled with powers of Radiance, or the powers were too weak to manifest at all, like with me. Those with light sometimes escaped him because they could counter his power more easily… and they went on to make families of their own.”

“So, his mate had Radiance,” Zena said. “…But… who would…”

What followed was a long, terrible silence. Owen had already pieced it together. He could only hear his heart. Muffled words from Alex, Amia, and Zena encircled him, and he had a sense that they were all looking at him. Spice said something next, reaching for him.

And suddenly, Owen was staring at the ceiling, dazed and nauseous with Amia and Zena in his immediate view.

“What? What… I’m on… ground, ceiling, sorry, I think…”

“Take it easy, take it easy,” Zena whispered. “You fainted, Owen. Are you okay?”

It had been so sudden. He wasn’t sure what happened. Maybe it was an aftereffect of the egg in his chest.

No. No, he knew what it was. The memories came back, but the shock was a little less this time. He couldn’t stop shaking. When Zena got a little closer, he clung to her, squeezing hard. He could still Perceive them all staring and couldn’t take it. With one hand, he ripped off both horns and placed them nearby, then went back to holding Zena. Sweet relief—he couldn’t see anything.

Charmander poked his cheek, tilting her head.

“Hi,” Owen said gently, reaching toward her and rubbing her forehead. She nipped at his claws harmlessly.

Zena helped him to a sitting position. Sugar had what seemed to be a few healing berries, like it would have helped, but put them on the table for now.

“I’m fine,” Owen said breathily. “Sorry. It was… it just hit me at once.”

“…Yeah. No, I get it,” Spice said. “Don’t blame you. Can’t blame you.” She rubbed her arm. “That’s… pretty awful to hear. It almost makes me scared to want to get those memories back. Like, I’m getting them back one way or the other eventually, right? Because… if I had a choice, I don’t really know, Owen. It sounds to me like Remi had a pretty awful life. Would I really want that back?”

They were like stabs to his heart, but Owen nodded anyway. “I know,” he said. “But… you said you wanted to, right? So maybe… deep down, Remi still wanted to—”

“I know, I know. You don’t need to preach it. Just… doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the easiest set of memories to get back anymore.” She shuddered. “If I see that Alexander person, maybe I’ll have some revenge myself, using me like some… some egg factory. Ugh!” Her tail whipped on the ground, cracking it. She muttered a curse. “Ah, sorry, Sugar…”

“I, um, I don’t blame you, either. I’ll fix that up tomorrow.”

“…Excuse me,” Amia said. “I think I missed a detail, but, if Owen is Remi’s father… and Remi was the one who had given life to all of those Hydreigon… Does that mean all that time in Hot Spot, he’s been raised by his own grandchildren?”

Spice sighed loudly and stood up from the table. “And that,” she said, “is where I think I’m going to call it a night.”

“It actually is a little more than that,” Alex said. “I think everyone of the Shadow lineage inherited it from my father, too. I believe… that also means Jerry is a distant descendant of yours, Owen. And all the Southern rulers who had been blessed by Shadow.”

“Oh, wonderful. Really glad I learned my childhood friend is actually my great grandson. Sugar!”

“Yes!”

“We’re going home and I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear any of this.”

“Do you mean that for real, or…”

“I don’t even know anymore.” Spice pinched her snout. “It’s… a lot. A lot a lot. I need… a quiet place to just think. Away from it all.”

“Sorry for all this,” Owen murmured.

“Don’t apologize,” Spice said, claws pressing into her palm. “All of this is because of Alexander, not you. Don’t tell yourself otherwise. And don’t give me that look.” Spice snarled at Owen. “I heard all about it from the others, the Wishkeeper stuff. Don’t care if you made it possible for Alexander to do what he did, he still was the one who did it.”

Owen flinched, feeling a coldness run down his skull. She’d read him so easily.

“Don’t give me any of that martyr blame-catching for him, got it? He’ll only use it against you.”

“Right,” Owen replied automatically. “I’ll… I won’t, then…”

Spice snorted, then nodded at Sugar. “Shop’s closed. You can get home alright, Owen?”

“Yeah, I—can walk.” He slowly got to his feet. No dizziness.

Zena picked up Charmander and cradled her in her ribbons. “We’ll make sure everything is going fine tomorrow. Check in at HQ?” she asked Spice, when Owen had forgotten to ask.

“Yep, same as today.”

Zena guided Owen out, Alex and Amia following next.

“Owen, ah, would you like to come home today?” Alex asked. “Hot Spot is nearly cleaned up. We can get back to normal again…”

That did sound nice… “We have some of my stuff and supplies I’d want to move back first,” Owen said, “And, I’m… too tired tonight. Sorry, Dad. But—I promise, that’s the only reason. How about tomorrow?”

“I understand,” Alex said. “We’ll have your room ready!”

“Ohh, you look so happy,” Amia said, clasping her hands together. “We’ll see you soon, Owen. Take care!”

Amia and Alex departed next, leaving Zena and Owen alone with Charmander. Owen glanced at his horns, still in his hands and not on his head. He decided to keep them off for now. The mental break was liberating.

<><><>​

They decided to make use of their humble temporary home for one more night without packing anything up. It was late, they were tired, and even if sleep was optional for them, it certainly wouldn’t be for the child. Presumably. They actually weren’t sure about that yet.

Zena curled around a huge bag stuffed with soft cotton and rested her head on the center, and Owen looked for the best way to place the hatchling.

The Charizard’s tail flicked. “Do you think it would be better to have her between, or… No, I don’t want to accidentally roll over her or something, especially if I get into a battle-dream. What if we…”

“I think we’ll take shifts keeping an eye on her,” Zena said. “You rest first. I’ll be fine.”

Owen rubbed the back of his head. It had been a thousand years since he’d raised a child. It all felt foreign to him again. “Have you ever looked after kids?”

“Not really… Maybe a few friends back at sea, but the ocean life isn’t as complicated as the way things are on the surface. Find a cave or a burrow, rest under some kelp, everything drifts along…”

“Guess we’re both rusty at this, then,” Owen said.

Charmander struggled and kicked, and eventually Owen set her down.

“Yes?” he asked.

She started to wobble toward the doorway. Casually, Owen brushed his tail along the ground, blocking her from leaving.

“A real adventurer,” Zena said, giggling. “She’ll eventually tire herself out.”

“I’m already tired,” Owen murmured, wings drooping.

“I suppose this is where I’d say, welcome to parenthood, but I’m not sure if it’s normal or not myself…”

“We’re… not equipped to raise a kid, are we?”

The Milotic smiled awkwardly. “Well… in some ways, I’d hoped for one. It’s an odd way for a wish to be granted, but…”

“You did?” Owen asked, genuinely surprised. “But… I don’t think mutant bodies can have kids. We just die and reincarnate.”

To this, Zena seemed surprised. “Oh. I had no idea…”

“Did I never mention that? Sorry.” Owen winced. “That’s… probably a big detail.”

“No, it’s fine,” Zena said. “After all… perhaps when this is all over… Oh, I’m sorry. I’m moving too fast again.”

Owen must have made a face because Zena amended herself quickly.

She leaned forward. “Please, don’t think too much into it. Especially after what came up today. You’ve been through so much and we’re still not sure of our futures… I had actually been considering if I’d even bring it up. I’m sorry. It slipped out.”

“Don’t worry.” As Zena spoke, Owen had relaxed, picking Charmander up and sitting beside the Milotic. “…Are you really sure, though? About… all of this? I know I keep asking, but…”

Zena nodded. “All of my memories are back now. And even though the ‘Zena’ of the past feels… like a distant dream, I was able to meet you all over again. These past few months with you… combined with before… Well, I—it would have been a much more miserable experience in the Voidlands without you.”

Owen smirked. “Would you rather be here in Kilo without me, or in the Voidlands with me?” he asked.

“Oh, Kilo, absolutely,” Zena replied, earning a laugh from Owen. “—Ah, but! Would that mean you’re stuck in the Voidlands?”

“Err, didn’t think that far. Let’s say I was… I don’t know, back in Kanto.”

“Oh. Then… I’d miss you, but, that way we’d both be out of that horrible place.”

“Good answer.” Owen leaned back, letting Charmander settle in his arms.

She was still protesting a little, but her energy was running out. He could tell by her flame that she indeed required sleep.

“Kanto,” Zena repeated. “What’s it like?”

“Not all that different from Kilo in some ways, aside from the humans,” Owen said. “Think of them like… Pokémon, but without the elemental techniques. Well, some humans have them, but they’re pretty rare, and usually from hanging around Pokémon too much.”

“So, they can adapt to the Pokémon they’re with?” Zena asked. “How interesting. They’re like Normals, but… different.”

“Sure, sort of like that. They rely on technology a lot more than we do, since they can’t channel techniques as easily. In fact, most humans go their whole lives without using a single elemental attack.”

“That sounds so hard,” Zena whispered.

“Yeah. The strangest thing about them is how they—you know how some Pokémon have enchanted battle scarves and other equipment? Imagine that, but all over their bodies, and it isn’t even enchanted.”

Zena squinted. “I don’t understand. They put on full-body armor, but it isn’t enchanted? Isn’t that… cumbersome with none of the benefits?”

“I never really asked why. I think it’s cultural, or protection. Like a Cubone’s helmet.”

“Oh, that could be it. Perhaps humans have a special ability that lets unenchanted armor work like it’s enchanted?”

“Huh, maybe. You know, next time I see Brandon, I’ll ask him. Or maybe Eon, or the other humans. I think Rhys—er, Dialga might be too faded to know the answer anymore, though.” He fidgeted with his claws. “Yeah…”

Gentle ribbons wrapped over his shoulder, rubbing them. Owen relaxed again. Had he been tense?

“Do you miss that world?” Zena asked.

“Not the world, no,” Owen said. “It’s okay. I liked it there. But I think I like here more. And… I mean, I have more bad memories than good memories back home, when I think about it.”

“Did you?” Zena asked. “I thought you enjoyed your time with, err…”

“…I did. Huh.” Owen shifted again. “I really did… I guess it was… clouded until now. Since that all became… what happened to Eon. And how that all led to me.”

“I see…” Zena looked down. “But… you did enjoy your time with him. Even if he became… how he is now.”

“He’s trying to do better,” Owen said. “I can tell he’s giving me space. And it’s probably eating him up inside. I don’t know if I can ever…” He saw that helpless, desperate look in his eyes. “Sorry. I don’t know if I want to talk about this right now.”

“It’s okay.” Zena leaned her forehead on his cheek. “You don’t have to.”

More silence. Charmander had finally drifted off in his arms. Just outside, through an open window, a chilling wind blew, but conveniently, the window closed to keep the cold out. Owen assumed Zena used some Mystic energy to close it.

“I just don’t know who to blame anymore,” Owen said. “He was Jirachi and then just wanted me to be happy. I agreed with him. And then… Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit took away everything that made me… me. And Jirachi tried to bring me back. The Dark War happened, somehow Jirachi got pulled into the Voidlands, and all that was left was… the mortal half, somehow. His memories were shattered; he probably didn’t even know what went wrong with me at that point. To him I’d just suddenly gone and lost myself, and… and it probably drove him insane. Was that his fault, in the end? Or… was it just how things ended up because of Diyem, or Necrozma, or…”

His heart was racing. His vision was blurry. Realizing something was wrong, he rubbed his eyes and realized there were tears.

“Oh, Owen…” Zena shifted her weight and wrapped a coil around him, careful not to squeeze Charmander. “When you put it like that, I see why you’d hesitate.”

“You hate him, though, right?” Owen asked.

Zena looked away, as if conflicted, or perhaps to find a way to dampen her next phrasing.

“It’s okay if you do,” Owen said. “I… just want to know. What does it look like to you?”

“I don’t think I can judge anymore,” Zena said. “I only know him as the Hunters’ leader. You knew him as your partner. And then there’s a… a disconnect, where things changed, and he’s no longer that same person you know. He’s changed forever, just like you changed. Him trying to fight, over and over, to get you back to how things used to be… Isn’t that what led him to becoming so deranged as a Hunter to begin with? What… drove him to madness?”

“…I… yeah. It is.”

“And then… trying to go back to that for you… Will that help anything? Or is it… just trying to piece together an illusion, just trying to simulate a time that’s already gone away?”

Charmander curled up a little, content. Her black and white flame dimmed and grew rhythmically with her breaths. Owen’s was a deeper hum, warming the room as he tried to calm his nerves.

“Tim’s really gone,” Owen finally whispered. This time, he leaned against her. “I’d… probably, if I do anything, I’d have to start over with him. As… but then, it’d just be forcing it. I’d have to let him… make the choice, too.”

Zena looked guilty, turning her head away. Conflict in her posture, even with his horns removed. She wanted to say something.

“Zena?” Owen asked.

“Mm.”

“What’s wrong?”

After a brief silence, she seemed to give in. “I suppose that’s what Eon did for you. He’s letting you choose what to do with him. I… do have to give him credit for that. He’s walked away to let you decide. As shattered and broken as everything is… and how your dynamic can never be the same again—human and Pokémon, or Legend and Wishkeeper—that’s all gone now. Instead, it’s… something new.”

“New… right…”

“Nuu,” Charmander mumbled in her sleep.

That warmed his heart a little.

“If you’re so torn up about it,” Zena said, “you should talk to him when you’re ready. If you want me to be there…”

“I will,” Owen said. “When I’m ready. But… he’s going to be battling Titans soon. I’m on another team…”

“Can you wait?” Zena asked.

Another pause. He didn’t know. But it wouldn’t be long until everyone was back at full strength and ready to depart. And he certainly couldn’t stall for his personal feelings.

“I’ll decide tomorrow. I need to sleep on it,” Owen said. “I don’t want to make any decisions while I’m all… bothered.”

Zena nodded. “Then get some rest.”

“Thanks, Zena,” Owen murmured. He reached around for his horns clumsily, feeling himself drifting.

“Really?” Zena asked, concerned. “Doesn’t that make you more awake?”

“I get kinda paranoid without being able to Perceive what’s around,” Owen admitted. “I had my mental break. Now I just want to sleep.”

“I’m not going to be able to understand that,” Zena said. “But, if it helps…”

Owen snapped the horns in, taking a moment to scan his environment—

“Wh—” He nearly shouted, but then remembered Charmander. He whispered loudly, “Enet?!”

Zena held back a gasp and looked around; moments later, an illusion dropped, and there was a Zoroark curled up in the corner of the room, looking half-asleep.

“How long have you been there?!” Owen whispered.

Enet blinked a little and curled up again.

Sighing in defeat, Owen leaned back and accepted her presence. “Another long day tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll take the next shift when I wake up.”

“That’s fine,” Zena replied. “I’ll keep an eye on things. It’s… nice, actually. It’s like being in the quiet caves again, but with company. Proper company. Not spirits that start to feel more like more of yourself.”

“Good,” Owen said. “I’d feel bad if you were getting bored.”

Zena only smiled and curled around him. Owen sensed… something, but decided not to comment tonight. Instead, he leaned against her and finally drifted off into the night.
 

Arukona

A Scribe Penning His Brainworms
Location
Ardalion
Pronouns
He/him
Partners
  1. aggron
  2. sceptile
  3. lucario
Here I am, back to more Hands of Creation! I quite enjoyed reading this during the Review Blitz, and now that there’s a review event on in the PMD Writers' Union, I figure I’d drop in and pick up where I left off.

So let’s get into it!





Chapter 24

Deca’s still being a mystery as ever. Just what is up with that other Charmander?

Ah, into training for our budding Mystic. I wonder what new powers he’ll manage to harness?

“Owen… Manny personally asked to be the one to train you.”

Huh…can’t say I expected that pairing off. Let’s just hope Owen doesn’t come out of this sounding just like Gahi. (Well, would that be a bad thing? It is one of the quirks I like about our resident eventual dragonfly…Best not to imagine it on Owen, though. He’s too precious for funny accents.)

Don’t worry, he ain’t gonna be scared this time.”

“Scared? I scared him?”

“Yep! I hyped ‘im up, though. He’s good.”

I guess behind all of that muscle is a mon of natural fears. Is Owen really so nightmarish when fully evolved? Would be funny if Azu was acting all fearful around Owen as he is now.

“Rhys said we can’t train with Owen,” Gahi said. “So, we just wanted to get a cheap shot in so it counts as a fight!”

Owen smirked. “Well, it only half-worked,” he said.

“Bah!” Gahi snapped his jaws in Owen’s general direction. “That Protect’s cheating! Dumb gold shield…”

Heh. I love the banter between these four. Particularly when Gahi’s front and centre of the argument. This lot’s bonds are gonna be stronger than steel before long. Looking forward to the day when they finally don’t have to worry about losing control over their evolutions.

Demitri’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Actually, I wanted to get back into cooking more. It’s hard to compete with Rhys, but I don’t want him doing all the cooking anyway, and, er… And Mispy likes it, too, so…”

She giggled and bumped her hip against his.

Do I detect a budding romance? Given they are in the same Egg Group, that would make sense. It’s also quite a cute thing to imagine, these two together. And given how Demitri wants to get into cooking, and serving up Mispy, who’s made her big appetite known on a few occasions…yeah, I can picture them together.

The sooner he perfected his training and prepared himself for his Charizard form, whatever it was, the sooner he could be with them as a proper team again.

Hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later. I don’t think we’ve seen these four fight as one team yet. I’d love to see them all fighting as one against their foes that threaten the world’s safety. As of now, though….it appears that the greatest enemy right now is themselves.

“Owen used to be in control of himself all the time—but something happened that made him—all four of them, actually—unstable. Like something didn’t… quite go right. So maybe the Owen you saw wasn’t the real Owen, either.”

I wonder if part of this is just talk on Amia’s part to calm Willow down. But this begs the question - what event happened that made Owen and the other Team Alloy members unstable?

I guess I was wrong about Azu being scared of Owen. Still, this is absolutely relentless training. I feel for Owen right now - poor guy, being the literal punching bag of his two blue opponents.

Nice technique from Owen being shown off right now, combining his new abilities as the Grass Guardian with his pre-existing Fire power. That’s neat - I like that a lot.

It only took a few mortal blows.”

“C-can’t you tone it down a little?!” Owen begged, seizing the opportunity. “You could’ve killed me!”

Once again reminded of the daunting power scaling of this setting. Evidently, it takes a whole new power level to kill someone like a Guardian. Seems that while our heroes are no slouches, our enemies are probably even stronger than that.
“Did Manny just… switch places with one of his spirits? You can do that?”

“Mm, yes. My name is Yen.

Adding that to the (still growing) List of Things Guardians Can Do. That makes me wonder: will Owen be able to do this too? (Though I’m not sure what use it would be for him. Maybe there’s an application for it somewhere?)

“If you have ten apples, and your arms are large enough to carry twenty, you can only carry ten apples regardless.”

“…Why big arms?” Owen asked.

Owen asking the important questions here. That’s a real ‘guy from the maths question’ saying that Yen’s going on about.

Yes, it may be easier to perform certain actions—for example, become an embodiment of your Orb’s Type—but then… because it is not defined, you can get creative, with enough skill and power. Indeed, after enough time training, you practically become a spirit in the flesh.”

Now that’s an interesting prospect. With Mystic Energy, we could see some very interesting applications for this power. New abilities that Owen’ll get to grasp beyond just combining his Fire and Grass counterparts, a concept from earlier that I liked quite a bit. Just how creative can Owen get with this power? I’d like to see what abilities he can muster in future.

“Again, with the arms… Do you guys have a thing for arms?”

Once again, you’re onto something, Owen. How many ‘guy from the maths question’ analogies can Yen come up with? Though Owen mentioned guys - maybe this is something Manny and Azu indulge in. That’s a funny thought.

“So, at first, to get full access to my power as a Mystic, I need to… die. A lot. And after that, I can work on actually improving it?”

“Yes! Well, to get there the fastest,” Yen said.

My god. Give the poor kid a break. One death is enough. And he was already ‘killed’ multiple times in that sparring session earlier. Surely there has to be a limit at which he actually dies? (By Guardian standards, anyways.)

Interesting way to fit the aura into the lore, as a means to an end rather than the be-all-end-all. (And how fitting that a Lucario teaches this.)

He should have become an academic. Or maybe it wasn’t too late to become a farmer as his father had suggested.

Somehow I can’t imagine Owen as a teacher. I could definitely picture him being a farmer, though, especially with his new Grass powers. That could lend itself to some fascinating ways to use his mixed powers in farming. Green Owen with a straw hat - that’s a nice image. A Charmander tending to the fields as a farmer. You could even call him a…Farmander, if you will. :copyka:

Manny fired the Aura Sphere he was preparing straight at Owen, and the helpless Charmander hit the wall once again.

And back to dying over and over for our hero. All this relentless training with little let-up…He’d better get stronger by the end of this.

Seems Amia’s a bit too gentle for training. Maybe she and Manny should swap places. Question at this point, then; how did Amia become the Fire Guardian in the first place, if she’s so peace-loving and gentle like this?

And wow, Willow sure is one for taking hits like this. Of course, it’s in the name of getting stronger, but that sure is one thing, to take a hit like a Hyper Beam and be burned half to death, in the name of getting stronger. Willow is definitely more of a daredevil than Owen, that’s for sure.





A training chapter; nothing that advances the plot hugely in this one. But that’s fine - sometimes we need these set-up chapters for what comes later. And by the sounds of it, all the Guardians do look to be getting stronger for the threats to come. Especially Owen, with that relentless training Manny’s giving him. We may be on the cusp of greater strength for our heroes, and I’m intrigued to see how their skills are gonna be put to the test when the conflict circles around again.

Great work! Keep it up!
 
Chapter 148 - How Things Change

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Thanks for the review, Arukona! I'm glad that despite the relatively slow beginnings, things are picking up for you and even the lulls and breaths between plot points can behave as something interesting to look over. I'm particularly glad for the character interactions being so appealing to you as well!

--

In any case, it's time to move on to the next chapter...

Chapter 148 – How Things Change

For Eon, it was just another night. He was surrounded by friends and family he’d found or helped create, and yet he felt like something was missing. Well, no. He knew what was missing. But he tried not to think about it.

In the corner of the room was a perpetually enhanced Houndoom, a variant of some mutant experiment that Nevren had come up with. It kept a Pokémon in something called a ‘Mega’ form from the human world. Resting atop his warm, black fur was a Cherrim, still weak but strong enough to stand up on her own.

And curled up in the other corner was an amalgamation of different, perfect parts, engineered based on schematics found in the human world, a Silvally as they were called. Much better than Type:Full at least.

This was his family now. In some ways, it was cozy and comfy. But in others, so late at night, Eon always wondered if…

Something shifted outside. A Milotic was slithering, hesitating at the doorway. Eon wondered to himself, was the door locked? Did Kilo Village even have locked doors? He had no idea. He’d never bothered. Gods, that meant he didn’t lock it. If it had locks.

But she never entered. Perhaps she was thinking, or waiting. It was obviously Zena—he could feel her powerful aura through the door—but she didn’t seem angry. Perhaps anxious. And then, she turned, leaving down the road.

Eon wasn’t tired anymore. And maybe…

He knew he’d regret it, but he got up anyway, carefully tiptoeing out of the door. His body nearly shifted to Milotic a few times, but he suppressed it, keeping to Charmander for now. Memories of good times gone by.

“Zena?”

The Milotic stopped and straightened. Then, she sighed and turned around.

“Eon. Sorry for disturbing you.”

“Do you want to talk?” Eon asked, losing his form again and quickly reaching for his blindfold—he’d forgotten it in his room. He kept his eyes to the ground instead.

“…Allow me to see your eyes. I don’t mind if they are my own, Eon. I understand your… problem.”

She didn’t mind? But it would make a mockery of her form, wouldn’t it? He’d done the same thing once with Amia, and that went… badly. Practically ruined Emily’s cave.

But this was different, right? That felt so far away from what he’d do today.

“Alright,” Eon said, facing her. Even if he wanted to, there was no way for him to maintain his form after that. His limbs merged into his body, his tail thickened and extended, and soon he was a much larger Milotic, an exact double of Zena. He sighed and said in her voice, “What did… you want to speak about?”

There was a flash of disdain in her eyes. It was a common reaction to seeing oneself, for one reason or another. Eon paid it little mind and nervously waited for her answer, but so far, she was silent.

He filled it with more words. “I’m open for whatever you want to talk to me about,” he said. “Please… I’ll answer. If… if this is about the mutants, I’m going to help round them up. Put… maybe try to stabilize them. That’s the right thing to do, right?”

“It is,” Zena said.

Her body language relaxed a little, or, he thought that was what she was doing. Even sharing her body, he wasn’t really sure what anything meant.

She continued, “I wanted to ask what you thought about Owen.”

Eon tried not to flinch, so he only hummed and nodded. “Owen, right. He’s… He means a lot to me, obviously, but…”

He hoped Zena could complete for him so he could agree, but she didn’t. She was waiting for his words.

“…But…”

But it wouldn’t happen again? But he couldn’t get any of what he envisioned Owen as again? But he was horrible to him?

“But it’s his choice,” Eon finally said. “And if he… wants to stay away from me forever… I’d understand. I’d hate it, but I’d understand. And that’s his right.”

He decided to speak from the heart. As much as he wanted Owen back, he’d already come to the decision that the ‘Owen’ he wanted so much was already gone. Long gone. Lost to time and buried in so many new memories that didn’t have Eon in them.

“I’m glad you understand,” Zena said. “I… wanted to tell you that… I am not sure what Owen would choose to do, either. But I do recognize you’ve improved. I hope it stays that way.”

Eon nodded. “I understand. Sorry I don’t have anything better to say, I, err…” He really had no idea how to carry this on. “How… is he, anyway?”

“Owen? Better.”

“I heard he’d fainted today.” He said it suddenly, but it had been on his mind.

“Oh. Yes, he…” Zena trailed off. “I don’t know if it’s my place to explain for him.”

“Th-that’s okay, you don’t need to. But he’s better now—if he has support from you?”

“Yes. That I can say, certainly.”

“Good. Good.” Eon shifted his weight. He wanted to say that if Owen needed more support, he’d be there. But he couldn’t. That went against what he was trying to do.

“I will let Owen know you wish him well,” Zena said, “if he seems in the mood. Perhaps he will be.”

Her tone was tentative, like she was trying to mask how Owen really felt. But that could have meant anything. Unable to contain his morbid curiosity, he asked, “Does he hate me?”

“N… no. He doesn’t.” Zena said it like she’d been trapped.

Eon backed off again. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that sort of question…”

“I think you at least deserve to know that much,” Zena admitted. “But he’s wrestling with his feelings.”

“I won’t approach him until he initiates,” Eon confirmed. “Even if… that’s never.”

Zena sighed. Eon didn’t know what that meant. But then, she looked almost defeated when she said, “I see a little of him in you. So, knowing that, neither of you are going to let this go until you talk. It won’t be ‘never.’ That isn’t how either of you are, is it?”

There wasn’t anything Eon could say there. He only swallowed and looked away. That’s when his eyes caught the glint of Lavender’s eyes staring out the window. The Silvally tilted his head. Zena must have noticed, too, at some point.

“I guess so,” Eon said. “We go back a lot, but, when you math it out, we’ve actually probably spent more time away from each other than together at this point. I, er, I think. My memory of all that is still foggy without Jirachi…”

“That… is not quite true, I think,” Zena said. “Owen spent his first life with you, yes. And then a thousand years with Jirachi. After that, another five hundred or so with you that is still a blur for him—”

“Oh, he was… That was when we were recouping from the first Dark War. We don’t really know the details of it… but, that must have been when we settled in Quartz HQ…”

Zena nodded. “And then… another five hundred or so years with Amia. Only last year did things begin to change again.”

“That’s how much you’ve been able to piece together.” Eon nodded. “That’s good. I’m glad he’s starting to sort that all out. Maybe it’ll help me, too, since Jirachi and I are having trouble getting details sorted. We’re scrambled if we think too far back.”

“You aren’t going to merge yet?” Zena asked.

“I’m… sort of a mess. Jirachi’s evasive.”

“Ah.”

She didn’t disagree. Somehow that hurt a little.

“Jirachi’s fun!” Lavender called from the outside, pulling his head through the window before exiting like a normal person through the door. The Silvally trotted closer and bobbed his head. “I bet when he gets his full power back, he can grant the best wishes!”

Zena smiled a little at that, and Eon mirrored it.

“I don’t think I’ve introduced myself properly to you before,” she said. “My name is Milotic Zena. No… Legendary background from me. I used to be friends with Emily, I suppose, but that’s all.”

“Nice to meet you, Zena! I’m Silvally Lavender. I’m a monster!”

“A-ah, yeah. He, er, one of the… experiments of Nevren, along with Lucas, the Houndoom. Mega Houndoom, actually…”

“Mega… is that… does that mean powerful?”

“It’s apparently an official term used in the human world. Nevren took inspiration there when trying to replicate that power.”

The heavy-set Houndoom peeked out next, growling at first before Eon shushed him.

“She’s a friend, Lucas. Nothing bad is happening.”

The Houndoom stopped growling and instead wagged his tail, prancing to her next. A purple-petal Cherrim tiredly wobbled out next.

“…That’s your family, is it?” asked Zena. “The… new family you’d formed.”

“Yeah. They’re my family.”

A chilly wind finally blew, and it was harsh against Eon’s scales. He winced and curled up. “It’s very late and cold. Sorry, Zena, if I’ve been short with you or, uh, or anything.”

“I shouldn’t have come so late in the night,” she said. “I don’t really know what drove me to this in the first place. I just…” She sighed. “…You did truly awful things, Eon. But you’re also trying to change and make up for your crimes.”

“And I’ll need to keep doing that for lifetimes,” Eon said. “Even then I don’t know if it will be enough. But I’m ready to try. Maybe one day, I’ll… be able to bury this. N-no, I… that’s not the right word…”

“Atone,” Zena suggested.

“Atone,” Eon agreed, sighing. “That’s… a good word.”

Zena turned around. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Eon. And… I think I appreciated this talk. Sorry for bothering you.”

“I did, too,” Eon added, his form melting back to Charmander when she’d gotten far enough away. “…I… think I did, too.”

Lucas and Lavender approached either side of him, dipping their heads down in unison to get to eye-level. Eon smiled and rubbed both of them on the beak or snout.

Nothing could replace Owen. Nevren tried, and it failed miserably. But at least he had others to lean on.

<><><>​

The next morning, Owen went on his usual rounds to make sure things were in order and nothing urgent had come up. Nothing ever really did after the world had been given a brief respite, but he checked anyway.

Most had gone into their own fleeting routines before they’d all set off for their separate missions. It was, all in all, a slow day of wrapping up final obligations. Zena seemed to be in better spirits, too.

One of his last stops was checking on Angelo’s little shop. He still hadn’t looked into much about him. He only knew that he was apparently the son of a very talented Smeargle who had inherited Mew’s Blessing. A Smeargle with a malleable aura, vulnerable to strange shifts in energy, but in exchange so readily able to call upon techniques without latency. Owen envied that kind of power, but he’d never taken Mew’s Blessing. He didn’t think there was any need. And asking now felt… dirty with how delicate Star seemed.

“Hello?” Owen called, knocking on the side of the entrance before stepping inside. He could sense Angelo in the other room, drawing. He seemed calm.

“Be right there!” Angelo called with a tinge of new nervousness. Owen wondered why.

The Smeargle emerged shortly after, looking even more nervous.

“Ah, er…” Angelo nodded. “I’m doing fine today. Thank you, Owen.”

“Oh, that’s good. Sorry, just doing some final rounds. Last day before we set off.”

“Oh, gods, already?”

“Yeah. But I’ve been so restless, so… But you don’t have to worry. You’ll be helping with safer traveling on Kilo.”

“Right. And thanks to Palkia, I’ll have a familiar bed to sleep in at night, too…”

“Convenient, right? Restoring Waypoints will be so important to Kilo. So don’t let anyone shame you into thinking you took the safe route. It’s important, and not everyone needs to be at the front of the worst.”

“Thank you,” Angelo said. He seemed distracted by something, maybe a new thought, when he tilted his head, fingers curling subtly. “Have you talked to Jerry yet, by chance?”

“No, not yet. He’s close to next.”

“Right, right…” Angelo held up a paw and went into the other room, shuffling through his mess of a room that gave Owen a mild headache mentally sorting through it all. He returned later with a small portrait.

“Could you deliver this to him?” Angelo asked. “It was something that your Espeon friend had commissioned me to draw before, er, the world almost ended.”

“Espeon friend… We don’t know any Espeon by name, actually,” Owen said. “Er, sorry. Could it have just been…” Well, it couldn’t have been a fan. Jerry was just an outlaw to most of Kilo Village, at worst, and simply not known prior.

Knowing he used to be a prince was unreal. How thoroughly had the southern history been wiped from the public eye in only a few decades?

“…It must have been Star,” Owen said. “That feels like so long ago… Er—thank you, Angelo. It’s very nice art, too. It kind of reminds me of the style in Druddigon Cube Ultra, the way you drew it, but… portrait quality instead of a comic page.” Owen laughed. “It practically looks like cover art!”

“Oh! Well, thank you,” Angelo said. “Sorry if that may not be his preferred art style. I did my best, er… For saving the world, it’s the least I can do. Oh, and, er, yes, I’m glad my style is… appealing.”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s one of my favorite comics!” Owen grinned. “Might be the favorite. A story about a little Druddigon trying to gather all the wish cubes… Well, actually, it’s gone way past that at the point where it’s left off!”

“Ah! I… I see, you’re a fan of…” Angelo nodded quickly. How odd, he seemed tense, but in a different way. Angelo’s heart fluttered like he was excited. Maybe he was a fan, too.

But he was getting distracted. With a small smile, Owen said, “Anyway, I should get going. Thanks for the art. Maybe I’ll ask for something from you one day, too, if you can replicate its style so well!”

“S-sure! That would… be… nice!”

Such a nervous Smeargle. Owen nodded and left the shop, trying to be polite by not overanalyzing the Smeargle’s body language. Maybe he could ask later why he reacted so strangely. He knew what Angelo looked like when he was terrified; this was completely different. If anything, he seemed… emboldened.

Oh, of course! Because he complimented his art!

“Hmm,” Owen hummed, spreading his wings to fly and get to Jerry. Conjuring an updraft, Kilo Village quickly became far below him. “A little compliment can take someone far sometimes… I wonder…”

<><><>​

Jerry had been given temporary housing in Yotta Outskirts, too. It was small and, from what Owen could tell, he preferred roosting on the rooftop instead.

“Jerry!” he called.

“What?” Jerry shouted back.

Owen leapt into the sky, updraft carrying him higher, until he landed on the sturdy rooftop. First gingerly, then fully once he was confident in the roof’s structure.

“I wanted to give you this,” Owen said, handing it over. “From Angelo. He drew it?”

“Eh?” The Aerodactyl looked incredulous, but then recognition flashed in his eyes. “Oh, that was… before everything fell to—right, uh, thanks. Sure.” He inspected the picture, and Owen finally got a good look at it. Angelo’s painting was so delicate that his Perceive didn’t get any details of the painting—he couldn’t properly see color with it, after all.

Getting a finer look with it, Owen saw a thin Aerodactyl, much daintier than the one on the roof with him, sitting up against a tree. The colors were light and cheerful. Beside her was a much smaller Aerodactyl, leaning against her wings. Owen recognized some of the subtle details. That was a young Jerry. Angelo really was talented…

Jerry’s heartrate had slowed, Owen noticed. More than that, his muscles relaxed, and his posture slackened.

“Star sent this image into his mind,” Jerry recalled. “Told me it was gonna be a surprise.”

“Do you like it?” Owen asked.

Jerry gave him a sour look. “You don’t just ask someone that.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“…It’s nostalgic.” He tilted the picture. “It’s been a while. I feel like I forgot Mom’s face. But this…” Jerry trailed off.

“…Sorry, I’ll leave you alone,” Owen said, creeping away.

“Tch. Don’t act like I’m some… fragile thing.” Jerry seemed more vulnerable than before, body language closing off. His jaw quivered, barely. Owen wouldn’t have seen it with his eyes.

Owen was tempted to ask if Jerry wanted to talk about it, but of course he wouldn’t. Instead, he nodded and said, “You can’t be fragile after everything you went through. Still standing, I mean. Thanks for holding out after everything about us and how… you know, weird we are.”

“Yeah, whatever…” Jerry sighed. “And… what, do I say thanks back for something?”

“Do you want to?”

Jerry brought his head back like he’d been offered old meat. But then he exhaled. “Sure. Thanks for… I don’t know, saving my wings a while back. With the…” He gestured toward his neck.

“Oh, back at Ghrelle’s… poison bog. Right. It’s a good thing that seemed to wear off once you got to the Voidlands…”

“Your mom gave me the scarf, actually,” Jerry said, slipping his wing claws into a satchel to pull out the same scarf. “Was near my statue.”

“In case it comes back?”

“With how crazy you guys are, I’m not taking any chances.” Jerry winced. “If I ever see that Ghrelle or her freak Gastrodon spirit-mate, I’m flying the other way full speed.”

“Can’t blame you there.” Even Owen as a little nervous about her.

“Anyway… thanks. I mean it this time.” He held the picture a little tighter, but then slipped it gingerly into his satchel, wrapped along with the scarf. “Guess Star isn’t all bad. No idea why a god of all creation would be bothering with trying to help just one person, though. When you think about it, they should be doing crazy broad stuff up in… wherever they operate.”

“Destiny Tower,” Owen said. “I was going to head there next.”

“Where the Spire of Trials used to be, yeah?” Jerry asked. “Who would’ve thought that it was Destiny Tower all that time…” He waved Owen off. “Yeah. Go do that. I’ll do my part here at home. Just… get back safe, alright?”

“I will. Thanks. Take care, too, Jerry.”

Before Owen left, he had a lingering question on if he should tell Jerry about his ancestry.

He decided to keep this as a good moment for Jerry instead and left.

<><><>​

Owen stared skyward at the impossibly tall tower as a normally-sized Charizard. At the top was the realm of gods, the ascent that could only be attempted once before the true reward would be locked from them forever.

Owen had climbed this tower once and succeeded with his partner. But today, it seemed it did not behave as a realm for spirits to fight back against intruders. Now, it was just the home of Star and Barky.

The first floor had been turned into some kind of welcoming lobby. Nobody waited there except for a simple signpost with instructions on where to leave mail and how to place it. It was oddly firmly worded. Owen, however, was more interested in the central sigil on the ground, normally inert. But when he approached, that sigil—resembling Arceus’ wheel—lit up.

“So, it still remembers me,” Owen said with a little smile. He stepped on the center platform and focused, expanding his aura into the sigil and thinking about the top floor, but only for a moment.

He considered something else. He thought about another room. Not quite the top, but close to it.

White overtook his vision, and for an instant his Perceive was scrambled, and then the vertigo disappeared. He stood at the end of a hallway that led to several other rooms, and the altitude felt higher. The air, just a little thinner. Thankfully, the tower itself helped to regulate some of that pressure, or he’d feel a lot worse than a little dizzy.

Out of respect for privacy, Owen removed his horns and kept them in his bag as he walked down the hall. He wasn’t sure who was inside at this time, but he wondered…

One door, two, three, fourth door, on his left. He turned and stared at the unremarkable entrance, then held his palm forward. A sigil of flames appeared, and the door slid aside.

Gods, it was just like he’d left it.

Oversized furniture lined the large room, about twenty paces from the door to the farthest table, which was taller than he was. He walked through the recently dusted and polished wooden desk, the shelf whose highest levels were too far for his arms to reach, and then opened one of the lower drawers to find an old notebook of faded paper. It looked like it had been restored, possibly by divine means. He flipped through the pages, memories flooding back to him from the touch.

So many reports, so many logs of wishes approved and denied. Energy expenditure, findings of which wishes had the greatest impact for the least work. He’d made it a pet project to help Jirachi’s wish granting have a wider reach, sifting high-effort wishes with low impact from the others. Worked with Xerneas, Yveltal, and sometimes—with hesitance—Palkia to offload that power with more manual work. It wasn’t like they did a whole lot on their own. They were emergency gods. They could afford to spare a little power in their off-years.

World went fine without them anyway. Mostly.

Owen put the notebook back for now and opened the drawer opposite to it. Something clanged and clattered inside. He tilted his head, pulling out the first thing that caught his eye—a little glass sphere that had glittery orbs floating inside through some idle energy. When Owen focused, they spun a little faster, like bubbles in a current.

Someone stepped a little loudly down the hall. A calm stepping that was deliberate to get his attention.

Walking past and then turning to the entrance was Arceus’ daughter, Leph. Smaller, a little thinner, and with kinder eyes. But she inherited his sternness, even if it wasn’t a true bloodline.

“Hi,” Leph said.

Owen nodded, and then the connection finally reestablished itself. “You made this,” he said, holding up the little cosmic trinket.

“Oh, y-yeah.” Leph looked down. “I sort of… just like to make little things with divine power. Even if they’re useless. It’s nice to look at.”

“Yeah. I liked it. The way it spun… I like how it interacts with my Perceive. Helped me practice not getting overwhelmed.”

“Is that why you, er, don’t have your horns right now? Were you cursed?”

“Oh, uh—No, I just took them off. I can’t turn them off, so that’s the next best thing.”

Leph looked taken aback. “That’s a bit brutal, isn’t it?”

“Uh? I can just snap them back on.”

“What?”

As if to demonstrate, Owen removed them from his back and put one back on with a little click.

“…Palkia experimented on you.”

“Y-you could say that.”

“Can you not turn it off?” Leph asked.

“It’s kind of stuck on.”

“Perhaps I could help…”

“M-maybe later. This works for now.” Owen held up a hand. “Anyway… Er, did you want to talk about something?”

Leph only stared. With his half-Perceive, he had a vague sense that she was tense. “Do you remember anything?”

Owen put his other horn on and looked through the rest of the shelves with his Perceive. So many little baubles and trinkets that he kept…

“Some of it is coming back to me. But it’s a lot to sort through. I do remember helping to raise you. I remember you were born as a proper god of this world. That when your father and Star created this place, two gods in their likeness had also been born under the Tree of Life to lead things once the world reached its maturity, or something. And that maturity was only a few years after it had been created. Star and Barky seemed happy and surprised to raise you…”

“You were my uncle,” Leph said. “Sure, you were busy with Jirachi and being Wishkeeper all the time, but…”

“You spent your days with all the Legends, didn’t you? Getting to know them…”

Leph nodded. “So, you remember?”

“I remember… some of the facts,” Owen said, his heart sinking at the hope in her eyes. He wasn’t really sure if he could truly feel how she wanted him to feel right now. He’d lived too many lives, made too many new connections, for these old ones to… settle.

Was this how he felt about Rhys? About Amia?

Was this how Eon had felt about Owen before?

“How’s Aster?” Owen asked awkwardly.

“He’s fine. Tired. Recovering. Kind of… scared.”

“Oh.”

He couldn’t ask to see him, could he?

“Um, good luck finding Necrozma,” Leph added. “…You’ll… need it. It’s bad down there, and I don’t… want to go back.”

“That’s fine. You need to help here on the surface.”

But Owen didn’t need Perceive to sense her shame.

“Really, Leph,” Owen urged. “You’ve been through enough. You need strength from Kilo, not the Voidlands. Let some people who have more light in them handle it down there.”

“Yeah.”

“And tell Aster the same, alright?”

“Yeah.”

She stood aside as Owen walked past her, but he gingerly placed a hand on the base of her neck. She didn’t flinch. In fact, she leaned against him.

“You’re smaller,” Owen remarked.

“I kind of like it that way. In here. Too cramped at full size.”

Owen nodded, but then looked back. “I guess my oversized room helps, huh?”

You were huge,” Leph muttered. “Really, why do Pokémon react that way to divine power?”

“Big energy, big body?” Owen asked with a nervous smile.

She giggled and walked down the hall; Owen went the other way, but he’d forgotten to take out his horns. He could sense someone in another room focused on the hall, listening, attentive, but too nervous to speak out. But he knew the body language to tell she was conflicted.

And so was he. With a sigh, he decided to break the ice, and once Leph headed into her room again, Owen approached another door and quietly tapped his claw three times against it.

The person on the other side watched, staring, paralyzed. Didn’t want to get up. Instead, she only stared again, trying to decide. Owen didn’t do anything; he didn’t want to pressure her.

Then, he Perceived her gesture for him to come in. Was the door unlocked?

Owen pressed his palm against it and focused. The door reacted, forming a sigil of some kind of double-helix, and slid aside.

Star’s room was brightly colored and had countless old drawings from mortals plastered on the wall. Eighteen bowls adorned the walls on individual shelves, each one filled with symbols of the elements. Eternal woods in one bowl, candle wax and kindling in another, dragon scales and incense that burned blue in a third, and so on. In the very back was a large bed with a tiny god curled up in the middle, staring at him, silent, trembling.

“Hey, Star,” Owen said, keeping his voice gentle. “How are you feeling?”

She looked exhausted. She’d been just fine during the meeting, but he knew she’d been struggling to keep it together. This must have been one of her bad days. Bad hours. Maybe even a bad moment. A part of him wondered if he should wait to see her again, but he knew he may not have that opportunity for a while. The Abyssal Sea waited for him tomorrow.

He decided to take it as far as he could without scaring her. “May I come in?”

She nodded, curling a little more. That wasn’t a good sign. But he couldn’t back out now; she’d take offense. He stepped over, but didn’t close the door. She wouldn’t be trapped with him. He made sure she could clearly see the exit as he walked, following the walls and not directly to her, sitting near the bed and never taking a direct route to where she rested. All of those things at least didn’t make her more nervous.

“I just wanted to pay a visit to see how everyone was doing,” Owen explained to Star, who didn’t nod, but she was attentive. “Just get some words in before leaving for the next part of our mission. We’re all ready, physically. I just wanted to say goodbye in case it would be a while.”

To that, she nodded in understanding and opened her mouth, but the words couldn’t come. She seemed trapped and confounded by herself.

“I wanted to thank you. And to apologize for what you went through in there.”

She winced, looking pained, and Owen silently chided himself. Bad move. He couldn’t remind her of there.

“Sorry. Just, thanks for being so strong,” Owen said. “It’s okay. You don’t… need to think about it, Star. I understand.”

Again, she felt like she wanted to say something.

“Star?”

But the words couldn’t come.

So small and vulnerable. Tiny and helpless. Small parts of Owen’s primal, mutated psyche conceptualized what that would mean if they were opponents, but he was all too practiced in pushing those thoughts aside.

“Are you cold?” Owen asked.

He wasn’t really sure. He couldn’t quite sense temperature with Perceive, but he could tell how her body reacted to things. She was probably cold.

She flinched a little at the question, but in surprise rather than horror. She nodded, glancing at a blanket she’d tossed aside. She could easily retrieve it with some psionics, but didn’t.

“…Would you like me to hold you?” Owen offered, perplexing Star more. She didn’t object, but something kept her from nodding. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Now puzzled, and maybe curious, the Mew reached out. Owen did the rest of the work, gently reaching a single palm over so she could grasp him and curl around his palm. Then, he slowly, slowly moved her to his chest, folding his wings over her.

She leaned against his scales, and then closed her eyes. Owen wondered where Hecto was in all this, or if he was busy with everything. Could he even spare one copy for her?

That seemed like a bad question to ask. “That’s better,” Owen said. “It’s alright, Star. You… are just having a bad day. It’ll get better.”

Owen didn’t know the full details of what they’d done to Star, and he wasn’t about to ask out of respect to her. He only could guess, from how Spice described her room as littered with empty seeds and a horrible smell that had lingered in the air.

At least she was relaxing. Owen decided he had a little extra time to spare, knowing his conversation with Barky was probably going to be a lot faster anyway.

“I’m sorry,” Star whispered.

Finally, she’d talked. Her voice was frail, but Owen could tell it wasn’t an act, as suspicious as he had been for many days. But now, holding her, sensing her energy, hearing her voice, there was simply no sign, even from his Perceive, that it was an act. And while he felt justified in having doubted her, he also felt guilty in that moment that he had.

“Sorry?” Owen asked.

Star curled up more. “Everything. The world. I… made Dark Matter accidentally. It was me, wasn’t it? He wasn’t lying…”

Those strange machines in Orre had corrupted Star to the point where even after she was freed, her lingering fears had created Dark Matter in the new world that had been formed. That was the most likely reason for all of this, the whole reason Kilo had Dark Matter at all.

Her face was wet.

“You couldn’t have known,” Owen said. “But… you should be careful with it next time, if… you do. Which maybe don’t. No new worlds.”

Another long silence. It was a little less tense. Owen didn’t say he forgave her, but maybe the way he worded things helped anyway.

“For controlling you,” Star went on. “For using you. For the Guardians. For the Hunters…”

That was… harder to forgive. But he couldn’t allow himself to hesitate. “You won’t do it again?”

“I pr…” Star trailed off, and her body had tensed with… Owen wasn’t sure. Fear? It wasn’t quite fear. Some of the muscles weren’t reacting the same way as fear.

Star raised her little paw up to Owen. Her big eyes had a determined look, but it was fake. The gesture, though, was very real. Golden lights trailed around her paw.

“I… I Promise,” Star whispered. “I Promise I’ll never control you again.”

But she never did Promises. Star… didn’t. She feared those, for what it might do to her.

“Star… don’t do this just for forgiveness,” Owen whispered.

“Please.”

She held her paw forward again, trembling, like she wanted to pull it away. Owen thought about what that meant; the Promise would only go through if they were truly on the same page. That Star wouldn’t Reset him. Wouldn’t manipulate anyone else into Resetting him. Wouldn’t try to overtake his body. He would be free from her authority.

Owen thought he would be taking advantage of her by agreeing. But despite this straightforward Promise, how clearly it only benefited Owen, he sensed a strengthening resolve as Star’s impulsive offer lingered in the air. She wanted it, too. It felt like she had more than one reason, and he didn’t fully know.

But there was absolutely no drawback to it for him. If Star was so sure…

Owen held a claw forward, half-expecting the Promise to fail because they weren’t thinking of the same conditions.

“I accept.”

Divine light flared between them and a shock ran up Owen’s arm, sinking into a gentle warmth in his chest.

Star rested her head against Owen and laughed a little. Her eyes fluttered closed, and then she whispered, “Thank you…”

Owen still felt guilty. But when Star finally fell asleep, she seemed oddly peaceful. Like she’d repented. Owen wanted to say it wasn’t that easy, but… was it?

He now existed beyond Star’s control. A whole third of the proper pantheon could no longer touch him.

Had Star been on his side all along… and simply was going about it the wrong way? How many others were like that?

After gingerly setting Star back into her bed, making sure she was warm and comfortable, he left the room. The door slid closed when he did.

Nobody else was there. For the best. It was time to see Arceus himself…

<><><>​

But nothing was really simple anymore. When Owen emerged on the top floor of Destiny Tower, a cold high-altitude wind whipping against his scales, he saw not only Arceus, but a Treecko standing and overlooking the horizon. Having half a mind to turn back to leave, Owen instead braved the encounter with a heavy step to announce his presence.

“Owen,” Mhynt greeted. “Welcome. We were just enjoying the view.”

“Bar—er, Arceus let you up here?” Owen asked.

“She fought her way through in the morning,” Barky explained. “As it turns out, already possessing blessings and having your spiritual forces depleted makes for a fairly easy climb.”

“In the end, it’s basically cheating anyway,” Mhynt hummed. “Here to do your final rounds before departing for the Abyssal Sea?”

Owen nodded. “Just wanted to ask if you needed anything.”

“I am fine. Good luck in the Abyssal Sea, Owen.” Barky glanced down at Mhynt.

“I will be coming with you,” Mhynt said, tapping her foot. “I feel that I should meet Necrozma myself as well. We have a lot to talk about. And I simply cannot stand a second without you.” Mhynt rolled her palm toward the sky and smirked at Owen.

“A-aha… right… er… Zena’s going to be there, too…”

“Oh, I know,” Mhynt replied. “I plan to give her some competition.”

“That’s not—”

“And frankly, you need my protection. Even without powers of Shadow working properly anymore, I’m still more than capable.” She flicked her wrist, and a new blade formed, this one of light with a dark core that traced along the sharp edge.

“Well… Right. Thanks, Mhynt. And thanks, too, Arceus. I checked on Star. She’s doing… better.”

“I sense her energy within you,” Arceus said. “She’s been afraid to talk to you. But I’m glad it went well.”

Owen nodded. “By the way, where’s Hecto? I thought that he’d be around to support her by now.”

“Hmm. You must have missed him,” Arceus said. “His pieces visit daily, but he has been utilizing all of his resources to search for Dark Matter’s fragments. So far, nothing. We’re confident it will be nothing, but we must be sure of such things. He has also been behaving… differently lately. I do wonder if it has to do with his memories of Necrozma returning; they were once partners. He’d forgotten him until recently.”

Owen nodded, but he felt that was beyond his scope for now. “Right. Well, I’m glad he’s keeping an eye on her. She’s still very vulnerable.” Owen tried not to look at Mhynt, who had probably been in the same building while Star had been tortured.

“Mm. Which reminds me, Owen,” Arceus said. “Before you go, I would… like to assist you in my own way.”

“Uh?”

“You’ve been bestowed power by others before, correct?”

“Oh, yeah. Like Rayquaza, or Azelf, when they gave part of their power for me to use against Alexander.”

“No. As in… the way you’d acquired power from Dark Matter—sorry, Diyem, and Necrozma. I believe it is suitable for now that I offer a piece of my own to you as well. It may be necessary if you will be fighting Alexander.”

“Uhh, maybe can we… wait on that?” Owen asked.

Arceus relaxed. “No Promises this time, Owen. It will help you resist any influencers, perhaps even the Reset Key. You’ll—”

“No, because, er… the energy you sense within me. Star… sort of beat you to the punch.”

Barky flinched. Then he looked offended. After that prideful reflex, he tilted his head in genuine puzzlement. “Just now?”

“I was surprised, too. But she insisted.” He almost said that she also shared a Promise with him, but… Arceus would not take that well. Would he? Or would this be okay to share?

No. They were allies.

“She also made a Promise to me. I—I didn’t force her. In fact, I told her no, but she insisted!”

But Barky didn’t seem as startled that time. His eyes almost looked… sad.

“I see.” He hummed. “Thank you for telling me, Owen. I will take care of her while you are gone, just as others are. But after she gave you that Promise… did she seem better?”

“Yeah…? Why?”

Barky shook his head. “It is nothing. I can only speculate that she wanted to force the temptation away from herself, should it ever come again. Drastic. Spontaneous. She hasn’t changed…”

“Hmph. You’re obviously feeling guilty for accepting,” Mhynt said. “Don’t be. Instead, promise you won’t abuse that position of yours, hm?”

“Y-yeah. I won’t. Promise.” Owen nodded. “…I guess… see you tomorrow?”

Mhynt nodded, dispelling the blade and looking out at the horizon again.

“Go and rest, Owen. I’m sure Zena’s waiting for you.”

Owen winced. “You know if… you ever want to get out there, I could… vouch for you?”

“Vouch for me.” Mhynt laughed, half-cringing. “I appreciate the offer, Owen. But really. I don’t think you understand how awkward that is.”

“Is it?” Owen asked.

Barky had cringed a little, too, but tried to hide it. Futile against Owen.

“Best of luck to Zena, then,” Mhynt said with a dry chuckle, waving him off. Deciding to cut things off while he was only slightly behind, Owen stepped back and tripped his way down the stairs.

<><><>​

A spiraling flight down Destiny Tower helped clear Owen’s head and cool off his minor bruises from the accidental fall. The extra altitude made the flight back home a lot easier as well, surprised in retrospect at how much faster he was compared to summertime. Being properly unleashed and able to fly with wings and Mystic power… He was at least twice as fast as before.

By the time it was late afternoon near Kilo Village, he landed in front of his temporary home in Yotta Outskirts. Nobody but Zena was around, not even Enet, and the Milotic had packed their few supplies into a small bag and set it off to the side.

“Everything is ready,” Zena said with a satisfied sigh. “How did everything go?”

“Really well,” Owen replied vaguely. “I can tell you all about it later, when it’s more private. We should get moving, huh? They’re probably waiting for—”

“We’re actually early,” Zena explained. “We don’t have to go just yet.”

“Oh. But we’re all pa—wait…” Owen tilted his head. “Oh, well, the bed is still there. I can carry that, don’t worry. It’s a nice bed; we should bring it with us. Bought it ourselves, right?”

Zena smiled a little awkwardly. “Owen… I left the bed out for a reason.”

Owen squinted. “…You needed a nap? Were you training?”

“Use your Perceive, please.”

Owen tilted his head the other way. “…Oh. Oh!”

Zena’s ribbons wrapped around Owen’s arms, guiding him inside. The door closed behind him, and did not reopen for quite a while.

<><><>​

“Oi! They’re here!” Gahi announced, disappearing into the mostly restored Hot Spot Cave. Owen wasn’t sure if he’d simply moved very quickly or Teleported at this point. On his back was the bag of their household supplies, a recently cleaned bed, and Enet and Charmander, whom they had picked up at Leo’s.

“Hey!” Owen greeted with a wave. “Sorry if we took a while.”

“Oh, you’re actually almost right on time!” Amia called back, emerging next and adjusting her hair. Still blue. But her mannerisms were just a bit different as usual. “You can put your things in Zena’s old home, if you like, dear. Will you two be…?”

“Y-yes, actually,” Owen said. “How’d you guess?”

“I suppose it would be a mother’s intuition,” Amia said, smiling. “See, I’ve still got it!”

Owen laughed nervously and gestured for Zena to come along. As he moved past, though, Amia said a bit more seriously, “I’m… trying to get things back to normal. I remember most of what happened, dear. It may feel like another time, but it still happened. I still remember… taking care of you for so long. Soothing your spirit, helping you have a happy life with all the other Fire spirits…”

Zena was looking at Owen with some concern, and he wondered if his expression was too obvious or not. Or if they simply knew.

“It’s alright,” Owen said. “I… I mean, I always wanted to talk about it to you. I don’t know if you remember… when I talked to you when you were a Void Shadow about what I wanted to ask you about. Your life, and all that. But I learned a little from Dad. Just a little. And…”

“I don’t remember it too well,” Amia said, advancing a few tentative steps. Owen didn’t move away. “But… if you want to talk, we can, dear. About whatever you like.”

Owen couldn’t find the words. He only stared, mind racing, realizing the opportunity was suddenly in front of him. Zena wrapped her ribbons around his nearer arm. It helped just enough.

“Do you… regret it? Anything with me?” Owen asked.

“Regret… Goodness, no. I loved taking care of you. You were like the child Alex and I couldn’t have.”

“And… the Resets. That was… that was because you had to. Otherwise…”

“That’s how I saw it. I’m… I’m sorry if—”

“No, no, it’s okay. I understand, I’m over that part—”

“But it still wasn’t right,” Amia interjected firmly. By now, a few heads were poking out from nearby buildings, including Alex, who was back to looking like a Hydreigon. He yipped upon seeing Owen and disappeared inside.

“Dad, it’s fine,” Owen called. “Just… don’t go on fire.”

While Alex continued to hesitate, Amia continued. “I wish I was more assertive about finding another way. Instead, I subjected you to… five hundred years of that, Owen. So many times you found out, had to be Reset, or died, tried to run away, only to have your ember come right back to me. Do you remember any of that yet? I… it was horrible. Always worrying what would happen when those memories came back. Or worse, if they could come back in… I don’t know what would be more terrible to put you through.”

And as Amia spoke, Owen felt that she was… more familiar. Like maybe he was talking to an echo of who she used to be, the more she talked about those regrets. That maybe ‘she’ was finally back, even if it was fleeting.

He had to seize that opportunity. “It’s okay,” Owen said. “I understand. Like I said, I get it—don’t think about it too much for now, alright? We have… we’re going to have a lot of time to make up for it later. After we save Kilo… how about we try to be a family for real this time? And…” Owen pulled Zena a little closer, wrapping a wing over her neck. “Maybe with… someone else in the family, too?”

Zena’s cream-prism scales reddened. “O-oh. Ah, yes, we… I suppose, we’ve… taken things more seriously between ourselves.”

Owen grinned. “We’re mates now!”

“Owen, that’s—” Zena sighed, then smiled, defeated, toward Amia.

She only laughed. “Congratulations, you two. But don’t get distracted on the Abyssal Sea! It’s dangerous!”

“We won’t,” Owen assured.

“I’ll go and set up our room before we go,” Zena said. “Why don’t you have dinner with your parents, Owen? I’ll join you later.”

“Sure.” Owen nodded. “If that’s the case, how about we have an old classic?” he grinned. “Tamato soup.”

Amia clasped her hands together and grinned, about to reply.

The sky rumbled; they all turned toward the now open air of Hot Spot’s former caverns and into the rift that connected them to the Voidlands. Someone was falling from it.

Manny landed on his feet in a kneel, leaving a small crater in the rocks. He dusted himself off, looked around, locked eyes with Owen and pointed. “You gotta go.”

“Uh?”

Demitri and the others emerged from the other room. Mispy whispered something to Gahi, who disappeared into their home and started gathering supplies.

“Is something wrong?” Mhynt asked, emerging next from Team Alloy’s abode, along with Trina.

“Good, yer all here,” Manny said. “Everyone goin’ ter the Abyssal Sea. Owen’s team. Gotta go now.” He gestured skyward. “Alexander’s spotted. He’s a kilo away.”
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. lugia
  5. quilava-fobbie
  6. sneasel-kate
  7. heliolisk-fobbie
Heya, dusting this off since it's a goal of mine to reciprocally review everyone who was kind enough to shoot me a review during Union's ongoing review event. So without further ado, let's jump back into the story and pick up where we left things off last time:

Chapter 7

“You’re… you’re Mew.” Despite the being he was speaking to, he pointed an accusatory claw toward the pink god. “Mew!”

“Yep!”

Owen: "How on earth are you just being this nonchalant right now?"
:ohnowen:

Star: "You get used to it, really."
:gardeshrug~1:


“And—and you’re… you’re talking to me. You know my name.”

“Uh-huh!”

Which should instantly trip major red flags here given that we already know that Owen and a number of other characters are stuck in a loop of imperfect mind-wipes. Implying that Star knows Owen from some loop in the past.

Owen’s throat sealed itself. He swallowed, but it didn’t help. It was like his face was stuffed with Oran Berries. “You… y-you… you, you… you…”

What does it feel like to have your face stuffed with Oran Berries anyways? Is that meant to just feel "clogged" there? Or more burn-y / citrus-y?

“Aww, you’re shy! I like the shy types.” She gave Owen a little wink.


... Which is probably not a good sign there given that we've seen Owen pick up subconscious cues from other characters in the past that didn't bode well for the sorts of people they are (*cough cough* Nevren)...

Owen knew that if he wasn’t in this strange place, he would’ve passed out by now. Instead, he stared in shock. It took a full ten seconds for him to return to his senses. “Mew! Why are you looking at—at me? No, wait, I mean—talking to me? I’m—Did you want to see Rhys, instead? He’s way more important!”


Star: "I mean, is Rhys the one explicitly mentioned in the story summary...?"
Owen: "... No? But he's a lot more experienced and knowledgeable than me, isn't he?" ^^;

The Mew giggled. “Oh, call me Star. My name’s Mew Star.”


inb4 she's gone around as 'Felis' as an alias at some point. Since hey, it's one of those very "Cat Star" names.

“S-S-Star? Y-you—! But you’re important! A-aren’t you supposed to not have a name aside from your species?”


Oh, so Legendaries don't have given names by default in this setting, huh? Or at least, they're presumed to not have given names.

Though that makes me wonder if Star is really alone in terms of being a Mew in HoC's setting.

“What, just because I’m Mew means I can’t have a name to go along with it? C’mon, that’s no fun.” Star puffed her cheeks. “What happens if I run into a lesser Mew? Then we’ll be all kinds of confused!"

[ ]

"My name is Star, got it? Besides, it’d be confusing if I did this, right?” Suddenly, Star’s body shifted and twisted, starting from a mesh of pink into orange, and she fell to the ground on her feet—a Charmander.

Unless if Star is very deliberately meant to be a motor mouth type, it might make sense to chop this line of dialogue into two halves since you can do something like showing Owen react to things.

Though 'lesser Mew' huh? So Star really isn't alone as a Mew in this setting. Though does that mean that for Legendaries here, there's always one that has the game-breaking powers while the rest are effectively spec'ed to whatever their game representations are?

She gave a little bow. “Eh? Eh?” She followed up with a little spin, wagging her tail to loosen a few embers.

“Wh—uh—that—” Owen gulped. “D-don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” Star asked, flicking her tail again.

That. Please—stop.”

Why, is this some sort of immodest gesture among Chars or something? Since boy is Owen reading as extremely flustered right now from getting a few embers on him. :V

Star: "What's that? Flick my tail some more-?"
Owen: "Look, for goodness' sake, stop. Please."
:grohno~1:


Star eyed Owen, as if getting a read for him, but then shrugged. “Fine,” she relented, and she melted back to her floating, Mew self.


Yeah, I stand by my read that Chars passing flecks of their tail fire to each other is 'blushy-crushy'-tier for them, since I was getting all sorts of "stop hitting on me" vibes from this exchange.

Owen felt the heat slowly leave his face. “Okay. Okay, that’s better. It’s n-nice to meet you, um, Star. I’m—I’m Charmander Owen! And—”

“Oh, please, I already know all about you.” She waved a paw dismissively in the air. “I’m Mew! Well, not a Mew. The Mew, yeah? I’m pretty high up in the pantheon or whatever.”

Not sure if I should trust this explanation or not right about now. Though I suppose that confirms that Legendaries operate off a "one guy with all the cutscene powers and a bunch of game-spec others". Though it makes me wonder if those "lesser" Legendaries can ever be promoted into the "The" Legendary of the pantheon or not.

“O-oh, so, you’re—”

“Creator of common life, yes,” Star said, nodding. “Pretty nifty, huh? I have a few perks, too. Reading minds, shape-shifting, you know.”

Oh, so this fic rolls with the "Mew as the mother of normies" tack. Can't say I disagree with that take too much, but noted.

“Th-that’s… But…!”

[ ]

“So! I hate to be the one to tell you this”—She clapped her paws together—“but by touching that orb in Rhys’ room, you kinda more or less closed off your fate to three options. Okay? Mind if I tell you those?”

It might just be me, but it might have made sense to put in some description before Star's line here, even if it was something as simple as pulling her mention of clapping her paws forward as a "Hey, listen!" sort of moment. Pls no, since I can only imagine what a Mew taking after Navi would be like
:unquag:


“Wait—the Orb? The Orb? Was I supposed to—I mean, was I really not supposed to touch it?”

Owen, if you have to ask these things...

“No way, definitely not.” Star shook her head, though she didn’t hide her playful smile. “I mean, you’re fine, probably, but you probably also shouldn’t have gone against what the old Lucario told you. But hey, that’s karma, right?”

Owen: "Mew, you're scaring me right now."