An bonus material time! Kinda lengthy, but I had four mini-chapters that couldn't fit anywhere else.
Extra Chapter: The Last Mission of Team Tidal
There were six Pokemon in the Guldmaster's office: the Guildmaster Bartleby, his assistant Charlie, the leader of Team Tidal William the Balstoise, and the other three members, Angela the Azurmarill, Lucinda the Lunatone, and Chipper the Lanturn. The Guildmaster clapped his hands. "Thanks for coming in, my friends! We have important business to discuss, but we'll try not to keep you for long."
"Yes, this is about the underwater town of Miracle Sea," Charlie said. "Their branch of the Explorer's Guild has come under scruitiny. We are supporting the Guildmaster there, as she has assisted us many times. But while they are unable to do anything, a problem has come up that requires a top-notch team."
"Have you heard of the Bottomless Sea?"
William nodded. "Of course, it's where Kyogre lives. But it's also one of the longest dungeons of the ocean floor."
"Kyogre is the concern, though," Bartleby said.
Charlie pointed to a map on the wall. "The oceans have been troubled the past few weeks and it has come to the attention of Miracle Sea's residents that Kyogre is upset about something. In old days, she and Groudon used to duel about whether the seas or the lands should cover the world. Rayquaza eventually forced a truce between them, which has held to this day."
"But Shawna suspects that with Kyogre being upset as she is, the truce may not last," Bartleby added. "Since she cannot assign missions and her best teams are under scrutiny, she has asked us to send a group into the Bottomless Sea, to speak to Kyogre and find out what troubles her. And, should the Master of the Seas have a request for you, you are free to do so."
"How do you feel about that, Lucinda?" William asked the Lunatone.
She blinked her eyes. "It will be fine. You all are with me."
"Then we'll go check this out. At least most of us. You okay with staying with the kids, Angela?"
"Of course, dear," she said with a smile.
"All right, then set out whenever you're ready," Charlie said.
-+-
"Can I come with you?" Stacy asked. William was carrying her up by his left shoulder cannon. But she had nothing to fear being there.
He laughed and patted her nose. "Not this time, sweetheart. We could be gone for a long while. Maybe when we come back."
"If you show sufficient progress," Chipper added.
"I'll work hard," the Squirtle said, smiling.
"I'm sure of it." William set her down on the beach, next to her mother and brothers. "Protect the home with your mother, all right?" When she nodded, he turned to Angela. "Well, we'll be off then."
She hugged him. "Take care of yourself, all of you. I hope she'll listen to you."
"We'll be fine," Lucinda said.
"I love you, honey," the Blastoise said before giving her a good-bye kiss. Then he pulled away and looked at his two sons and daughter. "Now don't cause your mom too much trouble. I'll see you all again when we return."
"Bye Dad!" Azeri squealed, hugging his leg.
"Goodbye Dad," Matti added. "Goodbye, Lucinda and Chipper."
"And good luck!" Stacy added.
After a few more goodbyes, the three members of Team Tidal entered the ocean waves, seeking out the Bottomless Sea.
-+-
It was a long swim. William and Chipper were both Water types, so they were almost at home in the ocean depths. However, Lucinda was part-Rock. The Lunatone traveled close to their leader, to get a break in the shifting currents. At least she had no issues with breathing. As they got further from the sun, they relied on Chipper's electric antenna, which put out a significant amount of light.
After three days travel, they came upon the entrance to the Bottomless Sea. There was strange magic at work in this Mystery Dungeon, as the water became so thin that it was more like humid air, suitable for land-dwellers who needed to breathe. There were also blue crystals that sent out sufficient light on most levels. If an explorer had a way to dive so deep, anyone could navigate the Bottomless Sea. Just so long as he or she didn't insult Kyogre along the way.
"It has fifty levels which must be traversed before we reach the place the Master lives," Lucinda said. "And the locals are set on defending her."
"We should still try negotiations if at all possible," William said. "If we get stuck down here, there's going to be a long wait for backup."
"Well you've got me around if anyone gets stubborn," Chipper pointed out, making his antenna flicker.
"The waters are nervous," Lucinda noted, gazing at a nearby crystal.
And so were the inhabitants. A Wailord met them near the whirlpool that served as a passage. "What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously. "Are you agents of Groudon? You have a rock with you."
"No, m'am," William said with a polite bow of his head. "We were sent to check on what's bothering Kyogre."
"And you mean to bother her more?"
He shook his head, backed up by his teammates. "No. The town of Miracle Sea is concerned, that is all."
"I see. Well be careful. Some of the wild ones ahead are afraid, so there's no telling what they'll do to you."
"We will be, and thanks for the advice." They continued on.
It was a long slow trek, which they had to break up several times. They nearly got assaulted in the middle of sleeping, but Lucinda woke up and got Chipper up quick enough to scare the wild Pokemon off. As they went deeper, the Lunatone noted that the atmosphere got tenser. There really was something wrong with the legendary Pokemon, it seemed.
William had lost track, but at one whirlpool, Chipper said, "Kyogre's gonna be through here. Ready boss?"
"Yes." He shifted his shoulder cannons to a passive position. He wouldn't be able to react in a fight as quickly, but that would be noticed. "Let's go."
The last floor was the largest in the dungeon, with the thin water filling a space that could have contained the main street of Treasure Town. Past an unseen barrier, there was the deep water of the ocean. Kyogre swam in that, moving at a slow pace. Noticing the shifts in the water flow, no matter how tiny they were in comparison to her, she turned and watched them.
The three members of Team Tidal bowed. "Greetings, Master of the Seas," William said. "We are Team Tidal; we came to see what has been disturbing you. Many ocean residents are concerned."
"I see." She swam into thin water pocket. "There is something of grave concern going on. Manaphy is missing."
"Manaphy?"
"That is one of the oceanic legendary Pokemon," Lucinda said.
"The Princess of the Seas," Kyogre said, then paused. "Or Prince, it depends on her mood. She is reborn about once a century and was supposed to have hatched a month ago. But I have heard no word from her guardians, or anyone. She tends to draw attention easily, so there must be something wrong."
William could understand that. If one of his kids went missing, he would be tense and worried as well. But then, he would be out looking for them as soon as he realized something was wrong. "Have you gone to check on her yourself?"
"I cannot do that," she replied, revealing a tone of shame. "At least, not easily. Her egg must be kept deep in a glacier where her guardians live. I couldn't get to her without breaking up the glacier, which would cause further complications. But since you are here, would you mind going into the glacier to check for me? The ones who live here are used to these waters. But you're explorers. You could handle the arctic dungeon."
He glanced at Lucinda; again, she would be the one in most danger there. When she nodded, William looked back to Kyogre. "Of course, we'll go check on Manaphy. Where is the dungeon her egg is in?"
"In a distant sea. But I can take you there without delay."
-+-
Kyogre brought them to a frozen sea. Ice drifted around them, coming off an enormous glacier that hung off a piece of land. Right in front of them, there was a ten foot wide tunnel leading into a Mystery Dungeon. "This place is called Ice Palace," she told them. "The civilized Pokemon who live inside act as Manaphy's guardians. I will give you this sign; it will let them know that you come on my request."
"Thank you, Kyogre," William said, accepting the mark. It was a glowing blue crystal in the shape of a scale. "We'll make finding Manaphy our priority, so it should not be long."
"And thank you for doing this." She waited by the entrance while the three explorers went inside.
Deep inside Ice Palace, a shadowy figure noticed the newcomers. Darkrai was still for a minute. Although his breath came as mist, the cold did not bother him. "You came, Kyogre," he whispered. "You're too late. I'll show you." He went into the walls and the shadows.
Unlike the Bottomless Sea, Team Tidal made quick progress through Ice Palace. By the third level, Lucinda spoke up. "There's no Pokemon around here. I thought the first two levels might be an anomaly. But none are coming."
"Was there some sickness here?" Chipper wondered.
"It doesn't seem like that," she replied.
On the eleventh level, they came across a crowd of three dozen Pokemon, a mix of species that could handle the frigid conditions. But it didn't take Lucinda's powers to know there was something wrong with them. Their eyes were blank, half-closed. Yet their bodies were tense and afraid.
"What's wrong with this place?" William asked them. "We came looking for Manaphy, but have seen no one up until now."
The crowd of Pokemon were incapable of responding, or even comprehending the words. Unseen, Darkrai reached out with his mind and spoke through a Walrein. "Manaphy is no longer here," he told the intruders. "Manaphy was taken by the ocean currents. The egg is still."
"How did the egg get taken by the currents?" William asked. "You were to guard her."
"We gave the egg to the currents. That was the only thing to do."
Out of the corner of his eye, William saw Lucinda close her eyes. She was sending the message to Kyogre, he knew. He spoke to the Walrein again. "The only thing to do about what?"
"The deception and the unfairness of the world," Darkrai replied. "You may see a world at peace, but it is a farce, disguising cruelty. We are only a few thoughts away from savage wildness."
"What does that have to do with Manaphy?" Chipper asked.
"Manaphy was part of the deception, an ancient being pretending to be an innocent child. It is a cruel joke, but he will see the seriousness of the world and suffer for it. Then the deception will be gone."
"You're supposed to be her guardians," William said, angered. "How could you think that?"
"Do we? You are blinded by the deception. You will suffer for it." Then Darkrai ordered his slumbering captives to attack and kill the invaders. He wouldn't let his identity be known now, but he would show them all how serious he was about his goal. The three might have been strong explorers, but against such overwhelming odds, they didn't stand a chance.
Once they were dead, the Nightmare Pokemon left Ice Palace. His captives would awaken in an hour or so and realize what they had done. While that would be interesting to see, he wanted to be away before Kyogre noticed him.
-+-
It took a while, but Kyogre got the three explorers out of the palace. As worried as she was for Manaphy, it was distressing that these selfless explorers had died while working for her. She got them to Miracle Sea only to learn that they were land-dwellers from Treasure Town instead. She went ahead and brought them to the beach just south of that settlement. A rainstorm followed her to shore.
"I hope they honor you as the heroes you must be," she said, then swam back out to the sea.
But not to the Bottomless Sea. With the strong currents around Ice Palace, Manaphy's egg could have wound up anywhere. Kyogre began swimming the world's seas, searching for her companion.
Extra Chapter: Poison Roses
Hidden by the thorny vines that infested this area, there was a small rock cave. It was some ten feet across in a crooked circle, with a ceiling only four feet from the floor. But that floor was higher than the surrounding ground, so the murky waters never came in. Normally, a Nidorina wouldn't have lived here, as they felt more comfortable around those murky waters. Jessie had her reasons though, one of which was her young child, a Treecko.
He was a pawful, though. She got up and gingerly nosed him away from a deep pit. "No go there. Danger to you."
After taking a couple of steps back, he looked at her with his yellow eyes and asked, "Why?"
"Danger," she repeated, indicating that he should go back into their cave. The sun had crossed the horizon. "Sickness for you. Not me, but you, no go."
"Why not you?"
"It is that way. This place, danger to you."
He looked disappointed. "Why we live here?"
Jessie went back to what she'd been doing, grooming her right side and making sure none of her poison oils were out. "I wait, for the one who named me. But, maybe we not wait long. Maybe." He was wanting to explore around now, and wanted to be out in the day, in the sunlight. As much as she didn't want to leave her home, if it was not good for her child, it was better to move.
"Who name you?" the Treecko asked.
"Garth. Good Pokemon."
"Who name me?"
"You got no name. And you go to sleep now."
After a bit of whining, Jessie got him to sleep against her right side. Like this place wasn't good for the Treecko's health, neither was her own body, even if she was his mother. She was covered in tiny bristles that could poison anyone who touched her. That was why she took great care in grooming herself every day now, so she didn't accidentally hurt him. It was a struggle that moving would help in a small way.
She often wondered if her son should have a name. But she wasn't sure what to name him. When she had gotten her name, Jessie had been learning to speak in words from Garth. He was a completely civilized Pokemon, a Sceptile who had some reason to camp out in this marsh for months. He was kind and loved her as she had loved him.
But learning to be civilized wasn't an easy thing. Jessie had been a wild Pokemon for many years and remembered it as a simple life. Uncomplicated. On the other paw, civilization was very complicated. She used to simply survive; Garth had said that he was teaching her to really live and appreciate it. However, there seemed to be so many things to worry about now. And it seemed much more painful when he had left. When she had been wild, she hadn't really cared to stay with anyone. When she was almost civilized and he had left, it had hurt her feelings in ways she hadn't thought could be done.
Still, in the past, she had simply taken care of her children. This child seemed different, though. Jessie cared about her Treecko son as much as she had cared about his father. Because of that, she wanted to name him. But she wasn't as smart as Garth had been. He would have known a good name. She didn't.
Jessie looked at him, sleeping peacefully at her side, despite the fact that she was a sickness danger to him. If he should have a name, then maybe he should be with civilized Pokemon. Maybe he would be better with them. But what should his name be?
-+-
The Explorer's Guild… an organization where ordinary people could learn to become heroes. Bartleby the Wigglytuff ran one of the most respected Guilds around too, a place where every Pokemon was welcomed. Everyone had a purpose and everyone was appreciated. It was like a dream come true.
"Chiaka," a stern voice said in warning.
But not always a pleasant dream. The young Chimecho floated over to her team leader, a scruffy looking Chimchar. "Yes Chess, what is it?"
"Quit daydreaming. I want to actually graduate from this stuffy place in decent time, and your slacking doesn't help." The little fire on his head flared. The third member of their team, a Sandshrew, snickered from behind his claws.
"Oh, s-sorry." She twirled her ribbons slowly. "I'm working hard, really."
"Well work harder and don't let your mind drift so much."
"You drift enough as it is," Shale added.
She blushed. Ever since she had joined the guild as an apprentice, she had always been trailing behind her teammates in progress. They were already great fighters; she was still working at it. But Chiaka was determined to become a great explorer too. She would just have to work harder.
"This one looks good," Chess said, swiping a post off the Outlaw board. "We're looking for a Sneasel named Bloody Claw who was last seen fleeing into Poison Rose Marsh. And a solid cash reward too, nice. I always hate it when they give berries and common accessories as rewards. It's so lame."
"The unofficial posts might not have the money to give big rewards," Chiaka spoke up nervously. And that doesn't mean they should be ignored, she thought to add.
But Chess interrupted her addition. "Who asked for your opinion? Let's go grab this loser. I mean, come on, Bloody Claw? He's probably some weakling who gave himself a big name to scare babies."
"Like how you called yourself a smart-sounding name?" Shale asked.
"Shut up, dweeb," the Chimchar countered, waving it off. "I am that smart, thank you very much. Now let's get going."
And so Team Firepunch set out for Poison Rose Marsh.
-+-
A lot of people thought Bloody Claw had changed his name to scare other Pokemon. He examined his claws, black and curved with sharp points. But it wasn't for scaring. It was because, in a fit of rage, his beautiful mate had been slashed free of life…
But she deserved it. She was too beautiful, causing all other male Pokemon to gaze lustfully after her. No, she hadn't deserved it. She loved only him. But she loved the attention. No she hadn't. She would have left him anyways, at some time. No she wouldn't. Trust was a weakness, as was love. No they weren't.
Bloody Claw grumbled and gripped his head. It seemed like his mind had become a warzone, with two different sides holding two incompatible views. Just to make things harder, each side had compelling arguments, so the Sneasel was never sure which thoughts were right, which were wrong, and which were just plain evil. Sometimes he felt evil. He hated (and loved) it. He had such horrible power in these claws.
Splashing footsteps got his attention. Bloody Claw ducked into some tall grass for cover. Before long, two Pokemon came walking along the path. One was a dainty pale blue Nidorina, covered in poisonous spikes and rough scales. The other was a small green Treecko, rare in these parts (this dungeon especially), with a broad leaf tail and smooth green scales. Both walking on all fours, they chatted in the rough speak of half-wilds. "Where?" the Treecko asked.
"Town," the Nidorina replied. "Far place, good place. You get name there."
His eyes went wide and he hopped up in excitement. "I get name? Good! What name?"
"I come up with name on way."
The Treecko, undeniably a child, continued along with a happy gait. But he didn't get too far ahead or away from the Nidorian, probably his mother. Such an odd pair. What were half-wilds doing going to town? But then, why should he care? He was just an observer, unimportant in their lives. But then he had the power to be important. He had the deadly power to go from forgettable to unforgettable.
However, that wasn't right. But why should he care about what others thought was right? Wasn't being a known better than being an unknown? Wasn't it?
-+-
Team Firepunch had little difficulty in Poison Rose Marsh. As a Sandshrew, Shale was immune to poisons. As a Psychic, Chiaka was strong against poisons. And Chess pretty much beat down anything that tried to poison him. They stayed in good shape.
"So where's the mark, Miss Psychic?" Chess asked in a demeaning tone.
She twisted her ribbon in anxiety. "Um, he's a Dark type. I can't sense those Pokemon at all."
"So focus on his ice type," he retorted, getting a laugh out of Shale.
"That doesn't really help," Chiaka admitted in shame.
"Then what was the use of bringing you along? Sheesh. You're just a weight to slow us down."
While considering asking to leave (if she was that much trouble), she got a signal of danger. "Someone's just been badly hurt, maybe killed," she spoke up. "We should go help."
"By our mark?" Chess asked.
She nearly said that she didn't know, but then felt like the Chimchar might ignore it if she said no. "Yes, I think so!"
"And you just said you couldn't find him. Liar. Where is he?"
"Down this hall."
In a lucky stroke, they did find the Sneasel outlaw. In a bad lucky stroke, they found him terrorizing a young child Treecko and his Nidorina mother. The Nidorina was bleeding heavily from long gashes on her throat. Bloody Claw slashed at the child, making him squeal and pass out. Enraged, the mother ignored her own wounds and lashed out at the Sneasel so hard that a deep puncture wound formed on his side. He squalled like a demon and took out his anger on her eyes.
Chiaka felt sickened. Battles weren't supposed to be this savage. Those wounds could kill both of them. If it came down to it, she could pardon the mother for defending her child. But Bloody Claw had no good reason to be attacking so viciously.
Her teammates weren't so shocked, for some reason. "We've found you, outlaw!" Chess declared, rushing over and punching Bloody Claw hard enough to send hm flying.
The Sneasel got back on his feet and hissed. "I hate jerks!" he screamed, then took off into the hallways. Chess and Shale raced off after him.
However, Chiaka couldn't leave the two victims alone. The Nidorina was sniffing around for her child. "Wake up," she said pitifully, gently nosing him.
Making a soft chime so that the mother knew she was there, Chiaka said, "He's not badly hurt, just unconscious. I can get you both to the hospital in town."
"Take him," the Nidorina said. "Keep him. Give him good name."
"Okay." She got out her badge and sent a signal for the two to be teleported away. But before the connection could be made, the Nidorina died. So the teleporter only took the Treecko child away.
Unsure of what to do, Chiaka went to find her teammates. So outlaws really were killing Pokemon for no good reason. The thought made her shudder. Why were they so terrible? How could anyone just kill? Or was there something she didn't know about going on here?
Before she found Chess or Shale, Chiaka found herself being teleported away. She and her teammates appeared outside the Guild building. "Where the heck were you?" Chess said, his fists clenched. "He got away because there were only two of us after him."
"Oh, s-sorry," Chiaka said. "I was helping the victims, but the mother died."
"You're supposed to stay with us unless I say otherwise. Well I'm not dealing with this any more. You're no longer a part of Team Firepunch, so scram."
Chiaka drifted backwards. "Oh, o-okay. If you really don't want me…" As difficult as Chess had been to work under, she found tears coming to her eyes.
"We need strong members, not weaklings who don't follow properly. Come on, Shale." The Chimchar and Sandshrew went into the building.
Upset, Chiaka turned and flew off. They were right; she wasn't strong enough to be a great explorer. But it was her life's dream to work at the Explorer's Guild, especially under a living legend like Bartleby. What could she do now? She was pretty much alone, with no one to turn to.
Before she realized it, she found herself at the hospital. She blinked her tears away and went inside. Dr. Blissa wasn't in the lobby, so Chiaka waited there, trying to at least appear calm. When the Blissey came out of a hall, she smiled warmly. "Hello, dear. Is something the matter?"
"Not with me, not really," she said. "I'm with… the Guild, I just got back from a dungeon and I wanted to check on a Treecko that got teleported in. He's half-wild, but just a child."
"Oh yes, I just got done settling him in. He'll be fine; his wounds are a little deep, but I can patch them up easy without scarring."
"Good. He's an orphan now, but his mother told me to keep him in town. Would the Daycare take him in?"
The doctor nodded. "Sure thing, I'll go tell Cece about him. Does he have a name that you know?"
Chiaka thought quickly. Give him a good name… but was it really right for her to name him, when she was a total stranger to him? But then… she remembered her father, a kindly and gracious Pokemon named Atreyu. But he never wanted to be called that, he always said he should be called, "Trey, that's what she named him. I don't think he knows it yet, so make sure he knows that's the name his mother gave him."
"All right. I'll take good care of the child. Anything else?"
"No, thank you." Chiaka left. Her own Trey, her father, he was dead. But maybe his kindness could pass on through his name.
She went back to the Guild, wondering what to do now. She wasn't part of Firepunch anymore, and the other recruit teams seemed solid. Maybe she could join an older group? But why would they want to take her in? Things didn't look good.
"Oh, Chiaka," Charlie called out as she came down to the living quarters. "The Guildmaster wants to see you."
She blushed. "Oh, um, okay. Right now?"
"If you could, he's available."
"All right." She went through the door and approached Bartleby. His expressions were difficult to read, even by a Psychic's power. His mouth was always curled into a slight smile and his eyes were always wide open. "Is this about my team?"
"Yes, I've heard," the Wigglytuff said. "They forced you out of the team."
"I was trying hard. But I stopped to help some injured Pokemon today and I lost the others. And I'm not that good at fighting, at least, not like them."
"I know. I wanted to tell you that Team Firepunch was evicted from this Guild."
Her ribbon stilled in surprise. "What? You evicted them?"
He nodded. "They were strong, yes. And your group has taken on missions other recruits couldn't manage. But their attitudes were bad and they haven't shown the right sense of priority. And their honor is shaky at best. I've talked with Chess many times and told him to improve, but he hasn't. So, Team Firepunch were thrown out."
"Oh my." Chiaka felt a sense of dread. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Bartleby echoed. "They evicted you from their team before I evicted them from the Guild. So, you still belong to this guild as an apprentice, if you wish."
That cheered her some. "Good. But, I don't think I'm a very good explorer, so I don't know of a team that would want to take me."
"Hmm, you have had trouble during your training." He put his paw to his chin, but then widened his smile. "In that case, how about we change you over to a staff member instead? You can train to be our Psychic receiver and manager, since Darla's going to retire soon."
"Really? That would be great! Oh, but I can't learn teleportation…"
"You don't have to teleport," he pointed out. "You're just the manager. We have an anti-teleport field around the building for security reasons. So, any request to teleport in, back, away, or anywhere, must be approved by a manager. That'll be your job."
"Okay, I should be able to handle that." Overjoyed, she bowed. "Thank you, Bartleby. I'll go talk to Darla right away."
"You're welcome!" he responded in a cheery sing-song voice. "I've very glad that you've decided to stay."
"Of-of course," she replied, then left because she was blushing with pride at his words. Bartleby wasn't just a living legend among explorers, he was a wonderful Pokemon.
-+-
A couple of months later, Chiaka was doing some studying at the library when she encountered Trey the Treecko again. The child was on a shelf that was eight feet off the ground, hidden away while reading a book. The Chimecho smiled shyly; with her change of position, she had been so busy that she hadn't been able to come visit the child again. "Hello there," she said in a kind voice.
He tensed, having been jerked out of his reading trance. "Oh, um, hi," he said nervously. "D-don't tell anybody that I'm here, okay?"
He's articulate enough that you couldn't tell he'd once been half-wild, Chiaka thought to herself. "Okay, I'm just looking for a particular book."
"Don't tell anybody that you're hiding up there, is that so Trey?" the librarian Alakazam stated from somewhere else in the stacks. "The Daycare group is leaving in a few minutes."
"Aw, do I have to leave so soon?" he whined.
Kazza appeared, floating alongside Chiaka. "Yes, you do," he said firmly. "You can have Cece check out the book for you, if you want. How is it?"
"It's a little tough, but I can read it," he said.
Chiaka looked at the thick book he had and couldn't believe a child Pokemon was interested in that. But then Kazza smiled and patted Trey. "You should be careful; your mind is developing far faster than your body, which rarely happens among Grass Pokemon. You must have been blessed by Uxie somehow." He then drifted off.
"Excuse me," Trey said politely to Chiaka, then took his book under one arm and crawled along the shelf. Despite not having use of all four paws, he managed to cling to the vertical surfaces. "Who's Uxie?"
"The Being of Knowledge, a legendary Pokemon. I can get you another book that will tell you more about him, if you want."
"Yes please!" he replied, curling his tail excitedly.
Chiaka smiled at them. "I hope your mother's happy," she said softly, then went back to looking for her book.
Extra Chapter: A Thousand and One Time Gears
Mewtwo leaned against the back wall of the meeting place, uncertain of what to do but trying not to look it. He had come to this meeting of legendary Pokemon, the first such meeting that he had been summoned for. Well, there was that one, but it had been a court session, not a general meeting. And he had been the defendant, so he had no choice in that matter. This one, he could have skipped out on it. But he thought better of it and came.
"So what was the deal with the terrarium?" someone asked him.
Looking down, he saw two small Pokemon that resembled… no, they were. "What are you two doing so small?" he asked Dialga and Palkia.
"It was her doing," Dialga said.
"Well you were the one complaining about how we can't go out in public cause we're giants," she countered, playfully shoving him.
"You overcorrected the problem," he said, lowering his head in some embarrassment.
"I suppose that makes sense," Mewtwo said, still holding his arms across his chest.
They either ignored or didn't get the posture of indifference. "So why the terrarium?" Palkia repeated.
"What about a terrarium?" he asked back, although he was pretty sure of what she meant.
"Back when you were punished, Arceus said that you would be sealed into a one level dungeon with a terrarium. It was a pretty bizarre sentence."
"It was an object lesson," Mewtwo explained. "The dungeon shifted itself apparently at random, but the terrarium was the key. If I damaged or neglected the plants growing in there, the dungeon would get smaller and of worse condition. If I took care of the plants, the dungeon became decent. But it wasn't until I learned to care about that thing for itself, not just its influence on the dungeon, that I would be released. It may have been bizarre, but it got the point across."
"I told you that Arceus would have a reason for it," Dialga said. "He learned from it, but Giratina wouldn't have been able to generalize like that. That's why he got stuck only being able to watch the rest of the world for centuries until he got it."
"I guess I was lucky that way," Mewtwo admitted. "About Giratina though… would he…?"
Before he could ask if he would accept a challenge (Mewtwo really wanted to try battling someone that powerful), Arceus was on the raised stage. She didn't have to ask for quiet, as all who were in attendance quieted on their own. "You have been called to discuss the recent doings of Darkrai, including the era of darkness which has been erased."
"He boldly lied in front of all four of us," Azelf said. "And none of us caught the lies."
"His deceptive powers have grown," Arceus agreed. "As have other powers."
"I did not teach him about the flow of Time," Celebi said.
"Nor did I," Dialga added.
"So he had done so alone. And alone he orchestrated the destruction of world order, for unspoken reasons." And then Arceus looked to Mewtwo.
He felt abruptly in the spotlight; he was expected to say something now. Mewtwo was caught by surprise and wasn't sure what to do. But then Mew appeared by him. That was a reassurance; she had spoken to and befriended him while he was in captivity, so no matter what, he knew that she was on his side.
And something did come to mind then. "I met him once in the darkness," Mewtwo said. "He seemed strangely at peace, serene in the chaos."
Once he said it, Arceus' eyes drifted away, putting him out of the spotlight. For the time being, anyhow. He gave a slight nod of thanks to Mew; she smiled in response.
"And there have been other crimes that he has committed," Arceus went on. "Nearly poisoning the Shaymin tribe, sending Manaphy's egg adrift, causing many kinks in the flow of history. Everything has been reset, so that few remain dead from his actions. But all of us bear some or many troubled memories of the future of darkness, so he has affected more people negatively than any of the rest of us. But I have learned of something he said nearly three years before he revealed himself to us. This comes from Kyogre's memory." She closed her eyes, then recited, "It is, 'You may see a world at peace, but it is a farce, disguising cruelty. We are only a few thoughts away from savage wildness.' There are not many who would call the world cruel. We should know what caused this belief in him."
She then looked to Giratina. He was in a small form too, floating in the air above a bench. Nodding, the ghost dragon flew up to the stage. "I spent a long time studying the mess that was made of history. It starts over a hundred years before any of us knew there was trouble brewing, but the roots go much further back then that. And it seems that all of us are a bit responsible in turning Darkrai to such extremes." He spun on himself a moment, then corrected, "Well, all of us save Mewtwo, since he spent the last century in solitary confinement."
"That's hardly reassuring," Mewtwo said in a flat voice, causing a tittering from a couple of the Pokemon in the room.
"Go on," Arceus said.
"I can tell you why Darkrai did what he did," Giratina said, and then began recalling some memories of the world.
-+-
He was a grand and impressive Pokemon, with hair of live fire and a fast noble body. Alfonzo the Rapidash had been a great explorer, an extraordinary individual. In his time, he had been the greatest hero. Pokemon had sought him out from every corner of the world for missions no one else could take.
But that was in his time. These days, Alfonzo was old. His white fur was patchy, his red fires didn't burn as hot. His sight was a little fuzzy and his bones ached every morning. But despite being told by all of his friends to retire, Alfonzo was not ready to do so yet.
At least his new apprentice wasn't bugging him to slow down, for the sake of his health. "Don't get too distracted in looking for little treasures," the Rapidash scolded. "They're in every dungeon. Seek what you may need, but keep your mind focused on the big prize."
"I am focused, Alfonzo," the apprentice said, coming back from checking out the glitter of some small change. "I was just wondering what it was."
The kid was a strange one, he thought. He'd never seen a Pokemon like Darkrai before, but then his eyesight might be off. Alfonzo wouldn't admit that, though. "It's too little of a sparkle for me to check out," he said. "And big treasures won't be this early in the dungeon. And I have our goal set on a big prize."
"What is it?"
"A Time Gear. We won't be able to take it, but it is a thing to brag about. The Gears are well hidden, deep in strong dungeons. There are a thousand and one of them scattered about the world…"
"That number seems a little low," Darkrai commented.
"I know what I'm talking about," Alfonzo argued. "I'm the master explorer around here."
"You are." He blinked, then tried to disguise a yawn. His eyelids drooped, but soon snapped open.
"I've been seeking out these Time Gears for a long time. I wanted to see all one thousand and one of them for myself. And I'm nearly there!" Actually, he wasn't sure how many he had tracked down. Or how many he had seen personally instead of just finding evidence that it was around. But he liked to think that he was nearly to the point of 'seeing' all of them.
"That's very impressive," Darkrai said in admiration.
"It's been hard work, so I can't give up now. Let's go."
Darkrai and Alfonzo continued down in the dungeon, a place known as Glittering Galley. It was a dark cave system, with the hundreds of tiny lights that were not enough to fully pierce the gloom. As they went along, the crystals in the wall reflected the Rapidash's fires. Alfonzo claimed that he was setting the walls on fire; Darkrai agreed.
Deep in the Galley, they set up camp for the night. Always, the Rapidash has set up camp by finding a passage and attaching something to it. That kept the dungeon from getting them lost while they were asleep. Having hands, Darkrai was able to set up a shelter that would keep the wild Pokemon away. However, he was fumbling a lot tonight.
Alfonso noticed his growing frustration, but also the lack of energy he had. Darkrai had slightly glowing eyes, but they were dim right now and his drifting features like his hair and cloak appeared heavier than usual. "You get to sleep early," he told his apprentice. "You seem exhausted today."
"I'm fine," he insisted. He thought, then added, "How has your sleep been? Any nightmares?"
"I've been just fine the past couple of weeks, thanks. No dreams whatsoever, actually, but that's fine." A while ago, he had experienced a streak of bad dreams, like nothing he'd had since he was a little Ponyta. He would wake up tired and frantic, but then be unable to sleep for the rest of the night. It was odd: Darkrai didn't bother him about his age, but seemed terribly concerned about the nightmares. But a good odd, as his apprentice didn't stop him from exploring. "You go ahead and sleep."
"I guess. I could stay up a while longer if you need me." Despite that, once he closed his eyes, he was out like a light.
"You shouldn't push yourself when you've got too little sleep," Alfonzo thought aloud. He stayed awake a while longer before going to sleep himself.
-+-
Yesterday had been hazy. Darkrai had trouble keeping a string of thoughts together and relied on following Alfonzo for directions. He was almost certain that he had dozed off while traveling. However, he had managed to keep alert enough to focus his attention inwardly.
And it was important that he keep that focus. His aura caused nightmares in anyone who was sleeping near him. While causing nightmares was fun from time to time, the aura was constantly active. He had no control over it, as it hit anyone and everyone within range. It made it difficult for him to make friends, as his mere presence could cause pain.
If he kept his focus inward, he could restrain that ability. But it took constant focus and strong will to do. He could not lapse even a moment, even for his own sleep.
Darkrai had just been asleep.
In a panic, he came fully awake and tried to focus on stopping his ability. But it was too late. Alfonzo was already caught up in a nightmare. And no matter how Darkrai tried to focus, it wasn't relenting. Groggy cries in the distant halls indicated that the locals were also having trouble.
Darkrai decided to try something he hadn't done before. He transferred his conscious into Alfonzo's, in order to stop the nightmare there. Inside, it was a nasty watery mess, where the ground shook every couple of minutes. He usually just left the dreamer to get out of their dreams on their own. But he managed to pull Alfonzo out of his.
Once their minds were back in Glittering Galley, Darkrai clutched his hands together in nervousness. "Alfonzo."
"It was you," the Rapidash growled. "You traitor! You caused that sudden rash of nightmares I had, and then the sudden lack."
"I didn't mean for this to…"
"You mean to undermine my life's dream!" he yelled, stamping his hoof down hard. "You were an enemy right under my nose. But you're not going to get away with this!"
There wasn't any talking sense with him now. So Darkrai bolted by teleporting out of the dungeon. It was a common skill among legendary Pokemon, coming and going as they pleased. He didn't care where he wound up, just so long as it was away from Glittering Galley.
He didn't get a good look around his destination before he saw that he had came right into a group of sleeping Bidoofs. He teleported again, out of the night half of the world. But again, he wound up near a sleeping Pokemon, this time a Snorlax. Great, it was this run about again. Darkrai tried teleporting again.
This time, there was quiet. It was a Mystery Dungeon, another sparkling cave. Sighing, Darkrai brushed his hair back. There were times like this where he wished he wasn't a legendary Pokemon. Then he wouldn't be cursed with this wretched Bad Dreams ability. Then he could actually have some friends, and be happy about it. As it was, not even his supposed partner, the crescent moon Cresselia, liked him. She got defensive any time he came near her.
He turned around to look at the place he had arrived and saw a sleeping Pokemon nearby. As his body went cold, he realized that it was Jirachi, another legendary. This one slept for centuries at a time, yet her spirit was nearly always alert.
"Why do you disturb my sleep?" a harsh telepathic voice entered Darkrai's mind. Without waking, she moved a hand and sent an attack at him.
"I didn't mean to, dammit!" he shouted, then teleported away. He had to go far far away, someplace where there wasn't anyone to be affected by his aura.
He wound up in a place of dark starry skies and an endless landscape of white snow. Almost endless. Not that far from him, there was a green dome of light that encircled a Time Gear. As conditions were so extreme here at the antarctic ice cap, there weren't even diehard Ice Pokemon here. it was just Darkrai, finally alone.
Had Alfonzo seen this Time Gear? Darkrai wondered, but doubted the Rapidash had gotten to this solitary location. He watched it for a while, ticking and tugging at unseen energy. It was just in a gap in the snow. Could it be taken? Darkrai tried, but it lashed out at him.
He paused, wondering if Dialga would come investigate. But no one came and the Gear kept ticking. It supposedly conducted time. But what did that mean? Wasn't time a strong force on its own, having no need for support? What secrets did the Time Gears hold?
Well, he couldn't disturb anyone out here. Darkrai continued watching the Time Gear. Perhaps he could learn something from it.
-+-
The world wasn't fair. Darkrai had spent a century in solitude, watching the Time Gear. During that time, no one had disturbed him and he had disturbed no one. That is, save for the time that he had visited himself, by using his observations to make a Time Passage. He had thought of it, then met with himself to discuss this issue, considered about it, then made a Passage to go talk to himself. It was the only conversation he had had since running into Jirachi.
And all that time had convinced him that all the niceness, politeness, civility, and peace were all false, a delusion that the Pokemon and humans of the world lived under. They wanted war, darkness, and brutal honesty, but the delusion held onto them like chains, enslaving them to the idea of civilization. It was all proven in him.
If the world were truly fair and nice, no one would be isolated. No one would be rejected for something they could not control. And most of all, an unconscious aura power that caused pain would not have even been thought of, much less given to one of the most powerful beings in the world. Since he was the anomaly in the delusion, it was only right that he be the one to rip it apart.
He had ideas to pull this off. Many ideas. They could all lead to a greater degree of truth in the world, an absolute equalizing. The result might not be so nice, but it would be more fair.
Darkrai was going to do the world a massive favor.
-+-
A century in total solitude would drive one insane, Mewtwo reflected. Each idea would be thought out without another mind to analyze and criticize it. A simple idea like life being unfair could warp into an theory that the world was intentionally cruel and needed to be saved. Still, Mewtwo felt a little admiration in that Darkrai had learned the secrets of time travel simply by constant observation of a Time Gear.
For himself, Mew had kept him from falling into a trap like that. She had visited him regularly, to the point of making him worried if she missed a visit. Although, he still hadn't thanked her or anything. Maybe he should. Without her, he could have been the one to ruin the world.
"So his isolation made him forget his purpose," Cresselia said. Mewtwo noted that he wasn't the only one who was puzzled by her statement.
But she and Arceus seemed to know. "That would be so," Arceus replied. "I know he's difficult to work with, but you should try working things out when he calms down. But in order to do that, someone must reach out to him. As for a trial and punishment… we shall see, once he appears again."
Extra Chapter: Zero Rewards
"This is getting to be annoying," Kip said, batting at the berries that made up his dinner.
"What is?" Trey asked
He frowned and his ears twisted back. "I can't find a freaking Moon Stone anywhere! I can't even get a trade for one in town."
"That is disappointing," Stacy said.
Kip looked over at the two of them. They were still at second stage as a Grovyle and Wortortle. He had a feeling that they were holding off until he could find a Moon Stone. While it was a nice thought, he didn't think it was necessary. "You wouldn't think it would be this hard. Maybe I ought to try getting into the Lunar Fields again."
"You could try the Zero Island challenge," Trey suggested.
"Are you kidding?" Kip asked.
"No, I think you could do it."
"What's the Zero Island challenge?" a friend of Matti's asked. The Marill had built himself his own home nearby, but still joined them for meals and gatherings. Occasionally, he brought some friends over, which was always welcomed.
"Just about the toughest thing an explorer could do," Kip said. "Okay, there's this island south of here where wild magic is incredibly dense. It's makes this ginormous tower of a Mystery Dungeon that's made up of ninety-nine floors."
"Ninety-nine floors?" the Porygon repeated, awed. "I heard about a dungeon the other day with fifty floors, but almost a hundred? That's got to be tough."
"And it gets worse," Kip went on. "The magic forbids you from entering as a group. And it weakens you as well, dropping an experienced explorer like me down to the strength of a civilian like you. And it keeps all the traps, the wild Pokemon, and everything else that makes dungeons difficult."
"So why would anyone go there?" Matti asked.
"The treasure," Trey said. "Zero Island always gives out the best treasures to those who can survive it. They say that evolutions stones, like the Moon Stone, are very commonly found there. You can even get away with using an Escape Orb once you find the treasure you want."
"Yeah, if you can find an Escape Orb there," Kip pointed out. "That's another one of the restrictions of Zero Island. You can only bring a few things with you and that repeatedly does not include Escape Orbs."
"But if you can't find it anywhere else, it could be worth a shot," Stacy said. "I'm sure you could survive Zero Island."
"That's nice of you guys, but I've got to think it over before I go throwing my life on the line."
-+_
Several dangerous dungeons later with no Moon Stone in sight, Kip finally settled on trying his luck at Zero Island. "You don't need to stick around," he told his friends. "I want you all to remember me as a redeemed hero, not as a sissy fraidy-cat… oh Mew, I'm gonna die!"
Stacy smiled and patted him. "Or should we remember you as an overdramatic Skitty?"
"Well I suppose I can be remembered as that too," Kip said, examining his paws. "So, I should be seeing you guys sometime in the next month."
"Good luck," Stacy said.
"And really, don't get yourself killed," Trey added.
"I'll do my best not to get that outcome," Kip said. Then he hopped on the back of a friendly Lapras and set off for Zero Island.
-+-
Zero Island was unreal. Although a wild place, the island was incredibly well kept, with brick pathways, decorative landscaping, and marble statues. Once the Lapras was gone, there was only one other Pokemon there with Kip.
"Hey Uxie!" he called out as he passed by the Psychic legendary.
"Good afternoon, Kip," Uxie said. "Challenging the dungeon?"
"Yeah. Looking for a Moon Stone."
"I see. Good luck."
"What're you doing here?"
He flicked his tails. "I'm going up as well. I haven't passed this dungeon myself."
"You haven't?"
"My siblings both have. We aren't really geared for battle, though. However, I was asked to come here…"
"Asked?"
"It's nothing for you to concern yourself with. But if I see you within, I will help you."
"Same to you. And good luck back to you."
Uxie nodded. "Right."
The first few levels weren't that bad. Kip stocked up on what berries and seeds he found, and fought off the wild Pokemon that appeared. Doing this built his strength back up; he doubted he'd get back to his regular strength doing so, but every little bit helped. He examined other treasures, but found no accessories that he wanted to replace Sally's scarf with.
That is, until a Meowth snatched the scarf off his neck and ran.
"Hey, give that back! Loser!"
The Meowth whipped around a corner and down a hall. Kip followed, but soon had to admit that the wild Pokemon was gone, as was his Pecha Scarf. He put on a Defense Scarf that he found in the next room and moved on.
As he climbed higher, the traps became more devilish and the wild Pokemon became stronger and smarter. He wound up having to throw away most of his food after stepping on a Grimy Tile that somehow hit all but two Reviver Seeds. Kip grew tempted to eat one after getting hungry, but wound up passing up a passage in order to search for some more food.
In a nearby room, he spotted a Big Apple and a few gummis. "Thanks to the legends," he said, then went in to pick up the apple.
There was a massive chorus of roars as he took the Big Apple. All of a sudden, there were a dozen large Pokemon in the room. Golems, Machokes, Hariyamas, and even a Steelix were all in the previously empty room. And every single one of them would be a nightmare for a Pokemon with the Normalize ability to face. And Normalize just so happened to be one of his two abilities…
"Oh rock smash," Kip said, then rushed from the room back to the passage, holding onto the Big Apple tightly. The mass of enemy Pokemon pounded after him, but didn't pursue him into the passage.
He was able to restore his collection of berries in the next few floors, provided he stayed quick on his feet and bolted the moment more than one Pokemon appeared in the room with him. Which was a nice strategy, except it didn't take into account the occasional Drifblim, which floated into the walls and blasted entire rooms with strange looking winds. Kip learned that if he saw a Drifblim, or heard its unique whooping cry, he ought to go straight to the passage, no matter what.
And then finally, "A Moon Stone!" He picked up the crescent shaped evolution stone in a giddy mood. It held some pale glow, like the moon's, only fainter. As he looked over it, he could feel it stirring his soul up. This would finally let him evolve.
Immediately, it was snatched away by an Aipom. "Oh, shiny!" it squealed.
"Hey! That shiny is mine!" He tackled the Aipom. "Give it back!"
"Ow! That hurt!" The Aipom rushed away. And, like the Meowth thief before it, was soon gone.
"Crud, just my luck," Kip grumbled. "All well. Goodness knows how many stories to go."
A couple floors later, he came across a pretty Gold Ribbon. He wasn't sure what it did, but it didn't seem to change anything when he put it on. So, he stuffed it in his Treasure Bag for later.
A floor after that, he ran into a Shuppet that seemed familiar. "Are you another explorer?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am. I'm Kip of Team Marmalade."
She smiled. "I thought I'd seen you before. I'm Sybil, from Team Ebony."
"Nifty. Since we met up, want to team up for this hellhole?"
"Sure. I'm just looking for an Escape Orb now. I've found some nice items and I'm trying not to lose them. I've got a Dark Cloth that Marcy should like, and a Ghost Cloth for me."
"Nice haul. I'm mostly looking for a Moon Stone. Found one already, but it got snatched from me just as I got it."
"That's too bad. You should be able to find another. By the way, do you have any Reviver Seeds on you? I lost a bunch to…"
There was a shriek and a Misdreavous attacked them. Sybil fainted and was automatically teleported home. That was part of the magic of Zero Island. However, there were a few of her items left behind: some Plain Seeds, a Totter Seed, a Stayaway Orb, and a Ghost Cloth.
Kip snatched the Totter Seed and threw it at the Misdreavous. While it was confused, he snatched the Orb and the Cloth, then bolted for the passage. The Ghost Cloth was of no use to him, nor his teammates. But Sybil might like it back.
Several floors later, Kip came across a Kecleon Shop. "Here, in Zero Island?" he asked the shopkeeper.
"Of course, of course," the Kecleon said. "I got stuck here several years ago, so I opened up shop to serve and help all passing travelers. It's in the best interest of everyone."
"Right, I bet you just pick up the stuff you find here normally and sell it at absurdly high prices."
"N-no. How dare you accuse me of such dishonest business dealings?"
"Business is always dishonest in my experience. But whatever. Whatcha got?" He had, indeed, noticed the Moon Stone that the Kecleon shopkeeper had. But he didn't want to act too interested. Goodness knows what this guy would charge if he showed interest in something.
"I've got some amazing gummis in stock, to boost your talents and get around the island restrictions some. There's even a couple of nice White Gummis that you ought to adore. And I've got Max Elixers, Mix Elixers (which are very rare and hard to find indeed), evolution stones of all sorts. It's probably the best shop you've ever stumbled across, am I right?"
"Maybe. What's your price on the gummis?"
"Eight hundred all around."
"And the Max Elixers?"
"Eight hundred too."
"How about the stones?"
"Those are a thousand Poke a piece."
"Hmmm, I don't know." It would be nice to buy a White Gummi (for a treat; he deserved it for getting this far) and a Moon Stone. But he barely had enough to cover both and it didn't seem right to blow all his money at this shop. Thinking, he pulled out the Gold Ribbon he had found earlier. "Well what would you pay for this?"
Kecleon's eyes went wide. "That… that's one of the fabulous Gold Ribbons, isn't it?"
"That's right," although he didn't see what was so fabulous about it. "What will you buy it for?"
"Two thousand Poke!"
"Okay. Then I'll take a White Gummi and a Moon Stone in trade for the Gold Ribbon and two hundred Poke."
"Deal!" The shopkeeper took the ribbon and hastily gave him the money and the purchases. "Thank you so much for your patronage! I appreciate your business."
"You're welcome to it." He put the Moon Stone safely away and snacked on the White Gummi on his way out of that level.
As the fights got tougher and tougher, Kip found himself running more and more often. But he was making progress. Every now and then, he ran across locked doors. However, he didn't have any keys on him to see what was behind those doors. And even with his history as a theif, he didn't know how to pick locks.
But on one floor, he felt something strange stir in his mind. His treasure… in the past few months, he had forgotten entirely about his quest for a mysterious treasure that belonged only to him. He thought it had been some metaphorical thing that the purity of his soul had tried to tease him with to get him out of the darkness. However, as he came to the passage, he was struck by a deep feeling that his treasure was on the next floor.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked of himself. He just felt a stronger urge to get that treasure.
"HALT!" A ghost appeared from a small triangular shaped stone that was sitting in front of the passage. "No passage!"
"What're you yapping about?" Kip asked.
"This leads to the final floor. You are only getting there over my undead body!"
"If you insist," he said, then tackled the ghost Pokemon. But he rebounded right off the guard's body without damaging it.
It laughed. "You fool! I am Spiritomb! Your Normal attacks do nothing to me, and you have nothing but Normal attacks!" Its laughter entered the maniacal range.
"Aw rock smash," he grumbled. His aura ability of Normalize made every attack he learned that of the Normal type. It was good in some situations, very bad in others like this one.
"There is a way to move on," Spiritomb said. "You must give me one of your treasures in order to pass to the final floor."
"Fine, I've got plenty of stuff." He started looking through his Treasure Bag. "How about some Poke? You can use it at the store a ways back."
"NO! I only want certain treasures. Say…" it blinked in thought, then announced, "either the Ghost Cloth or the Moon Stone."
"What? You cottonpicking picky son of a…"
"Beggers can't be choosers," the Spiritomb taunted. "And I might make you hand over both!"
"Grrr…" Kip finally pulled out the Moon Stone. "Fine. Here you go."
"Thank you. Have fun on the final floor!" It laughed as it took off with his evolution stone.
"The Ghost Cloth isn't mine to give away," he grumbled, then went through the passage to the final floor.
The final floor consisted of the roof of Zero Island Tower. The clouds gathered around him, giving a glistening and magical appearance to the area. There were multicolored stone tiles and two rows of flowering plants. Opposite of the passage and down the row of flowers, there was a marble statue unlike the others below it. This one depicted a graceful four-legged Pokemon with a halo around its body.
But the depiction of Arceus only held Kip's attention for a second. His eyes were soon on something that was hanging off the statue's raised forepaw. Stirred by the breeze and the clouds, the black cloth fluttered around almost hypnotically. Most of it was pure black, midnight. But there were small glittery sparkles of silver, as if the cloth had been cut straight out of the night sky. That cloth was the treasure that belonged only to him.
Without any thoughts of if it might be dishonoring anyone, Kip hopped up onto the pedestal of the statue and snatched the cloth from Arceus' hoof. He brought the cloth down with him. It gave him the same feeling that the Moon Stone did. But what was it? And why was he so certain it belonged to him that he had known that it existed years and years ago?
The identity of the treasure came to his mind as he felt it flutter in his paws.
Eclipse Robe.
-+-
Somewhere out in the Whistling Thicket, there was a large leafy bush that was being battered by rain and winds. A three-quarters moon, hanging at the horizon, was a strange rusty orange. Every now and then, a flash of lightning lit up the thicket.
A Skitty was under the shelter of the bush. With her was a shattered egg and a dead infant. The Skitty sang a soothing wordless song. Finding her child dead before it could be born, she had been shattered in another way. Maybe she had already been unstable. Maybe it was something about this terrible night. She brushed the shell pieces away from the body.
Her song was interrupted for a moment when a sharp edge of eggshell cut into the furless skin on her paw. "No afraid," she said, trying to calm the one who felt nothing. "Small hurt, not big."
Outside of her shelter, there was a loud cracking sound, but not of thunder. There was a sloshing thump on the ground nearby. Worried, the Skitty limped to the edge of the bush and looked at what had fallen there.
It was a strange Pokemon; his aura was pained and exhausted. His black wings were limp and he seemed to be unconscious. Strangely enough, there was a strange flickering to the air around him, like something was left uncertain.
In her broken thoughts, she connected this still figure with the one that lie by the shell fragments under the bush. The Skitty came out from her shelter and sniffed the Pokemon. He was Dark typed; he was alive, although in bad shape. Concerned, she patted his face with her bleeding paw. "Bad night, find shelter," she said quietly.
The uncertain air flashed, causing the Skitty to freeze. After a sharp pop, the strange Pokemon was gone. In his place, there was a small Skitty hatchling, weak and uncertain. But he was alive. He mewed.
The older Skitty was able to come up with a simple fabrication that satisfied her. Her egg had produced twins, and this boy kitten was the survivor. After giving his head a lick, she said, "Bad night. Shelter." She picked him up and brought him under the bush.
After a moment, she transferred her chosen name for the still born child to the changeling child.
"Kip." She set about to making sure that he was clean.
-+-
Darkrai lived a lonely life. That was a reason for it, but it had been so long ago since he was told that he'd forgotten why exactly. Feeling jealous and left out, he tried coming to the places where normal Pokemon lived, to make friends with somebody. Anyone, he wasn't too picky. It was hard, though, when he caused nightmares to those sleeping close to him.
The sound of hooves interrupted his thoughts. He turned and saw an old Rapidash coming up to him. "Oh, hello Alfonzo."
"Hello, Darkrai," he answered, sounding cheerful. "I've been thinking about something. You're pretty talented when it comes to dungeons, but I don't think anybody's taught you properly. Would you like to be my apprentice? I believe that you could be great."
Surprised by the offer, he blinked. "Your apprentice? Like your friend?"
"More or less. But I won't go easy on you. You can't grow better without tough experiences."
Darkrai smiled. "Sure. Thank you so much."
-+-
Trey had been acting oddly today, Kip thought. Of course, he had been acting oddly ever since that incident with the temporal loophole that evolved him. The Grovyle was on one of the sharp rocks in the hidden cave of Sharpedo Bluff, looking out to the ocean. "I just can't take the battles anymore," he said.
"What's so bad about the battles?" Kip asked.
"Nothing," he replied oddly, with a wince. "Nothing's wrong with them. They just remind me of the paralyzed future. You only fought wild Pokemon when you were there. The battles were absolutely savage in that era. And the darkness was so much stronger. I had to kill one of my friends because she got turned by it, and she was trying to kill me. Then there was the battle at Amp Plains…" he rubbed his eyes, although he was already breaking down into tears. "I've wondered how such a thing could happen but it did and I…"
That was when Kip realized that his young friend was actually much older, and had seen even worse things than he had.
-+-
And in the end, who turned out to be responsible for all of that suffering?
-+-
Uxie heaved a sigh as he appeared on the roof of Zero Island Tower. After many failures in the past, he had made it to the top. His brother and sister couldn't tease him about it now. At least, not as much. Now to make sense of Arceus' words…
When he looked ahead, though, he knew what she had meant. Floating in front of the statue of Arceus was Darkrai. His intentions did not feel threatening, nor deceiving. Today, he seemed to be overwhelmed in some thought. There was even fear and guilt, which Uxie had not expected.
He floated to about five feet away and the other didn't notice. "Darkrai," he said, calling for attention.
Startled, he turned to face him quickly. Darkrai looked around for a moment, as if searching for others. Once he assured himself that Uxie was alone, he asked in a wary tone, "What do you want with me this time?"
Uxie felt afraid too, and found himself wondering why he had been asked to do this alone. He could only trust Arceus' wisdom in doing so. "I was asked to ask a question of the one I met up here."
"By who?"
"Arceus."
He thought he'd been at a comfortable distance, just in case anything happened. But then Darkrai had a hold on him. Uxie would have been afraid if he didn't sense that the Dark legend's intentions were completely desperate. "What are you planning on doing to me?" he demanded to know.
After half a second making sure that his voice was calm, Uxie replied, "Nothing else. I just want to ask the question."
"I can't believe that. You all are planning revenge on me, aren't you?"
"Not at this point. You were defeated and lost to time."
"You can't prove that."
"I came alone."
While he didn't use his wings to fly, Darkrai flapped them in agitation. "So what do you want?"
"The question I was told was, why did you do what you did?"
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
He grumbled and looked away. He didn't let go of Uxie, though. For his part, the pixie Pokemon waited in quiet patience. He didn't want to give any reason for Darkrai to lash out at him. In fact, he did everything he could to suggest that he would listen openly. Except for opening his eyes. That would be a threat.
As the silence went on, Darkrai became noticably more nervous and conflicted. Then he said, "I wanted revenge."
"Revenge? For what?"
"For what I am," he said with a spiteful scowl. "I want to know why this was allowed to go on, why the rest of you were such idiots that you didn't think that I was to blame. And why I was allowed to be this way."
"I'm sorry," Uxie said quietly, "but what do you mean? Why do you want revenge for what you are?"
On accident, that incited him. "I thought you would be one of the few who could understand that! Not because of your knowledge, but because of your curse. You know the sacredness of memory, but you are one of the few who can remove all memory at will, or even against your will."
He twisted his tails together. "But that's…"
"You don't understand that either, do you?" Darkrai calmed some. "I was given a trickster mind, much like the others of the Dark type. I was given the power to form nightmare illusions from a being's innermost soul. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it is my ability, which inflicts nightmares on anyone who is sleeping in my vicinity."
"Bad Dreams?"
He frowned, but didn't seem angry at Uxie anymore. "No one trusts me because of that. No one wants to be near me. Cresselia hated me just on that principle, and no one else would spend more time than they had to around me. And I'm sure even you will leave here as soon as you can. That is why I want revenge, and why I felt most comfortable in the era of darkness."
"You felt comfortable then?" Uxie said, trying not to sound sickened by it. He could understand it as it had been explained… but still, remembering the absolute loneliness after his death was something he did not want to do.
"Because everyone was as lonely and distant as I was," Darkrai said. "And there is no reason now that won't prevent me from doing that all over again. I know, despite you coming here alone, that the rest of you will come after me, to hand over some terrible judgment and punishment simply because I acted upon what I was! There is no reason for me to stop, as I have nothing to lose."
Their conversation was interrupted by a trumpet-like sound. For a moment, Uxie wondered if Arceus was there. Darkrai let him go and backed off. When the pixie looked over, he realized that it had been a conch shell. Manaphy was abruptly there on the rooftop with them, with the shell hanging by a cord around his neck.
The child-like legend came up to them, grinning. "Kip! I learned how to teleport!"
Uxie was puzzled, but Darkrai wasn't. "That you have," he said, obscuring his feelings from just moments before. "But how do you know it's me?"
Laughing, Manaphy tugged at the bottom fringe of Darkrai's Eclipse Robe. "I know you; I remember people forever. I wanted to see you again, so I would appear right near you. And you can't be Uxie. That's silly."
"But you'd also remember what I did to you," he replied. By his senses, Uxie knew that Darkrai felt genuine guilt about it now.
"Yeah," Manaphy admitted. "But you weren't Kip then. You are Kip now, though! And you rescued me, from yourself." He burst into giggles, finding it hilarious. "So, you are Manaphy's friend and hero forever and ever."
At that, Darkrai smiled partway, then picked Manaphy up. "If you would accept me as that."
"Of course. Oh, and you don't have any fur now! You can come home with me and see all the places I've found under the water! Come on, I'll show you my favorite places to play."
He still seemed uncertain. Uxie decided to speak up then. "You can do as you wish," he said. "You experienced both sides of this recent conflict. Thus, you understand the lessons it held deeper than others."
He bowed his head. "It may take some time for me to fully understand what's happened, but…"
Checking that, the ocean's prince patted him with a flipper. "But you'll come and play with me now, right?"
"Sure. Would you take me back to your home?"
"Yeah! I can do this!" Manaphy then teleported himself and Darkrai away.
-+-
For a minute, Uxie remained on the roof of Zero Island Tower, considering what had occurred. Then he turned to the statue of Arceus. "It seems everything worked out in the end. You trusted us all, didn't you? Manaphy teaches us of purity, love, and peace. You trusted in that to teach us all, even the one that we had neglected."
But he felt that Darkrai had a point; others might still continue to demonize him, even though that prejudice, not any internal leaning towards evil, had been the ultimate cause of everything which had happened recently. If it were not addressed, something else might occur. It would be a difficult argument to make.
As no one was around him, Uxie opened his eyes to look on the statue himself. "But maybe I'm the one who can best make that argument in his defense."
His business here was finished. He closed his eyes and teleported away to Arceus' location to make his report.
-+-
Two months after Kip left for Zero Island, he returned to Treasure Town. Stacy noticed that he no longer had his Pecha Scarf. Instead, he wore a curious black scarf that had silver glitters embedded in the fabric. And he was talking with Sybil. "Oh, you're wonderful," the Shuppet said, holding onto a Silver Cloth. "I didn't expect to get this back."
The Skitty nodded. "It's fine. I hope it helps you guys out."
"It will. Thanks again." Sybil drifted away.
"Oh, you're doing something completely selfless," Stacy teased him.
"I thought you didn't like the pro bono line," Trey added.
"Aw, come off it you two," Kip retorted. "She got pretty far on her own, so it was a pity that she had to leave the treasure that would help her best behind."
The Wartortle gave him a hug. "But you must have gotten to the top, right? Given you've been away for so long."
"Yeah, I got there. It was epic."
"Did you get your Moon Stone?"
He pulled a yellow stone out of his Treasure Bag. "I've got one, all right. But not from Zero Island. I got this from Sally."
"Sally?" they both asked. "What have you been up to?" Trey added.
"It's gonna take a long time to explain this," Kip said. He bowed his head. "Although letting you know… it could change things. But I hope we can remain friends."
"Nothing could change that," Stacy said.
He smiled to that, but seemed a little sad. "That is what I hope for, and all that I wanted."