Redundancy

by EyeofAmethyst07

After a punishment from Arceus strips Hoopa of her power, she's driven to near madness by grief. However, when a rather odd creature who seems to have a fondness for definitions stumbles into her life, Hoopa learns that not everything has a direct answer. And sometimes, it's better that way. An R.W. Yang novel. Rated T for slight language.

A/N-Hey. Yeah, it's EyeofAmethyst07

I want to first off apologize to all of the readers of my other stories. Inspiration fails to come to me. All of the plots are dry as of now. Will I get back into a groove? Hopefully.

This story was written over a period of two days. I wanted this to be a sort of compensation for my absence. As such, however, this marks a period of hiatus for me.

Yup. Total hiatus.

I am not abandoning this site, by any stretch of reality. However, my creativity and wit are at their respective ends. I will return, and I will complete my stories after some much needed rest. In the meantime, however… enjoy this one-shot.

For those using tablets or laptops, the cover art is compliments of BlazinReshiram on deviantART. I suggest you find a way to take a look at it, as it becomes relevant in the story.

Please enjoy.

Notice; this takes place before the Jewel of Life movie. I figured it would just make the explanation of things simpler.

Now, then. Shall we begin?

Redundancy

Groudon suddenly burst into Arceus' throne room, almost tearing the double doors of gold off their hinges. A look of absolute terror was on his face.

Not ten yards behind him, following him closely, was Hoopa, the ever so mischievous hyperspace myth, in her Confined Form. Her emerald eyes gleamed deviously, and she was cackling insanely.

"Oh, quit being such a dried up baby!" she teased, her gold hoops clanking gently against her horns.

"Arceus!" exclaimed the land lizard, skidding to a stop in front of him. Arceus couldn't help himself and raised an eyebrow as the gargantuan Groudon was chased around by the pint sized Hoopa.

"Yes, Groudon?" he asked tiredly. Hoopa giggled evilly and glanced up at Groudon as wrung his massive claws together.

"Hoopa… she… I… really…" Groudon suddenly seemed to lose the ability to breathe, and by extension to talk. Arceus sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Hoopa, what have you done this time?" he asked in the same tired tone as before. The petite Ghost type smirked deeply.

"Oh, I didn't do much," she said foxily. "Really, Groudon's just a big whiner." Arceus gave her a tired glance, and Hoopa sighed in an annoyed fashion. It goes both ways, my little creation.

"Fine," she said. "I may have had something to do with sending him through a hyperspace portal to a world where… hehe… there were things that made him uncomfortable." Groudon groaned and closed his eyes, causing the Psychic-Ghost to erupt in a new fit of devious giggles. Arceus waved a leg at Groudon.

"Go, Groudon," he said. "Take whatever measures you need to recover." The land legend nodded in a daze and stumbled his way out of the throne room. Hoopa snickered and called after him.

"Hey, Groudie," she called. "Better watch out for those Jinx next time, huh?" Groudon flashed her a look of pure and absolute terror. Then THUMP; the heavy doors closed behind him. Hoopa slowly turned to look at Arceus, who was glaring at her intensely. She pointed at the exit and chuckled nervously.

"He's a funny guy, really, when you scare the hell out of him."

Arceus stood, imposing his full height on the one-and-a-third-foot tall myth. The nervous grin she had dissipated completely.

"Hoopa," he said sternly. "This is the exact hundredth time I've caught you misusing your powers."

"I wanna point out that you never actually caught me," she intervened. "Groudon just told you something."

"Regardless," Arceus said forcefully. "You know what I insist happens at this point." Hoopa opened her mouth to launch a retort, but Arceus slammed his leg down on the white tile floor, cutting her off.

"I, Arceus, Ruler of Legends, hereby revoke all specialist powers from Hoopa, Myth of Mischief and Hyperspace."

A horrible golden glow emanated from the center of Hoopa's chest and she yelled in pain. The golden light slowly turned a deep purple as the petite myth's power was sapped. The light condensed into a purple ball of glass, and Arceus levitated it so it sat behind him.

Hoopa's hover stopped, and the small creature plummeted to the ground. She landed face first on the marble before she used her arms to try and force herself into another hover. She barely managed a height of five feet, and she glared at Arceus' emotionless gaze with pure hate.

"Why did you do this to me?" she asked angrily, trying to increase her hovering height. Arceus responded in a monotone voice.

"As I said before, this is punishment for misuse of-."

"Misuse?" repeated Hoopa, her small fists clenching and green eyes glowing. "Misuse? How can I misuse my powers if I have no assignments? Or duties?" Arceus opened his mouth, but Hoopa wasn't done yet.

"I don't have a sphere of control, Arceus!" she pointed out. "So what am I supposed to do with this barely contained, phenomenal cosmic power? Just sit around or pointlessly fly through the dimensions of the world? No! This isn't my fault, Arceus. It's yours. I had no reason to be created, and now you're punishing me for being who I am!" The Mythical creature paused for a moment to take a breath, her chest heaving up and down as anger coursed through her emerald eyes.

Arceus tried to take this moment to intervene. "Hoopa, I understand where-."

"No!" she snapped, cutting him off. She glared at him with eyes filled to the brim and overflowing with pain and hurt. "Don't start that. You have no idea what I-."

Hoopa stopped herself suddenly as she made some sort of realization; what it was exactly eluded him though. She glanced up at the qilin, before growling deeply. Arceus was slightly unnerved at seeing the myth's tiny mouth in a snarl.

"You don't understand me Arceus," she said slowly, almost dangerously as she slowly backed away towards the door. "You can't understand how being sapped of your power for doing nothing feels." Arceus found that he had no answer.

With that, Hoopa turned and strenuously pushed open the doors, no longer able to phase through them, and slipped between the crack before they closed with a fatal THUMP.

Arceus leaned back on his throne and sighed. Why must she make things harder than they already are? he wondered solemnly. She had used her power at the expense of others. It was only right. She has no argument.

Despite the logic behind the statement, Arceus still felt an uneasy shiver course its way down his spine. Hoopa, albeit having a deranged need for pranks, was an individual who firmly believed in the powers of karma. If one was to do wrong by her, she would make sure to do wrong by them. However, thanks to Hoopa's mischievous nature, the retaliation tended to be extremely blown out of proportion.

And, now that I think about it… Arceus' brow knit. At the last Legendary Meeting… Groudon had been the one to state that Hoopa's powers of dimensional travel were 'redundant' thanks to Palkia's existence. Arceus was not the only one to miss the Ghost-type's deathly glare as some of the present legends laughed at the comment.

So, if Hoopa believes her conviction is unfair… Arceus shook his head. I know Hoopa. While she may seek revenge, she would never do anything that would endanger one of her fellow legends.

For some reason, Arceus found trace amounts of anxiety in him as he left to perform his daily duties.

/-\-/-\

Hoopa glanced down at the landscape below her, watching it slowly becoming blurrier and blurrier. The Mischief Pokémon blinked rapidly and lifted a paw to her eyes. She felt the wetness, and she scowled and sniffled as she picked up her pace towards the mountain on the horizon.

Great, she thought sardonically. Now all I need are some pajamas and a tub of ice cream to complete the image.

The wind roughly bit into Hoopa's skin, blowing so wildly that it threatened to send the hoops on her horns flying through the air. She didn't care, though. Her painful anger burned through any cold she may have felt, and her hoops were now nothing but worthless bronze rings. She tried everything; tossing them as she usually would, charging them with a Hyperspace Hole, even trying to squeeze herself through them physically.

Hoopa couldn't think straight. All the resentment, distrust, and cruelty she'd been bottling up (*Sigh*) over the millennia were finally free, running rampant in her head and crashing head-on with the immense sadness she'd recently acquired.

All her life she'd been told; Why are you here? What do you want? Why do you exist? Every living being seemed to doubt her purpose on Earth. But this wasn't like Darkrai, where creatures hated him for his nightmare abilities. No one on the Council cared, because they understood that he was there for balance. He had to be there, countering Cresselia's good dreams.

It wasn't even like Giratina, how she was shunned for violence. She had the double duties of both controlling antimatter and regulating the flow of deceased souls from the real world to the afterlife. That duty was certainly important, and Hoopa knew that inside every legend there was a grudging respect for her services to the universe.

But she was a different story.

She had no one to balance her out. No one to check her powers. Instead, in the eyes of everyone else, she was simply a monster who deserved to be crammed in a jar for the rest of her life. She ruled over a domain already ruled over. Hoopa growled at herself, trying to clear her vision.

Why am I letting it get the best of me now? I've been living with it for a couple millennia already.

Hoopa had learned to not dwell on the past. It never helped anybody do anything except mope and whine about what they once or could have had. She had learned instead that all the human experts were right; laughter was the best medicine. When she laughed, nothing seemed to matter anymore. When she could make someone else laugh, that just made it all the better. It gave Hoopa a sense of importance; with her humor, she felt needed. Even if it was sometimes at the expense of others, the creatures of the world seemed to appreciate her for being funny, and Hoopa loved that; because that feeling of belonging was better than anything else in the world.

And now Arceus had taken that from her forever.

Hoopa finally reached her destination; a ruined and neglected temple stood imbedded into the mountainside. Wiping the last bit of moisture from her emerald eyes, Hoopa floated past twin rows of half-collapsed pillars. A twenty foot tall arched entrance marked the beginning of the once sacred grounds.

Hoopa tried to extend what was left of her Psychic perception. Albeit weak, her sense picked up on an object of massive elemental strength. Concentrating a bit more, she found out that it was in a room several stories below her. Sighing, Hoopa opened her eyes and hovered forward. As she floated down the dust caked halls, Hoopa didn't even put any thought into where she was going. She simply let the power source guide her while she stewed in her thoughts.

Why was she even doing anything about this? She already felt so much pain and hurt. Was it really going to make her feel any better if she went through this? She could never make anyone laugh again.

Hoopa jerked her right arm forward, causing a hoop to clink, and the empty sound echoed through the tunnels. I still have some power, she thought. Almost unconsciously, Hoopa reached forward as a small portal appeared, reaching her arm in. When she retracted her arm, her Prison Bottle was in her miniature palm.

Despite the tug of power nagging at her, Hoopa stopped in her tracks and looked down at her former prison. It seemed to be digging into her palm, despite its light weight. Using her free hand, she traced the rim with a silky finger.

I could end it all here, she thought darkly. Then there'd be no more trouble. No more ridicule. No more pain. Just… peace…

Hoopa found herself reaching for the cap. It would be so easy… just a twist… Then she shook her head.

No. I can't do this. Hoopa's grip on the Bottle's neck tightened. Not... not yet. I have to finish this first. When Arceus comes to punish me, then… then I can do it. But… Hoopa smirked emptily as she glanced up.

First… Arceus must be brought to justice.

Hoopa smiled to herself as she continued down the path. It brought her no joy, what she was about to do or what she planned to do to herself afterwards. But the fact that she, despite the intensity of the terrible situation she'd put herself in, was still able to make sneaky puns brought a smile to her face.

However brief it ended up being.

Hoopa felt the tug dissipate completely, indicating that she had arrived at her destination. Glancing down, she noticed that there were several dust caked objects that probably hadn't been moved in several thousand years.

Kinda like Regigigas' brain, Hoopa mentally quipped, smirking slightly. She lowered her hover so she could skim the dusty floor, searching for the source of power. She came across something that somewhat resembled a crown, and also a disgruntled cooking pot. There was even a rusted curve of metal that looked like the tip of a guard's pike.

Coulda been a tiara, Hoopa thought. Then she shook her head. No, that's impossible. Only an idiot would believe that.

Clunk.

Hoopa froze as her paws passed over a long length of stone that resembled a staff. An intense elemental power emanated from it like crazy. An odd sense of dread settled in the pit of Hoopa's stomach. This… this is it. Her Psychic compass confirmed her assumption.

Hoopa bent down and lifted the object that was slightly taller than she was. It seemed to be completely corroded into a brown color. One of the staff's ends bulged out into a large round tip. Curious, Hoopa inspected the bulge. It appeared to be made of overlapping sheets of metal, but she couldn't pry them open, physically or mentally. How am I supposed to open this thing if I can't even use telepathy on it?

Giving a frustrated growl, Hoopa slammed the base of the staff on the rocky floor. The instant the staff made contact with the ground, the bulge opened. The sheets peeled back and revolved outwards, like flower petals. In the center of them…

Hoopa felt a dark glee overcome her. I almost wish I could see Arceus' face, she thought as she hefted the Jewel of Life in her palm, its green glow making her eyes seem pure black. It would be so damn funny to see him scared witless.

/-\-/-\

*(Note: For those who haven't seen the movie, the Jewel of Life was given to humans in order to revitalize the planet after a natural disaster, and it had to be returned by blah, blah, blah. The reason it matters in this story is because it is made up of Arceus' Splash, Meadow, Earth, Zap, and Dragon Plates. In short: It has a third of Arceus' power in it!)*

/-\-/-\

Thump, thump, thump.

"Enter."

The double door creaked open, and the space between them was filled by the twenty foot body of Origin Giratina. Her wine filled eyes evenly turned to meet Arceus' gaze. The Distortion Queen nodded politely.

"Arceus," she said formally. The Alpha Pokémon tilted his head, eyes narrowed. Giratina never used formalities, even with those she was close to.

"Why the change in mannerisms, Giratina?" he asked, standing up to meet the basilisk's gaze. Said Ghost-type shrugged carelessly, her tendrils doing the wave.

"I felt I owed you some respect in your final moments."

Arceus was immediately on edge. Is she here to-?

Giratina laughed, cutting off his thought process. "You can quit being paranoid, Arce," she said lightly, eyes gaining a slight gleam of humor. "I'm not here to lead a rebellion against you." Arceus let out a visible sigh of relief, and Giratina smirked again.

"You'll be dead anyways."

Arceus froze, his gaze suddenly igniting as he took the perceived threat. "Giratina…"

Another laugh. "I'm not going to do anything to you," Giratina chuckled. "Don't get your feathers ruffled up." Arceus didn't lift his scowl.

"Then explain yourself."

The playful gleam in Giratina's eyes dimmed, turning serious. "You know what I mean." Arceus sunk back down in his throne, sighing deeply. He ignore the fact that Giratina made her way to his side, masked face gleaming darkly.

"Yes," he said tiredly. "I assume you saw the incident with Hoopa a few hours ago?" Giratina laughed softly from her place beside Arceus.

"Yes," she said. "I also saw your punishment." Arceus glanced at his counterpart.

"You know Hoopa got what she deserved."

"Are you sure, Arceus?"

The Alpha paused as he heard Giratina's tone change. It seemed… heavier.

"Yes," he said finally. Arceus could almost see the air around the two get darker as Giratina's mood dropped off an ocean trench. I need to justify myself, he realized. Quickly.

"Hoopa had, and has before, harmed several of her fellow legendaries simply because she felt like it," Arceus said, standing again to look at Giratina. "I needed to stop that. It was bound to become-."

"A threat?" Giratina cut off, her eyes like lasers of wine. "Like I was?" Arceus huffed.

"You know this is different."

"Is it really? Both of us were punished for doing what we were created to do."

Arceus snarled. "Don't try to turn this to you. You know why I had to banish you and you know why I had to take Hoopa's power."

Giratina's tendrils lashed. "I'm not making this about me!" she growled. "What you did to Hoopa was nothing but cruel."

Arceus slammed a leg on the tile. "She got what she deserved!" he roared. "I am the Ruler of Legends, and I don't need a worthless counterpart telling me how to rule my creations!"

No sound was made after that except for the echo of 'worthless'.

Arceus immediately saw that he had crossed the line. But what could he say to make amends? The damage was already done. Giratina floated back, her expression conveying shock and hurt. Her crimson eyes looked shattered as she turned away.

"There was a reason I was violent, Arceus," Giratina said softly as she approached the doors. "And there's a reason Hoopa will not stop until she has her revenge." Arceus stepped forward.

"Giratina…"

"Don't," said the Distortion Queen tiredly, glancing back as she opened the doors. "You need to get your head out of the clouds, Arceus. All creatures make mistakes. You thinking we're supposed to be anything but ourselves is possibly the biggest one."

CreeaaakTHUMP.

Arceus sighed, and he turned to glance at his throne. She's right, he realized. Hoopa will not stop, no matter how fair her punishment was. The Alpha walked behind his throne, and he saw the glowing purple orb that contained Hoopa's power. Her life.

Arceus raised a single leg. I cannot allow this, he thought. This must stop. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Her creation was a mistake.

SMASH!

Arceus brought his leg down with extreme force. The orb of power shattered into millions of pieces, and a blast of cool wind rippled from the shards. Small tendrils of smoke curled around the shards, and for a second Arceus could imagine that it was in the shape of Hoopa's Confined form. Then it disappeared, and the shards of glass turned to dust.

Justice must prevail, Arceus thought hardly, turning away. There can be no exceptions.

As it turned out, Arceus was more correct than he would have ever guessed.

/-\-/-\

"Ahh! AAAAHHHHH!"

A mind splitting wedge of pain tore through Hoopa's brain, and she dropped both artifacts of power that she held. Thrashing around in the air, the small Ghost clutched her head as pure agony tore through her body. It felt as though every limb, every part of her, every cell was being set on fire and split in two. She could barely think past the white noise of pain that had flooded her body. All she could do was scream.

In the confusion of her pain, Hoopa had somehow taken the top off of the Prison Bottle. The Mischief Pokémon barely noticed the smoke that poured from it and wrapped around her body. Slowly, the pain began to fade as the Bottle's power began to fill her.

Hoopa roared a loud, brutal roar as she transformed to her Unbound Form. The pain dissipated along with the smoke surrounding her now 21 foot tall body. Hoopa's now large chest heaved as she recovered from the aftershocks of pain. She glanced down at the ground, glaring at the Jewel of life and her Prison Bottle.

I hadn't even done anything yet, she thought darkly. And Arceus just tried to kill me regardless. Hoopa glanced distastefully at her Prison Bottle. And I guess this damned thing saved me. Anger and resentment came back full force, chewing a hole in her chest. Hoopa almost felt herself swell with rage as she picked up both artifacts of power.

Oh, how the power has shifted, she thought darkly, gazing hatefully into the swirling green glass of the Jewel. She squeezed down hard on the orb, but the Jewel didn't break.

Arceus has told us that we can't break the Jewel of Life because it's made of his plates, Hoopa recalled. But… so is my Prison Bottle. Although it was ridiculously naïve thought, there was a kernel of truth to it;

If two indestructible objects are smashed together… What happens to them?

Hoopa clenched both objects in her massive hands. Last chance, something inside her said. Back out now. Talk to Arceus. Maybe he'll see reason. Hoopa hesitated. Maybe there was no reason to do this. What would it fix?

But then, she remembered the pain. The cruelty. Countless years of bitter, degrading comments swirled around the djinn's head. Why don't you go stick your head in a black hole? Go away, Hoopa. Nobody wants you here. Nobody likes you, I hateyou,HoopaGodieinacornerwhydon'tyoujustgosulkinyourprison?

You don't deserve to be a legendary.

You're worthless.

With a roar of fury, Hoopa brutally threw the Jewel of Life on the ground.

"WHO'S WORTHLESS NOW?"

It didn't break, but then she brought her hand back and, with her Prison Bottle clenched tightly in its grasp, the Mischief Pokémon slammed the two objects of power together.

Both things shattered, sending shards of brown and green flying everywhere. For a tense, energy charged moment, nothing happened. Hoopa simply remained there, frozen in silence as the true weight of what she'd done began to sink in. She almost sighed with relief. I thought there would be an explosion of some sort. Maybe I'll be okay.

Then, Hoopa saw a small puff of grey smoke waft its way past her head. Then another, this one thicker. And another, and another… In an instant a thick veil of grey smoke enveloped the dual type, swirling in a speeding cyclone. Fear flashed in Hoopa's mind. What have I done?

Suddenly, the smoke ball shrunk and compacted. Hoopa was somehow squished along with it, and she tried to push her way out. For whatever reason, she couldn't phase through it, and she was slowly crushed smaller and smaller until she was trapped in nothing but a tiny pinprick of smoke.

Then; Poof! Hoopa disappeared, leaving no trace that she had ever existed.

/-\-/-\

*Groan*

Why does revenge have to hurt so much?

Hoopa groaned and sat up, rubbing her head with a paw. She blinked rapidly, but she couldn't see anything.

"Order!"

There was a sudden flash of blinding white light that, strangely, returned her vision. She was in a brilliantly lit white room. And she was surrounded by…

The entire Legendary Council.

All of Hoopa's disjointed senses snapped back to perfection. She was in fact floating in the middle of the Hall of Origin's Council room. How did I get here? All the legends were already in their respective seats, and Giratina was conversing with Arceus in low, dangerous tones. They sounded angry.

Then Hoopa noticed she had somehow reverted to her Confined Form. She whirled around, looking at every creature in the room. Despite her short stature, it should have been impossible for her to not be noticed. Yet, everyone seemed to ignore her.

"I said ORDER!"

All heads, Hoopa's included, whirled around to face Arceus, who stood imposingly at the head of the long table. Everyone quieted.

"Let's get this meeting started," he said. Hoopa tilted her head, confused.

"What meeting?" she asked. No one paid her any attention. No one even looked at her with distaste, which was an unsettling first.

"What really happened, Arceus?" asked Reshiram from the back. "There are all kinds of rumors going on here, and I want to know the truth!" Arceus tapped his leg on the tile.

"What I have said is what has happened," he said. Next to Reshiram, Zekrom scoffed.

"What, we're supposed to believe that Hoopa, the devious little marshmallow who loved playing around with us, up and decided to kill herself?"

The Ideal legend may have well have stabbed her in the heart.

Kill myself?

Rage followed quickly. Arceus is setting this up! Hoopa realized angrily. He's trying to make it look like I went insane! Then, something occurred to her. How is Arceus not near dead? I destroyed the Jewel.

Then Hoopa noticed how Arceus wasn't standing as tall as he could have been. His chin wasn't held up as high as it could have been. (Hoopa knew all this from the countless times she'd been subject to a stern talking-to from Arceus). Every time he turned his head, he cringed ever so slightly.

Arceus is trying to hide the Jewel's destruction by saying I committed suicide! Hoopa realized, clenching her tiny fists. How can nobody object to this?

Arceus sighed and sat down, once again cringing. "I know this is hard to believe, but Hoopa took her own life. After I temporarily revoked her power, she must have gone off into seclusion, and claimed herself there."

"You know that's BS!" Hoopa yelled. She had a sinking feeling that no one would even hear her, and she was right. Something was wrong… she shouldn't have been able to drop in on the meeting like a ghost.

I'm not actually dead, am I?

Zekrom, meanwhile, crossed his massive arms while glancing at his counterpart. "Resh, how truthful is he being?" The Unovan legend of light growled.

"He's telling 47% of the truth," Reshiram said finally. "The rest, whatever it is, is complete Tauros crap."

"Thank you," Hoopa said, even though she knew no one could hear her.

Giratina spoke up suddenly. "You know, all of you are trying to defend Hoopa, but I've heard each and every being in here, from Rayquaza to Uxie, say something ill of her within the last week." Many legends looked at the tile floor ashamedly.

"So," continued the Distortion Queen. "I feel like we should put our Poké where our mouths are. If I get four legendaries to agree with me, I will bring Hoopa back from the dead."

Silence in the Hall. No one, not even Arceus, could respond. The only thought that plagued everyone's mind was; Who would volunteer?

Hoopa looked around desperately, scanning the faces of each legendary. None of them seemed to be moving.

"Why aren't you moving?!" Hoopa yelled in vain. "Why won't anybody help me?!" She felt fear close around her on all sides. This is why I can see this all, she realized. So I can watch my family condemn me to death. Hoopa felt pressure build in her chest, her breathing becoming more and more ragged. The fear roughly seized its talons around her heart, refusing to let it pulse.

Giratina, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow. "No one?" she asked. "No one is even willing to step forward and help one of our comrades?"

More silence. Hoopa's hover broke, along with her heart. "No," she whimpered, barely able to see her surroundings thanks to the tears that welled in her eyes. Welding them shut tight, Hoopa put her head in her hands while a figurative black hole tore open her chest. "Please. Someone. Anyone."

Not one legendary moved. Giratina sighed in disappointment as Arceus stood. "Very well then," he said, shooting a glance at Giratina. "Hoopa's farewell ceremony will be held tomorrow at midday. Any who wish to come are welcome to."

While some legends nodded and others simply stared at the floor, Hoopa's head jerked up. Her eyes snapped open, and they glowed an insane green. Anger quickly surged up within her, burning out the sadness. "ARCEUS!" she screamed, her hover resuming as her tiny form trembled violently. "YOU CAN'T KILL ME! I WON'T LET YOU!" Before she could lunge forward, Arceus nodded at Giratina, who turned to look directly at Hoopa. This caused the Mischief Pokémon to freeze in place.

She can see me?

"Hoopa," she said emptily. "May you rest in peace." Hoopa floated backwards unconsciously. Before anything else could happen, the tuft below her waist began to dissolve. Slowly and steadily, Hoopa began to fade away. When her waist ring broke apart, Hoopa acted on her anger suddenly, realizing her time was running out. Throwing a hoop from her horn into the air, she aimed both paws at it.

Giratina saw what she was doing and her eyes widened. "Don't-!"

"HYPERSPACE HOLE!"

The inside of the hoop glowed purple, but instead of firing a beam at Arceus, it somehow backfired and fired at Hoopa. The small Pokémon screamed as her chest was torn apart by her own attack and by death's constant pull.

As it happened, the force of the powerful move was enough to dissipate Hoopa, causing what remained of her form to be blown apart into microscopic flakes of plasma. Every legendary blinked once, twice, as they saw Hoopa explode before them.

No one could say a word as a single bronze hoop clattered loudly on the marble table, the only remnant of the mistreated Pokémon.

/-\-/-\

*sssckkcscscksckss…*

"No… Please…"

*sssckkcscscksckss…*

Hoopa jerked up suddenly, startled awake. She looked down at her small paws. How am I still alive? she wondered. Then, she looked around her, furrowing her brow. Where…?

Somehow, Hoopa had returned to the underground chamber of Arceus' temple, where she'd found the Jewel of Life. Everything was brown and crusted, and there was no sign of either the Jewel or her Prison Bottle.

*sssckkcscscksckss…*

Hoopa whirled around, trying to find what the source of the sound was. It sounded like static, but… there was nothing in the room except herself.

*What…*

Hoopa whirled around, hearing a somewhat mechanical voice come from behind her. Dead in front of her stood an Aerodactyl. But… something was off.

It was only a skeleton.

The creature of bone gazed at her lifelessly. The eyeholes looked like twin black whirlpools, sucking in everything around it. Each bone was a pure, unnatural bleached white. Hoopa floated backwards, unnerved by the creature before her.

"Am-?" The words caught in the djinn's throat before she continued. "Am I dead?

The Aerodactyl tilted its head, and Hoopa could almost imagine it blinking. *Dead,* it said, the voice having a tinny echo to it. Even though there were no vocal chords to make sound with, the skeleton somehow managed. Its bony mouth clacked dryly as it spoke.

Hoopa felt her breath getting shorter. "I-I am?" she asked timidly. Please don't let me be dead, she thought. I'm too young to be dead. Two millennia isn't enough time.

The Aerodactyl tilted its head to the other side. Hoopa felt her fear lessen ever so slightly. You know… that's kinda cute. Then she shook her head, chuckling. Arceus, I must really be dead if these are my only thoughts at this point.

*Dead,* said the Aerodactyl again. *Described as 'no longer alive'.* Fear came back to clutch Hoopa's heart.

"No…" Hoopa said desperately. "I can't be."

Another tilt of a skeletal head. A slight ruffle of useless wings. *Alive,* said the skeleton. *Described as 'living'.* Hoopa's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Am-?" Her voice caught again. "Am I dead or alive?"

*Living,* continued the Aerodactyl skeleton. *Described as 'alive'.* Then, it shook its head and flapped its wings once. *Redundancy detected,* it said. *Unable to provide answer.*

Hoopa felt her heart soar. There's hope. Then, something occurred to her. She met, or rather tried to meet, the eyes of the skeleton. Despite its lack of ocular organs, the Aerodactyl tilted its head again. Hoopa had a distinct feeling it knew she was looking at it.

"Are you alive?" she asked, her voice slightly stronger. The skeleton shook its head, beating its bony wings again.

*Redundancy detected,* it repeated. *Unable to provide answer.*

Hoopa frowned. "Okay… Are you dead?" she asked it.

*Redundancy detected. Unable to provide answer.*

Hoopa sighed. Whatever this thing was, it certainly didn't like to improvise. "Who are you?" she finally asked again.

*Who,* it said. *Described as 'what or which person or people'.* Hoopa sighed. Here we go.

*Person. Described as 'a human regarded as an individual'.* The skeleton paused as it turned its skull, seemingly scanning itself. *Am not a human,* it finally discerned. *Therefore cannot provide answer.*

Hoopa felt the beginnings of a giggle bubble in her throat. There was something oddly amusing about this creature's computer-like mannerisms. She felt the fear, sadness, and stress all slip away. Smirking, she shook her head.

I wonder if this is what reading a dictionary feels like.

The Aerodactyl stepped forward a little. It almost looked nervous to be moving forward. *What are you?* it asked her suddenly, tilting its head once again. Hoopa scoffed, in spite of herself.

"I'm not a thing," she said. "I'm a person." The Aerodactyl shook its head in a manner that was almost adamant.

*Not a human,* it protested. *Cannot be a person. Therefore must be a thing.* Hoopa raised an eyebrow.

"If you say so," she said.

*I do say so. I am speaking.*

Hoopa let out a half scoff, half laugh. "You are."

*What are you?* it asked again. Hoopa smiled anxiously and rubbed the back of her head. I bet this thing starts becoming less friendly when it realizes who I am.

"I'm uh, I'm Hoopa," she said anxiously. "Pokémon of Mischief." Something compelled her to extend her thin arm for a handshake. The Aerodactyl tilted its head, staring intently at her paw.

*What is this gesture… Hoopa?*

The Mischief Pokémon glanced at her paw quickly before responding. "This, uh… this is called a handshake," she said. "You're supposed to grab my paw and we… well, shake."

Another head tilt. *What is the purpose of it?* it asked curiously. Hoopa smirked, still holding her paw up. Since her arm wasn't physically attached to her shoulder, she could hold it up as long as she pleased.

"It's described as a gesture for people who have just met each other," she said finally, her tone only slightly mocking. Thankfully, the Aerodactyl seemed to be ignorant of this. Then the creature shook its skull suddenly.

*Impossible to complete request,* it said firmly. *Neither are people. Both are things. Therefore cannot-.*

Hoopa laughed, cutting it off. "Oh, just shut up and take my paw, will you?" Hoopa reached forward and grabbed one of the skeleton's wingtips. The Aerodactyl gave a squawk of surprise, but Hoopa just smiled and shook the bone lightly.

"Nice to meet you," she said. She retracted her paw, and scratched the back of her head. "But, I uh… I don't know your name." Hoopa awaited response from the skeleton, but it didn't come. Instead of looking at her, it was intently prodding its snout at the point on its wingtip where Hoopa had grabbed it. I'd really like to know what is going on, she thought candidly. If I really am alive. What's happening with the Council. If there's any way to get out of here. Who the heck this is. But...

Hoopa glanced up at the odd creature that she had grown accustomed to.

I probably won't get an answer outside of 'Redundancy detected'.

*Is your typing Fire?* it asked suddenly. Hoopa blinked. That's random.

"Um… What?"

*Fire Type,* said the skeleton in its monotone voice. *Described as-*

"I know what Fire types are," Hoopa said, cutting it off. "And to answer your question, no, I'm not." The Aerodactyl shook its head.

*False,* it said. *Must be Fire type. Only way to explain warmth.* This comment gave Hoopa pause. What?

"What warmth?" she asked, tilting her own head for the sake of it.

*From contact with your paw,* it said matter-of-factly. *Can be no other explanation.*

Hoopa shook her head, waving a paw dismissively. "I'm not a Fire type," she said. "I'm Ghost and Psychic." The Aerodactyl paused at hearing this.

*You are of the Ghost type, Hoopa?* it asked, cocking its head yet again. The dual type nodded.

"Yes," she confirmed, put off by the creature's sudden interest in her typing. What does it mean, warmth? It's freezing down here. How did this thing feel warm in the first place? Isn't it made of bone?

Suddenly, the Aerodactyl… became distorted. Its body became jagged, and it looked like it had been turned into millions of tiny squares. It kinda… Hoopa tilted her head again, seeming to have picked up the habit from her skeletal companion. It looks like a glitch.

The tiny cubes that made up Hoopa's odd acquaintance whirled around each other suddenly, shifting colors and changing shape. Hoopa found herself slightly hypnotized by the sight of the transformation. Eventually, there was a weak flash of light as the cubes stopped moving, joining together. Then the image cleared, and directly in front of Hoopa there now floated a Ghost that was two times taller than she.

It kind of looked like a Haunter. It had the two hands, eyes, and messed up smile on its face. But the body shape was different. It looked like and upside down raindrop. There was also a problem with the eyes. Instead of having pupils, they were both purely the color of (*snicker*) bleached bone.

The Ghost looked at its hands with its blank eyes, then glanced up at Hoopa. It may have been just her, but she could imagine that there was a glimmer of hope in its eyes.

*Am now a Ghost,* it said meeting her emerald irises with his non-existent ones. *Like you, Hoopa?* The Mischief Pokémon laughed outright. It wasn't derogatory, though, as the countless laughs she'd had before now. It was more… lighthearted.

"Not quite," she said, floating closer to inspect the specter. It eyed her as she circled it, studying it. There seemed to be no fault whatsoever in its appearance. She circled to its front and grabbed a large, smoky hand to investigate it. It felt nice and smooth, like real skin, but looked as though it were made of smoke. "But you did a pretty good job," Hoopa finished quietly, still grasping the creature's hand for inspection.

The Ghost shifted in a manner that almost seemed uncomfortable. Hoopa ignored this and met the creature's lifeless eyes.

"Who…" Hoopa shook her head, preemptively stopping herself before the creature could correct her. "Sorry. What are you?"

The creature had no response. It wasn't until she met the creature's gaze that she noticed it was giving her a blank stare. It almost looked… wistful. But, if that's what it truly was… then…

Why?

The Ghost shook its head, blinking as it did. *Data missing,* it said. *Unable to provide answer.* Hoopa chuckled and withdrew her hand, smiling at the tall creature that stood before her. Oddly enough, a cold front seemed to pass through her as she did this.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head because she felt like it. "How do you not know who- sorry, what you are?" The Ghost shook its head.

*Missing vast numbers of data regarding existence,* it said. *Unable to provide answer.* Hoopa's brow furrowed. She knew there was no point in pressing further, since she would only get the same response every time.

"Do you at least have a name?" The Ghost blinked and tilted its smoky head. Hoopa didn't even try to suppress the smile that came to her face.

*Name,* it said. *Described as 'a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to'.* Then it shook its head. *Do not possess a name*

"Well," Hoopa said, lowering her hover so she sat on the rocky ground. The Ghost matched her actions, sitting as best it could with its raindrop body. "Would you like one?" she asked. The Ghost tilted its larger head again.

*How does that work?* it asked. *How is a decision reached?* Hoopa hummed thoughtfully.

"I guess we'd just have to find something that fits you," she said. The Ghost tilted its head.

*Do you have suggestions?* it asked her innocently. Hoopa smiled sweetly.

"Dictionary," she said. "I think that suits you very well."

*Dictionary,* said the Ghost. *Described as-.* The creature stopped itself mid-description, and it glanced up at Hoopa.

*Sarcasm,* it said eventually, its voice taking on a slightly annoyed tone. *Described as 'the use of irony to mock or convey contempt'.* Hoopa giggled and fell onto her side.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, wiping laughing tears from the corners of her eyes. "Although I only meant to mock you. Not convey contempt." The Ghost crossed its hands and blinked in a fashion that resembled an eye roll.

*That sounds extremely productive,* it said tiredly. Hoopa resisted the urge to smirk. This thing used to only talk like a computer when we first met, she thought deviously. After ten minutes' worth of conversation, it's already using sarcasm itself. I feel so proud.

"Alright, alright," she said, pouting slightly. She cleared her expression after a few seconds of silence. "What do you think your name should be?"

The Ghost raised its head from its pensive position and met Hoopa's gaze. Maybe she was just going crazy from all the non-sensical stuff that had happened in the last ten minutes, but she found herself believing that there was perhaps the slightest bit of emotion behind the blank eyes. It looked…

*I think my name should be an enigma*

Hoopa jumped slightly as the Ghost's sudden words brought her from her thoughts. "Sorry, what?" she asked.

*Enigma,* it said. *Described as 'a person or thing which-.'*

"I know," Hoopa said suddenly, jumping forward and grabbing the Ghost's hands, effectively silencing it. "What an enigma is. What I meant to say was, why do you think your name should be an enigma?"

The Ghost blinked, not responding. Its head was tilted down slightly, so Hoopa followed its gaze. She blinked herself as she realized it was looking at their entwined paws. The Mischief Pokémon saw where that was going and immediately withdrew her arms. She really hoped there was no red tint to her cheeks and averted her gaze.

*Why do you pull away?* it asked, the tiniest tinge of sadness evident in its tone. *Do I repulse you?* Hoopa chuckled lightly, scratching the back of her head again.

"What? No, no, you don't repulse me," she said quickly. "If anything, you should be repulsed by me." The Ghost tilted its head, then shook it side to side.

*False,* it said. *Cannot be repulsed by something that is beautiful.* Hoopa felt her heart lodge itself in her throat, whipping her breath away. She placed a paw on her chest, as if checking to make sure everything had survived the sudden shock she'd received. Although that was the most astounding compliment she'd received in her lifetime, Hoopa felt as though she'd been punched in the gut with a Foul Play.

"What?" she asked breathlessly. The Ghost fidgeted with its hands in an almost nervous manner. Even though it had no pupils, Hoopa imagined it averting its gaze.

*Beautiful,* it said timidly, pausing slightly before continuing. *Described as 'pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically'. Synonym to Hoopa.*

The small Psychic type was unable to say anything. After all the mistreatment she'd received from her family and comrades, she was utterly astounded to be held in such high esteem by a creature she'd known for practically no time at all. The words spoken by the unnamed Ghost didn't fill her with the joy of acceptance, though. Nor did vanity tighten its hold on her mind. Instead, there was something else. It wasn't sadness, happiness, or anything in between. It was different, but not precisely good or bad. It was always changing within her, morphing and expanding as the two beings conversed more and more. Hoopa couldn't quite describe it.

Then the Ghost shook its head. *I apologize,* it said solemnly. *That was inappropriate and it deviates from the topic of my naming.*

Hoopa waved her arms slightly. "No!" Then she realized that sounded a tad bit too desperate. "I mean… no. It's not bad, and there's no reason to apologize." The Ghost gazed at her hopefully, like she'd somehow diverted a planet-ending asteroid. Hoopa tried not to put too much thought into why there was so much hope in the creature's eyes.

"Let's, um, let's get back to your name," she said rather quickly, scratching her neck lightly. "You-you said you wanted your name to be an enigma, right?" Hoopa internally cursed herself for the waver in her voice as the Ghost responded.

*Correct,* it said, thankfully appearing to have been distracted by her diverting question. *I have no data on my name or species. Therefore, I am an enigma. Being named after a person or thing of similar description would be rather fitting.*

Hoopa felt a smirk tug at the corners of her mouth. "Okay, so what enigma were you thinking of?" she asked. "Do we make up a word that rhymes with orange? Because nothing rhymes with orange." Hoopa expected the creature to ponder the possibility for at least a while, but it immediately shook its head the second she'd finished speaking.

*Your statement is false*, it said candidly. Hoopa tilted her head to the side, curious to see what the computer-like creature would say next.

"Really?" she asked.

*Of course,* it said matter-of-factly. *It is perfectly obvious; 'nothing' does not rhyme with 'orange'.* Hoopa froze for a second, taking said second to glance at the Ghost. Upon seeing the look of complete sincerity on its face, the Mischief Pokémon collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles.

The Ghost blinked, confused by her reaction to its perfectly sensible and honest statement. *Why do you laugh?* it asked. *I had no intent of being humorous, and every word spoken was true.*

Hoopa slowly calmed herself, her breathing becoming regular again as she wiped the tears of laughter from her face. "Yes, I'm sorry about that," she said with a slight tone of humor in her voice. "It's just… No, you're right. We should find something else to name you after."

The Ghost hummed. *Perhaps I should be named after Arceus?* This sounded like more of a question than a statement, but the creature may as well have slapped Hoopa in the face. Small pinpricks of resentment and pain found its way into her body at hearing the Alpha's name.

"Why-why would you want to be named after him?" she asked, trying to keep any and all emotion from her voice. Thankfully, the Ghost wasn't the best at interpreting those kinds of things.

*Arceus,* it said. *Described as 'a being who was once said to have been born into nothingness, then shaped the world'. It is probable that I am the first and only of my kind. In being so, I can relate to this creature as it was the first and only of its kind as well.*

Hoopa closed her eyes, trying to ebb the flow of painful memories that returned with Arceus' name. Shaking her head and keeping her eyes closed, Hoopa spoke finally.

"I don't think that name fits you," she said. "I don't want you to be named after him." The Ghost tilted its head at hearing this from her. Cracking her eyelids open just a centimeter, Hoopa could tell that the creature looked genuinely concerned about her sudden distraught reaction to the mention of the Alpha.

*Why do you wish this?* it asked innocently. *Has Arceus offended you somehow?* Then this next one, a bit softer; *Have I?*

Hoopa opened her eyes and glanced at the blurry visage of the Ghost. I shouldn't say anything, she thought desperately to herself. If I tell this thing all of the horrible things I've done, all the rights I've wronged, it will never want to speak with me again, and I'll be left companionless again. Speaking my mind is quite possibly the worst thing I can do at this moment.

Hoopa turned her head away and rubbed the side of her arm. "You-you didn't do anything wrong," she said tightly. Stop, she told herself. If you value your sanity, you need to stop talking.

Hoopa kept talking.

"It's just… Arceus isn't as-as kind or innocent as you are," she said timidly, refusing to meet the creature's gaze. "I-I don't think he deserves to have his name associated with someone-someone like you." Hoopa closed her eyes. Way to go, she thought. Goodbye, sanity. Hello, humiliation.

Suddenly, Hoopa felt cold wrap around her body. Everything went black for a minute before the world returned, and Hoopa shook her head. Looking up, she realized that the Ghost had phased through her and was now staring at her. However, there was obvious amounts of concern behind its blank eyes, and its usually wide grin was reduced to the closet thing it could probably manage to a frown. It hesitated for a moment, then extended its hand slightly. Hoopa immediately reached out with her own paw and gripped it tightly. She was so far down in her reminiscent grief that she neither cared about what she was doing, nor did she notice a subtle warmth coming from the contact.

*What…?* The Ghost stopped mid-sentence. It glanced down in thought for a second, then returned its gaze to Hoopa. She tried not to read anything in its expression.

*Do you wish to speak about the matter?* it finally asked. Hoopa laughed softly and lightly squeezed the creature's hand.

"I-I don't want you to listen to me ramble on about my problems when-."

The Ghost shook its head adamantly. *You are acting depressed, but you do not wish to speak about it,* it said, a small smile returning to its face. *Redundancy detected.*

Hoopa chuckled quietly, shoving the Ghost slightly. "Oh, be quiet," she said playfully, drawing another warm smile from the creature. Her expression turned serious soon after. "Are you sure you want to listen to all this?"

The Ghost nodded, placing another hand on their already intertwined ones. Hoopa took a deep breath before telling her story to the creature. She started all the way back to the time of her creation. She recounted the incident in Kalos that caused Arceus to imprison her in the first place. Every insult, every prank, every chortle or devious smirk; Hoopa left nothing out.

Talking to this odd creature, she felt reassured in a way. She didn't continue her tale because she'd been holding in deep regrets for a long time, and she wasn't desperate for a release. Instead, she felt like she owed it to the creature that held her hand. Honestly, it was a ridiculous notion. They'd barely known each other for more than ten minutes, so how on Earth was she in debt to this creature? But… There something odd about it that Hoopa couldn't quite slip her ring on. Something compelled her to be completely honest to this creature.

Hoopa got to the more recent events. Both Ghosts chuckled with each other as she recounted the prank she'd pulled on Groudon. When she transitioned to Arceus' sentencing and how she'd destroyed the Jewel of Life, the air around the Ghost changed completely. A dark tint came to its eyes, and it pulled its hands away from her, moving one so it could rub its chin. Hoopa shrugged off the feeling of cold that overcame her and she continued her tale to describe the meeting she'd overheard, finally leading up to the moment they'd met.

Hoopa quieted, and she gazed at the Ghost across from her. It had its hands clenched tightly, and there seemed to be anger burning in its monochromatic eyes. The Mischief Pokémon felt her heart sink. She looked away ashamedly, and she felt tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"I-I guess you must think I'm a monster now," she said softly, voice choking with searing tears.

*Outdated.*

Hoopa turned to look at the Ghost suddenly, hearing it speak. "What?" she asked shakily.

The Ghost shook its head. *Description of Arceus is outdated,* it said, a hard edge coming to its voice. It hummed for a minute before saying; *More accurate description created.*

"R-really?" she asked, wiping tears from her eyes. "What-what's your new definition?"

*Arceus,* it said coldly, and Hoopa was slightly taken aback at its harsh tone. *Synonym of 'cruel' and 'injust'.*

Hoopa waved her hands wildly. "Don't say that!" she hissed. "You don't need to think badly of Arceus just because I do. I really am a monster."

The Ghost shook its head. *False,* it said. *Monster; described as 'an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening'.* The Ghost gave her a once-over and smiled a small smile.

*Hoopa is a real creature that is small, beautiful, and kindhearted,* it said with a surprising amount of emotion behind it. *Therefore not a monster.*

Hoopa stuttered, utterly shocked at this new side to the creature. Not only did it again praise her for things as no one else had before, it was apparently willing to believe that the Alpha Pokémon was a corrupt being… on her behalf.

What did any of this mean? Hoopa wanted to curl into a ball and clutch her head before it exploded. Just… Nothing made sense anymore! How did this creature think that she wasn't a terrible monster that needed imprisoning?

"I-I am a monster," she insisted darkly. "No matter what you say, your definition of me is incorrect." The Ghost withdrew slightly, backing away. It closed its eyes, and once again it dissolved into a whirlwind of cubes. Hoopa blinked long and hard, sadness coming to her and encompassing her vision.

Now I've gone and done it, she thought. It's probably leaving me now.

Except… it wasn't. Once again, the cubes whirled back into place. But this wasn't its Ghost form. It was… a bird. Not the skeletal Aerodactyl she'd first known it as, but instead a living, breathing bird. It looked like a kind of peacock, with three blue, feather-like tails protruding from its rear with brown and black patterns on their tips. It had two small, oval shaped wings that were colored similarly to its tails, as well as two three-clawed talons. Its small brown/blue head held two eyes of pure yellow, like bottled sunshine. A short triangular beak protruded from its front, and topping its head was a stout tuft of hair that somewhat resembled a mohawk.

It… Hoopa had no describing words for the creature's newest form. Instead of dealing with death, like the previous forms had, this one seemed to radiate life. Hoopa felt her body grow warm, starting to melt away the cold block of fear she held behind her sternum. The bird suddenly looked up at her, meeting her gaze. Hoopa found herself unable to say anything.

*You will see,* it said. *In time.* Hoopa tried to deny this, but the three tailed aviary continued before she could.

*What do you think I should be named, Hoopa?*

The Mischief Pokémon swallowed, trying not to take her eyes off of the magnificent creature that stood before her. "Well, you said data on your species was missing, right?" she asked, trying to find other things to think about besides her current train of thought. The bird nodded, keeping its golden eyes on her.

"But here you are now," she said, gesturing at it. The bird glanced at itself as if just now realizing it existed. "So I say screw that," Hoopa continued. "You're not missing anymore." The bird nodded, then tilted its head to the side. Hoopa felt the warmth start back up within her again at seeing this.

*So what should I be named?* it asked. Hoopa had just opened her mouth to voice a reply when it occurred to her; she didn't have one.

"Um…" she trailed off, trying to think of something to save herself the embarrassment. "Maybe… 'Not Missing Anymore'?" Hoopa chuckled and scratched the back of her head as the aviary hung its head in an exasperated fashion.

"Sorry, sorry," she said. "I can do better than that. Um… 'Missing Not'? Maybe 'Found'? Uh…" Hoopa cringed at the horrible names she was supplying her companion with. She sighed and rubbed her temples. Well, I guess that's to be expected, she thought. My totally creative and most definitely not appearance based name is 'Hoopa'.

*MissingNo,* the bird said suddenly. Hoopa blinked.

"What?"

*MissingNo,* it repeated. *Described as 'a creature of unknown origin and biology'. Has tendencies to cite dictionaries.* Hoopa giggled at hearing this.

"MissingNo," she said aloud, trying out the name. The Mischief Pokémon smiled at her newly named companion. "I like how it sounds. How do you feel about it?"

MissingNo paused for a moment, taking its time to generate a response as Hoopa gazed at its aviary form. The Psychic suddenly felt a swell of affection for the creature that had quickly become her friend. She didn't know where this even came from. It just felt like someone turned on a switch inside her and poof! She was immersed in an utterly serene warmth and felt the ridiculous need to smile.

MissingNo brought its gaze up to meet hers just as she did this. Hoopa swore she saw the corner of its beak curve up in a slight smirk. She found herself unable to tear her emerald gaze away from MissingNo's pure gold one.

*Like,* it said suddenly, jerking Hoopa from her ogling. She felt an excess amount of warmth flow towards her face as her companion continued.

*Like,* it repeated. *Can be described as 'to find agreeable, enjoyable, or satisfactory'.* Hoopa blinked again.

"So you like your name?" she asked. However, MissingNo continued his citations.

*Affection,* it said, stepping forwards on its miniature talons. *Described as 'a gentle feeling of fondness or liking'.* Hoopa's brow furrowed as she heard this.

"You… really like your name?" she asked again. However, she was not surprised when there was no vocalized answer. Instead, MissingNo stepped a few paces closer to Hoopa so that they were inches apart. It reached out with a small wing and gripped Hoopa's paw gently. She felt the warmth inside her explode, making her feel as though she could power a nation. MissingNo smiled as best it could, given its beak.

*Love,* it said again, this time with much more emotion behind it. *Described as 'an intense feeling of deep affection'.* For some odd reason, her heart was thumping madly against her ribcage.

Oh, quit kidding yourself, said a voice in the back of Hoopa's head. You know exactly why your heart is beating that powerfully.

*This is also what I feel for you.*

With those words, MissingNo drew in his friend and hugged her tightly. Hoopa remained frozen for a moment, reeling from this sudden act of love. I-I don't know what to think… what to feel… Hoopa's resolve collapsed finally, and she returned the embrace with equal care. MissingNo's feathery down felt so soft as it rubbed against her chest. She closed her eyes and lightly grabbed into the glitch bird's down, feeling every strand slip through her fingers. MissingNo lowered its neck and nuzzled the silky tuft on Hoopa's head gently. Eventually, Hoopa felt herself pull away, and she almost let out a whimper from the lack of contact. Thankfully, though, their paw/wing remained intertwined.

Hoopa smiled shyly at her friend. "MissingNo," she said strongly. "I-."

*Shh,* it said suddenly, cutting her off with a squeeze of her paw. *Do not say it. You saying it implies that I do not yet know of it. Believe me-,* MissingNo stopped to give Hoopa a quite literal peck on the cheek. The Mischief Pokémon blushed madly, but smiling widely. The bird Pokémon smiled just as wide.

*I know,* MissingNo said. *I do as well.*

Hoopa smiled and tilted her head for the sake of it. MissingNo did the same. "Dictionary," she said, playfully pushing her friend's shoulder with her free paw. MissingNo smirked and ruffled her head tuft with its free wing.

*Very well, Hoopa,* it said. *Make an entry yourself.*

Hoopa pondered that for a good, long moment. She actually considered making a heartfelt entry, perhaps one that had an especially obvious and cheesy relevance to the past fifteen minutes of their recently joined lives. Eventually, though, she simply followed through on her species' name.

"Redundancy detected," she said in a robotic tone, trying desperately not to laugh. "Am not dictionary. Unlike some present beings." MissingNo rolled its eyes, withdrew its wing, and lightly smacked Hoopa upside the head. Hoopa giggled in response, doing a small backflip as she did. The Bird/Normal type edged its way around so that the two were shoulder to shoulder. Hoopa lowered her hover and rested her petite head on MissingNo's shoulder.

*In all honesty,* it said after a while. *What can this be described as?* Hoopa hugged the small creature's torso gently, closing her eyes as she did.

"I'd prefer not to describe it as anything."

Hoopa felt MissingNo's head tilt on top of hers. *Why?*

Hoopa snuggled closer to the glitch Pokémon. "Because then other people would know what it is and try to use it," she said softly. "I'd like to keep this between ourselves, if that's alright with you." Hoopa heard the bird chuckle above her.

*Redundancy detected?* Hoopa nodded and smiled, finally at peace with herself after two millennia of strife.

And all thanks to a glitch who couldn't tell dead from alive.

"Redundancy detected," she agreed.

E/N- Thank you all who read this. For those who didn't catch it, MissingNo's final bird form is based off of the cover art.

Please leave a review regarding anything about my stories or profile. I hope you enjoyed Redundancy. I sure as heck got a couple of laughs out of it.

I will see you all later. It's WAY past bedtime, and my creativity needs a break. THANK YOU, FAITHFUL READERS! I SHALL RETURN!

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