Hello! So this is an odd little thing that popped into my head while...well, I'll save that for later XP. This is also a story for The General Prompt Challenge on the Pokemon Fanfiction Challenges forum, using the word sentimental. Honestly, I'm not sure how well this story uses the prompt, as it kind of got a life of its own after a while. Strangeness ahead, so you have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. This is probably a relief for the Pokemon characters, who have much nicer lives in canon...

Rainbow's End

"We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand…and melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late." -Marie Beynan Ray

It was the perfect winter day. Nate got up to find out he was finally, finally getting his very own Pokemon. He had been waiting since…well, he didn't know when, but that wasn't important. Today, his life really began!

Nate quickly told the news to his friend-since-forever Hugh, who was somehow even more excited than he was. Together they scampered through the Aspertia City in search of this Bianca person they were supposed to find. It didn't take long to locate the blonde girl, however, and at the viewpoint summit she presented Nate with the choice of three Pokemon.

He began to choose Snivy, a Pokemon that was fast yet defensive, but something stopped him. He took Tepig instead.

Nate loved his Tepig, so happy and fearless. It easily beat Hugh's Oshawott (Oh, that's what Hugh's Pokemon is, Nate thought blandly). After not-so-patiently following Bianca and listening to her explanations of things he already knew, he rushed off into the wilderness.

It was so great, running around in his brand-new shoes, battling and catching Pokemon, exploring everything, talking to everybody. Along the way Nate bumped into a weird guy named Alder, zipped through little Floccesy Town, tore through Route 20, and ended up at Floccesy Ranch. There he and Hugh helped the people there find their lost Herdier. It turned out to be the fault of a Plasma Grunt's. Nate would kick their butts the next time for sure!

Somehow going back through the thick woods was scarier than going through it before. Maybe it was because Hugh was gone, now back at the ranch with the ranchers and the two reunited Herdier. Maybe it was because it was getting dark. Maybe it was because it was getting colder, the taste of coming snow and frost in the air. Maybe it was because it felt like he was being watched.

A Mareep suddenly charged at him, but his Tepig drove it off. Oh, wild Pokemon were watching him. Duh. He sighed in both relief and exasperation at himself, a pale exhalation escaping and dispersing like a spirit.

His Tepig abruptly gave an oink of alarm, before putting itself in front of Nate protectively.

"What's…" Nate began, before he saw the human-like shadow approaching him. Nate tensed as Tepig emitted threatening snorts and grunts. Was it the Plasma Grunt from before, now ready for a real fight? But as the shadows slipped away from the figure like the dark filaments of a tearing veil, the truth was far more confounding.

It was him. Same hair, clothes, eyes, bag, everything. But somehow, even though he looked exactly alike, something felt so different about this other Nate. Maybe it was the serious expression on his face…? Wait, he was transparent too! So he was a ghost…of himself? What did that mean?

His Tepig, so brave before, now hid behind Nate's legs, bewildered by such a sight. It looked up at Nate for reassurance he couldn't offer. He could only gape at this strange replica of himself.

The other Nate seemed to be amused by his flabbergasted reaction, though something about that smile seemed remorseful too. "This is all so nostalgic. I remember when I went through these woods too, with my Snivy and the rest of my freshly-caught team…" No frozen breath passed his lips.

"Who…What are you?" asked Nate, trying his best to hide his fear. He had no idea if he was succeeding. Tepig, now recovering from the shock, took its place before Nate and let out a loud snort. Embers flew everywhere, but they passed through the doppelganger like aimless fireflies.

Other Nate chuckled. "I'm…hmm, how do I explain it? I'm the one before you."

"What do you mean?" asked Nate. It felt like the trees were all Sudowoodo instead, slowly creeping up and closing him in. He really wished Hugh had stayed. Hugh would know what to do…right? Where was everyone? Didn't anyone miss him?

"Everything that will happened here has already happened to me, though not quite in the same way," Other Nate explained, walking closer to Nate and ignoring Tepig's warning grunts and growls. "You chose Tepig, for example. Like I said before, I chose Snivy. So my Hugh had Tepig instead."

"Huh? But Hugh didn't get to choose his egg!" said Nate, automatically backing up. "He just got it as a present!"

"Doesn't matter," said Other Nate. "It's set so that whatever Pokemon you choose, he'll have the Pokemon that's strong against yours."

"But his egg hatched way before I chose my Pokemon!" Nate exclaimed. "How could it-"

"When did it hatch?"

Nate paused. "I dunno. A while ago. But he used to show it off all the time! So-"

"So why were you surprised when he had a Oshawott?" asked Other Nate.

Nate started to protest, but the words stuck in his throat like too much peanut butter. Why was he surprised? He had seen it all the time for…how long? When? Actually, he couldn't remember anything about Hugh's Oshawott before today, or…When had he moved here? When did he become friends with Hugh? When did the Gym in Aspertia City start being built? When was his birthday? All he could think of was variations of a while, who-knows-when, some time ago…In his desperate musings he tripped backward over a tree root and fell onto the hard, cold ground.

"It all starts in Aspertia," said Other Nate, gazing down at him with what seemed like a muted pity, or perhaps disgust. "Everything always starts in Aspertia. It just loops on and on, over and over…at least that's how I understand it. The other me before me tried to explain it, but I still don't really get it. Probably never will at this point."

"So…we're in a time loop?" Nate asked, still trying to process everything. "And you're the me from the future?" Tepig was at his feet, calmer now but shivering in the increasing cold. Nate returned it to his Pokeball.

"Sort of," said Other Nate. "But not really…it's more like new worlds and timelines keep getting created. This is your world, not mine, so I don't really exist here."

"Then how are you, uh…" Nate began. Cautiously he tried to touch Other Nate, only for his hand to pass though with no resistance at all. "How are you…sorta here?"

"Right now, our two worlds are overlapping, so that's how you can see me, but not touch me," said Other Nate. His face grew more somber. "But…two worlds can't exist together for long. Soon, your world will overtake mine…"

"But what will happen to you and your world?" asked Nate.

"Once the your world takes over…" said Other Nate, looking up to the snow slipping through the trees. "Only one version of the world can exist at a time. My world will be erased, along with me." After this sadness crept onto his features, along with a certain resignation. Like saying the words solidified the future, and his non-future.

"No…" Nate murmured, gripping the strap of his bag tightly. He didn't know this person, this Other Nate, but he didn't want another person, another world, to be destroyed because of him. He shuddered, and not just because of the frigid weather. "Can't we do something?"

Other Nate chuckled. "You know, I said the exact same thing to the me before me too. You know what he said?"

"What?" asked Nate, hope suddenly shining in his eyes.

"Enjoy the time you have," Other Nate said, turning away. "Don't take anything for granted, because you never know when it will all end. I could look for a way to stop the cycle, and I have, just like he did, and all the others before him did. But I didn't make my life just that. I enjoyed raising my team, meeting and battling other people, rising to glory. And some days I just spent watching the rainbows in the sky, while my trusted Pokemon napped beside me. My world was beautiful despite everything…or maybe because of it. Because as much as I tried to fight it, as much as I tried to ignore it or forget it, one day I knew…"

"But…" Nate began.

Other Nate shook his head and smiled, turning back around to face him. "I've been watching you on your journey, you know. It brings back such good memories, seeing you have so much fun. Call me sentimental, but…I don't know how much longer I'll be here. I can't go back to my own world with everything like this, so…Can I just watch you be a Pokemon Trainer, until then?"

Nate sniffed loudly, eyes burning with tears that wanted to escape, but he smiled and nodded anyway. "Sure…So, you, uh, could tell me about important stuff too, right? You know, stuff you did, people and Pokemon to watch out for, things like that?"

Other Nate grinned and nodded. "No problem. Well first, don't even bother raising a Sunkern. Or Sewaddle. I swear I was carrying those guys on my team for forever before-"

Everything flashed white suddenly, before the scenery slowly faded back into view. It was still snowing, it was still dark, but -

" -swear Leavanny is just the most useless-" Other Nate carried on, apparently oblivious to the sudden transfiguration. His icy breath rose to the gray heavens like feathers falling in reverse.

"…Hey," Nate interrupted quietly. "You're…You're not…"

"What?" asked Other Nate. He blew onto his hands to warm them up, and then seemed to realize that he was not transparent anymore, that he was present in this world. "Huh? I don't understand. How-"

Someone on a bike zipped by, startling Other Nate, and he saw that they were no longer in the forest behind Floccesy Ranch. Now they were in the bustling streets of Nimbasa City. He turned to Nate in bewilderment, and gasped in cold air that stung his lungs.

"N-No way…" Nate breathed, gaping at, or rather through, his translucent hand. "I…This must be your world…and I'm…"

Other Nate stared at him too. "My world…My world must have conquered yours…I've never heard of anything like that happening before. The old world always gets erased…Why's my world different?" He gazed away from Nate, eyes suddenly guilty. "I…I'm sorry. I've already done so much with my life, and you…you barely even got a day…!" He pulled his visor down, probably trying to hide tears.

Nate walked (Floated? It was hard to tell, with his senses muddling together like paints running together) over to the Other Nate. He put his hand on Other Nate's shoulder, or tried to. "Hey, it's okay. I only got a day, but man, it was the best day ever! And now you get to have more days to do stuff! That's like…well, eternity to me! And…I'm so happy that I got to meet everyone, including you…I'm really glad…you don't have to be the one to go…"

His sight was fading, along with everything else, the colors draining to black, white and gray, so much gray…It felt like he was drifting away into the sky. Maybe he was. He felt very warm and sleepy, like he was tucked away in a cloud of cotton…He…Who was he? Did it matter?

"Just…Just remember…" he said quietly. "Remember…have fun…enjoy everything…because…because you never…"

There was nothing where the boy once was, not even a scent or a breath. Other Nate, now the only Nate, was openly crying now.

"What…What was the point of that world forming?" he muttered between sobs and hiccups. "That me…He only got a day…Didn't even get a chance to learn anything…Didn't get a chance to…anything…"

Eventually his tears slowed. This system, it was so unfair! But…was it supposed to be like this? He had fought with the system all his life, wanted so badly to change it. But if this was a sign that he had succeeded, it brought him no satisfaction. Was the world fixed now, or just more broken? He had to know. He had to figure out the system and…then what?

Enjoy everything…because…because you never…

He couldn't pretend he was just a Trainer, that the world was perfect and not screwed up. That Nate had never gotten the time to understand that…That Nate, whose time was as brief, pure, and ultimately pointless as a rainbow…

…But, maybe, he was just lucky this time. Maybe he had only delayed things for his own world. He could only have a few days left. He could only have a single day left. A day was a lot of time, when you thought about it.

He decided to finally train that Tepig he had sitting around in storage. One day at a time. He would figure things out from there. He would keep seeking answers, in case that made a difference.

He would also seek rainbows, in case it didn't.

IIIIII

So, a little while ago I was doing quote research for my upcoming fic, and because my youtube is crappy, I decided to get early quotes by temporarily starting a new file. In other words, I started a new game with no intention of saving it. I felt sort of bad though, because I was having fun playing as a newbie Trainer again. And so this fic came to be, because I get sentimental over the stupidest things sometimes XD. (It's not the first time either: there's another "reset" fic I did called Her Rival Her Guardian that does a different take on it, though that story is ancient now XP.)

So what did you think? Did it make at least some sense? Feel free to let me know!