"There is no way this can't be awesome." It only took three circles of the room before I was at the window, trying to figure out the latch. "It's a falling star, Praseo. A falling star! And not just a falling star, a falling star that just landed on the beach. This is definitely the start of something exciting."

"Midori, you're going to get us in trouble." Praseo frowned at me from the floor. "And it's cold out at night. I won't care, but you could be in trouble."

"You're such a worrywart." Having figured out the latch, I used the suction of my fingers to slide the rest of the way down the wall, landing silently. "Want me to catch you?"

"You'd burn." He jumped down next to me, fluffing himself. "All right, let's get this over with."

Praseo and I are opposites in almost every way. Me the bold grass-type Treecko, him the timid fire-type Torchic. You'd think it might be weird that we got along, but the three of us had always been together, so it seemed natural. Well, we had been together. The other one, we had caught up with earlier that day, and boy, was he living the dream, touring the region with his chosen partner. He'd even evolved already. So maybe I was a bit sulky that night.

The crater created by the falling star wasn't hard to find, forming a surprisingly deep crater of sand. Steam rose from the edge of the hole in the ground, but from our position near the grass, I couldn't see anything inside it. But I could hear a voice, speaking inside my head. Whatever it was, it had to be in the hole. Hello? Is anyone out there?

"Who made this mess? Some people have no consideration," a voice near us said as another Pokemon emerged from the bushes. This one, I didn't know at all - a gray, furry creature similar to our size, wrapped in white tails of fur. The Professor once said there are hundreds of different kinds of Pokemon in the world; I don't know how she kept track. "And what are you staring at, rookie?"

"You," I said immediately. "Can I touch your fur?"

She looked me over. "Just where have your hands been?"

With a whirl of dust, something landed nearby - a creature that I thought might have been in the professor's files, a long yellow one with black legs and green diamond-shaped wings. "Is everyone all right?" he asked, looking from one to another. "I heard something land. Are you hurt?"

"We're not hurt," Praseo told him.

"But that might be," I added, pointing to the hole.

"Midori!"

"That seems to be the case," a voice said from behind us. As naturally as if she had always been there, another Pokemon emerged, and this one I could identify. Absol, the bringer of omens (whatever that means) and generally super-scary dark-type.

"Midori," Praseo seemed to remember the super-scary part, at least. "We shouldn't be here. Let's go."

I couldn't take my eyes away. It was like seeing a legendary Pokemon before me, majestic and mysterious. Her paws, her glistening white fur, the jet-black horn along her head... everything was beautiful. Bringing omens didn't seem like it'd be that bad with her. "Hey, are you hurt? I'm coming down," the yellow one called, sliding down into the hole. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help."

Praseo held back. I wasn't afraid, and I slid down into the hole after the yellow one, the Absol following me. "Uh, wait up!" Praseo said, skittering around the edge of the hole before he, too, slid down. The gray one fussed around the edge, but curiosity got the better of her, and she joined the rest of us.

The creature that lay at the bottom of the hole was just as unusual as the ones on either side of me - a creature of black and blue and red, almost human in its shape, two large horns protruding from its head, a flickering purple crystal in its chest. Was this even a Pokemon? The gray one seemed just as startled as Praseo and me, but the yellow one and the Absol showed nothing. "Okay, just tell me where you're hurt," the yellow one said, putting his front legs on the creature's arm(?). "I work with a Pokemon Ranger, she can-"

No! No humans, the creature said, its voice sharp. I can't trust any humans.

"Okay, that's okay," the yellow one soothed. "I can bring you help from her without bringing her, okay? I understand that some Pokemon don't like to deal with humans. That's why I'm here. Hold on for just a bit, I'll bring you some medicine." He looked at the rest of us. "Stay here for just a second and make it comfortable, will you?"

I liked this guy already. "You can count on us!"

He grinned at me, then took off in a flurry of wingbeats. "Are you cold?" I asked the unknown Pokemon. "My friend here could warm you up." Praseo took a step back, but at least he'd stopped complaining.

Cold...? No, I believe my temperature is properly regulated at the moment.

"What are you?" the gray Pokemon asked. "You're strange looking."

"What's your name?" I added in.

My name? I don't have one. As for what I am... I don't really know that, either. I'm a mutation.

"A what?" the gray one asked.

"A variation in genetic makeup," Praseo told her, ever the know-it-all even in new and interesting situations. "Like shiny Pokemon. Like that Vibrava that just flew off," he said, pointing in the direction the yellow one had gone. Oh. So it was a Vibrava? I felt a little embarrassed that I couldn't identify a native Hoenn species.

"Well, you need a name," I told the mutation. "Don't worry, I'll think of something good. I'm awesome at names. Just ask Praseo."

"You just pulled that off the chart in the professor's office," he muttered.

"So why don't you tell me something about yourself?" I ignored Praseo, sitting next to my new friend. "I'll be able to pick a good name then."

You... I like you, it said, closing its eyes. You have nice thoughts. So innocent. I wonder if I can tell you? Yes, I think I will tell you.

"Huh? Tell me what?"

Do you like humans? it asked me directly.

"Uh, sure? I mean, they're pretty cool. Why do you ask?"

Its tiny pupils focused on me. They are in danger. Humanity is being enslaved right before your eyes.

"What are you talking about?" the gray Pokemon snorted. "Are you cracked?"

I know... because I'm a part of them. My kind came from space, it said. We... well, they, who are numerous and small, are compatible with human bodies. But that's not to the human's benefit. They are an infection that takes over completely, allowing no independent action on the part of the host. They become a slave within their own body.

"Uh, this sounds weird," I whispered to Praseo.

"And bad."

The Absol stepped closer to the mutation. "Is there a method to stop... your brethren? How far is their control right now?"

They already have high-ranking humans in their grasp. Something called the Pokemon League? Gym leaders? It moved its shoulders slightly in an approximation of a human shrug. A method? There is none that I know of. I did not agree with their policies and tried to stop them... and this is what happened to me.

"How can we tell who is infected?" Absol asked.

You can't. They have access to all of their memories. They've already proven themselves adept at masquerading as humans.

"But you're not an infection," I spoke up. "You're a good mutation. Why aren't you like them?"

Heh. I don't really know. Why am I alone different from the others? Why am I the only one who wants to find a way to live without humanity? Why am I the only one that thinks of other things? The mutation shifted uncomfortably, the crystal dimming. Perhaps it's because I'm a mutation. Because I look like this. Perhaps this is why I...

"I'm back!" The Vibrava landed next to me, something clutched in his forearms. "Who has the best thumbs?"

Praseo pointed to me, and no one disputed it. "Here, this is easy to work," he instructed me, putting the spray bottle in my hands. "Just point and spray."

I took it in both hands, having to work to keep my suction pads from sticking. Following his directions, I pointed and coated the mutation in the purple. Now the mutation was covered in swiftly-steaming purple, but didn't seem to be changed otherwise. "Um... Is it working?"

"That's strange, that usually works. Maybe I need a stronger one. Wait here," the Vibrava said, crouching to spring into the air again.

No, wait... Don't bother. It's probably because of what I am. It's okay.

"It's not okay," the Vibrava said, but stayed on the ground. "You're really badly hurt."

It's okay. I already knew that. This is what happens. Because I defied my brethren. Hey... It looked at me again. What does it mean to be alive?

"What it means? Um..."

I wonder. I don't know what the answer is. I have never lived my own life. The light on its chest turned even dimmer, flickering out for a moment.

"Um, there's a lot of things you could answer that with," Praseo offered. "I mean, there could be things you want to do, or something you want to leave behind..."

"It's something that every person decides for themselves," Absol spoke up, touching a paw to one of the mutation's arms. "If you think that it's right, then it's right."

Leave something behind... I think I want to do that. You that came to help me... Can I give you my power? It's not much, but it might help if you decide to face my brethren. It raised one arm weakly. Take my hand. I'll give you the power to transform. The power of DNA.

"DNA? What is that?" the gray pokemon asked.

"It's deoxyribonucleic acid. It's the stuff your genetic code is made of," Praseo told her.

"It's what?"

Ah, that was it! "Deoxys," I told the mutation, taking his arm in my hands. "That's what I'll call you."

Deoxys? So that's my name? The eyes closed. I think I like that.

Absol placed her paw next to mine. "I'll accept your gift, Deoxys, if you're willing," she said. "I will do my best to ensure humanity still has a future."

The Vibrava nodded agreement, placing his forearm next to our hands. "This is a bad idea," Praseo said as he put his own wing on Deoxys's arm.

"Oh, why the heck not?" The gray pokemon joined us, her paw resting delicately.

Deoxys closed its eyes, and through my hands, I felt a tingle, running down from my hands to the tip of my tail. It gave me a warmth that spread through my body, a pleasant feeling, but also a lonely one. Without thinking, I shut my eyes, focusing on this feeling, and when I opened them again, Deoxys had fallen still, arm slipping from our hands, still and silent.

I had been chosen.