Chapter 1:


No birds crossed the sky and the Tree itself was completely devoid of any other life than two Pokémon that sat on one of the crystallized limbs. Even the grounds far below were empty, not even a single tree or greenery poking through the murk.

"How long will it take?" He asked; his snowy-white fur seemed to almost glow in the misery around them.

Mew didn't remove its gaze from the darkening sky. "I wouldn't know. Years, centuries, eons perhaps." It merely shrugged. "I will wait though."

"And as will I, as long as I can. I may not live to witness it myself, but I will remain here for her."

"You are aware that there is no guarantee that she will rise too?" Mew said warningly, almost sounding disappointed with what it was saying.

"I know that." He was silent before "I am remaining here with you because it is what she would have done."

"So be it. But whenever you get sick of living in this misery, give me a call. I will be as quick as possible, and you will be reunited with her once again."

So the two simply sat there in silence as they watched the sun steadily dip below the horizon, the first sunset of many.


Eden knocked on the door, hoping that someone was home. He had forgotten the keys to the house at the park in his anger, and didn't really fancy crawling through the basement to get back in.

Luckily, it softly opened and he quickly walked inside. He flickered the light switch on and noticed a flash of gold in the other room.

Abi had been the oddball of the family. Genes from some random great-great-great-great grandmother or something had to randomly pop up for her and give her curls a stark difference from everyone else's' black hair. She seemed pretty satisfied with that, despite the fact that people usually mistook her for a friend.

She leaned her head back off the couch, watching as Eden walked past. "So, how did it go?" She started, her face lit up and eager.

He shook his head, and Abi's look became downcast. "Let's just say you're probably Dad's favorite now."

"Not much of a difference." She teased lightly, but stopped at his annoyed expression.

"You know, Connell was teaching me about all of Kanto's INDIGO bases. They're supposed to be secret, but seeing how an old geezer knows about them I wouldn't be so sure," She tried, attempting to start another conversation.

Eden paused. "Well, he knows everything, so it's not really surprising. He doesn't even have a Pokémon, so I have no idea."

In their parents' place, Connell was a family friend taking the role of a babysitter. Not that he would qualify as one, seeing how he resembled more of a deranged teacher. He was usually rambling on about weapons and teaching them illegal techniques, usually centered on Spirit Pokémon.

How a man who hadn't even received a bond knew all of this was beyond Eden. Perhaps you develop much more of an interest for something that you don't own rather than what you already have.

But he never really paid attention to the lectures, only tuning in for the real interesting stuff. Abi, on the other hand, clung to every word and looked up to Connell as an idol. All Eden saw him as was cannon fodder for the ones who were supposed to be caring for them.

A scowl must have been crossing his face, since Abi nudged him. "Geez, you're always so spiteful. Look, I'm probably just as annoyed with Mom and Dad as you, but I'm not being a grump. It's been a while since I've seen you have any fun.

"Besides, having a Spirit Pokémon is going to be a great experience for us. There'll be so much more to learn and see! I don't know why you're scared of them or something, but you really don't have any reason to be."

She checked the clock sited on the table and clicked her tongue. "Yikes. Time passes when you're having deep, emotional conversations, right? We should head off to bed and pretend to be asleep before Connell comes back and gives us another lecture on how your health affects your Spirit Pokémon's or something."

Eden flicked the light switch off and the room dimmed.

"See you in the morning."


As of the known history, Pokémon began to suddenly disappear on the final days of the yearly celebration of Arceus's awakening.

Pokémon were a major source of importance. They were a huge contribution to the daily life, ranging from helping out with jobs to journeying with them. The impact of a slow, dwindling loss of something that was practically their other half was deep, shaking the entire world to the core.

No one had any clue of what was causing this. But as the regions discussed the issue and more Pokémon vanished from the wilderness, farms, even the Pokeballs they were held in. Anger and frustration grew between the lands, to the point where they begun to blame each other, poking fingers at anything that they could find fault in.

Until finally, the very last Pokémon which was previously residing in Kanto, vanished from existence. That was the cutting of an already stretched thin thread, and a violent war broke out. The regions were lacking one of their greatest fighting machines so it dragged on, the areas squabbling for victory. Eventually, the battle wasn't even fuelled by the blame on another place, but a thirst for a win.

As leaders would seize random people in the crowds and place them on a never-ending chess board, blood was spilt and lives were lost. When a truce was finally called, on the day when Pokémon started vanishing. Even if it was temporarily the world could finally see what state they had put it in.

No longer were there towns with blooming flowers and cheerful laughter at every corner, but strung in ruins and hatred. Civilization remained, but the trust within it had been broken to the unrepairable.

But from the wreck, the emotional backlash and their changing view of the world awoken something inside the people. Shockingly, from the start, humans and Pokémon were connected already. Spirit Pokémon were invisible for centuries, only now seeable from the spark of deep trauma. Previously, they were passed off as hallucinations from those who had witnessed of the sort, but now that they were visible from anyone's eye.

Seeing hope in the situation, the Pokémon World began to rebuild itself, along with the help of their new companions.

A temple to Arceus was built in each region, everyone seeing it as the savior of the war. While later relatives didn't already have their Pokémon bond to their soul, they were able to receive a contract by visiting the area's shrine when they come of age and the Alpha Pokémon itself would decide of which Spirit you would get.

Wild Pokémon gradually returned, usually offspring's of rogue Spirit Pokémon that were separated from their contractor. These could be bonded with, the more they trusted and respected you the easier the linking process.

In order to assure no more wars would break out; the power was split among all of the lands, each specifying in a specific job. The Spirit Pokémon you got, depending on its abilities and power, decided which land you would stay in and train for the course you would take. You would serve it until retirement, where you could settle down and live the rest of your time. But of course, retiring was extremely expensive so most people would work for life.

If you weren't satisfied by what job you had to do, you could travel to another region and have to complete many trials to qualify for the other option. The cost was high and the chances of one failing and ending up homeless were likely, but if you ended up with a terrible original course the spoils were usually worth it.

Of course, that's what my great aunt did, afterall-"

Eden averted his eyes and tuned out, disappointed that the interesting stuff was over so quickly. Connell's lectures were sometimes tales of the history that he and Abi would latch onto before they quickly died out and became random, off-topic experiences of him or relatives.

They were currently walking towards the great Temple of Arceus in Kanto. Luckily, they lived close enough that it was a quick stroll towards the Temple and didn't have to take a train or boat. But unluckily, the Temple was situated on a large hill.

Eden sighed and glanced over at Abi, who shared a similar confused expression. They were both winded out, but Connell was showing no signs of exhaustion, the same neutral expression on his aged face.

It was frustrating, but it pushed Eden forward with the mortifying thought of being outshone by a 70 year old hunched over man who needed a cane to walk.

He was still blabbering on. "-and that's why our family get a Spirit Pokémon at the age of 13. It may be a bit young and untraditional seeing how most people get theirs at 16, but it is still better than starting at 10." The man paused. "Maybe that's why I don't have one. Maybe my coming of age is at 100 years old!" He gave a hearty laugh and the siblings exchanged expressions.

"If coming of age was about maturity, I wouldn't be surprised." Eden muttered under his breath, but Connell somehow heard him.

"Now don't be like that Eden! You were so cute and sweet as a little kid, but you grew up to be some type of secluded teenager going through a phase."

The Temple was coming into view. It was massive, a pearl-sheen color marbled with gold. Even from the nearness to it, it looked nearly as smooth as delicate silk, not a single crack or fringe rupturing the surface. It still shone brightly, even in the clouded weather. Escaped bits of sunlight bounced off the plated edges, giving it a warm glow.

People scurried around it, others getting a bond today, Eden assumed. The more they neared the building the larger it seemed to get, towering over even the tallest trees and dwarfing nearby houses.

But when they stood at the steps, he noticed the people running around weren't fellow contractors or even just citizens, but workers.

No, He thought, the right words coming into mind. Slaves

The disheveled look with torn, matted clothes and scars littering their frame and ragged breath as if it were hard to catch air to their lungs certainly wasn't the appearance of someone who was simply an employee, but ill inhabitants that tirelessly labored over something unwillingly. Eden jumped when a hand clenched his shoulder, steering him away.

Eden glanced at Abi, who looked completely calm. A sick feeling rose in his stomach, didn't anyone else notice the condition of these people?

"I know what you're thinking too." Connell breathed, his gaze steely as he dragged Eden up the steps. "Do you know who these people are?"

Eden slightly shook his head, expression frightened and Connell glanced around before continuing. "Those people are this Temple's slaves, ones that do the dirty work around here. What, did you seriously think all those white-robed saints in there would mop the floor? No, these people are ones that didn't receive a Spirit Pokémon, lost their Pokémon, or failed the trials. Some of them are criminals that were given the opportunity for food, shelter, and more freedom if they worked it off here.

"But most of these people are just innocents that jumped for the spoils you can get if they became a worker. A few have families they just want to feed, but most of the time they slave away here because of the promise of receiving a Spirit Pokémon."

Connell looked around again. "Of course, that is just a major lie from the Ethical's of the temple. Once you miss the chance of getting a Pokémon, you can never try again. But they are desperate, so much that they force themselves to believe fabricated pledges and immerse themselves into fulfilling the tasks, even if inwardly they know that they are wasting their lives here for naught."

"The Ethical's know that. They know that the entire balance of society is held by the bond." A smirk broke over the old man's face. "Isn't it interesting? Of how your entire life and every choice you make is completely influenced by just what you get?"

Connell let go of Eden's shoulder, who winced because despite the man's age he had a pretty tight grip. Already, they were inside the Temple. The walls were made of an uneven stone brick with torches wedged in the cracks, flickering every once in a while and casting dancing shadows of passerby's. Unlike the outside which was brilliantly tended to, the inside seemed to stay traditional, with minor leaks and vine ropes hanging down from the dome ceiling, pillars rising towards the weaved patterns at the top.

Passages spanned throughout the large hall, the shadowed Ethical's leading people down them. There weren't any of the Temple's slaves indoors, so Eden assumed the entered through another door. Another saint wearing the usual white mantle led them down a winding hallway, before directing them to a small room and telling them to wait there.

But they instructed Abi to follow them. She was going first because she was several hours older than Eden, and the order you went in was following age. She gave them a nervous grin before tailing the Ethical, her gold hair swishing behind her.

There wasn't really anything in the room, just a wooden table with a small lantern sitting on it and chairs thrown around, which Connell sat in promptly, leaning back and tilting the chair like a child.

Eden wasn't really sure of how he should feel at the moment. He was currently only minutes away from something he had been anticipating with excitement and fear for much of his life, but the only thing he felt was a dull feeling, almost of disappointment.

Connell sighed, putting his hands around his head. "Don't look so down. When I was your age, I would have given anything to be in your current place."

"And you would even become a slave for the Temple?" Eden snarled, clasping his shaking hands. Connell gave him an amused look.

"You're lucky that I was a sensible person when I was younger. If not, you and your sister's current situation would have been a bit different."

They sat in silence for the last few minutes, Connell rocked his chair back and forth and Eden twiddled with his fingers. At last, the soft footsteps of someone walking down the hall resounded and a feline Pokémon leapt onto Eden.

He jerked back with a yell, staring at its onyx eyes that were blazing with suspicion. Automatically, his brain clicked into gear and recognized it as the Disaster Pokémon, Absol. Its snow white fur and horn across its head were easy to distinguish, but its current behavior was confusing.

"Ack! Absol! Down! No jumping on Eden!" Reluctantly, the Pokémon hopped off of him and walked to Abi, but not before shooting him another doubtful glare. Abi gently stroked the Pokémon's head, shaking her head.

"An Absol, huh?" Connell split into another beaming grin. "Abi. Absol. Heh, matches!"

Abi rolled her eyes. "I'm just surprised I didn't get a Magikarp." She glanced at Eden. "Just as a warning, the bonding process is really weird. You go through all these tests and-,"

The Ethical cleared their throat. "The details of contracting remain confidential. Eden Honor, would you come with me please?"

Eden got up carefully, giving one last look at everyone else and followed the impatient Ethical through the passage.

"Something is off about that human…"

He jumped, glancing around. The Ethical gave him a strange look.

Huh. Must've been my imagination. So he followed the priest out, unaware of the Absol glaring at him.

He was eventually led into a large chamber, the brass doors slowly rolling shut. Lines of pillars were in front of the entryway, a circle of stone corridors with strange patterns embroidered in bronze surrounded a large golden statue of Arceus itself. Paned windows allowed light to leak in a rainbow array of color, the glass depicting legendary events and other statues of Pokémon Eden had never seen before lay on the wall.

There was an audience. Ethical's sat patiently in a ring around the room, some muttering to each other through their covered faces, all wearing the same identical cloth. The Ethical that led him silently walked back towards the door and stayed silently besides it.

Eden just stood there, waiting for some type of instruction. When none came, he looked around, knowing his every move was being watched.

Tentatively, he walked into the circle and a chill went through him, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice cold water over him. With a sense of foreboding, his eyes traveled up to meet the statue's blank, gilt ones.

The reaction was immediate. A wave of energy swooped through him and a bright light resounded, blinding everyone as a sharp sting ripped through his right shoulder, as if something was carving itself. A gasp echoed through the room and he bit back a yelp of pain as he tried to clear the spots from his eyes to see what was so shocking.

When his vision finally cleared up, the first thing he saw was the Ethical's stunned reaction, all of them frozen and looking up at something. Something gently tapped him on the back of his head and he turned around to meet a pair of brilliant blue eyes.

"Mew!"

No, that's impossible.

Because standing right in front of Eden was the Mirage Pokémon Mew itself.

Eden had hoped that Abi's stroke of luck of receiving a good Spirit Pokémon would land him in that zone. But receiving a legendary wouldn't have even appeared in his wildest dreams.

Perhaps a callous Pokémon overlord had been feeling humorous today. He half expected for the heavens above to bark a laugh and then for the cat Pokémon floating before him to turn into a Zubat or something, like he was supposed to get.

Silence stretched on, shock still hanging in the air. Mew quickly got bored of just hovering and begun to fly laps around the room, twirling in the air.

Finally the Ethical's snapped out of their stupor, stumbling over their feet as they stood up and begun to argue with each other, not even bothering to mutter quickly like before.

"Wh-what, how is it here?" One of them snapped, their gaze trained on Mew.

"Never mind that, how are we going to seal it again? It's in a physical state, which is going to make it near impossible."

Another one shook their head. "I don't know, but our best shot is to sever the bond and put Mew in a more vulnerable state."

What?

The Ethical's turned to Eden, and he stumbled back a bit. Mew quickly got bored of flying around and begun to poke the Arceus statue on the head, seeming to get a great deal of amusement out of that.

One of the Ethical's pressed their palm to their chest and the glowing form of an Espeon materialized. "For now, let's just try separating it mentally. If that fails, we'll have to kill the boy entirely."

What?

He took another step backwards before breaking out into a run for the door, shoving a still dumbstruck Ethical aside as he fumbled with the handle of it.

"Espeon! Psychic!" Someone commanded and the fox Pokémon's eyes glowed a bright blue. Eden shoved the door again, but it refused to budge for him.

Something swooped in front of him and the Psychic attack scattered against an invisible shield, the energy jumping off as thin shards, electrical sparks crawling over the stone floor. Espeon was thrown back, and Mew just floated there in front of Eden.

It turned around and quickly gave him a thumbs up, looking very pleased by his stunned reaction before suddenly becoming on the edge.

"Heads up!" A voice rang in his mind and he was thrown to the floor by Mew, just as a Focus Blast whizzed over his head.

The door exploded at the impact, bits of metal flying through the air. Eden wasted no time to get up and run out of there, Mew flying leisurely behind him.

He heard yells and attacks following behind him, but he didn't dare to glance back. Until he saw a flash of blond and familiar face.

He skidded to a stop and he saw Absol's eyes narrow and began to snarl angrily at him as Connell stumbled out of the room. Abi ignored them, her face more confused than frightened.

"Eden-," She didn't finish. Because right as she began, a Hyper Beam ripped right through him.


Everything burnt, fire scorching every vein or nerve Eden had. Any type of movement, even if minor would send sharp, burning recoils through him as if a knife was stabbing through.

Any sober thought that attempted to break through the thick cloud was quickly interrupted by the train from the inane side of his head. The one that seemed bent on screaming you have a freaking hole in your chest! Stop trying to be coherent!

At this point, he wasn't sure if he was breathing. The very idea of having to push air into your lungs sounded like suicide, seeing how he couldn't even twitch his eyes open without tearing up.

One thought finally broke through, but he didn't really know if it was even his. "Are you awake yet?"

Any response Eden had died at his tongue. He probably wouldn't have even been able to talk.

"I guess you are. Good timing too! Well, you sure are an optimistic one. Sorry for the after-effect pain, it'll go away any second."

The pain seemed to be fading away. Slowly he forced his eyes open, surprised when he wasn't hit with a great deal sting. A light pink cat was floating above him, and he stared at it in confusion before everything hit him.

Slaves. Ethical's. Arceus statues. Mew. Pokémon trying to kill him. An angry Absol-

"Where's Abi?" He said hoarsely, forcing himself up. A faint jab of pain hit him, protesting at his sudden movements.

Mew cocked its head. "Who's Abi?" Eden gave it a withering glare.

It held its paws up. "You mean that blond girl? She should be fine, that Hyper Beam was only directed towards you. I did have to edit a bunch of people's memories though, just to be safe."

They were in a clearing, a shimmering lake at their side with water Pokémon playfully splashing around in it. The sky was no longer covered in overcast clouds, the sun now bearing down at them, meaning it had only been a few hours.

He held his head to his hand, trying to stop a rising pounding headache. "What happened? Wait, scratch that, how am I even alive?"

Mew floated down next to him. "I just teleported you out of there right when the Hyper Beam hit, use Pain Split so you wouldn't die from the shock on me (and your welcome for that too, it hurt like crazy) and transit a some of my mega powerful abilities and stuff via Skill Swap to you so that you would be able to heal faster. A little attack like Hyper Beam would be nothing to legendaries like me, so I guess it worked."

"Skill Swap? Woah, does that mean…" Eden looked at his hands in fascination, wondering what he would do with the power of a legendary Pokémon.

"Hate to disappoint you, but when you were finally all recovered I just swapped it back. If you woke up with that type of power, you'd probably be overwhelmed and your puny little human body wouldn't be able to take it. Not only that, but Arceus would be able to sense a 'disturbance in the force' once the powers were activated and all my good plans would go to naught if he found me again. But on the plus side, it would make a pretty cool light show for me to enjoy!"

He glowered at Mew, mainly out of irritation of unanswered questions. "Why are you even-," The cat Pokémon suddenly looked up, holding a paw to his mouth.

"Shh!" It hissed, sapphire eyes on the alert. A loud explosion echoed off in the distance and every chirp of a bird or bug and splashing of the water Pokémon momentarily stilled, the rustle of leaves in the wind not even daring to make a sound.

Quickly, all movement resumed, but everything in the area was clearly quite shaken. Mew looked at the large clouds of smoke rising in the far distance, a small smile growing over its face.

"What was that?!" Eden demanded, stumbling up. Mew glanced down at him, its entire attire completely calm.

"It seems that they noticed. Well, it shouldn't be surprising. Using powerful attacks should raise some suspicion."

"What are you talking about?" He yelped, looking at the angry black fumes. Obviously whatever was there had wrecked a lot of havoc.

Mew tugged at his arm. "Come on! Let's check it out! I have a few friends to meet there."

Eden wrenched himself out of its grasp. Seriously, how was a Pokémon only spoken of in legends so immature? "What are you talking about? Shouldn't some giant black clouds be somewhat concerning?"

"What if there is a giant robo monster attacking town and they need some type of superhero to fly in and save them? Come on; use the part of your brain that has some adventure!"

"Currently, I'm using the side that has rational thoughts! I don't even have my supplies! Why would you go running towards that?"

Mew pulled at his hair, dodging his swatting hands. "You can trust me! I'm your Spirit Pokémon, so technically I'm your conscience!"

"How do I trust some crazy cat that pretty much kidnapped me?!"

"I'll give you some answers if you just go!"

Eden lowered his hands slowly, scowling. Mew giggled to itself and flew in front of his face.

"You know, you just made yourself look crazy by yelling at me. I'm telepathic, remember?" It said sweetly, tilting its head innocently.

His scowl deepened as he stood up, wincing. "It's not like it really matters, there are only Pokémon around here."

"It'll matter even more if one of them gets bonded with a contractor and they tell them about the weirdo in the woods," Mew teased.

"Ugh. Fine, I'll go." Eden snarled, but Mew took note that he had dropped his voice down to a whisper.

"Great!" It cheered and began to float in the direction of the explosion, before stopping in mid-air.

"Hold still for a minute." It said, flying towards Eden and gently tapping him. A chilling feeling traveled through him.

"What did you do?" He asked and Mew smirked.

"I just changed your hair color to something a bit lighter."

Immediately, he wrenched a couple tresses out, horrified that his original black hair had been changed to a color very similar to Abi's.

"Huh. It actually suits you pretty well."

"Change it back!"

"Sorry kiddo, but all my work isn't going to naught. I can't risk anyone recognizing you." Mew paused. "Or me for the matter."

The cat's body flashed, shrinking down. When the glow faded, a small Eevee stood in its place.

Mew-Eevee climbed onto Eden's head and pulled his hair. "Onward!"


When they finally arrived at the blast's location, it was apparently centered in a small town. The damage that was causing the smoke fumes was only a flaming house, but strangely the entire town was isolated.

"Alright, we're here. There are no giant robots or aliens, so can we leave now?" Eden hissed. The entire secluded condition of the small city was creeping him out.

Mew shook its head, ears raised up. "No. We have to keep looking around. If they are able to take this town over, the awareness of the entire situation will rise, and I can't let that happen."

"What are you talking about?" He murmured, his eyes flitting over the silent scenery. He swore he saw something move out of the corner of his eye between the buildings.

"What I mean is that there are people causing this."

Eden stopped, paranoia spreading through him. He had the distinct feeling of being watched from something in the shadows.

"Who's there?" He announced, taking a step forward. Mew-Eevee slapped a paw to its face.

"Idiot! What if it's some murder and now that you've announced that you know they are there, they'll come out and kill you?"

A soft coo came from the alley and a Pidgeotto staggered out, ruffling its feathers nervously. Eden released a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Good, it's just a wild Pokémon…" He muttered, relieved. But Mew's face was anything but that.

"Good?! That's not a wild Pokémon! What type of wild Pokémon would come out of hiding because a human said so? An actual wild Pokémon would flee." Mew-Eevee grit its teeth. "No, that Pokémon is trained, and we should put it down before-!"

The Pokémon suddenly let out a shrill shriek, Eden jumping back from it and falling down. Mew-Eevee immediately shot an array of stars at it, effectively silencing it.

"Move!" It hissed, ears pricked up. "If we get away fast enough, they won't know we were ever here! "

"This was your idea in the first place!" Eden snarled, pushing himself up and jogging away from the small alley.

"I didn't expect them to be that prepared! Now we-"The disguised Pokémon was shot off his shoulder with a Shadow Ball and Eden was immobilized in mid-motion

"Me-Eevee!" He yelped, trying to move. 'Eevee' struggled to stand, stumbling over.

"Good job Slowking." Someone purred, walking into Eden's line of sight and towards the fallen Evolution Pokémon.

It was a woman, long violet hair curled like the waves cascading down her back. She wore a blue coat that melted into an icy white, a long split running through the middle of it, a glittering dress that fluttered out at the end underneath it. Mew-Eevee tensed visibly at the sight of her.

"Hello Mew."


(A/N): This is a rewrite of the original first chapter. The first one was so bad and cringe-worthy that I kinda had to do something about it.

Next chapter: Showdown between Eden and Mew vs. evil people that I will not yet reveal, a bit of insight of Mew, and more stuff to come!