P
Prologue
You may rest easy, human. The blunt of the memories have been removed, and the ones you requested to not be touched are unharmed. All that remains is this last memory.
Right. I'm ready.
Let us begin, then. This one is quite large, so bear with me.
I understand. Let's go.
"SuBmIt. YoU hAvE lOsT. SuCh TeRrIbLe WoUnDs...YeT sTiLl YoU ReSiSt?"
The human and his partner pokmon, battered and beaten, gazed at their terrible foe which loomed over them. It had been a long and costly battle, but their enemy appeared to have taken minor damage-at best. The Pokémon panted, floated softly next to the human.
"You think we're going to surrender to you after sustaining a few bumps and bruises?"
"YoU HoVeR InChEs AwAy fRoM dEaTh. Do NoT tEsT mE."
"Mew..are you alright?" said the human, worry in his eyes.
"Don't worry about me," Mew responded. "Keep alert."
The human shook his head. "You're hurt badly. Don't push yourself."
"I'm fine." Mew said, trying to keep the human's spirits up. "We just have to hold him off for a bit longer."
"PaThEtIc. YoU tRulY tHinK yOu'Ll lAsT lOng EnOuGh fOr tHe PlAnEtS tO aLlIgn? YoU'lL bE lOnG dEaD bEfOrE eVen OnE pLaNeT gEtS iNtO pOsiTioN."
"Look up, bub. Can't you see? The planets are already aligning. Just a few more minutes, and you're toast." the Mew said with a smirk.
"WhAt InSoLeNcE. ThIs bAtTlE iS nOw OvEr."
Energy began to gather around the duo's enemy. The human recognized the build up. The attack was used before, but will he be able to dodge it this time?
"Mew!" the human shouted, turning to his Pokémon partner.
The Mew nodded at the human, readying itself. "Right."
The enemy unleashed it's attack. Spikes of pure negative energy began to erupt across the battlefield. The human felt energy gather under his feet, and barely avoided a spike that formed underneath him. The human continued to dodge spikes, but with every dodge, he felt the weight of his weariness. The human glanced over towards Mew, whose panting was heavier now.
"TiReD, yOu tWo? YoU'rE eNeRgy iS sPeNt. GrOvEl bEfOrE mE, aNd I mIgHt lEt yOu lIvE lOnG eNoUgH tO wItNeSs tHiS pLaNeT'S dEsTrUcTiOn."
There was no response from Mew or the human. The human felt his consciousness slipping. He was exhausted.
"HmPh. NoThInG, tHen? ThEn I sUpPoSe tHis is GoOdByE."
The human's adversary once again gathered energy, more so than usual. This attack would not be like previous ones-this one was meant to kill. The human searched his head for a plan, yet the only plan that was presented to him was passing out. His body had completely given up on him. Energy continued to flow into the core of the enemy, from in between the cracks on it's outer shell.
"AnY lAsT wOrDs?" the core croaked. "I kNoW yOu sImPly LoVe yOuR lItTlE qUiPs, MeW."
"I have two...Look. Up." the Mew gasped, revealing a small smirk.
"WhAt?"
The human, mustering the strength to life his head off the ground a bit,glanced up, and he saw it. The planets had somehow aligned in time. Although the human's hearing was growing faint, he heard the duo's enemy howl clearly, in pure shock and frustration.
"Looks like we all we wrong about the time it would take for the planets to align, pal. Too bad for you."
"HoW dId I lEt tHiS hApPeN…?!" the core screamed. "HoW dId…?!"
"Probably too busy gloating your victory. I guess you really are made up of everyone's negativity. You certainly talk a lot. I trained you well, I suppose." the Mew said, a larger smirk now forming on it's face. "Since you were nice enough to ask, I'll return the favor: Do you have any last words?"
"MeW...yOu lItTle…! YoU tHinK yOu'Re cLeVeR?!"
"Clever or not, I'm not the one about to be blown to pieces. Let's begin, shall we?"
The Mew closed it's eyes, gathering what little energy it had left...and began to sing the song to invoke the power of the planets. It was a tune passed down from generations of Mew, from when the world was first created. The aligned planets shimmered in response to Mew's song, waiting for it be completed. Although the human was about to pass out, he was able to make out some of the familiar words of the song.
There's a great big ... out there for ...
A ... great ... that ... across the ...
...
The human smiled at hearing the familiar tune, knowing that the two had won. A bit disappointed he wasn't able to hear the song to completion, but knowing that his energy spent, he passed out as the planets unleashed a beam of immense light and energy upon their once formidable adversary. Mew panted, basking in the defeated screams of their former adversary. Before long, the attack was finished, and the light slowly faded from the battlefield. A familiar voice eventually managed to get through to him.
"...ey...Hey! Sleepyhead!" croaked Mew's voice. "W-We did it..it's over..."
The human opened his eyes. Mew was floating over him, it's eyes half open from pure exhaustion. The human glanced around the battlefield, before his eyes rested upon the light red core, surrounded by pieces of black material. The core was glowing, desperately trying to piece it's outer shell back together, to no success. The human climbed to his feet slowly, flashing a weak yet warm smile at Mew.
"Y-Yeah...I guess we did...all thanks to you, Mew." said the human, smiling. "We were lucky the planets aligned when they did..."
Mew grinned. "Yeah. Lucky us, huh? All that's left now is to take care of that core..."
Mew turned towards the core, which had given up it's attempts to piece itself together. It was glowing softly. Cracks ran through the entirety of the red core. Mew approached the core, and when it determined the enemy was no longer a threat, it began to charge up a sphere of pink energy.
"AnD sO tHe CyClE cOnTiNuEs..." the core croaked, a forlorn undertone in it's voice.
"The cycle? What are you talking about?" the Mew asked, yet not dropping it's guard.
"FoR YeArs I hAvE bEen ReBoRn...dEfEaTeD…sEalEd...aNd sO oN. ThIs tImE, hOwEvEr, I wAs sO mUcH sTrOnGer tHaN bEfOrE..."
For a moment, there was silence.
The core continued; "I hAvE yOu tO tHaNk fOr tHaT, dOn'T I, MeW? We aRe LiNkeD...dO yOu TrUly wAnT tO dEsTrOy Me, tHe OnE yOu hAve mAdE sTroNgEr? ToGeThEr, wE cOulD-"
"There is no 'together' here," Mew suddenly snapped. "I'm going to destroy you here, right now. I'm not sure what you're talking about, but you're a problem. One that I intend to correct for the sake of this planet."
"hEhEhEhEh...A 'pRoBlEm'...I eXiSt fOr a ReAsOn...I aM tHe NeGatIvItY oF aLl lIvInG tHiNgS mAdE pHySiCaL-mAdE wHoLe. I aM yOu...aNd yOu aRe Me..."
"No. You're not me. That's a lie." the Mew growled.
"WhY dO yOu DeNy YoUrsElF? DeNiAl wIll NoT mAkE pRoBlEmS gO aWaY...iT sImPlY aLloWs tHosE pRoBlEms tO fEsTeR...aNd gRoW sTrOnGeR. I aM yOu...sO wHaT sHalL wE dO...tOgEtHeR?"
The core had barely finished his thought before a loud crash was heard, as Mew's attack slammed into the core, shattering it into pieces, which faded away. The Mew was panting, it's attack launched by pure anger. A chilling laugh filled the room.
"AnD sO I GrOw EvEr sTroNgEr...wHeN nExT I rEviVe...mY pOwEr sHalL kNoW nO liMiTs! I WoUlD tHanK yOu...bUt I wOulD oNlY bE tHaNkInG mYsElF!"
The laugh slowly faded. Their enemy defeated, the human found the strength to stand, albeit with some difficulty. But his primary concern was for Mew, who was staring at it's hands. The human approached Mew.
"Mew..." the human said. "Mew, what's wrong?"
"He's right. I failed. I made him stronger...I didn't realize it, but this is what he wanted. To be destroyed..."
"Mew..."
"I'm sorry. You were a great help...I couldn't have come this far without you. It's only fair I send you back to your world now. It's the least I could do.."
"That's silly. You think I'll just leave you now? I thought we talked about this already. We both agreed to stand by each other, until we've fully defeated the negativity. If it's still not gone, then all that means is we're just going to have to keep trying until it is."
"You're right. You always are."
The Mew nodded, regaining it's composure.
"Then it's time for Plan B, right?" the human asked.
"That's right. Plan B...I just need to pay a quick visit to the Tree of Life..."
Mew began to search around for an exit, leaving it's back exposed to the human. The human started to help search, but he suddenly felt sick to the stomach, and his head began to throb, forcing him to grip it. He groaned quietly, the pain slowly becoming worse. His head turned until his eyes were locked on Mew, and then the whispers began.
HeHeHeHe...It'S bEeN sO lOnG sInCe A hUmAn HaS aPpRoAcHeD mE. tHe NeGaTiViTy fLoWs sO sTrOnGlY wItHiN tHeM...
Wh-What! Get out of my head...!
HUmAn wEaKnEsS...iT bUrNs tO yOuR sPeCiEs' VeRy cOrE. yOu wErE cReAtEd tO bE sElFiSh. oBeY mE...sUbMiT.
Wh-What are you...no!
The human was forced to move, his very conscious feeling disconnected from his body. In just a few strides, the human was in striking range of Mew, looming over it ominously. Try as the human might to prevent it, the darkness had taken root deep within him, forcing him to act. The disconnected gasps and sounds of struggle as Mew suddenly turned around were the last thing heard before the human slipped out of consciousness.
Primeval Forest
The Life Pokémon's colorful antlers had fully returned to their normal, blue, and dormant state, and it stepped back from the human, turning to the Mew, nodding silently.
"It is done, Mew. I have erased his memories, save for the ones he requested to keep. He believes they'll be enough motivation to put him on the right path when he is sent on the journey."
"Right. Thank you, Xerneas." the Mew said, sitting on the ground. "I think we're almost ready."
"Do you require any more supplies from the Tree, or elsewhere?"
The Mew shook it's head. "I have everything important to the plan ready and present." said the Mew, staring at two turquoise scarves, complete with a green line pattern on each. The Life Pokémon glanced at the scarves cautiously, nodding and turning back to Mew.
"...Are you sure you don't want to send the human back to his world." Xerneas asked, curious. "It would be simple to return most of the necessary memories-and besides...I do not trust your enemy to fight fairly. There's no doubt that he might be used again-perhaps earlier this time. It's easier to take hold of a human's darkness than with Pokémon."
"Maybe so. But that's precisely why I'm taking him." Mew replied confidently. "I'm counting on that fact; He's...my secret weapon. You'll see."
It is said...that all Life in this world...
Is born from the same source.
The Sun and the Stars...
The Skies and the Seas...
And even Pokémon...
are all bound together as one.
And yet I wonder...do these bonds...have room for humans...? And perhaps..do they have room...
To accept and form bonds with the evil that lurks within the hearts of Pokémon?
...
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Expeditioners of the Sea
