Sorry to keep you waiting, here's the next chapter.

I hope everything makes sense.


"Memories, and dreams. They are both similar, two of a kind. Both are intangible fabrications of the mind, yet they affect us all so greatly… Would you agree?"

Nate considered what the scientist was trying to explain. He was not nearly as learned in the fields of science as this man, but his reasoning seemed sound, and after thinking it over, the boy saw no reason to disagree. He nodded in affirmation, which appeased the scientist.

"Excellent. Allow me to present my other Pokémon."

The man in the gray lab coat calmly opened his second Poké Ball, revealing a purple Pokémon that was curled up in a ball. It didn't move or make any sound, but a tall plume of swirling pink mist wafted from its head, floating around in the air above them.

"…Musharna?" Nate recognized the man's other Pokémon; remembering it as Bianca's favorite, the Pokémon that the girl from Unova used to help guide Nate through the volcanic Reversal Mountain.

The scientist nodded again, stretching his arm to point it at the Musharna. "Correct. Musharna is able to consume dreams and display them from the mist it produces, allowing people to see the dreams of others." He then withdrew his arm, to then gesture towards Beheeyem, who remained idle. "And if, as I had asserted, dreams are connected to memories, the question is raised: Could that ability also be used to display one's memories?"

Nate pondered. "Well…"

"The answer is yes." The scientist then brought out an object that looked like a silvery metal helmet, which was adorned with all matter of components of some sort. "However, I have managed to go one step beyond that, as you will see now."

Nate remained attentive as he watched the scientist place the helmet upon his head, covering his bespectacled eyes and everything above. Once the headgear was placed securely, the man retrieved a remote control device from his pocket, and pressed the first button, colored red, on it. From the top of the helmet a wire-thin antenna extended and began to emit an eerie sound, a mechanical tone that fluctuated in pitch, which Nate tried to abide.

Pollux, on the other hand, was not so tolerant of the noise.
"Uugh… what's with this sound?!" the Sylveon told Nate as it shook its head.

"Listen carefully," inquired the scientist. "I would like you to think of something. Any object you want! What's the one thing you'd want most right now?"

Nate stopped to think. The boy wasn't exactly in the mood for anything superfluous or unnecessary, but he did want to see what the scientist was planning. He looked down at Pollux, who seemed too busy trying to cover its ears with its ribbons to provide any input. Though the Fairy-type Pokémon was of no direct help, Nate was reminded of what their objective was, and he knew what he wanted.

"A Town Map of the Kalos region!" Nate answered.

"Is that all?" The man laughed to himself. "This should only take a moment then." He paused, fueling Nate's anticipation.

"Now… Beheeyem, Musharna!" the scientist declared as he pressed the second button, colored green, on his remote. The strange signal emitted from the antenna changed in tone, and the two Psychic-type Pokémon seemed to react to the new sound; Beheeyem pointed its arms at the helmet, its fingertips flickering with light, while Musharna floated up to latch itself to the man's head, as the mist emanating from the Pokémon was being sucked into vents at the helmet's sides. Amidst these events, the scientist bowed his helmeted head, as if he was trying to concentrate.

In just a few seconds, Nate noticed something materializing before his eyes; a blob of pink Dream Mist was created in front of the scientist, and it began to change its shape, like it was clay being molded by invisible hands. The chunk of smoke took on a number of different forms before settling on a flat paper-like form, which was no longer pink, but instead displayed a detailed map of the Kalos region.

Nate gasped. The very object he had asked for had been spawned at his request, which he accepted gratefully when the scientist handed it to him.

"Thanks!" said Nate. "But… how did you make a map out of nothing?"

The man in the lab coat used the remote to turn the antenna signal off, which calmed the Pokémon down. "Oh, but it wasn't made out of nothing. This helmet can use Beheeyem's power to bridge a link between the mind's memory center and its dreaming area, allowing Musharna's Dream Mist to transform itself into a tangible form of whatever my mind should will… in this case, the map of Kalos."

The whole explanation had been just a little too much for the boy to process, but he seemed to get the gist of it; the helmet had the power to create whatever the wearer so chose.

"Can you make anything with it?" asked the boy, now very intrigued about the helmet and its capabilities.

To his disappointment, the scientist shook his head. "Theoretically, anything that can be imagined can be created. However, certain complications arise when creating some things." He took off the helmet, before placing it upon Nate's head, squeezing the visor he was wearing within the small space. "I feel that it would be best for you to try this next test out for yourself."

The scientist then pressed the red button on the remote before handing the object to Nate, and the familiar uncanny noise began to sound again. "Before you press the green button, I want you to think of the biggest, most powerful Pokémon you know."

Nate didn't need to think too hard about that one. No other Pokémon he had ever seen could compare to the frightful legendary Pokémon Kyurem. Under the control of the maniacal Ghetsis, the icy dragon Pokémon had given Nate a strong case of the chills – figuratively, and almost literally.

"Focus your memories on that Pokémon. Remember it in as vivid detail as possible."

Nate closed his eyes, bringing Kyurem's image to his mind. He recalled the form of the fearsome Pokémon; its gray, ice-plated body, its razor-sharp steely claws, and the haunting glow of its beady yellow eyes. The boy's skin started to pimple just from imagining the freezing air that Kyurem radiated, and it was then that he pressed the button on the remote, causing Beheeyem and Musharna to react to the change in noise. Through the helmet's lenses, Nate saw Beheyeem flashing its fingertips, while Musharna floated to the back of his head, latching on as it provided the helmet with Dream Mist. Nate then waited as the Pokémon went about their work.

"This process might take a bit longer than the one before," the scientist reassured the boy. "A huge Pokémon will most likely require a lot of Dream Mist to create." True to the man's words, quite some time passed before Nate began to see a large cloud of pink, hazy mist, which eventually took the form of Kyurem, just as it had appeared in Nate's mind.

The boy gasped, and instinctively backed away from the giant dragon Pokémon, and Pollux intercepted between them, in spite of having to endure the harsh tones of the helmet's signal. As if accepting the Fairy-type Pokémon's challenge, Kyurem uttered a fierce roar, and stepped forward, preparing to attack…

All of a sudden, it stopped attacking, and melted into a formless pink mist that quickly evaporated in the air.

Nate and Pollux were completely astonished at how anticlimactic it had turned out, and the scientist promptly turned the signal off again, removing the helmet from the boy's head.

"What… what happened to Kyurem?" Nate asked.

The scientist shook his head regretfully. "The Dream Mist was unable to maintain Kyurem's form for more than a few seconds, and it quickly reverted into gaseous form… Most disappointing."

Nate frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"On the contrary," replied the man in the lab coat. "You did quite admirably in envisioning Kyurem. But it is as I told you: complications arise when creating living entities, like humans, or Pokémon. Do you recall the Metagross that helped you ascend the tower?" Nate nodded. "It was also a Dream Mist creation, and it remained in its form for but a mere twenty minutes."

The scientist's voice had become rather somber as he continued. "Depending on factors like size, the creation may survive for weeks, or just a few moments, but all animate dream creations are doomed to the same fate: turning back into Dream Mist, never to return. If only I had the solution… The possibilities for such a breakthrough would be unlimited."

Pollux looked up at Nate, with a face of concern. "To tell you the truth, the idea of being able to create anything on a whim like that, even powerful Pokémon… it scares me. There's no telling what some people could do with such a power."

The scientist quickly put the remote and helmet away, and recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls. "Oh, but I apologize for taking up your time," he said. "I am sure you have other matters to attend to, correct?"

"That's right," Nate replied. He was still anxious to get to Geosenge Town quickly, to resume his search.

"Then I'll keep you waiting no longer. I must be off now, to investigate further." Before the scientist headed out of the alley, Nate remembered something he had still needed to ask.

"Wait," said the boy. "I almost forgot… I wanted to know your name."

The scientist paused, before he answered.

"Remus."

Nate looked a little confused. "Ramos?"

"Not Ramos… Remus," corrected the man. "Dr. Remus. R-E-M-U-S. And you, what is your name?"

"It's Nate," said the boy.

Dr. Remus was quite surprised to hear that. "Nate, you say? Hmm…" The black-haired scientist left without any further words.

Pollux huffed indignantly, once the boy and the Sylveon were alone again. "I have a bad feeling about that Dr. Remus…"

Nate shrugged. "At least we have a map now." The boy grabbed Noivern's Poké Ball, and released the flying dragon Pokémon, which began to affectionately nuzzle against Nate's face when it was sent out. "We can get to Geosenge Town quicker if we fly, right?"

"I suppose so," Pollux answered. "Just try not to be too reckless this time, okay? It's easy to fall off a flying Pokémon, you know."

The Sylveon then joined Nate as he mounted Noivern's back, and snugly wrapped its ribbon feelers tight against the Dragon-type Pokémon's belly, acting as a makeshift safety belt. Without further ado, Noivern leapt, flapping its wings to fly off.

"Now… which way is it to Geosenge Town?" Nate wondered, pulling out the map that Dr. Remus had created for him.

%%%

In the space of Lumiose City's Pokémon Center, Dr. Remus paced about with phone in hand, waiting for his call to be answered. After a distressing amount of rings, the person on the other side finally picked up.

"Hello, this is Remus… No, unfortunately I have not found the vital component yet, but allow me to ask you something… Tell me, you wouldn't happen to know of a boy named Nate, would you? You see, I-"

Dr. Remus stopped talking when he heard the sound of hanging up, and the scientist could not help but feel like there was something amiss… Perhaps there was a reason after all that the name "Nate" echoed so persistently about his mind.

%%%

The flight to Geosenge Town had taken a bit longer than Nate had thought, but for the boy, riding high in the Kalos skies atop his Noivern and observing all the scenery scrolling by from below had made the trip seem much shorter.

Once he saw the triple stone monument that marked his destination, Nate gave the command for his steed to land, and Noivern successfully descended from the skies, slowing down to a stop upon meeting again with the ground. The Dragon-type Pokémon squeaked happily as the boy gave it a pat upon the head before taking its Poké Ball to recall it within.

According to the sign placed next to the giant monoliths, Nate and Pollux were indeed in Geosenge Town, but in their vicinity neither of them saw any sign of the ship captain in the vicinity, and they began to search around the town, poking around each nook and cranny. After they had looked within three different log cabins, a helpful resident of the town took notice of their plight, and approached the two of them.

"Why, hallo there, eh?"

When Nate swiveled around to see who was talking, his face was only inches from the woman's, and he jumped back, startled.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that. Didn't been to frighten you none," she promptly apologized with a smile on her pudgy face. "You fellers aren't lost now, are you? I can't say I've seen you round town before."

"We're not lost," Nate explained. "But we're looking for someone."

The woman held an open palm below her mouth, a gesture of surprise. "Oh, is that so? Perhaps I can help you then? I have an excellent memory, eh?"

Nate didn't hesitate to answer; this woman seemed quite trustworthy, and friendly. "I'm looking for a ship captain. He… has brown hair in a ponytail, a sailor hat… maybe he was singing badly too?"

"I see, I see," the friendly woman said, nodding her head. "I think I know exactly who you're looking for! Please, come with me!" Merrily, she skipped off towards a house in the distance.

"Well, that was convenient," Pollux commented with a sheepish smirk.

"At least we finally caught a break," replied Nate. "…Uh-oh, we're falling behind!" They quickly chased after the woman, who opened the door to her house once they had caught up. Once they were inside, she quickly switched on the wide-screen TV in the room, and sat down on the nearby armchair.

"Um, where is he?" asked Nate, seating himself on a cushiony sofa.

"Wait, wait, I'll tell you when I see him!" the woman answered, her eyes still fixated on watching the TV show.

Nate didn't understand, but he was patient, For several minutes, he waited, occasionally looking down at Pollux out of boredom, who said nothing; the Sylveon was just as focused on watching the show as the woman, it seemed.

Just when Nate was about to doze off, he was jolted awake as he heard his house-host exclaim a loud "I found him! There he is! Look, look!"

Nate craned his head about the room, but it was just the woman, Pollux and himself; no ship captain to be seen. And then it occurred to him, she didn't find the captain in the room. She had actually spotted him in the one place she had been focusing on all this time…

"So you call yourself a collector?"

"Why, yes I do. I collect antiques. I'm very proud of my Pokétopian urn!"

"What's a Pokétopian urn?"

"I don't know, but it's probably a lot more than we do!"

Nate stared at the TV screen in total disbelief. Did what he just saw really just happen? Unless his eyes were betraying him, he could have sworn that was the ship captain, the man who was the father of Virbank City's Gym Leader Roxie… that very same man was an actor in the very silly commercial that he had just watched, engaging in scripted banter with none other than a man in shades, who was wearing a very gaudy mauve-colored suit.

It was enough to put Nate on the verge of tears.