Chapter 9: Learning the Truth - I

The leaves of the trees are rustling with the gentle wind that passes by. Eclaire is standing at the edge of a lake with her eyes closed. Suddenly, there was a ripple at the lake's center. She knew it is with her in the forest.

"Please show yourself," she said, as she opened her eyes.

It appeared—the Time-Travelling Pokémon.

"Celebi," Eclaire gently called out, "I have a request. Will you let me see the past? There is something I need to know… about my parents' death."

Celebi flew closer. "I know you've been seeking for answers," it said, using telepathy.

"Then, will you let me?" Eclaire asked, her hand closed tightly into a fist over her chest.

"No," Celebi shook its head.

"WHY?" Eclaire cried, "I'm only asking you to let me see the past. I'll no longer ask for it to be changed."

Her tears began falling from her eyes and she looked down on the ground, "I know I'm being punished," she continued, "…for changing the past."

The memories of that day came to her. Ruby, the son of Petalburg's Gym Leader, used Celebi to take the Red and Blue orbs into an empty dimension and destroy them. Eclaire, on the other hand, used another Celebi to alter the final moments of the region-wide calamity, causing the people who died—Norman, Marge, and Steven—to be resurrected.

Celebi came closer the Eclaire, "Are you really that willing to see the past of another world?"

"What?" Elaire looked up to face the hovering pokémon in front of her, "What do you mean?"

"Answering that question is no longer my role," Celebi shook its head once again, "Which is why the Alpha is here… To tell you everything." It raised its head, as if there is something approaching.

"The… Alpha…" Eclaire shuddered. She turned to see what's behind her, "The Alpha Pokémon," her eyes widened at the sight of the mythical creature.

"It is very rare for me to face a human, however, this situation makes it necessary," it landed on the grassy ground, right in front of Eclaire. "I am Arceus, the one you humans refer as the Alpha."

Eclaire seemed to be petrified.

"Be at ease, I came here to tell you the truth," Arceus told her as he walked closer.

"Please do," Eclaire tried relaxing herself, realizing that there is no harm.

"Right after the clash between Groudon and Kyogre, a young boy who has caught the Celebi of your world to take the Red and Blue Orbs away to prevent the disaster from repeating itself. You came into the scene and asked another Celebi to alter what has happened, not knowing that it travelled from this world. You see, Celebi can exist simultaneously in different worlds and travel from one to another. Because of that, when the Celebi that you asked is about to return to this world, it dragged you with it. What's more, you switched with your counterpart in this world and you managed to alter this world's past as well."

"Switched… Alter this world's…" Eclaire can't believe the story she heard, "I altered this world's past? How could I… I mean, it's Celebi who has the power to do that."

"Celebi unconsciously channeled its power to you upon travelling through time and space, around that time, your will to change the past, the past of your world, is still intact and so, you arrived to this world while altering the events, including the revival of certain people who died. To explain further, this world exists in parallel to your world, the only difference is that the evolution of pokémon in this world has taken a different path. That aside, the clash between Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre occurred at the same time with the clash between Groudon and Kyogre, which is in your world."

"And the people who died," Eclaire interrupted.

"Yes, the people who died in this world are the same people who died in yours. You managed to resurrect them with the power of Celebi which was momentarily channeled to you."

"And my punishment for altering this world's past is the death of my parents?" Eclaire asked the mythical pokémon.

"You have mourned for them, but they are not your parents." Arceus answered.

"Then, can I go back to my world, are my parents are still alive?"

"Yes, they are alive and well. But you can no longer return to that world."

"Why?" Eclaire was hurt and disappointed; she lost her hope, "Why can't I?"

"There will be a gap in the existence of the other you, the other Eclaire. You may have travelled at the same time, returned home at the same time. You met Celebi while she has not. That is but a small difference. The big difference which will make the gap is that her parents in this world have died. She returned with your parents still alive, thinking that they're her own, if she is to return here where her real parents are dead, that's where the gap comes in."

"Is it not possible for her to return here at an earlier point of time, where her parents are still alive?"

Arceus looked up, "It is possible… If the string is still intact."

"String?" Eclaire sounded confused.

"Yes. You see, I have created many dimensions, each containing a different world from each other. Each creature has a string connected to them—a string that connects them to their counterparts in the other dimensions. The string that connects you and your counterpart in this world has been broken, making it impossible to make any action."

"And that is… My punishment, for interfering the past of a world which is not mine?"

"It is your first punishment."

Hearing the word 'first' made a pang on Eclaire's chest, "Then, the second is—"

"The death of your parents."

"But you've said a while ago that they're not my parents."

"That is in order for me to be able to explain to you without confusing you. I have told you that your string has been broken. Because of that, you are now fixed within this world, making them your parents."

Eclaire felt like her heart is being crushed once again. She can't do anything else but to accept everything she heard. The Alpha Pokémon can't possibly lie.

Arceus began to levitate into the air. It turned its face to Eclaire one last time, "I have told you everything you need to know. Your questions have been answered. Farewell, human," it turned its face away, "No, farewell, Eclaire."

Celebi flew around Arceus and made one last look on Eclaire. In a blink of an eye, they disappeared together and everything turned dark. She's been left alone.

Eclaire opened her eyes. She's gasping for air and beads of sweat are rolling from her forehead and her neck.

"I was about to wake you up," Steven said, standing beside the bed she's lying on. "I thought you might be having a nightmare."

"Steven, where are we?" Eclaire sat up, looking around her surroundings.

"We're in a clinic, the nearest one from the funeral home. You fainted when we were about to transport the coffins for the burial," Steven answered, "Please rest for a while more. I'll accompany you to the cemetery later on."

Eclaire nodded and rested her back against the wall adjacent to the bed. She buried herself in her thoughts, thinking about the dream she just had.