"What is this place?" I asked myself in bewilderment. The domain I existed in was completely different from that of the distorted realm. Compared to that world, this place felt...strange? The area was neither light, nor dark, but somewhere in-between, it was not cold, but it was not hot as well. It was neither day nor night and the aura was made up of both light and darkness; or was it neither. "Where am I?"

"You exist in a world that exist, but was not meant to exist," a voice chirped with delight.

I turned around in surprise but no one was there. Suddenly, I heard more voices coming from a distant. As I listened on, I made a discovery. There were three, I thought. Two males, and one female. Who were they and why were they here?

"This world resides in between the living and the dead," the second voice, a masculine one, spoke. "The gateway to the hall, or the distorted."

"'Something that is nothing-nothing that is something'," the final voice echoed. "That is a code we have chosen to follow-quite a silly code, it is; for it makes no sense."

"Who are you," I called out to them. "Show yourself!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," spoke the female voice. "So impolite, you are. Would it kill you to say "please"?"

"Politeness is important, sister; however, I believe that this young soul has suffered much. Let's let this slide."

"Enough," the older sibling exclaimed. "Our guest has arrived and you two are being disrespectful; how can this Pokémon travel to the hall unless he has been purged of his wickedness?"

The hall! I thought to myself, unable to speak at the sudden revelation. As in, the Hall of Origin? Before I could respond, three orbs surrounded me and spiraled around me in a colorful embrace. A mixture of pink, blue, and green swirl around me until finally, three beings came into existence. One had a red jewel on its forehead and on its twin-tails, and four drooping appendages on the side of its face. The second guardian resembled its counterpart with the exception of its body being gray and its head resembling a helmet; its eyes were also closed. The final spirit had a grayish-blue appearance, a cone-shaped head and ear-like protrusions on each side of its head.

All three spirits bowed before me before communicating with me: "Greetings, Riolu Aura," they greeted in sync. "You have passed."

"Judging by that bewildered look, I would say that you are a bit...confused?" the pink sprite asked mischievously.

She was absolutely right. My mouth opened in shock, my eyes popped out of my head, and was completely speechless; I couldn't even form a sentence.

"You have every right to be surprised," the other sprite spoke calmly. "Considering that so much has befell you."

"We're all surprised that you even managed to get this far," the third sprite chirped in cautiously.

When I was finally able to speak, the best I could do was mumble a sentence: "Who are-what are you three?" I asked.

The three spirits looked at me in a bemusement, and then back at each other in a sort of humorous fashion. They turned to face me with a vulpix-like smile plastered onto their muzzles.

"How rude of us," they apologized as one. "Please forgive us, and allow us to introduce ourselves:

"I am Azelf, the youngest."

"I am Mespirit, the eldest!"

"And I am Uxie, the second oldest."

"And together," they spoke as one. "We are...the Guardians of Purgatorium!"

Immediately, after hearing of their names and of what origin they were, I bowed before them, my knees and paws on the floor and my nose touching an inch of the ground. At first glance, these spirits may seem harmless and innocent, but after my adventure, I knew better than to underestimate someone's appearance. For standing before me were the messengers of Arceus; these were one of his many children.

"Forgive me for thy foolishness," I begged. "I had no knowledge of your identity."

I heard giggles coming from the mouth of Mespirit as she tried desperately not to laugh at my humiliating groveling. In the end, it was too much for her.

"It's so funny," the she-sprite laughed. "I would never dream of seeing the "O' so, great, Shadowaura" to, tremble at the tail of us! It's too good to be true!"

"It's about time we were shown some respect, would you not agree, older sister," Azelf chirped in.

"Enough, you two," Uxie barked at his siblings. "Show some respect to our friend, here." Uxie turned before me and smiled lightly. He beckoned me to arise and I did so.

"I apologize for my siblings," Uxie pointed toward the other two. "They are..."childish" at times." Mespirit responded with a raspberry, while Azelf sent a cold glare toward his brother; both of which, Uxie ignored. His eyes remained closed, but I could sense that his attention remained on me.

"Riolu Aura," Uxie began. "Do you know why you were brought to this place-this world?" Honestly, I didn't. Originally, I thought it was to find an answer to these images that plagued my thoughts, but after traveling through the entire distorted realm, I begin to think that I was meant to face and conquer my sins, as well as save my friends' souls. Now...I'm not really sure. I stared at the messenger Pokémon and let my head fall in defeat. Uxie, however, did not seem angered or sadden by my respond. Instead, he placed his small paw on my shoulders and smiled.

"Aura," Uxie explained. "As you already know, one of my abilities allows me to take away the memories of previous Pokémon who has encountered me, correct?"

I nodded in agreement.

"You may not know this, but I not only have the ability to "take" memories, I can also "return" them, as well."

"What!" I exclaimed.

"It is true," he continued. "And with your permission, I can return to you a memory that you have long forgotten; with it, you will be able to piece together the puzzle to your question. I will ask you only once: Do you wish to regain your memories?"

I didn't need a second to come up with an answer. I have waited a very good while to get the answers I craved, and I wasn't about to lose them now: "Yes."

Accepting my answer, Uxie placed his paw on the edge of my forehead and opened eyes before me.

I never thought that having your memories returned to you could cause this much pain. It felt as though a claw was digging its way into the center of my psyche, but in the process, destroying the remainder of my thoughts. I had absolutely no knowledge of this being so lethal; was it a mistake to make this choice? Was I being irrational, or too hasty? When I thought that I was about to scream out in pain, I caught glimpse of light from afar.

Do you see it, Aura," Uxie cheered me on. "Go to it!

Unable to control myself, I rushed toward the light at blinding speed until I was mere inches from touching it. When I had finally reached it, there was a moment of pause and the light imploded before me. When I regained my vision, I was speechless. Is that...me? I thought in uncertainty.

I stood in a field of green that stretched across the mountaintops and the hills. From my right, I caught sight of a large farm with much housing, and from my left was a memorial stone carved out of black earth. Standing in front of the memorial was a phantom version of me, who remained on the floor in prayer:

"Arceus, creator of everything and all," he whispered. "I am already aware that I am beyond saving; if anything, I'm already beyond salvation. However, if there was any way to redeem myself, then allow me to find a way to do so. Help me, Arceus: help me find a way toward redemption, help me guide my friends to a better life, help me become a better Pokémon than I originally was."

The phantom went on to bowing his head in front of the grave mark and as he did, his body began to shake uncontrollably and a single tear washed from his eyes and unto the black marble.

"Please, Arceus," the younger me begged. "Show me the way...!"

Afterwards, the vision grew faint and I found myself back in the realm of in-between. Uxie looked at me patiently before continuing.

"Do you understand," he asked. "Many years ago, guilt and regret clouded your thoughts and weighed down your heart. Arceus heard your cries and contemplated on what to do." I looked on-unable to hear what was being said. "He decided to put through a series of tests, to see if you are worthy of forgiveness, by having you face your inner demons in the distorted realm."

"Then..." I thought back to the constant nightmares I suffered from every night and it all became clear. "The nightmares; Suicune, Entei, Raikou-"

"All planned out," Uxie finished. "Arceus sent them to your subconscious to draw you to the gate and begin your quest."

I remained silent afterwards; it all became suddenly clear to me, and yet I still couldn't believe it. No words could express the emotion I felt; one part of me was enraged-furious, at what Arceus had put me through, while the other half felt a sense of peace. A feeling I haven't felt in a very long time. I faced the three legendaries and asked them the question I feared to ask: "What is thy sentence?"

All three smiled and shouted as one: "You are forgiven!"

That was it: I was forgiven. Just one decision from the creator of Pokémon had saved me from eternal damnation. I didn't know what had come over me, but I felt as though a huge weight had come off of me. I was finally able to forgive myself for all my past misdeeds; everyone-Arceus and my kin's-were able to forgive me, and now I was able to do the same. Before I knew what came over me, I dropped to the floor and I cried, except these tears were not of sadness, or bitter self-loathing-these were tears of joy. It mattered not that the three sprites were witness to my sobs, because all that mattered was that I was finally freed from my chains that bonded me to my uncertainty.

I felt the touch of Mespirit and looked up to see her smiling at me sympathetically.

"Come, young one," she lifted me up and showed me to a place I had not yet seen before. Standing under my feet was a lake that was both clear and murky, and stretched on till it touched three pillars from the north, south and west. Inside the lake, I could make out two types of spirits' dancing and twirling in a peaceful manner. I could sense no form of perverted thoughts lingering in the lake; it was as if they were fading away as the souls came in contact with the water.

"What you see before you is the lake of cleansing," Mespirit explained. "It is here that you are cleansed of your sins and are ready to leave for the hall of origins. Many worthy spirits are sent to this place where they are bathed in this lake and forgiven for their transgression."

"This world was created on the orders of Arceus," Azelf added. "Knowing that there were souls worthy of forgiveness but had hearts contaminated by darkness, father sent for us to create a world where souls could have their souls washed away. We created this world out of nothing and made it into something."

"What is it that I do?"

"Merge inside the lake and we will do the rest," Uxie chirped in.

Whether it was based on trust or simply a whim, I obeyed the sprites' wishes and dove inside the cold water and lost consciousness. It felt as though I was floating in a sea of clouds as I floated on the lake. It was peaceful, calm, and without fear. From afar, I could sense the three sprites looming over me, spiraling around me for the beginning of a ritual.

"Riolu Arua...Shadowaura..." Mespirit whispered. "You have been chosen by our father, Arceus, to be purged of your evil and reborn in his eyes. Should you accept this, you will be granted access into the hall. Do you accept this?"

Yes. I thought. All three heard my request and proceeded with the ritual. Azelf was the first to appear before me and he held up a diamond-colored orb before me.

"With this light," he proclaimed. "I, Azelf of willpoweer, give you, Riolu Aura, the spirit of love. Use it to protect those you hold dear to your heart, as well as to forgive those who have harmed you."

As I absorbed the glowing sphere, I felt intense pain course through my entire body. It felt as though my flesh was being burned from the inside out and I was powerless to stop it. I cringed as pain shot through my body and screamed at the agony of it all. When it was finally over, I felt as though I would pass out anytime soon.

"Just remembered," Azelf sounded embarrassed. "The cleansing may hurt a bit-sorry!"

I bit back an urge to scream at the sprite and turned my attention back toward the matter at hands. The next to appear was Uxie, who carried with him a pearl-colored orb that glowed pink. I prepared myself mentally and physically as he grew closer to me.

"With this orb," Uxie spoke. "I, Uxie of wisdom, grant you, Riolu Aura, the spirit of faith. Use this power to save those who have lost their way and show them the light within the darkness."

As the power absorbed into me, I felt something beginning to form inside of me. It felt as if a jolt passed through me, flooding me with knowledge and strength I originally didn't have. I consumed every ounce of the energy until I felt completely full. After Uxie disappeared, Mespirit appeared before me, this time carrying with her an orb that glistened pale-grayish white. She floated toward me and released the orb into the air. It spiraled toward me until it was a nose-length away from me. I looked at Mespirit and she smiled.

"With this orb," she said. "I, Mespirit of emotions, give you, Riolu Aura, the final virtue-the spirit of hope. This orb will give you the ability to continue fighting when things seem to be at their worst. Should you ever find yourself in times of great peril, never give up and move forward until things get better."

As she spoke, I absorbed the last virtue and could already feel something. It was hard to describe: it felt as though a fresh air came and rejuvenated me. I felt more aware of myself, lighter than I originally was, and...Truly felt alive.

"Hope is what makes us Pokémon march forward in life, even in times of great calamity," she went on. "It is what makes us live and die for a better tomorrow!" When she finished her speech, she shaded away and I returned to the (semi-) living world. I exited the pool and was confronted by a shade, which I assumed was a reaper of purgatory. The shade had a blue-colored body with a yellow underside, three, pink- phasing wings on her back and sides, and a crescent moon-shaped head. The spirit stood where it was, obviously waiting for me to come to it. The creature smiled at me and greeted me in a gentle way.

"Greetings, Riolu Aura," she spoke in a feminine voice. "I have come to show you to your destination."

The shade introduced herself as Cresselia and is a reaper, similar to Darkrai; her mission was to ferry dead souls to this place where they would receive judgment; if a soul was found innocent, she would ferry that soul to the hall, if guilty, her brother, Darkrai would ferry them to the distorted realm. I began to wonder if I would ever see Darkrai ever again, but I decided not to.

"Will it be you that ferries me to the hall," I asked.

"No," she responded. "Someone else will." I decided not to ask any more questions afterwards.

We have walked at least half-a-mile by the time we came to a stop. Cresselia pointed me in the direction in front of me and I looked to see a shade standing in front of us with its back turn, not moving an inch from where it was. I leaned in closer and could make out details of the silhouette: a bushy tail with a black tip, blonde-colored mane, three bangs with black tipping, and faint golden pupils. It felt as though my heart instantly stopped at the sight of the shade.

"Shadowheart!"

I fell into a dash and ran over to the faint image of my baby step-kin. My breathing grew and my pulse moved faster with every step I took. When I finally stopped, I stood before the flickering image of my baby brother. Half of the image was light, but the other half was dark-cut down in the middle. Cresselia had finally caught up from behind, but before she could speak, I was already on her.

"How could you allow this," I shouted my anger visible and fierce. "He has done nothing wrong!"

Cresselia did not respond and that only made things worse.

"This child is innocent and pure-he has no right to be here!" I shouted.

"His fate has not been decided yet," Cresselia responded flatly. "What you see is a vessel that has yet to be filled. Until his death, we will not know whether or not he is worthy of peace of despair."

I continued to glare at her but realized that it wouldn't change anything. I continued to stare at the image that took on the appearance of the Pokémon I kept close to my heart. The very thought of this child-this innocent being castrated into a world of hell scared me to my marrows.

"You should also know," Cresselia broke the silence. "That this child is not entirely innocent, anymore," I looked at her in disbelief. "The boy has seen the evil that lurks inside the hearts of many Pokémon, and has also suffered persecution at the hands of those who sees shadows as monsters. Those events may have affected his opinion on many Pokémon; without proper guidance and good leadership, the one known as Shadowheart may end up in the same place you had visited."

I felt defeated. All my years, I had tried to steer Shadowheart toward a brighter path; I had done all I thought I could do to show him that there will come a time in which shadows and non can co-exist with each other. Now that I saw that there was a chance for him to end up in that world, I felt hollow inside.

"Shadowheart..." I whispered. I wish I could have apologized, but I couldn't; it felt too cheesy.

Footsteps approached us from behind and I instantly fell into a fighting stance toward the approaching stalker. When I saw the intruder, I was left powerless. The Pokémon was a slim, blue creature with diamond-shaped markings on its body, a purple mane-like cape, and twin streamer-like tails.

"You've finally arrived," he said in a masculine voice.

That moment, I knew right away who it was. It was one of the three beasts that haunted my dreams; the leader of the pack that commanded Entei and Raikou to taunt me until I found my way inside the cave. It was him, no doubt about it. "Suicune, of the north." I whispered.

"Indeed," Suicune greeted with a nod. "It has been a while, Riolu Aura."

"Why are you here," I questioned him suspiciously.

"I have come to complete my mission," he responded without a hint of fear. "You have been through such much and it is time this journey of yours comes to an end."

I looked toward Cresselia and merely smiled. "He means to take you to the hall," she replied.

My head turned back to Ho-Oh's servant and he nodded.

"Arceus instructed me to escort to the hall of origins should you ever find your way here," he explained. "Get on my back and I will lead the way."

I stood there in bewilderment. This was it; I would finally get to see Arceus. I wanted to jump onto the messenger's back and have him ride me to the legendary god's domain, but my legs felt weighted down and unable to move. Both Pokémon looked at me quizzically before Cresselia began to giggle.

"Nervous, are you," Cresselia smiled. "It's normal, especially since your visiting the creator of the Pokémon world."

I still didn't-couldn't respond. Cresselia moved toward me and lifted my head up. She must've seen the fear in my eyes because her expression became sympathetic.

"What if he doesn't accept me?" I asked.

"Remember the three virtues," Cresselia instructed. "Faith, love, and hope-all will make you strong and give you the power to face your fears."

I felt all the fear drain away from me as I felt the embrace of the reaper of nightmares. She gently let me down and directed me toward Suicune, who made no comments as to what he saw; part of me was relived because I was already embarrassed. I jumped onto his back and gave the word.

"Lead the way, Suicune," I commanded.

He followed my orders and we took off into the unknown darkness that lay ahead of us.