Chapter 21

That night, as Amez slowly drifted off into sleep, she felt sick. Physically sick, like something had gone down her throat and was squeezing her insides, and that something wanted her to suffocate. She could see nothing but darkness, so she was unable to tell where she was, even though she knew this was a dream, because there was no way you could feel like this in reality. Dreams are funny that way, you seem to be even more alert then when you are conscious, yet always have a foggy, clouded memory when you awaken again.

Urghh… I feel horrible… she tried to soothe her tensed up muscles, her body becoming rigid. The darkness began to lift a little, revealing her to be in another void, but this was not like when she met with Gardevoir. This void, inside of a rainbow off light blending together, it was a spectrum of black, dark purple and dark blue that meshed together, and a harsh, cold wind blew, nipping at her face and paws where her thick fur lessened out.

This is a dream… isn't it? She had to ask herself again silently, as if any noise that penetrated the darkness would call forth some hideous creature. But why? Why do I feel this terrible? This is… the first time…

Outside, a large pompous shadow had fallen over the little Eevee, as she laid on her sleeping mat, covered in a light sweat and clutching her stomache, her face fraught with pain.

'How'd you like Dream Eater? Horrible, isn't it? Kekeh!' Gengar grinned to himself evilly, not bothering to be quiet, as Amez wasn't to awaken any time soon. 'But who would've thought that you were also human before… didn't expect that'. He continued muttering to himself as he glared at the tiny Pokemon before him, only his red eyes glowing brightly in the dark visible, 'But who cares? Someone like you is sure to be some lowlife. Kekeh! I'll expose you yet! I'll expose what's in your heart with Dream Eater! Kekeh!'

He raised his arms, and opened his mouth, ready to devour Amez's mind through her nightmare. A tinkling noise stopped him, it sounded like a wind chime.

'Hm? Something's coming!' he gasped, jumping around, knowing he'd be dead if either of her team mates caught him.

When neither Pikachu nor Absol appeared, he relaxed a little, and turned back to face Amez, but was caught off guard by a small light hovering in the right corner of the room, a few meters above them.

'What is that light?' he asked himself, as it began to glide towards him, 'It's coming closer!' he turned and ran, passing through the team base door swiftly and silently like the ghost he was, as the light stopped and hovered over Amez's head.

Back inside Amez's dream, she felt like she was about to collapse from lack of breathe. Her body wouldn't move, her brain seemed to have gone numb, and her entire being was so cold she felt like she was frozen into an icicle in Mt. Freeze. Her breathing was becoming less and less, until it suddenly began to fade. The pain… It's going away… she thought gratefully as the dark colours of the void around her began to fuse into a lighter rainbow and the wind died down to a soft, gentle breeze.

'Gardevoir?' she spoke softly, knowing she could hear her.

The green girl materialized in front of her, a smile on her face, but her ruby eyes sad.

'Gardevoir', Amez greeted her, 'Will you please tell me now? Who or what I am…?'

'Yes. The time has arrived. Why you have come here? I will tell you all there is to tell.'

Amez felt her heart race; she was finally going to find out who she was! But… she lost her excitement, and fear began to take over. What if I was… a bad person? Who was I?

'Amez, you have… Come to save this world', Gardevoir continued.

That unexpected statement startled her out of her thoughts. 'Come to save this world? The world of Pokemon? I did?'

'Yes. We learned that this world faced extinction. And so we sought a hero. But though we searched, that hero was nowhere to be found. We were becoming discouraged… until we came across a human. Amez, that human was you', Gardevoir told her kindly.

'Wait a second! Hero? Me? That's too much, I'm not anything special like that!' if she had been standing, she would've fallen down in shock, only the void didn't permit her to do that.

'Yes, that is what you said the first time we met', Gardevoir laughed, her face lighting up when she recalled the memory.

'The first time? You mean, we had met before?'

'Yes. Like now, I spoke to you in your dreams, and you said that you were nothing special. But what we sought was not power merely for display… but true courage'.

'True courage?' Amez repeated, 'I'm even less confident about that!' she sighed, hunching over.

'That, too, is another thing you said when me met', Gardevoir smiled again, 'It was also then when you said this. To see if you were worthy to be our hero or not… You asked that we put you to a test. And only if you were found to be truly worthy, then you were to be told the truth. To fulfil your role, clear of heart and mind, you then chose to erase your memory as a human, and became a Pokemon of your own will to fight alongside your team. That is how you came into this world'.

'Hang on! Did I have any recollection of this whole thing when I was awake?'

'No. When you awoke from your dreams, you had no memory of the conversations that occurred, however, when we spoke to you in your dreams, you knew exactly who you were, and it was your final choice, and your choice alone to come to this world after you passed the hero test.'

So I choose to come on my own free will, and opted to give up my memory in the process. That answers my question of how I arrived in this world. But what was my life like before?

'Your courage has been proven', Gardevoir continued, regaining Amez's attention, 'You dealt with the townspeople accusing you of your involvement in the Ninetales Legend, journeyed to see her yourself, welcomed Absol into the Team, saved Team ACT, battled and quelled Groudon… Without question, you bear the role of saving the world. And that role… is soon coming to its end'.

'By stopping the meteor from crashing into this world. That's my role, isn't it?'

'Yes. And when it is accomplished… You can return to your human world, and your old life', Gardevoir told her, obviously happy for her.

I can go back to my human life… 'Wait! That means-'

'It means parting ways with Pikachu and Absol', Gardevoir finished for her sadly.

'Pikachu, Absol. I have to leave?' she felt like crying, a sudden sadness taking over.

'Your team mates feel a great kinship with you, Amez, especially Pikachu. If you were to leave, your friends would be heartbroken', Gardevoir, too, also looked like she was about to turn on the waterworks. But she shook her head, closing her eyes to dry her eyes, 'But there can be nothing done. Because where there are encounters, there are also farewells… I, too, once had a friend beyond value. Truly, I cherished our friendship. But my friend has gone away. It fills me with sadness still, losing my friend…But, we will meet again. That is what I believe', she smiled, a small, sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.

A flash of light obscured the colours of the void for a moment, making Amez jump (or flail around for a while, considering there was no solid ground for her to jump up off) and her fur stick up on end. 'What was that?' she had been so caught up listening to Gardevoir's speech, that the startling movement gave her a big scare.

Gardevoir was silent for a few moments. '… Who was that? Someone appears to have been looking into your dream'.

'What?' Amez gasped, feeling very violated.

'It is fine now. Whoever it was ran off', Gardevoir assured her. 'All that remains in this dream now is a feeling of sadness. That Pokemon… I think it ran off crying'.

Gardevoir was right, the only thing left was a feeling of sadness. Amez looked down, her heart feeling hard and heavy inside her chest. All the townspeople, Team ACT, Xatu, Ninetales, Absol, Gardevoir, even Team Meanies... Pikachu…

'It will be morning soon', Gardevoir said gently.

Amez didn't look up. Gardevoir looked down at the little hero sadly, and softly patted her head.

'Au revoir', she whispered, and was gone.