Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.
It hurt. It hurt a lot.
It was a struggle merely to open his eyes. Italy could make out the bleary sight of towering thick stalagmites all around him. Somewhere just out of his range of vision was the waterfall, roaring with all its might and yet sounding muffled to his ears. The cold, wet stones beneath him dug into his backside while warm, thick drops of water splashed occasionally onto his head. The Eevee groaned when he tried to raise his head; he could lift it about an inch before pain surged through him, and he had to catch himself from slamming his head down and gaining another concussion.
Germany… He hadn't the strength to speak. Japan…Gilbert…I'm sorry…
Now he really was useless; he couldn't move, couldn't yell, couldn't do anything in the tremendous pain he was in. He could only stare out into the darkness and wonder just how far he fell. It was impossible to see the soft blue glow of the chargestones above. Only the stone pillars…
Oh…hold on…he was able to see. His mind trudged slowly to put the pieces together. If he was able to see then there had to be light somewhere. Oh yeah. There was the white glow he saw shortly after being struck, the light penetrating through his closed eyelids just before he blacked out. Where was it coming from? As much as his body screamed at him to keep still Italy forced himself onto his stomach. He whimpered as the rough earth agitated the wound there. It hadn't healed much after reopening it using Noivern's wing.
Oh no! Where was Noivern? Last he recalled the dragon was tumbling down the waterfall with him. Another water drop dripped onto his head, and Italy glanced up. His veins chilled at the sight of the dark, sprawled form suspended above him by the stalagmites, and he rolled a bit to the left to avoid further drops from above. It wasn't long before tired relief flooded through him again and he relaxed, as much as his mind told him it was immoral to be feeling such comfort. But still, Noivern was…no longer a problem for him and his friends.
But he needed to find the source of the light. And as much as he didn't want to look up it was evident it was coming from the other side of Noivern. Crawling at an agonizing pace proved almost too much from him, but Italy was eventually able to get at an angle to properly see where the source was located. He took a sharp intake of breath.
It was like a star being unearthed. Peeking out from inside a particularly thick stalagmite, the very one whose top was crumbled by Noivern's wing, was a crystal so dazzling and gorgeous it made ordinary diamonds look like cheap plastic. The pink orb must have been cocooned inside the stone for years. But why?
Is that the Pearl of Space? It was the only reasonable conclusion. Somebody must have buried it here, hidden in the depths of this chasm, shielded by the powerful waterfall. It was nothing short of a miracle that Noivern managed to disturb the very stalagmite that concealed it. But how do I get it out? There was no possible way he could climb up and dig it out. If only his friends were here to help him; they'd be able to get it with Flamethrower or Shadow Ball.
"There has to be a way," he mumbled. With nothing to lose he tried to use Flamethrower. After several failed attempts to spew even a spark he shifted his efforts to Shadow Ball. He somehow managed to conjure a small wobbly blob on his third try, but it disintegrated before he could hope to launch it. Panting, Italy wondered if there was any other attack he could use. I don't care what it is. Just please. Something. He let out a breath, half hoping for a ranged move, half expecting nothing like before. His optimism won out. A lone golden star materialized and spun through the air like one of Japan's shurikens. It arced and hit below the jewel, slicing off more rock that was covering it. That was enough to unbalance it, and soon the Pearl of Space was knocked out of its place. It fell and landed with a loud and clear ding!, completely not at all the sound Italy was expecting it to make. He heard it roll some ways away.
Mustering up more strength, he got to his aching paws and stumbled over to where it stopped. The warm light was practically a beacon to him, drawing him closer and encouraging him forward. Italy smiled warmly, tiredly, when he was finally gazing down at it. The large stone was almost as big as he was. "We finally found it," he chuckled to himself. Then he collapsed, his worn body finally succumbing to the strain he just put it through. Italy felt the dark embrace of sleep washing back through him. Before he lost consciousness he draped one arm around the stone. It was warm to the touch. He promised himself he'd make sure nothing happened to the pearl until his friends got here…
Germany paced restlessly along the cliff's edge. After minutes of waiting he finally spotted a blur zoom up from the shadowy depths. A frowning Gliscor landed once more empty handed. "I can't go any further," he reported, "The waterfall is blocking me from checking out what's behind it." His captain nodded as the male Garchomp stepped forward.
"Are you sure, mate? We can't give up yet. There has to be a way to get closer and see if he's still there."
"Trust me, I tried. But if I get too close my wings'll get soaked."
"And we're too big to glide down safely," grunted the Captain, glancing toward Garchomp, "With no draft or wind to support us we'll fall to our deaths too."
"Don't say that," Germany growled, stopping his pacing, "We've no proof Italy is dead. He could still be alive."
"That's a mighty long fall, though," Lairon didn't sound at all hopeful. Germany snarled at him.
"It's just like Garchomp said," Japan interrupted before the Houndoom could retort, "We can't give up yet. We must have hope that Italy is alive and safe." The steel rhino agreed, more out of want to get Germany to stop glaring at him. Germany resumed his pacing. "Germany, I would advise you calm down as well. Your anxiety might cause you to become careless."
Germany took a deep, unsteady breath. "I know, I know. But I want to find Italy. He could be gravely injured right now. Or worse, still in Noivern's clutches. There's no way he can fight him off by himself."
"I honestly believe Noivern is the least of Italy's concerns right now," Japan stepped closer, "Our friend has been quite successful in escaping him before." He paused and looked toward the exit of the cavern. "My hope is that Gilbert and Graveler find a tunnel that leads down there. If Italy is injured we will need a safe route to carry him back up."
"You're right. But why can't they hurry up? They've been gone for a long while n—uh!" He'd lost his footing, and while it wasn't enough for him to trip it was more than enough for him to reconsider walking so close to the ledge. As he followed Japan back closer to the others he prayed silently to whatever higher being was out there and perhaps listening.
Please let Italy be alright.
"…Hey…Hey? Hello? You done napping yet? Wake up." Italy didn't want to; why couldn't his subconscious self leave him alone? "You know you can't sleep forever. Trust me, I've tried. So stop playing dead." Well that was an odd thing for his mind to say. But he still didn't feel like moving. "You're not actually dead, are you? Oh come on, please wake up." Now his inner voice was sounding a bit desperate. Italy slowly opened his eyes. "Phew! What a relief!" The Eevee sat up and took in his full surroundings.
This wasn't Mount Gold. Somehow or another he ended up floating in outer space—only it was brighter and bluer than he expected space to be. And there were no planets. Was this heaven? He looked behind himself and yelped. This was definitely not heaven! An imp-like creature was snickering right behind him. The grinning demon had thick curved horns coming out from both sides of its head, a single ring resting around its waist, and small arms that did not connect to its body, just hovered beside it. And that wasn't even to mention the fact it lacked feet of any kind to support itself, though it probably didn't need them since it too was floating about in this strange dimension.
"Wah! What are you?"
The smile only grew larger as the devil creature laughed. "Hoopa-pa-pa! That's the first thing you ask: 'what', not 'who'? I'm a djinn is what I am, you wittle fox." His disconnected hands reached forward and pulled Italy by the paws, and they were soon spinning around in a circle. "Didn't think I'd be having company so suddenly. Just popped into my plane you did, yessiree! Quite a surprise, but hey, I'm not complaining. So what brings you here, Eevee?"
Italy was suddenly released from the twirling and sent tumbling dizzily backwards. It took a moment to reorient himself. "Sorry, my name's Italy." The djinn blinked once, twice, then burst into laughter.
"Hoopa-pa-pa-pa! You can't fool me! You're an Eevee through and through. What's this Italy nonsense you're spouting?"
"That's my name," the other frowned.
"No it's not. You're Eevee."
"I am an Eevee, but my name is Italy."
The djinn stopped laughing. "How can that be? How can your name be anything but Eevee?"
"Um…it just is?" How else could he explain it? "I was given that name, and so I go by it."
"Huh? You mean like some kind of cutesy false name?"
"Well, it's not false." A thought occurred to him. "Don't you know what a nickname is?"
The djinn's eyes widened slightly and he hurriedly held up his hands, laughing nervously. "O-of course I know what a nickname is! Isn't that what pokémon call their mates and such? Oh yeah, I know all about that." Italy wasn't convinced, but at the moment he had more pressing matters to worry about.
"Anyway, I need to get back to the others. You wouldn't know how to leave this place, would you?"
"You want me to tell you how to leave Palkia's prison?" the tiny demon chortled, "Well it's a lot easier said than done."
"Oh, please don't say that; I just want to—" His mind registered the other's words. "Wait! Palkia's prison!? He's here!?" The small djinn placed his hands on his hips.
"Literally or conceptually?" he sneered, "He's here somewhere in this dimension, and he'll soon be here in this spot if you don't hush up, wittle Eevee. Pa, it's like you have no idea where you are."
Italy gulped. "But I don't! Palkia's prison? How? We never made it to the altar." He looked around frantically. "The pearl. Where is it? I swore I'd keep it safe until Germany and Japan found me." The other pokémon's expression was one of confusion.
"The pearl? You don't mean the Pearl of Space? Why would a wittle Eevee like yourself be carrying that thing?" But Italy wasn't paying the creature much attention.
"You haven't seen it, have you? I have to find it. It has to be here somewhere."
"Hey, hey! Calm down now. We'll find the pearl," The djinn patted him on the back. "Just relax, friend. I'll help you out."
Italy stared up at him with wholly thankful eyes. "Grazie!" The djinn beckoned him to follow, and the Eevee warily floated after him, unused to the lack of gravity. "So, um, what's your name?"
"Me? Why, my name's H–" He paused then quickly retracted his words, "Er, that is, call me N…Naradah. Yeah, I like that. Naradah!" He clapped happily to himself, and Italy's suspicions of him grew slightly higher. He travelled mostly in silence after the djinn, constantly on the lookout for the tiniest of hints they were being followed or spied upon by Palkia. Naradah, on the other hand, was chatting away merrily and oblivious to Italy's unease, speaking almost nonstop about how bored he'd been and what he missed in the real world and the possible things that were happening there now. He talked of days spent keeping track of the Great Dragon's resting area and the numerous times he's been chased to another quadrant of this dimension. More than once he'd suffered from what sounded like should have been fatal blows.
"But, being ethereal and all, I wasn't all that concerned. Hole was gone about a minute after he got bored chasing me." He let out a proud laugh.
"Is that why I'm healed? Because I'm ethereal?" Italy asked, still glancing nervously over his shoulder every other second. "I was injured before coming here. I could hardly move." Now that he thought about it, he checked his underside. The wound was completely gone, as if it'd never been there.
"Yep!" grinned Naradah, glancing back at him, "This dimension merges your physical body and soul together. It's impossible to get or be injured here. But," he warned slyly, waggling a finger, "be careful. Death is only a hair's breadth away. The soul is a pathetically fragile thing. Easy to manipulate, easy to damage. If your resolve to exist isn't strong enough, Palkia's breath alone can blow you into oblivion, hoopa-pa-pa!" Italy shivered as his guide laughed. This wasn't funny at all! He needed to get back to Germany and Japan.
"Isn't there any way to get out of here?" Naradah almost instantly sobered.
"Pa? You were serious? But don't you like this place?"
"What is there to like? Palkia lives here."
"So," Naradah shrugged, "That doesn't mean you have to leave so soon. This place is humongous; we won't see him as long as we're careful. Plus the real world's no fun at all. Taunting Palkia's a blast. Why don't you just stay here with me?"
Italy, unable to believe what he was hearing, stopped in his tracks. "I can't. I don't want to meet Palkia at all, especially if I can help it. There's nowhere to hide if he finds us. And my friends are probably worried sick about me."
"Yeah right," snorted Naradah, glaring to the side and crossing his arms, "They likely gave up looking for you already. A wittle Eevee like yourself probably can't do much for them." The amount of veiled anger behind those words was surprising to hear coming from the perpetually smirking pokémon. Italy had no response; he knew his friends would never give up on him. He'd learned to ignore such worrisome thoughts long ago. The djinn leered at him. "You really believe they'll find you?"
"I don't know," Italy answered quietly, "But I do know they won't stop searching. I have to find the Pearl of Space. We need to get back home." He could no longer be a burden to Germany, Japan, and Gilbert. It was bad enough that he couldn't fight beside them, bad enough he had them constantly on edge that he might evolve. But now they were likely looking for a body they would never find if he stayed here. Italy couldn't bear the thought of grieving them with such heartache.
"Hmph," Naradah spun around, his back to Italy, "If that's what you want to believe, then fine. But I don't want to help you find the Pearl of Space if you're just going to use it to go home. You can search for it yourself for all I care. Have fun dodging Palkia if you do."
"What!?" Italy glanced fearfully between Naradah's turned back and the perilous void before them. Then he gulped. "…I'm really sorry, Naradah, but I have to get home." He started forward, slow at first, before giving a tentative look back. "Ciao." And he left the small devil behind.
He wandered for perhaps another half hour or so (it was very difficult to count the passage of time in this plane) when he heard a deep, terrifying roar. It sounded so close. Holding his breath in fright, Italy twirled around, searching for the owner of that cry. He couldn't see Palkia in the miles of emptiness around him, and there was the smallest comfort in knowing the Dragon couldn't possibly hide from him in this dimension. Still, the roar came from somewhere, and Italy had to be vigilant.
Something streaked by overhead, and Italy yelped and ducked. After a second of nothing happening, he braved to peek up and see what had startled him. Something shiny was zooming away from him. "Ah! The pearl!" Italy squirmed to reorient himself before hovering after the jewel as fast as he could go. But his pace was way too slow; the stone's glimmer was rapidly shrinking. "No no no…" He'd never reach it before it got away.
Then, before it disappeared from sight, the stone made a sharp left and bulleted off in that direction. "Huh?" Italy had little time to consider if something was carrying the stone as he redirected his trajectory to try and catch it. He was about ready to regard it impossible to reach again when the pearl simply stopped in place and waited. "What's going on?" Giving up all attempts to propel himself faster, the Eevee approached the stone cautiously. Yet before he could get a good look at it, it raced off once more, going back the way it came. It proceeded to dash in zigzagging patterns.
With a pitiful moan he stared after the retreating orb when a faint noise caused his ears to perk up. Eyes gazed around until finally peering up. "Hey!" Naradah chuckled once spotted, wagging his finger once more. The shiny object instantly zipped straight for Italy. "Whoa!" He had to duck to avoid being hit by the pearl.
Except it wasn't a pearl. Naradah laughed much more loudly as he grabbed the shiny object—a golden ring—and slid it smoothly over his hips. Italy hovered up to him, finally getting the hang of moving around. "That wasn't funny, you know."
"I know. It was hilarious! You looked so silly going after my ring like that." He chortled again as Italy pouted. "But, hey, listen. I'm sorry– for earlier and for now. You just kind of caught me off guard when you said you wanted to leave so soon. I haven't been around other pokémon in so long I kinda' grew a bit selfish; I wanted some quick fun. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." He placed a hand on Italy's shoulder. "I want to help you find the pearl. In return, all I ask is you keep me company for a while. Seem fair, pa?" Italy looked him over thoughtfully.
"This isn't another prank?"
"No way! I mean, what is there to gain for me not helping?" He paused. "Okay, a lot come to think of it. But still: you want a guide or no?" Well, Italy wouldn't deny voluntary help. He nodded, and Naradah circled around him in joy. "Whoopee! Okay, so if it's the Pearl of Space we're going to find we should probably try looking around Palkia's area."
"What!?" Italy yelped, "He'll kill us if he finds us. He already tried to do that earlier."
"Relax. I already told you that you won't get caught if you stick with me. And anyways, he's the most likely candidate to have it. I didn't see it anywhere when I found you."
"But that doesn't make much sense. If Palkia was close enough to steal the pearl while I was asleep then he would have been close enough to finish me off. And he wouldn't need the stone for that."
"Not if you have a strong resolve, remember? Maybe you have more self-confidence than you think." But Italy was still doubtful.
"But…but I heard a roar earlier." Naradah cocked his head.
"Really? A roar? I didn't hear anything. And I've been following you this whole time." Grimacing, Italy realized he didn't have any other excuses. Swallowing his fears he floated after Naradah, and the djinn led him to an area that looked no different from the previous one.
"Here we are!"
"How do you know this is Palkia's terrain? It looks the same to me."
Naradah shrugged. "You just sorta' feel it." Well Italy sure felt more terrified being here. "This way. Palkia doesn't typically come around this direction."
"Say Naradah," asked Italy, hovering after the creature, "How often do you come here to know Palkia's habits? You make it seem like you've been spying on him for a very long time."
"I thought it was obvious I have."
"Yes, but…has it been years? How do you keep track of time? Compared to on Earth, how long has it been?" Italy had slowly been putting together the thought that maybe time passes differently here. What if months had passed where the others were? Naradah put on a contemplative expression.
"Eh," was what he finally said, "Who knows. All I know is it's been a long time." He perked up suddenly. "But you might. How long has it been since Palkia was sealed away? Surely they're still telling stories of our great accomplishments."
"Oh, uh, Gilbert told us the gist of the Battle of the Sealing," Italy answered him, "But it's been at least a few hundred years since it happened." The djinn would have staggered if he had any legs. Instead, he wobbled in the air after he heard the news.
"A few hundred, huh…" he said weakly. He drummed his fingers together nervously, his demeanor quickly shifting. Then, just as suddenly, he shook off the forlorn attitude. "Well, the past is the past. Can't think about what was missed. We got that stone to find." And he started forward, pointedly doing his best to keep his head turned from Italy. The Eevee chose not to question him further, sensing prying into the subject might only upset him again, when an inexplicable sensation of terror flooded him. Another deep roar rang loudly, and Italy froze in his spot, eyes wide, body shaking. Naradah only took notice when he sensed no one following after him. "You okay there, wittle Eevee?"
Italy shook his head, trying to disperse the echoes. "Didn't you hear that? He's close." Something tugged at his soul, urging him to run. Quickly. Away from here. Now.
"What are you talk—hey! Wait!" Italy bolted, taking off without any warning. He didn't know where he was fleeing to. But something was telling him to keep going, get away from this place, there was safety ahead, it was dangerous where he was now. Logic was far from his mind as he obeyed his instincts and continued in the unknown direction. He didn't care that Naradah was yelling as he chased after him nor that his sight was narrowing until it was practically tunnel vision; he just needed to get away.
Yes, forward. Ahead. There was safety ahead. There was protection ahead.
"No! Don't go that way!"
But the desire was stronger. Ignoring him, Italy charged on blindly, only noticing moments later that there was a shadow looming before him, one he hadn't acknowledged in his panic to flee. He stopped.
A monster larger than any creature Italy had ever seen descended slowly from above. White scales rimmed with magenta plates sparkled dimly without need of excessive light. Red ringed eyes glowed faintly as fangs slowly revealed themselves to form a menacing scowl. The two large, empty sockets on its shoulder plates seemed to draw Italy's attention the most though. It was like they were dark voids sucking up all positive energy, desperately trying to fill themselves.
Italy tried to back up only to realize his body wouldn't move. Why couldn't he move? Why should he move? It was Palkia! Yes, Palkia was before him. The internal struggle within him blinded him to the rest of reality. Almost as if another being lived inside his consciousness. He was going to eat him! Palkia wouldn't eat him. He was going to do horrible things to him and his friends. Of course; many horrible things. That was his nature. He was a monster! He was his master.
The Dragon let out a harsh growl. "What is mine always returns to me." He raised an arm straight up into the air. "Anomaly of space…disappear from my sight."
A pink light surrounded a petrified Italy. Naradah zoomed up to him and pulled him away from the Dragon. "Italy? Say something!" He turned his head when he heard a rumble coming from the beast.
"Return to me," he uttered, and a link formed between himself and Italy. The Eevee yelled as an unknown pain shot through him, and he twisted and coiled in the djinn's grasp. At the same time, the sockets on Palkia's shoulders slowly filled with the mysterious light, and a blade of pink energy was forming along the Dragon's arm. Naradah gasped as he stared between Italy and Palkia.
"You can't mean…" But there was no time to figure out how that came to be. Narrowing his eyes he flung Italy away. "I'll protect you!" He raised his hands forward as Palkia swung his arm down; the energy blade careened toward the thick barrier of magic Naradah erected in time. It protected them for the most part, though sapped much of the caster's strength. Worn, Naradah pointed a finger and a blue beam struck Palkia in the chest. The Dragon wheeled back, and the link between him and the Eevee was severed. Italy, unconscious, fell limp. The djinn grabbed the fox by the paw and carried him away posthaste.
He could hear the sudden sound of wings beating behind him. "My escape is inevitable. Return it to me."
Not daring to look back, Naradah shouted, "Pa! As if!" A roar reverberated at his answer. Naradah had the speed, though, and he was slowly gaining more and more distance from the enraged beast. And it wasn't long before he felt Italy coming to. "Have a good nap, wittle Eevee?"
"Wha's…what's going on?" Italy slurred. He shook his head and blinked. He then looked back and screamed.
"There's no time to explain," huffed the djinn before grimacing. "Let's hope I can spare enough energy for this." As deftly as he could, he slipped off the ring around his waist and flung it far. The ring hovered and expanded nearly tenfold, floating upright only a few yards ahead of them. Inside it was a black swirl of nothingness. He continued to race toward it while carrying Italy.
"Stop him." Italy shuddered violently. He had a sudden compulsion to impede Naradah, a compulsion that took quite a lot of mental power to fight off. But what scared him most was that he had no idea why he was even considering the act. Palkia was the bad guy; he shouldn't be listening to him. "I ordered you to stop him!"
"I don't want to!" Italy's claws extended and retracted rapidly, but he fought back the urge to attack Naradah. Clenching his eyes tight, he bit down on his tongue, and the flash of pain was enough to distract his mind from listening to any more orders. But being dragged around while completely blind didn't help his nerves. He peeked an eyelid open enough to see the Dragon forming a sphere between his claws. "Naradah! Behind you!"
"No need." He lifted Italy up, swung him around, then tossed him toward the ring. The Eevee only yelled in surprise as he was flung through the opening, barely missing Palkia's attack. "Gaah!"
"Naradah!" The other pokémon got hit instead, fortunately missing the brunt of the attack and suffering minor injuries. But the ring's entrance was rapidly shrinking. "Ah! Naradah! Hurry up!"
"Go on without me," Naradah grunted, holding his side, "I'll catch up, I promise." He gave a wink. "I'll make a way for us to be together."
"Huh?" But there was no time for answers as the hole shrank and disappeared, trapping Italy in a void of pure blackness. He had no idea where he should go. "N-Naradah?" There was no sound. The silence following all the commotion Palkia had made was more unsettling than him being here. "Naradah, are you okay?" He shivered slightly, staring back into the darkness. Where had Naradah sent him? It couldn't be someplace even more dangerous, right? And would Naradah really be okay?
"Ah!" A blinding light suddenly lit up in front of him, taking the shape of a rectangular exit. Not wanting to waste another second in the blackness, Italy hovered through the strange doorway. He let out a stunned gasp when he made it through and saw he was—
"I…I'm home?" It was the meeting room they'd been in before everything had started. Before they'd entered the Pokémon world. Papers were half strewn across the table and several chairs were knocked over, as if the people who'd been in here left in a hurry. But it was home, recognizably his Earth. There was just one problem with the scene, though. "But why am I still an Eevee?"
Something slammed shut behind him, and he jumped. It was the door to enter and, panicking, he ran at it, pawing at it in a desperate attempt for it to open. "No, you have to open up! I'm not human yet. And my friends aren't here either." There was no answer. "Please open!"
"…Italy?" The Eevee paused and turned around slowly.
"Germany?" He was astounded. "Japan?" His friends—his completely human friends—were sitting on the ground before him, staring at him and at their own selves in complete and utter dumbfoundment. How did they make it back to Earth, and why weren't they pokémon? "How did you guys—? When did—?" He couldn't even ask any of the questions racing through his head.
"Hoopa-pa-pa-pa! You like what I did?" All three of them looked up. Naradah was floating in the air above them, leering down at them with the proudest grin Italy's seen yet.
Germany blinked. "Italy? Who is that?"
"Naradah," his friend answered slowly, "But how are you here? And how did Germany and Japan return home as well?"
"I think what's most important to ask now is why is Italy still a pokémon?" Japan spoke up, his voice still tinged with unbelief to their surroundings. But Naradah merely laughed again.
"Coming here is no problem for me. My ring creates doorways to anywhere I want. I had you go through it first so it could lead you home. As for your friends," he gestured toward Germany and Japan, "It took a while to find them, but once I did it was no problem sending them here too." He sighed and shrugged. "As for you still being a wittle Eevee…I got nothing."
"Oh," Italy's ears dropped slightly, "That's alright I suppose. I just wish I could've thanked Gilbert for everything he's done for us. He probably still thinks I'm hurt." Naradah pouted.
"Hey now, don't get upset. I can just tell him you all are fine and dandy." Italy's spirits lifted somewhat.
"Really? You mean it?"
"Sure, sure," the pokémon replied with a flick of his wrist, "First thing tomorrow, though. I only had enough energy to transport us four. I'm going to need a bit of time to recuperate." Italy thanked him as Japan and Germany smiled in turn.
"Thank you," Germany uttered with great sincerity, "I'm sure it'll ease his mind knowing we're all safe." Naradah blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Pa-pa-pa! Don't mention it." The djinn took the time to take in the scenery. "So this is what Earth's become? I don't even recognize it anymore." He flew to a glass window. "Are those buildings? What are they made of? And—pa!—there are so many of your kind!" He eyed Germany and Japan when he said this. "Such strange creatures. Such strange pokémon."
Italy bounded over to him and peered out as well. "That's the city. Lots of people live here." Naradah's eyes seemed to brighten with excitement.
"Will you show me around? Show me everything!"
"Well," Italy glanced back at his friends, "I'm not sure Germany would like it very much if we go wandering around his house without permission."
"That's the least of my problems with that plan," the German narrowed his eyes, the look saying it all.
After a brief pause of confusion, Italy, remembering, chuckled. "Oh right, that too." Naradah blinked between them.
"You lost me."
"Pokémon do not exist in our world," Japan explained simply, earning an astonished "PA!?" from the creature. "You and Italy walking around as you are would be problematic. But perhaps there is a way to resolve our predicament."
"This is embarrassing…" grumbled Germany as he walked down the sidewalk with Japan. Happy visitors mostly ignored the duo, more enthralled with their bike ride or sunbath to care. Maybe one or two children stopped to look at them but quickly returned to their game of tag after a glance. The bright sunlight highlighting blossoming trees only added to the beauty of the Englischer Garten.
Japan smiled pleasantly at the scenery. "There is no need for it to be. Everyone here is enjoying themselves. We are the least of their concerns. For all they know we are just two people carrying their children's dolls." Naradah glanced up at Germany from Japan's hands and smirked.
"You're scared to be in your own house? Hoopa-pa-pa! Invite too many guests, did ya'? Just tell them to leave then."
"Hush!" Germany tersely shushed him; Italy, clinging delicately onto his shoulder, nearly fell off from him jerking. "Ah, sorry! Dolls aren't supposed to talk."
"Whoops!" Naradah hastily covered his mouth.
"Or move." Germany sighed, helping Italy back onto his shoulder. "Remind me why we agreed to come here?"
"To show Naradah around," Italy whispered quietly in his ear, "Besides, it's kind of fun seeing the world like this. People are like giants now." He heard Germany groan and he smiled. Looking down, he could see the djinn was thoroughly amazed by the wonders of their world, his green eyes staring hungrily at the humans and animals and plants and statues.
"And you get to live here with all your friends," the Eevee could have sworn he heard Naradah mutter. An inkling of sympathy flowed through him as he remembered the little pokémon had spent centuries locked away in a starry void, unable to see anything else. No sky. No sun. No moon. No friends or family. All alone with nobody but Palkia. Disguise forgotten, Italy let his ears fold back.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Germany," the Eevee mumbled. A tiny pang was growing in the pit of his stomach. Naradah twisted around.
"Whoa! What's that over there?"
"Over where?" Japan tried to see what Naradah had spied and was pointing at. Instead, the small pokémon pulled himself out from his weakened grasp and flew off.
"Can't catch me, can't catch me!" Immediately Germany and Japan sprinted after the taunting djinn. Italy clung to Germany's shoulder as tightly as he could.
"Get back here!" shouted the German, effectively garnering the attention of curious passersby. Naradah only turned his head and stuck out his tongue.
"Come on, Italy, let's ditch them!" And he tossed his ring toward the Eevee. It expanded, swallowing up the stunned Italy right off Germany's shoulder. Next second, Italy was landing roughly inside a bush. A pair of hands clamped over his mouth before he could so much as sit up. "Shh!" the pokémon smiled playfully. Far in the distance Italy could hear Germany and Japan's footsteps fading away. When they were completely out of range Naradah let go of Italy and peeked out the bush. "They're gone." Italy peered out with him.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I wanna explore with you, silly wittle Eevee, and those two were slowing us down."
"They were trying to look out for us," the other said, stepping out from the shrubs and shaking off loose leaves. Naradah wagged a finger.
"So what? We're the only pokémon here. That'll just make the experience more fun." He wrapped a hand around Italy's shoulder. "Don't worry; we'll find them again once we're done playing around. I'm sure they'll understand."
"Well…" Italy let it hang uncertainly in the air. Naradah pouted.
"Ah, come on. Don't tell me you're not as fun as M–" He gasped and he hurriedly clamped his mouth shut, averting his attention. Italy studied the pokémon, unsure of what he wanted to hide. But whatever it was it was clearly something that upset him.
"Okay," Italy beamed, wanting to make Naradah happy again, "Let's go exploring!" Naradah blinked, a bit puzzled, but quickly grinned.
"Yeah!"
Despite his initial misgivings, Italy had a great time hanging out with Naradah. Though much of what they did was explore the park from inside bushes and above tree branches, there was a new sense of wonder seeing his world from the eyes of a pokémon. They spent hours trying to stay hidden like it was a massive game of hide-and-seek, scampering away at any sounds that might hint of Germany or Japan finding them, stealing bits of food from people who were careless with it. And things only got more interesting after Italy tumbled out of a tree while watching some parents buy snacks for their children. Italy landed with a pained "oof!"; Naradah only stared down with surprise and guilt, unsure of what to do.
"A kitty! Daddy, daddy, can we pet the kitty?" Italy had hardly a moment to shake himself off, remembering that a sudden surge of weakness was the reason he fell out in the first place, before small arms pulled him into a hug. The little girl holding him was surprisingly gentle as she swung him slightly side to side. "It's so soft!" Her younger brother hovered close and rubbed Italy's head, scratching behind one of his ears. Italy couldn't help relaxing at the touch.
"Let it be, you two. Come along now." The girl put Italy down, and the two followed after their parents, but by now other parkgoers had spotted Italy, curious at the odd creature. A small group of teenagers soon approached.
"Whoa, is that some sort of dog?"
"No, I think it's a fox of some kind."
"Looks like a rabbit with a long tail."
"It might be an undiscovered animal."
"Get a picture of it then! Quick!" One of the boys took out his phone while a girl scooped up the Eevee.
Naradah by this point found the courage to confront the humans. "Hey! Let him go!" The group looked up at him surprisingly calmly.
"Are you his friend?" the other girl asked. The question was innocent enough, but the little djinn glanced uncertainly at Italy.
"His–uh–well, I might not be—"
"Yes," Italy answered simply, grinning up at Naradah. The other pokémon blinked in response.
"That's cool!" the fourth teen said, grabbing Naradah and holding him up for the picture too. The duo spent a solid ten minutes taking photos, dimly aware that a crowd was forming around them as they posed. One way or another it turned from many people wanting to take pictures with them to them performing simple moves and tricks to entertain the crowd. Humans were cheering them on as Italy used Swift effortlessly and Naradah used his Hidden Power to make them explode into miniature fireworks. The crowd applauded at the display. Italy enjoyed the attention, enjoyed being with Naradah. But something wasn't right with him. He showed a pained smile, panting heavily as he looked behind and saw Naradah laughing heartedly, arms in the air as he spun around. He was so tired, and it wasn't because of all the tricks.
"Naradah? I think…I think I've had enough for one afternoon." The demon stopped in the basking of praise and whirled around to see Italy near collapse on wobbling legs.
"Pa!? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
Italy didn't answer because he honestly didn't know. Where had the exhaustion come from? Instead, he gave a half-shrug.
"Are you hungry?" As if on cue, someone from the crowd knelt down beside Italy, offering his cone of ice cream. Appreciative of the gesture, Italy took a small lick of the treat. It didn't taste all that good. It was by no means terrible, and would be considered delicious if not for the fact the flavor seemed…distant. Muted. Like when one recalls how ice cream should taste. Same went for the texture and temperature.
"Naradah, I think I might be sick." As if to prove his point, he fell flat on his stomach, tail falling limp behind him. The crowd was no longer cheering, and Naradah rushed up to see what was wrong. Italy noted how his eyes weren't as worry-filled as before; no, now they were of—
"Sick? How? Why?" He pressed the back of his hand against Italy's forehead. Italy groaned, too tired to answer. He wanted Germany. He wanted Japan. He wanted to go home and sleep for a long time until he got better.
"Italy? Hey, Italy, are you over there?"
"Germany?" the Eevee called out weakly. Somewhere past the crowd Germany was still looking for them. A few people stepped aside as a certain pair of nations pushed themselves to the front.
"There you two are."
"Italy. Naradah."
"Uh-oh," spoke Naradah, and he grabbed Italy before either Germany or Japan could take another step forward, using his ring to teleport them to another location.
"No, Naradah, don't—!" But it was too late. In less than a second, the two pokémon were somewhere else entirely, near an old, slightly out-of-place Japanese architecture. Italy started coughing loudly, unable to control himself. Naradah hastily tried to hush him before they were discovered.
"I-I'll make you better," he stammered, "Don't worry; everything's gonna' be a-okay if you stick with me." He looked around, trying to find something. "Um, uh…hey! You must know where we are. Tell me more about this place; that'll keep your mind off things." But Italy couldn't. He wordlessly pushed Naradah away, getting his coughing under control.
"My—" Another brief coughing fit interrupted him, "My friends might be able to help. They'll know a doctor."
Naradah looked aghast. "What will they know? You're a pokémon, not some human. Stay with me; it'll be alright, you'll see." He threw his ring, and large, soft leaves floated out, draping around Italy like a vibrant green blanket. "A-and food too! I can give you lots of medicine and food." Colorful berries and herbs rained down from the hoop, none of them smelling delicious in the slightest to the Eevee. Italy managed to rise before he was buried beneath the pile.
"Naradah…I need to go. I need to get back to my friends."
"But I'm your friend now!" shouted the djinn, "If you go, then…" He made no further rebuttal, but he did hover in front of Italy, arms out to block his path. Despite himself (or maybe because he was so tired), Italy only blinked slowly at the pathetic attempt. He lowered his head and shook it.
"I don't understand!" Naradah cried, "Why don't you like it here? Everything is great! We're having fun together! And you'll get better soon!"
"You're right," Italy acknowledged, "Everything is fun. I haven't been this happy in several weeks. But we can't ignore this problem. I'm not going to get better if I stay here with you. And I know you know that too." Naradah froze. "You never sent me home, did you?" The pokémon remained silent. "Why not?"
The tears sprang up slowly, but they were soon pouring down his face like unbridled rivers. "I…I didn't want you to leave me! All alone. I had no one to talk to for centuries. I had no one to be happy with. I just wanted a friend who wouldn't disappear again. You seemed like someone I could get to know, someone I would cherish having as a companion. Someone who wouldn't abandon me." As he spoke, he lowered closer to the ground, the illusionary world around them fading to swirling black. "When the war finally ended, Arceus stripped the two of us of our powers so we could seal Palkia. Took away my other rings. But I thought as long as we were together it'd be alright. We helped take Palkia down as a team. But…at the shrine…he…he decided his life wasn't worth giving for the world…or for me. I didn't even get a goodbye as he ran!" After this his wails echoed around the dark space, reflecting his years of isolation and loneliness.
Italy immediately stepped closer to him and embraced the crying djinn as tightly as he could. "I am so sorry that someone you trusted did that to you," he told him with the greatest sympathy, "No one should ever leave a true friend like that. And you are a true friend, Naradah." Those words made Naradah hiccup in surprise.
"You…you think so?"
"You tried to make me happy," smiled Italy, "You greeted me when I entered Palkia's prison. You even saved me and tried to recreate my world for me."
Naradah sagged. "But it was only a ruse to keep you here with me. I'm selfish, not friendly."
"You're hurt, and I understand that. But I still want us to be friends. What do you say?" Naradah starred deep into Italy's eyes, as if intently studying to see if he was telling the truth.
"…Friends," he finally smiled. They hugged tighter, Italy letting out a small wince. "Oh, right, pa! You need to get out of here."
"Yeah," Italy nodded, observing the darkness. "And where is 'here' exactly?"
"This is nothing to worry about. Just a tiny pocket in Hyperspace I can control." He puffed his chest out proudly. "Palkia's not the only pokémon who can manipulate space, but, uh, I admit my domain is significantly smaller." He tossed his ring. It expanded to allow a gateway back into Palkia's prison. "Wittle Eevees first."
Italy climbed clumsily out of the hole but hurried to offer Naradah a hand through. When Naradah readjusted the ring back around his waist, Italy wondered, "So if you can create portals, why don't you just leave?"
"I'm bound to this place, remember? The moment I leave Palkia can too, even with his limited power. As long as he doesn't have the Pearl of Space my presence here is enough to contain him."
"Right. Which means we have to find the Pearl of Space before he does."
Naradah grinned. "That won't be a problem."
"Why not?"
"Because—"
"—It's already in my grasp." A shadow zoomed overhead from behind, and Palkia descended slowly like an angel of destruction. His soul-piercing eyes honed in on Italy. "Return to me." Without his consent, Italy's body ran over to the Dragon and bowed. A pink light coated Italy, and the agonizing pain returned full-force. Italy screamed, but his body wouldn't let him do much else as the link materialized to connect him with Palkia. His strength drained even faster as the holes in the Dragon's plates filled with the pink energy. "As for you…" He inhaled and blew out a speeding Water Pulse at Naradah, who was unable to avoid it in time. The little djinn flipped through the air once, twice before regaining his balance.
"Pa! You'll be sorry for hurting my friend you will!" he shouted. He tossed his ring and flew through it. Palkia looked around for the small pokémon, unable to spot him.
"GYAH!" A Shadow Ball from behind knocked him forward, and the light around Italy disappeared. Half-conscious, Italy barely felt the hand grab his paw.
"Stay with me. I'll get you out of here." And he dragged Italy away from the dragon.
For his part, Italy wasn't complaining about being jerked around. "But…the stone…"
Naradah gritted his teeth. "You have it, okay! The whole time. It's inside you." He glanced back briefly to see if they still had the distance. Palkia was now flying after them, but it would be some time before he could hope to catch up. "I don't really get it myself, but I think you and it fused when you entered this dimension. I already told you that your physical body and soul are merged once you enter this place. Well, the Pearl of Space is a piece of Palkia's soul, the source of his powers. Since you were the only body present at the time…"
"And…you knew?"
"Yes. That's why he's able to control you. That's why it hurts to be around him. I knew you had it after our first encounter with him, but I…" Italy knew what he was about to say: he didn't want Italy to have yet another reason to leave. He'd rather trick him into thinking they could find the stone later or perhaps fool him into believing he had nothing to worry about. "It's the reason you're sick."
"How?" A roar echoed behind them. Naradah checked and dodged the second Water Pulse this time.
"Your wills don't mesh. His power combined with his longevity will overpower your soul; it's only a matter of time. When that happens, you'll be fused inside the Pearl of Space rather than the other way around." Italy shivered. "I…you're my friend, wittle Eevee, and I will not let that happen to you. I will send you home."
"What about you?"
"I have to stay here to keep Palkia in check. If I had my other rings, maybe I could go…" He started to reach half-heartedly toward his bare horns but stopped. "Pa, no time for regrets. Hang tight; I have just enough power to—WAH!" A strong blue orb of draconic energy blasted Naradah in the back. The djinn released Italy. In less than a second Palkia was upon them, hitting Naradah further away with a glowing blue-green tail.
"Naradah!" Italy tried as hard as he could to race toward Naradah's wavering form.
"Stop," barked the Dragon. Italy's body froze. "I will not say this a fourth time. Return to me."
"N-N…" Italy struggled to speak. His legs quivered. His fur bristled. "N-NO!" Eyes on his friend, Italy paddled through the strange space toward him.
"No?" The voice chilled Italy to the bone, and he couldn't help but look around. Palkia held his claws together. "You don't get a choice in the matter. You will do. As. I. SAY!" Between his claws was a swirling ball of energy, which he launched at the Eevee. It struck Italy square in the back, and that pain was almost as unbearable as when Palkia was siphoning the stone's power through him. He whimpered as the burning sensation made its course through him. But just as it was fading away another Aura Sphere pummeled into him, throwing him to the verge of unconsciousness. He noted through darkening eyes his paws beginning to waver, like they were smoke trying to retain its form and not float away into nothingness. He heard something move. Turning his head slowly, Italy could see a white figure flying straight towards him.
Five giant hands suddenly flew forward and stopped Palkia in his place, grabbing firm to his wings, neck, and legs. "Gah! Release me! NOW!" Italy violently trembled under the booming roar.
"Italy…" Italy felt himself being scooped into a large palm. He turned around while being carried up to Naradah's eye level. It was almost relieving to see the tiny, playful djinn was now a towering and powerful giant, his hair and horns much longer than before. The behemoth grinned at him with sharp teeth as he held back the white dragon with his strong arms. "My friend, without my other rings this is the most I can do. I'm not strong enough to hold him off for very long. It seems this is where we must say goodbye." His deep rumbling voice revealed the remorse of their imminent separation that was otherwise hidden behind his forced smile.
Italy shook his head, not letting Naradah's true appearance frighten him. "No, no! Come with me! There has to be a way for you to escape too." There was absolutely no way he would leave Naradah behind to deal with Palkia all alone. But the giant djinn let out a chuckle. A heartfelt one.
"You have been nothing but kind to me, Italy. I shall always treasure our friendship however brief we've known each other." He gently brushed one finger along Italy's back. "Return home safely."
Italy swallowed the lump in his throat. He nodded slowly. "Goodbye, Naradah." Naradah smiled at him and carefully closed his fingers around Italy. The ring on his wrist hovered forward, creating an entryway between dimensions.
"No! My stone!" Palkia struggled harder against Naradah, nearly succeeding in breaking free. Naradah extended his hand forward, through the portal…
Footsteps roused him from thoughts slowly edging towards hopelessness. "Well?" he asked, standing. Gilbert wordlessly shook his head at Germany.
"We've searched every single tunnel, asked every single inhabitant we could find," Graveler clarified, "Nothing."
"Should we try digging our way down?" Garchomp asked. But Lairon shook his head.
"As far down as that is, it'd take days to build a sturdy tunnel for all of us. And if it's just one of us, it'll still take several hours."
"Three of which we've wasted by being unable to do anything," growled Germany. He clawed the earth, his frustration rising again. Even if Italy somehow survived the fall, with as long as they were taking to reach him, he'd surely…
The Captain stared at him. "You're worried for your friend that much?" His look of fret mixed with agitation that she'd dare ask that was enough of an answer. She looked quietly at Garchomp's turned back before approaching and kneeling down to Germany's level. "Then you are a truer captain than I. But realize you may just be wasting your tears, matey." She hesitated a second. "Here's hoping he isn't dead, though." She went to stand back by Garchomp's side again.
No, Italy is definitely alive. Germany couldn't explain how he knew. Hang on just a little longer.
A jolt ran through his body. Germany tensed. It was like a static charge suddenly filled the air, jostling the air currents in the cavern. Senses tingling, he looked around to somehow locate the source. It was Gilbert who first noticed it.
"What the heck is that!?" the Mightyena shouted. Directly above them the air rippled, and a giant golden ring materialized, celestial blue light swirling in its center. Germany gasped when, from within, an enormous clasped hand emerged and lowered to the earth. The Captain and her crew prepared to attack it, but Japan halted them with a "Wait!" The grayish fingers unfurled, and a brown mass of fur slowly rose out of its curled form.
Germany surged forward. "Italy!" He took a running leap to land upon the massive hand only to then spot the huge glowing orb beside his friend. "Is that…?" The words never came out, but somehow Garchomp got a clue to join them up there. He flew up next to the Houndoom.
"You grab Italy. I got this." Germany nodded, snatched the surprised Eevee by the collar, and jumped down to safety; Garchomp quickly grabbed the pink orb and followed suit.
Releasing him, Germany hurriedly asked, "Are you alright? What happened? How did you survive?" But Italy only now seemed to register where he was and, ignoring Germany, stared back at the hand, worry etched on his face.
"Naradah!"
The hand rose and maneuvered itself upright, waving at the Eevee. Then another claw, a large white one, tore through the ring, clawing blindly around, and Italy skittered behind Germany. Naradah's hand rushed to slam it back through the dimensional rift, struggling to push it back.
"What is—?"
"Please help Naradah," Italy begged, interrupting Germany, "He can't hold back Palkia forever!"
Germany was torn for a split second between wondering in numbness at just how huge Palkia must be and the fact Italy somehow managed to survive an encounter with him. A beat later and he was unleashing Flamethrower at the claws that dare try to harm his friends. Japan joined him with a ranged Psycho Cut, Gilbert with Shadow Ball, and both Garchomp with Dragon Rage. Their attacks struck the intruding white hand, and it recoiled back inside the ring. Naradah's gave another brief wave before disappearing through the ring as well. The ring shimmered out of existence a few seconds later, leaving all the occupants in the cavern either confused or concerned over what just transpired.
"Holy Arceus…is that really the Pearl of Space?" The nations and Gilbert turned to see the Captain and her crew staring with incredulity at the jewel in Garchomp's claws. Their gaze, one by one, turned towards Italy, the unspoken question clear on everybody's faces.
Italy smiled tiredly, the exhaustion setting in now that he was, for the moment, safe. "It's a long story," he spoke. At first all anybody did was stare. But slowly a growing laugh echoed around the chamber, followed by a second and a third. Germany wrapped an arm around Italy, pulling him into as tight a hug as he could; Japan and Gilbert huddling up around them.
"I'm sure it is," smiled Germany, utter relief flowing in his voice, "You'll have to tell us all about it." He knelt down so Italy could climb and rest on his back. Germany gave a nod to the Captain, and she and her group of thieves led the way to the mountain's exit. And Italy, at last with his friends, drifted to sleep.