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Meeting at Night

King's Mountain truly deserved its title. For those who did not know the way to it, its rise remained hidden in a thick fog in the middle of a wide valley. Surrounded by a ring-shaped mountain range, Kings' Mountain rose to the highest point in the sky. No other mountain in the world surpassed it and so it was seen as the final challenge for any experienced mountaineer - only when they climbed this king of a mountain were they considered legends in their field. But no one has ever been able to see the top. It was a completely different world than elsewhere. This is where the local Pokémon steel themselves by pushing large boulders up a slope and then releasing it only to lift it up again. Or they practiced meditation and endured for hours at icy heights. Those who wanted to climb mountain had to prove themselves in the eyes of the locals in terms of will and strength, otherwise they were quickly sent home again.

But despite everything, the top did not remain uninhabited. A single Pokémon had lived there for many decades and it was now at the entrance to its cave that led into the mountain. And like a silent watchman it looked down on the valley hidden in the mist. When the full moon opened behind a cloud and its light fell on the scene in front of him, a silvery sea glittered towards him, from which shadowy silhouettes of lower mountain peaks peeked out. The Pokémon's gaze fell on the moon and its posture was tense, as if it was expecting something. The wind fluttered around his white-red-striped ruff and he tried to ignore its icy coolness. Still, he shivered while his gaze was still on the moon.

"I hope you will still show yourself this night …", Lashon mumbled a little impatiently. As a Pokémon of the kind Slowking, he was not exactly used to the icy air that caressed his pink leather skin. And then he finally heard it in the distance. A low but melodic ring that announced the arrival of his friend. And then he saw its silhouette appear in front of the moon. At first it looked like a small black point that grew bigger and bigger. A body that was only half a meter long, very small arms and long feet and an equally graceful-looking round head became increasingly sharp. The tail, which was as long as the body, seemed to hold the small figure in the air, which, smiling broadly, stopped in the air in front of Lashon. He returned this smile and he noticed how his tension eased: "Welcome, Mew!"

"Lashon," the latter said with a smile, but the Slowking immediately realized that Mew was no longer what he was used to be. Normally, Mew had a decidedly cheerful and carefree nature, and was always up for pulling pranks. At one point, Mew had found it entertaining to use telepathic powers to manifest himself in Lashon's dreams and get up to a lot of mischief. Lashon had known that Mew had never meant any harm, but he had since learned to consciously keep him away from his mind, which is why his friend was again compelled to pay Lashon a visit in the flesh. And Lashon hadn't been surprised when Mew had embarrassingly told him that other Pokémon associated with Mew had now also denied him access to their minds. Yet Mew had now gained access to Lashon's dreams almost by force. Lashon, who would definitely have reacted angrily, however, saw it directly in Mew's eyes that an urgent meeting was needed. Because of the barrier that Lashon had erected around his mind, Mew had also been very hard to hear. But he had made it clear to Lashon that he should wait for him immediately outside his cave.

Living day in, day out at King's Mountain was a pleasant one for a Pokémon like Lashon, who hoped only for deep peace and relaxed tranquility from such a place with such scenery, but he had lost track of time over the years. Only the newspapers of all the countries of the world, which he had flown into his cave for a few years, were able to keep him approximately informed about what was happening in the world. Lashon still praised himself for the idea, because he could light the newspaper articles he read in his fireplace and then keep the fire going for a very long time using the powers he possessed as a Pokémon of the Psycho type, so he never got cold in the cave. But now he realized how long it had been since he had seen Mew, because the last time they had met in person was more than two decades ago. And Lashon noticed with trepidation that Mew had become thinner. Though Mew's stature had always been quite slender, his once pink but now white-tarnished skin stretched like parchment over his bones, and Mew's eyes were rimmed with dark circles. Lashon did not need to ask Mew to follow him into his cave, so Mew could have taken a seat there after his long journey. He suspected that Mew would keel over immediately if he exposed himself to physical strain. Mew's sunken eyes met Lashon's, looking back worriedly.

"Would you like, um, a cup of tea?" said Lashon, and he was unsure if Mew's body wasn't also tired of drinking. But Mew shook his head.

"As much as I'd like to agree to that," he said with a puckered expression, "I'm afraid I don't have much time ... basically, we all don't."

"What happened to you, Mew?" said Lashon, who was looking at Mew's appearance with concern. "How long has it been since we've seen each other? It must be over twenty years, right?"

"Thirty," Mew said curtly. "And I'm really sorry, Lashon! A lot has happened, but I don't have time to tell you about it, because I have to get back as soon as I can. In general, time is pressing that we have to act as soon as possible!"

Lashon looked uneasily into Mew's blue eyes, in which there was both a seriousness and a trace of fear, at which Lashon was now all the more dismayed. "What is it?"

And Mew began to tell. As he told, Lashon felt with discomfort as the icy wind grew colder and colder, and he now shivered more and more. But he was sure that it was not only the wind. He could see from the look on Mew's face that he was completely convinced of what he was telling. When he had finished, however, Lashon didn't really want to believe it.

"I'm sure of it," Mew said when Lashon openly admitted his doubts. "I feel his presence more and more strongly ... I can't explain how, but it's a matter of time before it actually happens."

"But didn't you make sure he was gone forever back then?" interjected Lashon, jumping uneasily from one leg to the next in the face of the threat Mew described.

"That's what we were all convinced of, that we banished him forever," Mew said, "and what's worse is that I can't let any of the others know about it."

"Don't tell me you're still at odds...", Lashon rubbed his conch crown in bewilderment, and Mew nodded regretfully. "Everyone is doing their own thing, the unity of the Guardians is no more".

"Oh dear..." muttered Lashon thoughtfully, looking Mew in the eye. "And what do you plan to do now?"

"If I only knew!" exclaimed Mew almost hysterically. Lashon was dismayed to see his usually good-humored friend so bereft of advice and help. He thought of what Mew had told him. An unpleasant question formulated on his tongue, which he also asked Mew. The latter still looked dejected. Before answering, he looked down sorrowfully, "I guess in a year."

"A year?" cried Lashon, obviously dismayed, and his crown slipped a little from his head, revealing a shiny bald head. He quickly tried to compose himself by straightening the crown, but the shortness hung over him like a sword of Damocles, which is why he paced up and down twice, agitated and visibly panicking. Mew watched him as he did so, and when he and Lashon looked each other in the eye again, he noticed that Mew was once again looking guilty. "I would therefore have to ask you a favor, Lashon ..." he said with a fear that worried his friend. But still, despite all the threat, he wanted Mew aside and assured him that he was ready for anything. There couldn't be anything worse.

"Excellent, Lashon!" exclaimed Mew with visibly feigned enthusiasm. "For you would have to inform the others of this instead of me, since I am no longer in the ... position ...".

This was worse than Lashon had imagined after all. The sword of Damocles took on a massive weight that crushed Lashon in his mind at once. Mew realized directly that his request made Lashon freeze. He had a very good idea of what he was asking of his friend, and quickly tried to save the day before Lashon interrupted him, however, "Me? All of them?"

"I know," Mew tried to placate him, "that I'm asking a lot of you, but I've got something like a plan for how we might do it."

"Have you perhaps considered that I am far too old to set out on such a journey?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, but ..."

"That is an understatement! You're asking the impossible for the time we have left."

"I know that, too, and there's nothing I'd like better than to leave you out of it. But you're the only one I can tell this to right now. And you know the others, too. I was also hoping more that you could call a truce between us."

"If only it were that at least," Lashon said, relatively flattened, and he felt bad seeing Mew so distraught. "But you forget that traveling to one alone is already very difficult in itself. Even if you teleported me back and forth from A to B."

He could tell by looking at Mew that he was voicing what Mew seemed to have feared all along. They both realized that a year was apparently too little of a time to get everything done that was needed in time. Lashon paced back and forth, his thoughts circling around both Mew and his tales. Then another idea occurred to him. He asked Mew to wait and went into his cave for a few moments until he returned with two cookies in his hand. "Here," he said to Mew, tossing one into his little arms. "Maybe this will help us think".

"Thanks a million, Lashon!" munched Mew; honey cookies were his favorite dessert.

"I knew this would cheer you up a bit, Mew," Lashon smiled encouragingly. He found that a more positive attitude was more conducive than pure panic. Mew noticed this too, as he began to gently float back and forth in the air again. It was obvious from his face that the honey cookie was bringing him back to his old self somewhat.

"There you go," Lashon said a little more cheerfully. "Food helps everybody. Both old and ... young ...".

Just then, a detail that had caught his eye while fetching the cookies struck him. And this time it was he who prepared a proposal for Mew. He already knew very well about Mew's reaction and indeed his eyes widened in surprise when Lashon finished: "Put someone else on this mission? Do you think I'm going to leave the fate of this world to ordinary Pokémon?"

"I know what you want to say, and I also think that in no way ordinary Pokémon could accomplish this task. But hear me out, Mew." The latter apparently didn't want to hear any more of it, so Lashon became a bit more forceful, "Please!"

Mew's attention now turned to Lashon, who told him that he had very specific Pokémon in mind, and that he was relatively convinced that they were the most likely to take on the task. Stoically Mew listened to his narration, and when Lashon had finished, he gazed thoughtfully at the full moon, which was gradually being swallowed by a larger cloud and the light was already diminishing.

"You're sure they could succeed?" he looked with doubt, but also hope.

"At least more than I can at my age right now," Lashon nodded confidently. Mew's mouth twisted into a thin smile, "Then you have my trust, Lashon, even if I'm not entirely comfortable with it ..."

"I know, Mew," Lashon replied. Then Mew finally nodded too, "Send them to me first then, and I can lead them in everything else."

Lashon understood. Mew thanked him by bowing his head in the air before turning and floating towards the moon, which had almost disappeared in clouds. Very shortly after, Lashon heard the soft ringing again, and as the moonlight disappeared and he stood in the dark, he also returned to his cave, which was illuminated by a small ball of light. Now he extinguished this with his telekinetic powers, but before doing so his eyes fell on the detail that gave him the idea he had convinced Mew of. It was a newspaper from a bundle brought to his cave by an extremely flighty Dragonite. And the front page described the exploits of a single exploration team that had achieved legendary status in recent years.

Translated with Translator (free version)

Translated with Translator (free version)