Chapter 17: Access
Arcanine woke to Mewtwo's soft footsteps across the library floor. The sun had barely begun to illuminate the horizon, glowing orange through the frost on the library windows. The stove was long since out, but the room was only slightly cool. He hurt, like he always did in the morning, but it wasn't as bad sleeping on Team ACT's cushions as in his cave back in Haunted Forest.
Mewtwo could have floated in silently, had he wanted, but honest Pokémon didn't sneak up on each other. The library was a public area, but at night it was also Team Warmth's den, and it would have been impolite to enter too silently.
Mewtwo sat at the table where he had been working the past few days, the Luminous Orb in his hand glowing just enough to illuminate his face, and, presumably, the book in front of him.
Arcanine lay still, watching Mewtwo through mostly-closed eyes as he tried to make sense of the night's dream. He didn't have the context to place it accurately in time, but it must have been years and years before the fight with the Humans, and before Mewtwo had sent him here. A nearly imperceptible amount of time, on the scale of Creepy Tunnel and the Orrery, but most of his own lifetime ago. Why had Mewtwo seemed so confident and callous then, when he was so sensitive and diffident now? Why had all of the family been so fractious then, when they were so unified in his other dreams?
The sky outside the windows grew slowly brighter. Eventually, Arcanine decided that Mewtwo wasn't reading, but staring into the softly glowing Orb. Mewtwo must know he was awake, Arcanine though. He probably wanted to talk. Mewtwo probably already knew what he had dreamed, as well.
He didn't want to get up. He wanted to lay there and daydream about his old family until his new family, Zorua and Absol, joined him. It didn't matter what he wanted, because there was work to do. Yawning and raising his head, Arcanine announced himself awake.
#Good morning.# Mewtwo looked up from the Orb. #I'm sorry if I woke you.#
"Morning."
Mewtwo's gaze returned to the Orb. Arcanine stood and stretched and shook, and waited for Mewtwo to continue.
#You remembered more, didn't you.#
Arcanine nodded.
#Sleep is a good time to remember,# Mewtwo mused, #the mind isn't so limited by reality.#
Arcanine nodded again.
#It's years too late, now, but I don't think I ever thanked you for stopping us all.# Mewtwo was still staring into the Orb in his hand. #That was a turning point our collective relationship, I think. When I finally understood that you all had your own needs and goals that weren't mine. When you all realized you couldn't depend on me to be right.#
Arcanine didn't know how to answer that. One of the muscles in his shoulder didn't seem to be awake yet, so he limped over to sit beside Mewtwo. Mewtwo's hand rested on his shoulder for a moment, then slid slowly down his back, pausing to feel his scars along the way. Arcanine leaned his head over, just barely touching Mewtwo's shoulder, and for several minutes they both stared into the Orb.
Mewtwo hadn't accepted Zorua's invitation to stay in the manor. Arcanine could smell the same scent of dirt and used blankets on him as previous mornings. Was he uncomfortable with so many strangers around? Did he have something to hide still, after all? Tyranitar's heavy footsteps on the upper floor roused them both from their thoughts.
#I suppose we should get back to work,# Mewtwo said, #we've a few more calculations to confirm, then I think we're ready.#
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"Are you sure this is going to work?" Zorua demanded, once they had all gathered in the library after a hasty breakfast.
#No,# Mewtwo admitted calmly, not looking up from his notes, #but I think it will, and it's all that I know how to do, here.#
"It better work. I'm really tired of Creepy Tunnel."
She and Absol and Team Mighty had all taken turns grooming Growlithe as she kicked and cried through the night, and Zorua was tired and grumpy. She was being polite to Mewtwo now, she reminded herself; not because she trusted him or was forgiving him for hurting Arcanine, but because it would make Absol and Arcanine happy.
Alakazam held two runed discs, one in each hand, weighing them against each other as he examined them. Zorua could recognize the Earth disc, Kingler's replacement, at a glance. It was not quite as smooth and worn as the others, and the stone from which it was carved was slightly darker; otherwise, it was an excellent copy. The size and shape of the discs were identical, as best she could tell, and the style of the rune seemed to fit perfectly with the rest of the set.
"Do you think it's close enough?" Absol asked.
Alakazam nodded. "Kingler's work is excellent, as always. If it is the weight or shape of the disc which matters, or its magnetic properties, I think it will work."
They were as ready as they were going to be, Zorua thought. They had food and water for several days in Arcanine's big bag, in case it took them longer than expected to guess the combination. They had some Orbs, and enough Chesto Berries for everyone, just in case they encountered Darkrai again, and a few Reviver Seeds, and even a precious Escape Orb. She wondered whether it was the same one Team ACT had stolen from Arcanine before. Team Arcana's bag bulged as well, and even Mewtwo had his own, though it was mostly full of the discs. Now, they were just waiting for Alakazam's scheduled contact with Ralts and Braixen in Meadow Town.
#Absol,# Mewtwo said, #there's no need for you to be cold, traveling with us. I can contact Alakazam from the entrance to Creepy Tunnel, and he can teleport you there directly.#
"Oh," Absol said, "that would be nice, if it's not too much trouble."
"No trouble," Alakazam said, "I'll be here contacting everyone already."
#Delphox is coming,# Mewtwo said abruptly, #Team Charm badged for help.#
"How do you-" Zorua began
Everyone else began with questions at the same time, and Mewtwo held up a hand to silence them.
#I felt her distress and contacted her,# Mewtwo explained, #they're in Temple Ruins; she has no further information.#
"We have to help them," Absol said immediately.
"No," Alakazam said, "your mission is too important to delay. Tyranitar, which other teams are available?"
"Mighty, of course," Tyranitar said immediately, "Also, Dragon, Flighty, and Hydro. Razor Wind left this morning on a bandit report, and Raiders haven't returned from Turbulent Tower."
"Team Mighty shouldn't be doing a dungeon that long," Charizard said, "they've had far too much exposure already."
Alakazam nodded in agreement. "Team Dragon and Team Hydro should be able to handle it. Team Flighty aren't strong enough to help much, but they might be useful as messengers. We're scheduled to contact Relic Town in a few hours; we'll send Xatu with Dragon and Flighty to Relic Town. They can escort him to Temple Ruins, and he can guide me to teleport Hydro to the entrance."
"I'll fetch the teams." Charizard stood and started for the door.
"I would like to join Team Hydro," Tyranitar said.
"No." Alakazam shook his head. "I need you here to coordinate our preparations."
Tyranitar opened his mouth to disagree, then closed it again and nodded once. Zorua understood how he felt; she wanted to help too, even if she didn't know Team Charm except by reputation.
Everyone's head jerked around as the front door of the manor slammed open. A single, bipedal set of footsteps hurried across the lobby floor, and then Delphox pushed through the library curtain. She stopped and looked around the library at everyone.
"Mewtwo told you?" Delphox panted.
"Team Charm?" Alakazam asked.
Delphox nodded.
"Charizard is gathering the rescue teams now; they'll teleport out this morning."
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After the disorientation of Teleport passed, Zorua, Arcanine, Team Arcana, and Mewtwo found themselves standing in front of the Lodge in Meadow Town's square. Luxray and Braixen were waiting for them, both staring at Mewtwo.
"Where's Rio- Lucario?" Zorua asked.
"Asleep," Luxray said, "we didn't know you were coming until just now. Do you need him?"
She hesitated. She really wanted to talk to him, especially after their last talk, eight days ago, when she had apologized. She needed to know that he'd really meant it when he said that they were still friends.
She was being more considerate now, though, so maybe she should let him sleep. It was easy to forget that while they had been working in Pokémon Square, Lucario had been busy with other things here. He also might want to join them in Creepy Tunnel.
"We're going to back to Creepy Tunnel," Zorua said, "I guess we don't need him, but do you think he'll want to come with us?"
Luxray smiled and nodded. "I guessed you were. I don't think he would miss it. Why don't you all head inside, and I'll fetch him?"
It took Zorua a moment to realize what that meant, and by that time, Luxray was halfway across the square; Lucario was living with Luxray's family now, rather than in the Lodge. It made sense; the Lodge was a busy place, and there was no reason for him to stay there now that she and Treecko were gone, but it still bothered her. It was like a final admission that things were never going to go back to normal.
Servine, Snivy, Chikorita, Fennekin, and a pair of Audinos were the common room, cooking, cutting up berries to dry for storage, and talking. Everyone stopped to stare at Mewtwo as the six of them entered.
"Welcome back," Servine greeted them. He took the teapot from the fire and placed it on the table in front of them, along with several cup and bowls.
Why were Servine, Snivy, and Chikorita choosing to be helpful now, Zorua wondered. Had they all changed loyalties since their last visit? Had Bayleef's supporters abandoned him after Arcanine faced him down?
"Thanks!" Zorua sniffed eagerly at the pot as Mewtwo poured some for all of them.
"Who's your friend?" Fennekin asked, still staring at Mewtwo.
#I am Mewtwo.#
Fennekin jumped down from the table where he was working, and bounded over to jump up on the bench beside Mewtwo. Mewtwo smiled and leaned down to sniff Fennekin and allow himself to be sniffed. Braixen, Servine, and Snivy took turns as well.
Luxray returned several minutes later, followed by a sleepy-looking Lucario. Lucario's face broke into a smile when he saw her. Zorua wanted to run and jump into his arms, but she restrained herself, bouncing excitedly on the table.
Mewtwo repeated his introduction with Luxray and Lucario. Lucario sat down, leaning forward against the table and pulling her against his chest with one arm. Zorua wriggled closer, nuzzling her face into his chest fur. Lucario's other hand groped across the table for a mug of tea. He found one, sniffed it briefly, and downed it in one long draught. Mewtwo, who had been about to drink it, pretended not to notice and poured himself another.
"Are you okay?" Zorua asked, once Lucario had finished.
"Just tired," Lucario explained, "Sentries saw something yesterday evening, and we spent all night looking for it."
"What was it?" Arcanine asked.
Lucario yawned and shrugged. "Just wild Pokémon, I think. Have you found a way through the door?"
"I think so," Zorua said, "well, Mewtwo and Arcanine have."
"Mewtwo?" Lucario asked.
#Yes,# Mewtwo said, #I am...an old friend of Arcanine's. Based on Absol's dream, we think we've narrowed it down to a few thousand possible combinations.#
"Do you want to come?" Zorua asked, "we may take a few days to figure it out."
"Of course," Lucario answered immediately, then hesitated and turned to Luxray. "Will you be okay without me?"
Luxray nodded. "We'll manage. You deserve a break. Scruffy and Fluffy have been training hard, and they can fill in for you."
Lucario dozed on Arcanine's back on the way to Creepy Tunnel. Espeon and Umbreon discussed several points in their translation of Instruments of Creation, and the others joined in occasionally, but mostly they were quiet.
On the ledge in front of the tunnel, where Zorua and Riolu had slept on their first trip while Arcanine went back for their bag, Mewtwo stopped to contact Alakazam.
They hadn't arranged a time for the contact, Zorua thought; Mewtwo really must be powerful, if he could find Alakazam at this distance while Alakazam wasn't searching for him, as well.
"Oh, thank you," Absol said once she had recovered from the disorientation of Teleport. She leaned her head into Mewtwo's hand, then rubbed against Arcanine and Zorua, and touched muzzles with Lucario and Team Arcana.
"Any word about Team Charm?" Zorua asked.
Absol shook her head. "The teams are on their way to Temple Ruins from Relic Town. Team Mighty went too, even though Team ACT didn't like it. That's a lot of strong Pokémon; they'll be okay."
Mewtwo, the only one of them who had not been in Creepy Tunnel before, paused to look around as they entered. #It's a bore machine tunnel,# he declared after a few seconds examination.
"Yes," Arcanine agreed. It was too perfectly round, and too straight, to be anything else. There was no reasonable explanation for its presence, so he didn't attempt one.
"You know what Pokémon made it?" Absol asked.
"No Pokémon," Arcanine said, "a Human machine."
"Arcanine," Zorua objected, "there aren't any Humans here."
"No," he agreed, "there aren't."
#Not necessarily Human, but I think a machine,# Mewtwo corrected them both, #but to have lasted so long that its makers are forgotten, without any cracking or settling...# Mewtwo shrugged.
Lucario was awake and alert now, and the other members of Team Warmth explained the plan while they walked
With Mewtwo along, the trip through Creepy Tunnel was trivial. Zorua rode on Arcanine's back, keeping a lookout for Beldums overhead, but Mewtwo sensed them all long before she saw them. That wasn't fair, she thought; if she had to be in this stupid dungeon again, she at least wanted to hit things.
"You don't need us at all, do you?" Zorua complained, "we could have all gone after Team Charm."
"Zorua, is that necessary?" Absol chided her. Absol hadn't slept any better that she had, Zorua thought, but she was as pleasant and polite as always. "We talked about this before. The discs will go faster with help. Two of us have to be awake all the time in case Darkrai comes back."
#And I want someone watching my back,# Mewtwo said, #this isn't a place anyone should be alone.#
Eventually, they reached the final room. Nothing appeared to have changed since their last visit; there were no new odors, no footprints on top of theirs in the dust. Arcanine led the way cautiously into the chamber, the others following close behind.
#Shall we begin?# Mewtwo set his bag down on the floor in front of the door, and sorted out the thirteen discs, a notebook, and a pencil. #So, the first eight planets are known, hopefully. Those won't change. Lucario, would you take notes for me?#
Mewtwo placed the first eight discs confidently; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Luna, Mars, the destroyed world, Jupiter, and Saturn. Lucario held the notebook and pencil, awaiting instructions.
#I'm going to work from the outside in, and number each ring from the top and moving clockwise, ah, to the right. So, this is 'zero' in the first column.# Mewtwo placed a disc in the very outermost orbit, Pluto's, at the top of the door. Lucario dutifully marked it down.
#This is 'zero' in the second column.# He placed the next disc, Neptune's, at the top of the door. Lucario marked it in the notebook. Arcanine wasn't sure that Lucario understood Mewtwo's numbering system, but Lucario seemed content to record what he was told without asking questions.
Mewtwo placed Uranus, then Saturn's moon. He bent down, picking up the last disc with his fingers instead of Psychic, and examined it for several seconds.
#I don't know what will happen when I put this in,# he said, #If it's wrong, presumably nothing. If it's correct, well, be prepared.#
Everyone tensed as Mewtwo levitated the disc toward its slot, readying themselves to dodge or use a Move. Arcanine knew what he would do, if anything unexpected happened; Protect, covering the whole group, but Mewtwo most of all, to try to give the others time to evaluate the situation. Mewtwo hesitated, then slid the disc into place. Unsurprisingly, there was no response.
Mewtwo was taking about twenty seconds per attempt, Arcanine thought, leaving the disc in each hole a few seconds to see if anything happened. That was three hundred an hour, so if all of their assumptions and calculations were correct, it would take them a maximum of about eight hours to solve.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much that the rest of them could do to help; Mewtwo and Espeon were the only ones who could reach most of the door, and they, along with Lucario, were the only ones who could record quickly enough to keep up. Arcanine, Absol, Zorua, and Umbreon did their best to remain vigilant despite the boredom, alert for any sound or movement that might indicate success or danger.
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After two fruitless hours, Espeon took Mewtwo's place placing the discs, and Mewtwo took Lucario's recording. Zorua wished the rest of them could do something to pass the time; tell stories, or play a game, but she knew that anything they did would be an unwelcome distraction.
Two hours later, Lucario took Mewtwo's place recording. They were about half way through now, just beginning the series which started with Pluto at six. Mewtwo stood and stretched, then leaned back against the pillar supporting the sun and rubbed his eyes. Motioning for Arcanine to join him, he went to one of the altars and squatted down to examine the mural on its side.
Mewtwo had chosen the volcano disaster. Arcanine followed him as he examined all four sides. One part of the mural showed the world as a pair of discs, foreshortened around the edges like looking at a globe or wide angle satellite photo. Mewtwo stopped, tracing his fingers around the outline of one of the continents.
#What world do you think this is?# Mewtwo asked.
Arcanine had seen it before, and, not immediately recognizing it, paid it no further attention. He leaned in for a closer look. Nothing he could see matched Earth's coastlines in the Human world, though a few shapes looked vaguely familiar. His knowledge of geography in this world was too limited to judge.
"Don't know," Arcanine admitted eventually, "these almost look like Johto and Kanto, if you rotate them this way." He motioned with one forepaw. "And this could be Galar, if the channel were much wider."
#I thought so too,# Mewtwo agreed, #but then what is this landmass?#
Arcanine shrugged.
#Whoever made this place was relatively technologically advanced,# Mewtwo said, #a whole nother society with at least an early twentieth century understanding of astronomy.#
"Whoever made this place had spacecraft and nuclear fission," Arcanine said, "can see them on the comet one."
Mewtwo sighed. #And this may be the last record of their civilization. Whatever they had, it wasn't enough.#
Just then, behind them, they heard a clear metallic click.
Arcanine and Mewtwo spun toward the door simultaneously, twin blue spheres of Protect expanding from them. Mewtwo's was more precise, perfectly encompassing the entire group while he was still adjusting, but Arcanine wasn't sure which of them had been faster.
Lucario, Zorua, and Umbreon, who had been sitting, finished standing up. Espeon, who had jumped back at the sound, recovered her composure, shook, and sat down. For a moment, nothing else happened.
Arcanine heard the faint hum of machinery from within the door, then a series of rapid clicks. The entire ten-meter tall door shifted infinitesimally, shaking a cloud of dust from its surface and the surrounding walls. Without warning, the sun globe at the center of the room went out, plunging them into near darkness, lit only by the pale blue light from Protect.
"Guys?" Zorua called, "everyone okay?"
Five voices and Mewtwo's mindspeech answered in the affirmative, and Arcanine could hear the tremor in everyone's voice, mirroring his own. Even Mewtwo's telepathic voice felt shaken.
Arcanine breathed a slow, flickering flame, illuminating the room enough for all of them to gather in front of the door.
The whine of machinery rose in pitch and volume. The door shifted again; not enough to see clearly in the wavering light of Arcanine's flame, but they could hear metal and stone grinding against each other, and feel the tremor through the floor.
#Arcanine, keep yours up,# Mewtwo instructed, allowing his own Protect to fade away.
Arcanine complied. Mewtwo's was stronger than his own, but there was no need for both of them to tire themselves at the same time. The machinery stopped, and for a few seconds, all Arcanine could hear was their breathing. The noise rose again, then stopped, and again, and stopped, each time shifting the door a few centimeters.
"Maybe it's broke like the other door?" Zorua suggested.
Arcanine had been thinking the same thing. After however inconceivably long this mechanism had waited down here, how was it functioning at all? What power source remained to power it? Everything should be corroded to uselessness, even sheltered under a mountain, and even a nuclear pile would be cold by now.
The door whined again, louder than before, and Arcanine winced as something metallic shrieked and snapped. The door began to move, rolling slowly to the left, into the wall.
A crescent of light appeared at the right side of the doorway, the same warm yellow as the orb in the room had been.
Zorua had stepped forward when the door began to open, and the light shone on her first, illuminating her wide grin. "Guys, we did it!" she exclaimed excitedly. It was bright enough to leave a visible beam in the dusty air, and a hard line which crept across the wall and floor like a terminator.
Slowly, the door continued to open. The light shone on Lucario and Espeon next. Espeon flinched and turned away as it crossed her face, and Lucario stumbled back, hands moving to cover his aura feelers.
#Back!# Mewtwo commanded, as Arcanine stepped protectively in front of the two of them.
He could feel something as the light touched him. It was dazzlingly bright, to his eyes still dilated from the darkness, but there was something else, too. It wasn't a physical sensation that he could identify, but a sense of power and energy.
#Lucario, are you alright?#
"Fine," Lucario gasped, crouching down into Arcanine's shadow, "It's just strong. I wasn't expecting it."
"I feel something too," Absol said, "I don't know; it's like when you look up at the sky at night, and everything is so far away." She and Umbreon were illuminated now as well, and only Mewtwo still stood in the shadows.
"I don't feel anything," Umbreon said.
"Are you guys even looking?" Zorua demanded, "this is amazing!"
No one else was looking; they were all watching Mewtwo as he stepped forward into the light. Mewtwo's lips parted, exposing gritted fangs, and he raised a hand to shield his eyes; whether from the light or the energy, Arcanine didn't know.
Mewtwo took two more steps, and he was by Arcanine's side. His other hand rested on Arcanine's shoulder, as he looked past Zorua into the room.
#It is,# Mewtwo agreed.
Finally Arcanine, Absol, Lucario, Umbreon, and Espeon turned to look into the room as well.
It wasn't much larger than the antechamber, Arcanine saw as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. The large, glowing sphere in the center occupied most of the room. Mewtwo's earlier guess had been correct; it was nearly as tall as the tunnel. Along the walls of the room, stacked from floor to ceiling, were thousands and thousands of metal gears and beams and bearings and other pieces, all polished and shining with reflected light from the sphere. Arcanine allowed his Protect to fade away.
#Some assembly required,# Mewtwo muttered quietly;
"Yeah," Arcanine agreed.
"I don't think it'll fit in the bag," Zorua joked, "how are we going to get it out?"
"And back to Pokémon Square," Absol added.
As he approached, Arcanine could see that the sun-sphere rested in a slight depression at the center of the floor. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch it; the surface was warm against the pads of his paw, but not hot, hard and smooth like polished metal.
Not knowing what to expect, he pushed against it gently; the sphere didn't budge. He pushed harder, then stood up on his hindlegs and leaned his considerable weight into it.
"Careful," Umbreon cautioned as the sphere began to roll.
Arcanine released it and stepped back quickly. It rolled back toward him, circling the depression several times before settling back at the center.
"Can we roll it out?" Zorua suggested.
#That seems risky,# Mewtwo said, #we might damage it, and it wouldn't take much of a slope for it to get away from us.#
"Well, can't you Psychic it out, or just Teleport?"
#Out, probably. All the way to Pokémon Square? Not in a reasonable amount of time. Psychic powers are the domain of the mind; they're not so effective on inanimate objects, particularly metal.#
"A wagon," Arcanine said, "a meter clearance from the sun to the ceiling. Tunnel is the same size. Need more big Pokémon."
"The outer door is still stuck halfway," Absol reminded them.
"The trail up the mountain is too narrow for a wagon," Lucario pointed out.
They were all silent for a moment, considering the problem, except for Zorua, who continued to explore the room.
#I can get the wagon and the sun down the mountain,# Mewtwo said, #but I'm going to be exhausted afterward. That door is a problem, though; I'm not sure we have the tools to force it open, here.#
As if on cue, the door behind them began to grind slowly closed. They all turned to watch, but no one moved.
Zorua came racing back around the globe. "Guys there were some lights and I touched them and it started making noise and the door-"
Mewtwo held up a hand, interrupting Zorua's hasty explanation. #Show me.#
It was obviously a control panel that Zorua had found on the far side of the sphere, set into the wall about a meter high, between pieces of what looked like structural metal lattice. Of course there would be controls, Arcanine thought; whoever had made the place would need to operate the doors and lights too. Why hadn't that been the first thing they searched for?
There were switches and buttons and status lights, somehow still illuminated after all this time; and markings in a script which resembled the runes on the discs. What different worlds they came from, Arcanine thought, that he and Mewtwo recognized it immediately, but it was so foreign to the others that he didn't know how to begin explaining it.
#Umbreon, can you read these?# Mewtwo asked.
Umbreon stood on his hindlegs, forepaws against the wall on either side of the panel, and examined it.
"Outside...I don't recognize this word...inside same word...don't know this one either...or this one...open...close...and these are numbers...zero through seven.
That seemed straightforward enough, Arcanine thought. Had the makers counted in base eight? There was a toggle to select doors, with a status light for each one, and buttons to open or close them, but what were the labels on the toggle Umbreon couldn't read?
Mewtwo frowned at the panel for a few seconds, flipped the toggle to the outside door, and pushed the open button. Lights blinked, but nothing happened. He flipped the other toggle and pushed the button again. They heard a grinding, cracking sound from the other room.
"The outside door is moving!" Zorua shouted back at them.
#Opening or closing?# Mewtwo asked.
"Opening. Really slow."
Mewtwo ran the outer door open all the way, then closed. It had obviously not fared as well as the inner door over the last few million years, but it functioned, and that was all they needed.
"Well, that makes things easier," Zorua said, "but what now?"
#We'll need the wagon made,# Mewtwo said, #do you think Meadow Town will help us?#
"I think so, but Lucario will know…" Zorua looked around for Lucario to confirm, and realized that he was no longer with them. "Where is he?"
#In the antechamber,# Mewtwo answered, distractedly, #we need to take some measurements before we go. Arcanine, would you help me?#
Zorua rounded the corner, and slowed down as she saw Lucario sitting on the floor beside one of the altars, leaning back against the stone with his eyes half-closed. He looked up as she approached. The light in the antechamber was on again; Mewtwo's fiddling with the lights on the wall must have fixed it, she thought.
"Lucario!" she asked worriedly, "are you okay?"
"Fine, Zorua." He motioned for her to join him.
She sat beside Lucario, leaning her head against his side, and he wrapped an arm around her back.
"I'm just tired," Lucario said, "and that thing was giving me a headache. You can't feel it, can you?"
Zorua shook her head. "It's not dangerous, is it?"
"I'm sure it is." Lucario ruffled her head-fur. "But it's not that. It's just too much input being next to it, like having someone shouting in your face."
"Lucario…" Zorua began. She was going to ask him Mewtwo's question, but then changed her mind. It didn't make any difference right now; they could discuss it with Luxray when they all got back. Right now, there was something more important she could say. "…I know I normally don't say this unless I want something, but I love you."
Lucario's arms wrapped around her, pulling her over onto his lap, and she curled up between his legs. The inner door began to grind slowly closed, and the others emerged. Arcanine looked at the two of them and smiled, and she smiled back. She hadn't talked much about her relationship with Lucario since the first few days that they had spent together, but Arcanine understood, she thought.
#I think Lucario has the right idea,# Mewtwo said, #shall we rest here, and head back in the morning?#
"I don't know if I want to sleep here," Zorua said, "remember what happened last time?"
"It was Darkrai last time, remember?" Absol said, "we understood his message and opened the door. Why would he come back?"
"Maybe that's what he wanted," Zorua said, "now the door is open, he'll come back and take the Orrery."
"That's why we're keeping watches this time," Espeon reminded them, "besides, he could probably sneak up on us just as easily outside."
#Team Arcana, would you take the first watch?# Mewtwo opened his bag and produced a small sand-glass. #I'll take the second with Absol, and Zorua and Arcanine can have the third.#
Lucario opened his mouth to object to being left off the roster; Zorua stretched her neck up and interrupted him with a lick on the nose. "Nope," she said, "you're sleeping."
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"Absol?" She woke to the gentle nudge of Umbreon's muzzle on her neck. "Your watch."
She wriggled carefully out from between Arcanine's warm forelegs, trying to disturb him as little as possible. He woke anyway, yawned, and gave her a sleepy grin. She stood, stretched, and shook her blanket into place.
Zorua and Lucario were still sleeping together against the altar. Mewtwo was curled up alone near the inner door; sleeping, but not peacefully. All of his muscles were taut. His face contorted as if in pain, and he moaned softly through clenched jaws.
None of them had seen him sleep before; he always snuck off at night in Pokémon Square, and returned early in the morning. Was he always like this, she wondered. Was he embarrassed and trying to hide it? Was he worried that he might hurt others in his sleep? He was a powerful enough psychic that it was a possibility. Did he just not trust them all?
"He's been like that all shift," Umbreon whispered, "I don't think it's Darkrai, though."
She wanted to lay down next to Mewtwo and comfort him. She needed to wake him for watch, but she was hesitant. He was so restrained most of the time, but what would he be like when he woke?
"Mewtwo?" She approached slowly. He didn't respond. She was still wearing his Ring Target, too, Absol though, but being dark-type, she didn't understand how psychic-types worked or how he perceived her thoughts. "Mewtwo?" She tried again, but this time she thought it hard, too.
Mewtwo's eyes snapped open as he jerked upright, glowing with gathering power for an instant before fading back to their normal, gentle violet. He blinked and glanced around the room, and she could see his posture change as his muscles relaxed.
#Ah, Absol. Thank you.# Mewtwo's mental voice was as calm and composed as always.
Mewtwo perched in a squat on the edge of one of the altars, and Absol sat on the floor beside him. It was how he and Arcanine sat, she though. She was tempted to lean against his leg like Arcanine sometimes did, but Mewtwo was uncommonly hesitant about physical contact, and maybe he wouldn't appreciate it.
Sometimes it was pleasant just to be together with other Pokémon, enjoying their company without the need for conversation. Sometimes the silence was uncomfortable, and this was one of those times. He didn't speak about himself much, Absol thought. What experiences did they have in common? Where should she start?
"What's your world like?" Absol finally asked.
#That's a broad question.# Mewtwo chuckled. #What would you like to know?#
"Your stars are the same as ours, right?"
#Yes. We name them differently...well, Humans name them, mostly, but they're the same stars.#
"And the same Pokémon?"
Mewtwo hesitated, and she looked up at him, wondering why. Obviously, both worlds at least had Arcanines. Pokémon were Pokémon, even if they had some strange species, right?
#Mostly,# Mewtwo eventually answered.
Absol wanted to know more, but it seemed to be a sensitive topic. Maybe Arcanine could explain later.
"Arcanine said you don't have mystery dungeons."
#No.#
This wasn't very productive. Mewtwo seemed willing enough to talk, but he didn't seem to know what to say any more than she did. She needed something that would draw out longer answers, Absol thought. She and Mewtwo did have something important in common; Arcanine.
"Would you tell me about where you and Arcanine lived?"
#Yes...#
Mewtwo paused again, but this time when Absol looked up, she could tell that he wasn't hesitating, but gathering his thoughts for a longer answer.
#It was a smaller volcanic cone in a lake at the top of an older volcano. Someone had hollowed out rooms inside it, long ago, but it was abandoned when we found it. There were twenty-seven of us, including me.#
Mewtwo went on, describing the mountain, and the jungle, and the other Pokémon of their family. She listened intently. So much of what he described could have been any small town here in her world, but other things were strange. They seemed so organized and formal.
#Humans have towns in our world, much larger than any town here. Some Pokémon live with them, but Pokémon don't have towns of their own. We were the first, as far as we knew...#
There were gaps in Mewtwo's story, and he made no effort to conceal them. That was okay, Absol thought; it was his story, not hers, and if there were things that he didn't want to discuss, she wouldn't push.
The sandglass trickled out the first hour, and the second, and the third, and it was time to wake Zorua and Arcanine. Some things Mewtwo had been strangely reluctant to talk about, like what kind of Berries they had, or how Pokémon and Humans lived together. There was so much that he had shared, though. Their world was so similar to her own, but so many things seemed strange, too. She needed time to think things through, and then she was going to have so many questions for both of them.
Absol rubbed alongside Arcanine and Zorua as the pair sat down together to begin their watch. Lucario, his lap now unoccupied, got up to join her, and they both watched as Mewtwo lay down alone again.
"May we join you?" Absol asked.
Mewtwo shook his head. #I can't control my mind as well while I'm asleep, and touch makes it stronger. It would be uncomfortable for all of us.#
"I'm Dark-type, remember?" Absol said, sliding his ring off and offering it back to him, "I'll lay in the middle."
Mewtwo hesitated, looking away and then back to her. Absol was sure he was going to decline again.
#Alright,# Mewtwo said, finally.
This would be easier if Mewtwo were the big spoon, she though as she lay down against Mewtwo's back, but he was already curled up, and she wasn't going to ask him to move. This was already a victory, and they could work on how to cuddle later.
Leaning over, she pressed her muzzle hesitantly against the back of Mewtwo's neck. When he didn't object or pull away, she began to groom him gently.
Lucario leaned against her other side, making contact, but not leaning into her too much. She knew him even less than she knew Mewtwo, Absol thought; they had only been together a day and a half, on their last venture into Creepy Tunnel. He was a good Pokémon, though; even if Zorua didn't always make the best choices, she had good taste in friends.
Lucario's fingers slid into the fur along her back, pausing for permission just like she had done with Mewtwo. Absol leaned into it.
"Didn't expect that," Arcanine admitted quietly, as he and Zorua watched Mewtwo and Absol curl up together.
"Jealous?" Zorua asked.
If the three of them slept the whole watch like that, Arcanine thought, Absol would have been closer to Mewtwo for longer than he had been in all the years they had lived together. He wasn't jealous, he just wished that he could have provided the same companionship for Mewtwo that Absol was.
"No." Arcanine smiled as he shook his head. "Good for them both."
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Zorua woke her first. Sometime while they had slept, Absol found, Mewtwo had shifted around so that his head was tucked up under her chin. He looked much more content there than he had when she woke him for watch.
Darkrai hadn't come for them in the night. The inner door was still closed, and the discs were still in their sockets, where Espeon had left them last night - or whatever time it had been; there was no way to tell down here. Mewtwo retrieved them before they departed, locking out anyone else who might try to access the room while they were away.
#Mystery dungeons don't change when normal Pokémon are inside, correct?# Mewtwo asked as they made their way back out.
"No," Umbreon said, "well, it's not always clear, but generally not."
#So, what happens to a mystery dungeon when it's unoccupied?#
Everyone looked at each other, but no one had any suggestions. Arcanine thought that he knew where Mewtwo was going, but he didn't want to say it.
#Is the treasure room still inside the dungeon?#
Espeon nodded. "I think so. Most dungeons have a room at the end that doesn't change. But," she paused to consider for a moment, "most dungeons, that room is the exit. You can't go back the way you came. So, I don't know."
#Maybe the inside of a dungeon doesn't exist at all when no one is there,# Mewtwo suggested, #maybe the room is only a few years old, or a few hundred; whatever time the occasional exploration team has spent inside?#
That wasn't a question that anyone could answer, so none of them did.
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"We can build it," Gurdurr said once Mewtwo had finished explaining what they needed, "it's just a big wagon. You'll need a strong team to pull it, thought."
They were gathered in the common room of the Lodge, along with Luxray, Timburr, Braixen, and a dozen other Pokémon from Meadow Town who had come to listen to their story.
#Alakazam can arrange that,# Mewtwo said, #we'll need several regular wagons as well, for the rest if the structure.#
"Sawsbuck's family has a pair of wagons," Servine volunteered, "They'll help if I ask. Hippowdon has a larger wagon; he lives at the bend in the river, south of town."
"Take whatever labor and supplies you need from the Lodge and stockade," Luxray said, "also, you'll need a place to stay. Lucario has been living with Luxio and I. The rest of you are welcome to join us, or we can make room for you in the Lodge, if you prefer."
"I think we'd like to stay with you, if it's not too much trouble," Absol said. The Lodge was comfortable and friendly, and felt like the library in Team ACT's manor, with all the other Pokémon coming and going and working. Mewtwo would prefer more privacy, she thought, and Luxray's home was cozy and safe underground. "And, if you don't mind, Zorua?"
"Yeah," Zorua agreed. Staying with the Shinxes wasn't going to be fun, but Lucario would be there too. There was no way she would miss any opportunities to spend time with him while they were here, and it wouldn't be fair to ask him to move back to the Lodge.
"If you don't need us further," Espeon said, "we'll return to Pokémon Square to work on the translation."
#I think that would be best,# Mewtwo agreed.
With things decided, Mewtwo left with Timburr and Gurdurr to begin work on the wagon, and the other Pokémon who had been listening to their discussion drifted back to work.
"So, what can we do to help?" Zorua asked.
"We're stretched thin here, and people are tired of standing watch," Luxray said, "like Arcanine said before, it's difficult to stay alert all the time. If I could put you all on the watch schedule, it would free up other people for construction."
"Of course we'll help," Absol agreed immediately for all of them. Without hands, there wasn't mush that she or Zorua or Arcanine could do to help with the wagon.
"Yeah," Zorua agreed, "Lucario, there's, um, one other thing I want to do here..." She trailed off, embarrassed. It was a silly, childish thing to ask, like not wanting to walk home alone in the dark. Lucario waited patiently for her to continue.
"I want to go back to Zoroark's hut..."
"But not alone?" Lucario suggested.
Zorua nodded.
"Of course I'll come," Lucario said, "in fact, why don't we all four go now? I'll put you and Arcanine on the night shift, and Absol on the afternoon shift."
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"Y-you and your m-mother l-lived al-lone out h-here?" Absol asked as they walked.
"Yeah. So no one would see if we made mistakes with our Illusions sometimes."
"N-no one kn-new wh-who you were?"
"I was Eevee and mom was Sylveon."
"Wasn't th-that a l-lot of t-trouble, though? Why n-not b-be yours-selves?" Zorua had done a convincing imitation of Poochyena for a few days in Pokémon Square, but Absol didn't think she had used her illusion at all since revealing herself to Team ACT. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to live in disguise for years, constantly afraid of being uncovered.
"I don't know," Zorua admitted, "I think we were hiding from something, but mom would never tell me what."
Lucario knew her story by now, of course. He might even know more than she did, she mused; he had surprised her last time with his knowledge of Meadow Town's history. She'd told Arcanine a little bit, but she hadn't discussed it with Absol at all.
The door was still sturdy in its frame, set in a stone and timber wall in the side of a hill. The latch looked like the same simple pair of bars through the door which was common in every town, but there was a trick to it. She leaned her forepaws up on the door and nosed it away from the jamb, then inward, and then up. The door swung slowly inward under her weight.
A dusty, mouldy, herbal odor hit them as they entered, making everyone's noses itch. The interior was dim, the bright noon sun blocked by heavy cloth curtains on the windows. There was only one room, about five meters across. Against the left wall was a small stove, and against the right, the remains of a bed; the source of most of the mouldy smell. The back wall was lined with sturdy wood shelves supporting dozens of glass bottles, some of them still holding liquids of various appearances, and bundles of dry herbs still hung from the logs supporting the roof.
Dust rose up from their footsteps as they entered. Zorua held the door until they were all inside, then pushed it closed and latched it. There was another bar on the inside, and she swung it into place, locking the door behind them; even now, it was still a habit.
"It wasn't normally this dirty," she said, embarrassed, "I haven't been here in a couple years. I'm surprised no one else has claimed it."
Lucario, who had been staring at her, quickly looked away, looking guilty as if she'd caught him doing something wrong.
"Wait," Zorua said, "have you been chasing people off?"
Lucario shrugged. "Yes."
"Why?"
"I thought..." Lucario hesitated. "You still wanted it."
Zorua opened her mouth to deny it, but realized that their current presence proved Lucario right. "Yeah," she said instead, "I guess I did."
Lucario pulled a curtain open, allowing in a beam of sunlight that glowed in the dusty air. Zorua paced around the room while the others waited. For a moment, Arcanine thought that she was going to jump up on the remains of the straw-stuffed mattress, but she thought better of it.
"We always locked the door," Zorua said, sitting down in front of the bed, "I don't know anyone else who locks their door. At night, we would draw the curtains, and mom would be Zoroark and I would be Zorua, and we would lay on the bed together and groom.
Zorua lowered her head and looked away. She didn't know why she'd felt the need to come here now, to show everyone what she'd lost. This wasn't her life any more; it hadn't been for years. She'd been angry, and grieved, and she'd gotten over it and moved on, hadn't she?
Of course not, she thought; she just didn't let herself think about it. Seeing Lucario living with Luxray's happy family, and listening to Absol talk about her parents, and watching how Arcanine looked up to Mewtwo, seeing Grey with Pink, it all reminded her of home.
Arcanine lay down beside her, and she leaned into his mane. Absol joined them, rough tongue licking her face, and Lucario, with his arm around her shoulders.
She was certain that Zoroark was dead. After the first few weeks, she hadn't doubted it. She was fierce, and smart, and loved her, and nothing would have stopped her from coming home.
"I still miss her a lot," Zorua admitted. Her chest hurt, and her eyes stung. She buried her face in Arcanine's mane and allowed herself to remember.
All the days that she had spent helping Zoroark search for herbs in the fields around Meadow Town; Eevee and Sylveon instead of Zorua and Zoroark. All the evenings spent tieing them up to dry, cutting and boiling or packing them into bottles to tincture. Sometimes she had listened when Zoroark tried to teach her all their properties. Sometimes she hadn't. All the scents of herbs and woodsmoke and alcohol and vinegar which accompanied their work. All the nights that she had spent curled up in Zoroark's mane, like she did in Arcanine's, talking long into the night without their disguises. The one thing Zoroark never spoke about; what had they been hiding from, for all those years?
It felt good, remembering, despite how much it hurt. No one interrupted her as she sobbed into Arcanine's mane. Zoroark would have liked Team Warmth. Maybe some day, Zorua though, she would have trusted them enough to let them all in on the secret. Now they would never know.
Eventually the tears stopped coming. Zorua wasn't sure how long they had all lain there. The hollow feeling of loss was still there, but it wasn't so overpowering She sniffed and wiped her eyes on Lucario's shoulder.
"I guess we should head back, huh," Zorua said.
Lucario nodded in agreement.
"Thank you for showing us," Absol said quietly as they stood up.
Arcanine didn't move. His eyes were closed, and his sides rose and fell slowly. Zorua laughed. Give him a chance to lay down and no work to do, of course he was going to take a nap. She put both forepaws on his shoulder and gently shook him awake.
"Wait," Zorua said as the four of them began the walk back to Meadow Town.
This wasn't her home any more. Zoroark was gone, and there was nothing she cared about left here to cling to. She had a new family, and they were the best thing that she could ever have hoped for, and she would always remember her mother. She turned back and leaned up against the door with one forepaw. With the claws of her other, she carved carefully into the wood:
Free House
She unlatched the door again, pushed it open, and turned to leave for the final time.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Three days of standing watch and dragging lumber under Timburr's direction was a relaxing break from doing calculus on Team ACT's floor, Arcanine thought.With a dozen Pokémon plus Mewtwo's help, they had made quick work of the wagon.
It had snowed nearly nonstop for most of those three days; a gentle snow, mostly, but there was twenty centimeters or so on the ground outside town where it hadn't been trampled down. It was supposed to be nearly summer by now. With his thick coat and inner warmth, he didn't mind the weather too much. Most of the others didn't either; Pokémon were tough, and it was often colder in the winter. Absol was miserable, but refused to remain inside while the others were working. She returned from each watch to huddle under her blanket in front of Luxray's stove, or cuddle with whoever else was sleeping.
"Arcanine." Luxray fell in beside him as he returned from helping haul logs the third morning.
"Luxray," Arcanine acknowledged him.
"Timburr says he'll have your wagon ready tomorrow morning. Alakazam in Pokémon Square is sending some strong Pokémon to help pull."
"Good," Arcanine said.
"Hippowdon and Sawsbuck will have their wagons ready too, and I have a dozen volunteers to help load everything."
"Thank you. Couldn't do this without everyone's help."
"You did save some of our lives," Luxray reminded him, "Arcanine...Pokémon are scared. Now that you have this thing, you can fix the weather, right?"
He paused a moment before answering, collecting his thoughts. Luxray deserved an honest answer, but it couldn't be technical.
"Luxray...don't know. Don't know what it does. Don't know how long it will take to put it together. Mewtwo has a theory. He's the smartest Pokémon I know."
"We're better prepared here, than most places; mostly by accident. Still, we're losing most of the year's Berry and Apple crop. We have more than enough to make it through a normal winter, but not a whole year to next spring.
"I know." Arcanine sighed. He wished that there was somewhere better he could send them, a better strategy he could suggest, but there wasn't. "Make it last as long as you can."
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The first thing Zorua noticed when she woke was the very strong smell of Shinx. The whole house smelled like Shinx, of course, but it was unusually strong this morning. She grumbled and rolled over, wriggling closer to Lucario, whose fur was unusually static-y. She opened her eyes.
When they had fallen asleep, her back had been against Lucario's chest, and his arm around her shoulder. Now, Fluffy was wedged most of the way between them. She must have wriggled in very slowly and carefully, Zorua thought, to have avoided waking either of them.
She wanted to lean over and take a bite out of Fluffy's ear. Fluffy deserved it, she though, for trying to take Lucario from her. A couple months ago, she would have, and she would have felt entirely justified.
She didn't. She didn't do stuff like that any more, she told herself. It would make Lucario upset. Also, she was willing to admit now that those sort of choices might have been why most of Meadow Town hadn't wanted to talk to her for years. Instead, she slipped carefully away without waking either of them. She could go be mad outside by herself instead of making a scene.
The door closed behind her and she sat down in the shelter of the eaves, where the snow was shallower. Pushing between them was rude, but it wasn't something she should get so upset about. It was Fluffy's home, not hers, and Fluffy was Lucario's friend too. Even more importantly, Fluffy was doing it because she knew it would make her angry.
The door opened a few minutes later, and Lucario emerged; he looked over and saw her sitting there. "I'm sorry-" Lucario began.
"Nope," Zorua interrupted him.
Lucario stopped, confused.
"Lucario, don't be sorry for having other friends."
"You're jealous of Fluffy." It wasn't a question.
"Yes," Zorua admitted. They both knew it, and there was no point claiming otherwise.
"She's a good Pokémon, Zorua; Luxray's whole family is. Since they invited me to stay with them, it's like having a family of my own."
"I'm sorry," Zorua said, "I had Zoroark, at least for a while, and you didn't have anyone at all."
"Only you and..." Lucario looked away. She knew he was remembering Treecko.
They both sat silently for a moment. Zorua knew that she ought to want the best for Lucario. She knew she had no right to be jealous of his friends, especially when she was off with Arcanine and the others. Knowing wasn't the same as doing.
"I'll talk to Fluffy," Lucario said, "you're trying to get along now, and she should too."
"Nah," Zorua said, "she deserves a little revenge. I'll get over it."
"I'm going to talk to her anyway. That was rude, and you and I only have a a few days together.
"Okay." Zorua shrugged. "Just...don't let me being jealous get in the way of you guys being friends, okay?"
"Thank you." Lucario held her tightly for several minutes, his chin resting on her head. With her face pressed against his chest, she could feel his heartbeat, and his scent was strong and familiar and comforting.
"Are you coming back to Creepy Tunnel with us tomorrow?"
"I want to, Zorua, but I don't think I'd be helpful. I thought, with you here for a few days, we would get to spend some time together, but we've both been so busy..."
"Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. This is more important than what we want."
"I know last time we mated it was kinda weird," Zorua said, "but, um..."
"You want to try again?" Lucario suggested.
"Yes." Zorua agreed immediately.
"Me too. How about I put someone else on watch tonight, and we do something selfish, just once?"
"I like that. But, how 'bout you give us the afternoon watch off, and Arcanine and Absol the night watch off?" She grinned. "I think they could use some alone time, too.
"Hmm." Lucario thought for a moment. "I think I can make that work, but you're going to owe Fluffy a favor for Arcanine's shift."
"Really?" Zorua groaned. Then, she reconsidered. "Wait, she'd actually volunteer for that, knowing what we were doing?"
"I think so. She doesn't really dislike you, you know; she just feels like she has something to prove."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Lucario lay on his back, and she was curled up on his chest in the warm darkness of the Lodge basement. There wasn't much room down here amongst all the stored food, but they had made a space for themselves. They could have gone almost anywhere, but it was a nostalgic choice; the basement was where they and Treecko had always gone to be alone.
"That went a lot better than last time, yeah?" Lucario asked, his fingers stroking through her ruff.
"That was amazing," Zorua mumbled sleepily, "Rio-Lucario, thank you."
It was amazing what a difference it made, Zorua though, when you really cared about what another Pokémon wanted, and not just yourself. The two of them lay there together for hours, not talking, just enjoying each other's company, until Scruffy's shrill voice shouted down the stairs that it was their watch.
Lucario and Zorua waited by the Lodge until Arcanine and Absol's patrol brought them by.
"Hey guys!" Zorua trotted out to meet them as they approached.
She rubbed against both of them in greeting, making sure they both smelled what she and Lucario had been doing. Arcanine sniffed her over carefully and grinned. She arched her back, rubbing against his chin, and winked at Absol.
"Well, don't just stand there," Zorua said, "it's our shift now. You two go have fun."
"Sh-she put us t-togeth-ther on p-purpose, d-didn't she." Absol said as they made their way back to Luxray's den.
Arcanine nodded.
"S-so, l-lets not w-waste it," Absol said leaning against his side as they walked, "want t-to sh-show m-me h-how this works?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As they lay together afterward in front of Luxray's stove, Absol decided that what Zorua had told her on her first trip into Creepy Tunnel was true; Arcanine indeed knew some good ways to keep warm.
"Arcanine, that was wonderful." She yawned and wriggled into a more comfortable position against his side.
Arcanine yawned too, and grinned down at her. He didn't seem to mind that she had let him do all the work. They lay together for a while, both tired, but not yet sleepy.
"Think you should ask Mewtwo to teleport you back tomorrow," Arcanine said eventually, "will take us two weeks to Pokémon Square. Like to have you along, but you'll be miserable."
"I can help Team Arcana translate, too," Absol agreed, "I feel kind of useless here. I wanted to help pull, but if Alakazam is sending more big Pokémon, I won't be much use, will I?"
They talked for a while before they both dozed off. Well, Absol thought, she mostly talked, and Arcanine mostly listened. Sometime during the night she woke to Mewtwo laying down beside them. She reached out a paw and tugged on his shoulder until he slid over and leaned his head on her flank.
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With this chapter, Part I is almost done. Just one more chapter to go, I think, to get the first piece of the Orrery back to Pokémon Square. It's been a lot more time and work than I expected, and I want to thank everyone who has made it this far with me.
Before we begin Part II, I think this would be a good opportunity for a Special Episode. Is there anything you'd like to see? Leave a message, or a review, or whatever, and let me know.