fractal

(from Latin *fractus* "broken")

an irregular shape or surface produced by a procedure of repeated subdivision

Webster's Concise Encyclopedia

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Jason Creight awoke in a cold sweat.

It was the dream that had awakened him.

That same, horrifying dream.

He'd not seen any video footage of the incident, but it seemed so vivid in his mind that they might as well not have shown any videos anyway.

Jason looked over at his bedside table.

2:14 in the morning.

He hit the light switch, and squinted thorugh the brightness of the light he'd activated. *Fraggin' lights are supposed to be a benefit, not a hindrance,* he thought.

And there, on his table, was the picture.

With one hand, he pushed himself into a sitting position. With the other, he reached out and picked up the picture. He was in it, seated in his wheelchair, as usual. He was wearing a white lab coat over a casual gray T- shirt and jeans.

Behind him stood one of the most prestigious men of all time: Professor Oak.

And standing next to him was the love of his life.

Kelly Shields.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

*I'm so sorry, Kelly...*

Jason buried his face in his pillow and cried.

***

The next morning, Jason took a shower, dressed, and made breakfast. When he was finished with his shower, he looked himself over in the mirror. His once light brown hair had now darkened. His eyes were still the same dark brown. He now sported a bristly mustache and goatee.

He couldn't help but think how much he looked like Daniel the last time they'd encountered each other.

As Jason made breakfast, it seemed to him as if it were the same old boring routine.

*But it's safer this way.*

He scoffed at the thought as he chewed his scrambled eggs. There once had been a time when he had no routine. He had relied on change, and he would never have accepted a routine.

*Things are different now.*

He looked out the window of his modest home. He saw small mounds of brown soil; once they had been of larger proportions, but time and rain had made them shrunken.

And seemingly insignificant.

Jason shook his head. *The soil may be insignificant, but what's under it is anything but.*

Below that soil lay the remains of the Pokemon that had died while under his wing. Pokemon that had died while defending him, while battling others, while fighting illness.

The net result was the same.

They were gone.

It had hit Jason especially hard when Gengar had died. It had helped him so much after the accident.

When it was time for Gengar to go, it had simply vanished. Slowly, until it was completely gone.

That was the day the pain became too great for Jason.

That was the day he'd officially been declared a Pokemon master.

And that was the day he released his Pokemon.

Most of them left because he ordered them to.

None of them had been willing to leave his side.

He'd become too much of an influence to them. He had become closer than a father, brother, or spouse. He was bonded with them in a way that, with the exception of respect-imparting trainers, humans could never fully understand.

Jason was now twenty-eight years old, and felt fifty-six. Perhaps even more. He had no wife, no children.

And he preferred it that way.

He preferred his solitude.

He did now, anyway.

He finished his breakfast and left the table.

*Time for me to pay respects.*

Jason walked out the door.

***

The statue was made of the same black marble the Tirenza memorial had been carved from. Pokemon had carved it; it was rumored that Koga's Pokemon were responsible for the exquisite work.

And indeed, the detail was stunning. The statue was of Professor Oak with his usual stoic expression, and it was accurate down to the last crease in his forehead.

Jason approached the statue and felt guilty as soon as he saw it in full detail.

He always felt guilty as soon as he saw it in full detail. He couldn't help it.

*It's my fault,* he thought. *All mine.*

He felt the breeze blow at his back, and he knew it wasn't a natural breeze.

"Hello, Dragonite," he said.

[Jason, why do you return to this place? It only brings you grief.]

Jason turned around and looked at his former Pokemon. This Dragonite, he knew, was different from all other existing Dragonites. The physical differences were obvious; first, instead of its usual orange coloration, its scales were a sparkling red. Another obvious difference was the glowing blue orb attached to its tail, an orb which ordinarily would be attached only to a Dragonair's tail. And finally, the wingspan was much larger than the average Dragonite's; the wings easily dwarfed those of an average Charizard.

But the most important difference, Jason believed, was the bond he had with it. Only Lance had a stronger bond with his Dragonite than Jason did with his own.

Even that had not stopped Jason, and his Dragonite, from defeating Lance.

But he had no time to think about that now.

"I come here," he responded aloud, "because I want to pay my respects to my friends."

[How can they acknowledge the respect if they are dead?]

"You know we believe in an afterlife, Dragonite. They can acknowledge it there." Jason sighed. "Why do you insist on remaining ignorant of such traditions when you see it wherever you go? Surely you've seen more death than I have."

[I have. I wish I had not.] Dragonite paused. [I see that Gyarados is not here this year. Is it not with us?]

Jason shook his head and tried to repress his tears. "It's been seven months."

[You have buried it?]

"In the backyard."

[So now your own home brings you as much grief as this place.]

"That was where it chose to lie down and die. So that was where I buried it."

[Do you not think it might have been buried at sea instead, where it first came from?]

"Dragonite, Gyarados and I were together for seventeen years. You know how much that time meant to me?"

[Even more, I surmise, than the time I spent with you.]

"I hope you don't take it offensively."

[I do not. It was a matter of emotional bonding deeper than ours.]

"Yeah." Jason looked down at his legs. His mobile legs. "The entire thing was my fault, you know."

[You have blamed yourself for ten years.]

"And I'm going to blame myself until I die."

[It is irrational.]

"It's also the truth. It's my fault."

[Why do you torture yourself so, when you know there was not anything you could do?]

Jason shook his finger at Dragonite. "No, you're wrong about that. If I had been there--if *we* had been there when it happened, they would still be here."

[So much confidence you still hold in your former Pokemon.]

"Hopefully, it isn't undeserved."

[We may yet find out.]

A spark lit in Jason's eyes. "You've found it?"

[I saw it briefly.]

"Where?"

[I encountered it while flying near the Orange Islands. It was in the clouds. I could not maintain eye contact long enough to touch its mind, however.]

"And it didn't simply vanish?"

[I did not see it leave the time stream. However, it was moving too quickly for me to keep up. Perhaps it stayed within the stream only while I was able to watch it.]

"The fact that it's in this timeline at all means we may have a chance."

[The odds that either of us will ever see it again are astronomically against us.]

"Then we'll have to beat the odds."

[It may already know what we're planning.]

"If that's true, then it had to have encountered us at some point in the future. Which means we have a chance. Will you please take me there?"

[Very well. I do this only as a favor to my former master.]

Jason grinned and climbed onto Dragonite's back. "Onward and upward!"

And that was exactly the direction Dragonite went.

*We'll find it. I know we will.

Celebi, we're coming to find you.*

***

After four days of endless searching, Jason and Dragonite's efforts had been fruitless.

Jason was losing hope.

Dragonite had already lost its own.

And that was the night he saw it.

Jason stared at it for a moment, wondering if it was real or an illusion.

It was a sparkling blue outline, the middle of it impossible to make out.

Jason's hand moved slowly to his Pokedex, beliving he knew what it was but thinking it was best to confirm his suspicions.

"Suicune. The Aurora Pokemon. Database nonexistent; information unavailable."

{You know who and what I am,} said a mental voice neither male nor female. {Just as I know who and what you are.}

"And you know what I'm searching for?"

{I do.}

Jason didn't know how to take this. "Can you help me?"

{I cannot. Only the Unown have the ability to call Celebi.}

"And will they use that ability, if requested to do so?"

{They can only be ordered to do so.}

"And who can order them to do it?"

{Only that one which psychically bonds with them. The Unown turn dreams to reality, fiction to non-fiction.}

Jason nodded. "I know. They've made a couple of my dreams come true. But nothing compared to what my ultimate dream is."

{I am aware of this. You wish to go back in time.}

"Yes, to save myself from all this."

{Many people have wished the same, and Celebi refuses to help them. Why do you believe yourself different?}

"If Celebi takes me back, I can save a hundred lives, even more."

{And you would allow yourself to be destroyed by your own actions?}

Jason knew what Suicune meant. If he did this--if he changed his own past-- his current self would no longer exist in this time stream. Only a parallel version. Maybe multiple parallel versions.

But not him.

He would, in a sense, die in order to save himself.

He nodded. "Absolutely. I won't have to experience the pain of losing them. I need to avoid this future at all costs. There could be so many unborn because of my actions."

{You blame yourself for the tragedy. Yet you refuse to believe it was not your fault. Time is fluid, Jason Creight. It brings unpredictability, something most of your kind cherish. Only Celebi knows the true secrets of time.}

"And that's why I need to contact it. Can you at least take me to the Unown?"

{The Unown have chosen Entei as their vessel for this generation. I can only take you to Entei. Whether it helps you or not is entirely up to it. I will have no more say in the matter.}

"Then take us to Entei."

***

[Suicune is moving too quickly for me to keep up. It is moving at my top speed, which I can only maintain for a few seconds.]

"I thought Dragonites were supposed to be the fastest flying Pokemon."

[We are. But we are not the fastest running Pokemon.]

"Isn't this the way to Azalea Town?"

[Azalea Town is nearby, yes. However, we are not going there.]

"Then where *are* we going?"

[The Ruins of Alph.]

***

When Dragonite finally alighted, it was too tired to continue.

[You must go without me.]

Jason shook his head. "I can't do that. You're my proof. If I speak to my past self, he won't know that I'm who I say I am unless I have a Pokemon I had when I was him."

[I was only a Dratini at that time, not a Dragonite.]

"Exactly. He needs to know the possibilities. He needs to know that he may conceivably have a full-blown Dragonite in his future. And you need to talk to your past self, too, and ensure it that you're real as well."

Dragonite took a deep breath, then released it. [Very well. But I cannot be pushed to these limits for much longer.]

Jason chuckled. "That's the first time I've heard you say that."

[I'm growing old. It goes with the territory.]

Jason grinned.

{If you wish to continue, we must waste no time.}

"We know. Dragonite is tired, however."

{Very well. I will attempt to locate Entei.}

But Suicune didn't move.

{Look there!} it exclaimed. {Entei approaches!}

Jason and Dragonite glanced in the direction Suicune was looking.

A blazing trail of fire was racing towards them.

The trail stopped right in front of them.

And in front of them was standing a magnificent Pokemon, looking for the world more like the mythical griffin than a dog. Ethereal ribbons flowing from its back quivered in the light breeze, and it stared at them with no expression on its face and no emotion in its eyes.

/Suicune, I understand you have been searching for me,\ said a rich baritone of a psychic voice.

{I have. More precisely, this human is the one who wished to speak with you.}

Entei looked down at Jason. /And what is it you wish of me, human?\

"I want to bond with the Unown."

/Why?\

"Because my dream is one only they can fulfill."

Entei searched Jason's face with its gargantuan eyes. /I know of you, human. You are a Pokemon trainer.\

"I am. Why's that important?"

/You have Unown. Why do you require wild, untrained Unown?\

"Because my Unown aren't enough. I don't have enough of them, and the ones I do have don't have enough power to call Celebi."

/You wish to call Celebi?\

"I do."

Entei nodded its massive head once. /You are right in believing that the Unown are the answer. However, they have the power to call across the time streams only once in their lifetimes.\

"If I can convince Celebi to help me and I pull off the plan I have, the Unown won't need the power to call it."

Entei frowned. /You understand the intricacies of time. This may determine whether Celebi will help you in your quest.\

"I hope so. Because at this point, I don't know if there's any going back. Hopefully, I won't ever be faced with this decision."

It nodded. /Then I will help you.\

***

Jason and Dragonite were led to a vast chamber deep under the Ruins of Alph.

The path had been one that was somewhat recognizable to Jason. He had traveled some of these caverns.

But none of them compared to this.

The chamber glowed vibrant hues of red and blue. Interlacing "veins" of the blue made a visible pulsing effect, an effect which unnerved both Jason and Dragonite.

And in the center of the chamber was a sight that Jason could barely take in.

A colossal glowing blue sphere of psychic energy lit the entire chamber.

Shadows were being cast on the walls of the chamber.

And the shadows existed because of the Unown.

Hundreds, if not thousands of them, were floating around the sphere in a precise pattern. They were in a sphere of their own,a three-dimensional n- gon that surrounded the psychic energy and spun erratically around it.

Their strange song not only landed on Jason's ears, but in his mind, as well.

He didn't even have words to express his amazement.

/In order to bond with the Unown, you must join with the psychic energy.\

Jason stared at Entei. "You mean I have to go into the energy?"

Entei nodded.

"And I assume that doing this is dangerous."

/Extremely.\

Jason scoffed. "Thanks a lot."

He approached the Unown sphere, hands outstretched. He didn't know if the Unown had defenses up around them, nor did he know if their spinning would cause them to collide with him and lose concentration.

He could only hope that neither of those was the case.

The Unown stopped spinning and held position, allowing him through.

Jason glanced over his shoulder.

Entei and Dragonite were watching intently.

He turned back to the psychic energy that now filled his vision.

He clenched his eyes shut.

He jumped inside.

***

[What if he doesn't make it?]

/Then he will cease to exist.\

[And if he ceases to exist, there will be no hope of avoiding this day.]

/Correct.\

[Is there nothing you or Suicune can do to tip the scales?]

/There is nothing we can do. Not even the Unown have the power to change Celebi's mind once it has made a decision.\

[Then I hope he can do what the Unown cannot.]

***

Echoes of the past and whispers of the future surrounded him.

He had no form.

But he had his soul.

And his soul had joined with the Unown in a way no one could understand.

He was with them.

He was one of them.

And he was himself.

All at the same time.

From this very place, he could project himself anywhere, any*when* he wished.

But he didn't have a body to manipulate his environment with.

He needed one.

And the only way to get his body back was to extricate himself from the Unown.

Entei couldn't do it.

Suicune couldn't do it.

Dragonite couldn't do it.

Only Celebi could.

And so he did the only thing he could.

***

It loved crossing the time streams. It loved the indescribable sensation it felt when it crossed the streams.

It was just about to cross into yet another timeline when it saw the disruption.

From its vantage point, it could see from the Orange Islands to Johto with relative ease. So when the disruption came, it had already been quite visible.

A giant, expanding indigo bubble of psychic energy was blasting outward in all directions from Johto.

It didn't like the disruption. It left the timeline and entered another one.

The disruption was still there, still expanding towards it.

It left the timeline again and passed through three more, all with the same result.

The wave washed over it, and it heard a cry within its mind.

And then it knew that it was being called.

It left the timeline again.

***

He had no eyes, but that was no impediment. Now that he was one with the pure energy that the Unown created and fed off of, he could see in all directions, as far out as he wanted to. He could sense what was in the hearts of people and Pokemon alike.

He could sense Dragonite's concern.

He could sense Entei's detachment.

But most of all...

He could sense his quarry coming.

It appeared directly in front of Dragonite and Entei, no less.

*Celebi, I've found you at last!* he thought with joy.

|It appears you have,| it responded. |Would you please tell me why you saw fit to disrupt the time fractal in order to call me?|

*I need you to help me go back in time.*

|I can't cater to the desires of every human on the planet who wishes to go back and change a few mistakes. You know that. So why do you believe I'll help you?|

*My mistake cost the lives of many people, some of which were very emotionally close to me. I want to go back so that I can save those lives.*

|You're willing to destroy your own timeline, and with it your life, in order to save dead humans?|

*Yes.*

|And you believe I would help you in this endeavor?|

*I wouldn't have called you had I thought otherwise. Ironic, isn't it? My intentions are to save myself, and in order to do that, I have to die.*

|You don't seem to have a lack of resources when it comes to time travel. Why call me, when the Unown can send you to any part of the fractal?|

*I need my body back.*

|I am not the most powerful psychic Pokemon on the planet. You should have called Mew.|

*Mew can't send me through time.*

|Neither can I, if you don't have a body. Yours is gone. It was destroyed as soon as you entered the sphere.|

*Then I'm dead?*

|In a sense, you are.|

*In that case, I'll just have to come back to life.*

Celebi sent waves of amusement. |You are rather stubborn, aren't you?|

*Sure am. I just happen to love trying to beat the odds.*

|Very well. There is a rather simple way for you to return to your body.|

*How?*

|Send your spirit into the past. The Unown have only the strength to project you a few minutes backwards, since they have used most of their energy to call me at your behest. Once you are there, send yourself into your own body.|

*Will you be there?*

|When you are finished, yes.|

***

Just as Jason was about to enter the sphere, he stopped.

He looked at his hands.

*I actually have hands now.

I did it.*

He stepped back from the sphere, turned around, and faced Dragonite and Entei.

/Do you not wish to enter?\ Entei asked.

"I already did," Jason answered.

He stepped away from the sphere and rejoined the two Pokemon. "This may be difficult to understand, but I'm not who I appear to be. I'm Jason Creight, but I'm not Jason Creight *now.* After I entered the sphere, I called to Celebi, who told me that my body was destroyed as soon as I entered. It told me that the only way to regain my body was to send my spirit into the past and take myself over. And that's what I did."

|And now that you have, the real work begins.|

Jason turned around and saw Celebi floating in the exact same position it had been in before.

Or was it after?

|I will help you, Jason Creight,| Celebi continued. |But I will only help you to a point. After we arrive at your destination, I will withdraw my assistance and leave you to do your work. I offer you one chance, and only one. If you fail, I will not help you again. I have other obligations I must attend to.|

"Other obligations?" Jason said. "For all I know, you've got a million companions you've been traveling with and you've been coming and going through time as you please, and they don't even know it! You're the ultimate fun-loving Pokemon, Celebi. you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. So why offer me only one chance?"

|Because if I offered you more than one, you would treat this entire endeavor as a game. It is not a game. It is real. And if you fail, it will remain real.|

He nodded. "Okay, then. Let's do this. Can you bring my Dragonite, as well?"

|Yes. I must again remind you, if you succeed in your quest, you will be destroying a significant section of the fractal, and yourselves with it. All that you see around you will never exist.|

Jason nodded again. "I understand."

|Then prepare yourselves.|

Jason breathed deeply.

He closed his eyes.

A great flash of light blinded him even with his eyes behind his eyelids.

Jason Creight time-traveled on.

To Be Continued