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This story takes place in the Pokémon Adventures/Special canon, along with all my other stories.

Please, please read Brick Bronze along with this!

Tess, Looker, and Anabel have been sent to the Wanderers Library, where they hope to find Jake, who has been exiled to another universe after the events of Brick Bronze.

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Enjoy, wanderer.

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Throughout the many universes, questions vary.

Were Frodo and the Ring real? Did Peter Pan ever go to Mordor? Did Corum kill the gods? How could have things been different? Did Merlin exist? Where is the Wonderland that Alice saw?

In one universe, things exist that do not in others, and others have what that one does not have.

But the Library connects all the Ways, the Paths, the countless allied worlds that fight against the Great Shadow.

It contains every book ever written, those that will be, and some that never will be written at all. Scholars, warriors, magicians, wonder workers, beings, and creatures from a trillion, trillion worlds roam it's halls. Many find it, some do not wish to return to their land of birth.

The rules of the Wanderer's Library are three: Respect your fellow patrons. Do not damage the Library. Return your books on time. You will need a card to check out, of course. Just see the front desk, it's a week in every direction, except near Ways. You will have to give the Archivist your true name, of course, but don't worry. We keep it safe.

The servants of the Shadow are not welcome. Oh, and do not go behind locked doors, or into the lower levels without the company of a Librarian. There are places here where only Elyon will protect you. And watch your step. Some of the Ways go directly to the realm of the Scarlet King, but they are well-guarded.

Three have come to the Library, from a world that has resisted the Shadow, and emerged victorious. But there is one, final loose end for these three...

In their journey, strange things await them. Most of what they will experience was unlooked for.

And the Shadow is ever watchful.

Welcome...the the Wanderer's Library.

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Tess, in all the most fantastical, wild, extrapolative, and unrealistic expectations of the Library that she had, believed that nothing could ever compare to this wonderous place.

As the Way closed behind her, Looker, Anabel, L.S, and Hopper, the whole expanse of the behemoth Library revealed itself. Those shelves weren't that tall, right? It was a trick of the eye, what else could it be? And the aisles were so long! Only a haze of fog could be seen down the patron-haunted halls, terminating miles and miles away.

Four ape-like creatures crawled across the titanic shelves, sorting books that had been returned. A single dark-skinned eldritch monster patrolled the labyrinth of vaunted knowledge, a lantern attached to a brass chain for a hand, without a mouth upon its face, a hairless visage that bore two glowing red eyes. The odor of well-aged books permeated everything, along with a steady wind blowing from the great ceiling. And books, books, and more books.

Tess wasn't close enough to the shelves the read their titles, but some were small, large, massive, or merely a few pages. Single leaflets and video tapes had been stacked on top of each other, and other methods of conveying knowledge that Tess could not recognize. All were arrayed upon the shelves in a orderly fashion, with several strange-looking patrons reading borrowed volumes on armchairs.

The group of five had materialized in a four-way intersection in the Library, banners of various allied worlds hanging off the towering ceiling, a glint of starlight clouding the timbers of the roof. Birds made of paper fluttered across the 'sky,' while insects with a book fused to their thorax stole a lump of food from a ox-like beast, who drop its book and chased after the gargantuan bug.

"Woah..." Tess gasped. "Bronze would have a heart attack about now."

L.S smiled, clearly used to such shock from newcomers. "Welcome, wanderer, to the Library. It is between the universes, a bastion of hope and light amidst the Darkness. All here are welcome but the servants of the Shadow. There are hidden Doors, and Way to the other worlds, where the servants of Elyon fight the Darkness. Even as a member of the Serpent's Hand, much of the Library's workings are unknown to me."

Anabel was in shock, but Looker asked what the Serpent's Hand was.

"The Serpent's Hand believes that which does not obey a universe's physical or metaphysical laws is not something to be hidden away, but celebrated. Yes, the anomalous does pose great danger if it is used by the Shadow, but so is normalcy. I am L.S, one of the Little Sisters. Agent Hopper here was once a member of the Jailors, our sworn enemies. That said, you cannot read or check out any books until you receive your Library Card. Don't ask what it is, or it will be less effective. It should be a hours walk from this Way to the Archivist's Desk..."

And the group was off.

In retrospect, Tess would admit that if she told about all the things that she saw, there would not be enough space on the whole of Earth to hold all the books that could be written about the Library. But that did not stop her from asking questions.

Seeing one of the ape-creatures sorting a pile of books with names like Serpentsongs and The Gatekeeper's Sketchbook, Tess asked L.S what they were, along with the strange, silent creatures with a lantern attached to their arms.

"They are members of the Staff, beings tasked by Elyon to maintain this great Library. The ape-creatures that you see are the Pages, who resehelf the returned books in the Library. Their six arms and squat bodies make them excellent climbers, and they do not need to use a ladder as some might. Actually, they rarely touch the ground. The black ones are the Docents. They guide patrons through the Library, showing them where the book they wish for is located, as well as stalking the stacks for violations of the Rules."

"Rules?"

"Yes, rules. Do not harm the Library or another patron. Do not steal Library property. Do not serve the Shadow. No folding, spindling, or mutating fellow patrons. Return your books on time. The Docents will slay any who do not follow these rules, except for failing to return books. If that happens...well, you become one of the Staff. And there is one that you have not seen yet, but will, the Archivist."

Tess thought that was funny, or maybe she was delirious. "My friend Bronze is also called the Archivist. And who is Elyon?"

Hopper answered this one, holding a small, winged creature in his hand. "Elyon, Lord of Light, the Supreme Good, the Creator of All That Is. He has many names, and a aspect of him is in each Universe, just as the Shadow is. God. Yahweh. El Shaddai. Aslan. Arceus. Yeshua. Eru Iluvatar. One name is never enough to describe the whole. The Library calls Him Elyon, as many other worlds do."

"We have Arceus," Looker said. "But who would this Shadow be?"

The face of L.S went grave. "Young girl, you have already seen it, have you not? The Evil Djinn, the Mbelekoro, the Base Master of Treachery. He has been defeated once more, but the fight continues until the Last Battle and the Day of Doom. The Shadow is known by other names, just as Elyon is. Sauron. The Scarlet King. The Crimson Khan. Lucifer. Morgoth Bauglir. The Night King. Many have made a stand against it, and many have fallen. The history of the Worlds since the Original Fall is but dust and blood, and the Enemies shall have their victory, for a time. This Library is under ceaseless watch, and yet the slaves of the Shadow attempt to penetrate it."

"How?" Anabel asked. "We have Pokémon that can teleport, but...not like this, not across worlds! How did you even create that portal to find us? And...how much time has passed?! Won't the people in our world notice that we are missing?"

L.S took out a handkerchief, embroidered with a serpent design. "By the Ways, of course. Elyon, in His creativity, established many paths to and from universes, some to others, most to the Library. Each Way is a sort of door, a glass mirror, or a wall, in your case. To open it, you have to give it the right 'knock.' That is, to do a specific action, like bringing a seven-leaf clover, or sacrificing a pig over a manhole plate in Ecruteak City. For the one we took you through, we merely had to forget something that we really wanted to know, but didn't need to. As for the time issue, it is trivial. The Library moves on Elyon's time. You can stay here as long as you wish, with no one in your universe noticing that you are missing. Time still passes in the Library, slowly but surely. That is why distances can be estimated."

"Wait..." Tess said, staring at a reptiloid creature reading a self-help book. "If this place contains every possible book in every universe, does that mean that it is infinite-"

"Never say that word, you cannot use it correctly!" L.S scorned. "And no, the Library is not infinite. It is more vast than anything that can be described in anything but the words of Elyon, but there are walls, and limits. For the number of universes is not infinite. Only Elyon is. There is also a finite amount of space within each universe, so the number of books is limited. Still, what I say is a gross oversimplification. These things can only be learned in time."

Anabel groaned. "We knew that there were other dimensions that ours, but this? This is insane! A Library, of all things, too! Is there another iteration of me walking around here, somewhere?"

"First, these are not dimensions, only universes and realities." Hopper corrected. "Dimensions are dangerous, and the Library does not connect with those, and I do not dabble with them. And yes, if Elyon wills it, there is another version of you wandering around these vast lands. But not a boundless number, and your assumption of a 'alternate self' is misplaced. Yes, there are beings that appear almost identical to you, and have very similar attributes, but in appearance only. No soul is identical."

Tess sent out her Garchomp, wanting to show it around. "And...how is being in this place going to help Jake? Would we find a 'Way' that connects here to his universe?"

"Yes." L.S said. "It may require a few Jumps, and a long journey, but we may find him, provided that our fortune is good, and the Shadow does not assail us. But the Ways have grown perilous in these times. Only the brave, strong, foolish, or mad can walk them without fear. Going in and out of the Library is as safe as can be, but between worlds, or going from the Library to a world? Very dangerous. I will explain more later."

"By the way," Looker asked. "Is there a book here that describes a story nearly identical to my life, somewhere?"

"Yes and no." L.S answered. "Your life is your own, and these books are either non-fiction observations, or stories, poems, whatever. You may find a book that describes a character 'exactly' like you. But there will always be differences. By the Grace of Elyon you are unique, without a complete copy-"

"Put yer hands up, alluv ya!"

Tess laughed when she saw the thing in front of them. It was a gopher, with a pirate cap, holding a water gun. It's companion was a blue squirrel, holding a blunt cutlass. "Put yer hands up, I sez! Give us yer plunder!"

Garchomp roared, causing a pair of Docents to materialize. They clomped toward the two rodents, silent, arms outstretched. "Put yer blaster down, Rouphsolbel! Y've brought th' Docents down upon us!"

The rodents dispersed, and the Docents vanished.

L.S sighed. "This happens, sometimes. Even if a assailant attempts to harm you, the Library will protect you from the harm, unless in very special circumstances. You will find to true threat here, unless in times of a invasion. What fools."

As Tess walked amidt the shelves, a red thing of many mechanical parts beckoned to her from behind a shelf, promising her everything she ever wanted. L.S silenced it with a wave of her hand, and the Docents dragged the thing away. "Soliciting is illegal in the Library, unless you have obtained express permission from the Staff."

There was a spear contained inside a glass case at the end of one shelf, and Tess asked about it. There were many other relics, but this one was particularly attractive to her.

"That is the Spear of the Rumhoth," L.S said. "The God-killer, it has protected the Library many times, along with the Free Peoples. It was recovered after a particularly nasty incident in one universe, a fight against the Shadow that ended in a stand-off. It was the mistletoe arrow that killed Balder, the adamantium scythe that slew Uranus, the lance that pierced Immanuel's side. Probably the only one that could have done it, anyway."

A pale little imp skirted along the shelves, covered in loose detritus to disguise itself. A humanoid big game hunter with a lizard slung across its back vanished into a Way, searching for quarry in another world. All were wondrous, some unwillingly dangerous, many helpful. It was the Wanderer's Library at the greatest fulfillment of its purpose: to be a beacon of light and knowledge for all but the Shadow to share.

L.S stopped to greet a Dr. Morgan James Marsh, a dark sorcerer that was as skilled with a pen as with a wand, a journalist for the Wanderer Times. Tess obtained a copy, amused and disturbed by what it told.

The Wanderer Times, the most popular publication in the Wanderer's Library, pleasing twelve-point-two trillion-trillion ocular receptors since 0004!

Notice: Outbreak of bookrot in Wing 2-F3. Docents sent to contain. Avoid area, servants of the Shadow have attempted to breach.

A Gallus gallus undomesticus has been released from a Way in your area. Do not attempt to confront it.

A entity that has been described as a 'giant centipede that can rip your brains out' is giving children's book readings. Sally Roger Poffins has been missing since attending.

Twelve thousand elves of Gondolin have secured a rogue way in the Astral-Fountain U-O9 Sector. The Scarlet King has attempted to send a hostile entity to the Library from a lone plane of existence of little interest. Ramulak of Hy-Worms is litigating for damages to his copy of Tales From The Forodlands.

Curse-breaking, demon-slaying, necromantic and demonological services available. Rates variable depending on challenge, Elyon-permission, soulmass, and existential risk. Inquire at Office 6, Exploratory Investigative Department, Planasthai-Shelf-43.

Dear Arceus! What strange dream was this? But if it was a dream, it was a good one. The Will of Elyon safeguarded all who dwelt here, and the wonder that dwelt here was only a taste of what was to come once the Final Victory had been achieved, discovery upon discovery, story written upon story, each better than the last, increasing in wonder forever.

Tess realized that the group had reached the Archivist's Desk, with wanderers and patrons heading to and from it. A man that looked like Professor Oak was discussing with a sasquatch that he should have won the UN Presidential Race, while a elohim as bright as a lantern went about the crowd, spreading inspiration and good thoughts.

The Archivist was a hooded woman, blinded. She had no legs, but was connected by a chain to the floor behind the desk.

"This is a Archivist," Hopper said. "They distribute the Library Cards, take the book returns, and keep track of what books have been taken. There are millions and millions, and it is time for you three to receive your own Cards."

Tess was put in line, and then a very strange thing happened. She lost all sense of time and fatigue, the main reasons why so many detest long lines. In what seemed like no time at all, she, Looker, and Anabel were ready to receive their Library Cards.

"Hmm-hmm," The Archivist said, speaking only into Tess's mind. "Name?"

"Tessa Tyko Woodhall."

"Good. That's all I need, the rest will fill out itself, Daughter of Eve. Daughters of Eve...always rare in these troubled times. You may take your Library Card. Do not be late in returning your books."

The Library Card materialized in Tess's hands, one side bearing the seal of the Library, the other with the best picture of her that she could imagine in the upper left corner, the Tess in the picture more beautiful and cheerful than the real Tess could ever be. Some information was displayed, including her memetic resistance, her True Name, (which she could not read) and universe of birth, and a counter that would display the amount of books that she had checked out.

L.S ushered the three away, and had them sit down on a line of couches that almost felt living, and Tess kept her mind open the the chance that they were.

"Now, we need to address the issue at hand." L.S said. "You need to find your friend Jake, and as collateral for the Library, you must spread the knowledge that is contained within it, in order to fight the Shadow further. My contact is heading here, he will brief you on the necessary information that you will need to undertake your journey, and me and Hopper will accompany you."

"Informant?" Looker said. "Why can't you just tell us what we need to know yourself?"

Hopper laughed. "What? L.S doesn't know everything! Also, this contact can outfit you in synthsuits, perfect for universal travel. Also, he has information on the worlds that you will be travelling through to reach Jake, although we don't know where exactly he is, but our Intelligence Department has narrowed it down to three possible universes."

There was a crack of static, and a wanderer appeared, robed in a garment of silvery down. His face was still obscured...

"Here he is, my friends!" L.S said. "The consummate scholar, ranger, and warrior of the Ways, most often found in the Library, putting down his own stories on sun-dried paper, and reading those that are already present!"

The patron lifted his Hood, and Tess sent out the rest of her Pokémon.

"Cypress?!"