Cian and I got to town about thirty minutes later. In my opinion, Fairport is a typical Western New York suburb town. The main street consists mostly of tiny pop-up shops and family owned restaurants, all nestled inside old brick buildings and warehouses. To connect it all, a rustic lift bridge sits over the Erie Canal. However, I feel like Fairport is never not busy. On the far part of town is a two-track railroad where multiple trains pass through every hour, and the traffic is always heavy during rush hour. Not to mention, there are plenty of neighborhoods and apartment buildings strewn all over that add to the commotion.

After fighting through the midday crowds of Main Street, Cian and I had our lunch at our favorite local restaurant. While we ate, I told him and Totodile about my run in with the Garbodor Crew in Hart's Woods and the moment under the sycamore tree. They both seemed to thoroughly enjoy my recounts, but I ultimately decided I was going to wait until after lunch to talk about my dream, just to not lay everything down all at once.

After we finished eating and left the restaurant, it was about 12:30. The sun had just dipped below its apex in the sky and was starting its slow descent back to the horizon. Cian and I sat across from each other with Riolu and Totodile at a public picnic table just off the sidewalk, admiring the passersby and cars on the busy street. The multicolored umbrella in the middle of the table blocked out the sun and made it tolerable in the strange heat wave. As we relaxed and took in the sounds of our busy hometown, I figured now would be the time to speak up.

"Cian," I said, breaking the silence between the two of us. "Can I tell you about a strange dream I had last night?"

"Dream?" Cian said curiously, turning his attention to me. "Sure, what was it about?" Riolu's ears perked up and he turned towards me to hear my account of the story again.

"Well…" I started.

Just like Riolu was that morning, Cian sat at the edge of his seat during the entire story.

"Woah… Do you think it was real?" he questioned once I'd finished. I leaned back, trying to think of a reasonable answer. The question sat in my head for a while, but I just couldn't decide what to say back; it could have legitimately been an actual cry for help, or it could have just been a figment of my imagination. Sure, I wanted to believe that it was true, but the whole, 'I was the hero,' thing seemed pretty improbable. I opened my mouth to tell him I didn't know the answer, but he spoke before I could.

"Wait… That place, Kinzua Valley? I know where that is!"

"Really?! Where is it?" My heart skipped a beat. Cian whipped out his PokéNav and started tapping on the screen.

"Kinzua Valley…" he mumbled as he typed. "Here it is! Kinzua State Park Bridge." He turned his PokéNav to me, showing me a picture of a long train bridge extending out into a remote, wooded valley. I suddenly realized how dumb I was for not attempting to look up Kinzua Valley on the internet before, but there were so many other things going on in my life that I just hadn't thought of it.

He pointed to the picture with his index finger.

"I went here with my grandpa when I was a kid. This bridge was part of the local railway a long time ago, but it collapsed in 2001 when a freak tornado blew it down. Then, the remainder of the bridge that stood was preserved as a State Park." Riolu and Totodile were crammed in behind me, trying to get a glimpse of the screen.

Cian looked very proud that he knew where this location was, but he hadn't actually told me where it was yet.

"Umm… Where's it located?"

"Pennsylvania," he replied, still smiling.

"P-Pennsylvania?! That's really far away… It takes like six hours to get there from here," I sighed.

"Oh, it's not that far," Cian gloated, putting his PokéNav back in his pocket. "It only took us five hours to get there on the expressway." He said with a smirk. I looked at him unhappily.

"How am I going to get to Pennsylvania without a car? I don't have my license, and my parents are for sure not going to take me there," I shot back.

"Wait, you're actually thinking about going? You really think that dream was real, huh?" I hesitated to speak again, the same unanswered questions popping back up in my head.

"I... I–"

"Look, I don't need an answer right now. But even if your dream was real, it still wouldn't be the end of the world. I mean, if Uxie really needed the help, she would probably come to you in another dream, try to find you in real life, or like, send some kind of messenger to check up on you." There was a pause, as I took some time to gather my thoughts. With a sigh, I continued.

"You're right, Cian; there's no reason to be so flustered over this. I think I'm just overreacting to this whole situation. If I didn't have such an active imagination, I'd probably have nothing to worry about." I paused again, averting my gaze back out at the pedestrians rushing by. "Thanks," I told him with sincerity. Cian always had a way of making me feel better when I was down. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw him smile and rub the back of his neck.

"Hey, no problem-o; that's what I'm here for. Now come on, let's go find something else to do. I don't need to be home until six o'clock for dinner, and I certainly don't plan on being there any earlier." Cian then stood up and started heading down the street, Totodile following close behind. As I got up to go and join them, Riolu grabbed my arm; I turned to see him looking at me with that same troubled look from this morning.

"Hey, what's wrong Riolu?"

"Rio, Rio…" he replied, pointing to me with its paw. There was a short pause, as neither of us said anything, realizing we couldn't understand each other. "Ri…" he said with obvious disappointment in his voice, looking down. I felt bad that I couldn't decipher what he was saying, so I figured I would make him a compromise.

"Hey, cheer up buddy," I coaxed. "Why don't we do some more adventuring with Cian for now? We can work on figuring this out later. Cool?" Riolu picked his head up a little and nodded, but he still looked a bit sad. Seeing his face only sparked my interest in what he wanted to say more, but my train of thought was interrupted as Cian called out from down the sidewalk.

"Come on, Luke! I know just where to go next!" He was waving to get our attention. I smiled at Riolu and turned around; together, we speedily weaved through the busy passerby to catch up with them as soon as possible.

Cian took us down the canal path for the second part of our journey. It stretched from the next town over, to all the way down the Erie Canal. The path was very basic; just some gravel in a straight line following the side of the waterway, adorned by plenty of trees and gaudy waterside homes. There wasn't much to explore, but the scenery was pretty great this time of year.

Cian and I had mostly exhausted our conversation choices during lunch, so we walked side by side down the canal path with the occasional small talk, admiring the changing leaves and watching Riolu and Totodile dart around in front of us. During this period of silence, I couldn't brush Riolu's face from my thoughts. What did Riolu want to say to me back at the picnic table? He looked so worried…

I began to also think about Uxie's message from the night before, and the things Cian had told me. Different scenarios played out in my head, piling some stress and even more questions on. I was so preoccupied in my thoughts at one point that I almost stumbled into a nearby ditch. Luckily, no one but Cian saw my mistake, but my face was still completely red nonetheless.

I tried to not think about Riolu or the dream until I got home. I didn't want to be disrespectful, and I needed to pay attention so I wouldn't fall off the path again and get hurt (or worse, take a putrid canal swim). We kept a close eye on our partners to make sure they wouldn't fall off the path or in the water, either. Though, it was really hard to not think about my dream or what Riolu had to say; every time I tried to imagine something else, the thoughts would somehow come rushing back into my head. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

A couple hours later, we decided it would be a good idea to end our adventure for now, as we were all tired and it was getting close to dinnertime. Cian decided to walk home with Riolu and I, as my house was along the way to his. As soon as the condominium complex came into view, Cian tapped me on the shoulder and said,

"See you around, Luke! Let's try to do this another time soon."

"I agree, Cian. I need to pay you back for buying me lunch."

"No, you don't. It was my treat, no need to get all worked up."

"Heh, I guess I won't. See you at school tomorrow, Cian. That is, if we have it tomorrow." We both laughed. "Oh, and see you around too, Totodile," I added. Totodile, who was saying its goodbyes to Riolu, turned to me quickly, as if he hadn't expected me to say anything.

"Catch you later, Riolu! Next time we meet, Totodile and you will have a battle for sure!" Cian said with glee, heading off down the sidewalk.

"I'm looking forward to it! See you around!"

"Ri-o!" Riolu called out to Cian, seemingly just as excited for a battle with him as I was.

After a lazy night back home, I laid in bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. My box fan whirred in the background, cancelling out all other noises except for the faint sound of Riolu snoring. Unable to get comfortable, my mind wandered as I continued to think about the dream and what Riolu wanted to tell me. Anxiety kept me awake, as time rushed by; before I knew it, it was already 12:38 AM. I sighed, looking at the clock for the millionth time. Turning over again, I tried to clear my mind and finally get some sleep, but as soon as I closed my eyes, I felt an icy draft of wind run down my back. Shivering, I stood up to get an extra blanket and found I was no longer in my room.

I was in the middle of a dark, flat area, with snow up to my ankles. Snow was pouring down in buckets and I couldn't see a thing. The air was frigid, and the wind lashed at my body since I was just in my pajamas. Then, I leaned forward and caught myself, realizing I had control of myself in this place. I took a look around and began to slowly head forward, tramping through the deep snow.

"Hello?" I called out, my voice getting lost in the whipping wind. Suddenly, through the blizzard, I thought I could make out something. As I walked closer, a strange figure came into view. It was large and stood out against the snowy background, as it was a deep, almost shiny black. It had no recognizable shape, but its sharp, blunt structure made it very intimidating. Strangely, it almost looked like an oversized fire poker, with large, sharp claws.

As I got closer and closer, a strange feeling came over me. This feeling seemed to pulsate more and more the closer I got. It was something I could not describe, but it felt similar to grief and sadness. A picture of me as a kid shivering under the covers, scared of the dark, briefly flashed in my head.

I came to a stop a couple feet in front of the large figure. There was a period of taciturnity, as neither of us moved. During this time, the wind and snow didn't seem to faze me as much; I was much more focused on whatever was in front of me.

"H-hello…?" I called out again, this time directed to the dark figure. Again, the only response was the whispering wind in my ear. I began to backstep, getting ready to walk away and look for the reason I was in this snowy place. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

"Pathetic…" The voice sliced through the wind and echoed through the area. It was deep and somewhat electronic, and it definitely came from the dark figure just behind me. I stopped in my tracks, facing front again.

"Wh-what?" I replied hesitantly, not sure I'd heard correctly. The figure in front of me began to stir, and slowly stood up. It lifted off the ground and hovered in the air right in front of me. Although I could not see its eyes, I felt its gaze piercing through me. Suddenly, it began to float in my direction.

"You are the human the Pokémon have chosen to save the world? There is no way a puny, irrelevant water sack like you could save anything. You are far too weak and unskilled to even face me." I should've been more worried that the figure knew about my dream in the first place, but I was too frightened to care. I began to backpedal faster, trying to get away. But it just kept following after me.

"The Pokémon have chosen their candidate poorly, yet again. Soon, all the light in the Pokémon World and the human world will be mine for the taking– and no one can stop me!" The figure let out an electronic laugh that seemed to vibrate the space we were in. I tried to turn around and dash away, but I fell backwards onto the frosty snow blanket.

When I brushed the snow away from my eyes, the figure was just in front of me. Before I had a chance to react, it snatched me up with one of its large hands. As the creature brought me closer to its face, I could finally see its eyes. They were made of different geometrical shapes and colors; I gulped as they bored into my soul.

"Remember my name as you tremble in fear, human! I am the Prismatic King, Lord Necrozma!" The voice perforated through me, filling me with a nearly paralyzing fear. Then, the creature's hand clamped around me, beginning to cover my vision.

"No!" I cried, holding my hands up to stop the claws. It was no use, as the dark claws passed right by my hands. Just as my vision was obscured, I was left in complete darkness with another horrifying laugh.

"Gah!" I cried out, laying up in my bed. I was hyperventilating, and my heart was racing. My sheets were covered in a layer of cold sweat. I sighed, realizing that I was safe back in my room. I began to calm down, taking deep breaths. That… That had to be the 'Prismatic King' Uxie told me about, I thought, my mind still racing. And... I think I know what Riolu had to say...

"Rio…" A voice came from the side of my bed. At first, hearing Riolu's cry scared me, as I was still jumpy from the freak nightmare I just had.

"...Oh, Riolu… Why don't you come up here? I… I need to talk to you." I thought I saw Riolu nod in the darkness, as he hopped up onto my bed next to me. "Riolu…" I said quietly, my voice almost being lost in the sound of the fan. "I'm sorry that I didn't understand you yesterday. But, after what just happened, I think I know what you were trying to say to me."

"Ri... o?" I looked over to see Riolu's glowing red eyes staring at me. He looked confused, but relieved to hear what I was going to say. After a second of gazing, I asked,

"Did... Did you see the dream too? Did Uxie tell you that you were going to save the Pokémon World?"

"Rio!" It frantically shook its head yes, happy that I finally got the reason why it was down earlier.

"Wow… So, if you saw it too… Then maybe Uxie really needs my help." I looked into Riolu's eyes again. "Our help."

"Rrrrrrrio…" Riolu looked down, suddenly weighed down with a big task. I guess that he had his doubts too. I paused, thinking about what I needed to do. That confirmed my suspicion, and now completely set the burden down on my shoulders. Uxie's cry for help had to be legitimate; why would Riolu and I see the same dream unless she was trying to…

"Connect us... That's what Cian said!" Riolu looked at me, puzzled. "He said... If Uxie wanted the cry for help to be taken seriously, she would do something like send real life messengers... That must be the reason why you're here, Riolu!" Riolu looked up to me, finally realizing the truth. Uxie needed us, and here we were sitting here wasting our time. "Riolu… I think we need to… Need to..." I tried to muster enough courage to talk about saving the Pokémon World, but I winced and gulped in fear, thinking about the nightmare again and the task at hand. Riolu scooched over and laid against my side. I could tell he felt the same way I did about the whole situation: overburdened.

By now, the morning sun broke in through the curtains, lighting up the window side of the room with a warm, deep orange glow. I could now see Riolu clearly, who was staring off into the crevices of the room, his mind a race with questions. We stayed silent, letting our minds run wild. I sighed and decided to break the silence, hoping I was brave enough to continue speaking.

"Riolu… Pokémon suddenly appearing, these dreams we've both had, and the events that have happened over the past couple days... Prove to me that Uxie needs our help. I think… I think we need to go to Kinzua Valley. It may be really far away… But if the Pokémon World needs to be saved, we can't just not help." I was taken out of my conversation as I felt a tear drop on my arm. The last of my courage wore away as the tear seemed to boil my skin on contact. I wasn't ready to face my fate and just leave everything behind. In my eyes, I was just a normal high school student, but seemingly in the eyes of an entire world, I was a hero-to-be; and knowing that terrified me more than my nightmare.

Riolu then noticed the tear drop and placed his paw on the back of my palm.

"Riolu, I..." I hesitated to say, just happy he was trying to comfort me. More tears began to fall from my eyes. I couldn't stop, they just kept coming.

"Rio…" Riolu wrapped his paw in my hand.

"R-Riolu…" I mumbled, trying not to cry out loud. "T-thank you again for being my partner… I-I've got plenty of conflicting thoughts bouncing around in my head, and y-you're here comforting me. You're t-the best friend anyone could have," I blubbered. Riolu closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck.

I then let go of Riolu's paw to wipe my eyes and then clenched my fist. He'd pierced through my grief and it gave light to a mound of confidence. Pushing aside the thoughts of leaving home, I decided it was time to face my fate with some dignity.

"Riolu... Let's do it. It's up to us to save people and Pokémon alike from Necrozma! You hear that, Uxie? We're coming to the rescu–!" Just then, a loud knocking on the wall silenced me.

"Quiet, today's my day off!" my mom's muffled voice called from the other room. Embarrassed, I blushed and settled down.

"Rio!" Riolu said a lot more quietly, holding his paw over his chest. He obviously got my point and was as ready as I was. It filled me with joy knowing my partner was with me, and all my other feelings nearly faded away.

"Alright, but before we get too pumped, we need to set some ground rules," I started in a hushed voice. "We've got to keep this a secret, alright? I don't want anyone to know about our trip to Pennsylvania, especially not my parents. They'd freak out if they knew I was planning to run away from home. We've got to begin packing supplies and food in secret if we want to stay safe and healthy on our trip down there. I think my dad has some camping supplies we could use. Today's the switch day, so we can get ready after school and my mom can drive us over." Just then, the sound of a loud, generic ringtone came from the other side of the wall. After a short pause, I heard my mom let out a loud groan.

"No school again, Lukas… Guess I'm not getting any more sleep," she said loud enough for me to hear, the thud of her dropping her PokéNav on the floor reverberating through the thin walls.

"Well, I guess we can head over to my dad's house after breakfast then, huh?" We both chuckled and hopped out of the bed, ready to claim the day.