The first thing Glace noticed when she came to was that the sun wasn't beating down on her.

When she opened her eyes, there was no blinding light or black sky to greet her. Only a ceiling of dark stone stared right back at her. It reminded her too much of what sometimes greeted her during particular mornings whenever her clan was in the mountains.

For just a moment, Glace actually thought she was with them again. She thought that it was morning and that soon, she would be called off to go hunting. That, or she'd go train with the others who had potential to be effective hunters. Because even after you became a Weavile, you didn't stop training. You only learned more advanced techniques, like how to wear out large, dangerous prey by striking at its vulnerable spots with your claws. You'd strike once, then retreat, then strike again when you got a chance, and repeat until you could effectively kill your target. When the leaders felt you were ready, they'd let you go on the hunts that lasted for days and days at a time. If they really admired your prowess, they would let you lead the egg hunts of the Sneasel. Then, if you proved your worth with the Sneasel, you could be head of the Weavile hunts.

Her leaders said they did this because being in charge was completely different from being a follower. They had said they let you go on the hunts as a follower to help you understand how your comrades felt and what to anticipate in the Weavile hunts altogether. They then let you command the Sneasel as practice to see how you actually fared as a leader.

So when Glace sat up, she honestly expected to see other Weavile near the mouth of the cave. But she didn't see that. She only saw more cave wall surrounding her and piles of wet, pulpy plants scattered throughout the vicinity. As soon as she saw that, she finally remembered she was no longer a clan member. She hadn't been for years.

Glace didn't know why she had been so stupid to think she could have been back with her kind. Why had she ever thought that? What sort of idiot believed that the second they saw a cave ceiling?

The Weavile mulled in her self-deprecating thoughts for a second longer, and then looked down at her claws. She found that her fur was no longer dyed that unsettling blue color. She no longer felt that uncomfortable stretching sensation behind her ears as well. She checked over herself for a few moments longer, and then brought her gaze back to the cave room. She eyed the makeshift beds, including the large, purple shell at the far end of the chamber, but saw no one slumbering inside of them. She was completely alone in his strange cavern.

Jera abducted me. She took me with her into the ocean. But where did she take me?

Well it's a cave, obviously. I see some water trails all over the place, so I get the feeling that this is some underwater cave.

She did mention something about a cavern now that I think about it. That was the last thing she said before I passed out. She really did take me to it… along with that Wooper.

It was with this thought that Glace remember she hadn't been the only one Jera had abducted. The Octillery had been holding onto a child as well, someone she had ripped straight out of someone's home just minutes prior. The mere thought of that still left Glace with an awful, rotten feeling in her chest.

Well we don't know if she actually abducted that Wooper. I mean… maybe this is all a huge misunderstanding.

Those Quagsire were chasing us, along with all those other Pokémon. They said that Jera took someone before.

Well um… maybe there was a good reason? Maybe those Pokémon all abducted that Wooper and Jera was just taking her back?

You don't actually believe that, Sonata. I know you don't. You might act like a hatchling sometimes, but you're not stupid.

Well! Yore, what do you think of all of this? You haven't given your opinion on this whole thing.

I don't have an opinion on the matter. I'm having a difficult time understanding it still. Part of me believes that this didn't actually happen.

Oh, well that's no help at all. Augh, well I don't know. I just don't think any of our other selves are evil or are even capable of doing bad things like abducting hatchlings, okay? Because we've met our old self. Or seen it anyway. It seemed like a good Pokémon or whatever it was. It had to be if it was some sort of realm keeper. So if we're all it, then there's no reason to think that any of us would turn evil.

Glace wondered if Sonata had a point. A godly being such as their whole self had to have been a benevolent being. It couldn't have been anything else if it were the supposed guardian over all the universes. If Glace and her other selves all really were it, then all of them should have been good-hearted Pokémon that meant well to everyone. Hypothetically there should have been no evil within their old self's heart to spread to its fragmented selves.

"All those Sneasel could have died because of you, Glace. You let this happen because you didn't listen when Éclair told you he wasn't comfortable stealing eggs. You didn't listen when Verglas said his leg hurt. You didn't listen when Noir said she had never climbed a tree that high before. You didn't listen to any of them. There were countless others you refused to listen to on other hunts as well from what I've heard."

"I know I taught you to be empathetic with your comrades. I told you that you can't make decisions without considering them. I told you that you can't be selfish and that everything is your fault when you're the leader, no matter what happens."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you keep doing this. No one in this clan can. It's only a matter of time before you actually do kill someone."

Glace closed her eyes as the words echoed in her mind. None of the fragments could be evil. That's what Sonata said. They were all good Pokémon. They were all kind and virtuous Pokémon who could only want to help others.

They could never hurt anyone.

The Weavile smiled bitterly at that ludicrous thought. She almost wanted to laugh at it.

"Hey! The Weevil is awake! The Weevil is awake!"

Glace turned toward the source of the sound to find quite a surprise in store for her. There, standing at the entrance of a tunnel that led out of the chamber, were a small group of Pokémon. All of them were hatchlings from what Glace could tell, water-types especially.

And every single one of them was racing toward her as they laughed giddily.

She barely had time to get to her feet before the hatchlings swarmed her. They encircled her like a pack of Mightyena and closed tightly around her. They grew so near that Glace barely had any breathing room. She tried not to tense up or lash out as the hatchlings eyed her with wonderment and zeal.

"Hi there, Weevil!" a Totodile said. "You're a lot bigger than I thought you were going to be! You're almost as tall as Papa Ludo!"

"Weavile. I'm a Weavile," Glace corrected. "Who's Ludo?"

"Ludo helps take care of us," the Totodile answered. "Just like Mama Jera and Mama Serenity and Mama Serene and Mama Anemone and-"

"Mama Jera said that you're one of her kids all grown up!" a Squirtle then cut in. "She said that you got big and then you left. What's it like being big? Does it hurt?"

"Big as in evolving or as in becoming an adult?" Glace asked.

"Uhhhhh evolving! But growing up too!"

"It didn't hurt when I evolved. It felt-"

"Weevil, why did you leave Mama Jera? Why didn't you stay here?" an Eevee then asked.

"I didn't-"

"Weevil, why do you have feathers on your head? Can you fly like those Wingull?"

"No, I don't know why-"

"Weevil, your claws look really sharp! Are they sharp like Sharkedo teeth?"

"Weevil, what was Mama Jera like when you were here? Did she used to read you stories too before you went to sleep?"

"Weevil, how did you leave? You're not a water-type!"

"Weevil, I feel all cold! Are you doing that?"

"Weevil, why do you have that yellow thing on your forehead? Is it a rock?"

The hatchlings only continued to bombard Glace with question after question, never once allowing her even a fraction of a second to respond. Glace could feel each of their questions physically hurt her, as if each question was a nail slowly being driven into her body. She could sense the faintest hint of a migraine crawling over her mind with a pulsing sensation.

"Now children, don't bother our guest too much. I'm sure she's still tired from the trip."

All of the hatchlings halted their questions just before the migraine could seize Glace's mind. All of them turned away from her as they looked toward the chamber's exit with giddy giggles. Glace followed their gazes as her erratic thoughts settled.

There, crawling towards her and the hatchlings, was Jera. And much like the last time Glace saw her, the Octillery wasn't alone. A beaming Scraggy walked right alongside her as he held the end of one of her tentacles, humming a little tune to himself as he wagged his tail back and forth rhythmically. Trailing right behind her was the little Wooper that Glace had seen on the island. The Weavile couldn't help but notice that the Wooper would periodically peer over Jera's head with an uncomfortable frown before hastily ducking back behind the Octillery.

Glace tensed as the Octillery stopped a few feet before her. Though she tried to keep a stoic face, Glace couldn't stop herself from frowning grimly. She could still remember Jera taking that slumbering Wooper out of her home before dragging her to wherever they were now. The very thought of that made Glace's skin crawl. The fact that all of the hatchlings surrounding Glace now beamed at the Octillery didn't help matters.

"Apologies about the children," Jera told Glace. "They have a difficult time understanding how others feel. I hope they didn't bother you too much."

"No… they were fine," Glace said quietly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm fine."

"Good. I was hoping that the trip didn't drain too much out of you. Adults sometimes don't react too well to my soak ability."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"That's how Mama Jera gets everyone here to the cavern!" the Froakie chimed in before Jera could react. "She shoots you with this water out of her mouth, and then you turn into a water-type!"

Glace felt behind her ears with her claws with a grim frown. So that stretching pain had been gills forming. Jera had actually altered Glace's biology and given her gills for a temporary time. Glace didn't know how she wanted to respond to that sort of revelation. It almost seemed too bizarre to be real.

"Children, do you think that you can give our guest and I some time alone?" Jera then asked as she looked down at the little ones.

"Awwwwww! But I wanna ask the Weevil more!" the Eevee whined.

"I wanna see her more too!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Now now, you can speak to her again soon, I promise," Jera said softly. "I only want to talk to her alone for a few minutes. After that, you can see her again. So run along now. Go see Anemone and Serenity and all of your other caretakers."

"Okay, Mama Jera!"

And with that, all of the hatchlings left Glace behind as they hurried out of the cavern. Even the little Scraggy standing so close to Jera's side ran away with the others without a second's delay. The only one who didn't leave was the little Wooper, who still continued to shirk behind the Octillery's tentacles. Jera turned her head toward the little one and gently brushed an arm over her head.

"Now now dear, run along with your brothers and sisters," Jera told her. "I promise I'll be right back."

"I wanna stay here with you," the Wooper said in a meek voice. "I don't wanna be with my brothers and sisters."

"Now Aqua…"

"It's fine," Glace cut in, causing Jera to bring her gaze back to the Weavile. "She can stay here. I don't mind her being here."

"Are you sure?" Jera asked. "It would be no issue. Aqua is only being this way because she's a bit shy around her brothers and sisters. She's only been here for not even a day."

"I'm sure."

Glace eyed the Wooper. She did seem quite timid with how she couldn't even hold a gaze with Glace and could only glance at the ground. Glace even thought she saw her body trembling a tiny bit. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl.

And yet, Glace wondered why this Wooper seemed so attached to Jera when she had been abducted by the Octillery. She knew that she had been stolen, didn't she? She had parents; Glace had seen them chasing after Jera. This Wooper seemed old enough to comprehend who her parents were and that those other Pokémon were not her siblings. Had Jera told Aqua something or maybe done something to her that could be making her act this way?

"I'm glad that I'm able to see you again, my child," Jera then said. "And I really do want to thank you for helping me rescuing Aqua. I hadn't anticipated that the entire neighborhood would react that way. I had thought they had forgotten about my last visit there. If not for you, I'm sure I would have died."

The Octillery twisted some of her tentacles along the ground in an awkward manner.

"My sincerest apologies, but for the life of me I can't recall who you are," she then said. "Do you think you could tell me? I really am sorry that I have to ask. I never forget any of my children's names or their circumstances but yours… ah, I cannot remember."

Oh wow, she wasn't pretending at all. She actually does think that we're one of her "children"… whatever that means.

I might as well use this to my advantage. I'm not going to make the same mistake I made last time. I need Jera to trust me before I tell her everything.

Do you even know what it means to be one of her children though, Glace? You can't pretend to be one of them if you don't understand the situation.

I have a good idea of what it means. If not, I'm sure I can word my responses in a way that will give me more information about everything.

"My name is Glace," the Weavile said. "You found me twenty years ago on Palm Island. You used to tell me that you found me very strange because you thought my kind were extinct. You didn't even know what I was until I told you."

"Right, that does sound familiar," Jera said with a slow nod. "And I believe that your parents weren't of your species?"

"Yeah. They were both Floatzel. They claimed to have found my egg while they were out in some jungle on some other island."

"I see. However… I don't think what you're saying is true."

Glace resisted grimacing.

"It's not?" Glace asked, feigning ignorance.

"No," Jera said softly with a shake of her head. "Because you see Glace, two Floatzel could have never just found a Sneasel egg in the middle of a jungle. How would they come across your egg if your species is so rare in the first place?"

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"Exactly. How could that happen? What you says doesn't have any semblance of sense."

All of the puzzlement in Jera's eyes vanished as something else then glimmered in its place.

"Ahh. That's right, I remember now," Jera then said in a pleased tone. "I spied on those Floatzel and discovered that they stole you from a remote island where others of your kind lived in secrecy. And I took you away from them because they'd lock you in a bedroom all day long. They were planning on selling you away due to your rarity…"

Glace gazed more deeply at Jera. She recognized that glimmer in the Octillery's eyes now; that was the look someone got when they recalled memories they had long forgotten or reached an epiphany of sorts. It didn't take Glace long to understand what was happening right before her.

Jera actually believed that Glace was part of a smuggling scheme. She had just created an entire fabricated history of Glace using the Weavile's vague information and believed every word of it.

The very realization of that nearly broke Glace's façade, but she knew she couldn't shatter the illusion. She had to keep this lie up. She had to gain Jera's trust.

"Looks like you remember me after all," Glace forced herself to say with a smile as she buried the perplexed thoughts away. "I'm glad."

"I'm sorry; it's absolutely mortifying to think that I had almost forgotten about one of my children," Jera admittedly. "Ah, I still have a difficult time believing I completely forgot all about you. I should have remembered you of all Pokémon with your species being supposedly extinct."

"Don't worry about it. You have many hatchlings, so it can be easy to forget about some of them. Especially when one of them leaves for so long."

"Yes, you've been gone for what seems to be a lifetime now. How long has it been since I cared for you?"

"I think it's been about ten years. I've been well though, in case you were wondering. I'm the huntress for the butcher on Palm Island and it's been providing me well. No one seems to mind that I'm a Weavile. No one's certainly like my parents."

"Ah good, good. I had hoped that you had adapted well to island life after growing up here. I really did worry that the islanders would ostracize you or something far worse because of your species. I'm very happy that didn't happen. Of course, you're always welcome back here if you ever need to, Glace. That's what Serenity did; she couldn't handle island life, so she stayed here and helps the rest of us caretakers with the children."

"Serenity?"

"Ah right. Of course, she came to live here after you left. Here, let me introduce you to her. Maybe you can say hello to the others as well if they're not terribly busy. So come along, follow me."

The Octillery then crawled toward the exit of the cavern with the little Wooper trailing not far behind her. Glace wasted no time in following after the two. As they made their way out of the spacious room, Glace reflected in the uncanny conversation. She still couldn't quite get over what had just happened. The Octillery had created so many false memories so easily, all quite vivid from how the Weavile saw it. Glace never would have thought she could actually alter someone's entire perception of another creature with so little information. She only had to give a few details, and then Jera filled in the rest. Glace had thought doing this would do nothing more than keep Jera's focus away from how they actually knew each other. She didn't think it would actually create false memories.

She wondered if that technique could work on the other fragments. It was wrong, the thought made Glace's skin crawl, but it seemed effective with getting the fragments to trust her. Maybe if she could alter their memories so that they thought they had a past together, the assimilation process could go much more smoothly than it did with Yore. At least, she hoped it would.

Sometime later, the three found themselves standing before a body of water. It was completely surrounded by cave walls, making it resemble a shallow pool of sorts. Resting at the sandy bottom were many colorful, vibrant objects that Glace couldn't quite recognize. She couldn't distinguish their shape much, though she imagined they were rocks with how they refused to move in the current.

But what held Glace's attention the most was that all of the children she had seen earlier were in this little pool. The water-types all lingered far below the surface, swimming around and chasing one another around the strange rocks. All of the other Pokémon either paddled along the surface or sat near the water's edge. They all smiled and laughed as they all played together without a care in the world.

With all of these hatchlings there was only one adult. It was slender, elegant Pokémon with pearls holding together her flowing hair. She drifted around the pool with the grace of a true marine Pokémon, as though she were one with the water. She would keep a close eye on each and every one of the hatchlings as she swam in endless circles in the water. And yet, she didn't seem the least bit stressed at having to watch so many hatchlings at once. She always wore a beaming, content smile as all of the little ones played around her.

That must be Serenity. I can see why she didn't feel she could live on land now.

It's manageable for Primarina. I believe I saw one enter Lilac City. I believe he said something about wanting to make a living as an entertainer of sorts using his voice and water balloons.

I still don't think I would live on land if I grew up without legs. I can't imagine a life where you can't run.

"Ah Serenity, I was hoping that I would find you here," Jera the said.

Glace brought her focus back to the Primarina to see that she had stopped swimming about. As soon as she saw Jera, her gaze seemed to brighten as she hurried over to the Octillery. The hatchlings, for once, didn't seem to pay Jera any mind and continued their games or lounging by the water.

"Hello Jera," Serenity said with a smile as she stopped at the pool's edge. "Sorry that I'm a little occupied at the moment. All of the children wanted to go swimming and the others were too busy to supervise them."

"It's quite alright, the children never bother me."

"They never have."

Serenity then glanced over at Glace. Her cheery expression faded a small amount as she stared at the Weavile. Glace couldn't help but think that she saw a dark glint in the Primarina's eyes.

"Oh, you have new company with you today," she stated. "I'm surprised; you never bring anyone down here that isn't a child."

"In a way, that's still true. Glace here is one of my grown children," Jera said. "She left the cavern before I ever brought you here. She's only here after an incident the two of us had at Palm Island. She's the very reason I'm alive today and was able to rescue poor Aqua right here from her tyrannical family."

"Oh dear."

Any traces of that dark emotion Glace saw earlier vanished as Serenity pressed both of her flippers together.

"Well Glace. I must say that I'm very happy that you saved Jera," she said in an honest tone. "I can't express my gratitude enough. She means everything to me and all of these little ones. We owe all our happiness to her, as I'm sure you know yourself. I don't know what we'd do without her."

Jera laughed bashfully as she shifted her tentacles along the ground. Glace had to resist shooting the Primarina a puzzled glare as her sincere appreciations muddled her thoughts. What exactly did she mean that they all owed Jera their happiness?

"You're welcome," Glace decided to say. "When I saw her being chased by all of those Pokémon, I knew I had to do something. I couldn't let them kill her."

"You have the entire cavern's thanks," Serenity said warmly. "Feel free to stay here as long as you wish. Don't be afraid to ask for anything; this is your home, no matter how old you are."

"I will," Glace said with a nod.

"Now then, Jera," Serenity then said as she brought her gaze back to the Octillery. "What happened to you with Aqua? Are you feeling alright?"

"Remember the incident I told you about with Lapis? Aqua was from Lapis's very same island. Apparently none of the adults have forgotten about what happened. So the moment I went inside the hut to save Aqua-"

Glace glanced over at the little Wooper behind Jera. She hid herself in the Octillery's tentacles quite well, making it almost impossible for the Weavile to spot her. But though she hid well, Glace could see the expression on her face clear enough. She seemed to smiling, as if content to remain wrapped up in Jera's company. Even though she could clearly hear Jera talking about how she had abducted her from her home, she didn't seem the least concerned.

The sight didn't baffle Glace now as she passively listened to the conversation happening before her. Everything was slowly starting to come together. Glace was beginning to understand just who Jera really was and why she had abducted that Wooper. But to know for certain, Glace needed more information. She couldn't make judgements just yet.

Glace watched Jera and Serenity talk for a moment longer and then made her way toward the nearest hatchling in the vicinity. That hatchling happened to be the little Eevee she had seen earlier, who sat all alone by the pool. She was gazing down at its glistening surface, all the while keeping one of her paws submerged in the watery depths. She stared at it so intensely that Glace was sure she was trying to make her reflection catch fire. She didn't even seem to notice Glace as she took a seat right beside the Eevee.

"What are you doing there?" Glace asked.

"I'm trying to become the water," the Eevee responded, refusing to take her eyes off the pool. "I heard that Vaporeon can become water. They touch the water and then poof! They're water."

"But you're not a Vaporeon," Glace stated blandly. "You're still an Eevee. You can't actually do any of that until you become a Vaporeon."

"But I'm already a Vaporeon! On the inside! I just need a rock and then I'll be one on the outside too!"

"Doesn't work that way. You have to be a Vaporeon on the outside to become water. You're just going to have to find yourself that rock you're talking about."

"Awww!"

The Eevee withdrew her paw from the water. Then, with a loud snort, she shot the water a hard frown and sunk her head low to the rocky ground. Glace imagined she was trying to appear intimidating, but to her, she only looked about as threatening as a Furret.

"Why do you want to be a Vaporeon anyway?" Glace asked. "I understand that there's so much ocean, but that doesn't mean you can't be an Umbreon or something like that. I heard Eevee who turn into Umbreon say it makes them feel invincible."

"Nuh-uh, that's a lie," the Eevee said with a shake of her head. "Vaporeon are the best. They can go wherever they want. They don't need Mama Jera or Mama Anemone to take them anywhere. They can go anywhere all by themselves. I want to be a Vaporeon and nothing else! Mama Jera told me if anyone tries to make me change my mind, I should get away from them."

"I'm not trying to change your mind, don't worry. If you want to be a Vaporeon, that's fine by me. You're in charge of your own decisions."

"Good! Because I like you. I don't want to leave you like mommy and daddy."

There it was. That was what Glace had been looking for. She had anticipated it would take longer to reach this point, but she had a way into this Eevee's past now. That was all that mattered.

"What do you mean you had to leave… mommy and daddy?" Glace asked, the childish words stalling her voice.

"Mommy and daddy always told me what to do and what to be. Made me eat food I hated and what I was going to do every day. And they got mad if I didn't listen," the Eevee answered, her cheerful tone not broken by the solemnness of the subject. "Like one time mommy found out I ate like two slices of this greenberry and coconut pie. She said it was bad for me. So she made me throw it all up.

"And then another time daddy found out I was going swimming in the ocean when he told me to stay away. So he locked me inside my room for like two days! I don't think I ate during that time. I don't really remember anymore. But what mommy and daddy really didn't like was me wanting to be a Vaporeon. They wanted me to be an Espeon. They said I was going to be a psychic and be beautiful and get them rich. They said everybody's a fish, so I shouldn't try to be one of them. I should try to be better than everyone else. Fish like psychics and pay money to know their futures. Or something."

"But you're here now. You're not with them anymore."

"Nope! Mama Jera found me one night when mommy and daddy weren't home. She brought me here and then said now that I was here, I could be a Vaporeon. She said that I didn't have to listen to what anyone told me anymore. I jumped when she told me that! And now I've been here for uhhhhhhhhhhhhh two years I think! And nobody can make an Espeon! I can be a Vaporeon as soon as I find my rock!"

The little Eevee finished talking, that innocent smile still present on her face. She didn't seem to realize the horrifying implications of everything she had just said. Glace couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief. She hadn't anticipated the Eevee to have such a disturbing childhood, yet seem completely unaffected by all that had happened.

"Well, I'm glad that Jera found you," Glace managed to say after a while. "I hope that you find that rock you want. I'm sure you'd make a wonderful Vaporeon."

"Thanks!"

"I'm going to get going now. I wanted to go talk to your other brothers and sisters."

"Awww, but I wanna talk to you more!"

"I know you do, but I need to go. Why don't you try turning into water again? Maybe you can actually do it without being a Vaporeon."

"Okay!"

And then just like that, the Eevee stuck her paw back into the pool and gave it a determined glare. Glace got back to her feet, and then after dusting herself off, headed for the next hatchling she could spot. It turned out to be a star-shaped Pokémon, who surprisingly didn't seem interested in swimming. He only rested against a rock near the wall, completely motionless. Glace couldn't tell if he was sleeping or simply daydreaming, given his lack of a face.

Another Pokémon I don't recognize. Sea Pokémon are very strange when it comes to their appearance. This dimension might as well be an alien planet.

Oh! I know this one! That's a Staryu. I've seen a couple of them before. Some people at my guild liked to eat them. I never got why since they never look all that tasty, but you know, some people…

Staryu. What a brilliant name. I want to know who came up with that species name.

Well it's better than Luvdisc.

That's an actual species name?

Yeah…

I can attest to this as well. I've seen them on menus at some restaurants in my hometown. They're silly little Pokémon too. They look like hearts and I heard that they're extremely affectionate with one another. From the descriptions I hear, watching them interact with each other can be… revolting.

Hah. What a stupid Pokémon.

When Glace was only a few steps away from the Staryu, the red jewel in the center of his body flickered. Glace didn't know what that meant, but she didn't let it intimidate her as she stopped before the Staryu. She didn't bother sitting down this time. He seemed to be a much older Pokémon, possibly even an adolescent. There was no reason to treat him like a hatchling if that was true. She knew how much she hated being treated as a hatchling in her own adolescence.

"So, you're the oldest one of Jera's hatchlings, are you?" Glace asked nonchalantly.

The Staryu didn't say anything in return, instead flickering his gem with that red light a few times. Glace frowned a little.

"No, that's not right; I'm the oldest hatchling here," Glace corrected. "I'm twenty-three. I imagine that you're nine? Or maybe thirteen? I have a hard time telling with those that aren't Sneasel or Weavile."

The Staryu silently flashed his jewel light again. Glace frowned harder at him. It seemed he really was an adolescent after all; only someone his age could possibly be giving her this sort of attitude.

"I'm trying to talk to you," Glace said in an icy tone. "I'd appreciate it if you'd say something."

The Staryu wriggled all of his appendages aggressively before standing up on two of them. He awkwardly waddled away from Glace and headed for the pool. Glace growled under her breath as she went after him. It didn't take her very long to catch up with him, given she was actually meant to walk on land.

"Hey!" she cried.

The Staryu swiveled part of his body around at the Weavile. His core glimmered once again, though now with a darker shade of red that resembled blood. Seconds later, a Marill scurried out of the pool and scampered toward the Staryu.

"Awww Topaz, you ruined my race with Marsh!" the Marill whined as he stopped by the Staryu's side. "I was like one second away from winning! Why did you have to call me up here?"

The Staryu's core flickered with light once again, now back to its softer shade. Each time the Staryu's light glinted, the scowl on the Marill's face slowly faded away until only solemnness remained.

"Oh, I get it. I'm sorry that I yelled at you," the Marill said as he fiddled with his paws. "I didn't realize what was going on. I'll help you out. You don't have to worry about anything anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Glace cut in, still fuming. "What's going on?"

"Topaz here is a little different from the rest of us," the Marill said as he set a paw on one of the Staryu's appendages. "He doesn't actually talk using a mouth; he uses his mind to talk. He sends his thoughts to everyone's brains. That's usually not a problem for anyone. But he says that he can't get into your mind. He says that there's some weird barrier around your brain that keeps rejecting his thoughts. So… he can't really talk to you. At all. So he wants me to be his messenger."

All of the heat rising in Glace's cheeks vanished as soon as she heard that. She stopped scowling as she brought her gaze back to Topaz to find him staring at her. Though he had no eyes or mouth to convey his emotions, something in his slouched posture resembled deep sulking.

"So that's why you didn't talk to me. I didn't realize," Glace admittedly cautiously. "I didn't know that Staryu can't actually talk. I've never met one, so I wouldn't know."

Topaz's core glowed softly.

"He says it's alright," the Marill said to Glace. "So let's see… Topaz says that before you were asking if he was the oldest hatchling here... you mean oldest child, right? He doesn't know what a hatchling is."

"Yeah. Child," Glace answered. "I used the wrong word."

More flickers of light emitted from Topaz's core.

"He says he is. And he wants to know why you're asking that."

"He seemed older than the others and I wanted to know if it was true," Glace answered plainly. "I thought he would have left by now. He looks old enough to take care of himself."

"He says he doesn't want to leave. He likes it here. He thinks he might stay here forever."

"Really? He doesn't want to be with other Pokémon his age? I figure all these hatch… children have to grate on your sanity sometimes."

"He says he likes being around everyone. He says they can be annoying, but so can everyone really. He says he wants to pay Mama Jera back anyway for finding him. He thinks helping her out here will be the best way he can tell her thanks for helping him."

"How did Jera help you?"

The Staryu's core remained dull. He turned away from the Weavile and seemed to gaze over at Jera in the distance, who was now including Aqua in her conversation with Serenity. Aqua kept her gaze fixed to the ground and shifted her tail along the ground, but she wasn't shirking behind Jera. She was able to stand before Serenity with some strength in her stature.

"Topaz says he was a mistake."

Glace looked back over to Topaz to see that he was still watching Jera, but still shining his core. The Marill wore a sad smile as he presumably listened to the Staryu's tale.

"He says that he was an accident. Before he hatched, his parents were happy with each other. They loved each other. But then one day they had him by accident. His parents didn't plan on having him, but he still showed up. And then a few days after he hatched, his dad ran away. His mom didn't know how to take care of him and would blame all her problems on him. She would sometimes think of getting rid of him. That's what he'd hear when she thought he was asleep.

"But then Mama Jera showed up one day and brought him here! She said she had taken him away from all that! And now nobody thinks about getting rid of him. Everyone here likes Topaz! Except Henry. Henry doesn't like him."

The Staryu's core glimmered with a dark, but strangely jovial sort of light.

"Yeah, you got a point. Maybe Henry doesn't actually like anyone," the Marill said with a little laugh.

"That's a sad story to hear, Topaz," Glace then said, causing the Staryu to turn back to her. "Your parents sound like real pieces of work."

"Topaz doesn't know what that means."

"It means that your parents sound unpleasant."

"Ohhhh, okay. Well, Topaz doesn't mind. He's away from them now and he's happy here. They're all in the past now. Mama Jera says that when you come here, you don't ever have to worry about the past ever again. The past stays in the past and stays here."

"So I see."

"Why were you brought here, Weevil? Mama Jera says we shouldn't ask anyone why they come here because it hurts, but you asked Topaz about why he's here and he doesn't hurt that much."

"My parents wanted to sell me to some other Pokémon because I'm a rare kind of Pokémon. They'd keep me in my bedroom while they looked for a client. Jera found me before they could find a buyer."

"Oh wow. Marsh's parents were kinda like that. But they kept him locked inside their house because they didn't want him to get hurt."

"It doesn't bother me either way. What's in the past is in the past, like you said. No reason to let it drag me down."

Glace knew it wasn't true. She didn't even know why she was lying to herself. She knew could never lie to herself about that. Why had she ever thought she could? She could never do it for years, what made now any different?

The Weavile pushed away the self-deprecating thoughts as she glanced over at the exit of the chamber.

"Marill, do you think you could show me where I can get something to eat?" Glace asked. "I haven't eaten in a while."

"Sure! I can do that," the Marill said. "And my name's Lapis by the way. You don't need to call me Marill."

"Alright. And just so that you know, you don't have to call me Weevil anymore. My name is Glace."

"Glace. That's a weird name, but it sounds pretty too."

Topaz's core flickered for a moment. Based on the chuckling Lapis could barely hold back, Glace imagined it was a flippant remark about her name. However, she didn't say anything and watched as the Staryu then waddled toward the pool.

"Alright, see you later!" Lapis called out. "Don't get stuck in the coral!"

The two watched the Staryu reach the edge of the water before leaping right in with a splash. When the spray of water settled and the Staryu was nowhere to be seen, the Marill grabbed Glace's hand and headed for the chamber exit. Glace nearly tripped over herself from the sudden pull, but caught her footing and walked with him.

"Papa Ludo and Mama Anemone make the best greenberry fruit salads. You feel like your mouth is going to explode with joy every time you take a bite," Lapis said with an eager grin.

"They're the cooks of this place?" Glace asked.

"Yeah! Sometimes they help out Mama Jera when she's gone and when Mama Serenity can't help, but most of the time they make food for everyone."

"I see. Who are all of the adults anyway? And what do they all do? It seems a lot has changed since I was last here. All of the children that grew up with me left and I never really spoke to the adults. Jera's just about the only one I still remember."

"Well of course you can't forget Mama Jera; she saved you! But let's see. You met Mama Serenity already. She helps take care of us like Mama Jera and when she's not doing that she goes get food for everyone. Papa Ludo makes our food and he keeps the whole place clean. Mama Serene also makes our food, but she also finds us food like Mama Serenity. And then Papa Anemone keeps the whole place safe. He patrols the whole cave to make sure that nobody gets sucked out into the ocean and that nobody goes into the cave that isn't supposed to be there."

"Ah. And Mama Jera's jobs are to take care of us and to go out and rescue other children?"

"Yeah! She goes out every couple of weeks or something. And she'll go all over the world to find children like us, so sometimes she'll be gone for a really long time. I think she was even gone for two months once."

"I see. And the other adults are okay with Jera taking us away from our old families?"

"No, they don't know," Lapis then said, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "Mama Jera says not tell them. She says that they wouldn't understand that she saved all of us; they'd just think that she took all of us away from our homes. Mama Serenity knows because she grew up here, but not the other adults. So Mama Jera says that we can tell them about our old lives, just not that she took us away. We just say that our parents abandoned us or that they died."

The Marill then turned to look at Glace with an odd, puzzled stare.

"Didn't Mama Jera tell you the same thing when you were here?" he asked her.

Glace had to resist cursing. She had finally asked too much. She hadn't been careful. Now Lapis would begin to suspect her if she didn't think of an explanation fast. Once that ball started rolling, who knew what would happen next.

Well I got a suggestion for you.

I'll take your suggestion.

Tell Lapis…

"…When I was still here, the other adults knew," Glace said, reciting Sonata's words the second she heard them. "They were okay with it. But maybe things changed after I left. Maybe Jera figured that these new adults weren't going to be okay with everything like the adults I was with. That's my explanation anyway."

"Oh. Okay," Lapis said simply. "That's too bad. I really don't like keeping secrets. Makes me feel all icky inside."

Glace nodded, but said nothing more. She only exhaled a quiet sigh as she continued walking with the Marill.

Thanks, Sonata.

No problem! Things like this used to happen all the time on my job. So I learned the art of making things up real fast.

I'm glad. I get the feeling that we're going to need that skill of yours quite a bit while we're looking for our other selves…

"Mama Jera, don't leave me!"

Tears formed in Aqua's eyes before they rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the floor. Jera could only stand there as the little Wooper buried herself in Jera's front tentacles. The sight made Jera want to wrap her arms around the crying Wooper and comfort her, but she knew she couldn't. She knew it was time to put some distance between her and the little child.

"Aqua, you can't stay with me forever," Jera said tenderly. "You have to stay here with your brothers and sisters, and Serenity too. She'll take good care of you."

"But I wanna be with you! I don't wanna be with anyone else!" Aqua cried. "Why can't I stay with you?"

"Because I need to go outside of the cavern by myself for a little while. I need a little alone time. But I promise, I'll be back soon. And when I come back, you can stay with me again. I'll even let you sleep in my bed again. So stay here with your siblings, okay?"

"Okay Mama Jera…"

The Wooper sniffled as she separated herself from Jera. Aqua cast the Octillery a longing stare as her tears slowly dried, but made no effort to fling herself back at Jera. She only watched Jera for a moment longer, as if waiting for Jera to say something. Jera gave the little one a beaming stare when she saw that. It wasn't the exact reaction Jera wanted, but it was a start. Eventually Aqua wouldn't suffer from such pitiful separation anxiety. Eventually she'd bond with her other siblings and not rely only on Jera's company.

"I'll see you soon, Aqua," Jera said.

Then, Jera crawled into the pool where all the children played. She didn't look back as slipped into the water and dived further into its depths. Though several of the children swam right past her, none of them halted her or tried to speak with her. They only kept swimming by, laughing and playing amongst themselves. It seemed they knew that Jera wasn't there for them.

The Octillery left behind the little ones as she slinked into a rocky corridor near the bottom of the pool and followed it to the outside world. After several minutes, she found herself out of the great cavern she called home and peering out into the vast ocean. She quickly surfaced before crawling onto a nearby rock just big enough to hold her. Other rocks stood near her, but they too remained unoccupied. She didn't even see any Wingull circling high above her, waiting to dive down and catch a good meal. She truly was alone, just as she wanted. All that kept her company was the rolling waves against her resting place, but she didn't mind it. The loud crash of water and the cool mist against her face soothed her.

Jera let her tentacles fall limp as she sank low to the rock. Oh, what an eventful past few days. She hadn't expected the entire neighborhood on Palm Island to remember her. She hadn't been there in years. She had been sure that they had forgotten all about her and Lapis. But it seemed they hadn't. Even though it had been years since she brought Lapis to the cavern, all of those Pokémon still remembered her. They still listened for her every night, anticipating her return. Deep down, Jera knew that she would be caught if she dared go back.

But she went anyway. She knew more children like Lapis and Aqua lived on Palm Island. She couldn't avoid the island until she withered away; she had to save all those children. She had to save them from their damaging lives and give them the chance to become the flourishing, healthy adults their parents would never let them become. No one else was going to save those children; no one else cared enough. Or they deemed it unethical, saying it was wrong to take away children from their families no matter the reason. It was always one of those two reasons.

In the end, it would only be Jera that would save those children. Her and any of her children that wanted to assist her would rescue all of those suffering.

It was with this thought that Jera then thought of Glace. She had forgotten all about the Weavile for so long, yet she had saved Jera during that utter disaster of a rescue. Jera still found herself at a loss at the very thought of that. No matter how much she thought about it or how much time she spent around the Weavile, the fact that she had forgotten all about Glace baffled her. How could she forget one of her children, especially one a species so rare as Glace's?

Could she have forgotten other children of hers? Were there other children she had saved and could no longer remember? If she could forget Glace of all Pokémon, then surely she could forget someone else. She could have countless other adult children in the world, all of them remembering her with fond memories with her being unable to do the same. The very thought of that made Jera's hearts sink deep inside her.

Was this is a sign that her age was finally catching up to her? Was this a sign that her mind was slowly withering away? In just a few more years, would her mind become so useless that she would no longer be able to remember the names of the children currently living with her? Would she no longer be able to save all those children all throughout the world, silently crying out for her?

A ghastly groaning sound broke across the ocean, snapping Jera out of her dreary thoughts. She thought it sounded like a creature, perhaps a monstrous beast from the darkest depths of the ocean, but she still found herself alone amongst the waves. Whatever the wretched noise was, it only continued as she lay there on her rock, completely petrified as her hearts beat quicker and quicker with each second.

All of the waves before Jera suddenly stilled as the unsettling sound dulled into a chilling echo. It wasn't long before absolute silence fell over the entire ocean. Jera cautiously touched the motionless water with the tip of one of her arms. Her arm dipped into the ocean without resistance, but no ripple formed on the water's surface. Jera swiftly withdrew her arm and felt a chill go over each of her arms. She couldn't see how this could be possible. Nothing she knew of could completely stop the ocean's currents on such a wide scale, not to mention prevent ripples. It almost seemed as though the entire ocean water had become frozen in time.

It was then that Jera saw a reflection of something in the water. Something as vibrant as the coral reef. The Octillery wasted no time in looking up at the sky.

There, tearing through the blue yonder, lay a great hole overflowing with swirling colors. She could see streaks of white zipping out of the great rip like lightning before disappearing into the far distance. They never once made noise as they reached their destination, no matter how long Jera waited with her tentacles curled tensely into her body.

Jera could only keep her eyes fixed to the ominous rift in the air, finding herself too frightened and perplexed to move. Was that rift making the water still? Exactly what was the rift and what did it mean?

That rift is the reason you are here.

Jera jolted. She swiveled her head around, searching for the source of the voice, but saw no one. She curled her tentacles around the rock beneath her as she looked back at the rift. It still hovered high above her, glaring down at her world with its eldritch indifference.

That rift is why that Weavile is here.

An onslaught of images suddenly swarmed into Jera's mind. A migraine shot through her head as each of the images flashed before her, forcing her to view every single one of them in rapid succession. She fell into the ocean as all of the information overwhelmed her, but she didn't even feel herself plummet into the water. She could only take in each and every thought as they bombarded her mind.

You were never a Remoraid.

Jera saw herself swimming through the ocean as a little Remoraid, young and in a great school of about fifty Remoraid. She imagined was no older than one year. She had no parents and she had nowhere to call home, but she didn't feel lonely with these Remoraid. They had happily integrated her into their group when they found her drifting about hopelessly. She enjoyed her time with them. They were all family.

You were never an Octillery.

Jera now saw herself in her current body, though much younger than she was now. She had evolved only a short time ago and left behind the Remoraid group, just as per custom with those that evolved. However, she didn't mind. She always knew she would leave one day, especially with that entire new world above the water. How could she not want to see it one day, especially when she could become a Pokémon that actually could gracefully crawl along the sand instead of flounder helplessly like so many other water Pokémon?

She had just found a nice cavern where the Pokémon there took care of any orphans they could find. She said she wanted to help them. She said she could help rescue any orphans she could find. She said it was a deep longing in her heart to save all those that she could. She wanted to be just like those kind Remoraid that had kept her safe and sound for so many years. She wanted to save those who couldn't save themselves.

Your name is not Jera.

Jera saw herself taking her first child from Seashell Island. He was a little Oshawott she had found in a little bed of kelp by the sea. His parents had been nowhere to be seen. She took him in her tentacles and prepared to hurry back to the cavern. But just before she could go, she saw a little Squirtle on the beach near her, crying alone. She went up to him and asked why he was crying. He told her his parents hadn't come home in days and that he missed them. He said that they did this all the time, but it never made anything easier. She remembered how the thought of that hurt all three of her hearts.

She realized in that moment that not only orphans needed saving. Children with parents who brought harm to the little ones needed saving as well.

She didn't hesitate to take that Squirtle with her back to the cavern along with the Oshawott.

The same can be said about the Weavile you think you saved long ago.

Jera saw herself holding a little Sneasel in her arms. She shivered and kept asking Jera if the cavern would really be a better place for her. Jera told her she would be loved dearly there, more than her supposed parents ever could.

She saw herself raising that little Sneasel, watching her laugh and frolic through the rocky chambers and slurping up Clamperl insides with her endearing smile. She saw the little Sneasel swimming in the pool with all of the other children, watching how quickly she learned to maneuver through the water with the swiftness and grace of a Milotic.

What a happy little child Glace had been. Jera couldn't believe she had forgotten so many touching memories of such a sweet girl.

How could she have forgotten?

You never knew her. She was never a part of this dimension.

All of Jera's happy memories of the happy Sneasel shattered apart as something else took over. Now she saw that same Sneasel softly trekking through a land covered with something white and soft. She didn't wear that innocent smile Jera had seen in her memories; she wore the focused glare of a fierce hunter on the prowl. Her feet didn't even make a sound as she traversed through the vast field of white.

She knows what she is.

The Sneasel snapped her head to the side, and then pounced. She jammed her claws down into the white as she landed. A shrill cry pierced through the air before a deafening silence fell over the land. The Sneasel ripped her claws from out of the ground to reveal a dead Dedenne in her grasp. Its blood trickled down her pearly claws and splattered onto the white ground, dying it the vibrant color of fresh death.

She knows what you are and she knows neither of you belong here.

And with that, the voice let Jera be, thrusting her out of the surreal memory world and back into the lulling sea.