Glace inhaled sharply as her eyes snapped open.
Fuzzy pink and green colors flooded into her vision. Glace blinked once, and the colors morphed into blades of grass and flowers with welcoming petals that seemed to want to embrace her.
Flowers and grass. No, that wasn't right. There weren't any of those things in that Sableye's dimension. Nothing beautiful existed in that twisted, monstrous realm.
The ground wasn't right either. It didn't seem to wriggle under her fur. It now only seemed cool and comforting, if a bit ticklish around her stomach. Glace carefully rolled herself onto her back with a groan. No pain washed over her as a familiar blue sky filled her vision. There was only the sensation of air filling her lungs and the slight relief of it all escaping out of her nose.
Glace watched a pair of Pidove fly through the air so high above. She could see them flapping their lithe little wings as they pierced the sky. Except, they couldn't actually pierce the sky, could they? The sky was limitless, endless. At least, it was to mortals like them. Glace knew there was a limit to that sky, a place where it stopped being a sky and it became the black nothingness that was outer space.
It's amusing how you wonder about the sky when you are incapable of flight. Even in a hundred eons from now, this statement will still ring true.
Your fruitless curiosity is endlessly endearing.
As the cruel and haunting laughter subsided back into the silence of her mind, Glace sat herself up and glimpsed at her surroundings. She found herself surrounded by hundreds of colorful blossoms amidst and endless, grassy field, every which way she looked. Something tall stood upon the horizon – A mountain, or perhaps a city? It was impossible to tell. But out here, there was nobody. Only her, alone, amidst this endless, serene meadow..
Glace sighed deeply as she held her head in her claws.
She hoped she had imagined that voice. While that unsettling Sableye had proved to be quite helpful, she didn't think she could handle it being with her again. Its patronizing, taunting ways ripped away at her sense of what was real and what wasn't.
And its name… that name that her tongue couldn't speak aloud… there was something unnatural about that name. Every time she thought of its true name, that incomprehensible name spoken in that alien language, something within her quivered.
Yeah, I know, he's creepy. You're not the only one who thinks that.
It took Glace a moment to recognize the new voice that rang with such contagious vigor. It effectively drowned out the maddening laughter.
I really don't know if we can trust that Sableye, Sonata.
Oh, what makes you say that?
Because it's just so obvious that it's evil. What kind of benevolent entity turns into horrifying things and demeans us for our supposedly skewed narratives, whatever that means?
Well… okay, not going to lie; I do feel a little anxious about Giratina. I mean, he looks like he wants to help us and it'd be awesome to have his help, but just the fact that he's so blatantly creepy…
It also said something about it being the darkness in mortal's minds, which doesn't help matters.
Yeah… but I mean, is it really such a bad idea to trust him, just a little? I mean, he didn't hurt us and he even brought us Ker, just like he promised he would.
That could have been something it did to put us at ease. Sometimes during hunts, one of my clanmates would use a similar tactic. When prey proved to be too strong, she would sometimes collapse on the ground after one hit and pretend to be dead. Then, when the prey had its attention elsewhere, she'd get up and strike its weakest point.
Okay, that's true. Like I said, I don't exactly disagree with you about this whole thing. I can't get myself to completely trust Giratina either because he's just… you know. I mean, in my dimension, Giratina is supposedly very nice, but its appearance is what I bet I'd see if some really mad Darkrai put me under.
Exactly.
But wait. Even though this whole thing seems a bit iffy, let's try not worrying about this too much.
No way. We are not doing that.
Look Glace, hear me out. We're away from Giratina now, so we don't have to worry about him until he brings Ker back to us. Let's just wait and see what happens, and maybe come up with a backup plan just in case. But we have other things to worry about right now.
Glace really did want to think that Giratina only had their best interests in mind. After all, had it broken even one promise to her? It had not. Perhaps there was hope. Perhaps it could be trusted.
But those eyes, those all-consuming black holes that seemed to hunger for her…
If it was trustworthy, then why did it strike such perfect fear into every thread of her soul?
Are you really sure that's what you saw, or have you deluded yourself into thinking that to justify your paranoia towards me?
Glace put her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't hear the laugh this time, but it hardly made anything better. The silence only punctuated those jeering words.
It's just your imagination, Glace. It's not real… it's not real…
Something wrong, Glace?
The pervasive words went away again as another familiar voice rang clear in her mind. This voice seemed perpetually composed yet agreeable, no matter the circumstances.
You can't hear "Giratina" thoughts in my head? You can't hear it taunting me?
I'm afraid I don't.
Yeah, me neither.
No, that couldn't be right. They had to be able to hear those thoughts. They were her now, after all. They could hear all of her other thoughts, including the million frantic worries racing through her mind right now. How could they not hear these paranoid echoes of Giratina's voice?
Because I don't want them to hear me. Only you can hear me.
Glace's heart stopped. She could feel something sinister inside of her now and watching her from the darkest corner of her mind. Unlike Yore's and Sonata's presences, this one didn't seem confined to just one area of her mind. She felt it had the power, if it wanted, to devour her whole mind.
No. No… no… you're… you're not…
Yes, I'm the one you call Giratina. I anticipated you would call me by that name.
How are you talking to me?
Because I'm inside of you, Glace. When I put you and the others back together, I realized I actually couldn't leave you alone. So, I added a piece of myself to the amalgamation that is you.
Why would you do that?
Oh Glace, you don't need me to answer that question for you. You already know the answer.
What are you talking about?
Because you won't make it on your own, not even with all of these Yog-Sothoth spawn you've collected. You need someone with intimate knowledge of how the multiverse works. You need me. Without me, your plan will fail.
Glace didn't know how to respond to any of that. She couldn't even begin to understand what was unfolding before her. All of this seemed too surreal.
Ah, I knew you would doubt me. Hmm, fine. I will allow the other Yog-Sothoth spawn to hear me, if that will provide you comfort.
Glace felt an odd popping sensation in her mind. It felt very similar to what happened to her ears when she climbed up a mountain.
Are you alright, Glace? You're beginning to worry me.
Everything is quite fine, Yore. Now that I'm here, there will never be anything to fear.
This time it was Yore and Sonata who panicked. Glace could feel their fear thumping in her heart and shuddering across her skin. Glace could barely keep an impassive scowl on her face as their panic escalated.
Oh Arceus… you're here! You're actually here!
Yes, I am here amongst you three once more.
Look, if you heard anything I was just saying to Glace, I didn't mean it, okay? I really do trust you! It was just that-
Settle down, Sonata. I have no intentions of hurting any of you. I'm instead here to offer my aid.
Huh?
Glace heard Giratina laugh again, but this time, it didn't send a chill down her spine. It still had an unsettling ring to it, but somehow, it soothed her.
Despite all the information you've been able to gather regarding the multiverse, it is still mortal knowledge. You gaze at the multiverse with your murky mortal eyes. You are blind to how the multiverse truly works and how it perceives your tiny presence.
In other words, you know absolutely nothing. Your limited knowledge impairs your search for the other spawn, making it so that only four of you have found each other.
So… you put yourself in Glace because you want to help us find the others?
Yes. Your current attempts have proven to be inadequate. You are obviously in need of assistance.
Well that would be nice… but uhhhh, aren't you supposed to be getting Ker? You said you were and now you're here and I don't get how you could be doing both at the same time…
Did what happened in my realm not offer you a glimpse of what I am capable of? I am not like any of you; I can find Ker and assist you three at the same time. I am not bound to the limitations of mortals.
Okay, well I guess that's true…
Giratina, I do appreciate the offer you're giving us. I honestly do. However… I must admit that I'm wary of your presence here.
Ketetet. Are you afraid of me?
Yore refused to answer. Glace felt Giratina leave the dark corner of her mind and wrap tightly around what she felt was the Tranquill's presence. But even then, it didn't feel threatening and imposing.
I will open your eyes to the eldritch unknowns of all realities. I will offer you glimpses of forbidden knowledge many mortals would murder to obtain. I will provide you access to arcane powers you could never hope to fathom. I will see that no harm is brought to you during your mission. You will be whole once more. Nothing will ever stop you from becoming your whole self, so long as I am with you.
… And why do you want to help us?
Oh, but you already know. You already know it is for Yog-Sothoth. There is no other reason, besides of course to prevent the annihilation of all realities. You don't honestly believe I want all of the multiverse to perish, do you? What is there to gain from absolute nothingness?
… Alright. Your presence still unnerves me, but I will trust you for now.
Yeah, same here. You've helped us before even though you're… well… the creepiest thing I've ever met.
Good. And what about you, Glace? Do you accept my help?
The very thought that a part of that demonic Sableye was living in her mind made Glace's skin crawl. She couldn't imagine how she would stay sane if she had to hear another word from that entity. She still didn't completely trust it. She knew Giratina would stay inside of her even if she declined. Her actions didn't matter to Giratina; she could do nothing to expel the being from her body.
If you tell me to leave, I will leave. I realize that I cannot earn your trust without a gesture of good faith, so it shall be that you keep me around voluntarily.
You're not going to leave me alone.
Oh, but I would, Glace. If it would earn your trust, I will gladly leave if you tell me to. You will never hear from me again until I find Ker and deliver her to you.
Glace honestly considered telling Giratina to leave right there. The thought was so tempting, so irresistible. Its insidious voice practically begged her to speak the command.
But she couldn't. Giratina held knowledge she could never hope to obtain. It would be foolish to turn away such vital information, even if it did come from an unsettling entity.
Glace sighed deeply.
Alright, I'll accept your help. However, don't think I trust you completely. I'm keeping an eye on you.
Of course. Be as suspicious as your heart desires. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Glace saw a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. She snapped her gaze toward it to find the fleeting image of a Patrat wandering into the distance. The moment Glace saw it, she felt gnawing deep in her stomach. She realized that she hadn't eaten since she was in Jera's dimension. She didn't think she had been in Ker's dimension from that long, but the gnawing felt far too similar to a punch in the gut for that to be true. She could already feel the saliva gathering in her mouth.
Go ahead, Glace. You need nourishment. I'll provide you the peace you want now.
Then with those words, Giratina's presence disappeared altogether. Glace wasted no time creeping after the Patrat. She made sure that she stayed low to the ground until she could see the Patrat clearly in her sight. She could see it walking on all fours with its back to her. She needed everything to stay this way. Patrat couldn't sense anyone from behind them very well. It made for a perfect a blind spot.
The Weavile silently prowled closer and closer to the Patrat, watching for any sudden movements in her prey's tail. It remained oblivious with its tail remaining stuck high in the air. It eventually stopped to rub at its cheeks and eyes, but Glace only continued her advance.
Soon there was only a few feet of space between the two. The Patrat still didn't notice her. Glace could practically taste that delicious Patrat's blood in her mouth right now, its savory sweetness trickling down her throat.
She swiftly pounced at her prey.
The Patrat stood no chance. The moment Glace made contact with her prey, she slashed open its throat. There was no struggle. There were no screams. There was only the smell of fresh blood spilling onto the flowers and grass, tarnishing this peaceful haven with death.
Glace wasted no time in digging her claws into the corpse and devouring her meal. She ripped into it with ravenous intent, relishing the salty taste of her meal with each bite. Nothing else mattered to her in this moment. Not how Giratina now resided in her mind, not the fact that she had no idea where she even was, and not even the comments her other selves were making. There was only the primal need to quench her hunger.
The Weavile felt a warm, numbing feeling when she had eaten her fill. She sat down in the grass beside the gruesome remains of her meal and licked the blood from her claws. She would need to continue her journey as soon as she was done. She knew that. This was only an interlude in her grand quest.
It was with this thought however, that Glace realized it wasn't time to continue that journey yet. There was something else she had to do before she could search for the others.
Hey Yore, did you still want to go visit your guild?
She could feel the Tranquill's heart leap in her chest. She couldn't stop herself from smiling as his joy radiated throughout her being.
Yes, I would. We don't have to stay long, however. I only want to visit my guild and give my proper farewell to them through you, if you don't mind.
Of course. You don't want to visit your family though?
All of the warmth filling Glace's chest faded away. Now the slightest hint of a chasm resided where her heart beat.
My caretakers are dead, I'm afraid. There would be no one to visit if I were to return home.
Oh. I didn't realize.
Don't concern yourself with it. They've been dead for quite some time. I think it was during my fifth year as a sentry that I received word of their passing, but I cannot quite remember exactly how long it's been.
But even though Yore said these reassuring words, the hollow feeling remained. Glace could feel it weighing down upon her.
So that was why Yore had never left his guild; he had no home to return to. His guild was the closest thing to a home, but even then, he had known it wasn't. Even the other guild members, despite being acquainted with them, could never be the family he had lost.
Yore, despite everything he had done for his peaceful little town, had been a lonely Tranquill.
Aww, Yore. I know you don't want us to feel bad for you, but… I really am sorry your parents are dead. I would hug you if I could.
Yore didn't respond to Sonata's remark, but the consuming void in Glace's chest disappeared, giving way to some relief. She breathed deeply as she relished in the blankness that was her own emotions, not anyone else's. She already hated the idea that she was sharing feelings with her other selves, but she would gladly take this over sharing their memories. She could still hear Downfall in her mind, so very pleased with her accomplishments. She could still feel the tears streaming down her face when she realized she had to leave him.
If she ever had to live through that again…
Let's get going. I think we've spent enough time here. Sonata, show me which tear I need to use to get to Yore's dimension.
Okay! Let's see… ah-hah! There it is!
All of the dimensional rips returned to Glace's sight with the mere blink of her eye. One in the distance seemed to give off an iridescent glint, like the way a crystal might shine in the light. Glace didn't even need to ask Sonata why it glimmered so. She only knew that it would take about five minutes to reach.
Hmmm, interesting way of traveling between realities.
What do you mean?
Ah, but it's such an inferior method of travel. It is no wonder it takes you so long to reach the others. Here, Glace, allow me to show you a much more efficient way to traverse the multiverse. I think you will quite like it.
Glace's claws suddenly filled with a dark power that made them ghoulish, violet wisps. She held them to her eyes in amazement, watching her hands flicker and crackle with strange energy that was not her own.
There is no reason to use those miniscule rips in the barriers. Think of your destination, and then create your own tear. The multiverse will heed your call and offer you direct passage to the destination you seek.
Will the tear I make still suck me into the dimension? Every time I wanted to travel, the dimension would yank me inside. It felt like someone grabbing me.
Ketetet. No, Glace. The multiverse will obey you with this power; it will not treat you as a meaningless speck.
Glace didn't know what to think of that, but chose not to ponder in it too much. She instead focused her thoughts on Yore's dimension and the quiet city that he resided in. She imagined the flowers, the windmills, the guild, the post office, the watchtower Yore stood upon every day…
She swiped at the air as these thoughts circled in her mind. The familiar sensation of the multiverse's binding brushed against her clawtips. Now she just needed to wait for the binding to catch in her claws and then she'd struggle to open the tear further. After all, mortals weren't supposed to be able to tamper with reality.
But much to her surprise, something else happened. Her claws tore straight through the barrier with disturbing ease, sundering it apart. Ethereal streams of lilac, orange, gold, and turquoise escaped from the tear and leaked into her world. They swept through the air as though they were languid strokes of paint and the world was their canvas. They very much reminded her of creeks that she would sometimes come across. The colors flowed so gently, gracefully curling and twisting through the air as though they had their own invisible trees and rocks to maneuver around.
Glace retracted her claw from the tear. She watched in awe as the newly-formed rip accommodated her size, widening and lengthening without her needing to do anything. It was only a matter of seconds before it had become just large enough for her to enter with ease.
Glace anticipated the yank, the pull that always dragged her into a dimension whenever she tampered with reality's fabric. However, there was nothing. Just as Giratina had promised, the tear only welcomed her, beckoning her with its dreamy lights and the crystal-clear image of Lilac City in its center. Particularly, the post office that she had visited, still that odd Pelipper-like building.
You see? You see how much easier this is?
It's amazing. It's much better than what Sonata taught me.
Hey! That was the only thing I could come up with. There's only like two people in my dimension who have any idea how to travel through dimensions. And even then, they thought I was weird for even asking about it since I'm just some spy.
Ah, so that is how you learned. You only had mortal help, limited as it is. However, you no longer need to rely on that mortal help. While useful before, what I provide now is far superior.
Well hopefully…
Go on, Glace. Fling yourself through the tear and show Sonata here how much more efficient it is to travel this way.
Glace let Giratina remove its power from her claws. She gazed at the tear and took the time to marvel at the wondrous display of colors escaping from its edges. She felt she could watch these colors forever, watch them swirl lackadaisically before her, and be perfectly content for the rest of her life.
However, there was work to be done. She had a promise to keep to Yore. So with a begrudging groan, she averted her attention from the beautiful sight and then leapt into the rift.
Glace felt cobblestone beneath her feet when she finished her jump. It was such a stark contrast to the ticklish, soft grass that she flinched. She looked behind her just in time to see the rift closing up. She almost wanted to reach out to the tear as the barrier between realities etched itself back together, taking with it those otherworldly colors that made her feel so comfortable. Now only the rest of the ordinary place she found herself in filled her vision, offering her the mundane view of the sun shining down on her, the trees, the distant outlines of faraway buildings, and even more of the cobblestone road leading away into deeper parts of the town.
The Weavile brought her gaze back to what stood before her. Just as she had hoped, she now found herself before the post-office she had seen in the rift. It was the exact same one she had visited when searching for Yore, the odd, Pelipper-shaped building it was. Though, she couldn't help but notice that the paint no longer peeled off its exterior. The building seemed almost brand new, as though it had a fresh coat of paint applied to it earlier that day.
It hardly mattered, in the end. Glace knew for certain that this was Yore's dimension. This was the post office she had visited seemingly an eternity ago. She could even see some windmills in the distance, standing idle atop their grassy hills.
Looks like we're here, Yore.
Yes, I see this. Ah, it feels so strange being here again.
Are you feeling nervous?
Yes, though also happy. I suppose you can call it anxiousness. But there's no reason to be worried. I'll feel better as soon as I see my old guild.
Alright. Do you mind telling me where to go? I can't remember how to get there from here.
Of course.
Yore conveyed his directions in the form of a mental roadmap of the entire town. She would need to walk forward and follow the road all the way down until a new path appeared on the left. Then, she would take this new path until she spotted the Guard Guild in all its grandeur. If she wanted to, she could even stop by the Miltank Café, which was right across the street from the guild. Then, if she wanted to visit her hutch, all she had to do was go out into the forest bordering the city and climb up the particular evergreen with the Hoothoot-sized hollow in the middle of its trunk. If she wanted to catch some Magikarp, all she had to do was walk a couple of miles north and find herself at the river she always looked over. If she wanted to fly very far away from everyone, to escape to that lake where no one could ever find her, all she had to do was…
Glace stopped herself as she rubbed at her head. The directions had come across quite clear, but a whole lot of other things had come with it – engrained things, nostalgic things, habitual things, and a hoard of all Yore's sentiments and memories, happy and sad, from his years of life here. Memories that were hers, but at the same time, not hers.
In that single instant, she knew everything there was to know about this humble little place, from the name of every street, to the size of every tree, to the color of each and every flower garden. More knowledge, perhaps, than a single Pokémon ought to know.
It was overwhelming.
Ah, sorry, Glace. I didn't mean to do that. I was only trying to develop a route for you, but it seems you've gained much more than that.
It's fine, Yore. It wasn't your fault. It helps at least, since I think it's best that I clean myself up a bit. Hmm, apparently there's a pond near here?
Yes. It's a small one and a bit hidden, so not many Pokémon ever visit it. It's mostly a place where some wild bug-types dwell. I sometimes go there to catch myself a Caterpie whenever there's a craving for one.
It'll do. I think I can get there without too much trouble.
It seemed like a nice pond. It was easy to see one's reflection in it, as well as the reflection of the trees towering right behind you. It seemed quiet and peaceful. All she needed to do was go the opposite way she was facing, walk until she saw the home where that Ursaring kept all those flocks of Pidgey, and then sneak into the forest behind his house. Then, she'd wander until she saw that very large and imposing Ariados web, and then make a left until…
Glace grabbed her head again. The onslaught of directions stopped, leaving her mind at peace. She reveled in the silence for a moment longer, and then began her journey toward the pond she could clearly see in her mind's eye.
Glace soon found herself in the residential area that she had anticipated. With it being the early afternoon, quite a number of Pokémon were out and about. There weren't as many here as there had been in the more commercial areas of the town, but their presence was noticeable all the same. Glace noted that many of them were children running around. They chased each other throughout the neighborhood, hid from one another in a sort of game, and even tackled one another and engaged in harmless fights. Their playful laughter rang clear in the neighborhood, instantly reminding Glace of Jera's cavern and the orphans she had grown to know during her short visit.
However, what caught Glace's attention the most were a young Aipom and Litten gathered around a peculiar object extending out of the ground at the edge of the street. She couldn't tell what it was from her distance, but it seemed quite tall and thin and had a colorful prism resting on its top. She didn't remember seeing something like that the last time she had been to Yore's dimension.
Neither do I, Glace. I don't recall any of these strange things ever being here.
I suppose there's only one way to find out what they are then.
The Weavile made her way over to the strange object and then stopped right before it. The Aipom and Litten didn't hurry away from her. The two only remained there with Glace before the Aggron-tall spectacle. She realized now that the both of them had their paws on the base of the contraption and had a faraway look in their eyes, as if they were in a deep daydream.
"Hey, what's this thing that you're touching?" Glace asked.
The two both blinked, and clarity instantly returned to their eyes. They removed their paws from the object and looked over at Glace.
"What do you mean?" the Aipom asked.
"This thing that's right next to us, what exactly is it?" Glace asked again as she pointed to the object.
"It's lamp post, silly!" the Aipom said with a giggle.
"A what?"
"A lamp post! You know, the things that let us check the weather and see all of the stuff's that been going on."
The Aipom tilted his head to the side as he looked at her cautiously.
"Are you okay? You're asking funny questions," the Aipom stated.
Glace didn't know how she wanted to respond to that. It didn't help that she could actually feel Yore hastily digging through his memories in some desperate attempt to recall anything that resembled these supposed lamp posts. She could see the memories, but they flew by her so quickly that she only caught the slightest glimpses of them.
Might as well tell them that you're not from around here. That always works for me when I'm in some other town on spy missions!
"… I'm not from here," Glace recited slowly. "There's none of these lamp posts in my town."
"Really? I thought every town had lamp posts by now," the Aipom said.
"Maybe she's from one of those towns that doesn't trust them," the Litten suggested. "Isn't St. Jasper City like that? Didn't they say something about how they were worried that the lamp posts would get into their heads and spy on all of their memories and thoughts?"
"Nah, St. Jasper isn't the place. They used them to make their prison a whole lot better," the Aipom assured. "I think it was some small little town near here. Uhhhhh, what was it called?"
"These lamp posts, what exactly are they?" Glace cut in. "I still don't understand what they're for."
"Well lamp posts are these awesome inventions that do all kinds of cool stuff," the Aipom began as he gestured to the strange device. "You touch them, and then they tell you all kinds of information! Like if you want to know how to get somewhere, it'll give you directions. Or if you want to know where you can eat some Remoraid, it'll tell you some good restaurants to go to. Things like that. And of course, they keep the streets lit at dark. So we don't need to use torches or anything."
"I see," Glace said with a slow nod.
"But some towns don't like using lamp posts, like yours," the Aipom said with a shrug. "It's too bad, because they're really nice. Makes life a whole lot easier."
"Too bad I won't be able to use them when I become an Incineroar," the Litten said with a sigh. "Still can't make these things work for dark-types."
"Then just don't evolve," the Aipom said snidely. "Those things look ugly anyway."
The Litten glared at the Aipom as he flattened his ears against his head. The Aipom snickered.
"Oh come on, you know I'm not the only one who thinks that," the Aipom sniggered. "What kind of evolution is that, looking like some Machoke that got a really bad sunburn? Not to mention having that stupid flame belt around your waist. Seriously, what kind of Litten wants to end up like that?"
The Litten then pounced at his supposed friend, but the Aipom leapt away just in time. He only laughed more as he fled the scene on all fours. The Litten wasted no time in chasing after him.
Glace brought her gaze back over to the lamp post. Nothing had changed about it. It still stood before her, silent as could be, casting triangles of light down onto the ground from its glassy top.
Still couldn't find anything about lamp posts in your memories?
No, I couldn't. Nothing resembling these strange things ever existed here when I still lived here.
They could have built them while you were gone.
Yes, but how long were we gone? I realize time moves differently in each of the dimensions, Jera herself is proof of that, but we couldn't have been gone for that long. We only visited two dimensions total and hardly spent much time in any of them.
Glace could feel Yore fidgeting in her mind, rationalizing everything happening before him. While it certainly didn't break her heart in half like when she had been forced to live through Sonata's memories, it still shook her. She could feel the dread seeping into her, urging her to pace about.
Giratina, how long have we been gone?
Rephrase your question. You're being far too vague for my liking.
How long have we been gone from this dimension? You said you know a lot about the multiverse, so surely you must know how much time has passed since I was last here with Sonata.
Ah, and that is where you are wrong. Understand that you're correct in presuming that time flows differently between the dimensions, making hundreds of years pass in one but only days in another. However, I don't know the exact relationship between all of the dimensions. To keep track of an infinite amount of realities is impossible.
I thought you said you were beyond mortal limitations.
I am, but even that is beyond my own limitations. Besides, I never had any use in comparing the temporal differences between the realities. What did it matter if none of the realities interacted with one another? They all remain unaware of one another. Mortals were never meant to enter into realities that are not theirs. Only those like myself have any reason to access the multiverse.
Fine. Yore, calm down. We're going to go visit your guild now.
You sure you don't want to go to the pond first? I can wait a f-
No, you can't. You want to go to the guild right now. You want to make sure everyone is still there. You want to know if everyone hates you for leaving. You want to know if that Miltank Café still exists right across the street. But above everything else, you want to meet the Pokémon who took your place in the watchtower… and you want to know if they're any better at their job than you were. Am I right?
… Yes.
That's what I thought.
The Weavile turned on her heel and then walked back the way she came. There was a sulking feeling in her chest, worsening with every step. She wanted to think she was only feeling her own emotions now. It would make sense, considering how snappy she had been to her other self that had only wanted to help her. However, she realized these feelings could very well be Yore's as well. He too must have been sulking at the thought that Glace had exposed all of his self-centered thoughts. They had been perfectly reasonable when considering his condition, but still self-centered all the same. So then what was it? Was this horrible feeling Yore's, or was it hers?
Maybe it didn't matter anymore. Maybe everything Yore felt was actually her emotions. Maybe Yore himself actually was Glace now. Maybe…
No, it couldn't be like that. Yore wasn't Glace. The two were separate from one another. She could still tell what thoughts and memories belonged to him. She still knew that he was a sentry of a guild and she was a former dojo trainer and huntress for a nomadic Weavile clan. There was no reason to think they were merging in mind.
Sometime later, Glace switched paths as she needed to. It wasn't much longer before she entered into the more commercialized area of town. For the most part, it hadn't changed since she had last visited. There was the Dreamland Bakery that sold those chesto bread loaves that perked you right up, the Persian Bank run by those Persian twins who had always had that eager shine in their eyes, and the Between the Lines bookstore that always held those parties whenever the most popular book were to release to the public. Then of course, there was Daisy's Market taking up so much space, the top grocer that always had the best selection of fruits and seeds. Glace never went anywhere else whenever she needed more Plain Seeds. She didn't know what it was, but there was something special about Daisy's seeds. They stayed in her stomach longer. They still tasted as plain as any other Plain Seed, but then again, everything tasted rather bland. She couldn't remember the last time something actually had a lasting taste that…
Glace stopped the thought from going on any longer. No, she had never been to any of these places before. She had never eaten a single Plain Seed in her life. None of these were her memories. How many more times was this going to happen to her?
Glace, there's more of those odd lamp posts here as well.
Glace looked toward the edge of the street, and sure enough, saw the odd contraption Yore spoke of. She actually saw multiple of them, each planted a good few yards of distance away from each other. They stretched all the way down the street, forming a string of posts that surely went further beyond into the deeper parts of the city. Glace could see a single Minun in front of the lamp post nearest to her, pressing its paw into the base. She glanced over at the others to find many of the others with similar amounts of Pokémon gathered around the lamps, though a couple did remain empty for the time being.
These lamp posts don't seem that new. The glass on the top doesn't shine as much as new glass should. But even still, how long could they have been here? I don't remember any construction happening in this area while I lived here, nor any plans of construction.
The stores you remember are still here at least. So, maybe we haven't been gone for too long. Maybe we've been gone for only a few years.
That's still longer than I had hoped we had been gone… though I do suppose it's better than being gone for centuries. If only a few years have passed, even if it's twelve years, then perhaps my guild and all those that I worked with still remain.
I'm sure they do.
Glace picked up her pace and weaved her way through the street. She tried not to pay too much attention to the Pokémon bustling all around her. She had one job and one job only in this dimension; let Yore see his guild. There was nothing else she needed to do here. She couldn't allow herself to be absorbed in the buzzing activity of the town. If she even allowed herself anymore time in observing her surroundings, she'd be caught in that unstoppable chain of Yore's memories.
She only looked straight ahead as she neared the guild. She could see it now in the distance, its towering mass looming over the rest of the buildings like a mountain. She didn't see the red flag that had been perched at the very top, but Glace didn't concern herself with it. They had probably changed the design of the guild while they were gone.
Just a little more, and then she'd be at the guild. She needed to walk for another minute or two, and then Yore could see his guild members and everything would be fine. Then, she could leave this dimension behind and go after her next fragment. Who it was going to be, Glace didn't know. She only hoped that Sonata could offer someone that was more tethered to her realm of understanding than Ker.
Glace arrived at the guild. Much to her relief, and undoubtedly Yore's, the guild appeared exactly the same as it had last time she'd visited. There were of course those strange lamp posts all over the guild with just as many lilacs that Glace knew weren't there before, but it was the guild all the same. She could recognize that brick building anywhere, even without the flag at the top raveling in the wind.
The Weavile took a deep breath, and then made her way into the guild. A few Pokémon passed her by as she walked through the corridors of the place, though none that she recognized. She didn't spot Rale, Bree, Aiden, Vert, or any of the Pokémon that sometimes invited her to outings. Then again, maybe they were in the middle of their shifts right now. She only saw them in the evening.
Adze was probably around though. He was her supervisor, and she was sure that he was always at his counter until the day ended. He was always there, sorting through papers and managing those like Glace. He was the only one she was going to find unless she wanted to wait until sunset.
Adze will be there. He has to be there.
Glace's heartbeat became thready, prompting her to move even faster. She barely registered walking as she swiftly made her way to her supervisor's area. What felt like an eternity later, she found herself exactly where she wanted to be. At least, that's what she thought. The room had changed since the last time she had been there. The familiar shelves of papers and books filed neatly still stood behind the counter, but now there were other things in this room. Namely, an odd, metallic box that took up an entire wall of the room. It flashed with odd lights as certain words appeared on a black screen, listing names and locations Glace had never heard of. A tangle of wires connected to the box crawled up and connected to a lamp on a nearby wall that very much resembled the lamp posts Glace saw outside. This lamp, unlike the ones outside however, gave off an otherworldly blue color that very much reminded Glace of the rift she had opened up earlier. It cast the entire room with this dreamlike color, and for a moment, Glace wondered if this lamp actually was a portal to another dimension.
"Can I help you?"
Glace brought her gaze over to a doorway near the counter. She anticipated her supervisor to be there, wearing that bored expression he always had when not doing anything in particular. But unfortunately, the Pokémon wasn't a Haxorus. It was instead a Sceptile, and an oddly jovial one at that.
"I'm looking for Adze," Glace said after a moment. "Have you seen him?"
"Adze? I'm afraid I don't quite recognize that name," the Sceptile said as he scratched his chin. "Are you sure that's his name?"
"He's a Haxorus, and he works here," Glace insisted. "He's the supervisor for everyone who acts as security for this city."
"Hmmmm, give me a moment to look for him."
Glace watched as the Sceptile went over to the odd metal device. He pressed his claws into a few buttons and keys with loud clicking sounds.
"Adze… Haxorus… hmmm, still not getting anything," the Sceptile hummed. "Has this Adze ever used a lamp post before? He won't be in the system if he hasn't."
"I don't think so," Glace said slowly.
"Ah, well then that's a problem. Either way, there are no Haxorus that work here. I wish I could help you more, but unfortunately, our lamp posts aren't developed enough for that. You'd have to go to somewhere like Whitewater City if you wanted the more sophisticated lamp posts. The ones there can actually look at your memories and tell you who's in them."
Whitewater. That wasn't a flower. All of the cities in the region were named after flowers, at least, all of the ones within a certain radius of Lilac City. But this Sceptile wouldn't have named a city if it was so far away.
Whitewater… where was it?
Whitewater. Whitewater. Whitewater. Whitewater. Whitewater.
WhitewaterWhitewaterWhitewaterWhitewaterWhitewaterWhi
"Are you okay? You look like you're lost in another world."
Glace looked back up at the Sceptile. Now that pleasant, helpful grin on his face was gone. Now all that remained was an anxious stare that sincerely did want to help her even though he probably had a million better things to do.
"Where's Rale?" she asked tersely. "Where's Bree? Where's Aiden? Where's Vert? Where's Ven? Where's Lan-"
"Hold on, slow down. Give me a moment to type in those names," the Sceptile said as he held up one of his claws. "Just wait a moment, okay?"
Glace took in a deep breath as the clicking returned. Everything was fine. This Sceptile would be able to find one of her acquaintances, she was sure of it. The only reason he couldn't find Adze was because he had probably retired. Glace couldn't blame him for that; he had been rather old to begin with. Then again, all dragons lived to be quite old. She thought their age was only rivaled by the Ninetales, as well as that odd Eevee evolution. What was that evolution called again? That normal-type one that was so rare because the transformation requirements were so difficult to fulfill?
"What are the species of the names you gave me?" the Sceptile asked.
"Lucario, Butterfree, Pyroar, Heracross, and Scyther respectively," Glace answered automatically.
"Alright. Well listen, I looked up those names, and there are some that do have those names. However, none of them match the species that you just named. Like there's a Quilava named Aiden, but there's no Pyroar named Aiden."
Glace stared at the Sceptile.
That couldn't be right. How could none of their names be in that device? It was with this thought Glace realized now that she had no idea how that device even worked. She needed to fix that. She couldn't react until she understood everything.
"What is that device you're using?" Glace decided to ask. "How does it work?"
"This machine allows me to access all of the lamp posts in the city," the Sceptile answered, as patient as ever. "All I have to do is type in a name, and then it allows me to see the one who has that name and a number of things about them. It tells me about their background, if they have one, as well as any other names they might have used. It's what we use here to make sure no one we allow into the city is potentially dangerous."
"I thought you had a sentry on top of a watchtower for that," Glace stated blandly.
"Ahahah, ah, no. We haven't had to do that for a looooong time," the Sceptile laughed. "We just have visitors use the lamp posts at the gates of the city. They just need to touch the lamp post, and then the lamp post compares their identity to a list of all the suspicious individuals in the world. If they match anyone in our list, then they're forced to go away. Ahah. I want to know where you got the funny idea that we still use sentries. I don't think anybody's done that in the past fifty years. Well, except maybe those few paranoid towns…"
Glace could see the world turning into a mess of random shapes and colors before her eyes as the words slowly sank in. Fifty years since sentries were used. Fifty years.
Fifty years since a sentry was needed.
The lamp posts were her replacement. They didn't need her anymore.
She needed to get to the watchtower. She needed to know if it was still there. She needed to know if there really wasn't a sentry there anymore.
She ran out of the guild. She could hear the Sceptile calling after her, but his words were jumbled and incoherent. It didn't matter though; she no longer needed to talk to him.
It wasn't long before Glace found herself at the border of the city and before the watchtower she stood upon every single day. As the Sceptile had said, there was a lamp post right beside it, quite a bit larger than all of the others she had seen throughout the day. However, Glace paid it little mind. She directed her attention to the watchtower and found that it still stood there, looming over her as it always had. She didn't see anyone perched at the very top however, making the tower seem lonely and purposeless. It very much reminded Glace of herself before she had left the dimension.
Glace wasted no time in climbing up the tower. She heard it creak and shudder beneath her feet, but she ignored it. She only ascended higher and higher until she found herself at the very top. A thick layer of dust clung to the floor and bars, as well as an alarming number of dead, crinkled leaves. It was evident that no one had been on this tower for a long time.
Fifty years had done this.
Glace peered into the city behind her from her new height. In a way, so little had changed. She could still see all of the buildings she could always see from this height. She could still see the hills and the windmills in the distance, and the vague semblance of other flying-types in the distance. But at the same time, it wasn't her city anymore. She could clearly see the lamp posts on every street, invading her hometown like an invasive weed might. She imagined in another few years, there would be more lamp posts than buildings.
Fifty years had done this.
Glace had been gone for fifty years, probably more. Everyone she had ever known was gone. Everything she had dedicated her life to was gone.
She had abandoned her life without warning, and now it had abandoned her.
It was all gone.
Gone.
Gone.
… hey…
Gone.
Gone.
Hey…
Gone.
Gone.
And it was all her fault. If she had been a good sentry and told everyone she was leaving, none of this would have happened. But she hadn't. She had left like a coward and now she could never undo the damage.
Now everyone she ever knew was gone.
The world had moved on without her.
HEY!
Suddenly, a million random images bombarded Glace's mind. There were hunting trips with some Weavile, killing someone named Veneur because he was trying to kill her first, this Flareon that tried to burn her alive but got some of her feathers instead, kicking a Snover in the stomach and telling him he needed to improve his technique…
No, those weren't random images. They all seemed very familiar somehow. Somewhere, she had seen these things. But where? She hadn't ever gone hunting before; she was only a sentry before he had to-
The realization struck her with the force and suddenness of an icicle to the chest.
These were her actual memories.
Glace flinched as everything that was her came flooding back into her. As they forced their way back into her, they shoved all of what was Yore back into the darkness of her mind where he belonged. A headache split through her head as she and Yore had their minds spliced apart, forcing her to sink into a sitting position.
Glace… Glace, are you…. uh, you again?
Glace could hear Sonata's words quite clearly in her mind despite the pain, but she couldn't find it in herself to respond to them. She could only hold her head in her claws. Her Weavile claws, claws of a huntress, not a sentry.
Glace… look, it's okay. I mean, I know what happened was probably really weird, but you're you again! So you know, everything's fine now.
She had been Yore. She had been wandering around that city as Yore, believing all of his memories and his thoughts were her own.
Glace, can you please answer me?
How long could she have stayed like that if Sonata hadn't snapped her out of it? Would she have begun to think she was a Tranquill too and that she could fly? Would she actually turn into a Tranquill the same way she had mentally turned into Yore?
Yore? Yore, are you there?
Would this happen again? Would she become one of her other selves if she dared to go back to their dimensions? Or did that not need to happen for it to work? Did she just need to assimilate her other selves and that would be enough? That was what had happened with Sonata after all. That Noivern had been thinking about those painful memories, and then she had sucked Glace into them in her place.
Ohhhh, Giratina! What do I do? They're not responding at all. I don't know if they can hear me anymore…
They can hear you, but I'm afraid there's nothing you can do at this point. They are in shock at what has happened, for varying reasons.
Well is there something you can do? I mean, you're Giratina for crying out loud!
Ketetet. Ah, it's endless amusing watching you mortals, always begging your gods for their divine help. As though you honestly think they can hear your every prayer.
Giratina, you're not helping! Please, get them back to normal!
Glace needed to get out of this dimension. She needed to get away from Yore's memories. She needed to get away from everything that resembled her other selves.
The Weavile stood up and flexed her claws. Not even a second later, Giratina's power poured into her veins. She tore apart the dimensional barrier, though with no regard as to where she wanted to go. She honestly didn't care where she went.
She only needed to be as far away from here as possible.
The Weavile gazed at the swirling colors before her for a moment longer, and then leapt into the tear.