The fragment Jera needed to find was Abel.

Jera only knew two things about him; that he was a Shinx, and that he lived in a quaint place called Cider Town.

Though the information was vague, the Octillery knew she would eventually track the fragment down. After all, she knew the general part of the universe she needed to search to find him. She had spent many years rescuing children from islands scattered all across the ocean. Finding a little Shinx couldn't be more difficult than sneaking into huts in the middle of the night and bringing the children back to the ocean undetected.

At least, she thought that until she stood before the town's entrance.

It was quite a sight compared to the settlements of her dimension. The buildings were far bulkier and square, there was no body of water anywhere in sight, and all of the trees had astoundingly thick trunks and cast long shadows over the buildings. Not only that, but there were many dirt paths that led to different parts of the city. In Jera's dimension, there had been no concept of this. All of the ground had been sand, except for the insides of establishments. It seemed unnecessary to create trails. It wasn't as though someone could not find their way to their destination on their own.

But what stood out most was the sheer size of the town. Most island villages weren't very large in her dimension. Maybe only two hundred Pokémon total lived on the island with some travelers coming and going throughout the seasons. But even from where she stood, she knew that there had to be at least two thousand living in this town. She realized now that she had underestimated how great her search would be. She might have traveled all over the ocean, but she had never needed to find a specific child in that time. She might have had a general idea that Abel lived here, but that did very little to help. There could be three hundred Shinx living in Cider Town for all she knew. If that was true, it could take weeks or months to find Abel.

And she didn't have weeks or months to spare.

Her hearts quickened as the reality of the situation sank in. She didn't know how Glace had found her two fragments if they lived in dimensions like this. This was akin to picking out a single Remoraid in a school of them. Had Glace simply wandered around the city and asked if anyone knew of a Tranquil named Yore? Or had she investigated each and every home until she saw a Noivern that she felt she knew before?

Jera regretted that she had never asked Glace that. It might have made for a less time-consuming search. But it was too late for regrets. Glace had gone off to find another fragment and it was very unlikely that Jera could ever pinpoint which dimension that Weavile had disappeared to. Jera would have to find Abel to the best of her ability.

She took in the daunting size of the city for a moment more, and then entered inside. She was relieved to find that moving along the dirt wasn't abrasive to her skin. It still felt unnatural against her suckers just like how sand always felt, but it was something she could tolerate. However, she did have to be cautious not to pull herself forward with her one tentacle that had been mangled by the Sharpedo. Most of the puncture wounds were closing up, but it still ached terribly whenever she tried to grab something with the tentacle.

As she crawled through the streets, she saw a few Pokémon giving her odd glances in the corner of her eye. No one made remarks towards her, but it still left her skittish. She felt completely out of place here on the land. The surface world was never meant for her kind. And unfortunately, the two fragments she had to find were both land-dwellers. As luck would have it, she was the only sea-dwelling fragment of them all. So no matter what fragment she could have volunteered to find, they would have all been just as difficult to find.

However, there was no time to complain and feel sorry for herself. She had brought this upon herself by offering to find the fragments for Glace. So, she resisted the urge to hide behind any rocks she passed by and kept moving forward.

She decided that the first place she should search was anything resembling a school. He was still a Shinx, so he imagined he was fairly young. While most children in her dimension were homeschooled, some of the larger islands had all of the children educated in a single building up to a certain age. With the sheer size of the town, she imagined that it had at least one school, maybe even two. At least, she hoped so. She didn't even know if this dimension had a concept of school. After all, they had no palm trees in sight and seemed to use flat, round metal as currency in the markets. Land culture was already different enough from ocean culture, but now she had to factor in potential differences in universe law…

Jera shook the barrage of troubling thoughts free from her mind. She couldn't worry about that right now. She needed to find a school. If she couldn't find one by the end of the day, then she could worry about just how different this universe was from hers.

She followed the dirt path for some time until it forked off into different directions. She chose the path on the left, and then followed this path, keeping a close eye out for anything resembling a school. She passed by a bank, a few vendors selling useless trinkets, a market stand selling seafood (which thankfully had no Remoraid or Octillery), and a strange business called a Post Office, but nowhere could she find Abel.

After what felt like an hour of wandering down the road, Jera was forced to take a moment to rest. Her arms were beginning to hurt. She had never traveled this long on land before. Quite fortunately for her, there was a strange stone structure holding water within itself nearby. She didn't understand the purpose of this odd stone and why most of it was carved to resemble a Milotic, but it didn't matter. She didn't hesitate to crawl into the basin-shaped bottom of the structure and sit in the water for a time. A Furret and Grotle passing by gave her an odd stare, but she ignored them and sank deeper into the water. Even though it wasn't salty, it helped moisturize her drying skin. She sighed contently as she lounged in the water.

She remained in the water for a few minutes, and then continued on her way. For another hour she followed the road, blindly following it deeper into the town. She still couldn't find any schools of any sort. At this rate, she was beginning to realize that she needed some direction. She could follow all of the roads in the town and while eventually they'd take her where she needed to go, it would waste too much time.

She stopped and noticed at a pair of Marshtomp eating at a table near where she stood. They seemed to be young adults, probably not much older than twelve or fourteen. Jera hesitated as her tentacles curled into knots. While no one in this dimension knew who she was, she still felt uncomfortable around adults. The amount of adults she felt at peace with was fewer than the number of tentacles she had. Adults could not be trusted with the secrets she held. Adults couldn't understand why she had to save children by any means necessary from other cruel adults. Adults were always the ones trying to stop her and kill her for daring to protect the children.

She glanced around, desperate for anyone younger. There was a middle-aged Flaaffy dusting the windows to a shop, a slightly younger but still very much adult Wartortle surrounded by similarly aged Prinplup all walking past Jera, an elderly Mienshao meditating near one of those odd water-filled stone structures, and a few other Pokémon whose species Jera didn't recognize.

Jera sighed dejectedly before making her way to the Marshtomp duo. The two finally noticed her presence and watched as she stopped in front of them. Jera squirmed in place as the two eyed her oddly.

"Um, hello there," one of them asked, a male. "Can I help you?"

"… where is the school…?" Jera asked sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," the same Marshtomp said. "Can you say that again?"

"The school…" Jera said again, painfully forcing the words out of her mouth. "Where is it?"

"Oh, well which one? Do you mean Jasper's or Angelius's?"

"… Jasper."

The Marshtomp pointed down the road, in the direction Jera had just come from.

"You go all the way down, and then once you see the post office, you make a left and follow it all the way down," he instructed. "It'll end right at Jasper's. You got it?"

Jera nodded, and then hurried away from the Marshtomp and into the direction he had indicated. She could still feel her hearts beating hard in her chest, and it was only when she had left them far behind could she no longer feel the pumping of her blood through her tentacles. She hoped she wouldn't need to talk to another adult in this dimension again.

She crawled down the road until she saw the post office, and then turned left just as suggested. The road went on for a ways, but now that she took the time to look, she could see a large building of sorts in the distance. She didn't hesitate to pull herself along a little faster, wanting to find Abel already.

Within a few minutes, Jera found herself before the great building, which turned out to be a school just as the Marshtomp had promised. It had a charming appeal to it with the walls being painted a rustic red and several open doors built into its front, as if welcoming all to enter. Built onto the roof inside of a small tower was an impressive bell, at least twice Jera's size. It still gleamed brightly in the daylight without a crack anywhere along its surface, clearly well taken care of over the years.

It was different from the schools of Jera's dimension. In her dimension, schools had a single building that one entered, and then the actual classrooms were outside. But with how massive this school was, Jera was fairly certain that the classrooms were inside the building. She had to admit that was a rather nice idea in case there was a nasty storm. She could remember some of the stories her children shared where gusts of wind would nearly knock them off their feet during lecture. Class would usually be cancelled if the storm was bad enough, but it still didn't save the children from having to endure the weather until that moment.

Jera hid behind a bush growing at the school's entrance and changed her skin color to match the leaves. Once she was concealed, she waited for the children to return home. She imagined that she wouldn't have to wait long. It was already past noon, and in her dimension, children were let out of school around this time.

She couldn't help but wonder what kind of child Abel was like. In this perfectly normal dimension, she didn't think there would be anything particularly special about him. She liked to imagine he was a quiet boy no older than three who had a difficult time standing up for himself. Every time someone made a cruel remark, he would shirk back and refuse to look at them in the eye. He would often hide during social activities and most likely only had one friend whom he was quite attached to. He'd be a pitiful little creature that Jera couldn't help but want to wrap up in all her tentacles.

He would make the perfect protagonist to a children's story, one that started off weak and frail and then becoming mightier than a Gyarados by the end. And in a way, he was. While she hesitated to call her circumstances anything resembling child-friendly, he was destined to save the day.

She only wished that he wasn't also destined to be erased from existence.

And more than anything, she wished he wasn't a child. She didn't know for sure that he was one. Maybe she had been incorrect to assume that because he was a Shinx, he was still a child. It was the one hope she had clung to in order to even get this far in her journey. However, something in her three hearts told her otherwise. They told her that yes, Abel was a child. She had been tasked to find this little Shinx and for the first time in her life, she would not be rescuing a child; she would be stealing one.

The ringing of the great bell snapped Jera out of her grim thoughts. She watched in anticipation as children of all species poured out of the school's doorway. There was a loud clamor of a hundred different conversations as the Pokémon walked past Jera. Someone wanted to go home as soon as possible because his mother always made pecha berry pie on this particular day. Another was bragging about how they had seen something called Legend of Red Greninja live somewhere far away. Yet another was gabbing about how a fellow classmate had accidentally shot a blast of water at the instructor and was promptly suspended for the rest of the day.

Jera filtered out the barrage of noise as she peered out from her hiding spot. She scanned the area for anything blue and yellow. Too many times she thought she saw someone resembling a Shinx, but upon further inspection, she'd see that they were nothing more than a Minun or Pachirisu. This happened at least twenty times and each mistake only made the jittering in her tentacles grow. By the time most of the children had left the school and only small groups trickled out every few minutes, Jera felt she would explode.

It seemed that she'd have to visit that other school the Marshtomp had mentioned. What had it been called again, Angela's? Or was it Angel's? She couldn't remember, and realized it didn't matter much. What did matter what that she'd have to find someone else who could point her in the right direction, and even then, she couldn't search the school until tomorrow morning. More than likely, any of the children attending the other school had gone home by now.

Her blood boiled over how much time she had wasted here. Worse yet, her skin was drying again. She needed to find a body of water soon or else her skin would begin cracking. Maybe it was best she sulked in the water until the next day too. She already missed the comforts of the vast and open sea and the cavern she once called home.

Jera slinked out of the bush and started down the road, but not before catching a flash of blue in the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze, expecting to see a lone Wooper skipping along.

Her hearts stopped when she saw that it was a Shinx.

He was walking alongside a Riolu, wagging his tail merrily as the two discussed a trip they intended on making in a few weeks. He didn't even notice Jera as he and the Riolu walked right past her.

The sense of familiarity struck Jera like a bolt of lightning. She had absolutely seen this Shinx somewhere long ago. She didn't know how, but somehow they had met. She imagined he was a child that she had considered saving, but saw that his family wasn't toxic to his well-being and let him be. His parents had been good Luxray. They only wanted was best for him and she remembered she could never pry him from their loving embrace even though they had-

Jera stopped herself before the thoughts spiraled out of control. No, she had never met this Shinx before. She was only feeling this way because he was exactly who she was looking for.

He was Abel, the fragment of this dimension.

Joy, relief, and regret attacked each of her hearts as the little Shinx walked further and further away from her. She had found him. Her day's work no longer proved to be fruitless. Out of all the Shinx she could have possibly come across in this town, she had been fortunate enough to encounter the very one she sought. She imagined the other fragments had found each other just as quickly.

However, now came the hardest part of her task. Now she had to convince Abel to leave his life and dimension behind and join her in finding the other fragments. If he were an adult, this wouldn't be as difficult. Adults were stubborn and often refused to cooperate with anyone, but Jera would have taken that over having to prematurely end a childhood. She would have rather forced herself to overcome her hesitance towards adults than steal a child from his perfectly happy and developing life.

Why did Abel have to be a child? Was fate this cruel as revenge for her altering the lives of so many children who were destined to suffer at the expense of their poisonous parents? Was this a twisted form of cosmic punishment?

Jera could clearly see Abel disappearing from view, but she couldn't will herself to follow him. Her tentacles remained stiff beneath her as she wallowed in the reality of her situation. She could let him go. She could pretend that she never saw him and let him live in peace. He seemed happy and to rip away that happiness from him…

No, maybe he wasn't actually happy. This had been the case with some children Jera had saved. She had seen a few children seemingly living good lives with their families along the beaches. They had laughed and played and were given all the attention and affection a child deserves. But then Jera would see the child again later in the night in their own homes and they would be crying into their beds, muttering about how mommy had spoken sickening words to them in secret.

Maybe Abel was just like those children. Maybe he was only appearing this cheerful and she would only see his true colors when he was home. If that were the case, then she would be saving him. This would be no different than all the other times she had taken children with her.

The million regrets swarming through Jera's mind settled down as she clung to this hope. It was an awful hope, a despicable hope that soured her hearts, but it was the only thought that made this situation better.

She followed after Abel and his friend. It didn't take long to catch up to them, and when she did, she made sure to stay a good amount of distance to avoid suspicion.

She watched the two of them stop at a vendor to purchase cheri smoothies before sitting to talk near that water-emitting stone carving they called a "fountain". She took the opportunity to soak in the water once again as they discussed everything they were to do during a trip. Apparently they intended to go somewhere called Treasure Town and planned to visit an explorer's guild. From there, they hoped that they could find favor from the Guildmaster and become apprentices after they finished school in a few months. Based on what she could gather, children of this dimension were required to attend school until the age of six, in which afterwards it was only optional to continue their education at a more advanced and prestigious establishment.

Abel and his friend, whose name was Hawthorn, favored the guild life over more schooling. They had been growing bored of school, and longed for the life of adventure and mystery that they could never have as mere school-settlers.

"I'm really hoping that they'll let us join," Abel said wistfully. "I know that we're just kids, but it's not like we want to do full on explorations just yet! And there's gotta be other kids in other guilds too! Do you remember if there were any at the Redwing Guild?"

"I don't think there was," Hawthorn said with a shake of his head. "But, they were only just passing through because they wanted to get to World Abyss. If they had any kids at the guild, I doubt they'd let them go with them there."

"That place is scary," Abel said with a little bow of his head. "I hear a monster lives at the very bottom. They say that it's got like these shadowy tentacles that grab you and suck out your soul."

"Yikes! I hope that we don't end up exploring places like that. I just want to go somewhere like Serenity River or Oran Forest."

"Me too. I'd only want to go to World Abyss if I was a big strong Luxray like Mom and Dad…"

"Are you parents still okay with us going to join the Wigglytuff Guild?"

"Yeah… they're still really worried I'll get myself hurt, but they're not trying to talk me about of it. Dad even got me a scarf that's supposed to protect me."

"Oh cool! Is it a Defense Scarf? I hear they make your skin tougher so it's harder for you to bleed!"

"He didn't say. I just know that it's red and it feels really soft like Cinccino fur."

"Well bring it to school tomorrow and I'll tell you what it is! Dad's always showing off his old scarves and orbs from his adventuring days. I bet it's just like something he's got."

The two finished their smoothies and headed on their way. Jera once again trailed them, mulling over their conversation. It seemed that Abel was quite happy with his life. He was nervous and a bit scared, but that was to be expected when making such a large, life-changing decision such as joining a guild. His parents, despite their unease, seemed to be good parents as well.

So then it truly would be cruel to steal the Shinx away from this world.

Yes, he needed to leave for the sake of the multiverse. If he didn't leave, everything would be destroyed and all life would cease to exist. Yet she still had to rip away his happiness in order to save countless lives across existence.

No, she thought once more. Maybe he's lying about how loving his parents are. Maybe he was hiding his unhappy family life from Hawthorn so the little Riolu wouldn't have to worry. That's how Topaz had been around his friends. He pretended to be a happy boy just like all the rest, never letting them hear a word about his troublesome relationship with his mother. It certainly helped he didn't really have much of a face thanks to being a Staryu, so his non-existent eyes never betrayed him.

It was the last thing Jera could cling to. It was the last selfish hope she had that would allow her to be a hero in this situation, a savior to the little Shinx. If Abel's parents truly were warm, loving parents… the narrative she weaved so desperately would shatter.

Abel and Hawthorn eventually went their separate ways, each heading home for the day. Jera continued to trail after the Shinx, still as silent as could be. Over and over in her mind she wished that awful wish, that his parents were despicable Pokémon. That by kidnapping him, she'd be saving not only the multiverse, but the Shinx as well.

She followed the Shinx up a hill where a number of houses stood. Every single one of them looked exactly the same, no traces of individuality to be seen. Yet somehow, Abel knew which one was his home. He held his tail high as he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Jera hurried to the window as fast as her tentacles would allow her. She felt her skin turning dry again, but tolerated the itchy sensation. She needed to observe Abel's home life the moment he arrived. Only when he fell asleep could she leave him be.

"Mom! I'm home!" he called out.

A Luxray emerged from a deeper part of the house and beamed softly at the little Shinx.

"Welcome home, sweetie," said the female Luxray, his mother undoubtedly. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yeah! We learned all about the berries and what kinds you should use when you're poisoned or when you're really cold," Abel said with a swish of his tail.

"And what berry do you use when you've been poisoned?"

"Pecha of course!"

"And if you're confused?"

"Persim!"

"And if you're feeling faint?"

"Orans! Or Sitrus if you have any!"

"Hmmhmmm, what a smart Shinx you are. Then again, I shouldn't be so surprised. You'll need to know all of your medicinal berries when you join the Wigglytuff Guild."

"Of course! That's why I'm making sure I pay attention real hard before I graduate. I want to be prepared when I join the Guild! I don't wanna feel like I'm dragging everyone behind."

"You'll be just fine, Abel dear. But please, don't be afraid to ask for help if you do feel overwhelmed or don't know the answer to a problem. No one expects you to know everything straight away."

Through the window, Abel smiled, but Jera knew it was a forced one. She recognized that smile from anywhere. It was the smile children gave when they wanted to please adults offering words of advice, but had no intentions of following those words. It was a placating smile.

Abel's mother thought the smile to be genuine however and purred softly. She approached the little Shinx and gave the top of his head a soft lick. Abel giggled and nuzzled his mother's leg, cherishing her warmth.

Jera slunk back down beneath the window. Yes, Abel's mother did seem to be a decent Pokémon. The Octillery saw no signs of toxicity in her personality. She seemed like a good mother. Yet, Jera knew looks could be deceiving. Sometimes the unhealthy dynamics began much later in the day or when both parents were present. It was too soon to judge. Maybe this seemingly good family life was a façade.

So the Octillery watched the family from the outside, stalking them as they went about the house. Part of her wanted to slip inside to get a better view of Abel, but she knew she couldn't risk it. Luxray had a good sense of smell; they'd sniff her out immediately. It was already a wonder they didn't spot her through the walls, considering their special abilities. Maybe the mother didn't even consider that a stranger was watching their every move, so she saw no point in using this power.

Jera continued to watch the family for the rest of the day. She did leave occasionally to soak in a pond mercifully close to the house, but otherwise kept a close eye on Abel and his parents. She watched as Abel separated from his mother and went to his room where he diligently completed his homework, answering questions on a piece of paper. What these questions were, Jera didn't know. She had never been able to read in all her life. After all, what was the point of being literate when you lived deep in the ocean?

The little Shinx studied studiously until it was time for dinner. He eagerly rushed back to his mother and joined her around a rather large, wooden table. Sitting upon the center of the table was a large slab of meat from a Pokémon Jera didn't recognize. Abel eagerly licked his lips as his mother tore off a chunk and set it before the Shinx.

"Ah, not yet," his mother said before Abel could sink his fangs into the juicy flesh. "We need to wait for your father first."

"Awww!" Abel whined.

"Be patient, Abel," his mother chided softly. "He'll be home at any moment."

"I hope so…" Abel pouted. "I'm starving…"

But his mother didn't relent, only giving the Shinx a knowing little smile. Jera half expected Abel to go ahead and take a quick nibble, perhaps when his mother wasn't looking, but the Shinx remained patient. He eyed the meat longingly, salivating heavily as he wagged his tail eagerly, but he didn't take one bite. He obeyed his mother's request without a word of protest.

A few minutes later, Jera heard the father's footsteps approaching. She quickly pressed herself to the house and shifted her colors, blending in perfectly. The Luxray pushed the door open and greeted his family. He seemed quite large for a Luxray and he carried himself tall and mightily like a king. To strangers, his appearance would strike fear into their hearts without haste and send wilds fleeing into their burrows or to the tops of trees. Yet to his family, he showed warmth in his eyes, easing away any intimidation they might feel. He was their protector.

At least, that was the impression Jera had of him.

"Ah, seems I've come home just in time for dinner," the father said with an eager smile. "Oh, is this Tauros meat?"

"Good nose you have there," the mother said with a flick of her tail. "I found it on sale at the market today. It's been some time since we've had such a good meal, so I didn't hesitate to buy it."

"Well thank you very much for such a delightful treat," he purred.

Abel eyed his father with a begging stare, slowly losing himself to the tantalizing smell of the meat. The Luxray picked up on this and laughed knowingly, softly shaking his mane.

"You've been waiting for me, haven't you?" the Luxray asked.

"Yes…" Abel said desperately, digging his claws into the table. "Mom said I had to wait for you to come home before I could eat…"

"Well, you've been a very patient boy then," the father said playfully. "Let's not keep you waiting any longer though, shall we? I already see the sparks erupting from your fur."

Abel sheepishly set his claws down and took a deep breath, calming the electricity crackling across his body. The father joined Abel and his mother, taking his place before the table. The moment he sat down, Abel sank his fangs into the Tauros slice before him and greedily tore off a chunk.

"It's soooooo good," Abel whimpered in pure ecstasy as he swallowed the meat. "We need to have this every night!"

"If you can give me five thousand coin a night, then certainly," his mother teased.

Abel dug into his meal, ripping and tearing into the Tauros gleefully. He was far too occupied to even realize his mother had even said anything, let alone was joking.

Jera watched from behind the window as the family ate together. They spoke of their day and of the mundane events that happened throughout it, such as spotting uncommon wild Pokémon on the way home or that a Drifblim Service was in development for air travel. It was mostly a talk between his parents, though Abel sometimes spoke, usually asking if he could be one of the first Pokémon to use the Drifblim Service or if they knew an answer to a homework question he had been stumped on.

It was a peaceful meal, one that reminded Jera of the meals she shared with her children back in her dimension. She'd remember how sometimes, during days she wasn't rescuing children, she would sit with them in the collective bedroom and they would all eat greenberry salads. As they sat around her, she would tell stories of the ocean and its beautiful but frightening vastness. She would tell horror stories of the Tentracruel hordes that roamed the deep waters and paralyzed any that dared swim near them and share the magnificence of Wailord pods swimming by her and how she would be in awe at their tremendous size. Sometimes she would even amuse them by saying she saw a glimpse of Kyogre, the great Leviathan that was the reason their world had so much ocean. They would always marvel at that the most.

Such happy times, those were. She couldn't help but wonder how the children were now, knowing they would never see her again.

No, no she couldn't think that. She couldn't worry about them or she'd return to them. She would give in to her weakness.

The Octillery desperately pushed away the thought as the family finished their dinner. Abel thanked his parents for the meal, then retreated for his room. His parents stayed behind at the table, taking the private time to be more affectionate to one another.

Jera would have spied on the family longer, but she had seen enough. She knew there was nothing left to see. If there was any semblance of toxicity in their family, it would have emerged at dinner time. Now was the time for the family to wind down. Jera imagined that Abel would probably fall asleep within the hour, considering his age and how much he had eaten.

She slowly peeled herself away from the house, her three hearts sinking deep into a dark pit. She now knew that Abel's family life was perfectly happy. She had searched and searched for any semblance of misery in his home life, but there was nothing. He was a happy little boy with a good, stable pair of parents.

Her worst fear had finally been realized.

For the sake of all the children she loved with all her hearts… she would have to ruin Abel's life.