Abel was looking forward to seeing Hawthorn again. He was able to obtain the red scarf his father gifted him and couldn't wait to see what the Riolu thought of it. He thought it might be a Defense Scarf, though Abel sure didn't feel safer when he wore it. His electricity did feel a little stronger though! He could probably knock a Pidgeot right out of the sky with one bolt thanks to the scarf! He'd love to see the look on Hawthorn's face when a roasted bird fell from the sky!
So the next morning, he could barely contain the sparks crackling through his fur when he left home wearing the scarf. He quite liked the way it felt and he also thought it made him look cool. None of the other kids had anything like it for whatever reason, so Abel would be the only one in class to be wearing such a nice accessory. He'd probably be the center of attention for the rest of the day.
Abel hummed a cheery tune as he trotted down the road to school, swinging his head and tail to the melody. Yes, today was going to be a wonderful day!
"Excuse me, little Shinx?"
Abel stopped humming and turned to find a strange, eight-tentacled Pokémon standing along the side of the road. He felt like he knew what species she was, but couldn't quite put a name on it. All he knew was that they lived in the water and usually didn't come into land towns, especially not this far away from the ocean. It would be more fitting for her to be in Treasure Town.
Not only that, but despite not knowing her species, Abel felt he had seen her before. He felt that somehow he knew her. Maybe she was a friend of his mom's? He couldn't quite find the memory, so it was all he could come up with.
The elderly Pokémon crawled toward the Shinx, letting him see that one of her tentacles was horribly maimed. It looked like it had been mauled mercilessly by a pack of Mightyena. Abel couldn't stop himself from grimacing at the sight.
"Oh, don't mind my tentacle," the stranger assured softly. "It's healing as we speak. It should be completely healed within a week or so."
"That looks awful…" Abel cringed. "What happened to it?"
"I was swimming in the ocean when a Sharpedo attacked me," she explained with a shrug of her arms. "I fended it off, but it still tore into my tentacle quite good."
Now that was a Pokémon Abel actually did know about. They were vicious, scary-looking creatures that could swim at astonishing speeds. The thought of having one maul your tentacle in the middle of the water with no one around to save you sent shudders down Abel's spine.
"Anyway, I called for you because I wanted to speak with you," she then said, snapping Abel out of his thoughts.
"Oh? Oh um, sure," Abel said with a slow nod. "Hey, have we met before? I think I know you."
"Yes, I'm a friend of your mother's," she confirmed. "My name is Jera, in case I forgot to tell you when I last saw you."
"Hi Jera. I'm Abel, in case I never said my name when we talked," the Shinx said with a swish of his tail.
His memories started coming back to him. Yes he had met this strange water Pokémon before. She had come over to visit his mother a few times, mostly to talk about boring grownup things Abel couldn't care less about. So whenever Jera came over, he would politely greet her and then go about his day, not paying her any mind.
"I understand that you are probably heading to school now, but do you mind coming with me for a short while?" Jera then asked. "I found something quite shocking and I needed your help taking care of it."
"Will it take long?" Abel asked as he pawed at the ground. "I really wanna see my friend and show him this awesome scarf my dad gave me… it makes me super strong and it looks really cool."
"Oh no, I only need you for a few minutes. Your friend will spend hardly any time waiting for you. Besides, what I have in store for you will make that scarf of yours quite boring in comparison!"
"Oh! Oh what is it? You have to tell me! Are you going to show me some X-Ray Specs, or… or a legendary? C'mon, tell me!"
"You'll see. You'll have to come with me if you want to see it."
"Okay okay, I'll come with you!"
The little Shinx followed the stranger away from school and into the more remote part of town, practically bouncing with every step. He could hardly contain himself. This day was just getting better and better! He'd make not just Hawthorn, but the whole class jealous of his little adventure. He figured it was a legendary that this elder Pokémon wanted to show him. Maybe it was a Celebi since Pokémon sometimes spotted them flittering out and about.
A tiny voice in the back of Abel's mind asked why he was following this stranger just then. It reminded him that he was never supposed to talk to strangers, let alone go with them anywhere. His mother had told him time and time again to be wary. Though most of the world was filled with good Pokémon, there were outlaws and dangerous Pokémon that would harm him. A chill went down his spine at the thought.
But Abel quickly pushed the warning out of his mind. He wasn't with a stranger; he knew Jera. There wasn't any reason to be concerned. Besides, she didn't look threatening and seemed to be a water-type. If anything bad did happen, Abel could give her a good zap.
Jera took Abel to the outskirts of town, where a great forest awaited them. It wasn't a particularly dense forest, but Abel was always warned never to venture in there at night. Mightyena and Umbreon supposedly roamed the woods and would eagerly snatch up a lone little Shinx without hesitation. Of course, it was fine to explore during the day. Abel liked to come here with Hawthorn sometimes and antagonize the many bug-types within, usually by throwing bolts or rocks at them.
The two left town and entered the forest. Now Abel really was suspecting that Jera was going to show him a Celebi. After all, all Celebi sightings were in forests. It was also said that Celebi tend to leave an egg behind whenever they visit… so maybe that was what Jera wanted to show him! Maybe she had found the mysterious Celebi egg and wanted Abel to help her with it! Sparks flew from the Shinx's fur as his imagination ran wild.
"Oh my, someone is quite excited," Jera said with a laugh.
"Of course!" Abel said with a grin. "I really want to see whatever this is! It's a Celebi egg, isn't it? It's one of those eggs they always leave behind whenever they visit!"
"Oooh, maybe," Jera cooed. "That would be quite the find."
Now Abel wondered what could be inside this mystery egg. Could it be a baby Celebi? He didn't know why a Celebi would just leave its egg behind, but he was sure there was a good reason. Or maybe the egg was just a random Pokémon from the future, like a Phanpy or a Pichu. Either way, this would be very exciting to see!
The two went deeper into the woods, now fully leaving behind town. Abel couldn't even see it when he looked back. However, he wasn't nervous. He was in safe company and though they were going pretty far into the forest, he'd make it to school on time. Jera had promised him that.
"If you really do show me an egg, can I take it home to Mom and Dad?" Abel asked. "They know more about eggs than I do."
"Oh, of course," Jera said. "We can't leave this egg here all by itself. That would be irresponsible."
Something changed in her voice then, but Abel couldn't pin what it was. She sounded… sad? Was that the right word?
"I just hope the egg is okay…" Abel said softly. "I bet it's cold and lonely. It needs a nest and cuddles. Mom always said eggs only hatch when they're loved very dearly by a Pokémon."
Jera didn't say anything and only continued crawling forward. Abel peeked around her to find that she was staring blankly ahead, as if in a daydream.
"Are you okay, Jera?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Abel… I'm just fine," she told him quietly.
She didn't sound fine, but Abel knew not to press harder. His mother always told him that was rude. If someone didn't want to talk about their feelings, you let them be. Sometimes Pokémon needed time to process their emotions before they were ready to talk.
The two arrived in the middle of the woods where a glade awaited them. Abel rushed into the clearing as he looked about for the Celebi or its egg, his tail raised high. He searched and he searched, checking behind all the rocks and fallen logs in the vicinity. He was persistent and steadfast, yet could not find anything. There wasn't even a trace of a Celebi being in the glade. The story always went that when Celebi visited a forest, it was rejuvenated. Flowers of every color would spring up, the grass would grow high above his head, and the trees would bloom with ripe fruits perfect for the picking. Sometimes there was even a faint, golden aura about the woods.
And yet, there was nothing special here. Abel thought he smelt a few Seedot close by, but he could hardly call that special. Every forest had Seedot.
"Jera, what did you want to show me?" he asked as he looked back at her. "I don't see anything here…"
Though she was looking toward him, Abel felt she was staring right through him. He frowned as he trotted over to her, perplexed by her attitude. Why was she being so quiet now?
"Jera?" he asked again.
"… I can't do this," she muttered.
Her words were quiet, but Abel picked up on them easily with his sharp ears. He swiveled his tail thoughtfully as he looked up to the elderly one with a confused stare.
"What are you talking about?" he asked innocently.
Jera curled her tentacles into knots as she stared up into the sky. Her eyes glazed over as she seemed to grow more and more lost in a daydream. Abel wondered if this was normal for older Pokémon. His mother had always told him that sometimes elderly Pokémon would stare off into the distance absently, lost in a strange stupor. She said that they'd get lost in their memories or thoughts and it would take them a while to return back to reality.
"The truth is… there is nothing here," Jera said vacantly. "There is nothing in this forest worth your time."
"Oh," Abel said, his tail drooping. "Then… why'd you say there was?"
"Because… I have a mission to fulfill, little Abel. A mission that involves you, quite unfortunately. Oh how I wish I could keep you out of this."
She looked down at him, that faraway gaze now brimming with somberness. Abel didn't quite understand what she was talking about, but knew not to interrupt.
"I have many children, you see," she told him. "I hatched none of them, but they are my children all the same. I nurture them and I care for them more than you could ever imagine. They are my world, my reason for being. Unfortunately… they're in great danger."
"What kind of danger?" Abel asked.
"A danger I'm afraid you and I can barely comprehend. A danger that spans many worlds, threatening each and every one of them. I saw myself just how horrendous this danger is, just how easily it is to smother out life. I saw it fall from the sky and crush every living being on that island… that monstrosity that had no mouth, yet still screamed as it killed all those children…"
Jera's tentacles quivered. She drew them into her body and squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds. Though her body no longer trembled, Abel could still see the dread in her eyes. He could feel it rolling off her in waves, making his fur stand up on end.
"You are part of a solution to stopping this danger," Jera then said. "A small part of something bigger, something that includes myself as well. I thought I could commit to this mission if I remembered how dear my children are to be. I thought I could convince myself that your happiness and livelihood didn't matter in the grand scheme of everything. And yet… I cannot. I look at you and I see you not as a fragment, but as a child. You're just like the ones I care for, the ones I've dedicated my entire life to."
Abel still didn't understand what Jera was saying, but he understood how she felt. He understood that her heart ached and that she wanted to do something terrible, but couldn't bring herself to do it.
"What is your mission?" he asked her.
"Ah, it's a very complicated situation, but I suppose I can explain it the best I can," she said with a deep sigh. "Do you know what a multiverse is?"
"Yeah, I see it in comics. They're… they're worlds that are like ours, but they're not, right?"
"Yes. They're worlds that are connected to ours. Every one of these worlds is unique so that not a single one is the same, like the snowflakes in the winter. Something is happening to these worlds, however. Something is causing them to all collapse on each other, destroying each and every one of these worlds. In order to stop this, special Pokémon are gathering together. They alone have the power to stop this calamity. I'm one of these special Pokémon, and so are you, Abel."
Abel was at a loss. He never really felt like a special Pokémon, but then again, that was how all the storybook characters felt when they truly were special. It was always something that they learned unexpectedly. Then their whole world suddenly took on a whole new meaning.
"I know it sounds peculiar," Jera then said. "I know I certainly had a difficult time believing it, but it's true. We are the only ones who can stop this disaster from happening."
"And… what exactly do we all do?" Abel asked curiously.
"… we'll use our power to stop the worlds from being destroyed. We all have to be together in order for that power to work."
Abel felt there was something off in her voice when she said that, but he didn't know how to address it. The Shinx looked to the sky and imagined many worlds far into the distance. He imagined all of these vast and numerous dimensions and all of the Pokémon that lived within them. He wondered just how many Pokémon existed in all of these worlds. Maybe there were a few billion. That seemed like a good number.
He wanted to believe this was all a prank Hawthorn had set up. It seemed too surreal to be reality. Yet he knew deep down that Jera spoke the truth. He didn't know why, but he trusted her. Despite speaking of such strange things, she had a warm and comforting aura to her. He didn't feel the least bit in danger when around her.
Abel knew that the calamity Jera spoke of would soon be upon this world and destroy his loved ones. Deep within his soul, he knew his happy days in this world were numbered. Before he could ever graduate school and join the guild like he always dreamed of, the calamity would strike. The calamity would take away his parents and Hawthorn. He would never see them again…
The very thought made the Shinx tear up.
"We… we can stop this from all happening though as long as we're all together, right?" he asked. "If we find everyone… will everything be okay?"
"Yes, that's right," Jera said with a nod. "The worlds will all be safe and sound."
"Then… I want to come with you," Abel said, standing tall. "I want to stop the disaster. I want to save all the worlds."
Jera seemed taken aback. It seemed she wanted to say something, but was unable to find the words. However, Abel didn't let that bother him. She said his world was in danger, didn't she? If he was one of the few that could save the world, then he would do anything. That was always what heroes did in all the stories he'd read. The heroes always did whatever it took to stop the bad guy.
"Your parents would miss you dearly," Jera then said. "I'm afraid they can't come with you on this journey… it's too dangerous for Pokémon that aren't special."
"Yeah… I figured. It's always like that in the stories I read. The hero can't have anyone with him on his journey."
"Yes, it's just like that. I'm sure you'd miss your parents, Abel. You would be gone for a long time…"
"I'd miss them. I don't wanna leave them, but if I don't do anything, they'll be in danger. And then they'll disappear, right?"
"Yes. They won't be around anymore if the worlds collapse on each other."
"Then I need to stop that. I don't wanna live in a world without Mom and Dad."
Jera made a strange sighing sound as she looked away from the Shinx. He didn't understand why she was being this way. He thought she wanted him to save the world. Why was she acting like it was such a bad thing to do that?
"Okay… if you want to save your Mom and Dad, then so be it," Jera said after a moment. "You can help me stop the disaster that's soon to come."
Abel smiled proudly. He wondered what grand adventures the two of them would have while searching for the other special Pokémon. She said there were many worlds, so maybe they would all be in those other worlds. He wondered what those other worlds were like. Did they have Pokémon there that he had never heard of before? Did the children there go to school like the ones in his world?
All of this made Abel's head spin, but before he could depart on his mission, he had something he needed to do.
"I want to talk to Hawthorn one last time before I go with you," he told Jera. "I want to tell him something."
"If you insist," Jera said, though not without some reluctance to her voice. "Do you want to speak with your parents as well?"
"Nah… I don't wanna see them get worried. I'll ask Hawthorn to talk to them after school."
"Alright…"
The two left the forest then, silent as could be as they made their way back into town. Abel took a good look at everything as he walked down the many streets with Jera. It would be sometime before he came home again. He wanted to remember it, to remember all the happy days and years he had growing up in Cider Town. He wanted to remember the bakery that had those delicious aspear pastries he sometimes got after school. He wanted to remember the pond filled with Goldeen that he loved to watch and sometimes swat at the little fish swimming by. He wanted to remember the library he would get all his books from and the little playground always swarming with children of all shapes and sizes.
He'd miss all of this. And yet, he wasn't too worried. He would come back. He would, and he would tell everyone of his great adventures in the other worlds and all the fantastical things he'd seen.
After a while, the two arrived at Abel's school. Jera quietly slipped into some bushes, leaving Abel to speak with Hawthorn alone. Surprisingly, school had still not started, though he knew his time was short. He probably only had a few minutes to talk before the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
There at the entrance of St. Jasper's sat Hawthorn, absently playing with the appendages dangling from his head. Abel had barely taken a few steps toward the Riolu when he was immediately spotted.
"There you are!" Hawthorn cried with a smile. "What took you so long? Class is almost going to start!"
"Sorry, I was a little busy with something," Abel said sheepishly.
Hawthorn then noticed the scarf tied around Abel's neck. He gasped as he pointed to it.
"Oh! I know what that scarf is!" the Riolu cried. "That's a Fierce Bandanna! So I guess it's not really a scarf, you're just using it as one…"
Abel wanted to continue this conversation about the bandanna. He wanted to ask Hawthorn exactly what it did since he was familiar with it. Yet, that was no longer important. He had other things to discuss with his best friend.
The Shinx sat down next to the Riolu and stared at him solemnly.
"Hawthorn, I've got something important to tell you," Abel started to say.
"Well it certainly sounds serious," the Riolu stated, his grin dropping. "What's up?"
"I'm going to go away for a while. Something bad is going to happen to this world and I'm one of the only Pokémon that can stop it. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I get the feeling it'll be a while. So… I'm not going to be able to join the guild with you."
Hawthorn started laughing then. He laughed heartily, like it was all just a big joke. He couldn't blame Hawthorn for thinking that; all of this did sound rather insane. But Abel kept his grave stare on the Riolu, waiting for him to realize that this wasn't a prank.
"Abel, what are you even talking about? The world's not in any danger."
"It doesn't look like it, but something bad is going to happen."
"And what exactly is supposed to happen then?"
"The worlds are going to collapse on each other and hurt everyone inside them."
"That sounds… pretty ridiculous, I'm not going to lie. That sounds straight out of a comic book."
Abel sighed. Maybe this was why Jera didn't seem so enthused about Abel talking to Hawthorn. Maybe she knew Hawthorn wouldn't believe a word he said. He could imagine how his parents would have reacted if he tried the same on them…
"I wish you'd believe me," Abel said glumly. "I thought you were my friend."
"I want to believe you, it's just… how am I supposed to? You're going on about how the world is going to end, but there's nothing happening. Not even any seers are saying anything about the world ending. How did you even find out about this?"
"Someone told me. She said she's one of the special Pokémon that could stop the disaster."
"That sounds really suspicious, Abel. I think she just wants to hurt you. Don't listen to her."
"She's not lying… she's telling the truth… something bad is going to happen."
Hawthorn sighed, exasperated. He seemed ready to give Abel a loud retort, but then his tassels levitated. He looked up toward the sky and Abel followed his gaze. A strange tearing sound rang through the air. A great hole opened up in the sky behind some faraway mountains, spilling forth a great plethora of ethereal colors. They churned and they swirled around one another, forming strange shapes of creatures the two had never seen before. The two even thought they saw a few of these strange beings drop from the rift and plummet into the lands far beyond.
"What is that…?" Hawthorn muttered, his voice quivering.
"I think… that's another world," Abel said quietly.
"What?"
"It's like I said; the worlds are collapsing on each other. I think that hole is from another world hitting our world. That's why it looks so weird…"
Hawthorn grimaced as he looked back at Abel. He nervously toyed with his paws as he slowly took in everything that was happening around him far too quickly.
"The world's going to end soon," Abel then spoke. "I'd take you with me, but it's too dangerous. It's something only special Pokémon can take care of."
"So you're going to leave. You're going to stop whatever's caused that hole to open up."
"Yeah. After I'm done talking to you, I'm leaving."
"And are you even sure you can stop whatever's going on? You're just a Shinx… I really doubt a Shinx could stop whatever's making all the worlds fall on each other."
"I don't know… but I've gotta try. And I won't be alone. There's some other special Pokémon just like me. We'll all work together to stop this world from ending."
Hawthorn buried his face in his paws. Abel thought he heard the little Riolu sniffling. Abel gently set a paw on the Riolu's leg, resisting the urge to cry himself.
"I'm sorry, Hawthorn. I know how much you were looking forward to graduating and joining the guild. I didn't think something like this would ever happen."
"You are coming back, right? After you're done saving our world… you're coming back home, right?"
"Yeah. I don't know how long it'll be, but I'll come back. And then we can go join the guild together, just like we wanted. It'll be like nothing even happened."
Hawthorn raised his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his arm. Abel looked up at the sorrowful Riolu with a sad gaze of his own, hoping that the Riolu would understand.
"Promise you'll come back," Hawthorn said. "Promise you really will come home and that nothing bad will happen to you."
"I promise. I'll make sure I come back safe and sound. I'm going to join that guild with you. Saving the world isn't going to stop me from doing that."
"Okay… good… that's… that's what I wanted to hear."
The Riolu hugged the Shinx tight, burying his head into Abel's temple. He felt Hawthorn's tears leaking onto the Shinx's cheeks. This time Abel couldn't stop himself from crying. The two cried together, mourning for their soon-to-be separation. They clung to each other, not even caring that other children were passing them by and giving them odd glances as they entered the school. They didn't even give the ringing bell any mind. All they could do was weep.
Jera watched the miserable children from afar, her hearts breaking at the sight. She had to turn away as they held each other, crying their little eyes out.
She had succeeded in her mission. She had found Abel and he would be coming with her to save the multiverse. And yet to do so... she had to ruin Abel's life. Not just his life, but the lives of all those connected to him. Because Abel's promise to Hawthorn was a lie; he would never come back home. Glace had never explicitly stated that they would always be their original self after every single fragment gathered together, but Jera had a feeling they would never go back to their old worlds. Jera would never be an Octillery again.
Of course, it was a lie Abel didn't realize was a lie. Jera knew she couldn't tell Abel the truth; it would be far too cruel not just for him, but for everyone that loved him. She only hoped he wouldn't discover her lie on their journey. She couldn't bear the thought of breaking his heart. She had already done enough to the little Shinx.
She stared off into the distance, watching the ethereal rift swirling around, remembering the awful creature that fell from it in her own dimension. She wondered if the same would happen here.
"I have to say Jera, I was looking forward to you kidnapping Abel. After all, that's what you're good at, isn't it?"
A jolt shot through Jera's three hearts. She brought her gaze to the source of the chilling, insidious voice to find a Banette standing by a tree nearby. He was just barely peeking out from behind the trunk, only letting Jera see half his face. This Banette, unlike normal ones, didn't seem the least bit doll-like. He looked more like an actual ghost with his form having a wisp-like appearance. His zippered mouth was turned up into a sadistic grin.
His ghoulish red eye looked familiar. She couldn't say how, but she had seen that eye before. She knew she had. Did that mean he was a fragment like her…? Was that why she felt she knew him?
"But alas, you convinced him to join you," the Banette went on, "albeit with lies… oh I certainly hope for his sake someone doesn't tell him what will really happen when all of you Yog-Sothoth spawn join back together… the poor boy's heart will shatter."
"Who are you?" Jera asked, hiding her unease behind a stern voice. "Are you also a fragment?"
"No, I'm much more than a mere spawn," the Banette assured with a cackle. "I suppose you could say I'm… a narrator."
Jera didn't like that. The Banette seemed to sense her dread and smiled a little wider.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said chillingly. "No, I just like to observe all of you from afar and make sure that all is going well. Though, I'm not opposed to offering my assistance when any of you begin to falter…"
"I don't need your help," Jera stated firmly. "I'm doing fine. If you really are watching me from afar, then you would know I only have one fragment left to find before I've done my part in all of this."
"Oh yes, I know. You've proven yourself quite capable. I have no concerns about you. I only find your situation rather amusing. Ketetet… you have spent your entire mortal existence deluding yourself, painting your narrative so that you are a savior instead of a kidnapper. Now you are actually stealing away Pokémon from perfectly good homes, all in the name of saving the worlds… how very, very amusing it is, watching you squirm and writhe as you struggle to keep up your narrative that you are a good Pokémon."
Jera had enough. She shot a glare at the Banette, though his ominous stare hardly faltered. She even thought she saw his eye glimmer gleefully.
"Go away," she spat. "I don't want to see you again."
"Very well, Jera. Have it your way… just know that even if you think you are alone, you never truly are. I am always watching you the way a father dutifully watches over his children. I am always watching you endlessly struggle as your delusions and platitudes fall apart before your very eyes."
The Banette's face then disappeared behind the tree. Jera crawled up to the tree and looked behind it, only to find that the ghost was nowhere in sight. She felt shivers go down her tentacles. She could still hear his cryptic words echoing within her mind. She didn't remember Glace ever mentioning a strange Banette following all of the fragments around. It sure sounded like something the Weavile would have mentioned, considering how unsettling the ghost was. Not only that, but why had the Banette been calling them spawn instead of fragments?
"I'm done, Jera," came Abel's voice from behind.
The Octillery turned around to find the Shinx approaching her. His eyes were still red from crying, but he seemed fine for the most part. She gingerly drew nearer to him.
"Were you able to say goodbye to your friend?" she asked.
"Yeah… I did."
"And did you tell him to say goodbye to your Mom and Dad for you?"
"Yeah. He's going to tell them after school ends. I hope they won't be too sad."
"Well, you're coming back eventually, so that should make them feel a little better."
Jera could taste her own lie. She hated lying to him like this. She hated taking him away from his world. It was for his own sake and for the sake of all the dimensions, yet she couldn't entirely justify it in her mind. She knew it was wrong. She knew all of this was wrong.
But what other choice did she have?
"Let's go, Abel. We have another special Pokémon to find in another world."