Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Shadows of Ganderosa

Chapter 44

The Next Step


Dillan lied in the darkness, recalling the events of yesterday. He was just as shocked then as he was now that no one even came close to attacking them. Finding Judah's ship was easy. No one would have spotted them down in that cave. But when they began sailing away from Jarondai and nothing happened, something seemed wrong. It felt like needles in his throat, never allowing him to rest. Even now he knew that they were out of imminent danger, but his gut said it was too easy to be true.

Maybe I should just relax… I mean, Fitz thinks it's because our escape route was made to keep Judah safe in case of an attack. Escaping without anyone knowing was what it was built for… She's probably right… but why can't I shake this feeling that it was somehow… wrong?

These thoughts all led the gabite to a single conclusion, and it was one he didn't want to confront. So, he set his mind back to the "why"s and "how"s of their escape, postponing the inevitable question he was ignoring: was Ryan was telling them everything? Or was it that, even as they sailed, he was in league with Giratina?

"Hey…" Hazel's voice called out.

Dillan opened his eyes and looked around the wooden cabin. He was currently lying in a wool-stuffed bed which rested along the back wall. Next to his bed was a desk with drawers stuffed to the limit with quills and bottled ink. At the opposite side of the room was an open doorway with a worried-looking charmeleon standing there.

"Do you have a minute?" the charmeleon asked, sounding very concerned.

"Y-yeah…" Dillan said, sitting up straight on the bed's edge. He shimmied left to make room for the charmeleon who sat next to him. One of her paws was busy gripping her own tail out of a sort of nervousness. Her other paw was rested on her left knee. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Hazel began quietly, trying to find the words. "I… feel…" The charmeleon gave a small sigh before continuing. "I mean, I didn't want to think about it before now… because we had to get away… But the past month of our lives were for nothing. Ryan wasn't captured… We were looking in all the wrong places for him. I mean, we were even going to start looking on the other side of Ganderosa for the smallest clue. And after everything, he was with the Guild the whole time…" The charmeleon's tendons bulged from her arm as she began squeezing her tail. "And then there's the Guild itself… I spent my entire life trying to become a part of it… I gave up so much to be the best explorer in Ganderosa: the best explorer I could ever be." She chuckled a sad sort of chortle that made Dillan's heart ache for her. "My friends abandoned me for the Guild… but I didn't ever think twice. I didn't quit because I thought it was something worth fighting for."

"I know…" Dillan said with as much sympathy as he could muster. To be honest, he didn't know what else to say. Hazel was obviously looking to him for advice, maybe as a shoulder to cry on, but he had almost no experience with something like this. All he could do was think of something to say, hoping that it would resonate with him personally to give the charmeleon words that came from his heart.

"My father sacrificed whatever relationship we had just so I could be the best… And not even that was true. He did it so I could fight Judah: to fight the Guild. My dad was…" She choked on those words for merely a second. "He was right all along… Judah was the bad guy…" Hazel paused for a few seconds while she stared at the floor with a furrowed brow. "Why are we even running?" Wait… Dillan looked towards Hazel with confusion in every muscle in his face. Is she talking about… quitting? "This is his country, and he has all of its resources to hunt us. He'll find us whether we like it or not… It's only a matter of time, and Reya knows it. She keeps saying-"

"Hey," Dillan interrupted as he gently set his claw on the charmeleon's hand. She looked up at him with surprise. "Don't listen to Reya. The Enemy did some messed up things to her. They pushed her to her breaking point, and that's the only reason she's saying things like quitting."

"But what if she's right?" Hazel questioned. "What if there's no hope for us? What if fighting is only going to get us killed in the end?"

"Then at the very least we tried," Dillan said, pushing on her hand. "At least…" He looked towards the open doorway, trying to think of something to say. "At least we didn't lay down and let the world get sacrificed so some freaky-devil-thing can have whatever he calls peace."

The charmeleon watched him with a gloomy look to her eyes. Then, she made a sad sort of smile. "I still don't understand how you can be so hopeful, even after what's happened to us."

Dillan smiled back, though he knew what she took for hope was just him trying to help a friend. The feelings in his heart were still the same as they were yesterday: he was still looking for answers through his own confusion.

Dillan tried to think of some comforting words to share with his friend, but nothing else came to him. The two pokemon sat in their own silence while the smell of the sea lingered in the air. Of course, there was the occasional sound of a wave slapping the ship's side, but Dillan found it to be calming.

"You know," Dillan began, switching gears with a small smile on his face. "I've never told anyone this, but… I love the ocean."

Hazel smiled brightly at the gabite. "Really?" she asked.

"There's something reassuring about it," Dillan said, trying to explain his own thoughts. "I don't know… I had a dream once about being on a beach. Someone in the dream told me that I wanted to escape from all my problems by taking a boat on the ocean. Maybe it makes me feel free."

"Funny to think about," Hazel said.

Dillan looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "What is?" he asked.

Hazel saw his look and smiled, this time being one of a brighter nature. "I didn't mean anything by that." She looked away from Dillan nervously. "Just thinking of you wanting to run away… It doesn't seem like you at all. I mean, I've always known the Dillan that meets his problems head-on, regardless of his fears."

Dillan didn't say anything, unsure of what she was getting at. Is that me? I mean, I always thought I was a coward… But maybe she's right… In that moment, he became very aware of the fact that his claw was still on the charmeleon's hand. Oh…The blue in his cheeks became a sort of purple. He was probably getting too close to the charmeleon. I mean, they were teammates. He removed his claw and stood up. He didn't want things getting awkward.

"I think I'll go check up on the others," Dillan said calmly, still wearing his smile.

"Dillan." The gabite looked around towards the charmeleon. Her cheeks were a bright red, and she wore a nervous smile. "Thanks… for cheering me up."

Dillan nodded. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah!" the charmeleon said with a bright smile. "I think I'm going to get some sleep."

"One last thing," Dillan said. "Has Fitz told you when we're supposed to hit shore?"

"Nope," Hazel stated, laying her back on the bed. "She hasn't said a thing to anyone, unless you count random orders she's shouted at me to keep the ship moving."

Dillan gave a disapproving huff. "Right…" he said slowly, trading his smile for a scowl. "I still don't know why she's such a jerk…"

"Your personalities don't mix," Hazel shrugged. "And it's not like she's the first pokemon to hate you for it."

Dillan remembered Dean the Machoke's attitude towards him. Just as great as Fitz'… Maybe they're long-lost siblings?

"You should hurry," Hazel said. "The sun's almost down, and I don't think Fitz is going to sail in the dark."

"Right…" Dillan said. He walked towards the doorway and waved to Hazel. As she waved back, Dillan walked out onto the ship's main deck.


(Labensian Territory: Labensian Ocean)

Dillan walked along the wooden, main deck, observing the ship in all its splendor. On the first deck, there were three masts that jutted up down the center of the ship all in a row to hold up the three main sails. There was a gangplank at the side for boarding the ship. There were also rails with a vine pattern etched into the dark-brown wood.

To either side of the gabite was a set of stairs leading up to the ship's top deck where the steering wheel sat. Behind the wheel was a wall with a three-dimensional design of a dragonite's face engraved in the wood. Fitz was on that deck, observing the ocean as vigilantly as she could. Despite her strong opinion that this was an escape route and no one would follow them, she seemed to act as though an attack could come at any time, insisting that she was the only one who could be trusted with the helm.

To the front of the ship was nothing special. Just the wooden spear-like nose that Dillan still couldn't figure out the use of. Was there some massive monster that needed to be skewered on the end, making a massive shish-kabob? Very unlikely, which is why Dillan questioned its need. Maybe it was solely to support the wooden milotic that hung off the front of the ship. He wasn't sure. Whatever the wooden pole was for, Ryan seemed to use it as a seat. He was probably isolating himself from the rest of the crew and their accusations.

Dillan knew no one trusted him. Even the gabite found it hard to do so. There were still unanswered questions about him, leading to uncertainty. Why would he join the Enemy to begin with? Every reason he gave seemed to be something that Ryan considered his second-time around the bad block. So, what about his first? He was hiding something, and it made Reya especially suspicious.

The gabite shook that thought from his mind and walked up the stairs to his left. Upon reaching the upper deck, he found Reya was laying on her back, resting her head against the wooden wall to the back of the ship. Her closed eyes and lack of a reaction to the gabite's presence made him assume she was sleeping. In front of the gardevoir stood an annoyed-looking hakamo-o who steered the ship. The gabite looked towards Reya with worry. She looked even worse than before. The gabite couldn't believe how much energy she had while they escaped. He would have assumed Reya's state had made her unable to give such a performance, but she pushed through just as hard as the rest of them. Seeing as she had been here sleeping for a good majority of the time, trying not to move too much, she pushed herself too hard to escape.

"So," Fitz began, not looking away from the gold-tinted horizon. "Did you need something?" To Dillan's surprise, the pokemon didn't seem as snippy with him as she was earlier that day. Escaping from death seemed to be a good attitude adjustment.

"I… just wanted to know where we were going from here," Dillan said slowly. "You haven't really told anyone."

"I told Reya," Fitz said, eyeing the gabite with a scowl.

"That… really doesn't help the rest of us."

Fitz stood there for a few seconds before stating flatly, "You don't want to know."

"Well… I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Fitz sighed in frustration. "Do you honestly think you have what it takes to save this country?" she questioned.

Dillan was confused. "How does that have to do-"

"You, human, are a sniveling coward, a pushover, and in no way are you a hero. I honestly have no idea why The Enemy even considered you humans a threat in the first place."

"Because they are the only ones who can use the Sapphire Star," Reya said from her wall, not opening her eye or facing the talking pokemon.

"I thought you were taking a nap," Fitz grumbled.

"What do you have against humans?" Dillan asked Fitz without anger. Even though he was getting frustrated with this mouthy pokemon, he didn't think being short with her would get him the answers he wanted.

"Her reason is unimportant," Reya stated simply. "Although, I do think you both should try and get along."

"Us both?" Dillan asked. Why is she acting like it's my fault Fitz is a jerk?

"You both have a long journey together if you hope to save this world," Reya said.

"I have no intention to get involved," Fitz said defiantly, eyeing Reya irritably. "I was only making sure the Enemy did not win this one time. Once the Sapphire Star is safe and I know where Valery is, I plan on taking her and leaving Ganderosa."

"No," Reya said forcefully. Dillan looked towards the gardevoir who sat forwards from the wall, eyeing Fitz. "We both know that my master wants to keep Valery close to him, which means she'll remain in Ganderosa."

"W-whatever," Fitz said coldly, yet flustered by what Reya said. "I am still leaving this dreadful fight."

"You're seriously going to abandon the country?!" Dillan asked in shock. Is she really this self-centered?

Fitz looked back towards the ocean, scowling at the sky-line. "This is your fight," she said unfeelingly. "My only concern is with survival."

Dillan shook his head. He couldn't believe she was talking about abandoning them. After escaping Jarondai, she was more of a hag than he originally thought.

"In three days' time, we will hit land and travel to Snow-Point Mountain," Reya said. "That's where you'll meet them."

"Them?" Dillan questioned.

"If they did not tell you who they were before-hand," Fitz said. "Then I am most certainly not saying a thing."

"Are they that secretive?"

"I can tell you this:" Reya began. "Even while you and the Sapphire Star are out of The Enemy's hands, him and his followers still remain a threat. I want you to meet the ones who are trying to stop this insanity from occurring. One of the pokemon I am referring to is my current master."

"Why are you taking me now?" Dillan questioned. "After all this time, what's truly changed?"

"Understand this," Reya began. "My master is a pokemon who hates for things to go differently than originally planned. This meeting will contradict his vision of the future, but I feel that he has lost his understanding of how close The Enemy is to destroying this world.

"As such, I feel it is necessary to meet with him directly to discuss what we do next."

"What do you mean by that?" Dillan asked.

"We were too close to defeat. I think it's time we all discuss the next step to winning this war and ending The Enemy's threat to Ganderosa once and for all."

"Why go through all of this trouble?" Fitz questioned. "To further indulge in the asinine idea that this gabite is a hero?"

"Like it or not, he was chosen to save our race."

Fitz smiled as she shook her head defiantly. "Like it or not, he is still a coward. Placing your trust in him is a mistake."

Reya gave a small laugh before she closed her eye and rested her head along the wood. "It is true that he is different from any normal hero. But that might be exactly what we all need right now."

"Sweet Maxamillian Armadine, woman!" Fitz complained aloud. "Not one more word about him being such a great pokemon!" She looked at Dillan with a snarl before shouting, "And you! Just… get off my deck!"

A part of Dillan wanted to tell Fitz off, though a bigger part of him knew that she would probably blast him off the side of the ship should he stay. Besides, he found out exactly what he came for. This was the perfect excuse to get away from the psycho-dragon lady.

Dillan walked down the stairs to the main deck where he stopped, looking towards the front of the ship. As he stared towards the wooden pole extending towards the open sea, he watched the pachirisu. Various emotions began to swirl within him. Betrayal, frustration, anger, and strangely enough, relief. There was a part of him that was thankful Ryan was safe yet frustrated himself for feeling that way.

He didn't know why his legs pulled his reluctant mind towards Ryan. There was a small part of him that wanted nothing to do with the pachirisu, yet there was also a part of him that yearned for the old times they spent with each other. Maybe, somewhere beyond the negative feelings, he still believed that they could go back to what it used to be.

"Hey…" Dillan said reluctantly from the edge of the ship, watching Ryan as he continued to sit on the small beam keeping him from plummeting into the torrent below.

"I didn't think you guys were talking to me," Ryan flatly stated, not turning to face Dillan.

"I could say the same," Dillan said, rubbing the base of his arm uncomfortably with his claw.

"Why are you here?" Ryan asked.

"I… don't really know…" the gabite said as he looked towards the wood below his feet. "Maybe… I want to know what you're not telling me. I mean, we all know you're still hiding something from us… and maybe that's why-"

"No." Ryan finally turned to Dillan, wearing cold scowl. "That's not why you guys hate me."

"I don't hate-"

"Yes, you do," the pachirisu insisted. "I've seen the way you and Hazel look at me, and it isn't the first time I've gotten that look." He turned back towards the sea before sighing. "I get it. I left you guys, and it really hurts. But I've already told you why I left."

"Because we were in danger doesn't cut it," Hazel said from behind. Dillan turned around quickly, jumping from the sudden entrance of the charmeleon. She didn't meet Dillan's eyes and was instead scowling coldly at Ryan.

"You still don't understand how powerful Thalia is," Ryan said coldly.

"That's not your reason, and you know it!" Hazel insisted.

"How does that work?" Ryan questioned in disbelief.

"Did you know about Thalia before we went after Team Armageddon?"

"Yeah!" Ryan shouted. "So?"

"If you really wanted to protect us," Hazel shouted. "Then you would have told us about her when she attacked the first time! That would have kept us out of danger! But you didn't say a thing, and I can't think of a reason why!"

Ryan merely breathed on his perch, not saying a thing.

"Ryan?" Dillan insisted.

"No one wants the truth," Ryan said flatly. "It's cold and bitter, and it isn't what you really want."

"Why do you get to decide that?" Hazel asked blatantly. She tilted her head forwards and began reaching for the knot at the back of her scarf. "You don't care about us, so what gave you the idea that you know what we want?

"Dillan and I both sacrificed our time for you: that's time we could have spent helping pokemon in need. We thought finding you before you were killed was more important. That's caring about someone!" She put her scarf into the sky and watched it wave for a few seconds. Dillan's heart dropped, realizing what she was going to do.

"Hazel-" Dillan began, but he was too late. She let the scarf float above her fingers and into the sky. Her eyes began swelling up with tears as she looked towards the ground.

"Guild Master Lawrence once told us that we brought each other happiness, and that's why we should call ourselves Team Rapture! But all you've brought to Dillan and me is betrayal and hate! So, Team Rapture ends on this sea."

"Neither of you believe that," Ryan said. "Both of you think our team ended back at the Alkan Guild."

"You don't get to say what we think!" Hazel snapped, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shouted. "You don't get to say anything but the truth, and you won't give it to us! So just shut up!"

The charmeleon quickly turned on her heels and stormed off towards the back of the ship, leaving Dillan feeling even worse than ever.

"If you have something to say to me, say it," Ryan said. "If not, I want to be left alone."

"How can you treat her that way?" Dillan asked in disbelief. "She was your friend!"

"She wanted to know something that won't help anyone," Ryan said, scowling at Dillan through the corner of his eye.

"If you would just tell us-"

"That's not true!" Ryan insisted through gritted teeth. "Nothing I can do will make you guys feel any less mad or frustrated or betrayed! And if you find out, you'll hate me!"

"I won't hate you!" Dillan snapped.

"How can you be so sure?" Ryan questioned.

"Ryan!" Dillan snapped. "I won't hate you!"

"No!" Ryan roared. "Just stop acting like we can be friends if I tell you my secret! And don't tell me that you won't hate me!"

The pachirisu looked at Dillan for a few seconds before swinging over the side of the pole. Dillan's heart stopped, and he ran towards the edge of the ship, looking over the side. He merely caught a glimpse of a white, fuzzy tail – not falling, but slithering down the front of the ship towards the back of the milotic.

"Ryan?!" Dillan shouted over the side.

"I'm done!" Ryan shouted up from his perch, sounding on the verge of tears. "Just go away!"

"Please, just tell me-" Dillan pushed.

"Go away, Dillan!" Ryan shouted.

But… Dillan hung his head. Ryan was obviously trying to get as far away from him as he could. He wasn't going to say anything else. So, Dillan began walking towards the back of the ship in defeat, knowing that he couldn't get any more information from the pachirisu.

What could he be trying to hide from me? And why does he think I'll hate him over it? Sure, I'm frustrated with him, but helping me understand is the only way it would get better… So why won't he talk to me?

Dillan started thinking about what could possibly be so bad that he wouldn't share it. Multiple possibilities rushed through his mind like water through a pipe. Yet every thought that passed by, the more frustrated he was that the gabite wouldn't talk with him. Eventually, he just shook his head in defeat. This is only making me mad... It isn't helping me in any way. Just calm down… Yet he couldn't get his mind to relax. All the possibilities were killing him. All he could do was walk to the edge of the ship, listen to the waves, and ponder what exactly Ryan was hiding from him.


Three days had gone by before they landed on the Alkan Territory's soil: three days of uncomfortable feelings from every pokemon on the ship. When they hit Ganderosan soil, the group wasted no time readying themselves before departing for the mountain ahead: Snow Point Mountain. If Reya was right, that's where Dillan would meet whatever "good guys" this country had, though he wasn't enthusiastic. Why should he be? As far as he could tell, these pokemon had very little interest in effectively protecting the Sapphire Star, therefore didn't care about Ganderosa. Yet here they were putting their faith in strangers: possibly ones strong enough to have brought him into this world.

There wasn't much conversing from there on out. Despite best efforts to remain positive, all he could feel was confusion and depression. Hazel seemed depressed by the events leading to today, as well. She dragged her feet sadly across the dirt as they walked. Dillan wished he could at the very least act convincingly to brighten her spirits, but he was afraid it would come off as fake.

Other than Hazel, Ryan was still moping around, Fitz wasn't very sociable, and Reya seemed intent on watching Ryan until they arrived at their destination. All in all, it made for a very quiet and uncomfortable day's journey.

By the time the group had reached the mountain-side, the sun was setting. On the side of the mountain was a cave that led into a passageway with a wide-variety of crystals littering every wall. Coming into this place once more brought back memories of the horrors he endured on day one of his Ganderosan life.

Is this where Reya's boss lives? It was ironic to Dillan that this was where his journey in the pokemon world began. Maybe he was supposed to find this place of his own volition when he first woke up yet didn't because of Arlon's intervention.

"The door…" Hazel said slowly, a look of recognition dawning. "Fitz, when we were last here, Valery wanted to show us a door.

"Yeah," Fitz said. "That door is our reason for being here."

"Then the door leads to your leader?" Dillan asked, the conversation prodding at his own curiosity.

"It's more of a dimensional gateway rather than a door," Reya corrected. "As to where it leads, let me assure you both that it isn't a place as much as it is a different level of existence."

"A… what?" Dillan asked. He turned towards Hazel who seemed just as confused as he was.

"Way to be confusing…" Ryan grumbled from behind the gabite.

"If you have a better explanation," Reya suggested, though they all knew Ryan wasn't about to give one.

"Anyways," Fitz began. "Once we get to the door, Dillan is going to have to touch the Sapphire Star to it."

"Why?" Dillan asked.

Fitz sighed in annoyance. "Because," she stated, not saying any more than that.

"We should be arriving shortly," Reya stated.

Silence followed a few more minutes of walking before the pokemon reached an end to the passageway. The group walked into a massive room that stretched skywards for about twenty feet. In front of the group sat a door that was so humongous, it would give Jarondai Castle's doors a run for its money. Half of the door was encrusted with a large assortment of navy-blue crystals while the other half of the door was covered in what appeared to be purple gemstones. In the middle of the purple crystals was a filled oval of orange gems. On the opposite side, centered between the navy-blue crystals, sat a massive array of light-blue crystals which formed the shape of a star. Upon seeing this mural, Dillan's claw drifted downwards to the Sapphire Star. Both Hazel and Dillan's faces lit up with wonder at seeing this work of art.

"How has this gone untouched?" Hazel questioned.

"The door is hidden to anyone my Master doesn't deem worthy."

"This place is sort of like a mystery dungeon," Fitz said. "The two pokemon who use this cave can make this door findable to those they trust, yet it is also hidden to those they do not."

"Let's just get this over with…" Ryan said shortly, looking to Dillan. He obviously wanted the gabite to use the Sapphire Star.

Seeing as he had no reason not to, Dillan walked closer to the door. He was inches away before he stopped. He removed the crystal from his neck and pressed it to the door. Almost immediately upon contact, the Sapphire Star flashed a bright blue. The blue crystals ahead flashed in unison, as if reacting with the Sapphire Star. Dilan watched the door with wonder. But the light was all that happened.

Dillan was confused. He waited a good ten seconds, but the door didn't make any signs of movement. Is it supposed to- That's when the Sapphire Star's light grew with the light from the door, creating rays of a blue, blinding glow. The sound of a tuning fork began blasting throughout the room, putting a massive amount of strain on Dillan's mind. The gabite slapped his fins to either side of his head to try and block the sound as he squinted to shield his eyes. Even though he was trying his best to keep the attack on his senses at bay, it wasn't working. It was almost as if it wasn't coming from outside of his head, but inside.

"What in Ganderosa?!" Dillan shouted over the blaring noise. But as soon as he finished his sentence, it all stopped. There was darkness in his eyelids and silence in his ears. Wh… What?

"Open your eyes," a proud voice beckoned.

"Who…" Dillan said, but he immediately recognized the voice from his dreams. He opened his eyes quickly, expecting to find the blue glow of that creature who had spoken to him in his dreams of the past, but instead found himself on an enormous, circular platform that was about one hundred feet in diameter. Columns shot up from either side the gabite in an orderly fashion. The floor below him was a white and grey marble. The strangest thing was there was no walls or ceiling. Instead, there was a vast sky stretching out as far as the eye could see with clouds that were barely lower in altitude than the circular platform he was currently on. The entire group was here, as well.

"Where are we...?" Hazel asked in awe.

"Reya!" a new voice Dillan didn't recognize snapped.

Upon looking forwards, Dillan was very shocked he didn't notice the two massive pokemon who floated in the sky before them: a blue one on the left while a white one to the right.

The right pokemon was a white, bipedal creature that Dillan guessed reached about sixteen feet. The pokemon's body was plump, yet it didn't seem that way due to fat as much as raw muscles. The reason Dillan knew it was muscles was the bulbous legs which seemed to permanently squat down. Its feet were flat and spread out a good distance. The white being was hunched over, yet it seemed to be natural to whatever species this was. The pokemon had multiple stripes of purple on the heels of its feet, trailing from the waist to the tip of its tail, and around the collar bone to jut up towards the middle of the neck like a mountain in the white. The pokemon's shoulders seemed to be massive disk-like pauldrons with smooth, circular, orange crystals set in their centers. Its arms hid behind the circles and only came out at the elbows yet disappeared one more behind gauntlets on the arms. Behind the shoulder-blades were a set of what appeared to be paper-thin, white wings, yet the pokemon didn't seem to use them to float. The neck was long, probably making its way towards the group in front of it at a twenty-degree angle. Its head seemed to be shielded by a knight's mask, yet red irises could be seen glowing beyond what Dillan would only guess were either shadows turning the eyes black or they looked that way regardless. It made Dillan shudder, reminding him of Jake… or Giratina.

The left one was a quadrupedal pokemon who stood at nearly twenty feet. It was a navy blue with multiple shining, light-blue lines slithering its way across its body. What appeared to be a Chinese fan with jagged ribs between the thin layer of white skin rested just above the pokemon's haunches. Its neck was like a giraffe's but with white plates jutting out from the back and a light-blue line making its way up to the side of its face. The back of the pokemon's head jutted backwards into the air while the front looked very much like its compatriot's knight-like face. It even had the glowing, red irises on its black eyes. The one thing that seemed to resonate with the gabite was the chest-plate on the pokemon. It was very smooth yet mirrored the pokemon's fan in color and roughness. Spires emerged from the sides of the pokemon's chest-plate and made their way above its front legs to the sides. Yet resting in the center of the pokemon's chest was the one thing that caught Dillan's eye more than anything else; a massive chunk of crystal that mirrored the Sapphire Star in every way except shape was imbedded in the chest-plate.

"Oh my gosh…" Hazel barely managed to utter. Upon inspection of the charmeleon, she was enamored with these pokemon. In fact, Fitz seemed to be in awe just the same. He couldn't say he was the same way. To the gabite, intimidating couldn't describe the pokemon. Even at this distance, they looked enormous. He wondered if the pokemon could squish him with a single step.

"Master Dialga," Reya said as she bowed to the blue being.

"Mr. Lambert," the blue pokemon, Dialga, stated. "You don't recall, but we have met before, and I would like to say it's good to see you're alright."

That voice… The fear in the gabite subsided when he realized who this pokemon was. "You're the creature from my dream," Dillan told the pokemon, recalling the voice. "You're the light that met me outside of the hospital when I was human. Who are you?"

"You don't know who they are?" Hazel questioned, looking at Dillan as though he was crazy. "That's Dialga. And the other pokemon is Palkia. They're the ones from legends and myths who were said to have created time and space. Remember?"

Dillan looked at Dialga with recognition. "Then is this yours?" he said as he held the Sapphire Star up for Dialga to see, yet he was shocked to see both Dialga and Palkia recoil their heads in what looked like fear.

"Why did you allow him to bring that cursed object here?!" the white pokemon, Palkia, questioned.

"We had no choice," Reya said. "As you no doubt have learned, the lycanroc tribe is gone, and The Enemy captured Mr. Lambert. Because of these events and the fact that we needed to see you both, we had no choice but to bring it with us."

"Excuse me," Hazel said, stepping up towards the pokemon. "I have a question."

"And you are Sigourney Prince, correct?" Dialga asked. "Although I have been told you go by Hazel."

"Uh…" Hazel said in awe. "How… do you know my name?"

"You work with the human," Palkia stated, now squinting at Hazel. He began scanning her body with his eyes as if observing her. "It is our job to know."

Hazel shook her head, regaining her expressionless face. "Anyways, you don't like the Sapphire Star. Why is-"

Palkia gave a roar into the air, cutting Hazel off from the conversation. Almost as soon as he did so, a pink disk formed under Hazel. She gave a quick gasp before falling into the liquid. Then, the disk vanished, leaving no trace of Hazel or itself.

"Hazel?!" Dillan shouted frantically.

"What did you just do?!" Ryan roared at the being.

"She is fine, Kasper," Palkia insisted. Kasper?

"Ms. Prince will no longer be allowed in this room," Dialga stated.

"And why's that?" Ryan snapped.

"She radiates the exact same aura that you do," Dialga said to Ryan. The pachirisu swapped his sternness for confusion.

"That's not possible," Ryan said.

"I did notice the unusually strong aura," Reya stated. "I merely assumed it was because we were transporting the traitor."

"What's going on?!" Dillan snapped.

"Ms. Prince is radiating with The Enemy's aura," Dialga said. "She has come into contact with Shadow Matter."

"Shadow… Matter?" Dillan asked.

"A substance found primarily in mystery dungeons," Palkia stated. "Shadow Matter is highly unstable, mutating anything that comes into contact with it."

"And what does that have to do with Hazel?" Dillan questioned.

"He knows about the second world," Reya explained. "You may explain to him where Shadow Matter comes from."

"We know," Dialga stated. He turned his attention towards Dillan before continuing. "As you know, the second world merging with our own is what created the Mystery Dungeons. But what you didn't know is that the merging created a new radioactive substance called Shadow Matter. It's what allows the mystery dungeons to shift."

"Yet it only exists deep within the mystery dungeons," Palkia stated. "Merely walking into one does nothing to you. But by wandering off a mystery dungeon's path, you enter a sort of bridge between both worlds where the Shadow Matter exists.

"Another thing you must understand about Shadow Matter is it can be used to mutate pokemon's bodies. It's what makes a pokemon turn feral in the first place. The Enemy's top commanders have all been exposed to this substance. It mutated them, enhancing their stats and natural abilities. It makes them stronger than any other pokemon in existence, and The Enemy knows it."

"How does that have anything to do with Hazel?" Dillan questioned.

"She radiates with the same aura as one who has been exposed to Shadow Matter," Dialga said. "Ms. Prince has been mutated by it."

Dillan's eyes widened, realizing exactly what they were thinking. "She's not with The Enemy!" he shouted.

"A normal charmeleon's ability is Blaze," Palkia said. "Has anything odd happened when she becomes too weak?"

Dillan hesitated. He knew what they were talking about. Hazel's flame goes out, then turns blue… and she gets stronger…

"You understand," Dialga stated as if knowing what the gabite was thinking.

"But she's not with Giratina," Ryan stated sternly. "A shiftree was about to torture her in front of Dillan to learn where you guys were!"

"That means nothing," Dialga stated.

"It could have been a ruse to convince the gabite she was on his side," Palkia stated.

"But-" Dillan began, but was cut off by Reya's hand jutting out in front of him.

"Dillan," Reya said, turning to the gabite. "We have more pressing concerns to attend to. We can sort this out-"

"Are you serious?" Dillan asked above Reya. "Hazel's my partner, and you want me to move on?!"

"I'm with Reya," Ryan stated.

"No," Dillan said to Ryan sternly. "I'm not going to abandon her!"

"You aren't abandoning her," Dialga stated. "She is under our protection until we find out the exact circumstances leading to her exposure."

"Sorry for not trusting you," Dillan began sternly. "But as far as I can tell, all you've managed to do is hurt Reya and sit on the side-lines while we're fighting the bad guys!"

"Dillan," Fitz said as she stepped up to the gabite.

"What-" Dillan was stopped by a slap across the face originating from the hakamo-o.

"Snap out of it!' she yelled. "Take a breath!"

"Are you really that cold?!" Dillan asked. "She's my friend, and they're accusing her of being the bad guy!"

"But that is all they have done," Fitz assured.

"She's probably terrified!" Dillan shouted.

"Give her more credit than that," Fitz said with a scowl. "From what I know about her, she looks death in the face on a regular basis."

"But they-"

"You are the human, right? Could you not threaten suicide if they hurt her?"

"Well…" Dillan began, his anger slowly draining the more options Fitz gave to him. "Yeah…?"

"Then you have no reason to worry," Fitz assured.

Dillan didn't need much time to think about it. Fitz brought up plenty of great points, which was more surprising than anything judging by her personality. Nevertheless, he looked towards Dialga and scowled.

"If you hurt her," Dillan warned, stopping there due to a lack of not knowing what else to say. Even so, leaving it to interpretation seemed more intimidating overall.

"Do not threaten us," Palkia growled.

"Still," Dialga began with a scowl, seeming more reasonable than Palkia who decided snarling was better for the situation. "We will not hurt her unless she resists. And unless she is with The Enemy, she should not attack."

"That's all fine and dandy," Ryan grumbled. "But why don't we all get down to why we're here?"

"Agreed," Reya stated.

"Then tell us why you have come?" Dialga stated.

"And on that matter," Palkia said, still snarling. "Why did you bring the traitor with you?"

"This again?!" Ryan retorted, throwing his small paws in the air. "Reya's a traitor, too!"

"He is here to deliver whatever information he has gained from The Enemy," Reya said. "Whether that be willingly given or derived through force is his choice."

"Willingly!" Ryan shouted again from what seemed to be disbelief. "And for the last time, I'm not the bad guy like everyone thinks I am! For instance: I found out where the Amber Amulet is and will gladly tell all of Ganderosa if I have to!" He looked towards Palkia before saying, "Happy?!"

"Not in the slightest," Palkia spat.

"Master Dialga," Reya said with a bow, glossing over Palkia entirely. "I believe the time has come to explain everything to Dillan from the beginning as to exactly why he is here. If the gabite makes any more ill-informed decisions, I'm afraid we will lose our fight. Why, a day ago, The Enemy had all he needed to destroy the world."

"We know," Dialga stated. "The spirit informed us."

"Then she is one of you guys," Fitz said, breaking her silence.

"Spirit…?" Dillan asked Fitz slowly. The hakamo-o made no attempt at answering, seemingly intent standing there and merely chiming in.

"Your point," Palkia urged the gardevoir.

"If he knew of The Enemy in the first place, we could have avoided this incident."

"It was never needed information," Dialga stated. "Yet it was your job to make sure such an event never occurred. The information was only pertinent when you failed."

"She was left alone and defenseless!" Fitz shouted. "You gave her an impossible mission!"

"Fitz," Reya said calmly. "It's fine."

"No is it not!" Fitz argued.

"Let me handle this," Reya insisted. "As you said, this is not your fight."

Fits looked at Reya with confusion before shrugging in disbelief. "Whether you pokemon let others step all over you or not is your own business."

"Master Dialga," Reya stated. "I understand your want for secrecy, but it is being used against you on a constant basis. Sometimes secrets only hurt those around you."

Dillan couldn't help but notice Ryan's clenched fist. Those words seemed to affect him more than anyone else.

"Besides," Ryan growled from his corner. "Does it really hurt for him to know the bad guy's motive?"

"Reya," Dialga acknowledged, motioning his left paw towards the gardevoir. "Should we give our consent on sharing the past with Mr. Lambert, would you be the one to inform the gabite of the Enemy's motives?"

"Of course," the gardevoir stated.

"Then your proposal is rejected," Palkia said on behalf of the two pokemon.

Reya grimaced as she looked towards the ground. "I beg of you to reconsider-"

"We both know you would sacrifice the human if it meant achieving peace," Dialga said.

"No, she wouldn't," Dillan interjected. "She's a good pokemon."

"If you believe she values your life over her ideals," Palkia began. "You have no concept of ideology."

"If Reya believed it would bring about world peace," Dialga stated. "She would sacrifice many lives. Simply deciding that the world is too great a sacrifice means nothing."

"But she's fighting that-" Dillan tried to argue.

"Dillan," Reya stated flatly, turning to him with a commanding gaze. "That's enough."

Dillan stopped talking. He didn't understand what these pokemon were doing. Why wouldn't they trust Reya with explaining the past? He might have understood if they thought it was too complicated for her, but their words and attitude made it obvious that they didn't trust her for other reasons. Yet she'd done so much: sacrificed her life. Were they that distrusting? Or did they see something in Reya that he didn't?

Dillan's mind went back to the question Reya had proposed to him days ago. How much was Ryan willing to give up for his friends? As the gabite looked at Reya, he began to think about her question, yet this time it wasn't about Ryan. Is Reya still holding on to world peace? And would she kill to get it? Would… she sacrifice him?

Dillan mentally scolded himself. Now he was questioning Reya's heart. The Enemy had put her through a physical hell and intended to keep doing so had they not escaped. She had no reason to turn now. And he had no reason to believe that she still intended to go through with her old plan. She hasn't given the gabite any inclination this whole time. The only thing she seemed set on was saving his life. So why did he question her loyalty for even a second? Were the events of this week making him question someone who he relied upon? He shuddered with the thought. I can trust her. At the very least, she's my ally, and that makes her trustable.

"Master, he needs to know," Reya pleaded. "I refuse to acknowledge the fact that he will think badly of you for-"

Reya stopped when she saw Dialga roar into the sky. A horror-stricken grimace slapped itself to the gardevoir's face as she bowed swiftly, clutching her right arm.

"This is exactly why we do not trust you to explain," Palkia snapped. "Letting information slip means you can't follow simple orders. How do you expect us to trust you to tell the gabite the truth without letting your old ideologies slip into the conversation, tainting the truth?"

"Give me a break!" Ryan snapped. "Don't you think that there are other reasons for Dillan to hate you other than screwing up?"

"Be silent!" Dialga snapped.

"Make me!" Ryan countered smugly.

"Hang on!" Dillan shouted over the arguing. All eyes set on him, but he still couldn't afford to be shy. "If you don't trust Reya, isn't there someone else you can rely on?"

"What about that spirit?" Fitz suggested, reminding the room of her presence.

"You are referring to the Spirit of the Sapphire?" Dialga questioned.

"Who?" Dillan asked. The gabite was surprised to see Reya mirrored his expression, seeming to know nothing off the current topic. She turned to Dialga as if expecting an answer.

"Yeah," Fitz stated, leaving Dillan in ignorance. "She seemed to be on your side when we last spoke."

"She would be a worthy candidate," Palkia stated. "We would even be able to monitor what she says directly, as well as speak through her if needed."

"What spirit?" Dillan asked a little more forcefully this time.

Dialga looked towards Reya and said, "Do you truly think that a lack of knowledge is an issue?"

"If Dillan knew about you both beforehand," Reya started. "Then perhaps he would have never gone to see King Judah and would have come here instead."

Both Dialga and Palkia stared at each other, contemplating what had been said. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the two nodded.

"We agree with the proposition," Dialga stated.

"The spirit will tell the gabite what he needs to know of us and our history."

"In the event that you have a question about us," Dialga said to Dillan. "Ask the spirit, and she will clarify on our behalf."

"You will have to be briefed on how to communicate with her through the Sapphire."

"Not a pleasant experience," Fitz grumbled.

"What spirit?!" Dillan demanded. He was sick and tired of being kept in the dark. He needed to be in the know.

Dialga and Palkia both looked at Dillan with confusion. "You don't know of the Spirit?" Palkia asked. "Surely the Lycanroc Tribe would have explained this to you."

"They weren't really supportive of me," Dillan said, still scowling at the pokemon. He wouldn't be satisfied until they told him exactly what this spirit is.

"The Sapphire Star is an odd crystal," Dialga began. "As you might know, it was once a part of me." The big pokemon tapped the massive, blue rock imbedded in his chest. "Even so, I do not know much about it. But what I do know is that there is a spirit that inhabits the Sapphire Star. It is one that leads the creature who safe-guards it against evil: whether that be through a simple pull on their hearts or through words. Although, the spirit may only speak to the pokemon guiding it when they are ready to do so."

"So, there's a pokemon living in the Sapphire Star?" Dillan asked, looking down at the rock that hung on his neck.

"Technically, yes," Palkia said. "Although, things are different for a spirit. It has no body; it is not bound to the laws of the world as you are. As a result, it can transfer its consciousness between here and the world of pokemon."

"That doesn't make any sense…" Dillan said.

Palkia sighed in annoyance. "Explaining such things to lower beings such as yourself is a hassle," the pink creature said in a hushed annoyance.

"Where is here exactly?" Fitz asked. "We appear to be in the clouds, but from what I understand, that is highly unlikely. Which leads me to believe that this is some sort of pocket dimension between yours and ours."

"You would be right in that assumption," Dialga said. "This place is merely a dimension created to bridge the gap between the dimension we live in and the world you call home."

"You may refer to this place as Elysia," Palkia stated.

"Are you being serious?" Fitz asked with a look of disbelief.

"They're presumptuous that way," Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

"Do you have any more questions of us?" Dialga began.

"Yeah…" Dillan said. "What's the Eevee Tribe? Are they the same thing as the Lycanroc Tribe?"

"The Eevee Tribe is a nomadic tribe in Kerroshia," Reya explained. "They are never in the same place for very long due to the harsh environments of the Kerroshian Desert. As a result, they are very difficult to find.

"As for whether they are the same thing as the Lycanrocs, I would say they are both based around the concept of protecting Ganderosa's Crystals: one being the Sapphire Star and the other being the Amber Amulet. Although, seeing as The Enemy is in possession of the Amber Amulet, I am not confident they are even alive."

"They are," Palkia assured. "The Eevee Tribe had lost the Amber Amulet to a thief a log time ago. To this day, The Enemy has had no imperative reason to go after them. They will have been devoting their lives to survival, meaning they will be alive."

"Are you sure that's the best use of our time?" Dillan asked. "I mean, if The Enemy has the Amber Amulet, all they'll need is the Sapphire Star. That's not a very good position to be in."

"Even if they have it," Fitz said. "You would not be able to take it from them." The hakamo-o walked towards Dillan, eyeing him maliciously. "The Enemy has the Guild and all of its resources at his disposal. That means in order to take the Amber Amulet, you would need to fight the country itself. You need an army to do so."

"Agreed," Dialga and Palkia said together.

"If that is all, I would like you to get some rest," Dialga said to Dillan.

Behind the group, to the back of the circular floor, a set of what appeared to be stairs rose out of the clouds. They came to rest at the base, adjoining it to whatever was below their feet.

"Tomorrow, you will meet with the Spirit. She will instruct you on how to use the Sapphire Star to communicate with her. From there, Reya will accompany you on your journey to Kerroshia in search of the Eevee Tribe. Once you arrive, report to us through the Spirit."

"Uh… Alright," Dillan said with a forced confidence.

"Is something wrong?" Palkia questioned.

"It's just…" Dillan began. "I don't really know you guys… and not to be rude, but it kind of… feels weird to be taking orders from you. I guess it's all just so sudden."

"They are the good guys," Reya assured Dillan. "At the very least, trust me."

Dillan looked into Reya's eyes for a sign of assurance that this was the right call to be making. As far as he could tell, she showed no signs of deception. And based on the way she talked to these pokemon, she seemed to trust them. Maybe that was enough.

Then again, what choice did he have? Who else was he going to turn to? There was literally no one else who was trying to combat The Enemy in all Ganderosa. These random behemoths of pokemon seemed to be the only ones who noticed the evils that wanted to destroy the world.

"Alright," Dillan nodded, not seeing any other option.

"Good," Dialga said. "Then take those stairs at the back of the room. They will lead you to a room you should feel comfortable in. Rest there, and tomorrow, you will meet the Spirit. Afterwards, you will take the next steps to ensure Ganderosa's safety."

"Actually," Dillan said. "I have one last thing I want you to do for me."

"Go on," Dialga said.

"If I'm going to trust you, I want Hazel to be let out."

"Out of the question," Palkia stated. "We have no clue where her loyalties lie. Therefore, the charmeleon is an unknown factor."

"No, she isn't," Dillan said. "She would never do anything to hurt her friends." The pokemon stared at Dillan for an uncomfortable amount of time, obviously not willing to back down from their positions. "At least let her stay with me in my room and not in a cell." At this point, it seemed more plausible to not convince them to let her go entirely, but at least get her out of jail so the gabite could talk to her.

The two pokemon turned towards each other and thought about the proposition. Dillan began to wonder whether they were having some sort of conversation that he couldn't witness.

"We have considered your proposal," Palkia said. "And we accept. You and Ms. Prince may share a room until we have identified why she has been exposed to Shadow Matter."

"Thank you," Dillan said.

"You should get some rest," Dialga urged the gabite. "In fact, all of you should."

"Forgive me," Reya said. "But there is one last thing I wish to speak with you about."

"Does it concern Mr. Lambert?" Palkia questioned. Fitz shook her head from side to side.

"Then you are excused," Dialga said to Dillan.

Dillan took that as his cue to leave. As he walked towards the stairs, his curiosity began to itch at his brain. He was giving up information by leaving the conversation, though to him it wasn't the most important thing. He was exhausted from the past few days and laying down sounded like ecstasy. There was also the fact that he wanted to make sure Hazel was fine and explain to her the plan. If that meant giving up some information, it didn't matter. Besides: he was confident Reya would explain later. There wasn't really any reason to stay.

As Dillan descended the stairs and out of ear-shot, Palkia moved forwards towards the remaining members of the group. Each earth-shaking step seemed louder and more forceful than the other. Palkia stopped in front of Ryan and the tiny creature with hate.

"Why did you return, traitor?" he asked. "Last I recalled, you refused to see my face ever again."

"Why do you think?" Ryan questioned, not allowing Palkia's size to intimidate him. He stared up with a scowl and a clenched fist as if readied for a fight. "I came to set things right."

"What is going on between the two of you?" Fitz asked calmly. She looked to Palkia before saying, "How does a legendary such as yourself even consider such an insignificant pawn such as him?"

Ryan looked back towards the stairs as if expecting to see some issue, but all he saw was the cloud-filled skies on the horizon. "What does it matter?" Ryan asked Fitz. He looked towards Reya before saying, "You wanted to talk to them?"

"Of course," Reya nodded.

"In a minute, girl," Palkia said to Reya. He still seemed determined to continue questioning Ryan. "Have you given up on your old family, Kasper?"

"You don't get to ask that question!" Ryan snapped at Palkia. "After taking me away from them, you don't get to ask that!"

"What are you talking about?" Reya asked with concern. She looked towards Dialga with worry. "Did you hurt his family?"

"They're fine," Dialga stated.

"How can you be sure?" Ryan asked. "You've been checking up on them?" He didn't wait for an answer before walking towards the back of the room. Just then, a new disk of pink liquid much like the one that consumed Hazel appeared out of thin air. Ryan stopped before entering, knowing very well that it would just put him back in the middle of the room. "You do know that it's really irritating to do that, right?"

"Answer the question," Palkia said sternly. "Why did you return? If you are so insistent on going back to them, why did you return?"

"I don't know!" Ryan shouted. He stood there, shaking with rage at each breath he took in. It was obvious Ryan couldn't take much more of this without exploding in rage. "I tried to find your Amber Amulet! I tried to be the hero you wanted me to be! I tried desperately to achieve the goals you set for me! I tried to get back to my family again! And when I thought I could do it, I realized I'd be trading too much for them!"

"Wait…" Reya said softly. Her eyes widened as she pointed towards Ryan. "It's you. You're the first. You were the human who failed."

"No duh, Sherlock," Ryan snapped.

Fitz' jaw dropped from pure shock as she stared at Ryan. "You… You were the first hero? You were the one who was supposed to save Ganderosa?" She then looked towards Palkia. "That is the reason you have such an interest in him."

"You still haven't answered my question," Palkia said. "Why did you come here knowing full-well that we would never send you back to your world? Why come back after everything you've sacrificed?"

"Because Giratina's right about this world!" Ryan snapped. "It's filled with hate and death! And maybe he's right! Maybe the world has to die for world peace!"

"How dare you!" Palkia roared.

"Save it," Ryan replied. "All I'm saying is that in all my time here, I've felt is hate and regret. And maybe there was something else with Adelina, but I destroyed that when I kept this part of me a secret." Ryan waved his arms wildly, seemingly gesturing everything around him. "But then I found two friends who supported me! I found a new family! And I may have left them, too, but I came here to support them to try and rebuild what I broke, just to endure their rejection time and time again! But even so, if you tell them anything about me being human – if you take what little relationship I have away from me – I promise that I'll take the Sapphire Star and run to the farthest corners of the earth with it! So, don't you dare say a word to them!"

As Ryan finished his rant, he began panting. Palkia looked at Ryan with a distasteful gaze. Threatening the pokemon like this warranted death in some radical countries, maybe imprisonment. Palkia toyed with some of the more violent ideas in his head. Hurting him might offset the gabite to the point where he would betray them. Killing him means they wouldn't be able to acquire the information about Giratina that the small creature had. And frankly, he was getting tired of constantly snapping at the disrespectful squirrel to no avail. So merely scowling as menacingly as he could would have to do.

"Enough of this," Dialga demanded. "It's getting us nowhere to argue like this. The fact of the matter is that Kasper is here, and even though he may still be a traitor, he is apparently willing to co-operate. Fighting like children gets us nowhere, so I suggest we stop."

"Any other suggestions?" Palkia asked Dialga smugly. "Perhaps you would consider going out for tea."

"Shut-it, Space Face," Ryan shouted at Palkia. "You know he's right."

"Maybe it would be beneficial to teach you the meaning of respect through fear."

"Alright," Fitz said. "I no longer have time for any of this, and I could care less. Why not have Reya interrogate the traitor and tell me where Valery is, then I can be on my way."

"I give my permission," Palkia stated as he turned away from Ryan and walked back to Dialga. Reaching the end of the platform, he began floating back towards his original position.

"I had something to discuss with you, Master," Reya said with a look of malice towards Ryan.

"We can speak later," Dialga said sternly to Reya. "For now, I want you to interrogate Kasper without harming him."

Reya hesitated, then bowed to Dialga. "I will not disappoint." She walked to Ryan and commanded him to walk with a scowl.

"I'm not finished," Ryan said coldly to the gardevoir.

"Yet they seemed finished with you, human," Reya said.

Ryan grimaced at the comment. "If you tell them a word-"

"You have no need to worry. I have no intention of breaking Dillan's spirits."

"You, too," Ryan said to Fitz.

"What makes you think you have power over me?" Fitz asked sternly.

"Keep my secret and I'll keep yours."

Fitz didn't grimace. She knew this was going to be his threat. So long as she kept quiet, Ryan wouldn't reveal anything. She only said what she said to make sure Ryan knew that they both had equal control of the other.

With one final scowl between of the pokemon, Ryan and Reya walked off, the later keeping a very close watch on her prisoner as they walked.

"Now about Valery," Fitz said to Dialga. "Where is she?"

"She is here resting," Dialga said. "You may see her whenever you wish."

"Then I shall be taking my leave," Fitz said. She turned quickly, not even bothering to bow to the pokemon, and walked down the stairs, leaving Dialga and Palkia together.

"What do you think of the hero?" Palkia asked.

"I think what I have always thought," Dialga stated. "His heart gives him the will to persevere through the darkness and find the light."

"And his leadership skills?" Dialga pondered the question, staring towards the stairs as he did so. "You know as well as I do that they are lacking."

"What do you propose?" Dialga questioned.

"He needs severe training," Palkia stated. "He also needs to abandon his hope for friendship with the two tainted pokemon."

"You know that his kind doesn't give up their ties so easily," Dialga said, looking towards Palkia with a neutral expression.

"Of course," Palkia nodded. "Though I know that things will not work out in our favor if they stay together. Kasper will eventually taint him with his beliefs: the same beliefs we sought to avoid."

"I know," Dialga said. He raised his head and roared. Out of nowhere, a blue portal appeared. It looked exactly like Palkia's portals, except for the fact that Dialga's were blue. "I doubt we can keep that much from him even if we tried. Although, is that not the reason we took his memories to begin with?"

Palkia shook his head. "Of course, it is. Yet Kasper will destroy our efforts."

"Ignore him, Palkia," Dialga stated. "I understand your frustration with the fact that he is not the Paladin you wanted, but I doubt that even we can keep him out of this fight whether we can intervene or not."

Palkia slashed out at the air in front of him with his hand. As his hand moved through the air, it seemed to rip open reality itself, revealing a pink, water-like portal. "I know there isn't anything we can do. Yet it still gets on every one of my nerves."

Dialga investigated his own portal and heave a sigh. "To think this could have all been avoided if we had done things properly."

"He would have escaped whether we liked it or not," Palkia stated. "The world is just too unstable as it is."

"Yet we still could have kept this from happening," Dialga said.

Silence followed Dialga's words. The two pokemon simply stood there, considering what could have been and what would occur next.

"The next step will be training Mr. Lambert to be a leader," Dialga said. "In his current state, he is unfit."

"We still haven't decided who will be the one to train him," Palkia said.

"Yes, we have," Dialga stated.

"I refuse to have three of them here," Palkia stated.

"It isn't about you," Dialga stated. "Besides: one of his followers is an expert on Shadow Matter. He would solve our second issue."

Palkia grimaced at Dialga. "This is a horrifying idea."

"Yet it is the only one we have, correct?" Dialga questioned.

"Give me some time to consider the option." With that, Palkia floated through the portal and out of sight.

Dialga sighed once more, thinking about the past he wished he could change. Maybe it was impossible to change it, despite his best efforts. But he could still work to preserve whatever future was left. He could still hope that day they tried to prevent a millennium ago would never come to pass.


(Author's Notes)

Well, it looks like the momentum the story has had for a year now which followers and favorites has recently died, which is fine! I just wanted to say really quickly that since we haven't had any recent followers or favorites to mention, I will have chapters from here-on-out without Author's Notes. The only time I am going to have these is to thank new follows/favorites with a shout-out, to say something that's on my mind, or to say something about the story. For instance: I have been removing parts of the story and compiling them in a special chapter that will be released at the end of the story as a sort of, "Last Hurrah/What Could Have Been" for you guys (Being serious here)! Stuff like that.

Anyways, that's all for now! Thanks for reading the story! Have a great week, guys! I'll see you in the next chapter!