In which Arceus tries to act mortal.
Arc I, The Plate of Space
Chapter Two:
Gods Never Look Human
I spent another five Earth days wondering how I would make my entrance. Call it procrastination, but I called it careful planning.
Only Celebi knew that I would be visiting the mortal realm. This was simply because they were the first legendaries that had acknowledged my situation and its potential consequences. At first, I had thought it would be best if all the legendaries knew of the peril we could face, but then it became increasingly evident to me that it would only cause panic and confusion.
All of the legendaries knew about the unmentioned Plates. Few knew about their hiding places. Even fewer knew that there was a collection of humans searching the mountains, about to stumble into the catacombs I had buried under rock during the earth's creation. That was where the Plate of Space slept, having been undisturbed for so long. But its energy was pulsing, calling out for me. It felt mortal presences coming closer, and it was alerting me, telling me that foreign hands would soon touch its surface and utilize its powers.
The humans coming upon the Plate of Space was an incredible stroke of bad luck. Arguably, it was the most difficult to find. Through manipulation of space, it could be used to instantaneously find the other two. Once the humans, whoever they were, found it, they could decipher the cryptic messages on its gleaming surface and possibly set upon the path to finding the others.
So naturally, I hung around my palace for nearly an Earth week and wondered what to do about it.
"Telling the other legendaries that disaster is imminent would be...a questionable idea," Celebi had said to me, days ago. Because it was so small, it often floated around the larger groups, soaking in gossip and knowledge. It had always been a wallflower. "They can hardly handle government of their own domains. Imagine if you were to spring on them: My all-powerful Plates are about to be discovered and we could all lose power and become nothing but dust in the wind!"
"You mean die," I had replied. "We could all die."
I decided that I would not breathe a word to the other legendaries. There were some I could trust to maintain composure. Celebi, definitely. I also had taken a liking to Cresselia's graceful and quiet nature. Shaymin was also attentive and reserved. Jirachi would have been a wonderful confidante, but it was asleep for another year. The rest would be blissfully unaware of my presence on earth, where they had lived their whole lives. They were just too much.
So I called the three quietest legendaries to my throne room to discuss matters the evening before I departed.
"And we're not supposed to say anything at all?" Cresselia clarified. Her eyes were gleaming under a velvety pink glaze.
"Absolutely not," I said. "You three will be the only Pokémon aware of my existence in the mortal realm."
Shaymin, even more petite and musically vibrant than Celebi, piped, "But you've never been to the mortal realm before! You know nothing of their customs. How are you going to undergo secrecy? You'll be stumbling around in confusion the entire time!"
"I have...observed the mortals before!" I said, insulted.
"From your palace in another dimension," deadpanned Celebi.
"Which you haven't left since the creation of the universe," Cresselia added.
I mumbled obscenities beneath my breath. Perhaps they were right, and I had been neglecting their customs. I had never had any true reason to venture beyond my palace. It was much easier to gaze off into the neverending expanse of space, lost in my thoughts, than to focus on earth and become caught up in their personal affairs.
"In which form will you visit them?" the legendaries asked.
Staring at the Alterstone, I weighed my options. My preferred Pokémon form was not subtle whatsoever; however, I could take the form of any one that I wanted. That would be useful for travel. On the other hand, being a human had its advantages as well. It would be easier to communicate information. Then I told myself that I was being silly. I didn't have to leave the stone here!
"Both," I said, reminding myself that I had to aim for subtlety. Subtlety! If I was going to be switching between the two forms, I would have to avoid wandering eyes at all costs.
"Understandable," said Cresselia, "but your human form...it's too much."
"You think so?" I looked down at my robes. I thought that the decorations were pretty.
Shaymin nodded. "Only kings and queens would wear clothes like this."
I meant to protest. I was above all kings and queens. A true God. The Original One. But then I remembered the real objective of this journey: to be in and out of Earth, without leaving any trace other than perhaps whispers of my passage, and to keep the Plates away from all living kind. When had I become so attached to physical things such as clothes and silver pieces?
"Right..." I said.
I removed all of the unnecessary layers, down to a loose shirt and pants that ended at my knees, both of these garments cloth and gold in pigment. When the clips and glass decorations holding my hair together disappeared too, a long sheet of silver hair fell onto my back and shoulders. The only eye-catching piece on my human body was the Alterstone, still burning blue for humanity.
"That's much better," said the legendaries, albeit with an edge of hesitation.
"I quite like it," I said. I moved my arms around. "This body is maneuverable."
Cresselia tilted its head. "You're still too…" It trailed off. "Nevermind," it added, almost sheepishly.
"Suddenly you feel taller, Original One," said Celebi, craning its head back to look at me. "With your excessive attire gone, I can see your body for what it is...how uncanny...I will never grow used to the mysterious powers of the Alterstone."
"You mean my powers," I remarked, reaching behind my neck to tie my hair. The strands kept falling into my face and tangling with my eyelashes. "I am the one who created the Alterstone. It is only a tangible reminder for me that I am neither human nor Pokémon. Seeing how easily the stone turns around and changes my form…"
I peered down at my arms. Had I truly never looked at my own human arms? Like onyx, they were smooth with a dark and earthy glow; my hair was a stark contrast. Experimentally, I changed my skin into ivory, shuddering off the black tones as if I were shaking off a pelt, and turned my hair into a silk oil spill. The legendaries watched with a mix of horror and fascination.
Looking down, I stuck my arms back out. Not quite right, I thought, once again becoming the color of midnight.
"This skin suits me best," I declared.
In the center of my throne room sat still a pool of a million shades. I made large strides to it and stared into its depths. I may have looked human, but did I know how to behave like one? For a moment, I had felt in total control of my destiny. I could change my appearance anyway I wanted to, because I had the Alterstone with me. Only for a moment. The pit of my stomach turned over.
"I have watched them since the beginning," I whispered as the legendaries approached me. I caught myself fidgeting and tried to steady my legs. The pool reflected my face back at me and I could see the storming clouds in my expression. "So tell me why I am so apprehensive?"
"If I were you, I would be worried about being loved," said Cresselia.
"I'd feel nervous about being seen as wise," said Shaymin.
"Or powerful," suggested Celebi.
My eyes softened. "I have no concern for any of those..."
I cupped my hand and swept it through the water. Then I dipped one leg in, and then a second, until I was standing in the pool. My hair, much longer than waist length, floated on the surface, swirling around my legs. For a brief moment, I saw an immense collection of civilizations between the ripples of the water. The faint smell of ocean and sand lingered in the air. When I let my hands slide beneath the surface again, my black skin opalized, like the thin membrane of fairy wings.
"Leave me," I told the legendaries, and they scurried out.
Taking a deep breath, I plunged myself into the pool, initially keeping my eyes shut. The sensation of wetness faded away. When I inhaled, I breathed in crisp air. When I reopened my eyes, I had a wondrous wakefulness, similar only to the experiences during creation and my time in the water.
The entirety of the earth lay before me. The rolling hills sang with music...the ancient, thrumming kind that sounded like beating drums. I saw seas and steel towers. I passed these over, searching for mortality. And then I saw them. The humans and the Pokémon. My beautiful creations.
In my vision, I sat down and pulled my legs to my chest. My human skin was prickling with bumps. They — the humans — were dancing and jumping. Sometimes, they would fight too. But I watched them wondrously, feeling stars between my ears, wishing that I had better understood them from the beginning and that they had heard my name long before I was nothing but hieroglyphics in stone.
End of Chapter Two
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