Hello again everyone! I hope you've all had a good weekend. I've got a month before finals, so expect the second week of december to be slow or devoid of updates.

Rocker On: The "we're all animals" thing is Tobias's philosophy, not mine. I have an odd relationship with God and religion. I identify as Jewish for cultural reasons, but I'm undecided on the issue of God. I have a hard time reconciling the 'god has a plan' thing with 'god gave us free will', even after spending an evening talking with an orthodox Rabbi. On the topic of the story, they aren't in Sinnoh, they are actually on Kalos. I don't have a concrete reason why Mesprit was there, maybe just sightseeing or something. Note that I said that Mew said he can't go back, not that he can't go back. I read Curse of the Lucario a long time ago.

Shieldliger001: It's just a wording I decided I liked. There's nothing grammatically wrong with it, but it's not a phrase that's really used.

Mesprit gazed at us with unblinking eyes, yellow orbs that seemed to glow in the darkness. "Child," It said telepathically. "Allow me to read your memories, then I will tell you what I can do." As it spoke, I felt an alien presence touch my mind, thoughts incomprehensible, as old as time. Some I recognized, compassion, pity, anger.

I closed my eyes, and welcomed it in. The flashback was vivid, as though I were reliving the day it had happened. I saw myself being bit by Joshua's growlithe, my run home, my collapse on the bed. The memory rewound, focusing on the sun in the sky. I saw myself awake, in my foreign body, the memory once more turned to the sun.

I snapped back to reality, eyes readjusting to the darkness of the night. "I am sorry, child." Mesprit said, not in my mind, but with it's true voice. It didn't sound any different. "You didn't reach me in time."

My heart sank. "What do you mean?" I asked, quietly.

"If a human is in the body of a pokemon for more than a month, their mind adapts in a way that cannot be reversed. If you were to be turned back, your mind would break, and not even the strongest psychics could save you."

"But it's only been a week." I said. "I don't understand."

Mesprit closed its eyes, and I could see a tear running down its cheek. "The sun. There is at least a month missing from your memory, the position of the sun showed that."

I felt dead inside. There was no hope, no return. "Child." Mesprit said. "I can give you one thing; a chance to talk to your mother. Not for long, but it's the least I can do."

I didn't know what to say. I felt as if my emotions had been run through a dryer, spinning and undulating. "Then do not say, child. Do." Mesprit said. I should have realized it had been listening to my thoughts.

"That chance is more than I could hope for." I said, softly. I felt a strange tugging sensation, not physical or mental, but something else.

My eyes closed.

My eyes opened, but not quite. It was as though I was not really there. I looked down. I saw myself, my human body, wisps of energy outlining me. I looked left. The kitchen, just as it had always been. To my left, a girl. Her hair was a fiery gold, and while I had never seen her before, I recognized her immediately.

"Tobias?" Alejandra asked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." I said. "Follow me." I took a step forward into the darkened house, my footstep making no noise. One step at a time, I made my way to my mom's room.

The door was slightly ajar, and I heard soft singing from inside. I couldn't discern the words. I put my hand on the door, the hinges squeaking at even the slight movement.

The singing stopped. "Who's there?" I heard her say, and tears came to my eyes.

I pushed the door open fully. "It's me." I said.

My mom was in bed, propped up on her elbows, the covers pulled up to her waist. She gave a sad, almost mournful smile. "I'm so glad to see you, but this isn't the real you, is it?" She spoke slowly, great love and great pain in her words

I shook my head, the tears now in full force, disappearing almost instantly into aether after departing my face. I stepped fully into the room, Alejandra hesitating before moving inside.

"There once was a man who returned from the grasp of fate." She said, still with that same sad smile. "Follow his path."

Mesprit's voice echoed through my head. "Time is short, and almost up. Hurry."

My mom laughed, a sound I had only dreamt of hearing just hours ago. "It's been years since I've heard your voice, Mesprit. I'm glad you're keeping him safe. Now you," She turned to Alejandra. "I see the way you're looking at my son. Take care of him for me."

I glanced over at Alejandra, confused. She didn't meet my gaze, instead looking at my mom. "I promise." She said.

I felt the tugging once more, but this time I held on with all I had. "I swear I'll make it back to you!" I almost shouted the words.

"I know you will." With those words, I gave in, closing my eyes as my soul hurtled back to my body.

"Wait, when would my mom have seen you, and how did she know that wasn't really my body?" I asked, even before I opened my eyes.

"There once was a man who returned from the grasp of fate. Your grandfather once walked the path you now tread. I failed to make the connection before, your mother has grown so much in forty years." Mesprit said, more upbeat than before. "And that means there's a chance."

"Really?" I asked, hoping beyond hope. My mom's dad had died when I was young, I only had very vague memories of him. Mom had said he wandered the world, this must have been what she meant.

Mesprit smiled. "Your grandfather returned to a semi-human form after a year in a pokemon's body. His sheer determination moved Arceus itself, and it performed a deed it could only do once in a millennia. It manipulated his mind to allow his return."

I looked down at the ground. "If it can only be done once in a thousand years, how does that help me."

"Arceus's gift may have been passed down. I can map your mind if you'll let me, to make sure." Mesprit said.

The presence touched my mind again. Once more, I let it in. It flooded over my brain, the waves of psychic power echoing through my skull, receding slowly. "It is there. Seek two of the other ancients, convince them of your worthiness. Then you will find Arceus."

"Thank you." Was all I could manage. It seemed so inadequate; what could equate to the hope Mesprit had given me?

Mesprit twisted in midair, turning towards Alejandra. "I do not believe that destiny plays a role in how the world works, child, nothing is 'meant to be'. Some things, however, are a certainty. Give it time."

"I will." She said, closing her eyes for a second.

"You two should rest." Mesprit said, bowing its head slightly. "You can do so here, under my protection, if you wish. I have some matters to attend to now, if you would excuse me." Mesprit disappeared, a shimmering light lingering for a moment in the spot it had been.

Mesprit flew up into the sky, alerting the Mew to its presence with that action. "They rest under my protection now." Mesprit said, voice calm, eyes burning with anger. "I have shielded them from you, until my power should fade and my body return to dust.

"Why don't I help you along with that?" Mew snarled, unleashing a psychic blast.

Mesprit took the blast casually, not even flinching. "You forget what I am." Mesprit said, floating in place. "And you forget how weak you can be. I am fueled by emotion. I just helped a boy you are tormenting talk to his mother whom he wants only to return to. With him is a girl who fell deeply in love, and shared in his pain for his sake. You cannot touch me now." Mesprit's attack sent Mew tumbling, falling thirty feet before it could right itself.

Mew glanced around, then back to Mesprit. "This isn't over, lake spirit!" It said, vanishing in a flash of pink.

"So stereotypical. I hope you never come back." Mesprit said, turning away from the light.

"Tobias," Alejandra said. Mesprit had been gone for a few minutes already, which we had spent in silence. "Do you want me to come with you on your journey or quest or whatever you want to call it?"

I blinked. I had honestly not even considered going without her. "Of course I do."

"Good, because I decided that I'm going regardless." She said.

"So why even ask?"

She grinned at me. "Because you're gonna have to get used to me doing what I want."

"I don't get the point of this."

"Oh, you'll realize." She said, grin broadening to a full smile. "And I'll be ready once you do."

I closed my eyes, thinking about what she said. It must be related to Mesprit's comment to her about destiny and giving something time, I decided, but what was it that I needed to realize? I shook the thought from my head. I needed sleep, we had a long journey ahead of us if I was to return to being human. Everything else was secondary to that.