(Author's Note: This story will be progressing slowly for the first few chapters. This is due to an extremely heavy plot that needs to be thoroughly explained. Make sure to take note of the dates and times in the headings, they're important. Leave any questions via review or PM. -Orthros)

-Lumiose Police Station, Third Person, Feb 9, 16 Years Ago-

A wailing sob cut through the gloom of the semi darkness of the interrogation room, where two middle aged, fatherly officers were comforting a young woman. Speaking in relaxing, soothing tones, they offered her a drink of water as a pair of doctors entered the room. The officers turned their backs on the scene, allowing the girl privacy as she stripped off the towel she had covered herself in.

The doctors carefully examined her legs with their gloved hands, noting the unnatural swelling of her folds. She moaned in pain despite their careful search, so they quit, covering her back up, telling her how she did well during their examination, she should be proud.

Then the lead Doctor looked around at the officers, reporting what she'd found, and the looks of disgust registered in every inch of the officer's faces as the older of the two said simply, "he raped her."

At that very moment, a shout issued from a short way outside their private room; "You can't go in there, it's officers only!"

And another voice, alive with hatred responded, "Officers only be damned! Let me see my girlfriend now, on authority of the Kalos Elites!"

A split second later the door burst open and a teenager of 17 appeared in the doorway, his eyes showing a horrible fury, but it seemed to drain out of him as he shouldered his way past the officers and embraced the girl, who broke down at his tender touch. He rubbed the back of her head, rocking her back and forth.

"It's ok, Serena, I've got you now, it's alright…" He spoke softly to the woman.

A few minutes later, the pair were allowed to leave, after the young man showed his trainer ID to the officers. The boy drove off in the direction of the hospital, his girlfriend laying across the back seat, still sniffling slightly. As they rounded the corner, the officers that had come to see them off walked back up the stairs of the station, one muttering to the other; "I still can't believe he's the champion…"

-Sinnoh Region Lake Valor, Third Person, Present Day, 10:25 AM-

"Great job! Again!"

Ash Ketchum smiled as the last boulder in line trembled for a moment, before breaking into tiny pieces, those of which promptly disintegrated. The Pokemon and human responsible both turned to look at the champion.

Ash turned his eyes upon his daughter first. "Great job, Sapphire! And you, too, Light."

Sapphire, named for her incredible eyes, let out a cheer, crouching down and hugging Light, her partner Riolu.

As they finished up training, having started to walk back to their house on the lakefront of Lake Valor, a shadow blotted out the sun above them. They turned their heads in unison to see a large, birdlike silhouette diving towards them. Sapphire and Light ran for cover, their arms over their heads. Ash, on the other hand, stayed where he was and raised a hand in greeting.

The bird dived straight down at the speed of a truck, leveling out at the last possible second as it passed so close to Ash it appeared to have nicked his t shirt. Ash turned around to follow the bird's progress just in time to see the small figure of a woman jump from it's back, tucking and rolling as she landed. The bird, whose body was a rusty red and had a sort of rainbow colored tail and dark blue on the underside of it's wings, let out a triumphant screech as it beat its wings once and soared straight up, before coming back down slowly to land beside his trainer.

"Good work, Braviary," The woman says, before taking a pokeball from her pocket and returning the beast to his pokeball with one last energetic scream.

The girl looked to be in her early 20s, rather short and wearing a two-piece that showed off a rather large amount of skin, even for her. Ash raises a brow at her and she laughs.

"You try wearing your normal clothing up that high in this heat," she scoffs, pulling a black tank top and knee-length shorts from a small pack on her waist and hurrying to put them on.

Ash shrugs. "I don't have a problem with it usually, Skyla. Suit yourself though, and don't let my wife see you like that in front of me," he adds in a pleading, mock voice. "She'll kill me for even glancing at you."

Skyla giggles. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, this arrived at the League this morning." She hands him a small letter, sealed with an important looking sticker. Ash snorts at the sight of it.

"You'd think, with a logo like that they could spend a bit extra and get the damn thing mailed to the right address. Thanks for coming out, Skyla."

She shrugs as they start back towards the house, a large mansion sitting on Lake Valor's waterfront, earning a great view of the lake and privacy in the form of pine trees all around. "Caitlin wanted to ride her Metagross out here, but she's got a bad head cold. I convinced her to let me take it instead. Braviary enjoyed the journey, as did I. Oh, you must be Sapphire!" She adds as the young girl reappears from behind a bush, Light standing on the back of her neck, peering over her head.

Sapphire blushes slightly, falling into step with the gym leader as they reach the front steps. She shakes her hand. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you, Skyla," she says by way of greeting.

A few minutes later Skyla and Sapphire are sitting on the couch in the spacious living room, drinking lemonade and making small talk, while Ash leans on the banister by the stairs and slices open the letter with his pocket knife.

A moment later he shakes his head in disbelief. "I'll be right back," he states, before walking back outside. The girls hear him opening his pokeballs and addressing his team.

"What do you guys think?" he says.

After a few seconds he sighs. "Yeah, we'd better check it out. Everyone except Pidgeot, return."

A moment later he reappears in the doorway, looking agitated. "I've got an… errand to run," he says nervously. "I'll be back by nightfall. Skyla, make yourself at home, Serena should be back around four."

She responds but he doesn't hear it as he jumps off the porch, landing next to Pidgeot. He climbs on her back and with a single beat of her wings they're off, soaring high over the trees.

-Lake Acuity, 3:54 PM-

"Land here, Pidgeot, it's alright, I can walk the rest of the way."

Ash's worried tones cut through the brisk air, and a moment later they land on the edge of a partially frozen lake. The surrounding landscape is covered in snow. Other than the occasional cry of a hidden pokemon in the distance, there is only silence. Ash scans the treeline for a moment, taking careful note of anything that could be out of the ordinary but finds nothing.

He turns back to his Pidgeot, who's breathing heavily but looking pleased with herself. Taking off his gloves, Ash rubs her head and neck, a ritual that he'd found useful for her health after any duration of flight. She sighs with content.

"You did great, Pidgeot. Return."

As the flash of red light faded, Ash put his gloves back on. He stared for a moment at them, their peculiarly long cuffs and the small, glass half-sphere that sat on the back of each hand. Then he shook himself out of his memories, knowing he mustn't get caught up in them now. He turned his gaze instead to the middle of the lake, where a small cave was surfaced. He sighed.

"I'll never get over that ice without it breaking under my weight," he muttered to himself. "I should've brought Lapras with me."

At that point, a scratching sound echoed behind him. He spun around and found himself face to face with a Walrein, tusks easily as long as his arms. He took a nervous step backwards, but the beast didn't make any threatening movements. On the contrary, it leaned over in an unmistakable motion.

Ash raised a brow at it. "You're gonna give me a ride?"

At its nod, Ash thanked it and climbed onto it's rough-skinned back. The beast moved clumsily onto the ice, which promptly broke under their combined weight. Fortunately, Ash was high and dry on its back, so he rode comfortably, though he held on as best he could as the Walrein smashed what little ice remained out of the way with his tusks.

A few minutes later they rode through the calm, albeit cold waters undisturbed by the ice, which hadn't quite frozen over the middle of the lake yet. In no time at all they had reached the small cave, which had a patch of land before the entrance. Ash clambered off, taking care not to get wet, and stood in the entrance, facing out.

"Thank you, friend. I'll find my own way back."

With a lazy wave of his flipper, the Walrein dipped below the surface. Ash watched his shadow speed off through the water, before turning carefully on the small ledge and stooping low to enter the cave.

It was a spacious, cavern like single room with a series of puddles in the middle. The only thing in the room that appeared manmade was a small patchwork quilt dotted with stars, set against a wall in a darker corner of the room. Ash sat down next to the quilt but not upon it, lying against the wall. A moment later the being that slept on the quilt awoke.

She was a smaller pokemon, with a wreath of bright yellow hair and two tails with star-like shapes on the ends. Her eyes were slits and she had a ruby-like gem encrusted between them, in her forehead.

She turned to Ash with a happy expression on her face, though her eyes did not open. She levitated off the ground and landed lightly in his lap. Ash stroked her head slowly.

"Hello again, Uxie," Ash said softly. You've been enjoying that blanket Sapphire made, I assume."

Uxie nodded, and Ash thought back to when his daughter had helped him befriend and nurse back to health the three legendary lake pokemon after their traumatic experience with Team Galactic. After a few minutes Ash stood, still cradling Uxie. Before he could ask, Uxie floated out of his hands and came to rest on his shoulders, wrapping her tails loosely around his neck for support.

Ash let her be as he walked back to the entrance to the cave. He took a moment to scan the outer edge of the cave, which only he and a few others could see. As it was Uxie's quarters, that was essential. Jirachi herself had been involved in the remaking of the chambers.

Something seemed off however, and Ash was dumbfounded. He took out his letter and reread it, and sure enough, he could see several small indents in the stone that hadn't been there previously. They were so small that he hadn't seen them when coming in, but they were there. That in itself was impossible; only he and the other champions were supposed to even know about these caves. It had been a project they had worked on in secret, providing Jirachi with enough energy to grant them a wish outside of her hibernation cycle.

Ash sighed, knowing that if this much was real, the rest of the mysterious letter must be worth at least investigating. Using the indents as hand- and footholds, he started climbing up the side of the cave. It wasn't a very tall cave, but it was steep and icy and he had to go tediously slow lest he fall off and into the freezing water below.

He reached the top several painstaking moments later, Uxie still clinging to his neck. He gained his footing and took a moment to think. "You know," he said after a moment, "I'm not sure why you came up here with me. It's a hell of a lot warmer in your cave."

Uxie sang a melodical cry that sounded a rather lot like a snicker.

Ash rolled his eyes. "You enjoy teasing me, don't you?"

He felt her nod against his neck and laughed. "Well, if you're gonna stay with me for now, at least help me keep a lookout. We gotta find a small, purple pearl."

The platform he stood on was about twenty feet square, uneven and covered in rocks and stones. He wandered carefully along the slippery surface, avoiding the edges and keeping a close eye on the ground.

A few minutes later Uxie let loose an excited singsong cry and leapt off his back. Ash quickly closed his eyes, knowing that looking into Uxie's meant permanent memory loss. Granted, that shouldn't affect him, but better safe than sorry. He felt her land on his neck again and reopened them. Held tightly in one of Uxie's two tails was a purple orb the size of a grape. Ash took it gently from her and held it up to the light, despite it being freezing and the orb having endured the weather it was warm to the touch.

"Great job, Uxie! I wouldn't've found it without you," Ash says praisingly.

Having grabbed the pearl, Ash clambered back down the cliff. Going up, he thought as he slipped and dangled momentarily one handed over the freezing water where falling in was certain death, Was so much more enjoyable.

A few seconds later he landed back on the tiny platform and re entered the cave. By that time both he and Uxie were shivering uncontrollably, and the cave, still cold and damp but much less so, was a welcome sensation. Ash sat down on the cave floor once again, at the same time picking up the quilt and wrapping Uxie in it. He rubbed her arms and legs through the fabric for a few minutes, until her shivering ceased.

He thought to himself for a moment, before standing with a sudden finality. "You're coming with me for a few days, Uxie. It's too damn cold in this place anyway."

Uxie, unnerved by Ash's sudden, unclear motive, whimpered slightly.

"Relax," Ash says. "It's only for a few days, I need to come back then anyway."

With that said, Ash strides out of the cave. He pulls a pokeball from his pocket and Pidgeot bursts out. He gets on awkwardly, as there was hardly any room on the ledge, before allowing Pidgeot to take off, heading south. Ash strips off his jacket and uses to cover Uxie, preventing any wind rash while she rode in his arms.

-Lake Valor, 10:45 PM-

Ash jumped smoothly off Pidgeot, an unending stream of praise rolling from his mouth as the bird pokemon promptly collapses. A moment later a cream colored blur races past him. The Sylveon slows when she reaches Pidgeot, a look of concern crossing her face. A moment later she closes her eyes. Several blue waves emit from her body, each making a bell like ringing sound. Pidgeot's breathing immediately slows and becomes more rhythmic.

"Heal Bell," Ash breathes as Sylveon's glow fades. "Thank you, Sylveon."

Sylveon yelps happily. One of her ribbons snakes out from her body, wrapping itself loosely around Ash's free arm as a sign of affection. Ash crouches down beside Pidgeot.

"You did great, Pidgeot. Take a rest, I'll wake you when I've made your dinner."

Pidgeot caws weakly as she's returned to her pokeball. As Ash stands back up, both he and Sylveon look around as a voice calls out; "Hi, Ash!"

Ash waves at Serena, who's leaning on the porch railing, smiling down at them. "Hey, beautiful."

A light pink appears on Serena's cheeks as Ash climbs the stairs to the deck, one arm still wrapped loosely by Serena's Sylveon, the other carrying a sleeping Uxie. Serena gasps at the small form laying against his chest.

"Her cave was freezing, it's a wonder she hasn't died of hypothermia yet," Ash says in response to her questioning look. "We'll have to figure something out… What?" He adds as Serena continues to look nervously at Uxie.

She shakes her head. "Come and see," She says.

Ash follows her through the sliding glass door, onto the plush carpet of the living room. Skyla is lying on the couch, covered in a blanket and reading a book titled; "Sky Battles: A Veteran's Story." She waves as Ash enters the building, a moment later her mouth drops open and she sets her book down. Ash puts a finger to his lips.

They pass by Skyla and go through a short hall, emerging in a small room that lacks a door. In it are several small beds and some boxes labeled "Medical" stacked in a corner. Two of the beds are occupied. Sapphire sits on the edge of one, stroking the sleeping form. Ash's breath catches in his throat as he recognises the blue head of Azelf and the pink tone of Mesprit.

"They're ok," Serena whispers before Ash can say anything. "Just tired out. Mesprit seems to have flown all the way here, and Azelf appeared and has been playing with Sapphire and Light since about an hour after you left."

Serena glances nervously at Sapphire, though nothing seems wrong with her. "I was worried, you know, with the legends about touching them draining things away…"

Ash puts his arm around Serena's shoulders. "That only happens if they get too nervous around the toucher. Remember, Sapphire helped me get them well a few years back. They love her more than anyone else… Well, except you and I."

Serena nods silently as Ash sets Uxie down on top of the covers of the nearest bed, still wrapped in her quilt. Sapphire waves tiredly to her father, who chuckles softly. He and Serena leave the room and end up on the loveseat, across a small coffee table from Skyla.

Ash takes out the letter and reads it over again.

To Ash Ketchum, Unova Region Champion, Unova League, Unova, Earth, Universe 84294BfU23DPI649IUZ;

Hello, Mr. Ketchum. It is with great honor that and privilege that I, Jonathan Xephos, Head-Moderator of the Universe Core Protection Squad 992, in Service to Rodine Flux (Admin), invite you to attend the annual Meeting of the Dimension Leaders.

I would think you're confused by that, so allow me to explain. The truth… it is hard to define, to say the least. I'll start with Earth. As you know, Earth exists as the only life-sustaining planet in your universe. However, your world, your universe, your DIMENSION, it is not the only one to exist. There are in fact an unlimited number of dimensions, each with a unique universe, solar system and Planet Earth. Thus, the Earth you are residing on is in fact one of an infinite number of Earths, separated by the folds of space-time.

(And no, the Gods you worship, aka 'legendary pokemon' that have control over space time in your world in fact only have control over their own dimension, and can only move within their dimension.)

Are you understanding? I hope so… Now, the Universe Core… Where to start…

The Universe Core is located in the middle of the Sea of Space-Time. In other words, in the center of all the universes. It is the creator of everything; if such a thing as a God were to truly exist, the Universe Core would be it.

Those few who know about the Core have agreed that, when discussing events concerning the Core, a representative from every Dimension should be invited. This is due mainly to the fact that any outside source affecting the core can cause an unholy amount of destruction.

You have been chosen because you posses a great power, but more importantly, a sense of what is right.

To get to the Universe Core, you must proceed to Lake Acuity. Enter the cave, bring Uxie back out. Only then will you be able to see several faded steps upon the side of the rock, which you can use to climb to the top. Search among the stones atop the cave for a small, purple pearl. Giving this Pearl to Uxie will allow her to teleport to the World Nexus, where you can ride the Nexus Rail, which in simplest terms is a Maglev Train.

I am sure you are confused, if not downright suspicious, and I do not blame you. I apologize, however, for I cannot explain further within the limits of paper. All your remaining questions will be answered when you arrive at the Dimension Axis.

Best,

~Xephos, ~Flux

Ash blows his bangs out of his eyes, leaning back against the seat. Serena leans into him, hugging him slightly.

After a moment Ash leans forward once more. "Alright," He states formally. "I've got League business to take care of tomorrow. I don't know if it will take a day or a week or even a month, but it's got to be done."

"When did this come up?! I heard nothing about you needing to leave. Why did you not discuss this with me?" Serena asks, shocked. In answer, Ash holds up the letter, which he had folded shut.

"It only arrived this morning, but it's important," he finishes sadly. Embracing his wife, he continues. "I shouldn't be gone long."

Serena nods, before getting to her feet and setting off slowly up the stairs.

Ash sets a stern look at Skyla. "What?" She asks defensively.

He sighs heavily. "This letter is more important than you might realize, Skyla. I can't tell if it's a hoax or if what it says is real… I want you to alert the other Elites, tell them I'm going on a mission and to take care of my wife while I'm gone. And…" he trails off.

"What?" Skyla asks timidly.

Ash fixes her with the look of a man on his deathbed. "If I'm not back in one week, assume I'm dead."