"You'll get cut before I do," Aries warned Silver's Weavile, who just cackled in response. He pressed down harder, earning a bead of blood from Aries' skin. "I'm warning you—"
A light appeared not too far away, followed by a surge of psychic energy that knocked the Weavile off of him and onto the ground and sheared Aries' bangs off. He sat up and caught the very interesting sight of Mewtwo and Theo together. "Where is…Mew?" he asked hesitantly.
Busy, Mewtwo said before Theo could speak. He grumbled at that, but something about his disposition was oddly worrisome. The other one should also be arriving any—
Henry flashed into the room also via Teleport, but unlike Mewtwo and Theo, who were a little scuffed but healthy for the most part, he was covered in dirt and soot and greenish-purple blood that obviously didn't belong to him. 'Whoa!' he exclaimed, grinning in dazed amazement, displaying that he was missing three teeth.
"Did you do it?" Aries asked, indicating his teleportation.
'You bet I did!'
Why are you so damn happy? Theo snorted.
'An interesting ally finished the job for me,' Henry explained. 'You might know it, Aries.' Aries couldn't check Henry's mind before a loud sound came from the Elite Four's room. 'We don't have time to waste!'
"Henry is right—come on!" They went inside of the Elite Four's rooms where the Elite Four and their Pokémon were unconscious, passing through each one quickly until they reached the grand doors of the Champion's room, which were open. Inside, Lance was being held up by Silver's Typhlosion while Silver was nowhere to be seen. Henry and Theo ran forward while Mewtwo grabbed Typhlosion psychically, dragging it away from Lance with no small amount of effort. Aries looked at his two KO'ed Dragonite before checking on him. "Are you alright, sir?"
"Yes," he said after a moment, nodding. On the other side of the room, Mewtwo, Henry, and Theo struggled to hold Typhlosion back as it thrashed and burned. "That Trainer… I met Silver a while ago and I was appalled by how he treated his Pokémon, therefore I sought to teach him a lesson through battle. I thought that it sunk it, but now it's obvious that the lesson hasn't. Silver's beaten me and is in the Hall of Fame now." He nodded at the doors at the other side of the room. Aries nodded and rushed over, pushing them open. As soon as he stepped inside they slammed shut behind him.
"Great; I was meaning to call someone else in to celebrate with me," Silver said from the machine. Four of his PokeBalls were set in the slots since his Typhlosion was still out there with the others and his Weavile was still in the lobby.
"You can't be Champion, Silver," Aries said, clenching his fists. "The Champion doesn't abuse and bully his way to the position. You treat your Pokémon like—like crap, turning them cruel and remorseless like yourself, and you expect vindication for that?"
"No," he said curtly. "I expect vindication for all of the crap I've had to take my entire life. All these years I've been doing what Daddy wants, working with his prized Team Rocket, training to get stronger and make others stronger so we can be the best, but what about us, huh? What happened to just Dad and I?"
"Don't tell me you're this bent over daddy issues, Silver," he accused darkly.
"Maybe you just don't understand the issues, what with having no parents." Aries gasped a little; Silver smiled coldly. "That's right; I know a lot about you that I gleaned from the international database. You haven't had a life like mine so you can't possibly understand why it is that I do what I do, so just go back to town and cry about something else—oh wait, Pallet's gone, also because of my old man. Gee, why don't you pester him instead of me?"
Aries clenched his fists tighter, then released them with a sigh. "There's no point in speaking to you, is there?"
"Nope," he said a bit too brightly, searching his pockets. He drew out a PokeBall and pressed the button; the beam shot out and went under the door, vanishing for a few seconds before it went back to the PokeBall; Silver then placed it in the fifth slot.
"How did the return function from so far away?"
"These are Team Rocket-brand PokeBalls," he explained. "However weak they are as a team, they do make handy tech." He took out another PokeBall and pressed the button; the return was quicker that time, and he quickly slotted it with the others. The machine lit up and beeped as it scanned each of his PokeBalls, then beeped again in confirmation. The last step, Aries remembered from books on the process, was for it to scan Silver's Trainer's Card, and that would declare him the Champion of the Pokémon League Johto. He drew his Card from his wallet and was about to insert it into the slot when he froze—or rather, his hand froze. Silver looked at Aries in surprise as he held his hand in place and very carefully loosened his grip on the card, floating it over into his own hand. "And you did it again," Silver said, alluding to the miracle of eleven years ago.
"I've been practicing," Aries said, waving Silver's card. Silver took a step and a half forward before Aries froze him again midstride—at least, he was frozen from the chest-down; that was the best he could do, and it was an improvement. Silver strained his neck and shoulders but he couldn't break free.
"Okay, you got me," he finally sighed. "What now? You gonna kill me? Oh, no, you're too much of a pansy for that."
"As much as I admire your metaphorical use of a subspecies of the violet, I wouldn't hurt you at all in any event." Aries walked up to him, looking in Silver's eyes as he hadn't been able to do as a scared little six-year-old, and he put his hands on either side of Silver's face and pressed his forehead to his.
Images flooded Aries' mind, some surprisingly regular—a mother and father talking their little boy to the movies, comic books, baby Pokémon battles—and some markedly darker, and as he progressed through Silver's mental timeline the darker images turned sourer and colder with him working on several Team Rocket's genetic projects, among other more sordid ones, and snatching Pokémon from innocent wide-eyed Trainers. For the most part, Silver's actions seemed very sociopathic with his schmoozing nature and lack of a guilty conscience, but the deeper Aries searched the more he realized Silver not only regretted what he was doing but wished he didn't have to, but it was an amazingly small part of him; for the most part, Silver was still a rotten person.
"Get out," Silver finally said, his voice shaky. Aries pulled away, feeling just as wrecked as Silver looked. "You feel better about yourself for doing that?"
"Not at all," he answered honestly. "But it was you that said I don't understand, and now I do, and rather than hurting you, I want you to promise me something."
"And what's that?" he snorted.
"I want you to promise that you'll be a regular Pokémon Trainer, one that doesn't push others around and abuse people and preach about their weakness."
"That's a lot to ask."
"I'm aware, but I'm also aware that somewhere deep inside, you have the capacity for it."
"Or maybe you're putting too much faith in something that isn't there anymore." Suddenly he grabbed his Trainer's Card from Aries' hand and kicking him onto his back. "Also, you should really work on your skills." Aries groaned and tried to get up, but either Silver had a really good foot or Aries still had the joint-based repercussions of telekinesis. Silver almost swiped his card in the machine but, with awfully comic timing (not comic as in hilarious, but comic as in comic book-like, as in just when all was lost), the door slammed open. He raised his head and saw several police officers led by Officer Jenny rush into the room.
"Freeze!" she called, her Blastoise growling at Silver. "Pokémon Trainer Silver, you are under arrest for association with Team Rocket, multiple acts of cruelty against fellow Trainers and Pokémon Champion Lance, and general crimes against the system!"
Silver raised his hands, snorting. "You called the police?"
"Calling the police warrants that I have some sort of communication device which, as you can see, I don't, and even if I did have one I couldn't grab it now." He sat up with difficulty, using his hands to push himself to his feet. "The fact is that even if you get away now, Silver, you'll have the rest of the police force looking for you, and I believe not even you are cunning enough to avoid that."
"Then you obviously underestimate my drive." He wiggled his left hand and a small remote control device poked out of his sleeve. Before anybody could react he pushed the button, causing all of his PokeBalls to beep and release his team simultaneously. Granted, there were still twelve police officers in the room, but Silver's team was like an army; he could take them too easily in that event, but he also still had Mewtwo and Henry to face in Lance's room, and Aries be damned if they weren't decent threats on their own. Suddenly, Silver's left pocket blared an instrumental version of some irritating song that featured a video of a Pikachu with a breakfast pastry for a body spewing a rainbow trail.
"Don't move," Jenny said when Silver started reaching for his pocket.
"It's just my Xtransceiver," he said innocently, drawing it out and putting the device to his ear. "Hi, this isn't the best time whoever you are…what? You're kidding. You're kidding. Archer, I swear if you're kidding— You're serious. And…why do you sound so despondent?" Aries couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but whatever was said had Silver looking more shocked than Aries thought a person could look shocked. He ended the call and threw the Xtransceiver at his Typhlosion, who incinerated it in a second. "Damn it," he muttered, throwing his arm across his eyes. "Gengar, please."
'Silver…' his Gengar said, and for all of the crap Silver put his Pokémon through, he sounded legitimately worried for his Trainer. The whole lot of them turned invisible just as Jenny's Blastoise loosed a powerful Hydro Pump, only succeeding in drenching the machine, and they all passed through the floor and disappeared.
"You all, spread out in the lobby and the entrance," she commanded her crew, who nodded and went back the way they came. Meanwhile, she approached Aries.
"I'm Officer Jenny of the Johto Police Force. Who are you and what relation do you have with Pokémon Trainer Silver?"
"My name…" Aries sighed, rubbing his neck with both hands. His body ached, his brain ached, he was tired, and he wanted nothing more than to eat and sleep for forever and then some. "My name is Aristotle, Officer Jenny, and Silver is only a part of the real problem here. Let me explain."
"Where have you two been?" Aries asked as he walked out of the police station in Lilycove City, finding Henry and Theophilus sitting on a stone bench parallel to the street.
'Mewtwo and I made an escape as soon as the police showed,' Henry shrugged. 'It did that, I don't know, lack-of-flashy thing and I used Dig; we met up again in Victory Road and it said that it had much much more interesting things to do than to hang around people like us, whatever that means, and left. After that, I went to the Pokémon Center and they held me up for a few hours until I could hike back to the city and take a bus here.'
"They let you ride a bus?"
'Of course; my pass from Pewter is valid everywhere.' He produced a bus pass from somewhere in his fur and waved it around; Aries decided to drop the matter for the time being.
"And you, Theo?"
Um… I'd rather not explain, he said, atypically bashful. But I made some interesting new friends.
Aries joined them on the bench with a sigh. 'What did they ask you?' Henry asked. 'Or rather, what did you tell them?'
"A lot. Not everything, but enough to point them in the direction of Team Rocket and Team Galactic; also, the stories surrounding them are interesting, to say the least. Team Galactic seems to have been wiped from everybody's memory."
Mew mentioned that, Theo said. I don't remember 'em, but there was this big battle on Mt. Coronet, right? and Dialga and Palkia almost showed up but Giratina showed up instead and totally wrecked the place, and then Mew said that the cross of Dialga and Palkia's powers made a space-time portal that completely wiped them from existence…or so it said.
"Also, I heard that today, Giovanni was found dead."
'Then…Denise…' Henry sounded traumatized. Aries shook his head.
"He died of disease, Henry." Henry let out a huge breath of relief. "And without a Boss, Team Rocket has disbanded. Now, it is disconcerting that the Executives and Grunts are now roaming free, but by themselves they're no threat."
'What about the, uh, experiments?'
"Found and taken in for containment. It very much seems that the most of this is over."
All's well that ends well, eh? Theo said, yawning. I wanna nap.
'Hey,' Henry said suddenly, raising his head. 'Where's Mew and Denise?'
"I've been wondering that as well," Aries said. He noticed Theophilus picking at his nonexistent split ends. "Theophilus, do you have any idea—"
I don't want to be the one to tell you, he said worriedly. I'm not good at this kind of stuff.
"What kind of stuff?"
'Theophilus, where are they?' Henry pressed, getting to his feet. 'Tell me right now.'
Okay, okay! He got to his feet too, throwing his hands in the air before letting them fall back to his sides. Around them, the people of the city rushed by under the blue blue sky, some hurrying to work and others hurrying to the Gym in search of their next Badge. The air smelled like hotdogs and cheeseburgers from the vendors next to the station and Pokémon ran down the streets when no cars were driving by, playing around and having a fun time in the occasional patch of grass. After Team Galactic, Mew, Mewtwo and I went to Team Rocket's HQ, right? Mew said it could sense Denise or something like that, and we found her, and it looked like she'd been jumped or attacked beforehand; she had some broken bones and a broken nose…probably torture…
"And?" Aries asked when he paused. Theo sighed. "Theophilus, I will look through your mind."
'And I'll beat it out of you,' Henry threatened.
She wasn't breathing, alright? Mew tried a lot of stuff but she just wouldn't…
Henry fell silent, shocked; Aries was quiet too, but only because he didn't know what to say. "Where are they now?"
Mt. Coronet. I'm not sure what Mew is trying to do exactly—
"But I think I do," he said slowly. "Henry, Theo, do you trust me?"
To some extent. Henry hesitated, then nodded.
Aries grabbed each of their shoulders and focused, pulling the three of them through the teleportation loop. With their combined mass it was iffy, but they managed to reach the sheared-off peak, albeit with an upside-down landing that nearly broke their necks (except for Theophilus, who had the feline ability to land on his feet). When Aries sat up he immediately saw Mew hovering in the air just above Denise's prone body; she looked fine and could've just been sleeping—if her clothes weren't burnt and shredded like she was struck by lightning and her chest wasn't so still. Henry was the first one over there, grabbing her hand and speaking too fast for Aries to understand. Mew turned to meet his eyes; he felt a strong tangle of emotions but swallowed them down for the moment.
You're betting a lot on a miracle, Mew, he said, walking forward.
Our lives have been nothing but miracles, however, it replied, looking at the sky. Where is Mewtwo?
Terrorizing some poor people elsewhere? I don't know.
This would be easier with its psychic aid, it lamented. Aries hesitated.
…I can help. Mew turned to him.
You would, even after…?
It wasn't your fault, he said halfheartedly. And that's not the point; it's because of us that she was involved in the first place, and now we have to fix what we've done, right?
You've matured very much, Aries, it said. He sighed, looking up.
Let's hope that we actually get a miracle.
There wasn't a miracle to be seen for a long while, even with Mew and Aries sending out psychic signals like fireworks, just Henry crying quietly and Theo looking disconcerted by Henry's crying and Denise's dead-ness. He looked over at Mew, who was becoming more distraught by the nanosecond, and back at Denise, and all of a sudden he was captured in the throes of riotous laughter. Henry looked at him, sniffling and angry, and Theo looked like he wanted to laugh at Aries' laugh if the situation wasn't so generally sick. Mew touched his shoulder in concern, causing him to completely double over as he cracked up.
'What's so funny?' Henry finally asked, his voice husky. Aries hit the ground hard on his behind, stretching his legs out before him and gripping his knees for support.
"I…I'm sorry; I really am," he chuckled, pressing the butts of his palms to his temples. "It's just… I just… I'm going crazy, alright? I really am. Can't take any more of this crap."
'That's the most human thing I've ever heard you said,' Henry sighed, rubbing his nose with his paws.
"Denise rubbed off on me. Oh, how I will miss her abrasive nature, her constant threats, her iron fist."
It's not nice to speak ill of the dead, Theo said.
"Oh, I'm being very candid," Aries assured him. "The hilarity only stemmed from the fact that Denise was and is the only person in the world to really like me and look where it good her—look where it got-freaking-her: a good spot in the dirt six feet under when she should be at home in Pewter with her brothers and parents, complaining about selling Fossils instead of becoming one—" He had to stop as his voice regressed into an incomprehensible sob; he covered his face with his hands, feeling hot tears slip through his fingers even so. He felt a paw rest on his shoulder.
Aries, Mew said softly, and he could feel its fur rubbing against the side of his neck.
"'m sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't be…I'm a psychic…"
But you're also a human boy; I should have always kept that in mind. Whatever the case, there aren't any threats left, so just cry, Aristotle.
He tried, but there wasn't much besides the first few tears. He sighed into his palms, feeling his eyes burn and ache. Aries, Mew said urgently.
"I'm fine—"
Just raise your damn head, moron! Theo shouted. He dropped his hands and turned around, feeling his jaw unhinge; an iridescent staircase was suddenly in the center of the rocky ground, rising high into the sky until it disappeared into the clouds. Aries exchanged a look with everyone else; they were just as shell-shocked, if not more.
'Miracles do happen,' Henry finally said.
"Indeed," Aries agreed. "Mew, can you—" Wordlessly, Mew levitated Denise's body with them. Aries walked up the first two steps experimentally; they were clear as if glass, but they didn't make a sound at his weight, which had to be the greatest of all of theirs considering he was the only human using the steps. "Well, let's not keep the man—or stallion—upstairs waiting." Nobody appreciated his pun as much as he did, but it didn't matter; at least he wasn't being hysteric anymore.
Aries was leading the line, then Theo, then Henry with Mew and Denise. The journey was long and very quiet save for the wind and occasional passing bird Pokémon, who seemed surprised and weren't all friendly, leaving beak marks in Aries' skin. As they travelled for who-knows-how-long the ground below them became smaller and smaller until the mountain looked like a mud puddle; the sight made Aries, who had been a strong acrophobic since childhood, tremble and start stumbling on the steps.
Hey! Theophilus exclaimed when Aries fell, catching him before he sent all of them back down the hard way.
"Sorry," Aries said breathlessly, straightening up. Although they were high in the sky, he was the only breathless one, and he was the only one that was almost hyperventilating.
We're almost there, Mew said. Just don't look down.
"Why in hell would you say that!?" he exclaimed, terrified and frustrated. "That just makes me look down!" Thankfully, nobody replied to that; he had a feeling they'd be sarcastic and pretty much no help.
Finally, they came to the peak that disappeared into the clouds. Being the first one in their line, Aries was the first to walk through, and the feeling was just as peculiar as teleportation; it was as if he stepped into the ocean and came out on the other side in some sort of mirror world, a feeling that was intensified by the clouds' water vapor now soaking through his clothes. He looked around and realized he was back in the Legendaries' space, the one that looked like outer space but was brimming with natural energy. He walked forward, savoring the feeling of solid "ground" beneath his feet, and heard the others move in behind him.
That was a good shower, Theophilus commented, and Aries was unsure if he was being sarcastic or not.
'This is…?' Henry asked, confused.
The dimension of the Legendaries, Mew supplied, easing Denise into it. Or rather, one in particular.
'One in particu…?'
A little white line shone just in front of them, sort of like the Northern Star but more concentrated. Slowly, it grew a shape, getting larger and larger until it towered over all of them. Golden eyes set in grey sclera regarded them, followed by a voice Aries remembered all too well. It's been much too long, Mew, Aristotle, Arceus said, its golden hooves clicking as they hit the ground. Tears formed in Mew's large eyes as it flew in rapid circles around Arceus' legs.
Arceus—am I glad—to see you—alive! Its voice oscillated with its speed until it finally came to a stop at its head, hugging it. The scene made Aries want to laugh again; Mew was just so tiny compared to the Alpha Pokémon. It hummed thankfully before politely asking Mew to release it. (Hell, it was a helluva lot more polite than eleven years ago.) Mew did so a bit shamefully, returning to the others' side.
I've heard your call, Arceus said. Or rather, all of us had. As it spoke, several more lights of different colors formed in a circle around them, all taking shape with various noises until surrounding them were all existing Legendary Pokémon. Aries gasped; he had never seen so many in one place. Henry looked like he might have a coronary; Theo just seemed amused for whatever reason. Aristotle, it suddenly boomed, causing him to flinch, what you have done years ago—leading Pokémon Trainer Silver to us—is unthinkable and unforgivable.
He was glad he didn't have any tears left to make an idiot of himself. "I know—"
But you have also spent all of your time trying to right your wrongs, for which I and the rest of us Legendary Pokémon are grateful for. The others muttered their thanks—as much as Pokémon could mutter, anyway. And the cost hasn't been small, I see, it added, glancing at Denise.
I know, Mew said sadly. It's our fault that she was involved in the first place, so can't you do anything for you?
Even I can't revive a lost soul; you know that, Mew, Arceus said.
'But do something, damn it!' Henry shouted at him; Aries pushed him back with his hand.
"Henry, this isn't the sort of Pokémon you want to be losing your temper with—"
'I don't give a damn! Maybe you don't understand because you—don't—feel!'
…Henry, Mew said, touching his paw. Please, calm down.
'A…Alright. I apologize for shouting at you, Arceus." Arceus nodded in acceptance. 'Aries, too. I didn't mean it, but it's true.'
"Henry… I wish it was true," Aries admitted quietly. "Affection is a hard thing for me to convey, even now; I care for her—I care for all of you, in fact, and losing one of you would corrode my insides." He turned to Arceus. "Arceus, please, can't you do anything to help us? I know that I've made mistakes in the past, but Denise has done nothing wrong—she's tried to help us all, in fact, so if there is anything possible to bring her back, I'll do it; even if it's my life for hers, I'll do it!"
I can perhaps help, Dialga said. With Palkia's help, we can adjust space and time; we can revert things to a period before her passing, but also with Team Rocket and Team Galactic gone.
'Great!' Henry exclaimed, smiling in relief.
However, doing so will also require memory adjustment, it said, looking at Sinnoh's lake trio, who looked at each other.
That should be easy, yes? Mew prompted.
Well, yes, Azelf said. In itself…yes.
If time is reversed in this way, it will have to be to the point of Aristotle's entry in Pewter City, Uxie continued. However, for this to work, the past will have to be altered as well as the present.
'Meaning…?'
Aries would never have met Denise, Latias said. Consequently, Aries and Denise would not have met Theophilus, Latios continued.
So we won't remember each other? Theo asked, although it was all pretty clear-cut. Arceus nodded in response; Aries stepped forward, appalled.
"It can't end that way! All the things we've endured, all that we've done together…" He thought of meeting Denise, of Cyrus finding them, of taking Theophilus to the Pokémon Center, of encountering Silver again; he thought of how he made more friends in those past few weeks than he ever thought he would've, and of how it put an incomprehensible amount of pain on his heart and soul to think that he never would have met any of them. "Arceus, please!" he pleaded, but the Alpha Pokémon had nothing to say; what could he have said anyway? There was nothing to say at that point.
Aries, there's nothing else that can be done, Mew said quietly, and even its voice was trembling.
"I won't accept that, damn it! You're Arceus, aren't you, the greatest Pokémon? The best most powerful Pokémon that can do anything? Why can't you do this one thing; shouldn't it be easy for you?" He noticed that his hands were shaking and raised them to his temples, which gave him awareness to the noise building in his skull. "You just have to be able to do this… I don't believe that you're helpless, not now; it has to be a grudge, it has to be—"
Aries. 'Aries.' Suddenly all three of them were saying his name, and when he looked back they all appeared worried—for him. For him, of all people. Well, it figured; he was the one that was supposed to be in control of himself, not freaking out against Arceus—especially since it was damn Arceus—but didn't they care about their friendship? Or maybe…he was just being selfish. And an idiot. A selfish idiot, that was it.
"W-what do you need?"
"I almost forgot. A bit hard to remember with such a pretty girl."
…
"Never do that again."
"Save your life?"
…
"After this, Denise…because we're really going to live; I'm sure of it…we're going to hang out like real…friends, alright?"
"That's an odd way of asking, but sure."
"You're a very strange man, Aristotle."
"And you are a very…unique young lady, Denise."
He forgot to mention she was unique in a…good way. Very good way. Really, he was an idiot.
'I mean, it's all still good, right?' Henry said. 'Team Rocket and Team Galactic will still be gone, so everybody will be safe; to think of ourselves would be a little selfish after all of that, wouldn't it?'
Fair point well made, Mew agreed quietly. Theo chuckled humorlessly.
Before, all I wanted to do was forget the rest of you, he said, but now…I'm sad to know that I'm going to, alright?
"Aw," Aries grinned, throwing his arms around Theophilus. He growled and bristled but didn't push him away, which was when Henry and Mew joined in the fun, hugging each other. Although nobody spoke or thought, it was clear that the joke of a group hug actually meant a great deal to all of them. When they pulled away Aries turned his attention to Denise, lying on the ground of space; she was very pretty when she wasn't scowling, heavily contrasting her tomboyish attitude. He put his hands on either side of her face and pressed his forehead to hers, although this time there were no thoughts for him to hear.
'Aries,' Henry said, clearing his throat, but his thoughts were more like I'll kill you, you damn necrophilia bastard. Arceus was looking at them questioningly.
Do you all accept this clause?
"Yes, I believe we do," Aries smiled. "But can I ask a single favor of you, dear Alpha Pokémon?" Arceus was unamused but listened just the same to Aries' private thought.
That is doable, but it is a disappointment to all of us, it said. You could be a valuable asset as such a strong Legendary.
"Well, I'm not a Legendary," he said. "I'm a human, and it's time I act like it. Now, please."
Arceus nodded at Dialga and Palkia, who glowed blue and pink respectively as they roared. Denise was the first to vanish a la Mewtwo style—no smoke or flashing lights, just disappearing—followed by Henry, then Theo with a sad wave. Mew and Aries looked at each other and hugged.
"I shan't ever forget you, Mew," Aries murmured. "The real, caring you."
And I you, Aristotle, she murmured back before taking her place with the other Legendary Pokémon. Aries smiled sadly before he, too, disappeared.
