A/N- AND THE FINAL CHAPTER. KINDA LONG AND KINDA RUSHED BUT IT'S DONE.
Chapter 9
Final Wish, The End
It started about year ago, a few months before the Ninety-Ninth Games.
Cyndaquil hadn't expected to find a Legendary. He was simply taking an afternoon stroll around the Fire Region, when he found a small, unconscious Pokémon. Right away, he knew it was a Legendary. Unfortunately, the name decided to slip right out of his mind just as he figured it out.
"Uh… hello?" he asked cautiously, approaching the still Pokémon.
The Legendary's eyes snapped open and they looked around wildly.
"Hi…?" she replied nervously. Her body was a light silvery color and her head was shaped a little like a yellow star.
Wait, weren't stars just balls of burning gas—?
"I am Jirachi," she said. Her crystal-blue eyes scanned over him and he flinched uncomfortably.
"Cyndaquil."
She then flinched, and looked around. "Hey, would you do me a favor?"
He cocked his head, confused as to why she would ask a Pokémon like him for favors. "If it has anything to do with murder, you can probably go ask Arcanine," he muttered.
The news of Growlithe murdering Vulpix had spread like wildfire. Everyone knew, and those stories were told to the young impressionable Cyndaquil. Now that she'd evolved, it made Cyndaquil that much more nervous thinking about her.
"What… no, that wasn't—," Jirachi shook herself. "Do you feel uncertain about the Center?" she asked.
Cyndaquil frowned. "No."
Jirachi looked disappointed. "Well, never mind, then. I'm sorry to hear that." With those words, she flew away, leaving the Fire Pokémon utterly perplexed.
XXX
The Wish Pokémon was still around. She occasionally stopped to chat with him, and ultimately ended up confusing him. Two weeks later, he ran into another surprise.
It was evening, and after hanging around with his friend, Chimchar, he was heading home.
What he didn't expect was for his door to suddenly open and a small Eevee to crash into him. Of course, Cyndaquil was surprised. He lived alone for now, since his mother was out on a really long trip, so he didn't really expect anyone else to be there. Immediately, he grew suspicious.
"Who are you?"
The smaller Pokémon looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, then bolted past him, and around the corner. He chased her for a few minutes, but eventually lost her. Sighing, he returned home.
Great. She'd taken some of his food. He'd been robbed.
She came back the next morning hesitantly, looking around the empty street.
Cyndaquil went outside to confront her. "Okay, what are you doing?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
The Eevee looked nervous, then replied in a REALLY young voice. "Don't turn me in… don't… don't…" she sniffled, then burst into tears.
Cyndaquil panicked. Oh god. "Just… come on. You can stay at my place for a bit." Nodding, she obliged.
After she'd calmed down, Cyndaquil asked her name. "Are you just Eevee?"
The Eevee hesitated. "No," she said. "I… I'm a… a… Duplicate." She began to cry at the word, and Cyndaquil, panicking once again, decided to leave her.
She stayed in the area for a while, and eventually went to Cyndaquil's home every day.
Without anything better to do, he taught her how to climb, amongst other things.
"You have claws, right?"
The Eevee showed him her still-developing claws and he sighed.
"That should be fine. Climbing's easy—see?" He used his own small claws to dig into the side of his house, then slowly pulled himself up. Since he'd done it tons of times before, it was easy.
The Eevee tried, but couldn't keep herself from falling back down. She stared up at him, confused.
"Claw, claw, pull," he said patiently. "Here…"
After a week, she told him everything.
She was called Eevee 2, a Duplicate, and she was something called shiny. But most importantly…
"I'm… I'm being hunted…" she said quietly. Desperation entered her voice. "They're going to kill me if they catch me! Sooner or later, the Pokémon in this area are going to realize who I am and turn me in! But… please… please, let me stay… Let me hide…"
Cyndaquil stared at her in absolute shock. Then, in a voice holding cold finality, he said, "Get out."
He couldn't risk letting a hunted Pokémon stay with him.
She looked like she wanted to say more. Maybe make an argument about how young she was, how cruel he was being to her, but she didn't speak. She hung her head in shame, and left.
XXX
Four days passed, and she didn't come back.
"Hey, Cyndaquil!"
Cyndaquil looked up to see Chimchar. He looked thrilled. "Guess what my dad told me!" His father, Infernape, worked closely with the Center. He began to talk quickly and in a hushed voice.
A runaway Eevee of a different color had been captured three days ago, and taken back to the Center. After a questioning, she'd been deemed extremely guilty of four things: theft, robbery, stealing, and shoplifting.
Cyndaquil wanted to argue the fact that those were all the same thing, but didn't say anything.
She'd been killed this morning.
"Isn't it great?" Chimchar grinned. "The Authorities would never allow a Pokémon who steals from and robs others to roam free! We're safe!"
Once again, Cyndaquil felt obliged to say that stealing and robbing were technically the same thing, but didn't say anything, instead frozen in shock at the news.
"Well, catch ya later! I gotta go throw rocks at Arcanine with Slugma!"
He ALSO wanted to question how Slugma could throw rocks, but he found that he couldn't speak.
The Eevee was dead?
That night, he couldn't sleep, so he went up to the roof. Why was he so upset?
A voice spoke out. "You."
Cyndaquil felt that the voice was familiar. He turned around, seeing Jirachi. "We meet again," he said, his voice guarded.
"I sense your despair," Jirachi said bluntly. When he gave her a questioning look, she shook her head. "I can't read your thoughts and emotions fully. I'm no Mesprit. However, I am still a Psychic. That alone enables me to sense these kinds of things."
Now she looked a bit upset. "Why are you in distress?"
Cyndaquil didn't respond for a moment. "I… there was an Eevee…" he said quietly.
"The same Eevee who was executed this morning?"
He nodded hesitantly.
"Ah, you were the one she wouldn't mention."
"What?"
"When asked who she made contact with, she stated only two merchants, a Bisharp and a Lopunny. Both deemed her guilty of theft, yet haven't been heard from since then. When she was asked where she hid for a week, she said she only hid away in the shadows."
"She was only trying to survive," he protested.
Jirachi gave him a look. "And yet, what did you do?"
"I…" Cyndaquil thought back to when she'd told him everything and begged to stay. What had he done?
A sick feeling rose in his stomach. "I sent her away." He'd been the one who ultimately doomed her. She knew she had nowhere else to go, and when he denied her, she hadn't said a word, and only left. Even when she could've sent him to his death, she said nothing.
"Are you going to turn me in?"
"On the contrary."
They were both silent.
Then, "Congratulations. You've killed a Pokémon who considered you their only true friend," Jirachi said, accusation thick in her voice. She floated up into the air.
"Wait!" Cyndaquil tried to keep his voice steady. "Wait, ah…" The Wishmaker gave him a questioning glance.
"You… you can grant wishes, right?"
She was silent. "I carry out wishes. There is no guarantee the wish itself can be granted."
"I have a wish," he said quietly. "Can you grant it?"
She again was silent. "Unless you burden the full weight of this power, you would fail to complete any wish that denies reality."
"I'll take the burden," he said firmly.
"You do not realize how heavy this is… once you take it, you cannot rid yourself of the destiny which awaits you." Jirachi sounded sad. "I help those who make their wishes, little Cyndaquil. I've granted the three wishes of two others. They've helped me realize so much. But what I never did realize until it was too late, was that their life was bound to the three wishes they made."
"I don't understand."
"I give the power to make three wishes come true to a Pokémon," she explained. "Once they carry out their third wish, their life ends. Any Pokémon's life that they affected… if it goes against fate, then their lives too will be cut short."
Now she stared at him hard. "I know what you want granted. Even if you save her, she will only have 15 months to live."
Cyndaquil was silent. "You asked me for a favor before."
"A burden which isn't worth it. If it means the possible death of a friend, I can't ask that."
"I'm a friend?"
Jirachi looked mildly surprised. "We're talking, aren't we?"
His eyes lowered in guilt, remembering the Eevee. "I guess… But what favor was it anyway?"
"To help me change the world."
He looked at her, surprised. There was fierce determination in her blue eyes.
"Another Pokémon and I, we've been working on something. He's playing the Center's pawn right now, doing his duty and whatnot. He's unsuspected as of right now, unlike me." She suddenly looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, forcing information you probably don't believe onto you…"
"What's so wrong with the Center though?"
"You've already realized one part of it."
He gulped. "But… if it's our government… if it's killing…" He was at a loss for words.
"I cannot stop you if you decide to make three wishes at the cost of your life, but I beg you to consider what can happen."
"Don't you want this too?"
"I've waited for nearly a century. I can wait a little longer…"
He noticed her eyes darken.
"But it'll just be the same thing, won't it?" he asked.
She nodded grimly.
"I'll help you. In exchange for three wishes," Cyndaquil declared. Jirachi let out a small bark of laughter.
"You're kidding."
"I'm not."
Her expression hardened and all amusement faded from her face. She flew down lower so she was face to face with him. "The Center has no idea where I am. They haven't known since the last Games." She paused for a moment and let that information sink in. "I'm no honorable Authority anymore. Can you really trust the likes of me?"
"You're trusting this information with me. How can you know I won't turn you in?" he retorted.
There was a hint of a smile on her face. "Fair enough. But as much as I would like your help, it's risky."
"My wish is risky. Besides, I could end up only using two wishes."
"Stubborn fool." Jirachi sighed. "But your intentions do not lie. I will stay in telepathic contact with you. I will call you and tell you what you must do, and you will carry out those actions. In return, I will do all I can in my power to ensure up to three wishes of yours are granted."
"I understand."
"Do you really?"
No hint of hesitation. "Really."
Jirachi nodded. "Very well."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then slowly, as her eyes closed, her true eye opened on her stomach. Cyndaquil gazed at it in wonder, and felt his body synchronize with the light emanating from the eye. The eye then dimmed, and closed itself.
Jirachi nodded. "Your wish…?"
"I want to go back in time. I want to save her."
She telepathically called Celebi that night, murmuring to Cyndaquil that Celebi was also secretly aiding her, although not as closely. The air beside them rippled several seconds later, and with a soft flash, the Time Travel Pokémon was before them.
Celebi frowned. "I don't have much time right now. The Authorities are suspicious."
"I don't often find you to be short on time, dear friend," Jirachi replied. She rapidly explained what had just happened between Cyndaquil and herself, and Celebi looked surprised.
Celebi turned her gaze to him, piercing him with her icy blue eyes. "Do you realize what you have done?"
Cyndaquil wasn't sure what to say. He was in the presense of two legendaries and his very life was so fragile now. He had just made a contract in the dead of the night with the Wishmaker.
"He is strong," Celebi said simply. She held out her hands to Jirachi and Cyndaquil, but Jirachi shook her head. "Only him. Remember, every wish that defies the entropy of the universe also tests the willpower and strength of the one who makes the wish. I can guide him, provide the means for him to carry out the wish, but the success of his wish depends solely on him."
Celebi nodded, gently holding Cyndaquil's hand. "I wish you the best of luck." A faint ring of white light surrounded them, then expanded so that he saw nothing but white.
"Time shall now reverse itself to the night before her execution, 24 hours before now. Any more and I risk losing you to the depths of time-space." Celebi's voice was tremulous, holding both fear and fascination. "It has been quite some time since Jirachi has chosen her hero."
Cyndaquil nodded, his throat dry. "Hero?"
Celebi shook her head. "Not important."
The brightness that surrounded them began to fade, and Cyndaquil saw around him, the scenery that replicated the home he had just seen.
"Time does not change much in 24 hours, and yet change does happen," Celebi mused. Then her tone grew serious. "You have eight hours before your friend's execution is to take place. That should be enough time. However, you are on your own now."
Cyndaquil nodded, already having realized just what he had done.
Another ring of light surrounded Celebi and her body began to fade. As she did, soft unmistakeable words escaped her mouth. "Arceus be with you."
And he was alone.
A moment passed and he took a deep shuddering breath.
I'm a fool.
He wasn't sure whether to believe that or not.
But he began to head for the Center, shoving all his doubts aside.
He had a friend to save.
XXX
Cyndaquil looked at the Authority's main central building, awesome yet fearsome at the same time.
He didn't have a strategy. He only had his logic and wits to help him now. He was on his own.
Jirachi saw something in him, something that ultimately made her decide he was a good Pokémon worth trusting, someone she could entrust the power of her wishes to.
Focus. He narrowed his eyes and crept around the side of the building quickly, then, seeing a window that was fairly low, he hooked his claws into the sides of the building and pulled himself up, peering hesitantly into the building. He tested the window slowly, tapping it then pushing on it, and it gave easily.
What were these idiot Authorities doing?
The hallways were mostly silent, but he didn't climb into the building just yet. He looked around, managing to discern where stairs were, but he didn't know exactly where he had to go.
The Eevee was being held on the lower floor, which meant down. Silently, he crawled in, and seeing no point in hiding in the shadows, he dashed down the hall.
Seriously though, where WAS everyone?
He finally got his answer as he neared a room that was louder than necessary. The door was slightly ajar, and as he passed, he caught wind of the conversation.
"…and all the pathetic regions have no idea…"
He slowed to a stop just past the door.
"The Fairy types gave way easily. Those that still exist have no idea of their true types. Erasing another region would be simple enough, yet the citizen's would be stupid enough to believe us and follow us still in their 'time of turmoil.'"
"All in due time," another elegant voice interjected. "But as you all speak, there is an intruder lurking outside the door who you might be interested in attending to."
Cyndaquil jolted away from the door immediately in the silence that followed, spinning and running down the hall to the stairs.
Behind him, the door opened sharply only seconds after he raced down the stairs, slamming into the adjacent wall.
"Fan out! Catch the intruder!"
Oh wonderful. His currently seven hours had probably now dwindled to a measly fifteen minutes or less.
Luckily, he had headed in the right direction. Glass containment cells surrounded him, managing to maintain the Authorities' high prejudice yet give a feel of horrifying resentment.
There were several other Pokémon in the cells, a Krockorok, a Glameow, a little Charmander, a Poochyena… Cyndaquil wanted to free them too. But they had to wait.
Then, there she was.
Brutally beaten and clearly starved half to death, the silver Eevee looked at Cyndaquil in surprise. Tears filled her eyes and her mouth moved, but he couldn't hear what she was trying to say.
"Hang on," he pleaded with her. The glass door was passcode locked. That shouldn't matter. He motioned with his paws for her to back away from the door and after a moment, she did. By now, alarms were blaring. He had to hurry.
Breathing in heavily, he used Flamethrower on the glass, and was slightly surprised to see it having an effect. About thirty seconds later, the glass had melted enough for the Eevee to jump through, tackling Cyndaquil in a tight embrace.
"I thought you hated me," she whispered, her voice choked up with tears.
Cyndaquil fought the blush that rose in his cheeks, but helped her stand.
"We're getting out of here," he said.
"Wait," She tested a sequence of numbers on a nearby prisoner's cell, and the door slid open. "Free everyone," she said. "The passcode is 0923. I saw one of the leaders here inputting that."
Smart girl.
Working together with the other prisoners, they freed everyone and began to make their escape.
As they reached the main lobby, a flash of light suddenly appeared before them, and Mesprit showed herself.
"Running?" she asked tauntingly. As Cyndaquil and a few of the other Pokémon with him tensed in a battle ready position, she laughed. "I won't stop you," she said, drifting to the side. None of them hesitated, making for the entrance.
"Oh, and little Cyndaquil?" Cyndaquil paused momentarily. "I'd watch your back, little hero. Things don't always work out in ways you want them to." Her shrill laughter followed him as he burst out of the building, and seconds later, her body emitted another bright flash and she was gone.
All of the freed Pokémon were running together. For a brief moment, there was silence as they all ran, then the Glameow in the front let out a joyous and victorious cry, and seconds later, they all joined in, Cyndaquil adding his own shout of freedom to the cheers.
XXX
They had settled together outside of any region, away from any other Pokémon. Morning was coming, and with it, a strange green bird appeared to them. She called herself Xatu, and was a fellow escapee from the Center. The Glameow who'd cheered first the previous night spoke with her, and they decided to join together to protect one another. There were only seven of them, but they could be strong together.
One by one, everyone agreed with them, including the little Eevee.
Cyndaquil stopped her for a moment. "Are you sure? You could be putting your life more in danger."
The Eevee smiled at him softly. "You put your life in danger because of me," she said. "Now I want to be strong like you. I want to be able to protect the ones I love."
She had so much courage after her time in imprisonment.
Then the Glameow declared, "I want a new name."
Everything was changing so fast.
XXX
Jirachi appeared to him that night.
"You succeeded." There was evident pride in her voice.
"So I did," he said quietly, so as to not disturb any of the sleeping Pokémon.
"It is too dangerous for you now, however."
He raised his head. "What?"
Jirachi looked sad. "You have two options from here. You can either leave these Pokémon forever, or you can evolve with the help of my powers and I will erase most of their memories of you."
As he opened his mouth to protest, she raised a hand. "Let me finish. They will know a Pokémon saved them all. The Eevee, who I believe is now 'Ellie' will remember you, but she will not remember you exactly."
He probably looked confused, so she continued. "She will know a Pokémon helped her and saved her, but she will not know it was you. All of them will only know that you were a fellow escapee."
"Oh." His voice sounded weak.
He snuck a glance at Ellie.
"Why is it dangerous?"
"Because you are bound to me now, for one, through our contract. For another… you will have to tell her that a Pokémon changed her fate, and inadvertently shortened her remaining life. She will hate that Pokémon. Can you bear to have her know it was you?"
"But I saved her."
"But she wouldn't understand. Wishes are are tricky thing, surpassing entropy, giving what shouldn't be possible."
He tried again. "But I love her." Even as he spoke the words, he knew it was true.
Jirachi looked sad. "I'm sorry." There was true regret in her voice.
A heavy silence hung over them. "Erase their memories," he said, his voice breaking. "I will evolve."
XXX
Every memory of those days haunted Star's mind.
He never regretted anything. Ellie fell back in love with him, and he was happy for a while.
When the ninety-ninth games ended, they decided to create the goal of eradicating the Authorities' power, to liberate all Pokémon, and met with others who had the same views. More joined. Sasha the Glameow and another died.
Was any of it even worth it?
He used his second wish on Ellie, protecting her from unusual detection within the Center, such as Dialga's time control. He had fought Dialga himself just to ensure that happened.
And now, as he watched Ellie's conciousness begin to finally fade, he used his final wish to save her life, and extend her life to its fullest, in exchange for his. He heard a shuddering gasp as Ellie's eyes snapped open, and saw the stunned expression on her face as she realized what had truly happened.
One last fatal wish.
Mesprit's laugh echoed in his mind, hollow, empty, already fading to black.
Things don't always work out in ways you want them to.
Ellie was shaking him, crying, begging him to stay with her.
Sorrow and desperation mixed with determination.
He had not failed.
What had to be achieved now was within their grasp.
Jirachi.
Ellie.
Finish it.
XXX
Ellie shook Star's lifeless form again. "Star, no, this isn't… this isn't fair!"
Darkrai laughed. "An unexpected turn of events."
"Unexpected indeed," a new voice interjected.
Darkrai whirled around.
A small Pokémon with a star-like headdress floated before them. Her gaze was narrowed with fury.
"Ah, the final traitor. Your friends Celebi, Latios, and the Quilava have ceased to exist, little Jirachi. You'd be better off giving up," Darkrai said charismatically.
She shook her head, but floated over to where Ellie and Star were.
"Star, my partner," she murmured. She placed a hand on his forehead. "You said you'd try not to use all three." Her voice was utterly sad.
"All three?" Ellie asked, confused.
"We had a contract. He would aid me and I would do everything I could to ensure his three wishes would become reality, but after three wishes…"
"No…"
"He used them all to protect you, you know," Jirachi said softly.
Ellie looked at her in surprise.
"He was the very Pokémon who cursed you, yet saved you from execution a year ago. He made sure you wouldn't be detected by Dialga or any other unusual way. And now he has saved your life again.
"In return, he was my spy, working closely with the Authorities until your little quest began." Jirachi sighed. "He was a better partner than I could ever ask for."
Ellie looked down in shock. Star… Star was the same Pokémon from her past?
"He died thinking he failed," Jirachi continued. "That is wrong. He succeeded. He gave me all the information I needed." There was slight pride in her voice.
"I found him," she said, and Ellie looked at her.
"What?"
Darkrai's giddyness over the unexpectedness of Star's death faded abruptly. "Jirachi, what did you do?"
"He will be with us any moment."
From outside, there was a sudden victorious roar. "MY MASTER HAS RETURNED." Rayquaza's master?
Golden light began to shine brightly in the middle of the dark sky as every Pokémon turned their attention to the godly form that began to shape itself.
"Arceus…" Ellie whispered, her eyes wide.
Jirachi smiled.
The holy God Pokémon began to descend to where Ellie, Jirachi, and Darkrai stood. He glared at Darkrai. "You have forsaken me," he rumbled in a low yet glorious voice. Above him, Rayquaza circled the building, all traces of his rampage ended with the entrance of Arceus.
Darkrai was still in shock. "My lord, I have only been trying to—"
"Trying to what?" A long silence. "I awaken from my long supposedly everlasting slumber to see what you have done. Pokémon everywhere, dead. Regions, destroyed. My Fairy types have died, and with them my love, who vowed to wait forever for me."
"Xerneas was weak," Darkrai spat.
"She governed the flow of life with love and care," Arceus said. "She said she would do everything she could to maintain peace in the world for me, even as I said peace was useless."
Darkrai's eyes flashed in anger. "Then let me finish creating the perfect utopia! I will so this and you shall see just how much better off the world is." He wrung his shaking hands. "It's… what she wanted."
"No."
The air around Darkrai seemed to darken significantly, gaining strength yet at the same time exuding a feeling of angst and loneliness. "You're more a fool than I remember, Arceus." Before anyone could react, he charged for the god, and Ellie let out a warning cry.
The charge was useless. Barriers surrounded Arceus and Darkrai was unable to break through.
"WHY?" The Pitch-Black Pokémon demanded, charging again with more force that was no use. "WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DIE?"
Arceus stopped the barrage of attacks easily, using an unseen force to trap Darkrai and suspend him in the air.
"You were fools."
He hurled the Dark type into the rubble of the destroyed Authority building, but even as the move didn't kill, Darkrai lay there, unmoving, the only proof that he still lived in that his shallow breaths were a harsh sob. The true Leader was crying, knowing there was nothing more he could do.
Arceus looked around him, at the broken world that filled his vision. Desolation entered his eyes, and he looked forlorn as he gazed at the destruction. No Pokémon, god or not, would be able to describe the sadness in his gaze.
Finally, he said, "I, myself, will reset this world."
A stunned air seemed to follow.
"It is beyond saving now, and this is the only way." His eyes and body began to glow with golden light.
"What?" Ellie exploded.
Arceus gazed down at her, lights still dancing around his white body. "Little Eevee," he said. "Why do you object?"
Ellie lowered her eyes. "It's just… How? Why? Why appear now?"
"Jirachi summoned me from my sleep with Rayquaza's help."
"There are so many things that have happened, so many memories… I don't want to forget them… If the world is reset, I might never meet the ones I have. I don't… I can't…"
Arceus floated lower to her, his gaze curious. "Everything will work out the way they are supposed to, child."
Ellie let her eyes rest on Star, but she still didn't believe the god.
"How?"
It seemed like Arceus was smiling for a brief moment, and he lightly touched the top of her head with his chin. His voice rumbled softly, so much different than in the past when he had been forced into his furious state by mankind.
"Fate has a way, young one. You will always meet those you were destined to."
The golden shower of light exploded, and everything faded.
A/N- So even for the final chapter, everything still has a cliffhanger. Don't worry, I'm writing a short epilogue to this, which will come sometime soon. But this is the end, guys! Finally, after all the death and destruction I brought upon these Pokémon, the story has come to a close (Well, almost. I mean there's the epilogue).