Chapter 0: Parallax

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the sun.

It was a relieving sight. I was pretty sure that Mewtwo had destroyed it . . . wait . . Mewtwo did destroy it!

My memories slowly returned, and I recalled the encounter with Arceus. "Alternate universe . . trippy," I recalled, picking myself up and looking around. I was on top of a hill, in the middle of grassland with mountains a little way off.

I felt a weight in my pocket, and reached into it, expecting to produce my Pokedex . . . instead, I discovered the sculpted, golden form of Professor Trevors' device. "Battle Ready Ener . . screw it, that name is way too long," I shook my head, thinking about the initials. "Hey, they're an acronym. How did I miss that?" I looked at the device with a smile. "I guess I'll call you the BREAKDriver,"

Having sorted that out, I discovered the Pokedex in another pocket. A quick activation and examination proved that nothing noticeable had changed, though its internet browser was offline. Annoying.

Another memory flashed into my brain. "Arceus said something about someone who would help me," I recalled, looking around. No one for miles, that I could see. "Eh, I'll find them," I shrugged, reaching down to my belt and taking a look.

I immediately recognised five of the six Pokeballs there, and after a couple of seconds more, realised that the last was the one holding Trevenant. "Oh yeah," I muttered, recalling the fate of the last member of my team. "Charizard . . ."

An idea occurred, and I reached for Absol's Pokeball, releasing the Dark-type. The furry quadruped bleated as she emerged, looking at me curiously. I crouched and gently rubbed her head. "Hey, girl. How are you feeling?"

She looked around. "Better than before. Don't suppose you can tell where we are?"

I rose. "Can't say I know, but we'll figure -" I froze, wheeling back to face my Pokemon. We both stared at each other for a few seconds.

"You understood me?" she gasped.

I slowly nodded, frowning. "Okay, are we both speaking Pokemon or did you learn English?"

One of the Pokeballs on my hip clicked open, and Metagross materialised with a stern look. "If I may," he droned. "In order to prevent a lengthy discussion period, you are still speaking English, Zach, but seem to have gained the ability to understand the native language of Pokemon, if not knowledge of how to actually speak it,"

"So, what Pokemon have, but in reverse," Absol surmised. "Just like we can understand English but can't speak -" she cast an awkward look at Metagross. "Usually can't speak it, you can understand Pokemon but can't speak it,"

I paused, thinking through this for a second. "How does that work?"

"Pokemon simply lack the vocal and vascular anatomy needed for enunciation," Metagross explained.

I decided to pretend I knew what he had just said. "Sounds right," I nodded, and reached down to my belt, releasing the other four Pokemon. Trevenant gratefully stretched, and Luxray nosed at me. "You can understand us now? How?" he asked in excitement.

I looked at him and shrugged. "We did just meet God. Giving a human the ability to understand Pokemon is probably a pretty small thing for him,"

"He most likely wanted to ensure that you could comprehend his son when he hatches," Metagross hypothesised.

"Well, I'm happy," Sylveon chuckled. "Now you can finally order me the right kind of make-up,"

I blinked. "I thought you liked pink?"

The Eveelution gagged. "You just answered your own question,"

"If I may, do you recall the fact that Arceus gave you an egg?" Metagross pointed out. "Would it not be logical to inspect the contents of your backpack?"

"You're right," I nodded, sitting back down and unzipping the bag, and as I reached I,, my hands immediately found a smooth, curved object.

I lifted the blue Arceus egg out with the utmost of care and laid it on the ground. The Pokemon gathered around in awe.

"How do we hatch it?" Trevenant asked.

"I could sit on it," Sylveon offered with a shrug, flicking her tail.

"I don't think that's going to work," I shook my head, carefully tapping the egg.

"Do not be concerned. My spectroanalysis indicates that while it is indeed an egg, its density is incredible, and its mass is so great that my scans cannot pick up any information about its contents. However, I doubt we need to be concerned about it breaking," Metagross tonelessly informed me.

"So, we just wait?" I asked for confirmation. "It appears so," Metagross responded.

"Okay," I nodded, placing it back in the bag. "Maybe I should get a Luxury Ball or something, to be ready - actually, do I have one of those?" I wondered, reaching deeper into the satchel to pull out the small bag of Pokeballs, and emptying its contents out onto the ground.

Three Ultra Balls tumbled out, along with four Normal Balls, a pair of Lure Balls and a pair of Heal Balls, and finally a Master Ball. There was a small note attached to the Master Ball, which definitely hadn't been in there before, and it read; 'Only the best for my son,'

"Well, I guess Arceus has some sense of pride," I commented, pocketing the Master Ball and resolving not to use it for anything other than the egg in my bag as I relayed the message to the illiterate members of my team.

I sorted through the other spare balls and put them back in the bag, eventually having replaced all but the Ultra Balls . . . and immediately noticed something strange.

All three of them were full.

"Well, that's odd," I frowned, picking one at random and tripping the clasp.

With a mighty flare of rainbow light, the Ho-Oh that had been with me in the cave emerged and stretched. "Oh, thank goodness!" he shrieked.

Every jaw dropped.

Experimentally, I tripped the other two Ultra Balls, and the Xerneas and Yvetal that had been with me in the cave emerged, blinking in the sunlight. Yvetal stretched her wings, but seemed content to remain on the ground for the time being.

The non-Legendaries, including myself, were silent. "Is it just me, or did we just add three Legendary Pokemon to the team?" Luxray finally questioned.

"It's not just you," Sylveon responded. "I see it too,"

"If I had to guess," Xerneas commented, trotting over. "We were in the vicinity, and Arceus decided our talents should not be put to waste when they could be useful on your quest,"

"It is only logical," Metagross agreed.

The Fairy-Type Legendary inclined his head to me. "I am at your command,"

Ho-Oh huffed as he landed. "Speak for yourself. I don't particularly like the idea of having a trainer,"

"Regardless of your opinion, the fact remains that this boy may be the only hope for the salvation of our home universe. That fact alone would be reason enough for me to remain with him, even disregarding the obvious devotion he has for his Pokemon,"

"Are they even listening to us?" I whispered to Luxray. "Just smile and nod, it's what I do," he responded.

I nodded, accepting this - then paused as he shot me a cheeky grin. "Hey!"

"All that I bring to bear is yours," Xerneas informed me, bowing. I smiled and reached out my hand - then paused. "Is it, uh, appropriate to -"

"Go ahead," he brayed, and I gently stroked his head, before returning him.

"I'm going for a flight," Ho-Oh snorted, spreading his wings wide and taking off again.

I looked around for the third Legendary. After a few seconds, I spotted Yvetal curled up at the base of the hill. I was no Pokemon interpreter, but she looked upset, so I picked myself up and crossed over to her. "Is something wrong?" I questioned, taking a new seat next to the Dark-type Legendary.

"I shouldn't be here," she sighed.

That was unexpected. I blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"I'm a Yvetal. Yes, I'm not feral, like the one in Kalos, but I still . ." the Legendary sighed. "I'm not supposed to be on a team,"

"Is this about the entire 'absorb life' thing?" I questioned, recalling the legend. "That's true?"

She nodded.

"I thought it only happened, like, every thousand years, though?" I pointed out.

"Well, yes, and it's still a couple of hundred years away for me, but,"

I blinked, thought for a second, and stared at her directly in the eye. "Your life-absorbation thing is still two hundred years away?"

"Closer to three hundred, but the point stands," the Legendary reasoned. "I don't want to hurt you or your friends when that happens,"

My eyebrows raised in incredulity. "How much do you know about humans?"

The Legendary looked surprisingly sheepish. "Not much,"

"Well, for your information, the average human lives for eighty or ninety years," I patiently explained. "Most non-Legendary Pokemon won't live much longer. Even if you stayed with me and my team for the rest of our lives, we'd all die of old age before your cycle looped over," I pointed out.

Yvetal paused, processing this. Her massive, wing-like hand swooped over and clapped to her avian face in a legendary facepalm. "I'm so stupid. How did I not know that?"

I gently patted her cheek. "Aww, you're fine,"

The Legendary nodded, and returned hers.

Metagross plodded over to me. "I am detecting someone approaching," he rumbled.

Wordlessly, I returned him, Trevenant, Sylveon and Gyarados, moving up to the top of the hill. As I reached the top, Absol returned herself too, and Luxray stood next to me protectively as I looked around. There was a browning dirt path weaving around the side of the hill, and a small group of people were approaching. "I don't suppose this is the guy Arceus expected me to meet up with?" I frowned, squinting. One of them, the one at the front, was dressed in blue, with a tiny yellow speck on his shoulder. Something rung a bell about him, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Okay, boy. Let's go take a look," I decided.

"You sure it's safe?" my starter growled, but I shrugged his warning off. "It's talk to them or spend days wandering around out here. We have no food, no water and no idea where we are. How bad could it be?" I reasoned.

"Fair enough," the Pokemon sighed, following me as I dashed down the hill.

As I dashed down the path towards the small group, more details became distinct. The leading boy was wearing a blue jacket over a black shirt, with a red hat and black pants. He was tanned, and a Pikachu was perched on his shoulder. Behind him, two more people trotted after him. The first was pale-skinned, with dark blue hair hanging to her waist tucked into a white cap, with a black vest and pink skirt. She was cradling a Piplup in her arms. The other was tall and Asian, with spiky brown hair, a green shirt with an orange vest and greying beige trousers, and was also the only person in the group not accompanied by a Pokemon.

The leading boy broke into a run, moving to intercept me. "Whoa!" he shouted as we neared each other. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

I shrugged. "Running's faster than walking, right boy?" I smirked, patting my Luxray. He barked in agreement with a cheeky grin. "Got that right!" I knew that the other boy only heard an enthusiastic "Lux!" but the point got across nonetheless.

The black-haired boy grinned, extending a hand for a handshake. "I like your attitude! Name's Ash. Ash Ketchum,"

"Zachary Geldum, but call me Zach," I responded, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Nice to meet you!" his Pikachu chirped. "Always nice to see another Electric type around,"

I opened my mouth to respond, before realising that he was talking to my Pokemon, not to me. Luxray nodded in agreement, flicking his tail. "Same to you. I'm his only Electric type, so it's good to have solidarity,"

"Soli-what?" the mouse blinked.

"So, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" Ash asked.

I shrugged, scratching the back of my neck. "I'm kinda lost,"

Ash's two friends caught up. "Well, if you want to get un-lost, you're talking to the wrong person," the girl smirked.

"Yeah. Ash is so good at getting lost he could make a living out of it," her friend chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not that bad," the trainer protested.

"Yes, you are," his friends chorused. Even Pikachu joined in. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, whatever," Ash snorted.

"I'm Brock," the Asian-looking man told me. "And I'm Dawn," his accomplice smiled.

"So, do you three have any idea where we are?" I asked.

"Well, we're on our way to Eterna City," Brock explained. "This is Route 205, in Sinnoh,"

I frowned as one of the Pokeballs on my hip clicked open, and Metagross appeared. "Fascinating," he droned. "A short-distance geospatial transport as a side effect of interdimensional travel. Perhaps the motion of the planet during a chronological slip, or possibly a minor error in Arceus' calculations,"

I blinked. "Minor error? We're on the wrong side of Sinnoh!"

"At least we are not in Alola," the Steel-Type pointed out.

"Er, why can your Metagross talk?" Dawn questioned.

"I an utilising an experimental Pokemon translator devised by scientists in Johto. It has proven to cause cranial damage to most Pokemon, however the fact that Metagross possess four brains allows me to bear the strain with minimal difficulty," my Pokemon explained.

"Wait, did you say Arceus?" Ash frowned.

"And interdimensional travel?" Brock followed up.

The three of us froze, before me and Luxray's gazes swivelled to glare at Metagross, who looked suitably apologetic. "Ahem, sorry,"

"I was really hoping this wouldn't come up," I sighed. "Take a seat, everyone. If you want the whole story, it's gonna take a while,"

Dawn covered her eyes and looked up at the sun. "Actually, it's already, like, five in the evening. Maybe we should set up camp?" she suggested.

"Good idea," Ash grinned. "Hey, Zach. You wanna bunk with us?" he offered.

I blinked. "Oh, uh, thanks. I don't really have any gear, though," I awkwardly trailed off.

"He can borrow my spare sleeping bag," the Pewter man sighed.

"What, you didn't travel between dimensions prepared?" Dawn joked.

Sighing, I shook my head. "I expected to land within a few miles of Pastoria City. Not in the middle of nowhere on the wrong side of the bloody mountain range,"

Ash unzipped his bag and produced a sleeping mat, shaking it out and laying it on the grass, a little way off the path. "Come on, the grass is fine!" he joked.

We set up camp, and, as Brock started cooking dinner, everyone released all of their Pokemon, and we settled down. I decided to keep the two Legendaries I had around at present a secret for now, and hope at Ho-Oh didn't decide to return without warning. I couldn't drop too many bombs at once.

So me and my six non-Legendary Pokemon regaled our new friends with the story of things as they had gone so far. Ash in particular seemed shocked at the revelation that Mewtwo was responsible for my world's destruction. "He wouldn't do that," the boy protested. "The Mewtwo I know is nicer than that,"

"I never said we were talking about the Mewtwo you knew," I pointed out, and Ash blinked, before nodding.

The story culminated with my producing Arceus' egg from my backpack, as proof that my story was no lie. Brock was fascinated by the egg . . right up until he realised that dinner was ready. After that, everyone was more concerned with eating than examining.

The sun set, and as I watched red rays or light pierce the heavens, I was uncomfortably reminded of my home and its sun. A sun that no longer existed.

"It still kinda amazes me that you all believe me just like that," I commented to the other three trainers as our Pokemon returned.

"Trust me, if even half of the things that Ash says he's seen and done are true, the concept of an alternate dimension isn't so hard to grasp," Dawn chuckled.

"Universe," my Metagross corrected her, before returning himself.

"Whatever," Ash shrugged, crawling into his sleeping bag. "Goodnight, everyone,"

"Goodnight, Ash," his Pikachu agreed, curling up by his cheek.

I recalled how, back when Luxray was a little Shinx, he used to snuggle me in the same way. Evidently, he did too, as the big black lion sat down next to me, refusing to return, and affectionately licked at my face as he settled down. "Night, boy," I smiled, patting his face.

"See you in the morning,"

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