Chapter twenty, yay! This is on of the few that will be from Solay's point of view, just so you're not confused. And it'll probably be a little weird reading, compared to others. O-o Oh yeah, and SPOLIER ALERT near the end. :3

…CHAPTER TWENTY: Isn't There Anything I Can Do?

Solay, to put it bluntly, was terrified of facing the Council. However, before that could be accurately said, one must know what the Council is (because being afraid of something when you have no idea what it could turn out to be is silly). The Council consisted of all the legendary, god-like beings of the Pokémon world. Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus, Manaphy, and the list goes on. In this case, everyone but Darkrai would be in attendance. The Council were infamous for their ability to squabble among themselves for days and end up getting nothing done. And they were notorious for not being able to arrange a meeting in less than a week. Solay knew this because she had been the one to propose the idea to them after the threat of Darkrai. The Council's existence was supposed to eliminate the future threat of evil.

Well, apparently not.

Still, who wouldn't be frightened by a group of mostly gigantic Pokémon considered gods that you had to face alone? Not many people, she was fairly sure. Still, she felt that she would be able to reason with them and end the discussion before too much time was lost.

"Nervous?" Lapras inquired. They were just about to cross the line.

"Eh, maybe a little," Solay replied, settling herself more securely on his shell. She knew Lapras wouldn't let her fall, but still. Flying could be a bit unnerving sometimes…especially on the back of a turtle. It took less time then she remembered to reach the Hidden land, and even less to climb all the way up to Temporal Tower. Grimly, she remembered everything that had gone on here. Soon, I'll know the truth…hopefully. Upon arriving at the peak of the tower, her courage took a nosedive. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm just a little Vulpix… Dialga and the others could squish me if I step out of line. Still…no turning back now. She ventured forth, and arrived on the peak.

The first one she saw was Dialga. The next was Palkia, then Giratina and Arceus. Mew and the other smaller legendaries were floating around. Solay strode forward confidently until she was in the middle of the semicircle. They wouldn't see she was afraid.

"IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG, SOLAY," Dialga rumbled, dipping his head to her. "WE ARE GLAD YOU COULD COME."

"It's my pleasure, Lord Dialga," she replied, returning the respectful nod. "There is much to discuss. We'd best not waste time."

"Agreed," Arceus said. He came forward a few paces, surveying them all. "I hereby call this meeting open. Let us begin."

Solay knew she had to be careful. When dealing with official matters, the Council was often strict and spoke in formal dialogue. She had to be careful not to slip into normal speech when here, or she'd get the boot. Good thing she was good at that, though it was going to be a bit odd at first. With everyone speaking formally…it wasn't something she was used to, to put it bluntly. The next few hours were likely to be pretty awkward.

"A new threat is rising," Arceus stated. No one said a word while he was talking. "This threat is unknown but deadly. While we know next to nothing about it, it seems to know quite a bit about us. I know several of you have had encounters with envoys from them. Shaymin, you may speak."

The little green-and-white Pokémon came forward, lifting her chin. Shaymin might have been small, but she wasn't about to be outclassed by her bigger colleagues. "A bandit known as Umbreon came to Sky Peak not long ago. She demanded we surrender the mountain and leave the area. We refused, and just barely managed to fight her off. Since then, no threat has come to Sky Peak, but I fear for the future safety of its inhabitants and the land in general." Finished with her speech, she stepped back into line.

Arceus gave her a polite nod. "Your words are noted, Shaymin. Thank you for that insight. Palkia, you may speak."

Palkia only had to one step forward. Towering over most everyone else, the ruler of space was indeed an impressive sight. He blinked down at her before beginning. "A FEW SUNRISES AGO, I WAS VISITED BY A DUO BY THE NAMES OF ALAKAZAM AND GALLADE. THEY DEMANDED THAT I USE MY POWER TO AID THEIR PLANS. WHAT PLANS, THEY DIDN'T SAY, BUT I WAS SURE THAT THEY WERE UP TO NO GOOD, AND I REFUSED. THEY LEFT WITHOUT A FIGHT, BUT I, TOO, FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF THE WORLD." He stepped back, and Arceus came forward again.

"Thank you for your insight. Your words a noted, Palkia." He turned to Solay, and she could feel every pair of eyes now on her. "Solay, our honored guest. You alone are the one capable of attending these meetings. Your mental capacity is simply astounding, as we have all noted. Not many Pokémon could comprehend so many 'stories' in one place."

"Your praise is well-received, Lord Arceus," she replied, bowing low to him. Don't mess this up, Solay! "If I may inquire, you wish me to speak next?"

"I do, Solay. Speak up; we are all willing to listen. Your words will be held in high regard."

She rose to her full height, lifting her head. Sure, they might be bigger and stronger, but she was a time-traveling human. They had nothing on her. Comforted with that thought, she told them everything, even how the Dimensional Scream, which had been dormant for years, was now returning again. She told them how her memory was still missing, and how it might help to quell the new threat. She also told them her suspicions of who was in charge. When she was finished, there was silence.

"Your wisdom is welcomed, Solay, and your words are noted," Arceus finally said. "You have given us much to think about over the next few days. However, for the sake of time, I suggest we all think about this separately, and not as a group."

"And as for my memory, Lord Arceus?" Solay inquired. Her heart was beating fast now. What would he say? That he'd found a way to restore it?

He turned his head to her. "As for your memory, I don't know. The Passage of Time was closed while you were inside. Never had such a thing been done before. You lost your memory, and were transformed into a Vulpix. You, who came from the future, were trapped in this world, and you can never go back. I'm afraid I don't know how you can get your memories back…if ever."

This…wasn't what she'd been hoping to hear. Despair flooded her heart, and icy cold swept over her body. "Isn't there anything I can do?" she protested. "Anything, anything at all? Lord Arceus, please…there must be something…!"

"Solay." She stopped babbling, ashamed, and hung her head. He approached, bending his neck to face her directly. "I know how much pain this is putting you through," he said softly. "I wish there was something I could do, but I simply do not have all the answers right now. If I find anything that could even help a little, I'll find you. I swear it."

Solay gave a nod, still looking at the ground. Arceus had sworn, and she held him to his word. "Yes, Lord Arceus… I apologize for my outburst."

"Apology accepted, but not needed." He lifted his head, surveying them all. "I therefore call this meeting to a close. Consider the threat on your own. If you find anything out, contact each other and spread the news. If there is a choice of who to tell first, be it I or Solay, choose Solay. She has dealt with situations like this before, while we stood idly by and were used. She alone had the courage not to face us once but twice. She faced us once in the future, her real home, and once here, where she was running on instinct alone. Her partners, first Grovyle and then Shadow, were fueled by her determination, and worked alongside her to restore peace to the world. Now, that peace is threatened. We must band together and defeat it before everything is lost. Go now, and think of what has been said."

The Council members slowly dispersed. They went their own ways until only Dialga and Solay remained. Once she was sure the coast was clear, Solay hugged the ground, trembling.

"WHAT AILS YOU, SOLAY?" Dialga asked, lowering his head. "YOU DON'T LOOK WELL."

"I'm just glad it's over," she replied, giving him an unsure smile. "I was sure Lord Arceus was going to have my head…"

He nosed her. "YOU DID WELL, HATCHLING. YOUR WORDS BRING MUCH KNOWLEDGE TO THE WORLD. I HOPE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO RESTORE YOU MEMORY SOON. I WILL SEARCH THE DEPTHS OF MY POWER FOR A WAY."

"Thank you, Lord Dialga," she said, getting to her feet and heading for the tower exit. She paused at the exit. "If I may…can you answer one thing for me?"

"WHAT IS IT YOU WISH, SOLAY?"

She hesitated. This could be overstepping the lines but… "Grovyle…has he disappeared from existence, like I did? Or is he…still alive? And Celebi, and Dusknoir. Are they…all right? Are they happy?"

Dialga was silent for a long time. She didn't dare turn around, in case he was angry. After a long, long time, she felt the sun rising. With the first rays, a strange feeling washed over her. The wind blew softly, and with it was a swiftly carried message. A message on the wind…

"Solay! Shadow! We're all right, we made it out alive. I don't know if you can hear me right now…but I'm sending you this message from the future. A message on the wind and sun… We're alive!"

Solay dissolved into tears. She could feel their shapes right behind her, faintly. She didn't dare turn around, because she knew they weren't actually there. She savored the idea that they were so close yet so far away… Every time the sun rose, they would be with her.

"I THINK YOU ALREADY KNOW."

…

Yay, chapter done~