Chapter 2: Memories
Gasps escaped Blaze and Chatot; a wingull gave it's morning call overhead while riding the cool sea breezes.
Chatot recovered quickly though, "You're old! I wouldn't have guessed it."
Wigglytuff giggled, "That's not all; two are so much better then one."
"Not usually, Guildmaster," Dialga almost scolded.
"But in this case, maybe?" Wigglytuff returned, earning Dialga's sigh.
"I see," Leo said, nearly surprising himself in full comprehension before feeling a tap on his shoulder from Blaze.
"I'm not getting this."
Dialga looked down to him, like a teacher about to give a lesson. "When the Future That No Longer Exists was erased, anything that was a product of that future also was erased from existence. This Leo was one of those products. Because of the events that happened only in that future, he came to this world, investigated the problem afflicting it, and went into the past, becoming a Pokémon in the process. Without the events in that future, none of that happened to Leo." Pointing with his claw to the point in the sand where the new future diverged, "But Leo was born long before this point. Changing the timeline anywhere after his birth can never affect him being born. Leo, the Pokémon, could no longer exist because the future he was a product of was erased. Leo, the human, continues to live, since his birth wasn't affected. This human never came to the Pokémon world and never became a Pokémon, because there was never anything to investigate. Nothing happened as far as he's concerned."
Blaze's eyes widened even further as he glanced between Wigglytuff, Dialga and Leo. "Another you, your human…self, is still alive…I mean, right now?"
"Exactly," Dialga confirmed. "There are currently two Leos in existence. One human, and one Pokémon, each currently on different worlds, and each having exactly the same past until this point," Dialga again indicating the divergence point in the sand, "but with different pasts after this." He paused before continuing, "Let's say I violated a few rules bringing him back, but between your sorrow at his loss, and my debt to him for having…well, basically saved my life and the world, the least I could do was bring him back into existence."
"Like you did Celebi," Blaze furthered.
"No," Celebi said, again just a little too softly then Leo would have liked. "I'm not the same Celebi you met in the Future That No Longer Exists. My history also changed at that point. Since that future you met me in never happened, I therefore never met you, Leo or Grovyle."
"When you change the past, it certainly can make things complicated," Chatot noted.
"And it's part of my burden to prevent things like this from happening." With a smile to Leo, "However, every once in a it does give me something interesting to do." Raising his giant foot, Dialga gently touched the top of Leo's forehead.
Leo grinned.
"Now, I will tell you the second concept the two of you need to understand. The human world and this world are two different worlds in this galaxy we're all part of, but they are very close in relation to each other. And in fact, portals have been known to open between the two in rare cases. Even Palkia has played around by making some once in a while, going so far as to bring a few humans here in ancient times. Otherwise, space travel is the usual method of travel by certain enlightened Pokémon, as most know. That's how you know about the human world and of humans. As a consequence of being so close together in space, relatively speaking, certain major events in one, such as the collapse of Temporal Tower or spatial disruptions, would be at least partially felt in the other. The Paralysis of Time event that happened in the Future That No Longer Exists wasn't just isolated to this world, but the event spread out across space and had some effect on the nearest star systems, including the human world, which lead Leo and his partner to come to this one to search for the source."
Dialga paused, as if letting it sink in. "Now about the problem that is coming. Do you remember Dakrai's second assault on this world, when he tried to distort space?"
Leo nodded with Blaze. How could they forget?
"He tried to use the small distortion around the two of you that was created because you came from the future."
"That distortion was what was preventing us from evolving, too, according to Palkia," Blaze added.
"Yes, however there is an additional, albeit small, distortion around Leo as a result of being from a non-existent timeline."
"I have two distortions around me?"
"Three, actually."
"Three?"
"The third isn't around this Leo though."
"It's around my human self?"
Dialga nodded. "They're like a combination of a time and space distortion, similar to a small dimensional tear, but are really harmless."
"Dimensional?"
"If the universe was one big house, a dimension would be a room inside it, except each room occupies exactly the same space. When you combine a time and space distortion into one, it can appear as if you're dealing with a different dimension. But I'm digressing. Because there are two of you in existence, this second distortion around you is mirrored around your human self, and they're simply the result of keeping things in balance. Normally, that is."
"How's that?" Leo was starting to not like where this was going all of the sudden.
"After the repair of Temporal Tower, I regained my full abilities to sense time. My sense of the future is limited, but I've started feeling a…whisper, for lack of a better word, coming from the future. All I know at this moment is it has something to do with the fields around you and your human counterpart. Almost like there is something that is making them unbalanced in the future. My belief is something bad is going to happen as a result if the problem isn't corrected. It's not unlike what I felt a while before the assault on Temporal Tower, only I was a little too arrogant in the belief of my own abilities at the time to think it would become as serious as it did."
"So you think Temporal Tower could collapse still?" Blaze asked with some alarm.
"No, not that; this could be worse, or not. I don't know. I just know something abnormal is happening in the future, it has something to do with the two distortions, and I can already sense it. The best way to deal with it to is to eliminate the problem now, before it gets to a point where something worse will happen." Dialga fixed his gaze squarely on Leo.
Leo really didn't like where this was going at all, taking a step back from the huge dragon. If he was once again the source of the problem, it was sounding like the best way to deal with it was to make him disappear. After being almost erased from existence twice (and Blaze once), he really didn't care about flirting with a third time around!
"Huh?" Then Blaze appeared to finally catch on, moving between Leo and time-controlling Pokémon. "Hey! Anyone try to erase Leo, they'll have to do it through me."
Dialga suddenly let out a deep rasping chuckle. "Oh don't worry, I'm not about to undo what I did. I've grown a little too fond of you. You also, Blaze."
Audible sighs came from the others.
"Would never have guessed it," Blaze mumbled sarcastically.
"Then what can be done about this?" Chatot asked with a flutter.
"Leo…and Blaze, I need to ask the two of you for a favor, but hear me out before you agree."
Leo exchanged glances with his partner, Blaze frowning. "Alright."
"Since I don't know what the exact problem is, or when it's going to happen, I need you to go to the human world."
"Say…what?" Chatot exclaimed. Even Wigglytuff reacted some, though it was apparent he already knew what the request was going to be.
"I believe you are the ideal person to go, Leo, since it involves you. Once there, you need to do what you did when you first came to this world. Namely, investigate and figure out the problem and perhaps help me fix it if you can. Since it does involve your other self, you need to find your other self. I will assure you, nothing bad will happen to the continuity of time when the two of you meet."
Leo felt speechless. Never once had the thought crossed his mind of ever going back (not that he knew how in any case). He had no memories of the human world, no idea who he was before be become Pokémon other then the few words Grovyle spoke of him two years before. In short, he felt nothing for his old home.
"Uh…" Blaze stammered. Finally: "Will…Leo become human again?"
"Leo, do you want to become human again?"
All eyes went on him as the question sunk in. Did he? On the odd occasion, it was a question he'd asked himself. But the answer now was the same as before - as far as he was concerned, his life first began when he become a Pokémon. "No, I don't think so."
"That is good. I wouldn't know how to change you back anyway. You told me once how Darkrai explained how you were transformed?"
Leo nodded.
"Then only he knows how that happened and how to reverse it. I can only assume since you intercepted an attack that was meant for Grovyle, in other words a Pokémon, the attack had a different and perhaps unknown affect on a human, especially when combined with the time warp you were in at that moment. Leo, a Pokémon you will remain for as long as I can see."
And…he was glad at that.
"There is one other thing, before you answer," Dialga added. "Once you're in the human world, you will be there for a while, I'm not sure how long. Artificially making portals between the two worlds is taxing for Palkia and takes a lot of energy; it could be many months."
"Can't you go yourself?" Blaze blurted out. "Can't you go between the worlds easier than us!"
His sudden outburst took Leo aback.
"I will be going, but I'm not exactly inconspicuous! If I were to be seen, I'd create a very big commotion. I am a very old and legendary Pokémon, or so I've been told. The two of you will blend in and be far more able to search for the cause of the problem. Leo, even though you don't remember anything, I'm hoping you yet retain some knowledge of the human world that may prove useful. I only see things there on a macro scale; I miss the details that you might know or remember."
"But…I remember nothing…" The dreams…could they really be memories?
"You might once you get there, though. And your Dimensional Scream ability may also prove useful. Your human counterpart certainly has the same ability."
Not that he'd had any visions lately, but he also hadn't been doing much that would probably have triggered it either. Leo ran a hand along the gills on one side of his face, basically knowing saying no didn't sound like a (good) option. Dialga had put forth a solid argument on why he had to go. But Blaze…
Facing his partner, "Look, I'm the only one who has to go. I won't be hurt if you decide to stay this time." Putting a hand on his shoulder, he found him shaking. Blaze…? He wanted to ask what was wrong, but thought better of it in front of the others. Since he became an infernape, he didn't like being seen as weak. Not even to him, sometimes.
His partner was looking out toward the sea when finally, he sighed. "I will always be by your side, Leo. And it sounds like we need to save the world one more time."
It sounded like the old Blaze, but he was still shaking. "Yes, it does sounds that way." To Dialga: "When would we have to leave?"
"Three days from now. Palkia needs some time to prepare for it. Along with myself, Palkia and the two of you, Celebi will also be going, though she will be traveling with me. It's only the two of you who need the portal to make the journey."
"I'll be doing my own investigating in conjunction with Dialga," Celebi said in her high-pitched voice, a little louder now, "but from a distance. Together, we're hoping to discover more about the future events. I'll also try to check up on you from time to time and bring any news either Dialga, Palkia, or myself discover, and vise versa."
Leo nodded, and with a final look to Blaze, "Then, I guess we'll do it."
Blaze nodded, not looking at all that confident.
"The worlds will be once again in your debt," Dialga said, with a long look at Blaze. "And Wigglytuff, as I asked, you'll be gathering together all the best Pokémon teams to standby in case they're needed?"
"Of course!" the pink guildmaster said with enthusiasm. "This will be exciting to gather so many of the best together!"
"What's this?" Chatot asked.
"In case some events happen in this world that need to be addressed," Dialga answered with a lowering of his large neck and head toward the tiny-in-comparison bird, making him hop back. "Not only am I unsure when or what is going to happen, I'm not completely sure which world they'll be happening on…or even if it will only be confined to one world. I can only presume since this involves Leo and his human counterpart, that if we send Leo to the human world, all of the events will take place there. But it is not a certainty. Considering the possible range of consequences, it would be best to be fully prepared. Not being so was one of my mistakes last time."
"Well…that does…sound like a good idea, then," the flustered Chatot readily admitted.
Facing Leo once again, Dialga continued: "You'll only be traveling between the two worlds, like you did before, Leo. You won't be traveling through time at all. As such, Palkia will open the doorway for you."
"Did he do that for me in the Future That No Longer Exists to get me to this world?" Leo asked.
"I don't know," the great dragon-like Pokémon replied. "You may had found one of the numerous portals that were opening as a result of the disturbances happening in the human world due to the paralysis in this one. Or something else entirely. I wasn't in the best frame of mind in that future, and that affects my ability to see that collapsed time line."
"Oh."
"Leo, Blaze, thank you. I know the worlds will thank you one more time for this. I hope to see you again in the human world when the opportunity presents itself. If not, this will be the last we shall see each other until you can return here. Please use the next three days to prepare. Palkia will come for you when the portal is ready. I must go now to make my own preparations."
Leo left the beach with Blaze soon after Dialga disappeared in a flash of light, while Wigglytuff, Chatot and Celebi went on with their own discussion. But before making any preparations, there was something far more pressing.
"Blaze, what's wrong?"
The infernape seemed to pause just slightly as they walked the path from the beach up to the cliff above. "What makes you think something's wrong?" he replied with a weak smile.
Just like in the old days, he knew Blaze was trying to put on a happy face for him, worried about letting him down. "We've been together for a long time." Putting a hand on his red-haired arm, Leo stopped him so he could face him. "You were shaking back there. I haven't known you to do that since we evolved. What is wrong?"
Looking down, his partner's smile faded into a worried expression. Taking a breath, "The stories…about the human world."
"Stories?" He thought they both heard the same stories, but none struck him as anything to be afraid of. "I don't understand."
"You haven't heard these ones; they aren't spoken here. But before I came to Treasure Town, I heard other stories. Bad ones, Leo, handed down from those who were in the human world. Forced fighting, confinement, wars…even, evil humans and Pokémon."
Leo at once wanted to tell him that wasn't so, after all, he had been human and had been part of that world, but he remembered nothing about it, good or bad.
Blaze started to shake again even as Leo held him, "There was one story…some Pokémon there, created by a human who was extremely powerful…had unprecedented powers and had the ability to destroy worlds! Others that could suck the very soul out of you… You would end up in the unmentionable place for eternity…serving him!"
Leo gently placed his thick hands on either side of Blaze's face and raised his head to look at him. "Blaze, Grovyle and I both came from that world. How bad can it be?" Although he wasn't inclined to believe the stories, he still had to fight to get a sincere grin on his face.
It worked as some of the worry started melting from Blaze's face. "I guess, maybe it can't be that bad, then, ha ha?"
Leo felt his grin became easier. "Good." Releasing his partner's face, he gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"After all, if the human world is full of others like you and Grovyle, it must be a wondrous, friendly place!"
"And so it must be!" Ugh…if only he could remember anything about it!
"So, now I suppose we need to get packing. We're going to have to bring a lot of stuff to last us for so long."
"Supplies may be easy to get there…" Again, if only he could remember! But the dreams…
"Leo, is there truly nothing you remember about the human world?"
"I don't know if those dreams mean anything, or if they're…" He stopped short on a sudden thought. Maybe…? "Let's pack for a shorter journey, first."
"Huh?"
"I think there's someone we should see before we leave. It's a long shot, actually probably a very long shot, but she just might be able to help us."
Blaze stared at him, confused.
Leo just smiled.
"AHH!" The nuzleaf went flying backward as Leo hit him with a water pulse, before crashing through a tree and tumbling back to the ground, definitely the worse for wear.
Blaze readied his own attack, mildly mocking: "You really should give up, little guy. Ha ha! You don't stand much chance here!"
The nuzleaf picked himself back up. "I can't get strong if I don't fight!" With that, he charged Blaze, who responded with some fire, only to miss when the smaller Pokémon dodged, threw a sharp leaf-shaped projectile at him (which burned up), and instead tried to land a leg-chop on Leo.
Raising one of his thick, strong arms was enough to block the attack and send the nuzleaf to the ground again by virtue of his own momentum. Before he could get up, Leo planted his large foot on top, effectively pinning the smaller and much lighter opponent. "It think this is over," he said triumphantly, but feeling only a slight exhilaration of victory over the far weaker Pokémon.
The nuzleaf continued struggling unsuccessfully for a moment, before finally resigning himself to the obvious.
Leo finally let him up. "Try weaker opponents next time. It's healthier."
Without another word, the grass-type Pokémon scurried off and disappeared into the undergrowth.
"Definitely didn't have this easy a time last time we were through here," Blaze commented. "The Pokémon here are getting weak."
Leo knew his partner knew the real reason was they had become a whole lot stronger and more experienced since then. Still, it made a good joke. It also felt good to be doing a little sightseeing along the way, without the burden of someone to rescue or some criminal to apprehend. But they shortly reached their destination at the end of Steam Cave, and it was back to business as moist, cool breezes greeted them.
"Steam Lake," Blaze said, looking out over the expense of water. "Almost as beautiful as I remember. But it no longer glows from underneath."
"I think the time gear is far better where it is," Leo pointed out.
"Yeah, we did go through a lot to get it there."
Blaze was close to his old self again, making Leo feel as happy as he could be, considering where they had to go in two days. He spent a few moments savoring the view, it's slightly earthy scent, and memories of the first time they came to the lake. It also served to pass the time while they waited…
"Leo! Blaze!"
"Uxie!" Blaze shouted.
"It's very good to see you again," Leo furthered, turning around with his partner to greet the tiny, floating Pokémon.
"Hey, what have you been up to all this time?" Blaze asked.
"I been doing a little exploring of my own this past while. Since I don't have a time gear to guard anymore, I'm nearly free to do as I like! I see…the two of you have evolved! Aren't you both handsome!" she grinned.
Leo swore Blaze's face turned a deeper shade of red. His own face, being the same light blue as most of his body with a white under-chin that stretched across his belly, affectively hid any flush face he might suffer. "Well, I figured I had walked on four legs long enough. And Blaze, well, he just wanted to match his temper to his flame better." Which earned him a good (and good-natured) slap on the back. Which didn't detract at all from the fact that the typical infernape was more temperamental than the typical chimchar.
"So, you didn't come here to recruit me again, did you?" Her tone and folded arms said one thing, but her smile said she wouldn't mind at all.
"Actually, we were hoping you could help us with something else."
"Oh?"
Blaze tapped him before pointing to the reddening sun of late afternoon. "How about if we camp here, and tell you everything that's happening over some dinner?"
"I'll get some berries!" Uxie exclaimed.
"So that's the end of it. Dialga doesn't know what disaster is looming, but we have to go to the human world to stop it."
Blaze did a nice job of explaining everything Leo thought, while forcing just one more large blue berry into his mouth to chew it slowly, enjoying the juicy sweetness of it. Whatever berries grew around the lake, they weren't to be found anywhere else that he knew of. Uxie was lucky to have such a supply nearby.
"I've never been to the human world, but it sounds like a dangerous mission," Uxie solemnly replied, having seemingly lost her appetite during Blaze's story. "Needless to say, I hope you all succeed. We don't need yet another impending disaster. But you mentioned you need my help. Of course you have it. What is it I can do?"
"Well," Leo said, rushing to get the last of the berry down his throat, "you have the ability to erase memories of this place."
"You know that is true," Uxie confirmed.
"If you have the ability to erase some memories, do you have any ability to restore, or even to help a little in restoring memories? I still have no recollection of the human world, and if we have to go there, remembering anything at all could help us a lot."
Uxie opened her eyes a little more, as if about to reply, but Leo continued, "I don't know if this makes any difference, but I have been having dreams lately. I see flashes of humans, of events I have no memory of. I wonder if maybe…I might actually be starting to remember just the tiniest bits of things. If that's true, maybe all I need is just a nudge to remember more." Leo waited with Blaze for Uxie to either give them good news, or bad.
Her expression was hard to read, staying silent for many moments, but looked both thoughtful and undecided. Finally, "I erase memories by briefly going into someone's mind and blocking out anything pertaining to this lake. Usually such memories are the most recent and easiest to see. I've never tried unblocking memories, so I don't know if I can. But given the seriousness of the situation, I'm willing to give it a try…though there is a danger! The memories you need to recover are going to be deep and the hardest to access, and given I'm unsure what effect any of my efforts will have, I could end up doing great harm. The only assurance I can give is I will use the utmost care I can."
Blaze gave a sigh of disappointment. "Well, it's probably not worth…"
"What's the worst that can happen?" Leo asked, earning a surprised look from his partner.
Uxie replied firmly: "You will lose memories that you now have and perhaps even parts of your personality could be…lost or changed. You could lose pieces of yourself. Poking around in someone's mind isn't something to be taken lightly."
Losing memories was one thing, but losing parts of who he was?
Blaze whipped his tail, taking on a utterly serious look. "Leo, you can't risk this! Tell me you're not considering it!"
His mind wondered back to when he was watching Grovyle and Dusknoir grapple at the base of the rainbow ship. Dusknoir said what would happen if he succeeded in changing the time line. Yet Grovyle was willing to sacrifice himself then, as was he. But…he couldn't really afford to do that in this situation, not right now. If something went terribly wrong here, would he be able to even start the mission? It could very well end right here and now.
"Though…there may be another…though perhaps useless thing I could try," Uxie said hesitantly. "It really wouldn't be much, but I might be able to read through your mind and see if there is some large portion of your mind that is closed. Losing as much memory as you did, I somewhat expect to find such. I could confine anything I do to only well within that area. The risk would be smaller, but any memories I could manage to unblock, assuming I can do such, will likely have other blocks to go through before you would truly remember them. It would be like only going half-way on a long journey and then quitting. Probably this would accomplish nothing, but there is a chance. The fact that you believe you may already be starting to remember anything at all, may make this slightly more successful than otherwise."
Blaze looked at once far less worried, mirroring Leo's feeling. "That sounds much better."
"Could I still lose parts of myself?"
"Very unlikely. The risk would be losing forever that which you have already lost, but may otherwise recover in the future."
"So I might permanently lose some of my lost memories which I only might have recovered later?"
The small, petite Pokémon nodded.
"Then, let's try it," Leo said, noting Blaze's nod.
"Very well. This could take some time, though, and…" Uxie turned away a little, her skin taking a slightly different hue. "As I scan through your mind, I will be able to read your memories. Will that bother you?"
For the second time that day, Leo was glad his skin was blush-proof. He spontaneously decided to turn it around a little: "Not if it's you doing the reading."
Uxie covered her mouth, apparently hiding a smile, but doing nothing to hide the deepening blush on her face. Yet, the psychic being appeared to recover herself quite nicely after a brief moment. "Well, let's get started." Moving her two tails around in front of her, she floated around behind him.
Leo felt the touch of her small hands on his forehead where his two head fins emerged, while two lighter touches came to the back of his head, near the base of his skull. It felt…nice, warm…
Uxie spoke with barely a whisper: "Now, just take a deep breath and relax. I'm not real sure what you're going to experience, but it won't hurt…"
Leo breathed as she instructed as continuing warmth emanated from the four spots where she was touching him. It was…very relaxing. So much so, he couldn't keep his eyes open. But it wasn't sleep. Instead, he heard water…waves. A beach? He opened his eyes and Blaze was standing over him.
What… He felt confused, disorientated.
"Hey…hey! You alright?"
Leo picked himself up off the sand on…four legs. Huh?
Oh…a memory! When he first woke up as a Pokémon…yet he was experiencing it once again as if it was real. Then as soon as he realized it, he was elsewhere. Underground, a grate high above, serving as the only source of light.
Ugh. Sentry duty. His least favorite activity, since he never became any good at recognizing feet. He knew what was going to happen that evening: no supper. He felt relief when the next moment wasn't that, but the time they first met Uxie!
Well, of course he liked her. She was rather cute, after all. He felt bad when the time gear was stolen from her, and not just because he felt like he and the rest of the Guild failed with their promise of keeping it a secret. But more because… Well, she was really nice, too.
"Grovyle!" He and Blaze raced to where the spiritomb left him laying after nearly doing him in.
Other events passed in quick succession, until he was on a long, stone bridge, going down-hill. Blaze was ahead of him, but he couldn't keep up. His legs felt heavy…heavier…and ultimately he couldn't move. Yes, this was the end he knew, as light started enveloping him.
No! Not this memory!
Blaze came rushing back to him with a most worried expression on his chimchar face. "Leo! What's happening?"
The memory was every bit real…his existence was fading. He had to urge Blaze to keep going, to keep living. For his friend's sake, he could not leave him in despair even as he feared what was about to happen. But time was so short. "Blaze, even after I'm gone, I will never forget you."
Blaze only stared back as tears fell freely from his face.
Leo could no longer fight his own tears as the light grew very bright and…
Waves were crashing. It was the beach again.
"Palkia?"
"We will fight this vile Darkrai together!" the great dragon of space replied.
But then he was on the shore of a lake. Many Pokémon were flying around a central fountain out in the middle as a pale light shone from above…
"We are done," a familiar voice said behind him.
"Huh? Already?" Leo swung around as the warmth faded from his head, noticing with mild shock how tired Uxie suddenly looked, her arms hanging listless by her side.
"Leo! You two were at it for a long time," Blaze informed from nearby. "It's late in the night!"
He looked to the sky in surprise that what Blaze said was true. The stars and moon were in full brilliance and the air was cool after so many hours of night.
"I…don't know if I was able to do anything, but…only time will tell. I must sleep now." Leo barely caught the spirit Pokémon as she started to fall. "Just lay me down by that rock."
Leo put her down by the rock she had indicted; she was already asleep.
Blaze tugged him back to the beds he had made up at some point. "I think she'll be alright. It just what she said, she needs sleep."
Leo nodded. "You're probably right." He sat on his bed of grass, thinking back on all the memories stirred up.
"Did it hurt?" Blazed asked after a while? "I saw tears."
"I was? No, it was…just reliving some memories." He looked over at his friend, wondering if he could guess which one he was referring to.
"We've had a few close calls, haven't we?" Blaze replied.
He just nodded again, not really finding the right words.
"Just promise me you're never going to leave me again."
"That's a promise," Leo said without hesitation. "Even if it isn't up to me," in a tone that spoke of that being only a minor obstacle.
Blaze grinned. "Do you remember anything yet?"
After spending a moment searching through his memories, "Nothing."
"Maybe it'll just take some time."
Leo left "assuming it worked" unsaid.
"You two take good care of yourselves," Uxie said as Leo followed Blaze from the shore of Steam Lake, giving an extra wink to Leo. "You both come back safe and sound and the worlds saved again. Blaze, the brave one, and Leo, the human who is Pokémon."
"That's a promise!" Blaze replied.
"Definitely!" Leo added, hoping they could keep their promise.
"I think she likes you," Blaze said after a short while, patting their sack of supplies that was a lot heavier than when they came, thanks to all the blue berries Uxie gave them.
"We have some memories in common." Including a couple of rather embarrassing ones. So, she knows what I really think of her now. Too bad it's going to be a while before she sees me again…or maybe not. It just might take him some time to recover from having those memories gone through.
Clearing his throat, "Speaking of memories, can you remember anything yet?"
"No."
"Didn't Uxie say she found an area that was inaccessible? I really wasn't in earshot."
"You were busy taking a bath," Leo pointed out. Not that he hadn't indulged himself earlier. "She saw some memory fragments there, but nothing she recognized, at least as a Pokémon. But that means there is at least something still in my memory. Just don't know how much. She tried, as she put it, massaging that area of my memory, but doesn't know if it did any good. Wish we could have stayed longer, she wanted to try again, but…"
"She looked really tired after she finished; maybe it's a good thing we have to leave now. We do have a lot of things to take of today and tomorrow."
Leo couldn't argue that. "It wouldn't be bad to have everything packed a day early, either."
Blaze agreed.
The door loomed in front of him, the lettering hazy. With little fanfare, he went through it and proceeded down the wide isle lined with various metal boxes, tables, flashing lights and many other things he couldn't identify. At the end of the isle and past a clear barrier stood a ring, a very large and thick non-reflective silver ring. A transparent dim grey light was glowing in the center.
Instinctively, something didn't feel right…
"Get up here!" a voice called from above.
In another motion, he went up the stairs to a balcony, immediately focusing on some large…desk, with many lights and glowing squares, one of which had the words "Phase Two Generation Test 001".
"…stage two. Waveforms outside parameters…"
"Alignment off by point two four degrees…growing rapidly!"
Moving toward the railing, his view went from the desk to the ring below when the dim light in the center started becoming hazy. At that moment a tremor coursed through the room and a low-pitched tone, an alarm, started sounding. He backed up from the railing…
"We're going critical!" someone screamed.
He felt people behind him running…just before everything shook again, violently. A strange bright glow was now coming from the ring below…
"Aah!" Heart pounding, Leo raised his head off his straw bed, looking wild-eyed around the abode. The sound of quiet waves drifted up from the ocean below, water still poured gently into the basin, and Blaze was still asleep in the pre-dawn light. "A dream…" He plopped his head back down with an exhausted sigh and tried getting his heart and breathing to slow. Most vivid dream yet. Maybe Uxie had been able to do something…
But instead of letting sleep overcome him again, he went over what he remembered again and again, trying to commit to memory everything he could recall. What did it mean and what was all that stuff? Unfortunately, none of the faces he saw triggered any familiarity.
That was, assuming it was a memory, not just a dream his mind conjured up because going to the human world was all he had been thinking about for the last couple days. But…where would his mind come up with those images of all that strange stuff if he hadn't actually seen something like it before?
It was no good getting back to sleep; getting himself up as quietly as he could to avoid waking Blaze, he went to the basin and stuck his head in, enjoying the coolness of the fresh water and letting his gills do the breathing for a while.
Of the several dreams he'd had that involved humans, none were what he'd call particularly pleasant. If they were memories, then it was looking like his former life wasn't all that great. Yes, maybe it was good he was going back as a Pokémon. He'd never be recognized!
Feeling a tap, "Good morning, Leo," Blaze greeted after he got his head out of the water. "Uh…you didn't sleep like that, did you?"
"…no. Just got up early. Had another dream." And he proceeded to describe it…as best he could considering he didn't have a clue as to what most of what he saw was.
"Well, no use worrying about it right now. Palkia is supposed to be here sometime today. We have everything packed, right?"
It didn't take them long to check the two small shoulder-strap satchels that were practically overstuffed. Early on they decided to not burden themselves down with a lot of baggage; instead, they each would carry a small pouch and pack them very efficiently. As a last touch, Blaze pinned their explorer badges on the outside of one of the bags.
"There. In case they have explorer teams in the human world."
Leo nodded his approval.
"Hey, Blaze! Leo! You down there?"
The two of them stepped up top where Bidoof greeted them.
"Oh good, you're still here! No telling when Palkia will show up, huh?"
"Right," Blaze replied. "We're all packed and ready to go, so until he shows up…"
"Well, why don't you come to town. Everyone's waiting for you. Even Wigglytuff has stopped back for a quick visit."
"Has he?" Leo said as more a comment. Since the meeting with Dialga, Wigglytuff set out immediately across the land to gather other explorer teams. The land being large, it was not an easy task and was expected to take many weeks.
"Yes. Everyone wants to see you off."
Following Bidoof the short distance to the town, there indeed there was a large gathering near the center. All the townsfolk were there, with the Guild members at the center and Wigglytuff in the middle. "Here come the brave partners!" the pink Pokémon called out in his sing-song voice, eliciting a cheer from the crowd.
"Hey!" Loudred shouted at his usual insane volume level. "Saving the world twice isn't enough. We want an encore!"
Wigglytuff quickly got everyone calmed down. "So, in preparation for your months-long vacation in the human world…" He paused for the laughing to die down before continuing, "everyone gathered up some stuff we thought you might need." On cue, Kangaskhan and Loudred came through the crowd carrying a quite large sack.
Chatot took over in the voice of a sales-Poké: "In there, you'll find the finest accessories from all over the land. From scarves of every variety, to berries of the rarest kind, there'll be nothing you can't handle with the use of these enclosed accessories. This small fortune is now yours."
Blaze appeared overcome. "I…thank you, everyone!"
"This is…great, everyone," Leo added. "Thanks!"
"And one more thing," Wigglytuff said as he stepped up before them, handing over a small, but heavy black sack.
"What's this?" Blazed asked in accepting it. The jingle pretty much gave it away even before he opened it and his eyes went wide. Leo looked in after Blaze handled it over and felt his own eyes do the same. It looked to be at least 50,000 Poké…
"Everyone in the town wants to make sure you succeed," Wigglytuff said. "Money will do us little good if the world ends, so you might as well enjoy it. And, use it to save the world with too, of course." After a quick pause: "Besides, the two of you earned most of the guild's share anyway!"
More laughter this time, although more nervous.
During their various missions and travels, he and Blaze had managed to save up quite a sizable sum of money, and it was that same reasoning that they were bringing most it with them. But Wigglytuff's contribution pretty much made sure their coffer was literally overflowing.
"Well, what do you think, Blaze?" Leo asked, putting on his best dead-pan face. "Some fine oran berry juice served to us while we sit on the beach watching the sun set as several lopunny are massaging our feet?"
"I could go for some sitrus pie myself," Blaze answered, playing along. "You know, the kind with the expensive flaky crust."
"Ah, yes, and topped with some fluffy spice whipping. And we can't forget about having some nice jewelry made to compliment our looks, either."
"Of course!"
Several of the Pokémon were on the ground, laughing probably as hard as they ever had.
Leo hoped it wouldn't be the last time after finally cracking up too.
After making their rounds and saying their "see-you-laters" to everyone, they headed back. All-in-all, it was a fun, yet serious goodbye, and Leo was now feeling his own nervousness setting in. He really hoped Palkia wasn't going to be much longer. The waiting was the nerve-racking part.
Together, they brought the heavy sack of gifts down the steps, and he wondered just how they could pack any more into their already over-stuffed satchels. The money and a couple scarves wasn't too difficult, but the rest…
"Here," Blaze said, handing a nice mixture of various berries over. "The only place left to put them is in our stomachs."
Well, at least breakfast had been long enough ago that he could eat a few. "Good idea. We should go to the human world stuffed." Leo made a grin before stuffing his mouth, Blaze imitating him to the point of berry juice running down his face.
"You look awful," Leo noted between chews, barely getting the muffled words out amid a stifled chuckle. Something about the various hues from the juices gave him a kind of sinister, blood-thirsty appearance.
"So do you!" Blaze laughed after he managed to get all the berries stuffed in his mouth down.
The sudden flash of light nearly blinded him, though only for a instant. Leo knew what it was even before his eyes cleared.
"Blaze, Leo!" the white dragon's deep voice boomed. "It is good to see you again, but it is time to go. I can't hold the portal open very long, so time is short. Dialga, I assume, told you everything?"
"He did," Blaze replied, craning his neck to look upward at the large dragon.
Palkia opened his mouth a half moment before he actually spoke again. "You two look…messy."
Leo wanted to laugh, but couldn't manage it. He raced with Blaze to the pool, quickly wiping himself off before gathering the satchel he would be carrying. With a nod from Blaze, "We're ready." Already feeling homesick, he spent the last few seconds they had looking around their home. Everything was where it should be, save for the sack of gifts they barely made a dent in. He was going to miss the water basin where he splashed himself every morning, the wonderful view out over the ocean, and cool sea breezes they got…
Light briefly blinded him again, and a rocky/grassy landscape replaced the view of their home.
"Spatial Rift," Blaze said.
"This way," Palkia called from in front of them. Nearby was a white…hole, and Palkia was indicating it. "This portal will take you to the human world. A couple things before you go. I don't know where exactly to send you, so I choose a place near a large city. That should increase your odds, although the exact location where you'll come out is slightly random due to crossing so much space. Second, I may not be able to visit you, since my appearance would be disruptive."
"Dialga said the same thing," Blaze informed.
"He briefed you well, then. I'll also be monitoring things with him, but of course within the limits of my abilities which is space. Celebi will deliver any news from me."
Leo nodded, "We understand."
"Then…good luck. The fate of the two worlds could very well be resting on you two, once again."
"Nothing like a little pressure," Blaze quipped as they stepped up to the white portal together.
"You need to step through it now," Palkia urged.
With a mutual nod, Leo quickly stepped into the portal with Blaze.