Manaphy and Phione

The ocean has many faces, this one at its coldest. The arctic ice sheet clogged the water, causing it to turn slow and sluggish. A muted glow barely lit the depths as sunlight got tossed between trillions of ice crystals. There were still animals and Pokemon living in these extreme conditions, adapted to endure the bitter cold through fatty layers or becoming ice themselves.

Deep in these waters, there was a curious egg. It had a distinctive blue hue and was encased in the polar ice. It was well protected in this way, and another. If any hunter dared to break this egg out for a meal, it would find a brilliant aura that warned against predation. It would be a grave disrespect.

Beyond the ice sheet, a ghostly figure paced. To most eyes, it only came through as a shimmer, faint hints of blues and whites different than the arctic waters. It was a grand ghost, almost the size of a Waillord, but of a different body shape. It waited, watching the egg.

Then a brilliant blue light emerged from the shell. The ice burst into a shower of bubbles. As the froth cleared, a Pokemon appeared. About two feet tall, it was solid blue save for some yellow wave markings on its forehead. It had a large head for its small body and triangular shaped flippers instead of arms. Coming off the top of its head was a long ribbon-like antenna with a gold bulb at the end. But it was not a new Pokemon by any means.

It swam forward a short ways before addressing the ghostly figure. "Kyogre! Good to see you."

The spirit of the ocean legend smiled back. "You too, Manaphy. What should I address you as this time?"

It considered for a moment, flipping its antenna around. "I think I'm male this time. We'll go with male."

"All right then. I was inspecting things when I noticed your egg a week ago." She shook her head. "I can't understand how you can stand being reborn every century."

He swam out alongside her. "I'm not the only one who does that. And I don't see how you can stand having your body sealed away ninety percent of the time."

"That wasn't exactly my choice. Anyhow, I've been worried about you. That's why I've been hanging around."

Manaphy made his bulb glow, pleased at that. "Thanks. But what are you worried for? I've never had trouble with my rebirths."

"I know, but the humans have invented powerful ships that can break through even this ice. You may chose solid packs of ice so that you don't go drifting off with a glacier, but what happens when one of these ships breaks through your birthplace? You could end up anywhere."

"I think I would be fine, even if that happened."

Kyogre's spirit sighed. "If you say so. You haven't had much contact with humans, so you have no idea how they can be."

"It could be time to change that." He paused, distracted in thought. "It could be time to change many things."

She eyed him. "What kinds of things?"

He looked back to her. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, what was that?"

"What're you thinking about?"

"Actually, it's something I've been thinking about for a few years now. I haven't told anybody, though." Manaphy fell silent.

"Is something wrong?" Kyogre asked, worry touching her voice again. "Manaphy, you have been acting odd as of late. Did something happen?"

He shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. I just think... I've got somebody I want to talk to again. Goodbye." He swam off, surprisingly fast for a creature of his size.

She watched him go, conflicted about what to do. She trusted him, and yet... "Somehow, I feel as though you're about to do something foolish. Be careful."

Much further south on the globe, there was another spot where the waters of the ocean moved slow. These were the infamous Dead Tides, where sailing ships could get stranded for weeks with no wind. There was life in these still waters, tough creatures that could bide their time and withstand the heat.

Manaphy had stopped his search in this Dead Tide, to consider his options. His body adapted perfectly to the heated waters, allowing him to maintain a quick pace. But it had been several weeks since he had hatched and there was still no sign of the one he wanted to see. He brought his bulb in front of his face and gazed into its faint glow. "I just don't have the skills to pinpoint her location. Maybe I should find someone easier to locate first."

Then a popping sound came from nearby. He turned to see a pink flash, and then a smaller Pokemon appeared. She had a seemingly underdeveloped body, but her eyes betrayed that she was one of the oldest beings in the world. "Hey there, Manaphy!"

He smiled. "Hi Mew. Good to see you well."

She drifted through the water to get closer. "Yeah, but I'm not so sure about you. Kyogre said you seemed distracted when you hatched. Did something happen?"

"Was that all she said?"

"Not exactly. But you shouldn't be making me worry about you. You've been acting oddly for a while. What's the deal?"

Manaphy would usually tell others not to worry about him, but he knew there was no point here. Mew was known to every Pokemon as The Mother because she had that kind of love for everyone she ran across. "Actually, I was looking for you to talk about it. But you're hard to find when I want to see you."

She blushed. "Oh, sorry, I don't mean for that kind of thing to happen."

"It's fine, I understand."

"So what is it that's been on your mind?"

"Well, it's... you know how we sometimes take in other Pokemon as our own? You know, the abandoned hatchlings and the like?"

Mew smiled. "Yeah. You're so good at that; all the ones you've raised love you for it."

"I know, but... I've been wondering what it would be like to have my own child."

She studied him quietly, seeming to gauge how serious he was.

"As much as I like the adopting and bonding with others, I feel jealous when I see the mothers that care for their own children. There was this one time, as I was watching a Floatzel teach his three Buizel children to hunt, that I felt like something was missing for me. I know the children I call my own love me, but I still wonder what it's like to have an actual child. I don't know if I can explain it any better. I just don't feel like I'm living a complete life as I am."

"That's very unorthodox," Mew finally said. "Pokemon like us aren't supposed to have children. That's never happened before."

"But why can't we? I know we weren't created like the others, but we have hidden powers that the others don't. Why couldn't one of us have a child if we wanted to? Then I thought, you would really have the best potential for that, or to make something happen for me. I mean, since you were encoded with all of the secrets of life."

"I don't even understand those secrets. But I do see what you mean. The others have several ways to have children, and then we have none?"

"The rebirth thing just isn't the same, since it's me every single time."

"Still, are you sure you want that to happen? You'd be risking a lot. You might even have to give up your powers and rebirth cycle. Even if you don't, I find it highly unlikely that your child would be capable of them. It would live just one life and you'll have no idea how short or long that will be."

"I know that, but once it got into my heart, I just can't let it go. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking that I should have a child and something is wrong because I don't have one. I thought going through death would help me give up on the idea, but it seems to have gotten stronger. If I come to find out that the answer is an absolute no, I don't know what I'll do." He brought his flippers up to cover his eyes.

Mew came closer and patted his head. "Keep yourself together, Manaphy. This may have never been done before, but if your instincts are pulling that strongly, then something is up. As for how it could be done, I'm not sure."

He pulled his flippers down and together. "Will you help me?"

"I'll see what can be done." She made a graceful arc backwards into the waters, then turned back to him. "But you know, I'm not sure this is the place for your dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were to have a child, you'd want a good place to raise it, right? Go find one. I believe, if your heart speaks true, you will find it by the time I can give you the answer."

"Oh, right, of course. I'll go looking, then. Thank you so much, Mew."

She shook her head. "Don't thank me until I've got something done. I'll find you again." With another pop, she vanished.

Agreeing that the Dead Tides were not where he'd want to raise his child, he set out to find the perfect spot.

Manaphy considered his own birthplace in the arctic cap, but soon discounted it. He was all right up there because he remembered everything, especially how to avoid the tough predators in that area. But most Pokemon in that area thrived on instinct, spending only days, sometimes only hours, with their mother. That was not the place.

There were various spots throughout the world's oceans that he loved, but which one? Some had dangerous predators. Others had dangerous storms. Some had whirlpools while others had waterfalls. And yet others were gorgeous, only with humans living uncomfortably close.

But, following his heart as Mew hinted at, he found himself in a warm tropic area. Corsolas and corals grew profusely here, but it was distant enough from shore that the humans rarely came. Many Pokemon and regular animals lived here, but those numbers would deflect interest in his child as potential prey. There would be storms to worry about, but it was mostly calm. And some distance from the main coral and Corsola colonies, there was a wide sand bed where kelp grew.

Feeling it was the place he wanted, Manaphy stopped to rest. He found it difficult to sleep, though. Whatever part of his mind wanted to have a child was now bewildered at what to do next. It wasn't supposed to happen, but something had triggered this incomplete parental instinct in his mind. It would not let go, even when it was fruitless for him to follow it.

Why was that? He had considered it many times over the past few years and had not come up with a good answer. He had adopted other Pokemon over his life to pacify this desire, but something had pushed it over the edge this time. One would think that if any of them would end up with this problem, it would be Mew with her maternal love for everyone. Then why was he the one going crazy?

Eventually, he must have fallen asleep as the next thing he thought clearly was hearing Mew call his name. He opened his eyes, but soon realized that he felt exhausted. She was spinning around trying to get his attention while Kyogre's spirit drifted nearby. "Hey, come on!"

"Mew, Kyogre?" he murmured. "What is it?"

"You don't look that good," the large whale said in concern.

"Well I came to check up on you," Mew said. "I've been asking around, seeing if there were any favors I could pull to do something. I couldn't find anything, but when I arrived, there was a huge blue swell around you. I got Kyogre, but she didn't know anything about it."

"A swell?" he asked. "Like a storm swell?"

"Not quite," Kyogre said, after a moment's hesitation. "It was more like... a reality shift."

"Yes, and then you two appeared," Mew finished up.

"Two?" He looked at them and realized they were looking just behind him. He turned around and found what he'd been looking for all along.

It was an odd egg, distinctly blue like his eggs. However, those never appeared until his spirit left his last body and returned to his birthplace. It didn't emit the same potent force, but there was a breath of life there. It lay half-buried in the sand.

Manaphy touched it. Instantly, his stalled out instincts jumped over the missing information and continued on their merry way. "It is my child," he said in soft wonder.

"I don't get it," Kyogre said. "He's even identified himself as male this lifetime, so how'd he make this egg on his own?"

Mew drifted for a moment with her eyes closed. "Long ago, when the very idea of life was new, there was a great desire and need for it. It could not be, it could not come from what had been, it absolutely could not be... but then at one moment, everything clicked and life began. This may be an echo of that, a rare moment when the desire and need for a new life is so great that it comes, heedless of any reason."

"Your love is that strong," Manaphy said, looking back at her. "But mine... I didn't think it could."

"But it has, so your love must be that strong."

"But there can't be two of him around," Kyogre protested. "That isn't how things work."

"It is his child, but I doubt it's exactly like him." Mew came down and reached out to the egg. Manaphy felt a sharp stab of protectiveness, but forced it to relent. He could trust her. She observed the aura of the new life. Then she backed off with a gasp. "Oh dear..."

"What, is something wrong?" he asked, panicky.

"No, no, it's something normal, just," she made a visible effort to calm herself, then turned to him. "I hope you are ready for this. She won't be as powerful as you. And she... well, she's normal for the average Water Pokemon. Maybe a bit better, and yet... I really hope whatever power allowed this to happen knows what it's doing."

"But what's the problem?" Manaphy insisted, trembling so hard that his bulb flung itself around erratically. "You aren't telling me something."

Mew's large blue eyes seemed particularly sad at that moment. "I'm sure you know, what the problem is. I'll will be there for you if you or your child ever needs me. I really hope you're ready."

She wouldn't elaborate any more and left soon after that.

After a few days of puzzling over the egg's appearance, Manaphy decided to take the blessing for what it was. He found himself having to constantly put himself in check. Normally, he liked to make friends with any Pokemon who came along. He could understand any of them: the bullies and the bullied, the predators and the prey, the jaded and the innocent, the deluded and the perfectly normal. He could manipulate his own mind to see things from their point of view, and thus they always came to appreciate him.

But as he kept watch over his egg, he found himself less inclined to be friendly and more inclined to lash out at any who came too close. He could feel that the Mantine before him liked to swim through this area when he felt lonely. However, the path he wanted to swim came right over where the egg lay. "Yes, I can see that this place is a good ground for solace," he said, gritting his teeth in an effort to hold back his fiercer instincts. "But I can't let you be here."

"Is something wrong with you, Manaphy?" the Mantine asked. "I mean, I've only met you just now, and yet, this isn't what I've heard you to be like."

"That's true, I'm not myself right now." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I really can't let you swim near here."

"Oh, I see. I'll be careful." The Mantine swam away, keeping a wary eye on Manaphy.

Feeling guilty, the older Pokemon drifted down to the egg. It was a biting conflict in his heart, between his powers berating him for not letting a saddened Pokemon find its peace and his newly voiced instincts that advised that the Mantine was still closer than it should be. He stroked the eggshell and sighed.

"I wish I could be normal, like you," he whispered. "I know that I have a greater purpose in the scheme of things, but... why did everything have to get strange so that you could be here?"

The egg thumped.

His heart thumped in response. A frantic pulse in his mind wanted to know that everything was safe. Manaphy darted around, not wanting to go far, but driven to make sure that there was no potential danger to his child. After the hurried search, he came back as a faint web of cracks appeared.

The next fifteen minutes were agonizing. He knew he had an easier time of it when he got reborn. This just proved it. But then all his fears and worries vanished for a moment when he found himself face to face with his daughter.

She looked almost exactly like him. She had his body, his bulb at the end of a ribbon-like antenna, his triangular flippers. She was a bit lighter of a blue, though, and she lacked the yellow forehead markings. Simplified, that's what she was.

He smiled warmly at her, feeling a joyous pride come into his heart. "Hello. I am your father, Manaphy. I will name you Phione."

Phione flicked her antenna some, causing the bulb to flicker. She seemed to feel safe and comfortable with him nearby. "Hello, father." Then she smiled.

It was the happiest moment of his life, as long as that had been.

Phione couldn't swim as strongly as Manaphy. But she was able to cling onto the Mantine's tail as he raced about the kelp forest. "Wheee! You can't shake me!"

The Mantine laughed. "Oh you don't think so?" He shook himself briskly, making her squeal again.

Manaphy smiled at this, having tempered his protectiveness down to a reasonable level. The local Pokemon had been greatly surprised to find out that he had a child, but many had accepted her with open hearts. It helped that she was as kind and friendly as he was, smiling easily with laughter that was like music. She had made many friends over her first six months.

When the two friends paused in their play, he swam over to them. "Phione, come with me."

"Okay!" she said. She turned and waved at the Mantine. "See you later!"

"Yeah, later." He smiled and swam off.

Phione giggled as she paddled up to her father. "He's so nice."

He felt a momentary worry that she might be too young for... but that could wait until she was old enough. "He is. I have some more things to teach you now."

"Really? Like what?" Her eyes sparkled with interest.

Manaphy spread his flippers out. "It's about water, and the world that lies above it."

"Above the water? Isn't there just the sky?"

"No, there's much more than that. There is land, like the ocean's floor below us, only above water. Many Pokemon live there."

"How do they do that? Doesn't everybody need water?"

"There's a lot more to life than what you see around you. Water can evaporate and climb into the air, creating the clouds we see in the sky sometimes. Those clouds go over the land, where the water inside drops down as rain. The rain then gathers in ponds and streams, which flow into lakes and rivers, which eventually comes back into the ocean."

"Water can do that?" She looked thoughtful.

"Yes, it's a powerful force."

"What's a pond like? Or a river, or those other things you mentioned? Can I go see them by joining the clouds?"

He laughed at her curiosity. "There are many of those places, each unique and different. You could go there if you wish." He brought his flippers up to his face. "You are almost ready to go out on your own."

Phione's face glimmered with excitement at that possibility, but soon sobered. "But what about you, father? Will we be all right, on our own?"

"I've lived alone for centuries. I've told you before, that you are my dearest blessing. I love you, child, but I also have faith in you. You will go out and see the world with your own eyes in due time."

When Phione was two years old, Manaphy found her in a freshwater lake. "This is so different from the ocean," she told him. "But it's all wonderful just the same. The Magikarp told me that there's tunnels in a pond north of here that, if you go down them far enough, you'll reach this massive underground lake where you can't even see the sky! I'm going down there myself soon."

"That's great, but what happened to you?" He touched her left flipper with his; there was a healing wound there.

"Oh, that. I ran into this Carvanha, but he didn't want to be friends. He thought I was something to eat and tried to kill me."

Manaphy felt relief and worry at once. That was one of the things he feared for her. "Thank goodness you got away. I told you, you have to be careful around predators. They won't recognize you as they do me."

"I know," she said. "I fought him off on my own."

She was leaving out the fact that she had enjoyed the close call, Manaphy realized. He kept silent this time, but inwardly hoped that she wouldn't continue to be that reckless.

Manaphy came back to the wide kelp field. It had been five years ago now, he thought, that he had come here hoping for some miracle. And she had come. He closed his eyes, content to recall the wonder of every encounter with her. It was different from his adopted children. He felt such a deep connection to Phione. That love was unquestionable. He didn't care what she did, really, as the joy she brought into his life made anything forgivable.

He liked meeting up with her and listening to stories of her life. It was all ordinary stuff. He had heard such stories time and again, yet it was still interesting to hear her variation and her thoughts. And it would be about time to go looking for her again, right? It had been several months.

He felt the presence of someone nearby. When he looked, he realized that Phione was there too, brushing her flippers across the sand. Smiling, he swam over to her. "Phione! You came back here?"

She seemed startled, but then smiled back. "Oh, father. Yes, I came back. It's good to see you well."

Manaphy frowned. Something wasn't right. She seemed tired and spoke mechanically. "Is something wrong? You don't seem well."

She sank down into the sand. "I feel very tired. I did make a big effort to get back here. I didn't remember the currents being so strong."

He came down to sit by her. "You didn't have to push yourself."

"But I came."

"Why? Were you looking for me?"

"I hoped you would be here, but that's not it."

"Then what is?"

"I..." she stalled and looked saddened. "I became friends with a Mothim, but then he told me that he only lives for one year. I asked him if he was sad or scared, and he said no. He said that he enjoys every day he has, knowing that life will carry on. Life always carries on..."

He patted her back. "Life ends, yes, but it does always carry on. It finds ways. Anyhow, if you're tired, you should rest."

Phione's eyelids lowered; it was apparent that she wanted to, but felt that she had to say something more. "Thank you, Manaphy, for bringing me to life. I've enjoyed it."

"There's no need to speak like that," he said.

But then the light in her eyes faded out.

"Phione!"

She was dead.

Mew appeared in the kelp field of the ocean. She came down to Manaphy, who sat dispirited in the sand. "You knew that it had to happen," she said softly.

"You didn't tell me it would happen so soon," he replied, without the energy to be angry.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

She twitched her tail, noting that his eyes had not moved from the sand. "Except maybe in not coming for a couple of days."

He sighed. "No... if you had come sooner, I would have been more hostile. As it is… I've been thinking."

Mew waited a bit, then asked, "About what?"

"What Phione was trying to tell me. About how life always carries on." He pointed to the sand. "She left three eggs here. But, that's why she died. She couldn't live after that."

"I see. She managed to create a family for you."

"Yes. I still want to know why all this happened." Manaphy sniffed and rubbed his face. "I still can't figure it out. In the meantime, I'm watching these eggs for her."

The sound of splashing had caught Manaphy's attention. He observed a human Trainer with her Water Pokemon playing on the beach. It would have been an ordinary scene, save for one thing. One of the Phione was with the group.

He swam in closer, then waited for the Phione to be the only one underwater. He sent out an inviting whistle, waving his fin when his descendant noticed. The male turned to his Trainer and asked for permission to go deeper on his own, coming out as soon as he got it.

The Phione seemed awed to see him. "Are you really Manaphy?"

He nodded. "Yes. How are you doing with your Trainer?"

He flipped his antenna around, causing the bulb to flicker happily. "Great! I single-handedly beat a Gym last week. Well, with her guidance, but I was the only one she used."

Manaphy smiled. "Good. I'm glad to hear of it."

He titled his head curiously. "So is it true, what I've heard? That you are our direct ancestor?"

"Yes, that is true."

"Wow. But I thought the Pokemon of legend couldn't bear children. Why were you made an exception?"

He brought his antenna close and made his bulb glow with a comforting light. "Feel this? From the first moment I opened my eyes to the oceans, I have always been able to understand others. I adapt my vision to see from your point of view, then offer comfort or encouragement as needed."

The Phione was entranced. "I can feel that. That's amazing."

Manaphy set his bulb to back behind his head. "But as it turns out, I can only know so much by doing this. Some things I had to learn first hand, the best and worst of life. Since I have, I can use my powers more effectively and encourage those who wouldn't have listened before."

He nodded. "I like to encourage my teammates, but it is easier when it's something that I've been through."

"Exactly." He patted his descendant on the back. "And thus, you and your kin carry my legacy."

…

Manaphy Platinum entry: It is born with a wondrous power that lets it bond with any kind of Pokemon.

Phione Platinum entry: It drifts in warm seas. It always returns to where it was born, no matter how far it may have drifted.

This was posted for Easter. It's not a great analogue for the Christian side of the holiday, but the themes of love and rebirth are appropriate for the Christian and the pagan sides.