July 20th, First Year
Jaku found herself wandering through the mountains. It was a new way of trying to distract herself from her own thoughts, taking to walking alone without the overbearing company of her partners. They were all still with her of course, all of them safely contained on their clip belt that bumped against her leg every now and then.
Lilith's ball would occasionally bump against her side, reminding Jaku of just how much the boisterous fire-type hated being contained. She didn't usually keep her pokémon contained at all up there in the privacy of the rocky cliffs, but she just wanted to be alone.
She scoffed, grunting quietly as she pulled herself up a steep ledge, hooking her leg into a deep groove as she boosted herself to a wider hanging spot. She turned, the afternoon sun catching on her form as she peeked out from an exposed clef in the ravine. "I think I've had too much alone time to myself," she thought aloud. "How long has it been now? A week? Two weeks? A month?" In truth, she'd lost track ages ago.
Three jumps. She had no choice but to jump back three more times. Ingo hadn't made it to the mirelands on his first go; a nasty thunder wave from a surveying Luxio had knocked him unconscious to serve as a meal. Akari had succumbed to her paralysis on Jaku's second go; once again, she had no choice but to face that horrendous Parasect King again. The trio had been crushed in a landslide on the way back which made the third jump back.
Jaku had just barely recovered from her debilitating time-sickness only two days ago. She still coughed every now and then and her joints still ached but she was determined to keep moving. If she sat any stiller, she'd go stir crazy in her cave.
She couldn't go back to the Diamond Settlement. Not yet anyway. She was still waiting on any news from Adaman. On any news from Ingo or Akari or Talaos. She'd been forced to relive the previous month's days all over again. Not once had she received anything from anybody.
There were no more visitors either. No supplies, no wanderers, nothing. Have I been forgotten about? Did I change something crucial? Am I supposed to be here? Jaku grimaced as she accidentally knocked her shin against a craggy rock face. "No. I checked during the last jump. I'm supposed to be here." She pulled herself to a large break in the ravine wall, her eyes locking onto a break in the clouds where the red sun bled onto the rocks.
"Where is everybody?"
Jaku soon found herself standing on a precarious ledge overlooking the ravine heading toward the Crimson Mirelands. Was it just her imagination or was the water level in the gorge much higher than it had been the last week? She shook her head. Somebody would've told me if the mirelands was flooding. Right? Somebody would've notified me if the shipments of supplies were stopping… right?
Lilith's ball thumped against her side and burst open, her beloved partner slowly nosing her away from the edge with an air of impatience and worry that didn't suit her at all.
"Relax, girl. I'm… I'm not gonna jump. I'm just thinking, is all."
The large Arcanine huffed and pulled her even further away toward the shade of an outcropping rock. Jaku was forcibly moved to sit and Lilith laid across her legs to keep her from moving back to the edge. She ruffled her partner's fur with an impatient huff, taking a moment to relax and take in the view.
There isn't much of a view today, anyhow. It's just another overcast day, Jaku thought, watching the sun disappear behind a curtain of dark clouds. That makes five days in a row. Gods, when is something going to happen?
Hooves clattered noisily on the rocks.
Lilith picked her head up, letting out a loud snarl as she rose to her paws, hackles raised.
The hooves continued moving, changing to clatter in her direction. It was-
"Lord Wyrdeer?"
The large pokémon quickly appeared from behind a bend in the canyon wall, its large horns scraping the roof of the shallow cave as it approached. Its large, beady eyes were no longer milky white but they shone with a flair of danger and flagrant dislike that Jaku had come to expect when being in close proximity to the creature.
Am I supposed to bow? I don't think I've ever seen a warden bow to their noble. Can I bow? Is it going to charge at me like it did last time? What am I supposed to do here?
Lilith gave her the answer to those questions by surging forward to stand in front of her protectively, flecks of spit flying from its bared teeth. Lord Wyrdeer didn't even seem to mind, stopping just a pace away from the Arcanine. It raised its head and scraped one hoof in the dirt, staring down at her with an impressed glint in its eyes.
"Lilith, back down," Jaku commanded immediately. Her partner did not budge.
She's remembering our first encounter. Of course she's not going to trust this thing! I don't either. But something's different here.
"Lord Wyrdeer," Jaku called, her voice low and edged. "What-" she paused, not knowing how to go about approaching this revered pokémon- "to what do I owe you? You are… you're far from the Obsidian Fieldlands, aren't you?"
"So I Might Be."
Jaku flinched. She turned toward the noble, noting immediately the wavering scarlet glow being emitted from the black growths on the noble's antlers. Its gaze on her was intelligent but cold.
"Did you want something with me?" Jaku managed out. No matter how much Warden Mai had assured her that Lord Wyrdeer was no longer a threat- no longer that same creature she'd fought in Deertrack Heights- Jaku couldn't help but remember the horrifying screams the creature had let out and how the entire encounter had felt so wrong.
"I Can Hear Your Thoughts, Outlander. You Are Wise To Revere Me, But Your Fear Is Not Necessary." The noble scraped a hoof in the dirt. "No, I Am Here Because You Have Done Me A Great Service Long Ago. You Quelled My Frenzy And For That, I Must Repay You." Their projected voice was as sharp as ice.
Lilith snorted, wrapping her large body around Jaku with her eyes narrowed and her tail lashing. As she'd thought, Lilith wasn't even remotely convinced. Neither was she.
"That is- that's not necessary, Lord Wyrdeer-" Jaku tried to wave the great beast off.
"I Do Not Wish To Be Indebted To Man," the noble cut through, their ears flattening against their head.
"Then consider my help to be a gesture of good faith. Please, I don't want any- I don't need any help from you."
"Lies," the noble contradicted her. "I Can See Your Thoughts, Outlander. I Roam The Mountains Just As You Do, And Your Thoughts Come To Me As Thunder Rolls After Lightning Strikes. I Know What You Desire Most. Recall Your Beast And I Shall Provide You A Gift If You Will.."
"Why?" she challenged the noble. "Lilith is trying to protect me and I trust my partner. What's the catch?."
Lord Wyrdeer's telepathic voice snorted. "I Did Not Pose That As A Question, Outlander. Recall. Your. Beast. Do As I Ask And I Shall Grant You A Desire Your Allies Can Only Dream Of."
"And what might that be?" With a swift roll of her palm, Lilith was quickly recalled back into her pokéball. Jaku did not wish to have a rematch against the powerful creature.
"Your Thoughts Are Steeped In Confusion And Bitterness, Outlander. You Yearn For A Meaningful Connection, Both In Regards To Your Past And To Your Allies. But You? You Have Been Marked By The Creator, And Their Cause For Your Amnesia Is Almost Certain."
Jaku flinched. She forced herself to look into the noble's eyes, balling her fists to give herself courage. "You mean to tell me that Almighty Sinnoh is the reason I can't remember anything? How can you tell that much?" she demanded.
"And How Might I Be Able To Speak To You Inside Your Mind Now? My Insight Is Through The Very Same Powers The Creator Gifted Me With." Wyrdeer drew her in closer, caging her head with its branching golden antlers. Its warm breath ghosted along her face. "I Can Peer Past The Fog In Your Mind, Outlander. I Hold The Answers To Questions You Have Long Forgotten. All You Need To Do Is Accept," the noble whispered.
Jaku swallowed. Was her mind truly that easy to read? She shut her eyes tight, feeling the sharpened edges of the noble's antlers lock around her skull and neck like a vice. She could still say no.
If Lord Wyrdeer was telling the truth-
"Which I Am-"
-then why hadn't the noble attempted to give Ingo back his memories? Why hadn't it approached all of them if it was blessed by the Original One? Wouldn't Almighty Sinnoh want them to be able to do their job quickly and efficiently? Wouldn't they be better off knowing who they were and why they were sent there in the first place?
A fierce, crushing pressure forced her eyes open, Jaku recoiling as she realized that Lord Wyrdeer had closed the space between them, forcing her eyes open with its psychic powers.
"That Is Not For Me To Decide."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I Have Been Made Aware Of Your Progress. You Have Used The Ancient Artifact, Have You Not?"
"The time gear?"
"Yes. That Artifact. You Have Been Deemed Ready To Receive A Reward For Your Good Behavior And So I Come In The Stead Of A Legendary. I Will Consider This As A Repayment For Your Deed In Quelling Me." Lord Wyrdeer pressed closer, caging Jaku against the cave wall with its antlers. "Whether You Choose To Accept This Reward Is Of Your Own Accord."
I'm being rewarded for 'good behavior'? From the Original One? This was the same being that had spoken to her at Lake Valor. The same being that had given her the ancient artifact that hung around her neck. The same being that would speak into her mind when she was asleep and would torment her with the visions of her mutilated corpse in the void-
"Not Arceus."
"Huh?"
"The Being You Think Of. That Is Not The Original One. That Is Not Arceus," Lord Wyrdeer huffed. "Arceus Does Not Speak With Man. Only Through Pokémon Does The Creator Make Their Will Known. You Are Thinking Of The Creator Of Time: The Temporal One."
"…Their name. What's their name? What's the name of this god that's controlling me?"
"In Due Time, I Will Show You. First, I Must Provide Your Reward. Do Not Move."
A new kind of headache exploded behind Jaku's eyes, forcing her to her knees as Lord Wyrdeer drew her into a trance. Every part of her was burning. She couldn't breathe.
Unknown Date, Unknown Year
Rain pounded against the metal holding walls of the observation room. It was only supposed to be a volunteer shift. Burr bolted up the escape stairs, nearly thrown into a chained belt as the large structure trembled around her. Sirens blared overhead. Thick tar-like smoke billowed off of the ceiling.
"Rig failure! Rig failure! All workers and rangers to the upper deck! Repeat: Rig Failure! Rig Failure! All workers and rangers to the upper deck!"
Her heart beating out of her chest, Burr emerged onto the second deck into the drilling room, barreling past the top-floor heavy rigging equipment as she made for the closest exit door. She tripped, stumbling into a disused crane hook.
"Burr!"
She turned. "Cameron!" She quickly ducked away from the hook, waving toward her fellow ranger. "Let's go! The rig's due to fall through the ceiling!"
Loud footsteps echoed against hollow metal. All Burr could hear was her own heavy breathing and the blood pumping through her ears. Her eyes found the bright reflective exit sign and she was at the handle within less than a minute. She turned the latch and then paused. Cameron wasn't behind her.
"Cameron?"
"Hold on, I-"
Time froze. Burr turned around, still panicked from the deafening alarms. Cameron was only a few paces behind her, his face scrunched in an expression of fear and annoyance as he struggled to get his boot free of a loose chain on the floor.
The metal deck sagged and a new force rocked the deck of the rig. Burr was tossed into the doorframe, crying out as the dull edge dug into her spine.
The rig hissed and screeched like a dying beast. The hook that Burr had been caught against only a moment ago careened into the ceiling before dropping like a leaden weight into the debris-strewn deck below.
Metal snapped against steel. Burr watched, paralyzed, as the chains around Cameron's leg tightened. It yanked him into an operating lathe affixed into the floor. It was over in a fraction of a second. Bones snapped and flesh tore wetly as Cameron was churned like butter, his remains haphazardly flung from the machinery like shrapnel into the walls and floors-
July 21st, First Year
Morning had brought rain. More rain if she could believe it. She'd woken up with Dusk sleeping partially on her face, Peanut curled up on top of her chest. She had woken with an intense headache but as her sleep vision cleared, so too did the pain. What was that dream all about, anyway?
She shook the stupor out of her head and pulled on her warmer clothes, shivering. It was just a strange dream. Dreams had no meanings, right? Always just amalgamations of things that had happened in the previous day.
So maybe it was a bit eerie that when she went to open the flap in the tarp entrance, a certain noble was already waiting for her with a knowing look, hunched against the cave wall with its head facing the far horizon. The sun hadn't even risen yet and before her stood Lord Wyrdeer looking at her expectantly.
"I Sense That Perhaps, You Are Not Quite Ready To Regain All Of Your Memories," Lord Wyrdeer spoke quietly.
"What? Why are you here?" Jaku asked plainly. She remembered encountering Lord Wyrdeer but nothing after the noble had locked her in with its antlers. "How did I get here? And what did you do to me?"
"It Is Not A Question Of What I Did To You, Outlander. It Is A Question Of Why 'It' Did Not Work." Before Jaku could even ask what the great stag was talking about, it cut off her drawling thoughts with, "My Explanation Will Not Be Sufficient For You, Nor Shall I Elaborate."
"…Okay? So what do you want from me? Why were you sitting in front of my cave?"
The great stag gave a disappointed sigh before lowering itself onto one knee. "The Temporal One Has Seen The Results Of My Experiment. It Has Deemed That, Despite Your Failed Reception To Regain Your Lost Memories, You Are Ready To Complete Your First Task And Claim Your First Time Gear. As Such, You Are Needed In The Crimson Mirelands. Gather What You Might Need And Then We Shall Set Off Immediately. I Am Unfortunately Due To Serve As Your Steed."
"You never did tell me who the Temporal One was," Jaku commented roughly as she began packing things away. At least, she was finally being given something to do, even if she had been apprehensive of starting her main tasks.
"Dialga. The Legendary Who Heralds The Flow Of Time Is Known To Us As Dialga. And No More Questions."
Without so much as a backwards glance, Jaku gathered her partners and pack and carefully mounted the noble. The mountains whipped by as Lord Wyrdeer picked its way down the cliffs, leaping over valleys and gorges as though they were nothing but pebbles in the path.
Would Adaman be angry at her leaving her post? She rolled her eyes, scoffing at the notion. He probably wouldn't even notice that she had left. At this point, Jaku was certain that nobody would even notice if she died or went missing. It's not like it would matter anyway given the final finishing line of her duty in Hisui.
Jaku recognized the familiar dip in the mountain trail as they arrived in the northern mirelands, but something was off. Very off.
The familiar trail was almost buried under twisted tree roots and flowering tall grass. The torches usually marking the trail were all snuffed out, some torches being smothered with kudzu. The farther they rode, the less Jaku recognized the path. She had walked this way numerous times before but now, it was as if she were in another different part of Hisui altogether. The only thing creepier than the atmosphere was the sickly-sweet smell in the air.
They passed over the steppe and into the area she knew were the Shrouded Ruins. The cairns had all been toppled over and to her horror, long-rotted corpses had been dragged out of their graves. A thick curtain of spores covered every tree and every bush and every rock. She knew Lady Lilligant had been rampaging but why hadn't Adaman sent word about any of this?
Lord Wyrdeer gave her no time to take in the sights. Before she knew it, the lord had slowed into a steady trot as they entered the Diamond Heath. She could see the wreckage of the settlement from atop the great stag's back: ripped apart tents and telltale signs of spore curtains littered the foothills to the southwest. Trees had been ripped out of the ground and were now strewn about the camp. The Diamond Settlement had been completely and utterly destroyed.
Lord Wyrdeer eventually came to a stop at the edge of Lake Valor, its eyes focused on the small scrubby island in the middle. The waters of the lake were still and soundless, reflecting nothing but the overcast sky overhead, the sun still yet to rise.
With a snort, the same shimmering power that surrounded Lord Wyrdeer's horns surrounded her too and the lord levitated her over to the island to stand in front of the massive boulder.
Almost immediately, the pendant around Jaku's neck began to glow a strange teal color. The ancient artifact pulsed. The boulder in turn shifted, lines within the large stone matching the ethereal teal glow. Rocks shifted. The earth shuddered. A cave mouth began to form as the back of the cave shifted into the recesses of the lake. After a few moments, Jaku's pendant gave one decisive click to the right before whirling counterclockwise to the very start.
"Right then. Here we go."
