Tanner felt numb.
Hoopa led them onward through the portal, talking as he floated through a dark jungle. "Ugh, I'm so exhausted. Yeah, we're just going to chill for a bit. It'll probably be good for you too."
Tanner silently hopped over a fallen log.
"Really, I am sorry they couldn't come with us. It's just too much of a risk. I can keep an eye on you, but not two other pokemon." Hoopa said, noticing Tanner's expression.
Tanner just shrugged as he followed.
"So, here are the rules. Follow my directions, alright? I'm more familiar with this kind of thing than you are, and we're going to be in dangerous situations. We need to stay unnoticed and we need to be able to react quickly. It's like your friend said- do what I say and I'll keep you safe, no matter what. I'll always get you out of trouble, okay?"
"Okay." Tanner mumbled.
"Good. You can trust me. Second, don't be afraid to defend yourself. Nothing is more important than your safety. You're a pokemon now, you have power. Now, I want to make sure that you know some moves better than scratch and are capable of doing illusions before then but…" Hoopa trailed off, speaking quickly towards the end. "We won't do anything too dangerous before you can do illusions. We'll get to that soon enough."
As he followed and listened, a mote of light flicked past Tanner's eye line. He watched it go by, then finally took notice of his surroundings.
He was in a jungle forest, though it was unlike any he had ever seen. The trees were much larger than they should be, and they gnarled and twisted together to form a connected canopy of branches. He walked under a leaf that was twice the size of his body. Tanner pushed it aside and gasped when he saw the sight before them.
They were on the top of a hill that overlooked a forest glowing with light. Motes like embers danced among the treetops, illuminating the jungle foliage where they landed. Flowers glowed red and purple and blue, smiling up at the starry sky above. White fruit hung from the trees, glowing like christmas lights beneath the boughs. Swirling galaxies and colorful nebulas watched over them, reflecting the shine of the mystical jungle with lights of its own.
Tanner took an amazed breath. It was like something out of a dream he never could have dreamed.
"It's not all bad though. There are some perks to being my exemplar." Hoopa grinned as he eyed Tanner's expression.
"Where are we? What is this place?"
"Doesn't have a name. Nobody lives here." Hoopa shrugged. "I like to call it the fairy forest. It's one of my personal favorites." The legend grinned down at Tanner greedily, exultant at Tanner's awe.
"It's amazing… I can't…" He turned up to look at Hoopa. "What do you mean nobody lives here? Is it dangerous?"
"No…" Hoopa began to float down the hill, leading past a field of glowing flowers. "There's nobody to live here. This is an uninhabited planet."
"Wait-" Tanner slowed. "Do you mean we're in a different world?"
"Yes and no. Follow me." Hoopa continued down the hill, leaving Tanner to catch up with him. "Legendary pokemon have some shared powers, like teleportation and telepathy. They also have individual powers. Rayquaza can control the weather, Mew can transform, yadda yadda. Me? I can create portals. These portals can be as small or as… somewhat large as I'd like. Not huge."
Tanner listened as they continued towards the bottom of the path, though he could hear a waterfall close by.
"That said, I can make portals across continents. I can make portals across worlds. I can make portals… across dimensions." Hoopa pushed aside a bush, revealing a waterfall cascading into a pool, rippling bioluminescence across the pond. He spun in a circle and floated back over the water, holding his hands out as if he had just finished a grand performance.
"We're… in another dimension?" Tanner's mind was racing. He was still reeling from even meeting this Legendary. He was still processing losing Tessa and Landon. Now he was being told they were in another dimension.
"Bingo." Hoopa pulled a ring out of the air and bowed with a flourish, like a magician at the reveal of a grand trick.
Tanner stepped into the clearing and looked around at the shining jungle around him. He was in another dimension. It was incredible… though- "The pokemon world was another dimension too, right?"
"Different from where you were as a human, yes. Legendaries can move humans between dimensions, but they can't move themselves between dimensions. That's something that only I can do. It makes the others jealous," He shrugged.
"So, you can go anywhere? Do anything?"
"I can't do just anything, I can't transform or control the weather. Go anywhere though? That I can do. A dimension where humans and pokemon live together? Easy. A dimension where dinosaurs exist with humans? That's a fun one. A dimension where magic talking ponies are in charge? You name it. Anywhere."
Tanner's mind raced. Could Hoopa really go anywhere? "What about where there are like, space ships?"
"You mean like, metal starships or boats in space? Both." Hoopa grinned and bobbed up and down in the air proudly.
"What about anime worlds or fantasy worlds with elves and stuff?"
"Yep."
"What about-"
Hoopa floated down towards Tanner and brought his face close, staring intensely in Tanner's eyes. "Tanner, A-ny-where."
Tanner nodded. He took a minute to digest the information. The possibilities were infinite. He was still nervous about this whole thing, but there were so many places he could think of visiting. He stood and paced back and forth.
This was getting more and more unbelievable by the minute. Maybe it was just him being adventurous, but he wanted to visit these other dimensions. He wanted to see it for himself.
"You're the only one who can travel dimensions?"
The Legendary nodded, and floated back over the pool of water, then submerged himself halfway in, soaking in the water. "Ahh… That's nice. Yep. Not many mortals have jumped planes of reality like this. You're lucky."
Tanner felt… sort of lucky. He still wondered why this was all happening to him.
"So…" Tanner asked "What are we doing here?"
"We-" Hoopa flicked a leaf away from him, splashing it further down the pond. "Are relaxing."
"What?"
"Ya. You have no idea how exhausting bringing you here was. Seriously, I was out for weeks. Plus, you just went into a dungeon, and you seemed sad about that Lucario and Mightyena. I think we should just take it slow and chill for like, a day."
Tanner was stunned. He was relaxing? He wasn't going to do anything!?
"Wait, so you brought me here just so you could relax? Just so you could-"
"Woah woah woah." Hoopa interrupted. "Slow down there cowboy. No, I didn't come here just to relax."
"So…"
"Fine. You want to know the whole plan? Fine. I need your help finding something that was stolen from me."
Tanner took a minute to calm down. He definitely shouldn't have gotten angry there. Hoopa was very powerful, and needed Tanner's help. "Sorry."
"I get it, you're all worked up," Hoopa paused. He pulled out a ring and spun it idly. The genie spoke in a slower, melancholy tone. "They took most of my power, and only a human can get it back for me."
The water burbled, glowing blue as it flowed past the mournful Legend.
Tanner looked away from Hoopa and down at the edge of the water. His reflection stared back, silhouetted by the starry night.
"Who took your power?" Tanner asked.
"The other Legends. They were jealous of what I could do. I was too strong for them, so they bound me. They wanted to control me, like their own personal genie."
Tanner nodded. That wasn't fair. It sounded like the other Legendary pokemon were bullies. If they stole his power, he wondered what else they would have done. Maybe Hoopa had been beat up and teased too.
"I need your help, Tanner. This-" Hoopa held out a small portal, through which Tanner could see a bustling city with skyscrapers and freeways filled with cars. "This is only a fraction of what I used to be able to do. I'm sorry that I had to… you know. It was the only way. I need your help to free me."
Tanner finally started to understand. Hoopa needed a human to free him, and Tanner was a human. He wanted to help. He understood what it was like to be bullied and to have stuff taken from him. Tanner didn't have godlike power stolen from him, but it was sort of on the same level.
"Why can only a human help you? Why me?" He asked.
"That's the rule. The rule is that no pokemon can free me," Hoopa huffed, then continued. "Not your friends, not another pokemon, not me. It doesn't have to be you specifically… That said, technically you aren't a pokemon."
"But I am, right? I mean, I can do moves. Tessa said that every pokemon can do moves. I have aura and energy."
"She's right, but your soul is human, and that's what matters. You're a pokemon in every other way, and only a human who intends to free me can do so." Hoopa shrugged. "If I'm wrong, I'll just send you back to your human body, open up a portal and you can wish me free as a human."
Among everything, that made sense, at least. It was a good reminder that Hoopa could send him back at any moment. He had his way home right here- all he needed to do was help Hoopa get his power back.
"Don't get me wrong though, I chose you because I thought you would be up to the challenge." Hoopa grinned at Tanner proudly.
That did make him feel good about himself. Out of everyone in the multiverse, Tanner was chosen to be Hoopa's savior, and to restore Hoopa's power. In that way, he would help to make the pokemon world a better place.
In some ways, he might be able to make the whole multiverse a better place.
"I am up to the challenge. I'll help." Tanner sat and nodded. He would do what it took to set things right.
"Glad to hear it, pal. That said-" Hoopa tossed a ring out to his side, and reached in, then pulled out a vine of grapes. He tossed one into his mouth, before continuing. "You had a draining day, and I'm still recuperating. Let's just relax. We've got plenty of time. Grape?"
Tanner nodded. Hoopa was right. Tanner was exhausted and snappy, and needed a day to relax. Though he was more used to a nice, warm bed, this was about the best place to relax he could ask for. The warm forest, the quiet burbling of the waterfall, the starlight above. Maybe after all of this was over, he-
A grape smacked Tanner in the face.
"Ope- sorry. I thought you were nodding that you wanted a grape."
"It's okay." He said. Tanner reached down and picked up the grape, then stepped into the river of water. It was warmer than he expected. It was like a pleasant, relaxing bath. Tanner washed off the grape and ate it, before sitting in the low water.
Hoopa was right. He would be able to see Tessa and Landon again, he would be okay, and he was still important in making the world a better place. Right now, he needed a break. He needed a night to take it all in. The dimension hopping to alien worlds and resolving the conflicts of gods. It was a lot to take in. Tanner's racing mind slowed as he soaked in the warm water. The gentle twilight and flickering lights of the jungle assuaged his fears. Hoopa was snoring halfway out of the water. Tanner let himself drift away as well, allowing his dreams to take him far away from this dimension.