Tessa was usually the one to come over to Landon's place in the morning. She often woke up early and meditated, stepping and spinning in slow motions, training her martial arts and aptitude for the aura well before Landon was awake.
Today was different. Nothing was normal about today.
Landon pushed open the Lucario's door, letting himself in. He sighed and laid close to the bundle of blue fur huddled in the corner. He nuzzled Tessa's ear and listened to her slow, broken heartbeats in her chest, beating slowly in time with his own.
Landon said nothing. He had no aura to read her emotions, and no psychic to read her thoughts, but he knew what she was thinking. He knew what she felt. He felt the same thing.
How was it that he could be so proud, so pleased and hopeful in such a lost little Pokemon, and have them just be… taken. Gone.
"I shouldn't have told Hoopa where he was. I knew something was wrong, I could-"
"Hey, hey…" Landon interrupted Tessa's mourning, pushing his muzzle onto hers. "No, you couldn't have known. It was the voice of a Legendary. You couldn't have hid Tanner from him. Especially not Hoopa."
Hoopa. Why? Of all the Legendary pokemon, of all the trickster legends, why him? Legends told no good stories of the mischief pokemon. Even Mew and Victini had their noble streaks, but Hoopa had none. He was selfish and thoughtless.
And he took Tanner.
"You were right," Tessa mumbled.
"About what?"
Tessa simply looked up into Landon's eyes. In her eyes, there was a deep sadness, one of more than just losing a friend. One of losing a dream.
Landon opened his mouth to speak but… couldn't. He couldn't find the words. He didn't know what to say to comfort Tessa. She was a strange pokemon. She had strong convictions and beliefs that sometimes verged on unfounded mysticism. She could be silly at times, and he often called her out on her nonsense. Despite that, she was strong in body and mind.
It hurt to see her so weak.
Landon whimpered sympathetically.
"Tanner will be okay. He's strong. He'll be an exemplar soon, and… then he'll go home."
Tessa's tail tucking tightly in made it clear that that wasn't quite what she wanted to hear.
"I know it's selfish of me. I know… but I wanted to be his guardian. I wanted to be by his side when he… chose the fate of the world, or ended the conflicts of ages," Tessa whispered.
Landon nodded. He knew that she wanted that. She was quick to volunteer to go back to the Shadow Grove to search for Tanner's Legendary. She was the one who stayed up late at night, theorizing on what Tanner's call would be. On how best to teach and guide him. She was the one who saw the most in him.
Though he was pained at Tanner's sudden departure, Landon could only imagine her pain. It was the pain of one who lose someone they had grown to love. In whom they had placed their faith.
"What do you think his mission is?" Tessa asked. She clearly wanted to talk. The problem was that Landon didn't know what to say. He too was at lossfelt the same loss.
"I don't know. Maybe… he's going to help Hoopa. Maybe the other Legendaries want to teach him a lesson." Landon mumbled.
"Maybe. It just feels wrong. It feels like the Legendaries used Tanner."
"It feels like they used us." Landon agreed. Tanner was taken from his home and forced into a body he didn't know, into a world he didn't understand. Landon and Tessa taught and trained him, and Hoopa just… took him. They weren't even finished explaining how the world worked. They had just barely been into a dungeon.
"I had hoped that the Legendaries were better than this. Some part of me knew they weren't. All of the conflict and wars and fights. They're just… They're all the same," Tessa growled.
Landon hated seeing Tessa like this. It happened sometimes. Usually when she was hurting. Last time they were in a fight, she got like this. She lost her… mysticism, her idealism. She lost herself.
Were they all the same though? Were all Legendaries like Hoopa?
Landon never expected to meet a Legendary. There were those who craved their guidance and approval, and chased down their attention. He didn't see the point though. Legendary pokemon were just powerful pokemon with authority. Authority and power that needed to be respected, but it didn't make them special. There were ways to find one though. Legendaries sometimes appeared to those in dire need. There were some places where Legendary pokemon were known to live. Some pokemon went through mystery dungeons and prayed and meditated, seeking the favor of their Legendary deities.
Landon sat up.
He considered the idea.
It probably wouldn't work, but…
"...Do you think we could ask?" He wondered.
"Ask what?"
"What if we ask where he is? What he's doing? What if we ask why we can't be with him?" Landon wanted to know. He wanted to understand why the Legendaries would do something like this.
"They won't answer."
"...What if he's in trouble?"
Tessa turned and looked at Landon. She looked confused at first, then worried. Aura swirled around her sensors once again. Finally.
"What do you mean?"
"Tessa, it's Hoopa. What if Tanner needs us?"
A long moment of silence passed between them. Thoughts, worries, hopes, dreams, all flicked by in the silence. Landon could see Tessa's mind clearing by the moment. Her aura turned brighter.
"Help me, Landon. What do we do?"