My body, it's… heavy. I feel like my lungs are being… crushed. What is this? Why can't I move?… Why can't I…
There was nothing below him, nothing above him, and nothing around him. Any effort spent to twitch his claws or lash his tail proved fruitless, as he couldn't even feel the world around him– let alone the very body he existed in.
All this darkness. Are my eyes closed, or is there just nothing to see? What's wrong with my… head… Ugh…
There was a vast echo around him every time the Pokémon thought. It was as if he was suspended in water, and his internal monologue was calling to him to sink deeper.
Am I… dying? Is this what dying feels like? I can't die– I'd be letting so many Pokémon down if I did. But, I'm so cold. I can't do anything. I can hardly even breathe. If this isn't dying, then what else could it even be?
An impish voice called from the silence, piercing through the echo of his thoughts. "Focus your mind, Friend."
Huh?
"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?"
Remember? I– What are you talking about? Of course I remember. I remember today. I went to the Police Station to talk to Officer Jennifer. She's going to help me talk to the Prime Minister. I think his name is Aster? She said he might have records about who I am.
"Oh! So, you do remember! That's good. Do you, perhaps, remember anything else?"
Well, yeah. After that I saw Percy getting harassed by that Nuzleaf guy. I went over to see if he was okay…
A tingling sensation was forming in his toes and tail-tip, similar to that feeling one gets as your limbs are about to fall asleep. The static began to crawl through the Pokémon's body.
He's a real piece of work, that Nuzleaf. I'm never going to ask to buy TMs from him again. After we almost got into a fight, and Magnemite broke us up, I made my way back to the Drowsy Munna. Gloria and Remmy weren't there… But, I found a note that said they would be right back. I figured I would get a start on my chores…
A deep breath returned to his chest.
Then, those Pokémon showed up… The Exploration Team. They kept needing my attention so I– I got mad and–
His heartbeat quickened. Full feeling had returned to the Pokémon's body, but opening his eyes revealed that his form was glowing with a brilliant light. Despite it still being an empty void, Xander could feel ground below him.
I was going to keep helping them, even if it hurt!
"So, you remember getting angry at these Pokémon, but do you have any recollection of what happened after that?"
I helped them! I checked on the guests! Even though the water got spilt, again.
…Wait, no, Girafarig came to me. I remember the look on his face, it was as if he had seen a ghost!
"And, did you ask him what he needed?"
Yes! Well… sort of. I don't think I did it very politely. I'm pretty sure I snapped at him, actually. My throat… it hurts… Oh, jeez– I yelled at him, didn't I? The first tenants we've gotten since my arrival, and I yell at them! They'll never want to stay at the Drowsy Munna again!
"Your throat hurts? You must have yelled pretty hard, then."
Ugh, yeah… I'm such a…
Xander's body no longer felt cold. It grew warmer, suddenly, and soon was unbearably hot. He started to hyperventilate as the inferno raged to life. The light around him changed into flames– fiery tendrils grabbing onto separate parts of Xander's body and yanking him in every direction.
Gah! What's happening to me! Make it stop!
"I can't… I'm sorry. You are the only one who can make it stop."
Xander tried flailing around, forcing his limbs to contract back into his torso, but the flaming amalgamation had too tight of a grip on him. He yowled as intense fire lashed at his underside, and tears welled up in his eyes as the heat became utterly volcanic.
Please! Please help me! I can't get out. I can't escape. This feels like a–
"Nightmare?" The impish voice sighed. "It's a pretty nasty one, too… I'm so sorry. There is nothing I can do. You have to push it away."
Xander tried to keep fighting at it, but his fur felt like it was melting off and the oxygen kept escaping his lungs. He had no idea how to make a dream stop being a nightmare. The only way out was usually by waking up, but Xander hadn't dreamt in days! He was thoroughly untrained in the act of forcing himself awake during a bad dream.
"Try thinking about something that calms you down… like a pleasant memory!"
A pleasant memory? It was worth a shot, but Xander could hardly think properly while being torn apart by flames. Still, he thought hard, and came up with… nothing. Xander couldn't think of a single pleasant memory– certainly not something pleasant enough to distract him from the blaze.
Maybe… just a mildly nice memory would do? Xander thought hard again, but was interrupted by the feeling of smoke crawling down into his throat. He trembled, coughing as hard as he could while nothing came back out.
Think! Think! Think! What about Melrose? Meeting Melrose? That was sort of a disaster. She was in the middle of being attacked! She's a sweet Pikachu, and I like hanging out with her, but we hardly got a chance to really even just sit down and talk! Was that my fault? In the cart ride to Constella, all I did was sleep! What's wrong with me? Melrose told me she was in tears not knowing if I was okay, and I didn't even ask if I could stop by the school to check in with her! She spent all night worrying!
Ugh, not the time to think about this! Pleasant memory! Good times! The sweetbread she bought me… that was nice! Nice enough?
Embers lashed once again at Xander's belly as a new tendril slicked its way around the Pokémon's torso.
Okay! Okay! I get it! Not nice enough, fine! Just let go of me! I don't have anything! You win! You… Win…
"Come on! Don't give up! You have to remember something!"
Well, I don't! I couldn't even remember a name! How do you expect me to– Remember… The Eclipse.
Xander saw once again with his own eyes the bright ring of light surrounding the shadow casted down by the moon. A stellar display no other Pokémon could look upon with their bare eyes, yet, here he was, staring at it once again. His heart rate slowed, the heat was escaping him, and the vortex of fire disintegrated into nothingness. Xander's eyes could not be torn from the fabrication of the celestial event, causing him to miss the glittering light show beside him.
A Pokémon appeared in Xander's dreamscape; a pale green fairy with a nervous smile on its face. The little Pokémon floated a bit closer, waving a tiny hand in front of Xander's face. This finally removed Xander from his trance, and he turned to see the Mythical Pokémon Celebi staring expectantly at him. Though, it had striking ruby eyes that felt… familiar, yet peculiar all the same.
"Just my luck that the first time you have a dream I can channel myself through… it's a spiraling nightmare. Why couldn't I be Cresselia? When she does this… I bet it's so much easier." Celebi rubbed the back of its head while chuckling softly. Xander remained quiet– having too many questions to select only one to ask. "You worked through it though! I'm proud of you!"
Uh… Thanks, whoever you are.
"Sorry for putting you through all that… N-not the fire stuff! I didn't do that! I meant…" Celebi fidgeted before gesturing with its free hand outwardly towards the vast expanse of nothingness, which was now shifting colors melodically. It was oddly serene. "I meant asking you all those questions about remembering. I needed to make sure you were semi-aware of yourself before talking to you. Otherwise, you might not remember me!"
Yeah, uh… I think I remember everything clearly now. Unfortunately…
"...Let's not talk about that right now! It doesn't matter!" The Mythical caught itself. "Uh, wait! It does matter! Just, not– not right now! Sorry…" Celebi did not remove its hand from the back of its head. "I'm not particularly eloquent. I mess up while I'm talking, like, a lot." It sighed.
Hey, it's fine. As unpleasant as this has all been, I'm pretty sure this nightmare would have gone a lot worse if you weren't here.
Celebi perked up. "Really? You mean that?" Its nervous smile turned into a genuine one, and its red eyes sparkled brightly. After a moment or two, it blushed and tucked away. "Eep! Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to get all weird there. I just don't get a lot of compliments!"
But… wait. You're Celebi, aren't you? As in, the Mythical and Legendary Pokémon Celebi? Wouldn't being a partial deity get you loads of compliments?
"Oh, uhm, it's…" The Celebi shook their head. "Nevermind, yep! You're totally right! People praise me all the time! I just don't hear it, you know? It's nice to have someone say it right to my face! That's what I meant."
Right…
The Celebi floated awkwardly in silence for a few seconds before clearing their throat. "Anyways! I'm not very good at doing this all proper-like. Giving sort of vague, Legendary speeches while projecting into someone's subconscious– acting all mysterious. I just… I can't take it seriously. So, I'm going to be as upfront and casual as I'm allowed to be. Is that okay?
Xander nodded his head.
"Phew! Okay, good. My name is Celebi, but it looks like you already knew that. Between you and me… I much prefer to be called Minute. It's a little nickname I came up with myself! Pretty cute, right?" They giggled into their hands and fluttered a little higher into the empty space. "No one… actually calls me by it… but, I call myself 'Minute' in my head! That should count for something."
Well, my name is Xander. It's… nice to meet you?
"Xander… so, that's what you're calling yourself. Weird… but, okay! Xander it is!"
Weird? Can I ask why that's weird? It's not what I'm calling myself, like what you mean with Minute. Xander is my name.
"Oh! I… Maybe it isn't weird? I'm being silly! It's perfectly normal to know multiple people named Xander." Minute's eyes widened slightly, and they covered their mouth. "Oh, but… no… Yes! Maybe?" They shook their head. "Nah, it doesn't matter. Sorry! Your name isn't weird, I promise." Their smile returned, "it's nice to meet you too! I've been wanting to for maybe a week now… but, I just couldn't."
Why not? Does it have something to do with me not remembering any of my dreams?
"Yes, actually! Right on the money! I couldn't project into any of your dreams because you weren't having any."
Xander was about to ask how that was possible, but something occurred to him that put his question on halt. He would have to ask Gloria something when he woke up, if he even remembered to.
"Okay, I need to stop getting side-tracked. If you wake up soon, then all of this will be for nought." Minute flew closer to Xander's face, its ruby eyes becoming serious. "Xander… Prime Minister Aster is not a good Pokémon. He wants to make the world a super bad and terrible place."
Wh… What?
Minute frowned hard as it nodded its head. "Aster has this big, crazy, especially evil plan to usurp the throne and change EVERYTHING. He wants to shape the world in his image… and send everything into madness! If he isn't stopped, Adstrum will fall into darkness."
Okay, okay– wait! Even if this is true, and I'm inclined to believe a Mythical Pokémon, why would you tell me about this? I'm not–
"You ARE special, Xander! You have the power to stop him! I know exactly how the timeline has to go, how the cards have to be played, yada yada and all that! But! Don't worry, okay? I'm not just expecting you to hear all this, leap into action, and save the day." Minute placed a hand on Xander's shoulder, which he could hardly feel… "Aster isn't very far along in his plan yet. In fact, he actually knows super-duper little about what he actually needs to do to succeed. However!" The Celebi shoved his face even closer to Xander's "He's smart, and will figure it out soon… unless…"
Xander braced himself for Minute's "unless."
"Unless… you steal something from him."
Xander recoiled, pulling away from the Mythical Pokémon.
No way! I am not stealing something from the Prime Minister! From one of the only Pokémon who might hold information on who I am!
Celebi bit their lip hard. They clenched their fists up into little balls and bonked their own head a few times, as if they were trying to keep something in that was killing them not to say. "Listen! This is way more important than that! Fate of the Kingdom? Hello!"
I would get executed!
"I haven't even told you what you need to steal! And, you wouldn't get executed! You won't– You won't even be doing it on your own!" Minute flew close to Xander again. "Please, Xander! You can trust me! I know what needs to happen, and you're the one Pokémon who can put everything in motion."
Xander growled quietly, but softened once he was forced to look into Celebi's pleading eyes.
"If I could do it… I would. But, I can't… Aster can't find me– and he absolutely would if I got directly involved." Minute floated closer to Xander's glowing, corporeal form once again. "Time travel is a dangerous business. Imagine if that power fell into the wrong hands?"
…I'm not getting out of this, am I?
"Nope! Uh– Hold on, I mean…" Minute frowned. "I didn't mean for that to sound… Ugh! Stupid! Stupid!" Minute bonked itself in the head a few times before turning its back to Xander and slouching in on itself. "Maybe I'm not doing this the right way…" They sighed pathetically while hovering back the correct way. "I didn't want it to be like I'm forcing you! I thought you would maybe… be excited about saving the world?"
Xander felt a twinge of guilt. Perhaps it was weird that the idea didn't fill him with a grand sense of purpose? However, it wasn't too hard for the Pokémon to be honest with himself.
Celebi, I don't like not having any agency. Waking up in Adstrum has been nothing but being told what to do by some other Pokémon. There are few things I'm actually really happy with right now, and those things were decided by me! I really like working in the Drowsy Munna, and I'm choosing to look into my existence before the amnesia. I'm confident in those actions because they're the only things I–
Xander's stomach sank. He actually wasn't the one to decide to work for Gloria and Remmy; they made the offer to him… and he hid the fact that he could start paying them for a room. Minute watched as the Pokémon shrank into himself quietly.
"Oh…" Minute thought for a few seconds. The little fairy shook their head as they landed on the solid force that acted as a floor, then they placed a gentle hand on Xander's head. "Okay. I understand. The world is in danger… and I need your help to stop it. But, I'm not going to make you."
…What? Really? But–
"I mean it. It's entirely your choice! When that choice is made… I'll uhm… well, whatever you want– I can… it'll be fine." Minute felt around before finding Xander's ear and petting it softly. Xander could hardly feel it, but still… It was soothing. "I'll contact you again, in another dream, and when I do you can tell me what you want to do. Help me save the world from Aster, or don't. I want you to pick! It will even give you time to think about if what I'm saying is even the truth." The Celebi smiled as it slowly pulled away.
Xander slowly uncurled from his fetal position and smiled back at the Mythical Pokémon. Before he could say anything, the rainbow light around them started to dull.
"Oh dear! You're waking up–" Minute frowned. "I guess this is goodbye for now. But, there's so much I still wanted to talk abou–…"
Minute's voice dulled and became nothing but muffled sounds in a matter of seconds. Xander could feel his limbs shift, and they could feel the warm blankets around him. Strange scents struck his nostrils as the Litten woke in an unfamiliar room.