Chapter 160 – Time and Space Asunder

" . . . And so, in the end, we have a tiny part of Dark Matter on our side, and we have to find the rest." Mesprit nodded. "That's… sort of the whole situation."

"Hmm…" Granbull Jin paced in front of the conference room—a replica of the Heart HQ, but with more subdued colors than its prior pastel reds, pinks, and magentas. "We know of Necrozma. We also know about Dungeons. When the Voidlands was reopened, we put our heads together on this one, and it's very likely…

"People don't remember much about Dungeons at all up until several decades after the Dark War."

"I definitely don't," Mesprit said, crossing his little arms. "But… what does that mean?"

"That they didn't appear until then," Uxie stated. "Which means something in the Dark War caused it."

"A place where space itself twists and changes, and where there are gateways into the Voidlands because of it," Granbull Jin said. "When put in that way, it seems very clear that something caused the barrier between realms to… weaken. Applying Radiance plugs the gateway, but it does not solve the actual problem. Wraiths on one side… the living on the other."

"And it's not necessarily Dark Matter trying to escape, either," Mesprit said. "He was within Anam the whole time, guiding him to run the world. And… not too badly, either."

"Aside from the whole 'hostile takeover of all other kingdoms' thing," Azelf quipped.

"No different than most nations, I believe," Uxie hummed.

"That doesn't make it okay," Mesprit said, frowning.

Uxie shrugged and nodded.

"Focusing," Jin said, "it means that Dark Matter might not have been creating these rifts on purpose. More likely… he was taking advantage of them. They seem to be the result of two divine forces clashing, and the aftershocks leaving weaknesses in the fabric that keeps the realms separate. It isn't just a distortion of space, but the very planes of existence themselves. Dungeons are a gateway between the material and immaterial, the spiritual and physical. It converts one into the other.

"And, if left unchecked…"

"That could mean the end of life as we know it," Mesprit whispered. "And death as we know it! There… wouldn't be a difference!"

Uxie cocked her head to the left. "I wonder, how bad is that?"

"It'll deprive the living of the chance to value life," Jin replied. "There's no telling what kind of instability it would cause. I know some of us are skeptical of the gods' machinations, but something tells me letting life and death mingle will cause a lot of trouble. We should at least stabilize it before we come to any decisions."

Uxie nodded as if conceding. "This is no time to be making decisions like that. But that leads to another question: if the border between life and death has been shattered, is there anything stopping us from taking advantage of that?"

"How do you mean?" Jin asked.

"Oh!" Mesprit perked up. "As in, if we're able to just blur those lines, that means we can go from here, to somewhere in Kilo, right? Um, alive-Kilo."

"Oh." Jin hummed. "That's… true. It's scary that it's so easy, but… yes. Hopefully, we won't… dissolve, or something, if we go there, but… you're right. We could probably find a way to go directly to Kilo if we had a way to fly up to the rift."

"Which we can." Azelf puffed out his chest and smirked. "I can fly in my sleep!"

"Hover," Uxie corrected.

"Yeah, yeah." Azelf shrugged. "Alright, c'mon! Let's go!"

"Don't be so hasty." Jin sighed, walking to the entrance. "You can go on ahead, but I won't follow. I need to rally the people on this layer of Kilo and then send word to the lower layers."

"Lower… layers," Mesprit repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Every few generations, a new Kilo is made to house them so this place doesn't get too packed. It goes all the way back to the first one, back when it was still named Quartz. It's a little chaotic down there since memories have been unsealed, but… well. What's more chaos to the fire, right?" The Granbull grumbled and ran a claw over his left jaw tooth. "I'm going to have to get Brigid and Angelo. They'll probably be part of the nearest layer's forces. Restless souls, those two…"

The rift rumbled again. Something was shifting. By now, it wasn't alarming. It was part of the new rhythm for the day. This was usually normal with people coming from older eras of Kilo's afterlife to visit. However, this time, who stumbled through the rift in the sky was not from the Kilos of the lower levels. Instead…

"Wait a sec!" Azelf pointed up. "Look!"

The rift didn't look like the others. This one was more like a tunnel than a tear, and it bore an odd, checkerboard pattern to it that seemed distinctly unnatural. Two figures were flying through it, though one seemed to be latched onto the other through some kind of vine.

"Hey!" Mesprit said. "That's Team Alloy! And Lunala and Trina!"

"And I'm guessing they're also alive," Jin growled as if it offended him.

"Alive?" repeated the fused Team Alloy—Migami. "What, we're dead now?"

"Hopefully not!" Azelf said.

"I don't think so," Trina said as she dismounted from Lunala, landing lightly on walking soil. "If that was the case, I think the theory from Mhynt was, the dead half would merge into the living. That hasn't happened."

"Oh, you mean our counterparts." Mesprit nodded. "That makes sense. I guess that means we're both alive."

"Or both dead," Jin theorized. "…Anyway, what happened? Why are you here?"

"We got tossed into Ultra Space," Lunala explained.

"Ultra what."

Lunala stared. "Ah. Right. That isn't known by most."

Her body dissolved into shadows. Streams of the remainder collected beneath the cloud, forming a Treecko again.

"Think of it as a massive network of tunnels and nebulae that connect this world to many others. And, as it turns out, it seems that it can also connect the spirit world to the living world… of Kilo, at least. I have my doubts it works the same way for other realms…"

The Treecko paced over the dirt, occasionally kicking at a few pebbles before making a little gesture with her hands. Pale green grass formed over the dirt in merging patches, which she more comfortably walked over.

"This normally shouldn't be possible," Mhynt said. "This makes me suspect something about the nature of Kilo all along…" She shook her head and turned toward them again, smiling. "Well," she said. "why don't we gather up? I want to be briefed."

"I'll get Brigid and Angelo," Jin said. "After that, let's share what we know."

Team Alloy, after unfusing, and the Trio of Mind stared at one another.

"This is getting pretty serious," Mesprit said.

"Who knows what's goin' on," Gahi murmured, looking at the sky. "The world's tearin' apart…"

And, they could all feel it between them. That strange, looming tension as the world threatened to blend … The energy between the three pairs told them, without words, that their time apart would soon have to end.


Frightened but calmed murmurs drifted through the air of Milli Town. There was no escaping those wayward souls' mumblings, even as Angelo sought refuge in one of the many abandoned homes, staring at a Charmander with a black flame who had already been waiting for him.

"You were that Machop," Angelo whispered.

"Mm." He nodded. "A power I have. Mimicry of anybody. I suppose it's like a Ditto… though it's more like putting on false skin. Within, it's only darkness."

"That, er, that sounds… like something a young teenager going through their rebellious phase would say," Angelo had to say.

"Hmph." Diyem rolled his eyes. "Classify it all you want. It's what I am inside."

Angelo wondered if he was intentionally being ironic. "If you're a being filled with nothing but darkness… why did you help me? I was just born with this paint color, you know. I may not want to be a hero, but don't expect me to… rebel against the light, or something!"

"…Hm. It's no wonder Owen is a fan of your work," Diyem muttered.

"What?"

The Charmander dismissed the subject like it was flying near his head. "Your… talents. I need them. But I don't expect you to have the will to fight. I can already sense your fear just from how I'm talking to you now."

"I—I'm not… afraid. I'm just tired, and—"

"Do not defend yourself against me. I know your fears the same way I can see the color of your fur. You cannot hide your feelings from me."

Angelo tensed his jaw, trying to think of a way to deny that. He squeezed his tail a little tighter and searched for the words. Maybe Diyem was just messing with him. Breaking him down so he'd… be more obedient. He'd seen that method before.

"You're right to not trust me," Diyem said. "I am a fragment of the very thing that sought to take over the whole world. A selfish entity that only wants to preserve itself. I do not know what the rest of myself is capable of, or what it desires, any longer, but it can't be anything good."

Angelo let the words sink in and fester. It was true. Diyem had nothing that would prove he could be trusted beyond that he hadn't done anything terrible yet. But… that was true for anyone, right? And not only that, some of the allies he had were already known for terrible acts! Even Anam, their supposed leader!

"Why me specifically?" Angelo asked. "My talent? What good is that?"

"You underestimate just how capable you are," Diyem said. "What you lack in raw strength you more than compensate for with versatility. Mew's Blessing, and an inheritance of ancient techniques lost to the Void."

"Mew's Blessing… right…" Angelo shifted his weight nervously. "In school, we're taught that the aura can only really have four distinct channels on the surface. Everything else is… inside, and harder to draw out quickly. So, we have to focus on 'drawing out' those if we want to use them more. But I… don't… have that problem. And it's run in my family for generations. Some in my family tree had it fade, but not me, I guess…"

"Hm." The Charmander nodded again, but there was now a second Charmander next to him and Angelo wasn't sure when she'd gotten there. Her eyes were wide, and—oh no it was the child.

She reached toward Diyem's face and grabbed his cheeks.

Diyem paid her no mind as he continued to talk, his words garbled by Mu's playing. "Do you see that potential?"

"Um… I think I do," Angelo said. "Is… she supposed to be here?"

Diyem's black flame rose, then fell, as he reached out and grabbed her hands gingerly, pulling them away. "Hands to yourself," he explained.

"Hands!" Mu giggled. She then bit Diyem's hands; it seemed to be a play bite. Angelo hoped. It was either that or Diyem was so stoic that he didn't care if she broke his scales.

Diyem exhaled through his nose and moved his arms to the right, sliding Mu in that direction while she remained latched.

"Now that I think about it, no. I believe you are very aware of your potential. That is why you have a sense of shame when you deny the call to action. You have the strength to save many lives, but are afraid and want to live quietly despite this talent."

Angelo already felt himself getting defensive. His fur bristled out. His breathing was shallow. There was a numbness creeping along his upper spine. "You're asking me to be a hero."

"No. I'm asking you for a favor."

Angelo waited, calming down a little. Diyem wasn't judging him, right? Just… stating facts? He didn't have the same tone or air that others speaking to him about this did. Maybe it would be okay…

"Interesting. You'll hear it out," Diyem hummed. Despite the upper tone he had, his face was just as expressionless. "I have a strong suspicion about where the final unknown piece of myself is hidden. However, giving it away to others will risk that knowledge getting to the source. I want to get to it… from someone unaffiliated and talented."

"You can't tell me?" Angelo asked.

"Of course not. If I did, you might tell others and the plan will be ruined. I'll only tell you after you agree."

"If I agree, and then back out?" Angelo asked. "How… how binding is this?"

"When it's over, you can act like I don't exist for all I care."

Had it not been for Mu crawling and babbling, it would have been a tense silence. Instead, Mu had migrated to Angelo, scaling his legs. Nervously, he tried to push her away, but the strange black-white-flame Charmander clung to his arms next, eventually finding her way to his shoulder, where she happily perched like a bird.

"Fine," Angelo said. "What's the favor?"

"I need the power," Diyem said without hesitating, "of someone unassuming but strong. Someone they wouldn't expect to do anything heroic or outgoing, but is capable of it. So, you. And I need someone who has the potential to scale Destiny Tower no matter the guards sent your way. I believe the final piece of Dark Matter is hidden somewhere inside."

Angelo blinked. Silent. He leaned his head against Mu, who leaned back and started to scale to the top of his hat.

"You want not-a-hero to scale Destiny Tower—the Destiny Tower—and confront a secret fragment of evil."

"No," Diyem said as if he already sensed that Angelo was about to vehemently refuse. "I want your body."

Somehow that was worse. "No?" And it was so surprising that Angelo had wrapped back around to confused denial.

"I will possess you. For you, it can be either watching things play out as a distant passenger or a brief rest. No more disruptive than falling asleep. I will utilize your power, dispel the darkness hidden inside Destiny Tower, and then leave before the others realize what I've done."

"Wouldn't they praise you for… for dispelling your fragment?"

"Yes, but I doubt they would approve of me hijacking someone again."

"Again?!"

"Of course again. What kind of demon of evil would I be if I didn't possess someone now and then?" Diyem glared, arms crossed.

"How is this supposed to convince me?!"

"Because I can feel you're already tempted by this easy job," Diyem said flatly. "You take a break from all that's happening. When you wake up, it's over, the world is a better place, and you get the credit. You even know how it's too good to be true because they would also find out what you did to achieve it. But that won't matter. Peace is found. The world is restored. And I"—Diyem paused with emphasis, making sure Angelo paid attention—"will prove that I can be trusted on my own, too."

"Hands!" Mu declared, standing on top of Angelo's head. He made his best effort to keep her perfectly balanced.

Angelo held his breath, unsure. On one hand… it was an escape from this while still being productive. On the other, it was Dark Matter.

Yes, he could potentially save the world with this donation, and it wouldn't even require any work from him, technically! But… it was Dark Matter.

Still… even if he refused, and this failed, wouldn't the world end anyway? And he'd be in the same terrible position in a world of darkness? But… Dark. Matter.

All the while, Diyem sat there, patient. Mu had crawled down from Angelo and back to Diyem, trying to bite his tail. While Diyem remained still, his tail swished to avoid her.

"Can I have some time to think?" Angelo asked.

"About?"

"Just… it's a lot to weigh. Can I… can I ask anyone?"

"Can you do so without compromising this plan?" Diyem asked.

"Er…" Maybe he had a point there. But he couldn't just make the decision now! Unless…

"Y-you tricked me!" Angelo said. "Now I…"

Diyem rubbed the bridge of his snout. "I didn't trick you for anything. You asked for the favor. I answered. You knew it was something important that could compromise the mission if it spreads elsewhere. Now, can you keep it a secret while you wait, or not?"

"H-how important is it that I keep it a secret?"

"If Arceus finds out, and he's got to do with that piece of darkness, I do not know how much of your soul will be left behind to worry about it."

Angelo continued to nervously fidget where he sat, looking anywhere but at Diyem. Why did it seem so much darker? Maybe even the time of day was starting to change. Where was everyone else? Were they still busy, were they not going to check on him? That would force Diyem's hand. But…

But he was an ally, right? He helped Owen. He helped Anam before, too. Maybe…

"I need a contingency," he said. "If… if this goes wrong."

"Contingency. Explain."

"A way where I can take control back if… I don't like what you're doing."

"If people notice you're missing, and you have friends who will, they will save you. I cannot beat them."

"As you are now. But with my power or more fragments…"

"That's a big hypothetical and not one I'd rely on," Diyem replied. And that was convincing enough.

"Am… am I really needed?" Angelo asked. "Why can't it be someone else?"

"I already explained this to you."

"I… you did… right…" Angelo deflated, staring at the paint on his tail for a while longer.

Mu was gone again. She must have wandered off somewhere while Angelo wasn't paying attention.

"F-fine," Angelo said. "Just know… they like me! I think. And… they won't stand for it if you took control of me and… and did something I'd regret. So… you won't…"

Diyem only stared, waiting for him to finish. Politely quiet, yet somehow rude at the same time.

"Good," Diyem said. "Then let's not waste any time."

"How do we… do this? Do you, like, use your Shadow powers on me, or…"

"If I wanted to puppet or manipulate you, yes," Diyem said, "but this is a more… intensive procedure if I want to get this done properly."

Diyem flicked his wrist, which suddenly made a horrible, cracking noise. Angelo flinched as the claws dissolved into a black fog, then the fingers and the whole hand into what seemed to be a sharp tendril of dark material. It reminded him of obsidian if it was somehow in liquid form.

"I thought you were… were biological," Angelo said. "Mostly."

"I was. Then I 'evolved,' as the world fell apart." Diyem's voice sounded distorted as black cracks trailed along his arm and over his shoulder. "While inside a Dungeon, I'm closer to the Voidlands. My realm. I'm going to take advantage of it while I can."

Angelo's throat tightened. There… wasn't any backing out of this anymore, was there? Diyem had already shown too much.

"Is this going to hurt?" Angelo asked.

"Yes."

Diyem's feet relaxed as he levitated off the ground by some dark force that enveloped his body. The sharp tendril of darkness had completely overtaken his arm and shoulder by now and he wound it back. Then, he swung forward, and Angelo couldn't remember what came next. He'd gone blind, but that wasn't the worst of it.

It felt like Diyem was splitting his head open like a coconut. He still couldn't scream. But it was fading. Everything was fading…

Sound left next. Finally, he couldn't feel anything, either, except for a sick sense of vertigo. Did he even have a stomach anymore?

Sweet silence and painless, weightless bliss followed. He was on the ground. His head still hurt. But maybe it was just a bad dream.

What hit him the most was the intense grogginess. He'd felt something like this before when he'd woken up in the middle of the night after a moldy berry salad. Or, he assumed it was moldy. It had been too dark, but the spiciness had been odd in hindsight.

New problem: Angelo could not move. No matter what he tried to do, his body didn't respond. Panic set in but his heart didn't race faster.

And finally, with relief, he opened his eyes, and at the same time, Spice called from outside.

"Angelo? Buddy? You alright?"

Angelo sat up and took a slow breath. "I'm… I'm fine," he said.

But Angelo hadn't said that. He didn't want to say that. His body was moving on its own. This wasn't him Spice wasn't talking to him what was happening?

"I heard a thud. Did you fall, or something? I was worried about you…"

The wraith-Salazzle had a concerned look. She leaned against the wall, blocking the way out. Angelo prayed she would see something was wrong.

"I… don't want to talk about it," Angelo said. "I just—passed out. From…"

Spice's expression softened. "Was worried you got attacked," she said. "It's alright. Look, just take it easy. We've got a little base set up in what seems like a stable building. Might be a stable pocket like in a Dungeon proper."

"I'll catch up with you. I need to find someone first," Angelo explained. "Sorry, it's—one of those confidential things."

"Confidential? I'm high-ranking now, you know. What's going on?"

"Would you… believe me if I said telling anyone was dangerous right now?" Angelo asked.

Spice! You have to know something's wrong! Look in my eyes! Oh, gods, do my eyes look normal, too?!

Calm down. I told you this would happen.

Spice looked skeptical, but stepped aside anyway.

Angelo nodded and walked out of the building. What's happening? D-Diyem? What did you do?

I possessed your body, as I said I would.

If the others find out about this, they'll—

I'm aware. I told you that. Can you stop forgetting things during your panic?

But this was too far. He didn't have to reason it out, it was too far! He tried again, harder this time, to do something—anything—to get their attention.

You don't get it, do you? Diyem went on. You have no drive, yet you have potential and power. You aren't weak; you're only weak-willed. You can't even say no. It's fine to not be a hero… but look at you, being pressured with niceties into the fray regardless. You're only luck it was someone helpful so far.

And despite all you've been through, you didn't change. You did not grow. This is the result.

Let this be a lesson to you. Aimless power will eventually be driven by someone else. Even if you aim to keep your head in the sand, it's better than becoming a puppet.

But… but you're making me a puppet!

And now it's a valuable lesson once I'm through with you.

It was all a mistake. Nothing of what Diyem was saying made sense. He was strong but weak? Aimless but he was supposed to aim at the ground? What was he talking about?

And just as Spice was leaving, Angelo managed to get out a single whimper. "Help."

This is why I hate working with people.

"What?" Spice turned around, squinting with those terrifying yellow eyes. "Help…?"

"I didn't say anything," Angelo replied. "Are you feeling alright?"

Spice watched him a little while longer, but then sighed. "Not really," she admitted. "It's been all kinds of stressful lately. I've been hearing voices, too. Well… only once, when I was seeing that weird Poison Guardian."

Wait. Stop screaming. This is important.

"What do you mean? Voices?" Angelo asked.

Angelo humored it if only to gather his mental strength. Spice, hearing voices? That couldn't be good.

"Not important, just weird voices. Telling me… I can't even remember. Oh, I think it was about… my fears about combining with Amelia and Enet. Now that I think about it, weird that it knew that… so I thought it was all in my head."

Angelo nodded. "I don't know what that means," he said.

"Yeah. I'd consider therapy, but, well, world's falling apart. No time for therapy."

Angelo nodded again and started walking.

"Hey, you're sure you're alright?" Spice said. "You can't tell me anything?"

"No, sorry. I—"

Angelo bumped into something. Fluffy air, a solid obstacle. The illusion disappeared moments later and he was face to face with a huge, crouching Zoroark. She growled and put two claws over Angelo's shoulders.

"E-Enet? What's wrong?" Angelo asked.

Enet… it's not me! Please!

Are we really doing this?

Just confess! We're in too deep now, right?

This would have been much easier if she didn't spy on us.

"I trust Enet's instincts on this one, Angelo. Something's off."

Enet bared her teeth.

"You aren't even trembling," Spice noted. "…Who… are you?"

…Fine. If you behave, I'll give you control.

B-behave?

No screaming. Don't cause a scene. Deal?

No screaming. Okay. I'll do that.

And suddenly, without any realization, Angelo went from barely any control to full control. His knees promptly gave out and he collapsed to the floor, caught only because Enet still held him.

"Diyem," Angelo said. "D-Diyem got me, no, he… I made a deal with him, and it wasn't what I expected. He's… He's inside me right now or something, he was controlling me. He—"

Don't tell the plan.

Angelo halted. At first, he thought it was because Diyem controlled him again, so he made a small noise to make sure. No, he was still in control. But if he spoke too much, would Diyem control him again?

Gods, why did he agree to this? Everything was so hazy…

"Diyem," Spice said, her voice even, "if you're silencing him right now… I want you to listen to me real carefully. If you don't explain every single step to what was going through that head of yours, I'm taking you straight to Arceus, or Anam, or literally anyone to put you away for good."

Enet cradled Angelo in her arms, though her look was stern. She was looking at Angelo, but he had a feeling it wasn't toward him

"The only reason we aren't killing you is because we think you're an ally. Play with us, and you're going to be your own demise. That clear?"

Angelo tried and failed to steady his breathing. Diyem wasn't talking. Maybe he was thinking. His fur bristled at the very thought of Diyem being somewhere in his head, biding his time, and he could barely feel it. Maybe he couldn't feel it at all, and it was just some phantom sensation. Gods, was this how they all felt?!

This is why I hate people. Go ahead. Just don't attract too much attention. Surely they're enough?

That much was reasonable, he hoped.

"Okay," Angelo said. "Okay. I'll explain. But… you can't tell anyone, alright?"

"Wait, who am I talking to right now?"

"A-Angelo, it's really me this time! Honest! I mean, I wasn't lying before, that was Diyem, I—"

"Alright, alright, I believe you." Spice waved her hands as if to clear the air. "What are you doing?"

"Diyem said… he thinks he knows where the final part of his fragment is, you know, since Necrozma is the other one. But he has to go to Destiny Tower to confront Arceus about it."

"And he thought he could do that with… you?"

"I… have a lot of talent, but no power or drive, or something," Angelo said. "I just… thought that if he gave me that power, and maybe the drive, it'd…"

Spice's frown deepened. "Really, Diyem? Taking advantage of that? I thought you were past that."

I'm past it as a default… but it's still a skill.

"Um, he says that it's a skill to use? Um, when… necessary, maybe?"

Enet growled again. "Bad," she stated.

"Yeah, what she said."

Emerging from Enet's mane was Amelia, who had a similar, disapproving glare. But behind that was wary trust. "Diyem, you… know it's a bad idea to go against us, right? It makes sense to keep working together, so… why not just tell us? You can trust us with this."

Oh, good, here we go…

"You aren't going anywhere until you explain," Spice stated flatly.

Following her demand, Enet plopped Angelo on the abandoned bed. Dust puffed out all at once before settling down on Angelo's lap.

"Explain," she demanded.

Angelo braced, waiting for Diyem to take over. When nothing happened, he glanced left and right. Um… are you going to talk?

Oh, NOW I'm allowed to take over.

And suddenly, Angelo couldn't control his body again, and he sat up, looking directly at Spice and Enet. He was relaxed and calm in posture, completely unlike Angelo—no need to act this time.

"The hesitation was because I waited, politely, for Angelo to ask me to take over," he said.

"Don't get passive-aggressive with me," Spice said. "Talk."

By now, someone else had wandered into the area. Angelo's body stiffened against his will, which was odd. He didn't feel particularly nervous when seeing that Goodra—their leader—but for some reason, Diyem did. And that Goodra was frowning, like he was disappointed.

Diyem's whole countenance seemed to change. He deflated, exhaled through his nose, and nodded. "As you wish."


"I located Owen and the others," Barky stated, staring into a strange rift at the apex of Destiny Tower. "They are… scattered. Some of them are too far for me to reach at all. Others will take time."

"Hmmh, well, that's very unfortunate," Palkia said, arms crossed. "Space beyond Kilo is outside of my domain. If I leave here, I'll be much weaker."

"That's true for any of us," Barky said. "Leaving Kilo is a huge risk. I may have granted Necrozma his original dominion, but Dark Matter is an unknown variable. We don't know how far Necrozma's domain reaches; if we enter a place where he has an advantage, it's over."

"Wait, a few are on the move…" Barky narrowed his eyes. "I believe that is Trina and Mhynt with Team Alloy—aside from Owen. They're all gathering at… what…?"

"Somewhere close, I hope," Palkia said.

Just then, a dark blot expanded at the back of the tower summit. Red, glowing eyes appeared in the center of the black vortex. An ink-black dragon slithered out, sprouting legs and a sturdier form as it fully emerged.

"Ah, Giratina! Wonderful, the trio is here." Palkia greeted. "Oh?"

Atop her back was Madeline, and behind her were many trembling, terrified citizens.

"I rescued who I could on my way here," Giratina said. "But… it's too chaotic down there."

"Mm. I see." Barky nodded. "Thank you anyway, Giratina."

There was something nostalgic about seeing those three. If only he could also be sure that the Divine Dragons were also safe. But he only knew of Ghrelle's safety; Aramé had gone quiet, and Brandon must have still been caught up in Kilo Village.

"Madeline, would you be able to lead them into the lower floors for now? They may take temporary shelter there until we can stabilize things. That goes for all rescues going forward; please spread the word."

"Of course. And, if you can't see, Nate and Necrozma have stopped clashing. A distortion separated the two."

"For better or worse, that's news," Barky said. "Thank you."

As Madeline departed, Barky stared into the portal again.

"They're across the aura sea," Barky went on "But… they couldn't have been killed, could they? That makes no sense. If they died in the Voidlands, in the Voidlands they'd remain…"

"Could they have been shunted out of the Voidlands and then killed?"

"If that was the case, their spirits would not have gone to that specific area. It's… cut off from the rest of the spirit world." He lowered his head, thinking. "But that could only mean… they traveled there after being ejected from the Voidlands. From… a living plane?"

"Is that possible?" Palkia asked.

Barky pieced things together, occasionally glancing at Giratina. "Tell me," he said. "Do you suppose the nature of Kilo… could have led to this?"

"Its… nature?" Giratina repeated, taking residence at the edge of the tower to look over its apex.

Barky followed her gaze. What had once been a beautiful horizon was now a twisted, morphing quilt of colors and distortion bubbles, shuffling and moving around with little pattern. The world was in literal chaos with only pockets of stability remaining. So far, the bubbles were large, some of them enough to encompass entire ecosystems. But Barky had seen a few of them split apart into smaller sections. If they got too small, there would be nothing left of Kilo except a chaotic soup of distorted matter.

"This world has always been… malleable," Barky explained. "The Pokémon here are, on average, very strong compared to that of other worlds. And the world itself is also resilient, even without divine intervention. Even this…" He gestured with a jerk of his head to the sea of bubbles, "I think can be repaired in short order, once our powers are restored."

"Are other worlds not the same?" Giratina asked. "Then again… Madeline speaks of a world that was not quite as volatile, but also slower to recover. The world I came from, as a human."

"What does that mean here?" Dialga asked. "Our world's general resilience against the Pokémon's general power. That's simply another way for the world to exist, yes?"

"It is. I thought nothing of it. But seeing how external powers interact with it… I wonder if Kilo itself has always been a land between life and death." His gaze went skyward. "That this hollow sphere used to contain my old sins, a world where a whole island's people were killed and then revived, were… never truly alive again, but somewhere between. Undead, but only by name and technicality…"

Madeline returned from the lower floors. "You mean to say if Kilo is some sort of half-death realm, we'd have access to both the living and dead worlds if allowed traversal."

"In effect, yes," Barky said. "But you'd be weaker in either."

"But on the flip side, the living and the dead would both be weaker in Kilo," Madeline concluded. "The reason spirits are so weak, for example. Though, we do not have an example of someone alive entering Kilo, do we?"

Barky hesitated, then looked down. "We do," he said. "I… am technically of the living. And I am very weak here."

"Your current power is you being weak?" Palkia asked, looking like he wanted to suddenly take abundant notes. "Fascinating."

"There were other reasons I suspected this was the case. Giving some of that power to Star when the world was created; the blight I knew was somewhere in Kilo; many small factors. But this must have also been a contributing factor. Its… betweenness."

He shook his head. "I don't think that's entirely relevant anyway. But it may be something to keep in mind later when we have more time to think. Now, Dialga."

"Hm?"

"How strong are your powers over this domain's time?"

"If you're asking to undo all of this by going back in time, I can't recommend—"

"No, I know that's beyond you," Barky said. "But what about its speed?"

"Its speed… As in, how quickly right here is?"

"Yes."

"I suppose I could dilate things. The part of me that does total pauses is still weakened thanks to the piece Eon has somewhere. Presumably, he misplaced it at the lab…"

"Ah, Nevren likely has it," Palkia hummed.

Dialga rolled his eyes. "But I can manipulate it. Why?"

"As of now, I am unsure if Owen and Zena will be able to return to us. Their time is flowing very slowly… I recall making Kilo in such a way that it flowed quickly. Its lifetime would have been over in a matter of years to the world they came from, so normalcy would come relatively quickly."

"Ahh, I remember, now," Dialga nodded. "A hundred-fold was the extent I was able to do that. A hundred days here is one day there… Oh, I see the problem."

Barky nodded gravely. "If anyone tries to reach Owen now, they will be stuck in that same time flow. Slowed to the point where they may return to a ruined Kilo or no Kilo at all."

"I see. Then… I should bring Kilo down to its normal timescale?" Dialga asked.

Kanto… Barky knew about Kanto very well. He knew about that whole world. He'd created it long ago, perhaps with much more grace and autonomy than what he'd put together for Kilo. This planet of guilt stuck in its little pocket between life and death…

Necrozma had been right. This world shouldn't have existed for as long as it did; it outlasted itself. And now…

"Er, Arceus," Dialga said.

"Hm? Oh. Right. I'm…"

"Are you all right?" Palkia asked. "You seem distracted."

"I was thinking about… Kanto. The world Owen is from," he said. "I wonder why Necrozma sent him there of all places. Perhaps under the assumption we wouldn't be able to reverse the time dilation. But it still seems… specific. Unless Owen manipulated it himself?" Barky tilted his head. "Hmm…"

"I'm going to just equalize the times," Dialga said. "That's probably the safest, and—"

"No," Barky interrupted. "…Invert it."

"In… invert?" Dialga said. "That means Owen might be stuck there for months before we can figure out a way to rescue him. You do reali—" Dialga stopped himself and glanced at Giratina and Palkia.

"Ahh, I see," Palkia said. "How very interesting, Arceus…"

"He's going to worry," Giratina said. "He will figure out how much time has passed and therefore the speed of time's flow. He will spend every day agonizing over—Palkia, what are you doing?"

"One moment," Palkia said, now crawling on the ground as if searching for something.

Barky grumbled. "Do you really need to be so distractable? What's going on?"

"Success!" Palkia declared, lifting a tiny Charmander off the ground. Palkia was, mercifully, very delicate in how he picked the tiny thing up.

Giratina groaned. "Palkia, please don't tell me she was hidden in your bag again."

"Oh, certainly not; I double-checked. She must have made her way here by accident."

"Concerning." Barky drifted forward, narrowing his eyes. Something about this Charmander was… strange. The very way she was created was beyond what the world had been prepared for, so her properties would be volatile. If Barky had his way, he'd try to put her somewhere more controlled so she could develop safely and—if she turned out to be dangerous… Mm, no. Now he was starting to sound like Necrozma.

"Madeline, sorry to send you on more errands, but can you… put her somewhere?"

"She's just going to disappear again, you know," Madeline said. "She has a talent for that."

Barky, growing impatient, said, "Dialga, please… invert the time with Owen's current location. Completely."

"Completely? But, Arceus, that will mean if we do not have the means to find Owen, and he has no means of returning here, he could be stuck there for months! Perhaps years! One day here would become a hundred there. A single kilosecond here would be over a day to him. A—"

"I know, Dialga. Do it." Barky spoke harshly at first, like a proper command, but then softened his gaze. "Please."

Palkia tilted his head, but Madeline and Giratina shared a knowing glance.

"This is oddly emotional of you, with all respect," Giratina said.

"Owen will spend every day worrying," Madeline warned. "If we have a way to tell him not to worry…"

"I… will send a thought to him. I'm sure I can at least do that while we try to establish a more meaningful connection." Barky nodded. "But he will be… safer there. It would be less risky, and more practical if time passed faster for him than if it did for us. So, Dialga. If you may…"

"…I understand. Please, give me a moment."

Dialga approached the portal and focused on the tiny dot that Barky highlighted with divine energy. When that seemed to fail—Dialga could not influence that world from Kilo—he resorted to altering Kilo's region's flow instead.

"I'll need your help for this," Dialga said to Barky, who nodded and sprouted golden filaments from his back. Divine energy radiated off of him, some of the Hands stitching themselves to Dialga's flank.

To everyone of Kilo, of the Voidlands, even across their aura sea, nothing seemed to change. But Barky had faith that Dialga knew what he was doing, and time's flow was changing. That was why he entrusted him with that power in the first place.

"…There we are," Dialga finally said, nodding at Barky.

The Hands detached from him and faded into his divine form again.

"It's as you wished. You should send that message to him quickly before he gets too worried.

"Ah, of course. I'll… think of something concise within the next… few seconds."

He glanced at Giratina, Madeline, and Palkia. The former two both smiled warmly at him as if approving of his gesture in their silent way. Palkia was, as usual, distracted, squeezing the air in front of him as if it perplexed him.

Wait.

"Palkia, where is Mu?"

"Hm? Oh, she should have been in the lower levels of the tower, last I che—"

"No, no, not—not Mew. Mu, the Charmander child."

"Ah, funny you should ask." He squeezed his claws. "She disappeared from my grip while I was distracted, you see. She's so light I must not have noticed."

Dialga slumped where he stood as if the weight of Palkia's stupidity was on his back. "You're never allowed to babysit."

"I would hope not! I'm far too busy."

"She just disappeared again, as I warned," Madeline said.

"Ah! Wait!" Palkia raised a claw and then dug through a satchel around his neck. "I have just the invention for this!"

He pulled out some kind of compass. "It's already tuned to her. I'll just use my powers over space and make sure she's—oh, interesting." His eyes followed the needle…

Barky didn't want to look. His gut already told him all he needed.

The needle pointed into the rift… directly at that faraway Kanto star.


"Welcome to the Fallen Heart HQ."

In the lobby of the place that looked much like the heart HQ of home, they met two vaguely familiar Pokémon. The first was an Aerodactyl with a firm look in her eyes that, had she not been female, they would have mistaken for Jerry in an instant. The other was someone who physically looked a lot like Angelo—and shared his name—but had none of the meek energy. This Smeargle stood with a wide smile and an excited shine on his expression. He was practically glowing.

"And thank you," Granbull Jin said, "for coming on such short notice. As you can see…" He eyed Mhynt's group. She nodded back. "We have some company."

"Company of the living!" Smeargle said with a beaming smile. "Not a common sight! Perhaps even unprecedented!"

"Yes. But that unprecedented nature comes with a massive crisis of its own: They, of the living, are leaking into this world. Even as we have been waiting for everyone to gather here, Pokémon have been appearing here that were positive they were alive. They simply wandered into here like turning down the wrong street corner." He crossed his arms, growling. "It's utter chaos. We don't know how to feed them. Our spiritual matter has no true substance for their bodies, so they wander to find proper food. If this keeps up, they will be among the dead."

"And this started happening because the third divine power just got some of that power back," Mhynt said. "And perhaps something more that's been dormant, but…"

"Right." Jin nodded. "That's why I wanted to gather you all here. We need to go over something important now that we have so much knowledge on the subject. Mhynt? You are a key figure in this, and you will likely be able to fill some of the holes that we've had for some time."

"About… Necrozma," Mhynt said.

"Not just Necrozma," Jin said. Then, to the others in the room, Jin walked along the conference room and pulled out a single book from the shelf. It didn't matter which one; the book flashed with light and changed to the very book he wanted, which he placed on the table.

"I want to tell you about the Dark War… the first war of Quartz, before it became Kilo."

Author's Note: Hey, everyone! This marks the final chapter before the semifinal Special Episode. As usual, I'm going to need a full month to get this one done, since it's more complicated and chunkier than a normal chapter. Thank you for your patience, and thanks for reading!

And that's right, you read correctly. Incoming is the second-to-last Special Episode of the story. We're nearing the home stretch. All that remains is another set of chapters, the final Special Episode, and then a final set of chapters and the finale arc.