Unknown Day, Unknown Year

Violet light glowed warmly behind him as Ingo wound his way down the empty subway tunnel, a flashlight in one hand and his detached Xtransceiver in the other. He spared a passing glance at the bright screen, sighting his own pinpointed location slowly moving around the empty corridor on the simplified map. Ingo sighed. He debated calling off this maintenance call altogether. There was nothing down in the tunnels despite the tripped alarm that the depot agents had reported earlier. Apparently, someone was foolish enough to be messing around in the subway tunnels. This late in the day, too.

This wasn't the first time it had happened, of course. Ingo had had his fair share of wild teenagers attempting to graffiti the tunnel walls or sneak down there for… other heinous acts. It came with the territory; it was to be expected.

But he'd been searching the central tunnels for what felt like hours and the central tunnels were infamous for the uncomfortable sounds and noises that echoed down throughout its chambers. The A-Line, responsible for escorting passengers throughout the central region of Unova, was situated beneath both the Towar River to the east and the Pulley River to the west. Most of the lines from Gear Station were a mix of subterranean and surface railways; the A-Line was the only exception, being entirely underground. As a result, a lot of miscellaneous noises often made their way past the concrete walls of the tunnel like burrowing pokémon, passing trains on other lines, the occasional bell or whistle, or perhaps the ping of a service door opening.

Emmet, Ingo's twin brother, had opted to rendezvous with a team of locomotive mechanics near the Interregional Transfer Station on the G-Line to help repair a set of old train cabins. There'd been no word from him lately but then again, Emmet wasn't all that conversational to begin with. It wasn't unusual for Emmet to focus on repairs while Ingo focused on overseeing the departures and arrivals; especially when it was the middle of week and a non-battling day. It was unusual, however, that the depot agents hadn't checked in with him either. Ingo decided to make the first move; not that he was worried, of course. His brother could conduct himself just fine. Ingo powered on his Xtransceiver.

"Emmet, this is Ingo. I am currently situated under sector three of the A-Line. So far, nothing is amiss." He glanced back at the looming darkness behind him, Chandelure humming as it guarded his back. "The previous emergency door was shut tight. All service doors are in working order. There have been no signs of any unauthorized or forced entry. I've gone ahead and reset the motion lights. Everything looks clear thus far, over."

"This is Emmet," Ingo's Xtransciever buzzed almost immediately. Ingo could practically hear the slight exhaustion in his brother's voice along with the occasional twang of tools against metal. "I am still located by the G-Line. The repairs for the IRE-257 are in the works. We might have to turn it into a zombie car. Ingo, have you checked the extra emergency door from the B-Line to the A-Line? Isadore was verrry adamant to have the service doors checked on those corridors. Over."

"This is Ingo. I have checked the first three emergency doors under the A-Line," Ingo affirmed. "They are firmly closed and I have recoupled the service corridor cameras to the main system, over."

"This is Emmet. Sounds good. I will check in with you again when my team and I realign the axles on the last car," Emmet declared. "If anything happens, call me. Over and out."

"This is Ingo. Of course. Be careful, Emmet. See you soon. Over and out."

Ingo paused as a loud thrum began to vibrate the foundation of the tunnel; a passing train from the B-Line if Ingo knew his schedules well- which he did. Once the train had passed and the noise had come to a complete halt did Ingo continue with Chandelure following closely at his heels.

The depot agents had told him that there had been some sort of disturbance in the night but they weren't sure exactly what it was. There were cameras at each sector of the tunnel system right over the emergency exits and service doors. They only showed the door, the rails directly adjacent, and of course, the ladder leading up to the narrow passage to the door. Isadore, one of the senior-ranking depot agents, had brought it to their attention that same morning as Ingo and Emmet arrived at the station, coffee in hand.

"Ah. There you two are. Right on schedule. Come take a look at the camera footage for the A-Line last night. Think you two might want to see it."

Ingo had been thoroughly perplexed upon viewing the footage. All of the cameras along the A-Line had picked up on something at the exact same time. They weren't fancy cameras and they only ever recorded footage when sensors outside of the rails were activated. In this case, all of the sensors had been 'stepped on'. The camera footage showed the emergency doors and the rails brightly illuminated by the light of the emergency exit sign and the motion sensor lights. No subway cars passed by during the recording. Nothing moved. Nothing at all. Well, it had looked like nothing at first. Emmet had realized that there had been something but that whatever the disturbance was had been moving "verrrrry slowly".

There had been a shadow on the adjacent wall directly across from the camera; almost like somebody had dragged a cardboard cut-out right in front of the emergency exit light. Ingo had to squint to see it. The shadow would crawl across the adjacent wall and disappear. And it didn't look like the shadow of a stray pokémon either. No. It resembled a person if anything. It was why only Ingo was walking the tunnels; he was the only one with the authority to do so. He wouldn't dare send one of his depot agents in his place, no matter how capable he knew them to be.

Just as he was about to leave sector three behind, the emergency camera lights flew on behind him with a loud 'click'. The entire emergency door and rails were showered in a bright white light.

"Subway Boss Ingo! This is Furze!" Ingo's Xtransceiver boomed with a frightened undertone. "Yell if you can hear me! Over!"

"This is Ingo! I can hear you!" Ingo sounded off in turn. He did his best to control his volume, knowing well that he had nearly broken the fragile microphone of the PAs in the past. "What is it? Over!"

"Boss Ingo, this is Furze. Sorry, no need to yell. I thought your mic was broken or something." There was a scrabbling noise on the other end of the receiver, Furze's shaky voice starting back up again. "The depot agents over by Opelucid just contacted the main station. Sectors five, six, and seven of the A-Line have already been cleared by the drones sent in earlier. The main station is requesting that you wrap it up and return immediately. Over."

"This is Ingo. Section four of the A-Line has yet to be inspected. Is there an overlying reason for terminating the search? Over."

Furze was quiet on his end. Slowly, the depot agent began to speak again. "This is Furze. Ramses gave the order to call off the search. We're still trying to contact Boss Emmet and give him the news as well, but we can't manage to reach him. Also, Jackie has eyes on section four as we speak. There's some kind of tremor going on in that area, so we want to pull you back to the station. We're sending a subway car down the tracks to pick you up and return you back to the station. We'll be stopping at sector three. Just make your way back, okay boss? Over."

"…I see. Thank you, Furze. I shall immediately depart for the emergency corridor near sector three. Over and out."

"This is Furze. Sorry if I overstepped, boss. We're just worried. We'll work on getting this information to Boss Emmet in the meantime. See you back at the station, boss. Furze, over and out."

Twenty minutes later, Ingo heard the familiar rumble of an incoming subway car from his sheltered position in the emergency tunnels. A blinding white light bounced off the tunnel walls as the car gently came to a stop a few feet from the servicing door. Another depot agent, one Ingo recognized as Cameron, waved at him as the doors to the car folded open onto the elevated platform.

"Oh, dragons above! You're okay!" Cameron stopped the car and ran to the folding doors, yanking Ingo in by his coat collar. He then hastily closed the doors and scanned the sides of the platform, sweat beading on his face. "Sorry boss. We need to hightail it outta here, immediately."

"No offense taken, Cameron." Ingo carefully reached for the panel under the adjacent passenger seat, peeling it off to reveal the switches to the door locks. He flicked them all over to 'safety lock', watching with mild concern as his fellow agent let out a weak sigh of relief. "Is there something I should be wary of? Depot Agent Furze was behaving in a similar manner." Ingo straightened up. "Surely a tremor wouldn't be the cause for such panicked behavior."

Cameron only shook his head. "It's a bit more than that." When Ingo didn't pry, the smaller man continued. "Something's… wrong here." He fell into one of the seats, combing a hand through his hair. "There've been too many strange occurrences in Unova lately. We've been here for how long? Years?" Cameron blinked. "Well, I got here maybe three years after you and Boss Emmet took over, but still."

Ingo tapped his finger against his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right," he conceded. "There's been a rather concerning amount of natural disasters appearing here and there- occurrences that Unova is regularly immune to."

"Right? I've never known there to be tornadoes near Mistralton."

"Or cyclones near Humilau." Ingo carefully rechecked the door switches, Chandelure giving a simple chime before returning to her pokéball. "But we will discuss this later. We must depart for Gear Station at once."

"Right." Cameron stood and began to quickly make his way to the tail end of the car, Ingo strolling toward the head. "I'll take up the controls! Page me if you spot something on the tracks!"

"Understood!"

Ingo carefully took his seat in the control station, feeling the cab smoothly begin to roll under him as it reversed away from the service door. He watched tiredly as the emergency door to sector three faded into the tunnel before him. It left a bitter taste in his mouth but Ingo was still grateful that he wasn't alone in the dark searching for something nobody could pin down. He still hadn't figured out what had caused the disturbance in the tunnels.

If there was a person or pokémon within the tunnel system, they should have made their way to the emergency doors. They were easy enough to see and there were both ladders and ramps to access them. It's not as though there were miles between each door. The alarms on the doors would've also been tripped should the doors have been opened. But there was nothing. Are they still lurking around in the tunnels?

Suddenly, the subway car jerked beneath him like a wild Taurus, nearly throwing him out of his seat. The lights to the inner compartment blew out and the doors to the car opened with a loud hum and a hiss. Ingo blanched and grabbed the PA off the wall. "Cameron, what's the situation?"

No response. He tried Emmet's Xtransceiver. The machine was dead. Ingo stood and tried to make his way to the front car, sliding Chandelure's pokéball into his ready hand. The doors leading out of the control station were locked. "What is the meaning of this?" he growled. He forcefully opened the adjacent panel to the door to find the emergency manual power-switch, swiping his id through. The console beeped in recognition, but the doors still failed to open. "Cameron! Cameron, can you hear me?" he yelled. Nothing.

Something moved on the outside of the subway car causing the trailing cabooses to rock side-to-side in a nauseating fashion. The axels shuddered and the wheels clattered as the power in the cabin's console went out completely. The subway car was now completely without power. This is supposed to be powered by actual batteries. Sensing danger bigger than himself, Ingo carefully slid the emergency bolt to his compartment door shut and barricaded the door.

It was far too cramped to release his pokémon. He tried accessing the PA again. Nothing. He checked his Xtransceiver again. Still dead. He scanned the lit tunnels around the train car, sighting nothing but what the train headlights cast into light. Only tracks and dull concrete. He paused. The blurry shape from the camera feed- the silhouette shaped like a person- like a greatly disfigured person- slowly siddled out of Ingo's peripheral vision toward the train doors.

The subway car continued to rattle, and Ingo could hear something impossibly heavy get onto the train. It did not dawdle, its raucous steps moving solely in his direction as though it too moved with a one-track mind. Not a person, Ingo thought. Definitely not a person. A pokémon, perhaps? The steps approached the door to his car and came to a stop just a pace away from the door to his compartment. Something sharp scrabbled at the other side, audible labored breathing, wet and hoarse and shuddering, reaching under the door with a dark hand.

Despite himself, Ingo shivered. He attempted to release Chandelure, freezing when he realized the latch wasn't working.

The shuddering breath paused. The bolt on the door quietly, slowly, opened itself, thudding onto the floor only a pace away from where Ingo hid. Like crumpling a soda can, the heavy metal door to the cabin was crushed apart, revealing the cabin. The pitch black cabin, impossible given the generator-powered hall lights in the cabins.

The horrible, wet, low voice resumed, hissing like a snake as a pair of red eyes appeared from the darkness. Even with no pupils, no sclera, and no visible body, Ingo could tell that whatever he was looking at- whatever was staring down at him with such a malevolent and insidious gaze- was there for him and him only.

Sharp talons seized him- hundreds of them- ripped Ingo out from his hiding spot and dragged him into the dark, dark corridor. Ingo saw no more.

September 4th, First Year

Ingo woke covered in sweat, gasping for air as he clutched at his head. A new dream, that one, if it was even a dream. He moved his covers back and set his feet on the icy floors of his hut, shivering. Quite a dream, that. Most of his dreams were something along those tracks; he was always being pursued or blind-sided by something, but he never quite caught sight of what was chasing him. Hunted like a common Rattata. Stalked.

Chandelure hung quietly from the pitch of the roof looking a tad irritated at having been woken up from her sleep. Sensing her trainer's distress, it floated down to greet him, its violet flames dimmed as he ran a hand over her smooth glass head. The warmth of her crystalline body was like being wrapped in a warm blanket after a brisk snowstorm. "Good morning, Chandelure," Ingo croaked. "My apologies for waking you."

His partner gave him a forgiving hum and Ingo warbled back in response; it was a habit that he'd picked up from living with Lady Sneasler and her broods for so long. Chandelure didn't seem to notice or mind. He carefully picked his way around his snoozing Alakazam and Probopass, avoiding the tangle of blankets and pillows that was Emmet as he opened his hut door a tad. It was just before sunrise when the sky was a lovely canvas of dark green and navy blues.

Ingo sat on the stoop of his tent, Chandelure settling just behind him with her metal arms curled lovingly around his torso as he watched the sky move above him. This was a habit that he had also adopted when he had first arrived here. It was a nice, calming method of letting his turbulent mind rest. I never used to be a morning person, Ingo remarked inwardly to himself.

So many things had changed during his long time there. The former clan leader of the Pearl Clan had passed away after being mauled to death by an ailing Zoroark some few years ago. A terrible sickness had passed through the clans afterward, killing mostly young children and the elderly. There had been a bout of infighting amongst the first group of Galaxy Team settlers that had nearly sparked war between them and the Diamond Clan.

Then of course came Maneater the Luxray. That vile creature had been responsible for mauling Lady Sneasler's previous warden, Warden Caius. Next came the Galaxy Team creating Jubilife Village and the subsequential raid on it from members of the Diamond Clan that had been evicted from the premises. Ingo's own ceremony for becoming a warden had coincided with Commander Kamado taking head of the Galaxy Team. After that, it had been a peaceful few months of keeping an eye on Lady Sneasler and helping raise her broods.

"And That Time Is Unfortunately Coming To A Close."

Ingo jumped as a charming, almost slimy voice curled behind his ears, silently cursing under his breath. He recognized that voice and its heavy presence: Mesprit. Chandelure had increased its grip on him, her hum stilling as she turned to watch his back. In a heartbeat, Haxorus had emerged from the hut, protectively curling around Ingo's feet..

"Do Not Be Afraid, Warden. I Am Not Here To Hurt You."

Something before him was created from light and rain, an ungodly aura cascading over him as the creature drifted toward him. Whatever it was, Ingo didn't look at it directly, keeping his confused gaze pointed toward the wet grass beneath his feet. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to gaze upon the creature anyhow. A headache pounded viciously behind his eyes and his hands began to tingle. This was much worse than any amnesia-related headache he'd suffered in the past. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Have No Fear, For I Am Here To Reward You, My Champion." Something soft landed on his shoulder and moved behind him, the voice coming from all angles as the appendage slithered across his shoulder blades like an errant Serperior. "You Have Done Well To Listen And Gather The Old Verses. You Have Also Made Progress In Quelling The Nobles. Such A Prosperous Champion," the voice chuckled. "Good Behavior Must Go Rewarded And Your Reward Is Long Overdue."

Chandelure's familiar warmth and Haxorus' comforting weight had been completely ripped away from him, replaced with a terrible cold that washed into his flesh and bones as the ground dipped under his weight. He was forced to his knees, feeling the grain of the sand and gravel tear as his skin.

"Open Your Eyes, My Champion. I Have Something For You." When Ingo still did not open his eyes, the object around his neck curled around his throat, squeezing with impatience. "Look Upon Me. I Am Not Here To Harm You. I Bring Gifts."

Ingo did as he was told. He slowly opened his eyes, confused when a small but oddly colored Sneasel appeared before him, its eyes a brilliant white. Far too many teeth. A few eyes too many. Arms too long and legs too short as if some creature too large and too lanky had skinned a Sneasel and was wearing its skin like a suit.

"You…?"

"Me," the Sneasel responded cheekily. "You Mortals Cannot Comprehend Our True Forms And So I Take This Shape To Better Bless You, My Champion. You Should Be Grateful."

"…You… what are you giving me, Mesprit?" Ingo shuddered at how meek his voice had grown. He had never before been approached by a pokémon that made him want to hide and run away as though he were a small child. Now, he was frozen. He could only move his head and speak. The rest of his limbs had gone slack, suspended as though he were a puppet on a string.

The Sneasel chuckled, turning its ragged feather over and over in its paws. "Your Emotions. You Have Already Shared Them With Me. I Have Seen Them In Both Your Dreams And The Waking World." The Sneasel moved about him, Mesprit's soft laughter echoing around the clearing. "They Are Burdened, True. The Spatial Pokémon Has Already Given You Your Mission: Collect The Old Verses And That Which You Have Lost Will Return To You. There Is More To Your Purpose. I Seek To Make Your Next Objective… Simpler. To Expedite It, If You Will."

Ingo's arm involuntarily moved out in front of him, his Xtransceiver's screen alight in a bright white glow. The screen flickered from its previous topographical map to a different one altogether. The old map with its defined ridges and graphs was replaced with what Ingo knew to be a map of Hisui as a continent. It was heavily detailed with trees, boulders, the depths of certain bodies of water. Ingo blinked. There was a new feature on the map presented to him. Instead of the old map cursors that denoted the locations of the Old Verses, there were instead colored cursors.

He saw a little black dot marker with its location precisely where he stood in the Coronet Highlands. He tapped on it. "Ingo… that is… me?" On the map, inside of the space allocated for his hut almost on top of his own marker was a marker with a white dot; Emmet. Near the bottom of the map wandering circles around the mirelands was a dark blue dot; tapping upon it informed Ingo that it was for Akari. He blinked. There was another dot missing.

"Is this a tracker?" Ingo asked quietly.

"It Is, Champion Of Space. It May Not Seem Important At This Moment, But Knowing The Precise Locations Of Your Fellow Fallers Will Come Of Importance At A Later Date. Let Me Show You Something That You Will Need." Mesprit carefully tapped Ingo's leg with the back of its pseudo-claw before moving away to the cliff. "Take A Look At Your Tracker."

Ingo's eyes narrowed as another new dot joined in on the map; a golden star: a point for Mesprit. "If I'm to be correct, I can track both people and pokémon using this map?"

"Yes. You May. All Of The Old Verses You Carry With You Gain A Similar Point If They Become Separated From You. You May Give Or Attach Them To Those Who You Want To Track."

Ingo faltered. "I must ask… there is a point for myself, my brother, and Miss Akari, but what of Miss Jaku? She is supposed to be stationed in Jubilife still." Ingo paused. They should still be unconscious. Emmet had briefed him that his fellow champion had been… disemboweled by an alpha pokémon. He swallowed back an edge of uncertainty. Akari's dot was still running along circular tracks in the mirelands. He turned off his device and restarted it, puzzled when the point marker for Jaku still did not appear. There could only be two alternatives; either they were dead, or they were out of bounds. "Are they…?"

"We… We Are Not Aware Of The Time Champion's Placement At This Time," Mesprit uttered carefully.

"That seems verrry unlikely." Ingo nearly jumped out of his skin as Emmet appeared beside him, his silver hair tousled from a restless sleep. He didn't pause to even look at Ingo, glaring with undisguised hatred at the deity pokémon before him. "Mesprit. Weren't you just coupled to them not even a month ago? What did you do?"

Mesprit glanced at Emmet before pausing. It rushed toward him, its face twisted into a grimace showing its horrible, shiny sharp teeth. "You!" it howled. "You Have The Time Pendant! That Is Not Yours To Keep!" It tried to leap onto him, Haxorus moving to shield Emmet with its bulky body as it effortlessly swatted the false creature to the side.

"It's mine for now," Emmet retorted, fiddling with the object in one hand. "I'll give it back when Burr comes looking for it-"

"Silence!" Mesprit hissed. "We Cannot Track The Time Champion! You! It's Your Fault! Return It To Me Immediately So That I May Find My Brethren's Champion!"

"No." Emmet provided no room for Mesprit to grow closer, a hard grip on the necklace as he tucked it back into his kimono.

Mesprit snarled but didn't take another step toward the man, its gaze sharpening with an emotion that made the hairs on Ingo's neck stand firm. "Fine. Keep Your Stolen Treasure. But Mark My Words, You Won't Enjoy The Consequences." It then turned to Ingo, fixing its disposition to a calm, tranquil mask. "Now, You, My Champion. I Believe You Wished To Ask Me Something?"

Ingo swallowed. He had never seen Mesprit act so capriciously before and by Emmet's terrified face, neither had his brother. "Very well. You claimed that this new upgrade to my Xtransceiver would assist with a new portion of my purpose here. What might that be?" he rasped. "What purpose do the Old Verses truly serve in the grander scheme of things?"

"I would like to know as well," Emmet commented, putting himself slightly in front of Ingo. "You gods kidnap my brother, decommission him in the middle of nowhere without his memories, and make him wait on you to do your bidding? You are lucky I do not have my certified team with me," Emmet threatened.

"Behave Yourself, Mortal. You Do Not Serve A Purpose In This Time."

"Then do something about it." Emmet stilled, his eyes shooting down to the necklace around his throat. His angered grin faltered for a moment and his silver eyes narrowed. "Why is it humming? The pendant. Is it supposed to do that?"

Ingo carefully reached for the time pendant around Emmet's neck, pausing. The teal inscriptions upon the dais of the time pendant now shone a dreadful red color like that of weak flames. The pendant thrummed under his touch, a warm heat spilling onto his palm. "I would take off the pendant if I were you, Emmet. We are not certain of what afflictions it might cause to you."

"I can second that." Emmet carefully took off the pendant and stowed it in his pocket. "What were you hinting at, Mesprit? What happens if I keep this for too long?"

With a quiet trill, Lady Sneasler appeared at the top of the cliff bordering Ingo's hideout, her fur bristling as she came to a sliding halt at the bottom of the gully.

"Lady Sneasler?" Ingo called.

"Snaw!" His Lady carefully approached, putting her big bulky body in front of Ingo, hissing at Mesprit. Her mottled fur bristled, her ears pinned back against her neck. Her woven reed basket was still strapped to her back and concerningly, so too were the time gears; the time gears that Ingo had sent his Lady to deliver to their rightful owner upon coercion from Palkia.

A handful of things occurred in the blink of an eye. The time pendant around Emmet's throat began to chime like church bells, a dreadful ticking sound pulsing through the clearing as a tempest began to kick up. The sky darkened. The wind stilled. The fierce chill of the mountain cold was replaced by a strange heat, humidity hanging in the air.

When Ingo next blinked, he paused again, confusion heavy in his mind as his eyes landed on a massive pool of water dotted with tall stalagmites. Fog hung over the dark water, walls of shale and limestone rising far above him as though he stood inside a deep mountain cavern. He stepped back, tripping over a fallen log into a patch of wildflowers illuminated by the ethereal light of a distortion's cracks.

"Where…?" He got to his feet, struggling to take in the new details of his surroundings. He stood at the bottom of a massive cave, so large that only a gaping hole in the ceiling let in outside light. Water poured in through various channels in the cave walls, an occasional stalactite breaking off from the ceiling to splash into the underground lake. "Where am I?" Ingo asked aloud.

"In A Distortion," Mesprit's voice rang out. "Not The Kind You Are Familiar With, Though." With a splash, Mesprit emerged from the lake in its false body, shaking off water from its dark pelt as if it too were taking in the surroundings. "This Is What Is Known As A Space Distortion."

"And what is the difference between the ones I know?" Ingo had familiarized himself with two kinds of distortions: the space-time distortions which appeared from thin air and brought hostile pokémon and different environments, and of course, the distortion from the Alabaster Icelands where the woods had constantly changed and morphed as both himself and Lady Irida searched for the Lustrous Orb.

"Distortions Are Amalgamations Or Absences Of Consequences Birthed From Tears Of Time And Tears Of Space. You Humans Refer To Them Correctly As Space-Time Distortions. There Are Different Versions Of Each. As You Come To Encounter Them, You Will Realize That Tears In Time And Tears In Space Are Starkly Different From One Another."

"How so?" Ingo asked, his feet guiding him toward the water. A path in the lake began to rise up out of the depths, metal train tracks appearing from thin air along a sandbar. "What does space perform that time cannot? I understand that the two forces are sides of the same coin. What do distortions have to do with my purpose here in Hisui?"

"Space Dictates The Room For Creation," Mesprit murmured soberly. "So Too Does Space Bring Power For Room For Things To Grow And Thrive. See To This Cave? How Beautiful It Is? How It Thrives In Its Isolation?" Mesprit took the lead until the two came to a break in the cave.

Where the cave walls met with the cold water of the lake was a wall made of nothingness. Like gaps in the fabric of reality, Ingo stared at what was essentially nothing. Blacker than black, indistinguishable yet obvious, Ingo stared at the tear. In a sudden lapse of judgment, he reached his hand in, his eyebrows furrowing at the distinct tearing cold that burned at his fingers and hands.

"What You Have Felt Is A Space Tear." The deity turned toward him, its mouth a straight line as it crossed its arms. "Tell Me, My Champion. Do You Believe That This Space Should Exist?"

"This space?…Yes." Ingo turned away from the tear, taking in the beauty of the isolated cave. "This cave is marvelous. Truly a wonder, though I have not had the experience of wandering into it during my travels."

"Of Course Not. Like The Spatial Deity, You Will Possess The Power To Make Spaces Like This A Reality." Sneasel-Mesprit then gestured back to the space tear. "You Can And Must Reshape This Plane And Close The Space Tears. It Is A Great Responsibility." Mesprit then shot him a knowing glance. "There Are No Rules To How Or What You Can Create. Understand That This Is A Great Power That The Spatial Deity Has Lent You."

Ingo fizzed with excitement, his hands clenching at his sides. "If space distortions are areas where the physical terrain has become derailed- warped then-" he waited for Mesprit to hum its approval- "then I must obtain the power to seal the tears in space. How do I do so?"

"That Is Where Our Minds Do Not Meet." Mesprit guided him away from the illuminated mountain lake, instead taking him deeper into the darkness of the abyss. "Come And See. This, You Must Learn First."

After minutes of walking around in the dark, Ingo having only Mesprit's false footsteps to clue in on, they emerged into a deeper cavern, one where the walls were dotted with colorful crystals awash in a teal glow. Water pooled on the cavern floor, streaming in through elaborate patterns of rock tiles and amethyst debris. Sneasel-Mesprit egged him on further until the two were crossing the slippery rocks. As they continued, Ingo's eyes found the source of the teal light. There, hovering inches above the water's surface on a pale green dais of light, was a time gear. It lay in the midst of a waterfall, ticking, chiming, and turning, undisturbed and ethereal.

"To You, Time Gears Are Not To Be Disturbed. You And Your Kin Hold Docile Gears; Once Stolen But Still Potent And Deadly." Mesprit did not dare draw closer to the artifact, holding out a claw to keep Ingo from venturing into the water. "Understand That Though Time And Space Are Sides Of The Same Coin, The Powers That Separate Them Should Never Cross. Time Gears Dictate The Flow Of Time In A Specific Region Of Space. Old Verses Dictate The Nature Of A Given Space Within Time's Flow." The deity turned to Ingo. "My Champion, You Hold Merely A Fraction Of All Old Verses That Exist Within The World. When It Is Time, You Will Take The Old Verses And With Them Create The Spatial Compendium; It Is A Sacred Item Much Like The Time Pendant That Will Allow You To Seal Space Tears Using The Old Verses Like Templates. Of Course, I Cannot Teach You How To Use The Verses."

"That would be Palkia's job, I assume?" Ingo still let his eyes rest on the undisturbed Time Gear. "This area… are we still in the Coronet Highlands?"

"Yes."

"If I may make a deduction or two?"

"You May."

Ingo began to pace the room, taking care not to dwell too close to the ticking ancient artifact from afar. "Space-Time Distortions have come into fruition all across Hisui. The ones that I am most familiar with come and go in an untimely fashion. Time is distorted on those tracks, yes, and the pokémon within them are hostile. The spaces between them vary as well. If I am correct, those are outside of my domain as they correct their own tracks."

"You Are Correct. Very Good."

"Then the distortion we are in now…"

"It Is A Separate Anomaly: A Space Distortion," Mesprit muttered. "Here, The Space Is Different Than What You May Be Acquainted With, But Time Continues Due To The Stabilizing Presence Of The Time Gear. Understand That When Taken From Their Alter, Time Gears Pause The Flow Of Time In Their Area And Must Remain Near An Active Time Pendant So As Not To Tear At The Fabric Of Time."

"This is a time tear then?"

"Not Quite. The Time Gear Is Still Here,"Mesprit playfully lectured him. "This Distortion That We Stand Within Is Temporary; A Small Consequence For Stealing What Isn't Yours. It Will Close On Its Own In Due Time."

"May I continue, Mesprit?" Ingo hummed. "I can distinctly remember my fellow faller stating that I cannot progress upon my own tracks until they do theirs. If space tears are separate cabs than time tears- or if I cannot enter time tears- then I must also assume that I do not have the power to create space tears."

"You Do Not. Tears Are Not Created; They Become Evident. They Become Exploited. You Humans Refer To Them Like Tears In Fabric." Mesprit paused, tapping one foot in irritation. "There Is An Analogy Here. I Am Unsure As To What."

"Building a tunnel," Ingo uttered. He smiled. "Our work- us champions- perhaps it is similar to constructing a train tunnel!" He glanced at the time gear. "First, you must envision what the tunnel could be- its twists and turns! Its depth! The possible dangers that surround it- that would be time- envisioning the tears and opening them to make way!" Ingo then turned his attention to the crystals in the walls. "Then you must make space! The walls are smoothened and insulated! The tracks are laid down! Safety checks commence!"

Mesprit nodded, smiling. "Go On, My Champion. You Are Nearly At The Truth."

"Next comes the train! I would assume that that is not my job here. If I am to be space and Miss Jaku is to be time…" Ingo scratched his brain. He was unsure as to what Young Akari's purpose would be just as he was unfamiliar to what Almighty Sinnoh's job…. Almighty Sinnoh. The pokémon god. God. Ingo blinked, his fingers twitching as he wheeled around to face Mesprit. "Creation! Time, space, and creation!"

Mesprit clapped its claws together. "Congratulations, My Champion. You Have Figured It Out. Yes, You Were All Brought Here To Emulate The Powers Of The Creation Trio. Do You Know The Names Of The Creation Deities?"

"Palkia, Dialga, and… and Arceus."

"There Is But One More, But Their Powers Do Not Coincide With Your Own. It Would Do You Well To Not Focus On Them."

The name came to him in the fraction of a moment, tasting sour on his tongue. "…You are referring to… Giratina, the Antimatter Deity, are you not?"

"That, They Are, But That Is A Subject For A Different Time." Mesprit's form shimmered, its edges wavering. "My Champion, I Fear That I Must Cut Our Discussion Short. Hark. Space Distortions Are Not Dangerous To You. Time Distortions Are. As You Have Opened A Tear In Space-Time, It Will Close Eventually. We Must Not Be Within When It Does."

"Otherwise?"

"Otherwise, You Will Flow Where The Tear Flows- To Either Palkia's Domain Or Dialga's Domain. Both Are Unsuitable For Humans. Let Us Depart."

Ingo blinked. "Is my brother safe?"

"Your Twin Is Well. He Comes With The Protection Of The Time Traveler Deity And So He Has Been Sealed In A Safer Time Until This Turbulent Distortion Comes To Pass. Let Us Travel To Him, Outside Of This Rift Formed Ironically On Top Of Your Dwelling."

"My home… it's not destroyed, is it?"

"…"

"...Mesprit."

"Let Us Leave, My Champion. We Shall See For Ourselves."