Chapter 147 – Spirit Lineage

The last thing Owen was expecting to throw several plans into question was a child hatching. It had slipped his mind completely, that egg. But now, he was balancing a little Charmander between his horns while sitting at the table of the conference room. Zena tended to the Charmander to make sure she didn't fall.

Slowly, others trickled in. The first was Mhynt, who saw the Charmander and sighed, hopping onto her stool and staring at Owen. She said nothing.

"…Okay, yes, this was what hatched from the egg," Owen finally said. "I'm still thinking about names."

"She has your eyes," Mhynt said, and somehow, despite his Perceive and knowledge of the Treecko, he had no idea if she was mocking him or not. "Certainly not your flame, though…"

"Yeah, I'm not sure what kind of energy it is," Owen said. "It feels like Shadow, but it's also… not? It almost reminds me of the energy I can channel in my Protects, or when I Bestow something."

"It might be both," Mhynt said, her expression hardening. "Which is surprising. We should think about precisely how it was born."

"She, actually."

Mhynt nodded. "How did her egg come to be?"

"Well… I don't really remember too well. Or why. But…"

Mhynt sighed. "I do hope you're careful about this," she said, "but… she doesn't seem to be evil. Inherently, at least. Her aura is… strange, though. I've never seen anything like it."

"I believe I know what it is," Xerneas said, standing at the entrance. Yveltal bowed her head to slip inside next, reminding Xerneas to do the same so his antlers didn't get caught in the doorway.

Owen's scaly brow furrowed. "What? So it's something to do with her life energy?"

Xerneas nodded. "And I believe we are incredibly lucky that you were able to escape before Alexander could discover it… That is the very thing he had been striving for."

His father, followed by his mother, entered his Perceive range.

"Oh!" Amia called, waving. Her movements were still foreign to how Owen remembered her. Little subtleties that constantly reminded him that she wasn't all there yet, and perhaps never will. Not the Amia he knew. "Congratulations, Owen!"

"Uh." Awkwardly, Owen shifted his weight and gestured to the Charmander. "Just so you know, that wasn't… from Zena and me. That was something else."

"Oh, I think I remember that," she said. "Yes… You two were a couple! But, only just beginning. Sorry, I'm still sorting through all those memories…"

"Yeah, that's okay," Owen replied, throat tightening. When Zena held his arm with her ribbon, he relaxed.

"Bring Charmander to me," Xerneas said. "I can have a closer look at her spirit."

Diyem entered the room next, wearing a cautious frown. "Will this harm her?"

Zena slithered to Xerneas, gently holding Charmander in her ribbons. The little Pokémon made a cooing sound as she was carried closer to Xerneas.

"It will not," Xerneas said. "This is… a new life brought into the world."

Zena set her on the table and she plopped onto her rear, staring at Xerneas. She held her arms up and grasped the air.

"It is against everything I am to harm a healthy child." Xerneas brought his head down until he was eye-level with Charmander.

She continued reaching up, wobbling until she was on her legs.

Amia breathed in. "Goodness, already standing up on her own, so bold."

"You have your hands full with this one," Mhynt commented. She was smiling, but Owen shared her sad nostalgia.

"Perceive will help, while I'm around," Owen said. When he said it, he realized that he couldn't possibly bring her to the boat. He'd need to find someone else to take care of her for a little while.

"Mmff."

Charmander grasped at one of Xerneas' antlers, stepping on his snout to get closer.

Slowly, he lifted his head. Dauntless, Charmander continued to climb.

"Yes, I can feel it," Xerneas said. "It is clear in her flame as well. Down to her very core, she is a being of light and darkness. A blend even more perfect than you two, Owen, Mhynt. Though, because of that… it seems she is a different breed."

"Then, she isn't a vessel for me," Diyem said, looking disappointed.

"What does that mean?" Zena asked. "You didn't plan on possessing her, did you?"

"The opposite," Diyem said. "One alternative plan was to find an incarnation of myself that had… no proper memories. To seal all of my other selves within, to be replaced by a more dominant life for a time to learn what proper happiness was like. It's not unlike how Owen had been overwritten for a time."

"Hopefully in a less traumatizing way," Owen muttered. "But you're saying that's not the case?"

"Yes," Xerneas confirmed. "Whatever brought about her egg, the process created a new soul. She is not Diyem, and she is not Owen. However, her aura… I can trace its ancestry back to you, Owen. As well as… Diyem."

"Just like that?" Zena asked. "You can tell someone's parentage?"

"I remember Star mentioned something like this a long time ago," Owen hummed, thinking back to how his ancestry had been scrubbed clean.

"…Owen and Diyem had a child together?" Mhynt asked, bemused. She leaned back against her chair, smiling wryly. "And you didn't even invite me."

"I can trace parentage, yes," Xerneas said. "For most Pokémon, the creation of a new life is a biological and spiritual process. In the spiritual portion, both parents' essences are used to spark a new essence entirely, placed within that new and developing body in the egg. This process is permanent on the spirit, but can be cleansed from the aura." Xerneas glanced at Owen. "As is what happened to you when you were placed in the Reincarnation Machine. Your ancestry by aura was washed away, and you became artificially recycled. Something similar happens to souls that choose to reincarnate through the normal process, which removes their memories, too. That way, the old soul may live a new life without the burdens of their memories, for a time. Long enough to experience everything anew before all lives reemerge upon death.

"But you, Owen, were always burdened by your memories. They returned stubbornly and quickly, because you were always, on a cosmic level, dead. A spirit in an artificial shell. Memories are enteral in a spirit; without a proper body to be your active 'mind,' your spirit would resurface all it knew." Xerneas closed his eyes. "But you, of course, took that to your advantage, and became a threat to all of us."

"You can save the lecture," Diyem muttered. "What of her, then? Her ancestry traces to us. What of her spirit? Is she reincarnated?"

"No. I can tell, too, that her spirit holds no ancestry but to you two. A reincarnated spirit would have more strands tracing to previous parents that had touched its previous life's first spark." Xerneas tried to get a good look at her, but she was already trying to leap from his left antler to his right. He kept still.

Yveltal giggled quietly and kept her distance. "It's nice to see you enjoying some company for a change," she said. "I do miss that."

"How have you been doing?" Owen asked Yveltal. "You know, with… being Step."

Her countenance became more solemn. "Sobering. But I'm happier now. And I'm together with my mate of both lives. In many ways, that is ideal, isn't it?"

"I'd go so far as to call it poetic," Mhynt remarked. "Different lives usually mean different friendships. It's lucky that you have the same."

Owen wasn't sure why he couldn't feel any tension from Mhynt with those words. Because he certainly felt some in his chest, and even Zena's. He was tempted to remove his horns.

"In any case," Mhynt said, leaning forward on the table again, "Xerneas, explain the significance of this Charmander and her black-white flame."

"She is Alexander's goal of trying to create someone that is a proper blend of Shadow and Radiance, down to the core. The darkness of Diyem, and the light of Necrozma. There are some who have something akin to this, such as you. Ones that have their blessings. However, even if those blessings were granted to you, brought into your auras and then your spirits… you yourselves were not of those blessings."

"Hmm… I think I understand," Mhynt said. "Alexander was someone who had Shadows, and so his offspring were also of Shadow. Just as Mew's blessing can also be carried, I believe?"

"Jerry has that," Owen said.

"Mew's blessing as well as Shadows, hmm." Xerneas nodded. "There is not much that we understand about how the passing of blessings from parent to child operates, only that it happens. I'd go so far as to say it was an unforeseen consequence of other things Star and Arceus had done when crafting this world. It must be a side effect of the spiritual aspect of offspring."

"This mate of Alexander's that we've heard about," Mhynt said. "Do we know anything about her?"

"It's foggy, but she was also a Hydreigon," Xerneas said. "I was not around at the time, so all I can tell you is what I've been told from Star… but she is in no state to recollect anything about Alexander at the moment. I will not press her."

"Is there anyone else who might know?" Owen asked.

"Well." Xerneas hummed. "You will want to speak to your father, Owen. If anyone knows, it would be him."

"R… right…"

"…Why?" Zena asked. "I'm sorry. I think I forgot this part."

"My dad is Alexander's kid," Owen said. "Which… makes Alexander my grandfather, at least, adoptively. Technically. I don't think that really matters."

"Oh." Zena stared awkwardly. "Right. I think I heard something like that."

"It's a very… disturbing family tree," Xerneas said. "And for some reason, I have a sinking feeling it's far worse once we piece it together."

"Don't say that," Owen mumbled.

"My instincts tell me so, and so I must say that," Xerneas countered.

"It is an expression, Xerny," Yveltal whispered. "Ah, Owen. If you are not sure you want to talk to your father about this, perhaps one of us will instead?"

Gods, it was weird to hear Step's accent leaking through in that kind voice, on top of that deathly form. "Uh—no, I'll do it," Owen said. "Meeting is soon, right? I'll do it after. I don't think he'll be coming to the meeting."

Xerneas lowered Charmander back down. "In any case, it seems that Charmander is the first of her kind. Someone who not only inherited the blessings of both sides, but was born with them. Owen… not to bring up painful memories, but you had Remi before acquiring blessings of Shadow, correct?"

"Not too long before in the grand scheme of things," Owen said, "but yes. After all, nobody could have children at all when I started… you know."

Zena winced. "How awful…"

"Perhaps if Remi had somehow been born later, she would have this property instead," Xerneas remarked. "What is curious… is that perhaps Diyem, too, had light's blessing. But that…"

"Destabilized me," Diyem said, "but I do have it in some small way. I do not know if that was a catalyst, or if she merely inherited Owen's spiritual properties more."

"Mm. Well, that's enough talking." And just as Xerneas spoke, the door opened again, the main flood of others coming back from their break.

It was time for more logistics.

Evening cast long shadows from the caldera's edge into Kilo Village. The meeting had gone until everyone but him seemed mentally fatigued from all the planning. After he had asked Arceus for his opinion on certain tactics, and the god himself apologizing because he had been focusing on worldwide prayers, that was the signal that it was time to call the meeting to an end. They could do more planning tomorrow.

Owen took the road this time, looking for the Yotta Outskirts Waypoint that Palkia had so graciously set up for them. The fact that Nevren had developed the previous Waypoint system, and the irony behind that, bothered him a little, but hey, at least Palkia was nice. As long as the others kept him from performing experiments again.

Eventually, it was just Zena and Owen while walking away from HQ.

"Sorry that ran for so long," Owen finally said.

"It was important," Zena replied.

"I think I even bored the hatchling," Owen remarked. "But, you know, I think she helped, too." He could still sense her balanced atop his head, staring at the sky. The way her muscles were so relaxed suggested she was entranced by the stars. It was a clear night.

"Oh, easily," Zena said. "People rotating out to keep an eye on her during parts of the meeting they aren't needed for… helped with stamina. We probably covered more ground that way."

"Owen! Zena!"

Just down the road, Alex ran after them, still awkward in his Magmortar form. Owen wondered if he kept it after remembering Owen's fear, or…

"Hey, Dad," Owen greeted.

"Diyem, ah, oh, one moment…" Alex puffed, cannon-arms against his belly as he wheezed. "Sorry. So far from your mother, I get tired quite quickly…"

"It's alright… Diyem said something?" Owen asked.

"He said you wanted to speak to me," Alex said. "I thought I'd see you going down the other street, but I saw your flame this way…"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Zena and I decided to take a longer walk around. I did want to talk, though." Owen glanced at the Milotic, then back at Alex. "Let's go to Mom's. Where'd you go?"

"We were actually at Sugar 'n Spice," Alex said. "They were about to close for the day."

Owen tried to keep his flame calm. "Oh. Well… sure. We can talk there."

He didn't walk, and Alex didn't start walking, either. A wind blew, chilly, carrying a little evening frost with it.

"It won't be too hard on you, will it?" Alex asked nervously. "With… with Spice, and…"

"No, er, no, it's fine," Owen said. "Yeah. I'll go."

"This seems private," Zena said quietly. "Should I take Charmander back to our home for now?"

"If you want," Owen said. "You can come with us, though."

"You don't mind?"

"I'd… I'd like it, actually. If you're fine with it."

Zena glanced at Charmander atop Owen's head, seeming torn. "It won't upset her, you think?"

"I don't think she can understand what we're saying yet," Owen said. "It'll be okay."

"She's adorable, you know," Alex said with a smile. "So well-behaved, too."

Charmander blinked at Alex, tilting her head. She plopped atop Owen's head and tapped her tiny fists on his snout.

Owen smiled. "Well, okay. Let's go."

"Just so you know, we're technically closed," Spice reminded. "If you planned on getting any goodies, we've packed up for the night."

"Oh, no, er, sorry, so sorry," Alex said. "Oh, dear, we really are keeping you, aren't—"

"I was joking," Spice said. "We're just doing cleanup. You guys relax here."

Amia giggled. "Unorthodox meeting place, but I wanted to know my supposed step-granddaughter a little more." The Gardevoir adjusted her green hair and sighed.

"Well… it's not like we've met before," Spice said. "Or, I don't remember it. Yet. Or ever."

"That makes both of us!" Amia replied with a laugh. "I hardly remember anything myself!"

Spice and Alex shared a look. Alex gave a wobbly, nervous smile; Spice, despite her lack of pupils, stared at him with pity.

"Dad," Owen said, "can I ask you about… your father?"

"Ah." Alex fidgeted. "A difficult question. I, er…"

"I know it's probably hard for you," he said. "I mean, you even abandoned your old species for it… And I've seen what he's done. But I need to know because it might tie into what he's doing now. It could even give ideas on how we could trick him, or learn more about how he… thinks."

"Are you sure?" Alex still looked apprehensive. "I don't… know if…"

"We won't know for sure until we find out," Zena said. "Is it that painful?"

"Of course it's painful," Alex said, "but that isn't why I'm hesitant. I'll admit, I… oh, fine. I know how you are by now, Owen." He smiled feebly. "Nothing will stop you from wanting to learn the truth."

"Thanks." As painful as it was, they had to know. It was better than not knowing.

Right?

"Should I be here for this, or…?" Spice glanced at Sugar, who had just emerged from the back room from organizing their inventory.

"If you want to," Alex said, but then, a moment later, seemed to realize something. "Actually… yes. I think you should be here."

"Not ominous at all." Spice took a seat and tapped her claws rhythmically against the table. "Sugar?"

"I hope you don't mind if I listen in, too," the normal Salazzle said, taking a seat on the other table.

"That's okay, too." Alex took a breath. "Right. I'll get right to it. Ah, oh, dear, how do I even begin…" Alex sighed.

Charmander complained by slapping Owen harmlessly on the top of his head; confused, Owen grabbed and set her down. She wobbled to Zena and tried to wrestle with one of her tail feathers.

"…Oh, I know," Alex said. "My father, Alexander… was obsessed with growing his own power. Truly and utterly obsessed. He had children in a… a twisted pattern where, as one would evolve into a Hydreigon after intense training, he would… he would kill and put them into the Fire Orb."

Owen gaped. "He what—what do you—what?"

"Spirits within an Orb seem to be what make him stronger," Alex said. "You draw from their power. More spirits, more power. And Alexander wanted… the most compatible spirits possible. Spirits that had his own essence. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Owen, but—I couldn't remember. When Alexander was pulled into the Voidlands, all memory of him followed. Only when the Voidlands became totally unsealed did the memories come back again. Like a balance of power had been upset."

"Wait. H-hold on." Owen held up his hands. "But the Fire Orb didn't have any Hydreigon. They were all Hot Spot villagers. Auntie Arcanine, and the kids I played with, they were—it was all an act, sure, but…"

"All Hydreigon originally," Alex said. "They took on different forms because it upset you."

"Upset me… I…" Owen shuddered, flashes of memories coming back to him. He had been trying, perhaps subconsciously, to not think about those moments. They were fleeting, but he remembered a fiery Hydreigon… ripping him apart. He remembered feeling so helpless, his Perceive telling him that Alexander planned to do so much worse to him, if he had his way.

"Owen," Zena whispered, ribbons wrapping around him. Owen flinched, and she pulled back, giving him room.

"Zena, I—sorry. Sorry." He gestured for her to come closer again, and she wrapped around his arms, gingerly this time. Then she leaned against him. She was cold, but that was a small comfort. "Thanks," he whispered. "Can you ask questions?"

"If you want," Zena said. "Alex, you all chose different forms. Was that to comfort Owen?"

"We thought it was a strange coincidence that we were all Hydreigon. We had no memory of sharing a father nor any memory of having siblings, since he had them in sequence, not all at once. We figured we might have been… creations of some kind, or a colony of Hydreigon. Those memories returning made things very awkward…"

"How did Amia come to acquire the Fire Orb?" Zena asked.

"Oh, I remember that one," Amia said. Her usual smile was subdued. "It was actually my mother who was named Amia. She had the blessings of Manaphy and could swap things around readily—it wasn't limited to spirits, but even minds or thoughts could be swapped if it was the same person split in two. I never saw her using it much, since tampering with such things is… not the greatest thing to trifle with, but she'd used it to… save me. Alexander had injured me horribly… She wanted me to live. But those injuries… couldn't heal."

"Shadow energy seems to cut more than flesh," Zena said. "Maybe that's why it couldn't heal so easily."

"That's my guess," Amia agreed. "But to honor her… I took her name. Though, I did miss my hair. It's very rare, you know. I used simple Mystic power to alter it. But… my real name is Evelyn. Ah, but… I've been using 'Amia' for most of my life, haven't I? So, I guess… technically, my name has been Amia for much longer than it had been Evelyn."

"It must have been hard to keep that up for her. Where is she now?" Zena asked.

"I think… she eventually found her way across the aura sea, or something," Amia said. "She was searching for my father, but he might have been claimed by Alexander. Perhaps pulled into the Voidlands. I feel terrible, but… I don't know what I can do. I don't know where she is anymore."

Owen couldn't imagine that kind of pain. In some ways, maybe Owen was lucky he'd spent so much time ignorant of his own past…

"Diyem mentioned," Zena said, "that Alexander was searching for more than just power when he had so many offspring."

Alex hummed. "Right, he was trying for something else. And he was obsessed with it. Trying to find someone who had the power of Radiance and Shadow, at the same time. Like Owen, as we've learned, even if the Shadow aspect had been rendered dormant."

"Well, he'd obviously need a source of Radiance for that, then. Power of light," Zena said. "But Necrozma was selective of who he blessed, wasn't he?"

Owen felt cold. He'd nearly tuned out of the conversation with a thought that occurred to him—a cold, horrible thought—but he listened in silence. Numbness crawled along his cheeks.

"He… was," Alex said. "Very few Pokémon passed their bloodline of that same Radiance on, presumably, but… there was one bloodline that reawakened. You see, some of Alexander's children were not of Shadow. They fled with powers of Radiance, or the powers were too weak to manifest at all, like with me. Those with light sometimes escaped him because they could counter his power more easily… and they went on to make families of their own."

"So, his mate had Radiance," Zena said. "…But… who would…"

What followed was a long, terrible silence. Owen had already pieced it together. He could only hear his heart. Muffled words from Alex, Amia, and Zena encircled him, and he had a sense that they were all looking at him. Spice said something next, reaching for him.

And suddenly, Owen was staring at the ceiling, dazed and nauseous with Amia and Zena in his immediate view.

"What? What… I'm on… ground, ceiling, sorry, I think…"

"Take it easy, take it easy," Zena whispered. "You fainted, Owen. Are you okay?"

It had been so sudden. He wasn't sure what happened. Maybe it was an aftereffect of the egg in his chest.

No. No, he knew what it was. The memories came back, but the shock was a little less this time. He couldn't stop shaking. When Zena got a little closer, he clung to her, squeezing hard. He could still Perceive them all staring and couldn't take it. With one hand, he ripped off both horns and placed them nearby, then went back to holding Zena. Sweet relief—he couldn't see anything.

Charmander poked his cheek, tilting her head.

"Hi," Owen said gently, reaching toward her and rubbing her forehead. She nipped at his claws harmlessly.

Zena helped him to a sitting position. Sugar had what seemed to be a few healing berries, like it would have helped, but put them on the table for now.

"I'm fine," Owen said breathily. "Sorry. It was… it just hit me at once."

"…Yeah. No, I get it," Spice said. "Don't blame you. Can't blame you." She rubbed her arm. "That's… pretty awful to hear. It almost makes me scared to want to get those memories back. Like, I'm getting them back one way or the other eventually, right? Because… if I had a choice, I don't really know, Owen. It sounds to me like Remi had a pretty awful life. Would I really want that back?"

They were like stabs to his heart, but Owen nodded anyway. "I know," he said. "But… you said you wanted to, right? So maybe… deep down, Remi still wanted to—"

"I know, I know. You don't need to preach it. Just… doesn't seem like it's going to be the easiest set of memories to get back anymore." She shuddered. "If I see that Alexander person, maybe I'll have some revenge myself, using me like some… some egg factory. Ugh!" Her tail whipped on the ground, cracking it. She muttered a curse. "Ah, sorry, Sugar…"

"I, um, I don't blame you, either. I'll fix that up tomorrow."

"…Excuse me," Amia said. "I think I missed a detail, but, if Owen is Remi's father… and Remi was the one who had given life to all of those Hydreigon… Does that mean all that time in Hot Spot, he's been raised by his own grandchildren?"

Spice sighed loudly and stood up from the table. "And that," she said, "is where I think I'm going to call it a night."

"It actually is a little more than that," Alex said. "I think everyone of the Shadow lineage inherited it from my father, too. I believe… that also means Jerry is a distant descendant of yours, Owen. And all the Southern rulers who had been blessed by Shadow."

"Oh, wonderful. Really glad I learned my childhood friend is actually my great grandson. Sugar!"

"Yes!"

"We're going home and I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear any of this."

"Do you mean that for real, or…"

"I don't even know anymore." Spice pinched her snout. "It's… a lot. A lot a lot. I need… a quiet place to just think. Away from it all."

"Sorry for all this," Owen murmured.

"Don't apologize," Spice said, claws pressing into her palm. "All of this is because of Alexander, not you. Don't tell yourself otherwise. And don't give me that look." Spice snarled at Owen. "I heard all about it from the others, the Wishkeeper stuff. Don't care if you made it possible for Alexander to do what he did, he still was the one who did it."

Owen flinched, feeling a coldness run down his skull. She'd read him so easily.

"Don't give me any of that martyr blame-catching for him, got it? He'll only use it against you."

"Right," Owen replied automatically. "I'll… I won't, then…"

Spice snorted, then nodded at Sugar. "Shop's closed. You can get home alright, Owen?"

"Yeah, I—can walk." He slowly got to his feet. No dizziness.

Zena picked up Charmander and cradled her in her ribbons. "We'll make sure everything is going fine tomorrow. Check in at HQ?" she asked Spice, when Owen had forgotten to ask.

"Yep, same as today."

Zena guided Owen out, Alex and Amia following next.

"Owen, ah, would you like to come home today?" Alex asked. "Hot Spot is nearly cleaned up. We can get back to normal again…"

That did sound nice… "We have some of my stuff and supplies I'd want to move back first," Owen said, "And, I'm… too tired tonight. Sorry, Dad. But—I promise, that's the only reason. How about tomorrow?"

"I understand," Alex said. "We'll have your room ready!"

"Ohh, you look so happy," Amia said, clasping her hands together. "We'll see you soon, Owen. Take care!"

Amia and Alex departed next, leaving Zena and Owen alone with Charmander. Owen glanced at his horns, still in his hands and not on his head. He decided to keep them off for now. The mental break was liberating.

They decided to make use of their humble temporary home for one more night without packing anything up. It was late, they were tired, and even if sleep was optional for them, it certainly wouldn't be for the child. Presumably. They actually weren't sure about that yet.

Zena curled around a huge bag stuffed with soft cotton and rested her head on the center, and Owen looked for the best way to place the hatchling.

The Charizard's tail flicked. "Do you think it would be better to have her between, or… No, I don't want to accidentally roll over her or something, especially if I get into a battle-dream. What if we…"

"I think we'll take shifts keeping an eye on her," Zena said. "You rest first. I'll be fine."

Owen rubbed the back of his head. It had been a thousand years since he'd raised a child. It all felt foreign to him again. "Have you ever looked after kids?"

"Not really… Maybe a few friends back at sea, but the ocean life isn't as complicated as the way things are on the surface. Find a cave or a burrow, rest under some kelp, everything drifts along…"

"Guess we're both rusty at this, then," Owen said.

Charmander struggled and kicked, and eventually Owen set her down.

"Yes?" he asked.

She started to wobble toward the doorway. Casually, Owen brushed his tail along the ground, blocking her from leaving.

"A real adventurer," Zena said, giggling. "She'll eventually tire herself out."

"I'm already tired," Owen murmured, wings drooping.

"I suppose this is where I'd say, welcome to parenthood, but I'm not sure if it's normal or not myself…"

"We're… not equipped to raise a kid, are we?"

The Milotic smiled awkwardly. "Well… in some ways, I'd hoped for one. It's an odd way for a wish to be granted, but…"

"You did?" Owen asked, genuinely surprised. "But… I don't think mutant bodies can have kids. We just die and reincarnate."

To this, Zena seemed surprised. "Oh. I had no idea…"

"Did I never mention that? Sorry." Owen winced. "That's… probably a big detail."

"No, it's fine," Zena said. "After all… perhaps when this is all over… Oh, I'm sorry. I'm moving too fast again."

Owen must have made a face because Zena amended herself quickly.

She leaned forward. "Please, don't think too much into it. Especially after what came up today. You've been through so much and we're still not sure of our futures… I had actually been considering if I'd even bring it up. I'm sorry. It slipped out."

"Don't worry." As Zena spoke, Owen had relaxed, picking Charmander up and sitting beside the Milotic. "…Are you really sure, though? About… all of this? I know I keep asking, but…"

Zena nodded. "All of my memories are back now. And even though the 'Zena' of the past feels… like a distant dream, I was able to meet you all over again. These past few months with you… combined with before… Well, I—it would have been a much more miserable experience in the Voidlands without you."

Owen smirked. "Would you rather be here in Kilo without me, or in the Voidlands with me?" he asked.

"Oh, Kilo, absolutely," Zena replied, earning a laugh from Owen. "—Ah, but! Would that mean you're stuck in the Voidlands?"

"Err, didn't think that far. Let's say I was… I don't know, back in Kanto."

"Oh. Then… I'd miss you, but, that way we'd both be out of that horrible place."

"Good answer." Owen leaned back, letting Charmander settle in his arms.

She was still protesting a little, but her energy was running out. He could tell by her flame that she indeed required sleep.

"Kanto," Zena repeated. "What's it like?"

"Not all that different from Kilo in some ways, aside from the humans," Owen said. "Think of them like… Pokémon, but without the elemental techniques. Well, some humans have them, but they're pretty rare, and usually from hanging around Pokémon too much."

"So, they can adapt to the Pokémon they're with?" Zena asked. "How interesting. They're like Normals, but… different."

"Sure, sort of like that. They rely on technology a lot more than we do, since they can't channel techniques as easily. In fact, most humans go their whole lives without using a single elemental attack."

"That sounds so hard," Zena whispered.

"Yeah. The strangest thing about them is how they—you know how some Pokémon have enchanted battle scarves and other equipment? Imagine that, but all over their bodies, and it isn't even enchanted."

Zena squinted. "I don't understand. They put on full-body armor, but it isn't enchanted? Isn't that… cumbersome with none of the benefits?"

"I never really asked why. I think it's cultural, or protection. Like a Cubone's helmet."

"Oh, that could be it. Perhaps humans have a special ability that lets unenchanted armor work like it's enchanted?"

"Huh, maybe. You know, next time I see Brandon, I'll ask him. Or maybe Eon, or the other humans. I think Rhys—er, Dialga might be too faded to know the answer anymore, though." He fidgeted with his claws. "Yeah…"

Gentle ribbons wrapped over his shoulder, rubbing them. Owen relaxed again. Had he been tense?

"Do you miss that world?" Zena asked.

"Not the world, no," Owen said. "It's okay. I liked it there. But I think I like here more. And… I mean, I have more bad memories than good memories back home, when I think about it."

"Did you?" Zena asked. "I thought you enjoyed your time with, err…"

"…I did. Huh." Owen shifted again. "I really did… I guess it was… clouded until now. Since that all became… what happened to Eon. And how that all led to me."

"I see…" Zena looked down. "But… you did enjoy your time with him. Even if he became… how he is now."

"He's trying to do better," Owen said. "I can tell he's giving me space. And it's probably eating him up inside. I don't know if I can ever…" He saw that helpless, desperate look in his eyes. "Sorry. I don't know if I want to talk about this right now."

"It's okay." Zena leaned her forehead on his cheek. "You don't have to."

More silence. Charmander had finally drifted off in his arms. Just outside, through an open window, a chilling wind blew, but conveniently, the window closed to keep the cold out. Owen assumed Zena used some Mystic energy to close it.

"I just don't know who to blame anymore," Owen said. "He was Jirachi and then just wanted me to be happy. I agreed with him. And then… Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit took away everything that made me… me. And Jirachi tried to bring me back. The Dark War happened, somehow Jirachi got pulled into the Voidlands, and all that was left was… the mortal half, somehow. His memories were shattered; he probably didn't even know what went wrong with me at that point. To him I'd just suddenly gone and lost myself, and… and it probably drove him insane. Was that his fault, in the end? Or… was it just how things ended up because of Diyem, or Necrozma, or…"

His heart was racing. His vision was blurry. Realizing something was wrong, he rubbed his eyes and realized there were tears.

"Oh, Owen…" Zena shifted her weight and wrapped a coil around him, careful not to squeeze Charmander. "When you put it like that, I see why you'd hesitate."

"You hate him, though, right?" Owen asked.

Zena looked away, as if conflicted, or perhaps to find a way to dampen her next phrasing.

"It's okay if you do," Owen said. "I… just want to know. What does it look like to you?"

"I don't think I can judge anymore," Zena said. "I only know him as the Hunters' leader. You knew him as your partner. And then there's a… a disconnect, where things changed, and he's no longer that same person you know. He's changed forever, just like you changed. Him trying to fight, over and over, to get you back to how things used to be… Isn't that what led him to becoming so deranged as a Hunter to begin with? What… drove him to madness?"

"…I… yeah. It is."

"And then… trying to go back to that for you… Will that help anything? Or is it… just trying to piece together an illusion, just trying to simulate a time that's already gone away?"

Charmander curled up a little, content. Her black and white flame dimmed and grew rhythmically with her breaths. Owen's was a deeper hum, warming the room as he tried to calm his nerves.

"Tim's really gone," Owen finally whispered. This time, he leaned against her. "I'd… probably, if I do anything, I'd have to start over with him. As… but then, it'd just be forcing it. I'd have to let him… make the choice, too."

Zena looked guilty, turning her head away. Conflict in her posture, even with his horns removed. She wanted to say something.

"Zena?" Owen asked.

"Mm."

"What's wrong?"

After a brief silence, she seemed to give in. "I suppose that's what Eon did for you. He's letting you choose what to do with him. I… do have to give him credit for that. He's walked away to let you decide. As shattered and broken as everything is… and how your dynamic can never be the same again—human and Pokémon, or Legend and Wishkeeper—that's all gone now. Instead, it's… something new."

"New… right…"

"Nuu," Charmander mumbled in her sleep.

That warmed his heart a little.

"If you're so torn up about it," Zena said, "you should talk to him when you're ready. If you want me to be there…"

"I will," Owen said. "When I'm ready. But… he's going to be battling Titans soon. I'm on another team…"

"Can you wait?" Zena asked.

Another pause. He didn't know. But it wouldn't be long until everyone was back at full strength and ready to depart. And he certainly couldn't stall for his personal feelings.

"I'll decide tomorrow. I need to sleep on it," Owen said. "I don't want to make any decisions while I'm all… bothered."

Zena nodded. "Then get some rest."

"Thanks, Zena," Owen murmured. He reached around for his horns clumsily, feeling himself drifting.

"Really?" Zena asked, concerned. "Doesn't that make you more awake?"

"I get kinda paranoid without being able to Perceive what's around," Owen admitted. "I had my mental break. Now I just want to sleep."

"I'm not going to be able to understand that," Zena said. "But, if it helps…"

Owen snapped the horns in, taking a moment to scan his environment—

"Wh—" He nearly shouted, but then remembered Charmander. He whispered loudly, "Enet?!"

Zena held back a gasp and looked around; moments later, an illusion dropped, and there was a Zoroark curled up in the corner of the room, looking half-asleep.

"How long have you been there?!" Owen whispered.

Enet blinked a little and curled up again.

Sighing in defeat, Owen leaned back and accepted her presence. "Another long day tomorrow," he said. "I'll take the next shift when I wake up."

"That's fine," Zena replied. "I'll keep an eye on things. It's… nice, actually. It's like being in the quiet caves again, but with company. Proper company. Not spirits that start to feel more like more of yourself."

"Good," Owen said. "I'd feel bad if you were getting bored."

Zena only smiled and curled around him. Owen sensed… something, but decided not to comment tonight. Instead, he leaned against her and finally drifted off into the night.