Chapter 181 – Wishes, Fate, and Choice

Mhynt lived next to Hakk, though they rarely spoke. They both had small houses, only three simple rooms for shelter and other basic needs, but it was all they wanted. When Mhynt Teleported home, she heard Hakk quietly snoozing, slipped into her neighboring home, and shuttered the windows and door.

Most doors in Kilo Village were unlocked or only had coverings to keep out the cold. Mhynt didn't like that. The Voidlands wasn't like that; she couldn't trust anything with an unlocked door. She wasn't ready to break that habit.

But she did make sure to cover the window only once she was truly tired. The moonlight reminded her that she was free. She occasionally choked up at the sight of the morning sky. And nobody would ever know the afternoon she'd spent hugging a normal, green tree on her first day on the surface.

The entrance to her little home was a small greeting and sitting room. The local paper, The Morning Kilo, sat three editions thick on the central table. She'd get to the stories eventually. To the right was a kitchen with some clay stoves and primitive utensils. She'd brought some Voidlands luxuries with her, not wanting to part with its technological advancements that had outpaced Kilo out of necessity.

Next to a faucet was a local plant that supposedly made an herb that was somewhere between parsley and mint. She watered it daily, per care instructions, and was thinking of a name.

Something orange caught her eye in the one open window on her way to the third room, her nest of leaves. She knew that flame anywhere.

Teleporting away was an option. His Perceive was limited in range and she knew how to get away. Lunala's powers, unbound by Alexander, had returned.

But… this was ridiculous. She was an adult. More than an adult. Many times over. She'd confront this directly.

Besides, the last thing she wanted was to be the cause of Owen wandering around all night when he should be getting some rest.

So, when Owen approached the door, before he could knock, Mhynt kicked the door open. With her small size, all that did was creak it out a few inches.

"Oh," the Charizard said.

"Hey, uh… Aunt Mhynt," said a Charmander who'd matured too quickly.

Something was off. Owen looked… different.

Gods, he'd removed his horns.

"You look ridiculous," Mhynt said flatly.

"I—I didn't want to be invasive," Owen said, covering his head. "I know it unnerves people…"

"So, you instead brought the empath." Mhynt nodded at Mu. It was a little annoying, but she was more entertained by the way Owen came to his conclusion.

"Hey, I just came for the ride," Mu said. "And, you know, to let him know if you ever want him gone."

Mhynt sighed. Fair play.

"…Come." She stepped back and let Owen open the door.

Owen seemed larger than before. Maybe that was a trick of the mind. He certainly wasn't… Wishkeeper.

He took a seat by a small table that he couldn't even fit his tail under. It was just the right size for Mhynt, and the Treecko tried not to pay any mind to this. Mu, meanwhile, took a seat between them, staring perpendicular to the former couple.

"I'm really okay, Owen," Mhynt said. "I just need time. I'm sorry for being cold to you."

"You don't have to apologize," Owen said. "I didn't… realize. Somehow."

"Somehow," Mhynt snorted. "Still don't have your 'past sight' do you?"

"I think that's locked behind Necrozma or something," Owen said. "Or maybe I just don't have it reawakened yet. I don't think seeing into everyone's past is all that useful for my current work… I've learned enough about the past."

"And the future, too, I take it," Mhynt said. "That was where the missing piece we talked about had been. You, with your past sight and Perceive, you could see everything that someone is and was. A strong tool for the Wishkeeper, guardian of Jirachi. Yet you couldn't see what they'd become. That was Nate."

"It's very limited," Owen said. "Just looking into the future changes it. We 'looked' at the future by simulating everything we knew in the present, but with the assumption we hadn't looked in the future. So… that's already going to be wrong."

"Did you look into the 'future' of this world?"

Owen shook his head. "It would have been a complete waste of energy. The world outside of Kilo was all unknown to Nate, and we had no idea what I'd bring back from it. The only 'future' I would see is a hypothetical one where I never returned…"

Mhynt leaned a little closer, placing her elbows on the table. She felt relaxed. It was late at night and everything was calm. Even with the chilling winds outside, it was warm. Even with most of the windows closed, it was bright.

How she missed this.

Yet the person in front of her was so far away.

"You still checked something," Mhynt guessed. "What would happen to this world if you did nothing at all? With how energetically you're working to save it… you think it's all on your shoulders, don't you?"

Owen tensed. Mu glanced worriedly between them. Even with the Charizard disguising his feelings and his tail flame kept so level, he had Mu as a new weak point to give away how he felt.

"Kilo would have fallen," Mhynt said. "You wished you hadn't looked… Is that right?"

"…It isn't always accurate," Owen said quietly, eyes on the bare center of the table. "And it can be changed. That's obvious. For better or worse, I know, but… this time, I really have to try. And this time, I'm including everything to help."

Mhynt's fingers clenched against the table. Even after all that, every failure, every triumph, all that struggle for thousands of years…

"You really haven't changed," Mhynt choked out.

"Huh?"

Mhynt's vision was wet with tears. She tried to cover her eyes and play it off like some dust had gotten in them, but there was no fooling Owen, even without Perceive. Mu was wincing; she seemed ill even through Mhynt's blurred vision.

"Mhynt… I'm… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… pressed you like this."

"It's fine," Mhynt said quietly. "I would have festered worse without this. I need to accept that… that I can't just turn back time. Oh, I considered asking Celebi, somehow, to send me someplace where I could start again with you. Maybe sided with you instead. It'd be stupid, I'd be a fool walking down the wrong path, but at least I'd… at least I'd… have someone who could tolerate me."

"Mhynt, plenty of people like you! I wouldn't have—I mean, a lot happened, but you're still Mhynt. I'll—we'll even find somebody! The world's huge! I mean, well, not really, but—there are still plenty of people out there… And—and you're finally free, right?"

So desperate. Always always always always trying to help. Why wasn't she like that?

"…I am free," Mhynt whispered. "Finally free. I'd accepted my fate for so long… I'd given up. Do you know how many people tried to rebel against Alexander? Anam's old friends, so many Legends, countless fallen spirits… They faced the same threat: To work under him, or to become Void Shadows.

"I could have been so much less trouble if I'd fought against him to the death. I'd lose myself, but at least I'd keep… my integrity. Instead, I submitted to him. I was a coward. I obeyed and thought, maybe eventually it'll change. I settled into the routine. Gave everything he wanted. And for what? And for what… I—"

"Mhynt."

The flame was a lot closer. To any other Grass, they would have flinched. But it transfixed her, the only light in the room. Warm like the sun.

Gently, Owen pulled the tail back to his side. He'd only had to curl it a little around the table.

"It's going to be okay. You did everything you could. If you're guilty about it… try to make the world better today and tomorrow. Just keep walking." Owen closed his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to do. I hope that… one day, that guilt will fade. But, Mhynt… I was the one who got everyone into this mess. Not you."

Mhynt said nothing. She heard the words, understood them, but had no reply. It was true. But she didn't know how to feel about that.

"You should go," Mhynt said. "It's late."

"Huh?" Mu shook her head. "Wait, what? You want him to go?"

"Yes. I do."

"But…" Mu looked at her hands, then scratched her head vigorously. "But that's not what I'm feeling at all."

"Go, Owen," Mhynt said more forcefully.

Owen smiled gently and stood up. "It's okay, Mu," he said. "Mhynt, will you be able to go to training tomorrow?"

"I will. I just need rest."

"Wait, hang on!" Mu said. "Dad, she doesn't want you to actually go! I can feel it, she—"

"Mu, please," Mhynt said with venom. "I want Owen gone. Please."

"I don't…" Mu sighed. "But… you don't want to be alone, Mhynt…"

That gave Owen pause just as he left, filling Mhynt with dread. Curse that child. All the knowledge and none of the tact.

She really was his daughter.

Owen gently opened the door and offered one last, respectful nod inside before heading out. Mu, however, didn't move an inch.

"Mu?" Owen called, frowning.

"…I'm… staying," she said.

"What?"

"I'm staying." She stared at Mhynt. There was a dark, haunted look in her eyes.

Owen seemed to accept this without objection. "If she says to go, you need to come right home, Mu," he said.

And then he left. The warmth and light of his flame disappeared into the night.

Mhynt sighed. "I said I was fine."

That dark look became a glare, but then, suddenly, Mu rushed her. Mhynt took on a parrying stance, ready to knock Mu away, before remembering that really, she was just a child. While she had tricks, Mu wasn't a threat.

Mu tackled her, wrapping her arms around her body in a tight hug. Nothing else happened.

Mhynt was too stunned to reply.

Mu didn't explain herself. Mhynt didn't ask for an explanation. Another gust whistled between buildings.

Something… shifted within Mhynt. She couldn't understand why, or how, but suddenly she felt warmer and weaker. She returned the gesture, arms around Mu, even as the Charmander squeezed a little tighter.

It could have been an hour and Mhynt wouldn't have realized it. But, eventually, Mu let go. Mhynt took a seat next to the table and sniffled to herself, nodding. Maybe she didn't want to be alone.

"I'm staying for the night," Mu said quietly.

And after all that had happened… Mhynt didn't object.


"Did it go well?"

Nervously, Zena sat around their makeshift home's nesting with Owen's horns placed on his usual spot. When Owen returned, he tried to put on a neutral face, but the encounter had clearly weighed heavily on him.

"Where's Mu?" Zena added.

Owen didn't answer. His eyes were on the ground and his arms were crossed. His brow was furrowed so much that she could see some of his old scales flaking off.

"…You're in deep thought tonight, Owen," Zena said, raising her voice so he'd notice.

"Oh—Zena. Sorry. Didn't realize I'd walked home…"

She eyed him with concern, wondering just what kind of exchange he and Mhynt had. It must have been serious with what Diyem said and how Mu reacted, and even now…

During their time in Orre, Owen had discussed what he and Mhynt had gone through. Zena wanted to know what he'd gone through. And, admittedly, Zena's life story was… much shorter.

"Please, tell me about it."

With a defeated sigh, Owen took his horns and snapped them back into place as he wandered into the kitchen.

"I'm not sure what there is to tell," Owen said. "What Diyem said was even more than I knew. And I already told you about Remi, Mhynt and I. We talked, and Mhynt confirmed… basically what Diyem said. There was nothing I could've done in that moment, but at least she could get it out there. I think… that was okay? I just… don't know what to do next. I think I could've made it worse before it gets better. I hope…"

She was hoping he'd have ideas. Or maybe a resolution. Maybe that was too optimistic.

It was so strange thinking about Mhynt. The one who knew Owen the most before everything had changed; a perfectly normal Pokémon who'd gotten caught up in Owen's antics. They were similar in that way. Zena couldn't help but feel guilty that she was replacing her. She wondered if Mhynt saw her that way.

But she couldn't say any of that out loud.

Owen downed a Tamato Berry in one bite. Then, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Zena jumped. "Oh, I—well, I, yes. I was…"

"You seemed sad."

Zena's gaze trailed to the barebones furniture of their makeshift home. They didn't have time to go out and look for anything 'nice' for the place.

"Mhynt and I are similar in a lot of ways," Zena said. "Mostly our circumstances… I don't know her too well otherwise. But I know what it's like to be lost. I don't know how to help her. If you two have changed so much, and… and me being there would just be a reminder…"

And there Owen went again, walking in his own world and looking through the cupboard for another berry.

"Owen," Zena reminded.

"Oh—sorry. I was thinking."

"I could tell," Zena said with a chuckle. She slithered into the kitchen. "Please, you could at least think out loud here…"

"Okay. Well, I was thinking about ways to help her indirectly. And I was also thinking about all the other stuff I've been trying to do before, you know, with my Worldcore experience. And I was wondering if maybe…"

Zena squinted when Owen trailed off. "What, use the Worldcore to… do what, exactly? You can't control people with it, can you?"

"Well, uh, you can if you're close enough, but no, that's not what I mean," Owen said. "I was thinking it might have information on something that could help. Like, maybe someone with a similar personality?"

Zena blinked. "…You want to… use the power of the universe to find Mhynt a potential mate."

"…When… you say it out loud, that's pretty selfish, isn't it?" Owen winced. "It's not just a mate, though. Even just a friend. But… something else, then…"

Zena sighed and coiled around their little nest of fresher grass. Owen finally climbed into the center, though his movements were mechanical. Once again, his mind was somewhere else.

"Oh," he finally remembered to vocalize. "That does remind me, I have something world-level important I need to practice." He sat up just as Zena was finished getting comfy.

Zena uncoiled herself and rolled out of bed for several revolutions until she was on her back. "It doesn't involve another person, does it? They might be asleep…"

"Sleep's optional for us." Owen marched out of the house, leaving the bedroom dark.

Zena had half a mind to take that option anyway, but… this was important. Maybe he would find an answer after all. Rolling one last time to get on her belly, she raised herself and followed the glow of his flame.

A few streets down in the depths of midnight, the street's Luminous Orbs along the ground reflecting off of his scales, Owen made his way to… Eon's abode? What part of Owen's plan involved Eon?

Wait. Jirachi, of course. They needed Jirachi to prepare a few things with Nate for the next few battles. The power of a wish was limited, especially against another divine power, but Jirachi's wishes specialized in Teleportation above all else. Channeling that sort of thing with the Worldcore would make their positions so much easier against whatever Alexander threw at them.

"Owen," Zena whispered once she'd caught up. "How do you plan on—"

Lucas suddenly started barking inside.

"Oh."

"Hi, hi, Lucas!" Owen said quickly.

Lucas stopped barking and immediately tackled Owen, tail wagging.

"Yes, yes, hi, Lucas," Owen greeted, scratching him on the back of his neck.

"Is something going on?" Jirachi called. "Oh, Owen…"

A new flame appeared inside. Eon was awake and had turned into another Owen.

"Hey. I completely forgot to ask you after all that other planning," Owen said. "Do you have time tomorrow for some training?"

"Owen, dear, it's midnight…"

A Gardevoir emerged from Eon's home, followed shortly by Alex, who was wearing a little fuzzy hoodie he must have bought from the commercial district.

"Owen, we were trying to… 'sleep together,'" Alex said. "It was like a slumber party. I never had slumber parties. Always wondered what one was like."

Zena caught Jerry in the other room shoving a pillow into the window. Perhaps he and his group were making sure to fall asleep… She sympathized. Living with sleepless Pokémon was probably a real bother when they needed sleep.

"What training?" Jirachi asked.

"Wishes," Owen said. "We need as much wish power as we can to fight Alexander. I know, I know"—He raised his hands when Jirachi was going to object.—"Doesn't work well on divine power. But it might help us for repositioning, and maybe even messing with a few 'harmless' coincidences? Right?"

"Owen, it isn't that easy," Jirachi said. "And… I'm rusty on that. It's been a thousand years…"

"I know! But I have a thousand years of experience with this sort of thing! It'll even out. We can try to work together, but I just need to know how to do it…"

Jirachi sighed, gesturing for the others to return to bed. They gratefully obeyed, but Jirachi—and Eon—followed Owen. Zena kept with them.

"We're training tonight?" Zena asked. "I thought Owen said tomorrow."

"We can talk a little. Then we'll discuss what we might be able to do," Jirachi said. "For instance… Owen, my wishes aren't just me doing things that I want. The whole reason I'm part Psychic is because the wish must resonate with a wish maker. I let it manifest, but it's the other person's desire that I'm amplifying. It takes a lot of energy for me to do anything else, and we can't afford to waste that kind of energy."

"So, in other words, you'd need someone to resonate their desire with you?" Owen asked.

"So, a tactician," Zena hinted. "All the more reason for… some practice. You two already resonate a lot."

"Y-yeah. We do. But… Owen, if Eon and I fuse, that could get… awkward."

"Oh." Zena winced. Right. Eon and Owen 'resonated,' too, but there was still a lot of baggage behind that. She glanced at him, though he was intentionally keeping to the back of their group.

"Maybe it's a good thing we're holding off on that," Eon said quietly. "I… don't really know what I should do here. Jirachi needs the strength… I know Rim and Celebi are going to recombine soon, but only after this whole Emily thing…"

Owen had a pensive look in his eyes. He wasn't saying anything. She didn't see any tension in his walk, but…

"We can tackle that later," Owen said quietly, stopping once they were at the edge of town. "But, you're saying that someone needs a desire that resonates with a wish, and then you can grant it?"

"That's the abstract description, but… yes."

Owen nodded. "It's one of the most complex calls to the Worldcore, to the point where we may not even know how it manifests, or if it might backfire. It's risky, right?"

"The purer the wish, with as few stray thoughts as possible, the less likely it backfires. I think we should limit these things to only pure, strong needs, or very technical specifics. Anything, you know, wishy-washy or misguided could leak other desires into how the wish plays out."

"Oh." Zena raised her head. "Is that why you needed a 'Wishkeeper' in the first place?"

"Precisely." Jirachi floated over the Charizard's head. "Owen's role was to read someone's past and present to see if their wish was pure or driven by something selfish or misguided. That's why Necrozma gave him powers over past and present—his Perceive."

"But… Owen lost the power of the past," Zena said. "Where did it go?"

"It may just be sealed," Jirachi said. "Seeing into someone's history is a lot stronger and more intensive than his Perceive. Perceive is just an instant in time. But 'Past Perception' is a stretch of time. A whole dimension bigger."

"Even the glimpses were disorienting," Owen agreed. "And… I don't know if seeing someone's past is that useful right now. I haven't tried reawakening it."

"It could be," Zena said. "You should try when we have time, Owen."

"Sure." Owen nodded. "Maybe if we have spare time before Emily… or after Emily. Oh, I need to talk to Tanneth, that's right…"

Busy, busy, Zena smiled and said, "But, anyway… Owen just needs a strong, pure desire for a wish to be easier to grant without side effects, right?" She practically hinted at him when she continued, "Owen, do you have something like that?"

"And it can't be, 'I want to defeat Alexander' or something," Jirachi warned. "He's too strong for my powers to work on him like that. I'd… need more time to build up the energy for anything at that level."

"No, I know," Owen said. "Worldcore was the same way. But that's alright. I have… one idea for practice."

"Oh?" Zena had a good idea what it was. "And… you're sure it'll… work?"

Owen shook his head. "No. But I want to try. And maybe… it would be good anyway. For everyone, not just—I mean…"

"What's the wish?" Eon asked carefully. "Sounds like you already know what it is, Zena."

"Just a guess."

Owen smiled. "Yeah. It'll take a bit of explaining. But I think it's the perfect wish—something that doesn't alter anyone, but moves a few coincidences around. Practice to get the 'rust' off you, Jirachi. And, you know, a long time ago, I had a similar wish done to me…

"My wish is. . ."


"King me."

Mu swished her tail and growled, tossing a play token to Mhynt. "You do it," she muttered.

"Now, now," Mhynt said with an entertained smirk. "Never lost a game before?"

"No, I lose all the time," Mu said with another growl. "You're worse than Dad. At least he misplays a few times on purpose to give me a chance."

"Does he know you know?" Mhynt asked as Mu considered the board.

"'Course he does. We sorta have a mutually assured destruction thing going on."

Mu captured two of Mhynt's pieces. "Ha! How about that, huh?"

Mhynt, without hesitation, moved another piece and hopped and claimed four of Mu's in one move.

"What… but I…"

"It may be late, but I do some of my best thinking in the dark," Mhynt said, taking the tokens. "Don't worry. I only have a thousand times more years than you for experience."

"Oh, don't give me that!" Mu complained. "I have a million game losses in my head from walking around humanity and stuff! That has to mean something!"

"That means you have nothing but losing strategies in your head," Mhynt countered.

"Nuh-uh, some of them were winning plays that just didn't feel good anymore because they lost a ton of times before, and stuff. You know, kinda like how you really need to go to the bathroom, but you're holding it for way too long so by the time you're outta the meeting, it's not even a relief anymore, just—"

"I think I understand," Mhynt said, gesturing for Mu to make her move.

"Aw, do I have to keep playing? How about I just stick my hand over for a shake and forfeit?"

"You still have a winning play," Mhynt pointed out. "It just takes three moves."

"What?" Mu studied the board closely as if having her eyes closer to the checkerboard would reveal the answer.

Mildly entertained, Mhynt adjusted the dim Luminous Orb to show the board better. Mu's half-Shadow tail didn't light the room as much as a normal flame. Some water glistened on Mhynt's wrist and she quietly found one of her new scarves to wipe it. Between plays, she sometimes cried, but Mu was energetic and understanding when she had to pause.

"Aghh, I'm too old-young for this!" Mu declared, throwing her arms in the air. "I forfeit." The little Charmander fell onto her back, hands over her eyes.

"If that's your choice," Mhynt said with a chuckle, resetting the board.

Mu suddenly sat up and looked behind her. Was someone there? No, she didn't hear anyone, and her night vision was pretty good… Nobody was there.

"Hey…" Mu looked back. "Is it okay if I bring company?"

"What? Well… if you think it's…"

Mu vanished.

"Oh."

So that's what it felt like when Mhynt randomly disappeared mid-conversation. Maybe she should consider that next time.

"Hey, hey!" someone shouted—Hakk, one house over.

"You!"

"How did you get in my house?!"

"Come, you're coming with me, get up, get out of bed. Wait, take this. And this, and this too."

"You aren't answering me! How did you get in?"

Mhynt heard shuffling. A door opened. After a couple awkward minutes of Hakk muttering confused curses to himself and Mu asking if he needed this or that, Hakk left the building. One way or another, Mu had convinced or forced Hakk out of his own home and into Mhynt's. The double-sized, icy Sandslash stopped once he spotted the Treecko inside.

"Oh. Hey, neighbor."

Mhynt nodded formally.

"…What's going on with your scales?"

"What?"

When the door opened, a bit of light from the Luminous Orbs shone on her face. Mhynt felt her cheeks and realized they were still wet. Curse the humidity of a warmer winter night—nothing dried quickly anymore.

"It's nothing," Mhynt said. "I just… finished washing my face before bed."

Mu sighed exasperatedly. "You two both need to not be alone in the dark, but there's only one of me," she said. "So, you're spending the night here. Okay?"

Hakk crossed his arms. "And who made you queen of emotions?"

"Birthright. I know every negative emotion you're feeling right now."

Hakk squinted, then turned his blue eyes to Mhynt.

"She's not wrong. She's a spawn of Dark Matter."

Mu puffed out her chest.

Hakk clearly wanted to protest. Mhynt could sympathize. He'd been dragged out of his home, placed in front of the person who'd stabbed him and claimed his soul, and then told that they were roommates for the night.

So, when Hakk sighed and headed into the kitchen, Mhynt tilted her head in surprise. "You're entertaining this? I didn't ask for it either, you know."

"She's not gonna stop until we give it a try," Hakk said in resignation. "I can't sleep. Head's buzzing with…" He sighed. "You tired?"

"Not really, no. Mu and I were playing checkers."

"Why?"

Mhynt shrugged.

"Alright, I respect it. Then, c'mon." Hakk studied the cabinets, tapping his chin with two claws. "Let's make a ruin-our-bodies midnight snack."

Mhynt, dumbfounded, glanced at Mu. Even she looked surprised.

"Well," Mhynt said. "Alright."

The winds calmed just in time for the clay stove's Flame Orb to hum.

"Mu didn't sense you until just now," Mhynt said. "Did you wake up?"

"Hey, don't probe," Hakk replied. "…Yeah. Nightmare, I guess."

"Oh." Mhynt nodded. "I understand."

Hakk stopped arranging bagged foods on the counter. "…What, no follow-up question?"

"You said not to probe."

Mu snatched a bag of dried berries while Hakk wasn't looking, just barely tall enough to reach it thanks to Mhynt's shorter furniture.

"Well, sure," Hakk said, "but, I mean…"

Mhynt helped Hakk sort and organize the food. "So. Ruin our bodies. What did you have in mind?"

Hakk shifted his spines and pulled out a stashed bag of his own. "Sesame caramel berries," he explained, revealing a bag of seeds mixed with caramel. "Goes good with other stuff, too."

"That doesn't look like sesame," Mhynt remarked. "Seems more—oh. Just assorted seeds." Birdseed, but Mhynt made sure not to say it aloud.

"Eh, yeah. I just… call it sesame," Hakk said, voice softer. "Anyway…"

They both stared at the berries awkwardly.

"Cook it!" Mu said.

The shout made the Sandslash jump. "Eh? The berries?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know you two both probably suuuper hate fire, but melt the caramel onto the berries after you slice them, or, like, turn it into a dip!"

"Well, you got the hate fire part right," Hakk said. "But a little pipsqueak like you won't do much hurting for us. So, c'mon. Get cooking, Little Miss Demon Chef, if you've got all the ideas."

"Hmph! Don't mind if I do."

Mu got right to work, busying herself with the berries and caramel. She sputtered little flames that wouldn't be enough to do any harm, but they were more than enough to prepare something hot for the night.

Hakk rested against the wall, picking at his icicle spikes.

Mhynt sat on the other side of the wall, the exit to the main room between them.

"The air's nice. Isn't it?" Mhynt asked.

"Eh? Oh. Yeah. Kinda forgot what the air was like when it wasn't saturated with void dust."

Mhynt nodded.

"…Figure it's great here for you, too. Nobody to answer to, and… stuff."

Mhynt snorted. "I'm fine if you say it. It's not like Alexander is gone just yet…" Her fingers squeezed on a blade that wasn't there. "But if I have my way, I'll carve through him myself."

"Heh." Hakk shook his head.

"Is that funny?"

"Yeah. You're a lot braver than I am." Hakk curled his knees to his chest, watching Mu cook. "I dunno what I want specifically. But I want all of this gone. Maybe I'll move somewhere quiet, start fresh…"

"That sounds… nice," Mhynt said, leaning back.

"But I've been trying to keep busy," he added. "Hey, you know… if you're looking for something, how about you help out at the hospital?"

"What?"

"Yeah, that's kinda… where I've been working." Hakk looked bashful behind the creeping sleepiness. "And we're expecting a huge influx tomorrow. They're setting up a Teleporter to one of the last major settlements out east. So, any issues happening there are coming here if they can't handle it."

"Oh. That does sound big…" Mhynt frowned. "And… we're on the same team, aren't we?"

"Yeah. Uh, I wasn't about to cozy up with the king of darkness and god's daughter. Figure we'd try synergizing or whatever tomorrow."

"Is that our team?" Mhynt narrowed her eyes. "Owen really set me up with you, Diyem, and Leph? How does that fit together?"

"He said for Leph to switch to Rock—did you really not look at the paper?"

Mhynt didn't expect the question so directly.

"…Oh. Ohh." Hakk cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry. Wow. Didn't put that together until now."

"It's alright. I'm fine. Or, better. He came over, we talked, it's…"

"A real piece of work, that guy," Hakk muttered. "Comes swooping in thinking he can solve everyone's problems…"

Mhynt found herself laughing. "Well… some things don't change."

"Done!" Mu raised a small bowl with little chopped berries coated in globs of seed-encrusted caramel. She spun on her heel and presented it to them both. "Alright, try it!"

Hakk took the first one, chewing thoughtfully. "How about that," he commented between bites. "A little warmth isn't too offensive, I guess."

Warmth. Right. That was another simple pleasure the surface provided her. The Voidlands had 'warmth,' yes, but it was a hollow, dusty warmth. Nothing like the sun's radiance.

After just her first caramel-seed berry, Mhynt's eyes felt heavy.

"What, tired already?" Hakk asked, going for a second one.

"I'll stay up a little…" It was her reflex to defy.

Mu happily popped a few in her mouth as well. "Warm and sweet really helps you relax," she said. "At least if you don't get the sugar rush."

Whatever else they were saying, Mhynt didn't mind. The evening's exhaustion finally returned to her and she slipped away amid their idle conversation…


Owen was still awake when the morning sun peeked over the caldera's edge. Not that he had to sleep. But the sun signaled to him that it was time for some final conversations.

First, Owen checked on Nate to make sure he was okay after their wish practice. He knew there was no telling when the wish would come into effect—perhaps that night, perhaps today—but the energy was expended, and it was minimal. Hopefully, that meant it was easy… or Mhynt already had the means.

Nate was fine, though he was anxious about something. Necrozma was on the move again, though he wasn't heading toward Kilo Village or any known settlements. Perhaps he was chasing the sun to gather more power.

Then, he checked notices for if Brandon had returned. As part of the final preparations, he used the old factory Arceus had told Brandon to guard. They needed a way to immobilize Emily perfectly if they wanted her stuck in one place for the Purification Circle to work. A simple Poke Ball may not be enough, but the pause while she escaped—perhaps, repeated capture attempts—would be all the time they needed.

Brandon had returned with an inventory of all Poké Balls still operational. They were unfortunately not too abundant, counting ten total that could reliably hold a god. Still, for a factory that survived two thousand years… Even with a Guardian's power preserving it, that was impressive.

And lastly, Owen needed the person who'd lure Emily to them in time. After checking the Teleportation route schedule, Owen knew that Tanneth would be transported to Kilo Village at its sunrise. It was part of her route of eternally luring Emily without getting her into any major settlements.

The scouts were incredibly smart to figure out a path and how to control Emily that way.

"She should be up ahead," Owen told Zena.

"I hope she's okay. This must be awful for her…"

Owen nodded gravely. It was one thing to know her other half existed at all, or that it was corrupted by Shadow. But it was another entirely to realize they, as a couple, were… a single person in total. A mind-bendingly tragic example of a soulmate.

"Would you like to talk to her first?" Owen asked. "I know you and Tanneth were sort of friends before you went into hiding…"

"I would, if it's not any trouble."

Owen shook his head. "We're ahead of schedule."

Zena took the lead, gently rapping her ribbon against an unassuming, single-story home along the main road that led to Heart HQ.

Two Pokémon—a Golem and an Accelgor—stood in the way, but then eased up once they recognized her. They stepped aside.

"Oh, Zena!" And in the house, a heavy-eyed Vaporeon sprang to her feet. "Yeah! I knew, um, I knew you'd show up! No, I mean, that you came back!"

"Yes! Yes, we have. It's been so long…"

"Feels like forever. It's hard to feel restful when I'm sleeping in a new place every night…"

"It should be over soon," Zena assured Tanneth. "We're going to attempt the Purification Circle tomorrow. Did they tell you about that?"

Tanneth nodded. "My route was modified for it. Right at War's End out east."

"The last remaining mutants at Eon's old lab, and the Beammaker, are also there," Owen said. "It'll help subdue Emily if we need even more time to keep her pinned. Between Alexander, Necrozma, Ghrelle, and Emily… she's the most durable. I hope you aren't worried about hurting her too much…"

"No, it's… it's okay." Tanneth pawed at the ground. "It's okay…"

Owen felt the tension in their body language. It wasn't 'okay.' It was 'necessary.' Like everything else in this fight. For all the planning Owen was doing, he was asking for so much sacrifice from others and they were going along with it.

Just like Wishkeeper.

"…Tanneth," Owen said, "it's okay if you don't want to do this. I have… other contingencies if you don't want to be there. You're innocent in all this. You didn't know you were Emily's other half, or that Emily would turn out this way. Even if you share her soul, you're not 'her' right now. If you want to stay out of this…"

And for a moment, Tanneth looked tempted. Felt tempted, by the way her body curled and subtly retreated, as if preparing to hide rather than fight.

So, Owen was surprised when her words betrayed that language. "I'm going to stand up to the Shadows," she said. "I saw the Voidlands. I lived in there, and… I don't want anyone to go back to that. E-ever. So, if I have to face my other half at her worst… fine! So don't talk me out of it."

"Talk… you out of it." But his plans had involved someone talking her into it…

"Owen," Zena said gently. "Now isn't the time to feel guilty about asking for help."

Owen winced. She saw right through him. "I just didn't want to make old mistakes."

"I know. But this time, it's okay. You aren't spearheading the whole operation. Scouts, Hearts, those close to Emily—we're also helping you." Zena gestured to Tanneth. "This isn't your fight anymore. Okay? This is Tanneth's."

The Vaporeon's black, shiny eyes mustered an intense glare at nothing.

Owen relented. "Right. Not just my fight. It's the world's."

Zena's gaze had suddenly gone over Owen's shoulder. Moments later, a Greninja entered his Perceive range.

"Owen!" he called. "Charizard Owen! R-right? That's you?"

"Uh, yeah." He turned around. "What's wrong?"

The Greninja held a badge with a slightly sky-blue hue. A mark of a Heart scout.

"We, ah, we have a message from War's End who were preparing the fields. We need to accelerate everything. To today."

"What? Today?"

"We need you at War's End now. We'll gather the people needed for the Circle."

Owen looked at Zena. She nodded at him, then Tanneth, who hopped onto her back.

"I'll help rally them," she said.

"Okay," Owen said, first to Zena, and then to Greninja. "What's happening? What should I prepare for?"

"It's Necrozma," Greninja said. "He's at War's End… and fighting Emily as we speak!"