Chapter 17: Blindside

The city outskirts of Veilstone were quiet, which made it perfect for Dialga to ruminate. From here, Lake Valor could be seen - which meant that what used to be the Diamond Clan settlement was not too far off. While Dialga's sense of direction was notoriously terrible, he wouldn't forget that if he tried. ( What was less certain was if the knowledge made things better or worse at that moment. )

As terrible as he felt at that moment - he hadn't meant to bring up a painful instance from Lucas' past - there was a strange sense of relief. While ten years was but a grain of sand for him, it was a still a majority of Lucas' entire life. If grief was as natural as he implied...if that was just the end result of losing a dear friend like Rei...

"Don't tell me you thought the grief was a curse!"

Dialga didn't need to turn around to know it was Mesprit that had approached; he felt her presence as Lucas spoke earlier. The Spirit of Emotion - in her astral form - flew over to intercept Dialga's path. Clearly a bit guilty, she said, "You did, didn't you? I should've made more of an effort to check on you back then, after I was done talking with Azelf. If I did, then maybe..."

Dialga snorted - he would not say outright that she was correct, but he also could not lie. Not about this, not to Mesprit. "To be fair, I did not make myself very easy to find back then."

"Well yeah, but it never occurred to me that Rei was your first mortal friend. That's hard enough for any of us to go through, and for it to happen the way it did..."

Mesprit's words trailed off, and Dialga could scarcely look at her. Because it was true; before the spacetime distortions in Hisui, Dialga only visited the mortal realm once in a blue moon - and even then, he did not stay long enough to make connections with those dwelling within it. Rei's experience with these distortions was really the only reason Dialga chose to team up with him. He would not admit to feeling lonely, watching over the steady stream of time but never being a part of it himself...but Dialga frankly surprised himself with how quickly he started to look forward to those outings.

Of course, that made what happened in Solaceon Ruins all the harder.

"...What Lucas said by that memorial, it sounded like something you would say," Dialga accused, arms crossed. It was an attempt to change the subject, one he knew Mesprit would take. "Am I right in assuming you spoke through him?"

"Hey, don't accuse me of something like that! So rude!" Mesprit huffed, crossing her arms. "And anyway, you're only half-right. I did tell him all that when we first met. That was a long time ago, though - he was still really small. I'm surprised he remembered so much of it!"

Dialga snorted. "Are we sure he is not a child of Acuity?"

"One would think so, but he was definitely born in Twinleaf." A moment passed before Mesprit huffed again. "Are you saying that children of Verity can't be smart? Rude again! Emotional intelligence is a thing, you know!"

Despite the situation, Dialga managed a small smile. Already he was starting to feel a little better. "That aside, I am surprised to see you. Is this because Lake Valor is nearby?"

"Yeah, I was gonna check on Azelf," Mesprit admitted. "I got curious when I saw you and Lucas talking, so I decided to eavesdrop."

Mesprit clearly felt no shame in admitting to her eavesdropping. Frankly, Dialga couldn't blame her for that. Considering all this started from Mesprit breaking into his domain in a fit of rage, how could he get mad? She had always been one to fuss about the mortals she called friend, and Lucas was clearly not an exception to that. Why else would she have contacted Celebi for assistance?

"While it is on my mind," Dialga said. "Thank you for getting in contact with Celebi - with the strangeness of the situation, it had not occurred to me to get her involved."

As much as the thought of his daughter's involvement caused him concern, Dialga had to admit that Celebi was already a great help. Would Lucas have been able to find that Chansey without her? He never would have thought of the Unown doing what they did.

"I'm glad to hear that! You know, Celebi told me that she could've mistaken Lucas for you," Mesprit told him. "And now that I got a better look at his Aura, I can kinda see it. Roar of Time really did a number on him, and I don't just mean the fact that it nearly killed him."

The pang of guilt that Dialga felt clearly didn't go unnoticed, because Mesprit quickly added, "I didn't say that to make you feel guilty! I just meant that you two are a lot more alike than I thought you'd be."

This baffled Dialga. "What do you mean?"

"When you see something wrong or off, you can't bring yourself to ignore it," Mesprit hummed. "You get antsy if you can't take some kind of action. Even if it's just investigating to get to the truth of the matter, isn't it better than doing nothing?"

Dialga thought back to how he could not ignore the spacetime distortions appearing across Hisui, and said nothing.

Dawn huffed as she watched Barry squirm. Her grip on his wrist tightened - not to the point where it hurt, but definitely enough that he could stop moving.

"Would you hold still?" she scolded. Her other hand had a brush of nail polish, which she smoothed onto Barry's fingernails. "Botching this paint job is only gonna make this worse for both of us."

Barry pouted. Even from his position, Lucas could see that he was regretting his choices right now. Really, getting a manicure from Dawn wasn't the worst losing condition for a bet. As Dawn's closest friends in a town as small as Twinleaf, Lucas and Barry were usually her first targets for manicure practice. For someone as perpetually antsy as Barry, it was the sitting still part that got to him.

Barry grumbled, "Do you always have to be so slow about this? I know you like it perfect but come on."

"Lots of people don't like their nail polish smudged, you know," Dawn shot back. "Just be thankful the weather's nice. I think that's why it dried so quickly for Lucas."

"Dawn, you could fine him for every smudge," Lucas pointed out. A teasing smile stretched across his face as he continued, "That kind of nail polish is pretty expensive these days."

"Broooo." Barry shot Lucas a dramatic look of betrayal. "Easy for you to say. You could read that thing while getting your manicure!"

"I did offer to let you read it like I did."

"You said yourself that it was practically a PokeDex! What's the point of reading that thing if I barely use the one I got?!"

Lucas had to admit that Barry had a point there. Shrugging, he carefully flipped through the journal's pages. Maybe he was being a little too careful - the pages were surprisingly sturdy, and the cover was a beautiful kind of leather - but how else was he supposed to treat a relic of the past? Because what else could it possibly be? There was information on several Hisuian Pokemon within its pages, and even some legendary Pokemon! Once he realized that this was a PokeDex, the first thought that crossed his mind was that he should show Professor Rowan.

The second thought on his mind was that he should leaf through the pages and find any information that he could input into his PokeDex. Or at least, information on members of the Pantheon. Maybe there was something in this journal that might point to Aevus' identity.

So far he couldn't find anything that jumped out at him, but only because he couldn't help marveling at the attention to detail in some of these entries. Each page had at least a few pictures of the Pokemon in question (some of which depicted them in battle). There were even sections specifying their height, weight and favorite foods!

One entry in particular caught his attention. At first it was because it was in a different handwriting from the rest of the entries - while the other entries had surprisingly neat handwriting, this one was rushed and a little clumsy with the lettering. And then there was the Pokemon itself - it was one that he remembered hearing about during his time in Johto. The name of it, anyway.

No. 243. Celebi. Time Travel Pokemon. Psychic/Grass.

Preferred Foods: Dazzling Honey, Hearty Grains, Springy Mushrooms

Can be seen in healthy forests and grasslands. It can make these artifacts called 'Time Flowers'. Professor Laventon hasn't seen this Pokemon as of me writing this. The only ones who have told me anything about Celebi are Cogita, Celebi itself, and - oddly enough - [ILLEGIBLE].

The rest of the entry was illegible - not only were there blots of ink covering what else could have been written, but it was just as possible that the writer ran out of space. Still, one thing caught his attention.

"Celebi can make Time Flowers?" he murmured, placing a hand on his chin. Did it make the one we found in Route 210?

The sound of jeering caught his attention, and Lucas looked up. Barry and Dawn had been approached by an Ace Trainer. Condescension dripped from his Aura as he looked down at the two. In the distance, Lucas could see three other Ace Trainers watching the scene - a mixture of exasperation and amusement could be felt from them.

"Letting your girlfriend paint your nails?" the Ace Trainer sneered. "Dude, where's your pride as a man?"

"Even if she was my girlfriend, what's it to you?!" Barry shot back. It was clear as day that the only thing keeping him from getting up was Dawn's grip on his wrist. "Ever hear of minding your own business?!"

"Woah, cool it. I'm just looking out for you." The Ace Trainer shrugged, a smug smile still on his face. "People'll just make fun of you if you let her paint your nails like this. I'd never let anyone near my nails with that, even if she was my girlfriend."

Dawn looked at the Trainer's hands. "That's a shame. This shade of pink would be a good color for you."

"Don't even think about it, girly." Flustered, the Ace Trainer looked around until his gaze landed on Lucas. "You didn't paint his nails too, did you? Man, this is just pathetic. I saw your battle with Maylene yesterday, and I was going to ask if you wanted to join my crew...but you'd have to ditch the girly stuff. That kinda stuff isn't cool or manly."

"I'll pass," Lucas interjected. Before he could stop himself, he continued, "Wouldn't want to ruin my fun."

The Ace Trainer turned to Lucas, arms crossed. His arms were crossed and he straightened himself - clearly daring Lucas to speak up again. "What was that?"

In any other situation, Lucas would have backpedaled and apologized. Perhaps he would have stopped himself from saying what was really on his mind. He usually never spoke up like that, not even in school - he was usually more subtle in how he stood up for himself and his friends.

Before he could stop himself, Lucas spoke again.

"It's just," Lucas started, taking off one of his gloves to show off the pink nail polish. Before he could stop himself, he continued, "You say you're more manly than we are, but we're not the ones making a fuss over nail polish."

Immediately horrified, Lucas clamped a hand over his mouth with enough force to sting. Did I really just say that?!

It was like a bomb had been set off. Barry's laughter could have easily been mistaken for a Murkrow's. Dawn very nearly dropped the bottle of nail polish, but still had the biggest grin on her face. Lucas must have said that louder than he thought, because the Ace Trainer's friends were clearly shocked. One of them laughed out loud, only to be elbowed by another member of the group.

The Ace Trainer was the most shocked of all. His face turned bright red, and his fists were clenched. At first Lucas thought he was going to punch him. What actually happened was a surprise; the Ace Trainer stammered and eventually let out a frustrated noise before pointing in Lucas' direction.

"I won't forget this!" he shouted as he retreated. "This isn't over!"

As the three watched them go, Lucas couldn't help noting that Dawn's gaze flickered between the retreating trainers and Lucas.

"Lucas' first comeback," Dawn said, clearly awestruck. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"That was amazing, Luc!" Barry wheezed. He then stood to his feet as he shouted at the the retreating Ace Trainer. "Yeah, you better run! Wouldn't want a splash of pink on top of that burn!"

"Barry, if you don't sit back down-!"

For Lucas' part, he just wanted the earth to swallow him up where he sat. While he was proud of himself for sticking up for his friends, looking back on his tone made him anxious. This was going to come back to haunt him later, he just knew it.

...He hardly found it in himself to care, though.

Some time later, Lucas found himself sitting in front of Veilstone's Department Store. Almost right away, he had an odd feeling about it.

Wait, what was I doing before?

He tried to think back. The last thing he remembered was the nail polish incident - after that, the three had agreed to split up and meet back at the Pokemon Center for the night. He could have sworn that they did just that...so why was he back by the Department Store this late at night?

Speaking of...

Lucas looked down at his fingernails. His nails were perfectly trimmed, just like how Dawn did it...but the nail polish was gone. There was no way it could have chipped away - Dawn would've had his head if it happened that quickly. Heck, the fact that he wore gloves on a regular basis meant that very few people could see that he had nail polish on anyway. What would be the point in getting rid of the nail polish if very few people knew he had it on?

Suddenly alarmed, Lucas looked around. Veilstone City was completely empty - there wasn't a single other person in the area. That should have been impossible; Veilstone City was one of the busiest cities in Sinnoh (if not the busiest city). It even had a lively nightlife, so how could it be that he was the only one here?

Every footfall seemed to echo around him as he observed his surroundings. He couldn't feel anything around him - just a strange chill.

Pen's words came back to haunt him - some beings are strong enough to conceal their Aura - and he shivered.

"Hello?" he called. "Dawn? Barry? Anyone?!"

No answer.

"...Aevus?"

No answer, but Lucas did feel a chill up his spine. Surely it wasn't a reaction to something he said...right?

He heard footsteps rapidly approaching him, and was startled to find a very familiar face. Normally he would be relieved...but given that this was his father, Lucas was honestly a little more alarmed than relieved. What in the world was he doing in Veilstone?!

"Dad?!"

"There you are! It's been so long!" His father seemed overjoyed to see him, and Lucas was immediately pulled into a tight hug. It was cold.

After a moment of uncertainty, Lucas gently pushed himself out of the hug to look at his father's face. Strange...nothing seemed off, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease. "Where's Professor Rowan? You're usually with him."

"Huh? Oh, um...he's fine. Don't worry about him." His father gave a wave of his hand that seemed downright dismissive, which was a huge cause for concern. Before Lucas could bring it up, his father spoke up again; "I came here to warn you. No matter what happens, keep your distance from Aevus."

Now, Lucas was prepared for anything his father could have said at that moment - but that raised alarm bells in his mind. "What?!"

"I know he helped you with Aura, and I know your Umbreon seems to like him as well - for some reason." His father's expression showed some level of frustration - as if the idea of Blair warming up to Aevus was offensive - but he continued, "But please, please heed this warning. He is not to be trusted."

"But-"

"No buts! He's going to hurt you, if he hasn't done so already. Just trust me on this. You trust your father, don't you?"

"How do you even know about Aevus in the first place?! I never told you about him!"

His father's face fell slack.

"You never-" He stammered. Just from his expression, it was clear that he was just as surprised as Lucas had been. "Um...Excuse me? You don't trust...?"

"You should know how complicated that is!" Maybe his movements were becoming exaggerated - but what else can he do upon suddenly recalling certain parts of his childhood? Every single instance of feeling small and scared in his childhood came back to the surface, and the only thing he could do was talk; "Your parents - those sad excuses of grandparents - you saw how bad they treated me and Mom, just because they never liked her! Those two shut us down every time we had something to say. And while their hostility never got to Mom, they did get to me. You didn't even do anything about it until Mom died and we moved to Johto! I know it's been a decade, but how do I know you wouldn't have shut me down the moment I tried to say something about any of it?!"

"But-?!" Despite the rush of adrenaline and anxiety he felt, Lucas noted that there was a clear bewilderment in the air - in his father's Aura. Was it even his father in the first place? Wouldn't Dad feel more ashamed if this was brought up...or at least, defensive? There shouldn't be bewilderment and shock in his Aura...as if...

"I thought...I had no..." It was clear that 'Dad' was at a loss for words. "Rei, I-"

"That isn't my name!" Now Lucas was certain - there was no possible way this was actually his dad. Even if there was any sliver of a chance that he could've told his dad about Aevus or Aura, how could even begin to explain Rei? "If you're calling me that, then there's no way you're actually my dad. What exactly are you?!"

Before either of them could respond, Lucas suddenly felt a gentle warmth wrap around him. A small ball of light formed in front of him - Lucas held his hands out, and he felt his mind clearing. Almost like he was about to go to sleep...or was he about to...?

"No!" the imposter shouted. There seemed to be a sad expression on his face - sad and desperate. "Please, don't leave-!"

Lucas ignored the imposter's tone and took the light into his hands.

The moment the light solidified into the shape of a feather, Lucas found himself seated on a bed. He looked around. It was dark, but he could still hear snoring coming from the other bed - Barry was clearly still asleep. Was Dawn still sleeping in the other room? The thought of checking on them crossed his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to right now - he was too rattled, still trying to catch his breath as he tried to ascertain what just happened.

Was all that a dream? It had to be...but the feather that was clutched into his hand told a different story. Where had it even come from?

A light was suddenly turned on, and Lucas screamed.