Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

by Namohysip

[PMD] It started with getting stabbed. Later, mugged. Then, he forgets them both. Owen had lived a simple life with simple dreams, but an ancient conflict catches up with him, as does a forgotten past. With answers easily slipping away and chaos rising the more he fights to find them, there was no telling what hides in his forgotten core, and what he will become once unleashed.

140. Special Episode 9: Wishmaker

Special Episode 9 – Wishmaker

"I suppose I should be the one to begin, Owen."

Okay. Is it because Dark Matter wasn't around yet?

"I was. But Necrozma probably has a better perspective. During Kilo's beginning, I was lost and in my own personal torture realm… Irrelevant to this."

Right…

"Hmm, where to begin… Ah! Owen, what is the first thing you remember of Kilo?"

Waking up next to Tim, who was… Mew. Things were scrambled, like something was wrong, but I didn't think about it much.

"And then?"

Still a haze…

"We shall begin there."

---

Year 0

Owen and Tim flew side by side. Tim seemed playful, spiraling around Owen with great agility, occasionally banking under Owen's outstretched wings during a glide. Then he dipped down and squinted at the ruins below.

"It's some kind of explosion that hit this place," Tim said. "It's awful!"

"Quartz looks like it was bombarded by something massive," Owen agreed. "Wait! Up ahead!"

"I see it, too. Those are people!"

"Let's see if anyone's hurt."

It felt familiar. Owen and Tim surveying the land from above, searching for those in trouble…

There was a Salamence and a Dragonite leading the effort. Owen furrowed his brow, thinking hard.

"…Ire!" Owen shouted, diving down until he tackled the unsuspecting Dragonite. At first, he was startled, clawing at Owen, but Owen held strong and growled against his cheek.

Tim went flying after him, shouting to fall back, until Ire pulled away with a happy growl of his own. They stepped away from each other, beaming, and then Owen looked at the alarmed Salamence next to him.

Surrounding them all were several other Pokémon scattered throughout the ruins. Many of them were emerging from rubble or helping others emerge, and several eyes were on them with the sudden reunion.

"Owen," Salamence said, sighing. Her voice was deep and Owen didn't recognize it. "What are you doing? You're late for the recovery!"

"Recovery?" Owen tilted his head. Her accent was hard to understand. It felt like they were speaking totally different languages. Owen must have hit his head pretty hard; the way he himself spoke felt… unfamiliar.

"Who are you, again?" Tim asked, pink tail flicking as he thought. "Sorry, I think we got hit by… a massive wave of forgetfulness, or something."

"You're familiar, too," Salamence said. "Hmm…" She squinted, studying the tiny Mew. "Wait. You were with Owen?"

"Of course!"

"Tim." She sighed, nodding. "It's me, Ayame. Do you remember anything?"

"No. But we were in the middle of… something, weren't we?"

"Yes, we were defending against something. It must have hit. Let's gather survivors."

Owen tensed. "Survivors?"

"Well, I say that…" The Salamence turned, looking heavy-footed when she did so, and scanned the environment. "All this rubble, collapsed buildings, completely ruined roads… This is the kind of destruction that you would expect to see many bodies. And yet…"

Urgent shouts rang out, catching their attention. Some rubble was being cleared, and then out came a Lucario, easily pushing the rest of the rubble away. Next to him was a tiny Torkoal curled up in his shell, a little scuffed but otherwise unharmed.

"Just like that," Ayame said. "Not a single soul left us, I feel. It's nothing short of miraculous."

"Miraculous…" Tim looked at his hands. It seemed like he was at the cusp of some realization. And then there was a look of alarm on Tim's face, and he took a breath, about to say something—and then he stopped. The thought left him, perhaps. Letting out a frustrated grunt, he crossed his arms. "We're forgetting something important. Gah! I feel crazy!" He raised his tiny, pink arms skyward. "A hint would be nice!"

They all looked skyward, as if expecting to get one.

And then, northeast, a golden light washed out the blues in the sky.

"Attention, all of Quartz," boomed a voice that, no matter the distance, was equally clear to all.

Cries of shock, fear, and awe all rang out. Ire hid behind Ayame. Owen and Ayame, meanwhile, only turned to face the light, narrowing their pupils against it.

It looked like a tall star with eight sides, golden crystal legs and prismatic eyes. Rather than arms, it had four great wings. Its whole body was taller than any mountain, and when it spoke, its crystal jaw did not move. Without pupils, there was no way to tell what it saw. Perhaps it saw everything.

"A terrible calamity had befallen your world, one so tragic that even the event itself was lost to you. That is the source of all the ruin and rubble. But please, do not fear: you are all alive and well. My name is Necrozma. I shall help you rebuild what was lost, so you may live your lives properly once again.

"This will be my first and last message to you in this way, in an ideal situation. I shall only see you again like this if a time of crisis of the same magnitude threatens to befall us once more. To prevent that from happening once again, I urge you all to work together and pave the future you desire from the ashes of your own history.

"Good luck, and I will do everything in my power to ensure such a calamity will never happen again."

He bowed. His form, made of seemingly pure light, dissolved, and only then did Owen notice a tall tower in its place. The crowd around them began to move again, murmuring to one another. Tim was about to speak to Owen about it, when—

"And to those who can hear me now…" Tim, Ire, Owen, and Ayame all looked at the tower again. So did that Lucario and Torkoal. Nobody else did. "I have seen into your hearts, and I know of the past you have forgotten. The heroics performed in the time that had been erased. If you desire to rebuild this world with your ideals, come to Destiny Tower."

To their eyes only, as nobody else noticed, the great spire became brighter.

"I wish to speak with all who can climb its labyrinth."

---

Necrozma… who are you?

"What do you mean?"

Arceus was the one who destroyed Quartz. And Star—er, Mew was the one who got into all that trouble. Why is it that, after that, you're the one we see? Wouldn't it be Arceus apologizing for what happened?

"Arceus… is filled with a great pride, Owen."

"He would never admit to such a mistake."

I guess so…

"When someone is killed, the natural flow of the spirit is to go on to the next world. It takes a great deal of effort or special privileges to go against that current. Even you, Owen, would struggle to return from the dead without the power of so many gods requiring you alive. The Reincarnation Machine is a bypass that kept you alive… but if you were to die now, you would be nothing more than a spirit tied to an Orb.

"Arceus killed every single person who lived in Quartz Isle at the time of its demise, and then erased from history the event that caused it. All who died there… the effort required to bring them back, to undo that damage rather than make it forgotten, was too great.

"Both for his efforts, and for his pride."

"Indeed. And Star was… traumatized by the ordeal. A god outside of their domain becomes vulnerable and weak, only a few degrees removed from mortal. And Star flew too close to that mortality when meddling with the world she had created. Humans caught her and tried to use and abuse that divine power. In the end, she died for it, as did all who lived on that island.

"That is where I stepped in."

You… stepped in?

"There is more to Creation than a single reality, Owen. The world you are from, with Kanto and Orre… I call that a 'favored' world. It is a world that the creators pay… more attention to. Where they are likely to dwell within as their false domains for a semblance of mortal living. The risk of harm is less than the joys of living, to Star. That is how she felt… before that fateful day when she was captured, and that risk caught up to her.

"But a 'favored' world means there are other worlds that the gods do not watch. These worlds rise and fall without need for their original creators, and follow their own cycle. Perhaps they create gods of their own, in a figurative sense. Rulers and wielders of that domain's power, masters of its closed rules. Star, Arceus, they are indeed gods of Creation. But I am… an Overseer. A visitor who has… ehm, an extended stay."

Overseer… wait—an Overseer? There are more Necrozma out there?!

"Aha, well, yes, I suppose that's also true. But anyone can be an Overseer. Do you really think I would stay in a single form for eons? …Ah, you look overwhelmed."

"This is news to me, too. I knew you weren't native to this world. But you aren't even native to this realm."

"Yes, I suppose that's true…"

"You stepped in because a god abused their power?"

"Not necessarily. I only stepped in because I saw a disturbance. I offered… a solution."

Kilo was your solution?

"Rather than send all the spirits from Quartz on their way, Mew was filled with regret over her actions, and Arceus, too, wished to try again despite their inability to outright reverse it. They could not revive those spirits. But they could reincarnate them in a new world. In nothing, a Creator is at their most powerful. Crafting a new reality to house these spirits was trivial.

"Quartz, the world rather than the island, was born."

Okay. Okay… Let's go on. Sorry. Just needed some time.

"Right. Let's take a break. Then, we can recall a bit ahead, when you were training to climb the tower…"

---

Year 1

There had been a plaque at the front of Destiny Tower saying that those who ascended the tower required strength of mind, body, spirit. Owen, not quite knowing what it meant to have a strong spirit, and fairly confident that Tim was not of strong mind, felt that ascending the tower as they were wouldn't be enough, despite Necrozma's urging.

It was a tower that dwarfed the very skies, its top disappearing through the clouds above.

Rather than scale it and leave everyone else to recover, they vowed to return when their duties were complete.

Tim had tried to call out to Necrozma again, asking if it would be okay to return later, but received no reply. The Mew hoped, ultimately, that it would be okay. Gods worked on longer timeframes, right? A few weeks would be nothing…

One day, Ayame and Ire left for the tower. Tim and Owen caught up to them just at the Tower's entrance, where the dirt of a forest clearing transitioned into pure marble.

"So soon?" Tim said worriedly. "Just like that, you're gonna…"

"I'm just going to get it over with," the Salamence replied with a sigh. "There's no point in anticipating any of this. I'll just try it once… Apparently, a few people have already tried scaling it multiple times. All of them failed, waking up at the base of the tower in a flash of light. But one person made it to the top… and didn't find anything."

"Oh. Well, then why bother?"

Owen rumbled as he thought about it. What would have caused them to not find anything?

"My theory is, Necrozma hadn't called them specifically, or you have to get to the top of the tower on your first try. Otherwise, you weren't meant to complete it."

"Wait, then wouldn't that be all the more reason to stay?!"

Ayame shrugged. "Necrozma called me. If I scale this tower and fail, then it wasn't meant to be. That would be my fate. I want to know what's waiting at the top already… I'm not feeling patient. Come, Ire. We shall ascend."

The Dragonite followed her, looking confident. Owen wished he could have felt the same about Tim… but right now, neither of them felt ready to scale it.

They disappeared into the gray spire.

It was the last time Owen had ever seen Salamence Ayame. Ire had appeared later that evening in a flash of light, defeated.

Ayame had never climbed down that tower for weeks. They tended to Ire, who fretted over her disappearance, but they tried to assure him that things were okay. But eventually, after realizing that she indeed wasn't coming back—or perhaps too much time had passed—it had become a rescue operation. What if, somehow, she had become trapped?

"We're going to have to cut our training short, Owen," Tim said, looking determined. "Let's climb that tower and rescue Ayame."

That was his decision. Rescuing someone… It was so familiar to Owen. They'd done it a lot in the past, right? It was a fuzzy memory, the old calamity still obscuring it, but he definitely remembered some of that…

"Right," Owen agreed. "Ire, do you want to come with us?"

"I'll try…"

Tim still had trouble understanding Ire's accent. But he got the gist. The Mew floated out of their home—a simple hut made from clay and grass—and stared the tower down. His tail flicked anxiously. "We might fail the first time," he said, "but we'll keep trying until we can get her. Whatever reward—forget it. Ayame might need our help, and that's more important. Right, Owen?"

Owen had some doubts, but Tim's resolve encouraged him.

They entered the tower… and, instantly, Tim disappeared from view.

---

We can skip this part.

"Oh? You remember?"

I remember enough. You didn't make it easy…

"Well, it was meant to test your will."

I think I took more Rock attacks to the face in that tower than the rest of my life up to that point.

"A strong test of will…"

When we went to the top, I remember meeting Tim. He made it through, too. And you told us that Shadows were the cause of Quartz's destruction. I didn't really understand it at the time. But the truth is, humans were doing something horrible on that island, and they got Star in the process. They tried to use Shadows on her, or something, and Arceus retaliated by destroying the island and everyone on it. Then you stepped in and made Quartz Island the world, and put us here.

"Correct. I am sorry for not being upfront."

But what happened after… I'm not going to forget that.

---

"Well, um… hey! Good work on getting up here and stuff," Mew said, her voice hiding the most subtle of trembles.

"Yeah, uh…" Tim drifted a little closer, but Mew drifted back when he did. It seemed involuntary, like she hadn't realized it herself.

Owen then looked at Arceus, and then at the bright dragon between them. It was still hard to look at that one directly. He didn't fully understand the magnitude of what he was facing just then, but on some innate level he felt a reverence he'd never experienced before. These really were great beings… Things far larger than him on a scale he only saw the very edge of.

Up until then, Owen only really paid attention to the world he could see. After all, what was the point of the rest? He hadn't even been sure that they truly existed.

And yet… they did.

It dawned on Owen just then who he was truly speaking to.

"Why did you call us here?" Tim asked. "What's all this for?"

Arceus nodded. "This is… a renewed world," he explained. "And it is going to be a temporary one, only for a little while. But even a temporary world needs gods to keep it stable."

"People can't maintain it on their own?" Owen asked.

"Normally, they can," the dragon of light said. "Unfortunately, this world was not built to be self-sustaining. It was made after recovering from a great crisis, and only through divine power is it kept together. It needs divine power to sustain as well… and we cannot do it alone for very long. We must delegate our efforts to other, physical gods local to the domain."

"So, where are they?" Tim asked, tilting his head. "The other physical gods."

There was a long, long silence. The divine Mew glanced uneasily at Arceus, and then at Necrozma.

"Temporary gods mean temporary lives can fill it," Arceus said. "The easiest way to make this all work swiftly before the world's ecosystem falls apart would be… if we did not create them from scratch, but instead built them off of noble souls already present."

Owen rolled that sentence in his head multiple times. Noble souls? Temporary gods? …Ayame was still missing.

Tim was faster. "Where's… Ayame?" he asked quietly. "Y-you… what did you do to her?"

"Phrasing it that way is so ominous." Necrozma tilted his head. "Ayame is just fine. She is in a deep sleep while her spirit acclimates."

"You can't be serious!" Tim said, half shouting and half whispering. "You… turned her into—"

"In truth," Arceus said, "she was a very noble spirit, but one that needs two more to fully form. We are waiting. During your ascent of Destiny Tower, we were able to get a very deep look at your spirits and the experiences that shaped who you are today. What we saw was… promising. Therefore, we are making the same offer to you. Both of you."

"Both—" Owen flinched. "Me? I'm… just a Charizard."

"And I'm just—well, I mean, I guess when I'm staring right at another one, it sounds kinda silly…" Tim laughed nervously, glancing at the divine Mew who couldn't make eye contact with him. She looked guilty.

"The choice was easy for you," Arceus said, looking to Tim. "You are a Mew now, yes… and we already have a divine Mew. But your drive to help others, that need to assist even the smallest requests… You want to be charitable, and you have given much in order to achieve that. You have great dreams, but also think about the dreams of others."

He glanced at Owen at that one, and Owen flinched. He had a vague sense of what that meant, but couldn't fill that foggy part of his memory.

"You…" He addressed Tim first. "A spirit like you, filled with dreams and charity… You will be Jirachi, the Wishmaker."

"We had two candidates for you, Owen," Necrozma went on as Tim absorbed that information. "A burning spirit, undaunting. And I'm also sensing a great… inquisitiveness in you, even if the full scope does not register. Not yet. But with time, you will easily understand it. Stubborn and unyielding, yet material and not one to put faith in what you cannot see or prove yourself. A dauntless spirit like you could become Solgaleo, the embodiment of the sun. Or, as one who seeks only evidence, you can become Reshiram, the Dragon of Truth. Though, in truth, that would make you part of a set, and join Ayame as you wait for the final third. Do not worry—it won't be permanent. Only in emergencies would your full power, as one, be required."

None of that registered to Owen. And he felt it would be rude to ask again. Instead, he gave an uneasy glance at Tim.

But the Mew had a totally different expression. His eyes were wide and bright and thrilled. Owen couldn't mirror it, and it was surreal that there was such a disconnect.

"When can I start?!" Tim beamed. "Owen, which one, huh? You should go for Reshiram. Fire and Dragon, right? I remember reading about that. I dunno what a Solgaleo is, though. Is that also a dragon? Owen might be interested in that."

Owen wasn't sure, but it seemed like Necrozma had brightened even more.

"As soon as you're ready," Arceus said. "Owen? What about you?"

He was just a Charizard. And the idea of becoming something else… Was that the right thing to do?

"Owen?" Arceus asked.

"I'm… not ready." He shook his head. "But if Tim wants this, I'll… Can I still be with him?"

"Well, of course." Arceus nodded. "It may be a bit awkward, as Jirachi is quite small, but the discrepancy between you two already is—"

Owen looked down, and Arceus stopped. "What I mean is," Owen said, "if… I said no."

"Oh."

"No?" Necrozma asked, leaning forward. "We are offering you something undeniably positive. Are you sure?"

"I'm not ready yet. Maybe later, or…"

"It is a lot," Mew said, having been quiet all this time.

The two larger gods softened at that, their once puzzled gazes transitioning to one of solemn understanding.

"Well, that is fine," Arceus said. "You completed the trial. You are free to visit without obstruction again in the future. Perhaps, until then…"

"I could grant you a title instead," Necrozma said, "and a token of my power. A gesture of good faith."

And to this, Arceus and Mew both looked at Necrozma with a flash of surprise.

"I'm not ready," Owen said again, shaking his head rapidly. "Can't I… learn first?"

"Learn." Necrozma repeated it, and Owen was certain, this time, that he'd brightened more. "Very well, Owen. You may learn."

---

I still don't know what that was all about after all this time, Necrozma.

"It sounds to me like he was impressed that you denied such great power being offered by an even greater authority."

"Well, to an extent… yes. But personalities like that aren't unique. I suppose it had been a while since I'd seen one with all the experience that Owen had. As a mortal, at least. I'd seen his past and his desire to help, and I was giving him the power to help more. Timothy's emphatic acceptance is the norm, for those whose hearts we deem worthy."

"You were surprised. That's rare for a god."

"Perhaps I was also easily impressed. It had been a while since I got to interact with sapient life… It isn't usually my domain. It was all such a novelty. I'm sure you saw how excited I was in this little toy universe."

Toy.

"Ah. My apologies. It is still your home."

…After that meeting, Tim stayed behind. He… You put him in a ball of light, and I couldn't see in it.

"Ah, I didn't. Arceus did. Jirachi is under his domain."

Right. And I stayed, and you left to observe others ascending Destiny Tower. You even offered to let me fight alongside the others who defended the upper floors. I was a little excited, but I think I said no?

"It really was to pass the time, but I sensed you were worried that partaking in anything was some contract into servitude. Really, Owen, I admire your caution, but even back then you were quite overly skeptical."

Kept me going this long…

"It's a useful skill."

"Ah…"

And eventually… Right. Eventually…

---

They had set up an alcove for Owen in one of the floors just below Destiny Tower's apex. Secluded from the very, very few who tried to climb it, but still near enough that he heard the occasional traveler.

Time was a strange thing in the Tower. The sun rose and set as it wanted, and Owen oddly never felt the need to sleep unless he wanted to. He occasionally spoke with the spirits of Destiny Tower—apparitions that were apparently dutiful spirits loyal to Arceus, perhaps from another world—and they, too, did not remember how long it had been. That was unnerving.

Eventually, he'd had enough. He ascended the final few floors again, nodding at familiar faces that he knew at these top echelons of divine defense.

He had to ask about Tim, of course. But he also needed to ask about why everything felt so strange lately.

"Necrozma?" Owen called. "Uh… Our Light… or whatever?" He winced. "Er, forget I said that last part…"

His wings bumped into the wall on either side, which was new. Did the hall get smaller since he'd last visited?

"Hello, Owen."

Preemptively, Owen squinted, but noticed that Necrozma's brightness was more tolerable than usual.

"You must have sensed that your friend is ready."

"What?"

Necrozma gestured behind him, where a light was starting to fade. Within that light were little runes that encircled a sphere; they looked a lot like letters, the way they drifted around.

"You've grown," Necrozma said with an amused uptick in his voice.

"S-so it's not just in my head! What's going on?"

"It's only slight… but I think you're picking up some of the power of Destiny Tower. I've found that aspects of divine strength can sometimes make Pokémon… larger. You look like you picked up some of my light."

Owen seemed apprehensive.

"Don't worry. This doesn't mean anything in terms of allegiances." He held up his wings placatingly. "Consider it a gift."

"Right. Sorry, I don't mean to disrespect you. I'm just not ready for the responsibility, that's all. Not…"

Necrozma nodded, but then gestured to the shell. "Would you like to see your friend, now?"

The shell suddenly cracked and Owen held his breath. Tim. That was Tim. Would he remember? Would he be a totally different person? He still had no idea what happened to Ayame, and Ire was a nervous wreck over it, too. He'd climbed the tower a second time and made it to the top, but as it was his second time, he did not qualify for ascent, and received no such blessings. Now that Owen thought about it, Ire wasn't getting any bigger, like Owen was.

"Don't be so nervous," Necrozma said. "It's like I said. He will be just as you remember. Well, not physically, of course, but—"

There was an ethereal snap! like a metal rope whipping the air. The light shattered and evaporated, revealing an even smaller figure. The light spilled off of the new figure like water over wax. A three-sided star for a head and a tiny body… Jirachi.

He still didn't take his breath. Necrozma seemed to be suppressing a light chuckle.

Jirachi floated upside-down, and then blinked awake. "Hm?" He flipped right side-up. "…Oh, come on!"

They locked eyes and Jirachi growled at him. "What's the big idea?! I'm even smaller?!"

"Tim?" Owen asked, reaching forward. He looked totally different. Not even his voice was the same. It felt more distant, the faintest echo in every syllable.

"Actually, you're about the same size, Jirachi," Necrozma said. "It is Owen who has grown since you fell asleep."

"But Owen was already fully grown! How long was I out?"

"Wait, wait." Owen held up his hands. "So, you remember me?"

"Of course I do!" Jirachi grinned. "You remember me, right?"

Necrozma nodded. "Are you satisfied now, Owen? I'm sorry if I laughed at your distress."

"I think so… Sorry. Just, someone totally changing species like this—I don't know how to react to it. You feel normal, Tim?"

Jirachi looked at Owen with an empty smile at first, like he was furrowing a brow that he didn't have. "Tim… Tim…"

"Ah, of course," Necrozma interjected. "A small side effect, but no greater. As part of the ascent, their mortal name will be… unfamiliar. But I assure you, that—and a few new instincts pertaining to their new body—is all that has changed."

Owen tried to tell himself that it was okay.

"Oh, wow. That's spooky," Jirachi said. "I used to be called Tim? I think I remember you calling me by a name tons of times before, Owen. Just blanked out! Is it alright if I go by Jirachi for now?"

"I guess so…" Owen felt numb about it. Maybe it didn't sink in yet.

"Anyway, c'mon!" Jirachi floated up to Owen's face and waved. "I know where I need to go! It's a cave nearby. Let's set up a base already!"

"B-but what about Ayame?"

"Who?"

"Kyurem," Necrozma said.

"Oh! Right! She's gonna take longer. It'll be alright. We can tell Ire."

"And it's really you, right?" Owen asked.

"Yes, Owen." Jirachi sighed. "Just because I have a different name and body doesn't mean I'm not the same Jirachi—uh, Tim—you knew from before. I remember all the rescues we'd gone on together, how we saved Mew, the dark power that Arceus had to stop, and so on. It's fine!"

Owen's flame was dim and his head was low, but he nodded.

"You'll get used to it," Jirachi assured, but even he looked conflicted. He hummed, as if thinking of a solution. "Umm… I know. How about we go and… fish around for some math homework to do, huh? You were always better than me at it."

It was a strange request and Owen still laughed at it. "Sure." Such a dumb little thing and his chest felt lighter. He could finally breathe.

---

Why did you take away his name?

"Sealed, not taken away. There is little we can take away. It's a symbolic gesture… to put your divine duties above your mortal ones. You are, after all, vessels for a purpose of keeping the world safe."

What about Emily?

"She… is a special case. She abandoned her divine duty and took the side of Dark Matter—but we will get to that later. But in that process, she regained her name.

"Moving on, Owen… After you settled with Jirachi in Star Cave. Jirachi's duties were to grant the wishes of mortals who truly needed help, in miscellaneous ways that the higher pantheon could not. It was precisely the sort of duty that you performed in the past. You did not enact policies or grand, sweeping changes, and instead were the people on the ground who helped those in immediate need. The duty fit. And so, despite your original apprehensions… you were quite happy. Do you remember?"

I do. It was actually a good life. I never became part of the pantheon in the same way that Tim did. I guess I was more of a noble follower, or something?

"That's a way to put it. And for a while, you trained near Destiny Tower… and also saw many prospective ascendants. Among them, as you recall…"

---

Year 10

It was another day just in front of Destiny Tower—not too far from Star Cave, where Jirachi had set up "a base" to dwell. It was a good place to hang around and train without being bothered by those who wanted to see the Wishmaker. It was a good thing Tim had a habit of sleeping and being impossible to disturb, since that was when he could take his breaks.

Owen breathed a bright, golden fire over a rock, melting it into a fine molten pile. He then reached toward the pile and shaped it like clay, squeezing here and pressing there. The stone itself glowed a bright orange, but there was also an outer gold glow accompanying it that kept the heat for longer. This was part of endurance training, but it was also something to keep his mind occupied. Simple crafts, shaping the stone into something before it cooled.

He wasn't any good at it, though. Everything was misshapen or lumpy. It wasn't something made for fine craft.

"A Charizard making sculptures out of magma?"

At the forest edge, a Trapinch waddled toward him. Owen always felt nervous about such small creatures approaching him. One wrong step and he'd squish him like a grape. An orange, crunchy grape. Peanut.

"Hello?" Trapinch called.

"Oh, sorry. You're…?"

"Trapinch Gahi! I'm gonna climb Destiny Tower."

"…On a dare?"

"No!" Gahi snapped his jaws disapprovingly, then jerked his massive head behind him. There, an Axew and Bayleef were catching up. "But we're gonna totally climb it."

"Sorry, but kids aren't really what we're looking for," Owen said.

"Okay, I'm not a kid! We just didn't really get into the whole training thing, and we're kinda on the slow-to-evolve side! Except Mispy. She's fine."

That must have been the Bayleef. Still, not even at their full forms…

"You need to train first," Owen said routinely. "You can only truly ascend if you climb Destiny Tower on your first try. It's a test of your strength. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. Only those worthy will be able to make it to the top. Even if you're spiritually and mentally strong… physically, you aren't ready."

"But you are, right?" Gahi asked.

"I was."

"And you ascended into a Legendarily Fat Charizard?"

"I—" Owen kept his cool, but that one stung. "That's just how Charizard are. It's not fat. I'm fit. Actually, I'm thinner than average."

"Yeah, but…" Gahi gestured behind Owen. There were deep footprints in the dirt.

Owen grumbled. "It just comes with the size. I ascended in a different way than usual. I didn't want to become a Legend, but Necrozma took me in as a student anyway."

"So, if we beat you, we'll be able to ascend?"

Gods, this one was thick. "You'd… have a slightly better chance."

"Alright, alright." Gahi nodded, his beady eyes looking contemplative. Of what, Owen wasn't sure, but that empty head probably had something knocking around.

"You should probably fully evolve first," Owen said before the peanut got the wrong idea.

"Fine! You're on."

"Um, Gahi? I-is that Charizard safe? He won't eat us, will he?" Axew called. Bayleef sighed, shaking her head.

"Eat? What do I look like, some pure battleheart?" Owen snorted a plume of smoke.

"Well, you kinda look like it…"

"I'm a first-generation battleheart. I don't know my parents, but they were battlehearts the same way. I'm not like that, though. Obviously. Because I can talk."

"You have the accent, though." Gahi nodded. "It's kinda funny."

"I'll show you a funny accent," Owen muttered.

"What was that?" Gahi asked.

"Nothing." Owen dismissed him with a wave. "Come back when you're stronger."

"How about we train with you?"

Owen blinked. "What?"

"Is that against the rules?" Axew asked.

"No, I guess it isn't. But my training regimen is very strict, you know." Though he wondered if the meditation would be the hardest part for the jittery Trapinch.

"We can handle it." Gahi tilted his head up with pride. "Just you watch!"

---

Owen tossed a bag that contained his leftovers from lunchtime to the corner of the room, as he usually did, and flopped into a bed of Rawst leaves.

"Owen?" Jirachi called.

"Muuh," Owen called back.

"Hey! You look cheerful." He floated inside, a dim, silver glow suggesting he'd just finished granting a wish.

"Just a long day," he said. "I think I got roped into training three kids who wanted to climb Destiny Tower, or something."

"Three kids, huh…" Jirachi tilted his head. "What's wrong with that?"

"Well… I have a job to guard Destiny Tower, right?"

"Well, watch. You don't really prevent people from going in. And it's not like it can be destroyed… You're just there for training and being able to talk to Necrozma, Arceus, and Mew easier."

"Yeah, yeah." Owen rolled onto his back.

"…Is that getting boring?"

"A little." He hummed. "I miss rescuing people. I kinda wish I could do that sometimes." He furrowed his brow, not looking at Jirachi, but he somehow felt the little sprite's smirk. "No, not literally a wish."

"Not allowed to grant our own wishes anyway," Jirachi reminded. "Y'know, maybe you should go on missions with them. It could be fun!"

"But what about my training?"

"Train with them?" Jirachi hummed again. "You know, the others were never really sure what to do about… where you're going and stuff. Necrozma kinda left you to figure that out. I know you like being given orders and tasks, but… why not branch out and figure things out for yourself? Make your own decisions! You aren't under any duties!"

Jirachi's eyes were glowing with enthusiasm. Owen had to admit, seeing Jirachi like that was nostalgic. It reminded him of when he was a Mew.

"You'll be fine without me?" he asked.

"I think I will. My duties don't normally need an assistant, after all!"

"I guess not." Owen sat up, rubbing his head.

Jirachi floated to the tossed lunch bag and floated into another room in the cave that seemed to have spring water from the rocky walls with the pull of a lever.

"Say, what wish did you grant, anyway?" Owen scratched his cheek, suppressing a yawn.

"Oh, it was a petty wish, but one with low impact. I didn't sense any malice from them. They wished for a new recruit to complete their team."

Owen stopped scratching. Did he want to ask? Yes, he had to ask. "What were they?"

"Uhhh… a Trapinch, Axew, and Bayleef."

"Huh." Owen glanced at his supply bag. He conjured a small gust of wind, grabbing the misshapen, handcrafted badge they'd given him. "How about that."

---

"So, it was a wish?" Owen pressed, arms crossed. "That's what led you guys to me?"

Like before, he was at his post in front of Destiny Tower, where he'd told them to meet. The sky was a brilliant, pale blue from late morning, without a single cloud in the sky.

"A w-wish? What are you talking about?" Axew asked, immediately nervous. "W-we totally didn't make a wish that'd mind-control someone into joining our team!"

Bayleef balled up a vine and gently knocked the top of Axew's head.

"That isn't how wishes work," Owen said. "Wishes are only granted to those pure of heart. Or, pure enough, if the wish is harmless. Jirachi normally has an assistant who helps to determine if someone is worthy of a wish, but he can do it on his own, too. Wishes alter the flow of the world to make something happen, if it wasn't going to. Or make it more likely to happen. It alters the world in tiny, tiny ways. The more energy Jirachi puts into it, the greater the change."

"Oh. So it doesn't… conjure a new teammate out of thin air?"

"No. Chances are it just gave you the idea to go someplace that might have someone to complete your team." He looked them over, frowning. "For example, your massive Ice weakness."

"Oi! We just won't take missions in cold places."

"And if you're dealing with someone who knows Ice attacks?"

"Eh…"

"S-so you didn't get mind controlled into joining?" Axew asked again, trembling.

"No. Jirachi's wish… guided you to me. Maybe I was on his mind. Or maybe I was… the most likely person to join, who'd also be a big help to the team. But wishes can come with side effects or ironic solutions, you know."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like me completely outclassing all three of you."

"You wanna say that to my face?!" Gahi snapped his jaws in his general direction.

Owen's shoulders sagged and he stared skyward, groaning. He did say it to his face. Unless Gahi wanted him to bend all the way to the ground. Then, he looked down at the jawed peanut and motioned for him to strike.

Gahi opened his jaws wide and lunged, bumping into a golden barrier instantly. Owen flicked a finger in Gahi's direction when he was down and dazed.

"Eh?"

A pinprick of orange light appeared in front of him that expanded and burst into a plume of fire and heat. Gahi screeched and rolled away, but lost his footing as another explosion enveloped him.

"Gahi!" Axew cried. Bayleef narrowed her eyes, then glared at Owen.

When the smoke cleared, Gahi was covered in soot, but unharmed.

"H-ha! Yeh missed!"

"I know."

"Eh—"

He was surrounded by a perfect ring of scorch marks.

"I may not be good at shaping molten stone," Owen said, "but I at least know how to control a flame."

While Gahi gathered his bearings, Owen approached the trio and crossed his arms, dwarfing all of them. His shadow completely smothered the three.

"If I'm going to be part of your team, it's going to be as your leader until you can get to my level. I ascended Destiny Tower, you didn't. You're training for that by helping others and getting stronger, right? So, I'll help you do that. If Jirachi didn't sense any malice from you, then you're at least pure with your intent."

"L… lea… der?" Bayleef said, her voice a raspy whisper.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked, gaze softening. "Are you hurt?"

Bayleef's glare doubled. Owen squinted, unsure if he'd offended her somehow.

"Don't… p… pity m… me."

She didn't seem nervous. Perhaps she just had trouble getting her words out, for some reason. "It's not pity," he said. "Are you their leader?"

She tried to speak again, but now no words came. She nodded, in the end.

"Then what is your answer?" Owen asked. "Do you want me on your team?"

She couldn't speak, but her eyes said everything about her. Calculating, weighing her options calmly. While Gahi was too reckless, but certainly determined, and Axew was cautious but feeble, Bayleef perhaps knew how to direct them both and take advantage of their strengths. Yes. She was their proper leader.

Bayleef nodded, but there was a defiant look in her eyes, like she didn't truly want to give up her title as leader. Pride? No… she didn't seem like the sort to hold petty pride.

She pulled Axew close and whispered to him. Owen couldn't hear it.

"Um… Mispy says, you need to prove that your attitude matches our team's first. We wouldn't want a leader that doesn't know how the team works."

At first, Owen wanted to scoff. Know how the team worked? Obviously they would have flaws, glaring ones, if their composition already had weaknesses. Yet… they were also a successful team to be taken seriously, and he had to admit, the strike Gahi attempted did have substantial force. They weren't aimless. Maybe they had merit on their own.

"Deal," Owen said. "When is our first mission?"

---

"Do you need a moment, Owen?"

No, no, I'm fine. Sorry.

"You were a team even then. And for five years, you were part of it, going on all kinds of odd jobs across the scattered lands."

Because back then, there wasn't really any central society. Bandits were everywhere, and weird… instabilities cropped up like the world wasn't really holding together. They weren't Dungeons, just… odd things that happened.

"Mostly my doing. I was in my infancy at the time, and I lashed out where I could."

In fact, that reminds me of someone who was sent to go on missions related to that…

---

Year 11

Owen was in a staring contest. It had been minutes by now. The great Charizard versus the tiny Riolu. What irritated him more than anything was that he was losing. His tail lashed and thumped against the ground; the sun beat over their heads. There was no wind in front of Destiny Tower today.

"I don't get it," Owen finally muttered. "How are you so strong?"

"Pure, natural talent." Riolu smirked and held his hands on his hips, chest out. Taking the opportunity, Owen poked him in the gut, letting out all the air in the much tinier Pokémon.

"Oi, oi, what's th' big idea?!" He looked ready to kick off the ground to sock Owen in the jaw.

"You let your guard down."

"Why, I oughta—"

"Hey, hey!"

Before Riolu could do anything more, Jirachi flew in with what looked like a bag of packaged food. More than usual, suggesting that he'd gotten some for Riolu as well.

"Looks like you guys already met," Jirachi said. "Why the serious faces?"

"He challenged me to a staring contest," Owen said. "I wasn't going to lose."

"You looked away first," Riolu pointed out, smirking.

Owen let out a long, rumbling growl.

"Competitive as always," Jirachi said, shrugging. He set down the largest container of food for Owen, sliding it forward with a Psychic aura, and then asked, "I wasn't sure what your favorite is, so I got something basic for you, Riolu."

"Eh, sure, yeah. Name's Manny, by th' way."

"Right, right. How casual of you." Jirachi offered a fruit salad to Manny, who took it with a polite nod. "Where's the rest of your team, anyway?"

"Training. Gotta catch up, heh."

"Jirachi, is it true that this… Riolu is someone Mew specifically picked for something? He has Mew's blessings?"

"Fits the personality, doesn't it?"

"I—" Owen was about to protest before he realized how true that was. Carefree, confident, a little boasting… Yes, that fit Mew a little too well. "He isn't even ready for Destiny Tower. Why did she pick him specifically?"

Jirachi shrugged. "Only Mew knows that one. You know how gods can be with secrets and agendas."

"You're a god."

"Yeah, that's how I know!" Jirachi grinned.

"…What secrets or agendas do you have, hmm?"

"Uh… I'm sure I have one or two sitting around…"

"Oi, which one's this?" Manny lifted a pink berry from the bowl.

"Pecha," Owen said, squinting.

"I like it." He munched on a few, then added, "Hey, y'got any potatoes er somethin'?"

"Potatoes, huh?" Jirachi asked. "Sure, maybe next time I'll get that! I heard there's a farm run by a Dunsparce family that grows some of the best potatoes."

"Well, alright," Owen said, sighing. "Then I have to go back to wishkeeping."

In the end, Manny was not someone that Owen saw very often, but he always heard little stories about his escapades around Quartz, often to do with strange shadows or other distortions in the world. Owen associated them with pockets of power that the gods had yet to stabilize, which meant more were needed to ascend to fill the gaps of the world after the calamity that had hit Quartz before, from the erased era.

Owen's thoughts trailed to his friends. They, too, would probably be part of the effort to fill those gaps…

---

Manny wasn't really around in most of my life back then. Who… was he, exactly?

"I suppose you could say he was another hero when the Legends were busy keeping the world stable, and that included you. Manny had a special talent for detecting instabilities that none of us could find as easily. We capitalized on that and searched for them quickly, where we could."

So he was sort of a special agent for things we missed? I think I remember some of that…

"I remember him being a thorn in my side."

"Let's not skip too far ahead, now…"

I wonder why Manny didn't mention any of—well, now that I think about it, he mentioned that he and Star go way back. Maybe they just forgot the details because of that seal that made us forget you…

"That is likely. Manny was a hero, even prior to ascending. But I do not really know all of the details for it, only that—"

"Can we move on."

Right, okay… Well, how about when Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi were finally…

---

Year 15

There was a slight tension in his chest. Owen was starting to feel old, but not that old, surely. But as he sat at the apex of Destiny Tower, staring at one of the marble walls, he couldn't help but wonder if he was going to lose another friend. Three friends, in fact.

They'd all made it. All that training, all that hard work, and then forgetting about it for years, and they finally got around to scaling Destiny Tower. And they'd succeeded. He wasn't going to call them by name, anymore. They wouldn't realize it was them. Instead, they would be Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. He should have seen it coming with how their dynamic worked. And, in some small ways, he felt left out. Once again, Necrozma offered a position to him, and once again he found himself deciding. He was 'Owen.' Was it wrong for him to want to keep that? Did that count as unnecessary pride?

Something flew at him and he quickly raised a wing, blocking it. A light body slammed into it, and then came a groan from the attacker.

"Can I help—" Owen stopped. That was Azelf… Gahi.

"So? How do I look, eh? Eh?" He spun around, tails spiraling beneath him. "I guess it's kinda petite, but ehhhh I'll get used ter it."

Uxie floated after them, Mesprit waving nervously at Owen. "Um, we know you get kind of wound up when this sort of thing happens, but it's really us," Mesprit said. "Are you gonna be okay with this, Owen?"

"Y-yeah! I made peace with it and everything, I think. I mean, I know!" He nodded quickly, too quickly. "Sorry. Sorry, I'm a mess today. I'm getting nervous over n—"

Azelf headbutted him on the chest, then knocked his tiny fist against it. "Yer fine, yer fine. Oi, let's do normal stuff. Get you outta that headspace."

Doing normal things just reminded him of how different they'd become, but it at least made them feel normal. It let them acclimate.

"Sure. How about a mission?"

"Heheheh, we'll blast any mission outta the water now!" Azelf rocketed into the air and then landed between Owen's horns. "C'mon, Owen! Time ter go!"

Gods, that reminded him of when he'd been a Trapinch, claiming that he could be leader for a day. He'd scaled his whole body and situated himself on his head like a throne. Owen's heart felt lighter.

Maybe this, too, would pass into normalcy.

---

"There was always a lingering sense of doubt, wasn't there?"

Yeah. There was…

"I'm sorry for how your position became, Owen."

It's okay. I liked it, overall, you know. But anyway, I'm starting to remember something else. When Xerneas ascended, and he started to reawaken the life energy of the world so it could flourish, you said there was… a reaction to that. Bigger than usual, right?

"Yes. Usually, when we bring about a Legend, there is a small reaction in the world to signify their ascent. Xerneas was a pronounced one, though. The Tree of Life had formed. But there was something unexpected there, too, that we sent you to investigate. We considered Manny, of course, but it was far, and along with that, you were able to get there faster. Arceus, I recall, said he wanted you to go there fast. Rather than send Manny and his team, we sent you with yours."

---

Year 34

Owen hadn't explored this part of Quartz before. Down south, where it was humid and the trees were tall, there seemed to be a section in the far south, near the center of the continent, where the trees seemed to glow, even at night.

He wasn't one for flying at night. His flame gave himself away, and some primal part of him said that was bad. But this forest was easier to see at night, so he had no choice.

His paranoia led to him calling for help, though. Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit accompanied him for this trip—Jirachi had to grant a few wishes, apparently, and then had to write reports of what was wrong to the upper pantheon for adjustments that had to be made. Owen didn't envy him.

"It's… crazy dark," Mesprit said, huddling against Owen's shoulder.

"The moon isn't out tonight," Uxie commented in their minds. "The stars are so bright. If we covered your flame, Owen, it would be perfect."

"I'd like to keep that open, thanks," Owen muttered.

"Scared o' th' dark?" Azelf said, smirking, as his red gemstone gleamed against the flame.

"Yes. It's kind of an instinct. It means I'm dying," Owen replied with a growl. "How would you feel if I put you in a room full of Ghosts, huh?"

"Not the same. And besides, I'd totally beat 'em." Azelf smirked.

This wasn't a battle Owen would win. Instead, he stretched his wings and gained speed. Over the horizon, he saw a tree that was much taller than all the others and blinked. "Was… was this tree always there?"

"Couldn't be," Azelf said. "That huge? Nah. We would've seen it, easy."

It was several times the height and width of any other tree around it—and those alone dwarfed even some hillsides. Draped down from the branches were long strands of golden bubbles, and the leaves themselves were like staring at a rainbow. Owen had a feeling that it was even more striking, being nighttime.

"Go lower," Uxie advised. "I can sense something near the base. Only… three, though, that aren't just wild Pokémon."

"Three's better'n zero," Azelf said. "Maybe they'll have answers."

Owen found a good landing spot and spread his wings, careful not to knock any branches. Even though he was confident in his flame's control, he kept his tail elevated and verified with Uxie which way to go. It was nice that Uxie was able to use her telepathy to speak to them so readily; as a Meganium, she had always struggled to talk.

This was a great forest. The leaves glowed brighter than any moonlight and he had no need to flare his tail to light the way.

"Here?" Owen said.

"Yes, somewhere here."

Owen nodded and folded his wings behind him. "Hello?" he called. "My name is Charizard Owen. I'm here from Star Cave, assistant to Jirachi. I'm here on behalf of the newly ascended Xerneas in search of a great life force found here. I mean no harm!"

A breeze rustled the treetops, but little else happened. The great, radiant tree loomed above them, lighting the forest like a dim sun.

"There's no way a place like this existed before," Azelf said. "Then again, how's a whole tree pop up like this?"

"I understand if you are suspicious," Owen called out again, "and perhaps they should have sent Xerneas himself, but he is still, eh… acclimating to his power. And I know having someone like me, with my fire, might be… scary to the forest, but I have good control over it! And I'm big, but I, uh, I was careful to land?"

"…You need to work on your 'be not afraid' speeches," Uxie said. Despite her eyes being closed as she scanned her surroundings for life energy, Owen could sense her glare.

"I don't have to do it that often, okay?" Owen hissed back. "Um, I mean—so, it's safe! Really!"

The wind blew again. Uxie spotted something, but didn't tell him where. Perhaps they were approaching.

"I just—"

"I'm here."

Off the path, between two trees, stood a Goodra that dwarfed even Owen by at least a foot. The Charizard gaped, having no idea there was another like him. "Y-you… you what? You're…"

She squinted as well, looking Owen over. "Wait… I've seen you before."

The way the Goodra spoke was itching something in the back of Owen's mind, too, but it was too faded for him to tell.

"Well, it's probably not important," she said, sighing. "My name is Madeline. I… woke up near here a long time ago, and I've been taking care of someone ever since."

Owen felt that there had been a lie there. "You've been taking care of someone?"

Madeline nodded. "Yes. Someone. And it's nothing for you to worry about, so you may leave."

"How long has this tree been here?" Owen added.

"It's a tree. I imagine it's always been here."

It could have been sass. But it was an odd way to answer the question. "Then, it used to be smaller?" he guessed.

"Can you leave?" Madeline hissed, the air around her seeming to sharpen. Owen could feel a tingling feeling along his arms, like it threatened to slice his scales apart if he got too close. She was strong.

"Um." Mesprit raised a tiny hand. "You're both super big. That's something you have in common, isn't it? You don't have to be afraid… You both probably got your power in a similar way."

"Hey, yeah! And we're sacred and stuff!" Azelf plopped onto Owen's head, facing Madeline. "C'mon, lighten up! Ain't worth fightin' over this."

Uxie drifted closer as well. "What would help you believe us?" She looked back. "If only one of us went, would you feel safer? You can overpower this one easily." She gestured to Owen.

"Excuse me," Owen grunted.

"He is not ascended like us. He is weaker. We could turn him into a wallet if we wished."

"That's really specific, Mi—Uxie!"

"…Then stay away, far away," Madeline commanded.

Uxie nodded and floated back, grabbing Mesprit and the much larger Azelf's tails to follow behind her. Azelf growled but complied.

Madeline led Owen down a path that went around the huge tree before turning toward the tree's base. There, one of the roots had been raised to reveal a cave that went underground. It looked like part of the cave had collapsed, yet there were signs of something powerful blasting a way out again. The scent of lingering dragon fire tickled Owen's nostrils. Spicy.

"Do not come any closer," Madeline said, and Owen stopped immediately. She commanded such authority… And she had a sophisticated accent. Nothing like his.

"Is here alright?" Owen asked.

Madeline said nothing, but didn't disprove, so Owen remained. The Goodra then peeked inside the cave and called, "Aster. Leph. You may come out."

Owen's eyes went from half-open from boredom to bulging from surprise. Shyly emerging from the cave underneath the radiant tree were two familiar figures, scaled down until they were barely larger than his foot. Someone who looked just like Arceus, but with a duller ring without any gemstones around her abdomen, and standing, from hoof to head, only a foot in height. And just behind her, floating like a little sprite, was someone like Mew, like Tim, only small enough to curl up inside an Oran. He would barely be able to hug one of his fingers.

"You… you need to—I'm sorry," Owen said, standing more respectfully. "I did not know you were caring for… someone of that nature."

"What do you mean?" Madeline said. "Of what nature?"

"Who are you?" the tiny Arceus said, her eyes filled with suspicion. But Owen saw something more in the way she stepped forward. She looked thin. Did she need to eat? Had she been eating? Owen glanced behind him, at the trees. There were plentiful berries… "Things just got better here. Are you here to steal? Auntie Madeline said… bad people stole from good places. Are you a bad person?"

Madeline's gaze softened, but she kept her eyes trained on Owen.

"…My name is Charizard Owen, of Star Cave. I am the assistant to Wishmaker Jirachi. My job is to judge the lightness of one's heart and the heaviness of one's wish before allowing them passage to see Jirachi. I have been given the blessings of Necrozma as proof of my merit." He turned to reveal the mark on his back, focusing to make it glow.

Madeline tilted her head. "You spoke well there," she said.

He was a bit ashamed of it, but his flame grew at the compliment. "Do you trust me now?"

"This… Necrozma. I heard his voice, too, but had no means to travel to the tower he wished. I stayed here all this time because I found these two and… felt a need to take care of them." Madeline hummed. "This place was a wasteland until a few days ago. It was haunted by strange creatures that… Well, we haven't seen them lately. But they didn't bother us if we stayed put…"

Strange creatures? Perhaps he could ask about that later, if they found anything like that. But there was something much more pressing in front of him. "That one is… supposed to be one-of-a-kind," Owen said, gesturing to Leph. "And he's with a Mew like that one. Only, er, they're both bigger."

"And what do you plan to do with this information?" Madeline asked. "They are children."

"Would you like to come with me to Destiny Tower?" Owen said. "They can be helped there. Perhaps from… for all I know… their real parents. N-not to insult you, or anything."

"…How can I tell that you're speaking the truth?" Madeline asked.

Owen sighed, thinking. Proof, proof… "Oh." He nodded. "If I had the gods give you a sign, would that be enough?"

"…If you can perform such a miracle so easily, then of course," Madeline said with a smirk, like she knew it wouldn't happen.

Frankly, he'd have reacted the same way.

Normally, Owen would not make use of such a channel, but this seemed… like an okay exception. He closed his eyes in prayer. "Arceus, Mew, can you hear my call? This is Owen. Sorry if this distracts from other prayers you hear. Arceus, Mew, I have found children that resemble you, being taken care of by a noble Goodra. Please, send a sign my way to prove my worth to her, so she may entrust them to us."

"Um, Auntie?" Leph asked, shrinking. Aster was hiding behind the Goodra's tail. "Why is the crazy dragon talking to himself?"

The sky suddenly lit up with gold. Leph cried out; Aster made a weak whimper. Madeline instinctually swung her tail such that it protected Leph from the light. It was a single spear of light, and Owen, as if following a thought that wasn't his own, raised his hand. The spear, at absurd speeds, flew toward him, and he followed a silent command to clench his fist just then.

A horrible burning singed his palm, but he'd caught the spear, which crackled with holy light. He winced, but kept holding it, and faced Madeline.

"Will that do?" Owen asked, twirling the spear as it dissipated.

"I…" Madeline clearly hadn't expected to see proof. "I suppose it will, Charizard."

---

Year 35

"Are you sure this is right?" Owen said with mild concern, staring into the stone oven. A traditional contraption. The heat washed over his face, leaving the great Charizard unbothered.

Next to Owen was a ghostly figure with a wispy head and blue eyes. He wore a necklace with a pink crescent that rested against his chest, glimmering in the dark from the soft light of Owen's flame.

"I think so," Darkrai said, hand to his chin. "Er, let me take a look." He waved Owen aside, but the moment he got close, he yelped and rapidly pat his face. "Hot, hot!"

"Oh, right, yeah."

"Too hot! What did you set it to?!"

"You said until I could feel the heat."

"Until I can feel the heat, Owen! Oh, no, no, this is a nightmare!"

Owen stared, but realized Darkrai couldn't see him.

"Take it out! Ah, too hot!"

The Charizard reached into the oven and pulled out the sizzling dough. Cookies… how was he supposed to make cookies? Why was dough so fickle? None of this made sense. Why couldn't he just bake them instantly with a very hot flame? Why did it have to be slow and 'gentle?' Flames weren't gentle. They were hot!

"Let's have this cool down and… I think we can salvage this on a low flame. Sorry, Owen. I should have been clearer." He sighed again, shaking his head. "Oh, if only Cresselia could help. She's so much better at explaining…"

"Why are we using such an old-fashioned oven, anyway?" Owen complained. "Can't we use one of the thousands of ovens Palkia probably invented?"

"Because the last invention I got from him turned my hair orange for a month!"

Charizard looked at the white, wispy clouds that radiated off of Darkrai. "…I mean, it didn't look that bad."

Darkrai huffed and returned to cooling the stone oven. Owen rolled his eyes, but then something tiny and pink caught his attention in the corner of the room. "Hm? Oh!" He quickly softened his voice. "Hey, little Aster… You visiting?"

The Mew, so small he could fit in Owen's palm, floated backwards and against the wall. "U-um…"

"Ohh, Aster. So good to see you." Darkrai tried to make his eyes as friendly as possible, even tilting his head. Owen could tell, though, that the 'king of nightmares' wouldn't look very kind to a young child, even with the cute necklace.

"It's okay. This is Darkrai. He's friendly!"

"I—I'll just take my leave for now," Darkrai said with an awkward nod, drifting deeper into the caverns. Soon ,he was just a glowing eye in the dark.

Owen sighed, but then smiled at Aster. "What's got you here, Aster?" he asked, walking gingerly closer. Another flash caught his attention and he quickly raised his hand, blocking several javelins of light that had nearly pierced through him. The attack itself had little weight behind it, though.

"Leph," Owen growled, eyes narrowed.

"It… it just came out!" someone squeaked. "You got too close to Aster…"

Something that resembled Arceus peeked around the corner of the hall before drifting forward. Her green-red eyes had suspicion in them and Aster flew away, hiding behind the little goddess.

"You can't go off shooting anyone that you think is suspicious. This is why you can't see normal people yet, Leph…"

"Maybe I don't wanna," Leph said back, but flinched when her eyes met Owen's.

The great Charizard sighed, rubbing his eyes. "What am I gonna do with you…"

---

So, they were… born from the Tree of Life?

"I had a guess that they were meant to be the gods of this world, born when it was created. Replicas of 'youthful' versions of the true creators. I wasn't sure what to think of it, but, well, they existed. It was only right to care for them until they found their place like all the other Legends."

Yeah… But as the years passed, I, well… I was still mortal. And I was slowing down. Tim was getting worried about that and asked Necrozma what would happen. What did you tell him?

"I said in no uncertain terms that if you did not choose an ascended form, you would die. Your spirit would go to me and rest until the world's end. I thought that would mean you would finally choose that, as I didn't want you to leave Tim in such a way, but… Well. Tim had a different idea.

"It all started one day, when you finally, truly showed signs of age…"

"It was around this time that you also softened, didn't you?"

"Softened?"

"You began to toy with the idea of descending, even temporarily, to better relate to mortals."

"Oh, that wasn't my idea. It was Jirachi's, and Owen's. To be able to return to your mortal forms, temporarily."

I remember that. Even you came up with one, didn't you? You became a…

"Owen?"

"Ah… Yes. I do not think my other half knows who he truly is. Unfortunate."

---

Year 63

It was just another day in front of Star Cave. Unless it was an emergency—and the gods had ways to tell if it was—mortals were turned away from the cavern's clearing by a faraway, magical ward. Today was the time to celebrate a new year.

There was only light snowfall tonight, and most of it evaporated before it could touch Owen anyway thanks to his natural heat. He spread his wings and gladly shared his warmth with the others, who subconsciously huddled near him, particularly those weak to Ice—and there were a lot of those in the pantheon.

"I really do appreciate these potlucks," Palkia said as he set down a large tray of glittering snacks. "Gives me the perfect opportunity to share my experimental treats with you all!"

"Specifically, those who won't perish the moment they try a volatile one," Rayquaza said with a disapproving frown, pulling the tray away from Owen.

"I wasn't gonna," Owen lied.

A breeze blew through the clearing, picking up some of the snow. A bit actually touched his scales and he winced; for once, the water felt cold by the time it got to him.

"Pretty chilly today," the Charizard said.

Giratina lost more than three quarters of her height as she sank into the ground like a pool of steaming water, looking more relaxed.

"That's cheating," Rayquaza complained, but all Giratina did was close her eyes nonchalantly.

"Mesprit's cooking is always the best!" declared Aster. The Mew held up a sandwich layered in meats and vegetables, steaming in the cold weather. The full moon illuminated the bread like it was somehow as sacred as the rest of them.

Owen reached for one of the sandwiches as well, taking a grateful bite as Yveltal flew in from the edge of the clearing, careful not to disturb any of the food with gusts of wind.

"Hello," she greeted, lowering further so Xerneas could climb awkwardly off of her back.

"We're late," Xerneas announced.

"Not too late," Owen replied, taking a bite again. The taste wasn't as good as it usually was, which puzzled him. The cooking seemed fine.

The rest of the conversation between them all seemed to blur. He noted that Necrozma and the other high gods hadn't arrived yet, based on how so little was illuminated, until a flash of light announced their arrival.

"Fashionably late as usual, are we?" Palkia said, waving a claw idly at the four arrivals. There was Star, of course, as well as Hecto next to her. The Zygarde must have only brought some of him to the party, as he was only a canine this time. Just behind Star was Arceus, perhaps here out of tradition and formality.

"Where is Necrozma?" Owen asked, looking around for the light dragon.

"You're not gonna believe this," Star said. "I finally convinced him to agree to one of my tricks!"

"Tricks?" Owen squinted. "I don't like the sound of—oh, er, hello. Are you lost?"

Standing behind Arceus, Star, and Hecto was a Shiftry, standing awkwardly with both arms out like he didn't know what to do with them. Star was cackling, rolling in the air before conjuring a psychic bubble, only to pound it like a table.

"He doesn't even recognize you!" Star wheezed.

That got all heads to turn.

"Wait…" Owen blinked. "…N… Necrozma?!"

Necrozma, the Shiftry, nodded curtly. It was… surreal to see him with pupils.

"Goodness," Rayquaza said, curling his body downward as if to get a better look. "How… diminutive."

"I'm quite vulnerable like this," Necrozma said. "This is very off-procedure. But… as you know… I've been told that I can ruin the night sky in my proper form. And this is a very rare, traditional gathering. I decided, perhaps just this once…"

"Wait, so does that mean your mortal form is a Shiftry?" Owen asked.

"No. This was an arbitrary form. Which means it's likely even weaker."

Yveltal shuffled away from Necrozma, gently pecking at Xerneas to switch places with her so he'd be closer.

"Not that weak," Necrozma grunted. "Really." But in this new form, Owen could see that flash of doubt in his voice. He certainly wasn't comfortable.

"All just so we could see the sky easier?" Owen asked.

"Just for this time. That is all. I'll be returning right back to my proper form when the opportunity is given."

"So sweet." Star was still giggling, but she sighed long enough to give him a genuine smile. "It was still really nice of you, Necrozma. Thanks."

"…I'm not used to it being so dark…"

That… resonated a lot with Owen. It was awfully dark tonight. "You can hang around by me," Owen offered.

He took the offer quickly but gracefully, even in his quasi-mortal form, and they continued to eat. Owen went for a second sandwich before going for one of Darkrai's sweet treats—he was a master of pastries, after all—and the night got darker. A lot darker, to the point where most eyes were on the sky to admire it all. Azelf rested against Owen's side, staring with him, and he liked that. They all twinkled so beautifully.

It seemed like the clouds were rolling in, but everyone was still staring at the sky. That was odd. He eyed some of them, and then noted that it was getting very dark without that starlight. It was starting to get him anxious. Charizard weren't supposed to see such darkness. That only meant—

Worriedly, Owen glanced behind him, at his tail, but then, alarmingly, he realized he could barely see. Was some sort of darkness crawling over them? A magical darkness? What did that mean?

He heard a faint buzzing around him, like talking, speech he didn't understand. Something was wrong, definitely wrong, so he tried to stand, and suddenly a force kept him from moving. He cried for them but the words weren't forming in his mouth.

Little hands touched his cheek and he recognized them vaguely as Azelf. In his vision was the vague, blue shape of his head and those red gems and wide eyes. What was happening? Were they under attack? Paranoia gripped him and he reeled back, blasting fire skyward, like that would scare the darkness away. He couldn't be in darkness. And he could barely see his flames.

He whimpered helplessly and flailed when more hands or wings or hooves held him down. It all faded into a blur of horrible colors and feelings and sounds. Bile rose in his throat. He tried to hold it down, like it mattered, as his body moved on its own.

Vision left him next. In pure, primal panic, he lunged forward in a void, then fell to the ground. Motionless, he focused on his labored breathing, finally realizing how hot everything felt.

Blurrily, he faded in and out of consciousness, confused, scared, disoriented, until colors started to return. Then clarity and light, and that panic quickly left him. His eyes darted around frantically, a feral growl behind his every breath. So many eyes were on him and there was a foul smell in the air.

Right by him was Jirachi, looking like he'd seen a ghost. There was a sorrowful but composed look from Arceus near the back, and Star couldn't bear to look at the scene, either. Azelf and Jirachi were both floating in front, asking him something, but Owen couldn't quite register the words yet.

Yveltal was far away, trembling, with Palkia and Rayquaza assuring her that it wasn't anything she'd done. And Owen just realized that Xerneas was next to him, holding a hoof to his side, his horns alight. Owen's flame was blazing with life again. It all felt… temporary.

Finally, everything came into focus, his mind the last to catch up. Wanting details, he could only meekly ask, "What happened?"

---

"In the end, what happened was… you simply were getting old, Owen."

"Mortal bodies can be at their prime and slowly fade. Some can be just fine before a single incident, sometimes out of pure chance, plunges them into their final years."

"But Charizard in particular tend to age gracefully, with a very long prime, before hitting rapid decline. Your shift in health was dramatic and sudden, even for your kind. After that incident… well. Jirachi feared the worst."

"And with sudden changes come sudden decisions. He toyed with the cycle of life and death."

"With the help of several Legends who were friends with him, of course. And by the time they were well along and I found out… I suppose I let it slide. You had all the qualifications to become a Legend, after all. It was… a unique circumstance. And the world was temporary. There didn't seem to be any harm in it."

Who helped?

"Well, Palkia was quite inventive, thanks to having been Michael—er, Nevren to you. He schemed out the idea. It was then the combined power of Azelf's will, Jirachi's wishes, and the very embodiments of life and death themselves to—"

Sorry, I don't remember this yet. Who were Yveltal and Xerneas?

"Step and Ra."

You're kidding.

"I am not. In fact, in the past, Yveltal was much… nicer than you'd expect, knowing Step. In any case, between gentle Yveltal and Xerneas not caring for your departure, they all agreed… and created what still exists today: the Reincarnation Machine."

---

Every movement was laborious. He no longer had the strength to fly. Owen was not afraid of death and had in fact come to terms with it long ago. He was friends with Yveltal, after all, and knew the kind quiet his final moments would provide, and the warm comfort of all his friends around him.

So, when Jirachi had approached him about some strange machine that would let him remain, he was apprehensive. He hadn't told Necrozma. It was all apparently a great secret in the southeastern corner of Quartz, in some underground facility. Ruins that had been rediscovered from the time before the cataclysm. Lost technologies there, combined with new technologies in Quartz…

"What… is this?" Owen asked, wobbling forward.

"Whoa there, big guy." Azelf tried to hold Owen up while his much smaller counterparts struggled to keep up.

On even footing again, Owen made sure to thank the three.

Ahead was a single glass cylinder with an odd interface at the bottom. He didn't understand any of it, but when he looked at the top of the chamber, he saw an empty orb, longing for something.

"Owen," Jirachi said, "I found a way that you can still live. It's not too late after all."

"What do you mean?" Owen asked. "Tim, I'm… old. Even if I could live longer, it's getting hard to move. Hard to do anything…"

"It's okay, Owen. This will return you to your youth, too. You'll get to live life again." Jirachi spoke in a soft whisper. "Wouldn't you want that? Then you won't have to…"

Owen frowned. "Just me? What about everyone else who dies as they should? I've lived a long life, Jirachi…"

"But you live with us. With the Legends. You could have, too, but—"

"But I denied that. Why should I get the rewards if I denied the responsibilities?"

"What you've already done is responsibility enough! And perhaps more. You could keep working for us, so it's not like you're freeloading!"

Owen was getting tired again. He just wanted to nap. Maybe he could think about it tomorrow, whatever crazy scheme Jirachi had come up with.

"I… I don't want to leave you behind. That's true." Owen looked down. "What should I expect?"

"You'll be falling asleep, and then you'll be in there." Jirachi pointed at the empty orb. "That's where a small piece of your spirit goes. Then, whenever you die, your spirit will go there instead of to Necrozma… and we can place your spirit in a new body."

"New… body. But will I remember anything?"

"I know you will. Even if it's not immediately, you will eventually. I'm sure of it. Memories are eternal in a spirit. Besides… Uxie is friends with us. She can help! So… a-are you ready? You want to do this?"

He couldn't say no, really. Not with those hopeful little eyes. And part of him didn't want to go, either. So, with a resigned smile, he nodded.

"Hold your hand right here," Jirachi directed. "I'm going to turn it on. This shouldn't hurt."

Owen placed a hand on the side of the container. This part of the glass felt different. Colder, and like it was drawing a part of him in. Moments later, Jirachi pressed a few buttons on the interface and told him to keep still.

The most surreal feeling passed over him. He was staring down at himself for a glimpse, and he saw how old he truly was. Dull scales, sagging skin, a sputtering flame, and wrinkly wings. And he also looked up, and he made eye contact with himself. Sleepy eyes waiting for the next nap, not really paying attention to the full details around him. He felt sorry for him.

And then, the feeling passed. He was staring up at a little golden ember in the orb, blinking.

"And that's all?" Owen asked. "Do I sleep now?"

"You do. Just rest, Owen. One day, you'll wake up here."

---

Year 64

Top-heavy, weak, wobbly, and soft-scaled, Owen wanted to cry. But that wasn't too different from how he had normally been feeling lately. All around him were things that were frustratingly familiar. A bed that he instinctively wanted to climb onto; strange, square things with flat bits to turn over to reveal many drawings and symbols, but he didn't know what they said; other creatures walking or floating into his room, and he felt he should be scared, but he also knew them, even though he didn't.

Everything was new to him, and yet everything was also familiar. And every time that happened, he wanted to cry, because that felt like the default.

The big, star-headed thing was the happiest to see him. And that made Owen happy, too.

"Owen, breakfast!" someone called.

He knew that word, and he wobbled out of bed, tripping over a small fire—he grabbed a piece of wood to eat later—and sniffed around for more proper food.

"Hey, over here, Owen!" It was the star-headed creature. The name flashed in his mind. Jirachi. This was Jirachi. And Jirachi was nice. He knew this. For some reason, he also remembered him being a lot smaller.

"You liked Tamato berries, right? So this is a Tamato salad I made. I kept them on the more mild side, though. You're still young."

"Tamato," Owen repeated, his voice extremely high and juvenile.

"Yes, good!"

Owen chirped happily, tail flame swishing behind him.

Moments later, three similar-looking Pokémon floated into the room, though these ones had gray bodies and red, blue, or yellow heads.

"Hey, Owen," called the blue one. Azelf. The name popped into his head.

"Hi!" He waved, giggling. So many familiar faces.

But then he noticed one more person walking into their little cave. This one was a Shiftry that had a soft, golden glow. Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to get heavier, and Owen went quiet.

"O-oh, it's… Hello." Jirachi flew in front of Owen, with his back facing him. "How are you doing?" he asked the Shiftry.

"I'm doing well," he said.

Silence. Owen tried to lean over to see past Jirachi. It was weird that he was on the ground.

"Uh, eh, so, yeh doin' alright?" Azelf asked.

"Yes, I said that."

"E-eh, righ'…"

"May I see your friend?"

There was renewed tension. He raised his leaves.

"I only want to speak to him."

It seemed like they couldn't refuse. Eventually, Jirachi stepped aside, and Owen stepped back, feeling guarded. He didn't know why he felt guarded. He trusted this face, too, so he didn't know why the others felt that way.

"Do you remember me, Owen?"

The Charmander hesitantly nodded. "Necrozma…"

"Good. Good." His face showed no expression. It was weird. But he was nice, right? "I want you to know, Owen, that when you're ready, I'll happily continue training with you. I understand the circumstances behind—"

Owen growled.

"…Is something the matter?"

"Big words."

"Ah, I apologize. Your vocabulary must still be returning to you, along with… everything else."

Owen growled again. "Not stupid."

"Yes. Of course." And this time, it seemed like Necrozma was shifting uncomfortably. He stepped back. "Well, when you are… returned to your old self, or whenever you wish to see me, I will be around. As… Uncle Necrozma?"

He scrunched his muzzle at that. "Weird."

"Weird indeed." Necrozma seemed to smile just then. "Just Necrozma is fine. Well. That will be all. I have other things to do. Thank you, Jirachi."

"Er, thanks…"

And without another word, he walked back out of the cave. Jirachi and the others exchanged uneasy glances at first, but then Mesprit smiled.

"Looks like he's fine with it after all," he said.

"Yeah…" Relief washed over Jirachi's expression at the realization. "Yeah. Well. I guess we're in the clear after all…"

"Sometimes I don't know what goes on in that guy's head," Mesprit said, sighing. "What do you think, Azelf?"

"Eh. Who cares?" Azelf floated over to Owen and grinned. "Glad ter have yeh back, partner."

Partner. Yes, he liked that.

It felt like everything was going to be okay.

---

And that's how it all started. I guess even before the mutant stuff, I lived life after life…

"And died many deaths as well. Some were quite sudden. And embarrassing. For example, when you hadn't fully regained your strength, there was an incident with a horde of angry—"

I'll remember those later, thanks…

"Right… Perhaps not relevant. Still, that was how things had gone for a while. You would wake up in a new body, recover your memories rapidly, and repeat the training cycle again. Your spirit was already strong, so your body caught up very quickly. You were an unofficial Legend, as far as everyone was concerned. As part of your duties, you were given portions of Jirachi's power to carry with you. If you saw someone in need, you used that raw power to help them. Over time, you got the title of Wishkeeper because of it. Tell me, just who did you meet during those travels?"

"That would be—"

Mhynt…

"Nngh…"

"Patience, Diyem. In time."

My first life in Quartz was the most eventful. And had it not been for the Reincarnation Machine, that would have been it.

"But in the end, that is not how it turned out. You're here with us, after all."

"All of your other lives were quite routine, but not without their own stories. Stories you don't have time for… I'm getting tired."

That's okay. I can think about those later. What's important is… what happened almost a thousand years later.

When I met Mhynt… and when the world was going to end.

---

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! And a special thanks to Ambyssin, soliloquy, Shadow of Antioch, and Sparkling Espeon for beta reading and going above and beyond in making sure this Special Episode (and the next) are in good form. It was a very tricky one to write out and went through a lot of changes for pacing. As a result, the next chapter will be, already, Special Episode 10 – Wishkeeper. Expect to see it in another four weeks. It's another big one. Thanks for your patience!