Chapter 44 - Overconfident

Owen, Gahi, Enet, and Amia all returned from the Poison Guardian's realm. They smelled of the toxic swamp's noxious fumes, but thankfully didn't take much of it with them beyond that.

"Brr—what a cold draft," Amia said, rubbing her arms. "I don't think Hot Spot Cave should quite feel like this!"

Amia held her hand forward and summoned Alex next, who immediately rubbed his cannons together. "M-more like Cold Spot Cave."

Owen looked back. "Hey, dad. I hope, uh, I hope you weren't too scared back there."

"S-scared? Why would I be scared?" Alex said with a light titter. "I'm… I'm a, er, Magmortar. I'm quite scary."

Amia giggled, rubbing his flaming shoulder. "Oh, dear, you were trembling in the Fire Orb. You aren't very good with cold personalities like Ghrelle."

"I—I suppose so." Alex slumped. "S-speaking of cold, though…"

"Y-yeah, what's goin' on?" Gahi mumbled, pressing against Owen's much warmer, fiery body. Without thinking, he rubbed his cheek against Owen's shoulder; the Charizard just accepted it, figuring Gahi needed it.

Enet shrugged and smoothed out her fur, clearly glad to finally be out of the swamp. She sniffed the air—doing her best to ignore the lingering stench—and said, "I smell… two. New."

"Two new smells?" asked Owen. "Oh—that must be the two Guardians the others got!" At least the others were able to recover their Guardians. Still, that meant they were the only ones who failed this time… Not that Owen was expecting it to work out. The Poison Guardian was part of the Trinity. In hindsight, he could have been seriously hurt if he wasn't careful. But Star was confident that he'd've been fine. He was glad that she was right.

He concentrated to feel where everyone was. Most of them were near Rhys' home across the caves, so he walked, followed by the others. A few others were off on their own. Valle was where he always was, in the middle of the town, the centerpiece of Hot Spot. Manny was brawling with his spirits again in the training grounds, though it looked like Manny was a bit tired this time around.

That meant the two new bodies were in Rhys' home.

"Hello?" Owen said, peering inside. "What's going on?"

"Hey! You're back!" Willow said, hopping off of Valle and onto Owen. Reflexively, the Charizard held free hand out, catching the tiny Joltik in midair like some sort of conditioned routine. "Eww—you smell!"

"S-sorry, I think that'll wear off. We had to slog through a giant swamp of poison, so we kinda had that get stuck everywhere. Our Mystic powers were disrupted too much to just float over it, I think. I might just hop in the lava to clean up."

"Yeah, well, I can't do that," Gahi said.

"We could fuse, and then I could do it," Owen offered. "Pretty sure I can handle the lava even if you're half of me."

Gahi looked tempted.

"How about me?" Enet asked.

"Uhh… lots of water," Owen said. There was still gunk on Enet's feet where they had dipped into the poison, and her fluffy body absorbed a lot of the stench. There was no escaping Enet's particularly horrible odor.

"Hey, how about me?" Jerry spoke up, reminding Owen that some of his cargo was alive and irritated. "I'm still just a head! You gonna fix that, 'Zard?"

Willow hopped near Jerry and prodded his cheek. "How come you aren't dead?"

"Beats me," Jerry replied. "Maybe I am and this is just my dying nightmare. I'll believe anything at this point."

"Uhh—y-yeah. Actually, hold on. Let me find Mispy…" He spotted the mutant Meganium in another room and waved her down.

Her many tendrils dragged the rest of her body toward them, squeezing out of the exit by contorting and bending the many vines to fit through.

"Wh-what's that thing?!" Jerry said. "No way! Nu-uh, those tentacles aren't going anywhere near me, you hear?"

"B-but, Jerry, this is how we're gonna heal you!" Owen said. "Trust me. Mispy's a great healer, okay? Just… can you be gentle with him?"

The Meganium inspected Jerry's head curiously, prodding at his cheek just like Willow. He growled and tried to bite at a vine. She flinched away and glared, wrapping a vine around his muzzle. He grunted, but was helpless.

"Hmph." Mispy pulled him close and closed her eyes, channeling her healing energy into him. Owen watched closely, as did the others.

"What… happened to him?" Demitri said. "Why is he a head? That's kinda…"

"We, er…" Alex knocked his arms together in thought. "Had some complications."

Owen nodded. "The Poison Guardian melted him somehow. It didn't work on us—not even Gahi—but it did for him. And so, he, er… that happened. But I was able to stop it with my Pecha Scarf, and… I think some Mystic energy, too. That's why he's not totally melted."

Zena slithered out from Rhys' room next, listening in on the explanation. "How awful," she said. "What a horrible way to…!"

Jerry stretched his jaws enough to get Mispy to let go. She rolled her eyes and gave him the opportunity to speak.

"I don't need your pity," Jerry grumbled, but then glanced at Zena. "But… thank you anyway. I'm just fine. Didn't even hurt."

"So, er, what's going on here, anyway?" Amia asked, addressing how everybody was crammed into Rhys' room, spilling out into the main hallway. "You, um…" She peered inside the next room and saw two new faces. One was Step, the Ice Aggron—quite obvious which Guardian she was—and the other was— "Oh! Are you another Guardian? The… Bug Guardian?"

"Oho, no, not at all," the giant Torkoal replied. "No. My name is Torkoal Elder—I'm glad to meet you, ahh… Gardevoir Amia, yes?"

"Yes!" Amia gave a little bow. She observed that Rhys was sitting close to Elder, practically up against his shell. "Rhys? Do you know him?"

"Y-yes, I'm… familiar," Rhys said. "Elder. He's… he's one of the Hunters—b-but, there's no need to be alarmed! He isn't… a fighter."

"Ahh, yes. That much has not changed," Elder said with a rough laugh. "I was never truly that good at fighting. I just don't have the mindset for it."

"Which one of you is Owen?" Step suddenly rumbled, glaring at the newcomers.

"Oh, er, th-that's me," Owen said, raising a claw.

Step approached Owen, sizing him up. She was a head or two taller than he was, and it looked like she was taking full advantage of it. "…You are the one they trust?"

"Sorry?"

Step huffed a small plume of frost, pointing at Elder. "Do you believe he is friendly?"

"Elder? T-totally! I mean, er, from how I remember him, even if he didn't want to be friendly, I don't think he can actually… do much against us. And Rhys likes him. They're best friends, right?"

Rhys' fur puffed out, aura sensors rising, and then he leaned against Elder again. "A tad more."

Step growled, but then settled back in her corner. "You've convinced me for now, Hunter," she told Elder, who simply bowed his head. She looked between them, but then lowered her head, as if talking to someone in her Orb.

"Elder…" Owen grinned. He took a few tentative steps at first, but then made a half-jog for the thawed Pokémon. "I missed you! I—I forgot you for a while, but now that I look back…!" He plopped down in front of him with his knees bent, feet swaying in opposite directions, rhythmically in the air. "Tell me a story!" The flame on his tail glowed a bit brighter, and his wings were tucked behind him neatly.

"O-Owen!" Amia flinched, exchanging a look with Alex. She'd never seen him regress so quickly. "Elder—did you raise Owen?"

"Ahh, I suppose I did. Not just Owen, of course."

"Heh, yeah, you raised all o' us, Gramps," Gahi said. "All th' Hunters did. Even Rim…"

"Y-yeah." Owen's enthusiasm faltered, but then he looked at Elder again. "H-how is everyone? Rim, she… She seemed friendly, but what is she really doing? She's not—she's not a bad guy, right?"

"Owen," Elder said softly. "Some things are… more complicated than black and white."

Step tensed, as if she was ready to mock him, but stifled it into a grumble to her spirits.

"I—I know, but… Rim has been… you know…" Owen thought about their chess game. She seemed happier during that. Was she happy when she was killing Guardians, too… or was that just a duty she had to uphold? Did she want that? Even if she didn't—she still killed Cara and Forrest. And nearly killed him, too, before he became a Guardian! Or… or was that just trying to scare him away? She only wanted the Orb, not his life.

"I'm not really sure what to say about Rim," Elder said, breaking Owen's trance. "She is still fiercely loyal toward Eon, of course. But beyond that, I'm sure even she has some doubts about whether he has gone too far or not. That, perhaps the means that Eon is willing to take to gather the Orbs… has no longer justified the end goal."

"What's the end goal?" Owen asked. "To usurp Arceus, right? Because… Star wanted to do that, originally. Right?"

"Yes," Elder replied, nodding slowly. "Star was not happy with Arceus and the way he is leading the world—or, perhaps more appropriately, not leading it. Star misses mingling with mortals. And Arceus won't let her."

"Sounds kinda petty," Owen said. "Why can't she visit?"

Elder winced. "I'm afraid that is part of the deadlock between the two of them. Neither will allow the other to descend. I'm sure Star has told you as much."

"Yeah, but… why? The world's just fine without all this Guardian fighting, right?"

"Heh." Jerry tried to adjust himself, but otherwise said nothing.

Owen's wings drooped, and his legs went back to the ground. "Why does Eon seem so sure that what he's doing is right? Why did… why would Rim… no. Why were you helping him, all this time? Is… what he's doing actually the right thing to—"

"Owen…!" Amia breathed.

The fire on Alex's shoulders flared up with anxiety, and despite being a spirit, his belly growled with a rapidly forming ulcer.

Owen flinched at the sudden change in atmosphere. Almost everyone looked surprised, or upset, or even hurt at that one. "S-sorry, I didn't mean it like, Eon's being a good guy, just—what's he actually trying to do? He wants to usurp Arceus himself, right? What would he do with that? What does he want to do that Arceus won't?"

Elder frowned, looking at Rhys, and then back at the group. "Are any of you familiar with Orre?"

They all stared at Elder. A few leaned forward expectantly. Manny glanced at the others, as if waiting for them to answer.

"Wait, what did you say?" Owen asked. "Familiar with what? Sorry, I think I missed that."

Elder, with defeat in his whole body, repeated helplessly. "Orre."

Owen watched Elder for a while longer. He heard something, but he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what he said. "One more time?" he asked in a squeaky titter.

Elder shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not my place to tell you much more."

"Why?" Owen asked.

Elder smiled sadly. "Because I already told you, and you all forgot."

Owen's tail sparked irritably. "You mean it's another one of those Divine Decrees. Like who Emily is. We can't know, because Arceus made it that way."

"Ah, Emily… the ex-Dragon Guardian," Elder said, testing them.

"If you said something, I have no idea what you said," Owen said, knowing he failed the test.

Elder nodded. "But if you become stronger… perhaps you can overpower the Decree. All of you, together, may have enough to defy it. Arceus' sphere of influence is wide, but it is not omnipotent."

"Hmph… That's dumb," Owen complained, flicking his tail, knocking against Gahi. "Oh—sorry."

Gahi grumbled and sat next to Owen, crossing his legs. He curled his tail around and inspected the fan at the tip; Zena, curious, slithered toward Owen and coiled in a neat pile on the opposite side. Zena nudged Owen on the side, giving him a small smile. "It's okay," she said. "You'll remember eventually. You'll remember a lot of things, right?"

Owen found himself smiling, too. "Yeah, good point. Everyone here feels so blurry, still. Hey, Zena, maybe later, can you help me remember a bit more?"

Owen felt Zena's heart flutter. "I'd—love that."

A brief silence fell among the group. ADAM drifted away, looking like he was about to leave to speak with Valle, before someone toppled him over and knocked him to the side.

"VICTORY!" Feraligatr Azu declared, hoisting a battered Manny in the air. Infernape Roh and Chesnaught Verd posed on either side of Azu, their muscles creating small shockwaves that knocked over a few empty cups and Aspear bowls from the table. "We have defeated our master, and can declare ourselves winners on this glorious day!"

"I went easy on yeh!" Manny said, even when Azu threw the Fighting Guardian on the ground. He landed surprisingly gracefully on his paws, though he staggered a bit when he pushed and landed on his feet.

Roh wagged a finger toward Manny. "Fatigue from an encounter with the Bug Guardian is no excuse for a loss. A victory is a victory, and we prevailed!"

Chesnaught posed to show off his biceps again. While the three mutant spirits congratulated one another, Manny wobbled to the others, murmuring something about having to fight off some of his frustrations.

"Just take it easy, dear," Amia said delicately.

"Feh, yeah." Manny tapped Mispy on the back. "Y'mind if I sit a spell on yer back?"

Mispy reluctantly nodded, still focused on trying to heal Jerry.

Zena turned her attention back to the Torkoal. "Elder… I remember seeing you before. My spirits scared you off, but… You tried speaking to me through them. I apologize for being so hostile."

"Ah… The Water Guardian. That was quite a while ago, wasn't it? Oho… it has been some time, yes. The past few weeks have been quite a rush, in particular."

Owen nodded; Amia and Zena, as well as a few others, seemed confused.

"I'm sorry?" Amia asked. "A… week. What is a week?"

"Seven days," Owen said.

"That's an odd measure of time," Amia said. "How does that measure compared to seasons and moons? Years?"

"Years…" Elder repeated with a slight smile. "A season is a fourth of a year, yes?"

"Mhm. But weeks. I've never heard that measurement before! How odd!"

Alex nodded along. "Is that another one of Nevren's inventions?"

"Yeah, actually!" Owen said. "Nevren gave funny names to seven days, and they always repeat. And each one ends with 'day,' but I forget what they're all called. I think it was Mon, Tues—"

"They get it, Owen," Gahi muttered, elbowing him.

"No, I don't get it," Zena said, suddenly fixated on Owen. "Please, go on. What are these days for? What does it mean? I… I feel as if I'd heard such things before, long ago! But then, they must have faded with time… Some ancient terminology?"

"Oh, uh," Owen looked at Zena. "I mean… it's kinda hard to explain it like that, but… if you have a week, you can split up your routine a little better, I think. So, on Saturdays and Sundays—those are called the week-ends, you know? Because they were at the beginning and end of the week, so, uh, I guess those are the days you take breaks?" Owen was unnerved at how wide Zena's eyes were, like she was learning something completely unfathomable. A whole world of organization. "We have a different system, I guess."

He scanned the crowd and saw the faces of the others. Zena wasn't the only one. Willow was sparking with curiosity; ADAM was buzzing, his core processors overclocking to implement this new data. Even Step, the newest Guardian, tilted her head with fascination.

"Is this all so new to you guys? I know I just got my memories back, but I dunno. It seems kinda fundamental to me," Owen said.

"Well, we never really talked 'bout weeks befer now," Gahi said. "Weird. You'd think Nev would mention it ter Anam er somethin'. Say, that means y'guys don't know what a month is, either, eh?"

"A month!" Zena exclaimed. "I do not. Is that—two weeks?"

"No, that's a fortnight," Owen said.

"A fortnight…" Zena said. "Why so many terms? I don't understand. Wouldn't just tracking the moon and the seasons be enough?"

"I guess so, but maybe you want to do something that takes a certain number of days, and those days are longer than just a few, y'know? Say… ninety days. That's about a season, but it's hard to keep track all the way up to ninety, right?" Owen rubbed his chin. He grunted and repositioned himself to a sitting position, clutching his tail out of habit.

Elder smiled, but then looked at Rhys. He gave the Lucario an affectionate nudge. "Owen hasn't changed much," he said. "Though… he does seem more…"

"Subdued?" Rhys said.

Elder chuckled. "Mature, Rhys," he said. "He's still quite… chipper, regardless."

"Ah. Well. Being a Guardian tends to force you to grow up. He's quite overdue, don't you think?" Rhys said.

Owen was busy explaining to Zena and the others the idea of a month, or perhaps was more focused on ignoring being called a kid even now.

The group was relieved to know that something familiar to them—a year—still existed in this strange measurement.

"Where'd Nevren learn it all?" Amia said. "There are lots of Alakazam out there, but Nevren seems to know more than all of them combined."

"I dunno. But he's also a Hunter, so… I guess that means he had a lot of time to fill that brain of his with all those theories, y'know?"

"Heh." Manny looked off. "Real interestin' system."

Owen glanced at Manny. "What's wrong? You don't seem as interested…"

"Eh? Ahh, it's time, who cares," Manny shrugged. "Cool system, though."

"Hm…" Owen shrugged. "Well, if you guys think that's cool, wait until I tell you guys about calculus!"

It was at this moment that Mispy, Demitri, and Gahi checked out. Their expressions glossed over into empty stares in a matter of milliseconds.

Owen snorted. "It's not boring. Here, let me show you how you can use it, okay?"

Owen's eyes suggested a long and thorough explanation, but the thick silence in the room made him hesitate.

"I got rescued by a total loser," Jerry muttered.

"Am not!" Owen said defensively. "This is really important! You'll see! N-Nevren said that knowledge is power!"

"Owen uses big words," Enet mumbled, blinking herself awake.

"I'm with you there," said another voice.

Owen swiveled his head. "Star?"

"Yo." She waved, floating out from behind Zena. "Sorry, uh, I heard there was a get-together. Didn't wanna miss out. Asked Manny to summon me."

"Heh," Manny flicked a bit of dirt off his claw. The others gave little greetings to Star, nodding or saying hello, and the Mew took the time to mingle with all the others. Jerry eyed Star with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, is nobody gonna acknowledge this?" Jerry mumbled to Owen.

"Acknowledge what?"

"That's—that's Mew isn't it? Aren't they incredibly rare? That's Star?"

"Oh—y-yeah, she is. But we all kinda know her at this point, so… It's not like we're gonna revere her or anything."

"Wait. Revere? What kind of—which Mew is she?"

"She, uh… she's Creator Mew Star. The Great Ancestor? Uhh… I dunno what other titles she has."

Jerry stared at her again. "Shouldn't she be dead? Or do Mew not…?"

"She lives in the spirit world," Owen said. "Uh. I guess that's living."

"Oh—and you!" Star said, floating toward him. "Sorry—yes, I'm Mew Star. I'm sorry that this happened to you, Aerodactyl… Jerry, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, eh…" Manny spoke up, raising a paw, "what's up with the guy, Star?"

"Jerry? Yeah, uh…" Star crossed her arms pensively. The Mew hummed in thought and checked the base of Jerry's neck, where flesh was still partially melted into poison grime. "Basically, the poison in Dark Mist Swamp only affects Pokémon that Ghrelle considers… impure. It's kinda subjective, but if she senses that you're weak-willed, or someone prone to darkness in some way, you'll melt into the swamp. And if you're a little more upstanding… you'll not melt. Or if you're Mystic."

"W-wait, so Ghrelle really was judging us?" Owen said.

"What righ' does she have ter do that?" Gahi growled.

"What's a darkness?" Enet said, poking her chest. "I'm Dark."

"No, that's—no, Enet, it's more, uh…" Star puffed out a breath if confusion. "Wow, how do you explain this?"

"Hey, wait a second," Owen said. "Why didn't you let Rhys go, then? He's totally noble!"

"Owen, he used to try to kill Guardians," Star said. "Not exactly a sin you can wash away that easily. Especially in a Guardian's eyes, like Ghrelle."

Zena nodded.

"O-oh…" Owen said. He scanned the room, thinking about those that Star said wouldn't be good to meet Ghrelle. Manny and Willow were the other ones that Star had explicitly denied. He could understand Willow. She was a bit uppity, and that sort of attitude probably wouldn't bode well with Ghrelle. And Manny, well… perhaps he was too…

"What're you looking at?" Manny said, digging a claw in his left ear.

"N-nothing."

Manny looked at Owen for a bit longer, but then turned away. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"O-oh." So, Manny himself knew why. "Okay." Maybe it had to do with how he killed all those mutants, even if they were part of his Orb, now.

Star nodded. "To be honest, I'm not totally sure about Ghrelle's judgement. It's similar to Barky—er, to Arceus' philosophy, and since she's part of the Trinity, that kinda makes sense.

"Is Ghrelle super strong?" Enet asked.

"Hey, you're getting better at using your words, Enet," Star said. "Is your, uh, language therapy coming back to you?"

"Therapy…" Enet repeated. Owen practically smelled her brain working to find the definition. "Yes!"

"That's great, Enet. But yeah," Star said. "Ghrelle's tough. I don't know how strong she is because she doesn't fight in the traditional sense, but she's up there. It's just a feeling, you know?"

"So that means we only have the Dragon Guardian that we don't know about," Owen said. His tail swayed slowly behind him, and he adjusted his wings to get an itch on his back. "…Oh! How'd the Bug Guardian go?"

"Er, we are still pending on those results," Rhys said.

"She was cool," Mispy said.

"And we met us!" Demitri said. "That was cool! I think… To be honest, I'm starting to feel a little weird about it, but…"

"Back up," Owen said, holding his claws in the air. "You met yourselves? What?"

"Are you guys all just crazy?" Jerry asked.

Mispy glared down.

"Hey, Vines! Keep the healing going!" At this point, Jerry was a head and torso.

Mispy's eyes narrowed even more. "I'll eat you."

"E-eh…" Jerry looked away. "Whatever. How come this is taking so long, anyway?"

"Yeah, Mispy, is something wrong?" Owen asked, hoping to diffuse her anger. He wasn't sure if she was serious or not about turning Jerry into lunch. She ate plates.

Mispy inspected Jerry's torso, leaning over to get a better look at what was developing. She gently prodded at one of the organs.

"Hrk—what're you doing? Don't do that. That's weird. What are—"

Mispy adjusted another one, but then furrowed her scaly brow. "It's not…" she said, but then briefly stopped her healing. She watched his body slowly turn purple, melting away again. She quickly resumed the healing.

"Wh-whoa, whoa, what was that?! Why'd everything feel warm? Hello? I can't see past your stupid—Someone, tilt my head!"

"It's—it's okay," Mispy said, but then shook her head at the others. It wasn't okay.

"Ghrelle's influence is still there." Owen winced, looking helplessly at the others.

"Ghrelle," Elder said slowly. "Ooh, she is a scary one. Even if I may be pure enough for her swamp, I would not want to go there. The Trinity in general is quite… formidable. Her Mystic power must already be implanted within Jerry. It would take a lot of power to counter it."

"Power, huh…" Owen said, but then flicked his head upward. "Mispy!"

"Y-yes?" Mispy asked.

"Let's fuse!"

"Wh-what?!"

Gahi looked, for just a moment, betrayed. "What're yeh gettin' at?"

"If I fuse with Mispy, maybe I'll get a little Mystic power to enhance her natural healing abilities. What if those two things combined can counter Ghrelle?"

"Ahh, that may work, depending on how strong you are, Owen," Elder said. "Yes! Do try it."

"W-will your auras be stable enough?" Demitri asked, grabbing one of Mispy's vines, fiddling with it. "I—I mean…"

A few more of the vines wrapped around Demitri gently, one patting his head. Mispy then looked at Owen and nodded. "Let's try."

"Okay," Owen said, standing up. Mispy's many vines writhed and crawled toward Owen—he couldn't shake the unnerving image—and he stood there, awkwardly. He glanced around. "Can you guys, maybe… not stare?"

"Eh?" Manny smirked, but his eyes were a bit wide with interest. "No way, I wanna see this."

"I'm a bit curious as well," Zena admitted.

"What's wrong?" Enet asked.

"It's… it's personal…" Owen said.

Gahi glanced off. "Feh. It's just something we do. Just do it."

Alex turned around and closed his eyes. Amia smiled at Owen and did the same. Rhys turned his head, too, but the rest were too curious to not look.

Owen shifted awkwardly, but then wondered if his fire would make Mispy uncomfortable. Probably, especially if it had been a while—a long while—since they last fused in the first place. He decided to make things easier. His scales turned green and leafy, and the flame on his tail went out; in its place, a great, white flower sprouted. He wasn't sure what felt worse—everyone marveling at the flower, or everyone watching him fuse.

Demitri shifted his weight again. "Wait, so, can I fuse, too?"

"E-er, let's not have a three-part fusion just yet," Rhys said. "We should practice with two at a time first, before we push your auras further. Just in case."

"Oh—o-okay. Just him and Mispy, then…"

"It's fine," Mispy assured Demitri with a little nudge. Then, she wrapped a vine around Owen—who squeaked in surprise—and pulled him into her matrix of vines. His body was lost to it almost immediately, and after some shuffling, the creature's colors changed to a slightly darker green. The flower around her neck turned white, and wings—useless on her heavy body—sprouted. Two horns grew from the back of her skull, and the transformation was complete.

"Uh…" Demitri said slowly. "How're you guys, uh… feeling?"

The Meganium-Charizard fusion took a steady breath. Then, she exhaled. "…I feel… okay," she said. "That wasn't so bad."

"Nope. Stop." Jerry rolled his head. "What's wrong with you guys?" His voice steadily rose. "You guys just stand there and act like it's normal? What kind of nightmare is this?! I want out! Wake me up! Is this some kinda fever dream before I die? Get it over with! I'm done! You're all nuts!"

"You,"—the fusion picked Jerry up with a vine, wrapping it around his muzzle—"need to be quiet."

"Mnnfff…"

"Let me heal you." And so, she closed her eyes and concentrated, channeling both Mystic and healing energy through the quarter-Aerodactyl.

The spectacle over, everyone settled back down to chat amongst themselves. Willow scuttled toward a few of the vines and hopped onto the nearest one. "Um…"

"Willow?"

"What's… your name?"

"My name…"

"Yeah. Owen and Gahi made Gawen. So, Owen and Mispy make…?"

"Hmm…" As the first time they ever fused, they never really thought of a name for themselves. And the idea of thinking of names for all the possible combinations sounded tiring. Owen's half quickly calculated that if they were to find the names for all the fusions, they'd have to keep track of eleven different fusion names!

"I don't care," she eventually shrugged. "Too tiring."

"I'm gonna call you Omi!" Willow said.

"Oh," Omi said. "Okay."

"Do you not like it?" Zena asked.

"No, it's fine," Omi nodded. "I just… don't know if I'll use it a lot."

"Oh, is it because the Mispy half likes sticking to Demitri all the time?"

Omi and Demitri blushed. Gahi snorted and smirked. "Sounds about right. They're just doing this 'cause they gotta."

Jerry, resigned to his fate, tried to wiggle his wings. He was surprised when he actually got feedback, and he turned his head to see the bones and muscle being wrapped in skin and scales. "It's—it's actually working."

Amia clapped quietly, yet quickly. "Hey! We didn't have to go see Emily after all!"

"Emily, right. Who's she, some master healer?" Jerry asked, sitting up once he had a bottom to sit on.

"Um… yes!" Amia said.

"Could we see her anyway?" Zena asked. "Perhaps… just to be sure that Jerry is okay."

"Ohh, Zena, we should see if we can get Anam to spare an official Waypoint tile for there so we don't need to use our Badges," Amia said. "Hmm, speaking of Anam…"

"I'm kinda starting to get worried. Been a while since he heard anything from them. Did anybody try contacting them through a communicator?"

"Tried, but guess they don't have one on 'em," Manny reported.

Star flicked her tail. "Maybe we should fly over and see what's the holdup? Between his agitated spirits and how long he's been taking, I dunno…"

"Agitated spirits… Is that possible?" Amia said.

"Not usually," Star said. "Spirits are pretty happy following their host's desires most of the time. So, them acting up the way they are is… kinda strange to begin with. I…" she paused. "I dunno. Anyway, if everything's fine here, Jerry, how about we—"

"Wait," Jerry said. He turned completely so he was facing Star. "Before you go, can I ask something? To you. Mew. Are you…?"

"Oh, sure, shoot," Star said. "Am I what?"

"Book of Mew, right?" Jerry stared at Star.

"Sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, it's written about me, I guess," Star shrugged noncommittally. "But if you're looking for some sort of spiritual lecture, I'm not that kinda girl."

"I don't need any stupid lectures, don't worry," Jerry said, and briefly, the god and mortal shared a smirk. But Jerry's faded first. "I just… wondered if there were any connections you had, you know, because of your role."

"Uh, yeah, that's true." She flicked her tail around and inspected the very tip. "Why d'you ask, Jer?"

Jerry's jaw locked in a tight, closed position. He remained that way for what felt like an eternity. Willow sparked a few times to break the otherwise total silence; Enet dozed off again. Amia gently held her chest, as if sensing something from Jerry; Omi felt it, too, both in Jerry's body from Owen's half and his aura from Mispy's half. He didn't want to feel it for long; the way Jerry's new body's heart was beating so frantically, it was like he was afraid of Star, or something that Star would say.

Star's eyes softened. "She's fine," she said. "And she wants you to stay strong."

Jerry's jaw finally unlocked. "Alright, then." He hadn't even paused after Star finished.

Owen's half never felt such a strange reaction from Jerry's breathing. Perhaps it was because he had lungs now, but the relief that she felt billowing out of that breath. "Jerry?" Omi asked.

"What?"

"…Nothing. Um—so how are you feeling?"

Tentatively, the Aerodactyl moved his wings. Then, he flicked his tail and stretched his legs. "Mrrgh, that's actually a lot better." He nodded at Omi and then stepped away. There was a flash of a glare in his eyes, and then he looked back at Star. "Stay strong, huh?" Then, he looked at Omi. "I want you to de-fuse again."

"U-uh?" Omi asked.

"Yeah. So, I can see that kid again."

"Kid? You mean me—er, Owen?" Owen, taking over, asked. "I'm not a kid, you know. I think I'm close to five hundred."

"Whatever. You don't act it. I want to fight you again, 'Zard."

"That's…" the fused behemoth laughed. "I just patched you up."

"Owen…" Star said warningly.

"What?" He glanced at Star with a half-smirk. He was trying to hide it, but he couldn't deny how sad it would be to just beat Jerry up all over again, just because he wanted to 'prove himself' against a Heart. A Mystic Heart, no less. Jerry was already defeated before when he was just a Charmander—sure, he had help from the others, but they were all sealed and weak back then. Now, he wants to fight him not only unleashed, but also as a Mystic?

"Yeah, and I want a rematch," Jerry said. "I was weaker from all the smog, and I was hungry, too. Actually, you know what? I need food. What kinda eats you have around here? You owe me that. For letting me get melted."

"Y-you did that to yourself!" Owen protested. "I—I mean, Ghrelle did, but—either way! That wasn't our—"

"Ohh, we can spare some food, dear," Amia sighed, clapping her hands together. "Come, Jerry. Why don't we talk this over some steamed fruits?"

"Fruits?" Jerry asked, wrinkling his snout. "Do these teeth look like they eat fruits? I'd rather go hunting again."

"Beggars can't be choosers," murmured Star.

Jerry stomped on the ground. "Look, I refuse to let that battle count! We're fighting for real, one on one! I don't lose in one on one fights—especially not to some weird little wannabe Dragon mutant!"

"Excuse me?!" Suddenly, the Charizard burst forth from the fusion, leaving a startled Meganium behind. "No, that's not fair. I can't help that. J-just because I'm Fire-Flying doesn't mean it's okay for you to just call me a—"

"Then you want to settle it in the field?" Jerry taunted. "C'mon, let's fight. One on one."

"Is this really necessary?" Rhys said impatiently.

"Yeah," Owen and Jerry both said.

Owen continued, "I don't want to have to beat you again after just healing you. Jerry, it's just…" Owen sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're sorta out of your league."

Jerry snarled, looking between all the others. Some in the group were looking at Owen uncertainly, like they wanted to say something, yet didn't. Owen, sensing this, felt a bit of the wind under his wings leave him.

"…Y'know what," Star said, breaking the silence, "go for it. I think I want to see this, Owen."

The Charizard blinked rapidly. "A-are you sure? I—I'll destroy him."

"Oh, what makes you so sure?" Jerry said. "Just because you have some fancy-glowy-powers, you can beat someone like me, who lived in the rough all his life? Please. I don't care how strong you think you are; once I get to full strength, I'll win. I have something to prove."

Owen flinched, looking at Star, then at the others. "He can't be serious," he said, addressing the group at large. "Aren't we—just beyond mortals at this point, kinda?"

Daggers. Like an iron spike hitting him right at the side of his skill, Owen felt a glare from Star. His whole body felt frozen from it. He didn't expect that from her. "R-right?" He thought about Manny's lesson on Mysticism, and how it contributed to the normal strength imbued in all Pokémon. With how much he'd trained, Mystic-wise, and now that he was in his fully evolved form, Jerry wouldn't be able to do a thing!

"Yeah," Star said slowly. "I think you two should fight."

"S-Star?" Owen said. The only reason Star would be like this would be to prove him wrong. But it just didn't add up. There had to be some other reason.

"And none of that stupid Mystic-whatever business, either!" Jerry said.

"Th-that's not fair, then I can't use my full power, either!" Owen said.

"Yeah, that's not fair, Jerry," Star said, eyes closed. "Let Owen do his thing."

"S-Star, why does your voice sound like ice?"

"Hmm…" Alex hummed, but then nodded to Amia to get something for Jerry to eat. "I think I understand what Star is talking about."

"Dad?" Owen asked. The flame on his tail flickered, shrinking as if he'd gotten in trouble. "What are you talking about? You hate when I fight!"

"I do," Alex said, nodding. "But I would rather you fight in a controlled environment than get in trouble when it counts."

"What's that supposed to—" Owen looked back at Jerry, who was making mock-wingbeats, as if practicing one of his techniques. Could Jerry actually be strong enough to hurt him? But his attacks in the swamp were nothing!

"You know, hang on," Star said, holding up her arms. "Let me help. Jerry, you can eat after. I'll give you some energy to tie you over; that's just as good as eating. How's that?"

"Oh, a divine blessing from the Ancestor herself? Thanks, but no thanks. I want to beat this kid with my own power."

"Pride'll get you nowhere," Star said. "I'm not giving you any sort of boost. I'm just restoring you to good shape."

Owen gulped. Maybe he could back out if he worded something just right. "I, uh," he said, "I think, maybe this isn't super productive. Maybe we should…"

Star glanced over to Manny and jerked her head. The Lucario approached and held her shoulder. "We doin' it like this?"

"Just a little."

Star then held onto Jerry's shoulder and focused; Manny's paw glowed briefly, and Star's paws glowed next. Jerry's stance straightened considerably, and Manny hunched forward.

"Ugh, that didn' feel good," Manny said, rubbing at the spike on his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jerry said, beating his wings. A powerful shockwave of wind blew Owen's way, threatening to put out the fire of his tail. "I feel great!" He beat his wings a second time, and Owen had to hold his stance to keep from toppling over. "So, this is what it feels like to fight on a full stomach." He crouched down, wings spread. "Heh… well. Let's get this done, huh?" Jerry's eyes shined with something that Owen couldn't recognize. It wasn't the same desperate gleam of an outlaw trying to survive. Somehow, this new shine made the Charizard's heart seize.

A fire burned in Owen's chest, ready to battle. But—his instincts still haunted him, and he didn't much care for that elation he felt for the fight. He channeled that instead to Jerry's challenge. If he wanted a fight, he'd give it to him. Then he could put it all behind him, shake hands—well, wings—with Jerry, and move on with the real dangers.

But Star's glare worried him. He glanced at Amia, but she was too busy murmuring something to Alex. He then looked at Rhys, but he was walking with his eyes on the ground, pensive. He dared to look at Star one last time on the way to the sparring grounds.

Star gave him a sweet smile.