Chapter 41
"My head… hurts…"
It was the morning of the next day—or the afternoon, there was really no reason to go check—when Char's eyes slowly opened. Seeing the soft sunlight streaming down into the bunker, he knew he'd passed out from exhaustion for many hours, yet he still felt just as exhausted. Memories of the previous night came back to him in a heartbeat: the ghosts, the chaos, the race to escape…
…Saura getting attacked…
Char couldn't stand to wait anymore. He had to know if Saura was okay. He'd tried for so long to hold his eyes open and keep watch, but he had closed them in a moment of weakness…
He remembered how, after the paralysis had worn off, Saura occasionally snapped awake in the middle of the night. He'd always jump up and gasp, looking panicked, before fading back to sleep in a few more minutes. Char wanted so badly to talk to him, to reassure him everything was fine, but was afraid he'd only provoke another attack and make things even worse…
And though he had tried so hard to keep himself awake, the light from his flame kept dimming, and the growing darkness made him so woozy…
And so, now that the night was over and he found himself awake, he gently nudged Saura, whispering his name, until he stirred and woke up.
"My head…" Saura groaned again, his eyes shut tightly. "Ugh, it feels so bad…"
"Saura, are you going to be alright?" Char whispered, tenderly rubbing him on the forehead. "Please, say you're alright. Do you remember me?"
Saura winced at the contact, but made no move to shove it away. "I remember you…" he responded, trying not to make his voice sound so pained. "I… I didn't lose any memories, I think… It's just…"
"You had a bad nightmare," Char told him. "One of the Watchers touched you and put a vision in your head. I saw it too, because I was touching you when it happened, I think. But it made you pretty angry—"
"No…" Saura said simply, shaking his head and staring at the ground. "No, Char… it wasn't… it wasn't a nightmare. It was real… It was all real."
Char blinked.
Surprised at hearing these words, he backed away from Saura's form, his worry returning. Was he… still under the effects of the curse?
"I destroyed my family…" Saura muttered plainly. "I… I destroyed my family...!"
"Saura, calm down, please!" Char begged. "W…what are you talking about? The vision… it was just something the ghost showed you to scare you! How do you know the vision was real?"
"Because… because I knew it from the very beginning! I just… I didn't want to believe it was real."
"What do you mean?"
"When I ran away from home, I…" Saura began, his voice hesitating. "I knew I couldn't just… I knew there would be consequences. You can't just run away from the Master like that. He punishes you for it if you do! But I… I… I shoved all that in the back of my head and went on and pretended everything was going to be alright! But I always knew it in the back of my mind. That dream you saw, it was… I already had it once, it was the same dream! I told you about it yesterday!… But the Watcher just made it so horrible… I just… I didn't want to think it was real. I wasn't ready…"
Saura began to cry.
"You're lucky you don't have any memories, Char!" he suddenly yelled, turning to face him. "You don't know what you left behind!"
Char was deeply shocked at the bitterness in his voice. He wanted to go give Saura a hug, but he found himself frozen in uncertainty, not sure how to react at all.
"And then… I talked you into joining the resistance," Saura continued, his voice breaking. "That's why I was so eager to follow Scythe… I thought that if… if I went and fought the Master, it would make everything okay, and I could just keep pretending my family was safe… But when I met Saurlee, I knew in the back of my mind why they took that vacation… I still wanted to deny it… I wanted to pretend… I was doing so good at pretending, it was so far away in my mind… and then to just be shown the truth so clearly..."
"Saura, I'm sorry."
"Don't be! You didn't do anything wrong!" Saura cried, turning his head away. "I—I'm the one who should be apologizing to you… I'm the one who took advantage of you… You were lost and alone, and I decided to… I took advantage of you! All those nights we stayed awake together? All those missions I stuck right next to you? Yeah… it was… I wanted my new resistance life to be everything to me. So I tried to be the world's best friend to you, so I could use your friendship to block out everything else…"
"Saura… why didn't you tell me this?!" Char blurted. "I would have understood! All along… everything… you were role-playing? No… that's not true. I… can't believe that, Saura! That's a lie! And it's not even your lie, I think it's the Watcher's lie! I think your mind is still messed up!"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know!" Saura yelled. "I thought I was being a good Pokémon! Everything I did, I seriously thought it was the right thing to do! I had myself so fooled! But I'm… I'm such a terrible Pokémon! All this time I just went along with it… but the Watcher showed me the truth! I can't… I'm a horrible, selfish Pokémon! I did the most horrible thing a Pokémon could do… I destroyed my family… I even… I wanted to go back and see them at home!… I seriously thought they'd be back there… "
"Saura, cut it out!" Char shouted at him, annoyed. "Look, even if the dream was real, you didn't destroy your family! They're still all alive, right? They made it out alive! They survived! They went and ran away so they could be free, like you!"
"Char…"
"And besides, don't tell me you're a horrible Pokémon! I mean, come on! How many missions have you helped win? How many Pokémon have we saved? Hey! Look at Scythe! He killed hundreds of innocent Pokémon before he became a good guy! I know because he told me himself! What you did is nothing compared to that!"
"Char... please," Saura sobbed. "I'm sorry… I just can't talk to you right now… Can you… leave me alone?"
Char thought he felt a metal spike being driven through his chest.
He wanted to say something else. He wanted to tell Saura that he was on his side. He wanted to say something to make him feel better… but something told him not to.
So he turned away, sulking into the corner from which he came, giving his best friend in the world the privacy which he had requested.
His eyes hurt. He could feel them trying to cry, the pressure behind them just starting to build… but he'd spent all his tears the previous night, and hadn't made any more just yet. So his eyes, and everything around them, started to burn. It wasn't the kind of burning he liked, either. It felt pretty close to jabbing his tail flame into a running waterfall.
And as he went to lie silently in the corner, dropping to the floor and curling up as if to pretend to sleep…
He noticed the rest of the small, metal-plated room. There were some little windows to the outside high in the ceiling, and a door that lead somewhere else. But he noticed that Ray was gone. So were Lily, Scythe, and everybody else. He and Saura were the only two in the room.
For the first time in a very long time, Char felt very, very alone.
… … …
After some time had passed, Char heard voices coming from the outside. Soon after, some Pokémon entered the room. There was Scythe, and another which he couldn't place at first, only vaguely remembering it from the previous day. He watched from across the room as they approached Saura.
"Here," Scythe directed to the tall, thin, green Pokémon. "The Bulbasaur."
Saura stirred at the sound of the voice. He'd apparently fallen back to sleep in the meantime.
"Uh… who are you?" he said dizzily to the green Pokémon, shaking the sleepiness from his head.
"I am Gardevoir." the Pokémon answered. "We met yesterday in my bar."
"Oh…" Saura said weakly. "I thought I recognized you…"
"Hmm… I hear the Watchers have had their way with you," Gardevoir hummed. "It shows. You look disgraceful. You're very lucky I live in District One and I can help you this morning. I would have come sooner, but last night I was under a very small measure of distraction, fighting for my life and all."
The Gardevoir kneeled down at Saura's side, looking him over carefully with his deep red eyes and tracing over his form gently with his small hands. Saura cringed a little bit, looking uncertain and distrustful of the psychic Pokémon. Char remained curled up in the corner, silently peering over the length of his tail at the scene taking place.
"You needn't worry, Saura, I'm very good at this," Gardevoir assured him in such gentle, genuine voice. "Just stay still, and let me look and see what the ghost did to you."
"But..." Saura started, squirming slightly. "No, you'll…"
"I will see some of your secrets, yes. It's a consequence of helping you," Gardevoir said, just as suavely. "But understand that I know many, many secrets of many Pokémon, and I have kept every one of them. A psychic's honor."
Saura hesitated for a moment, but then nodded his weak consent. Placing his hand on Saura's forehead, Gardevoir began to concentrate.
A minute passed in silence. Char noticed Gardevoir's eyes rolling up into his head, deeply focused on his work. Saura looked complacent.
Oddly, for some reason which Char could not seem to determine, Scythe looked gravely worried and impatient for the process to finish.
"Saura is in pain," Gardevoir reported after a while. "The ghost has left him with a nightmare. A very… persistent nightmare. It appears the ghost deposited the nightmare onto one of the most prominent thoughts in Saura's mind. I see it; it is very solid and very strong, like a black marble, and it rests nestled between his memories. To me, it appears to be immutable; it is unlikely that it would ever fade away on its own. As long as it remains, it will cause him physical and emotional pain."
"Can you cure him?" Scythe asked, some desperation in his voice. "Or is it permanent?"
"I can cure him, yes," Gardevoir replied, withdrawing from Saura and standing back up. "But… should I? That… will be up to Saura himself."
"What do you mean by that?" Scythe demanded in a slightly harsh tone.
"Psychic's honor. I will never tell," Gardevoir answered, gesturing his hand in front of Scythe's face while keeping his cool. "But Saura will explain it to you, if he wants. I should leave and return in a few moments, when he has made his decision. Saura, I would advise that you talk this over with your friends. They may help you arrive to the right decision. Or, you may remain silent. Either way, this is a difficult decision, and it should be yours. Do not let them make it for you."
Scythe was now visibly upset. He turned his attention to Saura, letting Gardevoir calmly exit the room.
"Saura…" Scythe said, kneeling next to him. "What is Gardevoir talking about?"
"Why do you care?" Char snapped from the other side of the room, drawing Scythe's attention. "It's Saura's decision if he wants to tell you. Don't pressure him. He's in enough pain as it is."
"He should not have to live with a nightmare imbued in his head for the rest of his life," Scythe said forcibly. "Unless there's a very good reason not to, he should let Gardevoir remove it immediately."
Char got up. He was getting angry as well. "Didn't you just hear what he said?! This isn't your decision. It's his."
"Char, do not talk to me as if I am some ignorant bystander," Scythe seethed. "Saura cannot afford to let the Watcher's curse affect him for the rest of his life."
"Guys!" Saura shouted. "Shut up! Please? I'm… I'm trying to think here! Really!"
Scythe and Char both fell silent immediately, but Scythe's face still burned with frustration. Saura groaned in pain.
"Gardevoir… wants to erase some of my memories," Saura decided to say. "He told me… the nightmare feeds off some of my memories. He can't destroy the nightmare itself, but he can destroy the memories it's attached to. Then it'll be harmless."
"Hmm… I see," Scythe said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I'm guessing then that they're sensitive memories, and you're reluctant to part with them? Would you die if they were removed?!"
Char felt his tail flaring. He knew the night had been long, but he didn't want to face having his whole fellowship falling apart. Scythe was actually trying to force Saura into making the decision. He realized that maybe Gardevoir had even predicted this would happen, hence his final warning before stepping out.
"They're memories of my family!" Saura growled back. "I don't want to forget I have a family! I don't want to forget about them! If I did… I don't know what I would do! I love them so much…"
He leapt up to his feet and snapped a vine onto the ground, causing a cracking sound to resonate inside of the bunker for a moment. Then, he barreled headlong past his companions and into the nearest wall, which he tried to headbutt with all his might.
"Why?! Why is this happening to me?!" he cried in anguish at nobody in particular. "By Arceus, Why?!"
Feeling dizzy from the impact, he dropped himself onto the floor, his face messy with all the tears he had shed.
"This nightmare is causing you to act violent," Scythe said gravely, apparently ignoring the fact that Saura was breaking down. "And it is taking away your rationality of thought."
Char simply stood in his place, his anger quietly simmering inside of him.
Scythe also stood still, waiting for Saura to respond.
After a while, Saura managed to turn himself around. He stared his two friends in the eyes, glancing back and forth to them, as if they both represented an answer to the question and he couldn't decide between them. He said nothing.
"Saura, this is your decision," Char reminded him. "Don't let—"
"Char," Scythe interrupted suddenly, lowering his voice just a little, "Would you like to know how I knew you were a human?"
"…What?" Char spat, taken completely off-guard. "What does that have to do with anything?!"
"Because I know you're curious," Scythe continued. "It still baffles you whenever you think about it. It seems like I read your mind, didn't it? Well? Would you like to know how I really found out?"
Char didn't answer. He just growled, letting Scythe continue if he so desired.
"I heard you speaking about it with Saura on the first night you stayed in my room," Scythe explained. "Because I wasn't asleep. Because I never sleep. Well, that is a lie. Perhaps I sleep once a week or so when I exhaust my energy so far that I can no longer control my limbs and I just collapse and pass out. And even that can hardly be called sleep. But mostly I spend every night wide awake and alone with my thoughts. And would you like to know why I can never sleep, Char? Are you curious at all?"
Again, Char said nothing, simply glaring back into the Scyther's intense eyes.
"Because when I was a child, a Watcher distorted my mind," Scythe said powerfully. "A Watcher damaged me. It cut through my subconscious mind, and it dug a hole which I have had to live painfully with for the rest of my waking existence. I had to spend a good deal of my life learning to convince other Pokémon that I'm not insane. But… I am insane. I see visions and hear voices at night when I'm supposed to be sleeping, and my thoughts distract me during the day. And I will always be insane, because of what that Watcher did to me. You try to protect Saura from me, Char, and you think you are noble, but between the two of us I'm the one who has lived my whole life feigning sanity. You have no right to tell me I'm taking this too seriously."
Scythe began to walk away, leaving Char with nothing to say.
"Saura, allow Gardevoir to remove it, or I—I'm afraid I will no longer be able to trust you," Scythe said matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry, Saura, but we cannot afford to ignore the reality of this situation. Not after we've gotten this far."
And he stormed off, leaving Char gaping in his wake.
… … …
"What do you think, Char…?" Saura said unexpectedly, minutes after Scythe had left. "Should I… do it?"
Feeling distant from Saura, Char stood at the other end of the room, staring at the wall. His mind was still processing what Scythe had told him. He couldn't be mad at Saura. He couldn't even be that mad at Scythe. He felt devoid of emotion, not really knowing what he was supposed to be feeling. Everything seemed so matter-of-fact now.
"Maybe you should," Char admitted. "Maybe Scythe is right. Maybe it would make you happier."
"But… I can't… I just can't…" Saura stammered. "Destroy my own memories? Wouldn't that… wouldn't that change who I am? And what if I met my family and didn't know who they even were?"
"I can't tell you if getting your memories erased changes who you are," Char told him. "But I can tell you one thing about it: if you don't try so hard to remember what you forgot, it doesn't bother you so much. It's like you always said how you didn't care who I was before my transformation, I am who I am now. I'm someone new, and my old self doesn't matter. Besides… I still don't believe a word of what you said. You forget I've been your friend all this time? I know you well enough to know you weren't role-playing all this time. Last night before you fell asleep, you told me being on the resistance made you happy. There's no way that could have been a lie. I think the ghost just lied to you, and you believed it because there's something wrong with your mind now. I think that nightmare is making you bitter."
"Believe what you want," Saura said flatly. "I know the truth."
Char sighed. It was hard for him to think of what else to say.
"You should do it," he decided. "I think it's what you want."
"How can you say that?"
"If you have your memories removed, it can be like the ghost never attacked you. And it can be like you were never chosen by the Master. You wanted everything to go away? You could make it all go away. You'd be a member of the resistance, and my best friend, and nothing else. You wouldn't have to block anything out anymore, because there'd be nothing to block out."
"But it's… it's so wrong!" Saura whined. "I'd be worse than what I already did! I can't… I can't just erase Saurvor and Saurlee and Sarnick and Mom and Dad and everyone from my life! I can't just… throw away all my childhood… It's… It's too much to ask! That's just… that's not right!"
"But it's what you want," Char insisted.
"But don't you think… wouldn't you feel a little bit guilty if you were in my place? Like you took the easy way out? Like you just, I don't know, gave up?"
"You're right, I probably would," Char answered honestly. "And I don't think I'd be able to treat you the same anymore, knowing you're not all of who you used to be. But… I just think you should be happy, Saura."
"I don't think I deserve to be happy…" Saura moaned. "Not now. Imagine how many Pokémon died last night because of the Watchers. Here, I'm probably one of the luckiest survivors! And you're telling me I should be happy?"
"The other option is that Scythe kicks you off the team and you have nowhere else in the world to go," Char reminded him. "And you'll be lost and alone and miserable for the rest of your life. Or you could go serve the Master if you wanted. I'm sure he'd find a way to give your life meaning. But I don't think that's what you want. I think you belong with the resistance."
Char heard the sounds of Saura's paws scratching the ground, and the heaving of his breath, as he waited for a reply. In truth, he felt regret for saying what he did. He didn't like the thought any more than Saura did. He didn't want to imagine Saura as some empty shell of what he used to be…
But as sad as it seemed, he knew it was for the best. He just couldn't seem to look Saura in the eye after having said it.
"When you put it like that..." Saura muttered. "I don't… I don't know what to say…"
To Char's surprise, Saura's face appeared in front of the wall at which he'd been glaring. He stared sadly at his Charmander friend, fighting the urge to look away.
"If I'm going to do this… I'm sorry," Saura said. "I'm just… I'm really sorry… Please… forgive me."
Char nodded. He didn't want to say anything else.
… … …
When Gardevoir had come back, several others had returned with him. Scythe, Ray, Prince, and some other members of Team Flamewheel which had helped the previous night had entered the room, just in time to hear Saura's final decision. They all huddled around him, sharing a contemplative silence as they watched Gardevoir work on his mind.
Char stood close to Ray, hoping that his presence would give him the courage he needed to accept the outcome of Saura's operation. Ray, though, looked as though he was wasn't feeling so good himself, so Char simply chose to console him, giving him the little hug which he'd been waiting to give Saura all night…
"I'm done," Gardevoir announced, lifting his hand from Saura's forehead and backing away.
Saura blinked, looking very confused of himself, but the bitterness in his eyes wasn't there anymore. He looked like he'd just woken up from a very refreshing nap, and appeared quite cheerful.
"Who, and what, are you?" Gardevoir asked.
"I'm Saura," he answered hesitantly. "I'm a Bulbasaur. A Pokémon."
"Where are you?"
"I'm… uh… um… District One," he remembered. "The Emerald Division. Why are you asking me these questions…?"
"I need to know what you remember, and what you don't," he answered. "Now… What team are you on?"
"Team Ember," he said without hesitating. "With Char and Ray. And… Scythe's guiding us. He brought us here."
"And what is your mission?"
"We're going to Temporal Tower!" he answered.
"Good. Now… where did you grow up?"
"The Tiny Plains, way down south from here."
"Who raised you?"
Saura winced. This was the first question that gave him trouble. His eyes darted upon all the Pokémon which surrounded him, and became a little embarrassed when he couldn't seem to grasp the answer.
"I don't… know… I'm an orphan, aren't I?" Saura finally responded, not too sure of his answer. "Or, wait… no… I think I might have been a wild Pokémon!"
"But you don't know for sure?"
"Not really… it's all really fuzzy…" Saura said.
Then, he seemed to have a realization, and he suddenly gasped. "Wait… what? Did something happen to my memory, or something?" he wondered. "It was that Watcher, wasn't it? Did it erase my memories?"
"A few of them, yes," Gardevoir responded. "But I've just finished repairing your mind. You will be absolutely fine."
"Wow…" Saura muttered to himself. "I don't… remember! I remember you, Char, Scythe, Prince… I remember the Gold Division… But before that… it's like… Wow. Huh."
"It is finished," Gardevoir announced, turning to the small crowd which had gathered. "Again, I since I could not remove the nightmare itself, his mind will sometimes brush up against it, and he might appear afraid, but it will be of no consequence. After all, everyone has their own share of irrational fear…"
Gardevoir turned to leave, ignoring Char and Ray as they came rushing to Saura's side. He ignored the Infernape and the Flareon who appeared frozen in somberness from the night's events. He left everything behind, and headed for the door.
"Gardevoir… thank you," Scythe said softly, just before he had left the room. "Thank you for your service. It means more than you might know."
Saying nothing, Gardevoir simply turned to glance into his eyes for a moment, then left the room.
… … …
"You remember us, right?" Ray asked carefully. "You know who we are?"
"You feel okay, Saura?" Char chimed in. "How's your head?"
Saura blinked at all the attention he was getting. "I'm fine! Honestly, I'm just happy to be alive!" he answered. "Last night was insane! All of us could have been done in, but we made it! That makes me feel pretty happy!"
"Do you… have a headache?" Char asked him.
"Nnn… …no," Saura replied, looking at the ground. "I feel fine… and I'm glad. We start the big trip to Temporal Tower today, don't we? I didn't want to be sick for it. You might have left me behind!"
"Yeah, uh… maybe," Char managed to say. "We'll have to talk to Scythe… Of course, you don't have to go with me if you want. You could stay here. Or go back to the Gold Division…"
Saura looked seriously appalled. "Y-you're joking, right?!" he said, incredulously. "There's no way I'm going to miss this! We're a team! Besides, why would I go back to the Gold Division without you? What would I have to go back for? It's boring back there without you two!"
"Y-you wanted to go back, before… before your memories were erased," Char told him hesitantly. "So I … I convinced Scythe you didn't have to come with us, if you didn't want…"
"I did? Really?" Saura said, confused. "Hmm… I wonder what I was thinking! It must not have been very smart! …Nah. You can count on me! I'll be right there with you until the end, just like always! …Char? …Uh… Char? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Char suddenly found himself speechless. He didn't know what else to tell Saura. He thought he would feel happy, or at least relieved, that Saura's pain had gone away. Instead… he started to feel awful, as though he'd betrayed him. Saura had been right: the guilt was already mounting. It began to dawn on Char that his best friend was going to be someone completely different from now on.
But it had to be done, he told himself. It's alright… It's better this way… isn't it?
"He's just happy you're alive, too," Ray answered for him. "It was a bad night."
… … …
On the other side of the room, Scythe conversed with Prince.
"We must leave," Scythe said desperately. "Before things have a chance to get any worse. We must leave immediately. Prince… do you have the supplies?"
"They're back in the fortress. I'd have to return for them," Prince responded. "I know that's risky enough as it is. Perhaps you should go, and I will wait here."
"I… don't have hands," Scythe returned. "I can only carry one bag, not two…"
Scythe winced.
"No… that's a perfect plan, actually," he said, correcting himself. "I will bring Char with me. He can carry the other bag. You wait here for us to return."
"Prince!"
Gardevoir returned hastily, bursting back into the room. He looked quite surprised.
"Prince, there has been a development I think you should hear about!"
"Not another 'snowstorm', I hope…?" Prince grumbled.
"Oh, no, Prince, this isn't the time for another mind game," he said. "But listen. I have just caught word, stemming from Rayquaza's Clutch, apparently, that… Temporal Tower's position… has moved!"
Scythe reeled back. "What?" he barked. "How is that possible?!"
"The recent episode of the Call might be to blame," Gardevoir speculated. "But it's useless to ask me about the affairs of gods. I would know nothing about why they act. But maybe the Call has stirred the will of the gods and shifted the tower."
"Are… are you sure?" Scythe demanded. "Where did you hear this information, exactly? How do we know it is true?"
"The sentries were spouting it," Gardevoir answered. "Apparently one flew far enough north to see Temporal Tower miles away from its recorded position, and another confirmed it couldn't be seen at the old site anymore… The winds were harsh, however, and they couldn't remain long."
"And where is it now?" Scythe asked. "Where was it discovered now?!"
"I don't know," Gardevoir answered. "But they're planning to announce it at the meeting this afternoon… it got postponed because many of our residents couldn't make it in the morning…"
"Well… well, then… in that case… I guess that answers one of our questions," Scythe said, pacing away from Gardevoir. "Prince… we have to attend the meeting."
Prince looked away.
"No," he said simply.
"We don't have a choice," Scythe insisted. "We're not going to compromise the mission. We must know Temporal Tower's new position."
"It's beside the point. I shouldn't go."
"Prince, for the love of Arceus, this is not up for debate," Scythe growled. "Put aside your petty regret… we have to attend that meeting."
"Lucario would never allow me in."
"We must force our way in, then!" Scythe growled louder. "Lucario is not going to Zerferia, we are! We need that information!"
"Send another."
"Who, me?" Scythe laughed. "I'm not welcome in there."
"Neither am I, Scythe."
"You serve Lucario. I do not."
"I serve nobody."
"You serve Char."
This took Prince off-guard, and made him return his gaze to Scythe. Scythe took the opportunity to quickly keep speaking and to grill him.
"You were after Char so much, it was enough to anger me," Scythe reeled off. "You challenged me to a duel for the right to come. You tried to gain Char's trust. You taught him to smolder. You risked your life to save him. And now, you can't follow through with your conviction enough to look Lucario in the eye and get this information from him? Have you really become this weak? Are you going to give up and compromise our entire task just because you're afraid?"
"It's not what you think!" Prince said, raising his voice. "It's… don't imply that Lucario frightens me. He does not frighten me. But… what you are asking… might not have the effects you want."
"Then what? What is it?!" Scythe snapped back. "You seem to forget, I don't care what happens to you. I'm here to make sure Char meets with the god of time, and I am willing to go through any length to see to it. Char and I will set off on our own if it comes to that. But I know we won't have to do that, because you're going to get us both into that meeting, and you're going to find out where Temporal Tower moved to."
"Is that really what you want?" Prince asked in a low, menacing tone. "Are you so sure?"
Prince began to laugh. It was a very unexpected, ironic laugh. Scythe looked upon him with confusion, and a little bit of fear.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, Fine. That's what we'll do." Prince chuckled, turning to the Flareon beside him. "If that's what this is going to come to… Iniga, gather the others. Scythe insists we go and interrupt Lucario's meeting. So, that's what we'll do."
Fort Emerald
To Char, the return trip to the city was silent, eerie, and almost as frightening as the previous night.
A terrible stillness lingered in the air, the sort of stillness which happens after a disaster such as a tornado or a great flood. But there hadn't been a great deal of damage dealt to the fortress's facilities; most buildings were still standing tall, unharmed, where a stray Pokémon's attack had not busted and toppled some of their bricks. But even though the damage could not be seen, it could be felt. The streets were still, silent, as though the Pokémon inhabitants were all still cowering inside, sleeping from a long night's struggle, or had deserted the accursed place in fear. The air was still cold, as the sun never shone directly onto the forsaken city through the mask of clouds.
And through these streets marched Scythe and Team Ember, alongside all of Team Flamewheel's members who rode the storm out together. Char couldn't bear the somber silence between them all. It was as though they were marching off to their doom. He knew Lucario would be furious—for more than one reason—and that every Pokémon surrounding him would need to band together to bear his wrath and accept the consequences of what had happened.
Char didn't feel guilty for what his power had done, even if other Pokémon had died that night. It was as Prince had told him: he had no control over the Call, and so any damage it caused could not be his fault. It was a tragic accident, and nothing else. No one was to blame. No one was at fault.
But, as nature dictates, when something terrible happens, accountability must still be placed upon someone, even if nobody is to blame. And he knew Lucario would place that accountability upon him and upon Prince. From there, he didn't know what would happen. He sensed that neither Scythe nor Prince knew that, either.
Char looked back upon the crowd. Lily was there, hanging her head low and following the rocks underfoot with her eyes. Legend's gaze was blank, as though he was occupying himself with his thoughts. Iel the Camerupt looked absolutely exhausted as he trudged along with the team, making Char wonder if he was actually fast asleep with his eyes open and his feet moving. A funny thought popped into his mind: Team Flamewheel wouldn't look out of place next to Team Remorse, after how Scythe's team had looked for the past several weeks, constantly pushing themselves to their limits—not to mention Scythe himself, as Char finally began to understand why he'd always looked like such a tired old Pokémon…
Among the solemn group, Saura looked the most out-of-place. A tiny smile was always crossing his face, which changed into a genuine beaming grin whenever Char's eyes crossed over him. Once, however, when Saura wasn't paying attention, Char noticed him flinch violently as though being stung by a wasp. But he soon noticed Char's gaze and smiled at him, and Char couldn't return the smile.
Saura wouldn't have been so happy, Char's mind told him as his heart sunk lower. Saura would have been sad, like the rest of us. But Saura can't remember… Saura isn't Saura anymore…
At least, without meeting a single other soul, the group arrived to the meeting hall across the street from Rayquaza's Clutch.
… … …
The meeting was already far into its session when Team Flamewheel entered the hall.
It was the same place which Legend had told his story the previous night, but today, it was a much different place.
The room was filled wall-to-wall with Pokémon, many more than had attended the storytelling. Last night, the Pokémon were filled with glee, excitement, and suspense, as they hung onto every word which Legend spoke. Today, their emotions were different. Their gazes were blank. Stunned. Disheartened. Confused.
And it wasn't Legend who paced back and forth in the very middle of the room, the center of attention. Today, it was Lucario, standing before the present members of Team Regret. Char caught sight of Zahira the Dragonite standing among them.
Lucario did not look angry or upset in any way. He looked thoughtful, in fact. He cast a glance in Prince's direction as he entered, but did not otherwise acknowledge his arrival to the public. He continued to pace across the floor.
"The trial last night has been a testament of our strength as a resistance division," Lucario continued, speaking very plainly and respectfully his voice ringing out unchallenged. "For today, unlike that day so long ago, we still stand, though many of our companions have fallen. Thirty-six of our best did not make it through the night, and twelve more have suffered injuries… We must not forget that they have taken the hits which were intended for the rest of us. We must respect their intentions, carry on in their legacies. And so… in just a few moments, I will commence with the assignments, as usual. We will not ignore our duties for the sake of self-pity. In addition, we will need help rebuilding the facilities which have been damaged."
Char snapped to attention; though it appeared at first Lucario was merely pacing across the room, he was actually ascending the stairs, approaching them! He tensed up. The crowds of resistance teams also gasped, noticing who now stood in the room.
"You," Lucario said calmly, after he had approached close enough to stare Prince in the eye. "You were not invited to this meeting. What makes you think you are welcome here?"
"Ask this of Scythe, if you would," Prince returned. "He has brought me."
"Scythe… as much as your reputation precedes you, you are also not welcome here," Lucario said. "You know I hold this assembly hall as a sacred place to convene with my own resistance division. I do not allow others to attend. Please, leave."
Lucario smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. It was a knowing, bitter smile. He approached the younger Pokémon of the group, leering down at them.
"I bet you poor little children would like to know what I'm talking about, wouldn't you?" Lucario said with mock pity. "Seeing that you've just been dragged around by the collars by these… babysitters of yours, I feel sorry for you. So, I will fill you in on what they've been neglecting to tell you. To start with, Prince, or any of his team members for that matter, are not members of the Emerald Division. They have not been for a very, very long time."
Char held his breath. He dared not to say a word.
"No… you see, Prince leads his own division apart from mine. I believe he chose to call it the Silver Division, am I correct?" Lucario quipped, glancing over to Prince for a moment. "You see, Prince disagreed with one of my decisions a long time ago, so he broke off from me, forming his own division, and taking many of my followers as his own. But today, his division has only one team registered to it: his own. That's because the Silver Division did not last for very long. It lasted for but a day before it was burned to the ground, and the resistance teams were all slain, the only remnants being those who call themselves members of Team Flamewheel. Since then, I have granted him quarter in my fortress and allowed him to use my facilities for his benefit. But Prince leads an independent resistance team. My fortress is not his home."
"Spare us this history lesson, Lucario, I have only come for one reason," Scythe said quickly. "We had planned to leave on our expedition today. We must know the new location of Temporal Tower. Then we will be off, out of your sight, out of your mind."
"Still chasing after Dialga, are you? Even after what you have done last night?" Lucario mocked. "You still… honor this Call as something sacred, do you? Well… since you are here, I figure I might as well tell you what has been on my mind since last night. And since you were so kind as to interrupt my meeting, I can say it in the presence of the entire division."
Lucario's words were so sour, so dripping with contained malice, that Char wanted to go hide somewhere. He could tell some of the group members were feeling the same way. Prince stood tall before Lucario's diminutive form, eyeing him down.
"Prince… I give you a choice," Lucario said directly to him, his voice filled with false gentleness. "A very simple, straightforward choice. Now, I cannot deny how helpful you have been to me over these past decades. Your team has been an asset to this division which I cannot overlook. Do not get me wrong, Prince. I have the highest level of respect for you. But… you have put my division in danger for the last time. Your actions have caused so much havoc upon the walls I have built, the streets I have paved, and the Pokémon which I call my own sons and daughters… So, Team Flamewheel, from this day onward, I have decided the Emerald Division will no longer be a safehouse for the Call. I will not harbor this… this destructive force any longer, under the empty hopes and promises that it will help dethrone the Master, when it has done nothing but cause me misery. Your choice, Prince: take your team, and leave the fortress, and never again convene or associate yourself with the Emerald Division."
"Is that a choice, or an edict?" Prince returned. "What is the other option you're going to give me?"
"The other option…" Lucario said, "If you wish to stay… you must evict only one member from your team. … … her."
Lucario pointed his finger, almost in disgust, at the Bayleef which stood fearfully somewhere behind Prince's form.
Lily was stunned. Her eyes opened wide in dread, her breath became caught in her throat. In no time, her body was shivering as though a weight had been dropped upon her back.
"But Lily had nothing to do with it!" Char shouted, before he knew what he was saying. "I called the ghosts down! I was the one! Banish me if you have to!"
"Oh, I do plan to banish you as well, Char," Lucario spoke back to him, condescendingly. "I expect your babysitters will take you out of my jurisdiction by the end of the day. As for Lily, I understand her power is not nearly as strong as yours, but as long as either of you are around, a tragedy such as last night could occur at any moment. I am giving her two months, and I expect her to be gone from my territory. Whether you go with her, Prince, is completely your decision. Now begone."
"I still need that intel," Scythe said again. "Where has Temporal Tower moved?"
"I said, begone!" Lucario grunted, walking back to the center of the room as the audience murmured among themselves.
Scythe leapt forward.
"I will stand up to you, Lucario!" he warned, raising his voice. "I will not let you stand in the way of my mission!"
"And every Pokémon in this room will stand up for me!" Lucario replied, matching his voice and turning to face him again. "Take one more step, Scyther, and I will have you escorted from this building and dropped in the outskirts, possibly unconscious. Besides… I really don't think I should have to tell you…"
Scythe stood down, bowing his head. Lucario resumed his pacing toward the center of the room.
"Let's… do as he says," Scythe grumbled. "Come. We'll leave."
Lily didn't have to be asked. She was already bolting for the door, a pained scowl across her face, before Scythe even gave the word.
"Lily!" Prince gasped, motioning after her. "Lily, wait!"
But she was gone.
… … …
Having accomplished absolutely nothing at the meeting, the group trudged back across the street to Team Flamewheel's base.
It was so strange seeing the place still in one piece. The ghosts had phased through the walls, touching none of the furniture or the architecture. What Char had last remembered as a chamber of horrors was once more a place of safety.
Or perhaps it wouldn't be for very long… it depended now on the decision Prince would have to make.
When Prince motioned to open the door, he barely had to touch it before it opened on its own– Kabir stood in the doorway, looking very sad and saying not a word.
"Kabir! Blessings of Arceus, you're still alive!" Prince clamored, his mood brightening instantly. "This is the best news I've had—"
But Prince had to stop in mid-breath, and so did everyone else who stood around the doorway: as it swung open fully, it revealed a very disturbing sight: Kabir was missing his right arm.
"At a cost, Prince," he said somberly. "I was stupid… I warped myself into a wall… Arm got stuck, ghosts were closing in… I had to warp away, and when I came to, it was missing. At least it wasn't my writing hand…"
Ray shivered at the sight, closing his eyes for a moment. Char felt uneasy looking at the injured Smeargle as well.
"Whoa…" Saura whispered. "I bet that hurts…"
"It barely matters to me, at this point," Prince told him, embracing him suddenly. "I'm just glad to see you safe."
"Heh… ugh, now… Now if only I could learn to transform like a Ditto, I could get it back…" Kabir grunted, hugging him back with his remaining arm. "They say it's impossible to learn, but… I—I'm going to see for myself if that's true or not."
Char followed Prince into the base, casting a look of sympathy to Kabir on the way in.
"Kabir… By chance, did Lily come here just a moment ago?" Prince asked him.
"Yes, she went to her room," Kabir replied. "Didn't seem very happy. Didn't want to talk to me."
Prince stepped close to the closed door, not daring to push it open. It looked for a moment like he was about to call inside, but hung his head and decided not to.
"Let her rest," he ordered. "Do not disturb her. I will speak to her about this when we return from the expedition. It should be done well before the end of the month. Now… since we are all present, and I will be gone shortly, let us hold our meeting…"
Char, Saura, Ray, and Scythe waited politely, yet very impatiently, in the corner as Prince held a meeting with his team members. It seemed to last forever, as each present member reported the current status of their assignments, and were given new ones as seen fit. Char felt a little bit of pity for the team; he knew they acted independently, and this was their replacement for Lucario's meeting which they were banned from entering. In a way, they were still their own little resistance division.
The Silver Division.
The meeting went on and on and on, as Prince discussed the intricate details of each of their ventures. Finally, he called the meeting complete, sending everyone off toward their rooms to prepare for the day's ventures, or out to get started on their new missions. As they were leaving, he looked at the door to Lily's room—still closed. He sighed.
"Now, all your business is done," Scythe said, approaching him from the place he'd been sitting still for the past hour. "Gather the supplies. We leave immediately. There's no telling how long it will take for us to find where Temporal Tower jumped to. We must research this. Possibly bribe the sentries for information if we can. But we need to start making headway while there's daylight."
"Fine, let's go," Prince said to him. "I have our supplies all ready…
Prince opened his team closet, and un-slung the two biggest bags from their hangers. Char recognized one of them as Alakazam's bag. He set it down before Scythe, who hoisted it over his shoulder as he always had, trying to fit it upon his back in a comfortable manner. He also produced Team Ember's bag, still stuffed with their own favorite items. As long as it could be carried along, there was no such thing as too many supplies; the road would be long, there would be no towns to restock at along the way, and Temporal Tower was still very much an unknown. He slipped it onto his own back, sparing the children its burdensome weight. They would need every ounce of strength they had.
Then, Prince produced something very odd from the closet.
It was a tiny brown pouch, almost like the kind the Reviver Seeds were stashed in, tied with a very small length of twine. The knot looked so tight and secure, Char wondered if it was even possible to open apart from just burning the whole sack to ashes. Something sagged within, appearing larger and heavier than a standard Wonder Orb. With a belt-like rope, Prince tied the pouch snugly around his waist, quickly casting an affectionate gaze at it.
"Last thing…" he muttered, digging deeper into the closet. "We can't forget the emblems. I have them here somewhere…"
He produced another sack, one that looked quite large, and began shuffling through it.
"…That's odd…" he muttered.
"What…?" Scythe demanded, stepping closer. "Don't tell me… the rescue emblems are missing?!"
"No, they're right here," Prince said, still stirring his hand around in the bag's contents. "But… something else isn't here… Our map."
"The map to Temporal Tower?" Scythe guessed. "I'd imagine that's useless now, seeing that we now have no idea where the tower stands…"
"No, no…" Prince said, beginning to chuckle again. It was the same sinister chuckle he'd given before leading Scythe into Lucario's meeting. "I don't know who did it, but one of you took the map out of this bag. Char, it couldn't have been you, you were in your room all night… Scythe, you have no hands… hmm… Interesting. Very interesting."
Char, Saura, and Ray all stood gaping, but trying to hide it. They all knew exactly why the map was missing. Char felt butterflies in his stomach as Prince cast a knowing gaze straight at him.
"You were planning to leave without me," Prince said simply. "I knew it."
"That is of no consequence now," Scythe said. "Now that the location of the tower is unknown, we will need to band together, all five of us…"
"Oh, it's of quite great consequence, I'm afraid," Prince returned. "I suppose it's time for me to make a confession to you, Scythe… I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but… Temporal Tower has not moved at all."
"What?" Scythe rasped. "What do you mean?"
"It has always been in the very place I found it."
Scythe's eyes widened, a shocked anger quickly filling them.
"I bribed some of the sentries to report its location in the wrong place," Prince explained, shrugging. "Thus, Lucario also thought it was in the wrong place, and he didn't know better, so the maps were drawn incorrectly… Now it seems the sentries have betrayed me due to what happened last night, and the secret is out… The tower stands a mile and a half south-southwest of the entrance to Destiny Abyss, at least a twenty-two day walk from where we now stand. Not that you'd know where that is. I know the way by heart."
"W—when were you planning to tell me this?!" Scythe blasted. "We would have—"
"You would have ended up lost and alone, and cold, without me," Prince continued. "But that wasn't my intention. I figured you'd try to leave me behind at any of the rest stops. So I would have told you on the first night that only I knew the true directions. That way you would need to trust me. But I have to give you credit, Scythe. I wasn't expecting you to go and leave me in Fort Emerald before we'd even started! You're lucky the Call happened when it did… you and Char both would have died of frostbite in the middle of nowhere before I would have been able to rescue you. So… heh heh… heh heh heh… In a way, I suppose the events of last night were… fortunate?"
Scythe's body slumped to the floor, giving Char a start. Char watched as Scythe knelt before Prince, confusion and absolute humiliation covering his downcast face. He cringed as he spoke.
"You have bested me in a physical match… and now you have bested me at a mind game, as well," Scythe muttered, closing his eyes painfully. "You… you win, old friend. I concede. I have nothing more… There is nothing more I can do to prevent you from coming. There is nothing more I can do. Go, then. Lead us north. We will follow, and do as you say."
Emerald Outskirts
As Prince led the group through the northwestern gate of Fort Emerald, ready to leave the division base behind and begin their long, long walk through the wild arctic, Char was surprised to see a large assembly of Pokémon waiting for them just beyond the wall.
It was a send-off ceremony, and half of the entire Emerald Division must have been there. Char even thought he saw a few members of Team Regret standing in line.
Char shook his head and blinked a few times. Looking back up, they were still there.
"Uh, guys?" he asked quietly. "Are… are there a lot of Pokémon staring at us? Or am I imagining things?"
"They've come to sympathize with us," Prince whispered back. "Lucario did threaten to banish me in front of everyone. I didn't think it would go over so lightly… And besides, after that incident with Lucario, they all know your secret now, Char…"
Char's eyes widened. Yes… in talking back to Lucario, he had revealed his secret to everybody, hadn't he?
Prince stood still for a moment and halted his party's movement, and the Pokémon of the Emerald Division gave a thunderous cheer so loud it made the ground shake.
It took Char's breath away to hear so many voices, so many different types of Pokémon cries sounding at once. It sounded like the response Legend had gotten the night before, but so many more Pokémon were present now, all screaming and clamoring together… and he knew it was for him, and for all the Pokémon who stood by his side, who had guided him this far and believed in him, some anticipating his arrival for decades before his appearance, ready now to deliver him to the god which he had beckoned down from the halls of eternity…
And his spirit soared.
Char had never gotten applause before. His condition had always remained under wraps, hidden from the general public save for the select chosen. But now, showered with this booming applause which never seemed to end, it was impossible not to feel alive. Char felt so much cold and pain and despair just drowned out, replaced with the most profound, steadfast kind of courage and confidence one could feel. Turning to his companions, he saw Ray clenching his fists and holding his head high, grinning from ear to ear and casting a small circle of light upon the ground as his body glowed. He saw Saura's eyes as wide as they could be, sparkling with wonder. He saw that even Scythe looked refreshed from all the attention, and he couldn't hold back a grin of his own.
It was simply unbelievable. Even after such a horrible night, even after suffering the deaths of their companions, the Pokémon of the resistance were celebrating. Celebrating him. Celebrating the Call.
Prince started walking again, and the group began to head through the endless-looking gauntlet of Pokémon. Char marched proudly alongside him, focusing his ears on the individual voices which shouted his way.
"You could end it!" cheered a strikingly lovely Milotic from the roadside. "End the Master's reign!"
"So many lives lost," said the Abomasnow standing beside it, "they will all have meaning now, thanks to you…"
"The Silver Division, it lives again!" cried a Delcatty standing beside a large purple cobra. "Prince marches again!"
"Hey, Prince! Watch yourself out there, alright?" shouted a Weavile, flanked by Marshtomp and another Weavile. "Wouldn't want to have to rescue you…"
"Yeah, and we still owe you a rescue, too!" the Marshtomp added.
"Stand tall, little dragon!" Zahira shouted. "Keep that little fire going!"
Naxi the Flygon stood practically in the middle of the road, eyeing Char as he walked past.
"Char…" he grunted. "Once you win the heart of the gods… Remember. Don't let anyone try to control the power. It can only be yours. When you set out to destroy the Master… don't let him deceive you. Smash him into the ground, and never have mercy. He deserves nothing else after everything he has done."
At the very end when no more Pokémon remained, Legend stood before them and the open road, bowing his head. As they approached him, the crowd finally died down.
"Well, my Prince," Legend spoke, "I shall see you again… whether in a couple dozen days, or in the hall of eternity… and if the latter should come to pass, know that it has been an honor to stand beside you all these years, and to see everything you stood for, everything the Silver Division stood for, come to fruition at last… And even if I would prove myself a poor replacement for you, and the team which you have led crumbles and disperses over time, your flame will live on in the hearts of every Pokémon who hears me speak, for as long as I live. And Char, the same is for you."
Legend stepped close to Char, bowing his head enough to speak directly to him.
"Char… have you decided what you will be asking of the god of time?" Legend beseeched. "Already, I have begun to formulate a poem of you and your friends. Perhaps I can change Lucario's heart again with it. But… I would like for you to have a motive. A motive that has not been forced upon you, but something of your very own. What should the legend say about you? Have you chosen something?"
"Yeah, I know what I'll ask him," Char replied after a moment of thought. "I realized something… even if the Master isn't there anymore… I don't think I would be happy. Because… because I have a bunch of really good friends, the best friends anyone could ever want…"
Char looked upon the faces of his companions, upon Scythe, who had lost his mind, upon Saura, who had lost and now forgotten his family, upon Ray, who had lost his brother and spent the rest of his life struggling just to live in his shadow, and upon Prince, who had lost everything he had fighting so that the Call might live…
"…But they're all broken," Char said. "I'd ask Dialga… to have my friends not be broken anymore."
Char's friends looked surprised, and touched, at these words. Legend nodded, casting Char a deep, understanding smile.
"Then I will stand in your way no more," he said, rising to his full height and backing himself to the side of the road. "All together now, go! Off with you! The legends await you!"
"For heavens' sake, take care of Lily," Prince said to him. "If I should not return… Ask her where she would like to go… and then give her what she asks."
"We will, my Prince! Do not fret about those things you leave behind here, they will be managed well in your absence!" Legend said again, raising his voice. "Go, go! Off with you all!"
And finally, Char and his friends began their excursion across the cold tundra of northern Ambera, and eventually into the frozen land known as Zerferia.
As Fort Emerald shrunk behind them, becoming nothing but a speck upon the horizon, Char could still hear the howl of Legend's voice, combining with the collected voices of the resistance teams, chanting to the heavens:
And 'till the stars come crashing through the sky,
'Till the mountains fall and oceans dry,
'Till the sun descends before the eye,
Hold the flame… never let it die!
End of Season II