Chapter 5
As Char and Saura incredulously gazed at the Mew which floated before them, Ursa couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"This can't be," Saura said again. "I'm sorry, Ursa, but I just can't believe this. It's too much! I just can't believe that Mew… works for the division."
"Even though it's what you see right in front of you?" Ursa asked.
Char couldn't quite figure out what to think, either. Mew was one of the greatest Pokémon of legend, thought to be the ancestor of all living Pokémon. It was also thought to be nigh uncatchable to both man and Pokémon, bearing some of the greatest psychic powers ever known. Although Char always knew what Mew looked like, he never thought he'd see the legend in person! Char wanted to agree with Saura that it couldn't be real… even though the Mew looked as real and believable as could be.
"There's got to be a ghost Pokémon around here making an illusion," Saura guessed. "This has to be a trick."
Giggling again, the Mew floated down to tap Saura on the nose. Its long, curling tail wiggled behind it, its eyes sparkling and beaming with curiosity.
"It's… not an illusion… is it?" Saura gasped. "Is this… really Mew?"
But then, a sharp blue light radiated from Mew's body. Its whole form soon shifted into an amorphous, gleaming mass.
"Aww!" Saura cried, jumping backward.
The mass grew, and didn't stop. It became very tall, looming high in the air above the speechless little children who watched. Its form became long and thin, like a giant snake with its head held high.
Char and Saura watched as light faded and the mass began to solidify, once again taking distinct shapes and colors. The next thing they knew, a full-sized Onix sat before them.
"Impossible!" Saura gasped. "Char! It must be Mew! Mew is the only Pokémon that can transform, since it has the genes of all other Pokémon…"
"The… only Pokémon that can transform?" the Onix boomed, surprising Char and Saura both.
"Well, there is another Pokémon that is known for its transformation powers, but they don't work like this," Saura said.
The Onix lowered its head, staring Saura right in the eye. "…And which Pokémon would that be?" it grumbled.
"D—Ditto." Saura stuttered. "Ditto can transform into anything they see. But… Ditto are forgetful, so they can only transform into something they're looking at. But you… can transform into things you don't see."
Again, the great figure began to shape-shift. The long, rocky body of the Onix melted away into a blob of light, shrinking down to a much shorter size. When it was about Char's height, it started to take a new form… a Xatu, the bird of wisdom and patience.
"That, I can," the Xatu said, staring straight into Saura's eyes with its piercing, unblinking gaze. "But it does not mean I am Mew. Indeed… I am a Ditto."
"Char, Saura, I'd like you to meet Domo, our combat trainer," Ursa introduced. "This is his dojo. He uses his many forms to help train us for battle."
Saura blinked. "But… then... how do you have such a good memory for a Ditto? How can you transform into these things so perfectly without watching them?" he wondered. " And… You're a 'he'? I thought Ditto were neither male nor female…"
"I am male, because I choose to be male," the Xatu replied. "When speaking to others, my favorite forms are male, thus, people refer to me as 'he' and 'him'. As for my powers of transformation… I will tell you how I came to be this way."
The Ditto shape-shifted once more, this time becoming a Golduck. "Whenever I tell this story, I always try to tell it with Xatu's form for effect," he muttered. "But I cannot stand that form! Every time I try, it always gives me the overpowering urge to stare straight into the sun, and then I become infuriated because the sun is not visible from down here. So, this form will have to do. Anyway… here is my story."
Char and Saura both made themselves comfortable before the storyteller, and he began.
"One day, decades and decades ago, I was using my inherent powers of transformation to explore the world. I witnessed many lands and many tribes of Pokémon along my journey. I would meet a bird, become it, then fly to another location where I would become a local Pokémon to observe them in their native habitat. It was a very enlightening journey. It was all I ever asked for, to learn the ways of my fellow Pokémon, since I myself did not have an identity of my own. But apparently, fate had other plans for me."
"One fateful day, as I was exploring a very particular region… the impossible happened. I was visited by Mew!"
Char was surprised. "Where? Where did you see Mew?" he asked excitedly.
"I will not say," Domo answered, "for I fear that, if Mew would happen to still be dwelling there today, the great dragons would never forgive me for calling attention to it and tempting other Pokémon to go bother it. Nonetheless… I saw it, and it was the real, true Mew, still alive after all these years of myths and legends. It must have thought I was a strange Pokémon, a creature that didn't quite act like it should, so it came to stare at me. Then, I did what any Ditto would have done… I took on Mew's form for myself. But no sooner did I open my eyes in my new form than Mew had vanished."
"Wow! That's incredible." Saura said. "I can't imagine how lucky you'd have to be to have something like that happen to you!"
"When you speak of luck, you have no concept," Domo continued. "Being Mew was such a sublime experience. The form was… so powerful, so free, so perfect… I flew around wildly for hours, just enjoying myself. I knew that Mew's instincts were making me act that way, but I didn't care. I was so happy."
"But… a Ditto cannot remain in a form forever," Domo said, his voice changing in tone. "A Ditto will run out of strength if it tries to hold a form for too long, you see. The hour soon drew upon me that I would have to abandon the form of Mew. I saw it coming, but I pretended it wouldn't happen, because I wanted so badly to stay in that form for the rest of my life. I remember how horrified I felt when I knew those final moments were ticking down… Even as Mew, I felt profound fear. And so… it happened. I abandoned Mew's form. When I did, I sat down right where I was and cried my entire heart out, knowing that I would never again be Mew. "
"Wow…" Char commented, feeling pity for the storyteller. "That must have felt so horrible, to lose something that rare and precious."
"Words could not describe my agony," Domo continued. "I cried and cried, until I couldn't cry any more. While I waited for my strength to return, I remained there, in my true form, reflecting upon my time as Mew and wondering if I could perhaps meet it again if I were to choose clever enough disguises. I was desperate, you see. But then… when my strength returned and I was ready to choose my next form, I realized that I felt very odd. I could not explain the feeling if I tried, but it was as if becoming Mew changed something within me. And this feeling… it made me want to try and become Mew once again, even though I was convinced I wouldn't recall it from memory. But I closed my eyes, and I tried…"
"And it worked?!" Saura guessed.
"Indeed," Domo said. "I had once again become Mew! But that's not all… I found myself imbued with a special power unknown to any other Ditto before me. From that point forth, I could revert back to any of my previous forms effortlessly! No longer did I need to watch another Pokémon with my own eyes or concentrate hard enough to recall it vividly… I could simply command my body to change, and it would change perfectly, provided I'd been in the form sometime before. You see, Mew is said to contain the DNA of all other Pokémon within it. When I became Mew, I suppose the DNA of all Pokémon somehow became part of me, and stayed with me even after I left Mew's form. Thus, I never again will need to use memories to transform, since I have the very genes of the Pokémon within me!"
"So, you can change into any Pokémon you want? That's… crazy!" Saura said.
"Well, it's not a perfect power. You see, I still can only change into Pokémon I have seen with my own eyes," he said. "Plus, my transformations do not come with memories or life experiences. I must train myself to use each transformation individually, and from scratch. And I must also deal with the wide array of Pokémon instincts. So, it follows that I won't be nearly as skilled with any one of my transformations as a Pokémon who has been the same Pokémon for their entire life."
Except for one who's only been a Pokémon for a few days, Char thought.
"Nevertheless, from that day forth, it became my life's dream to attain as many transformations as possible. As of now, I know how to become one hundred and forty-four Pokémon. While that is an impressive number, I still have a very long way to go if I want to see every known Pokémon species! Of course, Mew is still my most treasured form, and I tend to spend many an hour watching the world from behind its curious eyes. Being Mew has also given me a level of intelligence far beyond anything a Ditto such as myself would have otherwise been capable of. Ditto tend to be unintelligent beings. I have risen above that."
Domo changed into a Donphan. He took an intimidating, battle-ready stance.
"In return for permission to stay with this guild and see all the Pokémon who enter here, I use my powers to train newcomers and skilled Pokémon alike in the fine arts of battle," Domo roared in this new form. "I expect to see you two visit me very often so we can get to work on your techniques. You won't survive the tasks this place puts you through unless you know what you're doing on the battlefield!"
It was strange to hear Domo speak with a different voice each time he changed forms. To Char, watching the transformations was also a bit daunting; the thought of having to battle the Ditto's more powerful forms, even if it were only for practice, scared him.
"After all, I am not the only Pokémon who has transformations to undergo," Domo said. "Both of you will one day evolve. The more battle experience you receive, the sooner that day will come!"
Domo wasted no time in transforming. His form grew taller, wider, heavier; a pair of huge wings melted into existence from his back. His head became triangular, sprouting two horns, and its legs rippled with muscles. When the Ditto's transformation was complete, it stood before them as an impressive, fully-grown Charizard.
"Mrraaawwww!" it roared, a huge fireball billowing up from its maw. Char's heart beat even faster as he gazed up at the powerful dragon which overshadowed him.
Wow! Char thought. A Charizard! It looks so… so awesome! And to think I might one day be one of those… That is, if I'm still stuck as a Pokémon by then… But still! Wow!
"You, little Charmander, will one day become this: the mighty, the proud, the free-flying Charizard!" Domo bellowed. "Respected by all Pokémon as a superior and feared by all enemies, the Charizard's brute strength and command of the element of fire, not to mention its mobility and command of the skies, make it a rock-solid warrior and a desirable teammate. Train hard, little one, so you may soon see the world from behind the cunning eyes of the dragon!"
Yes! Char thought, his eyes just as bright as his smile. I will train! I will become Charizard!
"And you, little Bulbasaur…" Domo said, initiating another transformation, "You have a glorious future ahead of you as well!"
Domo soon became a ball of light, much larger than ever before. The tiny front claws of the Charizard grew to an enormous size, coming down to rest on the ground. When the creature had come to stand on all fours, a great stalk sprung out of its back and blossomed into many leaves and pedals.
When the transformation ended, Domo's new form—a great Venusaur—stood before the two, awaiting their reactions.
"The marvelous beast before which all other plants bow down!" Domo exclaimed in his new form. "The master of all that is green and the fearsome wielder of poison! There is nothing that Arceus has left to be desired in this magnificent creature! When you—"
Domo, surprised that the Bulbasaur hadn't shown anywhere near the level of elation the Charmadner had, stopped in mid-sentence and glanced down at him oddly.
"Is something wrong?" the Venusaur grumbled. "Children are usually excited to see their evolved forms. Aren't you looking forward to becoming a Venusaur?"
Char glanced at Saura. He had a funny look on his face—something between being depressed and having a frog stuck in his throat.
"I—" Saura finally responded, shaking his head a little. "Sorry. It's not you, Domo. I already know what a Venusaur looks like. My parents are Venusaur. It's just…"
"Saura doesn't want to evolve," Char said suddenly, remembering what his friend had said. "He wants to stay the way he is."
"Really?" Domo responded in surprise. "That's unusual. Is this true, Bulbasaur? Do you truly wish to remain in your tiny, weakened form?"
Saura didn't respond. He bit his lip, not knowing what to say.
"Well, if that is actually the case…" Domo said as he began to change forms again, "while I understand that it is hard for a Pokémon to deny what is in their heart, this particular desire is a very foolish one. You have no reason to not grow stronger! Any reason you think you might have is only a fluke. Dispel it! Besides… the division you live among now will expect you to quickly grow into a Venusaur, and they'll be disappointed in you if you refuse."
In minutes, Domo was back into his favorite form—the Mew—but Saura didn't seem nearly as excited to see it the second time around.
"Now, be off!" the Mew squeaked in a playful voice. "I have students to train. I will start my training with you tomorrow."
"Char, let's go," Saura said dejectedly. Char followed.
However, when they turned to leave, their guide was no longer there.
"Hey, where's Ursa?" Char wondered. "When did he leave?"
"Oh, he left a while back," Domo chirped with Mew's voice. "Maybe he expects you to return to him yourself. You have learned your way around the base, haven't you?"
Char and Saura glanced at one other, exchanging a glance of worry.
… … …
"So… I guess we have to find our way back to Team Remorse on our own?" Saura wondered as the two left the dojo and started wandering down the tunnel again. "I know Daemon told us to memorize everything, but this fast? I can't even remember how we got here. Do you, Char?"
Char didn't know what to say to him. Saura was disheartened now, like he'd just been told he would fail a test. Domo said he would need to evolve to be accepted by the division, yet one of the reasons he ran away from the soldiers in the first place was because he wanted to say the way he was.
"Hey, I think we head back this way." Saura said, looking around. "We went down a long ramp, right? And then we went up an elevator… So we have to go down the elevator, right? Or up the ramp? Do they both go the same way? Grr, I wish I'd been paying more attention!"
"This is almost like being in a mystery dungeon after all," Char commented. "I suppose if we can't find our way around here, we can't handle it out in a dungeon."
"You're right," Saura said. "This must be their way of testing us, Char. Let's pass this test! If we're being trained by someone as great as Scythe, we have to earn it. Now, think! Try to remember the way back!"
As they walked, the hallway began to become vaguely familiar to Char. He remembered the bench the Hitmonchan had been resting on, apparently waiting his turn to train in the dojo. He remembered how the hallway had been deserted. He remembered the elevator shaft…
"The elevator!" Char determined. "We definitely go down the elevator to get back to the place with the food. We could probably find our way from there."
"Let's go!" Saura said, bounding down the hallway to lead the way.
… … …
After tracing their steps, the twosome found their way back to the elevator shaft and back to the large room which lead to the mess hall.
"Okay, I remember this place," Saura said over the rumble of the other Pokémon in the room. "But these doors all look the same. Which way do we go now?"
Char looked from one door to another. Saura was right; they barely looked any different. Yet Pokémon filed in and out of the doors like a river, somehow knowing where they were going. Char remembered Ursa saying something about a treasury one way, and… something else.
"Well, I guess we pick a door and try it," Saura said. "If we're wrong, we can always go back."
"Right," Char said, trying to decide which way. "Um… this way?"
"Good enough for me," Saura said.
The twosome ventured through the chosen door. It led to yet another hallway. However, no other Pokémon were coming or going at this place.
"Looks deserted here," Saura said as he followed Char. "I don't think this is the way."
"Well, let's see what's down here, at least," Char suggested. "We've got to learn our way around this place eventually."
The hallway continued to a long, steep ramp which leveled out into yet another hallway. It turned a corner, then another, before ending with an ornate archway. The room beyond the archway was completely dark; the torchlight which lit the hall stopped short.
"Ohh, scary," Saura said. "I wonder what's in here?"
"It's dark," Char said with a shiver in his voice.
Gathering his tail in his hand like a torch, Char stepped forward into the mysterious room.
*FWOOSH!*
As soon as Char set foot through the archway, the entire room roared with a mighty noise that made both Pokémon jump in fright.
"What was that?!" Saura yelped in fright.
*FWOOSH!* *FWOOSH!*
Char realized what was happening: the room was becoming lit! Dozens of torches which lined the sides of the room were suddenly and mysteriously lighting themselves, mighty flames roaring to life at the tip of sticks protruding from the walls and saucers hanging from the ceilings.
"Awww!" Saura could only say as he looked upon the now-lit room as the last of the magical fire appeared on the far walls.
The size of this room was unprecedented; it was larger than any of the other rooms they'd seen in the entire complex so far. Its purpose was clear: it was a theater. The seats consisted of solid stone stair-steps of varying sizes, presumably enough to seat the entire division. The doorway they'd just entered through was one of many; there were at least five other entrances of different heights and widths all lining the outside wall. Four massive pillars stood around the outer edges of the room, supporting the sloped ceiling. At the center of it all, at the front of the room, was the stage. The stage was crowned by a great arch which contained stone engravings of many different kinds of Pokémon and footprint-runes.
But the most impressive part of the room—the part Saura's eyes instantly fixed on—were the two giant statues on either side of the stage. On the left was a stone depiction of Palkia, the ancient dragon which commanded space, and on the right was Dialga, the dragon who governed time. Both statues looked incredibly life-like, despite being colorless, and were masterfully crafted to depict the dragons as mighty, awe-inspiring entities. Palkia held an orb in its hands, as if offering it to an unseen recipient, and Dialga's mouth was open, as if speaking with someone. To Saura, they even looked like they were alive, seeing the light cast by nearby torches dance across their figures and in their eyes.
"Char! I remember now!" Saura cried, his voice echoing throughout the amazing chamber. "This is the place Ursa said that everyone gathers for a meeting! This is the meeting hall! Wow, imagine what it would look like if we had a meeting. This place would be packed!"
After taking a deep breath in admiration, Saura turned to Char. "Well, I guess this was the wrong way," he said. "Let's go back."
But Char hadn't heard a word of anything he'd said.
Char's eyes were blanked, fixated on the great dragon statues. His mouth hung open, his face frozen in a horrible expression as if something was tearing apart his soul. His tail flame flickered abnormally, and his breathing escalated…
"…Char?" Saura asked worriedly, noticing his state. "Char, are you okay? Maybe it's just your instincts again. Char? Char?"
A bright light flooded the room.
The light engulfed the Charmander, and he found himself standing in it. It was white. Everywhere was white.
In front of him stood a creature of extraordinary size. It was the time-god, Dialga. Light shone from it like the sun, and the diamond on its chest sparkled marvelously.
What's going on? Char wondered, only able to stare at the great dragon. It is as though… the statue came alive! Am I even still in the meeting hall? Where am I?
Dialga's mouth moved as if it were trying to say something to Char, yet Char heard nothing.
What? What is it? Char demanded, only to find that he couldn't speak. Dialga? Please! Tell me! Are you trying to say something?
Char felt the presence of others standing around him, yet he couldn't move to see them. He was frozen in place.
Dialga bowed its great head.
Is it sad? Char wondered. Is it done speaking? What did it say? This… this isn't something about my past, is it? Am… am I human right now? What's going to happen?
"CHAR!"
Thump.
Char awoke with a start as his head slammed against the floor. Saura had tackled him.
"Char, wake up!" Saura pleaded. "Say something! Please!"
"Ugh… I'm awake now, I think…" Char muttered.
"What happened just now?!" Saura demanded, helping him back to his feet. "You passed out! I thought you were suffocating or something! Char, maybe we should get you to see the doctor."
"Saura…" Char gasped. "I guess I had… some kind of vertigo, and… I… saw Dialga!"
"What, you mean the statue?" Saura questioned oddly. "It's right over there, see?"
"No…" Char insisted. "Saura… I didn't see Dialga… I remembered Dialga!"
Char looked at the statue again. His heart started beating wildly once again as he gazed at it.
"It was blue and silver," Char said.
Before Saura could respond, a different voice rang out amongst them.
"You two," it said. "Did you take a wrong turn?"
Char and Saura turned to see Ursa standing on the other side of the archway, his arms crossed.
"Ursa!" Saura shouted. "I—we—we thought you wanted us to find our way back upstairs, so we tried to look on our own…"
"Oh, no," Ursa said, shaking his head. "While you were talking to Domo, Shander came and said Scythe wanted to see me. I had no choice but to go. Although, I was assuming that you'd just wait there outside of the dojo for me to come back, not go running off yourself. I went to go looking for you, and I was lucky I caught sight of you going down this way. It's not one of the places I would have looked!"
"We're sorry we ran off," Saura said regretfully. "We really thought you were testing us."
"No worries," Ursa said. "But we have to go. Scythe wants to see you now. Apparently he decided he couldn't wait for tonight."
As Char followed the others out of the meeting hall, he took one last look back at the statue of Dialga. However, the moment he stepped foot out of the room, the magical torches snuffed themselves, turning the room black once more.
On the way to meet Scythe, only one thing looped through Char's mind:
Could Dialga have something to do with my past?