Chapter 44
Part 5
I peered into the future of creation
A future with no definition
A future without existence
A future I was tasked to construct
for every life, and any possibility…
And I pondered, for many eternities,
how it would work.
How the force called "time" should behave.
I asked my heart what it wanted,
and in judging its responses,
I crafted my vision…
And at my consent,
with a bow of my head,
"time" was molded to my will.
I designed the system
with creatures in mind.
As they would swim in its currents,
they should not feel confused, or afraid
unable to comprehend how their actions
would affect their existence.
Their lives needed to be consistent,
and I wished for them to feel comfortable.
Secure.
Yet, I wished not for time to constrain.
It should allow freedom.
It should be bent, broken, defied…
under the proper conditions.
And so…
By my decision, "time" was tied
into my brother's gravity wells,
the great forces of cohesion he had created
to bind particles together in space.
Thus, for creatures living
upon the surface of the spherical planets,
Time would move slowly and comprehensibly…
whilst up above, in the vast voids of space
eons would pass
as the stars and planets would circle.
And for the mortals,
time became easy to perceive
simple to swallow, digest, and remember:
An action in the present changes the future
And the past lives in memory.
And so, as time flowed in many directions
with all its continuities and intricacies
incomprehensible to all but one,
To mortals, it could be seen
as a line, a straightforward chain
of cause and effect.
And for the gods,
the brothers whom I looked in the eye,
time remained contained,
trivial to meddle with,
to enter and leave,
to modify, and to manage
unbeknownst to the mortals.
When I had finished
I appraised my work.
I saw how the hearts of creatures
both mortal and eternal
were pleased…
And so, too, became mine.
Another floor had passed, but recent memories seemed as distant as fading dreams. The void between floors, with its every-colored collage of light, distorted any remaining perception of time's passing and made the staircase climb feel like a months-long journey up a mountain's trail.
Though healed and well-rested enough from their recent rest stop, Char had long since grown mentally weary. As far as he was concerned, he'd spent a year or two in the confines of this brutal, treacherous tower; any longer, and he felt the dungeon might would become the only reality he would know. To keep the insanity held off, he allowed his mind to reach backward through his memories and cycle through all those past experiences he held dear… all those times, mere weeks before, when things felt so much simpler, and he was just happy to be a Charmander and to be alive. Though they burned as faintly as a candle in a snowstorm, he could still feel all those happy memories somewhere back there: times when his only enemy was a nameless, faceless menace he would never meet in person, times when he was surrounded by his friends and allies in the thousands who would quell all his insecurities and aid him through the difficulties of his new world… memories of his friendship with Saura, and his deep, almost instinctual pride of his good reputation and his many victories as a resistance team leader.
He wondered, for a moment: where had those days gone?
They were swallowed, he knew, by the threads of fate. Ambera could not remain content to leave a Charmander with a human soul to his own designs, especially one such Charmander with the power to brainwash and command armies with his mind. He knew, no matter how far he could run or wherever he might hide, the eternal power struggle and the battle for Ambera's freedom would find him and capture him. As it already had. This Scyther he trusted and followed, as well as his Infernape companion, would not take "no" for an answer. Their entire lives, their countless emotions and motives spanning down to the cores of their beings, hinged on his survival and the success of his mission. And there was nothing he could do to stop it, nothing but to comply with their demands. And even then, if all went well and Dialga answered his Call, he wondered if he would forever be a puppet of fate, a source of power to be coveted and used against his will.
To answer the question, he had to look no farther than at Lily, the previous soul unfortunate enough to be cursed with his terrible power. She had never found respite from her tragedies; even with the memory of the Emerald Division's destruction haunting her so, a disaster which she was partially responsible for, fate still found a way to call legions of corrupted ghost Pokémon upon her head and to inspire Lucario into evicting her from her home. She had never recovered from the past, and would likely never get the chance, if fate kept having its way.
But Scythe and Prince were not the only Pokémon at fault for taking his youth from him so quickly; Char knew, deep down, that the ultimate blame could be pinned onto nobody but himself. As he learned from experience, being a Charmander with a human's soul, especially one which spontaneously popped into existence in an unknown land with nothing but hazy memories of having met the gods of time and space, deeply disconcerted him. It itched, as one of those aggravating itches beneath the skin which cannot be scratched, not to know about his origin, or even his name. Though he greatly, deeply enjoyed being a Charmander and all of the power, freedom, and friends it afforded him, there was a tiny, nagging part of his heart which remained human and refused to give into a life of blissful ignorance. Even just knowing his own name, he felt, would bring him comfort he could barely fathom.
And then… there was the third Pokémon who tragically shared the destructive power of the Call. A third Pokémon who would never find peace and freedom… a Pokémon who would have to grow up too quickly, for his life would always be tainted with danger, disaster, and a broken heart… Saura.
Saura was not well. This much, Char knew. As the floors passed, Saura had grown distant, bitter, and perhaps most disturbingly, quiet. He was not taking the Watcher's curse well. Or he was not taking it well that he had the Call. Or both. Whatever medicine or spell that Gardevoir had given him to keep him bubbly and optimistic had proven to be very temporary, wearing off sometime soon after the Temporal Tower had been spotted on the horizon. For most of the dungeon floors, Char found himself walking and fighting beside a Bulbasaur he did not know, a Bulbasaur who probably despised him for ruining his life and dragging him away from his beloved family to the frozen ends of the earth.
What could he say to Saura? Char didn't know. Nothing seemed appropriate. "What's wrong?" seemed too presumptuous. "Are you feeling well?" seemed downright ignorant. Silence seemed best, even if it remained the awkward type of silence that made him feel empty and lonely, as he was still bursting with questions to ask and ideas to convey to the Pokémon who was once undoubtedly his best friend in the world. But if Saura wanted silence, then silence is what he would get; if it was the only way he could help, then so be it.
Even through this resignation, Char felt he had learned some grave, heartbreaking lesson about friendship. He remembered that fateful yet happy night in Zerferia when Saura had told his deepest secrets, his possession of the Call and his refusal to have his memories erased. It was one of the last nights he and Saura had shared in good terms. The funny thing was, he was so certain that the "real" Saura was back to stay that night, the Saura he was so able to freely share thoughts and feelings with. Saura had somehow convinced him that he'd overcome the worst of the Watcher's curse and was ready to be the same faithful, endearing friend he had always been, standing with him until the tower's last steps, until the last ember would fade. But within days, the "real" Saura had vanished again, leaving their friendship broken and forgotten…
The heart wants good things to stay the same, Char realized, yet the universe never stops changing. Time brings change, and change is the nature of the universe…
"Time does not work the way you think it works," the words repeated in his mind. "Mortals have not the capacity to understand time. Past and present are lies…"
Lily was the one to break the solemn silence, speaking the words Char couldn't bring himself to say.
"Are you going to be alright?" she offered to Saura, genuinely sorry for him.
Saura pawed at the stair-step and kept climbing. "I'll be alright when this tower is over with."
The Bulbasaur took a strained step up each stair, as though the seed planted upon his back had come to weigh as much as a Venusaur's tree. Yet he kept marching forward, his face stoic as a martyr on the way to his execution…
"How high is this tower, again?" Saura grumbled, staring into the opaque white light which encased the stairwell.
"Twenty-four floors, or at least that is what Legend told me, which he read in a book somewhere," Prince replied, the thrill of the adventure long since gone from his voice. "You might remember it as the number of hours in a day. Well, at least you two would, Char and Lily… It slips my mind sometimes that the units of 'hours' and 'minutes' are not as popular among Pokémon as they are with humans…"
Prince trailed off, and a collective sigh rose from the team at the reminder that they were not even halfway to finding their answers.
"Oh, yes. Another thing," Prince spoke suddenly. "If it's any consolation, Legend suggested there might be a Kangaskhan statue on floor thirteen,"
Lily rolled her eyes. "So, a possible rest stop in, what, seven floors? What good will that do for us? Didn't we just stop to eat? Also, how the heck did a Kangaskhan statue make it in here, of all places?"
"Remember, we're not the first exploration team to scale Temporal Tower," Prince replied, his voice echoing oddly against the swirling curtains of light. "I wouldn't rule it out. Most likely some other team teleported the statue in here long ago. Besides… if there is indeed a Kangaskhan stone in here, it will temporarily dispel the Mystery Dungeon, and we will finally be able to witness what this tower is supposed to look like on the inside. That's enough to fascinate me."
"Alright, but still," Lily said. "I'm still not sure why this dungeon is here in the first place. I looked up to Dialga all my life; you'd think he'd take better care of his house."
After climbing a few more steps, Char noticed a subtle fading in the twinkle of the divine light.
"Now," Scythe barked, raising his blades to stop the Pokémon behind him. "We are approaching the next floor. Starting now, we will stay vigilant, tread carefully, battle efficiently, and there will be no separations, no mistakes. Above all, be ready for anything. It is already very clear to me that this tower is not to be trusted."
"Yes. Tell this tower who's boss," Prince mock-cheered. "Make it stop dealing us the difficult floors."
Scythe glared at him for a moment before disregarding his words. "This is the most important dungeon exploration of our lives, possibly of the history of Ambera as well; we are going to start acting like it and dealing with the challenges as professionals. Prince, you lead. Char, Saura, stay behind him. Closely. Lily, you watch Saura's back, and Ray, you follow Char. I will bring up the rear."
"As you wish," Prince replied with a subtle smile, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice this time. "In all honesty, you're right, Scythe. We have six Pokémon at our disposal and this dungeon has yet to give us a challenge greater than I've seen in the Destiny Abyss. Now, fall in line, and we will make floor seven wish it had never stood between us and Dialga."
With a few more steps up the stairs, the ethereal white glow of nothingness faded into something more tangible.
Temporal Tower 7F
When the team emerged onto the next floor, it was sadly dark again. Without a Luminous orb, the team was back to relying on Char and Prince for light. Scythe made a passing remark that he had forgotten how difficult dungeon exploration could be once his Charizard had left the team.
Aside from being dark, this floor smelled bad. The air was stuffy, moldy, and rotten, bringing back memories of Lucario's hideout beneath the Emerald Division. The ground was Pokémon-made, consisting of damp, slippery cobblestones. Water could be heard dripping from a ceiling somewhere into sizable puddles. Char held out his tail in front of his eyes, making dead sure not to trip and fall into one of them.
The path spanned a long, narrow corridor, one which happened to be perfectly square in shape. The ceiling was very low, and Odd racks hung from the wall – Char figured they were supposed to hold torches.
"It's a dungeon," Prince said, pressing a hand upon the wall and feeling the texture of the rocks. "As though to state the obvious, yes, this is a Mystery Dungeon. But this particular floor mimics that of a true dungeon, the namesake of the word. Dungeons are typically built underneath castles and fortresses, and they are built to hold prisoners of war for ransom… or torture. In the more civil times, the worst of society's criminals could be locked up in places like these, left to starve to death. Sadly… I have seen it happen with my own eyes. I remember… King Davious, my father's human master, would take many prisoners in times of war… and my father taught me how to negotiate with them. It is… ironic, how Lucario dwells within a place just like this. For the sake of security."
"That's not the true irony here," Scythe spoke, his deep voice bouncing down the walls. "I believe I… may… recognize this place."
"Really, now. Do you think?" Prince said with something like a smirk. "Is this a part of the Master's great stronghold?"
"I'm not sure, yet…" Scythe muttered. "It's bringing back memories, but…"
The team turned a corner, and a larger room opened before their eyes.
A grid of rusted iron prison cages ran through the room, forming several large cells. Each were strewn with piles of junk; broken braces, chains, shackles, some which were still pinned to the wall… Char peered through the maze of bars, looking at the way his fire cast thin, parallel shadows upon the walls, shadows which combined and danced with those coming from Prince's fire.
"So, this is a real dungeon," Char said, trying not to breathe heavily the sewer-like scents of the chamber.
"In some ways it looks like the Pokémon Prison in Iron Town," Saura noted. "It's the same design. But they used thick solid walls instead of bars in the prison house. Fire-types can melt right through bars if they're strong enough. This place would be useless."
"I'd go so far as to say that… this dungeon was not built to contain Pokémon… but humans," Prince considered. "Look at the size of the cell doors. Many Pokémon can't even fit through them. And the containment devices. The shackles. Those are for human-sized limbs. If this prison house exists within Ambera… it's simply a joke."
*Clank.*
Scythe's forehead collided with the cell bars. His mouth was stretched wide into an involuntary smile.
He was laughing.
"I do… recognize this place," Scythe confirmed. "Hnn hnn…! And, hnn… I can tell you… it does exist in Ambera, and yes… it was primarily built to contain Pokémon. It… held me just fine. I was not recognizing it… it's been left in such disarray since I was last here."
"You… were held hostage here?" Ray gaped. "In this dungeon? B—how? How'd you get caught?"
"This dungeon… lies underneath a castle. The castle lies in a city far to the east of the Emerald Division were Pokémon live by human culture… or as much as they can manage. I have always found the city laughable and out-of-place in Ambera. They have built the city, houses, streets, and the castle, and this dungeon… strictly modeled after human architecture. It was a place I knew well, because of the dealings I had made with the city's lord, under the service of the Master."
"But… why were you locked up in a dungeon, Scythe?" Ray asked. "Did you break the law?"
"…Yes, but on purpose," Scythe explained. "It was to play a trick on Cepheus, The one who ruled the city. Cepheus was a clever creature, but his sense of self-worth often got in the way of his perceptions. So, I let him throw me in this prison to let him underestimate me, and overestimate himself."
"Well? Did you trick him?" Ray asked eagerly. "Did your plan work?"
Scythe sighed. "Please do not make me tell stories about what I did before I joined the Resistance. I prefer not to associate with myself, as I once was."
Ray shut his mouth tightly.
"But if you really must know… yes, I succeeded in recruiting Cepheus as a servant to the Master," Scythe added, disregarding his own words. "Little did I know that I would be gone from the Master's service in a mere few years, and leave him behind as a thorn in my side for the whole of my service with the Resistance…"
Ray blinked. He shot a worried glance at Char.
"But that is indeed a story for another day, and hopefully not one I will get to tell you. Now, help me search for the way out. Be sure to check inside of the cells. The stairs may be anywhere."
Ray shrugged. "Sorry I asked," he whispered back to Char, then disregarded the issue.
By the light of Prince's fire, the team systematically searched each cell and hallway of the dungeon. They met no opposition except for a single Raticate and two Zubat. They reached the staircase quickly, which happened to be in the cell which Scythe had once been chained within, and the floor passed uneventfully.
Temporal Tower 8F
The afternoon sun shined dimly through the clouds in an overcast sky. The air was saturated with the pressure of an approaching thunderstorm.
Floor eight took the appearance of a peaceful thicket of saplings and shrubs, none higher than Char's head. A simple dirt road paved the overgrowth, easily wide enough for Char's team to hold their formation and giving them more than enough time to react if something were to jump out from the tall grass. But Char was not willing to trust the serenity of the illusion; just like most of the floors before, he was willing to bet the dungeon secretly held some twisted danger in store for them.
Like many floors before, the environment was disturbingly serene, and would have passed for a comfortable countryside trail had it not been for the knowledge of the anarchistic forces of space and time which had generated it.
"Hmm," Prince said quietly, observing the area. "Judging by the appearance of this place, I'm expecting no stronger opposition than Rattata or the occasional Ekans. Perhaps some small grass-types. Though, those clouds bother me. We would do well to be rid of this place before the clouds open."
"I don't know, maybe a little rain would feel good," Lily teased.
Char felt a tap on his shoulder, and then a whisper in his ear. "Don't worry," Ray told him. "If it rains, I have an Air-lock Orb. Remember those?"
"We're using a lot of items," Char whispered back. "We still have a long way to go. Are you sure it's a good idea? I can bear the rain a little bit, you know…"
Ray shrugged. "Better to use ours now and save all the stuff in Scythe's bag for the tough stuff," Ray commented. "Besides, the lighter the bag gets, the faster I can walk, you know?"
"I guess you're right," Char said with a nod, taking a deep breath and not worrying about the weather. "Thanks…"
We really haven't been using a lot of items in Alakazam's bag, have we? Char realized. Just the apples, and those goggles, and… well, the Reviver Seeds of course. And…the Speed Brace. Alright, so we've used a little bit of those supplies. But none of the really powerful stuff… I guess it's safe to save all those orbs and bands for when we really need them, but… I can't believe the items we picked out with Ray are more useful to us than the ones Alakazam picked. Though at this rate, we're going to get to the top of the tower with a pretty full bag.
RRRrr… rrumble…
High above, the clouds emitted a purr as unseen lightning leaped between them. Prince seemed worried.
"It's not the rain I'm concerned about," he mentioned. "It's the fact that we're on a level plane in the middle of a thunderstorm… no trees, no shelter, nothing to channel the lightning away from us."
Ray chuckled. "When I was really young, my brother would take me to the prairies just like this to practice playing with lightning storms. Don't worry… if that storm drops a charge on us, I can draw it away."
"If you let yourself get struck by lightning, wouldn't that make the bag explode?" Lily said oddly.
"Not if I let go of it fast enough," Ray said. "Before lightning strikes, I can always feel a static charge. The electrical current is completed before the lightning ever strikes. Like… an invisible wire from the sky to the ground. Besides, this bag is fireproof and shock-proof. Otherwise I would probably have already destroyed our items just by me holding it for so long."
Rrrrrumble…rumble…
As Char listened to the oncoming storm building somewhere far behind them, the rumbling of the thunder sparked a very dismal feeling in his chest. dread clutched his heart and mixed with the thrill of the storm…
And Char found himself with what must have been the instinct of an Absol, for he knew, beyond any doubt, something horrible was about to befall them. It was not rational – he could not tell why – but he felt it, just as strong as his hatred for that invisible demon which still watched him from behind the curtains of space, that demon which had impersonated Saura and given him such vague advice.
"I think… we should use that orb right now," Char decided. "I don't like that storm. I don't know why exactly… it doesn't feel natural, almost. Ray, you should use that Air-lock orb!"
"Is that wise?" Scythe questioned. "Look at the sky… it neither rains nor shines, precisely the type of weather which an air-lock orb will induce. The storm has not yet reached us. Until it does, the orb might be useless. Do you possess any other kinds of weather orbs, those which produce hailstorms or sandstorms, perhaps?"
"Um… no?" Ray replied oddly. "I have one that makes rain, but something tells me it's going to rain anyway. Otherwise… I never thought those kinds of orbs would ever do us any good…"
"I believe Alakazam had similar opinions on the matter, and packed none for us," Scythe said. "Keep up the pace," he directed to everyone else. "If it comes to outrunning this storm, I'd appreciate a head-start."
Char looked over his shoulder, past the watchful Scyther and to the far horizon. Deep black storm clouds roiled there, spilling across the sky like the top of a violent waterfall.
"That looks more like a cloud of smoke than a storm, if you ask me," Char noted. "Maybe we should move a little faster."
"No," Scythe replied, reaching out with a blade and prodding him to stay in line. "Not yet. If we flee in panic, I worry we will run headlong into something much worse, just as we have done each time before. Walk slowly; watch for traps and foes. I will not stand to be a plaything of this place any longer."
Char took a nervous breath and crawled on all fours, trying to relax and keep his eyes and senses focused on the immediate surroundings, rather than on the budding black hole in the sky. But it was difficult; even the ground grew darker as the gloomy shadow spread further across the land.
The road trailed on and on across the vacant wilderness with no destination in sight. Char was used to it by now; aimless wandering was usually the proper solution to searching for the exit to the dungeon floor. It could be anywhere at all, so as long as a path existed and did not wind in circles, there was no reason not to follow it. But there were times, like the present, where he wished the stairs were right around the next corner so he could be freed from the present perils and leave them behind.
After a few dozen more minutes of walking, a warm yet violent wind nearly took Char's breath away, sending a discomforting tingle through the nerves of his tail. He stood and walked upright, pulling his tail close to his belly and shielding it from the breeze. Prince ducked his head, wincing as the warm front of air slammed into his back. Lily emitted a yelp as she nearly fell over.
Char glanced to the side, checking to see if Saura was alright… but the Bulbasaur's head was turned, keeping a steady watch into the weeds for danger. Though he was going to ask Saura to hold his hand, he instead followed suit and kept an eye into the overgrowth.
"Tropical storm," Prince said. "With such superheated air, we must be south and close to the ocean.."
Another burst of hot air pummeled the team, and this time Char topped like a leaf, barely catching himself on his front claws. Prince held his forehead to shield the fire on his crown, turning around to check on the Pokémon who followed him.
Char saw him hesitate, stopping in mid-stride. His gaze rose higher.
"Hmm… that's not good," he uttered, staring at something.
"What?" Lily demanded, rooting herself to the ground with her vines and trying not to get blown away. "Let me guess, there's a tornado after us."
"No…" Prince said, his eyes blank and filled with awe. "There is brimstone raining from the sky."
*Zip!*
*Thunk.*
A small chunk of red-hot coal shot through the air above Prince's head, hitting the soft dirt of the road and sinking deeply into it. Flames rose from the tiny crater it created.
Together, Char turned with the rest of his companions to see.
The mighty squall of clouds billowed toward them like a poisonous liquid shadow consuming the sky. Beneath it, at least one hundred gleaming red lights of all sizes streaked through the air with comet-tails. It instantly reminded Char of the Watchers who had filled the sky just a few floors before, and it almost brought him just as much terror to see.
"Oh, my…" Lily breathed.
The storm roared with its eerie thunder, red flashes of lightning illuminating the monstrosity from the inside. Char's instincts had been true; this was not a storm. This was a spell. Or some kind of vengeful spirit intent on destroying the world.
Char laughed nervously. "You were right, Lily," he said with a smirk, watching her leaf flail like a flag in the wind. "I guess a little shower wouldn't be so bad after all."
She returned a disgusted glare.
Looking at the sky, Char saw that the storm had certainly made fast progress, halving the distance to the party in just the half hour-or-so they'd been exploring the floor. But, just as suddenly as he was terrified to see such a beautifully dangerous phenomenon, he didn't feel so bad.
What are those… fiery rocks? Char wondered. I should be fine. The Frozen Flame will take care of the rock part, and my skin should take care of the fire part, right? So I have nothing to worry about. Everyone else, though…
He thought to look at Saura.
Saura said nothing. Not even a gasp of amazement had escaped his throat. He stood perfectly still, his paws curled into the dirt path, his gaze unbroken from the sky. Char wondered if he was holding his breath.
"Uh… maybe we should run?" Ray suggested urgently.
"I second that," Lily yelled over the wind, her voice almost wailing in hopelessness.
"NO."
The angry, roared reply had come from Scythe. The Scyther turned to face the rest of the team, his eyes burning with fear, his gaze focusing on the dirt below.
"No, we will not run," he called over the wind. "Not this time."
"Scythe… what do you mean, we're not running?" Lily yelled back, bucking her paws anxiously against the dirt. "Do you even see that? We have to GO!"
"NO!" Scythe roared back. "STAY in formation. Just… give me a moment to think."
Char looked up to the Scyther, whose expression as frozen in thought. Above him, the sky was alive with long streaks of slanted light, several of which looked as though they were quickly descending upon the point which they stood.
FWOOM! A large, mighty comet slammed into the grassland mere hundreds of feet away, causing the crushed shrubs to burst into flames.
"…Scythe?" Lily cried.
Still, Scythe kept his head bowed in silence. His eyes darted from side to side in deep thought.
…Uh-oh… Char suddenly realized. What if…
What if Saura is using the Call on Scythe right now? What if Saura's terror is distracting him?
If Scythe doesn't speak soon… I might have to attack Saura. I need to make him snap out of it!
Or maybe it's Lily who's causing the disturbance? I don't know…
I don't want to have to do anything drastic… not right now…
So he waited, holding his breath and praying to Arceus that he wouldn't have to forcefully break the Call, as Scythe silently let the seconds draw out, one after another…
"Scythe… what are you thinking?" Prince calmly replied.
Scythe nodded to himself, finally finding something to say. "This 'storm' might not be raining brimstone," he replied. "If this is indeed an arcane show of divine wrath, we should consider ourselves lucky; two of you are immune to its effects, thanks to that silver orb and your alignment with fire. However, it might also be a Draco Meteor attack, in which case you both will be just as susceptible as the rest."
Another large, fiery rock landed very close by, spraying a sparkling wave of embers as it slammed into the grassy ground. Another brushfire sprang up.
"Ray, you said you had a rain-maker orb?" Scythe asked.
"Yeah?"
"Prepare it," he ordered. "But do not use it. Take it out of the bag. Prince… dig into my bag and find the Pierce Band. Also, find the satchel of Heal Seeds and Sitrus Berries. Keep them at your side."
"Very well, then…" Prince replied, matching Scythe's patient demeanor amidst the catastrophe.
Two more flaming meteors smashed down nearby as Prince delved into Scythe's backpack. The blaze rapidly spread through the wild overgrowth at the roadside, threatening to trap the group of Pokémon in a hallway of fire.
Lily shrieked. "People, we have to do something!", she pleaded, trembling before the growing wildfire. "We can't just keep standing here…! Can't we dig? Let's dig a hole right here! At least that will keep Saura and I from combusting!"
"Quiet!" Scythe growled, eyeing the sky. "I am doing something. Stop distracting me. The fireballs are dispersed enough that I can tell when one of them may hit us. This is not an emergency. And Prince, I told you to find the Pierce Band, not to wear it. Take it off your arm."
With a confused scowl, Prince slid the gold-and-leathery brace from his arm, bunching it up in his hands.
He's still struggling, Char knew. Saura and Lily are both panicking and flooding him with thoughts. And if he doesn't think of something fast… we won't make it.
KRA-CHAW!A boulder-sized piece of the sky-stone struck the very edge of the road, clouding the air with ash and embers and sending them swirling in the strong wind.
"YEEAAOOOWW!" Lily cried, a glowing fleck of matter landing upon her leaf and catching fire. She violently shook her head to put it out, but the wind and the motion only fanned the embers. She quickly reached up with a vine to suffocate the flame.
"There's no humidity here! The air is too dry," she gasped. "Scythe, if we stay here, I will burst into flames…"
And if you keep whining, Scythe won't be able to think, Char mentally shot back, hoping to somehow utilize the Call to communicate his sentiment. Scythe has this taken care of. We can activate the rain orb at any time. And the heal seeds will save us from burns.
On the other hand, of course you wouldn't be worried, he argued back at himself. I'd probably feel scared too if I were dangling over an ocean.
He blinked.
Char was already well used to arguing with himself. But this time, it felt far too sudden and did not seem to fit with his own train of thought.
Did I just think that? He wondered. Really? Was that really me? Or… was that Lily? Or Saura? Did they just communicate with me? How long have they been doing that?
Char bit his lip. It didn't seem right.
Right there, in the middle of the fiery field, Char closed his eyes and tried to examine his mind for a moment. Had he really been affected by the Call? If so, it scared him how deeply into the subconscious mind the Call planted its messages, its ideas… so deep, he feared he would be absolutely powerless to stop them, or worse, to even notice them affecting him.
Then again, it could have been his own thought, after all.
If they're fighting Scythe with their minds, maybe I can fight back, using my own Call? Char wondered. I should try. I wonder how it works. Maybe I just have to pick an idea and think about it really hard? No, no… that seems like the first thing every Pokémon before me would have tried. If the Call activated by thinking hard, I think it would have been found out by now.
No… what was it that we were talking about at Zerferia's plains the other day?
The Call is all about empathy. I can use the humming to make other Pokémon feel the same way as me. I need feelings, not words.
Lily and probably Saura want to get out of here as fast as possible. They are projecting feelings of terror and haste. Like a Rattata feels when a Pidgeotto is diving down to catch it. That's how they feel. I want to cancel that emotion. So…
Maybe I could project feelings of patience. Trust and security.
"That one is going to hit us," Scythe announced suddenly. "Follow me quickly, but don't pass me."
Scythe turned around and lunged back down the path in the direction they came, against the fiery storm and the wind. Char followed him, digging his claws deeply into the dirt upon every step to fight against the headwind. Saura seemed to be fighting the wind very effectively, thanks to the weight upon his back, although he was clearly not enjoying the blasts of hot wind to his forehead.
Between steps, Char craned his neck and glanced at the sky. He saw the meteor which had threatened to drop upon their heads, hurling down at a sharp angle which made it difficult to estimate its landing trajectory. It seemed to remain stationary in the air no matter how many steps he took.
"Scythe, wait up!" Lily shouted. "Scythe, we can't go in the wrong direction! We've already been that way. Th—the stairs aren't over there!"
"Lily, you're panicking," Prince told her plainly. "Do not be a coward. Clear your mind and follow along."
Thank you, Char tried to say to Prince telepathically. I was getting about ready to say that myself.
FWOOM! The boulder-sized meteor slammed into the ground far behind, causing a sharp tremor and spewing droplets of fire several dozen yards down the path.
"See?" Char said, pointing toward the area of impact. "If we had run in the other direction, it would have sprayed us."
Lily said nothing in reply; terror still burned in her eyes, but she kept her head down against the wind and focused on the path.
"Another one…" Scythe warned, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Quickly. Again. Move."
They dashed against the storm once more, the powerful wind now pelting them with thick ashen clouds and airborne debris. Scythe hurried ahead, weathering the storm with small bursts of speed between moments of rest. After a few yards, he stopped and indicated the group should go no further. Char looked in the sky to search for the meteor that was supposed to have hit them had they stayed at their previous position.
"Hey… hey, wait." Lily called, shaking grit from her face. "Wait. I recognize this. I think… I know the road we're on."
"You do?" Scythe replied, sounding disinterested as watched overhead for danger. "Pray tell, where are we?"
"This is northwestern Ambera. I've walked on this road before. When I first came to Ambera, I traveled this road to get to Great Crystal City. I didn't recognize it at first because we were going in the opposite direction…"
THUM. The rock crashed harmlessly behind the group, albeit bit farther down the road than Scythe had estimated. Char saw how most of the tall grass had almost all caught on fire thanks to the dry, dusty wind, leaving them standing on a perilous column of safe dirt amidst the burning plain.
"Wait, I have an idea," she proclaimed, suddenly looking frantic for escape. "If we run down this road, there's a place that's safe."
"We can't," Scythe returned. "We must stay here."
"Look, down the road, there's a giant sand pit," she said anyway. "Sand won't catch on fire like these grasslands do. And the cliff can protect us from being hit in the head. You have to trust me. I remember where it is…"
"We're fine here," Scythe grunted loudly. "Too much of a risk to run."
"Too much of a risk?" Lily spat out, incredulously. "Scythe, I can barely even breathe here. And I'm about to burn up to death just by the temperature alone… please listen to me!"
"I am listening, Bayleef, and I find it a poor judgment," Scythe growled. "If we run, I cannot judge which meteors will strike us. If we stay still, I can make sure we remain unharmed until the storm passes. Besides, I don't understand how walking on superheated sand will help our cause…"
"The storm isn't going to pass," Lily insisted. "Does it look like it's going to pass? Prince…? What do we do?"
"I trust Scythe's judgment with this one," Prince said. "Stay in formation. We will bear the storm."
"No! No! No, no, no!" Lily shrieked. "You guys aren't listening to me! I have to get out of here!"
CRUNCH. A meteor fell uncomfortably close to the side of the road. Char felt a pebble fly into the side of his head.
Okay, now it's getting creepy, Char thought. Why do we have to go, Lily? What's the rush? Where is there to go? What's so important that you have to run off and…
…oh.
"You guys can stay if you want… but I'm out of here," Lily cried, her body trembling as she continually gazed into the fearsome sky. She took a hesitant step against the wind…
"Prince…" Scythe hissed. "Quickly. Hit her with a sleep seed. Make sure you're not wearing the piercing band. Quickly!"
"WAIT!" Char shouted to her, his voice breaking through the fire and rain.
Without waiting for a response, Char lunged forward against the headwind. He hurled himself in Lily's direction, catching her hind leg just before she kicked up dirt and fled.
"Get off," she growled, kicking Char in the face. Char held on tightly, knowing that Lily was in no way harder to hold onto than a Steelix.
"Lily, listen to me," Char shouted over the wind. "You're making a mistake. You're being mind-controlled!"
Lily stopped her struggle immediately, turning to look Char in the eye with a hint of confusion upon her face.
"What?" She uttered. She looked like she was about to add something, but Char cut her off.
"You know the Call, right?" he spoke calmly, relieved that he had gotten her attention. He climbed to his feet. "Well, I think you're being affected by it, or something. But not by me, or anyone else. I think the dungeon is doing it."
Disgust and abhorrence appeared on the Bayleef's face, as if to say "are you crazy?"
"It must know that the only way to beat us is to keep us separated," Char continued. "That's why it's using mind control to pick us off one-by-one. I don't know if it's the same thing as the Call, or what. It's has to be something. But the same thing happened to me a few floors back. Remember when I ran off to get myself killed by the Watchers? You're doing the same thing to us right now. The dungeon is controlling our thoughts somehow. It's trying to lure you away into the trap."
"Excuse me for being afraid of fire," Lily shot back. "Excuse me for not wanting to die. You think not wanting to die is mind control?"
Prince tried to talk me out of it when I was digging myself out of the rock pile to run away, Char remembered. But I ignored him. The Watchers were just too interesting to me. I had to go and get answers from them. It was such a strong and irrational feeling. If I'm going to talk Lily out of it, I have to be a little more creative.
"But you're not afraid of fire," Char said. "Prince is your best friend; you aren't afraid of him, are you? And you're not afraid of dungeons. You've been in worse situations than this, haven't you? The Watcher swarm was worse than this!"
Char saw that fury was building behind Lily's eyes, and he bit his tongue very hard. No, I'm just floundering here! He told himself. What am I going to say that will break the spell?
"Lily, you're not going to die," Char assured her. "You might use a revive seed if it comes to that. But you're not going to die. This is a mystery dungeon. This isn't reality, Lily. This is just an illusion."
"Listen to him."
The voice came from Char's side. Char turned to find Saura standing beside him. He spoke to Lily in a voice of power and authority. It was a side of Saura that he'd never witnessed before.
"Listen to him. He's telling the truth," the Bulbasaur said. "Don't go, Lily. We need you here."
The core of the fire-storm passed overhead, raining chunks of white-hot hail in frightful numbers. The ground shook as meteors violently bore craters into it. The roar of the burning plain was deafening; the only sound greater was that of the occasional whistle of a meteor zipping through the air nearby…
Through it all, the two grass-type Pokémon before Char didn't move or speak. Their gazes were locked together, communicating wordless ideas, emotions, and pleads… Their bodies glowed in bright orange from the light of the fires, as though the fire had already caught them…
Char watched as the Bayleef's body sagged and fell to the ground, looking hopeless and defeated as she tried to ignore the deadly catastrophe which surrounded her. She bowed her head, then raised it again to send one last powerful glance directly into Saura's eyes.
"Alright," she replied, her voice full of resignation. "Alright… I hope you're right…"
…Saura…
…Saura did it…
He did it. He stopped her. Lily was going to run off and get herself hurt, but…
…Saura convinced her to stay.
Saura… does he know how to use the Call?
How did he do it?
How can I do it?
For just a moment, Char cleared his mind of Temporal Tower's hazards, of the mighty, roaring fire-storm surrounding him, and realized what had just happened.
The Call… was it really so simple to utilize? Did it just involve a few mental tricks to trigger?
Worlds of possibilities were beginning to open up to Char's imagination. What could he accomplish if he could utilize the power to speak directly to a Pokémon's heart?
Perhaps… when he would approach Dialga, would he be able to approach as a master, rather than a servant? Could he or Saura use their mental prowess to make the lord of time obey their wills?
"What was that human rule, Char?" Saura said, turning to his friend. "If a storm arrives quickly, it leaves quickly, right?"
"And if it arrives slowly, it leaves slowly, yes," Char replied. "Storms go out… exactly as fast as they come in."
And this storm arrived very quickly… Char noted.
Another intense blast of wind struck Char directly in the face, forcing him to close his eyes. Even for his standards, it was quite hot, like the deserted plain at the top of the Great Plateau on the sunniest of days…
"Aiii!"
Char heard the yelp of Lily's voice, and forced himself to open his eyes against the wind. To his horror, he found that Lily was on fire.
Parts of her body had simply lit up, as though the wind had blown the flames from the infernos right onto her. When she realized it, she began to flail around in panic…
Saura, too, had been caught on fire, much to Char's dismay. His bulb had lit up like a candle, the flames licking from its undersides. Saura opened his mouth, but all that came out was a confused, helpless squeal…
Char didn't know what to do… He opened his mouth to cry out to them, put his claw forward to help them, but there was nothing... nothing that could be done…
For every life, there must be a predator, words echoed in Char's mind. And so as the world fills with life and beauty and majesty, there must also be a cleansing force to destroy that life and tear down that beauty, so that the world might be held in the balance. That is why he created the Ember and all the Pokémon who carry it, so that we may spread it far and wide and turn the world into ash.
SNAP!
With a disgusting popping sound, almost as though bone had snapped, Both Lily and Saura had their fires put out. Char realized he had witnessed a small object, a projectile of some kind, flying directly through them and coming out the other side of their bodies. Char thought he could still see the small hole in the Pokémon through which the object had passed, but it looked to be closing up quickly.
"AUUUUGH," Saura whined, shaking his head violently. "That… hurts… Please don't do that anymore…"
"Pierce-hurling… Ugh, ugh…" Lily replied, her body shuddering. "I think I would have preferred to stay on fire, personally."
Char turned to Prince, whose arm was adorned with the Pierce Band. He looked quite proud of his shot.
"Well, I was actually just trying to save Scythe from burning to death," he said. "He told me to throw the heal seed. You two were just collateral damage, I guess."
"Thank you," Scythe said to Prince. "And good throw. You always had good aim. Don't let your guard down; you may have to throw another one."
But it was not necessary; the storm soon blew over.
After the remaining fiery meteors crashed down onto the world's surface, the sky once more became clear and unthreatening. Only the scattered grass-fires which had spread throughout the dry grass upon the meadow seemed to pose any kind of threat…
"Ray," Scythe commanded. "Use the orb to make it rain."
Ray did, and the sky darkened with stormclouds. Ironically, Char felt quite comforted at seeing the sky filled with such a natural and recognizable phenomenon, even though he knew he would be unable to escape the awful pins and needles he would soon feel coming from the tip of his tail as the rain would hit it.
Char cringed to keep his composure as thick sheets of rain pounded the land. They hurt, but somehow it wasn't nearly as painful or unpleasant as losing an entire limb, so he easily found the strength to bear it. He did, however, hold his tail as close to his chest as he could pull it.
The roaring brushfires soon died out, emitting great billowing clouds into the sky to join with the thunderheads, and Char found himself standing upon a ravaged, soggy, steaming, miserable-looking land.
"Return to formations," Scythe commanded as if nothing had happened. "Prince… lead us that way."
"This way?" Prince echoed in surprise. "Off the path? Across the prairie?"
"Yes," Scythe answered. "I will be surprised if there remain any more wild Pokémon in the tall grass beyond charred carcasses. It should be safe to travel at this point in time."
Char held his flame close to his body to shield it from the rain
When the team had returned to their ranks, with Prince in the lead and Scythe keeping watch in the rear, Lily turned to Scythe and gave a sad nod.
"Alright, I guess it was a good idea to stay put," she admitted. "Actually, I don't really know what came over me. I wasn't thinking right, I swear…"
"Char's theory could very well be correct," Scythe replied. "The dungeon could have played a mind-trick on you, in which case, it was not your fault. Nor was it yours, Char, for running away and seeking solace with the Watchers. But I think, from this point onward, we should restrain one another a bit more forcedly if we suddenly get the urge to separate from the group and explore. Prince?"
"Right;" Prince said with an understanding nod. "Next time, you will not even need to ask me to throw the sleep seed. No one will escape from this group."
"That wasn't actually even that scary," Lily reaffirmed, rainwater trickling down her neck and dripping from her leaves. "I've seen worse things that you do not want to know about. Now, if a storm like that happened outside of a dungeon? Maybe that would be scary. I really don't know why I froze up like that. If I was being mind-controlled, I really don't think I noticed it happening."
"Mind-control isn't something you notice happening," Char said suddenly. "Because if something is controlling your mind, it's also controlling your ability to notice what's going on in your mind, right?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Lily said. "Yeah… you have a point. Alright, if I try to run away again, tie me down, because as flammable as I am, I am not a coward."
I believe you, Char wanted to tell her. But… I still don't know what's going on.
Is the tower using the Call on us?
Or are we using the Call on each other and not knowing it?
I just… don't get it…
The team was very thankful to find the staircase next to a particularly large ash heap; Char especially, who was just starting to tear up in the eyes from the stinging raindrops upon his tail.
Temporal Tower 9F
Clack-Clack. Clack-Clack.
Before he even had the chance to appreciate the new surroundings, Char noticed the peculiar sound made by Pokémon claws against the floor. Glancing down, he found the floor to be tiled with polished, copper-colored stones, so smooth a surface that he glimpsed himself staring back.
Looking around, he found the rest of the room even more hypnotizing; the walls were crafted in a gorgeous type of marble which was tinted to the color of a clear, afternoon sky. They stood tall, not obscuring the way forward with mazes or confusing illusions, but adorning a clear path to the next staircase as a temple isle would lead to the altar.
"Okay, now this floor is pretty," Lily admitted.
Scythe snorted. "This is a tower which personally wishes to kill us. Do not trust what you see," he warned again. "Now, concentrate…"
But then… it was gone.
In the blink of an eye, the pleasant, blue-and-brown architecture of the room was nowhere to be seen.
Char tried to understand what he was seeing. It was another outside environment. The ground was now a dull plane of dark-orange dirt, dotted as far as the eye could see with dead, scorched-black tree trunks missing most of their limbs. The sky was obscured, a hazy blanket of clouds making it impossible to tell whether it was dusk, dawn, or somewhere in between.
Char felt a tiny breeze against his skin, bringing with it the smell of charred wood. It was almost a comforting smell; but his mind was too confused to stop and appreciate it.
"Alright..." Lily shouted in a stupefied cry. "Somebody tell me, where are we, again?"
"Temporal Tower," Prince replied, recovering from a momentary state of astonishment.
"I know, but..."
"No, you don't understand," Prince said. "That place we just saw… I think that was Temporal Tower. The real Temporal Tower."
I knew it… Char thought to himself. That was the same kind of architecture on the outside of the tower! For just a moment, it looked like the tower didn't know where to send us next…
Bending down, the Infernape traced a hand across the ground, as though testing it to see if it were tangible. "So, what does this mean?" he wondered, rubbing his fingers together and feeling for dust. "The illusion of the Mystery Dungeon… it faded for a brief moment. We all witnessed it… could the curse be fading?"
"Whatever the case, let us not allow ourselves again to be distracted by the tower's tricks," Scythe insisted, his eyes darting around for signs of danger. "Space and time may do what they will; but do not forget our mission. Keep moving."
No sign of life, Pokémon or otherwise, showed itself as the team moved through the ashen forest; every last tree was completely hollowed with death, the empty logs of charred bark standing in place of what must have once been an impressive woodland. Each pillar of timber looked as unstable as an eggshell, ready to crumble to pieces at the influence of a moderately strong wind, yet they all somehow remained standing. The forest floor, too, was unnatural; no stray branches or fallen trees littered the way as Prince weaved the team through this destroyed, forsaken land.
Time…
As Char trailed behind Prince and kept an eye out for danger, he remained obsessed with the demon Bulbasaur he had seen and the message it had tried to deliver.
A thought had occurred to him, inspired by the flicker of Temporal Tower's illusion. It caused a cascade of other thoughts.
I perceive time wrongly, he told himself.
Like we perceive the tower wrongly, we also perceive time…
This must have some meaning.
What's the proper way to perceive time, then? What am I missing?
Is there some message?
I get the feeling… the message was not in the demon Saura…
But in the tower itself. Or some spirit inside of it.
The entire tower was speaking to me. It spoke to me through the dream.
Just as it tried to speak to Lily, but we stopped it.
Even now, it's watching me. Somehow.
It's the tower.
The tower itself.
The illusion.
Behind this illusion…
What's hidden behind the illusion?
What am I missing?
"I have determined one thing for certain," Prince announced, pumping his fists in the air. "We are fleas upon the back of a colossal Umbreon! That is, if the tower grew a sense of humor lately. Otherwise, this is just a boring, predictable forest, probably laid to waste by a tempest of fiery meteors. Or maybe some angry fire-type whose mate had unexpectedly abandoned him."
"If a sideways temple and a Groudon statue that didn't come to life isn't a sense of humor, I'd hate to see what is," Char commented.
"Or killing yourself by choking on a Reviver Seed," Lily returned with a wry smile. "Except, I guess that wasn't really much of Temporal Tower's fault… but still pretty funny, you have to admit."
"Quiet!" Scythe hissed. "Please."
The banter stopped abruptly. After shaking his head in annoyance, the Scyther tapped a nearby tree with his blade. Pieces of ash crumbled away from the impact, floating off in the breeze. "Hnn... stay alert for vibrations in the ground, as well as other dangers," he commanded, giving the tree an uncertain glare. "Though there are no land or air enemies to be seen just yet, there may still be ground-burrowers…"
Char gave an understanding nod, dropping to all fours and paying keen attention to the sense of his claws dragged across the hardened, almost petrified forest floor. It felt as though the ash had solidified over the centuries, turning the soil into some kind of unnatural obsidian putty.
"I'd be surprised if burrowing Pokémon could even dig through this…" Char uttered, scraping his claws against the strange muck underfoot.
"Saura."
Lily's voice gasped the name.
Prince's voice followed.
"Saura? Where are you going? Saura!"
Char snapped to attention. His Bulbasaur companion had disappeared from his side with surprising haste. From the corner of his eye and between Prince's knees, he perceived a flash of green amongst the blackened trees up ahead.
Saura was running away.
Before Char had time to react, Scythe leaped over his head and landed at the front of the group. "Blast it to the gods, No!" the Scyther growled fiercely. "Prince, you were supposed to pay attention for this! Follow me. STAY TOGETHER! Do NOT lose sight of me."
Almost faster than the eye could perceive, he opened his wings and zipped forward into the trees after the stray Bulbasaur.
"Saura, what's WRONG!" Char finally belted out, joining in the race… "SAURA!"
Not allowing apprehension to take hold, Char unquestioningly chased after his teammates. He dashed through the forest like a skilled Arcanine, leaping around trees and keeping his traction on the awkward, rubbery ground.
The race did not last long; the adept Scyther caught up to the fugitive in a mere dozen seconds. But no force was necessary to stop the Bulbasaur; he had found what he had been looking for.
When Char caught up to his friend, he and Scythe were standing in a clearing.
The treeline stopped abruptly, leaving a barren radius of land in the middle of the disturbing forest. Had the forest been a real place, full of blossoming trees and silky grass, this would have been a charming little clearing, a miniature meadow where the sunlight would shine through the treetops so picturesquely. But here, there were no treetops, and the rays of sunlight were halted by the murky clouds. The plain looked like nothing more than an awkward scab of land where the headless tree trunks decided not to grow.
Standing at the far end of the featureless meadow, there stood a wild Pokémon. Something red.
Saura said nothing; his gaze was fixated on this creature, as though it sounded a siren's call to him… He took a wary step forward.
"Saura… if you need that thing slain, just ask," Scythe uttered to the Bulbasaur. "Do not face it alone, Saura. Saura! That thing is a fire Pokémon, it will destroy you…"
But Saura seemed to hear none of it. He took another wide-eyed step toward the enemy creature. His face looked overwhelmed, disbelieving, but not panicking… as though an epiphany had just dawned on him, and he had to think it through.
"Char, go," Scythe commanded, nearly kicking the Charmander forward. "I promise, that Flareon will be in fourths if it so much as twitches in your direction. Go and get ahold of your friend. This confirms your theory… the Tower takes control of our minds."
"I… I don't think I can stop him, though…" Char warned, awkwardly stumbling forward…
Scythe ignored his reply, keeping a Starraptor's gaze upon the Pokémon…
Flareon?
He hurried forward to the Bulbasaur's side. Saura's gaze didn't falter, and Char wondered if the Bulbasaur even acknowledged his presence.
In silence, they stood together for a while.
Char waited for Saura to move, to make any indication that his spirit had not abandoned the body and flown away, as Saura continued his wordless and mysterious standoff with the wild Flareon. Char felt that Saura was not afraid of the thing, but he could sense other feelings in his best friend's eyes and in the patterns of his breathing. There was confusion and disdain, perhaps, but other feelings he could not quite tell.
When Saura finally opened his mouth, he spoke with such frankness and emotionlessness that Char felt hurt to hear his voice.
"There was a cluster of trees," Saura sighed, his voice limp and dry. "I always used to hide behind them when my sisters and I would play finders-seekers. I recognized it… this place… is my home. The Tiny Meadow. And my family's den… is right over there. Right where the Flareon is."
"And the Flareon is the one who stole your freedom," Char remembered. "He summoned you to the Master."
"Yep," Saura said bluntly. "And to think… if I had let my memories get erased, this… wouldn't even mean anything to me right now. I wouldn't have recognized any of it. Char…"
"Yes?"
Saura finally turned his head to look his best friend in the eye. His expression was not sad or pained as it usually was… it was stronger. More calloused. More accepting.
It was as though his friend Saura had evolved, right then and there, but only on the inside. Something was different about him, something which perhaps would never be the same.
"It's fake," Saura spat. "This tower… is mocking us."
Char blinked. "You really think… it knows who we are?" he wondered.
Saura pawed the ground. "It has to, Char. This proves it. There's no way it could have randomly recreated my home and my forest down to the last tree."
"The tower is assimilating other Mystery Dungeons," Char noted. "Maybe, sometime in the far future, your forest could have been taken by the curse…"
Saura's voice cracked a little, and he dug his hoof-like paws harder into the mucky dirt-like substance which paved the forest floor. "If it were the far future, Char, the trees would have moved. Trees germinate and die and fall and grow back in other places. This dungeon recreated my home as it is right now… and I know for a fact that the meadow I grew up in is not cursed with a Mystery Dungeon."
Char blinked again. Saura had a point.
"This tower is using our memories and fears against us," Saura proclaimed. "It's not random chance. Not this time. It recreated something I knew personally because it thought it could make me cry or something. But I don't feel like crying right now. So I won't. Because… because I know this is fake now! The tower is scaring us like… a ghost Pokémon plays tricks on its victims. Like…
His breath caught in his throat.
"… like a Watcher messes with the mind. Just like the visions and dreams in my head ever since… ever since it hurt my mind. Char… that's what this tower is. This tower is infested by the spirits of the Watchers!"
Char found himself holding his breath, feeling his inner fire build up until he could barely contain it. His body started to viciously tremble as the idea sank in…
But once it did, there was really no denying it. It was the only thing that made total, complete sense.
The strange apparitions everywhere. The mind-controlling. The mysterious entity watching him from behind the curtain of the illusion.
He knew it was all true.
"We… we're their playthings," he gasped, clenching his claws.
"It makes sense," Scythe offered from just over his head, giving Char a start. "I found it odd how this tower had sent us into the particular environment where I had trained and grown as a child… but I ignored the idea. I figured the dungeon curse had grown so deep inside that particular plateau that it had become a likely source of inspiration for the special anomaly to draw from. But you are correct, Saura… this forest is far too suspicious."
"Wait, you too?" Saura cried, gaping at Scythe. "We visited your home, too?"
"In a manner of speaking; Scyther clans have no true home. But a few floors back, when we had gotten separated by the warp trap… the environment had been the place where I spent the greatest portion of my hatchling days, as well as the place where I participated in my clan's coming-of-age ceremonies. The memories it evoked were… distracting, to put it lightly. And the Scizor we fought was built too similarly to a Scizor I personally know. And then there was the dungeon we recently visited…"
"And the third floor, I am ashamed to admit… I recognized immediately," Prince mentioned. "The endless hallway of pillars was Kyurem's Plane, a dungeon whose location is kept secret. I was hesitant to say anything… I didn't want you, Scythe, to begin prying for information about it."
"And that first floor!" Ray chimed in. "That place you got your arm cut off, Char… that was the Wanderer's Meadow. That's where we found Otto! Guys… I don't think any of these places are real. I don't think they come from the past or the present. They're all memories. They're all corrupted versions of memories that the Watchers are putting in front of us…"
GRRRRRAAAHHHHHHRRRR!
Char released a feral roar that surprised even himself. He spewed flames into the air.
"No…!" Char cried as he stopped the flame, his voice wavering with his bitterness and hatred. "No! No! So all this time… it was just… the Watchers? We've just been their playthings? Dancing for them? Going insane for them? For their amusement? You mean… The Watchers… The Watchers… ARE THE DUNGEON?"
The team fell silent.
Everything we've seen…
Every Pokémon we fought… every challenge we've faced…
Every trap we set… every dungeon floor we've seen…
Just the Watchers?
Just the Watchers pulling things from our memories and tormenting us with them?
The silence continued… nobody, it seemed, could accept it. It was simply too awful to contemplate… the idea that the Watchers had taken total control over their perception of reality…
Yet… the evidence was too clear.
Scythe stood perfectly still, his eyes flicking in many directions as his mind processed the idea.
Prince bowed his head, concealing his rage. His fists were curled tightly, and fire began to consume them.
Lily had her eyes shut, as though refusing to even so much as look at the false forest anymore. Char knew she abhorred the Watchers more than she could express in words.
Ray no longer smiled. He sat back upon the grimy forest floor, looking exhausted and defeated.
And Saura…
Saura still faced the Flareon, his eyes burning with contempt.
He took a step towards the Flareon.
He took another step.
Teeth clenched, face on the verge of a violent snarl, he took another step…
…until Saura and the Flareon were standing nose-to-nose, quite a distance away from the rest of the team. The Flareon didn't budge, it only seemed to breathe calmly and focus its attention on the Bulbasaur.
"You destroyed everything," Saura said. "You took everything away from me. You took away my family, my life… you took away my mind too…"
"…And I just have one thing to say to you, Watcher. I…"
"…I'm not afraid of you anymore. I don't care what you do to me, I'm never going to stop fighting you ever again because I'm afraid. You… you can't control me like that anymore."
"Those are bold words," Scythe said, carefully approaching the place where the Bulbasaur and Flareon stood. "Fear is not a choice; fear is an instinctual reaction, just as hunger. You may not always proclaim that you do not fear something as a way of trying to convince yourself. However…"
Scythe turned his attention to the Flareon.
"Courage is a choice. Watcher… I fear you because you have harmed me, and you have destroyed many things I have sworn to protect, and because I do not understand you. But despite my fear, I know that it is within my power to defeat you. You will find that taking hold of my mind a second time will not be easy."
The Flareon did not seem to react to Scythe's word, but Scythe did not back down again.
"You ruined Ambera, too," Lily spoke, coming to Saura's side. "Without you here, Ambera would be a nice place to live. It might even be a Pokémon utopia. You know what? When I learn how to use my Call power, I'm going to leave the Master to someone else. Me? I'm coming after you. I won't stop until I've killed each and every last one of you, and made Ambera what it should have been from the start. Mark my words, Watcher. I don't go back on my promises."
The Flareon did not so much as lift its eyes from Saura.
"You know we can destroy you in one hit, right?" Ray chimed in. "Besides, we got this far, didn't we? Nine floors. Soon to be ten. You did everything you could to stop us, but we got this far, and we're not stopping here. We're going to stop when we reach the top of the tower, and not a moment before. And between you and me, you're not doing a very good job of messing with our minds, since we figured it out this soon. Try harder next time. Not like it matters, though, because we'll still destroy you."
Char thought he saw the Flareon balk at the taunt.
"We're not here for you!" Char blasted, jumping to his friends' sides. "I don't know how you managed to get into Temporal Tower. I don't know how you stayed in here for so long escaping the wrath of the legendaries. And I don't know why you're trying to stop us from getting to the top. But we're here to see Dialga, and you're just standing in the way. LEAVE US ALONE."
It felt good to taunt the Watcher – or at least, what he thought was a Watcher – alongside his friends. Char wondered if Prince would have something to add…
…but he did not. Char guessed he might not; Prince was the only one among them without a personal vengeance against the Watchers, for he was the only one among them who had not gotten touched by them at one point.
Thus, five Pokémon faced off against a single, motionless Flareon.
"You have until the count of ten to disappear, eon," Scythe growled at it. "Or you will soon be nothing but food for the trees. Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
…Before Scythe reached seven, the Flareon was gone…
…And so was the rest of the disgusting, burned-down forest.
The six Pokémon stood upon a polished gemstone floor in a chamber of sparkling blue and bronze.