Chapter 48
Char felt nothing.
No emotions, no sensations…
…not even the familiar beating of his heart, or the searing of his fire within his belly…
He saw nothing, he heard nothing…
It seemed to him as though his existence had been simplified. As though he had been reduced to merely a concept. The smallest symbol of who he was.
His feelings, his wants and desires, his sense of pleasure and pain, of emptiness and fulfillment, of safety and fear…
…they had all collapsed down to one single feeling. A conviction. This conviction defined him. He could not reach beyond it, could not think about it, could not communicate it. It merely became his identity.
He did not know whether he still had a body. There was no way for him to tell. He had been utterly cut off from the rest of existence. He was alone.
Or… perhaps not.
Char found that he still possessed a sense of some sort. It was not sight, or smell, or touch, or hearing… but it seemed to resemble each of those, in its own way. It was merely a small, weak, persisting sense, and it was his only remaining connection to anything outside of his own existence.
Through this sense, he discovered them. Others were with him. Others he knew. Others he had bonded with.
They seemed familiar.
He realized:
They are all here. All of them are still here. None of us have gone anywhere.
I'm not alone.
Saura. He is there. Very close.
And Scythe, and Prince.
And Ray, and Lily.
They are all next to me.
There is another, too:
Celebi?
Yes. Celebi is still here.
Celebi was different, though. She was more… vibrant.
She still had her thoughts, her feelings, her hopes and fears…
Char could sense them.
He could sense her feelings… they were awful, pained feelings.
She hated herself. She hated her life. She felt she had failed.
She felt there was no reason to continue.
Why, Celebi?
What is wrong? Why are you so pained?
"I'm so sorry…"
Her response surprised Char. Though it was an unspoken message, he clearly understood it.
Celebi? What has happened? Why do you cry so?
She fell deeper, darker in to her despair. It moved Char. It affected him. He wanted to rescue Celebi from that darkness, whatever it was. He wanted to make her feel better. It was his conviction.
"I'm still not exactly sure what happened," Celebi spoke through the ethereal medium of communication. "But I think… something crashed into Temporal Tower. It was something very big. Bigger than a mountain, or even a planet. I think… it was… another dimension. I think another dimension collided with Temporal Tower."
Another dimension? That is unusual.
"I know…" Celebi said, causing Char to realize she could sense his intent to communicate. "Dimension collisions are rare, even more rare than planetary collisions… and I think an alternate dimension from the Hall of Origin just… rammed into Temporal Tower… I didn't even see it coming… I'm so sorry… So so sorry…"
Why are you sorry?
The thought did not come from Char. It came from somewhere else. From one of his friends. They, too, were trying to communicate with her.
Why are you sorry? It was not your fault. You had no control.
"Because… because…"
Her spirit was broken. Char wanted so badly to heal her, to tell her that everything would be alright. But he couldn't. He could only… exist.
"Look," she said. "You're dead. All of you are dead. You all died in the crash."
Dead.
Dead…?
Death isn't as painful as I expected.
It's very peaceful.
And you survive, Celebi? You remain alive?
"Yes, I used a barrier. I salvaged energy from Temporal Tower and made a barrier as big and as strong as I could. And I guess it protected me. I'm still alive."
Very good, Celebi.
You've done well.
Why do you cry?
Do not mourn us, Celebi.
It is true; we had hopes and dreams. We left goals unfulfilled…
But none of that matters now. We are finally free. We can leave it behind.
It is okay, Celebi. Please do not cry for us.
You can let us go…
"No… no…"
A strong throb of sadness came from her.
"You don't understand… The way you died…"
What? The way we died?
It should not matter how we died. Death is death…
"See… there's a problem," Celebi said with much difficulty, overcoming her anguish. "You all… died outside of the timeline. When you die within the timeline, the time stream sweeps you along, and you can remain in the world... But, but… here… outside of time… if you die, you'll just drift away into the Hall of Origin, and no one will ever hear from you again."
What do you mean, Celebi?
Why does this matter?
"Because… because if you die outside of time… you are erased from the timeline. Backwards and forwards. It becomes as though… as though you never existed in the first place."
Erased?
We are… erased?
We will have never been born?
Never have existed?
All the things we've done… they will never have happened?
"Yes… all because you died here, at the top of Temporal Tower… if you would have been a few floors down when this happened, you would have at least kept existing… But now…"
"Now, I'm just holding onto you… I trapped you inside of this barrier with me, and I'm holding it up… but… but as soon as I drop the barrier, you'll all drift away…"
"And… your story will be over. No one will remember you… no one will even know you ever existed."
She descended back into her anguish.
We were the victim of an unfortunate fate.
The world will not remember us.
No one will speak our legends…
Celebi…
It is alright. This is not your fault.
Please.
You remain alive. You must carry on.
For us.
"I can't… I can't…" she said, her messages brimming with so much pain, so much regret. "My one purpose… was to protect Temporal Tower. And I let it fall. Now… time probably stopped everywhere in the world…"
You couldn't control it.
You could not prevent the streams of reality from colliding in the Hall of Origin.
Dialga abandoned you. You could not fare on your own.
This was his fault, not yours.
And even if so…
Celebi… rebuild it. Rebuild Temporal Tower.
You can do it.
It would take eons. But you could do it.
"I… I… I can't… I'm not… powerful… enough…"
"I don't even deserve to be called a legendary Pokémon anymore… I am a legendary failure… I am a disgrace."
"You are the legendary ones… you great Pokémon warriors, you only wanted to help your people… and I…"
"…I couldn't help you… and I let you get erased."
Celebi…
"I… I can remember you," Celebi promised, a strong power coming from her conviction. "I won't forget you, ever. I promise. Whatever is left of the world… they will know about the six Pokémon who died up here. I'll write about you… I'll make sure… you're not forgotten… You will become myths, but you won't be forgotten."
Celebi, it's alright.
"No, no, it's not… I… I can't hold this barrier forever. I'll have to let you go… And then… Then…"
Then…
There was a presence.
It arrived suddenly. Char just knew it was there with him, just as his friends were still there.
It was different than his companions… yet, in some ways, just like them. The same.
Was it another spirit? One that had died in the falling of the tower?
The others noticed the new presence, too. They became curious as to what it was. It seemed important, significant…
And it spoke. Its messages were loud and vibrant, like Celebi's…
"Good evening," it spoke. "It is a relief to meet you, on this exceptionally strange day."
The message broke through Celebi's despair. It caught her attention.
"L—Lord?" she gasped.
"Yes… it is I," the foreign presence said.
Dialga?
This is Dialga?
Dialga does not seem… so intimidating.
His spirit is strong, but simple…
Like ours.
"My lord… I'm sorry, I didn't know how it happened… Something came from the Hall, and…"
"Be still, Celebi. Do not expend your strength on angst. Keep holding your barrier."
"Yes… my lord," Celebi said, her messages wrought with humiliation, but also relief. "Where… where have you been? I have been waiting for you for so long…"
"I never intended to leave you alone for so very long," the spirit of Dialga said. "But during my time upon earth, something unfortunate happened to me. I became trapped in an apricorn singularity. I was powerless to escape, or to act. But now it seems that my tower has been wrecked, and the time stream has collapsed with it. In the temporal chaos, I managed to escape from my prison, but only in spirit. My body remains there."
Apricorn?
That's a Poké Ball. Dialga is talking about a Poké Ball.
Dialga was trapped in a Poké Ball?
Dialga… had been captured?
Dialga? Are you real?
Char felt one of his friends imposing this demand upon the spirit of the temporal god.
Are you the real Dialga?
We were deceived twice by Celebi with false apparitions of you.
We just need to know. We want to trust you.
"Celebi…?" Dialga said, a hint of amusement in his spirit. "Is this true? You made copies of my form to deceive these poor souls?"
"Yes, Lord Dialga, I did…" she said firmly, not hiding her guilt. "But, at the time, it seemed like the best course of action…"
"Come now, Celebi, what have I always told you?" Dialga replied. "We must always strive to make timeless decisions."
"Yes… Lord Dialga," Celebi said dejectedly. "I am sorry. I… I'll make it up to you, somehow…"
"Do not mind," Dialga said to her. "The ruined tower is not the greatest issue here. Tell me, do you see the soul of the human with you?"
"Yes?"
"Examine it. Closely."
Char felt Celebi's presence beginning to impose upon him. He could not tell if she had physically moved closer, or if she was just probing him with her mind, but Celebi felt very close.
"It… it shimmers…"
"…like silver…"
A powerful impulse stemmed from Celebi. She was deeply, utterly shocked.
"IT'S… YOU!"
Her signals became scrambled in confusion. Her thoughts and feelings were electrified.
"NO, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?" she gasped, utterly mortified. "HOW DID YOU GET HERE?"
Me?
You recognize me?
Who am I, Celebi?
"I… I can't BELIEVE THIS!" She cried, her signals blasting at full volume. "HOW DID YOU – A – AM –"
"Do not say his name," Dialga abruptly reminded her. "It is not your place."
My name?
You know my name?
"We do," Dialga spoke. "Your name happens to be well-known among the gods."
What is it?
What is my name?
Please, Dialga. Tell me my name.
I am about to die. It is the least you can do for me.
"No," He said, simply.
Char felt rattled.
No?
Why not?
After everything we have done? After all that has happened to us?
And you still keep my name a secret from me?
Why, Dialga?
"Because… you asked me not to tell you."
Char hesitated. This confused him.
I told you not to tell me?
"Yes," Dialga said. "You made it very clear and specific that I was not to tell you your name, and that no other gods, nor their servants, were to utter it to you."
Well… I'm telling you to tell me now!
What is it? What is my name?
Please, tell me. I want to know.
"You made it clear that I was not to tell you, regardless of how much you would beg," Dialga informed him. "You are Char. That is your name among the world of the living. That is the name I shall call you by."
Char felt weak and confused. He could not think this through. His existence was now too simple; he no longer possessed an imagination, or a strong sense of rational thought. Senses were surreal, vague, and fleeting…
"However, if you wish, I might be able to shed some light upon what has happened on this exceptionally strange day," Dialga spoke. "I can tell you how you got here, and I can tell you why these events have happened the way they have. My promise to you prevents me from telling too much of the truth, but those things which I believe I am allowed to tell you, I shall."
Yes, Dialga…
What do you have to say?
Tell us. We will listen.
"Then I shall," he spoke, his spiritual voice clear and pure to their senses. "I believe it all began with you, Char. Once, you stepped outside of the time steam, and you were able to view and understand the course of fate as the gods do; in full."
"As you gazed upon it, you noticed something which you did not agree with. Immediately, you turned to the great Arceus, and said to him, 'I want to change something. Will you let me?' And the great Arceus honored your request."
"In his kindness and his mercy he allowed you to spin your own thread of fate for you to follow. You planned and labored upon great lengths to steer your fate in the precise direction you wanted. You consulted with me, asking me many questions pertaining to cause and effect, and asking for my opinion regarding your visions. You relied on Palkia and I, for you were human, and your understanding of space and time was amateur, and we helped you to craft your idea."
"At last, when you had researched the course of the timeline, asking thousands of questions and considering the answers we gave, you determined your great plan. The exact nature of this plan, and the ultimate goal you sought, was something you never revealed to me, personally. In truth, you had revealed it to only two Pokémon in total: the great Arceus himself, and the guardian of souls, Giratina. That plan was yours; you were very proud of having created it yourself, and having sorted out all of the details properly, and having minimized your margin of error."
"When you put your plan into motion, at your request, you were given the body of a Pokémon and placed in the timeline. You also insisted upon the loss of your memories. The reason for this, you claimed, was two-fold: first, you predicted that your concrete memories, notably something as simple as your own name, would become your primary motivation which would pull you through your intended path. With the simple desire to learn your true name, you would follow the path you laid out for yourself, the plan you had created. You explicitly banned the gods and their servants from revealing these truths to you prematurely, for you knew they would cause you to become complacent with your new existence, and you would abort your plan without it coming to fruition."
"The second reason you chose to have your memories taken was, as you said, that you did not want to have any regrets."
"And so it began. You entered the timeline, and became subject to the circumstances you had planned for yourself. You crossed paths with Saura, and for a time, everything happened according to your plan."
"Unfortunately, you failed to realize something. You were not aware that an enemy had learned of your plan, and sought to destroy it. This foe… is the one you know as 'The Master'."
"To foil your plan, he labored just as thoroughly and painstakingly as you had, creating an alternate path of fate for you to succumb to. And succumb, you did, little one; your journey here to my Temporal Tower was a useless detour. See, as far as I can tell, you were never meant to be here. Your plan did not involve coming here. Somehow, the Master succeeded in throwing you off-course, causing you to branch away from your own plan and climb to the top of my tower…"
"…where a rogue dimensional continuity had conveniently collided with the tower. Temporal Tower came crashing down, murdering you in the process."
"And that is the story of why you and your companions have perished today, little Char," Dialga concluded. "This was the pre-meditated conclusion of a grand plot to kill you, in order to cut short the plan which you had created for yourself. And it seems the Master was not just content to murder you, even, but needed to fully erase you from your continuity. Thus, his goal was to lure you outside of the time steam, and into the Hall of Origin, before triggering your demise. This plan… succeeded."
I died because… the Master plotted to kill me?
But…
But Dialga, where did I go wrong?
When did my path branch away from what was right? What did I do that made me fail my original plan?
"This is where things become interesting," Dialga's spirit explained. "Though I have been captured in the mortal realm, my perceptions have not been entirely stifled. I have been able to watch history unfold, from within the Apricorn… to an extent, at the least. I have been watching you, too, Char. Here is the explanation I offer for how your fate became marred."
"Because he remains hidden, the Master was unable to use conventional means to change the fate of Ambera, and your own fate, Char. Thus, he had to resort to indirect means. He found a perfect tool to tilt the balance of your fate in his advantage, and he found this tool in the newborn souls."
"As strange and fickle as they are, the Master was able to influence the behavior of the newborn souls who leaked from the realm of Giratina. These leaks between the two realms exist due to the same errors in infrastructure which cause the so-called "mystery dungeons" to persist and grow. The rate of dungeons existing and the rate of newborns escaping into the living realm are in proportion, for the same problem is causing both. Unfortunately, this is not a problem I can explain clearly to you, for it involves cosmic forces far beyond your realm of understanding."
"Regardless, he captured the newborns and corrupted them with his own will, causing chaos throughout the land of Ambera. Through the confusion, he encouraged the newborns to target only a few particular Pokémon who were central to your own fate, Char. Acting through the corrupted newborns, or the 'Watchers' as they are known in Ambera, the Master was able to subtly influence and modify the lives of certain Pokémon throughout history to ensure that your journey here to the top of the tower would one day be a success. In fact, all five of your companions were, at one point, touched by the corrupted newborns, changing their personalities to help them make the decisions necessary to guide you here to your demise. This ensured that his plan would fall in place as a complete success, and you became powerless to stop it without knowing of its existence. Once you arrived here at the destination they had intended, the corrupted newborns merely needed to use fear tactics to push you upward and to the summit, where the plan would succeed."
Wait, Dialga.
That's not true.
Not all of us were touched by a Watcher.
Yes… what you said was incorrect.
There was one of us who escaped being corrupted.
It was Prince.
Yes, Lord Dialga. I was never infected with the touch of a Watcher.
I have avoided them for all my life. They did not affect me.
"Ahh… Princely Infernape, I have some sad news for you," Dialga's spirit spoke. "You were, indeed, touched by a newborn once. You merely do not remember it."
That cannot be.
How is that possible?
Please explain… I do not believe what you say.
"I do not enjoy being the bearer of bad news," Dialga's spirit said, his voice pulsing with somberness. "And I have already borne much bad news on this strange day, but I will still answer you. Once, when you served under the 'Gold Division', you stayed out too late at night, and a newborn attacked you. Your mind became corrupt, and you were sent into rage. You burned a small town to ashes with your fire."
No.
You lie.
"I'm afraid I speak the truth, princely Infernape," Dialga sighed. "When your rampage ended, you felt such a deep remorse for what you had done that you begged a rogue psychic to erase your memory of the happening."
My memory was erased?
"Yes," Dialga said. "This is why you felt such a strong urge to leave the Gold Division behind and join the Emerald Division; though you were not able to remember what had happened, your subconscious mind still retained much of the fear and sorrow from your unfortunate act, and so you abandoned your Gold Division and migrated northward with your team. From there, you began to play out the long and unlikely chain of events which would eventually contribute to Char's downfall here today."
Char was filled with pity as he felt Prince's soul collapse in on itself.
Prince descended into very deep anguish, just like Celebi had.
Let me go.
If what you say is true, my existence means nothing to me anymore.
Drop your barrier, and let me drift away into the Hall of Origin.
Please have mercy on me.
I wish to no longer exist.
"I can't," Celebi said. "I can't let you go without letting everyone go… and I don't want to do that yet…"
Prince, have strength.
You had no control. You were controlled by the Watcher.
I have watched more Pokémon die than you have seen in your life.
I have been a murderer. And I was a murderer by my own choice. I enjoyed the act.
You were not.
If I can repent, so can you.
Char knew those sentiments had come from Scythe. Prince responded.
There is no point anymore.
We have perished. There is no time left to repent.
Time is destroyed and we are erased. We will just disappear.
"Wait a moment," Dialga said. "There is a problem with simply letting you all disappear. Celebi… remember the little one, Char. Remember his significance to history?"
"Yes, Lord Dialga?" Celebi replied thoughtfully. "I… I think I know…"
"Imagine if he were to be erased from history. Imagine the repercussions."
A jolt of revelation stemmed from her.
"Oh dear," she gasped. "Oh… ohhh, dear. That would not be very good."
"Yes," Dialga put simply. "History would become re-written in such strange, unpredictable ways, that even I might not comprehend the full litany of repercussions. It would be, for all purposes, a disaster, the likes of which the Pokémon gods have never witnessed before."
"Wow! You're right!" Celebi cried, panic and desperation clear in her messages. "And the Master wanted this, do you think? Was this his plan?"
"To be honest, I do not believe the Master understood the full range of repercussions, either," Dialga answered. "I believe he was never aware of Char's true significance, and he could not have guessed what would happen if he were to be erased permanently. He did not understand the gravity of his own plan, that even he might be affected so terribly by it. It was, I believe, a grave miscalculation on the Master's part."
"So… what do we do, my lord?" Celebi asked, her words trembling nervously.
"Is it not obvious?" Dialga replied. "We must revive these Pokémon. They cannot be allowed to disappear, especially the Little One, Char."
Char's spirit stirred.
You're going to revive us?
We had given up all hope. We had accepted our fates.
We're not going to die? We're not going to be erased?
"Not if we can help it," Dialga replied warmly. "And I wouldn't have given up hope, if I were you. Even though you are reduced to only your souls, you're not gone yet, are you, now? In fact, you might say… that you are truly down to your last remaining embers. And, as a wise Pokémon once said, you're not gone until that last little ember loses its glow, and fades away."
So it is true.
Our story is not yet over…
We will carry on another day.
We know now. We will never doubt again.
We will keep fighting.
Even though we have died, and come this close to extinction.
"But wait!" Celebi shouted. "How will we revive them, Lord Dialga? I… I do not see how this is possible. They were all touched by the Newborns; their fate is sealed… And you cannot do anything without your body… W-will you use mutation? I know you are capable of some mutation in your spiritual form…"
"I will not mutate anything; I would make only make this mess even worse than it is," Dialga said. "Besides, mutation is not necessary for this task. See, Celebi, I believe there was another factor that the Master did not plan for, when he predestined the deaths of these Pokémon. I believe the Master thought Temporal Tower would be vacant. So there remains one unknown element in his carefully-laid plan. And that random element… is you, Celebi!"
"Me, my lord?" Celebi squeaked, her emotions becoming weak and puny.
"Yes!" Dialga asserted. "The Master never planned that you would be here, Celebi. Since you are hidden here, outside of time, it was something he could not see, and could not plan for. All he knew was that I was captured and did not factor into the equation. He never guessed that another Pokémon would be waiting here in my stead, someone with a grasp on the grand nature of time just as I have. Someone… I have personally trained, for all these eons, just for a cataclysm such as this one."
"W—What are you saying, Lord Dialga?" Celebi implored, her voice so fragile and frightened. "You want… me to… to… reincarnate them?"
"You must!" the god of time proclaimed. "And not only reincarnate them, but repair the time stream so that my tower would have not fallen. You are their only hope, Celebi. You are my only hope. You are the only hope of the octillions of sentient souls who have ever lived in our time stream… It is all upon your shoulders, now."
"N—no! NO, NO!" Celebi cried, breaking out in intense panic. "Y-You've got to be joking, my lord! I can't do that! I'm—I can't! I'm not strong enough! I'm not intelligent enough! I don't even know! Know, what you… what you want me to do…"
"You are strong enough, intelligent enough, and you know what to do," Dialga reassured her. "I have made sure of this. I have taught you."
"But Lord Dialga, I wasn't always listening…" Celebi whimpered. "It was always so… confusing for little old me! I didn't always know what you were talking about…"
"Then trust your instincts," Dialga said to her. "You are mortal. You have a subconscious mind, like all mortals. Your instincts are always listening, even when your attention is turned elsewhere. Trust yourself, Celebi. You have the ability."
"But… but, but, I don't even know where to even start!" the little Pokémon stammered. "Can't you do it for me?"
"No, Celebi. Not without my body," Dialga said. "And to be honest, I don't know if I could mutate this problem away, even if I decided to. It is too large, too far-reaching of a problem. Without proper planning, I could cause more harm than good. Please… focus."
"Are you going to at least tell me what to do?" Celebi shouted at her lord. "I don't even know…"
"Listen," Dialga sighed, his spiritual voice persistently strong and clear. "You will have to perform a feat similar to one I performed, many eons ago, when I rescued a Pokémon from being permanently erased from their reality. You will have to fork the timeline."
"How?" Celebi cried. "I've never done anything like that before! You've always told me never to mess with the time stream like that!"
"Celebi, if you'd listen to me, I will walk you through it," Dialga reprimanded. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here until the deed is done. Now… focus on the timeline."
Celebi's rampant emotions were dampened. Her thoughts became steadier and smoother.
"Examine closely, the point where the time stream put the tower in a collision course with the other dimension," Dialga instructed. "There. Do you see it?"
"Yes, there," Celebi said. "Now, what do I have to change?"
"You don't have to change anything," Dialga said.
"Huuh?" Celebi returned, her thoughts and focus unraveling again. "But I thought you said, if you want to fork the timeline, you need to change something. So that in one path, something is true, but in the other, it's false."
"Normally, that is true," Dialga told her. "But, see, you do not need to change anything this time. You merely have to move the time stream away from the cataclysm. Make it flow in a different direction, so it will not collide with the rogue dimension and the disaster will have never happened."
"So… I just have to fork off an identical copy?" Celebi asked. "Right there?"
"Before that point, Celebi. Otherwise your fork will mean nothing."
"WAAAAAAAAAHH!" Celebi suddenly screamed, losing all semblance of focus and causing her psychic barrier to waver. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! AIIIEEEEEEEEE!"
Celebi…
Please don't lose heart.
We know you can do it.
Celebi… if you save us, you will be legendary.
You will be a legend among legends.
The little Pokémon who did the work of a god.
The little Pokémon who saved the time stream.
Just focus. The answers will come if you focus.
Forget your fear. Push away your nervousness. They are useless.
Focus on your lord's words.
You can triumph.
We believe in you.
"Ahh… Ahh… Alright," Celebi choked out weakly. "I—I can't let you guys down. No. You're right. I'm going to do this. Alright, my lord… what's next?"
"Split the time stream, directly in the center, so the identical copies flow in different directions," Dialga instructed. "This is the simplest part. You've watched me perform this task several times. Just make sure it does not flow back in on itself, or you will create a wave of very strange paradoxes."
"Ahh! Um, alright… Alright… here it goes."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Like that?"
"Very good. Now, bend the stream a bit further away, so that it is not in danger of colliding with the one that destroyed the tower to begin with. NO, NOT THERE! Oh, better. That is better. Well done."
"AHH! Um… alright? What now?"
"Now, for the most difficult part," Dialga warned her. "There are two identical branches of the time stream now, but only one of those branches is inhabited by the sentient souls. Now you must discontinue the original branch, so all of the souls within the timeline flow into the new branch. This is difficult; you must block off the original path precisely after the fork you've made. If you create the barrier too far upstream, you create a complete dead-end and you risk killing every Pokémon who's ever lived. Place it too far downstream, and you risk allowing some of the souls to take the wrong route occasionally, and it will cause mass confusion."
"Oh, geeze… That sounds hard," Celebi croaked, her message feeling jittery with nervousness. "So… if I'm going to screw up, make sure it's too far downstream, not upstream. Right?"
"Try not to make a mistake in the first place," Dialga warned. "But yes, if you must, undershooting the fork will have less disastrous repercussions."
"Um… Okay. So, I block it off by… squeezing it? Like this?"
"Yes, but focus. You must get the positioning exactly correct."
"Alright. Here goes…"
Good luck, Celebi.
No, not luck. Skill. Good skill.
You can do this!
We know you can…
We trust you.
"…"
"…"
"… … … … … …"
"Um… did I do something wrong?"
"Yes. You placed the blockade too far downstream."
"NOOOOO! OH NO! OH NO OH NO OH NO! I TOLD you I couldn't do this!"
"Celebi, focus. All is not lost. Adjust the barrier. Push it slightly upstream until none of the souls can stumble into the old continuity."
"…"
"Further."
"…"
"A bit more."
"… …"
"STOP."
"I did it? We're done?"
"Because of your mistake, you have caused several denizens of the time stream to perceive time running in reverse for about six minutes. They will be particularly confused. Otherwise, you have done well."
Good job, Celebi!
We knew you could do it!
We expected nothing less from the apprentice of the great time-keeper.
"I'm… I'm sweating like you wouldn't believe!" Celebi laughed. "Uh… now what?"
"Now," the lord of time instructed, "The hard part is over with, but in this final step, you must be exceptionally gentle. Do you see the tower?"
"YES! It's there!" she cried. "Right there, in the new branch. It's like it didn't even fall!"
"Do you see the six Pokémon who perished in the fall?" Dialga asked.
"YES! They're there, too!" Celebi exclaimed. "They're all whole and alive! They didn't die!"
"Yes, but they are soulless," Dialga said. "Because their souls are missing. Now, you must take these souls in your care, and guide them into their rightful incarnations in the new timeline you just created."
"Oooh, right, I have to reincarnate them… I almost forgot about this part."
"Yes. But please. Be gentle," Dialga warned. "You could traumatize these souls by making their re-entry too jarring. Souls are very sensitive. They have likely forgotten all about their bodies by now, and what it means to live. Ease them into it. Do not rush."
"Yes, Lord Dialga," Celebi replied. "I will try my best…"
"And know… that when you have completed your task and you re-enter the new branch of the time stream, I will not be able to talk to you anymore," Dialga warned. "I will once again be trapped somewhere, in an Apricorn, slowly awaiting my rescue… So, this might be the last we speak to one another in a while."
"I understand…" Celebi said. "Thank you, Lord Dialga… for your support. I never would have believed I could pull that off on my own."
"Thank you for saving the time stream, when I could not," Dialga told her. "Now, the rogue dimension which caused the disaster is far away from Temporal Tower, and will not threaten to repeat the same cataclysm. Before that happens, you can unhinge the tower from reality, and you will be safe."
Thank you, Celebi…
You have done so well…
We are happy for you.
Dialga must be very proud.
"Oh, and one reminder, before I lose contact," Dialga said. "Char… try to understand what has just transpired. On this exceptionally strange day, we have foiled the Master's plan. The consequences of his plan are now completely un-done. It is not just unlikely, but impossible, that he would have planned for you to survive the falling of the tower, and to be revived, as you have. This leaves you free to continue with your own plan, although you must look for a way to return to your proper path from this fateful detour."
I understand.
Then what do I do, Dialga?
Where do I go now?
"Find the Pokémon known as Giratina," Dialga instructed the soul of Char. "Giratina is the only Pokémon who has your permission to tell you your name, or even to utter it. And not only your name, but every answer you seek. This was an important part of your plan, to meet Giratina and learn the truths you needed to carry out the final actions you wanted. If you can do this, your plan will be back on track."
Alright. I will search for Giratina.
But… that might take a long time.
What if it takes me a while to find him?
Until then, what do I do?
"Do what you have always done, little one," Dialga said to him affectionately. "Enjoy life. Enjoy Ambera. Enjoy being a Charmander. Enjoy the company of your friends. Learn and train to grow stronger and wiser. Fight for what you believe in, whatever it may be. And don't give up until the fire in your belly ceases to burn. That is, indeed, what life was meant for! Savor it while you can, but don't ruin it with bad decisions and poor judgments."
I will, Lord Dialga.
Thank you.
"Thank you, little one," Dialga hummed. "It was a pleasure to encounter you today, though it happened amidst the most unfortunate of circumstances. And it was an honor to meet the rest of you, as well. This will not be our final meeting, I suspect. I will see you again… when the time is right."
Wait.
Wait, Dialga.
"Yes?"
Tell me one thing.
"What is it?"
Have you ever said to me, 'This is not something we wish upon you. You bring this upon yourself, by your own actions.'?
"Hmm… I am sorry. I do not remember ever saying that. However… it seems like something I would say, given the proper circumstances. But as I am trapped in this apricorn, it is difficult to glance far back in time to tell."
Alright.
Thank you, Dialga…
Goodbye.
"So long, little one… may fate flow ever in your favor. You will have the answers you seek, one day…"
Yellow.
There was a yellow light, almost like sunlight, coming from everywhere.
It was a color. It was the first color Char had seen in what seemed like a very long time.
Yellow engulfed him.
It bubbled up around him, like many tiny suns.
Through it, he felt a rush of power.
A burdensome weight had been attached to him. It was a familiar weight. A beloved one. His pet Charmander. His body.
Char blinked, trying to get the yellow bubbles out of his eyes as it gradually faded away.
His eyes.
Char realized that his body was back under his command. He felt his heart pounding. He felt his ember licking his insides. He felt his thoughts racing.
His thoughts. His emotions. They had all returned.
"Ughh…" he groaned as he rolled over on the floor, stretching his muscles.
It felt so good to hear his throat produce a sound. He could speak again. His spiritual communication had been far too inhibited.
Groggily, he righted himself and stood upon his four legs. He glanced around the room. They were still upon the temporal pinnacle. His friends were there. They were barely moving, all staring wide-eyed at one another, feeling the shock being back home in their rightful physical forms.
"Well? Well?" A voice chirped from nearby. "Was that not gentle enough? I didn't traumatize you, did I?"
Char eyed the little green fairy Pokémon. She was so winded and spent, she did not fly anymore. She stood upon the floor quaking in anticipation.
"Please be okay…" she muttered, almost whispering. "Say something? Please?"
Char grinned.
He jumped to his feet and blew a stream of flames into the air.
"YEAH!" He shouted rapturously. "WE'RE ALIVE! We MADE IT! YEAAAAH!"
A joyous, contagious laugh of triumph sounded upon the Temporal Pinnacle as Char's friends joined in the celebration. Char pounced upon the Pokémon closest to him, which was Ray, just so he could feel his heart pumping again. Ray sent him a playful jolt of static in return, but he barely even felt it over the euphoria he felt.
"Oh, man. We just died and came back to life!" Saura cried, wide-eyed.
Lily gave him a joyful hug with her vines. "Yeah! Some exploration team we make, right?" she laughed. "Now we can say that we explored the final frontier! The place where no one else has ever wanted to go. Though, let's not go back anytime soon, alright?"
"You said it!" Saura shouted in reply. "Now we can tell everyone that we came back from the dead. They'll never believe us, but I don't care! We know what really happened!"
"Char, what was all this about you having a plan?" Scythe asked, a wide and curious smile on his face. "It seems as though you anticipated the actions you would take, after having your memories erased. That is very impressive."
Char recovered from his short scuffle with Ray. "I… guess so," he laughed nervously. "I still don't know what kind of a plan it was. No clue. I guess I have to find Giratina to find out for sure…"
"Yes, and stay far away from the Watchers from now on, at all costs," he warned him. "It seems as though they were the ones who tilted your fate in an unfavorable direction. As long as you make sure never to become corrupted again, the Master should not be able to destroy your fate again. The same goes for your friends. Keep them safe from the Watchers, and you may be able to continue trusting them."
"Right," Char replied. "Never again… but even so, I came really far off-course. I hope I can get back to where I wanted to be originally…"
"The Master is surely scrambling to create a backup plan, even as we speak," Scythe said. "But you have the advantage. You are ahead of him, now. Avoid the Watchers, avoid his influence, and you will find a way. I am certain."
Across the room, the beaming Raichu pounced on the weary, spent Celebi, clinging to her tightly.
"BEST. LEGENDARY. EVER!" Ray laughed. "At first I kinda liked Nameless, and Dialga was impressive, but now, you're officially the best!"
"SHHH! Quiet! Don't let Lord Dialga hear you say that!" Celebi laughed. "He'll be angry!"
"But in all honesty, thank you," Ray said. "You did something really difficult for us. We owe you our lives. Everyone owes you their lives, now."
"Well, I, uh, I still can't believe what just happened," Celebi squeaked. "I kinda want to forget all about it… it was too scary. But… you're welcome. I just did my best, after all…"
"Your best was awesome," Ray replied. "Thank you…"
Char looked at his friends, all laughing and frolicking happily.
He smiled as he watched them celebrate. They were happy to just be alive.
He looked at his own claws. The claws of a Charmander. He knew now, there was a purpose in having these claws, having this flaming tail, and having this fire within his belly. There was some kind of reason for it. And even though he didn't remember what it was, he knew that his past self had something planned. And now that he had shaken off this devious plot to end him, escaped from death itself, he was free to venture forth and discover just what this plan was.
My name… it's just the carrot at the end of the stick, Char realized. I don't care what it is anymore. I'll find it. And when I do, I'll find the rest of my purpose, too.
Giratina… wherever you are, I'm going to find you.
Char clenched his claws in solemn resolution. His past self had never meant for him to set foot on Temporal Tower, let alone climb to the top. But here he was. And now he had some of the answers.
Against the strangest of odds, his plan was prevailing…whatever it was.
Char glanced at his friends. They were still laughing. Practicing their battle moves against one another. Getting back into the spirit of being alive. Even Celebi seemed gleeful, for once.
But, among them, there was one who did not look so excited to have returned to the realm of the living.
Prince, like the rest of them, had a smile upon his face. His, though, was a sad smile.