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Chapter 66
The moment the Vulpix stepped through the door, Ray pounced and nearly tackled him.
The little fire-type winced for a moment just before impact. He didn't respond as jubilantly as the Raichu, but didn't seem to protest against the sudden and vigorous embrace.
"Zona!" Ray cried happily, scratching behind the curls of the little fox's head. "Good to see you! How have you been? Char, you remember Zona, right?"
Char thought for a moment. He did recognize the Vulpix vaguely; he knew that Zona was a member of Team Stripes. Though he had never personally run a mission with him, there was something about the little fox's eyes that had burned themselves into his mind on a long-ago day.
Ah, right… I talked to him once.
It was at that party we had for Saura. His freedom party.
Huh, a lot has changed since then…
Yeah, I remember Zona… but I barely remember anything I said to him.
Wonder what his personality is like?
"Aww, how've you been, little guy?" Ray said warmly. "Wow, you're bigger than the last time I hugged you, you know that? How's life been treating you?"
The Vulpix gave a small smile. "I have been doing well, I think," he said in a calm and collected voice. "You know how it is on Team Stripes. Nothing special ever happens to us. But what about you? I heard on the news that you went on a long mission to the north."
"Ah, yeah! Craziest mission of my life, without a doubt!" Ray said, finally letting him go. "But I'm still standing. I'm really glad I joined Team Ember when I did. They really needed me! So… you want to join Char's team? I'm sure you'll love it here! We have a lot to catch up on if we're going to be teammates again. I can't wait!"
"I feel as though I'm ready to graduate, yes," Zona said, hesitating in mid-step before deciding to stand still. "In the time since you left the team, I have gone from twenty-sixth to twelfth in line to be the senior cadet. When Taka left the team, it occurred to me that… Team Stripes is not a permanent place to stay. It is a training team. And even if I were to stay on the team, I realized that I would be making friends with my teammates, only to lose them again and again, without end… and I want to have teammates that I can keep for a long time. I knew I needed to go try out for another team."
"Aww! Yeah, that's a big step we all need to take," Ray said with a smile. "So what made you choose this team?"
Zona hesitated again, glancing back at the door. "I… well," he tried to say in a strange tone, gesturing with his front paw.
With so many pauses in his speech, Char at first thought the Vulpix was attempting some kind of dry humor, but came to realize that he was probably just stopping to carefully choose his next words. There was a certain vulnerability in the little fox that he felt he could relate to. Char figured that he was the kind of Pokémon who took great care never to say anything he would regret.
"This is the team where… I mean, many of us are here," the Vulpix said. "In the hallway. Many members of Team Stripes want to try out for this very team. For Team Ember… I counted at least ten of us in line. Although the line went around the corner and I couldn't see past it…"
Ray nodded, though he looked a bit surprised by the statistic. "Oh, so you want to stay with your friends? That's not such a bad reason, I think! If your friends make a good team with you, then you've got to stick together, sure! Hey, what about Leo? Is he wanting to quit the team, too?"
"Leo is next in line, after me," Zona reported. "He shocked me awake. So that we could both get here early."
Char wanted to bury his forehead in his claw. Why did I get the feeling all of Team Stripes would want to be here?! he silently ranted to himself, and perhaps also to Eva. I bet this is Ray's fault. He was the one who was always gushing about us before he joined. And even after he joined. Probably got the whole team riled up.
But… well, I'll give them a chance. I'll give them all a chance. The sign did say that high rank isn't necessary, so I won't fault them for trying.
I guess I just hope that we'll get at least one real strong Pokémon willing to join the team. It's a shame Tallie didn't show up. We could have used someone like her.
I wonder if Marrow would want…
Nah. That's a silly idea.
Guess I should stop worrying about it. We'll always have Team Remorse at our side.
Char blinked out of his thoughts as he noticed the Vulpix carefully, almost reverently approaching him, giving an odd little bow. He seemed eager to speak.
"Char of Team Ember, it is an honor to speak with you again," he said quietly. "Is it true that you have the Call, as the rumors say? How does it work?"
Eva swiftly cut in. "That information is classified until you are a team member," she said simply.
Zona winced for a moment, but seemed to recover well enough. "I apologize. It is not my place to pry," he admitted, not losing his confidence, however subdued it was.
He paused to consider his next words, taking note of his surroundings and the four Pokémon watching him intently. Char sat down to be at Zona's eye level, trying to make him feel less intimidated. He decided to speak up when it seemed that the Vulpix could not think of something else to say.
"Well, Zona," he tried, matching the Vuplix's gentle manner of speech. "Tell me, what can you bring to Team Ember?"
Zona's eyes seemed to light up in a mysterious, knowing way. "Your signs said you would give special consideration to fire-types. I am not the strongest Pokémon, or the fastest, and I do not know many useful moves. But I am a fire-type. I would be honored to grow stronger at the side of a fellow ember-user such as yourself, and at the side of my prior teammates… if you would accept me."
Char was intrigued. Though he said nothing flattering about himself, the Vulpix never lost his mysterious smile. Somehow, this gave him a very good feeling.
"We invited fire-types because we own an enchanted item which renders nearby fire-types immune to rock-type damage," Otto said. "Right now, it is only useful to Char. With more fire-types, it will become a more powerful asset to us. More strategies will become possible."
"That's right," Char said, trying to sound as mysterious as his new friend. "Imagine a giant rock monster, hurling a huge boulder right at your face, and having it shatter apart as soon as it strikes you. Or being stuck in a cave-in that barely feels like rain. Imagine being punched in the face by Graveler, or squeezed by an Onix tail, and not feeling any of it."
"That sounds… wonderful," the starry-eyed Vulpix said. "I am afraid of rock-types. I do not know any moves which reliably defeat them. I have always kept my distance from them and relied on teammates."
"It is still good to be afraid," Otto offered. "Even with our advantage, rock-types pose a multitude of threats besides blunt-force trauma. Sometimes they use different elemental attacks. But perhaps the fear is not so… immediate anymore."
Zona acknowledged the Pidgey. "I understand," he said. "But… I would still… if you don't mind, it would be incredible to experience this enchantment sometime."
"Sure!" Char said with an encouraging smile. "How about this. We'll give you a tryout! You can come on a mission with us so we can see how you fight. Maybe a cave mission, something with easy enemies. We'll be sure to bring the orb with us!"
Zona looked surprised. "You are considering my application?" he said, looking inwardly excited. "But… I haven't even… I mean to say, there's still something I need to tell you about myself."
He glanced at Ray for a minute, and a light seemed to go off in Ray's mind. "Oh, wow! I forgot all about… that," he gasped. "Char! This guy is incredible. I didn't learn about this until after I already joined you, Char. But I'll let him tell you. Go on, tell them what you can do!"
Zona hesitated, pawing at the ground. "I actually… I didn't think you were even going to take me seriously until I told you this. I mean, I wouldn't have taken myself seriously, in your place," he said bashfully, as though he were afraid of bragging. "But… I can chase the Watchers away."
The little fox looked up expectantly at a stunned and confused Char.
Char's first reaction was to glance at Eva. Well, it's not a lie, she reported, shrugging. But I'm not so certain what he means by it. He certainly believes it to be true.
"What do you mean?" Char asked carefully, turning his gaze back to the newcomer. "Like… do you mean you can go walking out at night whenever you want?"
"Sometimes. It depends…" Zona said, looking pleased with himself for finally broaching this topic. "The first time I did it, I didn't really know what I was doing… And then Alakazam heard about it, and he wanted me to show him my memories. So I did… and he told me that sometimes a Pokémon's soul resonates with a certain kind of elemental energy, even if… that Pokémon has no affinity with the element at all. He called it the hidden power. He says, there aren't many Pokémon left who can control a hidden power, or… even know that it exists. But I think I was given a strong power from my mother."
Char felt a grimacing thought shoot from Eva. Something about the Vulpix was beginning to make her uncomfortable.
"I may have heard something about this before," she admitted. "I know about hidden powers. I haven't seen a user in many years. Did Alakazam determine what kind of power you have?"
"Yes," Zona said with a confident nod. "It is a psychic power."
A strange, uncharacteristic jolt of insecurity resonated from Eva. She did well to outwardly hide it, but she couldn't keep from showing it through the open mind-link she shared with Char. It made him uncomfortable by proxy, although he didn't understand why.
"So what you are saying… is that you are a latent psychic?" she asked with a secret worry.
"Yes, I am, miss… Espeon," Zona replied. "Though I am sure my power is nowhere near at your natural level. It is very unnatural to me. My kind is not meant for such powers. I still lack the mental fortitude to express the power in anything but controlled bursts. But I have practiced. Depending on my mental state, I can… light the way at night. I can repel the cloud of Watchers. Perhaps I could continue to grow in power under your guidance."
Otto ruffled his feathers. "If you claim that you have psychic power, how do you repel ghosts? Ghosts are generally not threatened by psychic power."
"Light," Zona said. "It's not the power itself that repels them, but… the light. They are afraid of it. I think it's… my fire helps. The fire energy synergizes with the psychic energy. Leo says the light it makes looks like fire. I don't know why that happens, but it is useful."
"Useful!?" Otto parroted, seeming appalled that Zona would understate his own potential. "If what you are saying is true, and you can reliably defend teammates from the Watcher swarm, do you realize the possibilities this opens to us…?"
Once again, the little bird stopped himself, sheepishly calming himself back down.
"Night missions would no longer be out of the question," he added in a deliberately subdued tone. "If you can demonstrate this, I will need time to think about how this would change things."
Zona turned back to Char with a hopeful glimmer in his eye. Seeing Zona's innocent smile melted Char's heart, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to deny the little Vulpix whatever it was that he would ask next.
"I could show you how it works during the tryout," he said with a small grin.
Char couldn't help but smile himself. He remembered that the Watchers were perhaps his very greatest enemy. They had manipulated space and time just so that he would be destroyed on Temporal Tower. He knew that if the meek little fox before him was willing to share this profound power in exchange for a little companionship, there was no way he could turn him down. Part of him wanted to hire the Vulpix right then and there.
Instead, he simply said, "That… sounds wonderful."
Having made a positive impression on the Charmander, Zona turned to speak with Ray for a few minutes more. Char looked fondly at the little guy, wondering about this hidden, untapped potential that apparently glowed inside of him, just next to his inner ember.
He of all Pokémon knew what it was like to have a hidden power, after all.
What do you think? He asked Eva. You didn't seem happy with him earlier.
Oh, do not mind me, Eva said, chuckling at herself. Psychics do not like competition, that is all. But if he can chase away the Watchers like he says he can, you'd be an idiot not to hire him. I suppose I might have one, very small reservation about him.
Yeah? Char asked, wondering whatever could possibly be the matter with such a humble and innocent little fox.
The whole time he spoke, there was not a single hint of a lie, or even an embellishment, Eva described. The thought never even crossed his mind. He has an astounding sort of child-like innocence that he's managed to come this far clinging to.
So? Char replied. What's wrong with that?
Perhaps this will sound puerile coming from a career liar such as myself, but there is such a thing as being too honest, Eva said, sharing a sideways glance with Char. Zona hasn't yet realized it, or perhaps he is drowning in adamant denial… See, Char, you are one of the more honest Pokémon I've met recently, at least with those near to your heart. You share your secrets with Saura, or with me, for instance. But the only reason you feel comfortable sharing your secrets with me is because you trust me to keep those secrets… and that means you trust me to tell lies and half-truths to other Pokémon to cover them up if necessary. If in the name of honesty I told everyone's secrets to everybody I met, I would deserve the trust of nobody.
But Zona clings to a naïve belief that if he tries hard enough, he can learn to be honest with absolutely everyone, all the time. It is a puzzle to him, something he is adamant enough to solve. Perhaps it is honorable in its own way, except that… I'm not certain how safe our team's secrets will be with him.
Char nodded as he eyed the Vulpix. He understood what Eva was trying to tell him, but at the same time… there was something about the sense of innocence radiating from the little guy's personality that inspired him. There was a sort of energy coming from him that made him happy, but in a different way than Ray did. Zona's innocence wasn't exactly childlike; it was something much sturdier and stronger than that, as though there was some part of the fox's soul that was undeniably pure, some part that he'd found a way to keep untainted by the corruption and evils of the world despite having seen his share of fights and violence as a child.
More than anything, he wanted to get to know this Vulpix more closely.
Let's not give up on him right away, Char told Eva.
As you say, she replied.
Char gave his thanks to Zona, already mentally planning the mission that would serve for his tryout.
"Oh, and… Char," Zona said as he was about to leave. "Give Leo a chance, too. He's much stronger than he looks."
Char laughed, having forgotten who was next in line. "Alright, alright, send in Leo!" Char instructed, waving his hand.
When Marrow opened the door, Char watched as the little Shinx bounced around the corner. He and Zona exchanged a happy glance, one that seemed to express an entire conversation at once without a single word.
Before he knew it, he was face-to-face with the cheerful little lion cub.
"Char! Would you let me join your team?" he begged, wagging his tail like a dog. "Pleeeeeease? I wanna be with Ray and Zona!"
"We already have a strong electric-type," Otto said blankly. "Do you offer any advantages that would complement Ray?"
The Shinx responded by falling silent and pouting, casting Char the most wide, pitiful eyes Char had ever seen. He tried to retort, but the sight of the little kitten's tilted face took the words out of his mouth.
"Well," Eva said dryly, "Not even I can argue with a face like that."
Gravelerock Tunnel, 1F
Saura had tensed the moment he'd entered the dungeon, but soon found there was no point in staying on guard; the towering Nidoking seemed to be doing all the fighting for him.
The Redeemer had conjured some kind of perpetual fire magic in the hand that held his staff. The fire had spread to the top half of the staff, giving the appearance of some kind of oblong torch or flaming sword. At the first sign of opposition, he'd always fling some kind of projectile attack at the enemy, either from his horn, his mouth, or his free hand. He barely had to even look where he was attacking, and he never missed; and the Zubat and Spearow all dropped like flies in his path.
"Wait, who's chasing us?" Saura demanded, trying to keep up as the Nidoking suddenly turned around various corners of the maze, his cape billowing with his deft motions.
"That would be some old friends of yours, Team Silverwing," The Redeemer said. "The birds who trained your Pidgeotto teammate."
"The Pidgey, you mean?" Saura replied, confused.
"Pidgey? Hmm?" the Nidoking hummed. "You mean he's not evolved yet in this timeline? …Interesting."
Tzap. With another spark of static, another Zubat flopped to the ground, lifeless.
"So wait, if it's just Team Silverwing, why are we running away from them?!" Saura cried, looking back the way he came.
"Two reasons, mainly," the Starborn said. "First, because they're a terrible waste of my time. Second, the longer they spend chasing me, the less time they spend chasing my father. The longer I distract them, the more likely it becomes that my father will dominate all opposition at the Basin Canyon, leading to many of your friends getting slaughtered… including Scythe."
Saura looked mortified. "Scythe?! Scythe is going to die?"
The Nidoking seemed to shrug. "Not if I can help it, but you would be surprised to hear how many variations of the timeline end in Scythe's demise. Sometimes it seems that he's even more fragile than Char."
Thump. He kicked a nagging Rattata away from his foot.
"Therefore, I try to stay hidden from prying eyes as much as humanly possible. I prefer not to be the cause of senseless violence and death."
Without warning, the Nidoking extended his arm and produced a glowing, otherworldly beam of blue light from his claw. It collided with something at the end of the tunnel, causing it to shatter.
"WHOA! What was THAT?!" Saurvor cried in amazement, jumping back and trying to shield his brother from the blazing laser-light.
"I do believe that was a Geodude," The Redeemer said indifferently as the dust settled. "Try to keep up, please. We need to find somewhere we can talk, and quickly. I'd prefer that we make it to the surface before those blasted birds do."
He put a claw on the time gear. It was still warm. That was good.
Gravelerock Tunnel 2F
"Okay, so you're working for Char, right?" Saura said, irked at the Nidoking's length of silence. "So what do you want me to do?"
"I'm not here to tell you to do anything," the Nidoking said pointedly, looking displeased with the cramped tunnels which surrounded him. "I'm here to tell you something which, I hope, will prod you in a different direction than you were headed, and hopefully lead this timeline to a much more favorable result for everyone involved. Oh, for the love of Centauri, why did there have to be so many tunnels this time?!"
With a sudden movement, the Nidoking swung a massive fist at a nearby wall. Tremors shook the ground as an entire expanse of the wall crumbled away, revealing a larger chamber… and the staircase to the next floor.
"Ah, there we have it," The Redeemer uttered. "Now get in here, quickly. Both of you. Get beside the stairs but don't touch them."
The two brothers filed into the room as instructed, sitting down next to the out-of-place ascending staircase. The Redeemer swung his fiery staff around, scanning the nearby quarters for a threat, before narrowing his gaze at his followers.
"Now. Mainly, there are two things I must say," he started, speaking quickly. "And I need to make sure I say them in the correct order. One is something which your brother needs to hear, Saura, which is why I requested his presence, but it will help you to hear it as well."
He gripped a claw around the time gear as he spoke.
"Honestly I am surprised I've even gotten to speak with you at all, Saurvor," he said plainly. "The truth is, in the overwhelming majority of variations of the timeline I've seen, you and your family – save for Saura, of course – has perished around this time. It is rare for you to survive for even this long. Come fifteen days from now, you have always met your doom."
"Well yeah, Hunter and Adiel decided not to burn us alive, for some reason," the Ivysaur blurted awkwardly.
"No, you misunderstand," said the Redeemer quickly, clutching the time gear tightly. "What I'm trying to tell you is this: even in the timelines where you escaped from Hunter, you have still perished. Whatever is this unseen cause of your death, I suspect it is still stalking you."
The Ivysaur stamped his feet in astonishment. "What? Why? HOW? How do I die?!" he cried.
"I do not know," the Redeemer simply said. "To be honest, I could never spare the time to investigate; too many important events are happening all across Ambera in the upcoming weeks. Just know this: you and your whole family are likely in grave danger, and it may not be the Master's doing."
Saurvor ruffled his leaves, looking frightened. "Well, uh… at least tell us how much time we've got left to live?! Fifteen days, you said?!"
"Like I said, you should really be dead already," the Nidoking warned. "You are very lucky to have lived for this long, But know this: if your doom is coming, I'd suspect it's coming sooner rather than later. Fate has a way of seeping through the cracks and creeping up on you. Perhaps you will find a way to survive it this time. But I suggest you watch out for yourself. Understood?"
"Yeah…" the Ivysaur stammered. "Yeah, okay. Fine. Alright. I'm going to die. We're all going to die. Great. That's great. Great! Good to know."
There was a strange tremor in the floor. It was subtle, but the Nidoking noticed it. "Up the stairs, now," he ordered with urgency. "The wind is coming."
"The wind?! Why? We've barely been in here for five minutes..." Saura cried.
"The mystery dungeon does not like my time gear," the Nidoking grumbled. "But we can still outrun it. Up the stairs, you two. If you're going to die, it won't be by my hand, I can promise you that."
Gravelerock Tunnel 3F
The wayward Nidoking looked even more panicked than ever, and he galloped through the dungeon tunnels, sometimes dropping to all fours to slide under low ceilings. But he always kept a watchful eye over his shoulder at his travelling companions.
Saura stuck close to him as best as he could, his thoughts racing through possibilities. My family is fated to die?! he asked himself. Even after… after all they've been through, there's still danger?
What's the danger? They're in the safest place in Ambera! They're even protected by the Master…
What's going to happen to them?
Can I save them?
"Saura," sighed the Nidoking. "Saura, Saura, Saura. Oh, where do I even start with you…?" he said, sounding exhausted. He touched the wall with his claw, marking it with a broken line as he passed. "Here's a question for you to contemplate. Quickly. Contemplate. Why are you here? Why are you here, in this cave, following me right now?"
Saura opened his mouth to answer, but the Nidoking interrupted him. "And don't say that it's because I dragged you here," he snapped. "There is an entire chain of causality that led to you being here. If you stayed with Char, we never would have even had this conversation. Why haven't you stayed with Char?"
The Bulbasaur cast an ashamed glance at the passing floor. It took him a few tries to speak an answer.
"I don't know, I… I left because Char wanted me to leave," he said hesitantly. "He said he wanted to protect me."
"Ah, but that was because he asked you if you wanted to leave, and you said you did. So it can't be entirely his fault, can it?"
"I guess not," Saura sighed dejectedly. "I guess I missed my family too much, and I started blaming Char for all the danger they were put in." He took a deep breath, feeling heavy emotions pouring upon him. "I wanted to forgive him. I was going to. But when he looked at me… we were in the meadow, and he just looked at me, and asked me to be completely honest, something… something came over me, and I… I couldn't say anything…"
Saura dragged his feet, feeling the fine layer of gravel on the cave floor. It was just the way he remembered it, that one day when he walked through this same cave for the first time.
There were tears in his eyes.
"I wanted to say, 'Char. We're a team. I'm not going anywhere. It's dangerous but that's okay. That's just how our life is.' I was going to say, 'I'm happy my family is safe, but they're not really my family anymore. You're my family.' I was going to say, 'You're… just a human in a world full of Pokémon. You're going to feel lonely without me, and I want to keep you company.' I wanted to say, 'I want to be there for Ray, I want to make his life the best it can be while he's still got time to live.'"
He sniffed.
"I wanted, to say, 'Char… I forgive you. I forgive you for everything.' But when he looked at me… and told me to be honest… I just… something… I couldn't…"
Clack.
The base of the Nidoking's staff came down hard, right in front of Saura's face. Saura yelped and nearly fell over backward. He peered up to see quite a frightening face coming from the figure.
"I've had quite enough of your whining," the Nidoking said, glaring down at him. "You know what your problem is? You have no confidence in yourself. None. You're a despicable coward. First you run away from your family so that you can run to Char's side. Then you run away from Char so you can run to your family's side. I bet that's what you were muttering to yourself the whole time you were here, wasn't it? 'The Master can't touch us. We're untouchable. They can't hurt us. Nobody better hurt us.' You think this is the kind of partner Char wants? The one who's always running away to hide behind someone?"
Saura sniffled hard. "But… but I…"
Thunk. Thunk. He smacked Saura on the head with the base of the staff.
"Grow up, Bulbasaur," shouted the Starborn Nidoking, his voice ringing through the caves. "You're not a seedling anymore. You're a war hero."
"But I was touched… by a Watcher, and…"
"And so what?!" the Redeemer spoke to him in monotone. "The Watcher didn't give you anything that wasn't already part of you, and you know it. You are a weakling who is always living under someone else's protection, always in someone's shadow, always the secondary partner. Always the subservient one. Your life is governed by your fear of hurting your friends and your family. And when you get hurt, you thrive off the pity you've earned from everyone who loves you, never off of your own strength. You're always standing up for others. You've never stood up for yourself."
Saura lost it. He curled up on the floor and bawled his eyes out. His childlike sobs filled the tunnels.
"Hey, what gives?" the Ivysaur growled, glaring up at him and coming to his brother's side. "You lie. My brother has guts, you know that? He had the guts to tell the Master, 'Hey, shove it, I'm living my own life, the way I want,' right? That's why he ran away! He was standing up for himself! He's not a coward!"
"Perhaps you could say that, yes," the Nidoking said gravely. "In a way, it was a valiant effort to escape the Master as he did. But even still, there's still something he doesn't know just yet. Something he hasn't quite… puzzled out. And it's time I told him the truth."
The Nidoking bent down and waited for the Bulbasaur's tears to finish flowing. He waited with an impatient expression, reaching out to stroke Saura's forehead with a sort of forced gentleness.
Saura would have shoved his claw away, except that his touch seemed to absorb the pain from the headache the Nidoking had caused a moment earlier. He just sighed and stood in place, listening.
"You are here," he finally said, "here in this cave, right now, speaking with me… because you are under a ridiculous misconception. You think that Char was some sort of… chosen one, and that you were his fateful partner, the tagalong, the one who would follow him to the end of the earth. Am I right?"
"He was my… human," Saura choked out, looking up at him with wide, watery eyes. "That's what Pokémon do… for their humans. Isn't it?"
The Nidoking seemed surprised at the way Saura had worded the statement, and a moment of vulnerability flicked across his face.
"Perhaps. But since you consider yourself Char's partner, let me tell you about Char's other partners. The ones that… never were."
"What are you talking about?" Saura said in a cracked voice.
The Nidoking stood up and turned to glance down the hall. He brushed a claw against the time gear before continuing.
"Before Char transformed," he said, "there were… several Pokemon he deemed suitable to be his partner. He manipulated fate in such a way that would make each of them available as options. That was part of his plan. Many of the routes were fated to fail, so he needed options. You were but one of those options. Though Char was always going to be a Charmander, he selected a partner by means of when and where he entered the timeline, thus choosing whose path he crossed, and which particular Pokémon he would form his first and strongest bond with. You became his partner only because he appeared in this very cave at the precise moment he did, crossing paths with you at your most vulnerable hour. It was by design.
"Ah, let's run down the list, shall we? In most of the timelines where Char didn't select you, he selected Raikouun. Now, Raikouun, in the general sense, made a spectacular partner to him, albeit with some flaws and weaknesses that did not come to light until near the end of the journey. He made Char very happy and very inspired, but Char grew to resent him, feeling like Ray never took him completely seriously. Regrettably, Ray was always a bit too reckless, and in all of the timelines, Char witnessed his death firsthand and was thus unable to finish his journey without support from his dear partner.
"In some other timelines, the partner was Taka, the Treecko. Ah, such a strong start, those two. There was even one timeline where they fell in love. Both witty, both ambitious, both with chips on their shoulders and a certain sense of insecurity in their hearts, both willing to stand up for themselves and for one another… But there was always a point where Taka felt Char was asking too much of her, and she broke away from him. Again, Char was unable to finish the journey alone, without the partner he'd confided in since his transformation.
"There were a few with Lily the Chikorita as the partner. Oh, those were something else. Char's entry point was far in the past, back during the Emerald Division wars. Char and Lily worked together well enough when cornered, but they never saw eye-to-eye, and certainly never fell in love. In most of them, Char was always unable to save Lily in a dire hour because of his own weakness against cold. In the others, it was always Char himself who died, because Lily was never able to get close enough to Prince to form the bond that would form the source of her strength and determination. Too many times, I have seen Char smoldering to death in the cold and snow, as the Bayleef tugs and pleads for him to get up. It was one of the fates that was always the most difficult to watch.
"Shall I continue? There were many other options for Char. Evan the Eevee was one. Cirrus the Squirtle was another. Leo the Shinx was another. Then there was a certain Snivy I do believe he hasn't met yet, but might meet soon. Then there were several at the Black Division… An Axew, a Chespin, a Froakie… most of those didn't work out. All of Char's attempts to begin at the Black Division were so doomed that I barely remember them.
"But those timelines all had one trait in common: they never happened. They were all discontinued. Char's plans unraveled, and despite my greatest efforts I was unable to redeem them. To all but the legendaries and I, they are naught but an echo of a memory of an idea. In the overwhelming majority of timelines that actually went somewhere… you, Saura, you were the partner. Char will always be Char, but you were the determinant. You were the variable that—"
Clang. The Nidoking threw the time gear to the ground. It had suddenly grown unbearably cold.
He stared at it for a moment, as though it had grown fangs and was about to devour his hand. The silence was palpable, only broken by the Nidoking's sharp breaths of terror.
"…Well," he grumbled, bending to retrieve it. "I suppose I've nearly said too much. You will just have to figure that part out on your own."
The Redeemer trudged through the rest of the cave in a stunned silence, looking like he'd seen a ghost. Saura and Saurvor followed. Saura could barely focus on his steps; his mind spun with endless questions and predictions as to what the Nidoking had stopped himself from saying.
Gravelerock Tunnel 4F
The Nidoking didn't take long to regain his composure. He felt the warmth flooding back to the tiny talisman, and with it, his confidence and the hustle in his step had returned.
"Our time together is nearly at an end, it seems," he said as he climbed the final stair to the last floor. "As soon as we reach the surface, you will be on your own. Your decisions will be yours to make."
"Wait—hold on, please," Saura said, still in a tearful voice. "Why did you tell me all of that? I don't understand… Why did you tell me about the other partners? What do you want me to do?"
"Stop asking that question, for a start," he replied flippantly. "Learn to have a will of your own. Stand on your own strengths. Not only will it be good for you, but it will also make you a much better partner to Char, should you choose to return to him. Because being strong doesn't just mean being emotionally supportive. You also need to be smart. It's not enough to know what feels best. You must know what is best."
The Nidoking punched out another wall, shielding Saura from the flying rubble of the impact. He cleared out the room with a fiery pulse from his staff-hand which incinerated the wings from a dozen Zubat at once. A napping Spearow in the far corner never had the chance to awaken.
"Let me put it in some other terms, since the threads of fate disagreed with me the first time," he said, searching hurriedly for the exits to the room. "You entered this cave today believing that Char was some sort of… chosen one, and his existence here was the herald of some time-spanning quest at which he is the center. Before you leave this cave, try and understand the truth: You are the chosen one. Char was merely the one who did the choosing."
He clacked his staff against the floor, coming to a stop. Saura noticed the final staircase just down the hall before him.
"And therefore it must be said that he is not the hero of this particular timeline. It is you."
Saura staggered, nearly choking out his next breath of air. "How… How am I the hero?!" He croaked. "I know I have the Call, but the Call is useless! I-I'm not anyone special! I'm just a child… How am I supposed to be the hero?!"
The Nidoking eyed him keenly. "Funny; I distinctly remember asking a certain human the same question, but it all became clear eventually. Perhaps one day you will come to understand why you are the hero. But not unless you start acting like one. Am I understood?"
"But how am I supposed to act like a hero when—"
"Oh, for Centauri's sake, just say yes," the Redeemer said with a glower, cutting off the rambling Bulbasaur. "This is the part where you say 'yes,' and the timeline straightens itself out, and that frees me to start working on the mess with Adrel, and we both go on our own separate, merry ways. Here's a hint: you do understand me, you just can't hear yourself above all of your tenacious whining."
He bent down to the Blubasaur's eye level, but a wary glance fell down the dark hall. He felt the wind coming again.
"Now can you please humor an old, overgrown rabbit and at least pretend you've gotten something from my rambling?"
"I-uh-alright," Saura bumbled, his face still red from tears.
"Sounds good enough to me," the Redeemer said, standing back up. "Now go up those stairs. Your escorts will be arriving shortly."
Feeling another tremor in the floor, he readied an orb from one of his pockets. The tremors were so haunting, so deceptively miniscule at first, but he would never forget the way they felt.
With a swish of his cape, he turned to walk down the same hallway, taking his firelight with him.
"Wait, you're going back?" Saurvor said, startled. "You're not going to the surface?"
"Not in this timeline I'm not," the Redeemer said, raising his voice. "Fare thee well, Saura. However you should choose to make use of your time is known only to you. Fate willing, we will see one another again, just as long as Char doesn't completely botch things up this time. I suppose we'll be seeing how he does shortly enough. Oh, and Saura?"
He turned one last time, even though he felt the dungeon's wind starting to tickle his ears. The time gear was now only lukewarm to the touch, its warmth bleeding out fast.
"You… didn't leave Char by your own free will," he told Saura. "His heartspeak was affecting you too strongly. But if you were strong-minded enough, willing to be your own Pokémon and not someone else's, you could have still found the fortitude to deny his request. Remember that."
With one final swish of his cape, the Starborn turned a corner and disappeared, leaving Saura standing still and staring at the darkness.
He had too much to think about now.
Saurvor began yanking him with his vines. "C'mon, brother, let's get to the surface," he begged. "I don't want to be in this place any longer than we need to be."
"…Yeah," Saura said absentmindedly, shuffling his feet in the direction of the sunlit staircase at the end of the corridor.
Saura approached the sunlight, trying not to let his mind get sucked into the darkness of the tunnel behind him. In just a few more steps, he'd be free… and he knew he'd never need to enter another mystery dungeon again if he didn't want to.
But his thoughts had just stepped into a maze of their own.
Stand up for myself…?
I'm the hero…?
I don't know how this is supposed to help me.
Being more independent would have made me a better partner to Char? I don't get it.
Am I fated to be Char's partner, or not?
Can I decide to stay here?
Or should I go back?
I need to go back if Char can't finish his mission without a partner.
I thought I was a good partner to Char…
And yeah, I did blame him for everything, but… but I couldn't help it. Could I?
He was the fire in my nightmares. I couldn't stop myself from feeling bitter.
…Could I have?
It sounds like he's doing fine with Ray, though. If Ray was destined to be Char's partner too, he's probably doing fine without me.
Alright, I need to get it together.
If I had to be completely honest with myself right now…
I wouldn't mind going back.
Just… not now. My family is here, and they need me.
If they're in danger, I need to help them.
I need to make sure they stay safe.
As they set foot on the staircase, he glanced over at his brother. Saurvor was still very shaken from the warning he received, a warning that heralded his death… anytime, anywhere…
Sorry, Char, Saura decided. I can't come back.
Not now.
Not until I make sure nothing ever happens to them again.
Division Base
It was a long and tiring day, but they did it. Team Ember had completed ten interviews.
It took much longer than Char had anticipated. Some of the Pokémon didn't want to leave without confirmation that they were being considered for the job – especially the ones who weren't very fit for it.
Char was pretty certain that he wanted Zachel and Zona on the team, and discussed the possibility of skipping the tryouts and hiring them as apprentice members. Leo seemed enthusiastic enough, even though Char barely knew what he was capable of; he seemed to get along with the team so well that Char considered hiring him alongside Zona, just because.
Then there was that Marill girl that had come after Zona. Raincloud was her name, and there was something off-putting about her. After talking for a while, it was clear to Char that she was not ready to graduate. After further questioning, she admitted that she lived in the daycare center and was a feral-in-training, and had not completed her education regiment yet. She then admitted, after some prodding by Eva, that she only wanted to be on the team so that she could get away from all the teachers constantly telling her what to do. Otto particularly seemed disgusted with her behavior and sent her away himself, advising her to eat more blue gummis and never disobey her superiors.
After that, there was Lyre, a Mawile girl who at first seemed quite competent. She'd trained on Team Chasm and claimed to be an experienced rock-breaker. Her elemental types and her skillset piqued the interest of Otto, but Char didn't quite trust the way she acted – she had a very mysterious way of speaking, as though she enjoyed leaving the end off of every sentence and was amused by watching everyone try to figure her out. When she left, Char still really didn't know what to think of her, and Eva claimed that trying to follow her thoughts around in circles was tiring.
When the team had finished lunch, Char was a bit shocked to find a Sableye applying to be on his team. She was a member of Team Cog, and claimed she was sick of never getting to leave the base – or even the solid rock walls that comprised it – and said that she would give anything to see the sunlight on a regular basis again. Though he mustered enough energy to speak with formality, Char was intimidated by her presence and didn't quite know what to think about her living gemstone eyes boring holes into his forehead. But she didn't for a moment acknowledge her strange, ghastly appearance – she seemed bored to death, as it were, and spoke in a flat monotone that seemed almost like she was following a script. Char got the impression that she severely lacked self-esteem. Nevertheless, something about the ghost caught his interest, and he invited her to a tryout.
Just when Char was starting to wonder where the other members of Team Stripes actually were, Evan the Eevee showed up to the interview. He was well-behaved enough, if not a bit cynical. When Otto asked what he intended to grow up into, Evan said that he'd rather choose whatever evolution his team most needed. Eva was quick to point out the shameless lie, informing Char that he very much hoped to become a Vaporeon and entertained near-constant dreams of deep-sea diving.
There was a sour sneer in her telepathic voice as she said so, something that Char couldn't decode – and something about it made him too scared to ask.
Then there came a Poochyena, one of the younger and newer members of Team Stripes. Otto seemed the most keenly interested and was the one to ask him the most questions about his skills. On the other hand, Eva shrugged her shoulders and scoffed bitterly, telling Char that he was on his own for this one, just like with the Sableye – she couldn't, after all, casually read a dark type's mind. His name was Asunder, and despite the fact that he seemed generally confused and couldn't spit out his words correctly, it was soon clear to Char just what kind of a person the little pup was – he was fiercely loyal, and was itching to throw himself at a new master and attach with all his heart.
If Eva wants to be my cat, he mused, Asunder would be my dog. He'd probably be one to get too jealous if Saura came back… better be careful what I say to him.
There was a fat Munchlax who acted as strange as he looked and simply would not stop talking. His name was Gregory. When asked about his skills or his favorite types of missions, he'd spin the conversation into tangents about his brothers taking him fishing to Crumpled Lake and eating all the fish he caught. In the middle of one of his dissertations about how he retook a training class three times, Char glanced over to Ray and found him stewing with a sour expression on his face. That never happened.
They finally got rid of the blathering child when Otto caught a moment to speak and simply chirped out, "You're fired, please leave." It was then that the Munchlax seemed to notice the exasperated faces which surrounded him, and he hung his head and left.
Late in the afternoon, the tenth candidate showed up. She was a Quilava named Scarlet. She was a creature of few words but obvious confidence, and spoke highly of herself despite an underlying shyness that almost made Char want to hug her to make her feel better. Having been thoroughly exhausted by the day's eventfulness, Char decided she showed enough promise and cut her interview short with a promise of a tryout. It wasn't until she left that Char noticed a gaping expression from both Ray and Eva, who both informed him that this Quilava was hopelessly enamored with Char (and Char didn't even want to know why Ray had known about it).
He had caught more than one weird vibe from Eva's mind, something like jealous devotion, a sense of obligation to protect her master from unsuitable courtship. A part of him was actually thankful for it. "I'd prefer you didn't hire anyone who is emotionally compromised by their team leader," Eva said keenly after the truth had begun to sink in. "But if you must, I strongly advise that you only hire one."
After the tenth interview, there was still plenty of time left in the day to hold more… but Char couldn't take it. Exhausted, he told Marrow to send the rest of them away, promising them they'd hold more interviews the next morning. They spent the rest of the day munching leftover salad from lunch and discussing who they could get to provide the teleportation services for the stunt they were about to pull with the thief.
Char went to bed alone for the second night. He stared at Saura's bed for an hour, wondering if he was doing anything right at all.
An hour later, he was woken up by a startling telepathic cry.
Char, there's someone at the door, Eva reported. They seem impatient. I feel like I've met them before, but I can't quite place it. Fire-type, perhaps.
Alright, I'm coming, Char replied. Thank you for letting me know.
Most welcome, master, the dazed Espeon replied.
Grumbling, Char tumbled out of his bed and crept down the hall in the dull light of the blue flames, half-expecting a confession of love from that Quilava whose name he could barely remember and wondering what he was going to do about it.
When he slid open the door, his dreary eyes landed upon Tallie, who looked wide awake as ever and carried a mailbag strapped to her belly.
"You… missed the interviews, you know," Char said blankly. In his fatigue, he couldn't think of much else to say, but he easily grew frustrated with her. "We gave you a free pass to the front of the line and you didn't take it…?"
Tallie's answer was loud, nearly enough to wake his sleeping teammates. "While you spent the day sitting around doing nothing, I was off making you money," she said, sliding the mailbag to the floor and clawing at the flap with her talon. She reached in and tossed a half-crumpled page in Char's direction.
Char climbed to his feet to unroll the note and looked at it. He pretended to read it, but he noticed the registrar's stamp of "DONE" on the bottom of the page. It was a receipt, a proof of a job completion.
"You… did a mission?" Char asked, folding the note again.
Tallie responded by kicking the mailbag. It slid towards Char, its flap falling open and several more notes pouring out.
Char collected them and paged through them. They were all similar: official notices of completed jobs.
"Nine missions. From your pinboard out here," she said with a huff. "You had your hands busy with all of those children all day, and some of your mail looked a bit urgent, so… I decided to make sure your team stayed operational while you were taking the day off."
Char was awestruck. He kept paging through the papers of different sizes and colors, trying to recognize any of the writing. He thought he spotted the symbols for "Team White Rain."
His claws began to shake.
"…Ten? Ten missions in one day… by yourself?" Char gasped to the proud bird.
"It's not like they were hard," she shrugged. "Nothing above S-rank."
"But you aren't on the team," Char said, dropping the papers to his side and staring blankly at her.
"Obviously, I told administration that you had hired my help, and these were all completed in your name," she said with a fiery glare. "I told you the first time, Char. Resistance teams are about taking initiative. I don't stand around talking about all the things I could be doing. I'm out there doing it."
Char felt the fire in his gut dancing in strange ways as he stared at the large, intimidating falcon in his doorway. He didn't know what to feel about the stunt she'd just pulled. Part of him was still angry at her for completely ignoring everything he'd told her, but the other part…
She squinted at him. "Well, am I on the team, or not?" she demanded. "I hope that I have proven my worth."
Char looked at the papers again, and knew just what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath and stood back from the doorway.
"I'm going to take a risk with you," he told her in a low voice, dropping the papers to the floor. "My team had a few concerns about you. Eva didn't like your attitude. Otto didn't like the way you quit Team Flamewheel as soon as you joined. I don't like the way you skipped out on the interview and made us wait. But… you're right. We need someone strong and experienced like you. So… Welcome to the team, I guess…"
He waved her through the door, indicating the hall.
"Take any room you want, most of them are still unoccupied…" he said, just as the Talonflame flapped over his head and landed halfway down the hall. "I guess I'll tell the others about you in the morning."
"Well, finally, took you long enough," Tallie spat. "I thought I was never going to convince you—"
"But that's not the risk I'm taking," Char added quickly, speaking before he had the chance to change his mind again. He knew he would fail to spit it out if he waited long enough. What he was about to say was rash and probably crazy, but he truly felt that the risk was worth taking. This Talonflame was a trustworthy Pokémon in her own way – she could be left alone and would figure out the best course of action by herself. She did not share the blind loyalty of the rest of his team, the conviction of following Char to the ends of the earth and never disobeying his orders. Tallie didn't put up with that. She couldn't stand it when Pokémon didn't keep up with her.
It reminded Char of someone else, almost… some grumbly dark hound that always had a bad attitude, but it was an attitude that he needed to have. That's what made him valuable to his team.
"The risk I'm taking…" Char said, his voice wavering for a moment, "I want you to be my second-in-command."
Tallie froze in mid-step, still faced away from Char.
"I know the others aren't going to like this… it's going to take some convincing. But from what I know about you… you have a strong instinct and the skills to back it up, and I want you to use that initiative," Char said, standing straight and tall, sure of every word he spoke. "Keep using it. Surprise us. Help us be a better team. But if you go too far and do something we don't agree with, you'll lose the position. Got it?"
Instead of responding, Tallie stood still for a few more moments. When he began to approach, she turned her head to him, and he could clearly see a tear welling in her deep, intimidating eye.
"Sorry. I'm… Nobody has… ever offered me a position of… authority before," she said softly, shuffling her folded wings. "I've always just… I mean… I was always the fetch-monkey. I was always the one who just did what I was told. You—you're the first one to actually appreciate the effort I put into this resistance…"
Just as quickly, her eye turned away.
"Thank you," she said. "I won't disappoint you."
Tallie hobbled into the nearest empty room and shut the door behind her, and Char sat down against the wall, feeling the ghastly blue flames dig into his eyes and contemplating the decision he had just made.
Char… why? Eva suddenly said.
Char shuddered. The Espeon's voice was broken and seething with bitterness. She felt betrayed.
After all I've… all the assistance I've given you… you let her be your partner?
I didn't realize you thought so low of me.
Char sighed, choosing his thoughts wisely before he replied.
I don't think low of you, he told her. I respect all the help you've given me. But I realized I was thinking about everything all wrong. All this time, I was trying to figure out which of you would be the best partner to me. I kept thinking, 'Who would be my best friend?' 'Who could I tell my secrets to?' 'Who could I gossip with and whine about my problems to?' And that was almost going to be you, Eva. But then… I saw Tallie. And I realized… no. I need to stop trying to pick the second officer who's good for me. I need a second officer who's good for the team. And that's Tallie. I do still need a partner, but I don't think a second officer and a partner need to be the same thing. It's like how Scythe's best friend was Shander, and he didn't have Daemon's authority. Tallie is a very strong Pokémon who's overqualified for our team. The least we can do is give her the position she deserves and let her help us the best we can. I can always figure out who gets to help me talk about my personal problems later.
As you say… human, Eva replied groggily, her thoughts ringing with hurt.
I'm sorry, Char replied, crawling back to his room. I did what I thought was best, not what I thought would make me feel good. If I don't learn how to do that… I'm never going to be a good leader, ever. But I'll tell you what. You…
He took a breath before he completed his sentence. This was also a difficult thing to say, but he needed to get used to making decisions.
You can take Saura's place for now, he decided, collapsing further down the wall as he loosened his tensed muscles. I know you don't want to be in charge of the team, I can tell that. But I know you want to be my partner. Fine then, Eva. You can be my partner. Because I do need one or I'll go insane. C'mon, you can even sleep by the fireplaces if you want. Help me think about things. There are so many things happening to me now that I just don't know what to feel about…
Eva's door slid open by the force of her telekinetic command, and she stood in her doorway across the hall from Char. She looked like she was about to cry, but she dutifully held her composure. Her gemstone cast a crystalline light against the blue torches beside her.
I shouldn't have caused a fuss, she said, her telepathic voice betraying her vulnerability where her tears would not. You are right, of course; Tallie is fit to be our leader. You are the human… I should have trusted your wisdom, just as I said I would. Just three days ago, I told you I would never again underestimate the wisdom of a human, and look at what I have become. I have become a disgrace.
Char shook his head vigorously. Nah, you're not a disgrace. You're a good friend. And I think you're lonely. You would have been jealous no matter who I picked if it wasn't you. That's fine, because I'm lonely, too. I know Otto doesn't mind being alone, and he doesn't have the emotional maturity to help me. And Ray's about to have a whole reunion with Team Stripes as soon as I hire half their members. They'll be fine. But I need a Pokémon who I can be honest with, who will help me be the leader of this crazy team. So if you're up to it… come with me and help me not to be so lonely. Alright? And I'll do the same in return.
There was always some part of Eva that Char didn't trust. There was always just some nagging nerve in the back of his conscience that warned him not to open his heart to her. He wasn't sure if it was because of the way she had told so many lies in the past about her own powers, or if it was something about her attitude that suggested she was still hiding something…
But in that moment in the blue shadows of the hallway, Char saw a smile form across her face, and knew in the depths of his heart that this smile, this one small expression of happiness, was as genuine as smiles could come. He still wasn't sure how much to tell her – he'd consider telling her about the Call again later – but in the very present moment, he knew that he'd made his new partner very happy.
Thank you, master, she said, approaching him quietly. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say such things… master.
And she came to sit beside him, letting him stroke the fur upon her back as though she were a housecat. He wondered if it was a demeaning gesture, but she didn't seem to mind it; he felt mysterious emotions coming from her, something deep and nostalgic and almost mythical, at the experience of letting a human treat her as his pet. She snuggled close to him, leaning into his affection.
They spent the next two hours speaking telepathically about how the new members should be treated, and then Char retired to his room, letting Eva stay in Saura's bed.