Prologue: Resentment
A vulpix awoke to vivid birdsong. She opened her eyes—barely. Mist scattered the sun’s persimmon light across the forest and obscured the distant hills. Moisture had accumulated on the vulpix’s fur while she had slept; she felt as cold and hard as the mossy rocks beside her.
She watched the forest’s chickadees carry out their affairs with effortless alertness. Mating, feeding, collecting sticks. Not a moment lost in thought. One of the creatures dared to land on a branch beside the vulpix, and she snarled drowsily in protest. The bird barely moved.
Still growling faintly, the vulpix rose to her feet, her body noticeably light. She breathed through her dizziness and limped aimlessly forward, even though she would have liked nothing more than to return to sleep.
She encountered a patch of flowering plants nearby. Their leaves were finely serrated, their flowers showy and orchid-like. The crimson tendrils were unlike any species she had seen before.
She was not sure if the flower was edible, but it did have a potent smell to it. She slowly bit it off its stem, wondering if it would have any effect.
Anise and Rosemary
Jellyfish and lumineon swam in the many trenches of the dungeon’s inundated floor. Their light was monochrome, tinted midnight blue by the water, and barely enough to see by. Anise, with her riolunine ability to sense enemies’ aura, could cope with this better than her partner; she had therefore decided to take point.
She didn’t like it, though, she thought as she looked over her shoulder for about the fifth time this floor. She knew she was being paranoid, but she hated not always being able to see her partner.
At present, said partner looked uncharacteristically pitiful; her tails were drooping, dragging along the dungeon’s inundated floor, and her slouching posture betrayed her exhaustion. The only reason Anise had yet to mention this was because her aura was still as determined as ever. But surely she would not be offended if Anise just checked up on her.
“Hey, Rosemary, are you okay?”
The vulpix looked into Anise’s eyes and made an ambivalent rumbling sound.
Anise frowned. “Well, we can hardly stop now… Oh, I know. Here.” She reached into the treasure bag slung around her shoulder and removed an amber-colored bottle. “Some elixir will do you good. You think you can drink it right from the bottle?” Rosemary ordinarily carried a pouch with a nipple to drink from—much more convenient for pokemon with snouts—but it had been damaged in their last outing. They hadn’t had time to replace it.
Rosemary stepped forward and pointed her nose at the bottle.
“Okay, let’s try…” Anise removed the cap and brought the bottle to Rosemary’s mouth. Rosemary lapped at the mouth of the bottle, which did not do much for her; it was cute to watch, though.
Cute? Anise thought. Is it really appropriate to think of her like that? At a time like this?
Anise brushed that thought aside and considered. “Here, I have an idea. Can you open your mouth?”
Rosemary complied, and Anise began to carefully administer her the elixir. Without thinking, she put her paw on her partner’s cheek to steady her head. She worried Rosemary would object to this, but the feeling in her aura was warm and relaxed; it reminded Anise of Shaymin Village, with all of its welcoming inhabitants and lush greenery. Or maybe she was projecting her own feelings.
“You feel warmer now, Rosemary,” said Anise softly. “Does that mean you have more energy?”
Rosemary smiled just the slightest bit as she finished her drink.
As she was putting away the bottle, Anise caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head, and her eyes went wide—a frothing jet of water was surging toward her, as thick as she was tall. She ducked just in time to avoid the attack; it shot past her to hit a haplessly positioned Rosemary. Rosemary tumbled from the force of the impact. Her shrill, pained screech turned Anise’s stomach.
Anise gave a screech of her own as she barreled toward the source of the attack—a remoraid that had poked its head above the water’s surface. Anise’s tactic shouldn’t have worked; the remoraid had ample time to retreat. But it hesitated, its piscine eyes wide as though petrified; only when Anise was a pace away did it return to its senses and dive panically back underwater.
“I don’t think so!”
Anise dove onto her belly and plunged her arms into the trench. She grabbed the remoraid by the tail, bracing her foot against a ridge in the ground, and pulled. The creature thrashed, fighting its ascent—then its flippers breached the surface, and it popped out in a spray of water. Anise squeezed it hard between her paws, then threw; it struck the wall with a wet smack. She rushed back to Rosemary’s side before she could even see where it had landed.
“Rosemary, are you okay?”
The vulpix was shivering madly, and now her ears were drooping as well as her tails. She stood, but she was shaky on her feet, and her gaze didn’t leave the ground.
“Argh!” Anise hit her own thigh. Rosemary flinched at her display of anger. “I’m sorry, Rosemary. Shoot shoot shoot…” She paced from side to side, her eyes moistening with tears. “We can’t save this for another day, not when we’re so far in. If we can’t make it to the end…” She shook her head. She rarely noticed how much she relied on Rosemary to comfort her; her partner’s aura was fearful now, anxious, and it made her feel like she had reached for a handhold only for it to crumble away. She stomped the ground hard, which splashed water into her own face and sent pins and needles through her leg. “Rrr… Okay, I guess there’s no other choice! I’m going to have to carry you, Rosemary. It was my fault you got hit anyway, so it’s only fair. I’ll do my best!”
Though Rosemary seemed reluctant to meet Anise’s eyes, she acquiesced. She was warm in Anise’s arms, but not as warm as she should have been. Anise ran forward, eager to find the end of the dungeon before another enemy found them.
Anise entered a large, open room, which at first was empty. Then a high pitched tone sounded out, like the ring of a bell stretched out indefinitely, and harsh white light flashed before her. Anise shielded her eyes until the light faded, and she blinked a few times before she could see what had replaced it. Kyogre did not swim or glide along the water like many of the other dungeon pokemon; rather, it hovered just above it. Its massive body was slightly speckled, like lapis lazuli, and glinted faintly. Anise looked into its sharp eyes as it spoke.
“Ah, it has been a long time since someone dared to challenge me! If it is treasure that you seek—hold on a moment. Is that one okay?”
Anise—still carrying Rosemary—fell to her knees and began to sob. “Kyogre…” She showed her and Rosemary’s badge and tearfully explained who they were. That they were looking for a way to stop the nightmares spreading throughout the world.
“I see,” It said gravely. “So you think that you might be able to glean something from the library here.”
Anise nodded.
“The good news is that the library is not a mere rumor; it does indeed exist. However, even I am not familiar with all of its contents. I cannot guarantee it will have any useful information, but if you really do not have any other leads…”
Anise shook her head. “Wigglytuff already used up all his connections, and we don’t know what else to do.”
Kyogre sighed. “This is vexing indeed. I will see if I can think of anything—but in the meantime, follow me. I will show you the library.”
Anise complied, feeling relieved, even hopeful. We’ve defied the odds so many times before, she thought. There has to be a way out of this.
One month after Darkrai’s defeat
The events of the nightmare no longer played out as a coherent sequence. They no longer needed to; each moment had become iconic in Anise’s mind, instantly recognizable. The moment when the look on her partner’s face faded from indignant to resigned. The sound of rending flesh and skin—she never actually saw what kind of attack the disguised Darkrai had used.
“We have to let them do it,” she had told her partner before it happened, barely meeting her eyes. “I mean, they won’t give us a choice anyway. But… Try to be happy about it.”
Idiot. Had the words come from anyone else, she knew her partner would have rejected them. But for some reason, because they came from her…
If only the real Cresselia had shown up just a few seconds earlier. Or a few seconds later.
Library
The feeling was soft, like being tucked against a bird’s wing. Vernal, like a steamy sunshower.
Anise gazed past countless bookshelves and into the water beyond. Fluorescent jellyfish steeped the world in a soft, whisky-colored glow; she watched their bells ripple like skirts in the breeze, their tentacles like streamers. For a moment, their morphing clusters reminded her of sunset clouds seen from Sharpedo Bluff—but she dismissed the image before it could distract her. Before it could evoke any thoughts of the past.
Should you stay this late, Anise? asked a voice in her head. Are you not hungry?
Anise jumped despite herself, which sent a ripple through the massive bubble in which she sat. “I never asked your opinion,” she rebuked, shoulders bunched, paws flexing, teeth bared in a snarl. “In fact, I thought I told you to leave me be. Did it not occur to you that I might have come down here to be alone?”
It was silent for a while, and Anise grew convinced that her question would remain unanswered—just like all the other questions she had asked this voice over the past month. But then…
I am sorry. I know you are still upset about what happened to Ro—
“Don’t say her name!” Anise snapped. After so much time spent sitting in silence, her ears rang from the sound of her own voice.
The voice was silent.
“Look…” Anise said. “What is it going to take to get you to stay quiet?”
If that is all you care about, then I will leave you alone. But first, I would like to offer a prediction.
Anise sighed. “And that would be?”
All the feral pokemon in the mystery dungeons will live peacefully for the next month.
Anise clenched her jaw. “Would have been nice if that had happened earlier.”
Well, it is going to happen now. Also, I implore you to take care of yourself. You are going to start losing weight at this rate.
“Is that all, mother?”
…Yes. I will talk to you again once the month is up.
“Oh joy.”
Anise waited a few more moments to confirm that the voice would really stay quiet. Now that her attention had been diverted, she felt cold and hungry. Apparently the voice had been right about one thing. She sighed and made her way over to the warp pad on the opposite side of the underwater library.
Garden
Short, scraggly pines dominated the forest before Anise. “This is the right direction?”
Yes, replied the voice. The walk will take you most of the day, but you should be able to reach me before sundown.
The forest gradually became more deciduous as Anise walked. The leaves of quaking aspens twirled dizzyingly in the breeze, and the canopy strobed shades of green. Deeper still, the trees began to thin, and a number of edible plants appeared: waxy-leaved mulberry, blueberry, and hackberry shrubs, and scattered peach and pear trees. Butterflies with cobalt-dusted wings fluttered about the flowered vines that threatened to engulf some of the smaller trees. Lush red clover dominated the understory, staining Anise’s fur as she walked. The mauve flowers added a soothing touch to the landscape.
It was late afternoon when Anise arrived at a small clearing. Within it stood a small, wooden house, beside which was a shed and a few rows of bean plants. But most striking was the vulpine creature facing Anise. She stared into a set of arresting, carmine eyes.
You found me, the ninetales—the voice—said.
Anise clenched her jaw and looked away. Since the voice could read her mind, she was sure it already knew why she was upset. Because it resembled what her partner might have looked like, had she ever had the chance to evolve.
I am sorry. I have lost pokemon that were close to me as well, so— The voice looked up at the sky and sighed. Well, I suppose that is irrelevant. Either way, you do not have to speak until you are ready.
It was a few minutes before the vicious pain in Anise’s heart subsided—at least, enough for her to talk. “Please, tell me… What do you want with me?”
I am interested in the ability you recently learned from those books. You can control your own emotions, and those of anyone who touches your aura, yes?
She nodded. “At least, I can revisit feelings I have felt before. It takes a lot of focus.”
Suppose you became as powerful as I. In that case, it may be possible for you to engulf the whole world in your aura. Were that to happen, do you think that everyone could be made to feel as you do?
Anise shook her head. “What’s the point in even wondering? Do you really think I could possibly become as powerful as you? You took control of all the feral pokemon in the world—as far as we know—for a month straight. Not even legendary pokemon can pull off something like that.”
…Follow me, please. The voice turned around and walked toward the house with a conspicuous limp. I want to show you something.
Anise, though baffled, complied. The voice led her into the house, which was surprisingly barren. There were no shelves or drawers to speak of—all of the ninetales’ possessions were stacked in the corners of the floor. There was little aside from some bottles, pots, and canning equipment, all of which looked untouched. On the sill of the house’s sole, unglazed window, a potted flower took in the butterscotch rays of the weakening sun. It was to this flower that the voice led Anise.
Anise got up close and inspected the plant carefully. Had it not been for the leaves, she might have mistaken it for a white orchid—the shape of the flower’s inner petals certainly resembled one. However, unlike a typical orchid, these inner petals were backed by broad sepals with tattered-looking edges, resembling a set of white, feathered wings. From the edges of these sepals, sets of dendritic, crimson-colored tendrils curled back toward the center. The flower resembled a bird caught in a net, Anise thought—or perhaps the tendrils more closely resembled a network of veins than mesh.
I brought you inside to show you this flower, said the voice. It has significance besides its beauty; it is in fact how I became as powerful as I am now. No, I do not mean this specific flower, but rather the species in general, which is endemic to this island.
Anise was confused for a moment, until she realized the voice had addressed a question in her mind before she had the time to ask it.
Based on my own experience and observations of local pokemon, I have concluded that this flower enhances the inherent abilities of anyone that consumes it. This is how I became as powerful as I am now. And I am convinced that if you consumed this flower, you could expand your aura to reach everyone on the planet, much like how I was able to expand my psychic influence. I can control minds, and you could control hearts. Are you beginning to understand?
“…You want us to control everyone, completely?”
I want pokemon to live harmoniously. Since I already have access to the knowledge of all pokemon, I could technically accomplish this on my own, but it would be a hollow achievement. Those under psychic control default to a state of emotional neutrality. It is almost the same as not existing. Your ability is the missing piece—something that can grant happiness to anyone regardless of the circumstances and make living in harmony worthwhile.
Anise sighed. She tried to consider, but the magnitude of the idea slid off her mind like rain against glass. “I see. If you’re right… Well, either way, I’m too tired to think about this right now. I need some time.”
That is fine. Keep in mind, should things not work out for any reason, this plan can be abandoned. But I think the potential benefit makes it worth trying. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here. The ninetales gestured to a straw bed in the corner. I imagine you will not be needed for rescues any time soon.
“Thank you. I will accept your offer. If it would be alright, I would like to go to bed soon…”
Very well. Good night. The voice began to leave.
“Hold on a moment, though, please…” Anise took a breath. “Um, do you think you could tell me a little about yourself?”
The voice did not even turn its head. There is nothing worth telling, it said as it walked out the door.
The voice grew its herbs in a more managed section of the forest; there were actual planting beds here with basil, lupins, and smatterings of other bright annual flowers. Anise’s favorite among these was the bee balm, whose scarlet color was irresistible to the island’s hummingbirds. She watched the creatures dart about with otherworldly grace, bodies drifting behind their heads as though submerged. Hummingbird moths fed here as well, even more ethereal than their namesakes; their gossamer wings, while barely visible in flight, revealed reticulate designs in the brief moments when their owners stood still. Songbirds on the garden’s periphery, though more reclusive, made themselves known through their buoyant voices. Anise listened nostalgically to their melodies, to the droning of countless pollinators, and relaxed. It was the best she had felt in months without controlling her own emotions; she hardly felt anxious at all. She knew it would not last, though—not unless she did something.
Anise took a sip from the mug in her paws. The tea was still flavorless—evidently she had not let it steep long enough. She considered things as she waited.
It had become clear to Anise, as she had explored the forest, that most if not all of it was cultivated in some capacity, even if not with the aim of producing a yield. For example, plants like the ross caragana, honeysuckle, and lupins had been planted probably more to improve the soil or to provide habitat for wildlife than for any benefit they provided the voice. Milkweed was allowed to grow freely even where it interfered with more useful plants, and the monarch butterflies appreciated its clustered purple flowers that resembled exploded fireworks. Mourning doves fed on pokeberry seeds nearby, occasionally contributing their flute-like calls to the garden’s soundscape.
While the voice’s was a lighthanded form of agriculture, it was not necessarily easy. Anise used to know some semi-nomadic groups who grew food similarly. She knew that it took a lot of patient observation and restraint to get useful products out of an ecosystem without disrupting it, and this could be especially true for someone as powerful as the voice. That the voice carried on as it did regardless showed some degree of humility, Anise thought. And that thought gave her hope.
Almost compulsively, Anise reached into her treasure bag and removed her map. She looked at the back of it, at the note her partner had penned while they were flying to Temporal Tower on the Rainbow Stoneship. It was brief and sloppily written, since Rosemary had had to hold the pen in her mouth to write. But it contained what Rosemary had thought, at the time, were her last words. They were in a language called English, which Anise had needed to get translated. Regardless, she had memorized the meaning of each of them by now.
“Grov. said I vanish when future change, b/c I’m from future. Sorry, sad to leave. Thank you Anise for help. You are closest friend, wish we could talk. Good luck.”
On some level, Anise was proud of the fact that she still remembered Rosemary. To remember her was to remember she had loved someone, even if it hurt her now.
Would Rosemary have wanted me to feel that pain?
If living on burdened others, then it was not worth it. That was the conclusion Rosemary had come to when she had decided to erase her own future at temporal tower, and then again when she had hung her head and subjected herself to darkrai’s attack. But so long as Anise remembered her, she would not be truly gone.
Anise stood. “I’ve made my decision, voice,” she tremulously announced. “I will meet you by the house.”
Very well. Anise… Thank you for placing your trust in me.
Anise nodded. “Thank you as well.”
Anise went on her way, rushing a little in her excitement. She left her map behind.