Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Act IV - A Humble Spirit

Finally, Arceus could rest.

The vortex had gone completely inactive, showing no signs of expanding. He would know if it was active again. Now, it was only a small hole into another, terrible world.

He drifted to the back of the Hall of Origin and allowed himself to collapse, eyes closed. He floated there, as if on an invisible bed, as the light around him faded.

"...Ahem."

The light reignited, and Arceus quickly spun in midair to face a Salamence and Altaria.

The Salamence spoke first. "There's no need for formalities. Rest."

"Aramé." Arceus nodded. "Ghrelle," he added to the Altaria.

"You did so well," Ghrelle said, her body purple and melty from the Poison element that coursed through her. "Please, rest."

Aramé looked relatively normal, but her scales were hardened like her stare. "We wanted to congratulate you now that the fighting is over, for the time being. I will be leaving, if all you want is rest."

"Of course. And how is Ire?"

"Well."

"Good. Good." Arceus settled down in the air again, so exhausted that he decided to discard some of that grace in exchange for extra comfort. Gods, if Star saw him now... "Where is Brandon?" Arceus asked.

"He fled Kilo Village with a small team," Aramé explained. "At least, that's what I've been told. Lugia was chasing him."

"Lugia..."

"I would not worry," Ghrelle said. "He wouldn't fall so easily. But we'll tell you if we learn anything more."

"I haven't been able to contact him lately. Perhaps I'll try again later, when I have... more energy."

"Then I will allow you some rest." With a formal stiffness, she turned around. "Summon me if necessary." Without any fanfare, she disappeared.

Ghrelle did not. She stepped toward Arceus. "Ano is doing well, by the way," she added.

That strange Gastrodon flashed in Arceus' mind. He nodded at Ghrelle apologetically for forgetting.

She draped her gooey wings over his head, and Arceus was glad Star was not there to ruin the moment this time. Ever since Star left, Ghrelle had been getting quietly closer to him. It was nice.

"Would you like me to sing a song?" Ghrelle offered.

Arceus' eyes glazed over at the thought, and despite lacking a full face, he seemed to smile. "Please."

<><><>

In Null Village, floating around the Radiant tree that gave it new life, and the Voidlands new light, countless spirits flowed through the branches like blood. They went into its fruits and bloomed as flowers with black centers to see the world around them, like windows from a great skyscraper. They sprouted from the roots, drifted from higher leaves, all to see the village as it recovered, like a rainbow after a storm. And when the leaves that fell eventually wilted, those spirits returned to the tree.

Amelia watched with Klent in one of those far-reaching branches that oversaw a more ruined part of the town. They stood in a mostly white, prismatic void with a circle in front of them that saw the Voidlands beyond, and conjurations of false spirit grass under their feet.

The Lilligant adjusted the orange flower on her head. "Dad?"

The Jumpluff was relaxing, eyes closed. "Mm?"

"Is Owen going to be okay?"

"I hope so," he said. "We just have to trust his plans, for the one carried away to that city."

Amelia shifted her flower again. The image of that Hydreigon plunging his teeth into the tree, drawing power from it, draining their very energy for his own gains...

One of Klent's pom-poms enveloped her arm. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry." Amelia turned away. "I'm thinking back to that Alexander guy. Not Owen's dad, his... dad's dad."

"He was quite frightening," Klent said. "But he's gone for now. We can prepare ourselves for the future."

But that wasn't what was bothering Amelia as much. "I feel like I've seen him before," she said. "But that's impossible... isn't it?"

Klent frowned, looking concerned. "How?"

But it seemed that they were equally confused.

She could only send a prayer into the void. "Please be okay, Owen..."

<><><>

Birdsong accompanied the crisp morning air of spring. Flowers bloomed readily as the sun rose and warmed Amber's old scales, easing some of the nighttime stiffness that had become worse in recent years. An aged hand rested on her thigh—a Marowak's, still firm despite possibly being older than her. She didn't really know.

Blurry figures were running around. Despite her diminished senses, she could recognize each one by the way they wobbled or the flickers of their tails. She was no longer the mother of these Charmander. Other Charizard in the facility took that role now. She had long since hatched her final egg, and all but one had returned to her, one way or another, to assure her of what they'd done with their lives.

A large and long-tailed, red figure—one of the eldest of her sons who never left to go with a human—approached. He held a large leaf carrying bunches of berries and special foods from the humans in the strange building. The providers for her, and her kind caretakers.

"Scarflame," said Marowak to her, softly so it didn't startle her.

"Earthclub," Amber replied, leaning a little against him.

"You look determined again."

She huffed in response, a small cloud of smoke obscuring what was left of her vision.

"Hey, Amber, Daichi," a new voice said, just as soft. Amber tensed, trying to recall who it was. A human, from the words. "Over here, Amber." Sudden changes in colors to her left revealed a waving figure. Amber relaxed.

"You can approach," Amber said.

Bigtail, the Charmeleon, stepped aside as well and let the human do her morning routine, checking Amber's responsiveness, her flame, her muscles, helping with some cleaning and brushing. She didn't like how helpless it made her feel, but at the same time, she'd grown weak. Too weak to care for herself. In the wild, she would have perished long ago... though perhaps in the wild, she would have also been revered as an elder by the younger in her clan.

Amber raised a hand to the sky, as if trying to hold the sun itself. It seemed brighter today, through her weary and blurry vision. She grasped at an imaginary sphere, like harnessing a flame.

"He feels closer today," she said.

Daichi deflated a little, but she could tell he tried to hide it. He leaned against her. "Smallflame," he said.

"Closer than ever."

"He never returned," Daichi reminded. "He went missing in a faraway land, with many others. He..."

"No." She closed her eyes, breathing softly. "I feel it... in my flame. His has not gone out."

Daichi tensed, but nodded. Amber sensed a sorrowful gesture, perhaps a frown, from the human tending to her. The human's movements were sluggish.

"Come home soon," Amber said, taking a long, labored breath, "little ember."

<><><>

Author's note: And so, the story continues. This is your short Act Prelude, as usual. Sorry for the usual wait for only a prelude, but I needed to slow my pacing after those two monster chapters.

We are back to our regularly scheduled bi-weekly post rate. See you in two weeks for the first true chapter of Act IV!