Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 138 - West Null Village

Two-thirds of Migami were nervous about where they were flying. In a patch of barren land that interrupted the featureless black forest, there were mountains and empty fields of rock and dust. Those were the same fields that had left Demitri and Mispy stranded and starving for what felt like moons.

Apparently, not far ahead of here, opposite of the way they'd gone previously, was West Null Village. It wouldn't be long now. It was surreal that they now had the strength and rations to make the trip. The amount of mobility that wings granted them...

"Any word from your other self, Owen?" called Eon, still miraculously maintaining his form of Jerry during the flight. There had been a few times where his mind had wandered and he had to land on Migami's back to make sure he didn't revert.

"Not yet," the Charmeleon replied back. "Guess he's busy doing other stuff. He seemed a lot more tense... I guess being cooped up in a cell or whatever would, you know, mess with someone..."

"How's that work, anyway?" Migami asked, Gahi's distractibility getting the better of them. "Do you... get angry when he gets angry? Or something?"

"I don't think so," Owen replied, though now he seemed puzzled, too. "I think what's going on is we're just living different lives right now. I guess when we reunite, we'll... average out? Hopefully, uh, we don't get too different. That'll get complicated."

Migami winced. "Complicated," they repeated. "Like Rhys. Or... everyone else."

Owen's expression darkened, but he nodded. "Yeah... I, uh... When this is over, I think we should talk to Dialga or something. Just set Palkia's pearl down and set up the Waypoint thing so we can get right back, and then relax a little. I think the other me is taking care of things for now, maybe? Or at least, he's not in any danger..."

Zena curled around Migami's body again, reorienting herself. "We can't let you suffer, though," she said. "Is taking a break really something we should be doing?"

"I think so," Owen said. "I get it. It's dangerous to be anywhere near Alexander. But... what can we really do? We can't take him head-on. Marshadow is probably trying to develop an opening or something, too."

Zena was tense around their body, but the Milotic nodded and sighed.

"Alexander... I can't believe how horrible his aura was. How can the world be this way, where someone so awful can be so powerful?"

Owen nodded. "I think it's because he's so awful that he's so powerful. I don't think you can gather that kind of dark power without being able to... mentally handle it."

Migami gave Owen a skeptical look. "Didn't you?" they asked.

It was probably a comment better left unsaid, because Owen flinched and looked away. Migami sensed guilt in his aura. "Well... I guess that's true, too."

"Then it's not just the power," Migami concluded. "It's how he used it."

"Some power is just naturally evil, though," Owen said, and Zena nodded along. "How can you use something from Diyem... for good?"

"Well... Anam used it to—"

"Don't go there," Jerry growled.

Owen seemed a little smaller as they continued to fly.

Jerry sighed. "Look, maybe Kilo is peaceful, but I lost my home and livelihood to him. Don't care if it's because I didn't try hard enough," he added, flashing a glare at Migami. The Gahi portion felt it was directed at him. "My life was ruined."

A tense, awkward length of time followed as they flew over the valley.

"...You resisted Alexander's attacks, though," Owen added. "So, the place you used to live in the south... it was..."