Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 155 - Remember, Move On

A Charmeleon of leafy green feathers awoke in a forest, dazed and groggy.

He groaned and rubbed his head, trying to sit up, but the dizziness left him falling forward instead.

"Ugh..."

Leaning on his hands, he propped himself up, took a few breaths, and sat up again. Steady, steady... He felt oriented enough to try standing.

"What happened?" he murmured. "Hello? Anyone?"

Nothing. Just forest. He looked up—where was the sky?

Just a black void. Not even clouds or stars. Why, then, was the forest so well-lit? Where was his shadow? He tried to find a light source, but nothing made sense. Nothing looked real.

What happened? The last thing he remembered... Necrozma, right? Necrozma had said halting the world's destruction was beyond his power. And then he was here.

And he was... he was...

Who was he?

No, he remembered. He was the protector of the Grass Spirits—the Guardian, and the one who wound up bringing all the other Guardians together with the help of his friends. He was supposed to save Kilo from the war Eon had started to overthrow Star and Barky.

But now, after everything that happened, and everything he knew now... What did that mean? And why was he here? Did Necrozma do something to his memory...?

Standing around wasn't going to do anything. With little else to do, the Guardian marched through the forest.

A voice echoed from above.

So that's it, then? You're... saying it's inevitable? That our world is doomed?

Owen knew that voice. It was Zena. Oh, Zena... Of all the Guardians, she was one of the least fortunate to get involved. She had no Legend half, no stake in this. She only happened to befriend Emily long ago, a former Guardian and one of Dark Matter's underlings.

Why was he hearing this?

He's not saying that, said his voice. That was surreal to hear. Had he said that?

Was this a conversation... from before?

I'm having trouble interpreting it another way, Zena replied. What could it be?

Maybe he needs more power... Don't we have that?

What?

He didn't have the answers now, and standing around wouldn't do anything. In search of clues, the Guardian marched through the shadowless forest.

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A tiny Charmander bravely marched through a clearing. He puffed out his chest, intimidating invisible foes. "Is anyone there?!" he called. "Whose voice is that?!"

It sounded a lot like him but older. Finally evolved. A wonderful aspiration of his, so maybe this was a dream?

But his memory lapses were getting a lot worse. He couldn't even remember his name. Mom would know, though. Clutching at the Heart badge in his hand, eyes shining with the reminder that he'd done it. He wasn't a provisional Heart anymore. He was a true Heart.

That's what he'd go by for now. At least... until he remembered his name.

Dark Matter is someone that is not just an entity plaguing this world. He is, at its core, part of the very fabric of reality.

Heart tilted his head. Dark Matter. Yes, he remembered him. Heart of Hearts Anam had been taking care of him and trying to show him a better world, right? Sure, he had to do some shady things for it, but the world was happier in the end, right? Did that make it okay?