Finding My Voice

The Missing Voice

I was once again on the beach. I recognized it this time. It was Cinnabar Island. This was the coast where I had entered the Missing Palace.

"What's happening here?" I wondered aloud.

Somewhere, far away, I could hear a voice shouting. "Set me free. SET ME FREE. You know better than to hold me here!" I couldn't place it, but it felt like I should have known what that voice belonged to.

My eyes drifted toward the sky, which showed the Missing Palace above me. "Red." That was MissingNo. 

"MissingNo? What's going on?" I shouted. 

"Red!" The voice boomed again.

I couldn't figure out what was happening. "I-I'll come see you!"

"RED!"

I shot awake in my bed. "Red, wake up! You're the Champion now! You can't spend all day sleeping!" I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus on the dream I had been having. It needed to get answers on everything.

I got out of bed and changed out of my pajamas. I put my hat on my head and walked downstairs, grabbing my backpack and putting it on.

My mom turned to me. "Ah, there you are! I'm about to make some breakfast! What would you like?"

I pointed to the door. I'm going to head out, just for a bit. I have something I need to do at Cinnabar Island. My mom frowned. "Alright... if you need to. Just don't be gone too long. I want to celebrate your big win before you get too busy!"

I'll be back soon, I promise! I assured her. Then, pushed open the door and went outside. I sent out Charizard and climbed onto his back. Let's go to Cinnabar Island. Charizard jumped off of the ground and started to fly south.

It was weird not having Daisy with me, but I hadn't ever told her about meeting MissingNo. I didn't know what it all meant. I still didn't really understand Rogue Two's role in all of what had been happening. It was supposed to absorb MissingNo, but I didn't know people even knew about it.

Charizard touched down on the ground in front of the Pokémon Center on Cinnabar Island after a few minutes. I dismounted him and recalled him. Then I walked to the coast of Cinnabar.

MissingNo. Let's talk. I sent out the thought, and I was soon brought into the Missing Palace. The familiar monochrome world wasn't any more comforting the second time around. I began the walk over to MissingNo, careful to avoid the pits all around me.

The cubes swirled around and formed into MissingNo as I approached. "Hello there, Red. I've been watching your progress and I must say, I'm impressed. An excellent Pokémon Trainer, a master of your new voice. What brings you here? I'm sure you have so many important duties to attend to."

MissingNo spoke with this off-putting tone. I couldn't quite place why, but I felt the hairs on my neck stick up. "I'm here because of the dreams I've been having... and the questions I have. I need to know what you know about Rogue Two?"

MissingNo sat still for several moments before speaking. "Rogue Two was a Pokémon designed to be my antithesis. Humans are terrified of what they do not understand, and when they saw me... well, I don't exactly fit in. Rogue Two was an attempt to bring me in line with what a Pokémon should be. He would absorb my powers, and use them for their whims."

It matched up with what Giovanni had said. MissingNo had an entire realm, and it seemed to be extremely powerful. "Why do regular people even know about you? Bill seemed to recognize your name."

"These tears aren't under my control," MissingNo replied. That trademark scorn in its voice had returned. "While I can bring you in, sometimes others come in unintentionally. I let them go, but this all doesn't make sense to them."