Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 98 - Overwhelming Forces

"Gahi, slow down!" Eon shouted, wobbling along in a Charizard form.

"Dunno what that means," Gahi replied, his feet not even touching the ground as he glided over the floor of the large-Pokémon evaluation building.

"It means," Eon said, panting between breaths, "that you need to let me keep up with you."

"Why do you not transform into Gahi and keep up that way?" Trina asked. "After all, do you not typically turn into whatever is on the forefront of your mind?"

"Yes, and right now, all I can think about is taking care of Owen, and therefore—"

"Well, consider yourself glad you don't become a Charmander." Trina smiled wryly.

"What—"

And just then, Eon started to shrink. "No, no, no, don't say that! You'll make it happen!"

"Eh?" Gahi glanced back. "Charmander Charmander Charmander Cha—"

"STOP!"

Too late. Eon suddenly fell forward and toppled over, rolling over the ground. Before he could right himself, Gahi swept his tail under Eon and flicked him onto his shoulder.

"What—how did you do that?" Eon muttered, wobbling with his new, small form.

"Dunno. I think I did some Psychic pushes ter keep yeh on th' right path." Gahi rounded the corner, going past several larger-than-life potted Void plants. These ones looked more like miniature trees and bushes of dark red leaves, in a perpetual, violet autumn.

"This the one?" Gahi said.

"What?"

"Receptionist lady said two doors from th' right, right."

"I didn't hear that! You were throwing me around!"

"What, you think I'm good at listenin'?"

"But you just—"

The door slid open slowly, with hollow grinding as several gears and pullies within the wall slid the heavy door aside. It was probably meant to be secure enough to keep others from breaking in as well as whatever was inside from breaking out...

"Yer here," Marshadow greeted, taking up barely a tenth of the width of the doorway. "C'mon, we were in th' middle o' talkin' about stuff."

Owen looked back, and he and Eon made eye contact for an instant. Charmander to Charmander. But in another instant, Owen tore his gaze away, taking some of Eon's heart with it.

"We had a breakthrough," Marshadow said once he took a seat. "Y'know Emily?"

"Former Dragon Guardian?" Eon asked.

"How much d'you know 'bout that?"

"Wait, that's the thing she is?!" Gahi said.

"Yes," Eon said. "A Decree was disguising it because apparently, she'd once rebelled against Arceus. But after her power was stripped from her and given to the new Dragon Guardian, she was given a second chance. Her past transgressions and her past role would be forgotten, but she could still use her power to save Pokémon lost at sea. Why?"

"Mostly because all yeh just said was a false story," Marshadow stated.

"Arceus lied about that?" Owen said.

"Preposterous," Dialga interjected immediately, his booming voice overwhelming all other speakers even if it was his normal speaking tone. "Why would Arceus lie about something like that? Every god has dissenters and opposition, and the fact that Arceus was so merciful as to give her a second chance would be a story he'd happily tell."