Dungeon 68 – Salvation: Part 3

It was a new day. Dex could feel the warmth of the sun casting its rays through the window, bringing with them another dawn, and a reason to wake up. He yawned, not really wanting to move, simply letting the breeze do its job and give him more reasons to stay put.

He lay in bed, drool dripping from his open mouth, and sheets barely covering him. The bed was large, king-sized at least, but he was alone. Dex rubbed his eyes and moved to the side, checking the rest of the bed. There were several chunks of black and white fur, some even on the ground. Dex wasn’t alone before.

“Scruffy’s gotta be in the kitchen, or whatevs. Maybe the deck…” Dex sat on his bed, tossing the sheet to the side. He took a deep breath, getting as much air as he could. Then, he smiled, seeing his room.

As it turns out, Dex was surprisingly organized. The walls were made of wood, as was the ground, and he found enough space to frame a few pictures of him with his friends along the walls. A closet with all his pieces of clothing could also be seen, and the open windows helped bring more air inside, which was even better, disguising the smell of alcohol.

Dex also felt he had something to do that day, something with Scruffy, yes, but not just with him. Brian, Meggie and Lance were there too. Just not in his room, obviously. “Riiight. Promised I’d make me famous pasta fer ’em.”

Famous, indeed. A family recipe, passed down by his parents when he was little. Dexter didn’t have the opportunity to show them before, but things had chilled down enough that he could afford to. And he’d make Scruffy a nice meal as well, so the day ahead was bound to be perfect.

Now he just needed to actually get out of bed, a mission that proved to be very hard. Dex, instead of standing up, yawned again and lay down once more, before rolling to the side and falling off the bed.

But it didn’t hurt, not at all. Dex just stared at the ceiling, smiling as he thought of Scruffy again. It was just the type of encouragement he needed, and Dex finally stood up, leaving the room…

…And going to the deck of the ship he called “home”. It was very large, enough to fit more Pokémon than he could count. A normal vessel, with a flag containing Dex’s face curled into a grin. Perhaps that was an unusual thing, but it wasn’t the most unusual.

That would be the fact that this ship was floating in the sky, right next to the clouds, close enough that Dex passed his hands over them, feeling how soft they were.

“Morning.”

Dex smiled, running ahead. In front of him stood a large Obstagoon, with just as big of a smile as his boyfriend had. Like Dex, he was well-built, muscular. Dex’s black eyes were drawn to the Obstagoon’s athletic chest muscles. He enjoyed how the sun spread its light, making the Obstagoon’s muscles appear more appealing, their black and white sheen drawing all his attention. It was like the sun itself was carving such beauty in his eyes.

The two ran towards each other, pulling into a deep hug. Dex grinned wider, his twin tails wagging, and lifted the Obstagoon as high as he could, looking straight into his lover’s eyes.

“Good mornin’, Scruffy.” Dex said, grinning as he planted a kiss, rubbing the back of his partner’s head. “Take it ye slept well?”

“Yup. You’re the last one to wake up, by the way.” Scruffy pointed to the side, and Dex looked that way.

Brian was next to the edge of the ship, looking down and gulping, before backing away, with Meggie urging him to do so. Lance was next to them as well, and looked at the Floatzel, forcing himself to smile.

“Err, good morning, Dex.” Lance waved at him. This might be a little complicated, if his boyfriend is the illusion, we need to find a way to get rid of him.

Judging by the quick glances he gave his friends, they all had a similar expression to his own, and therefore, a similar opinion.

“Alright, since all me mates are awake, I better get workin’ on that pasta…”

Convenient, an opportunity. Lance smirked. “Ah, yes, it will be wonderful. You better hurry up, though.”

Scruffy licked his boyfriend’s snout and giggled. “Right, I’m gonna help out too.”

“Cookin’ with ye? This day just can’t get any better!”

Brian stood close to Meggie, biting a lip. Is this really his dream? Living in a sky ship, with a boyfriend and us… I can’t say it’s a bad dream. But it’s a little sad we gotta get him out of here.

Dex put the Obstagoon down and puffed his chest. “Guess I gotta start soon, eh?”

---

With the clap of Dex’s paws, they were all immediately sent to the kitchen. For Brian and Meggie, this was a shock, but Lance shut them up before they could cause a scene. Knowing he was more experienced in this than them, they let him do it. For Dex, this was normal, and he didn’t show any reaction to the sudden teleporting.

Lance sat down and looked at the table. It was far too long, like the ones he saw back in the castle. There were few chairs too, just enough for them all to sit. Needless to say, Meggie and Brian sat next to each other, holding hands.

Cute. I would feel like a third wheel if we weren’t fighting with the fate of the world at stake.

On the other side, Dex sat, putting a large bowl of pasta into various plates across the table. He grinned, swishing his tails. Lance eyed the food, smelling it. Despite being inside a dream, he could smell the sauce, the garlic and even a few chunks of onion.

Who would have thought Necrozma would be this attentive to detail, huh?

Before they knew it, the plates were served, with Dex rubbing his paws together, looking at Scruffy next to him, who was already slurping a long string of pasta.

“Yer really enjoyin’ it! I put me heart into it!”

“Well, ‘course I’m enjoying it. You’re a great cook, Dex!”

Lance didn’t start eating. Not because it was bad, not even because part of him wondered if adding a bit of chocolate syrup would make it better. But because he wasn’t sure if eating there would replenish his hunger or not.

Need to figure out a way to get rid of that guy. I doubt I can will him out like I did with the other me.

“Uh… Shorty?” Brian moved his chair next to Lance’s, along with Meggie, and whispered in his brother’s ear. “What’s going on with Dex’s partner?”

Blinking, Lance looked at where the Obstagoon was. And he slowly started fizzling out, changing as a Baxcalibur took his place. Lance rubbed his eyes and looked again, to the same results.

“What’s going on there?” Meggie muttered, to Lance specifically.

“It’s possible the dream is giving him his ideal boyfriend… I just didn’t know he had more than one.” Lance whispered back. Luckily, it seemed Dex was distracted by said boyfriend.

“Maybe after we’re done, we can get some dessert, if ye catch me drift~” Dex grinned, nuzzling the scaly dragon’s neck.

“Oh… I do, it’s a beautiful drift…”

Too much information. Lance blinked, whispering to his friends. “We need to get him out. Any ideas?”

“On it.” Brian cleared his throat, picking a fork as he started eating the spaghetti. “So, hm, Dex. How long have you and Scruffy been a thing?”

“Eh? That ain’t his name. He’s Frosty.”

“You’re so wonderful with nicknames…” Frosty wagged his tail, petting Dex on the head.

“…Right. So, for how long?”

Dex didn’t even need to stop, as he already knew the answer. “Two years, Goggles. Two wonderful years…”

Frosty reciprocated the feelings, continuing to pet him, while eating more food at the same time.

“That’s a lot of time.” Lance looked through one of the windows, squinting his eyes. He could see the clouds moving, so time wasn’t frozen just yet. Which meant Frosty—or however he was called—wasn’t real. And if they were to escape, Dex would have to say goodbye.

“It is, isn’t it? And you two are very happy…” Meggie said.

“Well, yeah. What else is there but happiness?” Dex held Frostys hand and smiled more.

Brian nodded, looking at his plate; he didn’t eat much, but half of the food was gone already. Time really did work differently inside dreams.

“So, how’d you two meet?”

And that made Dex pause. Frosty did the same, but he slowed down to a halt, becoming completely frozen in time as he thought of an answer. Dex didn’t even notice it, acting as if nothing was wrong.

It’s right in front of him, and he doesn’t see it. Lance thought. Hmph…

“Does this happen a lot…?” Meggie blinked.

Lance sighed, shaking his head. “Basically, yes. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

Dex, meanwhile, continued to wait with a smile on his face, still acting like all of this was normal. As far as he was concerned, it was. He always had a cute boyfriend, he always had friends, and everything was perfect! There was no reason to do anything else but enjoy the ride. And honestly, he really wanted to finish dinner so he could get the wonderful dessert.

---

Frosty bobbed his head. His smile never once faltered, no, it only grew. He looked at Dexter, nuzzling against his boyfriend’s face and licking his fur playfully.

“Why, don’t you remember, Brian?” Frosty asked the Zoroark. “Dex needed someone to help build the ship, you happened to know me… one thing led to another, and here I am, two years later! Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Aye, aye! Thanks, Goggles! Ye could say I got quite the catch, eh?”

I think it’s working. It’s not enough, I think we just need to press further. Lance rubbed his chin. Alright, what can I say to make him leave…?

Meggie snapped a finger. “Y’know, Frosty—”

Dex waved her off. “It ain’t that. Yarn’s me nickname fer ‘im, y’know? ‘Cause his kind loves yarn.”

“What?” Meggie blinked again. Gone was the Baxcalibur. Now, Dex’s boyfriend took the form of a Perrserker, sitting on the Floatzel’s lap and showing off a mischievous grin.

“Yeah. It’s a fun one.”

Lance didn’t have any reaction this time, other than wanting to cover his head in embarrassment. He didn’t know Dex was that much of a harlot for wanting so many different Pokémon. At one point, he considered getting with him, but a lot of other things happened. Now, Lance was just happy Dex found friends.

Dex, why the hell do you have so many ideal boyfriends? Meggie sighed, and that act caught her friend’s attention.

“What’s that, Popsicle?”

“Uh, nothing. Don’t worry about it,” she eyed Brian and Lance, and both of them shrugged at her. “…Lovely. Anyway, did you ever give Dex anything, err, material? Like a gift?”

“A gift? Oh, lessee…” he scratched his chin, fizzling out again as he processed it. “Physical—oh, you mean material! Uh, yeah, yeah! A neat little trinket, we keep it in our room.”

Lance took that as the opportunity he was waiting for, smiling. “Oh? If it’s plausible, would you like to show us? It’d be a bad thing not to…”

“Bad…?” The Perrserker fizzled again, but then grinned. “Aye, aye, captain! One trinket, coming right up! Wait just a sec!”

With a hop, the feline was off his boyfriend’s lap, but before he could properly leave, Dex gave him a smack on the bottom. Soon enough, he went inside the ship’s quarters.

Lance took a deep breath, watching him go away, and glanced at his friends. “Wait…”

Another glance, this time at the clouds, showed they were standing still; this was their time.

“Okay, phew. Gods, that was really weird.” Brian rubbed the sweat off of himself, putting his head next to Meggie’s.

“What’s weird?” Dex tilted his head. “Oh well, y’all are gonna love what he gave me! It’s great!”

“Sure is.” Meggie gave Brian a pat on the head and looked at Lance. “What’s the plan here? I can imagine what his reaction’s gonna be when he realizes it.”

“I’m well aware, but it’s something we must do.”

Dex blinked, looking at them, still with the grin on his face. “Whatcha talkin’ about, Pup?”

Lance bit a lip and focused all he could, summoning the book. It stood atop his paw. “…I’ll be honest with you two, I might need your help. I haven’t been with him as long as you have.”

“Gotcha.” Meggie did the same, summoning a pocket mirror.

Brian didn’t need to summon his goggles, already wearing them, so instead, he just put his memories inside. “Ready.”

While all this happened, Dex crossed his arms. Maybe his friends were playing with him? Preparing a surprise? Maybe they and Yarn were doing it, getting ready to make him even happier. And he didn’t even know that was possible!

“For what it’s worth, Dex, I’m sorry. Just know… I do think you can find happiness outside too.” Lance pointed the book at the Floatzel, and his friends did the same with their objects.

And a flash of light blinded Dex, sending him back, falling on the floor again. Unlike when he fell inside his room, this time… there was pain. His back hurt, but that was little in comparison to how much his head pounded. It was like someone was punching it from all possible angles.

“Fuck… what hellish kinda hangover is this?” Dex said between pants. His head continued to pound, and his body was so numb he couldn’t move. Flashes of… well, everything started pouring. His moments with the team, all the fights, all the way to their loss.

However, that didn’t matter. Not as much as the realization of his situation, trapped in a dream. A perfect dream, but not the reality he was used to. And his boyfriend… he wasn’t real. Nothing there was real but him and his friends. Why? Why did this happen? Dex remembered trying to escape, but it didn’t work, and then… he woke up there.

---

He still couldn’t stand. Well, he could, but Dex didn’t really want to. Why? Why was everything returning? It all heart. Both his head and his heart were pounding with pain. Dex twitched some of his fingers, panting. Was it really an illusion? He had a boyfriend, someone close to him, someone that loved him. Yet, now that everything returned to him, the reality of his loneliness settled in. The conflict was too much to bear, and the memories?

They didn’t help either, being hard to concentrate on, and even when he did think about his boyfriend… Dex couldn’t make it stick. The thought disappeared, his rational mind knowing that nothing that happened in that dream was real.

“Why’d… y’all did it?” Dex muttered, grabbing the table to balance himself as he got up. “Pup, Goggles, Popsicle. Yer all here.”

“We are, yes.” Lance looked away with a frown. “It’s a pleasure seeing you again, Dexter. I just wish it were in better circumstances.”

“Welcome back!” Brian waved at him, but his ears drooped. Was Dex alright?

“Nah, nah, I came a long way just to pick ye up…” Dex rubbed the back of his head. The small talk did help take his mind off all the worries. For a moment, at least. They all came back, and now he craved the fake world instead of the real one. Why did they even free him?

Lance closed his eyes, sighing. “Dexter, I know what’s going on. You want to cling to this reality, this world because it has all you could ever want.”

“We’ve all been through it. Or, in our case…” Meggie pointed at herself and Brian. “…We’re still coming to terms with it.”

“It’s just… I can’t remember him.” Dex said the truth. Whenever he thought of his boyfriend, it was always someone else, another Pokémon. It was never just one. “When I think o’ him, everything gets all messed up.”

“Scrambled memories.” Lance opened his eyes and offered a paw. “I know how it feels. When I was in my own dream, I couldn’t remember what happened yesterday.”

It hurt. It stung. Dex could see a thousand knives piercing his chest, and refused to take Lance’s paw. “I… he has to be real. Please, y’all, tell me he’s real. That this is reality, an’ not some weird dream.”

Brian shook his head. “I’m sorry, Dex.”

Everyone realized their best course of action was to let Dex process this on his own. He turned around, looking at the kitchen. All the windows, all the pictures, the plates on the table… it was real. He could touch them, smell them, and see them.

“So… ye three took me outta paradise, an’ fer what?”

“Because…” Brian rubbed his arm, not sure what to answer. “…This isn’t reality, Dex. It’s a fantasy. A perfect fantasy, with all we want, but it’s not real.”

“He’s right.” Meggie stepped forward. “…I wanted a world with my boyfriend and my mentor. With all of us happy together. But that’s just it. A fantasy.”

Not sure what to think, Dex looked at the Lucario, knowing he was the first one to escape. “An’ ye, Lance? Is this just a fantasy to ye too? Can ye tell us the real world is a good place?”

Now all sights were on Lance. He looked at all his friends, knowing they expected a big answer, a solution to everything. Was there such a thing? Was there a way to fix all the problems in the world? To make everyone happy? Was he wrong in trying to stop Necrozma?

“Throughout our travels, we’ve seen many, many things.” Lance explained, raising an arm. His tone was confident, but there was a tiny tint of sadness in his voice. “Good Pokémon, bad Pokémon, corruption, suffering, conspiracies. We’ve seen it all. The good and the bad. We made mistakes. We all hurt someone, and we all got hurt in the process.”

There was a pause, with Lance looking down again. He didn’t seem so sure anymore. “At one point I wondered if I was really striving for justice. If I was doing the right thing. If the end justifies the means.”

“And now, I’ve reached a conclusion: the world is a shitty place. It’s an awful place to live, and kindness is rare. By all means, the system itself might be broken.”

Lance looked at them. Their silence told him thousands of words, all he needed to hear.

“…But that’s the thing. By making mistakes, we’re able to grow. We learn and change through our experiences with others. It’s due to our connections that we can change the world. Perhaps once I believed in peace through force, but now? Peace… through empathy.”

Dex almost wanted to give him a hug, knowing the words he said were true, and also soothing. But they weren’t enough to persuade him. He looked down, sighing. At the very least, Dex could appreciate the effort. Yes, because there was a lot of effort put into this, by all of them. They all wanted to escape, to fight another day.

And he could accept that.

---

Despite that, Dex still had doubts. Was it really a good idea? How could they even escape? His friends came for him, so there was obviously some kind of plan. And even if they did escape, what else? Fight Necrozma again?

Guy’s too strong fer us. I’m not sure we have a chance. Even if we’re together…

Lance sat down again, putting his elbows on the table, and his paws close to his face, thinking. “I take it that wasn’t enough to convince you?”

“Only ’cause you’re my best friend.” Brian admitted. “…And because Meggie helped.”

“I have a good life outside the dream, too. It would be a waste to give that up,” she said, shrugging.

“Hm. I’m not sure how long we have before we get reset, and I really don’t want to waste time…” Lance grimaced.

Meanwhile, Dex looked out the windows, seeing the frozen clouds. How could something fake feel so real? What separated this from the real world?

I didn’t feel any negative emotion. Not until I got me memories back, he thought. Was that really me? Or was it what Necrozma thought was me?

Dex clenched his fists. This dream world was perfect, wasn’t it? It was supposed to be, so there shouldn’t be any doubts. Yet, they were within him, begging to be given all his attention.

“Lance, I have another question.” Dex said without even looking at the Lucario. “How long? How long have ye been doing this? Tryin’ to escape?”

Lance didn’t say anything in response. The silence was deafening.

Minutes? Hours? Days? How long did the silence remain? It was impossible to know. Not even Lance had any idea how long they were talking, and why they hadn’t been reset yet. Luck was a possibility. Maybe the dream was taking its time trying to discover what the “gift” was supposed to be, and that was why they were still there, with all their memories.

“We’re all in this together.” Brian finally said, leaning against the wall. “Our free will might have sent us mortals on this road, but it can help us too, can’t it? Our fate is our own.”

“Fighting a god… I can’t say it’s what I ever thought I’d do.” Meggie muttered. She giggled to herself. “But y’know what? If it’s with you guys, I’m fine having a final stand.”

Dex remained quiet, but his mind was full of thoughts. I’ve been on this voyage with ’em fer a long time. I dunno why, but seein’ all o’ them so determined… I wanna be like that too.

For a moment, he wondered what his parents would think of if they saw him right now. Dex held a gasp; his parents. They were likely taken over too, weren’t they? The entire world was like this, and him and his friends were the only hope. Dex might not want to leave paradise, but he couldn’t say the same to everybody else.

I’d be selfish if I tried stayin’, and me mates would never have a chance without me. Dex pondered, still unsure. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Standing with his friends to save the world? Before, he’d laugh at the idea. He still laughed now, loud enough for them to hear, but it was a happy laugh, one that meant he accepted this.

“Alright. I’m in, let’s get the hell outta here.” Dex paused. “Oh, but first… I wanna say sorry. When Necrozma was throwin’ all them tendrils, I kinda ran away.”

“Good choice. You were panicking, we all were.” Lance walked towards Dex, offering a paw again. “And like I said before, we all make mistakes. It’s part of our lives. And you, Dex, you’re a member of the team. We’re in this together.”

Team, huh? Dex smiled at that. It was a good thing to be a part of. Even without a boyfriend, he wasn’t alone. He had others to count on, to spend time with. And fighting for that was worth it. Their battle against Necrozma was more than worth it. It took him a long time to realize it, but it brought him peace.

“Hm. ‘Kay. Guess we’re doin’ this, eh? Escapin’ this weird-ass place.”

“That’s the plan, yes. And I suggest we do it fast.” Lance focused again, and another crystal wall materialized next to the four.

---

“The hell’s that supposed to be?” Dex looked at it, squinting his eyes, mouth open. “I ain’t ever seen it before.”

“Our way out, I suppose.” Lance sighed, checking his knuckles. They still hurt, but less than when he escaped. “A barrier that I assume Necrozma built to prevent us from leaving.”

Brian groaned. “Word of advice, it hurts like hell,” he cracked his knuckles just the same.

“Basically, yeah.” Meggie got ready, wispy ectoplasm covering her arms. “So, essentially…”

“We gotta punch it really hard.” Dex cracked his neck. “Gotcha. Sounds easy enough.”

“With four of us, I suspect it’ll be easier.” Lance said, getting ready as well. “But yes, we punch it. A lot. It’s that simple.”

Meggie chuckled. “Don’t humor him too much, Dex, or he’s gonna start talking about eternity, papers and stars.”

“Hmph.” Lance’s tail swished, and his face got slightly red. “Excuse me! I wanted to use an analogy! Is it really that bad?”

“Nah, nah… I think you’re just a nerd, Shorty.” Brian chuckled, his claws crackling, covered in black energy. I missed this… all of us here.

“Nice to see the gang’s back together.” Dex added, readying his fists. “So, mind if I go first? Pretty sure I’m the strongest here.”

“By all means.” Lance moved out of the way.

“Aye.”

Dex took a deep breath, both of his fists closed, before he pulled his arms back, and…

“ORA!”

A devastating punch was thrown into the wall, but it returned with the same force, sending a wave of pain across Dex’s arm. He cringed, stepping back for a second.

“Gah! Thing’s a lot tougher than I thought.”

“I did warn you.” Lance chuckled. “Can I have a go now?”

“Nope, our turn.” Brian kissed Meggie on the cheek and launched a blade of dark energy on the wall, cracking it a bit. “Megs, go!”

She didn’t need any more instructions, and simply punched the wall twice. Like before, the pain coursed through her, like her arms were being shattered from sheer pressure. Still, her attacks left an impact, as a few chunks of the wall were thrown at the ground.

“Hm…” Lance prepared himself, chuckling to Dex. “Would you like to do this together?”

“Aye, Pup.”

With their fists closed, the duo delivered two powerful punches at the wall, and felt the pain rush towards them again. Still, they refused to let go, putting more pressure into the attacks.

“Just a little…” Lance panted, groaning from the pain.

“On it!” Brian appeared on his side, unleashing a Shadow Ball on the wall to damage it further.

Next, Meggie, punching it again.

With their combined pressure, the cracks expanded, again and again, until…

---

Lance opened his eyes to a torrent of water raining down his snout. He had to rub some of it off, and once he did, he got a clear vision of the sky—night again. How long did those dreams take…?

“Great. It was like this last time, too.” Meggie sighed, the raindrops next to her freezing.

Brian yawned, backing off from Dex. The Floatzel was the last one to wake up, snoring a bit before opening his eyes.

“Huh? Oh, it’s raining. That’s great! An’—” he quickly noticed the giant dragon next to them, the sole source of light nearby, still not moving, not even an inch.

“Don’t worry, I doubt he’s… awake. I don’t think he noticed us. Yet.” Lance stood up. “Now, I believe we have someone else to rescue. Lilith, yes?”

“Yeah. She’s been helping us all this time…” Brian rubbed his arm, looking at the Lopunny. He saw her tendril and followed it… seeing it connected to Scar’s as well. “Uh, guys?”

Pointing to his discovery, the others soon found out. Lance clenched a fist, his feelers twitching at the sight of Scar. “This changes nothing. At most, it’s a complication. We just need to be careful not to alert Scar.”

“Bones’ kinda a prick. No offense, Pup.”

“None taken.” Lance slowly approached. “It’s likely they’re having a shared dream, like Brian and Meggie had. As much as I’d like to be alone…”

“We’re all goin’, Pup.” Dex tapped the Lucario’s shoulder. “Team Liberators, ain’t it? We stick together.”

Brian rubbed a bit of water off his goggles, shaking his mane. It had grown back. “Yup, he’s got a point, Shorty. We came all this way for you, but now that we’re all together, we gotta stay that way.”

“Pretty much. We’re all part of the team.” Meggie added.

In the end, it’s me and my friends, huh? Lance couldn’t help but smile at that as he walked towards Lilith. “You’re right. Let’s go, then. We’ll all have our memories, and remember. We only need to bring out Lilith.”

He touched the tendril, feeling drawn to it. Before he was fully taken over, he saw the others touching it too, knowing they were going to follow him.

---

Another day at her museum. Lilith watched the audience enter with a smile on her face. Despite being the curator, she did have a lot of free time, enough to always talk with the guests when they entered, shaking each of their hands, paws, or whatever appendages they had. It was easy enough, and the smile on their faces only made hers grow.

“Welcome! Welcome! Today we’re doing a special exhibit on some artifacts I found! They’re all cataloged!”

Amidst the audience was team Liberators, who waited in line. There were many others in front of them, so it might take them a little while before they could talk to her. Lance, in particular, paid attention to the audience, wanting to see if he recognized a certain Marowak. His eyes were sharp, but he didn’t see anything. With so many Pokémon clumped together, he couldn’t notice.

Well, Lance thought he saw the tip of a bone club, but checking again, it was a scalchop from a nearby Samurott.

“Ye’d think lines wouldn’t exist in a paradise dream. Makes ye wonder.” Dex scratched the back of his head. “Also, I wanna get through to Carrots. I think she an’ I have stuff in common.”

Brian crossed his arms, curious on what that stuff was, but he knew better than to ask. “Fine by me. Lance?”

“Wait, why me?” Lance protested, rolling his eyes. “You’re in charge, Brian. You led the team so far.”

“Yeah, but that was because you were… y’know.” Meggie shrugged. “Now that you’re back, you can lead.”

“Hm, if you say so.” Lance wondered about Dex’s requests. He interacted with Lilith more, but given the recent events, his friends had a better grasp at her now. It made sense to let Dex handle it. “Alright, go ahead. But not now, we still need to investigate. I want to find the best opportunity for you.”

“Aye, aye, cap’n.” Dex saluted him.

It didn’t take too long before they were the next in line. Lilith handed some pamphlets to the Pokémon in front of them, before setting her sights on the team.

Dex wondered if she would recognize them, after all they’ve been through. He could try to reason with her, tell her about the time they went to eat—which, in hindsight, wasn’t as exciting as he remembered—but… Lilith didn’t react. She just handed more pamphlets to them, like there was nothing wrong.

Was this how I acted in me dream…? Not a care in the world.

With them ready, the four entered the building. Lilith didn’t see anyone else and entered as well, getting ready to talk all about the artifacts.

The inside was massive. Pillars stretched along either side as far as the eye could see, intricately decorated. They arched upwards, to hold up a ceiling painted with masterpieces. Windows let in light from above to showcase the grand building in all its glory.

Several hallways spun off to the side. It was curious to wonder where these went, yet it was also quite obvious. All the way down, went a grand staircase, the entrance to this museum. There, there were multiple pedestals with a lot of artifacts.

Lance didn’t recognize any of them, but he was interested regardless. There were shields, swords, some vases, all belonging to old civilization, way before his time. He remembered seeing some of Necrozma’s memories, of seeing that village torn apart. Did anything remain from them? Or was that village erased from history?

Whatever the case, he thought it was a sad part of history, and he could understand how it affected Necrozma. However, it didn’t mean the legendary was right in his actions.

“And here we have a relic bigger, better than all the others—” Lilith pointed to the center, causing the audience to focus that way. On a larger pedestal, she presented a golden crystal, engraved with a black, star-shaped sigil on it. The audience seemed to cheer them on.

This time, Lance saw the same club again, but he was mistaken; what he actually saw was a leek from a Farfetch’d.

Necrozma’s crystal. Lance thought, biting a lip. His tail was agitated, perking up, like he was getting ready to attack. Even here he shows his influence?

His brother’s actions didn’t go unnoticed, and Brian tapped the Lucario’s shoulder. “It’s alright. We’re just here to bring her back. Don’t worry about it.”

“Aye, Goggles’ got a point.”

Meggie nodded. “You said it yourself, we gotta be careful.”

“Attention, everyone!” Lilith stood at the center, in front of the crystal. She clapped hands, giving a toothy smile. “This belonged to the one, the only, the magnificent… Star Blight. He was kind enough, like always, and let me have it! To expose you to such magnificence… I can’t hope for a better job.”

The audience started cheering, all but team Liberators, who watched it in silent contempt. Lance had to restrain himself from doing anything rash, just sighing as silently as he could.

“…Dex? You can do it now. We can’t waste time.”

Dex cleared his throat, smiling. “Oi! Lilith!”

She looked in the distance, noticing the large Floatzel. “Yes?”

“What’d ye really think o’ Necrozma?”

And… Lilith froze.

---

Not only did she freeze, but the entire audience as well. Lance saw as they all started popping out of existence, bit by bit, little by little, until the only ones left were himself, his friends, and Lilith. They were alone with her now, the perfect opportunity to save her.

However, she moved again, still smiling. “Ah, of course! He’s just so wonderful, isn’t he? A true hero, a beacon of hope for us all. He did save us, all of us. Now, it’s a wonderful life! I’m happy to work here, to tell everyone about him. Necrozma… is my savior.”

“Hm, right, it’s expected she thinks so. With all the propaganda he keeps babbling on about…” Lance muttered.

Brian looked at Dex and nodded. “I still think it’s working! Keep going, we might not even need to flash our memories!”

“What?” Dex ignored that for now, thinking of what else to ask her. “Alright, alright. Lilith, Necrozma’s a savior, right?”

“That’s right,” she pointed at the crystal again. It was shining like a star. “This is proof, it’s his source of power!”

So if we were to take it out… Lance thought, a plan beginning to form inside his head. “Do you know the definition of savior, Lilith?”

“Someone who should be venerated like the authority figure they are.” Lilith replied.

It still wasn’t enough. Dex had to press her further, really trying to get her to realize what was wrong. And with Lance’s question, Dex got an idea, something he should at least try to do.

“If ye know what it is, then what did he save ye from?”

“I… I…” Lilith froze again. What? Yes, Necrozma was her savior, and he saved her from… something. But that’s where the issue—a word she didn’t even know before—was. Saving her implied there was something bad. And what was that? What was something bad? What did it mean?

Yes, Necrozma saved her. Yes, he did. Yes, everything was fine—no, it wasn’t. Something was off, she could tell—no, Lilith was just mistaken, her job, her life was perfect, why was she doubting what? And what did doubt mean?

“Stop… I’m okay with this. Necrozma saved me, what are you even talking about?” Lilith seemed to be talking with herself, shaking her head and looking at her paws, then at the crystal, then at the team next to her. What was going on?

“Calm down.” Lance stated, eyeing the crystal. “Necrozma saved you. Doesn’t that mean you needed saving?”

“Yes—no! Why would I? Everything’s perfect here! You’re just being…”

“Carrots, yer not the first one to be this way. I was like that too, an’ me mates saved me.” Dex said, eyeing them with a smile on his face. His tails wagged. “Yer livin’ a dream.”

“A dream? I love dreams, y’know?” Lilith shook her head again. She started to pant, groaning. What was going on? Why did all this feel… wrong? What were they doing to her? What were they trying to accomplish?

Brian gulped, standing back. “Lilith, I don’t know you that well, but you helped us. Remember that? All the fighting… everything we’ve been through!”

Both Brian and Dex were trying to reason with her, something Lance found odd. Yet, they weren’t showing any signs of giving up, and he could try to help as well. A glance at Meggie revealed to him she was trying too.

“Remember that massage at the boat? It’s been a long while, but that was fun. You were our ally!”

…Why was that the thing she went with? Lance blinked, chuckling. “Lilith, you showed me a family that you wanted to help, and I did my best to help them. Don’t you think there’s still work for us to do?”

Lilith looked at them again, stepping back. What were they talking about? There was nothing wrong, because the word “wrong”, as well as its meaning, didn’t exist there. It was so wonderful that wanting to end it would be foolish. Yet, their words resonated with her, and she was curious. What did they mean? Were those four… right? Was she living inside a dream? Was Necrozma not a savior?

“Urgh… I don’t understand. I don’t get it, nothing! I just don’t get it!” Lilith panted, glaring at the pedestal holding the crystal. She clenched a fist and punched it, destroying the crystal with a single strike. It shattered into tiny pieces that started floating in the air…

…Until they stopped moving.

“Hm, this worked better than I thought.” Lance sighed. “Again, this is the hard part, but is everyone ready? We’re close to leaving this place.”

“I still wanna know your plan, Shorty…” Brian grimaced. “Still, alright, let’s get her memories back!”

Dex smiled again. Then, he frowned, remembering how much it hurt.

---

Nonetheless, it was a hard process, and Lilith looked at them, trying to understand what they were even talking about. She also had no idea who they even were, she never saw them, not even on the other days the museum was open. In fact, she couldn’t remember much from those other days. Just the present time. Why?

“I-If… you help me get my memories, will I understand? Everything’s a blur to me…”

“Yes, you will.” Lance summoned his book, but glanced at his friends as the book dissipated. “You might be better at this than me. If all four of us go, it might be too much for her to handle. I’m not sure, but I don’t want to risk it.”

“Pup, what the hell was that?” Dex tilted his head.

“Essentially, pick an object and imagine your memories are inside it, that should work.” Brian explained, picking his goggles. It was easier this time around, and when he looked at Meggie, she already had her mirror ready.

“Can’t say I understand what y’all are blabberin’ about, but heh, I trust ye two!” Dex tried to think of an object, any object that could help them in this situation. And with a pop, he did it! He summoned…

Meat on a stick. Lance looked at it, Brian looked at it, so did Meggie. Even Lilith was confused by what he did. They all kept staring at him, completely baffled by the action.

“I suppose this fits you, Dex.” Lance said, deadpanning. He sighed. “Focus on getting all your memories with her inside that… thing.”

“Don’t knock it ’til you try it, Pup.” Dex grinned, and focused as much as he could, picturing his memories, his experiences with Lilith inside that kebab. He didn’t look anywhere else, but could feel the judgemental eyes staring at him.

Lilith crossed her arms. “Does this usually take so long?”

Dex, Brian and Meggie pointed each of their objects at her, but still, everyone kept staring at the Floatzel, who just ignored it and continued to smile. To think he was actually helping someone out… Dex never thought he’d do it.

“Okay, then, what is it supposed to—”

She was flashed by a blinding light, falling on her knees and screeching in pain. Everything came back to her, all her experiences with them, both against and as their ally… Lilith remembered it all. She looked at them, panting once more, but gave them a slight nod of approval.

“T-Thanks. I didn’t even think—how’d you—how?”

Lance shrugged. “I could sense things in my dream, and that helped me escape. It was just a matter of getting everyone back. Though I doubt we can do it to the entire population.”

It was true, going dream by dream, in every corner of the world? A stupid idea, and it wouldn’t work, not at all. Lance knew he had to deal with Necrozma to save everyone else.

“Aight, since we pretty much saved Carrots, we can get outta here, right?” Dex asked.

And Lance wondered about the answer. He looked at his friends for guidance, smiling at them. “Brian, Meggie, what do you say?”

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Brian forgot how long the two had been separated, and so, he didn’t hear those words for a long time. “M-Me? Uh… I’m with Dex. We should get out. Scar’s in this dream too, right?”

“…Yeah.” Meggie added. “We’ve been lucky to not see him so far, but who knows? The sooner we get out, the better.”

Lilith crossed her arms, nodding. “Good plan, y’all. First I wanna say thanks for rescuing me, I didn’t even know I wanted to be a curator.”

Dex kept quiet for a while, letting the others do the talking. His answer hadn’t changed, but now he was curious about Lilith’s. “Carrots. Now that there yer here, memories an’ all, what’d ye think? Is the dream world better?”

For a moment that stretched into infinity, there wasn’t any sound. Lilith was quiet, completely quiet, wondering what she should say. Scar was with her, and her mother was alright too. She had everything she could ever dream for.

Except she knew how far Necrozma went to get that kind of paradise. Who he sacrificed, who he stepped on. Was it worth it, sacrificing so many others for her happiness?

“If I stay here, I’m running away from everything. I don’t want that. We’re getting out.” Lilith answered, grinning.

“Okay then.” Brian smiled, looking around. What he saw made him rub his eyes, a little confused. Was the scenario… blurry? No, it definitely was. He could hardly see a thing nearby. “Uh, guys?”

“What?” Lance stopped and did the same thing as his brother. “What’s going on?”

“Is it blurry for you guys too?” Meggie rubbed her eyes. She faintly remembered the sensation of wearing glasses, but had a feeling even those wouldn’t really help her.

The scenery stopped, shifting, changing. Instead of time being frozen, it was accelerating all around them. Lance braced himself for anything, but space kept getting more and more distorted. Something was definitely up. What—

It stopped all of a sudden. The five found themselves in a farm.

---

In contrast to the museum, this location was far more open, with a bright sky that felt very much real. The sun was incredibly harsh, and all of them—except Meggie, who wasn’t furry like the others—started to sweat. An unusual thing to happen, for sure, but then again, that entire dream was unusual.

“What happened?” Brian rubbed sweat off of him, cursing his long mane for making things harder on himself.

“I dunno, we just kinda…” Lilith panted. “I have no clue.”

“There’s a simple answer.” Lance raised his arm. “While we were at the museum, I could swear I saw Scar’s club. Considering his tendril was connected to yours, Lilith, I have no doubt he’s here.”

Dex let them talk, instead he watched out for his surroundings. There were mountains in the background, a house nearby, and the plantation was pretty close too. There, he saw him; the one they were looking for.

“Uh… y’all?”

Over in the distance, planting some seeds, was Scar. He wore a large hat to cover the sunlight, and on his side was a small Larvitar, helping with a basket full of berries. For now, Scar didn’t seem to notice them, but they were able to see him sigh.

“Mister Williams. I never expected you to come this far.”

The voice was definitely Scar’s… but it didn’t come from his mouth. It felt as if it was coming from everywhere, and nowhere at the same time. Like the dream itself was talking with them.

Lance clenched his fists, creating a club made of aura, shaped like a bone. “Scar. What did you do?”

Still planting more seeds, the Marowak simply shook his head. “As part of my deal, I have been granted full lucidity. Therefore, I control this dream. You were right, mister Williams, that was me inside the museum.”

Brian gulped. Control of the dream? Could they even escape if that was the case? What would they do—

“Do not worry.” Scar said, as if he could read Brian’s thoughts and feelings. “I am not here to fight, no. However, I must warn you… Necrozma already knows. He asked me to deal with you.”

“What?!” Brian gulped, and his instincts told him to stay close to Meggie, holding her hand. “How did he…”

“How did he find out?” Scar shook his head. “There have been many, many attempts. If only Lance left the dream, perhaps Necrozma would be none the wiser. However, with all of you…”

Meanwhile, Lance didn’t say anything. He knew that staying calm in this situation was their best option.

“Hm, perhaps it is, mister Williams. I do not wish to harm any of you, but I cannot let you ruin the peace we fought so hard for.”

Lilith charged ahead with a jump, but when she landed, she noticed she didn’t leave the place where she stood. “Tch! Controlling this place?! Even space…”

Scar smiled. “Indeed, indeed.”

Finally, he turned to see them, holding the Larvitar’s arm. “Now, would you like to discuss this? Why do you wish to escape? Lord Necrozma was kind enough to give you all the life you wanted. Tell me, Lilith, you were happy, were you not?”

“I…” Lilith stepped forward, and saw Scar offering her his hand. She considered it for a moment… and yes, she was happy. It was all she could ever hope for. She could stay with him—

“Drop it.” Lance stepped in front of Lilith, shaking his head in denial. “He’s simply trying to convince you, like Necrozma did.”

Dex scoffed, clapping his fists together. “Y’know? Pup’s right! We’re leavin’ this place!”

“Leaving?” Scar snapped a finger, and a portal opened next to him. “Hm, very well. You are free to leave. Leave paradise and go back into the hellish landscape you call reality. However, if you do that… I cannot guarantee Necrozma will let you live.”

Lance looked at his friends. He knew what to say, but them? They were still a variable. He could hope they made the right decision, of course, but who could tell?

“…I’m saying this in the least respectable way possible,” Brian adjusted his goggles, snarling. “Fuck off, Scar. We’re saving everyone.”

Meggie heard that and laughed, giving a sly smile. “He’s right. We’re getting out of here, even if we need to fight a God!”

Finally, Lilith put a paw in her chest, clutching it. “My choice… I want to get out. I want to help them, and pay for my crimes. That’s what I want, Dad.”

Scar couldn’t believe what he heard. It was disappointing, to say the least. He closed his eyes and sighed. “If that is your decision, very well. I gave you all the chances I could. Now…”

“Shut up.” Lance blasted an aura sphere that landed inches away from Scar. “I’m done with you.”

“Hmph.”

Looking at his friends, Lance ran ahead, jumping in the portal with the others.

---

The first one to wake up was Lilith. She squinted her eyes—even while they were closed—and gasped for air, looking up at the night sky.

“Urgh… I’m just glad it’s not raining anymore.” Brian groaned, standing up and helping Meggie do the same. Next to him, Dex was helping Lance get up as well.

“Ouch, this sucks.” Lilith got up, rubbing a bit of dust. Her fur was thicker, scruffier. “How long have we been—”

“Six months.” Necrozma’s booming voice called out, causing the five to turn around to see him. He was standing proud, snarling, his tail swishing. “It has been six months since you were all enlightened. But that doesn’t really matter to you, does it?”

“It was that long, huh?” Lance wondered. He was seventeen, then. Not that his age mattered that much in the current situation. “Well, took you long enough to notice us.”

“Oh, please. Try taking care of the entire population and see if you don’t get distracted.” Necrozma held back a laugh, instead, scowling at them, showing off sharp fangs.

Just then, Scar stood up, shaking his head. “Truly pitiful. Sire, we need to get rid of them as soon as possible.

“Yes, I’m aware. I just have one question: why? Why try to leave? Wasn’t it enough for you?”

“It never was.” Dex said, cracking his fingers. “I mean, the boyfriend was nice. But I really want an actual one, not a dream one. Better luck next time, chunk o’ rock.”

“I’m afraid not, Necrozma.” Lance said in the most calm tone he could muster. Six months of his life, taken away in an instant. It was maddening. “Now that we’re here, I can finally stop you.”

“ Stop  me?! Who do you think you are to interfere with their happiness?!”

“Team Liberators.” Meggie said next, with a triumphant smile. “Here to bring hope to Pokémon everywhere. Challenging fate itself, if we have to. We’re not giving up!”

Lilith grabbed her arm, gulping. They were really trying to win… but could they?

“That’s the spirit, Megs! And Shorty? Grab this!” Brian chuckled, opening his bag to pick a special item up: a gray headband that he tossed to Lance. After he did so, a blast of psychic energy hit his bag, exploding it into smithereens. Luckily, it wasn’t directed at him.

Necrozma snarled again, thumping his tail on the ground. His body trembled with anger, anger he was trying his best not to show. Something he failed at, as Necrozma unleashed a powerful roar.

“Over… and over… and over… and over, and over, and over… AND OVER! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST  GIVE UP ?! LET ME SAVE YOU!”

“Even if I told you, I doubt you’d believe me.” Lance smiled at his brother, wrapping the band around his forehead. “Everyone, listen closely. I’m not sure we’ll make it, but whatever happens… I’m happy to be with friends again.”

Another roar shook the skies.