Chapter 17: Distortions

Melody was hopelessly disoriented. Wherever Palkia had brought them to, and however he had warped them there, felt entirely unlike the occasional teleports she’d experienced from escape orbs and warp traps.

She and Flynn continued to try and struggle free. But the titan’s grasp was far too strong, and the pair could barely focus with the way their heads were spinning.

Then, before they could even start to get their bearings, they were unceremoniously tossed away. The pair collided hard with the ground, tumbling painfully along the rock-hard surface. By the time they finally rolled to a stop, it took a long moment for Melody to even be sure which way was up.

“Get up.”

Just when the world had finally stopped spinning as much, Palkia’s harsh, booming voice urgently jolted Melody to her senses. She hastily scrambled to her feet, stumbling a bit in the process. As she finally took a look at her surroundings, the sinking feeling in her stomach only got worse.

The ground looked and felt almost like dark glass. Every slight movement of Melody’s head caused the floor to slightly change its shade, or even visibly warp a bit. There didn’t appear to be any walls or structures – the floor simply stopped after a point, leaving a sharp drop off into the hazy darkness below. She tried not to think about what would happen if she fell down there.

Far, far off in the distance, she could see countless other islands of this strange, shimmering terrain just floating out in the void. Faint, wispy portals were scattered across each one, likely helping to link these distant sections together. It was all frighteningly alien, compared to anywhere she’d seen before. “W-Where…?”

“This… is Spacial Rift. My domain.”

Palkia’s voice once again brought Melody’s attention back to the towering Legendary. She inched fearfully towards Flynn as they both looked up at Palkia.

“It is a space between dimensions,” Palkia continued. “From here, I can easily monitor or travel to any place in the world. For countless eons, I have kept a watchful eye over the fabric of space, ensuring that our reality continues to function as it should. Nothing has ever managed to disrupt that balance for long. Until recently.”

Melody flinched as Palkia took a step forward, shaking the strange ground beneath his feet.

“Now, spacial distortions are becoming more and more common. One after another, cracks are forming in the fabric of space, nearly faster than I can mend them. For the first time, even I am struggling to keep reality in order.”

“I-I told you… we a-aren’t doing this on purpose,” Melody stammered. By her side, Flynn lit the flames on his back defensively, and the pair slowly began to back away from Palkia.

“And still you lie.” Palkia narrowed his eyes as he continued to advance. “You are just as I was told. You have no regard for the consequences of your own actions.”

“W-Wha? But…”

“I can sense the distortion around you both as we speak,” Palkia spat. “It is faint, but constant. It hangs over you like a shroud. Do you truly expect me to believe that the cracks in space are simply unrelated?”

Melody tried to take another step back, only for her paw to meet empty air. She let out a gasp, hastily stumbling forward away from the edge.

“There is nowhere for you to run,” Palkia declared. “You are in my domain, now. Either surrender and accept your judgment, or stand your ground and face your end in battle.” He raised an arm, his claws shining menacingly as he leveraged them at the pair. “Either way, it makes no difference.”

Both Flynn and Melody’s hearts skipped a beat as Palkia brought his arm down. With no room behind them, the pair dove to the side, narrowly dodging the Dragon Claw without plummeting off the isolated platform.

Before Palkia could try again, Flynn released a billowing plume of flames from his back to help cover them, and they rushed for the nearest portal they could see. They couldn’t know what part of the Rift it would send them to. But right now, they could only hope it would be better than here.

Melody frantically looked back over her shoulder as she ran. To her surprise, Palkia hadn’t even moved to follow them. He merely stood in place, glaring coldly at the duo.

Then the very air around him appeared to ripple, and he suddenly faded from sight.

A startled grunt from Flynn made Melody turn her focus ahead of her again. She drew in a sharp breath as she realized Palkia had warped right in front of the portal, both arms poised to strike as he stood in their way.

With no time to think, Melody fired a Thunderbolt right at Palkia’s head. The Legendary recoiled in pain, distracting him just long enough for Flynn and Melody to dash underneath the titan’s legs and into the portal behind him.

As soon as the pair passed through, the portal began to wobble and destabilize slightly. Flynn quickly took notice. He breathed deeply, before releasing the largest, most intense stream of flames he could manage back through the portal. The portal wavered even further, flickering around the edges as the fire poured through and singed Palkia’s leg. Just as the Legendary started to turn around, the portal finally collapsed in a burst of light.

For a long moment, Melody and Flynn continued to stare at the now empty air. Even with the immediate danger gone, they knew they weren’t safe. Melody trembled, her legs nearly giving out as the reality of the situation quickly started to sink in.

They were stranded in… in a ‘space between dimensions’, whatever that meant. They had no directions, no way out… The Skitty glanced at her back, abruptly realizing that they’d been dragged off without even their treasure bag. So they had no supplies either.

And the one pokemon who would know his way around here, the literal deity of space, was actively trying to kill them.

“W-What… what do we even do?” she muttered helplessly.

She looked over at her partner. Flynn was still trying to catch his breath after his prolonged Flamethrower. At the sound of Melody’s voice, he lifted his head and returned her gaze sadly, looking almost as lost as she felt. He opened his mouth to respond, only to silently close it a moment later. He shook his head slightly. “…I don’t know.”

“If… i-if even Palkia himself says we can’t be a-allowed to exist, then…” Melody shuddered, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “…M-Maybe Cresselia really was right. M-Maybe we… really d-do have to…”

Flynn stepped up beside her, and rested a paw on her back without a word. Melody leaned against his side. It took all the strength she could muster just to not completely break down.

“…Who would have told him about us?”

Melody perked up an ear at Flynn’s words. “H-Huh?”

“Palkia said he’d been told about us,” Flynn said, a deep frown on his face as he stared out into the distance. “…I have a feeling Cresselia’s behind this, too.”

Melody blinked, thinking through the idea. “…She did say she was going to defer to someone else to… ‘d-deal with us’.” She shuddered. Palkia also seemed convinced that they were doing this on purpose. Had Cresselia told him that, too? Cresselia had been hostile to them, no doubt… but would she really lie to a pokemon like Palkia, just to paint them in an even worse light?

…Was there anything they could even do about it, if she had?

Palkia didn’t seem very willing to stop and reason with them. And without supplies, she wasn’t sure…

An ominously familiar pressure started to fill the air. Both Melody and Flynn jolted at the feeling, their gazes scanning the surroundings for any sign of Palkia.

“…We have to keep moving,” Flynn said. “Have to hope there’s some way out of here, somewhere.”

Melody nodded. The team hastily started towards the nearest portal they could see. As expected, this one warped the pair off to another solitary island floating somewhere in the rift. And like the first one, this portal quickly destabilized too, closing the way behind them as it vanished into air.

The pressure seemed to fade. Hopefully, that meant that Palkia was no longer close by.

Melody wished that was enough to make her feel safe.

---

Spacial Rift didn’t get any less alien the more Team Sunrise explored it. If anything, it only got stranger.

The same glass-like floor persisted wherever they went – though they quickly found it was not always the same dark color. In some places, they could see the blurry mirage of more normal locales, like a grassy field or a sandy beach, staring back at them through the ground.

Melody thought back to what Palkia had called this place – a ‘space between dimensions’. She wondered if parts of the rift might link back to their world after all. It would make sense, if Palkia was supposed to watch over all of space from here.

Of course, if they couldn’t cross that divide on their own… then it didn’t really help them. Melody stared longingly down at the distant reflection of a beach in the ground below her, desperately wishing to be back home at Sharpedo Bluff. But after a minute or two of lingering there, the pair had to move on.

Thankfully, the rift eventually proved to not be completely barren. The team managed to find a few oran berries scattered around here and there, as well as a single quick seed and a power band. The berries weren’t particularly fresh; wherever they had come from, they had likely been here a while. But it was at least enough to help them heal from their hard tumble across the ground earlier.

Flynn helped Melody put on the scarf, and held onto the quick seed for himself. They would have liked to have more supplies to work with, but without a bag to carry them, Melody supposed it was just as well that they didn’t find more.

They also occasionally encountered other pokemon patrolling the vast expanse of the rift; Solrock, Lunatone, even a couple of Porygon. None of the foes posed too large of a threat on their own to the experienced team. But each encounter made them just that much more nervous, afraid that the fighting might help draw Palkia’s attention to them again.

Neither Melody nor Flynn was quite certain how long their luck held out. It felt like they’d been wandering the rift for hours, but there was no good way to keep track of time here, and they’d long since lost track of how many warps they’d gone through.

Just as Team Sunrise were about to step through yet another portal, a transparent pinkish wall suddenly formed just in front of them, causing Melody to stumble back slightly as she bonked right into it. She shook her head to clear it, before looking up at the strange obstacle.

A pang of fear shot through her heart, and she hastily spun around. The barrier extended all around them, forming a dome that trapped them here on this isolated island.

“I already told you…”

Palkia’s voice rang in their heads, loud and imposing. Melody froze. She and Flynn huddled next to each other, cautiously watching for any sign of danger.

The air in the center of the area visibly started to warp and distort. A moment later, Palkia materialized in that very spot, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground beneath them. “…There is nowhere that you can run here. Every inch of this space is mine to command.”

Melody couldn’t help but tremble under the Legendary’s gaze. His very presence exerted such crushing pressure that she could barely manage to even stay standing. “Why l-let us… roam freely, t-then?”

“To observe you, I suppose. To try and understand what you are doing, and how.” Palkia stared down at the pair, his eyes cold and analytical. “I see the rift’s portals cannot handle your passive distortion. Though I am surprised you have not tried to cause more damage to my domain.”

“I-I told you, w-we aren’t doing this on purpose,” Melody said. “I don’t… d-don’t know what Cresselia told you, but… it i-isn’t the whole picture!”

For a brief moment, Palkia paused. He tilted his head at Team Sunrise, his expression hard to read. “…Even if your claims were true… it does not change anything,” he finally spoke. “The distortions must stop. One way…” The titan’s claws began to glow with pinkish energy. “…or another.”

Flynn defiantly stepped forward, standing protectively between Melody and Palkia. The flames on his back flared out aggressively, with only the faintest flicker giving away any fear from the Cyndaquil. As he lifted his head and returned Palkia’s glare, Melody noticed him subtly pop the quick seed they’d found into his mouth.

Drawing strength from her partner’s stoic presence, Melody took a deep breath, her eyes hardening with resolve. She stepped up right beside him, her legs no longer trembling.

For a long moment, everything seemed to stop. Both sides were silent, watching for the other to make the first move.

The stillness finally broke as Palkia raised an arm. He clenched his energy-soaked claws together as if grasping at air, and a bright burst of pink light enveloped his hand. Before either Melody or Flynn could react, the space between them suddenly exploded with energy, sending the pair tumbling away from each other.

Melody shakily got to her feet as quickly as she could, preparing to defend herself. But Palkia seemed to have turned his attention towards Flynn instead. The space around Palkia rippled and warped, and the titan warped directly next to Flynn just as the latter had finished regaining his bearings.

With one swift motion, Palkia raised one of his massive legs over the Cyndaquil, before bringing it down with enough force to make the floor itself shake slightly.

For just an instant, Melody felt her heart stop. Then she saw a wheel of flames speed out from behind Palkia’s foot. Flynn was nearly a blur as he began to roll circles around the much larger opponent, leaving a faint trail of fire in his wake. Palkia gave a low growl of frustration, lashing out with a claw to try and grab the speeding Cyndaquil.

Without a second’s hesitation, Melody charged forward, pale-gray electricity rapidly gathering in her fur as she ran. Palkia didn’t appear to notice her, his focus still on trying to catch Flynn. But the quick seed’s boost was just enough to help Flynn out-maneuver Palkia’s slashes and stomps, even letting him land a couple of flame-wreathed tackles of his own in retaliation.

Once Melody had closed the distance, she flicked her head, launching the Thunderbolt straight into Palkia’s chest. The dragon recoiled slightly in pain, one arm slamming down in an attempt to crush the Skitty. But Melody managed to jump up onto the dragon’s hand, and quickly scrambled up his arm. Once she was in range, she leapt up and landed a Feint Attack on Palkia’s head, before falling down and landing roughly on her feet.

Palkia let out a piercing roar. The air around him rippled again, and he warped away, leaving Melody and Flynn to scan their surroundings with wary eyes. After a second or two, Palkia reappeared near the center of the battlefield. The dragon swung an arm to the side, and a portal instantly formed in the air beside him… releasing a vast torrent of ocean water across the smooth glassy floor.

Melody’s eyes widened. She hastily braced herself just before the flood began to wash over her. It was a struggle not to get carried away by the rushing water, but Melody did her best to push back and remain in place.

After a handful of seconds, the deluge finally stopped, and the remaining water passed through the barrier around the area and drained away. Melody shook her head, blinked the water out of her eyes, and frantically turned to look for her partner.

Flynn, by the looks of it, had been less lucky. He’d been swept all the way back to the barrier, his flame vents sputtering as he coughed up a bit of water. Despite it all, however, he still managed to push himself back to his feet, defiance burning brightly in his eyes as he stared back at Palkia.

For a moment, Palkia stood silently in place, merely observing the pair with a cold, calculating expression. When he saw that both explorers were still standing, his eyes narrowed. He gathered more spacial energy on the tips of his claws, before slashing the empty air in front of himself. Melody braced herself, her eyes peeled for whatever kind of attack-

The Skitty yowled in agony as a sharp, tearing pain suddenly shot through her entire body. It felt like an invisible force was trying to rend her clean in half. The sensation lasted for barely an instant, but it was so focused, so intense… Melody barely managed to stay on her feet.

Palkia took a heavy step forward, his claws already shining with the beginnings of another attack. Just before he could let it loose, however, a brilliant stream of blazing fire washed over his head, disrupting his concentration. By the time the flames finally died down, the crest along the top of the dragon’s head had been scorched slightly darker. Palkia glared down at the explorers. The energy on his claw intensified, and he slashed the empty air.

Melody pushed through the lingering pain, frantically leaping forward just as another Spacial Rend tore through the spot she’d just been standing. A determined grimace settled on her face as she landed on her feet and kept on running. After exchanging a brief, wordless nod with her partner, Melody rushed towards Palkia’s left side, while Flynn made for his right.

Palkia struggled to keep his focus on both of the explorers at once. When he tried to target one, they would swiftly dodge while the other retaliated. When he tried to warp away and conjure another wave of ocean water, the pair would quickly look out for his new location, and disrupt his focus with a long range attack before he could finish the portal.

All the while, bit by bit, Palkia was visibly weakening. His movements were slower, his spacial energy shone slightly dimmer, and his scales had been singed and dented in several spots. Of course, Team Sunrise was wearing down too. They had to keep moving constantly; as strong as Palkia’s attacks had been, one wrong move could potentially be the end. But they were keeping up. They just had to tough it out…

Unfortunately, Palkia had other plans. The pearl-like gems on his shoulders lit up brightly, and a powerful shockwave pushed Melody and Flynn away, sending them briefly tumbling along the crystalline floor.

“Enough,” Palkia roared. “I have… humored you… for long enough. But no more.”

Melody hastily tried to shake off her daze, and forced herself back up despite the worsening ache in her legs. She saw the space around Palkia begin to ripple and distort, just like when he would teleport. But as she started looking out for where he was going, she realized he was still remaining in place… and in fact, the strange wavering space around him quickly started to expand, filling up the entire battlefield.

As soon as the field washed over Melody, she felt a shudder run down her whole body. Everything felt… wrong, in ways the Skitty couldn’t even attempt to describe.

She tried to run. She didn’t know what Palkia was doing, but she knew she had to be ready to avoid whatever came next. But no matter how hard she tried, she found she could barely move. Her limbs moved in slow motion, like she was pushing through thick mud. Panicked, she glanced over at Flynn, who seemed to be similarly stuck in place.

Palkia, on the other paw, was completely unhindered. No… if anything, he was outright moving faster than before. The dragon stomped his way over to Flynn, and leaned down his head to look the Cyndaquil right in the eye. Flynn glared back, resolve unwavering, the flames on his back slowly intensifying as he tried to ready an attack.

A point-blank Hydro Pump stopped him long before he could try.

The intense blast of water pushed Flynn back, pinning him against the arena’s barrier. When the water finally stopped, Flynn slumped forward onto the floor, completely unconscious.

“F-Flynn!” Melody frantically struggled against the strange field holding her back, a chill stabbing through her heart at the sight of her fallen partner. But the more she tried to hurry, the harder it became to push through the Trick Room’s warped space.

Slowly, Palkia turned around. His heavy footsteps nearly shook the floor as he began to close the distance to Melody. Frightened, the Skitty managed to fire a Thunderbolt, striking Palkia in the head. The Legendary flinched for a moment, but kept on calmly walking. Palkia gathered more energy on his claws, before clenching them together.

Melody frantically tried to dodge, but to no avail. A blast of energy sent the Skitty flying forward, tumbling painfully across the hard crystalline floor until she rolled to a stop in front of Palkia.

Everything hurt. Her head was pounding, her limbs ached… her whole body was still cold and soaked with seawater. Melody could feel her strength giving out.

“You… have fought bravely, little one.” Palkia’s booming voice came out lightly strained, his posture slightly slumped with exhaustion. “But this is over. You have lost.”

(No, no, no…) Melody tried to push herself back to her feet. But in her current condition, she could barely muster the energy to lift her head. “P-Please…”

For just a moment, Palkia hesitated. “I… can sense that you two are not as malicious as I believed. Perhaps… you are not lying.” There was no anger in Palkia’s eyes, anymore. No hostility. Just… pity. “Perhaps the larger fractures in space that I have seen truly are accidents, caused by your inability to control your distortion.”

Melody weakly looked towards her partner. She… she could see Flynn breathing. She had to help him.

“However, the fact remains that this distortion must be stopped. If you truly are not able to do that yourselves… then the matter still must fall to me.”

She had to keep fighting. Her life… Flynn’s life was at stake. She’d promised… promised Flynn that they wouldn’t give up…

“Just remain still, and allow me to examine your distortion more closely. I will… see what I can do.”

She barely registered Palkia’s words, her mind desperately reaching for anything she could do. She was just too drained… even if she could manage another attack, it wouldn’t be enough.

“If nothing else, should there be no other options…” Palkia spoke solemnly, his shoulder gems beginning to charge with light. “…I will ensure your end is swift and painless.”

As the glow around Palkia began to intensify, Melody did the only thing she could think of: she opened her mouth, and started to Sing.

It was a gentle, wordless tune. Her mother had sung it to her countless times as a child, and she in turn had sung it to help lull Tempo to sleep, back when she and Flynn had been taking care of him. The innocent little Manaphy’s face flashed in Melody’s mind for a moment, and her voice picked up in strength.

Even weakened as she was, Melody’s song still came out loud enough to spread throughout the chamber. And within seconds, the lullaby’s effects began to take hold. The glow of energy slowly faded from around Palkia, and his body further slumped. Palkia blinked. He shook his head to try and clear it, realizing what Melody was trying to do. But it was too late.

Palkia, already weakened and exhausted by the battle, collapsed onto his side with a floor-shaking thump. The barrier surrounding the area flickered, then disappeared completely. A few seconds later, the Trick Room field dissipated as well, and the space in the area returned to normal.

Melody stared at the sleeping titan, her heart still pounding as the situation slowly sunk in. It… it actually worked. She’d managed to stop Palkia. They… they were safe… for the moment, at least.

She looked over at Flynn again. She needed to get to him. They had to find… some kind of way out of here. Maybe… there was a special portal, somewhere. Maybe… if they kept looking…

As the adrenaline started to wear off, all of the pain and fatigue from the battle finally took their toll. Melody couldn’t even keep her head up anymore.

Despite her best efforts, her eyelids drooped closed, and she drifted off into unconsciousness…

---

The next thing Melody knew, she was surrounded by nothingness. No land, no light, no pokemon… just an endless black void all around her, no matter where she looked.

She trembled slightly. Where was she? How… how had she gotten here?

“Well… I can’t say I expected this result.”

An all-too-familiar voice sent a chill down Melody’s spine. She looked around, searching for the source of the voice. “C-Cresselia!?”

Sure enough, the psychic-type materialized in front of her. The look on her face was just as cold and hostile as usual, though her brow was also raised with visible surprise. “I was certain Palkia would be more than enough to put an end to you two. I never would have thought you’d be able to fight him to a standstill like this. I must say, I’m almost impressed.”

“S-So… you did tell Palkia about us,” Melody said, her eyes narrowing slightly. Flynn was right, then. “Did… d-did you lie and tell him that we’re doing this all on purpose, too?”

“Does it matter if I did?” Cresselia asked. “The end result is the same, regardless. You cannot be allowed to continue distorting space as you are.”

“B-But…” Melody didn’t even know what to say to that. She opened and closed her mouth, not a single word coming to mind.

Cresselia shook her head. “Of course, your persistent struggling only serves to make things worse,” she continued. “Thanks to you two, even Palkia himself has been drawn into the nightmare. The one pokemon who may have had a chance at stopping these distortions – now out of commision.”

“W-What?” Melody’s eyes widened at that. “B-But how…?”

“You wore him down in battle, forced him to exert much of his power – and then lulled him into a deep slumber, right at his weakest. Perfect conditions for the nightmare to strike.” Cresselia let out a scoff, her eyes coldly glaring straight at Melody. “But of course, I’m sure you did not consider that.”

Melody felt her heart sink, and she stared down at the ground. She… she only wanted to live. To keep herself and her partner safe. They would have tried to reason with Palkia, if he’d given them a chance. If anyone would have been able to find another way to stop their distortions, it would have been him.

“I can bring you and your partner into Palkia’s nightmare, if you wish,” Cresselia said, almost as if reading Melody’s thoughts. “Though I do not suspect he will be very pleased to see you.”

Melody hesitated at the idea. But Cresselia did not wait for Melody to respond. With a flash of her eyes, Cresselia conjured a small portal of light, which floated just in front of Melody. Cresselia enveloped the Skitty in her psychic grasp and pulled her into the portal, before floating in after her.

At first, Melody tried to struggle free from Cresselia’s hold. When she got a look at her new surroundings, however, she quickly went motionless, glancing around in stunned confusion.

Palkia’s nightmare… in some ways, it looked similar to Spacial Rift. Countless floating islands, scattered around a vast void of empty darkness. Rather than crystalline glass, the ground here appeared more stony, with smaller levitating rocks forming precarious paths between islands.

However, this place was far less… orderly. Many islands floated on their sides, and some even hung upside down. Tall, almost kelp-like trees grew from the ground, stretching and twisting in all different directions. Waterfalls flowed upward. A boulder endlessly rolled up a bizarre, impossible staircase, which appeared to loop in on itself despite climbing ever upwards.

Melody blinked, before shaking her head. She had thought Spacial Rift was surreal and alien to look at, but this… whatever this place was supposed to be, it was on an entirely different level.

Eventually, the psychic hold around Melody let go, dropping her roughly onto one of the many stony islands. A couple seconds later, another small portal of light deposited Flynn right beside her. Melody shakily stepped up beside her partner, before turning her gaze to the bizarre surroundings once more.

She spotted Palkia, floating silently in place over one of the nearby islands. For a moment, the Legendary glared sharply at the boulder on the looping stairway, as if offended by how thoroughly this place defied the laws of space. Though, there was something else in his eyes, too… he slowly looked around, looking almost afraid of what else might be out there. Melody shuddered faintly, not wanting to know what could make even a pokemon like Palkia afraid.

Then Palkia’s gaze fell on Team Sunrise and Cresselia. He narrowed his eyes, and began to levitate closer. “You…”

“Ah, Palkia,” Cresselia called out. “Yes. These two are even more of a threat than I initially imagined, aren’t they? We must be rid of them as soon as-”

“Not them,” Palkia boomed, cutting Cresselia short. “You. Why have you lied to me, Cresselia?”

Cresselia looked almost taken aback, and it took a moment for her to respond. “I… I cannot begin to imagine what you mean, Lord Palkia. I have told you everything I know, as clearly as I am able.”

“Do not play games with me.” Palkia stared coldly down at Cresselia. “Their distortion is not how you described it. It is faint… involuntary. They wandered my domain for hours, and did nothing more than accidentally disrupt my network of portals.”

“As I told you, they are cunning and deceptive,” Cresselia replied. “Of course they did not openly spread their distortion in your sight. They are trying to appear innocent; hoping to prey on your mercy, so they can continue wreaking their havoc.”

“It is very peculiar to me how you so suddenly consider yourself an expert on these matters.” Palkia lowered his head further. “Tell me, Cresselia. Why do you believe you know as much about these spacial distortions as I?”

A tense silence followed, as the two Legendaries remained locked in a staring contest. Cresselia folded first, shaking her head in disgust as she slowly floated back. “Tch.” She turned to glare back at Melody and Flynn. “I do not know why we are even bothering to discuss this. The Skitty even put you to sleep – deliberately pulled you into this nightmare of her own accord, in an attempt to buy herself and her partner time. If that does not prove their intentions, then I do not know what will.”

Melody could only sputter in disbelief at Cresselia’s brazen claim. Flynn scowled straight at Cresselia, and the flames on his back flared out even more brightly, ready to fight if needed.

Thankfully, Palkia didn’t appear very convinced by Cresselia’s words. “This nightmare… should be trivial for you to dispel, Cresselia. That is your primary duty, is it not?”

Cresselia grimaced slightly at the words. “I… of course I can purge this nightmare. But only once we have cut off the source. That is why these two troublemakers must be eliminated immediately.” She conjured a crescent-shaped blade of psychic energy in the air beside her, its sharpened edge pointed right at Team Sunrise. “They are weakened and helpless, now. I will simply enter Spacial Rift on my own, and-”

Palkia’s gaze hardened further. “Do not presume to trespass on my domain without permission, Cresselia. I do not take kindly to such intrusions. Even from one such as you.”

“…Of course, Lord Palkia. I meant no offense.” Cresselia bowed her head deeply, which helped to hide the frustration in her eyes. “It simply seemed the most prudent solution. With your permission, I can deal with these two swiftly, and wake you from this nightmare as soon as I am done.”

“No,” Palkia replied bluntly. “Purge this nightmare now. I will eliminate the distortion myself, through whatever means prove necessary.”

Cresselia let out a sigh. “I am telling you, it would be far more inefficient. With all due respect, you do not know how difficult dispelling this kind of nightmare is.”

“But I do.”

The whole group jolted in surprise as a new voice suddenly spoke up in their minds. Cresselia angrily gritted her teeth, glaring around in every direction to try and search for the source.

A bright flash of light briefly overtook the area, forcing Melody to squeeze her eyes shut. When she opened her eyes again, she couldn’t help but double-take at the sight.

“A-A… second Cresselia?”

Sure enough, this new arrival was a perfect mirror image of the Cresselia they’d already been speaking to. At least, aside from the looks on their faces. While the first Cresselia had been consistently aggressive and angry every time Melody had seen her, this new one just seemed… sad. Her eyes shone with a mix of disappointment and melancholy as the two mirrored pokemon held each other’s gaze.

The newcomer’s eyes flashed. A brilliant, glowing light began to envelop the first Cresselia’s body, and she rapidly looked about in a panic. With a scowl, the first Cresselia angled her Psycho Cut at the doppelganger, as if ready to attack. But before she could try, the light intensified, swallowing up both the psychic blade and the one who’d conjured it.

When the light faded a moment later, the first Cresselia was gone, replaced by a vastly different pokemon. Its body was pitch black, with a jagged, bright red collar around its neck. A wispy, fog-like white plume billowed from the pokemon’s head, mirrored on either side by darker shrouds extending from its shoulders. Only the pokemon’s left eye peeked out from amid the plume on its head, but it still glared with all the same intensity that the first Cresselia always had.

“So close… so very, very close,” the shadowy pokemon growled. Its voice was low and gravelly, distinctly masculine, in stark contrast to the apparent illusion that had just been shattered. “But you truly never do give up. You would chase me to the very ends of the earth, wouldn’t you, Cresselia?”

“You do not give me a choice,” Cresselia said. “Your actions have thrown the entire world into turmoil, Darkrai. You very nearly succeeded in getting these two poor souls killed. And…” Her face hardened, a mix of anger and hurt warring in her eyes. “…And to think that you would go so far as to pose as me, just to further lie and manipulate these pokemon…”

Darkrai gave a low, dark chuckle. “Ah, yes. How inconsiderate of me,” he said, his voice deeply bitter. “Heavens forbid your pristine name get dragged down to my level.”

“That is not…” Cresselia shook her head, and let out a sad sigh. “…You are so fixated on this scheme. Lies, deceit… targeting innocent children with your nightmares… and all just to remove an obstacle to your plans.” She locked eyes with him. “Is this truly how far you have fallen, Darkrai?”

For a long moment, the two were locked in a silent stare-off. Eventually, Darkrai shook his head. “…Spare me your lectures, Cresselia,” he spat. “We both know I never had anywhere to fall from. All I have done is embrace my true nature. I am a being of nightmare and deception. Nothing more, and nothing less.”

Cresselia winced at those words, her expression growing more pained. She opened her mouth as if to respond, only to close it a moment later and shake her head again.

Through the duo’s entire argument, Melody and Flynn could only watch in stunned silence. Things had shifted so suddenly – a part of Melody was still deeply fearing for her and her partner’s lives – and it took a minute for her mind to catch up. As the words finally began to sink in, her gaze drifted back and forth between the arguing pair, her eyes narrowing as confusion gave way to understanding. “So… the Cresselia we’ve been seeing all this time…”

“Was actually Darkrai in disguise, yes,” Cresselia said with a nod. “I apologize for not intervening sooner. I have been trying to track him down again for weeks, but he has grown very good at covering his own trail.”

Melody was about to ask something more, when Palkia suddenly took a loud, floor-shaking step forward. “I have heard enough. You, Darkrai… you would dare try to deceive me? What are you trying to accomplish?”

Darkrai did not flinch at all, as he slowly lifted his head to meet Palkia’s gaze. “…You would like the truth? Very well. I shall give you the truth, then.” He turned towards Team Sunrise, before adding, “All of you.”

He held a hand up to his face, his claws glowing with a faint dark energy. “This nightmare…” He snapped his fingers, and the surroundings began to shift, taking on the appearance of the ruined Treasure Town from Azurill’s dream. “…and the unending nightmares that Azurill and others have fallen into… I am the cause of all of it.”

A thin wisp of flame slipped unbidden from Flynn’s snout. He looked like he was just barely holding himself back from trying to attack Darkrai right there and then. Melody couldn’t remember ever seeing him quite this angry. It was a little intimidating… though she couldn’t deny feeling some of that same anger welling up in her own heart.

Darkrai looked almost amused as he looked down on Team Sunrise. He turned back towards Palkia, who looked to be rapidly running low on patience, and let out a dark laugh. “And another thing… The constant, ever-growing distortions in space…” Another snap of his fingers, and a small, glowing crack seemed to suddenly form in the air beside him, an unnatural purple light shining forth from within. “…These are my doing, as well.”

Palkia’s eyes widened in rage. “You…” With a slash of Palkia’s claws, the space around Darkrai violently ruptured. Melody and Flynn nearly tumbled back from the force of the blast, their eyes tightly closed on instinct.

After a moment, Melody managed to blink away her daze… and saw a several foot deep tear in the ground where Darkrai had once stood. There was no trace of him; for a brief moment, Melody dared to think he might actually be gone.

“An impressive display of power.” Darkrai’s voice rang out through the entire chamber, seeming to come from everywhere at once. “But we are in my domain, Palkia. Even you cannot hope to harm me from within the depths of a nightmare.”

“Rrgh…” Palkia glared around the small dream world. “When I find you… you will regret ever trying to tamper with the fabric of space.”

“Perhaps. But I suspect you will find yourself too busy repairing my handiwork, for the time being.”

As Palkia silently fumed, Melody couldn’t help but nervously glance around. It felt a little unnerving to be back in this ruined version of Treasure Town again… especially knowing that Darkrai was still around here somewhere, watching them…

She turned her head again, and nearly let out a yelp as she suddenly found Darkrai floating right beside her.

“As for you, Team Sunrise… you are more than welcome to come and challenge me, should you wish.” Melody couldn’t see Darkrai’s mouth, but the glint in his eyes and the tone in his voice gave the impression of a taunting smirk. “I am sure you both are eager for revenge, now that you know what I have done.”

Melody quickly backed away, the beginnings of a Thunderbolt gathering in her fur on instinct. But she knew it was pointless. If even Palkia’s attack had done nothing, then she and Flynn certainly wouldn’t be able to harm Darkrai here.

Darkrai turned his focus to Cresselia. In an instant, his affable demeanor dropped away, his eye narrowing in distaste. “That goes for you as well, my dear Cresselia,” he spat. “You never did know when to let things go. I can’t imagine you’ll start now.” His body began to fade out into thin air, but he continued speaking all the same. “I will be in the deepest part of Dark Crater. Do not keep me waiting.”

Even once Darkrai’s shadowy form had completely vanished, the air still felt unnerving and oppressive. Melody kept her guard up, unable to shake the feeling that Darkrai was still watching from somewhere. She shared a brief, pleading look with Flynn, before they both glanced over at Cresselia. “W-What… do we do, now?”

Cresselia hesitated for a moment, a somber sigh escaping her as she looked up at the dream world’s sky. “For the time being… I believe it would be best for me to focus on purging the nightmares Darkrai has caused.”

She turned to meet Palkia’s gaze. “Starting with this one, of course. I trust that, once you awaken, you should be able to return these two to where they belong?”

Palkia silently glanced over at Team Sunrise. Melody instinctively flinched at first. But the Legendary’s gaze was different, this time. His face was calmer, more collected… perhaps even regretful. “…I will want to examine their innate distortion more closely,” he said eventually. “But… I suspect there will be little reason to keep them here, yes.”

Melody let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. It wasn’t a definitive answer. Even if Darkrai had been lying, Palkia had confirmed that they truly were distorting space, somehow. But it… Melody had to hope this was a good sign.

Cresselia’s wings began to shimmer with light. Slowly, the entire dreamworld around them started to fade away into nothingness. Melody’s head began to feel foggy, and she had to lean against her partner’s side for support.

The last thing the Skitty registered before she lost consciousness was Cresselia’s voice from within her head. “I will see the two of you in the waking world, once I am done with my business here. Until then, rest well. You have earned it.”

---

The Wigglytuff Guild had been a buzz of activity all morning. The apprentices still had precious little to go on, in trying to search for a solution to the spacial distortions. But with the stakes as they were, everyone had been ready and determined to do what they could.

Then Chatot had informed the guild that Team Sunrise had suddenly up and vanished without a word. They weren’t at their base in Sharpedo Bluff, none of the shopkeepers in town had seen them… even Lapras, who they had apparently made arrangements with the evening prior, had no clue where they were.

More worryingly still, their treasure bag had been left abandoned on their floor. Wherever they had gone, they didn’t have their supplies with them.

The events of yesterday still hung fresh in the guild’s memories; Azurill’s nightmare, Cresselia’s supposed claims about the only way to stop the distortions… and how shaken up Melody and even Flynn had been at the whole thing.

No one wanted to think that the pair may have done something rash, but… until they turned up again, it was a disturbing possibility.

With that, the guild’s already hectic search had been expanded. Not only did they need to find a lead on the distortions, they were also looking out for where Team Sunrise had gone.

Loudred frowned at the wall, tapping a foot in frustration as he stood beside the sentry tunnel. It was almost noon now, and nobody’d come back with any info on either of their problems yet. Loudred could be a patient guy, sometimes; you had to be, to do this job without going loopy. But in a situation like this… he was wearing thin.

A part of him wanted to just say ‘shove it’. Ignore his duties, and head out to go look with the others. But he knew somebody had to stay and watch the guild.

He groaned. He supposed the only thing he could do was hope that someone brought back news soon-

“W-Whoa!” The sound of Diglett crying out in surprise from his sentry post made Loudred snap to attention. “Uh… pokemon detected? Pokemon detected?”

“Whose footprint!? Whose footprint!?” Loudred shouted down the tunnel.

“They aren’t standing on the grate right. But… wait…” Diglett trailed off, and Loudred heard the ground-type start quickly digging up to the surface.

“Diglett!? Who IS it!?” Loudred waited only about a second for an answer. With none forthcoming, he started running for the stairs. Whoever it was, it didn’t sound like just another team coming to use the job boards. With any luck, somebody’d finally figured something out. Or maybe it was even Team Sunrise themselves, coming to clear up where they’d been. Loudred would be sure to yell their ears off for worrying them all for the whole morning, but he’d mostly just be relieved to see them alright.

When Loudred reached the ground floor, he found he was half-right. Team Sunrise were waiting just outside the guild’s door… passed out partway on the grate, and looking like they’d been through an absolute wringer.

Diglett had popped up just beside them, a wide-eyed look on his face. Though his gaze was partly focused on another pokemon floating a short distance away. Loudred had never seen the pokemon himself, but given its appearance, he had a feeling he knew who it was.

“Hello,” Cresselia said. She glanced softly down at Flynn and Melody, before turning her attention to the gatekeepers again. “I will explain everything as best as I am able. But first, I believe these two could use some healing.”

---

Some time later, Melody finally started to regain consciousness. She tried to gently sit up, only to wince slightly as her stomach brushed against the rough straw beneath her. Her whole body just felt sore and tired. But for some reason, there was a thin line running straight down her middle, from her head all the way to her tail, that felt especially tender.

She slowly cracked open her eyes, and raised her head slightly to look around. To her surprise, she realized she was back in the guild. One of the empty crew rooms, by the look of it. How had she gotten here? She wracked her foggy, half-awake brain, trying to remember…

Palkia’s form flashed in her mind. She nearly jolted out of the bed, suddenly urgently on guard. Was Flynn alright? They needed-

“Please, just take it easy,” a light, bell-like voice spoke from nearby. “You two have already been through a lot today, by the sound of it. You need to rest.”

Melody turned towards the voice, and spotted Chimecho hovering nearby. The psychic-type wore a caring smile, but there was a firmness in her eyes all the same. Slowly, Melody settled back down, her gaze continuing to gently drift around the room.

To her immense relief, she found Flynn resting in another bed, just a few steps away. The Cyndaquil looked about as worn out as Melody felt, but he gave a small, tired smile as he noticed Melody looking at him. Melody smiled back, her body relaxing a bit as she tried to get comfortable in the rough straw bed.

“You two gave us quite a scare, you know,” Chimecho said. Melody felt a gentle psychic hold envelop her as Chimecho floated closer to examine her. “You weren’t in your home when Chatot came to talk with you this morning. We were afraid of where you might have gone, considering… everything from yesterday.” She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Then right around noon, you suddenly appeared on the guild’s doorstep, both pretty badly hurt… Cresselia was able to explain some of the situation, but we were all caught quite off-guard at first.”

Melody perked up her ears at that. “Cresselia is here?”

Chimecho nodded. “She arrived the same time you both did. While I was focused on treating the two of you, she was able to cure that awful nightmare that Azurill was suffering from.” A warm smile lit up her face. “The poor kid’s still pretty shaken up, but he’s doing better. At least he’s awake now.” She let out a quiet giggle. “He actually wanted to wait here and thank you two when you got up, but Marill convinced him to leave that for another day.”

Melody felt her heart lighten at that. She had been so scared for poor Azurill… for anyone that could have been trapped in those nightmares. If Cresselia truly was able to cure them… it was a massive load off her mind.

“Speaking of waiting for you to recover…” Chimecho turned towards the doorway, her bell ringing out as she swayed side to side in the air. “They’re awake, everyone!”

The rustle of footsteps began to sound from down the hall. One by one, several of the guild members poked their heads into the room, relieved smiles on their faces.

“O-Oh, thank goodness,” Bidoof said. “You two had us worried, by golly.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Sunflora said.

Thankfully, they knew better than to crowd Team Sunrise right now. Most of them were content to remain in the hall outside, offering well wishes and kind words. Melody smiled back, tired and sore but glad to be around friends.

“Hey hey, is it true you two fought Palkia? How’d you manage to beat him, hey hey?”

“Corphish, save it for LATER,” Loudred piped up, in what was a relatively restrained indoor voice for him. “Just let them be for a bit.”

Corphish looked like he was about to respond, when the sound of someone softly clearing their throat made the guild members glance back. A few of them quietly stepped aside, making room for Cresselia to float slowly into the room, flanked on either side by the Guildmaster and Chatot.

“Hello, Team Sunrise.” Cresselia bowed her head slightly in greeting. “I am pleased to have the chance to meet the two of you in person. Even if the circumstances are not ideal.”

Melody noticed Flynn tense slightly as Cresselia entered the room. But after a moment, he appeared to relax a bit. Melody, for her part, nodded politely up at Cresselia. “I-I, um… I guess it’s… nice to properly meet you as well. The real you.”

“I am sure you both still have a lot of questions,” Cresselia said. “About me, about Darkrai… about everything that has been happening.”

That was an understatement. It took Melody a moment to decide where to even start. “Chimecho said… you were able to wake Azurill up? He’s… he’s going to be alright?”

Cresselia nodded. “Yes. I have purged Azurill’s nightmare. I’ve been told there are a couple other afflicted pokemon here in town; with luck, I should be able to cure them within the day.” She let out a sigh. “I am sure there are more afflicted pokemon elsewhere as well. But that may have to wait until we have dealt with Darkrai directly.”

Melody shuddered, her worries about her sister briefly resurfacing. She shook her head, taking a deep breath to try and steady herself. “…Why is he doing this? W-Who even is Darkrai?”

Cresselia hesitated. “Darkrai is… in some ways my opposite. We both have the power to view dreams, travel between them, and even shape them to our will. But Darkrai… he can only produce bad dreams. His mere presence can cause those sleeping nearby to fall into terrible, unending nightmares.” She sighed. “I am the only one immune to his effects, and the only one able to cure them.”

That did explain some things, Melody supposed. Every time they’d encountered ‘Cresselia’, until now… had been in dreams. Either their own, or someone else’s. Darkrai didn’t show himself in person, because he couldn’t try and trick them that way. He could have tried to fight them directly. But instead, he’d tried to manipulate them like this. Played on their guilt, and their fear. Tried to get them to…

Flynn shook his head, his back lightly sparking with anger. “…Why us?”

“I believe… he sees you as a threat,” Cresselia said. “You have already stopped the collapse of Temporal Tower. He knows how strong you are, and he knows that you would not stand idly by and allow whatever he has planned.”

“What about Palkia?” Melody asked.

“Palkia has remained in Spacial Rift, where he will be attempting to locate and repair all of the damage that Darkrai’s distortions have caused. With any luck, I do not believe the two of you will need to cross paths with him again, any time soon.”

“S-So…” Melody pushed down a nervous lump in her throat. She wanted to believe that meant they were in the clear, but she needed to hear it straight from Cresselia’s mouth. “S-So… are Flynn and I… do we n-not distort space, j-just by existing? Do we not need t-to…?”

Cresselia hesitated for an agonizing moment, thinking through her words. “…You are distorting space,” she started, making Melody’s whole body tense. “Palkia was able to confirm that much. You are both tied, to differing degrees, to a future that has ceased to be. However… your distortion is very small; too minor to harm anything, outside of temporarily disrupting Spacial Rift’s portal network. And provided you do not start traveling through time again, Palkia does not believe your distortion should ever grow, on its own.

“In other words…” Cresselia paused, a genuine smile growing on her face. “No. Your existence is not a danger. You do not have to die, just to save the world.”

The wave of emotion that rolled over Melody at those words left her speechless. She turned to face Flynn, her vision going watery and her legs wobbling unsteadily beneath her. Flynn silently smiled at her, a hint of moisture in his own eyes.

Despite her sore body’s protests, Melody practically leapt at her partner, burying her face in his side as the tears of joy and relief began to flow freely. Flynn let out a groan, shoved back slightly by the impact. But after a moment, he wrapped a gentle arm around her, and leaned his head against hers. She felt him plant a soft kiss on her forehead, and her heart swelled.

“…Told you it’d work out,” she heard him whisper, barely loud enough to hear. She gave a sobbing laugh at that, and leaned further into the embrace.

In the back of her mind, she knew the others were all still here. She could faintly hear a giddy refrain of “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” coming from the entrance, as well as a lighthearted chuckle from what sounded like Loudred. She knew in different circumstances, she’d be embarrassed. But in the moment, she couldn’t find it in her to care.

Things were going to be okay. They were going to be okay. Right now, that was all that mattered.

A part of her would have liked to just stay in that moment forever, if she could. But eventually, she heard the sound of Cresselia clearing her throat again. Melody pulled away, letting out a teary sniffle as she lifted her head and turned to face the others.

“I am truly sorry to interrupt,” Cresselia said, “but there is still one matter we need to discuss.”

Melody let out a sigh. “…Darkrai’s challenge.”

Cresselia nodded. “It is very unlike him to be so open, like this. To announce his location, and plainly invite you to come and fight him…

“…It’s a trap,” Flynn spoke up, a deep frown on his face. “But what choice do we have?”

“Not much, I suppose,” Cresselia conceded. “We cannot let him continue on like this.”

“Where is Dark Crater?” Melody asked.

“It is on an island to the northwest. It is a harsh, volcanic region; even without Darkrai’s involvement, it is not the kind of place you would want to travel lightly.” Cresselia’s face was gravely serious as she glanced between the pair. “If we are to do this, you will need to prepare yourselves. Get your supplies in order, and rest and recover tonight. We can set out at dawn. Agreed?”

Melody shared a solemn look with Flynn. Without hesitation, they both nodded in unison.

“Agreed.”

---

After a bit more discussion, Cresselia left Team Sunrise to their rest. The other guild members mostly followed suit, offering wishes of good luck as they quietly trickled out of the room.

Wigglytuff himself was the last to leave. He pulled the pair of explorers into a hug, mercifully gentle despite the Guildmaster’s immense strength, before Chimecho convinced him to leave too.

Later that afternoon, once Flynn and Melody had recovered their strength more, they left the guild and started the long walk back home. They took their time, winding leisurely through town rather than taking the most direct path. Melody quietly hummed a cheerful, upbeat tune, her tail gently wrapped around Flynn’s side as they walked. Flynn smiled.

Despite the looming danger of tomorrow, and the slight lingering soreness, they were both in higher spirits than they’d been in a while. After weeks of their dreams being haunted, and being told they couldn’t be allowed to exist, having that burden finally lifted… they both just felt immensely glad to be alive.

After picking up their treasure bag from Sharpedo Bluff, the pair headed back out to start preparing for the next day’s journey. At Cresselia’s suggestion, they picked up a trio of chesto scarves; they could not afford to let Darkrai lull them to sleep, at any point. The Kecleon brothers freely offered to lend the team a set at no charge, given the circumstances. Even though Team Sunrise could have easily afforded the scarves if they’d needed to, they still appreciated the gesture.

The rest of the day passed by all too quickly. Before Flynn knew it, the sun had set, dinner had been quietly eaten, and the couple were settling down for bed.

A little bit of the worry the two of them had pushed off started to come back. Tomorrow would not wait much longer. The situation had gotten better, but they both knew they weren’t out of the woods.

Flynn felt Melody shiver a bit as she settled in against his side. “F-Flynn… about t-tomorrow… D-Do you think…?”

“…We’ll get through this,” Flynn interrupted, managing to keep any doubt out of his voice. “We will.”

For a long moment, Melody’s only response was a gentle purr.

Whatever happened, the two of them would face it together. That was all that mattered, as far as Flynn was concerned. They had been through worse, and they would get through this too.

As Melody started to drift off, she whispered three short words, just loud enough for Flynn to hear.

Flynn gently nuzzled the Skitty’s forehead, and responded in kind. “…Love you too, Melody.”

---

Nearly half-an-hour had passed.

The wind had picked up slightly, as the night drew on. The sound of the breeze mixed with the gentle lapping of the waves far below the bluff, forming a fairly relaxing combination. The open maw of Sharpedo Bluff gave a decent view of the clear, starry sky outside.

Despite it all, Flynn couldn’t sleep.

The lingering thoughts about today, the anxious tension for tomorrow… the memory of what had interrupted their sleep last night… It all continued to roll around in Flynn’s head, leaving him feeling restless and uneasy.

He glanced to his side. Melody was sound asleep, her mouth curled up in a peaceful, adorable smile as she leaned against his back. The sight made Flynn smile back. It was good that one of them was getting rest, at least.

After a few moments, he let out a faint sigh. He needed to clear his head somehow. Maybe step outside for a minute, and just get some air.

It was not an easy task to slip out from beside Melody without waking her up. But Flynn eventually managed. He softly lowered her head down to the bed, hoping that she could make do without her ‘pillow’ for just a bit. He tiptoed over to the stairs, before climbing up and stepping outside.

As it turned out, he wasn’t the only one out there that night. Flynn drew in a sharp breath as he noticed Cresselia floating near the edge of the bluff, gazing silently out at the ocean.

…Flynn knew this wasn’t the same Cresselia who’d been haunting their dreams recently. He knew that this Cresselia, the real one, was actively on their side. But he couldn’t deny feeling uneasy at the sight of her, all the same. For better or worse, the last couple weeks had left their mark, and would not be so easily forgotten.

Shaking his head, Flynn quietly stepped forward, taking a spot a couple steps to the side of Cresselia. The psychic-type perked up slightly in surprise at the sound of his approach. She glanced over at him. For a moment, it looked like she was about to say something. But after a while, she turned towards the ocean again.

A long silence followed. Flynn wondered what had brought Cresselia out here in the first place. Just trying to clear her mind a bit? He supposed he was doing the same thing, and he couldn’t blame her for enjoying the view from here.

“I… would like to apologize again,” Cresselia spoke up eventually. “You two shouldn’t have gotten wrapped up in all of this.”

Flynn grimaced slightly. He shook his head. “…Not your fault. Can’t blame yourself for Darkrai’s actions.”

Cresselia didn’t respond at first, her expression hard to read. When she did speak up, her words caught Flynn by surprise. “…Sometimes I question that.”

Flynn cocked his head at that. He thought back to her words in Palkia’s nightmare. How familiar she and Darkrai clearly were with each other. Back in the guild, she had said that she and Darkrai were opposites; a being of good dreams, and a being of nightmares. Flynn would have thought the two of them would be hated rivals. But the way she had spoken to Darkrai…

Cresselia seemed to pick up on the curiosity on Flynn’s face. She let out a quiet sigh. “He wasn’t always this way,” she said. “Darkrai never used to want to subject others to his nightmares. For the longest time, he sequestered himself on a small island far away from any other pokemon, just to try and get the world to leave him be. He was… almost timid at times, if you can believe that.”

Flynn really couldn’t, truthfully, given what he’d seen of Darkrai thus far. Though he wouldn’t say that out loud.

“Unfortunately, no matter how far he secluded himself, it was never enough. Pokemon would still find their way to his island. Some were lost. Others were explorers. But it always ended the same way. They would find themselves lost in a deep, troubled sleep, and I would have to come and break them out of it.”

Cresselia idly plucked a leaf from a nearby tree with her psychic grasp. “I… I tried to offer Darkrai some amount of companionship, whenever I was near his island. I was the only one who could, after all. And for a time, I thought we truly did form a sort of bond. It was nice to have someone to talk to, and while Darkrai never admitted it, I know a part of him savored the company as well. But… even at the best of times, he could be rather cold and distant. Especially whenever I spoke of any dream I had brought to another pokemon.” With a sigh, she let the leaf go, and it fluttered away in the breeze. “I could tell he envied me. But what could I do?”

Flynn remained politely silent. He certainly didn’t envy Darkrai’s situation. Flynn imagined if his distortion had been that way… if he had been forced to hide away forever to avoid causing damage, perhaps without even Melody’s company… it sounded lonely and miserable.

After everything Darkrai had done, though… to him, to Melody, even to little Azurill… Flynn would be lying if he said this was enough to make him feel all that sorry for Darkrai.

“The real breaking point, however, was when certain… rumors began to spread. Stories of a horrible ‘nightmare beast’ began to reach the mainland, thanks to some of the pokemon who’d encountered Darkrai before. And those stories caused even more pokemon to find their way to Darkrai’s home. Some were merely curious, but others…”

“…Tried to attack him?” Flynn spoke.

Cresselia nodded, her expression turning grim. “I was not there when it happened. I only saw the aftermath. Darkrai had been injured, attacked by a misguided Heracross who believed that slaying Darkrai would put a stop to all nightmares. Darkrai claimed he had only defended himself by putting the Heracross to sleep. But… I suspect that was the first time Darkrai truly took pleasure in trapping someone in a nightmare.”

Her wings drooped, and she let out a sigh. “To this day… I wonder if there is anything I could have done back then. Perhaps, if I had been there on the island at the time, or if I’d tried harder to break through to Darkrai, afterward… or perhaps, there was really nothing I could do. Perhaps things were always going to turn out this way, and Darkrai was always going to go down this path. I suppose I’ll never know.”

Flynn wasn’t quite sure what to say. He wasn’t sure there was anything to say, really. So he remained quiet, waiting for Cresselia to continue.

“After that day, Darkrai started to truly change for the worse. He grew more and more bitter, and began actively pushing me away. He ventured out from his island for the first time in centuries, as if wanting to be found. And the pokemon he crossed paths with suffered increasingly intense nightmares, as he tested his powers and learned how to shape the dreams more willfully.

“For a long, long time, all I could do was try and follow his trail, and cure the pokemon he left in his wake. Then, some months back… his trail seemed to go cold. I stopped finding as many nightmare victims. I still could not find Darkrai himself, but for a while, I dared to hope he was turning over a new leaf. But…” Cresselia shook her head. “It’s clear now that he was merely pursuing a new scheme.”

“Why is he distorting space, now?” Flynn asked. “And how?”

“I could not tell you, precisely. I do not know how Darkrai has managed to learn such a power, or what his intentions are. Though…” Cresselia gazed out at the ocean solemnly. “I suspect we will find out soon enough.”

Flynn’s thoughts turned to tomorrow again. They would need to be as careful as possible. They could only guess what kind of traps Darkrai would have waiting for them.

“I… would like to hope there could still be a chance for Darkrai to change. But…” Cresselia’s face hardened with resolve. “…He cannot be allowed to continue like this. We must stop him… by whatever means necessary.”

For just that brief moment, Cresselia’s tone reminded Flynn of the fake who had haunted their dreams. Except her intentions could not be more opposite.

Flynn highly doubted that Darkrai would back down for anyone at this point, after everything he’d seen. But… he decided there was no harm in hoping for the best with her.

The Cyndaquil let out a quiet yawn. He glanced back at the entrance to the team’s base, and Cresselia’s eyes followed a moment later.

“I will not keep you any longer,” Cresselia said. “May you and your partner have good dreams, Flynn.”

Flynn nodded. “…You too.” He wasn’t sure if there was much point wishing good dreams to a pokemon like Cresselia, but the sentiment couldn’t hurt.

With that, he quietly cracked open the door to their base, and made his way back down the stairs. Melody had shifted a bit in her sleep, shivering slightly from the chilly night air as she lay curled up on their bed alone. Flynn carefully settled back in beside her, gently lifting her head to let it rest against his side. Melody quickly latched onto his warmth, and sleepily nuzzled against him.

Flynn chuckled softly. He looked into Melody’s face, wondering for a moment what she might be dreaming about.

Some minutes later, Flynn finally managed to doze off, joining Melody in peacefully contented sleep.