Escape through the Snow

According to Roz’s watch, it was early afternoon when Terry woke her up. Her arm was still sore from her captors trying to remove her holotab projector, but it was nothing debilitating. The two of them ate some of Natalie’s rations in silence before packing up and leaving.

Terry cautiously peered out of the cave to make sure the coast was clear. Seeing no one, they left. Roz couldn’t properly carry Terry, but by holding onto him, she could slow his descent just enough to let him awkwardly jog down the steep mountain slopes without tumbling. It was little more than a controlled fall, but it took a lot less energy than teleportation.

The path ahead offered little in the way of cover for several kilometers, but if they could just make it to the Frosty Forest it would be smooth sailing. At least in theory. Every minute of the hour-long trek across the rocky plains they expected the attack to come, but somehow it never did. Was it possible Archimedes had never been to Mt. Lithstone? It was a preposterous thought, but nothing else made sense.

Gradually, hard stone gave way to soft soil, and at long last, they passed into the trees.

~~~

Cold. So bitingly cold. Terry lamented the loss of the Weather Band, though he didn’t dare say anything. 

Useless. I’m so useless.

It took every last bit of his willpower to keep trudging through the waist-deep snow. Roz, of course, floated above like it was nothing. Her flashing fingertips were the only thing to break up the monotony of white. Wait, why weren’t they lit anymore?

Without warning, the Elgyem tumbled out the air. Terry forced his way through the snow toward the impression she’d left and frantically dug. Roz lay on the ground, eyes closed, fingertips unlit, unmoving. Terry grasped her hand and found it devoid of warmth. He maneuvered her onto his back with her arms over his shoulders. His club would’ve undoubtedly made the experience uncomfortable if she was conscious, but well, she wasn’t, and there was no way he was going to abandon it.

He carried her for what felt like hours, but he had no idea how long it really was. Every so often he thought he caught a glimpse of green and black out of the corner of his eye, yet it was always gone by the time he looked.

Ice started forming on the Cubone’s scales. But there was nothing for it, had to keep…keep…what was he doing again?

There was somewhere he was supposed to be, that’s right. There was something important in Zephyr Village. What was on his back again? It was really heavy and making it hard to keep walking so he let go. Huh, it fell immediately. Why wasn’t it strapped on if it was important? Was it important? Oh right! Roz! Terry bent down to pick her up. He tried lifting her onto his back again, but couldn’t manage to stand up straight. You’d think she wouldn’t be this heavy if she floats all the time.

Rather than picking her up, all he managed to do was fall over and pull her on top of him. Her body, slightly insulating his, may have been the only thing that kept Terry alive.

~~~

Terry awoke to a faint crackling noise. Groaning, he opened his eyes to see Roz laying on her side next to a fire, the sound of the crackling. 

“Oh good, at least one of you is okay.”

Terry turned to see an Absol standing on the other side of the flames. The tip of his horn was coated in metal, and a pack rested on the ground beside him. “I was worried I might be too late, or that the fire alone wouldn’t be enough. My disaster sense was going crazy. What are you two doing all the way out here? You don’t have proper clothing or equipment, not even Weather Bands! Are you crazy? You almost froze to death! I can’t believe how lucky it is I wandered this way! How long were you out?” The hyperventilating Dark-type finally took a moment to breathe. “You two must be really important because I got the feeling it would be really bad if you died out here.”

Terry groaned again. “Thanks for saving us. You probably don’t want to get involved any more than you already have though. We’re bad news.” The Cubone shuffled his way over to Roz. The Elgyem’s eyes were closed, but one of her fingertips flashed once every few seconds and her chest rose and fell, albeit slowly.

He put the back of his hand to her cheek and found it uncomfortably cold. Then again, he didn’t know what an Elgyem’s normal body temperature was. “C’mon Roz,” he muttered. “Don’t quit on me now.”

“My disaster sense calmed down a bit once I got that fire going so I think she might be okay,” Absol chimed in.

“I hope you’re right.”

“Why shouldn’t I be involved with you two? You said you’re bad news but I’m an Absol so…I’m kinda used to bad news.”

Interesting; he really didn’t seem to recognize them. “We’re…look, you don’t want to be seen with us. Trust me.”

The Absol looked around. “I don’t see anyone else. I don’t feel uneasy being around you. And remember,” He flicked his eyes up to his horn, “as an Absol, that means something.”

The Elgyem gave a soft groan and cracked open her eyes. Terry heaved a sigh of relief. “Terry…what happened?” she muttered.

“We both passed out. This Absol saved us.” Terry nodded toward their benefactor.

Roz pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “Thank you,” she said eventually. “How did you find us?”

“I followed a little worm into the woods when my disaster sense went off,” he answered. “Now that you’re both awake we should hurry to Zephyr Village though. You’re both way too exposed out here.”

Roz’s eyes widened. “Little worm?” she muttered. “Yeah, we need to get moving.” When she tried to get up, however, her legs buckled beneath her. “Ugh…not good. Too weak to fly…”

“You can ride on my back,” the Absol offered. He lowered himself down so she could climb up. “You should probably get on as well. You don’t look too happy with the cold,” he said to Terry.

“Thanks,” said Roz, “What’s your name, by the way?”

“O-oh right, I never introduced myself! I’m Sydney! What about you two?”

Terry helped Roz onto the Absol’s back, then climbed up himself to sit behind her. “I’m Roz,” the Elgyem answered.

“And I’m Terry.”

The Absol set off at a brisk walk slightly faster than Roz and Terry’s normal pace. He continued to try to get them to open up about what exactly they were doing out here, but they weren’t talking. Eventually, he gave up. “Alright. I…I guess I just met you after all.” Finally, they emerged from the trees into a snowstorm, though it couldn’t be called a full blizzard. Still, it was enough to severely limit visibility.

“We’re almost there. Hang on tight,” Sydney told them.

“To what?!” Terry protested.

The Absol took off running. It wasn’t quite a full sprint, but it was significantly faster than either of them went normally. “I dunno, to anything!” Terry wrapped his arms around Roz, who in turn held hers around Sydney’s neck.

Sydney somehow seemed to know where he was going, despite the endless field of white. Terry was sure they would get lost, but Zephyr Village was only a few minutes from the edge of Frosty Forest by Absol.

Snow and ice covered the wooden cottages, literally; the villagers had excavated paths to their doors, but even those were filling in. Terry couldn’t even tell what anything in town was built from due to the snow. The few Ice-types meandering about acknowledged them, but gave no other reaction. Maybe word about them hadn’t spread this far?

“Let me guess; it’s not supposed to look like this,” said Terry as he surveyed the surroundings.

“It’s not supposed to be this bad, that’s for sure.” Sydney led them to a partially exposed building and started pawing at it.

“Don’t you have a shovel or something?” Roz asked. 

“Um, I don’t have hands so I couldn’t really use one even if I did.”

Shovel or not, Sydney made quick work of the snow and revealed the door. “Come on in.” He pressed his paw down on the handle and it swung inward.

Once inside, Roz and Terry dismounted and Terry closed the door before any snow could pile in. The cottage’s interior wasn’t much warmer than the outside, which Sydney set about addressing. The Absol dug around in his pack for a piece of flint and set it in the fireplace, then struck it with his steel-capped horn. Once the wood ignited, he quickly pulled out the flint, and gently blew on the fire to stoke it. Roz and Terry gathered closer.

“Thanks for all your help Sydney,” said Terry.

“You’re welcome,” the Absol answered. He looked like he wanted to ask what they were doing again, but gave up and went to the pantry instead. He came back with a pair of Aspear berries. “Eat these. I don’t know how much they’ll help at this point, but since you both almost froze to death, they can’t hurt.”

“Thank you,” said Roz. After they’d eaten their berries she spoke up again. “I don’t know that it’s a good idea for us to tell you everything, but we’re here looking for a Ninetails. I think Terry knows more.”

“Not really,” said the Cubone. “He apparently had some connection with a Gengar, but I don’t know anything beyond that.”

“A Ninetails?” Sydney tilted his head thoughtfully. “There are a couple of Ninetails in town, but the only one I know of who’s said to have any connection to a Gengar is Boreas, and he’s dead.”

“What?” Terry gasped. “No! He was our only lead!”

“I’m guessing you won’t tell me what he was your lead to?” Sydney asked.

Roz and Terry exchanged looks. “I don’t know how much of a difference it makes at this point,” said Roz.

“We were hoping this Ninetails knew something about a Gengar in Crosswind Town,” said Terry. “I’ve heard Specter’s really old though, so Boreas might’ve died a long time ago. That’s assuming he’s even the right Ninetails.”

“Yeah, hard to say. Boreas died about 50 years ago. He was old; claimed to have lived for hundreds of years.”

“Aren’t Ninetails supposed to live for 1,000 years?” asked Terry.

“No more than all Cubone wear their mothers’ skulls,” said Roz. “Their lifespans are comparable to other Fire-types.”

“Um, Ninetails are Ice/Fairy-types,” said Sydney.

“What?” said Roz. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Pokémon? Not some sort of convergent species, like Wugtrio or Toedscruel?”

“I’m pretty sure I know what a Ninetails is,” said Terry. “Big white furry thing? Known for having nine tails? Evolved form of Vulpix?”

“All the Ninetails I know of are pure Fire-types with orange fur,” said Roz. “Well, I’ve heard some individuals are a sort of silvery color I suppose.”

Sydney tilted his head. “You’re an interesting one.”

Roz sighed. “Well, nothing we can do at this point anyway. I need to get some sleep. Actual sleep, not hypothermia-induced unconsciousness.” She did what she could to get comfortable on the wooden floor in front of the fire. “Maybe we can ask around in town tomorrow.”

~~~

“Wake up! Someone’s here!”

Roz bolted out from under her blanket and instinctively pressed herself against the ceiling. Terry was on his feet, club in hand. Sydney stood with his back to them, facing the door.

“Who is it?” Roz asked.

“I don’t know,” the Absol replied. “But I’ve got a real bad feeling about this.”

“Whoever it is won’t find us in here though, right?” Terry whispered.

Roz was sorely tempted to activate her presence sense. “Yeah, they will. I think we both know who’s here.”

“Who?” Sydney asked.

Heavy footsteps came from outside the cottage, followed by a soft knock at the door.

“They might still be tired from the journey,” Terry hissed. “Maybe we can take ‘em!”

Sydney looked back at the other two as if asking what he should do.

A familiar voice came from outside. “There’s no point in hiding. I know you’re both in there.”

It wasn’t like Roz or Terry were exactly at full strength. Still, what other option did they have at this point? Roz’s shoulders sagged. “Terry, whatever happens next, I’m sorry I dragged you into this. And Sydney. Thanks for everything.” The Elgyem floated toward the door, ready to accept her fate. 

“Roz, what’s going on?” Sydney asked.

“Whatever you do, don’t get yourself involved in what’s about to happen Sydney,” Roz warned.

Terry jogged up beside her. “Hey, don’t think I’m about to let you face this alone.”

“It’s not like I could dissuade you.” The Elgyem pushed the door open, unsurprised by who she saw on the other side.

The Head Rangers had definitely seen better days, but they were far better prepared than Roz or Terry had been. All three were bundled in clothes made from Mareep and Wooloo wool and carried spacious packs.

“Hello Roz,” said Archimedes. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“I know,” she answered. “So what happens now?”

“That depends. Are you going to come willingly?”

“Or are we gonna do this the fun way?” Flint added with a grin.

“You’re not even gonna let her explain herself?” Terry emerged and stood in front of Roz.

“That’s what the trial’s for,” said Archimedes. “Though since you’ve already admitted to collusion with humans, combined with Specter’s account of your…vessel, I don’t think there’s much to discuss.”

“Specter…what does he have to do with any of this?!” Terry demanded.

“Could somebody please tell me what’s going on?!” Sydney shouted.

The Head Rangers finally acknowledged him. “Hey Arc? Maybe we can take this outta this house?” Cliff suggested.

The Alakazam agreed. “Hm, yes, perhaps we should. Absol, if you must know, this Elgyem is a self-confessed human spy. She’s a wanted fugitive continent-wide.” He and his companions backed off, clearly expecting Roz and Terry to follow. Instead however, Sydney slipped past Terry.

“And what gives you the right to decide what that means? I sensed a catastrophe if anything happened to them. And I’m getting the same feeling from you. You’re the ones who’re bad news!”

Flint snorted. “Izzat so? You of all people should know how unreliable an Absol’s disaster sense can be.”

“It’s reliable enough for this. I think it’s too much of a coincidence that I sensed doom just before I found these two unconscious in the forest, only for it to go away once I warmed them up. Then it kicked in again just before you three arrived.”

Cliff raised an eyebrow. “Really. With everything that’s going on, you suddenly felt completely normal just because you stopped to help a couple of criminals?”

“W-well, not completely normal, but–”

“Enough of this,” Archimedes declared. “We finally have this interloper cornered. At long last we can put a stop to these disasters. Absol, get out of the way or face the consequences.”

So, it was really coming down to this, huh? Flint’s tail flame roared brighter than Roz had ever seen it. Cliff cracked his neck and knuckles. Even Archimedes spread his legs into a battle stance. This wasn’t just a duty to them–they relished it. Roz readied herself for combat. Terry tightened his grip on his club.

A hail of glowing green arrows thudded into the ground between the two parties. “I’ll be the one to say when it’s enough.” That voice…where had Roz heard it before? 

Everyone turned to see a green and black quadrupedal figure strolling toward them. One Roz had seen once before. It effortlessly walked over the snow as if it were solid ground, earning gasps from everyone present.

“Lord Zygarde,” Sydney breathed.

That was Zygarde? Other than the color scheme it looked nothing like any depiction Roz had ever seen. Then again, the color scheme was an exact match.

“You’re the one I saw in the forest,” said Terry.

“Yes,” the figure responded. “I’ve been following you for a while now. I waited to intervene directly until I knew it was strictly necessary. Just as well I did, as I see you’re still getting yourself into trouble,” it said, looking directly at Roz.

Terry tilted his head at her in confusion. “Indeed,” Archimedes confirmed. “She’s a spy for those wretched humans. No doubt the cause of these disasters. If we can interrogate her–”

Zygarde cut him off. “Alakazam, do us a favor and be silent for a moment. Unlike you, I have actually met humans. They are, as far as I can tell, unconnected with the disasters.”

“What?! No! That can’t be! I’ve seen it in dreams! Visions! This whole thing was their plot to soften us up and invade again!”

“Hmph. Your so-called visions are, at best, caused by stress. As I said, I have met humans in person. They are, as a whole, a rather pleasant lot. They never had ambitions to conquer this planet.”

For the first time since she had met him, Archimedes stood in stunned silence, as did Cliff and Flint.

“Then…then where did those rumors come from?” asked the Tyranitar.

“That is a story for another time,” Zygarde answered. “For now, I’m more interested in learning what the Elgyem is doing here. After all, you were right about one thing: she isn’t from this planet.”

“No,” Roz admitted. “I’m not.”

Sydney’s soft “What?” was audible in the silence that ensued.

“So, what brings you to this one?”

Roz hesitated. There was a reason she had kept this a secret after all. Still, maybe it was time to finally tell. “To answer that, I need to go back to before humans ever came to this planet. Obviously, I wasn’t alive then, so this is just what I’ve heard.”

~~~

It came from nowhere and appeared from nothing. Pokémon fell ill by the tens of thousands. It wasn’t localized to one specific region either; the whole world was affected. The leading experts on infectious disease couldn’t identify a patient zero, or even a region of origin. Then, it appeared.

Everyone suspected it was a Pokémon, but it didn’t match any known species, not even Legendaries. It didn’t act like a Pokémon either, displaying a mindless aggression not seen since the days of ancient Hisui.

The few Trainers whose Pokémon were still well enough to battle tried to stop it, but even outnumbered ten to one it exhibited no signs of exertion, and those that battled it only fell ill. At long last, the source of the plague had revealed itself. Some of the more courageous Trainers tried to capture it, but it broke out of any ball thrown at it in an instant.

Still, the fact that Pokéballs had any effect at all suggested it could, at least in theory, be captured. Would it be possible to convince it to let itself be caught? Unlikely; no one knew what it wanted. It clearly had no need of a Trainer to reach its full potential, and if it had even more potential to reach, what sort of monstrosity would it grow into? No, with no way of defeating it in battle, the only option was to capture it regardless of its feelings on the matter. A device capable of such a thing was highly controversial. Even considering building one was taboo.

They called it the Master Ball. The ultimate Pokéball, capable of capturing any wild Pokémon without fail. The invader never lingered in place, and was sighted all over the world. Eventually, it was lured to Birth Island, where Hoenn’s champion waited. The Master Ball was a success.

Oddly, shortly after its capture, the pandemic quickly faded. Researchers immediately began trying to learn everything they could about the invader. The creature bore strong genetic similarities to viruses. They dubbed it Subject 386.

Study of 386 revealed the secrets of its incredible powers of teleportation, capable of traversing even the vastness of space. While this knowledge proved useful in everyday life, it also paved the way for exploring the cosmos.

Using technology developed from 386’s teleportation, the Mossdeep Space Program discovered a world inhabited only by Pokémon who had developed their own society. While relations between the two people eventually soured, some of that world’s Pokémon left with the humans when they returned home, an event that came to be known as the Great Departure.

The fully intelligent Pokémon integrated into human society. To distinguish them from the human world’s native Pokémon, they took the name peoplemon while the term feralmon referred to the world’s native Pokémon. Centuries passed and humans and peoplemon made great strides, integrating the natural powers of Pokémon into human technology.

~~~

“I’m descended from those Pokémon. Back home, I’m a scientist who studies Subject 386 to learn more about psionics. Occasionally, as part of our studies we…have to let it out. We try to keep it sedated at all times but…well…it got loose one day and teleported away.

“We didn’t know where it went, but we knew it would spell disaster wherever it ended up. We sent out scouts and probes to every corner of the galaxy hoping to confirm its location so we could recapture or neutralize it. I felt responsible for what happened so I volunteered. I always wanted to see this world, so I decided to check here.”

Roz clenched her fists. “I was never supposed to land on the planet’s surface. All I needed to do was look for traces of 386’s psychic signature from low orbit and report back. But somehow, I found myself unconscious in the Tiny Woods when Terry woke me up.

“The only way I can see that could’ve happened is if something damaged my ship and triggered the emergency escape system. When Terry told me about the disasters, the time when they started matched almost perfectly with when 386 escaped. We’ve never heard of it doing anything like this, but it seemed suspicious enough that I decided to investigate, especially since I had no way of getting back home. Once I learned about what’s been happening to the gods, I started to wonder if 386 somehow gained control over them and forced them to cause the disasters. I don’t know why it would do that, but it’s the best hypothesis I can come up with for now.”

Everyone took several moments to process Roz’s story. Finally, Terry spoke up. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“Our departure from this world was bad enough. How do you think I expected people to react to the news that my people could’ve released the monster that’s causing all of this?”

“That’s quite the story,” Zygarde remarked. “But you might be right. The other gods haven’t been themselves ever since the disasters started. I’ve even lost contact with pieces of myself.”

“Where have you been this whole time? Everyone’s been looking for you,” Archimedes asked.

“Hiding and investigating. I sensed something wrong with half of me, so the other half decided to split. Each of us has been searching for answers on our own. But yes, I have come to the same conclusion as the Elgyem. These disasters are caused by the gods themselves. Whether or not this “Subject 386” truly is responsible I cannot say.”

“But it’s not the humans.” Archimedes’ statement carried an implied question.

“I cannot rule them out conclusively. But I think it unlikely. If Roz’s hypothesis is correct, they have some indirect involvement. Possibly a deliberate act by some rogue faction. But no, I don’t think they’re trying to attack us. However, I believe I have gathered all the information I can alone. Elgyem, Cubone, what are your names?”

“Roz.”

“Terry.”

Zygarde nodded. “Roz, Terry, if you will permit me, I would like to join your efforts.”

“What?” said everyone at once.

“Lord Zygarde, with all due respect, wouldn’t my team be more suitable–”

“No. You acted far too drastically on baseless assumptions. You are too impulsive for this. Besides, you have a responsibility to maintain order and ensure the people are prepared for what lies ahead. If Roz is correct about 386, naturally she should be directly involved in this investigation.”

The Alakazam gritted his teeth. “I understand. Fine. Shall we return to Crosswind Town?”

“Unless you can think of anything else here that requires our immediate attention, yes, I believe we should.”

“Mt. Freeze is near her, isn’t it?” said Roz. “I assume Regice is there?”

“Indeed,” Zygarde answered. “I have already confirmed that Regice is afflicted the same way as any other god I have encountered. It is fortunate that its Speaker managed to escape,” it said, looking at Sydney.

The Absol pawed at the ground. “So, you know, huh?”

“Of course. I know who every Speaker is. You shouldn’t feel shame for running, Sydney. I presume the innate powers of your species warned you? They were right. Every other Speaker I’ve seen has been…not itself.

Sydney looked unconvinced. “I abandoned my duty. I have no right to call myself a Speaker.”

“Zygarde’s right Sydney,” said Terry. “Registeel’s Speaker went absolutely berzerk. He abducted a child and held him hostage. You know Regice, the real Regice, wouldn’t want you to get corrupted too.”

“Corruption,” mused Zygarde. “Yes, that is an apt description of what’s happening. In any case, we need to hurry and gather information while we still can. As I’m sure you’ve all noticed, things are only getting worse.”

“Yeah,” Roz said under her breath. She reached out a hand each to Terry and Zygarde. “I think it’s time we finally went home.”

~~~

Logbook entry #0774

Morphology: Zygarde (10%)–Fragment of the guardian of order. Responsible for maintaining the world’s stability. Subject has limited power in this state.

Legends suggest that Zygarde has the ability to split into pieces. While each piece holds only a small fraction of the original’s power, this allows it to be in multiple places at once; an ability that greatly aids it in its role as a monitor of the world’s balance.