To Never Awaken

"One more time."

The small creature readied its stance once more. The blue fur covering its fist shone brightly as it darted forward. A resounding explosion erupted from the impact. The large boulder shattered into countless miniscule pebbles. The creature shook the sting from its hand and examined its surroundings. The nearby campfire illuminated the rock face. Nearly all of the boulders had been reduced to rubble.

“Great job, Rio. You really got that move down quickly.” Kyle praised his Pokémon. The young Riolu crossed its arms as if to say, “Naturally.” A red creature of slightly taller stature darted behind it and smashed three boulders in quick succession. The Charmeleon stood among the wreckage striking a heroic pose with its fists on its hips. It authoritatively blew smoke from its nostrils.

“Yeah, yeah. You too, Pyrrhon. Nice Brick Break. Now quit showing off.” Kyle chuckled as he tried to defuse the taunt with a joke, but it was already too late. Rio simply ignored his egotistic comrade, eliciting an annoyed growl from Pyrrhon. It quickly closed in on Rio and threw a few punches before swiping at him with its tail. This got Rio’s attention as he dodged and began to return fire with a few punches and kicks of his own. Kyle sighed in defeat. “Dammit, you two.”

Yet another creature sauntered into the fray, but in no way was she a part of it. A string of lyrical “La-la-la’s” flowed from its mouth. The flowers on its head spun gracefully as she danced and twirled toward the brawling pair. “Lulu! Wait--” Kyle dashed forward to stop Lulu from colliding with the others. The happily singing Bellossom was blissfully unaware of their scuffle; this was accentuated by a sudden burst of spores from her flowers at the end of her dance. Kyle and the others were too stunned to react. The four began to quickly lose their remaining energy and became exceedingly drowsy. One by one they toppled to the ground, dead asleep.

A tall snake-like creature awoke from the sudden ruckus and fluidly slid toward the slumbering group. The effects of Lulu’s Spore had them deep asleep, but there was no doubt the day’s training had fatigued the party. The Dragonair called Nina watched the four as they lay passed out. She enveloped her tail in water and stamped out the campfire. Shortly after, she wrapped the group closely with her body. Like this, the five of them slept peacefully until morning.

…An overbearing darkness. The void, if you will. Nothingness plagued the boy’s dream. If it could even be called a dream in the first place. There was nothing to be seen nor heard. It wasn’t a nightmare. Yet.

Soon, blurry images began to sway into visibility. Tall structures with green protrusions lined the earth below. Trees maybe? And perhaps the boxes were houses; they were certainly large enough. A shattered image of a comforting place was thrown into chaos by an ‘unseen force’. Lights of orange and crimson danced wildly on the boxes called ‘homes.’ Black shadows imitating the form of humans scattered about in a panic. Their faces depicted no features, but their horrid screams reached his ears all too well. Maybe that was incorrect. If he was the same as these shadows, he wouldn’t have ears. Each silhouette disappeared from view at the touch of some ‘unseen force’. Even as they died, he could not run. He could not scream. It was like watching a play from which you cannot escape. The ‘unseen force’ would not allow it.

An ‘unseen force’…? That again? It’s the cause of all this. What the hell is it? Kyle should know the answer; he learned of it when he was awake. In this nightmare he could not remember. It was as if time had taken his knowledge, but returned no memory. All that remained was anticipation of the dream’s next few actions. As if on cue, the ‘unseen force’ appeared before him. A bright light bled from its form as it reached forward to grasp his skull. The burning houses and destroyed trees were blotted out by pure white. A sense of nothingness washed over him. He stared deeply at the ‘unseen force’, trying to make out a face. Its shape. A form he knew outside of his dreams.

He cringed. Not because pain was on the approach. He wouldn’t feel the end of his dream; he never did. A separate light crashed into the ‘unseen force’. Another shape he had come to recognize beyond the confines of his current unconsciousness. The impact blew him back. The sky quickly bathed itself in black once more. The void had returned. He was back to where he started. And he was so very tired…

Kyle calmly opened his eyes. It was morning. He gently looked around to see his Pokémon huddled around him, still asleep. He wouldn’t awaken with a start. This dream was a recurrent. Every night for three months this was all he could see in his dreams. After a while, he stopped trying to stay awake. Subsequently, he stopped screaming in the morning. He had almost adapted to the strange visions entirely. Unfortunately, it left him tired. He would go to bed, weary from the day’s events and awaken the next morning feeling no more rested. Every. Single. Day.

At the very least, he could identify the two figures. A Darkrai. A rare dark Pokémon colored white. The assailant of his dreams. The other light, his savior, a Mew. Its light was blue as the sky. Legendaries were not unheard of, but they were wildly rare. And finding two of discolors? He was lucky if the people he questioned didn’t laugh him out of the building. It’s hard to think something is real based on no real facts, but a dream. Harder still to convince others. The only ones who seemed to believe him were his own Pokémon. Kyle was truly grateful for them. They’ve kept him sane. That he knew wholeheartedly.

Kyle freed himself from Nina’s coil and began to clean the camp. Shortly after his movements the sun’s rays reached the site, stirring Rio from his rest. The rest of the team followed suit in order of Pyrrhon, Nina then Lulu. Each of them aided Kyle in leaving no trace of their stay.

“Thanks, guys.” Kyle said a bit wearily. His Pokémon had become accustomed to the morning aftereffects of Kyle’s dream. Lulu and Nina huffed visibly, to which Kyle replied with a smile, “And you girls. You know what I meant.” They were always there to elevate his spirits. He returned them to their respective pokéballs, with the exception of the Riolu.

“The next town shouldn’t be too far. Let’s get going, pal.” The two walked side by side down the path toward the next city. Maybe they’d find more of the answers they were searching for.

The sun’s rays viciously beat down upon Kyle’s head. “Geez, it’s so hot today.” Wearing a hat gave him little refuge from the surrounding heat. The city was still a ways off, maybe another hour’s walk. Kyle wasn’t sure he’d make it; the sweat on his brow needed wiping every few seconds. He didn’t understand why Rio looked so composed. “How the hell are you so comfortable? You’re covered in fur!” Kyle griped at the small Pokémon. It looked up at its trainer with a calm face and pointed to a large tree up ahead. “…Good idea.”

Moments later, the two lounged in the shade. It was still very hot, but the slight decrease in temperature was a Godsend. Kyle sighed deeply. “I need to catch a water type…” He was sitting with his back to the tree’s trunk. Rio sat to his left and simply watched nature pass them by. A flight of Pidgey soared by, followed by a couple Tailow zipping through the trees. A water bottle suddenly obstructed its vision. Kyle passed the canteen to his companion and spoke. “We’ll get going in a bit. Maybe there’ll be a nice, cool Pokémon Center we can rest at in the city.”

As he dug around in his bag for some trail food, Rio’s ears perked. Kyle hadn’t noticed a thing until a weighted object bounced off of his head, bending him uncomfortably forward. “Ow!! What the--” Kyle turned his head skyward to see a small cat-like creature scurrying up the tree. Kyle clicked his tongue in mild annoyance and procured a hand-sized red device from his pocket. He flipped it open and pointed it toward the creature, now lazily laying across a tall branch. A picture of the creature appeared on the Pokédex’s screen along with the name “Skitty”. His attention was snatched away from the machine by a tugging at his sleeve. Rio pointed to a girl running up to them.



“Duchess! Get down from there! Don’t be a bad kitty!”

At the sound of her cries, a pokéball at Kyle’s hip burst open. Pyrrhon materialized from the red glow, striking a heroic pose. “Oh god.” Kyle buried his face in his palm. His ‘gutsy’ Charmeleon began the climb before he could say any more. It reached the target branch and stood dexterously. The Skitty called Duchess turned and eyed it warily. Pyrrhon slowly offered its claw, to which Duchess responded with a sparkling Swift attack to his face. “Duchess, no!” The girl reprimanded her disobedient Skitty to no avail. It lunged forward and knocked Pyrrhon off balance with a Double Slap while he wiped his eyes. The whole event caught the Charmeleon off guard as it suddenly found itself hurtling toward the ground. “That was embarrassing…” Kyle held up Pyrrhon’s pokéball and caught it in the red stream, returning it to the ball and saving it from impact. Duchess laughed from its perch and whipped its tail in a taunting manner.

“Rio, do you mind?” The small creature shook its head and ran up the bark. The Skitty was on guard and ready to attack again. “Agility.” Kyle called from below. In a flash, Rio was behind the cat Pokémon and grabbed it by its tail and back. Hoisted into the air, it could do little more than struggle. Rio leaped down and landed in Kyle’s outstretched arms. He held Rio out to the girl, who held the Skitty to her as well. It scrambled out of Rio’s grasp and into her trainer’s arms. It hissed angrily.

“You need to spend more time with it. Or you could try battling or just training together. She seems new.” Kyle picked up his bag while talking to the girl over his shoulder.

“She listens to me during battle, she’s just a naughty kitty today. Aren’t you?” The girl scratched her Skitty affectionately. It purred in kind. The girl smiled warmly. Although her pet was sometimes a handful, today she managed to get something good out of it. "So... um..." She looked up to see the boy and his Riolu already a short ways down the path. “Wh--Hey, wait! I didn’t thank you yet!”

“It’s no problem…” Kyle answered without looking back. Rio simply answered with a wave.

“And I’m sorry that Duchess caused you trouble!” The girl began to chase after Kyle.

“It’s fine. Really.” He kept walking.

“Can I at least tell you my name?” She had almost caught up to him.

“No thanks.”

The girl stopped and stamped her foot. She shouted angrily. “Ka-kun, YOU JERK!!”

Kyle stopped and spun around. Rio was equally shocked as he looked back at the girl. After a silent moment, he managed to release the breath caught in his throat.

“What did you just call me?”

Bing-Bong!

A noise rang out as the PokéCenter doors glided shut. Duchess sat on the table eating a special breed of food. Rio sat on the bowl’s opposite, sharing the kibble with the Skitty. To their respective backs sat their trainers, currently deep in conversation.

“Kaito… Fujisaki…” Kyle repeated his name to himself. The girl sitting across from him, Yuuki, told him so. It sounded strange, but so familiar.

“That’s right. It’s a much better name than Kyle. That’s not even Japanese, Ka-kun.” Yuuki teased with her cheeks resting on her palms. Kaito, he decided to refer to himself properly, didn’t respond. It was simply a name he chose at random. The ‘K’ name initially felt right. That’s what he thought, anyway. That was of little consequence. What bugged him now was Yuuki’s memory of him.

“How… do you remember me?” He asked with uncertainty. Yuuki blinked, scrunched her face in confusion.

“What kind of question is that? I remember you because I know you. Duh!” She was right. The question was worded terribly.

“Sorry. I mean, it’s weird that you remember me.”

“Huh…? Shouldn’t I?”

“Maybe not. I don’t know. Everyone… everyone I’ve spoken to thus far hasn’t had a clue as to who I am. I even had to use a different name when getting my trainer’s license.” In the neighboring cities Kaito hadn't found a single soul who recognized his face. He had assumed he wasn't from the region at all. Kaito looked down at his half-eaten plate of food. Rio and Duchess had appeared to be at odds over their eating arrangement. Rio quickly solved this by acquiescing to the bratty Skitty. She wagged her tail happily while Rio sighed.

“Eh… That’s so weird. It’s one thing if you’ve got amnesia, Ka-kun, but nobody remembering you is just… hm.” Yuuki twirled a finger through her hair as she looked off toward nothing in particular. Kaito watched her. A familiar feeling seeped through him. She could remember him. That proves that he had a life before this. He didn’t just magically appear one day. He wasn’t crazy.

“So, why did you become a trainer? You just sorta woke up and decided that you wanted to have Pokémon?” Yuuki dug into her plate and continued eating. Kaito gulped. Would she believe him? They used to be friends, after all. She still appeared to consider him one. Rio turned slightly to give him a sidelong glance. Its eyes were saying, “Just do it.”

“I’m looking for something. A Pokémon; maybe two, actually.” He started with a bit of unease. Yuuki swung her feet below her chair in anticipation. Kaito continued. If he was going to tell her anything, he may as well tell her the whole deal. He started off with his first memories of waking up. He told her about his persistent nightmare. The shadows of people and a razed city. The two conflicting lights that sought to devour or save him. His search for any location similar to that of his dream. How his inquiries had turned up zero leads to the Pokémon in question. Yuuki had stopped eating by the story’s end.

A long silence passed between the two. It could have lasted for hours as far as Kaito knew. Suddenly, Yuuki broke the still atmosphere. “So, which is it?”

“What?”

“Which light are you looking for?” She looked away from Kaito, twirling her hair. That feeling again. Kaito watched her and answered slowly.

“You know… when I look at you, I get this nostalgic feeling…” He was smiling. He was remembering something for once. Whatever it was, it felt nice.

Yuuki’s eyes opened wide in surprise before once again darting away from Kaito’s gaze. Her cheeks reddened slightly. “Maybe… You remember a little after all.” She whispered to herself in a hushed voice.

“What did you say?” Kaito said after gulping down another mouthful.

“N-nothing!” Yuuki sat upright and began to shovel down her food. Duchess was now tolerating the aspect of sharing with Rio.

An hour had passed before Kaito and Rio set out. The sun hadn’t eased up on its assault in the slightest, but with a new destination in sight the boy couldn’t possibly sit still. He was beginning to regret his decision of leaving so soon, but for an entirely different reason than the heat. He stopped abruptly, Rio did the same as if they were on the same wavelength. The footsteps behind them audibly fumbled to a stop. Kaito’s brow furrowed in frustration.

“What are you doing?” He turned around to see Yuuki and Duchess walking a few meters behind them.

“What do you mean?” She replied sweetly. Kaito adjusted his hat to get a full view of his ‘stalker.’

“Listen, I appreciate the information you’ve given me, but you don’t have to follow me.” He was grateful to her. After all this time, he’d finally been given a lead. Only a couple cities away, possibly, lay the information he sought on a Pokémon bathed in light. He was more than grateful, but taking her along…? Yuuki sighed and pouted.

“You may have lost your memory, but you’re still the same old Ka-kun. Don’t be such a prude! Let me come, too!”

“I’d rather not. Things might get dangerous, you know.” Kaito turned away from her and resumed walking. Yuuki continued to follow.

“I know, that’s why I’m coming with you! I finally see you after all this time and you wanna just run off on some adventure without me…” Kaito didn’t reply. Instead he subtly looked down at Rio who returned his discreet signal. Yuuki laced her fingers behind her back and looked to the sky. “Honestly, Ka-kun! If you try to be a loner all the time how are you supposed to make any friends? You’ll just make the people around you worry. It’s okay to let people get closer--” She was snapped from her wistful reproach by an alarmed yelp from Duchess. She turned her eyes downward then to the path. Kaito and Rio were already far off in the distance. They were running away!

“AH! Kaito, you meanie! Get back here!” She gave chase after the boy, but he’d already established a hefty lead. Not to mention he was much faster than she remembered. Duchess could possibly catch up, but what good would that do?

The boy and his Riolu rushed onward into a thicket of trees. They raced full speed until the two suddenly jumped into a bush to the path’s side. There, they waited in silence. After a minute or two, the girl hot on their pursuit raced by. “Kaaa-kuuuun!! Waaaaaaiiiit!!!” After a few moments of silence, Kaito and Rio exited the bush and brushed themselves off.

“Hm. Too easy. Let’s take an alternate route to go around them. They’ll give up eventually.” He took two steps down the path before hearing a shrill cry from behind him. The duo stopped immediately. Rio gave Kaito a concerned look.

“I’m sure it’s none of our business.” Kaito dismissed the cry for help and took another step.

“Ka-kuuuuuuun!! Help meeeeeeee!!” Rio’s expression turned to impatience.

“That could be any ‘Ka-kun’.” Kaito shrugged. Rio was not amused; he accentuated this with a low growl. “…I know. Dammit.” They charged down the path to the screaming’s origin. The trees began to disperse as they zipped past a sign. He barely had enough time to make out the words ‘BRIDGE’ and ‘OUT’. Shit. A cliff stood in front of them, blocking passage to continue on the path. Yuuki was nowhere in sight. The cries had stopped.

Kaito stopped a few feet short from the cliff’s edge and looked over the side. His heart began to calm somewhat when he saw Yuuki hanging on to a stray tree root. Duchess clung to her waist bag with every last hair on her body standing straight. The bottom of the chasm was a mess of rocky spikes about 300 feet below. “Help me…” Yuukie groaned.

“Just hold on.” Kaito said calmly. He quickly ran back and took a rope from his pack. It wasn’t long enough to secure to something and reach Yuuki, but he had a plan. Tying the rope around a tree stump then himself, he procured one of the pokéballs from his belt. “Nina!” He called the Dragonair as it flew forth from its container. “Can you reach them?” Nina nodded and wrapped her tail around Kaito’s arm and dipped down toward Yuuki. She grasped the girl’s shirt in her mouth and carefully pulled them back up to safety. Once on solid ground, Yuuki managed to stop shaking.

“Oooh, I thought I was gonna die!” She said with a hard shudder. Kaito untied himself and approached her angrily.

“Are you stupid or something?! Watch where you’re going out here! Didn’t you see the sign?”

Yuuki hung her head in shame. “I guess I ran right by it. I’m sorry…” Tears began to well in her eyes as she slightly choked on her words. Kaito couldn’t retain his stern demeanor under the accusing looks he was receiving from Rio and Nina.

“Agh. Okay, I’m sorry. Just… be more careful. I don’t want you getting hurt, alright?” Yuuki looked up after his apology and smiled.

“Okay.” She replied weakly. Kaito looked at the cliff. It had to be at least 70 feet wide.

“Though I guess I can’t take this route after all. Looks like I’ll have to find a way around. Thank you, Nina.” He returned Nina to her ball and adjusted his hat, thinking.

“Leave it to me!” Yuuki suddenly sprang up and surprised them with her emotional 180. She picked a pokéball from her bag and tossed it. “Go, go, Mimichan!” A white creature with small colorful triangles on its belly flew forth from the red glow. Kaito immediately readied his Pokédex to identify it as a ‘Togekiss’. “Mimichan, take us across, would you?” The large aerial creature whisked the four onto its back in one swift glide and soared across to the cliff’s opposite before Kaito could protest. After landing safely, Yuuki thanked her Pokémon and recalled it. Rio stood shakily, still trying to grasp the situation. Kaito thought he was going to burst.

“YOU--! You have a Togekiss! A flying Pokémon!” To this, Yuuki replied with a simple, “Uh, huh! Told ya’ I wasn’t useless!”

“You never--! And I never said--!! AGH!!!” Kaito threw his hands up in frustration. He was about to unload when Yuuki’s eyes began to tear up again. “Ah, don’t-- just… fine. You can come.” He was fighting a losing battle anyway.

“Really?! Wait, you’re not just going to run away again are you?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Nope. Come on.” He walked past her.

“You know, I don’t know if I can trust you. Maybe I should shackle you or hold you captive or something.”

“Go ahead.”

“I really will, you know!”

Kaito stopped and held out his arm. Yuuki stopped as well and blushed heavily. “It’s a show of good faith. Sorry for running earlier and putting you in danger. If you’re going to follow me, I want you to trust me.” He stood motionless, waiting for her. After a moment, she crept forward and tentatively wrapped her arms around his outstretched left.

“It’s okay…” The girl spoke quietly. Kaito thought about how she had suddenly turned docile. Whatever; as long as they could finally continue.

“Throh, use Vital Throw!” The young trainer called an attack to his partner. The hefty, karate-robed creature lunged toward Rio.

“That’s too slow.” Kaito muttered to himself. “Rio, dodge but get in close!” Rio ducked the grab and slid in under its opponent. “Now, High-Jump Kick!” The small Riolu surprised the towering Throh by launching it into the air with a powerful kick to its stomach. The two Pokémon rocketed skyward.

“Quick Throh! Grab it!” The trainer scrambled to grasp his Pokémon’s situation. Throh’s hands closed in on Rio from above. It was far too late, however.

“Rio, roll into a Seismic Toss!” Rio shifted its weight forward and grabbed the opponent’s feet. Their spin increased in velocity until the rolling blur slammed into the earth below. Rio back-dashed out of the dust cloud and stood defensively. The smoke cleared to reveal an incapacitated Throh. Yuuki raised her hand.

“And that’s the match! The winner is: Kaito!” She clapped excitedly after watching his match with the newcomer. The two stepped forward and shook hands.

“Thanks for the fight, mister. I can’t believe how strong your Pokémon are!” The kid trainer looked up at his senior. Their ages differed by nearly six years.

“You’ll get there too. For now, try teaching your Throh some quicker moves like Arm Thrust. Or some that slow down your opponent like Low Sweep. It’s a fairly slow Pokémon, so you need to keep up with quick opponents.” Kaito gave friendly advice as Yuuki sauntered over, holding a small bag.

“Here. These potions should help your Pokémon before you reach the next city.” She placed the parcel in the boys hands. He blushed.

“Th-thanks senpai. And I’ll learn those moves! Let’s battle again when I do!” The young trainer pumped his fist. Kaito didn’t answer, rather he nodded neutrally. The trainer leaped back onto his bike and rode away.

“Good job, Ka-kun! Five straight wins! Woo!” Yuuki pumped her fist enthusiastically. He chuckled and tipped his hat.

“Shut up. The sun’s setting. Let’s make camp.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~




The fire between the two trainers crackled occasionally as it dimly lit their site. Duchess lay curled up in Yuuki’s lap while Rio fed and adjusted the fire. Kaito looked to the stars through the canopy of leaves overhead. The two seemed completely lost in thought. “Are you hungry?”

The sudden break in silence startled Yuuki. “Wh-what?”

“Food. Wanna eat it?” Kaito gazed at her over the flame.

“Oh, sure!” Kaito stood in response and asked Rio to search for some more firewood. This left only Yuuki and Duchess at the camp. She leaned in toward her Skitty and whispered. “Okay, Duchess. ‘Operation: Win Kaito’ is underway! I need you to go distract Rio for a bit, ‘kay?” Duchess nodded with a confirming call and darted into the woods. Yuuki moved her seat next to Kaito’s and began tending to the fire. After some time, Kaito returned with a net of fish. He set his bag down next to his seat.

“Is Rio still gone?” Kaito looked around the campfire for his friend.

“I sent Duchess off to help him! They should be back soon.” Yuuki answered quickly.

“That… doesn’t explain why they’re still gone.” Kaito observed flatly. Yuuki jumped in slight surprise. She wasn’t very good at making things up on the spot. “Whatever. They’re fine.” He sat down next to Yuuki, oblivious to her sigh of relief.

Kaito set himself to begin grilling the fish he’d caught. Yuuki sat next to him trying to think of something to say. Instead, she couldn’t think of anything besides how close they were. Before she knew it, Kaito was handing her a stick with a cooling and well seasoned fish on its end. She silently accepted the stick and took a bite. “Mmmm! This is really good, Ka-kun!”

“You like it, too?” Kaito asked in surprise.

“It’s amazing! I can’t believe it’s so good!” She dug into the fish with gusto.

“I’m glad. I was beginning to wonder if my cooking tasted good to Pokémon in particular.” Kaito leisurely bit into his fish. Yuuki nibbled on her dinner while watching the boy next to her. He leaned forward, so the flame’s glow idly danced to and fro on his face. This is it… the perfect mood! She thought this to herself as she inched toward him. Closer. Closer still. Her face was about a foot from his now.

“Hey… Ka-kun…?” He turned his head slightly in response.

A sharp noise struck the ground near the fire, shocking the two trainers. Rio rolled to its feet and dodged an incoming Mud Bomb. “Aah…” Both trainers looked on with the same bad premonition. Duchess tore out of the trees and launched another Mud Bomb at Rio, which he deftly dodged. The attack soared past it and landed squarely in the fire, sending fiery embers raining onto the camp site. The first item to catch fire was none other than Yuuki’s tent. “AAAHH!!” The trainers screamed simultaneously.

Phase One of Operation: Win Kaito… FAILURE.

“Welcome to Dewdrop City!”

Yuuki read the billboard aloud when they passed by. Duchess poked her head and tail out of her trainer’s bag. Kaito and Rio followed the two side by side. The streets were bustling with activity. Streamers and flags were being hung by people and Pokémon alike. “Looks like they’re setting up for some festival?” Kaito guessed. Duchess raised her nose and sniffed the air. An intoxicating aroma drifted by the foursome, grasping Duchess’ full attention. She hopped out of her trainer’s bag and trotted off toward the object of her interest. Rio noticed the sudden departure and followed suit.

“Ooh, we’re so lucky! We have to stay, Ka-kun!” Yuuki shook his arm enthusiastically. He sighed and braced for the unwinnable battle.

“We don’t have time. If we waste too much time the lead we’re following might not be around when we get there.” Yuuki protested with a whimpering, “Pleeeeeeeaaaaase??” Kaito was adamant to put his foot down.

“No. We’ve already had enough distractions. If you want to stay, that’s fine.” Kaito’s reprimand crashed headlong into the brick wall that was Yuuki’s puppy face. He averted his gaze. “…One night.”

“Yaaaay! Ka-kun, you’re the best!” Yuuki jumped for joy and squeezed Kaito’s arm. Kaito looked down to apologize for the delay to his absent friend. He looked around and saw no sign of Duchess either. Yuuki noticed thereafter.

“Duchess! Where did you go?!” She started running down the street. “Ka-kun, help me look for her!” She waved back before taking off around the corner. Kaito walked down the road in the opposite direction. He wasn’t particularly worried; Rio should be with her. He slowed his tempo and took in the scenery.

A dull buzz assaulted his ears as he strolled through the crowd. He kept walking, attempting to ‘walk it off’ and ignore the sound. The effect only grew with each step he took. The buzz escalated to a ringing sensation. Kaito’s pace slowed. The scenery around him was starting to blur. An incredible pain pounded away at his brain; the only sound known to his ears was the individual pump of each blood cell beyond his eardrum. The boy made his way to the street’s side and leaned against a wall. Sweat drenched his forehead. It felt as if his brain were being crushed under the weight of the sound. Something approached him and asked if he was alright. Maybe that’s what happened, he couldn’t focus. Kaito looked up. Everything appeared to be large amorphous entities. His vision was failing rapidly. This caused his next sight to rattle Kaito’s consciousness to its core.



Someone was standing at the far end of his vision. A boy, or possibly a girl. It would hard to tell even if he could properly see. This person was nearly clear amidst his panicking sight. More so was their smile. An eerie upward twist. Their eyes fixated on him. They were reveling in what was happening to him. This pain… Kaito could no longer think straight. There was one clear thought in his mind. A burning hatred for a person he’d never met.

You…! That thing… is…!

The stranger's smile broadened. To his utter horror, Kaito’s consciousness faded. He was sure. This was death for him.

Yuuki walked along the city streets holding a very satisfied Duchess. Rio walked behind the pair with a slightly agitated expression. “Duchess, you know you can’t be such a spoiled kitty and do whatever you want. You’re lucky the food you stole was their excess for tonight.” She quickly stole a glance back at Rio and whispered to her Skitty. “And I don’t want any more fiascos like a few days ago! Besides having to get a new tent, I can’t get any closer to Kaito with all these distractions.” A headache battered her skull without warning. She suddenly fell to her knees in pain. “Ow! Ow…!” She gripped the sides of her head desperately. Duchess leapt from her trainers arms and cried out in concern. Rio rushed to the girl’s side as well.

“No, no! It's here...!” Tears started to roll down Yuuki’s cheeks from the pain. “Rio! Find Ka-kun! Hurry!” Rio came forward and knelt. He felt the area for Kaito’s aura. It was gone. Panic started to set in the creature’s mind, but it staved off letting it show. Instead, Rio sniffed the air. Kaito’s scent was faint, but somewhere relatively nearby. It called to the girl and dashed down the street. Yuuki stood and ran after it, doing her best to ignore the pain.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

…An overbearing darkness. The void, if you will. Nothingness plagued the boy’s dream. If it could even be called a dream in the first place. There was nothing to be seen nor heard. It wasn’t a nightmare. Not this time. This was a different darkness than before. A void that made him yearn for the desolate darkness of his dream. No more dreaming. No more Yuuki. This was death.

N o t y e t . . .

What was that? Kaito’s heart beat forcefully. He shouldn’t feel anything. The darkness was blotting out every sensation he took for granted. Slowly, a light sparked and expanded. Within moments, it erased the void that terrified him so. Kaito opened his eyes. Reality stared back at him. His eyes fixated on hers. The longer he looked, the louder their heartbeats resonated with one another. This was a Heal Pulse. And the user…



Kaito couldn’t speak. He was in a complete state of shock. Mew. She was floating above him, bringing him back from the brink of death. Why? He tried to speak, to ask the creature something. Anything. He opened his mouth. Air escaped without carrying words. The Mew blinked at him and disappeared in a sparkling Teleport. He was alone again. Or so he thought. Kaito abruptly sat up in the foreign bed to see a man wearing a cloak sitting across from him. They were in a guest room at a Pokémon Center.

“She chose you. Damn, you’re one lucky kid.” The Man spoke from beneath his hood. Kaito could only make out the stubble on his chin.

“…What happened to me?” Kaito asked after taking a moment to collect himself.

“You got too close to that… thing in town. It hit you with a pretty nasty Dark Pulse. I’m surprised you survived the carry over here.” The Man shifted his weight forward. The hood dipped lower over his face.

“I see… Thank you for helping me. My name is--” Kaito started to introduce himself. The Man stood hastily and yelled in a panic. “STOP! No names!” Kaito jumped in shock.

An awkward silence gripped the air for nearly a minute before The Man’s breaths calmed to a normal tempo. He was constantly grasping at his chest and body. Was he insane? With a sigh of relief, he sat back down. “Can’t be too careful, kid. That thing can get to you through someone else’s memories. It invades a person’s dream and eats away at their soul.” He explained in a gruff voice. Kaito wasn’t fully convinced.

“That doesn’t make sense. It was able to attack me indirectly when I was awake!”

“It already has a grip on you, kid. The only way to keep it at bay is to anchor down your memories. Either form strong bonds or don’t make any at all.” The Man shook his head. “Didn’t always used to be this way. There was another Pokémon meant to keep Darkrai in check. About a century ago, that Crescelia disappeared. Some say she was consumed by a nightmare herself.” This wasn’t making much sense. That didn’t seem to matter to The Man as he continued to speak. “But you. You survived that thing’s attack. Twice, now.” This revelation made Kaito exceedingly nervous.

“I can’t say I’m comfortable with you knowing so much about me…” His suspicions were through the roof. He reached for a pokéball on his waist. They weren’t there, of course. The Man opened his cloak slightly to reveal a black pokéball.

“I’ve been alive a lot longer than you, kid, and I’ve been following her to get a hold of the situation you’re facing. Here.” The Man tossed the ball to Kaito. “That there’s a Dimensional Ball. It’s got a strong sealing power to it; Pokémon can’t even touch it. It’ll catch that thing for you, but don’t expect it to stay long. It’ll transport it to another plane and trap it there for eternity. No dying, no reincarnation. That’s the only one, so don’t go missing.” Kaito shook his head slightly. This was too much to take in all at once.

“Where did you get something like this? And why should I even trust you!?”

“You don’t have much of a choice. Besides, she picked you for the job. That must mean you’ve got the best shot at stopping the damn thing. Consider that ball a gift from her. More like a leap of faith, if you ask me.” At that, Mew blinked back into the room. “And we’re outta time here.” The Man stood as the creature floated over to perch on his shoulder. “This is the closest we’ve ever been to catching that thing in over a hundred years. Don’t fuck up.” The Man and the Mew were gone in a flash.

Kaito was left alone with the strange ball. With his thoughts. With his life. He slowly stood from the bed and gripped the darkened pokéball with a shaking hand. Lighting quick footsteps could be heard tearing down the hall just beyond the door before it burst open. “Ka-kun!” Yuuki ran into the room to hug Kaito. She was stopped short when he suddenly moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. Strength left her body. She slowly lifted her hands to his back. Yuuki wished for this moment to continue for a thousand lifetimes.

Duchess peeked into the room from the hallway as Rio stood relaxing against the wall next to her. Nothing could be heard from the room beyond the boy suppressing his sobs.

CHAPTER THEME

A primal beat from another land danced through the air. The streets had transformed into a giant stage, on which people and Pokémon alike danced under the flickering light of torch flames. All citizens and visitors were losing themselves to the festival’s influence. Everyone except…

“Come on, Ka-kun! You’ve gotta dance!”

Yuuki shook and moved about in a slightly provocative manner that, for once, was not lost on Kaito’s attention. He’d been silent ever since the morning’s events. Yuuki was worried that Kaito had been badly injured or worse, but he wouldn’t speak or tell her what had happened. He’d gotten so much farther away from her. Was it impossible for her to close the gap between them?

All the day long, Kaito had been trapped within his own thoughts. Yuuki danced before him, offering her hand. The Man’s words echoed through his mind. Was Yuuki in danger by simply knowing Kaito? He didn’t want this. From the very beginning, he never wanted this. If only you weren’t so damn stubborn! That’s right, she’s all ways been like this. It’s not her fault. I should have been stern with her… Kaito’s regrets began to swell away as he watched Yuuki continue her entrancing movements. He should really pay more attention to the girl. She’s been his greatest ally in terms of humans. He’d even regained some of his lost memory thanks to her. Yeah… She’s too great for someone like me. Why should she be in danger?! She won’t be… as long as I can win! Kaito took Yuuki’s hand, surprising her. He stepped forward and made an embarrassing but expected revelation.

“Hahaha, what is that supposed to be?!” The girl taunted the boy’s awkward steps. Yuuki was elated that Kaito had actually come to dance. Maybe he was finally starting to feel better. Besides, he really was the only person standing still. All of their Pokémon were scattered about the street, grooving to the beat. Rio cross-fused his fighting style with dancing to create an interesting and entertaining display. A small crowd had amassed around him. Pyrrhon burst into the circle, combining his movements with fire-breathing. It wasn’t long before the two were locked in a fierce dance-off. Duchess watched the two from the crows while bobbing to the sound. Lulu felt right at home in the heated atmosphere. Her moves were synonymous to the group of belly dancers behind her. Yuuki’s Mienshao, Chione, synchronized with Lulu. Nina steadily captivated a few Arbok and Seviper with her serpent-like dance. Mimichan and Fira, Yuuki’s Monferno, dashed about the stands trying the many different foods.

“Wh-what?! I’m doing the same thing you are!” Kaito blushingly blurted.

“Don’t copy my style! You’re so lame, Ka-kun!” The two continued to dance without a care. Neither noticed that they had started to close in on one another. Eventually, the girl was close enough to the boy to speak without the necessity to yell. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was starting to really worry, you know?”

Kaito maintained his tempo while conversing. “I’m sorry. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” He resumed speaking after a pause. “And you will be, too. I won’t ever let anything happen to you.” Yuuki’s face flushed, but she couldn’t stop her smile from showing.

“Ka-kun… Do you really mean that?”

“Of course! I’m gonna stop that Darkrai myself and keep you safe.” Yuuki stopped dancing.

“What?”

“Earlier today, I think I found a way to actually catch that monster. I’m gonna find it and--” Kaito halted his movements upon noticing Yuuki’s expression. Was that… sorrow?

“Ka-kun, you can’t…”

“What are you…? Are you saying you don’t think I can do it?” Kaito held back a flash of anger from reaching the surface.

“No, that’s not…” Her words drowned into the music.

“I’m telling you that I can stop the thing that stole my life!”

“No…!” Her obstinacy was really starting to piss him off.

“Why not?!”

“You just CAN’T!!” Yuuki stamped her foot and pushed Kaito back. He managed to catch his balance, but couldn’t effectively give chase to the girl who was already quite a distance away. Kaito stood there contemplating what he had said to make her so angry. Again, he was the only body without motion. His shadow stood as a statue on the paved road amidst the other shades, dancing under the dazzling night lights.

It was a quiet morning. The boy walked alongside his Riolu. The girl, toting a Skitty in her bag, trailed behind them. It had been a whole day since the day of the festival. Despite his best search efforts, Kaito couldn’t find that person. The one he knew to be Darkrai. And so they silently left the city behind.

Rio felt the stagnant air about the group and occasionally looked up to his trainer to see if he would speak up. Kaito noticed the glances. It didn’t growl or cry out, there was no shake or nod of its head. A neutral urge to rectify the situation. From what it understood, Kaito was not completely in the wrong, but he could have handled things better. Kaito silently thanked his small companion for its insight. There were things he wanted to remember. Some memories had returned to him. But that wasn’t the issue this time around. What about the things he didn’t know yet? Kaito had become so complacent with letting things take their course that he ignored things he should know. Questions he should have asked. Would she even tell him if he were to ask now? It was time to take a gamble.

“Yuuki.” Kaito stopped walking. Yuuki did as well, but she didn’t respond. He turned around to watch her before speaking again. Her body was honest, even if her mouth spoke lies.

“Yesterday, when we were searching for Duchess. You suddenly got a headache, didn’t you?” Yuuki shook her head and avoided eye contact.

“No. I came to look for you because I’d heard a traveler collapsed in the road…” She twirled a bit of hair with her finger. There it is; that feeling again. Kaito finally remembered it. Damn. Not only did she have one, but she knew the significance of his question. Kaito chuckled dryly.

“You never realized it, did you? You always fiddle with your hair whenever you lie or don’t want to say something.” Yuuki looked up in a panic and quickly dropped her hand. Kaito continued. “You did that a lot as a kid. I remember now.” Kaito adjusted his hat. His expression was solemn. This explained her behavior. Why she hadn’t simply reminded him of his entire past. Why she acted strangely when he told her his story. “How long ago was it?”

“…Six months.” Yuuki answered weakly. Her hands shook. She clasped them together behind her back to stop it.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His words were calm.

“I… thought you would hate me.” The girl looked to her Skitty for a bit of courage. It cried out to her softly. She took a deep breath. “I went out to the next town for a few days. I came back as it was happening. The whole town was practically gone. I escaped with the help of Mimichan… Afterwards, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t remember most of them anyway. But I remembered growing up.” Kaito cringed a little. He didn’t need to be reminded of the childhood she’d experienced. Neither of them did. Yuuki spoke downward at her toes. “I didn’t really care. My fosters’ level of care taught me to fend for myself. I decided to just travel; to get away. It was all fine until…” She looked up. “…until I found you. I remembered a lot about you after just seeing your face, but you didn’t remember me.” She chuckled in self derision. Kaito adjusted his hat again, this time to hide his shame. “It was fine that you forgot, really. We played together when we were kids. Well, sort of. It’s more like I kept dragging you out to play with me. I understood that plenty of time had passed and you probably didn’t think much of me.” Her frown returned and she turned her gaze down.

“But you told me the story, and I just couldn’t tell you what happened. You were always distanced from others, Ka-kun. Your mom was worried that you didn’t have many friends, but I knew you were a good person. You hated when others were bullied and weren’t afraid of adults or anything, really. If I told you about what had happened, I knew you would try to hunt down that… thing.” Her voice was beginning to crack. Tears began to trickle from the corners of her eyes as she took a step toward Kaito. “Kaito, please. DON’T go after it! I was so happy to find you after all this time. I’ll help you search for Mew, but NOT the Darkrai. I don’t anything to happen to you!”

So that was it. Kaito understood his own feelings the night before. He was just now realizing hers. How dense can a guy be? Seeing her like this was painful. A familiar sensation…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


“So, you’re moving?” The young boy asked without looking up from his homework.

“Uh, huh.” The little girl sadly looked at his back. She expected this kind of reaction.

“…Send me a postcard.” The boy dismissed the topic nonchalantly. The girl seemed to fume at this response.

“Ka-kun, YOU JERK!” She picked up a book and launched it at the boy’s head.

“OW!! What was that for?!” The boy stumbled out of his chair, holding the back his head.

“Cuz you’re a great, big loser nerd!” She stuck her tongue out at the boy.

“Yeah, well how come you hang out with me all the time?! Why don’t you just go ahead and leave!”

“I will! And I’ll raise a buncha tough Pokémon and come back and BEAT KA-KUN UP!!”

“Ha! Good luck! You’ll never be as strong OR as smart as me!”

“I will too get strong! And when I beat you, I’m gonna catch you and make you mine!” The girl's fists were clenched tightly shut.

“Stupid! You can’t catch people!” The boy’s forehead took another mighty blow as girl threw another book at his head. The girl stormed out of the boy’s room and ran home.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kaito scratched his head. How can he possibly turn this situation around? “Yuuki, I’m sorry for being such a blockhead. I promise you, I’m not rushing headlong into danger this time. You know me. I wouldn’t do this without some sort of plan. This isn’t something I can leave alone. If that Darkrai is allowed to do as it pleases, no one is safe. I won’t make you come with me, but I promise to come back.”

A long time passed between the two before anymore words were exchanged. That was the impression Kaito had, anyway. For all he’d known, hours had passed before he heard a voice.

“You’ve… never lied to me before, huh?”

“Nope. Guess you’ll have to trust me.” Yuuki was silent again. Another glance from his blue-furred ‘conscience’ pressed Kaito to pick up the conversation. He blushed a little and turned around to hide it. “You know… they always teach trainers to whittle down their target Pokémon in order to catch them. In a battle, the target’s going to struggle and sometimes run away. I’m not going to give in on Darkrai. I can’t.” Kaito tipped his hat. This was harder than he thought. Yuuki looked up to see his back. “So… you shouldn’t… give up either.” His voice was almost a mumble by the time he finished that sentence. He wasn’t sure if Yuuki had heard him. It occurred to the boy that the reference was pointless if she didn't remember the event herself... God, he wished she would say something already. His face was painted a hard crimson beneath his hat.

BONK!

Something hard impacted Kaito’s head. He held his head and whirled around. “OW!! What the--!” There stood a stern-faced Yuuki. Her face was scrunched into a hilariously intimidating look. Her bag was open and she had just hurled a pokéball at Kaito’s head.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“It’s my Mean Look!” Kaito openly laughed at her.

“Hahaha, that look won’t trap anybody! I almost ran just seeing--You’ve got a lot of those.” He took a step back when Yuuki huffed and equipped both of her hands with empty pokéballs. “Damn, he was nearly caught!” Kaito took another step back. She was serious.

Rio and Duchess stepped to the side as the two sprinted off down the path. Kaito’s serpentining run pattern did him little good in dodging the hail of pokéballs Yuuki launched at him.

“Wild Kaito tried to run, but could not escape!”

“Stop throwing those things!”

“Wild Kaito used Disable! The move failed!”

The girl continued to shout nonsense at the boy. Rio and Duchess sped up their pace to keep their foolish trainers in sight.

Night had fallen just as the foursome reached their destination. Their Pokémon had been turned in for treatment and rest for the night. The boy lay awake in his bed, staring at the bottom of the bunk above him. The girl lay atop the upper bunk, equally as alert as the boy. Kaito was trying to keep quiet. For once, his thoughts were quelled. He was truly calm. Unfortunately, his fatigue was at an all time high. He was beginning to wonder if simply catching the Darkrai would be enough. The nightmare still plagued him in his dreams. He wasn’t recovering any stamina. If this search dragged on much longer, he wouldn’t be able to think straight.

…Maybe his thoughts weren’t as altogether as anticipated.

“Ka-kun.” Yuuki poked her head into Kaito’s vision from above her bunk. Her ponytail dangled just within his reach. “Can you sleep?”

“I’m not that tired.”

“Liar.” Yuuki dropped down from her bunk and sat down on Kaito’s mattress. He was suddenly very aware of their proximity. He also noted how minimalist the girl’s pajamas appeared. “Wanna hear a lullaby?” Kaito rolled away from her.

“Don’t act so spoiled. Go to bed.”

“Are you still having nightmares?” Her features were outlined by the moonlight. Kaito didn’t answer. He stared at the wall in front of him, resisting the urge to turn around. “You’re tired, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine.” A thought struck him. “What about you? How’re you sleeping?”

“…I’ve been thinking about that too. I can sleep okay, no recurring nightmares or anything.” She leaned back onto the palms of her hands. “Maybe it’s because it happened a little different for me? In your dream, you say that Darkrai touched you. I got away when Mimichan teleported us.” Kaito let loose a small sigh of relief. That was good. At least one of them could get rest.

“Was your headache really strong?”

“I could walk and run. I’m not as worse off as Ka-kun, I should be the one worrying…” A slight pause. “But I’ll be okay soon. Ka-kun said he’d take care of me.” The embarrassment rushed blood to Kaito's face.

“Yeah, you’re okay. So go to sleep already.”

Yuuki pouted. “Fine!” Kaito rolled over to his other side just as the bed’s weight shifted. He opened his eyes to find a violet pair staring back, mere inches away. His eyes showed annoyance and fatigue, hers shined with sparkling innocence. How did she get under the covers so quickly?

“What are you doing.” He said flatly.

“What do you mean?” She answered sweetly. This was getting old.

“Out.”

“Nooo…!” The girl whined.

“Then I’ll switch you beds.” Kaito found himself suddenly immobilized when Yuuki buried her face in his chest. Her hands clutched at his shirt, so he wasn’t necessarily bound. Something inside him didn’t want to move.

“I wanna… sleep here.” Yuuki's muffled words gently vibrated through his chest. Maybe she was more tired than she let on? No, that wasn’t it.

“…You’re like a spoiled kid.” Kaito said in an equally low tone.

“It’s your fault for letting me do what I want.” She nestled in closer. Kaito reluctantly wrapped an arm around her. Yuuki didn’t care if she was being bratty. Kaito would accept her, no matter what. She was so close to him. She didn't want anymore distance between the two. Not when she was so close to 'catching' him. The girl listened to the boy’s racing heart until sleep took her.

On that night, the boy experienced no nightmares or dreams. Only peace.

Kaito slowly opened his eyes. It was dark, but he didn’t seem to mind. The feeling of being fully rested was completely foreign to him. In comparison to the past few months, he felt he could run a whole damn marathon. He felt a weight stir upon his chest. Yuuki lay curled up against him snoozing peacefully; her head resting where he’d felt the anomaly. His cheeks wore a crimson hue as he thought about how strange it would be explaining the situation to Rio. …Why should I explain? It’s not his business. Kaito foolishly reasoned with himself. He lay his head back on the pillow.

Something’s wrong. Kaito looked at the clock hanging on the opposite wall. ‘4 a.m.’ It was early, but something didn’t quite feel right. What was it? He glanced around the room. Everything seemed to be in its proper place. His bag hung from a nearby chair. Yuuki’s gear was on the desktop. The rest of the room was clean. The window was slightly open as he’d left it. There wasn’t any sound from beyond the glass. It was four in the morning. There shouldn’t be much noise. There was NOTHING.

“Yuuki.” Kaito called to the girl. His voice sounded clear. As if the sound were drifting straight to his ears. His voice should have sounded different. A slight reverberation off the walls. They may as well have been in empty space. Was this real?

Yuuki awoke at Kaito’s call. She heard the difference as well. She shot up from her position in a shock. “This is…!” Fear constricted her words.

“Yeah. It’s here.” Kaito threw off the covers and began to dress. Yuuki did the same.

The pair ran down the hall to the Center’s main room. Their footprints failed to echo through the barren corridor. “Go get our Pokémon, I’m gonna find that bastard!” Kaito ran for the doors. Yuuki called after him.

“Be careful!” She turned back to search for their companions in the infirmary.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~



Kaito’s ears were assailed by cries of terror. Simply coming within proximity of the fleeing shadows forced visions of his nightmare to his mind’s forefront. The boy easily brushed away his demons. He was focused. He ran faster than his body could ever carry him before. An intense flame burned in his eyes. That person came into view. Kaito was ready. It was time for one last gamble.

“Have you finally wakened?” A male’s voice. It didn’t turn to face the boy. Kaito halted a good distance away. There were still shadows fleeing. He needed the creature’s attention. When he failed to answer, it spoke. “Good. If you were to say ‘yes’, you would be wrong. If you said ‘no’, you would be closer to being correct.” Kaito kept his eyes trained on its back. It remained in human form. It even allowed Kaito and Yuuki to awaken, just to oppose it. Pretentiousness would be its downfall.

The creature turned around. Its features remained unchanged since he had seen him days ago. The pseudo-human took a step toward Kaito. “Your companion will not find many comrades in her search, I am afraid.” Kaito didn’t let his surprise show. So it could sense entities within the entire city. It couldn’t read his mind, however. If it could, it would run.

It came closer.

“They are dreaming now. Just as the rest of this city. You… You will not dream.”

Even closer.

“Ripped away from consuming you completely. That hurts me too, you see.”

One more step…!

“You survived my retaliation in Dewdrop. I wonder… did you receive aid from a celestial body?”

NOW!

Kaito sprang forward while reaching for the Dimensional Ball. At least, he attempted to do so. His body didn’t respond. Instead, a blinding pain erupted from his stomach as the creature’s knee smashed into him. “GUUH!” The air in Kaito’s lungs were violently torn from him as he tumbled backward in the dirt. He stopped rolling after a few meters.

“Pokémon attacks are meant for other Pokémon. Hardy little beasts, those things. You can imagine the kind of effect that even ‘Disable’ would have on a human.” The nightmare approached Kaito as he desperately gagged for air. No matter how hard he struggled, his lungs remained collapsed. He pushed himself to his knees.

“Theatrics aside, I’m really not much of a fan for climactic final battles.” It was already standing above Kaito before he knew what was going on. “So I’ll be finishing what I started, if you don’t mind.” Kaito’s body felt heavy; TOO heavy. This was the power of a nightmare. Utterly bound by the mind while the body cannot react. The nightmare reached for Kaito’s head…

MOVE, DAMMIT!!

Kaito sent all of his bodily energy toward his legs and pounced into the nightmare. He clenched his harms around its waist with all his might. “RIO!!!” The creature was slightly taken aback at the boy’s ability to move when--

CRACK!!

An earth shattering Knockout Punch connected with the nightmare’s face, wrenching it free from Kaito’s grasp. It jettisoned down the street and crashed into a home, reducing it to a pile of rubble. Rio landed squarely next to his rattled trainer. “Thanks, pal!” The Riolu gave him a nod in response. Yuuki and Duchess came running behind them. “Ka-kun! Are you okay?!” He stood uneasily.

“I’m alright. I just need to move a little.” He looked down the darkened street. “It’ll take a little more to down that thing, I’m sure, but that’s not what we’re here to do. We need to beat it down and trap it!” Kaito pulled the Dimensional Ball from his belt. Yuuki’s eyes widened in awe. The ball appeared to be resonating a powerful aura. Perhaps it was because of Darkrai’s influence over the area. She nodded.

“I couldn’t find our other Pokémon! Rio and Duchess were awake when I found them.”

“They’re the partners we’re closest to. We’ll wake the others after taking down Darkrai! Let’s go!” He ran up ahead with Rio beside him. Yuuki smiled. For some reason, she felt safe. The girl and her Skitty followed the boy and his Riolu.

Darkrai lifted a chunk of rubble from atop its makeshift body. “Oh, how you will pay dearly for that…” Its voice was calm, but its words weighed heavy with malice. It spotted Kaito and Rio sprinting in its direction. “Landing a lucky blow then refusing to flee? Very well!” A large, dark claw formed on its arm as it took flight toward the two. “COME TO YOUR DEATHS!!”

“Agility.” Rio’s image dispersed at Kaito’s command. He waited until the nightmare was upon him to sidestep the Shadow Claw. The force of the attack nearly blew him away; a cut was left on his left cheek. “Force Palm!” Darkrai was swiftly driven to the ground by a crushing attack from above. Kaito stumbled back to see the creature plowed into a miniature crater. Rio was up and off of its back before it had the chance to retaliate. The beast immediately levitated and held out its hand toward Kaito. A mass of dark force generated into a ball too quickly for him to dodge.

“Protect!”

Duchess appeared on Kaito’s shoulder in a blur and erected a large, greenish bubble around them. The Shadow Ball collided against the barrier and dissipated around its border. Darkrai’s eyes flickered to the annoying presence down the street. It sneered and aimed its hands individually at the two trainers. Kaito grabbed the Skitty and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the massive beam of energy that exploded from the nightmare’s palm. Yuuki jumped to the side and was caught by the lightning quick Rio.

Two Hyper Beams?! Kaito was reeling as he ducked behind a tree off the path. A sudden cry from Duchess caused him to dart off to the side. The he’d left behind was subsequently split in two. Just how much energy did this thing have?! It threw out attacks as if energy was irrelevant. It brushed off attacks as if they were jokes.

“Ka-kun, GET DOWN!!” Kaito instinctively dropped to his stomach, Duchess landed in front of him. A horrid sound burst from Darkrai’s position. All of the tree’s around Kaito and Duchess were either torn from the root or obliterated from the trunk upward. Hyper Voice?! It shouldn’t know that move…!

“Hehehehehahaha… Are you beginning to see how futile this fight is, boy?! I have an infinite array of attacks at my disposal! Thanks to the stolen essences, my stamina is limitless! How can a mere mortal and two under evolved cretins POSSIBLY hope to challenge me?!” It was right; sickeningly so. This wasn’t going to work. They needed a quick resolution. He looked at Duchess; her hair standing on end and a high pitched hiss escaping its throat. He knew Rio would have his back. He could only pray he knew Yuuki as well as he thought. Kaito saw her beyond Darkrai’s visage. She nodded to Duchess.

Kaito hopped out of the grass and up onto a nearby tree stump. Duchess leaped onto his head to stay closeby. “Yeah, yeah. A million and one techniques. They’ve really done you well seeing as you can’t hit with a single attack.” He taunted. Duchess followed suit by waving its tail in an antagonizing manner. It glowed slightly, giving power to a daunting ‘Swagger’. Darkrai’s eyes ran red with blind fury.

“You insolent little NOTHING!!” It exploded toward the boy, tearing the earth as it flew. Kaito smiled and whispered a command to Duchess. “Fake-Out.” The Skitty leaped forward at lightning speed. The nightmare made a move to dodge the oncoming attack. Its hesitation was not only foreseen, it was forced.

SLAP!!

Duchess’ tail made a resounding ‘smack’ as it flew into contact with Darkrai’s face. Everything went still. Duchess deftly landed and happily trotted back to Kaito’s lap. It purred as he pet it affectionately. Yuuki giggled to herself. Darkrai stood still as a statue, stunned.

“Did you… just slap me.”

It was more of a statement. The raw rage beneath his words was enough to shake any living organism to its core.

“DID YOU JUST. FUCKING. SLAP ME?!?!”

The Darkrai roared as it planted its feet. The world around it shook under the dreadful force of the creature’s voice. It raised its hands to the sky. A black sphere formed between its palms. The creature’s cry continued to grow in magnitude tandem to the sphere’s size. “I WILL ERADICATE EVERY LAST FIBER OF YOUR BEING!!!!” Very soon, Kaito felt as if he was staring at the dark side of the moon from ten meters away. Unflinchingly watching the world’s end. That was about enough.

“…Knockout Punch.” Rio was underneath the creature at a moment’s notice. The force of the punch launched Darkrai skyward, through the matter of its own attack. Combined with using an abhorrent amount of power, the punch temporarily knocked the creature unconscious. Kaito and Yuuki gripped the remainder of nearby trees to avoid being blown away by the subsequent explosion. Dark force erupted in every direction in a blackened wind.

As the storm died down, Kaito got to his feet and once again grabbed the Dimensional Ball. He leisurely tossed it into the air. It collided with the nightmare’s skull, whom had been tumbling to the ground at an incredible velocity. The ball opened. A black, swirling vortex pulled the Darkrai into its confines, along with the dark aura that had ensnared the town’s dreams. The ball closed. After a few seconds, it was drawn into its own vortex. The ball disappeared from this realm.

Kaito fell back into the grass. He was exhausted. A breeze flowed through the treeless grounds. It felt nice against his skin. He’d lost his hat during the explosion. A few splinters protruded from his arms and legs, nothing serious. With the adrenaline gone, his body felt weak. So he decided not to move for a while. Yuuki approached Kaito on shaky legs. He looked up to see her hair had lost its tie and her hat was gone as well. The blast took a lot out of them. He didn’t dare think of the ramifications of being hit with that attack. He rested his arm over his eyes.

“That… was wild.” The girl spoke with a tired voice.

“…Don’t ask me to do it again.”

“Aw, but you looked so cool.” She sat down next to the boy. The breeze carried a wave of relief and calm that washed over the pair. The danger had passed. There would be no more fighting.

“Ka-kun.”

“Hm.”

“What… do we do now?”

“I don’t know.”

More silence passed. The breeze had grown slightly stronger. A tint of warm air brushed against Kaito’s face. The sun was rising.

“Ka-kun.” He felt something on top of him.

“What.” Kaito uncovered his eyes. He looked up to see Yuuki straddling his waist. When did she climb onto him? She held something in front of his eye. It was obscuring his sight of her. A small red device. He recognized it to be his Pokédex. The newest entry displayed a picture of his last catch. The image made him sick to his stomach.

MEW


Kaito couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe. What was this? A horrible nightmare. That wasn’t right. That CAN’T be right!!

“Ka-kun, what does this mean?”

He couldn’t answer.

“Does this mean… we were wrong?”

There was no air in his lungs.

“Does this mean… none of it was real?”

The trees around them began to reform. The sky darkened as if it were dusk.

“Does this mean… you’re still asleep?”

The girl’s hand was buried deep in the boy’s abdomen. She slowly removed her bloodied arm. Kaito gagged in pain. He couldn’t think of anything to say. He couldn’t think. Very slowly, his mind was being eroded away by something.

“You know… That was a pretty fun fight, Ka-kun.”

Kaito tilted his head. He couldn’t see Rio. Instead, he saw a small dark tendril flowing upward from the ground. It clamped down over his throat.

“Lucid dreamers are the best. It’s like they have more potent memories. Like they have more energy.”

The girl stood up. Her eyes were empty. More tendrils locked down on Kaito’s body. He felt as if it were being dragged into the ground.

“This girl’s memory was full of you six months ago. A remarkable will.”

His legs were below the darkness now. Fear had gripped the boy’s soul. The girl looked so far away.

“Hey… Ka-kun.”

His arms were gone. His torso and head were sinking.

“Ka-kun?”

A tendril covered his right eye. Only his left remained. His last speck of being.

“Ah. You’re tired. I’ll let you sleep. Just one thing...”

The boy had been swallowed by a nightmare. His true end.

“Thank you for protecting me.”

…An overbearing darkness. The void, if you will. Nothingness plagued the boy’s dream. If it could even be called a dream in the first place. Of course not.

This was the end.

The boy who had no name. It had been stripped away. The essence of this boy lay at the bottom of a dark pit. A shadowed silhouette of what may have been.

The boy felt a weight stir upon his chest. Someone was there. Something that used to be someone clung tightly to him. Perhaps it used to be a girl. Neither knew why. Neither recognized the other to be an existing entity. The boy lay still; an illusory arm wrapped around the invading thing.

There they stayed. An individual lump of nothing. Together forever. Forever alone. In an embrace that would last a thousand lifetimes.

……………………

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…

End.