Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria

Chapter 11

10,000 Years, A Message From The Future

"Now that you know who I am…"

The heavy stomps of the man's boots on the concrete floor echoed throughout the vacuous room. His brown orbs wandered over to the man he laid upon the ground - an old friend. They lingered for a brief few seconds before slowly facing what was directly in front of the man.

The rattling sounds of the rusty iron chains attached to the concrete walls replaced the stomps as the boy confined to the wall struggled to break free. To do whatever he could to smite the man before him, despite all his previous efforts being in vain.

A great raging fire burned in Liam's eyes, heavily contrasting with the imposing man's calm and judging gaze. They were touched with a hint of sympathy, the kind the boy hated so much. He blinked away angry tears that trailed down his cheeks, spittle spewing from his grinding teeth as he resisted against his iron binds, with little success.

Here stood a monument to everything he hated within this world, of all worlds even. The same thing Mrs. Lachaise told him about - unfiltered evil, and he was utterly powerless to stop it.

The man started kneeling, his knees cracking in response as the wounds that dotted his body flared up in pain, courtesy of the deceased. The man grimaced - he would not last long, but reconciliation was more important than living to him now. His eyes narrowed at the squirming and snarling boy.

Of all the things he wanted to say for so long, he could only say one thing to his young reflection.

"Who are you?"

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

"G-huh?!"

Liam's red eyes shot open as he almost lunged out his beanbag in surprise, his paws clasped around his ears from the noise. The racket continued as he squinted his eyes at the Flying-type that invaded his rest.

Staravia flew circles around the room, chanting his well-known morning alarm. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE U- EEP!" His screeching was cut off by an array of jagged ice shards being hurled at the Flying-type, who dodged all of them and instantly flew out of the room.

A more spatially aware and amused Liam witnessed the shards of ice lodge themselves into the cosmic themed wallpaper, the fragments dispersing into nothing but cold vapor. His eyes snapped over to the beanbag beside his, seeing a very perturbed and very awake Gloria glaring at the tears in the paper caused by her actions.

The Riolu let out a tired chuckle. "This is the second time you've done this, y'know. Are you going to apologize again?"

His partner frowned, a look of worry overtaking her glare. "I hope he doesn't take it personally. It's just my, um… anti-Roark instinct?" An embarrassed blush consumed her muzzle as she yawned. "That's… all I can explain it as."

Liam rolled his eyes, hopping off his beanbag and taking a huge yawn as well. His thoughts then caught up with him, a flash of memory of his dream shooting through his mind, causing him to freeze up on the spot, his look now vacant and glossy.

'What I just saw… was that… a dream or…'

It was so vivid - like that one he had when they were sent scouting a while back. As if he was looking in on reality from a window, where he could hear things, feel things, and see them in accurate detail.

He could feel the chains wrapped around that boy, the tension in the room, the hatred that coursed through the boy. The events occurring seemed to contrast with his past vision, though, giving him very little, if anything to connect the two to some greater meaning.

Liam tightened a paw, looking down at it. He wanted to just write it all off as nothing more than dreams or hallucinations, but the visceral feeling of it all worried him, the headaches he endured when it happened. That perhaps the two were very much connected, and he was just left in the dark of it all.

Gloria sluggishly got out of her beanbag, stretching all four of her furry white paws. Her tired blue eyes stared at the blank looking Riolu clenching a paw.

"Are… you okay, Liam? Did you sleep well?" She let loose a tired giggle. "I think you're daydreaming again."

Liam slowly nodded. "Daydreaming… yeah."

His lifeless gaze contracted as his paw untightened. He flopped back onto his beanbag, admiring the simple wooden ceiling in his sprawled out form.

'Do I want it to be just that?'

Whenever he thought about it more, the more it made sense. He never felt like a Pokémon, like one of them. And the 'Pokémon' he saw in these visions don't look like any he or anyone has seen before.

Ever since he awoke that day, he always wondered about his past and somewhat longed for the return of his memories, to not be a blank or a ghost anymore. His eyes wandered downstairs to the smiling and ever curious Vulpix in front of him - he smiled in return.

'But ever since I've collaborated with her… maybe my memories returning didn't matter so much anymore.'

It was true when he told her that it just didn't matter if he never knew who he was, that he was happy to just be here and do the things he wanted to do, with her by his side of course. It was a choice he made very clear to both her and himself.

His stare returned to the ceiling. 'But then… this whole vision thing muddled that choice up.'

It was like an awful joke.

That not even a week after he said that he would experience these events. Now he was faced with making another choice, one that could decide his fate of working together with Gloria. To either shove these visions away as nothing more than dreams, or to believe in a past that was forgotten returning to him.

"Going back to bed, Liam? I thought you wanted to go visit the Meowstics' today?" Gloria asked softly.

Liam sighed deeply - he could not decide this alone; he needed her input, so he took a gamble.

"Gloria… what would you do if I regained my memories?"

Her smile flipped upside down as she shuffled her forepaws together, clearly caught off guard by the question. "Well… I'd, uh, see if we can contact your family… if you have any that is." She flinched slightly at his downcast look. "It would really be up to you. Me and Roark don't um, own you, y'know." Gloria started smiling again. "But I'll be supportive of whatever you choose to do, even if... it means that we can't be a team anymore. I guess it would be unlike me to stop you, considering I've helped you this far."

Liam sat upright, mulling over her response in his head. "Yeah… family, if I have any."

'That father in the vision…'

And there it was again, that feeling of there being something more for him to uncover. But he didn't just want to regain the past and abandon Gloria and her dreams for it. He made a promise to Roark to stay by her side.

"But don't worry, Gloria… probably won't happen," Liam assured.

He scolded himself inwardly for never telling her of what actually happened on their scouting mission. Even after almost a month passing, and he still hadn't summoned the courage, or rather, an actual explanation to give her. How could he explain to her if he didn't know himself? Would she call him crazy for thinking he's some non-Pokémon alien that uses drivable steel carriages to get around? Liam laughed at the thought, as she had already called him plenty of crazy for some of his 'leap of faith' actions during their job requests.

But this event was far more far-fetched than anything he could pull off in the field.

The conflicted Riolu sighed, deciding to keep the events of that day and possibly today to himself. He just wondered if there would come a time where he would need to tell her all of this, if that would ever hurt her, or him.

Gloria tilted her head. "Are you sure?" She giggled again. "You've gone through at least five different emotions in the span of a few seconds."

Liam stood up, sighing again. "Ain't that the truth…" He twisted his body, popping some unused joints. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

"It's our day off, remember? No adventuring for you," she said matter-of-factly, bending down to pick up her saddlebag as Liam raised a brow.

"You act as if a day off means no adventuring. If anything, that means even more adeventuring." He smiled as the cream saddlebag was hoisted around Gloria's side.

"For me, it means relaxing. But first we need to go see the siblings, as you've drained a lot of our battle items... mostly our Blast Seeds." She shot him a knowing look as he scratched his neck in embarrassment.

What could he say? He just loved a good explosion.

Liam lumbered over to their slightly opened door. Already he could hear the eager steps of his fellow guildmates getting ready for breakfast. He smiled at the thought, turning to look at a still packing Gloria.

"What have you got planned for us, or… yourself?" he questioned. "I don't think I can stomach another trip to the library."

Gloria huffed. "I was going to relax and quietly read in the Sunshine Forest. You're free to join, but Roark wants us later to go, uh… see something."

'Of course he does,' Liam grumbled in his mind.

Every time they took the dark fox's offer, it was a gamble of what oddity he would take them to in Empyrean. It would either be something embarrassing for his sister, for Liam, both, or even something that was actually cool to the Riolu for once.

"I guess I'll have to tag along."

Gloria ambled over to the door. "Good, maybe then we can talk more about your memory if you feel like i-"

"Memory loss? Isn't that a familiar thing, huh, Gloria?" The honey-like voice of Leafeon, who was now in front of the doorway, almost sent the shocked Vulpix to the floor.

"L-Leafeon?! Did you… hear us?" Gloria squeaked out.

A nod came from the Grass-type as she finally entered the room. "I came to investigate what made Staravia bolt out so here fast, but I ended up hearing something else…" She pivoted her eyes towards the aghast looking Riolu, who took a step back at her entrance.

"So, you're the one with amnesia then, right?" Leafeon grew a victorious smile.

The Riolu in question froze in horror. 'Shoot... is she going to tell the Guildmaster?'

It was a worry they both he and Gloria shared, but sadly forgotten about until it suddenly came to fruition right now. Liam spared a look towards a still astonished Gloria, seemingly pleading for her assistance.

Gloria obliged, dread filling her heart. "Leafeon… are you going to tell the Guildmas-'' She was cut off by a sudden quadruped-like hug from the leafy Pokémon.

"Gloria! I would never!" Leafeon nuzzled her head further into Gloria's neck. "You're, like my little sister, y'know!"

A dazed Gloria exchanged looks with Liam, who let out a sigh of relief and thanked Arceus if he ever happened to exist. A cooling bead of sweat travelled down the Vulpix's face as her lips contorted into a shaky smile. "R-right… then, you'll keep this to yourself?" She moved her head away from Leafeon's and looked into the empty halls outside. "We didn't want you guys to know because… um." She winced as Leafeon broke off the hug.

The Grass-type adopted a bemused smirk. "Gloria… did you forget?"

Gloria gulped, feeling a bit stupid right now. "M-maybe? i'm not really sure what I'm supposed to remember..."

Leafeon giggled, pushing the Vulpix slightly with her earthy paw. "I think it was very sweet of you to look after Liam." Her gaze fell upon the Riolu, who was beginning to feel like a third wheel again. "Was it the same? Waking up in the middle of nowhere with just a name in your noggin?"

Liam's mouth parted. '... How would she?' He shook his head, "Yeah, just the name of... Liam. That was it."

Leafeon nodded, "I told you at the festival that I trusted you, and I still do." She giggled again.

The Riolu inferred that she was the source of Gloria's spouts of spontaneous giggling.

"I guess I should've called it beforehand, a 'mon with a name acting so confused and alien. The signs were there all along." Her visage was now mixed with sympathy. "It's a tough thing - one that I understand in keeping this information to yourselves very much."

Liam bit his tongue instead of asking for more information. It was good enough for him that she wasn't going to tattle on them to the Guildmaster, risking him or them both getting kicked out of the guild. He had a sudden new respect for Leafeon, even if they barely talked.

Gloria held a paw to her scarf. "... Do you think we should tell the others? Maybe they'll understand like you?"

Leafeon smiled, shaking her head. "I appreciate your optimism, Gloria, but that kind of talk would get him or the both of you branded as crazy, or worse. I'd keep it out of Team Moonlight's ears... especially Scizor's." Her smile then widened. "But you guys have done a good job hiding it so far!"

Liam frowned, 'So far, until now... ' He looked at Gloria, who was now recovering from her terror. 'And how long can I keep everything from her? Dreams… or memories.'

Time would tell it seemed.

A spark appeared in Leafeon's eyes. "Hey… how about after breakfast you two meet up with at Sylveon's Sweets!" She winked, looking at Gloria. "I can get her to make your favorite."

That same spark lit up in Gloria's orbs as her fluffy white tails started to wag. "R-Really? I'll definitely come right away then!" Her giddy glint spun around. "You'll come too right, Liam?"

"Oh, uh…"

He remembered the last time he was there - the pink colors, the overpowering sweet sugary smell in the air, and the touchy-feely owner behind the counter. A shudder ran through his body at the thought of returning now. He swallowed that fear and gave a small nod. "Sure, we'll meet you there, Leafeon."

"Great! Then…" Leafeon plodded happily to the door, turning her smiling face towards the two. "I'll see you there." The Grass-type then took her exit.

Liam let another relieving sigh, the mental rollercoaster of today seemed to finally stop, for now. Gloria also let out one, silently thanking her sister-like mentor. Her excitement then returned, along with the wag in her tails.

"We'll go straight there after we do our business with the Meowstics', okay?" she said with a more resounding tone.

He smirked. "Okay, your highness."

'Joy.'

The rumblings of the wooden carriage on the paved stone were now a memory of the past as it passed, allowing Liam and Gloria to finally cross the street. Today was relatively quiet in the usually bustling marketplace of Empyrean, with only a few Pokémon out shopping this early in the morning.

They had just taken a quick visit to Toxapex's Bunker to check out their stockpile that they had previously gave the Pokémon. With a sinister look, he all but confirmed that they needed to visit the Meowstics'.

Liam brushed past a few Pokémon, holding a paw over his head to block the sun's blinding rays. He squinted his eyes at the royal blue painted stand directly in front of them, the siblings behind the counter seemingly checking and replentishing their morning stock.

He jabbed Gloria in her side with an elbow. "Let's get there before anyone else does."

She gave a nod in response, the two speeding up their casual pace and arriving at the stand not long after. A knock on the countertop from Liam caused the siblings to stop their work and swiftly get to their usual positions.

"Team Requiem!" the posh brother spoke first. "Back for more battle items, one assumes?"

Gloria smiled. "Yep! Liam here used up all our Blast Seeds and Wonder Orbs." She stood still as the Riolu unhooked the saddlebag wrapped around her waist.

Liam placed the bag on the counter. "That may or may not have happened, but it's true that we came here for this reason." He gave the bag a pat, his gaze wandering over to the many colored disks that lined the stand's walls. "And… maybe another thing?"

He had spoken to Gloria to this before, about learning a new type of move. His Force Palm was deadly according to her, but he desired having a new trick up his sleeve for any tougher foe, such as that Magmortar they faced a while back.

Liam repositioned his eyes back to the siblings. "Do you think there's a TM I could use that would give me some sort of edge?"

The elegantly spoken sister chuckled into a paw. "Edge, you say? I think we have something that can fit your battle style, I assume." She sent a wink to the Fighting-type before whirling around. Her paw swept across all the rows of TM's before landing on a strikingly bright yellow one, her eyes narrowing to read the text as she plucked it off the shelf and turned back around. She held it towards Liam, who leaned across the counter to take a better look. "Thunder Punch," she read out. "This move will send out shocking amounts of power to your opponent!"

"Emphasis on 'shocking'," the brother added with a smirk. "I heard some Pokémon hit with this move can be stuck paralyzed; like they ate a Stun Seed."

Liam blinked, slowly reaching a paw over the counter to grab the still extended yellow TM from the sister's paw, his eyes boring into the disk.

"You think this is the one, Liam?" Gloria asked, breaking his concentration.

He expunged the pressure within him with an exhale, giving one final thought about doing this, smiling and looking up at the Meowstics' again.

"How much?"

"One-thousand Poké," the brother confirmed almost immediately, a victorious smile on his face. "Feel free to give a test while we do business with Gloria."

"Well… good thing we saved so much, even with the guild taking so much."

Liam stepped away from the counter, letting Gloria take over. Once he was a good distance away, he held the TM closely in his paws, remembering what Gloria told him to do.

The thoughts swirling in his head tuned into one thing only, learning this move. His eyes closed shut as his mind focused, the yellow coloration of the disk fading away. His body jerked a little, dropping the now colorless disk onto the ground. Slowly, he cracked open both eyes and looked down at the dropped disk.

'Did I… do it?'

He decided to test that thought, holding his arm out and enclosing a paw. Just like every time he used a move in battle, the idea of his paw being encased by electricity surged through his mind. He grunted, trying to get that hidden power to reveal itself. Then it happened - tiny yellow flickers of electricity jumped out of his fur, forming a field around his enclosed paw. Liam quickly withdrew his arm in shock, observing his now splayed paw and checking if his fur was singed or burnt by the wild sparks.

'I guess so…'

He would still need to train this new move, hoping that their meeting with Leafeon wouldn't take up too much of his time so he can thrash around some dungeon Pokémon with his new move.

Gloria shoveled in the freshly bought seeds and orbs into her saddlebag, handing off a handsome amount of Poké to the polite shop owners. Once the newly acquired items were secured in their respective pouches, she turned to see Liam walking back to the counter, waving his paw around and freeing it from any potential sparks.

She giggled. "Well? Are you happy now?"

Liam smiled. "Sure am," he lied somewhat, only truly being satisfied once he could pummel some Pokémon with it.

Gloria rolled her eyes, slinging the saddlebag around her side. "Thank you, Mister and Miss Meowstic. We'll be off to Sylveon's place now!"

The sister behind the counter chuckled into a paw again. "At Sylveon's? Why, we just handed a large supply of baking supplies to her just today. She was in a fantastic mood, even more excited than she typically is!"

Liam sighed, the sister's words not being good news for his sanity. However, Gloria smiled widely at her words.

"I think it's because Leafeon is going to be-"

"INCOMING!"

The shout of a scratchy female voice from the heavens caused Gloria to halt and head the voice's alert, hopping to her side. Liam also took a step back as something, or rather, someone landed right in front of him.

It was a small Pokémon about as tall as Gloria - white fur with lush green grass growing along its legs and atop its head, where two furry white wing-like protrusions sprouted out from. A red leaf hung from its nape. A green saddlebag was strapped to its side, and the same scarf Liam and Gloria wore was wrapped around its neck.

"Sorry 'bout that," the Pokémon flatly commented. "Scuse me, luv." She then brushed past a still flabbergasted Gloria to greet the equally shocked shopkeepers.

Her leafy paws were placed on the counter. "Here for my Energy Ball, which was already paid for. You lads kept it nice and safe for me, right?"

The brother behind the counter shook himself free from his trance. "Uh… of course! We'll get it right away, ma'am!" He swiftly flipped around to filter through the shelves stocked with TM's.

The gears in Liam's mind began to turn as he analyzed the Pokémon that had so rudely dive bombed on them. The shape and description of this Pokemon reminded of something he had seen in a book from the library.

'Why do I recognize… wait a minute.'

He took a gamble. "Hey, aren't you… a Shaymin?"

The Pokemon in question turned around, hearing Liam's voice. "Uhhh… yeah? What's it to ya?" She then got a good look at both of the starry themed scarves wrapped around the Pokémon's necks. "Crikey…" She muttered under breath. "The two of ya are part of the guild, aintcha?" Shaymin cracked a grin. "I've been gone too long, haven't I? We've got new dweebs!"

Liam blinked, 'Dweebs?'

"Though… I haven't seen a Riolu around Celestic in ages!" Shaymin inspected Liam's build. "Who are you? The Guildmaster's long lost son?"

"W-What?!" Liam stammered out. "No I'm not… his son, or whatever. I'm from the Shore Region, and the name's Liam."

Shaymin tilted her head, "Name too, eh? Sure you're not related? I heard the Guildmaster even came from the Shore Regi-"

"No."

Gloria took a step forward, clearing her throat and extending a paw towards Shaymin. "It's very nice to meet you, Shaymin. We're Team Requiem! We began working at the guild over a month ago. I'm Glor-

"Uhuh… I already know that, luv. Roark always speaks about you - some bookworm or nerd I take it?"

Gloria's outstretched paw was lightly swatted away by Shaymin's own, causing her to step back and shuffle her legs together in embarrassment.

"No need for formalities or anythin', just know that I'm part of Team Evergreen with that other sheila there - Leafeon." Her smirk developed a crack. "If the Guildmaster, the bugger that he is, didn't terminate me for being gone so long."

Liam found his tongue, "We're actually going to see Leafeon at Sylveon's Sweets right now." Gloria nodded to this.

"Ah! Now ain't that a surprise. Leafeon and that dang Sylveon cozying on up. Maybe she deserves a visit from her teammate…" Shaymin sighed. "Tell ya what. You seem like nice blokes… even if you look like a buncha dweebs."

Neither Liam nor Gloria knew how to exactly respond to that. Nonetheless, Shaymin continued.

"How about we all go together there? Once I'm done shoppin', of course."

The Riolu and Vulpix duo exchanged looks before shrugging and nodding simultaneously to her request.

As if on cue, the Meowstic brother thrusted a bright green TM over the counter. "Here is your Energy Ball, Shaymin. The last one in fact!"

"Tch. Took ya long enough!" She snatched the green disk from his paws and tossed into a now open pouch on her saddlebag and then closed it. "Lead the way then, dweebs. It's been a while since I had a sweet tooth."

The sister Meowstic blinked at her lack of gratitude before waving a paw. "P-please return next time!" Her bewildered brother nodded along to her words.

Gloria smiled, waving her paw back and forth. "Thank you again!"

Liam offered a brief wave as well, Shaymin already waltzing off.

They eventually grouped up and headed down the road leading out of the marketplace and towards another section of the city littered with fancy diners, cafes, and assorted family bakeries. It had been a while since Liam had walked down this street, being the day he woke up as a ghost, but he still remembered everything in their path, especially one rounded pink building that was now before them.

They all entered.

A chorus of tiny bells above the door's entrance rang out throughout the inside. A blinding wave of pink assaulted the Riolu's eyes, reminding him exactly what kind of territory he was in. The bakery was quiet, and it appeared no customers were here this early in the morning, except for one occupied table to the room's right.

There sat Leafeon, Sylveon, and even the motherly Lopunny they had done a job for previously. She was sipping away at a much expected pink tea cup, laughing and chatting with the others seated. Liam could even see the antler covered necklace they uncovered wrapped around her neck.

The sounds of the chiming bells above the entrance door stole the rabbit's gaze from her friends and towards the new arrivals. A smile graced her lips as she waved them down with a paw.

"Gloria! Liam! It's great to see you here! And…" She tilted her head. "Is that... Shaymin?"

The sound of her partner's name caused Leafeon to turn her attention as well, bounding out of her seat and towards the Pokémon.

"Shaymin?!"

Once Leafeon caught an eye of her partner, she sprinted forward to envelope the Pokémon into a friendly hug, who squirmed at her actions.

"Hey! You're back!" Leafeon removed her head from the hug. "For good, I assume?"

Shaymin broke away. "Yeah, things were about to get ugly with one of the elders. Left before it could."

Leafeon frowned at this. "Where did you even go?" Realization then hit her. "... Back to the village? You know I told you not to go there! Not yet… at least."

Shaymin winced at her scolding. "Nah, I know that. It's just..."

Leafeon smiled, leaning in. "Just…?"

"Y'know me, Leafy. Had to go see them after everything I've accomplished so far out in Celestic."

Sylveon popped up beside Leafeon, a big smile staining her features. "Oooh, It's very good to see you after so long, Shaymin!" Her long pink and white feelers protracted out of her bow and towards the Grass-type.

Shaymin blocked her attempts with a paw. "Woah, ribbons off the merchandise! I don't do that sugary, sweet kindness thing, luv."

Her standoffishness sent the Fairy-type into a giggling fit, with her refocusing her attention on the Vulpix and Riolu beside Shaymin now. "Well, then, It's good to see you as well, Glory and Li Li! It's been too long."

Liam's fur almost paled. 'Li Li? That was the nickname she chose?!'

The feelers of Sylveon soon floated their way, Liam taking a large step back away from them, remembering both experiences from before. Gloria, however, embraced the gesture, allowing the feelers to wrap around her outstretched paw and giggling at the positive feelings she was being given.

"It's good to see you too, 'Sylvie'!" Gloria tugged slightly on the ribbons, her tail starting to wag behind her. "Um… Leafeon said you would make my favorite, right?"

"Of course I did! On the house, for my two-" She stopped and laughed."-Three guests." She motioned with a feeler to the table where Lopunny was seated. "Please, have a seat while I get everyone's treat ready." The Fairy-type unraveled Gloria's constraints and skipped past the counter.

They obeyed her orders, walking over and taking a seat, Gloria nearly sprinting to her own chair in anticipation.

Lopunny took another sip of her tea. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" She directed her gaze on Liam and Gloria. "My, over a month so far into the guild! Time sure flies, doesn't it? How are you dears doing in your efforts? My little Buneary especially wants to know."

Gloria gladly took initiative. "We're doing great so far! The Guildmaster even said many times that we were one of the best teams he'd seen enter the guild!"

"It's true!" Leafeon concurred. "A little gossip with Indeedee every now and then gets me reports on everyone at the guild." She winked at Gloria. "Roark and I told you that it would work out, right?"

Shaymin whistled. "Sheesh, never seen that ice cube of a Guildmaster even say much a word of appraisal to anyone else." She smirked, shooting Liam a look. "Do I smell… nepotism from the dweebs?"

"Shaymin!" Leafeon chided.

"I'm not his son." Liam retorted, wearing a deadpan expression.

Shaymin started to laugh up a storm, "Nah, nah, I kid, mate! Impressive stuff though from two new rookies." She mockingly sighed. "When will he give the guild's best flyer that same treatment?"

Leafeon narrowed her eyes. "You know why, Shaymin." Her light brown orbs rolled in their sockets. "Arceus knows how many times you upped and left to who knows where. Scizor started keeping count, too!"

"Relaaax, Leafy," Shaymin said softly. "I'll have a talk with the old Lucario and everything will be fine; the bloke will understand. Besides, I give him a lot of information he needs for his work. He can't get rid of me that easily!"

This was perplexing to Liam. 'Give the Guildmaster information? Like what?'

As he thought about it, another realization hit him at exactly what kind of Pokémon Shaymin was. When his time came to speak, he would bring it to light.

"Um… excuse me, Shaymin?" Gloria interrupted, flinching a bit under Shaymin's gaze. "Where exactly did you go? Everyone said you've been gone for two months, and that you didn't say where you were going."

"Home, luv!" Shaymin happily shouted. "The Grass Continent, where the Shaymin Village is located. Open fields, rich farms, and clear blue skies without a cloud in sight for soaring along with your mates. It's also where the Gracidea flower also blooms." She pointed a paw at the red leaf hanging off her nape. "We Shaymin can change into this absolute beaut of a form you see now with the help of that flower. If not, we'd be stuck as ground dwellers."

"I heard the Shaymin there are very friendly, too!" Lopunny chimed in. "That they give those beautiful flowers away as some sort of souvenir for visiting them."

Shaymin nodded begrudgingly. "Uhuh… that comes with being the 'Gratitude Pokémon' - total joy and stuff. But other than being a tourist trap, the village also serves as a sort of message and farming outpost for the other Legends'."

The gears in Liam's mind began to turn. 'Other Legends'? Then my assumption might be true…' He would have to ask her and confirm his suspicions.

"Shaymin… aren't you a Legendary Pokémon"

"Yeah, how come you didn't know, dweeb?" she said casually. "Anyway, us Shaymin are on the lower totem pole of that status, seeing as we're not all powerful, govern over anything, or are the only ones in existence. The top dog Legendaries are essentially in charge of us lower 'mons."

Lopunny gave a motherly, reminiscing smile. "Yes... my little Buneary always wanted to meet the Legendaries of the world. It must be an honor, Shaymin - seeing gods and protectors of our time."

Shaymin scoffed loudly at her words.

Gloria seemed enthralled. "Wow… I had always wanted to visit the Shaymin Village one day. But… you said something about the Legendaries being in charge." She gasped. "Wait! Do you Shaymin seriously do work with some of them?"

The Grass-type nodded. "Sure do." Resentment crept into her scratchy voice. "We're practically their damn servants, farming their food or delivering messages of the outside world they choose to cut themselves out of. It's why I am such an amazing flyer, having been doing errands and playing suck-up my entire life for those bloody bludgers."

"Shay-" Leafeon attempted to stop her friend.

"Nah, nah, let me finish, Leafy. And then everyone, even the elder of the village just accepts it with a joyous little smile on their face. Because it's our bloody 'duty to Arceus' and… 'we need to be grateful'. None of the elders got any spine, and I wasn't gonna stick around for it!"

Liam was rightly shocked at her venting, as much as Gloria. While he was aware there was a divide between the Legendaries and normal Pokémon, they weren't aware of even Legendaries like Shaymin here being upset at the 'top dogs'.

Leafeon attempted to salvage the conversation. "Well… Shaymin, can you now tell me why you decided to return there?"

Shaymin sputtered. "What? Can't see my mum and dad and tell them how much of a better success I am? I wasn't there to cause trouble with the elders. Not worth my time duking it out with old 'mons."

"Don't you think you should listen to your friend there - Victini?" Leafeon countered, tilting her head.

Shaymin cackled. "Him? Friend? Nooope. He's the same as those other suck ups, just a lot more annoying and… by Arceus I hate his stupid little face." She shook her head, bounding out of her chair. "Y'know what, you lads got me too peeved to eat anythin'." Shaymin began angrily marching towards the bakery's entrance.

"What? C'mon, Shaymin!" Leafeon yelled. "I can... get Sylveon to make your favorite?"

Her efforts didn't sway Shaymin. "If you need me, I'll be taking a much needed nap at the guild after I sort out things with the Guildmaster." She looked back at the table for a split second. "But it's good to see we got new dweebs at the guild - cheers!"

The familiar chime of bells reverberated through the room after Shaymin took her exit. Liam stared out the window, watching her quickly take flight and disappearing into the sky. The noise of a door swinging open beyond the room's glass counter, however, stole his attention away as Sylveon emerged, balancing a platter of Pokepuffs with a single ribbon.

"Hey! Did someone show up? I got everyone's Pokepuffs!" The Fairy-type strolled over to the table, placing the platter down, only to notice one customer missing. "Huh? Where did Shaymin run off to?"

"She... decided to leave, Sylveon." Lopunny said delicately.

"Awwww…" The Fairy-type wilted at her words, ears and ribbons drooping as she seated herself on Shaymin's absent spot. "Why'd she go and run off? I don't bite!" she ended with a sad giggle.

"Sorry, Sylveon, it's not you." Leafeon huffed. "I'm going to be more tough on her when I return to the guild. Being gone for two months is bad enough," she grumbled.

Her words seemed to return Sylveon's jubilance, the Pokemon picking up a pink Pokepuff with her ribbon, not waiting for anyone to dig in herself. Gloria knew exactly which one was hers, a visible hunger in her eyes as she swiped the decorated white Pokepuff off the platter, fangs already sunken deep in the sweet confection.

To Liam, the two Pokemon seemed to have the same voracious appetite if anything sweet was in their vicinity. The Riolu reluctantly grabbed a blue puff off the tray, breaking his silence as well.

"No offense, Leafeon, but she didn't seem like the 'Gratitude Pokémon' to me." He took a bite out of his dessert. A horrific explosion of sweet and sour flooded his taste buds.

Gloria swallowed her bites down. "I… um, don't want to be rude too, Leafeon, but I'm going to agree with Liam here. She seemed the total opposite of any Shaymin I've heard of in my books."

Leafeon sighed, making circles around the platter with her paw. "Yeah, she can get like that sometimes. It's a miracle we even established a team together in the first place, seeing as I'm her sole friend."

Liam was taken aback. "Sole friend? I mean… it makes sense, but that's rough."

Sylveon spoke up, crumbs littering her face. "Maybe she just needs a party to make her stop being such a grump?"

Lopunny took another sip of her tea. "Maybe the dear just needs some space? It was probably a long trip to another continent, and having to say goodbye to her family again…"

Liam shrugged, taking another bite of his sickly puff. "She left her village because of the other Legendaries, right? Something about just being servants to them and their 'duty to Arceus'?"

Leafeon shook her head, "That's Shaymin's story, and she's not the one to lie about it, seeing at how mad she gets when she talks about it."

Liam decided to resume his eating, seeing as no one else had anything to add. He had hoped Shaymin would've been more friendly with her misgivings, but for now he decided to chalk it off as a standard rebellious teen phase, as she didn't seem much older than him. But all the talk about Legendaries sent his mind spiraling into remembrance of that time he and Gloria first entered the Empyrean Library to learn more about Celestic. They then spent hours scouring through books about Legendaries, and even Arceus himself.

While everyone at the table enjoyed their treat, he recalled the events of that day in his head.

Before Gloria could respond, he interjected. "Speaking of learning, in the book about Celestial Mountain. You mentioned an 'Arceus'. Is that a Pokémon, or some sort of alien?"

She noticed his confusion and giggled. "Arceus? We're gonna be here a while then." She jumped to her paws and walked towards the bookshelves again.

"First, you need to know about the Legendaries." Gloria found a small stepladder and hopped onto it. "They're Pokémon like us but… um, they're the closest you could get to a god-like figure like Arceus."

Liam's interest peaked. "So… are they gods or rulers themselves?"

Gloria shook her head, scouring the shelves. "Kind of. They're more like really powerful guardians, or ambassadors of such things like… space and time. But they're still mortal and can have children like us regular Pokemon"

"Space and time? Legendaries can just do that?"

Gloria found the book she wanted. "Sort of, one the Legendaries, Dialga, keeps the balance of time by just… existing. Palkia, his opposite, guards over his domain of space. Only Arceus can truly manipulate those boundaries. At least… that's what I've read." She then tried tugging on the wedged book to release it. It came loose, along with multiple other books. "Woah!"

They tumbled off the shelves, landing on the wooden floor. Liam chuckled, walking over to pick up the book she wanted, only to notice it was already open. He got a closer look at it, a picture was drawn of some sort of Pokemon with a caption above the drawing.

"'Dialga.' This is the Legendary you spoke of, right?"

"Yup!" Gloria leapt off the ladder and walked to where Liam was. "This book has illustrations of the majority of each Legendary. Here…" She flipped to another page, another drawing and caption.

"This is Palkia, and... " She turned another page, this Pokémon had two different forms apparently. "This is Giratina - said to inhabit a world opposite of ours. Together, they're all known as the Creation trio, one of many trios."

Liam absorbed this information. "I'm guessing the others work the same?"

Gloria nodded. "Here, I'll show you my favorite of them." The pages flew by in a blur until she stopped. "We'll start with Xerneas."

Liam got a good look at the picture. It was a black and blue deer-like Pokémon. Large multicolored antlers sprouting out of its head. Even if it was just a drawing, he felt a wave of regalness travel through him.

Gloria cleared her throat. "She is hailed as the Goddess of Life to some groups in Celestic. Her antlers contain the majority of the life bearing power within her, and it said that she could bring life back to a dying forest with just one shake of them." A page was flipped. "This is Yveltal."

Liam could definitely tell it was some avian-like creature, the long wings and tail of it forming a Y-shape. Its red coloration and splinters of black gave him the impression this wasn't as well intentioned as Xerneas.

"He's considered the God of Death to many, just like Xerneas. When his body lights up, it says he creates an attack that turns the Pokémon of his choosing to stone, banishing them to a world of suffering where he also exists."

Liam's eyes grew wide. "To stone? He can seriously do that?"

Gloria giggled. "Apparently."

She turned the next page, where the final member of the trio was pictured. It was large and serpentine in nature, hexagonal spotted scales covering its entire black and green body.

"This is Zygarde, supposedly the God of the Earth. Not much is known about him, but he is said to dwell deep below the surface, only emerging if the ecosystem of the world is being threatened, like some guardian." She looked up, "And that's the Aura Trio. Great stuff, isn't it!"

Liam exhaled; it was a lot to take in. "Sure is, but… how do you guys get all this information? Are they still around?"

Gloria frowned. "All this information is really old, from thousands and thousands of years ago. Few Pokémon over generations have even seen or spoken with any of them. Perhaps the Legendaries are still sore from that event long ago."

The Riolu's eyebrow raised. "Event? What happened?"

The Vulpix shrugged her shoulders in response. "No one knows anything specific, but there's countless tales of an event over ten thousand years ago - something occurred which caused a divide between normal Pokémon and the Legendaries."

"That's pretty strange... and you think the Legendaries are still mad about whatever happened?"

"I guess so…" She sighed sadly. "I know the Legendaries are Pokémon like us. They have feelings, dreams, goals, and duties like we do. I just wished they made more contact, and maybe even tell us more about them or Arceus."

There was that name again. 'Arceus'. He needed to know about this Pokémon.

"Hey, Gloria, think you can tell me who Arceus is now?"

She smiled, turning another page of the book. "We'll get to him eventually, let's continue with the other Legendaries." A giggle erupted from her again. "I've studied so much about them, so now would be a good time to show you."

'Oh brother…'

The Riolu got as comfortable as he could on the old wooden floor, lying supine and resting his head on his paws as he listened to Gloria talking about different Legendaries for what seemed like hours.

All of the descriptions greatly surprised him. Emissaries of both the sun and moon, a being that devours light itself, golems built out of ice, rock, and steel, a species built on gratitude to others, and even one that granted wishes. This world seemed to shock him every step out of the way, but it wasn't like he was complaining.

Gloria stopped at a final page. "And then… Arceus." Hearing her word, Liam immediately got up to take a peek.

The Legendary wasn't anything otherworldly or ethereal like he imagined, but something about his appearance told Liam that he was some sort of authority figure.

Gloria cleared her throat again. "The theory goes that there once existed an egg, an egg that contained Arceus. When it opened, he then created and shaped our universe and world with his thousands of arms and glowing lines from the wheel on his back. Then he created the Legendaries and by extension, us."

Liam blinked. "So, that makes Arceus… god? If he is the creator of everything?"

"That's what the vast majority of Pokémon believe in, even if no one has ever seen him outside of drawings or tales of the past. I don't know much about any churches, but some more religious Pokemon say that he will return someday."

Liam's face contorted in realization. "Is that why I hear some Pokémon on the streets muttering 'I swear to Arceus' or 'Arceus, why?'"

She laughed. "You've got it!"

It was a strange thing to him - that a Pokémon not only crafted the universe and world, but just vanished without a trace, no one knowing a single thing about him, along with the mythical Legendaries who are distant. The more he thought about it, the more the questions piled on, but he was just happy Gloria took the time to explain all of this to a very lost Riolu.

"Hey, Liam… what would you do if you had the power of Arceus?"

That caught him off guard. "What?"

Gloria rubbed the floor with a paw. "Sorry for the sudden weird question, but I've always wondered what I would do. I told you about my whole hero thing, and that I just want to be one. So, I could help a lot of Pokémon with that power, be someone to look up to and stuff." She shook her head, "Sorry for being cheesy, again. What would you do?"

Liam laid on his back again, staring at the ceiling in thought. 'The power of Arceus?' Theoretically, he could do practically anything, but what would he want specifically?

'Maybe create a paradise of endless exploration, or… return all my memories, or... '

He was stumped, but as he reflected on it more and more, the thought of being a god was akin to what Gloria had talked about. To be looked up to.

"I guess… I would protect this world. Just like the Legendaries do. That's what a god is supposed to do, y'know?"

She smiled at his response, closing the book with a paw. "Well put! We, um, should find you a book for regular Pokémon now, right?"

A crackling noise echoed throughout the dungeon as sparks of yellow electricity coursed through his blue fur. Once his paw was fully engulfed by the current, he clenched it shut, forming a fist and smashing it right into the face of a Scatterbug. A roar of booming thunder followed the impact.

The weak Bug-type collapsed instantly, bursting into an orange glow. Acting quickly, Liam pivoted to his left, grabbing a nearby Rattata trying to bite him by its purple tail. He began to swing it around, quickly becoming a blur as he picked up more and more momentum.

WOOSH. WOOSH. WOOSH.

He then let go.

The Rattata was sent careening into the wall of dirt, indenting itself into it and crumbling pieces of dirt off the wall. The rat fell over and disappeared into orange light. Liam cringed at the sight - while he would never do that to an actual Pokémon, the dungeon Pokémon were fair game, not being real and whatnot.

The Riolu checked his surroundings, a smile etched on his face. 'Either they fled at the sight of my strength, or I just wiped them out again.'

After the two of them left Sylveon's Sweet, he followed Gloria into the Sunshine Forest, voluntarily going into the Mystery Dungeon to test out his newly acquired Thunder Punch. He wasn't sure how long he had spent in here thrashing the Pokemon, but he decided that now seemed like a good time to make his exit. He navigated through the grassy corridors, locating the bizarre, earthy staircase and walking up it as darkness overtook his vision.

When it receded, the Riolu appeared near the trail again, the sounds of shuffling green trees and the bright sun in the blue sky greeting him.

'She should still be over on that hill.'

Liam lightly jogged on the paved road, running through the rows of trees that obscured his vision. When he heard the sound of running water, he slowed his pace, knowing that he arrived at his destination. A small stream of water ran through the path's side. After following it, he entered a large glade with a hill, white wallflowers blooming along its sides.

A lone tree was resting at the top, along with the outline of a stationary and familiar white Vulpix.

'There she is.'

Apparently the same clearing he awoke in was the same spot where she loved to quietly read when the Seadra fountain in Empyrean was busy with Pokemon.

Liam jogged over again and began his ascent up the hill, his incoming presence not known by the Vulpix. Gloria's legs were tucked in her sides, muzzle and both eyes glued to the book she was reading. Once he was near the base of the tree, he cupped his paws around his mouth to give her a dose of reality.

"BOO!"

"AH!"

Gloria whipped her head around in shock, her expression evaporating into annoyance. "Don't do that!" she pleaded in exasperation. "I don't like it when Roark does it, so I'm definitely not going to like it when you do it."

Liam chuckled, "Speaking of Roark, I remember you said we needed to go and meet him somewhere?"

Gloria returned her attention to the book resting on the grass. "I didn't forget. Once I'm finished with this chapter, we can go back to my house and get him... where he is almost certainly napping." She turned her head for a split second. "Please don't wander away now?"

Liam placed his paws on his hip. "No need to worry, I'll keep you safe. I already got it out of my system."

She rolled her eyes and giggled softly. "Good."

With nothing left for them to say, Gloria returned to reading while Liam stood around patiently waiting. He took a deep breath, placing his paw on the tough bark of the tree.

'I've been here more than a month… and still nothing on why I woke up-'he patted the bark, 'Here specifically.'

The Riolu turned around, trying to override his frustration with the amazing view from atop the grassy hill. Small white petals drifted in the cool summer breeze, floating up towards them and climbing above the verdant trees of the forest. His eyes caught a flock of Unfezant flying through the cloudless sky.

This kind of peace was something they needed. Even if Liam loved adventuring, moments like this seemed to shine most of all. Gloria seemed to notice this moment of tranquility, opening her mouth to speak her mind.

"Isn't life such an amazing thing?"

Liam kept his gaze on the heavens, staring down the flock of Flying-types as they faded away one by one into nothingness. His eyes began to shrink, mouth parting, awareness of his environment creeping in.

That wasn't Gloria's voice.

His attention immediately snapped to her prone form. "... What?!"

Gloria vanished.

A great rumbling shook the earth beneath his paws as the world around him began to change like in a dream. He took a step forward, mouth agape at what he was currently seeing. Plates of green grass erupted out of the ground, connecting with the elevation of the hill to form solid ground. White wallflowers sprouted out of this new terrain, dancing in an invisible wind.

The lone tree at the top of the hill remained in its place.

The forest in his front melted into a blur of dark green, seas of flat, fertile grass plains replacing it. Beyond the expansive fields, a distant lush mountain range shifted and grinded into place. Huge mist-like clouds rolled in behind it, hiding whatever lie yonder. To Liam, it was uncharted territory, untapped potential, ripe for exploring. He gave a quick look behind him, a forest different from the one he came out of taking its place instead. A chorus of soothing angels were singing faintly in his ears, mixing in with the natural ambience of swaying leaves and soft wind.

They greatly relaxed him, quickly making him forget about the surreal nature of everything happening at once. The damp smell of a now departed morning rain swamped his senses. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew where he was. He was here again.

'That place.'

"Hello."

That familiar silky female voice from before penetrated through the cooing whispers in Liam's head. The Riolu could only gawk at the ocean of a sky, seeking the identity of the voice. He swallowed a forming lump in his throat as he spoke.

"H-Hi?"

The voice responded back. "I've been watching you."

"Y-You have?" Liam stuttered back.

'She' laughed tenderly, "Not that closely, Liam. But I have seen much so far."

He didn't know how to respond to that, but the voice continued regardless.

"You seem… much happier than before. That makes me happy as well."

Liam took another step, almost stumbling on his shaky paws. "Who… exactly are you?"

The voice let out a dismal sigh. "There's a fence between us, Liam - one that is not so... easily crossed. You would not know, sadly, and might not for a while. It is already hard enough for me to see you this often…"

Just like before, Liam could feel and sense everything - the grass beneath his paws, the wind bristling his fur, the smell of dew. He needed to know.

"I... don't understand. Is this place real?"

"Sadly, no." The voice sighed, before hope appeared in her voice. "Do you wish that it was?"

"I… yeah."

"I am glad that you do, but don't worry, the future will show this to be a reality soon."

Her words pleased a part of Liam, but he still desired to know more. "What exactly is this place?"

"This…" The voice tried to find the correct words. "This is your ideal paradise, Liam. Where everything you may or may not know you desire, is right here."

Past the horizon, Liam could see a white house along with a wooden fence start to form in his vision. It was familiar to him, but he couldn't tell why. He shambled forward again, this time towards the house.

But would stop in his tracks as something grew out from beneath him, the green stalk of a young wallflower curling as the head bloomed its white petals before him. The Riolu knelt down, slowly bringing his paw over it and plucking it out of the ground. He stood up again and started dissecting the flower with his eyes, feeling how real it felt.

"I'll ask again… Don't you think life is amazing?"

"Huh?" Liam snapped out of his daze.

Living was at first very strange to him in this world, trapped between the thought of a preexisting life and the birth of a new, himself right here. But he had done so much with Gloria by his side, joining the guild and exploring Celestic. It was fun, and he loved doing it. No matter what was thrown at him the first day he woke up in this world, he was living a life he doesn't regret one bit.

"Yeah… it really is."

"But... life could be so much better, right? A world free from sorrow, anger, and evil. Like a painting, a dreamscape, but realized."

'Could it?' Sure there's been bumps, but everything seems fine.' Again, he didn't know how to respond.

"I'm… so sorry, Liam, but this is as long as I can currently project this fantasy. We must part ways again."

The vibrant landscape surrounding Liam began to spin and spin, until it was nothing more than a blur of colors. Black spots invaded his perception. The wallflower he once held was gone, along with the feeling of holding it. It was sad; a part of him didn't want to leave, not yet.

"But do not fret,Liam." The voice uttered again. "When this world falls into flames, and we sunder into dust, we will make it out. You and I will both awaken to our shared dream finally realized. A place we can truly call… paradise."

All Liam could visualize was darkness, his once acute senses of the dream lost. Her silky voice resounded across his mind in one last message.

"Farewell, for now."

"LIAM!"

"GAH"

The Riolu felt something bat one of his feelers, the familiar feeling of electricity shooting through his spine as he face planted into the earth.

Gloria hid her snicker behind a paw. "I'm… sorry I had to do that, but you were just… sleepwalking? And even saying some weird stuff, so I had to get your attention somehow."

Liam's groans were muffled as he lifted his face from the ground, spitting out some strands of grass. There, Gloria noticed something sliding down his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?"

"Huh?"

He stood up, wiping his tear stained face with a paw. "Thanks, Gloria. I, um, don't know what came over me."

Trademark worry traveled across her face. "Are you sure you got enough sleep?"

"I… uh, yeah I probably didn't get enough. Sorry."

She perked back up, "Great! I finished my chapter, so we should go back to Empyrean and get Roark for his… thing to show us."

"You go on ahead. I'll be there in a second."

Once she was down the hill, he collapsed into a seated position. The memory of his experience from before now just sinking in. His paws mindlessly took hold of the grass beneath him as his thoughts wandered.

'This is the second time I've had this happen, just randomly. But this time, someone, a woman, perhaps a Pokémon was speaking to me directly.'

He tightly squeezed the grass in his grip, ripping strands of them out of place as he grit his teeth, his breaths shallow and harsh.

'I can't make any sense of this?! Why does it all feel so real?!'

Perhaps Gloria was correct in her assumption that he was crazy, even if she meant it in joking fashion. How could he even tell her about this vision as well? That he heard a voice talking to him?

Liam closed his eyes, slowing down his breaths. 'It's so… frustrating. To not know any of this.' He stared at Gloria while she trotted down the path, only turning around to wave at him with an open smile before continuing on her merry way.

"..."

'I guess I have no choice but to take this in stride… again.'

He got back up, took a deep calm breath, and began trudging down the green hill.

Liam and Gloria entered the guild's mess hall, it seemed that everyone was already here for dinner, as ruckus was the room's current noise distribution, with constant chatter between guildmates chowing down at their respective tables. They had just gotten back from Roark's latest journey through the city right as the sun began to set.

This time out with the suave Zoroark was thankfully pretty decent for the both of them.

'How he managed to light it on fire, I will never know,' Liam drowsily mused. He was totally out of it today, and his body would agree.

Suddenly, a door in the hallway behind them opened, Hatterene shuffling away from the room with her nurse in training, Braixen following her. The fox was wearing a small red nurse cap, along with her usual white armband with a red cross wrapped around her shoulder.

"Team Requiem! It's great to see you back for dinner!" the fire fox called out with a modest wave.

"Same to you, Braixen." Gloria tiredly chirped back. "Glad to see you doing well in your training… I hope?" She was never sure of the head nurse's mood.

Once Hatterene turned her head and caught a glance of Liam's state, her glare sharpened, a striking gleam appearing in her eyes as she sped off towards the Riolu, grabbing and raising him up to her eye level. She started shaking him with her hat's 'hand'.

"Diaphoresis. Possible chills. Tiredness and muscle aches. You must have a fever."

Liam was stunned that her strictly monotone voice could carry such a menacing tone. "I… I… don't have a fever! I'm perfectly okay!" He was now visibly sweating.

"Y-Yeah, it's true, Miss Hatterene!" Gloria yelled. "We're totally fine!"

The Psychic-type narrowed her eyes. "Hm. Fine." She loosened her hold on him as he immediately scrambled to Gloria's side. "MIGHTYENA!" she roared.

The Dark-type in question audibly whimpered as he limped out of his seat and scampered towards them. A blood stained cloth was wrapped around his front paw. Liam wasn't sure if he was moaning because of the pain, or because Hatterene called him over.

"Y-Yes, nurse Hatterene?"

Hatterene bored her eyes into Pokémon. "In the room. Now."

Mightyena gave a faulty grin. "B-But, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"It was not a suggestion."

"Wait! I-"

He was cut off by Hatterene's 'hand' reaching over and picking him up with remarkable strength, flinging him like a sack of potatoes as he screamed.

A crashing noise boomed from the nursing room as Mightyena was thrown in. The door was then quickly slammed shut as Hatterene found her way inside at record speeds. The suppressed howls of Mightyena were heard through the door, causing everyone to wince.

Braixen bowed slightly, an irked look on her face. "I… am so sorry for head nurse Hatterene's actions, Team Requiem."

Liam dusted himself off. "Ah, it's nothing to worry about Braixen. However, I'm surprised you can even work with her… personality.

The orange fox sighed. "I know… but she's the only one here with better experience than me. Like my mom said, it's my only shot!"

A 'clack' noise from behind the three of them caused their backs to turn. There stood Scizor, his eyes glazing over the clipboard in his grasp before looking at those who stood blocking his way.

"Team Requiem. Braixen. Please, step aside, I have an announcement for everyone to hear."

The three of them hastily made their way further into the mess hell, allowing Scizor to step inside.

The Bug-type cleared his throat. "Attention! I hate to interrupt your meals, but there is an important notice issued to me, straight from the Guildmaster." There was noticeable uproar after his words, but it was all stifled by a wave of his large red pincer. "After some new revelations, we have decided that in one month's notice… we will be embarking on an expedition."

His words replaced the guild's bickering with cheers and applause. A smile graced Gloria's lips, a thump appearing in Liam's heart.

'We're actually going to go on an expedition?'

Scizor looked down at his clipboard. "We will have details on exactly where and what day when we get closer to the date. Until then, that is all. Please enjoy the rest of your day off." He brushed past the three still from shock, fading into the hallway with a 'clack'.

Liam placed a paw over his beating chest. Today was certainly an emotional rollercoaster, ups and downs included. With the future expedition, his visions, all of it. The future. That was what the voice spoke to him about.

Everyone in the mess hall was still celebrating the news. Purrloin was happily chatting away with Leafeon about it while Rockruff was jumping up and down in his seat. Staravia was flying around erratically, Monferno swatting at the Flying-type so Joltik didn't so happen to land on his face.

Liam managed a smile. The voice from before made him wonder if truly one day he would awaken in a place he could call paradise. Because right now, they might just make it there.

Ten thousand years… Always watching… Always waiting. Requiem.

Author's Notes: To you, a reader witnessing the final chapter of this story. This is a message... from the past.

Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below!

Discord: z2h2z

Next Time:The Silent Warrior