"Red," I whisper.

I realize suddenly that I am thirteen years old. While he is as well, he's had who knows how long to control whatever remains of a physical form. I'm just settling back into this life. Although I know my physical strength is lacking and my Goldeneye powers may not work in a void, I don't hesitate to push him straight off of me. I attempt to bolt for it but my feet are stuck in some sort of gelatinous substance. My whole body slows down and I stop, turning slowly to face him.

He's still just inches from me.

"You can't run away from a void, Ashley. I honestly assumed you were smarter than this."
"Damnit, I don't have time for this!" I yell, breathing rapidly as his dull eyes stare into mine with a terrible fascination. "Just tell me what you want!" Tears stream down my face and my head buzzes with pain as he watches me like a Bug-type trapped beneath some child's net.

He's toying with me.

"You really are afraid of me."

"You blew up the entire universe! What the hell is wrong with you?" I scream in frustration.

He smiles. "Did I really? That must have been quite a show. The real question is... how did you lose, exactly?"

"Clair." I choke out.

"The dragon gym leader." he confirms. "I admit I kind of expected more, but that's none of my business. Say, did you try loading your Pokemon up with Blizzard? Should've made that one a breeze."

I clench my teeth. He knows exactly what he's making light of. "Is that it?" I yell, my face still red and my legs shaking pitifully. "Did you just want to humiliate me?"
He shakes his head. "That would be a waste of both of our time. Time in the metaphysical sense, at least, seeing as time is completely frozen while we're talking here. No, Ashley, I've been watching your progress with interest, and it appears that both of us have a common goal as of the moment."

I grimace. Did he really- did he really?! "If you suggest we team up, I am going to clock you so damn hard-" My fingers curl into a ball and I aim straight for his face with all of my might.

My fist freezes in midair. "Don't get so excited. I don't want your help either." he says, flicking his hand upwards and freezing my whole body. "I just need some information. As you've figured out, both of us seem to be dealing with a certain glitch in the system."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I lie, running through all of the possibilities. None of them sound good at all.

Please don't be my team, please don't be my team, please-

"I've searched every inch of the damned code and yet all I can find are dialogue lines for someone who's been removed. Worthless! Pointless! For all intents and purposes, Ethan might as well not exist."

I hold my hands over my head as he yells. "I don't know any more than you do." I say, keeping myself in a defensive position.

"Are you sure?! No dreams? No anything?"

"Nothing."
"You're lying." he says.

I don't reply.

"Don't lie to me, Ashley!" he basically yells the words. "You have no idea what I could do to you."

I look away from him, staring down at the abyss. My whole body freezes. My legs itch to run but I'm trapped there, completely vulnerable.

"Don't you see the possibilities here?! If Ethan can get out of the system, so could either of us. Do you know how long I tried to get out of here for?" he asks. His voice is so desperate that I can feel every bit of need in it.

"Uh huh. Did you think destroying the entire thing was going to work?" I ask, the rest of my body still frozen. Thank goodness Red seems to enjoy talking to me more than he enjoys hearing the sound of his own voice (which judging by how he always speaks, he probably enjoys a lot).

"I'm not that stupid. I've been trying to destroy it to end my own life. There is literally nothing worth saving here. We're in one of billions of identical copies of this universe where we meet, which is only one scenario in a pool of an even larger amount of copies of this same world. Not only do our lives mean nothing, but neither does your hesitation. In some world out there, somewhere, you have to give. I can and will force it out of you."
My heart races faster and faster, cruelly shaking the sides of my ribs. "I had dreams." I tell him. "Just a heartbeat and breathing. That's it. That's all I know."

He surveys me with a keen interest before unfreezing my body. I crumple against the ground.

"I see why the voices had so much fun with me. It's hilarious watching you give in."

"You were played by some greater force, trapped in a game which you had no chance of escape from, and the only fun you could find in it was to play your own game with someone else's life."

"See, now you're getting it. I have to say, you're a great pawn. Anyways, now that you've given me what I need... I think I may have an idea what's going on here."

I lunge forwards and grab his leg. He must not have anticipated it because instead of disappearing into the void, he stays there and my hands grow with green light. I hear him scream as if through a tunnel. "Tell me what happened to him." I beg.

Red finally pulls away, his leg disappearing and reforming outside of my reach. "Legendaries."

"What?"

"The legendaries can see across timelines. They maintain power over everything within these... 'games'. Sometimes, when a player has proven themselves worthy, they'll even consent to join with them to help make sure they don't get too powerful. If your... 'friend' somehow managed to harness that power..."

"Ethan? Ethan did what?!"

Red ignores me. "If he did it deliberately, which I seriously doubt, he's a mad genius. After all, why would you need to subvert the gods... when you could become one?"

"That's insane."

"Oh, you would know. After all, Celebi... isn't that what you are? An administrator gone player, condemned to bawl their eyes out every other night and lose to pathetic gym leaders."

"Say that one more time and I'll kill you." I promise him.

"I know you'd love to, but you have... twelve more gyms to blow through first. Good luck, Ashley... I'm counting on you. After all, if I have to blow up the universe, neither of us will find out what happened to your friend. How much of a shame would that be?"

The darkness recedes and I am left standing between several of my concerned Pokemon.

"Ashley! Did something happen?" Ten asks.

"Wait, did something happen?" I repeat, looking around. The time looks more or less the same.

"We thought we saw you crying and there were these strange echoing noises coming from the air around you. It was preeeetty wild." Luna says, holding Rose by her side.
"You okie, Ashley?" asks Rose, shying away from me but still profoundly curious of my current state.

"Fine," I tell her with a faked smile. "I'm just fine! See?"

"You don't look fine." Reginae mumbles. Peering closer, he asks, "Are those tears?"
"Literally none of that is important right now." I tell them, looking around. What did I do last time, what did I do last time... Bingo. "We need to watch a play."

Reginae's concern turns to mild aggravation. "Whatever you're trying to pull, it's not working. Just thought you should know that-"

I'm already off towards the theater. Luna arrives first with Rose on her back, with Ten just behind her. Ten is actually astoundingly fast and only seems to be picking up the pace as of late. His wings have fleshed out quite a bit. D'spinas buzzes in beside him, her wings folded as well. She looks mildly uncomfortable.

"What are you doing?" D'spinas asks. "Your human irregularities are becoming an issue."
"You think I'm an issue now? You clearly haven't seen me at my worst yet. Anyways, just trust me when I say this is going to be one hell of a show."
Reginae is rushing towards us in slow motion. His new evolution might be more powerful but it sure as heck isn't fast. "Wait for me!"
I fling the doors open to the sound of screaming. A kimono girl on stage is being attacked by several Zubats. Team Rocket Grunts flood the floor and multiple audience members have whipped out their own Pokemon. All guns firing (metaphorical guns, of course) I jump into the fray, slinging Clay's Pokeball out between D'spinas and Luna. "Clay, go!"

"What do you want?!" grumbles Clay as I withdraw him. "Wait, what's even going on here?!"

"No time to explain. Just take down any Zubat in sight."

Clay reluctantly slings a few rocks skyward and hits a Zubat without really trying. His smug expression makes it obvious he doesn't plan on doing anything terribly useful.

"Thanks, Clay. I really appreciate your contribution to the team. Let me just remind you- there's kind of a woman being mugged up on stage and we might

"You didn't say that. You just told me to start attacking things with no rhyme or reason. That's entirely different and you know it."

"Bloody hell! Both of you shut up!" Ten yells before being hit by a stray Thunderbolt.

Clay and I exchange a look as I go over to help him up- luckily, he's woozy but unhurt.
On center stage, both lights trained on her face, Miki punches a man in the face and then kicks him where it hurts. I can see the fiery indignation in her eyes but she is unable to unleash any of it. Reverting to her Flareon form in public is entirely out of the question. Guess it's time to take matters into my own hands.

"D'spinas, clear a line!"

D'spinas begins firing needles over my head and I duck under, rushing around incapacitated allies and foes alike and slide up on stage. There's only a few Rocket Grunts left, so I grab Miki's arm and run for it. She pulls back but I'm toughened up by months of running around in the wilderness and I manage to pull her offstage. We both lie right out of the action as the rest of the grunts are dispatched.

Another woman, an older one, emerges on stage. "Due to technical difficulties, the rest of the show has been cancelled. Full refunds will be offered. We apologize for the inconvenience and we thank all of you for your help dispatching these ruffians."

Miki draws away from me and slaps me across the face.

I hold my hand to my face tenderly. "You hit hard."

"You're welcome. Now that we've been acquainted and since I'm out of work for the rest of the night, would you like to formally introduce yourself?"

"My name is Ashley and I need to talk to Morty. I know you work with him, correct?"

Please don't let this have changed in the new timeline. I swear if one more thing changes I'm going to lose it.

"You want to talk to Morty? I'm so sorry. While I remain grateful to you for your assistance, Morty doesn't take challenges this late at night."
"I'm not looking for a challenge, Miki."

"H-how do you know my name?"
"That's not the only thing I know. You're a Flareon kitsune and you're the last remaining member of Morty's team."

She slaps me again.

"For Arceus's sake, stop-"

"Shh!" she puts a finger over her mouth. "Not that loud. We can talk outside."

I nod and gesture for my team to follow me out.

She slams the door behind me. "Who are you?!"

"A friend of yours from another time and another world. I really, really need to see Morty. I don't want to explain this more than once and it will be easier with both of you there. Where is he?!"

"He's at the Bell Tower, trying to summon Ho-oh. Communion with the legendaries can not be disturbed."

"You know what? The legendaries can shove it up their-" Seeing her horrified expression, I stop and compose myself. "Please. I'll wait all night, but I'm going to wait right outside Bell Tower."
"Alone," adds Clay. "She can wait by herself while we sleep."
"Shut up!" calls the rest of the team.

Miki rolls her eyes. "Colorful group you've got there."

"Thanks." I say.

She grabs my hand and leads me through the streets until we come to the monastery in the top right corner, not long of a walk. She lets go and as we stand at the entrance, she adds, "You could do to respect the legendaries a little more. Whoever you are, you are not above consequence."

"You're right," I say, moving through the monastery and opening the door outwards. It creaks slightly as Reginae holds it open by pressing his head against it. Looking straight up, I see the Bell Tower standing above, a menacing guardian of the Pokemon once thought to perch there. "I'm not... but I know someone who is."

(two updates??? what is this??? it's called summer get used to it boys because we're livin' the high life now

Question for discussion: what do you guys think happened to Ethan? I'm curious because I've been planning it forever haha)