Christoph stared at her blankly for what felt like an eternity, but Rosa didn't interrupt, letting his thoughts churn in silence. She was so tired, and now that her headache was finally settling, nothing sounded more appealing than crawling into a warm bed and sleeping for days.

"What makes you think that?" he asked finally, his voice hesitant.

Rosa shrugged slightly, a halfhearted motion. "It's been on my mind for a while—whether something like this could even be possible. I didn't think anything was wrong until about a week ago. I thought maybe I was just tired..."

Her stomach rolled again, and she immediately shifted away from Curtis, desperate to avoid getting him caught in it. But there was nothing left inside her stomach, so she dry heaved, the sensation twisting painfully in her gut. Once it subsided, she collapsed back against the wall, exhausted.

"You need more water?" Chrisoph asked gently.

"No." Rosa groaned, burying her face in her trembling hands. The fear, the confusion, it was all too much. "Listen to me. Something's happening to me. I know it sounds completely insane, but... I'm having thoughts that aren't mine. I'm feeling emotions that don't make sense! Like just now, when I was talking to N... all I could think about was how comfortable, how happy, how complete he made me feel. Like I'd known him my entire life, and we'd finally reconnected. It was the same yesterday. I'd never met him before, but I knew him!"

She'd thought he was beautiful. How was that possible if Touko wasn't pouring opinions into her head?

Rosa recounted what N had told her about Touko in the lobby. Christoph listened intently, his expression unreadable, but he didn't seem surprised. It wasn't until she pieced together her own thoughts from the conversation that his attention sharpened.

"N didn't outright say it, but it was implied," she continued, her voice quiet. "He's heartbroken over her. It's pretty obvious he's still in love with her. I doubt he even realizes that's what he's feeling, but if it's anything like the emotions I've been having..."

Christoph absently rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, clearly lost in thought. "So you think Touko is somehow responding to N's presence?"

Rosa hesitated, trying to make sense of the strange sensations inside her. "Maybe? I don't know... It feels like it's more than that. Like she's—fighting against me. Like I'm a prison, and she's desperately trying to escape. Maybe seeing N just gave her a little push."

"That would explain the bloody nose—and your sudden case of the flu." Christoph shook his head, a mix of disbelief and awe in his gaze. "Two people trapped in one body. A previous incarnation fighting its current host. Can that even happen?"

Rosa scoffed, the bitterness in her voice clear. "None of this should be happening. How would I know what's possible? Coming to terms with being Arceus's leftover guardian was hard enough, and now I have to deal with this? It's trash."

She swore under her breath, rubbing her eyes in frustration. For a moment, she considered pulling herself to her feet, but the thought of moving made her stomach twist again. The sour scent of bile still lingered in the air, and she could feel it making her eyes water. Her clothes were no better. Christoph was too polite to complain, but he'd probably be just as eager to escape the nightmarish bathroom as she was.

"It's not like there's anyone we can ask about this stuff, anyway," Rosa muttered. "I could be way off, I don't know. I'm just guessing."

"Well..." Christoph's voice made her look up. A mask of hesitation tugged at his features, turning his mouth into a frown, which made Rosa's own frown deepen.

"What is it?"

He tugged at the sleeve of his jacket, avoiding her gaze as his eyes shifted to the water bottle near her foot. "I might know someone who can tell us what's going on. But... they're not exactly in your good graces, and I can't guarantee you'll want to talk to him."

"Are you serious? Who?"

"They might not be willing to talk to us either, especially me-"

"Christoph. Who is it?"

...

"So, the wayward musician returns. And he's brought his charge with him, though it seems the nature of the relationship has changed since the last time I saw you both. Awkward, but still. It's nice to see my old friends."

The stiff curve of Colress's ring-shaped hair was apparent despite the poor-quality image displayed on the pokesystem's call screen. He wore his usual lab coat, which stood out against the pitch black background. Wherever he was calling from, he obviously wanted it to remain secret.

At his remark, Christoph glowered in disgust and moved out of the camera's view. If there had been any fondness between the two during the time they'd worked together, it was gone now. Lying and manipulating did that to friendships.

Colress flashed a white-toothed smile, unbothered by Christoph's hostility. "And my dear Rosa. It's been so long since I've seen you. I'd wished you strength and wellness after our meeting on the Plasma frigate, but the consequences of your actions appear to be catching up with you. Again." He tilted his head. "What can I do to help you this time?"

Running her fingers through her freshly washed hair, Rosa gathered her thoughts. She'd only had the time it took for Christoph to call Colress and set up a meeting to decide how to phrase her questions, and a lot of that she'd spent trying to keep her anger at the scientist in check. Colress would explain why he'd left Hugh on the frigate, but there were other things she needed to know first.

At last she said, "I need to know what you know about me."

He straightened his glasses impassively, and Rosa's heart flip-flopped. "That's a broad question for the specific answer you're looking for. Care to elaborate a little?"

No. What she wanted was to scream at Colress to butt out of her life.

Instead she told him. About everything. The headaches, the nausea, the intrusive thoughts and emotions. Her suspicions about Touko, and the girl's overwhelming connection to N. Her fears too. There were a lot of those. "You know more about the Regeneration Effect than anyone else. I know you do, Christoph has seen your research. Please. If there's anything you can tell me, I would appreciate it."

Colress's golden eyes sharpened into tight lines. "The truth isn't always as pretty as the bliss of ignorance. Are you sure you want to know?"

"I know I don't. I'd rather just send Ghetsis to jail and get on with my life. But I don't think I have a choice anymore."

"No. It sounds like you don't."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, defeated. "It's true. Studying the Regeneration Effect has been, in a lot of ways, the purpose of my life. I discovered the connections between trainers as a graduate student while studying Arceus for my Master's thesis. There was little to be found in the information database I had access to, so I spent several years traveling abroad.

"Guardians Sapphire and Lucas turned out to be the key. They passed away long ago, but their regions know them. Notes on their lives allowed me to identify the characteristics and traits I'd likely find in the next guardian. Stubbornness. Determination. Protegees when it comes to befriending and raising Pokemon. Identifying Touko was comparable to finding a slightly longer needle in an ocean of needles. Finding you was my greatest accomplishment."

Rosa opened her mouth, then closed it again. How long had he been following her around? Since her journey started? Before that?

"How could you be so sure I was the one?"

"I couldn't until I met you. For too long it was a toss between you and Hugh, so I sent out shadows to track you both. But talking to you at the Pokemon center settled any doubts I had. Believe me, Rosa. You fit the bill."

Wonderful. Perfect. "So you hunted me down to what? Research me like some lab experiment?"

"I needed to find you before Ghetsis did. He'd already murdered one guardian. How could I allow him to destroy another? Had you left Team Plasma alone, he'd have never suspected anything. Touko was gone; that was supposed to be the end of it. Thankfully I'd already found you by the time he started ransacking labs for trainer records. Between Christoph and I watching over you, I thought you'd be safe." Colress smiled, but somehow he still looked cold. "But you found a way to get yourself in trouble anyway."

"Plasma got me in trouble," Rosa snapped. "That's not my fault-"

"Relax, it's not an insult. You are perfect the way you are. No one knows that better than I."

Both Rosa and Christoph grimaced. She bunched her fists and glared at the floor, irritated, but didn't reply.

Colress took her silence as an invitation to continue. "Your suspicions concerning Miss Touko are correct, but I'm afraid this is where the science gets messy. I realized she resided inside you the day we met, but she was dormant at the time. Not quite asleep, but too far from consciousness to be of concern. However, I suspect the trauma of your time on the Plasma Frigate woke her up. The shock treatments in particular may have had something to do with it."

"But that was months ago. It's only been the last few weeks that I've-"

"Reflect back on your time after the frigate. Did you experience anything off with yourself? Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Not really." Well. "I was a bit moody, I guess. But only because I was worried about Hugh." Which was your fault.

"Maybe that was the reason. Or maybe not. The details don't matter, because Touko's very much awake now. And she's not going anywhere."

Rosa tucked her damp hair behind her ears, a wave of nausea creeping up on her once more. This time, it was more from nerves than the physical sickness that had plagued her earlier. She'd been carrying another person inside her all this time without even realizing it. Did that mean Touko was truly dead? Were they trapped together like this, or could they somehow be separated? A deeper, more troubling thought gnawed at her.

"Why just Touko? Why haven't I felt Red, or Sapphire, or any of the others?"

Colress pushed his glasses further onto the arch of his nose. They flashed under the dim lights of his camera. "It's simple, really. Touko died before she was supposed to. Arceus's guardians work on very specific schedules, and her business in this world was not finished. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but despite her best efforts, Team Plasma is still running around.

"One might think Arceus would protect his servants from harm, but that is not the case. Touko was as human as I am, and as clueless to her role as you once were. Her murder left Unova defenseless, and Arceus scrambling to find a new hero to replace her. Or in this case," He tilted his head again, examining Rosa as one might view a slide under a microscope, "make one."

His words didn't quite register, and Rosa blinked blankly at him. A few paces away, Christoph's expression darkened.

"Excuse me?"

"Is there a problem?"

"You said make one. What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. You are a product of Arceus's creation, as all guardians are. The difference is you were . . . hurried a bit."

She narrowed her gaze. "Explain."

"Guardians are human, but as I said before, they're still set apart from others. Each is crafted with specific character traits best suited to defend their region during that time period. You're like handmade toy soldiers – some are silver knights with lances, while others are green figurines with rifles. Who you are depends on what is needed. Or, to put it more simply: guardians don't grow on trees. When Touko died, Arceus couldn't snatch the nearest human and make them his champion. It doesn't work that way.

"So, Arceus created you," he continued, his voice cold and methodical. "Tailored to be the near exact replica of Touko, because she was what Unova needed. You were the rushed copy, a replacement. Crafted to be sixteen, yet there was no place for you in the world. So, Arceus made one. He implanted memories in your mind, gave you a past that wasn't your own. Your mother was given false memories of a daughter to make her care for you. Hugh was gifted memories of a childhood friend to ensure you had companionship. As for everything else—your knowledge of Pokémon, Unova's history, and so on—that was taken directly from Touko. Her consciousness was sealed within you, to give you humanity. There simply wasn't time to create your own."

"In essence, your spirit is a weaker, lesser version of Touko's. And it's so tightly entwined with hers, it would be impossible to separate the two. I don't know what would happen if you did – it's possible you aren't enough of a person to survive without her. Or maybe you'd simply degrade to a mindless doll. It's hard to say for sure - technically, you're just a copy."

Just a copy. Those words hung in the air awhile. Rosa stood straight and still, detached in face of the emotions tumbling through her head and leaking into the crevices. Her eyes stayed fixated on Colress, but she no longer saw him. Just the jagged phrase on soft skin. A copy.

"You're lying," she whispered.

"Am I? You asked for the truth, and I gave it. I can assure you," Colress adjusted his glasses again, "I would never lie to you."

He had in the past. To her face, back on the Plasma frigate. So why didn't she feel reassured? Was it the numbness spreading through her chest? Or maybe Touko listening in the background, echoing Rosa's despair with her own. Was she present enough for that? To cry out the pain of knowing she was neither dead nor alive?

That's what Rosa wanted. To cry.

Christoph stepped in, apparently unable to keep his thoughts to himself anymore. "How do you know all this?" he demanded.

Colress sniffed. "Research." His tone implied of course. "More than a decade of it coupled with the notes you sent me. I could write a biography on Touko, but that is neither here nor there. It was our one on one time that set the pieces together."

"Is that why I can't remember what happened to my dad?"

Rosa's voice was small, but it caused the two men to pause. Finally, Colress shook his head. "You never had a father. Any snippets you have of one are implants. I'm sorry if that hurts you."

Her knees were shaking, and Rosa had to lean against the television. One time, when she was nine years old, a mean boy at school had cut off one of her pigtails because she'd told him she wasn't going on a Pokémon journey. Skipping your journey wasn't normal, so he'd called her a freak and held her down until half her head was bobbed. Afterwards, she hid in a corner on the playground and sobbed into her knees until Hugh found her.

"You're only kind of freaky, Rosa, even with your hair like that. And it doesn't matter, 'cause I love you anyway!"

You were wrong, Hugh. She wasn't kind of freaky.

She was freaky.

Because even the memory was a lie. Hugh had never said those words to her. She'd never been nine years old. He'd never held her and stroked her hair as she cried into his chest.

Her life was a lie.

She was a lie.

Rosa hadn't realized Christoph had taken her hand until his anxious fingers were wrapped tightly around hers, the pressure almost painful. She flexed her fingers, and he immediately loosened his grip, muttering a soft, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she whispered, pulling her hand away. "I'm fine." His apology was too much to handle—she couldn't bear it. "So, what now, Colress? Touko's awake, what does that mean for me?"

Colress cleared his throat. "Perhaps 'awake' is too strong a word. She's more... stirring. Slowly gaining consciousness, pulling herself to the surface. Her thoughts and emotions are starting to bleed into yours. So far, the damage has been minor, but it won't stay that way. Your body is fragile, and it won't be able to withstand the power struggle between you two if she fully awakens. The side effects you're experiencing will only intensify as time goes on."

A long breath, in and out. But it didn't fill her lungs. She tried again, then again, her chest rising and falling, but it felt like there was no air at all. He had to be lying. What he was saying—no, it couldn't be true. Her heart pounded, frantic with each passing second as she stared into Colress's cold, golden eyes. Was something choking her? Her vision blurred, edges darkening. She gasped, desperate for a breath, but it wouldn't come.

"So what you're saying is... I'm..."

"I would need to run a few tests to be sure, but I'm almost certain—having two consciousnesses fighting for control of the same body is slowly shredding your brain. So yes. You're dying."

Her hand flew to her forehead as the world tilted. She stumbled, nearly collapsing, but Christoph's steady grip on her elbow kept her upright. She couldn't breathe. She was dying. Her lungs felt heavy, constricted, collapsing inward as though there wasn't enough air to sustain her.

"Whoa, hey!" Christoph quickly released her arm and moved into her line of sight. His face was as pale as hers, but his voice was steady, commanding. "Look at me. Focus. You're okay."

She wasn't. The world felt like it was tilting sideways. Her heartbeat was racing, her chest tight. It was as if her heart might burst right out of her ribcage—didn't he hear it?

"She's having a panic attack," Colress's voice cut through the panic. "Four-second inhalations, Christoph. Do them with her. Focus on the breath."

Christoph didn't look at Colress, his focus entirely on Rosa. "Rosa, listen to me," he said, his voice calm but firm. "It's okay. It's just your fight or flight kicking in. You're okay. Breathe with me. Four seconds in, four seconds out. You've got this."

Rosa's breath hitched, but she followed his instructions. Inhaling shakily, she gasped, her chest burning as Christoph held up four fingers beside her, guiding the rhythm. The pain of exhaling was almost too much, her body fighting to expel the air, but she kept going, sucking in another shaky breath and releasing again, counting silently in time with him.

In. Out. In. Out.

With every breath, her pulse slowed, her mind a little clearer. Christoph stayed steady beside her, his presence anchoring her as her heart slowly calmed. The dizziness started to recede, and the room around her began to stabilize. Rosa blinked, and the world stopped spinning, the fog lifting from her mind.

She could look up again. She could breathe again.

"Do you need to leave for a few minutes?" Christoph asked, his voice softer now, like he was afraid to push too much.

Rosa shook her head, straightening as much as she could. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sorry, Rosa." Colress said, "I didn't mean-"

"Seriously Colress," Curtis glared at the screen. "shut up."

Colress hesitated. "But you need to know—"

She looked up, hardly daring to wonder what else he could have to say. It couldn't get much worse.

"Touko's waking is inevitable, but you can slow it down. Avoid any memories potent to her, and do not spend time with N. What you feel when he walks in a room is what Touko feels a hundred-fold. She loves that boy. You have to keep that love in check, or you will die. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good. And . . ."

He straightened his back and adjusted his lab coat, suddenly all business. "Check the seaside cave when the dome descends below the skyline. You won't have much time after that. I'll see you soon."

The call disconnected, leaving Rosa and Christoph to stare at the empty screen. Neither of them moved, too overwhelmed by what they'd just learned to speak or even think clearly.

They wouldn't have the night to process everything, though.

Because before the sun could rise and set the sea to crystal fire, he came.