Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 42 - Royalty

Mispy shuddered, looking at the sky for something that was at least vaguely cute. Her eyes relaxed when she saw a Pichu lounging in the treetops a bit further ahead. But then it rolled in its sleep, revealing huge, insectoid mandibles and chitinous claws where its arms should be. Hopes crushed, the Meganium elected to focus on the back of Rhys' head.

Something rustled in the bushes far to their right. Mispy jumped; half of her tendrils writhed defensively; the other half crawled over her own body and wrapped around Demitri like a cocoon.

"M-Mispy—can't see—gnck!"

"Who's there?" Rhys immediately widened his stance and held his paws up, flaring with aura. "We—have no intention to fight, but will defend ourselves!"

"Speak for yourself," Demitri, muffled, said. "I wouldn't mind some sparring, but—we aren't hostile or anything!" He squirmed until his head was free. "Mispy, can you see anything?"

Mispy didn't answer, still spooked at the sight of what appeared to be a Whismur with insect legs sprouting from its back, its normal limbs dangling uselessly while it crawled from one tree to the next.

"Who are you guys?" someone called, shrouded in the darkness of the trees' shadows. "And why do you look like... us?"

"Us?" Demitri asked. "Wait, that voice sounds... weird. I don't like it."

"...Familiar..." Mispy glanced at Demitri.

There were two Pokémon on the other side of the trees. If only because they were curious, the first one stepped aside to get a better look—it was a mirror image, an exact copy, of Demitri, down to the last detail. Moments later, an identical copy of Mispy emerged next, writhing vines and all.

"I... I don't believe it," Rhys said breathlessly. "Nevren made... another set. Or Eon, or..." He shook his head, looking back worriedly at the two mutants on the team. Mispy could already see the worry etched in Rhys' expression: he likely figured it wasn't going to bode well for their psyche after what they had just been through.

"A... another..." Demitri repeated slowly. His voice became quiet. "They're... they're us."

It made sense. That Meganium had the same strange appearance, for one, and while the other Demitri could have just been a particularly strong-looking Haxorus, she was sure those tusks were removable all the same. It made sense. If they had been created once, then it just went that they were probably created again... Were there others?

"No, they aren't," Rhys said firmly. "They look like you, but they're different entirely. That isn't you—Haxorus, what is your name?"

"Ax," said the clone of Demitri.

"And you, Meganium?"

"Ani."

"They're... less creative," Mispy noted. "Wait, but if..."

Demitri nodded. "If there are copies of us, then—um—hey!" He pointed at Ax. "Do you know a Charizard and a Flygon that, um, come with you guys?"

"You mean Har and Lygo?"

Mispy had no words for their naming convention, and instead looked down, feeling what she could only guess was disappointment in her kin.

"Yeah, eh... actually, hang on," Manny said. "Why're yeh guys here? Yer... synthetic, ain't ya? Most o' my spirits're synthetic. And they were all crazy until I helped calm 'em down."

"We were like that, once," Ax said. "But Queen Trina helped us. Now we serve her."

"Queen... Trina," Rhys said. "Interesting—and this Queen of yours... may we meet her?"