"So, Rhys is in trouble with Dark Matter as we speak?" Alex asked as they flew over the last part of town, with Zena and the others finding an opening in the chaos to keep up. It wasn't at its thickest yet.
"That's what Dialga told me," Owen explained. "I don't have a lot of power left, but it's going to be enough for what I need to do."
"And that is to confront Dark Matter directly, I presume?" Alex asked, humming anxiously. "I hope it's enough..."
"I think it will. A-at least, once Dark Matter weakens, I'm... I'm going to have to trust that everyone else will know what to do. I have a feeling that the others are about to do an assault at the same time."
"You've been running on feelings a lot," Eon commented from behind. "Are you sure this isn't just one big assumption?"
"It isn't. I planned this. We're coordinating with the spirits right now. I mean, I'm coordinating."
Eon gave Owen an odd look. The false Hydreigon's scales turned green and he stiffened, focusing until his colors returned to normal.
"Uh, careful," Owen said. "Focus on that form."
"Right, sorry."
Owen wondered why his body was so unstable. It hadn't been like that before the war...
"Do we need to time anything?" Alex asked.
"Just keep at full speed for now."
Alex looked down, all three heads' expressions contorted with worry. "It's getting thick. I don't think we can have Zena and the others follow us safely at this rate."
"Right." Owen looked behind, where indeed, they were slowing down against the Void Shadows that were closing in on them. "Time for the first part of my plan, then. Veer left so you're lined up with Zena and the others!"
Alex obeyed, as did Eon. It was a little awkward to look behind to see them, now, but then the Tree glowed brightly.
"Um, is it supposed to do that?" Alex asked.
"Yep. Close your eyes, by the way."
"Wh—"
Owen did so first, but even then, he saw the shadows of his leafy feathers through his eyelids and felt the tingling heat of another Radiant Beam carving a line across the ruins of Null Village. The deafening, burning roar started from behind, and then sailed far, far ahead, cutting a path five streets wide and disintegrating the countless Void Shadows along the way. It left behind a deep, hot, and glowing ground that the Void Shadows couldn't tread, at least for a little while. It went all the way into the forest, too, destroying the trees and creating a new, Radiant flatland.
"Follow that path!" Owen shouted, looking down to see if Zena, Demitri, and Mispy were doing so. They caught on fast; the trio was already on the way, and, during their traveling, it seemed like they had found a new mode of travel.
"Hey, look at them!" Owen cried with a laugh. "That's amazing!"
Taking inspiration from Step's strategies, Zena had formed a platform of constantly-reforming water and froze it with Ice Beams. Demitri, wielding stone slabs that he'd picked up from town, slammed them into the ground and pushed them forward at incredible speeds. Mispy steadied their movement, steering with long, thorny vines and precise slams against the ground. Zena, meanwhile, conjured water ahead of them, creating a slick surface.
Based on how Mispy was murmuring to Demitri, the Meganium had been the one to come up with the idea.
Owen focused. If he knew where Dark Matter was, then Dark Matter knew the same for him. But at this point, he had to set aside his fears and his caution—something that his foe took full advantage of—to press against those expectations. Dark Matter set himself up to be an invincible foe, to the point where he hadn't even thought to raise a claw against him. That was how hopelessly strong he was. Dark Matter's sheer confidence—no, not confidence, but cold, factual statements—made Owen think that there truly was no point in fighting.
But now, he wondered if that had all been one great deception from the start.
"We're almost there," Owen finally reported. "We just need to fly for a few more minutes."
"Minutes?" Alex repeated.
"Er, a few hundred more seconds. Three hundred or so."
"Oh! That's not far at all."
"Let's keep up the pace while we have that path the Tree made for us intact."
"Of course."
They flew for some time without incident, to their fortune. Even in the air, the residual radiant power was keeping the flying Void Shadows away. Owen wondered if Amia was okay, and if that blast bothered her at all. She wasn't in this district, obviously, and had been evacuated deeper into town. Still... He worried. They could still restore her, right?
He still hadn't told Alex. How could he? Not now. He would get... distracted.
It was nice, though, to be so close to him again. After all that happened, this sense of normalcy with his father was... good.
Briefly, Owen found the opportunity to smile. "Hey, um. Dad?"
"Yes?"
"...You didn't even... hesitate much, you know, on going with me, when I asked."
"You seem to know what you're doing," Alex said. "After everything that's happened, don't I owe you that much? And, besides... There's something about you, Owen. You seem to know just how to counter these wraiths. How do you know it so well?"
"Experience," Owen said. "Came with some of my memories."
"Experience?" Alex frowned. "What do you mean? I know there used to be wraiths inside Dungeons before Anam blessed them, but..."
"...Dad?" Owen pivoted. "How long ago did you meet Mom?"
"Oh. Well, goodness. Centuries ago. Before your time... or so I thought. Owen, just how old are you?"
"Uh." He wasn't really sure. "So. Okay, so. I'm actually—so, you, the..." Words, Owen, words. "I'm older than Kilo." Good words. "But, so, what all this is about... I wanted to know about the Fire Orb. Mom said that one day, she planned to pass it down to me, like it was a Fire tradition. Ghrelle said the same thing, that it used to be part of a Hydreigon family line, right? What... does that mean?"
Alex seemed tense, maybe distracted by Owen's age, but he answered eventually. "I'll tell you the short version. We don't have much time, do we?"
Indeed, they were getting closer to the forest edge, where the Radiant Beam's influence waned.
"Before Kilo was unified, there was a dominating force in the southern region that was ruled by the Fire Guardian... M-my father. Obviously, I wasn't fond of talking about him. And he was dead, so there was no need, either. I'd rather not speak ill of the dead, after all. And I only had ill to say."
That, he could understand. "It's okay. I'm not mad you kept it from me or anything. I, er, I know you guys did that a lot, but this one makes sense..."
After all, nobody really knew the Voidlands existed. Not even Star or Barky, apparently...
"Thank you," Alex said, looking guilty all over again anyway.
Owen sighed, patting his shoulder. "Keep going."
"R-right. Well, there was a bit of a... strange event that took place in the past that had to do with an upheaval. A power shift that just... changed everything one day. It's odd. I don't really know why Amia's clan was afraid of us when they simply have the Fairy element on their side. Yet one day, they simply realized this and..." He shook his head. "Well. It's all the past, now. Where is Amia, anyway? Is she alright?"
Nope. He wasn't going to answer that directly. "She's hiding in one of the buildings," he quickly said. "She can't fight."
"Ah. Okay." Alex nodded. There was doubt in his eyes. "I'll... Yes. We should focus on this for now."
While looking away in an effort to avoid Alex's gaze, Owen spotted something on the horizon that made his heart drop: another Hydreigon.
And he froze. It would have been nice to have Dialga's blessing again so he had more time to think. That was undoubtedly him. Alexander. And the very sight shook some memory in the depths of Owen's mind that he didn't even know about.
"It's him!" Owen blurted. "A-and he's..."
He had reinforcements. Behind Alexander was Aster, that same Mewtwo who had tried to apprehend him before. On Alexander's back was a small, green—Mhynt. She looked so much like Remi. And most surprising, something Owen still couldn't totally understand, was another Arceus. Smaller than Barky, perhaps half his size if Owen remembered correctly, and lither in frame. Another Arceus. Barky's daughter? When? How? For what purpose?
But an instant later, a lightning-fast beam of darkness struck Alex square in the chest. He cried out in pain, tumbled through the air, and flung Owen far through the skies.
"DAD!" Owen cried, flailing.
"Get him!" Alexander snarled.
A rush of activity followed. While flipping in the skies, Owen caught glimpsers of Aster appearing in front of him, but then a reddish-black burst of energy from Alex blotted out the sky. Dark Pulse? Alex had regained his composure mid-fall! But it wasn't anything to Aster. It only startled him. Owen stabilized himself in the air, getting a better look at the battle while he was falling.
Next came something grayish-white as his vision cleared. The Arceus? She flew toward Owen next, and a telekinetic grip held Owen in place, halting his fall but also his escape. There was a mournful look in her eyes and it looked like she was deliberately approaching slower than she could have.
Aster was holding off Alex and the others of their flying squadron while Alexander came up from behind and shoved past Leph. Mhynt was on his back and she was clutching a dead Honedge, her blade, eyeing Alexander at first, and then Owen. She gripped her blade tighter, and then raised it. Owen nearly gasped, but then icy shards smacked Alexander on the side.
Rather than look hurt in any way, he snarled and glanced at the offender. A Corviknight was flying an oversized, blue Sandslash toward them.
"I thought he was your servant," Alexander snarled. Owen wasn't sure what that meant; were their suspicions right after all?
"He's resisting," Mhynt replied, pointing at Hakk, who fired another volley of ice at Mhynt. She switched her stance and slashed the ice away. "Leave!"
"How about no?!" Hakk snarled. "Get away from our one ticket outta here!"
Mhynt wasn't controlling Hakk. But was she faking it? What did that mean?
"Leph!" Alexander snarled.
"What?!" Leph shouted back.
"Kill them."
Leph hesitated, but the chain in her back was pulled taut and she winced. She stared at Hakk and the wheel around her torso brightened... and then dimmed. From Alexander's back, Mhynt was making odd motions with her free hand while concentrating on Leph.
Owen thought that Leph's distractedness would disrupt her telekinetic hold over him, but any attempts to move were met with insurmountable resistance. He glanced at the Tree, wondering if he should use his shot... No, not yet. He needed time, and only enough for one more...
"What are you doing?!" Alexander said, yanking on the chains enough that something audibly cracked from Leph, who screamed.
"I'm t-trying!" Leph cried.
"I'll do it!" Aster disappeared toward Alex after kicking Eon away, who wasn't effective in the air. He had to concentrate too much on maintaining his form, Owen suspected; he was too sluggish in battle.
Aster lunged forward more, but then yelped and fell back when the chains in his shoulders kept him firmly near Alexander. He tried to speak but even his jaws were locked shut. He tried to channel flames into his fists instead, anything to fight back... The radiance from the blast was fading. They were running out of time.
"Don't stray!" Alexander hissed at Aster, yanking him back.
"F-father!" Alex shouted. "It... it really is you. It... oh."
Owen had heard a flame of defiance in Alex's voice, but that was short-lived, possibly when Alex realized just what he'd done.
Alexander was bigger, with darker scales and a more intense face, like his scaly brow was permanently creased with anger. His teeth were bigger and dripped with a thin, dark film of shadowy energy. Bigger wings, darker wings, and an aura of power that practically twisted and darkened the air around him like an invisible flame.
"...You."
He didn't command Leph to do anything, but Hakk and Xypher were looking for an opening. Yet, they seemed so insignificant to Alexander, who was paying them no mind.
"Yes. Me." Alex stiffened, drifting back when Alexander advanced. "And here I thought you were dead. No, you're just here..."
"What is your name?" Alexander said.
Owen blinked. What? He recognized Alex, clearly, so why...?
"Alex," Owen's father replied with a firmness that suggested Owen didn't know the full story.
The tyrant Hydreigon's eyes blazed with fury. "Alex?" he growled deeply. "ALEX?"
"Xander hates you, too," Alex said. "If I had the power..."
Something about Alex's voice changed just then. Owen couldn't place it. It was him, yet... different, like it was someone else, too.
"If I had the power to do it, I would feed you to your own heads. You... don't deserve to be my father!"
Then came a gust of wind from below, aimed not at Alexander but at Leph. That made Owen get a sense of falling again; he yelped, and Alex reacted quickly, on instinct. He swept beneath Owen, catching him, and started to fly away. Aster clashed with Eon again, who had taken on the same, Mewtwo form. That not only unnerved Aster, but Eon seemed stronger because of it, too.
Alexander was faster. In a single, deft motion, he had closed the distance between the other Hydreigon. The smaller heads clamped down on Alex's main neck; Alex froze with sudden fear. Once again that defiance was gone the moment he needed it most. And Owen was right on his back, just as frozen, having no idea how to counter. Time slowed to a stop. His mind raced.
Alex was in danger. Alexander was totally ignoring Owen, now. That meant he could try something. Protect Alex. How? How could he...
This is my power... The same power I am using to give it to you: Bestow.
Necrozma, are you watching? Owen called, but received no answer. He didn't know if the thought came to him from Necrozma, or from his own memories. But he knew what to do; he'd been able to do it all along.
The world moved slowly, and Owen took action. He envisioned crossing his arms, channeling that golden ward around him, but instead of forming it, he stored it in his hands. It became a tiny golden sphere, and he instantly slammed it into Alex's back. It felt warm.
Instants before Alexander crushed Alex's neck, gold light spewed from the surface wound, forcing Alexander's jaws to open. The barrier pressed outward even faster and Alex, seizing the opportunity, spewed a jet of indigo fire at Alexander's face. It barely did anything, but it did blind him enough for Alex to fly away.
But Alexander was relentless and fired another Shadow beam. It carved across the sky with a hideous sizzle, like it was corroding the air itself, and slammed into Alex head-on. The golden remnants of Owen's barrier deflected most of it, but it was dispelled at the same time, and the lurching impact sent Owen flying.
Owen tumbled down, down, down. He couldn't see where everyone was and could barely tell which way was up or down. But he did see three figures above him. One tried to race toward him, but was held back by another—the two Hydreigon were clashing. Far away, were there others? That was possibly Leph or Aster, neither one able to stray too far from Alexander, thanks to their chains.
And then there was Xypher. Yes, that was the other dark figure in the sky; Owen could tell from the pale blue ball of spikes on his back. Hakk was too large for comfortably flying, Owen mused.
He could only hope it was a rescue, but he decided to be cautious as well. He crafted another Protect shield, but this time focused hard on the topmost part of the sphere, where it bent and twisted into a vaguely-shaped handle. Xypher must have figured out what to do, because those massive talons clamped down on it instantly, and then Xypher banked to the left, far and away from Alexander and Alex.
Over the wind that whistled around Owen's Protect, making an ethereal hum, he couldn't hear what Alexander shouted. But it made Leph glow, and then countless beams of light flew skyward, raining down on them.
"No!" Owen expanded his Protect as far as it could go, a splitting headache nearly forcing him to drop it. Nearly. But not enough. Xypher swerved out of the way of most, and the rest were deflected, but then the golden light shattered and Owen had to shrink his barrier back down.
He didn't have the energy for what came next.
Sailing through the sky with uncanny precision was one of Alexander's beams of darkness. That sickening sound through the air, cooking it, made his feathers crawl.
But then the sound was interrupted by a deeper pop, and then a pained squawk that etched itself into Owen's memories.
Suddenly, he was falling. The Protect disappeared and the ground rapidly approached. He was going fast both downward and westward, no idea if he'd land on his head or his feet.
With some quick thinking, Owen broke his fall with several downward blasts of fire like before, and then crossed his arms in a Protect when he saw the trees coming. The fire wasn't as strong as he would have hoped, but it made his whole body feel warmer and warmer. It was a welcome change that he hadn't realized he'd wanted all this time. Thankfully, most of his momentum came from the tumble and falling sideways rather than down, but he couldn't clearly remember just how he landed or how long he'd been rolling. He only remembered soft, dusty ground and the ethereal barriers of his Protects cushioning the blow.
He was heavier as a Charmeleon and that made the landing more painful. But he was also sturdier, and didn't feel like any of his bones had broken this time.
There was a chance, which Owen chose to ignore, that he would feel it in the morning. "Dad...?" Owen croaked, sitting up. "D—"
There was only one other person with him. And he realized why his fall had been survived at all. Crumpled against the tree just behind him was Xypher. He couldn't see where one of his legs was and there was a huge hole in his steely belly. Black haze seeped out of it, obscuring whatever wounds it had left, but Owen was almost positive he could see through it and to the other side.
"Xypher," Owen whimpered.
He opened his beak. "Are... you okay? Okay... okay..."
"I'm fine It's you that—" Owen hastily crawled to Xypher, about to inspect the wound, but stopped when he got too close. He didn't want to hurt him. This was a delicate situation.
Ignoring the lingering smell of the morning's breakfast, Owen searched for leaves, dirt, anything to help cover the wound. Would that even work? Was that safe? No, it wouldn't. Did he know any healing techniques—anything that he could grasp to help?
Help, Owen begged. What do I do?
H-Heal Pulse, try Heal Pulse! Amelia's voice was shaking. Do you know it? Hang—hang on, maybe we can channel some of that to you!
Until then, Owen desperately searched around and, miraculously, found a bunch of fused berries near one of those odd trees. But as he pulled and separated them out, his eyes grew wide and grave. No, he'd remember that subtle appearance anywhere. Those wouldn't heal Xypher. Even if they did, they weren't blessed. Owen had forgotten.
"Little... flower..."
"Huh?" Owen noticed that Xypher was looking even more deflated than before. A pool of rotten blood was expanding around him, tarnishing his dark feathers. That strange darkness had gone so deep.
There was no time to wait for healing or finding berries; he had to work with his own abilities and save him. "Hold on. Just hang on," he begged, and breathed. In, out. Just like he always had.
He saw another flame. This one was a sputtering, dim mess, like its core was coated in thick tar. He could barely plunge his spirit into it, let alone pull away at all the grime. Darkness encroached; the flame shrank away from him.
No, no! I'm here to help!
It listened only enough that it stopped fleeing. Owen reached forward again, pulling at some of that tar... but more was coating onto it. Some got on his hands; it didn't burn, but it was eating away at his presence. He pumped as much light as he could, but then realized something—what would he do against Dark Matter? And if Xypher was dying... he had to focus on the wounds first.
Realizing this, he withheld that light and pulled away. Heal Pulse. Amelia said they'd tried to channel it to him, even if it was from so far away. He didn't know how that felt, but maybe he could Mimic it.
Please, please, please...
Grasping at the air by his side, Owen squeezed his eyes shut. He felt something tangible, little threads that wrapped around his claws. A soothing light.
Do you feel that? Amelia said. Grasp that power! C'mon!
We can't hold this aura for long, Owen!
I'm fine! I copied it!
Owen felt that healing energy rush through his arms. It was dizzying. With an intense frown and wide, determined eyes, he pointed at Xypher. "H-hold on!" he said. "This will heal you!"
Accompanying the pink light was an unfathomable drain on his system, the moments of fatigue that struck him all at once forcing him to a knee. He wheezed, taking deep breaths that hurt his throat. The light faded, and that was all he could do. Everything else was meant for Dark Matter, and it wasn't healing energy anyway.
Finally working up the energy to look up, Owen asked, "How are you now?"
It was still there. Owen's heart dropped to his stomach.
A dark energy ate away at whatever healing light tried to reach those wounds. It was a deep, corrosive energy that was too hard to heal for someone as novice as him at the art. "No... Xypher, just... just hang on, okay? Mispy... will be here soon! She has to, she can find my aura, okay? Xypher?"
He crawled toward him, vision blurring halfway there. He didn't know if it was from tears or fatigue.
"I'm... so glad..."
"Huh?" Owen dragged himself to his side, where Xypher had leaned against an almost-fallen tree. The blood stung Owen's legs.
"I'm so glad... that I got to see your smile... one last time..."
"No, n-no, no, don't talk like that!" Owen shook Xypher gently, but when he winced, Owen stopped. "What about Hakk? He needs you! A-and what about, what about being a guard? Xypher, come on!"
Xypher couldn't die. He didn't have enough memories to survive it. If Xypher died here, there wouldn't be anything but a Void Shadow left, not even a shell of what Xypher used to be. They could happen upon him as a hostile a few days later and never know it.
"Never lose... that smile, little flower..."
"Xypher, I'm not smiling! Please, j-just hang on!"
All those years under the control of those who knew his past, all of the work he'd done for the gods, all that time wandering the Voidlands as the tiniest Charmander, and only now did he feel completely powerless.
"You are... You are, you are..."
"How? Xypher, stay awake, okay? Hello? Xypher?" He wanted to slap him awake, but he didn't know if that would help or not. He warmed his claws and pressed against Xypher's cheek. "Xypher, I'll smile if you stay alive, okay? Okay?"
"You already are... already, already..."
"I don't understand," Owen croaked. "Hakk's almost here. Mispy's almost here. They have to be. Okay? Then I'll smile, okay?"
There was a little twinkle on Xypher's beady black eyes, but it was fading. Owen had a horrible sense in his gut that the flame in Xypher was disappearing. Even when he closed his eyes, he saw that fire in front of him. That life, that drive to live, was being blotted out.
"Your eyes..." Xypher's own twinkled. "That light. You smile... with your eyes. Your eyes... your..."
Owen held his breath. Xypher never took his. The beak was half-open, about to say a word, but Xypher wasn't there anymore. The light, and the flame, disappeared.
And for a while, Owen stood there, grasping the dead Corviknight's cheek, feeling the last warmth disappear from the feathers. Some primal emotion forced out a whimper, then a sob, and he rapidly shook his head, staggering away until he landed on his tail. Rolling to his front, he stumbled across the small clearing and to the nearest tree. Hoping that Xypher would miraculously rise again, some delayed attribution of his healing. Owen turned around, only to see that Xypher's body had fallen over.
It all seemed so quiet. It only barely registered to Owen that Alex was still fighting Alexander and the others, or that Demitri and Mispy were with Zena for some of that clash. That others might still be fighting. That Hakk could have been killed the same way as Xypher; he had no idea where he had landed, after all.
All the while, Owen couldn't take his eyes off of the body. That tightness in his chest was overwhelming. He had to let it out.
Not thinking, perhaps not even caring or realizing, he screamed. All of that frustration, fear, anger, and whatever other litany of pains he'd felt during his Voidlands had finally pushed him over. It was here, where it was just him and Xypher, where he'd failed to save just one simple soul—it still etched itself into his brain. That last light. That fire. He was gone. He was gone. He was gone.
Eventually, Owen couldn't scream anymore. He coughed and wheezed on the ground, digging his claws in the soil, blasting stray flames into the inert dust. Fists met wood as he feebly struck at a nearby trunk. Amelia and Klent were calling to him, but he ignored it.
It didn't feel like anybody was nearby.
Feel.
Feel?
Perceive. It was back. He had a horn again. Finally, it was back. Owen's feathers were hardening, too, turning a deep red color.
The tears and the air had both run out. He could only stand. Stare. The body still didn't move. Cruel winds cooled it even more.
He could bury him. Something. Anything. Kind words. But he didn't know Xypher well enough. He could only commit to memory the location to tell Hakk later.
Because he finally remembered that there was a mission to complete before more like him died.
"I'm... I'm sorry," he told nobody.
He looked down, focusing. Around his right hand, a radiant light swirled between his claws. Dark Matter was only a handful of seconds away if he sprinted.
So, he did.
<><><>
The one the Voidland inhabitants called North stirred. A constant, stabbing pain coursed through his near-lightless body. Necrozma focused on something far away, tuning his spirit toward his many pieces, watching as the world moved without him.
In Kilo, Lugia, corrupted by Shadow, was flying from east to west, now only a few moments away from clashing with the Dark Guardian, who had dedicated himself to protecting Kilo Village.
The Fairy, Rock, and Normal Guardians encountered Nevren from the vortex over Hot Spot, who had escaped Lugia through some novel technology. But in their battle prior, they had lost the Ice Guardian, who had been separated from her mate. The Fighting Guardian, too, had been pulled toward his other half, but escaped his fate, for now.
The Steel Guardian, who always stood for frankness and truth, elected to assist in bringing Lugia's mortal half as far away as possible, hoping to spare Kilo Village of its destruction.
The other two who aligned with Arceus, the Dragon and Poison Guardians, remained on standby in their Dungeons while Arceus battled Dark Matter from the surface. Necrozma knew they did not want to leave their domains, where they were strongest... But their inaction was disappointing. Had that been an order from their leader?
The Bug Guardian, weakened and nearly powerless, watched over what remained of the Fire Guardian, who thrashed and growled within her container. Protecting them both had been the Electric Guardian, until an apparent restlessness overtook her, and she and the Bug Guardian were now chasing after Owen in silence. It seemed they were not the only ones, as they'd happened upon the fallen prince of the south along the way.
And then there was Owen, in a rage, sprinting toward Dark Matter for a final confrontation, as the Water Guardian gave chase. The Hunter who had slain and claimed his Flying and Ground fragments, too, was there, along with the new Psychic Guardian, newly recovered, and his allies.
In, out. Meditate. He did not breathe nor did he need to, but it was the same sort of lesson he had taught his students, and then what those students taught others. In, out. He let what little light his blackened, crystal body had flow through it, soothing that torment, as Void Shadows routinely encircled him. They could never get through his Radiant ward.
This would be it. Necrozma had arranged so delicately for this to happen, ever since he'd awakened the radiant glow of the Orbs. And now, with the light he had been able to slowly, slowly gather... he could gift it to Owen in order to slay Dark Matter. He was the only one who could. Mhynt, the other with light and shadow, was under Alexander's control... but Owen was under no domain. He defied the Hunters; he rejected Arceus; he condemned Mew; he even doubted the Hearts. He would only listen to the light. In the end, Owen would make the right choice.
Owen... For now, I will grant you one more memory. Do not lose sight of your purpose.
<><><>
"...So, that's who he is," Owen said, hands clasped together. He smiled up at Necrozma, tail flickering brightly with flecks of gold. "He doesn't really have a name, and he got mad when I tried suggesting a few, so I just called him the Void King for now. Sounds pretty cool, if you ask me..."
But the bright dragon's multicolored eyes were grave. Dimmer than usual. "How long has it existed?"
"He says he's always been around," Owen explained. "He woke up one day feeling confused and scared... And that's just how it's been. He's actually just—Er. Um. He doesn't want me to say specifically where he is, but..."
"Where?" Necrozma asked, and Owen sensed the haste in his voice.
Owen clammed up.
"This is important."
"The reason I brought him up was because I think it'll take an act of the gods to fix him. He's... I don't know how to phrase it, but it's like he can only feel negative emotions. And he feels it from everyone else, too, i-in the whole world. It's awful! And we—"
"You," Necrozma said, "aren't answering my question, Owen."
"Will you help him?" Owen asked, tuning his horns on Necrozma. He felt a brief tingle, like a warning, but defiantly Owen kept going.
"...You're still using your Perceive."
"Will you," Owen said, "help him?"
Tense silence. Then, Necrozma turned away. "You know the answer," he said. "I intend to help... But not in a way you would like, Owen. I've always appreciated your... mortal way of thinking. Your ties to the material world. But this is something out of your scope.
"This... Void King. I think I know what he is, how he came to be. Creation is... a delicate, fickle thing in its early stages. And this world was created from gods who were traumatized by their own creation long ago. By humans, the worst of them. This Void King... must have been a stray thought of one of those gods when the world was at its most malleable, down to its very fabric and physical laws. That hopeless fear and pain, during that instant when this reality was formed... It became your 'friend.'"
"Why did you say it like that?" Owen pressed. "...Just help him. You're gods. If he was created that way, can't you fix him like that, too? Get Arceus, get Star. All three of you have the full power of Quartz, right?"
"The only way to fix something like that—someone who is tied to the very fabric of the world... is to destroy it."
"I'm not letting you do that," Owen said. "I won't... And—and you'd need Star and Arceus to approve it, too. And you know they won't."
More silence. The heat had subsided; Necrozma wasn't warding him away from trying to Perceive his intent. It wasn't like there was a lot for Owen to learn; he already knew much about Necrozma's past, and his Perceive, strong as it was, wouldn't reveal much more.
"...That's it, then," Necrozma said. "Owen... No. Wishkeeper." He turned, but kept his gaze on him with one eye. "I will see you tomorrow at the entrance to Star Cave. Bring Jirachi."
"For what?"
"A wish for your friend." It sounded charitable, but his voice was grave.
Owen knew that the wish would be one for death.
He wasn't going to allow it. He'd simply deny the request, deny it from Necrozma himself... And it would all be fine.
<><><>
Necrozma leaned against his bed of rocks and stone, which he'd resided for centuries, and relaxed. The pain eased, if only slightly. That is the most I can give you, Owen... with what time you have left to make your choice. I hope that memory... will make things clearer to you, and not overwhelm you.
He wondered if Owen would answer. If he would send a thought at all.
But in the end, none came. Through Owen's eyes, watching from the Grass Orb, Necrozma saw Dark Matter just ahead.
I know, in the end, you will make the right choice...