No wild Pokémon went here—unsurprising. There wasn't much food, and it was on a strange offshoot of a Dungeon. Not the easiest place to find, let alone inhabit.
Owen walked the rest of the way through the cave in silence, brooding over the past few hours, dwelling on how his life—roughly half of all he knew—had been turned inside-out. He saw his father evaporate into nothing but a little blue ember, and then be recreated like it was nothing. How old were they? Why did they decide to adopt him? Why did they decide to adopt anyone?
Owen saw something shining. He brought his head up; there was a dim glow coming from an opening in the caves. It was a bit brighter than the rest of the walls; that must've been where the Guardian was waiting for him. He hesitated. He could just turn around. Perhaps they would let him leave.
No. He came too far for that. The Guardian was mere steps away; the Grass-Typed Charmeleon advanced.
It was a large chamber with a rough, rocky floor. There was a circle of water in the middle of this place; if Owen threw hard enough, perhaps he'd be able to toss a rock in the middle of it. He hesitantly walked forward; he couldn't see the bottom. He couldn't find any loose rocks to figure out if it just happened to have a dark bottom. He was left staring into the void that was the lake's bottom.
Where was the Guardian? "Hello...?" Owen called. He sat down at the water's edge. As a Grass Type, he didn't feel as afraid of the water. It would normally sting quite a bit to get the flame on his tail wet—and there had been a few times when he accidentally extinguished it in the rain, though then his tail just emitted steam. But he certainly tried to avoid it—his Fire attacks were hindered horribly in that sort of weather. But Grass.... How would he do with that?
Owen saw the water ripple near the middle, just once. Nothing had gone inside to disturb the surface. What was that? "U-uh... is someone there?" he said.
But that ripple was all there was. The small underground lake was motionless once more.
"...I just wanted to talk to someone in my situation," Owen said softly, looking into the dark water. "I just got this... this job, kinda. I touched an Orb that I shouldn't have, and now I look like this, and I'm being told all these things about being a Guardian, and being involved in this long conspiracy to keep them all protected or whatever.... And I just don't get it. And—and turns out, my Mom is the same way. She's the Fire Guardian... and I dunno what that's gonna mean, either. The way James—he's, um, he's the person who helps run the Thousand Heart Association... and, um, and that's, like, this group of Pokémon that help rescue others around the world... yeah... the way James was looking at me—it was like he wanted to send me away.
"He wanted me to be like my Mom, who lived in that cave with just her spirits.... I... I didn't know that's how it was for her. She's just alone in that cave... I mean... not alone alone, but her spirits, y'know? And just them... forever, maybe. I can't imagine what that'd feel like..." He kicked his feet in the water, making more ripples like the one before. "...I guess you kinda know what that feels like. If you're listening, or your spirits. I... I don't know if I want that kind of life. But wh-what's the alternative...? I... I could get killed! I didn't even get to be a Charizard yet...! B-but maybe I never will..." Owen glanced at the flower on his tail. He wondered if it'd hurt to pluck at the petals. He didn't want to find out.
"...If you're the Water Guardian... that must mean you can become your Type, too, right? I got all grassy because of touching the Orb, so maybe that means... you're all Watery. So... are you listening to me now? Are you in that lake...?" He stared down.
It was quiet for a bit longer. And then, finally, the water rippled—and it didn't stop this time. Instead, it got stronger—most definitely in the middle, now—until something rose out from it. Water, but something that took a shape of its own, something serpentine. It thrust itself from the water, quickly approaching Owen, who was too surprised to move; the water landed near Owen, coiling around itself, taking a solid form. It was a creature covered in cream-white scales, with long, pink eyebrows, and a blue-black-pink tail. The very end of her tail had four feathers with blue outsides and pink insides. Part of her body resembled decorative glass.
The Milotic stared down at Owen. Owen stared back, in awe.
"H-hello," Owen greeted.
"Hello," she said.
There was a silence that lasted seven seconds.
"I—"
"My—"
They had interrupted one another.
"N-no, you go—"
"Please, introduce—"
They both stopped talking again.
Owen fidgeted with his claws; the Milotic's tail twitched.
Owen took a breath; the Milotic did not. "I'm Owen," the Charmeleon said.
The Milotic nodded. "My name is Zena," she said. "It is nice to meet you. I am sorry for keeping you waiting."
"O-oh, no, it's okay, I—I was kinda just talking to myself anyway, but if you heard that, I mean... that's good, so I don't have to repeat myself."
Zena nodded. "You do not," she said. "I'm very... sorry for your fate," she said, "but you're right. We have to remain separated in order to keep the power from combining."
"S-so, as in, it's dangerous for us to even touch?"
"N-no, nothing like that," Zena said. "But, should we fight, perhaps, and then the winner extracts the power from the loser, well... we can't have that."
"O-oh, okay," Owen said. "...But... I heard that it's starting to be dangerous to stay away. W-wait! Um—yesterday, I saw a Torkoal come this way.... Is that, um, is that someone you know?"
"He was not," Zena said. "I dispatched of him."
"D-dispatched...?"
"He was a Hunter," Zena replied. "...They are the ones that we hide from. A Pokémon that intends to find us... and take our power. By any means necessary."
Owen didn't ask further. Instead, he looked down at the water, and then at Zena again. "Um... how... how long have you been here?" he asked.
Zena hesitated. "I do not know."
"H-how long, um—before that Torkoal came, how long has it been since... someone came here?"
She shook her head again.
"...Do you at least know Star?"
"I... I do," she said. "And we talk from time to time, just as I talk with my spirits..."
"...But it's not enough," he said.
Zena glanced away. "I suppose it isn't," she said. "But it's... it's still dangerous for us to converse with one another, isn't it? If a Hunter finds us... they could potentially get two Orbs, not just the one."
"A-actually, we were thinking, um, that it's kinda dangerous to be separated, now, because, like, there's this thing, um, it's this theory..." Owen trailed off. "Like they can detect us now. They'd pick us off one by one.... So instead, maybe strength by numbers?"
"Strength in numbers..." Zena said. "...You mentioned that your mother is the Fire Guardian. Is there anybody else?"
"Association Head Anam—he's another Guardian."
"I see..." Zena said slowly. But before she had a chance to consider his words, her head jerked up. "Another Hunter is coming," she said.
"Wh-what?"
"Yes. We need to go," she said.
"G-go?"
"If you want strength in numbers, then—then I'll humor you," she said. "But we need to hide. The tunnel," she pointed with one of her eyebrows at the dark lake. "It leads to a river outside. Can you swim?"
"I kinda used to be a Fire Type."
"Then I will be the current that guides you," she said. "Please, get in."
She slithered into the lake and vanished, melting into the water. Owen's old instincts were telling him to stay as far away from the water as possible—especially for a swim—but he knew he'd be fine in this current, Grassy form.
"If you say so..." Owen said. He jumped in, expecting a frightening sting, but instead, it merely felt cold. He held his breath and felt the water rush around him. It was pushing him down, deeper into the tunnel; the water pressure wasn't that bad, either. It seemed like Zena was pushing against the rest of the water, making it a little easier on his body.
Owen felt a rush of heat in his chest. He glanced down; his green, leafy scales were solidifying again, becoming yellower; his arms were turning red... Why now?! He looked behind him; the flower on his tail was wilting. Bubbles of steam were coming out from the burning bud. The water was starting to feel less pleasant. And it wasn't getting any easier, either. No, no...! Just a little longer...! C'mon...! He couldn't hold his breath for much longer. He couldn't see anything in these tunnels—it was too dark.
Pressure built in his chest. The need to breathe was too strong. In an effort to relieve some of that pressure, Owen breathed out, releasing some of the air. That only made him want to breathe in again. He flailed his arms and legs, trying to warn Zena that he wasn't going to last much longer. Zena, the current, could not respond, but the water did rush faster. Owen had to close his eyes—the pressure against his eyes was too much.
He felt it. He was a Fire Type again. He also felt his lungs give way—and in a sharp intake, water filled his lungs. The shock made Owen pass out.
Owen was floating in a black void, on his back. His lungs felt... tight. Like he couldn't move them. Voices filled his head... They felt like memories from long ago. Forgotten.
"Who're you gonna fight, Owen?" a voice said.
Owen's mouth moved in the void. He spoke, despite his lungs being filled with water in the real world. "Gonna fight... Demitri...."
"Baah, always Demitri. How 'bout Mispy?"
"No way..." Owen said. "She'll kill me..."
"But she's a Grass Type, c'mon!"
"Gahi, she'll kill me... That Solarbeam... is insane..."
"Feh, then why don't yeh fly an' make it easier ter dodge?"
Owen gasped and opened his eyes. "S-Solarbeam..." he mumbled.
"Hm?" Zena turned back. "Oh, you're finally awake."
The sun was setting. It was starting to get colder; they were near a river, but closer to the ocean. There was a beach further down, where the grass transitioned into sand, and a few ocean bird-Pokémon were flying over the water. Owen sat up—his entire body ached. "Ugh... what happened?"
"You drowned," Zena said. "I was waiting for your body to recover."
"D-drowned?!" Owen said. "Why didn't you—w-wait, did you...."
"Did I what?" Zena asked. "I waited for your body to fix itself."
"Th-the body doesn't fix drowning!" Owen said.
"For a Guardian, it does," Zena said. "I set you down once we escaped, and waited for your heart to start beating again."
"MY HEART STOPPED?!"
Zena, annoyed, said, "Yes. Is this truly that new to you?"
"K-kinda! I feel like I should be dead right about now! What happened?"
"So long as their body remains mostly intact," Zena said, "Guardians can live and recover from any injury. It's known as being a Mystic being."
"Mystic..." Owen said. "So, all Guardians are Mystic?"
"Yes," Zena said.
"But, that's the same thing, then. What other things are Mystic?"
"Well, I imagine Star is Mystic, even if she guards no particular Orb. The Hunters... are also Mystic, though I wouldn't consider them Guardians, in my opinion."
"O-oh... okay," Owen said. "So, just people who have power related to the Orbs..." He looked at his claws. He still felt... soggy. But at least he could breathe again. Something felt different, too. He felt... stronger.
"You mentioned... Solarbeam," Zena said.
"Huh? Solarbeam?" he asked.
"When you woke up. Were you trying to learn Solarbeam? After all, you're the Grass Guardian."
"Oh, uh, no, I..." He rubbed his head. "I... can't remember. I must've been having some kind of weird dream from bad oxygen. It happened before. I was climbing a mountain with one of the Elite Hearts, and when I meditated there, I had a crazy dream, too. Ugh... that's two times that I got a weird dream. I need a break."
Zena chuckled slightly. "This is the most talking I've ever heard from a stranger in a very long time," she said. "Owen... do you know where we are?"
"Um... well... the sun's setting that way... so I think we're at a southern beach, right?" Owen said. He turned around. "So that means... the Thousand Heart Association is—there! Look, d'you see that mountain with the flat top?" he said, pointing up.
"Yes. That was there even before I began my hiding.... Has anything changed about it?"
"That's Kilo Village at the top, in the crater. The volcano is extinct and, uh... yeah. That's where I go for rescue missions and things like that. I bet Anam will know what to do!"
"Anam..." Zena said. "He's another Guardian? Star mentioned him before. But she doesn't talk a lot about the other Guardians—I think it's to... keep us from wanting to meet them in person. I... I don't really know," she said.
"You don't know? Don't know what?" Owen asked.
"If it's a good idea to go there," she said. "The Orbs.... They're supposed to...."
"Not anymore. C'mon, let's just go!" Owen said.
"I.... But what would I say? How much has changed...?"
"I—I dunno, but it should be fine! C'mon, I can show you around."
Zena hesitated, looking at the Charmeleon. "How are you so sure?" she said.
"Because..." he trailed off. "I mean... well..."
"Did you not just rant to my spirits about how everything you know has been turned inside-out? I believe you used similar terminology."
"Y-yeah, but, only half, not everything...."
"But didn't some of that everything happen to be your own parents, and your friends?" Zena said.
"...Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi didn't know, either," Owen said. "I—I trust them. And... and Rhys is the one who wants the Guardians to stay together, too."
Zena blinked. "...What was his name? Rhys?" he said.
"Yeah, Rhys," Owen said. "...What?"
"Lucario Rhys?" Zena said.
"H-huh? Yeah...."
"...We are not going to Kilo Village," Zena said.
"W-wait, but why—"
"Rhys is one of the Hunters."