Hello! It's been a long time since I've written for Pokemon.

Where to begin...well, to start, this is based off the games and not the anime, so disregard how these chars act in the anime b/c I haven't seen it. This does have ties to the eighth movie (Lucario and the Mystery of Mew), but only to past events in the movie and not the present (aka nothing with Ash applies here). If you haven't seen it, don't worry, it's not required viewing to understand this fic (though this fic does spoil some things).

Secondly, this fic's formatting is slightly weird. It's based on a format I saw in a novel once, where it went back and forth from present to past until both time-lines reached more-or-less the same point in the end. I'm trying this here, and as a result it's slow-paced and slow to explain itself.

Present is in regular font. Past is in italics. Italics with single quotes ('past') are thoughts.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Though my very own live Vulpix would be nice...as long as it stays away from the chickens. I do own the 'corruption' translation/idea. But more on that as you read on.

III

"If I weren't on Iron Island then…

If you hadn't arrived on Iron Island then…

Perhaps we would have never met…"

The End of Forever

He opened his eyes, finally. Then he turned to her, his voice soft as feathers, saying…

Who are you?

IIIIII

She sat outside his room, numbly petting the female Houndoom beside her. The black, flame-breathing dog was not hers, but one of many companion Pokemon assigned to watch over patients. Each patient had their own. Her own Pokemon were being treated in the Pokecenter next door.

It was a wonder that no one recognized her yet, she thought, as a girl in a wheelchair rolled by. Then again, maybe it wasn't. Plain white clothes, the standard of the hospital, instead of the usual black, silver-stained bandages wrapped around her waist, long golden hair unadorned by dark hairbands, her usual cool confidence absent…it was no wonder no one recognized her, the Pokemon Champion of Sinnoh.

"Cynthia?"

She looked up to see the members of the Elite Four gather around her carefully. All except Lucian. He was in the hospital room next door.

"Riley, he…" she began, pausing and swallowing. "…His memory's gone."

Aaron let out a small gasp. Flint averted his gaze. Bertha quietly sat down next to Cynthia.

"It's better than the alternative," Bertha said.

"…I know," replied Cynthia, petting the Houndoom again. "I'm…I'm just grateful he's still here. That we're all still here. I just…wish…"

She felt tears welling up in her eyes despite herself. The Houndoom put its head into her lap, looking up to her mournfully.

Bertha put her arm around her.

"I know dear, I know."

IIIIII

"Hiya! My name's Riley!" greeted the cheerful blue-eyed boy, a blue-and-black puppy Pokemon scampering around him. He wore a simple but expensive-looking suit that neither suited his personality nor the rocky setting of Iron Island.

"Um, nice to meet you," she replied, fooling with her puffy yellow dress. "I'm Cynthia."

Just then the floppy-eared canine jumped up and grabbed his hat, running off with it between its teeth.

"Riolu! Give me back my hat!" he protested.

The other puppy Pokemon placed it on its head, smiling even though the hat went over its eyes. Ignoring its Trainer, the Riolu ran behind Cynthia instead, where it met with her Riolu.

"You know, our dad says that our Riolu are twins," Riley went on, as they watched the two Pokemon play. "We were lucky to get them as our starters, huh? Dad says they're expensive."

Cynthia nodded, twirling one of the white ribbons in her hair around her finger.

"…Are you gonna be traveling in that?" he asked, referring to her dress.

"Yes. Grandma made it for me," she answered. "Why?"

"Well…" he began, tilting his head. "Isn't that gonna be a little…awkward to travel in? I mean, you'll be going through bushes and stuff…"

"I'll do just fine!" Cynthia replied with a huff. "I'm used to wearing dresses! Besides, you're wearing a suit."

"I'm wearing this suit because it's the cheapest thing I have," he answered. "So it's okay if it gets torn up and stuff."

"That's the cheapest thing you have?" Cynthia asked, as first one then the other Riolu tripped over her dress and landed on top of each other. "How rich are you?"

"Well, I'm a descendant of Sir Aaron," he added. "And that's a royal bloodline, so…"

"Sir Aaron? Wait, you mean that Sir Aaron?" she questioned, eyes wide.

"Yep, the one who stopped the great war and everything," Riley answered, rubbing the back of his head. "But, uh, it's no big deal, really. Just forget about it."

"But it is a big deal!" protested Cynthia. "I mean, it's an honor to be related to a great hero of the past. Wish I could say the same about my bloodline…"

"Nah, you don't want it."

Cynthia blinked.

"Huh?"

Riley looked up to the sky, as the two Riolu dashed past him.

"It's a big shadow. People never know you for who you are," he said. "They just see you as 'one of Sir Aaron's blood', and when you don't measure up, which you never do, it just disappoints everyone."

"Oh…" said Cynthia. "I never thought of it that way before. Um…sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault," he asked, turning back to her with sudden cheer. "Besides, it's not like life's horrible for me. I couldn't ask for much more, really. It's just that part…gets old sometimes."

The wind picked up, blowing the hat away from the two Riolu. Cynthia caught it.

"I still think…you're being kinda whiny though," she said.

He gave her a blank look.

"Eh?"

She gave him an annoyed look.

"I'm from Celestic Town," she stated flatly. "It's a poor place full of old people who do nothing but complain. In fact, according to them, the world is so bad that the legends are due to destroy and remake it anytime now. But I'm going to find the legends myself to prove them wrong."

He stared.

"Uh…wow."

"And that's what I've had to put up with for ten years," she went on. "That, and wearing dresses. I hate dresses. I'm only wearing this one because Grandma insisted that I look nice. Only I don't look nice in this. I look stupid!"

Riley was speechless for a moment, and then he began to laugh. Cynthia glared at him.

"Argh! I knew it!"

"No no, it's not that," he said, smiling. "It's just that I don't really have any right to complain, like you said. And I think the dress looks nice. But it is going to be a pain to travel in."

"I know," she sighed. "I can't wait until I become the Pokemon Champion and wear whatever I want."

"Well, I hope you can change your outfit before that," Riley replied. "Besides, I'm going to be the Pokemon Champion!"

"No you're not! I am!"

"No, I am! And give me my hat!"

She tossed it to her Riolu instead, who dashed off with it.

"Hey!" he shouted, running after it. His Riolu followed, yipping happily.

She wasn't sure how long he chased that Pokemon around the island. She did know that his hat was well chewed-up by the time he got it back. That, and that they teamed up afterward for their Pokemon journey.

IIIIII

"I knew I should've went with you guys," said Flint, his afro of red hair in disarray. "We knew something mighty strange was going on."

"That's why I took Lucian with me," replied Cynthia, the Houndoom between her and Flint. "The situation was just…unprecedented."

"No kidding," he said, an uneasy smile on his face. "You guys gave me a freaking heart attack when you came back like that."

Cynthia smirked mirthlessly.

"I can imagine."

Flint stroked the Houndoom, but it took little interest in him.

"Well, guess they're trained to focus on the patient," he muttered, mostly to himself. "Anyway, how are you feeling? You've had a rough time of it yourself."

"Oh, I'll survive."

"People survive Houndoom burns a lot too. No offense to Miss Nurse Houndoom here, of course," Flint answered, giving the sleek black dog a couple quick pats on the head. "Point is people can survive without feeling fine. So how're you feeling?"

She glanced at him, and then turned away.

"…Tired, mostly, though not really sleepy, if you know what I mean," she replied, before shivering a little. "A bit chilled too, perhaps."

"Still got some corruption in your system, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied. "So where's Aaron?"

"Well, he was going to pay Lucian a visit," Flint said, leaning back against the white wall. "But last time I saw Lucian he was still grouchy, so I dunno how well that would've worked out. Still has the headache from hell, according to him."

Cynthia smirked.

"Sounds like I should wait a bit before visiting him."

IIIIII

"This was your idea!" Cynthia yelled, running as fast as her torn-up dress would let her. "You're the one who wanted to stay in the haunted house!"

"I didn't think the Old Chateau was actually haunted!" Riley protested, as the Haunter behind them cackled evilly. "Besides, I didn't want to stay out in Eterna Forest with all the Wurmple and Dustox and stuff. I was tired of being attacked by caterpillar Pokemon every five steps!"

"At least our Riolu could fight the bugs! Now we're going to get our souls eaten by Ghost Pokemon instead! Brilliant plan, Riley!"

"They're not going to eat our souls! At least, I hope not."

"That's not very reassuring," she growled. "Aaah! Hurry up! It's gonna catch us!"

"Go away."

The Haunter screeched and abruptly faded.

"Hey, it's gone!" Riley exclaimed, as they stopped running and plopped onto the floor. "Man, that was close, but what-"

"Go away."

A couple of smaller cries echoed from the other side of the room. Cynthia and Riley turned.

In the middle of the room was a boy their age, apparently unaware of their presence. He pushed some of his purple hair out of his face as he flipped the page of a novel. His clothes were simple, just an old white shirt and jeans.

A trio of Gastly materialized around him, smiling impishly.

"Go away," said the boy, his gaze never leaving his book. His eyes flashed blue.

The ghost Pokemon were pushed back by a nearly invisible force, causing them to cry out and disappear.

"Wow," said Cynthia. "He's so calm. How's he doing that?"

"He must be a psychic," replied Riley, watching in wonder as more Gastly were driven away. "This is the first time I've actually seen one. A human one, that is."

"But aren't you a psychic?" she asked. "I mean, you did raise up that barrier thing earlier when the ghost Pokemon started attacking us."

"Go away."

"I'm an Aura Guardian," Riley corrected. "I'm…just not that good at it yet. Anyway, it's not the same thing. They use the power of the mind, while we use the power of emotions and life force."

Now there were half a dozen Gastly floating around the boy.

"Go away, go away, go away," he growled, as each Gastly vanished.

"I wonder if he's training or something," Riley went on. "Psychics usually don't like places like this because the ghosts bug them nonstop."

"Go away!"

"He's training while reading a book?"

"Maybe it has advice for dealing with Ghost types?"

Twenty-some Gastly materialized at once, all laughing mischievously.

The boy clapped his book shut.

"…How many times do I have to say it?" he growled, his eyes glowing bright blue. "Go away!"

The psychic blast was so powerful that it sent Riley and Cynthia flying back. All the Gastly vanished at once.

"Ow…" groaned Cynthia.

"…You were saying something about this guy being calm?" asked Riley.

Finally the boy noticed them, lavender eyes giving them a quizzical look.

"Hmm?"

That was how they met Lucian.

IIIIII

Cynthia's Pokemon flocked eagerly around her: her Roserade (caught it at the Great Marsh as a Budew, the only Pokemon she was able to catch there), her Spiritomb (traded her Staraptor for it. She wondered how her old Pokemon was doing.), her Gastrodon (her first catch! Of course, it was just a Shellos back then), her Milotic (she, Riley, and Lucian spent forever fishing for it at Mt. Coronet) her Garchomp (whom she caught in anger after it ate all their lunches as a Gible), and, of course, her Lucario, having evolved from its Riolu stage long ago. All Champion Pokemon, all wrapped in silver-stained bandages. The Houndoom stayed back, watching, while Chansey and Blissey waddled by it.

"Sorry I wasn't able to visit you guys sooner," she said, greeting each of them in turn. "You must have been worried."

"Hey, they weren't the only ones worried."

Cynthia turned to see Aaron approach. Not the Sir Aaron of legend, just Aaron the Bug-type Trainer, the youngest of the Elite Four. She had never thought about how he had the same name as the knight of myth…a myth that she didn't want to think about right now.

"So this is where you've been," she answered. "How did your visit with Lucian go?"

"He told me to buzz off before I even opened the door."

"Ouch."

"But I just wanted to visit," Aaron whined. "Anyway, he could sense me behind the door, so he must be getting better. He's always kinda grouchy without his books anyway."

"And he won't be reading much with that headache of his," Cynthia added, sighing. "How are his Pokemon, by the way?"

"Oh, they're recovering pretty quick. They're Psychic-types, after all," Aaron answered. "They're kinda antsy though, since they can't contact Lucian like they're used to doing."

"Still not well enough for telepathy, huh?"

"Guess not," replied Aaron, shifting slightly. "Oh, and Riley's Pokemon are okay too. They seem to remember everything, which is kinda strange, since…uh…"

"Pokemon withstand corruption better than humans. It's not that strange that they fared better," Cynthia answered. "…Do they know about Riley?"

"No," he said. "But I think they suspect it."

"I see," she replied, beginning to walk away. "I should go tell them then."

"W-Wait!" protested Aaron, hurrying after her. "You don't need to do that. I can tell them."

"I came here to visit them too. I might as well tell them."

"But…"

She paused and turned.

"But what?"

"Well…It's just…I mean…" he rambled. "…It's been scary for everybody for the past few days. Don't blame yourself for everything."

Cynthia smiled.

"I'm not blaming myself," she said. "I just feel like they should hear it from someone who was there."

"Cynthia…"

"And don't blame yourself for this either," she added. "You weren't involved, and if you were you would probably be in the hospital with Riley and Lucian. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to check on both teams of Pokemon and make sure they haven't started fighting already."

Aaron smiled and shook his head

"Old rivalries last forever, huh?"

IIIIII

"My aura tells me to go this way!" announced Riley, pointing to one pathway.

"Well, my psychic powers tell me to go this way," Lucian responded coolly, pointing to the other path while reading a book. He was always reading a book, even while he ordered his Pokemon in a battle. It never failed to confuse and/or infuriate his opponents.

They glared at each other. Cynthia, standing behind the two boys, sighed.

Riley could usually get along with anyone. As long as he had something to read, Lucian usually could too, even if he was a bit rude about it. But together…

"Last time we followed you, we ended up walking in circles for hours," argued Riley.

"Last time we followed you, we nearly walked off a cliff in a fog," countered Lucian.

It was a wonder that they had traveled together this long, really.

There had always been a rivalry between them, but there had always between psychics and aura guardians anyway. Each tried to outdo the other, prove their power was the better one. To her, it was like arguing about which Pokemon type was better, Fire or Flying, Steel or Dragon. Each type had its own advantages and disadvantages, so they couldn't really be compared to each other.

Of course, there were many Trainers who favored one type and vehemently defended it whenever it was insulted. It was a similar case with these two.

"Maybe if you weren't reading all the time, you wouldn't get us lost so much," Riley declared.

"Says the kid who can't locate anything with either aura or a map," answered Lucian, never looking up.

"I'm just as old as you are."

"Not mentally."

"And how old are you mentally? 65?"

Lucian's eye twitched.

Traveling with two supernaturally-endowed boys was…interesting. Along with the usual arguments (like now) and Pokemon battles, there were also contests of individual power, like who could make a Pokeball go faster to catch the desired Pokemon, or who would be the first to find their way out of the cave/forest/wherever they happened to be lost. For a group with two sixth-sense Trainers, they sure got lost a lot.

Not that she was at a total disadvantage. She could beat either of them in a Pokemon match. She trained while they squabbled.

She sighed and began to look up the route on her Poketch. Sometimes technology was so much more convenient than extrasensory abilities when to came to finding the next town.

IIIIII

A rather heavy-looking book landed at Cynthia's feet as soon as she stepped into the room. Moments later it fluttered feebly, levitated a few feet, and then dropped to the floor once more. The Houndoom growled at it, its long tail twitching stiffly at the tip.

"Lucian," she said. "You're supposed to be resting, not making your headache worse."

The young man in bed groaned and rubbed his forehead. He leered at the book like it was all its fault for not moving properly. He looked strange without his purple-tinted sunglasses, and clothed all in white.

"I just wanted something to read," he grumbled, lying down.

"Where's that Kangaskhan of yours?" she asked, picking up the book.

"Taking a nap," he said. "Finally. It's been fussing over me all day. Though it doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'book'."

"It's doing its job," she stated, setting the book in his lap.

"Been doing it a little too much," Lucian added. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, alright enough," Cynthia replied. "Riley's awake now."

"Is he? So he made it after all," Lucian answered, smirking. "Tell him that he owes me a new pair of sunglasses."

Cynthia was quiet for a moment.

IIIIII

The three of them parted ways eventually. It was inevitable, really.

Lucian was the first to leave, staying behind in Mt. Coronet to train. She wouldn't see him again until he earned a place in the Elite Four years later. He would tell her how odd it was to see her in black clothes and a black coat. She would say the same about his new burgundy suit and purple-tinted sunglasses.

Riley lost interest in collecting the badges for the Pokemon League, stopping after winning Byron's. He was more interested in seeing the world, training his Pokemon as he went along. He tagged along as she made her dream come true and became the Champion of Sinnoh. But soon after that, he left, waving to her from a ship that would take him to Hoenn, then Johto, then Kanto, and finally back to Sinnoh. But that too would take years.

Many things changed in those years. Riley and Lucian's rivalry was not one of those things. If anything, it intensified, even if both of them had learned to hide it until polite gestures. At least they never fought each other directly, despite all their arguing, aura power against psychic power.

Until then.

IIIIII

"His memory's gone? All of it?"

Cynthia nodded.

Lucian looked up to the ceiling.

"Damn."

The room was quiet.

"…Well, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised," he eventually added. "It was either that or…"

"Being taken."

"Exactly."

They were silent again.

"He brought it on himself," Lucian growled. "He should have asked for our help when he got in over his head."

"Why didn't he though?"

"…That's what I still don't understand," said Lucian, laying his arm over his head. "I've never understood him."

IIIIII

None of them had much experience with corruption, besides Bertha, whose sister Agatha studied it intensively. In fact, their only encounter with it before was when she and the Elite Four made an experimental trip to Cinnabar Island in search for something called a 'MissingNo.'.

Since a 'MissingNo.' message could be obtained by scanning an apple or other non-Pokemon entity with a Pokedex, they didn't expect much. But lo and behold, Flint managed to find the silver, blocky thing and get his Ultra Ball duplicated 128 times, while his memories of joining the Pokemon League got scrambled and replaced by impossible recollections.

Memories. It's what corruption targeted the most. It twisted them, replaced them, erased them. Perhaps the last was most merciful. Or maybe it was the most cruel, when it removed those most crucial remembrances.

Losing those key memories could cause more chaos than losing all of them.

IIIIII

"Sounds like we've got company on the way."

"Huh?" asked Cynthia, pausing to listen. "I don't hear anything."

"Of course not. You can't hear thoughts," replied Lucian. "Been extra sensitive to them ever since I've been in the hospital. I guess my mind can't block them properly right now."

"Can you tell who they are?"

"The local Gym Leaders," he answered, closing his eyes. "They're not helping my migraine."

"Well neither does using your mind to move books around," Cynthia said, heading toward the door. "Want me to distract them and get them to go elsewhere?"

"If you don't mind."

"Alright then. Be right back."

"Fine," Lucian replied, opening his book as she closed the door.

Just as Lucian had predicted, all eight of Sinnoh's Gym Leaders were down the hall, murmuring to each other as they shifted the get-well gifts in their grasps. Aaron and Flint were chatting with some of them.

"Man, I can't believe-"

"What should I say-"

"Hope she likes this-"

"-Hear about Riley? His memory-"

"I should have expected this," Cynthia said with a smile, noticing Bertha coming around the corner. "News travels fast, huh?"

"Well, it's been three days," said elderly woman.

"Has it?" she asked. "It doesn't seem that long."

"Probably because you slept through most of it."

"Probably," Cynthia answered with a smirk.

There was a girl among the Gym Leaders, just barely thirteen, appearing even younger than that as she squeezed the Riolu doll in her arms. It was probably a gift for Riley. Her crush on him was well-known, whether she realized that or not.

She was a Pokemon prodigy, the heroine of Sinnoh. She had already defeated all the Gym Leaders here, once for their badges, again and again at the Battle Frontier Battleground café. Cynthia saw her often, always training, always testing out new strategies.

It would only be a matter of time before she challenged the Pokemon League. Perhaps she would even beat it. Perhaps she would even beat her, and become Sinnoh's new Champion.

Cynthia wondered if she knew about Riley yet. What would she do, when she learned?

…What would she do now? All the memories she and Riley shared…had shared…

(Who are you?)

"Well, time to greet the guests," said Cynthia, smiling and walking forward, the Houndoom leading. "Even if this isn't my best outfit."

IIIIII

The outfit change should have been a red flag.

Riley usually wore a blue suit with a blue hat. It looked expensive, was expensive, he had a thousand of them, and he went through a thousand of them his rough-and-tumble travels. Lucian once remarked that the money he spent on those suits would probably feed half the people in Sinnoh and their Pokemon.

While Cynthia wasn't so sure about that, she did agree that Riley's taste in travel clothes was a bit…extravagant. Not that she had any right to talk, with her fancy black attire.

So when she spotted him in his new get-up at the Battle Frontier, she was a bit…taken aback.

The first thing she noticed was the long black cape slung over his shoulders, cut ragged at the edges. Then she saw the blue tunic, the gray pants, the black boots, the jeweled gold-and-cobalt gloves. Even the hat was different: made in the same style as the old one, only black like the cape.

Cynthia recognized the outfit immediately. It was a joke gift Flint had given Riley for his birthday; a recreation of Sir Aaron's clothes.

Riley bore an incredible resemblance to his ancestor, whether he liked it or not. This was only proven when Riley was goaded into donning the outfit, and afterward stood next to a painting of Sir Aaron at his house (mansion). It had been somewhat eerie actually, how much he looked like the Aura Guardian in the painting. Then Riley laughed and said he felt like "a damn fool", as he put it.

Riley hadn't worn it since. Until then.

She asked him about it. He just laughed and said that it had just felt right that day.

Cynthia never saw him wear a suit after that.

IIIIII

Cynthia closed the door behind her and sighed.

"I appreciate everyone coming to visit, but it's so exhausting, trying to explain everything to them."

The Houndoom sighed as well, and then began to lick her hand.

"Of course everyone wants to know what happened," said Lucian. "It's not every day that the Champion and an Elite Four member end up in the hospital with severe corruption. Not to mention that Riley has a fair reputation himself."

Cynthia sat down in the chair next to his bed. The Houndoom plopped down at her feet.

"That's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say of Riley," she said with a smirk.

"I said he had a reputation. I didn't say it was good."

Cynthia sighed.

"Now Lucian…"

"Well, I guess I should say he had a good reputation among the ladies," he added. "Among the ladies' boyfriends, not so much."

"He's never be serious about anyone," replied Cynthia. "Flirted with the wrong person's girl, yeah, but never…"

"He never took anything seriously. That's always been his damn problem," answered Lucian. "That's one reason why we're here now, because he didn't take things seriously."

"That's not true," she countered. "If anything…"

IIIIII

"Riley…Riley!"

Cynthia waved a hand in front of his face. He startled.

"Huh?" he blurted out, his blue eyes still distant.

"I swear, you've been so spacey lately," she said, sighing. "It isn't like you."

He turned to the view, which was gloomy but splendid from the top of the Lost Tower.

"…I guess it isn't."

Both were quiet as three Murkrow flew overhead, cawing loudly as they passed. It was an odd sight in the bright daylight, considering they were usually nocturnal creatures.

"…Riley, is something wrong?" she asked, trying to shoo away a mischievous Murkrow. "You've been so serious lately."

Riley didn't answer, didn't even look at her, as another Murkrow landed on his shoulder. It spread out its black wings and cried out loudly. But even this he didn't seem to notice.

"Riley?"

IIIIII

"Cynthia?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, blinking sleepily.

"If you're tired, you should go rest," said Lucian.

"…I'm not that tired."

"You were snoring in your chair."

"…I don't want to go to bed yet," she protested, yawning.

"Nightmares?"

Cynthia didn't answer.

IIIIII

She got chills as soon as she stepped on Iron Island.

"You felt that too, Cynthia?" asked Lucian beside her, leering ahead. "So it's not just the locals being paranoid. Something's here."

She nodded, plucking one of the Pokeballs off her belt and tossing it into the air.

"Garchomp!"

The Pokeball burst open, releasing a nebula of light that reformed into a lithe creature with a head like a hammerhead shark. The blue-and-red wyrm let out a low, almost bark-like cry. Cynthia climbed onto its back.

"Need a ride?" she asked Lucian.

Lucian levitated into the air.

"No thanks. I'm good."

Cynthia smirked.

"Show-off."

She hadn't been to Iron Island since she and Riley first got their Riolu. It hadn't changed much since then. It never was much of a place to look at, with all its jagged rocks. Normally there would be some Rock or Steel-Types roaming about, but right now there wasn't a living creature in sight.

"Has the island been evacuated?" she asked, scanning the strangely silent scenery.

"Yes. At least, it should be," Lucian replied, floating next to her. "Hopefully we won't have any fools trying to fight this so-called 'demonic entity'."

"That's what we're here for," answered Cynthia with a cool smile. "To rescue any well-meaning heroes as well as deal with whatever this 'demonic entity' may be."

"Well, I'd rather-" he began, before stopping and glaring. "Look at that."

"…Yeah, I see it," she answered, also stopping.

It stained the rocks and ground sporadically, a slick silver substance that was spreading even as they watched. It glistened brilliantly in the sunlight.

"Corruption," Lucian growled.

"I was afraid it might be something like this," Cynthia stated, her Garchomp going forward more cautiously.

"That's why you wanted me to come with you."

"Yeah," she replied. "You're better at dealing with this kind of thing than I am."

"Well, just because I can deal with it better doesn't-"

Lucian paused, glared, and spun around.

"What is it?!" Cynthia exclaimed, her Garchomp also snarling and quickly turning.

Lucian relaxed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked somewhat curtly.

"Riley!"

He sat on one of the taller rocks, cape torn and fluttering, clothes soaked with patches of silver. Even his hat, hiding his eyes, was stained. He said nothing, but that wasn't unusual these days.

"Looks like you had a run-in with the local demon," said Lucian, gliding forward. "Seems like you lost too. Now that you've satisfied your heroic ego for the day, mind telling us-"

Lucian froze.

"Lucian?" asked Cynthia.

"…Get back, Cynthia," he hissed, backing up.

"What?"

Riley raised his head, his eyes shining silver. He ascended into the air, a translucent aura clinging to him. Silvery aura spheres began to form in his hands.

"Get back!" Lucian shouted. "He's corrupted!"

IIIIII

It is known by many names. Taint. Diamond Dust. Chaos Silver. Residue of in-between time/space. That strange grimy, shiny substance that's colder than ice and infects anything it touches. It's all the same thing.

Corruption.

It's the by-product of what is best known as the Glitch Dimension, the domain of everything that is not under Arceus. The experts would say outer dimension or distortion world would be more accurate, but the term glitch is simpler to the common people. After all, anything related to this dimension is known to screw up electronics.

But these "glitches" are more deadly than mere computer bugs. They break the rules of this world, they break logic, they break Pokemon and people with their corruption. And if someone became badly enough infected, they would be whisked away to that other world, become one of them, lose themselves and become fiends.

They were several names for this as well. Spirited away, ghosted, erased…

Taken.

IIIIII

The ground behind her was ripped apart by a silvery explosion.

"Riley! Riley, stop it!" Cynthia cried out.

Am aura sphere whizzed by her Garchomp's side. She got a chill even from that close graze.

"I don't think he's listening!" Lucian yelled, as he and his Alakazam evaded more aura blasts from Riley, who flew after them.

It wasn't a battle. It was a war. All their Pokemon were out, facing off against Riley's own Pokemon, just as corrupted as he was. She saw her own Lucario defend against its silver-maddened twin as she and Garchomp dashed past them.

Lucian's eyes glowed blue as he unleashed a psychic blast on Riley, the near-invisible force sending Riley flying into a nearby rock. The Aura Guardian quickly recovered, however, unleashing more aura spheres.

"When did he get so damn strong?!" Lucian hissed, throwing up a psychic barrier to block the aura assault. "He was nowhere near this level the last time I saw him!"

"The corruption's probably boosting his power!" Cynthia shouted back, as her Garchomp knocked back Riley's infected Infernape with its tail. "And I know he's been training a lot recently too."

Alakazam fired a psychic blast at Riley, but he blocked it with an aura shield. Then Riley fired another aura blast, striking and knocking out the slender psychic Pokemon.

"Alakazam!" Lucian called out, before defending himself with his own barrier. "If this is Riley, I can't wait to see the demon…Then again, maybe he is the demon."

Cynthia had nothing to say to that.

"Garchomp! Hyper Beam!" she commanded instead, as her shark-dragon charged forward toward Riley's Infernape. Light formed in its open maw, and then shot out as a multi-colored laser. The corrupted fire-monkey took a direct hit and was knocked out.

'Thank Arceus that Riley's Pokemon are all offense and no defense. But they're just distractions. The real problem is Riley…'

Lucian was blindsided by an aura blast, silver blossoming on his back. He teleported out of the way just in time to avoid a slash attack from Riley's berserk Absol. Silver spread from where the Dark-type Pokemon had struck the ground.

'So much corruption…how did Riley and his Pokemon get so corrupted? Is Lucian right? Or…'

As Riley turned mid-flight, nearly colliding with her and Garchomp, she noticed a transparent double float above him for a moment. Then it was gone.

Cynthia blinked.

'What was that?'

Riley rose higher in the air, several aura spheres forming around him. Then all those aura spheres rained down, striking both their and his Pokemon unconscious. Lucian guarded with his psychic shield.

Garchomp jumped about trying to avoid the aura spheres. One false footstep later, however, and Cynthia took a direct hit to her back, crying out and falling off her steed. The blue-and-red dragon turned back to get her, only to be blasted itself and knocked out.

"Cynthia!" Lucian yelled.

She staggered back to her feet, shivering. Damn, it was cold. Though it had hit her in the back, the freezing silver was already spreading to her right side.

Riley drifted down to where she was, silver-tainted eyes shining. The translucent twin appeared behind him again, a silvery ripple going through it. Yet, it wasn't quite a twin. Somehow…

He raised his hand, a new aura sphere forming in it.

She gasped.

"Cynthia!" Lucian screamed.

IIIIII

"…Cynthia, I'm…not going crazy, am I?" Riley asked her, three days ago.

She blinked.

"If you're talking about your Eevee evolving into Umbreon in the middle of the day, I saw that too," she said with a smirk. "I haven't figured that one out either. How'd you do that, little one?"

The black, almost cat-like creature in Riley's lap tilted its head to the side.

"Bre?"

Her Espeon, a lavender feline, walked over to the Umbreon and sniffed it, its forked tail twitching. Both were twins, both had evolved at the same time, and yet they evolved differently when they should have both been Espeon.

Riley sighed and plopped down on the grass, staring up at the sky. It was beautiful that day in Amity Square.

"All kinds of strange stuff has been happening to me lately," he said.

"Like what?"

"Well, it's more like…feeling strange," Riley went on. "I keep…confusing things. Mistaking people and places for things I don't even know, or shouldn't know, or something. This is the clearest my mind's been in days, really. Maybe weeks."

"I've noticed you haven't been that chatty lately," Cynthia stated."…Did you hit your head?"

"Not that I remember… But I dunno if I can trust what I remember right now," he answered, rubbing behind Umbreon's ears. "It's just…I need to find someone."

"Find someone? Like who?"

"…I dunno. That's the thing," Riley replied. "I just know I need to find them…whoever it is."

"…Have you seen a doctor?" Cynthia questioned, stroking her Espeon as it demanded to be petted.

"So I am crazy?" he asked in a half-serious tone.

IIIIII

Riley screamed.

The aura sphere dissolved as he staggered back, holding his head. The image behind him flickered.

"Riley?" Cynthia asked, almost hopefully, before noticing Lucian.

His eyes were the brightest she had ever seen them, almost obscuring his pupils and iris. He was cloaked in a flaming blue aura, semi-long hair floating, expression vicious.

Cynthia stared.

'He's…he's attacking Riley's mind directly! But if he does that, his own mind will be at risk for getting corruption! And Riley -'

"G-Go!" Lucian barked.

Garchomp came over, silver-stained but ready to fight again. It bent over, and Cynthia got on its back again.

The figure behind Riley suddenly turned to face Lucian, thrusting its arm out and striking him with a silvery blast.

Cynthia's eyes narrowed.

'So it's not just a shadow. It's got its own will.'

The image turned back to Riley, and then vanished. Riley recomposed himself and went after Lucian, who quickly teleported away.

'Is it controlling Riley?'

Lucian reppeared beside Cynthia, looking slightly unnerved. Riley spun around, the double reforming behind him.

"…Well, this is…interesting," Lucian said, holding his forehead.

"Lucian, do you know what that thing is?" asked Cynthia.

"From what I picked up while I was connected with his mind," he began. "…Apparently that's Sir Aaron's ghost."

Cynthia stared.

"…What?"

IIIIII

No one knew what happened to Sir Aaron.

There were many tales of his heroism, of course (too many, according to Riley), and even a few telling of his affairs with the queen, but none told of his end. Among his most famous tales was the story of how he stopped a great war. That was also the last story recorded about him.

Everyone assumed that things ended happily ever after.

Did they?

IIIIII

"Why are you doing this, Sir Aaron?!" yelled Cynthia.

A silvery energy flared up around the spirit, and then around Riley.

Cynthia glared.

"Answer me!"

The silver aura exploded outward, creating a shockwave that Lucian blocked with a psychic barrier. But even that failed to fully protect them, however, and they were thrown back by the sheer force of the shockwave.

"He's corrupted beyond reason," said Lucian, staggering back up. "He's corrupted Riley beyond reason. He's the damn demon."

"But…why is he so corrupted?" asked Cynthia.

"Same reason most ghosts are corrupted," Lucian answered. "He was never able to move on, so his form and memories got corrupted. Everything's too scrambled in Riley's head for me to really tell why, but…"

The silver energy flared up around Riley again, brighter this time. Riley flinched as sparks of power ran down his frame.

Cynthia glared.

'Abusing his aura like that is starting to take a toll on him. That could give us an advantage now, but that puts Riley in danger…'

"…But we don't have time to sort it out now!" Lucian shouted. "I need to separate Sir Aaron's mind from Riley's!"

"Need a distraction?" Cynthia asked.

Lucian didn't answer.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself," she added. "Right, Garchomp?"

Garchomp roared and stomped its feet.

Lucian turned back to Riley.

"…Just be careful."

IIIIII

"…He died alone, you know."

"Sir Aaron?" Cynthia asked.

"Yeah," answered Lucian, looking up at the ceiling.

"You saw it in his memories?"

"Yeah."

"…What happened?"

"Sacrificed himself at the Tree of Beginning, in order to stop the great war," Lucian explained. "He gave his aura to the Mew that lived there. Succumbed to the aftereffects of aura abuse."

"…I see…"said Cynthia. "…Did you ever figure out why he didn't move on, Lucian?"

"A couple of reasons, from what I can tell," he answered, rubbing his forehead. "For one, there was someone he wanted to see and apologize to before he died, but that someone wasn't there. So he rambles on about how he wants to see that someone as he fades away, says that he has no regrets, and then lingers on afterward, waiting for them. Hypocrite."

She stayed silent for a moment.

"…Riley said that he felt like he needed to find someone, though he didn't know who," Cynthia said. "Who do you think it was that Sir Aaron wanted to see so badly?"

"Who knows. The corruption took the name and his memories of that someone," Lucian stated. "Maybe it was the queen. Maybe it was a family member. Maybe it was even a Pokemon. At this point we may never know."

Lucian sighed.

"…It's a miserable way to die, really," he added. "All alone in a strange place, with the aftereffects of aura abuse eating you alive. It was no wonder he wanted someone there, for all his brave talking to no one."

He laid his arm over his head.

"Anyway, the second reason Sir Aaron didn't move on was that the Mew had absorbed his aura, so it cycled through the Mew and the tree rather than being released outside," he added. "He couldn't leave by himself even if he wanted to."

Lucian's gaze turned to Cynthia.

"That's how Riley got possessed in the first place. He was fighting Team Galactic there when he drew aura from the tree itself…"

"And got Sir Aaron's aura with it."

"Exactly," Lucian stated, looking at the ceiling again. "There's still a lot that I don't know or don't understand. I'd be able to sort it out more if I didn't have this damn headache. But I have a feeling that will be things that we will never know or understand at this point."

Cynthia nodded.

IIIIII

"Garchomp, Hyper Beam!" Cynthia ordered.

Her shark-headed steed fired a laser of white light, but Riley repelled the attack with an aura shield.

'Guess I'll have to take a more direct approach.'

"After him, Garchomp!" she commanded.

The blue-and-red dragon complied and sped toward Riley, evading stray blasts of aura.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"

Garchomp shot forward, enveloped in a flaming green light. Riley summoned a barrier just in time to counter the blow, but he shut his eyes tight as another shock of power ripped through him.

Finally Riley cried out, the barrier dissolving, and Garchomp struck him with weakened force. The hit, though enfeebled, was enough to send Riley flying into the nearest rock. His hat flew off, silver-stained, with a hole at the top where the corruption had eaten it through.

Lucian rushed in, his eyes shining bright blue. Riley began to scream again, holding his head with both hands. Cynthia looked away.

'I'm sorry Riley. This is for your own good.'

Suddenly the screaming stopped, and a dazed look came over Riley's eyes as he fell onto his side. Moments later, the image of Sir Aaron floated away from Riley, now disintergrating into a silvery mass. Soon even that ethereal nebula dissolved into nothing.

Lucian panted as his eyes returned to normal.

"Finally…" he gasped, holding his forehead. "Riley was his only remaining link to this world, so once I broke that…Thank Arceus that I didn't have to fight him like…that…Damn my head hurts…"

He winced as he gripped his forehead tighter.

"Are you alright?" Cynthia asked.

"Alright…enough," he answered, turning to where Riley was lying. "It's him I'm not so sure about."

IIIIII

She felt something light rap her on the forehead.

"Huh?" Cynthia blurted out drowsily, before noticing the medical brochure floating above her head. It was about how to sleep better.

"Go to bed," said Lucian. "You're tired and you're injured."

"It seems like all I do is sleep though," she said, sighing. "And aren't you supposed to be resting yourself?"

"It's a piece of paper. It's not that strenuous on my mind," he replied, though the pained expression on his face suggested otherwise. "Less strenuous than picking up on your nightmares anyway."

"Oh," Cynthia answered, looking to the side. "Well, I'm going to check on Riley for a bit, and then I'll get myself to bed. How's that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," Lucian answered. "A plan you probably won't follow, that is."

Cynthia sighed, got up, and paused.

"…Do you really think that was Sir Aaron back there?" she asked. "I mean, I know you said he had the memories, but…"

The medical brochure fluttered to the floor.

"It's…hard to say," Lucian admitted, rubbing his forehead. "It's possible that a glitch took his memories and modeled itself after him. Glitches often pretend to be things they are not. Sometimes, they even believe themselves to be things they are not. On the other hand, corruption can twist anyone into anything without them even realizing it, sometimes just by taking those key memories."

He paused.

"So…I really don't know. At this point, does it really matter?"

Cynthia shook her head.

"No, not really."

She began to turn around.

"Cynthia?"

She stopped.

"Yeah?"

"…I'm sorry, for not being able to protect you better back there," he said, closing his eyes. "…And for not mind-reading that idiot when he started acting strange. Then we wouldn't have this problem now."

"You were there when everything went wrong. That makes all the difference," she answered. "Now stop blaming yourself and get some rest."

"I could say the same to you."

Cynthia smiled, and began to walk to the door, tiptoeing away from her slumbering Houndoom. Let sleeping dog Pokemon lie.

IIIIII

It was all a surreal blur after the battle.

Lucian, his levitating powers exhausted, he himself exhausted, rode around on Garchomp to find and retrieve all the injured Pokemon. She stayed with Riley, trying to treat him with what little anti-corruption medicine and bandages she had thought to bring with her…she should have known, she should have known…hoping that he would soon come out of his semi-conscious state, despite all that had happened…to tell her he was okay, confused on how he had gotten here, but okay…and ask her why she looked so upset, he just had a little headache, that's all…Riley, please…Riley, please…

They didn't have time to wait for help, and all their transportation Pokemon had been knocked out, so Lucian insisted that he would teleport them off the island. Yes, his head hurt worse now, and yes, he was tired, and no, that was not a shiver, and no, he was not dizzy…allright, maybe slightly dizzy…but he could still handle it. If he could handle battling with Riley, he could handle this, this one little thing…

He couldn't handle it.

They landed roughly in the League Palace, Cynthia knocking over some potted jungle plants, Lucian a vase, Riley some drapery. What a cacophony they must have made, with all the tumbling, breaking, and tearing.

And what a sight they must have been, as the staff, and soon the rest of the Elite Four, rushed up to the scene. She, on her knees, covered in dirt and leaves, one set of hairbands gone (when had she lost them?), holding her silver-soaked side. Riley, lying unconscious on the torn drapery, turned toward the wall, hat gone, huge patches of silver seeped into his clothes and hair. Lucian, barely awake, vase fragments scattered all around him, purple sunglasses cracked by the fall, silver all over his outfit, silver bleeding from his forehead. Good Arceus, they were a mess.

What happened, the others asked, with varying degrees of panic. What happened? What happened?

What happened? She wished she knew, as she sat there shivering. She wished she knew how it all came to this. Everything…Everything was fine before…What happened? No, nothing was fine before. What happened? If only she…why didn't she…Riley please be…Lucian, please be…

But now it was wrong, all wrong, as numbness contaminated her body, as she suddenly grew so tired. It was so cold, freezing. She couldn't move, as everything around her started spinning spinning spinning…

'Riley…Lucian…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sor…'

IIIIII

"What are you apologizing for?"

Cynthia startled awake. She looked over to Riley, sitting up in his bed. He was stroking the Meowth curled up by his side. Funny, Riley hadn't been much of a cat person before.

"Sorry. Um, I mean…I'm just tired."

"Oh," he said, turning away.

An awkward silence followed, except for the Meowth's soft purring. She wondered, with vague amusement, how long it would be until her Houndoom woke up and realized it had been left behind.

"Uh…you don't have to apologize for being tired," he added, grinning sheepishly.

"…I guess not," Cynthia replied, with a small smile of her own.

Another silence. Riley sighed and leaned back against the pillows.

"…You know, it's kinda funny," he began. "I've heard about all kinds of things I've done from all kinds of people, but it feels like they're talking about someone else, like a relative or something, not me. I guess it'll click in eventually though."

She nodded, knowing it probably wouldn't be the case. His memory was taken, not blocked.

"…I guess it's not really funny, is it?" he asked.

Cynthia smirked.

"Not really."

Riley laughed nervously.

"…I'm sorry. I guess that's what I should say."

"Why are you apologizing?" asked Cynthia.

"Because I'm the reason we're all here, from what I've heard. And I've heard some very…uh, interesting things."

Cynthia shook her head.

"It doesn't matter now," she said. "We're all still here. That's what counts."

"Define here."

"Alive."

"Comatose people are alive too."

"Why are you so negative all of a sudden?" she asked, folding her arms and giving him an annoyed look.

He sighed.

"…Because I have one hell of a reputation to live up to apparently," he answered. "And even then…it won't be the same, will it? Because I'm not the same person."

Cynthia was silent.

"…I thought so," he added quietly.

It was silent between them once again.

"…Just because it'll be different doesn't mean it won't be just as good," Cynthia spoke, finally. "Perhaps it'll even be better, without the past."

He turned to her. She smiled.

It was the end of forever.

This was now.

"Yes, we just have to start over. That's all."

She held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Cynthia."

He gave her hand a blank look.

"…We already know our names now," he stated.

"I know. I'm just trying to start this properly."

He blinked, and then grinned as the concept sank in. He grasped her hand.

"Hiya, my name's Riley."

III

"If I weren't on Iron Island then…

If you hadn't arrived on Iron Island then…

Perhaps we would have never met…

…Or, would we have met elsewhere?" -Riley

IIIIII

Okay, so this started as part of the Glitch Chronicles idea I had, but then it broke off and mutated into something entirely different. And so we have this one-shot.

This story isn't based on any particular glitch, just...general corruption, I suppose.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to tell me what you think.

Cya!