Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 150 - Into Thirds

". . . and with that, we'll be heading to the Abyssal Sea now."

"Wonderful. Good luck, Team Alloy." Dialga nodded firmly and looked at Palkia. "Well, it seems that Team Alloy is making good time. They're about two days ahead of schedule. Darkrai's nightmares weren't an obstacle for them at all."

"Perhaps he's gone soft," Palkia said. "Ah, well. I'm sure they're fine. Now then!" Palkia cheerily turned around. "Let's inform the others and—hm, just where did my prototype Dungeon Gun go?"

"Your what?"

"Well, in the cosmic sense, it's mine, though I suppose, technically, it's not mine," Palkia said. "You see, my Alakazam half, before he fled, had left behind schemati—"

"I don't care what half made it, why does it exist?!"

Palkia raised a claw to answer, but when none came, he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Bloooo."

Palkia perked up. "Hm?"

The source of the little noise was a tiny Charmander with a black and white flame. She held a device with strange crystals on the top containers and a small opening on the front.

"Ah." Palkia dipped his paw into the air. It emerged from a small portal by the gun, plucking it from her grasp. She yelped in surprise and grasped where it had been, tearing up.

A second later, a squeaking toy of a tiny Rattata landed in front of her. She giggled, biting and squeezing it several times.

"Found it!" Palkia said cheerily to Dialga, who looked utterly horrified.

"Why in the world did they leave her under YOUR care?!"

"Oh, she isn't under my care," Palkia said. "Frankly I'm not sure how she got here."

"And you didn't think to tell anyone?!"

"I'm far too busy with my research, Dialga, you know this!"

"Did you not have a child in the human world?" Dialga chided. "How can you be so... so..."

"Now, that was thousands of years ago!" Palkia said. "Apparently. Memory of that era fuzzy. And my time as a Legend is still so very young! I'm not the god of child-rearing, I'm the god of space!"

"And yet here you are, wasting your time with... with..."

"Oh, this is hardly a waste," Palkia said. "I tried to think of a satisfying answer for you, Dialga, but I suppose I'll just give mine instead. This Dungeon Gun will save us, I assure you. With it, we can freely connect to the Voidlands, just as my other half can. And connect out all the same, without any risk of Void Shadows mucking up the passageway! Well, at first. We will need to close and reopen it, too."

"I still don't see the merit in this," Dialga said. "I'm... going to take Charmander home. Who is supposed to be watching her?" He paused. "I'll just ask. Yes, hello"—He activated the communicator—"Do you know who is taking care of Charmander today?"

"What's wrong?" Owen's voice came immediately.

"Ah—nothing's wrong! We were just... wondering."

"Charmander?" Brandon called next. "Oh, the new girl. That's supposed to be Spice."

"Excuse me? I haven't seen her all day. I thought Anam was looking after her."

"Anam is still resting, I think," Leo called. "Didn't Madeline take over?"

"How do you guys not know who is supposed to have Charmander?!" Owen squeaked. "Haven't even... come up with a name yet. Did she like any of the names suggested?"