Celebi Like Them (15)

Quinn was back in his apartment.

"His" and "apartment" were both exaggerations in this case. An impossible Silurian civilization of cat Pokémon had given him the space to live during his time at the "hospital" for treatment. It had some of the same amenities he might be used to, but other unplaceable choices.

Importantly, there was no food stored inside, or any means to keep it fresh. But that might mean less about the sophistication of the era, and more about his captors' desires for his future.

They probably weren't intended for so many Pokémon to visit, either. The rooms were deliberately narrow, with enough relaxation space for a single occupant. Even the cushions and beds were small, barely big enough for two Pokémon to share.

They all clambered in anyway: the other Celebi, sitting on his desk. A ghost, lingering in back, making the overhead lights flicker whenever he got too close to them. Meloetta, staying near the front where she could glance out at the resting Shaymin outside. Then Victini, sprawled over the cushion that Quinn had planned to sleep on later.

"I have disrupted their sensors," the ghost thought. Though his words carried none of the underlying emotional undertones, Quinn could imagine his resolve even so. These Pokémon had not dared to hope for a very long time. Their captors were so good about keeping them from exposure to out of context information, but they couldn't possibly react to someone from another time! "We will not have long. Within a few hours, they will send a technician. If I do not withdraw, they will realize it was sabotage. Speak freely, and speak quickly."

"Please do." The Victini floated lazily, her tails both twitching in place. At her gesture, one of the towels floated away from the shower, and its edges started to singe. Not enough to catch fire, just enough to fill the air with a faintly burning scent. "This is what they'll do when they realize what you're doing. Destroyer follows us from orbit, and bang! Barely even feel the electricity in the air before we're vaporized."

She tossed it at the ground in front of him, its threads charring slowly black before his eyes. "You see the problem, right? There's nowhere we can run they can't follow. We won't even know they're tracking us until it's already too late."

Aria peered back inside, nodding nervously. "My mate and I have... considered escape at some length. No path leads us so far that they can't follow. We realized that only cooperation would make us safe."

"Sometimes it does," Cedrin whispered, head down. He pulled his little legs up close, and wrapped both arms around them. "Sometimes it doesn't. Treatment doesn't work. Or we stay here, and get sicker and sicker until we die."

"Even a kitten can see it," Sable muttered from his dark corner. "We have tried this. For our reward: watching those we love wither and die. Saying goodbye to our friends. Carving their names onto the memorial wall, because our doctors do not want us to remember."

Quinn waited for each of them to finish. Powerful Mythical Pokémon they might be, but they were not so different from a group of his colleagues in the lab, right after they learned their funding request was denied. But he had pushed through discouragement before. Now he had far better reasons to do it than a thesis.

"I know there are rebels outside, because I met them," Quinn said, when he was sure they'd finished. "Powerful ones too; at least one other time traveler, and Azelf. They must have some way of hiding from this..."

Destroyers, orbital bombardment. None of that sounded terribly plausible, especially from a hostile force of Pokémon. But Quinn was still the stranger here, ignorant of the affairs of this time. He could not simply deny that something dangerous existed and expect that to keep them safe. "They already saved my friend's life once. Besides; kinda looks like anything that isn't a Mew is on our side."

"Let me see." Vitari advanced on him. This time she did so without scorching him, or radiating so much heat that his body started to desiccate. She held out one little paw, towards his oversized head. "Show me what you saw. I'll speak for its truth for all others."

"I don't exactly know how to—" Even saying that much transformed her curiosity to annoyance. He felt those thoughts forming without any need for psychic powers. If he couldn't do something so basic with his powers, how could he possibly help them escape?

I can't fail.

Quinn had sent thoughts already, mostly by imitation. Maybe the same principle could work for memories? He focused on that moment, his desperate flight, the guilt and shame and regret and fear for Avery's safety driving him across the jungle despite his recent transformation, and terror for his own safety. The music, human instrument, and a human shape worn by a creature that knew him, even though he didn't know her.

Then the Azelf, keeping her company. Seeing the isolation hospital, some of that injured, untreated look about the creature made more sense. It must've been another of the “degenerate” mutations that Mew were trying to “cure.” Unsuccessfully.

Vitari floated away from him another second later. "He met rebels out there. One cat wearing ancient shape, and the old Chairman of the Terraforming Council. He's still alive!"

Sable whistled, or made a sound very much like it. Profound satisfaction. "An appropriate punishment for the fate inflicted on the rest of us. Admiralty must be furious."

More things Quinn didn't understand. Starfall was an old starship, he'd guessed that much. And there were other ships too, so admirals made sense. But anything beyond that only got more confusing.

Avery was better at navigating politics and relationships. Too bad she'd been ripped away. And adopted, apparently. She'll be fine, she's one of them. The other patients and I need to get out.

"Supposing we can get there," Aria said, cautious. "Considering how safe these allies would make us seems premature, if we don't know that we can reach them. There's no getting out of this hospital. Those who have tried are punished severely. If we all tried to escape together..."

Quinn grinned. "We aren't going to fight past their defenses, or their guards. We'll escape through time."

The front door beeped, and a tiny voice echoed through it. "Hello? I feel everyone in there."

"It's Stella," Cedrin said, hurrying past him. "She's usually awake by now." He stopped by the door, and opened it. Sure enough, it was another impossible Mythical Pokémon: Jirachi, trailing a little yellow cape behind her in her flight.

"Stella, welcome! We have a new patient, see!"

The Jirachi glided in through the opening. As with the others, her proximity was its own flavor of disorienting: a tiny Pokémon that was somehow not much smaller than Quinn. She floated at about his head level, inspecting him with huge green eyes.

"So big, so small. Confusing."

"Quinn," he said, holding out a hand towards her. "We were just discussing getting out of this hospital before we all die."

"Oh." She tilted her huge head sideways. "Guess my wish is getting granted at last. Someone came with a plan."

Vitari laughed, sharp and cruel. "Can't go that far yet. We don't know if he has a real plan. Time travel!"

"Time travel," Quinn agreed. "Not some vague, hopeful way. I mean we bring everyone together, then Cedrin and I send us backward to before the hospital existed. Then we fly out and find the rebels. Simple!"

The apartment was suddenly dead silent. Pokémon stared, either uncomprehending or disbelieving.

Until Sable broke it. "Cedrin? You came from the temporal mechanics lab. Is it possible?"

The other Celebi wilted, slumping to the floor. He looked forcefully away from Quinn, antennae tucking down. "I think Quinn knows things I don't. Maybe we were—"

"No maybes!" Vitari yelled, floating over Cedrin. Her tail moved forcefully as she floated there, heat radiating from her forehead. "We get one try before the Admiralty turns on us. If we give them a reason, they'll gas the whole hospital, tell everyone we died of 'complications'! If this doesn't work, if it's not possible, we're dead."

"I, I, I—" Cedrin looked back at Quinn, pleading. "Maybe he can—"

Getting angry with him was one thing. Even attacking Quinn, he could deal with. It wouldn't be the first time in recent memory someone had tried. But even after one day, he couldn't just watch someone do that to Cedrin!

He floated over, shoving the Victini back. "I've done it, and I brought Pokémon with me! I know it's possible. You want that memory too?"

He didn't wait for confirmation. With emotions raging so powerfully, there was plenty of energy ready and waiting. All he had to do was focus. He saw them fleeing the collider, saw armed soldiers with their weapons. Before they could all die, Quinn reacted, ripping them so far back that no danger could follow.

Unfortunately for all of them, the danger had already been there.

Vitari landed a few feet away, expression going unfocused. She massaged her head with one tiny hand. "You're so strong. Why are you still here?"

He shrugged. "I would've tried to escape already. But not if that means leaving you all behind." He bent down beside Cedrin, helping him carefully to tiny feet. "Now, do you wanna come with me, or not?"

He spoke with all the confidence he could, more than he really felt. "Our odds are way better together than mine are alone. I don't know very much about this time. I don't know how to fight this way. Or... a lot of other important things. We still have to find these rebels once we escape. Your time is much more dangerous than mine."

Aria cleared her throat. "Quinn. Don't take this the wrong way. This is your area, not mine. But I wonder... I wonder if your plan might be more complex than it needs to be. If this power exists, couldn't we use it to flee away from this time?"

Sable nodded. "If you come from a kinder age, we should go there. Beyond the Admiralty's reach, where our children could be safe."

Forward, to the age Quinn had come from. He still didn't even know how long that was. "There might be a way." He landed next to Vitari, holding out one foreleg. "Have you realized how your powers work, Vitari? Beyond the heat, I mean."

She stuck her tongue out. "You mean how lucky I am? There's always a little power left, no matter how much I take. I'm aware."

"It doesn't just work on you," Quinn said. "You can share it with anyone. For example: two Celebi working together to get everyone out of here. I've never seen a V—Pokémon like you before today. But I know how powerful you are. We don't have to accept what they're doing to us. It's time to get out."

"Into the future," Sable said. "Fleeing so far that the Admiralty cannot follow us. Along an axis no Pokémon moves." He glanced towards the door, and the simulated darkness beyond. "Without so many demonstrations of your knowledge, I wouldn't believe it possible. But you knew how to help Aster. And you believe these words you speak. Perhaps if we had embraced the impossible, we might be free of this prison sooner."

"When?" Cedrin asked. He kicked at the carpet with tiny feet, expression confused and pained. "I already tried... time stuff... before. It didn't work for me. I don't think I can help. That's how I got here in the first place."

Quinn wrapped one arm around the little fairy and pulled him into a brief hug. "I already know I did it once. Just watch this time, and you can help with the next one."

It was Stella who first broke the silence. "If Cedrin trusts you, I do."

"Likewise," Sable said. "Of those assembled, only Cedrin has exposure to temporal mechanics. Judge for us. Manny and Aster will die with us, if we try this and we fail. Do you trust him?"

You've only known me a day. I know you can't.

Cedrin met his eyes, then nodded. "If Quinn says we can do it, then I believe him. We should try."