[PKMN Trainer Ale...]

The base of the small peak was drenched in darkness, save for a lone pinprick of light outside the entrance to Meteor Falls. Momentarily distracted by the eerie static of rushing water reverberating from the cave's entrance, Alex turned her head back toward the map that was stretched in her hands. The PokeNav given to her by Molly, her short-lived guardian, and long since broken, lay uselessly in her backpack. She laid the map against a nearby rock and began to trace a path with one finger, her other hand holding down the map and clutching a flashlight, pointed across the yellowed paper with an odd silhouette, like pinprick eyes and curved smile. As her eye met the shadow of the flashlight's, it winked, and she giggled in a low, nervous tone. At once the Flashlight seemed to tremble in her hand, and her own giggle was echoed by the flashlight until, with a squishy, sagging sound, it turned bright pink and became a mass of goo hanging from her arm, giggling in a timid little way, like a human child. Alex gave the Ditto a stern look, and for a moment it looked flushed before chancing back into the bright flashlight.

She finished tracing her path with her finger and rolled up the map, holding the transformed Ditto out in front of her and bypassing the cave for a sharp turn up the rocky mound, where above, the skies could be seen clearer than anywhere else she had ever been. Jirachi came from the stars, claimed the texts which she had stolen from Legend, and appeared, in rare circumstances, to grant wishes using the magical tags adorning its head. Consequently, she had tried her best to be as close the stars as she could possibly manage, having climbed Mt. Moon, My. Pyre, Mt. Silver, and so many others, each more difficult than the other. This one, however, was low and simple. It would not prove too difficult to climb—compared to the others anyway, though she had to wonder if it was really worth it. There was very little known about Jirachi, but its meeting was a one in a million chance—near impossible. But, she reminded herself as she scaled a particularly jagged rock, wet from the previous day's rainfall, there was a chance, however slim. There was no way she could pass it up. After all, her chances of reaching her goal were already so slim, she could not possibly tempt fate more.

After a few hours, she had managed to climb the untamed mount with great difficulty and assistance from her Grovyle—and a pack of Ditto. Farfy had been digging into the rock wall with his two crowbars, hooking into the stone. Why he did not fly, she did not know. Wigglytuff had simply ballooned out and floated to the top, helping her up at the summit, and the Teddiursa, growing stronger and stronger every day, had simply climbed himself, utilizing surprising strength. At her shoulder, Natalie was eying Alex with an unprecedented amount of reverence and respect, and far from unnerving her, this only boosted her morale. Natalie was usually cynical and snide in her apparent knowledge of the future. If she's looking at me this way she thought as she strode up the peak to a small flat, sitting down gently and unpacking, maybe she knows something, about this time. Maybe this time will be different? She would be staying the night on top of this mountain, one way or another. She had to give it plenty of time, after all. Feeling sort of silly, she sat on her legs, bent at the knees, and looked up at the sky, with Natalie's assistance, and called out, broadcasting into the sky.

Jirachi...please listen to me, if you can hear me somehow. My name is Alex and I wanted to ask you if you might be able to help me and my friends. We'd be really happy to meet you.

It was ridiculous, childish. This ploy had surely been tried dozens of times before by other people. But she did not know what else to do. She did not think herself extraordinary in any way, and had nothing to offer the legendary Pokémon except her friendship, and her thanks.

[Jirachi]

As Alex sat on the summit, she would notice something a bit odd about that night. The moon was a pale blue, enveloping the land in its glow. Everything as far as her eyes could see was lightly tinted blue, barely noticeable but there. An hour passed. Then two. Then a third.


Then, a glowing streak lit up the night sky, a blazing red against the everpresent blue. It burned across the sky, a flaming tail marking its path.

And its path was leading straight towards the mountain Alex was currently sitting on. It grew brighter and brighter as it came nearer, and time seemed to crawl to a halt as it neared the ground. Suddenly, without warning, the glowing object seemed to vanish, the tail simply stopping in midair. Alex wasn't given much time to think about it, though, as the mountain shook and buckled, a great cloud of rubble and dust forming a good distance aways. Barely perceptible through the cloud of debris was a pulsing red glow, matching that of the comet, despite the obscuring dust.

[PKMN Trainer Ale...]

When the comet came, Alex was only half-awake, her head lolling about as if drunk. It had taken a lot of energy to climb up the place as it was, and staring at the sky did not remain exciting for long. As the red streak hit the sky however, she snapped out of her stupor to gaze, open-mouthed, at the steam of light before it disappeared, and the ground beneath her trembled. She dug he fingers into the soft earth and held tight, as if she might be shaken off. Her Grovyle was on all fours, staring intently at the rising dust cloud. He began to crawl towards it, and Alex followed, also on her fours, towards the pulsing, eerie crimson glow that seemed to sap the air.

[Jirachi]

As Alex approached, she could make out the object at the center, a giant crystalline shape embedded in the rock, the soil having been blasted away by the impact. It continued to pulse, a vaguely star-shaped outline visible at the crystal's core.

Suddenly, as the dirt and dust in the air cleared away, a crack appeared in the crystal, a sharp noise like smashing glass ringing through the air. Another followed it, then another and another, all forming around the crystal's upper half.


And the the crystal exploded, violently. Shards flew in every direction, one jagged piece heading straight for Alex...and then suddenly stopped, not even an inch from her face, along with all the other fragments. In the middle of the field of crystal, floating over the almost pedestal-like remains of the comet as the shards formed together into long treelike shapes, was Jirachi, eyes closed.

[PKMN Trainer Ale...]

Alex fell back in surprise along with her Pokémon, staying low to the ground and watching the hovering shards with suspicion. Then, in the center, she saw him. Very close to the illustration, Jirachi was...there was no other word for it...cute. She moved low past the field of crystal, occasionally cutting herself mildy on an edge as her Pokémon watched with trepidation. Soon, she reach the center, stood up and gave the Legendary Jirachi a big hug.

"Yay! You listened!"

[Jirachi]

Jirachi didn't respond to the hug, nor to her comment. Instead, it continued to float. All around Alex, the shards of crystal grew longer and started to intertwine, a crystalline lattice forming around the pair. Not until the human and Pokémon were enclosed in a sphere of shards, grown together like vines made of glass, did Jirachi move at all, its eyes half lidded, a regal expression on its face.

Alex felt the uncontrollable urge to let go of the meteor-born Pokémon, her body moving against her will. A voice rang out inside her head, clear as day and seemingly coming from everywhere yet nowhere at once.

You who have found my sacred ground on the eve of my arrival, the Shaper of Reality stands before you. According to the ancient law set down at the world's creation, you will be granted a single wish, the ability to reshape the world as you see fit. Alex of the islands...what is thy desire?

[PKMN Trainer Ale...]

"You talk funny," she said simply, sitting down on the ground with a sort of bewildered finality. She looked down at the ground, her eyes half closed, feeling dazed. The Natu on her shoulder tittered , turning one of her eyes to her with a sort of reverence.

You are most interesting, Alex. Out of all of your possible futures, this one was the least likely. I can't influence your decision, as much I'd admittedly like to. Whatever you wish for, make sure it is worth it. You will never get this kind of chance again.

Alex nodded blithely as the voice sounded within her head.

"Will...will you still be here after I make the wish? Are you going to leave?"

[Jirachi]

It is the way of the world, written into the very fabric of reality. Once my duty is fulfilled, I will travel the stars once more for another thousand years

Jirachi continued to float, unmoving, even as the words echoed through Alex's head.

[Bard]

inb4 really derp fucking wish like "i wish we all had pudding"

[B.L. Hornet]

Inb4 "Perfect comfort.. in a pair of underwear!"

[PKMN Trainer Ale...]

Alex's eyes fell, and she laced her fingers behind her back, crestfallen. This was one Pokémon she could not be friends with, then...unless it was her wish? But no. There was something much more important to wish for today. It was monumental, life-changing, and as she ran over the idea in her head, she still felt she might not want to ask at all. What would happen? Would she change? Maybe she would never be born at all? The bottom dropped oput of her stomach as she considered everything that could go wrong...but if she worded it carefully...

"Before I was even born, there was a war that changed everything. I wasn't around back then but...everyone seems to think things were better before that. People didn't fight each other like this...even though that war's over, people are still fighting, and dying, over....the stupidest things..." she said, her voice trailing and shaking as she thought angrily of the people who had ruined everything. All the people that they had hurt with their wild beliefs, their asinine ambition. And her parents...

"Everything that isn't in shambles is still ruined from that war. Everyone who isn't dead is still afraid, or angry, or upset. Everything that is here now, all the broken families and mistrust and hard times, are all because of that war. Everything goes back to that. And I wish..." she said, her voice shrinking as she tried desperately to voice her desire, to take the plunge before she lost her nerve...

"I wish it never happened!" she shouted, furious and scared, and ashamed...

[B.L. Hornet]

SUDDENLY
TEN YEAR OLDS EVERYWHERE