Recap:  Keith, a 16-year-old farmboy, is upset that he is unable to go out on his trainer's journey and instead must stay to help his father's business.  Mary, Keith's mother's Espeon, laid a mysterious egg that is larger than normal and has some abnormal vitals.  Later that night, Mary passed away, leaving all in a state of grief.

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Chapter 2: Peace in Rest

Keith...it is almost time...are you ready?

I tried to look around this "dream realm" I was in, yet all I saw was the same mysterious presence, a contradiction of light and shadow.  But this time, the two parts seemed more distinct, as if they were being separated.

"Who are you?" I asked, though my mouth didn't move.  It was like my thoughts were being projected across this empty space.

We are the guardian...the only hope for the salvation of mankind, for all life...the ancient prophecy is becoming reality...you have been chosen ...

Well, at least I knew that I was right about the presence having more than one piece to it.  Still, this only raised more questions.

"What do you mean ‘I've been chosen'?" I questioned, hoping to get more concrete answers.  "What's this prophecy you're talking about?"  But suddenly, the presence began to dim and fade.

It is almost time...you have been chosen...

"Wait, don't go!"  I began to panic, reaching out towards the presence, which continued to fade until it finally flickered out of existence.

...are you ready?...

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My eyes flew open as I awoke from my dream.  I felt extremely fatigued as I pulled the covers from over my head.  I couldn't remember why, until the memories of yesterday came flooding back.

Tears began to fill my eyes again as I recalled the horrible tragedy that had occurred the previous night.  Mary had been the first Pokemon I ever met, and was the kindest creature in the world.  She had raised Ardent as one of her own children, and now that she had been mere days away from meeting her actual child...nothing seemed fair.

Grief dragged me down heavily as I got out of bed.  Steven was still asleep, his pillow slightly stained from last night's tears.  Not that there was reason for him to be up yet; Dad would suspend business for the day so that we could hold a proper funeral.  After I threw on the same clothes from yesterday, not even bothering to shower, I made my way downstairs, preparing to try and be strong for Mom's sake.

Nobody was in the kitchen when I reached the bottom floor.  I noticed that the door to my parents' bedroom was slightly ajar, so I took a quick peak inside.  Mom was asleep as well, and though I could tell she had been crying, she had a sort of serene expression on her face.  Dad's side of the bed was empty, meaning he was probably out in the barn finishing Mary's coffin.  I decided to go see if I could help him out.

Skipping breakfast, I quietly went out the front door and plodded over to the barn.  Sure enough, the sound of hammering could be heard as I got nearer.  When I reached the doorway, I saw Dad inside, pounding down a nail.  In front of him sat a wood coffin about three feet long, one-and-a-half feet wide, and one foot deep.  A small red cushion had been laid in the bottom.  Two handles had been attached to either of the long sides, and a lid was leaning against the coffin; it would be nailed on once Mary had been placed inside.  Dad looked up from his work when he noticed I was there.

"Hey, Keith," he said in an uncharacteristically depressed voice.

"Hey, Dad," I muttered back.

He set his hammer down and walked over.  He pulled me into a hug and stroked the back of my head.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"Okay, I guess.  It just doesn't seem fair."  There was the faintest hint of anger in my voice.

Dad sighed before he continued.  "Sometimes, son, life just isn't fair.  We or the ones we love are hurt, and there doesn't seem to be a good reason for it.  When that happens, we just have to learn to cope with it and move on.  But I promise that she is in a better place now."

I paused for a long moment, still held in Dad's embrace, before I finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been nagging at me.

"Do you know why Mary...why she...died?"

"I'm not exactly sure," he admitted.  "Obviously, giving birth put a great deal of strain on her, but she seemed to be recovering afterward.  I guess her heart just couldn't bear that kind of stress.  Your mother was there when it happened, and she said that Mary smiled at her weakly, and then seemed to just give up on life."

"Oh."  Dad's answer really made no sense to me at the time.  I think I was just slightly relieved that it wasn't because of something we did or didn't do.  After another minute, Dad pulled out of our hug and spoke up again.

"Keith," he began, "I really hate to ask you to do this, since you still seem to be kinda shaken by all this.  But I can't do it myself, what with me getting ancient."  I smiled a little at that comment, but it immediately vanished when he continued.  "Could you please dig the grave for Mary?"

I thought about it for a long moment before responding softly.  "Yeah, I-I guess."

He smiled and said, "Thanks, son.  I know it's difficult right now, but I promise that things will get better soon.  The shovel is over in the corner.  In the meantime, I'll finish up this coffin, and then go check on your mother."

I turned to go grab the shovel, but paused mid-step.  "Where do you want me to dig?"

"I think you can figure out a decent place for Mary," he answered.

I told him okay and then grabbed the shovel on the way out of the barn.  I glanced over to the house just in time to see Steven coming out.  I hadn't realized when I woke up that he was still asleep, a rare occurrence.  He, too, was wearing the same depressed look that I probably had.  He walked over to me once he saw I was there.

"Hey, Keith," he said completely unenthused.  It was really sad to see him this way; normally, he was like a bright little sun, he was so happy.

"Hey, Steven," I responded.  "How are you doing?"

He half-smiled, then frowned again as he continued.  "Honestly, I feel like crap."

"Well you look like crap, too."  I was teasing him, trying to lighten the mood, but even I didn't feel any better.

Steven understood, though, and said, "Yeah, well, you're not looking so hot, either.  I don't think anybody slept much, or at all, last night."

I agreed, and then he glanced down at the shovel that I was holding.  "What's that for?"

I sighed before answering.  "Dad asked me to dig the grave.  I really don't want to, but in his shape, he can't do it."

"Oh, I'm sorry.  Where are you putting it?"

"Dad said I could figure something out."  I then admitted, "I was going to go look around, but I really have no ideas."

He pointed towards the other side of the house and said, "You should dig it under that Leppa tree towards the forest.  Mary used to sleep under there in the afternoon."

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that."  I recalled several years ago whenever Ardent and I had first started training together.  We would go out into the edge of the forest and practice on little targets I made out of sticks and leaves.  Mary, having raised Ardent, would often follow us and lie under the short tree with pink leaves, watching us to make sure Ardent didn't get hurt.

"Oh crap, Ardent!" I suddenly shouted.  Reminiscing had reminded me that Ardent never came inside the previous night.  I thanked Steven for the idea, then ran around the house to the egg shed.  When I got there, I walked inside quietly so as not to startle her.  Sure enough, she was still in the back room, asleep in the makeshift den, curled around Mary's egg, dried tears slightly matting the fur on her face.  Saddened yet relieved, I silently left and then continued out towards the forest.

I reached the tree in question and paused for a moment before I started.  While short compared to most trees, Leppa trees consisted of some of the sturdiest wood in the whole region.  The trunk twisted slightly before it branched off into thousands of light pink blooms, each giving off a slightly sweet fragrance.  Although it wasn't the right time of the year just yet, many small buds were visible, meaning that it wasn't long before fresh Leppa berries would be littering the ground.

The work was slow going; I guess I was upset that the hole I was digging would soon be filled by one of my oldest friends.  After a few minutes though, the mindless manual labor, combined with the fresh scent of the blooms above, began to allow me to clear my thoughts.  With each shovel-full of dirt, I slowly found myself coming to a sort of...acceptance.  It's not that I was happy, I just wasn't sad, either.

About half an hour later, I stabbed the shovel into the large dirt pile that I had accumulated, and then stepped back to admire my handiwork.  In front of me was a large rectangular hole, a little longer and wider than the casket and about twice as deep.  A light breeze rustled the branches above, and as I watched them sway, I found myself smiling, thinking, ‘Yeah, she'll like it here.'

My work finished, I returned to the barn to find it empty of both people and boxes, Dad apparently having finished the casket.  I then walked back to the house, thinking I'd rest a bit until the burial.  As I was walking down the hall, the door to my parents' bedroom opened suddenly, and I turned to face my mother.  She was wearing a light yellow summer dress, and her hair was let down around her shoulders.  Her eyes were slightly puffy, though it wasn't exactly hard to figure out why.  Despite this, she had a light smile on her face.

"Oh, good morning Keith," she spoke in a quiet tone, not expecting me.

"Morning, Mom," I replied automatically.  I hesitated for a second before I continued, not wanting her to break out in tears again.  "How are you doing?"

She let out a small sigh before answering.  "I'm...okay.  I'm still upset; I don't think I'll be back to normal for a while yet.  But I woke up in the middle of the night and realized that Mary's egg had been left in her den.  I ran out to the shed, not knowing what had happened after I left.  I didn't notice Ardent was there until I got to her, and when I saw her caring for Mary's egg, I began to sob again.

"But then the strangest thing happened.  I laid my hand on the egg, and all of a sudden, this...warmth began to wash over me.  I felt some sort of powerful presence, yet it was soothing.  Then as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, yet I could still feel its comfort, like a warm blanket on my shoulders.  After that, I felt at peace, and I noticed that I had stopped crying."

While listening, I looked at Mom a bit disbelieving, but then the dreams I'd had came flooding back.  ‘Is it possible?' I began to ponder.  ‘Could this presence that Mom's talking about...is it the same one?  But that would mean...'

"Earth to Keith.  Are you still in there?"  Mom waved her hand in front of my face, jarring me out of my thoughts.

"Wha...oh, yeah, sorry," I muttered sheepishly, scratching my head.

"No problem," she said, smiling softly.  I wrapped her in a gentle hug, which she returned, and then went up to get a little rest.

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The funeral itself was a somber event, as all funerals are.  The four of us were gathered in front of the Leppa tree; Ardent, still inconsolable, was lying with the mysterious egg.  We all thanked Mary for the good times she shared with us, and offered our prayers to Arceus to safely guide her into the next life.  Then finally, Dad and I slowly lowered the sealed casket into the earth, and I refilled the hole.

It had been several days since then.  Each night was punctuated by more dream visits from the strange double presence.

We had all slowly begun to recover from our shock and grief, and business had resumed to normal.  Lindsay stopped by one last time before she left to resume her gym challenge.  Seeing her go left me feeling slightly depressed again, though I wasn't sure whether it was due to regret at not being able to travel myself, or...no, I think I was just a bit jealous of her freedom.

The next afternoon found me in the barn grooming Bullet.  The rowdy Ponyta was fairly young and playful; as such, he had a knack for getting covered head to toe in mud and burrs.  I was in the middle of removing a particularly large burr when I heard a faint sound.

I turned to try and make out whatever the noise was.  I stood there for a minute or so before I realized what it was: Ardent's barking.  Immediately I bolted for the egg shed.  As I ran past the open kitchen window, Mom poked her head out to see what the fuss was about, but then ran towards the back door when she heard Ardent.

I reached the shed first and nearly ripped the door off its hinges in my haste.  In the back room, Ardent was standing in front of Mary's den, barking at the top of her lungs.  I was relieved that my best friend seemed to have recovered from her loss, but then I noticed movement from inside the den.  I walked over as Mom ran in, and we both knelt down to investigate.  Simultaneously, our jaws dropped as we saw the egg twitching violently.

Mom immediately grabbed the egg, along with the pillow it was on, and set them on top of one of the tables.  Dad ran in, with Steven on his tail, and yelled, "What the heck is all this barking about?" before noticing the egg. 

"Oh, that's why," he said. The four of us gathered around the table, watching the egg intently, while Ardent jumped onto the table itself to watch.  Minutes passed like hours as the egg continued to wobble about on its pillow.  After what felt like a lifetime, a tiny crack finally appeared on one side, causing all present to lean in closer.

From the first split, a tiny network of cracks formed as the spot began to bulge outward, the egg's occupant forcing its way into the world.  As the fragments pulled apart, a small, brown-furred paw finally emerged.  On the other side of the egg, another spider web of cracks had formed, and when the pieces fell apart, another paw pushed through.  Everyone had a look of shock and confusion upon their face; the second paw was not brown, but rather a silvery gray.

"They...they're...different colors?" Steven managed to stutter.

"What in the world..." I muttered aloud.

"Could it really be...?" Dad began to whisper, but was cut short as more bulges began to appear.  In seconds, another brown paw jutted out, followed by another silver one.  Then the entire top portion of the egg became covered in tiny fissures; the newborn Pokemon was about to get its first glimpse at the outside world.

More and more cracks appeared as the Pokemon tried to force its head through the barrier.  I held my breath, waiting to see what would emerge.  Finally, the top of the egg erupted in a flurry of eggshell and fur, causing us all to turn away for a second.  When I looked back, what I saw nearly made me pass out in surprise.

"Eeeeee!" two high-pitched voices called out from atop the egg.