Alex found himself in a small, quiet cave. Crystalline walls cast a soft glow over shallow pools, and the air was cool and still. Smooth stone paths wound around the water, leading to a central area that felt alive with faint, lingering psychic energy.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
He was sure he couldn't feel love, a problem he had struggled with since he was young. It had made his relationships shallow and forced him to be possessive just to compensate for the missing emotion.
He had gone so far as to learn how to react properly in his interactions with the girls, but it was less love and more habit. Ultimately, he still couldn't feel love when he should, leaving him guilty for not being able to return their feelings in the way they truly deserved.
A sudden flash erupted in front of him revealing a small, gray, fairy-like Pokémon with a partially magenta face, a red gem on its forehead, two tails each bearing a red jewel, and four long, drooping magenta appendages on its head. It was Mesprit.
"You can feel love. I feel it in you. You have a deep love in your heart, mind, and soul," Mesprit said.
"But I can't feel it for those I should love. I don't feel affection for them the way a lover should. I feel gratitude, possessiveness, appreciation, and other emotions, but none of them are love."
"Emotions aren't your problem," Mesprit replied as she floated closer, stopping directly in front of Alex. "You just don't like the shape your love takes."
"It's not the shape," Alex argued. "I've just never felt love before. I know a parent's love, and I know the love of battle, but I've never felt love for a woman."
Mesprit's eyes gleamed as a soft pink aura radiated from her, bathing him. "Tell me, human… does this feel familiar?"
Alex suddenly felt a deep, overwhelming love for Mesprit, as if she were the most precious being in the world. Every instinct urged him to protect her, to keep her safe from harm. He would be her shield, her guardian, supporting her in every way he could. Nothing would ever threaten her while he was there to care for her.
Simply being near her made his heart race like he was in the middle of a battle, fighting and winning at the same time. He felt butterflies in his chest, a rush of adrenaline, and an unshakable desire to hold her that filled every fiber of his being. The feeling wasn't just paltry lust or infatuation; it was pure, burning intensity, a need to protect and be near her, accompanied by an endless wave of happiness at the thought of having her in his arms.
Slowly, he stepped closer, his hands rising to touch her, but a powerful awareness suddenly washed over him, scoffing at the thought. He stamped down on the flood of emotion overtaking his mind and, with a burst of Dark type energy, expelled the psychic influence.
Rage replaced the overwhelming emotion in his heart. He had promised himself never to be influenced so deeply again ever since his meeting with Clair. Now, for a brief moment, he had been reduced to a lovesick puppy, completely humiliating himself.
"So? Have you recognized your own version of love?" Mesprit asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah," Alex said, his eyes darkening with rage as he debated whether to punch the legendary Pokémon or strangle it, before rationality took hold.
The feeling he had for Mesprit was the same one he felt for the girls and for Alvera, yet it also carried the heat of battle simmering beneath it. For some reason, his version of love seemed split between the people he cared for and the instinct that drove him to fight.
It was the first time he had ever felt his battle-urge toward someone, which made the experience entirely new. He could confirm, at least, that what he felt for Mesprit was love, the kind he wished he felt for the girls.
"Is there any way for me to feel that for the people I love?" Alex asked.
"A human's mind is like a Tangela," Mesprit said as she began circling him. "A jumbled mass that cannot be unraveled without killing the Pokémon."
She stopped in front of Alex with a serious look before asking, "So tell me, are you willing to kill the person you are now just to feel love the way other humans do? Are you willing to die to meet the expectations you and others have placed on what love is supposed to feel?"
Alex's immediate answer was no. He wasn't willing to change himself so drastically for the girls. Not because they didn't deserve it but because he loved himself. It was neither narcissism nor selfishness, it was basic self respect. He was proud to be the man he was despite the flaws that came with it.
At best, he was willing to try for an easy solution but never at the cost of his entire being. The risks were simply too great for the reward. He was fine continuing to swallow the guilt while pretending to be the girls' lover.
"No," Alex replied with determination and resolve.
"Good," Mesprit said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Azelf would be proud."
"Thank you for humoring me, Mesprit," Alex said, bowing slightly. "I'll take my leave."
"Wait," Mesprit called out as Alex turned to leave. "It might not be able to give you exactly what you want, but I do have a possible solution."
"Oh?" Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "As long as I don't have to give myself up, I'm willing to try anything."
"Good, because this will take some time and effort," Mesprit said before explaining. "Have a Psychic type Pokémon channel the emotions you felt for me, using them to train your mind to feel the same way for your loved ones. With effort, your mind will learn to respond naturally over time."
"So… I should train myself like a dog?"
"Yes," she replied with a light laugh. "Would you like a more powerful—"
"No, thank you." Alex cut in quickly, hands raised in surrender. One mind-fuck was plenty for one day. "I'll give it a try. Thank you, Mesprit."
"Consider it my apology for the prank," she said, giving him a playful wink.
Alex nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips before he turned to leave. He finally had a workable solution.
Once he was outside, he swam away from the island and put his armor back on before considering his next move. By all accounts, he was stuck here for the foreseeable future, with no way back home, neither in time nor in space. He would have to investigate if he wanted more options. That meant finding people to talk to.
His first move was to reach the supposed location of Jubilife Village and confirm whether his current timeline was in the Hisui region. To do so, he would need to head north past the mountain ranges, then east toward Jubilife City.
With his course set, Alex turned north toward the mountains. They were neither too tall nor too steep, so he took a running start and sprinted into the forest surrounding Lake Verity.
A day later, he reached the summit overlooking the north. Below him stretched a serene field of flowers, and beyond that, more mountain ranges.
"Strange, there shouldn't be flower patches here, since this is between Canalave City and Lake Verity," Alex noted. "I guess Shaymin stayed here for a while before moving further north in the future."
Shaymin was known for making flowers bloom wherever it went, so random patches like these weren't unusual. In the future, however, it had no choice but to remain in Floaroma City, where it was protected from being hunted.
Alex made his way down the mountaintop, sliding and jumping roughly over the uneven ground as his feet scraped against rocks. When he finally reached the bottom, he paused to take in his surroundings. A vibrant expanse of flowers stretched before him, sunlight dappled the soft grass, and the air was thick with their sweet, intoxicating scent.
Pichu darted between blooms, Wurmple crawled along stems, and Silcoon and Cascoon hung quietly from branches. Shinx prowled the paths, Drifloon drifted lazily above, and Beautifly and Dustox flitted among flowers and shade. The area felt alive yet calm, a sanctuary where every step seemed to reveal another hidden Pokémon.
Rather than rush and risk disturbing the peace, Alex chose to move at a light jog along their paths, leaving as little footprint as possible. It took him another day to cross the valley floor, but eventually he reached another mountain range stretching across the north.
He spent a day climbing to the summit, and once he reached the top, he was surprised to see a modest village down below. It was fairly large, easily housing thousands of people, and judging by the banners, it was unmistakably Jubilife Village.
"I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be Canalave City," Alex said. "I guess they must have expanded east, naming that Jubilife City while this place became Canalave City. Either way, this confirms it. I'm in the Hisui region during the time of the Diamond and Pearl Clans."
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