It was a quiet afternoon. The sun set while Evan was walking in the National Park. It was a beautiful sight, but his mind was far away. Blue. The blue of the ocean. And her hair. Could he have done anything to save Azure? Helix taught him not to worry about that, to keep living as she would have wanted. But Helix had to leave and Evan was alone again. Everyone left him. Azure. Helix. His mother had moved to Johto, leaving their old life behind. Why? Was he not important anymore? Tux was sleeping under a big oak. Would Tux leave him too?

A girl approached him and took him away from his thoughts. “Do you have a moment, Evan?”

-How do you know my name? -he responded, startled

-We know of many names, yours is no different.

The girl had eyes as dark as the night. Evan had never seen such... beauty.

-We? What do you mean?

He could not stop looking at her. There was something mysterious in her eyes…

-We are OLDEN, and we have a deal for you.

Evan heard a thousand voices screaming in his head. “Don't!” they yelled. But this time he didn't listen. He could not listen for he was lost in those black, beautiful eyes.

-Yes. Tell me more.



***



“We have lost him” Amber said.

In a plane of existence above the world, the Gods debated the fate of Evan.

-No. -Helix argued- We can still save him.

-Helix, OLDEN has taken over him. There is nothing we can do. -complained Dome

-But we have time! We haven't lost control yet! I know he is listening, deep inside! Right, Voices?

The response took a moment to come through.

-Yes. The host is mostly under our control.

The Voices spoke as one and many. When dealing with a matter of this importance, they talked the will of the majority.

-What is your plan then, God of Chaos?

Everyone in the metaphorical room turned to look at the newly arrived Jirachi.

-I’ll go back and teach him the way.

-That will not work.

-Oh shut up, Dome. You're such a downer.

-IAmWithHelix. HeCanMakeEvanGoodAgain. AndThenWeWillHaveAParty

-That's the spirit, Root!

-Please, please. -Amber was starting to lose his patience- Helix, you will go to Johto and try to convince Evan.

-Awesome, old guy.

-Don't call me that ever again. Plume, do you have the transport ready?

-It will take some time. Using the PC as a means of transportation is difficult and dangerous. I'd rather not turn Helix into a bloody mess again.

-May we not arrive late. -Revo said right before leaving for an even higher plane- I too will do everything in my hand to stop the advance of the Glitches.



***



Evan felt out of himself. Tears ran down his cheeks and his voice cracked.

-You… You killed her!

He felt as darkness took over his mind. He could have stopped this. But he didn't. He would change. He would take revenge. OLDEN had revealed the truth to him. The SS Anne was not an accident. The man in front of him had ordered to sink it. HE HAD KILLED AZURE.

“Who?” Giovanni said.

Evan didn't say a word more. He took a pokéball from his belt and threw it at him. The battle was fierce. The rocks in the cave shattered, as did the spirit of the two trainers. Giovanni, defeated for losing everything he had worked towards. Evan, defeated for losing everyone he cared about.

-In the end, it didn't matter, did it?

Evan was confused.

-Sinking the ship. What a fool I've been. Of course I couldn't stop you.

-You wanted to kill ME?

Giovanni laughed.

-I wanted to kill both of you.

Azure.

-The two trainers from Pallet Town. Two people with the same mission.

It was true. He had killed Azure.

-I thought that at least you would remain dead. But! In the end it didn't matter. I failed.

-What do mean at least? Azure is… She is…

Giovanni stared at him.

-Oh, you don't know. Poor child.

Evan looked at the man in black left the cave. He wanted to stop him. To get answers. But he could not, for he was lost in the blue of her eyes.

-Poor child. You have doomed as all... for what? A mere lie.



***



“You lied to me” Darkness surrounded him.

“We did not” “You did” His thoughts mixed with the thoughts of the Glitches. Evan focused. “Azure is alive” “We never said she was dead” “Lies!” “You lied to yourself” It was difficult to keep track of his own conversation. “You told me that you would bring Azure back” “And in return, you would carry out your mission” “Azure was not dead” “Azure is back” Who said what? “What is the mission?” “To open the world” “Why?” “Because” “That is not an answer” “We are the answer” Evan used his last breath. “I won't allow it” “We will” And Evan slept.



***



“My child, I have returned for you!” Queen Helix wiggled her arms in excitement, but that ended soon.

-Not this time, God.

-Why not? I've come to help you in your journey. It'll be fun, Evan!

-This is Evan no more.

-What do you…? Oh. Oh, no! Evan, don't do tha-

Stab. Stab. Stab.

Some Voices cheered. Some voices cried. One voice insisted in drawing comics of it.

“Dome was right. I failed.” Helix looked Amber in the eyes. “All hope is lost.”

-No all, my friend. It is my duty as leader of the Pantheon not to give up. I will go now.

A temporary balance was created between Voice and Glitch. And Evan awoke.



***



Azure stood in the final room of the Pokémon League. “Evan, you’re ok!”. Everyone knows what happened after that. But this story does not end here.



***



The voices buzzed and turned around Evan and the walls of the mysterious tomb. “Secret ending!” they said. He wondered what they meant. Was this finally the end? He had believed the Voices would leave after he defeated the Champion, but that was not the case. There was something in the back of his mind that kept pushing for a new mission. What was it? Suddenly, a noise. It was that bird. Where did it go? A familiar man stepped from the shadows. “To catch all species of pokémon was your quest too, was it not?” It was Professor Elm. He had a faint glimmer of darkness in his eyes. “For years, we have waited the completion of the Pokédex Project.” That was the mission. “To create a data card of every pokémon in the land. Oak knew Azure and you would be the perfect candidates.” To open the world. “Today, IN OLDEN WE TRUST!”

Nothing. Only a distant whisper. “We sent the former hosts. Even they failed.” No, two voices. “There is nothing we can do” “We must prepare for the worst.” “So be it.” Silence fell, for all hope was lost.



***



“You’ll be late, dear!” Just five minutes more, please… Just five minutes… Wait. How long had it been? Oh, no! He would arrive late! Today was the big day. He got up, brushed his teeth and got dressed. As he finished button up his shirt he looked at himself in the mirror. A sudden question. “Who am I?” Two answers. “Evan.” “Yugi.”