In the Hall of Origin, high above the mortal realm, twelve Arceus sat in a circle.
This was already a problem.
There was only supposed to be ONE Arceus. One creator deity. One supreme being who governed the fundamental laws of reality.
But thanks to Nintendo's promotional event schedule and Marcus Chen's inability to NOT collect things, there were now twelve of them.
And they were having a meeting.
"Order," the Original Arceus said, tapping his hoof against the ethereal floor. "We need to discuss the Marcus situation."
"Which aspect?" Event Arceus #3 asked. "The part where he defeated a Rock-type Gym with a Shuckle? Or the part where Team Rocket has completely evacuated Kanto because they're afraid of a ten-year-old?"
"Or the part where Brock has started a support group for 'Trainers Traumatized by Unconventional Strategies,'" Event Arceus #7 added. "It has twelve members already. They meet on Tuesdays."
"ALL OF IT," Original Arceus snapped. "This was supposed to be a PUNISHMENT. He was supposed to SUFFER under the weight of his excessive collection habits. Instead, he's THRIVING."
"In fairness," Shiny Arceus (the one from the special distribution that Marcus had driven four hours to a Nevada GameStop to obtain) spoke up, "you did give him an army of gods and expect things to go poorly for him. That was perhaps... optimistic."
"I expected LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARES. I expected FINANCIAL RUIN. I expected him to be OVERWHELMED."
"He has five Alakazams with an IQ of 5,000 each handling logistics," Movie Arceus pointed out. "He has infinite money from Pay Day spam. And he seems to genuinely enjoy being 'overwhelmed' with Pokemon affection."
Original Arceus's wheel spun with agitation.
"The Shuckle," he said through gritted teeth. "Explain to me the Shuckle."
"Kenneth?" Event Arceus #2 offered helpfully. "He appears to be Marcus's emotional support Pokemon. Also now the most feared creature in Pewter City."
"A SHUCKLE. He made a SHUCKLE terrifying. Do you understand how absurd that is? I DESIGNED Shuckle to be useless! They're living decorations! Their sole purpose is to ferment berries into juice!"
"And now one of them has a higher effective Attack stat than any of us," Shiny Arceus noted.
Original Arceus made a sound that gods should not be capable of making—something between a scream and a sob.
"I have existed for billions of years," he said quietly. "I have watched civilizations rise and fall. I have seen the birth of stars and the death of galaxies. I created REALITY ITSELF."
He looked at the viewing portal, where Marcus was currently teaching his Magikarp how to use Bounce by having a Dragonite demonstrate repeatedly.
"And I have never," Arceus continued, "NEVER felt as professionally humiliated as I do right now."
MEANWHILE, ON ROUTE THREE
Marcus was having the time of his life.
"Come on, Splash! You can do it!"
The Magikarp flopped determinedly, trying to achieve the vertical height necessary for Bounce. So far, its best attempt had reached approximately eight inches.
"This is painful to watch," Steve commented from his hovering position nearby.
"Everyone has to start somewhere!"
"Magikarp start at 'useless' and occasionally evolve to 'terrifying.' There is no middle ground."
"Splash is going to break that mold. Right, buddy?"
Splash flopped in what might have been agreement.
Floaty the Dragonite demonstrated Bounce again, launching himself fifty feet into the air before crashing back down with earth-shaking force.
Splash attempted to replicate this.
Splash achieved nine inches.
"PROGRESS!" Marcus cheered.
"I am concerned about your definition of progress," Steve muttered.
HALL OF ORIGIN - CONTINUED
"We need to take action," Event Arceus #5 declared. "This cannot continue."
"What do you suggest?" Original Arceus asked tiredly. "We take back the Pokemon? Impossible—the bonds are formed. We unmake him? He's done nothing wrong, and frankly, our credibility is already damaged enough."
"We could... make his journey harder?"
"HOW? He has forty Legendary Pokemon! What could we possibly throw at him that would constitute a challenge?"
The Arceus collective fell silent.
"We could ask nicely for him to stop being so effective," Movie Arceus suggested weakly.
"Oh yes, that will work. 'Dear Marcus, please stop winning so easily, you're embarrassing the cosmic order, regards, God.'"
"It might work! He seems like a reasonable child."
"He named a Mewtwo STEVE."
"That's... not unreasonable?"
Original Arceus put his head in his hooves.
"You know what the worst part is?" he said after a long moment. "I've been watching him. Really watching him. And he's... he's HAPPY. Genuinely happy."
"Is that bad?"
"It's bad because it means I've FAILED. I wanted him to struggle. I wanted him to realize that having too many Pokemon was a burden. Instead, I've given him exactly what he always wanted—a real adventure with real Pokemon who love him."
Original Arceus lifted his head, and for a moment, he looked genuinely anguished.
"I created suffering," he whispered. "But not for him. For ME. I have to WATCH him succeed. I have to WATCH him turn every disadvantage into an advantage. I have to WATCH him make a Shuckle into a weapon of psychological devastation."
"That does sound unpleasant," Event Arceus #3 agreed.
"IT'S TERRIBLE. Every time I think 'surely THIS will cause problems,' he solves it in the most aggravating way possible. Food costs? Pay Day. Housing? His Legendaries terraformed a paradise. Training? His Pokemon are already maxed level from his original games!"
Original Arceus began pacing.
"And now he's collecting Gym badges. EASILY. He's going to steamroll through Kanto, then probably Johto, then every other region, and he's going to do it while smiling and having FUN and making FRIENDS."
"That does sound like punishment," Shiny Arceus said carefully. "For you, specifically."
"I'VE REALIZED THAT."
MT. MOON - THAT EVENING
Marcus and his team had set up camp in a spacious cavern. The local Zubat population had fled the moment Steve entered, which made for a pleasantly quiet camping experience.
"You know," Marcus said, lying on Big Boy the Snorlax like a living mattress, "this is nice."
"Define 'nice,'" Steve requested.
"Just... this. Traveling. Camping. Being with my Pokemon." Marcus stared at the cavern ceiling. "In my old life, I spent so much time playing Pokemon games, imagining what it would be like to actually DO this. And now I'm here, and it's even better than I imagined."
"You are a strange human," Steve observed. "Most beings in your situation would be overwhelmed. Stressed. Struggling to maintain control."
"I have you guys to help with that."
"Yes, but you should not be this CALM. You have the power to reshape continents. You have beings capable of altering time and space. The weight of that responsibility should be crushing."
Marcus was quiet for a moment.
"Steve, can I tell you something?"
"I am telepathic. You cannot prevent me from knowing your thoughts regardless."
"Fair point. But I want to say it out loud." Marcus sat up slightly. "In my old life, I was kind of... lonely. I had the games, but that was it. No real adventures. No real connections. Just pixels on a screen that I pretended were friends."
Steve's expression—insofar as a Mewtwo had expressions—softened slightly.
"But you guys are real now. ALL of you. And you actually LIKE me. Not because I'm useful or important or powerful. Just... because we're bonded. Because we have history."
"That is... accurate," Steve admitted.
"So yeah, I'm not overwhelmed. I'm grateful. Every single day, I wake up surrounded by Pokemon who love me, and I get to go on adventures with them. How could I be anything but happy?"
Steve was quiet for a long moment.
"You are remarkably well-adjusted for someone who was reincarnated by a petty god as a form of cosmic punishment."
"Arceus did me a favor, honestly. Even if he didn't mean to."
HALL OF ORIGIN
"HE THANKED ME," Original Arceus screeched. "HE SAID I DID HIM A FAVOR!"
"To be fair, you did give him everything he ever wanted," Event Arceus #7 pointed out.
"I WAS TRYING TO RUIN HIS LIFE!"
"Yes, well, you're very bad at that apparently."
Original Arceus looked like he was about to commit deicide on his alternate selves.
"I need a vacation," he muttered. "A long vacation. Somewhere far away from Kanto. Somewhere I don't have to watch this TRAVESTY unfold."
"You're the creator god," Shiny Arceus reminded him. "You can't just... leave."
"Watch me."
"The universe will destabilize without your presence!"
"MAYBE I WANT IT TO DESTABILIZE. MAYBE THAT'S PREFERABLE TO WATCHING A TEN-YEAR-OLD BEFRIEND HIS WAY THROUGH EVERY OBSTACLE I COULD CONCEIVE."
The other Arceus exchanged worried glances.
Their original was having a breakdown.
This was unprecedented.
THE NEXT MORNING - MT. MOON EXIT
Marcus emerged from Mt. Moon with a spring in his step, his team trailing behind him.
"Cerulean City, here we come! Misty's Gym is next!"
"Water-types," Steve noted. "You have seventeen Water-type Pokemon with type advantages. This will not be a challenge."
"I'm not using any of them."
"...Of course you're not. Who, then? Kenneth again?"
"Nope! Kenneth needs rest after his big victory." Marcus grinned. "I'm using Sunny."
The Charizard perked up at the sound of his name.
"The Fire-type. Against a Water-type Gym."
"Yep!"
"Marcus, I must once again question your tactical—"
"Steve, what's Sunny's ability?"
The Mewtwo paused. "...Solar Power. It boosts Special Attack in harsh sunlight but drains HP."
"And what move did I teach Sunny?"
"I... Sunny Weather?"
"SUNNY DAY!" Marcus corrected cheerfully. "Which creates harsh sunlight! Which boosts Solar Power! Which turns Sunny into an absolute MONSTER!"
Steve considered this.
"And the type disadvantage?"
"Doesn't matter if we one-shot everything before they can attack."
"...That is actually sound logic."
"Plus, I have Mama B for healing!" Marcus patted the Blissey, who immediately started checking his temperature and offering vitamins. "We're going to fight Misty's Water-types with a Charizard, and we're going to WIN."
"You enjoy subverting type expectations," Steve observed.
"It's the BEST part of battling! Anyone can win with advantages. It takes real skill to win with disadvantages!"
"Or overwhelming power," Steve added dryly.
"That too!"
HALL OF ORIGIN
"HE'S GOING TO FIGHT MISTY WITH A CHARIZARD."
"We see that," Event Arceus #2 said carefully.
"A FIRE-TYPE. AGAINST WATER."
"Yes."
"AND HE'S GOING TO WIN."
"Probably, yes."
Original Arceus's eye twitched.
"I designed the type chart. I specifically made Fire weak to Water. It's one of the fundamental balancing principles of Pokemon battles. And this CHILD is just... IGNORING it."
"He's not ignoring it," Shiny Arceus corrected. "He's compensating with strategy. Solar Power plus Sunny Day plus his Charizard's already absurd stats equals—"
"I KNOW THE MATH. I CREATED THE MATH. THAT'S NOT THE POINT."
"What IS the point?"
Original Arceus slumped.
"The point," he said quietly, "is that I have lost control. Of the situation. Of the narrative. Of everything."
He gestured at the viewing portal.
"Look at him. He's SKIPPING. He's skipping down Route Four with a Mewtwo hovering behind him and a Charizard flying overhead and a Shuckle on his head for some reason, and he's SKIPPING."
Indeed, Marcus was skipping. Kenneth had been placed on his head like a strange hat, and the Shuckle seemed content with this arrangement.
"He's treating this like a VACATION," Arceus continued. "Like a fun adventure with friends. He's not struggling AT ALL."
"Maybe..." Movie Arceus spoke up hesitantly. "Maybe that's okay?"
"WHAT?"
"I mean... maybe the punishment doesn't have to be suffering. Maybe it can be responsibility? He has all this power, but he's using it well. He's not conquering nations or challenging the Elite Four with his full army. He's just... being a trainer."
Original Arceus stared at his alternate self.
"That's not how punishment WORKS."
"Isn't it? He has to care for 4,847 Pokemon. Forever. That's a massive responsibility. Sure, he has help, but it's still HIS responsibility. And he's taking it seriously."
"He's ENJOYING it."
"So? Is the punishment invalidated because he doesn't hate it?"
Original Arceus opened his mouth to retort.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
"I... I don't..."
"You wanted him to learn a lesson about excessive collection," Movie Arceus continued. "Maybe the lesson isn't 'don't collect so much.' Maybe it's 'if you collect this much, you have to earn it through love and care.'"
Silence in the Hall of Origin.
"I hate this," Original Arceus finally said. "I hate that you're making sense."
"Would you prefer to keep being miserable?"
"YES! I mean NO! I mean..." Arceus groaned. "I don't KNOW what I want anymore."
CERULEAN CITY - GYM
Misty had heard the rumors.
Every Gym Leader in Kanto had heard the rumors.
The boy with the army. The boy with the Legendaries. The boy whose Shuckle had made Brock take a week off for "mental health reasons."
She was PREPARED.
"I don't care what Pokemon he brings," she told her Starmie. "We're going to fight with everything we've got. We're WATER-types. We have the advantage against almost everything. We can do this."
Her Starmie made a crystalline sound that might have been agreement.
The Gym doors opened.
Marcus walked in, Sunny the Charizard at his side.
Misty blinked.
"You brought... a Fire-type?"
"Yep! This is Sunny!"
Sunny roared a friendly greeting, small embers floating from his maw.
"To my GYM. The WATER-type Gym."
"That's the plan!"
Misty looked at the Charizard.
She looked at her pool full of water.
She looked back at the Charizard.
"You know I'm going to win, right?" she said, almost apologetically.
"We'll see about that!"
Misty sighed. Finally, a trainer who WASN'T going to be a problem.
This would be easy.
It was not easy.
"SUNNY DAY!" Marcus commanded.
The roof of the Gym—which was partially retractable for exactly these situations—opened to reveal a suddenly cloudless sky. Sunlight streamed in with unnatural intensity.
Sunny began to GLOW.
"What is—" Misty started.
"Solar Power ability!" Marcus explained cheerfully. "In harsh sunlight, Sunny's Special Attack goes through the ROOF!"
Misty's eyes widened. "STARYU, WATER GUN! NOW!"
The Water Gun fired.
"Sunny, dodge and use SOLAR BEAM!"
Here's the thing about Solar Beam: normally, it requires a turn to charge. But in harsh sunlight, it fires INSTANTLY.
Sunny dodged the Water Gun with a graceful aerial maneuver and immediately unleashed a beam of concentrated solar energy that turned the water in the pool to STEAM.
The Staryu was caught in the blast.
When the steam cleared, the Staryu was unconscious, its gem flickering weakly.
One hit.
"WHAT?!" Misty screamed.
"Type advantage isn't everything!" Marcus called out. "Sometimes raw power wins!"
Misty's jaw dropped.
Her pool was still steaming. Half the water had evaporated.
"STARMIE!" she shouted, releasing her ace. "HYDRO PUMP!"
The massive blast of water rocketed toward Sunny—
"FLY!"
Sunny shot straight up, narrowly avoiding the Hydro Pump. The water splashed against the far wall with enough force to crack the tiles.
"Now! SOLAR BEAM again!"
From above, bathed in the enhanced sunlight, Sunny gathered energy for a fraction of a second before unleashing another devastating blast.
Starmie tried to dodge.
Starmie did not dodge well enough.
The Solar Beam clipped the Water-type, sending it spinning across the Gym. It crashed into the wall and slid down, gem flickering once, twice—
And then going dark.
Misty stared.
"You... you beat my entire team."
"Sorry about the pool! I can have one of my Water-types refill it if you want?"
"YOU BEAT MY WATER-TYPE GYM WITH A FIRE-TYPE."
"Sunny's really well-trained!"
Sunny roared triumphantly, landing beside Marcus and nuzzling his trainer with a head that was currently about five hundred degrees.
Marcus didn't seem to mind. Probably because Mama B was already applying healing items to the mild burns.
Misty sat down heavily on the edge of her ruined pool.
"Brock warned me," she muttered. "He WARNED me that you were different. I didn't listen."
"To be fair, using a Charizard against Water-types IS pretty stupid normally."
"IT IS! THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!" Misty buried her face in her hands. "I thought you were just an overconfident kid who didn't understand type matchups."
"I understand them perfectly! I just don't let them limit me."
Misty looked up at him.
Then she looked at the steam still rising from her pool.
Then she looked at the Mewtwo hovering in the corner of the Gym, watching everything with unsettling intensity.
"You could have used THAT," she said, pointing at Steve. "You could have won instantly."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"I have raised this objection multiple times," Steve contributed. "He does not listen."
"It's not about winning easily!" Marcus explained. "It's about proving that ANY Pokemon can be strong with the right strategy. That type matchups aren't destiny. That a trainer and their Pokemon can overcome anything if they work together!"
Misty stared at him for a long moment.
"You're insane," she finally said.
"Probably!"
"And you just evaporated half my pool."
"I'm really sorry about that. Shelly can refill it!"
The Blastoise materialized from his Pokeball and immediately began blasting water from its cannons to refill the pool.
Misty watched in bewildered silence.
"You have a Blastoise."
"Yep!"
"A WATER-type."
"Uh-huh!"
"And you STILL used the Charizard."
"For the CHALLENGE!"
Misty's eye twitched.
HALL OF ORIGIN
"He evaporated. Her pool."
Original Arceus's voice was flat. Emotionless. The voice of a being who had been through all five stages of grief and emerged in a strange sixth stage of numb acceptance.
"With a Fire-type. Against a Water-type Gym."
"It was very effective," Event Arceus #3 noted.
"I can SEE that."
"He's quite clever, really. Using Sunny Day to activate Solar Power while also enabling instant Solar Beam. The type disadvantage became irrelevant against that much raw damage."
"I CREATED THE SYSTEMS HE'S EXPLOITING. I KNOW HOW THEY WORK."
"Just making conversation."
Original Arceus was quiet for a very long time.
Then, slowly, he began to laugh.
It started small—a chuckle, really—but built into something larger. Something slightly unhinged. The kind of laugh that suggested cosmic entities probably needed therapists too.
"I'm done," he said finally. "I'm absolutely done."
"Done?"
"Fighting it. Resisting it. Trying to make this a punishment." Arceus waved a hoof at the viewing portal. "Look at him. He's HAPPY. His Pokemon are HAPPY. He's spreading that happiness everywhere he goes."
He laughed again.
"Brock is getting therapy and actually processing his emotions for the first time. Misty just learned a valuable lesson about not underestimating opponents. Team Rocket has completely evacuated Kanto, which means crime is down by like forty percent."
"That is... accurate."
"I tried to punish him, and instead I created the most effective force for good Kanto has ever seen." Arceus shook his head. "The universe has a sense of humor, and I am apparently the punchline."
"So you're... accepting it?" Shiny Arceus asked carefully.
"What choice do I have? Unmake him? The other Pokemon would riot. Unmake the Pokemon? Same problem, plus I'd be destroying billions of years of bonds. Unmake MYSELF?"
He paused.
"Actually, that last one is tempting some days."
"Please don't unmake yourself," Movie Arceus said hastily. "We're all connected to your existence."
"I KNOW. That's the only reason I haven't."
Original Arceus sighed heavily and settled down to watch the viewing portal.
Marcus was now teaching Misty the basics of counter-type strategies, using his Charizard and Blastoise as examples. Misty was actually taking notes.
"You know what? Fine. FINE." Arceus's voice was resigned now. "Let him win. Let him collect all the badges and challenge the Elite Four and become the Champion. Let him be the happiest trainer in the world with his army of 4,847 Pokemon."
"You're... okay with that?"
"No. But I'm accepting that I can't change it." Arceus closed his eyes. "Maybe this is my punishment. Maybe the lesson was for ME all along. Don't mess with obsessive collectors. They always find a way to make it work."
"That's surprisingly wise."
"I'm the god of all Pokemon. Occasionally, wisdom happens." He opened one eye. "But I swear, if he catches anything ELSE, I'm going to scream."
CERULEAN CITY - POKEMON CENTER
Marcus admired his new Cascade Badge, pinning it next to the Boulder Badge on his trainer jacket.
"Two down, six to go!"
"You are progressing efficiently," Steve acknowledged. "At this rate, you will have all eight badges within the month."
"And then it's off to the Pokemon League!"
"Where you will presumably continue your tradition of subverting expectations."
"That's the plan!"
Marcus looked at his team—all twelve of them, gathered around him in the Pokemon Center's lobby.
Sunny was preening after his victory, clearly proud of himself.
Kenneth was sitting on a table, vibing as always.
Splash the Magikarp was flopping excitedly, hoping he'd get his chance soon.
Big Boy the Snorlax was already asleep, taking up most of the floor space.
And Steve was hovering nearby, pretending not to care but clearly satisfied with how things were going.
"I love you guys," Marcus said suddenly.
The Pokemon paused.
"I know I say it a lot, but I mean it. Every single one of you. Even the 4,835 of you back at Pokemon Paradise. You're all my family."
A wave of warm Pokemon noises washed over him.
Floaty wrapped him in a gentle dragon hug.
Mama B started crying happy tears.
Even Steve's expression softened slightly.
"We love you too," the Mewtwo telepathed. "Even if you make tactically questionable decisions."
"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Steve."
"Don't get used to it."
Marcus laughed and leaned into Floaty's embrace, surrounded by his team, completely at peace.
HALL OF ORIGIN - FINAL SCENE
Original Arceus watched the tender moment with an expression that had finally settled into something like acceptance.
"He's going to be fine," he murmured. "Better than fine. He's going to be LEGENDARY."
"Is that a pun?" Event Arceus #7 asked.
"It's whatever I want it to be. I'm God."
"So what now? We just... watch?"
"We watch. We observe. We make sure reality doesn't collapse from all the shenanigans." Arceus settled into a more comfortable position. "And we learn."
"Learn what?"
"That sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone is give them exactly what they want—even if you meant it as a punishment." Arceus almost smiled. "Marcus Chen was the greatest Pokemon collector in his world. Now he's the greatest Pokemon trainer in THIS world. And honestly?"
He looked at the boy surrounded by his loving Pokemon.
"I think he's earned it."
END CHAPTER STATUS:
Badges: 2 (Boulder, Cascade)
Gym Leader Therapy Sessions: 2 (Brock, Misty incoming)
Arceus's Mental State: Acceptance (finally)
Team Rocket Status: "What's Kanto? Never heard of it."
Kenneth's Vibe: Uninterrupted
Marcus's Happiness Level: Maximum
Next Gym: Vermillion City (Lt. Surge)
Planned Strategy: Unknown (but probably ridiculous)
[A/N: ARCEUS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ARC COMPLETE! Next chapter: Lt. Surge and the Thunder Badge! Will Marcus continue his tradition of absurd strategies? What happens when the military man faces a trainer with an army? And will Splash FINALLY get his time to shine? Leave a comment with your theories!]