To be a Titan, you must face your worst nightmares.

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As soon as The ghost had floated up to the guild, Sorren left without a word. They traveled like this in silence. Sorren knew that Chia might have some questions, but he wanted to keep the mission a secret until the last moment.

As they traveled to the icy lands, Sorren smiled, it was snowing, he always loved the snow. As the forrest drew closer he spoke up.

"Alright, now's your chance to ask any questions, not that I'm going to answer some of them, mind you. This is also your last chance to turn back. I'm not going to tell you what we are facing today, so you have to take a risk." Sorren said, his breath visible with every word.

He was hoping to get The Duskull pumped up, work up an air of adventure. He did warn her however, That she would need to take a risk. Today she learns how to face her darkest parts. Sorren hoped he could do the same.

"Chia, Answer me this, I've been wondering it for a while now, but why did you want to join my team in the first place?" Sorren asked.

He was genuinely curious as to why she was so eager, she seemed to be someone who would think things over. He wanted to know her reasoning. Hopefully he could do something with the information. Or at least get her to recognize him as real rather than a part of her mind.

Once more the Torchic's voice reached the Duskull's ears, seemingly louder this time.
The question he asked had a point.
Why?
Why did Chie agree to joining his team?
Was it really just...?
Hesitatingly she answered:
"Well...the situation - it was just like the stories. All the stories I have ever read; they had one thing in common. Such a sudden meeting turning into the most important moment in the protagonist's life. And I am writing my own story here after all."
The more she spoke, the quieter the Duskull became, now just barely mumbling to herself.
"And in those stories the protagonist always helps and...and they make better...and even if...just for a meaningless moment...could it? No, what am I thinking?"

"You aren't the protagonist, I'm not the protagonist. You can't define real world roles by that of a story. The real world is boring, messy, and doesn't make sense sometimes. Sure we all want to have adventures. I know I've had my fair share, but that doesn't make this a story. For one thing, That would make every person a writer, every person could be in every role. Life just isn't that simple, but you know that already. But we do live in an amazing time. there is so much out there to discover, there are pokemon that we can help and adventures we can take on. But the world doesn't revolve around you, even if you think you know that you can still be wrong. man that was long winded. hoped that sounded profound or something." Sorren said.

He stepped out from behind a bookshelf. He looked the Duskull in the eye. Even if they couldn't defeat her inner demons it wouldn't matter. Sorren learned what he needed to. Once this is all over he can talk to Chia about where she stands.

"But each and every Pokémon has their own world revolve around them. I am the protagonist of my own story. And I think that belief is helpful to give one the strength to carry through with one's life. If one were just some meaningless background character, then there wouldn't be much sense in going on, would there?"
What was Chie doing? All around her a slaughter was going on, and here she was, just randomly chatting with Sorren. Shouldn't she find a way to win about now? Her eye darted from side to side in her skull as the Duskull thought of something to respond.
"But...in a way you are right. I am not a protagonist. A protagonist's story will have a happy end. But whatever I do, everything I could possibly care for will just wither away in front of my eyes. So what is the point?"

"Stop comparing life to a story, You arn't a backround character, you arn't a protaganist or a side character. You are What you want to be, but to others you are what they see. To me you are a huanted ghost. kind of ironic. To yourself you are a protaganist with a tragic past. Neither of us are right. at least not fully. Life is to complex to cast roles and orginize some symbolince of a story. You won't find answers comparing life to fiction. All around you people are dying, yes. but to them is it really that bad? They have lived lives, fulfilled ambitions, ideas, goals, DESIRES! these people have seized what life they had and made it their own. the reason I was hesitant for you to join was because you showed no ambition, no real reason for wanting to join. Your live will end just as others have, but will you spend it doing something amazing? or just running around looking for answers? I won't whisk you away to a land of adventure. This isn't the first act of your great saga. You are chasing ghosts. Try to grip onto something real." Sorren said, the world slowly crumbling around him in the nightmare of The duskull.

He had to pull out long winded arguments. He dug deep inside himself and find what he learned and put it to use. He never liked dwelling on his philosophical side for too long, it could be rather depressing.

Slowly but surely the sky grew darker overhead.
Tears began to stream out of the eyeholes in the Duskull's face.
"What is your problem with me liking to think of life as a story? Is it hurting anyone? No, it is not!"
Chie was basically shouting at the Torchic now.
"All around me everything I could ever care for will wither right in front of my eyes! Everything I could love, will leave me! So, tell me! What is the point of caring for anything or anyone! Why should I willingly face that pain?"
Big, heavy drops of rain began to fall from the skies, audibly landing on the soaked ground. In the distance thunder was to be heard, colouring the clouds with flashes of red, purple and yellow.
"I do not age. I will never die. I will be forced to watch everything come to an end. I do the only thing I can to protect myself from the pain and you have the guts to tell me, that I shouldn't do that?!"

(Chie's comparing her life to a story is not the problem. The thing she needs to realize is, that even though the good things will end, the fact that they happened is worth the pain of losing them eventually.)

"The thing you need to realize is that if you never love anyone, never hold anyone dear, they will still die. Everything will crumble and be rebuilt over and over again. You have a chance to be with people, to live with them and make their lives better, to know them and have them know you! Are you so selfish that you won't let other people enjoy your company because they will die? Because you will live on? It is a terrible thing that everyone will die, but a worse thing that you will sacrifice happiness Just because you'll get hurt!"

That was her problem. this was it. Chia wrapped herself in her own world so she doesn't have to feel the pain of losing someone, but she will never have the happiness of knowing them in the first place. Sorren would go through his hell a thousand times rather than give up the memories of his time with his parents. He just hoped he could relay the same sentiment to the Duskull.

What? How could he say something like that?
How could he be such an as-...
But, although she hated to admit it, somehow the Torchic had a point.
"Why do you think you know, what I have been through!? You know how much losing someone dear to you has hurt you! Now imagine that happening over and over again, a hundred, a thousand times! Yes, I am that selfish! I just can't take any more pain!"
What did the Fire type know about loss?
Why did he think he'd be fit to judge her?
And why did the Ghost type have to go through all this?
Couldn't she just have led a normal life...

"I don't know your pain. But I can help you shoulder it." Sorren said. "You won't get anywhere running from the pain, trust me."

Sorren wished he could know, he would live through the deaths of all his friends, everyone he ever knew, he would do that for Chia. But that could never happen. So he did the best he could. he stood in front of the duskull and fluffed his wing nubs, trying to widen himself. Sorren's resolve knew no bounds.

"I've lived in my own pain for a long time. When I decided to settle down, start an exploration team, my goal of becoming stronger no longer had the strings of eternal pain attached to them. I still cried every night, but when i was out, up and about, I would be happy. I don't know what centuries will do to you, you're right, I only have my limited experiences. But this world is far to precious to be ignored because of a selfish desire not to get hurt."

Sorren noticed out of the corner of his eye that color was starting to fade from his feathers, just a little bit. So this is what he got for jumping in too soon. He would crumble along with everything else.

"I...b-but...but I..."
The Duskull was at a loss for words.
Sorren knew, that he could not understand what she was going through at all.
And yet...yet he still tried to...was he trying to help her?
Tears continued to fall to the ground as Chie thought about her situation.
There were all the pain and sadness and grief and yet...something felt...warm.
What could that feeling be...it was all too familiar, yet the Ghost type couldn't place it.
What was she supposed to do?
"Oohhh...my head hurts..."

Far off in the distance, the creatures of nightmares halted for one tiny instant.
Their rigid, controlled movements became slightly erratic.
But Chie did not notice it.

Breathing was becoming hard, it was odd though to be breathing in a dream in the first place. Sorren's skin sagged and his feathers dulled, but then it stopped. Just for a second, he looked at Chia, Did he get through to her? That instant seemed to last forever, Sorren smiled, then turned to ash.

And now Sorren had disappeared.
"What?! No! Come back!", Chie shouted into the void.
It was just as she had thought. In the end she would always be left alone.
She had been right the entire time.

But...why did the Torchic smile?
What reason did he have to be happy?
A wave of cold, bitter sadness and pain washed over Chie, who shivered in disgust.
But...there still was this feeling.
This strange, warm feeling.
Had it really...did it really...?
Sorren had smiled.
Sorren had smiled, knowing fully well, that it would end.
Maybe, just maybe there was more to it...
More than Chie had seen.
Maybe there still was meaning in life despite its inevitable end.
A tiny ray of light broke through the clouds, its warm glow directly hitting the clocktower.
The tiny crack widened and finally the horrendous monolith collapsed in a deafening roar.
The ray of light grew wider, the nightmarish masses returning to ashes in its shine.
Everything around the Duskull collapsed into itself as the ray of light grew wider and wider, everything now a single flash of white warmth.

And Chie smiled.

A flash of black and gold. Then Sorren opened his eyes. He couldn't move. His muscles didn't respond too his commands and even his eyes were sluggish.

"You're lucky you got away with only some minor paralysis. You could have died. What were you even thinking?" Sorren heard the Hypno accuse.

Sorren was able to move his jaw now and began to speak.

"I needed to show her. She needed to know, I Didn't know any other way" Sorren said.

"That was the most reckless thing I have ever seen. It looks like it's working though. She should wake up soon. SHOULD."

Sorren relaxed. It worked, hopefully. He got so caught up in Chia's problems He forgot he only knew her for the better part of a day really. There was just something about her. Sorren couldn't quite place it, But something about her makes him want to be her friend. He smiled. Maybe he would find a partner.

And then there was nothing.
An endless, black void.
Was this death?

In the physical world, the Duskull was still lying on the ground, completely devoid of motion.
A minute passed. Then another one.
Finally a tiny, barely noticeable glow lit up in a corner of the Ghost type's skull.
Slowly, very, very slowly it grew brighter and brighter until finally that old eye of Chie's was back, restlessly darting from one side to the other.
Groaning, the Duskull arose from the ground again, levitating in the air.
"Urgh...where? What? Who? Why? I...I don't get it..."

"Well I think you won. sort of. I don't know ghosts minds very well. I have collected some uh interesting data. Thanks for the help. I think I can make this process safer, or at least more reliable" the Hypno said.

Sorren shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Are you alright Chia? Do you remember everything?" Sorren asked, concerned for the duskull.

He hoped that he didn't cause any harm to the ghost, especialy after what the Hypno said. Sorren was just happy that things didn't end up worse. He got cought up in the moment and did something stupid. Not because he didn't want to fail the mission, but because he wanted to stop the pain the duskull was feeling. Sorren didn't think he would have been able to do that when he first arrived in Grassveil. Things had certainly changed.