“Dialga, Palkia, Giratina! Children, where are you?" Struggling to find his children, Arceus cried out in a desperate attempt to find them.

Flying through multiple dimensions, Arceus searched desperately everywhere he could think of. He traveled through a multitude of dimensions, each with its own unique inhabitants. In one, he encountered a school for hero training; in another, strange humanoid beings metamorphosed into enormous monkeys with tails when the moon was full; in yet another, ninjas engaged in combat with an entity resembling a Ninetails but much more vicious; and in yet another, he traversed an entire universe populated by enormous, monstrous humans. Finally, he came across a singular civilization encircled by massive walls, seemingly erected to shield its inhabitants from the much larger entities.

One last strange universe he explored was home to creatures he had heard of, "ghouls"—beings that feed on humans. He was understandably concerned about the condition of this universe. Still, he did not stop to fret over anything else; after all, he had not felt his children's auras.

Not only had he noticed their disappearance several hours ago, but since then, he had been unable to detect their presence, which was causing him immense worry.

Even inadvertently, Palkia had never before transported his siblings and himself to a different dimension up until this moment. Before this, Arceus had witnessed sporadic wormholes opening up, instances where Palkia's feet would be in one spot while his head and torso were in another, Dialga inadvertently slowing or speeding up Time, and Giratina warping gravity, but this was nothing in comparison. 

For Arceus, the best part was seeing his children's abilities blossom. On the other hand, it irritated Arceus since it led to things like this, and his children still can not control or use their abilities whenever they fancy.

After failing to discover anything in this dimension, he wasted no time in opening a portal to the next. He continued on his journey, determined to locate his children before time ran out.

It had been almost two hours when Chara realized that nobody seemed to be entering the forest just yet. The way she and the babies were positioned, it appeared as though the villagers were scouring the entire village to find her. Even so, Chara was apprehensive about taking any risks in the event that they chose to investigate the forest. Carrying the three drowsy infants in her arms, Chara cautiously continued her ascent through the forest until, by sheer luck, she came upon a cave illuminated by the moonlight, tucked away behind some dense trees and bushes, which appeared to be an ideal spot to set up camp for the night.

Chara arrived at the cave cautiously, holding Dia, Grir, and Parr in one hand. With caution, she picked up a handful of pebbles from the ground near her feet and threw them into the cave, hoping to scare away any creatures—maybe deer—that might be lying there. Upon realizing that no one had escaped from the cave, Chara let out a sigh of relief and cautiously made her way inside. She then sat down on the ground nearest the entrance, vigilantly watching in case the villagers approached too closely.

After gently placing Dia, Parr, and Grir on her lap, she kissed their backs to put them back to sleep as they started to stir slightly from the abrupt movement. She then peeked through the bushes. From her cave perch high on the mountain, she could see far and wide over her hometown. She could see if any of the neighboring townsfolk were going into the woods from where she stood. Even though the thick vegetation around it offered sufficient cover, a vigilant observer could still discern the cave's shelter. Still, Chara felt sick to her stomach at the idea of the townsfolk searching the woods for her.

What mattered most to her was preventing their discovery of her and the babies. She would not sit idly by while the three defenseless infants sleeping on her lap were subjected to the same inhumane treatment that she had experienced.

Even though she put herself in harm's way, Chara was hell-bent on protecting these three. Until their parents could be located, she was compelled to look after them.

At least she could keep the babies and children alive, even though Chara had no idea how to care for them. Therefore, that would be a victory for her.

She had to figure out where to get water and food first thing in the morning. She assumed that the cave they had discovered had already provided them with a place to stay safe.

To stay warm, Chara could sneak into the village while everyone was at school or work and steal some supplies, including new clothes, blankets, and a bag to carry everything in. Another option would be to take advantage of the village library's botanical book in order to familiarize yourself with the local flora and determine which plants are edible and which are not.

In the morning, she could give that some thought. For the time being, though, she simply could not let herself turn in for the night. In the event that any of the villagers discovered their hiding place, she had to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate quickly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Arceus emerged from this parallel universe. Imagine his horror when he realized he was in a world that looked remarkably like the one Arceus had made in his own world. To the point where Arceus thought he had inadvertently created a portal back to his home for a brief instant..

Underneath him, like the forests in the cosmos that Arceus governed, lay a verdant blanket of trees and a sky that was as clear as glass, with a few flouncy clouds here and there. Far off, he could make out a picturesque blue river winding its way through the forest, with a little settlement nestled in a clearing not far away. A handful of people seemed to be going about their regular business there, according to his observations.

His mind briefly wandered to the idea of swooping down that direction to see if the locals had found his children. Still, the moment he felt his children's presence, his focus shifted away from the picturesque village and landscape. And as he turned to face the plane below him where their aura was located. He finds the three individuals he had been seeking in the heart of the forest, tinkering with what seemed like a human child's aura.

His kids were here, and they were alive!

Though this did not mean they weren't going to still be in trouble when he reunited with them.

By sensing their auras, Arceus quickly located them near a mountain that rose from the forest to the north and flew toward it.

Approaching the mountain cautiously, Arceus started to reduce his pace in anticipation of any danger. While he was still floating above them, he could clearly see his children playing with a human child at the edge of the forest and cuddling with her. Why, though, would a human kid venture out here alone? It was clear that the kid was not even 10 years old.

Arceus hardly had a moment to consider it before he heard a happy little squeak. Out of the group, a pink blur darted directly towards him, snatched him by the neck, and inadvertently dug its tiny claws into Arceus' white fur. But it did not appear to bother Arceus in the least..

Palkia responded with a happy growl and nuzzled back Arceus as he awkwardly nuzzled the little dragon, trying his best to make it look like a cuddle. “Greetings, Palkia. Seeing you makes me happy as well.” Through telepathy, Arceus "spoke" to the small pink dragon that was encircling his neck.

Palkia let out a cheerful purr and continued to nuzzle Arceus, wrapping his tail around his neck.

Instantly, Chara tensed up upon hearing Parr scream. Carefully setting Dia and Grir down, she heard their enthusiastic chirps as they too welcomed the stranger. Afterwards, Chara cast her gaze over Parr's flight path and in the direction Dia and Grir were facing. The sight of the magnificent horse-like being, glowing white and golden, caused Chara to gasp and stagger backward.

The stunning ring that encircles the creature's torso captivates Chara. It appears to emanate a radiant golden light that envelops Arceus' very being. 

Arceus watched Chara in silence as Parr clung to its neck. He noticed that her clothes were worn and torn, with holes in the fabric, and that she was covered in dirt, suggesting that she and his children had been living alone in the forest for days. What little he could make out of her made her appear to be covered in wounds as well.

Amidst the joyful cries of "Arruh" from Grir and Dia, Chara stood perfectly still as they drew near the beast, nuzzled Arceus, and got on its back. Like herself and the infants, Chara noticed that the monster appeared to have red eyes as Arceus and she locked eyes.

A voice in her head abruptly cut her off just as she was about to speak. As she listened to the imposing, old voice, her body trembled with terror. 

“Not to worry, child. Since you have not hurt my kids, you are safe." Arceus "spoke" calmly to her again, using telepathy since he had no mouth.

"Wha-? Thank you, sir." Chara stammered, still overwhelmed by this creature's power. "Are you, Arruh? I thought those kids called your name. Are you their parent?" Chara immediately asks, then cups her mouth due to the question's bluntness and accusatory tone. She widened her eyes in fear that Arceus would punish her for rudely asking.

At her sudden movement, Arceus tilted its head, showing concern in its eyes. Chara thought it was comforting her when it next'spoke,' as its voice was gentler.

“It is fine, human. Being curious is good. Indeed, I am Arruh, or Arceus. You are?"

Chara slowly lowered her hands from her mouth, relieved Arceus was not offended. "I am Chara.  My name is Chara, Arceus."

Chara thought Arceus would smile if he could as he nodded. However, his concern remained when he saw her instant relief.

“Chara, like the constellation ‘Canes Venatici?’ Or, I guess, more accurately, like after the star ‘Chara’ is named after the ‘Beta CanumVenaticorum. How intriguing... Chara was breathless when Arceus replied, looking thoughtful, as she had not even considered that when she randomly picked the name to replace her birthname, 'Lilith.'  She only liked "Chara" better than 'Lilith.'  Especially since she had decided today would be the day she left her old life for good before she got distracted.

"Chara, it is nice to meet you, and I would like to stay and talk, but I have to go. In search of these little ones, I had been gone too long. Arceus "speaks," almost apologetic.

Chara stared at Arceus, processing the words, before slowly ducked her head so he would not see her growing tears at the thought of saying goodbye to her new friends she had only met a few days earlier. “Yes, I know." Chara gasped, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "Dia, Parr, and Grir, I will miss you despite our short time together.  Thank you for being such great friends and playing with me -- goodbye..."

As she heard Dia, Grir, and shy Parr say goodbye, Chara squeezed her bruised arm and kept her head down, fighting tears. Despite her efforts, all four of them could hear Chara's sadness in her voice, and the babies knew they had enjoyed their brief time with her.

Arceus's concern for the girl strengthened. The unsettling thought that this might be the last "goodbye" if he did not take action immediately kept plaguing him. And so he floated down until his feet were touching the smooth earth.

When a shadow swept over Chara and she felt a slight bump on the head, she gasped in shock. Holding back tears, she sniffled and slowly looked up to see Arceus's forehead nuzzling her.

"When I get the chance, I will come see you again." After soothing the crying child, Arceus vowed, "See you later, Chara, and good luck."

Chara watched in quiet until she could no longer see him or the babies as he turned and took flight. When Chara's feelings of loneliness returned, she pressed her palm to her chest. To make matters worse, she had no idea what to do next. She had no interest in returning to the village after being gone for what seemed like an endless period of time. It was a stroke of luck that no one from the village had the foresight to go into the woods. They might not have cared that she was gone.

If she went back now, she would be reduced to a walking corpse. And Arceus's vow to come back for her—what was that? Had he truly intended it? What gave her the sudden urge to trust his word? After all, she did not know him… And yet…

Chara thought it over and ultimately decided to give it a shot and see how long she could make it in the forest. She was sad to see the trio go, but relieved that they were finally out of her life. She thought that maybe being alone would be easier without them, since she would not have to worry about providing for three extra mouths. Still, she could not help but feel some shame for thinking that.

With her botanical book in hand and the ability to continue pilfering supplies from the village, she believed she could accomplish anything.

She was filled with Determination.