Vapor was the first to formulate a question, directing it at Mew “were you aware that this world had another supercontinent?”
Mew was shocked out of his stupor ‘No, I was not.’
Saliaven’s chair rotated around the projector and he looked over at them from his seat “it’s not a well known fact.”
‘I’m over ten millennia old, and this is a surprise.’
“The continent has not been visited by anyone from round here in over fifty.”
Duplica, who had been carefully taking measurements of the continent in relation to their own along with Misty, straightened up and shouted over to them “There appears to be a bubble thingy over it.”
“That would be why no one has been in awhile.”
Ash spoke up “Why is the giant shield bubble thingy there?”
“The people of the region created it themselves in order to keep out visitors, they are very private folk.”
“I see.”
“And now, after showing you all this, I must prepare some of the other, more delicate systems.  You guys had best get back to your city and your studies.  I will leave you with this advice, learn as much psionics as possible.  They aren’t affected by ley loss and you might one day require that versatility.  Technology, too, isn’t beholden to natural processes.  The interference should have died down mostly, you’d best be going.”
‘Before we go’ Mew said ‘I would like to know what you’re going to be working on.’
“If you must pry, follow me.” 
    He led them to the door they came in from and closed it.  Pressing a new combination, they felt the floor rumble and the unmistakable queasiness of a fast elevator ride.  The door opened with the same sound of pistons and they were standing in a better lit room.  There were three cylinders, about seven feet tall, with wires at the top leading up.  In the center, between the three, a hatch in the floor was sticking up.  It was this that Saliaven walked to and opened.  Climbing down the ladder after him, they saw what he was working on.  It was a long, octagonal hallway, with a catwalk suspended on wires, equidistant from all walls.  It was this that they stood on.  Every few feet, a path from the catwalk to the wall was also suspended on wires, leading to a ring of metal, which in turn was attached by a number of wires and columns, to the machinery in the wall, which took up the entire vertical space of the room. 
“These are the direct access transdimensional portals.  As you can see, they are all inactive, but as I bring the lab online, they will also become active.  I can use the terminal upstairs to regulate everything below, and set up communications with any person on the other side.  The cylinders upstairs are scanners for sending people into the other dimensions indirectly.  This need not be done, but it means the physical body of the person cannot be harmed by death in the other worlds, because the original will be stored in my computer’s memory.  I mean to use these things as a means to gain allies.”
Blaze looked puzzled “But isn’t that weird guy from another dimension?  That’s why his teeth are so big.”
“Tochiro is a brilliant man, and has already built his own transport from his world to ours.  Incidentally, I would like it if you told him to make his way here.  I could use his help getting these things running.”
“Aren’t YOU from another dimension?” Ash added to the earlier remark.
“I came via a powerful magic that we aren’t going to trust.  I already said I expect ley turbulence, there always is.  Truthfully, I’m not the guy in charge.  As I became acclimated to this world, I found that the powers of the author were not mine to control.  That’s why I needed the hand and chant to do all this.  I’m merely his Avatar, an archcleric as well as all my other spellcasting capabilities.”  He then took them as far as the gates of Nu and then gave them a map of the continent to serve as a guide home, with instructions to give it to cartographers in order to help immigrants know where to go.  As they filed out, Marlene hung back.  “You know I’ll have to tell him.”
“I am sure that you will.”
“And you won’t stop me?”
“Not until it’s too late.”
“May I ask why?”
“We both know the answer.  The balance between us cannot be broken, lest the curse of Divine Emissaries is invoked.”  They nodded to each other once and started off in opposite directions.
    Later that night . . .
    Ash couldn’t sleep, and was wandering the courtyard outside his home, still both excited and wearied.  He could tell this was going to be one of those times when his Chosen One destiny would intercede.  He’d just have to deal with it as he always did, let fate and his heart guide him into what looked like a both brilliant and thoroughly accidental victory.  He was so preoccupied with the future that he didn’t see a shadow fall over him.  Not until it was too late, in any case. <Start Edge of the World, Fortress in Flames> Ash was in time, however, to see Marlene flying down to pick him up in a psi bubble. 
“What’s going on?”
Marlene grinned mischievously “In due time.” 
    They flew over miles of ocean, and in the distance Ash could see a glow.  “What’s that?”
“The other continent.”
“Why have I been brought here?”
“To learn the real reason that there is a wall between them and us.”
“They’re just private people.”
“If only it were that simple.”  Marlene landed the bubble on top of the dome.  Ash could see a town below them, and the land around it.
“So you’ve brought me to a small town, so what?”
“This a major metropolis to them.”
“It’s so small.”
“The people here are not technologically advanced.”  Marlene pointed to the outlying regions.  “Do you see much plant life?”
“No.”
“There is barely enough for the average people here to survive.”  She then asked the question that Ash knew was preying on him too.  “Where are the pokemon?”
“I don’t know, I don’t see any.”
“They have none.  They have magic, certainly, but their skill is weak.  The shield around them drains all local ley lines to the point at which very little can be done.”
“Then why do they allow the shield to stay, if they have nothing to lose by dropping it?”
“They don’t know how.  The shield was put up eons ago, by someone who is reviled in their legends.”
“Who?”
“It was –“ But her sentence was cut off by a thunderclap.  A nimbus of white energy grew around a point in front of them and Saliaven appeared.  His eyes were streaming light and the lanyard had become so bright that it hurt Ash to look at it.  “That’s enough.”  Saliaven boomed in a voice that could be heard over the storm of his arrival.
Marlene looked innocently at him “Enough what?  We were just talking.”
“You have already told him far too much.”
“Didn’t you say it was their world?”
“But we have our responsibilities.”
“You do.  I never accepted them.”
“I don’t have the patience to deal with you now.”  Marlene screamed as dark tendrils extended out of her body and consumed her. 
Ash looked aghast as she completely disappeared “What was that?”
Saliaven relaxed somewhat  “Energy reversal.  I merely redirected the spell she was about to use on me back on her.”
“Is she alright?”
“It was only a teleport, she’ll be back by tomorrow.”
“Where did she go?”
“To her own realm.”
“What about the continent?”
Saliaven looked down “There is more to that shield than she tells, they need it.”
“Why?”
“That land was cursed a long time ago, the shield keeps the worst of it out.  Ask Gary about it, I have a lot to do now”  Saliaven snapped his fingers and Ash found himself in bed. <End Edge>
Misty rolled over to look at Ash “You’re back from your walk.”
“Yes, and I’ve learned the most interesting things, I’ll tell you in the morning.”