Author's Note: This fiction is based on the video game Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, and deals with events that happen near the end of the main game. It is strongly recommended that you discontinue reading this fiction if you have not yet completed the story up to The Final Chapter, as this fiction will spoil portions of the game.
This short fiction was inspired by events in the game Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, made by ChunSoft with permission from The Pokemon Company and Nintendo. All characters belong to their respective developers.
The future is such an uncertain thing. Time changes and moves in mysterious ways, beyond the understanding of even those that travel through it. What was once a certainty becomes unclear, and a single event can change the course of history. And today such an event is taking place.
The ruined Temporal Tower spire was still, much like the world around it. The world's paralysis was complete here; all time had come to a standstill. The sun would never rise, the wind would never blow. But something was changing.
A vortex flickered in the center of the courtyard, swirling endlessly. Only a moment before, a small swarm of Sableye had poured through the Dimensional Hole, fleeing a losing fight against a greater foe. But all was quiet again before two more figures fell into the open air room.
Grovyle and Dusknoir had fought each other through time, and now seemed to be at their final confrontation. The Dimensional Hole sputtered and winked shut a moment later, leaving the field still once again save for the Pokemon.
"You've done nothing but delay my plans, Grovyle," chided Dusknoir. "I can still travel to the past and prevent the Temporal Tower from being saved by those two children. And this time," he said as he moved toward his enemy, "you will not be there to save them from me."
Grovyle was hurt. He had used his own body to prevent Dusknoir from dealing a lethal blow on his former partner, and battling him all the way through the tunnel afterwards had worn him down even further. But he knew that Dusknoir was much worse off. After fighting Grovyle and the two children, then having his own attack reflected back, the gripper Pokemon couldn't have been in anything but poor shape. Grovyle knew that his threat of returning to the past was not idle. This had to end.
Grovyle took a fighter's stance. "I may not be there to save them from you, Dusknoir. But I can stop you here and now." As he spoke, he could hear the Sableye skittering in the shadows, their courage renewed by the sight of their master. And Grovyle knew it would only be a matter of time before the real threat, Primal Dialga, emerged. This had to be done quickly, with a decisive blow. And he would only have one chance.
Dusknoir opened his chest mouth and began to approach the wood gecko Pokemon, but Grovyle suddenly charged. "A frontal attack is worthless!" cried Dusknoir, swiping at the air in front of him to intercept.
But Grovyle wasn't there.
Shock played across Dusknoir's face as his attack passed harmlessly in front of his target. Grovyle had set up a feint, stopping his charge just short. Dusknoir's attack had left him vulnerable, too slow to block. Grovyle charged into the opening, and unleashed his Leaf Blade attack. He held nothing back, for he would not have a second chance. And he wouldn't need one.
The blade tore through the weakened Dusknoir, cleaving him from shoulder to mouth hole. Dusknoir shrieked in pain and recoiling from the ferocious attack. Stars danced in his vision, and the world around him went dark. He collapsed in a heap, Grovyle panting over him. Dusknoir had fallen for the last time.
The victory was short lived. Before he could move, before the watching Sableye could decide on ambushing the obviously weakened Pokemon or fleeing, a deafening roar filled the void. Grovyle looked up to witness Primal Dialga towering over the courtyard, rage filled eyes promising only death. Bolstered by the sudden and welcome aid, the Sableye began to move in for the kill.
Grovyle stood his ground. He had battled long and hard to prevent his present time from ever coming into being, and even though things seemed hopeless for him now, he knew that giving up would only doom his friends, not to mention the world as a whole. Grovyle started searching for the most wounded Sableye, and hoped he could take a few with him.
A flash of light broke his concentration. There was a new presence behind him, something familiar. "Celebi!" he gaped as his friend grabbed hold of him.
The Sableye screamed at the sudden intrusion, and Celebi began to concentrate on her powerful skill. "Hang on, Grovyle!" she called. "I'll form a time tunnel!" Grovyle looked up and saw that Primal Dialga recognized Celebi. Dread filled him as he saw that recognition in those hateful eyes. Primal Dialga had broken this skill once before. He could do it again, and he knew how! Grovyle had to think fast.
Celebi raised her arm and formed the time tunnel with a brilliant flash of light. The Sableye were blinded momentarily, and when they could see again the pair were simply gone. "Wiiiiiiii!" they screamed in protest, looking for where they might have fled to, but Primal Dialga already knew what had to be done. He drew in breath and used his Roar of Time, shattering the Time Tunnel.
But nothing happened.
Confused, Primal Dialga Roared again, and again nothing appeared. Infuriated, he began to roar and rage uncontrollably. His intention was clear enough to the Sableye, though, and they scattered in every direction, as much searching for the two Grass types as they were trying to get away from the crazed legendary Pokemon. Even Primal Dialga flew off, in search of those that would threaten his present time. The enraged roars and cries of scared Sableye carried off, and eventually the courtyard grew silent and still once more.
A small mound of dirt, carefully placed, lifted up from underneath. Grovyle poked his head up from under the ground and looked around. Seeing that they were alone, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Celebi, they're gone. We can leave now."
Celebi had been pulled into the hole against her will, but she was grateful for the brilliant cover. When her Time Tunnel flashed bright enough to blind everyone present, Grovyle had used his Dig skill to hide them underground instead of fleeing through time. It had made a perfect distraction and had likely saved both their lives. "No, they won't return here for a while. Let's just stay hidden. I want to hear about what happened in the past!"
Grovyle laughed and dug a better hiding hole for them, then explained how his friends from the past had made it to the tower, how he had given them the five Time Gears. He had defeated Dusknoir, and Primal Dialga was in such a rage that there would be no more Pokemon sent to interfere. They had succeeded. The past would be changed, and the world would be saved. All that was left was to wait for the end to come.
Celebi smiled at Grovyle. "You were spectacular! I knew you could do it!" She wrapped her tiny arms around him and simply held him close, which made the poor battered and bruised Grovyle wince. "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"No, it's all right." He sighed and embraced her. "The end's coming soon. I don't want to die, but I guess that's just how it's going to be. Once those kids save the tower in their time, we'll cease to exist. So, I want to spend as much time as I can with my last friend before that end comes."
Celebi blushed, but didn't resist. They held each other and kept each other company. They smiled and were together. And eventually, the world, their present, the future that should not have been, began to fade. History had been changed, and this time line was no longer the future. All things around them began to fade. The Sableye, Primal Dialga, the courtyard around them... and eventually, even Grovyle and Celebi.
But they never left each other. Both held a smile on their face and in their hearts, for they knew that the other was there, and that was enough.