A/N: Requested by ImperatorJustinian, here is my PMD: Explorers of Time farewell and new beginning one-shot. Slightly AU. However, all characters here are based on my game-play and are completely OC.

Warning: There will be SPOILERS.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its characters.

It was a long journey for us; for me and my partner, Blaze. We saved Temporal Tower and everything was set right again, and with a heavy heart...I accepted my inevitable fate and faded away back to my world.

...but I guess, I wasn't able to keep my promise.

Because now, the only thing I remember is waking up to a dream I don't ever recall existing before…

...the only thing I remember was a smile with no face and a whisper with no voice; "I love you, Suzanne." And every time I think about it, I find myself saying; "I love you too, Blaze." And I would laugh, and I would have no idea why.

I-it wasn't fair. The risks we took, the long journey we squandered through, and the dangers we had to take, this was our 'thanks'?

It was out of nowhere, I thought all of it was over. I thought it was the end of the down-bringing and suffering, but I was wrong. Fate had to be so cruel! I found myself staring down at my tearful torchic partner with uncontrollable tears streaking her cheeks as remnants of light cascaded her being. I saw nothing of it and just begged her to follow, like she usually does, but she refused and pleaded for me to stop. She told me she was fading, she was leaving and she wasn't coming back. We changed the future and she no longer had the right to exist here anymore. I refused to accept it, I refused to let her leave. After everything we had done together, I wanted her to continue to stay by my side, to continue going on the adventures we adored to our heart's content.

I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her!

I, a weak piplup with the weirdest, ironic name in the world, could not have defeated Primal Dialga and placed the Time Gears back to where they belonged, let alone go into the Wigglytuff Guild all by myself in the first place. I needed her, she was my hope, my courage, and my faith.

She was everything that made up the 'me' today.

Before I even got a chance to embrace her, to tell her how I truly felt about her, to even say goodbye, she disappeared like a breath in the wind, and I was left alone to be haunted by the traumatizing event that just happened in the blink of an eye.

She was gone. And she wasn't coming back.

I barely said anything worthwhile before she left, and that guilt ate at me. It filled me with regret for not realizing sooner and speak my heart out. And now I wasn't ever going to get that chance again.

It took all my willpower to even move my legs away from there, away from the Temporal Tower, away from the floating island, away from my dearest friend, Suzanne.

There was more, so much more terror to come.

I found the mastermind behind all of it, behind everything. Deep in the fiery depths of the Dark Crater, that much reminded of a depiction of Hell itself, was where I met him, face to face. That icy blue eye of his, the billowing white, wispy hair, the red spikes jutting out of his shoulder-line, and the black hour-glass body belonged only to one pokemon, Darkrai.

With a sneer he explained his accomplished deeds and the goal of creating a 'world of pure darkness', a perfect home for the nightmare pokemon. He playfully remarked how he 'met' Suzanne in the time-warp hole and how he 'played' with her and her friend, Grovyle. I glared daggers at him for talking such a way about Suzanne, but he only scoffed at me and continued on his explanation, describing how he was the one that turned Suzanne into a torchic and wiped her of her memory.

All I could see was red as tears streamed down my face and my body shivered in fright from the pitch-black pokemon's gaze. Oh how I wished Suzanne was here with me.

"Join me." He said in a devious tone. "I'll make all your suffering go away. I'll fix the cracks in your heart and I'll tear away all your sorrows."

I stared at him, wide-eyed. A wish that just seemed too surreal to be true. It was so tempting, anything to get rid of the pain in my heart.

"Don't listen to him," Cresselia's voiced echoed beside me, "he's tricking you."

"Don't listen to her, what has she ever done for you? Has she done anything to relieve your pain, your plagues of woe? Why trust her?"

"Says the being that started all of this!" Cresselia snapped in a low, aggravated tone.

She was right, he was the one that started all of this in first place. But then at the same time it was the very reason that I met Suzanne in the first place. No, he caused pain to Suzanne, I can't take his side after doing such a thing to my friend!

"No Darkrai, your reign of terror ends here!" I shouted in a quivering voice.

His expression grew dark and I found myself shaking again. Before I knew it, his goons appeared and Cresselia and I were attacked from all sides.

It was over now, truthfully. Darkrai escaped through the time-warp hole but not before Palkia, the deity of Space, released a powerful Spacial Rend directly after him, shattering the hole upon impact.

Now, I continue my job as a member of the Wigglytuff's Guild and accept jobs that force us through those special mystery dungeons.

But none of it was the same, not without Suzanne at least.

It took me so long to find the courage to continue my duty as an explorer again, but I had my other friends at the guild and their encouragement helped me over my fears and self-esteem.

I started off with something easy and comfortable, taking a job in the Miracle Sea where water-types are always welcome. It was a simple rescue mission early on in the mystery dungeon and seemed like a perfect start for my rehabilitation.

But it wasn't until on the third floor of the Miracle Sea dungeon did I find myself constantly pivoting to look around me, as if something was always watching me at every second. Granted, there were a lot of pokemon in the dungeon and I was probably being paranoid after just getting back into doing jobs, but the feeling never went away. By the time I got to the stairs though, I noticed a black figure hovering by another corridor on the other side of the room. I stared at it, a little terrified by it, but no-less continued my way towards the stairs.

As I was about to ascend the stairs, a dark voice broke the silence. "You, are you part of that...guild?"

I froze. That voice. I know that voice. I hastily turned around and stared at the corridor the shadow once loomed over but saw that it was now empty. I felt something grab my shoulder and I instantly jumped in surprise, flinging myself away from the unknown pokemon. I fell to the ground, my pack still by my side, when I looked and saw myself staring at the nightmare pokemon itself, Darkrai.

"I didn't mean to startle you." He replied in a solemn tone.

I gazed at him in confusion. Doesn't he remember me? I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him - to perhaps - regain his memory or attack me or something, but he only cocked his head to the side in confusion and crossed his arms impatiently.

"Well, are you?"

"A-am I what?" I inquired awkwardly.

"In that, uh...giggily guild, or whatever it's called?" He pressed.

I eyed him suspiciously. "Don't you remember me?"

He gave me a weird look and shook his head. "No. Should I?"

Maybe it's a different Darkrai? No, there's only one of every legendary. Then maybe Cresselia was right back then, after Darkrai escaped and was hit by that Spacial Rend; "He might end up like Suzanne, he might lose his memory and not recall anything that has happened."

"Now that I think about it," Darkrai spoke, bringing me out of my thoughts, "I don't really remember anything, except for a couple of personal things. I think I might have hit my head on something…"

That confirms it, he really lost his memory.

"But that's why I want to know about that Guild."

"Why?" I questioned.

"Because, I want to join." He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

I instantly stood up straight and gawked at the pokemon before me. Is he serious?

"What?"

"Nothing." I answered rashly, shaking my head. What would Suzanne do?

"I heard you guys go all over the place, helping others and capture thugs and stuff, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, meeting different pokemon and places might help me get my memory back." He explained innocently.

The last thing I want is for him to regain his memories and then cause more trouble, but at the same time, he also might turn over a new leaf and join for the good of the cause. Maybe even then, once he regains his memories, he'll still stay on the side of good, once he meets friends and right his wrongs. It's worth a shot, I can't risk him going somewhere else and then regain his memories without having the chance to experience the good things that comes from doing good.

What else can I do?

"Well," I began shyly, "I'm short a team member. You can join my team."

"Really?!" He asked excitedly. "It would mean the world to me."

Even as he is right now, it feels wrong to take action after what he has done to me and Suzanne, but I know she would forgive him though. She was that kind of person I always admired, quick to forgive and forget.

I smiled. "Of course, but you gotta stick by my side from now on. Is that clear?"

He nodded. "Anything."

It wasn't long before I returned back to the guild with Darkrai. They were all surprised at first, which was expected, but they grew on him immediately once they knew he lost his memory and was looking for a sort of 'redemption' - or at least that's how they saw it. He was then officially made a part of my team and we grew close, closer than I had ever imagined, considering his complicated past.

Over time though, I could no longer tell if he ever regained his memory or not. He no longer seemed fazed by anything. But I wasn't worried, that happy glint in his eye was genuine and it made me happy to feel that giving him a chance was the right choice after all.

But I still miss Suzanne, and I'm sure Darkrai picked up on it, but hasn't said a thing about it. Instead, he would always change the subject and talk about the funniest things I never thought would come out of him. It was like the old him never existed.

I guess pokemon are very capable of doing anything, whether it's turning over a new leaf...or learning to forgive or forget...or remembering to smile whenever you remember your friend's passing. We're capable.

A/N: Obviously it's placed in a slightly different universe than the normal Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time ending, but I like it better this way. Thanks for reading. Please review if you have any questions or comments you want to share.

Kairi =^.^=