A/N: You know the drill, I don't own Pokémon. Pokémon is the property of Nintendo, Gamefreak, and the Pokémon Company. No matter how many times I rub a lamp wishing for a genie to pop out and make me the owner, no, I still don't. Hope y'all enjoy!
The present was safe, everything had returned to normal. The guild members went back to normal adventuring, the threat of Primal Dialga almost forgotten by all. Almost.
Everyone in Wigglytuff's Guild knew that there was one remaining Pokémon from the future, Pikachu. Dialga had spared her at Vulpix's wish after banishing all other Pokémon from the future. Pikachu and Vulpix didn't forget, and never would.
The Poképals were comfortably sleeping in their beds after a long and unrelenting day of exploring dungeons and tracking down fugitives. Pikachu woke up to get some water when suddenly her ears shot up. She looked around and saw a shadow move. She let out a low growl then heard a small giggle. The shadow rose up over Vulpix then bent down and picked her up, slinging her sleeping body over its shoulder, still giggling. It then swiftly ran over to Pikachu and before she knew it punched her face. It then draped her over its other shoulder like a sack of potatoes, grinning wide.
Pikachu blinked awake, eyes slowly opening. She looked around the dark, cold, unfamiliar room. There were a few dim candles scattered across the room. She looked straight once more when she was done examining, only to be met with a face grinning maniacally. A claw slid under Pikachu's chin and a voice hissed "You are not a special savior of time, you are a mass murderer who killed a whole generation! You took away my friends and family... But now, now you will feel my pain!" The Pokémon laughed then continued "As the 'future' dissolved, I found Dialga's shadow. It screamed in pain, I went to it, it told me of you, it told me of the power I could gain. Primal Dialga's power is mine, together we will bring back what deserves to live, and decimate what doesn't." The Pokémon shook Pikachu while laughing then said "YOU AREN'T THE ONLY ONE! I SURVIVED TOO! Hehehe... You all will suffer..." The wild smile on Zoroark's face was that of someone driven insane. He pulled forth a broken orb that glowed red and blue. His eyes glowed crimson and dark orange lines ran down his body. A red broken gear shape appeared on his forehead.
Vulpix woke up and tried to rub her eyes, but couldn't. She grumbled, but then her awareness was back and she heard laughing. She looked for the source and found Zoroark laughing in her partner Pikachu's face. They were both tied to pillars. Zoroark stopped laughing then left the room, leaving Pikachu and Vulpix alone and in silence. Pikachu's face was that of a someone who was confused. Vulpix had no idea what went on while she dozed, but it must have been bad to shake her partner so badly.
Pikachu was still shocked at everything Zoroark had said, she wasn't the only one from the future left... And of course, the other remaining Pokémon happened to be a psycho, and not Grovyle, man, luck stinks. She then remembered she had learned the move 'dig', which would be useful for their escape. She bent her head down and gnawed away at the ropes that bound her hands to the pillar. They began to fray then snapped. She went over to Vulpix and repeated the process on her ties. Once they both were freed, Pikachu began to dig a tunnel, just like when they escaped Dusknoir. Vulpix followed Pikachu down into the dark tunnel. The shoved dirt at the entrance to attempt to hide their tracks.
They came out, their fur covered in sand, on a beach. The thing was, it wasn't the beach they were used to. The sea crashed down onto Pikachu and Vulpix, washing the grit out of their fur. They looked around. There was a wooden hut on one side of the small island, that must've been the place they had been held captive in. On a rock, there were paintings of red broken gears, just like the one that appeared on Zoroark's forehead. They saw Zoroark walk towards the hut from out of some brush, berries in his claws. The Poképals ducked behind a large jagged stone and quietly observed. They jumped up when they heard a screech come from inside the hut. The door was thrown open and banged against the wall with a loud thud. Zoroark came rushing out as quick as a Quick Attack. Pikachu grabbed Vulpix and dragged her down into a new tunnel. Not a minute too soon, Zoroark ran across the beach, red eyes scanning for any yellow or orange fur. Zoroark found no signs of the Poképals, so he rapidly dashed over to the other side of the island.
Pikachu and Vulpix remerged from the sand and sighed in relief. Pikachu whispered "Pixy, we have to stop this maniac, he wants to... He wants to get rid of the present and bring back the old future... He has Primal Dialga's power... We need to rid of Zoroark's orb, that must contain the power."
Vulpix looked at her partner, confused since she hadn't heard Zoroark's speech. She asked "Um... May you please fill me in?"
Pikachu looked at her then sighed and said "Oh right, you were sleeping... Well, here's the short version. Zoroark didn't disappear with the other future Pokémon, he is very angry at us for changing the future and making all of the Pokémon there disappear. So now he wants to get revenge and bring them back. Also, he has the power of Primal Dialga, though he luckily doesn't know exactly how to use it. I think the Shadow is teaching him how though, so we need to hurry and destroy that orb."
Vulpix still didn't exactly understand, but she nodded anyways. Vulpix smiled and said "We really don't have to worry, we'll do this together, just like last time. We will defeat this not so new evil, together. Go Poképals!"
Pikachu nervously smiled back at Vulpix and slowly raised her fist, she was not entirely assured, but comforted. Pikachu responded by saying "Yeah..."
Pikachu and Vulpix whipped around as they heard a sound behind them. Instead of Zoroark as they expected, they saw a Grovyle. Pikachu and Vulpix's heads were suddenly flooded with memories of their old friend Grovyle. The newcomer waved to them then walked into a suspiciously large bush. The Poképals followed cautiously, for it could be a trap.
They entered the bush not to see trap crashing into them, but a nest and a bunch of fruits. Grovyle motioned for them to come sit with near the nest. They came and sat down to form a little triangle.
Grovyle began to speak, "Listen, you guys probably don't trust me, which you shouldn't, but I am your best chance at getting off this cursed island and stopping that mad Pokémon. So ya better listen up. You have probably figured this out already, but that orb, Arceus curse it, is corrupting Zoroark and supplying him power. So you also have probably thought 'Well, if we destroy that little orb, this'll all be over and we can go back to butterflies and rainbows and friends!' But sorry to break it to ya, that ain't the case. We have to destroy the broken gear because Zoroark had absorbed the orb's Arceus cursed spirit! The broken gear is what roots that spirit to this world and if we destroy it WAPOW! Zoroark loses his extra power and another crisis is averted!"
The Poképals nervously nodded at Grovyle's speech. They silently agreed that he was telling the truth, as all the evidence added up. They also had too much rotten luck for things to be easy. So then Pikachu asked, "Well, um, where would the broken gear be?"
Grovyle replied in his gruff tone, "The broken gear ain't on this island, that's for sure. If it was it'd be smashed to pieces by your's truly by now. It's on your home island in a little cave on a cliff. Somewhere stuck in the rocks."
Pikachu nodded then Vulpix asked, "So, how do you know that sir?"
Grovyle looked at her and stated, "I used to live o'er there! I was a great member of Wigglytuff's Guild with my partner Zoroark before he went insane! We were called the Shadow Breakers! I would have destroyed the gear then if I knew what the Groudon it was. Back then I just thought it was some cool cave art from a long time ago."
Pikachu and Vulpix both nodded. They knew what cave he was talking about and that little gear. It had always puzzled them why there was a split gear image on the wall, well more like in the wall.
Grovyle continued, "Well, now that I got you two save the world veterans, we can finally get rid of that insane spirit thingy! I already built a really good raft! I was just waiting for this moment to arrive! Off to save the world, again! The world really should thank its inhabitants for all the saving of it they do..."
Grovyle happily marched out of the house bush followed by the Poképals. That's when it struck Pikachu. She facepalmed then said, "Why didn't I think of this before? Our friend Lapras can help us! I'm sure she will!"
Grovyle frowned at the fact that they wouldn't be using his raft he made, but shrugged it off and followed Pikachu down to the shore. Pikachu took a deep breath before screaming, "LAPRASWENEEDYOURHELPRIGHTNOWTOSAVETHEWORLDAGAIN!"
After yelling, Pikachu began panting to regain her breath. Grovyle thought that would never work, no way in the Dark Crater, but it worked against all the numerous odds.
A blue head popped out of the sea and began coming towards the beach. The gang ran up to Lapras and explained them Lapras agreed to help them out. They were taking off when they heard a screech from behind. The all looked back simultaneously to see Zoroark screaming his insane head off. They had to laugh at the sight of the ridiculous maniac jumping up and down, banging his fist in the sand the licking them because the sand cut them.
It took them about half a day to get back to the Poképals' home island. It turns out Grovyle has seasickness. It was hard to tell by just looking, for his face was naturally green, but when he started wretching into the sea, well that just was all they needed. He was still a bit wobbly when they reached the town.
As soon as Bidoof saw the Poképals, he ran towards them, attacking them with a flurry of concerned questions. They did their best to answer them in a way that would calm Bidoof instead of agitate him more. When Bidoof asked them where they were going, they responded by telling him they were taking a request. Bidoof replied to that by saying "But I never saw you take a request form..."
Bidoof then came to the conclusion that the Poképals were secretly ninjas and had gone off to ninja school and that is why he didn't see them take an assignment. Yup! He needed to write in his diary about this...
The group sighed in relief as they left Bidoof behind. He was sweet, but today was quite a pest. They trekked up the slope and then came to the bush that covered the not really secret anymore entrance to the cave in Sharpedo's Bluff. They threw it aside and began climbing down the ladder. The beds from when the Poképals lived down there were laid out near the mouth. They looked at the back, but saw no sign of the gear.
Grovyle brushed his hand against the wall removing the dust. Beneath it was the unmistakable image of a gear. Grovyle began using Razor Leaf on the wall until the stupid gear fell to the ground with a dull thud. Pikachu then walked up to it and smashed it to smithereens with Iron Tail. Pikachu was about to pick the dust up and throw it into the sea when an earsplitting shriek rang through the air. Pikachu froze then collapsed onto the ground and her world went dark.
Pikachu woke up to see Zoroark with the broken gear symbol on his forehead and red eyes. Pikachu was about to scream It didn't work! the cold and distorted voice of Primal Dialga left the mouth of Zoroark saying, "I am now without a place to reside in, this host won't let me stay past this battle. I will now fight you to wipe your mind from your body and take your body for my own. Then me and Zoroark can make the perfect future. Together."
The possessed Zoroark grinned and Pikachu growled. She wouldn't let that happen. She would defeat Primal Dialga again. Even if it did mean actually disappearing. Which this one probably didn't.
Zoroark threw a Shadow Ball at Pikachu who barely dodged it by a hair's length. Pikachu called upon the power of all her friends the charged at Zoroark with a Volt Tackle. Zoroark side stepped the powerful move and countered with Dark Pulse.
Pikachu was flung backwards and hit the pillar that had so conveniently appeared at this moment. She coughed then sprung off the pillar and aimed a Thunder at Zoroark. Zoroark dodged the incoming attack with a Warp Orb then was suddenly behind Pikachu. He swiped her back with a Shadow Claw before gracefully leaping away. He then used a move that only one Pokémon was supposed to know. Zoroark released a bloodcurdling roar and Pikachu froze and became filled with pain. Zoroark had just used Roar of Time. She couldn't move as Zoroark landed a perfect punch on her face. After that she regained the ability to move. Suddenly Vulpix was there beside her, throwing Flame Thrower after Flame Thrower at Zoroark's face. She was snarling, "Don't you dare touch my best friend, you scum Raticate!"
Zoroark fell to the ground, his face torched. Primal Dialga's voice screeched, "NOOOO! This can't really be happening!" With that, Zoroark vanished from Pikachu's mind. Vulpix was soon to follow.
Pikachu awoke to the sound of a gruff voice chatting with a quiet one. Pikachu opened her eyes and saw Vulpix telling Grovyle what had happened with Zoroark in Pikachu's mind. Pikachu said, "Thank you for what you did back there, Pixy... I was getting my butt kicked and then you saved me. Thank you."
Vulpix blushed then replied, "It was nothing... It was the least I could do for all times you helped me out of a rough spot."
None of them seemed to even wonder at why Vulpix was able to get into Pikachu's mind.
Grovyle wrapped his arms around the two of them and said, "You both did great! We all saved the world together! Now planet, I think that now would be the perfect time to throw a little party for us. It's like the 10th time these little saps have saved you!"
The captive Poképals squealed indignantly at being called 'little saps'. Grovyle laughed at the two of them then said, "I gotta leave ya two now, gotta go see how Zoroark's doin' now, I'll write y'all later, ok?"
They nodded and then Grovyle released them and ran out of the cave yelling, "Heeere I come former maniacal partner! Grovyle's comin' ta get ya!" The poor Pokémon strolling around the market stared at the excited Grovyle with surprised looks on their faces.
The Poképals sighed at Grovyle's childish behaviour then went to go back to the guild. Bidoof probably told everyone they were coming back and then the other guild members would have probably decided on a welcome home party... Welp, only downside of having a lot of friends who care. The Poképals headed back to the guild, expecting a surprise.
The End!
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this story! Please leave a review on your way out!