I ran from the library, chased by the ghost Pokémon of this world. I couldn't see much but the little I could see in the darkness kept me from tripping over the roots of dead trees. Quickly, I hid behind a boulder before the ghosts could see and waited until I heard them pass me to let out a deep breath. I panted, each breath I took was cold and froze my lungs. After several minutes I took one more deep breath and relaxed.

"Where are you going, shortie?" I heard a voice from behind the boulder. It was obviously not a human's voice. All the humans in this world lived with me. Slowly I peeked from the boulder.

It was obvious the Gengar was the leader of the trio. Gastly and Haunter were simply there to cheer him on.

"Come on, hand over that berry there." The Gengar stuck out his hands but after several moments of not getting anything he frowned.

I knew I shouldn't interfere but whatever the defenseless Pokémon was needed help. I rummaged through my backpack and found my precious item, my Luminous Orb. Slowly I inched my way toward the side of the boulder.

"Fine then!" Gengar went for the attack.

I acted as quickly as I could. I ran out and dropped the orb blinding everyone including myself but I couldn't let that bother me. I grabbed a pokémon's hand and hid back behind the boulder before the flash of light could disappear. I couldn't see in the darkness after that so I simply sat against the boulder, holding the Pokémon victim to my chest, and listened.

"What was that, boss?"

"I don't know." It was Gengar. "He's gone! That sneaky…he stole our berry!"

I listened to his footsteps disappear. My eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and I could see as clearly as a human can see in darkness.

"Um…y-you can let me go now." The voice was small. I looked down at the victim I saved. It was a Treeko! Excitement bubbled up in my heart. You never see grass Pokémon anymore! The only Pokémon that I ever saw was ghost and dark type Pokémon.

"Excuse me?"

"S-sorry!" I whispered and put him down. "I got so excited to see a Pokémon that wasn't a ghost." Treeko looked at me with suspicious and wary eyes. "What did you take from them?"

"Nothing! I found it out in the open!" A twig snapped behind him and he hid behind me.

"Ashton?" I heard a deep and warm voice.

"Over here, Nate!" I turned to Treeko. I couldn't leave him out here. "Stay quiet!" I whispered as I shoved him into my backpack. I turned quickly hugging the book to my chest.

"My gods, Ashton, you had us worried!" My brother took my arm and half dragged me toward home. The dull lights of several lamps burned in the distance.

A felt Treeko in my backpack fighting to get out. I could feel him kicking my back but I didn't let it bother me. All Pokémon I brought home never liked me at first. I don't think I would like anyone who stuffed me in a backpack either.

I twisted out of Nate's arm at the sign of father and ran up to him. "I found it!" I held up the book to him but he only slapped it away. He was angry.

"You risked your life for a stupid book?" He screamed. Everyone ran into their huts. Nobody liked my father's wrath and if you could you avoided it and him. Unless, of course, you were me.

I stomped my foot. "It isn't stupid! It could help us!"

"You are wasting your time trying to change a future that cannot be changed! You disobeyed me again!" He raised his hand. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain, I braced myself against it. Father cried out in pain and I opened my eyes. The timid Treeko that was hiding in my backpack left a mark on my father's hand. He had somehow gotten out. Quickly I picked him up and held him close before father could hurt him. "You brought another one?" He screamed.

"He needed my help!"

"Everyone needs help. You don't need to help anyone outside of this village!" Everyone started to creep out of their huts to take a look at the new Pokémon friend I brought home. We stared each other down for a few long minutes.

Treeko squirmed from my arms and grabbed my book for me.

"We shall discuss this later." He walked away.

"You should go to Ruth's house." Nate whispered to me.

I agreed and picked up the Treeko and ran to the house at the edge of the lights. I didn't bother knocking anymore I simply just walked in. The house always smelled like soup. Her house was the only warm house in the world.

I set Treeko down. "I'm sorry about that but I didn't want you getting hurt anymore out there."

Treeko looked away, folding his arms. His personality had totally changed. He went from timid to a "tough" Pokémon.

The old woman appeared from her room. She smiled when she saw me. "Oh child, what friend did you bring today?" She scooped the soup into three bowls and handed me one. When she presented Treeko one he refused to take it. "If you don't take it now you'll never get any." She warned.

He took the bowl and started to eat. I smiled. It was good to see the grass Pokémon eat. I happily ate my soup.

"So, what book did you bring back this time?" Ruth loved the stories that I told because of these books.

"Today I am telling about the Time Gears. Back when time was not just controlled by Dialga." I put down the soup and opened the book. I felt Treeko try to sneak a peek without letting anyone know but he failed. I scooped him up and put him in my lap. The books had pictures that probably had vibrant colors at one point but with only artificial light there were only dull colors.

"There were five Time Gears in total," I read. It was all in Unknown runes but I could read them perfectly. They were based off of the human alphabet after all. Treeko stared at the runes in awe and even traced the A rune. I smiled and continued. "Although the whereabouts are currently unknown the story is not. Long, long ago after Dialga and the Temporal Tower were attacked by ruthless Pokémon, Dialga set out to protect himself, the Tower, and Time. He hid Temporal Tower in a place known as the Hidden Lands. The only way to this was proof, with that proof you could summon the guardian of the Hidden Lands and he will take you to the Hidden Lands and Temporal Tower. He feared that because he did this time would eventually unbalance itself so he set in safeguards called the Time Gears and scattered them across the land. They control the flow of time around five regions. If they all should be taken time would temporarily stop. They could be replaced back to where you found them or taken to Temporal Tower and placed in a tablet and all would be normal again. However nobody knew this because the legend had been lost…and that is how the planet's paralysis became and Primal Dialga was born."

I left the book open for Treeko to stare at.

"The planet's future can be changed." I said to Ruth. "I am going to change that with or without my father's help."

"It would be better to have more help than to do all of this by yourself. A twelve year old girl shouldn't bear this burden on her shoulders alone." Ruth took our bowls and started to clean.

I sighed. She was right. Without any help I may as well go on a mission that will take a lifetime to complete.

"I'll help you." I heard Treeko say. He was fascinated with the pictures.

"How will we convince the village?" I asked him.

"We'll just have to make a speech. Everyone respects you because you stand up to your father. He's kind of mean so maybe they'll listen to you." He stared up at me. His grass green eyes pierced mine.

I hugged him tightly. A flash went off and I looked up at Ruth. She smiled and handed me a picture. "You need a reminder of the nice moments such as these." She tells me as she hands me the sepia picture.

I grinned and took out the braid. My hair rolled down in black waves. Outside the lamp lights turned off. It was curfew.

"Tomorrow we will convince everyone to help us." I told Treeko. "And with or without them we will travel the world and we will learn everything we can about the past. And we'll find out how to travel back in time." I laid on the ground and watch Treeko stare blankly at the book. Hope gleamed in his eyes. "And when we come back we will no longer be chased by Pokémon."

Treeko frowned and looked at me. "Were they evil Pokémon?"

I shook my head and closed my eyes. "They were simply Pokémon who have lost themselves to the darkness of this world. Everyone in this time has forgotten what light looks like."