With each step, I felt heavier. I wasn't sure why…It wasn't painful, something was just…off.

Suddenly, the ground shuddered. Karu stopped walking, so I bumped into him. He held my head with his tail. "Yikes. Another tremor…?" he asked himself. "Strange. You okay, Airashii?"

I smiled at him weakly. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "It's okay. Don't worry about it…Let's get out of here. I think it's calmed down…" I nodded. He continued to walk, and I trotted along behind him. Okay, now it hurt. With every step I took, pain shot up my legs.

What's wrong with me…? Why can't I move so well…?

Then I remembered.

What…Dusknoir and Grovyle told me.

As if on cue, I noticed a small bubble of light out of the corner of my eye.

No.

Not now…

With Karu…here…?

I tried to shake it off, and keep up with Karu. But it was useless. More little bubbles began to fill my sight. I couldn't even see Karu's back anymore. That's when I fell. The pain…was so strong.

I screamed for him. "K-Karu…! Karu!"

He immediately came into my sight, and gasped when he saw me. "Airashii?"

"K-Karu. Listen. There's not much time left…"

His ears dropped. "Airashii? You're glowing…? What's the matter with you?"

"Well," I said. "I'm dying…"

He scrambled to my side, and lifted me up. "Wh-what? Dying…?" He didn't understand. I didn't blame him. It had been hard for me to understand it all too.

"Karu. When you left….to activate the Rainbow Stoneship, Dusknoir said…that Pokemon of the future would be erased from existence, if history was changed…a-and…we changed it…"

It's like a light bulb went off. He understood. "I-I get it."

I looked down. Away from his eyes. I couldn't bare to see them.

"Why, Airashii…?" His voice cracked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew that you wouldn't do it."

"Of course I wouldn't! I wouldn't kill you!"

"I'm sorry." I said. I'm sorry for not telling you. But it's too late now, Karu."

He put me down. I cringed at the lack of warmth. Without him holding me, I felt so cold….

"N-no." tears filled up his eyes. "I can go back! I can climb back up Temporal Tower!" he pointed behind me towards it. "I'll rip those time gears out if I have to!" He ran past me.

"Karu…are you insane? Stop!"

"I can't! I've gotta save you, Airashii!"

"Karu!"

He finally stopped.

"Karu, come back…please."

He turned around. Tears were streaming down his face, over his cheeks, making them crackle with electricity. "I can't just let you die in front of me…"

"Please come here…I'd be gone by the time you'd even make it to the midpoint."

He hung his head in defeat, and ran back towards me.

"Don't go…please…" he pleaded.

I lowered my head. "Take it."

He knew what I was referring to. "Your scarf…?" He sniffled.

"Please take it. Something to remember me by."

He unraveled it off my neck, and wrapped it around his.

"Karu I-"

He stopped me when he wrapped me in his arms.

I took in his scent, and the warmth of his fur. I wanted it to be the last thing I felt. The pain throbbed throughout my body, but his hug made it all right.

"I love you, Airashii…"

My eyes shot open, even though all I could see was light. I felt them water. I finally got to hear it, but now it was too late.

"I love you too, Karu."

His voice crying out, and the smell of his fur were the last things I knew.

The light consumed me. And then I was lost to the world.