Chapter 4: Heading out

"I forbid it!" Whim's mother shouted.

"It's happening whether you like it or not mother!" Whim shouted back.

"No! I will not have it!" her mother yelled. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time your used that power of yours?"

"Those were not Dusknoir's Sableye! They were just a gang of thieves!" Whim hollered.

"I don't care! I will not allow you to run around doing such a dangerous task!" her mother yelled.

"I run around all the time! You let me travel all alone all the time! You let me go to Cliff Village by myself!" Whim cried.

"This is different! And much more dangerous!" Whim's mother said.

"How? Grovyle will be with me!" Whim replied.

"And where is this Grovyle?" her mom demanded to know.

"He's at grandmother's house, getting his bag repaired." Whim answered.

"Delia! Of course she'd meddle in such a deadly affair." Her mom growled.

"She's willing to see a better future for everyone! Why aren't you?" Whim asked.

"Things are fine the way they are!" her mother replied angrily.

"Fine the way they are?" Whim repeated, utterly dumbfounded. Whim stared at her mother as though she were looking at a stranger. She felt rage build up in her and she stormed over to a window and flung aside the curtain.

"You look out this window and try to say that again." Whim snarled. "Every day one to three people get sick! Every other week one of them dies! Everyday there is less food, less medicine, less supplies! Soon there will be more attacks by not only Pokémon but people too!"

"Time is running out! Nothing grows mother! Nothing has since time stopped! If nothing is done soon, if I don't take this chance to change everything, everyone will die! Pokemon will outlast us but only by perhaps months! Even Primal Dialga will perish without food but he just can't see that in his madness!" By the end of her speech Whim was screaming and her mother had turned white.

"She's right, Holly." Both turned to see Whim's grandmother and Grovyle in the doorway. "She needs to do this now, there will never be a chance to change things after this, this is everyone's last chance at a better life." Whim's grandmother said.

"She could get killed doing this!" Holly cried.

"I'll protect her! I won't allow that to happen." Grovyle said.

"Holly, it's time for things to change. It's as Whim said, we are all doomed if things continue this way. They are our salvation, let them save us." Whim's grandmother said.

"Delia, I can't just let her wander off and not know what's become of her I can't do that!" Holly said sitting down at the table.

"She can do this, don't worry so much." Delia put a hand on Holly's head and picked up Whim's hand. "I know she can do this, she will succeed." She looked at Whim. "Because at this point in time failure really just isn't an option."

"Yeah, no pressure or anything, thanks grandma." Whim said dryly.

"No problem dear." Delia replied patting her granddaughter's hand. Whim rolled her eyes and gave her grandmother a hug. Then she turned to her mom and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"I can do this mom. Just you wait and see, I'll change everything!" Whim glanced back at Grovyle. "We will change everything." She turned back to her mom. "Everything will get better! You'll see sunlight! You'll be able to feel the wind, see how green and beautiful the world can truly be. Just trust me, mom! Let me do this!" Her mother took a deep breath and smiled a sad smile.

"Alright, go follow your destiny. I'll be wishing the very best for you." She said as she hugged her daughter.

"Thanks mom." Whim said as she stood up. Delia handed Whim a wrapped up item.

"Don't forget this, remember to look for Treeshroud Forest first." Delia said.

"Alright grandma will do." Whim said as she put it in her Treasure Bag. The three women had a quick group hug and then Whim and Grovyle headed out.


"Where is Treeshroud Forest from here?" Grovyle asked as he followed Whim. Whim turned around with the Wonder Map open in her hands.

"According to my grandmother we are over here." Whim pointed to a rock formation in the southeast corner of the map. "We're right next to this waterfall."

"What's the waterfall called? I see something written there." Grovyle said as he studied the map.

"Hmm, not sure some of the writing is worn away." Whim answered as she turned the map around to study it some more. "I can make out 'Fog' and 'Lake' quite clearly but not the middle part. Oh well, Fog Lake it is." Whim studied the map some more. "It looks like Treeshroud Forest is way up there." Whim pointed it out to Grovyle.

"So we need to travel North." Grovyle said. "What's that place called now?"

"I have no idea, I've never really traveled very far away from my hometown." Whim said as she put away her map.

"What was in that cloth that your grandmother handed you?" Grovyle asked as they headed down a steep incline.

"It's what first triggered my Dimensional Scream. It's called the Drought Stone, but even though I know it's connected to the Time Gears I don't know how it's connected." Whim answered. "Wanna see it?"

"Sure." Grovyle said. Whim stabilized herself on the steep slope by putting her foot on a rock jutting out of the slope. She pulled out her package and as she started to untie the knots the rock she had her foot on cracked and broke off! Causing Whim to fall and loose her grip on the package.

"Whim!" Grovyle shouted as he grabbed her arm stopping her from tumbling down the hill.

"I'm fine get the stone!" Whim cried as she held on to a tree root. Grovyle leapt over her and charged after the Drought Stone. The bindings around it came off and the red stone became exposed. Grovyle kept his eye on the red stone as it bounced just out of reach ahead of him. He was so focused on the rock that he didn't see the Pokémon going after him.

"Grovyle look out!" Whim's scream made him look up. A Murkrow had seen the shiny rock and was headed for it.

"I don't think so!" Grovyle growled. "Quick Attack!" Grovyle shot forward and grabbed the stone. What? It's warm! Grovyle didn't have much time to ponder the stone as the Murkrow began to attack him. Grovyle dodged its Wing Attack and used Slam to drive it into the ground. The leaves on Grovyle's arm glowed green and turned into a long blade that Grovyle used on the Murkrow as it turned to use Peck on him.

"That's Leaf Blade! Good job Grovyle!" Whim called out as she began to move down toward them. Seeing this Grovyle turned and threw the stone toward her. "Eek!" Whim sputtered as she juggled it for a moment before catching it. "Hey! Warn a girl before you do that!" She yelled as Grovyle returned his attention to Murkrow. Whim returned the stone to the bag.

"Whim! Look out!" Whim jerked her head up at Grovyle's shout. The Murkrow had slipped past him and was headed for her!

"Yikes!" Whim grabbed the first item her hand touched and threw it at the Murkrow. The Foe-Hold Orb struck it in the head and paralyzed it. "Phew!" Whim breathed as she slid down the slope to Grovyle's side. "Well that was unexpected," Whim said as she bent over to pick up the wrapping from the Drought Stone.

"Slam!" Whim turned around to see Grovyle knock out the Murkrow.

"Was that really necessary?" She asked disapprovingly.

"I don't want to risk it following us or calling any friends." Grovyle replied.

"Just don't overdo anything ok?" Whim said as she stepped off the slope onto a path.

"I'll do what's necessary to complete this mission." Grovyle told her as he walked beside her down the path. Whim sighed as they walked over a small hill. "This is Foggy Forest." Whim paused and then pulled out the map again. "What is it?"

"That name sounded familiar." Whim said as she studied it. "Look, see here? This Fog Lake is in the middle of Foggy Forest." Grovyle studied the area she pointed to.

"It seems the name hasn't changed from what it used to be." He commented.

"I can see why." Whim said a little dryly as she looked at the fog covered forest in front of her.

"Well, let's go." Grovyle said as he headed toward the forest.


I'm sooooooo sorry that it took me so long to update. Family drama + holiday = a lot of distractions

But I got it up before the new year! :D Yay me!

Don't be afraid to ask me questions!

Please Review!