HI, MINNA-SAN! Sorry for another long wait for update. Recently, I bought so many Pokémon games, including the PMD: Explore of Sky. I can't stop playing them. They are like a magnet to me. Besides, I want to play to the part that I get the Jukebox so that I can insert the music later.

But still, I'm really grateful for those who support me up until now. I hope that you guys are still out there reading this. Of course, I hope that those who haven't supported me yet will start supporting me from now on. Every day, I checked to see how many viewers I have. It seems that there are some readers that sometimes appear, not many, though. However, I'm really sad when not many people review for it. I would really appreciate if someone could spend some time writing a review for me. I accept all kinds of review. Reading a review makes my heart goes doki doki, because I know that someone likes it, or even if that person not like it, he or she can tell me what I can improve as well as fix error.

Well, enough of that. Let's get on with the story. Oh, and in this episode, there are lots of reference of a show that I watch. Can you guess what is it before reading the whole thing? Let's find out.


Ep 7: We're the Colossal Forest's guardian, Team Daylight.

Outlaw Castle

At the top of the snowy mountain in the north, the King of Outlaws, Akagi the Metagross, was plotting something in his mind. But when someone asked to enter, he stopped his calculation, and allowed them to get in. They were the Elite Dragons, and as usual, they came to report what they had achieved.

"Good day to you, sir," all of them kneeled before him.

"How is thing going?" the Metagross asked. "Have you found the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs yet?"

"Sir, we haven't been able to locate them yet," Kai, the Dragonite said. "All the outlaws over the world are doing to their best to find them".

"However, it will be hard for us, since we don't know how it is look like," Drake, the Salamence said. "There have been many false reports, and all they sent us were normal gemstone that can be found anywhere".

"It can't be help. I can't expect those lowlifes to know and understand how magnificent and glorious those Orbs can be," Akagi said passionately.

"Sir, have you ever seen them before?" Zane asked.

"See it? I touched them with my very own hand," he said as he looked at his claws. "I can't never forget that feelings. It was like I was touching the Legendary Pokémon myself… No, it was more like I had become one with them. Their heartbeat, their breathe,…I could feel all of them. That exciting feelings, I want to experience it again".

The Metagross was saying with full of passion. But he soon returned to the subject: "And that is why those Orbs must be retrieved as soon as possible, understand? And I don't allow failure for this".

"We understand, our King," all of them said.

"Oh, and by the way, Zane. What is the progress of the mission I gave you?" Akagi asked.

"W-what mission, sir?" The Hydreigon was trying to avoid talking about it during today report.

"I heard that you had sent a group to conquer Treasure Town. I believe that it is a success, is it not?"

"Um…About that, I'm afraid that… there are some obstacles during the mission…," he tried to find a way to talk about it, but the Garchomp interrupted.

"It's a failure, my King," Gary said as he grinned at the Hydreigon "The Pokémon in town somehow fought back and successfully protected the town".

"Is it true, Zane?" the Metagross looked calm, but his voice sounded angry.

"Yes… it is like Gary has said… But don't worry, my King. I will get another group and…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he shouted. "I don't want to waste any more time just to get another failure. Instead, just focus on finding those Orbs, got it?"

"Yes, sir. I promise I will bring good results to you this time," he bowed to the king.

"That's all for today. Dismiss," Akagi commanded.

After that, the Elite Dragon left the room, leaving only the Metagross in his room to continue with his plot. But there was something in his mind that made him couldn't concentrate.

"According to my calculation, there is no way those weak survivors of Treasure Town can fight back. So how…?" He thought. "I must investigate this further".

Meanwhile, outside the throne room, in a dark corner, Zane, the Hydreigon was really furious. He was so mad that he released a purple pulse that made a huge hole on the wall of the castle.

"Damn it! If only those weaklings surrendered and accepted their fate, the King wouldn't be mad at me. But what made me angrier is that Gary," he said. "Who does he think he is to make me look bad back there? I will surely pay you back".

"Calm down, would you?" a voice said. A figure was standing in the dark shadow at the end of the corner. Zane immediately recognized who it was, and answered.

"Lucifer, don't bother me right now. I'm not in the mood".

"I can easily see that, so there is no need for you to tell me. Besides, I already knew what was going on," he sneered, still standing in the shadow. "After all, living like a shadow helps me gather information".

"Oh, really? Then I guess you know where is those Orbs that the King is obsess to," Zane mocked him.

"Tch tch tch," he waved his finger around. "You should know better than that. If I found out where they are, you wouldn't even be an Elite Dragon. Oh wait, I guess we have to think another name, since I'm not a dragon after all".

"Enough! If you don't have anything to say, then leave, or I will release my anger on you," Zane threatened him.

"Fine, fine," he stepped further into the shadow. "And don't worry. If I find out where those orbs are, I will surely tell you. I found something more interesting to do".

An image of a certain Pikachu flashed through his head, and he snickered. "That kid will surely give me a great show to watch. All I need to do… is using the weakness in his heart".

Route Hajimaru

Team Poképals was on their way to their first destination, Colossal City. King and Geode were guiding at the front, while the rest of them were following behind. Dusknoir was walking, er… floating, next to Grovyle, and Yamato was walking next to Rio. Both of them were not even looking at each other, and had been silenced since they started traveling.

"Err… Am I imagining it… or…?" Rio asked, breaking the silence of the group. But Grovyle quickly grabbed him to the back.

"No, you are not imagining it," Grovyle whispered. "Listen, kid. We should leave them alone for now".

"But I can't stand watching those two like this," Rio said. "It has been days since we depart for our journey, and they haven't shown much progress".

"Look, this is something they have to settle by themselves. You may not understand, but a lot of thing happened between them, so I wouldn't be surprise if they keep being like this for years," Grovyle said, then patted on Rio's head. "Besides, don't worry too much. Knowing Yamato, I bet that he is thinking a way to be closer to him right now".

It was true. Yamato was too busy thinking that he didn't notice those two talking to each other.

"What should I do? What should I do?" he thought. "Think, Yamato, think. There must be a way to escape this awkwardness. Maybe if I ask him about the weather… No, that won't get me anywhere. Arghh".

"Nice weather, isn't it?" Dusknoir quietly said.

"Err…" Yamato surprised at the sudden question.

"Never mind. Just forget what I said," he quickly turned away.

"It looks like we are thinking the same thing," Yamato thought. "…But come to think of it, why do I want to befriend with him in the first place? He did all those horrible things to me and Rilu. He is the kind of person I hate most. Argghhh… I just don't know what I should do".

Dusknoir looked at how Yamato acted, and thought: "Maybe I did unnecessary thing again".

"We have arrived," King said as they stopped in front of the entrance to the forest.

"Great job, King. At least the subject has been changed," Yamato thought. He looked at the forest, and said: "Err…If I remember correctly, we are going to a city, not a forest, right?"

"That's right. But to get there, we have to cross this forest. The Colossal City just lies on the other side of it," King explained.

"But this forest is a Mystery Dungeon, so we must be well-prepared before entering it," Geode said.

At that time, Rio had an idea. He then told everyone: "Hey, how about we travel through the Mystery Dungeon in groups of two? In the future, we may find many situations that we are separated from each other, so we should practice how to work with the others"

"Well, I can't say that is a bad idea. It's true that we can't predict thing that may happen to us, so it's better to practice for any scenario we may meet," King said.

"Since I always travel with King, maybe I will try to do it with Grovyle this time," Geode said, then ask the green gecko. "Do you mind, Grovyle?"

"Not at all," Grovyle patted on his body.

"Then I will tag along with King," Rio said.

"Yeah, and I will see how well you are in battle," King said.

"Good luck on your trip, Rio," Yamato said, then looked around "Let's see, King and Rio, Grovyle and Geode, then that means…" Yep, it sure took him a while to figure it out. The only one left was Dusknoir, so he had to form a team with him.

"Wait a minute. How did I end up with Dusknoir?" Yamato thought.

"What's wrong, Yamato?" King said. "Could it be that you don't want to your teammate to be Dusknoir?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He thought, but of course, he couldn't say no in front of Dusknoir. It would hurt his feelings. He then said: "It's not like that. It's just ...," he looked at Dusknoir, then silenced.

"Well, if you don't want to, it's ok," Dusknoir said. "I can go alone like I used to in the past. You can go with the others".

"Great, now I'm look like the bad guy here," Yamato thought, then said: "Fine, I will go with you". He looked at the others, and saw how happy they showed on their faces. "Good job, guys. If this is not a set-up, then I swear I'm not Yamato Takahashi," he thought.

"Well then, we will enter first," Grovyle said as he walked away with Geode. "See you guys later on the other side, or maybe somewhere in this dungeon".

The rest of them waited for a while, then King and Rio picked up their Explorer Bags.

"It's our turn to enter. Come on, Rio," King said, and Rio quickly followed him.

"See you later, Yamato. Be nice with your teammate," the Rio cheerfully said.

Colossal Forest 1F

After Rio and King entered the dungeon, King said to him: "By the way, good job suggesting that idea. To be honest, I was thinking how to make them closer, too, so it's easy to play along with it".

"Hehe, thanks for the compliment," Rio scratched his head. "I just hope they will get along".

Colossal Forest Entrance

"You DO realize that they set up this, too, right?" Yamato said.

"…Yeah," Dusknoir quietly said. "But like I said, I can travel alone, and maybe so can you. So if you don't really want to stay with me, just say it, and I will leave you alone".

"Look, I don't really hate you or anything like that. It's just… I feel a little bit uncomfortable when you are with me," Yamato explained. "…But if you and I go separate way right now, I won't feel comfortable either, so let's just get through this dungeon as fast as we can, got it?"

"Got it!" Dusknoir said.

Colossal Forest 1F

Both of them entered the forest, and they were warped into the Mystery Dungeon. The Pikachu looked around, surveying the area. It looked like a tropical forest, with the tall trees formed into walls of the maze. He could hear some bird Pokémon chirping somewhere around there, too.

Yamato lead the team, while Dusknoir followed behind. The two navigated their way around the forest in silence. The only sound they made was the rustling sound while walking around on the grassy terrain. Soon, they found their way to the next floor.

Colossal Forest 4F

"Ok, this is more awkward than before," Yamato thought. "We have reached the fourth floor now, and neither of us has said anything. Even the wild Pokémon didn't notice us. Well, maybe it's good to not encounter any wild Pokémon, but this is too boring. Maybe I should start a conversation".

"Um…Hey, Dusknoir," he said.

"Yes?" Dusknoir replied.

"How… is your life after the Dialga incident?"

"My… life?" Dusknoir wondered. "Well, after being revived in the new world, the three of us, me, Grovyle and Celebi, built a house in Dusk Forest and lived there. At first, I declined their offer, but they kept asking me, so I eventually accepted. Oh, that reminds me, Celebi has the greatest soup in the world. There is a time that I wanted to learn her recipe. But she kept saying: 'The recipe is a secret, and I only share secret to my dear Grovyle. Tee hee', and things like that…".

"Pff…" Yamato held his laughter. "That surely sounds like Celebi".

Dusknoir was so into the story that he didn't notice who he was talking to at all.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I'm a little off track there," Dusknoir bowed his head and apologized.

"No, no, it's ok".

"It's weird… For a second there, I… can't feel... my hatred towards him…" Yamato thought. "Maybe this is a chance… for me to say it…"

Suddenly, the Pikachu stepped on something under the grass, and a net rose up, hanging him in the mid air.

"What is this? A trap?" Yamato said.

"Are you ok?" Dusknoir worriedly said. "I will get you out of there right away".

"FREEZE!" a group of voice shouted out at them.

Dusknoir looked behind, and a group consisted of four Pokémon: a Snivy, a Zorua, a Gligar, and a Joltik. They all have Explorer Badges on their chest, but the one on Joltik was much smaller.

"Finally, we have caught you, you evil outlaws," the small black wolf said.

"Eh? Outlaws?" Yamato was shocked. "I think you are misunderstanding something".

"Silence!" The Gligar shouted. "We have been searching you for days. You'd better tell us what you and your gang are plotting, or don't blame us for being harsh on you".

"Like I say… You guys are misunderstanding…" Yamato tried to explain, but was quickly interrupted.

"Now now, everyone," the Snivy said. "I know that our job is capturing the outlaws, but I think we should be more gentle".

"At least someone around here has good manner," the Pikachu groaned. "But how many times do I have to tell you that you are misunderstanding?"

"Oh Arceus!" the small Joltik shouted in happiness, then ran over Dusknoir. "Could you be… the Great Dusknoir?"

"Err…yes?" Dusknoir was surprised.

"I knew it. I can tell that just by looking at you. Dusknoir sir, I'm a big big big BIG fan of yours," he said as he jumped on Dusknoir's body and attached himself onto it.

"How can you know that he is the Great Dusknoir, Volt?" the Zorua asked. "If I remember correctly, that the famous explorer Dusknoir has disappeared a long time ago".

"I'm his biggest fan, so there is no way that I'm mistaking. He is totally different from any other Dusknoir," he exclaimed.

"But if it is true, then why he is with that outlaw?" the Snivy asked.

"Ah, I got it! The Great Dusknoir was chasing after that outlaw, and we coincidently help him with our trap," the Gligar said.

"Do I really look that evil?" Yamato thought, tears flowed out from his eyes like in an anime.

"Everyone, please listen to me," Dusknoir calmly said. "This Pikachu here is an explorer like me, so please let him go".

"If that is what the Great Dusknoir say, I will do it," Volt, the Joltik said as he jumped over the net, then bit on the rope. When the rope is cut off, the net fell down on the ground, along with Yamato.

" wow, can't you do it more gently?" he groaned.

But the Joltik, who had already attached himself onto Dusknoir again, and his team were guiding Dusknoir to the deeper part of the forest.

"Please follow us to our base, sir Dusknoir. It's our honor to have you as our guest," Joltik said.

"S-sure," he replied.

"I was completely ignored," Yamato thought as a breeze blew through the forest, then said: "Wait for me".

Collosal Forest Rest Stop

They soon arrived to the center of the forest. It was a spacy grassland, with a treehouse in the middle of it. The Snivy and his group climbed up the ladders and asked them to come in. Inside, there were some small beds in each corner of it and a round table in the middle, with some chairs around it.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," the Snivy formally said. "My name is Ivy. This little Joltik pal here is Volt".

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Dusknoir sir," Voltik said.

"This Gligar here is Spike. Despite his look and previous behavior, he is actually pretty timid. He just wants to act tough sometimes," Ivy smiled.

"Hey," Spike seemed displeased at what Ivy just said.

"Last, but not least is Dusk," he introduced the Zorua. "And when the four of us are together, we are…"

They quickly made a pose. Ivy stood in the middle, while Volt landed on his head, Dusk stood on his right side, and Spike on his left side.

"The Colossal Forest's Guardians, Team Daylight," all of them said.

"Another showy appearance," Yamato said. "Normally, I would be really excited, but because of the bad impression you made back there, I am not".

"Oh yeah, about that, we are really sorry for misjudge you. Please accept our deepest apology," Ivy said, extending a vine to him.

"Well, I guess I will just forget it then," the Pikachu scratched his head, then shook Ivy's vine. "I'm Yamato. Nice to meet you".

Yamato then noticed what was happening on the side. Volt was holding a piece of paper, which was a little bigger than him, with his two front legs and asked Dusknoir.

"Dusknoir sir, can you please sign me an autograph?"

"Err…I don't usually give autograph, but ok," Dusknoir took the paper, and picked up a pen on the table, then signed it for him. "Here you are. I'm glad to have a fan like you".

"Yay, thank you very much, sir," Volt received the autograph and jumped in happiness. "I will treasure this forever".

"Seriously, you are overreacting. I know that he is a great explorer, but you don't have to be too happy because of that," Dusk said.

"Come on, Dusk. It's not like we have a famous visitor every day. This is a rare chance for him, so just let him be," Spike said.

"That's right," Volt agreed. "This must be fate made by Arceus, letting me meet the biggest hero of my life".

Seeing the Joltik like that, a piece of memory suddenly flashed through Yamato's head, making his mood change.

"Are you ok, Yamato?" Ivy asked. "You look pale".

"I'm fine. Really, it's nothing," Yamato replied. "By the way, back there, you guys mention a gang of outlaws".

"Yeah, there have been reports about a group of outlaws lurking around this forest. They usually go into the city and make all kind of trouble there, then retreat back here," Ivy said.

"We have tried to follow them, but they always disappear, without leaving any single track," Spike continued.

"Just thinking those outlaws hiding around our own home make us furious," Dusk said. "That's why we set traps around the forest with hope that we can catch them that way".

"I see. But don't you think that the wild Pokémon around here will step on it?"

"About that, we have told them to stay away from those areas," Volt explained. "All the Pokémon in the forest are our friends, so they will listen to us. I bet that you didn't meet any Pokémon on your way here, right?"

"Oh, I see," now he understood why he didn't encounter any wild Pokémon. "But wait, there are our friends exploring the forest as well. We should warn them before they accidently step on the trap".

"Really? If that is the case, we should go back and find them," Ivy said. "Let's go, guys".

Just when they were about to leave, a voice shouted out from outside: "Hey, is there anyone inside?"

Yamato recognized that voice. It was Rio's. He looked out the window and saw him as well as King, Geode and Grovyle.

"Guys, I'm up here," Yamato said as he waved to them.

"Yamato?" Rio surprised. "Why are you there?"

"I will explain later. Come on in".

Yamato introduced Team Daylight to them, as well as explained the whole situation around here.

"That explains those trap we see on our way here," King said. "But to be honest, those traps aren't really… concealed. I mean, seriously, covering a hole or a net with more leaves than other places make it clearly visible. Even those with small brain can easily notice and avoid them".

The members of Team Daylight looked at Yamato, as if there was a board with an arrow that pointed at him and said: "The one who worse than those with small brain!"

"Hey, I wasn't paying attention, ok? Don't look at me like that!" He said, but despite that, everyone still snickered.

"Well, since we aren't in a hurry, let's help them," Geode suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing, too," King said.

"Thank you for your kindness. We really appreciate it," Ivy said.

"Then let's all patrol around the forest in groups. It's no good standing around here waiting for them to show up," Grovyle said.

The small Joltik attached himself on Dusknoir again, said: "Dusknoir sir, please be in our group. I really want to have an experienced explorer like you around".

"O-of course. How can I refuse such a request?" Dusknoir said.

"Then, Grovyle, Yamato, and me will be a team this time," Rio cheerfully said. "Is that all right, Yamato? Yamato?"

The Pikachu wasn't listening, instead looking at Dusknoir with Team Daylight. His face was filled with anger, and also sadness. His hands were clenched into fists.

"Yamato? What's wrong?" Rio shook him. At that time, Yamato finally came back to his sense.

"No…nothing…" Yamato quietly said. "Let's go patrolling now, please". He picked up his bag and climbed down the ladder.

"Uh…Wait for us," Rio said as he and Grovyle followed after him.

"That leaves me and King a team," Geode said. "It seems Yamato's group is heading further into the forest. Maybe we should turn back and search more carefully".

"We'll see you later. Good luck on finding those criminals!" King said.


Eyecatch 1: A bunch of cards shuffle while face-down and a card is picked randomly. It shows Yamato.

Eyecatch 2: A bunch of cards shuffle while face-down and a card is picked randomly. It shows Dusknoir.


Deep Colossal Forest 1F

"Yamato, are you sure you are ok?" Rio said. "We're friends, right? If there is anything that troubles you, just tell me".

"It's… really hard to say…" Yamato quietly replied.

"It's about Dusknoir, isn't it?" Grovyle said, making him surprise. "When you looked at him just now, the expression on your face… I have seen that once".

"Yeah…when I looked how happy Volt was when he saw Dusknoir,…he reminds me of Rilu…"

"My dad?" Rio wondered.

"Yes. That was when… Dusknoir first visited our Guild…"

Yamato's POV:

Wigglytuff's Guild

After a few days since we got back from our expedition to Fogbound Lake, Dusknoir visited our guild. He asked our Guildmaster if the guild found anything during the expedition, but of course, we hid the secret of the Time Gear there. After that meeting, Rilu chased after him and said.

"Dusknoir sir, can you sign me an autograph?" He handed over a piece of paper and a pen.

"Of course. How can I turn down such a request?" Dusknoir received them and signed it for him.

"Thank you very much sir. I will always treasure this," he cheerfully said.

"Um…Rilu…" I whispered to him. "Who exactly is this guy? He looks creepy".

"Ah, that's right. You don't know about him yet. He is a really famous explorer, the Great Dusknoir. He alone has discovered many things about Mystery Dungeon, and has fully explored a lot of dungeon that many expert teams can't. Not to mention about his knowledge. He can be called a living encyclopedia".

"I think you are praising him too much," I said.

"That's right." Dusknoir said. "I can only say I have little knowledge. There are still many mysteries out there that I can't solve".

"But for me, you are the most intelligent in the whole world," Rilu said. "You are my biggest hero, and I want someday to be just like you".

"I'm really glad to hear that," Dusknoir smiled. "I hope someday, you can achieve that dream of yours".

In the future

However, the most unbelievable thing occurred. After he successfully captured Grovyle and was about to return to the future, Dusknoir grabbed us along with him into the Dimensional Hole. For unknown reasons, we were sentenced to be executed with Grovyle. Dusknoir was also there, but he didn't help us. In fact, he was the one to carry out the execution. Luckily, we managed to escape, and Grovyle revealed to us a shocking truth. Dusknoir was a spy, sent to the past by Primal Dialga to prevent Grovyle from changing the history…

"No…it can't be…You're lying!" Rilu shouted at Grovyle. His eyes were full of tears.

"Believe me or not is your choice," Grovyle said. "I understand that in the past, he was a famous explorer and many Pokémon idolize him. But that is nothing but an act he made to gain everyone's trust".

"No…There is no way that is an act…He is really kind…I can still remember his smile when he encouraged me to achieve my dream…" He then grabbed my arms and shook it violently. "Yamato, you… you saw it, too, right? You also believe in him, right?"

"I…I…" I couldn't think of something to say. If what Grovyle said was true, the previous action of Dusknoir would make sense. But… I couldn't say that to Rilu.

"Please…I don't want it to turn out this way. Dusknoir…Dusknoir is my biggest hero… I want someday to be just like him….So please…I beg you…"

"I…I don't know, either… I… I really want to trust Dusknoir, too… but…"

"Look, we are running out of time here," Grovyle said. "If we don't hurry, we can't get back to the past".

"Rilu…let's just get back to the past first…Then… we will figure what to do later…ok?"

"…Ok…" he wiped out the tears. "But I will believe in Dusknoir…until the very end…"

The three of us continued our way. We met Celebi, and the four of us travel through the Dusk Forest until we reached the Passage of Time. However, Dusknoir had been waiting there for us, and his Sableye minions quickly surrounded us.

"Dusknoir sir, please… please tell me," Rilu called out to him. "Is it true… that you are a spy of Primal Dialga? Was all those time in the past… just an act to gain our trust?"

"I see, so Grovyle has told you," he snickered evilly. "Then I guess I should tell you the truth, too".

Rilu gulped as he waited for Dusknoir to say something. He hoped for him to say it… But sadly, Dusknoir revealed his true nature.

"That's right. I am the most faithful servant of Master Dialga. The 'Great Dusknoir' thing… is only the part that I play during my time in the past. And it turns out pretty well, too, if I must say," he laughed.

"No…that means… anything about Grovyle… anything about the Planet Paralysis…" his body was shaking in fear.

"Oh, you mean 'Grovyle is a criminal in the future and he wants to freeze the whole world'? Tch…I can't believe everyone fell for that. In the end, those stupid Pokémon have no idea that they are helping ME with the Planet Paralysis plan, while the one who tries to prevent it becomes a criminal".

"No…" he fell down on his knee. "I…I want someday… to become an explorer… as great as you…But now…"

"Rilu, get yourself together. We can't give up here," I said, then angrily looked at Dusknoir. "DUSKNOIR! I will never forgive you for this! How dare you crushing my friend's dream like that?"

"Dream? Don't make me laugh! His dream will never come true anyway, because that world will soon be fully paralyzed and end up like now".

Those words even made Rilu's heart more painful, as if there was a knife stabbing at it. Dusknoir soon revealed that I was a human that helped Grovyle, but somehow ended up became a Pokémon with amnesia. That was the reason he brought us along with him to the future. But… that even makes me more furious. If Grovyle and I were his target, why involved Rilu in this? If only Rilu wasn't with me, he wouldn't know this shocking truth, and would live happily in the past. That is why…I can't ever forgive Dusknoir. The kind of person that betrays others' feeling and trust… is the kind of person that I hate most in this world.

Normal POV

"Yamato… I have no idea… that is how you feel towards Dusknoir… I-I'm sorry for trying to give you a chance to befriend with him…" Rio cried.

"No…it's not your fault… I understand that you guys want to improve our relationship… To be honest, I wanted to become friends with him at that time…But I'm not sure if I can do it anymore, since those bad memories have come back to me".

"I understand…" Grovyle said, "It must be really hard for you. But right now, let's focus on our quest, ok? It's better to do something to forget all those sadness".

"Yeah," Yamato said. "Thanks, Grovyle, Rio. I'm glad to have you guys as my friends".

Yamato looked at the blue sky, then thought: "Rilu, if you were still here, would you forgive Dusknoir? Right now, I can't find my answer to that question, but it would really help me, if I knew your answer".

Deep Colossal Forest 1F (other side)

"Dusknoir sir, do you mind letting me attach on your body like this?" Volt asked, rubbing his cheek on Dusknoir.

"Not at all. Just don't electrify me," he said.

"I'm sorry that he troubles you, sir," Ivy said.

"Don't worry about it too much. I told you already. It's fine," Dusknoir said, then picked up the small Joltik and looked at him. "…You remind me of someone. He… used to be my fan, just like you".

"'Used to'? So that means he is no longer your fan?" Volt angrily said. "How dare him? If I meet him, I will shock him until he is unconscious".

"I'm really appreciated to have a fan like you. But… it's actually my fault. And if you were him, you would probably hate me, too," he sadly said.

"No way! I would never, ever hate you, sir. You're my biggest hero!"

"That kid said the exactly same thing, too!" Dusknoir thought. "Now that I think about it, those words I said to him at that time were so cruel. It's no surprised if Yamato won't ever forgive me for that. If only I could go back… and fix everything".

Deep Colossal Forest 2F

After searching for a while, both teams had no luck finding anything. They bumped into each other by chance, and started traveling together. Yamato and Dusknoir both felt distant to each other, and thought that it was best to leave the other one alone.

"Are you guys sure that those outlaws are hiding in this forest?" Grovyle said.

"We're sure about that," Dusk said. "We have asked our friends around here, and they told us that they saw them running around".

"There was a time when we followed them, but lost their track when they entered a big room," Spike continued. "And the weirdest thing is that the room was empty, and there was no other exit. It's like they just vanish into the thin air".

"That reminds me…" Ivy put his paw under his chin, like he was trying to remember something. "I remember that there was someone said that he saw them get to the next floor. But when we asked the Pokémon there, no one saw them coming".

"What kind of Pokémon are they?" Grovyle asked. "Maybe they have some special power, like if they are Ghost type like Dusknoir here, they can walk through walls".

"We have thought about that possibility, too. But they are only a Drapion and a Scolipede," Volt said, then turned to Dusknoir. "Dusknoir sir, can you think of anything? With your knowledge, I know that you can help us".

"It's true that I have had something in mind. But…No, I may be wrong," Dusknoir said.

"No way! You can't be wrong. You are the Great Dusknoir, after all," Volt said.

"P-Please don' think of me too highly like that. I…" Dusknoir looked at Yamato. "I don't want to disappoint anyone else again".

Grovyle came over and patted on his shoulder. "It's true that you may disappoint someone else, but that is no reason to discourage yourself. If there is any clue that you have, just share it with us. No one will blame you for your mistake".

"Thanks, Grovyle," he said. "According to your description, they must have entered a secret area of a Mystery Dungeon, the Secret Bazaar".

"Secret Bazaar?" Ivy wondered. "I have heard that place before. When you travel around a dungeon, there might be a chance that you find a hidden staircase. It will lead you to a small area where you can buy stuff and rest before continue your journey. But…"

"Yes, that is what bothers me," Dusknoir said. "The place itself is just a rumor. And even if it is true, the chance to encounter one is really slim. Even I haven't seen it before. I don't think those criminals could enter a place like that whenever they need".

"So what now? We are back to square one?" Spike asked.

"I'm really sorry, but that is all I can think of," Dusknoir apologized.

"No, Dusknoir sir. It's not your fault," Volt cheered him.

"That's right. It may give us a clue. Maybe they used a similar way to escape," Ivy said. "Guys, let's search the area carefully. Even if you see something suspicious, no matter how small it is, tell everyone right away".

"Roger," the rest of Team Daylight said.

Somewhere inside Colossal Forest

Two Pokémon, one looked like a scorpion and the other looked a giant centipede, were in some kind of room, which was packed up with all kinds of items lying down on the floors.

"Tchh, those stupid explorers don't know when to give up, do they?" The Drapion laughed as he was checking the stolen stuff.

"Yeah, and they even put those silly traps all over the forest. Who do they think we are anyway?" The Scolipede said.

"They claim themselves to be the Forest Guardian, but after all, they are just a bunch of kids. They don't even know the existence of our hideout," the Drapion laughed, then bring out two shining blue orbs. "Can't blame them, though. After all, this place is created using the Secret Base Orb created by the King. He even develops Hidden Stairs Orb, which let us see the hidden stairs to access this place".

"That guy must be a real genius to make these things," the Scolipede complimented. "They are even re-usable, too. Much more convenient than those normal Orbs".

"Anyway, don't you think these stuffs we stole are worthless? I thought we could have snatched something more valuable".

"I think so, too. And it seems this place can't possibly have those Orbs that the King is looking for," Scolipede rolled over a bunch of blue Orbs with his body. "What are those thing called again?"

"I don't remember. But it can't be these, right? I heard that the Legendary Pokémon had them on their bodies, so they can't look like these ordinary ones".

"Well, let's just gather all of these stuffs and sell them to the black market. I bet we can make a fortune with these," Scolipede said, rolled the orbs back into a sack.

"Yeah, we may find something in the next town or city," the scorpion put the other items into his sack and activated the Hidden Stairs Orb. A staircase rose from the ground and connected to the ceiling, and they entered the next area.

Deep Colossal Forest 3F

"We have searched the whole place, but we haven't found anything at all," Spike complained

"It's true. Looking for something that you don't even know may seem pointless," Ivy said. "Maybe we should find another way".

Suddenly, Grovyle had an idea, then said: "In times like this, Yamato can help us".

"Eh? Me?" The Pikachu surprised.

"How can this outlaw-looking help us?" Dusk asked, but then, a vine extended from Ivy hit him on the head. "Ouch".

"They are still going on with that?" Yamato thought. "I really look like an outlaw".

"Yamato can see a small part of the past or the future when he touches something. That ability is called Dimensional Scream," Grovyle explained.

"That's so cool," Rio said. "I didn't know that you have such ability".

"Dimensional Scream, huh?" Yamato thought. "Come to think of it, when I got back to my world, I tried to do it many time, but couldn't do it. I wonder if I lost it, or I can only use it in this world".

"Well, I haven't used it for a while, but I will try to see something," Yamato got to the nearest tree and touched it with his paw. He closed his eyes and focused, focused… "It's coming… My head starts feeling dizzy…"

FLASH!

Dimensional Scream

Yamato saw two figures standing somewhere in the forest. But he couldn't see clearly. The image was really fuzzy.

"We lost th…," the bigger one said. Even the voice was fuzzy. "Now is our ch….,…ll it out!"

The smaller one grabbed something from his bag, which Yamato didn't know what it was. Suddenly, the object flashed brightly, covering the whole area with light. He couldn't see anything else after that, only heard their voices.

"It appe…! H…rry and get on!" One of them said.

End of Dimensional Scream

When the light disappeared, Yamato came back to reality. He turned to the others and said: "I couldn't see really clear. The only thing I know is that they used a certain thing to escape".

"Do you know what that is?" Dusk asked.

"I'm not really sure. It's rather small, but I don't know anything more than that. I'm really sorry for disappointing you guys," Yamato apologized.

"Don't worry about that. It's fine," Ivy said.

"Oh, that's right!" This time, Yamato was the one had an idea. "I almost forgot about you, Rio".

"Me?" Rio asked.

"Yes. You are a Riolu. That means you can sense aura. You can use your ability to track those outlaws".

"Well, I suppose I can. However,…" Rio nervously said. "I haven't sensed anything weird since we started looking around. Maybe their aura faded away…" Rio stopped saying. His eyes glowed blue, and he couldn't see clearly the others. They looked like blue shadows to him. Then, in his head, he saw two strange figures exiting a staircase. "I…I can see it. There is someone around here… This way!"

The Riolu ran towards the nearest exit of the room they were in, and the others quickly followed his lead. After a few turns around the corner, Rio said: "It seems they are climbing up the stairs to the next floor".

"Wait, this is the third floor of the Deep Colossal Forest, isn't it?" Ivy said. "The next one is the exit chamber. If they get out of the forest, it will be harder for us. We have to hurry or we will lose them".

Colossal Forest Exit Chamber

The group arrived at an open space that was surrounded by tall trees, and on the other side of it, they spotted two bug-liked Pokémon running toward the exit.

"Stop right there, evil-doers!" Ivy shouted, drawing attention of those two. "You are under arrested for stealing, damaging the city as well as injuring four Pokémon, including a small kid," he held out his Explorer Badge and pointed it at them. "Judgement!"

A few seconds of awkwardness passed through with nothing happened.

"Eh…What are you doing?" Yamato asked, sweatdropping.

"I'm not really sure myself. It's just that I feel like to say it. Anyway…," Ivy turned back to the bug duo. "Like I say, you are under arrested. Please corporate with us to make this easier and faster".

"Who do you think we are? Giving ourselves up when we are told to? We're not that stupid," the Drapion said.

"Hey, we don't have to talk to them. I suggest beating them down on the ground," the Scolipede said.

"Good idea. I'm tired of hiding from these annoying kids already. Let's defeat them quickly before running to the next town".

"Don't underestimate us just because we're kids," Dusk stood firmly on the ground. "Each of us separately may be weak, but when four of us are together, we can overcome anything"

"Those are some impressive words you have," Yamato said. He and Rio stood next to them, readied for the battle "Let's defeat them together".

"Well, if you said so," Yamato groaned. "You'd better let us see a good show, then".

"Heh? Sir Dusknoir won't battle with us," the shocked Volt said while standing on Dusknoir's shoulder. "I was waiting for this moment, and you just ruin everything".

"It's ok. There is always a next time," Dusknoir picked him up, held him on his paw and calmly said to him. "Please show me the way you battle with your team, ok?"

"Yes, Dusknoir sir. I will listen to whatever you say," he said, then jumped over where his friends were.

The four Pokémon, Snivy, Zorua, Gligar and Joltik, stood in a line and prepared for the battle. When Ivy gave out the signal: "Daylight! Ready…GO!", all of them rushed over the Scolipede and Drapion. Ivy span around with his tail above, forming a large tornado made out of leaves at the end of its tip. He swung his tail at the enemies, making the Leaf Tornado flew over the bugs. While the bugs were still confused and trying to escape the tornado, Volt attached himself on Drapion and released a surge of electricity. The Drapion cried out in pain. He grabbed the small spider and threw him away. Luckily, Spike caught him on his back while flying around.

"Thank you, Spike. Good timing like always," Volt said.

"No problem, pal. Hold tight," he dashed forward the Scolipede with his glowing claws. He slashed the bug in the X-shape. The Scolipede backed down a bit from the impact.

"It seems we have thought lightly of you. There is no hold back now," Scolipede spat out several purple balls of sludge. Dusk shot out his Shadow Balls, making the Sludge Bombs exploded midway. However, he couldn't target all of them. Some of them hit the nearby trees and the grass, making them withered in mere seconds.

"I can't believe it. How dare you ruin the beauty of our forest like that?" Dusk shouted at them.

"As if we care about your jungle,: the Drapion said. "But since you are so eager to protect it, how about… THIS?" The scorpion joined in his friend and shot out numerous Sludge Bombs in all the direction. This startled the wild Pokémon living in the jungle, and they ran out of their home. The whole jungle was thrown into chaos. Yamato and the others couldn't stand still when they saw this.

"We will guide them to a safer place," Yamato said. "Just focus on the battle".

"We're counting on you…"Ivy said, but then, he noticed a ball of sludge was flying toward a Furret family. "WATCH OUT!" Without thinking, the grass snake dashed toward them with impressive speed. He faced the Sludge Bomb, and his body was surrounded by a glowing substance. He took in the attack in order to protect them.

"IVY!" All of his teammates shouted as the Snivy fell down on his knee. But despite being heavily injured, he still remained calm and said to the small Sentret behind him, who was crying.

"It's alright now. Don't cry," he petted gently on the Sentret's head. He then turned to the parents. "Please follow the Pikachu and the others to the safe place".

"But your injury…," Furret worriedly said, but Ivy quickly interrupted.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Now hurry, please".

The Furret nodded their heads, and guided their kid to the safety. Ivy's teammate quickly ran over to him and helped him stand up..

"Tch, I must say that you are pretty stupid to guard them," Drapion said. "Now, look at you. You can barely stand".

"You… can't never understand it," Ivy weakly said. "The four of us… love everything about this forest… even a small patch of grass. It's our home… our irreplaceable home. And that's why…" He pointed at the bugs. "We would never forgive those who want to destroy it".

"Here, take this," Spike took out a Sitrus Berry and gave it to him.

"Thanks, I really need this right now," Ivy received the yellow berry and ate it. He slowly recovered from the previous impact. "Phew, I feel a lot better now".

"Tch, Scolipede, let's finish this once and for all," Drapion shouted at the bigger bug. Both of them spat out more Sludge Bombs at them, but this time, Ivy was readied for it. He took in the attack, but this time, he had his friends supported him.

"I guess you are the stupid one here," Ivy sneered. "Didn't you see what I did before I take your attack previously?" His body started glowing brightly, and a beam of light was released and shot out at the two bugs. Both of them were struggling to stand. They had no idea what had just happened. "It was Mirror Coat, a move that can reflect back the attack with twice the damage".

"You worms! How dare you humiliate us like this?" Drapion angrily said.

"That is what you get for messing with us," Dusk snickered.

"After all, we are…" Volt said, then all of them stood in a row. They all shouted:

"Protect this forest is our duty…" They made a pose, then continued. "Colossal Forest's Guardians, Team Daylight".

"You damn kid…" Scolipede grunted.

"Guys, let's do the finishing move," Ivy commanded.

"Got it!" All of them shouted.

"Finishing move?" Yamato thought. "It can't be…"

They formed a formation that Dusk and Spike stood on one side, while Ivy and Volt on the other side. Volt formed a small ball of electricity on Ivy's hands, then he shouted: "Daylight Ball!". They started running, with Gligar flying, across the field, approaching the outlaws.

"Volt!" Ivy threw the ball to the Joltik, who then bounced it with his head. "Dusk!" The ball flew over the Zorua, who jumped up and rolled his body, hitting the ball with his tail, "Spike!" The two outlaws were completely confused at the team attack. The ball kept flying until the Gligar grabbed it. He flew over the outlaws, making them look at him and unaware of their behind. "Ivy!" He threw it to the Snivy, who had already jumped on the air and readied his Leaf Blade on his tail. "Attack!" He shouted as the Leaf Blade hit the ball, sending it full force at the Scolipede and Drapion.

"Yay, we did it!" they high-fived to each other, while Yamato stood there and couldn't say a word.

"There is no doubt. This must be HIS doing," Yamato thought.

"What are you mumbling about?" Rio asked.

"No, it's nothing," he said.

"Not yet," the Drapion stood up. "We aren't going to fall down here".

"Drapion, it's time to use THAT," Scolipede said.

Drapion pulled out an item that looked like a watering can in his sack, and a trumpet sound could be heard. "Sukusuku Joyro, make us become giant!"

"OK, THAT'S ENOUGH!" the Pikachu shouted.


Author's room

WHACK!

The Pikachu's illusion appeared out of nowhere and hit the "author Yamato" on his head with a paper fan.

"Ouch, what did you do that for?" the author said, covering his head.

"Do you even need to ask?" he angrily said. "Stop referring Sentai's material in the story!"

"Eh? Is that really obvious?" the author scratched the back of his head.

"Yes, it is REALLY obvious. What will happen next if I don't stop you? Team Daylight summons a giant robot?" He then noticed the laptop with one of the Super Sentai series was being played. "And stop writing while watching it. This is the main reason that makes you write it like that. And the progress of it is really slow, too, like watching a whole episode with only writing two lines". (true story)

"I'm sorry. I was so addicted to it that it appears all over my head. But I admit, adding that 'Sukusuku Joyro' makes it really weird. I will fix it right away," he said, deleted the scene and replaced it. "There, happy? Now, go back to the story and continue it, please".


Story universe

The outlaws were knocked out by the Electro Ball attack of the team. Volt quickly shot out his Spider Web and captured them. They also gathered the stolen goods and put them back to the sack that the outlaws used to carry them around.

"Hey, what happened here?"

King and Geode finally arrived to the scene. It took them long enough. Everything was over.

"We heard some explosion sound, so we ran here as fast as we can," Geode said, still gasping for air.

"Well, you are too late, though. Team Daylight already finished their job in catching the outlaws," Yamato said.

"Unfortunately, part of the forest was destroyed during the fight," Rio sadly said.

"It's ok. We can always restore it," Ivy came over and said. "It may take some time, though. But the good news is that no one is injured". He looked at the evacuated Pokémon returned to their home safely with a smile. "We will bring these thugs to officer Magnezone in the city. Would you like to come with us? We can show you around if you want".

"Actually, we plan to go to the Colossal City right after we pass through this forest," King said. "We would like to discuss something with the Guildmaster there".

"The Guildmaster?" Ivy surprised. "I'm afraid that you can't meet him now. Our Guildmaster has gone to a faraway place".

"You mean…," King shocked at what the Snivy said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know".

"Why you are sorry?" Ivy thought about it a little while, then he realized. "Oops. Sorry, my bad. It's not what you are thinking. Our Guildmaster and some other Pokémon are doing an important mission, and he hasn't come back since then. Well, I'm not so sure about that. Since when we started camping out here to catch these criminals, we hardly visited the Guild. Maybe he already came back, but maybe not".

"Then let's check it out ourselves," Yamato suggested, then ran towards the entrance. Rio quickly followed him. "Come on, or we will leave you behind".

They soon exited the chamber and headed out to the city. Meanwhile, Grovyle was walking behind them along with Dusknoir. He stretched his hands, then put it behind his head, looking at the blue sky.

"So… how was your time with the kids?" Grovyle asked.

"It… It's fun. That small kid, Volt, he can't just stop talking about me," Dusknoir tried to be cheerful, but his face was still filled of sadness. "And that was when… I realized how similar he was to Rilu… You know, Grovyle. I still don't know why Lord Arceus revived me that day. He should have just left me out, let me fade away in the world of darkness. Wouldn't it be the punishment for all I had done?"

"You should find the answer for that yourself," Grovyle calmly said.

"Huh?"

"The reason why you were revived, of course. Everything has its own meanings for its existence. You may not know now, but you may eventually find it someday. So until that, just try your best with what you have to do now"

"The reason… for my own existence…I understand. I will work hard until I can find it," Dusknoir said

"That's the spirit!" Grovyle smacked on his back. "Don't waste the chance Lord Arceus gave you, or I won't forgive you, got that?"

"Got it,… and thanks," Dusknoir said. "I really mean it".

"That's what friends are for," Grovyle smiled.

Will Dusknoir find the meaning of his existence? And will Yamato open his heart for Dusknoir? The answer can only be found in a nearby, yet distant future.

TO BE CONTINUE…


Preview:

Yamato: We have arrived to our first destination, Colossal City. And like the name suggests, this place is HUGE! I can't believe there is such a place in this world. (the screen showing Yamato and his friends standing in a large city with some building)

Rio: Even the guild of this city is really big, but unfortunately, the Guildmaster is not here, so we have to stay in the city for a while. And since we are here, we visit all kinds of place. (the screen showing the Kecleon Brothers shop. They were saying something that made Rio amazed, but Yamato was not really surprised)

Yamato: Soon, we find a place that Rio seems to be interested in, an elementary school.

Rio: The school principle let me take part in the class. This school life thing is a whole new experience to me. I'm so excited. (the screen showed Rio sitting in the class, and the teacher was a Servine)

Yamato: Good for you, Rio… But still… (the screen showed Yamato was sitting in the same class with Rio)… HOW DID I END UP HERE? I AM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ALREADY!

Rio: Jikai, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Chaos Release: Pokémon Elementary School. Rio's first school life experience. Minna no shiawase, getto da yo!

Yamato (crying): My happiness is nowhere to be found…


Author: Another episode is finished. I also add my newly made catchphrase at the end of preview: "Minna no shiawase, getto da yo!" It sounds like in the anime, doesn't it? Also, I'm really excited when I write those sentai reference parts. Can you guys figure it out before I say it? Well, anyway, here is today's episode question (which I really think of at the time I'm writing this): "How many Super Sentai references can you see in this episode? Can you point it out?"

Yamato: I told you to stop this. This is a Pokémon story, not Sentai one.

Author: Oh, come on. It's just for fun. It's not going to hurt anyone. Anyway, I hope you guys have fun reading it, and if possible, leave a review for me. I will see you all in the next chapter. (which is not likely to be released soon)

-Team Daylight belongs to victory fire.