Ch. 9: Suspicions and Confusions Part 4
"So, what was this event that Dusknoir talked about" the curious Sunflora asked
"Er… nothing special" Grovyle said
'Darn it! I'm going to kill you later, Dusknoir' Grovyle thougth
"I think it was something serious, the way Dusknoir said it and Celebi reacted" Chimecho said
"As Grovyle said, it was nothing special" Celebi said
Grovyle let out a sigh.
"How about we shall continue with the story?" Grovyle said
Grovyle didn't wait for a response and started telling the story.
Flashback
Grovyle and Dusknoir was facing a cave with a Kangaskhan Rock nearby.
"This is the entrance to the Spacial Cliffs" Dusknoir said "Once we pass through here, we'll come to the place where Porygon lives.
"Celebi and Dialga have already gone to Frozen Island" Grovyle said "Let's hurry"
Grovyle went near the Kangaskhan Rock and prepared for the journey. After that, they headed inside the cliffs.
They traversed through the dungeon, successfully beating enemies they meet and after a while, they made it through the dungeon.
"Alright! We made it through the dungeon!" Grovyle said
Then, they saw two Porygon who were standing near the cliff. Then, the two Porygon noticed their presence. The two of them was shocked.
"M-Master Dusknoir" a Porygon said
"It's been a while" Dusknoir said
He went near the two Porygon.
"The reason I've come here, I bet you can guess at what I am going to request?" Dusknoir said
"Th-that's… difficult" the other Porygon said "We're being held back by Sableye"
"And… Behind you, Master Dusknoir is…" the Porygon said
"Are you saying you won't listen to me?" Dusknoir said
The two Porygon became scared.
"We'll do it! We'll do it!" the Porygon said "Th-This way please!"
The two Porygon pointed near the cliff. Grovyle and Dusknoir moved to that point.
"Well then… We'll transmit you to Frozen Island" the other Porygon said "Don't move"
Then, the two Porygon muttered something. After that, Dusknoir and Grovyle was covered with some kind of energy and then they disappeared.
When Grovyle regained his vision, he saw hail and snow floating in the sky. His feet were feeling the cold snow.
"This is…" Grovyle said
"Frozen Island" Dusknoir said "Before time stopped, it was called Blizzard Island. Now that the world was plunged into darkness, it's much more severe. It's become closed off"
Grovyle noticed that there are two ways that they can go.
"So, where do we go then?" Grovyle asked
Then, three Snorunt came. They looked at Dusknoir and Grovyle.
"What was that?" Grovyle said, pointing to the Snorunt.
"It's the Snorunt. I believe they live around here" Dusknoir said
Then, the three Snorunt became worried. They tried to leave but they were stopped by Grovyle.
"H-hey! Wait up a moment!" Grovyle said
The Snorunt look to Grovyle.
"I have something I want to ask" Grovyle said "I think you would have noticed if anyone other than us came through here recently… Did you see anyone?"
The three Snorunt talked with each other. Grovyle can't hear their conversations from his place.
"If you've noticed anyone, anything at all, please tell me!" Grovyle said "It's really important!"
Then, the three Snorunt seemed to be content with something.
"Did you understand any of that?" Grovyle said
Just then, the Snorunt became angry and used Blizzard on Grovyle. Grovyle was knocked off and the Snorunt seemed happy and they ran off. Grovyle then stood up and became angry.
"They're no help!" Grovyle said, clutching his fist "They're just teasing me!"
Dusknoir came closer.
"The attitudes of the pokémon living in this world of darkness are a bit warped" Dusknoir said "Grovyle, I suspect you know better than anyone else. I know I don't know where it would be best to go… However, I believe if we follow the path that lies ahead of here, it would be best"
Dusknoir looked at the road in front of them.
"I suspect the Sableye will have laid other traps, so we should proceed with caution" Dusknoir continued
"Yes, I see" Grovyle said "However, the ones we met, if we see them again…"
'However, the Snorunt could tease him like that. This guy, sometimes he can be so innocent. No…' Dusknoir thought 'That's why his heart is not influenced by the power of darkness'
After that, Grovyle went to prepare the items he will need and then he left with Dusknoir.
The mountain was full of ice pokémon and so, Grovyle cautiously traversed the dungeon with Dusknoir. Then, they reached a place where there is a Kangaskhan Rock at the middle and they rested.
"We've climbed pretty far" Grovyle said "We will reach the peak soon, it seems"
"Yes" Dusknoir said "However, I don't know what lies ahead of us. Be prepared"
After they had a decent rest, both of them continued to traverse the dungeon. After a while of traversing, they had reached the pinnacle of the mountain.
"It seems like this is the pinnacle" Grovyle said "And it looks like the trail heads down the mountain from here. It should be much easier"
Then, Grovyle continued to walk. Then, when Grovyle stepped the shadow of a huge ice, the ice was suddenly. Dusknoir noticed the ice.
"Grovyle, look out! Above you!" Dusknoir said
"What?" Grovyle said and looked above him
By the time that he looked up, the huge ice also started to fall. Dusknoir ran to save Grovyle. Grovyle didn't saw what happened but when he stood up, he saw Dusknoir where some shattered ice can be seen.
"D-Dusknoir!" Grovyle said "Y-you protected me? Why'd you protect me?"
Then, Dusknoir stood up but felt a sudden pain in his arm. Grovyle noticed this and he asked if he's okay.
"N-never mind that" Dusknoir said "Look out… They're coming"
Then, four Glalie came. Somehow, Grovyle was a little angry.
"Th-these guys?" Grovyle said
"Glalie" Dusknoir said "They have the power to do whatever they wish with ice, but…s"
Then, the four Glalie came closer.
"But looking at them, they seemed to be influenced by the darkness that they've lost themselves" Dusknoir said "Seems like they've become more vicious"
"We're gonna have to try to take these guys!" Grovyle said
"Don't believe that there are only these guys, Grovyle!" Dusknoir said
"What?" Grovyle said
Then, the ground shook violently.
"Wh-what?" Grovyle said
Then, a Mamoswine came.
"He's a…" Grovyle said
"He's a Mamoswine!" Dusknoir continued "Among ice types, Mamoswine are said to be the strongest pokémon!"
The Mamoswine roared.
"Here they come" Dusknoir said
The Mamoswine charged with Take Down but the two managed to dodge it. Grovyle used Dig and appeared in front of a Glalie. He then used Leaf Blade and followed it up by Absorb which knocked it out. Dusknoir used Shadow Sneak on another Glalie and scored a direct hit. A Glalie used Powder Snow which made Grovyle frozen. Dusknoir used Shadow Punch on a Glalie, knocking it out. Mamoswine charged with Ice Fang and landed on Dusknoir. A Glalie used Ice Beam but Dusknoir dodged it and it made contact with the other Glalie. He then followed with a Shadow Sneak, knocking out cold. When he faced the last Glalie, snow came out of nowhere and the Glalie was knocked. After the snow was cleared, he saw Grovyle charging for a Leaf Blade. Mamoswine used Take Down to counter Grovyle's attack. Dusknoir saw this as an opportunity and attacked with Shadow Sneak. It landed and Mamoswine was thrown off balance, making the Leaf Blade land successfully. Grovyle used Dig immediately and Dusknoir used Shadow Punch. The Shadow Punch landed on Mamoswine and after that, he was knocked out by Grovyle's Dig.
The five fainted pokémon looked at each other before the Mamoswine and the four Glalie left.
"Looks like we've driven them away" Grovyle said
Then, Dusknoir felt sudden pain.
"I think I was severely injured by the chunk of ice" Dusknoir said
"Dusknoir… I think it would be smart if we hide for now" Grovyle said
Grovyle looked for possible shelter and luckily, he found one.
"There's a crack in the ridge over there" Grovyle said "Let's go"
Then, the two went into the ridge to have a rest. Dusknoir seated by the walls wile Grovyle looked for any signs of Sableye around.
"I think this should be fine" Grovyle said "Even if the Sableye come, they won't find us. Let's rest for a while. We'll head out again for a short time"
Then, Dusknoir was looking on Grovyle who was staying on guard.
'Grovyle… He's… I've noticed his amazing judgement and leadership ability' Dusknoir thought 'When he was working with Andrew and Gabrielle, he made it through a lot of tough situations'
'However, his strength and enurance… He has a strong will and doesn't believe in failure' Dusknoir thought 'I wonder where all that came from'
"By the way, that time… When the chunk of ice started falling straight into my head" Grovyle said "Don't tell me you were trying to protect me"
"It's a misunderstanding, Grovyle" Dusknoir said "Let's get this straight, I really despise you. I really didn't want to help you in any way. Still, I protected you, because I believed I need your strength right now, to take out that new henchman"
"Are you saying I should help you? To take down the new henchman, that is?" Grovyle said
"The new henchman is the final agent. Even if I hadn't asked you, you were going to challenge him, anyway, weren't you?" Dusknoir said "In order to take on the new henchman, you and I should team up. Depending on the situation, we may need to defeat Master Dialga as well"
"That situation will be ideal for you, I believe" Dusknoir continued
Grovyle thought about it for a while.
"How are your wounds from that chunk of ice?" Grovyle said
"They're nothing to worry about" Dusknoir said "And compared to earlier, I appear to have regained much of my strength. The damage I received from fighting you before is much more intense, even now"
"If you can come up with load of complaints like that, you must be fine" Grovyle said "We'll head out in a little while"
"But first, there's something I wanted to ask" Dusknoir said
"What is it?" Grovyle said
"Grovyle, why did you fight so hard like this?" Dusknoir questioned Grovyle "Before you… you said it was for the future… You said, you fight for a new life. But if you do, you'll disappear. Your existence… will end"
"For me, that sort of thing… I cannot bear the idea" Dusknoir continued "To make myself disappear… I will not allow it. With all that said, why do you fight so hard for such a goal?"
"Dusknoir, I understand you don't want to disappear, but me, this is what I think" Grovyle said "Even if we were told to disappear, even if I were to disappear, I wouldn't truly disappear"
"What?" Dusknoir said, confused
"Everything ends eventually, even if history is not changed, even if the world of darkness continues in its current state" Grovyle said "Eventually, the day will come when I won't be here anymore. Since that's the case, the timing of it doesn't matter. The important thing is not how long you live, it's what you accomplish with your life.
'With your life… with your life… what you… accomplish' Dusknoir thought
"While I live, I want to shine. I want to prove that I exist" Grovyle said "If I could do something really important, that would definitely carry on into the future"
"No… not just the future, in Andrew's and Gabrielle's future too…" Grovyle continued "My spirit has become a part of them, I believe. In them, my spirit is alive and that spirit could be passed along others"
"And so… If I were to disappear, I think all that I have accomplished will go on. That is, that would mean that it's living, right?" Grovyle said
'Even if I disappear, I still live on…' Dusknoir thought 'My spirit is… alive!'
"We've rested enough" Grovyle said "Shall we go?"
Flashback ends
"Woah, it's almost sunset" Chimecho said "Better prepare for dinner"
Chimecho went to the Mess Hall.
"Grovyle, so you believed that even if you disappear, your accomplishment will be passed for generations" Gabrielle said
"Yes" Grovyle said "And if something like that happens again, there will be individuals who will be willing to sacrifice for the peaceful and beautiful future"
"Somewhat, I felt like I had Andrew's spirit within me" Gabrielle said "He taught me almost everything back then, when I was still a coward"
Everyone looked at Gabrielle.
"But now, thanks to him, that I even got to be an explorer" Gabrielle said
"As I have said before, Andrew is lucky to have friends like you" Grovyle said
'Andrew…' Gabrielle thought
A/N: End of Chapter 9. Chapter 10 and the last part of Suspicions and Confusions will come in shortly (If I hadn't uploaded it yet). Anyway, inform me if there are any mistakes or errors. And please Review!