I'm running out of ways to greet people! AAAAAAUUUGGGHHHH Oh, sorry for the bit of Writer's Block recently...

Oh hai. I don't own pokemon. Let's roll the film.

Chapter 10

Rook's POV

"YOU WHAT?!" Kiara yelled.

And there's the explosion... I thought, sweatdropping. I held up the Nine-tail charm. "Ahem."

"Oh, wait! That's-" Kiara said, calming down, surprised. She took it and cupped it in her paws. "I thought I lost it in the move..."

"Xatu told me to wish you a good night and that you are very welcome to visit him." I said. Kiara put the charm around her neck.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Yeah, no problem." I smiled. "We should get some sleep, tomorrow we go after the criminal." Inwardly, I cringed at the word 'criminal'. Kiara nodded and we walked to our room. I walked to my bed and lay down my head.

The next morning, Chatot explained the plan to go to stations to guard the Time Gears. Dusknoir explained that the increase of non-rabid pokemon in the area may scare the thief away. Me and Kiara were assigned Nothern Desert. It seemed like Diglett and Dugtrio should have gotten that area, but welp.

"Fogbound Lake was in a weird place." I mentioned to Kiara. "It's already going to be hard to find water..."

"This is Chatot's plan, and normally he is right, so..." Kiara said.

"Hey! Rook!" I heard a voice. I turned and saw Mrs. Happiny. "Have you forgotten your checkup?"

"Nope!" I said. I had to have a checkup every month because of the little incident. I turned back to Kiara. "Can you get the supplies we need?"

"Yeah, no problem." Kiara said, walking to Treasure Town. I headed off back to the Guild and to that fateful cliff.

Kiara's POV

Ugh... she could have told me first... I thought. Whatever. I saw Mama Kangascan's child in her shop and decided to stop by. I tugged the Team Bag Rook gave me along.

"Hey there, Kiara!" Mama said. "Sure is hot today... Off on another mission today?"

"No, actually." I said. "We are focused on the catching of the thief that's stealing the time gears." I think I grimaced there a little.

"I wish you the best of luck, then!" Mama said and her child nodded. "Arceus knows you need it. So where are you assigned?"

"Nothern Desert. Me, Rook, Bubble, and Medusa." I said. "Were heading up there ASAP, do you have anything for desert travel?"

"In fact, I do! I'll go get what you'll need." Mama turned and walked into her shop. I tilted my head, wondering what she meant.

"Oh, cool." I looked after her in curiosity. I sat there in silence for awhile, before deciding I had to do something. "I'll be back, I have to...run a errand. The bag's on the counter." I placed it there with a sharp bang sound "Sorry..."

"It's fine, sweetheart!" Mama called. I turned and walked up to Xatu's shop. Xatu watched me with a emotionless face.

"Thank you..." I growled. I stared up at Xatu, teeth bared for a couple moments before turning.

"I got your stuff!" Mama called, making a thumbs-up.

"Coming!" I turned to look at Xatu. He was probably reading my memories.. or seeing what's ahead. He looked sadly down at my face.

"Your welcome.." He sighed. I looked away and numbly walked back to Mama's.

And so, a few hours later we had to head off to our post. It wasn't rough until... "Wow, this sandstorm is terrible." Rook remarked. She was right, I could scarcely see my paw in front of my face. Luckily, we had a couple masks on to protect our eyes and noses. "Good thing we have these shemaghs."

"..What?" I asked, my voice muffled by the green cloth stained brown around my face. Bubble huddled on my back, cowering to keep out of the storm. He was in a blue cloth, except it was more full-body.

"I assume it's those ridiculous headdresses you are wearing." Medusa said with a smirk.

"Unlike you, we an't all walking shemaghs." Bubble said. "I need these wraps to keep hydrated."

"Anyway..." Rook's voice trailed off as she examined a darker portion of the desert. "I'll assume those are rocks and check them out."

"I'll come with you." Kiara said.

"I don't have a choice." Bubble monotoned.

"Okay, since it's majority win, let's all stick in one group. Don't wanna get lost." Rook said.

"Nice foreshadowing." Medusa scowled at Rook.

"Wait- what?" Rook asked, staring down at Medusa.

"So we are just going to wander until we find water?" Medusa said.

"If you have a better plan.." I said. "Hey bubble, do you have some sixth sense for water or something?"

"Somewhat, not very strong, but I can feel it." Bubble said.

"Better than a Psyduck chase." Medusa said.

Rook's POV

"..." Kiara mumbled something that I couldn't quite catch.

"What was that?" I asked, turning. I was alone. All alone in a sea of brown. "Great..." I muttered. "Well, this couldn't get any worse." I muttered, stepping on a green thorn. Blood red eyes opened from beneath the sand and a Tyranitar rose up from it's sandy blanket. It growled threateningly, showing it's yellow, sharp teeth. I felt myself go wide-eyed. "SHIT! RABID POKEMON!"

"RAAAAAAWRRR!" The Tyranitar stomped after me as I fled, flicking it's blue tongue across it's lips. I turned to get a better look.

Crap! What am I going to do?! I thought before falling forward, tripping on something. I went into a somersault before face-planting. I had tripped on Medusa.

"What are you doing-" She started.

"TYRANITAR!" I screamed. Medusa used her ropes and shut the monster's mouth and pinned it down using another set. Tying her ropes together, the mighty Tyranitar was a small-ish green ball.

"Cowards." Medusa sneered as the Tyranitar shook itself free and retreated into the sand once more. "Have you seen a Ryhorn?"

"No? Why?" I asked.

"After we were seperated I ran into one. It had the Run Away ability, the coward. I have a bone to pick with it..." Medusa showed a small gash on her side to me, green blood oozing out.

"Your'e bleeding... green?" I said.

"How observant of you." Medusa growled. "I'd slow clap but it's more effort to do with vines. The storms dying down, so you can see where you are going- turns out you saw some rocks where we can build a shelter." She used a vine to point to where she was oozing. "Just a scratch- but I have a bone to pick with that Ryhorn now... Hopefully Kiara headed to the rocks."

I looked down and noticed fresh imprints in the sand. "Kiara's pawprints! At least I think..." I walked off, Medusa slowly following. I turned to look at her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Just dandy." Medusa sighed, giving me a look of worry. I turned away and saw shadows moving by the rocks.

"Hey! Are you rabid?" I called.

"No!" Came the irritated answer.

"Okay, I don't think it's a dangerou- Medusa?" Medusa closer her eyes and collapsed on the sand. "Medusa! Medusa.." I knew she couldn't hear me.

Timeskip- 5 hours

"Urgh..." I heard some fumbling on the sand. I assumed it was nothing until...

"Hey!" Bubble called. "Medusa'a up!" I turned and walked to Medusa. She scowled at me, gently prodding a white bandage on her side. "Glad you could finally make it." Bubble said, sweatdropping.

"Great!" Kiara called. We were in a oasis, A small pond of clear, sparkling water with a few bushes here and there. There was a couple huts and palm trees scattered here and there. Kiara was on the side of the pond with the most huts, we were on the side with more trees there could be in a desert.

"You passed out from a infection." I said, trying not to loom too much over Medusa. "You are fine now, but you should really rest-"

"This bandage means someone was messing with my vines." Medusa said. "Who was it?!"

"That's not important right now." I said. "We are not at the lake we were looking for, however when you got hurt this Cancea-" I gestured to a Cance walking to our small group with Kiara, "-had to cut off some of your vines if you were to live."

"What was that about, a lake?" Cancea asked.

"We were sent to find a lake that may be home to a Time Gear." Kiara explained. "We were sent here to guard the Time Gear and the protector once we find it, of course."

"Well... I know someone but I don't know-" Cancea started.

"Hey spiny." Medusa said with a stern face. "From one plant Pokemon to another, she speaks the truth."

"(My name's not Spiny, It's Pickle.)" Cancea whispered. "And see that Cubone over there?" He gestured to a Cubone who had paint all over it's skin and skull, decorating itself in lively pattens. She held her bone tightly. "Her name's Sabishii, she's very weird though-"

"Shh! She might hear you!" A couple of Nincada said.

"Uh.." Pickle trailed off. "Hi there, Sabishii.." Sabishii simply stared off into the starry sky before chanting,

"Darker than night/their venture to the depths/the secret of shifting sands."

"Well... in any case." Pickle murmured. "You'd better go to Quicksand Cave." Bubble and Kiara got ready to leave, they bagan to put of their shemaghs.

"What?" I asked.

"Be careful though- If you get lost, you might as well be considered dead. Even rabids die down there in the murky depths." Pickle informed me.

"Hey Pickle... wanna come with us?" I asked.

"Naw." He said. "Today was as big of a adventure than they will ever be for me." He lay down, folding his arms across his chest and began to sleep.

"Rook, hurry!" Kiara called.

"Coming!" I yelled after her. Sabishii simply watched us quietly. I ran after Kiara. "What's the rush? Our guide's simply standing there." I said.

"The depths hide the light/the time will give us the light/and the dark will run." Sabishii said before diving under the surface.

"What- Hey! Wait!" I yelled. Medusa finally came running to us. Bubble snickered at how late she was.

"Now I see why it's called Quicksand Cave." Kiara muttered.

"This better work." Medusa muttered, glaring knives at Bubble. Bubble squeaked and cowered on top of Kiara. We all dove under the sand. The pitch-blackness made me wish I was a Charmander so I could cast a light wherever I go. "Is everyone here?" I called out.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Kiara screamed, panic lining her voice.

"That was me Kiara..." Bubble snickered before saying,

"Everyone... please calm down."

"I can't see anything!" Kiara whispered. "I can't stand feeling so alone.."

"Glad to know we are all at the same level." Medusa chirped.

"Okay... so now what-" Kiara said.

"Bringer of light, please cast your energy." Sabishii whispered.

"WHAT WAS THAT-" Kiara screamed once more.

"Please, Kiara. That was Sabishii." Bubble said, annoyed.

"What does that even mean.."

"USE FLAMETHROWER YOU DITZ!" Medusa yelled. Kiara's light flashed forward and caught a torch. The flames shot up and Sabishii took it in her paws.

"So..." I said. "Bubble, may I ask why you are so hyped up on training?"

"Not at all!" Bubble chirped. "I've just seen so many teams get wiped out. I don't want a worse repeat of Medusa's... shall we say, 'incident'. It's good to have a nice defense." He sighed.

"Offense." Medusa scowled.

"Defense."

"Offense." The two went back and forth for a while before Sabishii cut in with "Both."

"To each their own." I said. Medusa grumbled a few curse words in her native language.

"Speaking of defense, where's your bandage?" Bubble asked Medusa, glaring. He was right- Medusa's bandage was nowhere to be seen.

"Spiny told me I could take it off." Medusa said.

"Pickle." Kiara cut in.

"Whatever..." We continued quietly through the narrow, sandy cavern, silence except for the far off scratching of soft pawsteps. "Rabids?" Medusa asked.

"Most likely." I said.

Chapter end

Is it good? If you were wondering: Sabishii means 'Loneliness' and I thought I was perfect and all. See you next time ;)