A/N: The timeframe may have gotten a bit weird in the past few chapters, so here's clarification on that: Chapter Nine happened simultaneously with the first part of Chapter Ten, and the later part of Chapter Ten happened during the first part of this chapter. With that said, enjoy!


In the last adventure, Sneasel's journey led her to discover that her acceptance of the "Dark Blessing" could be a blessing rather than a curse. She returned to Treasure Town, where she learned of Chatot's abduction and an apparent plan of attack on Lapras.


Chapter 11 – Team Space-Time's Return


As usual in the life of the Wigglytuff Guild, Loudred was the first one awake in the morning. Not once had he disappointed at his job of waking everyone up. His usual "wake up" message had never worn its welcome out. However, today was a day where he had no choice but to say something different this morning.

"CHATOT IS MISSING! EVERYONE GET UP! CHATOT IS MISSING!"

The crew woke up in record time in reaction to that announcement. They assembled to the Audience room at an even faster pace.

"Is it true?" Diglett asked. "Is Chatot really gone?"

"Oh my gosh!" Sunflora squeaked. "We've been broken into!"

"WHAT are we going to DO?!" Loudred asked.

"There's only one thing to do," said the Guildmaster. "We're going to find our friend!"

"My thoughts exactly," Pugno said. "But where should we start looking?"

Suddenly, Diglett burrowed to the sentry position in reaction to hearing the grate creaking.

"Grovyle detected!" he shouted. "GROVYLE! YOU MAY ENTER!"

"WAIT a sec, squirt!" Loudred said aghast. "YOU can't give that order!"

"He may enter," said the Guildmaster.

And enter, Grovyle did. He arrived in the audience room carrying a note.

"To whoever feels like offering their life (or lives) to me,
I know how much you value the so-called 'gift' of life. It's honestly baffling. No matter what you decide to do in the following situation, you'll just prove my point on the matter. Deciding not to come to your dear friend Chatot's aid will result in his watery death at the Hot Springs, proving that the only life you all value is your own. Come to his aid after all, and you'll show me that you disregard your own life in the name of valuing another more. Either way, you won't win; neither the argument nor the fight will be won by you nothings. The choice will be left to you, anyway. Do not disappoint me, should you decide to make the right one!

Sincerely,
Team Skull"

The note was met with confusion from the crew.

"I remember those three," Dugtrio said.

"Hey, hey! But they never spoke so cryptically before!" Corphish added.

"Come to think of it," Chimecho said. "I remember only one creature that ever used the term 'nothing' as an insult."

"So do I," Grovyle responded. "Which gets me thinking that this note was written by Team Skull, who are now possessed by the 'Dark Blessing.'"

"But they helped us fight Unod, didn't they?" Sunflora asked. "She caught up to them soon after, didn't she?!"

"Golly, Grovyle," Bidoof said. "There's more on the back of that note."

Grovyle immediately flipped the paper over and read the post-script.

"Here's something else to keep in mind: you get to choose which friend to save. As you know, Chatot is set to be drowned at the Hot Springs. Your other friend Lapras has been marked for death by electrocution, as per the weakness of her type. And should you all decide to split up and try to rescue both, that will just serve to un-prepare you for your task. Oh, I wonder what you will do?"

"We will go save Chatot!" said the Guildmaster. "Those who are coming with me step forward!"

Only Grovyle stayed behind, electing to protect Lapras.

"Grovyle, won't you need help?" Chimecho asked.

"Yes," Grovyle answered. "I will be contacting Dusknoir, Celebi, and the Sableye to help arrange a zone defense for Lapras."

"It's settled, then," said the Guildmaster. "You and your friends will protect Lapras, while we go save Chatot. We'll meet back here at the Guild when all is said and done."

"Agreed," Grovyle answered. "We'll thwart this plan of Unod's at both turns!"

"Excellent. Now, everyone! Time to go save our friend!"

With a resounding cry of "HOORAY!", the crew left for their mission.


At the town's Hot Springs, Team Skull began negotiations with Torkoal, the town elder.

"We've remembered everything you said about the Hidden Land two-and-a-half years ago," Skuntank said. "And now, you are going to reveal it all again for someone else."

"Yeah," Koffing added. "The World Destroyer is waiting, so don't delay any longer. Tell us how to enter the Hidden Land!"

"I'm sorry, but I must refuse," Torkoal answered. "The World Destroyer isn't allowed there!"

"There's no boundary in the world that can keep her out of anything!" Zubat gloated.

"Nothing except her own ignorance," Torkoal retorted. She shall never know how to get there, no matter what you thugs do to me on her behalf!"

"But we don't want to do anything to you," Skuntank scoffed. "It's what will happen to this guy if you keep your kisser shut."

At Skuntank's signal, Koffing and Zubat removed Chatot from the bag they carried with them to the Springs. He was still paralyzed, rendering him helpless in the current situation. His beak was tied shut by an evil thread. Torkoal was visibly shocked to see such a sight as Chatot in his current condition.

"Don't you hurt him!" Torkoal shouted.

"Don't worry, we won't," Skuntank said. "We'll just leave him in the water until he sinks and drowns if you don't tell us."

"Yeah," Zubat added. "And the same will happen to all the Pokémon who come to this spring!"

"You wouldn't—"

"STILL!" Skuntank shouted, looking toward a Vigoroth. The "Dark Blessing" move known as "Still" paralyzed Vigoroth instantly. He fell into the water and sank to the bottom.

"We're still waiting," Skuntank crooned menacingly.

Torkoal had no choice but to come clean.

"YOOM-TAAH!" shouted an approaching Pokémon, scoring a direct hit on the three members of Team Skull with a Hyper Voice. Corphish dove in to the spring and rescued the Vigoroth. Both Vigoroth and Chatot got their paralysis healed by Chimecho's Heal Bell. Pugno them made short work of the evil thread that was gagging Chatot.

"That's right, mister Torkoal!" Chatot said. "Don't tell those three thugs anything! Also, thanks for saving me, everyone."

"Pugno," Skuntank seethed. "Still bothering me, I see."

"What were you expecting?" Pugno retorted. "You've reached a new low, accepting the 'Dark Blessing.' Is the famous 'Noxious Gas Combo' not effective anymore?"

"No, but this is. LETHARGY!"

Every Pokémon in the general vicinity of the Springs became afflicted immediately. What looked like a victory decided by numbers versus numbers suddenly became a dangerous situation courtesy of malevolent power. Skuntank wasn't careful this time, causing the move to affect his own fellow teammates. He couldn't care less about that as he approached Pugno, who was now at his mercy.

"I've had it with you, you little twerp!"

"Iron Tail!" shouted a Pokémon everyone knew all too well. Pelame delivered a solid strike to Skuntank's face with her attack.

"You keep away from my best friend!"

"LETHARG—" Skuntank didn't get to use that move again before Pelame struck him with another Iron Tail attack. She followed that with a Quick Attack, and finished with a Double-Edge attack. Skuntank was overwhelmed, and couldn't fight any more.

"I'll remember this," he seethed. With the last bit of his energy, he opened a Dimensional Hole and went through it, dragging Koffing and Zubat with him. The hole shut soon after their departure. Pelame turned to face the Guild crew and gave them all Heal Seeds and Sitrus Berries. After their snack, everyone was revitalized.

"Thanks for saving us, Pelame," Pugno said.

Pelame didn't respond. Pugno expected to see anger in her expression, but instead, he saw regret.

"You're welcome," she answered. "And…Pugno." She approached Pugno with tears in her eyes.

Now was the chance she took to finally say the words she'd been wanting to say for a while. "I'm so sorry!"

Pugno hugged her to offer comfort. "I am, too," he said. "You're my very best friend. I could never completely forget how much you mean to me, Pelame."

"Oh, Pugno, I couldn't go on without you! I can't believe I ever drove you away!"

"Well, I'm here now. And nothing will drive us apart ever again."

Pelame wiped her tears away and replaced her sad expression with a determined one.

"You're right, Pugno. Starting now, Team Space-Time is back in business!"

"That's the spirit, Pelame!"

At that, the Guild crew applauded wildly, welcoming the two back as an official Exploration Team.

"Here are your badges," Chimecho said, giving Pelame and Pugno their old badges. "I found them on Mount Horn where you left them, where Celebi told me they were left."

"HEY!" Loudred yelled. "SPEAKING of Celebi, we need to get BACK to Treasure Town! Grovyle and his friends could use some BACKUP!"

"Oh my gosh!" Sunflora squeaked. "That's right! They're protecting Lapras!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Chatot asked. "Let's go help our friends! Shall we, Guildmaster?"

"Indeed!" the Guildmaster answered.

"HOORAY!" everyone shouted, starting on the way to Treasure Town.

"You were right, Guildmaster," Chatot whispered. "Pelame and Pugno's friendship couldn't be broken."


"You're hardly even worth her time!" Arbok taunted.

"Why she's so certain of you failures being threats is beyond me," Drapion teased.

"No matter," Weavile mocked. "Our bait worked, and we'll be done with you very soon."

Grovyle, Dusknoir, Celebi, Sneasel, and the Sableye had been struck with the dreaded "Lethargy" curse, rendering them utterly helpless before Team AWD. Lapras had never really been targeted for death; rather, it was a lie to lure Grovyle and his friends away from the Guild crew. In their current state, all they could do was wonder.

"Why?" Celebi pleaded. "Why would you want the 'Dark Blessing?' Don't you know what it'll do to you?"

"Feh! None of my concern!" Weavile countered. "If it means living another day, your deaths are fine with me!"

"But that's the problem!" Sneasel shouted. "There will be no more days left for anyone if Unod gets to the Hidden Land!"

Team AWD suddenly froze at those words.

"Temporal Tower is what she's after," Dusknoir explained. "If it gets destroyed, time will stop. The planet will paralyze, and she'll have full control of the world."

"But she won't stop there," Celebi continued. "She won't be happy just by paralyzing the planet. She wants to destroy it completely! You can't want that to happen! You can't!"

The Guild party arrived to the sight of Team AWD being pleaded to, and it looked like the three rogues were listening. Chimecho healed Grovyle's party with her Heal Bell.

"And she likely won't stop at destroying this planet," Grovyle elaborated, feeling refreshed enough to stand up again. "She'll keep repeating her cycle of destruction until she's the last remaining life form! And she'll accomplish that goal if she gets to the Hidden Land!"

"What do you mean, 'if I get to the Hidden Land?!'" said an uncomfortably familiar voice to everyone's minds. Everyone turned to see a hologram-like image of Unod standing on the water.

The image pointed her finger further down the horizon. There, the real Unod was standing on Lapras's shell, forcing her to take her to the Hidden Land by the use of her evil threads as puppet strings.

"You all have my gratitude for distracting yourselves with your rescue missions. To think that was all I needed to do to get you off my back while I reached the Brine Cave. Oh, if only I thought of more to do with you!"

"Screw you, you old—" Sneasel started, only to be blasted with a Lethargy curse.

"Well, interruptions don't matter anymore, anyway. I've won unquestionably. And it's all thanks to all of you distracting yourselves with the problems I've created for you! Thanks again, and accept this parting gift. And I'll be sure to tell Dialga you said hello!"

At that, the image flew over Treasure Town, where it exploded into smaller orbs of evil power. The orbs fell on Treasure Town, leveling it completely as Unod cackled in absolute victory. She and Lapras disappeared from view, having already entered the Hidden Land.


"It was foregone from the start, Dialga. You and your tower are mine now!"

Unod stood triumphantly over Dialga and prepared her finishing blow.