Alright, Character guessing is over! Chapter 14 everybody!

-Chapter 14: I Don't Want to Say Goodbye-

-Briar's POV-

I was so exhausted from carrying Treecko… I kept running, in spite of losing my mate… I was distraught! I had to keep it together… For Treecko's sake!

I kept running more, and more… I glanced behind me a couple times, and saw the sableye running at top speed. I kept running, but I eventually came to another cliff, this time being twice as tall as the other one, and surrounding me on three sides… I turned back around, and set Treecko down next to me.

He sprouted leaf blades from his wrists, and looked ready to fight. I looked for a way to escape, but there were no footholds, no paths, nothing… I turned back, and the sableye were practically mocking us, moving slowly and deliberately. I extended vine whips from my wrists, "Are you ready, Treecko?"

He looked at me so fiercely, with a blazing fire in his eyes, "Yes… Let's do this!"

I smiled in spite of the incoming doom, and charged forward. Before I could even get close, a ball of shadows was launched from above me, and into the sableye. I stopped in my tracks, and looked to see where it might have come from, but there was only a cliffside. Then, I felt a warm breeze behind me.

Breeze? That shouldn't be…

Then, a shadow flew out in front of me, and a shortish, grey mummy pokemon appeared to float up from the ground. It had a single red eye in the middle of its forehead, and was kind of stout. It launched a wind of shadows, knocking the sableye back, and it turned and ran towards me and Treecko, grabbing our hands.

We ran into the wall, and I thought we were going to face plant into it, but I turned into a shadow and ran up the cliff as easily as walking on the ground. As soon as we were at the top, leaving the sableye behind, we were all re-materialized. I fell over due to dizziness, and the pokemon tried to walk over to me, but Treecko stopped him, "Stay back!"
The pokemon backed up, and raised its hands into the air, "Whoa, man, I don't mean any harm!"

-Treecko's POV-

As soon as the pokemon turned me into a shadow, I was done with it already. When we re-materialized at the top of the cliff, and he tried to walk towards my mother, of course I was going to stop him!

He walked towards her, and I leapt, leaf blades extended, "Stay back!"

He backed away, and I held him at blade point, and began questioning him, "Who are you?"

He didn't have a mouth that I could see, so it was weird listening to him talk, "Oh, forgive my inconsideration!"

"Small words!"
He cleared his throat, "Ahem… I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier; I'm Dusclops!"

I didn't lower my leaf blade, but he gently pushed it aside, "Would you kindly lower your swords?"

I shook my head, "Nope. Why are you here?"

He seemed a little bit annoyed, but I didn't care; I didn't want to trust any new pokemon right now…

"Well… I was walking around your cave; I presume it is, anyways, when the stupid Golurk decided to blow it up. I followed the commotion, and decided to rescue you guys from the sableye!"

My mom intervened, "Treecko… I believe he tells the truth. He wouldn't rescue us from Dialga's forces if he wanted to capture us; He would have let them capture us."

I didn't break eye contact, "You're not working for Dialga, are you?"

He stepped back slightly, his eye glowing bright, "Heck no! I would be caught dead working for that stupid dragon! He killed my parents because they tried to travel back in time!"

Travel... back in time? What is he talking about?

I could still hear the sableye down below us, along with the Golurk, but they couldn't climb an eighty foot wall, right?

Dusclops suddenly lunged at me, "Get down!" he pushed me down, and shattered a boulder that had been thrown by a Golurk with a shadow ball. Several of the shards impaled themselves into the ground next to me, but I didn't even flinch; I was still to shocked to even register that he had saved us twice already.

"They won't be far behind; We need to keep moving."

I stood up and brushed myself off, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
The Dusclops shrugged, "Alright; I didn't count on that, but anywho… You should stay on the move; Where were you guys headed again?"

-Briar's POV-

Treecko was so defensive of me; When that stone got shattered, I felt like something had pierced my side. I felt where the pain originated, and then I pulled a stone shard out of my side. I sealed the wound with a healing paste, and bandaged it with leaves, but I knew better than to tell Treecko right now. He wouldn't stop trying to care for me.

The Dusclops was right; We needed to move. I stood up, grunting with pain, and Treecko almost noticed as I replied, "We are going to Dragon Mountain."

Dusclops turned around, "Really? I've never heard of that place."

I nodded, "I met Connor, and he said that that place was always open to me and my mate… Basileus."
Dusclops seemed to perk up at his name, "So… Wait, you're Briar?!"
I nodded, "Why does that appear to be important to you?"

"Well, I've read about Basileus and You in some scrolls in our library! You're supposed to be like one of the smartest and wisest pokemon alive, and Basileus is supposed to be the best fighter in the world!"

I was taken aback by that. There are scrolls about us?

Dusclops seemed to focus again, and said, "We need to move."

I nodded, and began walking. Treecko came up to me and asked if I was alright.

"Never been better, Treecko." I smiled in spite of the pain, and continued walking. Eventually, though, I collapsed; My legs couldn't move any more. I fell to the ground amongst large stones, and Treecko helped me up and lay down against a boulder. Dusclops had gathered wood, and shot a will-o-wisp into the wood, igniting it and making a fire.

I opened the bandages, and somehow the wound had gotten worse than before. It hurt for me to breathe, and when I felt my body for any internal damage, I found that the stone had pierced some of my main arteries and organs. I knew I didn't have a lot of time left.

Treecko kept glaring at Dusclops like he was a criminal, and I said, "Treecko… You need to trust him… He tells the truth, this much I know. The world is full of deceitful pokemon… He is not one of those. He is easily influenced by others, though. A good heart that changes to its surroundings can soon become corrupt by others that contort the truth. You need to make sure that he remains a good pokemon."

"Why are you telling me this?"

I smiled warmly, "Because I know I am not going to be around long enough to make sure of it myself."

I showed him my wounds, "I am already weak as it is… Constantly being on the run isn't helping the healing process. Even with the regenerative paste, the shard still pierced some of my vital organs. It would take so long for it to heal, and even if it did, I would have to lay still during the mending process."

Treecko shook his head, "No! I won't let you go! Not like this!"

It broke my heart, but I managed to say, "Treecko… You must let me go. I will see you again…"

"No! You will not die! Stop talking like that!" Tears streaming down his eyes, "I need you, Mom! You taught me everything I know! You have to stay alive!"

I corrected him, "No, Treecko… I taught you everything I know… You can learn further; You have yet to learn the price of Ignorance… You have seen how severe my wound is… Don't think that you could have done more. You can't help me Treecko…"

I was about to cry from having to tell my baby that he can't save me… I didn't want to tell him that!

but I can't just let him think that he could, then die...

"Mom! I will not just let you die! I will keep trying!"

"Treecko… Just promise me that you will restore this world…"

"I… I promise, mom…"

I nodded, "Good…"

He shook me slightly, "No, Mom! Don't leave me! I don't want you to go! I don't want to say goodbye!"

I felt my strength depleting rapidly as I murmured weakly, "Goodbye sounds so final, Treecko… How about 'See you later?'"

Treecko choked back a sob, "See you later…"

I smiled, "I love you, Treecko…"

He smiled back, teary-eyed, "I love you too… Mom."

I took my last breath and closed my eyes.

This chapter made me sad... Typing it, and reading it. :P Enjoy, and stay strong!

-PL