The maps were in her bag. She also took enough food for two days, and she took the maps and the Blast Seeds. But she left all the medicine for Celebi and Grovyle. She wouldn't need it, anyway; she wasn't planning on getting herself injured.
Hero breathed calmly, deeply, easily; she climbed over the boulder and slithered down to the other side.
No, she wouldn't let herself be bothered by this. She made her decision to leave Celebi and Grovyle. She'd stayed up all night thinking it over. Then she drugged Celebi, kissed Grovyle on the forehead, wrote the note, and took off.
She headed west now. She was at the bottom of a deep ravine, picking her way through the rocks. The sky above was a light gray screen. Hero paused. She stretched, a yawn bubbling out. It was already past noon, and she'd been travelling since the middle of last night when she left Grovyle.
No… she had still more distance to put between them. She was still uncertain as to the extent of Celebi's powers. That would have been something she asked Grovyle about. Grovyle, the plan-maker. She gave a sigh.
"I can still do it without him," she reminded herself, getting back to her feet and finding a handhold on the next boulder. "I found the Time Gear in Treeshroud Forest before I knew him. And now I'm alone again. I can still do it."
After she found the Gear, the next step was to return to Treeshroud Forest. Grovyle should be waiting for her there… she hoped so, at least, instead of him or Celebi chasing after her. Celebi would surely panic, but if Grovyle was awake, she knew—this thought assured her—she knew that he would trust her to do it on her own.
Besides, after that fight she picked with him… she sighed. Stupid! The thought of it still made her cheeks burn.
She was getting ahead of herself. The first step was to find the Time Gear.
Something howled nearby. Hero's head jerked up. Where did it come from…? Her eyes darted toward a gap between two rocks. Within it, an orange light was slightly flickering.
Hero smiled darkly, eyes grim. She cracked her knuckles. It was about time she had a good fight.
Two Pokémon erupted from the crevice. One was as tall as her chest: a large, fiery dog with demon-like horns curling up around its head. A Houndoom. The other was a smaller version of it, wearing a skull over its face, Houndoom's pre-evolution Houndour.
Hero smirked.
The Houndoom leaped at her, but she easily rolled out of the attack's path. The Houndour batted a paw at Hero's head; she knocked it away with a hand, but the Houndoom jumped on top of her. She kicked it, both feet connecting solidly with its chest. It was sent flying, hitting the rock wall of the ravine. She gave a wicked grin, pretending that it was Dusknoir she had hit.
Whimpering, the Houndoom fled alongside the Houndour.
Hero stretched, bouncing on her feet. That felt good.
Anyway, back to business.
Limestone Cavern was her next objective. It was the last Time Gear… the very last one. She felt her heart soaring. Treeshroud, Fogbound, Underground, Crystal… Limestone was all that was left.
After that, she would meet with Grovyle and Celebi would bring them to the past… she looked up at the gray sky. She would see the sun. She couldn't even begin to imagine what wind would feel like. Part of her thought it was just a myth—how could there exist something that you can't see, can't taste, can't hold, but you can feel it on your skin and hear it blow?
There was only one problem.
Everybody knew about Limestone Cavern, the legendary holding place of the fifth Time Gear. Everybody knew about it, but nobody knew where it was. Most people thought it was a myth; of course, most people thought Time Gears and the Dimensional Scream were myths too, like the stories mothers told children about evil humans who would enslave Pokémon in orbs called Poké Balls.
Hero grunted as she pulled herself onto a boulder. She jumped and caught the lip of the cliff top; she pulled herself over and flopped onto the ground, panting.
There was only one place, a warren of tunnels, which sounded similar to the myths. It was said that the tunnels made up a huge underground maze, and once you entered, you'd never come out.
Sounded like a Time Gear to her.
Hero let out a choking laugh, laying on the ground at the top of the ravine and pressing her hands over her eyes. Arceus. A never ending maze did not sound like the kind of place you went alone. She missed Grovyle already. A second pair of eyes was always handy.
Especially in mazes.
Freaking mazes.
(Many thanks to my beta, Shinzoku!)