Chapter 17
The Guild's Crew
With the sun setting for the day, Team Poképals was at the entrance of Wigglytuff's guild, a place where they were away from for a long time ever since being unwillingly dragged by Dusknoir. They understood that it was an awkward situation to return here, but they had to get in and tell the guild the whole story about Leon, the future, who Grovyle and Dusknoir really were, and everything in between, so that the guild members could understand the danger that the world was in.
"Even though we've been gone from our guild members for a while now," Leon said to Chimchar, "we simply have to go in and tell them the whole truth so we can get them to help us save the world!"
"Right, Leon! We can do this! I'll step up to the sentry grate first so we can get in!"
Chimchar stepped up to the grate as he promised.
"Pokémon detected!" Diglett said.
"Whose footprint?" Loudred replied.
"It belongs to...the f-f-footprint belongs to..."
Diglett sounded to be in disbelief as Loudred took notice.
"What's wrong, Diglett?! Respond!"
Sounds of burrowing could be heard from underneath the ground.
"HEY, Diglett! Where do ya think you're burrowin' off to?"
"That...footprint… Belongs to Chimchar!"
"WHAT?!" yelled the guild.
Diglett appeared right beside Team Poképals as they looked to him.
"It is Chimchar! A-and Piplup too!"
Leon noticed that the sentry used his old name, but realized he could tell his real name for when they told their story.
"Diglett!" Chimchar said. "Long time no see!"
The gate opened up, surprising Team Poképals, as they turned to the entrance to see the guild members running to them to see if it was really them. They surrounded the two and answered their own question.
"Hey, hey! It's true!"
"Oh my gosh! It really is Piplup and Chimchar!"
"You're both ALIVE!"
"We worried so much about you!"
"I...I...I was...by golly!"
"E-everyone..." Chimchar said, smiling through his tears, as well as Leon, "...we're home!"
Chatot and Wigglytuff came next, as the guild members moved aside to see Team Poképals.
"Welcome home, Chimchar and Piplup~!" Wigglytuff announced.
"Oh man, Wigglytuff," Leon the piplup replied, "it's good to see you too! Have we got quite a story to tell all of you!"
Everybody went into the guild so that Leon and Chimchar could begin telling their unbelievable journey into the future.
On the floor where Wigglytuff's chamber and Team Poképals' room was, Leon and Chimchar were telling the guild about their entire journey in the dark future. They told them, more importantly, that Dusknoir was in fact evil, working for a corrupted version of Dialga in his primal form, and that Grovyle was in fact only taking the Time Gears to place them on top of Temporal Tower to prevent the planet's paralysis. They also told them that Piplup's real name was Leon, since Dusknoir, and Grovyle, his old friend, both recognized his voice. Understandably, the whole guild was shocked at all of those revelations.
"...What?!" Chatot said, flapping his wings in alarm. "What was that again? Just...hold on for a moment! Let me get this story straight!"
"OK." Chimchar agreed.
"Now, let me summarize your story so far… First...Grovyle is actually a good pokémon? He was collecting the Time Gears to save the world?"
"Yup!"
"And the great Dusknoir only pretended to be kind and helpful, as he's really a heinous and wicked villain?"
"Yeah...though I didn't really phrase it that way..."
"Also, Piplup, whose real name is Leon, was really Grovyle's partner, and a former human?"
"Yup."
"So Dusknoir wanted to get rid of both Pip- excuse me, Leon and Grovyle, and took them to the future?"
"Yes. And me too."
"Then both of you, and Grovyle too, managed to escape from Dusknoir by the skin of your teeth, and barely made it back home from the future?"
"Yes."
"And finally, this planet will soon be paralyzed...and to prevent that...Grovyle has started gathering Time Gears again, and meanwhile, both of you here and looking for a place called the Hidden Land? Is that your story in its full entirety?!"
"Yup! That's all of it!"
Chatot gave all of Leon and Chimchar's story a careful thought, then he laughed in bewilderment.
"Chimchar and Leon...both of you must've had a bad dream or something!"
"What?!" they both exclaimed.
"Why don't you just go to your room and get some rest~?"
"W-wait a second!"
"You think we're lying?" questioned Leon. "All of what we told you is true!"
"I'm sure...I'm sure...~" Chatot answered, though it seemed he didn't care. "I'm sure both of you are suffering from exhaustion! A good sleep will fix that~!"
"That's not it, Chatot!" insisted Chimchar. "Honestly, we're telling you the truth!"
Chatot flapped his wings in anger, appearing to lose his patience.
"That's quite enough! Tell me if any part of your story is even remotely plausible! I understand that the piplup's true name is Leon, and that he was a former human, but a place called the Hidden Land?! I'm the head of intelligence here, and I've heard of no such place! Besides, the great Dusknoir is far too kind to do anything like you've alleged!"
"Well, yes, I couldn't believe the truth about him either… It just came as a huge shock...it was really hard to accept. But…!"
Chatot angrily flapped his wings again.
"I'll hear no more of this! I don't give a squawk to what you said! The great Dusknoir, the villain?! It's simply unbelievable!" He turned to the other guild members. "Seriously, don't all of you feel the same way? How can all of you seriously think of the great Dusknoir as a villain?!"
"We hold him in high esteem," Dugtrio said, as Chatot turned to him. "We cannot believe it."
"See?! See?!" The parrot turned back to Team Poképals. "Everyone shares the same opinion!"
"But..." Sunflora began, as Chatot turned to her next, "...there's something I don't understand. That time...when the great Dusknoir was about to return to the future...I thought I saw him grab both Leon and Chimchar to the future with him through the dimensional hole! What Dusknoir did then...was strange, any way you look at it..."
"Do you really think so? Don't you think that Chimchar and Leon fell into the dimensional hole by accident?"
"NO WAY!" Loudred answered for Sunflora, as everyone turned to him. "Dusknoir DID grab those poor kids...and YANKED 'em in!"
"Hey, hey! That's right!" Corphish said, as they turned to him next. "It looked that way to me too! What happened was really weird!"
"Gosh, I really had to wonder why Dusknoir did something like that!" Bidoof said, with everyone turning next to him.
"If..." Chimecho began, while everybody turned to her, "...what Chimchar said is true...then what Dusknoir did suddenly makes perfect sense!
Chatot seemed shocked by the guild members for backing up Team Poképals' claim.
"What? Wait a minute!" They turned to him. "So is that what you think now? Are you actually saying that you now believe what Chimchar and Leon are claiming?!"
The members gave it a thought, prompting Chatot to flap his wings.
"Well, what's your answer?!"
After a few seconds…
"Uh...I...believe them..." Bidoof slowly answered, as everyone turned to him.
"What?!" Chatot bellowed. "What did you say?! So, Bidoof, you're now claiming that the great Dusknoir is a villain?"
"Oof! Golly, I surely did think highly of the great Dusknoir, but the whole idea sounds troubling when you put it that way. There's also something more important here! Leon and Chimchar are the source of that importance! That's why...I believe what they have to say!"
"Wh-wh-what?!"
Leon and Chimchar had a little hint of tears in their eyes. The rest of the guild began to agree with their claims.
"Hey, hey! I believe them too!"
"Me too! They're our guild colleagues, after all!"
"I BELIEVE them!"
"Me too!"
"So do I!"
"Casting doubt on our colleagues is wrong! Trust is a must!"
Chatot simply squawked in disbelief.
"*Sniff* Th-thanks, guys…!" Leon said with tears now streaming from his eyes, along with Chimchar, but they smiled. "Thanks...for believing us!"
"Well, hiya!" Wigglytuff said. Everyone turned to him. "Sounds like we all agree~!"
"HUH?!" Everyone said.
"We all believe our friends! That's great~! We can begin searching for the Hidden Land!"
"Whoa!" Loudred said. "Just hold ON there, guildmaster!"
"What's wrong?"
"We're not ALL in agreement yet, are we?"
"Huh?"
"We're all good with the story..." Loudred turned to Chatot, "...but I suspect that Chatot HERE isn't convinced."
"Is that all~?" Wigglytuff replied. "You don't need to worry about him."
"HUH?!" everybody said.
"He is convinced...right?"
"WHAT?!"
"Because he believed Team Poképals' story all along!" Wigglytuff turned to Chatot. "Right, Chatot~?"
Chatot turned away from the crowd and could only laugh in embarrassment. The guild members could only stare in amazement at him.
"Well, guildmaster, there's no fooling you. I admit it." He turned back to the crowd with a wide smile on his beak. "Yes, I believed Leon and Chimchar right from the start."
"REALLY?!" everybody bellowed.
"But if I would have said that I believed them right away...all of you would've just gone along with what I said." Chatot wore a face of embarrassment. "That's why I was so contrary! I just wanted to put your friendship to the test!"
"Gosh, likely story..." Bidoof replied.
Chatot smiled once again.
"But without a doubt," he said, "I was convinced from the get-go! I knew everyone...would surely believe their colleagues~!"
"Says you..." replied Sunflora.
Chatot could only laugh with tears coming out of his eyes.
Wigglytuff stepped forward to Team Poképals.
"Leon and Chimchar, I believe you! You're my great friends within the guild membership~!" He turned to everybody else. "Now listen, everyone! Time is stopping in more and more places. From Team Poképals' story...we know our world is in danger, which means we have to do something~! This is our time to shine! In the name of my guild...we'll combine all of our efforts to discover the Hidden Land! Let's do this, everybody!"
"YES, SIR!" everyone cheered.
Wigglytuff turned to Chatot.
"Chatot!" the guildmaster said, scaring Chatot a bit.
"Y-yes, s-sir?"
"Wrap it up!"
The parrot flapped his wings.
"All right, everybody! From now on, we're shifting all our efforts on locating the Hidden Land! We also have to let everyone else know what is happening in our world, so we'll be busy from now on! We will all have to work hard so we can save the world that we live in!"
The guild agreed with the plan.
"I sure will!"
"I'll putter down to Treasure Town! Hey, that rhymed! Anyway, I'll get the word out!"
"I'll go too!"
"We have to let Azelf and his friends know too! If they're back at their lakes, they may try to stop Grovyle!"
"I'll go tell 'em, too!"
"That's what I like to hear!" announced Chatot. "Everybody else, please search for the Hidden Land! As for Bidoof, Sunflora, and others, once your errands are done, gather information on the Hidden Land."
"Yes, sir!"
"We'll hurry!"
"We'll find the Hidden Land together!" announced Wigglytuff. "YOOM...TAH!"
"HOORAY!" everybody cheered.
The guild members had their say.
"All right! Let's show some GUTS!"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
They were all energized. Wigglytuff, meanwhile, turned to Team Poképals.
"I'm sorry that I don't have any information on the Hidden Land," he said, "but maybe...the wise Torkoal, the town elder, may know something."
"Torkoal the town elder?" Leon wondered.
"That would be the wisest and oldest pokémon of Treasure Town," Chatot answered. "He loves the Hot Spring, so expect to see him there. I'm sure of it~!"
"Oh! I remember! Chimchar and I met him at the end of our exploration of Waterfall Cave! We were launched out of the cave into the Hot Spring, and that's where we met Torkoal! He's that nice old pokémon we met!"
"You should put his years of wisdom to use~!" said Wigglytuff. "Go ask him for advice~!"
Leon and Chimchar turned to each other.
"We should know where Hot Spring is, Leon." Chimchar said. "We'll go there and ask Torkoal if he knows about the Hidden Land and its whereabouts!"
"Right back at ya, pal!"
Chimecho stepped, or in this case, floated forward.
"But first…!" Everyone turned to her. "It's getting late, and besides...all of you must be hungry!"
On cue, Leon and Chimchar's bellies both growled. They turned to each other.
"She's right!" Chimchar said. "My stomach just growled!"
"Ha ha! Mine did too!" replied Leon.
They turned back to Chimecho.
"Let's have some supper and get a good night's sleep first! We'll all get to work tomorrow!"
Leon's stomach growled again as everybody turned to him.
"Man, I'm hungry!"
Everyone smiled and laughed for a few moments. They made their way into the mess hall to have a hearty dinner.
Later that night, Team Poképals was finally back at their own room. It had been a while since they slept in there. Leon and Chimchar stood on their beds to have a conversation before they headed to sleep.
"Boy, I never thought we'd sleep on our beds again!" Chimchar began.
"Yeah, me too!" Leon replied.
"It's been so long since we've been in our room."
"Yup, it feels as though we're finally home."
"I'm really glad everyone came to believe our story."
Chimchar turned to the window.
"To be honest, it made me emotional!" He turned back to Leon. "It's been an eventful day and I'm tired. We'll go meet Torkoal tomorrow and talk with him."
"Yeah, we'll do that! For now, let's just get some rest tonight, Chimchar. We've earned it!"
"OK, Leon. Good night, pal."
"Good night."
They laid down on their beds and went to sleep.
The next morning, the guild was briefed on their critical duties today. One half of the guild was told to find the Hidden Land, while the other half would spread the word on convincing everyone in town that Grovyle was good, and Dusknoir was bad. Once they were dismissed, Team Poképals headed to the Hot Spring as promised to go talk to Torkoal.
Once Leon and Chimchar arrived at the Hot Spring, they went to Torkoal standing at the top of the spring to ask him if he knew the Hidden Land, and where it was.
"Do you know the Hidden Land?' questioned Leon.
"Yes, I have heard of it," answered Torkoal.
"Really?!" Chimchar said.
"Yup! The Hidden Land is truly a place of legend. It is a tattered lore at best, handed down by oral tradition. From what I have heard of, The Hidden Land lies beyond the sea...in a hidden place. The land itself allows only the chosen to find it, and to go there, one must possess certain qualities."
"A place..." Leon began.
"...That only someone with proper qualifications can go to..." said Chimchar.
"What are those qualifications, Torkoal?"
"They are..." He tried thinking of them carefully, but to no avail.
"I'm terribly sorry, but I've gotten those qualifications."
"Oh no!" exclaimed both Leon and Chimchar. "You've forgotten?!"
"Please, Torkoal!" urged the piplup. "You gotta remember! It's really important!"
"That's easy for you to say, but..." The coal pokémon gave it a thought. "Wait! I got it! You need proof! You need proof of some sort!"
"What kind of proof?"
"That would be..." Torkoal thought again, but was unsuccessful. "Forgive me, but I've forgotten again."
"What?!" Leon and Chimchar said. "You can't remember?!"
"I'm so sorry to disappoint you both."
Team Poképals could only sweat-drop in disappointment.
"Ugh, all right," Chimchar said. "Can you recall anything else at all?"
"...Nope," answered Torkoal. "That's all. Forgive me, youngsters. If I recall what proof you need, I'll be sure to let you know."
"OK then, Torkoal," replied Leon. "Thanks."
He turned to Chimchar.
"Let's head back to the guild for now, pal."
Team Poképals got off the Hot Spring and went back to the guild.
Leon and Piplup, upon returning to the guild, told Chatot and the other members that Torkoal could not provide them many answers about the Hidden Land. Wigglytuff, however, encouraged the team that finding proof was a step in the right direction. The guild members were also unable to find anything that could lead to the Hidden Land, but urged Team Poképals to keep trying to find the answers. For now, everyone needed to rest for the remainder of the day.
Later that night in Leon and Chimchar's room, they were still disappointed on coming up almost empty-handed on the search for Hidden Land.
"*Sigh*… We're not making as much progress as we'd hoped," Chimchar said. "When we talked with Torkoal, I started thinking we had hope!" He turned to the window. "I wonder how Grovyle's doing? Did he gather the Time Gears? We need to hurry too!" He turned back to Leon.
"Yeah, but there's no point in getting all worked up. Everybody's trying their best to help out, and that's what matters the most!"
"You're right, Leon. Let's get some sleep so we can have a fresh resolve tomorrow!"
"OK, Chimchar, good night."
"Good night to you too, pal."
They laid down on their respective beds and went to sleep.
The guild was briefed the next morning by Chatot, who acknowledged that the Hidden Land continued to remain shrouded in mystery, but encouraged the members not to give up. He ordered them to continue investigating today, and everyone was soon dismissed. Just as Team Poképals themselves started to think of their next plan, the sentry duty pokémon alerted the guild that Torkoal himself had come to visit here. He went down to the guild's quarters to provide possible new information on the search of the Hidden Land to Leon and Chimchar, as he has remembered something else from yesterday.
"Yesterday, when I contemplated the waters of the Hot Spring for a long time, one recollection finally surfaced. But...it really is something small. I worry if it would be even worthwhile sharing with you."
"Not to worry~!" encouraged Wigglytuff. "Every little bit of information helps, even if it's small~! Please, say it~!"
Torkoal took a deep breath first, and started to reveal his new piece of information to Team Poképals…
"When we spoke of travel to the Hidden Land yesterday...I said that both of you needed proof of your qualification to go there. I remembered a bit more about that proof. The proof...bears an inscription of a certain pattern."
"A certain pattern?" questioned Chimchar.
"Hey, hey!" Corphish inserted. "What kind of pattern would that be?"
"Er...how can I describe it?" said Torkoal. "It is difficult to describe it...but I can tell you that the pattern is quite intricate and odd. Think of it as a peculiar pattern, one of which you rarely see."
The guild commented on it.
"A pattern you rarely see..."
"You'd think I could think of SOMETHING!"
"But to try and think of such a thing isn't easy when one tries!"
"Hmm...what could it be…?"
The kind of pattern you rarely see… thought Leon. What could a pattern like that look like…? A pattern you rarely see...a peculiar...pattern…
A light went on his head.
"Wait, I got it!" he said aloud. He turned to Chimchar. "Hey, buddy!"
"What is it?" the chimp pokémon said, turning to Leon.
"Remember when I first came here, on the beach? You showed me your Relic Fragment, and I remembered that it had a peculiar pattern on it!"
"Wow! I'll show it to Torkoal, then!"
Chimchar took off his necklace containing the Relic Fragment and went forward to Torkoal.
"Excuse me! Can you have a look at this?"
He gave the fragment to him so that he could examine it.
"Oh! Th-this is it!" Torkoal said. "It's a pattern exactly like this!"
Everybody was amazed by the discovery!
"WHAT?!"
"Where...did you get this?" questioned Torkoal to Chimchar.
"I'm not sure...I just happened to pick it up."
"Yippee! This is fabulous!" Sunflora exclaimed. "Since Chimchar has this...thing...does it mean that he's qualified to go to the Hidden Land?"
"That, I wouldn't know," insisted Torkoal. "Maybe yes, maybe no. To go to the Hidden Land, one must surely possess that proof...but that doesn't necessarily mean that the bearer of the proof really possesses the qualification to be...chosen. That proof may be merely the physical key to the Hidden Land. Even before that, though, this shares the same inscribed pattern...but there's no sure connection between this Relic Fragment and the Hidden Land."
"But there's no question that this pattern has something to do with the Hidden Land, right?" questioned Wigglytuff. "Knowing only that is a lot~!"
"I suppose so..." Torkoal had a light go on in his head and turned to Wigglytuff. "Wait! You do realize that the Hidden Land is only a spoken legend, right? You're surely not trying to find the Hidden Land?"
"Yes, we are~!"
"My gracious, what a surprise!"
Wigglytuff turned to Chatot.
"Chatot, we've seen this pattern before somewhere...haven't we?"
Everyone was shocked at this latest revelation!
"WHAT?!"
Chatot barely turned to the crowd.
"Y-yes...it was at the sea inlet to the northwest...inside Brine Cave..." He was painfully reminded of something, as he turned back to Wigglytuff. "But, guildmaster! That place…!"
"Yes, I know," Wigglytuff replied. "That vicious bandit was there."
The members once again were shocked.
"A vicious..."
"...Bandit?!"
"Everyone, please listen." Wigglytuff announced, as the guild turned to him. "I once saw this same pattern deep inside a place called Brine Cave. I think we can discover more by taking the Relic Fragment there, but...there is one problem. A pokémon lurks there who is a vicious bandit."
The guild insisted that they were not scared of the bandit.
"Hey, hey, we're not about to let that scare us!"
"Aren't we EXPLORERS?"
"We all have to be brave!"
They cheered.
"Thanks, everyone~!" Wigglytuff announced, as the guild members quieted down. "That place though is challenging, so all of you should take time today to get ready, then tomorrow, we'll set off for Brine Cave!"
"HOORAY!" the guild cheered once more.
Torkoal laughed joyfully at their enthusiasm.
"I thought that the Hidden Land was nothing more than folklore!" he said. "Getting old has made my thinking so inflexible, which is very sad when you think about it. All of this makes me remember the days when I dreamt of romance and adventure! Help me see my dreams again, and do your best!" He turned to Chimchar. "Oh, by the way, here's your Relic Fragment."
"Thanks!"
Torkoal gave it back to Chimchar, and the chimp pokémon put it back around his neck. The coal pokémon then turned to the ladder to make his way out, as everybody turned to him.
"You can count on us!" Team Poképals announced.
"Thanks, Torkoal!" Wigglytuff said.
The coal pokémon barely turned back to the crowd.
"Oh, it was nothing!"
He turned back to the ladder and climbed up it to make his way out of the guild. Wigglytuff and Chatot turned back to the members.
"OK, everyone!" Wigglytuff announced. "Spend the rest of today getting ready~!"
"HOORAY!" the guild cheered.
They spent their time discussing about the preparations to each other.
"Yup yup! We'll go get ready!"
"This'll be so exciting!"
"I can't wait!"
The members, except for Leon and Chimchar, left to get ready for tomorrow's exploration to Brine Cave. Wigglytuff and Chatot turned to each other as Team Poképals watched and listened to their conversation.
"Chatot, you will stay here at the guild tomorrow on standby." the guildmaster said.
The parrot flapped his wings in alarm.
"G-guildmaster! Forgive me if I'm out of line, but please, let me go to Brine Cave with you!"
Wigglytuff shaked his head and had a sad look on his face.
"No! I can't let you face danger like that ever again!"
"But that's why I must go! Please take me to Brine Cave!"
The guildmaster had no choice but to smile and accept Chatot's desperate request.
"...OK, fine. You can go tomorrow, but I want you to go with Team Poképals. Guide them to the place where we saw that strange pattern, and be extra careful in doing so."
"Thanks! I won't let you down!"
"One more thing...I have something I need to do right now, so I must go out. You're in charge while I'm gone."
"As you wish."
Wigglytuff went into his chamber to get ready for his own trip to Brine Cave later on. Chatot, meanwhile turned to Leon and Chimchar.
"So, like you heard from us, both of you will be with me tomorrow. As such, your non-guild members may not come along. Brine Cave will have a vicious foe lying in wait, so don't let your guard down, and don't do anything that keeps me from succeeding there!"
Chimchar reluctantly agreed.
"Oh, all right!"
He and Leon turned to each other.
"Leon, let's go get ready by going to Treasure Town!"
"Right!"
They made their way out of the guild.
As Leon and Chimchar passed by Torkoal out of the guild, the coal pokémon found himself caught up with none other than Team Skull, the antagonistic team that troubled Team Poképals and their friends many times before. They surrounded him, as he talked about the Hidden Land.
"Wh-who are you folks?!" demanded Torkoal.
"We're Team Skull!" answered Skuntank.
"Did you have business with Wigglytuff's guild, old-timer?" questioned Zubat.
"We overheard you talking about something that sounded fun!" Koffing said.
"Specifically about the Hidden Land, of course!" Skuntank said.
"I...was only..." Torkoal began, but he was grabbed by them!
"Well, why don't you come with us for an explanation, then?" Skuntank insisted.
They grabbed the helpless Torkoal and dragged him away from town!
"Hey! Let me go, you troublemakers!"
No one else heard him though, as the four pokémon went out of sight…
Meanwhile in Treasure Town, Leon and Chimchar went across many stores to withdraw and deposit money, open treasure chests, buy items, and put some away in the storage in exchange for better ones. When they were done, Chimchar suggested to Leon that they should check Sharpedo Bluff to see if Grovyle had come back. They agreed, and went over there.
Team Poképals went into Chimchar's home inside the bluff to see that Grovyle, however, had not yet returned.
"He's not here..." Chimchar said.
He and Leon looked around to find a note on the ground.
"Hey! There's a note over there, probably from Grovyle!" the piplup said.
"Let's go and read it then!"
They went over to the note and picked it up. Leon handed the note over to Chimchar, since it was in footprint runes. He read it for a quick second.
"This is a letter from Grovyle!"
"Well, read it and find out what it says!"
Chimchar read from the note.
"'To Leon and Chimchar: How are you doing? How goes your search for the Hidden Land? Things are going well on my end. I've already collected three Time Gears, and need two more, so I can rejoin you when I've collected all five. Plans have proceeded smoothly, as Azelf and his friends understood the situation, and are cooperating at this time. He told me that members of your guild let them know I was coming, so thank you. It's heartening to know that more and more pokémon are coming to trust us, however I will continue to stay away from Treasure Town and the guild. First of all, I'm not certain if the pokémon in this world trust me entirely or not...but there's something even more troubling than that… Dusknoir is liable to return from the future any moment now.'"
"Oh no!" Leon said in alarm. "Not him!"
Chimchar turned to his pal.
"Come to think of it, he failed to destroy us in the future. I wouldn't put it past him to chase us here. He still wants us gone."
"Keep reading Grovyle's note for now," demanded Leon.
Chimchar turned back to the note, and continued reading from it.
"'Since he will be coming, we should keep a low profile. This is another reason I should stay away from the town and the guild. I may instead come back to Sharpedo Bluff or the beach. If we can meet, we can then exchange information. Good luck on your end. Together, we will stop the planet's paralysis.'"
Chimchar put the note down and turned to Leon.
"From what it sounds like," Leon began, "it appears that Grovyle's hard at work. We'd better not fail on our end, either!
"You're right, Leon!" Chimchar replied. "According to his letter, he'll show up either here or at the beach. Since he's not here, we'd better go look for him at the beach!"
"Right you are, pal! Let's get over there before we go back to the guild!"
Team Poképals went up the stairs and made their way towards the beach, the only other place indicated by Grovyle's note, to see if he had returned yet.